Reini lay in her bed reeling. Where did the month go? She could have sworn that it was just yesterday that she had met Justin. But here she was laying there just trying to catch her breathe. It had been a whirlwind of a month to say the very least. First there was meeting Justin which she was sure was the best part of the entire month of February. Then there were the jobs that she had completely forgotten she had taken on, it was this photo shoot here and that photo shoot there, fly to this country do a show in that city. She would be lying if she said she even knew what day it was. Hell she was lucky to get the month right. But the thing killing her the most was that all of a sudden it was like she and Channing didn’t even know each other any more.

It happened the night that she had met Justin. She hadn’t meant to hurt her friends feelings and she honestly didn’t think that he would get so bent out of shape about the whole thing, but that night had set off a terrible domino effect. Reini could admit that when she hadn’t been working she had been spending most of her nights with Justin club hopping with him and his friends all over the city. She had neglected her friend, something that had never happened in the four years that they had known each other. She knew it was a matter of time before her and Channing got into it but she could never have predicted the disaster that unfolded.

It was after 4:00 am when Reini walked through the door of her apartment. The night had been a blast. Reini, Justin, Usher and her friend Reagan had gone to the opening of yet another one of Usher’s families night spots, a club called The Naughty. The place had generated so much buzz that 30 minutes after it opened it was to its capacity. They must have partied for six hours strait and the drinks never stopped coming. By the time Reini got home she was drunk, tired and HUNGRY.

Walking strait into the kitchen she made a b line for the fridge leaving a trail of clothes, shoes and accessories on her way. Opening the freezer door she spotted her prey…bagel bites. She tried to be as quiet as possible while she prepared her feast but that was all shot to hell when she dropped the baking sheet meant for the bagels on her foot.

"FUCK" she shouted grabbing her right foot.

Before she had time to look at her foot good she saw the hallway light come on and heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Ray what the hell are you doing" Channing’s voice was groggy and irritated.

"Sorry I woke you. I dropped this stupid…thing on my foot." she said waving the baking sheet in the air.

Channing gave her a disgusted look. She was drunk, and dressed like she was about to do a Maxim photo shoot. Looking at the oven clock Channing became furious. "Reini its after four in the fucking morning. What the fuck are you doing?"
Oblivious to his anger Reini simply responded to the question "Makin bagel bites. You want some?"

Ignoring her answer Channing continued "I guess that means you were out with Justin and his ‘posse’ again getting drunk all over the city"

"And?" she continued to make her bagel bites.

"Ray this isn’t you what’s going on? Your acting like one of them."

Reini couldn’t help but laugh "Wow Channing ‘one of them’ what exactly is being ‘one of them’" her tone was laced with sarcasm.

"Just like one of the people that you used to say you hated. A goddamn socialite, a flake a fucking celebutant"

Reini was shocked and had she not been talking to her friend she would have sworn she sensed a hint of disgust in his voice. Before she could reply he continued.

"I mean look at you." he gestured toward her outfit "look at how your dressed. Look at how drunk you are Ray. And this…" Walking into the living room he picked up a magazine and a newspaper off of the coffee table and shoved them in front of her. "Have you even seen yourself lately"

Now she was angry. Snatching the magazines out of his hands she looked them over. The "newspaper" was the latest issue of Page 6 New York’s gossip column. The other was an US weekly from the week before. Both of the gossip blotters said pretty much the same thing. They both had pictures of Justin and Reini either kissing or snuggled up in a booth at a club in them with headlines reading something like "Media Heir and Model Canoodle All Over Town" or "Is Timberlake Getting Serious with Sexy Campagna?"

Reini was furious. Yes she had seen the articles and every other one that had been printed since she began seeing Justin. But if she didn’t know better she would say that Channing was implying that she was a slut. "Look Channing if your tryin’ to say something you better say it and quickly, because my patience is wearing thin with this conversation."

Channing was screaming at her now "What I’m trying to say is that your letting this asshole cart you all over the city like some kind of fucking accessory. That’s what he does Ray. He’s gonna fuck you, flaunt you, and then throw you away just like every other chick that has had the misfortune of dating him."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Channing tried to speak but Reini put her hand up to silence him "Look I don’t know what the hell your problem is but let me tell you one thing Channing Tatum. This is my life and I’m living it not you. And if I choose to be ‘one of them’ that is my business. And not that its any of your business but I am not FUCKING anyone. Justin and I have fun together which is more than I can say for you. All you want to do is sit around and judge other people for not being just like you and you know what Channing its pathetic!"

Reini was fuming and on quite a roll. Channing couldn’t get a word in edgewise even if he could think of something to say. She was ripping him a new one.

"You’ll have to excuse me if I want to enjoy my life. I’m sooo sorry that I came from shit. In a shit city with shit people and a shitty life. So forgive me that I don’t feel sorry for myself for being able to rub elbows with rich and famous people. I happen to like being a VIP and I happen to like being Justin’s arm candy. And if you don’t like it and you cant be happy for me …then…you can go fuck yourself"

Before Channing got a chance to reply she was out the door.

That was almost a week ago. Reini hadn’t seen or talked to Channing since that night. Now he was on a job in Japan and she knew that it would probably be another week before she saw him again. However, the time apart might do them some good she thought. Maybe that’s what they needed after almost four whole years of blissful friendship. She figured if their friendship couldn’t survive one stupid fight then maybe they should reevaluate their friendship.

Unfortunately in the middle of her reevaluation her intercom buzzer rang.

"Oh shit I totally forgot!"

Rushing to her closet she quickly threw on a pair of light denim jeans and pulled a black wife beater over her head. As she ran to the door she managed to get her socks on and pull her hair back into a ponytail. Grabbing her shoes and her purse she ran to the door throwing it open and let out the most ear piercing scream.

"What is it with you and scaring me" she laughed giving Justin a playful slap on the arm.

However Justin’s expression was anything but playful as he glanced at what she was wearing and then down at his watch, "I’ve been waiting for almost 20 minutes Reini. And from the looks of things I guess I wasn’t waiting for you to get ready." his voice was harsh, and she could tell that he did not approve of what she was wearing.

Reini opened her mouth to speak but Justin put his finger up to her lips to hush her. Letting out a heaving sigh. He rolled his eyes and barked out "Well…go change, and hurry up my parents hate to wait."

Reini quickly turned and ran back up the stairs. Frantically rummaging through her closet she found a freshly dry cleaned pair of black slacks and paired them with an almost sheer channel top. Quickly changing her outfit she ripped the socks off her feet and replaced them with a black pair of Jimmy Choo’s. Looking in the full length mirror across the room she swept some lip gloss across her lips and brushed on a bronze colored blush. Running back down the stairs she pulled her hair back down and hastily ran her fingers through it. When she got back to the front door Justin looked like he was about to explode.

"Its about time. You almost got left." he said grabbing her hand and practically dragging her out of the apartment and into an awaiting limo.

Lunch with Justin’s parents had been interesting to say the least. By the time they had gotten to the restaurant Justin was all but screaming at her about how she had made them late and how angry his father was going to be. And when they finally sat at the table Reini wished she had stayed at home. His father was a brute of a man and surprisingly young looking. As soon as they sat down his father took the liberty of ordering everyone a drink and appetizer without so much as asking what anyone would like. No one seemed to mind.

Once that task was squared away he went strait to tearing into Justin about being late for their lunch.

"Well Justin I’m glad that you could grace us with your presence. I guess lunch with your parents wasn’t a priority today?" Randy Timberlake asked sarcastically.

Justin didn’t bother with an explanation. He knew his father too well and knew that nothing he said would be a good enough answer. No one at the table said anything for that matter they all just waited for Randy to continue on his tyrant.

"You know son tardiness show a severe lack of character and discipline," he paused for a second and to everyone’s relief brought his point to a close "don’t let it happen again"

Justin gave his father a slight nod before picking up his menu and skimming it over. Reini was at a total loss for words. What on earth had she just witnessed. Was that seriously the man that she knew sitting there being made to look like a child. This was by far the most uncomfortable situation that she had ever been in. Not to mention that nobody had bothered to make the introductions yet, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to breathe too hard let alone talk after what she had just observed.

Once the drinks and appetizers arrived the mood seemed to lighten. Reini sipped on the belini that Justin’s father had ordered for her and watched as the two men began to chat in quite some depth about new business ventures. Looking across the table she met eyes with Justin’s mother for the first time. She was a pretty woman with the same piercing blue eyes as her son. She had a much more gentle look about her than Mr. Timberlake, with soft expressions and a gentle posture. She looked every bit of how a good mother should Reini though.
Reini must have been staring at the women for quite some time, because once she snapped out of her daze she was staring right back. Still she couldn’t look away there was something about his mother that was just so…so warm looking. And the way she was looking back at her almost a loving look or maybe it was pity. Either way Reini had never been looked at like that by anyone’s mother not even her own. It felt nice.

Lynn Timberlake watched her son’s girlfriend (at least she thought it was his girlfriend) staring at her from across the table. The girls face was absolutely angelic and the way she was looking at her, Lynn couldn’t even recall her own son looking at her with such adoration. It was flattering really. The look in this girls eyes was so intense but soft at the same time for a second she thought that the poor thing was going to burst into tears. For what she hadn’t the foggiest idea but something in the way that she was looking at her just screamed for love it made her wonder about the girls past.

Not wanting to analyze the situation any longer Lynn extended her hand across the table to the girl.

"I’m sorry sweetheart I wasn’t aware that I had raised such a…" she gave her son a sideways glance and decided no to finish the statement "I’m Justin’s mother Lynn"

"Its very nice to meet you Mrs. Timberlake. I’m Reini…Campagna" she said shaking the woman hand.

"Oh none of that Mrs. garbage just call me Lynn. All of Justin’s friends do. Oh and this brute over here-who I guess is as rude as his son-is my husband Randy"

Randy Timberlake gave his wife a a light scoff still didn’t bother with any pleasantries.

"So Campagna did you say, what is that, French?" his voice still gruff

Reini took a gulp of her mid afternoon cocktail before she replied. "Umm no sir its Italian actually" she hoped it came out every bit as bitchy as she had intended it to. From the look on his and Justin’s faces it did. Justin looked angry, his father annoyed. Taking a long hard drink of the scotch that his father had ordered for him Justin replied to his girlfriend’s comment before his father got the chance to

"Sweetheart. You never told me that your parents were Italian." Justin said trying to hide the anger in his voice. She was beginning to work his nerves. First being late, then that atrocious ensemble she had on at first, being rude to his father and not to mention she hadn’t touched her appetizer yet. Before she could reply to his first comment he added in the same fake voice "is there something wrong with your dish you haven’t so much as tasted it yet."

Reini looked down at the oysters in front of her, 3 of them sitting there all slimy and raw and waiting to kill her. She wanted to slap both Timberlake men right across their smug faces ‘well sweetheart the reason why I haven’t touched my plate is the same reason that you don’t know that my FATHER not parents is Italian, because apparently neither you nor your father have the presence of mind to ask people questions about themselves. For instance had your father bothered to ask me whether I even liked oysters or not he would have found out that I am terribly allergic to them, kinda like you would have found out over a month ago that I’m half Italian. You know…if you had bothered to ask’ . That’s what she wanted to say. Instead she smiled politely and said. "Oh I guess I never told you, I’m terribly allergic to oysters." and left it at that.

The rest of the lunch was relatively uneventful. With the two men going over business plans for the remainder of the time, and the two women sharing silent smiles across the table. Reini did however get to order her own entrée!

***************

Reini sat in the limo while Justin and his father had a quick farewell chat.

"I’ll be in London for the next month at least closing some deals. So I will expect you to be my eyes and ears on the New York end." Randy paused to let his son absorb the information. "got that son?"

Justin simply nodded. He rarely spoke when his father was speaking. He knew better, had learned that lesson the hard way at the age of eight, and would not soon forget. Justin was every bit the model son and heir waited until his father turned to leave to get into his limo. Before he could get the door open his father turned back around.

"Oh and son. That girlfriend of yours needs to be taught her proper place. That is the one you say your going to marry correct?"

Again just a nod

"I cant blame you there. She’s a gorgeous one. Nice posture, nice face very well spoken and great for publicity, a little ethnic for my taste almost looks Mexican…But I’ve never heard my son mention the M word so I’ll trust you on this Justin. But by the time I get back from London, if you still plan on giving her OUR last name she BETTER be taken down a peg or twenty. You’re the man Justin and you better damn well let her know it and make sure that she doesn’t forget."

With that he turned and walked toward his limo giving his son a wave and called back.

"Order my son. Society. Life. A marriage. The foundation of these things is order. Without it there would be chaos…even your mother-as spirited as she is-knows this. Teach her the meaning of order." with that last bit said he walked the last few feet to his limo and he was gone.

Justin watched his father drive off in the jet black limo his words echoing in his head as he opened the door to the limo

Order. Its all about order