****
“Why are we going to see Johnny exactly?” April inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically. She and Mo were riding upstairs in the elevator of the posh hotel they were all staying at while in New York for the awards. Looking down at her watch, she took notice of the time and spoke again to the dark haired woman beside her. “I thought you said our lunch reservation was at noon…it’s eleven fifty-five right now…we’re gonna be totally late. Will they hold the reservation?”
Mo rolled her eyes. “You sure worry a lot don’t you? Keep that up and you’ll have an ulcer ya know.”
“Seriously though, I don’t want to be late…you know I’m anal about time.”
Before Mo could respond, the elevator door opened with a ding, releasing the two women out into the hallway. April trailed behind the dark haired woman, hoping whatever it was that she had to talk to Johnny about wouldn’t take too long.
After walking past several numbered doors in the elegant corridor, Mo stopped in front of one with a gold 926 emblazoned upon it’s surface. Raising her hand to knock, the brunette suddenly paused, shaking her head. “I am SUCH a retard!” she exclaimed, hitting herself gently on the forehead with an open palm.
“What?” the fair haired woman asked, slightly confused.
Mo turned and began walking back towards the elevator, muttering under her breath about files, among other work related items.
“Where are you going?” April called out, looking at Mo, then the door, and back at her friend who was halfway down the hall already.
The dark haired woman stopped short, then turned, a mischievous smile gracing her pretty features. “I forgot some…files that Johnny wanted me to bring up. So I’m gonna go get them…just knock and tell him that I’ll be right back. You can go on in and just wait for me there, then we‘ll go to lunch…ok?”
April nodded, a doubtful expression on her face as she watched her friend hurry away. She shrugged, then raised her hand to knock firmly on the white door.
After a few short moments, the door swung open and a she was met with a familiar face. Her expression registered confusion however, and the blonde spoke uncertainly to the man standing within the room. “Uh…hi?”
JC smiled, his blue eyes sparkling as he gazed at April. “Hey…come on in.”
She nodded and entered into the extravagant suite, looking around curiously, unsure as to why JC was just hanging out in Johnny’s room. “Mo said to tell Johnny that she forgot some files, but she’d be right up.” she explained.
The dark haired man looked confused, “Uh…okay?” he said slowly. “Can I ask why she wanted you to tell me that?” he questioned.
April shrugged. “Cuz I don’t see Johnny and I figured I should explain why I’m just standing around his room?” she answered uncertainly. “Where is he anyhow? Mo and I have reservations for lunch and we’re already running really late.”
JC scratched his chin thoughtfully as he replied. “Well…I’m not positive, but I’ll take a wild stab in the dark and say that he’s probably in his room.”
April furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? This IS his room…” she started, then the realization that she’d merely been a pawn in Mo’s game hit her. She shook her head as she laughed. “I’m sorry…apparently Mo has it in her head that we should go to the VMA’s together. I’m sure this was all part of her strange little plan to get us to hook up again…err…I mean…uh…her plan to get us dates to the awards.” she fumbled, her cheeks burning.
JC nodded, remembering his conversation with Mo the day before. His manager had mentioned she was concocting a plan of action, and would figure out a way to get him and April alone. The rest would be up to him. “Right.” he said simply, “Well, since you’re here…do you want a drink or anything?”
April smiled. “It’s a little early in the day for alcohol don’t you think?”
With a grin, JC gestured to the mini bar. “I meant soda or something…” he continued, making his way over to the small fridge and opening the door, displaying a wide variety of fruit juice, soda, bottled water, as well as the customary alcoholic beverages. Reaching in, he pulled out a can and held it up, making a face. “Can I interest you in some…Guava Nectar?”
Laughing, the woman shook her head. “No thanks, that sounds disgusting.”
“Yeah, it does doesn’t it?” he responded, wrinkling his nose at the can one last time before placing it back on the refrigerator shelf.
April stood awkwardly, not really knowing to say as she glanced around the room. Her gaze rested upon the set of elegant French doors, causing a sense of familiarity to fall upon her. She shook her head in slight disbelief before turning back to the brunette man. “How in the hell do you keep getting such a great view?” she pondered aloud.
Taking a sip out of the water bottle he had grabbed out of the mini bar, JC shrugged. Swallowing the liquid, he spoke, a tinge of playfulness in his soothing voice. “I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.” he stated, smiling as he recalled the same conversation taking place not quite two years prior.
“Okay, I don’t know about you but I’m having a major Twin Peaks experience here. I’m afraid if you say one more thing, there’s a strong possibility it’ll force me to run screaming from the room.” she retorted.
JC maneuvered around the overstuffed sofa and perched on one of the comfy chairs littering the lounge area of the magnificent suite, his gaze fixed on the blue eyed woman nearby. “Run screaming from the room eh?” he mused. “Was it really that bad?”
April’s cheeks warmed as her embarrassment grew. “No! I mean…I didn’t say that…” she trailed off, her gaze averted from JC‘s piercing sapphire eyes.
He laughed, “Okay, so…uh…it was good then?”
She sat down on the armrest of the sofa, her face the color of a ripe tomato. “Um…well, yeah it was nice…I mean…well, you would have known if I wasn’t…err…enjoying myself.” she fumbled.
He smirked, arching a brow questioningly. “Is that so?” he teased.
“Yeah. I mean…well…it would have been hard…err, difficult not to notice. Ya know, being in uh, such close quarters.” she babbled. Her face flushed, she mentally kicked herself for allowing the awkward situation to get her flustered.
JC studied the pretty features of the woman perched on the edge of the sofa, and his bemused expression turned more serious. He decided to just come right out and say it. “April, I just want to apologize for everything that happened that night. I don’t want you to think that I used you in order to forget about how everything was changing around me. I know that we never really talked about it afterwards, and then time just slid by and…well…I figured it would be slightly awkward for both of us to discuss it after so long.”
April laughed as she nodded. “You can say that again…the awkward part that is.” she emphasized.
He continued. “I just didn’t really know what to say to you, I mean, I’m not normally a one-night stand kind of guy. That’s just never been my scene.” he professed honestly. “I guess I was also a little bit embarrassed about my actions…I didn’t mean to take advantage of you that night.”
The blonde woman drew back slightly at those words. “Take advantage of me? That definitely wasn’t the case JC, I was just as…well, willing as you were. I mean, I never talked to you about it either so that makes me just as bad, if that‘s the way you see it.” she explained. “Besides, I’d had this sort of…hidden attraction to you for awhile by that point. So, at the time it just seemed to take a…ok, well I was gonna say natural progression, but in all honesty it was more like a sudden plunge. Basically though, afterwards I didn‘t say anything because I figured you had enough on your plate as it was. The last thing you needed was me pressuring you into something you weren‘t ready for, or sure of. Especially when everything else in your life had so recently spun out of your control.” April confessed candidly.
JC smiled slowly, hesitating as he took in everything April just said. “Ya know, It’s funny you mention the whole attraction thing, cuz I’d been thinking about you a lot too around the time of our…uh…encounter.” Then, he shook his head firmly. “But I went about it all wrong, jumping into bed, screwing things up before they even had a chance. Then afterwards, the timing was always off. I was swamped with stuff for my solo album, then touring and doing all kinds of overseas promotion…then a few months later you started dating that guy, what was his name? Nick?” he asked.
April rolled her eyes. “Let’s not mention him, if that’s okay with you.” she cringed at the memory of her former beau.
His eyes sparkled as he laughed aloud. “Okay, we’ll keep him on the ‘unmentionable’ list in the future. Got it.”
“Thanks.” she smiled back gratefully.
“So uh...can I ask you something now that we’re getting everything out in the open?”
She shrugged. “Sure, go for it.”
“That attraction that you said you’d had concerning me…is there any chance that it’s still there?” he asked shyly.
A sweet smile slid easily over her features, “Yes…what about you?”
He nodded a reply, a sheepish grin darting across his own chiseled face. Looking relieved, he spoke again. “Would you like to accompany me to the VMA’s?”
“I’d love to.” she replied agreeably. “Plus, Mo would kick my ass if I said no.”
JC looked startled for a moment. “So…you wouldn’t go if Mo wasn’t overseeing things in the dating department?”
April smirked coyly as she responded. “Well Mo wasn’t running the show before and I think we did just fine, don’t you?”
“Good point.” he laughed, shaking his head slightly. Before he could speak again, the phone rang, interrupting the conversation.
JC answered it, expecting it to be Mo wanting an update on the situation. Instead, it was Joey and he sounded rather upset. Talking to the man on the other line briefly, speaking in low tones, JC turned back to April as he hung up the phone. “That was Joey, he wanted to know if I could meet him before we have to be at run-through this afternoon to talk about some personal stuff that’s bothering him. So I have to leave a little sooner than I planned…” JC said, looking apologetic at having to cut their conversation short.
Her blue eyes filling with concern, she stood immediately. “Oh, okay. Is everything alright?”
“It seems to be…I think he’s just stressed out right now. He’s got the award show, all the press and promotion that comes along with it, he’s got a lead in a Broadway musical starting two days after the VMA’s, and on top of that all his problems with Rachel lately…it’s just kinda worn him down.” JC explained as the pair walked over to the main door of the lavish suite.
“That makes sense. Well…uh…I guess I‘ll get going. Um…I have to be at the venue later, Jordan has to be there for the entire run-through. She’s presenting, so I’m gonna hang out and keep an eye on Zach while she’s onstage. Maybe I’ll see you there or whatever.” April rambled, one hand on the door as she tried to figure out a good way to end the conversation they’d just had.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Okay…uh…this probably sounds totally lame but I don’t exactly know what’s next. I mean, we’ve gotten pretty…well…close already. Where do we go from there?” she laughed out loud at the awkward situation they’d gotten themselves into.
“That’s a good question. How bout a handshake? A hug?” he suggested.
“A hug would work.” April agreed, and the two embraced briefly, each saying ‘bye’ and ‘see you later’. Releasing JC, the blonde woman turned and opened the door, exiting back into the hallway with a smile and a wave.
JC grinned as he wandered around the room, gathering up his belongings and clothing for rehearsals. He was making sure he had everything he needed for the afternoon in a bag when he heard a knock on his door. Furrowing his brow in confusion, he opened it to reveal April, looking slightly flustered. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could get anything out, she had beat him to it.
“Oh hell.” she said, then reached out and drew JC forward gently, her hand on the nape of his neck. Their lips met in a soft kiss, which deepened slightly after a few moments, igniting the sparks that had been lying dormant for quite awhile. Pulling away, April didn’t say a word, just smiled sweetly and then turned, leaving JC staring after her as she disappeared down the hall and into the elevator.
****
Jordan walked into the voluminous auditorium, sunglasses covering her tired eyes, evidence that she‘d already had a long day although it was only two in the afternoon. Her slender frame was draped in a pair of low riding jeans and a long sleeved red t-shirt, her shiny chestnut hair piled loosely into a ponytail at the top of her head. She hardly looked the part of a 25 year old mother as she wandered in, her copper colored skin glowing and a mega watt smile competing with her dimpled cheeks. Giving away the fact that she wasn’t a seventeen year old superstar was the 2 year old boy she carried dutifully in her arms.
The young boy’s chestnut ringlets protruded from his head as he clutched his blanket, a precocious expression gracing his face as his blue eyes searched around the room. As Jordan continued making her way down the aisle towards the stage, flanked by April on Mo on either side of her, the little boy found what he was looking for. Zachary began squirming eagerly in her grasp as he spotted his father, his voice loud even over the din within the large area.
“Daddy!” he squealed, twisting in his mother’s grasp.
Noticing Justin being interviewed by a member of the MTV staff, Jordan struggled to hold onto her wriggling son. Moments later, the brief questioning was done and her husband straggled over, looking exhausted. Bending slightly, Jordan released Zach and laughed as he toddled over to his father. Reaching the tall man, the cherub faced youth held up his hands and bounced up and down. “Daddy!” he stated happily as Justin reached out to pick him up in his strong grasp.
“Hey you! Did ya bring me food?” Justin inquired of his son.
Zach nodded happily, his curls bouncing as he shook his head up and down. “Mommy did.” he stated, pointing at Jordan.
Justin wandered over to his wife, saying hello to April and Mo, who greeted him as they sipped at the coffee in their hands. “Whatcha got for me baby?” he begged, pawing at the bag Jordan had slung over her shoulder.
“Watch it mister, I was up early, and I’m not in the mood.” Jordan stated with a warning glance.
Justin pretended to pout for a moment, then smiled gratefully as Jordan produced sandwiches and two bottles of water from her bag. “You’re welcome.” she said dryly as he snatched the food and drinks out of her hand, opening a water and handing it to Zach before placing him back on his feet. Plopping down on the floor in the middle of the aisle, Justin munched happily on his meal as Jordan sat in the row, breaking off some of her own sandwich for their son.
After eating about half of his sandwich, Justin swallowed and turned back to his wife. “Rachel was looking for you earlier, she looked a little upset…” he stated with a concerned expression.
“Did she say what was wrong?” Jordan inquired, handing Zachary another piece of sandwich.
Justin shook his head, “Nope, she just wanted to know when you were getting here. I told her sometime around two, she said okay and then went back to taping some interviews for her show.” he explained simply.
“Okay…” she replied, glancing around the enormous room, scanning the clusters of people standing and sitting within the rows. Finally she spotted her sister, who was absentmindedly twirling a microphone as she awaited her cue. Standing up, Jordan handed the rest of her sandwich to April. “Will you break pieces off of this for Zach?” she asked as she moved back out into the aisle where her son roamed around Justin, who was finishing up his lunch.
“Sure.” the young woman said with a smile, then crooked her finger at Zachary who immediately headed over for a refill of sustenance. Jordan smiled gratefully and started down the aisle to where her sister stood, pausing only to lovingly pat Justin’s curls as she passed.
Rachel stood staring off into space, her blue eyes showing the intense feelings she was battling within. Patiently waiting for the producer to give her the go ahead, she greeted one of the many artists she was interviewing that day with an engaging smile as her sister approached.
Jordan made her way up to the pretty blonde and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The young woman turned and gave her sister a smile, though it was plain to see in her crystal blue eyes that her feelings had been injured. Badly. “Can you get away from here for a minute to talk to me?” Jordan said softly, shooting a look over at the masses of cameras and sound equipment that surrounded them.
Rachel agreed, “Just wait here one second, I’ll go tell Brett that I need a few minutes.”
The dark haired woman watched Rachel as she walked over to the show’s producer and spoke to him quietly. She gestured over to where Jordan stood, and the man held five fingers up as the blonde woman nodded and turned back toward her sister. Reaching her, she spoke. “I have five minutes.” she shrugged, then pointed over to a secluded area of the bustling room.
As the two women wandered over to the isolated section of seating, Jordan wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist in a gesture of comfort. Reaching the row of chairs they’d been heading towards, Jordan sat down as she spoke. “Are you okay?” she inquired, gazing at her sister, who sank into the seat beside her.
Rachel fought back tears, biting her lip as she nodded. “I’ll survive.” she managed to get out.
“What happened?”
Liquid flowed out of her baby blues as she sniffled slightly. “Joey and I…we…broke up last night.” she said haltingly, holding in the sobs that threatened to burst out.
Jordan’s hazel eyes exuded sympathy as she ran a hand soothingly over her sister’s blonde hair. “Oh Rach, I’m so sorry. When? How?”
“Last…last night.” she replied, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “It was my fault. I was so…stupid. I just wanted to know why he was holding back with me…I needed to know if he loved me as much as I love him. Apparently, he didn‘t.” she digressed bitterly.
Jordan looked shocked, “What do you mean, apparently he didn’t? Are you blind Rachel? The man’s totally in love with you.” she insisted, flabbergasted that her sister would even think such a thing.
Shaking her head firmly, the blonde woman looked through tear filled eyes at her older sister. “No, he isn't. I asked him flat out Jordan, and he just sat there and said nothing.”
Jordan hung her head, not knowing what to do. “I’m sorry Rach…I don’t know what else I can say except I’m sorry. Things will get better. Are you okay to work? I can talk to Brett if you want me to.”
Rachel stood from her chair and wiped at her tears hastily. “No, I’m okay. I’ll just have Annie fix up my makeup, I’m sure I look sort of frightening…mascara everywhere, right?” she mustered a smile as her sister rose from her chair as well.
Jordan nodded in understanding as they made their way out into the aisle, almost getting plowed into by a runaway toddler. The little boy laughed wildly as his tiny legs moved him quickly down the carpeted aisle, followed by a flustered looking April.
“I’m sorry!” She said breathlessly, shooting Jordan and Rachel an apologetic look as she brushed past them.
“I’m too fast! You’re old!” Zach screeched, darting into a row lined with cue cards.
April stopped to catch her breath as she pointed at Chris, who looked back at her as he jogged through the row the little boy had just scurried into. “See what you started?” she accused.
Chris paused, “I started this? I don’t think so. Always blaming me when the little kid gets out of line, sheesh.” he complained.
“Okay, so it was the other thirty five year old midget man that told Zach this would be a fun place to play hide and seek, not you.” April retorted, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Jordan tried to hide a smile as Chris shot the fair haired woman a dirty look. “Listen up smarty pants, I’m thirty four until October. Get the facts straight.” he demanded, a playful gleam in his eye.
“Um…I hate to interrupt but I think you might want to find Zach before he finds a camera crew.” Jordan stated diplomatically. “I really don’t need headlines stating “Timberlake Wild Child Runs Rampant at VMA Rehearsal” on the MTV news.”
The raven haired man turned his attention back to the little boy, only to spot him as he made his way out of the long row of seats and into a crowd of artists standing in the opposite aisle. “Zach?!” he called, racing towards the other side of the auditorium before the toddler could cause too much trouble.
The three women moved over to where the Hot Zone camera crew was waiting for Rachel, and as the blonde woman motioned for her makeup artist to fix her up, a voice floated over the crowd.
“Carson!” Zachary’s jubilant shout could be heard over the dull roar in the airy auditorium. “My daddy says you’re--” his sentence was cut short as Justin swooped down on him, hoisting the small boy into his arms.
“Hey man, what’s up?” Justin said in a smooth voice to the dark haired host of TRL. He shot the cameras a sideways glance as Carson laughed.
“Yep, they’re rolling.” he stated, indicating that the live show was being taped as they spoke. “Welcome to the show Justin…and I see you’ve got carry-on luggage this afternoon?” he mused, motioning towards Zach, who was momentarily distracted by his father’s necklace.
“Yep, this is Zach…my bundle of trouble. Sorry about crashing the party!” he said with a silly grin into the camera.
Carson nodded. “No problem.”
Becoming bored with his father’s jewelry, Zachary twisted in Justin’s grasp as he looked over at Carson and then at the cameras. “Hi MTV!” he yelled boisterously, flashing a cheesy grin.
“I see you’ve trained him well already.” Carson said with a smirk.
Justin laughed, “He’s obsessed with videos from back in the N Sync days…I think he’s planning to be a pop stud when he grows up.”
“Call me Lake!” the little boy squealed. “Timba…” he paused for a moment, before shouting again, holding his arms up in triumph. “LAKE!”
Running a hand through his own sandy colored curls, Justin shrugged apologetically. “I think we’ll be going now.”
“Aight later man.” Carson replied, waving as Justin and his son stepped off camera and walked off through the rows of seating. Shrugging, he turned back to his crew. “What the hell just happened here? Ahh the beauty of live TV…now, as I was saying, your number 4 request this week on TRL is the new song by Illusion called “Constantly“. Let’s check it out…”
****
“How you doin Joe?” Lance asked casually as the two men gathered up their bags. After a long day of going through the show prior to the next evening when it would be live, everyone was preparing to head back to their respective hotels for a good night’s sleep.
Joey nodded glumly, his brown eyes lifeless as he stuffed a sweatshirt into his black backpack and stood upright. “I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
“You want to come stay at the hotel? JC said he had room in his suite, and I know Chris does too.” he offered, knowing that the last thing his friend needed was to be alone in his apartment.
“Nah, thanks though. I think I’ll just go home and order in some take-out before heading to bed.”
“You’re sure?” the blonde man inquired, his green eyes piercing as he studied his friend.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I‘ll just see ya tomorrow.” And with that, the Italian tossed his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the exit.
Stepping outside and moving to the edge of the sidewalk to hail a cab back to his apartment, Joey sighed dolefully, not noticing the dark haired female that had followed him outdoors.
The woman advanced on the upset looking individual just as a cab pulled up and he opened the door to slide in. “Mind if I join you?” she inquired sweetly, not bothering to hear his reply as she entered the yellow automobile behind him, pulling the door shut and speaking to the cabbie.
“Ninety third and Madison.” she said firmly, not saying a word to Joey, who looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression on his face.
The driver nodded and headed away from Radio City to the specified address on the Upper East side. The two individuals rode in silence the entire ride, the young woman speaking only to thank the driver as she handed him fare plus a tip.
Shutting the door to the car and joining Joey on the sidewalk, the brunette slid an arm around the man next to her as they walked to his apartment building. The doorman greeted him with a nod of recognition, and Joey broke his silence to say a hello.
The pair headed to the elevator and Joe pressed the button for the fifth floor. He still hadn’t protested against the female companionship, and didn’t plan on it. He wasn’t sure exactly why she had joined him, maybe she felt sorry for him. Maybe she had noticed the pitiful look gracing his very Italian features. Perhaps she had just sensed how lonely he looked as he stood waiting for a cab and made the decision to join him. He wasn’t sure, and didn’t have the energy to ask. Besides, he told himself, he was sure she would make her intent known upon entering the spacious apartment.
Unlocking the door, Joey held it open for the woman that accompanied him before following her inside. He laid his keys down on the table right inside the door before making his way to the couch, dropping his bag along the way. Slumping tiredly against the cushions, he closed his eyes as he waited for her to break the silence that blanketed them.
He didn’t have to wait long. The raven haired beauty paused only briefly before joining him on the sofa. Curling her long legs up underneath her, she spoke. “So what’s it gonna be?” she inquired.
Joey’s eyes remained closed as he raised an eyebrow. “That’s a question that I don’t know the answer to right now. I can’t think, my brain stopped functioning about two hours ago.” he complained.
“Well I can’t help you feel better until you know the answer Joseph.” she pointed out.
“I don’t think anything could make me feel better at this point in time.”
“You might feel better after we get done, you just have to talk to me.” the young woman insisted.
Joey opened his eyes slowly, and gazed squarely into the pretty brunette’s face. “Mo, I lost her. How could I have let her slip away so quickly?” he revealed, tears starting to form in his chocolate colored eyes.
Mo reached out and pulled Joey into a hug, her voice soothing as she spoke to him. “Why don’t you just tell me what happened, okay? Then we‘ll figure out what we‘re going to do.”
Joey took a deep breath and filled his companion in on what happened between him and Rachel just the previous evening. By the time he finished, two slender rivulets of tears made their way down his cheeks. He brushed them away and awaited the advice that he knew would follow.
“I see…” she mused. “She was baring her soul, laying everything out on the table in front of you, so to speak. When you hesitated, she probably panicked and thought maybe she did the wrong thing. Those few moments where your thoughts tangled, and you tried to think of words to express how much she meant to you, probably seemed like an eternity to her. Every fear, every insecurity she has about your relationship probably had her under siege right then. I think that’s important for you to understand before you try to figure out what it is that you plan to do. Does that make sense?” Mo asked gently.
He nodded, the pain in his chest easing up a bit as he listened to Mo’s wise words. “Yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually.” he admitted. “But what should I do now?”
She pondered that for a moment, then looked at him quizzically. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure…” he replied.
“You do love her don’t you?”
Joey didn’t hesitate this time, “Yes, very much.”
A smile inched across Mo’s face. “Well then you shouldn’t have to ask me what to do now…I think you already know.” she said wisely. She leaned over and brushed a kiss on the young man’s stubbly cheek, rising from her position on the couch as she waved a good bye. With that, she let herself out, heading back to the hotel for the night, leaving Joey alone with his thoughts.