I had thought about the covers I wanted to do for some time.  None of which anyone else would agree on, I was sure. Doing covers wasn't something that should be done just to do. I wanted them to mean something. They had to have a personal touch or feeling. I wasn't going to cover a song because it was a classic. I would cover anything as long as the lyrics were perfect. There were thousands of songs just over the last decade that I would be happy with doing, but finding the right ones was my challenge.

I had been on this stage for hours today going through possible ideas for covers. I was happy to see Joel and I could be on the same pages within seconds. He knew every song's melody without even having to think about it. There were little notes everywhere with my handwriting scribbled all over them, but there were a couple songs I came coming back to.

Technically I didn't need to be here today. The band was trying to get all the songs from the album memorized, but I thought it would be crazy for them to lean the album version of the song when I knew I would change things up for the live version.

With Justin being late for his meeting this morning, his day was pushed behind. He was going to work on one cover that I was already set on doing. He wasn't aware of it yet but I knew that it was just one song that changed the face of music and it was the perfect cover. It was sure to cause some tabloids to run with a story and it was sure to cause some controversy, but I was going to do it. I couldn't wait to tell him about it, if only I could figure out a way to make it different but still the same song.

"Joel." I said into the mic. "Right there... can you rock it up a little. Make it a little more edgy, something I can pop my hip to or something different?"

"Of course." He goes back a couple lines and replays the section.

I dropped my head listening intently to the chords. "Yes.... yes... perfect. Let's keep that"

It felt like it was nine hundred degrees in that sound stage. The air was on but as much as I was dancing around it didn't matter. The chorographer, Dawn, was working my tail off. So much for me not even supposed to be here today. Layer by layer, clothing started to be removed. I was down to a sports bra and a pair of shorts I had continued to roll down, if I rolled it any further I would start to expose an area that could possibly cause a scene. The stiletto booties were a nice touch to the outfit. I had to rehearse in them, I was planning on wearing heels during the show and these were the most comfortable pair I owned, well it's not like I had much to choose from. My choices were limited to what I already had in my suitcase.

"I think that's the cover you should do." Joel looked at me, as if I should have already known that. "You are the one that brought it to the table... you said you wanted to do it. I'm telling you, you should do it."

I didn't have the belief that I could do it. I was the one second guessing it. "I don't think it's something I can pull off night after night. That song needs power behind it."

"And you think you don't have it? You're sadly mistaken, you have it."

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure I could do it. I was sure that I could however screw it up night after night.

"Let's just try it." He said, trying to pull me in. "See if you can show me what you think you are going to screw up on?"

"Do you know the music?" I asked, hoping for a no.

"Of course I do. That song is incredible."

Great I thought. I wanted to do the song, but it was a lot of pressure. Amy Lee's vocals weren't something, someone else could touch. With the mic in hand, I shake off the nerves. The keyboard started to play. The notes, the chords, the lyrics, the emotion, the pain, and everything that came along with that song came back to me. The simplicity of just that keyboard makes the hair on my arms stand up. "I'm so tired of being here... Suppressed by all my childish fears... And if you have to leave... I wish that you would just leave... Cause your presence still lingers here... And it won't leave me alone..."

As my voice started to rise, Jason came in softly on the acoustic guitar, filling in the space Joel was leaving out with the keyboard. "These wounds won't seem to heal... This pain is just too real... There's just too much that time cannot erase... "

I started the first lines of the chorus, rolling into the second verse. The song has become a part of me again. I felt everything that was needed to be felt while saying the words that these lyrics possess. I was now singing about my life, "You used to captivate me by your resonating light... Now I'm bound by the life you left behind... Your face it haunts... My once pleasant dreams... Your voice it chased away... All the sanity in me..." I moved closer to the end of the stage, "These wounds won't seem to heal... This pain is just too real... There's just too much that time cannot erase..." My voice climbed with every word, higher and higher, projecting in the space. "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone...But though you're still with me... I've been alone all along..." I dropped my head back on the last word, noticing the goose bumps up my arms, before going into the last section of the song. "When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears... When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears... I held your hand through all of these years... But you still have... all of me..." With the mic in hand, staring out over an empty space, I felt that this song could be something I could handle. It hit home. "Me...Me..." I dropped my head to the floor. So many of my fears and feelings lied within the words of that song and there was nothing. As much as it would hurt, this was the song I knew I had to do. No one said anything. It was the kind of silence where no one needed to say anything. I couldn't shake that ‘haunted' feeling.

I heard very loudly a man clearing his throat in the microphone, causing it to echo through the space. I turn to look at the guys behind me, none of them were even close to their mics. The feeling that came over everyone after that song has made them not even look at me. The voice entered the feedback in my inner ear. "Now that is a look I need to recreate for my clothing line..." I heard the mic hit the floor causing a quick bam in my ear. I knew it was his voice, I couldn't find him though. I turned looking out over the entire space. Where was he? Maybe I imagined that? That song is making me think crazy things. I laughed to myself, turning back to talk to Dawn, who was showing the other dancers where they needed to be.

I gasped. "Oh my god." Placing my hand over my chest, "You scared the shit out of me." There is was, standing inches from my face. I stepped back.

"I'm glad I have that effect on you." He said that smile planted on his face.

I rolled my eyes, "You wish Timberlake."

"I'm digging the outfit, it's very sexy." He said with his lips perched to one side of his face.

"I'm glad this ensemble..." I waved my hands up and down my clothing, "does something for you."

He leans in whispering into my ear, breathing down the side of my neck. "Actually it's very sexy. I love a half dressed woman..." he looks down, "in heels... but I prefer for it to be I my bedroom...  I could use them as handles... after I remove everything but the heel..." The seduction in his words make my eyes roll back into my head, fluttering my eyelids, causing a warm sensation to explode in my system. "But I guess I can't have it all..."

I turn my head away from him for a second but without thinking of anything other than the words that just turned me on, I ran her finger over chest, down between my breasts, "I hope this sweat does something for you as well..." I said with a little sass.... Turning quickly, walking to the other side of the stage. I turned to watched him stand there for a moment with his head thrown back looking at the ceiling. I could see his back muscles inhale and exhale a deep breath. He was totally turned on and that makes me very happy. I thought to myself.

Trying to focus on work I snap into work mode. I couldn't have all these dirty thoughts about him and get anything accomplished. Luckily for me, Joel comes over and asks a question about the mash up we had been thinking of doing. "I think you should do all four of the songs. The lyrics sorta run together... it could work."

"Let's try it!" I said, it was a great idea and it would take my mind off of him for a couple minutes.

"What songs is it?" Justin asked, sliding into our conversation.

"It's four Kelly Clarkson songs." I said turning back to Joel. "Let's just try it."

I walked away from the both of them, but I heard Joel says, "You just missed an incredible moment..."

He started to play the opening guitar riff, the drums started to come in. "Our time has come... To make a little more room... I've hung around you... It's getting tough... I think I'm gonna break down soon..." The music switches over.... "Everybody talking... but they don't say a thing... They look at me with sad eyes... But I don't want the sympathy... It's cool you didn't warn me... Sometimes you can't go back... Why did you have to make a mess like that?..." The music switches again, a little more upbeat this time. "It's like you're a drug... It's like you're a demon I can't face down... It's like I'm stuck... It's like I'm running from you all the time... And I know let you have all the power ... It's like the only company I seek is misery all around..." I didn't realize that the words to these songs actually fit my current situation. Maybe that's while I chose them. I chuckled out loud as the music changes again. "What you see's not what you get... What you see's not what you get... You know you did it now I'm gone... To find someone to live for in this world... There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight... Just a bridge that I gotta burn..." He finished playing the song, bringing it back full circle to the first song. "So go on, and sleep darling... Why don't you pretend it was just a dream?... It's cool baby, it doesn't matter anyway... Well I'm sorry... I got to the station a little too late... It's such a shame... I just missed the train... I just missed the train..."

                I stood there, center stage silent. It was perfect. It was exactly what I thought it should sound like. "What do you think?" I turned to Joel, waiting to hear what he thought. He was the musical director; I wanted to know his thoughts. He just looked at me.

"I think that if we do something else in place of it I am going to hurt you." His words took a second to register. I was nervous. I thought he hated it. "I think this mash up with the other song you did just a couple minutes ago, have to be in the show."

I started to jump up and down. Everything was coming together piece by piece. "Shit." I felt pain start to radiate through my entire left leg. I bent over rubbing the back of my calf. I had gotten a Charlie horse and I couldn't shake the pain. I pressed harder on the muscle trying to release some of the pain. I stood up and took a step forward, hoping the pain would work itself out.

 "Nice View" I heard Justin say as turn back to him, watching his eyes travel over my chest, slowly up my neck , focusing just left of my lips, at the dimple that appears as a smile widens across my face."That's a very nice view." He said again.

 "What do you think?" I asked.

"I already said it's a very nice view." He stretched his neck trying to see more of my nearly naked body.

"Earth to Justin!" I said laughing at him...

He straightens his body back up in the chair. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Other than you..." I laughed, noticing he was very excited. "The mash up Justin... the songs I just did... were you even listening?"

"Damn..." He shakes his head, making a funny noise. "That mash up is perfect...  but..." he said.

I didn't like the way he said but... that was going to get him a kick in the behind. "But what? Do you think it's too many songs, should I just stick with the two or three songs?"

"No, I really think it's perfect. It's the perfect mix of the songs... they blend well... but it's going to suggest that you have had a bad breakup with your boyfriend." The smirk that rolls across his face had the underlined notion that it was actually what he wanted.

"My fiancé?" I questioned.

His face turned white as a ghost, his mouth and lips instantly turned dry as he jaw was on the floor. He swallowed hard, "YOUR WHAT?"

I knew that was not the polite thing to do but I couldn't resist. "Calm dawn killer, there's a story going to press tomorrow that were engaged. The woman from PR just called to tell me." I turned back to see Joel walking away from our conversation.

Justin approached me and asked, "Are you... engaged to him?" I could hear the guilt that he had in the pit of his stomach. The fact that he thinks we cheated on Aaron was eating him alive.

"No." I said stern. "Far from that, but you know how rumors run in this town." I tried to blow off the situation.

"What is going on with that?" He wanted an answer; he wanted to hear those three simple words.

"The songs should be an inkling of what's going on in our relationship."

"I see the sadness in your eyes when you talk about him. You're not happy, and at that point it's time to break it off."

"Yea, I know." I dropped my head and walked out of that soundstage. I needed to tell Justin. If anyone, he needed to know for certain what was going on. But honestly I didn't want to talk about it. So instead I found myself in the back room working on the lyrics for the cover of his song that I wanted to do. I would bury myself in work and prevent this conversation from happening right now. He however, wasn't going to let me run away.

"Malia..." he says shutting the door behind him.

"Please, I need to work on this." I continued to stare at the notebook paper in front of me that had words wrote everyone on every line but I couldn't see a single letter on the page.

"That's why I'm here, remember... the cover you wanted me to work on with you?" Ouch. He wasn't here to spend time with me he was only here for work.

I walked across the room, finding my makeup bag on the counter. I pulled my messy hair back into a ponytail, wrapping the hair tie around it, revealing a small tattoo on the back of my neck. It was a wonderful mess, but I didn't care. It was too hot to care.

"What's this?" he rubs his hand across my shoulder along the line of my neck, taking his fingers right over the tattoo. His touch made every piece of hair on my body stand up. He walked around my body slowly trailing his fingers on my skin, running them over the hot flesh. "I don't know if it's the messy hair... that tattoo... your neck... your legs... those heels... your lips... your ass... or what it is but you have me completely turned on..."

I tried to contain my thoughts and ideas of what I wanted to do to him but it didn't happen. I pushed him against the door, shoving his already rock hard cock into my center. I latched my lips onto his, nipping the inner curve of his lip. He reached behind him and locked the door. His hands immediately went to my waist band, twirling his fingers into the material that was rolled down, resting his hands on my hips. His fingers caressed the skin under the shorts. I took my hands and ran them under his shirt, tossing it to the floor, taking back to his lips as I unfasten his jeans. I leaned down to unzip the bootie when he latched a hold of my wrist. "Leave those on... you have teased me enough in them..." I pulled down my own shorts at this point, taking the panties with them. I couldn't wait to have him any longer. I took my arms, wrapping them around his neck, jumping into the air, forcing him in as my ass met his skin, locking my legs around him, taking every inch of him in. Wiggling to make sure he was completely in. "God..." he exhaled with so much pleasure.

I covered his mouth with one hand, "Shhh..." I started to thrust my hips into him while he did the same thing. Our movement became one. My hand stayed over his mouth, he was a noise maker and the only thing I wanted to hear was the sound of our bodies slamming together. He nipped down on my hand causing me to release my hand from his mouth but it gave me more strength to hold on tighter around his neck. He takes his hands to my hips and starts to forcefully pushing my body back and forth into his, his rock hard flesh was pulsation in and out of me at such a rapid movement that I couldn't distinguish which way I was moving. My vocal cords wanted to scream, my entire being wanted to scream. I was sure the point on the heel was digging into his skin. Just as I let myself start to vocally express what he was doing to me, he placed his enormous hand over my mouth. "Did you hear that?" He asked. I gasped, mumbling into his hand. But then I heard it. "Malia..."

 It was Sam's voice. "Malia." It was defiantly Sam yelling down the hallway. "Have you seen Malia?" he asked someone in the hallway. I thought if we were quiet he would go back down the hallway.

Knock Knock.... I jumped off of him, grabbing my items of clothing, putting them back on.

Knock Knock. "Malia" he said again.

What should I do? Should I answer him? I clearly have the ‘I just fucked him' look on my face. What was I going to do? Justin stood there with the same look on his face. He scrambled to pick up his clothes as well. How was I going to cover this up? What did I have to cover this situation up? Screw it, suck it up. "Yes Sam." I answered him.

"Malia... are you busy."

I laughed, not now. "Justin and I are working on something..." I laughed again. Something, that was for sure.

"I need to see you about the situation I was taking care of for you today..." he says trailing off.

I knew what he was talking about and I didn't want him to elaborate. "Just give me a second, I'll be right there." I pulled my sports bra back over my head, adjusting the elastic waistband.

"I expect you to finish what you started... and you better put these handles to good use when I get back." I slid my shorts over my feet and pulled them on.

 Justin dropped to the couch, rubbing his hands over his face. A bit of guilt resided in his eyes again. It was strange how he could he could go from not caring at all about the consequences to complete despair. I need to tell him. I'm going to tell him. "Justin." I stood with my hand on the door handle, trying to come up with the words.

"Malia..." he said first. "We can't continue doing this."

I couldn't do it. Why could I not manage to say those words? It wasn't that difficult, it was actually pretty simple words to say. "Can we talk about this later? Can we talk about this when there's no one else around? There's a lot I need to tell you." He simply nodded his head, and I turned and walked out of the room.