Later that morning, after checking on Lisa’s sister, who was well on her way to recovery, Lisa and JC headed back to the airport.  Once they booked the next available flight to New York, the couple made their way through security and stopped for a cup of coffee while they waited.  Lisa claimed an empty table while JC ordered and paid. 

While waiting, she decided to have a little fun.  Digging through her oversized purse, she found her cell phone at the bottom of the bag.  She tapped the screen until she came to a familiar name in her contacts.  Tapping to bring up a new text message, she opened the full keyboard. 

How could u?  Coming to NY 2……….chat.  Lisa smiled wickedly as she pressed the send button. 

“That’s an evil look,” JC commented as he sat across from her and slid her cappuccino over to her. 

Before Lisa could show him the message she sent, Kelly responded. 

I’m so sorry, I thought it was 4 the best.  If he hurt you, he will pay.  I’m soooooo  sorry!!!!

With a twinkle in her eye, she handed the phone over to JC.  “I know I should probably feel a little guilty about this, but I can’t help myself.”

He licked his lips to remove a drop of the whipped cream left at the side of his mouth and widened his eyes.  “Wow, should I be worried?”  He asked returning the phone back to her. 

“Why?

“Well, let’s see, this line that says ‘he will pay,’ don’t you think that might be cause for concern?”

She waved her hand in dismissal as she took a sip of her drink.  “She’s all talk, no need to worry.”

“You weren’t there when she held a knife to my neck and threatened my life as I tried to convince her to help me get you back.”  He reflexively rubbed his hand over his throat, reliving the moment. 

She leaned across the table and placed a hand on his arm.  “Poor baby, are you scared of your friends wife?  She doesn’t even come up to your shoulder.”

“Go ahead and laugh, but it’s not your neck on the line.”  He said as she hid her smile behind her cup.

“I’ll protect you, does that make you feel better?”

JC suddenly turned serious.  “You’ve protected me for so long, taken care of problems that I’m sure I never even knew about.  Have I ever told you how much I appreciated – and still appreciate you?”

Before Lisa had the chance to answer, a pair of young women timidly approached the table and simply stopped and stared.  Lisa noticed them before JC did and pulled her hand away from his arm, placing both hands around her cup.

JC gave a little sigh before he looked up at the two and raised his eyebrow. 

“Ohmygoshitisyou.”  One of the women spoke, running her words together. 

JC simply smiled as the two looked at him unblinkingly.  He tapped his foot under the table, bumping against Lisa’s shoe as he waited impatiently. 

“Well, sorry to break this up, but Jace I think your plane is getting ready to start boarding, you should probably head to the gate.”  She deliberately left herself out of the statement, knowing how upset JC’s fans could get when he was seen with a woman not a relative.

“Wait, could we please get a picture with you?”  Both women scrambled for their phones and clicked to the camera before almost throwing them at Lisa. 

“Why yes, I would be honored to take the picture, thank you so much for asking.”  Lisa mumbled to herself as she picked up the first phone and put the three of them in the frame.  JC shot her an apologetic look just before fixing his ‘fan smile’ for the picture.  She quickly switched phones and snapped another picture. 

Immediately upon finishing, she stood and grabbed her carryon bag.  She tried to push past the table, but the two women were blocking her way.  JC got to his feet as well and grabbed the handle of Lisa’s bag.  “Sorry, ladies, to rush off, but my girlfriend and I need to catch our flight, have a nice day.”

JC had to put his hand on Lisa’s back to start her moving toward the door.   The two women followed them at a distance, whispering the whole time. 

“Your girlfriend?  Why did you tell them that?” 

JC was moving quickly to try and avoid any more fan encounters.  “Why wouldn’t I tell them you’re my girl?  Are you saying you don’t want to be?”

“Actually, I don’t remember you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

“What do you think that whole conversation was about this morning?”  He asked exasperated. 

“You asked for one more chance, you never said anything about being your girlfriend.”  Lisa flashed an innocent look when he looked at her frustrated. 

“Fine, you wanna play that way…” He looked around as they turned the corner to their gate.  Seeing a small abandoned alcove where the massage chairs were set up, he pulled her in and pressed her back up to the wall.  He released his grip on her carryon, not caring that it fell to the floor at their feet; placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head.  “Lisa…”

“Yes,” she responded breathlessly, looking up at his smiling face.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”  He whispered. 

“I don’t know…what’s in it for me?”

“Hmmm…let’s see…a little of this…”  He brushed his lips against her right cheek, lingering briefly then to her left cheek, lingering longer.  “And some of…this.”  His last word was lost against her parted lips.  Her eyes fluttered shut and she placed her hands on his hips.  His hands left the wall and made their way to the nape of her neck, tilting her head as he deepened the kiss. 

Her tongue timidly traced the outline of his bottom lip then met his as she tried to get as close as possible.  She hoped she would never get used to his kiss.  Even if they spent the next 50 years together, she wanted to experience JC just like this.  He was slowly branding her as his every time they touched. 

An announcement from the speaker next to them had both of them jumping.  The voice was loud as it announced that their flight was boarding. 

“I forget where I am when you take advantage of me like that.”  He grasped her hand in one hand as he picked up the fallen bag with the other. 

“You always did blame me for everything.”  She smiled to take away the sting of her words. 

But as they walked toward their gate, they never saw the women who were furiously typing on their phones. 

***

Lisa let JC drive the car he rented through New York.  He was much more familiar with the area and she loved to watch him drive.  Once they were settled in and headed away from the airport, she turned her phone back on and immediately received a text message from Kelly.

Please forgive me, I’m going to hunt him down.  I didn’t mean it and I will do anything to keep our friendship strong.  I’m sorry for ever falling for his charm.  Please call me and I’ll come pick you up.  When are you getting in?

“Should I respond?”  Lisa asked, after reading him the text.

JC shook his head as he checked his blind spot to switch lanes.  “No way, leave me out of it.  I’m scared enough as it is.”

Deciding she would torture Kelly a little longer, she tossed the phone in the cup holder and turned in the seat so she could look at JC. 

“What?”  He asked, feeling her gaze.

“What what?” 

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Can’t I look at my boyfriend?”  She tried the term out, liking the feeling of it rolling off her tongue. 

“Look away, sweetheart, and feel free to touch.”

“Yeah right, you’re not that great of a driver anyway, and I want your complete attention of the road.”

“Baby, if you’re in the car or anywhere close by, there is no way I can be completely focused on anything.”

They bantered back and forth, as they made their way to Joey and Kelly’s house.  Pulling in the drive, she gave a few last minute instructions to stay hidden on the porch while she tormented Kelly a little more. 

He rolled his eyes, but played along.  Lisa rang the doorbell and shoved JC back against the wall of the house.  The door flew open and Kelly stood there eyes flaming. 

“How could I?  How could you?  I was so sorry I was in tears that he had hurt you again and then I find out that I’m the last to know that you are a couple.  I hate you!”  Kelly shouted angrily, but the anger gave way to excitement as she grabbed Lisa for a hard hug. 

“What are you talking about?  How could you possibly know that?”  JC emerged from his ‘hiding spot.’

Kelly punched him on the shoulder hard, before she slapped Lisa’s arm as well.  “Well, you aren’t doing a very good job of hiding your relationship.”  She pulled them both in and to her laptop set up on the kitchen counter. 

There displayed prominently on her screen was a picture of JC and Lisa in the airport locked in a steamy kiss.  Lisa choked out a half laugh.  “Where did you get that?”

JC chimed in before Kelly answered.  “Great picture, send me the link so I can have a copy, would you?”  He sauntered over to the fridge for something to drink as Lisa gaped at him. 

“It’s all over Twitter.”  Kelly switched back to her news feed and showed Lisa how many people were sharing the link for the picture.   

JC turned back with a bottle of water in his hand, “What?”  JC asked, as Lisa kept staring at him.

“That’s it, that’s your response ‘send it to me so I can have a copy?’”  Her hands were flailing. 

“Yeah, does it bother you, because even if it does, I’m not giving you up now that I’ve found you.”  He studied her closely, searching for a hint of apprehension. 

“No, I guess, I just hadn’t thought about it, I mean, you’ve always tried to keep your girlfriends private and to be splashed across the Internet so soon – it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Kelly interrupted, “Trust me, you will adapt in no time.  This will all blow over soon enough.  Don’t worry about it.”

His eyes assuring her that Kelly’s words were true, he backed it up with a confident smile and a wink. 

“Now I want details so JC – you go find Joey, he’s in the game room and don’t come out until you are called.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  He saluted her with his bottle of water and brushed a kiss on Lisa’s temple on his way by. 

“Don’t leave me here!”  She hissed out with a glance at Kelly.  Kelly was waiting impatiently and eagerly as she bounced on her feet. 

“Sorry, Lisa, you’re on your own.  Good luck.  We’ll grab a bit to eat when you’re done, since I’m sure this will drag on for a while.” 

He disappeared down the hallway as Lisa gazed longingly after him.  Seeing that she had lost, Lisa turned back to Kelly who grabbed her hand and led her to the couch nearby. 

“Tell me everything.”  Kelly demanded. 

“Well, you see…”