Chapter Twenty-Two

Lauren watched Tom walk away and her body tightened with so much anger and resentment that she was finding it hard to control anymore. She was so tired of being caught by him. He was such a spineless man to begin with, who shouldn't be able to manipulate a fly, much less her, and yet she was feeling more and more cornered every day. She wasn't supposed to tell Justin about the contract, she wasn't supposed to tell him about Shai, she wasn't supposed to tell Tom about their plan, she wasn't supposed to tell Miranda or the guys about any of it, and she wasn't supposed to enjoy pretending to have feelings for Justin.

But she did. She enjoyed it a lot more than she probably should.

What she wasn't enjoying were the secrets that were eating her alive. Her mind was being flooded over and over with different lies and stories that she had to keep straight, and it was making her exhausted. She was so sick of being careful in not only who she could trust, but in being careful around the people that she DID trust.

The biggest thing she was getting tired of, was feeling dirty and used whenever she saw Shai and Tom's pleased smiles. They walked around like they were running the show and it took every bit of strength she had not to just slam them down and beat the hell out of them.

"Lauren?"

Her weary eyes slid away from Tom to look at Lance. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering if you're ok. You looked kind of down just now."

After taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face. "I'm perfectly fine. I'm a little worn out from being on the go all the time but I'll get over it. How do you guys do this all the time? A different city every day, a different plan every day, and a different challenge every day?"

He gave her a curious and strange look before grinning. "You have never minded it before. I really try not to think about it too much and that gets me through the day. Taking things day by day is the way to make it work."

"Are you sure that everything can be taken day by day? I mean, aren't there some things that you have to plan ahead and…prepare for?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Just wait until we get back to Orlando next week and start rehearsing for the tour. THEN you'll see what wigging out over future plans is all about. I'll catch you later. Oh and Justin is looking for you."

"Thanks." She started nervously chewing on one of her fingers as she watched him walk down the hall towards Miranda and JC and her heart tightened at the sight of the couple. Miranda had been through so much already, she was honestly the first really close female friend she had ever had, and now she was caught in yet another plan masterminded by an arrogant prick.

She looked back at Lance and a light bulb turned on in her head. "LANCE! Wait a sec."

He turned and watched her as she jogged up to him. "What is it?"

"You said that you guys are going back to Orlando in a week? Were you being serious or were you just throwing out a generalization?"

"I was being serious. We're here in New York through tomorrow night, then we fly to Toronto, come back to New York to film that stupid spring break dedications thing for MTV, the Academy Awards are Sunday, and that next Tuesday afternoon we should be home. Why do you ask?"

She chewed even harder on her finger when everything started falling into place. "What are the plans when you guys get back home?"

"You seem pretty interested in our activities, but then I guess you would be with that dressing room thing and…" He coughed nervously when one of her eyebrows slowly started to rise. "Uh…nevermind. When we get back we'll have a few days off and then we'll be rehearsing for the tour."

"So you're saying that you will all be firmly planted in Orlando for a good month or so?"

"That's what it looks like right now. We have too much to do before the tour to make too many appearances…you know what that's like."

She knew exactly what that was like and if they were firmly stationed in Orlando, then Miranda being there because of work wouldn't matter at all. "Hmm…yes I do. Thank you Lance, you're my hero. Where is Justin?"

"Last time I saw him he said that he was looking for you and then going to his room. You probably should check there first."

On her way down the hall towards their hotel room, Lauren thought about what would happen if she called Tom's bluff. There was no doubt in her mind that he would ship Miranda back to Orlando as quick as he could, but at least now she knew that if that happened then Miranda wouldn't be there alone for very long. The guys would be back and things would be back to normal. Yeah Miranda would be upset for a week or so until they returned, but that was something she could handle.

Now all she needed to do was come up with a way to keep Miranda with them for the next week until they returned. She needed to come up with something solid to hold onto Miranda and also keep Tom's plan a secret from the group. Maybe this was Tom's plan all along. He knew that she couldn't just go up to Miranda and explain things, or go to the guys and demand that Miranda stay with them. She had to be clever and she had to be manipulative.

She could do this and still be home in time to ace that test.

After unlocking the door she walked into the room and heard Justin's low voice as she walked around the corner. He was sitting on the edge of his bed with his back to her and the silhouette of his trim body against the light streaming in from the window was enough to make her chew her entire finger off. His white undershirt gleamed and her eyes slid over his strong arm as it held his cell phone up to his ear.

"Hopefully we'll get there early enough to get back and get some rest. Yeah I'm not really looking forward to the cold weather up in Toronto either but I do love the fans up there and they haven't seen us in a while. Mmhmm."

She slowly made her way over to the bed and hopped up on it before crawling towards him on her knees.

"Do you know if dad is going to come up here tomorrow? Yeah I know you are but I was wondering about dad because…yeah it should be crazy."

She crawled until she was behind him and then started to massage his shoulders while he continued his conversation. A smile tugged at her mouth when he leaned his head back against her stomach and closed his eyes.

"The guys are calm for the most part but it might be the calm before the storm. I don't know, for some reason I have this feeling of dread. Hmm? No I don't know how to explain it. I don't know if it's about the album or life in general. There's just this feeling I'm getting and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger."

Her hands paused for a second before continuing. "Tell her I said hello."

"I'll let you go mom and hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. Lauren says hi. Yeah she's right here. Actually she's been pretty good on this trip…yeah she only made two people cry this time. Uh huh…love you too…bye."

She hit the top of his head and he laughed as he put his phone down. "I take offense to that comment. You're leaving out that guy who tried to pinch my butt the other night. I made THREE people cry. Get the facts straight."

"I stand corrected. Oh by the way, my mom said to tell you 'heyyyyyy pumpin' I hope you're taking care of yourself' or something like that." His head shifted against her and he looked up sarcastically. "Are you taking care of yourself pumpkin'?"

She shuddered playfully and rubbed his shoulders even harder. "That nickname coming out of your mouth just doesn't sound right."

"Hmm…and just what DOES sound right coming out of…my mouth?"

She watched as his eyebrows raised up and down playfully and then laughed. "It's called modesty, Justin. Look it up some time."

He felt her push away and he groaned. "Now that wasn't nice. Come here and tell me how the concert went."

"I'm tired and I don't want to talk about the concert."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her until she was laying across his lap. "Were there a lot of people?"

She struggled against his hands and sat up but he held on tightly. "There were quite a few."

When she still fought to get up, he turned her until she was sitting flat and her legs were around his waist. "Lauren Elizabeth…"

"I can do that too…Justin Randall."

"Why are you being vague about the concert? Is there something I should know?"

Even though he was trying to hide it, she could tell that he was curious about not only Tristan, but what she thought about Tristan as a performer. There was some kind of jealousy thing going on between the two guys and as much as she wanted to believe that it was because of her, that they were fighting over her, she chalked it up to musical competition and left it at that. "The crowd is huge and it's not even time for the album to come out, the concert was pretty good, and Tristan…I think Tristan would fit in with your fans very well."

He rolled his eyes and flopped back on the bed. "Great."

Her eyes widened when her legs and feet took on the full weight of his torso. "What is your problem with Tristan? He wants to be one of the tour openers, he's very talented, the fans already like him, and so that's like a dream come true. Right? You acting like he's Marilyn Manson here."

"I just don't trust him for some reason. He is a nice enough guy but there is just this vibe I get when I see him and…ugh it's hard to explain." His legs bobbed up and down while he stared at the ceiling and Lauren bobbed with them.

"He's a nice guy. I don't think you have anything to worry about there. If you're worried that he's with Tom…well I don't know what to tell you other than I don't think Tom would work to get someone a major recording contract just to get some sort of revenge on two teenagers. I'm going to get seasick if you don't stop."

His legs stopped moving and he sat up on his elbows to look at her. "Why do you have to go home tonight?"

He knew about her test, but that question had nothing to do with the real reasons of why she was returning to Orlando. He wanted her to stay because he wanted her to be with him. "Justin…actually I…I think I might stay a little longer."

"Are you serious? Like when? I thought you had a test?"

The excitement in his eyes warmed her heart. She couldn't tell him the real reason for why she was staying longer, but she didn't have to completely lie to him either. "The test isn't until six so maybe if we can find a flight that doesn't leave until two or three? That way I can come to the autograph signing, see the crowds, and then still make it to my test."

He grinned as he sat up, looked at her for a second, and then quickly kissed her on the lips. "You know I love ya right?"

"Yeah…I know."

After pushing her off of his legs, he stood up, grabbed his cell phone and dialed quickly. Lauren gave him an incredulous look as she sat on the floor and recovered from slamming onto it. "Hey…can you work on switching Lauren's flight to tomorrow around two or three? It needs to be direct because she has to make it home and be somewhere at six. Yeah thanks." He turned to her and rocked his head back and forth while he chewed his lip. It was a silly move but it served its purpose in making her laugh.

"You…are…nuts."

"I…am…desperate. I know that we won't see each other for about a week and a half and so I want to hold onto you for as long as I can here." His eyes widened when he realized what he said and he coughed before continuing. "You know, because I don't really trust myself around Tom and Shai without you being here."

"You're going to have to learn to trust yourself and keep your mouth shut around them. I can't be around you all the time and the only person who can control your temper…is you."

"You keep a pretty good leash on it."

She stretched out on the bed and tucked the pillow underneath her head. "Trust me Justin, right now, if you attacked Tom and/or Shai…I would join in and draw blood. I'm barely being able to control my own temper, much less baby-sit yours too."

He crawled up the bed and stretched out in front of her. His head was propped on one elbow and he watched her closely as his fingers toyed with a few strands of her hair. "Sleepy?"

Her eyes remained closed. "Exhausted."

"There's a party tonight that I have to go to. Will you be my date?"

"Will you shut up?"

"If you go as my date."

She reached up to pull her hair away from his fingers and sighed. "If you let me take a nap then I'll be your date."

"I can do that."

She relaxed again and a few minutes later she jumped when the TV click on. "Justin…"

"I'm sorry, did that wake you up?"

"It didn't help. Just turn it down a little bit."

The volume lowered and she grinned when she heard him breathing beside her and softly humming under his breath to a music video. The soft huskiness of it was enough to lull her completely to sleep, and she was almost there when he made a noise that caused her to jerk awake.

"EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING…after winter, must come spring."

She sat up quickly and glared at his innocent look. He actually had the gall to give her a heart-wrenching puppy-dog look. "Get off of this bed and go find someone else to pester."

His eyes were wide and he chewed on his lip while he looked at her wild hair and sleepy but angry eyes. "I swear that was a boo boo. Lauryn Hill gets to me."

"She's getting to me too. Off the bed, Justin."

"It's my bed."

She rolled her eyes and while mumbling under her breath about the demise of men everywhere, she started to get off of the bed but his hand stopped her. "Ok Val, I'm sorry. I won't bug you anymore. Look, I even turned off the TV. Happy now?"

She jerked against his hold on her arm but he yanked her down until she was against his side and her head was on his shoulder. "When is the party?"

He checked the clock beside the bed and looked down at her arm that had come to rest across his chest. "In two hours."

"Wake me up then."

Justin stared at the top of her head and was reminded about the way she fit in his arms. There was a comfort between them that he hadn't felt with anyone else, and it was times like this that he realized just how perfect she was becoming in his life. She wasn't the most attractive girl he had ever seen in his life, she wasn't the hottest, she wasn't even the cutest, but there was just something about her lately that grabbed his attention and made him NEED to be around her.

He leaned down to kiss her hair and closed his eyes when he smelled the clean smell of her shampoo. He yawned and tightened his arms around her. "I'll do that. I'll certainly do that, Val."

"Oh my GOD! Wake up Val. WAKE UP!"

Lauren jerked awake and sat up to look at his frantic face. "What is it? Is the hotel on fire? What?"

He ran over and started digging through his bag. "We need to be there in fifteen minutes!"

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"I…I fell asleep ok? Sue me. No wait I take that back, I'm not going to throw that word around anymore because lord only knows what will happen. Get up and get dressed."

She jumped off of the bed and dug through her bag for something to wear to the party. "Is it going to be formal? Casual? What am I supposed to wear to this thing?"

His head came up sharply and it caught Lauren underneath the chin with a loud crack. They both saw stars for a few seconds and Justin wavered while he tried to get his balance back. "Ugh…um…casual. Just wear something you would wear to go out clubbing I guess. Could your chin get any harder?"

She held onto her aching jaw and closed her eyes. "Speaking of suing…personal injury claims are where it's at."

"Very funny. Hurry up!"

A knock sounded at the door and they both frantically tried to pull on new clothes in an attempt to appear halfway decent. Modesty was forgotten completely because the only thing they could concentrate on was getting ready and getting out of there. The knocking got louder and louder before it opened up and Mike strolled in. "Ok you two we need to get going and…uh oh."

Justin's head popped through his shirt and he quickly tucked it into his pants. "We'll be there in a second."

Mike grinned and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the pair struggle with their clothes. "I'm not going to ask why you're both trying to rush to get dressed because I don't think I want to give either one of you the lecture that is coming to mind at this moment."

Lauren rolled her eyes and yanked her hair up into a ponytail. "Not now Mike. PLEASE not now."

He pulled out a chair and sat down with a sigh. "Everyone is in the hallway waiting for you and you both look like you've been in the middle of a tornado. Speaking of tornado, would you look at this room?" His eyes scanned the clothes that were scattered all over the room.

Justin quickly looked at himself in the mirror and reached for a bandana. "I don't like what you're implying."

"I was implying?" He chuckled and leaned back. "And here I thought I was saying flat out."

Lauren grabbed a granola bar that was on the table beside her and she threw it at him. "Chew on that and forget about the need you have to talk right now."

He took a bite and continued talking. "That party is being thrown by every record executive that you can imagine and you're going to walk in there looking like this? Justin the fro is going to take up the entire room."

"Which is why I'm tying it up right now. EAT and SHUT UP."

"Speaking of tying up…"

Lauren yanked her sweater down and walked over to where he was sitting. "Mike, can I talk to you for a second? It's about tomorrow."

"Go ahead."

She pulled on his arm and finally he stood up. "No I don't want Justin to hear because it involves him in a way. Come here."

"This is about tomorrow? You mean the autograph signing thing? Is there something you heard that I should know about?"

She saw that Justin was listening intently so she pulled Mike to the door and opened it. "Shhh…I don't want to worry him but you do need to hear this."

When he walked through the door she gave him one last push and slammed the door behind him. After locking it she beat it with her hand and screamed. "He'll be unprotected tomorrow because I'll personally take you out of commission if you don't LEAVE US ALONE AND SHUT UP!"

Justin watched her walk over to the mirror to work on her hair and smiled. "That was handled very nicely."

"Yeah well hopefully you can chalk up number four to my 'she made someone cry' list. Are you ready?"

He straightened the bandana on his head and turned to the side to look at his clothes. "This is about as good as it's going to get. You?"

"I'm not trying to impress anyone so yeah I guess I'm about as ready as I'll ever be."

He grabbed her shoulders and his eyes slowly roamed over her. "You look damn good to me. Kind of like a GAP commercial. Very nice…very nice."

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Oh how you raise my ego. Let's go before Mike has a chance to spill out his story to the people in the hallway."

Justin grabbed her hand before yanking the door open and walking with her out into the hallway. When they emerged, cheers erupted around them and Chris elbowed Joey. "You owe me five dollars."

"They're both basically on time and neither one of them have scratches on their faces."

"You owe me five more dollars if there's a mark on Justin's back. I can just see it now."

Lance rolled his eyes. "How do you plan on proving that?"

Chris bounced up and down as he watched them coming closer and closer. "Are you kidding me? As…violent as Lauren is you think that she would be tame when she's fired up? There are scratches and I'm going to see them. AND get my ten dollars from you Joey. Wait on it."

Justin stopped in front of JC and Miranda, and checked his watch. "Shouldn't we be leaving?"

Miranda smirked and cleared her throat. "We should have LEFT, but we were short two members."

The elevator doors opened and Justin's fingers tightened on Lauren's. "I'm glad you're staying until tomorrow."

Her eyes were on Tom and on his arrogant smile. "Yeah…me too."

"Don't give him the pleasure of knowing he gets under your skin."

"SPEAKING of skin…how's yours buddy?"

They both turned to see Chris standing close behind Justin. "Excuse me?"

He smiled innocently at Lauren before looking up at Justin's confused face. "You know, how's the skin? We are going to be seeing a lot of fans tomorrow and with that kind of stress there's always room for rashes, flushes, the occasional zit, and…and a scratch or two."

"Chris, what in the hell are you talking about?"

Chris pushed Joey when he elbowed him and then gave the two a serious yet concerned look. "I'm just looking out for you. It would be a shame to have a zit when those people are just dying to see your pretty face. A scratch or two would be really bad too."

Justin and Lauren gave each other a curious glance before turning away from Chris and staring at the elevator as they waited for the next one to come. "There are some scary people around here."

"They're your friends."

"I understand that Val but it scares me to think…" He turned around again when he felt his shirt pull a little. "What are you doing?"

Chris stood up straight and pull his hands back. "Nothing. I just saw a lint ball on your shirt. See…a little bitty lint ball. You're welcome."

He turned back around and moved his hips to straighten out his shirt. "As I was saying, it scares me to think of what they're going to be like when…STOP!"

Chris jerked again when he turned around and Joey busted out laughing. "There was…was…"

"Let me guess, another lint ball. I don't care about it so just leave it alone."

"Yes sir."

Lauren shook her head and smiled at Justin. "You were saying?"

"I forget what I was saying because there is some MORON behind me who won't leave my shirt alone. Anyway, hopefully this party will calm everyone down a little bit and help us forget about the pressures of that stupid Backstreet Boys record and…"

She saw Chris' movement out of the corner of her eye and her attention was pulled away from what Justin was saying when she saw Chris' hand inching closer and closer to Justin's shirt again. She let go of Justin's hand, reached out to put her hand against the flat of Justin's back and grinned when she heard Chris' angry mumbling. "The party is going to be a lot of fun. Just forget about it all and have fun."

"Easier said than done."

"Why do you give yourself these pep talks if you're not going to believe anything you say?" She felt Chris gently trying to pry her fingers away and sighed with frustration.

"I say the words because hopefully one day I WILL believe them. Do you think the elevator is going to come some time today?"

She leaned her opposite cheek against Justin's arm and looked back at Chris while he concentrated on pulling her fingers off. "Having fun Chris?"

He jerked back and smiled innocently while Joey and Lance howled with laughter behind them. "Uh…well…"

"Let me guess, there was a lint ball on my hand?"

"Don't be silly. Of course there wasn't but…"

She gripped Justin's shirt and much to his surprise, pulled it up high to expose his bare back. "Take a good look Chris, we're not at the scratching stage yet. However, I'm always looking for someone to practice on."

Chris saw the gleam in her eyes and stepped back out of the way. "Ahem…yeah…ok I'm scared of that."

She yanked his shirt down and tucked it back into his pants before reaching for his hand again. "As you should be. Sorry about that, Justin."

"Serious impulse control problem…SERIOUS problem with that Val."

Joey watched the two get on the elevator and held his hand out to Chris. "Ten dollars baby. Lay it on me."

Chris slapped his hand away and walked towards the open door. "She had easier access to his chest. I'm not giving up on this yet."

It didn't pass anyone's attention that Lauren and Justin were basically snuggling against one another in the van, and it didn't pass their own attention either. Lauren had leaned against him because of a lack of space, but when his arms had gone around her she couldn't resist the opportunity of leaning against him and getting comfortable. Who knew how long it would be before they would be able to do this again and she was going to relish in every moment. Justin appeared very comfortable and his movement had been one of interest…not practice or proving a point to anyone.

"This time tomorrow and you will know if there is hysteria or distaste."

Lauren turned to smile at Miranda. "Good way to look at it."

"I try to be all smiles when I can."

JC gave her a funny look and laughed. "Miranda the Pollyanna of the N SYNC crew. If you play the 'glad game' I'm going to jump out of this van."

She kissed his cheek and then rubbed the lipstick away. "Don't make promises you don't intend on keeping, sweetheart."

Lauren covered her mouth when she yawned and her hand accidentally hit Justin's chin on the way over. "Sorry about that. Miranda, what are you going to be doing tomorrow?"

Miranda was busy arguing playfully with JC, but she turned and smiled at the question. "You need to watch that mouth and…oh I'm going to be talking to the fans, getting pictures of them for the biography, and working on the fan section. Ronnie, the guy who is publishing this novel, had the great idea of making a huge fan section that had stories that fans told about why they love the guys. You know, stuff like when they first discovered N SYNC, times they've met them, and the list goes on and on. It's going to be a headache but it should be interesting to say the very least."

"Just wait until she gets some twenty year old who says that she's pregnant with JC's love child."

Miranda turned slowly to look at Joey. "You better watch it Joey…bad karma is a bitch."

"Yeah…yeah."

"What you're doing sounds pretty important." Lauren looked up in the front seat where Tom was sitting and saw him lean in a little to listen.

"It's going to be a huge section in the book so yeah it's very important for me to get as much done as I can while we're here in fan central. That sucker needs to be ready for publishing in a few months. That reminds me, aspirin ANYONE?"

Chris patted her shoulder. "You know, they say the best way to release tension and stress is to have a little…"

"SHUT UP CHRIS!"

He looked around at all the people in the van who had shouted at him and leaned back in the seat. "Well nevermind then. Just trying to help the woman. Sheesh!"

Lauren turned to look up at Justin and wondered about his serious expression. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

Her hand rubbed softly over his stomach and she felt his muscles clinch. "Relax and have fun tonight."

His head turned away from the window and his eyes met hers. "That's the plan."

He was quiet the rest of the way to the party and Lauren was concerned, but she understood that when he got really anxious or nervous that he closed up and handled things inside instead of making a huge display of it all. She had to respect that and leave him alone for the time being. There wasn't a way she could make the stress any less for him, but she could try her best to force him to have fun.

The party was wonderful and it was full of people who either worked for Jive or they were a part of the music industry. No reporters were allowed inside and that meant that everyone could be themselves and have a good time without it showing up on the newspaper stands the next morning. They already had enough media attention being thrown at them at this point and a little more publicity would be a bit much to handle.

The guys were off talking to a few important executives while Miranda and Lauren sat at the table giggling over Chris' earlier antics. "He doesn't know when to give up."

Miranda took a sip of her wine and nodded. "What was he hoping to find?"

"He was looking for scratches on Justin's back. Can you believe that?"

Miranda laughed even harder and hugged her stomach. "Absolutely priceless but so much like Chris. I thought you were going home tonight."

"I was supposed to but Justin called and changed my flight to tomorrow so I can go to the autograph signing and see how things are going. I'm glad because I would be wondering about them and how it was going if I wasn't there."

Miranda's eyes slid over the dance floor and she leaned in to whisper. "Have you seen Shai tonight?"

"She's here?"

"She didn't ride in our van but she's here. She's looking overly beautiful tonight and I'm guessing that she had no idea that you were going to be here because you should have seen the daggers she was shooting into your back as you walked in with Justin. To be honest, it was rather scary."

"She needs to get over it and move on. He's not going to mess with her, he's not going to touch her, and he doesn't even notice her. She's a tease and she's only after one thing…Justin's body."

Miranda pushed her glass aside and nodded. "I think you're right about that, but who can blame her? I know this is a very bad topic with you, but you have to know that the entire world seems to be after that boy's…er…GIFTS, and Shai is just bold enough to be open about it."

Lauren touched her shoulder and stood up. "The only thing that's open on that girl, is her legs. I'll be right back."

She made her way through the crowd and saw Justin talking with some older man who she assumed was a Jive supporter in some way. Always networking and always making connections was their motto, and at nineteen Justin had to work hard to prove to everyone that he wasn't just some kid playing dress up. He was VERY involved in his career and wanted people to take him as seriously as they would any other artist.

She walked around a few more people before someone grabbed her arm and pulled her around. "Hey there Lauren."

"Hi Tristan. I didn't know you were going to be here too. I mean, it doesn't shock me because this party is a great way for you to schmooze the powers that be, but I…nevermind."

He looked her over and grinned shyly. "I hope you enjoyed the concert today."

"Oh I did. You were fantastic and the crowd was really into it. If you'll excuse me…"

His hand slid down to her fingers. "I also hope I didn't embarrass you with what I did. You know, the song and all."

She turned and looked down at his hand holding hers before looking back up. "No of course you didn't. I'm not sure that was the wisest thing to do since those girls will want to think that you're single and not dedicating songs to the girl in the front row, but it's your image to play with…not mine."

"Your opinion means a lot to me and I don't think I could have done so well had it not been for the pep talk you gave me last night."

She felt his thumb slide back and forth over the back of her hand and it reminded her of Justin. "I just told you my feelings and I was honest. Honesty is a refreshing thing in this business. I really need to go because Justin is…"

When she pulled back, his fingers tightened on hers again to stop her. "I know that you two are close but maybe back in Orlando you and I can go out for coffee or something?"

"You really are an old fashioned gentleman aren't you?"

"He's very impressive."

Lauren cringed when she heard Justin's voice right behind her. "Ohhhhhh…shit. Great timing."

"It's a gift." He stepped up beside them and looked down at their hands until Lauren jerked her hand away from Tristan's. "Fancy finding you here."

Tristan held his hand out and shook Justin's. "You know how it is when you start out…you do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door."

Justin took a step closer to him and Lauren's eyes widened. "Guys…"

"Getting your foot in the door huh? Just watch where you step because you wouldn't want to walk on anything that is important to someone else."

Tristan smiled slyly. "Maybe if the signs were clearer, then it would be better understood what belongs to someone else."

Justin's eyes narrowed and he moved even closer. "Common sense will get you pretty far. Use it."

Lauren pushed her way between them and put her hand on Justin's chest. "Ok that's enough. I don't know what's going on between you two but now is not the time and this is NOT the place."

"I think Timberlake can't stand a little competition on or off the stage."

She rolled her eyes and pushed on Justin's chest. "TRISTAN!"

Justin moved slightly and smiled. "No need to sign up for a game that's already been won."

"JUSTIN!" She looked around and noticed that some people had turned to see what was going on and she felt like slapping both of the guys she was standing between. Never had she seen a more stupid display of male ego in her life.

"Hey, no need to get all hot under the collar, Timberlake. It's not my chest she has her hand on, it's not my room she's sleeping in, and it's not my bed she's sharing. Relax."

Lauren turned slowly to look at him. "Oh NO you didn't. TELL ME I misheard what you just said."

"You heard him correctly and it's not even worth fighting over."

She kept looking at Tristan and her feelings were a cross between blinding anger, excitement that he would think that about her and Justin, and confusion about why he would say something so obviously and purposefully mean. "Why are you acting this way? I thought you were different."

He saw the pain in her eyes and wished he could take back everything he had just said, but he wasn't one to back down. "Lauren, I'm sorry about what I said but…"

Justin grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. "She doesn't want to hear it and neither do I. Good luck playing your guitar. I hear that a mirror is a wonderful audience."

Lauren allowed him to pull her away but after a while she got tired of it and tried to pull her hand away. "I can't believe you did that. Let me go."

"You can't believe I did what? You can't believe that I stood up for you back there?"

"THAT was not standing up for me. That was two roosters throwing their feathers in each other's faces. I don't agree with what he said but you know the status you have and Tristan is starting out and…"

He pulled her off to the side, watched as she angrily leaned her back against the wall behind her, and then he leaned over her with both arms propped on the wall over her head. "Don't you dare defend him. I don't have the patience or the control over my temper to listen to that."

She looked up and met his angry eyes head on. "I wasn't going to defend him because I think you were both wrong. What were you trying to prove? Hmm? You walked up while we were talking and you looked us over like we were two people who just got caught having an affair. THAT wasn't fair Justin and what kind of reaction did you expect us to have?"

"You were pulling away, he kept grabbing your hand, and I reacted like I think any good friend would when he sees someone he cares about being mauled in a public place."

She laughed at that. "Mauled? He's not a damn bear, Justin. He's some guy who is trying so hard to fit in around here. Take a look around. Take a good look around and see how HARD this crowd is. This isn't your basic teenage party type atmosphere. These are the people who have the power to not only bring your dreams to life, but to crush them with one nod of their head. Tristan was holding onto what he felt comfortable with and just like Miranda and I…"

"What he was comfortable with?"

She held up a hand when he interrupted. "Just like Miranda and I were over there talking to each other, he was looking for someone familiar and not so scary to talk to. Do you normally go into a scene like this and talk to people you don't know, or do you stick close to the ones you DO know well? Come on…push the pride aside and THINK!"

He looked down at her fiery eyes and thought that she was so beautiful when she was mad like this. "Ok you're right, but how are you going to defend his comment about you and I sharing a bed?"

That comment had pissed her off but he had been cornered and she was going to try to give him that much respect even though she shouldn't. She reached up and touched Justin's cheek with a smile. "I hate to break this to you, but we DO share a bed."

He saw her smile, heard her sarcastic tone, and couldn't stop the smile that overtook his face. "Yesssss we do."

"Are you through breathing fire enough to dance with me? I wouldn't want you to singe my hair or zap my eyes out or anything."

He pushed off of the wall and held out his hand while he bowed at the waist. "It would be my pleasure."

She put her hand in his and allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor. "You're still an egotistical bastard."

"You love me though."

"Hmm…you might be right about that. You just might be right."