Fortunately for Caroline, her extended Thursday nap seemed to help erase most of her bad mood.  JC had apparently moved on, anyway, and greeted her Friday morning at breakfast much like he would had she just arrived at his home back in LA.

"One of the buttons on my tux shirt is loose," he announced, as soon as she entered the kitchen.  "I need you to fix it."

"Joshua," Karen admonished from the sink.  "Let the girl get something to eat first."

"You know how to sew a button on, lazy ass," Tyler pointed out from the breakfast nook. 

"Would you two chill?" JC suggested.  "Caroline works for me.  She's an employee, and she's here for the express reason to sew my button on." 

Caroline couldn't help but notice that it sounded like JC was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Karen turned the water in the sink off and turned to stare wide-eyed at her son's back.  Before she could say anything, Caroline interjected.

"He's right."  She poured a glass of orange juice from the carafe sitting on the island and took a sip.  "I'll go do that right now."

JC looked only slightly sheepish.  "You don't have to do it right away.  Just...at some point."

"No, I can do it now," Caroline insisted, setting her juice glass to the side.  Karen shook her head at JC with a sigh. 

"Can I fix you something to eat when you get back, Caroline?"

"Just some toast, please," she replied over her shoulder before heading upstairs. 

JC's tux, still in its garment bag, hung on a hook on the back of his bedroom door.  After retrieving the small sewing kit she had started keeping in her purse for emergencies such as these, Caroline sat down on the edge of the double bed in JC's childhood bedroom to get to work.  She did her best not to look around the room in any kind of curiosity, though she couldn't help but notice that it didn't have any definitive theme as most boys rooms did.  The walls were painted light blue, the comforter on the bed was a dark navy plaid, the furniture was dark wood.  There were a few framed photos and old trinkets placed here and there around the room, but Caroline did her best to ignore them, focusing instead on the button.

Once her job was done, she re-assembled the tux carefully on the hanger and zipped the garment bag back up.  She had almost made her way out of the room before something caught her eye - the bookshelf near the door housed a rather large trophy, with a blue ribbon hanging from it.  A framed photo nearby seemed to go along with it, and she couldn't help but peer closer.  The inscription on the trophy told her that it was a first-place award for a dance competition, and the picture showed JC with several other peers, dressed in hilarious green and white uniforms.  Caroline couldn't stop herself from smiling, and another frame nearby caught her eye - it was a posed photo of a slightly older JC, maybe in his early teens.  He was giving the camera something between a knowing smirk and a shy grin, and even then, he was handsome, extremely so.

The thought caught Caroline by surprise, and she tried to suppress it, but she didn't have the energy.  Yes, JC was a handsome guy.  And maybe she was attracted to him.  But that didn't mean she had to act on it.

The sewing kit in her hands suddenly felt heavy - he was, after all, her boss.  Attraction or not.

The event in DC didn't commence until seven, but the rest of the day proved to be an extreme test for Caroline.  She'd barely choked down her toast before JC had a new task for her - and once that one was completed, he came up with something else.  It was bordering on ridiculous, but Caroline didn't complain.  Somewhere deep down, she saw what JC was doing - giving her menial tasks, reminding himself that she worked for him.  As such, Caroline kept her mouth shut and did everything he asked of her without argument or question.

The one person who didn't seem to get JC's attitude was his mother.  She didn't miss an opportunity all day to berate him for his treatment of Caroline.

"I can do that," she'd insist when JC asked Caroline to bring him a bottle of water.  "Let me, Joshua," she'd plead.  Each time, JC waved her away.

"It's Caroline's job," he'd say, and Karen would wring her hands and look helpless.  Caroline could tell that she was the type of mother that wanted to bend over backwards for her children, especially now that they were grown and home visiting, and part of her felt bad for taking away the pleasure.  But keeping busy was good for her, too...the more annoyed she got with JC, the better for her conscience.

In fact, she was so caught up in "doing her job" that she didn't even notice the time.  She was tying JC's tie for him while he texted away on his Blackberry when Tyler stuck his head in the open bedroom door.

"Caroline, don't you have to get dressed, too?" Tyler reminded, looking pointedly at her jeans and t-shirt.  "Or are you going like that?"

Caroline shot her watch a quick glance.  It was almost 6:00.  "Oh, shit."

She dropped JC's half-done tie and he frowned at her.  "You could at least finish it."

Caroline ignored him  for the first time all day as she hurried across the hall to her room.  Her dress was hanging where she'd left it on the back of the door and she unzipped the garment bag in a hurry.  A quick glance at the dress inside reminded her that this was, indeed, a black tie event, and maybe a shower was in order.

After the quickest shower of her life and even quicker work with the blow dryer, Caroline barely had time to slap on some makeup before she hurried back to her room to shimmy into her dress.  Try as she might, however, she couldn't quite get the zipper up on her own, and she was struggling to reach it when JC knocked obnoxiously on her door.

"Are you ready yet?  The car service will be here in two minutes."

Caroline flung open the door, frustrated.  JC was on the other side, his tie tied and his arms crossed impatiently over his chest.  "Can you help me out, please?"

She turned around, pulling her hair out of the way so the unfinished zipper was accessible.  She watched the seconds tick by on her watch as she waited for JC to pull it up.  A total of six seconds passed before he cleared his throat softly and stepped into the room. 

Caroline was still staring hard at her watch, wondering if she would be able to do anything with her hair in a minute and 45 seconds, when JC laid his hand on the curve of her hip.  Caroline froze, holding her breath.  She felt his other hand beginning to pull up the zipper, and she wondered when the last time was that anyone had touched her this intimately.  Somehow, she could only recall JC's hand on her hair at the amusement park, helping her with her coat at the club, holding her while she cried in the hospital waiting room.  Somehow, a single memory of Brandon was nowhere to be found.

JC let go of her abruptly, and Caroline felt his breath on the back of her neck for less than a second as he said, "done," and stepped back.  "Now are you ready?"

Caroline blinked a couple times, willing herself into action.  "Y-yeah.  Um.  My shoes."

As it turned out, the car service was running late, and Caroline had just enough time to pin her hair up in a smooth chignon (Timothy the stylist had casually recommended an up-do to go with the vintage silhouette of the dress) before the doorbell rang.

Caroline had a slight prom moment as she descended the stairs, Karen and Tyler both waiting at the bottom and looking up at her. 

"Caroline, you look beautiful," Karen said, clutching her hands to her chest.  Tyler nodded his agreement, looking thoughtful.  "Oh, Josh, let me get my camera."

"Mom, no," JC barked as she hurried down the hall.  Caroline had to admit that he looked pretty impressive himself in his well-fitting, all black tux.  It was potentially the most normal that she had ever seen him look, sans any of the funky patterns and trends that he was prone to.  "Come on, before she gets back."

JC tugged on Caroline's elbow, opening the front door and ushering her outside.  Tyler stood in the doorway, waving.  "Have fun," he called.  "Don't get too drunk."

His statement was good natured, but Caroline noted the undertone of warning in it - most likely directed solely at her.  The driver of the black limo waiting at the curb tipped his hat at Caroline as she slid inside, and she didn't miss the wink he gave her, either.

JC alternated between tapping his fingers on his knee and tapping on his Blackberry during the half-hour drive back down to DC.  Caroline checked her own email for last minute reminders from Kevin, and an overview of the night's schedule.  She felt herself begin to shift into business mode, which both calmed and focused her.  In time, she forgot all about JC's hand on her hip, his breath on her neck.  Now it was time to get serious.

The red carpet was just as insane as Caroline expected it to be, but she forced herself to function efficiently, leading JC from reporter to reporter, timing every interaction.  She made sure that he stepped back and posed and smiled for the hundreds of flashing cameras pointed in his direction, but only for a few minutes, max, before she motioned him to move on.  When he patted his pockets, looking for gum, she pulled out a stick from her clutch.  When he sneezed, she pulled out a tissue.  When a reporter got too pushy on the NSYNC issue, she pulled him onto the next one in line.

Hectic as it was, they were inside by eight, and promptly treated to a hefty show of security.  Men in  black suits and earpieces scanned them with metal detectors and demanded to see photo ID.  As Caroline was pulling out her driver's license, someone tapped her shoulder.

"Ma'am."  A security guard motioned her to the side, away from JC.  "Can you open your bag, please?"

"They checked it at the front," she said, but the man just stared at her expectantly.  She opened up the small clutch and allowed him to poke through its meager contents.  Suddenly, JC was at her side.

"What's the problem?" he asked.  The guard glanced at him.

"Just routine check."

"They already did the routine check over there," JC pointed out.  "What could they have possibly missed?"

The security guard's jaw tensed.  "Sir, if you're going to cause a problem..."

"He's not causing a problem," Caroline said before JC could respond.  "It's fine."

But JC's frown only deepened as the guard took his sweet time looking over every item in Caroline's purse.  Only a few seconds had passed before he sighed heavily. 

"Seriously.  What could be hiding in there?" he muttered drily.  Caroline elbowed him, and the guard raised an eyebrow before handing back the purse, holding up Caroline's pack of gum in his free hand.

"No food allowed."

JC laughed incredulously.  "Oh, come on, buddy.  It's gum."

Caroline clutched JC's elbow, pushing him away from the un-amused guard.  "It's fine.

By the time they finally made it through security into the lavishly decorated banquet hall (complete with marble floors and chandeliers that appeared to made of pure diamonds), Caroline needed a drink something fierce.  She spotted the bar across the room and turned to JC to ask if he wanted anything, but she didn't even have the chance before a rotund man blocked her path, shaking JC's hand vigorously.

"JC, my man.  Good to see you, good to see you."  The man had a booming voice and a face dotted with perspiration, and Caroline learned in a few minutes that he was Alfred Calhoun, senior VP of marketing and promotions with Sony.  But she didn't need to remember his name for long, because someone else quickly stepped up to take his place.  And after them, someone else, and then someone else, each person more important looking than the last.

And so the night went, Caroline regulating herself to an unassuming presence at JC's side as he talked, crossed the room to be introduced to another cluster of important people, and talked some more.  Every so often, she tapped his arm to see if he needed anything, but he shook his head every time.  He even waved away the man that appeared with glasses of champagne on a tray.

As for Caroline, she was starving.  Men in white coats traversed the room holding shining platters of finger food, but nothing more substantial than that.  She didn't want to eat anything lest she knew what was in it, so she suffered in silence for what felt like hours.  Finally, as JC talked up a couple of executives from Warner Brothers, Caroline eyed the bar a few feet away.  There was an open spot on the far side, and JC didn't really need her anyway.

She broke away, glancing over her shoulder to see if JC noticed, but he didn't even look in her direction.  Caroline sat down at the bar with a heavy sigh of relief, and spotted a silver bowl of nuts nearby.  She looked around to make sure no one was watching, and pulled it over, taking out a heaping handful.

"Good evening."  The tuxedo-clad man behind the bar set a napkin down in front of her with a smile.  "What can I get you, madam?"

Caroline had never in her life been called "madam", and she suppressed a smile.  "Um.  What do you recommend?"

Asking his opinion seemed somehow fancier than just ordering a beer, and the bartender nodded slightly, picking up a tall glass bottle.  "I have a Macallan Fine & Rare from 1939.  Highly recommended."

Caroline's eyes widened.  She'd only bartended for about a year to stay afloat in college, but the experience had afforded her enough knowledge about alcohol to know that the bottle in question had to be worth at least ten grand.  "That...sounds perfect.  Neat, please."

The scotch was like fire down the back of her throat, but it was smooth and delicious at the same time.  Caroline thanked her lucky stars that it was an open bar before ordering another.

She was halfway through her second glass (and the bowl of nuts) when she remembered Tyler's warning, and her hangover from the day before.  Vowing to take it easy, Caroline motioned away the bartender when he appeared to give her a refill.

"This is good for now, thank you," she said, and he nodded politely. 

"My name is Brandon, if you need anything else," he said before moving onto the next patron.  Caroline stared at his back as he worked, thrown for a loop at the sound of the name alone.  She picked up her glass blindly and took a gulp, choking a little bit on the amber liquid.  Of course, JC chose that moment to walk up.

"You okay?"  He took the barstool next to hers as Caroline nodded and wiped her mouth with a napkin.  "I wondered where you disappeared to.  I suppose I should have guessed."

"I needed a drink," Caroline pointed out.  "How do you handle this?"

"What?"  Caroline motioned around to the busy room around them, and JC shrugged.  "Eh.  Old hat."

Brandon the bartender reappeared to take JC's order, and Caroline quirked an eyebrow when he requested a Pellegrino.  "It's better to be sober in these sort of situations," JC explained, pouring the sparkling water into a lowball glass.  "Generally speaking."

"How come you don't have that kind of attitude when Rob is around?"

"Because Rob treats every event like a White House gala," JC said.  "And he expects me to as well."

Caroline shrugged and didn't point out that Rob's job, technically, was to encourage JC to care about publicity stunts such as this one.  "Well, when you're on, you're on.  I'm impressed."  She raised her glass in JC's direction and he clinked his against hers amicably.

"I'm starting to suspect you have a problem with alcohol," JC said when she motioned the bartender over to top off her scotch.  He sounded like he was only half-kidding, but Caroline shrugged it off. 

"Only since I've been working for you."  When JC quirked his eyebrow, she clarified, "You sorta run in the kinds of circles that always seem to have free booze."

"Alright," JC allowed.  "But it can't be all my fault.  Didn't Brandon's band play primarily in bars?"

Caroline's wince must have been overly noticeable because JC looked down at his hands.  "Sorry."

"No, it's fine."  Pushing her glass aside for the moment, Caroline rested her chin in her hand.  "It...it was time for us to be over."

It was the first time that Caroline had acknowledged a thought like that out loud, and it felt oddly freeing.  JC watched her curiously as she elaborated.  "I mean, things hadn't been...things were hard.  So..." She sighed and resisted the urge to pick up her glass again.  "So maybe...it was meant to be."

Instead of questioning her, JC nodded slowly, staring down at the bar.  "Maybe it was."

Caroline picked the last nut out of the bowl and tossed it in her mouth.  "Then why does it hurt so bad?" She paused as a wave of fresh pain choked her up for a second.  "Jesus."

JC angled his body towards her on the barstool, his knee brushing hers.  "Breaking up always hurts, honey," he said.  "It's gonna take time."

Caroline thought back to all the times she had heard JC use that nickname with women.  He seemed to call every female that, from teenage girls at yogurt shops to ladies he was trying to woo.  Caroline had never really thought about it before, but she looked at their knees touching and realized that it was an endearment in the purest sense - it was never creepy or inappropriate.  It was just...JC.

"Hey."  JC's hand made its way into Caroline's field of vision, resting lightly on her leg.  "You're not gonna cry on me, are you?"

Caroline shook her head even as a couple tears spilled out.  JC reached for her purse, pulling out the pack of travel tissues inside.  Instead of handing it to her, he took her chin gently in his hand and dried the tear streaks on her cheeks carefully.  The heat of his touch made Caroline forget why she had even been crying in the first place. 

"Don't wanna wreck that pretty face."  JC set the tissue aside and took her hand in his, rubbing the back of it like he had at the hospital after her mom's heart attack.  Caroline nodded slowly and tried to swallow as tingles materialized under her skin, running up her bare arms and creating goosebumps in their wake.

"You know what will make you feel better?" JC said a few seconds later.  He let go of her hand and reached for an abandoned tray that a waiter had set down during a refill behind the bar.  "Food."

"I can't," Caroline said, shaking her head.  "Unless you want to ask somebody for ingredient lists."

"I think I can figure these out."  JC picked up a toothpick-skewered piece of something wrapped in bacon.  "Filet, probably."  He popped it in his mouth and nodded.  "Yep.  A little cold, but pretty good."

Caroline watched as he sampled a couple more bite-size hors d'oeuvres, her empty stomach growling painfully.  The nuts had done little to nothing to satisfy her hunger.  "Glad you're enjoying yourself."

She stared at the empty nut bowl bitterly and didn't notice when JC flagged down another waiter, who came over with a fresh tray.  Caroline raised her eyebrows when JC set one of the bacon-wrapped steak chunks down on her napkin.  "What are you..."

"Try it," JC urged, leaning close.  "Come on, I know you're starving."

"Yeah, but..." She trailed off, shaking her head slowly.  "I'm not that desperate."

Caroline watched nervously as JC slid off his barstool and moved even closer to her.  "It's just one tiny little bite.  It won't hurt anything.  And it tastes so good."  The last part was murmured close to her ear, and Caroline held her breath.

 "But..." She paused to swallow again, taken aback by the closeness of JC, feeling the heat of his body up against the thin material of her dress.  "What if I like it?"

JC shrugged one shoulder, standing fully behind her at this point, his chest against her shoulder blades.  "Then we'll get you some more."

Caroline stared down at the hors d'oeuvre on her napkin, knowing that the miniscule bite of meat was not the true heart of the matter.  She couldn't help but lean back against JC a little bit, enjoying the feel of even more of him pressed up against her.  "I don't know if this is very smart."

JC positioned his mouth right next to her ear, his breath stirring the loose tendrils of hair close to her face.  "Maybe it's time for you to do something stupid, then." 

The party around them seemed to fall away, and they could have been all alone in that lavish banquet hall for all Caroline knew.  She picked up the toothpick, pressing her fingertip against the sharp end with a sigh.

"Maybe you're right."

Without thinking about the repercussions, and not really caring about JC winning his challenge, or even the fact that she was actually eating meat for the first time in her life, Caroline pulled the steak off of the toothpick and popped it in her mouth.  JC gripped the bar on either side of her body, his arms surrounding her but not making contact.

"Holy shit," he breathed.  Caroline chewed and swallowed, with some difficulty, barely noticing the taste of what she had just put in her mouth.

"I can't believe you just did that."  JC chuckled a little bit and took a half-step back.  Caroline twisted on her barstool to face him.  "How was it?"

Caroline picked up her glass of scotch and took a sip before answering.  "It was great."

Then she leaned forward and pressed her lips against JC's.

For the first two seconds, he didn't react, and Caroline could feel mental panic start.  Was she really about to get rejected after all this...whatever it was?  Before she could pull back, JC finally moved into action.  He stepped closer and reached for her hips, his grip so tight that it was almost painful, but Caroline was too busy kissing him to notice.  JC's tongue pushed past her lips and she heard herself whimper softly as one of his hands snaked around her lower back, into the dip created by her dress and against her bare skin.

Suddenly, JC pulled back, moving his hands from her hips to her shoulders.

"We can't," he said, glancing around the room.  Caroline stared, dumbstruck.  He wasn't going to play the boss card, was he?  "Not here."

His elaborated prompted Caroline to look around the busy hall.  No one appeared to be paying them any attention, but then again, no one had appeared to be paying attention when they had gotten yogurt after the movie a few weeks ago, either.

"I think we should go."  JC stepped back, re-fastening the button on the jacket of his tux and clearing his throat.  "Let's meet at the coat check in five minutes."

Caroline didn't have time to question why he needed five minutes before JC disappeared.  She turned back to the bar and tossed back the rest of her scotch; she was suddenly parched.  With shaking hands, she drained JC's Pellegrino as well.

"Can I interest you in anything else, miss?"  The bartender had reappeared suddenly, but Caroline didn't even spare him a glance.  "Another Macallan?"

Caroline was tempted to toss back a fourth glass, but she already felt drunk from the rush of finally, finally kissing JC.  She waved him away.  "No, thank you."

The bartender nodded and took away both empty glasses before disappearing once more.  Caroline stared down at the polished wood of the bar and took a moment to take in her surroundings for what felt like the first time all night.  The chandeliers in the room threw fractions of sparkling light all over, and some familiar song was playing in the background.  Caroline had never really been into R&B, but the smooth voice of Marvin Gaye was unmistakable.

Finally, she stood on shaky legs, and did her best to make her way across the room without stumbling.  The crowd paid little to no attention to her, except for a stray waiter when she was almost to the doors that led to the foyer.

"Champagne, miss?"  He waved a tray temptingly in her direction, and Caroline threw caution to the wind and grabbed a glass.  She tossed it back in two gulps as she made her way down the red carpeted stairs towards the entryway and coat check. 

The security had calmed down quite a bit as it was late enough for everyone to have arrived, but too early for anyone to leave.  Guards were still milling around, sitting and talking to each other or posted in various places around the room.  Caroline was passing a hallway on her way to the coat check when someone grabbed her elbow.

She opened her mouth to protest, but the alcohol slowed her reaction time, and before she knew it, she was up against a wall, trapped.  She only had mere seconds to realize that JC was her captor before his lips descended on hers once again.

Caroline moaned into his mouth, half from surprise and half from pure desire, as he pressed her into the wall with his lower body.  No doubt about it, JC was an amazing kisser.  He took his time with her, his tongue rubbing against hers languidly, seductively (as if she actually needed seducing), but at the same time, he took control in an undoubtedly masculine way.  It sent shivers down Caroline's spine and rendered her useless as she desperately clutched the lapels of his jacket, trying to hold on.

They kissed in that dark hallway for what felt like days before JC pulled back, slowly this time.  He reached up to cradle her face in his hands, thumb tracing her jawline.

"Caroline," he said, his voice deep, whether it was from lust or lack of use, she wasn't sure.  "You don't really want this."

It took a moment for his words to sink in and Caroline blinked.

"What?"

"You're drunk," JC continued.  One hand trailed down to her collarbone lightly before dropping away.  "I'm sorry."

"No...no, I'm not drunk," Caroline said, frantic.  "I mean, I drank a little but I'm not...JC, I'm not drunk."

He started to step back, but she grabbed his hands in hers.  "I do want this."

JC squeezed her hands before pulling loose from her grip and glancing at his watch.  "I think it's time to call it a night.  I'll call the car service, will you get our coats?"

He slipped out of the hallway quickly, and Caroline was left staring at the blank wall across from where she stood.  What the hell had just happened?  Had he changed his mind?  He hadn't kissed her like he'd changed his mind, he'd kissed her like he wanted more.

Caroline found a ladies room further down the hall and slipped inside to lean against the sink and catch her breath.  She patted some cold water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror.  The skin below her collarbone was flushed and she mentally recalled JC's hands on her.  She did want more, she'd wanted more for awhile now, and god it felt good to admit that finally, even if it was only to herself. 

The longer Caroline stared at her reflection in the mirror, the more the gears turned in her head.  She was an adult, right?  And adults got what they wanted.  She'd learned enough about that from majoring in business economics and studying under some of the nation's most respected CEOs and VPs - a person didn't get what they wanted in the world by waiting for it to be handed to them.

"Yeah," Caroline murmured, agreeing with her silent thoughts in the empty bathroom.  "Yeah.  I want this.  So I'm...I'm gonna do it."

Her voice echoed in the tiled room as the door swung open.  Caroline froze, but it was just an older lady dressed in a stuffy beaded gown.  She gave Caroline a strange look before disappearing into one of the stalls.  Caroline took one last glance at herself, smoothing down the bodice of her dress and trying to get psyched.

To aid in her efforts, an abandoned tray of champagne was waiting for her near the coat check.  Caroline drank one glass before handing the girl at the desk her coat tag, and when said girl disappeared to locate the coats, she drank another. 

By the time she had her coat on, JC's over her arm, and had made it back through security and outside the building, it was fair to say that she was a bit unsteady on her feet.  JC was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, his phone to his ear.  The red carpet had been rolled up, the photographers were gone (save for a few stragglers), and in the dark, the area looked much less impressive than it had when they'd arrived. 

Caroline took her time on the stairs, holding up the length of her dress and moving slowly.  She was two steps from the bottom when she tripped.  Caroline cringed, bracing herself to hit the pavement hard when someone caught her.

"Jesus.  Caroline, are you okay?"  JC pushed her up to her feet but kept his firm hold on her elbow.  "You could have broken your wrist, don't you know never to stick your arm out like that?"

"Better than my face," Caroline murmured, realizing suddenly that she was much tipsier than she was before.  If JC had thought her drunk inside, she'd really done it now.  "Fuck."

"What?"  JC took a half-step  back, checking her for injury.  "Did you twist something?"

"No, I'm fine."  A camera flashed from somewhere nearby and JC let go of her as suddenly as if she'd burned him. 

A guy holding a video camera appeared to Caroline's right, the bright light aimed directly in JC's face.  "How was the party, JC?"

"It was great."  JC looked down at his phone as he made his way back to the curb, glancing down the darkened street for the limo.  Caroline straightened her dress, trying to act both sober and impassive at the same time.  Thankfully, the cameraman didn't seem interested in her, instead following JC.

"Lots of big names in there tonight?" the guy asked.  Caroline stood a few feet away as JC politely, if not curtly, responded to the man's questions as shortly as possible.  Finally, the limo pulled up and the driver bounded out to get the door for Caroline.  She tried her best to climb in on her own, but she tripped over the length of her dress, and the driver stepped in to grasp her elbow.

"You okay, miss?" he asked.  Inexplicably, Caroline felt tears rise to her eyes for the second time that night, and she shook her head no.

"She's fine."  JC appeared in between Caroline and the driver, brushing off his hold on her arm.  "Just slide in, Caroline."

As unladylike as it was, Caroline dropped to the leather seat and scooted across.  JC held her dress, lest the expensive silk catch on anything, and slid in beside her.  He spoke quietly to the driver before pulling the door closed, leaving them in silence. 

Caroline wiped her face with her hands, no longer caring about smearing her makeup.  JC's thigh was pressed up against hers and he didn't try to move over.  "JC?"

"Yeah."

"I'm a little tipsy," she admitted, "but I'm not...I'm really not drunk." 

JC sighed as the limo pulled away from the curb.  "Alright."

He sounded tired, and Caroline leaned over to try and make eye contact with him.  "I didn't kiss you because I was drunk.  I kissed you because...because I wanted to."

JC only glanced at her before looking back out the window.  "If you say so."

The alcohol in Caroline's system sparked her anger a little quicker than usual.  "What the hell does that mean?  I do say so, because it's true.  I'm telling you how I feel."

JC's gaze shifted over to her again, and he looked utterly unconvinced.  "Okay.  So you kissing me had nothing do with the two glasses of scotch you downed before I walked up?  Or your emotional state after talking about your very recent break up?  Okay, Caroline, if you say so."

She frowned at him, cursing herself for drinking those last two glasses of champagne so quickly.  Her defense was a jumble of words in her head - she didn't know which order they needed to be in to make sense.  JC turned away again, and Caroline's frustration mounted.

Acting purely on instinct at this point, Caroline hiked her dress up to her knees and climbed onto JC's lap.

"Whoa, what..." JC grabbed her waist on instinct when Caroline swayed slightly.  "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what I want," Caroline said, poking her finger into JC's chest.  "And I know you want it too."

Ignoring the fact that she was both saying and doing things that she would never normally dream of, Caroline took JC's face in her hands and leaned in, praying that he didn't push her away.  Thankfully, he didn't, but he certainly didn't respond in the way that she'd hoped, either.  His hold on her hips was loose, and he didn't do much in the way of kissing her back.

Caroline leaned back slightly, still cradling JC's face in her hands.  He'd actually shaved for once, and his skin was smooth against her fingertips.  "Why are you making yourself feel guilty about this?"

JC sighed, his eyes meeting hers again.  "You're drunk."

"Not that drunk," Caroline reminded.  "And you know this has been a long time coming.  You know, JC."

He pursed his lips and nodded slowly, his grip on her tightening slightly.  Caroline felt the goosebumps raise on her flesh even beneath the layer of her dress.  "I know, but..."

"But?"  Caroline leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his - this wasn't exactly how she'd imagined their first kiss would go, if it ever went at all, and she knew that she'd most likely regret her spontaneous actions the next morning.  But she couldn't help but lose herself in the moment, the smell of JC's cologne and the warmth of him so comforting and right. 

He reached up to push against her shoulders gently so that she would lean back again.  "You still love him," he reminded, his voice soft, not accusatory.  His expression told Caroline that it was something painful to admit.  "I know you do.

She didn't try to deny it.  "It's gonna take time," she whispered, repeating his encouragement from earlier in the night. 

They stared at each other in silence for a long time.  Finally, JC took her chin in his hand and pulled her close, dropping a sweet kiss on her lips.  Caroline savored the contact, trying to move closer, but he just smoothed a stray strand of hair out of her face and wrapped his arms around her.  Sensing the moment for a heated makeout session was long past, Caroline shifted on his lap, resting her head against his chest.  JC didn't try to push her back to her own seat, and instead kept his protective grip on her, his chin resting on the top of her head.

By the time they got back to Bowie, the combination of alcohol in her system and listening to JC's heartbeat had lulled Caroline to sleep.  For the second time that week, JC had to help her up to her room and into bed.  Despite the fact that he knew the dress she was wearing cost more than her car, and the wrinkles in the silk from her sleeping in it would rack up the dry-cleaning fee considerably, he couldn't bring himself to undress her.  Instead, in her semi-conscious state, JC helped her lay down on top of the covers, and pulled the quilt up over her body. 

JC waited until he was certain she was completely asleep before leaving the room, pulling his tie loose as he closed the door softly behind her.  When he turned around, Tyler was across the hallway, hands on his hips.  JC took a step back, startled.

"Christ," JC breathed, closing his eyes.  "Don't do that."

Tyler didn't respond to his brother's jumpiness, his expression stone still.  "What happened?"

JC didn't know what he was referring to, but he didn't intend to give anything up.  "Nothing.  I'm going to bed."

He was halfway to his bedroom door when Tyler spoke up again.  "You're in love with her?"

JC winced, glancing down the hall towards his parents room.  "Fuck, Tyler."

"It's midnight, Josh, they've been asleep for hours," he reminded.  "So are you?"

"I don't know."  JC twisted the doorknob, feeling suddenly exhausted.  He pulled his tie the rest of the way off of his neck.  "If I am, I shouldn't be."

Tyler half-smiled, looking sad.  "Things aren't ever that easy."

JC nodded slowly.  "I know."  He stepped into his childhood bedroom and closed the door behind him, without bothering to say goodnight.