(July 22 – Sunday)
“Man, I’m exhausted.” Joey declared as he entered
the common room and immediately flopped down on the closest piece of
furniture. “I never knew that touring
an old prison would be so tiring.”
“We tour all over the country and you’re tired
after touring an itty bitty prison?” Justin stared at him. “How is that even possible?”
Joey responded by sticking his tongue out at him
and making a face.
“This is Joey we’re talking about.” Chris
grinned. “I’d be surprised if he could
make it to the concert tonight.”
“Fine,” Joey huffed. “Apparently it’s ‘pick on Joey’ day. Have the rest of you signed up yet?”
Stacy wrapped a comforting arm around Joey’s
shoulders and looked at Chris and Justin.
“You two just shut up and leave him alone. Everyone is entitled to be tired once in a while.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t be tired if he hadn’t been out
clubbing until the ass-crack of dawn this morning.” Justin pointed out.
Stacy walked over to Justin with a stern expression
on her pretty features. “Leave. Joey.
Alone.” She put her hands on her
hips. “Besides, you’re one to
talk. You can whine about being tired
with the best of them. You don’t even
have to be tired to whine.”
The rest of the guys burst into laughter. It wasn’t often that they had the treat of
seeing Justin put in his place.
“Very well said, Stace.” Lance winked at her.
“Yeah so anyway,” Joey changed the subject. “About tomorrow night… am I the only one
going stag?”
“I’m kind of going alone,” Laurie told him. “I’m tagging along with Chris and
Michelle. I’m playing the third wheel.”
“Don’t believe her, she’s the final part of our
threesome.” Chris joked.
“Oh really?” JC raised an eyebrow and looked at
Laurie. “How come I haven’t heard of
this before now?”
“Because you’re not part of the Fu Crew.” Michelle
laughed. “I’m sure Chris is kidding.”
“That’s what I want
you to think.” Chris mumbled under his breath.
“He’d better be kidding.” JC growled playfully.
“Ok, yeah umm… too much information.” Lance held up
his hands and started to slowly back away from the group.
“Why don’t you go with me instead of that old
pervert?” Joey suggested.
“So she can go with the younger pervert?” Justin
laughed.
“Hang on a second Joey, how come you’re not going
with Denise?” Hannah asked.
“Oh um,” Joey lowered his head and toed the carpet
with his foot. “She’s really sick, she
doesn’t think she’s going to be able to make it out.”
“I’m sorry Joey.” Laurie walked over to him and
hugged him. “I know you were looking
forward to seeing her.”
“So you’ll go with me?” He asked hopefully.
“Of course I will,” she smiled.
“Thanks.” He grinned. “Although you’ll probably want to spend time with C tomorrow
after he has that operation.”
JC threw a perplexed look in Joey’s direction. “What are you talking about? I’m not having an operation.”
“Oh… I heard you were having an appendage
permanently removed tomorrow night after the party.”
JC looked around at the others. “Does anyone have any idea what Joey is babbling about?”
“Come on C,” Joey looked around nervously. “We all know that you’re giving the evil
shrew the boot tomorrow night.”
Soft chuckles filled the room and JC sighed. “Do I even want to know how everyone found
out?”
“Lance told me,” Hannah volunteered softly, not
wanting to endure JC’s wrath.
“Yeah and um… Hannah and Laurie told me.” Michelle
added.
JC ran his hand over his face. “And you told Chris…”
“Who told me…” Justin continued.
“Which means that I was last on the gossip train.”
Joey grinned.
“Can’t anyone keep a secret around here?” JC
groaned.
“Hey, I didn’t tell anyone!” Joey protested.
“You didn’t have anyone left to tell,” Justin
snickered.
“Fine, so you all know that I’m telling Alexandria
that I want a divorce tomorrow night.” JC paused when Joey opened his
mouth. “And yes, you can take Laurie as
your date tomorrow night, just don’t… touch her… or anything.”
“You mean like this?” Joey reached out in front of
him and pretended that he was going to grab Laurie. She shrieked and hid behind JC.
“Exactly like that.”
**********
(The Next Evening)
It was the night of the CD release party for
Celebrity and everyone was there, Laurie noticed. Including Alexandria. It
had been eight days since she had asked Craig for a divorce and it had been
seven days since JC had promised to ask Alexandria for one. He promised Laurie he would do it tonight –
which made it even more difficult to watch as Alexandria draped herself over
him.
“I swear,” Laurie muttered under her breath, but
loud enough for Michelle to hear. “I’m
going to install an alarm on him that says ‘Step AWAY from the Chasez’ every
time she touches him.
Michelle laughed sympathetically. By this time tomorrow, she knew Laurie would
be with JC and their only remaining problem would be waiting six months for
their divorces to become final.
Laurie’s eyes scanned the room before she looked back at Michelle.
“I really appreciate that you let me stay at your
place for a while until I can find a place of my own. Craig had offered the use of the house since he’s never home… but
I just didn’t feel right accepting it.”
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to,”
she smiled kindly. “Besides, it’s only
a matter of time before you move in with JC.”
Laurie lowered her head shyly. “I don’t think that
will happen for a while. I don’t know
if either of us are ready for that yet.”
She looked over at JC and Alexandria again. JC looked like he was trying to escape her grasp. “How do you think she’ll take it?”
“Alexandria?” Michelle pondered the question for a
moment before replying. “I don’t think
she’ll go quietly, that’s for sure. I
have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of yelling and screaming tonight. I’m glad my room isn’t next to theirs.” She looked at Laurie inquisitively. “Is JC sleeping in your room tonight after
he tells her?”
“I don’t know, we really haven’t had a chance to
talk since she arrived.”
“I’d assume he would sleep in your room – that is
if you two do much sleeping,” Michelle grinned and continued. “I just can’t see JC sleeping in the room
with her after telling her that he wants a divorce.”
“I have to get him alone to find out.” She stared
at him longingly. “And I don’t think
that’s going to happen anytime soon with the way she’s hanging off him. I see what Joey meant about having that
appendage removed.”
Michelle burst into laughter and drew strange
stares from several partygoers.
“I hope Joey and Chris get back with our drinks
soon,” Laurie mused. “It feels like
they’ve been gone forever.”
“That’s right I forgot, you haven’t been to one of
these. They’ll be gone for at least
another ten minutes.”
“What do you mean?”
“When it’s their party – especially for a new CD –
everyone has to stop them and congratulate them. No matter where they are.” Michelle explained.
“That must get boring after a while.”
“I’m sure it does.”
It was almost half an hour later when Chris and
Joey finally returned with the drinks.
Joey drank a mouthful of Laurie’s strawberry daiquiri before placing it
down in front of her. When he sat down,
he rested his arm on her shoulders.
“Did you miss me baby?” He grinned.
“Not in the least,” she quipped and took a sip from
the glass. “But thank you for the
drink.”
“I get no respect,” Joey muttered and swallowed
some of his beer.
Michelle looked over at Joey. “You know if JC sees you with your arm
around his woman he’s going to hurt you.”
“Let him do his worst.” Joey laughed amiably. “I could snap him in half if I had to.”
Chris leaned forward. “Care to put that theory to the test?”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s on his way over to the table.” Chris nodded
in JC’s direction.
Laurie, Chris and Michelle sniggered when Joey
moved his arm from Laurie’s shoulders like he had been burned. Joey thanked his lucky stars that JC didn’t
seem to notice his indiscretion.
“I need to borrow Laurie,” JC said. His hand was under the table caressing
Laurie’s thigh as he spoke.
“Be my guest,” Joey told him. “She’s all yours.”
Michelle looked around. “Where’s Alexandria?”
“Bathroom.
If she comes up to you and asks where I am, just say you don’t know.” He
instructed. “All of you.”
“Not a problem, have fun.” Joey winked as JC helped
Laurie out of the booth and guided her out the back door that led to the
garden.
Michelle watched them leave and smiled. “I’m so happy for them, I can’t wait until…”
“Shh,” Chris hissed. “Alexandria’s on her way over.”
“Hi Dria.” Joey gave her his most charming
smile. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“Like you care,” she snapped. “Where did JC go?”
The three of them looked at each other before Chris
answered. “Last time I saw him he was
heading upstairs to the VIP room to talk to Johnny.”
“No, I think he said something about going to the
bar to get a drink.” Joey told her.
“You two must be smoking something because I saw
him go downstairs to check out the mixing boards.” Michelle added.
Alexandria groaned with anger. “Never mind, I’ll just go find him myself.”
“Now you watch,” Chris leaned in so he could be
heard without yelling. “She’ll check
all those places and by the time she realizes that we were lying, C will be
back inside.”
“Stupid bitch.” Joey grinned. “That was fun, but I’m hitting the dance
floor now that I’ve lost my date.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage to find another one,”
Michelle teased.
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” He winked, grabbed
his beer and walked down the few stairs that led to the heart of the party.
**********
“It’s gorgeous out here,” Laurie commented as they
walked through the garden to a more secluded area. “There’s a nice breeze to take away some of the heat from today.”
“Trust me,” JC said and led her behind a wall of
ivy. “Things are going to get very hot between you and I in a few
hours. I’ll be a free man… and I’ll be
free to love you and only you.”
“So what do you plan on doing with me right now?”
She purred seductively and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Just spending a few moments alone with you,” he
murmured and trailed moist kisses down her throat. He pressed his lower body against hers, his body making promises
of what was to come later that evening.
“Josh,” she moaned.
His lips crashed down upon hers, making every
rational thought fly out of her head.
His tongue probed insistently at her lips, demanding access to the
warmth of her mouth. After kissing her
passionately for several minutes, he pulled back leaving her lips bruised and
swollen from the heat of the kiss they shared.
“Wow,” she said breathlessly.
“I also wanted to mention,” he kissed her lightly
again. “That I’m taking Alexandria back
to the hotel in the next few minutes.
I’m going to find her once I get back inside and we’re going to
leave. Give me about an hour to talk to
her – I’ll meet you in your room when you get back.”
“I love you,” she murmured. She felt elated. It was time. It was
really going to happen.
“I love you more.” He whispered and kissed the tip
of her nose. “I’ll see you in a little
while… and I’ll be all yours.”
**********
JC ran over what he was going to say to Alexandria
in his head on the way back to the hotel.
He looked over at her a few times during the short trip because she was
being unusually quiet. As much as he
knew he wanted this divorce, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about her
reaction.
Once inside the hotel, the first thing JC did was
rip his tie off and undo the top buttons on his shirt. He sat down on the bed and waited while
Alexandria used the bathroom and removed most of her make-up. When she finally emerged, she sat down
beside him.
“Alexandria,” he began. “I think we need to talk.”
“You’re right,” she agreed with a sigh. “But let me go first.”