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“Good morning!” I chirped as I took my place at the breakfast table the next morning.
“Morning Gwen,” Lynn replied. “Do you like French toast.”
“Love it,” I said. “But don’t get up, I can get it.”
I grabbed a plate from the counter top and filled it with French toast and a few strips of crispy bacon. I poured myself a glass of milk and joined Lynn at the table.
“Justin still in bed?” I asked before popping a piece of bacon into my mouth.
Lynn nodded, smiling. “Yes, it’s not quite noon yet.”
“That boy is definitely getting up before noon,” I said. “He woke me up at six-thirty yesterday!”
Lynn chuckled. “Sounds like the kind of surprise my boy would dream up.”
“Some surprise,” I grumbled good-naturedly.
“Yeah, but you have to love him,” Lynn pointed out.
“Have to love who?” a voice asked.
We looked up to see Justin leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.
“Nobody you would know,” I said airily.
“Admit it, you were talking about me,” Justin said.
“You better watch that ego, you won’t fit in the tour bus soon,” I advised as I took a bite of French toast. “Mmm, this is good Mrs. Harless.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Please, call me Lynn.”
Justin moved into the room, dropping a kiss on his mother’s head. He paused a moment before kissing me too.
I closed my eyes briefly as his lips pressed against my temple.
Then I opened them, returning to my food, trying to calm my racing heart.
“So, what do you want today?” Justin asked as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.
“I don’t know, I’ve never been to Florida before, except for the day we left on the tour,” I said. “You decide.”
“Never been to Florida?” Justin asked incredulously. “That means you’ve never been to Disney World!”
“Wow, you are smarter than you look,” I commented.
“Don’t get sassy with me girly,” Justin joked. “But seriously, we have to go to Disney World!”
“OK,” I agreed. “When do we leave?”
“How about an hour?” Justin asked.
“Deal.” I stood, placing my plate in the sink. “Do you mind if I shower?"
“We don’t shower here!” Justin exclaimed in mock horror. “How could you suggest such a thing?”
“That would certainly explain that stench coming from your room,” I said.
Lynn shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Go ahead and shower, dear,” she said.
I stuck my tongue out at Justin before hurrying up the stairs to the bathroom.
The bathroom in the Harless residence was a large, startlingly yellow room with a deep tub and a double sink. The window was covered with a beautiful yellow and blue curtain and there was a thick plush rug in front of the tub.
I took a long shower, washing my hair with my favorite shampoo.
When I stepped out, I realized that I hadn’t brought any other clothes with me. I glanced around, not wanting to put my pajamas back on my clean body.
There were a couple of robes hung on hooks along one wall. I grabbed the blue one that had the initials JRT embroidered over the left breast. It was huge, gapping in places that it shouldn’t, but it was all I had.
“Hmm, that’s a great look for you,” a teasing voice informed me when I opened the door. “Disney Land’s not gonna know what hit ‘em.”
I groaned. I had been hoping that no one would see me in my oversized garb.
“I forget to bring clean clothes in with me,” I explained, my face growing warm as I spoke. “So, I saw it hanging there and I decided to borrow it.”
“It’s Okay.” Justin shrugged. “You look hot.”
I rolled my eyes, drawing the top closer together. “Sure,” I said.
“You do,” Justin said. “Now go and get dressed so that I can have my robe back.”
I slipped into my room and shut the door. I opened my suitcase and regarded my outfit choices. I guess I took too long because Justin pounded on the door.
“Gwen! Hurry up!” he called.
“I’m trying to decide what to wear,” I answered.
“What?” Justin asked, poking his head through the door.
“I can’t decide what to wear.” I looked back down into my suitcase.
Justin crossed the room quickly, plopping down on the bed. He studied the contents of my bag.
“Wear this,” he said, pulling out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved, red shirt.
“Okay,” I said. “Now, beat it so I can get dressed.”
Justin wiggled his eyebrows before disappearing out the door.
I hurriedly got dressed and gave Justin his robe.
I brushed out my dark hair, trying to decide whether to put it up or leave it down. I brushed it back into a messy bun and finished getting ready.
Ten minutes later I was sprawled across a leather chair in the living room with a book in hand, waiting for Justin to appear.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked Justin as he walked into the room.
“Yeah, just let me find my shoes,” he replied.
We piled into Justin’s Mercedes and headed for the happiest place on earth. Justin’s melodious voice filled the car as he sang to whatever came on the radio.
“Uh-oh, looks like we have a band of followers,” I commented as a group of girls in an Explorer pulled up next to us.
Justin glanced out the window and the girls went crazy. He groaned. “Ugh, I wanted to be alone today!”
“Well, sorry Mr. Bigtime Pop Star, you can’t be alone today,” I said.
“I can if I do this!” Justin jerked the steering wheel, so that the car swung onto the exit ramp.
He smiled and waved at the girls as we zoomed away, leaving them to watch helplessly as we left them in the distance.
“I think that I should find a place to pull over so that I can find my hat,” Justin suggested.
“Okay, how about at that McDonalds?” I pointed.
After a brief search for Justin’s hat we were on the road again.
“Where are we?” Justin asked me as he peered out the windshield at the surrounding landscape.
“Don’t ask me, I’ve never been here before,” I said.
“I’m am so totally lost!” Justin exclaimed a moment later. “How could this happen? I know this place like the back of my hand.”
“It’s Okay,” I soothed. “I’m sure we’ll find our way back home!”
Justin was silent. I could tell right now wouldn’t be a good time to say anything, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Look at that cute little park,” I said.
Justin’s eyes followed my pointing finger to the small park area with a mini zoo and a quiet pond.
“Maybe you can ask someone for directions,” I pointed out.
“I don’t want to ask for directions,” Justin grumbled sullenly.
I rolled my eyes. “Justin, stop being such a guy and pull over.”
Grudgingly, Justin pulled off the road, parking under a large tree.
“I’ll be right back,” he told me.
I watched him disappear into the information center.
It was hot in the car, so I decided to get out and get some fresh air. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the warm air. I welcomed the heat after nearly two months of cold at home.
“Hey, you ready to go?” Justin asked.
“Let’s go check out the zoo first,” I suggested, not ready to get back into the stuffy car yet.
Justin shrugged. He took my hand as we strolled to where the small petting zoo was set up.
“Hey! Stop that!” Justin cried in dismay as a goat named Betty nibbled at the cargo pocket of his pants.
I laughed. “Aww, Justin made a new friend!”
“Go away!” Justin tried to back up, but he was cornered against the fence. “Don’t they feed you here?”
“If only I had a camera!” I said, as I lured Betty away from Justin with some of the pellets they were selling to feed them. “I can just see the caption now, ‘Boy band cutie, Justin Timberlake, attacked by farm animals’.”
“Hey, it’s not funny,” Justin protested, as he checked his pants for damage.
“It’s all in the prospective,” I disagreed.
Betty finished my remaining pellets and began eyeing Justin again.
“Don’t even think about it,” Justin told her.
Betty tilted her head to one side, regarding him for a moment before leaving us with a departing “Bah!” as she skipped away.
I laughed. “I think she really liked you, Justin.”
“Everyone wants a piece of Justin Timberlake.” Justin spread his arms wide, shrugging his shoulders.
“Yes, you’re totally irresistible to women, you are such a stud,” I said in a flat tone.
Justin wrapped his arms around me. “You know it.”
“At least it hasn’t gone to your head,” I noted dryly, pulling out of his arms.
Justin grabbed my hand, pulling back into his arms. “Not with people like you around,” he said huskily.
I felt my pulse pick up as he brushed my forehead with a gentle kiss.
“C’mon, let’s go down by the water,” he suggested.
We made our way down the grassy bank to the edge of the clear pond and took a seat by under a large willow tree. I watched a school of minnow’s slither by as I dragged my fingers through the water.
I glanced over my shoulder at Justin who was staring off into the distance. I was really lucky to have a guy like him be crazy for me. One thing was still bugging me.
I hadn’t told Justin about Keith yet. In the past couple of weeks whenever Justin had called there had always been a reason that I shouldn’t. Now, there was no reason not to and I was filled with an overwhelming urge to tell him everything.
“Justin,” I said meekly. “Can we talk?”
Later that night I was relaxing in a hot bath. Justin and I had never made it to Disney World that day. Instead, we had just sat on the grassy bank and talked.
At first he had been upset that I hadn’t told him everything. He told me that I should feel comfortable telling him everything. I shouldn’t have to go through anything alone.
Now, it seemed silly to me that I had kept it a secret. It wasn’t my fault and I hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
A banging on the door startled me from my thoughts. “Gwen? What on earth are you doing in there?” Justin called. “You’ve been in there an hour!”
“I’m taking a bath!” I yelled back.
“Well, what’s taking you so long?” he demanded.
I sighed. I figured with Lynn and Paul out for the evening I would be able to enjoy my bath in peace and quiet, apparently that was too much to ask.
“Okay, I’m getting out,” I called.
I reluctantly stepped out of my warm little nest. I scrubbed my body dry with a towel. I slipped into my pajamas and hung my towel on the hook.
“There, ya happy?” I asked, as I opened the door.
“I’m always happy when you’re near me,” Justin told me, drawing me into his arms.
“Wasn’t it just you that was complaining about my girly habits?” I demanded, running my comb through my hair.
“I was lonely out here all alone,” Justin pouted.
I rolled my eyes. “C’mon Lover Boy, lets go see what’s on TV.”
We settled in front of a rerun of Friends. Justin stretched across the couch, his feet hanging of the edge. I took a seat in an over-stuffed chair across the room and began combing out my hair again.
“Hey, can I do that for you?” Justin asked.
“Do what?”
“Comb out your hair,” Justin answered.
“You want to comb out my hair?” I could see the seriousness in Justin’s eyes.
“Yes.” Justin’s voice was echoed the message that I saw in his eyes.
“Okay,” I agreed.
I moved so that I was sitting down on the floor with my back to him while he sat on the couch. He ran the comb slowly, almost sensually, through my hair, tenderly smoothing out all the snarls. He was careful, so careful that I barely felt the tugging when the comb felt a tangle.
Then it hit me. It felt almost like…lightning.
“Justin?” My voice didn’t sound like mine.
“Hm?” The steady rhythm of the brush didn’t cease.
“I-I, um,” I stammered, suddenly tongue-tied. “Um…”
“Spit it out Gwen,” Justin said.
I squeezed my eyes shut tight. “I don’t think I need another month,” I blurted out.
The comb clattered to the floor. “What?” Justin’s tone was almost breathless and if it had been any other circumstance I would have laughed at the boyish shyness that seemed to emanate from him.
“I-I don’t n-need any more time,” I repeated.
Justin moved so that he was squatting in front of me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I looked up at him and nodded slowly, tears glistening in my eyes.
His hands captured my face, as he seemed to search my eyes for something.
“Are you sure?” he demanded.
“Yes.” I had never been surer of anything in my life. “I’m sure.”
“What made you change your mind?” Justin asked in a whisper as he ran his thumb across my cheek.
I smiled, saying the first think that came to my mind. “I love you, Justin. That’s all.”
The smile that lit up Justin’s face was brighter than the brightest summer’s day. “I love you too, Gwen.”
A warm fuzzy feeling in my chest filled the void that had been there, taking away all the pain of the past month.
Justin’s lips moved passionately over mine. My fingers disappeared into his curls as his hands ran freely up and down my back. As he deepened the kiss all coherent thoughts flew from my head.
“I’m going to make you so happy,” Justin murmured against my mouth.
I smiled, whispering a reply. “You already do.”
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