(End of May)
The album was on the market and was breaking records everywhere; soundscan, billboard, and *NSYNC even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. After all that success and progress, the guys were still keeping it real by holding a charity concert in Chicago at the prestigious Navy Pier.
Jen had left Tampa shortly after the show in April; her finals were over and it was summer time, meaning time to go back home. She hadn’t seen Justin in over a month and had been looking forward to the charity concert for weeks. She dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a green sweater; she knew how the breeze off the lake got and prepared herself.
The trip into the city would have been awful if she hadn’t caught an earlier train down. The concert was scheduled to begin at 7:00pm and run until 8:30pm. Jen found herself roaming the pier at 4:00pm, stopping by all the stands. She had a cup of hot chocolate and a pretzel as she dawdled up and down the pier, looking out onto the lake. She spotted a bench and walked over to it to sit down while propping her legs up onto the railing in front of her, continuing to gaze out into Lake Michigan.
To think that at this time last year, if someone had said that I would be romantically involved with my best friend I would have laughed in their faces. Funny how things change and evolve.
Jen sipped her hot cocoa and glanced at her watch. It was now 6:00pm, and she knew the guys would have to be warming up by now. She slowly stood and stretched, taking a deep calming breath. She was beyond excited to see the guys, the anticipation was unnerving. She and Justin had left on great terms, they were happy, and their phone conversations were great, but she missed him in the worst way. She recalled all the nights she spent in her room crying over the fact she couldn’t hug him or see his face. At that thought, she quickly tossed her styrofoam cup into the garbage can and made her way over to the stage, weaving in and out of the crowds of screaming girls.
”Hey, you’re Jen! Justin’s best friend!” some girl yelled, recognizing her. Jen stopped and turned around trying to find out who had said it.
”Um, hi. Do I know you?” she asked.
”Can I take your picture? Please??” the girl questioned, holding up her camera. Jen smiled and the girl snapped a quick picture. “Thanks!”
Jen raised her hand and waved, then looked down at her watch. “6:30, and I’m not even close to the stage yet. They are going to go on without me talking to them beforehand,” she whispered to herself as she slowly continued towards the stage, which looked to be miles away.
”Ok where is she?” Justin asked, pacing the makeshift dressing room.
”Most likely out in the crowd, have you seen it?” Lance answered, not looking up from his magazine.
”She said she was going to be here early, 4:00pm. That girl is going to get it when I see her.”
”Easy there J we don’t want to hear about your sex life with Jen…she’s like a sister to us ya know!” Joey chimed in, walking by Justin and rubbing his shoulders.
”You are one sick dude…but that does give me some ideas…”
A collective groan sounded throughout the room, and the rest of the guys could practically see the horns growing out of Justin’s head.
”Down boy, you prolly wont see her till after the show,” JC said as he adjusted the sleeve of his shirt.
”Yeah right, she’ll make sure she’s where she’s supposed to be so I can see her DURING the show, or I will send Mike or Lonnie out to get her.”
”Send out our bodyguards to guard her body?” Chris said, then smiled. “Don’t YOU want to be the one to guard her body?”
Both Joey and Lance smacked him with pillows from the couch. “Don’t get him started again dude,” Lance whispered.
Justin just smiled and shook his head. “I wanna do more than that…” he began to say as Joey clamped his hand over Justin’s mouth.
”Time to get to the stage!” he announced as the rest of them got up and started to trek out to get ready to begin.
”Thanks Jax, those girls out there are totally bonkers,” Jen said, hugging the larger man. He had spotted her in the crowd trying to push her way forward against the group of younger kids and she was getting nowhere. He had contacted Lonnie who had just laughed and sent Jax into the crowd to rescue her. Jen’s eyes lit up when she had seen the big man push through the girls, as they all stopped and just stared. He had quickly grabbed Jen’s arm and helped her up to the stage.
”No problem, you looked like you were never going to make it here.”
”Felt like it too.”
The lights turned on around the stage and the crowd started to scream. Jen smiled once more at Jax and turned towards the stage, waiting for the guys to come out and sing their new songs. Jen knew this show wasn’t as high maintenance as the tour was going to be; it was just a preview of the bigger things to come.
Justin had given her an advanced copy of the album and she listened to it non-stop, drowning herself in the sounds of their voices. She read the sleeve cover to cover, and smiled at the inside jokes and the thank you each guy had given her. She tried to imagine what all of the fans thought, unable to decode the special messages each of them had written. She shook herself out of her thoughts as some of the pyrotechnics went off and the guys walked on the stage in a cloud of smoke.
The show was incredible, and Jen watched the whole time in awe at how the guys moved and sang the new songs with an intense passion. They had thrown in a lot of the older hits, which the fans had responded to in delight. The show flew by, and before she knew what had happened, the guys had just finished “Bye Bye Bye”. The smoke went off again and they disappeared through the curtains backstage.
Jen turned to the audience and watched their reactions. The girls always had the same look on their faces; they were depressed the show was over because they had waited so long for it, yet they were sated because they had just seen their group live on stage. She loved every girl out in the audience, for they made Justin live his dream everyday and she wished she could thank them all personally for it. She knew Justin wished he could too.
”Excuse me, miss. Follow me.”
Jen shook herself out of her daze and noticed the voice coming from behind her. “Jax, its me, Jen, remember? You saved me from the crowd, you love me,” Jen said, her back still turned.
”No, this way.”
Jen crinkled her eyebrows and slowly turned around, still unable to recognize the voice. She came face to face with an unfamiliar looking man and cocked her head to the side.
”Um, no. Who are you? No press is allowed back here after the show.”
The man reached forward and grabbed her arm. “Shows over, you need to leave.”
Jen jerked her arm back quickly and then took a step back. “Excuse YOU, but I know people who will make your life a living HELL if they find out you are bothering me,” she said in a bitchy tone.
”Really? You are right JJ, we would kick someone’s ass.”
Jen’s jaw dropped and she quickly looked the man up and down, taking in his outfit and appearance.
Then she began to laugh.
”Justin? What the hell-“
He quickly reached over and covered her mouth with his hand. “Shhh! Don’t blow my cover. Come on, I have something to show you.”
He grabbed her hand and led her off the stage and out onto the pier, where they started to walk down the pier casually, both of them smiling.
”I never really get to hold your hand in public, J,” Jen whispered, leaning over and speaking softly into his ear. Justin shivered a bit and stopped walking.
”And we don’t get to do this,” he whispered back and pulled her to him for a gentle kiss. Jen sighed on his lips and gently brushed her fingers down his cheeks. He pulled away shortly and smiled widely on her lips. “I have been waiting so long to do that,” he said, and opened his eyes slowly.
Jen nodded and smiled back. “Me too, me too.” They stood there for a few more seconds, wrapped up in each other. Justin was the first to pull back as he continued their journey down the pier to their destination.
Justin stopped in front of the “Spirit of Chicago”, one of the biggest boats docked. Jen stood there wondering what was going on, until Justin looked at her with that glimmer in his eyes. They boarded the boat and Jen looked around, wondering how Justin was going to be able to himself amongst the 200 people that were going to be on it. She assumed they were the first to board because of his status, but when the boat started moving, realization hit her.
He rented out the boat for just the two of them.
Justin watched Jen look around in awe, and could not help but feel proud of himself. Catching Jen off guard was something most people could not do often. He looked her up and down, just taking in her presence.
It has been TOO long since I’ve seen this woman in front of me…
He walked up to her and grabbed her hand once again and led her out to the deck of the upper level as the boat continued its journey around the lake. Justin peeled off his disguise, which was a black wig covered with a hat and a trenchcoat, and sat them down on the nearest bench. He turned back to Jen and leaned against the railing next to her, letting the breeze run through his hair, which was now unbraided.
”Jen…” he started, looking over at her.
”Hmm?” she asked, her eyes closed with her face pointed up in the air, letting the cool air hit her face and the smell overcome her. Justin stared and smiled; she was at complete ease.
”Can we talk?”
Jen opened her eyes and looked at him. He was staring out into the lake; his eyes glassy and his body language spelled out complete relaxation. She placed her hand on top of his and he turned to look at her.
”Anytime J, you know it.”
He smiled and took a deep breath. “I am so glad to finally see you, it seems like it’s been forever. Leaving Tampa was so hard the night after the show, because I knew I wouldn’t see you until now. Before we were, well, before we were a couple, leaving was already a difficult thing for me to do, but now it’s even harder.”
Jen nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes as she stared into his blue ones which shone in the moonlight.
”The last month away from you was harder than ever, and we aren’t even on tour yet. What’s it going to be like when I wont see you for months? Jeez, summer is going to be rough enough with you up here in Chicago and me at home in Orlando. I guess we’ll be making lots of trips back and forth, maybe you can come down a few weekends when you are off work and stuff,” he continued, trying to rationalize and organize visits.
Jen smiled at his thoughtfulness and looked up at him like a little girl. “Hmm, did I neglect to mention that I have an internship this summer in a different state?” she asked, speaking quietly.
Justin stared down at her and shook his head back and forth slowly. “No…”
”Oh, nevermind then,” she said, playing it off and breaking eye contact. Justin’s hands quickly moved to her head and spun it back around to face him.
”Jennifer Ann…”
”Ok ok, you are looking at the newest intern for the Orlando Sentinel.”
A smile spread across Justin’s face slowly and before Jen knew it, he had picked her up in his arms and began spinning her around the deck.
”You’re amazing, you know that?”
”Hmmm, yeah, I already did,” Jen giggled out as Justin continued to spin her.
”Do you also know you are a sneaky, conniving…”
”gorgeous, beautiful…”
Justin placed her back on the ground and looked her up and down. “Incredibly hot…”
Jen smiled at him and blushed. “Ohh, I liked that one.”
I thought you might.”
”Are you feeding me a line Justin Randall Timberlake?”
”Me? Never!”
”Mmm Hmm, you are just saying that so I’ll make out with you.”
Justin grinned evilly and pulled her close. “Did it work?”
”Damn Straight,” Jen said and pressed her lips against his. She wrapped her arms up and around his broad shoulders as he leaned down a bit to get more leverage. She ran her hands from his shoulders up to the back of his head, pushing her fingers into his hair and pulling his head closer to hers. He welcomed the movement and complied, pressing his lips more firmly against hers and gripping her waist tightly. His hands roamed from her waist up to the small of her back, pressing her body up against his fully.
Jen was so wrapped up in what was going on, she barely felt him turn their bodies around and push her into the railing, pressing her against it hard.
Barely.
Her senses were in overdrive as she could feel all of the muscles in his chest and stomach pressed tightly against her body. He was close to losing all inhibitions when he heard the slight groan emitted from her mouth as he pulled his lips away briefly. She smiled on his mouth and gently pushed him back. They were both breathing heavily and Jen looked at his now messed up hair and twinkling eyes.
”What did I do to deserve you kiddo?”
”Kiddo? I am SO bigger than you,” he replied, eyes wide.
”That’s a good thing Jus, remember? Yeah KIDDO, I am older and wiser…”
”Don’t know about that last part…” he trailed off, glancing at her swollen lips and reddened cheeks. She made a face at him and he laughed it off and continued.
”So, what you did to deserve me, hmm…” he said, pulling her close once again.
”You were my friend the first day I moved in and you marched right into my driveway and challenged me to a game of basketball.”
”Haha, and I beat your ass too, Stin.”
”Did not.”
”Ok selective memory…”
”Yeah, and I selectively remember you losing.”
Jen rolled her eyes and raised her hands to rest on his shoulders. “Back to the question at hand…”
”You were just YOU, Jen. Always. Never fake, always straightforward, always my best friend. I’m the one that got lucky here. What did I do to deserve you and this relationship?”
Jen smiled brightly. “You were that somebody, Stin. I think I always knew, deep down in my heart, that you were that somebody.”
