The walk up the stairs to JC’s bedroom seemed to take eons. Neither one of them wanted to seem like they were in a rush, but they were mutually eager to get to the room. Fingers interlocked, they crossed the threshold of his room and JC took his free hand to shut the door.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked, wanting to be absolutely certain this is what she wanted.
“Too late to turn back now,” Alani said, nervously fingering a strand of hair.
JC groaned, “Not the answer I was looking for.”
“Sorry,” She laughed, breaking the tension in the room. She brought her lips to his, which were still swollen from their heavy make out session on the couch just minutes before.
“I want this,” She said between soft kisses.
JC felt the goosebumps forming on his arms at the gentle yet sexy way she spoke those simple words that let him know definitively that she was ready. She was ready for him.
She continued to kiss him on his pillowy soft lips, around his sweet mouth, his strong neck, her hands carefully removing his belt before he could process what was happening. He watched her lower to her knees as she eased the pants down his legs. Her face directly in front of his extended bulge.
Once her delicate fingers hooked into the waistband of his boxer briefs, he stopped her. “Wait, you don’t have to do that.” He was a giver and he always wanted to make sure his lover was pleased first.
Alani exasperatedly blew a piece of hair out of her face and looked up at him, “Will you stop trying to ruin this amazing sex we’re about to have?”
JC chuckled, “I just have this thing where I like to please first.”
“Well, I have no doubt that you will please me so let’s just go with the flow, alright?.” She cocked her head to the side and grinned at him devilishly. Her hands felt him through the fabric of his briefs, gently rubbing his length. He instinctively licked his lips at the sight in front of him.
All he could do was nod as she pulled his briefs down, exposing his throbbing shaft. His hands went to her hair that he loved so much and she took him into her mouth. She used her hand to gently pump him all while she continued to work her wet mouth to bring him close to the edge.
“Damn, baby that feels so good,” he muttered. He kept his eyes trained on the erotic view, not wanting to miss a thing. She began to work faster, her tongue working its magic, taking him to new heights.
A moan escaped his parted mouth and Alani felt her own core tingling with desire. Hearing him vocally express his pleasure was an aphrodisiac to her brain.
When she felt him getting close, she paused her work and looked up at him with doe eyes, “Do you want me to stop?”
“Only so I can feel you.” He pulled her up to him until they were face to face. He pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. He marveled at her perky breasts that were covered by a lace red bra before skillfully unclasping it with one hand, letting it fall to the ground. He unbuttoned her denim jeans that hugged every curve and watched her wiggle out of them, taking her matching lace underwear with them.
She stood there naked in front of him in all her glory. She felt a little self conscious knowing she had gained weight since the last time he saw her this way. She wondered if he noticed.
“You look amazing,” He said tenderly, running his hands up and down either side of her body. She blushed under his watchful gaze. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“I mean it.”
It was genuine and put her at ease. Seeing her this way, and having her back in his life was making him want to spout out words that he knew neither of them were ready for, but he knew it was just the heat of the moment.
He quickly shed his own shirt and walked them towards the bed. He grabbed a condom from the bedside table and sheathed himself while she climbed under the comfort of his sheets.
Once protected, he climbed into bed settling his body between hers, pulling the sheet around them like a cocoon. He wasted no time sliding himself into her slick entrance. They sighed in contentment together. He missed this. He missed her.
Alani pulled him down to her level, kissing him excitedly. This was the piece of the puzzle they were missing. That intimate connection that only they shared. She didn’t want to share that with anyone else. She wondered if he felt the same.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked, trying to concentrate on her thoughtful face and the amazing sensations he was feeling in the lower half of his body.
“How much I missed this. And you,” She managed to speak between moans and soft breaths.
He grinned at her admission, looking down at her body as she matched him stroke for stroke, falling into a steady rhythm. Watching their connected bodies move together was driving him wild and he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long. It had been months since he had sex and he didn’t want to rush but knew he was quickly coming unraveled.
He sat up on his knees and she wrapped her legs around him while he continued to move against her. His hand found her sensitive nub and he rubbed it with just the right amount of pressure and speed to get her to her peak. Alani looked up at him through the haze of her euphoria. His eyes were fixated on hers while he continued to pleasure her in ways only he could.
“Are you almost there, mama?” He asked. “I want you to come first.”
“Yes. Faster, Josh.” She cried out.
That was the push he needed. He didn’t hold back anymore. His thrusts became quicker and harder. Alani’s breath hitched and she felt the bolt of warmth flood through her body as her orgasm took over. The mere sight of her reaching that high sent him over the edge himself as he felt his release course through his body.
He laid beside her as they both came down. The only sounds were their ragged breaths and occasional kisses exchanged.
JC got out of bed to quickly clean himself. Once he returned to bed, Alani was practically asleep, still naked under the sheets. He slid into bed with her, wrapping a comforter around them both. He snuggled closer to her, skin to skin, waiting for sleep to come.
—
JC was able to clear his schedule with the exception of one day. He had explained to Alani prior to her arrival that he would have to spend one day in the studio with a young pop artist named Adonis. She seemed okay with it and that put him at ease knowing that she would be okay with him working. It gave him a little insight into how she would handle it if they decided to move forward with an actual relationship.
“Sorry to wake you, honey. I just wanted to tell you bye. I’ll see you later this evening for dinner, right?” JC sat in the bed beside her as she lay still tangled in his sheets. Her hair was in disarray, her makeup from the night before was smudged but he still thought she looked phenomenal.
“It’s okay. Yes, I can’t wait for dinner tonight.” She gave him a sleepy grin. JC had promised her dinner at Nobu. It would be their first actual date in LA. She was excited to go out on the town with him and experience a night on his arm.
“I can’t wait either.”
“I’m leaving the keys to the Mercedes and some cash. Feel free to go around town if you want, shop, get your hair done, whatever you want to do today. I’ll be back around 6.”
“Thanks, babe.” She sat up, clutching the bed sheet around her. She kissed him sweetly, "Don't be late."
“I won't. I promise."
“Okay,” She replied, snuggling back down into the comfy, soft bed or hoping for a couple more hours of shut eye.
—
Once fully rested and dressed for the day , Alani decided to venture out. She didn’t know anyone in LA except JC, Lance and Michael, but she was not afraid to go out exploring and see what she could get into.
After a little Googling and reading reviews on a few places, she decided to treat herself to lunch at Granville, a popular laidback restaurant, do a little shopping at the Beverly Center and get a pedicure before her date with JC.
She fired up the Mercedes and watched it come to life, amazed at the beautiful interior and sleekness of the car. She never really had such nice things and while it was a perk to enjoy these things that JC had access to, it held no bearing on her feelings about him. Those feelings were becoming stronger and stronger by the day, by the hours, by the minute. The magnetic pull that she felt, just to be around him was enough to make her want to make a decision that very day to move to LA, but she didn’t want to come off as needy or desperate. She had to let things play out and make a knowledgeable decision.
She went to her first stop, Granville and ordered a Thai Ginger salad, sitting outside and basking in the glowing sun, people watching and occasionally scrolling her phone. She took a selfie, sending it to JC with the caption “Lunch at Granville. Wish you were here.”
He replied back, “You look great, baby girl. Have a great lunch. Wish I was there too. ;)"
Alani smiled and continued to take her last few bites when she heard a ‘click, click, click’ - A sound all too familiar for her because she was a photographer herself, but she looked around wondering who was being photographed. Were there some celebrities around that she didn’t notice?
That’s when she noticed the man across the street from the cafe. He was dressed in dark jeans, a graphic t-shirt, sneakers, a baseball cap, the camera in his hand pointing in her direction. She looked around perplexed thinking he couldn’t possibly be taking a picture of her. Why would anyone want pictures of me? she thought.
She took a final sip of her mimosa and flagged down her waitress.
“Can I have the check, please?” She requested when the young female waitress appeared.
“Sure,” the waitress said cheerfully, “Are you like an actress or something?”
“No, I’m not. I’m just in town visiting a friend. This is my first time in California.”
“Oh, well that guy over there is taking your picture. Not sure if you’ve noticed.”
“I did,” Alani replied uneasily. It was one thing for her to notice it, but now other people were aware of the man taking her photos. She didn’t like the feeling of being watched. “They must have me mistaken for someone else.”
The waitress nodded and went to get the check and returned it to Alani. She quickly paid her tab, left some money for a tip and made her way to JC’s car, still keeping her awareness of the strange man.
Once safely in the car, she pulled out her phone and called JC, the call going to voicemail.
Alani decided to try her best to ignore the person and continue about her day.
—
Alani was in awe walking around the Beverly Center. She went into some of the high end stores like Prada and Gucci, just to say that she had experienced it. When it came to actually shopping for something to wear to dinner, she was able to find something cute and affordable in H&M. JC had given her more than enough money to splurge with but she wasn’t interested in the designer clothes. She was a simple girl and wasn’t one for flashy or materialistic things. Little did she know, that would be another thing that JC would love about her.
While in the shopping center, she didn’t see the man with the camera anymore so she felt relieved, hoping it was just a one time thing. Alani settled into the pedicure chair at a trendy spa she found highly recommended on her google search. Her phone rang just as the pedicurist was starting to remove her polish. It was JC.
"Hey, sorry I missed your call. I was in the studio. Are you okay?" He asked, a genuine concern in his voice.
"Yeah, I guess so. This guy was taking pictures of me when I was at Granville. It kind of freaked me out."
JC sighed, "Damn. I guess the paparazzi have found you."
"How do they even know about me?"
"I don't know, honey. It's scary how they can find out things." He paused. "Do you need me to leave?"
"No, no. I'm fine. I promise. Finish what you have to do so we can go to dinner later.”
“Alright, mama. Just try your best to ignore them. Don’t answer their questions or react to anything they say, Call me if you get freaked out again. I’ll answer this time. Promise.”
They said their goodbyes and Alani went back to enjoying her pedicure. She picked a dark red color for her polish, pleased with how it looked. After getting a new outfit, some pampering she was feeling renewed and excited to spend the evening with the person she was falling for.
Upon leaving the spa, she spotted the same paparazzi from before heading her way. It was as if he had followed her and waited for her to leave. She recalled what JC had told her and did her best to ignore the repetitive questions and the annoying clicking of the camera.
“Miss! Miss! Are you JC Chasez’s new girlfriend?”
“Alani, how are you liking LA?”
“Are you going to move in with JC?”
“Is NSYNC going on tour?”
Alani made her way to the car, keeping her head straight and mouth closed. Once inside, she locked the doors and started the car, appearing to be calm but inside she was quite shook up. How did this person know so much about her? She was getting a taste of what it was like to be associated with JC in his world and it was eye opening.
—
Alani returned to JC’s home a little later than she had expected, but still with enough time to get ready for the evening. She brought her bags in and made her way upstairs. She took a quick shower to wash off the day, wanting to be fresh for the evening ahead. She changed into her new outfit and admired herself in the mirror. She had picked a smocked off the shoulder top in a floral blue and white design, dark wash denim jeans and a pair of white square toe heels, showing off her newly polished toes.
Glancing at the clock, she noticed that JC would soon arrive. She hurriedly did some natural looking makeup with a pop of a red lip and tousled her hair with a bit of product to give it a wavy look. Satisfied with her look, she made her way downstairs to greet JC. She poured herself a glass of Merlot to help calm some of the nervousness she was feeling.
6:15 pm
Alani scrolled her phone, looking for any missed calls from JC. Maybe he was running late, she told herself. She wanted to call but didn’t want to seem like she was rushing him.
6:30 pm
Dinner reservations were for 7pm. Even if JC walked through the door that second, they would be scrambling to get there in time. Her glass of wine had been long gone so she poured another and got comfy on the couch.
6:45 pm
She decided to call him. No answer.
7:00 pm
Disappointment set in. She called his phone again and was met with the voicemail.
“JC. Hey, um we had dinner reservations at 7. It’s now 7:02… give me a call and let me know that you’re okay.”
She sighed, feeling her good day quickly going downhill.
—
Across town, JC was frustrated and stuck on a particularly difficult part of a song. He and Adonis had been working on an upbeat club song they had been tweaking for the past 3 hours.He had completely zoned out and focused his sole attention on fixing a part of the bridge of the song that he wasn’t happy with.
“Run that back again,” he said to the studio manager.
He scratched his head. Was the bass coming in at the right down beat? He was even unsure of the lyrics at this point. They had worked endlessly on this track, and he was at the point of wanting to scrap it altogether and start over.
“Hey C, do you think we could call it a night for now and pick back up next week? I think we could all benefit from a break,” Adonis suggested, the weariness in his voice catching JC’s attention.
It wasn’t until then that he realized his own exhaustion, and the hunger that was lingering in his stomach.
“Sure, man.” He relented. “We are all stuck right now and maybe coming back with a clear head will help.”
“Cool. Just text me a good time to meet back up. I’ll be in town for the next 2 weeks.” Adonis thanked the man he considered a mentor and friend and exited the studio. JC pulled his phone from his pocket, wondering exactly what time it was. His eyes widened when he read the display of his phone.
9:35pm
The realization washed over him like a tidal wave. He had long missed dinner reservations with Alani.
“Fuck!” He shot up out of his chair, rushing for the exit of the studio, waving goodbye to the studio manager. He had let time get away from him by being so consumed in his work. It was something he always had trouble with juggling when it came to relationships. He just hoped Alani would be understanding.
