Chapter 30
Why Just Be Friends
February 2007
Nicole stepped inside the suite, and quietly shut the door behind her. Before taking another step, she took a second to take in the large suite. Nicole knew she should be used to him staying in fancy places like this, but it still amazed her. But he wasn’t the type to show off, which was the reason why it still surprised her when she entered rooms like this one; the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York. It was 2,100 square ft suite with a view overlooking New York Harbor, Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. It was beautiful. She smiled to herself and thought. “Only the best for best.”
She glanced around, expecting Justin to appear, but he didn’t. She slipped her coat off and the key Rachael had sneaked her on the end of the couch. “J?” she called out. Rachael had said he would be in his room right? At least she was pretty sure Rachael had said that. She took a step in the direction of the bedroom, the door slightly open. She placed her hand on the knob, and gave it a small push, stepping inside. Once again, she stopped for a second and took in the view. The large room lit from the afternoons sunlight. Nicole came to a halt and felt a small smile tug on her lips when her eyes landed on the view a few feet away. Poor baby, he looked exhausted. He was sprawled out across the big king bed-shirtless- the comforter barely covering the bottom half of his torso.
Nicole suppressed a moan at the thought of him naked underneath the sheets. She licked her lips and quietly slipped the flats off her feet, tiptoeing toward the bed. She stood over him just watching him sleep for a moment, his lips slightly parted, sound asleep.
She quietly began to undress, anticipation hitting the pit of her stomach, as she slipped her blouse and jeans off. Once she stood in only her panties and bra, she grabbed the corner of the sheet and lifted it slightly, taking a peek. A wicked smile tugged on her lips when she realized he was completely naked and thanking the heavens above that he liked sleeping nude- even at one o’clock in the afternoon- she pulled the sheet up further to get a better view, and he grunted slightly. Nicole pressed her lips together to keep the giggles from bubbling over.
He curled away from her and onto his side, eyes still firmly shut as he bend his body toward the end of the bed and she quickly pushed all the blankets out of his reach. Nicole snorted back her laughter when a small whine escaped his lips. It was moments like these that she wished for a camera. She watched as he settled back to sleep before letting her fingertip stroke one side of his bare arm. He shivered, and groaned, goose bumps rising on his skin from her simple touch. Nicole quickly took a step back, not wanting him to wake or to see her yet.
She technically was not supposed to be in New York for another 5 hours, but managed to get an earlier flight and decided to surprise him before his show later on that night at Madison Square Garden. It had been a week and half since the fight about the Golden Globes and things seemed to be going good and slow. They hadn’t discussed where the relationship stood but Nicole knew somehow something was different this time.
A small part of her still had walls up, and even though she would never admit it out loud or to him, those walls had to do with how she had been burned those years back. Because of him. Even after all these years, it still stung a little bit.
But she had managed to let go of the text she had seen in his phone the day after the award show. Yes, she had been upset, and had been ready to confront him about them, but when he had returned to the room after bringing the dogs back inside, he told her he wanted to spend the rest of the day with her and for reasons she still couldn’t undersand, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided to drop it. She also realized that maybe she overreacted just a little bit. But Justin didn’t know she knew about them, and Nicole had no reason to tell him, even if a tiny part of her was curious about who Jessica was.
She was brought back to the present when she heard him groan in frustration. She glanced back down, his large hand searching for the covers as he rolled onto his back. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat as he laid out completely for her. He moaned and arched his back, pushing his hips off the mattress. Nicole let out a small whimper in appreciation when she saw that he was half hard from her touch a few moments before.
Nicole couldn’t keep her hands to herself any longer. She had to do something. She took a step closer to the bed, and sat on the edge, glad he was a heavy sleeper. She let her hands drift over his skin, her fingers soft and caring. They glided down his hard muscles, down to the side of his hips. Her hand stopped moving for a split second when she heard him hum slightly. She chewed on lower lip, and waited a few seconds before continuing. Her fingers continued down south, brushing across the smooth skin of his cock, her palm pressing, her fingers wrapping, one by one around his rigid length. He stirred, but did not wake.
Without another thought except for what was in front of her, Nicole carefully moved her thumbs in between his legs, touching the side of his balls. His cock responded, but the rest of him was still. She softly manipulated the muscles in his thighs, leaning down close, her long hair brushing the length of his rising cock. Nicole’s tongue replaced her hair and enveloped him in the warmth of her mouth. One hand was at the base of his shaft while the other caressed his chest. She felt his fingers delve into her hair, and that’s when she consumed him.
“Fuck...fu- holy fucking shit Nicole.” he groaned when she slid her lips off him, his dick slipping from her mouth with a pop.
Nicole grinned up at him, licking her lips. He looked down at her through heavy eyelids before shifting his hips a little so his cock slid lightly across her cheek. “Hmm...” she started, placing small kisses on the head, feeling his pre-cum on her skin. “I’m so glad,” licking up the bottom of his shaft. “I decided to take an earlier flight.”
He groaned louder when she took him deep back into her mouth. His hips thrusting his cock deeper into her mouth. His hands remained in her hair as her hand moved down his side while she took him deeper. She heard his groans get louder as she continued to suck him in.
“Fuck babe.” he spat out.
She made a humming noise as she greedily sucked him in further down her throat and tighten the grip on the base of his shaft, encouraging him and causing him to tighten his grip on her head. He gasped and moaned and twisted his hands in her hair. Each time she felt him getting close she would instinctively ease back on the stimulation.
“Put it back in your mouth.” he growled.
Nicole smiled in spite of herself and engulfed him again. She knew he was there, about to explode, she felt it in his muscles then in his cock. He shot his liquid deep at the back of her throat as she continued to suck on him, refusing to release him from her mouth or her hands. His muscles tighten then finally relaxed. His breathing ragged. She swallowed, sat up and collapsed on top of him. She nuzzled her cheek against his bare chest and felt him put his arms around her. She shivered slightly as he rubbed her neck as if he assumed it wouldn’t feel so great later on in the day.
She could hear the thumping of his heart within his chest, neither spoke. Finally, after a few long moments, Nicole lifted her head up and looked at him through her lashes, surprised to see him looking at her. She bit her lower lip as she finally spoke up. “What is it?”
He looked as if he was trying to figure out what to say to her.
“You don’t have to thank me.” she said with a wicked grin.
“You’re a mind reader now?”
“No-you just seem at a loss for words.” Nicole murmured.
“There are no words.” he stated, kissing the top of her head. She didn’t reply. He slowly bend down and gave her a long soft lingering kiss, making her body tingle. He broke away from her, his eyes said everything to her. She knew she was safe, she knew he loved her. She felt a tug at her heart, thinking again how different things could be this time.
She sighed, and felt his fingers run through her hair, as he shifted, just enough to lay her next to him on the bed. She faced him, and gave him a lazy smile. “Hi.” she whispered as if seeing him for the first time.
“Hi.” he greeted back with warm smile. His soft kisses on the top of her shoulder, his hands sliding across her collarbone, up along her neck as he cupped her face. “You staying until tomorrow night?” he murmured.
“That’s the plan.” she answered.
He leaned in and kissed her softly. “Good.” He broke from her lips and buried his head in the crook of her neck, his hand sliding away from her face and down her bare shoulder, down her rib cage. His hand stopped when he was met with her bare skin. She heard him groan in her ear. “Shit Nicole...”
“What?”
“You’re not wearing a shirt...” he observed.
Nicole laughed softly. “You’re just now noticing?” she asked.
“Yeah well...it’s pretty hard to concentrate on anything when you‘re woken up by a blow job.” he murmured, his head still buried in her neck. “But I’m paying attention now.”
Nicole laughed, again and placed her hand on top of his, sliding it lower down her body, letting it land on her hip. “I’m not wearing any pants either.” she informed him.
“Jesus Christ.” he muttered.
She shivered as his fingertips stroked her hip. His hand moved again, and landed on her ass, letting it rest there, as his lips pressed a kiss on her neck. “Hmm. You smell good.” he told her, his hand squeezing an ass cheek. “You feel good too...” Nicole only let out a small sigh. They didn’t move, they stayed in the same position for a few minutes; his hand resting on her backside, and his face buried in the crook of her neck.
Nicole felt her whole body relax against him. She didn’t want to move. She couldn’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon. She kissed one side of his face, and spoke up for the first time in ten minutes. “I’ve missed you...” she murmured.
Justin finally lifted his face away from her neck and locked his gaze with her. He brushed a kiss on her cheek and replied. “I’ve missed you too Baby.” He tried to stiffle his yawn, but was not successful.
She giggled. “I didnt mean to wake you from your nap. I’m sorry-”
“Babe-” he interrupted. “Trust me-you don’t have to apologize.” a huge grin on his face. “And for the record-I’m glad you got an earlier flight too.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m glad your here.” he said with yawn. “Remind me to thank Rachael later for giving you a key to the room.”
She gave him curious look and a wrinkle of her nose. “What time did you guys get in from Boston?”
“Around 5.” he answered. “But had to be up at around 8 for a few radio interviews and a tv apperance-which lasted all morning.” He brought a hand up and rubbed his eyes. “Got back to the hotel about 2 hours ago.”
“Aww, J.” she cooed, feeling guilty for waking him up. “Now, I feel bad. I’m sorry.” she apologized again, rubbing his cheek.
He leaned in and kissed her again. “Don’t be. That was the best wake up call I have ever had.” he teased, nuzzling the back of her ear with his nose. “Did I mention how good you smell?” he muttered as he kissed the back of her ear.
Nicole giggled. “Yeah. You mentioned it.” One arm sliding around his waist, and sliding up his bare back, getting lost in the combination of soft skin and hard muscles. God, he was gorgeous, and it was making her feel things only he could make her feel.
The room fell silent again.
Justin murmured into her hair after a few minutes. “I have another show here tomorrow before I get a whole week off...”
“Hmm.” was Nicole’s only response, as he gently bit down on her earlobe. She slipped one leg in between both of his, and rubbed the inside of his leg with her foot. She sighed again as she realized that a week was too long to be apart, but at the same time, it made their time together more precious whenever they saw each other.
“Are you going to fly back to Memphis with me after the show?”
She looked up at him and frowned. “I can’t. I have to work 2 more days before spring break.” This was going to be the first time in years where she wouldn’t be cramming for midterms before spring break. He tilted her chin up and leaned closer. He kissed her so softly she thought she might melt. And then he just kissed her bottom lip, creating chills up her spine. “Mmmmhm.” she hummed as her foot continue to rub on him.
“Call in.” Justin stated.
She stopped and said. “You know I can't do that. Besides that was the deal when they gave me spring break off. Work Monday, and Tuesday, take today and tomorrow off and then work Friday and Saturday. Which is stupid.” she mumbled. “But then I get the whole week off.” She grinned widely at him and said in high pitch voice. “Yay.” Justin chuckled before he kissed her again. Nicole breathed in his scent, bitting his bottom lip. She moaned against his mouth as their lips explored each other, kissing jaw lines, tasting necks. She was a bit surprised and disappointed he hadn’t jumped on her yet. They were pratically naked...
“Nicky...” he said in between small kisses.
“What?” she whined.
He chuckled once again. “Your birthday is coming up.”
Nicole bit his lower lip harder. “Yeah baby. I know. Next week.” Looking up at him through her long lashes. “It’s usually around the same time every year.” she said jokingly.
Justin gave her ass a light smack. “Smart ass.”
Nicole giggled, and kissed his cheek. “You like me this way.” Bringing a hand up to his cheek. “How did you manage to get the same week off as my birthday and spring break anyway?” she asked.
“Pure coincidence.” he stated with a light grin. “Which brings me back to the subject of your birthday.”
“What about it?”
Justin raised an eyebrow at her. She knew why he was giving her that look, a few days ago he had asked over the phone if there was anything she wanted to do for her birthday, and she had paused for a second before answering with a simple. “I don’t know.” Justin had told her to think about it and he would ask her about it later. She guessed this was later.
“What do you want to do?”
Nicole absently stroked his cheek with her thumb, chewing her lower lip. She had thought about it. And she had an idea, but she wasnt sure how Justin would react to it. It had been something she had been wanting to do for awhile, and had planned on it for later in the year. She jumped when he gave her side a light poke.
“You do want to do something don’t you? Tell me.” he pushed, running his fingers through her hair.
She took in a deep breath, and locked eyes with him. “My birthday isn’t until next Thursday and I won’t be able to be in Memphis until probably Saturday night. So I was thinking, maybe dinner with everyone on Sunday. You know a pre-birthday celebration?” she suggested. She looked up at him, waiting for him to say something, but he didn’t. He only continue to stare, with his fingers in her hair. She licked her lower lip and decided to continue. “Maybe spend Monday with everyone, and then I was thinking-if you wanted to...we could drive up somewhere...” she murmured.
Justin smiled. “Just you and me?”
“Yeah...”
“Where do you want to go?” he asked. “And don’t just give a shrug, I know you have a place picked out.”
“Wilmington.”
He blinked in surprise. “Wilmington? As in North Carolina?”
She pulled away from his embrace and sat up. “It’s only a 14 hour drive.” Looking at him with beaming eyes. “I figured we could leave Tuesday morning, get there late that afternoon...and spend Wednesday thru Saturday there.” she suggested, her cheeks getting warm. “And you have to be in Ohio that Monday, so you could get a flight from there and I can drive the car back-”
Justin shook his head. “You’re not driving for 14 hours by yourself.” he stated firmly. “We can rent a car from Memphis, leave it in Wilmington and we’ll just get two separate flights, since you’ll have to be back at work too.”
Nicole grinned from ear to ear. “So you’re saying you’ll do it?”
He smiled up at her. “If that’s what you want.”
She gave a small sqeak and collapsed on top of him, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him for what seemed the hundred time in the past 45 minutes. “Really?” she asked breaking away from his lips.
Justin cupped her face and said. “Really. It’s your birthday. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“You sure?” she asked in a low whisper. She was still on top of him, he had one arm wrapped around her waist.
“Yes, I‘ am sure.” he stated. He lifted his head back up and kissed her open lips. Their tongues slowly entering each other’s mouth, soft lips sliding against each other, opening, yielding, and closing as they shared each other in a kiss. She felt his hands wandered over her skin, down the swells of her body and over her curves. He broke away from her lips. “Is there anywhere particular you want to stay at?” Nicole tried to catch her breath. Man, he was really good with his hands and how was it that she was getting turned on when all they had done in the past 45 minutes was kiss? She felt his fingers gently stroke the small of her back. He leaned back in to nuzzle the back of her ear. “Nic?”
“What?” she mumbled, her eyes shut. It was hard to concentrate when he kept touching her the way he was.
“Where do you want to stay?”
“Hmmm...” she hummed, eyes still shut. “I-uh...was searching on the web, and I found a small bed and breakfast right on the beach...” Shivering as Justin’s fingers moved up and down her back, touching her in ways that were so familiar, so gentle, so comforting. She wondered if this was just a dream, hearing him breath, quiet and steady feeling his heartbeat, as her head rested back on his chest.
She felt him chuckle against her cheek. “You knew I was going to agree to this all along didnt you?”
Nicole lifted her head and locked eyes with him. “I just researched it.” she answered defensively as she tried to regain focus of the conversation at hand. And yes, a tiny part of her hoped he would agree it to it. But she wasn’t going to admit that to him, instead she said. “It’s right on the ocean...we can literately step unto the sand within seconds, and it’s quiet, and private...”
He smiled before kissing the top of her head. “You know, others like to go out and party on their birthday.” he teased.
She wrinkled her nose. “I know...but not this year...this year I just want to spend it quiet.”
“Quiet is good.” Justin murmured. “What are we going to do while we’re there?”
“Mmmh...nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Uh-uh.”
“So...we’ll just lock ourselves in the room?” he asked.
“Well, maybe not the whole time.” she answered.
“No? Because I was hoping you would say yes.” Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.
“We can walk on the beach, and lay on the beach, and read on the beach, and you can finally teach me how to surf...” she answered with a grin on her face. “And we can do the small town tourist thing if you want. And I actually found a few good restaurants we could go to.”
“So as long as were by the ocean? ”
“Yep.”
“Anything else?” he asked.
She shook her head, ‘no.’
He chuckled softly. “So that’s it?”
“What do you mean that’s it?”
“I mean, is that all you want?”
“That’s all I want Justin.” She really wasn’t looking for anything extravagant. All she wanted was some peace and quiet. And spend some time with him. More than anything, she wanted to be with him. It didn’t really matter what they did once they were there, as long as it was with him. She was beginning to realize how deep her feelings for him truly were.
He gave her a squeeze. “You’re a simple kind of a girl Nicky, you know that?”
Nicole looked up at him through her lashes and responded. “I know.” a grin on her features. “I’m easy to please.” she joked. She heard him laugh as she slid off him, and laid next to him.
“I’m okay with that.” he replied, his arm sliding around her back, and holding her close to him. His fingertips traced over her shoulders, drifting along her soft skin, moving down to hold her hand. “That’s one thing I love about you...” he whispered, kissing behind her ear again.
Nicole’s breath caught in her throat at his words. She knew he hadn’t meant anything by them, but it stirred something deep within.
He brought her back to the present when he spoke up again. “I can get Rach to set up the reservations for us.” he suggested. He let go of her hand, shifting slightly, and hovering over her. He bend down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her once again. She felt his lips trail down her neck, sending shivers down her spine. His hands were slow, torturous. His gaze intent as he leaned over her.
“I can do it.” she told him, rubbing his cheek.
“You don’t want her to know do you?” he asked knowingly.
“It’s not that I don’t want her to know...I rather wait and tell everyone-your mom, my mom- right before we leave.” She looked up at him with a sheepish smile. “That way we can avoid the full on questions that will follow.” She knew that sounded bad, but even though they weren’t necessarly keeping it a secret any longer, but it wasn’t something she was ready to talk about with anyone but Justin.
His fingers played with the strap of her bra and joked. “Do we plan on telling them as we back out of the driveway?” His fingers slowly sliding to the front of her bra, expertly unhooking it.
She moaned as the cold air hit her skin. “We can.” she joked back, sitting up for a second to slip the rest of the bra off. “It’s up to you.” The bra slipping out of her fingers and unto the floor.
Justin playfully glared down at her and mocked in his best Nicole voice. “’It’s up to you.’”
“Is that supposed to be an impression of me?”
“Lift your hips a little.” he ordered, his hands resting on each side of her hips. “I thought it was pretty good.” he said with a grin. Nicole did what he asked, watching his fingers slip off the last piece of clothing down her hips. Once they pooled around her ankles, she impatiently kicked them off. Now she was as naked as he was.
Nicole snorted. “If that’s how you think I sound then we have a problem.” Yet, feeling the familiar slow burn between her legs. She was on fire now from all the light touches and kissing they had been sharing. If they were going to continue with this, they were going to have to come up with a plan in where they didn’t have to go a week without seeing each other other. She was ready for him to delve into her body, to feel him deep within her.
“We will?” he asked, while his hand brushed over her breast, letting his fingers linger over her nipple, rubbing gently, as she responded beneath him. She watched him move to the other one, grazing her breast with the same touch.
“Yes. I sound nothing like that.” she exhaled.
“You’re right baby. You sound nothing like that. In fact, why don’t you show me how you sound...” He ran his fingers up her collerbone, over her neck, leaning into her, resting his head on her shoulder. He nuzzled her ear with his nose and lips as if drawing her scent into his head. “God, you smell so good.” he murmured.
Her eyes flutter close as she touched him softly, her fingers rubbing his shaven head. “Justin...” she whispered, her eyes fluttering open again.
“What baby?”
“All I want is for you to be inside of me. I’m done with the teasing.” She reached down and felt his hardness, already feeling precome. “Please.” He leaned down on her with his arms on either side, his eyes on hers. She closed her eyes in anticipation and took a deep breath.
“Look at me.” he demanded. She opened her eyes and found his starring back as she finally felt him enter her. “Fuck. You feel so good.” He groaned as he felt her wetness suck him in. Nicole groaned back, as she felt his cheek rub against hers. He continued to enter her slowly. Painfully slowly. She lifted her hips, spreading them wider to take him all in. “So beautiful.” he whispered into her ear.
“Oh god.” was all she could muster. He started to pull out just as slowly as he entered as if savoring every nerve ending. She felt her inner walls acclimate to his cock as he thrust foward again. A slow whiny sound ecaped her lips and she clenched her muscles around him, making him pulse inside her, responding to the friction she had created. He kissed her for the thousandth time, sucking on her bottom lip, continuing the slow pace. She raised her hips in the hopes he would go a little faster, but he did his own agenda. He grinded against her clit in a steady motion, causing her body to flush all over. “Oh my god Justin.” she said in between breaths. The steady rhythm brought a tingle all over her, and she knew she was gone.
“Hold on sweetheart.” was all he said. There was no need for more words after that. Without another warning, he thrust his cock deep inside her again, going faster with abandon, until her moans turned to groans and his groans turned into grunts. The bed kept time, banging against the headboard, threating to fall off it’s frame as he continued to fuck her hard and deep until they both collapsed, exhausted and spent.
Nicole tried to catch her breath, her heart thumping deep within, her eyes shut tightly. She didn’t think she could move. He was still inside her, and a small like purring sound left her lips as he slightly moved. “Wait, just stay for a minute longer.” She said, not quite ready to let him off or out of her.
Justin chuckled lightly into her ear. “I didn’t plan on leaving.” He nuzzled into her neck. “Holy fuck.” She shivered when she felt his lips on top of her shoulder. “Staying here for the rest of the day sounds good to me.”
“It does. But you know we can’t.”
“Why not?”
Nicole joked. “Because there are about 20,000 people who are expecting to see you later.” She paused, as her words sunk in. Wow. In less than 8 hours, he was going to be in front of all those people. Infront of 20,000 people...
“I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“Right. Of course.” she said dryly. She heard him chuckle. “You know you got a pretty good job.” she teased.
He lifted his head up and and locked his gaze with her. “I know.” he answered with a small grin.
“I don’t know about the 20,000 people part but other than that-I say it’s pretty good.”
“Well, without that part, I don‘t think the job would be as good.” He pulled out of her and kissed her before rolling next to her on the bed. “That’s the best part.”
“Hmm. I don’t know how you don’t get nervous.”
“I get nervous.” He laughed. “But the nervousness slowly disappears as the crowd gets louder and the adrenaline starts kicking in.” He yawned, but reached out for her. He pulled her into his arms. “I have sound check at 5:30.” He gave her a light squeeze. “But having dinner with everyone before.” He wiggled his eyebrows and said. “You’re more than welcome to come.” He paused as if rethinking what he just said. “Actually, I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“I have no say in the matter?”
He shook his head and simply said. “You’re going.”
“Yes master.” Nicole said sarcastically.
“Good.” He smiled down at her.
“What time?”
“It’s going to be an early dinner. Everyone is meeting at 4:00.”
It was Nicole’s turn to yawned. Fatigue suddenly hitting her body. “Mmmkay. So that means we can nap until then?”
“Yeah...” he answered, yawning again. “We have about 2 hours.”
“Sounds perfect.” she mumbled, her eyelids getting heavy. She felt him sit up and reach for the sheets to cover them up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night...
Justin tugged Nicole back to him, before she followed Rachael. He tangled his fingers with hers, a small chuckle leaving his lips when she glanced down at him, a small grin on her face, and a glass of wine in her hand. The glaze look in her eyes. He couldn’t help but grin back, there was no denying it-Nicole was tipsy, and it was partly his fault. He had been feeding her alcohol from the moment they had stepped into The 40/40 Club.
She leaned down and softly brushed her lips against his. He felt every nerve of his body respond. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t care who was watching. He reached out for her face with his free hand, and gently stroked her cheek with his knuckles. Damn, the things this girl could make him feel with only a kiss. She broke away first, and smiled. Justin smiled back, his fingers still tangled with hers. He looked over her shoulder for a split second, expecting an audience, but there wasn’t any. He could get used to this.
He could get used to being able to kiss her whenever he wanted without the worry of everyone around them, and the questions that would follow. He could get used to her amazing wake-up calls whenever she came on the road with him. And he could definitely get used to walking into the tour bus after his shows and find her sitting on the couch with his dogs, waiting for him with a smile. Yes, he could get used to all of that.
But before he had the chance to speak, he heard Rachael yell over the loud music. “Nic!”
Justin snorted back his laughter, Rachael was drunk. They broke away from their trance. Nicole glanced over her shoulder. “I’m coming!” She turned back and faced him, untangling her fingers from his grip and placing her half glass of wine on the table in front of her. “I’ll be right back.” she promised, the smile still on her soft features.
“You know, she could go to the bathroom by herself. She is a grown ass woman.” he joked, not able to control his eyes from falling to her inviting cleavage.
Nicole narrowed her eyes down at him, oblivious to him starring and said. “Be nice. And besides, when have you ever heard of a woman going to a public bathroom by themselves?” she teased back.
Justin looked back up to her face with a raised an eyebrow and said knowingly. “You have to go too don’t you?”
Her grin grew wider. “Yeah.”
Justin chuckled with a shake of his head. He was enjoying this. Nicole wasn’t the type of woman who liked to go out every weekend to bars or clubs. So any time she would go out and he was around, he made it his goal to get her to drink. He loved seeing her get loose once in awhile, and not have her worry about it. That’s why he was there- he could take care of her.
“I’ll be back.” she repeated.
Justin watched her turned around and head out of the VIP room in the direction of Rachael. He licked his lips as his eyes fell to the bottom part of the short black dress she wore. Damn, she looked good. The dress fit her to a T. It was tight in all the right places. It was perfect-and it was going to look even better on the floor of his hotel room later that night. He kept his gaze on her until she was completely out of his sight. Once he couldn’t see her anymore, he gave a light shake of his head, looking away.
He couldn’t have asked for a better day. After taking their short nap, him and Nicole had met up with everyone for dinner. After dinner, he headed to the arena for sound check, while Nicole and Rachael headed back to the hotel to change. After the concert, himself, Nicole, Rachael, the dancers and a few band members decided to go out and celebrate the suceess of the show. Everyone around him said it had gone without a hitch, but he knew there were a few things that could have gone better. Other than that, the day was going pretty good. His reached out for his beer on the table in front of him, as he scanned the room, he smiled when he saw a few of his friends at the bar. And so far he the evening was looking pretty good too, with a few drinks, a few friends and Nicole.
His smile grew wider of the thought of Nicole. He relaxed against the comfortable seat, and brought the beer up to his lips as his mind wondered to earlier that afternoon in his hotel room. He was pretty sure he had never been woken up by a blowjob like that before. But it hadn’t been only about that, it had been about the closeness he felt with her. Something was different, he couldn’t pin-point what it was, but he knew it was good. The fact that she wanted to be with only him on her birthday, gave him hope that she was willing to give them a chance again-or that she was at least thinking about it. Justin knew he had hurt her deeply all those years ago, she would never admitted to him, but he knew it was a small reason why their relationship never went beyond what it was. He knew. He had always known it, and had spent the past 10 years regretting it.
He was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached out for it. A new text message blinked back at him:
“Oh my god. I’m so bored right now.”
He couldn’t help but smile as he text back: “Why?”
A few moments later he got another text: “Because I’m at a banquet that has been going on for 2 hours now! Help!! =(.”
Justin brought the beer back to his lips, then text back: “Haha. It can’t be that bad.”
“It’s not funny! This is ridiculous! I already went on stage. But my manager won’t let me leave yet.”
He text back: “Sucks for you.”
He looked up from his phone, bringing the beer back to his lips, his eyes scanning the room once again. His phone vibrated again. He glanced back down and snorted back his laughter at the response: “Entertain me.”
Justin sat the beer back down at the table. He text back: “How the hell I’am supposed to do that?” He looked back up when he heard his name. He spotted Marty a few feet away, pointing to the bar. Justin shook his head ‘no.’ pointing to the beer on the table.
His phone went off again. A new text: “I dont know...what are you up to?”
“Out with a few friends...” He text back.
He reached out for the beer again, waiting for her to respond. He wasn’s sure how it happened, but for the past few days him and Jessica had been texting- innocent texting of course. At first he had done it because he had felt guilty about ditching her the day after the Golden Globes. He had asked her out at the after party. A small part of him had done it to spite Nicole. He had been pissed that she had blown him off. He had been ready to go out with Jessica the next night, but then Nicole had showed up at his doorstep and apologized...
He had planned on telling Jessica, but for the life of him-he couldn’t come out and tell her the real reason. No-he knew the reason, he didn’t want to sound like the jerk, who only asked her out because he wanted to get back at someone else. So instead he had been a coward and blamed it on his schedule.
His phone vibrated again. Another text: “Just rub it in...”
“Rub what in?” He hadn’t meant for the text to continue, but somehow they had. And the truth of the matter was that he liked talking to her, but at the same time he wasn’t trying to get anything out of it.
He grabbed his phone again. “That you’re out having a fantastic night, while I have to sit here...bored.” Before he had the chance to answer, he got another text. “And hungry!”
He answered back: “Mmh...I had some delicious buffalo wings earlier...”
Maybe if she had walked into his life a few weeks back, he wouldn’t have hesitated, but now he had another chance with Nicole...and that’s all he wanted. For the first time in years, things between them could finally change-for the better. He glanced down at the phone in his hand, as tried to come up with the perfect way to tell Nicole about how he had met Jessica, or at least mention her. But then again-was it something that she needed to know? He wasn’t doing anything wrong, and at the same time-he was still technically single...they hadn’t discused anything yet. He shook his head. He was over thinking shit. But deep inside, Justin had a feeling Nicole would not enjoy hearing about how and why he decided to be-friend Jessica...
His phone went off again. “That was mean! I’m starving here. Buffalo wings do sound good...I might have to get some after I leave this! If I ever get to leave, that is.”
Before Justin had the chance to text back, he felt someone sit next to him.
“Drink up bitch.” he heard Marty say over the loud music.
Justin looked up, as Marty pointed to the shot glass on the table. Justin absently placed the phone on the table and reached out for the shot. “I’m not doing this alone. Where the hell is yours?” he asked. Marty lifted his shot glass up in the air, and without saying another word they took the shots. Justin felt the liqour burn down his throat. He gave a shake of his head. “Fuck!” he said, placing the empty shot glass back on the table. Damn, that was a lot stronger than what he anticipated.
“Alright. That’s my last one.” Marty said with a laugh.
“How many have you had?”
“Five...six? Shit, I don’t even remember.” He glanced around the room. “Where’s your girl?”
Justin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he played dumb and said. “What are you talking about?” He should have known someone would ask what the deal with Nicole was. Yes, they had been a little more affectionate with each other in the past couple of hours, but he had hoped people would leave it alone. He thought wrong.
Marty rolled his eyes. “I’m drunk-not stupid.” He shrugged. “It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me shit. But a few dudes have been checking her out. I mean she is a fucking sexy, intelligent, beautiful woman-”
“You’re engaged fucker. Or did you forget?” Justin reminded without missing a beat. He knew Marty was just saying all this to get a raise out of him. Marty didn’t know the whole story behind him and Nicole, but Justin was pretty sure Marty had picked up on a few things in the past month or so.
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Whoa, there tiger. Just telling you what I see.” He paused for a second. “What’s the big deal anyway? If she’s your girl, then she’s your girl. And don’t give me shit about how ‘we’re just friends’ when I just saw you shove your tongue down her fucking throat.”
Justin shook his head. “You don‘t know shit.”
Marty laughed again. “Whatever dude. I’m not the one trying to play the friend card, when it’s obvious it’s beyond that. I see the way you look at her.” he observed. “And I’m not just talking recently either.”
Justin reached for his beer and said in a challenging tone. “You think you got it figured out?” He brought the beer up to his lips. It always amused him how everyone around him, always assumed they knew the real story behind him and Nicole. It was all assumption, but no one knew shit about how they worked. “No one knows anything about our relationship.” Justin stated, the liquor beginning to take affect, and tiny part of him annoyed at the conversation.
“I’m not saying I know-” but Marty stopped mid-sentence. He looked up and smiled. “Hey.”
Justin followed his gaze, and glanced over his shoulder. The feeling of annoyance evaporating at the sight of her. “Hey, I thought maybe you got lost.” he teased, moving one hand to her hip.
She smiled as she sat down next to him. “Was I gone for that long?” She placed her hand on Justin’s thigh. “And hi Marty.” giving him a small wave. She turned back to Justin. “No more alcohol for Rachael.” she informed, the glaze look still in her eyes.
Justin frowned. “What happened?”
He felt her finger absently draw circles on his thigh as she spoke. “She doesn’t need anymore.”
Both Marty and Justin laughed. Marty spoke up. “But you do right?”
“She does.” Justin quickly answered with a grin. Rachael might be drunk, but he knew Nicole wasn’t there yet.
Nicole rolled her eyes at Marty. “Apparently he wants to see me sick.”
“That’s not what I want. This is more like...an official pre-birthday celebration.” She faced him and wrinkled her nose. Justin felt something in the pit of his stomach flutter. He could have sworn he heard Marty snort. He gave him a glare from the corner of his eye.
“I’ll catch you both later.” Justin heard Marty say. Justin looked over at him, and watched as he got up with a shake of his head. He walked over to Nicole and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Happy early birthday. Keep drinking.” he teased.
Nicole grinned and replied. “Thanks.” Once they were alone again. She asked. “Did I miss something? I didn‘t mean to interrupt- ”
“You didn’t.” Justin shrugged and smiled instead. “What happened to your wine?” He asked changing the subject.
She leaned into him, and licked her lips. Forgetting about Marty. “If I didn’t know any better Timberlake, I would think you’re trying to get me drunk.” Her eyes dancing with mischief.
“I told you-it’s a pre-birthday celebration.” He answered innocently, his pants feeling tighter all of a sudden.
She leaned in closer, her lips inches from his. “Suree... I know what you’re trying to do.” she accused.
“You do?”
She nodded. “Uh-uh.” She bit her lower lip. “You are trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me later.” she stated with a smal grin. “But I hate to break it to you-it’s going to take a lot more wine for that to happen.”
Justin brushed his lips against hers, chuckling. “I don’t need alcohol to get you naked babe.”
She pulled away from his lips at his words and raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yes, really.” he answered without missing a beat. “But having you enhibriated will make it a little more fun.” he confessed. He rested his hand on her bare thigh, gently giving it a light squeeze. He moved his hand higher, his fingers discreetly stroked the inside of her thigh. He felt her shiver and he smirked.
She frowned at him. “Stop that.” she ordered.
“Stop what?”
“Justin...” she warned.
“Nicole...” he mocked, his hand still on her thigh. He was curious to see how far she would let him go. It didn’t help that he was feeling a little tipsy himself, and it aroused his senses of the idea of doing this in public.
“We aren‘t alone.” Nicole warned.
He continued to smirk. “No one is watching us.” He glanced around the room, to make sure, his hand still on her thigh. He was right, everyone around them were too busy dancing, or in their own conversations to pay them any real attention. Besides, it wasn’t as if they were around people they didn’t know. They were his friends and in the VIP section of the club. He licked his lips as his fingers continue to stroke the soft skin. “No one is paying attention.” he murmured. She smirked, and pushed closer to him. With his hand still between her thighs, he watched as she crossed one leg over the other. “You play dirty.” he accused.
She leaned in, and whispered innocently into his ear. “What are you talking about?” She pressed a kiss on his cheek. Justin slipped his hand from between her thighs, and grinned as she kissed the side of his mouth. He brought his hand up to one side of her face, still smiling as he glanced around the room, expecting to have an audience. But so far, no one was paying them any attention. He felt her lips trail along his jaw, and Justin’s grin grew wider, maybe it was the alcohol, but he didn’t care at the moment who was watching. He knew this was dangerous. He knew a picture could be snapped at any moment and be plastered all over magazines and internet, but fuck...he didn’t care. They were both a little under the influence-they could use that as their excuse if anyone asked.
“Can’t you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes?”
Nicole broke away from him. Justin glared over at Rachael who sat where Marty had been sitting. “Ignore her.” Justin said.
Nicole looked over at Rachael and said. “Oh she’s just jeolous.”
“And drunk.” Justin added.
“Fuck you both.” Rachael snapped. “And I’m not drunk.”
Justin snorted. “That’s not what I hear.” He rested his hand back on Nicole’s lap.
“Bitch.” Rachael said glaring over at Nicole. Justin pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. His cousin could be pretty entertaining when she was drunk.
Nicole glared back. “Just stating facts.”
Justin shook his head as he stood up. “You two can continue fighting. I’m going to get another beer.” He glanced between them and chuckled.
“Can you bring me a glass of water?” Nicole asked, looking up at him through her lashes.
“A what? Another glass of wine? I can do that.” he said as he pretended he didn’t hear what she said. “Rach? Do you want anything?” Rachael shook her head ‘no.’
He turned toward the bar, but looked over his shoulder when he heard Nicole call out. “Water!”
“What? I know! A glass of wine.” Justin shouted back with a grin.
Nicole shook her head as she watched him head to the bar. She knew he was trying to get her drunk, well if truth be told-she was almost there. She had lost track of how many glasses of wine she had in the past 2 hours. But it didn’t matter. She was having a good time. She wasn’t going to complain. This was the most fun she’d had in a long time.
“Oh my god, could you be any more obvious?” She heard Rachael ask.
Nicole looked back at Rachael. “What?”
Rachael nodded in the direction of the bar. “You know 'what'. If you smile any harder, your face just might crack.” she joked. “All I have to say is: it’s about damn time.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. Justin and her hadn’t even discussed where they stood and Rachael was already making assumptions. Jesus Christ. Yes, she knew they had been showing some PDA, but that’s all it was. So far, things had not changed. She opened her mouth to answer but shut it when her eyes caught the light from the phone on the table. It was vibrating. “Is that yours?” Nicole asked Rachael as she pointed to it.
“Nope.” Rachael answered. “It looks like yours.”
“Mine is in my clutch.”
Rachael leaned in to get a better look at it. “It’s J’s.” she said after a few moments.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” Rachael answered. “I would grab it before he loses it.” she suggested.
Nicole reached out for it, ready to put it in her clutch with her own, when it vibrated. She absently glanced down, to see who was calling. But it wasn’t a call, it was two new text messages. From Jessica. Before she had a chance to react, she heard Justin’s voice.
“Your wine.”
She looked up from the phone and gave him a weak smile. “Thanks.” She took the glass from him as he sat back down. She wasn’t going to overeact. Did she have the right to overact? Was there anything to overact about? She was broken from her thoughts when Rachael spoke.
“You left your phone on the table.” Rachael said.
Nicole added. “It was going off.” She reached for it and handed it to him.
Justin took it from her hand. “Thanks. I forgot I put it there.” Nicole watched his face, curious to see what kind of reaction he was going to give, but he didn’t give any, instead he gave it a quick glance, before putting it into his pocket.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yay! I chapter within the month...lol well sorta. Anyway, this was supposed to be a longer one, but I realized that I couldnt wait to share it with you! So here it is. Thank you again for your feedback, it's what keeps me motivated.
Ps. This is probably my fav chapter I have written!
Story Tags: friendsturnedlovers
