“We so do not get paid enough for this” Liz mumbled slamming down the phone on her desk.

“Tell me about it” Emma said, throwing back her head against the back of the leather chair she sat in and started rubbing her temples in a circular motion.

They had spent the past 3 and a half hours in their office at their business place L & E Planning, answering and making calls to various people and companies. The bride of a wedding they had been planning for a few weeks had called in earlier, saying that she had canceled the wedding. Something about finding the groom in bed with her cousin or something .Since then, they had been calling to cancel and apologize to the people arranging the flowers, the caterers, the church, the band they hired, cancelling the ice sculptures that had already been made, the DJ, and having to cancel the area they booked for the reception. Some of the above were just not co-operating, but they had finally made their last call.

“What time is it?” asked Liz sighing

“Almost 6” All their employees had left over an hour ago.

They both sat there for a good 4 secs, before the sound of Liz’s phone ringing broke the silence.

“I swear, if it’s bridezilla calling to un-cancel the wedding I’m quitting this job” Emma said, half joking.

“Hello?” Liz growled into the phone

“Woah! We have got to work on the way you greet people”

Liz’s irritation eased and a tired smile crept upon her lips. “Josh?”

“Yea it’s me” JC chuckled. “You okay?”

“Yea I’m okay. Tough day at work, that’s all. You guys still coming over though, right?”

“Actually that’s what I called about. Joey’s sick from a hangover he had this morning, Lance’s sister called in to say she’s in town, and Chris and Justin have some questions for our manager about recording on Monday, so-”

“So you guys aren’t coming” Liz said, a little disappointed. Emma frowned at her.

“Well, um. I don’t have anything to do. If you’re not too tired, I’ll come over, I’ll even bring dinner for you and Em”

“So you don’t wanna help me cook?” Liz teased

JC laughed. “Honey, I am probably the only person in the world who can burn boiling water. Unless you want me to make you a pop-tart, I’m completely useless in a kitchen”

“Alright,” Liz laughed. “Bring over whatever you like, and we’ll watch a movie. I need to kick back”

“Great! So I’ll see you in about..” He checked his watch. “45 minutes then?”

“Yea, that’s good. I’ll see you then”

“Bye Lizzie”

She smiled and hung up. Emma looked at her with a questioning stare

“So it’s just us and Josh tonight.” Liz informed her

“What happened to the other guys?”

“They’re busy. Josh is bringing food so we don’t have to cook” Liz said happily, getting up and putting away the papers she had scattered on her desk, into a neat pile in a filing drawer.

“Thank God. I thought tonight was my turn to make dinner” Emma said shutting down her laptop and grabbing her purse. 

Liz laughed as she picked up her hand-bag and headed for the door. “It is”

“Lizzie I think Josh is here” Emma called out from her room, after hearing the doorbell.

“Kay” Shit. She had only gotten home about 25mins ago, and she only had time to take a shower. She threw on a pair of grey sweats that fit her small but rounded butt well, and a comfortable purple t-shirt that was a couple sizes too big for her. Her hair was out and combed, thank goodness, but was a little wet from the shower. She darted downstairs when she heard the bell ring again, and opened the door.

“Hey!” Josh said brightly

“Hi!” She replied, slightly out of breath. “Come in” She said stepping aside, allowing him room to pass.

“Thanks” JC said smiling at her on his way in. “I brought pizza” he said holding up the box.

“Terrific!” Liz said happily. She had yet to eat.

JC kept smiling at her, making Liz a little self conscious.

“Do I have something stuck to my forehead or something in my teeth or something?”

“Oh! Oh, no, you’re fine. You just.. look really cute”

“Thanks”

“A guy thinks I look good in sweats.. Nice ego booster” Liz thought to herself

“So it’s just gonna be you, me and Emma-”

“Actually it’s just gonna be you and Josh tonight” Emma said, walking down the stairs in denim jeans, black heels, a white top, (that was translucent enough to tell she was wearing  a black bra) and a black jacket. Her hair was up in a bun, with a few strands of hair hanging near her eyes at the sides of her face. “Hi Josh!”

“Hey” JC said. By just looking at her, JC wondered how girls like Emma and Liz were still single.

“Where are you going??” Liz questioned. “I thought this was our kick back night?”

“Noo, this is your kick back night. And Josh is here to keep you company” She smiled. “Besides, that guy we met at the Henderson wedding reception a month ago called and asked me out.”

“The one that tried to get you drunk and sleep with you in the bride & groom’s limo?”

JC struggled not to laugh, so he just bit his lip and looked away smiling.

“Yea, that one. But he’s sober now, and I’m late.” She said looking at her watch. “So I will see you later.”

Liz sighed. “Fine. Have fun”

“You too!” She said stopping at the door. “But not too much,” She winked. “Don’t wait up kids”

“Bye Mom!” Liz said after her friend as she shut the door

“You know it’s really entertaining around you two” JC spoke up chuckling

Liz smiled “Yea I guess. So it’s just you and me tonight”

“I guess it is” JC said

Liz noticed they were still by the door and JC was still holding the pizza.

“C’mon” she said. “I’ll show you to the kitchen.

He set the pizza box down on the marble counter, while Liz headed to the fridge and peered inside. “You like anything specific to drink?”

“I’m good with water, really”

“C’mon, pizza and water? Seriously?”

“Then I’ll have whatever you have.”

“Coke it is then” she said, pulling out two cans of coke.

While she was getting the glasses, JC looked around. The kitchen was a contrast of a light and dark orange color. The counters were marble, but the cupboards and pantry were wooden, while the stove and oven were steel. Liz & Emma obviously did pretty well for themselves. They weren’t millionaires, but JC could tell that they didn’t have to worry about paying the bills.

“Nice place” he murmured, still looking around.

“Thanks”

“Only you and Em live here?”

“Yep. It’s pretty nice. What’s better than living with your best friend right?” Liz smiled while pouring the drinks into two glasses.

“Yea, I know how it is” JC chuckled, turning back to Liz. “Need some help?”

“Nah, I got the drinks. Just bring the pizza and follow me into the living room”

“You got it”

JC liked the living room. It was a nice shade of brown, not too dark, but not too light, but it suited the room and the furniture well, with the large reddish rug in the middle of the room. It held one large couch, that curved in a half moon shape, with the glass coffee table in front of it and two recliners, near the entertainment set. The room held framed pictures of Liz and Emma over the years they had known each other, along with pictures of what JC assumed were family and friends.

“You can set the pizza down right here” Liz said, putting the two glasses on the coffee table.

JC set down the food, and the two adults stood there.

“So, what’d you want to watch?” Liz asked him.

“Watcha got?”

Liz went to the entertainment system, stood beside it and opened the side cupboards displaying the aligned cases with white labels on them. She held out her arms as if she was presenting something. “Take your pick” She said

“Damn girl” he muttered while walking toward the set-up. It held hundreds of DVD cases.

“I didn’t think there was a person with a bigger DVD collection than me. How about you pick?” JC said

“I think you’re being too nice to me. Always letting me choose” Liz said giggling

“I don’t mind. If I don’t like it, I’ll say so”

“How about Titanic? A romance. Do you like Kate Winslet?”

“Well the sad part doesn’t come till the end so okay. Yea she’s okay. Nice lips”

“Good, ‘cuz I think Leonardo DeCaprio is hot, so we both win”

JC laughed.

She put the disk into the player and flopped down on the couch, with the DVD remote control in her hand. She smiled and patted the cushioned area next to her. “C’mon Josh, sit”

JC smiled and took a seat next to her.

She looked down at his shoes. “You know, as nice as those are, you might be more comfortable if you took them off”

JC chuckled and kicked off his shoes with his feet, exposing his white socks, and reached down to place them next to each other on the other side of the couch. “Better?”

Liz nodded. The intro to the movie started.

JC reached over to the coffee table and picked up a slice of the pizza with a napkin and handed it to her.

“I’ll go out on a limb and say that you haven’t eaten yet.”

Liz shook her head.

“Then bon appetite!”

“Thanks for this Josh. You really are a lifesaver”  she said accepting the food.

“Well I don’t know about the life saver part, but it’s no problem” he said as he reached for a slice for himself.

The both leaned back and ate as the opening credits started rolling.

During Movie

*Scene- ‘The Flying Scene’>> in case you’re curious, this is the scene they’re supposed to be watching> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDPeL8lpzo

“I love the way she just goes up on the edge with him, knowing she could fall at any minute, but she trusts him enough not to let her go” Liz said sighing, and smiling.

They had finished the pizza and coke about a half hour ago and they were just enjoying the movie now, leaning back, their feet up of the coffee table, the empty pizza box and glasses on the ground. They were relaxed now, Liz unconsciously leaning against JC’s shoulder, tired.

“That’s love for ya” JC mumbled.

Liz looked up at him. “Were you and Allison like that?” she asked quietly

JC just kept looking at the screen, but he smiled softly. “We were, when we first met”

Liz smiled, and rested her head against his shoulder, her eyelids struggling to say lifted but JC heard her breathing start to regulate and become soft.

“You’re tired Lizzie” he said quietly

“The movie isn’t done yet” she mumbled

He picked up the remote out of her hand and clicked ‘Stop’.

“You’re tired. I could tell.”

“Some hostess I am” she said raising her head off his arm and leaning back against the couch, rubbing her eyes briefly.

“A pretty good one. Believe it or not, I liked doing this.”

Liz smiled tiredly at him. “I wish I had more energy, so we could atleast finish the movie”

“It’s cool. I think we all know how it ends” JC said reaching down for his shoes, at the same time Liz leaned forward to get the remote out of JC’s lap. When JC raised back up, their heads collided.

“Oh crap, I’m so sorry” “Oh I’m sorry I-” They both started but they stopped.

They were head to head now and it was the first time JC had taken a good look at her face, and the same for Liz.

She had soft features with these dark brown eyes with what looked like a honey colored ring around them. Beautiful. Thin, but kissable lips, and high cheek bones on her smooth skin.

He had these ocean blue eyes with perfectly outlined lips with hair darker than the night sky itself. An unbelievably attractive combination. And damn! That bone structure!

“Josh,” she whispered

He didn’t let her finish. He leaned in the extra half a centimeter he was away from her face and brushed his lips softly against hers. It took Liz a good 4secs before she slowly pulled away. Her body fell numb and JC sat frozen in place. They probably would have stayed like that if the light hadn’t suddenly come on.

“Why was the room so dimmed?” Emma asked. JC and Liz snapped out of the trance they were in and just stared at Emma.

“And, why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” Emma asked again

“Oh, um. Hey Em” Liz said, her voice slightly shaking.

“Heeyy” Emma said slowly

“Hey Emma. I um, I think I’m about ready leave” JC spoke up.

“Yea uh, okay” Liz said

JC crossed the room to where Emma was standing.

“Nice to see you again Em. Was your date okay?” he asked. He didn’t want to suddenly leave and make things more awkward than they already were.

If that was possible!

“It was good, thanks for asking!” Emma replied

JC nodded. “Alright um,” he looked back at Liz, who was still sitting on the couch staring at him. “Goodnight Lizzie”

She nodded, and he quickly made it to and out the door. Liz still sat on the couch, speechless.

Emma went over to sit next to her on the couch. “Are you okay? What just happened?”

“He kissed me” Liz whispered

An expression of surprise overtook Emma’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a huge grin. “How did that happen?”

“I have no idea.”