****

“Yo, JC!” Joey shouted pounding loudly on the door to the older man’s suite. “C’mon open up sleepy head! I know you’re in there. Mike says you haven’t left since we got in last night,” Joey yelled as the bodyguard stood laughing beside him.

“What the hell,” JC mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes, glancing over at the clock. “Damn it,” he grumbled noting the time before he suddenly remembered he wasn’t alone. “Shit!” he cursed loudly this time as he sat up and nudged at the sleeping woman in the bed. “Jen wake up,” he ordered, his tone harsh and his irritation growing as she began stirring.

“Ugh, what is all that pounding?” she asked not bothering to open her eyes.

“Joey,” JC replied standing. “Get up.”

“What is Joey doing here?” Jen returned, confusion laced in with her question as she finally realized JC’s angered demeanor.

“It might have something to do with the fact that I’m supposed to be on my way to rehearsals right now.”

“Oh my god,” Jen gasped, springing up from the bed as she wrapped the sheet around her body. “Are you serious? What time is it?”

“Quarter to nine,” he answered curtly. “Are you gonna go in the bathroom?”

“Do you mind if I get my clothes first?” she fired back as she began collecting her clothing, which was scattered about the room.

“JC what the heck is going on in there? Do I hear voices?” Joey hollered through the door once again, glaring into the peephole as if he would actually be able to see inside the room. “Don’t make me have Lonnie knock this door down. I’m not afraid to do it,” he laughed.

“Just a minute Joe!” JC shouted flustered before turning back to Jen. “Will you hurry up!”

“I’m going, I’m going. Geez, don’t get your sport shorts in a bunch,” she snickered before scampering off to the bathroom.

“I know I’m running late, but wouldn’t a phone call have sufficed?” JC asked opening the door slightly as he stood blocking Joey’s view inside.

“No,” the brown-eyed man shrugged. “You know I had to give you a hard time about making us wait considering how you’re always harping on all of us to be on time,” Joey explained. “What’s the deal anyway? You never oversleep.”

“Well I did today,” JC offered weakly.

Joey looked at him oddly. “I don’t believe you. Something else is going on, you’re acting all weirded out or something. And why are you standing in front of the door?” He quizzed as he capitalized on his slight height advantage on JC, peering overtop of his head and scanning the hotel room. His eyes widened at what he saw. “YOU HAVE A GIRL IN THERE!”

“What are you talking about?” JC asked nervously. “I do not.”

“So then that must be your pretty pink bra hanging from the lampshade over there?” Joey countered with a smirk.

JC realized there wasn’t a plausible explanation for that other than the truth. He gave Joey a defeated shrug of his shoulders.

“Oh my god, you got lucky last night!” Joey exclaimed. “Who is it? Is it someone I know?” he wondered jumping up over his bandmate trying to get a better view of the room.

“It doesn’t matter who it is. I’ll meet you guys in the car in five minutes,” JC stated firmly before shutting the door. “And keep your mouth shut Joe,” he ordered.

“Man, you sure do know how to take the fun out of everything,” Joey pouted as JC heard muffled conversation outside the door before the younger man spoke again. “Todd is gonna stay behind and wait for you,” he said before leaving to join the rest of his group who was already downstairs waiting.

“So that’s where this thing ended up,” Jen said with a giggle as she emerged from the bathroom and retrieved her undergarment from the lamp.

“I’m glad this is all so funny to you,” JC snipped grabbing some clothes from his suitcase.

“Correction, I think it’s funny how bent out of shape you’re getting over it,” the brunette said, slipping her arms into the sleeves of her sweatshirt and effortlessly refastening her bra without removing her shirt. “It doesn’t really make sense considering you’re the one always pushing me to come clean about our relationship in the first place.”

“This isn’t exactly the scenario I had in mind for everyone to find out about us.”

“Obviously, especially since it doesn’t matter who it was in here,” Jen shot back, repeating what he’d said to Joey minutes ago.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible. Not to mention you know how much I hate to be late,” the blue-eyed man reminded.

“And it’s my fault you’re late?” she questioned throwing her hands up in frustration.

“You fell asleep here,” he said with a smug shrug of his shoulders.

“Oh hell no,” Jen scowled at him. “I can’t believe you just said that. Let’s go over last night’s events shall we? I was doing just fine in my room alone, getting ready to pass out after our four day plane trip,” she started, over-exaggerating for effect. “And then you call me singing some retarded Al Green song about sexual healing. Of course I come running because after all, I am your beck and call girl,” she continued, her voice hardened as the anger built inside of her. “So we proceed with the fornication and don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I didn’t want to or that I didn’t enjoy myself, it’s just that after the fun was done, I started to get dressed and prepared to return to my room, but I believe it was YOU who insisted that I lay down with you for just one more minute,” Jen refreshed his memory as she glared at him with her hazel eyes before finishing. “And I’m guessing that’s when we BOTH fell asleep considering I woke up half-naked with Joey pounding on the door annoyingly and you bitching at me.”

JC sighed loudly, his shoulders drooping slightly as he realized she was right. He was taking the situation entirely too seriously. It wasn’t like any of the other guys had never been late.

“It’s Marvin Gaye,” he finally answered with a playful smile.

“What?” she snapped.

“That song, ‘Sexual Healing’, Al Green didn’t sing it, Marvin Gaye did.”

“Oh, that’s real fucking cute JC,” Jen scoffed. It was too late for him to squirm his way out of this. She was pissed off. “We’re in the middle of an argument and you’re giving me a music history lesson. Nice.”

“We’re arguing?” he asked, almost as if he were surprised.

“Our voices are raised, we don’t agree, and neither one of us is happy,” she rattled off. “Yeah, sounds like an argument to me.”

“Well as much as I’d love to stand here and explore this new facet of our relationship, which you get to make all the rules for and then change them as you see fit, I’m already late,” he said snidely before walking away and slamming the bathroom door.

“UGH!” the tall woman screamed out loud as she made her way to the exit. She opened the door slowly, making sure there were no traces of anyone before leaving.

“The coast is clear,” Todd assured, noticing her agitated demeanor as she emerged from the room. “Your morning doesn’t seem to be off to a good start,” he sympathized, having heard bits of the couple’s conversation.

“No kidding,” Jen said smiling politely before hurrying down the hall to her own room. She only had a few minutes to freshen up before she was to report to Johnny for the day.

****

“That’s a mighty big yawn there boy,” Sam observed as she and Lance sat together at the airport gate awaiting the arrival of Mel’s flight from Orlando. “Are you sure you’re up for going out tonight?” the brunette questioned as her fair-haired boyfriend slipped his arm around her shoulders. “We could just stay in and relax. Watch a movie or whatever.”

“I’m fine. I’m just conserving my energy,” he smiled. “It’ll be nice for all of us to be together as a big fun group again. Besides, do you honestly think I’d pass up an opportunity to get you all liquored up?” Lance smirked, a mischievous glimmer in his green eyes.

“Who says I planned on drinking tonight?” Sam asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Me says.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Sam retorted with a defiant, child-like tone.

“Actually I am,” Lance giggled.

“Okay fine,” she sighed, rolling her chocolate eyes at him. “So you’re my boss in the professional manner, but I wear the pants in this relationship,” Sam stated half-joking.

Her declaration was obviously humorous to Lance as he laughed heartily.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded with a scowl.

Lance cleared his throat and quickly changed his facial features to represent a serious expression. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“That’s more like it,” Sam said sternly before bursting into a wide grin. “And oh, I just remembered something I’ve been meaning to yell at you for all day.”

“Well this oughta be fun,” he mocked.

“Yes. You were just lucky enough to avoid it this long because of your silly rehearsals and pointless interviews.” Lance chuckled at her blazing sarcasm as she continued. “Why didn’t you tell me about Justin and Britney? You knew didn’t you?”

“Of course I knew,” he confirmed. “But I also knew that it was something he wanted to tell you himself. Not to mention Justin hasn’t exactly been an open area of discussion with you this past month.”

“Your knack for always having the right answers is really starting to bug me,” she sighed dramatically. The playful gleam in her dark eyes told Lance that she was only kidding. “But since you’re just a regular answer man tonight, I have another question for ya.”

“And I’m sure I have the correct response,” he teased.

“Now that Justin is a safe topic again, can you tell me how you were able to let go of everything that happened so easily?”

“Were you’re hoping that I’d throw a few punches in defense of your honor?” Lance laughed.

“No. I didn’t say I wanted you to get hurt,” Sam snickered.

“Oh, so now you’re calling me a wimp?” he frowned.

“I never said that either. But the simple facts are that Justin has a couple inches and a few bench presses on you,” she replied, placing a pacifying hand on his chest. “I’m just curious about how you dealt with the whole situation.”

“Well I’m sure you remember that I haven’t always been so level-headed when it comes to this issue. But I learned from the mistakes I made in the past,” Lance explained. “I knew that it wasn’t going to help the situation any if I blew up again. So I decided to leave it alone at first. And since I didn’t have the luxury of totally avoiding him,” he said pointedly before continuing. “When I did talk to him it was just about the group and business. I couldn’t not talk to him about that.”

“But weren’t you angry with him?” Sam inquired.

“Yes, but it was complicated,” Lance said thoughtfully. “I already had my suspicious at that point that he had feelings for you so I wasn’t mad about that. What pissed me off the most were the things he said to you and the scheming he did that night at the hotel in Port Charlotte. But after I thought about it, I was actually more worried about him than anything because that was so not like him and he’d just seemed different lately. More quiet and introspective than he usually is.”

Sam listened intently as Lance spoke with such insight.

“So the first time we even talked about it was right before he was leaving to go to Memphis. He apologized profusely and said that he didn’t know what had gotten into him and that he needed some time to figure everything out and he told me that he would understand if I couldn’t forgive him because he didn’t know if he was ever going to be able to forgive himself,” Lance recalled, his face saddening at the memory of his friend’s troubles.

Sam tried to will the tears forming in her eyes to go away, but it was hopeless. Lance lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped away the liquid.

“Don’t cry. This story has a happy ending remember?” he said with a warm smile.

“I know, but you know me, I’m a crier,” she laughed slightly through her sniffles. “Please tell me the rest.”

“I told him to call me if he needed anything while he was in Memphis and I didn’t hear from him until he got back and by that time he had already figured out what was really going on. How he was confusing his feelings for wanting to be in a relationship with Brit with his feelings for you and all that,” Lance clarified before finishing. “After that I had no reason to be upset with him. He made a mistake, everybody does. He’s my family and to me, family means unconditional love.”

Sam gazed lovingly at the man next to her before leaning in and kissing him softly. “For such a young guy, you sure are full of wisdom.”

“Thanks old lady,” he teased referring to their slight age difference as Sam slugged him. “Ugh, please don’t hit me. I’m so sore,” he whined rubbing his stomach.

“You’re sore there?” she asked puzzled.

“I’m sore everywhere. Damn Wade and his torturous dance moves,” the blonde man lamented.

“Hush it,” Sam ordered. “If you won’t let me come to the rehearsals or even tell me anything about the performance then I’m not gonna listen to any of your bellyaching.”

“Oh quit your pouting,” Lance replied. “Being the big fine fan that you are I don’t want to ruin any of the magic for you,” he taunted. “Besides since you won’t show me your outfit that makes us even.”

“Can’t you just give me one little detail?” she begged.

“We’re doing a medley,” he informed.

“I already figured that out on my own. Give me something else.”

“No can do. My lips are zipped. I think you owe me a hint about what you’re wearing though. Fair is fair,” he said with a fatherly tone.

“It’s a two-piece ensemble,” she responded.

“What kind of pieces are we talking about?” Lance prodded. “Pants? Skirt? Long? Short?”

“Sorry, that’s all you get. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow,” she giggled as she noticed someone approaching them. “I think we have a visitor,” Sam warned, catching the attention of the bodyguard seated directly behind the two of them.

Lance followed her gaze and saw the young girl walking nervously towards him. The teen had been eyeing him for several minutes before finally finding the courage to speak to him. He graciously obliged her request for an autograph and after a few bubbly statements of her admiration she politely thanked him and went on her way.

“I told you, you should’ve worn a hat or something,” Lonnie said shaking his head slightly.

“I don’t think it would’ve made a difference with the human cartoon over there,” Lance pointed out, directing his bodyguard’s attention to Joey who stood a couple of feet away with another member of their security team.

At the moment Joey was standing in front of the plate glass window, his faced pressed flatly against it’s transparent surface as he anxiously waited for the first glimpse of the airplane Mel was traveling on. Dre had given up on his attempts to convince Joey to keep a low profile. It was useless.

“Da plane! Da plane! I think I see da plane!” he shouted boisterously to Lance and Sam as he pointed to an approaching aircraft.

“Allow me to introduce you to delirious Joey,” Lance laughed. “This is what happens when we overwork him.”

“I see,” Sam said with wide eyes and a grin. “So you get really low-key and he goes really over the top. What’s wrong with a happy median?” she giggled.

“Apparently we’ve yet to master that,” he retorted as Joey skipped gleefully over to the gate door, impatiently anticipating the unloading of the passengers.

“Sir, you’ll have to move out of the way,” the gate attendant said politely ushering him aside with her forearm as she unlocked the door.

Joey hopped up and down like a rambunctious toddler, clapping his hands together wildly as the first few clusters of people made their way through the gate. “Mel! Oh Mel, where are you?” he sang flamboyantly as he scanned the passengers with his brown eyes, ignoring the odd looks he was garnering from almost everyone around, especially the handful of people who had realized who he was. Lance and Sam just sat back laughing and enjoying the show.

“EEE! There she is!” Joey exclaimed as he caught his first glimpse of the statuesque brunette as she made her way down the long hallway. As she neared, he started fidgeting happily. He could have easily been mistaken for someone with a bladder control problem the way he was dancing about Sam mused to herself as she caught the first glimpse of a severely blushing Mel.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you. I am so embarrassed,” she said squinting her eyes slightly at Joey as she walked directly past him and his outstretched arms, stopping in front of Lance and Sam as they still remained seated in the row of chairs. “I’m not sure which is worse, ‘Mr. Look at Me, I’m Making a Scene’ over here,” Mel motioned behind her as Joey dropped to his knees in a tantrum and scooted across the carpeted surface, attaching himself to her long legs. “Or you two not even bothering to get off your lazy butts to greet me,” she finished as Joey tugged on her pant leg.

“I was standing over there waiting for you, aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked sadly, gazing up at her with puppy dog eyes.

Sam chuckled at Joey’s antics as she responded to her friend’s comment. “I just saw you yesterday morning and I talked to you an hour before you got on the plane today,” she reminded the young woman of the conversation they’d had earlier to discuss Mel’s flight details.

“Okay fine, you’re off the hook I guess,” Mel said turning her focus to Lance as she continued to ignore the dark-haired man attached to her limbs. “But what about you? I know we’re not exactly bosom buddies or anything, but you can’t even stand up and give me a pleasant hello? Or how was your flight?”

“Aww, don’t pick on him,” Sam cooed in defense of her boyfriend. “He’s sore,” she whined with mock sympathy while pouting her lower lip before she started prodding his arms and chest with her fingertips, and eventually anywhere she could get her hands to as he started to playfully fight back.

“Yeah, like the stale airline peanuts didn’t turn my stomach enough,” she groaned, rolling her dark eyes as she looked away from the frisky couple. “Joseph, if you expect me to acknowledge your presence then I suggest you stand up and act like a civilized human being,” Mel ordered glancing down at her friend as he pretended to wipe away tears on the faded denim covering her legs.

“I’m sorry,” Joey apologized, reacting as if he were a young boy just punished by a schoolteacher. “Is this better?” he asked standing beside her.

“Much. Now where’s my hug, ya big loon?” she demanded with a vibrant grin and open arms.

Joey scooped her up in his strong arms and squeezed tightly. “Ha! I knew you missed me too!” he stated with great satisfaction, lifting her feet off the ground slightly as he kissed her cheek.

“Whatever,” Mel denied. “It’s only been a week and you called me every day,” she teased as he sat her back down just as an intense burst of light flickered nearby.

“Was that a camera flash?” Sam asked, as she and Lance quickly halted their juvenile swatting match and stood from the chairs.

“Yes it was,” Dre answered as he and Lonnie instinctively moved closer to the two men. “I think we should be leaving now.”

“I agree,” Lonnie said. “Too much can go wrong in a place this big.”

Lance grabbed for Sam’s hand and Joey placed a friendly arm around Mel’s shoulders as the four of them fell in line with the bodyguards and began to make their way through the terminal.

“Well that should be a nice one for the tabloids,” Mel began, breaking the sudden silence that had fallen over the group of friends. “Lance was getting the crap beaten out of him by some rabid fan and Joey was caught with his hands all over a woman who actually had clothes on. All while their hired guardians stood by laughing,” she cracked causing them all to laugh and relax a bit, even their security team.

Halfway down the corridor a small group of fans approached very slowly, afraid of being turned away by the very menacing-looking protectors flanking the two stars. Joey and Lance both insisted that there would be no harm in signing a few quick autographs and the two large men entrusted with their safety reluctantly agreed. By now Sam knew the routine. Releasing Lance’s hand, she and Mel graciously moved out of the way.

“So Joey looked awfully glad to see you,” Sam mentioned casually as the two women stood just out of earshot. “He insisted on coming to the airport with Lance and I.”

“Don’t start with that crap Sami,” Mel said sternly.

“What crap?” Sam smiled innocently. “I was just saying…”

“I know exactly what you were saying,” she interrupted. “Joey and I are just friends, that is it. That is all we will ever be. I’ve excepted that fact and his friendship is more than enough for me. It’s time for you to except it also. I’ve been pretty lenient with you on this subject, but I swear if you bring it up again I’ll have to beat you about the head and neck area,” Mel warned straight-faced.

“I just want you to be happy,” Sam explained.

“I am happy,” Mel stated earnestly. “I know you worry about me, but don’t. I’m perfectly fine with my life the way it is. Honestly. A few good friends is all this girl needs,” she insisted with a wide smile. “Besides, no woman in her right mind would date that man after all the things he’s told me about his sordid past,” she joked.

“Well see then, you still fit the bill!” Sam snorted in laughter.

“Don’t make me kick your ass in front of all these people. You know I’ll do it Sami,” the brunette cautioned her friend before swiftly changing the subject. “How’d your talk with Justin go? And you better not tell me it hasn’t happened yet.”

Amused, Sam shook her head slightly before answering. “It went great. I apologized, he apologized, we hugged and he’s not in love with me.”

“That must have been a relief eh?”

“Yes, but I’m not so sure you’re gonna be ecstatic when you hear the reasons why.”

“Oh I already know,” Mel said rolling her eyes. “He’s in love with Britney,” she finished with a patronizing tone.

“Damn it! You knew too? Why didn’t you tell me?” Sam demanded fairly loudly, garnering a sideways glance from Lance as he and Joey conversed politely with the small group of admirers. After making sure that each of the ladies had gotten a memento, whether it be an autograph, a snapshot, or even a hug, Lance gave his bodyguards “the look”. It was their customary signal, and their security team knew it to mean that the guys were done and ready to be on their way. Lonnie and Dre quickly set about calmly ushering the fans away from Joey and Lance as they started for the exits once more.

“I think I was trying to pretend it wasn’t true,” Mel replied, shrugging her shoulders with a sheepish grin as she and Sam trailed behind the four men.

Sam laughed at her friend’s response. Everyone knew that she wasn’t a big fan of Britney, everyone but Justin of course. Mel respected the fact that he cared about Britney, and because she cared so much about him, Mel would never dream of badmouthing her in front of Justin.

“But if she makes him happy, that’s all that matters to me,” Mel sighed adjusting the shoulder strap on her only piece of luggage. “And Goddamn it if I haven’t seen how happy the little booger is with my own eyes. If it weren’t for that I’d have no problem being sickened by the whole thing,” she cracked sending Sam into another fit of giggles.

Joey and Lance slowed their pace and slinked back on either side of the two young ladies. “What’s so funny?” Lance asked his girlfriend curiously.

“Nothing,” Sam answered with a sweet smile.

“Well if you foxy mamas don’t mind, could we pick up the pace?” Joey suggested. “I’m ready to get to the club and get my groove on,” he said shimmying his hips slightly to the beat in his head.

“Let me guess, we’re going out to celebrate the re-clanning of our clan?” Mel questioned as Joey began dancing more overtly.

“Yes,” Lance confirmed, chuckling at Joey. “And everybody else is already there waiting so we really should get moving.”

“Am I missing something here?” Sam asked, her faced plastered with confusion. “You’re complaining about how sore you are, blah, blah, blah,” she mocked. “But yet you’re both aching to get out on the dance floor? Weirdos,” Sam chided with a shake of her head.

“But it’s so much more fun dancing with you,” Lance started to explain. “I don’t have to worry about any five, six, seven, eight crap… Lance you’re still missing that step… Lance you moved too soon… Lance you’re too slow… Lance you just plain suck,” he babbled animatedly before snaking his arms around Sam’s trim waist. “But when I’m dancing with you, I just have to hold on and let your body move me,” he finished, holding her tightly as she walked in front of him.

“I think you’re getting into that delirious stage of tiredness yourself Honey,” Sam teased, reaching back and lightly stroking his face.

“If you ask me, the rehearsals have been tons of fun for this performance,” Joey said with a mischievous grin.

“Really? Why is that?” Mel asked with a curiously raised eyebrow.

“I’d like to know the answer to that too,” Sam chimed in as they neared the exit and their waiting car. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something fishy going on?”

“All will be revealed tomorrow,” Joey replied with a zany accent. “But now we dance!” he shouted, grabbing Mel’s hand as he slipped his arm around her back and sashayed out the automatic sliding doors cheek to cheek with the tall brunette.

Chapter 55