An hour later they had fine tuned their equipment, had run through the vocals and the overall moves of the songs they were performing, and were waiting for approval to make a final run through. Lauren sat in a chair out in front of the stage and watched them carefully. They looked and sounded magnificent even though there was a lot less pep to their step today. The main one she watched was Chris and he seemed VERY stiff but he was also the one who was sore enough to have bags of ice on his hips all morning.
"Gotta love the guy."
Her eyes slid around the complex to the people who were seated above them watching the sound check and she spotted Miranda talking to a few of them. One thing was certain, Miranda Hill knew how to make contacts and she knew how to network. Her brain was in constant information retrieval mode and while it freaked her out sometimes, she understood that that was just how Miranda dealt with the world. It had certainly pushed her to become one of the best writers she had ever seen before.
Tom stood behind the guys as they did their final run through and watched over them like a father would. A very evil stepfather, but a father nonetheless. His eyes met hers and he smiled at her in a very greasy and disgusting way that made her bagel want to come back up. "Ugh why can't he be kidnapped by the asshole tribe and never be heard from again?"
"Now who would you be talking about so forcefully?"
She covered her face with both hands and wanted to cry when Mr. Timberlake sat down beside her. "I promise I don't normally talk that way."
He raised an eyebrow at her when she finally looked at him.
"Okay yes I do but I have a very good reason this time. Tom makes my skin crawl."
"I noticed that he has a strong dislike for you and Justin has mentioned that to me a few times. I wonder why he would dislike someone with such a sunny disposition and love of life like you have."
She giggled and pushed her hair out of her face. "We have never gotten along but lately he's worse. Then again, I'm worse so he really does have to raise his standards to reach my level of sarcasm and distaste."
They were both quiet for a few minutes while they watched the guys go through their routine for the last time.
"Did you sleep well last night Lauren?"
She felt the blush take over her whole body. "I um…I slept very well actually. I SLEPT all night long. Nothing but SLEEP for me."
"I don't really like the idea of my son coming into a girl's room and sleeping in her bed but I had to remind myself of what you two are like together. You two have always been extremely close and you have both always turned to each other in ways that even I can't understand. That doesn't matter though because the only two people that need to understand it…do. Just promise me that neither one of you will make any stupid or sudden decisions that could change the way you look at each other." He turned to look at her. "I don't know if Justin realizes how good he has it."
She nodded in understanding. "He knows how fortunate he is to be standing here with so many people loving and respecting his music and…"
"I'm not talking about that Lauren. I'm talking about the fact that he has a friend like you in his life and has always had that. His mother always says that you never know what you have until it's gone. I'm going to pray that you two don't have to lose one another to see how important you are to each other."
Rarely did her friendship with Justin get explored as much as it had in the last week or two but everything seemed to be hitting at once and she wasn't exactly sure why. All she knew was that his words touched her heart and she loved him even more for it. "I can't think of anything that would make me pull away from Justin, and I can't think of anything that would cause me to lose my faith in him. I'm in this for the long haul."
He put his arm around her and hugged her to him. "Take my words to heart and while you're doing that…think of the lecture that awaits you from your father when you get home."
She laughed against his shoulder and cringed. "It was innocent. I swear it was."
"You'd think us parents would be used to the idea that you guys are all grown up now, but fathers like to keep things straight so bear with us and don't lash your father too much with that tongue of yours." When she raised her shocked eyes to his he laughed. "Oh I remember the potency of that mouth of yours. I remember it all too well."
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before pulling back. "Yes sir."
When he got up and walked away she looked over and smiled at Justin who was watching her curiously. He gave her a concerned look but she waved at him and grinned to show that she had survived whatever his father might have dealt out. She could understand his father's concern and worry over the situation. Here he had a son that half of the world wanted to land and he was shacked up in a hotel room with a girl his age and sleeping in the same bed with her. Not only had they been together for most of the night, but they had retired to the same room together where all kinds of things could have happened. If she were a parent then she would have come to the same confused and disappointing conclusions.
She pulled out of her thoughts when someone sat down beside her again. "Mr. Timberlake you really don't have to worry. Justin and I are…" Her words ended when she saw Tom sitting next to her.
He raised an eyebrow and grinned but his eyes never left the guys. "Do continue."
"I don't remember asking you to sit next to me."
"I don't remember needing an invitation. Besides, this seat was empty and now it's not."
"Well excuse me if I don't strike up the band and hoot and holler over the fact that you have graced me with your presence. What do you want?"
He turned to look at her angry profile. "Who said that I want anything. My legs were tired and I wanted to sit down. Chairs are usually the furniture of choice for that activity."
Her head whipped around and she met his eyes head on. "There are about fifty chairs around here and some are closer to the stage than this. WHAT do you want? Why do you keep playing this game when you know that I win every time?"
"Do you now?"
"I'm a good fifty feet away from Justin so there's no room for you to bitch and complain. However, if you don't get a good fifty feet away from me then I'm going to have to start making some noise."
He took a deep breath and sighed. "Why do you hate me so much Lauren?"
Her mouth dropped open and she couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious? Are you seriously dumb enough to ask me THAT question in a serious manner? Wake up Tom and smell the dog crap world that you dwell in. I think the question to end all questions would be to ask YOU why you hate me and Justin so much. We've never done anything to you. Our friendship has never harmed you in any way and yet you have made it your mission to make us miserable."
"You think you get to me that much?"
"I think there's something that eats you alive inside every time you see the two of us and until the day you decide to get over it and be a human being…you'll be the same miserable asshole that you are known and adored for. Move out of my way before I forget that there are adults around and get REALLY nasty."
He grabbed her hand as she walked by and squeezed it tightly so she couldn't pull it away. "You're making a mistake in believing the way you do."
She rolled her eyes and yanked her hand out of his grasp. "Bite it Tom…and bite it hard."
He watched her walk away and grinned at her spunk. She was definitely a handful and that was something he truly admired about her. He wouldn't go so far as to say that he liked her or even liked that about her, but he had to admire the spunk that he saw in her. Justin certainly knew how to pick people who he could trust with his loyalty, and that was something he was going to take care of personally. If not for the sanctity of his job…then for himself.
He turned with a smile and looked back up at the stage. Justin was standing there with his hands on his hips glaring directly at him in challenge. The other guys were singing and dancing behind him but Justin stood perfectly still with his angry eyes locked on Tom.
That made Tom smile, because with anger like that…there was a weakness.