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Chapter 10

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"Is that anyway to greet an old flame?" The six-foot, curly-haired man asked smiling revealing his perfectly straight teeth. Jessica smiled and wrapped his arms around his neck. "That's more like it." He said returning the gesture.

"Justin Timberlake. What are you doing here? I thought 'N Sync was touring in Canada right now?" She asked leading him into the kitchen. She reached into the fridge and pulled out two bottles of Evian water and handed one to Justin who had taken a seat at the table. He opened it and took a drink before he spoke.

"What, I can't even visit an old friend without getting the third degree?" He asked making a face, Jess raised her eyebrows at him and smiled. He frowned at her then continued, "Well, there is a reason I'm here. I have to ask you a question." Jessica hopped off of her seat she took on the counter top to take a seat at the table alongside Justin.

"You came all the way from Canada to ask me a question? Must be an important question." Justin gazed at the table staring at something that wasn't even there.

"Well, it is, I guess. Um, you always would listen when I needed to talk and right now I need to talk. You don't mind listening do you?" He asked innocently gazing up at her with his crystal blue eyes. She looked at him and suddenly realized it had to be something big, something he couldn't talk to the other guys about.

"Of course I don’t mind J. I don't even know why you felt the need to ask me that question. What is it?" She said grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing it for reassurance. He smiled a bit and took another sip. "You know about me and Britney right?" He looked at her and she nodded, knowing he was talking about Britney Spears. They were in the Mickey Mouse Club together and she was on tour with them right now. She also knew he kind of had a thing for her but he was always too afraid to make the first move.

"Well, she's on tour with us as you probably know and things are great, but she wants to start, well, she wants to start dating me." Jess let go of his hand and smiled.

"That's great right? That's what you always wanted. So why aren't you happy? Isn't it what you want?" She asked suddenly confused. Justin got up from the table and made his way over to the couch and took a seat. He placed his water bottle on the coffee table and placed his face in his hands.

"It's just that I'm kinda confused. I want to be with her and everything, she's a great person and it is what I've wanted but I'm kind of weary from my last relationship with Kelly. She took a lot out of me and when she cheated on me, it made me lose faith in women." Jess glanced at him questionably.

He caught her gaze and his eyes widened. "Whoa, I haven't lost that much faith in women." He waved his arms in front of him as if warding off evil vampires or something. Jess got up off of the couch she had recently vacated and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"J, trust me. I know how you feel. But trust me, what you're going through, I've gone through it twice now."

"Twice? You went out with Nick again?" he asked confused. Jess smiled and giggled at his comment but shook his head.

"No, I didn't go out with Nick again. My other boyfriend, Mark, I came home early today and found him in bed with some big breasted, red headed bimbo. Then, I left and told him by the time I get back he better be gone. Well, he was gone alright but he decided he'd be generous enough to trash my house for me so I wouldn't have to throw a party to do it." He raised his eyebrow at her dry humor. "Ok, it wasn't funny but you get my point right?" He nodded. "What I'm saying is look at me. I'm not crying my eyes out over it and actually, this makes me want to go out and find some hot young guy to go out with and rub it in his face. But I'm not. I'm not going to let it get me down or ruin my chances at a future, potentially great relationship with someone I know I'm meant for. And J, you and Britney are meant for each other. Trust me." He smiled. Knowing she made him feel a little better she asked him how long he'd be staying. Turns out 'N Sync had a whole two weeks off. Jess asked him if he wanted to stay with her in Lexington for a week, pleased that she wanted to spend more with him he accepted her invitation. She told him he could stay with her in her bed but he declined.

"Timberlake, do you think I'm going to try to take advantage of you or something?"

"Well, won't it be weird? Us being in the same bed?" he asked kind of embarrassed now.

"J, why would it be weird? It's not like you're a sex crazed teenager like a lot of your peers you know. Besides, I'd feel bad with you sleeping out here on the couch. It's really uncomfortable and I really don't want to sleep in that big bed all by myself. Please." She pleaded giving him her best puppy dog eyes. He smiled and agreed. "Well, I was in the process of taking a bath when you got here so I'm going to rerun it and relax. I got a lot more stuff to tell you, especially since the Backstreet Boys are staying at my mothers house and Nick Carter and his girlfriend Lucy are staying in my old room." His eyes widened and his mouth dropped at what she said. He couldn't believe they were back. Let alone staying in her old room. She had just settled into her bath when she heard a light knock on the bathroom door. It was Justin wanting to brush his teeth. "Yeah, come on in. I'm covered in water and bubbles so you won't see anything." He entered the bathroom wearing a tight muscle shirt and a raggedy pair of jogging pants and holding his toothbrush. "Boy you look relaxed." He mumbled through the toothpaste and toothbrush that occupied his mouth. Jess smiled and sort of purred at his comment. Just then there was the doorbell. "Oh great. Justin, will you get that? I'm sort of, well, unable to at the moment." Justin nodded, spit out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth. He headed out of the bathroom and went to the front door.

"Hey man. What's up?" He asked the visitor. The man looked at him and frowned. Just then Jessica walked into the living room wearing only a towel and asked who was at the door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked when she saw who was at the door, all of a sudden getting worried.

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