Three months and twelve days. That’s how long it had been since the day he left the island. It was almost that same amount of time since they had spoken. 


They had promised each other that they would keep in contact and try to keep whatever it was they were doing alive. But she broke that promise. Not because she didn’t like him. She liked him a lot. She convinced herself that this was the way it had to be, but if this was the way it was supposed to be, why did it not feel right?


“Get up, bitch. We have a date,” Kala stood in the doorway of her roommate Alani’s room, looking on at her best friend who was in the bed covered from head to toe in blankets and pillows, her head peaking out.


Alani groaned, “I’m not going.”


“Yes, you are. We have to be there in an hour. GET. UP.”


“Why are you making me do this?” Alani asked, still huddled underneath her safe spot, which she had admittedly spent more time in the last 3 months. Coincidence? No, not at all.


“I am sick of you moping around about JC. You chose not to answer his calls anymore. You chose to end it. Now, get over it.” Kala said harshly, dramatically placing a hand on her hip. 


“I didn’t end anything. I just stopped talking to him, because it’s easier that way.”


“Easier for who? All you’ve done is lay in bed and be miserable. I’m sure he’s not exactly happy either.”


Alani sat up, letting some of the blankets fall around her. She ran a hand through her tangled mess of black hair. “I’m sure he’s just fine.”


“Whatever. Then, you can be fine too. Meet me downstairs in 30 minutes.”


Kala stalked to her own room where she began to get ready for the night. She hated to see her friend so down and out, but she also knew the best thing for Alani was a swift kick in the ass. That brutal honesty that only a real friend can give. And as a bonus, a little distraction in the form of another man wouldn’t hurt. 


Alani checked her phone, secretly hoping for a missed call or text from JC, but knew that wasn’t going to be there. That ship had sailed. He had stopped trying to contact her over a month ago. At first, it hurt her to ignore him, but in her mind, it was best. They lived in two different worlds and there was no way a healthy relationship could exist. She made the mistake of looking up pictures of the other girls he had dated and went down a rabbit hole of articles about his relationships. She was not model material like the rest of them. She couldn’t envision herself being on his arm at red carpet events. 


She found her mood quickly plummeted. She went to work and did the bare minimum, then came home and did the same often just eating her feelings then retreating back to her room to her bed. She knew she had gained a few pounds and noticed it around her hips. Now, looking in the mirror was something she disliked, which further made her mood spiral. 


She thumbed through the clothes in her closet, settling for a black maxi dress, hoping it would hide her newfound insecurities. She slipped on a pair of black flip flops. She ran a brush through her wavy hair trying to get it to look somewhat presentable and decided on just some mascara and lip gloss for makeup. Glancing in the mirror at her look, she decided she hated it, but it would have to do. It’s not like she cared whether this date went well or not. 


—-




“Are we one of those love at first sight people? I always thought that sounded crazy.”


“I don’t know what it is, but I know that I don’t want it to stop and I don’t want to let it go. I could see myself loving you,” He confessed, pulling her into his arms.


“So could I, Josh. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t want you to leave already. It’s unfair that I’ve finally met someone who makes me feel so good and it’s being ripped away me,” She said into his chest, trying her best to contain her emotions and the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.





“Jace?”


JC snapped back to reality, vaguely hearing his manager, Eric, trying to get his attention for the umpteenth time that day. His mind kept wandering back to when he said goodbye to Alani in Hawaii. He thought they were on the same page. He didn't think things would be the way they were now.


“Sorry. What were you saying?” JC asked, taking a fry off of his plate and popping it into his mouth. They were having lunch at a burger joint, going over specifics about a commercial that JC was going to be in. 


“I said they want the track sent over by next Friday. Is it almost complete?” 


“Yeah, man. I just need to do a few tweaks and it’ll be ready.” 


“I can’t believe you agreed to do a Meow Mix commercial. You don’t even have a cat. You won’t do a song for yourself but you’ll do one about cat food?” Eric laughed, shaking his head.


JC shrugged, “Less pressure.”


He knew that his fans wanted new music, but he was currently working on other lengthy projects that were at a standstill. When he was contacted about doing a commercial for Meow Mix, he quickly agreed. It was a nice distraction from the tedious work of writing a musical. It was fun. It was hilarious and he didn’t have to take himself so seriously.


“I guess that’s one way to look at it. Anyway, why have you been so distracted lately?”


“Me? I haven’t been distracted,” he answered, unconvincingly. He noticed it himself but had hoped it wasn’t something anyone else could pick up on. 


“Bullshit.”


“Okay. Look man, I just thought things were going well with Alani and now I haven’t heard from her in months. I just don’t get it.” He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his growing beard. 


“Let it be what it was. A fling.” 


“It was not a fling.”


“Okay. So, what did you think was going to happen? Did you think she was going to move out to LA for you all because you fucked her a few times in a weekend?” Eric leaned forward on the table, raising a curious eyebrow at JC.


JC rolled his eyes in response, “No. I didn’t think that but I wanted to see where it could go.”


“You saw where it went.. nowhere. Sorry, man. You know you can have almost anyone you want out here. Why worry about some chick across the ocean?”


JC soaked in his friend’s words. They didn’t feel good to hear. He was worried about her. He thought they left each other on a hopeful note. 


“Plus, pretty soon you’ll have all kinds of pussy cats following you around.” Eric added, jokingly, knowing it would lighten the mood some.


JC couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he would be the butt of any and all jokes concerning cats for the next few months.


—


Alani and Kala sat across from their dates - two guys who looked like they could own the island with their three piece suits and shiny Rolexes, they were practically screaming “I’m rich.” It was quite obvious that Kala had found these two at the hotel they worked at. She was notorious for picking up rich snobs who were staying at The Ritz.


Alani had to admit her date — Gary, George, something with a G? she couldn't remember his name — was actually pretty attractive. For a split second, she entertained the idea of moving on and starting new with someone else. Then, her mind wandered to the man that occupied her thoughts 90% of the time, and she was back to hating the idea. 


She plastered on a fake smile for the entire dinner and ate the fine dining cuisine and top shelf cocktails, barely acknowledging the man sitting across from her. 


She scrolled her phone, and continued to drink on their dime. She was currently on drink #4 and feeling it. Kala made her come along but she said nothing about her having to actually engage with these men. Her goal was to sit here, look pretty and get this shit over with.


“Did you really just order another drink?” Kala asked incredulously. She was quite annoyed with Alani’s behavior at dinner. She was trying to help her friend out, but she was clearly not accepting the help.


“Yes. Yes, I did. That’s okay, right Gary?” Alani asked the man sitting across from her. He was blonde with a man-bun. Who the hell wears a man-bun with a suit? She thought to herself.


“Graham. Its Graham. And sure, whatever you want.” He threw her a kind smile and for a split second, she felt a little bad for using him.


“Thanks, Graham. A few more of these,” she raised her glass. “And I might have actually let you fuck me.”


“Woah. Woah. Okay, Alani. You’re cut off,” Kala grabbed the drink from her friend and set it down on the table. She then grabbed Alani’s hand and pulled her up from her seat. 


“Graham. Derek. Thank you both for this meal. It was amazing. Sorry to run, but I have to get Alani home. Bye.” Kala said before bolting from the restaurant, with a tipsy Alani straggling behind her.


>>>>


“Sorry I ruined dinner,” Alani collapsed onto the couch, her head spinning. 


“It’s no biggie. They were boring anyway. I can’t believe you said that though,” she laughed, taking a seat beside her.


“Me neither,” Alani laughed along with her.


They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Alani said quietly, “I want to call JC.”


“What? Why?”


“I don’t know. I fuckin’ miss him. It’s crazy. We spent 3 days with each other. Why do I care so much?”


“I don’t know, but maybe you should wait until you’re sober to call him.” Kala advised. She had watched her friend make a fool of herself tonight already, she was trying to avoid that happening again. 


“No. I don’t want to wait any longer..”


As Alani pulled out her phone, Kala took that as her cue to retreat to her own room to give her privacy.


Alani nervously scrolled down to his name and pressed it. When she heard the ringing, she held her breath in anticipation.


After several rings, the voicemail greeting sounded through the phone. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. For a second, she had hope that he would answer. In her drunken state, there was no logical reason why he didn’t answer other than he didn’t want to talk to her anymore. She hung up, opting to not leave a message.


She wished she could erase the phone call as if it never happened, to save herself the embarrassment she felt. She laid back on the couch,  feeling her eyes getting heavy. Her head felt like it was swimming and she knew the only thing she needed right now was sleep. 


There was a time when JC’s calls would go unanswered by her and she would wonder how he felt hearing her voicemail greeting sound through the phone each time. Now, she knew how that felt. She hoped in the morning that the rejection would hurt way less.

JC awoke in the middle of night and his eyes adjusted to the dark room. The clock on his bedside table read 5 AM. He had fallen asleep extremely early the evening before after spending all morning and afternoon in the studio. Now it was 5 o'clock in the morning and he was awake but not ready to start his day. 

He grabbed his phone and it was full of notifications, which immediately annoyed him. He hated cellphones sometimes. The Do Not Disturb feature was his favorite thing about them. He skimmed through the notifications, that were mostly texts from Eric. Then, something caught his attention.

Alani - Missed Call.

He sat up in bed and stared at the phone in disbelief. Why did she call? Is she okay? Was it a mistake? 

All of these questions went through his head. He wanted so badly to call her back but knew with the time change that it was not an ideal time to call. He made a mental note to call her later that day. 

He thought back to the last time he saw her face. They were FaceTiming a few days after he had left Maui. 

"Did you just take a picture of me?" She asked, hiding her face with her hand. She had quickly answered his FaceTime call before realizing she was wearing her glasses. It was a look JC had yet to see on her, but he thoroughly enjoyed it. Something about her wearing the clear, square frames, with her shiny, black hair falling past her shoulders was making him feel warm all over. 

He chuckled, "I took a screenshot, yes." He was just happy he could see her face in view again, even if it was through the phone. Since he had returned home, he couldn't wait to set aside time each day to hear her voice and an added bonus was when he could see her.

"Ugh why?! I look like shit right now with these big ass glasses on."

"Stop it. No, you don't. If I was over there right now, I'd smack your hand away from your face," He teased.

She moved her hand from the camera view, a playful grin on her face. "Did you just say you would assault me?"

JC rolled his eyes. She was so dramatic. He liked that about her. Whatever emotion she was feeling, he knew. It was always written on her face and expressed through her tone.

"I'm not even going to answer that. So, when are you coming out here to see me?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sooner than later. You literally just left.."

"Maybe I miss you." He confessed. He watched her cheeks flush at his admission.

She bit her lip contemplating what to say next, "I miss you too."

JC sighed as he settled back down into his bed, trying to will himself back to sleep for a couple of hours. He had spent the last couple of weeks beating himself up over the whole situation. Did he do something to upset her? Was she really not into him as much as she claimed to be? It didn't help that Eric was constantly reminding him that it was an extended one night stand and he needed to get over it. 

He knew he wasn't going to get over it. He wasn't going to get over her. 

---

Alani heard movement in the kitchen that was adjacent from her spot on the couch. She cracked one eye open to see Kala over by the sink. In a few moments, she was by Alani's side handing her an Advil and a glass of water.

Alani sat up slowly and accepted the offer, downing the pill and chugging the cold water. 

"How do you feel?" Kala asked, taking a seat beside her, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"Like shit." 

"How did it go with JC on the phone last night?" 

Alani groaned, "It didn't go anywhere. He didn't answer. What was I thinking? Let me just call this man that I ghosted for the last few months?"

"Maybe he was busy. I think he will call back."

"That seems unlikely." Alani sulked, laying back down on the couch. She slung a tanned arm over her face.

"You're really pathetic right now."

"And you're really annoying right now, Kala," Alani sighed exasperatedly, getting off of the couch and heading into her room where she could be alone. She loved her roommate dearly, but she was not the most empathetic person and right now she just wanted her friend to comfort her. 

She settled into the safe haven of her bed, feeling her body relax. Scrolling through her phone mindlessly, she wondered what JC had thought when he saw her calling. Would he call back?

Putting her phone away, she turned on her comfort show, Law and Order SVU and snuggled down into her blankets, preparing to spend her whole day there.

--

Alani awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing beside her. Sometime after the 5th episode or so of SVU, she dozed off. The sleep was good for her and helped ward off the rest of that hangover.

She lazily picked up her phone and held it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Alani? Hey, it's JC."

She sat up quickly, held the phone away from her ear and looked at it questionably. Was she dreaming? She had to be.

"Hello?" She heard him say again after she didn't respond. 

"Um, hi. Hey, JC." She gulped, unsure of where the conversation would go. She hoped he would take the lead, because she was feeling awkward and nervous.

"I saw where you called me last night. I was returning your call. Is everything okay?" He asked. She heard the concern in his voice.

"Yeah. Everything's great." She said, unconvincingly. What else could she say? No, everything fucking sucks and I miss you. She knew she didn't have the courage to admit that - not yet at least. 

There was a pause for a minute, as JC was expecting more to that answer. He knew there had to be a reason she called.

"I was just calling to see how you were. How are you?" Alani asked.

"I've been okay. Busy working on some new projects. How about you?"

"Just working."

"That's good. How's Kala?"

"She's a pain in my ass." Alani laughed, "She dragged me out last night on a double date. It was awful. I drank entirely way too much."

Date? JC's face scrunched up at the thought of Alani on a date with someone else. Sure, they hadn't spoken in some time, but she had moved on and started dating again?

"I see. I didn't know you were going on dates. I'm going to be honest, I'm feeling some type of way," He admitted. Alani immediately felt bad for bringing it up. Maybe she should've kept that to herself. 

"Kala set it up. I didn't want to go," she hesitated, "you haven't been seeing anyone?"

"Not at all."

Alani had to admit to herself that hearing this made her heart flutter. Maybe there was still something there. 

"Why not?" She asked, nervously twirling a strand of hair around her finger. 

"Um, honestly? I can't stop thinking about you."

There was silence while Alani processed what he had said. JC began to wonder if he was being too forward, but he wanted her to know how he felt. He wasn't sure if they would talk again and he had to let her know that she occupied his thoughts way more than she should have.

"Are you there?" 

"Yes, I'm here. I didn't know you still thought about me."

"Why wouldn't I? Alani, I thought I made it pretty clear that I was into you. You ghosting me these past couple of months really fucked with me."

Alani sighed regretfully, "I'm sorry. The distance, who you are and everything got to me. It seems silly to hold on to something I wasn't sure was going to last."

"Stop being so scared. You like me. I like you. All we have is right now, so we should focus on that." JC reasoned.

He was right. She liked him a lot. She was miserable not talking to him. It seemed like a second chance was right in her lap and she needed to take advantage of the fact that he was right there telling her everything she needed to hear. It would be foolish to let him go again.

"I am scared, JC. I'm not going to lie to you. But I do miss you." Alani felt relieved that she was able to admit that.

JC smiled on the other end. Finally, he felt like he was getting somewhere. Finally, he had confirmation that holding out hope was all worth it. "I miss you too. Promise you'll answer when I call now?" 

"I think I can do that."

As promised, Alani answered JC's call the next day and everyday after for a couple weeks. Now, she found herself en route to LA for 5 days. Five whole days to spend with JC. Alani surprised herself by agreeing to let him buy her a ticket to visit him. She couldn't afford the ticket herself, and didn't want to feel like a charity case to JC, but he assured her he wanted to buy it whether she could do it or not. It was his idea for her to visit. 

The entire plane ride was spent obsessing over how their first meeting after four and a half months would go. Would it be awkward? Would they greet each other like friends with a handshake or like lovers with a kiss?

She exited the plane and made her way to the baggage claim area. JC told her he would be at the airport once the plane landed, but she did not see him in sight. As she waited for her luggage to come around the carousel, she felt a pair of strong hands grip her waist. Fear went through her body at the thought of a stranger in a city she wasn't familiar with, putting their hands on her. She whipped around quickly to see a smiling JC, whose hands were planted firmly back on her waist.

"You scared me!" She said, playfully punching his chest. "Hey."

"Sorry, " He chuckled, "Hey to you too. It's so good to see you." 

He hugged her tightly, resting his hands on the small of her back. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he finally had his girl back in his arms. Every worry Alani had on the plane seemed to dissipate. This was no handshake between two pals. Part of her anticipated a kiss to follow when they parted, but it didn't happen. She was slightly disappointed, but didn't let it show. They parted ways, both knowing they didn't want to. 

"Grab your bags and let's get out of here."

--

"Welcome to The Chasez Crib," He opened the door to his home and extended his arm allowing her to walk inside before him.

Alani was already in awe when they drove up to the million dollar mansion, marveling at the beautiful architecture. She had never seen houses so big until they began the ride to West Hollywood, passing other enormous homes along the way. 

She stepped inside and took in her surroundings. It was definitely spacious and lacking a bit of color, but it was beautiful nonetheless and had amazing views of the Hollywood hills. 

"It's beautiful, JC." 

"I know something else that's beautiful," He pulled her into his arms. 

"You're so cheesy," She laughed. 

"Can I kiss you? I know it's been a while, since we've seen each other and some shit was weird for a while, but -"

She cut him off,  "Shhh. Yes, you can kiss me. Please kiss me."

He didn't hesitate as he snaked a hand up from her waist, all the way up to her cheek where he cupped it, and leaned down to kiss her awaiting lips. Despite the time, the familiarity of his lips on hers made Alani sigh onto his lips. He kissed her like he was making up for lost time. He kissed her long and slow, letting his tongue explore her mouth.

He pulled away grinning, "I've missed that."

"So have I," Alani agreed, trying to steady her breathing. 

"I would've done it at the airport. I just never know when a pap is nearby. You just got to LA. I don't want to push you into that part of my life yet. It can be difficult."

"I understand. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when we saw each other. I didn't know if it was going to be like a friendly handshake or... more."

"Hey," JC laced his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to his lips to kiss them gently, "I meant everything I said to you back in Hawaii."

"It's just been so long, JC. I mean, maybe you lost interest.."

"I didn't. I asked you to come out here, Alani. That has to mean something."

"It does. Sorry, I'm being weird." She sighed, frustrated with herself. 

"You're fine. It's close to dinner time. I thought I could cook something for us and we could eat out on the balcony. I'll give you a quick tour and you can rest up a bit if you want while dinner is on." He suggested, grabbing her luggage.

"You're going to cook?" She asked, making a disbelieving face.

He scoffed, "Yes. Thankfully, HelloFresh sends me these recipe cards with step by step pictures. I'm no chef or anything, but it'll be edible." 

She smiled up at him, "Okay, Chasez. Lead the way."

--

Alani awoke some time later to the scent of food in the air and felt her stomach grumbling eager to eat whatever was cooking. 

JC gave her the option of a guest room or his room, and insisted that he was okay with either decision. Alani picked the guest room, just for the fact that they had been apart for so long and she wasn't quite sure where their relationship or lack thereof really stood. Though things were going well so far, she wanted to avoid any awkwardness. 

After checking her phone and returning texts to Kala to let her know everything was okay she made her way down the grand staircase to the downstairs area where the kitchen was, her mouth salivating the closer she got. 

Well, at least whatever he cooked smells good, she thought.

JC's back was to her as he stood at the stove stirring ingredients in a pot with one hand, the other hand holding the recipe card. She found it amusing yet adorable how focused he was on cooking. She assumed he didn't hear her coming down. She stood there observing him. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and white t-shirt, socked feet. She found the whole scene to be extremely desirable. 

"Hey, chef," She spoke up, getting his attention. 

He turned around quickly, his long locks whipping around his face, "Hey, sleepyhead. How long have you been standing there?"

"Uh.. Not long." She admitted, feeling her cheeks flush. 

JC raised a curious eyebrow, "Sure.."

She took a seat at the kitchen island, hoping the food was almost ready because she was starving. "What are you cooking?"

"Tex-Mex Turkey Bowls with Pineapple Salsa." He said proudly. She could've sworn he puffed out his chest a little too. 

"Impressive. I can't wait to eat. I'm starving." 

"Well, lucky for you. It's just about done."

"I'll grab the bowls and silverware for us. I don't know where anything is but I'm sure I can find it." She offered, standing up. 

"No, no, no," He shook his head adamantly, "They're in the middle drawer on this side of the island, but no, I'll get it. You're my guest." He insisted.

"Okay." She smiled and took her seat again and waited patiently for their dinner. 

-

"Dinner was really good, JC. I'm serious."

They were settled on a comfy sectional in the great room, bellies full, eyes half lidded as they watched a crime show on TV.

"Thank you. And you doubted me."

"I did. I'm sorry. What do you have planned for this week?"

"A couple things. I'm going to have a barbecue Friday closer to the end of your stay, but you'll get to meet a couple of my friends."

"You want me to meet your friends?" She asked, surprised. 

"Um, yeah? Did you think I was going to lock you in my house all week?" He jokingly asked. 

"I mean, I didn't think beyond the first day."

"It'll be fine. They'll love you."

Alani quietly nodded and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Her nervous tic.

"I hate to leave you hanging, but I'm old and tired and I think I'm going to head to bed. You can stay down here and watch TV, help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you want a snack." JC yawned.

"Yeah, Thanks to that nap plus the time change I'll be up for a while."

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight JC."

-

Two hours later, Alani made her way up the staircase towards the guest room where she would be staying. She looked at JC's room that was next to hers, the door cracked. She contemplated going there, but lost her courage and opened the door to her designated room.

She brushed her teeth, changed into some lounge shorts and a tank top and snuggled in bed. She laid there staring into the dark with her mind wandering to JC and how much she missed his touch. She cursed herself for trying to be some kind of saint and picking the guest room. She knew all along she wanted to spend every night with him. 

After a quick pep talk with herself, she got out of bed and quietly walked to his room. The light from the TV helped guide her to his bed where he lay sleeping peacefully. She thought she could quickly and quietly slide into bed without him noticing, but when he felt the bed shift on the other side, he popped one eye open. 

"Hey." He whispered. 

"Hey." She whispered back, snuggling under the heavy comforter. 

"Something wrong with the guest room?" He asked, moving a little closer to her. He now had both eyes open and they were locked on her. 

"Yeah. You're not there," She said, smiling and scooting closer until they were nose to nose. 

"Yeah, well someone wanted to be all innocent and pick that room. I knew where you would end up." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes at him, "Shut up and kiss me already."

“Where are you taking me?” Alani asked, getting comfortable in the passenger seat of JC’s Jeep. They drove out of JC’s neighborhood and across town, passing tall buildings, famous landmarks and into seemingly another expensive neighborhood. Alani sat patiently waiting to get to their destination.

“You’ll see soon enough.” Was all JC said before turning up the radio. He didn’t mind chatting, but knew he would eventually ruin the surprise if they kept talking, so he filled the car with soft sounds of the radio, stealing excited glances at Alani the entire way.

The truth was that JC had something up his sleeve and he was not sure how Alani would react. He hoped she would be open to it. Before leaving his house, he mentioned that she would need to bring her camera along. Alani thought that she would just be sightseeing, taking some pictures to commemorate the trip. 

They pulled into a long driveway of a residence and Alani took in the surroundings trying to find any sort of clue as to what they were going to be doing. JC parked his Jeep and they exited and made their way up to a very large wooden door, which flew open before JC could ring the doorbell. There stood Lance Bass with a happy grin on his face. 

“Hey y'all!” He beamed, flashing his sparkling white teeth. His tanned skin perfectly contrasted with his now lavender locks. 

Alani stood blinking questionably. Why were they at Lance Bass's house and why did she need her camera for this? Either way, she was pleasantly surprised to meet Lance, one of JC’s closest friends. 

“Nice to meet you Alani. I’ve heard so much about you,” he dramatically winked at JC, who shook his head. He reached out for a friendly hug, which she welcomed, hugging him back. 

“Nice to meet you too. This is quite a surprise.”

“Come inside,” Lance motioned for them to follow him inside the home.

They all took a seat in the living room. Lance taking a seat in a velvet green armchair. JC getting comfortable on a cool patterned loveseat, Alani sitting beside him. 

“Alani, we are really excited that you’re going to take our kids' photos. We like to get pictures of every important milestone and since they’re getting ready to turn 2, we wanted to have some pictures done for the birthday announcement,” Lance spoke up, clearly excited as he clasped his hands together.

Alani looked at the both of them with questioning eyes. Taking pictures? JC had said nothing of the sort. Just that he had a surprise.

“Judging by the look on her face.. you didn’t tell her did you, JC?” Lance shook his head at his friend who held a sheepish expression on his face. Alani’s bewildered look had turned into one that he couldn’t quite understand. She didn’t look happy, that’s for sure.

“Uhhh, no. I was getting to that,” JC said, nervously.

Lance read the room and decided the two needed some privacy, “I’m going to check on Michael. He’s dressing the twins himself and I’m sure he could use some help.”

“This was your surprise? Volunteering for me to take pictures for your friend who just so happens to be Lance Bass?” Alani asked, trying to keep her voice down. 

JC anxiously scratched the back of his head. When he set this up, he thought he was doing Alani a favor. Getting her a high profile gig, could mean she would be able to get some experience and some notoriety under her belt in the photography world. He thought she would be grateful, but instead she seemed angry. 

“I was just trying to get you a gig. I should’ve told you.”

“You’re damn right you should have told me. What the fuck, JC? You’re putting an  immense amount of pressure on me and I was totally not prepared for this.”

“You’ll do fine. You’re great at what you do.” He took her hand in his, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“All I have is my camera, which is not the best. I don’t have any props or anything,” She complained, clearly flustered.

JC now felt horrible. She was freaking out, and it was his fault. Now they were already at Lance’s, and he was expecting a photoshoot. 

Lance returned to the room, hoping to help his friend smooth things over. When JC had called him and asked if Alani could take pictures for them, he assumed it was something she had agreed on doing. 

“Alani, we have props, the kids are dressed. Really you don’t need anything but you, your camera and your amazing skills.”

Alani smiled at Lance’s kind words. She knew that she didn’t want to let anyone down and she was wanting to get her photography off the ground, but she wished JC had consulted with her before setting up things. Although she was still fuming, she knew she had a job to do. She would deal with JC later.

“I’m just going to run to the car to get my camera. I should be ready in a few, “ She stood and headed towards the door, leaving JC seated on the couch. 

Lance and JC exchanged knowing glances. 

“I know. I know. I fucked up,” JC sighed, running a hand through this hair.

Lance raised an eyebrow, “What were you thinking, C?”

“I wasn’t. I was just trying to help her out. She’s pissed at me, isn’t she?”

“Definitely, but I’m sure you can make it up to her,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Alani returned with her camera in hand, a strap securing it around her neck. She stood nervously in the room, trying to build up some courage to do the task that was being asked of her. In the few minutes that she had known Lance, she could already tell he was such a kind soul and an amazing dad. She wanted to do this for him, regardless of her small issue with JC. She just hoped that Lance would be pleased with her photos. 

“I know this is a surprise to you. You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable..” Lance started.

“I want to do this. It’s fine.” Alani assured him with a smile.

“Meet us out back when you’re ready. I have a whole birthday scene set up and the twins are out there with Michael. I really appreciate you doing this, Alani.” Lance said, giving her a generous squeeze on the shoulder before exiting the room again. 

“No problem,” she said genuinely. 

JC went to her side, ready to apologize again, the guilt eating away at him. 

“Not right now, Josh.” She said, fiddling with her camera, more so to avoid a conversation with him. She wanted to focus on her job. She followed the direction Lance went, to a door that led outside to the backyard, JC trailing behind her.

Alani entered the backyard area and was actually pleasantly surprised by what she saw. There was a large rainbow colored backdrop, with the words “Happy Birthday Alexander James and Violet Betty”, an insane amount of colorful balloons, and two cute toddler-sized armchairs for each child. Not to mention, the lighting in Lance’s backyard was near perfect. It was bright, but not blinding. 

“Hi. I’m Michael, Lance’s husband. These little boogers here are Alexander and Violet.” Michael greeted her, a child in each arm. “It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you so much for doing this for us.”

Despite her disappointment in JC at the moment, Alani was becoming excited about the photoshoot. The children smiled at her and babbled away. Alexander struggled to free himself from Michael’s grasp. He was wearing a cream shirt, with an adorable pair of tan pants with suspenders, complete with brown loafers on his feet. Violet matched her brother with a cream dress with a fluffy tutu skirt and girly pink Mary Janes, a cream bow atop her little head. 

“Hi Alexander. Hi Violet,” Alani waved. Violet waved shyly, while Alex continued to wriggle about.

Alexander was able to break free and made a beeline for JC. JC picked him up and spun him around, “Hey buddy.”

Alani smiled at the scene, annoyed that even while she was mad at JC, he was still able to do things that made her feel all tingly inside. She felt her anger towards him decreasing quickly.  

“Let’s get started,” Alani said, clapping her hands together.

JC watched from afar as he saw her pull her long black tresses into a messy bun and immediately jump into professional mode. Seeing this side of her was new, different and unbelievably attractive and he was loving the view.

—

“Are you sure you don’t have any kids? You did so well with the twins,” Lance praised her. They were all seated outside in the patio area, sharing a spread of appetizer foods and wine. The twins had gone inside for an afternoon nap with their nanny, allowing the adults some time to chat. 

“I don’t have any kids. Honestly, I don’t know for sure that I want any of my own, but your kids are total sweethearts and if anyone can change my mind, it would be them,” She responded, pouring a hefty glass of Riesling. 

“So, what do you think about LA?” Michael asked, “Do you think you could ever see yourself living out here?”

Alani took a sip and quickly pondered the idea, “You know, I haven’t given it a lot of thought yet. I’ve only been here for a day. I’m hoping by the end of my trip I’ll have a better answer to that question.”

JC sat back and let the three of them converse, choosing to stay quiet to let them all get acquainted. He watched Alani let her hair down out of the bun and shake it casually before taking another sip of her drink. He licked his lips subconsciously, feeling his manhood twitch to life. 

She looked over at him for the first time since their little spat and immediately recognized the look of desire on his face. If she was honest with herself, her anger for JC had disappeared because she had a great time photographing the twins and enjoying the company of Lance and Michael, who were so welcoming and kind. Everything had gone well and there was no reason to be upset.

“I’m glad I got to meet you both before the barbecue JC is going to have. It makes it a little less intimidating.” Alani confessed. She was still nervous about meeting other friends, but felt good about how this meeting went and hoped the others would be similar. 

“There’s nothing to be intimidated about! We’re nobody special.” Lance shrugged.

“Hey! Speak for yourself!” Michael chimed in, causing the whole group to laugh.

“You are indeed special,” JC teased.

“Not everyone can be a zaddy like you.” 

JC ‘s cheeks flushed at the term he had been referred to on social media. He found it hard to believe how many random women still fawned over him after all this time.

“A zaddy, huh?” Alani winked at him. 

“I mean, I’ll be whatever you want me to be, mama.” He flirted back flashing her a devilish smile.

“Woo! It’s getting hot out here!” Lance raised his glass in the couples direction. He was glad that things were turning around after the awkward beginning to their day. He liked Alani and she seemed to make his friend happy. That’s all that mattered to him. 

—

When they finally arrived back at JC’s home, they were both tired from the day’s events. JC was glad to see Alani getting along with some of his closest friends, people he considered family.

“I hope that we are okay,” JC said, pulling Alani into his lap once they were settled into his living room.

“I’m not going to lie, Josh. I was so pissed at first. I like surprises but not in this way. I really tried to stay angry with you but I can’t. You were just looking out for me. Overall, I really appreciate what you did for me.” She gazed into his steel blue eyes, sensing some relief. JC was a genuine nice guy and he only had good intentions. She knew that, for sure. 

“Thank you.” She kissed him sweetly. “But don’t do that shit again.”

He laughed into the kiss, happy with how everything turned out. 

“Lance’s twins are adorable. I never knew I could like kids so much.” Alani spoke.

“They’re good kids. Alex has taken a liking to me.” He hesitated before continuing, “What are your thoughts on kids?”

She felt him tense up, realizing it was a touchy subject but one that should be addressed if they wanted to have a serious relationship. “Um, I had pretty much counted it out for myself. My friends don’t have any, so I’m not around them much, but today was fun. I feel like I could see myself in a mom role. If it happens for me, great. If not, I think I would be content with that.”

JC’s hand found her cheek, where he stroked it tenderly as he listened to her talk. Her answer was near perfect. It matched his very thoughts on the subject. How did he get so lucky to find someone who he was so in tune with? Most of his previous girlfriends had pressured him into wanting the marriage and the kids. He didn’t feel that pressure this time and it felt good to just go with the flow.

“I feel the same way. If it happens, I will be over the moon. If it doesn’t, well it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Hate to change the subject, but I saw the way you were looking at me at Lance’s.” She watched his gaze change from confusion to quick realization. 

“Ah, you caught me. I couldn’t help myself. Your hair is a weakness for me. I love running my fingers through it and when you take it down, it does something to me.” He admitted, unashamedly running his fingers through her hair, still captured by her brown orbs. 

“What does it do to you?” She whispered, their faces inches apart, exchanging breaths, each waiting for the other to make a move. 

“I could just show you.” He whispered back. He pushed her back onto the couch, and settled his body on top of hers. His hands reclaimed their spot back into her hair. His lips captured hers in a deep, sensual kiss that made his whole body tingle with want. Alani rested her hands on his back, familiarizing herself with his strong body that she had missed during their time apart.

‘I’m so glad you’re here,” He mumbled onto her skin as his lips grazed her collarbone. 

She involuntarily pushed her body closer to his, feeling him hard and thick against her thigh.

The thought crossed her mind that the last time they were intimate was in Maui, the night before he left. The span of time that had passed and the events between had put a strain on that issue for Alani in particular. She wanted that aspect of their situation back, but wanted it to be and feel natural. In this very moment, it felt that to her and she was willing to go all the way. 

“What are you thinking about?” JC had paused to make sure she was on the same page he was, not wanting to do anything she was uncomfortable with.

“I’m thinking about how we should take this upstairs..”

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

The walk up the stairs to JC’s bedroom seemed to take eons. Neither one of them wanted to seem like they were in a rush, but they were mutually eager to get to the room. Fingers interlocked, they crossed the threshold of his room and JC took his free hand to shut the door. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked, wanting to be absolutely certain this is what she wanted. 

“Too late to turn back now,” Alani said, nervously fingering a strand of hair.

JC groaned, “Not the answer I was looking for.”

“Sorry,” She laughed, breaking the tension in the room. She brought her lips to his, which were still swollen from their heavy make out session on the couch just minutes before.

“I want this,” She said between soft kisses. 

JC felt the goosebumps forming on his arms at the gentle yet sexy way she spoke those simple words that let him know definitively that she was ready. She was ready for him.

She continued to kiss him on his pillowy soft lips, around his sweet mouth, his strong neck, her hands carefully removing his belt before he could process what was happening. He watched her lower to her knees as she eased the pants down his legs. Her face directly in front of his extended bulge. 

Once her delicate fingers hooked into the waistband of his boxer briefs, he stopped her. “Wait, you don’t have to do that.” He was a giver and he always wanted to make sure his lover was pleased first.

Alani exasperatedly blew a piece of hair out of her face and looked up at him, “Will you stop trying to ruin this amazing sex we’re about to have?”

JC chuckled, “I just have this thing where I like to please first.”

“Well, I have no doubt that you will please me so let’s just go with the flow, alright?.” She cocked her head to the side and grinned at him devilishly. Her hands felt him through the fabric of his briefs, gently rubbing his length. He instinctively licked his lips at the sight in front of him.

All he could do was nod as she pulled his briefs down, exposing his throbbing shaft. His hands went to her hair that he loved so much and she took him into her mouth. She used her hand to gently pump him all while she continued to work her wet mouth to bring him close to the edge.

“Damn, baby that feels so good,” he muttered. He kept his eyes trained on the erotic view, not wanting to miss a thing. She began to work faster, her tongue working its magic, taking him to new heights.

A moan escaped his parted mouth and Alani felt her own core tingling with desire. Hearing him vocally express his pleasure was an aphrodisiac to her brain. 

When she felt him getting close, she paused her work and looked up at him with doe eyes, “Do you want me to stop?”

“Only so I can feel you.” He pulled her up to him until they were face to face. He pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. He marveled at her perky breasts that were covered by a lace red bra before skillfully unclasping it with one hand, letting it fall to the ground. He unbuttoned her denim jeans that hugged every curve and watched her wiggle out of them, taking her matching lace underwear with them. 

She stood there naked in front of him in all her glory. She felt a little self conscious knowing she had gained weight since the last time he saw her this way. She wondered if he noticed.

“You look amazing,” He said tenderly, running his hands up and down either side of her body. She blushed under his watchful gaze. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. 

“I mean it.” 

It was genuine and put her at ease. Seeing her this way, and having her back in his life was making him want to spout out words that he knew neither of them were ready for, but he knew it was just the heat of the moment. 

He quickly shed his own shirt and walked them towards the bed. He grabbed a condom from the bedside table and sheathed himself while she climbed under the comfort of his sheets. 

Once protected, he climbed into bed settling his body between hers, pulling the sheet around them like a cocoon. He wasted no time sliding himself into her slick entrance. They sighed in contentment together. He missed this. He missed her.

Alani pulled him down to her level, kissing him excitedly. This was the piece of the puzzle they were missing. That intimate connection that only they shared. She didn’t want to share that with anyone else. She wondered if he felt the same. 

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, trying to concentrate on her thoughtful face and the amazing sensations he was feeling in the lower half of his body. 

“How much I missed this. And you,” She managed to speak between moans and soft breaths.

He grinned at her admission, looking down at her body as she matched him stroke for stroke, falling into a steady rhythm. Watching their connected bodies move together was driving him wild and he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long. It had been months since he had sex and he didn’t want to rush but knew he was quickly coming unraveled. 

He sat up on his knees and she wrapped her legs around him while he continued to move against her. His hand found her sensitive nub and he rubbed it with just the right amount of pressure and speed to get her to her peak. Alani looked up at him through the haze of her euphoria. His eyes were fixated on hers while he continued to pleasure her in ways only he could. 

“Are you almost there, mama?” He asked. “I want you to come first.”

“Yes. Faster, Josh.” She cried out.

That was the push he needed. He didn’t hold back anymore. His thrusts became quicker and harder. Alani’s breath hitched and she felt the bolt of warmth flood through her body as her orgasm took over. The mere sight of her reaching that high sent him over the edge himself as he felt his release course through his body. 

He laid beside her as they both came down. The only sounds were their ragged breaths and occasional kisses exchanged. 

JC got out of bed to quickly clean himself. Once he returned to bed, Alani was practically asleep, still naked under the sheets. He slid into bed with her, wrapping a comforter around them both. He snuggled closer to her, skin to skin, waiting for sleep to come. 

—

JC was able to clear his schedule with the exception of one day. He had explained to Alani prior to her arrival that he would have to spend one day in the studio with a young pop artist named Adonis. She seemed okay with it and that put him at ease knowing that she would be okay with him working. It gave him a little insight into how she would handle it if they decided to move forward with an actual relationship. 

“Sorry to wake you, honey. I just wanted to tell you bye. I’ll see you later this evening for dinner, right?” JC sat in the bed beside her as she lay still tangled in his sheets. Her hair was in disarray, her makeup from the night before was smudged but he still thought she looked phenomenal.

“It’s okay. Yes, I can’t wait for dinner tonight.” She gave him a sleepy grin. JC had promised her dinner at Nobu. It would be their first actual date in LA. She was excited to go out on the town with him and experience a night on his arm.

“I can’t wait either.”

“I’m leaving the keys to the Mercedes and some cash. Feel free to go around town if you want, shop, get your hair done, whatever you want to do today. I’ll be back around 6.”

“Thanks, babe.” She sat up, clutching the bed sheet around her. She kissed him sweetly, "Don't be late."

“I won't. I promise."

“Okay,” She replied, snuggling back down into the comfy, soft bed or hoping for a couple more hours of shut eye.

—

Once fully rested and dressed for the day , Alani decided to venture out. She didn’t know anyone in LA except JC, Lance and Michael, but she was not afraid to go out exploring and see what she could get into. 

After a little Googling and reading reviews on a few places, she decided to treat herself to lunch at Granville, a popular laidback restaurant, do a little shopping at the Beverly Center and get a pedicure before her date with JC.

She fired up the Mercedes and watched it come to life, amazed at the beautiful interior and sleekness of the car. She never really had such nice things and while it was a perk to enjoy these things that JC had access to, it held no bearing on her feelings about him. Those feelings were becoming stronger and stronger by the day, by the hours, by the minute. The magnetic pull that she felt, just to be around him was enough to make her want to make a decision that very day to move to LA, but she didn’t want to come off as needy or desperate. She had to let things play out and make a knowledgeable decision.

She went to her first stop, Granville and ordered a Thai Ginger salad, sitting outside and basking in the glowing sun, people watching and occasionally scrolling her phone. She took a selfie, sending it to JC with the caption “Lunch at Granville. Wish you were here.”

He replied back, “You look great, baby girl. Have a great lunch. Wish I was there too. ;)"

Alani smiled and continued to take her last few bites when she heard a ‘click, click, click’ - A sound all too familiar for her because she was a photographer herself, but she looked around wondering who was being photographed. Were there some celebrities around that she didn’t notice? 

That’s when she noticed the man across the street from the cafe. He was dressed in dark jeans, a graphic t-shirt, sneakers, a baseball cap, the camera in his hand pointing in her direction. She looked around perplexed thinking he couldn’t possibly be taking a picture of her. Why would anyone want pictures of me? she thought.

She took a final sip of her mimosa and flagged down her waitress.

“Can I have the check, please?” She requested when the young female waitress appeared.

“Sure,” the waitress said cheerfully, “Are you like an actress or something?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just in town visiting a friend. This is my first time in California.”

“Oh, well that guy over there is taking your picture. Not sure if you’ve noticed.”

“I did,” Alani replied uneasily. It was one thing for her to notice it, but now other people were aware of the man taking her photos. She didn’t like the feeling of being watched. “They must have me mistaken for someone else.”

The waitress nodded and went to get the check and returned it to Alani. She quickly paid her tab, left some money for a tip and made her way to JC’s car, still keeping her awareness of the strange man.

Once safely in the car, she pulled out her phone and called JC, the call going to voicemail. 

Alani decided to try her best to ignore the person and continue about her day. 

— 

Alani was in awe walking around the Beverly Center. She went into some of the high end stores like Prada and Gucci, just to say that she had experienced it. When it came to actually shopping for something to wear to dinner, she was able to find something cute and affordable in H&M. JC had given her more than enough money to splurge with but she wasn’t interested in the designer clothes. She was a simple girl and wasn’t one for flashy or materialistic things. Little did she know, that would be another thing that JC would love about her.

While in the shopping center, she didn’t see the man with the camera anymore so she felt relieved, hoping it was just a one time thing. Alani settled into the pedicure chair at a trendy spa she found highly recommended on her google search. Her phone rang just as the pedicurist was starting to remove her polish. It was JC.

"Hey, sorry I  missed your call. I was in the studio. Are you okay?" He asked, a genuine concern in his voice. 

"Yeah, I guess so. This guy was taking pictures of me when I was at Granville. It kind of freaked me out."

JC sighed, "Damn. I guess the paparazzi have found you."

"How do they even know about me?" 

"I don't know, honey. It's scary how they can find out things." He paused. "Do you need me to leave?"

"No, no. I'm fine. I promise. Finish what you have to do so we can go to dinner later.”

“Alright, mama. Just try your best to ignore them. Don’t answer their questions or react to anything they say, Call me if you get freaked out again. I’ll answer this time. Promise.”

They said their goodbyes and Alani went back to enjoying her pedicure. She picked a dark red color for her polish, pleased with how it looked. After getting a new outfit, some pampering she was feeling renewed and excited to spend the evening with the person she was falling for.

Upon leaving the spa, she spotted the same paparazzi from before heading her way. It was as if he had followed her and waited for her to leave. She recalled what JC had told her and did her best to ignore the repetitive questions and the annoying clicking of the camera. 

“Miss! Miss! Are you JC Chasez’s new girlfriend?”

“Alani, how are you liking LA?” 

“Are you going to move in with JC?”

“Is NSYNC going on tour?”

Alani made her way to the car, keeping her head straight and mouth closed. Once inside, she locked the doors and started the car, appearing to be calm but inside she was quite shook up. How did this person know so much about her? She was getting a taste of what it was like to be associated with JC in his world and it was eye opening.

—

Alani returned to JC’s home a little later than she had expected, but still with enough time to get ready for the evening. She brought her bags in and made her way upstairs. She took a quick shower to wash off the day, wanting to be fresh for the evening ahead. She changed into her new outfit and admired herself in the mirror. She had picked a smocked off the shoulder top in a floral blue and white design, dark wash denim jeans and a pair of white square toe heels, showing off her newly polished toes.

Glancing at the clock, she noticed that JC would soon arrive. She hurriedly did some natural looking makeup with a pop of a red lip and tousled her hair with a bit of product to give it a wavy look. Satisfied with her look, she made her way downstairs to greet JC. She poured herself a glass of Merlot to help calm some of the nervousness she was feeling.

6:15 pm

Alani scrolled her phone, looking for any missed calls from JC. Maybe he was running late, she told herself. She wanted to call but didn’t want to seem like she was rushing him.

6:30 pm

Dinner reservations were for 7pm. Even if JC walked through the door that second, they would be scrambling to get there in time. Her glass of wine had been long gone so she poured another and got comfy on the couch.

6:45 pm

She decided to call him. No answer. 

7:00 pm

Disappointment set in. She called his phone again and was met with the voicemail. 

“JC. Hey, um we had dinner reservations at 7. It’s now 7:02… give me a call and let me know that you’re okay.”

She sighed, feeling her good day quickly going downhill.

— 

Across town, JC was frustrated and stuck on a particularly difficult part of a song. He and Adonis had been working on an upbeat club song they had been tweaking for the past 3 hours.He had completely zoned out and focused his sole attention on fixing a part of the bridge of the song that he wasn’t happy with. 

“Run that back again,” he said to the studio manager. 

He scratched his head. Was the bass coming in at the right down beat? He was even unsure of the lyrics at this point. They had worked endlessly on this track, and he was at the point of wanting to scrap it altogether and start over.

“Hey C, do you think we could call it a night for now and pick back up next week? I think we could all benefit from a break,” Adonis suggested, the weariness in his voice catching JC’s attention. 

It wasn’t until then that he realized his own exhaustion, and the hunger that was lingering in his stomach. 

“Sure, man.” He relented. “We are all stuck right now and maybe coming back with a clear head will help.”

“Cool. Just text me a good time to meet back up. I’ll be in town for the next 2 weeks.” Adonis thanked the man he considered a mentor and friend and exited the studio. JC pulled his phone from his pocket, wondering exactly what time it was. His eyes widened when he read the display of his phone.

9:35pm

The realization washed over him like a tidal wave. He had long missed dinner reservations with Alani.

“Fuck!” He shot up out of his chair, rushing for the exit of the studio, waving goodbye to the studio manager. He had let time get away from him by being so consumed in his work. It was something he always had trouble with juggling when it came to relationships. He just hoped Alani would be understanding.

The living room was dim, save for the one floor lamp illuminating a warm light. The room was silent, but the thoughts running through her mind were loud. Alani sat on the couch, feet tucked underneath her as she heard JC’s car pull into the driveway. After several glasses of wine and hours of waiting, her disappointment and worry multiplied. It then turned to anger when JC called her at a quarter till 10pm to tell her he got caught up in the studio. She was relieved that he was safe, but now fuming that he had essentially forgotten about her. 

He promised to explain once he got home, but to her, no explanation would suffice. She was hurt, angry and extremely disappointed. And to top it off, embarrassed that she had put so much effort into getting ready for a date that didn’t happen.

JC entered the living space and immediately went to her side, his face riddled with genuine regret. His eyes caught hers and he could feel the fire radiating off of those brown eyes. He noticed the empty wine bottle sitting on the coffee table and the half-filled lipstick stained glass beside it. He winced, knowing she was not just mad, but most likely drunk and feared this conversation was not going to go in his favor. 

“I don’t know how to explain to you how sorry I am, Alani. I just got so caught up. Adonis and I got in a tough spot and I just zoned out. I am so sorry.” He reached for her hand that was resting in her lap. She quickly withdrew it from his grasp.

Alani sat quietly contemplating the words in her head. The tears were threatening to spill and the alcohol was taking precedence over her judgement at the moment. 

“Am I that easily forgettable?” She seethed.

JC shook his head adamantly, “No, no, no. That’s not what happened.”

“Am I not important to you?”

He reached for her hand again, “Baby, I wish you knew how important you are to me.”

Alani snorted in disgust. “Don’t call me, baby. “

“Alani,” He sighed, “I know you’re angry with me. You’ve been drinking and I don’t want you to regret anything that may be said.”

“How dare you? I know exactly what I am saying. Maybe if you would’ve come home, I wouldn’t have sat here all evening drowning myself in fucking Merlot.” She stood up quickly, grabbing the arm of the couch for stability, then continued with her tirade.

“I had to deal with paparazzi following me around, taking my pictures, asking me questions. You didn’t even answer the phone when I was calling you. I get a new outfit, get dressed just for you to FORGET our date. Is this why all of your other relationships failed, JC? You forget about them too being so consumed with your work?” 

JC’s head whipped up to look at her in surprise. She had definitely hit a nerve and as much as it hurt, there was truth to that statement. “I'm not going to lie, it was an issue in a lot of my relationships. It’s something I need to be better about. I promise I will make it up to you.” He stood up from the couch and reached for her again. All he wanted was to feel her, place his arms around her and apologize profusely.

“Don’t bother. I don’t even know if I want to finish this trip.” Her voice wavered. She wasn’t entirely sure if she meant it, but she knew it would sting and she wanted him to hurt too.

Alani met his gaze for a beat, before she decided she didn’t want to talk anymore. All she wanted was to go to bed. She wasn’t sure what the future held at this point.

She shook her head, “I’m going to bed, JC. We can talk tomorrow.” She said sullenly,

“Okay, I am really sorry.”

“I know. Goodnight.”

She made her way upstairs towards the bedrooms, JC trailing behind her. He stopped mid-step when he saw her go into the guest bedroom and shut the door, instead of his room where she had spent every night with him.

He walked the rest of the way to his own room, dreading spending the night without her warm body by his side. He laid awake for what seemed like hours, regretting even going to the studio at all. He should’ve rescheduled. He should’ve made her feel like a priority. He needed to make a grand gesture, something that told her how much she meant to him. 

JC awoke some time later, groggy and not rested at all. The few hours of sleep he did get were restless. He quickly showered and got dressed. walking past the guest room, he saw the door still closed. He put his ear to the door and heard silence so assumed Alani was still in bed. He hoped he had enough time to get what he had planned done.

—

Twenty minutes later, JC arrived at his destination ready to enact the first part of his plan. During his restless night, he recalled a prior conversation with Alani about how she planned to save up for a new camera soon if she wanted to get serious about being in the photography industry. It was then that he decided that would be a great gift for her. He was going to surprise her with a new one. He made his way through the electronic store  in search of the perfect camera.  He marveled at all the different ones on display. There were some more basic, then some with all the bells and whistles. He didn’t know what half of the things were used for.

A young male employee, who looked to be in his early 20’s approached him, “Good morning, sir. My name is Dave. How can I help you?”

“Um, Hi Dave. I'm Josh. I’m just looking for a new camera for my friend - um, girlfriend. She’s a photographer and her camera is a little outdated. Just wanted to upgrade her a bit.”

“That sounds nice. Is this a gift?” 

“Yeah, it will be a surprise. I just want to make sure I get something she will like.” He said nervously stroking his facial hair.

When he had this idea in the middle of the night, he didn’t know all of the things it would entail. He didn’t know what megapixels were the best, which brand was more or less expensive. Now he was at the store and at a loss. 

Dave motioned to a specific camera that was on display. “This is one of our newest and highly rated models. It’s a Canon. The lens is one of the best qualities out there with 45 megapixels. It also takes videos up to 8k quality. It has multiple shooting modes and can shoot up to 20 frames per second.”

JC’s eyes widened at the camera jargon, clearly not understanding a fraction of what Dave was explaining. “Yeah, man. I don’t know what any of that means.” He chuckled.

“Basically it takes freakishly clear, high quality pictures and videos. Canon is one of the best brands out there.”

“Okay, great. Is this what you would consider the best one you have in the store right now?’ 

“Yes, for sure.”

“I’ll take it.”

“This model in particular is pretty pricey, so we keep it locked up in the back. I will go grab one for you and meet you at the check out.” Dave smiled. 

JC’s ears perked up at the mention of “pricey”. “Just how much does it cost?”

“It’s on sale right now for $4,499. Would you still like to purchase it?” Dave asked.

JC wasn’t quite expecting those numbers when he came to buy a camera for Alani today, but he wanted her to. have the best. He wanted her to know that she was important to him. Of course, that didn’t mean throwing just any expensive gifts at her, but this one specifically was something she would hopefully value. 

“Sure. I still want to purchase it.” He confirmed smiling widely. 

— 

Alani awoke and automatically reached for JC. When she felt the cool sheets beside her, the realization came back to her. She was in the guest room. Suddenly, the previous night came back to her, being stood up, the fight with JC, retreating to the guest bedroom out of spite even when she wanted to still go to bed with him. 

She groaned when she sat up and felt the effects of the Merlot pounding through her head. She hadn’t intended on drowning herself in wine, but the longer she waited for JC, the more she drank. 

She ambled to the adjoining bathroom and took a quick shower and changed into a simple black tank top, high waisted ripped shorts that stopped just short of her ass. Inflicting a little torture on JC in the form of short shorts seemed obligatory considering what he put her through. 

Alani padded barefoot down to the kitchen area, seeing no signs of JC. She was a little disappointed. Even if she was upset with him, seeing him was always a highlight of her day. She sat at the kitchen island just as she heard the front door opening. Seconds later, JC appeared in the kitchen, a cup holder with two coffees and breakfast sandwiches in tow. 

“Good morning.” He said hesitantly as he entered the room. 

“Morning,” She returned.

He sat beside her at the island, setting the food and drinks down. “I got you some breakfast and a latte. Vanilla like you like.”

“Thank you.” Alani said softly, suppressing the smile that was threatening to show. She cursed herself for being so easily enamored by him remembering her coffee order. Big fuckin’ deal, she thought back. Vanilla Lattes are common. She was trying her hardest not to give in.

“Can we talk about last night?” He asked. 

She sighed before taking a sip of her latte, “I guess.”

He turned his body so that it was facing her. She was still faced forward, focusing on her coffee in her hand, avoiding his gaze. “I just want to apologize again. I honestly just got so caught up in the song and time slipped away from me. I did not forget about you or our date. I was looking forward to it all day.”

He grabbed her coffee from her hands and set it on the counter. Before she could protest, he turned her chair forcing her to look at him. He grabbed her hands, “You are so very important to me. More than I think you know. More than I can probably admit to right now because we are still learning so much about each other. What I have learned about you though is that you are such an amazing girl. You make me happy. I have really deep feelings for you and I have for a while. I finally got you back and I’m not letting you get away from me again. I can’t.”

Alani looked at their hands. His big, strong ones nearly hid her small, dainty ones. “You disappointed me, Josh.”

“I know I did. I know. I’m sorry. Let me please make it up to you.” He lifted her chin to meet her sad gaze.

He kissed her forehead, lingering there for a minute. “I’m sorry,  baby.” He mumbled against her skin, causing all of her resolve to crumble as she instinctively leaned into him. 

“I forgive you.” She said just above a whisper. He pulled her out of the chair causing her to stand up. He wrapped his arms around her body, instantly relaxing, feeling all of the worry from the night before disappearing into the air around them. He smoothed his hands up and down her back, resting them just below her ass, leaning back in surprise when he felt how short her shorts were. 

“You wore these on purpose, didn't you?” He asked.

She blushed, “I did. You deserved a little torture.”

He squeezed her ass with both hands and bit his bottom lip, “Tease.”

Alani winked at him. They both sat back down on their respective bar stools and began to eat their breakfast and sip their coffee, falling into a comfortable banter. 

“Thank you for the coffee. It was much needed,”

“You’re welcome. I knew coffee would win you over. I couldn’t have you leaving me before your trip is over,” He hesitated, “You are staying, right?”

“I’m staying. I was just angry last night. I want to finish out my trip.”

“Good. I want to keep spending time with you. I guess I don’t need to give you my big surprise then.” He teased, standing up to dispose of their trash.

“Big surprise? You got me something else?” She asked, taken aback. She was happy with the peace offering of coffee and breakfast. 

“Yeah, I did.” He retreated around the corner to the foyer and returned a few seconds later with a large gift bag in his hands and grin on his face. 

He sat the bag in front of her and motioned for her to open it, “See what’s inside.”

Alani peaked inside the bag and at first glimpse saw the writing on the side of a box that contained the camera. “You didn’t?!” She gasped, looking at him with wide eyes. 

He simply nodded and said, “Open it up.”

Alani carefully pulled the box from the bag and set it in front of her. Another gasp escaped her mouth when she opened it up to see the extravagant camera that was inside. “This is mine?” She choked out.

“All yours.” JC confirmed. 

The camera Alani had didn’t hold a flame to this one in front of her. She had saved up her money after college and purchased the one she currently owned. It wasn’t even the best model at the time. It was just what she could afford. 

“Josh, I don’t know what to say. Why did you do this?” She questioned, running her fingers over the features.

“For a couple of reasons. For one, you know that I have been wanting to help you get out there in the photography world. A new camera is a great start, not to mention the fact that you are able to say you photographed Lance Bass and Michael Turchin’s children,” He chuckled then got serious, “But honestly, I fucked up royally last night and I wanted to show you how much you mean to me. No, I’m not trying to win you over with expensive gifts, because I know that’s not why you are with me. I want to invest in things that make you happy and will help you succeed — that kind of happiness is what you deserve and if I can have a hand in that, then I want to.”

Alani jumped up from her chair and threw her arms around JC in a tight hug. Her hands found their way to either side of his face. She kissed his awaiting lips hard and with all the emotion that she could muster. 

“Thank you so much. Josh, I love it. I don’t know how to ever thank you.” Her thumbs softly stroked his growing beard. 

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to thank me,” He said quietly, capturing her lips.

“So, the barbecue is tomorrow. I thought we could go grocery shopping today and reschedule that date at Nobu for tonight?” JC suggested. The couple had moved to JC’s balcony that overlooked the Hollywood Hills. It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze. JC sat in a reclining chair with Alani perched on his lap looking out into the scenic landscape of rolling hills, foliage and a few other houses in between. 

“That sounds good to me. I can’t believe it’s almost time for me to go back home,” She replied. 

Jc sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist, “I know. Have you thought about the future?”

All Alani had thought about was their future.  When she did the photoshoot for Lance and Michael, she felt a sense of pride for her work and ambition to make a name for herself in LA. Couple that with her growing feelings for JC and let’s face it, some amazing sex and she was just about sold on the idea of moving to LA and starting something serious with JC. However, the last 24 hours had put a damper on things — the paparazzi, JC forgetting their date, seeing the not so pretty side of dating a celebrity was a hard pill to swallow.

“I have thought about it a lot. I’m still not sure what the future holds for us, but I’m enjoying my time with you.” She threw him a little smile.

“I’m enjoying it too. I’m worried that I have messed things up. Or at least given you some reservations,” he admitted sadly. 

“I definitely have a lot to consider..” 

“You know I won’t push you, babe. I just want to continue to have a good time with you while you’re here. Let’s focus on that,” He pushed her hair to the side and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.

“Me too.” She blushed.

“Now, help me make a grocery list because I don’t know where to start.” 

— 

An hour later they found themselves at Trader Joe’s, lists in hand. They combed the aisles picking up various food items. JC couldn’t help but admire Alani, hair up in a messy bun, scanning the list pensively. She had changed into a simple black bralette, matching yoga pants, a black and white flannel tied around her waist in the most comfortable way. She looked good. He imagined her grocery shopping this way for them as a couple on a regular basis and smiled thinking it was definitely something he could get used to.

“What’s on your mind, Josh?” She asked, breaking his train of thoughts. She tossed a bag of Peanut Butter Caramel Popcorn into the cart.

He couldn’t stop grinning. “I was just thinking about how much I enjoy doing simple things like this with you. I could get used to this.”

“It is nice. I usually just do this by myself so it’s nice to have some company.”

“What’s this?” He asked, grabbing the popcorn out of the cart.

“I know it’s not on our list but it sounds amazing and I want to try it.”

“It does. We are opening that up once we get to the car. Sounds like you have a sweet tooth.” He teased, subconsciously adding another trait to the growing list of things he was learning about her.

"I definitely do." She admitted.

"Come on. Let's finish up. I have a dinner date that I promised you." He said moving along down the aisle. 

--

JC and Alani walked into Nobu hand in hand, both happy and feeling like they were floating on a cloud. JC pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of them together as he affectionately put his arm around her. 

“Our first selfie?” Alani asked. 

“Yeah I guess it is,” JC smiled, sending her the picture to her phone. After their rocky start to the day, things had looked up tremendously. They had spent some quality time together and the negative things were seemingly put in the past. 

They were seated in a secluded area of the restaurant. Alani wore the outfit she had intended to wear the night before. JC donned a simple lightweight white sweater, dark jeans and a pair of Air Force One sneakers. 

The waitress appeared and they ordered their entrees and strummed up a nice conversation while they waited for the food to return. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow? I’m excited for you to meet Joey, but also worried. He will definitely try to hit on you.”

“He will?” She asked, clearly amused. She was a little scared to meet more of JC’s friends but was glad to know a little about some of them before meeting them.

JC licked his lips subconsciously, “I mean, yeah. He hits on all women because he’s Joey but he will take one look at you and be drooling all over himself like a fool.” 

Alani blushed, “Oh stop. Are you trying to say you’re attracted to me or something,Joshua?”

“Honey, that should’ve been clear since day 1 when I walked up to you to check in at your hotel.”

“I might’ve noticed,” She flirted. The sexual tension and playful back and forth had started early and continued throughout the day and Alani was eager to see how the night would play out. 

JC sat across from her and was excited to be out with her but counting down The minutes until he could have her alone. Their time together was quickly dwindling and he wanted to savor every moment, every kiss, every touch. 

“What are you thinking about over there?” She asked, noticing his thoughtful gaze. 

“I have gotten used to you being here. It’s going to be really hard to watch you get on that plane in 2 days.”

“It’s going to be hard for me too. It’s going to be like last time except the roles are reserved. I’ll be the one getting on a plane leaving you.” There was a moment of silence between the two where the emotion was felt in the air. 

The waitress appeared with their entrees. For JC, Ribeye with Truffle Butter Sauce, Alani went with Wild Alaskan Salmon and both shared a side of crispy Brussel sprouts. 

“This all looks so good. Thanks for bringing me.” Alani thanked him as she took a bite of her food, closing her eyes in satisfaction. 

“You deserve it, mama. Sorry it was a day late.”

“Better late than never. This food is amazing, Josh. If I move here, you’re going to have to bring me at least once a week.” Alani said jokingly.

“If it means you’re here with me, I’ll do it.” JC said as serious as can be. 

Alani put her fork down and sat back, looking at him intently, “I was joking obviously, but you really want me to move here don’t you? I’d have to find a place, a job..”

“You could stay with me,” He replied without hesitation, “And a job will come.”

“I just don’t know, JC.” She trailed off.

“What does Kala think?” 

“Honestly, I haven’t spoken to her much since I got here. She tried her best to get me to get over you when we weren’t speaking.” She said recalling the disastrous double date her friend had them go on.  

“Don’t remind me,” He chuckled, “Call her. Check in with her and be upfront about everything and see what she thinks. I know you value her opinion.”

“I do. I’ll give her a call tomorrow.” 

They continued to eat and engage in casual conversation, giving the pressing issue in both of their minds a rest.  

—

“I can’t wait to get out of these shoes,” Alani whined as soon as they stepped foot back into JC’s home, making their way to the kitchen to put away their leftovers from dinner. 

“You didn't have to wear them, but I’m glad you did. Was kind of hoping you’d leave them on..” He said, smiling seductively as he leaned against the kitchen island. 

“Well in that case, I think I can leave them on for a little bit longer if it's worth my time.”

“Oh, it’ll be worth it.”

Alani made her way over to him. “What did you have in mind?”

He quickly picked her up by the waist, and sat her onto the kitchen island settling his body between her legs. She squealed in surprise, not expecting him to lift her up so suddenly. Her lips moved against his as she casually draped her arms around his neck.

“I’ve been… thinking .. about this.. all day..” He spoke between their eager kisses, tugging on her bottom lip as he drew out the last word.

“Oh really?” She asked, moving her hands to his hair.

“Yeah, you know dinner was amazing but I was looking forward to dessert.” He skillfully unbuttoned her jeans with one hand and tugged at them, his cue for her to remove them. She eagerly peeled them off, along with her shirt, making sure to keep those heels on per JC’s request.

She now sat on the island in a white bra, matching thong and coincidentally matching heels. She hadn’t planned on her lingerie matching her heels, but she was so thankful that they did at this moment. She felt as sexy as she had ever felt. 

“You should definitely wipe this counter down before the BBQ tomorrow..” she laughed.

“I’ll worry about that tomorrow. I need to be fed first,” He replied, his stare intent and making her flush.

“Oh?”

His lips captured hers again in a steamy exchange, his hand pushing the fabric side to reach her warm center. 

“Damn, mama. Already wet for me?” He asked huskily.

“You tend to have that effect on me.”

He inserted one finger, feeling her gasp into his mouth. He inserted another and she groaned, wrapping her legs around his frame as his hand pumped in and out of her, his lips not ceasing their attack on hers. He felt her walls clamp his hands as her first climax washed over her.

He removed his hands and knelt down until his face was perfectly aligned with her now dripping core. He slowly ran his hands down her legs, stopping to admire her dark red toes in those heels that he insisted she keep on, praising himself or having the idea because he could feel the sexual confidence emanating from her body. He draped her tan legs over his shoulders.

Alani’s hands gripped the counter as she held on for dear life while he slowly lapped up her flowing juices. His hands rested on either side of her thighs, he continued his sweet assault of licking her folds, his tongue darting in and out of her, occasionally flicking her nub. When she felt her second orgasm coming around, she instinctively pushed his face closer as he applied the right Amount of pressure causing her to scream out, her cries echoing throughout the kitchen. 

JC resumed standing until he was once again face to face with her, his mouth and beard wet with her sweet nectar. He kissed her, letting her get a taste, “I didn’t know you were a screamer, baby.”

“Neither did I,” she panted, gladly accepting his kisses.

He grinned devilishly as he swiftly took off his pants and underwear in one motion, releasing his erect member from its confines. The mood was very hurried and needy, evident by the heavy pants and quick movements of hands moving in all directions to touch any part of skin. Alani slid off the counter, still very much wearing her 5 inch heels, and turned with her backside to JC. The height of the heels giving her the perfect height to have JC bend her over and align himself with her. She rubbed her ass against him as an invitation that he happily answered to as he guided himself inside of her. They both groaned out in relief. The culmination of day-long flirting and tension had finally come to a head. 

Jc hungrily attacked her back with sloppy kisses, while he feverishly thrust into her. The sounds of skin to skin contact and throaty moans resonated throughout the entire room.

“So damn good,” he managed to say, fully concentrating on his impending climax.

He grabbed a fistful of her long black hair and pounds harder, making her grip the counter for stability. “Do you know how much I love being inside of you? Huh, baby?”

“Oh God, yes.”

He leans in close to her ear and says “I will fuck you like this any day, any time. I promise you. I need you and I know how much you need me.”

Alani yelps out in response, his words and the way he is sliding in and out of her so fast making her come undone. She shudders and feels her final wave take effect at the same time he releases with a groan, his arms encircling her body tightly.

They stay like that momentarily catching their breath. A new feeling of emotions has invaded their senses. The want for each other has turned into a need that both can not ignore.

It was the day of the barbecue at JC’s and they were waiting for the guests to arrive. The California sun was shining brightly and the weather was perfect. The backyard was simply decorated with no real theme in mind, since there were no upcoming holidays to celebrate. JC just wanted to have a little get together to allow Alani to meet some people that he considered important in his life and to also bring her trip to a close. The food was spread out in the kitchen and some in the backyard. Tables full of hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie trays, a variety of fruit and other finger foods. One area was designated the bar and consisted of several wines, beers and a homemade sangria that Alani had made that morning for the occasion.

“Are you ready for this?” JC asked, squeezing Alani’s hands encouragingly.

“Yeah, I think I’m ready. I actually don’t feel too nervous,” Alani looked down at her outfit, feeling confident and comfortable. She chose a black and cream knee length sundress in a tropical floral design and black espadrille wedge sandals to match. Her long black tresses were pulled back in a low ponytail with two wavy tendrils on either side of her face. 

“Well, good. You look beautiful, babe. You don’t have to worry about anything. These are my friends and they know how important you are to me. Just be yourself. They will be on their best behavior or I’ll kick their asses out.” He said the last part jokingly but fully knew he would if anyone was disrespectful to Alani.

“Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself Joshua, and I can’t have you kicking anyone out over me. You’ve known these people way longer than you’ve known me.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. I want you to be happy and comfortable and if you’re not, they can go. Simple as that.”

“You’d do that for me?” She asked surprised. 

“Absolutely, honey.” He responded with no hesitation.

The doorbell rang throughout the house alerting them that their first guests had arrived. “I’ll get that. Be right back. Remember, just be yourself.” He winked at her.

—

The party was in full swing with guests milling about. At first, Alani stuck near JC to get acquainted with everyone, meeting Joey, JC’s long time friend Autumn, his manager/friend Eric, as well as some other friends he had made since living in LA. The meetings were all warm and welcoming with the exception of Eric’s, he seemed a bit cold and Alani wasn’t quite sure why but he was cordial nonetheless. 

Once she felt comfortable, she eventually separated from JC and walked around chatting with some folks, eating a little here and there and refilling her drink every so often. JC had always seemed to be within her line of sight in some direction and that was comforting for the both of them. Now, she was sitting chatting with Michael, Lance’s husband, catching up like two old friends.

“JC tells us he got you one of those new fancy cameras. So does that mean you’ll take some anniversary pictures for us?” Michael asked, nudging Alani playfully.

“He did buy me a new camera. It was a total surprise! I love it. It has so many features. The new photos will be ten times better. I’ll definitely take some for you and Lance if you want me to. Don’t think you have to hire me just because I’m dating JC — or friends with JC.” 

“One, you and JC are definitely NOT friends. Don’t even go there. Two, we really enjoyed the photo session you did with the twins. We wouldn’t mind doing that again. Speaking of, when do you think the pictures will be ready?”

“Once I get back home, I’ll upload them on my laptop and edit them and send them your way.” She smiled.

“I can’t wait to see them. Anyway you totally skirted around the JC comment.” Michael smirked. 

Alani took a sip of her drink and sighed. It was either the alcohol or the intense need to confide in someone, but she felt compelled to share her feelings with Michael. He seemed like a safe space. She had tried to contact Kala back home and get her thoughts on the issue but she didn't get a hold of her, which wasn’t unusual.

“Michael, I'm not really sure what to do. I want to have a real relationship with JC, but what if this trip was just like a honeymoon. Things are good now, but if I moved out here would it continue to be that way? I want to risk it. I look at him and I see all the possibilities of our future. I really really like him.” She confessed.

“You love him.”

“What?”

“Admit it. You love him.”

She thought for a minute before answering, “I do, but there’s no way he feels the same.”

“Alani, you’re crazy if you don’t see that he loves you. Lance and I saw that days ago when he brought you over. He won’t say it first. He’s been burned too many times so he’s scared. I can guarantee if you tell him, he will say it back though.”

Her eyes widened at the realization. Michael saw her seemingly putting all the pieces together, recognizing how deep their feelings went for each other. 

“You have to tell him.” Michael added, giving her an encouraging hug then getting up to walk away..

Alani sat there thinking about their conversation and although it seemed scary, Michael was right. The trip was basically over and she had avoided any real discussions about her feelings about JC and where they stood. He deserved to know how she felt, and he deserved to know before she left. She gave herself a quick pep talk and got up in search of him.

“Alani. Alani. I’ve been trying to catch up with you to chat.” Joey spoke up, walking to catch up to her as she walked towards the doors to head back inside the house. She stopped right before as she heard him come up to her. 

“Hi, Joey.” She laughed, turning to hug him.

“I never thought I would see the day that JC would fall in love again. This is great. Maybe the old guy will finally settle down.”

Fallen in love? Did everyone know but her? 

She shook her head, not knowing what to say. 

“I just wanted to say how nice it was to meet you. I have heard this guy talking about you for months now, so it was finally good to put a face to the name. A lovely face might I add.” 

She blushed, “Thank you. That means a lot. I’m learning a lot about JC through his friends today, specifically how much he cares about me.”

“That’s not surprising to me. I’ve known him for nearly 30 years now, I know how he struggles with showing his emotions sometimes, but those tell tell signs are there.”

“Enlighten me.” Alani said, eyebrows raised. 

“I mean JC is not a stranger to flings. He could’ve let this be that, but he saw something in you that made him want to keep trying even while you were thousands of miles away. That has to mean something, right?” Joey reasoned. 

“I mean I guess so. I could’ve just been a good lay,” she joked.

“Hey, maybe you were but again, my friend has had his share of, “ He paused, carefully thinking over his words.

“One night stands,” She laughed, filling in the blanks for him.She wasn't naive, she knew JC’s past.

Joey grinned, “Sure, but none of which he has tried to pursue like this. Quit trying to sell yourself short. You seem like an amazing woman from what I can tell. I just wanted to thank you for making my friend happy. You’ll learn that all of the guys are pretty tight knit and we all genuinely just want the best for each other.”

“Thank you Joey. You seem like such a good friend. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all more.”

Joey reached in for a gentle hug and she gladly accepted.

“Do you know where Josh went? I’ve been looking for him.” Alani asked, looking around.

“Last I saw he and Eric were going to his office for something.”

“Thanks.” She gave him a warm smile before retreating into the home in search of her guy, who she had been hearing loves her from everyone around them. It was an indescribable feeling and she was feeling butterflies in her stomach at the thought of admitting her own true feelings to him. She was eager to say those words. 

After a quick stop in the kitchen for a refill on her sangria, she made her way towards the office. She noticed the door cracked from a couple feet away and stopped to listen to make sure she wasn’t interrupting anything important.

“When does she leave?” Eric asked, a hint of distaste in his voice.

“Her flight is tomorrow morning,” she heard JC say with a sigh.

“Good. Maybe you’ll actually get back to work once she’s gone. She’s been a distraction,” 

She could hear the annoyance in JC’s response , “no she hasn’t. I still went to the studio this week, even though I shouldn’t have. The rest of my week was cleared.”

“Jace what are you doing? This could’ve just been a one night thing.”

“Well it wasn’t. Look, what is your issue with her?”

“She’s not right for you. She’s a little .. fluffier than most girls you would go for. She’s broke and clearly using you to get some money. Come on, man. You can do better than that.”

Alani knew she should’ve stopped eavesdropping but she couldn’t tear herself away. She had met Eric and he had seemed standoffish but she was taken aback by what he was saying. It hurt.

“Eric, you should stop talking about her that way please.” Jc said his voice was unusually calm.

“No man, someone needs to talk some sense into you. Send her ass back and move on. She already got you for a $5,000 camera. Did she put out for that too?”

“Get out,” JC replied coolly.

“What?” Eric asked incredulously, “Are you serious?”

“I am serious. I warned you. You’re supposed to be my manager and more importantly, my friend, if you can’t accept the person that I love then yes, get the fuck out.” Jc said, his voice raising with each passing moment.

The person he loves? Alani heard herself audibly gasp, then quickly covered her mouth.

She quickly scrambled away in search of a room to escape ino. She didn’t want them to know she had been listening even if the conversation was about her. Hearing Eric’s disdainful comments about her was hurtful, but JC taking up for her was way more impactful. She heard what she assumed was Eric stomping away and seconds later heard the front door slam. After a beat or two, she emerged from the room hoping to go back to the party and act like she never left. 

“Hey, what are you doing in here?” JC asked, coming around the corner.

“Um, I was looking for you,” she answered, nonchalantly.

“What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“I was just going to tell you,” she paused, trying to work up the courage to tell him what she wanted to, her real feelings about him, confessing her love, but the scene she walked into had put a huge damper on her confidence to make that confession.

“Tell me what?” He eyed her curiously.

He blew out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair, “you heard our conversation didn’t you?”

“Yeah I did.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he sighed pulling her in for an embrace. He kissed her forehead softly. “Don’t worry about him, okay? He can be such an ass.”

Alani nodded, unsure of what to say. Eric was someone who would be a large part of JC’s life, how was she supposed to coexist with someone like that around?

“Seriously. He was drunk and being dumb. I promise he will come around.” He kissed her fully on the lips. “Now, let’s get back to your party.”

“Okay,” she said, plastering on a fake smile. 

He took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze before they made their way back to the festivities. Alani tried her best to put Eric’s comments to the back of her mind, along with her plan to tell JC how she really felt.

Alani seemed to toss and turn that night. Her impending departure was all she could think about. She also couldn’t stop beating herself up over not telling JC her true feelings. As usual she had chickened out, and now she was going to be heading back to Maui, still holding onto those feelings. 

The room was dark and with a small glow of light casting from under the curtain as daylight was starting to creep in. Her trip had come to an end. Thinking about leaving was causing her stomach to turn and her heart to race. She laid in bed listening to the soft snores coming from JC sleeping peacefully beside her. She turned to her side to watch him sleep. His hair was strewn across his pillow, as he lay on his back, his bare chest softly rising and falling with each breath. She contemplated waking him up to feel him one last time. She held back her tears as she lay there, feeling more anxious as time went by. Finally, she slowly got out of bed and decided to shower before the day began.

She turned on the water, letting it warm up for a bit, before shedding her clothing and stepping inside the spacious shower. The warm water fell onto her body, the warmth consuming her. She thought a shower would help her wash away her problems. Instead, it just gave her more time to think, more time to become upset and soon she was standing under the shower head as water and a mixture of her own tears cascaded down her body. She didn’t know how long she stood there before she heard the shower door open and turned to see JC peek his head inside, “Can I join you?”

She wiped her face, knowing it was useless to do so. He could read her like a book. JC knew she had been crying. He had heard her soft cries when he woke up and saw that she was no longer in bed.

“Sure,” She gave him a weak smile. Seconds later, he stepped inside and engulfed her body into his arms. He looked at her face, flushed, wet hair stuck to the sides of her face.The first time they parted ways was very similar, the only difference being so many more emotions were involved now. 

“I heard you crying,” He said, pushing her hair to the side, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” she mumbled into his chest.

He lifted her chin, “Hey, talk to me, baby.”

“It’s just hitting me that I have to leave you. I’m not ready to leave yet,” She said softly, burying her face into his chest again.

He held her, letting her get her emotions out, just wanting to comfort her.

“I don’t want you to leave either. You know I'm not making you, but I do know you have obligations back home. I just hope that you come back soon.”

“I’m going to miss you, Josh.”

“I’m going to miss you too, honey.” He kissed her on top of her damp head.

Alani looked up and met his lips for a sweet kiss, deepening it trying to tell him what had been on her mind for hours. 

JC wanted her to know how he felt. He loved her, and wanted her to know that before she left and potentially didn't see him for months again. He was afraid of making that leap and the feeling not being reciprocated but there was so much at stake.

He grabbed a loofah and lathered it with soap, gently washed her body with care. Alani watched him, noticing how careful and determined he was. Her heart was in a bittersweet turmoil of love and despair. He quickly washed his own body as she rinsed. He found himself fighting the urge to make love to her, wondering if it would be the last time they would have the chance to.

They embraced again, staying like that for as long as possible. The steam from the shower billowed around them. Their fingertips had long turned wrinkled but none of that seemed to matter.

—

An hour later, they sat across from each other at the airport coffee shop, each with a piping hot coffee in front of them. 

“I had a really good time with you this week,” JC spoke, breaking the uneasy silence. Alani had said very little since that morning. 

Alani twirled a strand of hair around her forefinger nervously and gave him a weak smile. “Me too.”

Inside her head, a war was waging. She never expected to come out here and fall in love. There were deep feelings there before but who knew all this could transpire in a few days together. Since the night before, she had mulled over the idea of telling him. Would it be worth it to confess what she was feeling or would it be a huge disappointment when he didn’t express the same sentiment? Should she go home to Maui and never return or should she move to LA and try to give this relationship a chance? Her heart knew what it wanted, but her brain was trying to talk her out of it.

“So what's on your agenda when you get back?” He asked, making small talk.

“Well, first I’ll probably catch up with Kala, get a very long nap and work on Lance and Micael’s photos.” 

“I can’t wait to see the pictures. I know they're going to be great.”

She smiled and took a sip of her latte, “Thank you. You’re so supportive, JC. I don’t have anyone in my life that hypes me up like that. I appreciate it.” 

He felt a slight twinge in his heart, partly admiration for her, and empathy for her lack of a support system. He was lucky to have his circle of friends, and family that was always there to support his hopes and dreams. He felt sorry that she didn’t have that, and he was sure that played a huge part in her apprehension to really get into photography – or to make any big decisions about her life.

“I’ll always support you, honey,” He wrapped his hands around hers and held her gaze. The genuine nature of the statement hitting her right in her chest. 

JC,” She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed her doubts aside, “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything.” His eyes searched hers and he knew. He knew what they shared, “But I want to tell you first.”

She nodded for him to continue. 

“I love you. It’s so crazy. We live in two different worlds and it's no secret that I want you in mine.” He paused and took a deep breath, trying to maintain his courage. “But it doesn’t matter to me where you are. I love you whether you're here with me or across the ocean.”

Alani looked down at their joined hands and felt him squeeze them encouragingly. It was right there on the tip of her tongue, but she was taken aback by him saying it first. By all accounts of what she had learned about him, he would never say it first. She had resigned to the fact that she would have to be the one to initiate it, and she didn’t. 

“You love me?” She managed to squeak out. She had played this moment in her head over and over and rehearsed what she would say and now she was speechless. 

“Yes, I love you. I wish I wasn’t telling you in an airport coffee shop but I can't let you get on that plane without knowing how I feel.  I don’t usually do this, Alani. I have been fucked over so many times. I wont say I was never open to loving someone again but it damn sure wasn't my plan when I came to Maui.”

Alani studied his face as he continued and wondered how the hell she was going to leave now. How do you leave something so perfect?

“I fell in love with your infectious smile, your sassy attitude, your ambition and determination, your hair, I really love your hair,” He chuckled and she smiled, “But no really, Alani you have this insane hold on me and all I want to do is make you happy, love you and show you how perfect you are.”

The tears were clouding over her eyes and she didn't really want to be a blubbering mess in such a public place, but he was saying all the right things. All the words she had longed to hear from a man. She had waited 35 long years to be treated the way that JC treated her. She blinked and felt the wetness on her cheeks, quickly working to wipe them away, but he beat her to it, leaning forward to wipe her cheek tenderly with his thumb, giving her the most honest and open smile. 

“You really have me crying at LAX? Damn you, Josh.”

He shrugged, “It had to be said. I’m sorry for making you upset.”

She shook her head vehemently, “I’m not upset. I'm happy as fuck. I love you, Josh. I do. I’ve been wanting to tell you but I am the biggest wuss and I freaked out. Joey told me you would never say it first, so you just surprised the shit out of me. I love you too.”

“Come here,” he motioned her over to him, scooting his chair back as an invitation for her to sit on his lap. She quickly made her way to him, throwing her arms around his neck. JC encircled his arms around her waist as she sat there in his lap so comfortably, both not caring where they were. The location didn't matter, only the love. 

Their own personal heartbreaks and life events had brought them to this moment. JC was so certain that the feelings were genuine. He knew from the moment he saw her that morning in the shower, pouring all her emotions out. Leaving him was hard for her too. The love was there and he acted on it and didn’t regret one single thing.

JC lovingly rubbed her back as she laid her head on his shoulder, breathing him in, trying to ingrain his scent and his touch into her brain. If home had a scent, it was this for her. He was home. 

Alani placed her hands on either side of his face, feeling the soft hairs of his beard as she stroked her thumbs against it. She brought her lips to his, tasting the remnants of coffee that lingered on his lips. When they parted, she looked him in his eyes, “I love you. I promise I’m coming back to you. Will you wait for me?”

“I love you too, baby. I’ll wait forever if it means I get to be with you.”

It took about a month for Alani to leave her job at the hotel, pack up her belongings and say her goodbyes to all her friends in Maui. She anticipated that leaving Kala would be the hardest part. And it was. The two friends went out for what they called their final supper the night before Alani was to return to LA for good.

“I already knew you were going to move the moment you left to go visit him,” Kala said softly. She was extremely happy for her best friend but undoubtedly sad as well. Not only were they best friends and roommates, they had become family. With Alani’s parents being gone and not having close family. Kala was her family.

“You did?” Alani asked, surprised. How did she know? Alani herself couldn’t have even predicted it when she decided to go on the trip. She had only planned to go to LA to spend time with JC.

“I knew the moment I dropped you off at the airport. It was obvious how much you were in love with that guy. It was only a matter of time before you realized it.”

Alani smiled, feeling her cheeks flush. “It took us both a little while to figure it out.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. You’re my best friend and I just want you to be happy. I’m really going to miss you though.” Kala admitted sadly. 

“Promise me you’ll come visit?” 

“Only if you hook me up with one of his rich friends,” Kala said with a straight face.

The two girls fell into a fit of laughter. When Alani finally got her bearings, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said, “Some things never change.”

6 months later

Alani sighed happily as she looked around at her surroundings. She was seated at her own desk, in her own office, in her own place of business. The dream had finally come to fruition. She had her own photography studio – Peace, Love and Hau’Oli. Hau’Oli meant happiness in the Hawaiian language and it was most definitely fitting these days. For the first time in her life, she felt like she fit somewhere. She felt like she had found her place in the world and all facets of her life were flourishing. She was extremely grateful to JC for the support both financially and emotionally. He was there every step of the way.

Not only did Kala come to visit, but Alani offered her a job as the receptionist for Peace, Love and Hau’Oli. Kala eagerly accepted and made the move to LA as quickly as possible and the two friends were able to open the studio together. It was a full circle moment that Alani never imagined would happen. 

“Good morning, Mama,” She heard before looking up to see the man of her dreams in the doorway, a large coffee cup in his hands. She smiled as she remembered the first time he presented her with a coffee in Maui. The morning after she had been a complete bitch to him. It was like their thing now. He knew she liked to start her day with her cup of coffee and he always made sure she had some. What probably seemed as a simple gesture to some was an act of love and care to her. 

“Morning,” she replied as he approached her, giving her the coffee and a sweet kiss on the lips. She was sitting at her brand new white wooden desk with her laptop in front of her, several papers strewn across the desk. Her black rimmed glasses sat atop her head as she looked at him with admiration in her eyes.

“What?” He asked, eyebrows raised in curiousity. “Is the coffee bad?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just really happy. I just feel like my dreams are coming true in more ways than one. I have you, this amazing job, I’m living in this big, beautiful city, I have a full list of clients today. I’m just really grateful that you have helped me get to this point.”

“See what falling in love with me gets you?” He joked, taking a seat in a chair across from her. 

She rolled her eyes in response, “Shut up. I’m being serious here.”

“I know. Sorry, honey. While I have helped you, give yourself some credit. You have the skill, you’re the one who had this idea, had a vision for this studio, took an extremely large leap of faith. I’m really proud of you.” He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers giving it a gentle and encouraging squeeze.

“Thank you.”

“On another note, I can’t believe Eric is your first client today,” JC chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

Alani laughed. It really was a weird moment given their history. She thought back to meeting Eric at JC’s barbecue and the awful things he had said about her that eventually got him kicked out of JC’s home. To think that he would hire her to do his professional headshots several months later was hardly believable. However, their relationship had done a full turnaround. He had since apologized for his behavior and had made a valiant effort in making sure she knew he supported her and JC’s relationship. Alani being the forgiving person she was, accepted his apology and was able to move on, knowing they would both have to be around each other.

“Right?! I’ll try my best to make him look good.”

“That’ll be hard to do,” JC joked. “But you’re good at what you do, so I’m sure he’s in good hands.”

“Hate to interrupt this love fest here,” Kala peaked her head in the doorway, “But your first appointment is here.”

“Thanks Kala. I’ll be right out. “ Alani said, waving off her friend before taking a big sip of her coffee and sighing in satisfaction.

JC stood up and peeked out the door making sure the coast was clear, shutting the door behind him. “He can wait a couple minutes. I wasn’t done with you.” He voiced coming toward Alani’s side of the desk.

She looked at him with curious eyes as he sauntered towards her. He grabbed her coffee and placed it onto her desk then pulled her up from her seat. 

“What are you doing?” She asked, draping her arms across his broad shoulders. He circled his arms around her waist and clasped his hands together. 

“We never christened this office,” He says, his voice low and deep, causing a chill to run through Alani’s body.

“We don’t have time for that, Josh. My client is literally on the other side of those doors waiting for me, “ She tried to reason, knowing she didn’t stand a chance in trying to resist him. 

“Your client is Eric. He can wait.” He kissed her full lips, moaning at the taste of coffee and vanilla.

Alani returned the kiss and didn’t even realize her hands had slipped into his hair, pulling him closer. She had somehow always lost all rational thought when it came to JC.

“Is the door locked?” 

“One step ahead of you, honey.”