Whitney looked around the restaurant and was suddenly reminded of a scene from the movie, A Christmas Story.  She and JC were the only people sitting in this little, out of the way, Chinese restaurant on Christmas.  There were a few random and tacky holiday decorations scattered around amongst the oriental décor while an old recording of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas crackled over the speakers.  The only thing missing was a group of Chinese waiters singing a horrible, yet hilarious, rendition of Deck the Halls and an entire cooked duck to be brought out to their table.  Putting a hand to her mouth, Whitney tried to cover the laugh that wanted to escape. 

"You've seen A Christmas Story, right?" JC asked, pulling her from her thoughts.  She looked at him in surprise.

"Can you read my thoughts?" She asked, finally laughing.  "Because I was just thinking about that!"

He laughed, a sound which Whitney was quickly beginning to love, and folded his arms on top of the table as he leaned toward her.  "I keep expecting those two over there," he said, gesturing his head to the two men standing and talking to each other at the front counter.  Whitney glanced over at them and laughed as she looked back at the man sitting across from her.  "To start singing to us." JC finished.

"Far-ra-ra-ra-ra." She said.

The corners of JC's eyes crinkled as he began giggling and Whitney found herself giggling right along with him.  They laughed for a few moments and she tried to stop, but every time they quieted some, they would look at each other and begin laughing all over again.  It felt good to laugh, though.  It had been such a stressful and anxious couple of days that being able to laugh was such a release.  Their laughter finally quieted for good as an older Chinese woman brought out the food they had ordered and placed it on the table in front of them. 

"Thank you." JC told the woman.  Whitney echoed his thanks.  The woman gave them a shy smile then turned and left them alone again.  Whitney's stomach growled loudly in response to the delicious smell of their food.  She hadn't eaten very much the last two days because of all the craziness and her body was suddenly reminding her how ravenous she was. 

"Sorry." She chuckled, feeling embarrassed.  "The sandwich I got earlier at the hospital cafeteria has worn off, I guess."

JC grinned at her as he picked up his chopsticks.  "Then it's a good thing I came by to see you when I did, huh?" He asked as he took a bite of his sticky rice and Cashew Chicken.  "To save you from dying of hunger."

"Yes." Whitney nodded with a smile.  "It's a very good thing you came by and rescued me."  She agreed.  "Again."

~~~~~~~

JC watched as Whitney looked down, focusing her attention on the chopsticks in her hand.  She was trying to get them positioned correctly but wasn't having very much luck.  He chuckled quietly and set down his chopsticks. 

"I always have a hard time with these damn things." She said with a nervous laugh. 

"Here." He said, reaching across the table to her.  "Let me help."

Her eyes met his as he took her hand in both of his.  He looked at her for a moment, his lips lifting up slightly as her cheeks became tinged with pink.  Slowly he began moving her fingers, positioning the chopsticks between them correctly.  Her blue eyes left his, her other hand nervously tucking some hair behind her ear as she watched what he was doing.

"Like that." He said.  He picked up his chopsticks again, lifting his hand to show her.  "See?" He asked.

She nodded.  "Thanks." She offered quietly.  He smiled and she chuckled as she looked down at her plate, her blush deepening.  "You have to stop rescuing me." She said, her eyes flicking back up to meet his again.  "I know I've been a mess these last couple days and you have nothing else to base your opinion of me on, but I'm not completely helpless.  I promise." She assured him. 

"I don't think you're completely helpless." He replied. 

"Why not?" She asked giving him a disbelieving look.  "If I were you, I would." She laughed as she looked down at her plate again, and began working on getting a bite of her Sweet and Sour Pork with her chopsticks.  JC watched as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth in concentration.  She finally succeeded and took the bite, giving him a proud and smile.  Damn, she was adorable.

"You've had a rough couple days." He said, giving her an answer to her earlier question.  "Enough to frazzle anyone.  You're not helpless.  Besides," he continued as he took another bite of his dinner.  "Like I told you--it's not often a guy gets to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress anymore these days.  It makes me feel like I'm not completely useless member of society."

Whitney's eyes sparkled and he found himself completely captivated by her as she gave him a warm smile. They looked at each other for a moment, then continued eating-a companionable silence falling between them.  JC watched her, trying once again to figure out what her hold over him was.  He'd been wondering that for the last two days.  Why couldn't he stop thinking about her, or stop feeling this need to be with her?  He didn't have an answer and the more he sat there, the more he wondered why he needed an answer.  Why couldn't it just be because he thought she was beautiful, enjoyed being with her, and liked the fact that he could make her laugh and how she didn't treat him like a celebrity.  It had been a long time since he had been a regular in the spotlight, but people still knew who he was-girls especially.  He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself, remembering his encounter earlier with one of those girls.  Ashley's reaction to meeting him at the hospital was, as he had told Whitney, very typical.  Girls had been acting like that around him since he'd been on MMC and it had only increased and gotten worse once NSYNC became a phenomenon.  To meet a girl who didn't scream, squeal, gush, or giggle when she met him was refreshing and something he didn't get very often.  It made him feel like a regular guy.  Add to that the fact that the girl was as beautiful as Whitney was--with killer eyes and an incredible laugh, had her own goals in life, a spunky personality, and was obviously a very loving and caring individual-and JC felt like he had suddenly won the lottery!  Girls like Whitney didn't come around very often and he was hesitant to see her and their time together go. 

"How long do you think you're going to be in town?" He asked, finally breaking the silence between them. 

"I don't know." Whitney replied, looking up at him.  "I guess that all depends on what the doctors say and when Jared is able to be released.  I can't just leave him here like he is.  I mean," she chuckled.  "You met his girlfriend." She continued and JC laughed as he nodded.  "I didn't really get a very trustworthy or dependable vibe from her, you know?"

"Totally." He replied.  "I'm right there with you on that one."

"I don't know." She said again with a shrug as she picked up her water glass and took a sip. 

"Well are you at least here through New Year's?" He asked.

"Probably." She nodded.  "It won't be any sooner than that, that I would leave.  Why?"

"I'm having a dinner party New Year's Eve." He told her.  "I want you to come."

Whitney choked on the sip of water she had just taken.  She coughed and reached for her napkin.  Her wide blue eyes met his, a look of shock on her face.  "You...you want me to come to your New Year's Eve party?" She asked.  He nodded.  "Why?"

"Do I need to have a reason for inviting a pretty girl to my party?" He countered. 

"No." She shook her head.  "But why are you asking me?"

"Because...it's not a big deal." He replied.  "Because it's just a few friends, some food, some drinks, some music-a good time celebrating the New Year.  Because your Christmas kind of sucked and I don't want your New Year's to suck as well and because...yeah..."

Whitney laughed.  "'Because...yeah'?" She questioned.  "What kind of answer is that?"

JC rolled his eyes and waved his hand through the air and chuckled.  "Forget that last part.  Listen," he said.  "It's just a New Year's Eve party.  Will you come?"

Whitney sat for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him, and he wished he could read the expression on her face.  "Okay." She finally agreed and he felt a grin spread across his face.  "New Year's Eve." She said.

"New Year's Eve." He echoed, his grin widening.  "It's going to be great!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"It's going to be a disaster!" Whitney lamented the next day on the phone to her friend and roommate Melanie.

"It's not going to be a disaster." Melanie replied with a chuckle. 

"Yes it is." Whitney argued.

"Why do you think it's going to be a disaster?" Melanie questioned.

"Because it is." Whitney replied.  "I just know it."

Melanie laughed again at Whitney's dramatics.  "It's just a party, Whit." She said.  "You've been to hundreds of parties."

"As the help." Whitney retorted.  "Not as a guest!  I don't know what I'm going to do."  She continued.  "Or wear."

"You're going to go and have a great time." Melanie replied.  "And you're going to go buy a new dress."

"I can't buy a new dress, Mel." Whitney said.  "I only have enough in my checking account to buy a ticket home next week."

"Okay." Melanie replied in a tone that indicated she was thinking.  "Well..."

"Could you mail me one of my dresses?" Whitney asked.  "You could overnight it and I could pay you back when I got home."

"Yes." Melanie agreed.  "I can go right now." She said.

"Perfect!" Whitney sighed in relief.  "Okay, I'm thinking my black dress and those black stilettos I bought a few months ago.  What do you think?"

"I think you're going to knock his socks off." Melanie replied and Whitney laughed.  "I'll put it in the mail today."

"You're a lifesaver, Mel." Whitney said.  "And I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I get home."

"Don't worry about it." Melanie replied with a chuckle.  "Just promise me you'll have fun and give me all the details when you get home, deal?"

"Deal." Whitney laughed. 

"And don't leave anything out." Melanie continued.  "I want to know who was there, what you had to drink, what he had to drink, what he was wearing, what he smelled like, and how great of a kisser he is."

"Melanie!" Whitney exclaimed with a laugh. 

"What?" Melanie replied in an innocent tone.

"He's not going to kiss me." Whitney assured her friend.

"Of course he is." Melanie stated authoritatively.

Whitney rolled her eyes and shook her head though her friend couldn't see her. 

"Stop rolling your eyes and shaking your head." Melanie said with a laugh. 

"I'm--"

"And don't deny that you were." Melanie continued, cutting Whitney off.  "Because I know you were."

Whitney sighed good-naturedly.  "I'll tell you everything that happens." She said with a smile.  "But he's not going to kiss me."

"Of course he is." Melanie reiterated.  "And when he does, I get to say, ‘I told you so.'"

"And when he doesn't," Whitney said with a laugh.  "Then I get to say, ‘I told you so.'"

"Deal." Melanie chuckled.  "But I'm going to win this bet."

"Why are you so convinced JC is going to kiss me?" Whitney asked.

"Because it's obvious he likes you." Melanie replied. "And if you're going to kiss someone you like, New Year's Eve is the best time to do it." 

Whitney was quiet for a moment, trying to fight back the giddy expectation wanting to overtake her.  She was not going to get her hopes up.  She knew she was right.  Melanie didn't know what she was talking about.  There was no way that JC was going to kiss her on New Year's Eve.  Or any other eve for that matter. She thought.  It was just a party.  That was it.  Nothing was going to happen.

"How is your brother doing?" Melanie asked, bringing Whitney back from her thoughts to the conversation at hand. 

"He's doing a lot better." Whitney replied as she put her feet up on Jared's coffee table.  "He's got a lot of recovery ahead of him, but the doctor was saying this morning that he thinks Jared could be released tomorrow."

"That's awesome!" Melanie exclaimed. 

"Yeah it is." Whitney smiled, a sense of relief and gratitude filling her again at her brother's condition. 

When she thought about what she could have been doing this week--planning another funeral--instead of being able to spend some time with her brother and looking forward to a Hollywood New Year's Eve party, she shuddered.  Though she knew this week of lost work was going to come back to bite her later, she was thankful Jared was going to be okay and she was glad she'd been forced to come to California.  His accident had been reckless and stupid, but it had given Whitney the chance to meet JC-a fact that she would be forever grateful for. 

No matter if he kissed her on New Year's Eve or not...  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

New Year's Eve

Whitney stepped out of the cab she had called an hour ago and tugged on the hem of her dress. The car door shut behind her as she looked at the house in front of her. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She muttered under her breath as she turned to hand her cab fare to the driver.  He took the cash, wished her a happy new year, and then left her alone in front of the hillside mansion.  Whitney ran her fingers through her hair, took a deep breath, and began walking toward the front door.  The heels of her stilettos echoed across the yard, the sound seeming extremely loud and bringing her attention to how quiet it was out here.  She was used to the noise--the constant life and hustle and bustle--of New York City.  L.A. was busy, sure, but not to the extent of The Big Apple.  The lack of "city noise" up here at JC's house made her suddenly miss home.  She never realized how much she missed the quietness that came from living in a small New England town until she was away from the city. 

Finally reaching the front door--the sound of music, laughter, and conversation coming from inside the house--Whitney rang the bell and waited.  Her  heart fluttered nervously in her chest as she again questioned her sanity in being there.  Who was she to show up at a celebrity's New Year's Eve party?  She could leave now and no one would have to know she'd even been there, or that she was crazy enough to think she could party with this crowd. 

Except Melanie.  A voice inside her head reminded her. 

I can pass it off as needing to stay home with Jared. Whitney mentally answered the voice. 

What about JC? The voice asked again.

That thought made her stop.  He would be disappointed.  He had been so excited when she had agreed to come tonight.  She didn't want to disappoint him, but...he would get over it.  Wouldn't he?  She would leave, go back to New York in a few days, and he would go on living his celebrity lifestyle--forgetting all about the crazy waitress/culinary student he had met and rescued on Christmas Eve...

The logical side of Whitney's brain gaining the upper hand, she took a step back from the door.  Turning to leave, she stopped when the door finally opened revealing JC's beautiful face and form.  Her heart leapt, her eyes greedily taking in the sight of him in dark jeans, a black V-neck T-shirt, and jacket.  They had talked on the phone every day since Christmas but hadn't been able to see each other again since dinner that night because of his schedule and her having to help her brother.

 Until now.

"You made it!" He said, a huge smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes. 

"Y-yeah." Whitney stammered as she stepped toward the door once more.  "I'm sorry I'm late." She apologized. 

"It's okay." He replied, stepping back and opening the door wider.  "You're here, that's all that matters, right?"

"Right." She nodded as she walked inside.  He closed the door behind her and she looked at him over her shoulder.  He stood there looking at her for a moment then his eyes dropped, giving her the once over. 

"You look amazing." He praised, his blue eyes meeting hers again and Whitney felt her stomach flip. 

"Thank you." She said, dropping her gaze down to the black, spaghetti strap, cocktail dress Melanie had sent her a few days ago. 

"If I'd known you had that in your carryon, I would have come up with a reason for having a party before tonight." He told her.  He lifted the bottle in his hand to his lips and Whitney watched as he took a swig of his beer, her cheeks warming at the look in his eyes. 

"I didn't." She replied, swallowing hard as the air seemed to thicken around them. 

His brow furrowed slightly.  "You didn't have to buy something for tonight." He said.  "Now I feel bad." He chuckled.  "I didn't mean for you to--"

"I didn't." She shook her head. 

One dark brow rose in question as he looked at her.

"I, uhm..." she chuckled nervously.  "I had my roommate overnight it to me." She admitted.  "I don't...I don't really go to a lot of fancy parties so this is the first time I've actually worn it anywhere since I bought it." She admitted.

"Well that's a damn shame." He replied with a grin and wink.  "You look amazing."

"Yeah, you...you said that already." Whitney smiled and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. 

"Just want to make sure you know it." He replied.

"Thank you." She blushed.

 "Come on." He said with a tilt of his head as he began walking farther into the house.  "I want to introduce you to everyone." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

JC leaned back in his chair and watched as Whitney sat talking with his friend, Nate.  He smiled--a warm feeling spreading through him at the easy and effortless way Whitney had integrated herself into his circle of close friends.  She had been nervous at first, but had quickly warmed up and had been an active participant in the conversation over dinner--charming everyone with her warm smile, easy laughter, insightful and funny comments.  Nate said something that made Whitney laugh and JC felt a tug of jealousy.  He wanted to be the one to make her laugh. 

"Ya'll ready?" Nate asked pulling JC from his thoughts.

"Yeah." JC replied, shaking his head slightly and putting his hands on the table.  Pushing back in his chair, he looked at Whitney and grinned.  "Let's go." He said.

"Go?" Whitney asked, giving him a confused look.  "Where are we going?"

"To the party." JC answered.

"The party?" Whitney questioned.  "But I thought..." she looked around as everyone at the table got up and began leaving the room.  "I thought this was the party." She said turning back to look at him.  "You said--" 

JC's smile widened.  "This was just dinner." He said as he stood up and held his hand out to her. Whitney hesitated for a moment then put her hand in his.  JC tugged her up in front of him.  She placed her hands on his chest as the momentum pulled her into him and his arm wound around her waist to steady her.  Their eyes met and he felt a spark ignite between them.  Looking down into her clear, blue eyes he momentarily lost track of where they were and the other people that were in his house.  She swallowed and he lifted his other hand, his fingers itching suddenly to touch her skin--to see if really was as soft as it looked...

"JC.  You two coming?" Nate asked, poking his head around the corner and startling him. 

Whitney jumped slightly and pulled away from him.  "Yeah." JC said, looking over at his friend--trying not to feel upset over the interruption.  He looked back at the woman in front of her.  He gave her a smile and reached down for her hand.  "Come on." He said, giving her fingers a squeeze.  "The party's just gettin' started." 

~~~~~~~

"Can I ask you a question?" Whitney asked a few minutes later as they sat in the darkened interior of his Mercedes. 

"Of course." JC said with a smile, glancing over at her then turning his eyes back to the road as he drove through town.  She was quiet for a moment and he looked over at her again.  She sat, worrying her bottom lip, and he chuckled.  "What is it, Whitney?" He asked.

"I just..." she hesitated.  "I just want to know why." She said finally.

"Why?" He echoed, giving her a questioning look as he stopped at a red light.  "Why, what?"

"Why did you help me?" She asked.  "At the airport." She clarified, though she didn't need to.  He knew what she was referring to.  "Why did you help me?  You said it was because you could tell I was in trouble but what's the real reason?" 

"Because I wanted to talk to you." He answered honestly, the words coming out before he could stop them.  Her brows furrowed slightly and he shrugged.  "Making sure I sat by you on the plane seemed like the logical thing to do to make sure that happened."

"You bought me a twenty-seven hundred dollar plane ticket because you wanted to talk to me?" She questioned, looking at him like he was crazy.  JC chuckled.  He knew it sounded crazy, and he probably was crazy, but that was the honest answer.  Whitney laughed and shook her head as the light turned green and he continued driving toward the club they were headed to.  "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" She exclaimed.  "What?" She asked.  "You saw this crazy girl yelling at some poor ticket agent at the airport and you thought, ‘hmm...she looks like someone I'd like to talk to'?" 

JC grinned, his mind flashing back to that party when he had first seen her.  "Something like that." He nodded.  She gave him a disbelieving look. 

"I don't believe you." She chuckled. 

"Do I have to have a reason for wanting to talk to you?" He questioned, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her and the road.  He wondered if he should tell her his first sight of her hadn't been when she had been expressing her frustration at that poor ticket agent.  But he didn't want to think he was some creepy stalker.

"Well, no." she replied.  "Not if you were anybody else.  But you're not."

"I'm not?" He questioned.

"No."

"Who am I?"

" You're...well, you're you!" She exclaimed and he chuckled. 

"And being me means I can't talk to a beautiful woman?" He questioned.

"Well, no." She said again and he grinned as he pulled the car to a stop at the curb outside the club where they were meeting everyone.  "I just..." she sighed as he put the car in park and unbuckled his seatbelt.  "I was just wondering why." She continued. 

"Because I like you." He told her.  "And the more I talk to you," he continued as he moved to get out of the car.  "The more I like you."  

~~~~~~~

Whitney watched as JC got out of the car, not sure what to do with the information he'd just given her.  A giddy, tingly, excited feeling wanted to overtake her but she stubbornly held it back.  It was already going to be hard to go back to reality next week.  She didn't want to make it harder by allowing her emotions to run away with her. 

Her door opened, surprising her, and she looked at the hand being held out to her.  Her eyes met his as she slid her hand into his and allowed him to help her out of the Mercedes.  When she was standing in front of him on the sidewalk, Whitney couldn't help but think back to when they had been in a similar position earlier.  For a moment there--standing in his dining room--she had begun to think he was going to kiss her and now here they were again.  She could feel his body warmth and had to fight the desire to melt into him when the spicy scent of his cologne hit her.  Her heart began fluttering in her chest as he looked at her--a playful sparkle in his blue eyes--and Whitney knew it was too late. 

As much as she wanted to fight it, her heart had already made up its mind.

She had been completely swept off her feet by this handsome Prince Charming who had come to her rescue.

JC tossed his keys to the valet then turned and, keeping a hold of her hand, led her into the club.  Whitney stayed close to him as they were let in.  JC stopped, once they entered, and scanned the crowd.  She looked around. She had been to a club once or twice since moving to New York and she'd waited at countless parties that looked like this crowd did, but she still felt a bit nervous and unsure about being here right now.  She was usually only at parties to work--not to have fun.  Being on the other side was mostly unfamiliar territory for her.  Especially being here with JC Chasez.  She thought as she looked up at the man beside her. 

"There they are." JC said, pointing across the room as he turned to look at her.  He gave her a smiled and they began making their way through the mass of bodies filling the club toward his friends. Stopping by the bar and ordering their first drink of the night, Whitney followed JC up into the VIP section--a pang of disappointment filling her as he finally released her hand.  She stood back as he greeted those who had joined the group since dinner, a surreal feeling filling her.

She wanted to pinch herself-and did as she took a sip of her rum and Coke.

She couldn't believe all that had transpired this last week.  If she didn't know better she would be tempted to believe she was she was asleep and this was all just an elaborate and extremely realistic dream.  She feared she was going to wake up at any moment and find it was still early Christmas morning and she was at home in bed--just waking up after getting home and crashing after serving at that last party. 

JC turned then, interrupting her thoughts, and Whitney smiled brightly as he pulled her over and began introducing her to everyone.  Her fears about this all being a figment of her imagination left and Whitney just focused on having a good time.  Even if she did wake up and find out none of this had really happened, no sense in letting a good dream go to waste, right?

They danced and partied and Whitney couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun.  As the clock crept closer to midnight, however, she couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen.  Melanie's prediction that JC was going to kiss her kept coming to mind but she wondered if it was going to end with "happily ever after" or with the magic ending at the stroke of twelve.  The crowd filling the club began the countdown to the new year and Whitney finished the drink in her hand and tried to quell the disappointment in her chest at no sight of JC.  I told you so.  She thought, sending the words out telepathically to her roommate.

"Whitney?"

She gasped in surprise and turned around.  Her eyes met JC's and she felt her heart skip several beats at the look in his eyes.  He stepped closer to her and Whitney's breath caught in her throat.  He was going to kiss her.  Melanie had been right.  JC Chasez was going to kiss her! 

"Whitney?" He asked again.

"Yes." She replied--in answer to both the verbal and silent question he was asking.  Yes, you can kiss me.  Please.  Kiss me.

As the countdown ended everyone in the club let go a cheer.  The noise was almost deafening but Whitney hardly heard it.  All she could concentrate on was JC.  Almost as if in slow motion he leaned toward her and Whitney closed her eyes.  Waiting.  Her lips tingling in anticipation and her heart nearly beating out of her chest. 

This can't possibly be happening.  I have to be dreaming.  Please don't let me be dreaming...