The tour continued and Alanna found herself looking forward to her short performance on the stage each night. The stage was a place where she found she could let herself go. She no longer worried about people's reactions, although thankfully she was getting a good response from the fans.
Today was Alanna's first full day off. On previous days off they had either been travelling between venues, rehearsing or she had met up with Lance to discuss schedules or what he planned on doing next with her.
It was now 10 am and she was relaxing in bed. It felt so good not to be woken up with the usual wake-up call. She had no idea what she was going to do that day; she would be quite content to lie there without a care in the world. A knock on the hotel room door startled her. Thinking it would be Ashlyn she walked straight over and opened the door wide. When she saw who was standing there she slammed the door shut again. Looking down at herself she realised she was wearing an old t-shirt and shorts. Without even looking in the mirror she knew her hair was all over the place. Alanna suddenly realised what she had just done. She grabbed the robe provided by the hotel, smoothed her hair down and re-opened the door muttering an apology. "I'll be back in 5 minutes," she shouted as she ran to the bathroom.
Chris and JC looked at each other with a 'what was that all about?' look on their faces. Chris shrugged his shoulders and entered the room. JC followed him in, shutting the door behind him.
Clothes were scattered around the room. JC's eyes landed on some black skimpy underwear which had been placed on the armchair in the corner of the room.
"Sorry about that," said Alanna as she exited the bathroom. Alanna followed JC's gaze and she quickly grabbed the items and held them behind her back. JC began laughing and Alanna blushed as she realised how silly she was being. "So what are you guys doing here?"
"You better ask Chris, I was quite happy in bed. He woke me up and insisted that we come pay you a visit."
"Justin, Joey and Lance were busy. I got bored so I decided to come bug you."
"What about JC?"
"He's boring. I just woke him up cos I know how much he loves to sleep." Chris grinned triumphantly.
JC sighed, refraining from attacking the man in front of him. "See what I have to put up with?"
"Aww poor JC. Does he need a kiss to make it all better," Alanna cooed.
"Okay then."
Alanna's eyes shot open at the serious look on his face. Was he crazy? Alanna wished she'd kept her mouth shut, what was she going to do now?
"What are you waiting for Alanna?" smirked Chris.
Alanna shot him a panicked look before turning back to JC. His face suddenly creased as he broke out laughing, Chris following JC's lead. Alanna looked at Chris, he was rolling around her unmade bed in a fit of giggles, and then at JC, who had unshed tears glistening in his eyes.
"Shut up!" Alanna protested.
"Man, you're more gullible than Justin," Chris gasped.
Alanna rolled her eyes before walking over to the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.
JC and Chris immediately stopped laughing and ran over to the door. "Alanna...honey, we're sorry. We were just joking."
Alanna sat down on the bathroom floor with her back up against the door. She smiled as she heard the men defend themselves on the other side of the door. She was getting her own back but this also gave her a little time to get herself together. Of course JC was joking but she couldn't help wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips of his. Alanna shook her head. Even if by some miracle JC was interested she couldn't get into anything. It was too soon...
Alanna directed her attention back to the voices. "If it would make you feel any better you could kiss me, although you'd have to keep it secret from my girlfriend. I'm sure she'd understand though, the idea of kissing JC would probably repulse her too...OUCH damnit JC!"
Alanna tried to control her laughter. Oh if Chris only knew...
"Okay I'll shut up after I ask you this one last thing. Will you come bowling with me?"
"Bowling?" Alanna asked confused. Damn, she had forgotten the silent treatment.
"Yeah! I watched Grease 2 before I went to sleep last night and I kept dreaming about bowling. 'We're gonna scooore tonight," Chris sang.
Alanna swung the door open. "Is your girlfriend in town tonight?"
"No," replied a confused Chris.
"Then I don't think you're gonna be scoring tonight."
"Oh come on Alanna, you know you love me really.” Chris fluttered his eyelashes at her. "Oh come on, nobody can be mad at me! So what do you say? Oh and before you say no, I saw your dancers leave the hotel around 30 minutes ago.”
"Nice of them to invite me along," sneered Alanna. "Okay I'll go. Nothing better to do I suppose."
"Yay!" shouted Chris as he bounced around the room.
"Come on Alanna. Let's go baby-sit that thing over there."
~*~
The 3 singers had been assigned a lane and Alanna sat patiently waiting as JC punched their names into the computer. Chris however was not being so patient. Alanna watched as he picked up bowling balls and swung them around in a full circle. A few of the staff watched on nervously.
Next to Alanna sat her bodyguard, Alex and one of the ‘N SYNC security team. Neither man had been too impressed with the idea of being dragged out of bed to go to a bowling alley. They had both declined the offer to join in the game.
"Hey everyone! Look at mah sexy shoes," shouted Chris. He stood with the legs of his cargo pants pulled up doing his own little improvised dance on the spot. Alanna winced as she saw the other customers in the alley turn around to stare. Luckily none of them recognised him as a member of ‘N SYNC. They just thought there was a fairly eccentric man in the building.
"Okay Chris, you're first up," JC announced.
"Woohoo!" Chris shouted as he grabbed a ball. Chris being Chris had to go and be different. He stood facing away from the lane and rolled the ball between his parted legs. Miraculously he got a strike.
"How did he do that?" muttered Alanna.
"Beats me. Personally I think it's luck. I mean there was wasn't an ounce of skill in that."
JC stood up to take his turn. Alanna couldn't help looking at his ass as he walked up to the lane.
"Alanna what would your mother say?"
"Huh?" Alanna said turning to Chris.
"I see you checking out JC's butt. Tsk tsk."
“I did NOT," Alanna fired back at him.
"Don't worry I won't tell. I mean I kept that secret about Justin kissing Ashlyn."
"WHAT?"
"Oops!"
"Ashlyn kissed Justin?"
"Well actually Justin kissed Ashlyn but from where I was standing she looked like she was responding pretty well."
"When did this happen?"
"A couple of days ago when you and Lance went out on that business dinner. I should add though that they claim it was all an act to get some guy to stop bothering Ashlyn. Not sure if I believe it though."
"I'm gonna kill her!"
"Kill who?" asked JC as he returned to sit down.
"It doesn't matter. You done already?"
"Yup only knocked 8 down," JC sighed.
"Well it's better than I'll do. I forgot to warn you guys how much I suck at this game. Ashlyn says she's surprised I don't break the lane the way I throw the ball." Alanna stepped up to the line and threw the ball. JC and Chris grimaced as the ball slammed into the lane with a loud bang. There was no rolling of the ball, just a plain throw up in the air. Alanna managed to produce 2 gutter balls. "Guess nothing changes."
~*~
Several turns later Alanna was still not doing much better.
"I'm telling you Alanna, you gotta stick your ass out," shouted Chris as Alanna once again stood to take her turn.
"Is that for my benefit or yours?" she shot back, smiling at Chris. 'Wow that was a very Ashlyn response'.
"Nah it's for JC's benefit," Chris shouted back. "I figured seeing as you already checked his out the least he could do was return the favor."
If Alanna could have curled up and hidden at that moment she would have. Never again would she try out the smart comebacks.
The bodyguards burst out laughing at the embarrassed girl. It was the first smile they had cracked all day.
Alanna could not bear to look at JC. The next thing she knew he was standing in front of her. He smiled down at her flushed face. "Here let me help."
JC turned her around and placed his large hands on her hips. He removed one hand and placed it over her own which held the ball. "Now bend your knees and roll the ball," he whispered into her ear.
Alanna shuddered as she felt JC's warm breath on the back of her sensitive neck. Alanna followed JC's instructions as he helped guide her hand. She watched as the ball rolled down the centre of the lane but all she could hear was JCs breathing behind her.
"You did it!" Alanna jumped at the sound of the voice. The owner of it turned her around and brought her into a hug. The moment didn't last long. JC pulled back and she looked into his smiling face. "You got a strike," he said as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
He was so close. "I couldn't have done it without you," she whispered. Alanna couldn't stand it any longer. "Erm...I think it's Chris’ turn."
"So it is," said JC as he turned back to the seating area.
Alanna walked past Chris on her way to sit down.. If looks could kill.
"Alanna and JC sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S...oomph." Chris clutched his stomach. "Hey!"
"CHRIS! SHUT UP!"
~*~
The remainder of the game saw a vast improvement in Alanna. She didn't know if it was JC's little "lesson" which had helped or the fact that she had envisioned the ball as Chris's head.
Now they were approaching their hotel rooms.
"Thank you for inviting me guys, I had fun." They had just arrived at Alanna's room.
"No problem," smiled JC.
"Yeah you RAWK," enthused Chris.
Alanna wanted to hug and strangle him at the same time. She refrained from doing either though, bidding farewell to them before entering her room.
"So what do you think of Alanna?" Chris looked at JC as they carried on down the hallway towards their rooms.
"She's cool."
"Cool...that's it?"
"What do you want me to say Chris?"
"I don't know. I just didn't think you held girls you just thought were "cool" like that."
"Chris don't start. I thought you guys had stopped all this pressuring me to date crap. Alanna is a nice girl but I only recently broke up with Taylor and I don't wanna date her or ANYONE. Got that?" cried JC as he stalked ahead of Chris to his room.
"Whatever," Chris mumbled as he slowly followed him.
Chapter 8
Chapter Index
Main Page