New York City, July 2001
The next morning, the sunlight beamed and danced joyously over the slumbering bodies lain in the bed’s center. Crystal clear eyes flew open, the brightness against his lids shaking him from his sleep. He rejoiced in once-again feeling the familiar soft weight against his side. Shifting his eyes downward, he shifted his neck to get a good look at her face.
She lay on her side, resembling a resting angel with her sprawling hair serving as her glowing halo. Soft sheets and a soft blanket engulfed her body in warmth as she snuggled closer to his side, tucking her body into his every available crevice. One hand tucked under her head, tucked under his arm and her other arm rested on his chest, fingers splayed. His hand reached out towards her face, tracing her features with a feather-like touch. His thumb lingered on her closed mouth, shaped into an adorable and permanent pout.
He continued watching her, allowing his touch to catch her freefalling slumber. He knew he had a lot of ground to cover, and, unfortunately, he was on a schedule. He was due back on the West Coast to continue the tour. He’d been a complete blind idiot, and he was intent on making it right. He needed to make it right.
With a great big deep breath, her eye lids fluttered before her honey-hued eyes welcomed the bright sunlight. Stretching her limbs, she fell back onto her back, again from him. Despite being under the covers, he felt the coolness of her absence against his side through his clothing.
“Buenos dias,” her sleep-laced, husky voice fell on his ears. He felt warmth in the pit of his stomach hearing her deep, sultry voice. Managing a small smile, he was still cautious of how upset she felt. Normally, they were both two very mellow and chill individuals. But, when ignited, they’re tempers were simply ugly.
“Mornin’,” he replied, daring to grab hold of her hand. She twisted it, and he feared that she’d pull away. Instead, she intertwined her fingers with his, and he felt his heart settle. Turning back onto her side, she snuggled into the bed and the pillow. Staring at each other in silence for a few moments, he blinked his long lashes and spoke.
“Want to go catch some breakfast?” smiling at the smile that graced her face, he knew he’d done right.
“I’d like that a lot, you know,” she mumbled, shifting her eyes down to their still-joined hands at her side.
“I’m sorry, babygirl,” he sighed, bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing them. He watched her eyes flutter shut, her lips part with a sigh, and her shoulders sag in relief.
“I know, Jace, I know,” she replied, lifting her head to peck his lips.
“I know we got a lot of talking to do,” he continued, and felt her nod against his chest. Running his fingers through her hair, he inhaled deeply her scent – a mixture of her natural scent and the brown-sugar infused shampoo that she always used.
“I don’t want to fight” the softness of her plea made him feel like a bigger douche, and his heart broke.
“We won’t fight. I promise you,” he replied before urging her to follow his lead and get ready for the day. Taking their turn in the shower, they quickly dressed and headed out. Pulling caps low and sunglasses on, they turned out of the Soho Grand Hotel onto West Broadway towards Prince Street. The intense New York July heat quickly warmed their skin; their casual clothing doing little to keep them cool.
“I should’ve worn shorts,” JC mumbled as he wiped a thumb across his brow, clearing it of the forming sweat beads.
“Shorts aren’t helping me any,” Ana groaned, looking down at her white tee, short-shorts, and sandals. He looked over at her and couldn’t help but laugh at the pout on her lips.
“You’re from Georgia, this ain’t heat mama,” he teased her, lightly bumping his shoulder to hers. She stuck her tongue out at him, and embraced him. Taking a cue from Ana’s arm around his waist, he affectionately wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She reached her free hand to hold onto his hand hanging over her shoulder.
“It may sound silly, but I like when you wrap your arm around my shoulders,” she confessed, looking up at him from under the bill of her New York cap. He smiled at her and cuddled her closer, dropping a kiss on her exposed temple. Turning to look at the passing buildings, Ana pressed her lips to the inside of his wrist. JC felt her soft, warm lips on the inside of his wrist and smiled.
“Are you up here by yourself?” he asked as they continued walking the three blocks to Prince Avenue.
“Nah, Myra’s here with me. We flew up two days ago,” Ana replied, shaking her head. Looking around, there didn’t seem to be one photographer lurking but she’s learned that didn’t necessarily mean there wouldn’t be any photographs taken.
“How come you’re not at the condo? Johnny told me you were here, that’s how I knew,” he answered her question before she could ask it. He’d ran around before leaving the tour like crazy looking for the key to the condo that she’d given him. Johnny had quickly settled him by informing him that she was staying at a hotel, instead.
“Myra and I were over there, but the paps caught wind. It was just too much, so we decided to move over here. It’s a bit safer, and closer to everything,” she replied. Arriving at the cross street, they turned right onto Prince Street, aiming their destination to Elizabeth Street.
“I’m glad you know where we’re going,” JC mused as he obediently followed her. She chuckled before shrugging her shoulders.
“I love New York. I’d love to live here permanently for a while, eventually,” she responded. She was leading them to Jo’s, a restaurant that she’d come to love with time. It was a fun, casual restaurant with great food. The “chalkboard menu” changed daily, but the food selection was always great.
“I don’t know if I could live here for a long time, but I’d like to stay here for longer than a few days here and there,” JC replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s partially the reason I keep a place here. It’s sort of my incentive to one day move here,” she confessed. Keeping the conversation light and easy, the couple stayed away from the looming topic that hung dark and grey over their heads. A few minutes later, they arrived to the cutesy eatery and were seated in the back corner. Silently agreeing to postpone their conversation, they waited for the young waitress to take their orders.
“I know I said this earlier, but I need to say it again, Anita. I really am sorry for hurting you the way that I did,” he began, once the waitress had walked away with the promise to return with their meals soon.
“JC, how will I know that it won’t happen again? I’ve been asking myself this over and over again. Our schedules don’t seem to coincide anytime soon. You’re on tour for another 6 weeks, then you’ll tour again in the spring. I took this month off because I needed a break, but also because I hadn’t seen you. And, it feels like I’m the only one that ever takes time off,” she confessed, hoping it wouldn’t come off as accusatory.
“Ana, it’s easier for you to take time off. Things like that aren’t just up to me. I have four other people to think about,” he tried to reason, and she knew she was being a bit demanding.
“Josh, how is it possible that J and Brit see each other much more often than you and I? It’s the same situation,” she pointed out, negating his argument.
“Travel times are easier when they’re just on opposite coasts, not opposite hemispheres,” he pled, his hands twisting in his lap.
“I want this to work, do you?” she kept her voice leveled, and free of crescendos. She did not want to ignite an argument.
“Of course, I do! I love you so much, Ana,” he pled, his hand reaching out to grasp hers, sitting on the tabletop.
“I know that, JC. But, love isn’t enough. I love you with all my heart, and I want to say that I do all in my power to spend time with you. I want you to make an equal effort,” she continued, “and making excuses isn’t going to make this any better. Britney’s been touring overseas as well, and yet Justin made it out there.”
JC remained quiet as he let her words sink in. It was the truth. Justin had chosen to take those two days of relaxation between shows to fly to London to spend one day with Britney on tour. And, Ana had been performing in Puerto Rico. His selfishness had won him over, and he’d slept away those two days. Allowing his head to drop in shame, he didn’t know what to say. He felt like the biggest ass in the world.
“This is my first relationship with another public figure, Josh. And, I’m going to assume that this is the first for you as well. When you dated the other girls, you were used to them dropping their every responsibility to join you in this fantasy life that we lead. The same can be said for me, except I was on a hiatus when I dated him,” she began, her hands squeezing, softly, his hands.
“There’s got to be a give-and-take happening here,” her voice whispered, sensing the waitress approaching them. Giving the young girl a soft smile, the couple watched their food place on the table’s surface. The combination of scrambled eggs, bacon, and warm banana crumb muffins sat before them.
“And I’ve been taking a lot more lately than I’ve been giving. I’m sorry,” his heart poured onto the table like the raspberry syrup that she’d poured over her muffin. “I know that I’ve been selfish, but all I can do is ask for one more thing. Time. After this upcoming month of shows, we’re relatively free until March. Just, please, give me time.”
His sensible blue eyes pled for her understanding. How could she deny him the one thing that every public figure always sought from loved ones?
"Time is all we’ve got, Josh,” she consented, and she saw a weight lift from his shoulders. Allowing a smile to grace his lips, he leaned over the small booth table and kissed her lips tenderly. With their cap bills in the way, he’d tilted his face one way and she, the other.
“Now, eat up! I’m sure Myra’s dying to see you,” she teased, knowing her overly excited sister could always managed to make a fool out of herself around anyone. He smirked, shaking his head.
“I’ve told you about teasing that poor girl, let up some,” he taunted, shaking his fork at her and drawing soft giggles from her. With a shrug of her shoulder, she replied an ‘oh well’.
####
"Can I just have two peach-filled pastries and two cranberry muffins?" Ana asked the young girl behind the counter of the local bakery that they’d stopped at on their way back to the hotel. JC had suggested they pick up a little something for Myra to enjoy once she awoke, and Ana teased him that he sure knew how to sweep her sister off her feet. The employee nodded as JC stood off to the side, looking into the display case.
“Could you add those apple cinnamon mini rolls?” he asked, childishly pointing at the sugary pastries in the back of the second row. “
You just ate, you pig!” Ana playfully hissed, smacking his arm. It was always a wonder how he maintained such a small frame; he certainly could pack away enormous amounts of food.
“Sue me!” he replied, playfully sticking out his tongue. She chuckled and shook her head, and he came to her side. Wrapping his arm around her, they stood waiting for their order to be packed up. Seeing the paper bag of sweets wrapped in wax paper, JC stepped up to the counter to pay for the food.
“I hope you’re sharing,” Ana teased, standing next to him but eyeing the paparazzi who had suddenly appeared outside the small shop. “And we have company.”
Twisting his head, he looked out the glass doors and sighed. The paparazzi crowed the sidewalk outside the shop, shooting photos. "Fabulous.”
Her golden eyes slowly moved towards the cameras, and she sighed deeply as he turned to look towards her. "It'll be all right."
There’d been many instances when she’d been caught in hostile environments dealing with paparazzi and fans. And, despite having burly security guards surrounding her, she’d always feared her safety. And, it seemed as if the number of photographers was increasing with each passing second, and he knew that it scared her. He, as gently as possible, spoke to her in comforting tones. Hearing him reassure her that she’d be ok settled her nerves; she knew that he'd do everything possible to never let them harm her.
“Do you need me to call someone for you? I can get my manager and coworker to help you walk out,” the employee’s voice broke them from their conversation. Smiling graciously, JC accepted her offer.
“That would be great, thank you,” he spoke, wrapping an arm around Ana, “we’ll grab a cab back, ok.” Within minutes, two men walked out from the back of the bakery and led JC and Ana out through the throbs of paparazzi.
He took her hand, and thanking the woman behind the register, they exited the bakery. Instinctively, he pulled her smaller body close to his. The crowd swarmed closer, but still remained distanced sufficiently. As the bakery’s employee held a cab for them, the manager kept the imbeciles at a safe distance. When a yellow cab pulled up to the curb, JC ushered Ana into it first before turning back to the two employees.
“Thank you so much. We really appreciate it,” he said, shaking their hands with gratitude. Ignoring the questions from the paparazzi, he climbed into the cab as well.
“See, that wasn’t too bad,” he soothed as the cab merged back onto traffic and steered them away from the masses. Clutching the bag of sweets, Ana breathed deeply.
“I’ve always told Myra that her sweet tooth was trouble,” she grumbled, playfully blaming the sweets for the ordeal. Chuckling, JC pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head. Tipping her head upward, she kissed his chin gently. Silently, she thanked him for getting her through that.
####
“How long will you be in the city?” JC asked as he lounged on the hotel bed with Myra sitting beside him, intently working on a word search. His eyes would alternate between watching Ana straighten her hair by the dresser and skimming the box of scrambled letters in search of a word.
“I’m not too sure just yet. Myra said something about having to back soon, right sis?” Ana asked, but getting no response. She was completely engrossed in the word search, so Ana threw her a hair clip to gain her attention.
“Hey watch it skank!” Myra warned, rubbing her knuckles where the clip had collided. JC snorted, but he didn’t dare laugh. These two were feisty when mocked.
“When do you have to be back, short bus?” Ana continued her teasing rant. Narrowing her eyes, Myra pleasantly flipped her off.
“I’m flying back tomorrow evening,” she replied, a smirk on her lips.
“I may or may not fly back with her. I told Li that I’d hang with her for a few, and I wanted to go visit Elena while I’m up here,” Ana shrugged, turning back to focus on straightening her unruly curls.
“I don’t know why you even bother making it straight. A little water, and poof! You’re Justin,” JC teased, laughing when she glared at him through the mirror. “Plus, I like the curls more.”
“Well, I want straight hair tonight,” her stubborn chin tilted upwards, and JC hid his smirk. She could be such a kid sometimes, and thankfully, he found it endearing.
“Where are we going, heifer?” Myra asked, her attention still focused on the word search.
“You’re not invited, sweets,” Ana teased, and laughed as she was once again flipped out.
“Ignore your sister, you’re definitely invited,” JC defended Myra, earning a bright smile from her.
“And who invited you, Superstar?” Ana taunted, turning her body as she ran the hot hair iron down a section of curls.
“Li, herself, actually, so boo-yah,” he stuck his tongue out at her. Myra’s head snapped up before she rolled off the bed in laughter. Ana’s laughter joined her, loudly.
“Boo-yah, son, really?” Myra laughed loudly, from her current position on the floor. JC ignored them both, opting to take his dignity to the shower. Without saying one word, he playfully kicked Myra’s foot and flicked Ana’s forehead as he passed by. Closing the door behind him, he heard their protests of abuse. He shook his head, laughing softly, before turning the shower water on.
“Your man’s a dork,” Myra giggled, still unable to pick herself up from the bedroom floor.
“At least I got a man,” Ana snorted, causing Myra to retaliate by throwing the hair clip from earlier.
“Bitch,” Ana sneered, rubbing the back of her arm. Myra smiled, evilly before reaching over for her phone, which had just beeped.
“I may not have a man right now, but I will soon. See you later, toots!” Myra retorted, rushing to gather her stuff before running out the door.
“What the hell? Who is it?” Ana asked, alarmed that her sister had not filled her in. Rushing to follow her out the door, she caught a small glimpse of a handsome man at the end of the hallway turning to follow Myra into the elevator.
“I’ll find out, you wench!” Ana yelled, hoping Myra would hear her before the elevator doors closed. Hearing the taunting laughter in response, she knew she’d been heard.
