What If I Said

By:  Jaimie

 

Chapter One
J.C. noticed Jaimie’s expression quickly change from happy to miserable. He turned to see what she was staring so hard at. When he turned he saw the reason. Lance just walked in with Danielle on his arm. JC looked back at Jaimie and gently grabbed her hand.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked her smiling sadly.

Jaimie turned to look at him, “Oh.” She tried to smile, “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” he said as he saw Lance and Danielle approach. “Hey, let’s dance.”

Jaimie smiled gratefully to him and let him lead her to the dance floor. As soon as they were on the floor the song changed to a slow one. Jaimie slid into his embrace and placed her head on his chest. JC felt so bad for her. He knew it was killing her to see Lance with Danielle. He sighed and gently rested his cheek on top of her head and closed his eyes. He had to think of a way to make Lance look at Jaimie as more than a friend. He knew in his heart that Lance already had strong feelings for her but he just wasn’t ready to admit it to himself yet. He continued to ponder this as they swayed to the music.

Lance and Danielle made it to the table where all of their friends were, but right away he noticed Jaimie and JC weren’t there.

“I thought Jaimie and JC were going to be here too.”

“They are.” Justin said.

“Oh, okay,” Lance paused for a moment. “Where are they?”

Joey pointed towards the dance floor, “Right there.”

Lance’s eyes followed Joey’s finger and then he saw them. They were clinging to each other. They both looked so comfortable there in each other’s arms. He suddenly felt a wave of jealousy hit him. He quickly dismissed that feeling. Jaimie and JC were two of his best friends. JC was like a brother to him and Jaimie was like a sister. At least that was what he had always thought until the last few weeks after they got back from their tour. He couldn’t understand all the mixed emotions he was having. On one hand he loves Jaimie and part of him loves Danielle too. But his love for Jaimie was purely platonic right? He wished he knew the answer to that question because right then as he watched JC and Jaimie hold each other on the dance floor, he really wasn’t sure of the answer.

JC looked over in the direction of the table. Everyone seemed to be listening to whatever story Chris was telling. All of them except for Lance. He kept glancing over in their direction with this strange look on his face. It was at that moment that a plan began to form in JCs’s head. He started grinning to himself. He just knew this would work. All he had to do was get Jaimie to go along with it.

“Hey, you know you can tell me anything right?”

Jaimie looked up at him strangely for a moment, “Yeah, I guess so. Why?”

He didn‘t say anything for a moment, “Jaimie, I know you. You’re in love with someone.”

She smiled up at him, “Oh yeah, who?”

“Lance.”

Her smile slowly faded, “You really have lost it Chasez.”

The song they were dancing to ended and a fast one began. JC just took her hand and pulled her into a secluded corner of the club so they could finish their conversation.

“Come on Jaimie. I’m your best friend. Why can’t you admit it to me at least.”

“Because you’re crazy. I’m not in love with Lance Bass.”

“Everyone sees it when you look at him. You get this sparkle in your eyes whenever he is around.”

“Everyone thinks I’m in love with him?!??” she asked, horrified.

JC couldn‘t help but laugh, “Just me, Justin, Chris, and Joey. I don’t think Lance really realizes it yet.”

She sighed heavily, “Well, I guess I can’t keep my feelings to myself anymore. Unfortunately for me he is totally oblivious to that fact. Besides he’s with Danielle.”

“You know, I think Lance really has feelings for you too, but he’s just too afraid to admit it,” JC smiled.

“I know he cares for me, but in a purely platonic way.”

JC paused for a moment, “You know, you should have seen the look on his face when he saw us dancing together just now. I would bet my life on it that he was jealous of me.”

Jaimie tried to laugh it off, “Yeah, whatever.”

JC cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you sometimes. There’s more feeling there than you think because every time you are around him he acts like your buddy, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he doesn’t know anyone is looking.”

Her chin began to tremble as tears threatened to fall down her cheeks, “You really think so?”

“I know so,” he whispered as he pulled her to him in a tight hug.

After a few minutes, Jaimie pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“So, what do I do?” she sniffled slightly.

A slow grin spread across his handsome face, “Well, I’ve came up with a plan, and I think it will work beautifully.”

“Please tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with me actually telling him my feelings.”

“Nope, he’s not ready to hear the ‘L’ word yet.”

“Well, what then?”

“We need to do something to get Lance to admit his feelings.”

“How do you suggest we do it?”

“I think you and I should pretend to be dating.”

“You’re kidding right?” she asked, totally shocked that he would even suggest that.

“Now, listen to me for a minute. Lance has yet to really see you with a guy. All he has seen you with is us. If you and I were dating, he would be forced to see you as more than a buddy. He would see you as my girlfriend and then he can really begin to look at you in the romantic sense.”

She eyed him skeptically, “You really think this would work? I mean, we’ve been best friends for 5 years, now all of a sudden we’re dating. Do you think he would fall for that?”

“Well, here’s the thing. In order for Lance to see you as girlfriend material you have to really pretend to be my girlfriend. In other words, we would have to always go out together, hold hands, kiss, and it would have to look real. At least to Lance.”

“Are you sure you want to do this JC? We’ve always been friends. I wouldn’t want to gross you out.”

“I know we’ve always been friends, and this is something I want to do to help two of my best friends find happiness together. Besides, I get to make out with a beautiful woman.” JC grinned, “I have no problems with that.”

She began to play with her hair nervously, “What about the rest of the guys? Should we clue them in?”

“Yeah, that would help us I think. They will really be able to play it up.”

The thought about it for a moment, “Okay, let’s try it. I just hope I can pull it off.”

“I know you can, at least if you want Lance bad enough. Now, let’s head back to the table.”

“What’s the plan when we get there?”

“Let’s just improvise.”

JC and Jaimie made their way back to the table. As they walked up, JC had a protective arm around Jaimie’s waist. Lance felt another wave of jealously hit him as he saw them approach, and his look didn’t go unnoticed by JC. He smiled to himself. When they got to the table, JC sat down beside Lance and pulled Jaimie onto his lap. This shocked everyone at the table including Jaimie, but she tried not to let it show.

“What’s up Lance, Danielle? How long have you guys been here?”

“About 15-20 minutes. Where have you guys been?“ he asked, trying to hide the jealously in his voice.

“Just dancing and talking.” JC smiled up at Jaimie, “You know how Jaimie loves to dance.”

“Yeah, well. My goal is to one day be the first female members of NSync, so I need to practice my moves right?”

Everyone at the table laughed at her remark.

"You are the only female member of our group, even if it’s unofficial.”

Danielle shot Lance a dirty look, then tossed her hair over her shoulder. Jaimie chuckled to herself. Score Jaimie 1 Danielle 0.

Lance couldn’t help but watch JC and Jaimie. Thankfully they were both listening to Justin talk. He watched JC unconsciously rub his hand up and down her bare arm. He watched Jaimie play with the buttons on his shirt on and off. The they both burst out laughing at whatever joke Justin had been telling. JC put one of his hands on her thigh as if to hold her in place on his lap. Then they looked into each other’s eyes and smiled as if they both knew a secret but neither would share. Jaimie broke eye contact and reached down to grab JC’s hand. At first Lance was relieved because he thought Jaimie just wanted his hand off her thigh, but then she laced her fingers with his to hold his hand. All of a sudden Lance had to fight this urge to jerk them away from each other. Wait a minute, what was he thinking? They were just great friends being friendly right? Why do I care so much anyway? Jaimie is just my friend and besides I have Danielle right? Why couldn’t he answer any of his questions? Lance finally looked over at Danielle and gave her a quick smile before finally tuning into the conversation.

“Hey Lance, aren’t you going to ask me to dance?” Danielle whined.

His gaze flicked from Jaimie to Danielle, “Uhh, sure.”

Lance led Danielle to the dance floor, leaving the others alone finally to talk.

“Okay, before we get bombarded with questions we’ll go ahead and tell you what’s going on.”

“From the looks of it, it seems like you two have something going on.” Justin smiled.

“No, we’re just pretending to date each other to try to get Lance to admit his true feelings for Jaimie.”

“Oh, okay. We get it now...Cool, we’ll play along.” Chris agreed.

“So, how long have you guys known how I felt?” Jaimie asked

“I only started noticing it since we got home from touring.” Joey said

Justin nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it’s been about that long for all of us I think.”

“Do we look convincing enough?” she asked nervously.

“Of course. You fooled us for a minute there. Are you two ever gonna kiss?” Chris teased.

Jaimie just blushed and hid her face in JC’s shirt, while the others just laughed at her. Lance kept looking in their direction off and on while he and Danielle danced. He saw Jaimie put her arm around JC’s neck and bury her face in his shirt while the others laughed. He smiled at her, knowing the guys had to have said something to embarrass her. This JC and Jaimie thing was truly confusing him. He couldn’t understand their sudden change in their relationship. They had always been friends but never the kind that hangs all over each other like they were doing now. He thought Jaimie was just their buddy. He never saw her as an actual 'girl', but seeing her tonight had opened up his eyes to see the beautiful woman she was. Her long brown hair shined beautifully, and her smile would light the room. That body, my god. How could he have not noticed her? A golden tan covered her flawless skin, she had nice round breasts and those legs.. He wished he had them wrapped around him.... No!!! This was just Jaimie his bud. That’s all she is, right?

“So, Jaimie and JC make a cute couple, huh?” Danielle said as the song changed from a fast one to a slow one.

Lance laughed, “Are you kidding me? They’re just friends. We’ve all been friends for the past 5 years.” He shook his head, “No way.”

She glanced towards the table, “What does it look like to you?”

Lance turned and looked back towards the table just in time to see JC whisper something in Jaimie’s ear. He saw that beautiful smile appear and he watched Jaimie gently rub the back of JC’s neck with her fingers. Lance quickly turned back around and stared at the opposite wall.

Danielle didn’t miss the change in his demeanor, “Yep, exactly what I thought too.”

They continued to dance in silence.

“Lance just looked this way. He didn’t look too happy about what he just saw.” Chris whispered.

JC grinned up at Jaimie, “See. I told ya.”

She couldn‘t help the smile that spread across her face, “Do we tell them we are dating when they get back?”

“Let’s see if he asks first.”

After the song ended, Lance escorted Danielle back to the table. There was a moment of awkward silence before Danielle spoke.

“I have to know, are you two dating or something?” she asked, totally exasperated.

JC smiled, “Yep.”

“When did this happen?” Lance asked, shocked.

“A few days ago. We decided we needed to explore the possibility of our relationship.”

“Yeah, but we’ve all been friends for like five years. Aren’t you afraid of ruining your friendship? Think about that for a minute guys.”

“Why are you getting so worked up about it? You should be happy for them.”

He paused for a moment, “I’m sorry guys.”

“It’s okay. I know it’s a shock, but just because two people are great friends it doesn’t mean they can’t build from that and make it something more.” she smiled.

“I need to go freshen up. Jaimie, will you come with me?”

“Sure.” she reluctantly agreed.

When Jaimie got off JC’s lap, he pulled her back for a quick kiss. Jaimie just smiled down at him and followed Danielle to the ladies room. Danielle and Jaimie both started doing their touch-ups in silence till Danielle spoke.

“You two make a cute couple. I think it’s great that you two got together.”

Jaimie smiled, trying her best to stay friendly. “Thanks. We’re happy so far.”

“Don’t let Lance’s remarks bug you. He gets kinda crazy when it comes to the women he cares about.”

Jaimie smiled at her comment, but she knew where this conversation was going. Everything seemed to always lead back to her.

“I mean trust me, I know. He gets very jealous sometimes whenever I’m shooting the show and he is on the set.”

“I can imagine.”

She sighed, “I just have to say, ‘Babe, this is showbiz. At the end of the day I go home with you. That’s all that matters.’” She smiled smugly, “That usually calms him.”

“I’m sure it does.” she replied sarcastically. “You just have a calming effect on people.”

Danielle didn‘t pay any attention to her last comment, “Well, I’m perfect again.” She smiled at herself in the mirror, “Are you ready?”

“Sure.” Jaimie stepped aside, “After you.”

As they walked back to the table, Jaimie pondered their conversation. She found it hard to believe Lance would get that insanely jealous. And that comment about showbiz, whatever. Lance has thousands of girls constantly following him and screaming for him. He knows the difference between true feelings and ‘showbiz’ as she put it. She was just full of shit as far as she was concerned.

While the girls went to the restroom, the guys had an interesting conversation too.

“What’s your problem Lance?” Justin asked when the girls were out of sight.

“Yeah, why are you so upset about JC and Jaimie?” Joey asked.

“That’s what I’d like to know. I mean, Sue has been our friend for almost as long as Jaimie, but you didn’t get upset when she and Chris started dating.” JC frowned.

Chris frowned, “Thanks a lot JC. Depress me some more cause my girl’s out of town.”

JC smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry man. I’m just trying to get some answers from Lance.”

Lance paused before he answered, “Well,...I don’t know really I mean with Sue and Chris I saw the immediate attraction so them getting together didn’t surprise me. Now I had absolutely no clue that Jaimie and JC were remotely attracted to each other in that way. I guess it was a bit of a shock.”

“How can anyone not be attracted to her? She’s beautiful, she’s got the greatest personality, she believes in us, and she has always been there for all of us whenever we needed her.” JC said.

Justin grinned, “Yep, she’s a hottie.”

“No doubt about it.” Joey nodded in agreement.

< chimed Chris sweetie.” my to only>

“I guess I’ve never really looked at her as a girl. I’ve always just seen her as Jaimie our friend.”

“You expect us to believe you’ve never looked at her in a sexual way?” Justin asked.

“Of course not.” he answered a little too quickly, trying to forget what was going through his mind while he danced with Danielle earlier.

Joey grinned, “You answered that a little too quickly, so of course that means yes.”

“I have not!!!” Lance yelled indignantly.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of Lance. We’ve all noticed Jaimie’s very appealing sexual qualities.” Chris said, his expression completely serious.

“Very nicely put by the way Chris.” Justin smiled.

“Well, I figured if I said her bodacious body that would be crude of me.”

Joey laughed, “You’re so crazy.”

“So I’ve been told.” Chris said thoughtfully.

“Anyway, Lance, you can admit it to us. We’re your best friends.” JC said.

“Well, I may have noticed her a little, but I never once though about acting on that.” he answered slowly.

JC grinned, “We never said anything about wanting to act on our attraction to her.”

“I…” Lance sighed, “Oh, never mind. Please just accept my apology and I’ll try to get used to you two together.”

“Apology accepted.”

JC thought to himself as he saw the girls approach. He knew there was strong feelings for Jaimie inside just waiting to be lured out. All he needed to do now was dangle the bait in front of his face and hope he will take it. Danielle went back to her seat beside Lance, while Jaimie returned to JC’s side. When she reached him, JC stood to greet her.

“Hey.”

That’s all he said before dipping his head down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Jaimie instinctively opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. They were really getting into the kiss when they heard someone speak.

“Okay, that’s really sweet and all guys, but I think I speak for everyone when I say get a room.” Chris said.

Jaimie smiled bashfully and turned bright red. JC sat back down and pulled her back into his lap.

“Isn’t she cute when she’s embarrassed?”

This just made her blush even more. The guys just laughed harder at her. She buried her face in JC’s neck.

“Hey, Jaimie, do you think you can remove your face from JC’s shirt long enough to dance with me?” Chris asked.

Jaimie raised her head, smiling at him. “How can I refuse such a nice request?”

Chris pulled Jaimie to the dance floor and started getting into the fast song that was playing. Danielle started pouting so Lance took her out onto the floor as well. They eventually found their way to where Jaimie and Chris were dancing. When that song finished, a slow song began. Mariah Carey’s ‘My All’ started playing, drawing everyone on the dance floor into the arms of their dance partners. Jaimie smiled and stepped into Chris’ embrace while Danielle did the same with Lance.

“Prepare yourself girlfriend.”

Jaimie frowned, confused. “Why?”

Chris smiled as he tapped Lance on the shoulder, “Excuse me good sir. May I cut in? I’d like to dance with this lovely young lady.”

Lance stepped aside, “Sure.”

“Thank You. Now, you and Jaimie finish this dance, okay? Bye, bye now.”

Jaimie just smiled and stepped into his arms. Her heart started pounding in her chest as they swayed to the music. Their eyes locked as they danced. Neither said a word. As the song ended and everyone started to part on the dance floor, Jaimie and lance stayed locked in their embrace. As soon as a fast song started again, the spell was broken. They slowly parted from each other.

Jaimie smiled up at him, “Thanks for the dance.”

“My pleasure.”

Lance held onto her hand as they walked back to the table. When they reached the table Jaimie looked down at her watch. It was already 1:30am.

“Guys, I hate to break this up but I have an early day tomorrow so I need to head out.”

“You’re leaving already?” Lance asked, disappointed.

“Afraid so. I don’t think the patients would appreciate me falling asleep in the middle of their tests.”

“What is it that you do again?” Danielle asked.

Jaimie forced a smile on her face, “I’m a radiologist.”

Danielle waved her hand, already disinterested in what she was saying, “Oh, well, have a good night.”

“Thanks, you too.” she smiled sweetly.

“I’ll walk you to your car, then I think I’ll head home too.” JC stood to leave as well.

Jaimie bent down to kiss the guys goodnight, “Goodnight guys.”

Justin grinned as she kissed him, “What, no tongue?”

Jaimie smiled, “Oh, behave yourself.” She paused when she got to Lance, “Goodnight Lance.”

“Goodnight, Jaimie.”

JC led her out of the club. As soon as they were outside they both looked at each other and burst out laughing. They didn’t stop until they reached her car.

“Nice wheels.” he said as his laughter began to subside.

“Thanks. I worked hard for this baby.”

Jaimie deactivated the alarm to her new 1999 silver Toyota 4-Runner.

“So, do you think he’s buying it?”

“Oh, yeah! We even got him to admit he was sexually attracted to you. I’d say that’s progress.”

“How did you get him to admit that?”

“We just pryed it out of him.”

Jaimie was a little unconvinced, “Uh-huh, whatever. Well, goodnight JC. Thanks for helping me with this. It means a lot to me.”

He pulled her into a warm hug, “You’re quite welcome. Besides, you’re a great kisser.”

She hit him playfully, “Ha-ha.”

They were still hugging when Jaimie saw all the others come out of the club. She noticed Lance looked rather bored as Danielle rattled on about something. She saw him begin to look in their direction so she quickly grabbed JC and kissed him. She kept glancing over his shoulder, watching to see if Lance was watching them. She was happy to see he kept looking up in their direction with a sour look on his face. Once they were out of sight she broke the kiss.

JC was a little shocked to say the least, “ Wow, I know I’m a good kisser, but I thought we were only acting when Lance was around.”

She smiled, blushing slightly. “They just walked by. Sorry to bust your bubble. You are a good kisser though, if that makes you feel better.”

“Oh, I thought I was just that irresistible.”

“Sorry, but no.”

Chris pulled up beside them on his way out of the parking lot.

“You guys better really appreciate my sacrifice tonight.”

“What sacrifice?” she asked, confused.

“Dancing with Danielle, duh. I mean all she did was talk about herself and that stupid show she is on. Man, I couldn’t even enjoy Mariah’s song because of her chatter.”

“I’m sorry man. I picked that song cause I know how we all love Mariah, plus it had a nice sexy beat to the music which was needed at the time.”

“Okay mister I’m smarter than everyone else. Anyway, I don’t know who Lance stands to be around her.”

“Maybe he’s in love.” she replied sadly.

Chris chuckled softly, “No sweetie. If he’s in love with anyone he is in love with you.”

“I doubt it.”

“You didn’t see the way you two were looking at each other when you danced tonight. It was amazing to watch. What happened anyway?”

“I can’t explain it. It was like everyone and everything around us disappeared. All that was there was me, him, and the music. It was an amazing feeling.”

“Well, if you think of anything else I can do just let me know. Even if I have to sacrifice myself to Danielle again I guess I can do it for you.”

Jaimie smiled, “ I really appreciate your sacrifice Chris. If you hear from Sue before me tell her to call me.”

“I will. Goodnight guys.”

“Later.”

“Well, be carefully on your way home JC.” Jaimie said as Chris drove off.

“I will. Goodnight Jaimie.”

“Night.”

Jaimie climbed into her truck and started to pull out. She slid her NSync CD into her radio and quickly flipped it to #9 ‘Everything I Own‘. She loved this song best purely because it’s the only song on the whole album that lance has his own part in. She loved hearing his deep voice come through the radio. She loved to pretend he was speaking to her. By the time the song was over, she was pulling into her driveway. She shared a nice two bedroom, two and a half bath house with her best friend Sue. They had met about 4 years ago at Disney World and became fast friends, even though there is 6 years difference in age between them. Sue was originally from New York and she added a little spice to her life.

Almost as soon as she walked through the door, her phone rang. She didn’t even bother to sit her purse down before answering it.

“Hello?”

“You’ve got to tell me what’s going on.” Sue demanded.

“Let me guess, you’ve talked to Chris, right?”

“Yes I have and he wouldn’t tell me anything, so I want you to spill it. What’s going on?”

“Well, you know how I feel about Lance, right?”

“Yep, you’re completely in love with him.”

“Right, well tonight Lance brought Danielle to the club and JC noticed how depressed I got. He pulls me aside and begins to tell me that he knows my feelings for him and he thinks he can help me win Lance.”

“How does he think he can do that?”

“He thinks that we should pretend to be dating to try to make Lance jealous.”

“You actually agreed to this?”

“Yeah, surprisingly enough I did. If this helps me get Lance then it’s all worth it.”

“Do you think it’s working so far?”

“He definitely objected to it when we told him we were dating. He acted rather jealous as well.”

Sue laughed, “Ah, man! I wish I would have been there. I bet it was hilarious. Instead I’m stuck here with my sister that I despise while she is in labor. I swear, life isn’t fair.”

"I know, but you’ll be home soon.”

“Not soon enough for me. Have you had to kiss JC yet?”

Jaimie sighed, “Uh-huh.”

“Man, I miss everything! Is he a good kisser?”

“Uh-huh.”

Sue sighed, “Well, let me go. It’s late and you have to go to work tomorrow.”

Jaimie groaned, “Don’t remind me please. Just take care and I’ll talk to you soon okay?”

“Alrighty then, bye.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie laughed to herself after hanging up with Sue. She really was glad she had her for a friend. She loves the guys and they’re great, but sometimes she just needs a girl to talk to. She quickly got undressed and slid beneath the covers just in her panties, not bothering to put on a nightgown. By the time she laid her head down it was 2am. She had exactly 4 hours to sleep before she had to be at the office at 7:30am. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lance was finally able to pry Danielle off him by about 2:30am. When he went to drop her off at her hotel room she wouldn’t get out of the car. She kept hinting around wanting to go back to his place, but Lance kept ignoring her suggestions. Danielle was pretty and most of the time he had fun with her, but he wasn’t ready to take that step with her. He knew he didn’t really love her like that and he vowed he wouldn’t have sex till he knew he was in love. He couldn’t keep his mind off Jaimie and JC either. Danielle finally got disgusted and gave up. Once she was out of the car he sped off out of the parking lot. He was so confused. he couldn’t get the image of Jaimie and JC kissing out of his head. He just shook his head in frustration. What was his problem? Jaimie and JC were two of his best friends. Why did he have such a problem with them being together? Could he possibly be jealous of JC? Maybe he was. But was it because he seemed to have a good, solid relationship starting, or was it because he had Jaimie? if it was the first one, shouldn’t he be jealous of Chris and Sue? I mean, they’re practically married. They have a wonderful relationship, but he wasn’t jealous of them. He knew what the answer was. he was jealous because he had Jaimie. He had never realized his true feelings for her, but now it was too late. She was with JC. Tonight when he held her in his arms when they danced he didn’t want the song to ever end. he could have sworn he saw the same feelings reflecting in her eyes as well, but when the music changed, their connection was broken. He didn’t know what to do. JC was his best friend. He couldn’t possibly act on his feelings for Jaimie. That would be the ultimate betrayal. What if Jaimie didn’t return his feelings? He couldn’t risk losing her as a friend could he? But what he really couldn’t risk is letting her go. He knew in his heart that she was what he wanted. How could he have been so blind? How could he have pushed his feelings so far down in him that he didn’t know what he wanted? Maybe he was afraid. Afraid of what those feelings would do to their friendship, or how it may change him. He was still pondering this when he made his way into his apartment. He really hoped his house would be finished soon. he was so tired of this apartment. he really wanted a place to call home. He always knew he wanted a home and a family to share it with. He finally could admit to himself his feelings for Jaimie and he knew she was his true love. Could he wait patiently for Jaimie and JC realize they aren’t right for each other, or will he have to do something about it? All he knew was that it felt so good to hold her in his arms. Now that he finally let himself admit his feelings, he couldn’t help but admit how beautiful Jaimie really is. She had the most beautiful smile, her big blue eyes sparkled when she smiled or laughed. Her long brown hair always shined and was soft to touch, and she always smelled wonderful. Just like fresh raspberries. He mentally shook himself and went to get ready for bed. By the time he climbed into bed it was 3am. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of Jaimie.

Chapter Two

When her alarm clock went off, Jaimie quickly hit the snooze. She couldn’t believe she had to get up and go to work after only four hours sleep. By the time the snooze went off again, she grumpily got out of bed and headed to the shower. She didn’t even bother blow drying her hair, she just put it in a long braid, threw on a little bit of make-up, and headed out the door. She managed to make it to work on time. She had maybe ten minutes before her first ultrasound was scheduled. She worked at one of the best OBGYN offices in Orlando. She performed all the ultrasounds and mammograms that needed to be done at the office. She was always slammed with patients, but she loved her job. She loved watching the new parents see their babies for the first time. She wanted that for herself more than anything. She had always wanted a family of her own. She hoped one day she would have one of her own, and she wanted Lance to be the one to share it with her. She hoped and prayed that their plan would work and Lance would realize his true feelings for her. She was just reading her first patients chart when the phone in her office rang.

"Hello?"

JoAnn the receptionist spoke, "Hi Jaimie. I know you’re busy, but there is a Lance on the phone. He says he needs to talk to you."

Jaimie grinned, "Oh, sure. Go ahead and put him through. Thanks Jo."

"No problem, hold on.....Sir, go ahead."

"Hey, boy you’re up early."

Lance laughed, "I got up specifically hoping I could catch you before you got swamped. Is this a bad time?"

"Nope, I’ve got about ten minutes before our first appointment. What’s up?"

"I was just wondering if you’re free for inner tonight, so we can catch up and stuff." he asked nervously.

Jaimie grinned, "I’d love to. I get off at five, so should I just meet you somewhere?"

"How about meet me at my place."

"Okay, you’ve got a date."

"Great, I’ll see you around 5:30 then." Lance grinned.

"Okay, see you then."

When Jaimie hung up with Lance, you couldn’t slap the smile off her face. She hummed to herself as she went up front to call her first patient back.

"Boy, you’re in a good mood today." JoAnn smiled.

Jaimie’s smile grew wider, "Well, my day has started out great, so right now life is good."

JoAnn smiled knowingly, "Ah, I see. This has something to do with Lance right?"

"Maybe."

Jaimie walked into the lobby to call her first patient back. She was still smiling by the time lunch came around. That’s when all hell broke loose. After Lance hung up with Jaimie, he laid back down for a few more hours. When he finally got up it was about 10am. He quickly started cleaning and trying to get things ready for dinner that night. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself because every time he thought about her he would get butterflies in his stomach. By the time he was finished cleaning everything, it was almost 1pm. He quickly jumped in his Jeep and headed towards the grocery store to pick up things for dinner. He had decided to cook pasta for dinner. He didn’t want to be too elaborate, because he didn’t want to chase her away or scare her. He knew that is he was ever going to have a chance with her that he needed to take it slow. He hoped he remembered everything he needed. He got the tomato sauce, spices, pasta, Italian bread, salad, he even stopped by the Olive Garden to buy a bottle of their Italian dressing because he knew it was her favorite. When he got in his truck and headed back to his apartment, the Backstreet Boys ‘I Want It That Way’ started blasting through his radio. He cringed and quickly turned it off. He slipped his Boys II Men CD in and began singing along to one of his favorites, ‘I’ll Make Love To You.’ He tried to imagine what the look on her face would be if he was to start serenading her with this song. The words to the song perfectly matched how he felt about her. He had felt desire before, but never the kind of desire he felt for her. It was desire mixed with love and it was almost intoxicating. He couldn’t believe how the tables had turned. He wanted her so badly. He hoped when he got her alone, that he’d be able to restrain himself. He wanted to be with Jaimie so much, but he didn’t want to hurt JC to get her. His spirits dropped when the thought of JC popped into his head. He loved JC like a brother. He didn’t want to deny his happiness,, but he knew in his heart that he and Jaimie belonged together. He just had to keep the faith that things would work out in the end.

While Lance was busy setting up for their date, Jaimie was busy with all the emergency cases that came into the office. She never would have thought they would get so many people with problems come in at one time. They were so busy that she had gotten recruited to help the nurses out with bringing patients back, taking blood pressures, temperatures, drawing blood, not to mention the fact she had all her other patients to see as well, She just knew there was no way she would be getting out of there in time to go to Lance’s. By this time she was so mad she felt like crying. She finally had a chance to be alone with Lance and this time HER job was keeping her from being with him. She quickly punched in his number and willed herself not to cry.

"‘Ello?"

"Hey." she said sadly.

"Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I’m okay. I just won’t be able to make it tonight."

Lance sighed disappointed, "What? Why?"

"Because we got so many patients left to see, there’s no way I’ll be finished in time to meet you for dinner. I’m sorry Lance. I was really looking forward to it."

"Me too," he frowned. "Well, I guess we’ll just reincheck it okay?"

"Okay, well they’re calling me again. I’ll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye Lance."

Jaimie slowly sat down the receiver. She had wanted to see him so badly, but she knew there was no way she could. She was brought back from her thoughts when one of the doctors called her name. Her mind focused back on her job and she tried her best not to think about Lance.

Lance sat there staring at the phone long after he hung up with Jaimie. All his hopes were shattered. He had hoped that after tonight he would be able to at least get a feel for Jaimie’s true feelings for him, but now he knew that he would not have that chance. Then another idea began to form. A slow smile spread across his face. Yep, there just may be hope for tonight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They finally saw their last patient by about 6pm. By the time 7pm rolled around, Jaimie was the only one left. She was still reviewing her charts for Mondays patients. Her concentration was broken by a tap on her office door. When she looked up, she was Lance standing in the doorway grinning at her.

"Hey beautiful."

She smiled bashfully, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I decided I would cash in that reincheck now instead of later."

"Oh..…" she smiled broadly. "Great. I’m starving. It’s been a long day and I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch today."

"So, you’re finished here?"

"Well, not quite but I’ll come in a little early Monday morning to finish reviewing."

"Sounds like a plan to me." he smiled.

While Jaimie closed everything up and got her things together, Lance just looked around her office. He hadn’t been in her office since she started there over a year ago. She kept it neat and clean. On her wall was her college degree, but also there were articles and photos of their band in frames. She had kept ever story that had ever been written about them. He just smiled and shook his head.

"What are you smiling about?"

He gestured towards her wall, "This."

"What about it?"

"I just never knew you kept up with us that well."

"Of course I do," she said seriously. "You’re my boys."

Lance just smiled sincerely at her and she went back to getting her stuff together. He walked around her desk and looked at the pictures. There were several of her niece and nephew, and there was several of her with the guys. Those pictures brought back so many memories. There was one of Jaimie and all the guys in front of the studio where the old Mickey Mouse Club was filmed. It was taken when they first put the band together. They all looked so young and they had all grown so much since then. His gaze focused on Jaimie she was about 17 when that picture was taken. She was even beautiful then. She had this huge smile on her face and her arms were thrown around Chris’ and JC’s shoulders. His smile faltered some when he saw JC. He quickly tried to push the thought of him and betrayal out of his mind. He looked at the next picture. He guessed that picture was taken just before they left for their European tour about four months ago. this time, everyone including Sue was in the picture. Chris had his arms around Sue and they were both grinning at the camera, Joey was flexing his muscles, Justin and JC were looking at Joey laughing, and he and Jaimie were looking at each other laughing. He had his arm flung around her shoulders. He had forgotten that picture had been taken. Jaimie caught him looking at it with a distant look on his face.

"That’s my favorite picture of us."

He finally looked up at her, "Yeah." He smiled, "This is a great picture."

"We’ve had some good times." she walked up beside him, looking down at the picture in his hands.

"Great times."

"Well, I’m ready if you are." she said after a moment of silence.

He placed the picture back on her desk, "Yep, let’s go."

Lance followed Jaimie out of the office and waited for her to lock up behind them.

"Okay, so I’ll meet you at your place?"

"Actually, I want you to ride with me. I’ll bring you back to your car afterwards. I want to take you someplace special."

She looked down at her uniform uncomfortably, "I’m not dressed to go out anywhere."

"No, you’re fine for where we’re going. Trust me."

"Okay, I do trust you."

Lance and Jaimie climbed into his Jeep Cherokee and headed out of the city limits. Jaimie had no idea where they were going and the smell of food in the back of his truck was driving her crazy.

"Okay, close your eyes for me." he said after they pulled into a long driveway.

"What are you up to?" she asked suspiciously.

Lance smiled, "Just humor me please." Jaimie did as he asked and closed her eyes, "And no peeking."

"I’m not peeking!"

Jaimie felt the truck come to a stop and the ignition stop.

"I have to set up now, but remember DON’T PEEK!"

Jaimie sighed, "Lance, I told you I wouldn’t now go. I’m starving."

Lance laughed, "I promise I’ll just be a few minutes."

Jaimie heard the back of the Jeep open and she heard him moving stuff around. Then the back closed. About five minutes later, her door opened.

"Now can I open my eyes?"

He took her hands and pulled her out of the Jeep, "Nope, not yet."

"Where are we going? I hate walking and not knowing where I’m going."

"Just trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you."

Jaimie silently let him lead her wherever he wanted. Then they suddenly stopped.

"Okay, open your eyes." he whispered as he stood behind her.

When Jaimie opened her eyes, she as looking at the most beautiful piece of land she had ever seen. She was standing at the edge of a creek overlooking a large meadow. She turned towards Lance’s truck and saw the beginning of a large ranch style house that was being built.

"Lance.....this is the most beautiful spot I’ve ever seen."

"Yeah, I love it here. It’s so peaceful and it’s away from everyone."

"Is that your house?"

He smiled brightly, "Yep, that’s it."

"It’s going to be such a beautiful home. A wonderful place to raise a family."

"I thought so too. Now I just need to find the right girl to raise a family with."

Jaimie lowered her gaze, "Danielle?"

Lance burst out laughing, "Danielle?!? No, she’d definitely not the family type. Nah, she’s just someone to have a good time with."

She refused to face him, "Oh, I see."

Her change in attitude didn’t go unnoticed, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, no. You just said you’re using her for a good time. I never expected you to use anyone, especially for sex."

Lance was totally shocked by her remark, "That’s not what I said at all. You just misunderstood me."

"Then explain it to me." she angrily crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"We go out and have a good time, but that’s all. I never intended to have a long term relationship with her. I’m actually growing tired of her."

"You still haven’t explained yourself. It still sounds like you’re using her. I may not like the girl, but I don’t condone you using her. No one should be used like that."

He threw his hands up in the air in defeat, "What do you need to hear to make you understand? If anyone in this situation was getting used it was me."

"How so?"

"I’m just like a trophy to her. So she can say to people, ‘Oh hey, look who I have on my arm. I’ve got one of the singers from the multi-million dollar selling group NSYNC. I’m hot now.’ I know that’s all I am to her. Just an accent to her wardrobe. And, just so you know, I’ve never had sex with her or anyone for that matter."

"Really?"

His face softened, "Yes, really. I take that step very seriously and I won’t take that step unless I know I really love the person I am with."

She smiled slightly, "I’m sorry Lance. I know you better than that. I should have known you wouldn’t do anything like that."

He paused for a moment before he spoke, "I just never thought you’d ever think that badly of me."

Jaimie hung her head down ashamed. When she finally looked up, Lance was standing with his back to her staring at the creek. They had never had this big of a disagreement before and she hated having one now. This night was supposed to be great because she would finally get to be with Lance alone and she went and basically called him a male whore. She flinched every time she imagined how her accusations must have made him feel. It would kill her if he eve thought those thoughts about her. She slowly walked to him and gently grabbed his arm. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I’m so sorry Lance," she whispered. Her voice was shaky, "Will you forgive me?"

"Yeah, I forgive you," he sighed. "It just hurt that’s all."

Jaimie turned her face into his arm and cried softly. Now Lance started to feel guilty. He turned, facing her and gently lifted her face with his hands. They just stared at each other for a moment. The tears continued to flow down Jaimie’s cheeks. Lance gently brushed them away with his thumbs.

"Don’t cry. I never want to see you cry."

"I’m so sorry Lance," she said through tears. "I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just misunderstood."

He pulled her into his embrace, "I know. Don’t cry. It’s all forgotten okay."

Jaimie just nodded her head and continued to cling to him. They stood there for a while until Jaimie’s tears subsided. Jaimie started to pull away from him, but he continued to hold her in a loose embrace.

He smiled, "I don’t like fighting with you."

"I know, me neither."

"We’d better eat before it gets cold."

The mention of food perked her up, "Oh, yes! I’m starving."

When Jaimie turned around, it was the first time she had noticed the picnic that was set up. He had laid out a big blanket and place two plates of pasta on it and two glasses of white wine. Her heart melted at the site of it. It was such a romantic gesture. Luckily, there was a full moon out so it lit up the area well.

"I hope this is okay."

She turned towards him, "Oh, Lance. It’s absolutely perfect."

"Good," he grinned. "I wanted tonight to be special. We haven’t had any time together since we got home last week."

"That’s very sweet. Thank you."

Lance led her over to the blanket where they sat and began their meal. Jaimie noticed the special Italian dressing immediately and began laughing.

"I knew it was your favorite." he explained with a shy smile.

"You just thought of everything didn’t you?"

"I tried to."

They spent the next few hours just talking and laughing together. Lance told her stories about when they were on the road, and Jaimie told him what had happened to her while they were away. Lance also started telling her their ideas for their new record. By the time either of them checked their watches, it was 10pm.

"Wow, I can’t believe it’s that late."

"I know. It doesn’t seem like we’ve been here that long."

She yawned, "I know. I had fun though. Except of course when we argued."

"Oh yeah. You’re having so much fun you’re yawning."

She hit him playfully, "Stop. I’ve just had a long day. I didn’t get much sleep last night, then I have the day from hell, then I argue with you. I have a right to yawn thank you!"

"Okay, you win," he laughed.

"I thought you’d see it my way." she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I guess we’d better get going."

They both started packing things up in silence. It was about 10:30pm by the time they started back to her office to drop her off.

"I really had a good time tonight. It was nice to spend time alone with you so we could catch up."

He smiled at her, "I know. I had a nice time too. I really miss spending time with you when I’m away."

"I miss you too," she blushed slightly.

Lance smiled to himself. He was definitely getting a more than friendly vibe from her. I mean she obviously got upset when she assumed he was sleeping with Danielle. If she just felt friendship for him, then why would she care so much. She acted hurt when they talked about his relationship with Danielle. He hoped he wasn’t just thinking she had more feelings for him than she really did, just because that’s what he wanted.

When they pulled into the parking lot, they saw JC pacing back and forth in front of the office frantically talking on his cell phone. As soon as he saw Lance’s Jeep pull into the space beside Jaimie’s truck, he immediately sprinted towards them.

"I wonder why he’s here."

"Did you call him and tell him you were late tonight?"

"Yeah, but I didn’t call him when you picked me up."

Lance sighed, "Oh, boy. Here we go."

Chapter Three

Before Lance could put the Jeep in park, JC was opening Jaimie’s door.

"Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick."

"I had dinner with Lance. What’s wrong?" she asked as JC pulled her out the passenger side.

"You told me you were working late, so I thought I’d surprise you at your house and take you out to dinner. I got there by about 8pm and I waited like an hour. You never showed so I came here. Your truck was here, I banged on the office door and no one came. I got so worried, I started calling everyone I knew to call." he hugged her tightly.

"I’m sorry JC. I wasn’t planning on going to dinner with Lance. He showed up around 7 or so and took me out. It happened so suddenly I didn’t think about calling anyone. I didn’t mean to worry you." She paused for a moment, "Okay JC, oxygen is becoming an issue here."

"I’m sorry." He looked over at Lance for the first time, "So, where did you take my girl?"

Lance again had to fight his jealousy, "Just to a special place."

"A special place, huh?" JC looked back and forth between Lance and Jaimie, "I guess neither of you are going to elaborate."

Jaimie smiled, "It’s our special place, JC. Mine and Lance’s. If we told you then it wouldn’t be the same."

"Okay, whatever. Keep your secret." he shrugged.

"Awe, JC. Don’t be upset."

"I’m not upset. What’s a secret between friends right? I’m just glad you’re okay."

"Yep, Lance took good care of me. We had a chance to finally catch up and he filled my belly with wonderful food."

"Don’t tell him everything. Some things need to be kept between us." Lance teased.

She grinned, "Don’t worry I won’t."

"You guys are wrong, teasing me like this."

"But it’s so much fun."

"You make it so easy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." JC tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "So, are you ready?"

"Yeah, just let me say goodnight to Lance."

"Okay, I’ll meet you by your car. Later, Lance."

"Later."

JC gave her a quick kiss before walking towards Jaimie’s car so she could say goodnight to Lance. Jaimie stood outside the drivers side window, not really knowing what else to say. Lance smiled as he watched her fidget nervously.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight."

"I guess so... I really had a wonderful time tonight."

"I did too. We’ll have to do it again sometime."

"You’ve got a date. Just let me know."

"Oh, trust me I will."

Jaimie smiled, "Good. Well, goodnight Lance."

"Goodnight Jaimie."

Jaimie leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. When she did Lance tilted his head a little, just so she would kiss the very corner of his mouth. Jaimie pulled back quickly and lowered her head, embarrassed.

Lance laughed, "What’s wrong?"

"I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was going to kiss you there. I was going for the cheek."

"I didn’t mind it a bit believe me."

Jaimie blushed, "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Jaimie turned and walked back over towards JC. When she reached him he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. This caused Jaimie to giggle uncontrollably. Lance watched the scene in front of him, jealousy raging beyond belief. He wanted so badly for that to be him and Jaimie laughing together instead of JC. He just quickly started his Jeep and pulled out of the parking lot. Once Lance pulled out of the parking lot, JC released Jaimie from his embrace.

"Really great act JC."

"I wish I could take credit for that performance, but I really was worried about you."

"I’m sorry JC. I just didn’t think about calling you or anyone. He just showed up here and we left."

JC grinned, "So, how’d it go?"

A slow grin spread across her face, "It was wonderful, and so romantic. He wouldn’t let me see where he was taking me. He made me close my eyes till we got there. It was beautiful. He had a picnic laid out with pasta, white wine, salad, he even got my favorite Italian dressing. It was great." Her smile began to fade, "Except for the fight we had."

JC frowned, "What fight?"

"Oh, I accused him of using Danielle for sex." Jaimie sighed.

JC didn’t say anything. He was just speechless. He just stood there with this incredulous look on his face.

"Don’t give me that look. I feel bad enough as it is."

"What did he say?"

"What would you say if I accused you of something like that? He was so hurt JC. I misunderstood what he had said."

"I can imagine. What did he say that made you accuse him like that?"

She sighed again, "He said that Danielle was just someone to have a good time with."

"Ah, I see. Well, I can kinda see where you misinterpreted that, but Lance would never do anything like that."

"You don’t think I realize that? I can’t even begin to apologize for what I said."

"I think you’re being a little too hard on yourself."

"Oh, JC. You didn’t see the look on his face. It crushed him."

"I know, but it’ll be okay. He’ll learn to get over it." he sighed.

"He was really sweet bout it. He accepted my apology and said it was forgotten."

"Well, then you don’t have anything to worry about."

"I just can’t forget the look on his face."

He hit her playfully, "Come on now, think of the fun you had not the fight."

That finally made her smile again, "I know you’re right."

"Of course I am. So, are you coming with us tomorrow night?"

"What’s going on tomorrow?"

"Oh, yeah, you and Lance were off playing when Johnny called us earlier."

"What’s up?"

"Johnny is having a get together tomorrow night at his place. We’re supposed to meet our opening act for our US tour. Oh, why am I asking if you are coming? You’re my girlfriend, of course you’ll come."

"You’re going to milk this for all it’s worth aren’t ya."

JC grinned, "You know it. So, I’ll pick you up about 7 ish okay."

Jaimie rolled her eyes, "Okay, whatever. Is it casual, formal, or what?"

"Not formal, but wear something pretty."

"Are you implying that I have clothes that aren’t pretty?"

He looked her up and down, "That’s not exactly flattering."

"This is my work clothes not my clothes clothes. You can be an idiot sometimes."

"I’m just playing. Sheesh, get all bent out of shape why don’t ya."

"Oh, behave. I’ll see ya tomorrow."

"Goodnight chicky."

Jaimie gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before getting in her truck and heading home. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw both Chris’ and Sue’s cars were in the driveway.

She sighed, "Oh, boy. Here we go again."

She slowly walked into the house, dreading the questions that she knew were going to come. As soon as she walked in, Sue was standing in the foyer with her hands on her hips and the sternest expression on her face. Jaimie couldn’t help but laugh at her.

"Hi, Ma! I’m home."

"You think you’re funny don’t you."

She grinned, "Yep, sometimes."

"Well, where have you been?"

"Okay, get Chris in here cause it’s the last time I’m going over it."

They both walked into the living room where Chris was on the phone.

Chris saw them come into the living room, "Okay, nevermind she just walked in."

Jaimie sighed, "Who is that?"

"Justin and Joey."

"Tell them to call JC or Lance if they want the story. I’m telling you and Sue and that’s the last time I’m telling the story."

"Alright, chill girl." He then turned to speak into the phone, "Hey man call JC to get the story. Alright, later." He hung up the phone and returned his attention to her, "Okay, spill where have you been?"

"I was supposed to have dinner with Lance tonight, but it got so busy at work that I canceled it. Well, about 7 tonight Lance came in to take me to dinner. It all happened so fast that I didn’t think about calling anyone. Besides I didn’t even know you were back in town Sue."

"Just got home around 7:30 or so. Well, I guess you’re forgiven."

"Well, thank you very much."

"How did it go anyway?" Chris asked.

Jaimie again told the story of their date, including the fight.

"Well, I’m sure it will be okay." Sue tried to reassure her.

"Just give him a little time." Chris said.

"Well, he told me it was forgotten, but I know better than that."

He gave her a sympathetic smile, "Don’t beat yourself up. It was just a misunderstanding."

"I know, but I can’t get the image of his face out of my mind."

Sue sighed, "I’m sorry. But look on the bright side, you got to spend time with him alone."

This brought a smile to her face, "Yeah, I know."

"Ah, man, look at the look on her face. She’s so in love it’s pathetic." Chris groaned.

"You’re one to talk. You can’t see the way you look at Sue. That’s pathetic."

Chris eyed her seriously, "You’re lying. I don’t get that look on my face."

Jaimie laughed, "Oh, yes you do."

Sue and Jaimie couldn’t stop laughing. The expression on Chris’ face was priceless. It was a mixture of confusion and indignance.

"Forget you two then." he yelled, storming out of the room pouting.

"I’d better go soothe the ego some. I’ll see you in the morning." Sue said as she followed the direction Chris went.

"Okay, oh, by the way, how’s your sister?"

"After I got off the phone with you she had it. A girl named Kayla. She’s adorable, but I couldn’t wait go get away from my sister. I caught the 3:30 flight home. I’m so glad to be back."

"I bet you are. Goodnight Sue."

"Night."

Jaimie went straight to bed afterwards, exhausted from her day.

As soon as Lance walked into his apartment his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Where have you been?" Danielle asked angrily.

Lance sighed, "Hello to you too Danielle."

"Well?"

"I had dinner with Jaimie."

p>"Excuse me? You went out to dinner with her and left me to sit in this hotel room by myself all day long?"

"I believe that’s what I just said."

"I can’t believe you."

"I’m sorry you sat alone in your room all day, but no one said you had to sit in your room all day."

"Well, I thought you would show up with a really good excuse and take me out yourself."

Lance was beginning to get agitated, "What’s your problem? You came down here on your own, I didn’t ask you to come here."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to spend time with my boyfriend."

"Don’t you mean your trophy?"

There was a moment of silence before she spoke, "What?"

"Fine, play dumb. You’re really good at that."

"How dare you talk to me this way!" she yelled.

"I’m tired of being nice to you because you are driving me crazy. Just go back to LA. We don’t need to see each other anymore."

Danielle quickly changed to a sweet tone, "Come on now Lance. Let’s talk this out. Don’t I mean anything to you?"

"There’s nothing left to talk about Danielle. We’re over. End of story. Go find another trophy boy."

"That’s fine. Believe me I will find another to replace you and he will be willing to satisfy me in every way. He’ll be a real man. Don’t come crawling back to me." she spat.

"I can guarantee I won’t. And Danielle, I’ll move on to a girl who’ll satisfy me, and I’ll be all too willing to give it back to her."

Lance didn’t even wait for a reply, he just hung up with a satisfied smile.

Chapter Four

The next day was a hectic one. Sue and Jaimie woke around 10 the next morning and decided they would go out and get new outfits for the party. They left their house by 11 and got home about 3. Whey they brought all of their packages in, Sue noticed a note by the phone. It read...

Sue,

Sorry I had to run before you got back. I need to make myself pretty too. HaHa. Anyway, I’ll pick you up around 7. Later beautiful. I missed you.

Love to my two favorite gals,
Chris

“Awe, isn’t he so sweet?”

Sue smiled dreamily and sighed, “Yeah, he is. He’s great. He was especially great last night.”

Jaimie cringed, “Ew! I could have gone without hearing that. And you call me a lovesick puppy.”

“You’re so funny.” she said, sarcastically.

“I know.”

The girls went off to their own bathrooms to begin getting ready for the party. They really took their time since they had 4 hours before the guys were going to pick them up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joey was just starting to get ready by the time 6 o’clock rolled around. He was sifting through his closet when his phone rang.

“Joe’s Pool Hall, Eightball speaking?”

Lance laughed, “What’s up?”

“Hey man, nothing much. Just trying to decide on my gear. What’s going on with you?”

“What’s with the message Johnny left on my answering machine last night? All it said was be at his place around 7:30 tonight.”

“We’re supposed to be meeting this trio that’s opening our show for our tour.”

“Oh, it’s like a party deal?”

“Kinda sorta.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think it’s a real big deal. I just think they mainly want us to get to know the trio.”

“Alright, well let me go and jump in the shower and throw something on.”

“Okay, I’ll see you then. Later.”

“Bye.”

Joey hung up with Lance then went back to his closet. He finally decided on a pair of khakis and a red long sleeved pleated sweater with a V-neck. Once satisfied with his appearance, he headed towards Johnny’s place.

Lance quickly jumped in the shower and got dressed for the party. He decided on a pair of black leather pants and a black fitted sweater. Not real casual, but not formal. He grabbed his keys and was out the door by 7:15.

JC was never late, and tonight was no exception. He arrived at their house by 7pm sharp. When Jaimie answered the door, JC was speechless.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“I just....Wow.” he stammered.

She blushed slightly, “Oh, thanks. Come in and let me get my purse.”

Chris pulled up just as JC was walking inside.

“If you’ll just leave the door cracked for Chris.”

“You got it hot stuff.”

“Keep it up. You’ll make me go change. I’m self-conscious enough as it is. Sue made me get this outfit.”

Jaimie was wearing a backless red satin top with just 2 thin spaghetti straps criss crossing in the back, with a knee length black satin form fitting skirt. She never wore anything that revealing before, but Sue assured her she looked great in it. She also convinced Jaimie to buy a pair of 3 inch black leather platform heels with butterfly stitching across the one wide piece of leather that went across the toe of the shoe. It was a very sexy outfit, which made Jaimie nervous.

“Don’t you dare change. You look amazing, and Lance’s tongue will be hanging out when he sees you.”

She laughed, “Nice picture JC. Thanks. That’s how I want to picture Lance, panting like a dog. You look good too.”

“Well, you know, I try.”

JC was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white sweater with a black leather jacket.

“I’ll be right back. Let me tell Sue Chris is here.”

Jaimie walked back toward the bedrooms to tell Sue Chris was there.

“Hello?” he called as he made his way inside.

“Hey, I’m in the living room.”

“Hey. Where’s the girls?”

“Jaimie went to tell Sue you were here.”

“Women! They are always late.”

JC looked down at his watch, “You weren’t exactly on time Chris.”

“Man, you’re supposed to be on my side. The guys have to stick together. Besides she’s still not ready.”

JC laughed, “Whatever you say Chris.”

Sue was zipping up her pants when Jaimie walked in.

“Chris is here, so is JC.”

“Of course, he’s late as always.”

“So are you.”

“Yeah, but I’m allowed to be fashionably late,” she turned to look at her for the firs time. “Wow girl you look great. I told you that was a perfect outfit for you, and with your hair up in that French twist, man!. Great choice. Your hair up lets people really see how sexy your outfit is. Guys love it when girls show skin and believe me you are.”

Jaimie laughed nervously, “Thanks, you look great too.”

Sue bought a pair of form fitting deep purple satin hip huggers and a black tube top to match with butterflies embroidered on it. She wore her hair down with matching butterfly barrettes.

“Thanks. Well, we’d better get going before Chris has a fit.”

Sue followed Jaimie back out into the living room. As soon as Chris set eyes on Sue, all of his annoyance with her for being late vanished. He was left speechless.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Th-that’s okay. Wow, you look beautiful.” Chris stuttered

Sue smiled, “Thank you.” She leaned in to give him a quick kiss, “You look great too.”

She was right. Chris looked great in his brown slacks, white v-neck tunic, with a brown suede jacket.

“We’d better get going or we’ll be late.” Jaimie said.

Chris turned to Jaimie, “Wow, you look great too.”

“Thanks, Chris. Well, I’m ready if you are.”

JC offered his arm to Jaimie, “Shall we?”

“Yes we shall.”

JC escorted Jaimie out to his car with Chris and Sue behind them.

Justin was ready to walk out his apartment by 7:15pm. He was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a fitted baby blue v-neck sweater.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Raquel paced the floor nervously as they waited for the guys from NSync to arrive. Raven and Shay sat comfortably on the couch just watching her, trying not to laugh.

“Raquel, you’re gonna wear a hole in the carpet.” Shay said.

“You guys aren’t nervous at all?” she asked.

“More excited than nervous. They’re only human.” Raven said.

“Yeah, she’s right.”

Raquel sighed, “Oh, I know. I just hope we can all get along. We’ll be on the road with them for months. I’d hate it if we didn’t like them.”

“I’m sure they are very nice guys.” Shay grinned, “It wouldn’t hurt if they were cute too though.”

Raven laughed, “It’s not good to mix business with pleasure Shay.”

“Have you ever tried it?”

Raven thought for a moment, “Well, no but..…”

“Then how do you know if it’s good or not?”

“Whatever Shay.”

“Oh my god. I think I heard a car.” Raquel exclaimed as she ran towards the window.

Raven walked towards the window to look as well, “Calm down Raquel. You’ll embarrass yourself.”

Raquel began to speak to herself, “Please God don’t let me make a fool of myself.”

The girls heard two male voices outside the door of the living room where they were waiting. They all stood when the door opened. As soon as Justin walked through the door, his eyes locked with Raquel’s golden brown ones. She swore her heart stopped for what seemed like forever. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. When he smiled his blue eyes sparkled even more. Johnny led him over to the girls to introduce him.

“Hey girls, this is Justin Timberlake. One of the guys from NSync. The others haven’t arrived yet.“

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” Justin smiled.

“Justin, this is Shannon.”

“Please call me Shay not Shannon. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here.”

“This is Raven.”

“Hi.” she smiled.

“Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Raquel.”

Justin grinned as he came face to face with her, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

Raquel managed to find her voice and remained calm, “Hi, same here. Where are the other guys?”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be here soon. I live the closest to here so it doesn’t take as long for me to get here.”

Raquel smiled, “Oh, that’s cool.“

While they were talking Lance arrived. Justin was surprised he was the next one to arrive. He’s usually late to everything.

“Hey, man. I’m surprised you’re the next one here. I thought you’d be the last one.” he said as he shook his hand and pulled him in for a quick hug.

Lance smiled, “Oh, you’re hilarious. Are you going to introduce me to these lovely ladies?”

“Sure, Lance this is Shay, Raven, and Raquel. Girls this is Lance another member of the group.”

Lance shook their hands, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you all.”

“Same here. Do you have an accent?”

“Yeah, I’m from Mississippi.”

“He’s a real southern gentleman.” Justin said.

Raven smiled, “We’ll see won’t we.”

“We require proof.” Shay laughed.

Lance laughed as well, “Okay, just wait till you get to know me.”

Their attention was soon back at the door of the living room. Chris and Sue walked in arm in arm, with JC and Jaimie right behind them. Lance was in a trance as soon as his eyes locked on Jaimie. She looked so beautiful. His attention didn’t go unnoticed by Shay. She just grinned and returned her attention back to the people walking towards them. She assumed the other 2 guys were in the group and the girls with them were their girlfriends. She looked over at Raven, but her eyes were locked on the taller dark haired, blue eyed guy that just walked in with the girl Lance was looking at. She looked back and forth between the three of them. She chuckled to herself. This was going to be an interesting evening. Raven had never seen anyone as beautiful as the man walking towards her now. He had the most mesmerizing blue eyes she had ever seen. The girl on his arm was just as beautiful. She couldn’t help but be a little jealous. She tried to put on a front so no one would notice her attraction. She just hoped it would work. JC had to force his legs to carry him across the floor. He just couldn’t get over how beautiful one of the girls were. She had the most beautiful black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had to make sure he kept himself in check. He was playing Jaimie’s boyfriend tonight. He cursed himself right then and there for coming up with the idea of him and Jaimie dating to make Lance jealous. He looked down at Jaimie who was smiling bashfully in Lance’s direction. His attitude quickly changed. He’d do anything to make Jaimie happy. He loved her that much. His love life would just have to wait.

“Hey, guys what’s up?” Chris said as they walked up.

“Just chillin’ with these 3 lovely ladies. Raquel, Shay, and Raven, this is Chris and his girlfriend Sue.” Justin introduced.

He shook their hands, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I feel for you having to put up with these 5 pranksters on the road.” Sue laughed, “They can be pretty bad.”

“Shhh, don’t tell them that. You might give them the wrong idea about us.” Chris whispered.

Sue grinned, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She looked at the girls, “Just watch your back. I wouldn’t put anything past them.”

“Okay, thanks Sue.” Justin smiled as he turned towards JC and Jaimie, “And this is JC and his girlfriend Jaimie.”

“I look forward to touring with you guys.”

“I know. We can’t wait. We’re so excited. This is our first tour.” Shay smiled.

“What are you calling yourselves?” Jaimie asked.

“True Colours.”

Jaimie smiled warmly, “Cool name. I see Joey hasn’t gotten here yet, surprise surprise. You really have to watch out for Joey and Chris. They are the worst two about pulling pranks.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Shay smiled.

She could tell she was going to become good friends with Jaimie and Sue. They were very nice girls. Raven really liked them too, which made it worse when it came to JC. There was just this undeniable connection she felt towards him. As long as Jaimie was in the picture she knew she would never act on her feelings. She seemed like she was such a sweet person. Raquel couldn’t keep her eyes off Justin. She watched him as he laughed and joked with the rest of the group. She blushed every time she thought about what his smile did to her. She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind and returned her attention to the conversation. That’s when Joey made his grand entrance. As soon as he walked in he checked out each girl individually. One was about 5’7”, with shoulder lengthe dark brown hair, and golden brown eyes. She was pretty. The outfit she wore really accented her features well. She wore a pair of black slacks with a blue halter top. She was definitely easy on the eyes. His attention traveled to the girl standing beside her. She had curly jet black hair that hung down to her waist. She had piercing blue eyes, and was very tall about 5’9”. She was very exotic looking. She wore a pink form fitting skirt with a white tank top with matching sweater. The colors really went well with her olive skin tone. When his eyes fell on the last girl, he felt his heart start pounding rapidly against his chest. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had her strawberry brown hair pulled up into a loose French twist with a few pieces of hair down to frame her beautiful face. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were turquoise blue just like the oceans in Cancun. She was about 5’7” and the outfit she wore fit her in all the right places. She wore a pair of black bootleg hip huggers with a leopard print tank top that only had one string that tied in the back. She was breathtaking. As soon as Shay saw him, everything else around her seemed to disappear. He was gorgeous. He had the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. The red sweater fit him well and showed off his well formed torso. His hair was brown with just a little bit of blonde tips. He was so good looking. She couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone as sexy. She never took her eyes off him while he made his way over to the group.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

“Hey Joe.”

Joey looked over at Jaimie, “Wow, Jaimie you look great.” He then looked over at Sue, “Hey, I’m glad you’re back. We missed ya.” He gave her a quick kiss and a hug.

“Not as much as I missed you guys believe me.”

Joey returned his attention to Shay, “So, who are these lovely ladies?”

“Joey, this is Shay, Raven, and Raquel. They are in the group True Colours. They will be opening up for us.” Lance explained.

Joey shook each of their hands politely, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” He shook Shay‘s a little bit longer, “I hope we become good friends.”

She smiled up at him, “I’d....I mean we’d like that.”

Joey just grinned down at her. They all just talked and laughed and got to know each other. Johnny was pleased that they seemed to all be getting along. By the time 9:30 rolled around, they were all getting restless.

“Hey, why don’t we move this party to a club or something so we can dance.” Joey suggested.

Shay nodded in agreement, “I’m down with that. What do you say guys?”

“Well, as long as it’s a place I can get into. Unlike all of you I’m only 18.” Raquel frowned.

“I just turned 18, so I know what you mean.” Justin smiled.

“We can go to Pleasure Island.” Jaimie suggested.

“Cool. Sounds like a plan.” Lance said.

Jaimie looked at the girls, “Do you guys have a car or do you need a ride with us?”

“Nah, Shay has her car. We’ll follow you guys.” Raquel said.

“Okay, well, we’ll meet ya there then.” JC turned to Jaimie, “You ready?”

She smiled up at him, “Sure.” She looked at the others, “We’ll meet you guys there, okay?”

Raven couldn’t help the stab of jealousy that shot through her when she saw how JC held a protective arm around her waist, and the gentle way he spoke to her. Their special smiles at each other were enough to drive her crazy. They all took off in separate cars after saying their goodnights to Johnny. Once they were in the car the girls finally had a chance to talk about the evening.

“So, what do you guys think?” Shay asked.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous. They were really nice guys. Jaimie and Sue are really cool too.”

“Yep, especially Justin, right Raquel?” Raven teased.

Raquel blushed, “What do you mean?”

“We saw the way you looked at Justin. He’s definitely a hottie.” Shay smiled.

“Was I that obvious?"

“Just to us, but that’s cause we know you so well.”

“Yeah, like the way you were checking JC out. The very good looking guy with a girlfriend, a very sweet girlfriend by the way.”

“You think I don’t know he has a girlfriend, and the fact that she is so nice just makes it worse. You know me though. I won’t do anything.”

“Yeah, I know. I really like Jaimie and I’d like to be friends with her.” Shay said.

“We saw you checking Joey out too.” Raven smiled.

Shay shrugged, “Hey, he’s a hottie. How can you blame me?”

“That’s more than he’s a hottie looks you were giving him. All of the guys were hot, but Joey was the only one you were eyeing.” Raquel said.

“So. There’s nothing wrong with looking. “

“Nope. Did you see the eyes Lance was giving Jaimie? We are talking major lovey dovey eyes going on there.” Raquel giggled.

“I know. I wonder what’s going on there. I’m sure the closer we get to Jaimie the more we will find out and believe me I can’t wait.” Shay grinned.

The girls found a parking space next to Joey’s car. They soon made their way into the busy nightclub for a fun night of dancing.

Chapter Five

When they all got into the club, Joey was already on the dance floor just dancing with whoever was there.

Jaimie laughed, “That’s our Joey. Always Mr. Social.”

“My kind of man,” Shay grinned.

“Go for it. He’s available and he’s the sweetest guy.”

Shay shrugged, “I don’t know. We’ll see. So how long have you and JC been dating?”

“Um, not long. We’ve been friends for the last 5 years and things just sorta happened when they got home from tour a few weeks ago.”

“Wow, you’ve really know each other for 5 years?” Raven asked.

Jaimie smiled, “Yeah, we met at Disney when I was about 17. We all worked here, except for Lance and Sue of course. They didn’t come around till a little later.”

“They all seem very nice.” Raquel tried her best to sound subtle, “So are JC and Chris the only two with girlfriends?”

Jaimie face fell, “Well, Lance has one too.” She paused for a moment confused, “I wonder why she isn’t here.”

Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Shay, “Is she nice like you and Sue?”

“Um, no. She’s a bitch. I don’t understand why Lance keeps seeing her.”

Raquel was surprised by her outburst, “She must be for you to talk that way about her.”

“Major bitchiness going on there. Take our word for it.” Sue added.

“How long have you been friends with them?” Raquel asked Sue.

“About 4-41/2 years. It’s hard to keep track. I came along about the same time Lance joined the group.”

“How long have you and Chris been together?” Shay asked.

Sue couldn‘t stop the grin, “For a long time. We flirted a lot at first and kinda danced around the relationship a little before we officially started dating. It’s been official for 3 years 6 months, and 10 days.”

Raquel laughed, “I’m surprised you don’t know the hours and minutes too.”

“She could tell you if you really wanted to know.” Jaimie smiled.

“That’s quite alright. You’re really in love aren’t you?” Raven asked Sue.

“Yep, I’ve got it bad.” She spoke louder as Chris approached, “But you know, he kinda grew on me.”

“You talking about me?” Chris asked with a smile.

“Nope, I was telling them about my boyfriend. You wouldn’t know him would you? He’s got these silly braids in his hair and acts stupid sometimes, but he’s the sweetest guy ever so I put up with him.”

“I think I know him very well in fact.”

“Do you? Do you think he would be available to dance?”

“I think he could pencil you in on his dance card.”

Sue just grinned as Chris led her off to the dance floor.

“They make such a cute couple.” Raquel gushed.

Jaimie smiled, “Yeah, they’ll probably be married any day now. I expect her to come up and say they’ve eloped. They are that spontaneous.”

Shay looked around the club, “Looks like our guys are the best looking ones here. All the girls are trying to pick them up at the bar.” She laughed, “Look at them. We should go save them.”

Shay sauntered over to where Joey stood at the bar. This skanky girl was trying her hardest to get Joey to buy her a drink.

“There you are.” Shay reached up and kissed him full on the lips, “What’s taking so long?”

Joey grinned down at her, “Our drinks, they are really backed up.”

Shay grinned devilishly, “Make sure they make my Orgasm a multiple one.”

“I thought that was my job.”

“Well, we’ll have to find out later won’t we.” Shay turned to the girl, acknowledging her presence for the first time, “Oh, I’m sorry. Were you saying something?”

“I just asked him what’s the best drink here.” the girl scowled.

Shay smiled, “Try the Orgasm. It’s wonderful.” She the turned to Joey, “Let’s go dance. We can get drinks later.”

Joey grabbeer her around her waist and kissed her hair, “Anything you say.”

“Later.” Shay called out to the girl as they walked to the dance floor.

Joey and Shay laughed all the way to the dance floor. They didn’t really say anything, they just danced.

“Oh, my God.” Jaimie laughed, “I can’t believe she just did that.“

“That’s Shay for you. I know that was just an excuse to go up to Joey.” Raven looked and saw Lance, Justin, and JC were getting pawed at next, “I think we should go rescue the guys. Those girls are pawing them big time.”

“Okay, I’ll go get Justin.” Raquel offered.

Raquel walked up and put her arm around Justin’s waist. It was really cute to see because even though she was 5’7”, Justin was over 6’. She only came up to his shoulders. Anyone that looked at them would just think they made the cutest couple.

“Excuse me, but I was talking to him.” the girl spat.

“Oh really? I’d say from the look on his face you were boring him.” Raquel retorted.

Justin couldn’t stifle the laugh that erupted from him. The girl just looked at him with this disgusted look.

“Justy, let’s go dance.”

Justin kissed her nose, “Anything for you sweetie.” He turned to the girl as they left, “Bye.” Justin whispered in Raquel’s ear as they walked to the dance floor, “I can’t thank you enough. And they say guys have the lamest pick up lines.”

Raquel laughed, “I felt sorry for you. All the girls in here seem to be flocking towards you and your friends. Not that I blame them. Shay rescued Joey, I rescued you, and Jaimie and Raven are going to help Lance and JC.”

They made it through the crowd and started dancing.

Jaimie sighed, “I guess we should go and get Lance and JC.”

“Should I get Lance, since you are JC’s girlfriend?”

“Um, it doesn’t matter. Just grab whichever you come to first.”

Raven was surprised, “You don’t mind me going to JC?”

“No, why should I?”

“He is your boyfriend.”

Jaimie smiled, “Yeah, but I trust him and you. I know we are just playing to get them from the claws of those tramps..” She put her hand to her mouth, acting shocked, “Ooops, did I say that?”

Raven laughed, “You’re crazy.”

“No, believe me, I don’t have a problem with it.”

“Whatever you say.”

As they walked towards the guys, this one girl actually grabbed Lance’s butt. Jaimie just saw red. She marched straight towards Lance. When he saw her coming he smiled gratefully.

“There’s my girl.” he said as she approached.

“Hey sexy.” she purred as she stepped into his embrace.

All of Jaimie’s reasoning flew out the window. All she could think about was how that girl just grabbed Lance’s ass. The ass that belonged to HER. She didn’t hesitate for a moment. She reached up and kissed him deep on the mouth. Lance immediately responded to her kiss and nudged her lips open with his tongue. They kissed for a few more seconds before she broke it off. She looked at the girl who had this ‘eat shit’ expression on her face.

Jaimie smiled as she grabbed two handfuls of Lance‘s butt, “Mine, all mine.”

Lance laughed, “No one’s but yours I promise.”

Jaimie smiled up at Lance as he guided her away from the bar. Raven watched the scene in front of her with this shocked expression on her face. She didn’t understand this situation at all. She saw JC watch the scene unfold with a smile on his face. Yep, she was definitely confused. She just shook her head and made her way over to JC.

“Why the long face JC?” she asked as she approached.

JC’s smile grew as she approached, “Just missing you.”

She put her arms around his waist, “Here I am. No more long face okay?”

“I promise.”

JC leaned in for a soft kiss. When he moved away, he searched her eyes for any sign of anger. There was none, just a beautiful smile. They didn’t even say anything to the girl that was trying to pick JC up. They just walked away from the bar towards the dance floor.

“You looked like you needed a little help.”

“I sure did. Thank you so much.”

Raven smiled, “No problem.”

When they found the others, they were all in the middle of the floor dancing up a storm. As soon as Cher’s ‘Believe’ ended, 98* ‘The Hardest Thing’ started playing. They all stepped into their partners embrace and danced close together. All 5 couples were completely silent as the song played. When the song ended, they all went back to their table in the back. It was an awkward moment for them all because they weren’t sure of what their next move should be.

Chris cleared his throat before speaking, “Okay, since you each decided to bring it upon yourselves to act like you are together, I suggest you continue to act like you are with the person you are with. Otherwise you’ll just start getting hit on again.”

“Is that okay with you guys? Jaimie?” JC asked.

She shrugged, “Okay with me. Lance?”

He smiled, “I’m cool with it if you are.”

Chris looked at the other couples, “What about you guys?”

“Sounds like a good plan to me. Raquel?” Justin asked.

“I’m okay with it.”

“You feel like being stuck with me?” Joey smiled at Shay.

She sighed dramatically, “If I have to.” She then smiled up at him, “I’m okay with it.”

“Raven, are you okay with this?” Jaimie asked.

“Uh, okay I guess.”

JC laughed, “Don’t sound too excited now. I might have to hose you down with water to cool you down if you get too excited.”

“I don’t mean it like that, but your real girlfriend is right there. It’s just weird.”

“I know, but it’s just for tonight. Jaimie’s cool with it. She’s with Lance and I’m okay with that.” He pretended to glare at Lance, “As long as they aren’t all over each other you know.”

“I can’t promise you that. Jaimie’s looking hot tonight.”

Jaimie grinned up at him, “I know, Lance looks mighty tempting too.”

“Keep on now. I’m not playing with you.”

Lance pulled Jaimie into a tight hug, “Who’s says we’re playing?”

“Go ahead, me and Raven just might run off together first.”

“Yeah, right JC. You’re the most loyal guy I know. You’d never do anything like that.”

“You never know. Raven may just be able to charm her way into my heart.”

Raquel laughed, “Whatever. Raven would never do anything like that.”

“Yeah, she’s Ms Perfect.” Shay laughed.

“I’m far from perfect believe me.”

“Well, no one is perfect, and it’s not good to try to be. It’s always good to strive to do your best, but know your limits. No one is or ever will be perfect in this world.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Lance. I am perfect.” Joey said.

Shay laughed, “According to who?”

“The most important person in my eyes. Me of course.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but you are FAR from perfect.”

Joey acted hurt, “How could you say that?”

"Hey, the girl’s smart. It’s only common sense.” Jaimie smiled.

“Hey, I resent that Jaim. You’re supposed to be one of my best friends.”

She kissed his cheek, “Awe, you know I love you anyway.”

Joey grinned, “Of course you do. Who could resist me?”

Jaimie rolled her eyes, “Oh, brother! Whatever Joey. You’d better stop or you’re going to make these girls think you’re a egotistical, obnoxious snob. We wouldn’t want that would we?”

Joey’s expression turned serious, “No, we wouldn’t.” He turned to Shay, “You know I was joking right?”

She laughed, “Yeah, I knew you were.”

Joey grinned again, “Good.” He stood and pulled her to the dance floor, “Come on sexy, let’s dance.”

Joey and Shay left the table and went back to the dance floor.

Sue laughed, “Great, now she’ll think he’s an egotistical, obnoxious, sexist snob.”

“Baby, you’re so funny.”

“Thanks.” She smiled giving Chris a sweet kiss.

Justin sighed, “Get a room guys.”

Chris smirked, “Nah, that’s for later.”

“There goes my good nights sleep.” Jaimie cringed.

“You and Sue live together?” Raquel asked.

“Yep, for the last 3-3 1/2 years.”

“Yeah, she’s a good roomie. Not noisy at all.”

Chris laughed, “We know why don’t we. Cause someone never goes out on dates, so she never gets any.”

Jaimie blushed, “Thanks Chris.”

Sue slapped him on the back of his head hard, “That was uncalled for.”

Chris rubbed his head, “OUCH! Okay, I’m sorry Jaimie. That was mean for me to say.”

Jaimie tried to smiled, “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not okay.” Lance spat angrily. “Chris you had no right to say that. Do you have any idea how that probably embarrassed her and hurt her feelings that you would say something like that especially in front of people we just met.”

“It’s okay Lance. He didn’t mean it.” Jaimie tried to calm him.

“Yeah, whatever.” he continued to seethe. “No one should talk to you that way.”

"Jeez, Lance. Chill. I didn’t mean to upset her or to hurt her feelings and you know that. Sometimes my mouth says things before my brain has time to think about what is about to come out.” Chris apologized.

“Really Chris, it’s okay. You didn’t mean to hurt me. I know that.”

“Getting a little overprotective aren’t we Lance.” Justin asked.

“You don’t think that was uncalled for Justin?” Lance asked.

“Sure it was, but you bit Chris’ head off and spit it back out at him. I think you should leave it at that.”

“I agree. I appreciate you taking up for me Lance, but really I know he didn’t mean any harm.”

Lance sighed, “Sorry I snapped.” He turned to Chris, “I just don’t ever want to hear anyone talk about her like that. Especially someone who is supposed to care so much about her.”

“You know I love her like a sister. I can’t apologize enough for what I just said, but I can’t take it back either. It’s over and done with.”

“Aren’t you going to say something JC? She is your girlfriend.” Raven asked.

“I think Lance said enough for us all.”

Raven was really, truly confused now. JC just sat there while Chris totally disrespected Jaimie and didn’t say one word, yet Lance totally went after Chris. Something was definitely wrong with this picture, and she knew she just had to find out.

“Hey, Lance” she said as she tried to pull him towards the dance floor, “Let’s go give those girls something to be jealous of.”

Lance laughed, “You are bad tonight. What’s gotten into you?”

“I don’t know to tell you the truth. Maybe it’s this outfit.”

“That is a great outfit, Jaimie. You look amazing. You two go out there and show those guys a thing or two. Make those girls know he’s yours and yours alone. Lance you do the same.” Justin smiled.

Raquel felt a stab of jealousy hit her. She couldn’t believe how she was feeling and she really didn’t even know Justin.

“Thanks Justin. You’re sweet. Show Raquel some of your dance moves. Come out there with us.” Jaimie smiled.

“He doesn’t have to dance with me if he doesn’t want to. Really Justin it’s okay.”

Justin grinned, “Oh, no.” He pulled her up out of her chair, “You’re not getting off that easy. Come on girlfriend, let’s show them how it’s done.”

Lance, Jaimie, Raquel, and Justin made their way back to the dance floor. Joey and Shay were already out there dancing seductively with each other. Jaimie and Lance, and Justin and Raquel soon followed suit. You couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other began. As far as Lance was concerned, he thought he was in heaven. He’s dancing so close to Jaimie that he could feel her heart beating in her chest. It was an amazing feeling, and the bad part was that he didn’t feel the least bit guilty. He was going to milk this situation for all it was worth. Tonight he was where he wanted to be always with Jaimie in his arms. He didn’t feel like he could get close enough to her. Her beauty was intoxicating to him. Jaimie was having a wonderful time herself. She was in Lance’s arms, and nothing else mattered to her.

“You know every guy in here is jealous of me right now. Not because of my career success or my money, but because I’ve got the most beautiful woman here in my arms.”

Jaimie blushed, “That’s sweet. You see all the evil looks I’m getting from all those broken hearted girls?”

Lance laughed, “Let’s give them something to be really jealous over.”

Lance bent down and gently brushed his lips over hers. It was the sweetest, most tender kiss she had ever received. They both lost themselves in the kiss. Neither ever wanted it to end, then the thought of JC came into Lance’s mind and he pulled away. He just smiled down at her, pulled her tighter to him and just continued to dance. Jaimie had a content smile on her face. JC watched them from the table with a big grin on his face. Raven just sat there still just as confused as ever.

Lance and Jaimie’s display of affection didn’t go unnoticed by any of the others. Shay laughed to herself as she watched them.

“What are you laughing at?”

She nodded towards Lance and Jaimie, “Them, you’d think they really had a thing for each other.”

“You never know. They might.”

“But she’s with JC right? He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a great guy.”

Shay shook her head confused, “Oh, nevermind. This makes my brain hurt.”

Joey rubbed up against her, “Good, don’t think. Let’s just dance.”

They continued to dance in silence. Raquel was in heaven. Justin was the best looking, most amazing guy she’d ever met.

“So, are you from here or what?"

“Well, I’m originally from South Carolina, but I relocated to Orlando about a year and a half ago.”

“You move with your family?”

“No.” She paused for a moment, “Me and an old friend. We don’t see each other anymore. Things got pretty bad.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe you and her can patch things up.”

“I don’t think so. I never want to see them again.”

“They must have really done something awful.”

“Yeah, they did.” she said quietly.

Justin left that subject alone. He looked over her shoulder and saw Lance just move in to kiss Jaimie. He smiled to himself.

“What are you smiling at?”

He pointed towards Lance and Jaimie, “Look.”

Raquel was shocked, “They really are playing this up aren’t they?”

“Yep.” Justin grinned.

They just shook their heads and continued to dance.

“So, what about you?”

“Well, I was on the Mickey Mouse Club a few years back, that’s where I met JC. Actually me and JC knew each other long before we met any of the others. Then about 5 years ago we met Jaimie at Disney right around the time we started playing with the idea of a group.”

“So she knew you before your fame?”

“Yeah, she’s the best. She’s the sweetest most selfless person I know.”

“She seems really nice.”

“Yeah, she is. Anyway, Chris called me, I called JC, we ran into Joey, then I called my old vocal coach and we got Lance down here. The rest is history. Have you always been friends with Raven and Shay?”

“I met Shay about a year ago, when I first moved here. Then we met Raven when she moved into the apartment next door to Shay. We just became fast friends.”

“How did you manage to get a record deal?”

“Well, on a dare, we went and auditioned for an open call here in Orlando and here we are.”

“That’s great. Are you going to be dancing and all too in your shows?”

“Yep, that’s the plan. But to tell ya the truth, I never would have pictured me in this position.”

“What would you be doing if you wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity?”

“I’d probably be working my way through college.”

“What would you have majored in?”

Raquel’s eyes lit up, “Photography! I’ve always loved to take pictures. Every since I was a kid.”

“Really?”

“Yep, what about you?”

“I grew up singing, so I always wanted to do this. Dancing just came naturally to me too. If this wouldn’t have worked out I guess I would be in college too, but maybe on a basketball scholarship. I have no idea what I would have majored in. Maybe Physical Education or something. I love sports and I love kids, so that would have been cool.”

Raquel smiled, “You’re really a great person you know. Unlike a lot of guys I’ve met.”

“Why thank you. You’re pretty nice yourself.”

Raquel blushed, “Thanks.”

“And you’re pretty cute when you blush.”

This just made Raquel blush even more. Justin just grinned down at her and continued to dance. Justin was usually a very honest, straight forward type of guy, but today he couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t tell Raquel how attracted he was to her. There was just something about her he was completely entranced by her.

Shay and Joey had basically been just dancing and not really talking. Joey felt this intense attraction to her, and from her movements as she danced with him and kept eye contact he felt certain she was into him too.

After the song ended, they all went back to the table to cool off some.

“Enjoy yourself Lance?” JC asked.

“Yeah, actually I did. Very much so.”

“It looked like it.”

Jaimie blushed, “Sorry JC. We got a little carried away. Those girls were giving me such evil looks, I just couldn’t resist.”

“Just don’t get that carried away again okay.”

Lance continued to hold a protective arm around her waist, “We promise.”

Just then the announcer came over the intercom announcing that tonight was going to be their first ever kareoke night. They were just taking names for people to perform.

“Let’s go do it. All 5 girls. Come on. It’ll be fun.” Shay exclaimed, excited.

“Oh, no. I’m no singer.” Jaimie argued.

“We’ve heard you sing before, don’t put yourself down. You have a nice voice.” Joey said.

“I don’t know. You guys are so good. I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

“You can’t embarrass yourself any more than me. Come on.” Sue begged.

“Oh, come on Jaimie. I mean look at that girl.” Raquel pointed to the girl on stage.

They looked up to the stage and saw one of the girls that had been hitting on Lance. Jaimie couldn’t believe it. It was actually the girl that grabbed Lance’s butt. She was killing Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger.’ She had the nerve to look directly at Lance while she sang it. Jaimie’s blood began to boil. There was no way she was going to get away with that.

“Alright I’m in.”

“Good. What song should we sing?” Raquel asked.

“I know just the song to sing.” Jaimie smiled.

They made their way over to the DJ booth where they were taking names for kareoke.

“Well, good evening. What can I do for you lovely ladies?”

“We want to sing.” Shay told him.

“All of you want to sing together or separately?”

Raquel smiled, “Together.”

“Okay, what song do you want to sing?”

Jaimie gave the DJ their song and the girls waited beside the stage to be called. All of the guys made their way to the front of the stage to watch them.

“Okay, who’s gonna start it off?” Raquel asked.

“I think Jaimie should. It was her idea after all.” Shay suggested.

Jaimie wasn‘t so sure, “Are you sure?”

“Yep, you lead us.” Shay smiled.

“Well, who’s gonna sing the 2nd verse?”

“Shay, you take the 2nd verse.” Raquel said.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. You know this song backwards and forwards.” Raven said.

“Alright. Let’s blow these people away.” she yelled.

After that one girl finished her terrible version of ‘Beautiful Stranger’ with a lukewarm applause, she walked smugly down the steps of the stage. She looked at Lance and gave him this come hither stare. Lance just rolled his eyes and looked over towards Jaimie. Their eyes met and Jaimie just grinned over at him. The DJ turned his mic on to address the audience.

“Well, that was uh........an interesting adaptation of Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger.’ Now, let’s bring up our next act. Five beautiful strangers themselves. Please welcome Shay, Jaimie, Raquel, Sue, and Raven.”

The audience went wild. All the guys were whistling and cat calling, while the girls just gave evil stares. Jaimie was so nervous she thought she might pass out, but one look at her friends and their support urged her on. When the music started playing Jaimie stepped forward and started to sing, and moved her body to the rhythm of the music.

Jaimie:
See.....he’s my property
And any girl-that’s us
I might call your bluff
Cuz I don’t give a....ooohhh
Who are you to call my cell
Oh, I’m a wish you well
Cuz any girl that tried has failed

All:
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that
So don’t play yourself
Where my girl’s at
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that

Shay:
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don’t you violate me
Cuz I’ma make you hate me
If you decide to mess with mine
Shrunk you down to size
Make you realize
You done messed up this time

All:
Where my girl’s at
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Well put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that
So don’t play yourself
Where my girl’s at
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Well put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that

You must learn the rules
Don’t come close to
Anything that belongs to me
He is my
My property
Don’t you see

Where my girl’s at
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Well put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that
So don’t play yourself
Where my girl’s at
From the front to back
Well is you feelin’ that
Well put one hand up
Can you repeat that
Tryin’ to take my man
See I don’t need that

Where my girl’s at

After their performance, the crowd went even crazier. All five guys were whistling for them and clapping loudly. Jaimie couldn’t believe she actually did it. She got up in front of the audience and sang. It felt good. The girl that was after Lance just glared at them. It was Jaimie’s turn to smile smugly as she walked off the stage. She brushed past that girl, and straight into Lance’s arms.

Lance spoke loud enough for the girl to hear him, “You were great baby.”

She gave him a quick kiss, “Thanks sweetie.”

JC spoke as Raven approached, “You guys were so good up there.”

She blushed, “Thanks.”

“You guys better get used to the applause cause it’s gonna be worse on the road.” Joey said.

“ll your female fans will probably boo us off the stage to get to you guys.” Shay said.

“We have the greatest fans, they would never do that to you guys.” Lance said.

“They do have nice fans. Anytime they’ve come up to them when I was with them they’re very sweet. Most of them are young girls like 10-12 years old. So shy and giddy over them. It’s cute to watch.” Jaimie agreed.

Sue smiled, “Yeah, they’re really sweet.”

“They’ll welcome you with open arms. Besides you guys sound great, so you’ll develop so many new fans at our shows I’m sure.” Joey tried to reassure them.

Raquel smiled, “That’s sweet of you to say Joey. I hope so.”

“Well, we know so. Don’t underestimate yourselves.” Justin said.

Raven smiled, “We promise to try to think positive. It’s just hard. There’s so much competition out there now.”

“Yeah, but you guys have the best voices we’ve heard in a long time.” Joey complimented.

“Thanks, it means a lot to us to hear that from you.” Shay smiled up at him.

“Okay, time for girl talk and a group bathroom break.” Raquel suggested.

All of the girls made their way to the ladies room. Once inside they began touching themselves up.

Raquel whispered to Shay, “Ask her.”

“Ask who what?"

“Ask Jaimie about Lance. Something’s going on there.”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“You’re more outspoken than me. You have more nerve.”

Shay sighed then turned to Jaimie, “So, Jaimie, what’s up with you and Lance? You two looked pretty cozy tonight on the dance floor.”

Jaimie blushed furiously and turned towards Sue for help.

Sue spoke after a brief moment of silence, “You might as well tell them.”

“Okay now I have to know. Spill it girl!” Shay said.

Jaimie sighed, “I’m in love with Lance. I have been for about the last year and a half.”

Raven dropped her lipstick, “Then why are you dating JC? Are you using him? That’s so not cool.”

“Alright, stop right there! Don’t you start to judge me. You don’t know me and you don’t know the whole story.”

“Jeez Raven. She barely got out she loved Lance before you started blasting her. Give her a chance to explain before you try to pass judgement. Besides, who are we to judge anyway?” Shay glared at her.

“Alright then. Explain.”

“This thing with JC started just two nights ago. He saw how upset I got when Lance and his girlfriend Danielle came into the club we were at. I had no idea I was that obvious about it, but he told me he knew how I felt about him. I tried to deny it, but it didn’t work. HE came up with the idea of us PRETENDING to date to make Lance jealous. That’s all me and JC are. Pretend boyfriend and girlfriend. We are only friends and it’s awkward when we have to really put on the act. That’s the whole story.”

Raven looked down ashamed, “I’m sorry I jumped to judge you.”

“It’s okay.” Jaimie said quietly.

“That’s so sweet of JC to make that sacrifice for you.” Shay said.

“Yeah, I see the sparks between Raven and JC, but he’s willing to ignore those feelings for now in order to help me. He loves me that much. And if anything Raven, that should make you like him even more. I know you are attracted to him, and I can understand your attractions, but me and JC started this before you came into the picture. I’d really appreciate it if you could hold off on pursuing anything with JC for a little while.”

“Sure she can. She wasn’t going to pursue anything before, and if she wants to now that she knows he’s technically single, she can wait.” Shay answered for Raven.

“Yeah, sure Jaimie. I won’t. You’re right, his sacrifice for you makes him all the more appealing, but I won’t pursue anything.” Raven smiled, “Besides some things are worth the wait.”

Raquel sighed, she was always a hopeless romantic, “That’s such a sweet story. From the looks of it your plan seems to be working.”

Jaimie smiled slightly, “I hope so. I don’t have much longer before you guys leave for tour. Only about a month and a half.”

“Why don’t you go on tour with us?” Raquel asked.

“I have a job and a life here. It might be different if I were married or something, but right now I just don’t see why.”

“I don’t blame you there, but things could change a lot between now and then.” Shay said.

Shay had no idea at the time just how right she was.

Chapter Six

They finished their touch ups and went back out to the club. Jaimie went up to JC and gave him a hug.

She whispered in his ear, “Raven knows our plan. I told her. She likes you, but she agreed to back off until this situation with Lance is finished.”

JC just smiled at her and kissed her cheek affectionately. Jaimie just smiled up at him and turned to go to Lance. JC put his arm around Raven’s waist when she came back to him. Raven just smiled up at him and put her arm around his waist too.

“Hey. Welcome back.”

“Why thank you.”

Raven couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She was so happy to know there may be a chance with her and JC. Now that she knew the truth about what was going on, she understood the smile JC had on his face when he saw Lance and Jaimie together. That made him even more attractive in her eyes. It was amazing the sacrifice he was making for Jaimie. She knew his heart was kind. That was so hard to find in men these days. Yeah, JC was definitely worth waiting for.

Justin greeted Raquel with a quick kiss on the cheek and held onto her hand. She couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her like the others had kissed. She just had to hope those would come later.

Lance gave Jaimie a quick kiss when she came back up to him. He loosely draped both arms around her. She just smiled contently.

“Well, me and Sue are gonna head out. It’s been fun and it was nice to meet you guys but we have lots of catching up to do.”

“He’ll be lucky if he gets to even sleep in my bed much less get any nookie.”

“Why?” he asked surprised.

“You have to ask? You totally disrespected my best friend earlier. I’m not over it yet.”

“Don’t punish him Sue. He feels bad enough as it is.”

“Whatever.”

Sue gave each guy a kiss goodnight, but as she stopped to give Jaimie a kiss on the cheek, she whispered in her ear.

“Hey, how much do you think I can get out of him for withholding sex?”

Jaimie burst out laughing. Sue just grinned and led Chris out the door.

Joey pulled Shay off to the side to talk to her. He pulled her close and started whispering in her ear.

“What do you say we head out and go back to my place,” he grabbed her butt “for a private party?”

Shay quickly pushed him away from her with a disgusted look on her face. “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think I’d go off with you the first night I met you? I’m not a slut!” she yelled, furious.

Joey was just as furious, “Oh, no, you’re nothing but a tease. You were all over me all night. What was I supposed to think?”

“You know what? I don’t give a damn what you think of me. I was playing a part tonight to help you out, but it’ll never happen again you can believe that.”

“Hell, the only thing you’ll ever give a man is BLUE BALLS!”

“Just get out of my way.” she yelled, pushing him hard.

“My pleasure.”

Shay stormed back to the table to grab her purse. All the others could definitely tell something was wrong.

“What’s wrong Shay?” Jaimie asked, concerned.

“Joey’s an asshole that’s what.”

Jaimie groaned, “Oh, god, what did he do? Never mind, I know.” She glared at Joey as he approached, “God Joey, can’t you hold your hormones in check for one night?”

“She was totally sending me signals.”

“Whatever. Just stay away from me.”

Shay stormed out of the club with the other three girls right after her. When Jaimie walked by Joey, she slapped him in the back of his head and gave him an evil stare.

“Ow!. Jeez Jaim, what was that for?”

Jaimie just ignored him and followed the girls out of the club.

“Thanks Joe.” Lance said.

“Now what did I do?”

“You got rid of all the girls in one sweep. Not only did you ruin your chances with EVER getting anywhere with Shay, but you ruined the evening for us as well. Thank you very much buddy.” JC slapped him on the back.

“Oh, so now EVERYONE thinks it’s my fault?”

“If the shoe fits..…” Justin started.

Joey was getting more frustrated by the minute, “You guys are supposed to be MY friends. Why are you choosing her side?”

“Well, we still are your friends, but what you did was SO stupid Joey. What possessed you to think she’d actually go home with you on the first night she met you? She was SO not that type. Look around this club. You could probably go home with any of these girls, but do you really want to?”

“Maybe.” he said indignantly.

“You’re crazy.” Lance shook his head.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve never had sex. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“As opposed to someone like you who’s had countless one night stands with nameless women. Besides I want my first time to be special. Does that make me less of a man? I don’t think so. It makes me more of a man.” Lance said angrily.

“I’m still a virgin Joe. Where’s your comments for me?” Justin asked.

“What is with everyone tonight? I like to go out and have a good time. What’s wrong with that?”

“Why does having a good time ALWAYS have to involve sex with you?” JC asked.

“Were you not having a good time with Shay tonight?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, I was, but I thought she was sending me signals. I thought she wanted me.”

Lance laughed, “All the girls were playing a part tonight remember. PRETENDING to be our girlfriends to keep the other girls here off our backs. I mean, you don’t see me asking Jaimie to go home with me do you? We were giving each other those kind of looks all night, but it was just an act Joey.”

“It sure as hell better be for your sake Bass.” JC glared at him.

“The point is Joey, that not every girl you come across is going to fall at your feet or into your bed. Now Shay probably never will. That was a huge insult to her.” Justin said.

Joey sighed, “Who says I care anyway?”

JC smiled, “Of course you do. Otherwise why would you be so angry about it?”

“Whatever.”

Joey walked further into the club to the first girl that smiled at him. Of course he was his smiling, charming self on the outside, but on the inside he felt hollow. He just shook that feeling off and began to work his charms on the girl in front of him.

The girls finally caught up with Shay when she reached her car.

“Shay, wait up.” Raquel yelled.

Shay then turned to face them, “Can you believe the nerve of that asshole!?!!! Did he honestly all he had to do was give his charming smile and I’d fall into bed with him??? God, that pisses me off.”

“I’m sorry Shay. I don’t know what else to say.” Jaimie frowned.

“What are you apologizing for? That prick is the one that should be apologizing. He doesn’t think he did anything wrong.”

“It’s that way with most guys though.” Jaimie said.

“Then how come Lance, JC, or Justin don’t have that problem. Chris apologized to you tonight and practically begged Sue’s forgiveness.”

“All five guys have such totally different personalities. That’s just part of Joey’s I guess. Chris is in love with Sue. I guess that’s where his willingness to apologize stems from.”

“Oh, I see. Joey just doesn’t give a damn about me or my feelings.”

“That’s not what I said. I was explaining Chris. I haven’t gotten to the bottom of Joey yet.” Jaimie laughed, “I wonder if I ever will.”

“I think he cares Shay, but you really didn’t think he was in love with you did you?” Raquel asked.

“Of course not, Raquel. I’m not in love with him either. I’m not that naive. Give me some credit will ya. I mean I thought he was cute and we were having a good time, but that’s as far as it went.”

“I honestly can’t believe Joey did that to you.” Jaimie shook her head.

“He’s a guy. What do you expect?”

“Not all guys are like that Raven. None of the other ones are, and Joey isn’t normally. I don’t know what he was thinking. I mean even when we all went out before you guys came along I never saw him leave with another girl. He’d dance, but that’s where it ended.”

“I really don’t need to hear this right now. I don’t want to hear you or anyone defending him to me.”

“I can understand that, but I’m his friend too. He made a stupid mistake, but deep down he’s a good guy.”

“Jaimie, I really don’t want to talk about it anymore okay?”

Raquel put an arm around Shay‘s shoulder, “Okay, consider it dropped.”

Lance, JC, and Justin walked over to them.

“You okay Shay?” Justin asked.

“I’ll be okay. You know, I have pretty thick skin.”

Lance frowned, “We aplogize on behalf of Joey and the rest of the male population. He can be a real dick sometimes.”

Shay smiled up at him, “Thanks Lance. It’s really sweet of you guys, but he’s the one that needs to be apologizing not you. You guys didn’t do anything wrong.”

“We all aren’t like that. Please don’t let what happened with Joey affect your opinion of us as a whole.” JC begged.

“You guys don’t have anything to worry about. You are all so sweet.”

Their attention was turned to the door of the club. They saw Joey emerge laughing with some other girl. As soon as he saw them standing with Shay, that smile immediately left his handsome face. Shay just turned her back to him. She refused to let him or any of the others know how much that hurt her. Jaimie couldn’t believe Joey. He was making a total ass of himself.

“Come on Raquel, Raven. Let’s go.” Shay said coldly.

Shay quickly gave JC, Lance, Justin, and Jaimie a kiss on the cheek and said goodnight. Raven and Raquel did the same before climbing into Shay’s car. Justin shook his head ruefully, said goodnight to the others and walked to his car to head home.

“I’ve seen enough for tonight. Let’s go.” Jaimie said.

“Alright. Later Lance.”

Lance kissed Jaimie‘s cheek, “Goodnight Jaimie. Bye JC.”

“Goodnight Lance.” Jaimie smiled.

The three separated, Lance going to his Jeep and Jaimie and JC going to his car. Joey watched this scene with a heavy heart. All of his best friends in the world thought the worst of him. He looked down at the girl in his arms and felt nauseous. He withdrew his arm from around her shoulder.

“So, is there somewhere I can drop you off?” Joey tried to sound casual.

“Excuse me? I thought we were going to your place.”

“Tonight is not a good night for me. I’m sorry.”

She reached back and slapped him hard across his cheek, “You jerk.”

Joey closed his eyes a few moments to let everything that had happened that day sink in. He had totally ruined his chances with Shay, and everyone else thought he was a major asshole too. He had no clue how he would redeem himself after this, but he had to try something. He just didn’t know what.

The ride back to Jaimie’s was silent until JC spoke.

“So, everything up until the last 20 minutes of the evening things seemed to be going well.”

“Things were going great. I got to be Lance’s girlfriend even if it was only for a little while.”

“I know. I couldn’t believe it when you went up to him and laid one on him.”

Jaimie blushed, “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I was cheering you on though. My jaw dropped when you grabbed his ass though.”

She laughed, “Well, that girl had the nerve to grab Lance’s butt. I couldn’t let her get away with that.”

“You sure showed her a thing or two.”

“It seems like I’m not the only one that got a little action tonight. You and Raven seemed to get along great.”

“She’s just.....she’s beautiful for one, she’s smart, and sweet, and sexy.”

Jaimie smiled, “You really like her don’t you.”

“Yeah, I do. But I won’t do anything about it until we are finished I promise.”

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me JC. Tonight was so special to me.”

“Jaimie, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you you know that right?” he said as they pulled into her driveway.

“Thank you JC. You know I really do love you.” she hugged him tight.

“Yeah, I know. I love you too.”

“Okay, enough mushiness. Goodnight JC.”

“Goodnight Jaimie.”

After making sure Jaimie got inside okay, he drove away and went home.

Chapter Seven

The tension in the air was thick the next day at rehearsals. Every time Joey tried to at least make eye contact with Shay she would turn away from him.

Raquel took a sip from her water bottle, “You are completely ignoring Joey aren’t you?”

“Of course. I don’t plan on speaking to him again anytime soon.”

“He certainly keeps trying to make eye contact with you.”

“He doesn’t even deserve that right now.” Shay decided to change the subject, “Look at Raven.” She laughed, “She’s eating up the attention from JC. I think she’s deliberately getting the steps wrong.”

Shay was right. Raven kept missing some of the dance steps, just so JC would have to show her again. Darren Henson their choreographer moved on to the others to help them while JC offered to help Raven. They were laughing together as Raven kept messing up.

“I thought she was going to keep her distance until Jaimie and JC were finished.”

Shay shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess it’s hard for her to do. I guess the attraction is too much.”

“Yeah, but she promised Jaimie.”

“I know.” Shay said quietly. She nodded towards the other guys, “Look at Lance. He’s giving JC the evil eye.”

“There’s definitely more than friendship feelings there.”

Shay grinned, “Oh, yeah! This is going to be quite an interesting month.”

“To say the least.”

“Having fun?” Shay asked as Raven as she approached.

“Yeah, I am actually.” she answered breathless.

“Did Jaimie slip your mind?” Raquel asked.

Raven looked at her confused, “I haven’t thought about her today. Why?”

“Well, that’s obvious.” Shay huffed.

“What is your problem?”

“You promised her you’d stay away from JC till they were finished with Lance.” Shay argued.

Raven sighed, “What have I done that’s so bad you guys are giving me the 3rd degree?”

“You’re making eyes at JC and you’re missing your steps on purpose so he has to help you. You’re being very obvious about it too Raven. Lance is over there giving you guys evil looks.” Raquel said.

“I can’t help the attraction I have to JC.”

“We’re not saying you can, but try to stay away from him if you can’t control yourself.”

“I can’t believe you two are taking her side.” Raven said angrily.

“We aren’t taking sides Raven.”

Shay continued to argue, “But you did promise Jaimie. You saw the way she looked at Lance. If you were in her shoes wouldn’t you want her to stay away if it jeopardized your chances with the man you loved?”

She sighed, “Yes, I would. It just sucks that’s all.”

“We know, but just a few weeks and it will all be over, okay?”

“Alright. I promise to try to stay away.”

“Good.” Shay smiled.

Darren brought all the guys onto the floor to begin their practice again.

“Okay guys, 5-6-7-8...”

The music started playing and the guys started dancing in time with the music. Everything was going smoothly until JC tripped and fell. They stopped the music and everyone else stopped dancing. All the guys were laughing except for Lance.

“Christ JC. What’s your problem? You didn’t have a problem helping Raven with her dance moves, but on the steps we’ve been doing forever you fall down.” Lance seethed.

“What’s my problem!?! What’s your problem Lance? I tripped on my shoe string because it came untied. That’s why I fell. Not because I don’t know the steps.”

“Whatever.”

Lance turned and walked into the room. The others just stood there in silence for a minute.

“Okay guys take five.” Darren instructed.

“What is his problem?” JC asked.

“Well, the way you are acting around Raven didn’t help his mood.” Joey answered.

“What are you talking about?”

“You are supposed to be dating Jaimie remember? You didn’t act like a guy with a girlfriend just now.” Justin explained.

JC closed his eyes, “Oh, man. I forgot about that. When I’m around her I forget about everything. I don’t understand it.”

Chris sighed, “Well, you better stay away from her then. You don’t want to ruin this for Jaimie do you?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, so that’s settled.” Joey said.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to Lance.” Justin said.

Justin walked in the same direction Lance went. He found him standing on the balcony outside the studio door.

“Hey. You okay?” Justin asked cautiously.

Lance sighed, “Yeah, I’m sorry I blew up like that.”

“What was all that about?”

“JC was all over Raven. Didn’t you see that?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Can you believe him? Why would he be messing with her? He has Jaimie and he’s all over Raven like that.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is that’s bothering you? You can tell me Lance. I promise it won’t go any further than this balcony.”

Lance turned away from Justin for a moment and lowered his head.

“Come on Lance. I’m one of your best friends.”

“I know Justin. It’s just hard for me to say this out loud.” He paused for a moment, “Okay” He turned to face him, “I’ll tell you but it goes no further than this balcony.”

“I promise.”

Lance sighed, “I’ve come to realize that....I love Jaimie.”

“Yeah, we all love her so?”

“That’s not what I mean Justin. I mean I’m in love with her.”

Justin‘s eyes grew wide in shock, “Oh! Uh... wow. When did you realize this?”

“That night JC told us he was dating Jaimie I realized how jealous I got. That night I just kept going over and over it in my mind. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. I love her so much. It kills me to see her with JC. Their secret smiles and the gentle way he touches her. Ugh, it drives me crazy. I want to be the one she smiles at. I want those secret smiles to be for me.”

“That definitely explains your outburst earlier. I’m sorry Lance, but have you thought about telling her how you feel?”

“How can I? If I tell her it may ruin our friendship. I don’t know if she even feels the same. Besides she’s with JC. He’s one of my best friends too. I’m so confused.”

“I understand, but Lance can you honestly just sit on your feelings for her. You can’t keep blowing up at JC every time he looks at Raven. He’s attracted to her. She’s a good looking girl. He’s human and he has hormones.”

“Yes, she’s pretty, but I can’t imagine needing or wanting to look at anyone else when he has Jaimie in his arms. I would never let her go if I was him.”

“You’re in love with her Lance. That’s the difference.”

“You don’t think JC is?”

“I know he loves her, but I don’t think he’s in love with her. I guess I could be wrong though.”

Lance sighed, “I don’t know. I guess we’d better get inside before Darren comes after us. Lance pulled him in for a hug, “Thanks for listening.”

“No problem. I’m here for you if you need me.”

“Thanks, man.”

Lance turned to go back inside, with Justin following. Just got the biggest grin on his face. Jaimie was going to be so happy when he told her the news. Then suddenly he thought if he told Jaimie what Lance said he would be betraying his trust. He knew then that he couldn’t possibly tell her. He would just have to hope Lance would admit to it on his own, or she would find out herself.

When they walked back into rehearsal, there was an awkward silence before Lance spoke.

“I’m sorry for my outburst guys. It won’t happen again. I’m especially sorry to you JC. I just have a lot on my mind, but I promise to try to keep my mind on our steps.”

“It’s okay Lance, but if something is bothering you don’t hesitate to talk to us about it. We’re your friends and we’re here for you.”

“I know. I’m okay now. Let’s just get back to work.”

All the guys lined back up and began to practice again. The girls sat over in the corner taking a break for a moment wondering what was going on.

“I wonder what that was about.” Shay said.

“I don’t know. I’d love to find out though.” Raquel grinned.

“Me too.”

“You think it had anything to do with me and JC?” Raven asked quietly.

“Maybe. But then again he could just have PMS too.”

Raquel laughed, “PMS?”

“Sure, you never noticed how guys get crabby certain times of the month just like us?”

“I never thought about it before.”

"Stick with me. I’ll teach ya things.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Raven remained quiet for the rest of the session. Since it was Sunday afternoon, they only practiced for about three hours. By the time Darren was finished with them, they were all drenched with sweat.

“Yuck! I need a shower so badly.” Raquel wrinkled up her nose in disgust.

“I know. Let’s go take a quick one in he locker room.”

They all went to jump into the shower. About ten minutes later Shay was finished. She just tied her went hair back and grabbed her things to leave.

Shay yelled at Raven and Raquel who were still in the shower, “Hey guys. I’ll see you later. I’m heading out.”

“Okay, call me later.” Raquel yelled.

“Okay. Bye guys.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay left the locker room checking her cell for any voicemail messages when she emerged from the locker room, her attention was brought to the people standing at the door of the rehearsal studio. Jaimie, Sue, and Chris were standing there laughing with each other.

Jaimie smiled when she saw Shay, “Hey girl.” She gave her a kiss on her cheek, “How was practice?”

“Good. What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping Sue off. She has plans with Chris today.”

“Oh, okay. What do you have planned for today?”

“Nothing much.”

“You want to go grab a bite to eat and catch a movie?”

“Sure, I didn’t have anything else planned.”

“Cool. What do you have planned today Chris?” Shay asked.

“A picnic in the park.”

“Awe, isn’t he sweet?” Jaimie teased.

“Yes, he is.” Sue kissed him softly.

“Okay, well later guys. Gotta feed my honey.”

“See ya later.”

“Bye.”

When Chris and Sue left, JC, Lance, and Joey emerged from their locker rooms. Shay’s expression immediately turned cold.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” he gave her a quick kiss.

“I was dropping Sue off for Chris, but I ran into Shay so now we are going out to eat and to a movie.”

JC kept his arm around her, “Sounds like fun. Am I not invited?”

“Girls only today guys. Sorry.” Shay smiled.

“Oh, I see how you are. Well, have fun. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.”

JC kissed her goodbye before heading out.

“So, what movie are you going to see?” Lance asked.

“I don’t know we haven’t decided.”

“I was thinking maybe the Sixth Sense. I heard that was good.” Shay said.

“It was awesome. Me and Lance went to see that last week.” Joey smiled.

Shay didn’t reply or even look at him.

“That’s cool with me.”

“You’ll really enjoy it.”

“I’m sure we will Lance. Thanks. You ready Jaimie?”

Jaimie stood there awkwardly for a moment, “Yeah, sure.” She turned to the guys, “Well, bye guys.”

Jaimie leaned in to kiss each of them goodbye.

“Bye guys. Have fun.”

Shay smiled up at him before giving him a kiss good-bye, “I’m sure we will. Bye Lance.”

Shay just turned and walked out of the room. Jaimie stood there awkwardly for a moment.

“I guess she didn’t want to talk to me did she?”

“Joey, you’ll have to give her time. She’s still hurting.” Jaimie smiled softly.

“I know. I really messed up Jaim. I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Just give her some time okay.”

“I guess I don’t have a choice if she won’t talk to me.”

“Well, I gotta run.” Jaimie hugged Joey tight. “I still love you. Call me if you need me okay.”

“Thanks Jaim. That means a lot to me.”

“I’m always here for you. Remember that.”

Joey smiled, “I will. Have fun.”

Jaimie waved bye to them as she ran to catch up with Shay. She was waiting in the lobby for her when she came down on the elevator.

“So I guess you’re still pissed at Joey.” Jaimie asked her.

“To say the least.”

“You don’t think you’ll ever forgive him? He’s really sorry for what happened, but he can’t apologize to you if you won’t listen to him.”

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“Are you sure that’s why you’re mad? You’re not the least bit jealous?” Jaimie asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

“Of course not. I just feel like I was slapped in the face.”

“Okay, well I’ll drop the subject then. How bad did Darren wear you out?”

Shay laughed, “Yeah, I’m tired I tell ya. I mean I love to dance, but he really works you. He’s so amazing. He comes up with the coolest moves I’ve ever seen. Of course they are the hardest to learn too.”

“I know. Darren’s great. He’s such a nice guy too.”

“Yeah, he is.”

“How did Raven and Raquel do?”

“Well....uh, Raquel did really good. Raven had a bit of trouble with the steps.”

“Really? Well, Darren is good about working with you until you get them down. I’ve never seen him get angry or frustrated with anyone.”

“Actually JC helped her.”

“JC?” Jaimie frowned in confusion, “Why him? You aren’t doing the same routines are you?”

“Nope. He offered to help her.”

“That was nice of him.” Jaimie replied, her face expressionless.

Shay sighed, “I feel like you have a right to know, so I’m going to tell you what happened.”

“Okay, what happened.”

Shay proceeded to tell her exactly what happened that day at rehearsals. From the way JC and Raven acted together, to Lance’s outburst.

“....Anyway, I just thought you had a right to know.”

“Well, it sounds like you had quite a day.”

“I know Raven is my friend too, but I know if I was in your shoes I would want to know what was going on. I want you to know too that Raven isn’t usually this type of person either. She’s one of the most loyal people I know and she’d never intentionally hurt you.”

“I appreciate your honesty Shay. I’m not mad at Raven. She feels a strong connection to JC. I can understand that, but as long as all they do is flirt I’m okay with it.”

“Good, I’m glad you aren’t mad. I really like you and I want all of us to be friends.”

“Me too. Sue is my best friend, but she has her own things going on with Chris. A lot of the times I’m left alone, so it will be nice to have other girls to talk to.” Jaimie smiled, “Especially about Lance.”

“I’m here for ya girlie. Anytime you can give me a call. The only people I know here are Raquel and Raven really. I’m originally from New York.”

“Is that where your family still is?”

“Well, most of them are. It’s really just my mom I miss the most. My dad passed away a few years ago and I don’t have any siblings.”

“I’m so sorry.” she said sincerely.

“Well, thank you. It still hurts like hell, but I learn to go on and I know my dad is watching over me.” Shay smiled, “He’s my guardian angel.”

Jaimie fought the tears that were threatening to fall, “I don’t know what I would do if I lost one of my parents.”

“Don’t cry please. I don’t feel like crying too. Tell me about your family.”

Jaimie laughed, “Okay, I promise to stop. Um, my mom lives here in town. So does my brothers. I have two older brothers. Will is eleven years older than me. He’s married with two kids. My niece Stephanie is going on fifteen this year, and my nephew Tyler will be nine. My other brother Kenny just got married last November. He and his wife live here in town too. My oldest brother is in the Army. He’s a recruiter stationed here.”

“What about your Dad?”

“My dad lives in South Carolina, where I’m from originally. I see him every chance I get, but we aren’t really close.”

“Why’s that?”

“When I was ten he had a blood vessel burst on his brain. He lost all memory. It changed him of course. He was never the same. His memory eventually came back, but I was just never able to get over what had happened and neither did he. He loves me and I love him, but we have never been close.”

“How sad. I’m sorry too.”

Jaimie laughed, “Let’s get off the subject of Dads. It’s too depressing.”

“I agree. What’s it like having brothers?”

Jaimie rolled her eyes, “Don’t get me started. Actually, I have to admit I get along well with both my brothers. Especially my oldest brother Will. I get along good with my brother Kenny now but we fought all the time when we were kids. We drove our mom crazy. There’s only two years difference in our ages, so that didn’t help.”

“In a way I liked being an only child, but I wished sometimes I had a sister. I think that would have been cool.”

“Well, both my sister-in-laws are like sisters to me, so that works.” Jaimie laughed, “Kenny’s wife, Laura, was one of my college buddies. It worked out well. My oldest brother Will got married when I was six, so I practically grew up with Tammy.”

“I can imagine. Well, that’s nice. You must have a wonderful family. I miss mine a lot, but I love it here. I love the tropical weather. I miss the snow every once in a while, but I mostly love it here.”

“I miss my other family too, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. We moved here about five years ago. Around the same time I met the guys actually.”

Shay smiled, “That’s great. You’re really close to them aren’t you.”

“Yeah, they’re my boys. I love them all to death.”

“Especially Lance right?”

Jaimie blushed, “Yeah. I remember the moment I saw him, it was like WHAM! I got hit in the face with love dust or something.” She laughed, “I mean it was almost love at first sight for me.”

“I know lust at first sight, but I can’t imagine love at first sight.”

“Oh, I truly believe you know when you meet your soulmate.”

“What was it about Lance that captured your heart?”

“His eyes caught my attention first. He has the most beautiful green eyes. You know how they say the eyes are the window to the soul. In his eyes I see integrity, and honesty. He’s also the kindest person I know. He’s just a wonderful person all the way around. Jaimie grinned, “He’s a major hottie too.”

Shay laughed, “You’re right there. He does have pretty eyes. All the guys have their own unique qualities that set them apart from all the other guys out there.”

“They are all very special. Any girl would be lucky to have any of them. Even Joey. I know you don’t agree with that right now, but he really is a good guy.”

Shay sighed, “I’ll let you in on something. I really did like Joey. It hurt when he said and did all that stuff last night. Especially when he went home with that other girl. I think deep down he is a good person, but right now I just can’t risk setting myself up for a big fall. If I allow him in I just don’t know what I’d be setting myself up for.”

“Do you think you’ll ever be able to be friends with him?”

She shrugged, “Who knows. Maybe in time, but right now I’m still too angry to even begin to rebuild the relationship.”

“Okay.” She smiled, “That’s a start right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Don’t tell anyone what I said okay?”

“Oh, of course. Let’s make a pact. Never tell anyone anything we reveal to each other in confidence.”

Shay grinned, “Agreed.”

They shook hands on it sealing the pact. They made their way into the movie theatre to see The Sixth Sense. By the time the movie was over and Jaimie got home it was after 8:30pm. When she walked through the door she had four messages on her answering machine. One was from her mother just checking up on her, the other was from Sue telling her she was staying at Chris’ for the night, one was from JC wanting her to call, and the last one was from Lance. He said he was just calling to say hi and make sure she got home safe. She smiled to herself as she listened to the message. She immediately called her mom back. They talked for maybe ten minutes then said goodbye. She called JC but there was no answer. She left a message on his machine telling him she returned his call. Then she dialed Lance’s number. Her heart swelled when she heard him answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, what’s up? I got your message.”

He smiled the minute he heard her voice, “Hey. I was just calling to say hi. How did you like the movie?”

“It was awesome. That little boy was great in it.”

“Yeah, he was awesome. You two have fun?”

“Sure did. We learned a lot about each other. I really like her.”

“Yeah, they all seem really nice. I think we’ll have fun on tour together.”

“I’m sure you will. How did your rehearsals go?”

“They went well, except for when I blew up at JC.”

“Shay told me about that. What happened?”

“I just lost it on him. He’s just got so much to be thankful for and he pissed me off.”

“Why does that piss you off?”

“He’s got this great future waiting for him and he’s getting sidetracked.”

“It was nice of him to help Raven out with her steps today.”

“Shay told you?” He paused for a moment.

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“No reason.” Lance replied quickly, “Do you think Shay will forgive Joey anytime soon?”

“Maybe later, but she’s still upset. I can’t say I blame her there. He hurt her with his insinuations, then he went home with that girl right in front of her. That was wrong.”

“Oh, I know. It was stupid of him. I just hope they can put it behind them and at least be friends.”

“I think it will eventually come. Just not right away.”

“I hope so.”

“Me too. By the way, I was surprised Danielle wasn’t at the party last night.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “I broke up with her Friday night after I got home from our date... I mean our dinner.”

Jaimie grinned, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not, so please don’t feel sorry for me. It was coming to this for a while now.”

Jaimie tried not to sound happy, “You’ll find someone you’ll love and who’ll love you in return. You’re a great guy.”

“I’m working on it.” she said quietly.

Lance paused for a moment, “Well, it was good talking to you, but I need to go. I have to go in a little early in the morning to get my charts reviewed.”

“Okay. Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight Lance.”

Jaimie went straight to bed after hanging up with Lance. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter Eight

The next few days passed quickly. Lance got to where he’d call Jaimie at least once a day. They talked about everything. Sometimes they’d end up talking for a couple of hours at the time. Rehearsals went on as usual. Shay still avoided Joey’s attempts at a conversation. JC tried to avoid Raven as much as possible. Raquel was upset because Justin would barely look at her. Jaimie and Shay usually talked to each other daily as well. They were becoming fast friends. Darren was keeping both the groups busy. They always ended up never doing anything after rehearsals, because by the time Darren let them go they were dead tired.

“I’m so tired. I never knew this would be such hard work.” Shay groaned.

“Awe, I’m sorry. Other than you being tired, how are things going?” Jaimie asked.

“Everything is going okay. Raquel is brooding bigtime. Raven doesn’t say much anymore.”

“What’s wrong with Raquel and Raven?”

“Raquel is depressed because Justin isn’t paying her attention, and Raven is depressed because JC is avoiding her.”

Jaimie sighed, “I hate that JC and Raven are unhappy. I don’t know what to do. I feel like this plan is really working though.”

“Don’t worry about it Jaimie. They’ll be okay. Besides it’s only for a few weeks. So, you think he’s starting to come around?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked on the phone every night this week. Sometimes for over two hours,” she giggled. “It’s great.”

Shay laughed, “Boy, you have it bad. Listen at the way you just giggled.”

“Yep, I’m afraid I do. How are things with Joey by the way?”

Shay sighed, “He keeps trying to talk to me, but I keep pushing him away. I just can’t seem to get past this anger. It’s not even about the comments he made anymore, it’s the way he went of with that girl.”

“I never would have thought Joey would be that vindictive. Sometimes I just don’t get him.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t either.”

“Well, I know you’re tired so I’ll let you go. Is Darren giving you guys a break anytime soon?”

“We’re supposed to have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. I’m so glad we don’t have rehearsals tomorrow.”

“I’ll bet. Call me and let’s all go out this weekend or something.”

“Will do. Goodnight Jaim.”

“Night.”

After Jaimie hung up with Shay she sat there for a minute. That was weird. The only person that called her Jaim was Joey. Shay must be listening to him a lot more than she let on.

When Jaimie got home Friday afternoon, Sue was actually home. She had spent almost the entire week at Chris’s place.

“Hey. How’s your week been?”

“Good. What’s going on?” she asked as she watched Sue pack her suitcase.

“Oh, Chris and I are going away for the week.” She grinned, “He won’t tell me where, but he promises I’ll love it.”

“Oh, well that sounds nice.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just hardly get to see you anymore.”

Sue sighed, “I know. I’m sorry. I promise when we get back I’ll spend some quality time with you, okay?”

“Okay. How did Chris get week off from rehearsals anyway?”

“I don’t know. I was wondering that myself, but all he would say was that he had it taken care of.”

“Okay,” she shrugged. “Does everyone else have to still rehearse?”

“Yep, as far as I know.”

“When do you leave?”

“Chris is picking me up in a few minutes.”

“Wow, that’s fast.”

“Yeah, I love his spontaneity.”

The phone rang interrupted their conversation. Sue grabbed up her phone to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey Sue. How are you?” Shay asked.

“Good. And you?”

“Doing great. Is Jaimie home yet?”

“Yep, she’s right here hold on a sec.” Sue handed her the phone, “It’s Shay.”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Just calling to see if you had plans tonight.”

“Well, seeing as though my best friend will be out of town for a week, I don’t have any plans.”

“Where’s she going?”

“Don’t know. Chris is taking her away for the week, but he won’t tell her where.”

“Awe, that’s so romantic. I wish I could find a guy like that.”

“You and me both.”

“I have a feeling Lance would be very romantic.”

Jaimie grinned, “Yeah, me too.”

“So, do you want to try to get everyone together and come over and have like a mini party. We can watch scary movies or something.”

Jaimie laughed, “Sure, that sounds like fun. So, you want me to call the guys?”

“Sure, you call them and I’ll call Raquel and Raven. Call me back and let me know who’s coming so I can make a store run.”

“Okay, what time should I tell them?”

“Oh, how about around 7 or so?”

“Sounds great. What about Joey?”

“Sure, call him too. I don’t want to exclude him, but it doesn’t mean I have to talk to him.”

“Okay, I’ll call you right back.”

“Okay. Later.”

“Later.”

“What’s going on?” Sue asked after she hung up the phone.

“She wants us to all have a movie night. Sounds like fun. I’ve gotta call the guys.”

“That does sound fun.” She jumped when Chris honked for her, “Well, I’ll see you next Sunday.”

Jaimie hugged her tight, “Okay. Have fun.”

“I will. Bye.”

Jaimie waved bye to Sue and Chris from her front door. Once they were gone, she went off to call the guys. She dialed up Lance first.

“Hello?”

“Hey. What are you up to?”

“Hey, nothing much.” he smiled at the sound of her voice.

“Shay just called. She wants us all to go over to her place and watch movies.”

“That sounds like fun. Sure, what time?”

“Great. She said around 7pm would be a good time.”

“So, in about an hour or so?”

“Yep.”

“Hey, do you want me to pick you up on the way over there? There’s no sense in driving two cars when I go by your place anyway.”

“Okay, that sounds good. So you want to be here about 6:30 or so?”

“You got it. Do we need to pick up anything before we go over there?”

“Um, I’m not sure. I’ll ask when I call her back. I need to call the rest of the guys first.”

“Oh, you haven’t called Justin or Joey?”

“Nope, I haven’t called JC yet either. You were the first one I called.”

That made Lance smile once more, “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll see you around 6:30.”

“Okay. Bye Lance.”

“Bye.”

After hanging up with Lance, Jaimie dialed up JC.

“Hello?”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothin’ much. How’ve you been?”

“I’m doing good. Lance has called me every day this week.”

“Really?” JC asked surprised. “Wow, that’s great. Looks like our plan is working out after all.”

Jaimie laughed, “Yep, looks like it. I’m so happy.”

“I’m glad it’s working for you. All I want is for you to be happy.”

“Well, as soon as this is over you can go for it with Raven.”

“I will believe me.”

“Good. I want you to be happy too.”

“I know you do.” JC laughed, “It’s because you love me.”

“Yep, I suppose I do. Listen, Shay called and she wants us all to go over to her place to watch movies.”

“Oh, okay. That sounds a lot better than sitting at home by myself. What time should I be there?”

“She said around 7pm or so.”

“Okay. Do you want to go together?”

“Actually, Lance is picking me up.”

“Oh, really? Well, then I guess our little plan is working, huh?”

“I hope so. It was his idea too.”

“Well, well, well. I guess it won’t be long now before he admits his feelings to you.”

Jaimie sighed, “I hope not. Not just for my sake either.”

“I know what you mean. Okay, well I’ll see you there then sweetie.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie immediately called Justin next.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby what’s shakin’?”

“Hey sexy. Not much I’m afraid. How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good. Do you have plans tonight?”

“No, not really. Why?”

“Shay called me. She wants us all to come over to her place to watch movies tonight. Do you want to come?”

“Sure, who’s going?”

“So far it’s me, Shay, Lance, JC, Raven, Raquel, and you. I haven’t called Joe yet.”

“Cool. What time?”

“Around 7pm.”

“Okay, well I’ll see you there.”

“Okay. Bye Justin.”

“Later.”

Finally Jaimie dialed up Joey. At first the phone just rang and rang, then the answering machine picked up.

“Hey Joe. It’s me. I was just calling to.…”

“Hey Jaim. I’m here.” he quickly cut her off.

“Oh, hey Joey. You screening your calls?”

“Yeah, I didn’t feel like talking to anyone today.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I bothering you?”

“Oh, no. If I didn’t want to talk to you I wouldn’t have picked up. I always want to talk to you. You’re my sweetie, right?”

“Awe, of course I am. That’s sweet of you Joe. How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good. Shay won’t talk to me still, but other than that I’m good.”

“Speaking of Shay, she wants us all to go over to her place tonight to watch movies. You want to go?”

Joey was skeptical, “I don’t know.”

“Come on Joe. Come over to Shay’s. It’ll be fun.”

“Shay doesn’t want me there Jaim and you know it.”

“She told me to invite you Joey.”

“No she didn’t. She may have told you you COULD invite me, but she didn’t tell you TO invite me.”

“What’s the difference?”

“There’s a big difference Jaim. She doesn’t want me to come over to her place. She only got you to invite me because little Joey couldn’t be left out of the group right?”

“Awe, Joe. Don’t think that way.”

“Jaim, I know you and the guys love me. I just wish I could have a chance to explain what happened that night.”

“Just give it more time. I know things will get better.”

Joey sighed, “I don’t know. Things would be so awkward there.”

“It won’t be just you and Shay. Everyone else will be there too.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go. You happy now?”

“Yes I am. Thanks Joe.”

“Alright, well what time?”

“Around 7pm.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there.”

“Okay, Bye.”

By the time she finished calling the guys, she had fifteen minutes before Lance was supposed to be there. She quickly dialed Shay back.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know all the guys are coming. Lance is even picking me up on his way there.”

“Great. So, Lance is picking you up?”

“Yeah, I need to go get ready though. Do we need to bring anything?”

“Um, nope. I pretty well have everything.”

“Okay, well I’ll see you in a few.”

“Alrighty then. Bye girlie.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie put the phone down and quickly ran to get ready.

Chapter Nine

She changed out of her uniform into a pair of jeans and a NSYNC sweatshirt that the guys had given her. She pulled all her hair into a ponytail and was ready to go. She stuck some cash, her driver’s license, and her keys into her pocket so she wouldn’t have to bring her purse with her. Lance pulled into her driveway around 6:35pm. Jaimie saw him pull up so she just met him outside. Lance watched her as she locked her door behind her before walking to his truck. Even in jeans and a sweatshirt and her hair pulled back she was still beautiful. She smiled at him as she approached his car.

“Hey.”

“Hey. See I was only five minutes late today.” he smiled.

Jaimie laughed, “I noticed that. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you very much. So is everyone coming?”

“Yep, it took some convincing to get Joey to come.”

“I can understand that.”

“Well, I convinced him to come, I just hope we all have fun tonight.”

“I’m sure we will. Did we need to stop and pick up anything?”

“She said she had everything.”

“I feel bad letting her pay for everything.”

“I know. Let me call her back just to make sure.”

Jaimie picked up Lance’s car phone and dialed Shay’s number. She picked up after four rings.

“Hello?” she answered, breathless.

“Hey it’s me. Are you okay? You’re breathing heavy.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You caught me coming in the door. I ran to get to the phone.”

“We are on our way, but we wanted to make sure you didn’t need us to pick up anything.”

“I pretty well have everything so......ah, man! I should have wrote a list. I knew I would forget something.”

“What did you forget?”

“I thought it would be fun to make homemade pizza and I totally forgot the toppings. I feel so stupid. I bought the crust, but not the sauce or anything else.”

“We can get that stuff. Do you need anything else? Cups, napkins, paper plates?”

“Oh yeah, some paper plates. That would be more convenient than using my dishes.” She laughed, “A lot less to wash too.”

“Okay you got it. See you in a few.”

“Alrighty chicky. Later.”

“Bye.” She turned to Lance after hanging up her phone, “We need to stop by the grocery store.”

“What do we need to get?”

“She wanted us to make homemade pizza. She bought the crust but forgot the toppings.” Jaimie laughed, “I hate it when I do something like that.”

“I know me too. Is that all we need to get?”

“Paper plates too.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Lance said as he pulled into the parking lot of the nearest grocery store.

Lance held the door open for Jaimie as they walked into the store. Lance grabbed a buggy and they set off to get what Shay needed.

“I’ll go ahead and get the paper plates and I’ll meet you in the sauce aisle okay?”

“Okay.”

Lance took off to get the paper plates and Jaimie headed towards the sauces. As she looked over her choices, this attractive guy kept looking over at her. She smiled politely at him but returned her attention to the sauces in front of her. She hoped this guy wasn’t going to bother her, but her hopes were dashed when he approached. She groaned to herself when she saw him coming.

“Hi. How are you tonight?"

“Hello. I’m fine thanks.” she answered politely.

“My name’s Seth. What’s yours?”

“Hi Seth. I’m Jaimie.”

She kept praying Lance would come back soon to save her.

“That’s a pretty name. What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a grocery store by yourself on a Friday night?”

“Well, what are you doing alone in a grocery store on a Friday night?”

“Well.…”

She smiled when she saw Lance approach, “Besides who said I was alone.”

Lance shot the guy an evil look before walking up to Jaimie and pulling her into a quick kiss.

“Seth, this is my husband Lance. Lance this is Seth.”

“Hi Seth.”

“Oh, hi. I’m sorry. I had no idea she was married.”

“It’s no problem. I know she’s a beautiful girl. She can be hard to resist.”

Jaimie blushed, “Oh Lance stop it.”

“He’s right. Again I apologize if I offended you in any way.”

“There’s no need to apologize. No harm was done. Enjoy your evening.”

“Thanks. You guys too.” he called out as he walked away.

“I’m sure we will.”

Lance and Jaimie burst out laughing after Seth was out of hearing range.

“Oh, thank you so much. I kept seeing him look at me and I kept saying to myself please don’t come over, but he came over anyway. Then I just kept hoping you would come back to save me and you did. You’re my hero.”

Lance laughed, "And your husband too, huh?”

Jaimie blushed again, “I’m sorry. It was the first thing that I thought of.”

“I’m not upset. Really.” he smiled.

“Good. Okay now that that’s over, what type of sauce should we get?”

“Oh my.” he exclaimed as he looked at the rows of different types of sauces. “Who knew they made so many different types?”

“I know. Let’s just grab a few jars of one of them and hope it’s good.”

“Works for me.”

Jaimie grabbed two jars of sauce and they made their way to the meat section. They picked up the pepperoni, sausage, and a pack of hamburger for the other toppings. When they approached the cheese section, they were faced with another big variety of cheese to choose from.

Jaimie laughed, “Okay, should we just get mozzarella?”

“Hmmm, good question.” he said as he came up to stand behind her.

Not really paying attention to what he was doing, Lance gently rubbed his hand up and down her back. This sent chills all through her body. She was brought out of her trance when an old lady spoke to them.

“I don’t mean to intrude, I just wanted to tell you how you two make such a cute couple. You really do.”

Lance smiled warmly, “Why thank you mam. We’re very happy. We’re newly weds.”

“Oh how nice.” she smiled. “How long have you been married?”

“Just two weeks. We got back from our honeymoon last week.” Jaimie said.

“Really? Well, you two really love each other. I can see it in the way you look at each other. You’ll definitely make it.”

Lance paused for a moment, “Thank you very much.”

“Well, have a good evening.”

“Thanks, you too.” Jaimie smiled.

They stood there for a moment in an awkward silence after she walked away. Jaimie laughed nervously to break the silence.

“We’d better grab some cheese and get going. Shay will be worried.”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s just get the mozzarella then.”

Jaimie grabbed three bags of the shredded mozzarella and they headed to check out. Lance paid for their groceries and they headed out to his Jeep. Not five minutes of silence passed before Lance spoke.

“Okay this silence has got to stop. What’s wrong?”

Jaimie sighed, “Nothing. That old lady just threw me off that’s all.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, that didn’t bother you at all? Her assuming we were a couple?”

“No, it didn’t bother me. I thought it was cute actually. What’s the difference anyway? We pretended to be married in front of that guy. Why did it bother you?”

“I don’t know.”

Lance paused for a moment, “You know sometimes older people who have lived and are more experienced in life can see things better than younger people like ourselves.”

“Is there something you want to tell me Lance?” she asked as her heart began to race wildly in her chest.

Lance looked over at her for a moment. He wanted so badly to tell her how he felt.

“Jaimie, I...…”

Lance was cut off by his car phone ringing.

“Hello?”

“Hey man.” JC said. “What’s keeping you guys? We’re ready to fix the pizza. Shay has the crust ready, but we can’t finish them without any of the toppings.”

Lance sighed, “We’re almost there. We’ll be there in about five minutes.”

“Okay. Is Jaimie with you?”

He paused for a moment, “Yeah, do you need to talk to her?”

“Nope, I trust you buddy. I’ll see you in a few.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Lance slowly hung up the phone. He couldn’t tell her how he felt, not with JC in the picture.

“Was that Shay?”

“No, actually that was JC.”

“Oh, okay. What here you going to say before the phone rang?”

“Nothing important.” he paused.

Jaimie’s face fell in disappointment, “Oh, okay.”

“What’s the frown for? I like to see you smile not frown.”

She tried to give him a small smile, “I’m just hungry. My stomach is growling.”

“Well, we’re here so let’s get upstairs so we can finish dinner.”

They grabbed the groceries and headed up the stairs to Shay’s apartment. Shay answered the door in just a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She wasn’t even wearing shoes.

“Hey guys.” she smiled. “Thanks for going and getting that stuff for me. I can’t believe I forgot that stuff.”

Jaimie laughed, “It was no problem. I ‘ve done that before too, so don’t feel bad.”

“Hey Lance.” she smiled as she kissed him on the cheek.

“Hey. Is everyone else here? I know JC called earlier.”

“Um, JC, Raven, Raquel, and Justin are here. They’re in the kitchen. Joey isn’t here yet. Didn’t you say he was coming?”

“He told me he would.”

“And I kept my promise.” he said, coming up behind them.

“Hey Joe!” Jaimie exclaimed, giving him a big hug.

“Hey. How’s my favorite gal?”

“Much better now that I saw you.”

“That’s sweet.” Joey kissed her cheek. He turned to Lance and shook his hand, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much. Glad you could make it.”

Joey finally looked at Shay, “Thanks for inviting me Shay.”

Shay still refused to look at him, “No problem. Come on let’s go finish dinner.”

Shay led all of them into the kitchen where they began to finish the pizza.

“There’s the woman we all love!” Justin grinned.

“Hey sexy.” she grinned back at him.

“Don’t hey sexy me. Get your butt over here and give me a hug.”

Jaimie walked over to Justin to give him a hug. He picked her up off the ground and swung her around.

Jaimie laughed, “Justin I don’t think Shay wants me to throw up in her kitchen.”

“No Shay wouldn’t.”

“Okay, okay. I just missed you.”

She kissed him on the cheek, “Awe, I missed you too.”

Raquel couldn’t help but watch this scene with envy. She had to just keep telling herself that Jaimie was just his friend that has this amazing relationship with all of the guys. She hoped that one day she would have this type of relationship with them, but she wanted more from Justin than friendship. She was brought out of her thoughts when Jaimie approached.

She kissed her cheek, “Hey Raquel. How are you?”

“Doing well thanks.”

“Good.”

Jaimie paused for a moment before reaching Raven who was standing beside JC.

She reached up to kiss her cheek as well, “Hello Raven.”

“Hey, how are you?”

“Good thanks.”

Jaimie turned to JC who grinned down at her before jerking her up into a bear hug.

“I was wondering if you forgot about me.”

“Of course not. Just saving you for last that’s all.”

Jaimie gave JC a quick kiss before turning to look at Lance. He was looking down at the floor. She wanted so badly to go to him, but she couldn’t. It would ruin their plan. She could have sworn he was going to admit his feelings for her just before JC called. When he told her it was nothing important she almost wanted to cry. She was brought from her thoughts with everyone milling around the kitchen trying to finish the pizza. She pushed all her thoughts about Lance to the side and started helping the others. Finally by 8pm the pizza was finished. They all grabbed a few slices and headed to Shay’s living room to start the movie.

“What do you want to watch?” Shay asked as she looked through her movies.

“Put in Sleepless In Seattle.” JC suggested.

Justin groaned, “Please no chick flicks. I thought we were going to watch scary movies tonight.”

What about Halloween H2O?” Lance suggested.

“Is that okay with everyone?”

Everyone agreed, except for JC who pouted on the couch. They all settled in to watch the movie. Shay had a huge sectional couch, so Justin, Raquel, Raven, JC, and Joey sat on it. Shay grabbed the matching chair, so that left Lance and Jaimie with the two bean bag chairs that sat side by side on the floor. What Jaimie and Lance didn’t know was that they had planned it that way before they arrived. Everyone knew the plan except for Joey.

“Jaim do you want to sit here? I can sit on the floor.”

“Um, no I’m okay. Thanks for the offer though. It was sweet.”

“If you start to get uncomfortable just let me know and I’ll trade ya.”

“Thanks Joe.” she smiled.

They all turned their attention to the movie while they ate. When the movie got to the final showdown between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, everyone was on the edge of their seats. Jaimie unconsciously clutched Lance’s arm as they watched Laurie walk down the long dark hallway with every door open and the curtains blowing in the breeze that just added to the creepiness of the scene. Jaimie tightened her grip on Lance’s arm when Michael lowered himself behind Laurie. Lance smiled to himself when he felt Jaimie’s grip tighten. Joey wasn’t paying much attention to the movie. He mainly just watched Shay. She looked particularly beautiful tonight. Even just sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest while she nervously bit her bottom lip as she watched the movie. He wished he was the one chewing on her lip. He had to just play it straight and hope that she would give him another chance. Shay felt Joey’s eyes on her all night. She felt them burn into her. She wished she could just let got of her anger and hurt, but she just couldn’t seem to get passed it. She kept her eyes glued to the TV and willed herself not to look at him. JC and Raven quietly held hands, they tried to keep their hands out of the others view. As the movie came to the final battle scene, Raquel scooted closer and closer to Justin. Justin kept his eyes on the movie, but his thoughts were of nothing but Raquel. The way she smelled, the way she jumped when the movie scared her. Everything about her was spellbinding. All these feelings truly scared him. The last time he felt this way about a girl she ended up breaking his heart. He wasn’t sure he could trust anyone with his heart again. He wanted to take the chance on Raquel, but something inside him just wouldn’t allow him to open up his heart to her. When the credits started rolling, they all went to the kitchen to throw away their plates and put their cups in the dishwasher. After straightening the kitchen they went back to the living room.

“Okay what do we watch now?”

“What about Urban Legend? I love that movie.” Joey suggested.

“Oh, yeah. I love that one.” Jaimie smiled.

Shay popped it in and they got settled in again to watch it. It wasn’t far into the movie before Jaimie started nodding off. She tried to fight it off, but just sitting there in the dark after eating just completely relaxed her, not to mention she had been up since 6am. By about 10:30pm, she had lost her fight. Her head slowly made it’s way to rest on Lance’s shoulder. Lance looked down at her and smiled. He gently positioned himself where Jaimie’s head rested comfortably on his chest. Shay smiled at the picture on her floor. They made such a cute couple. Jaimie was so in love with Lance, and he seemed to have the same feelings, but he wouldn’t admit it for whatever reason. She noticed as Jaimie slept peacefully against his chest, that he kept gently rubbing up and down her back. It was so sweet to watch. Raven noticed them on the floor as well. She gently nudged JC and pointed toward them. He looked down on the floor and grinned. He smiled over at Raven and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. Joey saw them as well. He was happy for Jaimie. He loved her so much and he wanted nothing but the best for her. He knew Lance would make her happy and that’s all that he cared about. Aside from his mother and his sister he never really loved any other woman. Until he met Jaimie. He loved her completely, but only in the way he would love his sister. He never had any romantic feelings towards her. Sure she was very attractive, but she just didn’t attract him in that way. He wasn’t sure he had the capacity to love one person and one person only for the rest of his life. That was until he met Shay. There was something about her that drew him in. She was beautiful that’s for sure, but there had to be something else. Maybe it was her outgoing nature and her confidence. Then again there was this sweet side to her as well. He noticed the sweet way she smiled at Lance and Jaimie. She truly had this amazing way about her. She was a strong willed, courageous woman, but on the other hand she had this sweet vunerable side. He could honestly say he wasn’t in love with her, but she’s the first girl he ever met that he thought he could love. He hoped she would let him into her heart. He knew he just had to make her listen to him. Maybe not tonight, but definitely very soon. Justin saw them as well. He smiled down at them. He wished Lance would just tell her how he feels. It was so obvious to everyone how well they fit together, with Jaimie nestled securely in Lance’s arms. They were a perfect fit. As he sat there watching them he slowly began to realize how much he truly wanted someone himself. He had tried for so long to stay away from all women that he wasn’t sure how he should proceed next. He felt a strong pull towards Raquel but something still held him back. Was it fear, was it his trust issues, he wasn’t sure. The only thing he was certain of was the fact he really liked Raquel. He looked over at her sitting beside him. She was beautiful. She sat there curled towards him watching the movie intently. He gently grabbed her hand. She looked over at him with questioning eyes. He just stared at her for a moment, then he nodded towards the floor. Raquel looked down at them, then looked back at Justin with a big grin on her face. Justin smiled back at her, then they returned their attention to the movie. Justin never let go of her hand. Raquel just sat there with a content smile on her face. When the movie finally ended, it was about 11pm. Shay got up and flipped the lights back on. When she turned back towards everyone else, she saw that Lance had fallen asleep as well.

“Oh my.” Shay whispered. “Guys look at this.”

Everyone got up and went to where she stood. All of them had to smile at this picture. Jaimie’s head still rested on Lance’s chest. Lance’s chin rested on the top of her head and his arms gently encircled her. It was the sweetest picture.

“I don’t have the heart to wake them.” Shay smiled.

“Why don’t you just let them sleep?” Raquel suggested.

“Just what I was thinking.” Shay said.

Shay went to get an extra blanket from her closet and gently spread it over them.

“Awe, that’s just too cute.” Raquel sighed.

Raven smiled, “They make such a cute couple.”

“Yeah, I wish he would come clean already.” JC sighed.

“Maybe he will soon.” Justin said.

“I hope so. Jaimie loves him so much. She deserves to be happy and I know Lance would make her happy. He’s a good guy.” Joey frowned.

Raquel grinned, “Then Raven and JC can be together.”

Raven couldn‘t help the blush that creeped up her neck, “Raquel!”

“I know. I can’t wait.” JC smiled.

Raven looked up at JC and smiled shyly.

“Well, it’s getting late so I guess I’ll split.” JC smiled.

“Okay guys. Thanks for coming.”

Justin gave her a quick hug, “No problem. We had a good time.”

“Do you guys want to go out tomorrow night?” Shay asked.

“Sure. What time?”

“Why don’t we meet at Pleasure Island around 8pm tomorrow night.”

“Sounds good. See you then.” Justin said.

Justin gave the girls a kiss goodbye before leaving.

“I’m heading out too. Bye guys. Thanks for inviting me again Shay.” Joey smiled.

“No problem.”

“Okay well see you guys tomorrow night.”

“Bye Joey.”

“I’m right behind you.” JC called out.

“Yeah, me too.” Raven smiled.

“Me three.” Raquel laughed.

“Okay. Bye guys.”

They all walked downstairs together. Raven lived just below Shay, so she didn’t have far to go.

“Well, this is me. Goodnight guys.”

“I’ll walk you to your door.” JC said.

“Okay. See you tomorrow Joey and Raquel.”

“Night guys.” Raquel said.

Joey smiled, “Bye guys.”

JC walked Raven up to her door. They stood in an awkward silence for a moment.

“Thanks for walking me to my door.”

“You’re welcome.” He paused for a moment, “You know I meant every word I said up there. When this is all over, I want to try a relationship with you.”

“I’m glad. I don’t want to ruin Jaimie’s chances with Lance, but it’s so hard to stay away from you.”

JC gently caressed her face. He ever so slowly brushed his lips with hers, then slowly pulled away.

“Goodnight Raven.”

“Goodnight.”

JC turned and got in his car and went home. Joey and Raquel talked for a minute before leaving.

“How are things progressing with Justin?”

“Not as much as I’d hoped. It seems like he likes me sometimes, then at other times it seems like he can’t stand me. I don’t understand him.”

“You’ve been told about Justin haven’t you?”

“No, what is he a psychopath or something?”

Joey laughed, “No, nothing like that. He’s just been hurt in the past. I think that’s why he tries to stay away from you.”

“Oh, what happened?”

“I think you should discuss that with him.”

“If he’ll ever talk to me.”

“If he doesn’t come clean soon why don’t you ask him about it.”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“Of course you can.”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. Well, goodnight Joey.”

“Night girlie.”

Raquel started walking off down the street. She didn’t get far before Joey stopped her.

“Hey Raquel. Where are you going?”

“I’m walking home.”

“Oh, no you aren’t. Come on I’ll take you home.”

“Joey it’s only a couple of blocks. I can walk.” she argued as he led her to his car.

“I don’t care how far away it is you aren’t walking by yourself this late at night.”

Raquel sighed, “Alright, fine. I’ll let you take me home.”

“Okay where do you live?”

“Cypress Gardens Apartments.”

“Alrighty then.”

“I appreciate your concern Joey but you really didn’t have to drive me home.”

“Yes I do. I refuse to let you walk home by yourself in the dark. There’s too many bad people out there.”

“How chivalrous of you.”

“You know me.”

Not five minutes later, Joey reached her apartment complex.

“Thanks for the lift. See you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Goodnight.”

Joey sat there and watched her go into her apartment. Once she was safe inside he started for home.

Shay headed straight to bed after loading her dishwasher with that evenings dishes. About an hour later, Jaimie woke up. At first she was a little disoriented and wasn’t sure where she was. She went to get up but realized she was being held in someone’s arms. When her eyes finally focused to the darkness she realized she was lying in Lance’s arms. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She sat there just watching him breathe in slow deep breaths. He was so beautiful, she felt tears spring to her eyes. She gently kissed his lips then laid her head back down on his chest and drifted back to sleep. Neither woke again until morning.

Chapter Ten

Jaimie’s eyes slowly drifted open to the smell of sausage cooking. She looked up at Lance who was still sleeping peacefully. She smiled at him and began softly blowing in his ear. He began to stir a bit. About a minutes later he finally opened his eyes. He looked down at her and smiled.

“Good morning.”

“Mornin’.”

Lance stretched leisurely, “Man I slept like a log last night. I didn’t wake up once.”

“I know, me too. I wonder why they didn’t wake us up.”

“I don’t know.”

“Do I hear voices out there?” Shay called from the kitchen.

“Nope, you’re just going crazy.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jaimie laughed to herself before finally getting up. After going to the bathroom and fixing herself as good as she could she went to the kitchen to help Shay.

“Good morning.”

“Well, well look who’s up.”

Jaimie blushed, “Yeah, yeah. Why didn’t you guys wake us up last night?”

“You two just looked so cute sleeping in each others arms. We just couldn’t do it.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Yes what?” Lance asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“Nothing. Just girl talk.”

“Oh I see. Be that way then.”

“We girls have to have our secrets you know.” Jaimie smiled.

“Yeah, yeah. How come no one woke us up last night? Not that I’m complaining.”

“You guys were just sleeping so sound and you looked so comfortable. We just decided to leave you there. How did you sleep?”

“I slept great. Didn’t wake up once.” Lance smiled.

“That’s good. Are you guys hungry?”

“Starving.” Jaimie sighed.

“Same here.”

“I fixed some sausage, eggs, and toast. Is that okay?”

“That sounds wonderful.” Jaimie smiled.

“Well, by all means help yourself.”

They all grabbed some plates and dug into Shay’s breakfast. Afterwards they were all moaning because they ate too much.

“Shay, I hate to eat and run, but I’m dying for a shower.”

“Oh, no problem. Oh, why don’t we go shopping this afternoon?”

“Okay, um why don’t I give you a call after I shower and change.”

“Okay, just let me know.”

“I will. Thanks for last night and for breakfast this morning.”

“Okay. I’m glad you guys came.” she gave her a quick kiss before turning to Lance and giving him one as well. “I’ll see you tonight right Lance?”

“Yep, I’ll be there.”

“Good. Well, see you later.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie and Lance walked in silence to Lance’s Jeep.

“I’m sorry for falling asleep on you last night.” she said as they got in his Jeep.

“Why?”

“I just didn’t mean to fall asleep on you like that.”

“In case you didn’t remember I fell asleep too.”

“I know.”

“Besides I slept better last night with you beside me than I have in a long time.”

“Really?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, really.” he smiled.

Jaimie just smiled over at him then turned her attention to the window. They rode in silence the rest of the way to her house.

“Well, thanks for picking me up last night and bringing me home this morning. I guess I’ll see you tonight at the club.” she said as he pulled into her driveway.

“I’ll be there. See you later.”

Jaimie leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking to her house. Lance sat in his Jeep for a minute even after she was already inside. He had just spent the night with Jaimie. He couldn’t believe it. It was such a wonderful feeling waking up with her in his arms. He wished it would always be that way. He knew she felt strongly about him, but JC was in the picture. He couldn’t just go after her. He also knew JC was very attracted to Raven. He wished he would just go after her and leave Jaimie alone, then everything would be great. He could finally act on his feelings for her. He just shook his head, backed out of her driveway and headed home.

As soon as Jaimie walked in her house, she quickly jumped in the shower. She emerged twenty minutes later her hair up in a towel and one wrapped around her body. She went to her closet to pick out what to wear. She decided on a pair of bootleg blue jeans, a black tank top with a matching cardigan with baby blue butterflies embroidered on it. She threw on her thick heeled black boots and went back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. After she blew dry her hair, she put a few little baby blue butterfly clips in it to match her cardigan. She put on just a little make-up and was ready to go.

“Hello?”

“I’m ready if you are.”

“Wow, that was fast. It hasn’t even been an hour yet.”

“It doesn’t take me long to get ready. I’m not the type to primp in front of the mirror hours before going out.”

“Me neither. I still look good though.”

Jaimie laughed, “Yep, we know how to do it fast and do it well.”

“Got that right. So, do you want to pick me up or do you want me to come get you?”

“Well, I’ll come pick you up since you’re closer to the mall. There’s no sense in you coming all the way over here to pick me up then turning around to go back the other way.”

“Okay, so what I’ll see you in ten minutes or so?”

“Yep, I’m walking out the door now.”

“See you in a few.”

“Okay bye.”

“Later.”

Jaimie grabbed her purse, jumped into her truck and headed to Shay’s.

Shay was waiting for her downstairs when she pulled up. Shay dressed in a pair of flair blue jeans with red flowers embroidered on the bottom. She wore a red button front v-neck sweater that showed a little midriff.

“Hey girlfriend.”

“Hey. I love that outfit.”

“Thank you. I love yours too.”

“Thank you too. So tell me what made you start talking to Joey again?”

“Well, I said like four words to him all night. It’s not like I had an actual conversation with him.”

“I know, but at least it’s a start.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“So, what are we shopping for?”

“Whatever we feel like it. I’m not looking for something in particular. I’m just looking.”

Shay and Jaimie went into every story they came to. From DKNY to Bath and Body Works. By the time they stopped around 2pm for a late lunch, they each had at least ten bags.

“I can’t believe you talked me into that outfit.”

“Come on Jaim. You have a great body. You need to show it off more often. Make Lance drool a little.”

Jaimie blushed, “Thanks.”

“Why don’t you get ready at my place. I can help you decide which outfit to wear tonight.”

“Okay.”

“So, Jaimie tell me why you and Lance were late last night?”

“Well, this guy started hitting on me in the spaghetti aisle, but fortunately Lance saved me. Then this old lady came up to us telling us how cute of a couple we made and how she could tell we really loved each other. It was way weird.”

“Really?? Wow, that is weird, but in a good way.”

“You know last night I thought Lance was going to admit his feelings for me.”

Shay began to choke on her water, “Really? Why didn’t he?”

“I don’t know. JC called right when he started to speak. After he hung up with him he just said it wasn’t important. I think maybe talking to JC made him feel guilty.”

“Probably so. Well, maybe he’ll come around soon.”

“I hope so. What about Joey? Will you start talking to him now?”

“Don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

After they finished their lunch, they finished their shopping spree and was back at Shay’s apartment by 5pm.

Jaimie collapsed onto Shay‘s couch, “I can’t believe I bought so much stuff.”

“Ah, come on. It was fun wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Okay, let’s take this stuff to my room so we can decide which outfits we are going to wear.”

Jaimie followed Shay down the hall to her bedroom. For the next half hour, they tried on outfit after outfit until they decided on the perfect one for that night. Shay decided Jaimie should wear a white off the shoulder peasant top that bared her stomach and a pair of black leather hip huggers with a new pair of black wedge heeled boots. Shay thought the outfit looked great on her, although Jaimie was a little skeptical. Since Shay picked out Jaimie’s outfit, she let Jaimie pick out hers. She picked a short, but tight zebra print skirt, a black tube tops, with a pair of wedge heeled knee length black leather boots.

“Girl we’re gonna knock ‘em dead tonight.”

“I hope so. I love your outfit. You looked so good in it.”

Shay sighed, “Thank you, but I don’t want to hear anymore objections about your outfit. You look great in it.”

“Yes Mommy,” Jaimie laughed. “Okay, what about hair?”

“Hmmm, how should I dress up my personal Barbie doll tonight?”

“I’m your Barbie doll?”

“Yep, tonight you are mine to do as I please.”

“Okay what did you have in mind for me?”

“Let’s see,” she said as she began to walk around her studying her closely. “I think.....I think you should just wear your hair down and natural. Nothing in it, no gels, sprays, or anything.”

“Really?”

“Yep, guys love long natural hair. You have pretty hair. Show it off.”

“What is it about me needing to show off?”

“If you’ve got it flaunt it. God gave you that body so you should use it to your advantage.”

“I don’t want to act slutty.”

Shay laughed, “I don’t mean act like you’ll put out for any guy with a pulse, but you can use your assets to tease a certain southerner we both know.”

Jaimie laughed, “You really think that would work?”

“He’s a man Jaim. They are all basically the same.”

“Wait now, Lance isn’t...…” she began to get defensive.

“Hold on, before you get all upset. I know Lance is a sweetheart and he’s not like all men, so I take back my previous comment okay. But only towards our guys. All other men except them are the same.”

“Okay, that’s better.”

“But, he’s a hot blooded male just the same. He’ll be all over you tonight. He won’t pay any other girl any attention.”

“I wouldn’t complain.” Jaimie grinned.

“I know you wouldn’t. Now, why don’t you take the first shower so your hair can air dry. I want your natural curl to come out tonight.”

“Okay, if you say so. You’re the boss.”

“That’s right.”

“Okay, I’m off to shower.”

“There’s an extra robe hanging on the back of the door.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Jaimie emerged twenty minutes later wrapped in Shay’s blue terry cloth robe, towel drying her hair.

“That was fast.”

“I told ya. I’m quick.”

“I believe it. Okay, my turn. Make yourself at home.”

“Okay, thanks.”

While Shay went to take her shower, Jaimie called her machine to check her messages. One was from Sue leaving a number for her to reach her at, and the other was from JC wondering if he needed to pick her up. She immediately called JC back.

“Hello?”

“What’s a happening hot stuff?”

“Hey beautiful. So, how did you sleep last night?”

“Very well thank you. I was surprised when I woke up late last night and saw Lance sleeping beside me. It was a nice surprise though.”

“So you woke up, saw whose arms you were in, and just went back to sleep?”

“Yep, I just laid right back down and went back to sleep.”

“Well, good. You guys looked so cute sleeping together.”

“That’s what Shay said.”

“Yep. Are you at home now?”

< tonight for ready getting I’m so afternoon this shopping went We Shay’s. at>

“So are you going to ride with Shay?”

“That would make sense.”

“Okay, I was just going to play good boyfriend and pick you up.”

“Well, I appreciate it. I guess I’ll see you tonight then.”

“Alright. Later sweetie.”

“Bye JC.”

After she hung up with JC she went back to Shay’s bedroom to start getting ready. She put her Juniper Breeze body cream all over every inch of her body, followed by her Juniper Breeze body spray. Ten minutes later, Shay was finished taking her shower.

“I can smell you from over here. I love that scent.”

“I know. It’s great.”

“Yep, yep, yep.”

“I called my machine to pick up my messages. I guess Sue and Chris got wherever they were going okay. Sue called and left a number for me to reach her at, and JC called me.”

“What did he want?”

“To see how I slept last night and to see if I wanted him to pick me up tonight.”

Shay smiled, “What did you tell him?”

“On which subject?”

“Well, both of them.”

“You know I slept well last night cause I already told you, and I figured we could ride together.”

“Oh, okay.” she shrugged.

“Is that alright with you?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

They continued to talk while they got dressed. By 7:30pm both were ready to go. Jaimie stood in front of Shay’s full length mirror just staring in disbelief. She never really looked at herself before. She knew she wasn’t ugly, but as she looked at herself in that mirror she saw a beautiful, built woman. She couldn’t believe that was her. She ran her hand through her mane of brown curls and smiled. For the first time in a long time she felt like she looked. She turned and saw Shay smiling at her.

“I told ya.”

“I can’t believe that’s me.”

“Well, believe it honey. You look great.”

Jaimie laughed, “I do don’t I.”

“Yep, I like this new confident Jaimie. I’d like to see her more often.”

“I like her too. You look awesome Shay. That outfit is perfect for you. Those guys are gonna drool.”

Shay just laughed at her, but what she was really thinking was she only wanted one man drooling over her and he was the super fine Superman lover. She smiled smugly to herself as she thought of how it would feel to have her legs wrapped.....she mentally shook herself. She was still mad at him. She couldn’t let some sinful thoughts mislead her. Shay grabbed her car keys and they headed to the club.

Chapter Eleven

They were the first ones to arrive. They got a booth in the back and ordered two glasses of water. Raquel and Raven were the next to arrive. Raven was wearing a short black wrap around skirt, with a white tank top and cardigan. Raquel was in a pair of black suede hip huggers with an aqua halter top to match. They all looked great.

“Hey girls.” Shay smiled.

Raquel smiled as they approached, “Hey, wow you two look great.”

“So do you guys. Look at us. If Raquel would have put on a white shirt, we would have all matched.” Jaimie noticed.

“This is so weird.” Raven laughed.

“Great minds think alike.”

“Well, what does that mean for me then?” Raquel asked, placing her hand on her hip.

Jaimie laughed, “You’re a great mind too don’t worry.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Justin was the first guy to arrive. He looked great as usual. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt under a black leather jacket. Raquel’s heart started pounding the minute she saw him. Justin forced his feet to carry him towards the booth. Raquel looked amazing as she stood there by the table. Her long legs looked even longer in those black pants. He couldn’t stop himself. He drank the image of her hungrily. He felt as if he might explode. He kept his cool as he approached, even though he was far from calm.

“Good evening ladies. You all look very lovely tonight.”

Raquel smiled, “Thank you. You look great too.”

“Well, thank you. I try you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, listen to Mr. Ego over there.”

“Jaimie, that hurts. You know better.”

She frowned, “Awe, I’m sorry Justin. I’ll make it up to you later okay.”

“I expect at least two dances tonight as an apology.”

“If I have to.” Jaimie sighed.

“Yes, you do.”

“What does she have to do?” Lance asked as he come up from behind.

“Wow, Lance you’re on time.” Jaimie smiled.

He grinned, “I know. I’m proud of myself.”

"Hooray for Lance.” Shay clapped.

“She owes me two dances tonight.”

“Oh, I see. Don’t forget me too. I want some spaces on your card with my name on them.”

“Of course I’ll dance with you Lance. You are my boyfriend after all.”

“That’s right. Remember guys when we were here last weekend? We pretended to be with each other. Are we still going to do that?”

“That’s fine with me if it’s okay with everyone else.” Justin said.

Everyone gave nods of approval except for Shay. Jaimie was the only one to notice this.

“Shay, come with me to the bar.”

“Okay, does anyone want anything?”

“Just a Pepsi.”

“I’ll have a glass of white wine.” Raven said.

“Pepsi please.” Justin said.

Lance smiled, “I’ll take a glass of red wine please.”

“Okay we’ll be back.”

Jaimie and Shay made their way to the bar and ordered their drinks.

“You aren’t happy with pretending to be Joey’s girl tonight are you?”

“Not especially, but I’ll pull through.”

“Shay if you don’t want to do it then don’t.”

“I’ll be okay Jaim, really. As long as I don’t have to do a lot of kissing and hugging.”

“You don’t have to do either of those things if you don’t want to.”

Shay and Jaimie continued their discussion, but Jaimie was completely unaware of Lance’s eyes on her the entire time. She looked incredible. Those black leather pants hugged all of her curves very nicely. The top showed about an inch of her belly, and that was an ultimate turn on for him. Her hair was wild and hung in curls down her back. He longed to run his hands through her hair and all over her body. He looked away just as Jaimie’s gaze landed on him. He looked hot tonight as well. He was only in a pair of khakis and a red button down shirt, but she still had to fight to keep her breathing normal. She turned back to the bartender to try to stop her sinful thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” Shay asked, noticing her fidgeting.

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you fidgeting all of a sudden?”

“It’s just all I have to do is look at Lance and I’m a big mess.”

“Is that all?”

“What do you mean is that all? I think that’s enough.”

“So you get all hot and bothered around Lance. That’s perfectly normal.”

“I still don’t like it.”

“You’ll be okay. Just go with the flow.”

“Yeah, sure. If I acted on my feelings right now we would need a more private place.”

Shay laughed, “That’s just sexual tension. Everyone goes through that sometimes.”

“It’s still an uneasy feeling. Like I could totally get lost in his eyes. The very idea of losing oneself in another person terrifies me.”

“You’ll be okay I promise.”

They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn’t even notice when two guys approached them.

“Evening ladies.” the blonde smiled.

“Hello.” Jaimie smiled politely.

“Can we buy you two lovely ladies a drink?” the dark-haired one asked.

“Thanks but we’re good. Our drinks are almost finished.” Shay smiled.

“Well, let us buy them for you.” the blonde said.

“No, really. We appreciate it but we’re both here with people so it’s not necessary.”

The dark-haired one looked around, “I don’t see anyone else around. Why are you playing hard to get?”

“Excuse me guys.” Lance came up behind them. He got in between Jaimie and the dark-haired one, “Hey baby. Are our drinks ready yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Hey beautiful.” Joey smiled down at Shay, appearing out of the blue.

Shay sighed in relief, “Hey. Drinks still aren’t ready.”

Joey put his arm around her waist, “This place is so slow.”

“Like we said.” Jaimie said, wrapping her arm around Lance’s waist. “We’re both here with people. Thanks anyway.”

“Well, if you really want a good time and are ready to dump these two, we’ll be around.” the blonde sneered as they walked away.

“Why don’t you hold your breath while you wait for us to call you.” Shay replied sarcastically.

The girls laughed as the other two guys walked away.

“I guess the favor is returned now. We just rescued you.” Joey smiled.

“And we both appreciate it very much.”

“Thanks guys.” Shay smiled.

“Anything for our girls, right Joe?”

Joey tightened his grip on Shay’s waist, “Anything.” He paused for a moment, “You guys both look beautiful tonight as usual.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Awe, thanks guys. That’s sweet.” Shay said.

“Yeah, thanks. You both look great too.”

Joey was sporting a pair of blue jeans, his red Superman T-shirt, and a jean jacket. Of course he had his usual Superman pendant on as well. Shay thought she was going to melt right there. Joey pressed sensually into her back and held tightly to her waist. He was wearing Nicole Miller cologne too. She groaned to herself. She needed some fresh air badly before she passed out. He was invading her senses getting her all confused.

“Are you okay Shay?” Jaimie asked.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna go to the balcony for a minute for some fresh air.”

“You want me to go with you?”

“No, I’ll just be a few minutes. You guys go to the table with the drinks.”

“Okay if you’re sure.”

“I’m positive. Go.”

Jaimie, Lance, and Joey made their way back to the table with the drinks while Shay went off to the balcony.

“Where’s Shay?” Justin asked.

“She went outside to get some air.”

“Is she okay?” Raquel asked, concerned.

“Yeah, she just said she wanted to get some air.” Jaimie smiled.

Joey kept shifting restlessly in his chair.

“I’ll be right back. I think I see someone I know.” Joey quickly stood up from the table.

No one gave his departure a second thought. They all knew Joey was a regular clubber, so they knew he knew a lot of people they didn’t. As soon as Joey was out of sight of the others, he headed to the balcony. Surprisingly enough she was out there alone. He stood there just looking at her for a moment before he approached her.

“Can I talk to you for a minute please?”

Shay jumped startled, “Joey! God you scared me.”

He smiled, “I’m sorry.”

“I really don’t want to get into a discussion right now Joey.”

Joey caught her arm as she walked away, “Shay please. It’s been a week and I need to explain, ......and apologize.”

“Alright. I’ll listen.” she agreed as he gently released her arm.

“Thank you.”

Joey led her to a more secluded part of the balcony before beginning.

“I don’t even know how to begin to apologize for my behavior last week. I was way out of line and there’s no excuse for my behavior. All I can say is I’m sorry and I will never do that again. Will you accept my apology?”

< upset was I thing only the wasn’t that Joey, what know>

“What else did I do? Tell me so I can make it right.”

“You can’t make this right Joey. You went home with that slut that very same night. It was a slap in the face.”

Joey laughed, “That’s what you’ve been so mad about?”

Shay began to get angry, “Why are you laughing? None of this is funny Joseph!”

“Joseph? Wow, you are mad. Okay, I’m sorry for laughing.”

“Whatever.”

“Shay look at me.”

“I don’t want to.”

< with home go didn’t “I locked, eyes their until again speak He eyes.” my into “Look chin, her lifted gently>

Shay didn‘t speak for a moment, “But I saw you leave with your arm wrapped around that girl.”

“I admit that was my intention at first, but after I saw the look on your face that night I couldn’t do it.”

“Really? Joey you’d better not be lying.”

“I swear on the lives of my unborn children I am telling the truth.”

< she nothing.” for this>

“Well, you would never even look at me much less talk to me. Up until last night I was beginning to think you’d never forgive me.”

“I wasn’t sure either to tell you the truth.”

They both laughed nervously.

“So, am I forgiven?”

Shay sighed dramatically, “I suppose so.”

Joey grinned down at her for a moment. He leaned in close to her and paused just inches away from her lips. He came closer and closer and Shay help her breath in anticipation. Right when he got to her lips, he moved to her cheek and gave it a soft slow kiss. Shay fought the disappointment that burned within her.

Joey pulled away slightly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Shay said, her voice shaky.

Joey extended his hand, “Should we join the others now?”

Shay didn’t speak she just nodded. He began to lead her back into the club, but he stopped when she didn’t move.

“What is it?”

“There’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

Shay didn’t say anything. She stood on her tip toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with everything she had. Joey was shocked at first, but quickly began to return the kiss. It was the most amazing kiss she had ever had. He nibbled on her bottom lip a little elistiting a soft moan from Shay. When Shay couldn’t stand it anymore, she opened her mouth to allow Joey’s tongue access. The kiss never got rough, but it was full of raw passion. The passion that both of them had been holding back on since they first met.

Shay abruptly broke the kiss, “Whoa, what am I doing?”

“We were kissing.”

“I’ve never done that before.”

“You’re an excellent beginner then.” Joey grinned.

Shay smiled bashfully, “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“I know. I was just teasing you.”

“I’ve never taken it upon myself to initiate a kiss before.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what you did Shay. To tell you the truth that’s all I’ve wanted to do since I saw you tonight but I was afraid you’d get angry at me again if I tried to kiss you.”

She smiled, “We can’t exactly go back in there as if nothing happened. I don’t feel like explaining anything to the others.”

“Why don’t we keep this to ourselves. We don’t have to tell anyone until we are ready. Besides it’s our business not theirs.”

“I like the way you think. It makes it sound kind of forbidden.”

“Why thank you.”

Joey leaned down and began to kiss her again. Shay knew if she didn’t stop they would never get back inside.

Shay sighed, “Joey if we don’t stop and go back in the others will come looking for us.”

“Don’t want to stop.” he mumbled as he continued to rain kisses along her neck, “You taste too good.”

“If they find us your brilliant plain is ruined.”

Joey thought about it for a moment, “Alright. Let me go first.”

“Okay.”

Joey gave her one more quick kiss before disappearing back into the club. Shay couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. She grabbed her mirror to reapply her lipgloss and noticed how swollen from Joey’s kisses. Her grin grew wider as she reapplied the gloss and straightened her clothes. About two minutes later, Shay went back into the club. Joey was sitting at the booth beside Raquel and Justin. he couldn’t stop the smirk that lit his face when he saw her. She shot him a warning glare before sitting beside Raven.

“Hey Shay.”

“Hey, JC. Where’s Jaimie and Lance?”

“Tearin’ up the dance floor.” Raquel grinned.

“Why isn’t everyone dancing? That’s what we came here for right?”

“Right. Shall we show them how it’s done Raven?”

“Of course.”

“Come on Raquel. Let’s shake it.”

Shay and Joey were the only ones left at the table now. Joey couldn’t help but grin over at her.

“Listen, we still need to act like we aren’t getting along great so don’t smile at me so much. I know it’s hard, but if we want to keep this between us for a while we need to act like nothing’s changed.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll try to stop.”

“When we get out on the dance floor don’t get too clingy no matter how much we may want to.”

“I’ll keep my hands to myself I promise.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Joey led Shay onto the dance floor. As soon as they got there the song changed from fast to slow. Joey tried to stifle his laugh but he couldn’t hold it back.

Shay angrily placed her hands on her hips, “It’s not funny Joey.”

“I’m sorry. You should have seen the look on your face. It was priceless.”

“Whatever. Just behave.”

“You know I’m hurt. That means you think I misbehave.”

“Oh, I hope so. I just want you to behave while we’re here. We can discuss the rest of the night later.”

“Is that a promise?”

Shay just ignored him and began swaying to the familiar sound of Journey’s ‘Faithfully.’ Joey softly began to sing the song to her.

Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
You’re on my mind
Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sendin’ all my love
Along the wire

They say that the road
Ain’t no place to start a family
Right down the line
It’s been you and me
And lovin’ a music man
Ain’t always what it’s supposed to be

Oh girl you stand by me
I’m forever yours.....Faithfully

Circus life
Under the big top world
We all need the clowns
To make us smile
Through space and time
Always another show
Wondering where I am
Lost without you

And being apart ain’t easy on this love affair
Two strangers learn to fall in love again
I get the joy
Of rediscovering you
Oh girl, you stand by me
I’m forever yours.....Faithfully

Oh, oh, oh, oh...
Faithfully, I’m still yours
I’m forever yours
Every yours....Faithfully

Shay’s heart soared as she listened to Joey’s soft, sweet voice. She knew she’d never forget this moment. When the song ended, Shay smiled softly at him.

“That was beautiful. Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Britney Spears ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ started blasting through the speakers. Shay and Joey quickly parted and began moving to the beat.

Raquel was disappointed when ‘Faithfully’ ended. She was comfortable there in Justin’s arms. Her head came right up under his chin. She gently laid her head on his chest while they swayed to the music. Now that the song was over, she and Justin slowly parted and began dancing to the song that now played.

“You know her don’t you?”

“Yeah, actually JC and I have known her for a long time. We were in the Mickey Mouse Club together. She’s a nice girl. I’m sure you guys will meet her sooner or later.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about you guys being on the Mickey Mouse Club. Was that fun?”

“Yeah, it was, but I missed out on a lot of my childhood though. But I wouldn’t want to change a thing.”

“I can’t imagine what it would be like being famous so young.”

“It wasn’t bad. Like I said I wouldn’t change anything.”

“You’re where you want to be right?”

“Exactly where I want to be.”

“Me too. Even as we speak.”

Justin just gave her his lopsided grin and they continued dancing.

They all danced non-stop for the next hour. It was 10pm before any of them sat back down at the booth.

“Okay, girl’s bathroom break.” Raquel said.

Raven smiled, “Definitely we need to freshen up.”

“You guys look beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with you.” Lance told them.

“Okay, the real meaning behind the girl’s bathroom break is we want to talk without you guys around.” Shay grinned.

“They talk about us while they are in there I know it.” Joey laughed.

Jaimie smiled, “I guess that’s for us to know and you to never find out.”

“You can be so cruel Jaimie.” Justin acted as if he were hurt.

“I know, but you know I love you guys anyway.”

“Of course you do. Who can resist us?” JC grinned.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. If your heads swell anymore you won’t be able to walk through the door.”

“Oh, you’re so funny Shay.” JC said sarcastically.

“I think so. Later guys.”

The guys made idle conversation while the girls had their talk in the bathroom.

“Raquel, you and Justin seem pretty cozy.” Jaimie smiled.

“I was quite comfortable thank you.”

Shay laughed, “It looked like it.”

“Is he acting like he’s interested?” Raven asked.

“Sometimes I think he is, but sometimes he pulls away from me when we really begin to get close.”

“If he keeps it up try talking to him about it. He went through a lot with his last girlfriend.” Jaimie explained.

“Why won’t you guys tell me what happened with his last girlfriend? Maybe it would help me understand him better.”

“It’s just something that I think Justin should talk to you about.”

“Raven and I don’t know either Raquel. They won’t tell us. It’s just out of respect for Justin’s feelings.”

“I know. I just want to know what’s going on in that head of his.”

“I can tell he likes you.” Jaimie smiled.

“Sometimes I can feel it too, but then he pulls away from me.”

“Give it a few more days and if he doesn’t come around talk to him about it.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“What about you Jaimie? You and Lance looked awfully comfy together last night.”

“We slept very well thank you. I thought he was going to tell me how he feels about me last night, but he didn’t say anything.”

“Lance is such a sweetheart. You’re so lucky to have him. You can’t find very many guys like him now a days.” Raquel said.

“Well, I don’t have him yet, but you’re right. He is the sweetest guy. All of the guys are.”

“They are very sweet.” Raven agreed.

“I have to agree with you. Even Joey has his moments.” Shay sighed.

“Does this mean you are forgiving him?”

“I didn’t say that, but he has been a gentleman tonight. He’s kept his hands to himself and hasn’t tried to talk to me too much. He’s giving me my space which I really appreciate.”

“See, he knows he was wrong, but he wants so bad to make amends.”

“I hope you will eventually forgive him, so we can all be one big happy family.”

Raven laughed, “You’re so silly Raquel.”

“I know.”

They left to go back to the guys. They immediately went back to the dance floor. By the time 11pm rolled around, Shay and Joey were getting restless.

“I think it’s time for me to head home.”

Joey raised his eyebrow, “Are you sure? I don’t want to rush you into anything. We just got back on track.”

“Are you turning me down now Joe?” a small smile tugged at her lips.

“Hell no! I just don’t want to rush you. I don’t want to make the same mistake I made last time.”

“Trust me. If I didn’t want this I wouldn’t be offering.”

“I think it’s about time for me to head out too. I’ll leave a little while after you, and I’ll meet you at your apartment.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Joey went off to the bar and began talking to the bartender while Shay found Jaimie to tell her goodnight.

“Hey Jaim. Do you think you can get a ride home?”

“I can drop her off. What’s up?” Lance said.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah, I’m tired. Sorry to bail so soon.”

< you call I’ll okay. that’s>

“Okay. Tell everyone goodnight for me.”

Jaimie kissed her cheek, “Okay, thanks for today.”

“You’re welcome. I had a blast.” Shay turned to Lance and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “Goodnight sweetie.”

“Goodnight.”

“I hope Joey didn’t say anything to upset her again.” Jaimie said as she left.

Lance sighed, “Me too. I was hoping she was going to forgive him soon. They acted civil towards each other all night.”

“I don’t know. There’s Joey I’m going to ask him.”

“Hey Jaim.” Joey saw Jaimie approach. “I was just going to find you guys. I’m gonna head out. I ran into an old high school friend and we’re gonna go out to another club.”

"You didn’t say anything to upset Shay did you?”

“No, she just said she was tired and she was going to head home. What made you assume that I did? Did she seem upset?”

“No, but it’s not as if you haven’t done anything like that before.”

“Well, I know better now.”

“So you’re leaving now too?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, I told you I ran into an old friend.”

“Oh, okay. Well, have a good time.”

“I’m sure I will.” Joey grinned as he kissed her goodnight. “Night sweets.”

“Goodnight Joe.”

“Tell everyone goodnight for me. Later Lance.”

“Later man.”

Joey left as quickly as he could smiling as he thought of where he was heading. He never thought Shay would be welcoming him so freely back into her arms after what had happened. He couldn’t wait to have her back in his arms again. He got in his car and sped off to Shay’s apartment.

Chapter Twelve

Shay paced her floor as she waited for Joey to show up. She couldn’t believe she was finally going to fulfill her fantasy of having her legs wrapped around his beautiful body while he slowly made love to her. She blushed every time she thought of what just being around him did to her. She’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was scary and exciting at the same time. She was brought from her thoughts by a soft tap on her door. She practically ran to answer it. When she opened it she was face to face with the object of her affections. She felt her heart skip a beat when he smiled down at her. She returned the smile, but he didn’t waste any time. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He began kissing her tenderly along her shoulder, up her neck, all over her eyes and cheeks, before finally finding her lips. She felt as if she could melt right then and there. She began to push his jacket off his shoulders, but he stopped her.

“What?” she asked, breathlessly.

“Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Joey lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom like a groom would carry his new bride across the threshold. Once they reached her bedroom, Joey gently set her back down on her feet before he began his exploration of her body. He wanted to kiss every inch of her beautiful body, leaving no spot untouched. Shay began to push his jacket off his shoulders again, and this time he let her. Their eyes stayed locked while they slowly undressed each other. Joey instructed Shay to sit on the bed while he slowly unzipped her boots. He kissed the stocking clad foot before slowly rolling her stockings down her firm legs. No one had ever taken this much time cherishing her and making her feel so sexy and desirable. Once he had her boots and stockings out of the way he lifted her back to her feet. Shay lifted Joey’s shirt off, revealing his firm, sculpted chest. She ran her hands over it laying soft kisses all over his neck and shoulders. She unclasped his necklace and laid it on her dresser before they continued. Joey slowly began to unzip her skirt. Her halter top soon found it’s home on the floor with the rest of her clothes. Everytime she was with a guy for the first time, she felt a bit self conscious when they first see her body. She had this scar about an inch and a half long on her stomach. It had always made her a little self conscious and she never wore anything that showed her stomach at all because of it. She blushed and lowered her eyes, unconsciously covering her scar with her hand.

“I was born..…”

Shay started to explain the scar to him, but she was silenced when Joey put a finger up to her lips. He slowly lowered himself down to his knees. He knelt down in front of her and slowly kissed the scar. Shay felt tears spring to her eyes at the gesture. No one had ever acted this way with her before. Joey stood back up and brought his lips down to hers in a crushing kiss. Shay kissed him back with all the feelings that were running through her. As they kissed, Shay found the button on Joey’s jeans and began to pull them off. Her bra and panties soon followed his pants and boxers in the huge pile of clothes on the floor. Joey threw the covers back on the bed and laid Shay down. He looked down at her for a moment drinking in her beauty as she lay there vulnerable and open to him. He felt this tug at his heart when Shay reached for him to join her. Joey gently laid down beside her pulling the covers over them.. Joey almost sighed just from the pleasure of his bare skin touching hers. He began to kiss her again. Shay wrapped her legs tightly around his hips as he slowly entered her. Joey grunted from the intense pleasure he felt from being inside her. Shay moaned softly as she stretched to accommodate him. Once she was accustomed to him she began to moved under him. They found a steady, slow rhythm together. Neither wanted to rush it. Shay met him thrust for thrust, never breaking the rhythm they found.

“Oh, god you feel so good.”

“Oh, Joey don’t stop please.” she moaned. “I’m so close.”

With Shay’s gentle plea, Joey began to position himself so he could thrust more deeply inside her. He wanted them to climax together. Shay moaned loudly as she began to feel her walls tighten around him. Her nail dug into his back as she screamed out his name as she came. That’s all it took to send Joey over the edge. He remained inside her afterwards, just softly kissing and caressing each other. Shay protested a little when Joey finally pulled out of her. He spooned himself behind her softly kissing along her shoulder and along her neck.

“Any regrets?”

She looked up at him from over her shoulder, “None. Besides you’re a good spooner. That’s a plus.”

He laughed, “Why thank you. Do you want me to leave?”

“Leave and see what I’ll do to you.”

Joey just laughed at her. He gently kissed her goodnight, turned off the lamp, wrapped his arms around her, and they both fell into a deep sleep.

Around 1:30am the others decided to call it a night. Jaimie just got in the passenger side of Lance’s Jeep when she realized she left her keys at Shay’s.

“I hope Shay isn’t asleep yet. I left my keys in her apartment."

“Well, if she is I can bring you back here tomorrow to pick up your truck.”

“Thanks Lance. I appreciate it.”

“You know I’d do anything for you.”

Jaimie smiled, “Thank you. I feel the same way about you.”

Lance smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand. They rode the rest of the way to Shay’s in silence, Lance never let go of her hand.

Shay woke from her peaceful slumber and glanced at the clock. It read 1:30am. She rolled over to face Joey. She watched him as he slept. He was beautiful and so incredibly sexy. Just laying there watching him was beginning to turn her on again. She grinned devilishly as she thought of a plan. She began to rain soft kisses all over his face and shoulders. Instinctively, Joey’s arms tightened around her. This urged her on even more. She tossed the covers off them to give her better access to all of him.. Her hands explored every inch of him from his broad shoulder, his tight round ass, even to his most private part which was growing my the second. Amazingly enough he continued to sleep through it all. As Shay’s tiny hand stroked him he let out a soft moan and began babbling to himself.

“Ah, Shay. Don’t stop. You make me feel so good.”

Shay’s grin got even wider when he moaned her name in his sleep. She managed to get Joey to roll over on his back. She quickly straddled his waist, slowly rocking back and forth. She began kissing him again.

“Joey,.....Joe, wake up.” she whispered between kisses.

“Shay.…” he groaned as his large hands gripped her hips.

“Joey, come on. Please wake up.”

“Hey,” he finally opened his eyes. He moaned softly as she continued her dance over his hips, “I love the way you wake me up.”

“I was hoping you’d like this,” she grinned. “I’m so ready for you.”

“Lift your hips up baby.”

Shay lifted herself up and slowly lowered herself onto Joey’s erection. Both moaned loudly at the intense feeling. Both were so caught up in what they were doing that neither of them heard someone enter the apartment.

Jaimie saw the living room light was still on, so she gently knocked on the door. When no one answered, she tried the door knob. When it opened, she hesitated for a moment before finally entering. She called out to Shay softly, not wanting to wake her if she was asleep. She was starting to get a little worried when she didn’t get an answer. She heard some noises coming from Shay’s bedroom, but the lights were off. She heard Shay begin to scream. Her heart began to race as she ran to her room, threw the door open, and turned on the lights. Nothing could prepare her for what she saw.

Chapter Thirteen

“Oh, holy hell!” Jaimie yelled as she quickly turned and left the room.

“Oh, my God! Joey did she really just walk in here? Please tell me it was my imagination.” Shay froze in her spot atop Joey.

“I wish I could tell you that believe me.”

Shay quickly got off Joey, grabbed her robe, and went to find her. She found Jaimie pacing the living room shaking her head.

“Please tell me I didn’t see what I just thought I saw.” she said, never looking up.

Shay blushed, “How much did you see?”

“You on top of Joey, both of you naked.” Jaimie closed her eyes, trying to block out the image. “What is going on Shay? I thought you were mad at him.”

“I know I was, but he apologized and told me what really happened.”

“And what could he have possibly said to change things SO much between you two?”

Shay sighed, “He apologized for his behavior that night and he explained how he never went home with that girl. That’s what I was the most upset over. After that the rest was history. We had always had this attraction to each other that just couldn’t be denied anymore.”

“Why did you lie about all this then? You could have told me the truth.”

“We wanted to keep this a secret for as long as we could.”

“Why do you want to hide your feelings?”

“It was my idea Jaim. Don’t be mad at her.” Joey said, coming into the living room wrapped in only Shay’s sheet.

“I’m not mad Joe. I just wish you would have been honest with me at least.”

“How did you get in anyway?”

“Your door was open. That worried me a little. Then I thought you were in trouble when you screamed, but it seems like you were far from being in trouble.”

She blushed again, “Oh. Please don’t tell anyone Jaimie. We’d like to keep this to ourselves as long as we can.”

“I won’t say anything I promise. Just don’t lie to me anymore okay.”

“I promise.” Shay hugged her tight, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Why did you come back anyway?”

“I left my car keys in your room.”

“Oh, I’ll get them for you.”

Shay returned with her keys, then Jaimie left.

“Well, that was interesting.”

Joey laughed, “I think it’s funny.”

“You think everything is funny.”

“Where were we before we were interrupted?” Joey asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I was having an intense orgasm before I was rudely interrupted.”

“Let’s go back to bed and let me see if I can help you with that.”

She grinned, “You’ve got a deal.”

They started for the bedroom, but Shay stopped and headed back to the living room.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t want anymore interruptions.” she explained as she quickly locked the door and turned off the light.

Joey just grinned down at her and led her back to the bedroom to finish what they had started.

Jaimie still couldn’t believe what she just saw. She was happy for them, but it was still a sight she wished she never saw. She went back downstairs to let Lance know she had her keys.

“Hey, was she still up?”

“Yep, she was up alright.”

“Okay, well I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Night Lance.” she kissed his cheek.

He smiled down at her, “Goodnight.”

Jaimie just sat in her truck for a moment after Lance drove off. She looked up at Shay’s apartment window and saw the light turn off. She shuddered when she thought of what was going on in there. She quickly started her car and headed home, trying desperately to get the image of those two out of her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When they began rehearsals again Monday, everyone was all rested from the weekend. They began their stretches to warm up before Darren began his training again. Darren started the guys on their routines before going to start the girls. Raquel couldn’t get Justin out of her mind. She tried every way she knew to get him to open up to her, but to no avail. They had been practicing for about an hour, when Raquel’s concentration was broken again with thoughts of Justin. She wasn’t paying any attention to the steps and she tripped and fell flat on her butt. By this time everyone was beginning to get tired and they were in no mood to play around. Everyone except Justin. He couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat. Raquel slowly stood up, glaring at him with cold eyes.

“What is your problem?” she asked, angrily placing her hands on her hips.

Justin was still laughing, “I don’t have a problem.”

“You know what, I’ve had enough of your shit Justin. I want to talk to you outside now!”

Raquel didn’t even wait for a reply before heading towards the door. Justin slowly followed, not sure what to think of her attitude. All of the others just stood there in silence. None of them had ever seen Raquel as mad as she was then. Justin found her pacing the balcony, obviously still very angry.

“What exactly did I do to make you so mad? Was it because I laughed at you? If that’s it I apologize...…”

“Shut up Justin. I have something to say to you and I want you to just be quiet and listen.” Raquel sighed before she began again, “I want to know why sometimes you act like you really like me, and other times like just now you treat me like I’m nothing.”

“I never..…”

“Don’t give me the ‘I never treated you like that’ speech Justin. Every time we get close you push me away. I deserve an answer Justin.”

They stood there in silence for a minute, waiting for him to speak. Justin just stood there with his head down. Raquel fought the tears that threatened to fall from his silence.

“Fine. If that’s the way you’re going to be then just stay the fuck away from me. I don’t want to see you any more than I have to.”

Raquel started for the door when Justin tried to stop her.

“Wait please.” he grabbed her arm.

Raquel jerked her arm away, “Get your hands off me! Don’t touch me.”

“Okay I won’t touch you, but please let me explain.”

“Fine. Talk.”

Justin sighed, “About a year ago I was in this really serious relationship. Her name was Heather. She was smart, beautiful, and she seemed really sweet. We went out for over six months. I was completely in love with her. Of course I was overseas touring and promoting the album at the time. I was completely faithful to her and I never questioned her loyalty. I came home early from touring to surprise her. I walked into her apartment and followed the noises I heard down the hall to her bedroom. I cracked the door and saw her having sex with her old boyfriend that she supposedly dumped for me. I was in such shock, all I could do was stand there. I heard them talk about what a fool I was. She was just using me for my money and fame, while she was loving her ex. I left the apartment and came back about an hour later. When I walked through the door she ran up to me hugging and kissing me like she really missed me. If I hadn’t saw what I saw an hour earlier, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong. That day broke my heart in two and I haven’t even attempted to date anyone since. When I met you I was instantly drawn to you. I couldn’t explain it and it scared me. I was hurt so badly before that I thought the only woman I would ever love would be my mother. I don’t mean to hurt you Raquel. I want to be close to you, I’m just scared. I don’t think I could handle that pain again.”

“I’m sorry Justin. I’ve been hurt badly before too, but you can’t close yourself off from everyone you meet. You may end up losing the one person you were meant to love.”

“You know my greatest fear is dying unloved. If I keep going like this I will.”

Raquel gently caressed his cheek, “That will never happen.”

He covered her hand with his, “Thank you.”

Raquel just smiled sweetly at him. Justin inched closer and closer to her till they were just inches away from each other. He slowly bent his head towards her. Their lips barely touched at first. Justin pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. In them he saw total adoration and complete trust. He brought his lips back down to hers, deepening the kiss. Raquel’s heart began racing wildly in her chest. No one had ever made her feel this way before. Justin hadn’t felt this good in a long time. It had been so long since he allowed himself to get close to anyone. He couldn’t even remember if kissing Heather had ever been this wonderful. He knew Raquel’s feelings were genuine. She wouldn’t use him for his fame or money because she was on her way to fame and fortune herself. Justin couldn’t help but be disappointed when Raquel pulled away.

She smiled, “As much as I’m enjoying this new development in our relationship we’d better get back inside before they think I’ve killed you.”

“They probably will.” Justin laughed, “I’ve never seen you that angry before, and I don’t care to be on the receiving end of that Raquel again.”

“You just better watch it then. There’s only so much I’ll put up with before I snap.”

“I’ll have to remember that. Okay let’s go back inside.”

Justin gave her one more quick kiss before they walked back into the studio with their arms around each other. Everyone looked at them in shock.

“Boy, that’s a big difference from ten minutes ago. We were taking bets on how you killed him.” Shay laughed.

“We had a long overdue talk. Everything is the way it should be.” Justin smiled.

“It’s all good now.”

“This is all sweet guys, but it’s time to get back to work.” Darren said.

Each group went on to do their own routines. they got through the next three hours of practice without anymore drama.

Joey tried to keep his mind on their steps, but he couldn’t keep his mind off Shay. They had spent most of the weekend in bed together. It was wonderful to be with her without any of the hostility. He had never felt this way about anyone before. For the first time in all of his sexual experience, he didn’t want to leave as soon as it was over. He wasn’t proud of that fact, but since he met Shay he’s felt more alive than he ever had before. She brought out another side of him he never knew he had. They had a date to meet at her place again that night around six. Joey smiled to himself when he thought about the plans he had for them. He hoped she’d be pleased. He enjoyed sex with Shay very much, but he didn’t want that to be all there was between them. He couldn’t wait till tonight. After rehearsals, everyone went to take a quick shower before heading home. When Shay went out to her car there was a white envelope on her windshield. On the front was her name Shannon written in calligraphy. She looked around the parking lot but no one was in sight. She got in her car and just sat there for a moment looking at the envelope. It was sealed with melted wax like they did back in the old days. She finally opened the envelop and pulled out the card. It was also written in calligraphy and it read...

Joseph Fatone cordially requests the pleasure of your company Monday, February 8, 1999 at 6 o’clock in the evening. Formal wear required.

A grin spread across her face as she read the card. Her heart started racing from the excitement she felt. She looked at the clock on the dash, it read 4:37pm. She quickly started her car and headed home to begin getting ready for their evening. When she got upstairs to her apartment there was a note on her door from her landlord saying she let a delivery guy in to leave a package for her. When she walked into her apartment, there was two dozen pink roses sitting on her table with two large boxes sitting beside them. She read the card with the flowers first.

Shannon-

I can’t wait to see you again.

J.

She breathed in the sweet scent of the beautiful roses before opening her packages. Inside the first package was a gorgeous black evening gown. It was a floor length strapless crushed black velvet dress with a slit all the way up the thigh. It was so soft and it felt so wonderful against her skin. She held it up to her and twirled around feeling giddy like a schoolgirl. She looked back in that same box and there was a matching wrap in the bottom. She laid the dress across her couch and opened the smaller box. There was a pair of black velvet heels and a matching handbag in it. Her head was spinning from all of this. She never imagined Joey could be this sweet. She quickly took another shower and began getting ready for her special evening with Joey.

When Raquel walked out of the locker room, Justin was waiting outside for her. She smiled up at him as she walked towards him.

“I thought Raven and I were the only ones left.”

“I think JC is still here too actually.”

“Oh, okay. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner with me tonight. I’ll take you anywhere you want.”

“You promise to take me anywhere I want?”

“Just name it. Price is not an issue. You decide and that’s where we’ll go.”

“How about a hot dog and a roller coaster?”

“What?” he frowned, confused.

“Let’s go ride some rides at Disney World and just grab a hot dog or something.”

Justin laughed, “A girl after my own heart. Now that is what I call fun!”

“Well let’s go.”

Justin and Raquel headed off to Disney for a fun night of games and rides.

JC and Raven were the only two left in the studio. Raven’s hormones were in overdrive because she couldn’t stop thinking about JC’s body all day long. She even loved the way he sweated. He was driving her mad. She wrapped herself in a towel and peeked out the locker room. She didn’t see anyone so she ran across the floor to the guys locker room. The room was filled with so much steam she could hardly see in front of her. She followed the sound of the running water, praying it was JC that was still there. The closer she got to the stall she began to make out the form. It was definitely JC. She smiled to herself as she approached. She threw her towel over with his and stepped inside the shower. She just stood behind him for a moment admiring his beautiful physique. JC felt eyes on him, he slowly turned around and saw Raven standing behind him. He was shocked to see her there. His surprise quickly melted into pure passion, as they stepped towards each other crushing their lips to each other in a searing kiss. JC stepped back so the hot spray would run over them. Their wet bodies moved together and in one swift motion, JC lifted her up and entered her. Raven cried out in pleasure from the invasion. They moved together in a series of frenzied motions. Raven’s legs gripped his hips as she rode him hard. Neither heard anyone else enter the locker room.

Lance was on his way out the studio when he realized he left his keys on the counter in the locker room. He jogged back inside to get them when he heard moaning coming from one of the shower stalls. His first thought was maybe it was Justin and Raquel, but he quickly dismissed that idea. The next option was Joey and Shay. He knew both of them were gone already. Then the realization hit him. The only two it could possibly be is Raven and JC. He started to just walk away as if he never heard anything, but his feet moved him further into the room. He stopped in his tracks when his suspicions were confirmed. Anger surged within him. He couldn’t believe JC was cheating on Jaimie with Raven. His first thought was to go to Jaimie immediately. He realized he couldn’t do that. JC was his best friend too. How could he hurt Jaimie like that and betray JC? He knew JC was wrong, but he was also one of his best friends. He walked out of the locker room trying to decide what to do. He thought about staying to talk to JC, but he knew as angry as he was that he shouldn’t. He might end up doing or saying something he would regret and couldn’t take back. He left the studio and went home, knowing he had a big decision to make.

JC and Raven finally came together, both shuddering from the intensity of their orgasms. Raven slowly unwrapped her legs from around him, but she never let go with her arms. They both stood there for a moment while they came down.

“Wow.” she whispered breathlessly.

JC grinned, “Definitely wow. Thank you for coming to visit me.”

“I have been wanting this for so long. I just couldn’t wait any longer.”

“I know what you mean. I was just standing here thinking about how badly I wanted you, and then you appeared like magic.”

“I wish we didn’t have to sneak around.”

JC kissed her forehead, “I know. This wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t promised Jaimie I would help her. This plan was even my idea, but I never imagined I’d meet you. I want to be with you, but I love Jaimie. She’s the sweetest girl and I want to help her. She’s so in love with Lance. If he would just step up and admit his feelings to us then all of our problems would be solved.”

“I know. That makes me want you more. You’re so sweet and considerate of other people.”

“I guess we’d better get ready to go before they lock us in here.”

“That wouldn’t be too bad.”

JC laughed, “It wouldn’t be bad being locked in here with you, but it would be bad when the others came in in the morning and find us together.”

“Okay, good point. I guess I’ll go get dressed.”

Raven reluctantly pulled away from JC’s embrace. She grabbed her towel and went back to the other locker room to get dressed. She emerged fifteen minutes later and found JC waiting for her.

She blushed slightly, “Hi.”

“You know you’re even cuter when you blush.” he smiled.

“Thank you I think,” she paused for a moment. “So do you want to come over to my place for dinner or something?”

“I’d love to , but I need to go play boyfriend. I haven’t been a very good one lately.”

“I understand. Hopefully soon though right?”

“Very soon.”

JC and Raven walked together out the studio, but kept their distance. When they got to her car they stood there in awkward silence for a moment.

JC laughed, “Under normal circumstances, I’d know how to act, but now it’s all confusing.”

“I know what you mean.”

“So, I guess I’ll just say goodnight and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Raven smiled, “I guess so.”

JC bend down and slowly kissed her cheek.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

JC jogged over to his car and drove away. Raven just sat in her car for a moment after JC pulled off. Hot tears streamed down her face. She knew she and JC couldn’t be together, and now that they made love, it was going to be so hard to stay away from him. She knew he had to go through with his promise to Jaimie, and no matter how she may hate it, she admired him for it. She wiped her eyes and headed home for another night alone with just her dog for company.

JC pulled into Jaimie’s driveway around 5:15pm. She had just gotten home from work. Lance had been driving around just thinking since he left the studios. He had eventually turned his Jeep onto Jaimie’s street. His anger flared up again when he saw JC walking up to Jaimie’s door. He slowed down and watched as Jaimie’s face lit up when she saw JC. JC picked her up in a bear hug before going into her house. Lance slammed on the gas and sped off not knowing where he was going next.

Chapter Fourteen

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Jaimie asked as JC hugged her.

“Playing your boyfriend.”

“Well, I feel so special.”

“You are special."

“Awe, thank you.” Jaimie smiled. “Come in and make yourself at home. I was just going to grab a quick shower, just go in the living room. I’ll be out in about fifteen minutes.”

“Alrighty then.”

Jaimie ran to her bathroom, threw her hair up in a clip, and jumped in the shower. She emerged about ten minutes later in a pair of gray drawstring jogging pants and a white tank top sans bra. She found JC rummaging through her fridge.

“You’re not going to find much of anything in there I’m afraid.”

“So I’ve noticed. You want to order take-out?” he asked as he peeked at her from over the top of the refrigerator door.

“Sure. How about Chinese?”

JC grinned, “You know me so well.”

“I know, I know.”

Jaimie dialed up a Chinese delivery place and ordered sesame chicken for her and chicken chow mien for JC. As soon as she hung up from the restaurant her phone rang.

Shay was ready to go by 5:45pm. She was a little antsy so she decided to call Jaimie to have something to do as she waited for Joey. The phone rang once before she answered it.

“Hello?”

"Hey. What’s up?"

“Nothing much. Just getting ready to have dinner with JC.”

“JC’s there?”

“Yep, he’s playing loyal boyfriend tonight.”

“Awe, that’s sweet.”

“So what’s up with you? How’s that thing coming?”

“Things are going well. We had a nice time this weekend. He’s taking me out tonight though I have no clue where. All he left me was a note on my car written in calligraphy telling me what time to be ready. I came home to two dozen pink roses and he bought me an evening gown, a wrap, a pair of heels, and a handbag.” Shay sighed happily, “It’s nice.”

“Wow. I can’t believe it. I never would have guessed he’d be that romantic.”

“I know. I’m so excited. I just had to tell someone.”

“Well, I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll be happy when I can listen to your stories of you and Lance.”

“Me too believe me.”

“I’ll let you get back to your evening with JC. I’ll call you later.”

“You’d better. Have fun for me.”

“I will believe me. Bye.”

Jaimie laughed, “Bye.”

Jaimie hung up the phone, chuckling to herself.

“Who was that?”

“Um, that was my sister in law.”

“Oh,” JC laughed. “Which one.”

“Laura. Why?”

“Just wondering.” he shrugged.

“Okay the delivery place said about twenty minutes.”

“Great. I’m starved.”

“I know. Me too." Jaimie said as she began to pull some cash from her wallet.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting money for my food.”

“I don’t think so. Put that back.”

“What?”

“I told you I’m playing boyfriend tonight. Dinner is on me.”

“JC you don’t have to. I can pay for myself.”

“I don’t want to hear anything else about it. I’m paying that’s final.”

“Yep, you’re acting like a boyfriend alright.”

“Ha Ha, very funny.”

“Wanna watch a movie? We can even watch Sleepless In Seattle. I know you wanted to see that movie the other night.”

“Meg Ryan here we come.” JC exclaimed excitedly.

Jaimie and JC settled in on the couch to watch the movie. About fifteen minutes later her door bell rang.

“I’ll get it.”

JC jogged to the door to pay for the food. They both immediately dug into their food. Neither could finish their plates.

Jaimie groaned, “I’m so full.”

“I know so am I. I could take a nap.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Jaimie and JC sat in silence to watch the rest of the movie.

Shay jumped at the sound of her doorbell. Her heart began hammering in her chest as she went to answer the door. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. Joey stood in front of her in a traditional black and white tuxedo, holding a single pink rose. He was truly beautiful.

Joey’s heart literally stopped at the sight of Shay. She was breathtaking. The dress he chose for her fit her perfectly and clung to all of her curves. His fantasies of her in that dress was nothing compared to the real thing.

“For you Lady Shannon.” Joey smiled as he handed her a single rose.

Shay smiled, “Thank you. Thank you for all of this. It means a lot to me.”

“Please don’t thank me yet. You don’t know if you will like where we’re going yet.”

“I don’t care....as long as I’m with you.”

He smiled affectionately, “Thank you.” He stepped aside and offered her his arm, “Shall we?”

“Of course.”

When they walked downstairs, Shay was surprised yet again to see a limousine waiting for them. Joey opened the door and assisted her as she climbed in.

“Joey this is too much. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

“It’s not too much. I don’t think it’s enough.”

“You’re amazing, do you know that?”

“I’m not amazing. I’m just me.”

“Well, I like you.”

Joey smiled, “I like you too.”

Shay rested her head on his shoulder as they rode to the restaurant. The limo stopped in front of the nicest, most expensive Italian restaurant in Orlando, Villa Romano. The valet attendant opened their door and Joey climbed out first. After he buttoned his jacket, he held his hand out for Shay.

“I don’t know how many more surprises I can stand.” she said as she climbed out of the limo.

He grinned, “I hope you like Italian.”

“It’s my favorite.”

“Good.”

The Matradee greeted them as soon as they walked through the door.

“Good evening. Welcome to Villa Romano.”

“Thank you. I’m Joseph Fatone, I believe we spoke this afternoon.”

“Ah, yes. Please follow me.”

He grabbed two menus and the wine list and escorted them to the private dining room. The room was beautifully lit with candles everywhere. Again, pink roses adorned the tables and even stood on top of the huge grand piano in the corner of the room. There was already a pianist there playing soft, romantic music. Joey pulled out Shay’s chair for her before sitting across from her.

“Would you like to try something from our wine list?”

“Would you like some white wine with dinner?” he asked Shay.

“Sure.” she smiled.

They brought out a nice bottle of white wine for them to try. Once Joey approved, the waiter poured them both glasses. Shay looked over her menu, but everything was written in Italian. She flipped the menu over and sighed in relief when there was an English version. Joey saw this and smiled over at her.

“Can’t read Italian?”

Shay blushed, “No.”

“Me neither. I’m glad you can’t either.” He quickly began to explain, “I was afraid I’d end up ordering fish eggs or something cause I couldn’t read the menu. Then I’d end up having to eat the eggs anyway cause I wouldn’t want to look like I didn’t know what I was doing or what I was ordering.”

“Joey, slow down. It’s okay. You not knowing Italian isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”

“Sorry.” He paused for a moment, “So, what do you want tonight?”

“Hmmmm. Everything looks good. I think I’ll go with the lasagna.”

“Um, that sounds good. I think I’ll try the veal parmagiana.”

“Oh, that sounds good too. We’ll have to share.”

Joey smiled, “That sounds like a plan to me.” He looked over at the piano, then once again met Shay’s gaze, “Would you do me the honor?”

Joey stood and extended his had to Shay. She smiled up at him and gently placed her hand in his. He led her over to the dance floor where they began to sway to the soft sound of the piano. Joey’s arm was tight around her waist, and he held her hand firmly against his chest. Shay was completely mesmerizing. She was truly the most beautiful girl he’d ever been with. He just couldn’t resist any longer. He bent his head down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Shay’s legs felt like rubber as he continued to kiss her. She was glad he was holding her so tightly, or else she wouldn’t be able to hold herself up. No one had ever treated her like this before. This was the most wonderful moment in her life. She clung tighter to Joey, as if she was afraid that if she let him go he would disappear. When Joey finally broke the kiss, both of them were breathless. They just looked into each other’s eyes as they danced. Their connection was broken by someone clearing his throat. They looked over and saw the waiter standing there.

“Pardon me sir, but dinner is served.”

Joey smiled warmly at the waiter, “Thank you.”

Joey led Shay back over to their table and held her chair for her again before taking his seat across from her again.

“This all looks so good.”

“I know.”

Shay cut her a piece of her lasagna and tasted it. It was delicious. She had never had better.

“Oh, wow. This is wonderful.”

“Good. I’m glad you like yours. Now it’s my turn.” He paused for a moment as he took at bite of his food, “Mmm, mine’s great too.”

Shay smiled, “Wanna taste mine?”

“Of course.”

Shay cut another piece of her lasagna and leaned over with her fork to feed it to him.

“Wow, you’re right. It was wonderful. You’re turn.”

Joey fed her a piece of his veal just like she had fed him.

“Mmmmm, that’s good.” she smiled.

Joey motioned with his finger for her to come closer. They both leaned across the table until their lips met in another sweet kiss. After a moment, Joey broke the kiss and grinned at her.

“That tasted much better though.”

Shay laughed, “Oh, behave.”

Joey just grinned over at her and they both continued their dinner with pleasant conversation. Both realized they could talk to each other about anything. When Shay thought there couldn’t be anymore surprises up Joey’s sleeve, she was taken aback yet again. She couldn’t believe her eyes when they got outside the restaurant.

JC was still at Jaimie’s around 8pm when her phone rang again.

“Hello?”

“Is this Jaimie Holland?” a strange male voice asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you know a guy named Lance?”

Jaimie felt her heart leap into her throat, “Yes, is something wrong? Is he alright?”

“He’s just very drunk. He kept babbling your name and saying something about a JC and a Raven, whatever that means. I was finally able to get your phone number from him. Can you come pick him up? He’s very intoxicated and shouldn’t drive. If you can’t I’ll call him a cab.”

“No, I’ll come get him. Where is he?”

“Revolutions. Do you know where it is?”

Jaimie sighed, “Yeah, it’s not but a few miles away. I’ll be there in 10 minutes at the most.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Thanks for calling me.”

“No problem.”

Jaimie hung up the phone and turned back to JC.

“What’s going on?” JC asked worried.

“That was the bartender at Revolutions. Apparently, Lance is drunk off his ass. I’m going to pick him up.”

“Lance is drunk? He hardly ever drinks anything.”

“I know.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No, I’ll be okay. You go ahead home. I’ll call you once I get him settled.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “Thanks for dinner.”

“No problem. Don’t forget to call me now.”

“I promise I will.”

After JC left, Jaimie just grabbed her little white sweater out of her closet, slipped on her sneakers without bothering with socks, and headed towards the bar to pick up Lance, wondering what could have possibly gotten into him.

Justin never knew Raquel had so much energy. She drug him from ride to ride, never losing any steam. Not even after their rehearsals.

“Damn girl slow down. You’re going to pull my arm out of joint.”

Raquel laughed, “I’m sorry. I just always loved amusement parks.”

“Well, I do too, but after rehearsals today I just can’t believe you still have all this energy.”

“I’ll be dragging tomorrow probably.”

Justin finally got Raquel to slow down. They walked together at a leisurely pace holding hands. They walked past an arcade, but they turned around and went in, neither could resist. Of course Justin went straight to the basketball game, and after two tries won Raquel a stuffed tiger. Justin spotted a photo booth and pulled Raquel towards it.

“Justin, I look terrible. Please don’t.”

“No you don’t you look beautiful,” he pouted. “Come on, do it for me please.”

“Ugh, you don’t play fair Justin!”

He grinned, “I know.”

Raquel conceded and followed Justin into the booth. Justin sat down and pulled Raquel into his lap. For the first two pictures they both made faces at the camera, for one they looked at each other grinning, another they smiled at the camera, and for the last one they kissed. They waited impatiently for their pictures to develop.

“These things take forever.”

“Oh, quit whining. It was fun.”

“I’m not whining.” she said defensively. “I just voiced my opinion.”

Finally about five minutes later their pictures came out. Raquel jerked them up first to look at them.

“I told you I look terrible.” she groaned.

“Let me see.” Justin begged as he tried to get the pictures from her.

“No! They’re terrible.”

“Raquel, let me see them please.”

Raquel finally gave him the pictures. His grin grew as he looked at them.

“These are too cute. Why don’t you like them?”

She began to play with her hair nervously, “Because I look..…”

“Oh, stop with that. You look great. Even when you’re all sweaty at rehearsals I’ve never seen you look bad.”

Raquel smiled, “You’re sweet. Thank you.”

“Can I keep these?”

“As long as you don’t use them for blackmail material.”

Justin grinned, “There’s a thought.”

She hit him playfully, “Stop it.”

Justin threw his arm around her waist and led her out of the arcade. They found the nearest concession stand to get some dinner. Raquel got her hot dog, Justin ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza, they got an order of cheese fries to share, and they each got a Pepsi.

“We’re both probably going to get sick from all this junk food you know.”

Justin laughed, “Probably, but it’s still good food.”

“Yep, everyone’s allowed to splurge every now and then.”

“That’s right.”

After they ate, it was about 8pm. They walked around the shops for a while to let their food settle. They both bought a pair of mouse ears and decided to walk around the park in them. They rode several more rides before heading home. They talked about everything together as Justin drove back to the studio for Raquel to pick up her car.

“Well, here we are.”

She smiled over at him, “I had a great time tonight.”

“Yeah, so did I.” he gave his famous lopsided grin.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yep, and I don’t want to see you draggin’ your feet.”

“Whatever Timberlake.”

Justin leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss. He pulled back a moment later and smiled at her.

“Goodnight Raquel. Sweet dreams.”

“I’m sure I will. Goodnight.”

After he made sure Raquel was safely in her car, Justin headed home. Both went straight to bed exhausted from their day, but with content smiles on their faces.

When they got outside the restaurant, Shay had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Waiting outside for them was a horse drawn carriage. It was a white carriage adorned with more beautiful pink roses, pulled by a white stallion. The driver stepped down from the carriage to open the door for them. Joey assisted Shay as she climbed in then sat down beside her.

“Okay you haven’t said anything. Is that good or bad?” he asked after they rode in silence for a while.

She looked up at him with watery eyes, “It’s definitely good.”

He gently took her face in his hands, “Don’t cry Shay.”

She laughed through her tears, “I can’t help it. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

“Well, that’s a shame. I promise to try to let you know how much I care for you.”

“You don’t have to do this all the time, believe me this is more than enough. I just really appreciate the fact that you thought enough about me to do this.”

“I don’t ever want you to doubt that I care.”

“I care about you too.”

Shay reached up and kissed him softly then laid her head on his shoulder as they rode through the streets of Orlando.

Chapter Fifteen

Jaimie pulled into the parking lot of Revolutions ten minutes after she hung up with the bartender. She easily spotted Lance’s Jeep. Since it was a Monday night, the bar really wasn’t busy. When she walked in the door, she was immediately eyed up and down by the male patrons. She just ignored the cat calls and headed toward the bar.

“Hi, I’m not sure who I talked to earlier, but I’m Jaimie. Someone called me to pick up Lance.”

“Yeah, that was me. He’s down at the other end. I stopped serving him about five minutes before I called you. He wasn’t happy about that.”

“Oh, Lance.” she sighed as she looked down the bar and saw him.

She quickly went down to the end of the bar that he sat at. The bartender followed her down there. Lance was slumped over the bar with his head down. Jaimie gently ran her fingers through his hair, then looked at the bartender teary eyed.

“Thank you for calling me.”

“No problem. Listen, I don’t mean to pry or anything, but I can tell you love him. I’m pretty sure he feels the same, with the way he’s been babbling all night. Just take care of each other.”

Jaimie smiled, “Okay, thanks.”

The bartender just nodded and went back to his customers. Jaimie gently shook him to try to wake him up.

“Lance....Lance, it’s time to go.” she spoke softly.

Lance slowly began to stir.

“Jaimie is that you?” he slurred.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“This isn’t a dream?”

“Lance, if this was a dream I’d hope you’d pick a prettier place than this and you’d make me look beautiful unlike I look now.”

Lance tried to stand, “You are beautiful.”

Jaimie caught Lance before he fell to the floor. After a few minutes, he was finally able to walk out with Jaimie’s help.

“I can drive myself.”

“Oh, no you’re not. I’m taking you home.”

Lance clung to Jaimie as she helped him try to walk, “My Jaimie, my sweet Jaimie.”

Jaimie didn’t say anything, she just helped him get into the passenger side of her truck. Lance fell asleep again on the ride to his apartment. Jaimie gently caressed his face as he slept. He was still beautiful even while he was drunk. She pulled into his driveway about five minutes later. She quickly got out and went over to help him out. Once she got him out of her truck, she activated her alarm system before heading upstairs. Luckily he only lived on the second floor. It took her a while to fish his keys from his pocket and hold him up. Once she got him into his bedroom, he seemed to come alive. Jaimie quickly took off her sweater and sneakers before trying to settle him down.

Lance staggered to his stereo, “We need music.”

“No, Lance. It’s time for you to go to bed.”

He frowned, “I ain’t sleepy. I wanna dance. I wanna dance with you.”

“Lance...…”

He pulled her into his embrace, “I just want to hold you for a while.”

Jaimie slowly relaxed in his embrace. The soft sounds of a country station filtered through his stereo.

We’ve been friends for a long, long time
You tell me your secrets
And I tell you mine
She’s left you all alone and feeling like no one cares
But I’ve never failed you
I’ve always been there

You tell your story
It sounds a bit like mine
It’s the same old situation
That happens every time
Can’t we see it
Oh, maybe you and me
Is what’s meant to be
Or do we disagree

What if I told you
What if I said
That I love you
How would you feel
What would you think
What would we do
Do we dare to cross that line
Between your heart and mine
Or would I lose a friend
Or find a love that would never end
What if I said

Jaimie buried her face in his neck and cried softly as she listened to the words of the song that fit their situation perfectly.

“Hey,” he pulled away so he could look at her. “Why are you crying?”

She tried hard to smile, “It’s just a beautiful song.”

“Don’t cry.”

Lance gently brushed her tears away. He just looked at her for a moment. He bent down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Jaimie was shocked at first, but she slowly began to return the kiss with just as much passion as he was giving. Lance’s hands began exploring Jaimie’s body. Her mind shouted for her to stop this now, but her heart and body wanted and needed him too badly. Surprisingly, even thought he was drunk, Lance wasn’t clumsy at all. They broke the kiss long enough to catch their breath. She knew that if this was going to stop she had to stop it now. He caressed her face and ran his thumb over his lips that were swollen from his kisses. She knew she had to be with him, even if it was for only one night. She quickly pulled his T-shirt over his head, then began to kiss and explore his firm chest. She heard him moan as she gently nipped and sucked on various places on his chest. He brought her face back up to his and crushed his lips to hers. Lance’s hands began their journey up under her tank top, gently stroking her bare back, causing her to shiver from the desire that was building. Jaimie’s breath caught in her throat as Lance began to caress her bare breasts. Lance began kissing along her jawline, down the column of her throat, then began gently sucking on her neck. He grabbed the bottom of her tank top and lifted it off her. She stood in front of him a little shy. She never let a man see her naked before. She instinctively crossed her arms in front of her. Lance gently uncrossed her arms and pulled her to him. He kissed her bare shoulder and began making his way back up to her lips. She felt wonderful pressed against him , skin on skin. He began to untie her jogging pants. They were so baggy on her that as soon as they were untied, they dropped to the floor. Lance guided her to sit on the edge of the bed while he pulled them off. Once he had her pants off, he removed her panties. He stood there for a moment, hungrily drinking in the sight of her. She was beautiful. His erection pressed uncomfortably against his zipper. Jaimie must have read his mind, she began to undo his belt and slowly unzipped his jeans. Lance almost sighed from the relief. She switched places with Lance, making him sit on the bed while she finished undressing him. Once both were rid of their clothes, they got under the covers and began kissing and stroking each other again. Lance positioned himself at her entrance and began to gently push into her. He stopped when he felt something that seemed like a thin barrier. He looked down at her confused for a moment. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and desire. He began kissing her again then quickly thrust into her breaking the barrier that stood in his way. She cried out from the sharp pain of his invasion. He laid still for a moment, letting her adjust to him. He continued kissing and caressing her, trying to soothe the pain away. After a few moments, the pain began to fade into intense pleasure. When she began to move under him, he slowly began to thrust in and out of her. She began meeting him thrust for thrust. She clung to him desperately not wanting this to ever end.

“Oh god, Jaimie.” he moaned.

“Lance, please don’t stop. Love me forever.”

Lance began pumping into her faster and faster. When her walls started tightening around him, it was all he needed. Both came together, crying out each others name. Afterwards they laid there for a moment both catching their breath. Lance slowly pulled out of her, but he kept her wrapped in his arms. He slowly began to fade into a peaceful slumber.

“I love you Jaimie.” he mumbled as his eyes began to drift closed.

Jaimie lay there frozen for a moment. She just watched him as he slept. Did he really mean that or was that just the alcohol talking? She gently stroked his cheek, tears streaming down her face. Their love making had been the most beautiful experience she had ever had. She knew he probably wouldn’t even remember what happened when he woke in the morning. She knew she had to leave. She couldn’t bare the thought of waking up in his arms and him looking at her in disgust. She had taken advantage of him being drunk. She couldn’t bring herself to regret it. She knew that this may be the only time she would have to be with him. She glanced at the clock, it read 10:36pm. She slid out of Lance’s arms and padded over to Lance’s phone. She quickly dialed JC.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.” she whispered.

“Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick. Why are you whispering?”

“Um, I just got Lance to sleep. I don’t want to wake him.”

“How bad was he?”

“He was pretty bad. Listen, I just wanted to call and let you know I got him home and everything is fine. I’m going to go home myself.”

“Okay, well drive careful.”

“I will. You may need to pick Lance up on the way to rehearsals tomorrow since his Jeep is still at the bar.”

“No problem. I’ll stop by early to drop him off at his car.”

“Okay, one more thing JC. If he asks how he got home can you tell him you brought him home.”

“Sure, but why?”

She felt guilty for lying, but she didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. “I don’t want him to get upset about me having to pick him up.”

“No problem. Well, night Jaimie.”

“Goodnight.”

After Jaimie hung up with JC she turned back towards Lance’s bed. He slept so peacefully. She wished she could crawl back into his arms and stay there forever. She again fought the tears that burned in her eyes. She slowly began to get dressed wincing a little at the soreness between her legs as she pulled her panties back on. Once she dressed, she went over to Lance’s side of the bed and stood there looking at him for a moment. She bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She quickly turned and left the room before her resolve faded. She locked his apartment, got in her truck and headed home. She went straight to bed and cried herself to sleep.

Shay and Joey rode around Orlando for about an hour. The carriage dropped them back off at the restaurant, where the limo was still waiting for them. Joey walked Shay back up to her apartment to say goodnight.

“I had a wonderful time tonight Joey. Thank you so much.” she smiled.

“You don’t have to thank me. It was my pleasure.”

“How can I possibly return this favor?”

Joey grinned, “Oh, I can think of several things.”

Shay couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re bad.”

“I know.” He paused for a moment, “Well, I guess this is goodnight.”

“Unfortunately, this night does have to end.”

“I wish it didn’t too.”

Joey pulled Shay into his arms and kissed her tenderly. A few moments later, he pulled away.

“As much as I want to stay, I’d better get going. We have rehearsals again tomorrow.”

Shay rolled her eyes, “Don’t remind me.” He paused for a moment, “Well, goodnight Joey.”

Joey bent down and kissed her hand, “Goodnight Lady Shannon.”

Joey grinned and turned to leave. Shay watched him for a moment, trying to figure him out. She drew a blank. She just shook her head and chuckled to herself. As she got undressed, she replayed that night in her mind. She couldn’t wait to tell Jaimie about it. She glanced at the clock, it read 10:42pm. She decided to call her tomorrow. She went to sleep, dreaming of her wonderful night with Joey.

When Jaimie woke the next morning, her eyes were dry and scratchy from crying. She grudgedly got out of bed and got in the shower. She just stood there under the hot spray for a while and began to cry again softly. She still ached from the night before, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. She calmed down enough to finish her shower. She wrapped herself in a towel and stood in front of her mirror just staring at herself. She looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had bags under her eyes. She knew she couldn’t make it through the day at work. She called in to work and told them she wasn’t feeling well. Afterwards, she turned the ringer off her phone, climbed back into bed, wanting to shut everyone out.

Chapter Sixteen

When Shay woke up it was about 9am. She had to be at rehearsals by 11am. She dialed up Jaimie’s work number to see if she could talk to her.

“South Bay OBGYN, Jo Ann speaking.”

“Hi, may I speak with Jaimie?”

“Jaimie’s out sick today. May I take a message?”

“Oh, okay.” she said surprised. “Um, no thanks. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay immediately dialed Jaimie’s home number but got no answer. Shay began to get worried. She jumped in the shower, got dressed, and headed straight to Jaimie’s. She saw Jaimie’s truck parked in the driveway, so she rang the doorbell. She really began to worry when she didn’t answer the door. She walked around to the other side of the house and banged on the back door. About five minutes later, Jaimie opened the door.

“What is wrong with you? You’ve had me worried sick....you look terrible.”

Jaimie just burst into tears right then. Shay immediately folded her in her arms and held onto her while she cried. They made their way over to her couch where Shay sat and instructed Jaimie to lay her head in her lap. She just sat there stroking her hair and just let her get it all out. Once her tears subsided, she sat up and looked at Shay. She looked absolutely broken hearted.

“Why don’t you go splash some water on your face and then you can come back and tell me what’s going on.”

Jaimie just nodded and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Shay looked at the clock, it read 10:22am. She knew she couldn’t leave her like this, so she quickly dialed the studio and left a message for Darrin to let him know she wouldn’t be able to make it to rehearsals for personal reasons. She told the girl to let them know she’d be there tomorrow.

“Did someone call?”

“No, I called the studio to let Darren know I couldn’t make it to rehearsals.”

“You don’t have to do that for me.” she whispered.

“Don’t even go there girlfriend. Come sit down and tell me what’s going on.”

Jaimie sat back on the couch beside Shay and pulled her knees up to her chest. She looked a little better after washing her face, but her eyes were still swollen and bloodshot from crying.

“Lance......Lance and I…” she fought to control her voice as tears threatened to fall once more. “Lance and I made love last night.”

Shay just sat there for a moment speechless. She couldn’t believe what she just said, and she didn’t understand why she was so upset.

“Really? That’s great news Jaim. Why the tears?”

“Because he was drunk. I got a phone call from the bartender at Revolutions asking me to pick him up. I took him home and things happened. I took advantage of the situation. I was so desperate to have him, even if it was only for one night.”

“Honey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I don’t feel guilty about it.”

“Then tell me again why are you so upset?” she asked, confused.

“Because last night was the most beautiful moment in my life. I gave the man I love my virginity, and..” she choked back her tears “he probably won’t even remember it happened.”

“Awe, sweetie. I’m sorry. You didn’t stay at his place last night?”

“No, I left and came home. I didn’t think I could bear it if he woke up with me beside him and he be disappointed or upset.”

“I don’t think that would happen. I know Lance really cares about you.”

“I know he cares about me, but he was a virgin too Shay. He told me he was holding himself till he was with someone he really loved. I just couldn’t stand it if he was angry at me for taking that away from him.”

Shay sighed, “Oh, Jaimie. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I just need to accept this the way it is and leave it at that.”

“I wish you could just be happy that you were able to be with him, even if it’s only for one night.”

“I will always cherish that night, but it’s just hard to be happy with only the memory. Do you know what I mean?”

“I understand. I wish I could help ease the pain for you.”

“I know, but you just being here is a comfort to me.”

“I’ll always be here for you, and I won’t ever tell anyone anything about his, even Joey.”

Jaimie tried to give a watery smile, “Thanks.”

They sat together in silence for a while.

“Hey, why don’t we order take out and watch movies with people who’s lives are worse than ours.”

Jaimie laughed for the first time, “You mean like Beaches and Steel Magnolias?”

“Exactly!”

“Okay, deal.”

Shay ordered them a large pizza and they settled in for a day of sappy movies and just enjoyed each others company.

When Lance woke the next morning, he felt as though his head was going to explode. His mouth was parched and his stomach was churning. He threw his covers back and noticed he was naked. He frowned in confusion. He couldn’t remember what happened, he had these pictures in his mind of making love to Jaimie, but he just assumed it was all a dream. It had felt so real though. Her touching him, her body under his as he loved her. He just shook his head, but stopped quickly when pain shot through his head. It was then that his doorbell ran. He grabbed his robe and went to answer it.

“Man, you look like shit.”

Lance sighed, “Well, thanks for telling me. At least now I know I look like I feel. What are you doing here?”

“Well, I brought you home last night, so I thought I’d drop you off at your Jeep today.”

“Oh, whatever. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Okay, I’ll just make myself at home.”

Lance went to his bathroom and immediately took three extra strength Tylenol, praying it would help ease the headache. He jumped in the shower and let the water run over him for a while. He emerged ten minutes later completely unaware of the 8 red scratches down his back. After he was dressed, he threw on his sunglasses and was ready to go. The ride back to Revolutions was a silent one. Lance was still angry at JC for cheating on Jaimie with Raven, but he didn’t feel like arguing so he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t even say anything when they got to the club, he just got out of JC’s car and climbed into his Jeep. JC didn’t think anything of it. He just assumed he was in a bad mood from his hangover. Everyone showed up for rehearsals except for Shay. Everyone was worried something had happened to her.

“Has anyone talked to her?” Raquel asked.

“I haven’t.” Raven answered.

Everyone else just shook their heads, Joey was worried. He hoped everything was okay. Darren walked in reading his messages.

“Good afternoon everyone. Shay will not be joining us today. She left a message at the desk saying she’d be in tomorrow and that it was personal. So, let’s get to work. We’ll do what we can without Shay.”

They all began their warm ups before starting their routines. Raven and Raquel struggled with their steps. It was just difficult doing them without Shay because they couldn’t really judge their steps as well. They guys were doing find with theirs. Despite his splitting headache, Lance continued moving in time with the others. He didn’t speak to anyone hardly that afternoon. JC was laughing and cutting up between breaks. Lance was getting more irritated with him the more time passed. JC was constantly flirting with Raven too, that just made everything worse. By the time 2pm rolled around, Lance was hot, sweaty, still had a splitting headache, and had his fill of JC.

“JC, I need to talk to you outside now!” Lance yelled.

JC had no clue what was going on. He just shrugged and followed Lance outside.

“What’s up Lance?”

Lance glared at him, “Are you going to tell her or should I?”

“Tell who what?” he asked confused.

“Tell Jaimie about what happened in the locker room yesterday between you and Raven.”

All the color drained from JC’s face. He had no idea anyone had seen them. Even worse, it had been Lance that seen them. It could ruin everything.

JC’s voice cracked, “You saw?”

“Yes I saw you! How could you do that to Jaimie?”

“Lance calm down.…”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. I want to know what could have possessed you to do that.”

“Every since I met Raven there’s been this attraction. I was drawn to her and vice versa. We never knew anyone was still here.”

“Is that supposed to make it alright, JC?”

“No, but.…”

Lance cut him off, “Did you think you could have Jaimie with Raven on the side? Is that what you thought JC?”

“You know that’s not it at all. It just happened. I never planned it.”

“You never answered me. Are you going to tell her or should I?”

“Lance, please don’t say anything to Jaimie. It would ruin everything. Please be my best friend and don’t tell her. Please.”

Lance sighed, “JC you really put me in an awkward position. Jaimie is one of my best friends too.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but please just give me a chance to talk to her first.”

Lance thought about it for a moment, “You promise you’ll talk to her and tell her what happened?”

“I promise. I’ll come clean soon.”

“Are you going to break up with her?”

“Of course not, not unless she wants to break up with me because of this.”

“Are you going to continue to see Raven?”

“NO! It was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“I’m going to trust you on this JC. I don’t want you to hurt Jaimie anymore. This will kill her. You know how trusting she is.”

“I know. Thanks man.”

Lance didn’t say anything, he just went back inside. JC’s mind was spinning. They had made a huge mistake that may ruin the entire plan. He didn’t regret being with Raven, it was just bad timing. After pacing back and forth a few minutes he went back in. Neither JC or Lance said anything about what happened outside. Rehearsals were over by 4pm. JC knew he needed to talk to Raven, but he stayed away from her. He didn’t want Lance to be any more pissed than he already was. Everyone was quiet as they showered after rehearsals. Justin and Joey just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Neither knew what was going on with JC and Lance. As soon as Raquel was finished in the locker room, she and Justin headed out to dinner. Raven, JC, and Lance just went straight home. Joey reluctantly went home as well, fighting the urge to ride by Shay’s apartment.

Jaimie and Shay spent all day vegging out, eating, and watching sappy movies. Shay wanted to call Joey before he went looking for her.

“Do you mind if I call Joey? I don’t want him to go searching for me.”

“No, go ahead.”

Shay dialed his cell phone number. He picked up immediately.

“Hey Jaim. What’s up?”

Shay grinned, “Everything’s fine, how are you?”

“Shay? Jaimie’s name popped up on my phone, I figured it was her.”

“I’m at her place. I’ve been with her all day actually.”

Joey laughed, “Oh, I see. You two just wanted to play hooky right?”

“Um, not exactly.”

“What? Is something wrong?”

“Jaimie was out sick today, so I thought I’d stay here and take care of her.”

“Is she okay? It’s not serious is it?” he asked, worried.

“She’ll be okay. Just don’t ask me anymore questions about it okay?”

“Ooookay. Whatever you say.” he said, confused.

“Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow at rehearsals okay. I just wanted to call you and let you know where I was.”

“Okay, well I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

Shay smiled at his name for her, then turned back to Jaimie.

“You know you don’t have to stay here with me if you don’t want to. I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary.”

“Oh, hush. It’s just you and me tonight. No guys.”

“You never told me about your night last night.”

Shay grinned, “Well..…”

Shay proceeded to tell Jaimie about her wonderful night with Joey. She didn’t leave out any details. Jaimie watched Shay’s face as she talked about Joey. She could tell she was beginning to fall in love already. She wasn’t there yet, but she was well on her way.

“I’m not upsetting you am I?”

Jaimie smiled, “No, of course not. I’m happy for you. You guys make a cute couple.”

“Thank you. I’m happy so far.” she smiled.

“He seems to be doing a good job of being romantic too. That’s a plus right?”

“Oh yeah! He’s been a sweetheart so far. I know it won’t always be like it was last night, but that’s okay. No one has ever done anything that wonderful for me before. I’ll never forget that.”

“I am truly happy for you guys.”

“Thanks.”

Shay felt so bad for Jaimie. She had given Lance the most precious gift she could and he wouldn’t remember it. She just hoped she would cherish the memory and be happy with that for now. They settled in and began watching more chick flicks until about 9pm.

“I really appreciate you staying with me today. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t came by.”

She hugged her, “Hey, I’m here for you whenever you need me okay. I’m only a phone call away.”

Jaimie smiled, “Okay, I’ll remember that. Goodnight Shay.”

“Goodnight girlie. Call me if you need me.”

After Shay left, Jaimie began walking through the empty house, looking at all the pictures on their walls and mantels. So many memories came flooding back to her. There were so many pictures of her and the guys. Before they hit it big they were all inseparable. She tried to remember the first time she realized she was in love with Lance. It was New years Eve 1997. It seemed like ages ago. All the other guys had dates but her and Lance. Neither had plans to go out so Lance showed up at her house where they ate junk food all night and watched the ball drop together. That was the first time they kissed. It was just a quick, innocent kiss, but it felt like electricity was shooting all through her body. From that moment on, she was hopelessly in love with him. She mentally shook herself to try to get her mind off Lance, but everywhere she looked, she saw something that reminded her of him. She just decided she’d go to bed and hoped she would be free of him at least in her dreams.

JC called Raven as soon as he got home from rehearsals.

“Hello?”

“Hey, how are you?”

She smiled at the mere sound of his voice, “Hi, I’m doing pretty good. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“I’m sorry I avoided you this afternoon, but there was a reason for it.”

“I understand. You’re playing Jaimie’s boyfriend. I’ve accepted that and I’m not mad.”

“I’m glad you aren’t upset about that, but that’s not why I avoided you today.”

“Oh, well what’s up?”

JC sighed, “Lance saw us yesterday.”

“I saw him too, so?”

“He saw us in the locker room Raven.”

She gasped, “Wh....what?”

“Apparently he left his keys in the locker room, when he came back to get them there we were.”

“Oh my God! What are we going to do?”

“I begged him not to go to Jaimie, but he says either I tell her or he will. If this messes up Jaimie’s chances I’ll never forgive myself.”

“JC it’s not..…”

“Don’t say it’s not my fault. I should have controlled my hormones.”

“Do you regret it?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t regret being with you, I just regret the timing.”

“Good. I feel bad for Jaimie, but I can’t bring myself to regret that day.”

“I know I’ve said this before, but we need to stay away from each other.”

“I know the drill. I appreciate you calling me and letting me know about Lance. I promise to keep my hands to myself until this is all over.”

“I can’t wait believe me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

After JC hung up the phone, he just sat there thinking about what he was going to do. He didn’t know if he should tell Jaimie or not. He didn’t want her to be upset about it, but she’d probably be even more upset if Lance told her what happened. He finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Chapter Seventeen

Jaimie returned to work the following day and tried to get back into her routine. Shay called constantly to check on her every day that week. She buried herself in her work to try to keep her mind off Lance. She went in early and stayed late every night that week, always turning down Shay’s invitation to dinner with her and Joey. She was afraid Jaimie would wear herself out. When Sue got home Saturday morning, Jaimie looked terrible.

“Jaimie! Are you here?” Sue called out as she walked through the door.

“I’m in my room.” she answered quietly.

“I have wonderful news. Guess what.”

“What?”

“Are you okay?” Sue asked when she saw her appearance.

“I’m just tired. It’s been a long week. “

“What’s happened?”

“It can wait. How was your trip? What’s the wonderful news?”

Sue help up her left hand, showing a shiny gold band, “We got married!”

“Oh my god! Congratulations Sue.” she hugged her, excited. “Did he have this planned the whole time?”

“He had it all planned. We went to Vegas. It wasn’t my dream wedding, but Chris told me we can have the real thing later on after their tour. Isn’t it wonderful? I’ve never been so happy.”

Jaimie smiled, “I’m happy for you.”

All of a sudden Jaimie’s face fell and she turned deathly white. She clasped her hand over her mouth and ran towards the bathroom. Sue followed her into the bathroom.

“Are you okay?”

“I think I’m okay. I think I have a stomach virus or something.”

Sue laughed, “Maybe you’re pregnant.”

Jaimie’s eyes got huge. She never thought about protection that night with Lance. Could she possibly be pregnant? Sue noticed her expression, but she didn’t know what to think of it.

“That was meant as a joke Jaimie.”

Jaimie still didn’t say anything, she just sat on the edge of the tub with her head down.

Sue gently lifted her chin, “What happened while I was gone?”

“So much has happened Sue.” her voice quavered.

“Let’s go back to your room and you can tell me about it.”

Sue led her back to her room where Jaimie laid back against the headboard before she began to tell Sue what had happened while she was gone.

Jaimie sighed, “I couldn’t laugh at your joke because I’m afraid it might be true.”

Her eyes grew wide in shock, “What?.....Who?.....How?....When?”

“First off, you know very well HOW this happened. It happened the old fashioned way I assure you. It happened last Monday as a matter of fact.”

“But who? You weren’t seeing anyone when I left. Please tell me it wasn’t JC.”

“God no! Please Sue.”

“Well who then?”

She paused for a moment, “Lance.”

“What!?! Why didn’t you call me and tell me? I’m so happy you guys finally got together.”

“We aren’t together Sue.” she answered quietly.

She frowned confused, “But I thought..…”

“He was drunk.” Jaimie cut her off. “I took advantage of the situation.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Jaimie started from the beginning and told her everything that had happened. She was crying again by the time she finished, and Sue wrapped her arms around her and held onto her.

“Does anyone know?” Sue asked quietly.

“Only you and Shay. Please don’t say anything to anyone, even Chris. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I don’t know for sure. I don’t want anyone else to know until I am certain.”

“I won’t tell anyone I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“I can’t believe you and Lance aren’t together after you two made love.”

“He doesn’t know.”

“He was there wasn’t he?”

“He was drunk remember? I left after he fell asleep.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Because I couldn’t stand the idea of him being disappointed to wake up beside me and to know he had been with me.”

“How do you know he would have been? You two might be together right now if you had stayed. You wouldn’t be any worse off that’s for sure.”

“Sue, I don’t need to be lectured right now. I can’t go back and change what happened.”

They sat there for a moment in silence, neither really knowing what to say next. Jaimie decided to change the subject.

“I really am happy for you and Chris.” Jaimie smiled.

“Thank you. I’m happy too.”

“So, you’re gonna move in with Chris and leave me? Want me to help you pack?”

Sue laughed, “Are you in a hurry to get me out?”

“Of course not. I’ll miss you terribly, but you and Chris deserve so much happiness. I wouldn’t want it any other way..”

“Well, I stopped and got some boxes before coming home. Wanna help me pack, then we can order some junk food for dinner.”

“Sure I’ll help you pack, but I’m not too crazy about the idea of food right now.”

“You have to eat something, even if it’s just soup or something.”

“Yes Mommy.” she said sarcastically.

“You may be one, so you need to take care of yourself.”

“You know part of me wants this to be just stress, or a virus or something, but there’s a part of me that wants to be pregnant with Lance’s baby.”

“You love him Jaimie. That’s understandable.”

“I don’t want Lance to feel obligated to be with me if I’m pregnant either.”

“Let’s not think about that right now. Let’s just wait and see if you are really pregnant before we start to worry. Have you bought a pregnancy test?”

“Not within the last 20 minutes Sue. Jeez.”

“I just thought..…”

“I didn’t really think about that possibility until you said something.”

“Do you want me to go pick up one for you?”

“No, I want to be sure. If I’m going to do this, I want to do the real test. I can get that done at my office Monday.”

“Okay, just do it as soon as possible so you can stop worrying.”

“I promise.”

Jaimie and Sue began to pack up her room. They got most of it done by 9pm. They put all they could in her car to take to Chris’ then they went inside to grab something to eat. neither had heard the phone ring, but they had two messages on their answering machine. Sue hit play to see who they were from.

“Sue, sweetie it’s me. Just calling to see how much longer you’re going to be. I miss you already. Tell Jaimie I said hello and give her my love. Bye.”

They both laughed at his message. He could be really sweet sometimes. The second messages began to play then.

“Hey Jaimie. Just calling to say hi. I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve talked at all. Give me a call. By.” Lance’s voice was deep and sincere.

Sue watched Jaimie’s face closely for any sign of what she was thinking, but she gave not indication.

“Hey, you can head home if you want to. I can eat by myself. I might as well get used to that.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy. Just let me call Chris back real quick and then you can call Lance. We’ll get something to eat then.”

“I’m not calling Lance.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know what to say to him.”

“You’ve never had a problem talking to him before. What’s the different now?”

“Everything.”

Sue just dropped the subject, knowing she had her mind made up and nothing was going to change it. They found something to eat and Sue left around 10:30pm. Jaimie went straight to bed exhausted from the days revelations.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, JC decided it was time to tell Jaimie what had happened between him and Raven. He struggled with the decision, but he knew he needed to tell her. It was about 1pm on Sunday afternoon when he stopped by. Jaimie answered the door in a pair of old jogging pants and a huge sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and she wore no make-up. She was very pale and looked very tired.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I just have a touch of the stomach flu or something.”

“Oh, I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well. Do you need me to get you anything?”

“No, there’s nothing you can get me that will help.”

“What?” he asked confused.

“Nothing. So, what’s up?”

“I stopped by because there’s something I need to tell you.”

She shrugged, “Okay, so tell me.”

JC sighed, “I just don’t want you to hate me.”

“Just tell me JC. It can’t be that bad.” Jaimie laughed.

“Yes, it can be.”

“Come on JC. You’re starting to freak me out.”

JC began pacing the floor nervously, “Last Monday.…” he paused for a moment. “Last Monday, Lance walked in on me and Raven.”

“Okay, what did he overhear something about our plan or what? What’s the big deal?”

“We were having sex, Jaimie.”

“What!?!”

“I’m sorry Jaimie it was an accident.”

Jaimie’s blue eyes were cold and flashed with anger, “What, both of you just happened to be naked in the same room and you fell and got your dick stuck in her? Was that what happened JC? That is an accident.”

JC was shocked at her outburst, “Jaimie, I.…”

“I’m not in the mood for your excuses JC.” She paused for a moment, “You know what, let’s just forget this whole thing. You can feel free to fuck Raven or whoever you please then. Will that make you happy?”

“Don’t act like this Jaimie. We can still stick to the plan. I’ll stay away from Raven, I promise.”

“You know what? You promised me that before, and look what happened. I don’t believe you anymore.”

“I’m so sorry Jaimie.” JC apologized, his eyes welling with tears. “We can still do this though. I know I can stay away from her.”

“NO, I’m tired of this. Just please leave JC.”

“Jaimie, please let’s talk.…”

“No JC! I just want to stop this. Just go be happy with Raven and leave me alone.”

JC knew Jaimie was too mad right now to talk rationally. He had never heard her talk that way before. He knew he had really messed things up and most of all he betrayed her trust. It was going to take him a while to earn that back, but he was willing to do whatever it took to do it.

Chapter Eighteen

Shay awoke that morning, Joey wasn’t beside her. She pulled on her robe and made her way to the kitchen where she found him bending over looking in her refrigerator. He looked so sexy standing there in only his boxer briefs. She felt her insides begin to throb the way they always did when she wanted him. Joey felt her arms snake around his waist and roam up and down his chest. She planted soft kisses all over his shoulders and neck.

He smiled at her over his shoulder, “Well, good morning to you too.”

“Hmmmm, let’s see if you can make it a REALLY good morning for me.”

Shay turned him around and hungrily brought his lips down to hers. After a few moments, she let him up for air.

“My my aren’t we frisky this morning.”

She grinned wickedly, “You know it. Do you want to tame me?”

“Hell no! I likes you this way.”

“Good.”

Joey untied her robe to reveal her naked body underneath. He got an erection automatically. Shay quickly pulled him free of the constraints of his underwear. She gently stroked his length while he kissed up and down her neck, moaning from the pleasure just her touch was giving him.

“Are you ready baby?”

“Yes, please Joey. Ease the ache that’s inside me.”

In one swift motion,, Joey lifted Shay up and entered her. Shay wrapped her legs around his waist while Joey backed her up against the wall as he pumped in and out of her faster and faster. Shay knew she wasn’t going to last much longer. She felt the fire insider her ignite and she knew the explosion wasn’t far behind. She moaned Joey’s name loudly as she felt her walls begin to tighten around him. Joey was very close to his release as well. They both came together shouting each other’s names. They just stood there both very still while they came down. Shay was the first to begin moving as she slowly unwrapped her legs from around Joey’s waist as he began to put her back on the floor. Shay smiled sweetly up at him and gave him a soft kiss.

“Now it’s a good morning.”

He grinned, “Oh, yeah. It’s a wonderful morning now.”

“So do you want to go out and get a late breakfast?”

“Sure, but I need a shower first.”

“Oh, that has possibilities.”

Joey laughed, “You are so bad. Come on let’s go pretend to wash.”

Joey led Shay into her bathroom where they began to wash each other. Needless to say, they went out for a VERY late breakfast.

Whey Joey and Shay returned to her apartment, there was a message on her answering machine.

“Shay, I really need to talk to you. Could you please call me or come over today please? I’m sorry to bother you but I don’t know who else to call. Bye.” Jaimie’s voice sounded so scared.

Joey looked at Shay with the strangest expression on his face. It was a mixture of confusion and worry.

“Are you going to stay here or go ahead home?” she asked as she headed for the door.

“I think I want to go with you. She didn’t sound good at all. She sounded very scared. I need to know she’s alright.”

“Joey you can’t come.”

“Why not?”

“Because she asked for me Joey.”

“She was my friend before she was yours. I’m worried about her.” he spat angrily.

“I understand that Joey.” Shay said softly. “I promise I will call you once I get there to let you know she’s okay. She’s going through a lot right now, and she doesn’t want anyone to know about it.”

“Shay, please tell me what’s going on.”

“Joey, I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone. Please don’t ask me to break that promise.”

“Alright, I won’t ask anymore questions, just please call me and let me know she’s alright.”

“I promise. Are you going to stay here?”

“Yeah, I’ll wait here.”

She gave him a quick kiss, “Okay, I’ll be back.”

“Shay,” he caught her arm as she walked away. “She’s one of the few women in my life that I love. If she’s in danger or if she was hurt by someone you would tell me wouldn’t you?”

She softly caressed his cheek, “She’s not in danger Joey, and she hasn’t been hurt by someone. I promise you that much.”

“If anything was to happen to her...…” his eyes began to tear.

Shay placed her finger over his lips to silence him. She wanted to badly to tell him what was going on to ease his mind, but she promised Jaimie she wouldn’t and she couldn’t go back on her word. She just quickly turned and headed to Jaimie’s house.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled into Jaimie’s driveway. She opened the door and just went straight inside. She found Jaimie laying on her couch sleeping. She looked like hell. She was very pale and looked as if she hadn’t slept well for days. Shay hated to wake her, so she decided to call Joey. She accidentally dropped the phone and woke Jaimie up in the process.

“Shay?” she asked groggily.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“How long have you been here?”

Shay put the phone down and faced her, “I just got here. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, where should I start?” Jaimie laughed bitterly.

“Has something else happened since we talked last?”

“Oh yes. First the biggest thing is I think I’m pregnant.”

“Oh no. Are you sure?”

“I haven’t taken the test yet, but I’m pretty sure. I’m sick all the time and I’m tired all the time.”

“Could that just be stress or something?”

“I guess it could, but I just know I am.”

“What else happened?”

“JC just informed me that Lance caught him and Raven having sex.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yep, our plan is officially over now.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well I’ve been avoiding Lance too. He’s tried calling me several times, but I never returned his calls.”

“Why?”

“It hurts so much just to hear his voice.”

“Oh Jaimie. Don’t pull away from him. If you want Lance you can’t do this.”

“You think I don’t know that? How would you feel if you were in my shoes? To know that you were carrying the child of the man you love, but he doesn’t even remember being with you.” she asked angrily.

“I don’t know what I would do to be honest, but Jaimie you can’t keep pushing everyone away.”

“I just can’t face him right now. I just need to find out for sure if I’m pregnant, then I can start to deal with all of this mess.”

Shay pulled her into her arms, “I know you have the strength inside you to do this. If it turns out that you are pregnant, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t want to think about that right now.”

“So, you’re going to do the test tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“The sooner you find out the better.”

“I know.” she said quietly. After a moment she looked up at Shay with so much pain and fear in her eyes, “Shay, I’m so scared.”

Jaimie began to cry softly while Shay gently rocked her. Shay wished she knew what to say or do to ease her pain. She knew that pulling away from all that loved her wasn’t the way to go. She hoped for her sake that she was wrong and she wasn’t pregnant. If it turned out she was she would stick by her and try to help her any way possible.

“I need to call Joey and let him know you’re okay.”

“You told him?!”

“I didn’t tell him anything. He was with me when I got your message this afternoon. Just the sound of your voice had him worried sick. He begged me to tell him what was wrong, but I kept my promise and I just told him you were going through a lot right now.”

“I don’t mean to worry anyone. I just don’t know how to get past this. Especially now.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Thank you so much. You don’t know what that means to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

Shay started over to the phone to call Joey, but Jaimie stopped her.

“Let me call him.”

“Okay, I think talking to you will ease his mind. He’s at my apartment.”

Jaimie dialed Shay’s number, and Joey picked up on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey Joe.”

“Jaim, thank goodness. Are you okay?”

“I’ll be okay Joe. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I got so scared when I heard your voice on that message. I just wish you would tell me what’s going on.”

“Oh, Joe don’t do this. I just need to deal with this myself first before I bring anymore people into my drama. I just want to reassure you that I’m okay.”

“Well, I’ll accept that for now. It won’t stop me from worrying though.”

“Don’t worry or you’ll get wrinkles.”

That made Joey laugh a little, “I’ll try to remember that.”

“I promise you’ll be one of the first people I tell once I’ve handled everything okay?”

“Okay, well I’m just glad you’re okay. You know that I am always here for you if you need me.”

“I know and I love you for that.”

“I love you too. You’re one of the most important people in my life. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Stop or you’ll make me cry again. I think I’ve cried enough to last me a lifetime this past week.”

“Okay, no more sentimental stuff then. I don’t want you to cry anymore.”

“Thanks Joe. I appreciate your concern.”

“I always worry about the people I love. Just take care of yourself and call me if you need me.”

“Okay I will. Here’s Shay.”

“Okay. Bye sweets.”

“Bye.”

“Hey.” Shay said into the phone after taking it from Jaimie’s hand.

“Is she really okay?”

“She will be. She just has to deal with it and try to move on.”

“I wish you could just tell me what’s going on, but I’ll respect her wishes and wail till she’s ready to talk about it.”

“I know. Hopefully soon though. I just wanted to call and let you know she’s okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, listen I’m going to head home. I’ll see you at rehearsals tomorrow. You just stay with Jaimie as long as she needs you okay. Take care of her for me.”

“You’re too good to be true do you know that?”

“I know I’m wonderful.”

“You are you know.”

“I feel the same about you.”

Shay grinned, “Thank you. Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Joey.”

“Goodnight baby.”

“Bye.”

When Shay hung up with Joey, Jaimie’s phone immediately rang in her hand, causing Shay to jump. She just went ahead and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Shay? What are you doing there?” Lance asked.

“Ummm, I just came by to see how Jaimie was doing.”

“Do you know what’s going on? I’ve tried calling her several times, but she doesn’t return any of my calls.”

“She’s been under the weather this past week.”

“Is she okay?” he asked concerned.

“Yeah, she’s doing okay. It’s just a stomach flu or something.”

“Can I talk to her?”

“Um, well she just fell asleep. She hasn’t been sleeping that well. I hate to wake her.”

“Oh, okay.” he said, disappointed. “Well, give her my love and I hope she feels better.”

“I sure will. I’ll see you tomorrow Lance.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay hung and sighed heavily.

“What did he want?”

“What do you think he wanted? He wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh, thanks for talking to him for me.”

“Have you considered telling Lance what’s going on so you won’t go through this alone?”

“And say what Shay? ‘Hey Lance guess what? I may be pregnant with you baby. What? When did we sleep together? It was that night you got drunk. I know you don’t remember it, but I swear it happened.’ Is that what I say?”

“Don’t over-dramatize it Jaimie.”

“Oh, thanks a lot Shay.”

“Come on Jaimie. How do you know that he wouldn’t be happy with the news? He told me to send you his love.”

“Yeah, well Joey told me he loved me too. It could be the friend love like Joey’s.”

“Yes that’s true, but it could be more too.”

“Can we drop this subject please? If I am pregnant, I’ll think about telling him then.”

“If you’re pregnant you’ll THINK about telling him?!”

“Shay please!”

“Alright fine. I’ll leave it alone for now, but the subject is not dropped completely.”

“Whatever Shay.” she said angrily.

Shay just shrugged at her attitude. She really didn’t care if she was mad at her or not. She truly believed Lance had a right to know what was going on. She stayed with her until about 6pm, then headed home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day at work was a busy one for Jaimie. If it wasn’t for the frequent trips to the bathroom, she would have been too busy to think about her problems. By the time 5pm rolled around, she still hadn’t had a pregnancy test. She just put it off and figured she would just have it done when she wasn’t busy at work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shay went through her routines perfectly, but her mind wasn’t on her steps. She thought about Jaimie all day. She accepted Joey’s invitation to dinner at his place, hoping it would get her mind off Jaimie for a while.

Chris decided to drop his big news that day as well.

“Hey man. It’s nice to have you back.” Joey smiled.

“Thanks guys. I missed you too.”

“So, where did you go?” Lance asked.

“We went to Vegas for the first day of the trip, then we went to Tahoe.”

Joey laughed, “What did you do in Vegas, get hitched?”

Everyone laughed except Chris. He just stood there silent.

“You’re not laughing Chris. What’s up?” Justin asked.

Chris just help up his right hand to reveal a gold band. Everyone in the room gasped in surprise. Lance was the first to speak.

Lance grinned and pulled him into a hug, “Congrats man.”

“Thanks Lance.”

“Dude, you took the vows? That’s awesome.” Joey grinned.

JC smiled, “I’m happy for you Chris.”

“I’m happy for you too man. You know you’re lucky Sue said yes. She’s a better person than me to agree to put up with you for life.” Justin laughed.

“I’m truly blessed man. I have the job I love and a woman I love more than anything. I’m very happy with my life.”

“I bet you are.” Lance smiled.

“Hey guess what?” Joey yelled across the studio at the girls.

“What?” Shay yelled back.

“Chris got married.” Lance said.

All three girls clapped happily and gave Chris a round of hugs and kisses.

Congratulations Chris.” Raquel smiled.

Shay grinned up at him, “I’m so happy for you.”

“You guys were meant for each other. I could tell that ever since the first time I met you guys.”

“Thanks for your support guys. I have to wonder if our fans will feel the same.”

“We can’t deny ourselves happiness for our fans. All we can do is go out there and give them the best performance we can and to give them good music. That’s all they can expect.” JC said.

Joey agreed, “Yep, but you know that’s easier said than done sometimes.”

“I’m not going to hide anything. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve found my soulmate and I was lucky enough that she agreed to marry me.”

“Awe, that’s so sweet.” Raquel sighed.

“It’s the truth.”

“So Sue’s moving into your place now?” Shay asked.

“Yep, she got most of her stuff Saturday when we got back.”

“I bet Jaimie’s sad Sue’s leaving.” Lance said.

“Yeah, she said she was happy for us of course, but she would miss her terribly.”

“Awe, poor Jaimie.” Justin frowned.

Darren spoke as he entered the room, “Alright everyone let’s get back to work. There’s only two more weeks of rehearsals before the tour starts. Guess what girls?”

“What’s up?” Shay asked.

“I just got word from the executive office that your single, ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’ is #3 on the top 100 charts and your album entered Billboard at #5. Congrats.”

All three girls screamed and hugged each other. The guys came over and congratulated them as well. They never imagined they would have this kind of success so soon. Despite all the good news she had received, there was really only one thing Shay could hear to make it a truly wonderful day. She prayed Jaimie would call soon and tell her she wasn’t pregnant.

Shay stopped Raven before she headed for the showers after rehearsals. She just had to say something.

“I just want to say I hope you and JC are proud of yourselves.”

All the color drained from Raven‘s face, “How did you find out?”

“Jaimie called me yesterday upset.”

“So JC told her?”

“Oh yeah. Jaimie told me that their plan is officially over. So like I said you should be proud of yourself. You and JC may have ruined her chances with Lance, but hey you got your pleasure right?”

“Wait a minute. You have no right....…” Raven began angrily.

“I have no right?! I have no right?! You weren’t the one who held her while she cried her eyes out. You promised her you’d stay away from JC until they finished their plan with Lance. I guess your hormones beat out your conscience, huh? Anyway I thought you were her friend. Now I know you’re not. You’re just selfish.”

Shay didn’t wait for a reply from Raven, she just went straight to one of the stalls and started her shower. Raven stood there completely still absorbing all the harsh words Shay just hit her with. Silent tears began to cascade down her cheeks. For the first time she actually thought about what her actions had done. Shay was right. She had been completely selfish. Now Jaimie was the one paying for it. She was finally able to move her feet and start her shower.

Chapter Nineteen

Shay was supposed to meet Joey at his place around 6pm that night. She immediately called Jaimie when she got home from rehearsals around 5:30pm.

“Hello?”

“What’s the verdict?”

“Um, I didn’t take the test today.”

“What?! Jaimie..…”

“I was real busy at work today. I just didn’t have time.”

“You need to make time for that Jaimie.”

“I know.”

“Well, I got some good news today. Our single is #3 and our album is #5 on the charts.”

“Really? That’s great news Shay. I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thanks. I was hoping I’d have some good news to add to my news but somebody didn’t do what they were supposed to do.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Please just do it tomorrow. Save both of us from more worrying okay.”

“Okay, okay. I know I need to do it.”

“Oh, before I forget. I kinda went off on Raven today after rehearsals.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I had to tell her what I thought.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her she was just a selfish person who broke a promise to a friend and may have ruined your chance with Lance.”

“I bet she didn’t appreciate that did she?”

“She probably didn’t, but I didn’t wait for a reply. I said my peace and walked off.”

“Oh, well I appreciate you taking up for me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I just had to tell her what I felt.”

“Well I still appreciate it. You’re a good friend Shay.”

“I feel the same about you girlie. I hate to cut this short, but I’m supposed to meet Joey in fifteen minutes. I need to get going.”

“Okay well have a good time and don’t spend your evening worrying about me okay.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Later chicky.”

“Bye.”

After hanging up with Jaimie, Shay quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She got to Joey’s about ten minutes late. She already knew she was going to be late so she made a pit stop before heading to his place.

When Joey opened his door he was staring into a bouquet of wild flowers.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” she smiled from behind the flowers.

He laughed, “Awe, you shouldn’t have.”

“I wanted to change clothes and I called Jaimie to see how she was doing.”

"How is she doing?”

“She’s doing okay. Hopefully by the end of the week we’ll have this all straightened out.”

“I hope so. Um, just make yourself at home while I try to find something to put these in.”

Shay had never been in his apartment before, so she took the opportunity to look around all of his belongs scattered around the living room. There was one large family picture on top of his bookcase. His American Music Award sat on one of the shelves along with a picture of all five guys each holding their award. One the next shelf there was several pictures of the guys with Jaimie and Sue. One the last few shelves there were actual books. Shay couldn’t help but be a little shocked. They even looked like they had been read before.

Joey entered the living room to find her looking through his book collection. He had to laugh. He seemed to be able to read her mind.

“Yes, Joey can read.”

< jumped she in.” come you hear didn’t I>

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“By the way, I know you can read. I was just checking out your collection. You have some of my favorites. I love Shakespeare.”

“Oh, so do I. I loved Hamlet and of course Romeo and Juliet.”

< my of two>

Shay stood up and faced him. The minute she looked at him she started laughing.

“What?” he asked confused.

“I love your vase.”

< could best the is This before. flowers gotten never “I’ve defensively. began he it.” help can’t>

The only thing Joey could find was a big Walt Disney World souvenir cup.

“I think it’s cute.”

“Oh really?” he grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

<P.“YEP!”< p>

Joey bent down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Joey didn’t break the kiss until he heard this strange rumbling noise.

“What was that?”

She blushed slightly, “My stomach’s growling. I’m sorry but I’m starving.”

“Don’t apologize. Let’s eat dinner. We can have dessert later.” he winked.

Joey led Shay into the dining room where he had two places set with soft candlelight lighting the room. The wine sat opened on the table to breathe, everything looked perfect.

“Wow, it’s beautiful Joey. I feel underdressed.”

“You look beautiful to me.”

Joey disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two plates of spaghetti. It looked and smelled wonderful.

“Boy, you know the way to my heart don’t you? I love Italian food.”

< dare but thought Shay there,’ already ‘You’re that.” note a make I’ll though. information for Thanks heart. your to way was food know “No, laughed,>

After dinner, they settled comfortably on Joey’s sofa to watch movies. Shay sat wrapped in Joey’s embrace, just enjoying being with him. By the time their second movie was over, Shay had fallen asleep in his arms. Joey smiled and kissed the top of her head before slowly sliding off the couch. He gently scooped her up into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed then began to undress her. He put one of his many Superman T-shirts on her before climbing into bed with her. He gathered her in his arms and pulled the covers over them before sleep overtook him as well.

Shay awoke the next morning around 8am. She was disoriented at first, but soon realized she was still at Joey’s place. She turned over and watched Joey as he slept peacefully. He was so beautiful. She reluctantly slid from underneath the covers and realized for the first time she was wearing Joey’s T-shirt. She smiled knowing Joey had carried her to his room and undressed her. He had to have been very gentle because she didn’t wake up at all. She pulled her jeans on, but decided to leave Joey’s T-shirt on. She wrote Joey a short note and gave him a soft kiss before heading back to her apartment.

When Joey woke that morning, he reached for Shay but found nothing but a cold sheet. He sat up and looked around the room, searching for any sign of her. All of her clothes were gone, but she left a note on his desk.

Joey,
Hey, sorry to leave without waking you. You were sleeping so peacefully I hated to disturb you. Thank you for a wonderful evening last night. You’re too good to me. See you at rehearsals today.
Shay

Joey smiled to himself then began getting ready for rehearsals.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lance’s mind wasn’t on his steps at rehearsals. He still went through his steps flawlessly, but his heart wasn’t in it. Jaimie still hadn’t returned any of his calls. He had to find out what was going on. As soon as Darrin called lunch break, Lance pulled Shay to the side to talk to her.

“Shay, please tell me what is going on with Jaimie. It’s been over a week and she still hasn’t returned any of my calls.”

She refused to look him in the eye, “Lance please don’t ask me this.”

“Oh come on Shay! I’m worried sick about her. She’s never acted this way before.”

“I know you are. I wish I could tell you, but I promised Jaimie I wouldn’t say anything and I’m going to keep my promise.”

His eyes began to glisten with tears, “Was it something I did? Please tell me Shay. I’m going crazy here.”

“Oh Lance. I can’t tell you. Please don’t ask me to betray her. She’s had enough of that recently don’t you think?”

Shay just gave him a knowing look then walked away. Lance stood there for a moment thinking about what he should do. He grabbed his keys and ran out the studio and drove towards Jaimie’s office. He had to get some answers. Ten minutes later he pulled into her parking lot. He spotted her truck as he made his way into the office, so he knew she was there. He stopped at the front desk.

“Hi. I need to speak to Jaimie. It’s very important.”

“What’s your name sir?” JoAnn asked.

“Lance, but please don’t announce me.”

She smiled, realizing who he was, “Oh, okay. You know where her office is don’t you?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Lance made his way down the hall to Jaimie’s office. He saw her sitting at her desk reviewing charts. She looked terrible. All of her hair was pulled back, she wore no make-up, she was very pale, and she looked exhausted. He tapped on her door, and she looked up startled.

“Lance. What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.”

She quickly looked away from him, “I’m really busy right now.”

“Why haven’t you returned my calls?”

“Lance, please don’t start this now. So much is going on right now.”

“Then tell me what’s going on. Jaimie you’re my best friend and I love you. I want to help you. Don’t shut me out.”

She closed her eyes, trying to block out his voice, “I can’t deal with this right now. Please try to understand. So much has happened and I’m trying to deal with it but it’s going to take some time.”

By the time she finished she was crying again. Lance wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly. Jaimie clung to him as well, but suddenly she pushed him away. Lance just looked at her with an expression mixed with hurt and confusion.

“Why are you pushing me away?”

“Please just leave me alone.” she again refused to look at him.

“Have you talked to JC?”

She paused for a moment, “Yes, he told me about him and Raven.” Silent tears began to fall down her cheeks, “You don’t have to worry about telling me now.”

“I’m so sorry Jaimie.”

She laughed bitterly, “Not as sorry as I am for trusting him that’s for sure. Please Lance, please just leave.”

Lance knew she needed distance so he just nodded in agreement. Before he left his walked up to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was just an innocent kiss, but it took her breath away. Lance slowly pulled away, his eyes locking with hers.

“I’ll leave, but don’t keep pushing me away. I’m here for you and I always will be.” he said softly.

Jaimie just lowered her head and nodded. She was fighting her emotions. She was afraid that if she spoke she would end up telling him everything. She didn’t want to risk that. At least not until she knew if she was really pregnant. Lance accepted her silent response then turned and left her office. Once he was gone, Jaimie collapsed into her chair and let her tears flow freely. About ten minutes later, Jaimie recomposed herself and began going over her next patient’s chart. Jo Ann knocked on her door.

“Hi, your next patient is ready.” She immediately noticed her sad face, “Are you alright?”

She gave her a watery smile, “I will be.”

Jaimie stood and began walking towards the door when a sudden wave of nausea and intense stomach pain hit her. Everything went black as she collapsed to the floor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lance walked back into the studio, Shay automatically knew where he had gone. She could tell from the expression on his face that he didn’t get what he wanted from Jaimie. He didn’t say anything to anyone, he just went straight over to JC and punched him in the mouth.

“You son of a bitch! Do you realize what you’ve done to her?”

“What is your problem Lance?!” JC asked as he picked himself up off the floor.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Because you fucked Raven, Jaimie is devastated. Because of you she is pushing everyone who TRULY cares about her away.”

Everyone looked at JC and Raven in shock. They both held their heads down in shame. Joey looked at Shay with questioning eyes. She just gave him a thin smile but didn’t say anything.

“I can’t say how sorry I am. I never wanted to hurt anyone. It happened and I can’t take it back.” JC said quietly.

“No you can’t take it back. It’s not that simple. Jaimie is heart-broken. It kills me to see her this way and she refuses to speak to me. It’s all your fault JC.”

JC remained silent. Lance was shaking he was so angry.

“Damn you JC.” Lance turned to Raven with cold eyes, “And damn you too for not being able to keep your legs closed even when it came to a ‘friend’s’ boyfriend.”

Lance turned and walked out of the studio, leaving everyone in a shocked silence. Joey was the first to speak.

“I can’t believe you did this JC.”

JC still remained silent. He quietly sat down on the floor, laid his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes. Justin shook his head ruefully at JC then left to search for Lance. He again found him pacing the balcony.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure I am.” Lance laughed sarcastically, “The woman I love is heartbroken because of that asshole in there and she keeps pushing me away. Hey, other than that I’m just peachy.”

“Why don’t you tell her how you feel Lance?”

“How can I possibly tell her that now? JC just broke her heart and she won’t even talk to me. I don’t want to do something that will push her away for good.”

Justin wanted so badly to tell him how Jaimie really felt about him, but he wasn’t sure what was going on with Jaimie. He didn’t want to make matters worse than they already were.

“I love her so much Justin. It breaks my heart to see her hurting like this. I tried to comfort her today when I went to see her. At first she held onto me tightly, but then she suddenly pushed me away.” silent tears began to fall. “That hurt more than anything.”

Justin put a comforting arm around his shoulders, “I’m sorry Lance. I wish there was something I could do or say to make this easier for you.”

“Well, unfortunately there’s nothing you can do except be here for me and listen to me vent a little. It’s hard when you don’t have anyone to talk to. Thanks for being here Justin.”

“Always.”

They both stood on the balcony in a comfortable silence for a while as they watched the cars go by.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jaimie woke with a start. Teresa, one of the nurses, was waving smelling salts under her nose.

“Hey, welcome back. What happened?”

“I don’t know.” she sat up groggily. “All of a sudden I got this wave of nausea and sharp stomach pain. Next thing I know I’m waking up on the floor.”

“Hmmm, that’s strange.” Teresa paused for a moment, “Jaimie, we’re all concerned about you. You haven’t looked well at all for the last few days. You are constantly working late, you never eat, and you are always running to the bathroom. Tell me what’s going on.”

Jaimie sighed as she sat down on her couch, “Well, I’ve been working so much to get my mind off my personal problems. I’ve been too nauseous to eat, and that’s why I keep running to the bathroom.”

“Jaimie, do you think you could be pregnant?”

Her chin began to tremble, “I think I am. Oh Teresa, I don’t know what to do.”

She pulled her into an embrace, “Shhhhh, don’t cry. It’ll be okay. The first thing we do is a pregnancy test okay. We can send it off on STAT order so we can get the test results faster. We should know for sure by Thursday. Do you want the father to be here for the results?”

“No. I don’t want to tell him anything until I know for sure. I do want someone here with me though. I’ll ask her to be here Thursday.”

“Okay. Well, let’s go do the test so we can send it off.”

Jaimie was relieved to know she did the test. She had to keep reminding herself that she would know for sure by Thursday. She tried to push that out of her mind and just concentrated on her work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Everyone was still silent when Lance and Justin walked back into the studio. Neither one said anything. They just got in their places and waited for Darren to tell them which song to practice next. The rest of the rehearsals went smoothly. Not a word was spoken from Lance, JC, or Raven.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as Shay walked into her apartment, her phone rang. She ran to answer it, hoping it would be Jaimie.

“Hello?”

“Hey. It was a very interesting day at rehearsals wasn’t it?”

Shay laughed, “Oh yeah. Very interesting to say the least.”

“Is that what has had Jaimie so upset?”

“That’s only part of it. There’s more to it than that.”

“Only part of it?” Joey sighed. “Well, I was hoping that was it.”

“I know, but unfortunately it’s not that simple Joe.”

“I’ve never heard Lance talk that way before. He was so angry at JC, and the way he talked to Raven. I was shocked.”

“I know, but they both deserved it.”

“I’d have to agree with you there.”

“Well, let’s change the subject. Did you get my note?”

“Yes I did. I must say I was a little disappointed you were gone when I got up. I was hoping to get my dessert that I didn’t get last night.”

Shay grinned, “Well, I’ll have to see if I can help you with that.”

“That would be so kind of you. When..…”

Joey was cut off when Shay got another call coming through on call waiting.

“Hold that thought Joey.” She quickly clicked over to her other line, “Hello?”

“Hey do you have a minute?”

“Of course. Can you hold on a minute?”

“Sure.”

“Joey?”

“So, when..…”

“Joe can I call you back? That was Jaimie on the other line.”

“Sure no problem.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Jaim?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Boy do I have a story to tell you, but you go first.”

“Well, you probably know Lance showed up at work today.”

“I figured he did. He tried to get me to tell him what was going on, but I didn’t tell him anything.”

“He came to my office and I basically just blew him off. He even tried to hug me, but I pushed him away. He had this hurt and confused expression on his face. I’ll never forget that look. I felt so guilty for not telling him anything.”

“That would explain what happened when Lance came back to the studio then.”

“What happened today?”

“When Lance came back into the studio, I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t get what he wanted from you. He just walked straight up to JC and punched him.”

“Oh my God! Are you serious?”

“Completely. He started yelling at JC and blurted out the fact that JC and Raven slept together. He didn’t put it that nicely though. He totally went off on both of them. He said, ‘Damn you JC’ then he looked at Raven and said, ‘Damn you too for not keeping your legs closed when it came to a friend’s boyfriend’ or something like that. It was quite an interesting afternoon.”

“It sounds like it. I can’t believe Lance did that.”

Shay paused for a moment, “He did it all for you you know. For someone to take up for you like that there has to be more than feelings of friendship there.”

“Shay, please don’t go down that road again.”

“Okay, okay. Did you take the test today? You’d better say yes.”

“Well, after Lance left, I went to walk out of my office to get my next patient when all of a sudden a wave of nausea and sharp stomach pains hit me. I passed out from it. Next thing I know I was waking up on the floor.”

“Are you okay?” she asked concerned.

“Yeah I’m okay now, but to make a long story short I did take the test.”

“What’s the verdict?”

“We won’t have the results until Thursday.”

Shay sighed, “Oh, well at least you’ll know soon.”

“I know you’ve done so much for me already, but I have another favor to ask of you.”

“You haven’t asked a lot of me, but what do you need?”

“Could you be with me Thursday when I get the results? I just don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course I will. I’ll tell Darren tomorrow at rehearsals.”

“Thanks Shay.”

“It’s not a problem Jaimie. I wish you’d stop acting like it’s an inconvenience for me.”

“I know I can’t help it though.”

“Well I don’t want to hear anymore about it okay?”

“Okay I promise. So do you and Joey have plans for tonight?”

“Um, I’m not sure if I’ll see him or not.”

“Oh, does he have other plans or do you?”

“Not that I know of he doesn’t.”

“I’m not keeping you from spending time with Joey am I?”

“Oh, no. Please don’t start thinking that. The last thing I need is you feeling guilty about something else.”

“You’re just so funny.”

“Well you know I try.”

“Yeah yeah whatever. Well, I’ll let you go. I’ll see you at my office Thursday around 8am. Okay.”

< then and now between me need if Call>

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay immediately called Joey back after hanging up with Jaimie.

“Hello?”

“Hey sexy. What’s shakin’?”

Joey laughed, “Hey. How’s Jaim doing?”

“She’s okay. I have to go with her somewhere Thursday, so I won’t be at rehearsals.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I hope so.”

“Well, I do too. I know you can’t talk about what’s going on so I’ll leave you alone about it.”

Shay smiled, “Thanks for understanding.”

“Hey you know me. I’m Mr. Understanding. So, are you going to come see me again tonight?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Nope I don’t. That’s why I asked you.”

Shay laughed, “Okay give me twenty minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting patiently.”

“I’ll see you in a few then.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

After Shay hung up with Joey she began thinking of Jaimie again. Just one time with Lance and she’s pregnant. She was terrified of that happening to her. She drove to Joey’s trying to think of anything but Jaimie’s situation.

When Shay arrived at Joey’s apartment, she was till confused about her feelings. The thought of Jaimie being pregnant scared her terribly. She didn’t want that to happen to her. They’ve always used protection, but condoms weren’t 100% effective. She tried to push her fears to the side and concentrated on thoughts of Joey.

“Hey beautiful.” he smiled as he opened the door.

She returned his smile, “Hey yourself.”

Joey pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. He knew her body so well. He knew exactly where to kiss her or touch her to get an immediate response. Shay knew his body well by now too. She gently tugged and nipped at Joey’s bottom lip, knowing he loved it when she did that.

“What do you say we move into my room?”

“I’d say that was a good idea.”

Joey pulled Shay towards his room, never breaking the kiss. As soon as Joey had her in his room he began to undress her. He pulled her T-shirt off first relishing in the sight of her standing in front of him clad only in her jeans and her black lace bra. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes burned with passion for him. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Shay puled Joey’s shirt off next, wanting badly to feel his skin on hers. She shivered from the pleasure of his bare skin touching hers. Joey’s hands fumbled with the clasp of her bra. Shay suddenly stopped kissing him and pulled away from him.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I just.…” Shay paused, not really sure what she could say to explain her feelings without telling him about Jaimie, “I just think we should slow down.”

Joey laughed, “It’s not like we haven’t done this before. We had sex before we had our first date.”

“I know this Joey. I just don’t want our relationship to be based on sex only.”

“Is that what you think this is? Shay, I care about you. It could never be only sex with you. I hope you know that.”

“I know.” she sighed heavily as she sat down on the bed. “I’m scared.”

He sat beside her wrapping his arm around her shoulder, “What are you scared of? Me?”

“No, I’m not scared of you. There’s just so many consequences you know.”

“I’m clean I promise you. I’ve been tested.”

“I’m not worried about that with you Joey.”

“Then what?”

“What about pregnancy?”

Joey paused for a moment, “We always use protection Shay.”

“We didn’t that day in the kitchen, or in the shower. Even condoms don’t always work. Joey our blind passion we seem to have for each other scares the hell out of me. Any of those times you could have gotten me pregnant. That’s the last thing either of us need.”

“What happed to bring all this on? I mean not an hour ago...…”

Joey’s comment died on his lips as he realized what was going on. She was all for this until she talked to Jaimie. Joey’s eyes grew wide as he realized what was going on.

“Shay is Jaimie pregnant?”

Joey felt Shay stiffen in his arms.

“What makes you say that?”

“Shay you were all for this until you talked to Jaimie. I know something was going on with her, but you couldn’t tell me. Come on Shay. Be honest with me. You won’t be betraying her. I figured it out myself.”

Shay sighed, “She thinks she may be. Joey I swear if you tell me anyone...…”

“I promise I won’t tell a soul. Oh man. Poor Jaimie. Wait, who’s the father?”

“Lance.”

“Lance!?! Wait a minute. When did this happen?”

“It happened the same night you took me on that really romantic date.”

“I’m totally confused now.”

“It was also the same day Lance saw JC and Raven together. It obviously upset him because he went out and got drunk. The bartender called Jaimie to go pick him up. She took him home and that’s when it happened. Lance was drunk, so he doesn’t remember. Jaimie was so upset. She had shared something so special with him and he didn’t remember. That day I missed rehearsals last week was because I spent the day with her. She was a wreck. Then the day she left that message on my machine was the day she told me she may be pregnant. Oh Joey she’s a mess right now. I’m supposed to go with her Thursday to find out the results of the test.”

Joey sighed and laid his forehead on her shoulder trying to absorb everything she just said. He finally understood what was going on with Jaimie. His heart ached for her pain. He knew this had to be killing her. She loved Lance so much. She gave him the most precious gift she could and he didn’t remember it happened. He felt a surge of anger rise within him. Lance was so stupid. How could he not see how much Jaimie loved him? Every time she looked at him you could see the love reflected in her eyes.

“She’s not going to tell Lance?” Joey asked quietly.

Shay shook her head, “I tried to talk her into telling him, but she won’t listen. She doesn’t want anyone to know until she finds out for sure.”

“Is she going to tell him if it turns out that she is pregnant?”

Shay shrugged her shoulders, “She doesn’t know.”

“She needs to tell him if she is. Lance has the right to know.”

“I know. Believe me I’ll make her understand that if it turns out she’s pregnant.”

“I can understand you being scared about getting pregnant after Jaimie was with Lance one time, but they probably didn’t think about protection. We always have.”

“Except when..…”

“I know. Except when we were together last Sunday. We’ll just have to be more careful. I don’t want you to get pregnant anymore than you do.”

“I know. It just makes you think you know.”

He rubbed her back comfortingly, “I understand. I’ll leave it up to you. If you want to hold back, then I’ll understand.”

Shay smiled, “You’re too good to me.”

Shay leaned in and began to kiss him again. Things started heating up again, but this time Joey pulled away.

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“Shhhh. Just kiss me Joe.”

Joey did as he was told. Shay reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. Soon they were both undressed, lying on his bed, kissing and caressing each other. Joey felt something wet as he was kissing Shay. He stopped and looked down at her and realized she was crying.

“Why are you crying? We can still stop if you don’t want to go any further.”

“No, I want to do this.”

“Then why the tears?”

“I just feel very lucky to be with you. You’re so understanding and sweet.”

Joey felt an unfamiliar tug on his heart. He wondered for a moment as he looked down at her tearstained face, if this is what being in love felt like. If it was it was a pretty great feeling. He smiled down at her and gently wiped her tears away.

“Don’t cry, especially over me.”

Joey didn’t give her a chance to respond. He captured her lips again in a searing kiss. He reached into his nightstand to get protection. Shay smiled at him and took it from him. She expertly sheathed him, then he positioned himself at her entrance. He looked down at her with questioning eyes, but Shay just wrapped her legs around him and pulled him towards her urging him to enter. Joey bent down to capture her lips again as he quickly entered her. They both moaned from the intense pleasure. Joey began to move in and out very slowly. So slowly it was almost painful. Shay tightened her grip around his hips in hopes he would take that hint and begin to move faster. Joey slowly began to pick up the pace, but when he finally got to a fast pace that Shay liked he’d slow it down again. He didn’t want to rush. He wanted to worship her for as long as he could. Shay kept moaning his name over and over again. Every time she got close, Joey would slow it down again and again. Finally he sped up and kept the fast pace. Shay had the most intense orgasm she’d ever had. Joey soon followed when Shay’s walls tightened around him. Joey slowed pulled out of her then collapsed beside her. Joey pulled her back up against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Shay laid there for a long time just thinking about Joey. She had never felt this way about anyone before. No one had ever treated her this good. She looked over at the clock that read 8:42pm. She had be laying there in his arms for the last hour and she finally came to a conclusion.

“I love you.” she whispered.

Shay smiled to herself then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. What Shay didn’t know was that Joey was still awake and he had heard her say she loved him. He lay there in shock for a moment letting it all sink in. He was glad she was asleep and didn’t say it to his face. She would probably expect him to say it back, and it would hurt her if he didn’t. He wasn’t sure how he felt. He knew he really cared about her but he wasn’t sure it was love. I love you wasn’t a phrase he used a lot in his life. He’d never said it to any woman besides his mother, sister, and Jaimie who was like a sister to him. He looked down at her sleeping form and smiled. This feeling he felt for her was definitely a first, but he wasn’t going to tell her he loved her until he was absolutely sure he did.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Justin and Raquel had been spending a lot of time together. Justin was learning to open himself up to Raquel. For the first time since Heather, he was beginning to feel alive and happy. It was a feeling Justin welcomed back into his life. He realized just how much he missed by pushing people away. One thing was certain, he felt lucky that Raquel was in his life. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret letting her in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To Jaimie it seemed like Thursday would never get here, but as she and Shay sat in her office waiting for Teresa to call them, she wished she were somewhere else.

“Please tell me something, anything that will get my mind off this for a few minutes.”

“Well, the other night I told Joey I loved him.”

“You what!?! What did he say?”

“He didn’t say anything. He was asleep.”

“Are you going to tell him face to face?”

Shay sighed, “I don’t know. Things are going so well right now. I’m afraid that if I told him I love him it would scare him away.”

“Wow, I wish I knew what to tell you girl, but I’m the LAST person that needs to be giving relationship advice. My personal life is so screwed up now I don’t have a clue as to how to fix it.”

Shay gave her a comforting hug, “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens I’ll be here for you.”

“Thanks Shay.”

Teresa walked in at that moment.

“Jaimie, Dr. Richmond is ready to go over the results of your test now.”

“Oh God! I don’t know if I can handle this.”

“Yes you can. Come on. I’ll be right beside you.” Shay smiled.

Jaimie just nodded and grabbed Shay’s hand. She was so thankful to have her there with her to give her support. Jaimie and Shay took the two empty chairs in front of Dr. Richmond’s desk. Jaimie couldn’t sit still. She kept fidgeting in her seat.

“Jaimie! Calm down. You’ll have a nervous breakdown or something.”

Dr. Richmond walked into her office at that time, carrying Jaimie’s chart. She walked over to shake hands with Shay.

“Hi, Dr. Richmond. This is my friend Shannon. She’s here for moral support.”

Dr. Richmond smiled warmly, “It’s nice to meet you Shannon. I’m sure Jaimie really appreciates you being here.”

“Well, I’m always here for her. I hope she knows that.”

“I do, believe me.”

Dr. Richmond sighed as she sat behind her desk.

“I haven’t read your results yet. If you will give me a moment to go over them okay?”

Dr. Richmond opened her chart and began going over the results. She slowly closed the chart and smiled briefly at them.

“Well, I don’t know if this will be good or bad news for you, but you are pregnant.”

Jaimie felt her heart jump into her throat. Sobs racked her body and she shook uncontrollably. Shay did her best to comfort her, but all she could hear was the doctor telling her she was pregnant over and over in her mind. Dr. Richmond gave her a mild sedative to calm her down. While Jaimie rested on her couch, Dr. Richmond talked to Shay.

“I take it this was not the news she hoped for."

Shay sighed, “Not at all.”

“Does the father know anything about this?”

“No, it’s a long story. She just didn’t want to say anything until she knew for sure.”

“There are other options. There’s abortion and adoption.”

“We haven’t talked about what she would do if she was pregnant, but I’m pretty sure those are out of the question.”

Jaimie began to stir on the couch. She sat up slowly, trying to figure out where she was. She looked around and saw Shay and Dr. Richmond. She suddenly remembered everything that happened. She smiled weakly at them.

“I’m sorry about earlier. It’s just not what I was hoping to hear.”

“Yeah, I figured that. Are you okay now?”

“I’m just numb right now. I don’t know for sure how I feel.”

“This may not be the right time to discuss this, but it’s part of my job to say this. There are other options like adoption and abortion.”

Jaimie shook her head vigorously, “No, there’s no way I could or would do either of those.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Well, why don’t you take the rest of the day off. Once you’ve gotten everything settled make an appointment for your first pre-natal exam okay.”

“Okay. Thank you Dr. Richmond.”

“Don’t thank me. I hope everything works out for you.”

Shay shook her hand, “It was nice to meet you.”

“Same here.” She spoke to Shay after Jaimie left the room, “Shannon, these next few months are going to be difficult for her. It’s crucial that she stay as relaxed and unstressed as possible. I don’t know what’s going on with her personally, but it’s important she has all the support she can get.”

“I understand completely. You have my word that I will be there for her every step of the way. She has a wonderful family and a lot of friends who love her very much, so that won’t be a problem. The only person that really has the power to make her happy is the father, and I don’t know what is going to happen there.”

“Well, I hope for her sake things go well. Take care.”

“So do I. Thanks Dr. Richmond.”

Shay found Jaimie sitting at her desk staring at the wall.

“Jaim, are you alright?”

“I’m pregnant Shay. How do you think I am?” Jaimie answered quietly.

“I’m so sorry Jaimie. I don’t know what else to say.”

“What am I going to do Shay? How can I possibly tell Lance I’m carrying his child?"

“I know this is difficult for you, but you have to tell him. He has a right to know.”

Silent tears began to fall, “I know. I just don’t know how to tell him.”

“You can start with I love you. Tell him you have been in love with him for as long as you can remember. That night he got drunk the bartender called you not JC. You took him home, he started kissing you, one thing led to another, and you two made love. Tell him you’re sorry if he is upset or angry at you for it, but you yourself don’t regret it at all. It was a beautiful experience and you don’t regret giving yourself to the one man you’ve ever loved. Tell him that from one glorious night together you two created a life. You don’t expect anything from him, but you feel he has a right to know.”

“You make it sound so simple. I wish it were that easy.”

“I know it’s not going to be easy. I’ll be with you when you tell him if you want.”

“I appreciate it, but I think this is something I need to do on my own.”

“I know you can do it. Who knows, maybe you will end the day with happy news.”

“I’m not getting my hopes up.”

“When are you going to talk to him?”

“I don’t want to wait. I may lose my nerve if I do.”

“Come on. I’ll drive you to the studios.”

Jaimie climbed into the passenger side of Shay’s car and they headed towards the studios. Shay had her turn signal on to turn left into the studio parking lot when all of a sudden this car ran the stop sign and slammed into the passenger side of Shay’s car.

Chapter Twenty

Everyone was sitting around the studio talking and taking a break when they heard a crash outside. They all ran outside to the balcony to see what was going on. They looked down and saw Shay’s little blue neon crushed by a big dodge truck. Joey’s heart stopped. He felt as though a part of him was being ripped out. Raven and Raquel both screamed at the sight. They all ran downstairs towards the accident. The police and paramedics were already on the scene working frantically to get both girls out of the car. Joey sprinted straight towards her car but a police officer stopped him.

“Sir you can’t go over there.” the officer said as he pushed Joey back.

“You have to let me through.” Joey screamed.

“You can’t.”

“THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND! Please let me through.”

Everyone stood behind him in a shocked silence. It didn’t even register with Joey that the others heard him refer to Shay as his girlfriend.

“I’m sorry sir, but I still can’t let you through. They are trying to get both of the girls out of the car right now. You’d just be in the way.”

“Wait, there are two girls in the car?”

“Yes, the driver is unconscious but she appears to just have mainly cuts and bruises, maybe a broken wrist. The other girl isn’t doing well. They were hit on her side. The door crushed on top of her.”

“Do you know who the other girl is?”

“No, the identities haven’t been confirmed yet. The next of kin have to be notified first.”

“Officer please tell me. Was the other girl about the same age as the driver. Early twenties, long brown hair?”

The officer was hesitant, “Yes, but please that’s all I can say.”

Joey began to walk backwards, “Oh my God! No, this can’t be happening.”

“Joey, what’s going on? Is Shay okay? Who is in the car with her?” JC asked.

“Shay didn’t come to rehearsals today because she had to go somewhere with Jaimie. Jaimie’s the other girl in the car.”

Lance felt his heart constrict in his chest. He began to panic. This couldn’t be happening. He was having a hard time breathing. He grabbed his chest as if he were having a heart attack.

“Lance are you okay?” Joey asked.

He began to pant, “Are you sure it’s Jaimie?”

“The officer said the other girl was in her early twenties with long brown hair. I know for a fact Shay was with her today.”

Raven and Raquel were hugging each other crying softly. Justin stood there silently trying to absorb everything that happened. Chris was pacing back and forth trying to reach Sue on his cell phone.

“Should we call Jaimie’s mom so she doesn’t have to hear it from the police?”

“Maybe we should wait until we know for sure.” Justin suggested.

“I think you’re right.”

They stood there watching in silence as the paramedics pulled Shay out of the car. They had her tied to a backboard with a neck brace on just in case she had more serious injuries. Joey held back the tears that threatened to fall as he watched them put her in an ambulance. He ran over to the ambulance, pushing his way through the crowd.

“Wait! Please let me go with her. She’s my girlfriend.” he told the paramedic.

“Okay come on but stay out of our way, if we say move, move you got it?” the medic told him.

“Yes.”

Joey climbed in beside Shay. She looked so fragile lying there unconscious. She had a black eye, her lip was busted, her left wrist was in a splint, not to mention the various cuts and scrapes. His eyes welled up with tears again. He bent his head down and kissed her forehead softly as his tears began to flow freely. He took her right hand in his and held it to his heart.

“Please come back to me.” He whispered, “Shay I know you can hear me. You have to fight. I don’t know how to be anymore without you. Please stay with me. Don’t go please.”

Joey’s words broke off when sobs racked his body. Shay began to moan softly. Joey’s tears stopped as he watched her slowly open her eyes.

“Shay!? Shay come on baby, stay awake.”

“Joey?” Shay moaned, “What happened? Where am I?”

“Do you remember that truck hitting you?”

“Oh my God! Jaimie! Is she okay? Joey is she alright?”

“Ma’am you have to calm down.” the medic tried to tell her.

“Don’t tell me to calm down. Where is she?”

“She’s still in the car. They’re having trouble getting her out. The door was crushed on her side trapping her in.” the medic explained.

“You asshole!” Joey yelled. “Why are you telling her this in her condition? Can’t you see she’s upset enough as it is?”

“Listen sir, I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job. If I hear anymore outbursts like that I will get them to remove you from this ambulance. Do I make myself clear?”

Shay began to cry softly, “Joey, please don’t leave me. Tell me everything is going to be okay. Tell me Jaimie will be okay. Please.”

“I wish I could. You don’t know how badly I wish I could.”

Joey sat there and held Shay’s hand while she cried.

“She’s pregnant Joe.” She said through tears, “We were on our way here to tell Lance.”

Joey closed his eyes and sighed. Everything seemed to be happening all at once. Joey tried to comfort her the best he could.

“Shhhh. Don’t cry. I’ll go see what I can find out okay?”

Shay just nodded and continued to cry softly. Joey climbed out of the ambulance and got as close as he could to the wreckage. He saw them finally get the door off the car. They began working quickly to get Jaimie out of the car and to the hospital. She was placed carefully on another backboard. Her injuries didn’t appear to be as severe as they imagined. She had several cuts and bruises on her face where the window shattered, her arm appeared to be broken, but that seemed to be the worst of it. Joey sighed in relief when he overheard the police saying she appeared to be in better shape than they thought. He made his way over to the others to let them know how things were.

“Hey guys.”

“What’s going one Joe? Tell me how they are.” Lance asked.

“Shay seems to be okay. She has some cuts and bruises and a broken wrist.”

“Thank God.” Raven said through tears.

“Well, Jaimie was the passenger in the car.”

An audible gasp was heard from everyone. Lance fell to his knees on the ground and began to rock back and forth. He held his face in his hands and began to cry openly. Justin knelt beside him trying to comfort him.

“I overheard the officers say that Jaimie wasn’t as bad off as they thought. I just wanted you guys to know. I’m going to the hospital with Shay. I’ll see you guys there okay.”

Joey left and climbed back into the ambulance and took his seat beside Shay again.

“How is she?”

“I overheard some officers say it didn’t look as bad as they thought.”

“Did you see her? Did she look alright?”

“I couldn’t get close enough to see her. Just please try to calm down. We’re getting ready to go to the hospital now.”

Ten minutes later they arrived at the hospital. Shay’s wrist was put in a cast and they bandaged her cuts. After they finished Shay started to stand.

“Miss, you shouldn’t be walking.” the nurse tried to stop her.

“I’m fine. I’ve got to go find Jaimie.”

Shay ignored the nurses pleas and headed towards the ER waiting room. She saw Joey, Raven, Raquel, JC, and Justin sitting in the bright orange chairs. She scanned the room and saw Lance arguing with one of the doctors.

“Listen sir, I can’t release any information to you at this time. We are assessing Ms. Holland’s injuries now. I don’t have any new information for you.”

“Please doctor. She’s everything to me.”

The doctor‘s face softened, “I understand that. We’re doing everything we can.”

All of a sudden Jaimie’s heart rate began to race.

A nurse ran out from behind the curtain, “Doctor, she’s coding. Her heart rate is speeding up.”

The doctor ran to Jaimie’s side and began to check her. They didn’t bother to close the curtain back as they worked frantically to find out why her heart was racing. Lance watched in horror as all of sudden Jaimie started bleeding heavily.

“Doctor she’s hemorrhaging. She’s going into shock.”

Shay ran over to Lance who was frozen from fear.

“Oh my God!” Shay screamed frantically, “Doctor please do something. She’s pregnant!”

“Close the curtain and get them out of here” the doctor yelled.

The nurses closed the curtain, leaving everyone staring at Shay in shocked silence.

Chapter Twenty One

At first Shay didn’t realize what she said. But when she turned and saw everyone staring at her in shock she realized what she had said.

“Oh my God! That’s why she’s been acting this way.” he turned to JC, anger flashing in his eyes. “You! It’s all your fault.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. I don’t know who the father is but it’s not me.”

“You bastard! Now you’re accusing HER of cheating?”

“Lance, I’m not accusing her of anything. All I am saying is that there’s no way I could be the father.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve never slept with Jaimie, Lance!!” JC yelled back at him.

Lance paused for a moment, “Well, if you’re not the father then who is?”

Shay turned away from all of them fighting back her tears. They were a mixture of anger and pain. Joey went to her and wrapped her in his embrace. Shay clung to him, he was her everything. It meant so much for him to be there with her in her time of need.

“You are Lance.” Joey said as he held a crying Shay in his arms.

Everyone again was shocked to silence. Lance felt as though he had been hit by a Mack truck. Is this possible? Could he be the father? He tried hard to remember. He kept seeing flashes of making love to her in his mind. He always thought it was just a dream.

“When? I don’t...…”

Lance’s voice trailed off as he continued to absorb what Joey had just told him.

“Do you remember the night you got drunk? JC didn’t take you home Jaimie did. That’s when it happened. God Lance! If you only knew how upset she’s been these last two weeks. It killed her to know she’d shared something so precious with you and you didn’t remember anything.” Shay spat angrily.

“But why didn’t she tell me? Why did she have JC lie and why did she leave afterwards?”

“Because she was afraid of what your reaction would be.”

“Why would she be afraid of me?”

“This was her reasoning Lance, not mine. She’s loved you for so long, but she was afraid you didn’t feel the same.”

Lance collapsed into a nearby chair with his head in his hands. He didn’t even fight the tears. Shay’s heart went out to him. She started to feel guilty for the harsh way she spoke to him. She sat beside him and pulled him to her in a comforting hug. Lance clung to Shay as he cried. He cried for his love lying in the emergency room, he cried from fear for his unborn child, and he cried for himself. He had been so blind. All this time Jaimie loved him not JC. All this time that was wasted.

“Why did Jaimie start going out with JC then if she loved me?” he asked after his tears subsided.

“I came up with that plan to try to make you jealous. I thought that if you saw me with her you would start to see her as the beautiful woman she is, not just a friend.” JC explained.

“I’m so sorry for the way I acted about you and Raven, JC. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t know. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same in your shoes.”

“Raven, I’m sorry to you too.”

“Don’t apologize. I deserved it.” she said through tears.

Lance grabbed her hand, “What am I going to do Shay? I do love her so much. I can’t lose her.”

“Shhhh. You can’t think that way. You have to think positive. Lance, if you love her why didn’t you tell her?”

“I couldn’t betray JC like that. I thought they were serious. Then after they supposedly broke up because of Raven I thought she was upset about JC. I had no clue it was over me. I didn’t want to scare her then my telling her how I felt. Shay when she thought she was pregnant, why didn’t she come to me then?”

“She wanted to be sure she was before she said anything. We were on our way to the studios to tell you when the truck hit us.”

Lance began to cry again. His whole life was lying in that hospital room fighting to stay alive He didn’t know what he would do if anything were to happen to her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They sat in complete silence for the next hour, waiting for the doctor to give them an update. The doctor finally came out of her room to talk to them. His scrubs were covered with blood. Lance swallowed hard, knowing it was all Jaimie’s blood. He stood bravely as the doctor approached.

He sighed before he began, “We were finally able to stop the bleeding, but I’m afraid she lost the baby.”

Both Raven and Raquel burst into tears. JC, Justin, and Chris stood there in silence. Shay held Joey’s and Lance’s hands in a death grip trying to register what the doctor just told them.

“She went into shock from the blood loss and I’m sorry to have to tell you she’s gone into a coma.”

Joey had to hold Shay up to keep her on her feet or she would have fell to the ground. Amazingly enough, Lance remained strong and continued to stand tall. His strength surprised everyone. If they could only look in his eyes they would really see his fear. His heart was breaking into a million pieces.

“Can I see her?” Lance asked quietly.

“The nurse will take you to her room, but only one at a time please. Visiting hours have been over for the last half hour, but I’ll tell the nurses in ICU to make an exception. Again I am truly sorry for your loss.”

Lance turned to the others, “Someone needs to call her family. Don’t tell them anything about the baby.”

Lance followed the nurse down the hall and into the ICU unit. The room was completely quiet except for the beep of the EKG machines. He was finally led to Jaimie’s room. She was so pale she looked like a ghost. They had an I.V. with blood going to replenish her body from the blood loss earlier that evening. If it wasn’t for the faint rise and fall of her chest, you’d think she was really dead. The nurse left him alone after checking her I.V. and the EKG reading. Lance pulled the chair that was in the corner up to the bed so he could sit with her. He gently took her hand in his. It felt so tiny and lifeless in his big strong hand. His voice shook with emotion as he began to talk to her.

“Oh, Jaimie. How could we have been so stupid? We’ve wasted so much time. If we would have been honest with each other from the beginning we could have avoided all of this. You wouldn’t be lying her and our child wouldn’t be dead.” Tears began to fall down his cheeks again as he continued to speak, “Please come back to me. I need you so much. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you. I don’t think I could handle it. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I love you so much. Just please come back to me and I promise I’ll make you so happy.”

Lance looked up when he heard someone gasp. He was Jaimie’s mother standing in the doorway. He stood and went over to her and gave her a comforting hug. She held onto him and cried softly. Lance’s eyes began to burn again with fresh tears. He and the guys had looked to Jaimie’s mom as another mother.

“Why did this happen to her Lance? She’s never done anything to anyone. She’s my baby. She’s my only little girl.”

“I don’t know.” his voice was shaky. “She’s the last person that deserved this.”

Johnnie left Lance’s embrace and walked over to her daughter’s side. She took her hand and gently stroked her hair.

“She loves you you know. She has for a long time now. I tried to get her to tell you, but she was afraid you didn’t feel the same.” She looked back up at him, “But you do don’t you?”

“Yes, very much.”

She looked back down at her daughter, “I knew you did. I could tell by the way you looked at her. I always hoped you two would get together. You’re so much like a son to me and I knew you would treat her well.”

“I wish someone would have gave one of us a good kick in the rear. We were both stubborn. Now I feel as though my chance of happiness is gone.”

“You can’t think that way. She’s still here with us. We have to talk to her and let her know how much we need her to come back to us. You just have to have faith Lance.”

“Do Kenny and Will know?”

“Yeah, they’re in the waiting room with the others.”

“I’ll leave so they can come see her.”

“Keep coming back to see her Lance. Let her know how much you love her.”

He smiled weakly, “I will.”

Lance walked to the other side of Jaimie, bent down and gently kissed her lips. He laid his head on hers for a minute.

“I love you. Please come back to me. I need you.” He stood up and went over to her mother, “I’ll send them back okay. I’ll be back, I promise. I won’t let her go without a fight.”

She kissed his cheek, “Good.”

Lance walked back to the ICU waiting room. He saw Will and Kenny pacing the floor, while their wives sat in a couple of chairs wringing their hands nervously. When everyone saw Lance enter, they rushed over to him.

“How is she?”

“She’s very pale. Her face has some cuts and bruises on it. She just looks like she’s sleeping.”

“Is she going to come out of it?”

“The doctor said she could come out of it at anytime. It’s all up to her. She’s the one who has to fight it. Why don’t you two go see her. Your mom’s in with her now.”

Kenny and Will kissed their wives before going into the ICU unit. Shay and the guys hung back while Lance talked to Jaimie’s family. He walked back over to the group and collapsed into the chair beside Shay.

Shay held onto his hand trying to comfort him, “Are you okay?”

“As good as I can be.”

“Raven and Raquel left. They felt out of place with all of her family here.”

“Why? They’re great people. They’re happy to know her friends are here for support.”

“We tried to tell them that, but they still insisted on leaving.” Joey said.

“Well, it’s their choice.”

They sat in silence for a while. Shay sighed heavily and laid her head on Joey’s shoulder. Justin looked over at them then suddenly remembered what Joey yelled at the crash site. He grinned over at them.

“So, when did you two start going out?”

Shay looked up surprised, “How did you find out?”

“When the cop wouldn’t let us near the wreck, Joey yelled out that you were his girlfriend. It definitely shocked the hell out of us.” Chris explained.

Shay looked at Joey with a confused expression on her face.

“I’m sorry.” he apologized sheepishly. “Everything happened so fast I just didn’t think about what I was saying.”

“So I’m your girlfriend?” Shay smiled up at him.

“Damn straight! You’re my girl.”

Joey leaned down and kissed her softly, careful not to hurt her busted lip.

“How long has this been going on?” Lance asked.

“Since the weekend Chris and Sue left.” Shay answered.

You mean to tell me you kept this a secret from everyone for the last three weeks?” Justin asked.

“Well, Jaimie knew but we swore her to secrecy.” Joey explained.

“Why did you tell Jaimie and not us?”

“Well, Jaimie caught us together once, so it’s not like we came right out and told her.”

“Caught you togeth......AWE man! Poor Jaimie! I’m surprised she wasn’t blinded for life seeing Joey’s white butt.” Justin laughed.

“Hey, I resent that! Besides Shay was on top.”

Shay hit him angrily, “Joey!”

“OW!” Joey rubbed his arm, “Okay, I’m sorry.”

Shay blushed terribly but remained calm. The others just laughed at them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next week passed without much change. Lance came by every day after rehearsals and sat with her for hours. He would just talk to her about old times, sometimes he would read to her, but sometimes he just sat there holding her hand. The tour was fast approaching. Their first show was the following Monday. Lance hated the idea of leaving with her still in a coma. There was only three days left before they had to leave. Lance was sitting by her on the bed talking to her, gently stroking her hand as he held it.

“Well, we leave to go on tour Monday. I don’t want to leave with you still like this. Please come back to me. Jaimie, I know you can hear me. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

Lance sat there waiting for a few moment, but still nothing happened.

“You have to fight it Jaimie.” Lance said angrily. “I know you are strong enough to beat it. You have to come back to me damnit. Now squeeze my hand.” He waited a few minutes, but still no response. “I’m not going to let you go that easy. Do you hear me?”

Lance sat there for a moment, but still no movement came. He rested his forehead on his hand that held hers and sighed heavily. Then suddenly, her fingers began to twitch. Lance’s head shot up and he looked from her face to her hand. His heart began to race wildly with excitement.

“Come on baby. Squeeze my hand.”

He sat there for a few more minutes, then Jaimie slowly squeezed his hand back. Lance jumped from his happiness. He ran quickly and got the nurse. She came rushing in and began to examine her. Jaimie’s eyes began to flutter open. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around the room confused. She thought she saw Lance out the corner of her eye. She tried to talk, but her mouth and throat were so dry she couldn’t.

“Don’t try to talk right now. I need to go get the doctor.”

The nurse handed her a cup of water then turned to leave the room. She paged Jaimie’s doctor then asked Lance to wait in the waiting room. Lance was so happy you couldn’t slap the grin off his face. When he got there he saw Jaimie’s mom sitting there.

“Ms. Johnnie? Why are you waiting in here?”

“I wanted to give you some privacy.” She looked up at him confused, “What’s the grin for?”

“She’s awake.”

Johnnie hugged him and cried happy tears.

“The doctor is examining her now.” he explained as he hugged her.

“I have to call everyone and tell them the good news.”

Johnnie went off to call her sons and the rest of her family. Lance immediately called Shay.

“Hello?”

“I’m so glad you’re home.”

“What? Has something happened?” she asked concerned.

“She’s awake Shay.”

“Oh my God! When did this happen?”

“Not five minutes ago. You have to get down here.”

“I’m on my way. Oh, Lance this is wonderful news.”

“I know. She’s come back to me.”

“I’ll be there in ten. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Lance called Joey, Justin, JC, and Chris to tell them. Justin called Raquel and JC called Raven. Fifteen minutes later, everyone was there waiting for the doctor to come talk to them. Lance paced nervously. His happiness slowly melted into dread. What if Jaimie didn’t love him anymore? So man ‘what if’s’ were running through his mind. Shay noticed Lance’s expression and went over to him.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I just keep thinking what if she doesn’t feel the same way about me after everything that’s happened.”

“Oh Lance, that’s not going to happen. She loves you so much.”

“I’m so scared Shay.”

Shay pulled him into a hug and held onto him for a minute.

“Don’t lose faith in her Lance. She’s strong. She pulled through this coma. She’ll need some time to get over the loss of the baby, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”

The doctor walked into the waiting room with a huge grin on his face.

“It looks good. It looks real good. All of her vitals are normal, she doesn’t appear to have any memory loss, her reflexes are excellent. I expect her to make a full recovery. She’s very lucky. “

Everyone began to hug each other and rejoice at the news.

“When can we see her?” her mother asked.

“They are putting her into a regular room now. I’ll have the nurse come get you when she’s settled.”

Her mother shook his hand, “Thank you so much. Do you know when she’ll be able to come home?”

"I want to keep her at least until Saturday for observation, but there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Everyone chatted happily about Jaimie’s improved condition. Lance was thrilled she was going to be okay, but he couldn’t help but worry about how Jaimie was going to feel. Even after Shay’s encouraging words he couldn’t stop worrying. About half an hour later, the nurse came to show them to her room. Everyone followed her upstairs to the second floor, room 216. Everyone piled into her room, smiling, and giving good wishes. Lance stayed towards the back of the room, afraid to even look at her.

“Hey guys.” she smiled weakly, her voice still hoarse.

“Hi honey.” her mother hugged her. “We knew you’d pull through it.”

“Thank you for believing in me.”

“I’m so sorry.” Shay hugged her, tears burning in her eyes.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

Joey smiled, “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too. Hey Shay, looks like we both got broken bones huh?”

Shay laughed, “Yeah, my wrist and your arm.”

Everyone cleared out about an hour later. They knew she was tired and they wanted her to get her rest. Lance waited until everyone left before he went up to her. He still couldn’t look her in the eye.

He bent down to kiss her cheek, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Jaimie smiled weakly at him. She knew he knew everything by now, yet he wouldn’t even look at her. She fought her tears. She knew this had to mean he didn’t feel the same and he wasn’t happy about the baby. The doctor told her she lost the baby, but she was holding onto her tears until she was alone. Now with Lance’s attitude, she wasn’t sure she could hold them much longer.

“I’ll let you get your rest. I’ll see you later.”

Jaimie just nodded. She was afraid if she spoke, the tears would start. He stood and left her room. Jaimie turned away from the door and let her tears fall. She didn’t even hear the door open again. Shay had wanted to talk to her about the baby, but she didn’t want to do it in front of everyone. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. Jaimie sat up startled. As soon as she saw Shay, she collapsed into her arms as the tears wracked her body again. She held her until they subsided.

“I take it they told you about the baby.”

“Yes, oh Shay.” she sniffled. “I know I acted as if I didn’t want to be pregnant, but I wanted my baby. It was a part of me and Lance.”

"I know sweetie. I’m so sorry.”

“To top that off, Lance won’t even look at me. He doesn’t love me, not the way I love him.”

“Yes he does Jaimie. You should have seen him this past week. He was always here. He never left your side.”

“Maybe that was guilt because of the baby.”

“Oh, Jaimie. You know that’s not true.”

She began to cry again, “I’ve lost everything Shay. I lost Lance and I lost our baby. I feel so hollow and I don’t know what to do.”

“Shhhh. It’ll be okay I promise.”

Shay held her until she fell asleep, then she went straight to Lance’s apartment.

“Shay?” Lance asked surprised as he opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

“Lance you have to talk to Jaimie.”

He sighed, “So she can tell me she doesn’t want anything to do with me? I don’t know if I could handle it.”

“I just held her as she cried herself to sleep because she thinks you don’t love her and that you were upset about the baby. Not about the miscarriage, but the fact that she was pregnant period.”

“How could she think that?”

“She said you wouldn’t even look at her.”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t see love in her eyes.”

“You have to talk to her lance. Tell her you love her. I’m not going to stand by and let you two dance around the obvious again.”

“I promise I’ll go see her tomorrow after rehearsals.”

“Good. Well now that I’ve said my peace I’ll let you get some rest.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at rehearsals tomorrow.”

“Okay.” she turned towards him, kissing his cheek. “You know I’m just fussing because I love you both and I want you two to be happy together.”

Lance laughed, “I know. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

Shay left Lance alone with his thoughts. He had to try to say the right things tomorrow when he saw Jaimie. Everything that meant anything to him was riding on it.

Chapter Twenty Two

The next day at rehearsals was a cheerful one. Everyone was in good spirits. they were starting their tour and Jaimie was out of the woods.

“Alright people! Today is our last rehearsal day before the tour. Let’s make it count. I’m happy Jaimie is okay now we can all concentrate better. Let’s do it.” Darren smiled.

They all practiced hard and went through all of their routines flawlessly. Darren decided to let them out of rehearsals early since they did so well that day. Lance took a quick shower before heading to the hospital. On his way out he ran into Shay.

“Hey, you on your way to the hospital?”

“Yep, wish me luck. I hope I don’t say something stupid.”

Shay laughed, “Good luck, but I’m sure you won’t need it. You two love each other too much.”

He kissed her cheek, “Thanks Shay. You’re the best.”

“I know, I’m wonderful.”

Lance laughed, “Yes you are. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

Shay couldn’t help but smile as she watched lance leave the studio. She hoped everything worked out. Joey came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was startled at first, but relaxed in his arms once she realized who it was.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey yourself.” she smiled.

“So are you going to see Jaimie?”

“Why don’t we go grab some lunch, then we can stop by and see her. I want to give Lance some time alone with her before we bust in.”

“Oh, Lance is going to see her? Is he finally going to say the '3' words?”

“He says he is. Let’s hope so.”

“So where do you want to go eat?”

“Why don’t we just go grab a pizza?”

“Sounds good to me.” He smiled as he opened the passenger door, “Your chariot my lady.”

“Thank you kind sir.”

Joey jumped into the drivers seat after making sure Shay was in the car. They drove to a local pizza joint to eat lunch. They made sure they took their time. They wanted Lance to have plenty of time with Jaimie.

When Lance walked into her room, her mom was just saying goodbye to her.

“Hi, Lance.” her mom smiled.

Lance returned her smile and kissed her on the cheek, “Hi Ms. Johnnie. Did I just miss a visit with you?”

“Yep, I’ve got some errands to run, but I’ll be back later tonight.” She turned to Jaimie, “Bye honey.”

“Bye Mom.”

“See you later Lance.”

“Bye.”

They sat there in an awkward silence for a moment. Lance walked over to her before speaking.

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Physically I’m doing better. Emotionally I’m still a mess.” she answered quietly.

He sat down on the bed beside her, gently taking her hand in his “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you lost our baby, but I promise you don’t have to go through this alone. It was my child too and I feel it’s loss.”

“You aren’t mad that I was pregnant and that we slept together?” Her voice was shaky.

Lance finally looked into her eyes, “No.” He lifted his hand and gently caressed her cheek, “The only thing I’m upset about is that I didn’t remember doing it and the fact that you went through it all alone. Why didn’t you tell me Jaimie?”

“I was afraid you would be upset. I knew you wanted to give yourself to someone you really loved. I didn’t think I could handle it if you were upset about it. Then I started having the pregnancy symptoms. I’m sorry I pushed you away especially that day you came to see me, but I was scared. Can you forgive me?”

“I can only imagine what you went through. I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t tell me anything You’re never alone. You’ll always have me, I promise.”

By this time Jaimie was crying again. Lance pulled her into his arms and held her. Tears began to form in his eyes as well. They cried for the time they wasted and most of all they cried for their child.

“I’m sorry I lost the baby.”

“Jaimie it wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry the baby’s gone too, but don’t blame yourself.”

“So you didn’t remember anything about that night?” she asked quietly.

“I had these pictures in my head of making love to you, but I just thought it was a dream.” He laughed softly, “I guess I was wrong.” Jaimie blushed bright red. Lance had to laugh at her. “It’s a little late for you to be getting embarrassed don’t you think?”

“I guess you’re right.”

They sat there in silence again before Lance spoke again. He was trying to think of the best way to tell her he loved her.

“Now that you’re okay I think it’s time to tell you.” He sighed before he began, “I have a problem with my heart.”

Jaimie’s eyes grew wide with fear, “What!?!”

He gently took her hand and placed it over his heart, “Does my heartbeat feel strong?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want it to stay this way?”

“Of course I do Lance, but I don’t under..…” she began confused.

He cut her off, “All you have to do is promise me you’ll always love me as much as I love you. Promise me you’ll never leave me.”

Her eyes began to fill with tears, “Do you really mean that?”

“I mean every word. I love you Jaimie. If you don’t feel the same my heart will break.”

“I do love you.”

Lance leaned over and gave her the sweetest kiss she’d ever received. When Lance pulled away he frowned when he saw her still crying.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m so happy. I never thought you’d love me the way I love you.”

“We’ve wasted so much time already. We should have just been honest with each other.”

“I know. When did you realized you loved me?”

“The night you and JC announced you were dating. I felt like that whole night was nothing but torture. The only good part was dancing with you. I just kept thinking about it all night. That’s when I finally realized that I loved you. The only person that knew was Justin. Who knew how you felt about me?”

“Everyone but you. You were just a little slow.”

“I wish someone would have just gave us a good push, but it’s all in the past. I’m looking towards my future now. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for us. I know as long as we are together we can handle anything.”

She smiled, “You’re quite the optimist aren’t you?”

“After all we’ve been through we deserved some happiness don’t you think?”

“I’d have to agree with you there.”

“Are you going to let me be the first to sign it?” he asked, pointing to her cast.

“Sure, just don’t write anything vulgar.”

Lance frowned, pretending to be hurt, “How could you think that?”

She laughed, “I don’t know. I’m mean aren’t I?”

Lance got up and walked out of her room. Not a minute later he came back with a red Sharpie marker. When he got back he sat with his back towards her and pulled her arm around so she couldn’t see what he was writing. She laughed and laid her head on his back as he wrote. A few minutes later he turned to face her with a grin on his handsome face. Jaimie looked at him suspiciously before looking to see what he wrote. He drew two stick figures that looked like they were embracing. The guy had spiky hair, she assumed that was him. The girl had long curly hair like hers. Underneath the picture he wrote their initials JLB and JLH Always! with a heart between their initials. It was the cutest picture.

“Awe, that’s so cute.” She kissed him softly, “Thank you.”

He smiled back at her, “You’re welcome. I love you.”

“I love you back.”

Lance leaned in to kiss her again when Shay and Joey walked in.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Dr. Bass administering a special medicine?” Joey grinned.

“That’s right.” Lance laughed.

“So everything is straight between you guys?” Shay asked.

Jaimie smiled, “Everything is great.”

She hugged her, “I’m so happy for you guys.”

Lance whispered into her ear as he hugged her, “Thank you Shay.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Hey whisper sweet nothings into your girls ear not mine.”

“Hey I can’t help it if they both love me.”

Jaimie rolled her eyes, “Oh whatever. The nurse will be asking you to leave because your ego is too big to fit in the room with everyone else.”

“You’re so funny baby.”

“I know.”

“You know you love me.” Lance grinned.

Jaimie sighed dramatically, “I guess I do, unfortunately.”

Lance gave her the puppy dog eyes and stuck his bottom lip out pouting. Jaimie had to laugh at him. He was too cute sometimes.

“Oh okay. I love you. Just sit down and quit pouting.”

“I knew you couldn’t resist my puppy face.”

“I’ll get you back don’t worry.”

“So you get out of jail tomorrow?” Joey asked.

“Yes thank God! I can’t wait. The food in here is terrible. I just want a big cheeseburger.”

“We’ll make sure you get one tomorrow. Is your mom picking you up in the morning?” Shay asked.

“Yeah, she’s supposed to be here tomorrow morning around 10. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.”

“I don’t blame you there.”

They all talked for the next hour, but then Joey and Shay decided to head out.

“I guess I need to go too before they start to chase me out.” Lance said.

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave either, but you’ll be coming home tomorrow and I promise I’ll come and stay all day, okay?”

Jaimie put on her puppy face this time and made sure her bottom lip really poked out.

“Oh no! That’s so unfair and you know it.”

Jaimie laughed, “I told you I’d get you back. Two can play at that game.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” she sighed, disappointed.

“Awe, don’t be like this. You’re making me feel bad. You know I’d stay if I could.”

“I know.”

Jaimie leaned forward and gave him a passionate kiss. She poured all of herself into it. Lance slid his arms around her, pulling her closer to him while Jaimie slipped her tongue inside his mouth. She gently sucked on his bottom lip, eliciting a soft moan from his lips before she began to kiss him again. They were really getting into it when Jaimie pulled away breathless.

“What? Why did you stop?”

“We don’t need to start something we can’t finish.”

“You’re right I guess we’ll have to finish this later.”

“You can bet on it.” she smiled.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, I love you.”

He smiled down at her, “I love you too.”

Lance gave her another quick kiss before he left. After Lance left, Jaimie fell into a peaceful sleep with a content smile on her face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What Jaimie didn’t know was that the next morning, everyone showed up at her house to set up a welcome home party for her. Jaimie was still sitting at the hospital waiting for the release forms to be signed by the time 11am rolled around. Johnnie knew the others were setting up for the party, so this extra time was good for them. Finally around 12pm they were in her Mom’s car heading to her house. Jaimie was so relieved to finally be home, she didn’t even pay attention to the extra cars in her driveway. She ran up the drive to her house. As soon as she walked through the door, everyone jumped out and yelled “SURPRISE!”. They put up a huge “Welcome Home” banner and balloons were everywhere. All of her best friends were there. Needless to say, she was very surprised.

“Thanks so much you guys. This means a lot to me.”

“We’re just glad you’re okay. I love you girl.” Justin grinned as he pulled her in for a tight hug.

She kissed his cheek, “I love you too sweetie.”

“It’s about time you woke up lazybones.” Chris hugged her.

“You’re so funny.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I missed you.” He whispered in her ear.

Jaimie just smiled up at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Sue just pulled her into a tight hug.

“You had me scared girl. Don’t ever do that again.”

“I promise.”

Shay hugged her tight, “I’m glad you’re home. “

“Me too.”

“Get over here.” He lifted her off the ground in a bear hug, “Welcome home.”

“Thanks Joe.” She kissed his cheek.

Raquel hugged her, “It’s good to see you.”

“You too.”

Jaimie paused for a moment when she reached Raven. She smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry for everything.” she whispered.

“It’s okay. It’s over and done with now.”

Jaimie paused again when she reached JC. She stood there for a moment looking at him. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. JC hugged her back fiercely. They just held each other for a moment before either spoke.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted.” she whispered.

“I’m sorry. I betrayed your trust. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“I love you JC. You’re one of the most important people in my life. I was just going through a lot when you told me about you and Raven and I overreacted.”

“I’m just glad you’ve forgiven me. I love you too. I was going crazy trying to figure out ways to make it up to you.”

“You don’t need to do anything. All’s forgiven okay?”

JC smiled, “Sounds great to me.”

Jaimie gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning all of her attention to Lance.

“I was wondering if you were going to get to me.”

She smiled, “Just saving the best for last.”

Lance pulled her to him and began to kiss her. They were completely oblivious to everyone around them.

“Hey you guys, get a room will ya!” Chris yelled.

“Cut us some slack Chris. I don’t tell you and Sue to get a room.” Lance glared at him.

“We don’t make out in front of everyone.”

Justin laughed, “Who are you trying to fool?”

“You guys are all over each other sometimes, but we just ignore you.” Joey said.

“We do not.…”

“Yes we do Chris so hush! Besides Jaimie’s been in a coma for the last week.”

“Okay, I’m sorry guys.”

Jaimie smiled, “It’s okay. This is supposed to be a party so let’s party.”

Chapter Twenty Three

The rest of the afternoon was spent laughing and just having a good time together. They grilled hamburgers and hot dogs outside. Joey took charge of the food, putting on a big chef’s hat and an apron that said “Kiss me I’m Italian” instead of the usual “Kiss me I’m Irish” logo. Shay made sure to snap plenty of pictures of him. She figured they may turn out to be good blackmail material. She took pictures of everyone, especially Jaimie and Lance. Jaimie wrestled the camera from Shay and snapped some of her and Joey. By the time 8pm rolled around, Jaimie had fallen asleep on the couch.

“Awe, poor thing. She must have been wiped out.” Shay said.

“Yeah, I know.” Lance smiled.

“I think everyone is leaving now. I’m going to stay to clean up with Sue.”

“Okay. I’m going to put her to bed, then I’ll come out to help.”

Shay went to help Sue in the kitchen while Lance lifted Jaimie into his arms and carried her to her room. She didn’t wake up at all, even while he undressed her and put on her nightgown. After he had her changed, he pulled the covers up over her and tucked her in. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight. I love you.”

She mumbled something in her sleep that kind of resembled “I love you” but Lance wasn’t sure. He just smiled and shook his head before leaving to go help the others. Lance helped Joey clean the grill while the others cleaned the kitchen and put away the food. By 9:30pm they had finished. Everyone said their good-byes and went home. Lance decided to stay with Jaimie instead of going home. He knew he’d be leaving soon and he wanted to be with her as long as he could. After making sure all of the doors were locked and all the lights were off, he crept back into Jaimie’s room trying not to wake her. He quickly got undressed, leaving only his boxer briefs on. He slowly got into bed beside her and pulled the covers back over them. As soon as he laid beside her, Jaimie automatically snuggled closer to him, mumbling his name. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, quickly falling into a peaceful sleep himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joey walked Shay up to her apartment after driving her home from Jaimie’s. They stopped at her door to say goodnight. Joey leaned in to kiss her goodnight. They kissed for a moment before Shay pulled away.

“Do you realize we haven’t had sex since the accident?”

Joey laughed, “I’m aware of that. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just ever since we started seeing each other, this is the longest we’ve obstained from sex.”

“Well, I knew you had been through a lot, so I didn’t want to rush you.”

Shay smiled, “So it’s not because I don’t turn you on?”

“Girl please! You can turn me on with just one of your smiles. It has nothing to do with that. I just didn’t want to rush you.”

“So, do you want to stay over tonight?”

“Are you sure?”

“No, I just thought I’d tease you a little.” she said sarcastically.

“Alright smart ass. Yes, I would like to stay.”

“Good.”

Shay led the way to her bedroom after making sure her door was locked. As soon as they reached her bedroom, Joey crushed Shay’s body to his, kissing her passionately. Joey sighed form the feeling of having her in his arms again. Shay wasted no time undressing Joey. She had him stripped in a matter of minutes. Joey quickly returned the favor, anxious to see her gorgeous body again. Once they were both rid of their clothes, they fell on the bed never breaking their kiss. Shay wrapped her long legs around Joey’s hips just as he thrust into her. They both cried out from the intense feeling of being joined again after so long. Joey kept his frenzied pace until Shay was shuddering from an intense orgasm. Joey kept his rhythm, not giving Shay time to recover from her first orgasm before the fire inside her began to smolder again. By the time Joey’s release finally came, Shay’s second orgasm hit her. They both came calling out each other’s name.

“Wow. That was....that was....wow.”

Joey laughed, “Thank you. You were amazing yourself.”

She kissed him softly, “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Shay flipped the lamp off then returned to Joey’s arms and fell into a deep sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jaimie awoke around 11:30pm that night. She saw Lance sleeping peacefully beside her. She smiled at him, but her smiled turned into a devilish grin as she began to wake him. She wanted him badly. She knew he was leaving soon, so she knew she had to have him while she could.

“Lance....Lance, baby wake up.” she whispered.

Jaimie straddled his hips as she began kissing and nibbling on his lips. He began to stir and mumble her name. She smiled but continued to try to wake him. She began to move over his manhood, sighing at the pleasure just doing that brought.

“Lance, please wake up. I need you.”

Jaimie leaned down to kiss him again. As soon as her lips touched his, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. He immediately flipped her over so he was above her. He finally broke the kiss and smiled down at her.

“Well, that’s the first time I’ve been woken like that.”

“It had better be.” she grinned. “You upset that I woke you?”

He smiled, “Not at all. It was a very pleasant surprise.” He began again in a teasing manner, “Was there something you wanted?”

“I want you.”

“I’m right here.”

Jaimie pulled his lips back down to hers in a searing kiss. Lance’s hands were all over her body. He quickly removed Jaimie’s panties, followed by his boxer briefs. Jaimie quickly rid herself of her nightgown then returned her attention to Lance. Lance began to kiss her again, while gently caressing her breasts. Jaimie moaned into his mouth at his gentle, sweet torture. Lance’s hands traveled down her firm stomach to her most private area. She arched under his touch, silently begging for more. When Lance removed his hand, Jaimie whimpered slightly. He positioned himself at her entrance, then thrust inside her. she cried out form the invasion. It didn’t take long for the intense pleasure to replace the pain. Jaimie wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting his hips thrust for thrust. She wrapped her arms around him pulling him closer to her. Lance held onto her shoulders as he slowly quickened his pace.

“I love you.” she moaned.

“I love you so much.”

They both came screaming each others names. Lance collapsed on top of her completely spent. He began kissing her softly as they came down.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” she asked confused.

He softly stroked her hair, “Well, let’s see. Thank you for bringing so much joy into my life, thank you for understanding me, thank you for always being there for me, but most of all thank you for loving me.”

“You never have to thank me for any of those things. I love you that’s all there is to it.”

“I just feel lucky to have you in my life.”

“I feel the same way about you.”

“Well, I guess we’re both lucky then.”

“Absolutely.” She grinned up at him wickedly, “So, have you rested long enough?”

“Already? I think I’ve created a monster.”

“You know it. We don’t have much time together before you leave for the tour.”

He sighed, “Don’t remind me.”

“Hmmmmm, feels like you’re ready for another round.” she smiled as she felt his erection grow beneath her.

“I’m always ready for you.”

After they made love once more, they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lance woke the next morning, he realized Jaimie wasn’t beside him. He pulled his boxer briefs back on before he went in search of her. He found her in the kitchen cooking breakfast. He stood in the doorway watching her as she worked. She had all of her hair pulled up in a big clip, she again wore the tiny nightgown she had wore last night, and she was bare footed. She looked very domestic and so incredibly sexy to him. He encircled her waist with his arms and pulled her back towards him while kissing her neck.

“Good morning.”

She smiled, “Well, good morning to you too. I hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m always hungry for you.” he mumbled as he continued to kiss along her shoulder and neck.

Jaimie laughed, “That’s nice to know honey, but I meant I hoped you were hungry for food.”

“I could eat.” He grinned when he realized what she was cooking, “Ohhhh! French toast!”

“Yep, I knew they were your favorite.”

He turned her to face him, “I love you.”

“I know.” She grinned then kissed him softly, “I love you too.”

Lance began to deepen the kiss, gently coaxing her mouth open with his tongue. After a few moments, Jaimie broke the kiss.

“Okay, you need to behave or you’ll cause me to burn breakfast.”

“Don’t wanna!"

“If you behave now, I promise to reward you later.”

“Okay I’ll behave.” he grinned.

“Good.” she smacked him playfully on his rear. “Now be a good boy and pour us some milk.”

“Hey, you better behave too missy!” he smacked her back

Jaimie just laughed and returned her attention to their breakfast. Lance did as he was told and poured them both a glass of milk. By the time their places were set, Jaimie was bringing their breakfast to the table.

“They aren’t your grandmother’s, but I think they are pretty good if I do say so myself.”

“I’m sure they’re delicious.”

“Thanks.” she smiled.

They talked and laughed together while they ate. Jaimie tried hard not to think a about him leaving tomorrow, but it was always there in her mind. After they ate, Lance helped her clean the kitchen.

“Breakfast was wonderful. Thank you baby.”

“Awe.” She kissed him softly. “Thank you. I think I’m going to take a bath.”

“Ohhh, that sounds like fun. Can I join you?”

“Sure, after all I’ll need someone to help me wash since I have a cast on my arm.”

“Consider me your official washer. Lead the way madam.”

Jaimie led the way back to her bathroom. She began to run the bath water, and steam began to fill the room quickly. She took the clip from her hair and shook her hair loose. She began to remove her nightgown when Lance came up behind her. His hands inched their way down her body until he found the end of her gown. He began to slowly remove it from her body.

“Are you going to join me in the bath?”

“Of course.” he smiled.

Lance climbed in first and sat in the back of the tub. Jaimie climbed in after him and sat between his legs, leaning back against him.

“Okay, sit up and lean your head back for me. Make sure your arm is out to the side of the tub so your cast doesn’t get wet.”

Jaimie did as she was told. Lance took the pitcher beside the tub and began to wet her hair. Once it was completely soaked, he took some of her shampoo and began to work up a think lather. He was so gentle as he washed her hair. She sighed from the relaxing feel of his hands massaging the shampoo in her hair. Lance leaned up and kissed her shoulder as he continued to wash her hair.

She sighed, “You’re really good at this. I’ll have to get you to do this often.”

“I’ll be at your beck and call.” he laughed.

“Hmmmm, I like the sound of that. “

“As long as you do the same for me.”

“I guess I could do that.”

“Okay it’s time to rinse. Lean your head back again for me.”

Jaimie leaned her head back so Lance could rinse her hair for her. Once he was finished with her hair, he took her green loofa and poured a generous amount of her Juniper Breeze body wash on it. He had to admit it was his favorite scent for her. Once the loofa was lathered, he began to gently wash her body. He took his time making sure every inch of her body was covered. Once he was finished, Jaimie leaned back against Lance once more.

She sighed contentedly, “Maybe you should consider dropping this singing gig and do this professionally.”

“Hmmmm, just think of all the women I could wash in one day.”

Jaimie thought on it for a moment, “Okay scratch that idea. That was a horrible idea.”

“Oh no, I think that idea has potential.”

She turned to look at him, “The only female body you ever look at better be mine James Lance Bass!”

He laughed, “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

Jaimie sat up and crossed her arms angrily in front of her as best she could with a cast on her arm. Lance had to laugh at her. She was so cute when she was jealous. A slow smile spread across Jaimie’s face as she thought of a plan to get Lance back for teasing her. She was going to tease him back. She leaned back against Lance again and began to slowly grind her butt up against Lance’s manhood. She heard him grunt loudly.

“Um, sweetie. Your ass is playing in dangerous territory there.”

She turned to kneel in front of him, whispering in a seductive tone, “It’s my turn to wash you.”

“Are you sure? You’ve only got one hand.”

She kissed him softly, “That’s all I need. Lean your head back.”

Lance sat up and leaned his head back while Jaimie used the pitcher to wet his hair. Once it was wet, she poured some shampoo on his hair and began to massage it into his hair with her only hand. Once she finished, she rinsed his hair with the pitcher.

“You’re pretty good at this too.”

She grinned, “And that’s with only one hand. Imagine how good I could be with both.”

He pulled her towards him, “Hmmm, that sounds nice.”

She pulled away from him, “Behave. I’m not finished with you yet.”

Lance pouted, but kept his hands to himself while Jaimie began to wash his body. She deliberately avoided the area that was begging for her touch. After she washed every inch of Lance’s body, she finally took pity on him and began to gently wash his manhood. Lance moaned and leaned his head back with his eyes closed, enjoying her gentle touch. After a few minutes, she stood and began to get out of the tub.

“Okay, I’m finished.”

Lance’s eyes popped open and he tried to grab her as she jumped out of the tub, but she was too slippery.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Lance jumped out of the tub and ran after her, neither had bothered to dry off. Jaimie was laughing so hard she could barely run. Lance caught up with her as she reached the door to her bedroom. He pinned her against her door frame.

“You don’t play nice.”

“What did I do?” she asked innocently.

He placed her hand on his erection, “That’s what you did.”

“Hmmm, very nice. It feels like you have a big problem there Lance.”

“What are we going to do about my problem?”

“Awe, do you need me to help you with your problem baby?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay. All you have to do is say, ‘Jaimie, my love, I’m sorry for being an ass. Please forgive me.’”

“Are you serious? That’s what this is all about, me teasing you earlier?”

“Yep.” she smiled up at him sweetly.

Lance sighed, “Okay fine. Jaimie, my love, I’m sorry for being an ass. Please forgive me.”

“Well, I would have liked you to sound sincere, but I guess I’ll take that.”

Jaimie wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body against his, and kissed him deeply. Lance’s arms quickly went around her body pulling her even closer to him. They continued to kiss as they made their way to her bed. Jaimie fell back onto the bed with Lance looming above her. He pulled another condom out of her nightstand and quickly sheathed himself before climbing into bed with her. They didn’t waste any time. Jaimie wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrust into her. They didn’t take their time this time. They needed each other too badly. They found their rhythm and never slowed down until they both screamed as their orgasms hit at the same time. Lance collapsed on top of her, kissing along her bare shoulder. Jaimie softly ran her fingers through his hair, kissing his forehead.

“I love you Lance. I’m sorry for teasing you earlier. That was mean and I promise I won’t do it again.”

“I love you too. I’m sorry for teasing you too. You know there will never be another woman for me. You’re the owner of my heart and you always will be.” He chuckled softly, “Unless you decide to trade me in for another model.”

“No chance of that.”

“Good.”

Lance began to kiss her again when her phone rang. Lance grumbled and reached over to grab the phone.

“This better be good.” he barked into the phone.

Shay laughed, “Shame on you Lance! I thought you were nicer than that. Did I interrupt something?”

“Yep, but that’s okay. I’m sorry for sounding rude. If I knew it was you I would have answered nicer.”

“Awe, there’s the sweet guy we all know and love. Is Jaimie around?”

“Yep, she’s right here under me. Hold on a second.”

Jaimie stared at Lance in shock. She turned 85 different shades of red. Lance started chuckling to himself before Jaimie jerked the phone from him and pushed him off of her.

“Ignore that last comment please.” she said into the phone.

Shay was laughing hysterically on the other end, “I could just picture your face when he said that.”

“Yeah, well he won’t be in that position for a while I can guarantee that.”

Lance started to give her his puppy face, but this time she completely ignored him and put her robe on.

“So, what’s up?”

“Well, Joey and I were talking this morning and we think it would be nice if we all went out to dinner tonight since we leave for the tour tomorrow.”

“That sounds like fun. Where and when?”

“I was thinking maybe the Olive Garden. It’s a nice Italian restaurant and I feel like dressing up a little.”

“Yum, that sounds good to me. What time should we meet there?”

“How about around 7pm?”

“Okay, we’ll be there.”

“I’m so glad you guys are finally together. You deserve some happiness.”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. We may not be here now if it wasn’t for you. I just wish you guys didn’t have to leave so soon.”

“I know you do. I wish you could come with us.”

“I’ll try to come visit you guys while you’re on the road.” Jaimie whispered into the phone so Lance couldn’t hear her, “You know I won’t be able to stay away from Lance too long, but that’s just between us okay?”

“Of course. I don’t think I could stay away from Joey either, but don’t tell him that.”

“Your secret is safe with me. Listen, I’ll see you tonight around 7 okay?”

“Okay. Later chicky.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie turned around to face Lance with a stern look on her face.

“I can’t believe you said that to her Lance.”

He laughed, “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist. You’re so easy to embarrass.”

“Remember that promise I made you earlier? I take it back.”

Jaimie turned and stomped out of her room and went to the living room. She began flipping through the channels trying to ignore Lance. He walked over to her and sat beside her on the couch. He tried to grab her hand but she jerked it away and started to walk off again. Lance jumped in front of her. She just stood there with her arms crossed refusing to look at him.

“I’m sorry I said what I said to Shay. I shouldn’t have said anything like that. It was wrong. Do you forgive me?”

Jaimie just shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare at the floor. The only sound came from MTV on the television. The video for Bryan Adams, ‘Please Forgive Me’ began to play. Lance took her hand and pulled her into his arms. They began to sway to the song, and Lance began to sing softly in her ear.

Still feels like our first night together
Feels like the first kiss
It's getting better baby
No one can better this
Still holdin' on, you're still the one

First time our eyes met
Same feelin' I get
Only feels much stronger
Wanna love ya longer
You still turn the fire on

So if you're feelin' lonely, don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love ya a little more than I should

Please forgive me
I know not what I do
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you
Don't deny me
This pain I'm going through
Please forgive me
If I need ya like I do
Please believe me
Every word I say is true
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you

Still feels like our best times are together
Feels like the first touch
Still gettin' closer baby
Can't get close enough
Still holdin' on
Still number one

I remember the smell of your skin
I remember everything
I remember all your moves
I remember you
Yeah, I remember the nights
Ya know I still do

So if you're feelin' lonely, don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love ya a little more than I should

Please forgive me
I know not what I do
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you
Don't deny me
This pain I'm going through
Please forgive me
If I need ya like I do
Oh believe me
Every word I say is true
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you

One thing I'm sure of
Is the way we make love
And one thing I depend on
Is for us to stay strong
With every word and every breath I'm prayin'
That's why I'm sayin'

Please forgive me
I know not what I do
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you
Don't deny me
This pain I'm going through
Please forgive me
If I need ya like I do
Babe believe me
Every word I say is true
Please forgive me
If I can't stop lovin' you
Never leave me
I don't know what I'd do
Please forgive me
I can't stop lovin' you
Can't stop lovin' you

Jaimie sighed, closed her eyes, and just listened to Lance’s sweet voice singing softly to her. She knew she was going to forgive him, but she wanted to wait until the song ended. Lance was so sweet, she knew he’d never intentionally hurt her. That was one of the reasons she loved him so much. When the song ended, Jaimie lifted her head and looked into his beautiful green eyes.

“That’s a hell of an apology.”

“I meant every word. Do you forgive me?” Jaimie reached up and gently brushed her lips against his.

“I love you Lance.”

He pulled her to him in a tight hug, “I love you too.” He laughed softly, “This is only our second day together and I’ve already pissed you off twice.”

She laughed too, “You just have to make it up to me.”

“I plan on spending the rest of my life making you happy.”

Jaimie wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly. They continued to sway even though the song was over. They stood there for a long time just holding each other.

Chapter Twenty Four

Shay called all of the others after she hung up with Jaimie. Once that was taken care of, Shay went in search of Joey. She found him soaking in a warm bath. He was laying back with his eyes closed listening to her Lenny Kravitz CD. She walked over to him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Joey’s arms automatically encircled her waist and started to pull her into the tub.

“Joey no!! I’m still in my nightie and I’ll get my cast wet.”

“Take off your nightie and join me.”

Shay stood and removed her nightie then climbed into the tub and straddled Joey.

“That’s my girl. So, is everyone in?”

“Yep, everyone will be there tonight.”

“Good.”

Joey’s passion for Shay began to smolder again. She was so sexy sitting there on top of him in all of her glory. He knew he had to have her right then and there. Shay grinned down at Joey as she felt his erection grow under her.

“Someone’s thinking naughty thoughts.”

“All I have to do is look at you and I get this way.”

“Maybe I can help you with that.”

Shay began to kiss him deeply, running her fingers through his wet hair. Shay immediately opened her mouth to allow his tongue access. She reached between their bodies and gently guided him inside her, never breaking their kiss. They both moaned at the feeling of being joined once again. Shay began to slowly rock her hips, constantly changing her pace, driving Joey wild with passion for her. They finally broke their kiss, their breath was coming in short pants.

“Oh Shay. God what you do to me.”

Shay buried her face in his neck as she continued to ride him hard. Shay knew Joey’s release was coming soon when he began gripping her hips and he kept pulling her back down hard onto him. Shay felt her walls begin to tighten around him as she cried out from her orgasm. That’s all it took for Joey to follow her. They sat there for a while afterwards just holding each other. Joey planted soft kisses along Shay’s shoulder.

“I wish we could stay just like this.”

Shay smiled into his hair, “That sounds nice.”

“I guess we need to start getting ready for dinner.”

“Yeah, I need to wash my hair and stuff.”

“How have you been doing that with your cast?”

“It’s been a pain, but I’ve managed.”

“Want me to wash your hair for you?”

Shay grinned, “You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would.”

“I’d appreciate that. That’s so sweet of you.”

“That’s me. Mr. Sensitive.” Joey grinned.

Shay rolled her eyes, “Mr. Ego is more like it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay I guess you need to turn around and lean your head back for me.”

Shay reluctantly withdrew from his embrace and turned with her back towards him. She leaned her head back so he could wet her hair for her. Once it was completely wet, he poured an ample amount of shampoo onto her hair and began to gently work u a good lather. Shay sighed in contentment as he gently worked on her hair. A few minutes later, Joey instructed her to lean her head back again so he could rinse it for her. When hew as finally finished, he placed a soft kiss on the back of her head.

“Okay I’m done.”

“Thank you sweetie.”

“No problem.”

Shay leaned over and kissed him softly. Joey pouted when she pulled away from him.

“Why did you pull away?”

“Because I didn’t want to start something I couldn’t finish. You need to go home and get changed. I don’t want to be late.”

“You sure you don’t need help washing the rest of your body?”

“As tempting as your offer is, I think I’ll have to pass. I don’t trust you to just wash me and behave.”

“How could you possibly accuse me of misbehaving?” Joey feigned hurt.

“I wonder why?” Shay laughed, “You’d better get going. I want you to be back here by 6:15.”

“Yes, mam.”

“Smart ass.”

Joey stood to get out of the tub. Shay smacked his wet bare butt as he got out of the tub.

“Watch it! Now look who’s misbehaving!”

“I’m totally innocent.” Shay smiled innocently.

“Whatever!” He bent down to give her a kiss, “See you in a few.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Joey quickly dressed and went back to his apartment to get changed while Shay finished her bath and began to get ready herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Justin decided to call Raquel to see if she wanted to ride with him to the restaurant. After 4 rings she finally answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Justin?”

“No, it’s the other guy you’re dating.” he laughed.

Raquel laughed nervously, “Sorry. What’s going on?”

“Are you going to dinner tonight?”

“Umm, I’m going to try to make it. Remember the friend I told you about? you know the one I moved down here with?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, we’ve been talking a lot lately. I think things might be okay between us eventually.”

“That’s great Raquel. I’m happy for you. Why don’t you bring her tonight?”

“No! Um, I mean things are still shaky so I don’t want to rush things.”

“Oh, okay. Well I’ll see you tomorrow if I don’t see you tonight.”

“Okay. Bye Justin.”

“Bye.”

Justin was slightly confused by her behavior, but he just shrugged it off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joey and Shay were the first to arrive. They were seated in the corner of the restaurant at one of the more secluded tables. JC and Raven were the next to arrive, followed by Justin, then Jaimie and Lance, with Chris and Sue arriving last.

“I see the old married couple arrives last.”

“Women!” Chris huffed. “They are always late.”

“Watch it honey. You’re playing with fire there.”

“Where’s Raquel?”

“She said she was coming. I thought she’d come with Justin.”

“She said she’d try to stop by. She began talking to that girlfriend of hers that she moved down here with. She says they’re working on getting things back on track.”

Shay‘s face paled, “Really? Oh, that’s nice.”

“Are you okay Shay?”

“I’m fine.” Her eyes met Raven’s, “I’m going to the ladies room. Raven could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure”

As soon as they were in the bathroom, they began to talk.

“Do you know what’s going on with Raquel?”

“I have no idea. She hasn’t said anything to me. What’s the deal with her telling Justin she moved here with a girlfriend? I thought she moved here with her old boyfriend, what’s his name, Brad right?”

“She did. I don’t know what she’s doing. I’m going to call her.”

They found a payphone near the bathroom. She immediately dialed Raquel’s number.

“Hello?”

“What’s going on Raquel?”

“What are you talking about Shay?”

“Don’t play dumb with me Raquel. You know very well what I’m talking about.”

Raquel sighed, “Brad started calling me again a couple weeks ago. He’s being so sweet. He’s changed Shay.”

“What about Justin? I thought you were seeing him.”

“I am, I mean I like him but....oh, I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you at least tell Justin the truth? Don’t you think he deserves that?”

“Who’s side are you on Shay?”

“I’m not choosing sides Raquel, but you are wrong for doing this to Justin. He thinks you moved to Florida with a girlfriend.”

She sighed again, “I know, I know. I just don’t know what to do. He’s been so great you know. I think I still love him Shay.”

“Then you need to tell Justin and don’t leave him hanging.”

“I don’t know if this is going to turn into anything Shay. I don’t want to say anything to Justin until I know exactly what I want.”

“That’s awfully selfish of you Raquel.”

“Why is it selfish?”

“Because you’re just stringing Justin along in case Brad turns out to be a jerk after all. You can’t have both Raquel. Choose one and stop stringing Justin along. He deserves better.”

“Alright fine. I’ll tell Justin I want to cool it down for a while. Will that make you happy?”

“Don’t get an attitude with me Raquel. I didn’t get you into this mess.”

“I know.”

“I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

Shay sighed heavily as she hung up the phone.

“Well, what’s going on in that mind of hers?”

“She was thinking she could see if this thing could work out with Brad, but keep Justin on the side just in case.”

“You’re kidding me right?”

“I have news for her. I’ll tell Justin myself before I let him be strung along by Raquel. She said she’d tell Justin she wanted to cool things off for a while.”

“I hope so. I don’t want her to hurt him. He’s been hurt enough as it is.”

“I know. Let’s get back before they come looking for us.”

They made their way back to the table. JC and Joey stood when they came back and pulled out their chairs for them.

“What did you two lovely ladies have to talk about for so long?” JC asked.

“Just girl talk.” Shay smiled.

“In other words, none of our business right?” Joey asked.

Shay grinned, “Exactly. You’re so smart baby.”

“So, how are thing going between you and Lance so far Jaim?” Justin asked.

Jaimie smiled, “Great, can’t you tell?”

“You can definitely tell it on your face. You’re practically glowing, actually so are you Lance.” Joey said.

“I’ve never been happier than I’ve been these last two days. It’s all because of the beautiful woman sitting beside me.” Lance looked over at Jaimie with adoration in his eyes.

“Awe, you’re so sweet Lance.” Shay smiled

Jaimie whispered to Lance, “I love you so much.”

Lance softly caressed her face, “I love you too.”

He brought his lips down to hers in a soft, sweet kiss. All of the girls sighed as they watched the sweet scene in front of them, while all the guys groaned in annoyance. After a few moments they ended the kiss and returned their attention to the conversation at the table.

“I can’t believe we start our tour tomorrow.” Shay sighed excitedly.

Jaimie groaned, “Don’t remind me. I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

“Why don’t you come with us Jaim? I know Lance would love to have you with us. We’d all love to have you with us.” Joey asked.

“As much as I’d love to I just can’t. I have a job here. I just can’t up and leave, as much as I may want to.”

“Believe me. I’ve tried to talk her into coming, but she won’t listen to me.”

“I’m going to miss you girl.” Shay smiled.

Jaimie‘s eyes blurred with tears, “I know. I’m going to miss you too. I’m going to miss all of you.”

“Don’t cry baby. We’ve still got tonight remember?”

“I know. It’s just that I feel like we haven’t really had anytime together one. It’s not fair you know.”

“No, it’s not. I’ll come home every chance I get. When you have time off you can come to me. We’ll be together one way or the other. I won’t let you go.”

“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

Lance chuckled, “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I hope not.”

They continued to talk and laugh over dinner. The later it got, the more Jaimie’s spirits fell. She knew that in a few hours she would have to say goodbye to all of her friends. Worst of all she knew she had to say goodbye to Lance. She didn’t say a word the entire way home. Lance of course noticed this, but he didn’t say anything to her. He knew why she was silent. As soon as they got back to her house, Jaimie went straight to her room to change. She kicked off her shoes then walked over to her window. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Lance approached her slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. Jaimie sighed and leaned into his embrace. Tears streaked down her face as she turned towards him, pulling his lips to hers. The kiss immediately deepened, Lance could taste the salt from her tears on her lips. He hated knowing he was the reason she cried and there was nothing he could do about it. No words were spoken and they continued to make love all night long until they both fell into a peaceful slumber both completely spent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joey walked Shay up to her apartment after dinner that night.

“So, are you all packed for tomorrow?”

“Yep, suitcase is in my car. Are you getting nervous?”

“A little. I just wish Jaimie would come with us.”

“I know. Lance is going to be touch to live with while we’re gone.”

“Who can blame him? He’s going to be away from his girlfriend for like three months.”

“See, I’m lucky. My honey is going to be on the road with me.”

Shay smiled as she pulled him into her embrace, “Oh, do I know her?”

“You might. She’s this beautiful woman. She’s sweet and caring.”

“Awe…”

“Plus she has the greatest ass I’ve ever seen.”

Shay’s mouth fell open in shock while she hit him playfully.

“Behave or you may not get any of this ass for a while.”

Joey pouted, “Please. We may not have a chance to be together much while on the road you know.”

“Oh alright. You have a pretty great ass too you know.”

Joey gasped, “Why Shannon, you shock me when you say such things.”

Shay laughed, “Joey, just shut up, take me to my room and ravage me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Joey carried her to her room where they made love until they both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Justin sighed heavily as he pulled into his driveway. He was excited to be going on tour again, but something bothered him and he wasn’t quite sure what it was. Things seemed to be progressing nicely with Raquel, but this last week she had grown distant. As he parked his beamer, he noticed Raquel’s Eclipse parked in his driveway. He looked towards his door and saw her standing there. He walked towards her with his lopsided grin.

“Well, this is a nice surprise.” he leaned in to kiss her.

She turned away from him, “There’s something I need to talk to you about Justin.”

Justin couldn‘t help but be confused by her behavior, “Oookay, let’s go inside.” He turned to unlock his door, “How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long, probably about 10 minutes or so. How was dinner?”

< been have would you wish I time. great a had We nice. was>

“Sounds like it would have been fun.” Raquel looked down as she shifted her feet.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

“Come sit beside me please.” Raquel gestured towards the couch.

Justin did as she asked, getting more confused by the minute.

“Raquel you’re scaring me. Is everything alright?”

She took his hand in hers, “Justin over the last month we have grown closer. I’ve cherished our time together.”

He smiled, “I know. I never thought I’d be able to open myself up to anyone again, but with you I’m learning to trust again.”

“Justin please don’t say such things.” she begged as tears began to blur her vision.

“Why?”

“Because it makes what I have to do harder for me.”

“What’s going on Raquel?”

“Justin, I think....I think we should stop seeing each other.”

Just felt as though he was slapped in the face. He couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“I can’t believe this.”

“Justin try to understand..…”

“Understand what? How you went after me and just weeks after I decide you were right and that I needed to let go of the past you decide to just break it off? What’s going on Raquel? Are you seeing someone else?” Justin demanded to know.

“I’m so sorry Justin. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Well, you did. Just get out.” Justin whispered as a single tear fell down his cheek.

Raquel moved to embrace him, “Justin please.…”

He quickly moved away as he glared at her, “Get out now!”

Raquel quickly stood and ran out of his house. She was gone within seconds. Justin just stood there for a moment letting what just happened sink in. After all this time he finally let someone back into his heart. He knew he was not in love with Raquel, but he truly had cared for her. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to forgive Raquel for what she’d done to him. He sighed heavily and made his way to his bedroom. He collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from the nights revelations.

Chapter Twenty Five

Morning came all too quickly for Jaimie. She woke around 6am and just laid in Lance’s arms. Her heart was breaking, knowing she was going to have to be separated from Lance for three months. Hot tears streaked down her face and fell onto his chest. Lance was awake by now as well. When he felt here tears on his chest, he lifted her trembling chin so he could look into her eyes. It killed him to see all the pain in her eyes. He wished he could stay here in her arms forever, but he had no choice. He had to go on tour. He gently wiped her tears and kissed her tenderly.

“Baby, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’m going to miss you too. I promise I will come here every chance I get. When you have the chance you can come see me on the road. I’ll do everything I can to be with you. I promise you that.”

“I know you will. I just wish you could be here with me.”

“I do too.”

“Love me Lance.”

“I always will.”

“Make love to me. Please Lance.”

Lance brought his lips down to hers, tenderly kissing her. The kiss deepened, but never got rough. Lance positioned himself and slowly pushed inside her. Lance wanted to take it slow and truly worship her. He wanted to show her how much he loved her. She deserved so much happiness and he swore to himself that he would spend the rest of his life making her happy. Jaimie clung to Lance, holding on for dear life. She never wanted to let him go, but she decided to push those thoughts aside and let herself get lost in Lance’s touch. Jaimie gently bit down on Lance’s shoulder and ran her nails down his back as her first orgasm hit her. Lance moaned as he felt her walls tighten around him as her orgasm hit her. He continued to move his hips in his slow pace, prolonging her pleasure and denying his own release. Jaimie wrapped her legs tight around his hips, pulling him towards her hard, trying to give him the hint to go faster. Lance held her hips to try to keep her still. He didn’t want to go fast. Jaimie whimpered but conceded and let him have his way. Lance began to feel the fire burn as his body sought it’s release. He finally began to move faster and faster. Jaimie cried out as another orgasm hit her. Jaimie’s walls tightening around him a second time was all it took for Lance to fall over the edge. Lance just laid there for a while kissing her softly.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

He smiled down at her, “I love you.”

“I love you too. You better call me every day. I’ll be upset if you don’t.”

Lance laughed softly, “I promise I will.”

“Make sure all of those girls know you’re officially off the market. I don’t intend to lose you to anyone while you’re on tour.”

“You’ll never lose me. My heart will always belong to you.”

“You’re so sweet.”

“Just telling the truth.”

Jaimie sighed, “As much as I hate to say this, we need to start getting ready to go.”

Lance groaned, “I know.”

Lance reluctantly got up and made his way to the bathroom. While he was brushing his teeth, Jaimie jumped into the shower being careful not to get her cast wet.

“You sure you don’t need any help?”

“I’d love for you to join me, but I don’t think we’d make it to the airport in time.”

“Nope, because I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself.”

“Me neither. You’re just irresistible baby.”

“Stop or you’ll make my head swell.”

“Nope, you could never be too arrogant.” she smiled as she got out of the shower.

“That was fast.”

She gave him a quick kiss, “I didn’t have any distractions.”

“That was fast.”

“I didn’t have any distractions.”

“Are you calling me a distraction?”

“Only the best kind of distraction honey.”

“Well, as long as I’m the best distraction I guess it’s okay.”

“Better hop in and take a shower. You’re going to be late as it is.”

“Maybe I’ll miss the plane.”

“Tempting thought but you know they wouldn’t leave without you.”

“I know. It was a good idea though.”

“Yes, it was.”

Jaimie just braided her wet hair and applied a little lip gloss. She sprayed her Juniper Breeze body spray that she knew Lance loved. Once she was finished in the bathroom, she went back to her room to get dressed. Lance wrapped a towel around his waist as he got out of the shower. He stood at the sink looking at the mixture of his things and hers lying on the counter top. He smiled at the sight of it. To him it symbolized their lives coming together. After he shaved and finished getting ready, he gathered everything he needed and began to make his way to Jaimie’s room. Then an idea came to him. He searched his bag and found two handkerchiefs. He took one and sprayed it with a generous amount of his cologne that he knew she loved. He tucked it in her purse knowing she’d find it eventually. He took the other hankie and did the same with her Juniper Breeze body spray. He stuck it into his bag and went to find Jaimie. She was sitting on her bed putting on her tennis shoes.

“Hey, you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be I guess.”

“Let’s go then so I can come home and cry myself to sleep.”

“Don’t say that. Promise me you won’t do that.”

“I promise I’ll try not to.”

Lance took her hands as they made their way to his Jeep. She was going to keep his car for him while he was gone. They rode to the airport in silent holding each others hand. As they walked through the airport holding hands, only a few little girls stopped them. Luckily the airport wasn’t very busy. Everyone was at the gate waiting for them. Shay could see the tears brimming in her eyes even though she gave a brave smile.

“We were wondering if you were going to run away and not come back.”

“We were tempted but we couldn’t do that to you guys.”

“It’s time to go guys.” Johnny called out.

Jaimie began her goodbye hugs. She started with Chris and Sue.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll miss you.” Sue smiled.

“You too.”

Chris smiled, “Love you girlie.”

“I know.”

Jaimie turned to JC and Raven. She gave Raven a quick hug, then turned to JC. He picked her up in a bear hug.

“I wish you were coming with us.”

“I do too, but I just can’t.”

JC just smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Jaimie then turned to Raquel and gave her a quick hug before moving to Joey. She was kind of confused at first, seeing Justin stand off by himself being very quiet. When she looked back towards Raquel, she was already gone inside the plane. She shrugged and turned to Joey.

He hugged her tight, “Take care sweets. You know all you have to do is call me if you need me. I love you girl.”

“Thanks Joe. I love you too.”

Jaimie turned to Shay who pulled her into a tight embrace, tears threatening in her eyes.

“I’ll miss you. You’d better come see me on the road. Promise me.”

Jaimie laughed, “I promise.” She whispered in her ear, “Take care of him for me.”

“I promise.” she smiled.

Jaimie turned towards Justin. he gave her his trademark grin and hugged her tight.

“Come ‘ere Sexy. Take care of yourself.”

“I will. Is everything okay Justin?”

His smile faltered, “I will be. I’ll call you later okay.”

“You’d better. Love you sweetie.”

“Love you too.” he kissed her cheek.

Everyone moved closer to the gate to give Lance and Jaimie some privacy. Lance pulled her into his embrace holding her tight. They just held each other for a few minutes.

“I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t. Don’t forget to call me every night.”

“I will.” His eyes sparkled with tears, “I have to go Johnny’s getting impatient. I love you.”

Lance leaned in and gave her a soft sweet kiss. Jaimie clung to him, not wanting to let go. Shay watched the scene teary eyed. She couldn’t imagine what she was going through. She turned away, unable to watch the heartbreaking scene.

“Go.” she cried. “Go before I drag you out of here.”

“I love you.....goodbye.”

“I love you so much.”

Lance turned and walked quickly towards the gate, looking back only once. Once he was out of sight, Jaimie quickly left fighting her tears. She got in his Jeep and drove home. She fell onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She woke about two hours later. She went straight to the bathroom to wash her face. Her eyes were scratchy and swollen from her tears. She searched everywhere for some eye drops, but could find none in her bathroom. She checked her purse and found the hankie Lance left her. She smiled and brought it to her nose, breathing in his scent deeply. Oh how she missed him already. She tucked the hankie into her night gown drawer, hoping his scent would get into her clothes. She wanted to feel surrounded by him when she slept. She finally found some eye drops and sighed from the relief they brought to her. She fixed a sandwich and settled in to watch “Beaches”. She was crying again by the time the credits were rolling. Her phone decided to ring at that exact moment.

“Hello?” she sniffled.

“You promised me you wouldn’t cry.”

She immediately cheered at the sound of his voice, “I promised you I’d try not to cry. I was watching ‘Beaches’ you know what that does to me.”

Lance sighed, “Yes, I know. I wish you wouldn’t watch that movie.”

“Why? It’s a good movie Lance.”

“Because it makes you cry. I hate it when you cry. Especially when I’m not there to hold you.”

“Awe, I miss you so much already.”

“I know. I miss you too. I’m sitting here in my hotel room all by myself wishing I was with you.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too. More than I ever knew I could love someone.”

“You’re the sweetest guy do you know that?”

Lance laughed, “So I’ve been told.”

“How long until you leave for the show?”

“In about an hour or so.”

“How are the girls holding up?”

“They’re nervous, but they’ll be great.”

“I wish I could have been there.”

“Baby, don’t start that again. You’ll just upset yourself and I don’t want you to cry while you’re talking to me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She paused as she heard someone enter his room, “Who’s that?”

“Justin”

“Tell him I said hi.”

He turned to Justin, “Jaimie says hi.”

“That’s Jaim? Let me talk to her for a minute.”

“She’s my girlfriend man!”

“Quit being selfish. Come on Lance.”

“Alright.” He returned his attention to Jaimie, “Justin wants to talk to you for a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

Justin took the phone from Lance, “You know your boyfriend is stingy when it comes to you.”

“He’s so sweet.”

“You’re so whipped it’s pathetic.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. What’s up sweetie? What was wrong this morning?”

“You know how hard it’s been for me to let go of what happened between me and Heather right?”

“Right, but I thought you and Raquel were beginning to take things slow.”

“I did too, until she comes to my house last night and tells me she wants to stop seeing me. Can you believe that?”

“Oh, are you serious? I’m so sorry Justin. Did she give you a reason?”

“I didn’t really give her a chance to tell me why. I didn’t want to hear her excuses. I told her I was afraid of getting hurt like I did before and she does this to me.”

“Sweetie, I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt you. Do you want me to talk to her?”

“No, that’s okay. Thanks anyway. I just needed to talk to someone about it.”

“I’m always here for you. I hope you know that. You know, even though I know she didn’t mean to hurt you, it pisses me off that she did. No one hurts my boys!”

“I’ll be okay eventually. I’ll let you talk to Lance now. Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon. Love ya girl.”

"You too Justin. Love you.”

Lance took the phone back from Justin, “Hey, did you get him straightened out?”

“Yep, I hope I helped him some at least.”

“I’m sure you did. So, when do you think you’ll be able to come see me.”

“Hopefully in a couple of weeks or so. I don’t want it to be too long.”

“It seems like a really long way away.”

“I know it does. I’ll check my schedule tomorrow and I’ll see what I can do okay?”

“The sooner the better. Well, I have to go. Chris just popped his head in the door to tell me. I’ll call you tonight after the show okay?”

“Okay. Wish everyone good luck for me. I miss you sweetie.”

“I miss you too. I love you.”

“Love you too. Don’t forget to call me.”

“I won’t. Bye baby.”

“Bye.”

Jaimie felt a little better after her phone call. It was just good to hear his voice. She decided she’d try her best to get to one of his shows next weekend and surprise him. She smiled as a plan began to form in her mind.

Chapter Twenty Six

The next two weeks passed by fairly quickly. Jaimie and Lance talked everyday no matter what. She was missing him like crazy. He was constantly asking her when she was going to come see him. She never gave him an answer, but she planned on meeting them in New York. It would be almost three weeks since they said good-bye. Jaimie called Shay a few days before she was scheduled to leave.

“How’s the tour going?”

“It’s going really well. It’s so amazing standing on that stage singing for thousands of people. It’s such an adrenaline rush. They really seem to like us too.”

“That’s great. I can’t wait to see you guys perform.”

“I hope so. I can’t wait to see him. You’re so lucky to have Joey with you all the time.”

“Yeah.” she said quietly.

“Is something wrong Shay?”

“He’s just been really distant lately.”

“Have you talked to him about it?”

“No, I don’t know how to bring it up. We’ve never really discussed our relationship. I don’t want to seem too clingy you know.”

“Maybe he’s just stressed or something.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” Shay decided to change the subject, “What do you have planned for Lance?”

“Well, I need you to get Joey to keep Lance away from the hotel somehow. I don’t care how he does it.”

“Do you want me to tell Joey you’re coming?”

“You can, but not until the day I’m supposed to arrive.”

“Okay, but what do you have planned.”

“Well, I’m going to need your help to set this up. Will you be able to get into his room?”

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll make sure my room is next to his. You’ll be able to get to his room through the connecting door.”

“That’s great. I’ll really be able to surprise him then. I don’t have everything planned out yet, but it’s going to be great.”

“I’m sure it will be. Just keep me posted okay. I need to get some sleep.”

“Okay, goodnight.”

“Night.”

The next few days passed quickly for Jaimie as she prepared for her trip. Shay was to pick her up at the airport and take her to the hotel. Shay pulled Joey aside right before the show to tell him to keep Lance away from the hotel for a while.

“Are you planning on going clubbing tonight?” Shay tried to hide the bitterness in her voice.

“I might. Why?” he said indignantly.

Shay sighed, “Then do me a favor and take Lance with you. Keep him away from the hotel for a while.”

“Why?”

“Because Jaimie is flying in tonight to surprise him. Will you do it for her?” She whispered.

“Of course I will.”

“Thanks.”

Shay walked away fighting the tears in her eyes. She didn’t know what was happening between them. They couldn’t even talk to each other anymore. Joey’s heart ached from the pain that was evident in Shay’s eyes. He wanted to take her into his arms and soothe the pain away, but he just couldn’t seem to do it. Things between them changed drastically since the tour started. He had began to revert back to his player ways. He’d flirt like crazy and go out clubbing, but it didn’t seem as fun as it used to be. He felt as though he was betraying Shay, and he hated that feeling. He’d never known guilt when it came to his old ways, but these new feelings confessed him terribly. He only knew one thing for sure. Until he got his self straightened out, he needed to cool things off for a while. Some time apart is exactly what they needed. He just didn’t know how to tell her. He didn’t want to hurt her. Joey knew Shay loved him, although he honestly couldn’t figure out why. What was so special about him he wondered. He knew he was attractive, but what was it about him that caused her to fall in love with him? He just couldn’t figure it out. He was thoroughly confused. Somehow he needed to explain his mixed feelings to Shay and hoped she’d understand. Joey watched Shay singing, dancing, and smiling at the audience. She pushed all of her feelings aside, put a smile on her face, and gave her performance everything she had. He smiled at her. She was so beautiful. She cared a great deal for her, but he wasn’t sure it was love. He’d never been in love to know what it feels like. He was brought from his thoughts when he heard Shay, Raven, and Raquel saying goodnight to the audience. As soon as they were out of sight from the crowd, Shay’s eyes clouded back over and her smile faded. She glanced over at Joey as she passed him. He wouldn’t even keep eye contact with her. She bit her lip to try to keep the tears from falling as she rushed past him to her dressing room. He wanted to follow her to talk to her but they were being called to go onstage. Shay was so caught up in her feelings she didn’t notice how pale Raquel looked. Raquel hadn’t been feeling well at all for the last few days. She was always nauseous and couldn’t hold anything down. She was trying to put off going to the doctor, afraid of what he would tell her. No one seemed to notice her illness. She had mixed feelings about that. In a way she was glad no one noticed her, but then again that meant on one really cared enough to notice. Chris was always with Sue, JC was always with Raven, Lance was in his own world missing Jaimie, Shay was too busy fighting or whatever she was doing with Joey, and Justin avoided her at all costs. She ran to the bathroom as another wave of nausea hit her. In her heart she knew what was wrong. She slowly sat on the bathroom floor and let her tears fall as they realization of what was happening to her hit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shay took her time showering and changing before leaving for the airport. They were starting to get recognized now so she tried to dress as low key as possible. She threw on a pair of jeans, an Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt, and her Superman baseball cap. She found Joey again before she left.

“So, you know what you have to do right now?” she asked as Joey changed costumes.

“Yeah, keep Lance away from the hotel till what about 12:30-1?” Joey said as he wiped the sweat off his face.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m off to pick her up. See ya.”

“Shay, I…” he began.

“Yes?” she asked, hopefully.

His eyes fell, “Nothing, be careful.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Shay stormed off, leaving Joey staring after her. He cursed himself for what he was doing to her. He finished changing and was the last to back onstage. They were preparing to sing ‘I Drive Myself Crazy’ Joey put on a fake smile and went through the motions, but he was really thinking of the heart he was breaking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shay cried almost the entire way to the airport. She left the arena at 9:30, but with the traffic she made it to JFK around 10:30. She found Jaimie’s gate, hoping her flight didn’t get in early. They were just starting to deboard the plane when she got there. As soon as she saw Jaimie coming she called out to her.

“Jaim! Over here.” she called out as she waved to her.

“Hey Shay!” she smiled as she hugged her. “It seems like it’s been so long.”

“Well, it’s been almost a month you know.”

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t I know it. I can’t wait to see my Lance again. How is he?”

“Quiet. He just keeps to himself mostly.”

“Awe! I hate to hear that.”

Shay laughed, “Well, you’re here now so I know his frown will be turned upside down tomorrow.”

“You got that right! It’s been three long weeks and I plan on making up for it tonight.”

“Go ‘head girlfriend! How many suitcases did you bring?”

“Just one and my carry on.”

“You travel light don’t you?”

“Well, I’m going home Sunday so I didn’t think I’d need much.”

“Especially since you’ll spend the majority of your stay in bed.”

“Shay!”

“Don’t even try to deny it.”

“I’m not denying it am I?”

“Nope.”

“So, how are things with Joe?” she asked as they waited for her bag.

She sighed, “Worse. I just don’t know what’s happening to us. When I told him to keep Lance away tonight was the most words spoken between us in weeks. I just don’t understand it.”

Jaimie pulled her into her embrace, “Awe, I’m so sorry Shay. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“I just know he doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“You don’t know that. You need to talk to him.”

“I don’t think I could stand it if he left me. I need to break it off first. I can’t let him know how much it hurts to let him go. I cant’ let him know how much I love him. At least if I break it off, I’ll know it’s coming and I can prepare myself for it.“

“Don’t you see Shay? That’s exactly what he needs to know.”

“That’s so easy for you to say Jaim. You have this wonderfully sweet guy who loves you more than anything and has no problem telling you that.”

“I know I’m lucky, but Joey’s a great guy too. He might just be confused about his feelings. I know Joey’s never been one to stay in a relationship long enough to fall in love. Maybe he is in love with you but he doesn’t realize it yet because he’s never been in love.”

Shay laughed, “You’re such a romantic Jaim.”

“Well, I may be, but don’t give up on him yet.” She paused as she saw her bag coming down the conveyor, “Oh, there’s my bag.”

“What if he’s given up on me?” Shay whispered to herself.

“Did you say something?”

“No, are you ready?”

“Oh yeah!” she grinned. “Let’s go.”

They hailed a cab and headed back to the hotel, hoping Joey was successful in keeping Lance away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as they finished their encore, Lance was on his cell phone calling Jaimie. He was disappointed when he got her answering machine.

“Hey it’s me. Just needed to hear your voice and I’m wondering where you are. Call me when you get this message either at the hotel or on my cell. I love you. Bye.” He said to her machine.

“Is she not home?”

“No.” he answered grumpily.

“Well, that means you can go out with me then right?”

“Nah, I’m going to head back to the hotel and wait for her to call me.”

“Come on Lance. You haven’t gone out with me since we started this tour. You’ll have your cell phone with you. She can call you on that.”

“Okay, okay. Just for a little while though.”

“Good!” Joey g rinned. ‘That’s all the time they needed.’ he said to himself

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as Jaimie and Shay got to the hotel, Shay knocked on the door connecting to Lance’s room.

“Lance? Are you here?…” Shay paused and waited for a response, but none came. “I guess Joey was successful.”

“Remind me to thank Joey.”

Jaimie and Shay then began to hurry to get things set up before Lance got back. When they had everything set up it was 12:30am.

Shay smiled, “Lance is going to be so happy when he sees you.”

“I hope so. I’m getting a little nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?”

“I don’t know. It’s just been so long since we’ve been together. I hope nothing has changed.”

“Of course nothing’s changed. He loves you just as much if not more since he left. You’re so lucky.”

“I’m very blessed. I have a wonderful boyfriend who loves me and who I love very much. I have a wonderful family and I have the best friends a girl could ask for.”

“We all feel the same about you. We’re lucky to have such a great friend like you. I want to thank you for lending me your ear. I appreciate it so much.”

“I’m always here for you. Don’t forget that.”

“I know you are. Okay, so should we call Joey to see where they are?”

“Yes! I want to see him as soon as possible.”

Shay immediately dialed Joey’s cell phone number. He answered after two ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. Where are you?”

“About ten minutes from the hotel.”

“Okay, great. Everything is set up and ready for him.”

“Cool, we’ll be there in a few.”

"Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay smiled over at Jaimie after hanging up her phone, “Ten minutes. Do you have some kind of lingerie or something for him?”

“Well, after he goes to take a shower when they get back, I’m going to sneak in to light the candles all over the bedroom. When he comes out, I’ll be sitting in the middle of the bed in sexy little blue nightie I bought before I left. What do you think?”

“I think he’ll be very pleasantly surprised.”

“In a few minutes I’ll go and spray a little of my Juniper Breeze body spray on his towel so when he goes to dry off he has me on his mind.”

“Just a few more minutes and he’ll be here.”

“You can see his bathroom from your connecting door can’t you?”

“I think so. Let’s check before they get here.”

They peaked through the crack of the connecting door, “It’s perfect. Let me go spray his towel really quick before they get here.”

Jaimie ran to Lance’s bathroom and was back in less than a minute. Shay and Jaimie sat in her room impatiently waiting for Lance and Joey to return.

Chapter Twenty Seven

“Who was that?” Lance asked as Joey hung up.

“Shay. She just wanted to know when I was coming back.”

“Joe, I don’t want to be nosy or anything, but how are things between you two. Your relationship seems strained recently.”

Joey sighed, “I know. I just don’t know what to do.”

“Talk to me Joe. I’m your friend.”

“A little over a month ago, I heard Shay tell me she loved me.”

“Does she know you heard her?”

“No. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know that what I feel for her is love. I can’t say it unless I mean it. I’ve never been in love before, so I don’t know what it feels like.”

“You’ll know when you’re in love.”

“How?”

“Every time you see that person your heart races. You feel like you can’t stand to be away from them for any length of time. When you’re not with them, you’re missing them tremendously. All you want to do is make her happy. To see a smile on her face. When she’s sad, you’re sad. When she’s happy, you’re happy.”

“I just don’t know Lance. I know I really care about her, I just don’t want to hurt her.”

“Joey, I’ve never seen you as happy as you’ve been with Shay. What is the first thing you think about when you think of Shay.”

Joey paused before he began, “The way her smile lights the room, the way her laughter fills me with happiness, the way she can make me feel with just one touch.…”

Lance smiled, “Sounds a lot like love to me.”

“I’ve never felt this before.”

“Joey, you’re trying to analyze this too much. You just have to let yourself fell. What are you afraid of?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly.”

“What if I just let go and let her into my heart and soul and she stops loving me. I don’t know if I could take that.”

“There’s always that chance Joey, but I can tell you from experience that when you allow yourself to love it can be the most wonderful feeling on earth. Nothing can compare to it.”

“I don’t know what to do. Worst of all, Shay is getting hurt by my indecision.”

“Make up your mind Joe. Either you want this relationship with Shay to grow, or you want to end it. Choose one or the other Joe. Shay’s a special person and she deserves happiness. If you choose to go on with your relationship with Shay make sure you’re willing to go the distance. There’s no half way when it comes to love. If you can’t love her completely then let her go. She deserves to be loved whole heartedly.”

“I know.” he said quietly. “I know.”

“Don’t let your fear keep you from falling. Nothing can be greater when it’s with the right person.”

Joey smiled slightly, “Thanks Lance.”

“You’re welcome.”

They sat in silence the rest of the way back to the hotel. As soon as they got to the hotel they said goodnight. Lance went to his room and Joey went to Shay’s room.

“Okay, Operation Lance is successful.” he whispered.

Jaimie hugged him tight, “Thank you so much Joe. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. I was happy to do it even thought he was ‘Mr. Grumpy’ most of the night.”

“Really? Poor baby.” she peeked through the crack. “There he is. He’s so handsome.”

Shay laughed, “You’re so whipped.”

“Yep, completely whipped and proud of it.”

They all watched Lance as he moved around the hotel room. He went straight to the phone to call her again. He was disappointed when he got her machine again.

He sighed, “It’s me again. I’m in my room now. Please call me when you get this message. I’m getting worried about you. Love you. Bye.”

Lance sighed heavily as he hung up the phone. He sat there just looking at it for a moment before he made his way to the bathroom.

“There he goes.” she turned to look at Shay and Joey. “That’s my cue. Thanks for everything guys. You’re the best.”

He kissed her cheek, “Go get your man.”

“Have fun.” Shay grinned.

Jaimie laughed, “I’m sure I will. Bye guys.”

Jaimie quickly gathered up her bags and disappeared into Lance’s room to set up her surprise, leaving Shay and Joey in an awkward silence. As soon as Jaimie was inside his room, she dropped her bags and began to quickly light the candles she spread all over the bedroom. Once she finished lighting the candles, she quickly undressed and slipped into her nightie. She ran her brush through her hair and sprayed on some more of her body spray. Once she was happy with the way she looked, she climbed onto the bed to wait for Lance to emerge. Not two minutes later, Lance emerged. He was towel drying his hair, clad in only his boxer briefs. As soon as he came out of the bathroom, his eyes scanned the room in confusion. He had no clue how the candles got there or how they were lit. Once his eyes focused to the soft light of the candles, he looked over towards the bed. He blinked his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn’t imagining her. She laughed softly at him. Lance slowly made his way to the bed.

“Is this a dream?” he asked quietly.

“No Lance, this isn’t a dream. I’m really here.”

When he finally got to the bed, he softly touched her face. Jaimie sat on her knees in front of him, wanting to be closer to him. He looked her up and down, drinking in her image hungrily. Just the way he was looking at her brought tears to her eyes. Even Lance’s eyes began to well with tears. He bent down and brushed his lips against hers, then pulled her into his tight embrace.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Lance then crushed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. All of the yearning over the last few weeks was finally ending. Jaimie immediately deepened the kiss, needing desperately to taste him after so long without him. She wasted no time in pushing his boxers off, leaving them on the floor. Lance’s hands were all over her body, caressing and touching her in all the right places. He quickly found the hem of her nightie and pulled it over her head. They fell back onto the bed, Lance’s body covering hers. He wasted no time, he quickly entered her, stopping only for a moment to allow her to adjust to him. Lance then began to quicken his pace, as Jaimie rocked her hips to meet his. They continued to work their hips at a frenzied pace, desperately searching for their release. Jaimie was the first to fall over the edge as she shuddered beneath him moaning his name. that’s all it took for Lance to follow her. They didn’t know how long they laid in that position just softly kissing and touching each other. Lance finally rolled off her but never let her out of his embrace.

“So, how long have you had this planned?”

“About a week or so. Were you surprised?”

“You couldn’t tell?”

She laughed, “I hope you were pleasantly surprised.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve missed you so much. I missed just being able to hold you and look at you. It’s been the longest three weeks of my life.”

“I know. It’s been hard for me too, but I’m here now. Let’s not think sad thoughts. It’s not time for me to leave yet.”

“You got that right and we have lots of catching up to do.”

“Promise?” she grinned.

“You’re nothing but a horny little devil now. I think I created a monster.”

“Always when it comes to you.”

Lance began to kiss her again, slowly rebuilding the passion between them.

Shay and Joey stood there awkwardly for a moment before either of them spoke.

“It was nice of you to help Jaimie.”

“I’d do anything for her. I love her.”

Shay couldn’t help the ache in her heart at his words, wishing he meant them for her.

“I mean she’s like a sister to me.”

Shay smiled softly, “I know.”

“Listen, I need to go to my room for a minute. Will you still be up in a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I’ll be up.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few.”

Joey quickly went back to his room to change into more comfortable clothes He figured if he was going to get into a discussion with Shay he needed to be as comfortable as possible. Shay quickly went to work trying to make Joey’s return a little more romantic. She lit the few candles the room had then decided to change into something a little more sexy. She pulled on her purple satin nightgown and let her hair fall down around her shoulders. Joey wasn’t looking forward to this talk. He slowly made his way back to her room and knocked on the door before entering. He was confused when all of the lights were off, except for a dim light coming from the bedroom.

“Shay I thought you said you’d be awake.…” he called out as he entered the bedroom.

His words died on his lips as he looked around the room. Candles were lit in various places around the room, and Shay leaned sensuously across the bed. His breath caught in his throat as he drank in the sight of her. She looked so beautiful and sexy lying there, he had almost an immediate erection.

“Just waiting for you.”

“Shay we need to talk.” his voice cracked. “You look so beautiful.”

“Thank you.” she purred as she approached.

Shay wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his lips down to hers. Joey groaned, feeling his will power melt with her every kiss. Shay finally broke the kiss.

“Still feel like talking?”

Joey just pulled her to him roughly kissing her again. He was angry at her for doing this to him, for making him feel this overpowering desire for her. Most of all he was angry at himself for letting her in. He was taking out his frustrations on Shay. Shay was confused. Joey had never been this rough with her before. He wasn’t hurting her physically, but his attitude was hurting her heart. Part of her wanted to pull away from him and stop this, but the most important part, her heart, was hoping she could coax him to be more gentle and loving. Joey pushed her down on the bed, quickly covering her body with his. Every time she tried to touch him or caress him, he’d pull her hands away. He quickly pulled his shorts down and buried himself inside her. Shay again tried to touch him, but this time he held her hands down above her head. Shay’s heart was breaking more with each passing minute. She couldn’t believe Joey could be this cold. She still went through the motions, meeting his hips with each thrust. She refused to let him see how much he was hurting her. She cut off all emotion and concentrated on just the sex. She felt her release coming. As soon as her walls began to tighten around him, he followed her over the edged. Joey laid there for a moment in shock. He couldn’t believe he had just acted that way. There was no tenderness or emotion in it. For just the second time in his life, Joey felt ashamed. He looked down at Shay’s face, noticing she refused to look at him. He slowly released her arms and rolled off her. Shay then rolled onto her side, curling into a ball. Joey’s heart ached. He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her how sorry he was, but he just couldn’t to it. At that moment he didn’t feel like he deserved her forgiveness. He slowly pulled his shorts back on, blew out the candles, and left her room, shutting the door softly. As soon as she knew he was gone, Shay let her tears fall. Sobs wracked her body, causing her to shake all over. She continued to cry until sleep came to take her away from the pain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jaimie woke the next morning, she realized she was still in Lance’s arms. She smiled and snuggled in closer to him.

“Mornin’ beautiful. I guess last night wasn’t a dream.” he smiled.

“Nope. It was real. I’m still here.”

“You don’t know how I missed waking up beside you.”

“Yes, I do cause I’ve missed it too.”

Lance leaned down to kiss her again. Jaimie broke the kiss and headed to the bathroom. Once she got to the door she turned and smiled sexily at him.

“You coming?”

Lance just grinned and quickly followed her into the bathroom. They emerged about an hour later, both wrapped in a pair of the hotel’s bathrobes. they were looking over the room service menus when there was a knock at Lance’s connecting door. Lance opened the door with a smile that faded when he saw the look on Shay’s face.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

She tried to smile, “Yeah, I hate to bother you guys but is Jaimie around?”

“Yeah, of course she is.” he turned towards Jaimie. “Jaim, Shay’s here. She needs to talk to you.”

Jaimie walked over to the door with a smile on her face. Once she saw Shay’s eyes, her smile disappeared.

“Are you okay?”

“Not really. Last night.…”

She was cut off when she heard a knock at Lance’s door. Lance went to answer it and saw Joey standing in the hall.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“Can I talk to you?”

As soon as Shay heard Joey’s voice she pulled Jaimie into her room to talk to her and shut the door.

“Sure, come in.”

“Where’s Jaim?” Joey asked as he walked inside.

“Over visiting Shay. What’s up?”

“I’ve really screwed things up with Shay.”

Lance groaned, “What did you say Joey?”

“I didn’t say anything. It was the way I acted.”

“Well what did you do? Could it really be that bad?”

“It is that bad.”

“Tell me what’s going on Joey.”

“Last night when we got back to the hotel remember I went to Shay’s room? Well Jaimie was hiding in there waiting for you to get back. Well once Jaimie went into your room, it left me and Shay in an awkward silence. I tell her we need to talk. She says okay. I go to my room to change and when I get back to her room she has candles lit and she’s in this nightgown. Oh man, she was sexy as hell. Anyway, she starts kissing me and I lost my self control.”

“So far I don’t hear how you’ve messed up your relationship Joe.”

“When she broke the kiss, she asked me if I still wanted to talk. I don’t know what happened. It was like I snapped or something. I started kissing her again but I was rough with her. I pushed her down on the bed and laid on top of her. Every time she tried to touch me I’d push her away. I had to finally hold her arms over her head. We had sex. Meaningless, rough sex. No emotion, no tenderness, nothing. Afterwards she wouldn’t even look at me. I’m so ashamed Lance.”

Lance sighed, “Oh Joey. While I don’t condone the way you treated her, I think you did what you did because you were scared. You were scared of being in love. You are in love with her you know.”

Joey buried his face in his hands, “I know. I realize that now. What am I going to do Lance? What if I’ve lost her for good?”

“You have to talk to her. Try to explain what you were thinking. Tell her you were scared. You’d never been in love before and it frightened you. Most importantly apologize and tell her you love her.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her. Why did I have to be so stupid?”

“We all do things we’re not proud of Joey. Everyone makes mistakes. Shay might need some time to forgive you. You just have to have faith in your relationship. That’s what I’ve learned from what Jaimie and I have gone through. We’ve been through hell and back and we’ve come out stronger. We love each other even more for what we’ve been through together.”

“I’d love to be like you right now. To have the confidence you have in your love and your relationship.”

“I believe in me and Jaimie. She’s the only one for me, but our relationship isn’t always perfect. We’ve fought before over little things, but we just take our relationship one day at a time. That’s all you can do Joe.”

“I have a feeling it’s going to take a lot of groveling.”

“Yes it will.”

“Thanks a lot Lance.” Joey said sarcastically.

“Let’s face the facts Joe. You screwed up bigtime. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything, but she may not forgive you at all.”

Joey groaned, “I know. I’m not sure I could blame her if she didn’t. Thanks for listening Lance. I really appreciate it.”

“I’m always here for you.”

“Thanks man. I’ll talk to you later. Oh, and let’s keep this between us okay? Shay already thinks I’m an asshole. I don’t want Jaimie to think of me that way too.”

“Okay, I promise. See ya.”

Lance slowly closed the door behind Joey, hoping he said the right thing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Shay head just finished her emotional tale of the previous night.

“ ......I mean he was just so cold. He’s never treated me that way before.” she sniffled.

Jaimie pulled her into her embrace, “I’m so sorry Shay. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

“This only confirms my suspicions. He doesn’t want to be with me anymore. I’ve got to break it off with him before he breaks up with me.”

“Shay you should talk things out with Joey before you decide to break up with him.”

“There’s nothing to talk about Jaim. He obviously doesn’t care about me. I refuse to let him know how much he hurt me.”

Jaimie sighed, “Oh, Shay. I hope you know what you’re doing. I know you love Joey or this wouldn’t hurt as much.”

“You’re right. I do love him, but I can’t make him love me back no matter how much I want to.”

“I’m so sorry Shay.”

Shay shrugged, “I’ll be alright. I’ll just put on a happy face.” Her face crumbled into tears, “Even though my heart is broken.”

Jaimie just held her while she cried. She felt so bad for Shay. She knew what it was like to think the man you loved didn’t love you back. Jaimie wished she could ease the pain, but there was nothing she could do but be the for her.

Shay wiped her eyes, “I’m okay now I think. Now that that’s out of my system I can think of how to break it off with him.”

“I’ve never broken up with anyone before, so I can’t help you there.” Jaimie laughed.

“I think I can come up with something. I appreciate you listening to me, but I don’t want to keep you from Lance anymore.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m always here for you.”

Shay smiled, “Thanks. Go ahead back to Lance and give that sweetheart a kiss for me.”

“I will. I’ll see you later.”

“Please don’t tell Lance anything. I’ll see you later okay.”

Jaimie just nodded and quietly shut the door behind her. She turned and saw Lance standing there looking at her solemnly. She quickly fell into his embrace, holding onto him tight. Lance held onto her as well, thankful to have her with him.

“I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t. I love you too.”

They just stood there for a while holding onto each other tight, both thankful to have the other in their lives.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that afternoon, everyone decided to meet in the hotel’s restaurant for lunch. Shay made sure she put on her make-up and fixed her hair, but most importantly she plastered on her smile before going downstairs. She vowed she would be her normal cheerful self and wouldn’t let Joey know how much she was hurting. Shay was surprised to see Jaimie and Lance were the first to arrive.

She smiled brightly, “Well, I must say I’m surprised to see you two here first. I was sure you’d either be last or a no show.”

Lance laughed, “She had to keep after me to get going. I just wanted to stay in bed all afternoon.”

“Men, that’s all they think about.” Jaimie laughed. She then turned to Shay with a serious look, “Are you okay?”

“Yep, just peachy.”

Jaimie just sighed and dropped the subject. Lance knew how worried she was and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Justin was the next to arrive, and was surprised to see Jaimie there.

Justin hugged her tight, “Hey sexy. I missed you.”

“I missed you too sweetie. You doing okay?”

“Yeah. It’s all good now. I’m over it, but I still can’t forgive her.”

Jaimie smiled, “I can understand that. I’m just glad you weren’t in love with her.”

“Me too.” he laughed.

“Any new prospects yet?”

“No, no one yet. Better watch it Lance. I might have to take Jaimie away from you.”

“I don’t think so. She’s mine. I won’t let her go.”

“Doesn’t she have a say in that?”

Both of them looked at Jaimie waiting for her answer. She just looked back and forth between them and sighed.

“Sorry Justin. As much as I hate the way Lance assumed he owned me, my heart does belong to him.”

“That’s okay. Just give me some time and I think I could sweep you off your feet.”

“Hey! Back off junior.” Lance glared at him.

“Lance he’s just joking.” Jaimie laughed.

“I know he is. He better be anyway.”

“Of course I am. As sexy as she may be, she obviously very much in love with you and I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Justin, you don’t seriously have a crush on me do you?”

“Maybe just a little one, but that’s okay.”

< you are or serious>

“I’m serious.”

“Awe, that’s so sweet JuJu.”

Justin blushed, “I didn’t tell you to make you feel bad or anything. You and Lance belong together I know that. I just hope when I find the one she’s as great as you.”

“JuJu, you will find someone. You would never fall for anyone who wasn’t great. You wouldn’t give your heart to just anyone because it’s to great a gift to just throw away. Besides, the girl would have to pass my judgment first.”

He kissed her cheek, “Well, I know she’ll be worthy then.”

“I can’t believe you never told us before Justin.”

“How could I? I knew Jaimie loved you and you confided in me that you love her.”

“I’m sorry Justin. I had no clue.”

Justin laughed, “Don’t feel bad guys. Honestly, I’m okay. I’m not in love with you Jaimie I just have a little crush that’s all. It’s not like my heart’s broken.”

“Gee, thanks Justin.” Jaimie said sarcastically.

“I mean you know I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”

“I know. I’m flattered, really.” she smiled and kissed his cheek. “You’re a sweetheart.”

“I know, I know. I’m the greatest.”

“You are you know. You’re a great friend.” Lance said seriously.

“Thank you. I feel lucky to have you guys too.”

JC and Raven finally showed up at that exact moment, both surprised to see Jaimie there.

“This is a nice surprise. When did you get here?” he asked as he hugged her.

“Last night.”

“Why didn’t you tell us Lance?”

“I didn’t know either. It was a surprise for me too. A very wonderful surprise.”

“Ah, I see. She was being sneaky.”

“Yep, that’s me. Where’s Raquel?”

“She’s not coming down. She said she was too tired.” Raven answered.

"Oh, okay. Where’s Joe?”

“I’m right here.” he said, coming up from behind.

Shay stiffened for a moment from the sound of his voice, but quickly reverted to her cheerful self.

“We were about to give up on you.”

“Don’t give up on me yet. I could still surprise you.”

The lunch was spent laughing and having a good time, despite the tension between Shay and Joey. After they ate everyone pretty well went their separate ways. Joey caught up with Shay before she got onto the elevator.

Joey grabbed her arm, “Shay, can I talk to you?”

She turned to him with a smile, “Yeah, sure. I needed to talk to you too.”

“Really? I wanted to tell you.…”

She cut him off, “It’s about time we ended this between us.”

“What?”

Shay smiled, “Yeah, it was a good run, but let’s face it. It could only last so long you know.”

Joey took a step back, “I can’t believe this.”

Shay laughed, “Come on Joey. We both knew this couldn’t last forever. I figured you’d be happy about this.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It was fun while it lasted.” he tried to hide the hurt.

Shay grinned, “It most definitely was.” She paused when the elevator opened, “Well, I’ll see you later.”

“Cool, see ya.”

As soon as the elevator doors shut, Shay burst into tears. She just said the hardest words she had ever said in her life. She almost caved when she saw the pain in Joey’s eyes when she told him it was over. But she knew she had to be strong and end it now before she really got hurt. When the elevator stopped on her floor, she quickly wiped her tears and made her way down the hall to her room.

Joey rode the next elevator to his floor. He felt like his heart had just been broken in two. He wanted to talk to Lance so badly, but he knew he was trying to enjoy his time with Jaimie while he could. The last thing Lance needed was to be loaded down with his problems. He decided to just take a nap before it was time to leave for the arena.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Jaimie and Lance just laid in each others arms when they got back up to Lance’s room.

Jaimie sighed, “I hope Shay’s okay.”

“So do I.” Lance grinned devilishly, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“Hmmm, let me think.…”

Lance laughed softly before pressing his lips to hers. Jaimie slowly deepened the kiss, enjoying the feel of his tongue playing with hers. Lance began to slowly unbutton her blouse, never breaking their kiss. Once it was unbuttoned, he pushed it off her shoulders, caressing the soft flesh of her breasts. Jaimie was the one to break the kiss, but only long enough to pull his shirt over his head. Lance captured her lips once again while she worked on getting his shorts off. Once she had his shorts off, she flipped him onto his back so she was in control, and Lance was more than ready for her. She quickly lowered herself onto him. She started to rock her hips slowly at first, then began to pick up her pace. Lance gripped her hips, pulling her back down onto him hard. Jaimie kept changing her pace, prolonging their release. She knew she was close as her walls began to tremble around him. Lance quickly sat up, holding onto her tight as she continued to ride him. Jaimie finally came, shuddering from the intensity of their lovemaking. That’s all it took for Lance to follow her. They sat there for a while, holding each other, neither one ready to let to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Five o’clock came all too quickly for everyone. They all met in the lobby before heading to the van. This time both Shay and Joey had fake smiles plastered on their faces and were being too cheerful. Jaimie and Lance looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“There’s a lot of fans outside. You want me to go to the van first so they won’t see me?”

Lance laughed, “Why would I want you to do that?”

“I don’t know. So they won’t see me I guess.” she answered sheepishly.

Lance held her face in his hands, “Jaimie, I love you. I don’t care who knows it. I want to hold your hand and walk with you to the van. You’ll always stand by my side. Never in front of me or behind me.”

“Okay. I love you too.”

Shay laughed, “You two are so cute together.”

“Is that good or bad?” Lance asked.

“It’s good. It’s very good. Anyone can see how much you two love each other. It’s a beautiful thing.”

“Good. I want everyone to know how much I love her and how wonderful she is.”

“You’re too sweet to me you know?” Jaimie smiled.

“I just speak from my heart.”

“Hold onto this one Jaim. He’s one of the last good ones.”

“One of the few, but not the last.”

Jaimie gave Shay a knowing look, which she chose to ignore. They all loaded into the van and headed to the arena.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next two and a half hours passed rather quickly. It was spent doing sound check, meet and greet, hair, and make-up. Jaimie didn’t have a chance to talk to Shay until they were about to be called onstage.

“Hey, what happened?”

“I told him it was time to end it between us.”

“How did he take it?”

“He took it okay I guess. He agreed it was time to end it.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” she said flippantly. She then turned to her with a grin, “It’s showtime. Later girlie.”

Shay ran onstage and left Jaimie to her thoughts. Shay could deny her feelings all she wanted, but Jaimie knew better. She knew Shay’s heart was broken, but she was determined to keep Joey from knowing how much she was hurting. Jaimie was brought from her thoughts when a pair of hands covered her eyes.

“Guess who?”

“Justin! I told you to stay away from me. Lance could walk up any minute. He’d be so angry if he found out about us.” She looked up at the person behind her as they removed their hands and saw Lance glaring at her, “Ooops.”

“You’re so funny.” he laughed and tickled her side.

“Well, I try.” she giggled.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, “You enjoying the show?”

“Of course I am. They look great out there.”

“Their popularity is growing so much. They’ll be headlining a tour next year.”

“Have you noticed how pale and tired Raquel looks?”

“Hmmm, no I guess I haven’t paid much attention. She doesn’t look too good now that you mention it.”

“Maybe she’s coming down with something.”

“I don’t know. Maybe this schedule is wearing her out.”

“Maybe.”

They just dropped the subject then and just watched the rest of their performance. Thirty minutes later, they all got off the stage, Raquel looked even worse by then.

“Raquel, are you okay?” she asked concerned.

Raquel smiled weakly, “ I’m fine..…”

Everything went black as Raquel collapsed to the floor. Shay, Jaimie, and Raven went running to her.

“Raquel! Oh, my god! Raven call 911!” Shay screamed.

Raven ran off to find a phone. The guys had just went onstage, so they didn’t know what was going on. The ambulance arrived about five minutes later.

“Raven and I’ll ride with her. You stay here with the guys. Come after the show.”

“Okay. I have Lance’s cell phone. Call me okay?”

“I will.”

Jaimie made her way back to the arena after the ambulance drove off. Jaimie decided to concentrate on the show as much as she could and tried not to think about Raquel. During one of their costume changes, Lance noticed her change in attitude.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he wiped his face.

She gave him a small smile, “I’m fine. You guys are great out there.”

“Thanks....are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine really. You go finish your show.”

“Alright. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Lance ran back onstage to join the others. Jaimie paced back and forth anxiously while the guys finished their encore. As soon as they got off the stage, she met them.

She spoke quickly, “Guys, I need you to just change quickly so we can head to the hospital.”

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Lance asked.

“I’m fine. As soon as Raquel came off the stage tonight she fainted.”

“Oh my God! Is she alright?”

“I don’t know. Shay and Raven went to the hospital with her.”

All of the guys rushed to get out of their costumes. Jaimie quickly grabbed a change of clothes for the girls and they headed towards the hospital. When they got there, they found Shay and Raven pacing the floor.

Shay hugged Jaimie, “I’m so glad you guys are here.”

“How is she?”

“The doctor is running some tests on her now. We still haven’t heard anything.”

Everyone scattered in the waiting room. Lance, Jaimie, and Justin sat on one of the couches, Raven and JC sat in two of the chair across the room, Chris and Sue went to the cafeteria to get come coffee, Shay continued to pace the floors, while Joey fought the urge to comfort her. She looked so upset, he longed to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be alright. All Shay could think about was the fact that the last words she spoke to Raquel were harsh. She felt so guilty. She just wished she had a chance to talk to her once more. She prayed nothing would happen to her and that everything would be okay. About an hour later, the doctor approached them. Everyone gathered around him to hear the news.

“Are you all here with Ms. Peters?” the doctor asked.

“Yes, how is she?”

“She’s very dehydrated and fatigued. Normally it wouldn’t be as dangerous, but in her condition it makes this situation more serious.”

“Her condition?”

“Yes, Ms Peters is pregnant.”

A shocked silence filled the waiting room. Everyone turned slowly to look at Justin. Justin looked back and forth between everyone’s faces.

He raised his voice, “Whoa! It’s not mine guys, I swear! We NEVER slept together I promise.”

“If it isn’t Justin’s then who’s is it?” Joey asked, confused.

“It’s Brad’s.” Shay answered quietly.

“Who’s Brad?”

“Her ex-boyfriend.”

“Well, Ms. Peters will need rest and she’ll need to start taking better care of herself. She’s got a little one to thing about now.” the doctor said.

“When can we see her?”

“In about twenty minutes. I have her on some fluids now, so once it’s finished replenishing her body she can go, but make sure she takes this prescription for her prenatal vitamins.”

“Thank you Doctor.” Raven smiled.

Everyone looked at Shay and Raven waiting for an explanation, especially Justin.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way JuJu. We told her to tell you the truth.”

“Who’s Brad?” he asked.

“Remember when she told you she moved to Florida with a friend? Well, she moved here with Brad. They broke up, and all I really know is he started calling her again like a couple weeks before we left. I guess that’s when it happened. I’m so sorry Justin.”

“She lied to me from the start.”

Jaimie went to Justin and pulled him into a hug.

“I’m so sorry Justin.”

He tried to smile, “Hey, it’s not biggie. We were over anyway.” He paused for a moment, “I’m going to head back to the hotel.”

“I think I will too. Tell Raquel we’re glad she’s okay.”

“Who’s going and who’s staying?” Lance asked.

“I’ll stay. You guys go ahead.” Shay answered.

“I’ll stay with you.” Raven offered.

“No, there’s no since in all of us staying. You guys go ahead.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, you guys go ahead. I’ll see you later.”

Everyone began to leave the hospital, but Jaimie stayed behind a moment.

“Are you upset that everyone is leaving?”

“No, honestly I’m not. I can’t blame the guys for being upset about the way Raquel lied to Justin. I don’t like it either, but she’s my friend you know.”

“I understand the importance of friends. Believe me, I know she’ll need you now especially, but what good is a friend if you can’t trust them?”

“I know, I know.”

“Okay, well if you’re sure you aren’t upset I’ll go. Please tell Raquel we’re glad she’s okay and I promise we won’t say anything or treat her badly.”

Shay smiled, “Thank you. I’ll see you later.”

Jaimie headed out with the others. As they were getting into the van to leave, Joey stood at the emergency room entrance, staring inside.

“Hey Joe, are you coming?” Lance called out.

Joey paused for a moment, “Nah, you guys go ahead. I’ll see you at the hotel.”

“Okay.”

Lance and the others rode off towards the hotel, while Joey continued to stand outside watching Shay continue to pace. Joey took a deep breath before heading back inside. Shay had finally sat down in one of the chairs. She sat leaning forward with her head in her hands. Joey stood behind her for a moment, unsure of his next move. He hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her and gently putting an arm around her. Shay jumped startled.

“Joey.…“ Shay said, shocked. “I thought everyone left.”

“They did. I decided to stay.”

“Oh, okay.”

They continued to sit in silence. Joey’s arm was still draped around her and she slowly relaxed and leaned against him. She couldn’t be strong anymore, she was just too tired to try. About thirty minutes later, the nurse came to tell Shay she could go in to see Raquel. When she walked into the room, Raquel was slowly getting dressed to leave.

“Do you need any help?”

She smiled weakly, “No, I got it thanks.” She paused for a moment, “Does everyone know?”

She sighed, “Yes.”

“I’ve really screwed up Shay.” she sat down on the bed.

Shay put a comforting arm around her, “I’m here for you and I’ll stand by you okay.”

“You don’t know what that means to me. How did the others react?”

“They were shocked to say the least, especially Justin. At first everyone through it was his, but he said you never slept together. Then Raven and I knew it was Brad’s. Did you have any idea you were pregnant?”

“I thought I might be, but I was afraid to come to the doctor. Afraid of it being true.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I need to get in touch with Brad. Until then I don’t know.”

“Well, let’s get back to the hotel so you can rest. I’ve got your prescription already.”

Shay assisted Raquel as they made their way out of the room. Raquel was shocked to see Joey sitting out in the waiting room.

“What’s he doing here? I figured everyone would be pissed at me.”

“They aren’t happy about it, but they don’t hate you Raquel. Despite everything, they were all glad you’re okay.” Joey smiled.

“I’m not sure I deserve sympathy.”

“Raquel you told a few lies. It’s not like you committed murder.”

“Yes, but I hurt one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met in the process.”

Shay didn’t say anything else. She really felt like Raquel had dug herself into a deep hole that will be hard to get out of. She couldn’t act like everything she did was okay either. She was upset that she never told Justin the truth and he had to hear it from her. She resented that fact, but Raquel needed her support now not her criticism.

“Hey, how ya feelin’?” Joey asked as they approached.

Raquel laughed softly, “Tired.”

“I bet.” he smiled.

They left the emergency room with Shay on one side of Raquel and Joey on the other. The others had sent the van back to the hospital to pick them up. They helped Raquel up to her room, but Joey stood back when Shay took her into her room. Shay emerged a few minutes later.

“Thank you for being here tonight. It meant a lot to me.”

“I’m always here for you Shay.” She paused for a moment, “I mean we’re still friends right?”

Shay gave him a watery smile, “Yeah, of course.”

“Well, tell Raquel goodnight for me and I hope she feels better.”

“I will.”

He kissed her cheek, “Goodnight Shay.”

“Night Joe.”

Shay held back the tears that burned in her eyes. She wanted him to pull her into his arms and hold her forever, but she herself had put a stop to that. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was love that was in his eyes when he looked at her tonight. Then again it could be her imagination wishing it was true. She shook off her thoughts and went back in to check on Raquel. She was just climbing into bed.

“Did Joey leave?”

“He just left. Can I get you anything before I leave?”

“No, I’ll be okay. I’m just going to sleep. I’m so glad we don’t have a show tomorrow.”

“Me too. Well, I’m going to turn in too. Call me if you need anything. If not I’ll check on you tomorrow.“

“Okay, see you tomorrow.” She called out to Shay as she began to leave, “Shay?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for being here.”

She smiled, “Always. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Raquel quickly fell asleep, but when Shay got back to her room, she couldn’t sleep. She thought of a way to try to get Joey off her mind for a while. Shay jumped out of bed and went straight to her laptop and let her feelings spill from her fingers onto the computer screen. All of the pain and heartache she felt over Joey came out in the form of a song. Once she finished the lyrics, she was finally able to fall asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Around 9 the next morning, Jaimie knocked on Shay’s door. She stumbled to the door half asleep.

“I’m sorry Shay. I didn’t realize you were still asleep.” she laughed.

Shay yawned, “No, that’s okay. I just got to bed late last night, that’s all.”

“Were you up late with Raquel?”

“No, actually I couldn’t sleep so I decided to stay up and write some.”

“What did you write?”

“I wrote a song. Just the words not the music.”

“Really? Can I read it?” she asked, excited.

“Sure.”

Jaimie quickly turned on her computer and began to read Shay’s words...

I can see you’re slipping away from me
And you’re so afraid that I’ll plead with you to stay
So I’m gonna be strong
I’ll let you go your way

Love is gone
There’s no sense in going on
And your pity now
Would be too much to bear
So I’m gonna be strong
I’ll pretend I don’t care

I’m gonna be strong and stand as strong as I can
I’m gonna be strong and let you go along
And take it like a man
When you say it’s the end
I’ll hand you a line
I’ll smile and say don’t you worry it’s fine
And you’ll never know darling
After you kiss me good-bye
How I’ll break down and cry......

Tears streaked down Jaimie’s cheeks as she read the words Shay had written. She poured her heart into this song and every word she wrote was a testimony as to her true feelings for Joey. Jaimie just couldn’t understand how Shay could just give up on Joey, but she also knew that Shay was very stubborn and she wouldn’t listen to reason.

Jaimie wiped her eyes, “That’s so sad Shay.”

She tried to sound light-hearted, “Yeah, well that’s the story of my life.”

“Oh, Shay. Everyone has problems in their relationships. No relationship is perfect and they all take work.”

“Please don’t start in on me Jaim. Things are hard enough as it is. I don’t need you preaching at me. Maybe I could have tried harder to make things work in our relationship, but he could have too.”

“Shay, I’m not blaming either of you for anything I just...…”

Shay cut her off angrily, “You know what, why don’t you just go back to Lance and enjoy yourself and don’t worry about me.”

Jaimie was speechless. Shay had never been that harsh with her before. She fought the tears that burned in her eyes and made her way back to Lance’s room.

As soon as the words left her lips, Shay immediately regretted them. She couldn’t even bare to look at Jaimie, to see all the pain those words caused her. She knew all Jaimie wanted was for her to be happy, but she just couldn’t bare the thought that maybe she didn’t give her relationship with Joey a chance. She knew she owed her an apology. Shay jumped in the shower and got dressed before going in search of Jaimie to apologize.

As soon as Jaimie closed the door behind her, she let her tears fall. Lance was coming out of the bathroom drying off when he saw her crying against the door. He immediately went to her and pulled her into his embrace.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I went to Shay’s to tell her I was having to leave on an earlier flight and..…”

Jaimie told Lance the whole story about Shay’s song and what Shay had said to her in anger.

“Sweetie, I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She’s just upset and she took it out on you. I know she loves you and she’d never want to hurt you.”

She wiped her eyes, “I know. It just hurts that’s all.”

He kissed her head, “I know it did.”

“You’d better get dressed if you want to grab and early lunch before you take me to the airport.”

“I don’t want to.” he pouted.

“Neither do I believe me, but I don’t have a choice. I have to work tomorrow.”

Lance groaned, “Okay, okay.”

Lance quickly got dressed and they made their way downstairs after stopping to say good-bye to everyone else. About thirty minutes later, Shay knocked on Lance’s door but got no answer, so she went down to JC’s room to see if he knew where they were.

“Hi JC. Have you seen Jaimie?”

“Yeah, they were going to grab a quick lunch downstairs before heading to the airport.”

“The airport? I thought her flight was at 3.” Shay said confused.

“Yeah, the airport called her this morning. Her flight was canceled so they got her on the early flight.”

“Oh, no.”

“What’s up?”

“I need to talk to her before she leaves.”

“You might be able to catch them downstairs.”

“Thanks JC.”

“No problem.”

Shay decided to use the stairs instead of the elevator so she could get downstairs faster. She scanned the restaurant with no luck. She ran outside and saw them getting into the van.

“Wait.” she yelled as she ran to the van.

Shay noticed that when she got to her that Jaimie wouldn’t look at her.

“I can’t let you leave without apologizing. I’m so sorry I snapped at you. You were only trying to help and I took my frustration out on you.”

“You act like Lance and I have this perfect relationship, but we don’t Shay. We have our arguments, but we work at it because we love each other and we want to be with each other. That’s all I was trying to say.”

“I know and I’m sorry. Please forgive me. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Oh, Shay you’re not going to lose me. Just work on your temper okay.”

“I promise.” she laughed.

“Well, I have to go unfortunately.” She hugged her, “I’ll see you later. Keep me updated on Raquel okay.”

“I promise. Take care of yourself.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Shay continued to watch the van pull away until it was completely out of sight. She was glad she had gotten a chance to apologize to Jaimie before she left. Shay never imagined she would become so close to Jaimie in such a short amount of time, but she couldn’t imagine what she would do without her support. She turned and started back into the hotel to go check on Raquel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time they made it to the correct terminal, they were already starting to board the plane.

Jaimie hugged him, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you too. Promise me you’ll call me when you get home.”

“I promise. I love you.”

“I love you too. “

Lance pulled her in for a sweet kiss, not wanting to let her go. He reluctantly let her go when he heard the final boarding call.

“I love you. Don’t forget to call me.”

“Love you too. I promise I won’t. Bye.”

He kissed her one last time, “Bye baby.”

Jaimie quickly turned and made her way down the corridor, tears streaming down her face. Lance watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore, then slowly made his way back to the van and back to the hotel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Shay entered Raquel’s hotel room, she heard her talking on the phone.

“I know....Okay....I know it’s the best thing for me....I’ll tell them today....Okay.... Well, the tour won’t be over until May....I’ll be careful I promise.…” She saw Shay for the first time, “I have to go now....I love you too.....Bye.”

Shay smiled, “I assume that was Brad.”

“Yes, it was. He wants to get married Shay.” Raquel giggled, “Can you believe it?”

“I’m happy for you. I take it he’s happy about the baby?”

“Well, not happy, but not upset. Kinda shocked.”

“So what do you have to tell us today?”

Raquel sighed, “I’m quitting the group.”

“What? But....but we just got started.”

“I know, and I feel bad about it. I just can’t be a wife, mother, and a singer in a group that tours constantly.”

“Constantly? We’ve only been on the road for a month and there’s only two more months to go before it’s over.”

“I’m well aware of that fact Shay, but we both know where this group is headed. This is just the beginning of it’s success.”

“So, this is it? After the tour is over we’ll disband?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to Johnny and tell him what’s going on.”

Shay sighed heavily and flopped down onto the couch.

“Don’t be mad at me Shay. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“I know you didn’t Raquel. I’m just disappointed that’s all.”

“Don’t get upset yet. Maybe they’ll just replace me or something.”

“That’s going to be impossible. She’d have to learn all of our songs, our dances, and we’d have to get along. What are the odds of finding someone like that?”

Raquel smiled, “Don’t worry about it Shay. I’ll take care of it for you. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked confused.

“Nothing, just let me talk to Johnny.”

Shay shrugged, “Okay, whatever. I’m going to go finish packing. We’ll be leaving for Philly soon.”

“Okay, later.”

“Bye.”

As soon as Shay left, Raquel immediately dialed Johnny’s room number.

“Hello?”

“Hi Johnny, it’s Raquel. Can I come over, I need to talk to you?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be over in a minute.”

Raquel quickly hung up the phone, grabbed her room key and made her way to Johnny’s room.

Johnny smiled as he opened the door, “Hi Raquel. How are you feeling today?”

“I’m much better today thank you. Actually that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

“Okay, what’s up?”

“I found out last night that I’m pregnant.”

His smile faded, “What?”

“I’m pregnant. Before you have a coronary, it’s not Justin’s so you won’t have a press field day when you announce me leaving the group.”

“This just keeps getting better and better.” he said sarcastically.

“I’ll stay on until the end of the tour, but after that I’m gone.”

“That doesn’t give us much time to replace you.”

She smiled, “I have someone in mind. She’s perfect..…”

When Raquel left Johnny’s room that afternoon, she felt better than she felt in months. She knew everything would work out in the end

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next week passed by quickly. Everyone’s days were filled with rehearsals, interviews, and shows. Exactly a week after Raquel had her talk with Johnny, they were all sitting in the conference room of their hotel, waiting for their meeting to start.

“I know you are probably wondering what this meeting is about. A lot has been going on this week and this meeting is to update everyone on what’s going on.”

“I think I speak for everyone when I say I’m very confused.” Joey laughed.

“Raquel, you want to go first?”

Raquel stood and walked up to where Johnny stood. She looked at everyone’s faces and smiled.

“By now you all know that I am pregnant, but what you don’t know is that when the tour is over I’ll be leaving the group.”

“What?” Raven gasped, “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Well, Johnny asked me not to. I just wanted to tell you guys myself. This was my decision not Johnny’s or anyone else’s. I want to give all of my attention to Brad and our baby and I can’t do that in this group.”

“So what happens to us Johnny?”

“Well, thanks to Raquel we’ve already got a replacement.”

“Whoa! You mean we don’t have any say in who we have to work with?” Shay asked.

“I want you to promise me you’ll give her a chance. She’s beautiful, she can sing, she can dance, she’s exactly what we need.” He opened the door, “Come on in.”

A shocked silence filled the room when she walked through the door.

Chapter Twenty Nine

“I hope this silence is a good thing.” Jaimie laughed.

Shay hugged her, “Oh my God! I can’t believe it’s you.”

“Believe me, I was the surprised one when Johnny called me.”

Johnny smiled, “I hope everyone is as pleased as we are with our choice.”

“More than pleased.” Raven grinned.

All of the guys were still sitting there speechless with their mouths agape. Jaimie had to laugh at them. She walked over to Lance and bent down in front of him.

“Honey, you need to close your mouth you’re attracting flies.”

“I can’t believe it.” he hugged her. “Congratulations sweetie.”

“Thank you.”

“You know what this means don’t you?” he grinned.

“What?”

“We’ll be together for the next two months.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Lance pulled her to him and kissed her softly. He broke the kiss when Joey tapped him on his shoulder.

“Could I borrow her for a minute?” Joey lifted her into a bear hug, squeezing her tightly.

“Congrats sweets. I think they made a great choice.”

“Thanks Joe.”

All of the guys took their turn congratulating her, then they all returned their attention to Johnny.

“I’m glad everyone is pleased. Now, here’s what’s going to happen. Jaimie has been working on the dance steps all week, but she’s going to have to start practicing with Shay and Raven. Are you guys willing to put in the extra hours to help Jaimie?”

“Of course we are.” Shay said.

“Sure thing.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Raquel will continue to perform until the end of the tour, but we have set up a press conference to announce Raquel’s retirement. I want all of you to be there.”

“Is that when you’ll introduce Jaimie?” Shay asked.

“Yes, that’s right. The conference is set up for next week when we’re in Los Angeles.”

“So Jaimie’s here till the end of the tour right?” Lance asked.

“Yep, she’s here for the long haul. As soon as the tour is over, you’ll be in the studio recording your next album.”

“Johnny tell us truthfully, how do fans react when this happens?” Raven asked.

“You guys are so new that I honestly don’t think it will damage your status. I’m confident that the fans will love Jaimie and they’ll welcome her with open arms. It’s all about the music really. Image is part of it, but as long as you put out quality music the fans will stay with you.”

“I think the fans will be okay with it. Besides who couldn’t love Jaimie?”

She kissed his cheek, “Awe, you’re so sweet JuJu.”

“I just said that so you’d kiss me.”

“Hey, behave.” Lance warned.

“Sorry, man.” Justin held up his hands in fake surrender.

“Oh, both of you behave.” Jaimie laughed.

“Okay guys. That’s all I needed to talk to you about. Rehearsals will start tomorrow okay guys?”

“Yep, that’s fine.” Shay said.

“No problem.” Raven agreed.

“Great. Thanks guys. Have a good show.”

“Thanks Johnny.” Joey smiled.

After Johnny left, everyone stayed back to talk.

“So this was your “perfect” replacement?” Shay asked Raquel.

“Yep, you pleased?”

“Very. I’m sorry to see you go, but Jaimie was an excellent choice.”

“I thought so too. I just remembered back to the night we did kareoke at the bar.”

Shay laughed, “Oh, yeah.”

“So I take it you and Brad are getting married?” Raven asked.

She smiled, “Yep, right after the tour. I’m going to be planning it while we’re on the road.”

“As long as you’re happy I’m happy. I’m sorry to see you go, but I understand.”

“Thanks for your support guys. I have a favor to ask of you. Shay, I’d like you to be my maid of honor. Raven, Jaimie, and Sue I’d like you to be my bridesmaids.”

“Of course I will.”

“Sure. I’m sure Sue will too.”

“You know I will.”

“Thank you so much. This means a lot to me. Guys, I’d like you to be there too. Please say you’ll come.”

“Of course we will.”

“Justin, what about you? I’d like for you to be there. I know I hurt you and there’s nothing I can do to change that, but I’d still like to be your friend.”

“I can’t promise you anything Raquel. Maybe someday I’ll be able to forgive you, but right now I just can’t. The wound that was healing was reopened.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

He shrugged, “Maybe you didn’t mean to, but you did. We’ll just have to see how I’m dealing with this in two months.”

“I guess I have to accept that.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s all I can give you right now.”

“Well, we’d better start getting ready for the show.”

“JC’s right.” He turned to Jaimie, “I’ll see you later baby.”

“Okay.”

All of the guys filed out of the room, leaving the girls alone.

“Give Justin some time Raquel. It hurt him a lot.” Jaimie offered a sympathetic smile.

“I know. I just don’t know how many times I can say I’m sorry.”

“He knows you are he just needs time to heal.”

“In two months you two could be friends again. You never know.” Raven said.

“I hope so. Anyway, we need to get ready too.”

“That’s right. Come on Jaim. We’ll show you what we have to do before each show.”

They all led her to the dressing room to show here the wardrobe which consisted of one outfit each. A pair of black Adias work out pants and a tank top. Shay’s was lavender, Raven’s was pink, and Raquel’s was baby blue.

“We’re looking forward to headlining our own tour next year. We’ll get better costumes and our own stage set up. It’ll be awesome.”

“This is just unbelievable. Never in a million years did I expect to be a singer in a group.”

“Did you have to audition or anything?” Raven asked.

“Johnny called me in to sing for him, then they taught me some dance steps to do for them, that’s about it. When Raquel called me I thought it was a joke, but this is really happening.”

“This is real alright. It’s a rollercoaster ride. It has it’s high and low points, but for the most part it’s great.” Shay smiled.

“It’s almost impossible to have a private life. JC and I hardly ever go out anywhere because we’re bombarded with fans or press.”

“Well, I knew what I was getting into before I agreed to do it. I’ve been with the guys since they first started so I know how it is.”

“Good, then you won’t be surprised later on.”

The girls showed Jaimie their normal routine with wardrobe and hair and make-up. About 45 minutes later, they were all ready to go onstage.

Jaimie laughed, “I’m nervous and I’m not even going onstage yet.”

“We still get butterflies before we go onstage, but as soon as you start singing and everyone is clapping and singing your songs the nervousness disappears.”

“It’s a great feeling isn’t it?”

Shay smiled, “It’s an awesome feeling.”

“Alright girls it’s showtime.” Johnny said as he come up from behind.

“See you in a bit.” Shay called out as they ran onstage.

“Good luck.”

Jaimie watched them intently from the side of the stage, trying to dance with them. Lance stood back watching her for a moment. He was very surprised that she agreed to replace Raquel, although he knew she was a great choice. He just couldn’t imagine her in the spotlight. It was bad enough for her when she was just their friend. He knew it would get worse when everyone started to realize they were in a relationship, but now that she was replacing Raquel too it was going to be much much worse. Reporters can get nasty and he knew they were going to have a field day with this story. They would probably even accuse her of using Lance to get the spot in the group. He wanted to shield her from that, but he knew it would come eventually. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before calling out to her.

“Looking good baby.” he smiled.

She turned towards him, “Thanks. Pretty soon I’ll be putting your moves to shame.”

He laughed, “I don’t doubt it. I’m not a great dancer. Never was and probably never will be.”

“Don’t put yourself down like that. I don’t like it.”

“I promise.” he said as he pulled her towards him.

“Good.”

Lance kissed her softly on the lips, savoring her taste. He missed her so much, even though it had only been a week.

“You know where I wish we were?”

“Ummm, in your hotel room?”

“Exactly.”

“Me too, but unfortunately we aren’t. That will have to wait for later.”

“Definitely.” he grinned.

“Actually I don’t know when we’ll be together that way again. We’ll be on the bus tonight.”

“So.”

“We can’t do anything on the bus Lance.”

“Yeah, okay.” he grinned again.

Jaimie just laughed, shrugged her shoulders, and returned her attention to the girls. About twenty minutes later, the girls finished their set.

“You guys were great.”

“Thanks. I can’t wait to see you out there. I think you’ll love it.”

“She will and they’ll love her.” Lance said.

Shay laughed, “I’m sure of that too.”

“Thanks for your faith guys. I can’t help but worry about it.”

“Don’t worry yourself. Everything will be fine.”

“I hope so.”

“You hope what?” Joey asked as he walked up.

“I hope everything will work out okay with me replacing Raquel.”

“Girl please. You’ll be fine. They’ll love you.”

“That’s what Lance and I were telling her. Listen guys have a great show I’m gonna go hit the showers.”

“You looked great tonight Shay.”

“Thanks Joe. Well, I’ll see you later.” she smiled.

Shay quickly turned so Joey wouldn’t see the tears burning in her eyes. Jaimie’s heart ached for them both. It was so obvious that Shay still loved Joey very much and she could have swore she saw love in Joey’s eyes too.

“Joe, what’s going on with you two?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “We broke up, so nothing is going on.”

“How can you be so flippant about this?”

“Look Jaim, she broke up with me not vice versa. Maybe you should be having this conversation with her okay.”

“Joey, you’re being a little harsh don’t you think? She’s only trying to help. She doesn’t like to see two of her best friends in pain.”

Joey sighed, “I know. I’m sorry Jaim. I just really don’t know what’s going on myself.”

“It’s okay Joe.” She paused for a moment, “It looks like you guys are on now. Have a good show.”

“See you later.”

She gave Lance a quick kiss, “Okay.”

Joey hugged her tight as he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He grinned, “You’re the best sweets.”

Jaimie just laughed and watched them run onstage as their fans screams rang in her ears. About ten minutes into their show, Shay appeared beside her.

“Hey, they’re looking good out there aren’t they?”

“Yep, as always.”

“You know, I’ve already been thinking about our second album. I think we should write our own stuff, or at least some of it.”

“I like that idea. What does Raven think?”

“She doesn’t write, so it’ll be up to me and you I guess. Since I play the piano and you play the guitar we can collaborate on the music.”

“We should record that song you wrote last week. That was awesome.”

< don’t I Jaim. personal too little a be might>

“It’s not like everyone is going to know who it’s about.”

“I don’t know. We’ll see.”

Jaimie giggled, “This is going to be so much fun.”

“It sure will.”

“As a matter of fact, I have lyrics to a song I wrote after you guys left on tour.”

“Let me guess, it’s about Lance.”

“No, it’s about Justin. We’re having this hot affair.”

“Ah, I see.” she laughed.

“I have the lyrics with me on my laptop. We should get together on the bus and try to get music to both of our songs.”

“You’re on. Tonight after the show when we leave, we’ll start writing okay.”

“Why don’t we start now, unless you wanted to see the show.”

“No, that’s fine with me. I just thought you would want to see it.”

“That’s okay. I’ve seen it already, besides I’m anxious to get started.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Shay and Jaimie made their way to the bus and began writing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lance and the others came off the stage, they were surprised that Jaimie wasn’t still there.

“Hey Johnny, have you seen Jaimie?”

“Yeah, she went with Shay to the tour bus. They’re already working on songs for their new album."

“Already?”

“Yep, I think it shows a lot about how much they care about their music.”

“Well, that’s true. Thanks Johnny.”

“No problem.”

Lance took a quick shower before making his way back to the bus. He found Shay at the kitchen table with her keyboard and Jaimie across from her with her guitar.

"...it’s been too long since I held him in my arms” She stopped singing when she saw Lance come onto the bus, “Oh hi!”

He sat down beside her, “Hey yourself. How’s it coming along?”

“It’s going really well. We’ve actually almost finished the music to this one song I wrote.”

“Can I hear it?”

“It’s not finished yet. I promise to play it for you when it’s finished.”

He pouted, “Okay. Are you going to be long?”

“Shouldn’t be too long, I just want to get the music finished.”

“I would like to spend some time with you.”

“I know baby. I promise after we finish this song I’ll stop okay?”

“Okay. I’ll be in my bunk.”

Lance then left them alone to finish their writing. All of the others eventually made their way back to the bus, but only stopped briefly to talk to them. JC was the exception. He looked to write too, so he stayed up to help the girls finish their song. By the time they actually finished it was almost 1:30am. Everyone else was already fast asleep.

“Oh no! I told lance we could spend some time together tonight.”

“Uh-oh. Somebody’s in trouble.” Shay laughed.

“He’s asleep now so don’t worry about it. He won’t stay mad long.”

“I hope not. Goodnight guys.”

They each went their separate ways, JC to his bunk with Raven, Shay to the bunk she shared with Raquel, while Jaimie went to Lance’s bunk after changing into her nightgown. When she climbed in his bunks, he was obviously fast asleep. She gently pulled back the blanket and laid beside him. She softly brushed her lips against his, and was startled when he spoke.

“I thought you weren’t going to be long.” he whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

He kissed her, “I know a way you can make it up to me.”

“Lance we can’t...…” she began to argue as he kissed her neck. “Lance the others might hear us.…”

“We can be quiet.”

Lance began to kiss her again, weakening her will power more and more.

She moaned softly, “Okay, you win.”

Lance immediately brought his lips down to hers in a deep kiss. They did the best they could to keep their love making as quiet as possible, trying not to disturb the others.

“I love you.” he smiled.

“I love you too.”

He reluctantly rolled off of her and pulled her against his chest. Minutes later, they were both sound asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Lance and Jaimie were the last two to get up. Jaimie found Shay back at the table typing on her laptop.

“Mornin’.” Shay smiled.

“Good morning!” she grinned.

“Looks like someone’s in a good mood this morning.”

“Yep, a very good mood.”

“I thought you might be a little tired from last nights ‘exercise.’”

She blushed bright red, “What?”

Shay laughed, “I could hear you guys. Now we’re even. That’s almost as bad as walking in on it.”

Lance entered the kitchen and sat down beside Jaimie giving her a quick kiss, “Mornin’ everyone.”

“I told you!” she hit him on the shoulder.

“Ow! You told me what?”

“Shay heard us last night.” she whispered.

Lance couldn’t contain his laughter, “Is that what you’re upset about?”

“It’s not funny Lance.”

“Honey, you saw Shay and Joey having sex. Isn’t that a little worse?”

“Thanks for the reminder Lance.” Shay cringed.

“Anytime.” he grinned.

Jaimie sighed, “I guess you’re right.”

“So, are you still mad at me?” he pouted. “Please don’t be mad at me. I wuv you.”

“You’re so silly sometimes.” she laughed and kissed him softly. “I love you too.”

“So, do I get to hear this song you wrote?”

“Sure.” she picked up her guitar. “You ready Shay?”

“Sure am. Go for it.”

I listen to the sound of the rain
Fallin’ down my window
Prayin’ for a gentle wind
To bring my baby back again
Tryin’ to be strong but I’m not getting any stronger
Loneliness is tearing apart this heart of mine
I lay awake ‘coz I can’t take another night lonely
It’s been too long, I can’t hold on no more

Leavin’ on the next plane out
‘Coz I gotta see my baby
It’s been too long since I held him in my arms
And I just won’t sleep at night
Till he’s sleeping here beside me
Here beside me again
Gotta be with my baby

Talking on the phone but that don’t
Make it any better
Nothing’s gonna ease this pain
Until I’m in his arms again
Runnin’ down the stairs there’s a taxi that’s waiting for me
Loneliness I’m gonna leave you far behind
I’d walk for days through pouring rain
Anything to be with him
It’s been too long, I can’t be strong no more
Leavin’ on the next plane out
‘Coz I gotta see my baby
It’s been too long since I held him in my arms
And I just won’t sleep at night
Till he’s sleeping here beside me
Here beside me again

Gotta be with him
Gotta be by his side
Gonna be with him
My heart’s made up my mind

I’m leavin’ on the next plane out
‘Coz I gotta see my baby
It’s been too long since I held him in my arms
And I just won’t sleep at night
Till he’s sleeping here beside me
Here beside me again
‘Coz I gotta see my baby
It’s been too long since I held him in my arms
And I just won’t sleep at night
Till he’s sleeping here beside me
Here beside me again

Gotta be with my baby
Gonna be with my baby
Gonna take the next plane or next train
Gotta bet there gotta see my baby
And nothing’s gonna stop me from leavin’ this time
Leavin’ on the next plane out....

“Was that for me?” Lance smiled.

“No, I wrote that for Justin. I’m sorry to tell you we’re having this hot affair.”

“You’re a regular comedian. Did you know that?”

“I know. But you know you love me.”

“I suppose I do.” He kissed her softly, “That was beautiful though. Thank you.”

“Thank you for loving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“You guys are so happy it’s almost sickening.” Shay said.

“I’m sorry Shay.”

“Don’t apologize for being in love. I was kidding anyway.” She laughed softly, “Well, sorta kidding anyway.”

“Was that singing I heard?” Justin asked as he came up from the back of the bus.

“It sure was. That was my honey singing a song she wrote just for me.”

“Was that the song you guys were working on last night?” Joey asked.

“That was it.”

“That was awesome sweets. I didn’t know you wrote songs. We could have had you writing songs for us.”

“Oh no you don’t. She’s ours now and you can’t have her.”

“You know it’s only polite to share.”

“I never quite got the sharing thing in school. I’m just plain stingy.” Shay smiled.

“We know.”

“Thanks a lot Justin. I was only kidding.”

“Oh....oops.”

“You’re so funny Justin. He’s kidding too Shay.” Jaimie laughed.

Shay pretended to cry, “Yeah, sure he is.”

Justin embraced her, “Awe, Shay don’t cry. I’m sorry.”

“Sucker!” she grinned.

“Man, you’re just wrong!”

“Oh stop whining.”

Justin just plopped down beside Jaimie, crossed his arms over his chest angrily and pouted. Later that afternoon, Joey pulled Jaimie aside to talk to her.

“Jaim, I need your help with something.”

“What’s up?”

Shay watched Jaimie and Joey talk secretively in the corner of the bus. She knew there was nothing at all going on between them, but it didn’t stop the jealousy. She wanted him to love her even more than he loved Jaimie. Shay tried hard to fight the jealousy, but she just couldn’t help it.

“Of course I’ll help you with that. Just let me know okay.”

“What about tonight while they’re onstage. We can start at least.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks Jaim.”

She kissed his cheek, “You’re welcome.”

Jaimie gave him a quick hug before making her way back to Shay and Lance.

“What was that about?” Lance asked.

“Joey just had to ask me something.”

“In other words you aren’t telling us.”

“Right.”

“Oh Lance you don’t have anything to worry about with Jaimie and Joey. Her heart belongs to you and you alone.”

“I know.”

“I hope you know that. I’d say we have serious problems if you didn’t.”

“Of course I know it. There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

“Good.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next hour was spent trying to get music written for the song Shay had wrote the week before. They didn’t get much done when they arrived at their hotel. Jaimie when to Joey’s room to talk to him a while before they left for the arena. Lance just figured he needed to talk to her about Shay, but Shay really wasn’t sure what to make of it. Jaimie and Joey disappeared again after they arrived at the arena. The next week leading up to the press conference was a lot of the same things. When the day of the press conference arrived, Jaimie was a nervous wreck.

“Oh God. I think I’m going to be sick.”

Shay laughed, “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Johnny, Shay, Raquel, and Raven took their places at the conference table while Jaimie waited to be called out.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming out today. We’re here to make an announcement on behalf of JIVE Records for True Colours. Right now I’m going to turn the floor over to Raquel.”

Raquel smiled, “Good afternoon. I’m here today to announce my retirement from True Colours.”

An audible gasp was heard throughout the conference room. Everyone all at once began to throw questions at them.

“Please, everyone. We’ll answer questions after we finish our announcement. Until then please no questions. Go ahead Raquel.”

“It is with a mixture of sadness and happiness that I make this decision. I am quitting to be a wife and mother which are far more important to me than being a singer. To all of my fans, I am very sorry, but I am sure you will love the girl who will be replacing me. Jaimie please come out.”

Everyone started throwing out questions as soon as she took her seat beside Shay. Jaimie plastered a smile on her face even though she was nervous as hell. Shay gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.

“Okay we will now take your questions one at a time. Okay the lady in the blue right there.”

“When will you officially retire?”

“As soon as the tour is over.”

Another reporter shouted his question, “How do you and Raven feel about this Shay?”

“We were shocked at first, but we want Raquel to do what makes her happy.” Shay smiled.

“Jaimie, was it? Are you nervous at all about how the fans will react?” yet another reporter asked.

“Of course I am. I don’t want to replace Raquel in their hearts, but I hope they have enough room in their hearts for me as well.”

“Raven, how do you like Raquel’s replacement?” another asked.

“She’s the greatest. We’ve all been friends since before the tour started, so we all get along great. We couldn’t be happier with Jaimie.”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s all the time we have today. Thank you for coming out.”

They all made their way back stage and sighed in relief glad it was finally over and done with.

“Thank God that’s over with.” Jaimie sighed heavily.

“See, it wasn’t as bad as you thought was it?”

“No, it wasn’t too bad.”

“That went very well ladies. You all answered your questions perfectly.”

“Thanks Johnny.” Raven smiled.

“Prepare yourself girlfriend. It’s official now. You’re one of us.” Shay grinned.

Chapter Thirty

The next month was hectic for everyone. Jaimie was still learning all of their songs and routines, trying to make time for Lance, and writing with Shay. By the time the tour was over, everyone was exhausted. Raquel managed to get her wedding planned and it went off without a hitch. Justin even showed up and gave her his best wishes. Britney Spears came to the reception since she too was on the JIVE record label. She and Justin began to catch up on old times. By the time the reception ended, a spark was ignited between them. Since that night, they spent every ounce of spare time they had together. After the wedding, Jaimie and Lance went on a well deserved vacation to Cancun, just as JC and Raven flew off to Italy. Chris and Sue decided to lay low and spend their time off redecorating their house together. Shay just stayed at her beach house writing and trying to get over Joey. Even Joey was pretty much a hermit during their vacation. Their two week vacation flew by. Before they knew it, Jaimie and Lance were back home. Both had gotten golden tans and wore happy smiles on their faces.

Shay laughed, “Boy, it looks like you had a wonderful time. What did you guys do?”

“We laid on the beach, we went scuba diving, we parasailed, it was great. I’m so relaxed now you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Oh, I can tell from the look on your face.”

“So what have you been up to?”

“I bummed around the beach a little, but mostly I just worked on songs.”

“Cool. Can I hear what you have?”

Shay began to play Jaimie the songs she had been working on. Jaimie added her opinions on a few things, then they started a duet for them to sing. Before they knew it, it was already after 6:30pm.

“I’ve gotta get going. Don’t forget we have a meeting tomorrow morning at JIVE. I think it’s about the Challenge for the Children game in September.”

“Yeah, I remember. I’ll see you then. It’s good to have you back girl.”

She hugged her, “It’s good to be back.”

The next morning, everyone met at JIVE to go over plans for the Challenge for the Children benefit. It was the fist time Joey and Shay had been each other since the end of the tour. She smiled at him in greeting and took a seat beside Jaimie and Raven. Once everyone was there, they got down to business.

“Okay everyone we’re here to talk about our first annual Challenge for the Children basketball game. We’ve already gotten confirmation from some of the celebrities we invited to attend. So far Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Britney Spears, Kobe Bryant, Isiah Thomas, and Danielle Fischel will be here.”

Jaimie gasped loudly causing everyone to look at her strangely.

“Is something wrong Jaim?”

“Just the fact that my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend is going to be here.”

Johnny cringed, “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Do you want me to call and tell her thanks but no thanks? I’ll do it if you want me to.”

Jaimie thought about it for a moment, “No, this is to raise money for the children. I just have one request.”

“What’s that?”

“Just make sure we’re on opposite teams and we’re both on the court at the same time. Oh, and make sure she gets the ball at least once.”

Lance laughed, “You’re going to play fair aren’t you?”

"I'll play fair. I get to knock her on her ass.” Jaimie grinned, “I think that’s very fair.”"

Everyone around the table cracked up at her comment. No one like Danielle, so they were looking forward to seeing Jaimie knock her to the floor.

“I’ll arrange it for you.” Johnny chuckled.

“Thank you.”

“Okay. Now, Lance has an idea he’d like to share and get everyone’s opinion on.”

“I know a few of us have been working on songs on our own. Now I think we should release a special CD for this event featuring some of our songs. I think it will be a good chance for us to do our own thing outside the groups we’re in.”

“I’m totally cool with that. Maybe we can get Britney in on it as well.” Justin blushed.

“I want to hear everyone’s opinion on this. JC what about you?” Johnny asked.

“I agree with Justin. It’s a really good idea.”

“I love the idea.” Shay agreed.

“Same here.” Jaimie nodded.

< with cool “It’s smiled,>

“Got my vote.” Chris chirped.

“Well, I’m not a lead singer or a songwriter, but I think it’s a good idea.” Raven smiled.

Shay looked over at her, “Have you ever tried writing a song?”

“Nah, it’s not anything I’m interested in. Honestly you guys go ahead. I think it’s a good idea.”

“Okay then it’s unanimous. Who wants to contribute a song?”

Shay, Jaimie, Lance, JC, Justin, and Joey raised their hands.

“Okay that gives you two songs each. I need the songs by the end of the week so we can start scheduling studio time. Remember girls you start recording your album next week too so you’ll be very busy.”

“We’ll be ready.” Shay smiled.

“Good. Okay I think that about does it for today. Fellas, I’ll see you later. Girls I need to talk to you.”

All of the guys filed out of the room to give Johnny his time alone with the girls.

“I know you know that next year you will be headlining your own tour. We’ve chosen the act that will be your opening act. It’s a group of four guys called Trail By Fire. These guys are great. I have a feeling they are going to be a huge hit.”

“What kind of music do they play?” Shay asked.

“Rock and roll baby.” Johnny laughed. “I want us to all go out to dinner one night this week so you can meet them.”

“Sure just let us know when.” Jaimie said.

“I will. In the mean time, here is a copy of their CD just so you can get familiar with their music.”

“Cool. We’ll see you later Johnny.”

“Bye girls.”

Lance was waiting for Jaimie outside the conference room when they came out.

“Hey, what was that about?”

“Johnny wants us to go to dinner one night this week with our opening band.” She paused while she looked at their CD, “Trail By Fire is their name. It’s a group of four guys.”

“Four guys?”

“Yes, you aren’t getting jealous on me are you?”

“Of course not.” He paused for a moment, “You will have separate buses won’t you?”

Jaimie laughed, “Of course we will. Sweetie you know you can trust me.”

“I know I can trust you, it’s the guys I don’t know about.”

“We haven’t even met them yet. Don’t prejudge them okay. Besides they may not even be attracted to me.”

“Highly doubtful, but I promise to give them a chance.”

“Good, besides even if they were attracted to me my heart’s already taken.”

“I know.” he grinned.

Jaimie gave him a quick kiss before they headed out the studio. Johnny set up their dinner for the following Thursday evening. It was a very hectic week for everyone. All of their songs were due by the end of the week. Jaimie and Shay put in a lot of long hours to get all of their songs finished. Lance had already finished his songs, and planned on surprising Jaimie with one of them. Justin was collaborating with Britney on a song, while JC was in his element writing his songs. By the time Thursday rolled around, Jaimie and Shay was exhausted. Shay and Raven were to pick Jaimie up on the way to the restaurant. Lance answered the door when they arrived.

“Good evening ladies. You both look lovely.” he smiled down at them.

“That’s sweet. Thanks Lance. Is your honey ready to go yet?” Shay asked.

“Just about. Why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll go check on her progress.”

Lance made his way down the hall to Jaimie’s room. He found her checking herself in her full length mirror. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist startling her.

“Jeez Lance. You scared me.”

“I’m sorry. You look beautiful baby.”

“Thank you.”

Lance brushed her hair aside and began kissing her neck sending shivers down her spine. She wanted to let herself get lost in his caress but she knew she had to go.

“As good as that feels sweetie, I really have to go.”

Lance groaned, “I know.”

Jaimie turned to face him, “But hold that thought. I’ll be back soon.”

“You’ve got a deal.” he grinned.

“I thought you’d like that.”

Lance smacked her butt as she walked by, “Smart ass.”

Jaimie just grinned up at him and gave him a quick kiss before starting for the living room.

“That didn’t take long.” Shay said.

< to ready I’m>

“You look good girl.”

“Thanks, so do both of you.”

“We’d better get going we don’t want to be late.” Raven said.

“You’re right.” Shay kissed Lance’s cheek, “Later Lance.”

“Bye.” Raven said as she kissed him good-bye as well.

“Have fun girls.”

Jaimie kissed him softly, “Behave while I’m gone.”

“Of course I will.”

“Yeah, right. Bye sweetie.”

“Bye babe. Have fun.”

<>

As soon as they left, the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey man what’s up?” Joey said.

“Hey, nothing much.”

“Jaimie’s not there by any chance is she?”

“Nope, she just left. They have that dinner to meet their opening band tonight.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”

“Hey why don’t you come over and we’ll order a pizza or something.”

“That sounds good. I’ll be there in ten.”

“Cool. I’ll go ahead and order the pizza.”

Okay, see you in a few.”

Not ten minutes later, Joey knocked on Jaimie’s door.

“Thanks for inviting me over man. I was going stir crazy in my apartment.”

“No problem. It’s been a while since just me and you hung out anyway. So how have things been?”

“Lonely. I miss Shay so much.”

“Have you thought about telling her that?”

“I just don’t know how to tell her.”

“Is this what you’ve been talking to Jaimie about over the last couple of months?”

“Kind of. She’s been helping me write music for some songs I’ve written. I’m thinking maybe that’s how I’ll tell her how I feel.”

“I think that’s sweet.”

“I just hope she likes them.”

“I’m sure she will as long as they’re from your heart.”

“What about you? What songs are you contributing to the charity CD?”

“I wrote two songs for Jaimie. One is a duet I want to sing with her.”

Joey grinned, “Dude that’s sweet. Jaimie’s going to love that.”

“I hope so. The two songs I wrote are a little more on the country side.”

“That’s cool though. Both of you like country.”

“Yeah, I know. I wonder how their dinner is going.”

“I’m curious to know what these guys are like. I mean they aren’t going to be sharing a bus or anything are they?”

Lance laughed, “You should like me. I was giving Jaimie the third degree about them earlier this week. We just have to trust our girls. I know in my heart Jaimie would never cheat on me. She loves me too much.”

“There’s a difference between you and me Lance. Jaimie is your girl but Shay’s not mine anymore.”

“That could all change soon. When are you going to play the songs for her.”

“Probably not until the charity game.”

“You’re going to wait that long?”

“I think that’s the best place, and I’ll have you guys there for support.”

“We’ll always be here for you Joe. Always.”

“Thanks man. that means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

As they settled in to eat their pizza, they couldn’t help but wonder how it was going with the girls.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the restaurant, the guys were already there. When they approached the table they all stood to greet them. Shay was immediately drawn to one of the guys in particular. He had deep brown eyes, short dirty blonde spikey hair, and a goatee.

“We aren’t late are we?” Shay said as they approached.

“No, you’re just on time. Girls this is Trail By Fire. Rob, Kevin, John, and Rob this is Jaimie, Shannon, and Raven of True Colours.

“Please call me Shay. It’s nice to meet you.” she smiled as she shook their hands.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Rob, the same one that had caught her eye when they arrived smiled.

By the time dinner was over, they had gotten to know each other really well. The girls were very pleased to know they were going to be touring with such nice guys, not to mention their music was great. They just knew they were going to have a great time together on the road.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jaimie got home, Joey was still there. She found them both on the couch watching ‘Armageddon’. She stood back in the shadows watching them watch the heart breaking final scene. She swore they were both sniffling. When the movie was over and they burned on the lights, both were surprised to find Jaimie smiling down at them.

“Ahhh, Christ you scared me. How long have you been standing there?” Lance jumped.

Jaimie laughed, “Long enough to see two grown men cry.”

“We were not.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I plea the fifth.” Lance blushed.

“So what did you two guys do all night?”

“Just hung out and watched movies. How did it go?”

“It went really well. The guys were really nice. I think we’ll have a good time on the road.”

“Were they good looking?”

“Yep, they were cute.”

Joey groaned, “I knew it. Damn!”

"I’m going to change.”

Jaimie left to change out of her outfit and into her bed clothes, leaving Joey and Lance to talk.

“Great. They’re good looking Lance. I wouldn’t worry so much if they were ugly.”

“Calm down Joe. You may be getting yourself all worked up over nothing.”

“I have a bad feeling about this Lance.”

“It’s too early to worry, besides I know she loves you.”

“I wish I could convince myself of that. Listen man I’m gonna head out.”

Jaimie came back to the room just as Joey was leaving.

“You leaving Joe?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

“Well, okay. Goodnight.”

Jaimie gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left.

“What sent him out of here so fast?”

< look that “What’s change, expression facial her noticed He them.” of one attracted be going Shay’s afraid He’s nice. and cute were guys the him told you when upset got>

Jaimie sighed, “It may turn out to be nothing, but Shay was doing some heavy flirting with one of the guys.”

“You’re joking right.”

“Unfortunately no I’m not.”

“He told me you had been helping him write songs for Shay. He’s planning on singing them to her at the charity game. I just hope it isn’t too late.”

“So do I. I know they love each other.”

“Yes, but you and I both know from experience that people can be very stubborn when it comes to love. Plus there’s that fear of not having that love returned. That’s why Shay broke it off with Joey to begin with anyway.”

“I know. I just don’t want to see them make our same mistakes.”

Lance pulled her into his warm embrace. Jaimie sighed in contentment as Lance rained soft kisses on her face. Their lips finally met in a heartfelt kiss. Lance deepened the kiss, but never let it get rough. Tonight he wanted to make love to her slowly to show her how much he loved her. They slowly made their way to the bedroom, never breaking their kiss. Jaimie pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. Lance slid his hands under her tank top softly caressing her sensitive skin before removing it from her body. She pushed his shorts and boxers to the floor while Lance untied the drawstring on her pajama bottoms and let them fall to the floor. Her panties were the last of their clothes to be added to the pile on the floor. They laid back on her bed just softly kissing and caressing each other. Lance positioned himself and slowly entered her. His rhythm was painfully slow, wanting this feeling of being joined to last. Jaimie didn’t try to get him to quicken his pace, wanting it to last as well. It wasn’t until neither could take it anymore that they began to speed up their movements. Soon they both fell over the edge, both completely spent.

“That was wonderful.”

“Yes it most certainly was. Every time with you is wonderful.”

“That’s sweet. Thank you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. With all my heart.”

They both fell into a peacefully sleep in each others arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At 9am the next morning, they all met again at JIVE to give their songs to Johnny.

“Okay, does everyone have their songs ready for me?”

“Yep, we’re all ready.”

“Okay if you could all turn in your demos, I’ll go have a quick listen and I’ll be right back.”

About ten minutes later, Johnny came back to the conference room wearing a huge grin.

“Those were great everyone. Just a couple of things, Justin is yours a duet?”

“Yeah, I want to sing it with Britney.”

“Okay and Lance, was one of yours a duet too?”

“Yeah, I wrote that one specifically for me and Jaimie to sing together.”

“Awe, you did?”

Lance grinned, “Yep, especially for you.”

“Awe, thank you sweetie. I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

“Johnny, I’d like to talk to you about something in private.” Joey said.

“Sure Joe. Let’s step outside a minute.”

Once they were outside Joey spoke, “I have two requests. One is that Jaimie plays the acoustic guitar for my songs. She helped me write them, so I want her to play on the recordings.”

“That’s not a problem. What’s the other?”

“That no one gets to hear the CD until the day of the charity game when we perform our songs.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem either since this is a rushed production anyway, but why Joe?”

“Those songs are for Shay. I don’t want her to hear them until I’m there to sing them to her in front of everyone to show her how I feel.”

“I’ll take care of it for you. Anything else?”

“Well I would like to voice a complaint. How could you pick a group of four guys, good looking guys I might add, to go on tour with the girls?”

Johnny laughed, “Oh, Joey. You’re too funny.”

“Well, okay but seriously Johnny. I thought you were my boy and you had my back.”

“If it’s meant to be with you two it will happen Joe. Don’t worry.”

“Easier said than done.”

They made their way back to the conference room to finish their meeting.

“Okay since you girls already have scheduled studio time we’ll go ahead and record your songs today. Tomorrow I’ll have Lance and Joey come in. Jaimie you’ll need to be here for both sessions tomorrow.”

“Sure no problem.”

“So when do we get to hear this CD?” Chris asked.

“Probably not until the charity game.”

“Why so long?” Shay asked.

“It’s gonna be hard enough to have them ready for the game, much less have them even earlier for you guys to hear.”

Ah, I see.” Shay shrugged, “Okay.”

“Okay, that about covers it. Girls you’re needed in the studio. I’ll see you and Joey tomorrow Lance. JC, Justin, I’ll call you tomorrow to set up your recording time okay?”

"No problem.” JC smiled.

“Okay, see you guys later.” Justin said.

All of the guys left the let the girls get to work on their album.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the following Monday, the charity CD was finished and was quickly sent to production. The next few weeks were long and hectic for everyone. The girls were constantly in the studios recording and writing, not to mention making stops at local radio stations to promote the charity game. About two weeks prior to the game, Shay got a surprising phone call.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is Shay there?”

“This is she.” she answered, not recognizing the voice.

“Hi, this is Rob Falcon from Trail By Fire. We met a couple weeks ago.”

“Oh yes! Hi how are you?” she smiled.

“I’m doing pretty good. How are you?”

“Tired. We’ve been working really long hours to get our album finished, not to mention promoting the charity game too.”

“Wow, I bet you are tired. Listen, I called to see if maybe you’d like to go out sometime.”

< day a have finally I night? tomorrow about How>

Rob laughed, “Are you sure you want to spend your one day off with me?”

“You trying to talk me out of it?”

“Of course not. Well, how about I pick you up around 6. We can go to dinner and I’ll surprise you with something else.”

“Oooh, I love surprises.”

“Good. You don’t need to dress up. Just dress comfortably.”

“Good.” Shay laughed, “I love comfortable.”

“Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow.” He laughed, “Uh, I guess I might need your address.”

“That might be helpful. 11976 Cedar Avenue, it’s the last house on the street.”

“That’s the really nice neighborhood. I guess fame does have its advantages.”

“That it does. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Bye.”

The next night, Rob showed up right on time. Shay was happy to see he wore a pair of blue jeans and a navy polo shirt tucked in. He looked comfortable yet neat. She had decided to wear a pair of black hip huggers and a purple halter top. When she opened the door, he held a single white rose.

She smiled, “Awe, thank you. That’s sweet.”

“I figured white was for friendship, which I hope this is the beginning of. You look beautiful tonight.”

“You’re turning on the charm already aren’t you?”

“Hoping to earn extra points so maybe you’ll go out with me again after tonight.” he smiled.

“I’d say so far that’s a definite possibility.”

“You ready to go?”

“Sure am.”

They climbed into Rob’s black Jeep and headed to the restaurant. Shay was happy when they pulled into the Olive Garden parking lot.

“How did you know I love Italian?”

“Lucky guess.” he laughed.

“A very good guess.”

During dinner, they found it very easy to talk to one another. They talked about their families, their childhood’s, and past relationships. Shay told him she went through a painful break-up about six months ago, but for some reason she didn’t want to tell him much about Joey. She didn’t even tell him his name. Rob didn’t seem to notice or seem to care that she didn’t want to discuss him. He just went on to the story about his last ex-girlfriend. Shay was crying from laughing so hard. Apparently his ex was a real ditz who acted like a 13 year old. Needless to say, they weren’t together long. After dinner, Rob took her to the TD Waterhouse Coliseum. He got them backstage passes and front row tickets to Creed. Shay was very impressed. The concert was excellent. Rob was glad to know Shay was a fan of Creed. They had a great time just singing along with the songs and trying not to get trampled in the pit. Shay had a really great time with Rob, and knew she’d like to go out with him again. He walked her to her door after they got back to her house.

“I had a wonderful time tonight.”

“I’m glad. So did I. This is the part where I ask to see you again. Would you like to go out again sometime?”

Shay smiled, “Yes, I would. Call me tomorrow and I’ll check my schedule okay?”

“You can bet on it. Goodnight Shay.”

Rob leaned forward and kissed Shay softly before pulling away with a smile.

“Goodnight.”

After Rob left, Shay felt better than she had since her break-up with Joey. Maybe the lyrics to her song were really true. Could it be that she was really over him? She hoped so. She really liked Rob and she knew that if there was any feelings for Joey left that she couldn’t continue to see Rob. It wouldn’t be fair to him or to her.

Chapter Thirty One

Over the next week, Shay went out several times with Rob. She was beginning to like him more and more. Finally she felt like she was over Joey. He would always hold a special place in her heart, but she wasn’t in love with him anymore. Or so she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The charity game was only a week away. Johnny scheduled them an appearance on TRL to promote the game and their new CD. This was their first appearance on TRL so they were all pretty nervous. When they arrived at the studio, they were surprised to see so many fans outside the TRL studio. There was probably 5,000 screaming for autographs and pictures with the girls. They were happy to do all they could, but they were soon rushed upstairs to the make-up room. Thirty minutes later, it was time for them to make their TRL debut.

“Welcome to the Monday September fourth edition of TRL. Today I’d like everyone to welcome our guests, making their first appearance in our TRL studios. Please welcome True Colours.” Carson announced.

All three girls walked onto the TRL set wearing huge smiles on their faces. Carson greeted each girl with a hug and a kiss.

“Welcome to TRL.”

“Thank you for having us. This is so exciting. I have to say we were all a little nervous about coming out today.” Shay smiled.

“You’ve performed in front of thousands of fans before, what’s so nerve wracking about this show.”

“We’ve never been on live TV before, it’s a bit scary knowing if you screw up there’s no editing to cover it up.” Raven laughed.

“Yeah, that’s true. Jaimie this is your first appearance on TV and with the group since Raquel left right?”

“Yes it is actually. Today is going to be my first live performance so I’m very nervous.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great. So, how long have you known each other?”

“Raven and I have known each other for about a year.” Shay laughed, “I’ll let Jaimie tell her story.”

“Thanks a lot Shay. Okay I don’t want anyone to hate me, but I’ve known the guys from NSYNC for the last five years. I worked with them at Disney before they formed their band. That’s how I met the girls when they opened for NSYNC. When Raquel decided to retire, she told Johnny to call me and here we are. That’s the story.”

“Wow, jealousy is flaring up around the world I can feel it.”

“The guys from NSYNC are incredible and they love and appreciate their fans so much.”

“We were really lucky to have a chance to tour with them. They are awesome performers and we learned a lot.” Raven said.

“You guys started a charity together too didn’t you? Why don’t you tell us about that.”

“It’s called Challenge for the Children. We’ve gotten a bunch of celebrities together, including us and NSYNC to play a game of basketball. All proceeds go to our children’s fund which is then evenly distributed to various children’s organizations like AIDS research and so forth. It’s something we all care about deeply.”

“Now in addition to the game there’s going to be a CD as well right?”

“Yes, everyone has gotten a chance to kind of do their own thing for this CD. Each of us got to write and record two songs of our own. We’ll perform them at the even as well.” Shay explained.

“Sounds awesome. You’re going to perform your new single for us today right? Now when does your new album come out?”

“November 28th.” Raven said.

“Everyone mark your calendars. Now Shay you wrote this song you guys are performing right?”

“Actually Jaimie and I wrote it. We wrote most of the songs on the album.”

“Raven, you didn’t help write any of the songs?”

She laughed, “Nah, I’m no writer. I left the to Shay and Jaimie and they did an excellent job.”

“There’s no hard feelings or animosity over them getting most of the credit for the album?”

“Oh, no of course not. They deserve all the credit for it. They did a great job and worked hard. All I had to do was show up at the studio and sing.”

“That’s very cool that you guys don’t argue over that stuff.”

“We have our little tiffs, but nothing major.” Shay smiled.

Jaimie laughed, “Usually over our personal lives not our professional lives.”

“Ah, I see. Before we get to your performance let’s take some audience questions. I think we have someone on the phone....Candace, are you there?”

“Yes, oh my God! I can’t believe I got through. Carson, you are so hot!” The young girl squealed.

Carson smiled, “Well, thank you very much. Did you have a question for the girls?”

“Yeah, I just wondered if the songs you two wrote for your album were from personal experience?”

“Oooh, good question Candace. Well, I think every songwriter writes from the heart. It’s not unusual to let your own personal feelings flow into your songs. I think that’s what makes the best songs, and those are the songs that really touch people and sometimes it helps to know someone has gone through the heart break you’re going through, or the loss of a loved one. It shows you’re not alone and it comforts you.”

“Thanks for your question Candace. Now let’s go down to Times Square where Dave has a fan with a question.”

“What’s up Carson? I have a huge fan here with me that has a question for Jaimie. Scott go ahead and ask her your question.”

“Hi Jaimie.” Scott gushed.

“Hi Scott. How are you?”

“I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack, I can’t believe I’m talking to you.”

“Awe, that’s sweet. Just remember to breathe.”

“I just wanted to say I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world and would you marry me?”

Jaimie blushed, “Oh my.”

Carson laughed, “You’re making her blush Scott.”

“Well, oh wow, that was unexpected. Thank you so much Scott. That’s so sweet of you. Um, why don’t you wait until you’re legal okay? Then we’ll see what happens. By then you’ll find another and probably won’t remember me.”

“I couldn’t forget you.”

“You’re just too sweet Scott.”

“Hey Scott, how would you like to come up and get a hug from Jaimie?”

“Oh my God! Yes! Thank you so much Carson.”

“He’s so cute. That was my first marriage proposal.” Jaimie laughed as Scott made his way into the studios.

Shay grinned, “I bet I know someone who’s jealous that’s watching us right now.”

“Oh really now? Does this mean there’s a special someone in your life now?”

“Yes, someone very special.” Jaimie smiled.

“How long have you been together?”

“We’ve known each other for five years, but we’ve been together for about seven months.”

“Is he famous?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is he in a popular boy-band?”

Jaimie blushed, “Uh-huh.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Who is he?”

“Oh, stop it Carson.” Jaimie begged.

“You blush easily so I’ll just name them until you blush.”

“I’ll tell ya. It’s Lance.” Shay shouted.

Jaimie was blushing furiously by then. Everyone in the audience was hooting and clapping for her.

“Lanceten has a girl. It’s about time he found someone.....um, I won’t go there.”

“We’ll talk later Carson.” Jaimie said.

“Oh yes we certainly will. What about you two? Anyone significant?”

“I’m seeing someone right now, but nothing really serious.”

“Yes, I’ve been with him for about seven months.”

“Cool, here comes Scott.”

Scott was probably 14 years old and maybe 5’4”. He was the cutest little guy you’d ever see. He walked shyly up to Jaimie handing her a red rose. Jaimie smiled down at him, kissed his cheek, and gave him a big hug.

“Thank you Scott.”

"Hey Scott, we want some hugs too. We get jealous easy.” Shay smiled.

Scott blushed as he got his hugs and kisses from Shay and Raven.

“Scott is the man! He gets hugs and kisses from three older hotties. Hey you want to stick around for their performance?”

“Definitely.”

Scott was led to a seat in the audience as the girls got into position for their performance.

Shay:
Why don't I like the girl I see?
The one who's standing right in front of me.
Why don't I think before I speak?
I should have listened to that voice inside of me.
I must be stupid, must be crazy.
Must be out of my mind.
To say the kind of things I said last night.

All:
Mirror mirror hanging on the wall.
You don’t have to tell me
Who’s the biggest fool of all
Mirror mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back.
Bring my baby back to me

Jaimie:
Why did I let you walk away.
When all I had to do was say I’m sorry
I let my pride get in the way
And in the heat of the moment I was to blame
I must be stupid, must be crazy
Must be out of my mind
Now in the cold light of the day I realize

All:
Mirror mirror hanging on the wall.
You don’t have to tell me
Who’s the biggest fool of all
Mirror mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back.
Bring my baby back to me

All:
If only wishes could be dreams
Then all my dreams could come true
There would be two of us standing there in front of you
If you could show me that someone I used to be
Bring back my baby
My baby to me....

Mirror mirror hanging on the wall.
You don’t have to tell me
Who’s the biggest fool of all
Mirror mirror I wish you could lie to me
And bring my baby back.
Bring my baby back to me

After they finished their performance, the audience went wild for them. The girls couldn’t stop the smiles that spread across their faces.

“That was awesome. I smell a #1 record on your hands.”

“Thanks Carson.” Shay smiled.

“It was such a pleasure having you on the show today. Please stop by again.”

Jaimie smiled, “We certainly will. Thanks for having us.”

“Again, the charity game is Saturday September 16th in Atlanta, Georgia. Your new album comes out November 28th.”

After the show wrapped, the girls stayed a while longer to talk to Carson.

“So what did you want to say about Lance when you stopped yourself?” Shay asked.

“Just that he finally found a good one. Lord help me if Danielle’s publicist heard me say something like that. She’s such a little bitch.”

“That’s the truth. She’s going to be at the charity game too, but I have a surprise for her.”

“I just might have to take a trip to Georgia to see that.”

“You should come down. It’s going to be great.” Jaimie said.

“I think I just might.”

“I hate to cut this short, but we have a plane to catch. Please try to make it down Carson. It’ll be fun.” Raven smiled.

He hugged each girl good-bye, “You take care.”

Not ten minutes later, the girls were on their way to the airport and back home to Orlando. When they landed, JC , Lance, and Rob were at the airport to pick them up.

“Hey baby. I was afraid you were going to run off with that kid. I couldn’t believe he proposed to you.” Lance said as he kissed her hello.

Jaimie laughed, “He was a sweet kid, but you have nothing to worry about. Not for another four years at least when he turns 18.”

“You’re so funny.”

“I know. You aren’t upset that everyone knows we’re dating are you?”

“Of course not. I’m proud of that fact. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

“You’re too sweet. I love you.”

“I love you back.”

Shay was met with a sweet kiss from Rob.

“How did we look on TRL today?”

“Well you looked beautiful as always. I thought you guys did very well.”

“Awe, you’re sweet. Thank you.”

“I particularly enjoyed it when you told Carson you were seeing someone. Do I know the lucky guy?”

“Hmmm, I dunno. I don’t think you’ve met him.”

“Lucky guy.”

“We all caught your show today. You were great!” JC smiled.

Raven gave him a sweet kiss, “Thanks sweetie.”

“Who was ‘all’ of you?”

“Me, Lance, Justin, Chris, Sue, the guys from Trail By Fire, oh and Joe. He left before your performance thought. He said he had something to do.” JC frowned

Jaimie whispered to Lance, “Did he leave when Shay said she was seeing someone?”

He sighed, “Unfortunately he caught that part.”

Lance smiled down at her when he noticed her frown and rubbed her back comfortingly. Later that night, Jaimie was called to Joey’s apartment for a late night writing session. A couple days before the charity game, Rob and Shay went out on yet another day. Shay really liked Rob and she was attracted to him, but something always held her back when it came to being more intimate with him. She had decided that that night would be the first night they’d spend together. Rob was ever the gentleman. He stood at her doorway to say goodnight as he always did, never pushing her into anything. Shay smiled up at him.

“I had a really great time tonight as always.”

“I did too. So, I’ll call you tomorrow okay?”

She leaned in and kissed him softly, “Do you want to come in?”

He paused for a moment, “Are you sure Shay? I don’t want to rush you.”

Shay almost changed her mind, but she met him with a smile, “Yes, I’m sure.”

Shay led Rob to her bedroom, fighting the reluctance that coursed through her. Rob cupped her face gently in his hands as he kissed her. Softly at first, but the kiss began to get more and more urgent. Shay opened her mouth, letting Rob’s tongue play with hers. Rob slowly unbuttoned her cardigan and pushed it off her shoulders. She stood in front of him clad in only her jeans and bra. Shay felt this urge to cross her arms over herself, but stubbornly pushed that aside and pushed Rob’s shirt from his shoulders. Rob rained kisses along her shoulders, up her neck, until he reached her lips again. Shay tried to let herself get lost in his kisses the way she used to with Joey. With Joey, she never thought about it it just happened. Wait, why is she thinking about Joey at a time like this? Stop it Shay! You’re with Rob now. He’s the one kissing you and touching you. His touch felt good, but it was nothing compared to how she felt when Joey touched her. Rob began to kiss her again, but Shay let out a choked sob and pushed him away. She buried her face in her hands an sat on her bed.

“Did I do something wrong? Shay are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

Shay spoke through her tears, “No, I’m not alright. I thought I was. I really did.”

“I’m confused Shay. What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry Rob. I know you deserve an explanation, but could you please leave me alone tonight? I promise I’ll let you know what’s going on in my screwed up head as soon as I know.”

“Sure. I don’t want to push you into anything you aren’t ready for Shay.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

He kissed the top of her head, “Goodnight Shay.”

Rob gathered his shirt and quietly left her house, leaving Shay alone to shed her tears. Shay spent the next couple days before the game alone in her house, trying to sort through her feelings. By the time the day of the game arrived, she still hadn’t come to a conclusion. As all of the girls changed into their uniforms for the game, Jaimie noticed how quiet Shay was.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh Jaim. I just don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“Are things not going well with Rob?”

“Things aren’t going well at all.”

“What happened?”

“A couple nights ago we went out. Things went great. We had a good time. He’s been so sweet and hasn’t pushed me to do anything I wasn’t ready for. So that night I decided it would be the first night we’d spend together. He came into my bedroom and we began kissing and stuff, but the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about how his touch wasn’t like Joey’s and I wanted to pull away so badly. I finally did and I just started crying. Poor Rob doesn’t know what to think. Frankly neither do I.”

“Oh sweetie. I’m sorry.”

“I just wish I knew what was going on.”

“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I think you’re still in love with Joey.”

She sighed, “I really thought I was over him.”

Jaimie gave her a comforting hug, “It’ll be alright. It’ll all work itself out. Trust me.”

“I hope you’re right.”

After the girls were changed, they made their way to the locker room where everyone gathered before the game started. Jaimie immediately spotted Danielle across the room. Danielle began to make her way over to Lance, but almost as soon as she got to him, he spotted Jaimie and made his way over to her without a glance in Danielle’s direction. Jaimie gave him a big kiss when he got to her.

“Wow, why thank you. That was a nice surprise.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You even look sexy in this baggy basketball uniform. Then again you look good in anything.” Lance grinned wickedly, “And out of everything too.”

“You’re so bad.”

“I know, but you love me anyway.”

“I suppose I do.”

While Lance and Jaimie continued their cut banter, Shay was fighting the urge to run and hide. She could feel two sets of eyes on her, belonging to Joey and Rob. She looked up in one direction and was met with those chocolate brown eyes of Joey. She shivered from the look he was giving her. She couldn’t quite place it. She smiled briefly at him then turned towards the other set of eyes. They were filled with kindness and understanding. That much she could see. Shay smiled briefly at Rob as well before turning away. Shay glanced once more at Joey before turning her back to both of them. Rob followed the direction of her gaze as it fell on Joey. He could have sworn there was some sort of special connection between them. Once thing was for sure. Before he was going to let himself fall harder for Shay, he was going to need some answers from her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was now time to play the game. They stood behind the screen waiting to be called to the floor. Carson made it to the game and was immediately put to work as the announcer.

“Good afternoon everyone! Welcome to the First Annual Challenge for the Children Basketball game. You’re all in for a treat today. A bunch of celebrities have taken time out from their busy schedules to come down and play a game of basketball all to raise money for the children. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better than seeing a bunch of celebrities make a fool of themselves on the court, you get some special performances from the girls of True Colours, Britney Spears, and the guys of NSYNC. How cool is that? Enough talking. Are you guys ready for some basketball?” Carson paused as a loud scream filled the stadium, “Alright, let’s meet our players. Playing for the NSUCK team in blue we have Kobe Bryant, Justin Timberlake, Jaimie Holland, Lance Bass, Shay Wolfe, Joey Fatone, Rob Banks, John Ross, and Michelle Williams. Playing for the NSTINK team in red we have Isaiah Thomas, Chris Kirkpatrick, Raven Spencer, JC Chasez, Rob Falcon, Kevin Earhardt, Danielle Fischel, Britney Spears, and Joshua Jackson.”

Both teams ran out onto the court smiling and waving to everyone as they screamed. The first team of five on the floor was Justin, Shay, Joey, Michelle, and John against Chris, JC, Britney, Raven, and Rob. The first half was a tight match. Anytime Joey or Rob had the ball, the other was all over each other trying to get the ball from them or trying to block their shots. Shay didn’t miss it either. She was ready for this game to be over with already. By the time half time arrived, the score was tied 30 to 30. During half time, JC sang the song he wrote for Raven. Next up was Justin and Britney’s duet. By the time they were finished singing it, everyone could see how they felt about each other. After they finished their song, Justin kissed her softly and smiled at her before taking her hand and leading her off stage. After their performance, they went their separate ways, each to their separate locker room. Britney made it to the girls locker room just in time to see the fireworks about to go off between Danielle and Jaimie. Jaimie was trying her best to ignore her, but Danielle was bound and determined to be seen and heard.

“Well, hello Jaimie.”

Jaimie forced a smiled to her face, “Danielle.”

“You know it’s funny how you can stand there and smile at me after stealing my boyfriend out from under me.”

“Excuse me but Lance broke up with you long before we started going out.”

“Don’t give me that. You were after him long before we broke up.”

“I admit I have loved Lance for a long time, but I never tried to steal him from you. You’re just mad because you weren’t woman enough to keep him. He’s with someone that makes him happy and who loves him for him not his money and fame.”

“Ha! The only reason you’re in this girl group is because you’re dating Lance and you know it. You’re nothing but a no-talent loser. Lance will eventually come to his senses and come back to me.”

“You’re pushing your luck Danielle. You better back off.”

Shay stepped in between the two girls, “We haven’t met. I’m Shay one of Jaimie’s best friends. She’s the best thing that ever happened to Lance and he’d be the first one to tell you that. Now we’re going to end this conversation now before someone says something they really regret. By the way you’re a real bitch, has anyone ever told you that?”

Danielle was fuming, “How dare you! This has nothing to do with you so stay out of it.”

Britney glared over at her, “That’s where you’re wrong Danielle. You’re messing with our friend so that makes it our business. Let’s see it’s five against one. I wouldn’t like your odds if I were you.”

“By the way, Lance would never take you back. If you’re waiting for that day then you’ll be waiting forever because it isn’t coming.” Raven snickered.

Danielle stuck her nose into the air, turned and walked away.

“Thanks for stepping in guys. My patience was wearing away fast. I didn’t want to start anything here, but UGH! she gets on my last nerve.”

“You’re a better person than me. I would have bitch slapped her.” Michelle laughed.

Jaimie laughed as well, “Well, I didn’t want to start something like that here. This is a charity event for the kids. I don’t want to mess that up.”

“Don’t thank us for stepping in. We enjoyed telling her what we thought.” Shay grinned.

“I’m sure you did. By the way Brit, your performance was awesome.”

“Thanks. Justin is amazing isn’t he?” She gushed.

Shay laughed, “Looks to me like someone’s in love.”

“Oh I am. I have been for a long time. Somehow he started to come around and see me as a woman not just a friend.”

“I completely understand girl. That’s exactly what happened with me and Lance. It’s great isn’t it?”

“Oh yeah! You better believe it.”

“Justin’s a sweetheart. He deserves to be happy and he’s finally got a good one.” Shay smiled.

Britney blushed, “Thanks for your support guys.”

A few minutes later, it was time to go back out to finish the game. This time Kobe, Jaimie, Lance, and Rob went up against Isaiah, Josh, Danielle, and Kevin. Lance actually played very well that day. He’d always said he wasn’t a good ball player, but he proved different. Danielle just jogged around the court, not really trying to play. Jaimie was right there in their faces. Justin taught her well a couple weeks prior to the game. Johnny did as he promised and arranged for Danielle to get the ball.

“Danielle!” Isaiah yelled.

Danielle looked over startled as the ball came towards her fast. She managed to catch it but just held it in her hands like she didn’t know what to do with it. Jaimie grinned as she ran towards her, knocked the ball from her hands, and tripped her. She screamed as she landed flat on her butt. Jaimie took the ball all the way down the court to score the winning basket. They won 68-66. All of her team mates surrounded her and picked her up on their shoulders and carried her around the court. Danielle continued to sit on the court fuming. No one paid her any attention or offered to help her up. She quickly got to her feet and marched over to Jaimie.

“You bitch! You pushed me down on purpose.”

“Keep your voice down Danielle. There are kids around and they don’t need to hear such language.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do.”

“We’re all telling you Danielle. Shut your mouth. There are kids around.” Lance interjected.

“Oh you’re taking her side of course.”

“She’s my girlfriend Danielle, but she also happens to be right. There are kids around and they don’t need to hear your mouth.”

“You just better hope I forgive you for this Lance. I just might decide not to take you back.”

Lance laughed, “Oh Danielle. I don’t want you back and I never will. Get over it. I am with someone I love very much. Nothing you say or do will change that.”

Jaimie leaned towards her to whisper, “By the way, I know you were never given the chance to find this out, but he’s fabulous in bed.” She smiled smugly, “Just so you know.”

Danielle glared at her with hate in her eyes. Jaimie just smiled sweetly and returned her attention to her group of friends. Danielle stomped off the court humiliated. They were all given thirty minutes to shower and change for the rest of their performances. Amazingly enough they were all ready. Lance was the first to perform.

“This song I’m going to sing for you I wrote for my special someone. It’s called ‘My Best Friend.’”

I never had no one
I could count on
I've been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin'
So tired of searchin'
'Til you walked into my life
It was a feelin'
I'd never known
And for the first time
I didn't feel alone

You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
I don't know where I'd be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You're my best friend
You're my best friend, oh yeah

You stand by me
Like nobody ever has

When my world goes crazy
You're right there to save me
You make me see how much I have
And I still tremble
When we touch
And oh the look in your eyes
When we make love

You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
I don't know where I'd be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You're my best friend
You're my best friend, oh yeah

Jaimie’s heart melted as Lance sang his song to her. You couldn’t slap the grin off her face. The crowd erupted in cheers after the song ended.

“Thank you very much. I’m glad you enjoyed that one. The next song is again about my special someone, but one of my best friend’s is going to back me up for this one. Please give it up for Mr. Joey Fatone.”

The crowd went wild when Joey made his way over to Lance.

“This song is called ‘Still.’”

Lance:
Love, I see forever in your eyes
I can see heaven in your smile
And when I hold you close
I don’t want to let go
That you are the only light I see
Your love means everything to me
I know that we’ll never part
‘Cause you’ll always near here in my heart

Both:
If the sun, should refuse to rise
And the moon, doesn’t hang in the night
The tides won’t change, seasons rearrange
When the world is through
I will still love you

Lance:
Girl, you’re like an angel from above
Sent here to shower me with your love
Hold me beneath your wings
Tell me all of those things
All the hopes and the dreams we can share
‘Cause I’ll be your shelter from the storm
I’ll be the fire that keeps you warm
I’ll be your light in the dark
Cause you’ll always here in my heart

Both:
If the sun, should refuse to rise
And the moon, doesn’t hang in the night
The tides won’t change, seasons rearrange
When the world is through
I will still love you

Joey:
If anything could last forever
It’s what I feel for you
Oh, baby, you touch my heart in ways
That words could never say
That’s why I’ll always love you

Both:
If the sun, should refuse to rise
If the moon, doesn’t hang in the night
The tides won’t change, season rearrange
When the world is through
I will still love you
If the sun, should refuse to rise
And the moon, doesn’t hang in the night
The tides won’t change, seasons rearrange
When the world is through
I will still love you
If the sun, should refuse to rise
And the moon, doesn’t hang in the night
The tides won’t change, seasons rearrange
When the world is through
I will still love you

Lance:
Yes I will love you still, baby
I will still love you
Girl believe, you’re all I need
I will still love you

Lance spoke again after the cheers died down, “Thank you guys so much for your appreciation. Now my final song is very special to me. Again I wrote this for my special someone. He paused and smiled as the crowd ‘awed‘ him, “This is actually a duet between me and my someone. If my someone would please join me onstage.”

Jaimie took a deep breath and walked onstage, but she was greeted with cheers not sneers. Jaimie smiled and waved to the audience as she made her way to Lance. He greeted her with a soft kiss and a sweet smile and the crowd cheered louder. Jaimie blushed slightly.

“Isn’t she cute when she blushes?”

The crowd just got even louder.

“I think so too. Okay, enough embarrassing her. The song we’re going to sing is called ‘By My Side’.”

Jaimie:
There’s so much breaking up
Folks who won’t fall in love
Put up shells, guard themselves, build walls

Lance:
And it makes me cry sometimes
‘Cause people live lonely lives
They don’t want to try
They don’t want to live at all

Both:
But I’m not gonna be afraid
To give up my heart that way
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side
And I’m not gonna say I’m strong
Out here in this world alone
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side

Lance:
And when you find someone
Someone you really love
It makes life easier to bear

Jaimie:
But some folks live on their own
Shut themselves in at home
They never find out
What love’s all about
‘Cause they’re scared

Both:
But I’m not gonna be afraid
To give up my heart that way
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side
And I’m not gonna say I’m strong
Out here in this world alone
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side
But I’m not gonna be afraid
To give up my heart that way
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side
And I’m not gonna say I’m strong
Out here in this world alone
‘Cause I need you I need you by my side

‘Cause I need you I need you by...... my side

After they finished the song, they hugged each other tightly then turned and smiled at the audience. Lance continued to hold her hand as he once again addressed the audience.

“Again thank you very much. I can’t tell you how much it means to me and to both of us to have your support. That’s why I want all of you to be here for this.” He turned towards Jaimie, “I’ve already talked to your family about this and they approve.”

Jaimie looked at him confused, making sure she wasn‘t talking into her microphone, “What’s going on Lance?”

He pulled a box out of his pocket and bent down on one knee, “Jaimie…” He paused and laughed softly when she raised her hand to her mouth and started to cry, “I love you more than anything in the world. Make me the happiest man in the world and say you’ll be by my side forever. Will you marry me?”

Jaimie was sobbing by this time and she collapsed into his arms and cried out “Yes!”. Lance just held onto her while she continued to cry.

He spoke to the audience, “She said yes.”

The crowd began to cheer wildly for them as they stood on stage locked in an embrace. Shay had no clue Lance was going to do this. She watched from the side of the stage with tears streaming down her cheeks. Joey was watching them as well with a smile on his lips. He knew they truly loved each other and they deserved to be happy. He glanced over at Shay and noticed she was crying. His heart constricted in his chest as he watched her smile so beautifully through her tears. He began to walk towards her, but Raven ran up to her first. They both hugged and cried together as they watched them on stage.

“Please excuse the delay. Jaimie was scheduled to sing next, but I believe we’ll let the next person sing now while she calms down.”

Lance pulled a still crying Jaimie off the stage. Shay and Raven quickly embraced her.

“Oh honey we’re so happy for you. Lance why didn’t you warn us?” Shay hit him playfully.

“Because I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well, where’s the ring?” Raven asked.

“It’s still in the box. I didn’t have a chance to put it on her hand.”

Lance opened the box to reveal a beautiful white gold half karat tear shaped diamond ring. All of the girls gasped at the sight of this beautiful ring.

“Oh Lance. It’s beautiful.” Jaimie continued to cry softly.

“I know you don’t like big jewelry, so I figured this would be the perfect size.”

Lance took Jaimie’s trembling hand in his and slid the ring securely into place, then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her hand softly.

“It’s gorgeous Lance.” Shay smiled.

“I’m glad you all approve.”

“I’m so happy.” Jaimie said as her tears began to fall again.

Jaimie clung to Lance again as her tears fell. Lance chuckled, but held her close.

“Shay, I know it isn’t your turn, but could you go on now. There’s no way she’s ready to go onstage to perform now.”

She wiped her eyes, “Sure, it’s no problem.”

Shay gave Jaimie and Lance a quick hug before going out onstage to perform.

“What’s up everybody!? I’m going to be singing for you now instead of Jaimie. Understandably she’s a little emotional right now. Let me tell you, Lance and Jaimie are so in love and I’m just so happy for them. They deserve so much happiness and I’m so glad they have your support. That means so much to them and to me because they are two of my best friends. Okay on with the singing. This song I’m going to sing first I wrote about six months ago. It’s called ‘I’m Gonna Be Strong’.”

I can see
You’re slipping away from me
And you’re so afraid
That I’ll plead with you to stay
So I’m gonna be strong
I’ll let you go your way

Love is gone
There’s no sense in going on
And your pity now
Would be too much to bear
So I’m gonna be strong
I’ll pretend I don’t care

I’m gonna be strong
And stand as strong as I can
I’m gonna be strong
And let you go along
And take it like a man
When you say it’s the end
I’ll hand you a line
I’ll smile and say don’t you worry it’s fine
And you’ll never know darling
After you kiss me good-bye
How I’ll break down and......cry

“Thank you so much. This next song is called ‘Girl In The Mirror‘.”

There's a girl in my mirror
I wonder who she is
Sometimes I think I know her
Sometimes I really wish I did
There's a story in her eyes
Lullabies and good-byes
When she's looking back at me
I can tell her heart is broken easily

'Cause the girl in my mirror
Is crying out tonight
And there's nothing I can tell her
To make her feel alright
Oh the girl in my mirror
Is crying 'cause of you
And I wish there was something
Something I could do

If I could
I would tell her
Not to be afraid
The pain that she's feeling
The sense of loneliness will fade
So dry your tears and rest assured
Love will find you like before
When she's looking back at me
I know nothing really works that easily

'Cause the girl in my mirror
Is crying out tonight
And there's nothing I can tell her
To make her feel alright
Oh the girl in my mirror
Is crying 'cause of you
And I wish there was something
Something I could do

I can't believe it's what I see
That the girl in the mirror
The girl in the mirror
Is me
I can't believe what I see (no....)
(The girl in my mirror)
The girl in my mirror is me
Ohh...is me

After the applause died down she spoke again, “You guys are a great audience. Now this next song is a duet with Jaimie called ‘Tell Him‘. Let’s see if she’s ready.”

Shay looked over to the side of the stage in time to see Jaimie walking back out on stage. The crowd screamed loudly, happy to see her back on stage with a huge smile on her face.

“Hello everyone. I apologize for earlier. As you can imagine, I was very surprised by Lance’s proposal, and of course I was thrilled. But, I’m composed now and I’m ready to perform for you. This is a song Shay and I wrote a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy.”

Shay:
I’m scared
So afraid to show I care
Will he think me weak
If I tremble when I speak
Ooooh- what if
There’s another one he’s thinking of
Maybe he’s in love
I’d feel like a fool
Life can be so cruel
I don’t know what to do

Jaimie:
I’ve been there
With my heart out in my hand
But what you must understand
You can’t let the chance
To love him pass you by

Shay:
Should I

Both:
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
Rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself

Jaimie:
Touch him
With the gentleness you feel inside
Your love can’t be denied
The truth will set you free
You’ll have what’s meant to be
All in time you’ll see

Shay:
I love him
Of that much I can be sure
I don’t think I could endure
If I let him walk away
When I have so much to say
I’ll

Both:
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
Rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself

Shay:
Love is light that surely glows
In the hearts of those who know
It’s a steady flame that grows

Jaimie:
Feed the fire with all the passion you can show

Shay:
Tonight love will assume it’s place

Jaimie:
This memory time cannot erase

Shay:
Blind faith will lead love where it has to go

Both:
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
Rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself

Never let him go

Joey listened from the side of the stage, trying not to think about how all her songs reflected their relationship. He hoped like hell Shay hadn’t fallen in love with this Rob guy. But no matter the outcome of today’s events, as long as Shay’s happy he’ll be happy. He was brought from his thoughts as the crowd applauded and cheered loudly.

“Thank you so much. You guys are awesome. Now it’s Jaimie’s turn to sing for you. Again thank you so much.”

The crowd applauded as Shay left the stage. Shay ran into Joey at the side entrance. They stood there for a moment just looking at each other, both wanting and needing to say so much yet neither did. Shay gave him a watery smile and walked away, afraid of what she’d say if she stayed a moment longer. Joey fought the urge to follow her. Only a few more minutes and he’d tell her how he feels in his own special way. Lance came up to stand beside him.

Joey gave him a big hug, “Congrats man. I’m happy for both of you.”

“Thanks Joe. I’m pretty happy myself.”

They turned their attention to Jaimie onstage talking to the audience.

“Surprise, surprise! The next song I’m going to perform for you is a song I wrote for Lance. I think it says exactly how I feel about him. It’s called ‘I Wanna Love You Forever’.”

You set my soul at ease
Chased darkness out of view
Left your desperate spell on me
Say you feel it too I know you do
I’ve got so much more to give
This can’t die, I yearn to live
Pour yourself all over me
And I’ll cherish every drop here on my knees

I wanna love you forever
And this is all I’m asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever

My mind fails to understand
What my heart tells me to do
And I’d give up all I have just to be with you
And that would do
I’ve always been taught to win
And I never though I’d fall
Be at the mercy of a man,
I’ve never been
Now I only want to be right where you are

I wanna love you forever
And this is all I’m asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
and felt the fire of your sweet embrace
I swear I knew
I wanna love you forever

In my life I’ve learned that heaven never waits
Let’s take this now before it’s gone like yesterday
Cuz when I’m with you there’s nowhere else
That I would ever wanna be, no
I’m breathing for the next second I can feel you
Loving me

I’m gonna love
And this is all I’m asking of you, my love
Is that so much for you to do
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
And felt the fire in your sweet embrace
Oh, I’m gonna love you forever.....forever

Shay saw Danielle watching Jaimie from the corner of the stage with a contemptuous look on her face. She decided to go talk to her.

“Hmmm, looks to me like you were wrong about her being a no-talent loser. Just listen to her. She’s awesome and the crowd is in love with her. Lance obviously is very much in love with her since she’ll be his wife soon.” Shay sighed heavily, “Oh well, our loss. Bye-bye.”

Shay walked away with a satisfied smile on her face.

“Look at them. They love her.” Lance smiled.

"They’re eating her up. I knew they would.”

“Oh Joey. I love her so much. I’m so very blessed.”

“I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“I hope I’ll be returning the sentiment soon.”

“So do I.” he sighed, “So do I.”

“Thank you so much. You guys are wonderful. I think it’s time to pick up the tempo a little don’t you? This song I wrote is just about love in general. It’s called ‘Can’t Fight The Moonlight’. I hope you like it.”

Under the lover’s sky
Gonna be with you
And no one’s gonna be around
If you think that you won’t fall
Well just waiting until
Till the sun goes down
Underneath the startlight starlight
There’s a magical feeling so right
It will steal your heart tonight

You can try to resist
Try to hide from my kiss
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
Deep in the dark
You’ll surrender your heart
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
No, you can’t fight it
It’s gonna get to your heart
There’s not escaping love
Once the gentle breeze
Weaves it’s spell upon your heart
No matter what you think
It won’t be too long
Till you’re in my arms
Underneath the starlight starlight
We’ll be lost in the rhythm so right
Feel it steal your hear tonight
You can try to resist
Try to hide from my kiss
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
Deep in the dark
You’ll surrender your heart
But you know, but you know that you Can’t fight the moonlight
No, you can’t fight it
No matter what you do
The night is gonna get to you

Don’t try you’re never gonna win
Underneath the starlight starlight
There’s a magical feeling so right
It will steal your heart tonight

You can try to resist
Try to hide from my kiss
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
Deep in the dark
You’ll surrender your heart
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
No, you can’t fight it
It’s gonna get to your heart

You can try to resist
Try to hide from my kiss
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
Deep in the dark
You’ll surrender your heart
But you know, but you know that you
Can’t fight the moonlight
No, you can’t fight it
It’s gonna get to your heart

The crowd really got into her song. They began dancing around in time with the music.

“I guess it’s my turn next. God, I’m so nervous.”

“You’ll do great. Remember we’re here for you no matter what.”

“Thanks man. It means a lot to me.”

They turned and waited for Jaimie to say good-bye to the audience.

“You guys are a terrific audience. I really appreciate your support. Please welcome your next act. One of my very best friends, Joey Fatone.”

The crowd erupted in cheers as Joey made his way onto the stage, giving Jaimie a kiss on the cheek as she passed.

“What’s up everybody? I’m so very glad to be here today raising money for the children. I tell ya, children are so vitally important to all of us. I thank all of you for coming out today and lending your support to our organization. Now, this first song I’m going to perform for you is a song I wrote with Jaimie for a very special person. We aren’t together now, but” he paused as an audible ’awe’ came fromi the crowd, “but I need her to know how I feel.” He glanced to the side of the stage, “I hope she’s listening. Jaimie will be accompanying me on acoustic guitar. It’s called ‘Was It Something I Didn’t Say’.”

Jaimie came back onstage carrying her guitar and sitting on a stool beside Joey’s Shay heard Joey’s speech from backstage and was drawn to a place beside Lance to watch them. Jaimie began to play the guitar as Joey’s sweet voice filled the air.

Spending another night alone
Wondering when I'm gonna ever see you again
Thinking what I would give to get you back baby
I should have told you how I felt then
Instead I kept it to myself, yeah
I let my love go unexpressed
'Till it was too late
You walked away

Was it some thing I didn't say
When I didn't say "I love you"
Was it words that you never heard
all those words I should have to you
All those times, all those nights when I had the chance to
Was it something I didn’t say

Always assumed that you'd be there
Couldn’t foresee the day you'd ever be leaving me
How could I let my world slip through my hands baby
I took for granted that you knew, yeah
All of the love I had for you, yeah
I guess you never had a clue
'Till it was too late
You walked away

Was it some thing I didn't say
When I didn't say "I love you"
Was it words that you never heard
all those words I should have to you
All those times, all those nights when I had the chance to
Was it something I didn’t say

Was it some thing I didn't say
When I didn't say "I love you"
Was it words that you never heard
all those words I should have to you
All those times, all those nights when I had the chance to
Was it something I didn’t say

All the words were in my heart
They went unspoken
Baby now my silent heart is a heart that's broken
I shoulda said so many things
Shoulda let you know you're the one I needed near me
But I never let you hear me

Was it some thing I didn't say
When I didn't say "I love you"
Was it words that you never heard
all those words I should have to you
All those times, all those nights when I had the chance to
Was it something I didn’t say

As Joey sang his song filled with emotion, Shay listened intently as tears streamed down her cheeks. Lance put a comforting arm around her and Shay thankfully leaned against him. Rob watched Shay as she listened to Joey’s song and it finally became clear. Joey was the guy she had broken up with over six months ago but she was still in love with him. That much was obvious. He lowered his head defeated. He knew he couldn’t compete with Joey for her affections. If Joey didn’t care for her then there might have been a chance, but he still loved her too.

“Thank you. I was originally going to perform ‘If I’m Not The One,’ my other song from the charity CD, but I’ve decided to sing another song we wrote about a week ago. Again, you know who you are and I hope you’re listening. I’m not great with words, but I can tell you how I feel in song. This one’s called ‘6,8,12’.”

Do you ever think about me
Do you ever cry yourself to sleep
In the middle of the night when you wake
Are you calling out for me
Do you ever reminisce
I can’t believe I’m acting like this
I know it’s crazy
How I still can feel your kiss

It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away
I miss you so much
And I don’t know what to say
I should be over you
I should know better
But it’s just not the case
It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away

Do you ever ask about me
Do your friends still tell you what to do
Every time the phone rings
Do you wish it was me calling you
Do you still feel the same
Or has time put out the flame
I miss you
Is everything okay

It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away
I miss you so much
And I don’t know what to say
I should be over you
I should know better
But it’s just not the case
It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away

It’s hard enough just passing the time
When I can’t seem to get you off my mind
And where is the good in good-bye
In good-bye, good-bye

It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away
I miss you so much
And I don’t know what to say
I should be over you
I should know better
But it’s just not the case
It’s been six months, eight days, twelve hours
Since you went away

Shay was completely blown away by Joey’s songs. All of these months they were apart were for nothing. He loved her. Finally she knew what he could never say. She knew right then that she still loved him. She loved him so very much. Lance watched the emotions play across Shay’s face. He knew she knew those songs were meant for her. Now he just hoped they could get things back on track.

“Thank you so much. You guys have been a wonderful audience. Again thanks for showing us your support. Take care and we’ll see you on the road.”

Shay began to fidget slightly as Joey and Jaimie made their way off stage. Joey’s eyes locked with Shay’s tearful gaze.

Chapter Thirty Two

He lowered his gaze slightly, “I....I know you’re seeing someone else now, but I had to tell you how I feel. Please don’t hate me Shay.”

Shay laughed through her tears, “Hate you? I love you Joey. I could never hate you.”

Joey’s eyes met hers again searching for answers, hoping she was willing to give them another chance.

“I know I’ve hurt you so much Shay. I know I don’t deserve you or your forgiveness but.…”

Shay cut him off, “I forgive you Joey. I haven’t been the most honorable person in this relationship either. I lied when I broke it off with you. I was afraid if I didn’t break up with you then you would break up with me. I didn’t think I could handle that.”

“But that last night we were together.…”

“Joey don’t please.”

“I have to explain. There’s no excuse for the way I treated you. I was just so scared about all of these new feelings you were bringing out in me and I was angry at you for it. I’ve never felt as ashamed and dirty as I did that night and I’m sorry.”

She gently caressed his face, “Don’t put yourself through that again Joe. I know that wasn’t you.”

Shay’s arms circled his neck as she brushed her lips across his. Joey’s arms wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him deepening the kiss. Shay finally broke the kiss but didn’t let go of him.

“I love you Joey. I always have and I always will. I want to be with you forever.”

Joey hugged her, “I’m so glad to hear that. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

As Shay clung to Joey tightly, she looked over his shoulder to see Rob watching them with sad eyes. Shay pulled away from Joey.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to Rob. I need to explain.”

“Do you need me to go with you?”

“No. I need to do this myself.”

Shay walked slowly over to Rob. They stood there for a moment in awkward silence before Shay spoke.

“I’m sorry Rob.”

“He’s the guy you broke up with six months ago right?”

“Yes he is. We started having problems. I was afraid he didn’t love me and he was afraid because he was in love for the first time. There was a lot of heartache for the both of us. I broke up with him before he could break up with me. When we started going out I really thought I was over him. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know you didn’t Shay, but it doesn’t stop it from hurting any less.”

“I’m so sorry.” she whispered as tears began to fall.

“Don’t cry Shay. Just give me some time and then we can work on being friends again okay?”

“Really??”

“Yes really.” he hugged her. “He’s a lucky man. You make sure to tell him to treat you right or he’ll answer to me.”

“I will. Take care of yourself Rob.”

“You too Shay. See ya.”

Shay watched him walk away with a heavy heart. She knew she had hurt him, but she hoped one day they’d get their friendship back. Shay made her way back to Joey’s warm embrace.

“How did it go?”

“About as well as can be expected. He’s hurt, but he says he hopes one day we can be friends again.”

“That’s good news. I know you really like him.”

“Yeah, I do. But I love you.”

Joey smiled, “I love you too.”

Joey captured her lips in another kiss, relishing her taste after so long without her.

“There is something I need to tell you. I never slept with Rob.”

“Really? I’m so glad. I didn’t want to ask, yet I really wanted to know. I’ve been chaste as well for these last six months. I’m ready to change that if you are.”

Shay grinned, “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, we could sneak away and go get a hotel room for a few hours before our flight leaves.”

“I like that idea very much.”

Just as Shay and Joey began to sneak off, Johnny called out to everyone.

Johnny smiled, “I want to thank everyone for making today a success. Now there’s going to be a meet and greet of sorts. Just to show our appreciation to the fans for their support.”

Joey and Shay looked at each other with disappointed expressions. They wanted to give their thanks to the fans, but they REALLY wanted to show their appreciation for each other in private. They figured they would just have to wait until they got home. Everyone made their way outside to the table they had set up for the autograph session. Two hours later, they all had writer’s cramp but they got to talk to everyone that attended the benefit. On the flight back home, Shay fell asleep against Joey’s shoulder. Jaimie looked across the aisle in time to Shay sleeping peacefully while Joey watched her. Joey’s eyes locked with hers and gave her a warm smile. Jaimie grinned back to him then snuggled into Lance’s loving arms where she fell asleep as well. When they arrived at the airport, Jaimie and Lance finally got a chance to talk to Joey and Shay.

“Please tell me this means you two are back together.” Jaimie said.

“Yes we are. We’re both very happy. We want to thank the both of you for at least trying to make us realize what you already knew. We’ve wasted a lot of time being stubborn and afraid. But we won’t be wasting anymore time that’s for sure.” Shay smiled.

Lance hugged them both, “We’re happy for both of you. You two deserve to be happy for once.”

“Thanks for everything guys. You’re the best.” Joey said.

Jaimie gave them a big hug as well, “You don’t have to thank us. You’re two of our very best friends and we love you.” She grinned, “Now you two go and ‘catch’ up.”

Shay smiled, “We will believe me.”

Shay and Joey decided to go to his apartment since it was closer to the airport. As soon as they were inside his apartment, they began kissing and caressing each other in frenzied motions. They had been apart so long that they were very anxious to be together once again. They were able to stumble their way to Joey’s bedroom, both laughing as they went. Once they were in his room they began to slow things down a little bit. Joey nibbled softly on Shay’s lips as she pulled his shirt off. He knew she loved it when he did that to her. Shay pressed heated kisses along his shoulders and up his neck. Joey pulled her tank top off enjoying the feel of skin on skin. Shay pushed Joey’s shorts and boxers down before he did the same with her. They fell back on the bed together never breaking their kiss. Joey slowly entered her, both moaning from the feeling of being joined once again. Joey started his pace slow at first, but he began moving faster and faster as Shay rose her hips to meet his. After so long apart, it didn’t take long for them to fall over the edge together, both shuddering from their intense lovemaking. Joey rolled off her to spoon her. He continued to plant kisses along her shoulder and neck.

“I’ve missed this so much.”

Shay laughed, “I know what you missed.”

“That was mean. You’re right though. I did miss that, but I missed just being able to hold you too. I never knew how much that meant to me until I lost you.”

“That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

“There’s something I need to tell you too Shay.”

Shay stiffened, “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s nothing bad, at least I hope not. Remember when Jaimie was pregnant and we had that long discussion about pregnancy and stuff?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“That night after we made love.....I heard you tell me you loved me.”

She turned to face him, “You heard me?”

“Yes.”

“But you never said anything.”

“You scared me Shay. I’d never been in that position before. You aren’t mad at me are you?”

“Of course I’m not mad Joe, but why didn’t you tell me you loved me if you knew I loved you?”

“I didn’t realized I loved you until that last night we were together. I started to tell you that day you broke up with me.”

She laid her head back down on his chest, “I’m so ashamed.”

“What do you have to be ashamed of?”

“I should have fought for us, but I didn’t. If I hadn’t let my fears get the best of me we could have avoided all this.”

“Don’t blame yourself Shay.”

“Then you don’t blame yourself wither. We’re together now and that’s all that matters.”

Shay leaned forward to kiss him again as they began to rebuild the passion between them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 28th was there before they knew it. Jaimie and Lance were still as strong as ever. They planned to get married March 1, 2000 on the anniversary of their first official day together as a couple. Joey and Shay were very happy together as were JC and Raven. On the 28th, they were back in the TRL studios for True Colours Live.

“Boy, a lot has happened to you guys since you were last here. On a personal note, Jaimie you and Lance are engaged. I remember that proposal very clearly. It was awesome and you were very emotional.”

Jaimie laughed, “Of course I was. Who could blame me? I was very surprised. I had no clue he was going to propose.”

“You’ve already set your wedding date as well right?”

“Yes we have. March 1,2000. The anniversary of our first official day as a couple.”

“There’s never been a happier couple. They are perfect for each other.” Shay smiled.

“Now from what I hear you’re pretty happily coupled as well Shay.”

She grinned, “Yeah. I’m in love.”

“It’s so funny all three of you are with guys from NSYNC. Sorry to all the girls in our listening audience. That means they are all taken. Am I right?”

“Yep. Jaimie is engaged to Lance, Raven is with JC, I am with Joey, Brit is with Justin, and Chris is married to Sue. But what’s great about their fans and ours is that they completely support us. They’re great.”

“Now your CD went on sale today. Let’s take a look at the thousands of people that were lined up to get your CD this morning.”

They rolled a video showing thousands of people in line to buy their CD. The girls were completely amazed.

“Wow, that’s just awesome. We never expected this.” Raven smiled.

“Not only do you have a hit record on your hands, but your single ‘Mirror Mirror’ has been #1 on Billboard for the last six weeks. Congrats on your success.”

“Thanks Carson. This has been an incredible year for us. It’s definitely been a roller coaster ride, but we’re very blessed that’s for sure.” Jaimie said.

“There’s been a lot of Grammy buzz as well especially for the song ‘6,8,12’ that Jaimie wrote with Joey. How does this make you feel?”

Shay grinned, “We’re very excited about that. Our album just did make it out in time for the nominations so we’re hoping to get a nomination for it. We worked really hard to put out a quality record. Now as for ‘6,8,12’ I have to admit I’m really rooting for a nomination for. Joey wrote that song for me and it was very instrumental in getting our relationship back on track.”

“It really was an awesome song. Jaimie are you excited about the possible nomination?”

“Of course I am. It’s great when you get recognized for something like that. That song was very special to both Joey and I. I felt privileged to be a part of it.”

“Well, I wish you all the best of luck with the Grammy nominations. After this you’ll be heading over to the Virgin Megastore for an autograph signing.”

“Yep, we’ll be there from 5-6 today signing autographs.” Raven said.

“So.…” Carson paused to listen to what the producers were telling him through his earpiece. “Oh really? Girls look across the street at the sign.”

Everyone looked across the street just as the screen lit up to read, ‘Ms. Shannon Wolfe, please say you’ll be mine forever. Will you marry me?’ it was signed with a huge Superman symbol. Shay’s mouth fell open in shock. Both girls squealed and hugged a still shocked Shay. They were still looking at the sign when Joey’s voice filled the studio.

Well for me it’s waking up beside you
To watch the sun rise on your face
To know that I can say I love you
At any given time or place
It’s little things that only I know
Those are the things that make you mine
And it’s like flying without wings
‘Cause you’re my special thing
I’m flying without wings.....

“Shannon, every day I have with you is very special to me. I want you to be by my side always. Say you’ll marry me.”

Joey pulled out a beautiful gold 1/2 karat marquise diamond cut ring. Shay brought her right hand to her mouth to try to stop her tears as Joey slid the ring on her finger. Complete silence filled the audience as they waited for Shay’s response. Shay took a deep breath before speaking.

“Yes I will marry you.” she mumbled through her tears.

Joey stood up with a huge grin on his face and took Shay into his arms holding her tight. The crowd cheered and clapped loudly. Jaimie and Raven hugged as they cried with them, then they hugged both Shay and Joey.

Carson smiled, “That was just beautiful guys. Congrats. Were you surprised Shay?”

“Very surprised.” she laughed as she wiped her eyes.

“Pleasantly surprised I hope.” Joey smiled.

“Of course. I’m very happy.”

“Do you have a date in mind yet?”

Shay laughed, “I’ve only been engaged for like two minutes Carson. It hasn’t even sank in yet.”

“Well be sure to keep us updated.”

Joey soon left the set so they could finish the show. They performed several songs from their new album and a few old ones. Their album hit #1 on Billboard and remained there for a long time. When the Grammy nominations were announced in January, it was still sitting atop the charts. They were nominated for Best New Artist, Song of the Year for ‘Mirror Mirror‘, Record of the Year for ‘6,8,12‘, Group of the Year, and Album of the Year for their newest album. The girls couldn’t be happier about it. Jaimie and Lance’s wedding approached as well. Sue was her Matron of Honor, Shay was her Maid of Honor, Raven, Britney, and the new mom Raquel were her bridesmaids. The night of the Grammys was an exciting one. Everyone attended except for Chris and Sue. Joey was nominated with Jaimie for their song ‘6,8,12’ but he was also there to root for Shay. Lance was there for Jaimie as was JC for Raven and Justin for Britney. It turned out to be an amazing evening. They swept every category they were nominated for. Joey and Jaimie even won for ‘6,8,12’ . Joey got very emotional when both he and Jaimie accepted their awards.

Joey‘s voice shook as he spoke, “I want to first of all thank Jaimie for helping me write this song. You’re one of my best friends and I love you forever. To the fans, thank you so much. To my bandmates, thank you for letting me express myself, but most of all to Shay. I love you more than anything. Thank you for everything you’ve brought into my life. God bless.”

“First off thank you Joey and Shay for inspiring such a beautiful song and for letting me be a part of it. To the fans, thank you for your undying love and support. To my fellow bandmates, I hope this in only the beginning of our success. To my Lance, thank you for showing me what true love is. I love you. Thank you and God bless you.”

The final award of the evening was Album of the Year. They really weren’t expecting to win that one because their album hadn’t been out very long. The guys from Trail By Fire and Britney were the presenters. They grinned huge when they read the winner. Britney clapped her hands happily as Rob announced the winner.

“Yes! It’s my girls. True Colours ‘The Colour of Our Love‘.”

All three girls stood up stunned as Joey, Lance, JC, and Justin hugged them excitedly. They made their way up to the podium to receive big hugs from the guys and Britney.

“Wow, I can’t believe this. We really weren’t expecting this one. I want to thank God for blessing me with song and with my loved ones. Thank you to Jaimie and Shay for writing such an awesome record. To the fans, thank you for your support. JC, thank you for being there. I love you.”

“This has been an amazing night. Man, ummm, thank you to the fans. We love you very much. To Raven and Shay thank you for welcoming me and for giving me this opportunity. To all the musicians and producers that helped us make this album thank you for your wonderful input and advice. To my family and friends, I love you. My wonderful fiancé Lance, thank you for your love and for giving me one more little blessing to be thankful for. Thank you.”

“We have the most amazing fans in the world. Thank you for your love and support. Without you we wouldn’t be here. To Jaimie and Raven, thank you for your friendship and your inspiration. Raquel you were and still are a part of True Colours. Give Jessica a kiss for us. To Joey, you were my inspiration for this album. I owe so much to you. You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been. Thank you for loving me.”

After the awards show was over, they attended some of the after parties. As the night wore on, Lance noticed how tired Jaimie looked.

“Hey sweetie. Are you okay?”

“I’m just a little tired. It’s been a busy night.”

He rubbed her back softly, “You want to head back to the hotel?”

“Yeah, let’s head back.”

They said good-bye to the others before heading back to the hotel. As soon as they got to their room, they changed into their night clothes and climbed into bed. Jaimie laid with her head on his chest with his arms wrapped around her.

“Lance?”

“Hmmm?”

“Remember when we won that last award and I thanked you for giving me one more little blessing to be thankful for?”

“Yeah.…”

She raised up on her elbow to look at him, “I....I’m pregnant Lance.”

“You’re.....you’re pregnant? Are you sure?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes, I’m about three weeks along. I went to the doctor right before we flew out here.”

“Oh, wow! There’s a little life we created growing inside you. That just amazes me.”

“So you’re happy?”

Lance grinned, “Of course I am. I can’t believe this but…” he softly rubbed her stomach. “I’m already in love with our child. I’m completely in love with you for having it.”

Lance kissed her lips softly before laying with his head on her stomach. He began singing softly to her belly as he rubbed it. Within minutes, Jaimie was fast asleep and Lance soon followed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their flight was set to leave at 9am the next morning. Shay couldn’t help but notice how Lance was being extra attentive with Jaimie.

"What’s up with you two?”

Lance turned to Jaimie, “Can I tell her?”

“Let’s get everyone around us so everyone knows. JC, Raven, Justin, Brit, can you guys come over here for a sec?”

“What’s up guys?” JC asked.

“Lance and I have something to tell you.” Se smiled at Lance, “Go ahead.”

Lance grinned, “Jaimie and I are expecting a baby.”

There was a shocked silence for a moment before everyone broke into smiles and hugs.

“I’m so happy for you two.” Shay hugged them tightly.

“You’re going to be a Mommy. I’m so happy for you sweets.” Joey bent down and rubbed her belly, “Hi there. It’s Uncle Joey. You’re gonna be the luckiest kind in the world. You’re already loved by everyone here.”

Jaimie hugged him, “Thanks Joe. You’re a sweetie.”

“I’m very happy for you both.” Justin hugged them.

“Thanks Justin.”

Britney hugged them as well, “I’m so excited. I’m gonna be an aunt!! I’ll baby-sit anytime....well anytime I’m not on the road.”

Jaimie laughed, “We may take you up on that.”

“No, she can’t have him. He’ll be at Uncle JC’s.”

“How do you know it’s a he?” Lance asked.

“‘Cause I just do. Like I said. Little Josh, Jr. will be at my place all the time.”

“You’ve named him too?”

JC grinned, “Yep.” He hugged them both, “Congrats sweetie. I’m happy for you both.”

Raven smiled, “I am too.”

After everyone was finished with their hugs and good wishes, it was time to board the flight back home. About a week later, Jaimie and Lance were married. They spent two weeks in Greece for their honeymoon. When they returned, Jaimie went into the studio to rehearse for their tour that was to start in April while Lance joined the guys to promote their new album release ‘No Strings Attached’ on a North America tour. Upon their return, they learned Joey and Shay set their wedding for September 16, 2000, exactly a year from when they got back together. Jaimie was to be her Matron of Honor, with Sue, Raven, Raquel, and Britney as her bridesmaids. Jaimie would be very pregnant by then since she’ll be in her 7th month, so Shay chose a lavender chiffon dress with an empire waist. Since Jaimie would be showing by then she figured that style would be the best choice. The only difference in the dresses was Jaimie’s was knee length and the others were floor length. When the time came for the girls to go on tour, none of them really wanted to leave. The guys left for theirs around the same time also. Both 4 month tours were hugely successful. The guys broke records with their sophomore release selling over 2.4 million copies in the first week. The girls were more than happy to give up their spot at #1 to the guys. The tours were over before they knew it. Two months later, a VERY pregnant Jaimie stood by her best friend Shay as she married her soulmate. After the reception, they flew off for two weeks in Italy. On October 31, 2000, Jaimie and Lance welcomed 7 pound 6 ounce Nathaniel Ryan to their family.

“Oh Jaim. He’s beautiful.”

Jaimie smiled, “Thank you. Oh Shay, I’m so happy. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful baby, and the best friends and family in the world.”

“I’m glad. You deserve as much happiness as you can stand. How did ‘ol dad handle it by the way?”

Jaimie laughed, “He did very well. Didn’t faint once. He even cut the umbilical cord. He couldn’t stop smiling.”

“I notice he hasn’t stopped smiling since I’ve been here.”

“He’s very happy too. We’re blessed.”

“I can’t wait anymore. I have to tell you. I’m about four weeks pregnant.”

Jaimie hugged her, “Congratulations Shay! I’m so happy for you. Does Joey know?”

She smiled, “He’s thrilled. I don’t think things can get any better than this Jaim.”

“Well I certainly hope it stays this way.”

“So do I. So do I.”

They went back into the studios to record their third album the following month. They set it for release for early 2001. Shay gave birth to a 7 pound 4 ounce baby girl named Emily Marie on May 27, 2001. Joey was the proudest Dad you’d ever seen. As the years passed, True Colours recorded five hit albums and won dozens of awards before retiring to spend time with their families. The guys of NSYNC recorded seven hit albums and also won many awards before they retired as well. Joey got into writing screenplays and began doing a little acting. Shay and JC worked as producers at JIVE and Shay and Jaimie continued to write songs together. Lance ran his company FreeLance Entertainment. Justin began a successful solo career, touring with his wife Britney. They got married about three years after Shay and Joey and were expecting their first any day now. JC and Raven didn’t get married until after the birth of their son Joshua Scott, Jr. Chris and Sue welcomed twin girls Grace and Grayson around the same time Josh Jr was born. They all lived happily together forever. They remained friends throughout the years sticking beside each other through everything from the birth of their children, to the first steps they took, until the birth of their grandchildren. Through it all they stood together...friends forever.

The End

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