chpt5

Chapter Five

Alexis made it home with just enough time to shower and get ready. As she was getting dressed JC had called and the plans were set. He was to pick her up in an hour and they would meet everyone else at a restaurant, and from there plans were not set in stone as to where they were going. Alexis gave a twirl in front of her full-length mirror that stood in her room. She gave a nod of approval as she reviewed what she was wearing. A plain black knee length skirt, with a sleeveless red top, topped off with sandals and a matching purse. She walked into her living room and decided against calling her best friend until tomorrow to give her all the details, so she sat down in front of the TV to wait. Alexis was the kind of person who was always ready before she had to be and was always stuck waiting for someone.

She tried clearing her mind of other people�s problems that she ended up coming home with. She didn�t want to think of what she could do or say next to help any of them, not right now, this was her night. Her long needed break from the world, to let loose and get back in the loop of dating. Something she had not done in a long time, something she had never really done. And what a better test then to go out with a celebrity. Thinking about this made her nervous so she tried to veer her mind elsewhere, but it wasn�t working, she now began to feel a little insecure about this whole thing. She had accepted JC�s proposal without hesitation, she felt so comfortable, she wasn�t star struck at all, but now she was feeling the total opposite as all these thoughts swarmed through her head. With that she heard a knock at the door.

�Oh god it�s him,� she said aloud to herself. �Just calm down and open the door, you�ve felt fine around him before and this should be no different.�

He knocked on the door again. Alexis took a few more deep breaths and walked over to open it. Her eyes grew big and her heart almost skipped a beat as she stared at the man on the other side of the door. He was wearing khaki pants with a shirt that hugged him in just the right places. On top of this was a leather jacket that made the outfit. His blue eyes glimmered back at her as she stared in them.

�You�re looking very nice this evening.� JC said breaking her trance that had lasted but a second.

�Thank you, you�re looking good yourself.� Alexis replied with a smile. �Come in, I just need to get my purse and we can go.�

JC stepped in and looked around as Alexis walked into her room. His eyes wandered to the far wall in the living room and his gaze settled on a frame containing a document inside. He walked over to it to get a better look. �Her diploma,� he said quietly. �Guess she�s real proud,� he thought. �I must have really offended her that day, ha but look where we are now!� JC thought, and a wide smirk came to his face.

�Did I miss something?� Alexis asked as she came out and caught JC�s obvious smile.

�No not at all, you ready?�

�Yes.� They headed towards the door and once it was opened Alexis found herself facing the back of a giant. She stopped abruptly and turned to JC. �This happens quite often doesn�t it?�

�When you�re around us, yes.�

Mike moved out of the way and greeted Alexis as she locked the door to her apartment behind her. They made their way to the car with Mike close behind. Alexis turned around to see him there then faced the direction she was walking in again.

�It takes a while to get used to having people following you around all the time. But we have no choice, it gets pretty crazy.� JC told Alexis.

�I could imagine, or on the other hand, no I probably couldn�t.� He smiled at her and opened the back seat of the large SUV for her to get in, JC sat next to her.

Alexis was surprised by this whole situation, it was something she had never experienced before. She�s sitting in the backseat of a car with the guy she�s dating for the evening, while his bodyguard drives the car. She sat there quietly a little confused and thinking what this night could bring. �Was there to be a bodyguard with us at all times? Even if we do end up going out again? Will we ever have a chance for privacy? JC said it gets kind of crazy, could I get caught up in that too. I really don�t like the sound of that.� She let her mind stray in this direction for another minute until JC broke the silence noticing the look on her face.

�Are you ok?�

�Oh yeah I�m fine, thanks. So how�s Tyler doing?� Alexis said quickly trying to make conversation.

�He�s doing pretty good, he started therapy today. That didn�t go too well. He gets frustrated so easily. He leaves Monday though, so that�s good.�

�Yeah, I�m sure he�s sick of staying at the hospital, and the therapy will get better.� There were so many questions Alexis wanted to ask JC about his brother and their situation, she still believed things hadn�t been going too well between them. But she refrained from asking anything that might upset him, at least not now, not tonight.

�There it is, that�s where we will be dinning for the evening.� JC said as he looked out the window and pointed.

The car pulled around to the back of the restaurant. �There�s a crowd out front this is safer.� Mike told them from the driver�s seat. The car came to a complete stop and Mike got out. Alexis sat there waiting for JC to get out so she can follow but he just sat there.

�Umm� so do we plan on eating in here?� Alexis asked in a slightly sarcastic tone.

JC turned his gaze from the window to face Alexis. �No we plan on getting out. Mike just went in first to scope everything out.�

�Oh, I see, ok then.�

�He�ll be back in a min.� JC�s eyes stayed locked on Alexis�s. He seemed to get lost in them as he searched, searched in her emerald eyes for an answer to an unknown question. Alexis stared back wondering why he was looking at her so intently. She felt her cheeks grow warm and her eyes moved elsewhere as a smile of embarrassment and discomfort came to her face. The awkwardness radiating from both of them poured out of the car when Mike opened the door to let them out. JC stepped out first and held out his hand to help Alexis.

�Thank you,� she said without looking up at him. She let go of his hand once she was on the ground and he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her through.

Alexis was relieved they sneaked in the back way unseen. She really didn�t want to be seen with JC, not that she was ashamed, far from it, but more that she was frightened of what fans might say or do. Listening to Marissa and stories from her, fans don�t exactly love Nsync�s girlfriends. �And what am I worried about?� Alexis thought to herself. �This isn�t really a date, this doesn�t mean I�ll be going out with him again, let me just calm down and have fun. They are regular people.� Before she knew it JC had lead her to a secluded table where Justin, Lance and Chris with his girlfriend were already seated. She let out a deep breath and gave a wide smile to the people she was now standing in front of.

�Hey, Alexis, how are you doing?� Justin was the first to say.

�Glad you could join us,� Lance chimed in.

�Hi, thanks for inviting me.� Alexis said as JC pulled out a chair for her to sit in.

�Well, that was all his doing, oww!� Chris said as he pointed to JC then grabbed his shin that was kicked from under the table.

The young women sitting next to Chris extended her hand toward Alexis. �Hi, I�m Danielle, I�m with him,� she pointed at Chris with a laugh as he gave her a pout.

�Hi, nice to meet you.� Alexis felt a little uneasy around all of them, she felt as though all their eyes were on her.

�Hey everyone, sorry I�m late.� Joey said as he walked up to the table nonchalantly.

�No you�re not, you like to make an entrance,� Justin corrected Joey.

�Well yeah, but either way I�m sorry.� Joey noticed that Lance was looking around him and behind him. Joey lifted up his arms and made a full turn. �What are you looking for man?�

�A girl, but I see you came by yourself.� Lance said leaning back into his chair.

�Yeah I know, surprising huh?� Joey said as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

�Now that everyone is here can we please eat?� JC asked

�Oh Alexis, hello, you made it, great.�

�Yes, hi.�

�Yes, yes we�re all here, the hellos are done and introductions have been made can we please all order now?� Chris asked sounding desperate and rubbing his stomach. �I haven�t eaten all day.�

�You lie, you had a big lunch, I�m surprised you�re even that hungry.� Danielle said.

�Well I am.� Chris told her simply.

Everyone was looking over the menu, and Alexis out of the corner of her eye would catch JC staring at her, but she ignored it and continued to look over the menu to try and decide what to eat. She really wasn�t that hungry to begin with, being nervous did that to her. Once the ordering was done the conversation picked back up. Alexis wasn�t too into it, although she smiled every once in a while and pretended to listen. She just sat there as they talked about the tour they just finished doing. She looked around at the other tables that were fairly far away and she saw all the looks people were giving them. The looks of excitement, surprise, and just plain star struck. It made her smile to think that here she was sitting with Nsync after meeting them just a few days ago. She also found it rather odd, it seemed strange, do pop stars as big as they are find a girl just like that and take them out without hesitation as JC has seem to have done?

She shifted her attention back to the conversation and easily picked up on it.

�So Alexis you�ve barely talked, and to tell you the truth all we know about you is that you�re a doctor, psychiatrist right?� Lance said turning his attention and everyone else�s toward her.

�Yeah that�s right, I just moved here about 2 weeks ago for the job opportunity. I lived in Chicago my whole life so the move wasn�t easy at first, but I�m glad I did it.�

�So you haven�t seen much of the town have you?� Joey asked.

�No I haven�t.� Alexis replied.

�Well just hang out with us for a while and you will know all the best places to hang out. Well at the least the places we can go to without causing a scene.�

�Yeah we really can�t go out as a group much here at home.� Justin said.

�Yep, the perks of being who we are.� Chris said sarcastically.

�But we wouldn�t trade it for anything, I know I wouldn�t, I love the music.� JC said.

�You guys just have to take everything else that comes along with it I guess.� Alexis said. �Not to compare, but me, I have to come home with other peoples problems, that can be stressful. It can put a dent to the heart.�

�You can say that whatever you decide to do with your life, career wise, always has its bad parts.� Danielle said. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

�But it all balances out in the end.� JC said putting the topic to a close.

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�We�ve decided where to go,� JC said as Alexis and he stepped into the car.

�And where�s that?�

�This little caf� place by this huge lake, it�s really beautiful. It�s a quiet more secluded place, I think you�ll like it. They have music and stuff too.�

�Sounds nice.� Alexis said, as she got comfortable in the seat.

The night had been relaxing so far, filled with interesting conversation and great company. She couldn�t ask for a better way to get her mind off things and have fun. She had stopped analyzing the status of the person she was out with and how it could affect her and what could happen. Once Alexis had done this she began to enjoy herself. And all she had to do was learn to take things as they come, go with the flow, and stop her analytical mind from working.

Nothing was said during the short car ride, before Alexis knew it the car was rolling up to the entrance. In the distance she saw what looked like a large cabin with many windows and light shinning through. As they approached she saw a porch surrounding the building. Tables and chairs were set outside and behind this place was a vast lake, the one JC had mentioned. It seemed like a cozy place where you can spend hours on end just talking with close friends. The car made it�s way on the dirt drive way to an area where other cars were parked, trees circled this whole section. This place was secluded and looked very relaxing, a place for guys like them to get away.

The car finally came to a complete stop and Mike and JC exited. Alexis figured they had to wait in the car again and was a little surprised when JC walked out so quickly, but she followed behind him. The cool breeze immediately hit her face and she took in a sharp breath, and let it out slowly.

�So what do you think?� JC asked as they walk towards the entrance.

�It�s beautiful, and so tranquil.�

JC opened the door and Alexis walked through, she was met by more of a caf� type setting, which threw off the homey feeling you got from outside. Once you step inside it was livelier. Music was playing in the background a few people dancing, and off to the sides, tables with people sitting and conversing. JC led Alexis to the back of the place where a large table was set aside. Chris and his girlfriend were already seated, the others joined minutes later.

The hours passed quickly as they talked and laughed and drank a little. Alexis danced with JC a few times as well as with the others. She was having a great time and in the process forgot who they were and all her worries.

�Excuse me I have to go to the bathroom, be right back.� Alexis said as she excused herself from the table.

On her way out of the bathroom she saw a door to her right that seemed to lead outside. Her curiosity took over and she walked out. She found herself on a terrace with a deck walkway in front of her that lead out to the lake. It must have been almost 2am now and the moon was glimmering on the water. They were pretty much out in the woods and no lights were around to obstruct her view of the sky and the stars. She walked the short length of the deck and leaned against its railings to stare off into the dark. She heard light footsteps behind her but ignored it and didn�t move a muscle; it was as though it didn�t matter.

�Hey, I kinda figured you were out here.�

It was those words and the soft way it was said that made her turn around.

�You did?� Alexis said, as she looked into JC�s blue eyes then turned away to look back out at the lake.

�Yeah, when you took so long I figured you found the door that led out here, and well here you are.�

�Yep, here I am. It�s quite a view out here you know.�

�Yes, yes it.� JC said looking at Alexis not at the view, but she noticed nothing.

JC slowly moved his eyes away from Alexis and out towards the lake. They remained silent for the next minute or so. Finally JC spoke. �So you enjoyed yourself tonight?�

�Yes I have, thank you.� Alexis said turning her head towards him. His gaze remained straight ahead.

�I�ve had a great time too,� He replied. There was silence once again for a few moments. �You know I don�t get to do this often, heck never.�

�Do what?� Alexis asked turning her body toward him.

�Ask a women I just met to go out with me, well with us. As much as I hate it I have to be careful, unfortunately, I can�t go out with every lady I might be interested in. Mainly cuz I don�t know what interests them in me.�

Alexis could barely see his eyes with the dim light being given. He stared straight ahead making no movement and showing no emotion. �And what made me different, this different? We�ve only known each other for less than a week.� Alexis spoke softly and slowly.

�Exactly, you are different. Why I don�t know, but I knew it from the moment I met you. And I jumped in head first, ignoring the lesson life had taught me while in this business. And this time has been different in every way. I just hope it continues that way.� As JC spoke those last few words his blue eyes met Alexis�s, this time it was her turn to search through them. To see the truthfulness that his words expressed. He gave her a huge smile that turned into an embarrassed laugh. Alexis smiled in return, mainly because she thought he looked irresistible at that moment. He had just spoken what he felt, and now he looked vulnerable and a little embarrassed. Alexis wanted to kiss him right there, but of course she refrained.

�Maybe we should go in now, they�re probably worried or something.� JC told her.

�Sure.� Alexis began to walk ahead of him, and as before he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her through. She felt an unmistakable tingle at his touch that ran straight to her heart and made it beat faster. She closed her eyes for a second and inhaled. The smell of his cologne reached her nose and a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. She opened her eyes, looked slightly over her shoulder and gave JC a smile that made him tingle in exactly the same way.

Chapter Six

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