�Better Than Best� Chapter 2: There For You

Once inside the make-up studio, Ash, Trev, and Jacob sat down and got right to work. Dan took me aside.

�Jenna, I can�t wait any longer I have to tell you,� he said.

�Tell me what, Dan?� I said stupidly.

�I love you, I wanna be more than just friends or whatever we are,� his eyes were pleading with me to understand and accept.

�Oh, Dan, I can�t believe you feel this way,� his eyes sunk. �I�ve been feeling like this for months.�

He let out a sigh. �You have? So we can be a couple, officially?�

�Sure, I mean, yes, of course. We can make it official and public today in our interviews.�

�Here,� he handed me a ring box. �This will make it completely official.

I opened the box. Inside was a silver band with a single princess cut diamond. It was beautiful.

�It�s a promise ring. I�m always here for you, Jenna.�

I almost started crying. �I love you so much, Dan. I wouldn�t want it any other way.�

�Me too. By the way, you look absolutely amazing today.�

�Thanks,� I replied and with that I was swept into a dressing room.

As the make-up artists did my hair and make-up and found me a new outfit, I thought about Dan. I cared about him so much and I was so glad and relieved that he felt the same. He protected me from everything and he was so cool to be around. I hoped that our fame wouldn�t break us apart.

After an hour the guys and I were ready for the photo shoots. Each of us had different backgrounds and styles of clothes that we were modeling. Ashley had some kind of Antarctic theme with a furry winter coat. Jacob had a beach theme, which looked great on him because he�s from a beachfront city. Trevor was wearing a tropical shirt, probably a Hawaiian theme. Dan looked absolutely gorgeous in city slicker theme. I was standing in front of my mid-western background looking a little too much like a cowgirl. Dan saw my reaction to my theme and came over, laughing as he walked.

�You don�t think I look a little too much like�� I started, and then trailed off.

�Jenna, you look beautiful like always. You�ll be great for this part. Could you imagine Ashley in this theme?� Dan smiled his heartbreaking smile.

�I guess not,� I said laughing.

�Everybody in your places!� our photographer yelled over his microphone.

�Yeah, y�all! Get in front of yas background and look beautiful!� I said.

All the guys laughed. It took over an hour for the photographers to be satisfied with the outcome of our fun. We goofed through the whole thing; it�s a wonder we got anything done. Around lunchtime we were back in the dressing rooms changing yet again for our interviews. I heard Jacob talking to Mike Cronin.

�What do you mean he�s taking our house away? That�s our house!� Jacob was screaming at the top of his lungs. The room fell quiet waiting for Mike�s reply.

Neither guy seemed to hear the silence. �They gave you the house, so now the just want what they paid for,� Mike looked around. Dan, Ashley, Trevor, and I had formed around Jacob, some of us half dressed.

Jacob didn�t even notice. �Give me your cell. That still works doesn�t it?� he said angrily.

Mike handed him his cell phone. �Don�t do something stupid, Jacob. It�s not worth fighting for.�

�What do you mean, �it�s not worth fighting for�? It�s not your house they�re taking away!� I was sharing Jacob�s anger.

Jacob punched in numbers furiously. He put the phone to his ear. It rang only once before he growled, �Get Lou on the phone, now.�

He put the phone on speaker. We all heard the next words, a little too cheerful for our moods. �This is Lou Pearlman, how may I help you?�

Ashley grabbed the phone from Jacob. �This is how you�re gonna help us, Lou. You are not, I repeat, are not going to take away our house and anything else you were planning to take back. You are going to turn our cell phones back on and reinstate our credit cards, by the end of today. Do you understand me?�

�Ashley? Is that you?� Lou asked innocently.

�Who else would it be?� Ashley bit his tongue before he was as angry as the rest of us. �Are you taking away houses from other people too?�

�Lou, we�re all right here and we want answers, now,� I said.

�I can�t give you the answers that you�re looking for right now but if you meet me for a conference at 4:30 today, maybe then you�ll all be a little calmer and I can answer your questions. I�ll see you then,� with that Lou hung up the phone.

�That son of a�� Jacob�s face was turning bright red.

�OK, that�s enough of that,� Mike Morin clapped his hands together. �Everyone into the dressing rooms. We�ve got to hustle now so we can meet with Lou.�

The guys and I changed quickly into the clothes we had put on that morning. We hustled to our SUVs and took off to our interviews. We pulled into the parking lot of a massive two-story building. Mike and Mike lead us into the front doors where they checked us in. The secretaries were star-struck and waved us through. We walked through a long hallway, which ended in a conference room. A huge rectangular table took up most of the room. On the far side of the table five reporters were seated. We each took a seat across from them while Mike and Mike stood behind us, making sure we didn�t say anything stupid.

Each reporter started up their own round of questioning. The reporter across from me took out a photo. �Do you have any comment on this?� he asked me.

The photo was of Dan and me sitting a little too close together at an awards banquet the band had attended the week before. His hand was clasped around mine and we were both laughing. It was a really nice picture. I turned to my right, where Dan was seated, to get comfort and assurance.

Dan motioned to his reporter to listen in. Then turned to my reporter and said, �There�s nothing to hide. Jenna and I are together and that�s all there is to it.�

I nodded. �That�s exactly right. And you can quote him.�

The reporters furiously wrote down all the facts and our reactions. I stifled a giggle. I turned toward Dan again. I locked eyes with him for a second then he leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. I saw Jacob behind Dan look at us with confusion. I stood up.

�OK, for the record, reporters and fellow band members, Dan and I are a couple. Take that for what it�s worth.�

Ashley, Trevor, Jacob, Mike, and Mike applauded. �Finally.� I heard Trevor say.

We all turned back to our interviews and after 15 minutes of questions, we were released and headed back to our SUVs. It was time for lunch. First, we had to go to our recording studio and record the final version of the remix of �All or Nothing.� When we got there, Mike Cronin got on the phone and ordered Port of Subs sandwiches. Dan was up first to record his solo.

Within minutes, his awesome voice filled the air. �Cuz I want it all or nothing at all. There�s nowhere left to fall. It�s now or never.�

I smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. My turn was next. I went into the sound booth and put on the headset. I started singing.

�Cuz you and I could lose it all if you�ve got no more room inside for me in your life�� The music trailed off and I left the booth. Mike told me that since I was done I could go eat lunch with Dan in the conference room.

I found Dan sitting at the table with our sandwiches in front of him. I pulled my chair up next to him and started eating. When we were through I leaned into his arms and he held me there until the other guys came in to eat.

�Jenna, they want you to record another part on All or Nothing,� Ashley said.

�OK,� with my hand still holding Dan�s I pulled him up and we walked down the hall to the studio.

Matt, our recording engineer, said, �I want you to pick up some of the vocals in the first verse with Dan. Just in case he slacks off, you can pick up some of the slack.�

�Sure, no problem,� I said and went in to record.

When I was ready, Matt told me, �Don�t sing the whole thing, just pick up on the key points, the notes you feel comfortable singing.�

He turned on the music with Dan�s voice already recorded. I listened to the music, �It�s over, and something some where�s got to give, gets older, older.� The music faded off.

�Perfect! That was awesome Jenna!� Matt and Dan were applauding.

I came out of the booth. �So are we done here for the day?�

�Yes, the final copy of the song for the single will be done by the end of today. Great job guys,� Matt gave us a pat on the back.

We walked back to the conference room where everyone else was done and waiting for us. Mike Morin looked up and said, �OK, guys we gotta go meet Lou.�

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