WILDFIRE
By Aysia Anderson (a.k.a. Nikki)

Chapter Five: Released Into The Wild

"For Camille's album release she had an exclusive party at her home with quite an extensive guest list." Gary Smith reported to the cameras as Nastassia settled back down into her chair after the brief break that everyone had taken for lunch. "Many of the individuals there were old friends and family members but there were also many celebrities that were there in full support of her. Some of the guests included Beyonce Knowles, Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, The Lacheys, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and the list just continues on from there. Could you tell us what it was like being there?"

The cameraman panned over to Nastassia who smiled brightly. The lighting and makeup staff had just completed their jobs mere seconds before the attention was cast back on her. The process didn't seem as bad as it was in the beginning but she was sure she only felt that way because she and Gary had had a breakthrough and she trusted him slightly more than she had before.

"Oh, the release party for her debut album was amazing." she scratched her left eyebrow before continuing. "Originally it was going to be held in this huge auditorium but Camille felt like that was way too much pressure and if the album flopped she didn't want all of the media there to see her fail. So she and her manager decided to just throw a little bash at her new home in California but what was expected to be a quiet night ended up being loud and rowdy with barely enough standing room."

"Everyone showed up to that party?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "She invited a few people but those people told other people and then things just got a little out of hand." Nastassia laughed, thinking back on that night. "It was cool though because it made for good networking."

"So between dating David Banks and Justin there have been rumors that Camille started seeing R&B superstar Usher Raymond. Is there any truth to that or was it just gossip?" Gary inquired.

"There is a little truth to that. She and Usher met at the album release party…"

////

"You look mad as hell, man. What's up?" Nelly questioned as he stepped outside and onto the veranda of Camille's home to spy his friend leaning against the side of the house looking as if he wanted to murder someone.

Justin shook his head not really wanting to speak while holding a bottle of beer precariously between his fingers. He wasn't in the mood to talk. He was too wound up to say anything even remotely decent and instead of exploding he opted to keep his peace. There was no way that he would ruin her album release party. This night was too big for her.

"Is this about Camille and Usher?" Nelly inquired after following Justin's steady gaze to the opposite side of the veranda where she stood leaning against the railing with Usher at her side. They had been exchanging flirtatious words and glances all night though no one really had taken notice besides the pair's closest friends.

"Why does she do shit like that?" he asked, watching Usher rest his hand lightly over her collarbone and shoulder while leaning in to whisper into her ear. She was smiling innocently but he could tell that she liked the words that she was hearing. Usher was probably spitting some of the lousiest bullshit ever but she'd fall for it because of who he was, how good he looked, and how she felt every time he touched her.

"Shit like what, man? Living?"

Justin shook his head and took a sip from his bottle. "She knows that I'm crazy about her."

"How would she know that? Yeah, you flirt with her constantly but she isn't the only girl that you cast your attention on. You flirt with Nastassia too."

"That's different."

"Is it?" Nelly raised an eye brow at his friend. "Don't be mad at her because you haven't taken the initiative to step up to the plate."

Justin sighed heavily, still watching her every move with Usher. "She doesn't look at me the way that she's looking at him."

"That's true," he nodded. "She looks at you a whole lot differently than she looks at anyone else."

"Hey, boys!" Nastassia's voice interrupted their private conversation as she appeared from inside the house and came to stand between them while snacking on a cucumber sandwich. "What's happening?"

"Nothing," Justin answered, polishing off the remainder of his beer. "Just thinking about getting out of here."

"Getting out of here?" she stared at him before exchanging looks with Nelly and returning her eyes to see his stern features. "What's the matter with you? It's Camille's big night and I thought you wanted to be a part of that."

"I thought she wanted me to be a part of it too." Justin stared passed her and she followed his eyes to see what the two men had been spying before continuing the conversation.

"You think he's infringing on your territory or something? You want to go run over there and pee on her leg so he knows that she's yours?" she questioned.

"Nastassia, damn!" Nelly made a disgusted face at the young woman.

"I'm just trying to make a point here." Nastassia focused in on Justin. "Stop acting like a punk and go get your girl if that's how you feel."

"She's not my girl." he pointed out.

"Because you didn't ask her to be. You can stand over here being a punk if you want to because some other man will end up doing your job for you and we all know that you aren't going to like that…"

Camille took her bottom lip into her teeth and stared up into the deep dark brown eyes of the young R&B crooner. They had been introduced to each other earlier on in the evening and had been chatting ever since. He had a lot of insight into the business and enough confidence in himself to speak what was on his mind. She was more than a little attracted to him and if she was reading him right he was just as attracted to her.

"You're real cute when you do that," he commented, holding his beer bottle loosely with his fingertips.

"When I do what?"

"That little lip thing that you do." Usher pointed out casually. "That's sexy."

"Yeah?" Camille couldn't disguise the sultry tone from making itself present in her voice. He was turning her on something crazy.

"Yeah," he repeated, in turn taking his own lip into his teeth. "Wow, you need to let me know if I'm coming on too strong or something. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You're not making me uncomfortable," she assured him, "I'll let you know."

"Okay then." he winked at her and licked his bottom lip seductively. He had been peeping her out since he had seen her first video on MTV a few months back. He thought it was a little sad when her album release was put on hold but it was good marketing that her label in turn released a remix video to keep the public's attention in the meantime. He wasn't sure of what the circumstances had been but she had good people behind her.

Camille grinned before glancing into the direction where her three friends stood squabbling. Her smile slowly began to disintegrate as she noticed Nastassia laying into Justin and the look of discomfort that was plastered on his face. She hadn't gotten a lot of time to spend with him over the course of the night and it bothered her but there wasn't much she could do about it. Her eyes slowly returned to Usher's.

"Hey, there's something that I have to take care of but will you be sticking around for a while?" she asked.

"Most definitely," he stood up straight, "I want to be here when they announce your first day record sales. Do what you have to do."

"Thanks," she touched his arm gently as they started walking together back toward the house. "We'll pick this up a little later on?"

"Yeah," he nodded as they separated, him heading into the house and her stopping off near her friends.

"Yo, yo!" Nelly stepped in between Justin and Nastassia to put an end to their bickering once he saw Camille approaching them. "Stassia, let me talk to you inside for a minute, girl."

"I'm not finished." she snapped at him before taking notice of Camille coming to a stop near them. She cleared her throat and nodded her compliance before throwing Justin a disappointed look and following Nelly inside of the house.

Justin took a deep breath and closed his eyes while leaning back against the house once again. He just wanted to disappear. He didn't want to have to deal with this right now. Nastassia was right. There was no reason for him to sit there harboring all of his emotions instead of coming clean about it. He was just so afraid of failure and rejection that he continuously psyched himself out.

"Hey, you." Camille's voice was soft and careful as she walked around to the front of him, removing the now empty beer bottle from his hand and placing it on the banister. "You look like hell. What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it." he replied, barely able to look at her from beneath his long eyelashes. She looked beautiful wearing his oversized cream colored mesh sweater over a white bra and white denim capris. If he had thought about other men circling her like bees to honey earlier on he wouldn't have let her borrow the sweater.

"I thought you could tell me anything?"

"Not this."

"Okay," she nodded slowly that she understood though it irked her that he was holding out on her. "You told me that you were going to dance with me at my party and you haven't danced with me all night."

"I don't feel up to dancing right now, Camille, besides you've been otherwise engaged."

"Shit, Justin, you sound like you're my boyfriend or something. Jealous much?"

He shook his head incredulously and stood up from the wall, pulling the hood of his red sweatshirt over his head. "Look, have a nice party, C, but I have to get out of here. My mom called me and I need to go run out there real quick." he lied.

Camille couldn't help but to giggle at his words. "J, your mom is out of town. You're going to go catch a flight to see what she needs?"

Justin stared at her for a moment just taking her in before making his next statement. "You should go in there and dance with Usher since he's got so much of your attention."

"What?" she stared at him quizzically. "You're really pissed off that I was talking to him?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters! If this is about me not spending every waking moment with you hanging out and being your friend then I really think you need to grow up!"

"It's not about friendship and sharing you with other people, Camille!"

"Then what is it? You want to be the guy kissing me and hugging me and…" her voice trailed off when she noticed the way that he was looking at her. "That is what you want isn't it?"

"No," he lied, clenching his teeth together tightly as a few of her guests shifted between the veranda and the house.

"Are you sure?" Camille could feel her heart dropping into her feet. She wanted him to say how he was feeling. She needed him to just come out with is and make every last one of her adolescent fantasies a reality.

"I think I need to be sure right now." Justin swallowed as he felt them being drawn closer and closer together like magnets. They were standing so close that they were sharing the same air and soon they'd be sharing the same mouths. Before he could deliver on the inevitable and change the entire dynamic of their relationship a certain gentleman made his reappearance in the doorway.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Usher greeted him, shaking hands before turning to Camille who had stepped away from Justin so quickly that she had nearly stumbled over her own feet. "They're about to announce your numbers, baby girl. You might want to come in and hear what they are."

"Okay," she nodded, giving Justin one last look before taking Usher's hand and following him inside.

Justin stood outside alone for a while trying to get his mind straight. Why hadn't he just told her the truth when she had asked him? She was giving him the opportunity to get it off of his chest and be real about it but at the same time why would she even question him on how he felt about her? He took care of her when she and David had split. He spent most of if not all of his days off with her. Didn't his actions say it all?

Shaking his head he took a deep breath and made his way inside. Casually he weaved between the clumps of people standing and waiting in anticipation on his way to the living room. Once he got there he stopped just inside the doorway and leaned against the frame. She was standing in the middle of the room with Nelly and Nastassia on one side and Usher on the other, his arms secured around her waist. They all stood in silence as Johnny Wright, the manager that she and Justin shared, stood before them on his cellular phone listening to the results.

"Those are the exact numbers? You're absolutely positive?" Johnny showed absolutely no emotion as he spoke to the industry executive over the phone.

Justin could read how anxious Camille was all over her face. She was fidgeting with her fingers and tapping her right foot. Something about it was insanely adorable and he wished that he could be the one standing there with her but his pride was standing in the way. That is, his pride and Usher were standing in his way.

"All right, thank you Harry. You have a nice night." Johnny clicked off his cellular phone and stared down at the ground as a hush fell over the room. "Camille?"

"Oh, shit." she closed her eyes sadly and inhaled deeply. Her biggest fears were flooding over her all at once.

"I don't know how to tell you this but," Johnny stepped closer to her and lifted her chin up with his index finger, "you just broke the record for number of albums sold in one day."

"What?" Camille could hardly breathe. "What?"

"Oh, my God, girl!" Nastassia shouted excitedly as the rest of the room came alive with congratulatory words and energy.

"You've got be kidding me! Don't mess with me like that!"

"No joke, honey. You're number one." Johnny drew her into his arms for a hug.

Justin began to enter the room, all smiles, after hearing the news. He wanted to share in the excitement and stand at her side. He had never doubted her. His steady pace came to an abrupt halt though when Camille turned to accept an embrace from Usher and their lips met all at once. He couldn't breathe.

Camille pulled away from the kiss reluctantly and stared at Usher expressionlessly as Justin stood a few feet behind her unable to move. Nastassia and Nelly were so busy sharing their excitement that they hadn't noticed what was about to go down. A face-off was in the horizon.

An eerie feeling settled over Camille as she took a step back stopping exactly between the two men, still unaware that Justin was even there. She wanted to say something but she couldn't find her tongue. She didn't know whether to say thank you or let's never do this again. Thankfully she didn't have to say anything at all.

"Yo, this is kind of weird man," Justin stepped around her to talk one-on-one with the young man that had just taken her breath away, "but I have to bring it to you real."

"What's up?" Usher nodded to him a bit suspiciously, still looking passed him at Camille who was now looking down at the floor.

"You know how this industry thing is and how a lot of things are kept hush-hush?" Justin continued. "Well, Camille and I are one of those things."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I'm not trying to step on your toes or anything or turn this into a fight because I'm not confrontational at all but this has got to be squashed. I know y'all were flirting and she was throwing you some signals and shit but the actual physical contact thing," he shook his head looking up at the ceiling, "that doesn't go down."

Usher couldn't help but to laugh. "You know, you and I haven't been all that close since you bailed out of doing that track with me on my 8701 album? It's been a long time but, um, this isn't how I thought our little reunion would be." he took a step closer to him so that no one else could be in on their conversation. "Now, I know that Camille is not your girl because all this time that we've been flirting and talking tonight we've already had the conversation about the two of you. On a completely real level the girl does have some feelings for you but she's convinced that you'll never act on anything and I feel like if it takes another man to step in your way for you to want to get geeked about her then you don't deserve to be with her at all."

Justin licked his bottom lip and nodded slowly, not really trying to hear what Usher had to say but not disrespecting him either. They weren't running partners and they weren't enemies but something was telling him that he didn't want to go head-to-head with this cat. He was a lover and not a fighter but sometimes love could make you do some things.

"So why don't we bring this down a few levels before things get heated? I'd hate to have to fight you in this girl's living room especially since it's not in either one of our characters to make this a physical altercation. Camille doesn't belong to either one of us which can only be changed in time. Now, what I'm going to do is ask her out to dinner with me for tomorrow night. You, being her closest friend and all, have every opportunity to step up and ask her out on a date of your own." Usher took a step back from him, sizing him up. "I wouldn't punk out this time if I were you, JT."

Justin shook his head with a sly grin on his face, calling over his shoulder. "Camille?"

"Yes?" she approached the two men nervously and looked up at Justin while fidgeting with her fingers.

"Usher thought it would be a nice idea if we all went out for dinner tomorrow night to further celebrate your success. That sound good to you?"

"Yeah," she nodded, turning to Usher with a smile. "That sounds cool."

The two men exchanged glares. Usher was a little shocked that Justin had the audacity to invite himself on the date that he was planning for he and Camille but he had to respect the game. There was nothing like good old fashioned cock blocking.

"Can't wait to see you there, JT." He smiled with a bit of a chuckle before moving to glide his arms around Camille as if the other man were no longer there. "Can we go back outside and continuing talking? I want to tell you about how excited I am for you."

/*/*/

Wrapped in a large drying towel Camille emerged from the master bathroom and into the bedroom that she had once shared with her husband. All around her were images of what had once been. It had been two weeks and the scent of him still hung in the air, clinging to every fabric in the room. It made her sad and happy all at the same time. A part of him was still with her but that relaxed feeling was now curbed by the shadow of doubt.

Taking a deep breath she sidetracked to the radio and turned it on to clear her mind of her thoughts. Music was always therapeutic for her. It could alter moods and states of mind. She just hoped something uplifting was on. As she hopped from station to station she heard a familiar voice and paused.

"Hey, hey! This is Dee Dee from V100, the station with all the jams, and right now we're going to play you a song that has been leaked from Camille Henderson's yet-to-be released album, Standing in Shallow Waters. Being the radio station so closely connected to the industry insiders we will be playing different tracks from this revolutionary new album all this week in hopes that you, the listeners, will once again put this amazing performer on the top. She's been going through a lot recently with her separation from her husband, Justin Timberlake, and all of this unnecessary media attention…"

"Oh, shit!" Camille winced in pain. This wasn't the first time that V100 had decided to play her entire album and she didn't take it as a bad thing because it definitely did help her sales.

Every track that she laid down she always thought of as a potential single and by them broadcasting the entire thing to the listeners it gave them the decision of which singles should be released. The only problem now was that this album seemed almost too personal to her. It encompassed every thing that she was feeling when she heard the news from Justin's own lips up until the first moments she had to spend without him.

"Now, Doug, Cocoa Butter and I have been listening to this album all day and we fell in love with this slow jam right here called The Stage Was Set." Dee Dee continued.

"Not that one! Not that one!" Camille dropped down onto the side of the bed and put her head in her hands.

"This song pretty much says it all. So take a listen and call in if you think this should be the next single."

Camille shook her head slowly as her song began to play on the radio. She remembered sitting in the bedroom writing the lyrics. It had been a day similar to this one where she had stepped into the room and Justin's aura had just flooded over her. His presence was all around her even when he was in absence. When she heard her own voice coming through the speakers she took a deep breath and started for the closet to pick out clothes for the day.

Remember how we used to make love
All night long, on the bed and on the floor
Couldn't get enough of you
Yet you turned me into the fool
I was blinded by the way we touched
Nothing else ever mattered that much
No one else could compare
But suddenly you're not there

Half-heartedly she tread through the many outfits lining the walls of her walk-in closet. She didn't remember when she had became such a clothing collector but she was sure that it hadn't jumped to this level until she had gotten together with Justin. She suddenly wanted to make sure that she always looked her best around him even though on numerous occasions he had told her that he thought she looked the best in one of his oversized t-shirts and a pair of lace panties.

Truthfully, she found that he was all over her a lot more when she was dressed shabbily with her hair looking horrendous. She had never understood that but then again she liked him best when he was lounging around the house in his pajama pants and a tank top. She liked him clean shaven but that fresh stubble that he had in the morning was definitely sexy.

"Damn! Get out of my head!" she stressed under her breath just in case Nicole made another guest appearance in the room without her knowing it. Jadedly she picked out a red off the shoulder satin shirt and a pair of black elephant pants before trudging back out of the closet and into her room.

I'm lying in this bed all alone
I hear the ringing but won't answer the phone
I want to see you but it's not the time
I don't want you to ever see me cry
I'll forgive but I cannot forget
Turned away and the stage was set
For something to go wrong
I should have known it all along

Easily Camille slid out of her towel and into her clothes before sitting down in front of the vanity. She didn't feel like putting on makeup today so she definitely wasn't about to apply any. She liked her natural look and she was going to stick with it. The only time she ever plastered her face was for award shows and that was because she was afraid the cameras would pick up the birth or a pimple on her skin.

Staring at herself in the mirror she thought about the times when she would be sitting in this same spot brushing through her hair. Justin would be lying in the middle of the bed looking up at the flat screen television embedded into the ceiling. She'd smirk at him when he'd notice her spying him and he'd crawl off of the bed and over to her.

"I don't know why you're even trying to fix your hair for bed," he'd whisper into her ear while staring into her eyes in the reflection of the mirror, "you know I'm just going to end up messing it up for you in a few minutes anyway."

When you kissed her did you think of me
Or were you caught up in your fantasy
Did I not love you hard enough
Or was it so much it made things tough
I accept that you apologized
But how long did you comfort me with lies
I'd never treat you this way
I'd tell you the truth and just pray that you'd stay

Justin leaned back against the headrest of his car as he drove in route to the airport. Lonnie, his bodyguard, sat at his side unsure of why his friend and employer would put himself through this. Most guys would turn the station if their soon-to-be ex-wife were on the radio singing about how bad he had made her feel. Justin, though, wasn't like that. He didn't want to run away from what he had done and being a musician himself he understood that writing about the pain could sometimes soften the blow. He encouraged it.

"I don't believe that, man." Lonnie spoke up, deciding that he would like to debate the lyrics of the song since he could tell that Justin was hashing and rehashing them inside of his head anyway.

"You don't believe what?"

"The part about her saying if she had messed around on you she would have told you straight out and just hoped that you would understand." he clarified.

"Nah," Justin shook his head slowly, "Camille definitely would have told me from jump if she had cheated on me. You don't understand her logic."

"Well let me in on it."

"All right, see, Camille is the type of person that believes that if she ever feels the need to cheat on you she's just going to stop being with you all together. She doesn't see the point in lying or causing the person any unnecessary pain. She'd much rather just tell you that she's leaving you and leave it at that."

"That's not the same as she cheated and she's going to come home and tell you."

"She'd come home and tell me." Justin assured his comrade. "Shit, she'd probably call me in the middle of it or right before she was about to do it and say, `Justin, I'm going to have to let you go'." he laughed.

"Man, I don't see what's so funny. How can you laugh at something like that?"

"Because laughing is a lot better than crying and feeling depressed every day of my life."

I'm lying in this bed all alone
I hear the ringing but won't answer the phone
I want to see you but its not the time
I don't want you to ever see me cry
I'll forgive but I cannot forget
Turned away and the stage was set
For something to go wrong
I should have known it all along

"Mommy!" Nicole burst into the room just as Camille had finished parting her hair, pulling half of it into a ponytail and leaving the rest down. Immediately she bounded onto the bed and began jumping up and down on it. It was something that she could get away with only when her father wasn't at home.

"What's going on, sweet pea?"

"There's someone at the door." she answered, gliding into the air and coming down again onto the bed.

"What?" Camille asked questioningly. "Who?"

"It's a man. I didn't let him in because I don't know who he is and you said don't open the door for strangers unless it's Aunt Stassia because she's strange."

She smiled slightly at how her daughter picked up every single thing that she said. She just hoped that she never listened to her when she was swearing. She tried to keep it at a minimum but sometimes she forgot that she was a mother with an impressionable young child.

"I'm going to go see who it is so you stay up here."

"I want to go!" Nicole pouted as her mother headed out of the room and toward the stairs leading down to the first floor.

"Nikki,"

"Mommy, please?" she pleaded with the sweetest little voice known to man. Her mother gave in all too easily and in a flash she was right behind her on the way to the front door.

Oh, I put my faith in something unknown
You were my friend first so I thought our love would be simple
How could I ever think you were unlike the rest
Boy you showed me, you failed your own test

Camille felt like the wind had been knocked out of her after she had peered out of the side window to see who was at the front door. She didn't know who she had been expecting to see but this was not that person at all. Quickly gathering her bearings her hand clasped around the doorknob, turning it, and opening the front door.

I'm lying in this bed all alone
I hear the ringing but won't answer the phone
I want to see you but its not the time
I don't want you to ever see me cry
I'll forgive but I cannot forget
Turned away and the stage was set
For something to go wrong
I should have known it all along

/*/*/

"Wow, sweetheart, you look amazing," was the first thing to fall out of Usher's mouth when he first got a glimpse of Camille in her black cocktail dress entering the restaurant with Nastassia, Justin, Nelly and Alyssa Milano in tow. In a gentlemanly manner he kissed her on the cheek, greeted the individuals that had accompanied her, and lead her to their table.

Once they arrived they all took their seats. Nelly and Nastassia sat together across from Justin and Camille and Usher and Alyssa took the two ends of the table, both sitting near their respective dates. Nelly, being a man himself, noticed the power play that was occurring right off of the bat. He shook his head with a smirk and lifted his menu in front of his face as not to be a part of it. Camille didn't even realize what was going on.

"This place wasn't too hard to find was it?" Usher inquired, holding her left hand in his, kissing it gently and staring deep into her eyes.

"Nah, it was no problem." Justin cleared his throat causing Camille to look away from her date and turn to him momentarily.

"Glad to hear it." Usher rolled his eyes at him before capturing her attention again. "So how does it feel to be the number one selling artist in the country?"

"It's just so surreal, you know? It's something that I always wanted but nothing I expected to achieve."

"But it's amazing though?"

"Completely."

"Psst." Nelly whispered to Nastassia whom sat at his side scanning the menu idly. She turned to him slightly and saw the look on his face telling her that something was going down. They held a silent conversation with their eyes before she lowered her menu so that she could continue scanning it but also be in on the action.

"Justin, do you know what you're having?" Alyssa asked, patting his forearm gently before he turned to her.

"Oh, no, I'm not sure. Do you know what you're getting?" he tried to save face.

Nastassia and Nelly exchanged looks again but still said nothing. As Camille began reading her menu Usher turned to make conversation with them. This was a group thing and no one needed to be left out.

"So how long have the two of you been seeing each other?" he questioned.

"They're not seeing each other." Camille commented, her eyes not shifting from her menu.

"Damn, y'all could have fooled me."

"They fool lots of people."

Nastassia shot her friend an glare. "Don't start nothing won't be nothing. I wouldn't want to have to break you off in your pretty little dress."

Alyssa looked up briefly to take in what was happening at the table. She knew that the two young women were only kidding with each other but the relationship was weird. They were two adults squabbling like children. She shook her head, unimpressed, and continued her conversation with Justin.

"They do this all of the time." Nelly filled Usher in who was chuckling at the ordeal. "If you want to stick around you'll have to get used to it."

"Well, I'm definitely thinking about sticking around." he commented and Justin paused in reading what was on the menu. He had not just heard this guy correctly.

"Alyssa, I'll be right back." He stood up from the table. "I'm going to go run to the restroom really quickly." he turned to the rest of the table to excuse himself before heading off.

"Interesting." Usher sat forward as the server appeared at the table and asked everyone what they wanted to drink. Everyone made their orders, Camille ordering a Scotch on the rocks for Justin, before the young man went back to the bar and her cellular phone began vibrating in her handbag.

"Excuse me," she apologized and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"He's trying to get under your dress." Justin's voice came through the line and her face dropped upon her realization that it was him.

"What are you doing?" Camille lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Obviously not taking a leak." he countered. "Why don't you just tell him that you don't feel well and I'll offer to take you home so that all of this can just be nipped in the bud? I'll stop at Cosi's and get you a sandwich and you and I can spend the rest of the night together."

"Are you high?" Camille forced a smile as her friends peered into her direction once hearing her words. "I'm sorry," she apologized to them again, "it's my cousin."

"Cousin?" Nastassia mouthed to her before cluing in that she was referring to Justin.

"Randy, if you don't like her friend then maybe you should have said something to her about it a little bit earlier on or at least waited until tomorrow because I'm quite positive she's going to be pissed off at you."

"Quit letting him touch you." Justin ordered as if she really felt
obligated to oblige to his wishes.

"I don't know if she's going to be able to do that, Randy, but I don't think by bringing another girl to the party she's going to be all that interested in hearing what you have to say. I'll talk to you later about this." Camille pushed the end button and turned off her phone before dropping it back into her handbag. A few minutes later Justin returned and reclaimed his seat at her side.

"You okay over there player? It took you a while to get back." Usher taunted him but instead of coming back at him in the same way Justin decided to just let it roll off of his back. He had already said a little bit too much for the night but something in him couldn't rest.

"I ran into an old friend of mine," he lied. "When's the last time you spoke to Chilli?"

"Oh!" Nelly couldn't contain himself and took a deep breath. They were bringing out the big guns now. Nastassia was at his side unsuccessfully holding down her laughter.

"Ha!" Usher rolled his eyes. "I'd ask you how your exes were doing too but, shit, you brought yours here so I'll just bypass you and ask Alyssa," he smiled at her warmly, "how are you doing tonight, honey?"

"I'm great, thank you." Alyssa took a sip from her glass as soon as the server placed all of their drinks down on the table and began taking their meal orders.

"You order this for me?" Justin asked, holding up the scotch and eyeing Camille.

"Yes," she replied, not looking at him because he was steadily making her more and more upset and uncomfortable. The server had excellent timing because the sparring came to an abrupt end upon his appearance. Soon, though, everyone had ordered and the young man had gone. By the end of the night Alyssa had retreated early and Nastassia and Nelly were in hysterics. Camille ended up saying that she didn't feel well… Usher took her home.

Was she really sick...?