Caroline woke up the next morning in the very center of her overly luxurious bed, feeling as though she'd been cradled in a nest of pillows all night.  She took her time getting up, taking a long shower, and ordering room service for breakfast.  The opening ceremony for the amusement park wasn't until 1:00, and she planned to take the morning for herself. 

She was lounging in the sitting room, watching CNN and eating orange slices, when Kevin called.

"How's JC doing?" he asked, after ensuring that their flight had gone well and the hotel had lived up to its expectations. 

"He's fine," Caroline replied.  "I haven't seen him yet this morning, but he's probably still asleep."

"I wasn't sure if he'd still want to go out there, after getting the news," Kevin said, and Caroline set her orange peel down. 

"What news?"

"He didn't tell you?"  Kevin sighed heavily.  "Caroline, JC and I met with some Jive reps on Thursday evening.  They elected to drop him from the label."

Slightly hazy memories of JC's lamenting at the bar the night before came back to Caroline.  "Oh.  I had no idea.  That's...that's too bad."

"He seemed alright the other night, but JC's an interesting guy," Kevin said.  "Sometimes he tends to bottle things up for too long.  I just wanted you to be aware."

After hanging up with Kevin, Caroline finished her breakfast and thought for awhile.  She felt somewhat guilty about the way she'd responded (or hadn't responded) to JC's mood the night before.  Perhaps she could have been a little more consoling.  But then again, she was his assistant, not his crying shoulder.  Torn, she wondered if she should just let him handle it, or make some kind of an effort.

Her overly generous side won out, and she dialed JC's room.  He answered the phone sounding like he had indeed just woken up.

"Good morning," Caroline greeted.  "You feel like going down to the pool for a little while?"

JC was silent for a moment.  "Why?"

"Well."  Caroline pulled on the phone cord and stared out the window.  "It's a nice day out.  And, um...I got a new bathing suit."

She closed her eyes in embarrassment - why the hell had that come out of her mouth?  But it was too late - the damage had been done.

"Well, why didn't you say so?  It's a skimpy one, I hope," JC teased, now fully awake, and Caroline groaned.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure.  Is Brandon going to get mad that you're offering to model your new swimwear for me?"

Caroline decided that her best option was to play it cool.  "Whatever.  Look, I'm heading down there in ten minutes, so be ready if you want to go."

She hung up before he could make any more remarks. 

Caroline didn't make tanning a big habit, at least not as much as most girls from LA.  Therefore, she owned a total of one swimsuit, an old threadbare tankini.  If Brandon had been with her on her outlet shopping trip, there was no way he would have approved of her bikini purchase, but it had been on sale and she'd been feeling impulsive. 

After putting it on, Caroline stood in front of the mirror and scrutinized her reflection.  The bikini was a light orange color that looked great with her peaches and cream complexion, and it really wasn't too skimpy.  Caroline had never considered herself to have a perfect body; she had curvy hips and too-small breasts and not enough ass, everything that had made her self-conscious growing up in beauty-driven Los Angeles.  But all in all...she looked okay.

Either way, she had to wear it now, or JC would accuse her of being a coward.  

Caroline put a sundress on over her suit and grabbed her room key before crossing the hallway to JC's door.  He answered right after she knocked, wearing a pair of swim trunks and a sweatshirt, sunglasses hiding his eyes.  One thing that wasn't hiding was the grin on his face.

"Where's the bikini you promised me?"

"Shut up."  Caroline turned and headed down the hallway, not turning to see if JC followed or not.

"You're going the wrong way," he called after her, and Caroline turned.

"The pool is this way," she said, pointing in the direction of the elevators.  JC shook his head with a smile, pulling his room door shut behind him. 

"You're cute.  We get a special pool, Caroline."

She frowned.  "What?"  JC motioned for her to follow him in the opposite direction. 

As it turned out, their suites gave them access to a "VIP" pool, one of the hotel's many.  This one was located on the roof of the hotel's north tower, and was relatively deserted.  Caroline secured a couple of lounge chairs (not that there was a high demand for them) while JC got towels from the pool attendant.

"You have to take it off eventually," JC pointed out, already lying back on his chair while Caroline fussed over arranging her towel.  He'd removed his sweatshirt and folded his arms behind his head as he watched her.

"This is sexual harassment," she pointed out. 

"What are you going to do?" JC asked.  "Get me fired?  Besides, you're the one who dangled it in front of me on the phone earlier."

"I didn't dangle anything," Caroline mumbled.  Figuring it was best to just get it over with, she pulled her dress over her head quickly and tossed it onto the next chair, scrambling down onto her stomach before JC could get a good look.

"I approve," was all he said before adjusting his sunglasses and turning his face towards the sun.  For some reason, those two words made Caroline feel much more embarrassed than if he'd made a bigger deal. 

After a few minutes of silence, Caroline figured maybe JC had fallen asleep, so she turned over onto her back.  He didn't comment, and she relaxed, allowing herself to bask in the warmth of the sun.  She was almost drifting off herself when JC's voice startled her back into consciousness.

"You have a tattoo?"

He sounded suspiciously close, and Caroline turned to see that he was leaning off of his lounge to peer at her stomach.  She shifted away self-consciously.

"Yes.  Stop staring like that."

JC leaned back a bit but turned on his side to continue appraising her tattoo.  "What is it?"

"It's my family crest."

"Really?" He leaned over again, eyeing the ink that was positioned to the right of her belly button.  "Interesting."

Uncomfortable with his gaze, Caroline shifted again.  "Do you have any tattoos?"

"Nope."  JC shook his head.  "I'm scared of needles."

Caroline laughed out loud, mostly surprised that he'd offered that tidbit up so willingly.

"Go ahead, laugh."  He shrugged.  "I've only been made fun of for it my entire life.  It doesn't really phase me anymore."

"What about when you have to get shots?" Caroline asked.

"I try to avoid those, too."  He gestured at her tattoo once more.  "So you're close with your family?"

Caroline shrugged.  "I try to be."

JC continued to stare at her, his head propped up on his hand, waiting for her to elaborate.  Caroline sighed.  "I get along with my dad and my brothers pretty well.  We don't see each other that often, just holidays and birthdays, stuff like that.  I guess I could call more often, but they're just as busy as I am."

"What about your mom?" JC prompted.  "You never talk about her.

Caroline didn't point out that she shouldn't feel obligated to discuss her family with her boss at all.  "My mom is...we're very different."

"How so?"

"My mom is a difficult person to get along with," Caroline said carefully.  "It's hard to explain.  She and my dad divorced when I was twelve, and I spent the rest of my childhood being shuttled between two homes that were like night and day."

"What do you mean?" JC asked, now fully interested in the conversation.

"It's just...my mom has some very strict ideals on how she thinks people should treat their bodies," Caroline explained.  "Hence the raw food thing.  We were never allowed processed food, we could never eat at restaurants.  We were kind of the school pariahs, the kids that always brought their lunches instead of eating in the cafeteria.  And then my parents divorced, and my dad remarried, and all of a sudden, he wanted to give us a more normal life."

"But you're still a vegan," JC pointed out.

"Yeah, but only because it's hard to sit down and convince yourself that it's okay to eat a cheeseburger when you've been consistently believing for the past twelve years that it's not."  Caroline paused, staring up at the sun until she had to close her eyes from the brightness.  "I don't expect you to understand, no one really does."

"No, I get it."  JC rolled over onto his stomach, his chin resting on the palm of his hand.  "So what about your brothers?  Do they eat...normal?"

"Seth is still a vegan, like me," Caroline replied.  "Cameron...tried branching out for a little bit.  My dad grilled him a steak once for his twenty-first birthday, and he was sick for weeks.  Now he's more of a modified vegetarian, but he's definitely not as strict with his diet as I am."

"So it really just boils down to habit?  You're not an animal rights activist at all."

"Definitely not," Caroline said.  "I don't know.  It just kinda works for me, so I didn't see any reason to change."

"But you and your mom still don't get along?" JC asked.  Caroline shook her head slowly.

"Not so much.  Like I said, she's difficult to get along with.  She's very...extreme with her beliefs."

"And your stepmom?"

Caroline laughed out loud.  "Cathy is difficult not to like.  You two would probably have a lot to talk about, she enjoys spending money almost as much as you do."

JC's brow furrowed.  "Is that supposed to be an insult?  I'll have you know that I am a very frugal person."

Caroline leveled a gaze at him.  "How much were those swim trunks, JC?"

He glanced down at his shorts.  "These are Ed Hardy."  Caroline waited.  "They were on sale."  JC sighed at her expectant look.  "Seven hundred."

"That's ridiculous," she said plainly, and JC rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and how much did you pay for your fancy little bikini over there?"

"Fifty," Caroline announced proudly, pleased to see the way JC's jaw dropped a little bit.

"Fifty dollars?" he repeated.  "For the top and the bottom?"

"Yep."

He laid his head down on top of his folded arms.  "Maybe I need to start hitting the outlets, too."

For someone who had just been dropped by his record label, JC seemed like he was in fairly good spirits, and Caroline hated to admit it, but she actually had a good time with him.  When it was time to head inside, he took off his sunglasses in the elevator and stared at her openly. 

"What?" Caroline demanded, putting her hands on her hips.  JC just smiled and pressed his fingertips to the back of her right shoulder.  Caroline started to ask what the hell his problem was when the pain set in.

"Shit," she gasped, craning her neck to see her sunburned skin.  "I forgot about sunscreen completely."

JC just leaned against the wall of the elevator, a smug look on his face.  "I always wear SPF 35.  Keeps me looking young."

"Well, I guess I'm lucky that I don't need as much help in that department as you do," Caroline snapped back, but JC just smirked.  "Damn it."

The sunburn made getting dressed for the day a bit more difficult for Caroline, but she made due, and managed to meet JC downstairs, where the car service was waiting. 

Rob met them at the park, wearing dark sunglasses and a frown.

"Thanks for ditching me last night," he griped.  "I had to pay for a cab."

"Sorry," JC said, sounding anything but contrite.  "Caroline was drunk, I had to drag her away from the bar."

"That's not true," she said, but both men ignored her as they began to speak about the schedule for the day.  There was a small press area set up at the entrance to the park, complete with a red carpet and a small mass of photographers and reporters.  A few had already spotted JC and were pointing in their direction. 

"Well, let's get this over with," Rob suggested, ushering JC in the direction of the cameras.  Caroline hung back as best as possible, but no one paid her any attention as usual.  She'd already experienced this atmosphere at the first party he'd dragged her to, back in the very beginning of her employment.  The chaos of the moment no longer flustered her, and she instead found a way to skirt by all of the flashing cameras and wait for Rob and JC on the other side.

The park opening had no shortage of celebrities, but not nearly as many as the crowd at the Luxor the night before.  Instead, the park had been opened specifically for kids and families from the local children's hospital, and despite the extreme heat of the day, everyone looked like they were having fun already.  Caroline spotted Justin nearby being interviewed by a local news station.

It only took JC about fifteen minutes to navigate through the press, and he looked to be in a much worse mood afterward.  Rob, on the other hand, was almost bouncing out of his Gucci sneakers. 

"This is great exposure, man.  Great press," he gushed.  "This was a fantastic idea, Caroline.  Between today and tonight, this is a publicist's wet dream."

"Ew," Caroline replied, making a face.  "And technically, it wasn't my idea."

"That's right, it was mine."  Justin appeared behind Rob, a huge grin on his face.  "Where were ya last night, man?  I didn't see you anywhere," he asked JC, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"I was around," JC replied cryptically.  "Could you have picked a hotter weekend for this, Justin?"

"Nice, isn't it?"  Justin patted Caroline's shoulder as well, not noticing her wince.  "Come on, guys, we've got some great stuff to check out."

Justin and his manager, a friendly woman named Teresa, proceeded to take three of them on a tour of the park.  It wasn't very big, but for what it lacked in size, it made up for in grandeur.  Some of the rides were over the top, including a rollercoaster that ran backwards.  Caroline thought it seemed a little too intense for kids, but then again, she'd never been a big fan of rollercoasters, period.

Every so often, a kid or two would stop Justin and/or JC for autographs and pictures.  One teenage girl nearly started crying at the sight of them alone, and Caroline was slightly stunned by the reaction.  Even more surprising was the way JC handled everything with remarkable aplomb.  He was sweet and welcoming to each kid that came his way.  Caroline wondered if maybe Rob was right in some roundabout way - perhaps this kind of exposure was just what JC needed.  He really spent too much time locked up in his studio.

Eventually, they ended up at the backwards roller coaster, and Justin actually clapped his hands in excitement. 

"Oh, we are doing this for sure," he announced.  "Come on, we'll cut the line."

Caroline hung back, prepared to sit this one out, but Rob noticed.  "Come on, Caroline."

"No, I don't think -" she started, but Justin grabbed her by the elbow. 

"You're gonna love it," he sang, and dragged her up the back steps that lead to the top of the ride. 

"I'm really not a big rollercoaster person," she tried to say, but most everyone ignored her.

"This looks sweet!" Rob exclaimed, pointing out the three consecutive loops on the ride.  Justin began to yammer on about the test ride he'd taken on it last month, and Caroline turned to JC for help.

"JC, I really don't want to do this."  He glanced up from his phone to consider her.

"Why not?"

"I just...I don't like rollercoasters," she admitted.  "I never have."

JC just shrugged.  "Okay.  I'm not a big fan, either.  We'll just sit it out."

Caroline relaxed slightly, but when the ride attendant approached to ask how many seats they'd be occupying, Justin announced "four" rather loudly. 

"Um, I'm not-" she began, but was cut off again when the attendant motioned her to take a seat on the insane looking contraption.  "I'm really not-"

"Stop freaking out," Rob urged, pushing her in the direction of the rollercoaster car.  "It's perfectly safe."

Caroline looked at JC for help, but Justin was pushing him in right behind her.

"I really don't want to do this, sir," Caroline said, trying to be polite to the attendant as he helped strap her in, but he just smiled. 

"It'll be over before you know it," he said, pushing down on the bars that locked over her shoulders.  JC sat down heavily in the seat next to her with a sigh.

"JC, I can't do this," she repeated, starting to get frantic.  The attendant had apparently locked her into the ride, and now she was stuck.  The thought alone was enough to make her hysterical.  "I really can't."

"The trick with Justin is just to humor him at least once, then he'll leave us alone," JC said, not looking at Caroline as the attendant connected the strap between his legs.  "Hey, whoa.  Careful."

"JC."  Caroline grabbed his arm and dug her nails in, her hands already trembling.  He finally looked at her, meeting her eyes and beginning to understand.  "Please."

"You're really scared of this?" he asked, and Caroline nodded.  JC's expression shifted from ennui to concern, and he nodded slowly.

"Okay.  Don't panic."  His voice had shifted into the same tone that he'd used with her when his car had overheated, and Caroline felt her racing heartbeat slow just slightly.  "Excuse me."

JC flagged over the attendant after he finished strapping in Rob and Justin, both of whom were still oblivious to Caroline's discomfort.  "Everything okay?"

"No, actually."  JC gestured at Caroline.  "She changed her mind and needs to get off.  Can you let her out, please?"

The attendant shrugged.  "Sorry, I can't do that.  Once the harnesses are locked in, they're locked in until the ride is over."

JC's calm expression twisted into a frown.  "That's insane.  She wants to be let off of the ride, you need to let her off."

The attendant shook his head slowly.  "I'm sorry, but if I let her off, I'll have to shut the entire system down and re-check everyone on the ride."

"That shouldn't matter," JC continued, his voice rising.  "Let me speak to your manager."

The attendant just shrugged again, backing away.  "I'm the only one up here.  Sorry, man."

Caroline's heart dropped to her stomach as the attendant stepped into the booth that would allow him to start the ride.  She closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry even as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.  "Oh, my God.  Oh, my God," she repeated, wishing like hell that she'd been more adventurous as a kid, so that maybe now she wouldn't be scared out of her mind.

"Hey."  JC's soothing voice broke into her thoughts and Caroline felt his hand close around hers.  "Caroline.  Look at me."

She forced herself to do as he asked, her breathing speeding up as the ride began to move. 

"It's okay," JC said calmly, his blue eyes piercing hers.  "You're gonna be fine."

The rollercoaster began to rise, but as it ran backwards, Caroline couldn't see a thing about where they were going, and she whimpered.  JC threaded his fingers through hers.

"Just close your eyes," he suggested, squeezing her hand.  "These things are over really fast."

Caroline did as he suggested, closing her eyes tightly and pressing her head against the back of the seat.  Somewhere to her right, she could hear Rob and Justin whooping in excitement.  But JC's voice was still in her ear. 

"You're okay," he repeated, still holding her hand tightly.  "I've got you."

True to JC's word, the ride was over before Caroline knew it.  She didn't scream, or even breathe much.  All she focused on was JC's hand holding hers, as if his grip on her was the only thing keeping her tethered to the ride.  Her eyes stayed screwed shut the entire time, and she didn't dare to open them until the car had pulled to a complete stop. 

The shoulder harnesses snapped up with a hydraulic hiss, but Caroline made no move to get up.  

"Caroline," JC said gently.  "You okay?" 

She nodded, realizing then that their hands were still locked together.  Now that her heart rate had started to slow, and her body began to realize that she was indeed still alive, embarrassment began to set in.  Caroline disentangled her fingers from JC's and brought her hand back to her own lap. 

JC didn't seem to notice her humiliation as he steadied her arm while she climbed out of the seat.  Rob and Justin were both bouncing up and down now, sharing high-fives about how awesome the rollercoaster had been.  Caroline made her way down the stairs behind them slowly, her legs still feeling as though they would give out any second.  JC walked behind her silently.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" he asked once they reached the bottom of the stairwell.  Caroline nodded and wiped a lingering tear off of her face.

"I'm fine.  Just, um...not a big daredevil."

JC just smiled, and to Caroline's surprise, reached out to smooth a hand over her hair.  It was a consolatory gesture, but a familiar one, too, and it put an odd feeling of butterflies in Caroline's stomach.

"Yeah, me either.  You did good." 

Next, Justin treated them all to lunch at the park's food court.  Although "treated" was a stretch - all the food that day was free for the park's guests.  They found a table in the shade and sat around it, Caroline grateful for the moment to catch her breath after her death-defying afternoon.  Justin launched immediately into various stories and anecdotes to entertain them, Rob laughing obnoxiously and often.  Caroline was quickly learning that Justin, while certainly a nice guy, definitely enjoyed being the center of attention.  Which probably explained his phenomenal success.

JC, on the other hand, was naturally more introverted.  He didn't seem to have any desire to really be noticed or in the spotlight 24/7.  Caroline was pretty sure that, if he had the option, he'd be content to stay in the studio for the rest of his life, never doing another interview again.  As it were, he only contributed to Justin's stories when his friend prompted.

"And I feel like the number one question I get these days is about whether or not I knew Lance was gay," Justin lamented.  "I mean...come on.  Am I right, Jace?"

JC shrugged as he popped a French fry in his mouth.  "I try not to assume things."

Rob shook his head emphatically.  "Man, even I knew he was gay and I've never even met the guy!"

Justin laughed and Caroline took a sip of her Coke, listening to the back and forth without much to contribute.  They continued to talk about people she didn't know or care about, and the dirt that piled up could have set her up for life if she'd ever arranged to sell any of it to the tabloids.

JC seemed to feel the same way.  "You two are lucky that Caroline signed a confidentiality agreement or you would be so screwed."

"Shoot, with all the dirt I hear, it's shocking that I haven't gone to the tabloids yet," Rob added. 

"Except for the fact that you would wreck your career," Caroline pointed out, and JC rolled his eyes.

"I don't know if you can really call what Rob does a ‘career', but okay."

Justin tossed his head back and laughed.  "You guys are great."  He finished off the last of his water and glanced at his watch, an expensive looking, diamond studded number.  "I've gotta jet for some more press stuff, Teresa's gonna kick my ass.  I'll see all of you tonight, yeah?"

 The day was only getting hotter, and JC managed to talk Rob into going back to the hotel early without too much struggle.  The car service dropped them off at the hotel, and on the walk to the elevators, Rob suggested they catch an early dinner at one of the Wynn's many four-star gourmet restaurants.  JC started to shake his head, but Caroline spoke up.

"Actually, they apparently have a really great vegan chef here," she said.  "At least, that's what I've heard."

"Great, it's settled then."  Rob glanced at his watch.  "Let's say, Stratta at five-thirty?"

Even as he was speaking, someone caught Rob's eye across the lobby.  "Whoops, gotta jet.  See you guys later," he called over his shoulder as he hurried off. 

The ride up in the elevator was silent, and JC didn't offer much more than a grunt before heading into his own room.  Caroline tried to force herself to lay down and nap for her free hour, but all she could manage to think about was the way JC had touched her hair earlier.  She had the odd feeling that something had changed between them, but she wasn't sure what exactly it was or when it had happened.

Trying to shake it off, she got ready for dinner and crossed the hallway to knock on JC's door.  He answered with his phone in hand.

"Rob just called," he said.  "He's busy with another client.  So I guess it's just you and me." 

Caroline must have looked wary, because he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.  "Or not, you know.  Whatever."

"No, it's fine," she insisted.  "Let's go."

The biggest problem with Rob not being there was the wait.  JC was too humble to use his celebrity to get a good table quickly, whereas Rob wouldn't have hesitated for a second.  So they sat in the restaurant's foyer, squeezed onto a bench with three other people, for at least twenty minutes.  JC jiggled his knee the entire time, but the hostess called his name before Caroline could begin tearing her hair out.

They sat down, perused menus, and ate bread in relative silence.  Caroline felt as though an uncomfortable air had settled in around them and wondered if JC felt it, too.  It was as if he'd crossed an invisible, unspoken line earlier at the park, instantly rendering things awkward between them.

The waiter came to take their orders before leaving them in silence again.  JC held up the bottle of wine he'd ordered, but Caroline shook her head.  She felt out of sorts enough without alcohol clouding up her system.

"So."  JC leaned back in his chair after taking a healthy gulp of wine and drummed his fingers on the table.  "Having fun?"

"Yeah, sure."  Caroline nodded and un-crossed and re-crossed her legs slowly.  "Um.  Kevin called me this morning."

"Oh," JC replied, not looking interested at all. 

"He told me about...what happened with Jive," Caroline said slowly, making sure to gauge JC's reaction carefully.  "I'm sorry, JC.  That really...sucks."

"Well."  He shrugged.  "Shit happens."

"I just thought you might be upset," Caroline said.  JC topped off his wine glass and took another sip.

"Nope.  I'm fine."  He changed the subject then, and Caroline couldn't quite tell if he really was over it or just didn't want to talk to her about it. 

When their food came, JC raised his eyebrows at Caroline's vegetable biryani.  "What?"

"I guess I still think it's crazy you've never tried any meat."  He sliced into his own steak, and forked a piece into his mouth.  Caroline watched, amused, as he tipped his head back and groaned.  "Damn.  This is good.  So good."

Caroline took a bite of her own meal and nodded thoughtfully.  "Mine's good, too."

"No, no.  You don't understand."  JC took another bite of his steak.  "This is...amazing."

"Okay. I'm glad you like it."

"Try some," he insisted, pushing his plate across the table towards her.  Caroline shook her head instantly, not even needing to take a moment to deliberate. 

"No, thank you." 

"Seriously."  JC cut off a piece of his steak and pushed it across the plate in her direction.  "What if you like it?"

Caroline just shrugged.

"You've never even been curious?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Come on," JC prodded, a small, persuasive grin beginning to spread over his face.  She had seen this same grin emerge on the few occasions she'd witnessed him dealing with other producers or artists when he wanted his way on a particular song.  "You know you want to."

"Actually, I really don't," Caroline corrected, pausing to take a sip of her water.  "And if I did, don't you think  I would have tried something by now?  Between my dad and Brandon, I've gotten various meat products shoved in my face for years.  What makes you think you'll be the one to break me?"

JC's eyes sparkled in the dim light of the restaurant.  He forked the bite of steak into his mouth with a satisfied smile.  "That sounded like a challenge to me."

Caroline realized the implications of his statement and rested her elbow on the tabletop with a heavy sigh.  "No, JC."

"I never back down from a challenge," he practically sang, cutting off another bite of steak.  Caroline rubbed her forehead.

"Well, I challenge you not to make this your number one priority from now on."

"Sorry, that challenge conflicts with the previously accepted challenge."  JC kept grinning at her from across the table.

"Fine, but you have to play fair," Caroline said, pointing at him.  "That means no trying to sneak meat into my food.  It has to be of my own free will."

"Done."  JC finished off the last of his steak and washed it down with a healthy gulp of wine.  "Should we shake on it to make it official?"

Caroline rolled her eyes but held her hand across the table wordlessly.  JC took it firmly in his own. 

"A gentlemen's agreement," he announced gleefully.  Caroline frowned as she remembered the way he had held her hand on the rollercoaster earlier that day, and pulled her hand back to her own lap, feeling a peculiar shame deep in her core.  "Nervous?"

"No."  Caroline glanced at her watch to avoid making eye contact with JC.  "It's late.  We'd better get going.  Is Rob meeting us at the concert?"

JC shrugged and signaled for the check.  "Not sure.  Don't really care, either.  Do you need a box?"

Caroline glanced down at her half-finished dinner and found that she had suddenly lost her appetite. 

"No.  Let's just...get tonight done."