Chapter 6
The rest of Christmas Day was just as fun. They opened their gifts with laughter and joy, and then sat down to have a nice Christmas feast once Karen, Heather, and Zoe had finished preparing it.
That afternoon the guys did cleanup detail, and then relaxed back into the sofa’s watching TV as the women chatted in the kitchen.
The following morning Zoe and JC were back on a plane to Florida, as Zoe had to work that afternoon at the park.
During their drive home they relived Christmas Day joking and laughing about all the silly stuff they had done. And how they all acted like little kids again jumping around singing.
When they got back to the house. Zoe, retreated to her bedroom to shower and get ready for work. She was just getting out of the shower when her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey girl! Belated Merry Christmas!” Pam, said through the phone.
“Pam! Oh, Merry Christmas. Sorry, I didn’t call. I got so caught up in everything yesterday I forgot. Sorry!” Zoe, said laying down on her bed.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I was busy running all over the place yesterday anyways. Between my family and Kyle’s you probably wouldn’t have caught me anyways!” she, laughed.
“So how did everything go?”
“Oh it went perfect. Guess what!” Pam, said excitedly.
“WHAT?” Zoe, asked excited by the excitement in Pam’s voice.
“Kyle, asked me to marry him!” Pam, squealed into the phone.
“Oh my gosh, congratulations! That’s so GREAT! I’m so happy for you two!”
“Thanks. And I want you to be my Maid of Honor! We haven’t set a date or anything like that yet, but I’m asking you now. Zo, will you be my Matron of Honor?”
“Girl, I’d be honored.” Zoë, said started to cry from excitement for her friend.
“Oh Zoë, don’t cry! You’re going to make me cry!” Pam, scolded her through the phone.
The girls laughed and went on to tell each other about their Christmas. Pam, told her all about all the gifts she’d gotten, and how Kyle had proposed to her. And Zoë went on to tell her about all the wonderful things the Chasez family had gotten her. And how she and Heather had woken everyone up Christmas morning singing “Lean On Me”, and how JC and Tyler joined in and it was just like they were all little kids again.
Pam, asked Zoë what JC had gotten her for Christmas, and Zoë went on to explain he gave her a box with an IOU in it. “He said he couldn’t figure out what to get me!” Zoë, laughed. “Said he was going to buy me a bunch of clubbin’ clothes but didn’t figure I’d wear them!”
Pam, laughed. “He knows you too well!”
The girls talked a bit longer before Zoë, had to end the call to leave for work. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. JC, was sitting in the TV room watching a game. “I’m ready to go. Can you give me a ride, or do you need the car?”
“I’ll take you.” JC, said hopping up off the sofa, and turning the TV off with the remote.
As he drove her to work JC, asked who’d called. Zoë, went on to explain it was Pam, and told him about how her boyfriend had proposed and how she’d asked Zoë to be her Maid of Honor. “That’s cool.” he, said.
They pulled up in front of the employee entrance to the park. “What time you get off tonight?”
“Oh, that’s ok, I can get a ride home from Link or Sam. You don’t have to come pick me up.” Zoë, said as she got out of the car.
“Who’s Link and Sam?” JC, asked looking at her oddly. “And what kind of a name is Link?”
Zoë, laughed at JC’s expression. “They’re guys I work with, they’re cool.”
“Well, I wanna pick you up. I was gonna take you out to dinner tonight, to make up for not getting you a Christmas present.”
“You don’t have to do that, JC. But if you insist I get off at 8:00.”
“OK, I’ll see you then!” he, smiled.
“K, bye!” Zoë, said as she shut the door and trotted off towards the entrance. As she was about to go in a guy came up behind her and scooped her up in a hug from behind and twirled her around, as she laughed.
JC, sat there and watched them until they disappeared into the entrance, and then drove off. It was time to finish his late Christmas surprise for Zoë, he just hoped she didn’t’ have a cow about it and would accept it.
That evening JC sat outside waiting on Zoë, to get out of work with Justin. He figured if he brought one of the guys along with him she wouldn’t make such a big deal out of his surprise for her.
It was already 8:20 and he was beginning to wonder if she had gotten off early and caught a ride with someone else. “Dude I thought you said she got off at 8:00?” Justin, questioned.
“That’s what she told me.” JC, responded.
“Oh wait there she is!” Justin, said pointing to her when he noticed her coming out the door with a couple people. “Who’s the guy?” Justin, quickly followed when he saw the same guy JC had seen earlier that day hug her, walking with his arm around her shoulders.
“No clue.” JC, said staring just as Justin was. “OK, well it’s now or never!” he, said as he pulled the car forward as she walked further into the lot looking around.
“Well, he said he was gonna pick me up. But I don’t see him.” Zoë, said still looking around.
“Who?” Link, asked.
“Josh, he was supposed to take me out to dinner.”
“Is Josh your man?” Link, asked.
“OH NO! He’s just a good friend. I’m staying with him until I get my own place. We grew up together.” she, frowned at not seeing Josh anywhere.
Justin, and JC chuckled at the look on her face. She hadn’t seen them yet. “We better get her attention before she decides to get a ride from ol’ dude.” Justin, said.
“You’re right!” JC, said and then started honking the horn.
Zoë, jumped and looked at the car. Justin, stuck his head out the window. “Who are you looking for, girlie?”
“I was looking for your dip shit friend!” Zoë, laughed as she walked towards the brand new Jeep Wrangler the guys were sitting in.
“I’m right here! And how dare you call me a dip shit!” JC, said jumping out the driver’s door as Justin got out on the passenger side.
“Well, I was beginning to think you forgot to pick me up.” she, laughed and then looked from JC to the Jeep and back to JC. “When did you get this?”
“Today.” he, replied.
“It’s nice!” Zoë, said looking at the Jeep in admiration. “Your gonna let me drive it right?” she, asked smiling at him in hope.
“You can drive it all you want! It’s yours!” JC, said with a big grin. “Merry Christmas!”
Zoë’s, jaw dropped open wide in shock. “It…It’s mine?” she, stuttered in shock.
“Yeah, C got you a car for Christmas. He knew you needed one!” Justin, smiled as he walked up and patted her under her chin as if to tell her to close her mouth.
“JOSH! Why’d you go and do that for?” she, began to protest.
“Hey now! You can’t refuse a Christmas gift! So don’t even start arguing with me about it. I knew you needed a car. And I KNEW you’ve always wanted a Jeep Wrangler. So I went and got you one! Now be happy!” JC, told her.
Zoë’s, shoulders slumped in defeat and she smiled. “Thank You!” she, said as she walked over and gave him a big hug.
“Your welcome!” he, smiled back.
“I can’t believe you got this for me! OH MY GOD!” she, cried out in excitement.
“Well, get in and check it out silly ass! It’s fully loaded. It’s got a kick ass stereo system in it, Zo!” Justin, said pushing her around towards the driver’s door.
Zoë, hopped around the car in excitement and climbed into the driver’s seat. She sat looking around at everything. It had plush tan interior. A CD player and all the other amenities. She jumped back out of the car and hugged JC again in her excitement. “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” she, said excitedly as JC laughed and picked her up and spun her around in a circle.
Justin, stood laughing and then was attacked by Zoë’s next hug. “Hey, I didn’t get you the car, C did. But hug me all you want baby!” he, chuckled.
Observing the whole thing Link stood off to the side watching. He then decided he wanted to be introduced. He knew who the two guys were. Zoë, had never mentioned she was friends with members of the very popular group Nsync. She’d never explained that her friend “Josh” was actually JC.
Although, he’d heard rumors that Chris was the one that had helped her get her job at the park. But he had chalked it up to a silly rumor, but now he was finding this must be very true seeing who she was with right now. And they’d bought her a car. He wondered for a moment why on earth she was even working if she had friends like that.
Link, cleared his throat to get Zoë’s attention. “Well, Zoë I’m gonna go. I’ll see you tomorrow!” he, said as he started to walk off, knowing she’d stop him.
“Oh, jeez I’m sorry Link! Come here for a sec.” she, commanded.
Justin and JC looked at each other. “Link?” Justin, mouthed to JC, and he only shrugged his shoulders at Justin’s questioning expression.
“I’m sorry, that was rude of me! I should have introduced you. I was just so caught up. Link, these are my friends Justin and Josh. J, and Josh this is one of my coworkers Link.” she, introduced.
“What’s up guys?” Link, said extending his hand to shake theirs, noting the expression on their faces wasn’t one of excited joy to be being introduced to him.
They said hello, and put on a fake smile as they shook Link’s hand.
“I know who you two are. Your Justin Timberlake and your JC Chasez.” he, said only he didn’t pronounce JC’s last name correctly, so Zoë quickly corrected him. “Oh, my bad.” he, said.
“It’s ok. Nobody ever pronounces it right.” JC, chuckled.
“Well, it was nice to meet you guys, but I gotta get going. I’ll see you tomorrow Zoë!” Link, said leaning in to give her a quick hug, and then walked off.
Justin, studied Zoë for a second before asking his inevitable question. “OK, who’s the guy?”
Zoë, smirked at Justin. “I told you. He’s my co-worker.”
“Uh Huh!” Justin, said still eyeing her.
“What are you jealous?” she, teased him.
“Damn skippy!” he, joked back.
“Shutup, and let’s go. I wanna drive this baby!” she, said raising her eyebrows up and down. The guys laughed, and they all loaded up in the Jeep. Justin, in the backseat, JC in the passenger seat, and Zoë of coarse behind the wheel of her new car. And they took off.
After swinging by a local restaurant for dinner, they headed back towards JC’s house stopping at the local Blockbuster to rent a couple movies on their way home.
Justin, stay for a bit to watch the movies with them. JC and Justin got to talking about the New Years Eve party they were going to go to up in New York. They were supposed to go to MTV to premier their new video for Girlfriend on the New Years Even show, and then head over to P. Diddy’s big New Year’s bash.
“So you’re going with us right?” Justin, asked.
“Huh?” Zoë, asked as she hadn’t been paying any attention to their conversation. She was enthralled in the movie they were watching.
“I asked if you’re coming to NYC for the New Years Eve party that P’s having?” Justin, asked again.
“OH, I wish I could, but I gotta work New Years Day. I’m gonna be in a parade at the park.”
“WHAT?” JC, asked shocked. “I thought you were going with us!”
“Well, I was hoping to go, but I can’t I gotta work. I can’t get out of it. I’m new and everyone else with seniority has the day off. I don’t really have a choice.”
“You always have a choice!” Justin, said.
“Not when I wanna keep my job, I don’t!” Zoë, laughed.
“Well, I can’t just go off and leave you here on New Years by yourself!” JC, said.
“Oh please. I’ll be fine. Probably catch a party with some people from work or something. It’s not a big deal. You know I’m not big on the whole party thing anyways! You guys go and have fun. You can give me full details when you get back.”
“Zo, I’m not gonna go to New York and leave you here on New Years by yourself. You’re starting a New Year. And you need to do it right after everything. I can’t just leave you here by yourself.” JC, protested.
“YES, you can! It’s fine. Now no more arguments. I wanna watch this movie!” she, scolded.
Justin, gave JC a funny look as if to tell him “yeah right” and then they went back to watching the movie so they wouldn’t get another tongue lashing from Zoë about interrupting the movie. One thing they had learned. She was really picky about that stuff. She didn’t like for people to interrupt her while she was watching something.
