It was hard for Mollie Greenspan to remember a time when she had a neighbor.  Her quiet lakeside home had been an inheritance from her grandmother, who had raised her after her parents passed away in a tragic car accident.  The lake on which the house sat was calm and quiet, with three other homes around it.  There were two on the opposite side of the lake that sat unoccupied for most of the year until the warm summer months came.  Hers was quite far from theirs and sat on the same side as a home that had been unoccupied for a few years.  Mollie relished the quiet and calm that her home had provided, far away from the hustle and bustle of the town just a few miles down the road.  She could lie on the dock, as she did today and sun herself with no disruptions and play her music as loud as she wanted.

                Today however, her plans did not go as usual.  She had just turned over onto her stomach when she realized her golden retriever Boo was staring off into the distance.  A large truck had pulled into the driveway of the house next to hers and there were men unloading furniture out of the back, Boo must have been staring at them.  She couldn’t believe that after all these years somebody had finally bought the place.  She watched nervously as they brought box after box into the house.  She heard laughter and yelling but overall nothing too crazy.  She decided it would be better to not drive herself crazy watching them and wondering what kind of people they would be.  She stood up and pulled her cropped t-shirt over her head, letting it slide off her shoulder as it normally did.  She went to grab her shorts to tug on but before she could even get a leg in, she heard a scream and Boo took off running towards the neighbor’s house.

 

“Boo!”

 

She took off running after him and followed his golden tail as it swished right through the doorway of the house.  She found her dog, licking the face of a man who was on his back on the floor.

 

“I’m so sorry!  He’s not used to having other people around so when he heard the scream he took off running!  Is everything okay?”

 

The man on the ground laughed, as did one who Mollie now noticed was standing to her right.  The man on the ground pet Boo’s head and stood up, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe dog slobber off his face.  When she finally got a good glimpse of him, he looked strangely familiar and had the best eyes she’s seen in a long time.  He looked her up and down, not in the dirty way it usually felt but quickly, taking in her state of undress.

 

“Sorry, we were out on the dock and he came running,” Mollie explained, grabbing Boo’s collar and pulling him back towards her.  “You must be my new neighbor, I’m Mollie.”  She extended her hand, which he shook firmly.

“You’re just lucky I like dogs,” the man joked.  “I’m Josh, and you must be the girl next door.”

“Are you okay?  I heard a scream.”

“I’m fine, just tripped over some boxes.  You never mentioned your name.”

“I’m Mollie, this is Boo.  We live next door.  I’m really sorry about this…” 

“You said that already,” Josh said with a smirk.

“I’ll just go then, I’m sure you’re really busy…”

 

                Mollie grabbed Boo’s collar and practically ran out the door.  She kept her feet moving until she was safely inside her front door.  Covering her face with her hands, she could feel the heat of her blush.

 

“Nice way to make a first impression Mollie,” she muttered to herself.

 

***

 

“Ty, do you know where the box of….ahhhh!”

 

JC Chasez couldn’t stop himself once he hit the large box in front of him.  He crumpled into a heap on the floor and let out a shout.  Day one in his new house and he was already hurting himself.  Before he could get up, a large dog started licking his face.  For a moment, he panicked, but then he sat up and laughed at the randomness of the situation.  He spotted his brother, Tyler, in the doorway to his left and saw he was also laughing.

 

“Sorry! I’m so sorry!”

 

A beautiful blonde with big blue eyes came running through his new door.  The first thing JC noticed was her eyes and the second was her lack of clothing.  The girl had come in with a cropped shirt and bikini bottoms on, tied on the sides.  Her legs were tanned and toned, like she spent a lot of time outdoors.  She kept apologizing and the red blush that filled her cheeks was priceless.  After exchanging names and letting her apologize once more, the girl, whose named turned out to be Mollie, ran out before JC could say anything else.

 

“This is why I hate you,” Tyler said, coming further into the kitchen to offer his brother a hand up.  “You haven’t even moved in yet and already you have a half-naked girl in your house!” 

“That girl was not half-naked for me,” JC pointed out, “and I’m not sure she even looked at me, she was so worried about her dog.”

“Well I was looking at her and she was fine.”  Tyler popped the top on a can of soda from the cooler on the counter. 

“She was beautiful,” JC mumbled.

“Oh no, do you have the hots for your next door neighbor?”

 “I’m just saying I thought she was beautiful.”

“Whatever you say bro.”

 

The two men managed to finished unloading the truck and return it to the rental place by sundown.  Unloading all the boxes would take a few more days.  Tyler would be here for another day and JC hoped they would be able to finish it by then.  It was daunting to move but after a horrible break up and recording, JC had decided he needed a place that felt secluded where he could recharge before they headed out on the road.  His place in LA was good for the quick trips he made there but Florida had really begun to feel like home in the last few years.  His house, however, was too public.  The fans knew where he lived and he felt caged in when he was there. 

So he found this secluded lake and the only house for sale on it.  He wanted to be able to go out in his yard and not worry that someone was looking over the fence.  He wanted to be able to go out and not worry what story would be written about him if he came home drunk.  The realtor had mentioned that he had a neighbor and for a moment he hoped it would be some nice old person who had no idea who he was.  Instead he got a beautiful woman who was young enough to possibly recognize him.  He hoped, if she did, she would keep it to herself.  As the sun went down over the lake and JC sucked back the last of his beer, he also hoped she might be looking to get to know her new neighbor.  He spotted her silhouette in the light of her kitchen as he stood up from the chair on the back porch.  He’d make a proper introduction once he got settled.

 

                Mollie caught her new neighbor peeking through her window later that night.  She was on the phone with her best friend and she had to admit, she was peeking too.

 

“So is he hot?” 

“Johanna!”

“What?  You have young new neighbor that you feel the need to call and tell me about and you’re not going to tell me what he looks like?  It’s not like you called to ask me about my day, which sucked by the way.” 

“He’s gorgeous.  I turned into a blabbering mess after looking at him.  I’m usually so cool and collected.  He’s tall, has dark hair that’s kind of long and the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen…and that bottom lip.”

“Bottom lip?”

 “I just want to bite it…,” Mollie surprised herself with how candidly she was talking about someone she had barely met.

“Oh you’ve got a crush!”  Johanna’s squeal filled the phone.  “I’m happy for you!  You haven’t so much as looked at a man since Michael…” 

“Satan.  We now refer to him as Satan.”

“Whatever.  I’m just glad you noticed someone.  I was beginning to think that moving back into Nana’s house wasn’t good for you.” 

“Nana left me this house for a reason Jo.”

“And maybe you just met that reason.  Listen,” Johanna began.  Her voice took a more serious note.  “You know I love Nana and I was so sad when she passed but living alone out in the seclusion of those woods?  I was beginning to think you were hiding.” 

“I was.  No Nana and the man I thought I would marry turning out to be the worst person alive… I definitely came here to hide.”

“And…?” 

“And maybe you’re right.  Maybe I need to stop hiding.  It’s been two years since all of that happened.  Maybe it’s time to move on and meet new people.”

“That’s my girl.” 

“It’d be so much easier if you were here,” Mollie muttered.

 

                Mollie had grown up in New York and Johanna had been her partner in crime as they made their way through elementary school on Long Island’s east end and through college at NYU, sharing a dorm room and many memories.  Once Mollie graduated college, Nana moved down to Florida to retire and Mollie and Johanna stuck it out in a Big Apple apartment working entry level jobs and, for Mollie, auditioning for any dance castings she could get to until Nana passed away and Mollie broke off her four year relationship with Michael.   It had been a dark time for Mollie and she needed to regroup and be by herself.  So Johanna tearfully said goodbye as Mollie moved down to Florida, to the home where her grandmother had retreated after so many years in busy New York.

                Ever since she’d moved down here, Mollie’s life had been solitary.  She rescued Boo from a shelter and she spent her days looking for dance classes and auditions but always finding reasons not to go.  She hadn’t made an effort to make new friends and she hadn’t made the effort to find a job, dancing or otherwise.  Fortunately, the house was fully paid for and Nana had left behind quite a bit of money.  Her frugal ways paid off.  Until now Mollie had been the only person living on the lake and town was far enough that it would require an effort to go and socialize.  It was hard to build a new social circle when you knew nobody.

 

“I know but you really should get out more.  Besides, I just bought tickets for a trip down to good old Florida for our birthday.”  Though their birthdays were actually two days apart, the girls had always referred to “their birthday” as the whole week of and had celebrated together almost every single year of their lives.

“Yes!  I’m having JoJo withdrawals!” 

“You gotta promise to properly introduce yourself to that hot new neighbor of yours before I come.  My flight leaves on the 11th and I’m staying until the 15th.  That’s all the time I could get off from this god forsaken job.”

“So I get a week to introduce myself to mysterious neighbor boy?” 

“Yup so get to it or I’ll move in on him when I get down there.”

                Mollie rolled her eyes as her friend rattled off the things we were going to do when she got there.  All Mollie could think about was why her neighbor looked so familiar.

 

The next day JC and Tyler powered through the rest of the unpacking and Tyler decided to head back home early.  He needed to pack his own things before heading out to California.  JC had paid for Tyler’s college tuition so he didn’t want him to be late getting out there.   It was nice to be able to help his family out when they needed it.  Now that he was left alone, however, all he could think about was Mollie.  He headed up to the shower, washing away the day’s dirt and grime.  After he showered he tried to think of one reason not to go over and meet his new neighbor.  He couldn’t stop thinking about the adorable way she blushed and he wanted to meet her…officially.

            He walked the path between their houses and climbed the three steps on her porch.  He lifted his hand to knock on the door and was suddenly nervous.  This was crazy.  She was going to think he was a psycho.  Before he could turn around and change his mind, he heard the dog barking on the other side.  He made a mental note to never underestimate that dog.  He gave in and knocked, deciding it would be better to embarrass himself face to face than let her catch him running back to his house. 

            She answered the door, looking casual in a pair of cutoff shorts and a flowy white tank top.  She gave him a nervous smile before speaking.

 

“Hey, Josh right?” 

“Yeah, hey Mollie.  Sorry this might be weird but I was thinking of ordering a pizza and thought maybe you’d want to share it?  We didn’t really get to meet yesterday, I just thought I’d ask…”  He mentally kicked himself for how dorky he sounded. 

“I’d love to but a pizza takes like an hour to get out here; downfall to the secluded paradise.  I’ve got the grill fired up, feel like a burger?”  Mollie was surprised at the ease with which she spoke with him.  She had decided after her conversation with Johanna to be bold and try and make a new friend in Josh.

“I’d love one,” he replied. 

 

His smile grew wide as she opened the door further to let him in.  Her house was formatted the same as his, just flipped 180 degrees.  She led him into the kitchen, where he saw the package of chop meat on the counter.  He slipped into one of the stools that lined the counter and tried to make the situation less awkward.

 

“So how long have you lived here?”

“Just about 4 years.  It was my grandmother’s home and when she passed away she left it to me,” Mollie explained. 

“And the thought of living alone on a lake with no one around sounded good to a young twenty something?”  Shit.  That sounded like he was criticizing her.  Why did she make him so nervous?

“At the time, yes.  I had a lot going wrong so the idea of leaving it all behind sounded really good.  How about you?” 

“Kind of the same thing,” he replied.  Mollie raised an eyebrow at him as she formed patties in her hands.  “A lot of things were going wrong and I needed a hiding place.”

“Well you found a good one.”

 

 JC slipped out of his chair and followed her out onto her deck.  The grill was hot and she threw the burgers on to get going.  He leaned against the picnic table that was nearby and watched her.

 

“So what do you do besides ‘leave it all behind’?”  He was getting a bit more relaxed and the conversation began to flow. 

“I’m just looking for my next step in the world.  I dance…but I haven’t gotten a job in it for a while.  I’m thinking about auditioning again, I heard about one happening later in the week.”  She flipped the burgers and looked at him suspiciously.  “I have to admit, Josh, you look kind of familiar.”

 

JC’s heart beat fast, panicking.  He really hoped she couldn’t recall where she’d seen him before.

 

“Well I can say with certainty that this is the first time I’ve ever met you,” he replied. 

“Why’s that?”

“Because I would never forget eyes like yours.”

 

 It took a minute for Mollie to recover from this hint of flirting.  She grinned and asked if he would like a beer.  He nodded and she went inside to retrieve the beers and some fixings for the burgers.  The chill from the refrigerator hit her skin like a sharp knife.  He had thrown her off balance but she was determined not to let him get the best of her.  They had easy conversation throughout dinner and the sun dipped low in the sky.  He almost wished he didn’t have to walk back over to his house.

 

“Well thank you for a great burger.  I’m glad I have such a hospitable neighbor.” 

“You’re welcome.  I’m just glad I have an actual neighbor,” she replied, giggling.

“I’ll see you around Miss Mollie.” 

“Yeah, I guess you will.”

 

 Mollie waited until the darkness kept him from view before shutting the door.  Boo looked at her with an accusatory glance.  She shook her head at him and continued on her way up the stairs to her bedroom.  She yanked off her clothes, tossing them all in the tan hamper in her closet.  It had been a nice evening and she smiled to herself as she threw on an oversized t-shirt and crawled into bed.

 

 Mollie found herself being drawn to Josh’s house and hanging out with him as much as possible.  They went to town together and often found reasons to see each other.  More so Josh than her, but she wasn’t complaining.  It was the night before Johanna was supposed to arrive and she was on the phone with her friend, who was rushing to pack.

 

“I can’t believe you actually introduced yourself.”

“More like he introduced himself.  He kind of invited himself over for dinner; kind of rude if you think about it,” Mollie mused. 

“But you’ve been hanging out…and you like him?”

“I do but...” 

“No but!  Leave it at that.  Invite him to come out with us for our birthday.  I want to meet this fine hunk of man.”

“Hands off, Jo.” 

“All I gotta say is I hope he has some fine ass friends.”

“It’s always about you, huh?”  Mollie laughed and heard a knock on the door.  “Hold on, I think he’s here.   Come in!” 

JC came sauntering through the door, a DVD case in his hands.  She waved him over, pointing at the phone and giving him the ‘just a minute’ signal.  He nodded but held up the DVD and mouthed ‘I found it!” 

“What time do you land tomorrow?”

“I’m supposed to be landing at 2 so make sure you’re on time!” 

“I will Jo, besides I want you to come with me to this audition.  I can’t wait to see you.”

 

Mollie hung up the phone, truly excited to see her best friend.  This had been the longest stretch they’d been apart and she hated it.  Sticking her phone on the coffee table, she turned her attention to the excited, overgrown child who was practically bouncing up and down on her left.

 

“I found it!  Remember you told me you hadn’t seen it?”  He held up a copy of Star Wars.

“Did I say I wanted to see it?”  She asked, a pained look on her face. 

“Actually you said you had no desire whatsoever but that didn’t stop me,” he replied, smirking.  “So was that your friend Johanna on the phone?”

“Yup, she’s coming here tomorrow for our birthdays this week.  They’re two days apart so we always celebrate together.” 

“Seriously?  How old are you going to be?”

“You’re not supposed to ask a lady how old she is.” 

“I’m 24,” he offered.

“I’ll be 24.” 

“You should come out with us this weekend.  A bunch of my friends are coming, kind of a night to let loose before work starts getting really crazy.  Should be a good time; we’re got a table at Orchid.”

“Orchid?!  You got a table?  It’s impossible to get in there!”  Mollie’s eyes went wide.  She and Johanna had been dying to get in there but it was always packed out.  It was the place to be in Orlando.  “How’d you get in?” 

“I have some connections.”

“With who?  What do you do for a living?  You’re not in the Mafia are you?”  She was only half joking.  It just occurred to her that he never divulged his occupation. 

“I’m in the music business.  A friend of mine sort of owns the place.”

“No shit!”  Mollie’s hand covered her mouth as a chuckle escaped.  She rarely cursed.  “Then count me and JoJo in!”

 

JC smiled and managed to convince her to repay him by watching the movie.  He could tell her mind was racing and she wasn’t focused on the movie but he managed to sneak a little closer to her on the couch and that was good enough for him.  This weekend should be fun…until she realized who he was.

 

“You didn’t tell me you were going to this audition straight from the airport!  I was hoping you’d go to the audition and give me some alone time with neighbor boy.”

 

Johanna had landed in Orlando and as usual had taken over.  Mollie drove them towards downtown Orlando where she’d heard about an open call for dancers.  It didn’t say what the job was for but Mollie didn’t care.  After talking to Johanna on the phone last week, she felt a proverbial kick in the butt.  She couldn’t let her life pass her by, so the first step was getting back to dancing.

            She let Johanna complain for a while before guiding the conversation to what was going on back home with all of their friends.  Mollie hated that Johanna was unhappy in her job but she stayed put because New York was home base for her boyfriend Mark.  He traveled often for his job but when he was home, Johanna tried to spend every waking minute with him.  She didn’t seem quite as excited when Mollie asked about him and she quickly changed the subject.  Mollie made a mental note to pry into that situation later but they were pulling into the parking lot of the audition and Mollie couldn’t believe the size of the line to get in.  Johanna grabbed a spot in line while Mollie ran up to the sign in table to grab the paperwork they wanted filled out.

 

“Are you willing to travel for extended periods of time?  Is there any reason you wouldn’t be able to pack up and go on short notice?  What kind of job is this?”

“I’m not sure, I just saw the words ‘dance audition’ so I came.  I would love to travel but Boo would need to be taken care of… maybe I shouldn’t be here…”  Mollie said as the doubts crept into her mind. 

“Stop it!  I’ll take Boo.  You gotta go at the drop of a hat?  We’ll arrange for him to come to me.”

“You sure?” 

“Mollie!  This could be a great opportunity for you, of course I’ll watch him.  Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company while I’m home alone.”

 

            Mollie nervously continued on with the questionnaire and by the time she had finished all of the questions, she was at the front of the line.  Johanna hugged her and wished her luck as they called her number in.  The room was pretty large, there was a mirror against one wall and a table in front of it.  At the table were three men and two women, stacks of papers in front of them.  One girl stood at the end of the table with a Polaroid camera at the ready.  The dancers were told to hold up a paper with their name and application number on it and the girl snapped a photo.  She attached the photo to the application packet and the choreographer immediately began teaching them a short combination. 

            Her body fell right back into its old rhythm and Mollie let herself get into the music and the moves.  She was having so much fun, she was almost sad when they turned off the music and began separating people.  Mollie was directed to step into a holding room where she found about twenty other girls.  She found a spot against the wall and made sure to re-stretch and stay loose.  She had a feeling she had made the first cut.  They stayed in the room for another half an hour before one of the men from the table called them back out onto the floor.  They were told that they would learn a second combination to add to the first and then they would be expected to freestyle until the music stopped.

            The second combination was a bit more difficult but eventually she figured it out.  Her heart beat fast as the choreographer counted them in but she just let herself feel the music.  It was the most fun she’d had in a long time and when she spotted the video camera watching their movements on the left side of the tables, she sassed it up and made sure to make eye contact with every person there.  The choreographer was tapping girls and sending them home while everyone was dancing and once the group was cut by half, they turned the music off.

 

“I think we’re down to the final group.  We’re going to talk it over, show the tape to the client and we’ll give you guys a call when we make a final decision.  We should know by this weekend,” the choreographer said, dismissing them.

 

            Mollie had the biggest smile on her face as she grabbed her bag and made her way back to the car.  She found Johanna reading a magazine that she’d brought from the airport and squealed as she slid into the driver’s seat.

 

“I made it to the final group!  They’re making final decisions in the next few days and I’ll know but Jo, it just felt so good to be dancing again!”

“I told you it’d be fine!  Now take me home because I’m ready for pajamas and food!”

 

            The girls picked up a pizza on the way home and Johanna set out to line up the perfect movies while Mollie showered.  They got comfy on the couch in their sweats and laid a bunch of junk food out on the table, surrounding the pizza.  They caught up on everything that they’d been too busy to explain over the phone.

 

“So, tell me the truth about Mark,” Mollie said.  “Something is different about the way you’ve been acting when I mention his name.” 

“We broke up,” Johanna admitted.  “I guess I figured if I didn’t tell anyone it wasn’t real.”

“What happened?” 

“It turns out only half of his trips were for business…he was cheating on me.” 

 

            Mollie felt her mouth drop but tried to keep her anger in for her friend’s sake.

 

“I had a feeling the last time he left.  It was pretty close to his last business trip and all of the trips had been coming more frequent.  I decided to confront him and pretend that I knew.  When he came back I just said ‘So how long has this been going on?’  He looked like he was going to try and defend himself at first but then he just shrugged his shoulders and told me that for the last six months he’s been seeing someone else.  When I asked him why he didn’t just break up with me, do you know what his answer was?”  Mollie shook her head.

“He didn’t have another place to live.” 

“No!”

“He said since it was my apartment originally, he’d have to leave if we broke up and he didn’t have time to look for a new apartment.  Four years and he couldn’t do me the courtesy of breaking up with me instead of cheating on me all because he didn’t want to find a new apartment.” 

“I would never have believed it if you hadn’t told me yourself,” Mollie said, shocked.  “Mark always seemed like such a good guy.  I’m sorry Jo, you didn’t deserve any of that.”

“I know…I’m not even that sad.  I’m just angry.  Now I’m stuck in that apartment, reminded of him and aggravated everyday by a job I hate.” 

“Maybe you should change things up.  Quit the job, move down here.  We could be roomies again!”

“That sounds great but…” 

“Just say you’ll think about it,” Mollie pressed.

“I’ll consider it.”

 

            The girls spent the night laughing and reminiscing.  The next few days were spent spoiling themselves: getting manicures, shopping.  On Saturday night, they were ready to celebrate.  Mollie had already loosely curled her blonde hair and was in the bathroom applying her makeup when the phone rang.

 

“Hello?” 

“May I speak to Mollie please?”

“Speaking.” 

“Mollie, this is Wade Robson, the choreographer from the audition you attended on Monday.”

“Hi Wade, how are you?”  Mollie’s heart started pumping and she ran into her bedroom to find Johanna.  She pointed to the phone and mouthed ‘audition’ hoping to get her point across.  She put the phone on speaker and held a finger to her lips so Johanna would be quiet. 

“I’m great.  I’m actually calling because we made a decision on the final five dancers and we would love for you to be one of them.”  Johanna’s eyes went wide and she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

“Seriously?!” 

“Seriously.  Before you accept I have some details to go over.  This is going to be a tour with a music group.  It’s going to be long; right now we have about 45 shows or so.  It’s starting in May and should end by the beginning of September.  There will be short breaks here and there but for the most part expect to be traveling that whole time.  Rehearsals will start in a week here in Orlando for the dancers.  Then the group will join us in mid-April.  Then at the beginning of May we head to New Orleans for rehearsals on the stage and dress rehearsals.  It’s intense but it’s going to be fun and it’ll look really great on a resume.”

 

Mollie’s brow furrowed taking in all of this information.  Johanna kept giving her the thumbs up and mouthing ‘say yes!’ 

“Well…” 

“You have time to think about it if you’d like.  I can give you about a week.”

“You know what Wade?  I think you caught me at the right time in my life.  I need a new adventure.  I’m in.”  Mollie said, not totally sure if it was the right thing but going with her gut instinct. 

“That’s amazing.  We really loved you at the auditions.  You dance with a freedom and passion that is really going to give a spark to this tour.”

“Thank you, it means a lot coming from you.” 

“So I’ll talk to you soon with more details and more exact dates and times.  I look forward to working with you.”

“Thank you so much.  Talk to you soon.”

 

Mollie hung up the phone and immediately stood up and screamed.  She did a little victory dance before pouncing on Johanna.  The two girls laughed until they couldn’t breathe and then the phone rang again.

 

“Hello?” Mollie answered, still out of breath from laughing. 

“Molls?  It’s Josh.  What’s wrong why can’t you breathe?”

“That audition I told you about?  They just called and I got the job!” 

“That’s amazing!  Even more reason to celebrate tonight.  You almost ready?  Everyone over here is getting antsy.”

“We’re a little behind because the choreographer just called so go ahead without us, we’ll call a cab.  Our names are on the list right?” 

“Yeah, I’ll make sure they let you in.  They’ll bring you over to the table when you get there.  See you soon birthday girl.”

“See you soon.”

 

She hung up the phone and went back to applying her makeup in the mirror.  She threw the phone onto the bed in the next room, asking Johanna to call a cab to come in fifteen minutes.  She heard her friend make the call but felt her eyes burning a hole into the side of her head in the very next minute.

 

 

 

“Take a picture Jo, it’ll last longer,” Mollie remarked, applying the last touch of lip gloss.  She walked out of the bathroom, shutting off the light and walked over to her closet, giving her friend a look as she passed where Jo sat on the bed, slipping into her shoes.

 

“Is there something going on with mysterious neighbor boy?  You haven’t let me meet him yet and you get all girly when he calls you up.  I’m not stupid.”

“Nobody said you were stupid,” Mollie replied, slipping into her new dress.  It was a bit more risqué than she’d normally go but Jo had been pushing her to try new things so she bought it.  It was black with sequins all over it.  It had long, sheer sleeves and was sheer across her chest, which showed off her cleavage as it dipped into a deep v.  The hemline was a little short but she was comfortable in it and she could move in it.  She planned on doing a lot of dancing. 

“So what’s the deal?  Are you two a thing?”

“We’re…talking.  I like him a lot.  I think he likes me…it’s just nice to have someone to hang around with.  I’m not really putting pressure on it.  I’m just kind of going with the flow.” 

“So are you going to tell him that you’re leaving on a tour for the next 4 or so months?”  Johanna helped Mollie zip the back of her dress and the two girls grabbed their purses as they heard the cab honk its horn.

“Eventually.”

 

They pulled up to Orchid and the line was down the block.  They felt like such celebrities as they walked to the front of the line and the bouncer found their names on the list.  A cocktail waitress led them over to a table in the corner of the club.  There was a velvet rope surrounding the area and the waitress let them in.  Johanna gave Mollie an incredulous look as they weaved in and out of the people in the roped area.  Mollie spotted Josh sitting atop the booth, a drink in his hand.  Mollie pulled Johanna over to him.

When JC spotted Mollie, his heart stopped for a moment.  She looked absolutely breathtaking.  She smiled when she saw him and he saw her pulling a tan brunette behind her.  As soon as Mollie pointed towards him, JC knew the brunette recognized him.  The confused look on her face gave her away.  He was sure she was wondering why Mollie hadn’t filled her in on who he was but Mollie didn’t know that he was one fifth of Nsync.

 

“Birthday girl!  Or should I say girls?”  He tried to charm the best friend and he didn’t know if it was working.

“Hey!  I didn’t know you were sitting VIP!  This is amazing,” Mollie said, hugging him and letting him kiss her cheek.  “This is Johanna, who I’ve been telling you about.  Jo, this is Josh my neighbor.” 

“Hey Josh,” Johanna remarked sarcastically, as she shook his outstretched hand. 

“Nice to meet the famous Johanna.  Can I get you a drink?”

“Vodka cranberry,” Jo replied curtly.

“Same,” Mollie replied, confused by the icy interaction.

 

            The spent some time mingling with Josh’s friends, drinking and dancing.  The music was loud and the energy was high.  Mollie was itching to dance and she pulled her best friend out to the dance floor as one of their favorite songs came on.  Mollie couldn’t remember a time since she’d been down in Florida that she’d had so much fun.  She had a buzz and she was laughing and dancing with her best friend.  The tempo changed and she contemplated heading back to the table when she felt a hand slide down her hip.  Her head turned and she caught JC’s eye.  She turned her head again and saw that one of JC’s friends had spun Johanna around and captured her attention.

            Mollie was surprised that JC kept up with her.  They moved in unison as his hands played with her hemline.  His fingertips were driving her crazy and she spun in his arms to face him.  With one arm around his neck, she used her other to push her hair behind her and out of her face.  She rolled her body against him, feeling the beat.  JC was totally in the moment.  He didn’t think she realized how sexy she was when she danced.  It was clear she had a passion and natural talent for it and he just had to join her.  The way she moved against him was stirring something inside of him.  She flung her head back in ecstasy and he took the opportunity to seize the moment.

 

“Happy Birthday Molls,” he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.  The he pulled her to him, one hand cradling her head.  He kissed her lips and she let him sneak his tongue across her lips and past the barrier for a second.  She laughed as she pulled away and let her hands move with her movements. 

 

            Johanna watched her friend from the sidelines after getting completely out danced by Justin Timberlake.  She followed him back to the booth and they got to know each other.  She tried to get some information out of him as they sipped on cocktails.

 

“So Justin.  Let’s be straight with each other.  I know who you are, I’ve heard your music.  So, why does my friend think your friend’s name is Josh and has no idea that he’s one of the most famous people in the world right now?” 

“Well, technically his name is Josh,” Justin said, earning himself a glare.  “If she didn’t recognize him, I doubt JC wanted to scare her off by saying ‘by the way I’m a super famous popstar.’” 

“Okay but they’ve been hanging out for a little while, they’re friends.  Why not tell her now?  Before inviting her out to a club where he would most likely be recognized?”

“Sometimes when you’re recognized everywhere you go, it’s nice to meet someone who doesn’t know or care who you are.  They just want to know you for you.  Then there’s the rare exception of you.  Someone who clearly recognizes but doesn’t care,” Justin pointed out.

“Sorry, am I supposed to bow down?  Beg for your autograph?”  Johanna’s smart mouth got the best of her from time to time and she realized how rude she sounded only after saying things.

“You definitely wouldn’t have to beg,” Justin said, chuckling.  His charm and wit could match her toe to toe but that’s not what this conversation was about.

“So can I trust him with her?  He’s a good guy right?” 

“The best guy.  Honestly, they don’t come better than JC.  Just give him time to tell her.  He’s going to have to explain why he’s leaving for extended periods of time.  I’m sure he just wants to make sure she’s into him before he risks messing it up.”

“I’ll give him a little time to fess up…otherwise I’m telling her.  I don’t want her to be strung along and kept in the dark.”

 

            Later that night, the group piled onto the party bus JC had gotten for the night.  As they pulled up to JC’s house, the rowdy group filed into his house, all content to crash on couches.  Johanna and Mollie said goodbye, thanking everyone for such a good time.  JC offered to walk them down the path between the houses and after Johanna went inside, he turned to Mollie.

 

“So, did you have the best birthday ever?”  he asked. 

“I did.  Thank you so much for inviting us out.  I had the best time…I didn’t know you were such a good dancer!”

“Well, I can keep up with you, so I guess I’m alright,” he replied.  The moment lulled and he handed her the little bag he’d been carrying on their walk.  “I got you something.  Don’t open it tonight, I want you to be sober when you open it.” 

“You didn’t have to do that Josh.  Really.  Getting us into Orchid was enough.”

“I wanted to.”  He leaned down and kissed the corner of her smiling mouth.  “Goodnight birthday baby.”

 

Mollie’s head hurt a bit but mostly she was happy.  Memories came flooding back from the night before and she smiled.  She turned her head to find that Johanna had crashed in her bed.  Mollie hoped she had as much fun as she did last night.  She wanted their birthday celebration to be fun and she hoped hanging out with new people didn’t make her uncomfortable.

 

“If you keep staring, you might burn a hole in the side of my head,” Jo mumbled, coming out of her deep sleep. 

“Sorry, I was just thinking about last night.  Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” Jo replied, stretching her arms over her head.  “That club is insane.” 

“What about Josh?  Was it okay that we hung out with him?”

“It’s fine, he was cool.  His friends were really nice.”  Jo pointed to the small bag on the side table.  “What’s that?” 

“Josh gave me a present.”

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

 

            Mollie shrugged and snatched the bag off the table.  There was a card sticking out of the top.  She grabbed it and read aloud:

 

“Mollie, Happy Birthday!  This gift is not just a birthday present but a way to say thank you.  You’ve made adjusting to this new place easy. Thanks for helping me make this place a home.  Josh.” 

“That was deep…intense,” Jo commented.

“I think you’re over reacting,” Mollie said, pulling a small box out of the bag.  She opened the top and was surprised to see a beautiful necklace with an anchor charm.    It was beautiful and she saw 4 little diamonds going across the top. 

“He likes you.”

 

For once in her life Mollie had no comeback. 

 

The girls spent the rest of the day relaxing and finally making arrangements for Mollie to fly up to New York with Boo so Johanna could watch him while Mollie was gone.  Once Johanna had left, the next few days flew by and Mollie found herself at her first day of rehearsals. She was nervous going in but the other girls were really nice and she really enjoyed Wade.  His choreography was unique and he definitely put his own stamp on things.  By the time they broke for lunch Mollie was really feeling the burn.  She hadn’t danced to this caliber in a while but she was getting back into her groove.

The other girls invited her to join them for lunch but she declined.  Sitting against the wall of the studio, she pulled out the sandwich she had brought with her and quickly ate half.  She sucked down half a bottle of water in one shot and caught her breath as she screwed the cap on the bottle.  She allowed herself to take the time to relax a bit, finishing her lunch.  When she felt more relaxed, she got up and began running the choreography alone in the mirror.  She wanted to make sure she had everything correct.  She didn’t want to be the reason they fell behind.  They had about three weeks to learn everything before the music group joined them.  They had to be on point.

 

“I knew I liked you.”

 

            Mollie stopped and spun around.  She found Wade watching her from the doorway.

 

“Please tell me you did eat lunch though,” Wade said, walking towards her.  “Gotta keep your strength up.”

“I did, just making sure I have it all down.  I don’t want to be the reason we have to keep going over sections.” 

“I don’t think you’re going to be the problem.  I think these girls who are now ten minutes late coming back from lunch are going to be the problem.  You’ll fit right in with the guys though.  They goof off a lot but they know when it’s time to get serious.”

“I hope we all get along.  I’ve never been on a tour before but I can imagine being on the road with people you don’t like for months would be pretty hard.” 

“Well, we get along and I’ll be there so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

 

            Mollie smiled at him and was about to respond when the other girls came running through the doors.  They were spewing apologies but Wade was hearing none of it.  They quickly found out over the weeks of rehearsal that Wade was not going to let any of them slack off.  Mollie enjoyed his methods and she felt herself getting back into the shape she used to be in when she was dancing every day.

            She also found herself enjoying the costume fittings they were having.  It was mostly just measurements and the beginning stages of outfits but she loved being pampered.  She was just getting home from a long day at rehearsals when she noticed that Josh’s lights were on.  He had left on a trip right after her birthday and they hadn’t gotten to talk.  She’d texted him a few times but they didn’t talk about too much.  So she ran inside and jumped into the shower.  The warm water soothed her achy muscles and when she got out, she slipped into some sweatpants.  She brushed her hair and, still wet, pulled it up into a bun. She skipped up the stairs of his porch and knocked on his door and he answered quickly.

 

“Hey Mollie!” He hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around.  “I missed you.”

“How was your trip?  Fun?” 

“Busy,” he replied, following her into his den and plopping down on the couch.  “But you tell me about rehearsals, I took a chance and ordered a pizza so we have plenty of time to talk.”

 

            She began to ramble on and on about the past week and JC loved every minute of it.  She lit up when she talked about dancing and he was glad to see her so excited.  Not that she was at all heavy when he first met her, but these last few weeks away from her had made him notice the change in her body.  Ever since she’d been dancing on the daily her muscles were more visible. 

But the girl could chow down on pizza like nobody’s business.

 

“So what exactly is your job?  I know you said you’re in the music business and I know you were talking about promotion during your trip but…you’ve never said what you actually do.”

“Well…time to let the cat out of the bag,” he said, nervous.  “I’m a singer…in a pop group.”  Mollie’s eyes widened and JC was afraid to continue.  “If I’m being honest, I didn’t tell you because I thought you would have recognized me.” 

“Yeah well, I don’t really watch too much music television so clearly I’m not sure who you are.”  Mollie immediately cringed at how rude that might sound.  “I’m sorry, not that you’re not a great singer, I’m sure you are…I’m just going to stop now.”

 

JC put his hand over his stomach as he laughed.  He looked over at Mollie whose red face had dropped into the knees she had raised to her chest.  Every day he grew to like her more.

 

“You can stop laughing now!  I feel bad enough as it is!”

“I’m not mad.  It’s stuff like that that just makes me love you.”  Mollie’s heart skipped a beat at his statement but she didn’t speak.  “I love that you don’t know or care who I am in my career.  There are plenty of people who care way too much.  It’s nice to have someone who just likes me for me.” 

“Josh, about my birthday and your gift…”

“I’m not taking it back,” he cut her off. 

“I’m not giving it back,” she replied, making him smile.  “I just wanted to thank you for it.  It’s a very special gift and I loved it.”

“I’m glad.” 

“But I kind of wanted to ask you about something,” she said.  She was getting shy now and he put his hand on her knee in an act of reassurance.  “Well I kind of wanted to talk about…when you…”

“Kissed you?” JC asked.  He was slightly amused at her shyness.  She nodded in reply and he continued.  “I kissed you because I like you and I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment you came running into my kitchen in a bikini.”  Mollie laughed.  “I guess I got caught up in the moment.  I mean you were pressing that hot bod up against me and all…”

 

They both laughed and Mollie stood up and threw her hands up in the air.  She started to walk towards the door.

 

“Well now that we’ve settled that, I guess I’ll go take my hot bod elsewhere.  I’ve got a long day tomorrow,” she laughed as she reached for the doorknob.  She began to open the door but a hand reached beside her head and shut it.  She spun around to find JC very close to her. 

“So…you never told me if you liked it,” he stated.

 

Mollie grinned and looked into his eyes.  She leaned up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his.  He grabbed her waist and pulled her flush to him and she cupped his chin with her right hand.  She pulled away and smiled to herself as he took a moment to open his eyes.

 

“How’s that for an answer?” she quipped.

“I might need you to expand on that a bit.” 

“We can discuss this further tomorrow…but tonight, I have to get to sleep,” she said.  She kissed him quickly and slipped out the door.

 

JC was left with his head spinning and his body hot.  That girl didn’t realize how cute she was.  He was hopeful that she might want to be with him.  She took the news of his career relatively well but she didn’t really know the full extent of it.  He hoped it wouldn’t scare her away.  He was going to have to tell her soon, he was leaving for tour rehearsals in about two weeks and he would have to explain where he was going.

            The next day JC woke, confused as to how to proceed with Mollie.  He was on cloud nine last night after she kissed him goodnight but in the harsh morning light he realized he might be letting her get too close without knowing his whole story.  It wouldn’t be fair to her to start a relationship without her eyes wide open to the situation.  He wasn’t always going to be around.  She could understand that, he rationed, she just got booked on a tour.  He just knew that he had to tell her the whole truth…but he didn’t want the thing they had going to sour. 

            He blocked it out on his way to dance rehearsals.  They would be finishing up the last few numbers they needed to learn before heading to New Orleans for the rehearsals on the big stage.  As he pulled into the parking lot, he spotted Justin heading in to the building and jogged to catch up to his friend.  They chatted as they headed into the rehearsal space and when they walked in the room they saw the dancers already hard at work.  JC had no part in choosing them.  They offered for the guys to watch the tapes of the audition but they all declined.  They trusted their choreographer enough to handle it.

 

“Welcome boys!  The last two to join us,” Wade called out.

 

            The dancers stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the latest arrivals.  Mollie was shocked to see JC standing there.

 

“Seriously?” She asked aloud, not meaning to.

“Something wrong Mollie?”  Wade asked. 

“No, sorry,” she replied, turning back towards the mirror.

 

JC sighed, he could tell something was wrong.  This was going to be a long day.

Mollie couldn’t believe Josh, or JC as they all called him, was in the group she just got hired to dance for.  She hadn’t thought to go home and look them up on the internet so though she had been hearing their songs in rehearsals, she didn’t know what they looked like.  The other girls had informed her that she had to have been living under a rock to not know who they were and if Mollie were honest, the last few years she had in fact been living under a rock.  She didn’t know how she felt about working with Josh.  She couldn’t help but wonder if she got hired because he had a crush on her.  She went through the motions of the rehearsal for the morning but when lunch broke, she tried to speed off to her car.  She needed a moment to breathe.  Unfortunately, Josh had other plans.

 

“Mollie wait!”

“What?” she said, annoyed.  “Was there something else you needed to tell me?  Like that I only got this job because you know me…because you like me?” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the name of my group and more about our career but I had a hard enough time even telling you I was in a singing group.  I didn’t want to scare you away because I do really like you.”

“Did I get this job because you picked me?” 

“No!  We had no part in picking the dancers,” he answered honestly.  “They sent us tapes but we were so busy with promotion and a music video shoot that we didn’t have time to look at them.  We told Wade to just use his judgment.”

“Honest?” 

“Honest.  If you had mentioned Wade to me I would have told you immediately.”

 

            Mollie could tell he was being honest.  His eyes were clear as they stared into hers and she nodded her head to show she accepted his explanation.

 

“So, are we good?” he asked.  “Because after last night, I really want to be good.” 

“We’re good…I think you need to give me some time to think about last night and what it means with these new revelations.  I need to process it all.”

 

            JC nodded in agreement and waved as she got into her car and drove away.  Two weeks later, JC was on his way to New Orleans, his head clouded with thoughts of the girl who’d avoided him for so long.

            Mollie was just landing in New York and as she got off the plane, she ran to the animal unloading area.  Boo had only flown once before and he hadn’t enjoyed it so she wanted to make sure and get him as quickly as possible so she could free him from his carrier.  Once she successfully retrieved him and her bags, and got the keys to her rental car, she freed him from his cage.  He gave her a dirty look at first but she fed him a few treats and tipped a water bottle into his mouth to appease him.  She got him into the car and headed towards her old apartment building.  Johanna had kept their apartment after Mollie decided to fly south and the directions came back to Mollie easily.  When she arrived, she pulled into the parking garage across the street, preferring to pay for the time rather than risk a ticket on the street.

            Johanna was excited to see them as she welcomed them inside and Mollie smiled at how little the place had changed.  Boo was quick to settle in and the two girls settled on the couch to chat.

 

“So, how have things been going?”

“Great!  I love being able to dance every day.  I’m actually looking forward to traveling and being in a new place all the time.  It will be a nice change for me,” Mollie rambled. 

“That’s nice but I was really asking about Josh-slash-JC.  What’s going on with him?”

“I don’t know we don’t really talk much.” Mollie tried to brush it off. 

“Why not?  You like him!  You kissed him!”

“I feel weird about it Jo!  I don’t want the other girls to think I got the job because of him.  I don’t want them to think that whatever we’re doing has anything to do with my place on the tour.  I don’t want them to hate me.” 

“Who gives a shit what they think about you?” 

“I do!  I don’t want word to spread to anyone in the dance world that I got a job based on a relationship not talent.”

“But you have the talent.  And who are these bitches going to tell?  You’ve already got the hottest choreographer in the game on your side.  I did some research on him, he’s in high demand right now.  I’d be worried about what he thought more than anything.  He knows the guys had nothing to do with choosing you.” 

“I don’t know what the right thing to do is.  I don’t know if I should go for it or if I should nip it in the bud before it even starts.  And if I do go for it, do I just be all open about it or do I try to hide it?  It’s so confusing.”  Mollie let her head fall back onto the sofa.

“You know what I think?” 

“No but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“I think,” Johanna began, “that you’re talking to the wrong person about this.  I think you need to talk to him.  Tell him your feelings, tell him your fears.  It’s not fair to him to just be left hanging in limbo.”

 

Before Mollie could answer, her phone rang.  She opened it and answered, trying to keep her voice calm though her emotions were high.

 

“Hey girl it’s Justin.” 

“Hey Justin,” she replied, giving Johanna a raised eyebrow.  “What’s up?”

“I came up to New York to visit Brit before we head out and I heard you were up here to visit Johanna, so I figured I would see which flight you’re on and get on it with you.  I’ll bump you up to first class,” he bribed. 

“First-class sounds awesome and I’m going to have to hold you to that one day but I’m driving down to Louisiana.  Thought the drive would give me a few hours to think about things, clear my head.”

“Mind if I ride shotgun?  You’ll save me the baggage charges and I can take the wheel when you want to zone out and think.” 

“You want to spend an extra day on the road with me?  We’re going to be seeing each other every day for the next three months at least,” Mollie said, laughing.  She and Justin had become fast friends during rehearsals, especially since she had been avoiding JC.  They’d been paired up for a few sections of the show and it was easy to get along with Justin.

“Trust me I won’t get tired of you.  Maybe I can help you figure out why you’re avoiding JC.”

“Are you talking your way out of this road trip?” 

“I just listened to him go on and on about you yesterday so I think you owe me.”

“You drive a hard bargain Timberlake,” Mollie quipped.  Johanna rolled her eyes at the mention of Justin.  Mollie suspected her friend had a crush.  “But I’m in.  Where should I come get you?  I was planning on hitting the road in the next hour or so, that way we can get there by tomorrow afternoon.  You up for driving straight through?” 

“You know it.”

 

Mollie got the address of where he was staying and hung up.  Johanna scowled as Mollie took the opportunity to make a few teasing remarks about her and Justin.  Then it was time to say goodbye.  She hugged Boo and made sure Johanna had everything she needed to take care of him.  Finally, she had to say goodbye to her friend once more.

 

“Alright,” Mollie said, pulling back from their hug.  “Please call me if you need me and please take care of my baby.”

“You call me if you need me…and please consider giving JC a chance.” 

“I can’t make any promises.  Okay I gotta go get Timberlake.  I’ll see you soon for the New York shows.  You promise you’ll be there?”

“Promise.”

 

            Mollie tore herself away and headed back to her rental car.  She plugged the address for the hotel where Justin was staying into the built in GPS and headed out.  Traffic wasn’t too bad so she made it there in about 15 minutes.  They ushered her into an underground parking garage when she mentioned who she was there to see.  Once she safely parked the car, a bellhop led her to a freight elevator and they rode up a few floors to a penthouse suite.  She knocked on the door, feeling very secretive.

 

“Hey Mollie!”  Justin opened the door wide so she could enter. 

“Is there a secret password too?  I took a back elevator and parked in a special area of the underground parking garage, a password would not surprise me at this point,” Mollie said, brushing past him.

“Get used to it girl.  That’s what life on tour with us is going to be like.  Come in for a second, I gotta throw a few last things in a bag and Brit’s going to be back any second.” 

“The famous Britney Spears…would it be weird if I asked for a photo?!”  Mollie was only half-kidding but luckily Justin took it as a joke. 

“So you know who my girlfriend is but you hadn’t heard of my band until you got hired by us?” 

“Sorry, Brit’s a classic.”

“I’m a little young to be classic,” a new voice chimed in behind Mollie.  “You must be Mollie, Justin talks about you a lot, says you and JC are a thing.” 

“Justin talks about you a lot too…but apparently what he tells you are lies so maybe I can’t trust what he says,” Mollie joked, glaring over at Justin.

“Well he also tells me you’re the best dancer they’ve got.  Maybe you should come do my next video.  Wade’s choreographing, it’ll be fun.” 

“I’d love to.  Just let me know when.”

“Well if you girls are done bonding, we’ve gotta hit the road.” 

 

Justin’s bags had been dragged to the door and the bellhop who had brought Mollie up was now loading them onto a cart.  Mollie turned away to give the couple privacy and waited for Justin by the door.  She said goodbye to Britney, with a reassurance that she would call her about the video and the duo headed down to the rental car.  Mollie was glad she decided to get a mid-size SUV once she saw how many bags Justin had.  The boy had way too much stuff.  They headed out of New York, fighting over the radio and talking about their few days off.  Mollie couldn’t get to Virginia before he brought up JC.

 

“So, why aren’t you talking to JC?  Did he do something wrong?” 

“He didn’t tell me who you guys were.  If I had known things would be different.” 

“So you don’t want to date him because of his career?”  Justin ripped open a bag of chips he insisted they stop for and offered her some, waiting for her answer.

“I don’t want people to think I got this job because I had something going on with JC.  I want to know that I got it on talent alone, I don’t know why nobody understands that.”

“I get that.  I really do.  I wouldn’t want someone to think I got something because I’m dating Brit, it wouldn’t feel as good to have it.  But I think you should know, JC had nothing to do with casting the dancers.  We’d all back you up on that if people said shit.  Besides, Chantal, though she’s a great dancer, is on this tour because she’s Wade’s sister.” 

“She is?”

“Yeah, she keeps it on the DL but everyone knows.  Everyone gets somewhere because of the connections they have.  I think you’ve made it clear to the girls that you’re the best dancer out of the group.  I dare them to try and say you got anything because of JC.” 

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“How do you feel about him?” 

“I like him a lot.  We get along great and it’s really fun with JC but I’m just afraid…”

“Afraid of what people will think or afraid of getting hurt?”

 

The silence filled the car and Mollie tried to focus on the road stretched out ahead of her.  Her head had been spinning for weeks in regards to JC and she knew she had to sort it out one way or the other.

 

“Don’t base your decisions on what other people think.  If you do Molls, you might miss out on something really great.”  Justin said, rubbing her arm.  “Now pull over woman, I want to drive!”

 

            They switched seats and it took Mollie a minute to get used to Justin’s crazy driving.  He liked to go fast and change lanes often.  Mollie soon felt the toll of the day and her spinning thoughts.  She felt her eyelids drooping and Justin turned the music down.

 

“Take a nap Moll.  I’ll drive until I’m tired then we can switch.” 

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“Stop, go to sleep.  I promise I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

So she slept.  Mollie fell into a surprisingly peaceful sleep.  She cleared her mind and focused on trying to wake up with open eyes and a new outlook.  When Justin woke her up hours later, she felt well rested but her stomach was grumbly.  It was dark out now, and they had to be in New Orleans by noon the next day.  The GPS revealed that they were in North Carolina.  It seemed that Justin’s need for speed had put them slightly ahead of schedule so they decided to hit the drive through.  They parked in the parking lot and sat at an outdoor table, eating their burgers.  They chatted about the tour, Justin filling Mollie in on the pranks they enjoyed playing on each other.  Mollie was glad she had a friend in Justin.  He was easy to get along with.

            They finished up their food and Mollie hopped back into the driver’s seat.  The quiet dark night helped her think about the days ahead.  She still wasn’t sure how to proceed when it came to JC but she decided she owed him an explanation.  It was the least she could do, no matter what the outcome.  By the early morning light, she felt confident about heading back to rehearsals.  They were counting down the days now and all Mollie wanted was to get going.  She got tired again around 7:30 and pulled into a donut shop.  She left Justin asleep in the car, probably not her brightest idea as he could’ve been recognized.  She bought some coffee and donuts and the boy was awake at the smell of baked goods.

 

“Sleep good?” Mollie asked, biting into a chocolate frosted donut. 

“I always sleep the best in a moving vehicle.  Where the hell are we?”

“Alabama.  I was going to keep going but I think I need a quick cat nap before we get back on the grind of dance rehearsals.” 

“It’s cool I can finish up.  How much longer does Tammy say?”  Justin had nicknamed the GPS before he fell asleep.

“Tammy says just over 4 hours but knowing the way you drive, we could probably get there in 3.” 

“Grr…I dri…norm-a-wee,” Justin mumbled through a huge bite of jelly donut.

“Sorry, what?” Mollie giggled as she leaned over and wiped the sugar and jelly off his lips and cheeks. 

“I said,” he answered, having swallowed.  “Girl, I drive normally.  So take your catnap because when you wake up, I’m going to be schooling you on how to drive.”

“Maybe I’ll just stay asleep then.”

 

            Later that afternoon, almost an hour ahead of schedule, they pulled into the car rental place.  Mollie had arranged to drop off the car at a place right next to the hotel they would be staying at during rehearsals.  Justin ran over to the hotel to grab a cart and they unloaded and met Johnny, the guys’ manager, in the lobby.  They were given the last rooms left as they were the final two to arrive.  When they got up to their floor, Justin was thoroughly amused to find they had adjoining rooms.  Justin was bunking with Chris and Mollie would be bunking with Jaime, an assistant makeup artist.

            The pair were feeling a little cramped up from being in the car for so long so they decided to get cleaned up and head over to the rehearsal space to stretch and limber up before work started.  Mollie felt relieved as the hot water hit her skin and after her shower, she loosely braided her hair.  She threw on some black workout pants, a tank top and a zip front hoodie and headed for the door.  Justin was already in the lobby with his bodyguard Mike and they headed out.

            Mollie couldn’t believe her eyes as they pulled up to the stadium.  It was huge and she couldn’t believe they were using it as practice space. 

 

“I can bring you two to the dressing rooms, they told me no one sees the stage until you’re all here,” Mike explained. 

“Just a peek?” Justin prodded.

 

            Mike just shook his head and Mollie laughed as they followed him back to the dressing rooms.  The duo began stretching and decided to rev up their hearts with a lap around the building.  By the time they got back, the other guys were pulling up to the building so Mollie and Justin waited for them.

 

“Oh look it’s our two little road-trippers,” Joey exclaimed as he walked in, leading the group.  Mollie laughed and sat in her middle split on the floor.

“How was the ride?”  Wade asked.

 

            Justin launched into a story and Mollie laid her chest flat to the floor.  She reached her arms out as far as they would go in front of her before slowly rolling her body back up.  When she had fully extended her arms over her head, she opened her eyes only to find JC’s staring at her.  She bit her lip and gave him a small smile before looking away.

 

            JC couldn’t figure her out.  She was sending him mixed signals.  One minute she’s kissing him, the next she’s yelling at him in the parking lot.  Then she decided to stop speaking to him all together, now she was smiling at him and biting her lip.  If her goal was to drive him crazy, she had succeeded.  He kept his cool, however.  He felt like she needed to come to him, he wasn’t the one who’d blown up over nothing.  He stashed his stuff off to one side and did a quick warm-up before following the group out the door and out to the stage.

            The stage was better than they had expected.  They really wanted it to be interactive and for there to be opportunities for everyone in the room to see them.  They had accomplished it but the sheer size was a bit intimidating.  JC knew they were going to get the workout of their lives doing this show but he looked forward to it.  They got right into rehearsals, and set out staging everything.  They were doing three days of run-throughs, working out the kinks and changing things that didn’t work on the big stage and then they would be doing dress rehearsals from then until they headed out for opening night.

            Rehearsals were intense.  They had to work out the whole opening, which as it turned out, only required a small bit of work from the dancers.  Apparently management felt the dancers would distract from the guys if they were in every number and had cut their involvement down significantly.  So after rehearsing the opening, which required the dancers to walk on the main stage to five platforms, then get dropped below the stage to give the illusion of disappearing.  Then they all watched as the guys rehearsed.   Mollie was impressed with their work ethic and how on point they were.  They had few corrections in terms of dance moves but it was a bit harder for them to get used to the big stage.  Mollie kept to herself over in the corner and went over the next few dances she knew were coming up in the set list.   She hadn’t heard anybody call break and was spooked when she heard a voice behind her.

 

“You’re always working aren’t you?” JC asked, causing Mollie to jump. 

“Just want to keep up,” she answered, letting out a nervous chuckle.

“Moll, I don’t want to be like this anymore,” he admitted.  “We’re avoiding each other, not talking.  We were friends before I kissed you and if you’ve decided you don’t want to go any further than friends, then I’m okay with that…I just want you back in my life.”  Mollie’s heart began to race as he stepped closer to her, slowly closing the gap between them.  “Can we be us again?”

 

There he went doing that adorable lip biting thing.  Mollie’s mind went hazy and she opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words.  Instead she found herself leaning up to meet his face, which was leaning closer and closer to hers.  The moment their lips met, Mollie felt the electricity flowing through her, the way it had the first time they’d kissed.  Her hand settled on his waist and pulled him closer to her as his cupped the back of her head.  Just when they were really getting into it, they heard someone clear their throat behind them.  Mollie snapped back to reality and covered her face with her hands when she realized that Wade was watching them.

 

“We kind of need both of you to start up rehearsals again…this is the first number that requires the dancers,” Wade said, clearly amused at their predicament. 

“Right, we’ll be there in a minute,” JC grumbled.

“No it’s fine we’ll be there now.  We can talk later JC,” Mollie said, feeling the blush radiate in her cheeks as she followed Wade back towards the stage.  Luckily, it seemed as though Wade was the only one who saw them.  The rest of the group was on stage, checking out the props that would be used for the number.

 

            JC took a moment to compose himself before joining the group.  They would be coming out and playing around with toys before breaking into “It’s Gonna Be Me.”  The group fooled around and the music kicked in and the boys broke out in song.  They had to play around with the toys until the second verse.  Everything was going fine, the girls cleared away the toys and the guys sang the second verse on bouncing balls before the girls cleared those away as well.  The girls ran off stage, as if they were doing the costume change that would happen at this point before they heard their cue from Chris.  The girls danced out to their spots, intermingling with the guys. 

It was hard enough to focus after what just transpired but when Wade switched the formation around and now Mollie was dancing between Justin and JC, all bets were off.  The dance required them to dance up on each other, as if they were in a club and even required a choreographed butt smack.  JC didn’t hold back and made sure to pull Mollie right up to him as they danced.  He was going to make her wish she never avoided him.  By the end of rehearsals, the whole group was tired but they had blocked the whole show.  Whether or not they remembered it was another question.

 

Mollie quickly left, jumping in the van with the other dancers and sneaking away.  She really wanted a shower and to get away from JC, he clouded her judgment, she couldn’t think around him.

 

“So, you and JC have mad chemistry,” Crystal noted, turning around from the middle seat.  “What’s up with that?” 

“I don’t know,” Mollie mumbled.

“You guys would be cute together.  And I think he’s single…”  Crystal teased. 

“Well, I’m just here to dance.”

“No reason you can’t have some fun out on the road.  I know this is your first tour girl but, we’ve all done it.  You get lonely out on the road, you’re the only people who know what situation you’re in…” 

“Heh, cute.  But I don’t know about that.  I’m not a casual hookup kind of girl.  Besides, I live next door to JC back home and that would make living there a bit awkward.”

“I didn’t know you lived by him, that’s a coincidence,” Diana chimed in from the front seat.  Diana was a bit of a bitch.  “Must have made getting this job pretty easy.” 

“No, actually.  I didn’t know what the audition was for when I went.  The guys didn’t even pick us, Wade did.”

“Mmhmm,” came the disbelief from Diana. 

“Somebody’s just jealous that JC don’t look at them like he looks at Mollie,” Crystal snapped.

 

Crystal smiled at Mollie, which made her feel slightly better.  Later on that evening, when she was drying her hair, Mollie was thankful that Crystal seemed okay with the idea of Mollie and JC.  Jaime, her roommate, was yapping away about something or other but Mollie’s head was in la-la-land.  Mollie brushed out her now-dry hair and lay back on her bed, content to sleep for the next few twelve hours, but her stomach had other plans.  She was perusing the room service menu when there was a loud and persistent knock on the door that joined her room with Justin and Chris’s.  She rolled her eyes, figuring it was Justin wanting to hang out but was shocked to find JC’s face when she unlocked the door.

“We do have a front door,” Mollie pointed out, her finger in the direction of the door.

“Peep hole.  You wouldn’t answer if you saw it was me.  I know you better than that.”  JC was matter of fact in his answers.  He poked his head around Mollie and noticed Jaime sitting on her bed.  “Jaime, right?”  Jaime was still so star struck that all she could do was nod.

“Do you mind if I borrow Mollie for a little while?” 

“I had a long night of room service and HBO planned,” Mollie inserted.

“Perfect, you can join me in my room.”

 

Mollie rolled her eyes, clearly she wasn’t getting out of this conversation.  She grabbed her room key and told Jaime she’d be back soon.  Following JC a few doors down, she entered his room to find them alone.  She sat on the edge of the closest bed, a bit nervous.  JC sat down on a chair by the window.

 

“So, talk.  You said we could talk later, it’s later.  I like you a lot.  When we’re not hanging out, I’m thinking about you.  Ever since we kissed, I can’t focus on anything else.” 

“I don’t know what to say.  I like you too but I just feel like everyone will think…”

“Who cares what anyone thinks?  Can I be honest with you?  If you’re my girlfriend, whether you are a dancer on this tour or just a regular person, people are going to think you’re a gold digger or you are using me for something.  It’s just the way life works,” JC said.  “Look at Britney, she’s rich and famous too but they still say she’s using Justin for his money and his fame.”  Mollie laughed.  JC took it as a good sign and went over to sit next to her. 

“I really like you,” Mollie admitted with a sigh. She leaned closer to him and before she could say anything else, he grabbed her face and kissed her.  She gave in and fell back as he leaned forward.  She lay on the bed, her mind in heaven. 

 

JC couldn’t contain himself.  Every time he was around her he wanted to kiss her and when she admitted her feelings, he didn’t want to give her a chance to take it back.  He leaned into her so she laid back on the bed and he climbed over her.  His hands drifted down her body, settling one on her waist.  He slipped one under her shirt as she allowed him to slip his tongue between her lips. 

 

Mollie was lost in the moment.  Her hands played with his curly hair and traced the outlines of his face.  Her heartbeat raced as his hand slipped under her tank top and brushed along her sides.  She was almost relieved when there was a knock at the door.  JC pulled back, reluctant to answer the knock but it came again.

 

“You might want to get off Wade’s bed in case this is him forgetting his key,” JC said as he walked towards the door.

“We just made out on Wade’s bed?!  Why didn’t you tell me it wasn’t your bed?!”  Mollie quickly scrambled over to the other bed. 

“I wasn’t about to stop all of that to move over,” JC said, chuckling.

 

He answered the door and it was the pizza he had ordered earlier.  He grabbed his wallet and paid the delivery guy, bringing the pizza over to the bed.

 

“I was hoping you’d stay for dinner,” JC said, climbing up next to her.

“I’d love to.”

 

They snapped right back to how they’d always been, laughing and joking.  They ate and caught up on what they’d missed since they’d been apart.  They ate in silence for a few moments before JC had to ask.

 

“So, where do we stand now?  Could I ask you to be my girlfriend?  Or are you going to run away and avoid me?” 

“You can ask…” Mollie said smiling.

“Would you be my girlfriend?” 

“Yes,” Mollie said.  JC smiled so wide in her direction she thought his cheeks would break.  She kissed him once more before continuing.  “Can I just ask that we keep it low key for a while?  It’s not like I would deny it if anyone asked but I don’t want to flaunt it right now…I want to get through rehearsals and start this tour without anyone questioning me or my reasons for being here.”

“I can do that,” JC said, looking in her eyes.  “You know, you’re the first girl that’s asked me that.  Normally I’m the one asking for things to be kept on the down low.” 

“Well, you can’t always be in charge Chasez,” Mollie joked, tossing her pizza crust in the open box.  She swung her leg over his to straddle his lap.  “You know my favorite thing about this new thing we got going?”

“What?” 

“It’s the same as the old thing, except now I can do this whenever I want,” she replied, leaning in and taking his lips. They picked up where they left off earlier, getting pretty hot and heavy.

“Twice in one day, do you two ever stop?”

 

Wade’s voice startled the pair and once again, they broke apart.  Mollie laughed and hopped off JC’s lap.  She slipped her feet into flip flops and got ready to head back to her room.  JC got up to walk her out.

 

“Sorry, Wade.  It won’t happen again,” Mollie promised with a giggle. 

“Yeah, yeah,” the choreographer replied.

 

JC opened the door for his girlfriend, not wanting her to leave.

 

“See you tomorrow…girlfriend.”

“’Night boyfriend.”

 

They sealed it with a kiss and Mollie headed back to her room. 

 

Rehearsals had been going great and they had reached the final rehearsal before they headed back to Florida to open the tour.  Mollie had opted to get dressed after doing her hair because the rest of the girls were crowding the make-up chair.  Finally Jaime’s station was free and Mollie hopped in, loving the few minutes away from the group.  After she was all dolled up, she made her way down the hall, knowing the full dress run through was going to start shortly.  She felt a sharp tug on her arm and she stumbled to her right, into an alcove.

 

“I’m not sure who picked out these outfits but remind me to thank them,” JC joked, pulling at the plastic skirt Mollie was made to wear. 

“I think you had something to do with it,” Mollie replied, gesturing to her bare midriff and the low cut top.

“Just wanted to say good luck on the last run through.  After this it’s time to hit the road.” 

“Yeah, yeah.  By the way, I had something to ask you.  Do you have a spare bed for me at your house?  I kind of had my electric and cable and all of that suspended for the duration of the tour.  I didn’t think we were going to have a day off before tour began.”

“I do,” JC said, tracing his finger over her jawline.  “But the bed I sleep in is pretty big…” 

“Alright Romeo.  We’ll figure that out when the time comes, just as long as I have some place to stay.”

“And what would you do if I’d said no?” 

“Crash with Justin, duh,” Mollie said rolling her eyes. 

 

There was a voice on the loudspeaker that announced a five minute warning.  They didn’t have much time to get to their spots.  JC leaned in for a quick kiss.

 

“I’ll go then count to ten and you come out after me,” JC said.

 

He turned and slipped into the hallway and headed towards the side of the stage.  Mollie counted to ten in her head and stepped out into the hallway.  She got two steps before someone caught up with her.

 

“So, who do you think you’re fooling?”  Justin’s voice was more teasing that accusatory. 

“Everyone but you apparently.”

“Listen lil’ sis.  You can’t get anything by me.  Plus you have horrible stealth skills.  Make sure nobody’s around to see you both leave the same spot.  You’re lucky it was only me.  I knew the minute you two made up.  Your whole demeanor changed.” 

“Well if you’re the good friend I think you are, you’ll keep this a secret.  I just don’t want any fuss made right now.”

“Ain’t nobody gonna fuss about it.  We all see the chemistry when you two dance or speak to each other.” 

“Shut it Timberlake.  Aren’t you supposed to be in your spot by now?” 

“So are you baby girl, I’ll race ya.”

 

The two took off running and made it to their spots in time to start the run through.  By this time they had run through the show quite a few times so they were trying to have some fun with it.  They interacted well on stage and knew each other well enough to anticipate what each other was going to do next.  Everything felt good and at the end of the show, they gathered together to chat about the show.  Everyone took a seat on the edge of the runway and Wade gave them a pep talk.

 

“Okay, so I know you guys are tired and you’re looking forward to the day off before we get going but don’t get too crazy.  I expect you all at the arena on time and ready to go.” 

“Yes drill master Wade,” Chris moaned.  “Can we go now?  We’ve got a plane to catch!”

 

Wade laughed and dismissed them all.  Everyone headed back to the dressing rooms to shower and change.  They had brought all of their stuff to the arena so they could head out right after rehearsals.  The guys had chartered a private jet for themselves and the dancers to head back.  Everyone else was taking flights later on.

 

Mollie was the first one done as usual and headed to the cars that were waiting for them.  She threw her bag in the back, she had packed light, figuring on her stop home she could get her other bags.  She settled into the last row of the van, closing her eyes.   She almost drifted off when she felt the vibration of a chuckle against her neck.  Opening her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to find JC wrapped around her, his face buried in the crook of her neck.  She smacked his arm, eliciting a yelp.

 

“Ouch, that’s not very nice, I’m just trying to snuggle,” JC said, his voice obviously tired.

“You are the worst at sneaking around.  Everyone is supposed to meet out here; anyone could see us at any minute!” 

“But that’s half the fun of it,” JC said, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.  “The threat of getting caught makes it more exciting!”

 

Mollie giggled as his slightly grown in beard tickled her cheek.  She took note of the dark tint on the windows and leaned in for a kiss.  Hands started exploring and JC’s fingers twisted in her hair.  She relished the attention and let her hands roam down his sides as his mouth worked on her neck.  She went back for more of his delicious mouth when they heard voices and the handle of the van door jiggling.  Mollie jumped and pulled back abruptly, accidentally biting JC’s lip in the process.

 

The door opened and Justin, Lance and Crystal piled into the van.  Justin gave Mollie a raised eyebrow but the other two seemed to not notice Mollie’s flushed cheeks or JC’s swollen lip.  They van door shut and they headed towards the airport.  As they rolled down the highway, JC nudged Mollie with his elbow.  He gave her a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows and Mollie responded with a big eye roll.

When they got to the airport and were led out to the plane, Mollie and JC grabbed the last row, claiming they wanted to take a nap and be away from the chatter.  Takeoff was smooth and the pair grabbed a blanket to share when they were passed out.  Everyone else began to talk but JC and Mollie were quiet.  JC took his notebook out and they took turns writing notes back and forth to each other.  It took a more serious turn then Mollie expected, after all they had only known each other for a few months.

 

JC: You already told me about Nana and your parents…what about exes? 

Mollie: I’ll tell if you tell…just the last one.

JC: Last ex was Bobbie.  She wanted her own entertainment career.  I did everything to help her, used all of my contacts and connections.  In the end I felt like I was way more into the relationship than she was.  There’s only so long you can hang on when you’re not getting what you need back. 

Mollie: Did you love her?

JC: At the time, I thought I did…but after I got over it I realized I couldn’t have loved someone who didn’t love me. 

Mollie: Sure you could have.

JC:  I just know that wasn’t love.  Trust me.  Your turn. 

Mollie:  His name was Michael…not Mike or Mikey, he hated nicknames.  He was a horrible person and I was kind of traumatized by the whole thing.

 

Mollie stopped writing, unsure of how to explain Michael or if JC wanted to hear the long story of her past.

 

JC:  Will you tell me?

 

Mollie:  It’s a long story so…bear with me if I ramble.   Michael and I started dating freshman year of college.  He was really great, he played hockey and he was really smart.  I always felt like he was smarter than me.  Like I would never know everything he knew. 

Everything was going fine until the beginning of senior year.  He was starting to worry about the future and what was going to happen with us and with hockey.  He always wanted to play in the NHL and if it was going to happen, he had to be perfect, his grades had to be great and he had to play great so scouts would take notice.

He started to get angry.  Little things would set him off:  like if I was late meeting him somewhere or he forgot to submit a small homework assignment.  The first time he hit me I think I was just in such shock it didn’t sink it.

 

JC grabbed her hand to stop her from writing and gave her a look to convey his disbelief.  She shook him off, needing to write it all before she got too upset to finish.

 

Mollie:  I had been complaining that he hadn’t called me in a few days and he just went off about how I needed to learn my place in his life and next thing I know, he slapped me across the face.  I think I just stared at him with my mouth open and before I could say anything he was hugging me and whispering apologies and reasons.  I just left and went straight to bed, I didn’t want Johanna to see any mark on my face, and I cried. 

In the next few weeks he was so apologetic and he seemed to be less stressed so I just wrote it off as a one-time mistake.  But then he pushed me up against a wall and clenched my arms so tight I had to wear long sleeves for two weeks the bruises were so bad.  Something just kept me hanging on.  I guess I had figured we’d been together so long and all of my friends were starting to get engaged and I felt like if I didn’t stay with Michael, I wouldn’t be doing what I was supposed to do.

He would push me a lot and he punched me twice.  Johanna was starting to get suspicious.  I was wearing more makeup than I usually did, I was quiet, didn’t want to go out ever.  I think she knew but she didn’t want to risk fighting with me about it unless she had obvious proof, and I covered it up so well.  Until one day I never showed up at our dorm room. 

I told her I was going to meet up with Michael at his dorm room to talk about spring break plans.  When I got there he was so mad, it was like he was another person.  He started calling me names and when I tried to leave he grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground.  I knocked into the corner of his bed and cut my face open.  That just made him angrier.  He started screaming about getting blood on the floor and kicked me over and over.  When I started crying, he got on top of me and punched me in the mouth to shut me up.  My lip busted open and I couldn’t stop.  He punched me again and hit my eye.  I could feel it swell shut immediately. 

When I didn’t stop crying, he covered my mouth and closed his hand around my throat.  I couldn’t breathe and I started to panic, grabbing at him and trying to hit him to get him off of me.  After that I can’t remember anything.

They told me Johanna had gotten worried when it got late and she hadn’t heard from me.  She came over to Michael’s dorm and got the RA to open the door.  They found me passed out and bloody so they got me to the hospital and called the cops. 

The next thing I know, I woke up in a hospital bed.  I was so sore.  He’d broken two ribs and my wrist was broken, nobody knows how that happened.  The police arrested him and I had to go to court and testify against him.  He started screaming at me after I testified and they had to remove him from the court room.  He was screaming “You ruined my life!  You’re a lying bitch, the truth will come out.”

It took me a long time to be able to do anything alone, even though I have a restraining order against him.  Eventually I made it through my senior dance performance with a cast on my wrist and after that I tried to get back to normal.  Then Nana died and I felt like I had nothing left.  So I ran away.

 

JC: To our secluded paradise.

 

Mollie: Yup.  And I rescued Boo, who used to have an owner that was like Michael, and I learned that I could be okay by myself and that I didn’t need to be afraid of Michael all of the time.  I’m still nervous sometimes when I’m out and I feel someone looking at me a little too long or I see someone that looks like him. 

I haven’t been with anyone since him and I wasn’t really living my life until Johanna pushed me to start dancing again and I met you.  Now, dancing every day, meeting new people…being treated nicely by a guy…it’s feeling more like the life I should be living.

 

JC:  I’m glad I met you.  Don’t get freaked out by me saying this but I really have strong feelings for you and I’m so glad you’re coming on this tour so we can get to know each other even better.

 

Mollie just smiled up at him.  She had tears rolling down her cheeks from reliving her story but she felt relieved that it was out there and she wouldn’t have to explain to JC why she acted certain ways.  He would understand.  JC reached over and wiped her tears with his thumbs.  He laced their hands together under the blanket and Mollie drifted off to sleep.

 

Lance got up to use the restroom a short time later.  As he walked past the last row, he noticed JC and Mollie, both asleep.  Mollie’s face was red and tear-stained while JC leaned towards her.  Lance was confused by their closeness.  He knew they were friends, probably more so than the guys were than any of the dancers, but still.  There was something intimate about the way they slept.  He glanced down and saw interlocked hands hanging out from beneath the blanket they shared.  Lance smiled, knowingly.  JC had never been very good at hiding things.  Lance pulled the blanket down so it once again covered their hands.  If they wanted to keep secrets, Lance wasn’t about to spoil it.

 

When the pair woke up, they were on the ground in Orlando.  Everyone wanted to stop home before getting on the bus early the next day.  JC and Mollie hopped in a car meant just for JC after he insisted they share the car, explaining to everyone the funny coincidence of their addresses.   After arriving back at JC’s house, they dragged Mollie’s bags over from her house so they’d be ready to go in the morning.  Then Mollie insisted they head to the supermarket.

“You have absolutely nothing in your fridge!  Or cabinets!  How do you live?”  She opened and closed every cabinet, finding not even one bag of chips. 

“I get takeout.  Molls, I cleaned everything out before we left.  I figured we would just get takeout tonight.  Besides, I can think of plenty of things to do while we wait,” he said, sneaking up behind her and snaking his arms around her waist.

“We're going to be eating take out and restaurant food for the next three months.  Don't you want a home cooked meal?  Something fresh?"  She was borderline whining but she didn't care.  Surviving on fast food for the next few months was going to be rough. 

"If it's that important to you, then fine, you can cook.  But again, I don't have any food here."

"I'll just run to the store really quick.  It's no big deal," she added, slipping her feet back into her sneakers. 

"I'll come with," JC added.  Before he could get up and put his shoes on, he noted the questioning look on her face.  "What?"

"Should we be going out in public together?  I've never dated a famous person before, I don't know the rules." 

"There are no rules, babe.  Nobody ever gives me a second look at the grocery store.  With my hat on, I'm barely recognizable."

"Fine, but you're driving," Mollie said.

 

She followed him out to the driveway and waited as the garage door opened automatically.  Inside the garage were two cars, one a silver sedan that you could tell was expensive but wasn't too flashy.  The other was a red little sports car, obviously expensive and attention grabbing.  JC walked over to the red one.

 

"And nobody notices you when you drive this to the grocery store?" Mollie wondered aloud. 

"I usually take the other one but I won't get to drive this for a while and I like it, get in you're gonna love it."

 

    Mollie did love it.  It was fast and sleek and she could tell why he enjoyed driving it.  She laughed as they pulled into the parking lot and JC shut off the engine.  They wandered around the store for a while, JC grabbing sweets and other junk while Mollie tried to pull together ingredients for a healthy dinner.  It was harder than shopping with a child.  There was a ring from Mollie's phone and she answered it as JC perused the chip selection for the bus ride tomorrow.

 

"Hello?"

"Hi Mollie, this is Johnny Wright, *Nsync's manager.  I met you at the rehearsals." 

"Hi Johnny, what's up," Mollie asked, stressing the Johnny part in hopes that JC would behave while she was on the phone.

"I was just going over last minute preparations for the tour and noticed that I didn't have a signed contract from you.  I noticed on your try-out forms that you live right by JC, I'm just going to send the guys' bus to come and get you tomorrow instead of the dancer’s bus and we can go over it then.  I just need you to sign it before the show." 

"Oh sure, no problem.  I must have been out of the room when you came to get the contracts signed.  I'll see you tomorrow to look them over."

"Sounds good, bye Mollie."

 

Mollie hung up the phone and found her boyfriend eating from a bag of pretzels in the cart.  She shook her head at him and they continued on their way.

 

"So apparently I never signed a contract," Mollie said, relaying her conversation to JC. 

"Oh it's probably no big deal.  Standard stuff, what we're paying you, how long the commitment it and that you can't talk about us to the public or we'll sue the shit out of you."

"What?!" Mollie said, laughing. 

"It's true.  We had someone on the "Strings" tour that went to a tabloid and was selling all kinds of information about us.  So now there's a clause in the contracts that say if you sell stories about us then we fire you and sue you for damages.  I don't know what else is in there but I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.  Now let’s go baby, I’m hungry!”  He leaned down and snuck in a kiss when no one was looking.  They headed to the checkout and headed home. 

 

After Mollie whipped up a delicious dinner for them, they retired to the couch.  Before the movie was even halfway over, Mollie had fallen asleep by JC’s side.  JC quietly switched off the television and scooped her into his arms.  They’d had a long day and would have another long one tomorrow so he just carried her up to his room.  He gently lay her down on one side of the bed, trying not to wake her up.  He grabbed an old t-shirt from his dresser and gently tugged down Mollie’s jeans.  They didn’t look too comfortable to sleep in so he figured he could slip her into the t-shirt but her eyes drifted open.

 

“I close my eyes for a few minutes and you’re trying to take advantage of me?”  Mollie’s voice was raspy with sleep.

“This does look bad doesn’t it,” JC said, his hands resting on either side of her now bare sides.  Her jeans were stuck between her knees now and she sat up, smiling a goofy smile at him. 

“Well, at least the first time you saw me in my panties wasn’t awkward,” she joked back.

“Hey, I was trying to be chivalrous.  They didn’t look comfortable to sleep in!” 

 

            He tossed her the t-shirt he was going to slip on her and took a step back.  He took his socks off, throwing them towards the general direction of his hamper.  Slipping his shirt off and sending it flying in the same direction, he moved onto his jeans.  Mollie was a little shy seeing him half naked for the first time but she tried not to stare at his perfect body.  Instead she finished slipping out of her jeans and threw her shirt on the floor.  She quickly slipped JC’s t-shirt over her head and then reached under it to unclasp her bra.  JC stepped in front of her, leaning down to kiss her.  She lay back, scooting further back on the bed as JC climbed over her. 

            He leaned his weight on one elbow, letting his free hand roam as he deepened the kiss.  Mollie shivered as his hand slid up her bare spine.  His hand pulled, making her shirt rise and slid around to her front, his thumb softly grazing over her breast.  His mouth moved down her neck towards her chest, and Mollie could sense where this was heading.  As much as she ached for more, she knew she had to tell JC something.

 

“Baby,” she whispered.  He didn’t hear.   “Jayce,” she managed to get out a little louder.  He grunted in reply.  “I think there’s something I should tell you.”

“Right now?  I’m a little busy,” he said, continuing his way down her chest. 

“Well, if this is heading where I think it’s heading, then yes, right now,” she said, tripping over her words as they came out of her mouth.

 

JC sensed the apprehension in her voice and with one last kiss, picked his head up to look in her eyes.  Her body was warm but her eyes betrayed her.  They were filled with nervousness.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just…before this goes any further I should tell you…I mean it’s…ugh…I’m not exactly experienced in the bedroom department,” she managed to get out. 

“You’re a virgin?” JC asked, making sure he was getting what she meant.

“Yes?” Mollie said, not unsure of her answer but his response.  She was surprised to see him smile.  “Are you mad?  I know its lame and everyone’s done it but I just…”  She was cut off by a kiss on her lips. 

“It’s not lame and not everyone has done it.  I’m glad you told me,” he said, brushing a piece of hair from her forehead. 

“You’re not mad?  Because all of that was feeling really good and I…”

“I’m not mad.  It doesn’t matter how good any of this feels if you’re not ready.  Trust me I want to be that first time for you,” JC said, eliciting a sexy grin from his girl.  “But I don’t want you to be nervous and I don’t want to rush you.  Sometimes I just get caught up, but the ball is in your court.  You tell me to stop, I’m stopping.” 

“Thank you,” she whispered.

 

He responded with a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose.  He rolled off her and in the absence of his weight, Mollie felt the weight of her decision.  He snuggled up behind her, pulling her close to him.

 

“Goodnight Mollie,” JC mumbled, placing a kiss on the back of her head.

“Goodnight.”

 

            The next morning Mollie felt a bit awkward about the situation.  She couldn’t help but feel like JC was disappointed in the revelation of her virginity.  They got dressed and were waiting by the door for the bus to pick them up when JC’s voice broke through her silence.

 

“What’s on your mind?” 

“Oh,” she said, snapping out of it.  “I don’t know.  Just things.”

“Like last night?” 

“Am I that obvious?”

“A little bit,” he replied, offering her a smile.  “I meant everything I said.  You have nothing to worry about.” 

“How do you know if you’re ready?”

“If you have to ask, you’re not ready.  When the time comes, you’ll know and it’ll be even better because you waited for the right time.  I know all of that sounds corny as hell but it’s true.  When you’re ready you won’t have to question whether or not you’re ready.” 

“If you say so…now kiss me, before we have to go sneaking around again,” she said, puckering her lips.

 

            JC obliged and just in time because the bus horn could be heard honking outside.  The pair dragged their suitcases out of the house and to the luggage hold, where the driver took over.  They climbed aboard and were surprised to find the guys and Johnny all sitting in the front lounge waiting for them, the vibe tense.  They took a seat, as directed by Johnny and as the bus pulled away, they began to find out what was up.

 

“So, Mollie.  I need you to sign this contract but first we have some things to talk about.  I’ve been notified that this picture is running in a tabloid this week,” Johnny began, holding up a photo of JC and Mollie kissing.  It was from the supermarket last night.  Mollie couldn’t believe it.  “This is a problem for me.  We never want the guys’ personal lives to overshadow the music.  We’ve even kept the Justin/Britney relationship pretty low key lately.”

“And what’s the problem?  They won’t know who Mollie is so they’ll get bored when no other pictures come out.  We can keep it low key,” JC explained. 

“The problem is that the standard contract we have everyone sign includes a clause that prevents this relationship from happening.”

“That’s crazy!” JC shouted.

 

Mollie kept quiet, taking it all in.  She wasn’t happy about what she was hearing but she wasn’t sure that she could figure out a way around it.

 

“The contract needs to be signed before you get on stage tonight Mollie, otherwise I’ll have to release you from the tour.”

“Guy, back me up on this?” JC asked his band mates. 

“I don’t think you should be allowed to tell us who to date,” Lance said.  Mollie was surprised that he chimed in, he was usually pretty quiet.  “I thought we fought hard enough for this in the past.”

“If none of us have a problem with it, why should it be in the contract?  Just because this is the first time any of us have pursued a relationship with a coworker it’s being forbidden?” Justin asked. 

“We do this to prevent any tension or problems that may occur should this not work out,” Johnny explained.  “If there is agreement within the group that this clause needs to be removed, we can discuss that further at a later date but for tonight and the beginning of this tour, this is the contract we have and this is the contract Mollie needs to sign.”

“What JC does in his personal life is his business.  I just don’t like the idea that there’s one aspect of our careers we’ve overlooked and essentially you’ve drafted a contract to control our personal lives,” Chris added. 

“Can I read it over?” Mollie said.  Everyone was chiming in on her life and she didn’t even know what the contract said.

“Mollie, you can’t sign this,” JC said, his anger coming to a boiling point. 

“I can read it.  I don’t like it either but I haven’t read it yet.  Also, can I have a lawyer read it over?  I’m pretty sure I should have been given this with ample time for my own lawyer to read it over.”

“You got me there,” Johnny said.  “Let’s give it a week.  If you don’t have it signed by then, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” 

“Great,” Mollie said, grabbing a piece of paper from Johnny’s open notebook.  “I’ll just write up a little agreement that says I have a week and my pay will not be affected during this week, and I’ll get on with it.”

 

            JC smiled as she wrote up a quick agreement, outlining what they just talked about.  She signed, as well as Johnny, JC and the rest of the guys as witnesses.  JC and Mollie retreated to the back area of the bus, dreading the next two hours trapped in a moving vehicle with Johnny.  Plopping down on the couch, Mollie immediately began reading the contract.  Everything seemed fine until she got to the part forbidding any relationships between employer and employee.  The language used there confused her and she noted that it looked like it was hastily added at the bottom of the contract.  It didn’t quite match the thoroughness of the rest of the writing.

 

“What are we going to do?”  JC asked.

“I’m still in touch with the lawyer who handled my grandmother’s estate.  Maybe he can help me understand what this is…and I’m going to ask the other girls if they have a copy of what they signed.  Just to make sure everything is the same.” 

“You think Johnny changed it just because of this photo?”

“He could have.  If he thinks I’m going to be bad for you and your reputation.  I just get this feeling that we’re going to have a fight on our hands, either way,” she sighed, leaning into him.  “For now, I think we still lay low… I mean obviously the guys know now but if we can just keep it quiet and not ruffle any feathers in case I do have to sign it.” 

“Even if you do have to sign it, I’m not going to follow it,” JC said, kissing her forehead.

  The first show went off without a hitch and they piled into the busses afterwards to head up to the next venue.  Mollie didn't get to see JC after the show as the guys were whisked away.  She showered in the venue's locker room and loaded herself onto the dancer's bus.  The girls shared a celebratory drink before getting to bed.  It was the first time sleeping on a bus for some of them and it would probably take some getting used to.

    Mollie was surprisingly refreshed when she woke up the next morning.  She found herself sitting at the table in the front of the bus when Annalesia came up and sat across from her.  Mollie hadn't gotten to know her that well yet but she figured it was as good a time as any to bring up the contract situation.

 

"Hey Anna, when did they ask you to sign the contract for the tour?"

"The day we met the guys.  When they pulled us for fittings they gave us the contract to read over and told us to have it back by the end of the week.  Don't you remember?" 

"I was never given one.  Johnny told me to get on the guys' bus to go the venue yesterday and he handed me the contract, saying they forgot.  It just seemed strange to me.  Like maybe they purposely forgot."

"That is weird.  I mean there's only 5 of us girls, you'd think it would be pretty easy to figure out they were missing one," Anna replied. 

"Do you have a copy of your contract with you?"

"I think so, but it's probably under the bus in my big suitcase.  I'll pull it out when we get to the next stop."

 

    Mollie was grateful to have a bit of a lead.  She rested easy as they continued their drive up north.  When they arrived at the hotel the next day, she got the contract from Anna.  She holed up in her room and scoured the text, looking for anything that could save her.  It didn't take her long to find it.  Just as she thought, the last paragraph regarding relationships with the "talent" was not included in Anna's contract.  Still, Mollie would feel better if she had a lawyer's input on the situation.  She ran down to the front desk and asked them to copy Anna's contract for her.  When they did, she returned Anna's contract to her and retrieved the one Johnny gave her from her bag.  She let one of the security guards know she would be gone for a bit and headed out to the local post office.  She sent the packet out to her lawyer with a note explaining her predicament.

     A few days later, she met up with Justin at their spot and they took their jog around the arena they were in that day.  It had become a bit of a routine for them and it was nice to have something constant in her day to day activity. Justin had become a fast friend and Mollie felt like she could confide in him.  He knew all of her worries concerning JC and had even taken an interest in her past and her life.  She felt like she had been friends with him forever, he had told her all about him and Britney and his different relationships with each of the guys.  They could lean on each other and he had been there for her through the contract situation.  Mollie hadn't heard back from her lawyer at this point and as their run came to a close, the two walked towards the dressing rooms.

 

"Hey Justin, do you think you guys would back me if it came to fighting Johnny over the contract?  I know we haven't known each other too long but I don't feel like I should be subjected to different rules because I want to be with JC." 

"I would definitely have your back and you know JC would.  I just hope it doesn't come to that.  I know Johnny's probably going to bring it up pretty soon."

 

Mollie's phone rang and she held up a finger to Justin, not recognizing the number.  When she answered she heard the voice of her lawyer.  After a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, he gave her an answer.

 

“So what does this mean?  What can I do?”  Mollie mmhmm’ed a few more times and then hung up. 

“Was that the lawyer?  What did he say?” 

“Race you to the toy room, you can hear while I tell JC!”

 

The duo took off running and made it to the toy room in seconds.  They found the other guys in there, JC lying down on a couch.  She ran over and hopped on his lap, startling him and jolting his eyes open.

 

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” JC grumbled, sitting up.

“I got some good news.  The lawyer called and he said it’s not exactly legal forcing me to sign a different contract from everyone else but it’s not exactly not legal either.” 

“And this is good?  If it’s not completely illegal then there’s still a chance you have to sign it.”

“Well, he said the only legal way would be to have the other girls sign the same contract.  Which theoretically, they wouldn’t have a problem signing because they’re not involved with any of you…” Mollie looked around, “are they?”

 

The guys shook their heads.  JC’s face still showed his confusion.

 

“I have a plan!”

 

She launched into an explanation of her plan and the guys laughed as she revealed the good parts.  They all agreed to be in on her idea and decided to call a meeting with Johnny after the show.  Mollie excused herself to go to the dancer’s dressing room and find the other piece to the puzzle.  Before she could hop off his lap, JC pulled her towards him.

 

“Hey, if this doesn’t work, I’m quitting,” he joked, planting a kiss on her lips.

“Oh great, an out of work popstar and an out of work dancer, we’ll make a great couple.”

 

            JC laughed as she stood and he pinched her ass as she walked away, causing her to jump. He shook his head as she an out the door and he settled back down on the couch.

 

They had a one day break between shows so, later that night they all hung out in the toy room before heading back to the hotel.  Johnny had agreed to meet them there and the plan was in place.  When Johnny arrived, the guys were scattered around the room, doing their own thing.  Johnny watched as Mollie laid the contract out on the table.

 

“So, what’s it gonna be?” Johnny asked, a cocky smile spreading across his face. 

“No deal.”

“Then I guess we’ll be finding you a replacement Miss Greenspan,” Johnny said calmly. 

“Good luck with that.  While you’re at it you can find a replacement for me,” JC said.

“Very funny.”

“I’m not joking Johnny.  We’ve looked into this and you can’t make her sign something the other dancers didn’t sign.  And if Lance and Anna are allowed to hook up,” JC said, pointing a finger to the two snuggling in a corner, “than Mollie and I should be free to do whatever we want.”

Johnny glared at Lance before crossing his arms.  “Well, I plan on having all of the dancers sign this contract.  I’ve already got one on board.” 

“Who?” Mollie replied, shocked.  That’s when she spotted Diana looking over Johnny’s shoulder.

“Diana sees nothing wrong with the modified contract, she was happy to sign it.” 

“Listen Johnny, if you don’t drop this power trip and give Mollie the original contract to sign, there’s going to be hell to pay because I’m not going to continue on this tour.”

 

Mollie was a little surprised that he was willing to take it that far for her.  Johnny shrugged and stood up to walk out.  Mollie watched as he went, feeling JC’s hand rub her thigh.

 

“He’ll get over it.  Apparently it’s just going to take a little longer than we thought.”

 

The next day the group headed out to Hershey Park, determined to have fun on their first day off.  The boys had shut the park down and the group had free reign of everything in it.  After hitting a few of the roller coasters, they gathered at a ride that shot two people in the air and let them bungee back down.  Mollie hopped up to sit on the fence that separated the crowd from the actual ride and JC put a hand on either side of her, leaning in close.

 

“Do you think this is going to work?  This contract thing?” Mollie said, hooking her index fingers through the loops of JC’s cargo shorts.

“Yes.  I meant what I said when I told him I’d walk.  I’m tired of people controlling my life.” 

“I wouldn’t let you do that,” Mollie replied, looking up to meet his eyes.  “I wouldn’t let you throw away everything you’ve worked for.  You guys worked hard on this album.  This tour is the culmination of everything you’ve been working towards since the beginning.”

“I would do it for you,” JC said, sheepishly.  “I know it might sound crazy but you and me…it’s different than anything I’ve ever had before.  I don’t want to have to wait to see you for weeks at a time.  I want you with me, all the time.” 

Mollie couldn’t contain her smile.  “I definitely don’t want to miss you either,” she replied, leaning in for a kiss.  She tugged at his belt loops, pulling him between her legs.  JC slipped a hand in her hair and they got lost in their own world.  It wasn’t until they heard a chorus of gagging noises and shouts of “get a room” that they realized everyone was watching them.

 

“On the other hand, it’d definitely be easier to resist you if you went home,” JC joked.

“Resist what?” she purred innocently into his ear. 

“And now I need to turn the other way and recite the pledge of allegiance, excuse me,” he replied, turning away from the group and walking in the other direction.  Mollie couldn’t help but laugh and the rest of the group just stared at them, puzzled.

A few days later, they were just sitting in the back of the bus.  They had pulled into the venue not long ago for the last of three sold out shows at Giants Stadium but the two decided to hang back from the group before soundcheck.  They heard someone coming and looked towards the hall.

 

“Can I speak to you two?”  It was Johnny.

“Sure,” JC said, sitting up. 

“I wanted to have this conversation away from the others.  I brought the original contract with me and hope you’ll sign it Molly.  I put up such a big fight about this relationship because I don’t know you and I know there are people, even the one who work with the guys, who don’t have good intentions.  It’s my job to look out for them and try and make sure they don’t get bad press. There have been times when past relationships have gotten more attention than the music and it’s not something I want.  But, as the guys have repeatedly pointed out to me over the last 24 hours, this is their lives and their careers.  So, go for it.”

“Well, not that we needed your permission, but thanks,” JC said, respectfully.

 

Mollie gave the contract a once over and found it to be to her satisfaction.  She scribbled her signature at the bottom and Johnny left them alone once again.  In her excitement, Mollie captured JC’s lips, pulling him down on top of her.  Her hands slid under the t-shirt he wore and she dragged it up.  He chuckled against her lips as she whimpered, frustrated at his refusal to let her take it off.  Finally she pulled back, smacking his chest as he continued to laugh.

 

“I’m really not seeing the humor in this,” she grumbled.  “Most guys would enjoy it, participate even, if their girlfriend was attempting to take their clothes off.  Mine? He laughs.” 

“Baby, stop trying to force it,” JC said, trying to control his laughter.

“I’m not trying to force anything!  I’m overjoyed at the news that I can keep my job and hang out with my boyfriend and I wanted to show him how much I lo…like him.  Why aren’t you making a move?” 

“You really want your first time to be on the back of my tour bus, when any of the guys could walk in and catch us?”  JC asked, noticing her almost slip of the ‘l-word.’ “I don’t think that sounds very romantic.”

“We could lock the door…” 

“What’s your rush?  Seems to me you held onto your virginity for a reason and I plan on being with you for a very long time.  We don’t need to rush into sex.”

“Why are you so perfect?” she joked, brushing a curl from his forehead.  “If you were normal you’d have ravished me ten times over by now but no.  You’re more concerned for me.  I know I should be loving and grateful…but right now I’m just hot and bothered.”

 

JC started laughing again and Mollie joined him.  She covered her face which, indeed, felt hot.  The couch suddenly seemed pretty small.

 

“Besides, I can’t see Johanna tonight if I deflower you right now.” 

“Why not?”

“She’ll know!” JC exclaimed, causing Mollie to laugh harder.  “She’s already mad at me for not telling you who I was at first, I can’t give her another reason to be mad at me.” 

“She’s not mad and how would she know?”  Mollie asked, wrinkling her eyebrows.

“Well, now I know you’re a virgin.  Just trust me, she’d know.” 

“Well, if you’re not going to ravish me then I guess I’d better get to the dressing room, it’s probably time to get hair and makeup done.”

“I have a question…”  JC said.  “I was thinking, there’s always an odd number of people between the guys and girls…what would you say if I suggested we room together for the rest of tour?  I mean it would even it out for everyone else. And then we could actually get some time to ourselves…” 

“Sold.”

“Really?” 

“I just tried to undress you in the back of the bus.  You’re offering some more private alone time, obviously I’m going to say yes.”

“Well good.  Now kiss me before we have to go get ready.”

 

She leaned up placing her lips on his and threading her fingers in his wild curly hair.  JC let his hands slide lower on her body and he had just slipped one onto her butt when they heard someone clearing their throat loudly.  JC looked up to see Johanna, hands on her hips, staring at them.  He quickly rolled off Mollie and sat straight up.

 

“Hello Jo,” Mollie said, waving from her lying down position. 

“Hey Molls.  Didn’t mean to interrupt your gropefest.  I could always go find the adorable blonde one and wait for you,” Johanna replied sarcastically.

“While I’m sure Lance would love to have you follow him around for the next few hours, we have to be getting ready anyway,” Mollie replied, rising from the couch. 

“JC, nice to see you.  Maybe one of these days you’ll give me a reason to like you,” Johanna joked.  “Lying…groping…who knows what I’ll walk into next?”

“Johanna, always a pleasure,” JC said waving as the girls stepped off the bus. 

“Why do you give him such a hard time?  He just wants you to like him,” Mollie said.

“Someone needs to watch out for you.” 

“He’s a good guy Jo.  You can cut him some slack.”

“Then he should start showing me that he deserves slack.”

 

They entered the hair and makeup room to find Justin getting his hair trimmed.  Mollie plopped herself in the makeup chair and directed Johann to pull up another chair.

 

“Johanna, my spicy Spanish senorita!” Justin yelled upon noticing the new addition 

“I am not your spicy Spanish anything.”

“I missed that sarcasm,” Justin said, hopping out of the chair and brushing the loose hair off his shoulders.  “She’s so cute isn’t she?” He directed his question to Mollie but didn’t require an answer.  “I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends,” he said, extending his hand for a shake. 

“How often are your feelings correct?” Johanna asked, ignoring his hand.

“About 99 percent of the time,” he replied, smiling.  “Bye Molls, see you later Joey.” 

“It’s Johanna.”

“I’m gonna call you Joey.”

 

Justin exited with a wink and Mollie couldn’t help but laugh.  Jaime had to remind her to sit still as she was trying to apply eye shadow.

 

 "What the hell was that?" Mollie asked. 

"Nothing."  Johanna said, squirming in her seat.

"Technically he's my boss and you're just flirty and rude all at the same time.  You could have been nicer.  I thought you guys got along when you were in Florida." 

"I was not rude or flirty.  I was just playing.  There's something about him that rubs me the wrong way."

 

Mollie gave her friend a disbelieving look.  They switched topics, catching up on what had been going on since they last saw each other.  Before long it was time for the show to start.  Mollie led Johanna over to one of the bodyguards, who accompanied her to her reserved seat.  Mollie got to her spot, wanting to catch the beginning of the show from the monitors backstage before her cue.  The boys were on tonight.  The stadium was huge and Mollie had a hard time believing she was performing in front of all of these people.  The adrenaline was starting to kick in and she just wanted to get out there.

She got excited when she heard the first few notes of “It’s Gonna Be Me.”  She ran out on stage, dragging some of the props behind her.  It was kind of nerve wracking, seeing the huge stadium stretched out before her but she pretended like the audience wasn’t there.  She fooled around with JC, sword fighting with some oversized crayons.  She hit all of her marks and had some fun with her expressions.  During her featured part in “Celebrity” she played it up and realized how comfortable she had become on the stage.  It was so much fun to be out there.  After the show, she showered and fixed her hair.  They were going out tonight and she was excited.

The other girls were already out of the locker room so Mollie didn’t mind walking around in just her thong.  Mollie slipped into her low rise jeans and rifled through her bag to find the shirt she’d picked.  She didn’t hear anyone come in behind her.  She got a huge spook when someone pinched her sides.  Her arms came up to cover herself and she peeked over her shoulder to find JC, hands up.

 

“Hey!” she said, turning to face him.  “You could’ve knocked.”

“I could’ve but I didn’t.  You mad?”  he asked, trying not to look at her chest. 

“No,” she smiled. 

 

She bent down to retrieve her strapless bra and slipped it on with her back to him.  JC smiled as he caught a glimpse of her sides and pretended to look away when she turned back around.  She finally found the shirt she wanted to wear and slipped it over her head.  It was a shimmery, champagne colored tube top.  It covered her breasts and not much else and had a tie around her right arm.  She had bought it a while ago but had yet to get a chance to wear it.

 

“And the point of the shirt is…,” JC said, sliding his hands up her sides to cup her.

“I think it’s cute!” 

“It’s adorable but I’m just going to want to take it off all night.”

“Well I want to dance.  So be a good boy and we’ll see what happens when we get back to the room.” 

“We will huh?”

 

            Molly nodded and leaned in to kiss him.  JC pressed to deepen the kiss but Molly knew they’d never get out of here once they got started.  She pulled back, placing on quick kiss on his cheek and led the way out the door.

The music was thumping so loudly, Mollie was convinced the building was shaking to the beat.   She slid past the lines of people at the bar and followed JC, their hands interlocked, to the VIP section.  There were already tons of people there.  The pair got drinks and mingled a while before escaping to the dance floor.  After a while, the crowd got too packed in, so the duo headed back to get some drinks.  The group had dwindled a bit by this time and JC and Mollie took a seat on a couch.  Mollie placed her drink on the table in front of them, leaning into her boyfriend for a kiss.  He smelled of smoke and tequila from the hazy atmosphere.  His taste was addictive.  She gave him a look that indicated she wanted to get out of here, and he signaled for her to meet him by the door.  She headed in that direction but a grumpy looking Justin intercepted her.

 

“Molls, where you going?” he said, his speech a bit slurred.

“Back to the hotel.  We’ve got to get on the road early in the morning.  Looks like you should be heading back too Jus.” 

“I can’t do this anymore Moll.”

“No you can’t, put the beer down,” she said, giggling and reaching for the beer in his hand. 

“No, I mean I can’t do this,” Justin said, signaling around him and pointing towards the other guys.  “I need to get out on my own.  I can’t do this anymore.”

 

Mollie was a bit taken aback by this statement.  She wasn’t sure whether to take it seriously or brush it off as drunk mumbling.  She didn’t have time to process it because JC came walking up right behind Justin.

 

“Hey man, we’re heading back.  You gonna hang around or you want to catch a ride with us?”

“I’m good C…you’ve got a good one,” Justin mumbled, pointing at Mollie. 

“I know,” JC said, placing a kiss on her temple.  “See you bro.”

 

            Mollie watched as Justin ambled away and joined Joey for a round of shots.  She brushed off his comment, though it still didn’t sit right.  JC’s hand slid to her lower back, leading her out to the car he had undoubtedly called when he stepped away.  They climbed in back and Mollie was grateful for the privacy shield that was up.  As the car started moving, she swung her leg over JC’s lap to straddle him.  Her lip explored his neck as he chuckled in surprise.

 

“Someone’s having a good night,” he noted, letting his hands slide down and rest on her ass. 

“Mmm,” she growled against him.

 

They got lost in the moment, something that happened frequently with them and JC pulled back from her lips when he felt her hands slide down to his belt buckle.  Her hips had subconsciously been grinding against his and JC couldn’t help but want to allow Mollie to take this further.  She had gotten the buckle open and managed to unsnap and unzip his jeans before JC came to his sense.

 

“Baby…” he whispered.  “Babe…ohhh,” he groaned as Mollie’s hand wandered into his jeans.  JC grabbed her wrist, pulling it up until he could slide his hand into hers.  “Baby we’re in the back of a car…let’s take it down a notch.” 

“No,” Mollie said, her tone slightly bratty.  “You always get to control where this goes and I’m tired of it.”

“Oh?” JC replied, amused. 

“Yeah,” she replied, smiling at him.  “I get a say too, don’t I?”

“You do,” he answered as the car came to a stop. 

“Good.  I say that we go up to our room and do whatever I want to do for a change.”

 

            JC chuckled at her bravado, wondering how long it would last.  He decided to roll with it for as long as it did.  He’d resisted her charms up to now for the simple fact that he did not want to rush her but if she wanted to play ball, he’d play.  He picked her up and sat her down next to him once more, sliding down to open the door.  He extended a hand for her and they both headed into the hotel lobby amidst screams and flashing lights.  The elevator seemed to be taking forever, especially with her tiny hand sliding into the back pocket of his jeans.  When it did arrive, they were the only ones there and JC swung Mollie around until her back was against the wall.  His body pressed against hers and his mouth covered hers.  Mollie felt so many new sensations all at once.  Her skin felt like it was on fire and when JC’s hand slide under her waistband to grab her bare ass, Mollie thought she might die of electrocution.

            They broke apart long enough to get out of the elevator and locate their room key.  Mollie kicked her shoes off the moment they got inside and climbed onto the bed.   JC did the same, taking a moment to unload is pockets.  When he turned around his girlfriend was on the bed and had taken her top off.  She was fumbling around with the snaps on the back of her bra when JC joined her.

 

“Hey,” he said.  “Save something for me.”

 

He lay her down on the bed, resuming their elevator activities.  Her hands roamed, excited by this new activity.  She tugged on the hem of his shirt, dragging it up towards his shoulders.  JC leaned back, allowing her to pull it over his head.  He slid his hands behind her, freeing her breasts from their restraint.  He didn’t pull it away right away.

 

“You sure about this?”

 

She nodded but he could see her confidence from earlier had faded a bit.  He tossed the material on the ground and took in the view of her perfect bare breasts.  Her nipples were hard with want and he cupped them in his hands.

 

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice so low it was practically a growl. 

 

His mouth travelled down her neck, nipping at her skin as he went before pulling one of her pink nipples into his mouth.  Mollie’s back arched off the bed at the sensation running through her.  She felt her jeans being tugged down her hips and she lifted herself off the bed so he could slide them off.  Lying on the bed in just her panties, Mollie’s heart began to race.  She thought she was ready for this but now, when it was time, she wasn’t so sure.  She didn’t say anything, just latched onto JC’s lips.

JC let his hand travel down to her center.  She was hot and she bucked against him.  He picked his head up and looked into her eyes.  He could see the fear flash across her face before she put on a fake smile.

 

“We’re not going to do this here.  Not tonight,” he whispered in her ear.

“No, Jace, it’s okay…” she said, her voice shaking. 

“Uh-uh,” he said, shaking his head.  “I don’t want to do this here, not when you’re nervous.”  He brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. 

“I want to,” she said, her voice betraying her. 

“Do you trust me?”  She nodded. “Let me do something?”  She nodded again.

 

            JC started moving the hand on her center.  He could see her face change from nervous to surprise.  He kissed her, rubbing, trying to give her a little piece of what she wanted.  She matched his movements with her hips and began to pant.  Her mind raced a mile a minute as little sparks shot off inside her body.  Her skin flushed red and she thought she was about to explode.  Just before she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, she felt a rush through her veins and her whole body tingled.  She cried out in ecstasy and collapsed on the pillows.

 

“Oh my god,” she said, trying to catch her breath.  “That was…”

“You keep pushing but you’re nervous.  I thought maybe if I give you a little taste…” 

“I get what the hype’s about now.”  JC laughed, shaking the bed.

“Listen.  I know you want to move this along.  But I’m cool going at our own pace.  When it’s time, you won’t be nervous.”

 

            Mollie fluttered her tired eyes at him.  She had a silly grin on her face and pulled his face up to hers.  She kissed him sweetly on the lips before rolling onto her side, to lie on his chest.

 

“I don’t know what makes me nervous when we get to that point.” 

“That’s okay.  Like I said, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

The next few weeks flew by and before they knew it, they were more than halfway done with the tour.  It was the day of the album’s release and there was a huge stage erected in the parking lot of the venue.  MTV was there to debut some of the new album live and talking about the making of the album and the tour.  It was quite a spectacle, Mollie noted as she found a spot off to the side, flashing her tour credentials to get closer to the stage.  The guys were performing and doing interviews in between songs.  There were tons of girls there, in various outrageous costumes.  The screaming was almost deafening but it was nice to be able to see JC during the other part of his job.  Until now, the guys had been jetting off here and there to do interviews and the girls were sent along with the rest of the crew to the next stop on the tour.  Today, the interview came to them. 

                The boys were great friends off stage but you could tell there was something amplified about them when the cameras came on.  JC was still a bit shy but he goofed around.   Mollie couldn’t help but find him adorable.  As the time neared, the guys got more and more excited.  It was great to see them look back at some of the best moments in their career.  Mollie was seeing most of it for the first time and she loved the glimpse into JC’s past.  They had a quick break where they moved from one side section back over to the stage.  They’d just shown a package where the guys had taken a fan on a date.

 

“So do you guys share everything?” Mollie joked as JC and Chris were walking past her. 

“Yup and I’ll be meeting you two for dinner later,” Chris said, smiling and heading over to the stage.

“Never. I’m too selfish to share you,” JC said, giving her a quick peck.

 

            Mollie was about to head towards the stage when she heard mutters of “whore” and “gold digger.”  She turned to see a few girls in the crowd giving her dirty looks.  She didn’t want to make anyone any angrier, so she just turned away and headed over to the side of the stage.  Anytime JC showed her any attention in between segments, there seemed to be a murmur from the crowd near them.  She couldn’t believe the fans were being so rude.  It was hard not to let it get to her so right when the boys were nearing the end, she decided to head into the venue.

 

“We’re almost done, then we can head back in and relax,” JC said, grabbing the water bottle she held out to him as he bent down from the stage. 

“Actually, I was gonna head in now.”

“Something wrong babe?” 

“No, I’m just really hot and I want to cool off before my run…”  Mollie hoped she was convincing.

“Okay.  I think Britney should be here any minute, maybe you guys can hang out while I wrap this up?”  He sat on the stage to get closer to her. 

“Yeah, I’ll go see if she’s here yet,” Mollie said, grateful for an excuse to leave the burning eyes of the fans.

 

            JC leaned forward, lips pursed for a kiss.  She obliged him, leaning in for only a peck but he grabbed her chin, giving her three.  She smiled at him and hurried out of the crowd, trying to ignore the comments.  She made her way to the toy room, figuring nobody would be in there until the boys were done.  Normally nobody was allowed in there except for the guys but they’d allowed Mollie special privileges.  She plopped face down on the nearest couch and let herself cry.

 

“Rough day?”  A voice shocked Mollie and she shot straight up.  She hadn’t noticed Britney on the couch opposite hers when she walked in.

“You scared me,” Mollie replied, wiping her cheeks. 

“What’s wrong?  JC drama?”

“You could say that.”  It was strange to be chatting about something personal with Britney.  They’d only met a few times and hadn’t gotten time to get to know each other.  “Were the fans really mean to you when you and Justin first got together?” 

“Absolutely.  They hated me.  I think it was easier for me because I had my fans being amazing and positive.  What brought on the tears?”

“Every time JC even looked at me during the taping their doing out there, girls were calling me horrible names.  I brushed it off at first but after a while it’s hard to let it roll off your shoulders.” 

“They can get pretty possessive.  I can’t blame them, I mean I used to get mad when my favorite celebrities would date someone.  I think you don’t realize how hard it is to date one of them until you do it.  Before then it’s all a wonderful fantasy.”

“They don’t realize how much those words hurt.”

 

            The two girls bonded over their shared misery.  By the time the boys came in, Mollie had dried her tears and started to really like Britney. 

 

“Hey,” JC said, tugging on her hand.  “Come here.”

 

            She followed him out of the room and into the actual stadium.  He convinced a security guard to let them into one of the sky boxes and he pulled her down onto his lap on a couch off to one side.

 

“What’s wrong?  I could tell when you left that something was the matter,” he asked, rubbing her legs. 

“Those fans can be pretty vicious,” she replied.  “I would think that they’d be happy if you were happy.”

“They were rude?”  Mollie nodded.  “I’m sorry.  I should’ve prepared you for that.  It’s not the first time they’ve been like that when girls are around.” 

“That’s what Britney said.”

“Well, she would know.  I’m sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault you’re so handsome,” she joked, brushing his hair back.

“I just can’t help it,” he replied, making them both laugh.  “Anyway…I wanted to pull you aside because we’re going to be filming the next video at the end of August in Vegas.  I think you should invite Johanna.  We’re having the Challenge for the Children event then, so it’ll be a fun weekend.” 

“I think that’d be great.”

“So tell her to take off of work, everything’s on me.” 

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.  Challenge weekend is always fun.” 

“You’re too good to me,” Mollie replied, snuggling in close to him.

 

            The next few days were a whirlwind.  They were doing shows at night and promotion during the day.  When the night came for the album release party, they whole gang was ready for a night of fun.  The dancers arrived earlier, and when Mollie got a text from JC telling her they just pulled up, she snuck up to the front door to watch the boys walk the carpet.  It was an interesting experience.  Justin and Chris were clearly the hams, talking to everyone and hogging the conversation but the others snuck in sometimes. 

            By the time they got to the end, you could tell they just wanted to have some fun.  They waved to the last few reporters but walked right past.  They walked towards her and JC’s smile grew when he saw her in her party dress.  They headed straight for VIP and shared a celebratory shot.  The music was loud and at one point Justin jumped in the booth and took over for a while.  Mollie had never been to a party like this.  There were so many famous people around.  She felt a little out of place.  She was glad Britney was there, it was nice to see a familiar face.  Britney actually asked her to help Wade with the choreography for her new video.  Mollie was blown away but apparently Wade had been talking her up to Britney.  Mollie couldn’t believe it and she headed straight for JC to tell him the good news.

 

“Guess who the new assistant choreographer is for the new Britney Spears video?” She asked him, grinning like a fool.

“Um…Justin Timberlake?” JC joked. 

“No, me!  Can you believe it?!  First I land a major tour with the biggest group in the world and now I’m the assistant choreographer for the biggest pop star in the world.  My life cannot be real.”

“It is real and you totally deserve it baby,” he replied.  He grabbed her face and kissed her hard.  He pulled her towards the entrance to the club and they headed out the door.  There were flashes in their face immediately and they hailed a cab, trying to keep their faces away from the camera.  JC kept a protective hand wrapped around her waist until the cab came and they stumbled into the back seat.

 

“You don’t want to celebrate this night with your friends?” Mollie asked, looking into his eyes. 

“Nope.  I want to spend it with you.”

 

            They pulled up to the apartment where JC stayed whenever he was in Los Angeles.  They were back on the road tomorrow but they’d decided to take the night away from the group.  Mollie followed JC up the stairs and down the hall to his door, her hand entwined with his.  JC led her into the apartment, dropping his keys on the counter and locking the door behind them.  Mollie kicked her heels off and headed for the bedroom, not disappointed to be away from the noise and crowds.  She felt overly happy at this moment in her life and she was more than happy to spend it alone with JC.  She’d wanted to tell him she loved him for a while now.  They were always so busy and she never knew when the right time was but she figured tonight was as good as any.  When she dropped her handbag on the nightstand, she turned to find JC right behind her, a wide smile on his face.  She smiled back, catching his contagious mood.

 

“I love you,” she said, shaking her head and giggling.  It was a pure moment, triggered by one of the many reasons why she loved him: his smile.

“I wanted to say that first,” he said, smiling even bigger.  “I love you too.”

 

            He took a step towards his girlfriend and seized her mouth with his own.  He felt her hands pulling at his shirt and he pulled it off over his head, tossing it aside.  Mollie pulled back, lifting her arms straight up and staring at him expectantly.  There was something different in her eyes than there had been previously.  He kept their eyes locked as he pulled her shirt off, letting his face fall against hers as he dropped it to the floor. He rid himself of his jeans and pulled on the button of her low rise ones.  She slid them off, revealing her hot pink thong that matched her lacy bra.  He took a step towards her and Mollie took a step back, feeling her knees hit the bed frame.  She let herself drop onto the bed, breaking apart from JC only to scoot further onto it.

            She was surprised that she didn’t feel more afraid but she knew that JC wouldn’t hurt her.  It was as if a peacefulness had settled over them, taking away every negative thought she’d ever had and all that was left was love.  She giggled as his fingers fumbled with her bra and she unhooked it with one hand, tossing it aside.  There was no awkwardness about their encounter, as she’d expected from her first time.  He slid his boxers down his legs, kicking them off, and Mollie inhaled sharply, taking in the sight of him hard and ready for her.

 

“Are you ready for this?” 

“Yes.  Just go easy on me,” she joked, smiling up at him.

 

            He gave her a kiss before tugging her panties off.  He was surprised to see her fully shaven but it was a pleasant surprise.  He took his time with her, making sure he tended to her needs before getting to the act. He positioned himself at her entrance, pausing to look in her eyes.

 

“Talk to me.  If it hurts, if you want me to stop, whatever.  You tell me what to do, you’re in control,” he said, reassuring her.

 

            She nodded, breathless with anticipation.  She placed one hand on the side of his face, bringing him to her for another kiss.  She let go of her fears and she felt him slide into her.  She felt an intense pressure and then a quick pain that flashed by almost as quickly as it came.  JC stilled, letting her adjust to the new sensation.  Mollie was uncomfortably full at first and there was a dull pain from the first thrust but after a minute, it passed and she felt alright.

 

“Did I hurt you?”

“A little…but it’s okay now.  Keep going,” she whispered.

 

            JC took it slow and it took all of his self-control not to thrust into her at a furious pace.  Mollie started to feel better and better, panting as her temperature rose.  She moaned and urged him to increase the pace, wanting more and more of the feeling radiating through her.  JC did as she asked, but still held back a bit.  He could feel her walls tightening around him and it took all of his self-control to not let go until she did. 

 

“It’s okay baby,” he whispered, hearing her squeals.  “Let go.” 

“Oh my God!” she screamed, as her body tingled and she felt as though she were on fire. 

 

            As her muscles tightened around him, JC reached his peak and let go, collapsing onto his elbows.  There was nothing but the sound of their breathing for a few moments; both were content in the silence.  JC carefully separated them, with a noticeable wince on Mollie’s face, and rolled to his side, next to her.

 

“So that’s what everyone’s talking about, huh?” she joked, turning to face him.

“Who’s talking about my sexual abilities?” he joked.  “On a more serious note…are you okay…was it okay?” 

“It was perfect,” she replied, snuggling up close to him.

The next morning when the alarm went off, Mollie groaned.  JC buried his face deeper into her neck, determined for an extra moment of sleep but alas the alarm just kept buzzing.  Mollie turned in his arms, placing sweet kisses along his jaw to wake him up.  He smiled and his stubble scratched her face.  A sense of calm was in the air and Mollie felt totally at ease despite being totally naked.  It was as if any remaining barriers between them had fallen.  They took their time getting ready, sharing a shower and throwing their clothes in a bag.  Cuddling on the couch while waiting for the bus, they stayed close.

 

“Back to the real world,” JC said, wishing they had more time to themselves.

“I don’t know how I’m going to dance tonight.  I’m sore,” Mollie said laughing. 

“I guess we have to practice some more, to get you in shape,” JC said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Practice does make perfect,” Mollie agreed, her lips brushing against his.  Before they could kiss, a loud horn honked outside.  “And the real world has arrived.”

 

            They headed out to the bus, which looked out of place in the apartment complex.  JC and Mollie held hands the whole walk to the bus and snuggled close when they grabbed some seats on the couch.  Justin gave them a strange look but went back to his conversation with Britney.  Later that day, Mollie was reluctant to part with JC when he needed to get dressed so with a long slow kiss, she headed in the direction of the makeup room and found Justin hanging out, talking to Jamie.

 

“You’ve managed to separate yourself from JC long enough to see us little people huh?” Justin asked. 

“Yes…”

“You two have been particularly clingy today.” 

“Have we?  I didn’t realize.”  Mollie was trying her hardest to deflect whatever suspicion Justin may have about her relationship.

“So where’d you two go last night?  I couldn’t help but notice you skipped out early.” 

“We were both pretty tired.  We headed back to his apartment to get as much sleep as we could.”

“Just sleep huh?”

 

            Mollie could tell Justin somehow knew what went down last night.  She excused herself, not wanting to have this conversation in front of Jamie, who was setting up her tools, and headed out into the hallway.

 

“Why you running away?” 

“Justin Randall Timberlake you should know better than to ask a lady about her private life in public,” Mollie said, pulling him into an empty room.  She plopped down on the floor of the room, over in the corner, thinking she’d have a few minutes to compose herself before getting to work.

“It’s not a big deal if you had sex with your boyfriend Molls, I was just teasing.” 

“It’s a big deal for me,” Mollie said.  “It was my first time.”

“Oh…”  Justin said, sitting down across from her.  “I’m sorry Molls, I didn’t mean to make fun.  I didn’t know…” 

“It’s fine.  I’m just a little sensitive about it right now.  It’s a whole new thing for me and I don’t feel comfortable enough with it to joke around,” Mollie informed him. 

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t know.  I should know better than to do that anyway.  My first time was discussed by tabloids around the world,” he replied, bluntly. 

“Well, let’s just keep this between you and me, eh?”

“You got it.  Just spare me details in the future.  You’re like my little sister, I’d rather not know the gory details of your life with JC.”

 

            Mollie shook her head at him and stood up.  She shoved his head as she walked past and out the door.  She could hear his laugh from the hallway and she continued down to the girls bathroom.  She checked under the stalls to make sure nobody was in there and hopped up onto the counter to call Johanna.

 

“Hey girl!  I was hoping you’d call, I miss you.  I have news!” Johanna sounded super excited when she answered. 

“Hey Jo…”

“What’s up?  Something’s different about you.  I hear it in your voice.” 

“How do you know these things?” Mollie asked, truly shocked at her friend’s uncanny ability to sense what was up.  “I kind of had a lot of stuff happen in the last few days and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Oh yeah, how was the party?” 

“It was great, the guys are so excited about the album finally being out.  JC and I left early actually…and we told each other we love each other.  Pause for reaction,” Mollie said, trying to make a joke.

“You did?  That’s a big step for you!  I’m proud of you.” 

“And then…we had sex…”  There was silence on the other end of the line.  “It was more than I imagined, Jo.  He was so perfect with me.  He was gentle and…I think I’m in deep with this one.”

“I’d definitely say you’re in deep if you decided to give up your V-card.  How are you today?  You feel good about everything?” 

“I feel…this is going to sound strange but I feel like I’m just noticing everything today.  Like I feel like I’m just noticing the sky and smells and sounds…I’m just seeing my body as curvy and womanly…I sound dumb don’t I?”

“Nope,” Johanna said, quietly.  “You sound like you’ve just made a great decision with someone you really love….my girl is growing up.”

 

            The girls chatted some more and Mollie mentioned the upcoming charity weekend.  Johanna was excited for a chance to get out of New York.  They discussed the details of her arrival and Mollie mentioned the guys would be filming their new music video next month.  Johanna wanted to come if she could get the time off of work.  In the middle of all of that, Mollie would be spending time with Britney and Wade, teaching her the choreography they’d been working on for her music video.  It would be a jam packed few weeks but it would all be worth it. Just as she hung up the phone, the door burst open and JC walked in.

 

"I think you misread the sign, this is the ladies room," Mollie said, laughing. 

"Exactly why I figured I could find my lady here.  I had something to ask you."

"Okay..." 

"Mollie Greenspan, would you be my date for the VMA's?"

"For real?  Like sit next to each other and possibly have our picture taken?"  She was teasing him but she wanted to make sure he was considering all aspects of the idea before she replied. 

"Yup, for real.  We're cooking up something big for our performance and A- you might be in it if we are using dancers and B- I want the woman I love there for all of it."

"Oh and what woman is that?" Mollie smiled, wanting to hear him say it again. 

"You," he replied.  "I love you."

"I love you too.  Of course I'll go.  I may be pulling double duty though.  I was going to help Wade out with Britney's performance too and possibly dance in it.  I guess I'll be busier than you that night." 

"You're just so popular," JC said, rolling his eyes in mock disgust.  He opened the door to leave.  "I don't even think I'm cool enough for you anymore."  He walked out, leaving Mollie laughing hysterically.

 

She hopped off the bathroom counter, chasing him out of the room.  She bumped straight into his chest as he was only just outside the door.  They both laughed hysterically and headed towards the main part of the arena, where camera crews had set up for interviews. Mollie left JC to get started and found Wade off to one side of the room.  They found an empty room where they could play their music and got to work.  The song was amazing, Mollie thought it would definitely stand out on the radio and would get people talking about Britney and this new sound.  She’d been listening to it on and off all morning and had a few ideas already.  Wade had done a lot of the choreography already but was working tightening up anything he didn’t like.  A fast learner, it didn’t take long for Mollie to pick up his choreography.

 

“So what do you think?” he asked when they took a breather.  Mollie hesitated to answer and Wade could see that.  “Be honest.  I trust your opinion.”

“I love it.  I just think the one part needs something different.  I actually have a really crazy idea for it.” 

“What?”

“Well a few years ago, I was taking a class to just keep in shape when I was looking for a job and I thought I had signed up for hip hop but it turned out it was a belly dancing class.  I stayed because it sounded like fun but I feel like some of the things I learned there could be worked in with the more hip hop type moves to make something cool.” 

 

Mollie stopped rambling and looked up at him. Luckily he was smiling.  She tried a few things and once Wade got a feel for what she meant, they worked out a cool sequence that was a break from the up tempo dancing action they had going on for the rest of the song.  They were really excited about all of it and decided to find Britney and show her before they kept working on it.  When they wandered into the arena, they found that the press was almost gone.  The guys were finishing up an interview with a newspaper reporter and when the reporter had packed up and left, the duo sprung.  Britney was talking to Justin but they interrupted.

 

"Hey Brit, we just finished just about everything and we wanted to get your thoughts on it," Wade said. 

"Yeah, do it here, then we get more opinions," Britney suggested. 

 

    Wade set up their stereo and Mollie headed a few feet away from everyone.  She last minute decided to roll up her tank top so the belly dancing could really be noticed.  She didn't usually get nervous but performing for a small group of people she knew definitely turned the nerves up.  She was fine through the first section but when Wade stepped out for the belly dancing and all eyes were on her, she search for JC until they locked eyes.  She focused on him as she moved, and before she knew it Wade was back beside her finishing up the song.  When they finished there was a moment of silence and then everyone started cheering.

 

"Who knew little Mollie was a sexy belly dancer?" Joey joked from the bleachers.

"That's amazing!" Lance added.  "Way different than what everyone else is doing." 

"But what does the boss lady have to say?" Mollie asked, glancing nervously at Britney.

"I say, teach me that right now!"

 

     Mollie laughed, happy that Britney was happy.  She showed her the belly dancing part as the guys scattered to their various destinations.  Britney had to leave for an interview but she promised she'd work on the belly dancing until they had to learn the whole dance.  After she left, it was just Mollie and JC.  He sat back in his chair, his feet propped up on the chair in front of him.  He had a mischievous look on his face and she walked over, swinging a leg over his to sit on his lap, facing him.

 

"How did you come up with the whole belly dancing section?" he asked, running his tongue across his lower lip. 

"Let's just said I've had a recent spark of inspiration," she replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Mmm," JC groaned, leaning in for a long slow kiss.  "We have the rest of the night off.  Tomorrow the craziness begins, Johanna is here, the charity weekend kicks off.  What do you say we go back to the room and...get inspired?" 

"I thought you'd never ask," she purred in his ear.

 

JC stood, leaving Mollie to latch onto him for fear of falling.  He hooked his arms around her middle and carried her towards the back rooms, where they'd dropped her bag earlier.  Without dropping her, he snatched the handle of her duffle and slung it over his shoulder.  Mollie couldn't help but laugh as he walked, with a purpose towards the awaiting rental car.  She unhooked her legs from his waist as he deposited her beside the passenger door.  They headed back to the hotel, linking hands as they ducked through the crowd at the door into the lobby.  The elevator seemed to take forever to arrive and once it did, JC was relieved to find they were alone.  As soon as the doors shut, he backed his girl against the wall, kissing her neck.

 

“Baby, the doors could open any minute,” Mollie mumbled.

 

He silenced her with his lips.  Mollie was getting into it as they rose higher and higher and her hands roamed south. She caressed him over his pants and she got a muted grunt in response.  She smiled against his lips and opened her eyes for a moment as the elevator came to a stop.  She noticed they weren’t on their floor yet.

 

“Babe, other people,” she managed to spit out before the door opened. 

 

JC backed away but found himself in an awkward predicament.  He swiftly maneuvered Mollie in front of him, placing himself against the wall.  Mollie stifled a laugh as she felt his erection press into her back.  JC draped his arms around Mollie’s shoulders as an elderly couple stepped into the elevator with them.  The older woman smiled at them as she stood off to the side and the door slid closed.  They travelled another 4 floors in silence and managed to get out of at their floor without exposing the other couple to JC’s situation.  JC fumbled with the key as Mollie ran her hands up and down his chest and they finally tumbled through the door.

Mollie took some initiative, taking her leggings off and tossing them to one side as she kicked her sneakers off.  She went to walk towards the bed and JC grabbed her hand, twirling her around to him.  He had stripped his shirt off when she wasn’t looking and he had a carnal look in his eyes.  He picked her up, pinning her to the wall and Mollie wrapped her legs around him.  Her hands ran up his neck as he placed little kisses across her chest.  Mollie yanked as her hands threaded in his hair and JC picked his head up to meet her eyes.

 

“I’m ready, but go gentle on me…I’m still sore from last night,” she said, a smile dancing across her lips.

 

            That was all the signal he needed.  He ripped her panties, discarding them on the floor.  He eased himself into her, fighting his urges to accommodate her needs and she fit him like a glove.  Mollie gripped his muscular shoulders, trying to hold herself up.  She was so tight and he used all of his will to prolong the experience but as soon as he felt her walls tighten around him, he had to let go.  Sex with Mollie was unlike any he’d ever had.  No matter how many times they did it, he didn’t think he could ever get enough.  Exhausted, he carried her over to the bed, collapsing on top of her. 

They lay, catching their breath and coming down from the high.  JC rolled to his side so he was lying next to his love and she rolled on her stomach, turning her face towards him.  She leaned up, quickly discarding the tank shirt and sports bra they didn’t have time for earlier.  She felt so comfortable in his presence and was not self-conscious of her body.  He began to trace the outline of her spine and her eyes fluttered with sleep.

 

“I hope this feeling stays forever,” she mumbled, her eyelids growing heavy.

“What feeling?” 

“Love.  This high…the insatiability. I never want whatever bubble we’re in to pop.”

“I don’t think it will.  I’m in so deep…” 

“I love you…” she muttered as she drifted into sleep.

 

            JC admired her calm face for a few moments before succumbing to his own tiredness.

The alarm was an unpleasant sound the next morning.  It screeched quite early, waking the couple from their blissful sleep.  JC thought he had a hard time waking up in the morning but he soon found out that his girlfriend had him beat in that area.  He managed to get himself up, showered and dressed before she even rolled over.  He was supposed to meet the guys in the lobby in fifteen minutes but Mollie needed to be up to go collect Johanna from the airport.

 

“Babe,” he said, nudging her for the twentieth time.  She responded with a groan as she rolled away from him, taking the blanket with her.  Her butt peeked out from under the comforter and he bent down, pinching it between his teeth.

“Ow!”  She squealed, sitting straight up and rubbing the spot he bit.  “Did you just bite my ass?” 

“You have to get up or Johanna will kill us both.  If that’s what it takes to wake you up then, I gotta do what I gotta do,” he said, hands raised in innocence.

“What time is it?” 

“8:00.”

“Shit,” she muttered, “I’d better get moving…but now my ass hurts.” 

“Well,” JC said, bending over and placing a kiss on the red spot that had developed.  “Now it’s all better.  Now get up woman!”

 

            Mollie dragged herself out of bed, happy that she woke up and took a shower last night while JC was sleeping.  It saved her a step.  She tamed the wild waves that were her hair and put some makeup on.  Slipping into jeans and a cute top, she grabbed her purse just in time to walk JC down to the lobby.  They found that most of the guys were assembled, they were waiting on Lance.  Mollie checked her watch and realized she had to hurry to the airport.

 

“Here are the keys to the rental.  Please be careful with it,” JC lectured.

“Okay, dad.  Now kiss me,” she replied, puckering her lips.  JC placed a quick kiss on her lips, eliciting gags and dry heaves from the peanut gallery. 

“It’s like watching my sister make out with my brother,” Justin said, his face twisted in disgust.

“Nobody’s making out.  Did you forget what making out was with Britney being away from you for so long?” Mollie took a jab at Justin who feigned a look of hurt.  JC walked Mollie out the door, handing her the keys to the sporty little car he'd rented for their time in Vegas. 

"So, Lonnie is coming with you..." JC began.

"NO!"  Mollie whined.  "No offense Lon," she added, directing her comment to the large man standing beside JC.  "Babe, I can't discuss recent events with Jo if Lonnie's hanging in the backseat.  Besides, you're not coming so there won't be any mob scene." 

"You obviously don't read internet gossip, plus our fans know this charity extravaganza is happening this weekend, they'll be on the lookout for other celebrities coming if for it.  But I'll let you go if you want.  Don't say I didn't warn you."

 

Mollie cocked an eyebrow at her boyfriend.  Sometimes he could be so protective.  She got into the car and headed to the airport, which wasn't too far from the hotel and the arena.  When she got out of the car at the airport, she did notice a small crowd gathered by the doors, but she slipped her sunglasses on and thought nothing of it.  As she approached, she saw they were all young girls and they all took notice of her arrival.  Once she got safely inside the doors of the airport, Mollie smiled to herself.  She told him nothing would happen.  Taking her sunglasses off, she scanned the board and saw Johanna's flight had landed already.  She looked around, standing on her tippy toes to see over tall people and spotted her friend's dark head of hair running towards her.  Mollie met her halfway and the two practically jumped into each other’s arms.

 

“I can’t believe you’re here, I’m so excited!” Mollie practically screamed.

“Me too!  You look so different,” Johanna replied, stepping back to examine her friend.  “I leave you for a few weeks and you become a woman.” 

“Shut up, Jo.”

“You do look different though Moll.  I’m happy for you.” 

“Let’s break up this Lifetime moment before I cry.  We have to get going so we have time to stop at the hotel before the events start.”

 

            The girls walked arm and arm out the doors and were immediately swarmed by the group of girls who Mollie spotted on her way in.  They were talking so loudly and snapping photos.  Mollie was shocked and was sure they were confusing them for someone else.  Mollie smiled politely and held Johanna’s arm tighter as they made their way to the car.  The girls slipped into the car and Mollie managed to back out and leave the parking lot quickly.

 

“What the hell was that?” 

“JC was right,” Mollie grumbled.  “He said that people have picked up on the fact that we’re together.  I didn’t believe him.” 

“Jeez, who cares about you walking out of the airport?” Johanna joked.

“Can you believe he wanted me to bring one of the security guards?  Please don’t tell him it was as bad as it was.  I don’t want him to win the argument.” 

“I don’t know, having a big bad security guard would’ve made me feel pretty badass.”

 

            It didn’t take long for them to get to the hotel.  Mollie got Johanna on the same floor as them and they headed straight for it so she could drop off her bags.  When they opened the door, they found a bouquet of flowers waiting for Johanna.

 

“Johanna- welcome to Vegas!  -JC and the guys,” she read.  Looking up at Mollie she continued, “Is he serious?”

“You make it so hard for him!  He’s trying to win you over too!  It’s not like I have parents to impress, there’s just you,” Mollie said.  “And he thinks now that he’s de-virginized me, that you’d dislike him even more.” 

“Well, it’s kind of funny to see him squirm,” Johanna mused, dropping her bags and following Mollie out the door. 

“Promise me you’ll be nice this weekend.  I love him,” Mollie said. 

“I’ll try.”

 

            When they got to the arena, it was packed.  As they walked towards the entrance, Mollie slipped her all access pass around her neck and handed one to Johanna.  They slipped in a side entrance and found Lonnie who led them backstage.  Johanna kept slapping Mollie’s arms every time they passed a celebrity.  She was glad her friend was so excited but she was happier when she saw her boyfriend again, in a locker room chatting with a man she didn’t recognize. She stood off to one side of the room, not wanting to interrupt and after a minute or two he caught her eye.  He excused himself from his conversation and made his way towards her.  He slipped a kiss on her cheek before pulling Johanna into a hug.

            He introduced them around, much to the delight of Johanna who found herself flirting with a rapper off in a corner.  JC pulled his girl out into the hallway, stealing some alone time before the madness began.

 

“Is it strange that you’ve only been away from me for two hours and I missed you?” he muttered between light kisses on her jawline.

“If it is then we’re both strange,” she replied, pressing her lips to his.  “Listen babe, I was thinking I’d bunk with Jo tonight.”  JC let out a groan.  “We’ve got some catching up to do and besides, isn’t there some rule about no sex before a big game?” 

“That would matter if I was a professional athlete…which I’m not.”

“Baby.  You have me all day every day.  You can spare one night,” she reasoned. 

“It’ll be a rough night but I’ll try.”

“It’ll just make the victory sex that much better,” she purred against his lips, her tongue darting out to lick them. 

“Break it up!  This is a family event!”

 

            Lance’s deep voice spooked Mollie and she pulled back laughing.  She found Johanna and the pair bid the boys adieu, going to find their seats in the arena.  They watched on in amusement as the boys and all of these big name celebrities went through a bunch of silly challenges.  It was nice to see the guys let their hair down in front of the fans.  It gave the fans a glimpse at what she got to see every day.  She knew they were exhausted from the schedule on the road but they never let it show.

            Their personalities shined even more off stage.  Joey was the big goof, willing to make a fool out of himself for a laugh. Lance was kind of shy but good natured about everything.  Chris was…well crazy and Justin was the showman.  JC was more reserved, joining in the fun but not hogging the spotlight.  They were really great with their fans too.  Mollie didn’t usually get to see them with their fans.  The dancers were in hair and makeup while the guys did meet and greets so that when the guys were done, they could get ready right away.  It was nice to see them hugging the kids and waving to everyone. 

            By the end of the event, Mollie and Johanna were crying from laughing so hard.  They sat in their seats as the audience cleared out, many stopping to sneak in a picture with their favorite celebrity.  When most everyone was gone, they made their way down to the floor.  The Nsync guys were thanking the other celebs and saying goodbye until all that was left was them, Britney, Johanna and Mollie.

 

“So, ladies.  We’ve decided, since so many of us have friends and significant others here this weekend and because we’re usually too busy on tour to actually hang out with each other,  tonight we’d have a family dinner,” Justin announced, looking around for reactions.  “We’ve already set it up with the hotel, so everyone go get cleaned up and looking sharp.”

 

            The group chatted amongst themselves as they got ready to leave.  Lance wandered over to where they stood and joined their conversation.

 

“Johanna,” Lance started, “May I escort you to family dinner this evening?”

“Are you just asking me because we’re the only two single people here?” Johanna asked, earning herself an elbow to the ribs from Mollie. 

“Well…yeah, but I like you, we get along so why not right?”

“Alright then Mr. Bass, it’s a date.” 

“Now if you’ll excuse us gentlemen, we have got to go get ready.  You’ll pick us up at Johanna’s room at seven,” Mollie said, looping her arm through her friends and leading her out to the car.

 

            After a pit stop in Mollie’s room to grab a few things, the girls headed to Johanna’s.  After they showered, they helped each other do their hair before separating to do their makeup.  Johanna carefully applied her makeup in the bathroom mirror, while Mollie sat on the floor in front of the mirrored closet doors. 

 

“This reminds me of prom night,” Mollie said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

“When we got ready at your house?  That ended up being the worst night ever!” 

“I know, right?!  At least we’ve seriously upgraded our dates.  I think JC and Lance are way better than Andrew and Steve.”

“Oh my god!”  Johanna exclaimed.  “They were such nerds, I don’t know why we didn’t just go by ourselves.  We would have had so much more fun.” 

“Yeah we would have,” Mollie said, putting away her makeup and standing up to get dressed.  She slipped on her dress, a purple chiffon number with a sweet heart top and floaty skirt, and headed over to check on Johanna.  “Can I just say I’m glad I actually have boobs to fill out my dress now?”

 

Johanna let out a belly laugh, remembering how awkward they looked in high school.  She admired her friend for figuring out her life and putting it back on track after everything she’d been through and she felt like seeing her today with her new friends and boyfriend really ignited something within her.

 

“I think I want to quit my job.”  It came out in one breath, just tumbling out of her mouth.  Johanna didn’t intend to tell her friend like this but here it was.

“Where did that come from?” Mollie was shocked at her friend’s admission. 

“I’ve been really unhappy lately Molls.  After everything went south with Mark, I realized that after you left, I focused on him and without him, all I have in New York is this job I hate.  After seeing you blossom from when you first auditioned to the show in Jersey to now, I realized you’re living your dream,” Johanna explained.  “And I’m so proud of you for that.  I know how hard it was for you to get back to yourself after everything.  I just feel like I’m in a rut and I want what you have.  I want to love my job.  I want to find love.  I just want more than what I’m doing now.”

“Do it.” 

“What?” Johanna was surprised by her reaction.

“Do it.  This tour and meeting JC, getting the opportunities I’ve gotten…it’s made me realize the time I was wasting being sad about Michael and Grams.  At some point you either sink into your depression or you escape from it and that’s what I did by getting this job.  And it’s turned into more than I could have ever hoped,” Mollie answered.  She sighed.  “I don’t want you to let your life pass you by like I did.  I want you to take your life and put it in whatever direction you want it to go…and if that means you take time off to figure it out, then so be it.  I’ve got a house and some money saved, thanks to Grams.  You can come live with me.” 

“Well someone has had a revelation.  Thank you for the offer.  Let me start with telling my dad first.”

“Oooohhh…Papa Ramos won’t be too happy about this.  Hopefully Mama Ramos can rein him in?”  Mollie mused. 

“Let’s hope so.”

At exactly seven o’clock, JC found himself in front of Johanna’s door.  Lance was not far behind and JC felt strangely nervous as he knocked on the door.  The nervousness washed away when his girl answered the door.  It occurred to him, seeing her so dressed up that this was their first proper date. 

 

“Hello gentlemen, ready to go?” she said, flashing her white smile.

“After you gorgeous,” JC replied, gesturing for her to go ahead of him.  She stepped into the hall and he offered her his elbow.  Johanna stepped out behind her friend.  “You clean up nice, Jo,” he commented. 

“Not so bad yourself Chasez.  Mr. Bass,” she said, turning to face Lance.

 

            The group headed towards the elevator and JC couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.  Mollie noticed and she squeezed his bicep.  When they arrived in the lobby, the boys led them towards a conference room.  Mollie was shocked when they walked in.  There was a beautiful long table where many of the group already sat and it was decorated with flower arrangements and candles.  The room had mood lighting and there was the buzz of chatter in the air.  JC led Mollie over to a seat beside Justin and Johanna was seated across from them.  

 

“Why Mr. Chasez, I do believe this is our first date,” Mollie said, leaning close.

“We should do it more often.”

 

            It was nice to see everyone together, having fun.  The atmosphere was so relaxed and a change of pace from their everyday schedule.  They all told stories of how the significant others met and stories from the road, censoring them in front of the family members that had come.  They ate like kings, the meal having multiple courses and tasting delicious.  Mollie hadn’t felt this kind of feeling in a long time.  Yes, Johanna’s family treated her like one of their own, but it was nice to feel like a part of a family, developing your own ties and relationships to people.  She realized tonight how close she’d become to them in such a short time and it made her kind of nostalgic and sad that she no longer had her own family.

            They lingered over wine after the meal, people excusing themselves as they felt tired.  Johanna and Lance had snuck out when the conversation turned raunchy.  The pair had become fast friends though they’d only met a few times.  Tonight gave them an opportunity to learn more about each other.

 

“So you’re really thinking of just up and leaving everything?” Lance asked, after Johanna explained her predicament to him.  She nodded in reply.  “I think that’s amazing.  It takes a lot of guts to up and leave everything you know to make yourself happy.  I think it’s going to be the best decision ever.” 

“Really?  I mean I think I should save up a little more money before I do it and I don’t know what I’m going to do or where I’m going to go but I am tired of just getting up to make it to the next day.”

 

            Johanna was glad she was receiving support on her decision and by the time they reached her room, she was feeling better about everything.  She invited Lance inside and they talked for a while.

            Mollie and JC had made it to their floor and decided to take a seat in the oversized armchair that sat in the hallway just outside the elevators.  Mollie swung her legs over JC’s lap and looked back to admire his features.  She loved his jawline and she traced it lazily with her fingers as they sat.

 

“What’s up with you?” JC asked.  “You’ve been quiet since dessert.”

“It’s just the first time in a long time that I’ve felt like I had a family,” she said, softly.  “I’ve always had Johanna and her family but it’s nice to feel like I sort of have my own family now.  It just made me a little sad about losing mine so early.” 

“Well if you ever need a mom fix, I’m sure mine would be happy to help.  She’s been dying to meet you.  Apparently Tyler told her that if I ever got a chance to go home, he thinks you’d be the first girl I’d actually bring home and now she’s on my case.”

“I want to meet her.  I want to know more about Josh the kid.  Only moms can dish the real dirt,” Mollie said laughing. 

“Maybe we’ll hold off on you visiting them,” JC replied, chuckling.

“Why?  What are you hiding?” Mollie asked, suddenly interested in his secrets. 

“That’s enough,” he said, swinging her legs off of his and extending a hand to help her up.  “This is a proper date my lady and I believe I need to walk you home.  Unless I’m getting lucky, then we can head back to my place.”

“”What kind of girl do you think I am?” Mollie asked, standing up and taking his hand.  “I don’t put out on the first date.”

 

            Johanna’s room was only a few doors down and when they arrived, Mollie felt like she was almost on a real date…almost.

 

“So you don’t put out on the first date…but can I get a kiss?” he asked. 

“I suppose you’ve earned one,” she said smiling.  She leaned up, taking his chin in her hand and kissing his lips.  His hands wound around her waist and it was hard to stop and say goodbye.

“I won’t see you before the game tomorrow but I want you to stop by the room on your way out.  There may or may not be something waiting for you.” 

“Will do, Chasez.  Goodnight, don’t miss me too much.”

“Oh but I will,” he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. 

 

            Mollie let herself in the room, using Johanna’s spare key, and found Johanna and Lance laughing on Johanna’s bed.  Mollie was surprised at the sight and though she didn’t want to interrupt, Lance politely excused himself and Mollie raised an eyebrow at her friend as the door shut behind him.  Dropping her purse on the bed and heading towards the bathroom to get changed, Mollie couldn’t wait for Johanna to explain.

 

“So…what was that about?” 

“What was what about?”

“Lance, you, bed, laughing..” Mollie prompted. 

“Nothing!  We were just talking.  He’s a really nice guy.”

“I know I’ve been touring with him.  So, does this mean we might be seeing you more often around these parts?” 

“Molls, no.  I’m not looking for anything like that right now.  Lance is just a friend.”

“If you say so…” 

“So what’s up with you?  Why aren’t you staying with lover boy tonight?” Johanna asked, standing in the doorway of the bathroom with her arms crossed, watching Mollie take off her makeup.

“I thought it’d be fun to hang out with my best friend.” 

“And…” Johanna asked, earning herself a look from Mollie.  “What?!  I appreciate the friend time but if it was me and I’d just recently told my boyfriend I loved him and slipped my V-card in his back pocket, I wouldn’t want to leave him alone even for one night.”

“Fine.  It’s possible that I may be in need of some guidance…on certain things I have no experience with.” 

“I thought you said you’d had sex.  I’m sure JC can teach you a thing or two about that.”

“What I’m talking about he doesn’t have experience…performing.”

 

***

The next morning, the girls were running late.  They had stayed up late talking and it caused them to oversleep.  It was only when the alarm went off for the third time that they got up.  Now they were rushing and Mollie was searching for her key to toss her clothes in her room before they left.  She finally found it and brought her clothes to drop on her suitcase.  She noticed the bed was neatly made and there were two jerseys on them with a note propped between them.

 

“Mollie and Jo, If you’re part of the team, you need jerseys.  Thought you could wear these to the game, love JC,” Mollie read aloud.

 

            The one on the right read ‘Johanna’ and the one on the left read ‘JC’s Girl.’  Mollie smiled and called for Johanna to come in from the hall.  They slipped them on over their shirts and headed out.  The arena was so crowded but luckily their seats were courtside, of course on the side of JC’s team.  The guys sang the national anthem and it was the most beautiful thing Mollie had ever heard.  The game got going and there were lots of laughs and some great fun.  It wasn’t exactly the greatest display of athletics Mollie had ever seen but it was nice to watch and everyone put on a good show, all in the name of charity.  In the end, despite all her cheering, JC’s team lost and the game was over.  She milled around through the crowd and tried to find her boy and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Wade and Britney.  What might look to outsiders like innocent conversation struck Mollie as odd.  Wade’s hand was on Britney’s waist and she was holding his arm.  They leaned close, as if they couldn’t hear each other, though even with the chatter, there was no need for that kind of closeness.  She shook it off and found JC, who gave her a sad puppy face upon seeing her.

            Later that night as they sat in the car, riding back to the hotel from the after party, Mollie smiled.  She was sat between her giggly, drunk best friend, her slightly buzzed boyfriend and her new friends in the back seat of the van they were in.  She couldn’t think of a happier time.  She tried to stifle her laughter as she escorted her friend to her room, ensuring she was safe in bed before returning to her own room.  JC was in the bathroom when she got back, so she decided to surprise him.  She stripped off her dress and kicked off her heels.  Her hair shook loose from the pins holding it in a sleek up-do and she slid her jersey over her head after discarding her undergarments.  She climbed onto the bed, sitting back on her knees just in time to hear the doorknob to the bathroom turn.

 

“Babe, are you…” JC stopped short when he saw his love on the bed.  “What’re you doing?” 

“You seemed so sad today when you lost,” she said, rising up so she was on her knees.  “I thought maybe I could make you feel better.”

“How’re you gonna do that?” 

“First, you need to get rid of this,” she said, tugging on his shirt.  He promptly discarded it on the floor.  “Then we need to get rid of these,” she said, unbuckling his belt.  “And what’s underneath.”

 

            JC did as she asked and leaned in to kiss her, sliding onto the bed.  She pushed him down by his chest, crawling on top of him.  Much to his surprise, she leaned down to place little kisses down his chest.  Her hand grasped him and he watched with wide eyes as she took him in her mouth. Mollie was nervous but put on an air of confidence.  She looked right into his eyes as she went down on him.  Hearing his moans and sound only boosted her ego.  She was happy to be able to reciprocate the pleasure he lavished on her.  JC's hands threaded in her hair and guided her.  His shock at his girlfriend's boldness was soon replaced with intense pleasure. 

 

"God...babe...I'm gonna..." he managed to get out.

"Mmmm," she hummed, sending shockwaves through him.

 

That sent him over the edge.  He let out a primitive growl as he hit his peak.  Mollie slowly pulled away from him, trying to be discreet as she wiped at her mouth.  She crawled back towards her man, pleased by his panting and sleepy eyes. 

 

"You're just naturally good at everything aren't you?" he muttered, pulling her close to him. 

"Of course," she replied, rolling her eyes.  She was a little shy about her performance but he seemed to enjoy it.  JC could read the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Of course receiving something so amazing deserves a thank you," he said, rolling her so she lay on her stomach.  He leaned close to her ear as he continued.  "I think I can take care of that."

 

    He tugged on her hips until her knees were propped and her ass was in the air.  Mollie turned her head so she could glimpse the grin on his face.  She gasped when his hands, which were rubbing her flesh, lifted and slapped her.  She bit her lip at the sting but chuckled at the ripple of sensation it sent right through her. 

 

"I hope you're ready baby," JC said, positioning himself at her entrance.  "Because it's going to be a long night."

            It was weird to have a few days off on tour, not so much for Mollie, who got the day off when there were travel days and the guys had to do promo, but for JC.  They had a few days off, including his birthday and the pair was flying from Texas, where they just finished a show, on a red eye to Maryland.  They would spend three days with JC’s family then head to the next tour stop to meet up with the guys for a birthday blowout.  Once they were safely up in the air, JC released his death grip on the armrest.  With as much flying as he did, one might think he would get used to the take offs and landings, but he never did.  Looking over at his better half, she was sound asleep.  He marveled at her ability to fall asleep in the strangest of places and smiled as he thought of her meeting his mom.  He talked to his mother frequently and Mollie had been a hot topic during their conversations lately.  He never actually brought a girl home before.  Yes, his family had met his previous girlfriends but usually when they came out to a concert or function.  He’d never actually brought a girl to his hometown for the specific purpose of meeting his family.

            It was going to be nice to go home and get some perspective.  Lately, as often happened in his life, things were on fast forward and he didn’t want to rush with Mollie.  He’d been having thoughts of forever but he needed this time to slow down.  He already knew his mother would love Mollie, that wasn’t his concern.  He just didn’t want to make any mistakes.  He had developed a crippling fear of losing Mollie and wanted an outsider’s opinion on the relationship.  He thought he would sleep on the plane; after all, they’d been going nonstop for quite some time now, but his racing thoughts kept him up.  By the time they touched down, he was wide awake and more than happy to get behind the wheel of the rental car.  Mollie struggled to keep her eyes open as they drove.  She wanted to be awake in case JC’s parents were there to greet them, but as he assured her, they would not.

 

“Babe, they might have woken up to welcome you home or to meet the strange girl they’ve never met but are allowing to stay in their house,” she rambled, her voice raspy with sleep.

“I spoke to my mom before we left.  She said they weren’t going to wait up for us because my dad has to go to work today.  She’d just see us whenever we woke up…and you’re not a strange girl.  You’re my girl, so they trust you’re not a psycho.” 

“They took your word for it?  Trusting people,” she replied, making him laugh.

 

            As they pulled up to the modest but beautiful house, Mollie was struck with an instant sense of home.  She wasn’t sure what time it was but the sky was lighter than it had been when they’d landed.  It probably wasn’t the best idea to be jetlagged and then hop on a plane and be jetlagged again a few days later but it was important to JC that Mollie meet his family.  She, of course, wanted to but was confused by his sudden sense of urgency.  They had sent the majority of their bags on with the bus caravan but had brought one suitcase that they shared.  When they got up to the door, they saw a note taped to it.

 

“Joshua and Mollie,” JC read aloud.  “Sorry we couldn’t stay up to welcome you home.  We can’t wait to see you but first, come in and get some sleep.  Joshua, you know where the key is.  Mollie, welcome home.  Love Mom and Dad.”

“Welcome home,” she repeated, touched by their generosity and thoughtfulness.

 

            JC bent down and lifted one of the rocks that lined the walkway.  Underneath was a silver key that he brushed off and used to allow them into the house.  Mollie took note of the family pictures lining the walls and smiled at the warmth that radiated through the house.  She followed him quietly up the stairs and over to a room in a corner of the house.  She knew instantly when he opened the door that it was his childhood bedroom.  She smiled at the thought and walked over to collapse on the full sized bed.  JC watched his girl as she took everything in and laughed as she collapsed on his bed.  Walking over to her, he could see her eyes were half-lidded already.  He grabbed her right foot and eased her brown leather boot off, dropping it to the floor.  He stripped her sock off and gently rubbed the ball of her foot.  She moaned at the release of tension and groaned when he stopped to repeat the action on her left foot.

 

“Don’t stop,” she whispered when he dropped her foot. 

“Baby, it’s time for sleep.  I promise you a foot rub tomorrow.  When we’re well rested.  Now come on, get undressed,” he said, as he stripped himself of his clothes, getting down to just his boxer briefs.

“Make me, I’m too tired.”

 

            He smiled at her laziness and reached for the button on her jeans.  He lifted her with one arm to tug the pants down her legs.  He pulled her tank shirt over her head, discarding it on the floor and opening the suitcase to retrieve one of his t-shirts.  When he turned back around, she had discarded her bra and was holding her hands above her head.  He pulled the shirt down over her head and bent down for a quick kiss on her lips.  Climbing in next to her, they snuggled under the covers.

 

“Welcome home baby,” she muttered, her face nestled in the crook of his neck. 

“Welcome home,” he mimicked.

 

            They were asleep within minutes and when Mollie woke, she felt refreshed.  She tried to move but found herself trapped beneath JC, who had somehow interwoven their bodies in the night.  He clung to her and rather than wake him up, she lay quietly.  His face was so relaxed when he slept and she could tell he was sleeping better than he had in weeks.  She wove her fingers in his hair, rubbing circles on his scalp.  She was almost lulling herself back to sleep when she heard his stomach rumble.  She couldn’t help but giggle and when he reached his hands above his head to stretch his body out, she laughed harder as his stubble tickled her skin.

 

“Guess my stomach says it’s time to wake up,” he mumbled.  He rolled over to glance at the clock on the nightstand, which read 2:00.  “Time to face the world.”

 

They both got up, JC slipping on flannel pajama pants and Mollie sliding into a pair of gym shorts.  She laced her hand with his and followed him down the stairs.  She was met with the smell of bacon and coffee.  It was enough to make her own stomach growl like JC’s had.  They were both laughing as they entered the kitchen to find a middle aged woman with her back to them, spatula in hand.  She turned as they entered and her eyes lit up at the sight of JC.

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually home!  It’s been way too long,” she squealed as she squeezed him in a tight hug.

“Hey Mom,” he replied.  She released him and gave him a look over, declaring him too thin for her liking.  “Mom, this is Mollie, my girlfriend.”

 

Mollie nervously ran a hand through her hair, letting it fall to one side.

 

“I could tell that by looking at you, you’re just as pretty as he described,” she said, pulling Mollie into a hug.  Mollie was surprised by the sincerity in the hug and when she pulled away, was almost speechless. 

“It’s so nice to finally meet you Mrs. Chasez.  Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

“Oh sweetie just call me Karen and you’re more than welcome here.  You two must be starving.  I was just whipping up some blueberry pancakes and bacon for you.” 

“You didn’t have to do that mom,” JC said, pouring two cups of coffee and sliding onto the bench seat at the kitchen table, next to Mollie.

“Yes I did, the two of you are skin and bones!  All of that tour food, has no real nutrition so you just work it off every night.  No, while you’re here, you’ll eat.”

 

            Karen told them about everything that had been going on since JC had been there last.  She piled their plates high with pancakes and bacon and Mollie hungrily dug in as she listened to her talk.  She loved how she always called JC Joshua and how she touched his arm when it was something she really thought he’d like. When her belly was stuffed, she got up, intending to put her plate in the sink but Karen quelled her efforts.  She urged her to sit and enjoy herself, mentioning that she may want to spend some time alone with her later today.  After their late breakfast, they went upstairs to get properly dressed and JC gave her a driving tour of his hometown.  He told stories along the way and she laughed at some of his crazy antics.  As they headed towards home, he turned serious.

 

“What’s up with you?  You’re quiet,” Mollie initiated.  “What’s on your mind?" 

“There’s something I should’ve mentioned to you…” he began.  “You might have noticed I don’t really look like the rest of my family... I never said anything because everyone who needs to know knows and it’s never really come up.  I’m adopted,” he rambled.  “So that’s why I don’t look like my family, because they’re technically not my family.”

“Of course they’re your family,” she said, brushing him off.  “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.  Believe me, it doesn’t matter what you’re family looks like as long as they love you.  Look at me, I’ve got nobody left.  So my family now is Johanna…and you,” she said, sparking a grin on his face, “and those four other goofballs and the girls and Wade and Britney…I’ve made myself a new family of friends who look nothing like me but love me…and that’s better than being alone.” 

“I don’t even know why I was worried.  You understand me better than anyone ever has,” he said, placing his free hand on her knee.

 

            They pulled up to his home, finding more cars than there were before.  When they walked in the house, the smell of something delicious cooking hit their noses and their mouths watered.  There were loud voices coming from the family room and the duo followed the sounds.

 

“There he is!” A blonde girl came bounding over to them and tossed herself in JC’s arms.  JC laughed at the impact and pulled her off her feet before setting her down and introducing her to Mollie.

“Heather, this is Mollie…Mollie, my sister Heather.” 

“It’s so great to meet you!  Josh never lets us meet his girlfriends…at least not willingly,” the girl said, pulling Mollie in for a hug.

“Heather, shall we not?” JC said, giving her a look. 

“Oh whatever, I’m just glad there’s another girl around,” she said.

“I have to say,” a male voice said from behind Heather, “you look much different with clothes on.” 

“God Tyler, have you no tact?” Heather groaned, returning to her place on the couch.

“Ty!  What’re you doing out here anyway?” JC asked. 

“It’s your birthday bro.  Par-tay!”

“Oh goodness, that was you wasn’t it?”  Mollie said, covering her face with her hand.  “Well, it’s nice to meet you properly.” 

“Joshua, don’t make the girl stand there all night, invite her in.”  JC’s dad was a slightly intimidating man appearance wise.  He looked very serious.  “Nice to meet you young lady,” he said, extending his right hand to her.  Mollie accepted the shake and smiled as JC gave his dad a quick hug.

“How’s everything Pop?  What have I missed?” JC said, taking a seat on the loveseat next to Mollie. 

“Well a lot happens when your son doesn’t come to visit for a year.  Maybe you should keep this young lady around if she gets you to visit home every now and then.”

 

            Everybody laughed and the family caught up on each other’s lives.  Heather was getting ready for her last year of college and in a serious relationship with a guy she knew from school.  She said they would meet him when they all went out for JC’s birthday.  Tyler was enjoying his summer off, annoying his father by not having a summer job.  They all laughed when he joked that he was going to ride JC’s coattails forever.  JC gave him a stern look and reminded him that he only let him come to the cool parties and events if he was keeping his grades in order and if he got a job.  Mollie loved seeing JC’s fatherly side come out.  You could tell he took his big brother role seriously.

            They all sat down to a nice dinner and the family played 20 questions with Mollie.  She felt like she was getting interrogated but it was nice to see that they all really cared about JC’s best interests. After dinner, the boys went to go talk about a new car Mr. Chasez was planning on buying, Heather excused herself to go back to her apartment and Karen invited Mollie to help her bake JC’s birthday cake.

 

“Josh tells me that you weren’t very taken with him at first?”

“Well…yes and no.  I was pretty taken with him until I found out he was in the group.  I had just gotten the job dancing for them and I didn’t want anyone to think I’d gotten it because of him.  It took me a while to realize that the people who matter know I got where I am because of my talent and not because of my boyfriend.  Josh didn’t like that.  He couldn’t see why I would shy away from a relationship if we both had feelings for each other.” 

“He’s a very emotional guy.  He bases things on what he feels, not what his head says.  I can see your point though.  When you work hard to achieve something, you don’t want anything to take away from it.”

“Yeah, but I knew that the other guys and the other dancers wouldn’t have to go on and live after this tour knowing they gave up a chance to have a wonderful relationship just so they could prove a point.  I would have had to do that and I just wasn’t willing to let a good thing go.” 

“I’ll be honest with you Mollie.  I was very nervous to meet you.  Joshua has never brought a girl home, so I knew that it meant something when he asked if he could bring you here,” Karen said, setting the timer after sliding the cake in the oven.  “My son has been through enough hurt in his life.  I don’t want to see him hurt again.  All I ask is that you not break his heart.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Mollie said, smiling at her.

 

            Tyler had excused himself a little while ago and JC sat with his dad in the garage, looking at a car magazine.  It was the opportunity he had been waiting for, a moment alone with his dad.

 

“Hey Pop, can I ask you something personal?” 

“Okay.”

“How did you know Mom was the one?” 

“There are some things you just know in your gut.  I just knew it in my gut one night.  I had taken her out to dinner and we were walking home and she just looked so pretty and something came over me and I just knew,” Roy said, softening.  “Why?”

“I just feel like I’ve known for a while that Mollie was the one.  I know it’s early and I know it’s probably crazy but I feel like she’s it for me…I almost bought a ring.”  Roy seemed surprised by this and leaned back in his chair.  “We were out doing an appearance and Justin wanted to stop and get his mom something for her birthday and I saw this ring and thought…that’s the ring I want to give to Mollie.” 

"Son, it's not crazy if you know it's right.  But if you know it's right there's no harm in waiting," Roy said, trying to prevent his son from rushing.  "If she's the one, she'll always be beside you.  Give it a little time.  You've been in la-la-land living the touring life.  You've been in a bubble, the two of you.  Take time and experience life when you have time off, or when she can't go with you everywhere you go.  It'll happen and you need to experience that as well.  There's no need to rush when you've got forever."

 

    JC smiled at the thought of forever.  He realized his dad was probably right; although it didn't stop him from wanting to propose right then and there.  It was getting late and his dad excused himself, leaving JC alone with his thoughts.  He pulled his digital camera from his pocket.  He'd been showing his mom some photos from the tour earlier and he and Mollie had used it on their tour this afternoon.  He set it on his dad's worktable, scooted back until he was in frame and began to speak.

    Mollie was wondering where her boy was.  She'd seen Roy come in earlier and Karen excused herself soon after.  She gave up waiting for him and headed up to bed.  Just as she managed to slip under the covers, the door opened and his head peeked around the door frame.  When he saw she was awake, he came into the room, a smile on his face.  She watched as he moved about the room, rummaging in the suitcase for clothes and eventually crawling in next to her.

 

"Where were you?" 

"Just finishing something up in the garage, why?  You miss me?"

"I always miss you when you're not glued to my side," she said, smiling and leaning in for a kiss.  JC pulled her hip close to him and slid his hands under the waistband of her underwear.  "Mmm...so,  if I were to do this," Mollie asked, sliding her hand down his boxer briefs to grip the outline of his member, "and told you I wanted you right here right now, would I be the first you've had in your childhood bed?" 

"Yes," JC said, chuckling.  "Just by sleeping here last night made you the first girl in my childhood bed."

"Good.  I want to stake some sort of claim," she said, laughing as she pulled her sleep shirt over her head and tossing it aside. 

"A claim?"

"Yes," she giggled.  "You have a large one, you took my virginity.  That door was already closed when I got to you so now I want a claim.  Something that you'll always remember me for." 

"I won't need to remember you if you never leave me," he replied.

"Just shut up and fuck me," she replied.

 

    Taken aback by her language, JC took advantage.  He got her on her back, seizing her lips.  He was already hard for her, all her naughty talk about having him in his childhood bed mixed with his earlier thoughts of marriage and made him want her desperately.  He positioned himself at her entrance, feeling her slick with need.

 

"You'll have to be quiet baby, we're not alone in this house," he reminded and pushed into her. 

 

    She let out a strangled gasp and bit her lip as he quickly pounded into her.  He was relentless and she tried hard not to make noise.  She could feel her release building and was about ready to come when there was a knock at the door.  Panic flashed across JC's face.  He quickly turned, rolling her with him, so he was laying on his side, facing the door and she was facing him.  He tugged the covers up enough to cover Mollie's bare back and whispered to her to close her eyes.

 

"Yeah?" he called out.  The door opened and JC's mom poked her head in. 

"Sorry sweetie, I heard a bang and wanted to make sure everything's okay," she explained.

"It wasn't from us," JC said, stifling a laugh as Mollie bit down on his shoulder to try and keep quiet.  "Mollie's asleep.  Maybe it was Ty?" 

"I'll go look.  Night honey."

"Night, mom,"  JC replied as his mom closed the door.  Their bodies still connected, he resumed his former position.  "That was close," he joked. 

"Too close..." she agreed.  After a moment of catching their breath she said, "Alright now, get back to it.  I was so close, you can't leave me hanging!"

 

He laughed and resumed his relentless pace.  The pleasure seemed to multiply tenfold for Mollie now that she'd been built up and had it taken away.  It didn't take long for her to fall over the edge, coming at the same time as JC.  As she came down from her high, muscles twitching, she couldn't help but laugh at the predicament they'd found themselves in. 

 

"What?" he asked, brushing a piece of hair from her eyes.

"You'd think we'd know how to be a little more discreet by now," she said. 

"Well, no one said we were good at hiding anything," JC said, getting up to grab his boxer briefs off the floor.

"Why're you getting dressed?" she whined, wanting the feeling of skin on skin as she fell asleep. 

"She knocked the first time, she might not knock again," he said, chuckling.  He tossed her panties in her direction and brought her over a t-shirt.  "Or did you want to let my mom catch us naked in my childhood bed?"

"We kind of already let her catch us," Mollie mused. 

"Alright naughty girl," JC replied, resuming his place next to her.  "Let's just get through this trip without my mother finding out I had sex under her roof.  You're going to get me in so much trouble."

 

The next day they spent some time out and about with Tyler and Heather, catching up with them.  The day after was JC's birthday.  After spending the afternoon with some of JC's family members, they younger crowd retreated to get ready for a night out with JC's old friends.  As they got ready in his room, Mollie placed a small bag on the suitcase.

 

"What's that?"  JC asked, returning from the bathroom.

"Just one last gift," she replied.  Earlier that day, she'd given him a scrapbook she'd made of the tour and all the things they'd done.  It had been hard for her to come up with a gift for the boy who could buy himself a small country if he wanted.  This bag, however, was a gift for both of them.  "I'm handing over some control.  Which, you know, is a pretty big deal for me but...it's your birthday and all....I thought we could have some fun." 

"Control?  Fun?"  JC cocked an eyebrow as he reached in the bag and pulled out a remote control.  "Is this a little joke of yours?"

"Nope..." she replied, pulling up her dress to reveal a lacy black pair of underwear.  Seeing the confusion on his face she explained.  "You push that green button and these," she said, gesturing to the undergarments, "vibrate.  You press red, they stop." 

"And you're wearing them out tonight?"  She nodded in reply.  "So I can tease you all night and no one will know?" he asked, a devilish grin on his face.  She nodded again, throwing her head back at the sudden vibration he clicked on.  She looked back at him when he clicked it off.  "Oh, baby this is going to be a fun night.  I bet you won't even make it home."

"I have more self-control and willpower than you think." 

"We'll see about that," he said, clicking them on once more and quickly taking it away, causing her to frown.

 

            They headed out, meeting up with a bunch of JC’s old friends at a local club.  They were all very friendly and Mollie mingled with everybody, letting JC flit around without her stuck to his side.  She always knew when he was watching her though because he would flip the switch and she would have to try and maintain a calm demeanor through the intense feelings surging in her loins.  She was mid conversation with Jessica, the girlfriend of one of JC’s buddies when he flicked them on once more.  Last she saw him, he was one shot of Patron away from drunk and feeling really good about himself.  He’d been flipping the switch all night but giving her relief and turning it off after a minute or so.  This time, he wouldn’t switch it off.  She caught his eye and he smirked.  She wanted to prove to him that she could hold out but this was just too much.  Mollie politely excused herself from the conversation and marched straight over to her boyfriend.  She leaned up and whispered in his ear.

 

“You win.”

 

            He gave her a knowing look and grabbed her hand, tugging her towards the restrooms.  He pushed past the line, taking her into the men’s room.  He barked at the guy washing his hands to get out and locked it behind him. 

 

“Babe, people know you…”

“Don’t care,” JC growled, latching onto her neck. 

 

He unzipped his pants and backed her against the wall.  He hitched one of Mollie’s legs over his hip and shoved the panties aside, roughly entering her, finding her dripping wet and ready for him.  His pace was relentless and Mollie didn’t mind.  After a whole night of being teased, she just wanted release.  It came quickly and a second one built as JC came closer to his peak.  When he released his warm liquid inside her, she struggled to stay standing.  He leaned into her, his forehead pressed to hers as he came down.  With a quick kiss on her lips, he released his grip on her leg, setting her on two feet once again.  He cleaned himself up and made himself decent once more.  They managed to slip back into the crowded club and back towards their friends, no one was the wiser.  They all thought the pair had gone to dance.  Apparently, while they were gone, the bartender called last call.  JC made a step towards the bar but Mollie tugged him back.

 

“You’ve had enough babe.  I know it’s your birthday but you’re drunk enough to feel the effects tomorrow and one drink shy of not remembering anything.  You’re good,” she pleaded. 

“Mmm,” he mumbled, pressing his lips to her temple.  “That’s why I keep you around, you’re so good for me.”

 

            Mollie smiled and he rounded up the group to head out.  After walking a block telling everyone who passed that he had the best birthday ever, he bent down telling Mollie to hop on his back.

 

“You’re crazy!” she said, noticing the wobble in his step.

“Give the man what he wants!” Mike, one of JC’s childhood friends yelled. 

“It’s his birthday!  What he says goes!” Tyler demanded.

“Ugh,” Mollie groaned.  She was surrounded by drunks and they just had to walk a little further to hail a cab back to JC’s.  “Fine!  But if you drop me, so help me God, you will regret it tomorrow!”

 

            She hopped on, swinging her arms around his neck, clinging in fear.  She smiled at the scent of his hair and laughed as he teetered back and forth.  When they finally got to the van the cab company had sent for them, Mollie herded them all inside, happy to give her feet some rest.  When they got back to the Chasez home, she had a hard time trying to keep the clan quiet.  She was sure Roy and Karen were fast asleep and she needed to get JC to bed soon, after all they had a flight to catch tomorrow.  JC was wasted.  Mollie had never really seen him like this.  Around the guys, he got loose but he never got out of control.  She supposed it was because when they were all together it was easier to spot them, he felt like he needed to be in control.  Here, in his hometown, with his old friends…it was easier to let go.  Seeing the silly grin across his face as he flopped down on the bed was good enough for her.  She pulled his shoes off and tried to get him changed before giving up, leaving him in his shirt.

            The next morning, JC was not a happy camper.  He said his goodbyes and slipped his shades on as they drove back to the airport.  Mollie didn’t make an issue out of it.  Everyone is entitled to go crazy on their birthday.  She just hoped he could control himself tonight.  Everyone would be back together and would surely want to celebrate with JC.  If he got drunk again, the next day’s show would be really hard.  Thankfully JC slept on the plane and good thing because the next few weeks were a blur that included the filming of one of the shows for a future DVD. 

 

Before they knew it the last show was here.  Emotions were high and they all put on their best show, partying for one last time together afterwards.  The next day Mollie, Wade and the guys were all heading to LA.  The guys had rehearsals for the VMAs and Mollie and Wade were filming Britney's new video.  After that, the whole group would be heading to New York for dress rehearsals and the big show.  Right when they landed, they had to head to set.  The boys were taking a day off so Justin and JC accompanied Wade and Mollie to set.  Justin wanted to see his girl and JC saw no reason not to stick with his.

 

Mollie was whisked away to wardrobe immediately, the other dancers were ready to go and Britney was in hair and makeup.  They were doing the majority of the dance scenes today and because they were the last to arrive, Mollie was technically late.  She quickly changed and joined Britney in hair and makeup.  The girls had become fast friends and it was nice to be able to work together.  They had fun catching up and Britney convinced Mollie to come out shopping with her after shooting finished up tomorrow.  She was deciding what she was wearing to the VMA's and Mollie needed something to wear also, so she agreed.

 

It was a long day of work and an even longer time spent shopping.  When she got back to her hotel room, all she wanted was a bath.  Luckily for her, JC had thought of that already and had drawn one up for her.  She smiled at him before getting in, inviting him in with her. The warm water instantly soothed her skin and her achy feet appreciated the massage that her boyfriend was giving.  She allowed her head to fall back against the edge of the tub and her eyes to close.  It was nice to know that they'd be closer together tomorrow, Britney and *Nsync were rehearsing at the same place, so Wade could sit in on both rehearsals.

 

"Hey babe?" Mollie said, opening her eyes. 

"Mm?"

"Would you hate me if I decided not to be in the *Nsync performance?  I just feel like if I do both I'll spend half the night getting changed and stuff.  And for once I'd like to see you do what you love, without standing right behind you..." 

"Yes. I hate you."  JC laughed loudly at his own joke.  "No, I think that's a good idea.  Besides, I want you to be surprised at what we have in store."

"And what would that be?" 

"It's a surprise so just lay back and enjoy this bath because in no time, we'll be there and you'll see it first-hand."

 

    Mollie enjoyed the bath, as per JC's instructions, but wished it could have lasted longer when she found herself in New York City a few days later, getting pampered in Britney's suite.  There were so many people in the room and they were tending to all the beauty needs a girl could ever have.  At the very moment her cellphone rang, Mollie was getting a pedicure and having her hair done.

 

"Hello?"

"Hey babe.  We just got out of the final rehearsal, just wanted to see if you're ready yet." 

"Asking if I'm ready yet implies that it is a quick task to get ready.  I'm a lady and it takes hours for us to look as good as we do," she joked.

"Is that JC?" Britney asked.  She'd just left the makeup chair and come back into the main room.  Mollie nodded and Britney snatched the phone.  "JC!  We will be ready at 6:30 and not a moment before!  You can't rush perfection!"

 

    Mollie laughed as Britney hung up the phone and gave it back to her.  They chatted as they finished getting ready, Mollie asking a lot of questions about how the night might go.  When they finally met up with the guys in the lobby, Mollie was eager to find her boyfriend.  She needed his calming presence.  She heard him before she saw him.  He whistled low and she turned to find his face, jaw hung open in reverence.  She took advantage of the moment, spinning slowly in place, pleased to find a smile on his face when she returned to it.  She walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss, not wanting to get lipstick on him.

 

"You look good enough to eat," he mumbled him her ear, pulling her close. 

"You don't look half bad yourself," she replied, admiring his grey suit.

"You nervous?" he asked, sensing her jitters.  She nodded as he placed a kiss on her temple.  "Don't be.  You're going to shine brighter than any of those people."

 

Mollie blushed as they headed to the car that was there to escort them to Radio City Music Hall.  The crowds were enormous and you could hear the buzz of the noise from a block away.  The flashes were bright even through the extreme tint on their windows. 

 

"Molls, just keep your eyes on the ground until you get to where they want us to stand. Then look up.  It'll give you a second to adjust to the flashes without tripping," Justin said, winking at her. 

"Thanks."

 

The door opened and the loud screams were all she could hear.  She followed JC out of the car but was lead off to one side by Lonnie, allowing the guys to step up on a pedestal to take photos.  She followed Justin's advice and managed to adjust to the lights before they started walking.  She gripped JC's hand, hating to let go as the boys posed for photos and but before she knew it they were almost at the end of the carpet.  The boys declined the last few interviews, choosing instead to just head inside.  Mollie walked confidently by her man's side into the theater.  She was kind of star struck by the celebrities but they found their seats and managed to sit before people started coming up to them.  Mollie was glad to sit between JC and Justin.  The two would keep her calm on this nerve wracking night and be the perfect people to joke around with.  It was show time.

The show started and Jaime Foxx made everyone laugh.  Before they knew it, it was time to announce the winners for Best Dance Video.  The guys were up for it and Mollie slid her hand into JC's.  He shot her a smile and squeezed her hand as the presenters ripped open the envelope.  The next few minutes moved quickly as *Nsync was announced as the winner.  JC pulled Mollie from her seat, planting a big kiss on her lips.

 

"I love you," Mollie whispered in his ear before he pulled away to go accept the award.  Justin kissed her cheek as he walked passed and Mollie scooted over to sit beside Britney and Justin's mom to watch the boys accept their award.  She was beaming and her buzz wouldn't drop, even as she realized it would be a while before she could see him again.  The guys were performing after the commercial break.

 

"Are you ready to actually watch them?" Britney asked.  "It's quite a sight to see.  They put on a great show."

"Did you get to sneak in and see any of their performance at rehearsals? JC banned me from coming in," Mollie said. 

"I saw a bit but not everything. I like to be surprised."

 

The girls quieted down as the announcer got the show moving again.  It was fun to see them almost recreate the video on the stage.  They were good.  They were really good.  JC was really something to watch and he pulled her attention as soon as he appeared on stage.  The song was almost over and it was about time for the beat boxing portion of the song when they brought Michael Jackson out on stage.  Mollie screamed like a little girl and stood up, dancing along to the beat, watching her boyfriend perform with one of her idols.  She felt like her jaw must have been on the floor.  When the performance was over, Britney grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the backstage entrance.  Britney was set to perform pretty soon and the girls raced to find *Nsync's dressing room before they had to change.

 

They let themselves in and found the boys talking to the man himself.  Not wanting to interrupt, they waited patiently for someone to notice them.  As Michael was getting ready to leave, Britney introduced herself and JC stepped next to Mollie, introducing her.

 

"It's an honor to meet you Mr. Jackson.  I'm such a fan.  You're the reason I wanted to become a dancer," Mollie gushed.

"Thank you very much, that's very nice of you to say.  So will I get to see you dance?" 

"Yes!  She's one of my backup dancers tonight, and she co-choreographed the number," Britney chimed in.

"Well, I'll have to stick around to see this," he replied.  "Very nice to meet you."  Mollie shook his extended hand and held her breath as he exited the room. 

"Oh my god!  I just met Michael Jackson!" she said, breathlessly.  Turning to her boyfriend, she smacked him on the chest, "Why didn't you tell me you were performing with him?!"

 

Everyone laughed at Mollie's reaction but her nerves were now on edge.  The girls left to get changed and Mollie stood nervously in Britney's dressing room as the time ticked down.  There was a knock on the door and Justin stuck his head around the corner.

 

"Can we come in?" he asked.  Mollie nodded and he came in followed by JC. 

 

JC wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.  She lay her head on his chest and tried to relax though her heart was beating a mile a minute.

 

"Why so nervous?" JC asked.  "You did this every night for three months to a bigger audience."

"Yes but now there's celebrities in the audience and a TV audience ...oh and Michael Jackson!  It's big." 

"Britney, Molls, we gotta move," Wade said, sticking his head in the door.

"Go out there and pretend there's only me.  You're not gonna mess up.  You choreographed the freaking thing.  You know it front and back."

"Okay," she replied. 

"Remember...only me," he said, kissing her forehead and pulling her by the hand out the door.  He squeezed her hand one last time before rushing to his seat.  Mollie felt the butterflies as the music started.  She waited for her cue and put her game face on as she slinked out onto the stage.  She got into the choreography, and found JC's eyes in the audience.  She stayed locked on him as she performed and she was instantly more comfortable.  The number passed quickly as before she knew it they were done.  She made quick work of changing back into her dress and fixing her hair and makeup.  She practically ran out to the audience and flew into JC's arms.  He placed quick kisses on her lips before setting her down.  His smile stretched ear to ear and it made Mollie melt.  The night continued, with the boys winning three more awards.  The group was riding high and headed to the after party to get loose.   You'd think the group of them would want to sit back and relax but it had been a big night for the boys and all they wanted to do was dance and drink.

 

"I think even without this champagne, I'd be flying pretty high right now," Mollie said, tipsy to the point of giggles. She'd never partied as hard as she did when she was with the *Nsync boys. 

"We could go back to the hotel and ride the high," JC said, more sober than his companion.  He had some recording to do tomorrow for a charity song and needed his voice to be on point.

"Mmm yes!" Mollie replied.  "I can never get enough of you..."

 

The two locked hands and said their goodbyes.  JC retrieved Lonnie and the duo headed outside, met by flashing lights and yells. After assuring his date was securely in the car, JC signed autographs for the few young girls who were stationed outside the club. When he got in the backseat, his girl was ready to go.  She climbed on his lap and stole his lips, much in the same manner as she'd stolen his heart months ago.  He obliged her and pulled back with a groan when her hand found his cock.  Kissing her, so as not to make Lonnie feel uncomfortable by what he could hear from the driver's seat, JC tried to keep himself under control.  Mollie giggled against his lips and moved onto his neck, forcing JC to bite his knuckle to keep from moaning.

 

"Let it out baby," she whispered, "You know I like to hear the sounds you make." 

"Fuck.  We can't do this here," he moaned as the car came to a stop.  He quickly adjusted himself and scooted out from under her to exit the vehicle.  He smiled and waved at the fans camped on the sidewalk and leaned into the car once more.  "I'm going to carry you in there.  Pretend you're asleep, otherwise they'll sucker me into staying out here for an hour taking pictures and signing autographs."

 

Mollie wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to slip his hand under her knees.  She could hear the fans hush as her pulled her from the car and his whispered apologies as he got them safely inside.  Once in the elevator, Mollie started feeling tired for real.  She latched tighter onto JC's neck and before she knew it, she had drifted into a deep sleep.

 

JC chuckled to himself when he looked down and realized she wasn't faking anymore.  He managed to get them to their floor and into their room without waking her up and he laid her gently on the bed.  He pulled off her impossibly high heels and set about getting her out of that dress.  He never realized just how many different undergarments women owned and wore until he had to undress his love.  He managed to get her bra off and slip a t-shirt over her head with minimal stirring.  Then he noticed her underwear.  Just looking at them made him hard but he guessed they wouldn't be too comfortable to sleep in.  So he dug through her bag and found a new pair, getting her tucked in and resting comfortably.  After he changed out of his outfit, he rifled through his bag to find his camera and set it up on the desk in the room.  He hit record and started talking.

  

 

 

Mollie sighed as she leaned back on the warm sand.  She couldn't believe this was part of her job.  They'd just finished rehearsals for the concert they were doing in the Bahamas!  Mollie rolled onto her front, leaning her head against her propped up hand.  She stared at the man lying beside her, who was in need of some sunscreen, and couldn't believe how he'd changed her life in such a short time.  His head dropped to face her and he opened one eye.

 

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he mumbled.  Mollie laughed and grabbed her camera from her bag, doing exactly that.  "Hey!"

"What?  You told me to!" 

"What's on your mind?  Why you staring?"

"I'm just thinking that I'm the luckiest girl in the world.  I'm lucky that my job takes me to tropical islands and I'm lucky that I get to experience all of it with you." 

"If you're just trying to get in my pants," he said, pulling her close.  "You didn't have to say that, I'm pretty much a sure thing."

"I'm not," she said, grabbing hold of her top, which she had untied.  "I mean it.  Plus, who gets to have their own section of the beach roped off for them?  This is the coolest thing ever!"

 

JC laughed at her wide eyed expression.  He loved experiencing all of this through her eyes.  She hadn't been jaded by fame or immune to the perks.  She got excited about everything they did and everywhere they went.  This trip was just the icing on the cake.  It was nice for them to be able to relax for a weekend and when they left here, they would have the rest of the month off at home before things got crazy again.  They spent the whole afternoon laying in the sun and playing in the surf.  When it was time to return to the hotel to get ready, Mollie wished she could spend more time here.  She vowed that they'd come back some day as she walked hand in hand with JC through the aquarium back to the hotel.  She laughed at the boys getting their hair done and begged JC to get a haircut.  His unruly mane had become far too long for her and she wished he'd get rid of it.  He scrunched his nose in disappointment and smacked her hip, telling her to get out.

 

She laughed and headed over to the room where wardrobe had set up camp.  She slipped into her outfit, remarking to the stylists that they seemed to give the girls skimpier and skimpier outfits every time they did these one off performances.  They told her to talk to the bosses and she knew just who to complain to.  She slinked back into the hair and makeup room and stood, hands on her hips behind her boyfriend.  He smiled at her in the reflection and turned to face her.

 

"Who made final decisions on these outfits?  I think I need to have a meeting about this.  A bikini top and a tiny mini skirt?  I'm a dancer, not a piece of meat." 

"I can arrange a meeting with one of the bosses," JC said, hopping off his chair and grabbing her hand.  He pulled her back to their hotel room, barely getting through the door before grabbing her face and seizing her lips.  She shoved him back, annoyed at his blatant attempt to distract her from her honest complaint about her outfit.  His eyes made it look as though he'd been possessed by a wild animal.  His hands slid up her bare sides, making her shiver.  He pulled the small triangles of fabric covering her chest to either side of her breasts.  The top just caused her tits to move closer together, making them appear bigger.  His mouth moved down her neck and he latched onto her nipple.  She could feel her nipples tighten with arousal and she whimpered, grabbing his hair in want.  She forced his head lower and JC dragged his lips down her stomach.

 

JC swiftly picked her up and deposited her on the bathroom counter.  The skimpy skirt rolled up her thighs as she opened her legs, allowing him access.  He tugged her underwear down her legs, tossing it aside as he lowered himself to his knees.  Mollie's eyes rolled back in her head as her boyfriend used his tongue to drive her crazy.  JC loved to hear her whimper and he slipped his finger inside her slick folds, sending Mollie over the edge.  She slid her hands up her body to caress her exposed breasts and pinched her nipple as she reached her climax.  She shouted expletives and called out in pleasure as she came down from her high.  When her eyes opened, she found JC with a cocky grin on his face.

 

"Don't look at me like that," she said, her voice low. She grabbed the towel he had just put down and cleaned herself up.  JC slid the panties he had discarded earlier up her legs, slipping her off the counter to pull them up around her ass.  She felt shaky on her legs and took stock of her appearance in the mirror.   Her hair was fine but she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.  "Great," she lamented, "Sweaty and I didn't even dance yet."

"You're not complaining still, are you?" JC said, holding the door open for her. 

"Why you gonna punish me again?" she replied, sarcastically.

"I just might."

 

    The show went off without a hitch and before they knew it they were headed to the airport.  They passed through security and prepared to leave each other.  JC was headed home to Florida to unpack and get his house ready for the time he'd be home.  The guys had chartered a jet so JC was going to take her luggage back with him, Mollie only kept a small backpack for her trip.  Mollie was headed to New York.  She needed to pick up Boo.  Her tour commitments were over and as far as she knew the rest of her obligation to *Nsync would be television performances and videos.  She wanted her dog back and she wouldn't mind hanging with her best friend for a day.  They planned to meet up in Florida in a few days.  JC kissed her for the millionth time and pulled her close to him.

 

"Call me when you land?" 

"I will silly.  Don't sound so worried, it's just a day.  I'll be back annoying you before you know it," she giggled.

 

    She tried to hide it but she would miss him.  They'd spent every day together for months.  It was rare that they separated for more than a few hours.  Finally, they parted and Mollie boarded her plane while JC headed to his gate to catch his flight.  Mollie smiled when she noticed he'd booked her first class.  He was always surprising her.  The flight was smooth and when she got into the cab after she landed, she couldn't help but feel like the city was buzzing.  The lights seemed brighter, the noises louder and the atmosphere charged.  She smiled at the familiar sight of the Twin Towers as they passed them on the way to Johanna's apartment.  When she got to the building, she could hardly wait so she climbed the stairs two at a time instead of waiting for the elevator.  Boo rewarded her by practically knocking her over. 

    The golden jumped up to lick his owners face and weaved circles between Mollie's legs in joy.  Mollie leaned over to hug her friend and the group headed into the apartment.  Too tired to chat, Mollie went straight to bed.

The next morning, the sky was eerily quiet.  Mollie had been hoping to sleep in but her eyes opened and she felt wide awake at 8:15.  She made a cup of tea and turned on the morning news.  She was trying to wait until 9 to call JC but she couldn't wait anymore so she dialed his number at 8:40.  He seemed groggy but excited to hear from her.  They chatted for a few minutes about their flights and the million things they had to do to get their homes in order until Mollie heard a loud 'boom' and felt the whole building shake.

 

"Oh my god!" she gasped. 

"Baby, what was that?" 

"I don't know the whole building shook," she said.  Mollie yelled for Johanna, who had stumbled into the room with a confused look on her face.  She grabbed the remote and cranked the volume on the news as she saw smoke start to filter past the windows.  Johanna went over to the windows and glanced around and turned around with a horrified look on her face.  "Jo, what's going on?"

"It's coming from the World Trade Center.  The smoke is getting thick, I can't see it but it's definitely on fire." 

"Breaking news right now at 8:50 on Tuesday September 11.  The North Tower of the World Trade Center has just been struck by a plane.  Witnesses are calling in and saying the plane crashed into it just a few minutes ago and smoke is thick throughout the area.  We advise people to take precautions and remain where they are.  We'll update with instructions from law enforcement as they come in."

"Jace, a plane hit the World Trade Center.  Turn on the news."

 

There was silence as the three of them let it sink in.

 

"How close are you?" JC asked. 

"Close enough."

"Get out." JC said, panic setting in.  "If a plane hit a fucking building then that building will come down.  Especially if it's burning. Put me on speaker." 

"You're on," Mollie said, hitting the button.

"Jo, you hear me?" 

"Yeah," she replied, crying.

"Grab a backpack, or some bag that will be easy to carry." 

"I've got my dad's old army ruck sack," Jo said.

"Good.  Get it and I want you to put anything that you want to save in it." 

"JC, you're talking like we're going down."

"Jo, I don't know what's going on!  What kind of trained pilot flies his plane so low it hits a building?  I'm not letting the two of you get caught in this.  The sooner you get out, the sooner you can be somewhere I know you're safe.  Think hard about what you need to save.  Important documents, family photos.   Try to only keep what you'd really miss.  You've got to carry it out of there.  Go do that while I tell Mollie what to do," JC said.  Johanna was in a trance but backed away and started rifling through things.

 

"Baby, are you listening?" 

"I'm here," Mollie said, trying not to sob.  There were tears rolling down her face.

"Plug in your phone.  I want you to have full battery.  After you do that, take stock on the kitchen.  Does Johanna have water bottles?" 

"Yes."

"Put them in your back pack.  You have space.  You didn't bring that much with you.  Then I want you to see what kind of portable snacks she has.  Things in bags that you can eat on the go.  Put a bunch in there." 

"Okay," a few minutes later Mollie got back on the line.  "Done.  Josh, I'm scared.”

 

JC knew she only called him Josh if she was really serious.  He could feel his heart racing, watching the footage on loop on the news.  He tried his best not to get overwhelmed.

 

"I know you are sweetie but you're going to be alright.  Tell Johanna to grab some clothes.  Athletic type stuff, things you can move in.  You guys are around the same size so you can share.  Both of you should dress in something you are comfortable in."

 

JC waited patiently as the girls completed his instructions.  It was hard knowing he couldn't be there to help but he had to keep his wits about him.  It was harder to be in it and think straight than it was on the outside.  Before the girls came back to the phone, the live feed on the news showed another plane hitting the other tower.  JC wanted to throw up.  He screamed for Mollie into the phone.

 

"Josh I'm here.  We need to hurry the smoke is getting so thick!"

"Baby.  Are you guys dressed?  Sneakers on, got everything I told you to get?" 

"Yes!"

"Okay, Johanna, if you have bandanas or scarves, grab them.  You need one, Molls needs one and you should find something big enough to cover Boo's nose." 

"I have his muzzle for when he flies here," Mollie said.

"Put that on but make it loose, we don't want to suffocate him.  Grab some of his food and put it in a zip top bag.  Then tie the bandanas around your faces.  Like you would in the snow.  Cover your nose and mouth.  It will help you breathe through the smoke." 

"Okay we've got everything."

"Baby, I want you to leave.  I don't care what the news says.  Get out of the building and head in the opposite direction of the World Trade Center.  Don't run or exhaust yourselves unless you see danger coming."

 

Johanna had just hung up with her parents.  They were scared and told her to leave also.  She told them she loved them and said her and Mollie were heading out and promised to call as soon as she could.

 

"Josh stay on the phone with me," Mollie said, crying. 

"I can't baby.  I need you to save the battery so you can use it for emergencies.  Walk as far as you can go.  Try and head towards New Jersey."

"Josh." 

"Mollie. I need you to do one last thing.  Get a pen and paper.  Write down my parent's address, if you can eventually get to a car or train or something, I want you to go there. It's the closest place I can think of to New York that you'll be safe and cared for.  I'm getting in the car and driving there right now.  I will see you there.  Shut your phone off to save battery.  Be safe and stick together. I love you."

"I love you too," Mollie replied, barely whispering. 

"Go." JC replied before hearing a click.  When the line disconnected, all he could think about was getting to her.  He called his mom who he knew would be home. "Mom?" He said when she picked up.  He began to cry.

"Joshua please tell me you've heard from Mollie!  I just turned on the news.  I can't believe she's there right now." 

"I talked to her.  I told her and Johanna to leave their apartment, they're so close to the towers.  They're walking as far away as they can get.  I'm scared."

"Oh Josh, I know you are honey. She's a smart cookie that Mollie.  I know she'll be alright." 

"I couldn't think of anyone closer to New York than you guys.  I gave her your address and told her to head there."

"Okay.  Oh my gosh.  I'm calling your father right now.  Josh honey, you get in the car and come up here.  All we can do is wait now."

 

JC hung up the phone and immediately dialed Justin.  Justin was home for a day or two before he was supposed to fly out to LA and see Britney.  He lived the closest to JC and JC didn't think he could do the drive alone.

 

"JC, please say you have good news about Molls," Justin answered. 

"As of now they're fine.  They left the apartment and are headed away from the towers.  I need to get to my parents house.  I told Mollie to go there if she can get out and find a bus or a car.  Man I'm so scared I don't think I could drive by myself..."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

 

On auto-pilot, he ran around grabbing things he might need.  He was on the porch waiting when Justin pulled up.  He hopped in, tossing his bag in the back and Justin sped off.  Their ride was quiet for the most part and JC flipped on the radio.  All of the stations were broadcasting news.  One of the towers had collapsed while he was busy calling people and getting ready to leave.

 

“Shit,” JC muttered.  “If she gets hurt I don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

“They’re gonna be okay.  They’ve got to be okay.”

 

They kept driving, the news just sounding worse and worse as they went.  JC clutched his cell phone, waiting for any sign of good news.  When it rang, he jumped out of his skin.

 

“Hello?!  Oh hey mom,” JC said.

“Joshua, your father left work.  He’s driving up there right now.  He doesn’t know how close he can get but he’s going to try and get as close as he can.  When he figures it out he’ll call us so if Mollie calls, we can tell her where to go.” 

“Really?”

“Yes really.  Joshua.  This is the woman you love.  And we’ve grown to love her too.  We’re going to do whatever we can to bring her home.” 

“Thanks mom.  I’ll let you know when we’re getting closer and if I hear anything.”

 

Josh hung up, wondering how he lucked out and got the best parents in the world and praying that Mollie would make it out of the city alive.

Mollie and Johanna locked hands as they walked as fast as they can.  Boo was keeping pace with them but it was hard to see through the smoke.  They cleared 10 blocks in a short amount of time and soon found they weren’t alone.  There were mass amounts of people trying to leave.  It was strange, Mollie thought, that the city people dreamed of coming to, was now the city people were running to get out of.  Before too long, they heard a rumble and the earth shook.  There was another loud boom and Johanna cried out. There couldn’t be another plane, could there?

 

“One of the towers went down,” the guy next to them said, holding up a portable radio.  “We’ve gotta move.  Follow us, we’re heading for the GWB.”

 

Mollie and Johanna followed, figuring any direction opposite the mess was a positive step.  They were soon overcome by a white cloud.  There was debris everywhere and Boo barked in fear.  Mollie tightened her grip on his leash, keeping him close.  She felt something smack the side of her face and she hit the ground.  She tasted blood in her mouth after the fall and felt the sting of friction burn on her hands.  Her head throbbed in pain.  When she looked to her left, she saw a white mass.  She didn’t know what it was but there was no time to look.  Someone scooped her up and set her back on her feet, doing the same to Johanna, who’d fallen because she was holding onto Mollie.  The crowd urged them forward.

 

It was blocks before they could see anything.  They took a moment to figure out what street they were on and then broke into a jog.  The faster they could get away the better.  When it had cleared a bit more, they stopped, retrieving a water bottle from Mollie’s backpack.  Mollie sucked down half and gave the rest to Johanna, then pulled out another and tipped it into Boo’s mouth.  They didn’t stop long and were quickly back on the road.  It felt like they had been jogging for hours when they heard the second tower fall.  This area was smoky but clearer and they slowed to a walk.  After a few more miles, they saw the entrance to the George Washington Bridge.

 

Mollie looked at Johanna and almost cried at the relief she felt.  The GWB would take them straight over to New Jersey.  They sat down in the bus terminal for a moment, so they could make some calls and rest their feet.  JC answered immediately.

 

“Oh my God are you okay?  Where are you?  It’s been hours.”

“We’ve made it to the entrance of the GWB.  We’re going to walk it over to Jersey.  Then we’ll figure it out once we get there.  We’re going to need some help.  We’ve got a bunch of cuts from falling glass and I got hit in the head by something falling.  Boo’s pretty worse for wear.  I think he’s got glass in his paws.” 

“You’re halfway there baby.  I’m so proud of you.  My dad is in New Jersey right now.  He couldn’t get closer than that but he’s going to try to get to the GWB so he can meet you on the other side.”

“Really?  I can’t believe it.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me.  He drove up before I could even call him.  You just keep on moving.  When you get to the other side, I promise dad will be there.”

“Don’t make promises.” 

“Mollie, I promise you.  This is almost over.”

 

Mollie filled Johanna in and they set out over the bridge.  It was a slow go, as they were not the only ones to have this idea.  It had to have taken them almost two hours with all of the people to get across and when they stepped on solid ground again.  Mollie looked frantically around.  This was a state park and they would have to walk towards the entrance, as nobody was getting into Manhattan today.  Mollie could see a cluster of cars and people waiting for loved ones.  She practically ran towards the group and frantically searched for Roy.

 

“Mollie!” she heard.  She looked towards the back of the pack and sighed.  He’d found them.

 

They pushed their way through until they saw him and Mollie flung herself into his arms.  It was so nice to see a familiar face after the day they’d had and Mollie cried.

 

“You’re okay now,” Roy whispered, stroking her hair.  “Everything’s going to be alright.”

“Thank you for coming, I had no idea what we were going to do…this is my best friend Johanna and my dog Boo,” she rambled. 

“Johanna, nice to meet you,” Roy said, pulling her in for a hug.  He leaned down and ruffled Boo’s head as he led them to the car.

 

Boo was tired and hurt so they had to lift him into the car.  Johanna sat with him and rubbed his head as he whimpered in pain.  They got out as quickly as they could and Roy insisted they go to a hospital.  She called JC on the way and assured him that one way or the other, she was going to be home tonight.  Her battery ran out and they drove to the nearest gas station where they got directions to the hospital.

 

It was so crowded because of the many people coming here over the bridge.  They sent them to a bed as a group and they waited for a doctor to check them out.  Boo was getting antsy as the hours passed but eventually a doctor came to help them.  They whisked Johanna away to get some stitches on one of her cuts.  The doctor cleaned up the areas around her cuts so that the dirt and debris wouldn’t infect the wounds.  He was concerned with the lump growing on the side of her forehead and the bruises already beginning to form down her cheek.

 

He asked a series of questions about the events of the day.  Mollie remembered getting hit but she didn’t remember where she was then or what time it was or how long she was down for.  The doctor explained that the regular questions they might ask concerning a concussion were inconclusive based on the stressful events of the day.  He guessed that she more than likely had one and advised her to take it easy for at least two weeks.  No physical activity or anything taxing to her brain.

“Any further injury could result in serious brain damage,” he explained.  “And I want to prescribe you something for the pain.”

“Thanks doctor.  Can you help me with my dog?  I think he has glass in his paws,” Mollie asked, knowing her question was probably out of the box for the hospital’s normal routine. 

“Sure,” the doctor replied.  “Make sure he sees a vet after this to make sure there’s nothing else wrong.”

 

Mollie promised and she held onto Boo as the doctor pulled many shards of glass and debris out of his paws.  His paws were bleeding a little so the doctor wrapped them in gauze.  By the time Johanna was brought back to them, they were cleared to go.  It was seven in the evening and the sky was just starting to dim.

 

“Can I stop and get you girls some food?  You must be hungry after the day you all have had.”

“Can we just drive straight on?” Johanna said.  “I’m kind of looking forward to sleep.” 

Roy laughed and glanced at Mollie.  “How about you?”

“I want to see my boy,” she said.

“Then we’re off.” 

 

JC found himself wearing a hole in his mother’s floor.  Justin had gotten them there in record time.  No doubt breaking quite a few speed laws while he was at it.  They had arrived a few moments ago after driving for twelve hours straight and JC hadn’t relaxed since.

 

“Honey, why don’t you sit down?  I’m sure they’re alright.  They’re probably going to walk in at any second,” his mother said. 

“Why aren’t they calling ma?  It’s eleven o’clock, they should be here by now.”

 

Justin kept quiet on the sofa, though his incessant foot tapping betrayed his calm exterior.  Inside he was just as nervous as JC, both for Mollie, the girl who’d become like a sister to him and for Johanna, who he’d grown fond of through their times together.

 

JC gripped his phone so hard his knuckles were white.  He opened and closed it once more, checking for any missed calls.  The clock seemed to be inching along but when he saw headlights flash in through the windows a short time later, he realized a half an hour had passed.  He ran to the door and flung it open.  His dad’s car turned off and the doors opened.  JC began to cry when he saw Mollie, beaten and bruised, but alive.

 

Mollie’s heart skipped a beat when she saw him.  Thank God too, it reminded her that it was still working.  She raced out of the car and headed for him.  They collided in the middle of the driveway and held on tight.  They didn’t need words.  Every emotion they’d felt that day hung in the air and they savored the opportunity to be this close.

 

Justin scooped Johanna up into his arms as she approached.  He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and set her down on her feet.

 

“Easy Justin, I’m a little banged up,” she said, smiling at him.  The smile was fake and as the gravity of the situation fell on her, she began to cry.

“Joey, you’re safe now.  I’ve got you.”

 

He held her until she calmed down and as they pulled back, both searched for their friends.  JC and Mollie had finally separated and they switched partners.  Karen herded them inside and they all headed for the living room.

 

“Girls, you must be exhausted.” 

“Actually, now that I’ve finally seen you all and I know we’re safe.  I’m kind of hungry,” Mollie admitted.

 

JC couldn’t help but chuckle.  All of this chaos and his girl was thinking about her stomach.  They all smiled a relieved smile and the tension broke.

 

“Why don’t you girls get cleaned up and I’ll fix something up for you.”

 

            They girls headed upstairs alone, much to JC’s displeasure.  Mollie assured him she could bathe without his assistance and they rifled through the bag for some clothes, finding sweatpants and t-shirts.  They took turns in the shower and helped each other brush their hair.  As she pulled a knot from Johanna’s head, she began to cry.

 

“You know Jo, I don’t think I could have made it through today if you weren’t there.   You kept me from falling apart.”

“I was thinking the same about you,” Johanna replied.

 

The girls pulled themselves together and joined the group waiting for them in the dining room.  Karen had made them some pasta and they gobbled it up.  You could tell the unspoken question that nobody dared ask was “what was it like?”  When they finished, they just wanted to rest and not talk or think about what happened any longer.

 

Mollie and JC headed to his room and climbed into bed.  She didn’t feel like talking and they snuggled in the silence.  Before she knew it she drifted off to sleep. 

 

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Justin said, dropping Johanna off at Heather’s old room. 

 

Johanna looked around at the room.  She felt strange in this unfamiliar place and turned to look at Justin.

 

“Could you stay?  After the day I had, it’d be nice to have something familiar around.”

 

Justin hesitated to answer and looked down at his feet.

 

“I’m not gonna jump you,” she said.  “We don’t have to cuddle.  We could just sleep next to each other.”

“Well,” Justin said, closing the door behind him.  “I know you want me, but keep your hands to yourself and we’ve got a deal.”

 

The next day was spent mainly resting.  Everyone was afraid to ask the girls about their experience but the news that was on every station made it quite clear the kind of terror they must have felt.  JC never wandered more than five feet from Mollie and held her hand or had his arm around her at all times.  Justin’s phone kept ringing but he never answered it.  Life continued outside their little bubble.

 

The next day, Mollie felt the itch to be in her own space.  Being around JC’s family was comforting but she felt like if she stayed here too long, she’d be avoiding moving on with her life and dealing with her feelings about it all.  She needed to get home and recover.  They packed the car and got ready to leave.  Mollie hugged Karen goodbye and walked over to Roy, who was standing back a ways.

 

“Thank you Roy, for saving me,” Mollie said, tearing up.  “I have no family left so to have someone drive all that way and take care of me was unexpected.  I’m so grateful to have you in my life.  I don’t know where I’d be right now if you hadn’t come.” 

“I didn’t save you.  You saved yourself,” Roy said, taking her hands in his.  “You’re the love of my son’s life…your family.  I’d have driven a hundred miles to make sure you were okay.”

Mollie shed some tears as he hugged her tight.  She leaned up and whispered, “Thanks Pop.” 

“Anytime kiddo.”

Walking into her house for the first time in quite a few months was strange for Mollie and she was glad she’d waited for the light of day to do it.  There was a strange haze about the house and she immediately opened the windows to get the air moving.  She grabbed the stack of mail she’d picked up from the post office and grabbed the utility bills, calling them one by one to turn her services back on.  She did some laundry and joined Johanna on the couch.  JC had finally agreed to leave them alone for a moment, going to grab some groceries for them.

 

“As surreal as the last few days have felt.  I’m going to have to go back there at some point.  And I don’t know what I have to go back to,” Johanna said, staring blankly at the television screen.

“What if you didn’t go back for good?  What if you went back to get whatever is left in the apartment and came down here?  You’ve been talking about change for a while now.” 

“Yeah, but now I feel like I’d be running away,” Johanna mused.

“Running away or starting over?  As much as I adore New York City, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at it the same after this.  My safety and security there have been shattered.  For all we know there’s nothing for you to go back to.” 

“Thanks for that,” Johanna said, mildly angered.

“I didn’t mean it all morbidly.  I just meant…ugh is your job up there really so great?  Are you living a life that makes you happy?” 

“No.”

“Then come live with me.”

 

Johanna took a moment to let her words sink in.  She just admitted she wasn’t happy but something made her question this decision.  She couldn’t quite put her finger on it yet but it seemed the good outweighed the bad at this point.  Before she could answer, the doorbell rang.

 

“Promise me you’ll consider it?” Mollie asked as she rose to answer it.

 

Mollie opened the door to find Justin and Lance standing on her porch. 

 

“Hey guys, come in.” 

“Oh my God,” Lance said, hugging his friend.  “I’m so glad you’re alright.  That’s some shiner you got there,” he said, pointing to the black and blue side of her face.

“Yeah well, I never was very good at dodge ball,” she said, attempting to joke.

 

The next few days were much of the same, friends stopping by to check on them round the clock, most especially whenever JC couldn’t be there.  Mollie soon caught onto his plan and called him up after finding Chris on her doorstep a week after they’d arrived back home.

 

“Hey baby is something wrong?” 

“No, Jace I’m fine but you’ve got to call off the visitor brigade.  The first day or so I could understand their concern and wanting to visit but a week full of people just popping by has become really suspicious.”

“Everyone’s worried about you guys,” JC said. 

“Everyone, or you?  Babe I know you mean well and I know you just want to take care of me but if I’m going to get back to life as normal, I’ve got to do it myself.  I love my friends and I love that they want to help but I’ve got to do this on my own terms.”

“But I’m afraid of your injuries and nobo…” 

“I’m healing.  Physically and I can start to emotionally when people aren’t constantly around and I don’t have to put up a front.  It’s only going to get better if I work on me…and that includes facing it again with Jo when she needs to go see what’s become of the apartment and her things.”

“No, you’re not going there.  I told you guys I’ll hire someone to do it.” 

“It’s not about that.  It’s about facing reality.  It’s about life and rebuilding…”

“I’ll call off the visitors…but we’ll talk about the trip, yeah?” 

“Joshua, I…”

“We’ll talk about it.” 

“Whatever.”

 

She snapped the phone shut.  She knew she was overreacting.  Everything came out as anger lately but it was hard to think with people always around.  Everyone was treating them like they were fragile.  In all reality they were lucky.  They had their lives and that was more than many.  When JC came back, she asked him to spend the night at his own house.  He looked hurt but did as she asked.  If there was one perk to this it was that she tended to get her way.

 

Johanna and Mollie lay next to each other in Mollie’s bed, trying to sleep.

 

“I see it every time I close my eyes.  The smoke, the fear on people’s faces...I just can’t block it out,” Johanna admitted.

“I know what you mean, New York was always my safe place…now I’ll never be able to think of it that way.” 

“Me either…which is why I want to stay down here,” Johanna said, facing her friend.  “I know my family is on Long Island but my job sucks, my best friend is in Florida and God knows if I have an apartment to return to.  I need to move on.  I want to start by going back there this weekend and seeing it…seeing what’s left.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

 

Mollie knew JC wasn’t going to like it but the best she could offer was allowing him to come with them.  The girls made a plan and decided they would fly into Newark and rent a car to drive into the city.  They knew they didn’t want to linger so the plan was to pack it all into the car and head back to Jersey.  They’d pack and ship whatever didn’t fit in the suitcases they planned to bring and head home.

 

The girls were jittery on the flight and JC felt like he was intruding on something sacred.  They kept close and rarely spoke but they agreed he should drive when they got the rental car.  The girls had brought as much documentation as they could to prove they lived in the apartment, in case they couldn’t get close.  The streets were clear until they got closer to the area surrounding the buildings.  They were stopped every few blocks and had to show the copy of the lease they’d brought to get past each check point.  When they finally got to the building, they could see that there were some broken windows but it looked fairly stable.  The landlord was outside chatting with a policeman and he waved as they entered the building.

 

Opening the door to their former bachelorette pad, they were met with smashed glass everywhere and gaping holes in the windows.  They stepped carefully around it and headed straight for the bedroom.  It was fairly clean and intact, so they set about packing Johanna’s clothes.  Once they cleared everything in the bedroom, they moved onto the living room.  They were a bit robotic, just mechanically grabbing things they needed. 

 

Once they finished, they took a step back.  Seeing the apartment so bare and broken was the last straw for Mollie.  She just started to cry and her and Johanna embraced, mourning the loss of the very symbol of their friendship.  JC sensed it was a private moment so he hauled the last box down to the car and waited for the girls. 

 

They stopped at the local supermarket and grabbed cases of water and boxes of granola bars.  They brought them a few blocks over, right to the site of the World Trade Center and passed them out to all of the workers.  Leaving New York was sad, but after helping even a little with their donation, Mollie felt like she could move on from what had happened.  The city would never feel the same after these events, but it would always be her home. 

 

 

By February things were revving up again and the guys were headed to Salt Lake City for the Olympics.  The US was having various artists perform during the weeks of the games and *Nsync was one of them.  They would also be at the closing ceremonies.  Mollie and Johanna decided to tag along, both having nothing else to do.  They’d been a lot better since September and were starting to think about new projects they could do.  Number one on the list was opening a dance studio.  Between Johanna’s business degree and Mollie’s dance abilities, they figured they couldn’t go wrong.  They decided to take a last trip before getting down to business and that’s how they found themselves wandering the Olympic Village the morning of the concert.

 

“I’ve got to tell you something Jo,” Mollie said, kicking a pile of snow as they walked past it.  “I was going to tell Josh first but I’m so excited I need to tell someone.”

“Okay…”

 "I’m pregnant.”

 Johanna looked shocked and didn’t speak immediately.

 "I know we haven’t been together terribly long and it might seem like we’re rushing things and we honestly didn’t mean for this to happen but…I feel like this baby is a sign…” 

“If you’re happy, I’m happy.  What do you think JC is gonna say?”

 

            The girls talked excitedly about the night ahead, both about Mollie’s news and the concert as they strolled through the town.  As they headed back towards the hotel, Mollie stopped dead in her tracks.

 

“Molls?”  Mollie turned to face Johanna as she spoke.  “Are you ok?”

“I…I…”  Mollie turned to look back at the spot she’s just been staring at and saw nothing.  “I thought I saw someone but I must be wrong.  No one’s there now.” 

“Who was it?”

“I could’ve sworn it was Michael.” 

“How could it be?  They have to tell you when he gets out.”

“Yeah…”

 

The girls didn’t mention the topic again and before they headed over to the concert venue, Mollie had other news on her mind.  JC had been blabbering on about one thing after the other and was acting weird.  He’d been trying to repack some of his things and Mollie had been bouncing her knee up and down nervously trying to decide when the right time to tell him was when it happened.  A simple knock on the door broke the tension for a moment.  JC got up to answer it and Mollie glanced over as someone carried a bouquet into the room.

 

“Have a nice day,” the person said, sounding familiar.

 

Mollie looked up in time to see a glimpse of the face and all of her breath left her body.  It looked just like Michael.  JC picked the card from between the stems of the roses and walked it over to Mollie.

 

“It’s for you babe…and I’d like to take credit for them but it wasn’t me.”

 

Mollie took the card from his hand and slid a finger under the envelope seal.  Slowly she pulled the card out and when she read it, she let it drop to the floor.

 

“He’s here,” she whispered. 

“Who is here?”

“Michael, he’s here.  I thought I saw him when I was walking around with Johanna earlier but I didn’t want to believe it but these flowers are from Michael.  I didn’t get a great look at the guy who delivered them but I’m sure it was him,” Mollie said, getting up and pacing. 

“I’ll call the police.  I’ll have him arrested.  I’ll have Lonnie let security know.”

“Jayce…I’m pregnant.” Mollie said.  “I didn’t want to tell you like this but with this new revelation I just….”

“Pregnant?” JC said, a crooked smile on his face.  Mollie nodded and started crying.  “Oh my God.”

“I didn’t want to tell you like this.”

 

JC’s mouth hung open and it took him a few moments to gather himself.  His thoughts were all over the map.  He was elated and scared and nervous all at the same time.  He snapped back to reality when he realized Mollie was crying.  Pulling into his arms, he kissed her head and rubbed her back.

 

“Maybe you didn’t want to tell me like this but I’m so glad you told me.  I’m excited about this baby.  And we’ll handle the Michael situation.” 

 

Mollie calmed down and watched JC as he moved around the room.  His phone was between his cheek and his shoulder and he packed all of their things.  He was stern as he spoke with hotel management and more earnest with Lonnie.  Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the door and Lonnie was there with a luggage cart.  Once the cart was loaded with their things, they were joined by the other bodyguards and escorted from the building.  JC explained that he’d arranged to stay in the hotels the athletes were staying in, as some had finished competing and gone home.  The hotels the athletes were in were very closely guarded and everyone who entered them required special credentials.

            Mollie was glad he was able to take charge and handle this.  She was completely shaken and her heart raced.  A thousand scenarios ran through her mind.  She reached for her phone and realized it was dead.  She wasn’t sure when the last time she looked at it was so she plugged it in as soon as they got to the new hotel.  She checked her messages and sure enough, there was a message from the New York State Department of Corrections letting her know that Michael had been released early for good behavior.  She felt the anxiousness settle over her and she prayed that nothing would happen.

 

            By the end of the week, they were flying home and there had been no altercations with or sightings of Michael at all.  Mollie felt better but by no means relieved.  She knew that she’d seen him and she was positive that if he found her once, he would find her again.  She tried to keep herself busy, she wasn’t pregnant enough to be slowed down but she also wasn’t pregnant enough to be in the safe zone.  By the end of March she and Johanna had scouted buildings for their studio and found one that was available for purchase.  They liked the idea of not being a slave to rent and being able to stay for as long as they wanted.  They put in an offer and were accepted.  The building needed some cleanup and refurbishing, so as the builders fixed it, the girls took pleasure in designing it.  It took them a full month to pick out paint and flooring and all the other things that go into furnishing a studio. Mollie felt like she was doing the right thing and it was nice to be back home.

 

            JC on the other hand was busier than ever.  The guys were doing promotional stuff and they headed out on a smaller tour than the last.  Even if they were using dancers, which they had decided not to this time, JC had forbidden her to participate.  Ever since she blurted out the pregnancy news, he’d been very protective of her.  She missed him but she knew that once this tour was over, everything would calm down for him and they could spend more time together.  Johanna had to head up to New York for one of her cousins weddings and Mollie was going to be alone for a while…or so she thought.

 

“Justin?” Mollie said, opening the door to find her friend on the porch.  “What are you doing here?”

“We have like two days off.  The rest of the guys went to a songwriting session…I couldn’t.” 

“Why not?” She backed away from the door frame to allow him inside.

“I broke up with Britney.  It turns out she was cheating on me with Wade.” 

“Oh my God, Jay I’m so sorry.”

“Can I crash with you for now?  I just don’t want to be alone.” 

“Yeah, I’ll make us some dinner….while you take Johanna to the airport?”

 

            Justin looked at her like she’d suggested he pull his own teeth out.  After she promised him a lovely dinner upon return and a night of chatting, he relented and the duo headed out.  Mollie relished the silence and began chopping and preparing ingredients for dinner.  She’d been trying to eat healthy lately for the baby’s sake and she knew Justin liked to be fit so she thought one of her new recipes would be perfect.  As she finished assembling, she realized she hadn’t heard or seen Boo in a while.  She looked to the sliding back door and found it open.  She laughed as she remembered the first time he figured out how to get it open on his own.  She glanced out into the night but couldn’t see him.  She reached for the light switch and her blood ran cold when she felt someone grip her wrist tightly.

 

“Miss me Mollie?”

Mollie instantly felt sick at the voice in her ear but before she could react, everything went black.  When her eyes opened again, she found herself bound to a kitchen chair.  She instinctively tried to move her hands and feet but felt the burn of a rope on her skin.  She tried quickly to assess the situation and when she looked up, she found Michael, eating the dinner she’d cooked and looking at her.

 

“This is delicious,” he said, putting his fork down and wiping his mouth with a napkin.  “See Mollie bear, this is how we should be right now…but you had to go and tell everyone our personal business.  Were you cooking this dinner for your pop star boyfriend?” 

“Nope, just me.”

“Don’t lie to me you dumb bitch.  What’s appealing about him huh?  You obviously wanted the fame and fortune.  I could have had that if it weren’t for you.  You ruined me.”  The pause was long and Mollie prayed for Justin to arrive back here.  “And yet, you still got everything you ever wanted.  A home…money…and a pretty boy toy.  Now I’m here to take it from you.” 

“No,” Mollie said.  While he was speaking, Mollie had wriggled her hands to see how tight her binding was.  “You could never take any of that away from me.”

 

            Mollie jumped as he slammed his hands down on her table.  The silverware clanged as it hit the plate and she watched as Michael pushed his chair back.  Mollie knew he was going to hurt her.  Her instinct was to protect herself and her stomach but without the use of her hands and feet, she had no defense.  She kept wriggling her hands, trying to catch them on the back of the chair.  He walked slowly up to her face and pressed the steak knife against her cheek,

 

“I can and I will princess,” he growled, pressing the knife in harder.  “But I’m going to make you wish I’d killed you last time.”

 

            With a flick of his wrist, Mollie could feel the skin break on her cheek.  Michael laughed as he backed away.  The cut hurt but Mollie didn’t want to cry.  She could feel the blood trickle down her cheek and she blinked back tears.  Her fingers had found the knot and she tried to calm herself enough to work at it. 

 

“What do you want from me?”  Mollie asked, her voice trembling.

“I want a public apology where you tell everyone you lied…you to break up with that dancing puppet on live television and this house and all of your money.  However, I think we all know that won’t happen.  So instead I want you to suffer.” 

“Mission accomplished.  I have suffered every single day since you hurt me.”  That statement earned her a slap across the face.

“Stop the lies.  You brought everything upon yourself!”

 

            Mollie had to control her mouth so she didn’t get hurt any further than necessary.  It was hard to bite her tongue, especially as her cell phone rang.  She could feel it in her pocket and Michael grabbed for it.  He looked at the screen and saw JC’s name, a sadistic smile spreading across his face.

 

“You’re going to talk to him like nothing is wrong.  I’m not finished with you and I don’t need him sending a squad car out here because you didn’t answer.”

 

            Michael flipped the phone open and pressed the speakerphone button.

 

“Hey babe,” Mollie said, her voice cracking as it came out.  “How are you?” 

“Hey…is everything alright?  Your voice sounds weird,” JC said.  Michael pressed the knife to her throat.

“Yeah I’m fine, I was just watching a movie, you know how I get at the sad parts.” 

“Well I only have a few minutes but I just wanted to say hi and ask you to let me know if you hear from Justin.  He skipped out on this thing and didn’t say where he was going.”

“Really?  That’s weird.  He hasn’t called me or anything.” 

“I think something’s up with him.  Anyway baby I gotta run.  I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied, fighting tears.

 

            When the phone hung up, Mollie finally felt the knot come free from her hands.  Michael laughed, dramatically tipping his head back.  Mollie seized the moment, lunging and grabbing at the knife that he’d set down beside him.  She jammed it into his shoulder, causing him to fall.  Mollie pulled it out and slashed at the rope tying her feet.  When she was free, she took off. 

            She ran for the front door, contemplating the best way.  Her goal was to get to JC’s house, lock all the doors and call police but before she could even get close, he’d caught up to her.  She hit the floor after he shoved her and she tried to get back up but he kicked her hard in the ribs.  Mollie cried out in pain and scrambled to grab the knife that had slid from her grasp.  When she got it, she tried to hit him wherever she could.  She landed on his left forearm.  He yelled and kicked her hard before she could get up.  Mollie felt a sweat break out and Michael hopped on top of her, flipping her on her back as he began punching her face.  Mollie struggled against him for as long as she could but eventually the blows became too much.  Just as she succumbed to the darkness, she could see Justin running up the porch steps.

 

 

            She wasn’t sure when exactly she woke up, but hearing the beep of a machine let her know she was in the hospital. It was a chore to pry her eyes open; they felt so heavy.  Sucking in a big breath, she lifted her head to see JC watching her intently.  He looked worse for wear.  His beard had grown in and he had bags under his eyes. She remembered the confrontation with Michael but she couldn’t remember getting out.  JC yelled for a nurse and the sound of his voice hurt her head.  The nurse came in and checked her vitals before leaving and JC grabbed her hand as a doctor entered.

 

“What happened?  How’d I get out?” 

“Justin came back and found you.  He beat the living shit out of Michael and the police came.”

“I feel like shit.” 

“He got you pretty good…”

“Miss Greenspan,” the young female doctor chimed in.  “You’re injuries were very extensive.  You’ve got two black eyes, multiple contusions, a broken rib…and unfortunately we weren’t able to save the fetus.”

 

Mollie’s ears went fuzzy when she heard that and she felt faint.  She must have fainted because a she woke up not long after.  The doctor was still there and she held a damp cloth up to Mollie’s forehead.  The doctor explained that the baby had to come out and that Mollie could take the medication and wait for it to pass naturally or they could do a procedure to remove it.  She couldn’t imagine having to spend time at home waiting for this to happen so she opted for the procedure.  They’d have to wait until the next day, to make sure her vital signs were stable.  Mollie nodded and the doctor excused herself.  Mollie rolled onto her side and began sobbing into her pillow.  She could feel JC rubbing her back but she suddenly didn’t want to be touched.  She turned and looked at him, his face sad though he didn’t cry, and she felt ashamed.

 

“I want to be alone,” she managed to get out before sobbing again.

 

            JC was shocked that Mollie wanted him to leave but he did as he was asked.  He’d had time to sit with the news but maybe she needed some time of her own.  He went back out to the private waiting room where he sat alone.  His parents were on their way and Johanna’s flight, which ended up being delayed at her layover, should be landing any minute now.  Justin had been taken to get some x-rays on his hand and the rest of the *Nsync guys thought it would be best if they came separately so they didn’t draw too much attention to the place.  JC pulled his knees up to his chest, put his face down and cried.  When he was all cried out, he sat, emotionally drained.  He felt helpless and it was worse that they had to be here for another day.

            After what felt like hours, Justin came back.  He was fine, just some bruises.  He tried to comfort JC but it was no use.  So JC suggested he try to go in.  It was killing JC not knowing how Mollie was handling all of this so if she didn’t want to see him, maybe she’d talk to Justin.

            Mollie could hear the door open but she didn’t turn to see who it was.  She’d stopped crying a little while ago but now she felt devoid of emotions.  She didn’t want to look at JC.  Looking at him broke her heart all over again and she couldn’t take it right now.  Whoever it was, they walked in slowly and came around to the side she was facing.  When she saw Justin, she tried to rally some enthusiasm but didn’t succeed.

 

“Hey girl,” he said softly. 

“Justin,”” Mollie said, reaching out her arms.  “Thank you for saving me.”

“Hey you did the work, I just finished him off,” Justin said, hugging her gently.  He sat in the chair next to the bed and looked at the floor.  “I’m sorry I didn’t get back sooner.  I wish I would have just insisted Jo get a cab…” 

“It’s not your fault Jus.  It’s mine…”

“Moll, this is not your fault.” 

“It is.  My bad life choices have come back to destroy my future.  Only now I’ve taken Jayce down with me.”

“That’s not what you think, is it?  Because that’s not true at all.  You didn’t know Michael would be like this when you started to date him.” 

“But he hit me once and I didn’t leave.”

“That doesn’t mean you deserved any of this!  And you have not taken JC down.  Is he devastated that this happened to you, that he wasn’t there to protect you?  Absolutely.  Is he crushed that you’re not having a baby, yes.  But none of it is your fault.  Know that.” 

“I’m the reason she’s dead,” Mollie cried.

“You’re not.  You did everything right.  I know you feel all of these emotions but I hope you remember that everyone loves you.  Nobody is angry with you, least of all JC.”

 

            Mollie whimpered, stifling a sob.   She covered her eyes with her hand, not wanting to hear any of this any longer.  Justin stood up, taking it as his cue to leave.  He pressed a kiss to her forehead and headed back to the waiting room.  JC looked miserable but luckily, Johanna walked in and JC’s parents followed closely behind her.  They each took turns trying to talk to Mollie but she refused them each time.  It was late so they all figured it might be time to head home.  They tried their best to get JC to leave but he refused.  He tried to get comfortable on the small couch they had in the room and luckily a nurse came in with a blanket and pillow for him.  He got very little sleep and when the door opened the next morning to tell him it was almost time for Mollie to go in for the procedure, he hopped out of bed.

            He tried to speak to her but she didn’t respond.  Instead he chose to kiss her forehead and hold her hand until it was time for them to take her.  Her stillness was eerie and even as they wheeled her out, she had no emotion.  The procedure went relatively quickly and by the end of the day, they were able to go home.  Mollie remained silent on the way home, even when they pulled up, she only pointed to her own house, rather than tell him that’s where she wanted to be.  It had been a few days since the incident and the police had taken all the pictures and evidence they needed.  JC had hired someone to come in and clean it up so it looked like normal again.  Johanna and Justin met them at the door and they helped Mollie gingerly climb the stairs.  JC followed her into the room and grabbed a change of clothes out of her dresser.  She took them and changed in the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.  When she came back out, he pulled back the covers and tucked her in. 

 

“You’re probably tired babe, let’s just relax for a while,” he said, trying to break the silence. 

“I’m just going to go to sleep…by myself,” she said, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“Okay,” JC replied and you could hear the hurt in his voice.  “I’m going to lay down in the other room but if you need anything, we’re all downstairs.” 

“Yup.”

“I love you,” he said, one hand on the doorknob. 

“I know.”

 

JC left the room and told everyone he was going to take a nap.  Thankfully, both of their homes had six bedrooms and JC could escape for some privacy.  He pulled off his shirt and climbed into the bed, hoping to fall asleep.  He couldn’t process everything or face what was ahead of him without some rest.  The guys had cut their tour short with promises to reschedule the dates.  JC didn’t know how long the healing process would take but he knew that it wouldn’t be easy or quick.  When he finally let his mind go blank, he fell into a deep sleep.  When he woke, it was considerably darker and his stomach grumbled. 

He went down to the kitchen and saw that his mother must have gotten sandwich fixings.  He made one and chomped it down in a few bites.  It was good and he wanted more but he was afraid he’d get sick once all of his emotions came rushing back.  He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sucked it down, finally realizing how long it had been since he ate or drank something.  As he climbed the stairs, he let his feet walk the familiar path to Mollie’s room.  The door was open a crack and he slipped in, undetected.

He was glad to see Mollie sleep, she’d been fighting it for the whole day.  The medicine they’d given her, which he was sure Johanna made her take, must have knocked her out.  Her face looked relaxed but her mouth curved into a frown.  He couldn’t begin to imagine how she felt.  They weren’t expecting to have a baby but the two were certainly excited that it was going to happen.  To lose that so quickly and suddenly was the worst thing he’d ever experienced.  It was excruciating for him and he wasn’t the one carrying the baby.  JC wished she would let him in.  He wanted to go through this together but she kept pushing him away at every turn.  He sat there until the sun started to peek through the sky, just watching her breathe.  He felt grateful with every rise and fall of her chest that she was here and she was in his life.

He snuck away before she woke and got another hour or two of sleep.  When he woke, he milled around the house, trying to talk to Mollie but being told to stay out.  This routine carried on for a week as his mother cooked and tried to help the best way she knew how.  One day, Mollie let her in to talk but nobody shared what they talked about.  Eventually his parents had to leave and when they did, the house seemed less alive.  Johanna and Justin kept themselves occupied, trying to encourage JC as he looked up at Mollie’s door every few seconds.  After Justin and Johanna retreated to bed on the ninth night since the incident, JC sat in the den, feet up on the coffee table scribbling in his trusted lyric notebook.  He always found it helpful to write in situations like these, it helped him sort out his feelings.

 

“Hey,” a small voice said through the darkness.

 

JC’s head snapped up and he saw Mollie in the doorframe.  Seeing her now, he thought she looked completely different.  Smaller, almost, but just as beautiful as always.  She was in a t-shirt she’d stolen from him when he left on the second half of the tour.  He remembered that day with a smile.

 

“Baby, I’m trying to pack,” he said, as she hugged him from behind.  Her small fingers tracing his abs and her cheek pressed to his back. 

“I know, but I’m gonna miss you.  We haven’t been apart much.”

“I know,” he said, continuing to fold and zip up his suitcase.  “But I’ll be back before you know it.” 

“Mmm.”  She let her hands slide down to the hem of his shirt and she pulled until she got it over his head.

“Baby, I’ve gotta go, we can’t…” 

“No, I didn’t mean that…I just want to keep a piece of you with me.  It smells like you,” she said, holding the shirt up to her nose.

“You’ll always have a piece of me with you,” he mumbled, his lips against her forehead.  “You have my heart.”

  

“Hey,” he replied, unsure of what to say.

 

            She shifted from foot to foot, looking down.  There was tension in the air but it broke when she finally looked up and held out her hand.  JC closed his notebook and put it on the table.  He slowly walked towards her and took her outstretched hand.  She turned, barefoot, and led them towards the stairs.  Silently they walked to her bedroom and closed the door.  Mollie continued to the bed but JC hesitated.

 

“I haven’t slept in days and I can’t sleep without you,” Mollie said, seeing him standing.

 

            That was enough for him.  He pulled off his shirt and climbed in next to her, gently placing his arms around her as she snuggled close to him.  JC, overwhelmed with emotion, began to cry.  Mollie let tears roll down her face and shut her eyes.  Now she was safe, now she could sleep.

 

            The morning light came all too soon and Mollie peeked up a JC, who was still out.  His face was creased with worry lines and she traced his jaw with her fingers.  She didn’t know how they were supposed to move on from here.  Everything felt different.  She knew he was waking up when she felt his fingers tighten on her hips.

 

“Did you get some sleep?” he asked.

“Yeah…thanks.” 

“How’re you feeling?”

“Sad…ashamed…everything all at once,” she muttered.  “I just feel like I let everyone down.  Especially you.” 

“You did everything you could to save yourself, how could I be let down?”

“I couldn’t save the baby,” she said, barely a whisper.  “I just had this feeling earlier that day that it was a girl.  Stupidly I started thinking of names.” 

“It’s not stupid.  What did you come up with?”

“Kate…I thought it was cute enough for a little girl but mature enough for a young lady.” 

“I like Kate.”

“I wish I could have done something…” 

“You did everything.  I will never be angry with you.”

 

            They stayed in bed much of the day, both catching up on some much needed sleep.  They spent the next day similarly, sharing and crying.  On the third day, Mollie insisted they get up and shower.  Once clean and in fresh clothes, she set about sending Justin and Johanna to do errands while she cleaned up the house.  Mollie felt the need to keep busy.  She knew she would feel the effects of this for the rest of her life but right now, she’d spent too much time crying.  She wanted to move on and she didn’t know how but being busy was a start.

            By the end of the day, as she was climbing into bed, she didn’t feel any better.  As JC wrapped his arms around her middle, she just felt sick.  When she could hear his deep breathing behind her, she slid from his grasp.  She loved JC but she needed to be by herself for a while.  The sooner he went back on tour the sooner he’d be back here and she’d feel better.  She’d focus on getting the dance studio up and running.  There had to be some way to pull herself out of this darkness.

 

            JC couldn’t understand why she was pushing him away so soon.  She’d told him over breakfast that she thought he should get back on the road.  She put it sweetly, explaining that the sooner he left the sooner he’d be home but something bothered him about her sudden about face.  He couldn’t deny that he had to get back on tour eventually, there was a lot of money at stake, but neither the guys nor the fans were pressuring them to come back.  He put it off another couple of days but he decided to get back at it.  Like she said, he’d be back in no time.  The tours always ended in Florida and by the time this one was over, they’d have to go straight into their Challenge for the Children, which was in Florida this year.  It was hard to say goodbye, but it had to be done.

            Mollie was glad he finally went.  Being close to JC right now just made her feel worse about herself.  His understanding and patience was overwhelming and she felt undeserving of his love.  She threw herself into working on the dance studio, Johanna always hovering, making sure she was okay.  At night, she’d succumb to the darkness and cry, letting herself feel everything until she fell asleep.  It felt like she’d never come out of it. 

“I just worry about you.  Johanna says you’re not eating…”  JC said one day on the phone.

“So now you two are conspiring against me?”

“Nobody’s conspiring, we just want to make sure that you’re okay.” 

“I think I’m handling it the best I can and if you cared at all you’d be here force feeding me instead of scolding me over the phone.”

 

            With that she hung up and immediately felt horrible.  She knew that her ways of coping weren’t necessarily the best but it was all she could do to get up in the morning.  Her heart said call him back but she didn’t have the energy for it.  She turned out the light and went to bed.  The next day she stayed in bed most of the day, drifting in and out of sleep.  At some point she rolled over, bumping into something.  She wasn’t sure what time it was but she let her eyes adjust to the dark and found JC sitting on the bed, his back to her.

 

“What are you doing here?” she mumbled.

“My girl needs me.  I got on the next plane and the guys are gonna do the last few shows without me.” 

“But you can’t what about…”

“What about nothing.  Home is where I need to be and that’s where I am.  Now go back to sleep, we’ll talk in the morning.”

 

            JC made good on her demand to be force fed.  When she refused the breakfast he brought up to her the next morning, he sat beside her and held the fork up to her mouth until she opened up.  She let him feed her half the plate before she sent him away.  They continued like this for days until Mollie accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to leave it alone and she started eating by herself.

            JC took this as a small win.  He’d leave her be for a week or two but then he had every intention of having her get back out in the world.  The dance studio was ready to be opened, it just needed a teacher.  Mollie needed dance and she needed this project. 

            Mollie knew his plans before he even said them.  He was going to tell her to get back out in the world but it was hard.  She had so many feelings that she couldn’t let go of and she needed to work them out if they were ever going to get back to normal.  A few days after JC arrived home, Mollie snuck out to the dance studio, leaving a note on the fridge.  She walked through the studio, admiring what they’d accomplished and arriving in the largest studio in the building.  It sat in the very back but it was big enough to house at least 50 kids at once.  She wandered over to the audio system they’d installed and placed a CD in the stereo.  She had a song she loved and she just wanted to hear it.

            She lay down in the middle of the floor as the song played.  She closed her eyes and just felt the words and music fill her whole body.  Gradually on the next take, she started visualizing movements.  Eventually she got up and started trying things out.  She didn’t know how long it took her to figure it out but once she did, she danced over and over.  The sweat trickling down her forehead felt like it was cleansing her mind.  She danced until the hurt lessened.  She danced until she literally couldn’t.

 

            JC allowed Mollie her freedom all day but as it grew dark out, he was curious as to what she was doing.  He drove over to the dance studio, not seeing her when he walked in the front door but hearing the loud music flowing through the halls.  He followed the sound and identified it as “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls, one of his favorites.  He stood in the door way as she hit every crescendo and danced in a way he hadn’t seen from her before.  As the song came to an end, she sank to the floor in a fit of tears.  The music played on but Mollie sat, heaving with emotion.  He knocked gently on the door and she looked up, drenched in sweat.

 

“Hey,” he said quietly. 

“Hey…sorry I meant to call you but I got caught up.”

“It’s okay…it was nice to see you dance again.” 

“It felt good to dance again,” she said, wiping her face on her arm.  “I’m just about done here.”

“Okay,” JC said, taking the hint.  “I’ll leave you to it…see you at home?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.”

 

            JC nodded and headed out the door.  Looking at her reflection, Mollie felt a sudden sense of peace.  She’d let a lot out tonight and she couldn’t continue to live her life in the dark.  She had to get up and keep going, she had to do it for the baby.  She had to do it for JC.  She had to do it for herself.

The dance school had been up and running for about a month and everything was going great.  Enrollment was up and the kids were having a great time.  Mollie had been feeling more and more like herself every day.  JC was busy with the band again, which was good for her because she hadn't been ready to be intimate with him yet.  It had been long enough medically speaking but for some reason she had reservations.  He was back home now and it was harder to avoid getting close.  She was actually running late to meet him at the Challenge for the Children.  She’d been there the last two days but as today was the big game, she should have been on time.  Her master class was that morning and the kids were moving along so well she just wanted them to do one last run through.  She grabbed the jersey from last year’s challenge and slipped it over her tank.  She threw her hair in a ponytail and ran out the door, calling out instructions to Jesse, her assistant as she went.

 

“Mollie, I got it,” Jesse said, annoyed with her control freak ways.

“I know, I’m just frazzled, thanks for locking up.  I left you a two tickets for the game so I’ll see you later?”  Mollie smiled as his face lit up with a huge grin.  She knew he wanted to go to the game but couldn’t afford a ticket. 

“Have I mentioned lately that you’re the best boss ever?”

“No, but I’m going to be the worst girlfriend ever if I’m any later.  Gotta go!”

 

            She hopped in her car and headed for the stadium.  Luckily, they let her in the artist entrance with no trouble and she managed to slip in and catch the end of the national anthem, JC spotting her as they held the final note.  As they ran over to their benches, he ran towards her.

 

“Cutting it close,” he said against her lips before dipping in for a kiss. 

“Who me?  I’ve been here for ages.”

 

            She gave him a wink and found Johanna, who didn’t look happy to be sitting alone net to three empty seats.  Johanna was at the studio that morning also but she had the good sense to leave on time.  Now that everything was up and running with the studio, Johanna didn’t have much to do.  She kept track of the books and made sure everything was accounted for but she wasn’t actively involved.  She’d moved over to JC’s house because he never went home and feeling like the third wheel in her best friend’s life just wasn’t fun.  The house was big and lonely and she was getting bored.  She’d been excited to spend the day with her friend, even if it was at her boyfriend’s event.

 

“Hey girl, sorry I’m so late.  The kids in the master class are moving along so great!  I couldn’t stop them, we were on a roll.  I think I have a great piece for them to perform for the showcase.”

“Molls, you promised no studio talk today, just hanging out, enjoying our time off.” 

“Sorry.”

 

            Mollie knew her friend was in a rut but she couldn’t help but want to talk about the things that were going well for her.  After a rough couple of months, it was nice to be on the upswing.  She understood that Johanna also had a few bad months but she’d come out of it eventually.  She just needed to figure out what was going to make her happy.  They chatted about the game and made small talk when Jesse and his boyfriend arrived.  The fans cheered loudly and loved every second of the game.  When it was over, the guys were using the locker room showers and then meeting in the conference room for their annual meeting.

            JC had driven with Justin this morning so Mollie sat in a chair outside the room and read a magazine that was on a nearby table.  They took quite a while but before long, Mollie heard yelling.  She got nervous, the guys rarely argued about anything.  Before long Joey came out of the room, brushing past her.  Lance was not long after and JC didn’t say a word as he walked towards the door.  Mollie glanced in the conference room, seeing Justin with his head in his hands.  She ran after JC, finding him waiting for her to open the car.  He was silent the whole ride home and the tension that radiated from him kept Mollie from asking what was going on.  Arriving home, he went straight for the backyard, sitting out on the dock and pulling his knees up.

            Mollie went inside, unsure of what to do or say.  Something must have gone terribly wrong in that meeting for him to be so angry.  She busied herself around the kitchen, eventually sitting in the breakfast nook to watch him as he sat for over an hour.  Her cell phone rang and she answered without looking to see who it was.

 

“Hello?”

“Molls, please don’t hate me,” Justin’s voice pleaded. 

“Justin?  What happened today?  Josh hasn’t spoken a word since he walked out of that meeting.”

“Shit.  I thought he’d tell you by now.  They’re all mad at me because I want to take time off to do a solo project.  We’d agreed to take some time off before recording the new record anyway.  I just figured it would be no problem to let me do my own thing on my own time.” 

“Justin, you just sprung that on them in a meeting with managers and executives?  They’re probably all pissed off because you didn’t speak to them one on one, or as a group without the big wigs.”

“Everyone had to be told at some point, I just figured I’d tell my bandmates when I told management.” 

“Justin, these guys are more than just your bandmates.  They’re your brothers you’ve grown up with them, you’ve all built a career together.  Their livelihood is affected by your choices and vice versa.  You’ve known JC since you were a kid.  You should have had enough respect to speak to them personally and ask for their blessing.”  Mollie was shocked that he seemed so cavalier.

“I need to do my own thing for a while…” 

“The sad thing J, is that if you’d come to them and told them your feelings, they probably would have backed you up.  The way you went about it was like telling them you were taking their career away.  They have families to support just like you do.  When you’re in a group you have to consider everyone and I’m shocked that you didn’t think enough about them…or about me, to let us know before this meeting.”

“Mollie…” 

“I have to go Justin.  I’ve got a boyfriend who is beyond hurt right now.”

 

            Mollie snapped her phone shut.  She seethed with anger at Justin’s choice to break the news in such a formal and professional way.  The guys had been together long enough that they had become family and you don’t keep family in the dark.  She decided to head out and talk to him.  The sun dipping down into the lake, the air cooling down…it was too pretty for such an ugly situation.

 

“Hey…so Justin just called,” Mollie said, sitting next to him on the dock.

“After everything, he doesn’t think enough of me to tell me man to man?  I’ve known him since he was a little kids with a hick accent and a bad haircut!  I don’t even get a phone call.  That’s what I’m most upset about.” 

“I know.  I told him as much.  You all need the time off.  How you choose to spend it is up to you but if one of you is seriously considering heading in a new direction, it would only be right to tell each other in a more respectful way,” she said, rubbing up and down his back.

“It’s just frustrating.” 

“I know…but you should come inside.  I have something to show you.  Of course I pictured that when I showed you this you’d be happy but I’ll take what I can get.”

 

            JC smiled at her, watching as she rose from the dock.  She never ceased to amaze him.  Even when she’d been having a hard time lately, she still came to comfort him during his temper tantrum.  He took her outstretched hand and pulled himself up.  Following her into the house, she led him over to the basement door.

 

“Ta-da!” Mollie’s hands were splayed out, Vanna White style.

“The basement door?  Yay?” 

“No silly, open it and go down.”

 

            He did as he was told and went down into the basement.  When he was about halfway down the stairs, he knew something was different.  There was carpet where there used to be concrete and it felt much warmer.  He could feel Mollie following him so he withheld his reaction until he got a full glimpse.  Clearing the last step and rounding the corner, he was shocked.  The barren basement had been transformed into the coolest studio he could imagine.  The sound board was state of the art, there was comfortable couches and his platinum albums hung on the wall.

 

“I hope you don’t mind I stole a few things from your house to put in here…” a voice said from behind him.

“When did you have time to do this?” 

“When you finished up the tour.  I desperately needed distraction but when I couldn’t be at the dance studio, my mind was here.  You deserve something special, you’ve been the best to me through this whole thing.”

“I love it,” he said, scooping her up in a big hug.  “Thank you.” 

“Oh and there was one other selfish reason I did this.  I know you’ve been here every day anyway…but I was hoping we could make it official and you move in with me.”

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” 

“I try,” she replied with a shrug.

 

            Mollie was relieved to see some sort of weight lifted from him.  She knew the hurt of what went on today wasn’t gone but maybe it could be redirected.  She left him to tinker as she made dinner and an hour later had to pry him out to eat.  He ran back down after dinner and as she rinsed off the dishes, Mollie wondered if she’d created a monster.  She took a shower and got herself ready for bed, climbing in and reading her book.  She thought she’d see him at some point but she gave up and lay down.  When she woke, she fully expected to find her boyfriend snuggled up behind her but she was mistaken.  She could smell coffee, so she knew he was at least alive.  She went down the stairs, Boo trailing along behind her.  She continued through the kitchen and down the basement stairs.  A soft piano tune was wafting up the stairs and she could hear JC humming a melody over it, random words coming out every so often.

 

“Locked inside your heart shaped box…”

 

He looked cute whilst in deep concentration.  She liked what she was hearing but as soon as he saw her, he stopped.  He ran his hand through his unruly hair and sat back in his chair.  She padded over and slipped onto his lap.

 

“You like your new toy?”

“I didn’t mean to be down here all night,” JC said.  “But things just started flowing.  It’s been ages since I had time to just play around with my own thoughts and ideas.” 

“Well maybe this little hiatus will be productive for you.”

JC didn’t reply, just let that sink in for a moment.  He considered the possibility that he could do more than just be in this group.  Snapping out of it, he promised Mollie some pancakes and the two headed upstairs.

Their summer went by quickly, both JC and Mollie diving into their creative pursuits.  JC called in producers and friends of his and started playing around with music.  He decided it was just stuff to toy with since he didn’t know how long the hiatus was for but by August it became abundantly clear to him that Justin was going full steam ahead with a solo album and promotion for it.  It shocked him how fast it was all put together and he was sure there had been behind the scenes deals going on during the tour, or even before that.  They had been planning to go to the VMAs anyway and were packing when they got a call telling them Justin would be performing that night.  It was a complete shock.

 

“He couldn’t have at least warned us?” JC asked after he hung up.  And right on cue, Mollie’s phone rang. 

“Speak of the devil,” Mollie said, answering her phone and putting it on speaker. 

“And here I am,” Justin said.  “Listen Molls, are you with C?  I gotta tell you something before you come up here.” 

“If it’s about your performance, somebody beat you to it.”

“Damn it.” 

“Yeah see, when you have important news, you should really call everybody first then things like this wouldn’t happen,” Mollie said sarcastically.  “I mean I guess you’re getting better, Jayce literally just hung up with Lance.  But you should really have been the one to call him.”

“He doesn’t answer the phone for me anymore.  Can he hear me?” 

“Yup, you’re on speaker.”

“JC, I’ve been trying to tell you but you won’t answer my calls.  Maybe we can talk it out when you get here?  You’re one of my best friends and your opinion is really important to me.  If you told me right now you’d never be my friend if I went through with this, I’d call it all off.”

 

That statement hung in the air as JC put the t-shirt he just folded into his suitcase.  The silence was full with unsaid things but when JC sighed, Mollie knew this was just a squabble between friends.

 

“Don’t make any rash decisions.  We’ll be there tomorrow.  Call me,” JC said. 

“You’ll answer this time?”

“I’ll answer.” 

“Thanks man.  Thanks Molls.  Love you guys, see you tomorrow.”

“Bye J.”

 

Mollie smiled as she snapped her phone shut.  She walked slowly over to her boyfriend who was trying hard to ignore the silly grin on her face.  She slid her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

 

“Was that my boy being the bigger person?”  She pinched his ribs.  “This is why I love you.  You know what’s important in life.  It’s better to keep your friend and watch him either succeed or fall on his face than to watch him from afar and be angry.”  JC reached up and put his arm around her neck, pulling her head close to him. 

“Yeah well, someone’s got to make sure the kid doesn’t blow it.”  He leaned down and kissed her forehead.  “Now get back to packing woman, we’ve got a red eye to catch,” JC said, smacking her booty.

 

Early the next morning they arrived at the hotel.  Luckily JC had arranged for early check-in and they went straight up to their room and got in bed.  After a refreshing few hours of sleep, they woke to a message from Justin to meet him at rehearsals. 

 

Getting into Radio City was a mob scene.  There were photographers everywhere hoping for any glimpse of a superstar coming to rehearse.  Mollie was glad she’d done her hair and held tight to JC as they slipped in the doors.  They were allowed to sit in the audience and watch the rehearsals.  Justin’s set was simple, just a huge boom box.  As soon as the beat kicked in, you couldn’t help but tap your foot to it.  His dancing was amazing and in the end, all that you could critique was his nervousness.

 

It didn’t shock JC that Justin was a great performer, it shocked him how fast this whole thing was moving.  He was still hurt but ever since he’d begun fiddling around in the studio, he’d come to realize that he had things he wanted to do that he couldn’t do within the context of the group.  He couldn’t fault Justin for wanting to branch out, but he could be hurt that his friend hadn’t respected him enough to come to him.  They headed backstage and waited against the wall outside Justin’s dressing room for him to change. 

 

“You look so beautiful today,” JC said, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Wanna make out?” she said, only half kidding.

“Mmm, yes,” JC said leaning down for the kill. 

“Good to see you two are back on track aboard the disgustingly cute train.”

 

Justin came out the door and the three of them had an awkward moment before the boys hugged it out.  They all went to dinner and it was nice to see the boys talk like they used to.  They told each other about what they were working on and JC revealed he’d gotten a call from Dallas Austin about a song for a movie.  It was a successful reunion for the group and as they left, they almost didn’t mind the paparazzi that was waiting outside.

 

The next day, they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before there was a knock at the door.  Mollie raised an eyebrow, sure that they’d not see anyone until later.  She hopped out of bed and was shocked to find Johanna standing there with their old friend Jamie.

 

“Hey hey!” Jamie shouted when he saw Mollie.

“What are you two doing here?!” Mollie squealed and jumped into her friend’s arms. 

“Well that crazy ass Justin invited me because he’s in love with me and Jamie’s here because JC wanted to treat you to full hair and makeup for today.”

 

Mollie looked back to the bed to see JC shrugging.  She loved that he thought of small things that would make her happy.  He was always surprising her and this was a great one.  She ushered her friends into the room and Jamie got busy setting up his makeup kit and hair tools.  He was an amazing stylist and Mollie knew he would make her look amazing.  As he pulled and pinned her hair, they caught up on things they’d missed since they last saw each other,

 

JC smiled seeing Mollie light up with her friends.  She’d slowly been getting back to the old Mollie and JC was excited to have a night out with her.  He’d arranged for a sexy dress and for her to get all glammed up.  She deserved to feel amazing.  He’d gotten himself spruced up and dressed.  He went casual with jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket.  He sat on the bed waiting for his girl to emerge.  Before long, Johanna and Jamie came out of the bathroom and following them a second later was the most beautiful girl ever.

 

He’d picked out a black leather dress for her.  It was a sweetheart top and had a short skirt but it wasn’t too much.  It highlighted her body but didn’t look overly dressy or slutty.  Her hair was is loose curls that looked like she didn’t try too hard.  Her eyes were dark and smoky, her lips natural and sparkly.  JC was at a loss for words.

 

“J and J if you’ll excuse us, I think I need some alone time with my lady,” JC said, his eyes not leaving Mollie.

“Joshua Scott!  That is not appropriate in front of guests!” Mollie exclaimed. 

“Oh please, I’ve seen and heard way worse from you two.  Besides, we gotta get ourselves ready.”

“You’re both coming?” 

“Yes, girl.  Your man tried to pay me but I said if he could get me in to the show, that’d be payment enough,” Jamie explained.

“And I told you, Justin has a crush on me so I didn’t even ask, he just offered,” Johanna said, her smile devilish.

 

As soon as the duo closed the door behind them, JC had Mollie up against the wall.  He devoured her mouth and his hands moved from her ribcage down her body.  Instinctively, his hands traveled to her hemline and slid it up a few inches.  Mollie whine in pleasure and JC snapped out of it, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head.  Panting, they stared at each other.

 

“Sorry…I know you’ve been skittish about that lately.  I didn’t mean to push.”                                                                                               

“It’s okay. I didn’t mind,” Mollie said, closing the gap he’d put between them.

 

The force of her kiss knocked JC back two steps and his knees hit the bed, causing him to buckle and sit.  He scooted back, causing them to part momentarily.  Mollie hiked up the hem of her dress and straddled his lap.  For the first time in a long time, it felt right to act on her feelings and to be aggressive about her wants and needs.  JC wasn’t complaining, he’d held back for months and took advantage of the moment.  Mollie subconsciously rocked her hips against his lap and their shared body heat rose.  JC’s lips dragged down Mollie’s neck and her breath quickened as his kissed down her chest.

 

“Holy shit,” she mumbled as he kissed between her breasts.  Her head fell back and her hands twisted in his hair.  They were unceremoniously interrupted by a knock on the door.  Mollie’s neck snapped up and JC looked up, wide-eyed at her.

“You guys ready we gotta go!” 

“One minute!” Mollie yelled back.

 

They looked at each other and laughed, their breath slowing down.  Mollie stood up, walking to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup.  JC straightened himself out and they headed out to the red carpet.  The lights were blinding and since the group had kind of disbanded, they were all walking the carpet separately and would meet about halfway down.  JC stood on the podium and took a few pictures alone before reaching down and pulling Mollie by the hand up with him.  They posed for a few photos together before heading down the carpet.  It was strange for Mollie to pose for photos, last time she was on a red carpet she shied away from cameras.  JC did a few interviews before they met up with the guys.  It was easy to see JC was slightly agitated by all of the questions being about Justin and no one wanting to ask what the rest of them were up to.

 

JC smiled and kept quiet.  They made their way in to the show and laughed through the hilarious skits.  The guys presented an award and then it was time for the big event.  JC and Mollie already had a preview of the performance but it was cool to see it all come together.  The audience seemed to like it, though the group could tell he was nervous.  Overall he did a good job, though there was a feeling in the group that this performance was a nail in the Nsync coffin.

 

Nelly was hosting an after party and the group made their way there.  The drinks flowed and the music was pumping.  Mollie challenged Justin to a dance battle and flat out won, by decision of the cheering crowd. 

 

They headed back to the hotel that night, exhausted but blissed out.  Mollie and JC made love that night, for the first time in months.

Time had flown by and so had the Grammys, where the guys had performed an acapella tribute to the BeeGees.  JC had been recording furiously, and since Justin’s album had done so well, he had high hopes for himself.  Mollie kept herself busy at the dance studio and their first big recital was quickly approaching.  The local college had rented them their auditorium and the kids had rehearsals this whole week.  They were out of school for winter break so she had them coming in in groups to practice their dances.  It was Friday, the day before the big show and Mollie was seated in the audience with a headset on to help direct the assistants backstage.  The kids were told to wear their costumes for this one and the hope was that they’d be able to do a full run through and be pretty close to perfect.  She’d layered the show by class level, with her beginner tots at the top of the show and her master class closing the show.  Her thought was that this would keep the little ones from growing bored or grumpy and their parents could sneak them out after they performed if they wanted.

 

So far so good.  The tots were doing as well as could be expected, even with the teacher doing the routine in front of them.  The other kids were adjusting to their costumes and the staff were getting them on and off in good time.  Overall the show was running pretty good, just a little over the time she wanted it to be.  The kids were dismissed and reminded when to arrive.  Mollie scribbled a few more things on her note pad and double checked the emergency kit she’d prepared.  Besides basic first aid things like band-aids, she’d assembled some hairspray, bobby pins, hair bows, her box of spare ballet slippers, a few plain black, white and pink leotards with ribbons and things in case someone had an accident and needed a new costume.  She reviewed her show order once more, nervous about impressing the parents and community members.

 

“Let it go,” JC’s voice said.  Mollie smiled when she saw him standing in front of her.  “I realized today that you just have to let things go at some point you have to stop worrying.” 

“Everything is set to go with the album,” Mollie said, realizing why he was rambling.  “It’s ready to go?!”

“Yes,” he said, smiling, “But, they also said everything is good to go for the “Blowin’ Me Up” video except that we need a girl to be the featured girl.  So I told them I’d bring one with me to LA.” 

“Jayce! You leave the day after tomorrow!  I have a recital tomorrow!”

“Yes and you’ll need a break after it.  Come on, you know you don’t want another girl dancing all up on me.” 

“Being in your video sounds like work, not a break.”

“But we’ll be together, we’ll go lay on the beach…it’ll be fun.  Besides, once the promo for the record starts, we won’t be able to see each other as much.  I want to spend as much time as we can now,” he said, reaching for her hand as she stood up. 

“Oh alright,” she groaned.  “But you’re cooking dinner tonight.”

“Already done babe,” he said as they headed out.  “I got tacos ready for you at the house.”

 

            Mollie smiled and was glad to pull up to a hot dinner just a little while later.  She gorged on food, realizing she hadn’t had much to eat all day.  After a steaming hot shower, she was glad to slip into her bed and cuddle up next to her boy. The next morning, however, proved to be just as stressful as the previous afternoon.  She forced down some breakfast and jetted over to the auditorium to set up everything.  The kids were getting checked in and they looked adorable and the auditorium was filling up quickly.  Mollie took her place in the sound booth to watch the show.  When they first opened, Mollie had tried to teach every class and be hands on everywhere, but she had since relinquished control to the capable hands of her assistants and focused most of her energy on her master class and developing a competition team.  Her master class would be performing last.  She had entrusted them with a personal piece, the one she’d created after the baby died.

            By the time intermission came, Mollie was feeling great.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and she snuck backstage to assist with ushering the little ones out to the area they had roped off for the dancers to sit in and watch the second half.  She gave her older kids a pep talk and almost ran right into JC on her way out.  She could her the rumble of whispers and giggles from her students as she ushered him into the hallway.  The kids had seen him at the studio a few times but they were still star struck. 

 

“I just wanted to tell you that it’s going great and I’m excited to see the rest…we all are.” 

“All?  Who’s here?”

“Everyone.  We convinced the lighting guys to let us up there so we wouldn’t distract or take away from the kids.  There are big windows up there.” 

“Well,” Mollie said, pulling him close, “Sneak down after the last ballet routine and watch my class with me at the sound booth.   I might need a little moral support to watch my kids dance.”

 

            She was right.  JC had slid up behind her just as her master class was announced.  The opening notes of “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls came through the speakers and a chill ran through Mollie’s body.  She’d revealed to her students, who were all teenagers, the story of how the dance came about and they all took their roles very seriously.  They performed with such great passion and emotion, Mollie saw her story come to life.  JC squeezed his arms tight around her shoulders and they both let silent tears fall as the dance brought a hush to the audience. Hannah, her lead dancer, placed a white rose on the stage, front and center, then slowly turned and walked away.  The lights went down and there was a moment of silence in the auditorium that stunned Mollie.  After a moment, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, and Mollie felt like a huge weight was lifted from her chest.  The curtain lifted once more and her students came out for their final bow.  She sheepishly walked out on stage when they held their hands out for her and took a bow with them.  They handed her a large bouquet of flowers and she waved as the curtain closed.

            She stayed to chat with the parents and make sure everything was cleaned up.  It took a good hour to make sure all was well and she just barely managed to follow JC out to the car and sit.  Her feet were swollen and achy and she just wanted to go home and relax.  When she pulled up to her home, however, she realized that was not going to happen right away.  There were cars parked in front and she could see her friends out back, drinking and laughing.  She put a smile on her face and slid her heels off her feet.  She sighed with relief at the feel of the soft grass between her toes.  Everyone congratulated her on her show and they barbecued.  Mollie escaped to a lounge chair by the fire pit, where Johanna caught up with her.

 

“Hey,” Mollie said.  “I haven’t seen you in days, where’ve you been?”

“Ha, um,” Johanna said nervously.  “I’ve been around, contemplating my life.” 

“Really?  That sounds serious,” Mollie replied.

“Quite serious and after making a terrible decision, I now think I’ve made a good one.” 

“And the terrible decision was…?”

“Sleeping with Justin.”

“What?!”

 

            Johanna winced at the shriek.  She was hoping to just glaze over this whole topic but Mollie wouldn’t let her.  She gave a brief overview of what happened and tried not to be too specific.  Johanna still wasn’t sure how she felt about the situation but she knew it probably wasn’t her best decision ever.

 

“And the good decision?”

“Justin needs a personal assistant and I’m gonna take the job.  I know the studio hasn’t been open that long but I can do my end of things from the road.  I just feel like I’ve been missing something in my life and maybe getting out there and seeing the world and getting out of my comfort zone will help me figure it all out.” 

“Go,” Mollie said without hesitation.  “I’m busy with the studio, Jayce is going on tour in Europe, I’m going to be traveling with him a lot.  I want you to be happy and if that’s not here right now, then I think you should go.  I’m gonna miss you but I want what’s best for you.”

 

The girls hugged as the tension lifted and they could relax.  The group began to dissipate and Mollie left JC to clean up the mess.  When he climbed into bed a little while later, she was out cold.

 

Somehow they made it LA the next day and spent some time relaxing.  They had a fitting for the video and headed to the dance studio.  Mollie was happy to learn she wouldn’t be dancing and her part was simply walking through scenes as JC followed.  She watched as he learned the choreography and bobbed her head to the beat.  He hadn’t let her hear all of his new stuff, he wanted her to be surprised by the final package but she liked the two he’d let her hear.  “Mercy” and “Build My World” were great and she was sure the rest of the album was great.  The next day they headed to set and Mollie spent a few hours in the makeup chair getting dolled up.  She loved the final look, they’d added some red extensions and teased it up high. 

 

JC had already filmed the dance section while she was getting ready and they were just waiting on her.  She just had to follow the path they’d laid out for her in rehearsals yesterday.  It was easy to walk with JC chasing.  She just had to tease him and act like she couldn’t care less.  It was pretty easy and they had no problem shooting.  It started to get nauseous as it got later and she felt like she was going to puke.  They’d shot the various angles over and over again and luckily the director called wrap.  Mollie made it to the bathroom just in time to lose her lunch.

 

After she cleaned up and changed back into her sweats, she met JC at the car and they headed back to his apartment.  She brushed off JC’s questions about how she was feeling, blaming her sickness on the bright, hot lights.  She actually felt completely not herself but she didn’t want JC to worry.  They were leaving tomorrow to head to Orlando, where Mollie would stay and JC would continue on to England.  Opening for Britney was a big deal and she didn’t want to take that away from him just because she felt off.  She knew he’d want to stay if she didn’t feel well.

 

The plane ride the next day was hell but she made it through with minimal disruption and had a brief farewell with JC as he ran to catch his connection.  Mollie headed straight for home and dropped off her things.  She was nervous about what she was about to do but she knew it must be done.

 

She found what she was looking for in the top drawer of her vanity and headed to the bathroom.  The next three minutes of her life were hell as she sat on her bed and waited for news that would throw her life into a tailspin.

 

The third minute ticked by and Mollie let out a deep breath.  She went back into the bathroom and lifted the little white stick from the counter. 

 

She was pregnant.