"One more time... Run that back... one more time. Shit. Sorry..." I laughed at Justin on the other side of the glass being the perfectionist I always knew he was in the studio. "Will you punch me in right there...." I heard him say the very same line, perfect, at least four times in just the five minutes I stood there.

The door behind me closes and turn back to see it was Rob coming back into the room, "Hey you!" he said surprised. "How are you doing?" he reaches out to hug me.

"I'm really good."   I say as he squeezes me tighter.

"Justin said he was expecting someone today, but I didn't think it was going to be you."

"I'm sorry... I can leave and bring someone else back!" I joked with him.

"No. No. That's not what I meant. Honestly I don't know what I meant. Anyways it's good to see you. You look great."

"Thank you! You don't look so bad yourself." I looked at his, "All ripped and toned and everything..."

He rolled his eyes at me as he had down so many times before, "Yeah yeah..."

"Hush Rob... you know you look good."

He changed the subject quickly. "How come you didn't tell me you wanted Justin to work on that track with you? He would have come in and done the track if you really wanted him to..."

"I didn't say that. I'm beyond happy with the track the way it is."

He sat down in the black leather chair, spinning to look back at me, "I know that, he would have come in though. You should have said something."

I would have never asked him to bring Justin in. Rob is an amazing producer. I had no worries about him recording the track. "I was happy that someone wanted to work with me. That's all that matters. Otherwise I would have to deal with that..." I pointed in the booth and asked, "How long has he been in there working on that same line?"

"About twenty five minutes... it's been perfect eight different ways but it's not what he wants so he is continuing to say the same thing over and over again."

                I stood at the board, dead center of the room, watching the frustration and tenseness on his face. It was something I hadn't seen before. He was annoyed with himself and that's the worst thing of all. He just wanted to get it right, the way he heard it in his head. I pressed down the button to speak into his headphones, "You know... if you would just hit the right note, this wouldn't be an issue." I let go of the button and watched his face raised up and the light come back to his face.

"Hey." he says calmly as the smile widens across his face, lightening his tense face.

I smiled back at him. "Hey."

                He took off the headphones, placing them on the mic stand as he turned to walk out of the booth and into the room with Rob, myself, and the tech Jason. He walked straight over to me, hugged me and stepped back, "Are you ready to go?"

"No, I thought Rob and I had some time to catch up. You didn't have that part done yet. I figured you needed to do it at least twenty more times perfectly."

"Girl..." he scrunched his nose, pointing to the door. "Go!" He turned back to everyone, "I'll see you guys later." He opened the door and stood there waiting for me to go out before him.

"Bye guys!" I yelled!

"Bye-Bring me some lunch back..." I heard Rob yell as I walked out of the door.

                I was smitten by a guy opening doors for me. I can't even remember when the last time someone I was with opened a door for me without wanting something from me. When you're paying someone to be with you all the time, the feeling isn't the same. It's a simple gesture that made my day. We walked out of the studio through the back entrance and right into Justin's car waiting for us. I didn't think it was going to be that easy getting out of the studio but it was a piece of cake. It was not exactly what happened getting out of the vehicle was a different story. It's like he had a tracking device on him because instantaneously it was like the flood gates opened up and the cameras came out of nowhere and when they realized it was the two of us, it was a disaster. I felt overwhelmed and scared. He literally had to take cover over me to prevent them from knocking me over. "I'm so sorry" he said repetitive.

I started laughing once we finally reached the inside of the doors, "Oh my god!" I finally let out a breath, "I have never... oh gosh... I have never dealt with something like that before. WOW!"

"This is my life. It was a bit extreme today but for the most part, this is what it's like."

                We walked through the glass panels doors with the frosted letting of Fred's across the glass. The hostess behind the podium gasps at the sight of him. I laugh and he just says, "Niki Le Bouquin has reserved us a couple tables."

She looked down at the reservations and flipped through the pages. "Yes, Mr. Timberlake... I will get her for you." Her hands tremble as she picks up the phone.

                Within moments a tiny, petite, brunette woman was standing there in her cream color business suit. "Justin... how are you doing? It's been a while." She reached out and hugged him.

"It has." He said stepping back to stand next to me.

"Well, follow me. Your table is ready." She led us through the restaurant and out to the patio, an empty patio. It is funny how one person can have so much power.  A place like Fred's on Madison Ave is not easy to get into on a Friday at lunch time, let alone have the entire patio to yourself. I looked around and saw each table had been pushed against the doors that come out to this patio and there were blinds drawn over the windows. There was one table with settings on it for us, with a bottle of wine on chill. The downtown area of Manhattan as our backdrop. Gorgeous was an understatement.

                "Justin- This must have cost you a fortune. We didn't have to come here..."

He cut me off. "Don't worry about it. Niki owed me a favor, so this is what I asked for in return."

"The view is pretty amazing." I stood looking out over the balcony.

                Lunch turned into most of the afternoon. We sat for hours talking about everything our lives were and what we were hoping would be our lives in the near future. We never talked about relationships directly; we never talked about heart break directly. But when I picked up my phone and saw a message from Aaron, it was obviously written all over my face that there was some uncertainty.

 "I'm sorry. I want to make this work with us. I love you. I don't know what I would do without you in my life."

"What's wrong? You look like you just received bad news." He asks reaching across the table, placing his hand over mine.

"I don't know what I'm going to do anymore..." I didn't want to have this conversation with Justin of all people but I honestly was at a loss of what to do. "I can't seem to win with him..."

"Aaron?" he questioned.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I know what I need to do, but I can't seem to do it."

"You have to do what you need to do, but do it for you..."

                Justin dropped me off in front of my hotel, "If you're not busy later, come by the studio. We will be there most of the night finishing a couple things. I would love to spend more time with you while we have the time."

"I would like that as well. I will let you know." I knew that I was falling apart inside and I really didn't want to break into a billion pieces right in front of him. And just like that he was gone. Driving away.

                The inside of the hotel was grand. The classic architectural fixtures and stone ceilings were a sight to see. My head was down looking at the detail of the most gorgeous color of blue marble floors leading to the elevator as I heard someone call my name. I ignore it at first.

"Malia Crane." I heard again. I was really confused when someone used my last name. No one really every used it. It was a part of me that meant nothing to the world. I turned back and the woman behind the front desk says, "Hi Malia, there was a fairly big packaged that was dropped off by a... Mr. Ayala for you today."

Mr. Ayala? Who is that? I thought for a moment, Justin's friend? Why would he be dropping something off to me? "Is it in my room?" I asked.

"No. They are bringing it out for you now."

                Just as she said that a bellboy came out with an enormous package on a cart. What the hell did he drop off for me? I got slightly worried. The entire way up to the room, I thought of a thousand different things that it could be. All of which scared me immensely. He brought it into my room and placed it on the floor.  I stared at it, a little worried to even open it. Curiosity got the best of me though; I had to see what was in it. I bent down to the level of this box and cut the tape with scissors I found in the drawer. As I began to flip open the lid, my phone rang causing me to almost jump out of my skin. It scared the crap out of me.

                I didn't look at the screen, I just answered it. "Hello!"

"Well you sound awfully cheery now... did someone brighten up your day for you?" He asks as if he already knew what my day was like.

"I had a busy day but it's been a good one... I'm at the hotel now." I wanted him to talk to me, figure this all out. But that is not what I got.

"I see you had enough time in your day to visit Justin at the studio in Tribeca..." I could hear him clicking forcefully on the laptop, "And have enough time to have lunch with him in Manhattan yet you couldn't take a single minute to text me back. This seems to be... its becoming a problem. "

"You know, a hi, how you doing, nice to talk to you would be nice... my god Aaron... I didn't text you back because I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to say something just to say something. The problems in our relationship have been there for so long that I don't know what it's like just to be happy anymore."  I dropped to the floor sitting with my hands wrapped around my knees. "I need some time to think..."

"Think about what Malia?" he snapped back at me. "This is because you want to be with Justin Timberlake. I fucking knew this was going to happen. He gets what he wants again."

We couldn't have a conversation about us, he was threatened but something but he was too stubborn to admit this was his issue. "What is your deal with Justin? Seriously, are you that jealous of him?"

"There is nothing to be jealous about." I could see him rolling his eyes through the phone. It was typical for him.

I shook my head, frustrated. "I don't know how many times and how many ways to tell you this but Justin is a friend. He is going to be a part of my life no matter what you think about him. He has been nothing but a great friend to me. So I suggest that you get used to having him around."

"I don't want you around him at all." He said in a demand.

I knew he was stubborn but I didn't see him ever being like this. "Well I'm glad that is a choice you don't get to make."

"So, what are you saying Malia?" he asked.

"I don't know what I'm saying... I just know I need some time to think."

"What's there to think about... we are together and now there is another man involved?"

"AARON." I yelled. "This is an issue with you and you alone. This has nothing to do with me or Justin for that matter. Whatever this problem is, it's something you are going to have to deal with."

I heard glass behind him smash onto the tile floor. "I won't have him a part of our lives. You are going to have to make a choice."

"You're kidding right? Don't give me that as my options because..."

"Because what you would choose Justin? Because you have already chosen Justin. You chose him the day you met him over me. You have wanted to break this off for months."

"Your right it has been months... the funny thing is I haven't known Justin that long. That means there is an issue with our relationship, nothing to do with Justin."

"He is the reason we are fighting. He is the reason that my girlfriend has strayed from me."

My voice got louder and louder. "If I wanted Justin, I would have already gone there... I can't do this anymore. I just can't."

"What are you scare the truth is finally coming out? Are you scared that sweet innocent Malia is in the wrong this time..."

"Fuck you Aaron." I said cold heartedly. "I'm done." -Click.

                Hanging up on Aaron has really become my new favorite thing to do. It gave me some empowerment by one simple little task. I shut the ringer off on the phone tossing it on the bed. I removed every single article of clothing I was wearing, replacing them with a fluffy terrycloth rope. I needed to shower and clear my thoughts of moments I just had with Aaron. I had an amazing day, he wasn't going to ruin this for me. Plans of relaxing in this hotel room tonight have changed.

 Out of the corner of my eye I see that box I had been so anxious to know what was inside of. I pick up the phone the in room. "Can I get a couple bottles of 901 and a couple bottles of Jack, to my room please?"

"Is that all you are going to need." I heard the voice on the other end asking as if she thought that was too much alcohol for me to be ordering for just myself.

"Ohh can I get a bottle of sour mix and... I should have dinner first... screw it just send me an enormous pile of fresh cut french fries."

"The order will be up to you shortly." She hung up the phone before I knew she was done speaking. I placed the phone back on the base and walked over to that box. With each piece of card board it revealed a layer of tissue paper. An envelope with my first name printed on it rests in the center of that tissue paper.

Malia, your support for the company means the world to us both. I can't wait to get to spend time with you on a regular basis. My small gift to you, enjoy!-Trace

                I removed the tissue paper to find jeans, skirts, shorts, tanks, t-shirts, jewelry, sunglasses... everything from the upcoming line of William Rast. It was super sweet of him to do that. I felt like it was Christmas morning and I had gotten the best gift of all.

Dialing the now very familiar number I wait anxiously for him to answer the phone. Just as the voicemail was going to pick up and I was going to leave a message that I was sure to get a response from he picked up the phone.

"Hey you!" He answered the phone. "You miss me already don't you? I knew you would." He laughs.

"I was actually calling to tell you... I was in nothing but a robe, applying lotion to every inch of my body... slowly rubbing it in to every pore. The moist-"

He cut me off... "STOP!" he choked out.

"Oh, was that too much information. Sorry, I sometimes get carried away with telling someone exactly what I'm doing on the other side of the line." I felt the feeling of being comfortable when I talked to him. A smile over takes my entire being.

I heard him grunt through the phone... and tell the guys he would be right back that it was too noisy in there. The room was pretty quiet for a studio but I think my words made him need to be out of the view of others.

"Malia, you there." He asked, worried I had hung up.

"Yes." I answered sitting done on the bed, continuing to rub lotion into my feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't the question supposed to be, what are you wearing?" I asked. I was kind of flirting with him. I didn't know I was doing it until I had already done it. "Would you like the truth or a tale?"

I heard him swallow hard, breaking in his words as he spoke. "Depends which option I will like better..."

"I'm literally... putting lotion on my feet. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh, no disappointment, that's for sure..."

"I was actually calling to see if I could get Trace's phone number."

He laughed, "Wow, talk about losing my moment."

"Oh, I would need more than a moment." I wanted to see his face against mine again. I wanted to feel his hands on my waist...

"Girl- you can't make comments like that... you are making this a little difficult."

"Don't make it difficult, just give me his number." I was joking back with him, but I knew exactly what he meant.

He said he wouldn't give me Trace's number unless I came and hung out in the studio with him for a while. It took me all of about three seconds of convincing for me to want to go hang out with him for a while. "I'll bring presents!" I said before I hung up the phone.