Amanda hated this flight.  No matter how many times she had done it, it didn't matter.  MKE to CHI to LAX and back.  She sighed as she rolled her suitcase into the terminal at LAX.  At least she was on the way home.  The only interesting part of flying out of LAX was the great people watching.  She always wondered if she might see anyone famous or at least see some drama.  She pulled her boarding pass out of her pocket and headed towards TSA pre-check. 

 

Once Amanda had breezed through security, she headed to her gate.  She had plenty of time, but it was the normal routine.  She settled into an empty chair, pulled out her laptop and noticed her phone was vibrating.

 

"Hello, this is Amanda.... Oh hey...  Yeah, of course.... I'll get the offer out today.  Great, thanks."

 

It was moments like this that she felt like she was really her best self.  She was fortunate that she got to travel for work and be independent.  With that, she dove back into her work.

 

Once the flight announcements had been made, Amanda packed up her belongings and headed to the restroom.  Obviously, there was a line and she dove back into her phone when something... someone brushed into her arm.  When she glanced up, it was a gorgeous looking man in a black LA hat.  Holy shit, I'd know those eyes anywhere.  Amanda tried to take in a deep breath.

 

"Sorry about that, honey."

 

Honey.  She didn't think she could breathe anymore.  So basically, JC Chasez was the stereotype she dreamed of... walking around calling ladies "honey."

 

"No problem at all, just was in the zone."

 

He shot a grin to her and kept walking.  Was that really JC?  The same JC that she had once plastered all over her room?  The same one who still made her breath hitch when she heard his songs?  Granted, it had been some time, but he was still one of the greatest in her mind.  He was possibly sexier in person than she had ever seen him before.  She tried to steady her breathing to focus on getting through this bathroom line, but those eyes were really hard to forget.  Really, really hard to forget.

 

Once she returned to her seat by the gate, she pulled her phone out.  She had to tell someone right?

 

"So you're pretty engrossed in your phone, hm?"

 

Jesus Christ, this was not happening.  She knew it was him.  If there was anyone she had hoped to bump into in LA, it was him.

 

"I'm a working girl, JC.  It's still a Thursday to me."  Amanda grinned up at him.  She had zero idea where this confidence was coming from.  It was basically a miracle that she was forming sentences at all.

 

"You're obviously very good at tuning out your surroundings."  JC slid into the seat next to her.

 

"Only sometimes... just not when I'm being run into by good looking *NSYNC members."

 

JC laughed.  The laugh she had heard many times before, but never in person.

 

"So what do you do for work?"

 

"Do you always talk to strangers in the airport?"

 

"Only the cute girls I body check."

 

Amanda grinned and scoffed.  They had a little chemistry and banter going there.  It was then that the boarding announcements were being made and both Amanda and JC stood up. 

 

"Well, I'm not leaving without formally meeting you.  I'm Amanda."  Amanda stuck out her hand and smiled.

 

"It's nice to meet you, Amanda."  And with that, he walked away to the boarding area.

 

Amanda couldn't believe this happened.  Where did she possibly get the courage to be so flirtatious and outgoing with JC?  She was feeling pretty proud of herself.  Amanda pulled up the handle of rolling suitcase, threw her bag over her shoulder, and walked towards the boarding entrance to join the rest of the passengers.  She inched forward in the line and got her boarding pass ready.  She held out her boarding pass to the gate agent and scanned it.  She proceeded forward once she heard the ding of the accepted ticket.

 

"Excuse me, miss?"  Amanda turned around.  "You've been upgraded to first class."  She was handed a new boarding pass.  This happened maybe once or twice before, but it was exciting nonetheless.  She flew pretty often and received a few perks here and there.  As she continued down the jet bridge, she pulled her phone out to text.

 

Amanda:  So it finally happened.  I'm boarding and have met someone famous.

Emma:  LAX?  Are you being serious?

Amanda:  Dead. Serious.  Literally he bumped right into me.

Emma:  He?

Amanda:  I'm FREAKING out that I was so chill with him

Emma:  ...

Amanda:  My ONLY crush

Emma:  You cannot be real right now

 

Amanda realized that she had reached the door of the plane and pushed her suitcase over the gap.  She glanced down at her pass again and tried to memorize her new seat number.  As she was consumed with putting her phone in her back pocket and re-positioning her bag, she realized that her suitcase was being taken from her hand.

 

"I can help you with that, honey."

 

Amanda silently screamed.  This day was totally insane.

 

******

Amanda buckled her seatbelt and settled in.

 

"So do you always upgrade girls you run into at the airport?"

 

"I told you - only the cute ones.  Besides, you look like you travel a lot... I'm sure it was just good luck."  JC winked at her.

 

Amanda laughed.  "I'm not going to believe this was good luck, but I really appreciate whatever you did.  I hate this flight."

 

"You don't seem nervous.  Do you not like flying?"  He asked her.

 

"No, I don't mind at all.  This is just a long travel day for me on top of the longer flight."

 

JC nodded.  "So you live in Chicago?"

 

This thought had not occurred to Amanda.  She knew quite a bit about him, but he knew nothing about her.  Now she was on this 4 hour flight sitting next to her biggest celebrity crush.

"Um no, I'm back and forth often, but I actually live in Milwaukee."

 

"Cool baseball field - Miller Park."  JC offered.

 

"You would know.  I saw you at that show."

 

"You are a serious fan then." 

 

Amanda smiled and took a breath.  How does one tell JC Chasez that she had loved him since the Mickey Mouse Club?  She once bought a purple denim jacket because he wore one during the PopOdyssey tour, bought a rhinestone Rock Star t-shirt because he wore it to the Teen Choice Awards.  These were embarrassing details to share right off the bat.  Amanda could feel her cheeks getting pink.

 

"Yeah, sure."  Amanda smiled.

 

"I'm not really sure what that means, but I think it's endearing that you're playing it cool."  JC said as he adjusted his hat.

 

"It's honestly a miracle that I'm able to form sentences." Amanda heard the words coming out and immediately regretted it.  JC laughed.

 

"Okay, Amanda, this is a long flight, let's make it interesting."  JC smirked at her.  Amanda felt her heart beating out of her chest.  Again, what had made this guy so interested in chatting with her?  She tried to put the thought out of her mind and enjoy it.

 

"What are you proposing?"

"I need to know more about you.  I know that you're into your work, you live in Milwaukee, seem to travel a lot and you're witty."

 

Amanda smiled to herself.  "What would you like to know?"

 

JC checked his watch.  "We've got at least four more hours, so might as well start from the top."

 

Amanda took in a deep breath.  "Well, I was born and raised in Milwaukee, it's home.  I went to college about an hour from home, just far enough away, but close enough to see my family.  I work in HR as a recruiter.  Both of my parents are retired and live a few hours away from me.  Uh... what else?"

 

"What did you major in?"

 

For some reason, Amanda sort of dreaded telling JC this.  She played with the hem of her shirt and tried to ignore his stare.  "I majored in music, actually.  I knew I had to be practical about it, so I got a degree in Music and Business.  I took courses about the music industry as well."

 

JC really gazed into her eyes.  Those blue eyes were definitely curious about more now.

 

"I have a lot of questions," JC stated.  Amanda nodded.  "So, music major... what instrument?  And you work in the industry... in Milwaukee?"

 

Amanda scoffed and smirked.  "I do not work in the music industry in Milwaukee.  I majored with voice, minored in piano."  She could feel his stare intensifying.  When she looked up at him, he grinned.

 

"So, it's fate that I bumped into you, huh?"

 

"What's that mean?  Like I'm about to hit you up for a recording contract?"  Amanda scoffed again, pretending to be offended.

 

"No, of course not," JC reassured.  "I mean, we've definitely got something in common here.  How long have you been singing?"

 

"Do the concerts to my stuffed animals count?" Amanda grinned.  "I can't remember a time where I didn't sing.  It was high school when I started to take it seriously.  What else do you want to know?"

 

"I'm stuck on this topic now," JC challenged.  "So you don't do music anymore?"

 

Amanda sucked in a breath.  This was sort of a complicated answer.  "I listen to music, but I don't perform anymore.  I didn't give it up, I just sort of... found something else."  She glanced out the window.

 

"Sounds like there is a lot to unpack there," he suggested.  "Okay, so you obviously used to perform.  The thing is, honey, I'm aware they don't let just anyone be a music major.  So, you've got to be talented and it's always a shame when someone gives up something they love."

 

Amanda looked around the plane.  "I'm sorry, Dr. Chasez, I didn't realize we entered a therapy session."  She grinned up at him and he smiled back at her.  "I honestly haven't ever really talked about this with anyone.  I gave so much in high school and college to music and was sort of burnt out afterwards.  I haven't really done much since."

 

"I can appreciate that for sure," he told her while he gently patted the top of her thigh, "But you will always have music waiting for you when you're ready."

 

Amanda nodded and relaxed into her seat.  He was right; maybe it was time to start exploring that part of her life again.  She gazed out the window and thought she could reach out to vocal coach again to just get her voice back in shape.  It was then that she felt JC reach for her hand and gently squeezed.  She immediately felt an electric feeling shoot through her body.

 

"Are you okay over there?"

 

Amanda glanced over and smiled weakly at him.  "Yeah, I'm good.  You're just right."  She realized that JC hadn't let go of her hand.  Was this really happening?  In the next moment, the plane entered some turbulence which caused the plane to drop.

 

"Shit," she said quietly. 

 

"I thought you weren't a nervous flyer," JC raised his eyebrow with a small grin.  He reached over and lifted the arm rest and never dropped Amanda's hand.  Amanda's hand was tingling from his touch.

 

"Doesn't turbulence make everyone nervous?"  She asked and squeezed his hand.  He scooted a bit closer to her.  "You must get exhausted taking care of all the girls you upgrade to first class on flights."  Amanda said with a grin.  JC scoffed.

 

"So you're aware, I have never done this before," he said while intensely staring into her eyes.

 

The smile wouldn't leave Amanda's face, but she couldn't push down the thought that he was doing all of this with her.  She had seen the list of women that JC had been with previously.  She was a dirty blond with wavy hair that she normally wore straightened, size 6 and only 5'3".  This was a far cry from the women that had been seen with JC.  She also realized that she was getting super carried away... this wasn't going anywhere.  JC seemed like a genuinely nice guy who struck up a conversation with her.  At best, this was a great story to tell her friends, but she wasn't going to stop flirting.

 

"So why do this for me?"  She said it before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

 

JC removed his hand from his, draped it across her shoulders, and spoke quietly.  "I don't normally meet someone who is passionate about their work and seems so grounded and normal."

 

"Normal?"

 

"I mean that in a really good way.  You also have treated me normal, you haven't freaked out yet."  He grinned at her again.  Amanda stomach flipped every single time he did it and she grinned back.  "This is comfy, can we take a quick nap?"  He pulled her a little closer to rest her head on his shoulder.

 

"Is this really happening right now?  You're asking to take a nap with me?  I've known you, for what, an hour?"  Amanda rubbed her palms on her jeans and grinned a bit.

 

"Relax.  I can tell you don't do that easily," he quipped back.

 

Amanda smiled, relaxed, and sank into him and before she knew it, they were both asleep.

 

She woke up when she heard the beverage cart in the aisle.  She didn't move; this whole picture was too perfect to mess up.  She blinked a few times and took a deep breath.  She was definitely snuggling against JC Chasez like they had known each other for a lifetime.  As much as she hated to move, she straightened up and grabbed her phone to check the time.  She felt JC stir beside her.

 

"Did you have a good nap?" He asked softly while he stretched his arms.

 

Amanda couldn't help but smile and look back at him.  "I love sleeping on planes to pass the time, but I usually don't have a comfy nap partner.  Did you have a good nap?"

 

JC smirked.  "I did.  Thanks for indulging me."

 

If he only knew.

 

"So I realize now that we've been playing 20 questions, but this hasn't been a fair game."  Amanda pointed out while sliding her phone back into her bag.

 

"That's true," JC stated.  "What would you like to know?"

 

"I'm a fan, but I don't want to assume that anything I think I know is true."  That was true.  It was going to be a challenge to get to know JC on a real level, not just what she had read about him years ago.

 

"I'm not sure anyone has ever said that to me - that's sweet.  I know how much is out there and it can be weird when people think they know you."

 

That brought a smile to Amanda's face.  He was so charming and most of the time, he seemed to be unaware of it.

 

"We'll start easy - why are you going to Chicago?"

 

"Going to work with a newer artist, I've been producing a bit for them," JC answered.  "What's next?"  He grinned at her again.

 

"You'll see.  I'm glad you're working with some newer talent, I'm certain anyone would value your perspective on things.  You're one of the most talented people I've ever heard."

 

"Again, that's really sweet of you to say.  I really enjoy playing the part of being older and wiser now, it's always been my dream to write and produce."

 

Amanda nodded, she knew this.  "Next question.  Why aren't you working on your own music?"

 

"I can see why the first one was easy," JC weakly smiled back at her.  "How do you know I'm not working on anything of my own?"

 

"Fair enough.  Revised question then - are you working on your own music?"

 

JC took in a deep breath and looked down and shuffled his bag with his feet.  "I write and I don't necessarily have intention of who will end up with it."

 

Amanda could tell she touched a nerve and instinctively put her hand on his thigh.  "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go that deep.  My point is I miss hearing you.  And I'm definitely not alone."

 

JC reached and laced his hand through hers.  "No, you're fine.  It's a complicated answer."

 

Amanda could feel her hand tingling again and wondered why all of this felt so natural.  "I'm sure it is complicated.  We can stop this if you want - I just had to shoot my shot."  Amanda looked down and smiled.

 

JC chuckled in response.  "I can't blame you," he paused, "You miss me, huh?"

 

"You're looking for my honest answer?"

 

JC nodded.

 

"Honestly, you have one of best voices I've ever heard.  You're effortless and everything you do seems so natural, instinctive.  I listened to so much of you because I always wanted to perform that way."  Amanda kept her head down as it was part of her embarrassing admission.

 

She felt JC squeeze her hand.  "Wow, that's really generous, honey."  JC used his other hand to tip her chin up to look at her and brushed his lips across her cheek.

 

What the fuck is happening.

 

******

As the plane landed, Amanda realized that she really didn't want the flight to end.  Sitting next to JC Chasez was like an actual dream, but getting to know him as a person was much better than she had ever imagined.  It was almost if she had forgotten who he was completely and just felt so comfortable getting to know the genuinely nice man beside her.  They had chatted about everything from her job, to their families, to music they were listening to.  Everything about their conversation had been effortless and it was refreshing to meet anyone who she could banter with like that.  Before she sank completely into her thoughts, she pulled her phone out of the seatback pocket and flipped it out of airplane mode.

 

"Can I see that for a minute?"  JC asked halting her action of starting to gaze through emails that had come in during the flight.

 

Amanda handed it over with a curious look.  She saw JC start tapping away.  When he was finished, he put the phone down in his lap face down.

 

"I'm holding this hostage so I can have these last few minutes with you without you being distracted," JC stated while indicating down to the phone.

 

"I wouldn't let anyone else do this," Amanda said with a smile.

 

"I'll take that as a compliment.  I'd also like to talk about what happens when we get off this plane."  JC said while watching Amanda tuck her hair back behind her ear.

 

Amanda took a deep breath.  "As much as I normally hate this flight, I sort of have hoped it wouldn't have gone so fast."

 

As the plane entered the gate, she could feel everyone around them starting to gather their things and press into the aisle.  She felt her heart sink as she realized she would likely get off this flight and never get to connect with JC again.

 

"Amanda."

She looked over to JC who was gazing directly into her eyes.  It was easy to get lost in the sea of blue.

 

"I'm not sure how to say this without sounding corny," JC started and Amanda nodded.  "I need to see you again."

 

Amanda's breath hitched.  She certainly felt a connection to him beyond anything she had before, but chalked it up to the fact that she had always idolized him.  He was one of the best looking guys she had ever laid eyes on, but she also found him to be passionate about life and music.  She thought she may have imagined their flirtation and rationalized that he was just playing a game.

 

"I'd like to see you again."  The words came out before she could even process it.

 

With that, JC handed her phone back to her and stood.  She knew that it was time to collect her bags and get back home.  Reality started setting in when she realized her dream of a day was slowly slipping away.  As she walked up the jet bridge, she realized there were several notifications on her phone about her next flight and she moaned.

 

"Everything okay?"  JC inquired.  Amanda didn't realize that he had made his way to her.

 

"My flight just got canceled to Milwaukee.  I hate when this happens."  Amanda sighed and immediately started finding the number to the rental car company that she normally used.  They had reached the gate area and she stepped off to the side to try and secure new arrangements.  JC followed her.

 

"Do you work tomorrow?"  JC inquired.

 

Amanda nodded and kept tapping at her phone to reserve a car.

 

"Can you stay in Chicago?"

 

Amanda's head snapped up.  Was she hearing JC ask her to stay with him?

 

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to go home."  Amanda felt her heart sink.  She knew that this was the logical answer, but her heart was begging her to stay in the city with JC.

 

"I get it.  You're sick of me now?"  JC said with a grin.

 

Amanda grinned back and slipped her phone into her pocket.  She didn't want to ruin whatever it was they had by giving into a one night stand.  As delicious as that would be, she knew she didn't want that to be her only memory of him.  "Definitely not.  I just have work and I don't want to ruin... this."

 

JC grabbed Amanda's hand and pulled her to him.  Amanda felt dizzy from his touch.  She couldn't tell why he had such power over her.

 

"Can I help you get home?"

 

Amanda smiled weakly.  "No, I've already reserved a rental.  I can promise you that you've done more for me than you ever needed to.  Thank you."

 

"You have my number if you change your mind."  JC wrapped his arms around her for a hug.  Amanda realized that he had saved his number in her phone when he had taken it earlier.  She breathed deeply to inhale his cologne.  She slightly shivered when she realized how close they were.  The deep attraction she felt to him scared her a bit.  Amanda pulled away first, but held JC's hand.

 

"I mean this - thank you so much for today."

 

JC squeezed her hand gently.  "Happy to get a pretty lady to sit next to me on a flight.  Will you text me when you get home?"

 

Amanda lit up at the thought that JC wanted to check on her.  "Of course."

 

JC pressed his lips to Amanda's cheek and moved his hand to the small of her back.  She felt like he was sending electricity to her core.

 

"I will send out a search party if I don't hear from you in a few hours."  JC winked.

 

"I promise that I'm capable and I promise to text the minute I get through my door."

 

Amanda knew that they had to part ways and knew that if she didn't do it first, she would stand there with him forever.

 

"I'm going to get to my car rental.  Not because I want to, but I also can't stand at this gate with you forever."  Amanda said with a sarcastic smile and rubbed her thumb over his hand before dropping it.

 

JC smiled back and watched her collect her luggage.

 

"Thank you for everything," Amanda said genuinely again.

 

"Stop thanking me, it was well worth it."

 

Amanda turned and started walking.  She had known JC for only a few hours, but couldn't help but feel like she left a piece of her heart with him.  Normally, it took her a long time to open up to anyone.  A few previous relationships had left her very guarded.  Her last relationship ended abruptly and in a mess.  Her ex had been a musician on the side and after that, it felt like all music was just a bad reminder.  She rarely discussed music with anyone after her ex.  There weren't any people in her life currently that she could go to about music.  And certainly, no one that encouraged her to go back to it besides her parents.  But JC - he immediately got her and got under her skin.  It was unbelievable that he was able to get her to talk about it again few hours and she totally expected to wake up from this dream any moment.  Amanda couldn't wait to get to her rental car and call Emma to relive the day.  She followed the signs to the exit, got on the passenger train to the terminal, and fished her phone from her pocket to review texts.  The most recent one shocked her.

 

JC:  I canceled your rental.  You have a driver waiting for you at the arrivals curb under Josh.

 

Amanda stopped in her tracks and stared in disbelief before quickly typing her own text back.

 

Amanda:  Please tell me that you're joking.

 

She pressed send and took a deep breath.  It wasn't long before she had a response.

 

JC:  Seriously.  Take a nap on the way home and relax.

Amanda:  I can't even believe you did that.  SO unnecessary and I'll find a way to repay you.  You're really sweet, thank you.

 

She slid her phone back into her pocket, exited the train, and walked towards the arrivals curb.  Amanda could only hope she wasn't setting herself up for a major disappointment.  Her heart swelled at the thought of a man caring about her enough to do something like this.  Even though she was silently freaking out, she tried to relax like JC had told her.

 

 

Chapter 2

A week had passed since Amanda's arrival back home.  She sank into work and desperately tried to forget about JC.  She hadn't heard from him much, only a few texts here and there.  She tried to imagine how busy he likely was and tried to tell herself that the whole meeting was nothing more than a great celebrity crush encounter.  These lies were her way to pushing down the idea that maybe it was fate that she had met JC.  She was aware how crazy it sounded to have swirling thoughts about a man she met for a few hours.

 

Over the last few days, she had told the story to Emma who was totally outraged that she had JC's number and wasn't blowing his phone up every second of the day.  That wasn't Amanda's style.  As much as she strongly considered throwing caution to the mind, she had never been the girl that could just add a notch to her bedpost. 

 

In an attempt to quiet her thoughts, she dove back into her work.  It was Friday and it was the day that she normally worked at home.  Her life at the office could be chaotic, so it was nice to end the week quietly and have the ability to focus without distraction.  It was inching towards 3pm and she was looking forward to having a quiet evening in her sweats with a bottle of wine.  She pushed up her sleeves and tried to concentrate on the last bit of work.

 

Moments later, she saw her phone flash with a new notification.

 

JC:  Happy Friday!  What are you up to?

 

Amanda couldn't help but smile.  He was thinking of her and she hoped he had been.

 

Amanda:  Hi!  Finishing up work, looking forward to some wine and a night in.  What about you?

 

Amanda pressed send and wondered if she had answered too quickly.  Emma would have probably coached her, but this was Amanda's small way of throwing caution to the wind.  It was getting harder for her to not let her mind wander and to not regret pursuing the idea of a one night stand in Chicago with JC.

 

JC:  I finished up some work earlier, trying to find a way to relax.

Amanda:  Wine always helps

JC:  That's true.  I was thinking about something you said and I wanted to send you something, but I'll need your address.

 

Address?  What could he possibly want to send her?  And there was no way she could willingly take anything more from him.

 

Amanda:  I still owe you from the other things you've done for me. 

JC:  You don't owe me anything.  Please?  Just trust me.

 

Amanda considered his offer.  She had no idea what he had in mind, but she did trust him.  Again, it was completely crazy to do so after only a few hours, but this was her chance.

 

Amanda:  If I don't give you my address, are you going to stalk me anyway?

JC:  Yes J

 

Amanda quickly typed in her address and hit send.

 

After nearly 2 hours had passed, she pushed her laptop closed, and walked into her bedroom.  This was her favorite part of her week.  Work was completed for now and she could uncork a bottle of cab and sink into the couch.  She quickly changed into some Lululemon leggings, an oversized, crew neck long sleeved shirt, and piled her hair into a messy bun.  Amanda strolled into the kitchen, selected a bottle of wine from her wine rack, reached into the cabinet for a glass and made quick work of pouring a glass.  She moved into the living room where she pulled out one of her favorite vinyl albums, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  She gently placed it into her record player and sank into the couch with wine in hand.  It had been a long time since she sat quietly and just listened to albums.  She had been listening to a lot of music over the last week after she considered what JC had told her.  Music was always there for her.  As she had closed her eyes to focus on some of the harmonies of the song, she was startled by her doorbell.

 

Who could possibly be at her house right now?  She placed her wine glass down on the coffee table and made her way to the front door.  She glanced quickly at the mirror in her foyer to ensure she wasn't a complete mess.  Good enough.  She swung the door open to find JC leaning against the jamb with his crystal blue eyes sparkling.

 

Her jaw nearly hit the ground and she felt her heart stop momentarily.

 

"We didn't finish what we started," he stated simply with a grin.

 

******

"So you really are stalking me?"  Amanda asked and grinned back.

 

"Is that your way of inviting me in?" 

 

There was the charming banter that Amanda had been replaying in her head.

 

"You can come in... I'm obviously floored that you're standing on my porch right now."

 

She stepped to the side to allow JC to enter her home.  JC Chasez was standing in her house.  He had on straight black jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and gray jacket which he had paired with the same Converse shoes he wore the day they met.  He looked sexy as hell.  Amanda was back to feeling like she was living out an actual dream.

 

"You look pretty, Amanda," JC said and lightly touched her arm.

 

Amanda rolled her eyes and grinned.  "I clearly was not prepared for you... or anyone to be here.  You can come and sit," she gestured to the living room.  "Would you like some wine?  I just opened a bottle of cab."

 

She tried to collect herself and focus on being a good hostess.  To JC Chasez - who had now taken a seat on her couch.  She was definitely reeling.

 

"Amanda?"

 

Amanda met JC's blue eyes once again and nodded.

 

"Can you stop and sit?"  JC grinned at her.

 

Amanda smiled, took a breath, and sat down beside him.  "I'm sorry, I just... I honestly didn't think I would see you..."

 

"What are you listening to?  Jazz... but I don't know who this is..."

 

"Lambert, Hendricks & Ross," Amanda explained.  "I had a choir director who made us listen to this album for inspiration.  It stuck with me."

 

JC moved his hand to her thigh.  "I like it.  I wish I could have been here for the part where you were relaxing with the wine."

 

Amanda could feel her heart beating out of her chest.  Why was he so flirtatious with her?  Clearly, she was enjoying every second of it, but it was hard to comprehend.

 

"I can bring the wine and try to get back to that place," Amanda said while standing up.  JC followed.

 

"I'm glad that the sitting portion of this visit lasted about 20 seconds," JC said with sarcasm.

 

Amanda scoffed as she entered the kitchen where she pulled out another wine glass and grabbed the bottle.  JC took both objects out of her hands and placed them back on the counter.

 

"You're not wondering why I'm here?"

 

"Of course I am," Amanda laughed and glanced down at the floor.  "Why are you here?"

 

"This is a thing I do.  I find pretty girls on flights, stalk them, and invite myself over for shock value."

 

Amanda laughed and playfully slapped his chest.  "Stop.  Why are you here?"

 

JC grabbed her hand.  "Honestly, it seemed pretty stupid to be so close and not see you."

 

Amanda used her other hand to nervously tuck a stand of hair behind her ear.  "Is this even real life?"

 

JC laughed.  "I think so.  Seriously.  I liked hanging out with you.  You live here, I live in LA, I want to know more about you."

 

"So your first instinct was to find my house and surprise the hell out of me?"  Amanda giggled.

 

"I didn't think you'd agree to see me otherwise," JC stated and ran his palms over his jeans.

 

"How did you get here?  You've been in Chicago all week?  How was the new artist..."

 

"Amanda.  We have all night, one at a time," JC said while flashing a grin.  "I teleported... no, I rented a car."

 

"You drove?!"

 

"What is that supposed to mean?" JC laughed.

 

"I'm just surprised... you were dedicated to seeing me, that's sweet."  Amanda's heart was beating out of her chest again.  "So you're here and I look like a hot mess.  Can I pour you wine now?"

 

"I'd love some.  Also, you look pretty - I said that already."

 

Amanda scoffed and collected the glass and wine bottle as she moved back to the living room.  She busied herself with filling the glass once she reached the couch.

 

"Honey, can you take the compliment?"

 

Amanda smiled.  He was so fucking charming.  "Yes, thank you.  This is not normally how I win men over."

 

"You're doing just fine with me.  Women are at their best when they don't try too hard."  JC settled back into the couch and Amanda handed him a glass.  She sat down beside him.  "Can I look at your collection?"  He gestured to her vinyl record and CD collection that sat in her living room.

 

"Of course; only if you don't judge me."

 

Amanda watched as JC thumbed through her vinyl display and took a sip of wine.

 

"You listen to everything," he commented.  "You have good taste."

 

"That's a massive compliment coming from you, thank you."  Amanda was really proud of her record collection.  It had taken her whole life to collect and develop.  She took another sip of wine and watched JC continue through her vinyl and move onto her CD collection.

 

"You have my record," JC stated and turned around to look at her.

 

"Obviously.  It's one of my favorites."

 

JC rolled his eyes.  "You're being polite."

 

Amanda curled her leg under her and relaxed into the couch.  "Come on, JC - it's like a mixtape of your favorite stuff."

 

JC sauntered back to the couch and sat beside her.  "That was the idea, I just wanted to make songs I liked.  I would re-do pieces of it if I could.  Everything was so rushed back then.  Can I pick the next record we listen to?"

 

Amanda nodded.  "Are you hungry?  I was going to order something.... We can go out too if you give me a bit to change?"

 

"We can order something... later," JC said with a shrug.  "Can I tell you something?"

 

Amanda paused and shifted to turn to him.

 

"I'd like you to stop being nervous and take a deep breath."  JC grabbed her free hand and gently rubbed over the top with his thumb.  Amanda swallowed and took a deep breath.  "Why are you so nervous?"

 

Amanda smiled a bit.  "Are you serious?  The flight was neutral territory, this is my house and you're in it."

 

"Should I go?"

 

Amanda squeezed his hand.  "No, I like you here.  It's just throwing me off.  You're in my house, JC Chasez."

 

JC laughed.  "I get it.  Your house is cool, stop being nervous."

 

Amanda nodded again and made a gesture with her hand.  "I can show you the rest of my house.  I'm being a bad hostess and didn't provide the whole tour."

 

Amanda stood up and grabbed his hand to lead him into the kitchen.  Her kitchen table overlooked her fenced in backyard and the dining area led to the hallway of her 2 bedrooms, office, and bathroom.  Her hallway was lined with a variety of photos of family and friends.  She guided him through all of it and they ended back where they started.

 

"How long have you lived here?" JC inquired.

 

"A little over a year.  I know it isn't much, but it was something hard I worked to buy on my own."

 

"I like the independent chick in you."

 

Amanda flashed a smile.  "What does that mean?"

 

"You own your own home, you like your job, you were listening to jazz by yourself when I got here."

 

"That makes me sound like a loner."

 

"No, it's cool.  I like that about you.  Your house feels like a home and that says a lot about you."

 

"That's nice, thank you...  See - I took a compliment," Amanda smirked.

 

JC circled his arms around her and Amanda's breath hitched when she felt how close he was to her.  He lifted his hand and her fingers brushed her cheek.

 

"Can I kiss you?  I've been wanting to since I left the airport.  I've regretted it..."

 

Before he could finish, she hungrily pressed her lips to his.  She felt her whole body tingle in the way that it had any time he touched her.  This moment had only happened in Amanda's wildest dreams and she felt herself melt into him.

 

******

JC and Amanda had ended up back on the couch.  Amanda had opened a second bottle of wine while JC had selected another record to play - Miles Davis.

 

Amanda lifted her glass and took a sip.

 

"I should have asked earlier, like prior to all of the wine... are you driving back tonight?"

 

JC reached to scratch the back of his neck.  "Well, I was hoping not."

 

"Are you being a little presumptuous, Joshua?"  Amanda said sarcastically with a chuckle.

 

"Maybe a little..." JC returned the smile.  "I have a bag in the car."

 

Amanda tapped her fingers on her thighs nervously.  "I would like you to stay here."

 

JC reached over and put his hand over her fingers to calm them.  "Clearly I was hoping for you to say that."

 

Amanda and JC ordered sushi for dinner and washed it down with several more glasses of wine.  They had ended up laying on Amanda's king-sized bed to watch a movie.  They were leaned up against her headboard comfortably as JC wrapped his arm around her to pull her closer.  Amanda rested her head comfortably on his shoulder.  She wasn't able to focus on the movie at all; being so near to the man she had adored for so many years made it difficult to concentrate on anything.

 

"When is the next time you're in LA?"  JC inquired quietly.

 

"Probably a few weeks?  I'm not sure exactly, I'll probably have to go to Atlanta first.  Where are you going next?"

 

"Home, LA.  I don't travel as much as I used to, most everyone I work with is in LA."

 

Amanda desperately wanted to ask him where this was all going, but knew it was far too soon to try and label whatever it was between them.  She didn't feel the need for that, but couldn't get over the fact that JC could be with any girl he chose, and yet, he was with her at the moment.

 

"JC, I need to ask you something," Amanda stated as she picked her head up off her shoulder while JC turned to her and nodded.  "We just met and I'm not trying to get anywhere here, but I can get really in my feelings here..."  She felt him rub her arm gently while she brushed her hand nervously over the white comforter.

 

"Amanda.  Stop being nervous," JC said in a calming manner while Amanda took a deep breath.  "I think I know what you're trying to say.  Listen, I've gotten to a point in my life where I need someone in my life who doesn't treat me like a ‘celebrity.'  You're the first person I've met in a long time who knew who I was and didn't cause a scene.  I like talking to you, I like that we have music in common, I like being here at your house and feeling comfortable.  Is that okay?"

 

"More than okay," Amanda blushed.  "I'm getting in my own head.  And I have to admit, you're so fucking cute that I'm a little freaked out."

 

JC chuckled.  "You're really fucking pretty."

 

Amanda leaned back into JC with a huge grin, rested her head back on his shoulder and snuggled in.  While she knew from following his career that he seemed like a genuinely good person, it was becoming more apparent that she was just naturally comfortable with him.  With JC the person, not the JC that she had watched growing up.  It scared her to think that she could be in a place again that she had strong feelings for anyone, much less someone who had so much complexity and fame.  JC had managed to get know more about her than anyone had and in a very short amount of time.  She had nerves around him, but she was totally at ease when making conversation with him.  She was about to dive into her thoughts when she felt JC shift beside her.  She glanced over to him.

 

"Are you getting in your thoughts again?" JC asked with a smile.

 

Amanda weakly smiled and nodded.

 

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but can we lay down?"  JC unwrapped his arm from around her and started moving pillows.

 

Without answering, Amanda slid down on the bed to make space and watched as JC did the same.  Once he had gotten comfortable on his back, he pulled Amanda's arm to force her to rest on his chest.  Amanda felt herself melting into him and breathing in his cologne again.

 

"Can I ask you something?" JC said as he exhaled a contented sigh.

 

"You have a lot of questions today," Amanda joked.  "Yes."

 

"How are you not dating anyone?"

 

Amanda groaned.  "We're doing this already?"  JC shrugged.  "Well, I've been sitting out for a while after my last relationship.  I've been focusing on work for a while I guess."

 

"Why did your last relationship end?" he asked and quickly added, "You don't have to answer."

 

"No, it's fine.  The short version is that he was selfish, had other issues, and wasn't interested in committing.  You can hear the long version some other day if you want."

 

JC shook his head in agreement.  "Sounds like a lot to unpack there."

 

"Trust me, I've done the work.  You?"

 

"She cheated.  I've been doing the same as you, focused on work."

 

Amanda took in sharp breath.  The way he said it made her believe that it came from a painful place.  She could relate to that.  "I'm sorry, you don't deserve that."

 

"No one does.  You didn't really answer my question though - how are you not dating anyone?"

 

"Um.  I guess I don't know how to answer that?"

 

JC tucked a piece of Amanda's hair behind her ear.  "You're the kind of girl who should be taken."

 

"I'm totally fair game, Chasez," Amanda grinned and perched her chin on his chest.

 

JC leaned over and brushed his lips to hers.   "Cool."

 

Before she knew it, they had both drifted off to sleep.

 

******

Amanda rolled over and blinked in the morning light.  She quickly remembered that she had fallen asleep next to JC, but he wasn't lying next to her now.  That meant that he had either left in the middle of the night or was exploring in her house which caused her a moment of panic.  She quickly rolled out of bed, did a quick check in the mirror, and stepped into the hallway.

 

Once she turned the corner, she saw that JC was in her office, seated at her Yamaha Clavinova wearing headphones and was definitely in his own world.  He had changed into a pair of sweatpants at some point and his hair was tousled from sleep.  Amanda watched for a moment in amazement.  The man she had dreamed so much about was sitting at her electric piano in her house.  She smiled to herself and moved closer so she could scoot in on the piano bench next to him.

 

Once he realized that she was next to him, he removed his headphones and smiled at her.

 

"Hi.  You forgot to show me this on the tour," he said with a grin.

 

"Hi.  I didn't know I needed to point it out.  What were you playing?"

 

"I've had an idea for a few days and saw the opportunity to play around."

 

Amanda nodded.  "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you last night.  You should have woken me up."

 

"No way.  I was comfortable and so were you," JC shrugged and hung the headphones back in their place.  "Will you play something for me?"

 

"No way," Amanda said with a chuckle.

 

"Why not?"

 

"You had a much better chance last night with the wine," Amanda slid off the bench and walked to lean again the frame of the door.  "Are you hungry?  I can make some breakfast?"

 

"You cook, too?  Are there things you can't do?"  JC asked with a smirk.

 

"You haven't heard me play piano, so I guess we'll find out.  Is there any food you won't eat?"

 

"I can't cook, so I can't complain about what others make for me."

 

Amanda walked into the kitchen and started pulling out eggs, hashbrowns, and a few other items.  It had become a weekend ritual of hers to make brunch and start the day slowly, so she always had essentials in the fridge.  As she started sorting through ingredients, she felt JC put his hand on the small of her back.

 

"Can I help?"

 

"You just said you don't cook," Amanda pointed out with a grin and started cracking eggs into a bowl.  "No, really, I'm good.  You can go back to working if you want, I really don't mind.  I like the idea that you may have written something in my house."

 

"I didn't come here to work, honey."

 

Amanda grinned.  She hoped she would never tire of him calling her honey.  Her stomach did a flip every time he flirted.

 

JC and Amanda spent the rest of the morning sipping on coffee and chatting.  She learned more about the artist he had been working with in Chicago and about his family.  Amanda shared more about her family and friends.  It was afternoon and Amanda realized she had no idea what JC's schedule was.

 

"I don't want to ask, but what is your schedule?  Do you have a flight?"  Amanda inquired.

 

"I'm on your schedule right now.  My flight is tomorrow morning.  I changed it to leave out of Milwaukee."

 

"How did you manage that?"

 

"A few texts and it was done.  And it's important to note that there are direct flights from Milwaukee to LA," JC added.

 

"I'm aware.  Those direct flights usually don't cooperate with my work schedule, but I appreciate that you noticed," Amanda smirked and readjusted the pillow next to her.

 

"So can I take you out on an actual date tonight?"

 

Amanda knitted her eyebrows.  "Can you just go out?"

 

"I love going to cities without paparazzi.  Worst case scenario is that someone asks for a picture."

 

Amanda shrugged and smiled.  "Okay, I'd love an actual date.  I know a great place for dinner."

 

"It's your city, so we'll go wherever you recommend."

 

"I can make a reservation; is 7 okay?"

 

"Perfect."  JC confirmed and sipped some water.

 

Amanda picked up her phone from the coffee table.  She had mostly ignored everything since JC had arrived, including many texts from Emma.  It was unlike her to go this long without communicating to her best friend.  There were several texts from Emma trying to check in; the most recent seemed nearly frantic.  She made a reservation for dinner at one of her favorite restaurants and proceeded to text Emma.

 

Amanda:  I'm alive, don't panic.  JC surprised me.  He's literally in my house.

Emma:  WHAT???  I'll forgive the fact that you ignored me then.

Amanda:  He showed up last night.  We're going out tonight.  Need outfit ideas.

 

Amanda could feel JC staring at her.

 

"Best friend," she stated and held up her phone.  "She thought I died."

 

JC nodded and smiled.  "What does she think of me?"

 

Amanda grinned and chuckled to herself.  "I haven't asked."

 

JC had been seated on the loveseat on the other side of the room, but at that moment, he stepped over to her on the couch, pinned her in place by leaning his arms on either side of her, and leaned so that he was only a few inches from her.  Amanda nearly shivered at his closeness again.

 

"Liar," JC quietly declared with a grin.

 

"I haven't specifically asked what she thinks of you.  I did let her know that you were the reason I've been MIA," Amanda retorted.  "I hope that's okay."

 

"Just as long as neither of you post it online."

 

Amanda could feel his breath against her cheek and she could feel her heart racing against her chest.

 

"Good thing you mentioned that.  My next move was to..."

 

JC silenced her by placing his lips on hers.  She wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck to draw him closer and deepen the kiss.  He moved a hand to her cheek and gently rubbed his thumb.  Amanda lost control of all thoughts as this was happening and quickly realized that she was now beneath JC on the couch.  She broke the kiss to catch her breath.

 

"I've been wanting to do that all day.  I got carried away, sorry," JC said as he backed away slightly.

 

Amanda grinned back at him and took a fistful of his shirt to draw him back down to her.  She traced his jaw with her fingertips and kissed him deeply.  Her tongue met his and swirled over and around.  This time JC pulled away.

 

"You should start getting ready."

 

Was he asking her to stop this?  She felt a pit in her stomach and blushed.

 

"No, honey, I don't mean it like that.  I mean, if you don't move, I won't be able to stop," JC explained with a smirk.

 

Amanda stroked JC's cheek and smiled.  She felt another bolt of electricity to her core at the idea that JC wanted her.

 

"I'll go shower.  Alone."

 

JC smiled and moved off of her.  "That's an unfortunate thought."

 

Amanda stood up, took a deep breath, and started towards the bathroom.  JC playfully smacked her butt.

 

"Amanda," JC said with a raised voice, "Your phone - Emma texted to wear your red dress.  If that means what I think it does, I better see you in red later."

 

Amanda smiled to herself and felt herself blush again.

 

******

While Amanda finished putting loose curls in her hair, she hummed to herself.  JC was in her shower while she was finishing getting ready.  The thought of him being in her bathroom in that position sent a shock to her spine.  Trying to push away the thought, she moved to her closet to search for a few options.  She pushed clothes aside to get to where her dresses hung.  She reached in and pulled out the red dress that Emma had suggested.  She immediately had some reservations about wearing this.  It had a rather low cut neckline which exposed her full breasts.  She had worn it once before for a friend's bachelorette party.  She gingerly laid the dress on her bed and reached back into the closet to grab a favorite black dress.  She placed the black dress next to the red on her bed.  She turned and inspected both.

 

She walked out to the living room to grab her phone and consult with Emma.  If she wore the red dress, it would definitely be out of her comfort zone and would need some encouragement.

 

Amanda:  I have the red dress and my black strapless out

Emma:  If you wear that black dress, I'll never forgive you.  This is your chance with JC Chasez.  The same JC that you've adored forever.  TAKE A RISK.

 

Amanda knew she was right.  She needed to stop second guessing herself.  This was her chance.  She marched back into her bedroom, closed the door, and hung up the black dress.  She retrieved a pair of nude, heeled, strappy sandals that buckled around the ankle from the closet.  She selected a pair of simple diamond studs from her jewelry tray and pushed them into her ears.  Afterward, she picked her phone up again.

 

Amanda:  I'm doing this.  Send prayers.

Emma:  You know you look incredible in that dress.  JC will lose his mind.

 

Amanda had a mischievous smile.  She knew she looked good in the dress and she did hope that JC's reaction would be worth it.  She slipped off the robe she had been wearing and slid into the dress.  She carefully adjusted the spaghetti straps and zipped herself in.  Once she had gotten her shoes on, she examined herself in the mirror.  Her dress was held up by the thin straps and had a sweetheart neckline that dipped slightly between her breasts.  The fabric wrapped tightly around her waist and ended just above her knee.  She sucked in a breath and opened her bedroom door.  Immediately, she was hit with the scent of JC's cologne and was reminded of her purpose.  She was feeling a bit more confident and sauntered down the hall and into the living room where she found JC checking his phone on the couch.  He glanced up when he heard her heels inching towards him and immediately stood to meet her.  She noted that his icy blue eyes deepened in shade as he took in her new look.

 

"Wow mama, you look gorgeous," JC said in a breathy tone and snaked his arm around Amanda's waist.  Her breath caught in her throat as he pressed his lips to her bare shoulder.   "Let's go or I don't think we'll get out of here."

 

JC was continuing to live up to his sexy stereotype.  He had called her "mama" and she hoped she would hear it many more times.  His reaction to the dress was everything she hoped for.

 

******

JC and Amanda shared a great meal together.  As JC predicted, barely anyone had noticed him at all.  He received a few curious stares, but no one approached.  As they exited the restaurant, JC slipped his hand around Amanda's and they headed towards the car.  They walked in silence and Amanda was content to share a quiet moment with him.  He was relaxed during dinner and the conversation was easy.  When they approached the car, JC unlocked it and opened the door for Amanda.  She slid in and appreciated how thoughtful he had been.  She expected him to close the door, but felt him lean down and give her a passionate kiss instead.  She reached her hand up and slid it around his shoulder as JC pulled away slightly and sweetly dropped a kiss on her forehead.

 

"That was a great official date," JC grinned and shut the door.

 

Amanda could feel herself tingling from his touch.

 

As he got into the driver's seat, Amanda gently placed her hand on his thigh and swiped her thumb.

 

"Hey, thank you," she said quietly.

 

"For?"

 

"Dinner, being sweet, taking care of me."

 

JC took her hand in his and drew it up to his lips and pressed his lips.

 

"I like being with you," he stated simply.

 

Amanda grinned and relaxed in her seat.  She still had no idea what his intentions were with her and let go of the idea.  She had really enjoyed every moment with him.  He was insightful and she was surprised at how well he could read her.  It scared her a bit that she was willing to open herself up to him after a few days.

 

She watched as JC turned up the radio.

 

"How can I get you to sing for me?"

 

Amanda raised an eyebrow.  "More drinks?  I used to perform all the time without any nerves, but you're on the list of people that would make me panic."

 

"Why?"

 

"I've told you before... you're one of the most talent vocalists ever.  I've seen you be a judge before," Amanda said with a laugh, "You're a tough critic."

 

JC chuckled.  "That's flattering, honey.  I'm not here to judge you.  I have a smoking hot girl next to me who is clearly talented, forgive me for being curious."

 

Amanda couldn't wipe the smile off her face.  "Someday, Joshua."

 

"Full name, huh?"

 

Amanda glanced over at him and nodded.  She had caught herself staring at him several times throughout the night.  She was insanely attracted to him.  He had worn dark jeans with a navy button-up shirt and stylish brown boots.  It was his easy, signature style these days that she loved.  JC had a way of making anything look sexy, and in her opinion, he always had.  Even when his fashion choices were questionable, he had always managed to pull off looks.

 

It was a short drive back to her house and JC had pulled into the driveway.  She quickly rifled through her purse to find her house keys and once JC had parked, he took them from her hand.  He exited and quickly made his way around the vehicle to get her door.  Once opened, Amanda stepped out and kissed him lightly on the cheek.  He took her hand and led her to the door which he quickly unlocked.  Amanda pushed the door open and dropped her purse on the table in her entryway.  Before she could turn, JC grabbed her hand and pressed her back against the wall.  He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

 

"I've been waiting all night to show you that I can't take you in this dress, mama."

 

His fingers trailed the strap of her dress and Amanda was immediately filled with desire.  She was finding it hard to catch her breath.  His hand moved to cup her jaw and she leaned in to meet his lips.  The kisses were needy and aggressive.  Amanda reached to move her hand to his neck, but he caught her wrist and kissed it gently before pinning both of her hands in his against the wall.  He used his other hand and moved it slowly down her jaw and neck as he kissed her deeply.  Amanda felt frustrated that she couldn't touch him, but had never been so turned on by anyone.  She loved that he had taken control.  She felt his fingers trace over her breasts and she nearly moaned at the touch.  He continued down her stomach and back to her butt.

 

Amanda broke the passionate kiss and whispered into his ear.  "Honey, I need to touch you."

 

JC pressed his lips to her cheek and released her hands from his grip.  She quickly snaked an arm around his shoulder and pressed the other into his back.  She leaned back in to kiss him again.  She parted his lips and caught his lower lip in between her teeth.  She released and swirled her tongue around his.  With anyone else, she had never been so forward or needy, but if this was her only chance with him, she wanted it to count.

 

She felt JC inch her dress up slightly and felt his fingers starting to stroke the back of her thigh.  He dragged his fingers around to the front of her leg and when he reached the inner part of her thigh, he stopped.

 

"We do this and you're mine.  I don't share well," he whispered into her ear and kissed the shell of it gently.  Amanda felt weak in the knees and felt goosebumps where his breath had hit.

 

"I don't share either.  I'm in," she whispered back in a breathy tone.

 

He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.  Amanda felt like she was spinning and watched as the man of her dreams stopped them at the foot of her bed.  She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in.  The combination of years of following his career, thinking he was incredibly sexy, and the fact that he had initiated this was sending a shiver down her spine.

 

JC had dipped his head and was dropping kisses along her collarbone and shoulders.  Amanda couldn't help but let out a small moan.  She couldn't take much more and started unbuttoning his shirt.  When she was finished, she pushed it off his shoulders, leaving him in an undershirt, and traced her fingertips along his biceps.  His arms were so toned and she couldn't wait to explore the rest of him.  She felt him slide the straps of her dress down her shoulders gently with the tips of his fingers.  It felt like fire when he touched her.

 

"Amanda," he said which ripped Amanda from her thoughts.  "Can I take this off?"

 

She grinned and turned to provide better access to the zipper of her dress.  She felt him press his lips to her shoulder blade and nip gently.  She grinned to herself and took a deep breath.  He was sliding her zipper down so slowly and she knew he was playing a dangerous game.  She felt him gently push her dress down and it pooled around her ankles.  JC grabbed her hand and spun her to face him again.

 

"Fuck, you're so hot," he whispered.  She was now standing in front of him with a matching black lace strapless bra and thong with her nude heels.  She reached to pull his shirt over his head to even things out a bit and she immediately ran her hands up his chest.  He reached out and traced his fingers across her bare stomach and Amanda's breath hitched.  She felt him circle his arms around her waist gently and peck her lips.

 

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

 

Amanda was caught off guard by the question and dropped a kiss on his jaw.  "More than okay."

 

"You're being a little hesitant, what's going on up there?"  He gently tapped her temple and kissed it.

 

Amanda didn't think she had been hesitating, but she could see how her quiet demeanor was being perceived that way.  She circled her arms around his neck.

 

"Not hesitating, admiring.  Trying to figure out how this is happening,"

 

JC grinned and pressed his lips to her cheek.  "I'm reading you wrong."

 

"You are.  It's surprising because you're really good at reading me."

 

"New territory.  I'll get the hang of it."

 

JC took Amanda's hand, led her to the edge of the bed and gently pushed her shoulders down to force her to sit on the edge.  She watched as he lowered himself to kneel before her and felt him start unbuckling the strap on her heels.  He was so gentle and so sweet.  After he had removed both sandals, he kissed her ankles gently and started making his way up her calves and thighs by alternating gentle kisses and licks.  She was feeling fire building inside her and wasn't sure how much of his sweet torture she could take.  She watched as he pulled himself back up and stood before her.  Instinctively, she reached for his belt and started to unbuckle it.

 

JC chuckled.  "I like that you didn't ask."

 

Amanda grinned and popped the button his jeans.  He leaned forward to kiss her gently and laid her back.  Amanda moved and inched herself backwards until her head hit pillows.  She watched as JC toed his boots off and finished removing his jeans.  She could feel her mouth curving into a smile watching him come toward her in only a pair of black boxer briefs.  He had made his way to her and was leaning over her.

 

"Isn't it illegal for men like you to look this good?"  Amanda questioned with a grin as she traced his stomach.

 

"Isn't it illegal for women like you to be wearing so much lingerie in bed?"

 

"You don't like lingerie?"

 

"Love it, but you don't need it."

 

Amanda felt her stomach flip as she felt him snake his arm under her and easily unhook her bra.  He slid it off and dropped it off the side of the bed.  As she caught his blue eyes with hers, he started dragging his fingers down her collarbone and between her breasts.  He lowered his head and immediately caught her nipple gently in his teeth and then kissed softly.  He was driving her wild and she could feel her eyes drifting closed with the sensations he was triggering.  He repeated the action on her other breast.  As he moved, she felt him pressed up against her thigh and she could feel how wet she was becoming.  She really needed him and when he kissed gently between her breasts, she couldn't help but moan.

 

"Jesus, you're gorgeous, Amanda."

 

He was doing so much to her and she wanted to do the same for him.  She reached down and grazed her fingertips across his erection.

 

JC chuckled again.  "Honey, if you do that, this won't last.  Let me take care of you."

 

Amanda nodded as she felt him drop kisses on this stomach and to the waistband of her panties.  He licked gently over the top of the waistband.  He kissed each hip before kissing her center.  Amanda's breath was jagged now and she wanted to roll over and take him herself.  She felt electricity coursing through her.  She reached down and ran her fingers through his wavy, dark hair.  He grinned back at her and slid a finger through the band of her thong to peel it off.  Amanda lifted her hips gently to allow him to pull them off.  She could feel herself panting and her chest quickly rising and falling at the thought of what was coming next.  She felt him crawl up to face her again and slide his hands up her sides.

 

Amanda watched as he kissed the corner of her mouth and she reached out to circle an arm around his neck.

 

"I have a few rules," he stated quietly and grazed his lips over her ear.

 

"Right now?"

 

JC grinned.  "It's hard to get them out right now, but yes."

 

Amanda groaned and placed her hand on his bicep.  She could feel his length pressing against her center.   "You're going to kill me.  I want to..."

 

"Honey, I know what you want and we've got all night.  I promise to make you feel good," he said as he licked right below her ear.  "I didn't know you were so impatient."

 

Amanda slid her hand and slipped a finger inside the band of his boxer briefs.  "I am very impatient and I'm the only one not wearing anything."

 

"Not for long, I promise," he whispered and kissed her deeply.  Amanda shivered; the sensation of being so close and so far from him was taking a toll.  He reached down to her breast and rolled a nipple slowly between his fingers.  Amanda moaned and JC smirked.  "Okay, rules.  You always come first."

 

Amanda could barely focus on his words as she could only focus on the things he was doing to her, but managed to nod.  She felt her hips rising to meet his and started to grind against him slowly.  She knew she could also play this game.

 

"Fuck the rest of this, I want you."  He leaned and kissed his way back down between her legs.  She felt him start to trace her slit with his finger and slide gently in.  She could feel her eyes shutting and herself gasping.  He had found her clit with his thumb and he added another finger inside and was alternating.  Amanda could feel the waves starting to crash over her; she knew that the buildup was more than she could take.

 

"God, mama, you're so wet for me."

 

That was all she needed to hear before she began to clench around his fingers.  He applied a little pressure to her clit as she lost control.

"Shit, baby," she panted and moaned loudly.

 

He continued to slide his fingers in and out as she completely finished.  He withdrew them slowly and she grabbed his arm to pull him up to her.

 

"JC, I need you right now," she whispered to him before passionately kissing him.  No one had ever made her come that easily before.  His voice was velvet and his slight dirty talk sent her over the edge.  She reached over to her nightstand and produced a condom.  No words were spoken between them as he got on his knees, pushed his boxer briefs down, and kicked them off.  Amanda rose up to meet him and pushed him back down to a pillow where she landed on top of him.

 

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked as he pushed some hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek.

 

She ignored him because she wanted a chance to explore him as he had done with her.  There was no doubt about it, he was massive and she immediately wanted to play with him.  She pressed her lips to his and started kissing and nipping her way down.  She licked a nipple with the tip of her tongue and traced her fingers behind.  When she reached his cock, she wrapped her fingers around and slid down.  Her mouth followed and she heard JC groan.  As she came back up, she dragged her tongue to the tip and felt him shiver.  He was so hard and the idea of him being inside her made her more wet.

 

"Amanda, baby.  Come here."  Following his command, she crawled back up to him. 

 

"You're so sexy," he breathed into her ear.  "You weren't supposed to do that." 

 

She rolled back over and kneeled beside him to tear open the condom wrapper.  She produced and gently slid it over him.  She watched as his breath hitched.  When she was finished, he gently pushed her backwards and her head hit a pillow.  He leaned over her again and kissed her deeply as he slid into her.  Amanda sucked in a breath and moaned loudly.  She wrapped her legs around him to allow him to get deeper.

 

"Baby, you're so tight and perfect."

 

Amanda whimpered slightly as she felt him thrust into her and slowly back out and repeat the action.  Her eyes rolled closed at the pleasure.  He lowered his hand between them and circled her clit again.  The sensation drove her wild and she knew it wouldn't be long before she was collapsing around him.  She felt him gradually start thrusting harder and faster and she was matching the rhythm with her hips.  She felt her abs starting to tighten and she tried to focus on not ending everything so quickly.  She wrapped her arm around JC's neck and met his lips with hers.  He stopped circling her center and started rubbing gently.  Amanda immediately pulled her lips from his mouth.

 

"JC, please," she whispered desperately.

 

JC leaned down and brushed his lips across her temple.  "Let go, Amanda, come for me."

 

She felt him thrust deeper and apply some pressure to her clit with his finger.  That instantly sent Amanda over the edge into the most intense, long-lasting orgasm of her life.  All she could do was scream out and let the sinful sensation course through her tensed body.  As she was riding the waves, she heard JC grunt and follow her into climax.  She lazily kissed him as he came down from his high.  When they were both finished, he kissed her sweetly and laid down next to her.  She rolled to lean her head on his chest.

 

"Amanda."

 

Amanda looked up at his icy blue eyes and pressed a kiss to his chest.  He wrapped his arm around her and gently stroked her back.

 

"What are you thinking?"

 

"I'm barely forming thoughts, but you're amazing and I don't want you to leave," she stated quietly.

 

"I don't want to leave either.  You're amazing," he said as he pressed a kiss in her hair.  "How often are there flights from LA to Milwaukee?"

 

"Every day."

 

"Good."

 

Amanda nuzzled tighter into his chest at the thought.  It had been a really long time since had felt as content as she did at that moment.

 

******

The next morning Amanda was awakened by JC's alarm and was hit by a pit in her stomach.  She knew that he was leaving and she wished she had more time.  She had her back up against his chest and she felt his hand slide down her bare thigh.  He kissed her back softly and Amanda let out a small moan.  She knew now what he was capable of.

 

"Don't make noises like that or I won't be able to leave," he whispered into her ear.

 

"Then don't touch me," Amanda chuckled quietly.  "Do you have to go?"

 

He pressed a kiss into her shoulder and gently pushed her on her back.

 

"You have work, I have work," he replied.  "We're going to figure this out."

 

Amanda felt like she was holding back tears.  JC had entered her life so unexpectedly and she hated the feeling that there was no plan, no roadmap.  She nodded while he swept his lips across her cheek.

 

"This is my life.  I would meet someone great who lives halfway across the country," Amanda whined.

 

JC smiled down at her.  "You're great.  This is new, but we'll do this.  Isn't this why they have advanced technology now?"

 

"Says the man who created digital sex," Amanda said with a grin.

 

JC laughed.  "It was the future, baby.  I didn't create it, I just wrote about it."

 

Amanda reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.  "Haven't you heard the joke that you invented the internet?"  Amanda grinned again.

 

"You're not being serious," he said as he raised an eyebrow.

 

Amanda laughed and started to make her way to the edge of the bed.  "I'll show you someday."

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"To make coffee and to make sure you don't miss your flight."

 

JC wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back down to him.

 

"We have a little time."

 

He slid his hand across her stomach and kissed her deeply.  That was all it took for them to repeat the actions of the night before.

 

Amanda stood on her porch as she watched JC slide his bag into the trunk of the rental car.  She should have felt ecstatic about the new man in her life, but instead felt a bit heartbroken.  It was hard to imagine that as quickly as he was part of her life, he was out of it again.  In the midst of her thoughts, she felt JC's arms wrap around her.

 

"Honey, what's wrong?"

 

"I feel sort of stupid for being sad, but I'm good."

 

He put his hand to her cheek and stared into her green eyes.

 

"I'm sad, but you're mine, remember?  This is a really good beginning."

 

Amanda felt the corners of her mouth slip into a smile and he placed a kiss on her lips.

 

"You'll be in LA in a few weeks, you'll stay with me, and technology is a thing," he stated reassuringly.

 

Stay with him?

 

"Don't meet any girls on the flight, okay?"

 

"That was a one-time deal."

 

He captured her lips and she allowed him to slip his tongue into her mouth.  Amanda felt her knees go weak and she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself.  She gently swept her tongue against his and turned her head to intensify the kiss.  She totally lost track of time and space when he kissed her.  JC pulled away after a few moments.

 

"I have to go... and trust me, I really don't want to."

 

Amanda nodded and gave him a final peck on the lips.  "Have a safe flight, text when you're home."

 

He slipped a hand around hers.  "Don't think too much, this will be good.  Promise."

 

"I'll try to not think."

 

With that, he gently dropped her hand and made his way into the rental.  Amanda watched as he slid into the driver's seat, start the engine and back out of her driveway.  She gave a quick wave and headed back inside.  Once inside, she headed to the living room to grab her phone.

 

Amanda:  I need a distraction for the rest of the day.

Emma:  Brunch?

Amanda:  Pick you up in an hour.

 

******

 

On Monday morning, Amanda was settled into her desk in the office.  She was knee deep into emails and attempting to distract herself that she had been missing JC since he left.  At the same time, she felt pure joy that she had seen him.  She wasn't even sure what to label the whole thing yet.  Was she seeing JC?  Dating?  She was in the midst of responding emails when her co-worker, Brittany, leaned against her desk and crossed her ankles.

 

"Hey girl, how was LA?"

 

Right.  She had gone to LA.  It already seemed like a lifetime ago.  Amanda pulled her hands from her keyboard and turned to face Brittany.

 

"Hey lady, it was a good trip," Amanda smoothed said as she smoothed out her jeans.

 

"Cool.  Where are you going next?"  She sipped from her cup of coffee.

 

"Atlanta.  What's next for you?"

 

"Probably Denver."

 

Amanda nodded.  She noted that she needed to book travel for Atlanta and picked up a pen to scribble a note.

 

"How was your weekend?"  Amanda questioned as she picked up her coffee mug.

 

"Great, I went out on Saturday and recovered yesterday.  You?"

 

Amanda paused.  It had been the greatest weekend of her life, but wasn't sure how to tell anyone that she was seeing JC Chasez.  Did he want her telling anyone?  What was she supposed to say?

 

"Really good.  I think I met someone?"

Brittany raised an eyebrow.  "You think?"

 

Amanda giggled.  "Yeah, I met him on my flight and I ended up on a date."

 

"Good for you, girl.  Keep me posted on that.  Alright, I'm back to work, have a good day."

 

"You too."

 

Amanda pushed back into her work.  After a few moments, she flipped her phone to see several new notifications.

 

JC:  Have a good day.  I'm in the studio.  Don't think too much.

 

Amanda smiled.  Even from 2,000 miles away, he knew she was analyzing.

 

Amanda:  Hey you, have a good day.  I don't think I ever properly thanked you for coming. 

JC:  Which time?

 

Amanda felt herself blush at his innuendo and felt desire burn through her body.

 

Amanda:  Haha.  You know what I mean.  No one has ever surprised me like that before.

JC:  You're worth it.  Also, I can't seem to stop thinking about the coming part...  Talk later.

 

Amanda felt like she was going to melt into her desk.  Thankfully, no one was around to see it.  She took a deep breath and clicked around her laptop to arrange travel for her next trip to Atlanta.  Another trip would be a great distraction.  Work travel always included long days.  Amanda couldn't help but feel a little foolish.  After one weekend with JC, she found herself wondering about the next time they could be together.  She had never attempted a long distance relationship.  Were they even in a relationship?  Sure, he had made a comment about being his, but what if she had read into that too deeply?  After her previous relationship, she wasn't so sure she could trust again, even if it was JC.  She would need some time to feel out the situation.  In the meantime, she told herself, she would really try to avoid the analysis and focus on the fact that she was in throws of something brand new.  Something that she was really enjoying.

 

******

Another week had passed and Amanda was in the middle of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.  The flight was not nearly as entertaining as her last one, but she was able to get in a nap and do a little reading.  She made her way to the exit and checked her phone.

 

JC:  Did you make it?

Amanda:  Yup, going to pick up my rental and head to the office.

 

They had been texting all week.  Both had been busy with their own lives, but she was touched by the fact that he checked in and always wanted to hear about her day.  No doubt it was difficult and she hoped they would eventually find other methods of communication.  It was still new and it was exciting to see his name pop up on her phone.  She loved the idea that he was thinking of her.

 

She boarded the tram that shuttled passengers to the rental car center.  Amanda took a seat, pushed her suitcase under her leg, and tapped through emails on her phone.  Fortunately, it seemed like things were under control and nothing pressing had arisen during her flight.  She got to the most recent email and realized that it was a notification from Avis.  She read through the email - it was clearly a confirmation that her rental had been canceled.  Great start to this trip.  She took a deep breath and tried to not be stressed.  This was annoying, but certainly not a big deal.  There were always a million cars available.  As the tram was nearing the destination, she rifled through her bag to find her sunglasses and pushed them on while she gathered the rest of her things.  She stepped off the tram and walked towards the entrance of the rental car center.  The humidity of the south hit her in the face and she was glad that she packed accordingly.  When her eyes met the destination, she couldn't believe who she was seeing.

 

No fucking way.

 

She knew it was him instantly.  Same black LA hat, same dark denim he was accustomed to wearing.  Here he was leaning up against one of the poles near the entrance.  She felt like running to him, but nerves got the best of her.  She was trying to play it cool.  Regardless, she knew she was smiling ear to ear as she approached him.

 

"Surprise," he said and swiped his lips across hers.  He gently wrapped an arm around her waist.

 

"What the fuck are you doing here?"  Amanda still couldn't wipe the grin from her face.

 

"I'm working," he stated casually.

 

"So I don't need to tear apart some unsuspecting Avis employee for canceling my reservation?"

 

"Shit.  How did you find out?"

 

"Email."

 

She dropped her bag beside her and wrapped both arms around his neck.  She couldn't resist the urge to thoroughly kiss him.  He had surprised her.  Again.  She pulled her lips back and whispered against them.

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"I wanted to see you.  I've got a few friends in town and it just made sense."

 

Amanda felt her heart swell.  Was he even real?  She trailed her hands down his biceps.  "I can't believe you did this."

 

"I was already tired of texting you," he pulled closer to her ear and kissed the shell gently.  "And there are a lot of other things I've been thinking about."

 

Amanda shivered at the thought and felt desire hit straight to her core.  JC wrapped his hand around hers and pulled slightly as he walked towards a row of cars.  Amanda used her other hand to grab her bags.

 

"Come on, I'm your chauffeur for the week.  I can drop you off at the office."

 

"I can't let you do this.  I have to be up early like every day I'm here..."

 

JC interrupted her and squeezed her hand.  "Stop thinking.  I'm working around you this week."

 

Amanda raised an eyebrow and resigned.  He was unbelievable.  He flew across the country to surprise her.  How could she ever make it up to him?  JC led them to a brand new black BMW M5 as he popped the trunk and lifted her bags in.  She noticed that his bag was already in the trunk.  Amanda caught his hand as he was closing the trunk.

 

"Hey.  Are you even real?  This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.  Besides the last surprise you pulled."

 

JC grinned at her.  "I already like surprising you."

 

"But how I will ever outdo anything you do for me?" Amanda questioned as she walked to the passenger door.

 

JC opened the car door for her.  "No one ever said anything about that, but the way you lit up when you saw me was worth it.  And I've got other ideas." 

 

Amanda grinned and slid into the seat as he kissed her forehead and shut the door.  Seconds later, JC slid into the drivers' seat. 

 

"I can drive you to work and we can check into the hotel later."

 

Amanda grinned.  "You didn't cancel my hotel reservation, did you?"

 

JC smirked.  "Nope, I figured you had that covered." 

 

He started the engine and backed out of the parking space.  Amanda punched in her office address into the GPS and then rested her hand on his thigh.

 

"Do you realize how crazy you are?" 

 

JC smiled.  "Am I freaking you out?"

 

"No, you're so sweet.  I just can't believe you don't have better things to do."

 

JC picked up Amanda's hand and drew it to his lips.  "I'm here because I like you.  Are you okay with it?"

 

Amanda grinned.  "You told me to not overthink," she said as she took a deep breath.  "I'm trying to push down the part of me that's worried and focus on how insanely happy I am that you're here."

 

"We've got all week to work through stuff.  Can you handle me for that long?  I'm annoying."

 

"I guarantee that I'm more annoying.  What are you working on?"

 

"My friend, Dallas, lives here.  He's been begging for me to listen to some stuff, so I'll hang with him.  I've got another friend in town that wants to hang.  But I'm yours after work.  When are you done today?"

 

Amanda lit up at the idea of JC working with Dallas Austin, but tried not to show it.  "I usually get sympathy on travel days, so 4ish maybe?"

 

JC stopped at a red light and grasped her hand in his.  "That's perfect.  I can pick you up, we can check in and I'll take you to dinner."

 

"I don't like having JC Chasez as my chauffeur, he's sort of bossy."

 

JC laughed.  "Don't say that.  I'm not only your chauffeur."

 

"Really?  What else are you then?" Amanda questioned and smirked.

 

"I think... I think I'm the guy you're dating."  JC grinned.

 

"I'm sure my coworkers would be more amused with a story about the hot guy I've hired to drive me around," Amanda chuckled.  "Easier to say that I'm dating though."  Amanda leaned over the center console and softly brushed her lips over his cheek.

 

She leaned back in her seat and noticed that they were nearing her destination.

 

"Do you need any of your stuff from the trunk?"

 

"No, I've got everything I need in here," she gestured to the bag on the floor.

 

"Are you going to be asked to do any working dinners?"  JC asked and pulled into a parking space in front of Amanda's office building.

 

"I usually get asked to do one, but mostly out of pity for traveling alone."

 

"Don't make plans for tomorrow, okay?"

 

Amanda grinned and smoothed her palms over her jeans.  "Okay."

 

"I may have to be in the studio later on Wednesday night, so make your plans for then."

 

"Got it.  I'll let them know that I have plans with my hot chauffeur."  Amanda chuckled and picked up her tote from the floor.

 

JC chuckled.  "I hope you come up with something better than that."

 

Like boyfriend?  She knew it was far too soon for that, so instead she nodded.

 

"I'm not in the mood for work, but I suppose I should get to it.  Are you okay, do you need anything before I head in?"

 

"Nope, I'm meeting Dallas and you text me if you need me."

 

Amanda leaned her elbow on the center console again and glanced up at JC.  "Hey, you're amazing for being here.  I'm still in shock."

 

JC slid a hand around the back of her neck and met her lips.  Amanda's palm slid to his neck and she slid her tongue to his bottom lip.  JC leaned back slightly and rested his forehead on hers.

 

"Hey woman, don't start that or you aren't going to work."

 

Amanda grinned and moved her arm to open the door.  "You promise to not leave me stranded here?"

 

"Wouldn't dream of it.  I'll see you at 4ish."

 

Amanda pushed open the door, pulled her tote with her, and headed toward the entrance of the office.  She couldn't remove the smile from her face.

 

******

Amanda was sitting in a leadership meeting as an observer.  Each of her work trips brought her new experiences and opportunities to learn from others.  The purpose of her trips was to understand her client groups more intimately and in turn, be better able to support them.  She enjoyed being an observer in these meetings and thoroughly enjoyed meeting some of the people she often interacted with via phone or email.  This particular meeting was to discuss implementing a new manufacturing model into their facilities, with the facility near Los Angeles scheduled to go first.  As the meeting drew to a close, she graciously thanked everyone for allowing her to sit in and gain better insight.  She was grateful that one of her favorite HR colleagues, Matt, was based in Atlanta and she appreciated how he went out of his way to make her trip worthwhile.  When everyone around the table began to gather their things, she also shut her laptop and piled her notebook on top.

 

"Any plans while you're here or need recommendations for dinner?" Matt questioned as he pushed in his chair.

 

Amanda wasn't quite sure how to answer the question without revealing too much personal information, but smiled politely.  "Not sure about plans, but I'm set."

 

"I think the team wants to set up dinner one night if you can make it work."

 

"For sure, Wednesday night would be perfect.  That's really sweet of everyone."

 

Matt started to exit the conference room and Amanda followed. 

 

"So what was the vague answer about plans?  And the big grin?"  Matt asked with a grin.

 

Amanda grinned back, she couldn't help it.  "Someone I know is in town, so I've got some plans."

 

"Wow, workaholic Amanda is making time for someone?  Big headlines here," Matt joked.

 

"It's really new and complicated, but it's good."

 

Matt and Amanda were strolling in the direction of her makeshift cubicle.

 

"Well, that's great.  Why so complicated?"  Matt stopped and leaned against the cubicle wall.

 

"He lives in LA."

 

"Huh, well.... We've talked about this before.  You'd relocate for that right opportunity?"

 

Amanda shrugged.   She often had open conversations with her manager and colleagues about relocating for the right promotion.  She didn't have anyone in Milwaukee keeping her tied down which made it easy to consider any opportunities as they came up. 

 

"Sure, but I'm weeks into seeing this guy.  I don't need to broach the topic of relocation and our future and terrify him."

 

"Fair enough, but you know that I'd recommend you for a job in LA if you wanted it."

 

Amanda nodded.  "Thanks, Matt, that's really kind.  That seems pretty far off."

 

"You better start thinking about it.  This project will likely present opportunities to you."

 

******

Amanda strolled through the front door of the office building to find JC wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses leaned up against the rental car.  She couldn't decide what to feel - panic that someone may recognize him or excitement that he looked hot as hell.  She continued towards him as he pressed lips to her cheek.

 

"Hey gorgeous.  Who gave you permission to look that good coming out of work?"

 

Amanda glanced down at the outfit she had been wearing since this morning and grinned.  Dark denim skinny jeans, pointed black pumps, with a white t-shirt under a black blazer.  Her work was business casual and this had become a permanent outfit in her rotation.  She wrapped her hand around his.

 

"Hey handsome.  Aren't you afraid of being recognized with your stunning good looks?"

 

"Nah.  This isn't LA or New York," he shrugged and lifted the door handle to open the door for Amanda.

 

Amanda slipped into the leather seat and watched JC do the same in the driver's seat.

 

"How was work?"

 

Amanda dropped her tote bag from her lap to the floor.  "Really good.  The team wants to take me to dinner on Wednesday, so you're off the hook."

 

JC smiled and started the engine.  "You can talk about work you know.  I think it's interesting.  What meetings did you have today?"

 

"You asked for it," Amanda chuckled.  "The manufacturing teams are going to implement a new process model into the facilities.  We're going to roll it out in LA first and then move to the other facilities slowly.  The meeting I had today was to discuss the rollout and action plan."

 

"And you work in HR... so this impacts you how?"

 

"Well, the roles I recruit for are primarily in manufacturing, so this new model will essentially change all of the roles I work on.  The new mindset in the facilities will effectively change the culture."

 

"You're hot when you talk work," JC grinned at her.

 

Amanda rolled her eyes and laughed.  "This is boring as hell and I can't believe you're listening to it."

 

"You don't think it's boring," JC pointed out and got them on the road.  "Can you GPS us to the hotel?"

 

Amanda punched in the address to the hotel she had reserved.   "What did you do today?  Are you working on something?"

 

"Dallas always wants me to work on something," JC chuckled.  "I just listened to some stuff he has going and chilled."

 

"Maybe you'll get inspired?  The fan part of me is desperate to hear you do anything," Amanda said as she gazed out the window.

 

"When you sing or play something for me, I'll show you stuff I've been working on," JC winked at her.

 

"What is this?  A negotiation?"

 

JC shrugged and laughed.  Amanda suddenly felt very bold knowing that she had a little bit of power over him and reached over to slide her hand up his thigh.

 

"You know, I can be persuasive," she said in a suggestive tone.

 

JC groaned and Amanda laughed.

 

"Mama, you can be persuasive when I get you behind closed doors."

 

Amanda left her hand on his thigh.  "We're about to find out how sick of me you'll be after 4 entire days."

 

JC chuckled.  "I was thinking more optimistically, so more like, I have 4 entire days to figure you out."

 

Amanda raised an eyebrow.  "Figure me out?"

 

"Honey, there are a lot of things I'd like to learn," he said and dropped his hand over hers.

 

Amanda felt that same spark of desire again.  He was relentless.

 

"You know, you've got a reputation, JC."

 

This time JC raised an eyebrow as he made a turn.  "And that is?"

 

"You can definitely have a one-track mind."

 

JC shrugged.  "Hey, I was never raised to make sex a taboo sort of thing.  I enjoy it, so does everyone.  I don't get why it's a big deal."

 

Amanda felt like she had struck a nerve.  "I'm not accusing you.  Everyone enjoys sex, and if I'm being honest, I can't get you and sex out of my brain.  But I don't want that to be all we have."

 

JC pulled Amanda's hand to his lips again.  "I can't stop thinking about you either.  That isn't all we have and that's not all we are.  We're new and I just want to do a lot of things to you that I can't stop thinking about."

 

Amanda grinned and dropped her head against the headrest.  She had never felt so sexually attracted to someone.  Sure, sex had always been fun, but the pull she felt to him was magnetic.

 

"Have you considered that I have a lot of things I want to do to you?"

 

"Jesus, woman, how far away is this hotel?"

 

Amanda rolled her suitcase into the hotel room and set her tote bag on the desk.  Before she could turn around, she felt JC place one hand on her hip and thread the other through her hair to push it off her shoulder.  In the next move, he had pressed his lips to her neck and Amanda moaned.  She loved that he was so affectionate with her.

 

"You told me that I was impatient?" Amanda asked as the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

 

JC gently spun her to face him.  "I have really wanted to kiss you all day."

 

Amanda sank into him.  "So why are you waiting?"

 

JC wrapped his arm around her waist as crashed his lips into hers and she melted against him.  She draped her arm around his shoulder and grasped the back of his neck as she pulled him closer.  She felt him press a hand to the small of her back and she felt a volt to her spine.  Amanda touched her forehead to his, backed away slightly, and gave him a gentle peck.

 

"I could do this for hours, I can't stop with you," Amanda whispered.

 

"We're going to do this for hours and all week," he whispered back and tilted her green eyes into his gaze.

 

Amanda felt like her knees were going to buckle and she wrapped both arms around his neck.  "You have some crazy power over me and I can't figure it out.  You totally surprised me today and I haven't been treated like this in a long time.  It's a little scary."

 

JC kissed her forehead.  "Honey, what are you scared of?"

 

Amanda dropped her head on his shoulder and took in a deep breath.  "I'm already ruining this trip."

 

JC led her to the edge of the bed and sat her next to him.  "You are not ruining anything.  Talk to me."

 

She deeply inhaled and ran her palms over her jeans.  "What is there to say?  I like you and it's overwhelming.  Insecurities and baggage and whatever else..."

 

"I'm not going to hurt you," JC stated quietly.  "I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make sure that doesn't happen.  I've got insecurities, that's normal."

 

Amanda reached for his hand and pushed hair back behind her ear.  "I'm also sort of worried that this is you - JC Chasez.  And I'm me and I don't pretend to know what your life is like.  I can't compete."

 

JC softly kissed her.  "You aren't competing with anyone, I can promise you that.  So this is about trust?  You don't trust me?"

 

"I really trust you and it's not like me to give you that power so quickly.  I'm really sorry, I'm tired and I'm fucking this night up."

 

"You're not fucking up our night.  I want to talk about what's going on."

 

Amanda felt relieved that he was being so understanding, but still didn't want to go through this with him.  She certainly didn't want to scare him off by unleashing her fears.  "I overanalyze everything.  That's my thing.  I'm trying to just stop myself from going there.  I feel like I'm having a crazy teenage girl fantasy with my crush and freaking out that I'm too normal for you."

 

JC nodded.  "I hear you.  It's easy to get wrapped up in thoughts and things like that.  Don't do it.  I want to say that you're normal in the best way and I think you're fascinating as hell."

 

"Thank you," Amanda said quietly while wringing her hands.

 

"Crush?"  JC grinned.

 

Amanda groaned and rolled her eyes.  "You were my favorite, you still are.  It's just better now.  Please don't make me talk about this."

 

"I'd like to know how far back we're talking," JC said playfully as he brushed his lips against her temple.

 

Amanda shook her head and giggled.  "Nope, this is really getting embarrassing and I thought we were having a serious talk."

 

"We're done for now," he shrugged and moved over her to force her to lie on her back.  "I'd like to know how long you've wanted me."  Amanda saw only his blue eyes staring down at her and he chuckled.

 

Amanda grinned back.  "Wow, who is this guy with the ego?"

 

"Amanda," JC whined.

 

She sighed and quietly confessed.  "I thought you were pretty hot from the first day I watched the Mickey Mouse Club and then forever since.  And I feel really weird about admitting this to you."

 

JC laughed.  "You're so cute when you're embarrassed.  I'm flattered," he said as he lowered his head to hers and gently kissed.  "I think you're pretty hot right now and I finally have you behind closed doors."

 

Amanda reached up and wrapped her hand around his waist and drew him down to her.  He rested his forehead against hers.

 

"Are you okay?" He asked and brushed his lips across hers.

 

Amanda moved her hand to his cheek.  "I'm really good, I'm sorry about before."

 

He kissed her deeply and whispered against her lips, "Don't be.  I have you right where I want you."

 

Amanda pushed her hand into his hair and met his lips again.  She felt his hand slip under her shirt and caress her stomach.

 

"Why are you wearing so many clothes?"

 

"Am I not supposed to wear clothes to work?" Amanda asked.

 

JC kissed a trail from her collarbone to her neck.  "I just don't want you to wear anything in bed with me."

 

Amanda trembled and let out a small moan.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him next to her.  She sat up and slipped out of her blazer and kicked her heels off.  JC mimicked her by toeing his shoes off and lifting his shirt over his head.  He reached over to her, kissed her cheek, and grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head.  Amanda bent and kissed his jawline and swept her hand over his chest.  If she was being honest, she had been waiting all day to put her hands on him.  He was quickly turning into her drug and she wanted him all the time.  She felt him slide a finger under her chin and gaze into her eyes.  His blue eyes were sparkling at her and she couldn't get enough.  She was met with soft kisses that quickly turned into his tongue licking her bottom lip and then sensual kisses.

 

Amanda raked her fingers down his chest, past his stomach and guided to the button on his jeans.  She quickly used her thumb to slide the button out and caressed his bare skin.

 

"You're so sexy.  Are you always this aggressive?" JC whispered as he pulled away from her lips.

 

"I want you always, so yes."

 

He groaned and she slid down the bed to her knees where she began pulling his boxer briefs and jeans off in one swoop.  After she had his pants pooled around his ankles, she kissed the tip of his cock and circled her hand around the base as she started to stroke him.

 

"Amanda," he panted, "You're forgetting the rules."

 

Amanda grinned and kissed the inside of his thigh before she swiped her tongue over his based and licked upward to the tip.

 

"Fuck your rules, babe."

 

She took as much of him as she could and sucked gently.  She felt him buck his hips into her and she continued her light suction and used her tongue to lick across his tip again.  She heard him moan again and placed her hands on his thighs when she felt him push his arms under hers and attempt to draw her up.

 

"Baby.  Amanda... rules."

 

Amanda smiled against him and lifted herself to his chest.

 

"You are really naughty," JC smiled devilishly.  "I like this side of you."

 

Amanda raised herself and sat beside him again.  He pressed his lips to hers as he unbuttoned her jeans.

 

"Have you ever met your sexual match?" he asked.

 

Amanda chuckled and smiled.  "I think I'm with him right now."

 

JC smiled back and placed kisses along her jawline.  "I've been waiting for you."

 

Amanda pushed her jeans over her hips and down her legs.  JC unhooked her bra quickly, threw it off the bed, and laid her down.  Amanda wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he lowered himself onto her.  She felt him press into her heat and whimpered.

 

"We've got all night, mama, don't be impatient.  I'm just starting."

 

Amanda could feel her insides quivering.  "Call me ‘mama' again and I won't last very long."

 

JC pressed a kiss to her temple.  "I love that you tell me what gets you.  Don't stop telling me what you like."

 

Amanda trailed her fingers down his back and sides while he licked over her nipple and drew it into his mouth.  She melted into the pillow behind her and moaned.  She had never experienced foreplay like this before.  He was so attentive to her.  He kissed his way down past her hips and to her inner thigh.  He licked and nipped until she whimpered.

 

"JC..." Amanda panted.

 

She watched as his lips formed a smile against her thigh and he swiped his tongue dangerously close to where she wanted him.  He slid one finger tenderly into her and she immediately moaned again.  The teasing was too much and she felt fought against the urge to reach her hand down to get relief.  She felt him slowly pull his finger out and felt the tip of his tongue flick over her clit.  Her eyes slammed shut at the shockwave and she hummed in pleasure.  JC continued his assault by sliding his finger back in and alternating between licks.  It wasn't but a few more moments until Amanda felt herself stiffen, cry out, and succumb to the waves.  JC continued and licked her up.  He kissed his way back up to her.

 

"Feel better, mama?"

 

Amanda sighed and nodded.  She was content, but certainly wanted more.  She wrapped her arms around him and moved them so that they were lying side by side.  She wrapped her hand around his length and started stroking slowly as his mouth crashed into hers.  She felt herself building again from the way he was rubbing her bare thigh and she pushed him on his back.  In a swift movement, she straddled him and bent down to meet his lips.

 

"You are so sexy, Amanda."

 

Amanda smiled and pressed his tip into her slightly.  The pressure was driving her wild.

 

"I need you," Amanda whispered into his ear and used her tongue to lick the shell of it.

 

JC flipped her onto her back in one move and moved her arms above her head where he grasped her wrists in his hand.

 

"I need you too, but I'm not done with you yet."

 

Amanda shivered and moaned as he dragged a hand down between her thighs and circled her clit.  Her thoughts were solely focused on his motions, but she managed to form a few words.

 

"Baby, I need you in me," she begged with a jagged breath.

 

JC backed to the edge of the bed and made his way to his suitcase where he reached into an inner pocket and produced a shiny condom package.  Amanda tried to smooth down her hair as he made his way back to the bed.  As he laid down next to her, she took the package from his hand and ripped it open.  Before sliding it over him, she took the opportunity to wrap his hand around him and get in a few strokes before she felt JC grip her hips and force her to her back.  As he knelt in front of her, Amanda finished rolling the condom on.

 

JC lowered himself onto her and softly kissed her.  As he pushed into her, Amanda let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.  JC set a hurried pace between them and she matched his thrusts with her hips.  JC swept his lips across hers and rested his forehead against hers as he continued his pace.

 

"I want to make this last as long as possible, but please don't hate me because I'm rushing.  I just need you right now."

 

Amanda kissed him hungrily in response.  She was struggling to form words as she panted and moaned.  JC wrapped her legs around his thighs and again, Amanda moaned in response.  The feeling of him driving deeper inside her had Amanda reaching new heights.  In the moment, she was grateful that the headboard was attached to the wall because she was certain that anyone within a few rooms could hear their cries.  Somehow this added to her impending climax.  She kissed JC's shoulder and chest and anywhere she could get her lips on.  She felt JC snake a hand to her breast to flick her nipple and she felt like she was being pushed over the edge.

 

"Fuck!  I'm going to come!"

 

"Come on, mama, let go.  I want to hear you," JC whispered into her ear.

 

Amanda felt his hot breath and his hands gliding over her breast and sides and the combination of everything had her right where she wanted to be.

 

"I want you to come with me.  Are you ready?"

 

JC managed a chuckle through some heavy breaths.  "I've been ready, honey.  Waiting for you."

 

Amanda was determined to bring JC with her, so she glided her hands down his back lightly and arched her hips slightly so that he could get deeper.  Amanda felt herself tightening around him until she was nearly trembling.  She couldn't hold out any longer.  A shock surged through her and caused her to start clenching around him tightly.  She heard JC moan and thrust hard as she continued to milk him.  Once they were both satisfied, JC sank onto Amanda and rolled over to kiss her cheek gently.  They laid together for a few moments while they came down, deeply breathing.

 

Amanda finally was able to gather her thoughts and roll over to face JC on his side.

 

"Wow," she commented as she lazily traced his bicep.

 

"You're amazing.  Are you hungry?"

 

"I'm drained," Amanda chuckled and snuggled into him.

 

"Let's order some food and you can rest.  I have more plans for you."

 

******

The next morning, JC was in the process of dropping Amanda off at her office.

 

"I know you're here for work, but can you be done by 5?"

 

Amanda sipped her coffee, swallowed and took a breath wondering what his plans were.

 

"I can manage.  Is this about your plans for later?"

 

JC nodded.  "You'll probably want to change, so we can get you back to the hotel and get some drinks before we head out."

 

Amanda smiled and gathered her bag from the floor of the car.  "Okay, you tell me when you're here and I'll be yours for the night."

 

"If I remember correctly, you were mine last night too," JC said with a grin.

 

"That's more than accurate," Amanda chuckled.  "No clues about this surprise?"

 

"You'll have fun," JC said as he placed his hand on her thigh.  "Promise."

 

"Alright.  I have to go in there and I really don't want to."

 

"I promise I'm not going anywhere.  I'll be here to pick you up and we'll have fun tonight, okay?"

 

Amanda nodded and leaned over to kiss his cheek.  Before she could lean back, he caught her lips and grazed her lip with his tongue.

 

"Hey now, work..."

 

JC backed away with his hands up as if he were in surrender.  "Sorry, sorry.  Have a good day, okay?"

 

Amanda grinned.  It was hard to wrap her mind around the fact that he just wanted to do nice things for her with nothing in return.  At least, not yet.

 

It was going to be a long day.

 

******

True to his word, Amanda received a text from JC late in the afternoon to check on her.  There was something to be said for how dependable he had been with her, even if it was really early on in their... thing.  Amanda assumed JC was the kind of guy who dated casually and she hoped that she wasn't one of many.  This is what her point was supposed to be last night - a concern that she was one of a few girls that JC was "dating."  The truth was, she really did like him, past more than him being JC Chasez.  She liked that he had taken care of her on several occasions, kept surprising her, and was pushing her towards music again.  In turn, she liked hearing the things he was working on and learning more about him.  She hoped that his interest in her wouldn't fade and she hoped that her constant worry about everything going on wouldn't drive him away.  She did want to enjoy being with him, she did realize that he had flown across the country to surprise her.  It had to mean something, right?

 

Amanda was glad that the days flew by when she was on a work trip.  She was excited to spend another night with JC.  It was really cute that he had planned something for her and wanted to keep it a secret.  She agreed that he would pick her up at 4:30 to go back to the hotel and prepare for their evening, so at 4:30pm, she slid her tote bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the office.

 

She spotted the car easily and strolled towards it.  She tried to look as chic as she could knowing that he was watching her.  JC popped out and made his way to open the door for her.  Amanda felt heart swell again.  It was gestures like this that she hadn't experienced ever before.

 

"Hi beautiful lady," JC said as he swung open the car door.

 

"Hi handsome man," Amanda replied.  She slid into the car as he ducked his head, pressed his lips to her cheek, and jogged around to the driver's side.

 

As he slid in, Amanda couldn't stop thinking about how sexy he was.  He seemed to be completely unaware of how good looking he really was.  She was sure he worked out regularly, but after watching him get ready this morning, he basically achieved his look with little effort.

 

"So what did you do today?" Amanda asked and pressed the hotel address into the GPS.

 

"Spent time with Dallas again, got some stuff arranged for later," he responded with a shrug and started the engine.  "How was your day?"

 

"I'm glad it's over and we're doing something fun.  I normally don't like surprises, but this is good for me," Amanda stated and pushed her sunglasses on after retrieving them from her tote.

 

JC smirked.  "You don't like surprises?"

 

"No, I like controlling things," Amanda admitted with a chuckle.

 

"I'm honored that you're letting me surprise you then," he said with a smile and pointed them towards the hotel.

 

******

JC and Amanda had settled into a booth at a lounge within walking distance of the hotel.  She had changed with the help of JC.  He still hadn't revealed to her what they would be doing, so she insisted that he help select appropriate attire.  She was grateful in that moment that she tended to over pack and had ended up with a black sleeveless jersey dress that cinched at the waist with a jean jacket.

 

Amanda perused the cocktail menu, but wasn't sure how long the night was going to be.  She hated that he wouldn't give any hints, but thought his gesture was really cute.

 

"Hey, so, I don't know what kind of night this is and that impacts my drink choice.  So, like, should I have some wine and relax?  Or do I get something stronger?  What is the vibe here, sir?"

 

JC laughed.  "You really hate that I won't tell you, huh?  Okay, I'll give you this.  Don't have wine, this isn't a chill vibe."

 

"That's all I need to know."  Amanda relaxed a bit in the seat.  "I feel like you're learning things about me and I still have a lot to learn about you."

 

JC raised his eyebrows.   "What would you like to know?"

 

"I don't know, tell me anything," Amanda shrugged.

 

"I think you know a lot more about me than I know about you," he chuckled.

 

"That's true, but I've told you that I don't want to rely on what I think I know," Amanda said as squeezed her hand around his.

 

"I appreciate that.  Okay, well..." he paused as he cocked his head.  "Want to know why I upgraded your seat to be next to me?"

 

Amanda nodded.  She desperately wanted to know.  "I've wanted to ask."

 

The waitress appeared at the table and collected their drink orders.  Amanda fidgeted with her hands a bit anticipating JC's answer.  JC clasped his hands together and turned after the waitress went to retrieve their order.

 

"Okay, so, our flight to Chicago."

 

Amanda nodded again feeling anxious that he was drawing the answer out that she had been waiting to hear.

 

"You clearly knew who I was right away, but didn't cause a scene.  And then you were so confident and excited to meet me.  And you're pretty hot," he said with a chuckle.

 

Amanda giggled.  "I totally faked on the confidence."

"It worked.  I just felt something right away with you.  Honestly, I was just trying to make your day and it turned out way better."

 

"You're a good man.  Trying to make a fan's dream come true."  Amanda said as she poked his arm playfully.

 

"I'm glad I made the decision on a whim because you were cute and confident," he laughed.  "You're a pretty cool chick.  I still have a lot to learn about you."

 

Amanda couldn't help but grin at him.  After their drinks arrived, they ordered a few different appetizers to share.  She took a big sip of her drink and tried to relax.

 

"So can we talk about why you're scared of me?"

 

Amanda felt the blood rush out of her face.  She didn't expect to hear that.

 

"JC, I'm not going to bring this night down with my baggage," she sighed.  "I'm not scared of you."

 

He reached out and grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over the top.

 

"I'm asking because I want to prove that I'm not that guy."

 

Amanda took in a deep breath.  "You are not that guy.  I've known you for a few weeks and you've done more for me than any guy ever has."

 

JC furrowed his brows.  "Your boyfriends have been that shitty?"

 

Amanda chuckled and stirred her drink with her straw.  "Well, the last one was.  He wanted a lot of things on his terms and I was dumb for a long time to put up with it.  He was not into grand gestures though."

 

JC nodded and took a sip of his beer.  "Can I ask what happened?  I was pretty publicly cheated on, that was fun, but that's the whole story."

 

"I'll tell you, but I don't want sympathy," Amanda said as he lifted her drink again and sipped.  "I don't want to dwell on the past with you, but it's probably why I'm analyzing everything."

 

As Amanda took a breath to gather her thoughts, JC placed his hand on her thigh in support.

 

"Hey, I'm not trying to push.  I'm just curious about where you're coming from."

"No, I get it.  I just don't want to be a drag on our night out, you know?  Okay, so Mike, that's his name.  He and I dated for a few years and lived together.  I was under the impression that we were serious and planning for a future, but deep down, I could tell he wasn't ready or into the same idea.  Time went on and I just was dumb and thought things would change.  He cared about me, I never doubted that.  He had his own commitment issues and I don't think anyone can change that about him.  Anyway, you know how you feel a breakup coming?"

 

Amanda paused to take a breath and took another sip of her drink; JC shook his head in solidarity.

 

"He came home one afternoon and ended it with a litany of reasons.  I knew it was coming, but it hurt anyway.  The ugly part about living together was that we were renting and he handled that stuff, so I had no idea if I was committed to a lease.  I called our landlord who informed me that Mike had already given notice for us to terminate the lease, which basically meant I was homeless in a few weeks.  He signed my name to the notice and I had no idea."

 

"Wow.  That's super low."  JC took another sip of beer with a sympathetic nod. 

 

"That's not all," Amanda continued and slid her forefinger around the rim of her glass.  "I moved out within the week and got a great apartment.  I showed up to our townhouse to move the last of the things out and he was there with a massive apology.  In hindsight, he never said he wanted to get back together, but that he had had a miserable week and blah blah blah.  I was stupid and lonely.  Afterwards, we weren't back together, but we were.  I left 2 weeks later to go to Texas for a long work trip, he wanted to see me off and when I got to Texas, I never heard from him again."

 

JC blinked a few times.  She could tell he didn't know how to respond.

 

"JC, I'm sorry, that was a lot to unload and I..."

 

"Honey, no," he interrupted.  "That's just... it sounds like a movie script.  I'm really sorry that you went through that stuff."

 

Amanda chuckled again.  "Yeah, I've thought about selling the rights.  Honestly though, I learned so much from all of that and I'm glad I've had time to do me.  Sounds like a massive stereotype, right?"

 

JC chuckled then.  "No, that's what you needed.  That's clearly how you got to be such a confident, cool chick.  I believe that everything happens for a reason, everything has a lesson, you know?"

 

Amanda grinned.  "That's been my mantra.  But you're right, I dove into work and now I got to a good place from a bad situation.  And then I literally ran into my crush in an airport."

 

"I ran into you," JC corrected with an award-winning smile. 

 

Food arrived at their table and both divided things to share.

 

"So now that I took down the fun level a few notches, are you going to tell me what we're doing after this?"

 

JC spooned some spinach and artichoke dip onto his plate.  "You didn't take the fun level down at all, I'm learning about you.  If I give you a hint, you won't ask a million more questions?"

 

"Against my better judgment, I will let myself be surprised.  I'll take a hint though."

 

"You have to promise to not take your phone out and start Googling immediately after."

 

Amanda raised her hand up as if she was being sworn in.  "I promise.  You can even take my phone again."

 

"Wow, you are making progress," JC joked.  "Okay, we're going to see a show.  Last chance to change shoes in case we'll do some standing."

 

Amanda looked down at her wedge sandals.  "I'm good.  I'm stopping myself from asking more questions even though I really want to."

 

"See, you do trust me," JC beamed.

 

"I told you I did."

 

They ordered another round of drinks and continued chatting until JC indicated that it was time for them to go.  He ushered her outside to an awaiting town car which she hadn't expected at all.  Yet another surprise.

 

As Amanda slid into the car, she couldn't help but notice how smooth JC was all the time.  It was one thing she couldn't get enough of.  He was gorgeous, yes, but everything seemed to come naturally to him.  She wondered if there was anything that he wasn't good at.  He threaded his fingers into hers and smiled.  That smile drove her crazy. 

 

They sat quietly together in the backseat holding hands and watching downtown Atlanta pass them by.  She had been to Atlanta enough times to know the basic layout of the city and by the looks of it, they were heading towards State Farm Arena.  This didn't narrow down the possibilities of shows that he could be taking her to.  They were getting closer and before she knew it, they were rounding a corner and pulling into a garage that seemingly opened just for them.  That's when she put the pieces together and figured out what they were doing.

 

"Honey, I need you to prepare you for a couple things," JC said calmly which pulled Amanda out of her thoughts.

 

She glanced over at him and felt the corners of her mouth sliding upward.  She felt the car coming to a stop.

 

"If you feel weird about being in public with me, I just need to know.  I won't be offended at all, I know it's a lot..."

"JC, stop.  I'm so honored that you want to be in public with me."

 

"Don't say that, I don't care, I just don't want you to be overwhelmed.  I think we can do this pretty privately, but you never know.  I don't want to put you at risk."  JC ran his hand through his hair.  She could tell he seemed a little nervous, so she reached back out for his hand.

 

"I don't feel like going to a show with you is high risk.  Are you nervous?"

 

"I just don't want you to be freaked out by my life," he said as he squeezed her hand.

 

"It's part of you and I know that."

 

JC smiled.  "So okay, out of car.  Are you ready to meet one of my oldest friends?"

 

Amanda chuckled, but felt nerves creeping into her stomach.  It hadn't yet occurred to her that she was about to meet Justin Timberlake.

 

As soon as JC opened the door for Amanda, he wrapped his hand around hers and a bodyguard appeared.  He dropped a VIP badge around her neck.  They were clearly in some sort of loading dock and being escorted in through a back hallway.  She grasped JC’s hand tighter as he led her into a hallway.  She tried to push down the impending nerves.  Seeing JC get a little stressed before exiting the car had rattled her a bit.  She knew that being out with him would eventually garner some attention, albeit this was sooner than she expected.  A set of doors were opened and people were bustling everywhere.  She had been backstage at shows before, but never like this.  Everyone around them seemed to be on a mission, energy was swirling around them, and JC kept pulling her forward.

 

As he slowed his pace a bit, he grinned over at her.  “Doing okay?”

 

Amanda nodded and grinned.  She was still a bit in shock that he was letting her into his life in a big way.  They were led to a room that had a tattered “Private” sign on it.  The door pushed open to reveal a room with a few other people, a banquet table with various liquor bottles and mixers, and a few tables and chairs.  JC grasped Amanda’s hand tighter and led her to the banquet table.  He dropped her hand and grabbed the bottle of Grey Goose, grabbed a red Solo cup, and filled it with ice.

 

“Trust me enough to make me a drink?” He asked with a smirk.

 

“Just remember that I have to work tomorrow, but yes,” Amanda answered as she nervously adjusted her jean jacket.  

 

JC scooped ice into the cup, added the vodka, and grabbed the club soda.  She looked around and wondered if he knew any of the people in the room.  To her surprise, barely anyone had lifted their head when they had entered the room.  She felt JC’s stare on her and looked back at him as he was handing her a completed drink. 

 

“That was sweet, thank you,” Amanda said as she took the icy glass from him.

 

“Ladies first always, right?” He said with a wink and grabbed another red cup.

 

Amanda felt her insides start to stir as he said it.  She watched as JC poured some tequila over ice and guided them to a table.

 

“You’re quiet, are you still good?”  JC asked as he tipped his cup to his lips.

 

“I’m good, I just have a lot of questions,” Amanda took a sip of her drink.  JC really had a heavy pour and she smirked to herself.  “But before I ask – thank you for this.  This was a perfect surprise.  How did you know I’d want to see Justin?”

 

“You own every one of his records on vinyl, I noticed,” JC chuckled.  “You’re welcome.  Are you wondering what we’re doing?”

 

Amanda nodded as JC placed his hand on her thigh.

 

“I forgot that you’re a planner.  We’ll chill for a minute here, go say hi to Justin, and I might try to catch up with a few people.  I’m excited to see everyone; lots of people that toured with us back in the day are still with Justin.  This is sort of like a reunion.”

 

“That’s very cool.  Do you miss it?”  Amanda placed her hand on top of his.

 

“Performing?  I mean, yeah.  There isn’t anything like having a crowd like this.  The energy is electric.  I’m really grateful for those memories, but I love coming to watch Justin.  He was born to do this.”

 

Amanda shook her head.  “JC, you were born to do this, too.  I know enough about you to know that this isn’t what you wanted on your own, but you command a stage.”

 

JC gently squeezed her thigh and took another sip from his cup.  “You’re too good to me, thanks.  I was a lot younger then, had a lot more energy.”

 

Amanda snorted.  “I’ll never forget seeing you guys live and you were unbelievable to watch.  No one could keep up with you.  I was exhausted watching you.”

 

JC chuckled in response, glanced down at his watch, and reached over to sweep his lips over Amanda’s cheek.

 

“Let’s take our drinks and go say hi.  I don’t want to interrupt his routine.  Ready?”

 

Amanda stood up and straightened her dress and grabbed her drink.  “Ready.”

 

******

Amanda watched as JC and Justin did the standard bro hug and make a joke that she didn’t understand.  She smiled watching them; it was clear that they thought of each other as brothers.  For a moment she forgot that she was standing in the same room with JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake.

 

“Okay man, this is my girl, Amanda,” JC introduced her.

 

Amanda’s mind immediately started working overtime.  His girl?  Not exactly a label, not that she was looking for one.  Also, standing in front of Justin Timberlake – did she shake his hand?  Hug?  What was protocol with Justin Timberlake?  Before she had time to react, she was being pulled into a hug.  Justin released her and wrapped his hands around her shoulders.

 

“I’m really glad to meet you,” he said with a sincere smile.  “I’m glad you were able to drag him out of a studio and get him here.”

 

Amanda nervously laughed.  “Actually, he surprised me on my work trip and brought me here.”

 

Justin’s hands slid down her arms and he chased down JC who was across the room fiddling with a tequila bottle.

 

“C, I thought I was special,” Justin sarcastically remarked.

 

“Nah, man, the girl is special.  I’m trying to score points by bringing her here,” JC chuckled.

 

Amanda giggled.

 

Justin feigned hurt.  “You mean, I’m being used?!”

 

“Exactly,” JC used a thumb to point towards the door.  “Do you mind taking care of her for a few?  I want to catch up with a few people.”

 

“Go for it, but I’m not responsible for what I might say to her,” Justin grinned.

 

JC rolled his eyes and slipped out of the room before Amanda had time to protest and before she realized that she was alone in a room with Justin Timberlake.  Amanda nervously played with the hem of her dress as she watched Justin stroll over to a catering table with several bottles of liquor.  He pulled out two cups and grasped a bottle of tequila.

 

“Okay, Amanda honey, we have to do a toast to the fact that you got C out and about,” Justin said with a chuckle and started pouring.

 

Amanda took a step forward to meet him at the table.  “I didn’t force him or anything, he found me on my trip.  Honest.”

 

Justin set down the bottle and offered Amanda a cup.  “You inspired him to fly across the country and that’s something… he likes you.”

 

Amanda grinned and peered down into the cup of straight tequila.  “How do you know?”

 

Justin returned her grin.  “Well, for one thing, I can’t remember the last time he introduced me to a woman.  I’ve also known him a very long time and he doesn’t put his private life out there.  He’s doing that for you.”

 

Amanda felt her heart sink a little.  “I didn’t ask him to and…”

 

Justin started shaking his head back and forth.  “No, not what I mean.  I’m trying to say that I can tell he’s really happy and he wants to do things to be with you.”

 

Amanda tried to let that soak in.  Did JC really want to be in a relationship?  Instead of voicing concern, Amanda nodded.

 

“I haven’t known him long, you know, but he’s really good to me.  Good for me.  I’m just trying to figure out what we’re doing.”

 

Justin tipped his cup to eye up the contents.  “He’s one of the best guys.  Can I give you some advice?”

 

Amanda grinned.  Advice from Justin Timberlake.  About her… dating life with JC?  What was her life right now?  She added a nod.

 

“C isn’t the guy to play with anyone’s heart.  If he’s spending this much time with you, it means he wants to be serious.  Don’t question it.”

 

Again, Amanda was left to try and process the words.  Serious with a man who had been part of her life for as long as she could remember?  Easy.  The not easy part was trying to find a meaningful way into his life on a deeper level.

 

“Okay then,” Justin said with a nod of his head.  “Cheers to you being here with one of my best friends.”

 

Amanda toasted and tilted her cup to her lips, swallowed in a gulp and placed the cup on the table.

 

“So you’re a girl who can handle some liquor, huh?”

 

Amanda chuckled.  “I’m from Wisconsin.  I think they throw you out if you can’t stomach it.”

 

******

Amanda followed JC into a suite that contained only the two of them.  She noted the full bar, a few snacks, and the modest seating arrangement that were part of the small room.  JC grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest.

“I hope this is okay, I know this isn’t as fun as being on the floor, but I know this show is probably better when you can see from up here.”

Amanda smiled and shook her head.  “This is more than okay.  Are you kidding?”

 

JC grabbed both of her hands in his and brushed his lips against hers.  “Can I get you a water or something?”

 

“Hey. Stop.  Thank you for doing this for me.  This is really special.”  Amanda moved her arms around to his back and drew him closer.

 

“You’re welcome.  But you know, it was free,” JC added with a chuckle.

 

Amanda giggled in response.  “Come on, JC.  I know, but this was thoughtful and I still can’t believe you’re here.”

 

She felt JC’s hands grip her hips tightly and gaze seriously at her.  “I’m grateful to be here with you.  I don’t ever want you to feel like you should be lucky to be with me or something.”

 

Amanda took a deep breath as she tried to grasp the quick change in tone.  “JC, I – “

 

“Honey, no.  Listen.”  He pulled her towards the loveseat near the middle of the room where he gestured for them to sit.  He sat forward with his elbows on his knees.  “The key to this working with us… I need you to treat me just like a normal guy.  You can’t have different expectations for me or hold me to a different standard.”

 

Amanda reached out to place her hand on his back.  “You’re right.  I need to adjust.  I can’t help but think of the work you probably sacrificed to be here.”

 

JC glanced over his shoulder to see her face.  “That’s the thing though.  I am working while I’m here.  It’s not a 9 to 5 thing.  I work when I have opportunities, you know?”

 

Amanda nodded in response.  She suddenly got the feeling that JC had just revealed a piece of his emotional baggage.  He struggled to get those around him to treat him like they would anyone else.  “I get it.  But, you have to cut me some slack.  I’m not used to grand gestures or anyone doing thoughtful stuff for me.”

 

JC grinned and leaned back against the couch while draping his arm around her shoulders.  “Isn’t this just normal dating shit?  Things that you women like?  Being surprised?”

 

She giggled.  “Yeah, sure.  I’ll try to imagine that sitting here with you at a JT show is normal.”

 

JC laughed in return.  “Okay, fine.  It isn’t normal to you, I’ll give you that.  Promise me though that you won’t cut me slack because of who I am.”

 

Amanda leaned into him and brushed her lips against his cheek.  “I’ll remind you of this someday.”

 

As the show began, they made their way to the small seating area in the front of the room that faced the arena.  The lights darkened and she felt JC’s energy.  As she glanced over to him, she could tell he felt the electricity coursing through him.  It reminded her that she did truly miss his energy on stage.  She relaxed against him while she tried to watch the show through his eyes.  It was clear that he was so proud of Justin.  She had seen Justin perform before and it was undeniable that he was made to be an entertainer.  Amanda tried her best to not scream sing to every song and tried to gently hum along to the songs she knew so well.

 

Throughout the performance, JC and Amanda danced a bit as they both enjoyed Justin’s high energy.  As they approached the end of the show, Amanda couldn’t help but be drawn in to one of her favorite songs.  Suddenly, the lyrics seemed to cut deep and she felt JC press her back into his chest.

 

Said all I want from you

Is to see you tomorrow

And every tomorrow

Maybe you'll let me borrow, your heart

And is it too much to ask for every Sunday?

An while we're at it throw in every other day to start

I know people make promises all the time

Then they turn right around and break them

When someone cuts your heart open with a knife and you're bleeding

But I could be that guy to heal it over time

And I won't stop until you believe it

'Cause baby you're worth it

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me

Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true with me

Spend all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

Now how about I be the last voice you hear tonight?

And every other night for the rest of the nights that there are

And every morning I just wanna see you staring back at me

'Cause I know that's a good place to start

I know people make promises all the time

Then they turn right around and break them

Then someone cuts your heart open with a knife

Now you're bleeding

Don't you know that I could be that guy to heal it over time

And I won't stop until you believe it

Cause baby you're worth it

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me

Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true with me

Spend all your time and your money just find out my love was free

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

Not such a bad thing to fall in love with me

No I won't fill your mind with broken promises

And wasted time

And if you fall

You'll always land right in these arms

These arms of mine

Don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me

Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true with me

Spend all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

Not such a bad thing to fall in love with me

 

As the song ended, she realized that she had been singing the entire time.  She couldn’t help but feel panic surge through her as JC spun her in his arms.  Before she could even say anything, she felt his lips crash into hers and she could barely focus on anything else.  JC pulled back slightly after a moment and rest his forehead gently on her eyes.  His eyes darkened and focused on hers.

 

“I knew I could get you to sing for me.”

 

Amanda tilted her head back and felt her cheeks redden.  “Shit,” she whispered under her breath.

 

JC grasped the back her neck lightly to force her eyes to him and pressed her closer.  “You’re fucking talented, why are you hiding?”

 

She felt like she couldn’t breathe.  Did JC just really say that to her?  “Wow.  Um, thank you?  I didn’t even realize I was singing along,” she explained as she let her head hit his shoulder.

 

JC chuckled and kissed her temple.  “Will you sing the rest of this show for me?  Cat’s out of the bag, woman and I’m desperate to hear more.”

 

Amanda grinned and poked his side as she turned back to the stage.  “You sneaky bastard.  Here I thought you brought me here to be a good date.  You had ulterior motives.”

 

He pressed up against her back and moved her hair as she felt his breath on her ear.  “I can be persuasive too, you know.”