Chapter Twenty-One

Lauren froze against him while his last few words sunk into her brain and she was having a hard time believing that he had actually just said what he did. Here they were standing against one another, breathing heavily, and recuperating after one HELL of a series of kisses and he was acting like their fathers had interrupted them skinny dipping or something along those lines.

"Run that by me again."

He pulled his head off of the wall and stared down at the top of her head. "I said, what were we thinking?"

It had been a very long day, and Lauren was not in the mood to play guessing games or to have him skirt around the issue that he had kissed her for no reason other than he had wanted to. She pushed back until there was some space between them. "Hmm…oh I don't know Justin, I was thinking something along the lines of…HELL YEAH! You?"

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't think I do. Why don't you explain this one to me and then we'll see what was really going on. Oh and don't forget to include the part where YOU kissed ME after I walked in here and unfastened your belt."

With a quickly reddening face, he reached down and pulled his now loose pants together. "This…this wasn't part of the practice session."

She pushed her hair back and grinned. "At least you're being that honest."

"No…you don't get it. THAT was not part of the PRACTICE SESSION."

She quickly shushed him and gave a look of warning. "If you haven't noticed, we're in a public place where anyone could be listening." Her eyes slid over to the wall several times while she gritted through her teeth. "Nosey people are everywhere. Hint, hint."

He cleared his throat and pulled the edges of his shirt together almost as if he was insecure about being half dressed in front of her. "You…you came in here and I guess I just got lost in the moment. I never thought JC would walk in here or that anyone would catch us."

"Well they did, and what's so bad about that? We've said all along that we want the guys to believe that we're together so that Tom won't struggle with the idea as much. This is a blessing in disguise."

Justin rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Blessing in disguise huh? Is that like the wolf in sheep's clothing?"

"That's like…a way to get the word around that something is going on between us. Are you NORMALLY this stupid in relationships or am I just a special case?"

He stopped in mid-stretch and gave her a serious look. "Oh you're special all right. This whole damn scenario is SPECIAL."

Very cautiously she reached out for his hand and pulled him over to sit down on the bench that was in front of one of the full-length mirrors. He looked lost, he looked confused, and he looked thoroughly embarrassed which didn't help her pride any but she pushed it aside to try to make some sense of it all.

After kneeling down on the floor in front of him with her hands on his knees, she gave him a comforting smile and waited until he raised his eyes to hers before she spoke. "I know this is strange and I know that it seems rushed, but JC walking in here really IS a blessing. That big mouth of his is about to get in gear and he's going to blab to the person he always blabs to."

"Miranda."

"Oh yes Miranda. Those sensors of hers are going to go into overdrive and she's going to pay really close attention to what we're doing and what we're saying to each other. When she sees the hints we're throwing around, guess who she's going to go to."

He looked away and folded his arms over his chest. "JC."

"Two for two here buddy! In that process, I'm CERTAIN that Larry, Curly, and Mo are going to eavesdrop at some point. I mean, they're probably outside right now listening to JC's rant to Miranda. When they hear it, we're going to get a lot of flak, we're going to get a lot of laughs and jokes thrown our way, but then when it's not funny anymore, when they LEARN to accept it…we're in the clear baby."

He was quiet for a few seconds and then shuddered. "I never thought it would feel this cheap."

Lauren closed her eyes against the words and then took a deep breath before opening them again. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you're not talking about the kissing itself."

"The kissing is…well…GREAT. I didn't mean that part of what we're doing." He paused and then leaned his head against the mirror behind him. "In a way, yes I do. This is all a show, it's all a game, and it's all based on feelings that we're not really having. Val, we're LYING to our best friends, and we're lying to ourselves."

She wasn't about to get into a debate with him in this dressing room when anyone could be listening in on the conversation, but she knew without a doubt that she could push him far enough to where he would finally admit that the last kiss between them had happened because he had WANTED to kiss her. There were no other options and there were no ways around that. They had been completely private, they had been alone, and he had initiated a kiss that had turned into one of the most sensual things she had experienced in all her nineteen years. If it were all a lie, if he was only doing this to fool Tom, then the physical contact would be limited to Tom's view. Once again she didn't want to get her hopes up, but at the same time she mentally penciled in a knockdown, drag-out fight to push him to the point where he would finally open his eyes and see that she wasn't his "little Val" anymore. His heart knew this, but his head was the problem.

His head she could fight against and play with. His heart was a different story.

"Val, I'm not saying that I regret what we did just now, but it just seems too soon. The first time we've EVER kissed was last night and now, not even twenty four hours later, you have me pressed against the wall of a dressing room and I'm MORE than willing to be there. Is this us? Is this really us?"

She patted his leg and stood up. "You're right. Maybe this isn't us at all and maybe we were really stupid to think that we could pull it off."

When she turned to walk away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. In his concern he didn't see the knowing smile that was on her face as she sat down with a sigh. "I don't know what to do. I don't know where to turn, I don't know what to say, and I sure as HELL don't know how to act. Actions, words, plans, contracts, evil, and…and…and FEELINGS are bombarding me all at once and I don't know where to fight first. I don't know which battles to choose and which ones to leave alone. At the same time…I'm tired of having battles to deal with in the first place. I'm too young to feel this old."

She leaned against his chest and rested the side of her head on his shoulder. Instinctively his arms tightened around her and she smiled slightly into his neck. "I don't know the answers and I wish that I did. I do know that I don't want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or that goes against your morals and judgement. You've always been a private one Justin and I would die before putting you into a situation that puts more pressure or uncertainty into your life."

"I knew that we would eventually work up to the point where we're a 'couple' to everyone around us, but I just didn't think it would be this fast. Now that the day has come, I don't know if I can handle the speed. I don't know if I can handle the speed of how everything is developing around us…and inside of me."

Lauren's hand flattened against the side of his lowered head and she pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she closed her eyes as he pulled her towards his hard body. "I know what you mean. I know exactly what you mean."

JC scratched his head and looked back and forth between a rack of jackets and the dressing room he had just abruptly left. He wasn't one who read into things like the other guys were fond of doing. In fact, he prided himself on the fact that he liked to get the 'entire picture' before making his mind up on things.

There weren't many ways to look at the 'picture' he had just seen without thinking what he was thinking already.

Justin and Lauren had always been very close and they had always been very open in their love for one another. Never had he seen two friends who were as close as they were and two friends who could go from one minute pulling each other's hair out…literally…to hugging and snuggling the next minute. The interesting thing about them was that the hugging and the touching was a way that they showed each other that they cared. None of the contact had any romantic or sexual meanings behind it, but that was the true essence of their friendship and, in his opinion, what made it so special.

If he touched Miranda the way that Justin and Lauren were fond of doing, then it would be interpreted as a loving gesture or a boyfriend/girlfriend type of thing, but this wasn't true with Justin and Lauren. They were a pair, like the earth and the moon, and the bond they shared was one that had been there ever since the first day he had met them and saw them together for the first time. As far as magical things went, that was the friendship that dreams were made of.

But what he had just interrupted was FAR from being friendly or innocent.

Seeing one of his best friends, the guy who he remembered teaching how to shave, the guy he had sung about a mouse with, the guy he had teamed up with to become who they were; to see him half dressed, against a wall, and thoroughly enjoying a VERY 'not so innocent' embrace with the 'little sister' they had all grown to love was enough to make him a little dazed and lightheaded. This was definitely not the Justin and Lauren they all knew and it was definitely not the relationship that they had all grown accustomed to seeing out of them.

What he had just witnessed were two people, two grown up individuals, doing a VERY grown up thing. They had pulled apart the moment he had made his presence known, but it made him wonder about whether or not they would have broken apart had he not said anything. Justin's arms had been strained as he was holding her tightly against him, and he had caught a glimpse of Lauren's hands as she ran them through Justin's hair like only a lover would do.

It made JC feel very old and it made him feel a bit strange to have caught them in such a private moment.

"JC? Are you of this earth or has Scotty already beamed up your brain?" He remained in his comatose-like state so Miranda walked over and snapped her fingers in front of his face a few times. "Hellloooooo in there?"

He startled back into consciousness and looked at her like he had never seen her before. "Miranda?"

One of her eyebrows raised questioningly and she put her hands on her hips. "Yesssss that's me. Calling out the right name is ALWAYS a good thing when it comes to people who love you…or who LOVE you."

He started to walk past her and she caught his arm. "You are really starting to worry me here. What's wrong?"

"Noth…nothing."

She pulled him around to face her and looked him over closely. "Please tell me that you're not going to insult my JC IQ this way. What…is…going…on?"

He looked very hesitant to meet her eyes and that worried her even more. "I have no idea what is going on."

"Did you give Justin that jacket I handed you?"

His eyes widened and he nodded slowly. "Oh yes I certainly did."

"Did he try it on?"

"He's a little too busy trying on something else at the moment, but I did leave it for him."

Now her curiosity was definitely peaked. "Did you catch him naked or something? I would think that by now you five are used to seeing the 'other' sides of one another."

JC grinned and his eyes widened even more. "I never thought I would see THAT side or with THAT person."

"Does Justin have a third nipple or something? Three belly buttons? JC you're being NO help here but that look on your face is really weirding me out."

He cleared his throat and raised her hand to kiss the back of it. "It was nothing. I'm sure it was nothing. By the way, does this jacket look good?"

She chewed on her lip while her eyes scanned him over. "The jacket looks awesome. In fact, I could make out with that jacket and forget about you totally. Is it hot in here or WHAT?"

Her attempt to make him smile didn't work. "Oh it's hot in here, but not as hot as it is in that dressing room over there."

"Justin's dressing room?"

"Uh huh."

If he was any more vague then she was going to have to buy a copy of "JC For Dummies" and start doing a little research. "Justin's dressing room was hot, you just left from there, and now you have that strange look on your face like you just caught your grandmother in the shower." A light clicked on in her head and now it was her turn to have huge eyes. "Where is Lauren?"

JC swallowed hard and gave her a strange look. "Lauren is in Justin's dressing room."

"Hot room, wide-eyed look, Justin's dressing room, Lauren in Justin's dressing room, and…oh NO WAY! You're not saying what I think you're saying. Right?"

"I'm not going to say one word. I'm not even going to hint about what I saw because…"

Her hand tightened on his arm as he moved to walk away again and she jerked him back around to face her. "No you're not going to hint to anything. You're going to say it flat out. What is going on in there?"

After running a hand over his face he laid it out for her. "Did you ever see that show where they had surveillance cameras in dressing rooms to tape…naughty things going on inside there?"

"Uh huh."

"That dressing room over there closely resembles that footage, and the only two people in there right now are Justin and Lauren. Do I need to say any more?"

"NO WAY!"

He shushed her quickly and gave her a stern look. "You mind not alerting the entire store?"

She leaned in close to him and her eyes frantically searched his features for any sign that he was lying. "So Justin and Lauren are in there…um…they're…woah this is heavy."

"They're not having sex, but I definitely interrupted SOMETHING going on between them."

"You saw…?"

"I saw enough to know that I opened the door at a VERY inopportune time for the both of them."

A giddy smile slid across her face and it only got brighter when JC showed no signs of joking around. "So Lauren and Justin are…they're…they were kissing?"

"Oh there was no doubt about that."

"Kissing or KISSING?"

The brightness of her smile was almost blinding him. "Miranda, you look a little excited here. As much as I love creating that smile that you have right now…this is NOT the time."

"Push the ego aside and talk to ME about this. They were kissing and…"

Almost as if on cue, Joey, Chris, and Lance popped up from behind one of the racks beside them. They all had grins on their faces and Chris' was the evilest of them all. "What's this I hear about children kissing?"

JC groaned and turned away from them. "Dammit I KNEW I should have checked to see if someone was around. No I should have kept my mouth shut and…"

Lance interrupted quickly. "Who was kissing?"

"Justin and Lauren."

JC looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Miranda!"

"What? They asked and you know how bad I am at lying to people."

The three guys looked at each other before turning and smiling. "OUR Justin and HIS Lauren?"

"Yes Joey. That's what JC said anyway."

JC was really close to wanting to put his hand over her mouth but he was a little uncertain of whether she would bite him or not. "Can we keep this on the down low please? I'm not exactly sure of what they were doing, ok yes I am, but that's besides the point."

Chris strolled up beside Miranda and stared JC down playfully. "So you walked in and caught the two red handed. Hmm…here's my question: where WERE their hands?"

"Justin had his arms around her."

Joey walked over as well and when Chris was silent, he elbowed him. "Ok man wait a second! JC…where were Lauren's hands?"

"Hellcat that she is. Scared of THAT."

Chris elbowed Joey this time and JC gave them a strange look before answering hesitantly. "Her hands were…uh…in his…in his hair."

Chris still had a serious look on his face and at that moment he closely resembled a professor trying to work out a difficult math problem. "Uh huh…were they just THERE or was she gripping the curls?"

Lance grinned and clapped a few times. "Good question…good question."

"Thank you. JC if you would be so kind…"

JC looked at Miranda like he couldn't believe they had gotten into this mess and then sighed. "She was kind of…gripping. Yeah definitely gripping."

Tom, who was standing nearby with a clipboard in his hand, froze as he was writing something and looked over at the group.

Miranda didn't normally get into their whole "man thing" when it came to discussing women and the action they got from them, but this was even grabbing HER interest. "Sounds like Justin and Lauren were getting 'freaky deaky'."

Four masculine eyes turned to her and Joey busted out laughing. "WELL GO MIRANDA! BUSTIN' OUT WITH THE SLANG! I didn't know you had it in ya girl! Go girl, it's your birthday. Go Miranda, do the running man."

She held up her hand and tried to finish through their laughter and Joey's chanting. "Ok…ok…yeah I get the point…go me…uh huh…alright guys…very funny…alright…ALRIGHT! Ahem…as I was saying, JC this was more than just their normal friendly kisses and hugs?"

He took a deep breath and finally nodded. "We're talking tongues here Miranda. I didn't see any tongue action, but it probably wasn't far from happening had I not interrupted."

Tom cleared his throat and causally made his way closer to where they were standing. He stood with his clipboard against one of the racks and he pretended to be writing while they continued their conversation.

"Justin and Lauren? This seems so…strange. JC you're not pulling our leg here are you?"

"Lance, when I walk into a room, two people break apart, one of those two people is barely dressed, and they are both breathing heavily against each other, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what I interrupted."

Joey nudged Miranda and winked. "He's been there too many times huh?"

"I'm going to ignore that comment and remember what I could easily put into that biography I'm writing. In the Joey section which is already busting at the seams."

"Are they still in there?"

JC looked over at Chris and nodded. "I haven't seen them come out yet."

Lauren and Justin were oblivious to what was going on outside of the dressing room they were in but they wouldn't have been shocked if they did know. Overall the group they hung around was rather predictable and this situation probably had them drooling and frothing at the mouth. They cared what the group thought because they were their best friends, but their opinions weren't going to change anything and Lauren had come to far to get to this point that she wasn't about to turn back now.

She pushed off of Justin's lap and held her hands down to him. "This isn't the time or the place to freak out over nothing. Yeah I know it isn't nothing but we need a little more privacy to fully hash things out."

He grabbed her hands and stood up. "You're right. Anyone could be listening to this conversation. I just didn't think that we would have to explain things this early. That's my main concern and I have NO IDEA how to explain this."

She squeezed his cold hands between hers and smiled. "Who says you have to explain anything? Do they explain things to you? Does JC explain his love for Miranda to you guys or clear things through you before developing feelings or doing things with her?"

His grin was evil and that gave her some hope. "Doing things with her huh? That sounds dirty."

"With those two, it probably is. You know what I'm saying though."

"I understand what you're saying. I don't owe them any explanations, but I think they deserve one. Val, they're like our brothers and they've watched us grow up for the most part. We knew that there was no way we could do this without having to explain SOME things."

She nodded and then slowly backed up away from him. "You're right. I think if they're uncomfortable or they need to understand some things then we should provide the answers."

He knew what she was doing and the devilish look in her eyes gave her away. He winced as he watched her continue to slowly walk backwards and then finally closed his eyes to avoid seeing what he knew was coming. "Explanations are fine, but no prying."

"Definitely no prying. After all, we are the only two people who need to understand it and that's us." She lowered her voice and then groaned huskily. "Justin…oh yes…lower…lower…"

His eyes popped open in shock. "Val…"

She winked and took a few more steps back. "Oh my God…yes…ooh right there…right there…" She grabbed the doorknob and Justin cringed as she forcefully swung the door open. It moved only inches before slamming into something…SOMEONE with a loud and painful thwack.

Lauren pushed the door opened and looked down at Joey, Chris, and Lance who were all laying on the ground holding their heads and groaning. She smiled and stepped over them before calling out to Justin. "Right there baby. That's the moneymaker HOT SPOT. By the way guys, was it as good for you as it was for me?"

(Later that evening. Back at the hotel.)

Miranda had been trying to pull Lauren aside the rest of the time the guys were getting fitted, and she had even tried to pull her aside when they first got back to the hotel, but her efforts were met with failure. Lauren had clung to Justin's side and the two of them seemed to avoid everything and everyone for the time being. She understood that because when she had finally gotten JC to notice her in any way other than hatred, she wanted to be near him all the time. The excitement, the hopes, the dreams, and the joy that overtakes a person when a relationship is young are almost like a drug. It's needed over and over and over to satisfy and push aside the insecurities and questions that are eating at the other side of the heart.

In the hallway, everyone was standing around talking and joking around, so Miranda walked over and grabbed Lauren's arm. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Justin gave her a funny look and she gave him a reassuring smile in return. "Don't worry, I'll bring her right back."

Practically dragging Lauren down to the end of the hallway, Miranda's thoughts gravitated to what JC had told them and she was excited FOR them. They sat down on the sofa underneath a large window and Miranda waited for the squeals, but Lauren just sat there seriously. "So?"

"So…what?"

Miranda rolled her eyes and fought not to shake her. "So TELL ME! I know I'm being extremely nosey and rather…well…teeny here but I still want to know about you and Justin. At the mall you said that you two are just friends, I said that I saw more, and then there's the dressing room incident and…"

One of Lauren's eyebrows raised playfully. "Dressing room incident? And which incident would THAT be?"

"Oh…um…well the one…you know…"

"Could it be the one that JC blabbed about to everyone? Could it be the same JC that I'm going to kick his ass later on for being so nosey and not knocking before he comes into a dressing room? Could that be the incident you're talking about? Oh no wait, that couldn't be it because JC isn't in PAIN YET."

"Lauren, I love that guy so be easy on him."

"Oh don't worry Miranda, he'll still be able to father children when I get finished but I guarantee that the pump won't be as well oiled as it was before."

Miranda cleared her throat and then giggled. "So talk to me."

"Off the record?"

"Do you even need to ask me that?"

Lauren looked over at Justin where he was standing there talking to Mike and she couldn't help but smile. In fact, she knew without a doubt that she was beaming. "We kissed."

Miranda tucked her legs up underneath her and leaned forward excitedly. "Uh huh…and?"

"And that's it. We kissed."

"You are being SO mean here."

"It's frustrating isn't it? What do you want me to say? I'm not going to give you all the gory details because that's something private, but yes we did kiss and it was…whew."

"What is the deal with you two and closets?"

Lauren's eyes widened and she looked over at Justin again to see if he had heard, but he was too far away. "Shhh! He doesn't need to know about that and this was definitely no awkward fourteen-year-old's kiss."

"Was it ok or scream worthy? Nevermind, don't answer that. Was it the type of kiss that you would do in front of your parents?"

Lauren choked and coughed a few times to clear her lungs. "Not unless I wanted Justin to be castrated and then spend the rest of my days in a convent."

"So he is the one who kissed you?"

If she was going to spread the word, she might as well spread it pretty thick. "I walked in there to help him out with his jacket and BAM. We hugged, he kissed me, and then JC walked in."

Miranda was practically bouncing up and down and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. She was so excited for the two of them and she had always waited for the time when they would get together. "Was it everything you wanted it to be?"

"Close. In my daydreams, I never had JC walking in and interrupting us."

Miranda was just about to ask another question when JC carefully walked up and gave a charming yet cautious smile to Lauren. "Hello ladies."

Lauren noticed that he didn't get too close and she was going to use that to her advantage. "HELLO JC. How was YOUR DAY?"

"It was…uh…it was ok. Yours?"

"Mine was fantastic thank you. Did you need something or were you just going to stand there and INTERRUPT what we were talking about?"

He swallowed hard and held his hand out to Miranda. "Do you still want to go with me down to the gift shop?"

Lauren shifted on the couch and when she leaned forward, JC shied out of the way. "Kinda skittish, ain't ya? What are you so worked up about?"

He pulled on Miranda's hand and she giggled. "JC I've never seen you so anxious to go look in a gift shop."

"You never know what you can find down there. Can we go now?"

Miranda patted Lauren's leg with her free hand, winked at her, and then allowed herself to be pulled off of the couch. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Count on it. Oh Miranda?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out some money. "While you're down at the gift shop will you bring me back one of those really cute VOODOO DOLLS? You know, the ones that come in boyband size? Here's an extra dollar for the really LONG PINS that I have the need to get creative with."

Miranda laughed when she saw JC's expression and she pushed Lauren's hand away. "Don't worry about it. This one is my treat."

She watched the pair walk down to the elevator and she couldn't help but smile at how wonderful they were together. She couldn't get over how perfect they turned out to be and especially after the very rocky start they had had. If someone would have told her that Miranda and JC would have turned out this happy, she probably would have wished for it but not believed it. Now they were together, they were happy, and they glowed at the mere sight of each other. THAT was what love was all about.

Not to mention, Miranda was one hell of a sidekick when she needed one.

Her amused eyes looked down the hallway and she noticed that it was now empty. Justin must have given up the fight and had gone inside to avoid some of the abuse that the guys were undoubtedly dishing his way. It was good for him to go through a little hell because maybe then he would wake up to what was really going on in this situation. Justin, whether he wanted to admit it or not, was definitely not just doing this for show. Nobody could fake a reaction like the ones he had given her and nobody could fake the need that she had seen in his eyes that was nowhere near the 'I see you as a sister' vibe.

She pushed off of the couch and started walking down the hallway to her room. Overall it had been a very interesting day. She wished she had been able to dive over the table and cream Shai right there in that restaurant, but her time would come. There would be one day, one situation, where that girl would have nowhere to run or hide. THEN she would gain a full understanding of the hatred that was building stronger and stronger inside of her.

She would also have a lot less hair by the time she finished with her, and that made her smile even brighter.

The faint sound of someone playing a guitar caught her attention and she stopped in mid-step to turn towards the sound. It was a haunting sound, but altogether so beautiful that she was curious. She was so curious that she walked over to the partially open door and put her ear up to it.

Music as a whole had been so much a part of her life from the very beginning, much as it had with Justin. They had both sought out music as a lifeline and Justin was just the one out of the two who had pursued it. Singing in church, in school, and even in a few competitions, she had always been told that she had a beautiful voice, but that didn't interest her in any way. Music was a hobby and it was a relaxation tool, but it was NOT what made her heart race or her daydreams flow.

But whoever was playing the guitar at that moment knew the meaning of the word "passion" when it came to music.

She slowly pushed the door open and knocked softly but there was no answer. "Hello?"

Walking into the room she peered around the corner and smiled when she saw Tristan sitting on one of the beds with his eyes closed. His fingers were sliding over the instrument, no they were caressing the instrument almost like a lover would caress a cheek, and the music coming out of that very same instrument were a reflection of this man's soul. She had to respect that. She had to respect the passion she heard in the notes, the pleasured look on his face, and talent that she saw radiating out of him.

She leaned against the wall and watched him as he played. When the song finally ended he slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the guitar. His head jerked up when she started clapping softly. "That was beautiful."

"I…I didn't realize anyone was listening."

"I'm sorry about sneaking in here and listening to you while you practice but that was some impressive stuff. Did you write it?"

He slung his head back to push his bangs out of his eyes and grinned shyly. "It's one that I'm working on."

She walked over to the bed across from him and sat down. "Your music is different from what the guys play, but I just wanted to say…don't try to be like them."

"What?"

"That sounded really funny and I'm sure you're thinking that I meant don't put red hair dye in your hair or curl it. What I really meant was…find your own style, your own presence, and run with it as fast as you can. I've seen so many people in your position try to mimic, try to find the 'formula', and they lose sight of what's really important and what brought them here to begin with…the passion for making music."

His fingers fumbled with the strings as he stared at her. "Thanks for the advice. You've seen a lot haven't you?"

"I've seen quite a bit and I know things about the music industry that I wish I didn't know…because it's terrifying how ruthless it can be."

"When you're hot, you're hot. But when you're cold…you no longer exist. That sound about right?"

She shrugged and nodded slowly. "Close enough. Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Hmm…playing in front of a few thousand people who are all there to see N SYNC, and trying to play music that they've never heard before. At the same time they only want to see either JC, Joey, Lance, Chris, or Justin's faces and here is this stupid guy on the stage with a guitar singing about love. Not a tough gig at all. It should be a piece of cake."

She laughed when his eyes widened and he looked away with a sigh. "Keep that sense of humor. It will pull you through those tough times for sure."

"Are you coming to the show?"

The uncertainty and the shyness in his tone touched her heart. "If I can talk Miranda into it and if I can break away from what the guys are doing then I'll be there. You do realize that there's no way they can be there."

"Oh I know. I never thought they would be there but you…well I had hoped maybe…you know."

"Yeah. I'll try my best to be there. I wouldn't want to miss your debut. When you're a famous singer one day and you're on a tour all your own, I can say that I 'knew you when'."

His teeth flashed in an embarrassed smile and he actually blushed. "Would you like an autograph now or during the show to make the other girls jealous?"

She stood up and giggled. "Oh you're going to be just fine. With an ego and a playfulness like that…you're going to be a STAHHHH. I'm going to leave you alone so you can get some rest but I wanted to say 'good luck'."

"I don't really need any good luck…if you're there."

She turned around sharply and saw his face turn even redder. "That charm is going to draw them in like bees to honey. Make sure you hang onto THAT and whatever you do…don't let anyone ever talk you into letting go of that guitar."

"Yes ma'am."

He watched her as she left the room and he couldn't help but smile at her confidence and sweetness. She was hard edged and about as sharp as a filet knife, but she was definitely someone he found interesting and someone he would risk a few scrapes and cuts to get to know a little better.

That thought mixed with the image of her walking away made him sigh and turn to his guitar again. "Too bad she's with Timberlake. That guy has no idea what he has right there…not even a clue."