“Sam,” Lance hollered again, this time gently nudging at her back. She was sitting next to him with her back turned talking with Jen who was seated down the table. “What do you want to drink?” he asked as the waitress stood next to him waiting.
Sam turned back to him with a flirtatious smile gracing her face. “A screw…driver,” she said with a deliberate pause and a small laugh before promptly resuming her conversation.
The group of friends had pulled two smaller square tables together to form one long rectangular arrangement. Sam was sitting in the middle of one side, with Lance directly on her right. Mel was next to him at the end of the table, with Joey on her other side. Justin was next to Joey, and Jen was on his right. Chris and Dani sat at the other end of the table, and JC was on Sam’s left side.
“Why do I have the sinking suspicion that that is just a taste of what is to come tonight?” Lance asked to no one in particular after repeating Sam’s order to the waitress and re-joining his friends.
“I hear dat yo,” Mel answered with a giggle. “I think we should open the presents now,” she said with wide childlike eyes.
“I’m down wit dat homie,” Sam replied, continuing with the slang. “Who’s first?” she asked rubbing her hands together.
“I’ll go,” JC said as he reached under his chair retrieving a package and sat it on the table in front of Sam. She lifted the lid from the box and found a couple of blank books inside. “Do you know what they are?” JC asked as she thumbed through them.
“They’re song books right?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if you wrote or not, but I know you sing, and I’ve seen you scribbling away in a notebook every once in a while, so I just took a shot,” he explained.
“I do write, but they’re not really songs. I’m not sure what they are, ideas, lyrics, poems I suppose,” Sam said as she gave JC a friendly hug. “Maybe one day they’ll be songs now. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’d love to read them someday. Maybe we can come up with something together,” he offered.
“She’s got some really beautiful stuff,” Lance chimed in.
“Oh! Did she let you read the one about the…” Mel started only to be interrupted by Jen.
“I love that one. It’s my favorite,” she asserted.
“Mine too,” Lance agreed.
“Okay, moving on,” Sam spoke up, uncomfortable with the direction in which the conversation had headed.
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy Sami,” Justin warned shaking his finger in her direction. “This will be a topic for future discussion. Hiding more stuff from me, what am I gonna do with you?” he teased.
“Here ya go Shorty,” Chris shouted throwing the gift at her.
Sam just barely caught it before it knocked over her and Lance’s drinks that the waitress had just sat down.
“Chris, what is with this Shorty business?” she asked while opening the shirt box he’d tossed at her.
“When Justin was babbling on and on tonight during the show about it being your birthday I was thinking about you and Shorty was the first thing that came to mind.”
“So basically, you like having me around because I make you feel tall?”
“Basically. So do you like your present?” he asked excitedly.
“You gave her a Fuman Skeeto shirt?” JC asked disbelieving. “That’s almost as bad as giving her one of our CDs. Even I’m not that cheap.”
“It’s a limited edition, only important people get them,” Chris said with a smirk.
“Yes, Chris I know this because you already gave me one,” Sam reminded. “Wait a minute,” she said eyeing a familiar snag in the embroidery. “This IS my shirt.”
“Christopher, please tell me that you did not steal the girl’s shirt and give it to her as a gift,” Dani said rolling her eyes.
“Oh come on! It’s funny,” he laughed.
“Hopefully, this will make up for him,” Dani smiled reaching across JC to hand Sam an envelope. Sam opened it to find a gift certificate for an all-inclusive day of pampering and relaxation at an Orlando spa. “I know how much you need something like that traveling around with these fools,” she joked.
“What? What do you need?” Joey asked.
“Valium,” Jen quipped.
“A day at the spa,” Lance answered, reading the card over Sam’s shoulder.
“Ooh, good gift D,” Chris praised the blonde woman. “That’s from me too,” he told Sam.
“No it’s not,” Dani disagreed.
“Yes it is,” Chris insisted before quickly changing the subject. “We need another present, lets keep this party moving.”
“Open mine, open mine!” Joey sang. “You’re gonna enjoy this one too Lance,” he said with a hearty laugh.
“Oh lord, now I’m afraid,” Sam said as she untied the ribbon.
“Joey, if you bought my girlfriend lingerie…” Lance trailed off as Sam opened the box to reveal a book on the art of Kama Sutra.
“Niiice, why does that not surprise me coming from you Joey?” Jen asked. “Although, I do reserve the future right to borrow it,” she said with a smirk as she and JC exchanged glances across the table.
“Mel helped me pick it out,” Joey exposed to everyone as they turned to her with shocked expressions.
“Don’t look at me like that. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Sex is no exception,” the brunette rationalized. “Now mine,” Mel smiled placing a gift bag in front of Sam before taking the book from Lance who had picked it up and started thumbing through it.
Sam shook her head and smiled at him as she dug into the gift from Mel. Inside were a selection of recent CDs and books that Sam had been meaning to buy.
“You scare me,” she said to her friend.
“I do? Why?”
“Because you must be psychic, there were all on my to-buy list,” Sam explained.
“Yeah well I am psychic,” Mel agreed. “But I also know you too well so if you put those two together, it’s one heck of a punch,” she laughed as the two of them hugged.
Sam took her seat again and laughed as soon as she saw the gift Jen had for her. It was wrapped with pin-ups of the guys from teen magazines.
“Is this why we had to stop at the drug store earlier?” she asked as she began to carefully open the package.
“Yep,” Jen said with a satisfied grin. “Will you just tear the shit off there? That’s what I wrapped it with that for, I wanted to see you tear them apart,” she ordered with a menacing laugh.
Sam did as she asked and violently tore the posters from the gift.
“Look man, she ripped your face in half,” JC said to Lance picking the scraps of paper.
“Sorry,” Sam said with a shrug as she opened the gift from Jen. It was a red, bedazzled bandana, and a card that read “This ticket is redeemable for a weekend of fun in the sun in Miami, where girls will be girls, and boys, well the boys will be every where!”
“Thanks girl, I love it,” Sam said as she leaned across the table to hug her. “Especially the wrapping paper.”
“Did you steal one of my bandanas?” Justin questioned playfully with a raised eyebrow.
“No I did not, I made that all on my own. Trace isn’t the only fashion genius,” Jen mocked.
“Yeah right, ya little thief,” he teased as reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and produced a small, square box with a tiny bow attached. “My turn,” Justin smiled as he slid it across the table to Sam.
She removed the lid and tipped the box upside down, depositing the velvet box inside onto her hand. All eyes were on her as she pulled back the hinged lid.
“Holy Shit Justin!” she exclaimed as she stared at a pair of diamond stud earrings. “These can’t be…they aren’t…why did you…this is too much,” Sam babbled.
“It’s not a big deal,” he said with a chuckle. “Every girl deserves diamonds on her birthday.”
“I can’t believe you,” she said still in shock as they met across the table in a hug. “I would try to refuse them, but it’d be no use right?” she asked softly in his ear.
“Nope, they belong to you.”
“Girl, you cleaned up! Look at all this loot,” JC said in an exaggerated tone, breaking the obvious silence that had fallen over the table as Sam sat back down and replaced the earrings she had been wearing with the ones Justin had just given her.
“She still has one more to open,” Lance announced as Sam rose and made her way around the table to hug those she hadn’t earlier.
“What is this?” she asked as he placed a slim, rectangular box in front of her as she sat back down.
“I couldn’t very well come to your party empty-handed,” he explained.
“This better be the last one,” Sam warned. “You already did more than enough two days ago when you flew Mel in.”
“This is it, I promise.”
“Lance,” she breathed, tears escaping her eyes as she stared at the bracelet in front of her. It was made of pear-shaped diamonds, set in contrast with each other to create a zigzag effect. “I’m not even going to bother wasting my breath telling you how all this is so much more than I deserve.”
“Good, because you’d be wrong. Here I’ll put it on for you,” he said taking it from the box and fastening it on her free wrist. “Happy Birthday.”
“Thank you,” Sam said taking his face in her hands and giving him an emotional kiss before pulling him into a tight hug. “I love you.”
“I love you,” Lance echoed as they lingered in their embrace, not caring about their surroundings.
****
A couple of hours later after some dancing and a quite a few drinks, Sam was feeling pretty relaxed. At the moment she had disappeared under the table.
“What are you doing down there?” Lance questioned bending so he could see her.
“I dropped my lipstick,” she answered popping up in front of his lap. “But now that I’m here,” Sam said with a raised eyebrow as she began reaching for the zipper of his pants.
“Oh my God! Get up here,” he said pulling her out from under the table.
“Calm down,” she laughed as she took her seat. “I was only playing around you prude.”
“Well, with the state you’re in, I’m not too sure,” Lance said referring to her level of intoxication.
“What does New York have to do with it?” Sam asked confused. “But anyway, now that we’re on the subject, I have always wanted to try a blow job. Will you go get me one?”
“No, I don’t see that happening,” he laughed.
“Fine,” she huffed, looking around the VIP room for a waitress. “I will just go ask the waiter person to get it for me and then I have another matter to attend to,” she informed as she walked off.
“What is she talking about?” Mel asked.
“I have no idea,” Lance replied.
“Ya know Lance, that’s some girlfriend you got there. First she offered to give you one, and then she wanted you to go get one without her,” Joey commented grinning widely.
****
“Good, my drink is here,” Sam said returning to the table minutes later.
“Yep, but now that you’ve got it, do you know what to do with it?” Justin asked with a smirk.
Sam held her hair back with her hands as she bent to the table and picked the shot glass up with her mouth, swinging her head up quickly and emptying the liquid into her mouth, a small amount trickling onto her chin as she removed the glass with her hand and sat it on the table.
“Is that what you had in mind?” she asked Justin. He managed to nod a yes, as everyone else sat speechless. “Man, I hate it when that happens,” Sam complained glancing at Lance out of the corner of her eye as she wiped the remaining liquid from her chin.
“That is so gross! I can’t believe you just said that,” Mel cried.
“What?” Sam asked, an innocent smile on her face.
“Yeah, okay, I’m going to the bathroom to throw up now,” Jen said still in disbelief at Sam’s behavior.
“And after that seeing that, I could use another drink,” JC added.
“I think we should go dance,” Chris said to Dani. “There’s no telling what might happen next at this table.”
Sam paid no attention the their leaving as she went about clearing off the end of the table her and her remaining friends were sitting at.
“You do realize that you get a little crazy when you drink, don’t you?” Lance asked as he snaked his arms around her waist.
“Yeah, but you know you like it.”
“As long as you don’t get me arrested, you get no complaints from me.”
“Well, I can’t promise you that,” she teased removing his hands, and awkwardly climbing into the chair and then onto the table as the song she had gone to requested started to play through the club’s enormous sound system.
“What are you doing?” Lance asked standing up and extending his arms to her. “Get down, you’re gonna break your neck.”
“Ah, ah, ah,” Sam said shaking a finger at him as she placed her right boot on his chest and pushed him back into his chair. “Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show,” she ordered.
“Oooh!” Mel squealed as she recognized the song and sensed what Sam was up to. “Can I play?”
“Sure, it looks like Dumb and Dumber could use some excitement,” she said looking back at Joey and Justin. “Get up here,” she said grabbing Mel by the hand and helping her up to the tabletop.
Salt ‘N Pepa’s “Shoop” played as the girls sang along and danced for the boys. It all started out rather innocent, but in keeping with the theme of the evening, it didn’t stay that way for too long.
Here I go, here I go, here I go again
Girls, what’s my weakness? (Men!)
Ok then, chillin’, chillin’, mindin’ my business
Yo, Salt, I looked around, and I couldn’t believe this
I swear, I stared, my niece my witness
The brother had it goin’ on with somethin’ kinda…uh
Wicked, wicked – had to kick it
I’m not shy so I asked for the digits
A ho? No, that don’t make me
See what I want slip slide to it swiftly
Felt it in my hips so I dipped back to my bag of tricks
Then I flipped for a tip, make wanna do tricks for him
Lick like a lollipop should be licked
Came to my senses and I chilled for a bit
Don’t know how you do the voodoo that you do
So well it’s a spell, hell, makes me wanna shoop shoop shoop
As the chorus of shoops played the girls continued to taunt and tease the guys with their flirtatious gestures and dance moves. Not sure if she was just getting caught up in the moment, or if it was a result of the couple of glasses of cranberry juice and vodka that she had consumed, but Mel decided to make the activity a little more hands on as the song continued.
Ummm, you’re packed and you’re stacked
‘specially in the back
Brother, wanna thank your mother for a but like that
Can I get some fries with that shake-shake boobie?
If looks could kill you would be an Uzi
You’re a shotgun – bang! What’s up with that thang?
I wanna know how does it hang?
Straight up, wait up, hold up Mr. Lover
By this time Mel was crouched down in front of Justin. She had taken his baseball cap off his head and placed it backward on her own as she ran her fingers through his blonde curls. Quickly darting her eyes over to Joey, she realized he was beginning to get antsy and she decided it was his turn for some personal treatment. She returned Justin’s hat to his head, pulling down over his eyes as she stood in front of Joey and crooked her finger at him, directing for him to stand and join her. As he did, she took her right hand and gripped the hair on top of his head, gently pulling it back as she threw her long leg around his back, pulling him closer. He was shocked at first but quickly responded by putting his hand on the back of her thigh as she gripped his shoulder with her free hand and slid down to his eye level where she continued the current verse of the song.
Like Prince said you’re a sexy mutha-
Well-a, I like ‘em real wild, b-boy style by the mile
Smooth black skin with a smile
Bright as the sun, I wanna have some fun
Come and give me some of that yum-yum
Chocolate chip, honey dip, can I get a scoop?
Baby, take a ride in my coupe, you make me wanna…
The chorus repeated and Mel righted herself, pushing Joey back with a playful shove as she stood in between him and Justin and shimmied her hips to the beat of the music. Her back was turned when he grabbed her by her waist and pulled her down, taking her completely by surprise.
“OH MY GOD! What are you doing?” she shrieked.
“I wanna do it with you,” Joey grinned.
“Huh?”
“I wanna dance with you,” he clarified. “And I just don’t think there’s enough room on that table for three,” he explained as Sam continued to dance seductively for Lance.
“Are you coming Justin?” Mel asked.
“I don’t think Joey wants to dance with me,” he smirked.
“Yes, but I was enlisted to entertain the both of you and I’ve got plenty of moves to keep you happy,” she said with a confidant smile.
“You sure about that?” he countered with a raised eyebrow.
“Is that a challenge?”
“It could be.”
“Well then put up or shut up Timberlake,” the tall brunette woman said grabbing his hand and leading him out to the dance floor with her and Joey, leaving Sam and Lance alone as she continued to perform for him.
Well let me bring you back to the subject, Pep’s on the set
Make you get hot, make you work up a sweat
When you skip-to-my-lou, my darling
Not falling in love but I’m falling for your
When I get ya betcha bottom dollar you were best under pressure
Getcha getcha lips wet cuz it’s time to have Pep
Sam was now utilizing the extra space on the table left by her friends’ absence as she crawled across it on her hands and knees towards Lance, giving him quite a view of the already plunging neckline of her shirt. She licked her lips provocatively and substituted her own name in the last line of the previous verse as she reached the edge of the table. Sitting down and swinging her legs over the edge of the table, she grabbed Lance by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in between them and into her body. He reciprocated by placing one hand on her exposed right thigh and the other he slid tightly around her back. She moved her hands up around the back of his head, running her fingers through his blonde hair as she began a new verse.
On you mark, get set, go, let me go, let me shoop
To the next man in the three-piece suit
I spend all my dough, ray me, cutie
Shoop shoop a-doobie like Scoobie Doobie Doo
I love you in your big jeans, you give me nice dreams
You make me wanna scream, “Oooo, oooo, oooo!”
I like what ya do when you do what ya do
You make me wanna shoop
As the chorus began once again, Sam attempted to stand on the table to do some more dancing for Lance; instead she lost her balance and ended up in his lap.
“Nice catch,” she smiled.
“Nice show,” he praised, as she locked her hands around his neck and he around her waist.
“You liked?”
“It’s the best entertainment I could ask for.”
“I aim to please,” Sam replied with a cocky grin.
“And you succeeded,” Lance said as he kissed her hungrily.
“OH!” she shouted, abruptly pulling away. “Do you know what I’m in the mood for?”
“I couldn’t even begin to imagine,” he said with a chuckle.
“Sex on the Beach. Be a doll and go get me one while I use the little girls’ room will ya? Thanks! You’re the best!” she said with a sugary tone as she squeezed his cheeks, hopped down from his lap, and clumsily skipped off to the bathroom.
****
“Are you sure this is a smart thing to do?” Jen worried as her and JC sat huddled in a secluded booth. “Everyone else is probably wondering where we disappeared to.”
“Actually, I doubt they’ve even given us a second thought,” JC reassured. “Chris is too busy purposely embarrassing Dani on the dance floor. Justin and Joey are sharing a Mel sandwich,” he cracked as they watched the threesome bump and grind to the music.
“Good lord, look at them,” Jen laughed. “You go Mel.”
“And Lance is still recovering from his table dance and I’m guessing that the majority of tonight’s events are going to be a little hazy in Sam’s memory tomorrow,” JC continued.
“I don’t know what it is about that girl and snakeskin leather that makes her go crazy and start table dancing.”
“I think the alcohol may be play a small role in that too.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jen agreed. “But enough about them.”
“I miss you,” they both blurted out.
“This week has been so crazy,” JC complained. “We haven’t gotten to spend any real time together since Philly.”
“I know,” she pouted. “It makes it even more difficult now that Johnny’s around. He’s kept me extra busy this week with everything going on and I’ve been helping Melinda with some stuff for Challenge for the Children, and Mel’s here, and Sami’s birthday, and the list goes on and on.”
“Just remember, in a few days everything will back to a normal pace for you and the tour will be over so I’ll have a little more free time,” he reminded as he intertwined his hand with hers, resting them on the bench hidden from plain sight.
“I just hope it gets here soon, or I’m going to croak.”
“No you won’t,” he laughed. “You’re doing a great job and everyone notices it, including Johnny. But I am going to finagle some time off for you also once the tour is over because it’s been simply too long since I’ve held you,” JC said locking his gaze with Jen’s hazel eyes.
“I think I could be persuaded to take a few days off under those circumstances,” she agreed with a smile as they sat and enjoyed the few minutes they had together.
****
“I want to go back to the club,” Sam whined sitting on the bench inside the hotel elevator. “I never got my Screaming Orgasm.”
“I think that’s something you should do in private sweetie,” Mel laughed.
“Haha,” Sam rolled her eyes. “I was talking about a drink.”
“The club is closed,” Lance told her again.
“Well so what, you’re Lansh Bash, tell them to open it back up,” she reasoned enticing a round of laughter from her friends and the bodyguards in the elevator. “I’m serious!” she asserted. “It’s my birthday damn it!”
“Actually, it hasn’t been your birthday for a couple of hours,” Jen informed her.
“Yeah, who asked ya,” Sam snapped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that, I’m drunk,” she slurred.
“Oh I think you past drunk quite awhile ago, you’re headed into uncharted territory now,” Joey cracked.
The elevator stopped at their floor and the rest of their friends were already entering their rooms having caught the first elevator up.
“Are you coming Sam?” Lance asked as everyone stepped out.
“Nope,” she said folding her arms across her chest as she remained seated on the bench inside. “I’m not moving.”
“Do you want me to get her?” Lonnie asked.
“Nah, it’s okay, I got her. Can you get the door to the room though?” Lance asked handing him the key as he turned to Sam. He slid his arm snugly around her legs, grabbed her arm and quickly threw her over his shoulder before she could protest.
“This is so unfair,” she moaned hanging over his back. “You know what honey? You have the cutest, well I’d say little but that’d be a lie, you have the cutest ghetto booty,” she squealed as she proceeded to play the bongos on his butt.
He carried inside the room and plopped her down on the sofa.
“Where are you going?” she asked as he headed for the door.
“I’m going to get your gifts from Mike. I’ll be right back.”
Lance returned with an armful and set it on the dinette table before shutting and locking the door. He walked over to the couch where Sam seemed to be struggling with something.
“Will you help me?” she pleaded. “My boots are attacking my legs and they won’t let go,” she said trying unsuccessfully to remove them again.
He shook his head with amusement as he lifted up her leg with one hand and reached for the zipper with the other, unzipping the boot and sliding it off.
“You are so smart,” Sam beamed as she tried to do the same with the remaining boot, the only problem being that she was pulling the wrong direction on the zipper. “It’s broken, mine’s broken, I got the broken one,” she rambled as Lance stepped in and removed that one for her also. “Did I tell you how smart you are?” she asked standing up on the plush furniture.
“I believe you mentioned that, yes.”
“Just checking,” she said as she jumped on him wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his back before giving him a kiss. “Take me to bed,” she ordered.
“Good idea,” he said carrying her to the bedroom of their suite.
“I’m full of ‘em tonight.”
“You’re full of something,” he teased laying her on her back as they reached the bed. He walked over to his side and sat down kicking of his shoes and removing his shirt as she lay still. “You need some help getting out of that?” he asked.
“Are you kidding? Do you know how much this outfit cost me? I’m never taking it off, never,” she insisted.
“Okay, if that’s the way you want it,” Lance said as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed under the blanket, shutting off the light.
She remained silent for a few minutes before turning on her side to face him. “Will you help me get this off?” she asked pitifully.
“I thought you were keeping it on forever.”
“Yeah well I changed my mind, leather sticks to bare skin,” she yelled.
“You’re not wearing anything under that?” he questioned as he rotated to face her. The city lights slipping through the closed slots of the window shade offered a soft glow in the room.
“I’m wearing underwear, but all of me wouldn’t even fit into this top, so where the hell do you think I would put a bra?”
“Point taken. I must say, I enjoyed the twins being showcased all nice and pretty tonight,” he said with a smirk.
“I’m sure ya did, but it’s not exactly the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn so are you gonna help me take it off or what?” she asked again.
“How’d you put it on?”
“There’s a zipper in the back I think,” she said as Lance snaked his hand around and unfastened it. “Ahh,” she sighed. “Now it goes over my head,” she directed as he carefully pulled it around her hair and tossed it on the chair next to the bed.
“This is a good look for you also.”
“Yeah, but I can’t exactly go out in public like this,” Sam quipped as Lance tugged on the zipper of the skirt.