"God, help me. What am I getting into?" She walked through the gate as JC walked out onto his deck.
"Adri, glad you could finally join us. Come on over and I'll give you the run down of everyone here. Girls!"
"Girls? You have a harem?"
"He wishes," one of the guys murmured.
"Aight, guys, this is Adri. Adri, the walking cue ball over there is Justin."
"C, remind me to kick your butt later. It's nice to meet you, Adri."
"Our resident green eyed wonder is Lance, and the guy behind him trying to give him an ice shower is Chris."
"Damn it, Chris! That's cold!" Everyone laughed as Lance jumped around trying to get the ice out of his shirt.
"So that leaves us with Joey."
"Hi," she said meekly waving at all of them. She felt like a fish in a fish bowl.
"These lovely ladies are Vikki Robbins and Kelley and Rachael Andrews."
"Adri...as in Adrianna Matthews?" She smiled and nodded.
"Well give the boy a cookie," Chris said in response to Joey's question.
"Shut it, Papa Smurf, I was just making sure."
"Enough, you two, we don't want to scare the poor girl just yet."
"So what's it like to compete at the Olympics, Adri?" Justin handed her a beer and she awkwardly accepted it.
"Um...it's kinda like you guys performing at the Grammys. I mean, getting a silver medal is great, but it's just acknowledging that I wasn't good enough. I plan on getting gold in Salt Lake City."
"Well tonight you are just going to be plain old Adri. This little shindig is for non-superstars only," Justin said.
"Then you and your ego need to make a damn quick exit, J."
"Vikki, you're supposed to stand by your man. I'll throw you in the pool if you don't, sweetie." For the next hour or so, Adri just observed the group of friends. They had a bond that made her slightly jealous. She'd spent most of her life training or keeping up on her schooling. The girls she'd come in contact with were either afraid of her talent or hated her for it. She was never allowed to go to parties, let alone drink. Adri felt very out of place. JC walked up behind her then and put his hands on her hips. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," he said taking the bottle from her hand. His hand and his breath touching her skin caused chills to skitter down her spine. The timbre of his voice alone could seduce a Mother Superior to give up her habit and do wicked deeds.
"Thanks, I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I rarely drink, and when I do, it's usually champagne."
"Do you dance?"
"I've been known to when the occasion presents itself." JC set the beer down and took her hand. Justin had control of the music as JC and Adri began to dance. The funky beat of Montell Jordan's Let's Get It On Tonite flowed through the air.
"Adri, you could put some feeling into it, you know?"
"Oh...it's on now." She kicked off her sandals and went about taking JC to school. "Hey, Justin, you have any Ice Cube over there," she asked not taking her eyes off JC.
"I know just the song you need, doll," he said with a wink.
"You want some feeling, JC? Let's find out if you can handle this." Adri had taken years of grueling dance lessons and was about to put them to good use. Justin played You Can Do It, and the show began. She knew that she had everyone's attention, but she focused on JC.
"She's amazing," he thought. Adri looked him straight in the eye as she slowly walked towards him and grabbed the collar of his button down shirt. She had him and everyone knew it as they watched the two move together. Adri made sure their bodies never actually touched each other, but came very close. JC let his hands rest on her hips and pulled her flush against him, tired of her teasing. She cringed because of the bruise at the same time someone called out to JC.
"What the hell are you doing, Chasez?" It was JC's turn to look pained.
"Hannah, this is Adrianna, my new neighbor. Adri, this is Hannah- "
"Hannah Timmons, his girlfriend," she spat giving Adri the evil eye.
"I'm Adrianna Matthews, um...JC, could I use the washroom?"
"Sure, it's up the stairs and it's the first door on your right."
"Damn, C's in trouble now...I mean deep doo doo," Chris whispered to Justin.
"This isn't going to be pretty. She wasn't invited. How the hell did she find out?" Chirs smacked Justin upside the head.
"Well, Sherlock, the first clue might have been all the cars parked on the street. Or maybe it was the loud music and laughing."
"Dude, don't mess with me!"
"Hannah, what are you doing here?"
"I came to ask if you wanted to catch a movie this weekend and I find some hoochie-mama all over my man!"
"Adri is a perfectly respectable girl..."
"Of course you take her side. I need a drink," she said stomping off.
***************
"That was just great, Adri. Make yourself look like a prostitute in front of everyone." She turned so that she could see her left hip bone in the mirror's reflection. "Wow, I really hit hard today. I guess it's a good thing I'm on vacation."
"Adri? Are you okay?"
"It's open," she said without looking away from the mirror.
"You've been in here for a while," a woman said opening the door.
"It's Kelley, right? I'm sorry, I can't remember. I'm terrible with names. I'm okay, just checking out the damage." Adri showed Kelley the purple and yellow bruise about the size of a baseball on her hip.
"JC did that??"
"No, God, no, I did this today on the ice. It'll go away soon. So how much of an ass did I make of myself out there?"
"Your dancing was tight, woman. JC seemed to be enjoying it alot."
"I wouldn't have teased him like that if I'd known he was off the market."
"Don't let Hannah fool you. She thinks she owns JC when the truth of the matter is, she is just the girl they pair him with at public events."
"But she told me that they were dating and he neither stopped her nor corrected her."
"JC made the mistake of telling her once in he beginning that maybe they could try the whole dating thing. The night we all celebrated the success of this past album, JC tipped the bottle back a few too many times and Hannah took advantage of the situation. If you know what I mean. She won't take the hint to go away now."
"Kelley, get that fine body of yours down here please! My ghetto booty is lonely," Lance hollered from the bottom of the stairs. Both girls laughed and Adri was thankful she'd made at least one friend. They walked out of the bathroom and literally ran into Hannah.
"Keep your nasty hands off my property, bitch," Hannah said sneering. Kelley rolled her eyes.
"Just ignore her, Adri. We all do...especially when she's been drinking."
"He wouldn't want your ugly ass anyway." Adri spun around and backed Hannah against the wall.
"Listen to me, you masterpiece of plastic surgery. You have no control over what I do. And if you're so worried about your property, I suggest that you take a better look at that warped situation you call a relationship. Cause there is obviously something wrong with it. Did you understand that, or do I need to break that down into smaller words and one subject sentences? That's what I thought. Now step the hell off my back." Kelley was fighting a losing battle trying not to laugh at the shocked look on Hannah's face.
"Let's go, Kelley. I believe we're wanted back at the party." Kelley put her arm around Adri's shoulders as they walked down stairs. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship, Adri. The rest of the girls are going to love you." JC was waiting for them in the kitchen.
"Adri, I'm sorry about Hannah."
"Don't worry, I handled it, JC. Now let's go. You have a party to host." Hannah came down the stairs a few minutes later and glared at the way everyone had accepted Adri. She spent the rest of the night clinging to JC's side trying to take his attention from Adri or drinking. Things were winding down when JC finally had a chance to talk to Adri.
"Hannah is a piece of work, isn't she?"
"I don't get it, JC. I mean, Kelley told me some of the situation. But she seems so...so..."
"Delusional? Before I had a chance to see what Hannah was really like, I thought I could date her. She was beautiful and sophistocated, but most importantly, she understood the business. Then she got a little too attached to me a little too soon for my taste. I made the mistake of sleeping with her and now she thinks I owe her something. I really don't like being around her, but I have to for publicity reasons."
"JC, you don't have to associate yourself with people like Hannah. You're a grown man capable of making your own decisions. Oh man, it's already past one...I should be going. I have a lot more crap to unpack tomorrow. I'll see you around, Disney. Tell everyone else goodnight for me."
"Goodnight, Adri." He didn't realize until Joey sat down next to him that he had been staring in the direction of Adri's house.
"Hey man, your woman passed out on your bed. I guess she had a little too much to drink."
"Wonderful, just wonderful," he said running a hand over his face and through his hair.
"We're all heading out now. See you around man."
JC went to up to his room long enough to change into a pair of pj pants and make sure that if Hannah got sick, she wouldn't choke and die or ruin his comforter. He reached over for his pillow, intending to sleep on the couch. After close to an hour of trying to get comfortable, JC gave up and walked out to the deck.
"Maybe star gazing will make me tired," he thought. Ten minutes had passed before the peaceful silence was interrupted.
"No barking, Renzo. Yes, Mark, I still have him. Well as far as I'm concerned, you deserved to be bitten. What? Oh come off it, Mark! You were drunk and you tried to force yourself on me. You're an alcoholic bastard who is damn lucky I never reported you. Stop lying, Mark, you never loved me! Ugh!" Adri threw her cell phone blindly and it landed on JC's lawn.
"Come on, Renzo. It's time to come inside." He watched her walk into the house before picking up the phone. Knowing he wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon, JC walked over to Adri's. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he wasn't wearing anything on his feet or a shirt. He didn't even announce his presence, yet Adri knew it was him because she could smell his cologne.
"Come in, JC. I'm sorry if I woke you."
"I couldn't sleep. How did you know it was me?"
"I could smell your cologne," she said turning around. Adri had to look at the floor to keep from gaping at JC once she noticed that he didn't have a shirt. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her neck to her cheeks.
"I brought your cell phone back."
"Thanks. I uh...didn't hit you with it, did I?"
JC shook his head before asking, "Shouldn't you be in bed now?"
"I was unpacking when Mark called. I hate men!"
"I love you too, honey," he said suppressing the urge to laugh. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Mark was my trainer a while ago," Adri said walking into the living room and sitting down in front on a box. JC sat down in a huge over stuffed chair and watched as Adri unpacked picture frames.
"You don't look much like Dean."
"No, I look like my father."
"Wait, I thought Dean was your father?" He watched as she lifted an old photo album out of the box.
"Move your hips back in that chair so I can sit next to you, Chasez."
"Well, isn't this cozy," he said as they tried to get comfortable.
"Scoot back into the corner and I'll sit between your legs."
"I don't think this chair is meant for two people, Adri."
"Of course it is, this is a cuddle chair. Now hush and I'll explain about my family." She very carefully opened the photo album and pointed to a wedding picture. "These are my real parents. They were killed in a boating accident on Lake Michigan a few months after my fourth birthday. My mother was an only child. That's her right there," Adri said pointing to a closer picture of her mother at the wedding reception. "Dean says that I have her eyes and smile."
"She was beautiful."
"She was the class flirt her senior year of high school. Dean was her best friend all through school. They dated for a while, but I guess once he introduced her to my father, she was head over heels for him. Six months after she graduated from college, they were married and I came on the scene about a year later. They made Dean my godfather. I'm pretty sure he still loves my mother. I just...I just wish I could have known them, you know?"
"I'm sorry about your parents, Adri," JC said wrapping her in a hug.
"My first memory is sitting in this chair with my father after waking up from a nightmare. Dean used to sit here with me after a bad performance or dream." Adri fell quiet as she flipped the pages of the album. She smelled like the pear body wash she had used earlier that night in the shower. A few pieces of hair had escaped the pile on top of her head and were curling at her temples and her ears. She looked sweet and wholesome, yet incredibly beautiful and sexy at the same time. Her eyes were a deep emerald green and masked by thick lashes as she squinted at a baby picture of herself. "They had me on the ice when I was five-years-old," she whispered.
"Adri, how did you, as such a strong woman, end up with a guy like Mark?"
"I wasn't always a bitch, JC. He was the first real boyfriend I had and that was when I was nineteen. You know how you said Hannah feels like you owe her? Well Mark thinks I owe him a lot. He was my first date, first kiss, first lover...a lot of stuff. I wish I could take a few of those back now. I wasn't ready to be with him like that, but I caved anyway. I thought I loved him."
"He loved the money and the fame instead of you."
"Tell him what he's won, Bob! Dean never liked him even though he was one of the best trainers in the world. I've only dated two guys since then and they both turned out to be losers. That's when I perfected the bitch routine."
"You've been nice to me and the rest of the crew. I mean, I got to sit in the cuddle chair with you, right?"
"That's because you haven't hurt me yet," she said quietly.
"Well I never plan to, Adri."
"You say that now..."
"Adrianna, look at me. I will never intentionally hurt you. I promise. What's your middle name?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Just humor me, okay? You already have a nickname for me, I should be able to call you something."
"No, JC, I really don't like it." He brought his hands down and started tickling her her sides.
"JC! Stop it! Okay...okay! I'll tell you, just stop!"
"Thank you," he said with a smirk letting his arms encircle her body once more."
"It's Belle..."
"Don't mumble, Adri, or I'll tickle you again."
"Belle. My full name is Adrianna Belle Matthews. Are you satisfied?"
"I like it. It suits you, Adri." His breath on her neck made her shiver.
"Are you cold, Belle," he asked rubbing his hand up and down her arm. She smiled at the use of her middle name and his action.
"I'm not anymore." Adri yawned as exhaustion finally caught up with her. "JC, I think I need to go to bed. Thanks for bringing back my phone."
"Not a problem, doll, I'm glad I could help." He kissed her temple in a brotherly manner and they both stood.
"Goodnight, JC. I'll see you around, I'm sure."
"Goodnight and sweet dreams, Belle." She locked the doors behind him, turning off lights as she walked back through the house.
"Time for bed Renzo." Adri climbed the stairs with a slight smile on her face. "I think this move will be good for me, Renzo. If they'll let me, I think I can become good friends with JC's "crew" as he calls them." She changed into boxers and a tank top before sliding under the covers. The land of sleep and dreams soon claimed her.
