(The following weekend – 2 days before leaving for Brit's tour)
"Hey guys, come on in." Liz said to her company. She moved out of the way so Jenny, Veronica and Trace could enter her apartment.
In Trace's arms, he carried three pizzas and a six-pack of Cokes. "Thanks, where can I put these?" He asked as he walked towards the kitchen when Liz pointed towards it.
The group made their way inside and spread out on the two couches that Liz had in her living room. She already had the videos rented for the night's festivities. They had the weekend off since Monday afternoon they would be leaving to join Britney's tour when it kicked off on Tuesday night. Everyone was both excited and a little nervous.
Liz had spent the past week nailing down all the finalities for their stay on the 15-day stint and had worked overtime to get them ready for when they joined the guys later in July. Most everything had run smoothly, with the occasional roadblocks but Liz had recruited the likes of Shey, Lynn's other assistant to help so things were worked out and everything was fine now.
Liz had even spoken to Justin a few times at the beginning of the week but he was beginning to get run down so he didn't have a lot of time to talk, for which he would apologize constantly to Liz. She would simply laugh at his kindness. He was just too sweet to her and she found herself longing to hear his voice at the end of her day – but she hadn't spoken to him in four days and her anticipation to see him again was driving her insane.
He told her that the guys were all coming to see Britney's show so she would be able to see them before July. Liz knew she would be ecstatic to see Justin but worried about how much he wanted to see her. Since it would be Brit's first night, she was bound to be overjoyed to have Justin there and they would probably go off and 'celebrate' together. Liz felt bad for having negative thoughts on the two of them since she had told Justin herself that she wanted to be just friends.
If Justin wanted to be with Britney, Liz would have no reason to be jealous but she was nonetheless. She had to shake her head to rid herself of the thoughts that surfaced every time she thought of them together. She could only blame herself for not being with Justin.
Sure, he had said he wanted to be friends as well, but maybe if she would have reconsidered, he might have felt different. She would never know now. She would have to be content in seeing him and spending time with her friend in a few days.
"Lizzy, what movie did you get?" Veronica asked, bringing Liz out of her daze.
Liz shook her head to clear her thoughts, stood up and approached the TV where the movies were, picking up the top one. "Well, you guys said you wanted something funny so I got Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Is that alright?" She got a round of 'yeah that's fine' from the group and quickly put the tape into the VCR while Jenny got the pizza ready.
The group laughed throughout the movie, only making small talk here or there.
After three pizzas, six Cokes and a movie and a half the group split up. Trace wanted to watch it again but Jenny grew tired and had to eject it herself. Trace didn't appreciate that and the two ended up wrestling for the remote while Liz and Veronica cleaned up.
When they had finally calmed themselves down, Jenny appeared the victor, putting the remote away and smiled triumphantly at her boyfriend as she made her way across the room and joined the girls on the computer.
Liz wanted to check her email but after finding only a few to reply to, Veronica wanted to get into a chat with some people at one of their messageboards on the net. They found one that appealed to the whole group and they busted out laughing at some of the ridiculous things some people had thought up about them.
Veronica only added to the fire when she would make up an equally humorous rumor about one of them to see the reaction that some took upon reading them.
She was having a good time until Trace said that they should check out the latest gossip on the guys. Jenny knew the perfect messageboard to visit and quickly scooted Veronica out of the way and began typing.
When the site came up, they saw posts like: OMG!!! Lance was in Wal-Mart this afternoon, 'Nsync Naked, and I just met a girl whose brother walks his dog by Joey's house everyday.
They checked several of the posts out and laughed at the naked one. Someone had taken pictures of the guys and used their heads only with someone else's bodies. Trace found it quite humorous that they had portrayed the guys as some sort of 'super' men or something.
"Justin would love to know that people think he's THAT big." He said as he found his voice withering from the laughter that escaped his mouth.
"Well, speaking of Justin, look at this one." Jenny said as she clicked on a post that read: Justin and Britney – at it again.
Liz felt her hands grasp the chair Jenny sat on and tried her hardest not to get jealous but it was a losing battle. She listened as Jenny read the post describing how this girl had just come from the guys' show the previous night and saw Britney there. She said that Justin threw kisses to her from the platform they rode on during one of their songs and the two were spotted holding hands as they walked around backstage.
For three of the people in the room, it sounded quite harmless since those two did things like that all the time but to the forth person, it felt like defeat. Liz knew that whenever Britney and Justin were in the same place, they did get together – harmless or not, but Liz couldn't help feel as though she had NOTHING to compete with.
But did she want to compete?
"Lizzy, don't tell me you think something's going on with them?" Jenny asked as she felt Liz pull on the back of her chair. When Jenny turned around to see what was up, she noticed the upset look on Liz's face.
"What? Oh, I don't think that. I know they hook up so it just happened again, that's all." She said as she excused herself and walked into the kitchen.
Jenny started to stand but Trace told her that he would go talk to Liz.
He walked into the kitchen and overheard Liz mumbling to herself. "I don't think that glass of water can answer back." He said as he approached her and took the glass out of her hands. He turned her around and immediately saw the hurt in her eyes. "You like him don't you?" He asked as Liz's shocked expression told volumes.
"I um…I, yeah, I like him but…but I don't LIKE him. Whatever he does or doesn't do with Britney is his business. I just needed something to drink." She finally stuttered out.
Trace rolled his eyes at her obvious attempt to cover up her true feelings. "Liz, look, I have known Justin for a long time and I have also known Britney. They have a strange relationship, that's for sure but you have to realize that being on the road, constantly being watched by everyone around, being pulled in every direction, they feel abused and lonely at times."
He pulled her into a friendly hug and continued when she responded by putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. The loud sigh told Trace that she had it BAD for Justin.
He tried not to laugh because he had spoken to Justin before and he acted the same way Liz was right now. He was worried that the 'other stuff' she had told him about involved a guy and Trace could hear the jealously in his voice. 'They SO belong together', he said to himself.
"Liz, look, Justin has girls surrounding him all the time wanting to get with him. He never knows who wants him for his fame and who just wants him. Britney has always been there and he knows she truly cares for him. She treats him the way he wants to be treated and actually most of the time, they just stay up and talk all night. They don't always do the things that you think they do."
Liz jerked up and looked even more shocked by that statement. "Trace I would never assume someone is or isn't sleeping together. It's none of my business what they do but…" She started then decided to leave it alone. She didn't want to utter the words that would come back to haunt her if she spoke of them now.
Lance had told her before that Justin would probably leave her alone if he found out she had feelings for him and he didn't reciprocate. She knew if he didn't feel the same about her, then she could possibly lose his friendship and they had just started to pick that back up. She couldn't risk that just yet.
Trace saw the look in her eyes that said she didn't want to talk about this any longer so he dropped the subject. He knew that Justin did feel that same way about Liz but he also hadn't given up entirely on Britney. She was his comfort zone. She was always there but like Liz had said before, if he wanted to give it a try with anyone other than Britney, then he had to drop her and only be friends.
Justin had talked to Trace about what he should do about Liz and told him all the things she had said to him in his room back when they were on tour so Trace knew what Liz was probably saying to herself although she didn't say it out loud.
He gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed both her hands before leading her back out to the living room where the other girls were waiting. Neither one said a word about Justin to Liz. They knew about the kiss and now could see the lost look in Liz's eyes. They could only hope that when the two saw one another in a few days, they would work something out – or the next month or so would be unbearable for everyone.
(Monday afternoon- Time to board the plane)
Before Liz knew it, Monday had come and she had to go through everything that had to do with the girls' and the next 15 days. She thought she had every detail down but Lynn surprised her with a few added things when she arrived at work that morning. She was now late getting to the airport and was running through the concourse to make the plane.
She found her gate and made it to the ticket counter just in time for the doors to close.
She was out of breath when she finally loaded the plane and found her seat beside Mandy.
Lynn apologized to her for giving her more work to do but Liz said that was okay. She hadn't packed before she went to work and so she had to go home to throw everything in a suitcase and head to the airport.
In fact, she hadn't done much of anything for the past few days. After the girls and Trace left her apartment, she had stayed up most of the night and into the next day thinking about Justin and Britney. She didn't know what she was going to do. She wanted to be just friends with him and had had a great time talking to him on the phone a few times but when Jenny read that he and Britney were holding hands and making kissy faces at one another, Liz's blood started to boil.
She was never the jealous type – mainly because she never had anything to be jealous of. She was always so busy that if another girl caught the attention of a guy she liked, she just gave him to her. She didn't have time for games and only concentrated on either the job or schoolwork.
But Justin was different.
She truly thought he was worth it. He was worth having these awful thoughts about Britney. He was worth giving him a chance. She knew that if he showed her just a little interest when they met the next day, she would tell him how she felt.
She also wanted to tell him that she had asked his mother for a permanent job but was willing to wait until Lynn came back with an offer. She didn't want Justin to influence his mother's opinion in any way – good or bad. But Liz knew that if Justin didn't share the same feelings that she did, then she had to keep it a secret.
She had tried all week to convince the girls that she didn't think of Justin in any other way than as a friend and the kiss they share was purely innocent and spur-of-the-moment. She didn't think the girls bought it but at least she tried.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the all too familiar giggles of her roommate-to-be sitting next to her.
She turned her head and smiled unenthusiastically at Mandy. "Yes?" she asked as Mandy put a hand over her heart to say 'what, I wasn't laughing at you'. "Yes you were laughing at me because I know I look like a truck ran me over. It'll be great to get out of this Florida heat for awhile. Maybe my hair will finally settle down and not frizz out."
Mandy tried to contain her laughter while she brought both hands up to Liz's head and smoothed down a few strands that were sticking out in all directions.
"What's up with you being late and all?" Mandy asked, licking her fingers then returning them to Liz's hair.
Liz quickly moved out of the way. "Oh, no you don't, you are NOT putting you spit in my hair."
Mandy just rolled her eyes and pulled Liz closer to her. "Girl get over it. It's either my spit or you can go around looking like the Bride of Frankenstein."
Liz gave up in defeat. She motioned with her hands for Mandy to continue grooming her. "So, really, why were you late." She asked again since she hadn't received an answer yet.
Liz looked at her boss sitting a few rows up and pointed. "She's the reason. She gave me a ton of things to do this morning and I hadn't packed yet so that's why I was late."
Mandy furrowed her brow at Liz. "Sounds like YOU were to blame and not Lynn. You should have packed long before today. Is something going on that you wanted to talk about? Jenny said you weren't in the best of moods when she left your place the other night."
Liz KNEW this would come up. The girls were great and all but sometimes they didn't know when to keep their mouths shut. Liz though wasn't mad. She knew the girls were only trying to help and she had to feel good about that. They were the kind of friends she had always wanted: nosey but cared deeply for her and her wellbeing.
"Well, I guess I can't blame Lynn. Yeah, I should have been packed but I don't know…I've have a lot on my mind." She took a deep breath, knowing that trying to make something up in front of Mandy was an impossible feat. She would see right through it so Liz had to cut to the chase.
"I've been thinking about Justin and what I'm going to do when I see him tomorrow." She finally answered.
The look on Mandy's face was the same one that Trace had given her – sympathetic. "Listen, I know you've probably heard a lot of rumors about Britney and Justin but don't believe a word of them until you talk to him. Justin won't lie about it. If they are together or whatever it is they are, deal with it THEN. Don't worry about things that may or may not be true until you get the answers from him, okay?"
Liz smiled warmly at her friend. That was exactly what she needed to hear. "Thanks Mandy, I knew I liked having you for a roommate." She finished as the two shared a quick hug.
Mandy knew that Liz had to be crazy about Justin but didn't dare say anything to embarrass her. She would wait to see if they could work things out – THEN she would let in on the two of them.
"Anytime girl." She said as she pulled her headphones over her ears and drowned out all the noise of the others and relaxed. The girls would be very busy for the next two weeks and this little time of peace would be all they would have for awhile.
The group arrived in Virginia around 9:00 p.m. that evening. They made it to their hotel after stopping off at a local radio station to do a promo for their appearance with Britney the next night. The girls weren't tired but Lynn had told them that they had to rest for tomorrow. They had to be up and ready to go by 7:00 a.m. for a photo shoot and more interviews so they had to go to sleep early.
Mandy was getting herself ready for bed when Liz walked out of the bathroom – not in her pajamas. "Aren't you going to bed, too?" She asked, noticing Liz grab her bag and check to make sure she had a towel with her.
She looked up at her roommate for the evening and grinned. "Nah, I was going to head down and soak in the hot tub for awhile. I need to relax and that should do the trick." She said as she flung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of the room. "I shouldn't be too long. I'll be quiet when I get back." She waved her hand as the door closed behind her.
She couldn't hear what Mandy said but assumed she would hear it tomorrow morning when she woke up.
Liz made her way down the elevators and through the lobby towards in the indoor pool. Off to the far right, in the corner, was the hot tub. Liz noticed an older couple in there as well but asked if they cared for her to join them. They said that they were about to head out but no they didn't mind at all.
Liz smiled gingerly at them then took off her top layer of clothing to reveal a small bathing suit underneath. She cautiously stepped into the bubbling water and felt her toes tingle at the heat.
When her body was finally completely submerged in the water, she let out a sigh that could have been heard all the way back in Orlando. The couple took that as their cue to leave her to her thoughts. She apologized for running them off but they said that they were old enough. Any longer in the hot tub and they would look like shriveled up prunes. Liz laughed at that comment but then closed her eyes as she heard them leave.
She let her mind relax and wonder off to the world of dreams. She sat there with her head laid back on the cool tile and began to image what would happen if someone else was with her.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw him sitting beside her on the tile. His eyes were all a glow and the moonlight cast a shadow around him that made him seem so much more mysterious than he really was.
Without saying anything to him, she motioned with her hand for him to join her in the water. He gave her a sly grin before slowly and carefully removing his shirt and sliding into the small pool. She closed her eyes again to savor the feel of the warm water massaging her tired body and making her relaxed beyond belief.
The next thing she felt was the pool heat up with the warmth of his own body as he came closer to her. Her eyes opened abruptly when she felt his hand on her thigh. He began rubbing his fingers in circular motions to work out any kinks that were there. She smiled timidly at him but let him continue his work.
She didn't have any kinks at all but she wasn't about to inform him of that. She wanted to feel his hands on her and wasn't going to do or say anything to make him stop.
She saw his body shift so he was facing her now. He had pushed his body off the seat and was now on his knees in front of her. He took both of her hands in his and pulled her to him as he moved backwards to the other side of the hot tub.
When his body was situated back on the concrete seat, he brought her towards him. He held onto her back and pulled her within inches of his face. She could feel his warm breath beating down on her and had to close her eyes so she wouldn't go cross-eyed.
He didn't say a word but she could tell what he wanted. She allowed herself to be pulled even closer to him and relished in the feel of his lips on hers again. After weeks of being apart and wondering if they had anything between them, Liz got her answer.
He was rubbing his hands up and down her back and the friction alone cause her to sweat – not to mention the temperature of the hot water. Liz was on fire and thought she was going to explode when he pulled even more on her so their chests were pushed up against one another.
She slid her arms up and around his neck and could feel the tiny curls under her fingers as she twirled them around when she deepened the kiss. This was turning out to be so much better than Liz had ever thought.
She heard herself moan against his lips and took comfort in the feel of his body touching hers. She was completely lost to him and she never wanted this to end.
He slowly pulled away from her, breaking the kiss and speaking the first words to her since he arrived…
"WHATIS GOING ON?"
Startled, Liz jumped up from her seated position in the hot tub and looked around the pool area. She rubbed her eyes to gain a better focus on who was talking to her. When her eyesight came back, she noticed a smiling young man sitting beside her on the cool tile.
She froze right there.
She eyed this young man carefully, trying to figure out if she had been dreaming or was it real. He gave her the answer.
"Ebby, what were you doing to yourself? I could hear you moaning the second I came in here."
Liz's flustered face told volumes but she wasn't about to spill her guts to him just yet. She shrugged her shoulders and climbed out of the water. "I was just relaxing and the water just felt so good to me that I let out a little moan."
The young man didn't buy that for a second. He had been caught on several occasions doing the same thing after waking up from dreams – about her. He wondered if the same applied to Liz.
"Oh, so you always call out my name when you're relaxing and moan?" He asked with his eyebrows raised to her.
Liz stopped midway to her towel and cringed. He had heard her say his name – but wait, she never said it in the dream. She got an evil look to her face and continued her trek to her belongings.
She wrapped the towel around her body, picked up her bag then turned to face him. "Justin, you are so full of it. You wish that I was dreaming about you but I hate to disappoint you, I wasn't. I wasn't even dreaming, I was relaxing. Besides, if I were dreaming, you'd hear a lot more moaning out of me than that and I wouldn't be saying YOUR name." She finished with a simple smile and turned to leave.
She passed by the huge bodyguard who was trying to hold his laughter in at the two of them. She tapped him on the shoulder as she passed but looked back to see Justin just staring at her from where she had left him.
She felt relief that he hadn't called her bluff on that and let her leave. Truth be known, when she opened her eyes and saw him sitting beside her, she wanted to pull him in the hot tub with her and take her chances on whether he reciprocated her feelings or not.
Justin watched her leave and had to scratch his curls. 'Damn, I could have sworn I heard her say my name.' He said to himself but shrugged it off along with his shirt and instead of sliding his long body into the warm water below, he opted for the pool itself. He needed to cool off and fast!