I sit and watch Sam go on and on about basketball with Gia, who also happens to share his obsession with college ball and the Lakers. I look at him and wish I could be there first hand every day watching him grow up and change. Become the man he’s going to be and help him along the way with life. How to make good decisions and discovering what life really has to give.

Justin comes over and squishes into the chair with me, “Happy?”

I smile and snuggle into his chest, “Yeah. I still can’t believe you brought him here.”

“I figured you needed someone on your side other than me. Though you do know that this lack of alone time will be made up for in the bedroom…”

I smack his chest and he laughs, kissing my hand softly. I tilt my head until it touches his and I wink at Gia who finds Sam just as mesmerizing as I do. Well, close to it anyway. I’m not sure anyone could really comprehend how much I love him.

Sam stops laughing with Gia as Johnny enters the room. He’s smart enough to know that look on anyone’s face. The one that tells you that the person is obviously pissed off about something and you don’t know what you’re supposed to do except shut up and listen.

“Justin, someone is here to see you,” he says with a look shot my way. Back at you buddy.

Justin removes himself from my body, placing a kiss in my head as he gets up, “I’ll be right back.”

I move over so he can get up from the chair and sink into his place as he disappears around the corner. Sam stands up and throws away the yogurt he was eating, “I’m going to go get something to drink,” he announces.

I nod and he goes off searching for something to drink in Justin’s dressing room. I watch him leave and turn to Gia, “So what’s new?”

Gia grins, “What’s new with me? Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

I shrug, “Nothing much except for Sam being here.”

“And that you’ve slept with Justin,” she says.

I go to protest but I could never lie to her so I close my mouth and bite my lip, “How do you always  know?”

Gia looks nonchalant, “I can just tell. So, how was he?”

I choke on my soda and cover my mouth as I start to cough. Gia take the drink from my hands as I recover, “I asked how he was in bed, not for the Colonel’s secret recipe.”

I lower my voice, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Gia throws a pillow at me, “Oh come on. Share the details here. Was he better or worse than the other guy you were with?”

I start to blush and put my hands to my cheeks as they grow hot. Gia smiles and leans back, “Blew you’re world huh?”

I look down at my nails like I’m actually interested in them. I slowly look back up at Gia as she’s just sitting there grinning. I laugh a little but remember what I really wanted to talk to her about, “Jake called me yesterday.”

Gia’s eyes widen, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I mean he apologized and everything but it’s different now with Justin and all.”

“Uh, duh. That ass should have thrown away your number.”

I play with the cell phone in my hand, “He said that we could be friends and all. I thought that might be nice.”

Gia comes over and sits next to me, “Take it from someone who set you up with him, this cannot end well. Trust me on this one. Once you’ve dated someone it’s very hard to be friends with the person.”

“I know that’s true when you’ve slept with the person but we weren’t together that long and we didn’t take it that far.”

“Doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t get involved with him again. It was his loss and you’ve moved on.”

Sam comes back with a coke in hand and we drop the conversation. He sits next to me and smiles, “You should marry him.”

I laugh, “Oh yeah?”

“Have you seen his cars out there? Not only that but he has season tickets to the Lakers!”

“There’s a good reason to marry someone,” I groan.

“I think so.”

________________________________________________________________________

I make my way down the stairs to Johnny’s office and open the door. There is a guy sitting in the chair and he stands up to face me. When he turns around I want to punch him in his face.

“Hi, listen I don’t know if you remember me….”

“Jake,” I say simply.

“Yeah. Listen they wouldn’t let me see Bethany without a pass so I said it was about Pink Floyd and I needed to speak with you so I could get in. I’m not really looking for you but I was wondering if I could see her.”

I stare this guy down to keep from killing him, “No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

Is he deaf? He really needs to go away, “I said no.”

Jake laughs bitterly, “I’m going to see her eventually, all I’m asking is that you take a moment from your busy schedule to just hand me a pass.”

“Listen, I think I have a right to protect my girlfriend from an ass who dumped her over the phone.”

Jake stops and blinks at me, “You’re dating Beth?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry, she didn’t tell me that when I talked to her.”

Stop and freeze, “When did you talk to her?” I ask incredibly.

“Yesterday. She didn’t tell you?”

I hold my hands, “You know what? I’ll go get her for you.”

I don’t wait for a reply as I storm out of the room towards the stage. I can see red and that’s about it. I can’t remember the last time I was mad at Beth but this tops the list. This time she is in the wrong. I can’t believe she’s talking to him.

Beth and Gia are talking when I interrupt their conversation, “Beth, can I talk to you?”

Her expression changes as she looks at me, “Fine.”

She follows me quizzically as I hold on to her arm and lead her to my dressing room, “What is the problem?” she asks.

“What is the problem? Jake is my problem.”

Beth stops fuming and starts to breathe heavy, “What are you talking about?”

“Jake. He’s here looking for you because apparently after talking to you, he’s here to actually talk to you in person sitting in Johnny’s office. I do find it fascinating though that you didn’t bother to tell him you were dating me. That was my favorite part of the short conversation I had with him. Thanks for telling me you were chatting up your ex.”

“You know what? Just stop. First, I just got a call from him yesterday and then you brought Sam home with you and it kind of caused me to forget about the conversation and second, of course I didn’t tell him I was dating you. I told him I had a boyfriend but I didn’t name you because I didn’t want a big scene. Excuse me for being considerate,” she says as she storms out.

I sink into the chair and sigh. What the hell is going with my life these days?

________________________________________________________________________

I stand in front of Johnny’s door like I have for the past five minutes try to work up the courage to actually open the door. I finally take a deep breath and put my hand on the doorknob, turning it. Jake looks up from examining the gold records on the wall to look at me, “Hi,’ he says in surprise.

“Hi,” I answer softly.

“Look, I wasn’t trying to cause problems or anything like that. I didn’t know he was the one who you were dating and-”

I interrupt him, “I know, I know. It’s okay.”

“Thanks,” he says slowly.

“So what did you want?”

Jake shuffles back and forth for a minute, “Well actually I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch this week but after this whole thing I guess that’s not going to happen.”

I rub the back of my neck, “Um, I don’t think that’s going to happen this week.”

Jake nods, “Yeah, I apologize again for everything. I guess maybe this was a bad idea.”

“No, we should be able to be friends. I just have to calm Justin down and then we can do lunch or something,” I say with a sigh of the upcoming conversation I’m going to have to initiate.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to cause you any inconvenience.”

“I’m sure.”

“I miss talking to you Beth. I guess you never really know what you have till it’s gone. We were friends too.”

“I know. How about I call you later this week and we’ll set something up since I’ll be in New York.”

Jake nods and moves to put his arms up and we move around each other for a minute before hugging. I hope this whole awkward thing disappears quickly.

“I’ll see you around.”

I smile, “Bye.”

________________________________________________________________________

I pull up to Justin’s driveway and get out of the car after sending Sam home since he had school. I go inside to see him pouting on the couch. He doesn’t acknowledge me as I come through the door so I stand in front of his view of the TV, “Hi.”

Justin looks up at me but says nothing, moving to the side so he can see the television. I try not to yell at him as I contemplate the phrases I could say but choose not to, “Well I’m going to make dinner.”

I go into the kitchen and start putting things on the counter. Not two seconds later he’s blocking the fridge as I turn around, “Can I help you?”

Justin folds his arms over his chest, “Are we ever going to talk?”

I scoff, “I thought that was what I was trying to do when you refused to talk to me.”

“I just can’t believe you would talk to him and not tell me. You know how I feel about you.”

“You’re doing the exact thing Jake did to me.”

“That was totally different.” he says, trying to reason it.

“No it isn’t!”

Justin puts his hand on the wall to brace himself, “I love you. I love you Beth. I can’t imagine losing you the way I lost the others.”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know how special this thing we have going is?” I counter.

“Then why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Because I forgot. But you know what? If I want to be friends with Jake I’m going to. Because that’s all it would be, friends. I have you and I would never do something to jeopardize that.”

“So you’re going to see him again?”

I sigh but smile at him, “I may go out to lunch with him. That’s what friends sometimes do.”

He puts his hands on my sides, “I love you.”

I go up on my tip toes, “I love you too. Just friends, I swear.”

“Can I still hate him?” he mutters.

I giggle and shake my head, “No.”

“It may take a while.”

I kiss his lips softly, “For someone I connect with so much you can sure be a ass sometimes.”

“Listen, I’m a guy. We are entitled to our ass moments sometimes the way you guys are entitled to an occasional moody days.”

“Whatever you say.”

Justin picks me up and we go into the living room, putting me on the couch next to me with a bag of chips and the dip that I put together. He moves closer to me and puts his head on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. Don’t worry, the next time you pull something like that without letting me explain I will kick your ass.”

“Okay.”

“Good, cause now you’re warned.”