“Something wrong?” JC asked, the smile fading slightly as he took in his friend’s puzzled expression.
Justin shook his head slightly, shooting another glance at Jordan who was now relaxing next to Mo in JC’s abandoned lawn chair. Zachary rested on her lap, obviously worn out from his Chris filled day as his eyelids drooped heavily. “Nah, I’m fine. How bout you? How’d Europe treat ya? You just got back from there right?” he inquired.
JC nodded as he took a swig from the bottle he held in his hand. “Yep, Mo and I flew into New York about a week ago. The tour was crazy man, you’d never believe what kind of nuts there are over there.”
Justin raised an eyebrow and smirked as JC corrected himself with a laugh. “Okay, so you would believe it. So what’s been up with you?”
Justin shrugged slightly, “Not a whole lot, I was working at home a lot more cuz the studios went under a little remodeling. Which was nice because then I got to spend a lot more time with Zach and Jordan…” he trailed off, tossing another sidelong glance at his family sitting nearby.
“That’s cool, so Timberlake Studios received a little makeover did they? What did ya’ll update?” JC questioned curiously.
Justin grinned, “We added a couple new recording studios in the back, made the old ones a little bit bigger, some newer equipment…you should come check it out tomorrow if you’ve got a chance. Oh, and we changed the name too.”
“Yeah? To what?”
The blonde ran a hand over his braids, “Celebrity Studios.” He laughed slightly as he remembered why he had decided to rename his business. Jordan had pointed out, not so subtly that for someone who called himself an artist, he wasn’t very creative at naming things. His mind wandered carelessly back to that particular night, only a couple months prior.
****
Jordan sat cross-legged on the plush tan carpet of the large family room, surrounded by a mountainous pile of swatches of fabric, stationary samples, and catalogues full of overpriced, high tech equipment. Hitting the remote for the stereo system, she shook her head slightly as the cd switched over to N Sync’s “Celebrity” album, which was the last one they had made before disbanding. Programming the stereo to play her favorite songs on the disk, she tossed the remote aside and yawned openly. Running a hand over her chestnut locks, she groaned as she surveyed her surroundings once more. “Justin…there’s eight billion things to choose from here. I thought you were remodeling, not rebuilding.”
Justin wandered in from the kitchen, munching thoughtfully on a slice of cold pizza. “I pham remollin.” he said, plopping down beside his wife and offering her a bite of the food he held in his hand.
Shaking her head slightly, Jordan rolled her eyes. “Run that by me again? This time in English?” she quipped.
Justin swallowed and spoke again. “I AM remodeling.”
“Remodeling includes updating a FEW select things in hopes of modernizing the overall appearance of something.” she stated matter-of-factly.
Justin grinned devilishly, “Ooh I love it when you get all intellectual…makes me hot ya know.” he stated, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Jordan swatted his wandering hand away with the magazine she held. “Get your mind out of the gutter if you want me to help you with this.”
“I have something else you could help me with…” he whispered seductively into her ear as he leaned in towards her to brush his lips along the nape of her neck.
Leaning back with a laugh, Jordan tried to work her features into a look of annoyance. “I’m serious Justin.”
“So am I.” he said indignantly, reaching out for her.
Moving out of his grasp, she stood up quickly and started out of the large room. Justin cut her off just before she darted out through the doorway and into the hall. “Leaving already?” he asked huskily as he backed her up against the wall.
Before she could answer, Justin crushed his mouth down hungrily on hers, pulling her body closer before lifting Jordan up off of her feet and carrying her across the room. Stopping in front of the fireplace, he laid her down gently and sat down next to her. Gazing down at his wife, he smiled contentedly as he took in her careless beauty. Her long dark hair fanned out atop the fair colored carpet, and her hazel eyes shimmered brightly in the firelight as she let out a throaty laugh.
“What?” he asked softly, running a finger down her bronzed cheek.
“I just realized…with all this remodeling you’re planning, you should seriously consider coming up with a new name for your studios.” she stated, propping herself up on her elbows.
Justin bowed his head in defeat. “You’re telling me after my little seduction scene, all you’re thinking about is how I should rename my studios?” he sighed and ran a hand through his curls. “I must be losing my touch.”
“Well, I mean…for someone who is so creative musically, you really aren’t that…original in the naming things department.” Jordan suggested.
“Oh yeah?” he asked, feigning hurt.
Jordan laughed. “Justin Timberlake Foundation, Timberlake Studios…ring any bells? At LEAST try to come up with something original. Hmm…how about Just-In Time Studios? Or…” she paused thoughtfully. “Celebrity Studios? It was the last album you guys put out…” she trailed off, looking to her husband for his reaction.
Justin grinned. “I like that…Celebrity Studios. Now where were we?” he pressed, licking his lips slightly as he gazed into Jordan’s dark eyes.
“We were working on the stuff for the remodeling.” Jordan teased.
“Hmm…no, I think there was something after that, but before this.” Justin replied, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I wish I could just remember what it was…hmm…maybe you should give me a hint.” he suggested, winking at her and shooting her an irresistible grin.
“A hint…I dunno…my memory’s pretty bad these days, I don’t know if I can recall…” Jordan trailed off coyly. She laughed throatily as she noticed Justin’s facial expression. “Oh yeah…I remember…it went something like…” she stopped as she leaned in and pressed her warm lips to Justin’s neck, her hands fisting in his curls as he lay her back onto the floor.
“Ring any bells?” she asked as she pulled back to look into his blue eyes.
Justin smiled and leaned over his wife as their lips met eagerly in a passionate kiss. It wasn’t long before the world seemingly faded away until it was just the two of them, the fire, and the music that danced upon the night air…
Cause something happens when you look at me I forget to speak
Something happens when you kiss my mouth my knees get so weak
Could it be true this is what God has meant for me cause baby
I can't believe that something like you could happen to me
Brushing a strand of hair off of Jordan’s face, Justin placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as he looked down into her eyes. He thought about how much she meant to him, and how having her and Zachary in his life were like a dream come true. He tried to imagine his life without them, and his heart ached at the mere thought of it. Jordan connected with him, touched him in ways that no one else ever had or would. The two of them knew each other as nobody else did, and for that he thanked God everyday that she had chosen him. A look of true love passed between husband and wife as he bent to press his lips to hers once more.
****
“You okay man?” JC asked, clapping a strong hand on Justin’s back, startling him out of his thoughts.
“Wha? Oh..yeah, I’m fine…just kinda drifted off for a minute there…I was just remembering something.” he explained, blushing slightly.
JC shot his longtime friend a wary look before continuing on, “So I’ve been working out some new tracks for my next album right? Well a few days ago I started laying down this up tempo bit with Alex and Brad…”
Justin interrupted with a nod, “How’s it coming?”
JC stroked his chin thoughtfully as he studied the slightly younger man in front of him. “It’s missing something, and it took me a bit to figure out what it was that I needed to make it hit me right here, you know what I mean?” he asked, fisting up his hand and tapping his heart lightly as he spoke.
“So what was it missing?” Justin prodded.
“Your voice.” JC stated simply, holding up a hand as Justin opened his mouth to speak, then began again. “I know you haven’t recorded in a long time, but remember how it used to be? I think our voices play off of each other well…yours is more funky…it’s got that r&b flavor that I couldn’t never quite grab ahold of. My tone is a little more smooth, mellow. I think it’d be a good contrast for this song. What do ya say?”
Justin’s face broke into a wide grin and he nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, definitely. It’s funny that you should bring that up cuz I’ve been thinking of doing some recording lately. I just miss it sometimes, ya know? I’d love to…we can do it in the studios this week before rehearsals really start up for the VMA’s.”
JC smiled at his former bandmate and nodded, “Well, that was easy. How about tomorrow? I can call Brad and see if they can hop on over and join us. Say, around noon?”
“Yep, I’ll be there.” Justin said, his head swimming with excitement as he pondered the thought of recording again for the first time since leaving N Sync. The subject was abandoned however, as Meredith and Lance wandered over to say hello.
****
Rachel re-entered the yard, allowing the patio door to bang loudly behind her as she surveyed the group of people littering the yard. The setting sun had disappeared into the palm tree scattered horizon, and tiki torches had been lit in various locations, giving the yard a festive appearance. To her right, she noticed the majority of her friends in a large group conversing animatedly while ahead of her, Jordan, Mo, and Chris sat easily in cushioned lawn chairs. She smiled, noticing Chris’ drooping eyelids and the tiny boy resting comfortably on his lap.
“Feeling better?” Jordan asked, noticing her sister making her way towards them. Her gaze grew concerned as she observed Rachel’s tired and slightly puffy eyes.
Nodding, Rachel melted into an empty chair next to Chris as Mo spoke up. “Want me to beat him into submission?” she offered, a devilish yet playful spark igniting her dark eyes.
“Sure” Rachel muttered listlessly, kicking off her sandals and glancing at Chris who was drifting in and out of sleep despite efforts to remain awake. Noticing Mo’s concerned expression at her lack of enthusiasm and emotion, the blonde sighed. “Weapon of choice?” she inquired.
Mo tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Hmm…I need something good…something that will leave a mark…” she teased. “How about a wet noodle? It’s a popular choice you know. Fifty lashes!” she shouted triumphantly, causing a few of the others standing nearby to give her a strange look over their shoulders.
Rachel laughed and shook her head in response.
“Um, okay so that idea’s no good. Plus he may just try and eat it.…you know those Italians and their pasta. Let’s see…a hose? A rubber chicken? Chris’ old weave?”
At the mention of his name, Chris awoke with a start. “It wasn’t me! I swear I didn’t put ex-lax in your drink!” he stated, clearly not fully coherent after being startled out of his nap. The three women stared at him before dissolving into giggles as he drifted off once more.
“Anyways Miss Rachie, on a serious note…how ARE things with you and Joseph?” Mo asked.
Rachel shook her head as she contemplated her answer. “Today? They’re…tense.” she said mildly.
Jordan shot her sister a sympathetic smile as she noticed her son stirring on Chris’ lap. Rising out of her chair, she pulled Zach up into her arms. She paused briefly, squeezing her sister’s shoulder as she passed, indicating she would be back as she headed over toward Justin.
Mo furrowed her brow as she pondered Rachel’s situation. “Tense huh? I’d say that’s a bit of an understatement. You guys were very um…vocal…earlier.” she stated bluntly.
Rachel ran a hand absently through her blonde hair as she looked past Mo through red rimmed eyes at Joey, who stood talking casually to April and Meredith. Turning her attention back to her confidante, she bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay. “Yeah, it was worse in the car. I’m sure the driver thought he would have to separate us.” she joked half heartedly.
“Do you guys fight a lot?” Mo inquired gently.
“Some days are worse than others I guess. I’m just tired Mo…tired of feeling taken for granted. Tired of being patient. Tired of waiting for something…anything to confirm that I haven’t wasted six years of my life being somebody’s on again off again…toy.” she spat out.
Mo looked taken aback for a moment and then her expression turned that familiar mixture of both thoughtful and motherly. She collected her thoughts carefully before speaking. “I don’t think he sees you as his toy Rachel.” she began. “Do you ever think that maybe there’s a reason why he’s reluctant to put a name to what you guys have? To place a ring on your finger…if that’s what you are meaning when you say you want confirmation of his devotion.”
Rachel pondered that for a moment. “What kind of reason could he possibly have, other than the fact that by holding back with me, he’s keeping his options open?”
Mo pursed her lips. “That’s something you need to ask him. Not shout at him…ASK him. Have you ever thought, in the midst of all your arguments, to take a deep breath and just discuss things like the adults you have become?”
Rachel laughed, “Ya know Mo, for someone just a year older than me, you sure do have a gift for making someone feel really young. But thanks for the advice, I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Mo leaned over and patted Rachel’s arm lovingly. “Anytime Rachie, anytime.”