Jamie rolled over and noticed that the other side of the bed was cold and empty. She sat up and glanced around the room with blurry vision to find Justin. There was a light on under the bathroom door and she could hear the faint sounds of the shower.
Sinking back into the warm sheets she let out a sigh. Today they were supposed to have that meeting, and truth be told…she didn’t want to go. She understood what Lynn was doing, trying to make this right, and if Dave were a normal person Jamie would agree wholeheartedly, but Dave was no where near normal.
She rolled over and breathed in the scent that Justin left on the pillow. It was so completely masculine and so completely Justin that she couldn’t help but sigh and want to melt right into it. A smile slid across her face as she thought about the dinner they shared last night, and the tingles that ran through her from hearing those sacred three words fall from his lips.
Jamie had known for a while that she and Justin loved each other, but knowing was NOTHING compared to actually hearing it, and watching his face light up and she responded. Everything around her seemed to have this new glow, or maybe it was just Jamie. She felt alive, and she felt loved…and for the first time, it didn’t matter what was going on around her….she was content being loved by Justin.
Letting out another sigh she sat up as she heard the bathroom door open and Justin shuffle out into the bedroom.
“What are you sighing about?” He asked, pulling his t-shirt over his head and down onto his torso. Jamie smiled.
“Nothing…just….the fact that you love me.” A smile grew on his face and he padded over to her.
“Oh really?” He sat down on the bed next to her and watched as she bit her lip lightly and nodded. “Well then…we’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we?” He leaned over and kissed her lips. Not forcefully, but it was filled with passion and he pulled away only when she giggled.
“Yup, felt the love on that one.” Jamie’s eyes danced with laughter and Justin couldn’t help but share in her joy.
“You’re too much.” He kissed her lightly again before getting up and going over to his bags.
Jamie stretched and pulled herself up from the bed, making her way over to Justin and the bathroom.
“What time it?” She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind as he clasped his watch.
“Almost 9.” He stated, turning himself in her arms and smiling down at her. “I talked to Andy today…he’s going to take you and Melissa out while I go to the meeting.” He noticed her sudden rush to protest and he placed a finger over her lips. “Shhh. Now, before you get all defensive, I did this for a reason. I don’t want that man anywhere near you, and this meeting is about me. He can do what he wants to me, because I can protect myself, but I really don’t trust him and I don’t want anything to happen to you. If you’re not there he won’t focus so much on US, and he will on ME.”
Jamie back up from his and brought her hands up to her mouth to chew on the skin at her fingers.
“You really don’t want me there?” She asked and Justin felt horrible for a moment, but that moment passed because he knew he was doing the right thing.
“James…it’s not that I don’t want you there, it’s just…..” He sighed and sat down in the chair at the desk, pulling her between his knees. “I’m scared Jamie. That man is capable of so much, and he’s got most of the power now. He can’t really do anything to me, because I’m an asset to JIVE, but I don’t want him getting near you. He’s already pulled things in the past, and I just don’t want to give him an open opportunity to hurt you. Plus….if he does pull anything I don’t think I’ll be able to handle myself.”
He waited for her to answer, holding onto the back of her thighs. “James?”
“Yeah? Sorry…I spaced, I guess.”
“Are you mad at me?” She saw the puppy dog look on his face and all her defiance crumbled.
“Ugh! I hate that face…you know I’ll do anything when you look at me like that.” He made the pout more pronounced and she giggled. “OK…OK…I’ll go out with Andy and Melissa. I could use some quality time with your credit card anyway.” She laughed at the shocked expression on his face and she kissed his cheek lightly.
Watching her remover her legs from his grasp and heading into the bathroom, that same grin crossed his face.
“I love you, James.” He called to her. She stopped in the door way and looked back at him softly.
“I love you too, Justin.”
After taking a nice hot shower Jamie walked into the main part of the hotel room in search of her bags. She heard a low whistle from the bed and giggled as Justin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Whoever says that towel isn’t a good look….hasn’t seen what you do for that towel.” She laughed harder and made her way over to him.
“And wouldn’t you like to know what’s hidden UNDER this towel?” She purred in his ear and his eyes widened.
“I…ah…wow!” He stuttered and her seductive façade fell.
“Oh take a cold shower sweetie…this towel is staying firmly in place.” She heard him mutter a muffled ‘damn’ and before she could respond there was a knock at the door.
Jamie grabbed her clothes and headed back into the bathroom as Justin went to answer the door. He was greeted by a quick peck on the cheek from his mother as she strolled into the room.
“Good to see you’re all ready. Where’s Jamie?” She glanced around the room and back at Justin.
“She’s getting dressed, but she’s not going to come with us. I don’t want her near that man, and this meeting is about me anyway. Andy is going to take her out while we meet Dave.” He spit the man’s name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth, and this left Lynn very curious as to what this man Dave was really like.
“Well, I left a message with Dave’s assistant and she said that he would be in the conference room downstairs at 9:30.” Glancing at her watch she turned toward the door. “I think we should get going.”
“I’ll be right there mom, I just want to say good bye to James.” She nodded and stepped out into the hallway.
Justin made his way to the bathroom door and raised his hand to knock, but before he could make contact with the door it opened.
“Hey there Stud Muffin.” Justin laughed as he stepped into the bathroom and watched as Jamie combed her long, blond hair.
“I just wanted to come say good bye, and to tell you to buy anything you want.” He kissed her cheek and she smiled evilly.
“Oh…so that house down the street is OK?”
“Uhm…maybe I shouldn’t have say ANYTHING. How about…a new outfit, or some jewelry or something? Anything along those lines.” He laughed as she made a face and he headed towards the bathroom door again.
“You be careful in that meeting, OK? I don’t want to come back here and have to nurse any wounds, emotional for physical, you got me?” He nodded solemnly and leaned toward her to capture he lips in a kiss.
“I’ll see you when you get back James. Have a good time…and don’t forget that I love you.” She smiled softly before answering.
“I love you too Justin…now go, before your mom throws a hissy fit.”
He laughed and headed toward the door. His laugh soon died down though, as he opened the door and looked at his mother.
“Relax Justin…it's not a meeting with the Devil. All you have to do is go in there, explain what happened, and apologize. Nothing to it.” He grimaced at her words and started down the hall.
“Easier said than done mom….easier said than done.”
Justin walked with purposeful strides; long and quick. His mother walked silently beside him, hoping that the hard look on his face would soften. When just had that look…he was impossible to rationalize with. If something happened in this meeting and Justin was set off….there was no telling what would come of it.
They reached the conference room in record time and Justin went in without knocking. Dave was seated at a table were some food was set on a platter at the end of the table. Dave looked up at the two and smiled as kindly as possible.
“Good morning Justin, Mrs. Harless.” He motioned for them to sit and both took a chair. “Now I understand you have some things you need to say to me?”
Lynn glanced at her son and knew he wasn’t going to say anything first, so she cleared her throat and decided to get him an opening. Why she was getting nervous she had no idea.
Justin watched as his mother started to speak, and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Just seeing the man made him want to lose any food he had consumed recently, and he was thankful that she started talking first because he was afraid of what would come out of his mouth.
“So Mr. Timberlake, it seems to me that you’ve been spying?” A sneer was placed upon Dave’s face and Justin thought that he looked oddly similar to a sick dog.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Mr. Malloy. I didn’t like some of the things that you have said and done to Jamie, so I hired someone to look into your past. Take that as you will. I was given no information and I wasn’t going to use that information. I just wanted to know who was running my tour.”
Dave sat back in his chair and stared at Justin with a mixture of contempt and excitement. The boy had made this too easy.
“And you’re telling me this because…?”
“Well, my mother found out and she didn’t like the idea. So I called the investigator off and I’m here to apologize. Pardon me, Sir…for not liking you.” The statement was said with more sarcasm and malice than anyone had ever heard from Justin; and Lynn wondered what it was about this man that had left such a bad taste in her son’s mouth.
“What I think my son is trying to say is that he’s sorry, and we hope you can forgive him.”
“I see…and where is Jamie?” Dave watched as Justin’s eyes darkened and he sat up straighter.
“She’s not part of this, and you will leave her alone.”
“Oh…you see, that’s where you’re wrong because she’s just as much a part of this as you are. She is the reason you hired someone to watch me and dig into my past, and how am I to know that you two weren’t in this together?”
“Because I said so and I’m telling you to leave her out of this.” The anger was rising in Justin and he was afraid of the confident look that had grown in Dave’s eyes.
“I will do better than that, my boy. I will take Jamie out of this equation entirely.”
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Justin was now sitting forward in the chair, his knuckles white from clenching the chair. Lynn threw him a worried glance and tried to push him back into the seat.
“Justin, calm down please…” This whole situation was starting to worry her and she wondered just what she had gotten into.
“I mean I no longer want Jamie on this tour. The two of you together are a threat to me and I refuse to work under such conditions. Also…it’s become apparent that she’s affecting your performance and attitude.”
Justin eyes blazed with anger and Lynn sat back shocked. She knew Justin had a string sense of distaste for this man, but she had never seen such hatred on her son’s face before and the words coming out of Dave’s mouth were only making that worse.
“I have gotten reports that you are spending less time with your band mates, you’ve become moody, and you’re not performing as well as you should be. I think it’s a good idea for Jamie to be off of this tour.”
“You can’t do that! You ASSHOLE! You can’t take her off of this tour! THIS IS MY TOUR!!!!” Justin had stood so quickly that the chair had fallen over and skidded a few feet across the floor. Greg, a bodyguard that had been outside the door was now at Justin’s side holding him back from moving.
“She leaves this tour or I press charges. It’s that simple. She has until tomorrow night to be gone, or you can say bye-bye through steel bars.”
“Oh please! You really think you have charges to press? What, prying? Anything you throw at me won’t stick.”
Dave actually laughed at that and the sick smile grew back onto his face.
“Do you want to try me? Little boy, I have more experience in law than you could imagine and I won’t hesitate to bring you down. I get paid regardless of you being on stage or in jail…so go ahead Pop star…do your best.” He folded his hands behind his head and watched as Justin seethed in anger.
Lynn had stepped out of the room a few moments after Justin had stood from the chair. She couldn’t listen anymore, and she couldn’t stand to see the look on her son’s face without wanting to do something herself.
A few moments later it became eerily silent, and just as she was about to go back into the room the door burst open and Justin came stalking out.
“Justin! Justin…wait…” He stopped and turned sharply.
“Mom…please. I know why you did what you did…but I’m not rational right now. I really don’t want to say something I’ll regret. I need to cool off.” He gave her a stiff kiss on the cheek and then continued down the hallway.
Lynn stood there and watched his retreating form. She didn’t know the last part of the conversation, but she knew that something bad had happened and she had been a partial cause. Turning she walked back into the conference room.
“Excuse me Sir…but I would like to know who gave you the right to treat my son like that?” Dave looked up from his papers and plastered on a sticky sweet smile.
“Why, Mrs. Harless…what do you mean?”
“You’re taking away one of the best things that has ever happened to him.”
“Well…it was you that wanted me to know of the investigator; I just took the action I thought best. I really don’t feel safe with the tow of them to conspire against me, especially since I’ll be spending the remainder of the tour on the road.”
Lynn watched him and got a queer feeling about him.
“What are you trying to prove?” He laughed and Lynn didn’t need a cue to shudder.
“It’s simple really. I’m showing two children that I can’t be messed with. I run this tour Mrs. Harless, and your son doesn’t seem to like that idea. I’m just proving the point that I’m going to be here weather he wants me or not.”
She stood there and watched as the satisfaction of his feat danced across his features and she wanted to slap the smile off of his face. Instead of saying what was on her mind she left to cool off herself.
Justin had been working out in the hotel’s gym for over and hour when Jamie found him. He looked sweaty and exhausted, but the anger hadn’t lessened in his eyes. In fact, he had spent most of his work out thinking about how he was going to tell Jamie that she had to leave him and the thought only made him angrier.
He was in the middle of taking on the punching bag when Jamie sat down on the abs machine next to him.
“The meeting went that well, huh?” Justin stopped and looked at her and tried to force a smile, but it just wouldn’t happen.
“I never thought I was capable of hating people, but that man makes my skin crawl.” He made his way over to her and kissed her lightly. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“You’re all sweaty.” He laughed, but it was a bitter and ugly sound. “What happened Justin?”
Justin turned to look at Jamie and his heart broke. He wasn’t going to be able to do this. She was having a hard enough time dealing with her father’s death; he didn’t need to be sending her back to Orlando alone.
“Can we go upstairs so I can take a shower first? I promise to tell you all about it…I just need to clean up and relax.” Jamie nodded and took his hand as they made their way to the elevator.
“Whatever it is Justin, it can’t be that bad. I mean…I know the guy is the scum of the Earth, but we’ll make it through whatever he has to throw at us.” She squeezed his hand and he looked down at her with a weak smile.
“I hope you’re right James.”
The couple made their way upstairs and Justin noted it was eerily quiet as they walked down the hall way. He figured his mother had talked to the guys and they were all staying out of the way. He was just as glad, he didn’t need to explain anything to anyone right now. What he needed to do was think of a way to break his girlfriend’s heart.
They stepped into the room and Justin saw the bags from Jamie’s shopping trip.
“What did you buy today?” He made his way over to the bathroom and left the door open a crack so he could hear her.
“Well, Melissa and I dragged Andy into a few clothing stores and I found a pair of pants that I liked. Oh, I bought you something too.” She heard the water start and the door close, so she stepped into the bathroom and sat on the toilet.
“You didn’t have to get me anything. What is it?” She laughed at his eager question.
“Nope, I’m not telling. I’ll show you when you get out of there.” He mumbled something that she couldn’t hear and she laughed again. “I’ll be out in the room if you need me.”
“OK.”
James made her way into the bedroom where she plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Something wasn’t right. Justin had never looked so lost before, and the beating he was giving that punching bag when she walked in was enough to scare the strongest of men. He was brooding and he wasn’t telling her something.
She was worried about what had happened in that meeting to make him act like this. He looked so defeated and it made her wonder exactly what that sorry excuse for a man had said to him.
She didn’t wonder long though, because a moment later Justin stepped out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam wearing a clean t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.
“So what did you get me??” He flashed her a charming smile and she laughed.
“Eager are we?” She crossed the room and dug around in the bags before coming up with something. Justin walked with her and they both sat on the bed.
“What is it? Lemme see!” He tried to take it from her but she slid back on the bed and held it away from him.
“Don’t get all excited, it’s nothing big. I just decided that since I stole your favorite sweatshirt that I’d buy you a new one. I saw this one in one of the sport shops and I’d thought of you.”
She held up a black sweatshirt with the word ‘Memphis’ written in bold letters across the front. “I thought you might like it because it would remind you of home.” She looked at him carefully to see his reaction and her heart fluttered when she saw the soft smile across his face.
“James, that is the best gift you could have given me.” He leaned over and captured her lips with his. “Thank you.” He kissed her again and then sat back.
“Ok Timberlake, spill it. What happened today? Why this brooding mood?”
He stood from the bed and twisted the sweatshirt in his hands. He paced for a moment and stopped to look at Jamie.
“Justin, whatever it is, you can tell me.” He nodded at her words and sat back down on the bed. Justin took Jamie’s hands in his and held them tightly.
“James…Dave…He…Oh God this is so hard!” Jamie let go of one of his hands and gently touched his cheek.
“Justin…just tell me. It hurts me more thinking up all these crazy possibilities, just tell me.”
Justin looked at Jamie and his heart broke a little more. He didn’t want to do this. He SHOULDN’T be doing this. Dave should be the one leaving the tour, not Jamie.
“James, Dave wants you off the tour.” He said it in one breath and Jamie had to lean in to catch it.
“Excuse me? I must have heard you wrong because it sounded a lot like Dave wants me off the tour.” Tears welled in her eyes when Justin’s own tears fell down his cheeks and he nodded.
“He said that you need to be gone by tomorrow evening or he’s going to press charges. I have no idea what he has against me, but I don’t want to push him.”
It was Jamie’s turn to pace the floor. This couldn’t be right; she must have heard Justin wrong.
Her biggest fear was starting to come true. Just as she was starting to live again, just as she was on the path to mending her broken heart, THIS had to happen. She couldn’t leave Justin. He was the only one she had, he was her rock…she loved him DAMMIT!
“Jamie, baby, please…say something.” His pleading voice caused her pacing to stop and she looked at him and started to cry even harder. She started to sink to the floor, her body racked by sobs, and Justin flew off the bed and pulled her into his embrace.
“I…I can’t…I don’t want to…leave you.” She managed to get out between sobs and Justin felt physical pain in his chest.
“I love you Baby. I love you…” He whispered into her ear over and over again in an attempt to calm her down, but it was rather difficult because he was so upset himself.
The two of them sat on the floor just holding each other. They had no idea how long they sat there, but it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was making the pain go away, and neither of them knew where to start.