“Pass the butter.” Joey asked with a mouthful of food.
“Put any more butter on that bread and we’ll have to roll you around the stage.” Chris joked and passed the butter to him,
“Hey look who’s talking.” He shot back.
“Well I’m not like JC who burns off everything they eat instantly!”
“Hey, don’t bring me into it!” JC protested,
“Joey where’s Izzy? I haven’t seen her around today.” Lance asked,
“You mean you haven’t been able to drool over her today.” Justin poked,
“I don’t drool over her.” Lance protested.
“Maybe not, but you stare at her every time she walks in the room.” Justin countered,
“That’s because she’s really nice to look at.” Lance smiled at the thought of Izzy,
“Too bad she’s a ditzy bitch.” JC retorted,
“No, she’s not, JC. Izzy's really smart and she’s not a bitch. Maybe if you stopped being such a prick to her, you’d figure that out.”
“Hey, I just treat her the same way she treats me.”
“I don’t get it C. You two used to get along. In fact you had the biggest jones for her.” Joey said,
“What are you talking about? I’ve never met her before this tour and I definitely don’t have a crush on her now.” JC said defensively,
“Remember when we first met and started hanging out? When it was just you, Chris, and me? Izzy was living with me at that time, except we used to call her Bell.” JC grew wide-eyed as Joey went on, “You used to drool over her then and she wasn’t nearly as hot as she is now.”
“Izzy is Bell?” He said in shock.
“Her name is IsaBELLa, she switched to Izzy when she went to college.” JC stared at Joey,
“Oh my God! I can’t believe that she’s the same girl? What the hell happened to her? She used to be this sweet little thing.”
“She still is that sweet little thing, you just bring out the tiger in her.”
“I can’t believe it. What a difference!” He said in shock,
“Izzy hasn’t changed much from before.” Joey said, “She’s got sass and she’s smart. That’s how she’s always been.”
“She was nicer to me back in the day.”
“Well you were nicer to her back then too. If you weren’t mean to her from the start you might have realized it.”
At that moment Izzy sat with the guys. She had already eaten and decided on having some ice cream. She sat by Lance and tickled his side a little,
“Hey sweets.” She cooed as Lance jumped at her touch,
“Hey Iz.” He smiled when he realized that it was her and looked at the ice cream,
“Ice cream for lunch?”
“Who are you my father?” She teased,
“Hell yeah I’m your daddy.” He rumbled back at her causing her to fall into a fit of giggles.
JC watched Izzy as she ate her ice cream, he knew what it felt like to be that ice cream cone. His face grew warm at the thought and then a memory flooded his mind.
{Flash Back}
"Ice cream for lunch, Josh?”
“Who are you my mother?” He teased giving her hand a squeeze. She rolled her eyes,
“I’m definitely not your mother, I’ve got…” She stopped and he pulled her close,
“What?”
“I’m not dumb, I’m not going to diss your mother.”
“Good choice, cuz then I’d have to leave you here.” He smiled mischievously at her,
“Well at least I’d have ice cream.” She shrugged with a smile and JC couldn’t help but smile at her. She just had that affect on him, the sight of her just lit up his day and made him happy. He was so glad she had come to see him while he was taping.
They got their ice cream, JC handed his to Bell and pulled out his wallet to pay.
“Hey I’ve got money, it’s in my pocket.” She said as JC pulled some bills out of his wallet and handed them to the girl,
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You sure?” He turned a serious look on her,
“Yes.” She smiled at him,
“Okay, pushy mickey man comes through again.” She teased and he laughed shaking his head. He took his ice cream from her and nodded towards the benches,
“Let’s go grab a seat.” He took her hand,
“Kay.” She replied and let him lead her to a seat. Once they were settled, JC let into her,
“So about you and Joey. Is there a reason you’re always at Joey’s house?”
“Um, I live there, which is another half of our problem because Joe’s always around and in my business.”
“Ah, why do you live with Joey?”
“Because Joe’s here, it was hard to live without him back in New York and his family loves me.” She shrugged concentrating on her ice cream,
“Your parents just let you up and move down to Florida on your own?”
“It was a family decision.” She said distantly and looked at him, “What’s up with that Nikki chick?” She asked changing the subject off of her.
“Nikki? We used to date, then she broke up with me for some other guy then ever since he dumped her, she’s been hanging all over me again.”
“Wow what a bitch.” She wrinkled her nose and took another bite of ice cream. JC was mesmerized by her mouth and the was she ate her ice cream. Bell noticed him watching her, “What, do you want some?” She held out her cone and he took a quick lick then he held out his cone to her,
“You want some of mine?” She nodded and took a lick of his. She was so close that their legs were touching, his arm was lazily draped behind her and he could smell her scent, it was a flowery, sensual scent. He looked down at her, more than anything he wanted to kiss her, touch her, feel her. The attraction was so powerful it was overwhelming. He knew Bell felt it too because she backed up on the bench, away from him, looking uncomfortable.
{End Flash Back}
JC shook his head shaking himself out of the memory of the girl he had lost so long ago. It couldn’t be true that his Bell was right in front of him this entire time, it just couldn’t be. JC realized that he had been staring at her this entire time and saw her smiling at him. He smiled back at her and went back to eating his food lost in his thoughts.
“You’re like a little kid.” She giggled; he turned and pouted at her,
“I am not!” He protested playfully and then got an impish twinkle in his eye. He whispered something to their keyboardist, who smiled and nodded.
“Timberlake what are you doing?” She yelled and Justin simply smiled. He grabbed a mike from a technician and heard the music begin. He sang,
“Lookin' back, reminiscing on.
Caught a brother doing bad, then you put me on.
Told me not to be ashamed of what I got,
Never mind I'm hatin' niggas up and down the block, babe.”
Justin was singing, ‘More than a Woman’, by Angie Stone, one of her favorite songs. He slowly walked over to her, dancing a little, making moves that only Justin could pull off. He reached down and held out his hand to her,
“What are you doing?” She asked,
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Not a bit.” She teased and took his hand. He helped her stand and pointed the mike towards her mouth,
“Sing it baby.” And she smiled as she shook her head. He persisted and she finally gave in and sang,
“Had it down and bills got paid.” And Justin took the mike back and sang,
“Said go ahead baby, do the same thing.” He led her to the middle of the stage as she sang,
“And when God blesses us, I want a Lexus, with a hideaway mansion in the Hamptons.” Justin handed her a mike of her own and went into the next verse,
“Girl you must have lost your way from heaven,”
“Could it be for me you came so far.” She countered,
“Nothing like the ordinary woman.” He sang back,
“You're the very beat inside my heart.” She sang. It was fun bouncing back and forth with Justin. They moved around the stage like they owned it, not caring if anyone was watching,
“Girl you're like a star, I feel so common.”
“Shining like a diamond out in space.”
“Girl you're like my mother, my sister, my lover, irreplaceable, nothing can take your place.” He sang and then they sang the chorus to each other,
“You're the blood in my veins,
You're the air I breathe, on a hot summer day you're like a shirt with no sleeves.
What makes me a man, any fool could see,
You're more than a woman to me.
If you take that back there would be no cure,
I'd sail there forever like a ship with no shore.
What makes me a man any fool could see
More than a woman to me.” Izzy broke away from Justin and then turned to face him totally playing up the song,
“Look at us, livin' in luxury, and I've been thinking maybe we should start a family. Oh a girl for you and a boy for me.” Justin got down on his knees and held her hand,
“Matching stones, set baguettes, would you marry me, baby?” She laughed and made him stand again, placing a kiss on his cheek,
“And if you'll have me I'd gladly give my life.” Justin took her hand again,
“Today I take this vow to make you my wife.”
“Nothing temporary.”
“No it's quite contrary.” They sang together giving it all they had,
“It's you and me for eternity.”
“Boy you must have lost your way from heaven.” She continued,
“Could it be for me you came so far.” Justin sang back to her,
“Nothing like the ordinary brother.”
“You're the very beat inside my heart.” Justin patted his chest.
“Boy, you're like a star, I feel so common.”
“Shining like a diamond out in space.”
“Something like my father, my brother, my lover.” She sang and winked at lover making him laugh,
“Irreplaceable, nothing can take your place.”
“Boy you’re mine!” She wailed out into the mike, and then they sang together again,
“You're the blood in my veins,” Izzy turned around and Justin came up behind her and put his arms around her as they sang,
“You're the air I breathe, on a hot summer day you're like a shirt with no sleeves.
What makes me a man, any fool could see,
You're more than a woman to me.
If you take that back there would be no cure,
I'd sail there forever like a ship with no shore.
What makes me a man any fool could see,
More than a woman to me.” Justin twirled her out of his arms and danced her around as she sang,
“If you're certain about it, oh yeah.”
“Baby, you're the essence of my life.” Justin sang back, “Wanna make you my wife, yeah baby.”
“Oh Lord, baby I love you.”
“My, my, my baby! My, my, my baby, yeah, yeah!”
“Said you're my baby.”
“Whoa, yeah.”
“I knew there was something about you.”
“Girl, I love you.” He said and they heard screams from the crowd, throwing Izzy out of this trance that she had formed through this song with Justin. The fans had begun showing up for the sound check. Justin saw the panic in her eyes and he pulled her face to his making her only look at him and sang, “You're the blood in my veins,” She didn’t take her eyes from Justin and sang with him,
“You're the air I breathe, on a hot summer day you're like a shirt with no sleeves.
What makes me a man, any fool could see,
You're more than a woman to me.
If you take that back there would be no cure,
I'd sail there forever like a ship with no shore.
What makes me a man any fool could see
More than a woman to me.” They finished and a cheer came up from the crowd. Justin pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the cheek,
“Not too bad, killer.” He whispered into her ear and then looked at her with a huge grin on his face. He then turned to the crowd keeping his arm around Izzy and waved to the fans that had arrived. He nudged Izzy and she waved too.
“Joey’ll be here. Did you expect him to be on time?” JC laughed and caught the sight of Joey coming through the crowd. He had his arm around a young brunette. “See he’s right there and he brought a friend.”
“Dude, I seriously doubt that she’s just a friend. You know Joe.” Chris commented and JC just laughed as Joey made his way over to them. They stood up and greeted him,
“Joey! They said together,
“Hey guys what’s up?” Joey said and turned to the girl next to him, “Bell, this is Chris and Josh.” He turned back to the guys, “Guy this is my Bella.” JC looked at Bell and caught his breath for a moment when he locked eyes with her. Her eyes were the most amazing green he had ever seen. She extended her hand to them,
“It’s nice to meet you two.” Chris grabbed it first as JC was tongue tied,
“You must be the Bell that he talks about all the time, it’s nice to finally meet you.” He said and smiled warmly. Chris nudged JC and he jumped, shaking her hand,
“Yeah, uh, it’s, uh, nice to meet you.”
“You must be the articulate one right?” She teased lightly and he blushed a little,
“Yeah that’s me.”
“So, what stories has he been telling about me know? You know I really wish he’d get someone else to obsess about.” She joked and Joey pulled her close,
“I only obsess about you because you’re so hot.” Joey teased back,
“What can I say when the man’s right, he’s right.” She winked and Joey began pulling her away,
“Come on let’s go dance.”
“Kay,” she looked back at the guys, “Y’all coming?” She asked,
“Yeah, sure.” JC said and he and Chris quickly followed them to the dance floor. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he would follow her anywhere if she asked him too. JC tried to dance with Bell but Joey was not letting her out of his arms. Suddenly Bell took break and sat back down at their table. JC quickly followed,
“Hey you’re not tired already are you?” He teased sitting down next to her,
“I’ve been up since six this morning, yeah I’m a bit tired.” She smiled,
“Ooo, I understand, why do you do that makes you get up that early?”
“School, I’m a senior at Dr. Phillips.”
“Ahh, I see. So have you and Joey been together long?” She laughed,
“Since I was born practically.”
“Wow, I’ve heard of relationships starting early.”
“Oh, well me and Joe aren’t really together. It’s kind of complicated.”
“Oh.” He said and was quiet, it wasn’t the answer he was hoping for but it gave him a glimmer of hope. She interrupted his thoughts,
“So are you going to get in trouble for hanging out with the universal people? Or are ya just a spy?” She teased and JC burst out laughing,
“I won’t get into trouble, maybe beaten up.” He joked and she smiled,
“Well in that case your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks, hey do you want another drink?” He said nodding towards her empty glass,
“Yeah sure thanks.” He went up and got her a drink and came back with it. They sat there and talked for most of the night.
{End Flash Back}
He stared at the picture and then back at Izzy on the stage. Was that really his Bell?