Chapter Eleven
Brooklyn rolled over in the bed, the sheets pulling tight around her stomach. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment before they closed again. Everything about the room was unfamiliar, but she wasn't going to let it bother her. Something was nagging at her, though, and she couldn't figure out what it was.
When it finally hit her, she sat up straight in bed and gasped, her hand raising to touch her lips softly. "Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit," she whispered to herself, before falling back against the pillows. The whole night came back to her in one rush and it was a little intimidating to say that very least.
She remembered being tricked into getting dressed up, she remembered meeting JC on the roof for dinner and dancing. She remembered being in his arms, feeling like that's where she should have been all along. She also remembered how the first kiss turned into a second, the second into a third, the third into a fourth...it was an endless chain, and she had problems remembering where it ended. That was the only thing about the night that was escaping her. "No, it was...seven, wasn't it?" she asked herself before rolling over and staring at the sun that was coming in the window.
Her arm moved from under the sheets and she looked at her watch. Ten in the morning. She could already hear JC walking around. Brooklyn didn't have to try hard to hear that. She could pick up anything that he was doing. The television was on, and she could hear the clang of a spoon against a bowl, meaning that he was sitting there, eating cereal. The sound of a coffee mug hitting the coffee table a little harder than he wanted, and a soft curse, meaning that he hoped he hadn't woken her up.
Did it matter? She was already up, and that was the problem. She had been enjoying her dream. Who wouldn't, if the star was herself with JC Chasez. Then she had woken up and had reality thrown straight back into her face.
It took a big effort to throw the covers off of her and place her bare feet on the floor, yawning as she stretched her back. She could hear the volume on the television turn down slightly, and she felt like saying, "Yes, JC, I'm awake," but was content with just smiling. Her hands pulled her black, stomach baring tank top down and reached for the robe that she had tossed across the foot of the bed the night before, when she had gotten ready for bed. The night that they had...but don't think about that, Brooke, she warned herself. If you think about that this early, you're bound to get yourself into trouble. Just see what he does about it, and then follow his lead, no matter what it is.
She stopped long enough to pull on a pair of white socks, pushing the material down around her ankles before she yawned again, heading to the door. Opening it, she squeezed through and rubbed her eyes when the sunlight hit them directly. It had been so easy to talk to herself in the bedroom, but the moment she stepped into the real world, all she could come out with was an "uh" as she walked towards the kitchen, pouring herself a mug of coffee.
When that was done, she walked into the living room and threw herself on the couch, not too close, not too far from him, staring at the television blankly as she sipped her coffee. "Nice to know that you're so comfortable so quickly," he said in a teasing tone.
"Uh huh," she said, still staring at the screen. Only when a commercial came on, did she move. All that was, too, was reaching to put her mug down beside his before stretching her arms above her head one last time. Finally, her back cracked, like she had wanted before. "That is so better now," she said distractedly, before turning to look at him.
She should have just said, "JC, I'm going to make one of the biggest mistakes of the day right now by looking at you. Hope you don't mind when I start to blush. And yes, by the way, it IS your fault that I do that." She didn't say anything remotely close to that, because the look he was giving her was purely dangerous.
Looking like that should be illegal in the morning, she found out. It was that look that was going to make her continue with last night, if she wasn't too careful. "Good morning, by the way," she managed with a smile. Did the words sound too shaky? Maybe too quiet, and he hadn't heard her.
No, he heard her all right. She could tell by the way that he smiled sleepily at her. "Good morning to you, too, New York." His voice was still rough from sleep, and she had to fight not to close her eyes and sigh longingly. Damn it, when did she become a teenager in what she thought was love again? Brooklyn was twenty five, not sixteen again. This wasn't supposed to be happening. But it was, wasn't it? "You look liked you slept better than I did," he added, still smiling at her.
It would take too much of an effort to turn away, so what was the point? Besides, she wouldn't mind staring at him all the time. "Oh, not really. I had a little trouble falling asleep last night, but when I did, I was out like a light," she said, chuckling under her breath.
His head nodded slowly as he continued to look at her. "Yeah, I noticed. I...uh...checked on you last night. You were all curled up, and your head was practically under the covers. I wasn't sure that you were still breathing," he joked.
Yeah, that was a problem last night, wasn't it, she thought. Breathing AND thinking didn't come that easily the night before. Not that she really minded. "Well, I'm still alive, so that has to be good."
"Definitely." Were they going to move at all. Brooklyn didn't have the guts to move her eyes from his. Just when she opened her mouth to say something, the phone gave off a shrill ring, making both of them jump and laugh. It lessened the tension a little, but not much. JC reached behind his head without turning around to the small table that was hidden behind the couch. "Hello?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Just a sec. New York, it's for you. It's Mia," he said, waving the phone at her with a grin.
She took the phone and sucked in her breath quickly when their fingers brushed. "Thanks. Hey, Mia, what's up?" she asked.
The tired voice came back to her. "Oh, not much. I just woke up and called to see how you're doing, and how last night went." She chuckled and Brooklyn could hear her as she rolled over. That was strange, though, because Mia's bed didn't have any springs.
It hit her and her mouth dropped open. "Mia! Since when do you and my brother...oh, God. I don't want to think about that, but you're...you're...you're in my brother's bed! And you just woke up." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Great. My publicist and my brother are sleeping together. How could you do this to me?" she asked, teasing her.
Just as Brooklyn has said that her and her brother were sleeping together, JC had taken a sip of his coffee. The comment made him laugh, and Brooklyn rolled her eyes again when he started to choke. "Now I've got one fifth of a boy band trying to die on me. Hold on a sec, would you?" She dropped the phone in her lap and smacked him even harder. "It's called breathing, Chasez. Try it sometime, why don't you? I think I'll finish this call in the bedroom before you actually do pass away. That's the last thing that I need."
She took the phone and coffee with her into the guest room and sat down on the bed, bringing the phone back to her ear. "Okay, that's over with. Mia, are you trying to tell me that you knew about last night?"
The woman on the other end laughed delightfully. "Uh huh. Was it as incredible as I heard it was going to be? Besides, your brother wasn't man enough to dig around in your underwear drawer. Someone had to do it for him. I can just imagine young Justin's face when he opened up the envelope and your bra fell into his lap. That would have been a Kodak moment, without a doubt."
Brooklyn started to giggle. "I bet. It was wonderful, Mia. I'm going to kill them, but it was so sweet. You wouldn't believe everything that they did."
"I knew that they were setting you guys up for a date...well, a rooftop dinner, and as cute as that sounds, I want to know how they convinced you to do that. They didn't tell me because they thought that I would tell you. Bastards," she said good-naturedly before her voice trailed away. Brooklyn knew that she had turned away from the phone. "Thank you, sweetie. I'm talking to your sister right now."
Austin's voice was very silent but she could still hear it. "Damn, I'm out of here. I do not want to sit through a lecture from Brooke."
His sister, separated by a few states, sighed deeply. "I'm not going to give him a lecture, but it would have been nice to know that you two were getting it on, so that I would know when not to come in the house and catch you guys in the...yeah, that's someplace that I don't want to go." Laughing, she reached for her coffee. "Anyway, you want to know what they did to me?"
"Oh, hell yeah. Lay it on me."
"Well, I think I have everything figured out, but I might have a few things wrong. I'm going to talk to them and see if I can get all the plans from them, because this was completely ingenious. It started after my lunch date with Joey. He ran out of gas when we were on the freeway...that was part of the plan, there's no doubt about it. So, forty five minutes after he calls Lance for a tow truck-"
Mia interrupted her. "Wait, why didn't he just call for a tow truck?"
She waited to talk until she took a sip of her coffee and then picked up the conversation again. "He said that his battery was almost dead, but I never saw it, so I can't be too sure. Anyway, he called Lance, who in turn called a tow truck and a taxi for us. Of course, the taxi doesn't pick us up until we're at the body shop, because Joey decided that he also needed a tune up, which left us without a car."
"They're geniuses. Okay, keep going."
"Well, from there, we went to this really fancy hotel, where I was told that JC had left some things in a hotel room and, surprise, surprise, Joey couldn't get out of the taxi on his side. So, when I head up there, without a key of course, the door slams shut and locks. The bell hop was too brain dead to figure out which key actually opened the door, so I had to wait for a locksmith."
She started to laugh back in Tennessee. "I'm guessing that was part of the plan, too. They really are smart. I'd hate to see what they would do if they didn't like someone. It's scary enough to think that they like you and they did all this to you."
Brooklyn shook her head, even though Mia couldn't see. "Believe me, it was worth it. From there, I found the papers that I was supposed to pick up, but they were all blank. I was just heading into the bathroom when a bucket of milk dumped on my head. The classic bucket of water ontop of a door trick. So, of course, I had to take a shower, and all my luggage was in the taxi, which had taken off to JC's by then. I didn't have any clothes on me. I take my shower, go look in the closet, hoping that there's something, and there's the most beautiful dress hanging there with shoes and everything. Makeup and hair products under the sink, diamond jewelry in the safe...they covered everything.
"So, around eight, they finally let me out of the stupid room, and the same bell hop takes me up to the roof, where there's this gorgeous set up. All white. The table, mini Christmas lights everywhere, balloons, candles...it was so romantic."
Mia recognized the dreamy sound in Brooklyn's voice and started to laugh. "Looks like that hundred bucks I put down in Vegas is going to come in handy. Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Oh, yeah," she replied in the same tone.
Her friend was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what happened. All of a sudden, Brooklyn snapped out of it when she heard her brother yell, and Mia shout at him. "Stop being such a big baby. The coffee wasn't that hot. I just spilled coffee on your brother, so you better tell me that I have this right. You kissed him!" she squealed. She could hear her jumping up and down on the bed like a little kid.
Brooklyn felt her face color and she looked towards the mirror. Yup, it was bright red. "Well...only after he kissed me first," she told her in a low tone.
"Babe, spilling coffee on you was definitely worth it! They finally hooked up. Your little sister finally has a boyfriend that she deserves," Mia called as she was running out of Austin's bedroom back down to the kitchen to fill up her mug again. "I'm so happy for you, Brooke."
"Wait, wait. We're not together, Mia. It was just...it had nothing to do with anything like that. We're not dating, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. It's just a matter of...being caught up in the moment. It was such a romantic set up, and the guys were playing on that. We're only friends still. Just..."
"You still don't think that it's a good idea. Damn it, Brooke, you guys are perfect for each other." Mia sighed. "Look, your brother is complaining about third degree burns. I better go and check on him. I'll be sure to make him feel better. Call me sometime later this week. I'll be joining up on the tour in two weeks, anyway. Later, Brooke."
She smiled to herself. "Later, Mia." Hanging up, she put the phone down beside her and fell down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I can't hide from him forever," she whispered before pulling herself up and taking her coffee in hand, drinking it as she walked back into the living room. "Sorry about that. Mia's going a little crazy, I think. She just burned my brother."
"Burned? As in..."
"As in spilled a mug of coffee all over him. She said that he was complaining about third degree burns, so she had to go. I so cannot wait for her to join up with the tour again. My life will be so complete then," she said sarcastically, pulling one of her knees up to her chest as she looked towards the television. "What are you watching, anyway?"
He turned to look at her. Whenever he did, he couldn't keep a smile off his face. Her hair was all messed and tossed around, and she was wearing the black top and a pair of pajama bottoms with little sheep all over them, but it only made her look more real. He would have rather looked at her when she looked like that rather than looking at the press photos of her. "Oh, nothing really," he said, switching the channel again. "There's nothing on in the morning, anyway. The stations in Tennessee are way better than these," he added.
Reaching over, she took the remote from him and switched around for a moment before stopping on a rerun of Wheel Of Fortune. "I hate that. She always has the best wardrobe," she said, pointing to the screen at Vanna White. "She has such great clothes, and she always looks great. I mean, I wouldn't wear half of what she wears, but doesn't she look beautiful?"
"Eh, she's okay. It's mostly makeup anyway," he added. Come on, say it, his mind was telling him. He decided easily and started to say, "But...I'll get it," he added with a sigh when a knock came at his door. He got up, groaning as his back protested before opening up the door. Justin, fully awake, walked in a grinned brightly at Brooklyn as he snapped his gum.
"Morning, guys. Cute pants, by the way," he added, pointing to her pajama pants.
She raised her eyebrows in reply and gave him a bad look. "Don't make fun of the sheep, cutie. Mia would kick your ass. She gave me these," Brooklyn added, patting the seat beside her on the couch. Justin sat down and stretched his arms, yawning as he removed the sunglasses that were covering his eyes. "I'll go and get the box for you. I still can't believe you," she said, hitting him on the stomach as his arms were in the air. He grunted as she stood up and disappeared into her room.
As soon as she was gone, JC glared at his younger friend. "Just what did you think you were doing yesterday?" he asked him in a low voice.
Justin just grinned back. "Come off it, Jace. You enjoyed yourself, and you know it. I can tell. I'm sure that Brooke enjoyed herself, too." The sunglasses landed on the coffee table. "So, are you going to tell me what happened, or should I wait until I can ask her, because if I don't get information from you-"
"You won't get it from her, either. Believe me." He sat back down and turned down the volume on the television. "How did you guys do that so quickly, anyway?" he asked.
Rolling his eyes, Justin shook his head. "Weeks of planning, man. It took weeks to make sure that everything was right, and we had at least three backup plans if something didn't go right. I was just lucky that the two by four was still down the hall when we came up here. You don't hate me for it, do you?"
That was the moment that Brooklyn decided to make herself known, carrying the velvet box. "Of course I don't hate you, but I don't know about JC," she said with a laugh, handing him the box. As she bent down to kiss his cheek, she whispered in his ear, "You and I are going to have a very long talk, Justin," before she rubbed her hand over his curls.
"You're lucky that I didn't do my hair yet this morning. I have to run this over before they decide to make me pay late charges for an extra day before I'm like ten minutes late. Besides, some rich chick wants this tonight for some fund-raiser. I'll leave you guys alone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he shouted to them as he let himself out.
"There's nothing that you wouldn't do," JC countered before the door shut. "I always said that you were going to be the death of me, but you've been replaced by him," he said, pointing to the door.
She smiled, turning towards him. "His heart is in the right place. Don't give him grief for doing something so nice. You have some amazing friends."
His head nodded slowly as he stared at her again. "Yeah, I do," he said softly. And he wanted the friend that was staring back at him to be more than a friend. He just didn't know how to go about it. That's what was killing him.
She smiled across the small table at Chris as she played with the spoon beside her, laying on the napkin. "I owe you quite a bit, I think," she said, chuckling under her breath. The two had agreed to meet each other for coffee at the small, dark coffee house that they most likely wouldn't have been recognized at. Brooklyn was going around without security, but there was no mistaking the large man that sat a table away from Chris, reading a newspaper. "I still can't believe that you did all that. You had everything planned down to the smallest detail, didn't you?"
"Believe me, when I want to do something, I make sure that I do it right." He smiled back, watching as she finally put down the spoon and took a sip of the mocha that was placed in front of her. When she put the glass mug back down, her finger dipped inside and she pulled it back out, covered with foam, which she sucked off eagerly. That was her favorite part of getting a mocha, and they had made hers perfectly.
"I bet. It was gorgeous up there. I would have loved to have a camera with me, because it would have been worth the pictures, but I'll never forget that as long as I live. I can't believe that you actually did that. We haven't known each other that long, yet you're willing to spend so much money just so that JC and I could have some time to ourselves?"
His head shook slowly. "We didn't do it so that you would have some time alone. Sure, that was part of it, but the two of you have never really been on a date. We figured that it was the best way to go, because it's obvious that you're falling for each other, but neither of you have the guts to ask the other one out. We just got rid of the uncomfortable factor of that." His eyes looked around the small coffee house nervously for a moment when a group of teenagers walked in, laughing, but relaxed when they sat down in the front of the area rather than in the back, where they were. "Are you going to tell me what happened, or am I supposed to guess?"
Her hands went back to the spoon, spinning it between her fingers. Chris reached over and took it away from her so that she couldn't play with it anymore. She laughed and leaned back. "Let me see your hands. I have a feeling that you've been crossing your fingers quite a bit in the past few weeks," she added, grinning at him. With a wink, he raised his hands so that she could see. "Crossing your eyes, legs, and toes do not count, by the way," she added with a giggle at his dismayed look.
"You're far too smart for me. How do you always manage to ruin stuff for me?"
Her shoulders moved in a slight shrug. "Don't know. It just comes naturally to me." She paused for a moment before smiling nervously. "I don't know why, but you're the only person that I feel comfortable with telling this to. I mean, I told Mia this morning, but she figured out quite a bit on her own."
Chris reached for the deck of cards that were sitting beside them. "Want another game when we talk? You look like you need something to do. You're a little...jittery. Did you have too much coffee this morning?"
"No, this is only my second cup. Sure, we'll cut for first deal." She was silent as he shuffled the cards and she reached for the cribbage board, putting the pegs back in. "I still can't believe that you beat me in our first game."
He laughed softly, trying not to attract any attention. He knew that going out with Brooklyn in an area where teenagers ran rampant was a chance, but that was one of the few places he knew about where they could talk and no one would interrupt them. After they cut, and he got the first crib, he dealt her six cards and waited until she shuffled them around to speak again. "So, are you going to tell me?"
She smiled over her hand. "Give me a second. I'm having a dilemma here. I really don't want to give you more points in your crib like last time. That was my mistake, I think," she added, pulling out two cards and tossing them face down across the board to where his two were waiting for hers. "What do you want to know?"
"I feel like an expectant father who just sent his little girl to her prom. You guys didn't follow up on the prom tradition, did you? Not that it's any of my business, but it's just kind of weird to think about that," he said with a twisted expression. Tell me anything that you want. I'll interrupt if I want to know something specific."
"Sure. Three," she added, throwing down a card. "Well...I'm not sure where to start. What I want to know is how you managed to get a dress that was perfectly in my size. Normally, I have to try on thousands before I find one that actually fits. Designers always make up their own sizes," she added with a chuckle.
"Twelve. It wasn't that hard. I called Austin and got him to look at the size of your dress from the awards show. In case you missed it, it was the same designer. When Justin went to go and pick one out, we told him to get white, but I guess that's out for the season. Dark blue was the best choice, since we knew that it was your favorite color."
Her head nodded happily. "It was absolute gorgeous. I had a feeling that Austin had a hand in this. I didn't think that you guys knew what size I wear. Twenty two."
Chris grinned. "You almost walked into a run there, Brooke. Thirty one for two."
"Ugh, bite me. This is the last time that I play with you," she added, putting down another card.
"Sore loser?"
"No, I just like to win. And you get last card. Well, this sucks," she added, counting up the points in her hand. She moved her blue peg up eleven spaces and sat back, waiting for Chris to finish. "Everything was perfect last night. You're all amazing."
He smiled and passed her the rest of the cards, as she put them together and started to shuffle. "I wish we could have seen you in that dress, but we weren't going to hang around for your date. That would have been a little tacky, I think," he added as she dealt quickly. "Whoa, you're quick. I never noticed before. Did you used to work in Vegas or something?" he asked with a laugh.
"I wish. I hear that you make a lot of money doing that. By the way, who made the tape for us? I kept that one. I had to have some reminder of the night besides my memories. As soon as I get back to Tennessee, that's going in my hope chest."
"Oh, no way. You have one of those? I was going to get one for my sister before, but I didn't know if it was a good idea. I made the tape, thank you for asking. Yes, I am the best," he said, waving his hands in the arm like a boxer that just won his match. Brooklyn shook her head and rolled her eyes as they continued to play, not calling out the numbers anymore, but doing the math in their heads. "We know that you had dinner before anything, and then dessert, but what happened after that?" he asked.
Her face colored a little as she played with the corner of her last card before laying it on the table and taking the extra point for last card. "Uh...we danced."
From underneath the table, he kicked her foot lightly and grinned. "Which song?"
"Starting with Amazed and then to Your Everything. After that, I don't remember what song was after that." He didn't think it was possible, but she turned even brighter red. His smile got larger when he saw that. Whatever happened was blush inducing for her, which was always good.
"Uh huh and..." he prompted her.
Her eyes narrowed as she raised them to look at him. "You're an ass, you know that. You probably know exactly what happened. Did you plant a video camera somewhere around there to tape us?" she asked as the idea came into her head. It was a stupid question, but she wouldn't have put it past him. Chris loved having anything for blackmail material. She knew that all too well.
He frowned for a moment before snapping his fingers, disappointed. "Damn, I should have thought of that. That's a good idea, Brooke. Why do I always hear about these things AFTER everything's done."
"Because you're not smart enough to figure it out on your own?" she asked with a hopeful smile.
Unfortunately, he shook his head. "You're changing the subject. You know, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I know that you're a private person, but I'm just curious. Besides, if you can't trust your friends, who can you trust?" he added, sipping his coffee before the new hand was passed out.
She smirked. "Oh, I don't know if I trust you or not. I mean, I told you to stop what you were doing, and the moment that JC and I are together, you decide to continue with a plan that I want nothing to do with."
"You may not want to have anything to do with it, but that doesn't mean that Jace doesn't. How do you know that he wasn't the one that asked me to try and work on you? You don't know everything, Brooke. Weren't you ever taught to think before you speak?"
"Like you're one to tell me that. You and I are a lot alike, especially because you and I speak before we think. I thought you would have picked up on that by now. That's where most of my humor comes from. Speaking before thinking."
Laughing, he nodded with her assessment. "Yeah, that's true. A lot of times I think AFTER I speak, which isn't all that great, really. Especially with some other the things that come out of my mouth. Thankfully, it usually sounds funny so I don't really have to worry about that." He played around with the red backed cards in his hand for a moment, before looking back up at her. "Brooke, I just want you to know that even if I had thought about that video camera thing, I wouldn't have done it. That date was a moment of privacy for you guys, and you deserve privacy more than anyone in the world. The two of you are never left alone."
She raised her eyes from where she was staring a jack in the eye before she sighed. "You get used to the fact that you don't have any privacy. You know that after awhile, having the press in your face is so normal that you don't think twice about not making a comment and just brushing right past them. Sometimes, I think that they might see me as a total bitch when I do that, because I'm known for stopping and talking to them, but everyone has bad days. If I had a bad day, I really don't want to talk to a reporter about what I ate for dinner the night before." Her eyes lowered again. "I don't want to talk about the press, anyway. They always find something to attack me with. I'm surprised that more people don't believe it."
"Your fans and our fans believe the same thing," he said in an even quieter voice, in case someone was listening in on their conversation. He leaned across the table a little so that she could hear him better. "They believe that you and JC should be together. They believe the same thing that all of us believe, including the two of you."
"Would it be safe to say that I'm scared of that?" she asked, laughing nervously. "I shouldn't say that, but those feelings...most of the time, they're so strong, and that's what scares me. If I give into those feelings, I feel like I'm drowning or something, and I can't get my head back up to the surface. I love the feeling, but at the same time, I hate it. I'm still wondering if I'm ready for a relationship after what happened to me last time."
Chris shook his head sadly as he looked at her. "You can't blame yourself for something like that. Oh, I know that you've gotten this speech before, and you probably do blame yourself. There's nothing that no one can do to change that, but Brooke, you're strong enough to make it past that point and get on with your life. You've already started. When I first met you, you still had that nervous look, like you were a little puppy that had been kicked one too many times and was stuck in a crowd of people."
A smile curved her lips as she looked over at him. "You've read The Outsiders one too many times. That's basically how Ponyboy described Johnny."
"It's one of my favorite books. I hated it when we read it in school, but after we got out and I read it again, it was one of the best books ever written," he said with a laugh. "No, seriously, you still had that skittish thing about you. Now, you smile a hell of a lot more, you've relaxed a lot, and you look like a lot of weight has been taken off your shoulders."
"There's a reason for that," she said softly. She was remembering the letters and the engagement ring that had been sent to her. For awhile now, she had been ignoring them, because the person hadn't written again. It was probably over, and she didn't have to worry about it anymore. "I think part of the reason that I'm like this now is you guys. I couldn't believe how easily you accepted me, even though you guys barely knew me. Well, you didn't know me at all."
His head shook. "I knew you from the stories that I heard about you from JC and Lance. They always talked glowingly about you. It was like you were some high priestess that they put up on a pedestal. They never said one bad word about you, and in those stories, I got a little glimpse of what you were really like. After three months, it felt like I had known you for years. JC just would not shut up about you, no matter how much we bitched about it."
She laughed behind her hand, tapping the bottom of her cards on the table. "That's nice to know...I think." Laughing again, she finished off the rest of her mocha and pushed the mug away from her. "I think I'm going to go get a soda. Did you want anything?"
"Nah, I'm fine. Wait, you're taking your cards with you?" he asked incredulously as she tucked them into the back pocket of her jeans.
"Like I'd trust you not to look at them," she said with a chuckle, walking over to the front counter. Chris looked towards the bodyguard that was with him that day and noticed that as soon as Brooklyn had stood up, he kept his eyes on her, to make sure that she was all right. He shook his head and looked back down at his cards before laying them flat on the table. She came back, balancing a glass of ice, a can of soda, and a straw. Once everything was put on the table, she pulled out her cards and put them down as she opened the top of the can and poured half into the glass, sticking the straw inside. She took a small sip and sighed, putting the glass to the side for the moment.
It looked to him as if she was trying to work her way through something, and he didn't say anything, in case he interrupted her thoughts. She was chewing slightly on her bottom lip before she turned to look at him with a wondering expression. "He kissed me last night." When he started to choke, she sighed. "That's the second person that I've done that to today. This is going to be a new record for me if this keeps up."
One his breathing was under control, he stared at her. "You're pretty blunt when you want you be," he said with a smile, still coughing. "Wow, that was...that was unexpected, you could say."
She shot him a bad look. "You wanted to know. You said so yourself."
"Yeah, but I didn't want to find out that way." Shaking his head, he leaned back, the crib game forgotten about for the moment. "So, was it everything that you hoped it would be and all that jazz for your first kiss?
Brooklyn was close to throwing her hands up in the air, but the last thing she wanted to do was attract attention. "It wasn't our first kiss, Chris. Wait, you didn't know? He never told you, did he? Well, the only person that knew besides the two of us was Mia, unless you count the few hundred that were walking around the airport at the moment."
He was frozen in his seat for the moment. Slowly, he started to move again. "Wait, the few hundred in the airport? When did this happen, and how come the press didn't pick up on this."
"Because all my hair was tucked up underneath my ball cap and I was wearing sunglasses. He was disguised to, but no one would have recognized me with all the cuts and bruises I had all over my face, anyway," she said softly, running her finger around the rim of her glass before drawing on the straw again. "It happened after what Tim did to me, when he had to leave to go back on the tour. It was...the way that I think about it was that it happened because it was right after I lost the man that I loved, and I was lonely. Sounds bad, I know. There weren't any feelings behind it."
"Have you ever talked to JC about this?" he asked quietly. It was still a shock, what she told him.
Her head shook, her hair brushing against her cheek. "No, we've never mentioned it since then. I don't know why he hasn't, but I haven't only because I don't want to embarrass myself by saying something that doesn't matter."
"That's the problem. How do you know that it doesn't matter? You guys have never talked about it, and you say that there were no feelings behind it, but Brooke, you don't know how long JC has had these feelings towards you. Practically since the day that you guys met. There were feelings behind it on his end, and there probably were on your end, but they were so hidden by the feelings of what you went through that you don't realize you had those feelings. Don't assume anything. You really don't know anything until you ask him, but I have a feeling that you won't ask him about that."
"I can't. If everything that you just said is true, and I'm speaking hypothetically here, it would be a little harsh to hear that I didn't have any feelings that caused me to kiss him. Maybe you're right," she said after a moment of quiet deliberation. "Maybe I did have feelings towards him, but you're right. If I did, they were hidden. I don't know why I did that, but it was just...just this feeling that I needed to, you know? It's almost like I couldn't be sure until I did what I did, and it could have been wrong. It could have been right. I try not to over analyze things like that."
By that time, both of them had forgotten that they had been playing a card game. The cribbage board was just another decoration that sat between them at the table, like the dish of sugar packets. "I thought that it was a woman's job to do stuff like that. To think things over too much and make something out of nothing."
A smile finally appeared on her face. "I'm not like every other woman out there. Everyone tells me that."
"No, you're not, and that's what's so great about you. A lot of women try to fit a certain mold now, and change themselves so that they do, but you...you're original. Women like you are an endangered species. It's great to find someone like you nowadays. You can actually think for yourself."
Now, she laughed. It felt good to laugh after such serious conversation. "I'll take that as a compliment, but I don't know why."
"In my own twisted way, it was a compliment," he shot back. "Back to the topic at hand, though. What were your feelings about last night. What did you feel in your heart."
When she spoke, it was softly, and the dreamy tone entered her voice again. Chris grinned to himself when he heard it. "Last night, it wasn't what I felt in my heart. It's what I felt in my heart and soul. It was like everything was right with the world at that moment. Nothing could ruin it for me, really. It's one of those things where you can't find the words to describe what happened, yet you can think about it so clearly and know what you were feeling." He waited for her to go on. There was no way that he was going to interrupt her now. Brooklyn was on a roll, and he liked that. "There were so many emotions last night that they ran into one another, and it was hard to tell where one started and another ended. It was hard to tell what was what after awhile. I know that even before I went up to the roof, when I was sitting alone in my room, there was this feeling of...I'm not sure. Maybe giddiness, when I thought that it was JC that was going to see me the way that I was. I knew that he was going to see me like that, and for some reason, it made me excited. There was no one else that I wanted to see me at that time."
"When I was brought up on the roof and I saw him standing there, with his hands in his pockets, looking towards me...God, there was no way that I could stop myself from smiling. He looked so unbelievable right then, and I seriously thought that I had fallen in love at that moment. Nothing else mattered except the way that he was looking at me, and the way that he smiled, and the way that his eyes shone.
"When we were having dinner, I was so nervous. Everything that I had ever been taught about etiquette and manners flew out of my mind. Knowing that I was sitting across from him and all I had to do was raise my eyes a little to see him made me think that if anyone of your fans found out about it, I would be the most hated woman on the face of the Earth, and I was willing to take that. And then touched me hand, and I felt like the most lucky person in the world. To know that he took the time to raise his hand and pick up mine...that he wanted to touch me, it completely blew my mind.
"When I asked him if he would dance with me, I couldn't believe how idiotic I sounded. Then he said yes and led me away from the table. He put his arms around me and I felt completely surrounded by...what? Love, I think. There was this feeling of love that just radiated from him. I'm not saying that it was the love that two soul mates would have for one another. More like the love that someone could have for another person. A friend, someone that they were interested in...just another person. It reminds me of the story that my dad used to tell me when I was younger, about being surrounded by angel's wings and knowing that you belong right then and there.
"When he called me by my real name and not New York, it almost blew my mind. There was nothing like hearing my name come from his lips. It was that moment that I knew I was the only thing that he was paying attention to. He looked straight in my eyes when he said my name and it was like we were the only people in the world, and that's all that mattered. I knew that I couldn't look away if I wanted; nothing could make me look away from him.
"When he kissed me, it was like I had never been living before. Almost like I was just born. The ground could have opened up and swallowed me whole, but I still wouldn't have cared. I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. I couldn't remember my own name at that point. I had never felt anything like it in my whole life, and it was as if all the emotions possible in the world clashed together. Anger, hate, love, happiness...there wasn't just one emotion. It was all mixed together, and I couldn't have picked out on emotion if I wanted. There was no end to them, either. I don't know how they came around, or when they left. It was like they were all there, and mixture that they made. I had never felt anything remotely close to it before. I don't think I ever will. It was amazing."
It was a long speech, but Chris didn't mind sitting there and listening to it. He loved the way that her eyes gleamed with remembrance when she brought it all back, and the simple way that she brought her fingers up to her lips lightly, as if she could still feel the pressure of JC's lips against hers. "But you still don't know what to do."
Her head cleared and she looked over at him with a smile. "What if that's the only time that I feel something like that? It probably would be, you know. Everything was so strong...I think I've talked enough now. I've pretty well dominated this whole conversation." She reached for her drink. Her throat was dry after talking for so long, and she caught herself looking down at her fingers like she was afraid to look up and see her friend sitting across from her. She was almost afraid as to what he was going to say to her about it. The thing she was the most afraid of was to hear him tell her that it was probably nothing, and she should forget about it, even though, deep in her mind, Brooklyn knew that he would never say anything like that.
Chris sighed. "All I have to say is that JC is a very lucky man to have someone like you think about him that way."
"I don't know how I think about him. That's the problem. Yes, that kiss, the whole evening, invoked feelings in me that I didn't know where possible, but what does that mean?"
He smiled over at her. "That means that you're finding out what it's really like to fall in love. You might have been in love with Tim, sure, but not like this. You should hold onto that moment as long as you can, because most people aren't lucky enough to know what it's like to find that person. A lot of people think that the two of you are soul mates, and after what you just told me...it doesn't matter what JC could tell me about that night. I know in my heart that you two were meant for each other. You are the one that has to learn that now."
Her head shook and she looked down at the table again. She was surprised to find that she had been tearing her napkin into little pieces and balling them up, leaving them in a neat pile. It must have started when she started talking about the night before, she realized. It was embarrassing to think that she had done that unconsciously. It made her wonder where her mind had been at the moment. "What if I never discover that, though. What if I never learn that. There's that old phrase that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You can't teach me any new tricks."
"Brooke, you're not an old dog. That has to be the most ridiculous phrase that you've ever come up with. That's almost like saying 'curiosity killed the cat', because the person that says that is not a cat." He stopped to reach across the table and touched her hand lightly. "You're a twenty five year old woman that's just beginning to live. You have plenty of time to figure it out. And I know that you will, one day. It might take a little longer than everyone hopes, but you will, and when you do, it'll be like nothing that you've ever experienced before."
JC looked up expectedly when there was a knock on his door that afternoon. The only person he could think it would be was Brooklyn, since he had forgotten to give her a key to the lobby and his apartment, like he had planned. He got up slowly from the couch to open it and let her enter but when he swung open the door, Lance and Joey grinned at him. "Hello!" Joey said brightly, walking in without an invitation. "We thought that we would come and see what you're up to, since Brooke's out with Chris right now."
"Why didn't you go and bug Justin, then?" he asked, shutting the door and going to sit in the recliner again, turning off the television. He hadn't been paying attention to it, anyway, but he moved the novel that he had been reading to the table. He had a pretty good idea of what they were going to ask him.
It was Lance that answered his question, however, like he was trying to avoid the topic until after the usual banter they exchanged. "He's busy right now. He took his mom out for lunch. I swear, that kid is such a Momma’s boy."
Both Joey and JC gave him a funny look. "I don't think you should be one to talk," JC said, laughing. "You're the ultimate Momma’s boy. Look, I know why you're here, and you're just getting the usual 'how's the weather' talk before you hit it, so you might as well just go ahead and let me have it."
"Fine. Did you guys enjoy yourself last night?" Joey asked, getting up to go in the kitchen and pour himself a drink.
JC frowned and looked down at his hands. "Have you ever known me to kiss and tell?" he said automatically, his eyes widening when he thought about what he had just said. That had to be the biggest slip of the century. He was just glad that there wasn't a reporter or anyone else around other than his friends. The press would have had a field day if he had said that after mentioning Brooklyn's name. It would be a reporter's wet dream.
A clang came from the kitchen, and a can of soda rolled along the floor before it stopped when it hit the opposite wall. Lance started to laugh when it stopped and closed his eyes. "That was a smooth move."
"Thank you, I thought so myself," Joey said, bowing from the waist as he went to go get the can. "Uh...I wouldn't touch that one for a few hours until it calms down a little. You might want to warn Brooklyn about that," he added, snickering. Finally, they heard another can being opened, and the soda being poured into a glass. He came back and sat down. "You know, I think we should continue with this 'kiss and tell' subject."
A warning look came from their older friend. "Guys, it was a slip of the tongue. It's something that you say in that situation. It doesn't mean anything."
Two heads shook. "Maybe so," Lance said, "but when your eyes got as big as saucers, that usually means something." A smirk appeared on his face. "That means a hell of a lot. You might as well just tell us, or else we're going to have to make up something to tell each other. Besides, Brooke's probably spilling her guts to Chris right now."
"She wouldn't do that. Do we really have to touch on this right now? It's confusing enough as it is. I've been thinking about it ever since we got back, and I barely slept. I kept getting up to make sure that she was okay. I even checked to make sure that she was still breathing, for Christ's sake." JC was silent for a moment as his finger trailed along the arm of the recliner. "You know how I always told you guys that I never use the word 'love' about anyone, unless I'm completely, crazy, head over heels in love with them?"
Joey nodded quickly. "It takes you forever to say it. You always wanted to know that those feelings were absolutely returned."
His chest rose and fell with his sigh. "It's something that my mom taught me. The scary thing is...I KNOW that I'm completely, crazy, head over heels in love with New York. I knew all along, but it surfaced last night. I always told myself that I wasn't, and now I'm more than willing to admit it to myself."
"So, tell her. Tell Brooke how you feel," Lance urged.
JC shook his head slowly and wearily. "I may be ready to admit it to myself, but I'm not ready to admit it to her, because I'm sure that she doesn't feel the same way. This is the one time that I don't care if she doesn't feel the same way, but I just can't bring myself to say the words to her face and let her know how I actually feel. I'm not ashamed of how I feel. I would tell the world if I could, but I can't tell her. I could tell everyone but her. I'm not going to let myself be rejected by her."
Both of the guys groaned and dropped their heads in their hands. It looked like they were back to square one, all over again.
Chapter Twelve
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