Their summer went by quickly, both JC and Mollie diving into their creative pursuits. JC called in producers and friends of his and started playing around with music. He decided it was just stuff to toy with since he didn’t know how long the hiatus was for but by August it became abundantly clear to him that Justin was going full steam ahead with a solo album and promotion for it. It shocked him how fast it was all put together and he was sure there had been behind the scenes deals going on during the tour, or even before that. They had been planning to go to the VMAs anyway and were packing when they got a call telling them Justin would be performing that night. It was a complete shock.
“He couldn’t have at least warned us?” JC asked after he hung up. And right on cue, Mollie’s phone rang.
“Speak of the devil,” Mollie said, answering her phone and putting it on speaker.
“And here I am,” Justin said. “Listen Molls, are you with C? I gotta tell you something before you come up here.”
“If it’s about your performance, somebody beat you to it.”
“Damn it.”
“Yeah see, when you have important news, you should really call everybody first then things like this wouldn’t happen,” Mollie said sarcastically. “I mean I guess you’re getting better, Jayce literally just hung up with Lance. But you should really have been the one to call him.”
“He doesn’t answer the phone for me anymore. Can he hear me?”
“Yup, you’re on speaker.”
“JC, I’ve been trying to tell you but you won’t answer my calls. Maybe we can talk it out when you get here? You’re one of my best friends and your opinion is really important to me. If you told me right now you’d never be my friend if I went through with this, I’d call it all off.”
That statement hung in the air as JC put the t-shirt he just folded into his suitcase. The silence was full with unsaid things but when JC sighed, Mollie knew this was just a squabble between friends.
“Don’t make any rash decisions. We’ll be there tomorrow. Call me,” JC said.
“You’ll answer this time?”
“I’ll answer.”
“Thanks man. Thanks Molls. Love you guys, see you tomorrow.”
“Bye J.”
Mollie smiled as she snapped her phone shut. She walked slowly over to her boyfriend who was trying hard to ignore the silly grin on her face. She slid her arms around him and squeezed him tight.
“Was that my boy being the bigger person?” She pinched his ribs. “This is why I love you. You know what’s important in life. It’s better to keep your friend and watch him either succeed or fall on his face than to watch him from afar and be angry.” JC reached up and put his arm around her neck, pulling her head close to him.
“Yeah well, someone’s got to make sure the kid doesn’t blow it.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Now get back to packing woman, we’ve got a red eye to catch,” JC said, smacking her booty.
Early the next morning they arrived at the hotel. Luckily JC had arranged for early check-in and they went straight up to their room and got in bed. After a refreshing few hours of sleep, they woke to a message from Justin to meet him at rehearsals.
Getting into Radio City was a mob scene. There were photographers everywhere hoping for any glimpse of a superstar coming to rehearse. Mollie was glad she’d done her hair and held tight to JC as they slipped in the doors. They were allowed to sit in the audience and watch the rehearsals. Justin’s set was simple, just a huge boom box. As soon as the beat kicked in, you couldn’t help but tap your foot to it. His dancing was amazing and in the end, all that you could critique was his nervousness.
It didn’t shock JC that Justin was a great performer, it shocked him how fast this whole thing was moving. He was still hurt but ever since he’d begun fiddling around in the studio, he’d come to realize that he had things he wanted to do that he couldn’t do within the context of the group. He couldn’t fault Justin for wanting to branch out, but he could be hurt that his friend hadn’t respected him enough to come to him. They headed backstage and waited against the wall outside Justin’s dressing room for him to change.
“You look so beautiful today,” JC said, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Wanna make out?” she said, only half kidding.
“Mmm, yes,” JC said leaning down for the kill.
“Good to see you two are back on track aboard the disgustingly cute train.”
Justin came out the door and the three of them had an awkward moment before the boys hugged it out. They all went to dinner and it was nice to see the boys talk like they used to. They told each other about what they were working on and JC revealed he’d gotten a call from Dallas Austin about a song for a movie. It was a successful reunion for the group and as they left, they almost didn’t mind the paparazzi that was waiting outside.
The next day, they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before there was a knock at the door. Mollie raised an eyebrow, sure that they’d not see anyone until later. She hopped out of bed and was shocked to find Johanna standing there with their old friend Jamie.
“Hey hey!” Jamie shouted when he saw Mollie.
“What are you two doing here?!” Mollie squealed and jumped into her friend’s arms.
“Well that crazy ass Justin invited me because he’s in love with me and Jamie’s here because JC wanted to treat you to full hair and makeup for today.”
Mollie looked back to the bed to see JC shrugging. She loved that he thought of small things that would make her happy. He was always surprising her and this was a great one. She ushered her friends into the room and Jamie got busy setting up his makeup kit and hair tools. He was an amazing stylist and Mollie knew he would make her look amazing. As he pulled and pinned her hair, they caught up on things they’d missed since they last saw each other,
JC smiled seeing Mollie light up with her friends. She’d slowly been getting back to the old Mollie and JC was excited to have a night out with her. He’d arranged for a sexy dress and for her to get all glammed up. She deserved to feel amazing. He’d gotten himself spruced up and dressed. He went casual with jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. He sat on the bed waiting for his girl to emerge. Before long, Johanna and Jamie came out of the bathroom and following them a second later was the most beautiful girl ever.
He’d picked out a black leather dress for her. It was a sweetheart top and had a short skirt but it wasn’t too much. It highlighted her body but didn’t look overly dressy or slutty. Her hair was is loose curls that looked like she didn’t try too hard. Her eyes were dark and smoky, her lips natural and sparkly. JC was at a loss for words.
“J and J if you’ll excuse us, I think I need some alone time with my lady,” JC said, his eyes not leaving Mollie.
“Joshua Scott! That is not appropriate in front of guests!” Mollie exclaimed.
“Oh please, I’ve seen and heard way worse from you two. Besides, we gotta get ourselves ready.”
“You’re both coming?”
“Yes, girl. Your man tried to pay me but I said if he could get me in to the show, that’d be payment enough,” Jamie explained.
“And I told you, Justin has a crush on me so I didn’t even ask, he just offered,” Johanna said, her smile devilish.
As soon as the duo closed the door behind them, JC had Mollie up against the wall. He devoured her mouth and his hands moved from her ribcage down her body. Instinctively, his hands traveled to her hemline and slid it up a few inches. Mollie whine in pleasure and JC snapped out of it, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head. Panting, they stared at each other.
“Sorry…I know you’ve been skittish about that lately. I didn’t mean to push.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t mind,” Mollie said, closing the gap he’d put between them.
The force of her kiss knocked JC back two steps and his knees hit the bed, causing him to buckle and sit. He scooted back, causing them to part momentarily. Mollie hiked up the hem of her dress and straddled his lap. For the first time in a long time, it felt right to act on her feelings and to be aggressive about her wants and needs. JC wasn’t complaining, he’d held back for months and took advantage of the moment. Mollie subconsciously rocked her hips against his lap and their shared body heat rose. JC’s lips dragged down Mollie’s neck and her breath quickened as his kissed down her chest.
“Holy shit,” she mumbled as he kissed between her breasts. Her head fell back and her hands twisted in his hair. They were unceremoniously interrupted by a knock on the door. Mollie’s neck snapped up and JC looked up, wide-eyed at her.
“You guys ready we gotta go!”
“One minute!” Mollie yelled back.
They looked at each other and laughed, their breath slowing down. Mollie stood up, walking to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup. JC straightened himself out and they headed out to the red carpet. The lights were blinding and since the group had kind of disbanded, they were all walking the carpet separately and would meet about halfway down. JC stood on the podium and took a few pictures alone before reaching down and pulling Mollie by the hand up with him. They posed for a few photos together before heading down the carpet. It was strange for Mollie to pose for photos, last time she was on a red carpet she shied away from cameras. JC did a few interviews before they met up with the guys. It was easy to see JC was slightly agitated by all of the questions being about Justin and no one wanting to ask what the rest of them were up to.
JC smiled and kept quiet. They made their way in to the show and laughed through the hilarious skits. The guys presented an award and then it was time for the big event. JC and Mollie already had a preview of the performance but it was cool to see it all come together. The audience seemed to like it, though the group could tell he was nervous. Overall he did a good job, though there was a feeling in the group that this performance was a nail in the Nsync coffin.
Nelly was hosting an after party and the group made their way there. The drinks flowed and the music was pumping. Mollie challenged Justin to a dance battle and flat out won, by decision of the cheering crowd.
They headed back to the hotel that night, exhausted but blissed out. Mollie and JC made love that night, for the first time in months.
