| "Really, Mr. Timberlake?" She hoped it wasn't a cruel joke and he was really trying to apologize for his wrong doings. "Yes, and it's Justin, can we talk?" He looked down at her half naked body and knew that exact moment wasn't the best to ask that question. "After you get dressed of course." "Yes, s-Justin." She edged around him and into her bedroom, breathing heavy with anticipation. A few minutes later she was on the couch seated next to him, waiting for him to speak. "I know I shouldn't have said what I said," he paused to pull her hands into his. "You just have to understand that I am a man that sings and dances, and my sexuality is questioned in every tabloid in the world." "I understand." She tried to raise her eyes to look at his, but failed, making it only half way up his body, then dropping them to her lap again. "I don't know what came over me, I just know that the last couple of days have been horrible for me. I wanted to apologize, I swear, but I was too stubborn. I hope you don't get mad at me for this, but I found this in the changing room," he pulled her notebook out of his back pocket, dropping the miniature spiral into her lap. "I looked in it because I thought it was one of the guys." "It's okay, I shouldn't have been so careless." She stood to set it next to her computer, then delayed her return by arranging a few loose papers. Soon Justin was at her side, tired of waiting for her to return to the couch. "Jaden, do you forgive me?" His face was inches from her own, and she used all the strength she could muster to nod her head to tell him yes. Seconds later his lips were crashing down on hers, his tongue dipping into her mouth for a taste of her. When he released her she took a few steps back to clear her head. "I-I-I'm sorry." He put a finger to her lips to quiet her, then nuzzled his head into her neck as he held her. "I'm not sorry, and you shouldn't be either." He whispered into her neck, causing chills to run up and down her spine. "The buses are leaving soon." She hinted, trying to get him to return to his own bus, but she was too late, the engine had started and the bus was leaving the parking lot before another word was said. "I'll take the couch." He pulled his head from her neck to rest his forehead on hers. "Well, at least tuck me in?" "Of course." He grabbed her hand, leading her to the bedroom, then once she had laid down, pulled the covers over her. "Want a story?" He joked, as her eyes lazily shut. "Justin, why would the buses leave without knowing where you were? Aren't they afraid they will leave you?" "No, your bus driver saw me get on, he probably told them I was here." "So they don't care what bus you are on, as long as you are on one?" "Yeah, pretty much, when we first started touring there was a strict rule about no girls on our bus, and us never being on a girl's bus, because they were afraid someone would see us getting off." "What about now?" "Well, we always park in the back, everywhere we go, no one can see us get on or off the bus." "Oh, I see." She rolled over to allow him room to get on the bed, when he didn't take the hint, she gently pulled him up by his hand. "Tell me about you." "Me? My name is Jaden and I am a stylist." "A stylist? I never would have guessed." He teased. "What about your family?" "I am the youngest of two girls, a dog, a cat, you know the usual." "Where are you from?" "Texas originally, but Orlando right now, you?" "From Tenessee, but Orlando right now." "No really." "Really. How does your father know Johnny?" "They went to school together, really good friends, I grew up calling him Uncle Johnny." She twisted a strand of her hair around a finger, while she thought of how much it felt like they had never argued in the first place. "What's your favorite food?" Becoming more and more intriqued he wanted to know everything, even if it took all night, and it did. Finally at six in the morning the buses came to a halt, and the sleepless pair ventured into the venue chosen for that nights preformance. It wasn't the first time either of them had gone a night without sleep, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. The four other men were still fast asleep, but Jaden and Justin still had plenty of missed time to make up for. "No way." Hanging from a wire, doing flips through the arena had not been on her agenda for the day. "Please, it's fun, I've done it a thousand times." Suddenly he knew she would, all he had to do was turn out his bottom lip. "Fine, but if I get hurt you will too." Justin enlisted the help of a crew member and soon both had been harnessed. "Ready?" He grabbed her hand, and when she nodded her head, he gave the crew member the order to lift them. "This isn't too bad." She said before releasing his hand so she could do a few flips. When she made it back to the stage the rest of the guys were standing beneath her. Afraid they wouldn't approve of her behavior, she quickly ordered the man to lower her onto the stage. As soon as her feet hit the stage, all four men were busily trying to rid her of the harness. "You could have been hurt, young lady." JC playfully scolded as he pulled her toward the backstage area. "It was fun, I can't believe ya'll get paid to do that!" JC opened the door of the room she guessed to be the designated changing room, then hurriedly pulled her inside. "I need your help." He whispered into her ear, while she wondered if he would turn the lights on. "With what?" She tried to sound calm and collected, but something about these men just made her crazy. Didn't they know that pulling women into dark rooms and whispering into thier ears just wasn't normal? She heard his tongue run across his lips and almost left, but he kept a grip on her shoulders. "I need to get Joey back for something he did. And after what you did with Chris I knew you could come up with something." He had her pinned against a wall with the lights out whispering into her ear for a prank! It was almost a relief, but that in itself was just odd. "I'll think of something." She assured him, trying to mock his urgent whispering, hoping he would get the hint. "Thanks." He quickly kissed her cheek, and exited the room without another word. It was all just too wierd, these men all needed psychiatric exams. Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she went back to her trailer to think of something to do to Joey. She felt awful to be the mastermind behind a prank to someone who had done nothing to her, but also excited, she would be Joey's last suspect. Around noon, all then men had come and gone, she had a great plan, and decided to transfer the outfits for the day to the changing room. As odd as it may sound, she missed Justin, it had been hours since she had seen him. |
| Chapter Nine |