CHAPTER 14
They got to Justin's house a short time later. Anya helped Justin unpack and started a load of laundry. Justin had to keep her out of his underwear drawer. She wanted to see if he had any tighty-whities in there. She gave him a hard time about that but soon dropped the search. While the laundry was being done, Anya decided now would be a good time to see JC. Anya really wanted to talk to him, so she called him and asked if she could come over. Justin decided to come with her but said that he needed to be home when his mom got there. Anya told him she only wanted to stay a few minutes so he would be able to get back when his mom arrived in town.
The drive over to JC's was uneventful. Justin knew that Anya was friends with the other guys but didn't know why she insisted on seeing JC right now. He would ask her about that later. They got to JC's and walked into what looked like a bomb had gone off. He had clothes everywhere.
"And I thought Justin was messy." Anya said as JC turned around to see who was talking to him.
"Hey guys. I didn't hear you come in. And, no, I'm not as messy as Justin, but I'm trying to do my laundry and I'm having a little problem with it." Justin and Anya tried to contain the giggles they were both having. JC was the one who was always one step ahead of everyone else. He had everything planned out and filed in order of when they should take place. He was a neat freak to say the least. To see his room like this had both Justin and Anya in tears. "It's not that funny. So, I can't get things going today, sue me." JC stated, a little annoyed at his friends' behaviors.
"We're just giving you a hard time. Here, let us help you, okay?" Justin offered.
"No, I give up. I'll do it later. Anyway, what do I owe the pleasure of your company today? Did you miss me already, Justin?" He batted his eyelashes at him.
"Not hardly." Justin said in disgust.
Anya gave Justin an evil glance then looked at JC. "No, I missed you. I wanted to come over and see how you were and talk to you if that's okay?"
"You never have to have an invitation to come see me. Come here." With that, Anya walked over to JC and gave him a big hug and quick kiss on the cheek.
Justin saw this and felt uneasy about the whole thing. He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Anyway, do you have anything I can drink?" he said, trying to get their attention off each other.
"Yeah, help yourself." JC said as he bent down to make a path for Justin to walk into the kitchen. After a few minutes, Justin didn't return so JC and Anya went to look for him. They found him in the living room watching, what else, basketball, on TV. This gave Anya the opportunity she needed to talk to JC.
"JC, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, let's go outside. It's nice out today."
They went out the back door and sat on a bench he had. "What did you want to talk to me about?" JC was curious as to the intense look on Anya's face.
She thought he already knew that Justin and her were together, he couldn't keep a secret from JC. She began to tell him about her feelings towards Justin and about him coming to her apartment and staying the night. She left out the part that they had slept together in Los Angeles. She didn't like talking about that kind of stuff with anyone, even JC.
He listened to what she had to say and told her to be straight up about her feelings toward Justin. "He won't turn you down, believe me. All he has talked about for the past month is Anya this and Anya that. It was really getting on everyone's nerves." She looked at him surprised that, for one, Justin would talk about her that much and two, that the guys did not like it. Great way to start a relationship, piss off his best friends.
JC saw the disturbed look on her face and started laughing. "I was only kidding. We all think it is great that the two of you are together. We were worried about the age thing in the beginning, but we could tell that Justin really cares for you a lot by the way he goes on and on about you. Don't worry, we are all behind you guys. If you need any advice on how to deal with him, just let me know." He said as he pulled her into his arms for a friendly hug.
"Hey, get your hands off of my girl, didn't you get enough earlier?" Justin said as he walked outside.
"Just chill man, I was only giving my good friend here a little hug." JC said, somewhat annoyed at the tone in Justin's voice.
Justin started laughing. "That's how we started out, too, so get you hands off."
They both started laughing and Anya was completely confused. "What is so funny? He just gave me a hug. It's not like we were going to…Oh my Lord, you told him didn't you?" This time JC laughed even harder when he realized that Justin had just gotten caught for running his mouth. "You did tell him, didn't you? Please tell me he is the only one who knows?" She hoped.
"Well...."
"JUSTIN!"
"Sorry, they cornered me and I cracked under the pressure."
"Yeah right. We really had to twist your arm. He was practically on cloud nine when he got on the plane to Europe. I asked him what was going on and he started rambling on and on about you, how you guys did it in LA and you love each other and stuff like that." JC said proudly as the truth finally came out.
"I don't believe you. You told all the guys." Anya said. She wasn't mad at Justin, just embarrassed. She knew the guys kept no secrets from each other, she was just surprised, that's all.
"And a few flight attendants, too." JC added quickly, noticing the evil look Justin was giving him right at that moment.
"Anya, let me explain…." He started.
"No you don't have to explain. I'm not mad, Justin. It is kind of funny to imagine you gushing over me on the airplane. I am flattered, to tell you the truth, just a little embarrassed that everyone knows."
He was relieved that she wasn't mad at him for telling his friends. He wished he could tell the world about her but knew he couldn't, at least, not right now. "Come here a minute." He said as he came closer to her and scooped her up into a big hug. Her head rested in the crook of his neck and she felt her body go limp at just the feel of him. She knew that at that moment, she didn't need to doubt his feelings toward her and knew their relationship was okay.
"Good grief, guys, you're like my brother and sister and I don't want to see them touching each other like that either." JC said as both Justin and Anya pulled apart and started to laugh with him. Life couldn't get better than this. Anya thought to herself. Here I am with two wonderful men, one a great friend and the other my love. I am truly blessed. Thank you God.
They left JC's to head back to Justin's house. "Could you drop me off at my apartment. I think Lisa and I were going to go work out for a while."
"You don't want to go home with me?" Justin felt a little hurt that she would rather be with Lisa than him.
"No, it's not that. I think you need to spend some time with your mom. You haven't seen her in a month, either. She just got home, too and is probably tired. I just thought it would be nice to relax and see her for a while. I don't want to be in the way. I will go work out with Lisa and call you later. If you are up for it, we could do something later tonight, okay?" She didn't want to leave him but she knew he needed to spend time with his family.
"You wouldn't be in the way. But, I can see what you're saying. My mom will probably be tired and I don't get to spend much time with her anyway. It would be nice to just sit down and relax for a while. Are you sure you're okay with this?" He didn't want to be without her either, but he knew that once she made her mind up, she could be as stubborn as he was.
"Yes, I'm sure. Lisa and I will probably go to the park and run for a while. I'll call you when I get back and see if you are up for tonight."
"If it's with you, I'm always up for it." He said with his eyebrows moving up and down.
"You are such a pervert, you know that?"
"That's why you love me."
"No, that's why I love Joey." She said knowing this would get to him and it did.
"What, now I'm hurt. I'm dropping you off on the side of the road. Maybe Joey can come pick you up and take you home if you love him so much." He sounded serious and that's what worried Anya.
"Justin, I was just kidding. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." She was pleading with him not to be mad at her. She noticed the grin on his face and knew he was kidding. "Why you. I'm going to get you for this." She said as she went to slap his arm. He caught her hand in midair and held onto it. He stopped smiling.
Still watching the road, he brought her hand up to his mouth and began to kiss it. After a few kisses, he put one of her fingers in his mouth and began to suck on it. This was driving her crazy. He continued with the other fingers. It was a good thing her apartment wasn't too far or she would have had him pull over on the side of the road and jumped him right there. Girl, calm yourself.
He dropped her off and she immediately ran upstairs to get on her workout clothes. "Come on Lisa, I need to burn off some energy." She said in a hurry.
"Don't you mean pent up energy?" Her friend asked, questionably.
"What do you mean?" Anya didn't like the look in Lisa's eyes.
"You know what I mean. A little sexually frustrated, aren't we?" She began to laugh when she saw the look on Anya's face.
"Well, to tell you the truth, yes. What that boy does to me. Man, maybe I should take a cold shower instead of working out." Both girls laughed at that.
A couple of hours later, Lisa and Anya had returned from their run to find a message from Justin on their machine. He said that he was staying in with his family for supper but would come over later to see Anya. Anya had begged Lisa to leave the apartment for the night. "I don't care where you go, just go." Lisa's boyfriend was out of town this weekend so Lisa had no where to go. "I'll set you up with Joey if you want. Just please leave."
"You must be joking. Remember when I went out with Joey the first time?" Anya remembered too well. Lisa and Joey were the reason she met the guys and eventually ended up with Justin.
"Come on, it wasn't that bad. Okay, so, he flirted with every girl that he came across. He did pay for your dinner, though."
Lisa was not amused. She had been the one that had met Joey at a club and wanted to go out with him. He wanted a friendly date and Lisa wanted more. She was embarrassed when he would talk and flirt with all the girls he saw but he thought him and Lisa were just friends. After Anya had started becoming close with the guys, and they started all hanging out together, Lisa realized that things weren't going to work out with Joey. That was okay with her, because that's when she found Jeff, her boyfriend. She even was able to stay friends with the guys and even Joey. "Okay, see what he is doing tonight." Anya knew if she pushed a little, Lisa would give in.
"Thank you so much. I owe you one." She said as she hugged her best friend.
"You owe me more than one for this." Lisa said as she walked back to her room to get ready. "Hey, and tell the Italian lover, I want flowers this time." Anya laughed all the way to the kitchen where she picked up the phone to call Joey.