| "You shop better than most women I know." She licked a droplet of ice cream threatening to trickle down to where her fingers were holding the cone. "I get that a lot." He waited for the desired smile to cross her lips before adding. "You shop like most of the men I know." "I don't like to try on clothes, it gets boring." Defending herself proved to be a lost cause, because he kept the same triumphant grin even when she had finished. "Are you ready to leave? I really should be getting back in case any of the guys need anything." She glanced at her watch then up to his eyes. He was so hard for her to read, normally she would be able to tell what anyone was thinking just by looking into their eyes. "I guess so, what are you doing tonight?" While she was debating what her answer should be, he grew tired of waiting and finally purposed a plan for the evening. "How about we rent some movies, and maybe get some popcorn?" "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything." Disputing him seemed to be an all night event in it's self, so she decided to give in for once. "Good, then we can have a slumber party!" Maybe it was the simple pleasure in his voice, or the gleam in his eye, but she let his comment pass, sure that he would not be staying the night in her trailer. She had already spent one night with a stranger, and wasn't ready for the stress of another sleepless night. "Okay, beauty supply can wait, movie store it is?" Motioning for John with one hand, he laid the other on hers as he nodded his head to acknowledge her statement. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, she slid her hand from under his as she stood to take the journey to the car. As uneventful as a walk to the car should have been on a regular day, with regular friends, she was not prepared for the surprise of a fan attack. Just as her and her companions had made it to the door leading to the parking lot, a group of girls, in their teens, ran up to them, screaming and waving pieces of paper for Justin to sign. All seemed well until one of them decided an autograph was not enough, she needed a piece of Justin, quite literally. Soon, John was fighting them off, as Justin pulled her towards the car by her hand. Once they were safely seated inside, Justin turned to her with a look of concern that would make anyone want to tear up. "Are you okay? I am so sorry." He looked down at her trembling hands as he tried to think of the words that would make it all better. "Maybe I should go in for the movies and you wait in the car?" She tried to take in everything she was getting herself into as she said the first thing that came to her mind. "John will do it." He kept his hands with hers, lightly stroking them in comfort, as John entered the car, and made a hasty exit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I never realized it would be that scary." She confessed as she slid the popcorn into the microwave, before shutting the door, and setting the time. "Me either until the first time it happened. You should have seen me, I was almost in tears. But you can't really blame them, they just get so excited." She couldn't believe her own ears, he was defending people who tore at his body like a piece of meat in a lion's cage. "So what movie first?" Changing the subject was all she could do to keep from preaching to him that it was controlable, and the girls were at fault. "How about," he paused as he looked through the selection John had obtained for them. "Bubble Boy?" "Sounds good to me." She rounded the corner with a bowl of popcorn and two sodas. "Thanks." Pulling a soda from her grasp, he settled into the couch and waited for her to join him. Instead she positioned herself on the floor infront of the other end of the couch. He couldn't believe after a day like their's she would still keep her distance. Now he knew she wasn't after his money, but he was also hurt that she didn't trust him enough to even sit next to him. Two hours later his head was still swimming, the movie was coming to an end, and he couldn't recount a single scene of the movie. "Well, should we sit through another movie, or just call it a night?" She raised her arms in an attempt to stretch her muscles, but the plan was foiled when Justin decided to ask a deafening question. "Why don't you trust us?" Examining her reaction, and knowing it wasn't the one he wanted, he rephrased. "I mean do you think we are going to do something to you, or are you just uncomfortable because you don't know us?" "What are you talking about?" Suddenly she was feeling the need to defend herself, if only to keep him from digging further into her life. "Like just now, you sat on the floor instead of up here with me." He waved his hand across the couch to prove there was plenty of room for two. "What did you expect me to do? Cuddle up with someone I met yesterday? Just because girls rip your clothes off in the mall, it doesn't mean I am going to throw myself at you." Her teeth clenched, trying to quiet her irrate rambling, but failed. "Would you please just leave, I've had enough excitement for one day." As soon as the last word left her mouth she knew she was wrong to talk to her boss like that, but she didn't care at that point. Justin dropped his head in defeat, knowing he was also in the wrong, but too stubborn to admit it. Just as he had reached the door, she began to speak again. "You know what? I'm sorry," she paused. "I really shouldn't have been so friendly with you today. I have a problem with distinguishing between when I'm being friendly, and when I'm being flirty." She put her hand out for a handshake, hoping he would take it and not leave her feeling worse than she already did. After hesitating for only a fraction of a second, he took her hand, making her sigh with relief. "I'm sorry, too. I guess I'm used to people trying to get as close to me as possible, as quickly as they can. It just kinda threw me off when you didn't." The look on his face would have made her hug him, had she not been on the defensive side still. "Friends it is?" Her eyebrows twitched at her own words, not believing she was standing there asking a popstar to be her friend after she had griped him out. The path her life had taken lately had been one she couldn't have imagined. "Friends, how about a another movie friend? I promise not to be offended if you sit on the floor." In his eyes she could see that he was also unsure of the whole sitiuation, so she agreed, and even forced herself to sit next to him on the couch. Two bowls of popcorn and movie later, she stood and stretched, trying to give a hint to her guest that it was bedtime, and he should excuse himself. "What time do you have to get up in the morning?" She tried again to give the hint. "Actually we get to sleep in tomorrow, no interviews in the morning." "Really? So maybe I will get to sleep in, too?" She thought over her words, hoping it wouldn't reflect badly upon her, as he stood to meet her. "Don't count on it, Joey will have you up before dawn if he has his way." He grabbed her wrists in his hands, careful not to scare her. "Well, I think.." She tried to think of something to say, mostly to get her own mind off what Justin was doing. He quickly dipped his head down to kiss the inside of one of her wrist before heading to the door, movies in hand. "See you tomorrow." He winked as if it was second nature, then hopped from the trailer, leaving her trembling with excitement. |
| Chapter Four |