Four

“Get out.” Lara tapped Justin’s knuckles with her fork.

“You said we could share!” Justin whined.  Lara laughed.

“No, I said I’d give you a bite of my pie, and you’ve already had TWO bites,” she replied.  “If you wanted Key Lime, why didn’t you get it?”

“Because the chocolate peanut butter looked good, too,” he pouted.

“Does that really work? The whole pouting thing?”

“Usually. Are you made of steel, woman?” Justin asked, swiping another bite of her dessert.

“Hey!”  Lara almost yelled. “You’ll see what I’m made of, if you keep that up, thief.”

“I’d like to see what you’re made of,” Justin said flirtatiously, and Lara blushed.

“So…I’m surprised you’re in town this long.  Aren’t you guys usually here and there and everywhere?”  Lara changed the subject.

“Usually.  But we’re getting some tracks laid down for the new album, and it’s not quite perfect.  And when you work with JC, it needs to be perfect. He likes things his way.”

“You can say that again,” Lara mumbled, but Justin heard her.

“You and JC didn’t work out?” Justin asked.  She shrugged.

“We were a waste of each other’s time,” she said.

“I find that hard to believe,” Justin said, smiling at her. She blushed again.  The waitress brought the check, and Justin threw down some money.  “Well…ready to go tackle the hardships of the grocery store?”

“Ready,” she said.  They got to the car and Lara groaned as she slid into the seat.  “I should not have eaten that huge piece of pie. I’ll be fat as a whale if I keep that up.”

“I doubt it,” Justin said, his eyes running up and down her body. “I think you’re far from whale.”

“Well, thank you, but we can’t all be as lucky as you are.  I bet you have a great metabolism, plus you have youth and an active career on your side,” Lara said.

“Youth? I’m not sixteen,” Justin pointed out.

“No, but you ARE a little over eight years younger than I am.”

“So you’re robbing the cradle?” Justin teased as he swung into the parking lot of the grocery store.

“I don’t think I’m robbing anything you didn’t give away years ago,” Lara shot back, and Justin was actually shocked.

“Touché,” he said, smiling at her.

Shopping with Justin was fun. He insisted on pushing her around in the shopping cart, and she was sure they were going to be kicked out.  He filled his cart with junk, yelling when she’d take out the cookies and sneak in fruit. 

She helped him carry the bags out to his small car, and she laughed as he groaned at the bananas she had put in the bag at the last minute.  “You’re evil,” he said.

“I want you living to a ripe old age,” she said. “Maybe even as old as me.”

“You’re not old,” Justin said.  Lara swallowed deeply as he took her in his arms.  Surely Justin Timberlake wasn’t going to kiss her in the middle of a supermarket parking lot.

“Justin…”

“Shh,” he said, leaning in.  His lips were tender, and she couldn’t help but run her fingers through his short curls.  He pulled back and smiled down at her, looking into her eyes. Then he frowned and pulled back. “No. I can’t do this.”

“What?” Lara was confused.  He unlocked her door.

“Get in. I’m taking you home.”

“Justin, what’s wrong?”

Justin didn’t answer until they were in the car and moving. “I don’t know quite what you expect from me, but it’s not gonna happen. I’m not above shagging some groupie, but you’re different, and if you don’t have respect for yourself, I’ll have it for you.”

“What?”  Lara gasped.  “Excuse me?”

“Look, I know that you and JC…”

“Me and JC have nothing to do with you and I, Justin!  I went out with JC, I said no, the night ended.  It was a mistake, but I got over it.”

“Wait a minute.”  Justin screeched to a stop.  “You mean you and JC didn’t…”

“I guess he said we did?” Lara asked.  He slowly nodded. “Well, sorry to disappoint you, but no, we didn’t.  He was quite unhappy about it, too.  I don’t sleep around, Justin.  I DO have respect for myself.  I’m looking for love…not a quick lay.”  Lara opened the door. “I can walk from here.”

“Lara, wait!” Justin yelled, but she ran down the sidewalk.

Five