"Boy, am I glad I didn’t have to fly with my guy. Seeing how things went with you two I’d have to see a flight attendant flirt with him," Jackie observed.

"Oh, an attendant flirted with JC too?" Nick asked before realizing all that Jackie had said. "Um, hello, Justin and I aren’t going out. We’re best friends. That’s all we are."

"If you say so, Nicki. Why don’t we hop in a cab and head towards the hotel and maybe pick up some food before we get there Then we’ll miss the craziness of when the guys arrive. Is that all right with you two?" Jackie asked her two friends.

"Sounds perfect. Food is perfect for when we gossip about the guys tonight."

Nicki laughed and rubbed her hands together. "That sounds like fun. The guys need their sleep for tomorrow, but it doesn’t matter how tired we look. We’re not the ones on TV."

Jackie hailed a cab and directed the driver to their hotel.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"So, Jace, how’s Gina doing?" Justin asked once the guys, and their guards, got in their car.

JC nodded. "She’s doing good. We’ve talked a lot."

"Sure. Talked." The younger man smirked.

"Actually, we did. We also didn’t talk, but we did get to talk. I need to speak to all you guys about that tonight. Enough about me. Tell Nick how you feel about her yet?"

Justin glared at his friend. "No. She doesn’t feel the same way so why should I even try?"

"You never know, J. Look at Gina and me. Who knew?"

"Everybody but you two," Justin’s guard, Mike, told him.

"Argh. Okay, bad example, but you know what I mean. Just follow your heart, buddy. Where is it leading you?"

Justin slumped back in his seat and mumbled, "Nick."

"Well, neither of you have to worry about that now," Randy started. "You aren’t going to see the girls again tonight. When you get to the hotel it’s to the rooms for you guys and relax. You need to be out by eight. Plus you two are rooming with Lance so there’s no possibilities for room switching since there’s three of you guys and three of them."

"Whatever. We have something to talk about anyway."

Justin looked away from the window. "We do?"

"Yeah, we do. We’re here." The two singers and guards prepared themselves for going through the crowd.

Later all five guys were sitting in the room Justin, Lance and JC were sharing. JC stood pacing before the beds while the other look on in amusement.

"Why’d you call this group meeting, Jace?" Joey asked from one of the beds.

"Well, this involves Gina…" JC trailed off.

"She’s all right, isn’t she? She hasn’t told me anything."

"Yeah, Justin, she’s all right. Actually this has to deal with our relationship. Now don’t jump to any conclusions. We’re not breaking up."

"Well, duh, JC, we knew that," Lance responded from the couch. "I don’t think you can live without her. I wouldn’t like to be around to see you try. You’d be so much moodier."

"I just love the feeling of friendship you guys give me. Actually, I was thinking of going public with our relationship."

A silence came over the room. Four guys with wide eyes looked at their friend in complete shock.

"I knew you’d react like this." JC leaned against the dresser. "Now let me tell you what I’m thinking. I don’t want to go on and say, ‘Hey, this is my girlfriend.’ I just want to say that I have one. No names said."

"All right. What does Gigi think about this? Have you asked her about this?" Justin crossed his legs in front of him and began rummaging through one of his bags.

"Yeah, of course I have. We had a long discussion on Wednesday. She’s all right with it if that’s what I want to do."

"You did discuss what will happen to her, right?" Chris asked from a bed.

"Yes we did. She knows it’s going to be hard, but she knew that when we started. She also knows to not know what’s going to happen. I just want the world to know I’m in a relationship. I don’t want to lie anymore. I’m in a wonderful relationship. I hate not being able to name her, but it’s a start. The media is a fickle field and it has to be played right, or you lose." JC sighed. "I’m so scared to do it, but I also don’t not want to do this. I just wanted to see what you guys thought about it. So what does the peanut gallery think?" JC held his hands open for comments.

Justin spoke first. "If you know what you’re doing then I guess I’m not going to stop you. Just make sure you and Gina want this. She’s a close friend of mine, I don’t want to see her get hurt or anything. If you think you’re ready for this, and are looking for my blessing, I say go ahead."

"If you think it’s time to come out then do what you feel is right. I hope everything turns out okay."

JC turned from Joey to the next guy. "Lance?"

"Well, it does kinda put pressure on me to come out-"

"Don’t feel pressured. Yours and Jackie’s relationship is different. Take it at your own pace."

"I know." He sighed. "I guess you should do it. It’s up to you. I’m not going to tell you not to do it."

"Thanks. Old man?"

Chris smiled slightly. "Don’t forget who’s next in age here."

"I know, but you’re much older than me then I am to Joey, who’s next in line. So, what do you think?"

"Since I’ve never been in this situation I can’t grasp the whole situation, but I can tell you this. You have a hard road ahead of you, but I think you’re up to it. Now to the important question…have you told management yet?"

JC shook his head.

"Don’t you think you should?"

"Oh, I am going to. I just wanted to run it by you guys first. Anything that one of us does effects the others. We are the group so I just wanted to pass the idea past the most important people first. If you said absolutely not I’d have to give it serious thought and we’d make a compromise we’d all be happy with."

"Cool." Chris nodded his head in satisfaction. "Well, bill passed here. Now just put it past the president and hope he doesn’t veto it."

JC laughed. "Thanks."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"I’d give my all just to have one more night with you," the females sang along with the radio.

"This weekend is not turning out how I planned it to," Gina said as she fell back onto her bed.

Nick fell beside her. "How did you think it would go?"

"More time with JC, more time in Bowie…"

"You did know the guys had the Rosie booking, right?"

"Well, I knew about it but Jace and I never talked about it in our plans. He never mentioned flying up here for the show. He just told me everything on Wednesday."

Jackie’s eyes widened. "Really? That’s not cool. Lance told me a while ago."

"Yeah, Justin invited me a few weeks ago."

"Justin seems to invite you to a lot of things," Gina led and Jackie followed.

"Maybe he likes to have you around."

Nick shrugged. "Well, we are close friends and he tells me everything. Like the other day he was telling me about this girl he likes," she pointed out.

Gina and Jackie looked at each other wide eyed. "And what did he say?"

"He said he didn’t know how to tell her." Nick dug her spoon into the ice cream in her hand. "He’s not used to not knowing if someone likes him."

"So what did you tell him?" Jackie moved a chair to face the younger woman.

"Well, I told him she’d be crazy not to like him. He’s one of the most amazing guys I know. He’s smart, talented, not to mention good looking. He’s nice and not conceited, unless he’s going on and on about his car. He’s always there for his friends."

"He was my savior this past summer."

"He loves his family. I’ve seen so many girls go after him for the wrong reasons, it’s shameful. I just hope he finds one that knows the real treasure behind that smile."

"Someone like you…?"

Nick broke out of her daze. "Huh? How many times do I have to tell you, Gina, that he and I are just friends and there are no hidden feelings beneath the surface?"

"When I believe it." Gina sat beside her friend. "You two are so attracted to one another we’re all waiting to see who will break first. It’s too obvious to hide that there is something there. Why don’t you just tell us the truth? I promise not to tell the youngin’."

"There’s nothing to tell. He and I are just friends, as always."

"But you don’t want it to stay that way. I can tell by your tone and by the way you look at him. When you got off that plane you looked as miserable as Gina here when she told me about the flight attendant hitting on JC, but it was Justin with you. And your look had more jealousy in it. Gina already knows she has JC, but you have no idea how head over heals Justin is for you so you had every reason to be jealous."

"Jealous over what, Jack? I knew by the look on his face he was annoyed to be bothered by that woman. Plus, we’re not going out and never will. We’re just friends. Period."

"You were jealous because even though there was no way that he’d go for her, she was still flirting with the guy who has your heart. I know I have JC’s attention, but there was a little jealousy for me. Most of it was anger that someone would do this to him, but I had to let it pass. No one knows we’re going out, yet." Gina paused, but continued before someone could question her. "Plus, I don’t think you guys are ‘Just friends. Period.’ I think you two are ‘Just friends. Question mark.’"

"Question mark?"

"Exactly. You’re each questioning whether the other person could possibly like you as more than what you pretend and miss the signs terribly. We know you like J as more than your best friend. Just tell us. Again I promise I won’t tell Justin. It might help you to tell someone and why not us?"

"You won’t tell Justin anything that I say?"

"Nope. Not a word." Gina shook her head.

"What about JC?"

"I promise I will not say a word to JC about whatever you say." She held up three fingers in the Girl Scout promise.

"And you?" She turned to Jackie.

"Not a word." She brought her fingers across her lips as if to zipper them.

"Okay," she sighed in defeat. "I like him as more than a friend."

Gina jumped up. "I knew it! Thank the lord."

"Okay, so now you know. What can be done now that couldn’t be done before?"

"Now we can get you two together. Finally."

"But how? He doesn’t feel the same way and you promised not to tell."

"You’d be surprised about what you don’t know about your best friend. Right, Jackie?"

"Right. Have you ever seen the way he looks at you? The way he brightens when you’re in a room?"

"Oh, come on," she brushed the questions off.

Gina switched her leg positions. She’d had enough. "Hasn’t J been acting strange to you? Jace told me you asked him about it."

"So?" She shrugged.

"So think about it. He’s been acting strange and JC tells you to talk to Justin about it because it’s not his place. All I’m asking is for you to think about it. Okay?"

The younger woman nodded. "Okay, I’ll think about it. Anything you want to talk about from the JC and Gina world?"

"Well…" Gina trailed off, deciding whether to tell her friends about her dream.

"Oh, this sounds juicy. Talk," Nick demanded.

"All right. Before dinner this afternoon I took a nap and had a dream." She stood up and went to the bathroom sink to brush her teeth.

"And this dream was about…," Jackie called from the other room.

"Wait a second," Gina tried to get out but the toothbrush in her mouth smuggled the words. She rinsed out her mouth and walked back to the other girls. "Well, it started with JC and I on his bed at his parents’ house."

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh is right. At first we were just kissing, but then JC tried to take it farther. I started saying no because we were at his parents’ place, but at first he wouldn’t stop." She stopped and dropped her head in her hands.

"And there’s more to this story than you two just swapping spit in his bedroom at his parents’," Jackie deducted. "What else happened?"

"Well, after a while I stopped fighting and we got kinda hot and heavy, but then he stopped and pulled back. Now here comes the part that scares the hell out of me. While we were kissing random words came out of our mouths."

Nick sat up. "Words like?"

"Words like the three most important words for a relationship. The three most binding words ever. The ones with the most weight."

"I love you," Jackie breathed out.

"Exactly. I said it and then he shot it right back at me without hesitation. I know this was just a dream, but still."

"But still those words were said."

"Yeah, and the dream seemed so real. It seemed like JC was there kissing me, holding me, telling me he loved me. When he woke me up it was almost like I could still feel his lips on mine. And I swear when I went to look in the mirror before dinner my lips looked like they were swollen from kissing someone. I guess my mind was just playing tricks on me, but it seemed so real."

"So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you love him?"

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

JC rolled over in his bed, trying to clear his head so he could sleep. I love you. I love you. I love you. "I love you."

"I’m flattered you feel that way about me, Jace, but I don’t swing that way."

JC’s head swung up to meet the blue eyes peering over from the next bed. "Sorry if I woke you, J. I was just thinking about something. I never meant to say anything aloud."

"It’s okay. I can’t sleep either. Want to talk about it?"

"Well," he peered at the third bed.

"Lance is asleep. Talk to me, Josh," Justin demanded lightly.

"Okay." He sighed deeply. "Well, before dinner Gina went to take a nap and like the good boyfriend I am I went to wake her up before we sat down to eat. I went in to wake her, and then that’s when I turned into the bad boyfriend."

"What happened?"

"Well, as I neared her I heard her talking to me, but she didn’t make sense. She was talking about me teasing her and how we shouldn’t be doing what we were because we were at my parents’ house."

"Okay, so you listened a bit to her dream and then woke her up. What’s so wrong with that? You did wake her up then, right?" he asked when JC didn’t respond to his first question. "What did you do?"

"You see she had this pillow in her grasp pretending to be me so I decided to find out first hand what the dream was about."

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh are the words to be said. I slipped the pillow from between her arms and slid myself in there. I laid still waiting for her to do something. I wasn’t going to start anything. I didn’t have to lay there long before her mouth came crushing against mine. The power she exerted took me by surprise at first, but soon I fell in step with her, at least my mouth did. Time began to slip away, that is until she began bringing her hands up inside the front of my shirt. But the damage had already been done."

"What damage?"

"Well, during our embrace she decided to tell me she loved me. And what really scares me it that the moment after she said that to me I said it right back to her."

"Wow."

"You can say that again. But it really doesn’t mean anything because she said it while she was sleeping, right?" JC asked hopefully.

"But, JC, you weren’t. You were wide awake when you said those words to her. And knowing Gina she meant those words too, but has never worked up the nerve to even contemplate saying them awake, but I bet she feels them all the same. JC, you were awake when you told her you loved her and I know that you do."

JC sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

"Is that why you decided to come out? Because of the dream?"

The sound of JC shaking his head against the sheets came across to Justin’s ears. "Actually I have been thinking about that for a few weeks and I talked to her about it on Wednesday and the dream was this afternoon."

"It sound like you’ve done some major thinking and you still have a lot more to do. Have you told Gina about taking part in her dream?"

"Why would I do that? Don’t answer that. I know why, but I think it’ll be best if I don’t say anything right now. What if she realizes that I heard her say those words? That could be embarrassing. I want us to express our love when the time is right. I don’t want it pushed out by an awkward conversation. I want to be able to tell her what I want and not have her feel as if I’m obliged to tell her how I feel."

"Why? Because you said them while she was sleeping and then you’d be saying them after? As if because you said them once, you'd say them again, even if you didn’t mean it?"

"Exactly." JC pulled the covers closer to him. "When I tell her I want it to be the right time. I want her to know that I mean it straight from the heart."

"Damn, buddy, you’re in deep. All this sentimental talk is putting me to sleep. Thanks for the bedtime story."

"Anytime. Night, man."

"Night."

Within minutes only heavy breathing, mixed with a light snore, could be heard in the hotel room. All three guys were dreaming about the girls in the other room, yet only one was content with the knowledge that his female counterpart felt the same way about him as he did her.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"So you think the girls will be happy to see us?"

Justin smirked as he and Lance and JC stood outside the girls’ room, key in hand. "I’m sure they’ll looked pissed, but on the inside they’ll love being awakened by us."

"Famous last words."

"Shut up, JC. Know how you’re going to wake Gigi up?"

The older man shook his head. "Yup? What about you?"

"I’ve got a few ideas of my own." He smiled evilly. "Let’s go in." He started bouncing on his toes.

"Patience is a virtue. Ever hear of that one, Justin?"

"Yeah, but it’s one I don’t possess." Justin turned from Lance and slid the key in door before opening it. They stepped into the room and were momentarily stopped by the beauty in the room. Each guy watched their girl sleep. Justin stood and watched his friends’ tactics for waking up their girlfriends because he knew Nick was going to make noise and he wanted Gina and Jackie to wake up because of their boyfriends, not Nick.

Lance sat gently next to Jackie and began caressing her cheek. When her face began leaning into his hand Lance leaned down and began softly kissing her. Jackie moaned softly and brought her hand behind his neck. After leaning down for a few moments Lance allowed himself to be pulled down to the bed. Jackie pulled back slightly.

"If I pretend to be asleep longer will this lip torture continue?"

Lance twisted his face as if thinking. "Maybe."

"Please?"

"Well since you said please." He smiled and leaned in to meet her lips again.

While Lance had woken Jackie up with his lips JC decided to use his hands as his weapon. JC brought his hands down to Gina’s shoulders and began massaging them. Gina sighed and relaxed beneath his hands. She kept her eyes close, but smiled.

"Hmm. That feels good, but I think you should leave soon."

"Why?"

"Because my boyfriend will be here soon. I told you about him last night when we met. Remember?"

"Your boyfriend? I’m not him?" JC raised and eyebrow, not sure what to think. Yesterday she talked in her sleep to him, could she now be doing it to another guy, or was she awake and teasing him?

"You know you’re not. Last night I told you this wouldn’t last. I won’t leave him. But please don’t stop the neck rub," she added as he began to stop.

"If it won’t last then why should continue? Why should I stay?" He lifted his hands as Gina turned around and looked directly in his eyes.

"How about for this?" She pushed herself into a semi-sitting position and gave him a sweet kiss on the nose before lying back down. "So what’s your answer?"

JC sighed out a laugh and laid down half on top of her, nuzzling one side of her neck with his nose while rubbing the other side gently with his thumb. "I wish every morning could be like this. But I’d leave out the other four people in the room with us," his voice a warm murmur running through her body.

"Argh, I’ve had enough of this mushy stuff," Justin cried, his face full of disgust. Half of his disgust was for seeing his friends act this way, the other half jealousy that he couldn’t partake in the action with his own girlfriend, which he had none. He looked down at the girl he wished was his and smiled wistfully. He slowly straddled the sleeping figure and looked over at his friends, all of whom were watching him now. He raised a hand and counted down from five before making his move.

"What the-?" the surprised red headed cried as she curled up to fend away the attacking tickler. "Justin, will you please stop. I am awake now. Thank you very much." She swung her arms up to knock his hands away, but he caught them and held them. She looked at Gina. "Help please?"

He leaned down, his mouth next to her ear. "Aww, come on, Nick, I know you like this." With one hand holding hers the other snuck it’s way back to her stomach.

"No I don’t. I never have." She turned to face him, mouth inches from his. "How long are you going to stay on top of me?"

He looked at her lips. "Do I get a choice? Then I’ll stay here forever."

"Ha ha, very funny, Justin. You know I do have a life to live. I can’t just stay here with you sitting on me. I do plan on someday getting married, having children, and I can’t very do either from where I am with you."

"Sure you can. I’m male, you’re female." He glanced at her lips before meeting her eyes again. "What would you do if I kissed you like JC’s kissing Gina over there?"

Nick looked over and saw the older couple sneaking kisses while they talked, every few kisses being more than a simple peck. She wanted to tell him how she longed for him to do that to her. To be so engrossed with her that their environment just slipped away. She longed to lift her face that few millimeters and find his lips with her own, for him to know that she would be his for all time, but she couldn’t. How could after years of friendship he look at her as more than the close friend she is? Nick looked up and was surprised to find his blue eyes dark, his long body stiff as if her answer decided his fate.

Her instincts told her Jackie and Gina had been right the night before. She wanted to believe Justin felt more for her than just friendship, but her mind wouldn’t let her accept that into reality. He had only asked her about kissing her as a hypothetical joke, so she answered it that way. She put on a fake smile and lied to him.

"What would I do if you kissed me like that? I’d scream bloody murder and run straight to a shrink’s sofa. Happy?" She licked her lips nervously and began squirming beneath his weight.

Justin fought the pained expression that threatened to cross his facial features. He saw her tongue run over her lips and felt a sudden urge to lower his head and give her the most tender kiss she had ever felt. He wanted to prove her wrong, that she wouldn’t be screaming and running away from him, she’d stay right where she was. But he didn’t know what to do. Keep the friendship alive as it was or throw it all away to give into his needs? Either way he had to get off her. The feeling of her body near his was overwhelming his senses.

"Hey, guys, I think the girls are awake. It’s time for us to go. Bye, Nick, Gigi, Jackie." He rushed out of the room after sliding off Nick’s body.

"Coming." Lance sat up and gave Jackie’s hand a squeeze. "See you ladies later."

JC reluctantly let go of Gina’s neck. "I wish I could be with you longer, but I have to go. Management made me promise not to say anything about my girlfriend until the special performance and Q and A period after the taping. The segment of me talking about you will be aired on Monday to give us some peace through the weekend, at least what we can salvage. The people at the taping will know, but it won’t come out publicly until Monday. Are you sure you okay with this?"

She silently nodded. "JC, this is important to you and since I can’t see us ending anytime soon I don’t see why not. It’s going to have to be done at some point, so why not now. Let’s deal with the crap now, then we’ll really know what we can withstand together."

"I pray to heaven everyday that you keep on believing." He brought her hands to his lips. "What I ever did to deserve you I hope I keep on doing because I don’t know if I can let you go now."

"Then don’t." She pushed him away lightly. "The guys are all standing outside the room waiting for you. Go. I’ll be in the audience."

"You sure know how to put the pressure on a guy. Adios, senorita." He held her hands as he stood and rubbed his thumbs along their back before turning to leave. "Bye Jackie. Bye Nick."

"Ciao," Gina called to JC’s retreating figure. He lifted his hand in a wave before disappearing from the doorway. She watched the frame until she was sure there was no way he was coming back. Gina stood and stretched. "Better get ready for the day ahead."

"You sure you ready for the beast that’s going to be unleashed?"

"As much as I can be."

Jackie shrugged. "I guess that’s the best way to go into this. What’s got your mind in a tizzy, Nick?" She sat on the cot the younger female was still in. "Justin?"

All Nick could do was nod. She was still speechless over being so close to crossing the line and kissing Justin.

"So what did the boy wonder do? I know he tickled you awake. After that I don’t know what was said, but it did look kind of…sensual I guess the word I’m looking for is."

"He leaned in close and asked me what I would do if he kissed me the way JC kisses Gina."

Gina walked in from the bathroom. "What about me and Jace?"

"Justin asked her what she would do if he kissed her like you two kiss."

Gina’s eyes widened. "Wow, I knew he liked you and all, but now he’s starting to show it. Good for him. Maybe now you two will finally clear your heads and get together. It’s about damn time."

"So you think I should take it as a sign that he wants me as more than I think he does?" Nick looked at the older women for advice.

"I would say so. Lay here a few more minutes. I’ll go into the bathroom next. Now aren’t you both glad we took our showers last night? I told you the guys would want to see us before they left. Remember Lance and I started as friends." She patted her friend’s knee and left the room.

"What about you, Gina?"

"Well, JC and I started as sworn enemies. I know you know the story. As for J I say take it as the pole his white flag is going to be raised on. His emotions are wearing thin and he’s about to break through and nothing will stop him from getting what he wants, and that’s you. He’s used to women falling in his lap. By the time they get into Rosie’s studio he’ll probably be offered three marriage proposals and he’ll turn them down. Want to know why?"

"Because he’d get arrested for touching the majority of them?"

"Well, there’s that too, but I was getting at the fact that he doesn’t have the one girl who doesn’t fall into his lap. The one who he thinks doesn’t see him as anything more than what I see him as- a great friend."

"Then why did he run out of here instead of staying with me?"

"I don’t know." Gina shrugged. "Maybe his feelings got the best of him or something, but now do you believe me about him wanting you as much as you want him?"

"I guess so…"

"Your turn, Nick. Hurry it up. We don’t have a lot of time."

"Yes, ma’am"

"I think she’s finally beginning to understand that her feelings for Justin aren’t unrequited," Gina told Jackie as the two straightened their beds.

"I can tell." She ran her brush through her hair again. "Soon all the complaints on how unhappy Justin is without her are going to change into how he can’t stop talking about how happy he is with her."

Gina shrugged. "That’s life. I’d rather he be happy. Now let’s get going. I haven’t seen Chris’ hair in person yet, only in pictures."

"Oh, then you’re in for a change."