CHAPTER ONE

They sometimes say that the rarest opportunities come by when you least expect them to and if you don't seize them you'll regret it for the rest of your life because those opportunities may never come again.  How does anyone pass up such an opportunity? Honestly? I have no clue, but I will tell you now that I wished that I had.

This is one of those rare defining moments in my life that I actually wanted a reason to miss this job interview for a job that I thought I wanted but soon realized I didn't. Unfortunately, it's too late and I say this with the utmost respect for my interviewer who must have been crazy to hire me in the first place.

As I make my way out of the boardroom, I'm reminded yet again why I should have maybe reconsidered this option to possibly work at one of the top fashion magazines in the country.

Yes, that's right. I just stepped foot out of an interview for an assistant job to the chief editor of A-List Magazine. And, I stepped out claiming the job as my own. I'm now officially employed as the assistant to editor in chief of A-List magazine where they set the bar of what's in, what's out, what's hot and what's not. 

Little ole me landed the job that hundreds maybe thousands of hopefuls apply for every time there's a job opening. Little ole me, straight out of Bronx, New York with absolutely no sense of style or couture. Little ole me who doesn't know the first real thing about makeup and heels which is what my brother is for actually. He helped me get dressed this morning for my interview. Yeah, you'll learn more about him eventually. But I digress.

The point is, I'm actually here, and starting work on Monday since today is Friday which means it's the weekend. And while I love that I'll be getting a great salary out of this, I can't help but wonder just why did I get hired when I don't fit into the norm here?

I'm sure my degree in Journalism and English has nothing to do with it. I've heard about the previous assistants who've had this position. According to sources, they weren't all bright but did look the part of an ‘A-List' girl.

I think it has something to do with the CEO Randall Timberlake III.  It's his company. My interviewer said that I was exactly what Mr. Timberlake was looking for, whatever that meant. Then he gave me the weirdest smile before he said and I quote "Justin is just going to love you."

I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not but it's no surprise that the editor in chief is Randall's son Justin Timberlake who along with his half brother Robert Pattinson Timberlake are the heirs to the A-List empire.

They're filthy rich, worth millions, women want them and guys want to be like them and me, well, I get to be surrounded by them on a daily basis for as long as I can keep this job. I can't quite remember who they are or what they look like. I've only ever seen their faces in these fashion magazines, but I never really paid attention before. I guess now that's about to change.

It's amazing to me really. I have the distinct feeling that my life is going to change drastically starting Monday, but I'm ready for it. I'm up for the challenge. I can't do it, I know I can.

"Get it together girl." I mutter to myself, walking down the marbled hallway of the lobby towards the exit. This place is bustling but that's expected since we're in the heart of Manhattan, New York.

It's the fast life and I'm soon going to be a part of it, all access granted. That means celebrities, parties and the glamorous life. Or does it?

Smiling to myself, I grip my cheap Gucci bag imitation to my side which matches the blue blouse and black fitted skirt I'm wearing. I can barely walk in these heels, but I'm managing.

On my way out of the large glass doors of A-List's fifteen story building, my cell begins ringing so I slow my pace and begin digging in my bag for the item, not paying any attention to where I'm going.

Finally getting it, I flip my raven hair out of my face to place my phone next to my ear but I'm not fast enough, or maybe I was too fast?

Gasping in shock, I barely get the phrase ‘excuse me' out of my mouth when I see a blur barreling right towards me at a rapid rate, colliding into me dead on like I was invisible or something. Stumbling back in shock, I drop my phone, hearing my brother's voice over the line calling out to me.

Then, someone finally decides to speak and I'm mortified by the venom dripping from their voice.

"What the fuck?! Where's your coordination?"

Losing my voice momentarily, my chestnut brown orbs widen in shock and awe when they land on a pair of icy, calculating blues.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." I manage to ramble out.

Sneering, the person brushes off their pant suit and straightens their posture while sizing me up in the process.

"You should be sorry, almost knocking me down like that...not that it would be hard for you if you tried."

What an asshole. That was definitely a weight comment; not that I'm fat or anything, but I'm sure not like the skinny twigs walking around here.

Who does this guy think he is? He seems familiar but...

"Come on man let's go, she's not worth it." Someone else speaks up.

I'm only now realizing that this guy, he has what seems to be an entourage of some sort with him.

"No, hang on a minute..." He silences his ‘friend' I'd assume. "What's your name doll?"

Doll? Oh no he didn't.

Plastering a fake smile on my face, I pick up my discarded phone and stuff it back into my bag since my brother hung up. I'll have to call him back.

"It's Tai actually." I beam and he frowns.

"Just Tai?"

"Yup."

"Uh huh." He huffs. "Well Tai, next time you want to get just a little piece of me, try going for a more graceful approach will you? Not the best first impression love. Oh and that cheap Gucci knock off you're rocking, you might want to hide the tag that says $9.99 on it."

My mouth hangs open in embarrassment as a conniving, triumphant smile graces his face. Ok, I can't take much more of his cutting remarks.

"I..."  Drifting off, I feel my face flush. Part of me wants to slap that grin off his face and another part of me wants to run away screaming and crying from humiliation. The people he's with are snickering behind him and I cut my eyes at them angrily. "You know what?" I begin and his brows curve upward in interest.

"Actually, I don't care much to know anything you have to say, but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway."  He challenges me and I grimace at him.

"You must really have your head stuck up your ass to think I'd so much as literally bump into you just to get your attention. Sorry, I was reaching for my phone and you probably weren't watching where you were going either. But, I'll be the bigger person here and say I'm sorry. Now if you'll excuse me." I snap, feeling my heart pounding out of my chest.

His eyes widen in offence and disbelief and he seems stumped as to how to answer me. I don't think people usually speak to him the way I just did. His persona definitely demands some form of respect and acknowledgement, but I'm not going to inflate that already huge ego of his. I can't take it back now. I just need out before I throw up or something.

His group of followers gasp and I roll my eyes brushing past him to leave, but I don't get far before one of them finally speaks again.

"Justin just let it go, let's head up; you have a meeting to get to. Don't make your dad pissed because you're late for another meeting again man."

Stopping mid-step, I grip the handle of the glass doors to leave as my heart sinks to my feet. Did they just say Justin? As in, as in Justin Timberlake my new boss? Oh my god...oh no.

"Can you believe her?" He continues speaking to his friend and I'm frozen solid in place wondering if I should go back over there and really apologize. I can feel his eyes on me, but I'm not going to turn around and face him to give him the pleasure of seeing how confounded I am.  "I mean, no woman talks to me like that...none. I can't even believe they let someone like her in this building. Oh man, I need to tell Rob about this, he's going to freak and wish he was there to witness it. He probably wouldn't even believe me." He laughs with his friends as I hear their retreating footsteps.

Taking in a deep breath to hold back the panic that's surging through me, I swiftly exit A-List Magazine standing on the sidewalk in a daze under the blazing sun. I give the building one last glance before I begin on my way, realizing that I maybe lost my job before I even started it.

Oh god, I knew he looked familiar. I just mouthed off to my boss. I'm so fired on Monday. I might as well kiss this opportunity goodbye.  I should have known better anyway.

Someone like me from a middle class home never makes it onto the A-List. Who was I kidding?

I guess I'm doomed to be one of those ‘Z-List' people for the rest of my life.

But oh my god? He's going to be my boss!? He's so young! He's barely thirty years old. Gosh, this sure is going to be an experience...that is, if I have a job on Monday to still call my own.

CHAPTER TWO

Next Day [Saturday]

"I still can't believe you talked smack to the Justin Timberlake. Girl you must be crazy. He's notorious for destroying people who cross him and he's not afraid to let them know that he had a hand in killing their reputation among other things. You really need to keep up to date with entertainment news and all the A-list celebrities out there. You would have known that he was Justin Timberlake the ‘party king' of New York and heir to his father's fashion empire."

"Ugh, don't remind me Sean. And I think I'm safe. The only thing he can do is fire me. I'm no A-List celebrity that he can get dirt on that the public would care about. I'm nobody." It amazes me how my brother is always in the loop with these celebrities and their lives. It's a little disturbing too.

"Girl, you're tripping. Tai, you cussed out your boss. Oh this is too good. Can I come to work with you on Monday please? I'd pay to see the look on his face when he realizes you're his new assistant."

Glaring at my brother, I huff. We're at our favorite weekend bar hang out spot, sitting at our favorite booth sipping on our poisons and just catching up with how our week went. Of course my event was the highlight of our week.

It sure wasn't the best first impression to have on my boss but I can't take it back now. I'm so screwed and Sean isn't making it any easier. He's eating it up.

"He probably won't even remember me." I shrug, sipping on my glass of scotch and Sean simply laughs.

"Sure he won't." He says sarcastically before drinking his bloody Mary.  "You only did what most women dream of doing but don't have the guts to."

"And what's that?" I decide to entertain him.

"Put him in his place." He states obviously while smacking his lips together in attitude.

"Ugh!"

Shrugging, Sean continues sipping on his drink quietly giving me one of his famous knowing smirks ever so often because he knows the wheels in my brain are turning.

Rolling my eyes, I divert my attention elsewhere taking in the atmosphere around us. This is your typical New York bar filled with smokers, alcoholics and everything in between. The air is thick and warm and I actually love it. This is New York. This is my life.

There are people playing pool, some are watching the game on television above the bar and then there are those like my brother and me who just came here for a drink, to hang out and get away.

Sean is...well, he's Sean. He's eccentric, but in a good way. He's tall, he has a smooth brown complexion, he's handsome and a total diva. He's very ‘fashion-forward' and is very comfortable with who he is. He never lets stereotypes keep him down. I admire that about him. Plus, he's all I have. Our parents died a few years ago and the only person we have left that's family is our uncle and his wife who visits ever so often.

We both graduated at the top of our class in school and Sean actually works at the New York Times as a journalist which has always been my dream. He's an amazing writer and this is his thing anyway. He loves to write about what's going on in the world. But, his biggest dream is to be the editor in chief of a top fashion magazine. In fact, when you think about it, we sort of exchanged dreams. I'm the assistant to an editor in chief and he's a journalist, but, we're happy. He's the best roommate I've ever had in my short twenty-four years on this earth and he's my best friend. Sure we fight, but at the end of the day, we're still Tai and Sean Bennett of Bronx, New York born and raised. And that's who we'll always be.

"So, any plans on how you're going to kiss your boss's ass in hopes that he doesn't fire you?" Sean speaks up, tearing me away from my thoughts.

Finishing off my glass of scotch I shrug. "No. I'll just hope for the best."

"Really sis, I'm going to have to give you a crash course in celebrity before you go to your job on Monday else you'll be lost." Sean points out.

Quirking my brows at him, I smile while gazing into his browns. "Great." I mutter and he grins brightly before standing to excuse his self.

"Duty which thy full name is ‘bathroom duty' calls. I'll be back."

I can't help but laugh. Really, who says things like that? He's such a weirdo sometimes.

He stretches out his limbs and I get a glimpse of the star tattooed around his navel beneath his blue Rocawear T-shirt before he departs, leaving me alone giggling.

I sigh tiredly while tugging at my dark sweater over the black thin-strap top I'm wearing. Hmm, I could go for another drink. Slowly standing, I brush my palms over my jeans and I shift to where the bartender is located at the end of the bar.

Carefully, I tell him my order since I'm starting to feel a buzz and usually tend to slur my words. I guess this next drink should be my cut off. I really hate when I'm too drunk.

When he returns with my drink, I smile, stretching my hand out to take it but then something unexpected happens.  I feel myself being shoved to the side.

I know I'm not that tipsy to lose my balance like this so someone must have pushed me out of the way or something.

"What the..." drifting, my eyes widen in shock when I see a pale hand snake in front of me, snatching my drink away from the bartender.

"Thanks! Just what I needed!" The person says.

The bartender gives me an apologetic stare, voicing that he'll make another drink for me before he disappears to do just that.

My eyes widen in dismay since I'm not able to comprehend what just happened. It all happened so quickly.

When I whip around to see who just stole my drink, my orbs land on a tall, lanky frame with dark hair, pink lips and piercing bluish-gray eyes.

"Excuse me, what the hell was that?" I snap, tapping the person on their shoulder.

I'm ignoring the fact that he has a girl hanging all over him right now. They both appear to have drank enough already.

"What?" He slurs in an annoyed tone. "I don't give autographs." He snickers before busting out into a haphazard bellow. Gosh he's drunk. I should just leave it alone.

"Uh, what? No you asshole, you just brushed me out of the way and took or I should say stole my drink." I snap at him.

"What did you say?" His eyes narrow into tiny slits as his anger builds but he doesn't scare me. "This is what I get for passing through a low class bar to grab a quick drink before I head off to my brother's party. Snotty bitches who think they can talk to me however they please."

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but what you did was very rude." I snap while folding my arms across my chest.

My eyes drift to the woman in the skimpy red dress who's tugging on his jacket, asking him to leave but he silences her and she obeys like some kind of...puppet. Ugh, that's disgusting.

"Whatever. You can get another one, I'm in a hurry." He waves me off and really, this isn't going to get me anywhere so I ignore him and turn around just when the bartender returns with a new scotch on the rocks for me. "You see! You got one!" The stranger calls out. He's still here? I've long dismissed this situation.

"Yes, you're so perceptive." I say sarcastically, accepting my drink and thanking the bartender before I turn around while taking a sip of my drink.

"Humph." He downs the rest of his drink in one large gulp before slamming the glass on the counter. "You're a smartass huh?" He grins and you know what? There's something vaguely familiar about him.

Glaring at him intently, I take in the dressy pant suit he's wearing. He's definitely wearing a designer because he looks sharp. So he's right. Someone like him would not be in a bar like this on a regular.

"Look we both got what we wanted. So..."

"Did we?" He cuts me off.

"Excuse me?" I'm shocked. What is this guy's damage?

"I'm just saying...did the both of us really get what we wanted?" He's laughing now due to the shocked expression on my face. "Relax...I'm only kidding. Look, I'm sorry ok? I was a jerk to do what I did to you just now. I guess my brother's habits are rubbing off on me." He shrugs seemingly in thought and I frown, taken aback by his sudden switch in demeanor. "Let me pay for your drink." He adds in when I remain mute, my eyes landing on Sean who's now walking in our direction.

"Uh no..." But I'm not fast enough.

He already dropped the money on the table and turned around to make his exit.

I remain awkwardly in place gazing at the stranger's retreating form, slightly confused by his sudden departure with his girlfriend or date clung to his side.

"You're welcome by the way!" He calls out before disappearing out of sight and I scowl, a light smile forming across my lips since I never did tell him ‘thank you.' Shit, that was weird and I didn't even get his name, even if he was an ass.

"Wow, wow, wow, who was that?" Sean walks up to me and I glare at him with a shrug. "I only saw his back but he looked fine rocking that Armani suit."

"Hell if I know. He paid for my drink though." I point out and Sean's eyes widen.

"And you didn't snatch that up? Girl, have I taught you nothing?" He hisses and I giggle.

"I'm not you Mr. hot stuff." I counter as he leads us back to our seats.

"You should be; even I don't have to be gay to see that you're long overdue for some action." Sean jokes.

"Oh my gosh, shut up!" I smack his arm playfully and he chuckles as we reclaim our seats.

Playing with the rim of my glass, I think about his statement and he's right. Getting laid wouldn't be so bad. But, I'm not going to give him the satisfaction by admitting it.

"Whatever, all I'm saying is if a guy who's wearing an Armani suit and fine Italian leather shoes bought me a drink, even with another bitch on his arm, I'd snatch him up so fast that bitch wouldn't know what hit her or ‘shoved her out of the way'...I'm just saying." Sean voices saucily and I gasp in amusement. Yeah, that's my brother for you...got to love him.

"Can we please change the topic?" I cave, my eyes unwillingly staring at the exit of the bar where ‘Mr. Armani' departed only moments earlier. It's just like Sean to have my mind riling with these ludicrous thoughts and notions.

"Fine, then let's talk about what you're going to do and not going to do in order to keep your job at A-List magazine. And by talk, I mean you shut up and listen while I instruct you on all the dos and don'ts of the fashion world as we know it..."

Oh joy, we're back to that. It's just the topic change I was looking for. Well, not really.

Ugh, will it ever end?

CHAPTER THREE

Two days later [Monday]

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"Welcome to A-List magazine, how may I direct your call?"

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I walk up to the receptionist's desk with my schedule in hand of where I'm supposed to go in this absurdly huge building.

"I'm sorry; Mr. Timberlake is in a meeting right now can I take a message? Yes Mr. Stefano Gabbana." Oh my god, did she just say Stefano Gabbana? As in Dolce and Gabbana? Oh my gosh. This is actually happening!

Breathe Tai and get it together girl. You can do this.

"Well, actually, I'm not his assistant, but his new assistant does start today. I can leave the message with them. Yes, yes of course...you have a good day. Bye-bye."

When the receptionist hangs up her line I try to get her attention.

"Uh, hi, I'm here for..."

"Hang on a second." She silences me with a raise of her manicured finger before she proceeds to take another call.

"A-List magazine, this is Sharron speaking how may I direct your call? Yes, Mr. Pattinson is waiting on those photos from King Magazine for the advert spread in A-List next month..."

God, her phone is ringing off the hook. If I wait here any longer I'm going to be late for my first day.

"Excuse me, hi; I'm here for the new assistant job....Mr. Justin Timberlake's assistant?"

As if on cue, Sharron looks up at me wide-eyed. I'm assuming that's her name since she voiced it when answering the phone.

"Yes sir, let me have him call you back on that...thank you and have a good day." Placing the receiver down, she ignores the other incoming calls before standing to face me, her blue eyes deep and taunting as she gives me a once over.

"You're Justin's new assistant?" She spits cattily and I feel my defenses go up.

"Yes." I reply firmly while clutching my bag tightly.

"Oh, this should be good." She snickers before flipping her blonde hair out of her face. Damn, she's skinny and pretty in her fitted skirt and blouse. I guess outward appearances are really everything in this business. "Follow me." She instructs while leaving her desk to strut down the bright white hallway.

I quickly pick up my pace to follow her, almost slamming into her when she comes to a complete stop suddenly at a large glass window. Gazing over her shoulder, I take a peek through the glass realizing that there's a boardroom of some sort in there with a handful of people sitting around the large, vanished wooden table in what appears to be a meeting. This must be the meeting Justin is in.

"Your boss is right in there." She states while pointing. "Your desk is further up the hall outside of his office. You can't miss it. I suggest you get settled in while he's still in that meeting because your day's going to get crazy when he's done. Good luck. Oh and..." Drifting she eyes me with a light frown. "Cute beige pant suit. It matches the caramel brown tone of your skin." Sharron forces a fake smile unto her face before turning up her nose and walking away to return to her post.

I would have said thanks for the compliment, but somehow, I don't think she meant it.

Great, now I'm left alone with no way of knowing what I should really be doing. Sean may have briefed me on all the dos and don'ts of the fashion world, but he never told me how to handle first days in a completely foreign environment with people who were shallow, self-centered and conceited.

*****

Later

So I found my desk like Sharron said I would and I've actually unpacked some of the stuff I brought with me to make it more personal. No one has even acknowledged me since I've been here. They all just stare at me and pass me straight, moving along their way. I feel so out of place here. But, my surroundings are nice.

I have a perfect view from the large glass windows of Manhattan; my desk is spacious and white just like the rest of this building. My computer has a wide flat-screen monitor and my chair is cushiony with wheels. Yeah, this is definitely the life...the life of an assistant. I wonder what type of work I'm going to be doing.

There's no phone on my desk as of yet since I just started today and I haven't actually met my boss yet to find out if I still have this job, so I've just been sitting here, casually surfing the net. I'm surprised no one asked who I am.

I mean, is it that easy for some random stranger to be in my position right now? I don't think so. Maybe they figured out I'm the new assistant. I'm sure Sharron must have told at least someone.

"If you're waiting to see me, I don't suggest you sit at my assistant's desk. There are waiting chairs just over there..."

My thoughts are interrupted when a male figure strolls by me dressed in a long-sleeved blue shirt, a matching tie, black pants and leather shoes.

"Oh uh actually..." But I drift when I notice that he hasn't once stopped to look up and actually acknowledge me.

He's holding a book of some sort and flipping through the pages with a frown on his face.

Studying him intently I smirk despite myself.

It's Justin. Or I should maybe say, my new boss Mr. Timberlake.

"I didn't approve this advert of Omega watches in next month's issue. Our cover celebrity is going to be wearing Movado; they were supposed to get that slot. Is Robert intentionally trying to sabotage me? Shit..."

He's completely lost in what he's doing.  He's totally forgotten I'm even here.

Clearing my throat loudly when I see him getting ready to enter his office, he suddenly stops with his back facing me. Expelling a heavy sigh, he twists around to greet me but his greeting falls short. Almost immediately, recognition registers on his face and something else I can't distinguish. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out as he continues to glare at me with wide protruding eyes.

This educes a rather large smile from me as I stand from my seating position before moving over to greet him and introduce myself.

"Hi, uh, Mr. Timberlake, I'm Tai, Tai Bennett your new assistant." I beam while extending my hand for him to take which he totally ignores because he's still just standing there, practically frozen in place, glowering.

Finally regaining his composure he chuckles lightly, shaking his head in the process. "This is a joke. One of my employees put you up to this right? You know with the encounter we had last week and now you're here and...." But he trails off when I begin eyeing him strangely. Gosh this is fun. "You're...you're not kidding are you?" he drawls and I shake my head ‘no.' "So, you're my new assistant." He says again for confirmation and I shake my head ‘yes.' "Would you...would you give me a minute, just...just one minute." He mutters before quickly disappearing into his office and slamming the door shut behind him.

Swaying back and forth on my heels patiently, I gaze through the glass wall of his office that allows me to see in since he has the blinds open. I notice that he drops the book he was reading on his desk before grabbing his office line and dialing a number.

I'm not sure what's going on in there, but I'm pretty sure he's yelling to whoever is on the other end of that line because he's clearly worked up, his free hand is flailing and his face is turning a bright shade of pink.

When he locks eyes with me, a large scowl forms on his face then he mutters something else on the line and hangs up.

Exiting his office, Justin gives me a hard stare then grips my wrist to pull me in the direction he's going. "Come with me." He instructs and I do just that, quietly.

I'm contemplating on apologizing for last week's event because I really need this job, but I have no idea what's happening now so I'll wait to see what's really going on.

Mutely, I follow him down the spacious white marbled hallway until we get to a section on the floor with two large wooden crafted doors.

Gripping the handles tightly, Justin swings the doors open without knocking first. He casually strolls into the room, instructing me to do the same and shut the doors behind me. When I finally catch up to him, I gasp in awe at the lavish office with leather chairs, plush rugs, green plants in every corner as well as a surround sound entertainment center and a dark mahogany vanished desk with a matching leather chair.

Oh my gosh, this is Randall Timberlake's III office. I mean, gosh, he's sitting at his desk right now talking to another guy and Justin rudely barged in on their conversation.

I don't want to be here right now.

"Dad, we have to talk." Justin begins boldly in an aggravated tone.

"Ah Justin, I see you've met your new assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Bennett." Randall greets me and I blush massively. Even with age he's a striking man. And he looks very sharp in his tailored suit.

"Hi sir." I say quietly and he smiles at me.

"She's not my assistant." Justin snaps and I cringe from the harshness in his tone. "This is not what we agreed to dad."

"But she is your assistant Justin and if you want to keep this job and all the perks you receive from carrying the Timberlake name, you'll learn to cope. You can't fire her." His father replies firmly.

"That's bullshit dad! I get that my last few assistants weren't all that bright...and I understood when you said you were firing my last assistant because of that media issue, but this? This is unfair dad."

"That and they all ended up being romantic interests...which might I add affected your performance at this company because your head was elsewhere...I'll not elaborate now but you know what I mean Justin. You picked your assistants on personal preference, not on their skills or qualifications. Just be happy I didn't hire a man to do this job." His father voices causing Justin to clear his throat uneasily.

"That's beside the point. I should have picked my assistant myself. How are you so sure I'll be able to work with...with her?" He asks while pointing towards me and I bite my lips to refrain from voicing my thoughts.

"You'll just have to find a way. Miss Bennett has the credentials a good assistant to the editor in chief needs. I'm sure you all can work something out."

"Damn it dad!" Justin whines. I'm sure he knows that there's no winning with his father but I can't hide the fact that I'm slightly hurt that he's so  comfortable with openly voicing his distaste for me. "She's not even A-List material."

"Well Justin, her resume says she is. I've taught you better than to judge people only by their outer appearances. Not that miss Bennett wouldn't fit the bar because she's beautiful." Randall winks for me and I shrug, feeling exposed and discomfited.

"Oh I know dad, I know looks aren't everything. That's why I know she's a bitch who's going to make my life a living hell but whatever, that's fine, it's fine." Justin raises his hands in defeat before turning around to glare at me. Giving me one last glance, he brushes past me to leave. "I'll be in my office confirming next month's issue if anyone needs me...but please don't need me." He adds in before making his dramatic exit, leaving me alone with his father and the other male in the room who's yet to speak or even turn from where he's sitting facing Mr. Timberlake.

"You'll have to excuse my son...Tai is it?" Randall asks and I nod. "He's going through some...things...a phase if you might call it. I apologize for his behavior. It was very unkempt and unprofessional of him."

"It's...it's ok. I, I can understand why he'd be that way. We didn't really meet on good terms."

"Nonetheless, he's part of the face of this company and his actions reflect highly on A-List magazine so please excuse him."

"It's, it's fine sir." I assure him and he nods in return.

"I think you're just what we need, a level-headed, qualified assistant to whip my son into shape. Welcome to A-List magazine Tai. Don't hesitate to come to me and let me know if Justin is giving you a hard time now ok?" Randall grins slyly and I force a smile, hoping he'll dismiss me soon. My heart is pounding out of my chest from how nervous I'm feeling and my legs are completely paralyzed right now as I stand in the middle of his office like a deer caught in headlights.

"She'll be fine dad; she's a tough one I'm sure. Justin's simply threatened that he won't be able to get his way." The other person finally decides to speak and his voice is so familiar...

"It won't stop Justin from trying to break her."

Wait what? Break me?

"Well you know J; he's always up for a challenge." The other male figure snickers and I frown, staring at the back of his head.

"Oh Tai, I'm sorry, this is my other son, Robert Pattinson. I don't believe you two have met yet." Randall states.

Slowly standing, I watch as Robert spins around to greet me with a smile on his face that only grows wider when his bluish-grays land on my browns. There's recognition on his smooth ivory face as his eyes twinkle with delight.

Oh my god! It's...it's ‘Mr. Armani!' No way! What are the odds? This must be fate's way of playing a cruel joke on me.

"Well then, I believe we have met dad." He voices before coming over to me to give me a firm handshake. "Haven't we?" He says softly to me and I fight the blush that's forming on my face as I stare up at him. Oh my gosh, Sean is going to flip when I tell him about my first day.

"Ah well that's good. I'll be sure to call you and Justin into my office when Siriano calls to confirm the new fashion line. But in the mean time you all are excused. I have some work to finish up." Randall explains to Robert and Robert nods in understanding before we both excuse ourselves so we can leave.

I allow Robert to escort me out of his father's office and when we're finally standing in the hallway he turns to glare at me in wonderment.

"Well, Miss Bennett." He begins. "Wonders never cease."

"It's Tai." I add in and he grins, exposing his pearly whites to me.

"Tai." He echoes and I nod casually. "Well Tai, judging by how you stood up to me the night at the bar, I have no doubt that you'll be able to handle my brother, but, if you ever need some backup, I'm willing to defend your honor if the price is right." He sniggers and I roll my eyes at him.

"I can take care of myself but thanks." I hum before turning around to leave. He chuckles heartily with a nod.

"I'll see you around Tai; maybe we'll have a ‘drink' sometime. And thanks for literally knocking some sense into my brother the other day. I needed that laugh." Robert calls out to my retreating form and I smile, ignoring the weird stares from the other employees nearby.

Not bothering to turn around, I wave him off and he laughs out one last time before I round the corner in search of my boss and possible duties if any. I'm sure Justin's still pissed that I'm his new assistant but he's just going to have to live with it and suck it up.

I know Justin told Robert about how I bumped into him but at least, Robert seems like the total opposite of him which is good. I could never survive two of his kind.

Finally making it back to my desk, I quietly slip into my seat, not missing the jerk of Justin's head when he looks up at me from behind his desk in his office. I'm wondering if he ever closes those blinds or if I'm supposed to see through his office like that since I'm his assistant and all.

Well, whatever. He can't give me the cold shoulder forever. He's going to have to talk to me at some point if he wants to get any work done.

As I gaze at the picture I placed on my desk earlier of my brother and me, Justin's door slowly opens before he emerges with a clipboard in hand.

Casually, he walks up to my desk, his tall frame hovering as he glares down at me intently.

"Look, if we're going to do this, then you need to understand that you don't converse with me unless it's work related, understood?" He snaps and I shake my head.

"Good, and I expect you do whatever I request of you no matter how impossible or outlandish it might seem and don't worry, that doesn't include any personal favors or my personal errands outside the office like dry-cleaning or grocery shopping. I can do that myself." He adds in.

"Got it." I respond and he smirks.

"Right, well, I'm really swamped here so I'm going to need you to get some things done for me with various designers and partners we have right here in Manhattan. It's just a few business errands. Nothing too big. I'll ask Sharron at the front desk to send a company car for you. Try to finish this list by the end of the work day and report back to me with your progress. Oh and before you head out, get a cup of coffee for me will you? You'll find what you need down in the cafeteria. Make it black, decaffeinated and with one spoon of sugar...thanks." With that said he turns on his heels and disappears back into his office after dropping the clipboard he was previously holding in his hand on my desk.

As I gaze at it, my eyes grow wide with the list of addresses and tasks going down the first page.

"Oh my gosh." I say shocked while reading over some of the tasks I have to do. "Pick up Gucci fragrance sample, book some Italian restaurant for a business meeting, confirm venue for magazine anniversary party..." And the list goes on.

Gripping the clipboard in hand, I stand on my feet then grab my bag getting ready to leave for possibly the rest of the day. Well, I asked for this. Even if my boss has issues with me, I'm sure he'll warm up soon. Because damn it, I'll be the best assistant he's ever had, minus the sexual favors though, even if I can admit he's a ‘total babe.'

*****

Hours Later

Bronx, New York

Getting into my apartment, I drop my bag and belongings by the door before rushing over to my couch to plop down.

I'm exhausted.

Justin had me running around Manhattan today doing errands, half of which could have been done over the phone. I realized that later when some of the clients said they were simply expecting phone calls.

Damn him.

I know Justin did this to me on purpose but I'm not going to give up. It's going to take a lot more to get me out. I'm not going to quit if that's what he's trying to make me do because his head is permanently stuck up his ass.

I didn't really get to meet anyone today since I was out most of the day but I'm hoping that by tomorrow, I'll get to know the other employees I'm going to be dealing and working with on a regular basis.

I did make a spin in the cafeteria to grab Justin's coffee earlier. The cafeteria is huge and has its own Starbucks corner. Plus, the food in there was totally healthy. I'm all for healthy, but with only vegetables, fruits and brand cereals being served, it's no doubt that these people are lacking substance in their diet, not to mention the other essential food groups. I'm going to have to pack my lunches from now on or grab something outside of A-List magazine.

"There she is; Miss Assistant and future journalist."

Sean comes out from around the corner wearing slacks and a wife beater to sit with me on our large beige couch. Our apartment is a two-bedroom and it isn't huge, but it's cozy and we like it.

"So how was your first day?" He asks. "You came in late so I'll assume you still have your job." He points out jokingly.

Yeah, no thanks to Justin. I'm starting to dislike that name for some reason.

Turning to stare at him tiredly, I shrug uncaringly before letting down my hair, allowing it to fall over my shoulders as I sigh from the release.

"It was...well to sum it up, my boss remembered me like you said he would. He totally shunned me and tried to run me out by pushing me to quit on my first day. His dad is kind of cool, not really sure. Oh and get this... ‘Mr. Armani' is actually Robert Pattinson Timberlake, Justin's brother and the other heir to the A-List fortune. Coincidence? I don't know, but all in all my day was total hell. Still, no pain no gain. Oh and the receptionist Sharron, well, she's just a ray of sunshine. So how was your day?" Gazing at Sean, I watch how he's trying to stifle his laughter but fails miserably.

"Ok, to hell with my day girl. It was boring compared to yours." He begins. "But, don't worry, Justin will come around one way or the other. He has daddy to please don't forget. I'm sure he doesn't want to be cut out of the will now. And your little ‘drink escapade' was with Rob? Hot! Sweetie, I don't care what you say, but I believe that was no coincidence. I will, however, say it was possibly fate, maybe destiny?" Sean suggests with a flick of his wrist and I grimace.

I really hope not. Because if this is my destiny, I only see hard times ahead, especially having to deal with Justin, one of New York's most eligible bachelors as stated by Forbes magazine which I picked up on one of my runs today, who also happens to be one of New York's biggest assholes to date in my book.

CHAPTER FOUR

Next Day [Tuesday]

A-List Magazine

Great, it's only my second day here and already I'm like five minutes late. Rushing through the lobby of A-List Magazine, I make it to the elevators just in the nick of time before the doors close. Taking a spot to the side, I stand quietly after pushing my floor since I'm surrounded by other A-List workers from various departments.

The ride to my floor is quick and silent and the moment I bust through the doors of the elevators, I'm greeted by Sharron. Oh great.

"Hey Morning Sharron." I smile at her but she doesn't return my gesture.

"Justin's pissed. It's your second day and you're late."

"I'm only like five minutes off. It wasn't my fault; I missed my train because my alarm didn't go off this morning and..." trailing off I sigh. "You don't care do you?" I ask when she casts her vision elsewhere.

"No. But Justin does...have a nice day." She dismisses me then takes an incoming call and I groan, rushing down the hallway to my desk.

The moment I get there and dump my belongings, Justin storms out of his office in a grey pant suit and fury masking his features.

"Just because my father says I can't fire you doesn't mean you get to slack off. It's your second day Tai. I'm even surprised you came back after that run I had you do yesterday but don't be late again." He snaps and I bow my head in shame.

"Yes, sir, I uh, I'm sorry." I mutter and he narrows his eyes at me in contempt. "I missed my train. I don't have a car and I uh..." But he cuts me off.

"I don't mean to sound brusque here but...I don't care. That's your personal affairs. Just don't be late again. That's one strike Tai. Three and I'll find a way to have you fired understood?" He demands and I look up at him, trying to hide the hurt in my eyes as I study his piercing, unnerving blues.

What the hell did I ever do to him? He can't possibly be holding such a strong grudge from that day we bumped into each other. It's not fair.

"Yes sir." I whisper and his form visibly relaxes when he sees that I have no intent to call him out on his disrespect.

"Well, now that that is out of the way, we have a few things going on today that I'll need you for." Justin instructs and I shake my head, waiting for him to continue. "You're going to join Robert and me for our meeting with Christian Siriano who has to confirm our new summer fashion line. When that meeting is over, I'll need you to make a few calls to finalize the caterer, bartender and press for the grand opening of one of my friends' nightclub tonight which, you'll have to attend since it's an A-List Magazine sponsored event. I'll give you more information after the meeting. We'll also be stopping downstairs where they're having the photo shoot with our celebrity of the month for our magazine cover. I need to confirm the cover spread photo. I'm sure there'll be some other miscellaneous things for you to do around here also. When Robert's assistant comes by later today, I want you to take ‘the A-List book' from him and bring it to me. I need to write the letter from the editor, and the final changes to the book are due by the end of the day before we send the final copy out for printing, publishing and shipping of next month's issue." When Justin pauses to look at me my frame goes rigid.

"Why aren't you writing anything down Tai?" He hisses and I immediately apologize, fumbling for a notepad and pen but he stops me.

"Just forget it. I hope you have a good memory. We need to head to the boardroom now. But, be a doll and grab me a cup of coffee before you join us? Thanks in advance. Oh and it wouldn't kill you to add some color to your wardrobe either. This is a fashion magazine. That black and white skirt suit ensemble you're wearing just screams funeral and everything morbid." With that said, Justin gives me a tight smile before excusing his self to head in the direction of the boardroom.

When he's gone I plop down in my chair letting out a pent up breath. "Gosh, this job is going to be harder than I thought. I wish you guys were here to give me some motivation." I pout while gazing at the other framed picture on my desk of my mom and dad sitting next to the one with Sean and me.

They died some years ago from a gang shooting. It was...well, Sean and I don't talk about it. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing some last minute grocery shopping when two gangs rolled up in the seven-eleven clearly having a dispute before they opened fire. I remember crying for six months straight and having to go to therapy after that. Sean took it better than I did but he was older even if we were both teenagers at the time. The memories fade but the hurt never goes away.

"It's not your fault you know."

Snapping my head up at the sound of a deep masculine voice, I wipe at my eyes in case any tears escaped me. "I'm sorry?" I smile despite myself. He's the first person who's actually talked to me here. Sharron, Robert and Justin definitely don't count.

"It's not your fault that your boss is a total asshole. That's all on him." The guy smiles and I giggle, taking in his tall, built frame. He has ivory skin and long shoulder-length dark hair that's gelled back. His eyes are dark green and he's wearing a simple red dress-shirt, tie and black pants. "I'm Chris by the way. Chris Scotland." He voices when I continue to just glare at him. "Robert's assistant." He adds and I mouth an ‘oh.'

Giggling, I shake his extended hand, allowing him to help me up from my seat. "Nice to meet you Chris." I beam.

"Likewise. We assistants have to stick together." He grins brightly and I blush. "Look don't worry too much. You'll be fine. I was the new guy once; this is how it works around here. It takes time for the people here to open up to you and even then, watch your back because there are no real friends here, only ‘frienimies'." He voices while making air quotations. Huh, frienimies...interesting.

"So, I should watch my back with you then huh?" I joke and he chuckles softly.

"I guess so. Well, I'll see you in the meeting. You better get on that coffee. It actually calms Justin down and any type of way to tame him is a plus in my book." He muses and I shake my head in agreement, telling him that it was nice to meet him before I take off down the hall to the cafeteria to grab Justin's ‘cup of Joe.'

*****

Later

I actually survived my first boardroom meeting with Justin and Robert today. Chris was right. After Justin had his coffee he calmed down to a mostly tolerable person. The meeting itself was like nothing I ever experienced. It was strictly business and while I found it hard to really see the seriousness in fashion, I realized today that it takes a lot to get an issue of any magazine out on a stand for the public to read. And, there's not much room for mistakes either because mistakes cost a good chunk of change.

I have to give Christian Siriano credit though. He was the youngest winner of one of the seasons of Project Runway which my brother watched religiously. That's the only reason why I know who he is. But, that guy has talent and I know he's going to go far. He's been climbing his way to the top ever since and dare I say, he's ‘fierce' in all sense of the word.

I had a blast watching him give Justin and Robert a hard time. But, especially Justin. He's a total diva and Justin had to be nice no matter what since they were the ones who requested him and not the other way around. It was a rather boring meeting, but it was my first experience so I paid attention to all the details, taking notes along the way.

At the end, they managed to finalize the summer fashion line with Christian and everything went over smoothly. Justin and Robert actually work well together. They almost have a ‘good cop, bad cop' vibe about them. I guess opposites do attract. Well, sometimes.

The rest of my day after that meeting was spent on my computer learning their record keeping software and scheduler since I'm responsible for writing up Justin's schedule for anything A-List related. That includes meetings, trips and any and everything that's linked to his career and this company. Let me say, it wasn't easy picking up where his previous assistants slacked off but I'm coping.

I did finalize what he asked me to do earlier for his friend's nightclub opening tonight when he gave me the necessary information. We're also supposed to be at the photo shoot for the issue's cover spread, but right now, I'm at my desk, occasionally stealing glances at Justin who's probably been on his phone for the past hour straight. I'm just waiting for when he says it's time to go to that photo shoot.

He told me I'd be getting my phone installed tomorrow so I could start screening his calls. Oh joy. At least, I'll get to talk to some famous people.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Snapping my head away from my computer screen, I meet eyes with Chris, Robert's assistant.

"Oh hey." I smile. "I wasn't really thinking about anything per say." I shrug.

"Sure, that's why you were only staring at Justin in la la land." He laughs.

"La, la land? Funny."

"Well, don't let me keep you from your daydreaming. I just stopped by to drop this off. Robert made the changes Justin requested and as the Creative Director, he oversaw the photo shoot session and took the liberty of approving the final cover spread photo." Chris drops a large black binder on my desk with A-List written on it in bold white print. This must be ‘the book' Justin was referring to earlier.

"Thanks, but wait, wasn't Justin supposed to be down there as well? I mean, he's the editor in chief. We were supposed to be there right?" I ask, wondering if I was supposed to give Justin some type of notice that I missed.

"Actually, you all were due down there thirty minutes ago but it looks like Justin has his hands full at the moment. Robert handled it so no worries." Chris stares at Justin through the glass window and I follow his line of sight watching when Justin stands from his desk abruptly before gripping his cell phone and sending it flying into the wall causing it to shatter in the process.

My eyes widen in shock and I quickly look away. He really needs to close those blinds. I don't want him to accuse me of invading his privacy or something.

"I..." but I'm at a loss for words.

"Just give him the book. He won't mind that Robert covered for him. It's a thing with them. Between the two of them, they keep their dad happy for the most part and that's all that matters." Chris states before turning around to leave. "I'll see you later tonight at the club launching." He utters over his shoulder then he disappears down the hall.

Frowning, I gaze down at the book, contemplating on if I should or shouldn't interrupt Justin right now. He's clearly pissed over something someone told him on the phone. That's obvious. But I really don't know that much about him to know when it's a good time to interrupt him or not even if it's business related.

All I know is what Sean updated me on via his media sources. The most I know about Justin and Robert besides their father and this company is they both have different mothers who both remarried; Justin is the eldest of the two, and he and Robert live in separate penthouse apartments right here in Manhattan that are separate from their father's family mansion.  Of course, there's the history and drama with Justin and his many public flings and girlfriends but that's no surprise for any celebrity. Robert is more under the radar in that aspect but they both had their fair share of public relationships which the media ate up. Nothing surprising there.

I wish I knew why Justin was being so mean to me though. I guess maybe it wouldn't hurt to say I was sorry for embarrassing him in front of his peers but he did embarrass me too so it went both ways.

Seating up straight when his office door slowly opens, I hold my breath when he walks out to stand before me at my desk.

"I'm sorry if you saw that." He suddenly voices and I scowl at him, wondering what's really going on with him. "And no, I don't usually close the blinds. You're my assistant; I mean, your loyalty is to me first so it doesn't matter. Everyone around here is like an open book anyway." He explains and I feel like he's answering the questions floating through my mind. "I just came out here because I saw Chris was here a moment ago to drop off the book."

"Yes, he was...and he did." I finally speak up, handing Justin the book.

"Thanks. Rob's a lifesaver for covering the photo shoot for me." He takes it out of my hold, pausing before he turns around to leave. "Oh and...once you're done with what you're doing you can leave. I'll be leaving early myself to prepare for the club opening later tonight once I'm done with the book. Be sure to leave your address with Sharron at the front desk when you're leaving so we can have a company car pick you up and carry you to the venue. No assistant of mine is taking the train." He says firmly, but I don't miss the hint of a smile in his serious expression.

"Thank you." I say softly, breaking away from his intense gaze.

"Rob was right. You are a tough cookie to crack. You've taken everything I've thrown at you so far. But, that doesn't mean I'll give up. I'll see you later tonight Tai." Giving me a half-smile, Justin turns around to head back into his office and when he's out of sight, I smile to myself at the fact that he was actually civil with me for once.

I know that doesn't mean he likes me now, but I'll take it. Plus, he seemed defeated after that long phone call he was on. Not that I can blame him. We all have our issues.

But wow, I'm going to my very first v.i.p celebrity shindig tonight!

"What the hell am I going to wear?" I mumble to myself while returning to my computer task. "I definitely need Sean's help."

I know that I never really paid much attention to this type of glamorous lifestyle before, but now that I'm being sucked into it, I can't help but feel just a little bit excited....or maybe a lot.

*****

Later

Club Launching Party

Manhattan, New York

I can't believe I'm actually here. I mean this is crazy. I wish I could have brought Sean. I'll have to ask Justin or Robert the next time around. Hopefully they'll say yes. Sean was grudging because he couldn't come but he did give me his digital camera to get photos of any celebrities I could. Yeah, like I'm going to do that and risk being yelled at by Justin for harassing his friends and associates.

No, I'm playing it cool tonight even if I'm literally screaming on the inside. Not to mention every turn I make there's an A-List celebrity right in my line of sight.

When I got here about three hours ago on one of the company cars, Justin and Robert were already inside. But the most amazing thing is that my name was on the list at the front door with the bouncers. That was an experience since the line to get in was abnormally long. Plus, the entrance was swarming with paparazzi but since none of them knew who I was, I didn't have to worry about having my picture taken though a few did ask which celebrity I was with since my name was on ‘the list'. They thought I was part of an entourage. It was unbelievable. I grinned like an idiot all the way into the nightclub until I got to the bar and ordered my first drink.

In here is nice. It has a retro chic vibes to it. The color scheme is an assortment of dark and light colors that mesh well together with simple lighting but the simplicity brings out the beauty in the place. I can just see this place making it to the top of Manhattan's ‘where to go' list when in the city looking for a good time. High Rollers Club I believe it's called. It's a fitting name.

I found out that Justin's friend's name is Lannick and that this is his club. He's of African American descendent with Irish in his blood. He's a well established club promoter who garnered enough revenue to start up his own club. He's definitely a celebrity now, especially with Justin and A-List magazine on his team.

I really like it here. This place is definitely on my outing list when they don't have big events like these but just a regular clubbing night.

I've been situated at the bar for most of the time I've been here, sipping casually on my scotch. It's my addiction.

I'm not sure why Justin said he needed me here tonight but I'm not complaining. It's definitely a step out of my norm. I did see him around but I haven't spoken to him yet. He looked good though in his jeans, sneakers and two-layer dress-shirt ensemble with his matching fedora hat. He has a very unique style that I don't think I've seen before. He's been working the floor, entertaining guests with Lannick at his side while flirting up a storm with the beautiful females in the room who seem to hang on his every word.

Eyeing him as he stands a few feet away talking to Vera Wang, I sigh trying to figure him out. I can't help but think about how he was seemingly a little nicer to me at the end of work today yet he's still as cold as ever. That man is a mystery and I have no doubt that he has major issues. I mean, what celebrity doesn't? There's just so much pressure from the media and having to live up to so many expectations. Robert seems to be handling it much better than Justin.

"Please tell me you're drinking juice."

Diverting my vision, my browns land on Robert with Chris at his side who gives me a light smile and I return the favor with a small wave.

"Ok, I'm drinking juice." I grin at Robert and he chortles before taking a seat next to me at the bar.

"Why is this situation so vaguely familiar?" He asks smoothly with a crooked, handsome smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I lie, taking a sip of my drink.

Keeping my focus on him, I absorb the simple jeans and button-down blue shirt he's wearing. Well, I know who the ‘simple laid back' one is between him and Justin. He looks good too though.

"I'm uh, just going to find a dance partner." Chris interrupts before giving us a nod and slipping away.

"He's a good assistant." Robert assures, watching the direction in which Chris went. "But then again, he has an exceptional boss."

"Huh, I bet." I snicker and he chuckles before ordering a scotch as well with the bartender.

"I see we have something in common." He adds in.

"What's that?"

"Scotch is one of our many fixes."

"Ah, that's one thing I'll never forget."

"You know Tai, I'm really sorry about that night. I was so drunk..." Drifting off, he laughs lightly at the memory. "It was still uncalled for and out of character. Sometimes, when it's convenient, I throw around my status but I assure you that's all Justin's doing. His bad habits are rubbing off on me." He actually apologizes and I'm stunned. Justin could learn a few things from his brother about manners.

"It's fine Robert...I...I mean Mr. Pattinson? I'm sorry, I'm conflicted since I work at A-List but we're not in work and..."

"Robert's fine." He verifies while smiling at my rambling. How embarrassing.

"Ok, Robert it is."

"I have to ask, what where the odds of us meeting almost right after you met my brother?" He voices out loud and I frown while looking away from him. Please don't say it was destiny or fate.

"I don't know."

"I guess Coincidences do happen huh?"

I'm not sure if he's serious or being sarcastic.

Gazing into his bluish-grays I smile. Coincidence. You know, I just might like him after all.

"I guess they do."

Take that Sean! Though, I really wish he was here to share this moment with me.

"Well, off the record, and I do mean off the record because I won't admit to it if you call me out on it at any time, but, you look lovely tonight. Mini black dresses suit you."

And I have Sean to thank for that who literally had to blackmail me to wear it...with heels.

"Wow, was that an almost compliment?" I giggle. What the hell am I doing? Are we flirting? I don't think it's a good thing to mix business with pleasure but this is casual right?

"Almost..." Robert jokes.

"Well then, thank you...almost." I laugh at my own ridiculousness and he does the same but our little banter is interrupted by none other than Justin.

"What's going on here? You're not trying to steal my assistant are you Rob?" Justin jokes, doing a double-take when he finally takes a good look at me, giving me a staggered glare.

"Would never think of it." Robert grins before giving Justin a manly handshake. "Was just entertaining the young lady here."

"You two are actually getting along?" Justin asks incredulously.

"I don't see why that's so hard to believe."

"You've never gotten along with my assistants." Justin points out.

"That's because they were preventing you from doing your job and I got stuck with all the shit. Tai, however, is the opposite and I like her." Robert defends me, giving me a wink and I blush. These Timberlake men seem to have a knack for making me blush. It needs to stop.

"Oh well, whatever..." Justin dismisses Robert but he doesn't look pleased in the least. I don't see why. It's not like he cares about what I do in any way. "So are you enjoying your night Tai? I'm sorry I haven't been able to really introduce you to everyone. Lannick has me busy but I did invite you so you could get a taste of what it's like to be an A-List employee."

"In other words, you've officially been A-Listed." Robert quips before I can answer and I gawk at him. Me? A-Listed?

"I uh, well, the club is nice, the music is great and I'm just chill. I like it. This is nice." I respond and both Justin and Robert nod in unison.

"Well, expect it to get a whole lot crazier because soon people will know that you're my current assistant and when they can't get to me, you'll be their next best bet so get ready for that." Justin instructs and I nod in understanding.

"Justin don't you have women who are waiting for some of your time? I can entertain Tai for you since you two don't see eye to eye. She doesn't want to hear about work now." Robert cuts in causing Justin to glower at him.

"This is work Rob. We put a shitload of investments into this club opening."

"And it was a success so you can stop kissing ass now big bro. Have fun."

I'm just sitting there, fully entertained as I sip casually on my drink, watching them go at it. They're true brothers...there's no doubt about that.

"This is amazing. You and my assistant. Classic." Justin smirks bitterly before turning around to leave but he stops when Robert quickly replies.

"Don't hate the player J, hate the game." Robert counters and I shift in my seat uncomfortably.

I know he's joking around just to get on Justin's nerves but in no way do I ever want to be some type of competition between the two of them because they feel like they have to prove some point.

"Nice Rob, real nice." Whipping back around to face us, Justin's blues land on my browns and he holds my gaze, his stare softening as he studies me a little bit more than he ever has before. "Are you sure you want to deal with that?" He asks me while pointing to Robert who's now sipping on his own drink with a smirk on his face.

"I uh, I can manage." I shrug.

"Right. Well, you guys have fun. I'm going to mingle some more."

"Ok Justin...I mean Mr. Timberlake." I cringe at my slip up but he simply quirks his brows at me, not saying anything. "Enjoy the rest of your night and thanks for inviting me."

"Sure, whatever." Justin waves me off. "Oh and Tai..."

"Yeah?" I respond, patiently waiting for him to conclude his statement.

I don't know what it is, but there really is something about him that leaves you hanging on his every word. Damn. Plus, this is the nicest he's ever been even if he's still a bit supercilious.

"You look nice...it...suits you." And just like that he's gone, disappearing into the crowd, leaving Robert and me alone.

"I told you." Robert finally speaks up, agreeing with Justin and my lips curl into a coy smile.

"You did." I agree. I guess I owe Sean some thanks. He basically dressed me.

"So, would it be too unethical and out of character for me to ask you for a dance?" Robert inquires and I inhale sharply, not wanting to turn him down, but realizing that I maybe need to leave if I ever want to catch the train to get home. It's not the safest form of transportation at this time of night but what can you do?

"Actually, I'm not much of a dancer and, I should really get going. I need to get to the subway before..." But Robert cuts me off immediately.

"That's ridiculous. A company car will take you home. I'll call one for you. But are you sure you want to leave now?"

"I guess I could stay a little bit longer?" I indicate and he nods. "But the dancing..."

"I get it. You need lessons, it's totally fine."

"I do not!" I laugh.

"Well then you're scared?"

"No I just...this isn't really my scene and I don't want to make a fool of myself my first time going to one of these events."

"I understand." Robert says honestly and I heave a sigh.

"Thank you."

"We'll take a rain check, but the next event, you owe me." He grins craftily.

"Fine." I cave while placing down my now empty glass on the counter of the bar.

Gazing at me with interest, Robert orders another round of drinks for us and we decide to remain seated at the bar talking up a storm.

I'm not complaining.

I'm actually enjoying his company. I'm surprised he isn't entertaining the women who are maybe dying to meet him but are too scared to approach him. I noticed a few of them staring. But this is still nice and beats my regular indoor habits. Plus, I think I might just like working at A-List magazine after all and I have Robert to thank for that.

CHAPTER FIVE

Three Weeks Later

A-List Magazine

The last few weeks of my life have been crazy, hectic, stressful and exciting all rolled up into one. I had no idea what I was truly getting myself into when I started this job, but after being here for almost a month, I think it's safe to say that the life of an assistant to an editor in chief is no walk in the park. But I have people like Robert and Chris to mentor me and guide me along this chaotic path.

Justin, however, is another story. He was right when he told me that people would seek me out to get to him. I didn't really think anything of it all those weeks ago at the Club opening for his friend Lannick, but now is a different story. Since I got my own office line, it's been ringing off the hook and so far, I've had to change my personal cell number twice. Don't ask me how these people got my cell number in the first place. All I know is, Justin suggested that I changed it every time someone tried to contact me on it that he didn't approve of. I hate to say it, but his lifestyle is slowly working its way into my personal life as well.

Sean has been amazing also. He's been coaching me on how to handle certain situations at A-List so I feel like he's turned into my counselor of sort. He's always home before me at the end of the day and he always insists that I take the load off and dump all my daily stress from the office on him. He's amazing. I have no idea what I'd do without my brother. I love him so much and we both keep each other grounded.

So far, I've set up business meetings, photo shoot sessions, venues, appointments, trips and other miscellaneous tasks for Justin. His schedule is updated regularly and he actually told me that I was a lifesaver just the other day because of my categorizing of his daily tasks from most important to least important.

I'm slowly mastering the art of this assistant job. I've even been writing up memos for Justin on the upcoming issue of A-List Magazine that's actually due out next week. It's so he doesn't forget to do certain things in terms of the magazine preparation.

All in all, this past month or so has been crazy but worth it. I'm starting to like my job more and more and while I keep to myself and don't mix with the other employees, we've still made it our point of duty to tell each other ‘hi' when passing in the hallways.

I usually keep out of the cafeteria since there's nothing for me in there, but today, I've decided to have my lunch in there at Chris's request that I join him.

There's not much going on for me now anyway. My phone stopped ringing a while ago when Justin told Sharron to let anyone who called know that he wasn't taking any calls for the rest of the day.

Apparently, he's been busy all day with Robert planning this big party for A-List magazine since it's their 40th Anniversary coming up in a few months.

He told me he'd let me know when he needed me, so I've tried to stay out of his hair for most of the day.

Mr. Randall Timberlake III, Justin and Robert's dad, stops by every now and then to see how we're doing and especially how Justin and I are getting along.

Justin stopped making my life a living hell about a week ago, but other than that, things are more less the same. At least we can co-exist and get our work done without too much drama or tension. It's not like I can tell him what's always on my mind or just on the tip of my tongue when he's being a jerk. He's still my boss and even if I was questioning this job in the beginning, I don't want to get fired.

Right now, I'm shutting down my station so I can head down to the cafeteria to join Chris for lunch.

Hopefully, Justin won't need me for the rest of the day so I'll get to go home early today.

****

A-List Magazine Cafeteria

"I personally can't believe Nella did that."

Walking into the Cafeteria with my lunch in hand, I smile when I see Chris a few tables away, waving me over. I'm hesitant at first when I see that he's sitting with two other employees but I brush off my fears and approach them anyway.

Taking a seat next to him, I smile for the two women who are eyeing me curiously.

"Hi guys. Who's Nella and what did she do?" I giggle as I begin taking out my rice, baked potato and baked chicken to dig into.

"Oh girl, you're hitting the carbs. I wish I could have what you're having." One of the women voices and I smile.

"You can." I offer but she shakes her head ‘no' immediately. Seriously, what is up with the women here?

Shrugging, I dig into my meal as Chris chuckles.

"Tai, I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting my two favorite girl pals here at A-List. This is Maura and Gem. Maura works in the accounting department and Gem works in the clothes closet as A-List's top stylist. She basically sews and handles past and present season lines." Chris explains and I nod before shaking each woman's hand with a smile. So, Gem was the one who wished she could eat my lunch. She's light caramel in complexion with shoulder-length curly black hair and Maura is light brown with straight perm hair. They're both beautiful women, as expected.

"Nice to you meet you guys."

"Likewise. You're Justin's new assistant." Maura smiles and I nod. "Lucky you." She jokes.

"Yeah well, you know, I'm dealing, especially with the reputation and history I learned Justin had with his past assistants."

They all have knowing smiles on their faces.

"Well good for you." Gem beams and I return the favor. "He needed that change. You're keeping him in check that's good."

"Thanks." I grin widely before taking another forkful of my food.

"I love your little red and white skirt suit ensemble by the way." Maura adds in.

"Oh thanks, my brother picked it out for me."

"Your brother?" Chris asks stunned.

"Yeah he's...he's a total diva." I admit and Chris mouths an ‘oh.'

"That's cool." He shrugs and I nod in agreement.

"Right, so welcome to the crew Tai. You've officially been inducted." Gem giggles and I bite my lip feeling slightly nervous about that statement. "Now back to business. So like I was saying, I can't believe Nella did that..." Gem continues on her rant and I turn to glare at Chris who gives me a reassuring smile.

"Uh...Nella..." He interrupts Gem when he sees the confusion on my face. "Is actually Justin's last girlfriend. She's a supermodel and they broke up some time back but it's been rumored that she's possibly pregnant with his kid." Chris explains to me and my eyes grow wide with shock.

"Oh...wow." I don't think I wanted to know that.

"Right." Gem continues. "And the biggest gist is I heard that she's been threatening him to take responsibility and that if he didn't agree to it, she was going to go public with the news. I don't see how she could do that. Well all know Justin wasn't her only partner when they were together. Part of that is why they broke up. It was all in the media. Not like Justin was being faithful either, but really, to try and tie him down with a child is just devious and vindictive." Gem sighs sadly and I continue eating my food in silence, too stunned to really say anything.

That and I don't really like gossiping. Plus, they're gossiping about my boss. But, there is one thing I am curious about.

"How's Justin handling this news?" I ask.

I would have never guessed he had this going on. I haven't heard anything about it. I'm wondering how they know anything.  He's always so busy with work but I need to remember that he does have a life outside of the office. A crazy one at that.

"Well, not so well. Do you remember that day we saw him shatter his cell phone against the wall?" Chris asks and I shake my head, gasping in shock. "That was Nella on the phone."

"But how do you know..."

"Sharron took her call and transferred it over to Justin's office line since you didn't have a line yet. When he hung up on Nella, she called him back on his cell phone which is about the time we saw him smash it. I told you...he had his hands full."

I'm amazed by this. I'm even more baffled that Chris, Maura, Gem and even Sharron are so involved in Justin's personal affairs. Is this what it's like being an A-Lister? No privacy whatsoever? Gosh this is terrible. I actually feel for Justin in a way.

"And that was a Vertu Diamond cell phone worth at least eighty-eight grand." Maura quips.

Say what?

"Holy shit, that's the price of a house and maybe a car and who knows what else." I mutter mindlessly causing them to erupt in laughter but I'm serious.

Wow, to spend over three quarters of one hundred grand for a freaking phone is ridiculous. But that's not the issue right now is it?

"The point is, if this gets out and Justin's dad gets wind of this, he might cut Justin's profits from his will. He doesn't want an irresponsible son running his company when he's gone. Justin and Robert are the only ones responsible for keeping this business alive. I mean, Randall is cool and all but the guy's old. He knows his years are running out and he needs to know that he can depend on his sons to not send his empire crashing into the ground." Chris explains and things are starting to become clearer to me now on how Justin and Robert operate.

"So basically, Justin and Robert have to prove themselves to their dad so they don't get cut out of his will and lose everything. They have to show him that they can run this business?" I ask to make sure I'm getting this right.

"Basically yeah, because if they don't then Randall will sell this company to the highest bidder and even if they'll leave with a good chunk of cash, things wouldn't be the same. A-List is what makes Robert and Justin who they are. It's their life; it's all they know. You can understand that they would be horrified to lose it." Chris voices and I shake my head, getting a clearer picture of Justin and Robert now.

"Wow, I totally understand." I admit.

"Good. Because Justin is basically the screw up who takes shit for granted and Robert is the one who always covers his ass because he loves his brother and vice versa. At least, they're not really competing for their father's love and trust. If they were, it would be utter chaos. They're both comfortable with who they are. Justin seems to be trying harder now as he's getting older, so I can understand if he's stressed out and feeling pressured and passing it out on everybody else. It's tough, he's trying and now he's faced with this Nella fiasco which isn't going to go over well or stay private for much longer." Gem concludes and I get it now.

I fully get it now. I think I have a much better understanding of Justin now. It amazes me that they've studied those brothers so well but they are our bosses so it's expected.

I guess I still have a lot to learn.

"Well, let's hope things turn out well." I voice while finishing off my lunch as we all sit around the table enjoying each other's company.

"Yeah, let's hope so. I'd hate to see Justin lose everything, especially now when he's trying to actually grow up and end his promiscuous party boy ways and lifestyle." Maura sympathizes.

I hope he doesn't lose everything too. Even if we don't really get along and he's uptight, I'd hate to see him lose this. I know this life isn't easy but he's so blessed and I hope that he sees that. Not many people have what he and Robert have. Even if they come from a broken home, at least they have each other just like I have Sean so I'm rooting for them.

You know what? Now that I think about it, maybe Justin isn't so bad after all? Maybe he just needs a little smoothing around the edges but I could totally see him as a decent individual without all the judging people seem to be passing on him, including myself, guilty as charged.

*****

Hours Later...

"Tai, do you have a minute?"

Looking up from my computer screen, I try to plaster a genuine smile on my face when I notice Justin is standing in front of my desk glaring at me.

"Sure. What do you need?" I inquire.

"Should I go with the black or blue tie? Which do you like better with a blue shirt?" He asks bashfully before pulling out both ties from behind his back.

I'm slightly taken aback and just stare at him for a bit in shock.

"I'm...I'm sorry what?" I'm trying not to laugh because he seems genuinely troubled over the fact that he can't make a decision.

"Look, I don't exactly have my mom for this. She's off in France with Georgiou her new husband." He says bitterly. "So...I was hoping you could give me your opinion since I don't have any sisters either."

"Don't you have a girlfriend who can help you with that?" I say rudely, but quickly regret my words when I remember his Nella situation.

Scowling, Justin bites the corner of his lip and strangely enough, I actually find that cute. What the hell?

"You're a real impertinent one aren't you? Just tell me which one Tai. It won't kill you.  The shirt I'm wearing is sort of a darkish blue so I was wondering which tie would mesh well. Isn't this like you women's thing?"

"Isn't it yours Mr. editor in chief?" I say boldly but realize that he's still my boss. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll ask my brother for you, hang on a minute." I state while gazing at the picture of Sean and me.

"Your bother?" Justin inquires in slight perplexity before placing both ties down on my desk. "Is he the one in the picture with you on your desk?"

"Yes." I simply respond while grabbing my cell phone and hitting speed dial for Sean.

"Oh." Justin says softly, waiting patiently for my answer. "I thought that was your boyfriend or something." He adds in and I eye him, not saying a word to that comment.

"Allo, what can I do you for hot mama?" Sean answers the other end of the line and I giggle.

"Hey Sean, I need your help."

"Shoot." He responds eagerly.

"I need to know if my boss should wear a black or blue tie with a dark blue shirt." I try to explain.

"Is this part of your job description?" Sean chuckles and I roll my eyes.

"I don't think so."

"Uh huh, well what shade is the blue tie?" He inquires.

"Uh, what shade is the blue tie?" I ask Justin.

"It's sort of a Prussian blue." Justin responds while studying me intently.

"Prussian blue Sean." I repeat.

"Ok, well then tell him to go with the black tie instead and make sure he adds the black dress pants and shoes with it. He could also maybe add a jacket, his choice. The Prussian tie won't go well with his dark blue shirt because both blues wouldn't mesh well although I think he could pull it off."

"Thank you Sean." I giggle.

"You're welcome. If that's all..."

"It is." I cackle.

"Then I'll see you tonight. Love you, kiss kiss."

"Love you too Sean. Bye."

I hang up my cell and put it away before gazing up at Justin who's standing there, examining me while waiting for his answer.

"He said the black, with black pants and shoes and maybe a jacket. Something about the two blues wouldn't mesh well." I shrug. "Fashion's not really my thing, yet here I am." I jest.

"Is your brother some kind of fashion guru?" Justin chortles.

"He wishes. No, he's just your regular journalist for the New York Times." I explain.

"Oh nice...that's pretty sweet."

"Yeah. That's Sean." I beam proudly.

"Well, uh, thanks for the tip. I'll leave you to finish up whatever it is you were doing." Justin moves to leave but my next statement stops him in his tracks.

"You're welcome, but I'm not really doing anything right now. You canceled your incoming calls today since you were busy planning A-List's anniversary party with your brother and you didn't have any appointments so I'm kind of just sitting here. If you have anything for me to do then..." But he cuts me off.

"No. Actually the workday's almost done and I only wanted your help with my wardrobe situation because I have this cocktail party to attend tonight so you're free to leave if you wish. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early?" Justin asks and I nod with a smile. "Don't be late...remember, three strikes." He points out seriously and I fight not to roll my eyes.

"Sure."

"Great, well have a good night Tai. Thanks again and bye." He mutters flatly before turning to disappear back into his office. I'd like to say he's genuinely trying to be nice to me, but I'm pretty sure he's only doing it out of duty because of his dad.

It's better than nothing I guess.

Wonderful. I get to leave early. Nothing can keep me here any longer.

Jumping up from my chair, I grab my bag and shut down my computer, getting ready to leave this place.

I swiftly make my way down the hallway towards the elevators with a strut in my step.

When I pass Sharron at her desk, I wave to her but she simply rolls her eyes at me before giving me a tight-lipped smile. Geez, she's got some attitude. Whatever, I don't care.

Hitting the down button for the elevators, I wait patiently for them to get to my floor.

As I'm waiting, I hear someone call out to me and when I turn around I notice Robert coming in my direction looking rather handsome in his suit and tie.

"Hey!" I smile brightly.

"Miss Tai Bennett, just the woman I wanted to see. I just passed by your station but Justin said you were on your way out, that he let you off early." Robert explains and I nod in agreement.

"Yeah he did."

"That's very...becoming of him." Robert grins.

"I guess. I'm trying to beat my brother home for once so I can start on dinner." I confess.

"You live with your brother? That's cool."

"It is. He's my best friend."

"Justin is my best friend." Robert says in thought, but then he frowns deeply. "At least, he used to be. We don't see each other that often outside of work anymore. I guess our lives are too hectic now." His voice is solemn when he says this and I feel like I need to empathize with him. I don't know what I'd do if Sean wasn't around.

"I'm sorry."

"It's cool. But that's not why I came looking for you."

"Oh?" I ask, ignoring the elevators when they ding and the doors open.

"There's this, album launching party taking place on Friday of this week which Justin and I were invited to. It's for an artist we sponsored so...I was hoping you would do me the honors of accompanying me to the event. It's supposed to be a grand affair for this breakthrough artist named Carla. It's red carpet, the works." Robert divulges and I find myself zoning out in utter astonishment.

"And you want me to go with you?"

"Yes Tai, why is that so hard to comprehend?" He chuckles. "It would be nice exposure for you. Plus, Justin would maybe tell you that he needs you to go eventually anyway. This way, if people see that you're with me there won't be any rumors this time about him and his assistant."

"Oh." I voice knowingly but still, he wants me to be his date? "You want me to be your date?"

"Sure. Unless you don't want to...I mean, you don't have to worry about work ethics. It's strictly on a platonic level. It's fine with me if it's fine with you. I'm sure my father and Justin won't mind."

"Uh, I uh..." I'm speechless. My first red carpet event? Really? "Yes, yes of course I'll come." I blurt out and Robert's lips curl up into a smile. Like I'm going to pass down this opportunity. Yeah right.

"Good. Well, I'll let you get going then. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"My brother is going to freak out." I giggle.

"Then invite him. I'll just put plus two on my invite."

"Are you serious?" I ask wide-eyed.

"Ha, you're cute Tai. Sure."

"Oh my gosh thank you Mr. Pattin...I mean, Robert." I beam up at him and he nods casually.

"Then it's settled. It's Friday at 8pm. We'll arrange transportation for you all and you can pick out whatever you want to wear from the closet with Gem's help, free of charge of course."

This is surreal.

"Ok, well, uh, I'll see you in work tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Robert assures with an amiable grin on his face.

"Bye!" I wave to him then turn when I hear the elevators ding again and a few of A-List's employees exit.

"Bye Tai." Robert replies and that's the last thing I hear him say before I step into the elevators and the doors close so I can head down to the lobby to leave and start my journey home.

As I stand patiently waiting to get to the ground floor of A-List magazine, I can't help but think about how well this job is actually going for me.

Maybe I should be happy that I landed this job. After all, it only keeps getting better...

CHAPTER SIX

A Few Days Later [Friday]

A-List Magazine

(In The Fashion Closet)

I've never been to the closet before. In fact, up until a few days ago, I didn't even know that A-List had its own fashion closet, but it only makes sense since this is a fashion magazine. But oh my gosh, in here is huge! There are shelves and shelves of shoes and racks and racks of clothes from all types of top designers, not to mention the endless accessories. This is any woman's dream and some guys too.

Where do I even begin? I actually got Justin's permission to come down here since it's nearing the end of the work day and he found out that Robert told me I could pick something out of the closet. He didn't seem too fond of the whole idea of me as Robert's date but he didn't say much about it.

I really couldn't be bothered. This is a chance of a lifetime and I'm going to seize the moment. I know for a fact, on a regular, I would never have access to these beautiful clothes because one dress in here alone would probably cost me at least a month's paycheck.

Sean couldn't stop talking about tonight either. He's so excited. He even took the day off from work to go out and shop for something to wear. This is his thing. He should be the one here, not me. But, I'm grateful. He literally sang my praises when I told him that we were both invited to the album release party. He's ecstatic to meet Justin and Robert in person too. I don't think I've told either of them he's gay though, so it would be hilarious if he ended up flirting with them or complimenting them a little more than he should. But I love that boy. He's my other half, my better half.

"So, what did you have in mind? Robert told me I should help you pick something out." Gem comes to stand next to me in flats, jeans and a camisole top with her measuring tape around her neck. It's cool that since she's the stylist she gets to dress more casually compared to the rest of us.

"Uh, I have no clue." I giggle giddily.

"Well, I think you'd look nice in something by Roberto Cavalli or maybe Donna Karan. Hang on a minute..." Studying me intently, Gem smiles before heading over to one of the racks.

I watch in anticipation as she searches and searches until she pulls off one of the dresses from the rack.

Glaring at it, I grin widely then shake my head in approval.

"It's from Cavalli's summer line that's coming out this year. I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised to see that you're wearing it with Robert on your arm. The media will eat it up." She muses and I breathe in a shaky nervous breath. Can I really do this?

"Thanks Gem." I mutter, still gazing at the dress in awe.

"It's a white shutter pleat dress with a square neckline and wide shoulder straps. It's made from viscose, acetate, and nylon. It's dry clean only. And, it was made in Italy. It's about fifteen hundred dollars. Do you like it?" Gem asks and I'm still in awe.

"I, I love it." I reply.

"Good. It should fit you perfectly with your curves. Now, follow me and we can get started on the shoes and accessories..."

It's official. I definitely love this new life that comes with this job. Who would have thought?

*****

Later

As I make my way towards my desk with my bag in hand containing my outfit for tonight, I'm stopped by Sharron in the hallway who purposely blocks my path.

"Hi Sharron." I smile softly and she actually gives me a genuine smile that's not forced.

"So, you and Robert huh?" She questions and I frown.

"I'm sorry? I don't know what you're talking about." I honestly admit.

"Oh sure you don't." She giggles. "You're only going as his date to Carla's album release party. He only gave you personal permission to raid the fashion closet and, he's only arguing with Justin as we speak right now, defending his decision of picking you as his date." She says in attitude and my eyes widen in shock.

"What?"

"Have fun." She waves before moving to the side so she can leave.

What the hell is going on?

Picking up my pace, I head straight for my desk so I can drop off my bag before I head to Justin's office to ask him what the hell Sharron is talking about.

Unfortunately, the moment I round the corner, I stop dead in my tracks when I see Justin and Robert standing by the door of Justin's office in a heated argument.

"You can't take her as your date Rob. What were you thinking? She's my assistant." Justin snaps.

"That never stopped you from taking your assistants out before Justin." Robert snaps back and oh my god, what's really going on?

"That's beside the point. Those weren't my smart moments. I learned the hard way. It's not good to mix business with pleasure."

"You're one to talk Justin." Robert retorts.

"Have you lost your fucking mind Rob? What's dad going to say when he finds out...?"

"Actually, he's cool with it."

That shuts Justin up for a mere moment as shock registers on his face.

"Dad is so fucking unfair sometimes." Justin growls angrily under his breath.

"Look man, Chris is coming too. This is a regular thing. Our assistants usually go to these things with us. I don't see what the big deal is. I think you're just mad because I'm the one taking Tai and not you. It's definitely a switch from your regular routine." Robert hisses and Justin's eyes narrow at him before he looks away.

"Don't chastise me Rob..." But his voice dies in his throat when his blues land on my browns.

Wincing, I turn to leave but Justin calls out to me which causes Robert to turn around in the process.

"Tai, don't leave." Justin pleads and I nod before moving around to my desk to take a seat quietly.

"Tai, I'm sorry you had to hear that." Robert apologizes and I nod again while placing the bag in my hand down next to my handbag.

"It's fine. I...maybe I shouldn't go..."

"No!" Both Justin and Robert say in unison and I stare at them. Seriously, would they make up their minds?

"No, you can go. We just had a little disagreement about the whole ethics of the situation but it's fine. If my dad's ok with it, then there's no problem." Justin speaks up and I give them both a half-smile, now unsure about if I really want to go through with this.

I like Robert, I do. But is all of this really necessary? I don't want to put any tension between them even if I can't see why I should. It's not like there's any relationship or deep hidden feelings involved. It's just an album release party.

"Ok." I reply simply and Justin sighs in slight annoyance at this entire situation I'm sure.

"Tai, we'll pick you up tonight at 7:30 since everything kicks off at 8 ok? Don't worry about it. Just be ready for that time. I have to go; I have to head down to the promotions department to see how they're doing for next week's issue. I'll see you all later." Robert voices before excusing his self so he can leave.

When he's gone, I stare at Justin who's just standing there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do with his self.

I give him a light smile and he returns the gesture with a slight nod.

"I should, maybe start packing up to leave since it's the end of the day. You should too." He utters.

"Sure, ok."

"Right...I'll uh...just...leave now." He rambles out before turning around to head into his office, shutting his door behind him.

When he's gone, I giggle to myself while watching him through the glass window of his office before I divert my attention to my computer screen to finish entering up some new appointments for him into his schedule.

When I'm done, I'll leave for the day and head home so I can get ready for tonight.

*****

Hours Later

Bronx, New York

"So what do you think?" I ask Sean while coming out of my room fully dressed in my white dress, red heels and accessories for him to see. He helped me to do my makeup and hair earlier before I got dressed so I think I'm finally ready to go.

"Wow girl, you look ‘ferosh.'" He chuckles, quoting Christian Siriano and I giggle. "Those Timberlake men better watch out." He snaps his fingers in attitude.

"Thanks babe, glad you like." I move over to give him a kiss on both cheeks before inspecting his attire. "You look amazing yourself big bro." I admit.

He's actually wearing a pant suit with an added fedora hat to complete his attire.

"Why thank you, I try. I can still be glamorous on a budget now. I'm not like you who has access to A-List's fashion closet and two hunks fighting over you. I envy you." He jokes and I roll my eyes playfully at him. Why do I even bother telling him about my day when he only teases me about it?

"Justin and Robert weren't fighting over me." I assure him.

"Whatever you say. Give it time." Sean brushes me off and I groan. "What? It's only a matter of time before they realize what a catch you are."

"Spare me Sean." I scoff.

"You're too down on yourself Tai. You clearly don't see what I see. But that's fine, because Robert and Justin will and when they do, expect me to say I told you so." He points out.

"You're too much." I laugh and he chuckles in return, but we're interrupted when my cell phone begins ringing.

Pulling it out of my small red Dior handbag, yes and it's not a knockoff either, I quickly hit the talk button before it cuts off.

"Hello?" I answer eagerly.

"Tai? I'm trying to figure out if I'm in the right place. What's the apartment number again?"

It's Robert.

"Oh it's 1098." I voice to him over the line.

"Ok, I thought so. Justin thought it was 1089. Ok, well in that case I'm here." He responds and the moment he says that we hear the doorbell ring.

"Oh is that you?" I ask

"Yes." He chuckles and I quickly say ‘bye' before hanging up the phone and rushing to the door to unbolt the locks and swing it open.

"Hey!" I beam at Robert when he comes into view.

"Hey yourself beautiful. Wow. You look gorgeous." Robert says while eyeing me before bending down to engulf me in a tight hug which causes me to gush. "I think I'm going to personally thank Cavalli for making that dress." He adds in, pulling away from me to give me a light kiss on the cheek and I feel my face redden. He's such a flatterer.

"Thank you, you look handsome yourself. Oh and this is my brother Sean. Sean this is Robert." I introduce them and Sean walks up to shake Robert's hand.

"It's a pleasure man." Robert grins and Sean breathes in deeply to calm his excitement.

"Oh believe me the pleasure is all mine." Sean replies and I giggle at Robert's expression.

"O...k...well, are we ready to go? The limo's waiting and Justin's already at the venue with Chris. I guess we really switched assistants for the night huh?" Robert teases.

"Oh, ok." I say in slight disappointment which Robert doesn't pick up on, but Sean does because he gives me a look. It's no big deal really, I just thought we were all going together.

"Yes, let's go." Sean speaks up eagerly and both Robert and I laugh lightly at his enthusiasm.

I think tonight is going to be fun. At least, I hope it will be.

*****

Sometime Later

Club Elite [At Album Release Party]

Manhattan, New York

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S,

Yeah G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

We're flying first class
Up in the sky
Poppin' champagne
Livin' the life
In the fast lane
And I won't change
By the Glamorous, oh the flossy, flossy

"This is insane!" Sean shouts to me over the blaring music as we're situated on the dance floor, dancing our asses off to Fergie's ‘Glamorous.'

"It is, but I'm having fun!" I yell back at him and he nods while moving perfectly to the beat.

"Me too!"

It's amazing how I'm not a dancer, I hate dancing, I don't usually dance especially in public because I'm self-conscious, but yet, all that is forgotten when I have Sean with me. He helps unleash the wilder more carefree side in me and I love that about him. Not to mention I've maybe had one too many drinks for the night. But this place is amazing. It's packed, the music is blasting and people are having a good time.

My night has been crazy and I could go on and on forever about how fast and dazzling it was. But I won't. I will, however, highlight the main events of my night so far that's left me speechless, in awe and wishing I could do it all over again.

The red carpet...in two words...unbelievably magical.

Gem was right. The paparazzi and media ate up the fact that I came as Robert's date wearing Cavalli. They asked the most atrocious questions too but I think Rob and I handled it well. They asked about how close Robert and Justin really were and if they shared their women since I was with Robert and not Justin like they expected me to be. I saw the horror on Robert's face when that question was asked. They were only messing with him as a joke but he barely managed to smile without frowning at the notion. I kind of felt bad for him, but I made sure to only speak when spoken to.

Our pictures were taken, we did mini interviews and everyone was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't another one of Justin's flings but actually just his employee.

I didn't care though. I was too engrossed in the festivities. I smiled, showing my teeth for the camera the entire time while trying not to freak out at all of the celebrities who were around.

Sean was on another wavelength all together. People were fascinated by his charisma and charm and actually loved him.

And then there's Carla who is an absolute sweetheart. She has sparkling blonde hair, bright blue warm eyes and most of all she was humbled by this event. I can only hope that the business doesn't change her as she continues to grow as an artist. 

When we finally got inside, that's when the craziness started. Sean made it his point of duty to mingle with the A-list celebs and even scored a few contact numbers. Can you believe it? And he dragged me along with him until Robert stole me away. I finally gave Robert that dance I owed him which he gladly accepted. Plus, I was already buzzed on tequila shots so I felt more at ease dancing.

After that, Sean came back and asked me to hit the floor with him and we've been ‘cutting a rug' ever since.

But, none of that quenches the dread I feel right now. We've been here for hours and I've only seen Justin in the distance entertaining his comrades. Since we've been here, he never once came over to even acknowledge us. Robert was the one who went over to speak to him. I kind of felt neglected you know? Or maybe rejected?

Even if we don't fully get along, I thought he cared enough to see if his assistant was at least doing ok. Who am I kidding; I shouldn't expect a thing from him. I just wish he was different you know? At least a bit more kind or friendly towards me. But it is what it is...

"Tai babe, you've totally lost your groove."

Glaring at Sean, I frown and he laughs. "I'm going to get a drink; it's getting too hot in here. I'll be back!" He informs me and I shake my head before he makes his exit.

Robert left us earlier to entertain a few guests stating that he'd be back soon. Sean was there so it was cool if he left but now I'm alone and maybe I should take a seat, or maybe grab another drink at the bar.

When I make a move to head off the dance floor, my advances are cut short when I feel someone gently grip my wrist. Gasping in shock, I quickly whirl around, maybe too quickly because it made me light-headed. But I'm ignoring it because I'm staring into a pair of beautiful cerulean blues right now that seem to be slightly amused by my intoxication.

"Tai, are you ok?" Justin asks out of concern and I gaze at him in wonderment. When did he get here? It's almost like he was waiting for his opportunity to swoop in or something.

"I, I'm fine." I wave him off. "No more alcohol for me." I add in.

"Got that right. Luckily for you it's the weekend." He shrugs.

I'm only now realizing how close we are. Our fronts are practically touching and I can feel his body heat on me and I swallow harshly because he's my boss.

"So what do you want?" I cut to the chase because I think I need to seat or something before the room starts spinning.

"Are you having a good time!?" He shouts over the music and I beam.

"Sure!" I reply and he nods while his eyes scan the dance floor.

This is so odd. We're in the middle of the dance floor but we're not dancing. We're standing there, facing each other...talking.

"Ok that's good, I didn't have a chance to come over and see how everything was going with you all tonight. It seemed like we were both busy and entertained!"

"Well we're not right now!"

"The truth is you looked kind of lonely and lost when Sean left!"

"He didn't leave that long and I was going to seat down until you stopped me!"

This only concludes once thing...Justin was watching us. That's the only way he'd know exactly when Sean left so he could come over. I'm not sure what to think or make of that so I'll ignore it instead.

Gosh this is awkward. But, he does look fine in his black attire with his long jacket and scarf wrapped around his neck. Wow, get it together girl.

"Oh...ok." Is all Justin says in reply and I smile softly.

"Are you trying to ask me to dance or something?" I inquire in a teasing nature and I note the hesitancy in his eyes as he studies my expressions. He looks like he wants to say ‘yes' but he slowly shakes his head ‘no.'

"No, that wouldn't be right. I'm your boss." Wow, bummer. "Actually, I came to invite you over to our booth to chill I guess. Chris already went over to the bar to tell Sean so...if you'd like to..."

"Yes, yes that's fine! Thank you." I sigh in relief. I really do need to seat down now.

Without saying another word, Justin grips my hand in his and leads us off the dance floor to one of the secure booths in the V.I.P section where it's quieter and I can actually breathe without the mass of gyrating bodies surrounding me.

Carefully, I slide into the booth and Justin slides in on the opposite side facing me.

"So you look really nice tonight." He voices and I nod in reply. "The dress looks good on you; it fits you well."

"Thank you." I giggle and he actually smiles a big ole smile. I think that one was practically effortless too.

"You're welcome." He states while rubbing his hands over his light stubble. His stare is warm and gentle for the most part which is a stretch from his usually tense exterior. "So are you enjoying your night? Was my brother a good date? I think he's kissing ass now with clients." Justin chuckles and I laugh as well.

"Yeah, Robert is a great guy."

"He is." Justin agrees wholeheartedly.

"You're not so bad yourself." I add in, gauging his reaction.

"Please Tai, all I've ever done is treat you like shit. I'm surprised you're even talking to me."

"It's my job, I'm the assistant. It's ok if my boss is an asshole or jerk. A lot of bosses are. We're supposed to learn how to deal." I shrug and Justin's lips curve into a sly smile.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly blurts out and I'm slightly astonished.

"What?"

"For how I've behaved with you, I'm sorry. It was out of character. My dad was right about everything he said when he said you'd be good for me. He was right. You've kept me in check believe it or not. I needed a slap in the face I guess to put things into perspective so, thank you for that." He adds and I'm so lost right now. I'm not sure what I did for him but hey, if he's apologizing then it means something.

"It's all good." I say smoothly and Justin erupts in laughter, dipping his head back in the process.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all Bennett. I was sure you were sent to destroy me for all the wrong I did to women in my past." Justin jokes and even if I'm giggling, I'm amazed that he's actually letting down his walls and defenses with me.

What the hell brought this on and how could I have missed it? I'm so confused right now. Do I hate him or like him? Is he going to switch back when we're back in the office under work pressure or is this a permanent change and move forward?

"Can I ask you one thing?" I inquire, turning serious.

"Sure what?"

"Why did you hate me so much at the start?"

"I never really hated you Tai. I guess I just felt threatened, that there was a woman who wasn't hanging on my every word, or willing to submit to me. That there was someone who was willing to call me out on my shit. Even if you never called me out in work about my behavior, your silence spoke volumes. I've honestly never had that happen to me before in this life so I didn't know how to deal. Bossing you around and making your life a living hell gave me the power back. But, I really am sorry about that." He has a somber tone to his voice now as he continues to stare at me and I feel lifted but at the same time perturbed.

"Thanks for being honest." Is all I manage to get out because this just got deep and I'm not good with ‘deep' meaningful conversations about feelings and emotions.

My therapist worked wonders on healing me after my parents' death but this is something that I could never truly get over. I couldn't express my feelings anymore after grieving for so long and becoming exhausted over it. I locked everything away since then and I don't plan on letting the feelings roll out any time soon. At least not the deeply rooted ones.

Before Justin can say anything else, we're interrupted by Sean and Chris who slide into the booth to join us, instantly sparking up a conversation.

And just like that, my little bonding time with Justin is over, but I don't mind. I'm glad for the distraction.

My fun is interrupted eventually though when Robert comes over, asking me to join him for the rest of night at the party and I gladly oblige since my mind is too full to think and process the random thoughts speeding through it about Justin and A-List  magazine and basically everything on a whole.

As I move to stand, my eyes land on Justin who gives me a weak smile and nod in acknowledgement before giving his brother a half wave.

Sean and Chris are deep in conversation about the celebrities here so they didn't see the expression that floated over Justin's face when Robert placed his hand on the small of my back to lead us to another part of the club.

But I saw it. I saw the look Justin gave me and I know that look. I know that look all too well. It's the same look I get when looking at my parents pictures. It's a look of longing. What I don't understand is why he directed it towards me and what exactly did it mean?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Two Days Later [Monday]

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"Tai, we have a problem."

Lifting my head from my computer screen, my eyes connect to a very distraught Justin as he comes over to my desk. Fixing myself in my seat, I smooth my palms over my black skirt and red blouse.

"What you need sir?" I inquire, giving him my full attention. He frowns when I call him sir, but quickly brushes it off.

"Someone leaked our cover spread idea for this month's issue. Our rivals Vogue took our idea and their issue came out today so...I have no idea how this happened but we can't release our Friday issue doing the same thing. Our theme was ‘beautiful at any age.' It took us the entire month to get it just right. Do you remember what we had to go through to get our top A-list middle-aged women celebrities to pose for those group photos? You know how they can be divas. You were there for some of the photo shoots. Not to mention our center spread is completely fucked." Justin says harshly. "I'm sorry for my language I just..."

"How did this happen?" I ask completely horrified. We went through so much this past month setting everything up. This was my first time experiencing the entire creation process of these magazine issues and trust me, there is no way they can save this issue in just a few days. "That's horrible, I'm so sorry, what should I do? I'll help any way I can." I offer. Justin looks stressed, confused and frustrated by all of this.

"I don't think there's anything we can do Tai. We have four days to put together what took us almost an entire month. We're so screwed. And this is going to be my fault. I'm the editor in chief. I don't understand how this could have happened. My dad is going to come down hard on me for this one. I'm always the screw up. This is going to be another thing on my long list of disappointments when it comes to my dad. Shit..." Swiping his palms over his face to calm his nerves, he sighs heavily looking defeated. He loosens his tie around his neck and takes in a deep breath.

I feel so bad for him. I know he feels pressured with having to measure up to this bar his dad has set for them.

I feel like I need to comfort him and let him know that everything will be alright, but it won't. Not unless they can come up with a new cover spread theme and shoot the photos they need to make the changes. It seems simple enough, but it's not. They'd have to make sure whoever they choose for the cover is willing and available. Not to mention they'll need to get a photographer to do the shoot among other things.

"We can think of something. It's not over yet." I mention and Justin eyes me tiredly.

"You're optimistic, but optimism won't get us far unless we have a plan that we can set in motion."

"Well, have you talked to Robert about it yet? Your dad doesn't have to know. He's not even here; he went out of town yesterday to Milan for a fashion show, remember?" I question, causing Justin to scowl deeply.

"I forgot about that." Justin admits while eyeing me. "How is it that....that you call Robert by his first name but you're still calling me sir? No one around here calls me sir. My dad's the only sir and Mr. Timberlake around here really."

"Well technically, Robert's not my boss and you're more my boss than any of the other employees here so it's only fitting." I explain.

"You know Tai, I really wouldn't mind if you called me Justin. Calling me sir makes me feel old."

"Would you rather I called you Justin then?" I ask to make sure. I don't want to call him Justin one day for him to tell me I'm being disrespectful or something because he's going through one of his phases.

"You know, it's not that big of a deal. Just, call me whatever you wish. It doesn't matter. We have bigger things to worry about." He quickly rambles out, changing topic. What is up with that man? "Can you call Sharron and let her know we're having an emergency meeting in the boardroom in fifteen minutes about this month's issue? Tell her to let the creative team who had a hand in this month's issue know that they're needed at the meeting. I'm going to head back to my office and see if I can get in touch with one of our regular photographers."

"Ok sure, I'll get right on that."

"One more thing...how was your weekend?" Justin asks and I look at him oddly. "I'm trying this whole caring, friendly type boss thing since some of my employees tend to think I'm quite the asshole." He grins brightly and I giggle. He's amazing me again with this new side of him.

"It was good. I spent it with my brother. We hung out and had fun." I voice and he gives me a half nod before shrugging.

"That's good. Ok, I'm off." Justin says before turning around and disappearing into his office, leaving me to perform his requests.

There's no doubt that this current predicament we're in sucks. I hope that we can save this month's issue. I'd really hate to see Randall angry with Justin for this slip up when it wasn't his fault.

*****

Later

On a whole, the meeting went well. But, we're pushed for time.

Robert and Justin actually came up with some good ideas in the meeting we had along with the creative team. 

I think we might just be able to pull this off without their dad ever knowing there was a real problem. He might ask why they didn't go with the original theme, but I'm sure they could think of something to tell him.

The only setback? Chris and I got stuck with handling most of the workload with our bosses.

While everyone else is doing their part, Justin and Robert specifically said they'd need us for overtime this week. Now, I love my job, but missing my nights with Sean is unacceptable. I mean, it's the only time we get to see each other besides on the weekend and while I know Sean would be ok with it, he'd probably accuse Justin of working me too hard and then maybe suggest something crazy like I should ask for a raise after being here for only a month.

"Did you hear the great news?"

As I gather my belongings and begin shutting down my workstation, Chris's deep voice filters out my thoughts and I turn to stare at him with tired eyes.

"You mean the one where we're stuck when everyone else gets to go home at a reasonable time?" I ask and he chuckles while moving to rest against my desk.

"Yup, that one."

"Don't remind me. And I promised Sean I was going to cook tonight. Ugh." I mutter while pressing the power supply on my monitor.

"Well, look at it this way. We get paid overtime. I really can't complain. I've been here for two years now and while Robert and Justin are hard, they're still fair. I'm sure if you voice your concerns they'll be lenient."

"I guess. So, where are we doing this? The boardroom? It's really big and spacious in there and we could maybe order take-out or something." I suggest.

"Actually, I was thinking we could maybe swing by my place."

That was Justin.

Both Chris and I turn to look at him as he walks up to us with Robert at his side.

"Your place?" I ask skeptically. Is that even ethical?

"Sure, we trapped you guys into this all-nighter so it's only fair that you get to do it in some type of comfort. That is if you don't mind. I have a refrigerator full of food that you could always raid. And at least you'd get to relax and take some load off." Justin explains.

"Sounds good to me." Chris shrugs.

They all turn to look at me, waiting for my input and my eyes flit over their faces, trying to read their expressions.

When I lock eyes with Robert, he smiles for me and I instantly cave.

"Fine, I guess that's ok. When do we leave and how do we get to your place?" I ask Justin.

"Well, both Robert and I have our cars so..."

"Ok, that's fine; I guess I'll go with you and Chris with Robert?" I voice and Justin nods in agreement.

"Then it's settled. Let's get going. It may be the end of the workday but we still have a ton of work to do to cover this slip up." Robert voices while looking at Justin who bites the corner of his mouth, not saying anything.

"Which wasn't any of you all's fault right? It was whoever that leaked the cover spread. Don't worry, you guys will find out who it was." I assure them.

"Let's hope so, because if we don't and dad finds out, it's on us." Robert mentions before calling out to Chris to follow him so they can leave.

When they disappear around the corner, I grab the last of my belongings so Justin and I can leave.

"I'm just going to get my jacket and close up the office, I'll be right out." Justin says.

"Ok that's fine." I respond.

In no time flat, Justin comes back out and leads us down the hallways to the elevators so we can head out and get this show on the road. Which reminds me, I'll need to call Sean to let him know what's up.

As we make it down to the lobby towards the exit, I notice that Justin is stealing glances at me, but not saying anything. Unfortunately, I can't take when people do that like they want to voice their thoughts, but are fighting against it.

"Something wrong?" I ask while turning to face him.

"What? Oh, why..."

"You were gawking at me." I point out which causes him to smirk.

"I highly doubt I was gawking."

"Whatever. Is something on your mind?"

"Actually..." But he pauses, picking up his pace instead.

"What? You can tell me. I don't see what the big deal is."

"I just wanted to say thanks for what you did back there. It's nothing really." He mutters and I catch up to him, trying to match his long strides as I glare.

"Uh you're welcome I guess, but what are you thanking me for exactly?"

"When Robert said we had a lot of work to cover because of this slip up. He looked at me. And, I know his looks. He felt that somehow, this was my fault, that I was responsible and, and then you said it wasn't anyone's fault but the person who made this week's issue leak. In a weird way, I think you stood up for me back there and I just wanted to say thanks for that. I know it's probably not the case, but there's only so much blame Robert can take for me when he covers for my slip ups because he usually does. Only this time, it wasn't my fault." Shrugging, Justin gives me a soft smile before we bust through the exit doors of A-List Magazine and begin heading down the sidewalk to where his car is parked.

"Oh well, it was nothing really. It's not your fault and I'm sure Robert knows that. He's simply feeling the pressure like you are. I mean, your dad isn't exactly making running this company easy for you guys."

"Tell me about it Tai. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother trying to impress my dad. We all know Robert is his golden boy and I'm like the prodigal son or something..." But Justin drifts when he turns to stare at me. "I'm sorry. This isn't like me at all; it's not my intention to dump my troubles on you. I love my brother don't get me wrong I just..."

"It's ok." I state as we make it to his silver Mercedes. I should have expected this. I mean, he's Justin. What was he going to drive, a pickup truck?

"No, I don't need you feeling sorry for me too. Trust me, I'm not trying to play the pity card or anything Tai, I..."

"Justin!" I shout for him to shut up his ranting. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I told you, it's fine. I may be your assistant, but that doesn't mean we can't try to be friends or something. You're not so bad either you know? I don't know. I know you said we shouldn't converse unless it's work related but, we're getting along better now, or at least, I think we are..." But I trail off when I notice that he's just standing there glaring at me with a large grin on his face. "What? What's wrong now?" I inquire, not able to hold back my own smile since his is so contagious. He should smile more often, he has a gorgeous smile.

"You called me Justin." He points out.

"Did I? Oh, well you told me I could." I shrug. "Just don't pull one of your episodes on me one day when you're in your mood, because I'll call you out on it."

Chuckling he shakes his head while hitting the alarm and unlock button on his ride so we can get in. "Oh trust me Tai, you're the last person I want to call me out on anything. In fact, you make my dad seem like a walk in the park, and that's not easy to do, so that says something." Justin solely admits.

I can't help but giggle at that as we get into his ride and buckle up before he brings the car to life and pulls out of his parking spot. I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or offended by his remark, but I will give him credit. He sure is trying to be a better person and for that, I'm willing to help him in any way that I can to get this month's issue of A-List Magazine on the stands so his dad can continue keeping his faith in his son.

*****

Hours Later

Justin's Penthouse Apartment

Manhattan, New York

"I have to admit, I think we have everything we need to pull this off." I voice as I stare at all of the papers sprawled out on Justin's center glass table in his living room.

"You think so?" He asks, turning to stare at me skeptically and I shake my head in reassurance.

"Sure. The ‘family theme' can work. I know you guys are a fashion magazine, but your readers would love to see that you all are family oriented as well and that you appeal to the real side of people, since your readers are from all backgrounds, all walks of life and are of all shapes and sizes. I think they would be pleasantly surprised when they see that you don't have the regular airbrushed beauty who's like a size 1 0r 2 on your cover." I explain and Justin smiles before resting back against his black leather couch.

"You're right. This could work in our favor."

Beaming proudly, my eyes flit over my surroundings as I sit casually, still in awe.

I have to hand it to Justin. He sure is living the glamorous life. His Penthouse is out of this world and has the most gorgeous view of Manhattan at night with all of the lights.

All the furniture is of top quality and I'm afraid to say it, but just one of the portraits on his wall probably costs Sean and me a month's rent. Still, it's nice and it has a warm, homey feeling to it, even if he's the only one who lives here. I'm sure he made it this way. I wonder if he doesn't get lonely living in a huge place like this on his own. Well, it's not my place to ask, so I'll just keep wondering.

"What time is it?" I inquire as I turn to look at Justin who's busy reading through the A-List book, making memos on parts that need to be changed.

"Uh, let's see." Flicking his wrist watch, his eyes widen slightly in astonishment. "Wow, it's after one am. I think we should call it a night. You guys need some rest before work." Justin says. "I'll call a town car to bring you home." He explains and I frown.

"Town cars run this late when there's no event taking place?" I inquire in awe and he shrugs.

"Well, no, but..."

"Justin, those people have lives too." I state, referring to the drivers.

"You're right. I'll just take you guys."

"What? No, you're tired..." Casting my vision over to one of his other couches, I smile when I notice how angelic Robert looks, passed out in sleep on the couch. He knocked out a little while ago and I don't blame him. We're all tired. We all had a long day, rushing around, trying to set up these last minute changes.

"Then how will you get home Tai? I'm not going to let you take the train." Justin snaps and I scowl at him. "Oh don't look at me like that. You and I both know how dangerous that idea is so you might as well forget about it."

"You know, I have no problem with accompanying you guys and then coming back here with Justin and crashing, just to make sure he doesn't fall asleep at the wheel." Chris speaks up from the kitchen before taking a big bite of a sandwich he just made.

Both Justin and I laugh but quickly quiet down when we remember that Robert is sound asleep just a few feet away from us.

Justin wasn't kidding when he said we could raid his fridge as a perk of working late. I stuffed my stomach with pasta earlier and even opened a bottle of his red wine which he didn't complain about. He even asked me to pour him a glass. I hate to say it, but the four of us had some fun while working here tonight.

We talked, laughed and it didn't feel like we were work associates or that Chris and I were the assistants and Robert and Justin were our bosses. The atmosphere was comfortable and it almost felt like all of us were just friends who got stuck working on this huge project together. I actually enjoyed it.

Plus, Sean was a sweetheart for understanding when I called him earlier and he even offered to leave dinner for me if I happened to come in when he was asleep. Gosh, it's the little things that make me love my brother even more and realize how truly blessed I am to have him in my life.

"I guess we have a plan. Chris and I will bring you home and then Chris can crash here for the night since he live further than you." Justin voices and I nod, beginning to gather my things so we can get ready to leave.

"What about Robert?" I inquire and Justin turns to stare at his sleeping brother briefly.

"You know, it's been a while since we've really spent any time outside of the office so, I don't mind, he could crash over too. I'm not going to let him drive home. He's too tired for that." Justin says with a yawn and I can't help but gush at how cute he's being.

He's still in part of his work clothes, but even with his droopy eyes, disheveled hair, rolled up sleeves and loose tie he's a cutie. I'm starting to understand a little more why women go so crazy over them. If Justin shows that caring side to anyone, how can they resist liking him even just a little bit?

"He said you were his best friend." I voice, catching Justin's attention as he stares at Robert with a slight frown on his face.

"He did?"

"Uh huh, he told me you were his best friend. I think he misses you." I point out and Justin turns to stare at me deeply, his blues piercing my browns as he swipes his hand over his short head of hair.

"He's my best friend too." He assures in a soft tone and I smile brightly. "You like him a lot don't you?" He asks and my eyes widen slightly by his question.

"I, uh, I do. Yeah, he's, he's nice." I say feeling slightly nervous and Justin nods in understanding. "I mean, I like you now too." I think. What hell am I really saying?

Gosh, I never gave it any thought. I mean, I barely know them right? But then, sitting here now, getting lost in Justin's blues, I feel like I know him so well, like he's an open book to me now. It's weird.

"Right. So, are we ready to go?" Justin suddenly switches, breaking eye contact with me before standing and stretching out his limbs.

"Oh yeah, but, hang on a minute; I've got to use the bathroom first." Chris speaks up, downing his glass of juice before he takes off down the hall and I giggle despite myself as Justin smiles with a shake of his head.

"With any luck, we'll get through this setback and A-List will have a magazine on the stands by Friday." Justin vocalizes his thoughts and I stand to face him with my bag at my side as we wait for Chris to get out from the bathroom so we can leave.

"I have faith that everything will work out."

"I know you do Tai, and that's a good thing, because you motivated me to not give up also." Justin beams while looking down at me and I look away, a weird feeling I can't quite place taking over me.

I let out a soft hum in response, not quite being able to find my voice as my heartbeat speeds up.

Where the hell is Chris?

As much as I'm enjoying this moment and all, I need to get home so I can get some rest, because it's clear that my lack of sleep is making me think and feel things I wouldn't think and feel otherwise on a regular if I wasn't so tired.

*****

Bronx, New York

Tai and Sean's Apartment

When I finally got home, the entire apartment was in darkness so I knew Sean was asleep. But, he did leave dinner for me like he promised. However, since I already ate at Justin's I placed it in the fridge for lunch tomorrow and decided to prepare for bed after taking a warm shower.

Showers before bed always help me to sleep better.

When I was finally dressed and in my PJ's I crawled into bed underneath the comforter waiting for the drowsiness to knock me out but it wasn't happening.

I've been lying here only for a few minutes, but I was sure I would have knocked out the moment I hit the sheets.

My mind won't turn off long enough for me to fall asleep but I'm not complaining because I'm thinking about how much my life is changing just because I work at A-List Magazine. I'm making new friends and my boss isn't the colossal asshole he was at the start even if he still has his moments.

I can safely say that my life doesn't totally suck anymore and having this job was just the stepping stone I needed to pursue a journalism career so I'm grateful.

Snapping out of my thoughts when I hear my cell buzz on the nightstand, I quickly stretch across to grab it and read the text message I just received. Who texts someone at like after two in the morning?

Hey Tai, just letting you know that Chris and I got back safely and I didn't fall asleep at the wheel or anything. Lol. Anyway, you're maybe sleeping by now, but if you're not, sleep well. Oh and Robert says goodnight. He woke up when we came back. Anyway, we'll see in work...

Justin

Smiling at his message, I place my phone back on the nightstand and turn over on my side to get more comfortable so I can knock out for the rest of the night. I'm going to need all the rest I can get so I can be fresh and alert at work, because until Friday comes and goes, we still have a lot of work to do on this month's issue.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Four Days Later [Friday]

Bronx, New York

"Morning sunshine!" Sean beams as I stroll into the kitchen half-asleep, half-awake.

"Hey Sean." I mutter, moving to give him a tight hug before I pull away and accept the cup of coffee in his outstretched hand.

"So, how are you feeling? Aren't you excited? You all actually pulled off the issue's deadline." He says while handing me a plate of eggs and toast which I gladly accept.

"We barely made it." I correct him before gulping down a large portion of my coffee.

"Well you did, and while I think Justin and Robert had you all running around the place, overworking you, it paid off."

"I suppose." I shrug, sitting with Sean at our small dining table.

"So, do you have any plans for this weekend?" He inquires and I lift my head to glare at him.

"Plans? Why would I have plans? The weekend is our thing. We're supposed to chill at our favorite bar tomorrow."

"I don't know, now that you and Robert are an item and all..."

"Sean we are not!" I giggle. "We haven't even talked about anything like that. It was one stupid date for an album launching."

"Uh huh, whatever you say chica. Give it time. You all were swamped this week. Now that the crisis is over, it's only a matter of time before he addresses the situation."

"There is no situation ok Sean? Robert is a great guy..."

"But Justin rocks your boat?" He interrupts me and my eyes widen in shock.

"This conversation is over." I cut him off and he chuckles lightly.

"I'm only teasing sis."

"No, it's over." I laugh while standing after taking a few forkfuls of my scrambled eggs. "I'm going to be late for work." I voice while grabbing my handbag and tugging at my jacket. "I'll see you later, love you."

"Ok kiss, kiss!" Sean replies as I rush for the front door to leave so I can catch the train.

As I make my way out of our apartment complex I laugh to myself at the ridiculousness of my brother.

Justin rocking my boat? Yeah right. Whatever...

*****

Hours Later

Manhattan, New York

A-List Magazine

"I just want to congratulate everybody on a job well done. We managed to hit our deadline even with the snag we had and I'm proud to say that this month's issue made it on the stands in the nick of time. So, I think you all deserve to give yourselves a round of applause." Justin announces.

Smiling brightly, we all begin clapping, hooting and hollering as we sit around the large table in the boardroom with Justin and Robert at the forefront directing the meeting.

As I gaze down at my copy of this month's issue, I beam with pride that I actually had a hand in making this possible. And I'm proud of Justin and Robert too. They really pulled through. Their dad isn't due back for a few days so I'm sure he'll be none the wiser.

"Well, I think this is it everyone. We'll begin brainstorming on next month's issue on Monday since it will be the first issue for summer. In the mean time, you're all dismissed." Robert adds in and everyone begins gathering their belongings to exit the large, white boardroom.

Standing from my seat, I grip my copy of A-list magazine in my hand and move to exit the boardroom as well, giving both Justin and Robert a smile on my way out.

"Can you believe we did it?" Chris says while catching up to walk with me down the hallway back to my desk.

"I know right?" I gush and he chuckles. "But I'd really like to know who leaked the information about the cover spread."

"Yeah, I was sure we were screwed, but I think your positive outlook actually motivated everyone."

"Well you know it doesn't hurt to be optimistic."

"It doesn't Tai, you're right." He agrees with me and I smile at him as we make it to my desk.

"So anyway, what are you doing this weekend? Gem, Maura and I were going to hang out, maybe go to the movies tomorrow. Do you want to join us?" Chris asks and I cringe when I think of my brother.

"Actually, I'd love too, but I kind of already have plans with my bro for tomorrow. But, I'll definitely come next time."  I assure and he shakes his head in understanding.

"Oh that's cool. I'll tell the girls. I'm sure they wouldn't mind either. We usually do it every two or so weeks, so...next time..."

"Definitely." I reply and Chris grins brightly in response before excusing his self to return to his own workstation.

When he's gone, I take a sit at my desk and let out a sigh of relief that the craziness is over.

This past week was like a passing tornado but we made it and got everything back under control.

"Hey Tai?"

Turning, I meet eyes with Justin and smile.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for everything. I know this past week was hard on you guys but it worked out."

"It did, and I don't think your dad will be angry."

"Yeah." Justin sighs in relief. "Oh which reminds me...I'm going to be planning our upcoming fashion show that's taking place in the next two weeks where we'll be showcasing our summer line as well as placing it in next month's issue, so I'm going to need your help in planning it." Justin points out and I grab a notepad and pen to make a small note.

"Wow, I've never helped plan a fashion show before." I say excitedly.

"It'll be fun. It's actually one of the few things I enjoy doing even if it's still work."

"This is going to be great!" I shriek, causing Justin to laugh.

"It'll definitely be a new experience for you." He admits and I grin at him.

"You know, you're turning out to be a pretty cool boss." I tell him and he smiles coyly.

"Yeah, you're just saying that."

"No, Justin I'm serious. It's a big change from your negative ways. Keep it up. Believe it or not, people actually like nice." I joke and he erupts in laughter, causing me to giggle as well.

"I'll remember that." He utters before we're interrupted by Robert.

"Tai Bennett. Just the woman I wanted to see." Robert voices and I smile at him as my giggles die out.

I don't miss how Justin's serious expression comes back almost instantly before he clears his throat awkwardly.

"I'll uh, just be in my office if anyone needs me." Justin states and Robert and I nod in unison before he leaves us alone to chat.

"I've noticed that when you want something you drop that line on me." I voice and Robert frowns while coming to stand next to me at my desk.

"How so?"

"The whole, ‘just the woman or person I wanted to see' line. You've done it a lot this week." I point out and he chortles.

"Have I?"

"Uh huh."

"I hadn't noticed, but in that case, there's no need to beat around the bush."

"Ok, so what can I do for you?"

"I overheard Justin talking to you about the fashion show. Truth is, we're short one model. We usually have our models booked months in advance but uh, something happened and one of the models had to pull out. So we need someone else to model one of Christian's designs and I instantly thought of you. Will you do it for us?" Robert asks and wow, what?

"What?"

"Come on Tai. I'm holding my breath here." He muses but I'm not laughing. In fact, I think I'm slightly panicking just by the thought of his request. Is he out of his mind? I don't model! I can't model. I don't know the first thing about modeling. And, the clothes won't fit me! I'm not that skinny. What's he trying to pull?

"As in, as in walking down a runway while tons of flashes go off in my face?"

"Yes." Robert replies smoothly and I hesitate, my eyes drifting to Justin as I gaze at him through the glass window of his office.

"Uh, does Justin know?" I flinch and Robert smirks at me.

"He will once you give me an answer. I've been trying to find a replacement but I haven't been successful and then I thought of you. I promised Justin I would handle it so..."

"I don't know. What about the other employees? I mean, who was the model to drop out and how could she give up this opportunity?"

"Well, all I can tell you is that her name is Nella. But the rest is kind of personal, though I'm sure you'll find out about it eventually. But, I don't think I'm the one who should go into detail about the situation." He smiles at me and I frown. He has no idea that just by telling me the woman's name is Nella makes me know exactly why she dropped out. She's the one who dated Justin and now is supposedly pregnant with his child. Thanks to Chris, Maura and Gem, I know...and now I definitely don't think I should do this.

"I uh, I just don't know Robert. Are you sure there is no one else?" I ask again.

"No one that I'm willing to put on that runway if that's what you're asking. This show is crucial and important to this company but I have faith in you."

And he wants to depend on me to do this thing? He's really lost his mind. What if I trip and fall flat on my face?

"I thought it would be a good experience for you Tai. But I'll understand if you don't want to."

It's not that I don't want to. I just don't think that I can.

"Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"I can. But, I hope that you make a decision over the weekend so by Monday I'll know, especially if your answer is no. That space has to be filled. You don't have to be scared Tai. It's just one little show. Christian will alter the dresses to fit you, and I'll be sure to get some of our top runway trainers to give you a few pointers. I'm sure Justin wouldn't mind either, but I want you to say yes or no before I mention it to him. Which means..."

"Don't worry, I won't tell him until I make up my mind." Because I'm very much aware that Justin's input on the matter would be dire.

"Great. Well, think about it, and get back to me. You know where to find me." Robert smiles brightly and I return the favor before he excuses himself to leave.

When he's gone I heave a sigh, trying to calm my nerves.

What the hell am I doing? I can't do this. Something about this feels wrong and I don't know why because I'd be helping them out right? So it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm sure he only asked me because the show is in like two weeks and he couldn't get another replacement model on such short notice, but oh my god...me? Modeling?  I just can't see it. Ugh, what is wrong with me?

I need to make sure that I don't make this place change me. I don't want to turn into some of the people working here. They're so cold and unfeeling. I never want to be that person. But it's nothing. I don't see how filling in for Nella will cause that. I don't even know who this woman is and already she's having an effect on my life.

Now that Robert asked me this, I can only imagine what the other employees would say once they get wind of this. I'm tempted to ask Justin about his whole Nella situation but I don't want to pry. He doesn't talk about it, he seems like he's handling it, so I should leave it alone.

But I know one thing is for sure. I'm going to need Sean's advice on this situation before I can make a decision.

Jumping in fright when my line begins ringing suddenly, I fumble to grab the receiver so I can answer.

"Hello, A-List magazine, this is Mr. Timberlake's assistant..."

"Tai, it's me, that's not necessary." Justin laughs, cutting me off.

"Oh..." I reply with a giggle, lifting my head to lock eyes with him from where he's sitting behind his desk.

"Can you come into my office for a minute please?" He asks and I shake my head automatically in response.

"Sure, I'll be right in." I reply then hang up my line so I can stand to make my way into his office.

After knocking on the door twice, I slowly twist the knob and ease it open before walking into his office and taking a seat at one of the chairs facing him.

"What's up?" I ask casually and Justin lifts his head to stare at me, his eyes wide and trance-like.

"I wanted your advice on something." Justin begins and I mouth an ‘oh.' "I hope you don't mind. You did say we could maybe be friends or..."

"Oh, that's fine. I don't mind. I'll help how I can, what's up?"

"Ok, so I've been thinking." Justin begins while resting back in his seat to get more comfortable. "And I'm wondering if I should or shouldn't tell my dad about how I feel with him always putting so much pressure and expectations on me. Not that I don't mind, but I think sometimes he does it to see how much I can take before I break and maybe to prove a point that I'm a failure or something and will always be." Justin's looking at me expectantly and I'm slightly shocked right now.

"Wow, oh uh..." I can't believe he wants my advice on how to talk to his dad. This is unbelievable. "Well, you know, I highly doubt he thinks you're that much of a disappointment or failure."

"You clearly don't know my dad." Justin laughs. "I'm the partying, don't care, don't give a shit, irresponsible son who takes everything for granted...oh and don't forget that I treat people like shit."

"Are you really?" I counter and he thinks for a moment.

"Well, I was." He sighs.

"Exactly...you were. All you have to do is make him see who you are now. Let him know that you're changing your old habits not just for him but for yourself. Talk to him, tell him how you feel. He won't hate you for it. He's still your dad and he loves you." I point out.

"I guess I never thought of it like that." Justin says deep in thought and I smile while taking in his facial features. He really is a good looking guy. "Thanks Tai. I needed to hear that."

"Well, you're most welcome. That was easy. So, does this mean I get to leave early today?" I ask hopefully and Justin chuckles.

"Everything comes at a price huh?"

"Nothing in life is truly free." I state and he nods in agreement.

"True. In that case, you're free to leave. I think we're ok for the rest of the day. I'll see you on Monday. Have a good weekend."

"Thanks Justin. You too." I say while standing, getting ready to leave and he does the same so he can walk me out.

"Don't forget, we're going to start planning the fashion show on Monday so come prepared for that."

"I will. Bye!"

"See you later Tai." Justin grins before I exit his office and he shuts the door behind me.

Smiling brightly, I decide to move around to gather my things so I can leave. I haven't forgotten about Robert's request, but at least the good news is, I'll be able to head home and relax first before worrying about what I'm going to do. I know this is somehow going to affect Justin when he finds out, but I hope it's at least in a good way. That he would understand I'm only trying to help the situation and not make it worse.

But, that's only if I agree to do this modeling thing.

Luckily, I'll have Sean to coach me and prepare me for this because I've never done anything like this before in my life. The fact that it's for A-List Magazine makes it all the more nerve-wrecking because Justin and Robert will be there watching and judging, and while I shouldn't care much about what they think or say, I still do and I want their approval to at least say that I did a good job in representing them.

But again, that's only if I agree to do this modeling thing for their upcoming fashion show which Robert requested of me.

CHAPTER NINE

Two Weeks Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

Day of Fashion Show

[In The Fashion Closet]

It's been two weeks of utter chaos with the media, models, photographers, planners, makeup artists, hair and wardrobe stylists, venue preparations, the guests on the guest list and I could go on and on.

Who knew planning a fashion show took so much work? But it does. The end result is spectacular, but the planning isn't.

At least Justin tried his best to bring out the fun side of it for me, which worked well because it helped me to forget how pressed for time we were.

I've spent a lot of time these past two weeks with both Justin and Robert. I've gotten to know them a little better and understand their distinct differences as well as similarities which make them mesh well together.

They're both great men in their own sense and I'm glad for the opportunity to work with them, but oh my god! This day needs to end and soon.

"Tai, did you get the persons responsible for the venue on the line? What did they say?" Justin storms into the fashion closet where I'm currently sitting going through the fashion show checklist with Gem.

We both lift our heads to look at his anxious self and I sigh while tugging on my long-sleeved white blouse.

"I did. The show is scheduled for 7pm tonight as requested.  Everything's a go with the models, guests, media, photographers, makeup, wardrobe and hair people. Relax, I have everything under control." I tell him but he seems to be visibly panicking.

"Relax? It's like...minutes to four pm now! We only have three hours left before show time and you're telling me to relax!?" Justin asks incredulously and both Gem and I bust out into laughter which only causes him to stare at us confused. "What's so funny? This is serious."

"You're way too wound up Justin." Gem quips and he groans while passing his hands through his hair.

"Are you sure we're ready Tai? Are you ready?" He asks and I flinch, breaking eye contact with him.

"Yes. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Robert was great with getting me the training and pointers I needed to do this." I guess it's obvious now that I indeed decided to do the whole modeling thing for them.

Sean told me it would have been career suicide if I didn't. Good ole Sean. I even got him an invitation to the show because he just has to see his baby sister ‘strut her stuff' on the runway as he puts it. Justin handled the news well too which surprised me. He simply said that it was a good idea and he believed that I could do it. He never once mentioned Nella which had me wondering if the all speculation by A-List employees about him and her were even true, but I guess I'll find out eventually.

"Yeah, you've spent a lot of time with my brother these past few weeks." Justin points out and I notice Gem raise a brow at his statement.

"I've spent more time with you though, planning this fashion show." I retort and he smirks before rotating his shoulders in pain.

"I guess." He yawns slightly and I feel bad now. He looks so tired and overworked from all of this.

"You know what? I think you need to relax a bit." I suggest and Justin chuckles.

"Again with the relaxing? I'll relax when this show turns out to be a success and it's over." He smiles but I shake my head in protest.

"No, sit down." I instruct before moving over to him and pulling a chair into his line of sight.

"Excuse me?"

"Sit down Justin. Don't make this hard." I demand and he laughs but sits down anyway.

"Should I be worried?" Justin asks out of concern and I roll my eyes.

"Don't look at me." Gem raises her hands in defeat before moving back to her workstation to finish the final stitches on some of the dresses.

"Just stay put." I instruct before I round his sitting form to stand behind him.

"Uh Tai, I don't think..." But his voice instantly dies in his throat when my hands connect to his tense shoulders and I begin kneading them gently. "Ok, maybe I do need to relax." Justin chuckles softly before hissing in pain when I apply a little more pressure, trying to take out the knots in his muscles.

"Man! Justin, when was the last time you had a massage or even relaxed your muscles?"

"I'm under a lot of stress. It's not my fault." He defends, suppressing a moan and I smile.

"No kidding, your shoulders are like stone. I'm even afraid they'll cramp or break my fingers or something." I joke as I continue to carefully manipulate the muscles in his shoulders.

"Ha, ha, not funny Tai." He says dryly. "But, you're really good at that." He breaths deeply and I beam even if he can't see me because his back is facing me.

"Well thank you."

"Uh huh." Justin hums as his body sinks into the chair before he lets out a heavy, relaxed sigh.

Gem steals a few glances at him before looking up at me to signal that his eyes just fluttered shut. I hold back my giggles and wink for her which only elicits a devious smile from her before she returns to her work.

"Feeling better?" I ask when I hear his breathing even out as he gets more comfortable.

"Definitely."

"Good. Then you understand the importance of slowing down every once in a while. Your body can't take the stress Justin, no matter how young or healthy you may be."

"Yes mom." He chuckles and I smack his shoulder playfully before returning to my task at hand.

After a few minutes when I think that I finally have all of the kinks in his muscles out, I tap his shoulder to indicate that I'm done and he groans deeply before stretching out his limbs, the sound of his gravelly voice involuntarily sending shivers through me.

Wow, what the hell? Where did that come from?

Slightly shocked, I take a step back and away from him as he moves to stand, turning around to face me.

His blues are wild and questioning as he looks at me with a half grin on his face.

"Thanks Tai, I needed that." Justin voices and I quickly nod, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

Damn this fashion closet is hot or something even with the air conditioner on.

"You're welcome. It was nothing."

"You know, you probably won't believe this, but, you're the best assistant I've ever had. I'd probably be lost without you today and my dad would have maybe cut me off a while back." He chortles while drifting in thought and I shake my head with a smile. "Well, I better get going. I'll leave you ladies to finish up here and, I'll see you all at the show later." Justin adds in, telling Gem and me goodbye before he makes his exit.

When he's gone, Gem lets out a low whistle and I cut my eyes at her.

"Don't even say it. I know that look." I warn her, pointing my finger at her and she feigns innocence.

"Girl, I only whistled...you need to relax." She giggles but I'm not buying it.

"Whatever; help me to tick off the rest of the checklist so I can get ready to leave and prepare for later."

"Ok, fine." She caves while coming over to me in silence but her silence doesn't last long since she thinks that it's ok to tease me when it's not. "Tai and Justin sitting in a tree..." Gem begins in a sing-song voice and my eyes widen.

"Stop!" I giggle but she continues anyway, making my thoughts travel down an unknown path that I never explored before...

"K.i.s.s.i.n.g...."

*****

Hours Later

A-List Fashion Show

"No, no, no! This is all wrong; wash her face and do it again. I can't have my models looking like something out of a horror movie. Subtle people! We're going for subtle but fierce! Get it right!"

Standing frozen in place, I stare at Christian Siriano as he yells at one of the makeup artists to do her job right.

He really is a diva but I love his spunk and personality.

When he's done with her, he comes over to where I'm standing waiting for him.

"Tai how are you?" He coos before we greet each other with a kiss on each cheek.

"Nervous." I admit and he gives me a knowing smile.

"Who isn't for their first time hun? Don't worry you'll do fine. Just let them see that you're bold, confident and beautiful." He suggests with a wave of his hand and I nod, giggling softly.

"Yeah." I respond.

We're actually backstage at the venue preparing to head out on the runway. The show started a little while ago and Justin was finally able to calm down when he saw that everything was ready like I stated. He and Robert are out there with their dad giving their opening speech to the audience while everyone else who's part of the crew is going crazy, running around backstage trying to get ready to head out when it's our turn.

The venue we booked is beautiful. Its tall, white cascading walls brighten the already brightly illuminated room and the skylight is absolutely gorgeous at night since all you have to do is look up to see the night's sky. The theme of the venue is a mixture of silver, white and black. All of the guests' chairs are lined up perfectly on either side of the long runway and the media and photographers are positioned in a good angle to get perfect views of the models.

The models.

I'm one of the models who are going to be strutting down the runway for the entire world to see. I don't know if I can go through with it.

"Ok Tai, I'm going to need you to strip down to your undies so we can get you fitted for your first round hun." Christian walks up to me with his measuring tape in hand and one of his summer dresses from his fashion line with A-List in the other.

It's a two piece casual yet trendy skirt and blouse ensemble. Doing as I'm told, I take in a deep breath and begin undressing, saying a silent prayer that I don't trip in the heels I'm going to be wearing when walking down that runway...

*****

This is it, the moment of truth.

I'm fully dressed, my makeup is light, my hair is down over my back and shoulders and I'm patiently waiting for my turn to head out on stage. I can't believe Robert talked me into this.

As I stand to the side of the stage, watching the two models ahead of me work the runway under the dazzling lights and spectators, my eyes flit over the crowd and I spot just about everyone I know in one section.  I can see Sean sitting next to Chris, Maura and Gem. A row in front of them, Robert is sitting on the right of his dad and Justin is sitting on the left. My eyes stay on Justin a little longer than the rest as I remember how Gem was teasing me about him earlier when we were in the fashion closet of A-List magazine.

I tried my best to ignore her because the sheer thought of Justin and me is simply ridiculous considering we're from two very different worlds, but the more I tried to get her teasing out of my mind, the more I ended up thinking about my boss. Ugh, it's all Gem's fault.

But, he does look good tonight though. He's wearing black faded jeans, a black undershirt and a sort of fallow brown vest with a matching blazer. He definitely looks good and his short brunette hair is perfectly gelled and styled. Gosh, is it wrong if I feel like he doesn't look so much like my boss right now, but a guy that I'd totally talk to and hit on?

"You're up Tai, knock them dead hun?" Christian whispers behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts before he gives me a light shove forward to walk.

Gasping in shock, I quickly search my memory for the runway tips and training I learned with Robert and his associates.

Putting on a serious expression, I straighten my posture and when one of the models completes her final steps off the runway, I easily slip in and head out, strutting down the long pathway as the bright lights threaten to dazzle me while endless flashes go off around me.

This is the point where I zone out, so I'm not thinking about how exposed I am right now else I'd literally run off and ruin the entire show.

Swinging my hips subtly from side to side, I walk a straight line down to the end of the runway where I pause to strike a few poses right in front of the cameras.

I briefly notice Sean with a huge grin on his face before my browns flit over to Maura, Gem and Chris who's giving me a ‘thumbs up.' I try not to smile and swiftly turn around to make my way back up as the upbeat tempo of the music playing in the room fills my ears.

On my way back up, I lock eyes with Robert briefly who gives me a soft smile before I divert my attention to Justin, bypassing his dad who's whispering to one of the other guests.

There's a sort of awe inspired grin on Justin's face as he eyes me. Since I'm walking back up the runway to head backstage, I only manage to hold his gaze for a few seconds, but that's more than enough time to see the admiration and respect that's shinning in those blues of his. He seems genuinely impressed which only makes my heart flutter and my stomach feel light...

And just like that it's over.

I'm backstage now as the next set of models head out onto the runway after wardrobe change to model the next batch of clothes.

I only have to go out there one more time for the night but now that I actually had the exposure, I think my next round will be easier to get through...

*****

Later

Tonight has been one of the most amazing nights of my life. Firstly, I helped plan this show and secondly, I was actually a part of it. I can't even believe I did it and without much hiccups too, though I'm sure the professionals could tell that I was a rookie.

Still, I'm proud of that small accomplishment.

Plus, I had an experience I'll remember for the rest of my life.

"Well look at you, miss model and all that."

Turning around, I come face to face with Sean who engulfs me in a huge hug before pulling away to place a light kiss on my cheek.

"I'm so proud of you Tai." He gushes and I smile brightly.

"Really? You really think I did good?"

"Babe, you were radiant. I almost didn't recognize you as my baby sister." He states.

"Aw, thanks Sean."

"Anytime, but, right now, I'm in need of a drink so if you'll excuse me." He says and I giggle as he diverts his attention to the bar at the back of the room. "When you're ready to leave let me know." He adds in and I nod in agreement before he excuses himself to head to the bar.

"Tai!"

Whirling around at the sound of my name, I wave at Maura, Gem and Chris as they make their way over.

"Congrats girl, you were great!" Gem is the first to speak up as she gives me a hug and I smile bashfully.

"Thanks Gem."

"Great work out there Tai, you're a natural." Chris adds in and I nod.

"You are. Plus, Justin, Robert and his dad seemed impressed." Maura voices.

"Really? You think so?" I haven't seen Justin or Robert since the show ended but I hope that I get to at least talk to them before the night is over.

"Hell yeah girl. Just wait. I'm sure they'll tell you how great you were too." She explains.

"Gosh I hope so." I say feeling slightly nervous.

"Well, we're going to raid the buffet so we'll catch up ok girl?" Chris speaks up and I shake my head, bidding them farewell.

"Ok, I'll see you all in work, thanks guys." I wave goodbye as they leave until I'm alone again.

Sighing happily, I look around at the various people mingling and having a good time.

Deciding that I need a little air, I pull my black jacket tightly around my frame and begin heading for the exit, pausing along the way to give my thanks to the many compliments I receive for a job well done tonight since I was new to the whole scene.

When I finally make it outside, my eyes scan the partially quiet street before I decide to maybe take a small walk down the sidewalk, but my advances are cut short when I hear some people arguing around the street corner.

Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I slowly walk down to the curb to stand next to the street lamp, my eyes widening slightly when I make out at least one of the individuals who's part of the heated argument...

"I'm so sick and tired of your bullshit Nella!"

"My bullshit Justin? This is your baby just as much as it is mines. There was no immaculate conception."

"I highly doubt the kid is mine Nell. You're just trying to fuck with me."

Oh no, I should leave. I don't think they would want someone eavesdropping which is why they must be out here in the first place, even if it's in public. At least they're away from all of the guests.

"Justin, then fine! Take a paternity test, I don't care. All I know is, if you don't accept responsibility for this child, I will be announcing this to the press, letting them know where your priorities stand. I'm three months pregnant Justin. You're running out of time. I'm starting to show. People are already asking questions."

"Damn it Nella!" Justin screams out and I wince at the harshness of his tone as it fades into the still air. "Either way, people are going to ask questions once your stomach starts showing. What does that have to do with you going to the press? You're just trying to turn this into some type of media circus. But I won't let you; I won't let you fuck up my name Nella. I'm already on thin ice with my dad. Do you know what he'd think, say and maybe do if he found out I knocked up some girl?"

"Oh so now I'm just some girl." She snaps at him and I frown as I study her frame. "Forget that I was your girlfriend once. That's not important at all Justin." She hisses sarcastically.

"No, you know what I mean Nell." Justin heaves a sigh and I scowl at the frustrated look on his face.

Gosh, she's so slim, and tall, maybe about 5'9 or 5'10 which definitely beats my 5'7 frame. She's glaring at Justin now with heated eyes and I'm wondering how she can be three months pregnant when her stomach seems almost flat still. Well there is a small bump, but it's hardly noticeable in the black dress she's wearing. Her skin is sort of olive in complexion and she has dark flowing hair. She looks mixed with possibly Indian or something. She's beautiful. I can't see why Justin would leave her to do this on her own.

"Nella, have you forgotten that we broke up because you were cheating? You didn't know how to be faithful Nell. I'm not claiming this kid without a paternity test, but I can tell you that if it's mine, I'll take care of it. I'd never abandon my kid, but only if it's really my kid Nell. End of discussion."

"Ugh! Like you weren't cheating also! What's with the double standard Justin!?" She screams and I bite the corner of my bottom lip, willing myself to move so I can leave and give them their privacy.

But I can't move. I'm frozen solid in place as I see a side of Justin I've never witnessed before. And he's handling himself so well, it's amazing.

"Nella..." He says in defeat. "I didn't cheat on you."

"No Justin! Just shut it. You'd do anything to get out of your responsibilities. It's the same thing with your dad and his company. Robert carries all the weight..."

"That's not fair Nell." Justin says as hurt registers on his face. "All I'm asking for is a paternity test..."

"Fine! You'll get your stupid test Justin! And then, I hope you will be able to man up to your responsibilities for once. I'm done with this. It's clear you have no space for me anymore. You even replaced me in the show with that assistant of yours..."

"Don't Nell. You dropped out and gave us late notice."

"Because I'm pregnant you asshole! Do you know what this will do to my modeling career?"

Judging by the look on Justin's face, I'd say he's practically done with this conversation.

"That's beside the point. Tai is a sweet girl. Don't even go there, I won't tolerate it."

"Whatever Justin. Fuck you!" And with that, she storms off down the sidewalk in a huff, leaving Justin by his self.

Justin lets out a harsh sigh while passing his hands through his hair and I turn to leave, deciding to at least give him this moment to his self since I so rudely intruded on his privacy but I stop dead in my tracks when I hear his voice firm and crisp calling out to me.

"Tai, I know you're there, I saw you..."

Gasping, my heart skips a beat and I remain frozen in place, getting ready to run and deny ever being out here but he calls out to me again.

"It's ok Tai. I'm not angry or anything."

Rounding the corner fully, I expel a weak smile when Justin lifts his head to lock eyes with me, his blues haunting and sorrowful.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, but, you all were bound to find out sooner or later right?"

"I...I'm so sorry Justin I was just going for a walk and I heard you all arguing..." But he cuts me off with a wave of his hand.

"It's totally fine. I'm kind of relieved that it was you who overheard us and not one of the other employees. I'm well aware that they've been gossiping about my Nella situation."

"Oh." I mutter, looking down in shame and guilt even if I wasn't really gossiping per say. I did listen to what was being said.

"She and I used to date, as you've maybe realized by now. We broke up not too long ago when I found out she was cheating on me, not like I didn't deserve it. I just thought that when we broke up, it was a done deal you know? I mean, it's not like she was this big love of my life or anything. She was just another ex-girlfriend because...I've honestly had a few."

"A few..." I smirk and he arches a brow at me in question. "I'm sorry, please continue." I apologize, causing him to chuckle.

"Anyway, I thought that was it with her, but then like a few weeks later, I get this call from her telling me she's pregnant. Of course, I didn't handle that news well at the time and I was so pissed I think I took it out on just about everybody including you."

Hmm, that makes sense.

"Yeah, you apologized for that already." I assure him and he shrugs.

"I guess I was really scared. I mean, if this kid turns out to be mine, I don't think I could be a father. I'm barely handling being a son. I disappoint just about everyone who matters the most to me. I don't want to be responsible for screwing up the kid's life too you know?" He says, deep in thought and I smile before closing the gap between us.

"I have no doubt that you'd be a great dad Justin. Just have a little faith. You're not the guy you used to be. Stop dwelling on it." I point out, gently placing my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I hope you're right." He voices while gazing deeply into my eyes and I nod in response.

"I am." I beam and he grins brightly at me, allowing me to see his whites.

"You know, on a different note, you were great out there tonight on the runway. Who knew you had it in you?" He snickers and I giggle along with him, thankful for the change of topic. It was getting too weird for me.

"I sure didn't."

"You did well Tai. I'm proud of you. You represented A-List magazine and did your thing out there."

"Thanks." I blush, holding his intense gaze.

"Uh huh." Justin whispers softly and suddenly I feel an overwhelming urge to pull away from him.

My smile slowly fades away until my expression remains serious as I shallow hard, holding my breath when I see the thoughtful expression he has as his blues travel over my face, studying my features closely.

Casually, Justin darts out his tongue to wet his lips and I fight my impulses to literally jump this man who I haven't forgotten is still undoubtedly my boss.

But then something happens causing a switch in the atmosphere and just like that he clears his throat loudly before taking a step away from me.

"Right, well uh, it's kind of probably getting late and people are maybe wondering where we are so..." He drifts and I agree with him.

"We should head back." I finish his statement for him and he nods with a soft laugh.

"Yeah we should." Justin agrees while rubbing the back of his neck.

Stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets, I smile and motion for us to start walking back.

Following my lead, Justin moves to walk next to me and we easily fall into comfortable conversation, forgetting about the awkward moment we just shared as we head back into the venue to meet up with our family and friends for the rest of the night.

CHAPTER TEN

Ten Days Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

As I make my way out of the elevators to head down the hallway to my desk so I can start the workday bright and early, I'm stopped by Sharron who calls out to me from where she's situated behind her desk.

"Tai?"

Heading over to where she's seated, I smile and greet her.

"Good morning Sharron."

"Yeah morning, whatever." She waves her hand in dismissal and I frown. "I need your advice on something."

"Oh?" This is new, but, I'll be sure to help her any way that I can. "What's up?"

Frowning, she hesitates as she glances around. Standing from her seat, she exits her quarters, ignoring the ringing telephone to come over to me. Taking a deep breath, she pulls me to the side and lowers her voice.

Ok, now I'm worried.

"Tai, you're like a decent person right?" Sharron asks and I fight the urge not to laugh in her face. This is clearly a serious matter and she looks nervous.

"Uh, sure I guess? I mean, I try to be. What's going on Sharron?" I demand and she sighs before spilling her guts.

"Ok, so like, it totally wasn't my fault. And, I'm genuinely sorry about what happened but everything turned out for the better right? So I shouldn't worry. Wait, why am I even worrying?"

She makes no damn sense, but I'm curious now as to what she's blabbing about.

"You better spit it out girl. I have to be at my desk soon and I need to grab Justin's coffee before he gets too cranky."

"Right, well, do you remember a few weeks ago when there was that crisis with last month's issue?"

"Yes?" oh no, please don't tell me she...

"And someone leaked the cover spread? Well..." She pauses, trying to gather her bearings but I already know what she's going to say. "It's was sort of my fault." She shrugs and I let out a heavy sigh.

"Sharron, you didn't." I say in disappointment, but she quickly defends herself.

"Come on, I didn't do it on purpose Tai. I was at this shindig, and I was mingling you know, enjoying myself. I had one too many drinks and I met this guy and we were chatting and flirting you know? It was all casual until he ended up telling me that he worked at Vogue. So, we ended up in this fun little playful argument about who was better...Vogue or A-List Magazine...and then one thing led to another and I might have let the idea for the cover spread slip out. I mean, the guy he was so cool and he played it off, saying they had a better idea for their Vogue issue and I didn't think anything of it. Tai, you have to believe me, I was drunk and, and I know it's my fault. When the news got out about what happened, I wanted to tell Justin but then, I didn't want to get fired for it! I'm so sorry. It wasn't intentional, honest. What should I do?" She's staring at me with pleading eyes and what do I say?

It's been weeks and the entire staff, Justin and Robert are already gearing up for next month's issue with the summer line they launched at the fashion show last week. Everyone seems to have forgotten about the crisis of last month's issue. No one's really talked about it since then, but it doesn't mean that they don't deserve to know what happened.

"You need to tell Justin Sharron." I voice firmly and she scowls, looking away from me.

"Ugh, I knew you were going to say that. But it's the only right thing to do huh?" She asks and I shake my head in agreement.

"The truth isn't always easy, but it does set you free, even if it took you all this time to build up the courage."

"Please Tai, I just want to get rid of the guilt." She admits and I smile. "But, thanks. Hopefully, Justin will forgive me and I won't lose my job over this."

She's lucky that up to this day Randall doesn't really know about what happened else she'd maybe get fired for sure. If that were the case, neither Justin nor Robert would be able to save her.

"No worries." I smile at her and she returns the favor before returning to her seat.

Waving goodbye to her, I continue on my way until I make it to my desk.

When I place down my belongings, I head over to Justin's office door, knocking lightly until I hear him say ‘come in.'

Carefully, I make my way into his office before shutting the door behind me.

"Tai hey! Morning." Justin looks up at me with a large smile on his face.

"Morning and how are you today..." But I drift when I see him lift his mug off of his desk to take a sip from it. "Oh, you already had your coffee?" I ask perplexed and he nods before placing the mug back down.

"I'm having it right now. I figured I could get it myself for a change." He shrugs and I smile at him knowingly. "Oh, and I'm doing fine, to answer your question on how I am today." He adds in which only makes me giggle.

"Ok then."

"You look nice today. Cute pant suit." He points out.

"Thanks." I voice awkwardly.

I know it was a simple compliment but I don't miss how his eyes quickly scan my frame before he reestablishes eye contact with me. There's a half grin on his face as he continues to sip idly on his coffee, eyeing me from behind the rim of his mug. Uh...ok.

"Well, besides coming in here to tell you morning, I wanted to sort of ask you a favor as well." I continue.

This peaks his interest causing him to straighten his posture.

"What's going on?" He asks casually.

"Well, I'm thinking that at some point during the day, Sharron's going to come to talk to you about a few things. My only request is that maybe you could possibly go easy on her?" I ask hopefully and he scowls deeply.

"What's this about?"

"I'd rather she told you herself. But please for me, could you do what I asked? I hope I'm not asking for too much."

He quickly shakes his head ‘no.'

"No that's fine. It's good that you all are getting along. I'll wait to see what she has to say and we'll see how it goes from there." Justin points out before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Ok, thanks. Well, I better get situated at my desk. If you need anything..."

"I'll call." Justin grins, finishing my statement and I nod before turning around to leave but he stops me.

"Oh Tai?"

"Yeah?" I reply, facing him again.

"What are your plans like this weekend?" He inquires and I frown.

"Well uh..." My mind drifts to Sean and our ritual Saturday nights hanging in our favorite bar, but for some strange reason, that doesn't stop me from saying... "I don't have any plans, why?"

"Chris stopped by my office when he came in earlier. He kind of invited me to go out with him and Gem on Saturday which was weird because that never happened before. He said something about having an extra ticket to some Broadway show they were going to see and asked me if I wanted to tag along since Maura couldn't make it. I told him I didn't want to be a third wheel, but he insisted that you were coming as well because you promised from the last time you all spoke that you'd go on their next outing. He said they didn't have any outings in a while until now. So, I'm just wondering, if you knew or..."

"Oh!" I quickly interrupt him, feeling all excited and bubbly. "I did promise him that. Oh wow, and he asked you to come?" I say in shock.

"I was as surprised as you. I was sure he would have asked Robert first at least, but he insisted that it was Gem's idea. That it would be ‘totally cool' if I actually hung out with my co-workers and got to know them a little better." Justin shrugs in thought and just like that my excitement dies.

It was Gem's idea? Oh that says a lot. If I didn't know any better I'd say this was a sneaky way for her to set us up. Ugh, I'm going to have a word with her later.

"Well, you know, it's ok if you don't want to go..." But he cuts me of mid-sentence.

"Actually, I already said I would come. I just wanted to make sure that you were going so I really wouldn't have to be a third wheel." He's giving me a coy smile and aw, he's so cute when he's all embarrassed even if he has no reason to be.

Eh, I guess it would be ok right?

"Sure, I'm going. I'll have to check Chris on those tickets, but, I'll go." I beam and Justin heaves a sigh, shaking his head in response before he finishes off his coffee.

"Good. That's, good. I should probably let you go now." He points out and I nod in agreement.

"Sure. I'm right outside if you need me. Have a good day today." I say before turning to exit his office while my heart pounds fiercely behind my ribcage.

"Have a good day too Tai. Thanks."

*****

Hours Later

It's been a long day and I really can't wait to get home, but, before I can leave today, there are a few things I need to clear up just so I'm perfectly aware of what's really going on.

This would explain why I'm standing outside of Robert's office right now. I haven't spoken to him much lately, except for when he gave me those training tips for A-List's fashion show when I had to model. He must be busy or preoccupied these days but, I'm going to see him now so...

I knock on his door lightly then carefully open it and step in when he says to enter.

"Tai! What a surprise. What brings you here? Do you need me to defend you from Justin?" Robert jokes and I shake my head in protest.

"No, Justin's fine. We're fine. I actually came in here looking for Chris?" I state, my browns connecting to Chris's greens as he stands from where he's sitting at Robert's desk.

"Ah, I see. Well, carry on." Robert nods in approval and I make a signal to Chris for us to talk outside. There's guilt written all over his face which means I already know what the answers to my questions are going to be, but I want to hear him say it.

On our way out, Robert stops me by calling out to me and I turn to face him with a questionable glare.

"I know we haven't really chatted much recently Tai, but I should have some free time clearing up for me soon, so when that happens maybe we could catch up?" Robert asks and I think about his statement for a moment before shaking my head in agreement.

"Sure that would be fine. It was nice seeing you today Robert." I mention and he grins, nodding in response before returning to the mountain of papers on his desk.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this much paperwork on Justin's desk before. I'm starting to believe that Robert really handles most of the workload. I don't want to believe it but the evidence is clear. I mean he's the creative director, this really should be Justin's job, but who am I to judge? Whatever they have going seems to work well between the two of them.

Excusing myself, I exit Robert's office with Chris hot on my trail.

Once we're standing next to Chris's desk, I frown while looking up as his tall frame.

"Ok, I know that you know why I'm here Chris. So, start talking." I voice before folding my arms across my chest.

"It was Gem's idea." He blurts out. "She has this crazy idea in her head that you're perfect for Justin and that you all would really hit it off if you weren't always surrounded by work. She thinks that if you all spend some time together outside of work, you might actually end up liking each other, really liking each other...not just tolerating each other. And I have to say, I agree with her. You're not like his other assistants. You're good for him and I think he sees that too." Chris explains and my mind is riling with ways to kill Gem right now. I can't believe she's doing this to me.

"And Justin? Does he know that's why you all invited him out this weekend? To try and pull this stunt? To try and set us up?" I snap angrily causing Chris to grimace.

"No. Why would I tell him that? Besides, he didn't seem to mind once I told him you were going to be there. In fact, I think you being there is what made him agree to come in the first place."

"Chris I don't like this. And I don't think Justin will either if he knew."

"Oh come on Tai. Can you really stand here and tell me that you don't find your boss the least bit attractive? I mean, despite the fact that he's an asshole, because he's really trying to change, he's fucking Justin Timberlake."

He's right. But this is my main issue. This is the conflict I'm internally dealing with. The fact that Justin is my boss and yet, I can't get him out of my head. I'm always wondering about him and it's really beginning to irk me.

"Fine Chris. Fine, he is a good looking man. But so is Robert."

"Robert's not your type Tai." Chris says in a matter-of-fact manner.

Oh really? And how would he know my type?!

"How would you know? And that doesn't mean that..."

"Gem's seen the way you and Justin look at each other and interact. There's a connection there. A strong one at that. I've noticed it too but didn't say anything because I didn't think anything of it, just that you two were getting along, but when Gem pointed it out, I understood. There's something there Tai, between the two of you. I'm not sure if you've noticed it or felt it, but it's there."

He's right. I have noticed and felt it, but I've also ignored it. Why the hell is he telling me all of this?

"Now, I'm not vouching for Justin or anything because I know his history with women. And I do consider you my friend so I want the best for you. Nothing stays a secret at A-List, but, Tai I also see how different he is with you. I'm not sure what it is, or what you did, but he's a different person because of you, a better person and that's actually a good thing. The old Justin was in hot water with his dad. We don't exactly want to see him lose with his old man. Who knows, maybe you could help him to keep his old man proud and happy. You have been already, just by being a great assistant." Chris explains and I'm just standing there practically speechless as I glare at him.

Damn it, I really don't want any of this to be true. I don't. What about Justin's history with his assistants? His dad hired me specifically for history not to repeat itself. What would Mr. Timberlake think if I ended up being just like those other assistants who distracts his son from doing his work? Justin could stand to lose everything if his dad cuts him off because his dad thinks he's too irresponsible to run this company. I don't want that. What would the public think? Justin is still a celebrity in his own right. And then he has his baby mama drama with Nella to worry about also. I'm not sure if I want to be a part of that.

"Let me just ask you one thing Chris. When the four of us go out on Saturday, are we going out as four co-workers slash friends or are we double dating as two couples?"

"Uh, the latter?" He winces, waiting for some type of explosion from me but I simply nod my head.

"Right. Do me a favor? Tell Gem that this is the first and last of her matchmaking. If anything has to happen with Justin and me, I'd rather it happened on its own between us ok?" I ask and he quickly nods with a huge grin on his face.

"Of course."

"Uh huh, I'm only going because I already promised you I would and I told Justin I would as well and I don't like breaking my promises or my word." I point out causing Chris to chuckle.

"Fine by me." He shrugs and I smile despite myself. "I'll check you tomorrow with your ticket."

"Oh which reminds me, what play are we going to see?" I inquire.

"It was between Mama Mia and Hairspray. But Gem and I picked Hairspray."

"So, you and Gem huh? Cute." I giggle and he looks away with a blushing smile on his face.

"Whatever." Aw, he's a cutie.

"Ha, I'll see you later Chris bye."

"Bye Tai." He chuckles.

I wave goodbye to him and quickly disappear down the hallway so I can grab my belongings at my desk to head home.

When I make it back to my desk, I'm greeted by Justin who exits his office, locking it in the process so he can leave for the day as well.

He walks up to me with his jacket and the A-List book in hand.

His blues look tired from a long day's work and his tie is loosely hanging from the collar of his striped shirt.

"Hey Tai, heading out?" Justin asks.

"Yes, I came out from seeing Chris first. I'm quickly grabbing my things so I can leave now."

"Ok well come on, I'll walk out with you." Justin voices and I pause to glare at him before grabbing my grey jacket and handbag to join him.

Giving him a soft smile, I casually walk with him down the hallways towards the elevators.

When we get to the elevators and step in, Justin lets out a heavy sigh, resting his back against the cool metal after I hit the ground floor button. I watch the doors ding close then I turn to look at his half shut eyes.

"Long day huh?" I inquire and he shakes his head lazily.

"You have no idea. I can't wait to get home and just knock out." He states and I bite my lips at the deep undertone of his voice. It's husky and low, clearly because he's so drained, but damn if he doesn't sound sexy right now.

Ugh, stop it Tai! This is wrong!

"Don't you ever get lonely in that big penthouse?" I blurt out, my eyes widening when I realize I'm prying into his personal business. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's ok Tai." He chuckles as his eyes flutter open to stare at me. "Honestly, it does get kind of quiet, especially since it's not occupied by any of my ‘girlfriends' anymore. And I use that term loosely." He laughs and I smile in return. "I also haven't thrown any parties for a while but my maid keeps the place practically spotless so..."

"A maid?" I ask in disbelief. Does he have a cook too? I'm tempted to ask but I refrain. "You really are spoilt Justin." I giggle.

"I am." He agrees, moving to stand next to me as we near the ground floor. "But I'm open to being ‘unspoiled' if anybody is willing to teach me." He adds in while looking down at me, a mischievous grin on his face. Oh my god, is he flirting with me?

Breathe Tai. Just breathe.

My head snaps in his direction and I study him closely, trying to read his expressions to understand the meaning behind his statement.

"Right..." I say slowly while quirking a brow at him. "Well you could always come to live with Sean and me for a while. You'd be unspoiled so quickly your head would spin." I giggle and he chuckles along with me.

"Oh I believe you." He chortles just as the doors to the elevators ding open and we step out into the lobby. "Well I guess this is it then. I'll see you in work tomorrow." Justin continues and I nod. "Oh and I spoke to Sharron. Honestly, if it wasn't for you I would have maybe fired her, but, I thought about it and only gave her a warning to be more careful next time. Plus, I believed it wasn't really her fault."

"That's good. Thanks a lot Justin. And I'll see you tomorrow too. Have a good night." I wave goodbye to him and he smiles in return before we turn in opposite directions to separately continue on our journeys home.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A Few Days Later

[Saturday]

Manhattan, New York

"I am so proud of you. You finally ditched me to go on a date and it was with one of the Timberlake men. And it was with your boss no less. Naughty, naughty Tai."

"Oh my god, shut up Sean!" I squeal into my cell phone. My brother's crazy.

"So how is it going?" He asks over the line and I sigh contently.

Is it wrong that I'm gushing over the fact that I'm out with Justin even if Chris and Gem are also there? Not to mention the fact that he's my employer. I'm not looking to be another one of his ‘assistants.'

"Uh, well, we just got out of the theatre. Hairspray was amazing by the way. I was really into it, but, Justin kept teasing and distracting me on purpose because he actually saw it already, go figure." I shrug while tugging at my jacket tightly.

I'm wearing a black leather jacket which Sean got me some time back over my knee length simple red dress. My hair is down and my red heels aren't high which means I can actually walk in them comfortably.

"You see? You two were made for each other." Sean states and I roll my eyes even if he can't see me.

"I'm hanging up now Sean. I'll see you when I get home later." I voice and he chuckles.

"Sure, sure, bye babe."

"See ya!" I say enthusiastically before hanging up my cell and stuffing it back into my handbag.

Sean was actually a sweetie to call and check up on us. He's just caring and thoughtful like that. Plus, he's all for Gem and Chris's little plan on hooking Justin and me up. What did I expect? It's Sean of course.

I'm actually standing outside next to the exit of the theater under the bright Broadway headlights on the sidewalk, waiting on Justin and Chris who excused themselves after the show to use the bathroom. Gem quickly went to grab a bottle of water in a nearby store to come back and while I was outside waiting, taking in the bright lights of Manhattan at night, Sean called to check up on me, telling me to hurry back home because he missed our ritual Saturdays. This coming from the guy who was practically pushing me to hook up with my boss or Robert in the first place.

Smiling at the thought, I perk up when I see Gem walking back up the sidewalk towards me, sipping on her bottle of water.

Tonight really was amazing. We all sat and watched Hairspray, enjoying every minute of it. Justin was a gentleman through and through from escorting us to our seats to holding my stuff for me when I excused myself to use the bathroom during ‘Acts.' It was a rare but welcoming experience for all of us. This is the first time we've hung out together as a group outside of the office or any A-List event and I have to say, they're a colorful bunch to be around. Between Chris and Justin, the jokes keep rolling, keeping Gem and me entertained.

"Hey chica, are our boys out yet?" Gem asks, coming to stand next to me as she finishes her bottle of water. Damn, I guess she was really thirsty.

I haven't had a chance to scold her yet for pulling this stunt with Justin and me but it can wait for now. I'm actually having a great time.

"Nope. I'm thinking about calling security to check on them. Maybe they drowned in the sink or got flushed down the toilet." I quip, causing her to giggle in reply.

The moment that statement leaves my lips, Justin and Chris bust through the exit doors of the theatre laughing up a storm.

We both turn to eye them and when they see us, they slowly calm down to simply smiles.

"Missed us?" Chris asks while snaking his arm around Gem's shoulder.

"No. We were just making plans to ditch you all for these hotter guys we met but...damn, we were too slow." Gem fakes a disappointed sigh and I giggle.

"Cute Gem." Chris hisses playfully, tickling her sides and she shoves him away, erupting into girly giggles.

"So..." Justin voices while turning to face me. Gosh he looks so good in his dark jeans, green shirt and leather jacket. I swear, us both having leather jackets was a total coincidence. "Did you have fun?" He asks and I bite my bottom lip.

Ok, Sean kind of made me ask Justin about what he was wearing when Justin called to let me know that they were all coming to pick me up earlier. But still, total coincidence.

"Tai?"

"Huh?" I ask, snapping out of my thoughts.

"I think we just lost you for a moment there." Justin chuckles. "I asked if you had fun. Did you enjoy the musical?"

"Sure did!" I beam. "It was amazing."

"Yeah you were really into it." He chuckles and both Gem and Chris shake their heads in agreement as well.

"I even learned some of the words to the songs because I have a great memory." I say proudly and Justin's brows curve in interest.

"Oh really..." He challenges me and I roll my eyes before taking a step back.

"No, not really; I looked up the songs online to see if they were any good before the show and there was this one that got stuck in my head because I really liked it."

"Uh huh." Justin gives me a knowing smile and I blush. "Which one?"

"You can't stop the beat." I state.

Taking in a deep breath, I start singing what I know from my favorite song in the musical while prancing around, stunning them all.

"You can't stop an avalanche as it races down the hill
You can try to stop the seasons, girl, but you know you never will
And you can try to stop my dancing feet, but I just cannot stand still!

'Cause the world keeps spinnin' round and round
And my heart's keepin' time to the speed of the sound
I was lost 'til I heard the drums then I found my way
'Cause you can't stop the beat...."

Drifting off momentarily, I gasp when Justin joins in with me, snapping his fingers and singing along as both Gem and Chris erupt in laughter at our antics. Grinning, I continue singing with him as he harmonizes with me almost perfectly.

Ever since the whole world began
A woman found out if she shook it, she could shake up a man
And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it with all of my might today...

'Cause you can't stop the motion of the ocean or the sun in the sky
You can wonder, if you wanna, but I never ask why
And you can try to hold me down, but I'll spit in your eye and say
That you can't stop the beat!"

Not able to help myself anymore, I stop singing and erupt in laugher causing everyone else to do the same.

"Oh my gosh, Justin you're crazy." I say through giggling fits.

He definitely had the character Corny Collins finger snap and shimmy down from Hairspray. Oh my god, I can't believe I just witnessed that.

Brushing off his jacket, Justin takes a slight bow with a huge grin on his face.

"Nice Justin." Gem smiles and Chris gives him a high-five.

"Damn son, that was sweet." Chris says enthusiastically and I'm still just glaring in awe. "And you too Tai. You all are like naturals or something."

Well, this is something new. I had no idea Justin could sing.

"He got some tight singing pipes too." Gem points out.

"Ok, ok, enough guys. Thank you, thank you." Justin smiles bashfully.

"Don't be cocky." I snicker while playfully shoving him.

He diverts all of his attention to me and I furrow my brows when I see his smile slowly fade away.

He opens his mouth to say something but then shuts it quickly. His eyes are twinkling with mischief as he seems to be studying me intently.

"You know what? Nah, too easy..." Justin waves his hand in dismissal, laughing softly and I'm lost. What just happened?

"Uh ok." I drawl. Awkward.

"So what do you guys say to grabbing a bite to eat before we call it a night? I'm starving." Chris speaks up, grabbing our attention.

"Yeah that sounds good." I add in.

"Cool, I know this nice little restaurant not too far away from here. Follow me. Afterwards, we can call a company car to take everyone home." Justin adds in and we all agree with him.

When he stretches his hand out for me to take so we can begin on our journey down the busy sidewalk I hesitate, turning to look at Gem and Chris who make a signal for me to go.

Shrugging, I whip back around and smile for Justin before intertwining our arms together so we can start walking in the direction of the restaurant he mentioned with him leading the way...

*****

Later

At The Restaurant

"I don't know man; I don't think my dad would agree to that." Justin voices while taking a sip of his beer. "He's the kind who likes to keep business and pleasure separate."

"Think about it, throwing this huge party at A-List for the anniversary would be appropriate. Robert was talking about it and I think it's a good idea." Chris points out.

Casually sipping on my scotch, I sit quietly while listening to Justin and Chris talk about A-List's upcoming anniversary shindig. It's still a few months away, but from what I've gathered it's a big deal. They throw a party every year but since this is A-List's 40th birthday, they're looking at this year as a milestone and Chris has been trying to convince Justin to consider throwing the anniversary party at A-List itself, instead of booking an outside venue.

It does kind of sound like a cool idea but if Randall wouldn't like it, I don't suggest they go down that path when planning the party.

"I guess I'll have a word with Robert about it when we return to work." Justin caves and Chris nods.

"It's just an idea. You all should talk to your old man about it too." Chris adds in and Justin nods while finishing off his beer.

"Will do." Justin voices, breaking eye contact with Chris and I glare at the sullen expression on Justin's face.

I'm starting to wonder if Justin ever had that talk with his dad like he said he was going to. It's been weeks since he asked my advice on the matter but he never did come back to tell me how it went. I honestly don't think he's mustered up the balls to confront his dad yet. That's not good. I really think Justin and his father need to have a heart to heart. They both have perceptions about the other that neither is willing to elucidate.

"So dinner was great Justin, thanks for sponsoring." Gem utters, obviously picking up on the tension in the air.

Justin gives her a light nod and smile before signaling the waiter over to order another beer.

When the waiter leaves to get Justin's order, I finish off my drink before releasing a sigh.

I dislike seeing Justin all tense. We were having such a good time. Just the mention of his dad switched his mood which isn't right.

We've been at the restaurant he suggested for a while now, sitting and enjoying each other's company. We ordered our meals and ate earlier which Justin gladly offered to pay for as a treat. When we were done, we got into casual conversation, learning a bit more about each other along the way until the topic switched to A-List's anniversary party.

I guess, since we all work at the same place, there's no escaping work related topics completely.

But it was fine until Justin's mood visibly changed. Now I think that we need to end this little outing so things don't turn sour. It was fun while it lasted.

Gazing at my watch, I gasp softly when I see how late it's getting. I should maybe get home if I want a good night's rest.

"Guys it's getting late." I begin, grabbing everyone's attention.

"You're right Tai, we should probably call it a night." Chris agrees just as the waiter returns with Justin's drink.

Justin quickly thanks the waiter and asks him for the check as well, stating that we're ready to leave before the young man excuses his self from our table again.

"I should probably call the company car now before..."

"Actually." Chris cuts Justin off immediately. "Gem and I are ok. We're just going to grab a cab. But, you and Tai can go on without us..."

"Are you sure?" Justin scowls at him. "Because you'd be saving your money if you came with us."

"No, we're good. We promise. You've already paid for dinner Justin. It's fine we insist." Gem smiles brightly and I glower at her and Chris.

Oh, they're sneaky. They're both smiling too, those little conspirators. Justin seems completely clueless to their plan, or maybe he simply doesn't mind.

"Ok suit yourselves. I'm going to make the call. Excuse me." Justin voices before grabbing his cell to stand.

When he's out of earshot, I narrow my eyes at both Chris and Gem who are snuggled up, both giving me sly smiles.

"You guys are evil!" I say in a hushed whisper.

"We're only trying to help. Besides, you guys haven't had any alone time yet and neither have we. Just enjoy it Tai." Gem says.

"Ugh, you guys are awful." I huff. "Don't think this is over missy. I still need to have a word with you." I tell her.

"You know where to find me." Gem sniggers.

"Be nice Gem." Chris chuckles and I cut my eyes at him.

"Cute guys. But this ends now ok? You can't force this and I don't want to be another one of Justin's assistants." I mention.

"You won't. This is different. You're different." Gem counters.

"It's true Tai." Chris agrees. "Just relax. Everything will be fine." He assures.

But he's wrong, he's so wrong. Everything will not be fine because I'm not even sure I want this. Sure Justin's a great guy and all, but he wasn't always that way which makes me wonder what's really going on with him. Robert's a mystery to me too. Well, that's one other thing Justin and Robert have in common; they're almost impossible to figure out.

When Justin returns to our table, he voices that the company car is on its way to pick us up.

Chris and Gem use that as their cue to leave, telling us that they had a great time and wishing us a good night and that they would see us at work on Monday.

When they're gone, Justin looks at me with a smile on his face.

"So I guess it's just you and me huh?" He grins.

"I guess so." I respond as slight nervousness takes over me from the thought of being alone with him.

"I think I'm going to pass this drink up. I've had enough." He explains while gazing at his discarded beer on the table.

"Ok."  I utter.

"We should probably head out to wait for our ride then. It should be here any minute. I'll just pay the bill first and then..."

"Ok that's fine." I cut him off, my mind going a million miles per minute.

I know that this is innocent, that Justin is simply going to drop me home before he heads home his self.

So why am I so nervous and why is my heart rate speeding up while my stomach does flip flops?

*****

In The Company Car

Destination: Tai and Sean's Apartment in Bronx

We've been driving for a few minutes now, heading in the direction of my home and Justin and I have been comfortably talking and joking around in the backseat of A-List's company car.

Well, at least it's not a limo although it is pretty sweet with the leather interior.

Justin did mention something about only using their limos for big events.

Gosh, it must be so amazing to have that life of luxury. He could have anything he wanted materially, he could travel the world and I'm pretty sure he has V.I.P status for all the top class joints here in New York.

I don't want to seem shallow, but I'd definitely love a day in the life of an A-List heir.

"I've been meaning to ask you some things Justin." I express and he shifts in his seat to face me completely, fully intrigued with my statement.

"That depends." He titters.

"You don't have to answer but I really wish you would, truthfully."

"Oh oh, this is getting serious. What's on your mind Tai? I'll do what I can to ease any doubts you may have about me."

Taking in a deep breath I let it all out on the table because, he's much more than just my boss. He's someone that I can't figure out for the life of me. His outer persona gets a little confusing at times too...

"What's your deal?" I blurt out and he scowls at me in perplexity. "I mean, I know you're my boss and I don't want to seem rude, but you're confusing sometimes. First you're this colossal asshole to me and then, just like that, you switch around and start being tolerable up to the point where you're so nice it's weird. You apologized for being a jerk to me which I'm glad you did. But what is up with all the mood swings? I just, I can't figure you out Justin. You didn't want me as your assistant in the first place, and now, you've admitted that you'd be lost without me. I'm simply trying to make sense of what's going on." I explain, looking into his blues.

He seems to be absorbing what I said, maybe trying to figure out how to answer me.

"I uh..." But he drifts, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "Wow, talk about putting me on the spot." He quips.

"I didn't mean to..."

"No, Tai, it's ok. I think I do owe you some type of explanation for my odd behavior. So, here it goes...try to keep up." He jokes and I smile, releasing a sigh when he starts voicing his thoughts.

"From as far back as I can remember, I've always been stubborn and a jerk. In fact, between Robert and me, he's really the nice one." That's not surprising. "But, I think my bad ways got worse as time passed. My dad was married to my mom first and they had me. Eventually, things didn't work out, so a few years down the line, they divorced and that's when my dad married Robert's mom and had him. That marriage didn't work either, but it's safe to say that both of our moms happily remarried. Even if Robert and I are half brothers, we don't see ourselves that way. We see ourselves are full blood brothers because his mom is like my mom and my mom is like his mom you get it?" Justin asks and I nod, fully engrossed in his little tale.

"Right, so even if Robert and I had different moms, we still grew up together because of our dad. He wanted his boys around, especially with his fashion empire and all. He showed us the ropes from a young age so we'd grow up knowing that this was going to be ours one day and he wanted us to know exactly how to run it. I think, somewhere along the lines of boarding school and always having our dad around compared to our moms who were free spirited women in their own right, I eventually started growing an attitude. I always had one, but the pressure of what it meant to run this company was finally beginning to weigh down on me. I felt trapped, unable to live out my youth how I wanted because there was always someone waiting for me to slip up and report to my dad. He's a no nonsense, work first, play later kind of guy."

This is so sad. I feel so bad for them, being raised under all this pressure.

"Eventually, I stopped trying all together and fully rebelled. My dad, he always came down harder on me than he did on Robert because he always felt I should know better and set the example since I was the oldest and Robert was the baby. He wanted me to be someone I wasn't. He wanted me to be like him, hard and ruthless but with a smiling face. I couldn't do that. I'm not that guy. I eventually stopped caring about my responsibilities and just allowed the asshole in me to fully flourish. I didn't care about anyone but myself. My friends weren't really my friends. My girlfriends were just flings and ways to pass my time as well as satisfy my needs. I was your regular spoilt, rich boy. I partied like crazy, ignored my father's threats and let Robert take all the blame for me when I slipped up."

"Rob never complained about it though. He offered to cover for me because he always cared. I guess I owe him some thanks for always saving my behind. If it wasn't for him, I'm sure my dad would have stripped me of my status a long time ago. But, I guess what I'm trying to get at with this little story I just told you is...around the time you walked in, or I should say bumped into my life, I was trying to get back in my dad's good graces because I sort of had a wakeup call after my relationship with Nella. She was one of the first girls I was actually starting to genuinely care about, but that didn't last long or get very far before the drama broke out. I guess it helped me to develop a new perspective on my life. I was getting older. I had responsibilities I couldn't deny anymore and for once in my life, I wanted my dad to view me differently instead of as the screw up son."

Justin shrugs while staring at me and I'm at a loss for words right now. Swallowing hard, I nod, my browns connecting to his glassy blues.

"I love my dad Tai. I don't want to wake up one day when he's gone and realize that he never thought much of me. Sure, I don't want to lose rights to this empire, but, family comes first and Robert, my dad and I haven't been a real family in a long time. We're all off doing our own thing, engrossed with work and this company. I will admit, the reason behind my mood swings is just that. It's the pressure of this lifestyle, of trying to live up to something I'm not and probably will never be."

"I'm not a terrible person at heart. But, I've just been so conflicted lately with trying to impress my old man while letting go of this partying bad boy persona which the media painted of me. Not to mention I have Nella to worry about. Then you come along by way of my dad and at first, I really thought you and him were secretly conspiring to make my life a living hell because he wanted to teach me a lesson or something. Robert was the one who told me to go easy on you. You were tough. You took what I dished out. But it was never personal. I was simply testing you. I wanted to see where your loyalty lied. But eventually, I realized you weren't a threat. You were just the new girl, the new assistant who got sucked into our crazy lives. You were still tough. Quiet, but tough and you were actually helping me you know? So I switched."

"Being nice to you didn't seem so bad. It was good practice for me since I was trying to change and...you made it easy. You're a genuinely sweet person so, smiling came naturally for me with you Tai. I hope you understand what I'm saying here. I don't want to confuse you or..."

"No, no I understand everything Justin." I finally speak up, my voice slightly hoarse since I'm choking back tears.

Gosh what's wrong with me? This isn't like me at all. He's only telling me his life history in a nutshell and I'm getting all emotional like he just confessed some undying love for me or something.

Why is this happening? It's been so long since I allowed my heart to do the talking, since I welcomed any type of deep emotions.

But now, I feel like Justin is literally digging up and pulling out the emotional side of me and I don't like it, but I can't even fight it.

"I'm relieved you understand because damn that was a weight being lifted, just from talking about it." He divulges.

He's smiling softly now but his eyes show worry, maybe even fear. He's worried. I can tell. He doesn't want me to judge him because he told me this. He's hoping I truly get him. It doesn't seem like he's met many people in his life who get him, who understand him. But I do. I get him completely now.

"It's ok, I'm glad you shared this with me. I think...I understand you much better now Justin. Whether you're my boss or not, I want you to know I'll be there for you ok? I know you have Robert when you really need him, but, now you have me too."  I smile warmly before leaning forward to grip his large hand in mine. Casting my vision south, I take in how our skin tones blend together like chocolate and vanilla.

Lifting my head to lock eyes with him, I notice that his blues have darkened to a deeper shade as his breathing picks up. But he doesn't say anything, he only stares, his eyes wide and protruding.

Then he lets out a heavyhearted sigh, lightly squeezing my hand in the process. "Thank you Tai, for not judging me. Thank you."

"You're welcome but Justin, you really do need to talk to your dad. You can't keep this to yourself. He deserves to know how you feel."

"But..."

"No buts. I know I'm the assistant and you're the boss, but that's an order mister. Talk to him. Get your family back. Get your dad outside of work back."

"It's not that easy Tai." His voice is weak and defeated as he keeps eye contact with me, searching my eyes as if to find the answers he seeks.

"No, but you have to try."

"What would I do without you?" Justin asks while his lips curve into a large grin.

"You'd survive." I giggle, patting his leg with my free hand.

After I say that, we're interrupted by the small intercom system in the ride. Turning my head towards the separating window, I glare at the tinted glass that separates us from the driver.

It's just like a limo in here. We can see the driver, but he can't see us. I'm astonished that they have this little radio thing to communicate with each other when we're only seating like a foot away.

"We're pulling up into miss Bennett's neighborhood now. We'll be at her apartment shortly." The driver announces before he signs off and I giggle, amazed that he couldn't just press the button to bring down the separating window instead. I guess this way was easier for him.

"Tai..." I hear Justin whisper, calling out to me and I divert my attention back to him with a goofy grin on my face.

"Hmm?" I respond, turning to face him but I suddenly freeze, my voice dying in my throat as my eyes bug out of their sockets in pure and utter shock. Gasping, my mind blanks out when I feel Justin's lips against mine.

Wait, what the hell is going on? Is he kissing me? Oh my god! He's kissing me. Justin's kissing me? But, but he's...no this is wrong. He's my boss. Oh my god I can't breathe...

Without missing a beat, Justin places his hand on my waist, pulling me against him, never breaking contact. He gently snakes his other hand around my neck, pulling me closer, fusing our bodies together. And I cave, completely losing focus and any common sense I have left. Instead, I react to the rampant beating of my heart and the initial urge to literally jump him.

His smells so good; his lips are so soft and welcoming and he feels so warm, his ripped chest rising and falling harshly against me. Oh god, this can't be happening. But, against my will I release an unexpected yet muffled moan as Justin nibbles on my bottom lip, begging for access to my insides. And I oblige, parting my lips, allowing him to plunge his tongue into my depths as we both get lost in each other's embrace. I feel like my head and chest are about to explode from the intensity of this kiss but I don't care. Our breathing is labored and neither of us have any intentions of slowing down yet. Justin lets out a deep throaty growl and I grip fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him, needing to feel more of him.

Oh god, I've totally lost my mind...

"Mmmm..." I moan, feeling Justin push into me, his hands snaking around my back to angle us until I'm resting against the door of the car and he's half lying on top of me, hovering, still kissing me so passionately it makes my head spin.

His hand leaves my waist, inching its way north when suddenly his entire body goes rigid and he stops abruptly, a small gasp leaving his lips as he slowly pulls away from me, breaking our lip-lock. He looks down at me with wide glazed orbs, biting the corner of his lips. I think something clicked in his mind on how wrong this is to make him stop.

I look up at him, too shocked to say or do anything as I try to register what just happened. But damn it, why did he stop?

No, no stopping was the right thing to do.

Justin lets out an exasperated sigh and moves off of me, passing his hands over his face in frustration. "Shit." He whispers, his hands now in his hair as he rests back against the leather seats. "I'm so, so sorry Tai..." he chokes out, avoiding eye contact with me. "I don't know what came over me. God, I'm so stupid...so stupid." He scolds himself and I sigh.

Taking in a deep breath, I seat up, straightening my clothes and posture before cautiously touching his shoulder to grab his attention. "No, it's, it's ok." I tell him.

We got carried away, I get that. It's not his fault, it's both our faults. I know I'm totally screwed when the reality of this situation finally sinks in but for now, I'm all up for being in denial.

"It's not ok Tai. I...god I don't want you to be like the rest." He's referring to his past flings with his assistants I'm sure. "That's not my intension. I'm not going to make that happen. I think so much more of you and so does everyone else at the company. And my dad..."

"Justin." I interrupt him. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to feel the dread and regret yet. I'm not ready...

"We're here at Miss Bennett's Apartment complex." The driver's voice filters through the intercom system again, interrupting us.

Quickly, Justin stretches across to hit the button next to the intercom speaker to reply.

"Ok, thanks Carlos." Justin responds before seating back and giving me his full attention. "Tai, do you want me to walk you in?" He asks tenderly, but I quickly shake my head ‘no.'

"No, that's fine I've got it from here. I uh, I had fun tonight Justin, thanks. You guys were great and I'll, I'll see you in work on Monday."

"I had fun too Tai, but please don't do this. We're going to have to talk about this eventually." He says with hurt plastered all over his adorable face since I'm brushing him off.

"Yeah, sure, we will...we will. Well, goodnight!" I blurt out before grabbing my things and swinging the door open, quickly making my exit.

"Goodnight Tai." Justin says softly, dejectedly and I stop, turning around to stare at his seating form as I hold the door open.

Inhaling sharply, I step back so I can close the door and head into my apartment.

"Bye Justin." I voice faintly before shutting the car door gently.

I can't handle looking into those blue orbs of his any longer tonight. I don't want to end up completely giving into him like some love-struck fool even if I loved the way he tasted and his touches felt like a combination of fire and ice against my skin.

No, none of that should matter because he's my boss.

Flipping around, I quickly begin making my way towards the large entrance doors of my complex that will take me to the elevators, never slowing my pace or turning around when I hear the company car slowly pulling out of its parking spot.

Hopefully, if I'm lucky, Sean will be asleep because all I want to do is knock out for the rest of the night so I can stop thinking about what Justin said when he voiced that he didn't want me to be like his other assistants.

Honestly, I don't want that either. And if it means ignoring my feelings so I don't disappoint his dad as well as gain a bad reputation, then so be it.

*****

Justin's Penthouse Apartment

Manhattan, New York

Stepping foot inside of his home, Justin sighed before tossing his wallet and keys on a nearby table.

He felt drained from all the thinking he did while coming home, he felt sad, hurt, lost and most of all confused. He wasn't confused over the fact that he had kissed his assistant as ironic as the entire situation seemed. No, because he wanted to kiss her. What confused him was what he felt in the kiss they shared. It was like nothing he ever experienced before and now it was driving him crazy because he didn't understand it, and he stood the chance of losing her before he could figure everything out.

Why was his life so difficult?

"I see you finally made it home."

Snapping his head up in shock, Justin fumbled for the light switch to rid himself of the darkness and put a face to the voice he just heard, even if he already knew who it was.

"Dad?" Justin asked in perplexity when the entire living room was illuminated. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Robert gave me his spare key, Justin." Randall got up from where he was sitting on the couch to come over to his son.

Smirking, Justin locked eyes with his father while folding his arms across his chest. "Ok, well, you clearly want something else you wouldn't be here so what is it?" Justin snapped.

Now wasn't the time for this. He just wanted to be left alone for the rest of the night. It was bad enough the way Tai bolted from the car when she got home. It almost seemed like she didn't want to be near him and that hurt.

"I don't want anything from you Justin except for you to man up to your responsibilities every once in a while." Randall hissed.

‘Typical dad.' Justin thought to his self. It was almost like his efforts were invisible to his father. He didn't know how else to please him really.

"Ok dad, but that's not why you came all the way here."

"No. I came to give you a warning Justin. If I hear that you're involved in anything that could put the good name of this company at risk, any scandal whatsoever, believe me when I say it will be the last. I'll strip you of your status and title so fast your head will spin. Don't test me Justin. I've been too lenient on you and I've given you too many chances. It ends now. You need to grow up. This company will be yours one day, but that won't happen unless you really prove to me that you can handle that type of responsibility."

Shit, Justin wasn't expecting his dad to say anything like that! Not that he wasn't surprised, he just never got the ‘I'm drawing the line' speech before. Nella quickly came to mind and Justin knew that there was no way he could stay out of trouble. Trouble always found him no matter what he did.

"Dad..."

"And that includes personal assistants as well. No more hooking up with personal assistants Justin. I'm warning you. The media has painted quite the picture of you and that's not the image we need you to have with our clients and the company."

Work, work, work! Was that all his dad cared about!?

"Come on dad, it's not like I picked my new assistant." Justin snapped, refraining from actually calling Tai's name.

"No, I did. And I'm seeing now that I should have gone with a guy instead. I've seen the way you look at her and I'm sure that you have some type of feelings for her. But I mean it Justin. No more slip ups. This is your last chance. Think about it."

And with that said, Randall excused himself, wishing Justin a good night before he left.

Still standing in the exact same spot, Justin shook his head in disappointment.

‘Talk to your dad,' Tai said. ‘He deserves to know how you feel,' she said.

But that was just it. There was no talking to that man. There was no way.

He might as well call it quits because either way he looked at it he was screwed.

If ignoring his developing feelings for Tai, someone who Justin thought was actually good for him, meant his dad would be disappointed in him again and cut him off for good this time, then so be it.

Because for once in his existence, he was going to live his life for his self and no one else. Not his dad, or Robert, or anyone else. He wasn't going to rebel, or throw a fit or be an asshole this time. He was simply going to listen to his heart for once instead of always listening to his head and the wild thoughts passing through his mind...

CHAPTER TWELVE

Two Weeks Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"Good day, A-List Magazine, this is Tai speaking, Mr. Timberlake's assistant, how may I assist you?"

"Ah, Justin's new assistant. He merely passes through you all like water huh?"

What a catty remark. Who is this person?

"Excuse me?"

Lifting my head from my computer screen, I look up into the glass window of Justin's office. Frowning when I'm met with his broad jacket covered back, I tilt my head to the side, trying to figure out why he's standing in front of his window behind his desk looking out at Manhattan when he has work to do.

"Just put him on the line." The person snaps, grabbing my attention.

"Uh, yes mam, one moment, please hold the line." Switching over, I hit Justin's line and I keep my eyes on him, watching when he turns around to glare at his ringing phone.

He lifts his head to look at me and I raise the receiver in my hand for him to see so he can pick up on his end.

"Yes Tai." He says with a heavy sigh after picking up his line.

"I have a woman on the line for you." I voice.

"Who is it? I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now." He groans and I bite my lip, feeling slightly out of place.

"I, I don't know."

"Can you find out for me please? I'm holding on."

"Ok, hang on." I voice, switching over as I keep my eyes on him through the window.

"Yes, hello mam? May I ask who's calling?" I inquire politely and I'm met by a harsh groan in response.

"Seriously, he's screening his calls? Unbelievable; tell him it's Nella."

I feel my heart instantly skip a beat when she says her name.

"Of course, hold on." I say, quickly switching back to Justin, my hand slightly trembling when I press the button for his line.

"So?" He asks when I switch over.

"It's Nella." I voice softly.

"Ok, put her through." He says weakly. "I might as well deal with her now, because she won't give up or leave me alone apparently."

"Sure..." I quickly connect their call and then slam down my receiver so I can return to my computer work.

The last few weeks of my life haven't been easy but I'm still at A-List trying to get through an entire work day without so much as thinking about the fact that Justin and I are in the same vicinity.

The messed up part in all of this? I haven't even told my brother about what happened between Justin and me yet. I wasn't ready to hear Sean tell me how it wasn't a bad thing if Justin and I had feelings for each other. I wasn't ready to face those feelings either. Which is why, I've been walking around here like nothing's up. Like I'm not literally screaming on the inside every time I come into contact with Justin or look into those dreary blues of his. He always gives me the same look...the ‘why won't you talk to me' look. I mean we talk, but, honestly, I've been avoiding him like the plague. The moment he even tries to talk to me about anything non-work related, I find a way to hightail it so I don't have to face the inevitable with him. That we're not simply boss and assistant anymore. That we've crossed that line and it's quietly destroying the both of us.

Why it's destroying us? Because there are feelings involved; feelings that shouldn't be there; feelings that we can't cope with.

Justin hasn't been handling me avoiding him well at all. He's edgier and moodier than before and just the other day, I heard him literally curse Robert out, his own brother, because Robert didn't get the right patterns for some prop they had to use in a photo shoot. Justin apologized immediately after of course, but the look on Robert's face was priceless. And, I felt bad.

I mean, it's my fault right? I'm the reason Justin is so unstable right now. I'm not making this easy for him. I'm doing the cowardly thing and running away. But I can't help it. I'm scared. No, I'm terrified of what falling for him would mean. I can't see this turning out well. I can't see myself openly giving into my growing feelings for Justin and still keeping my job. I don't think that's possible and I know for a fact, his dad won't be pleased. I don't want to put a rift between Justin and his dad. They already have so much going on with them. What kind of person would I be if I just ignored that to satisfy my own selfish needs?

That's probably no reason to give Justin the cold shoulder but, I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready to tell him when we kissed meant nothing to me when it meant everything. I'm not ready to lie to him to save him from utter destruction with his family. I'm not strong enough for that because if I tried, I'd probably break down in hysterics and I've never been the kind to play the damsel in distress role.

Jumping out of my thoughts when I hear loud banging, I look up, a scowl forming on my face when I see Justin standing at the glass window of his office, visibly knocking the window and making a signal for me to come into his office.

Taking a quick look around, I stand, eyeing him strangely before heading into his office and shutting the door behind me.

"You could have called me you know." I point out when he comes over to stand before me.

"I did, you weren't answering your phone. You looked lost, day dreaming or something." Justin shrugs and I look away from him in guilt.

"Oh, sorry." I say softly.

"It's ok. I just wanted you to take the book to Robert and tell him that I placed the memos of what we need to work on and change up in there for him." With that said, Justin heads over to his desk then comes back over to me with the big black A-List book in hand.

Taking the book from him, I hug it against my chest and begin swaying on my heels, looking up at him for any more instructions.

"Is that all?" I ask when he remains in place just looking down at me intently.

"No..." He mutters, taking a step towards me which causes me to take a step back.

My back makes contact with the closed door and I sigh.

"Tai, we can't keep doing this." Justin voices calmly and I look away from him, the intensity and mystification in his eyes too much to bear.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Everything's good, we're good..." But my voice drifts and I jump in shock when he corners me, sandwiching me between his office door and his solid, tall frame. "Justin..." But he cuts me off.

"No, listen to me Tai. This isn't right. We can't be working together with all of this tension between us. We need to talk about this Tai, about what happened between us. We need to clear the air. You can't keep avoiding me."

Oh god, I can barely think straight with him hovering like that, glaring at me with so much fire in his eyes.

"I don't think..."

"Damn it Taiana!" Justin growls angrily, hitting the wall harshly above my head which causes my eyes to widen. "Don't do this, please. I can't take much more of this. It's fucking killing me."

"What did you just call me?" I ask in horror, feeling my heart ache.

"What? I called you by your name." Justin frowns, looking down at me, the heat of his body from how close we are engulfing me, driving me crazy.

"No one has ever called me Taiana in years. Not since my parents. How did you..."

"Sean." Justin shrugs. "I asked him if Tai was short for something, because I was curious even if you said it wasn't. He told me it was short for Taiana. He also said only your parents called you by your full name. I'm sorry about your parents by the way. Everyone else knew you as just Tai so I asked why he told me your full name then and his words were ‘you're not everyone else.' I didn't know what that meant at the time, but it was the night of the album release party we went to for Carla." Justin explains, deeply scowling by the horrific expression that's probably on my face right now.

When did he and Sean talk that night and how did I miss it? Oh my gosh, it must have been when we were all sitting at Justin's booth before Robert came to get me. I left Sean, Chris and Justin alone. Who knows what else they talked about that night? Oh my god! I'm going to kill my brother!

"Justin, we're at work, this is neither the time nor place." I try to say calmly, not wanting to upset him anymore.

I need this to end. I can't do this. I feel like I'm on the verge of tears now and how is it going to look if I leave my boss's office in tears?

"If you'd just talk to me Tai, we wouldn't be in this position." Justin states.

"I can't..."

"Tai, listen to me. Hey, listen to me." Justin demands before lifting my chin so he can look into my eyes. "I don't know what's going on with you. But, that night, when we kissed I felt something. That kiss meant a whole lot more to me than I was willing to admit, but seeing you again afterwards at work made me realize a few things. It made me realize that I wouldn't have taken back that night and what happened between us because..." But he stops abruptly before pulling away from me.

"What?" I ask in a gravelly tone.

"You're crying." Justin points out in astonishment. "I...I didn't mean for...no, no don't cry Tai. I'm sorry if I'm coming on too strong. But you wouldn't listen to me, you wouldn't talk to me and it's been driving me crazy, but god...don't cry."

"I'm not..." I am, I am crying.

I can feel the silent tears rolling down my cheeks. This is crazy. How in the world did we get here? I was fine with him just being my boss. Now, now I'm crying because I can't deal with my stupid emotions!? Ugh! Being female sucks!

Sighing, Justin closes the small gap between us, gently wiping away my tears with his fingers.

"I'm sorry Tai. I never meant for this to happen. But, you have to know that I care." He admits while wiping my face dry.

All I can do is stare at him, wishing that I wasn't falling for him, but I am. I know I am. Avoiding him these past few weeks did nothing to change that.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just scared I guess, but, I care too." I say weakly and Justin nods.

"I know you do, else you wouldn't be crying right now." He smiles and I force a smile as well.

His blues are so warm and comforting; it's hard not to get lost in them.

"It's crazy...I guess I ended up being another one of those assistants after all huh?" I voice sadly.

"What? No, don't ever say that Tai!" Justin hisses angrily. "You'll never be like them. You'll never be just another fling or notch on my belt. Why the fuck would you say that?" He snaps at me and my eyes widen in shock at his sudden swap. Did he just swear at me?

"I didn't mean..."

"Just shut up. You mean more to me than that, so you can as well get those ridiculous thoughts out of your head. And don't worry about my dad either. I'll deal with him."

"Yes sir." I smile, too weak to really fight him anymore.

"God, Tai what are we doing? This really is crazy. What's even crazier is how all of the walls I've built are tumbling down so easily with you. I don't know if I should be worried about that or not." Justin coos, his hands finding my waist to pull me against him. Breathing deeply, he leans his head down, connecting our foreheads together and I look away from him, slight nervousness and panic rising in my system.

He has no idea that I feel the exact same way. What are we doing? I don't know. But I do know work is not the place to be displaying such emotions. Thank god we're to the side where people can't see us through the glass window. That would be bad if anyone witnessed this little display.

"Maybe I should...maybe we should talk about this outside of work. I should leave now; I don't want anyone thinking anything. I'll just bring the book to Robert and then get back to my desk." I voice.

"Fine, that's fine. You do that. We'll talk later." Justin agrees, pulling away from me and straightening his posture before fixing his attire.

Nodding, I give him one last glance and a weak smile before I turn around to open his office door so I can leave.

I quickly pull myself together, stepping out and shutting the door behind me, never turning around as I head down the hallways in the direction of Robert's office with the A-List book tightly in my grasp.

*****

I finally make it to Robert's office but I stop dead in my tracks when Chris comes into view.

He's at his desk with his head down, typing away on his computer. I think about turning around to leave before he looks up and notices me because honestly, I've kind of been avoiding him and Gem as well.

Unfortunately, I'm not fast enough and he spots me.

"Tai? Hey girl, what brings you to this side of A-List?" Chris grins happily.

He must be glad to see me, not that I blame him. I'm sure he's realized by now that I've been avoiding them.

"Just came over here to bring the book for Robert." I voice, showing Chris the large black book in my hand.

"Oh, well he's in a meeting with his dad now. But just leave it on my desk and I'll hand it to him when his old man leaves." Chris voices.

Hmm, a meeting? I wonder.

"Ok thanks Chris." I quickly drop the book on his desk and turn to leave, but he stops me.

Yeah, I didn't think it was going to be that easy to leave either.

"Tai, are you ok?" Chris asks out of concern and I whirl back around to face him with a bright smile.

"Of course why wouldn't I be?" I lie.

"Well...I'm not an idiot. Ever since that night we all went out to that Broadway musical you've been acting strange. Gem noticed it too. Now, I'm not asking you to tell me what's going on or deny anything. I understand if you're going through some things and that's fine. But, if it has anything to do with us trying to you know...we're sorry for trying to set you and Justin up, we just thought you all would have been a perfect match." Oh he has no idea. "But, once you don't hate us for it..."

"I could never hate you guys. It's not that, I promise." I assure him and he breathes a sigh of relief.

"Ok good. Well, I just want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here and so is Gem. You're our friend now girl, so we care." He admits and I giggle.

"Not ‘frienemy'?" I snicker, remembering the first time we met and the mini speech he gave me. I think he remembers too because he laughs in response.

"I don't think we could be your enemy even if we tried. You're too much of a good person Tai. You definitely don't deserve that."

Aw, oh my god, make him stop before I start crying again!

"Thanks Chris."

"Don't mention it. I'm here if you need me. And I'll give Robert the book for you, no worries." He adds in.

"Great, thanks so much. I'm going to get back to my desk. I have some documents that need typing up."

"Sure, we'll do lunch again one of these days."

"That would be nice. I'd like that. Bye Chris." I wave goodbye to him and I give Robert's office one last glance before I turn on my heels to head back in the direction of my workstation.

I don't know why, but the thought of Justin's dad irks my soul. Something about that man is disturbing to me. He seems so pleasant and warm and welcoming but there's another side of him, a darker side that he doesn't show.

But I'm sure Justin and Robert have seen it, which would maybe explain why they try to never cross him.

It just saddens me that they actually have their father alive with them still but it's like he's not even there.

I would give anything to see and be with my dad again even if it's for a minute.

But I guess that's life for you...unfair and unpredictable.

*****

Inside Robert's Office

"Dad, I can't do that to my own brother."

"You will if you know what's good for you."

"This isn't right dad."

Glaring at his father, Robert sighed angrily at the mere notion of ever betraying Justin. He loved his big bro. He cared about his big bro which is why he always covered for him.

Robert wasn't the type who liked conflict. He was the calmer, more rational one between him and Justin. He handled tight situations better and he always felt that there was no reason to compete with his brother. He knew Justin felt the same. They had a mutual understanding. That they were in this together fifty-fifty. Even if their dad was strict, Robert never felt like his father favored any of them more than the other.

The only reason why it was harder for Justin to please their dad was because he was the oldest and their father expected the oldest to take the lead. But Justin wasn't growing into the man their father wanted him to be. He was a free spirited person just like his mom. And Robert knew that running a company wasn't Justin's thing. Justin was only doing it for their dad. Robert knew that deep down, this wasn't where Justin wanted to be. He also knew that Justin had a lot of respect for their father and his wishes which is why he willingly slapped on a suit everyday and played editor in chief. It was all for their dad, to make him proud, to impress him. And Robert was proud of Justin for that reason. He looked up to his big bro for that reason. For putting his own dreams on hold to please a man who was more like a villain than their own father, their own flesh and blood.

Robert knew all of this and more and he was ok with it. But apparently, their father wasn't. Their father wasn't ok with his eldest son, possibly wanting something else, anything else than running this empire.

It was in their blood. They were blue-bloods, raised to take over this business and then pass it down to their own children. Robert could see himself doing that, but it was only because he loved this business. Justin on the other hand was a different story.  Robert wasn't completely sure what exactly Justin's dreams were, but he knew running this company wasn't Justin's life goal.

And that was why he couldn't do what his father asked of him. Robert respected his brother too much for putting up with their dad to turn around and actually help his dad destroy Justin, just to teach Justin a lesson because he wasn't following their dad's orders.   

Their father was crossing the line. He was crazy with power and it saddened Robert because he remembered a time when their dad wasn't like this. But, with no love of his life to keep him occupied, Randall threw himself into his work and thus became the monster he was today.                     

"Robert, let me remind you on who has the power to cut you off from everything A-List as you know it. You would have nothing and you would be a nobody if it wasn't for me. I raised you when your ungrateful mother went off gallivanting with her new flavor of the week."

Robert bit his lip to not mouth off at his father due to the mention of his mother.

"Both you and Justin should thank me instead of giving me such a hard time. You all would be nothing without me. My side of the family was bred into power from as far back as I can remember. Your late grandfather, my father, was an aristocrat from England. I thought that you all would grow up wanting to embellish in your roots. But you're both ungrateful children who need to learn the hard way and face the consequences for your actions."

"I still don't see what that has to do with Justin or Tai dad. She's a nice girl, she's helping Justin get his act together and you were the one who hired her."

"Yes, well, your brother is at his old games again and I really thought this new assistant had more will power to avoid my son's charm, but once a Timberlake always a Timberlake." Randall chided. "The point is I will not allow another scandal with Justin. We've lost clients because of his loose ways in public which only caused media chaos. He needs to learn a lesson and pay the consequences for his actions. So, maybe taking away the one thing he's managed to actually care about in a long time will open his eyes and make him see how unreasonable he's been."

Robert narrowed his eyes at his dad in detest. What the heck was this all about?

"Wait? Are you telling me...Justin and Tai?" Robert chuckled in disbelief. "You're saying my big bro is falling for his assistant?" He couldn't believe it. Justin? In love? In lust...maybe. But in love? Robert never thought he'd see the day, but the way their dad spoke about them...

Wait, he liked Tai too. So, what was the deal?

"Yes Robert. Are you slow? It's as clear as day that Justin is falling in love with her. But I won't have that, any of that. Not to mention she's not good enough for my son, so I really don't know what is going on in that head of his."

"Wow old man." Robert raised his hands in the air, ignoring Randall's harsh glares. "Weren't you the one who always told us, never judge a person solely by their outer appearances?"

"Tai is a beautiful girl."

"So what the heck dad?"

"But she's only interested in Justin because of who he is and what he can give her. I won't have her come into this family and run him dry. I won't have him fall in love with her and maybe end up marrying her, only to have her turn around and take half of this empire which I've worked so hard for..."

"Wow, wow, wow...dad, you're getting carried away. Justin and Tai are nowhere close to walking down the aisle. We both know Justin's history with women. It would take a hell of a lot for him to fully commit. And Tai is a sweet girl. She's not a gold digger or any of those terrible things I'm sure you're thinking about your own ex-wives who happen to be our moms. So you need to chill out."

"Plus, I don't see how any of this adds up with you wanting me to ask Tai out. I like her yes, but if she and my brother have something going on, then I'll back down and respect that. She's not like Justin's other assistants and believe it or not, I think she's actually good for him. Me, well, I bounce back easily you know. Plenty of fish in the sea. But Justin, dad, Justin needs someone who loves him for him and doesn't pass judgment on him. You haven't exactly made his life or mine easy. But, I got less of the fire than he did and he's trying you know? He's trying to change but you can't see that."

Robert paused when his father looked away from him, turning his back on him to head for the door to exit his office.

"Dad did you even hear a word I said!?" Robert called out, enraged that his own damn father would turn his back on any of his children like that.

"You all are utter disappointments Robert, just like your mothers. But I meant what I said. You're going to separate Justin and Tai by whatever means necessary and I won't take ‘no' for an answer so you better start learning how to say ‘yes.' Especially if you want to keep your status in this company to have a solid future. I could fire her, but I'm sure that wouldn't solve anything. That is all. I don't need to hear these sob stories you're feeding me. If you all want me to listen, then make me listen by standing up to me and facing me like a man. Tell your brother that because he's a coward and until he learns how to speak for his self, this conversation is over. There is work to be done."

And with that said, Randall swiftly exited Robert's office without giving him a chance to reply.

When Robert was alone again, he sighed heavily before slamming his fists down on his desk harshly in anger. Loosening his tie, he plopped down in his chair defeated and full of rage.

"Damn it dad...would it kill you to just be our father for one god damn moment instead of our fucking dictator?" Robert thought out loud.

The truth was he was stuck.

He didn't know what to do.

He didn't want to betray his brother in any way and put a wedge in their relationship, but, he didn't want to lose everything he worked so hard for his entire life. Because between Robert and Justin, this was Robert's only dream...to someday run this fashion empire and make an impact on the world, changing it for the better through fashion and giving people the ability to express themselves and their individualism without being judged.

*****

Later

It's been a long tiring day, but the day is finally coming to an end and I'm thankful for that.

As I gather my belongings to leave, I jump in fright when someone slams down an object harshly on my desk.

Lifting my head and spinning around, I lock eyes with Robert, his bluish-grays boring a hole through my soul.

"Robert? What..." Trailing off, I notice that he brought back the A-List book.

"I looked over the changes Justin wanted and made a few of my own notes and additions. Let him know that we'll discuss the preparations for next month's issue in our next board meeting, but in the mean time the book is his."

"Oh...uh ok sure. But he's not here right now. He went down to the cafeteria to grab a drink..." But Robert cuts me off.

"When will you be free Tai?"

"Excuse me?"

Is it just me or does Robert seem a bit off today? He looks anxious like he's got a lot on his mind and his unnerving stare is making me uneasy.

"Have dinner with me?" He asks eagerly and I glower at him in shock.

"What?" I snap.

"Have dinner with me." He states again and wow, where did this come from? "Why are you looking at me like that? I like you Tai isn't it obvious? I mean, I thought you liked me too but..."

"No, that's not it. Are you ok?" I ask out of concern.

Straightening his posture, Robert folds his arms across his chest while keeping eye contact with me. "I'm fine. Look I'm not trying to pressure you into anything you don't want to do. I just thought, since I mentioned to you some time back that we could catch up since we haven't had a chance to really get to know one another, I thought now would be good a time as any. Work isn't pilling in now so I have some free time on my hands, but, I'll leave the decision up to you. I just thought it would be nice if we could be friends you know? Hang out maybe? But, let me know when you make up your mind and we'll set up a date." He rambles out.

"Uh...ok?" I'm confused. I thought we were already friends.

Maybe he just means he wants us to actually hang out as friends? Well whatever. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as it's on a platonic friendship level.

"Right. Well, I'm going to jet. But, I'll be seeing you Tai. Take care ok? Bye."

"Ok, bye Rob...ert."

And just like that he's gone, before I could even get his full name out.

How strange. What the hell is going on with that family? Have they all gone off their rockers? And Robert was actually the sane one. Well, we can kiss that goodbye now.

"Was that Rob?"

Diverting my gaze I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey Justin!" I smile when he comes into sight, sipping on some type of blue concoction. "And yes, that was Robert. He just dropped the book off for you."

"Oh..." He shrugs, taking a large gulp of his drink in the glass he's holding while walking over to me.

"What the hell is that stuff you're drinking?" I giggle.

"Mountain Dew Voltage. It's really good, take a sip." He chuckles before pushing his glass in my direction.

"I don't know." I hesitate.

"Just taste the damn thing Tai." He laughs out and I shrug before grabbing the glass from him and taking a sip.

"Oh you're right. It is pretty good." I admit, handing him back the glass of soda.

"Told you." He grins before finishing off his drink and placing down the empty glass on my desk. "So, what did Rob say about the notes I left him in the book?" Justin asks while wiping his palms against his pants before picking up the large book to page through it.

Stuffing my hands into my navy blue jacket which matches the skirt I'm wearing, I shrug. "He didn't say much except that he made a few additions and notes of his own and that you all would discuss the changes in your next meeting."

"What? But one of my notes was that he kept the book for a change so he and the creative team could really dig into it. It's summer and he's usually more involved in the summer fashion line than I am since he deals with a lot of the promotional stuff and adverts. I always used to travel during summer on vacation, but even if I'm here this year it's still his thing. I don't get it." Justin says, before placing the book back down on my desk. "But, whatever I guess." He brushes it off and I bite my lip as I continue to watch him, thinking about how cute and adorable he looks when he's all confused and upset.

Gosh, this is really unhealthy to be thinking of my boss in such a manner but I can't help myself. So I cave...

"Robert asked me out." I blurt out which causes Justin to snap his head up to look at me.

He's taken aback by my outburst, but I can still see anger slowly forming in those blues.

"What?" He questions as his eyes narrow into tiny slits.

"It was really random. He wanted for us to actually hang out as friends or something." I point out.

"What exactly did he ask you?"

"He uh asked me to have dinner with him?" I shrug.

"Uh huh, and what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything." I admit.

"You didn't say no?" Justin asks incredulously.

"I didn't say yes either Justin." I point out.

"But you didn't say ‘no' Tai. Why the fuck would you not say ‘no' when I'm pretty sure that was my brother's way of asking you out on a date? Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"Would you keep your voice down please?" I hiss at him lowly. "It's not a big deal ok? If Robert wants us to hang out, I don't see the harm. We are friends Justin. He was my friend long before you were even nice to me so..."

"That's not the point Taiana. He likes you. I'm not stupid." Justin growls in a low whisper and I groan.

"Really Justin. I don't see how that matters if he likes me or not and please do not call me by that name. My name is Tai."

"No, your name is Tai-a-na." He enunciates. "And it does matter if Robert likes you. We can't both like the same girl. What the fuck Tai!?" Justin growls angrily and I roll my eyes.

"Justin, relax."

"Again with the relaxing? I am relaxed. I just don't like the fact that my own fucking brother is asking the one girl I'm interested in out on a dinner date. That doesn't sit well with me. And you didn't even say ‘no.' What, are my feelings so microscopic that you can't see them? Is this one-sided? Let me know Tai because..."

"Justin stop! It doesn't matter if Robert likes me more than a friend." I whisper back, my eyes darting around us to make sure no one is eavesdropping on this switch in conversation.

"Yes it does." He scoffs, pouting lightly.

Gosh, it would be so cute and sexy that he was jealous like this if it wasn't irritating me that we were having this conversation in work! Where anyone could hear us! And then what?

"No, it doesn't because I like you not him ok? I like you Justin. There I said it. I mean, Rob's a nice guy, I like him yeah as a friend, but that has nothing to do with how I feel about you. You have nothing to worry about. And if it will make you feel any better, I'll tell him that. But if you don't shut up now, then you will have something to worry about if someone hears us. I'm still trying to figure us and this whole thing out. I'm not yet ready for others to know and I'm certainly not ready for the attention."

I think I managed to calm him down because he's quiet now, his blues wildly searching my browns.

"I hate this." He sighs profusely, moving around my desk to sit at the edge of it, facing me. "I hate my dad for making my life so fucking difficult when it shouldn't be."

"You don't hate your dad Justin." I point out, smiling softly.

"No, I don't, but I wish he'd just let me live my life without always butting in. You know, now that I think about it, he's never really been much of a father. He was more along the lines of a teacher or police officer or even a damn judge. There was no parental attachment there when he raised us. He taught us, lectured us, provided for us, but never really took on the role of a loving, affectionate, caring father. He bossed us and ordered us around, but that other side, that genuine, caring side between a parent and child wasn't there." Justin voices meekly.

Before I can get a word in to try and comfort him, we're interrupted by Chris who calls out to us while walking in our direction.

"Hey Chris what's going on?" Justin asks before standing to go over to him, completely forgetting about the fact that he was just pouring his heart out to me.

I have to hand it to Justin; he's good at putting on a front for others. Which makes me wonder...how long has he been pretending like everything in his life is ok when it's clearly not? I think he's been doing this his entire life and it hurts me because I actually care about him and that's not healthy for him to do at all. He can't keep stifling his feelings like this; he'll suffocate if he's not careful.

"Oh nothing much is going on. I was just getting ready to leave for the day." Chris speaks up and I look at him, noting his uneasiness.

"Oh, me too." I smile while gripping onto my belongings.

Today needs to be over. No doubt about that.

"So what brings you over here?  I know here's not on the way to the elevators." Justin chuckles and Chris gives him a guilty grin.

"Yeah, well actually, I was on my way out. In fact, I made it all the way down to the lobby before I came back up here to catch you guys before you left. Well, actually, I came up hoping I'd catch you Justin."

Ok, now I'm curious and so is Justin because he's glaring at Chris oddly now.

"Why?" Justin drawls and Chris looks at me briefly before diverting his attention back to Justin.

"I know it's none of my business and I have no idea what's really going on with you but, I thought you might want to know that I saw your dad talking to uh...Nella down in the lobby just a few minutes ago. I didn't hear what they were saying...but, they seemed pretty into whatever conversation they were having. I just felt you should know." Chris admits, looking between the two of us and I look away, not even wanting to see the expression on Justin's face right now. I'm sure he's pissed. How couldn't he be?

"Nella's here?" Justin asks in shock. "Talking to my father? What on earth could the two of them possibly have to discuss? You know what? I don't even care anymore. I don't want to know."

I'm no rocket scientist, but it should be clear that he's the common discussion topic between them.

"O...k, well, I just wanted to tell you that. I'm going to go now. I'll see you all tomorrow." And with that, Chris excuses himself to leave, leaving Justin and me alone again.

Turning to face me, Justin sighs and gives me an apologetic stare.

"Tai, I know what you're maybe thinking right now. But, I'm willing to say to hell with everything right this very second if you'll wait for me to grab my things so we can leave and maybe grab a drink together?"

"What?" I ask in shock, noting the large smile on his face.

"I'm buying." He offers and I smile in return, stunned. Wasn't he just upset a second ago?

"What brought this on?" I inquire, giggling softly when Justin walks up to me and delicately brushes some of my hair out of my face.

It amazes me how he switches so easily without any effort. I could learn a few things from him.

"Let's just say, for once in my life, I'm setting my priorities straight and doing what my heart says and needs instead of what my mind wants me to believe..."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Days Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

[In The Fashion Closet]

"I can't tell you what to do Tai, but I can advise you on what I think you should do in my own opinion."

Slumping in my seat, I meet eyes with Gem giving her a small smile.

"Is it wrong that I'm falling for Justin? I mean, everyone makes such a big deal out of his relationships. I don't want to be another media frenzy if we end up in some type of official relationship Gem."

"They only make a big deal because he has a reputation with women that isn't pretty Tai. And, because he's an heir. Look at Paris Hilton. It's the same thing. Blue-bloods are always in the public's eyes. Their lives are like a soap opera from birth. The only catch in all of this is that, I don't really think Justin likes the attention, contrary to what people may believe. And he's turned over a new leaf."

"Gosh, leave it to me to end up finally tripping over my heels for someone whose life is so crazy and out of this world. Am I clumsy, or what?" I giggle and Gem gives me a reassuring smile, patting my leg softly.

"Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. Justin cares about you and I honestly believe he'll fight his dad to make things work with you. And don't worry about Robert either. He likes you, but I don't think it's to the point of him wanting to fight Justin for you. He's not the drama type. If anything, I see you all as great friends."

"Yeah, you're maybe right. But am I really worth fighting for?" I pout. "I'm no one." I'm just Tai Bennett of Bronx, New York. That means nothing next to Justin Timberlake, editor in chief and heir to the A-List Magazine Fashion Empire.

"I think you are. You're worth more than any title or amount of money in the world Tai. Believe me. Love has no boundaries, love doesn't see color or status or wealth. Love surpasses all of that, and if you can get to that level with Justin, then his surname and what he's entitled to because of it won't carry any weight next to his feelings for you."

I can't help but laugh even if it's weak and comes out like a gurgle. I'm in over my head.

"When did you turn into such a philosopher and expert on love Gem?" I smile and Gem blushes, shifting in her chair to face me fully.

"I'm not. But I have been in love before and I know how intense it can get. I also know it makes people do stupid things."

"So you and Chris...are you guys..."

"Oh no." She quickly cuts me off with a wave of her hand even if her cheeks are turning a bright shade of pink. "I mean, we like each other, but we're taking it slow you know? We're testing the waters, but he's a great guy."

Aw, she's a sweetheart.

"He is. I'm happy for you guys." I voice and she nods in return.

"Justin is a great guy too. Give it time, it will work out. I believe it will. You all just need to be strong enough to face whatever is thrown at you."

"Thank you Gem." I lean over to give her a heartfelt hug before pulling away.

"You're welcome. See, I knew you all were perfect for each other." She beams proudly, and I stand from my seat.

I actually came down here to the fashion closet to bring her some new sketches Justin and Robert are working on for a fashion photo shoot they have coming up and I ended up staying longer than excepted. We ended up having this long conversation about guys and relationships and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Gem may not realize it, but she's definitely helped me to clear some things up in my mind.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens but, I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I really, really like Justin." I admit.

"I know you do sweetie. I know you do."

"Yeah, well, I should probably let you get back to your work. I'll see you and Chris for lunch later on." I state and Gem shakes her head with a huge grin on her face.

"See you later Tai."

"Bye Gem and thanks again for that chat. I needed it."

"Like I said, you know where to find me when you need me."

Waving goodbye to her, I swiftly make my exit, getting ready to head back up to my desk so I can continue with my day's work.

For the past few days, Justin and I have been hanging out and grabbing a few drinks after work. Things have been light and casual between us as we both try to sort out these onslaught of deep feelings we've developed for each other.

Justin hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend or anything yet. I mean, it was just one kiss, but, well, I'm hoping that soon, he'll actually want to build on this...on us and actually give this a try. I mean, I'm willing and ready. I know it's a risk, and I could maybe lose my job in the process, but if that's what I have to face to actually be with him, then bring it on. I'd be too miserable if I pushed him away and kept denying him.

My dream is to be a journalist anyway. If A-List doesn't work out, I could always try my luck at the New York Times. I know Sean would vouch for me without a second thought. Plus, he's sort of a big shot over there so...yeah, that could work if ‘push came to shove,' but I hope not.

I like being close to Justin. I like the little glances we steal at each other when we think no one's looking. It's exciting and he's just so damn sexy in a work suit, that sometimes, I dream about him taking me right there on the desk in his office.

I know it's wishful thinking, but, hey, a girl can dream right?

*****

As I make it back up to my desk, I'm surprised when I see Sean seating in my chair, holding the portrait of our parents in his hands, studying it intently.

"Sean?" I call out to him happily. He's clothed in one of his stylish suits and he looks fresh with his pen behind his ear and his notebook in hand. Gosh, my brother is a sight for soar eyes.

Lifting his head, he grins brightly before placing down the portrait on my desk in its previous position. Standing, he walks over to me, giving me a tight hug before pulling away to give me a kiss on each cheek.

"Hey sis. What's going on girl? I'm liking this set up you have here...sweet." He coos while pointing to my desk and the amazing view of Manhattan below from the glass walls.

"Yea, it's pretty cool. I did good huh?" I giggle.

"You did real good sis." He agrees with attitude and I smile brightly. "And, you look good in that cute little skirt and blouse ensemble, compliments your big brother of course..." He adds in.

God I love my brother.

"So, to what do I owe this unexpected yet, pleasant surprise visit?" I inquire and he shakes his head, pulling me to sit with him on the waiting chairs in front of Justin's office.

"Sharron told me I could wait for you at your desk when I came in and mentioned that I was you brother. I'm actually here to get a story." He states and I frown in curiosity.

"Really? At A-List? Wow, what's up?" I'm excited.

"Well, NY Times wants the scoop on the upcoming A-List 40th Anniversary shindig. You do know it's in about two months and it's the talk of the fashion world right now. Anyone who's anybody in fashion will be there and even if this isn't my line of journalism, I pulled a few strings with my boss to let me do this article." He grins brightly and I'm so happy for him. And oh my god, this is so cool that he's here right now.

"Wow Sean, that's amazing!" I giggle, bouncing up and down in my seat and he does the same, clapping his hands excitedly.

"I know right? So, that's why I'm here to see you. I need to possibly schedule an appointment with your hot sexy boss." He winks for me and I blush massively, looking away.

"Ok, I can schedule you in. Justin's actually in Robert's office right now, I think. They're working on some photo shoot stuff they have coming up with their models. But, how soon do you need to see him?"

"When he has free time before the Anniversary party is fine. At least a few weeks before for the latest, so I can have time write up the article and get it published for our issue."

"Consider it done. Justin should have some clear dates coming up soon so I'll pencil you in." I assure and Sean nods while surveying his surroundings.

Excusing myself, I quickly rush over to my notebook to make a note so I can enter it into the computer later.

Coming back over to Sean, I grin brightly before reclaiming my seat next to him.

"So, how's everything going?" He asks and I shrug.

"It's going..." I reply and he gives me his famous smirk.

"Uh huh, well, I can't stay, but miss Tai, there is something I want to tell you before I leave."

When I open my mouth to protest, he raises a finger to my mouth. "No Tai, shut up and listen." He orders before removing his hand and I remain quiet, allowing him to speak.

There's really no arguing with Sean.

"Now, you may think I'm blind, but, I know something is up with my baby sis which she's not telling me about." He says pointedly and I give him a guilty smile. "Uh huh, I thought so. But, I'm not going to pry or force you to tell me because you're a big girl who can take care of herself. I'm guessing it has to do with a guy since you've been coming home late these past few nights? Maybe a guy who works here?" He implies mischievously and my eyes widen causing him to chuckle. "You don't have to tell me Tai. You're entitled to some privacy for heaven's sake. But, I just want you to know, that when you need me, I'll be here to listen ok? And I love you, I'm proud of you, and I trust you to make the right choices and decisions. And, if your guy thinks that just because I'm gay, I can't beat his ass for hurting my baby sis, then he has another thing coming, so tell him to watch his self." Sean warns in a deep, manly tone and I giggle. "Just know, I'm here for you, no matter what...whenever you need me." He finishes and I nod before giving him a big hug.

"Thank you Sean." I coo, pulling away and he nods casually.

"You're welcome." He grins. "Well, I better get going. Should I save you dinner, or do you have other plans later?" He asks while standing to leave and I stand with him.

"I'm not sure yet, but, still save me whatever?" I ask hopefully.

"Sure." He utters, drifting off in thought. "Oh Tai, if mom and dad could only see you now. They'd be so proud of you." Sean sighs sadly and I pout at his downhearted expression.

"They'd be proud of us." I correct him and he nods, quickly regaining his composure.

"Yes they would be. They raised two badass children." He chortles and I laugh along with him.

"You're too much Sean. I'll see you later. I'll let you know the date and time of your appointment with Justin ok?" I state and he shakes his head in approval.

"Great. Well, see you later sis, enjoy the rest of your day. Kiss, kiss."

"You too Sean, take care, bye!" I wave goodbye to him as he swiftly makes his exit, strutting down the hallway and out of sight.

When he's gone, I sigh contently before moving over to my computer to enter in an appointment in the scheduler for him to see Justin. This is so cool, my big bro writing up an article on the one thing he loves more than his journalism. I'm happy for him. I hope that one day I could be like him, maybe writing up articles for A-List magazine itself. It would be the perfect combination...

"Someone's in a good mood."

Lifting my head from my computer screen when a deep, sultry voice filters into my ears, I fight the urge not to blush when I meet eyes with Justin who's casually leaning over my desk, staring at me intensely.

"I am. Sean was just here." I say happily.

"Really? That's cool that he came to visit you." Justin voices honestly.

"Actually, he came to see you." I point out and he stands up straight with a curious look on his face.

"He did?"

"Uh huh, he wanted to make an appointment to see you for an interview. He's writing up an article for The NY Times on your upcoming A-List Anniversary party."

"Oh yes, we're starting to get a lot of media attention for it. Well, that's fine, just let me know the date and time and we'll do it." He affirms and I nod, quickly scanning his schedule I pulled up on the screen.

"Ok, oh, which reminds me, your lunch appointment with Lannick and your partners is in thirty minutes. You're already booked at Lupa, the Italian restaurant on Thompson Street as requested." I tell him and he quickly glances at his watch to check the time.

"Alright, so I have time still. I just got out of Robert's office. I better grab my things to head out. I'm not sure how long that meeting's going to take." Justin states and I frown.

"Do you want me to call a company car or..."

"No, that's fine; I'll just take my car. It's quicker." Justin assures and I nod.

"Great. Well, have fun at your meeting." I snicker and he grins at me.

"If we can make this merger with Lannick's group and A-List, then, that would be sweet. My dad has been trying to get their account for years, long before Lannick opened his own nightclub." Justin admits.

"Well then, good luck."

"Hmmm..." he hums deeply while studying me. "I'd ask for a good luck kiss but..."

"Oh my god, shut up and go Justin, else you'll be late." I giggle softly.

"Right, but after work later, you're all mine, got it?" He asks with a childlike playful tone to his voice.

"Got it." I beam and he laughs before telling me bye and excusing himself to grab his things so he can leave.

When Justin's finally gone for the afternoon, I take the opportunity to rest back in my seat and take a breather since he's developed a habit of directing his calls to Sharron when he's not in to take them his self or have me screen them and take messages for him. 

While I'm casually relaxing, taking a load off and gazing down at the busy streets of Manhattan, my peaceful bubble in the midst of this busy and hectic atmosphere unwillingly bursts when Robert's voice infiltrates my thoughts.

"Kicking back and taking a well needed break huh?" Robert asks and I look up at him from where I'm resting back against my chair.

"Yup." I say simply and he chuckles before moving around to sit at the edge of my desk.

Seating up, I stretch out my limbs, giving him my full attention.

"What's going on? Is everything ok?" I ask out of concern and I note the skepticism in his eyes by my question, but he easily plays it off with a half smile.

"Of course. Everything's good. I mean, the company is running along smoothly without any hiccups. Our clients are happy, there's no media chaos or bad publicity right now. Everyone is excited about A-List's upcoming Anniversary party. My dad is...well, he's my dad." He chuckles sadly. "And, you...you've settled in nicely which is good. You and Justin seem to be getting along really well these days, so there's no tension there anymore...or maybe there's a different kind? But, that's good." Robert states nonchalantly with a shrug and I curve my brows in interest at him.

What's he getting at?

Smiling lazily I nod in agreement, not saying a word, so he continues on.

"There is one thing I've been meaning to ask you though."

Ah, so there's a catch.

"What's that?"

"You never did answer me on the whole, us hanging out thing."

"Look, Robert, about that..." I begin but he cuts me off.

"No, it's fine. I get it, I understand. That's why I came over here, to invite you out instead."

"I'm sorry?" I'm not following.

"I'm having a little get-together at my place and I'd like it if you came. It's just a small little gathering, with a few of the employees and friends. Nothing big. Justin will be there of course. And so will Gem, Chris and Maura. I know you usually hang with them. Sharron is coming too. Uh, our friend Lannick should be there, and Carla as well, once she gets some free time off from the studio. It'll be fun. You should come. We're simply going to hang out, have a few drinks, I'm cooking. You can bring Sean." He grins. "We'll maybe play a few games. There'll be music and dancing." He states, stressing on the dancing part, causing me to giggle.

"Uh huh. Well, that sounds like fun. Count me in. What's the occasion?" I ask. I don't see any problem in all of us hanging out as a group. It would be fun.

"No occasion, just a way for everyone to get away for a bit and chill I guess. I told Justin about it before he left my office earlier. He said it was a good idea, that he needed the release." Robert shrugs in thought and I eye him closely. There's something going on with him. Something about him just doesn't seem right to me for some reason, but, whatever it is, it's none of my business.

"Well, I'm game. When is it?" I ask.

"I was thinking about having it one of these Fridays to make it a weekend thing. Maybe next week Friday is good. Justin's usually the one to throw the parties, but, I don't mind relieving my big bro of that duty for a change." He jokes and I smile in return, shaking my head in understanding.

"Should I bring anything?"

"No, we're good. I'll handle the catering and the drinks will be taken care of. All you need to bring is yourself, your brother and be ready to have fun. I'll inform you guys on the time and you could maybe come with Justin since he knows where I live...obviously. Or we could have a company car pick you up. Your choice. I'd come myself but since I'm the host, it would be best if I stayed put."

"That sounds really nice Robert. Thank you for inviting us."

It really sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. I could use a change from my regular atmosphere. A small private party seems like a great idea.

"No problem." He waves his hand in dismissal before standing, getting ready to leave. "Well, I'll be leaving now. I'll see you later Tai. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Ok Robert. You too and thanks again." I bid him farewell, watching his retreating form until he's out of sight.

When he's gone, I scowl in thought, trying to make sense of his slight standoffish behavior. It's probably nothing, but, I hope he's really ok.

Anyway, I should maybe get back to doing my work now before I meet up with Chris and Gem for lunch. I have some documents that Justin wanted me to type up and print out which have to go into next month's issue, so I should get on that.

But, I can't wait for the day to end because that means I'll get to see Justin again and we'll finally be able to get some time to ourselves.

Just the thought of spending time alone with him makes me all hot and excited like some teenager with a massive crush.

Yes I have it bad.

Ugh, god, and I don't care anymore about if it's wrong or right. Because, seriously, how can anything be wrong when it comes to that fine, tall, delicious glass of milk? They say milk does the body good and helps build strong bones right? Well, Justin's definitely the milk in my coffee, so there's no going wrong there.

And you know what? To hell with what their dad thinks. I personally think he's really the asshole here. I mean, his head must really be stuck far up his ass because he's practically blind and can't see the two very wonderful sons that he had a hand in raising who'd bend over backwards for him, just to please him, because they love him unconditionally...

*****

Hours Later

At A Restaurant

Manhattan, New York

"I think...we should run away to an island together and never come back...living happily ever after."

Nearly choking on the glass of scotch I'm drinking, I place the glass down, wiping at my mouth as I giggle uncontrollably.

"Oh my gosh, Justin no. We can't do that. Try again." I laugh out and he grins widely before taking a sip of his drink as well.

"Ok." He begins, pretending to be in thought. "How about we kidnap my dad and hold him for ransom? That could work." He shrugs, finishing off his drink before signaling to the waiter for another.

"You're terrible Justin." I state and he laughs, dipping his head back in the process. "We're trying to build on ways for you to actually talk to your father. Not run away into the sunset and live happily ever after or become a criminal." I snicker.

He has this huge cute smile on his face as he eyes me from where we're sitting across from each other at a private table in the back of the restaurant.

"You have to admit Tai; the running away idea sounds pretty sweet and appealing. Just think about it; me, you, a cottage by the beach...a one bedroom cottage by the beach." He suggests, wriggling his eyebrows at me and I smack him playfully, trying to hide my blush.

Ugh, he has no idea how good that sounds. I could definitely get away.

"Whatever." I stick my tongue out at him and he shrugs with a grin.

"Suit yourself." He rests back in his chair, loosening his tie around his neck and I sigh.

Gosh I love this. It's so sweet that Justin asked me out to have dinner with him after we left work today. Plus, he's in such a good mood, because he landed the merger with Lannick and their associates at their lunch meeting earlier today. I'm so proud of him and I love his pleasant side. It makes me feel all bubbly inside because he smiles a lot and I adore his smile.

We've been having a grand ole time at this quaint little southern restaurant that he picked out.

We talked, laughed, ate and had a few drinks as we ‘kicked it', letting the load off from the workday.

This shows me that Justin cares, and that he really wants us to work and he doesn't care about what his dad or anyone else thinks. We've been trying to think up ways for him to actually talk to his dad and get his feelings out, but, so far, we've come up with nothing. Justin knows his dad better than anyone. So, if he says something won't work, then I believe him.

"So, all jokes aside, what are you going to do about your dad?" I inquire, turning serious again and Justin exhales heavily, leaning across the table to grasp my hands in his.

Keeping his vision cast south, he concentrates on massaging the back of my hands with his thumbs, letting out a soft sigh as he avoids eye-contact with me.

Wincing, I fight the urge not to jump him right here in this restaurant for everyone to see. It's bad enough that a few people recognized him when we walked in earlier. He didn't seem to care though and if he doesn't care, then, neither should I, but still...he needs to stop touching me like that.

"Justin." I call out to him when he doesn't answer me.

Lifting his head to look at me, he pouts and aw, he is too, too cute...damn him! How could I ever say no to him? This is dangerous.

"I don't know what I'm going to do yet Tai. Just, give me some time. I'll figure it out. I can't exactly quit, it's not that simple despite what you may think." He divulges and I nod.

"I understand."

"I'm not a selfish bastard. I'm not going to leave Robert to take all of dad's fire."

Speaking of Robert...

"Is everything ok between you and Robert?" I ask out of curiosity and Justin scowls at me. "He invited Sean and me to this party thing he's having next week, but he seemed a bit off to me."

"Oh, yeah, the party should be fun. You guys could come with me. But uh...I mean, why wouldn't things be ok with us? Rob hasn't told me that anything's wrong. Well, despite the fact that I know he likes you but he hasn't said anything about it yet so..."

"Justinnnn..." I whine, squeezing his hands and he chuckles softly.

"I'm not angry or mad at him Tai. I get that you guys are friends and that's good. I just need him to know and understand that's all you guys are. But, I mean, look at you, what's there not to like?" Justin points out, staring at me intently.

He's so open about his feelings with me now. It's amazing. I never thought I'd see the day, but I love it. I love that we can be here like this.

"You're just saying that." I blush generously.

"No, Tai, you're gorgeous, and intelligent...and amazing." He sighs contently. "You've helped me through so much already and, and any guy would be crazy to not fall in love with you...with your smile, your laugh...just...everything." He coos, staring at me closely.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Ok, so he didn't exactly say that he loves me, but that was pretty damn close and judging by the amorous look he's giving me, I'd say he's trying to tell me something.

Ok, don't panic Tai, just breathe and roll with it. This is a good thing.

"So, uh..." Clearing my throat, I shift in my seat nervously not missing the amused look on Justin's face as he patiently waits for me to continue. "So, what exactly are you getting at?" I ask.

"Well, I'm not sure how people do this since it's the 21st century and all, but, I guess what I'm getting at is, I don't want to lose you. I want to know that you're a permanent fixture in my life, no matter what my old man or anyone else dishes out at us, and, to do that, I need to know that you'll be there, that you'll be mine...and only mine." He explains and I think I just blanked out.

I'm literally screaming on the inside. A mountain of emotions overpowers me almost instantly. I'm excited, happy, scared, anxious and I could go on and on but screw all that.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" I inquire calmly, just to make sure I'm getting this right before I visibly freak out.

"God, I hate that word." Justin chuckles. "Titles are so...je ne sais quoi." He says, releasing his hold on me to wave his hand in effect. And I giggle.

"You speak French?" I ask in awe.

"Oui. And German and Spanish." He admits proudly before gripping my hands in his again, briefly gazing at our intertwined fingers. "Curse of going to boarding school." He shrugs, looking up at me and I smile. "But yes, I'm asking you to be my ‘girlfriend' but not by title Tai. I mean I want you to be my partner, my other half...my better half at that." He chuckles softly. "I want you to allow me to take care of you, do things for you, and eventually even love you. I want you to be my everything and...my...lover." He says lowly with a coy grin on his face.

And I just died.

My heart stops beating for a split second and I can feel my body temperature rising. This is so not happening, oh my god, he's so fucking fine...I want him so much right now. He's unbelievable.

Wow, this is so not like me.

Yeah, to hell with him being my boss. His dad can kiss my ass. That man must be crazy to not see the Justin I see.

"Yes." I blurt out when I note the worry on Justin's face since I zoned out and didn't answer him.

"Yes?" He reiterates for affirmation.

"Yes Justin...duh! Yes, you idiot. You really think I'd say no after that sexy speech you just gave?" I laugh and he chortles as well. "I don't care anymore that we work together or what you used to be like, or your history or any of those things. All I care about is who you are in this moment, right here, right now, because I want to be with you just as much as you want to be with me, maybe more..." I state and he interrupts me.

"Doubt it."

"Shut up!" I giggle. "The point is, I need you...and we'll make this work. We'll find a way to make this work. We'll find a way to make your dad listen and understand that you are your own person and he needs to accept that you're not a little kid anymore." I confess and Justin shakes his head in agreement.

"Damn you're hot." He mutters mindlessly and I roll my eyes before leaning over the table to grip a fistful of his jacket, pulling him across until our noses are practically touching.

"And you're hotter." I muse, crashing my lips against his in a heated kiss.

I swear he brings out a side of me that I never knew existed. But, I like it. I feel bolder, freer, and more assertive.

And damn, I've been dying to kiss him again.

Not wanting to get carried away since we're still in a public restaurant, I slowly pull away from him, noticing the shock on his face before his mouth slowly curves into a devious smile as he licks at his lips, tasting my candy lip gloss.

"Hmm..." He hums and I snigger softly. "Sweet."

"Excuse me sir?"

We both turn to look at the waiter who so rudely interrupted our little bonding time.

"Yes?" Justin responds tersely.

"Here's the other drink you ordered. If there's anything else..."

"Oh thank you and no, we'll simply take the check now. Thanks." Justin takes his drink from the waiter and the waiter nods before excusing himself to prepare the bill for us.

"Haven't you had enough?" I laugh out. "This is like your fourth drink already since dinner." I point out.

"Yeah, do you want it?" Justin suggests and I quickly shake my head ‘no.' "Come on, you like scotch on the rocks...I know you want it." He teases in a low husky voice while lifting the glass up to my line of sight.

Oh Justin, you have no idea. That's not all I want...

"Quit it!" I snort with laughter. "I'm not addicted; I'm not going to give in."

"Too bad, you're kind of sexy when you drink...and I'd love to see you tipsy-borderline-drunk. I bet you'd be a sexy drunk." He laughs evilly.

"Oh my god Justin!" I cackle. He's giving me ideas..."Ugh, you're such a perv. Who knew?" I say sarcastically and he fakes a hurt expression.

"That hurts Tai." He mimics before downing his glass in one huge gulp, leaving me stunned. "But, that was refreshing."

"Showoff."

"So are you ready to get out of here?" Justin laughs and I shake my head ‘yes.'

"It's getting late and we do have work tomorrow. But, I had fun." I admit.

"Me too..." Justin smiles with a dreamy type look on his face. "We should do this more often. Who knows, maybe I'll cook for you sometime."

"You...cook?" I enquire in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm not completely spoilt." He defends.

"Wow, well, this I need to see. I'd like that." I smile and he beams with pride.

I can't believe it. I can't believe that...that we're like official. That he's my man? Wow, that sounds so weird to me, but I like it and oh my god, Sean is going to flip. I have to tell him now. I can't keep this from my brother anymore. I'm going to need his coaching expertise to guide me so I don't screw this up.

"Good. Well, come on, let's get going. I'll bring you home." Justin states before we both stand to leave.

When the waiter comes over to us with the bill, Justin quickly scans it before handing the young man his debit card.

When the guy returns with the card and the receipt, Justin signs it, and then tips the waiter before excusing himself to help me grab our things so we can leave.

As we exit the restaurant hand in hand, walking down the sidewalk to where Justin's car is parked, he decides to speak up, clearing the silence between us.

"So how do you feel about Hawaii?" Justin inquires and I turn to glare at him in question.

"Uh, it's a beautiful island?" I shrug in confusion and he titters.

"No Tai, I mean, how would you feel about going there?" He asks, slowing his pace to turn and face me.

"You mean..."

"With me." He cuts me off and my eyes widen in shock.

"This isn't another joke again right?"

I need to make sure.

"No Tai. I'm serious this time. I have some vacation time coming up in a few months and thought it would be a good getaway. Besides, have you ever been outside of New York?"

"I've been to...Connecticut and Virginia. Oh and I visited Florida once." I point out.

"No...ok, that doesn't count." Justin drawls with a chuckle. "Have you ever been outside of the U.S? Even if Hawaii is still sort of part of the U.S...it's across the ocean, so, it still counts as outside..." He drifts with a smile.

"No." I sigh sadly. I've always wanted to travel but, well, I'm not exactly living Justin's life for that to be possible.

"Well, there's a fist time for everything." He perks up and I squeal excitedly.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Uh huh."

"Wow, oh my gosh. That's so great, you're amazing Justin! I'd love to come with you!"

"Sweet. See, I told you...that running away idea is starting to sound pretty appealing now huh?" He jokes, nudging me playfully and I shove him back, giggling.

"Yea, yea, yea..." I mutter, the both of us laughing as we pick up our pace, making it to his car so we can hop in for us to head home.

And, It's official...I'm totally and one hundred percent enthralled with this man; which means, I guess it's not so bad being A-Listed after all...

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

[PART ONE]

The Following Week

[Friday - Day of Party at Robert's]

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"Yes, yes, no Uncle Ricky we haven't forgotten about your visit. Sean and I are going out to a party later tonight, but, we'll be back by the time you and Aunty Jen arrive. But incase we're not, you have the spare keys and Sean made up his room for you guys...Oh yes, he's totally fine crashing on the couch...ok, love you too. We'll see you later bye..."

Hanging up my cell, I sigh contently, stuffing it in the pocket of my stripped jacket which matches the fitted knee length skirt and white undershirt I'm wearing.

"Ok, I have his coffee, bagel and cream cheese, A-List book, reminder of board meeting memo for this month's issue..." Trailing off, I cast my vision south, admiring the little display I made on Justin's desk for him.

I actually came into work earlier than usual today because Sean and I were up early this morning preparing the apartment for our Uncle and step-aunt. They're visiting for the weekend so we wanted to make sure that their visit was a pleasant one. Uncle Ricky is actually my dad's brother. They were really close so when dad and mom died he took it extremely hard. But, at least he was there for Sean and me so I love that man like my second father.

Sighing in thought, I lift my head, casting my vision outside of Justin's large office windows which have a perfect view of Manhattan. Staring in awe, I take in all the skyscraper buildings and bright blue sky with hardly any clouds.

I can't believe that this is my life now. It's still surreal to me, but, I love it. And even if I don't end up staying at A-List, I know now that I have Justin who I believe will do everything in his power for us to stay together.

Justin...

There was a time when I could barely stand the sound of his name. But that's long in the past for me.

Who knew I'd end up falling for an heir?

I mean, when I first came into A-List looking for a job straight out of university, who thought I'd be here right now a few months later?

I sure didn't. It almost feels like everything is moving so fast, but it's really not so much. This is our lifestyle. Every day is like a race in this city but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Still, a getaway is a nice idea and Justin was right; that running away bit he came up with is mighty appealing but I'll never give him the pleasure of knowing I agree so he can tease me.

Oh and Sean? Well, let's just say he's still freaking out over Justin and me. He took the news really well, but I think he freaked out with excitement more than I did. And, he was adamant on having Justin over so he could see us actually together for his own self which Justin obliged to. Of course, Sean flipped out even more and up to today, he's not over it yet. He's gushing more than I am, contently teasing me about how Justin and I are so cute together. It's annoying, but he's my brother so...good ole Sean...

Jumping in fright when I feel a pair strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, I smile before resting back against the person's tall frame, his warmth and scent engulfing my senses, making me dizzy with want.

"Something smells delicious...and I'm not talking about that bagel you placed on my desk." Justin whispers in my ear, his lips grazing my earlobe delicately.

This is crazy. We haven't even had sex or anything and I'm so wound up. I don't know how much more of this torture I can take before I totally cave and beg him to just have his way with me, not caring about where we are or who sees...

"Morning..." I force out, trying to suppress a moan and he chuckles.

"Good morning to you too beautiful."

He releases his hold on me so I can turn around to face him and I smile, looking up at him, his oceanic blues swallowing my browns in an intense gaze.

I lean up to kiss him but freeze mid-action, my eyes adjusting to the change in lighting and I pucker my brows in bewilderment.

"Is it darker in here?" I inquire before leaning to the side to see around Justin who has a humorous expression on his face. "Oh my god Justin, you closed the blinds?" I ask in shock.

This is the first time he's ever closed the blinds...ever...and...swallowing hard, I reestablish eye contact with him, feeling my knees go weak when he darts out his tongue to lick his lips slowly, sensually before leisurely unpinning his jacket buttons.

"I'm feeling kind of...nocturnal today. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was up late with Rob, working on the anniversary preparations." He shrugs innocently, gradually, torturously undoing each button on his jacket until he has it completely open, allowing me to see his long-sleeved light blue undershirt which I'm sure is by some designer. That's all he wears...designer clothes. But, he looks so damn fine in them that I'm thinking about tracking down each designer and thanking them personally.

Ok, I've totally lost it...get it together Tai. Breathe. Relax. It's all good.

"Uh..." Is all I manage to get out, stumped for words as he leans down to place a soft kiss on my cheek, stifling his chuckles before his towering stature moves around me to head to his chair so he can spread out his jacket over the armrest.

"So, you did all of this for me huh?" Justin inquires and I whip around to stare at him, giving him a small jovial smile as he surveys his desk closely. "This is sweet Tai. Considering I didn't have a chance to catch breakfast; thanks." Justin finally looks up at me, grinning widely before gripping his favorite blue coffee mug with the A-List logo at the front in white, taking a big gulp of the steamy liquid.

Flinching, he pulls away, glaring at the liquid in the mug oddly before lifting his head to stare at me, giving me a questionable glare.

"Tai?" Justin asks in a sing-song voice, walking back over to me and I'm frozen in place, holding back my giggles as I relish in the sight of him. "This is hot chocolate." He points out, clearly stunned and I nod.

"With milk." I add in, blushing at the double meaning behind my statement even if he's totally clueless.

"Are you trying to...insinuate something?" Justin asks suspiciously, a crafty smile forming on his adorable face.

Ugh god, I can't take much more of this.

"No, just thought you'd like a change." I shrug feigning innocence but he doesn't buy it. A soft laugh escapes him as he places the mug back down on the coaster.

"Uh huh." He drawls, moving to stand in front of me with his back to his desk. Sitting at the edge of the finely crafted furniture, he parts his legs slightly before stretching out his hands to grip my waist, pulling me into his embrace.

I let out a relaxed sigh as our fronts fuse together, my hands snaking up his firm chest to wrap around his neck.

"So tell me, what made you decide that it was ok to switch my coffee with hot chocolate? You know how I get cranky if I don't have caffeine in my system by mid-morning." He sniggers, his orbs darting to my lips and back up to my eyes.

"Caffeine's bad for you." I counter.

"True, but, hot chocolate has a lot of sugar...that's diabetes waiting to happen." He retorts playfully and I pout.

"Sweet is good." I say lamely causing him to erupt in laughter, the vibrations of his laugh sending shivers through my body.

"You're too cute Tai. Ok, you win. Sweet is definitely good." He caves and I beam at him. "You're sweet..." He appends and my smile slowly falls as my want for him gradually continues to build.

"Shut up." I whisper but he ignores me, his vision cast south, his eyes trained on where my breasts are resting snuggly against his chest.

My fingers slowly find their way to his hair, twisting the soft brown curls on his head and he shuts his eyes briefly, taking in a sharp breath.

"Tai, stop, we're at work ..." Justin forces out in a strangled murmur, his hands squeezing my sides gently as he pulls me a little closer.

"We're not doing anything." I reply, my hands traveling south. I watch as my fingertips trace tiny patterns over his brows, his full long eyelashes, his nose and down to his lips.

"Shit..." Justin grunts, his eyes popping wide open to glare me. I can see the lust and desire in his blues as his lips part open slightly and he bites down softly on my fingers. "Stop." He pleads in a muffled deep tone and I pull my hand away, ignoring the tingling sensations in my fingertips that travel all the way up my arm and through my body.

"Ok." I give in, watching as he blinks slowly, really taking in the sight of me. When I realize that he's simply gawking at me with no intention of speaking, I continue on..."Well, I left a memo for you right there on your desk. But, since you're here...you and Robert have a meeting with your dad and the A-List employees in the boardroom in a few minutes for the next magazine issue so..." But the rest of my words are cut off when Justin relents, eliciting a low growl before he connects his soft lips to mine in a delicate kiss that starts off shy and hesitant until we both get carried away...

His hold around me tightens, his arms wrapping around my waist to keep me in place and I shudder under his touch as he slowly, skillfully kisses me, deeply and fervently.

My head starts spinning as I cling onto him, knowing that somewhere in the back of my mind we shouldn't be doing this here.

But that does nothing to deter me or Justin because the next thing I know, he's spinning us around before he effortlessly hoists me off the floor to sit on the edge of his desk as he nestles himself between my legs, his kisses wild and demanding now as he grips my thigh with one of his hands.

Feeling my heart beating rapidly behind my ribcage, I try to catch my breath, the heat between us too much to endure as I fight to keep my self control. As much as I'd love for him to fuck me right here, right now we can't...

Breaking our kiss to take in some much needed air, Justin gasps slightly, trying to regain his composure before placing soft kisses along my chin and down my neck.

"Justin..." I whisper, needing more of him, wanting to feel more of him but I fight against it.

"Tai, you have no idea what you're doing to me...but, we, we can't do this right now, not here, not like this..." He chokes out, swallowing hard, still keeping his grip on me and hugging me against his solid frame.

And I sigh, nodding in agreement.

And just like that we're interrupted...a loud knock sounding on the door before it's followed by Robert's voice.

"Justin!?" Robert calls out and Justin heaves a sigh, reluctantly pulling away from me to answer his brother.

"What Rob?" He spits.

"We're heading to the board meeting now. So, you better get there before dad does; you know he likes the two of us to be there before he comes in. I'm heading there now, I'll see you. And leave a note for Tai when she comes in so she'll know to meet us there." Robert says from behind the door and I fight back a giggle causing Justin to look at me with a smug smile on his face.

"Ok, I'm coming!" Justin shouts back with a wave of his hand even if Robert obviously can't see him.

Then I hear Robert's retreating footsteps and I look over at Justin, giving him a bright smile before wiping my lipstick off his lips.

"Why didn't he just come in?" I ask out of curiosity. "You didn't lock the door did you?" I inquire and he shakes his head ‘no.'

"Rob never comes in unless he has to." Justin shrugs. "I was sure he was going to swing the door open and gasp in shock when he saw us but, he usually just shouts whatever to me from behind the door once I answer before he disappears again. That's Rob for you...always on the move." Justin chuckles, but there's slight bitterness behind his tone and I scowl at him, not understanding it.

"Oh...well then we were lucky huh?" I try to cheer him up and he shrugs, helping me down so I can stand before he rounds his desk to grab his jacket and fix his attire.

I do the same, making sure I'm presentable so we can leave.

"I wouldn't say that quite yet. We still have my dad to deal with. But, come on, let's get to the meeting. I don't want my father to get his panties all in a bunch if I'm late." Justin voices with a serious expression and I giggle, causing him to break out into a large smile before I grab the A-List book and he grabs his bagel and coffee mug then leads us out of his office...

*****

Later

[In The Boardroom]

"Well, it looks like everything is in order. We have the model photos from the previous photo shoot Justin and Robert were working on and everything is a go with the printers and publishers. The book seems to be in order; I see here you all made a few changes, but it's fine, it can work..." Randall rattles out as he seats at the head of the desk in the boardroom with Justin and Robert on either side of him. He looks sharp as always in his suit, and I watch intently as some of his motions almost mirror Justin's own gestures.

He carefully scans through the big A-List book as all of the employees, including myself, sit quietly, holding our breath for his next course of action.

Shutting the book, Randall looks up, giving both of his sons nods of approval before his crystal blues scan the room, taking in the many faces who are looking at him, some fretful, some bored, some indecisive. Then he gets to me, and he pauses, holding my gaze a little longer than necessary, giving me an astute smile, and I look away feeling uneasy, noticing Justin shift in his seat before clearing his throat loudly to grasp his father's attention.

And it works.

Without missing a beat, Randall sighs then moves to stand with Robert and Justin following suit.

Justin's blues quickly flit to me, giving me an apologetic stare and I nod lightly, acknowledging him before Randall speaks up again.

"This concludes our meeting. Good job everyone and we'll see this issue on the stands by next week. I'll let you all get back to your tasks and have a good weekend. You're free to leave. Excuse me." With that said, Randall pushes back his chair to leave, pausing briefly to call out to Robert. "Robert, I'd like to have a brief word with you in my office when you're done."

I note the look on Robert's face when his father tells him this. It's one of frustration and apprehension before he brushes it off, giving his father a quick nod in understanding before Randall leaves, disappearing out of the boardroom.

That was...peculiar.

It's not long before the other employees slowly begin heading out and I wave to Chris, Maura and Gem before they make their exit, letting them know I'll see them later tonight at Robert's.

When they're gone, I finally stand to leave as well, but stop midway when I hear Justin speaking softly to Robert in the corner of the room.

"What does dad want to see you for? What's going on?" Justin hisses lowly and I frown, wishing I wasn't seating so close to them.

Luckily, they're too busy with each other to notice me, so I quickly turn to leave but not before I catch Robert's reply which peaks my interest and curiosity, justifying my suspicions that something is indeed going on with him.

"It's nothing you should worry yourself about Justin...well...you know...come on, it's dad. Forget about it. I'll handle it. It's fine. I mean, it's whatever right?" Robert says coolly but judging by the grunt Justin releases in response, I'd say he doesn't agree.

"Just...don't be stupid Rob. Don't let dad manipulate you...he's a pro at that." Justin replies in a hushed tone and that's the last thing I hear before I quietly slip out of the boardroom with the few remaining employees.

*****

Later

[In Randall's Office]

"I heard you're throwing a party tonight at your place. Taking over your brother's old habits I see." Randall voiced when Robert entered his office.

Sighing, Robert shut the door behind him and slowly strutted up to his father's desk. "What do you want dad?"

"What I want is a progress report." Randall smirked before pulling out a cigar and lighting it.

"A progress report?" Robert asked incredulously. "On what?"

"What do you think? Justin and Tai. I paid close attention to them in that board meeting, stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was looking. I saw. Justin was distracted. I'm sure you noticed that too." Randall voiced while puffing out smoke and Robert groaned, folding his arms across his chest, glaring at his father intently.

"So what?"

"She's distracting him." Randall reiterated in a harsh tone and Robert laughed bitterly.

"And I should care why?" Robert spat but Randall's expression didn't hitch. His eyes were icy cold and his stare was ruthless.

"Watch your mouth with me boy. You should care. I thought you'd be wooing miss Bennett by now but it seems that Justin beat you to it. They're together now." Randall shrugged uncaringly with an evil laugh.

He knew his sons well. If he could get under Robert's skin enough, he'd cave. They always caved. They were weak. He needed to teach them a lesson in this business. Weaklings never won.

"Look dad, I tried ok? Tai's not interested. She's smitten with Justin. Just let them be. Besides, I sort of have my eye on someone else and..." But Randall interrupted him.

"I don't care. You do what I say and that's final. This is your last chance Robert. At your party tonight, I expect results. Do not think about walking back into this building unless you have good news for me." Randall chided, causing Robert to gasp in shock.

"What!?" Robert squeaked out. "Come on dad! Be reasonable. You can't be fucking serious." Robert snapped, ignoring his father's glare.

"Do not swear at me boy."

"Fuck that dad! Fuck this. You're being a real asshole. You're only concerned about your fucking company. Do you even care at all about Justin and me? About what we want? How we feel? What's wrong with you!?" Robert asked, his eyes wide, filled with confusion and hurt. How could his father be like this? What went wrong for him to turn into such a monster?

Chuckling lowly, Randall casually placed his cigar in the ashtray on his desk before he stood to face his son, unaffected by his words.

"You think you're a big man who can talk to me in whatever manner you please huh?" Randall began, his voice laced with malice. Leaning over the desk, he eyed Robert closely, knowing that he was at his breaking point. "Would you like to see my revised will Robert? I have three versions of my will. Did you know that? The last one I did was made especially for you if you crossed me. How would you feel to know that you stood to gain nothing from this business after putting in all of your blood, sweat and tears? How would you feel if Justin got everything, knowing damn well that this is not what he wants and he'd maybe sell the company anyway to sail off with his new squeeze while you were left behind, trying to pick up the pieces of your broken dreams and life? How would that make you feel Robert if I turned your own brother against you with just a snap of my finger?"

Swallowing hard, Robert fought the urge that was building in him to jump across that desk and punch his father.

This was not happening to him. His father was not blackmailing him. No. No that couldn't be. This man, this man wasn't his father. Robert didn't know who he was, but it was clear that they lost their father a long time ago.

"Dad...no. I don't want this. I'm not doing it...don't make me do this." Robert pleaded, his voice hoarse and cracking as he fought back tears.

He wasn't stifling sobs over the fact that his father just threatened his future. No; he was fighting to not give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry because he was hurt.

Robert was hurt...the very wounds Randall inflicted digging through his body and piercing the very core of his heart and soul. He was crushed. He was angry. He was confused. But most of all, he was slowly filling with hate...hate for a man he once loved and only wished would return even an ounce of the love he expressed. His own father. His own flesh and blood...a monster.

"I see that you're speechless." Randall shrugged, regaining his seat. "You're weak Robert. Weak. How do you expect to make this business work if you and your brother are so weak and easily distracted? This is a cut-throat business. Either you have what it takes or you don't. Clearly you don't have what it takes. And this is your dream. That's too bad. If you can prove to me that you can do this one thing I've asked of you, then I'll reconsider. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to take matters into my own hands. Because I will. And neither you nor Justin can quit so easily since you're under contracts and could stand to lose everything. Then how would you pay for those penthouses you live in? Where would the income come from for you all to take care of yourselves? How would you put food on your table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head? Your mothers? Both of them left you all with me. I raised you all. Your mothers were never around. You may not like it, but I do these things for you all. And you're still two ungrateful spoilt bastards."

Robert clenched his fists tightly, biting down harshly on his bottom lip to keep his composure.

When Randall realized that Robert had nothing more to say, he smiled triumphantly.

"Nella saw Justin and Tai at his mother's restaurant just the other day. So you know Nella was furious of course when she saw them, not like I cared. I'm sure Tai doesn't know that it's his mother's place or that it's one of his favorite places. I'm sure he didn't tell her that. But that doesn't matter, because in all of the years that restaurant has been there, and out of all the meaningless flings Justin had, he never once, not once stepped foot inside of that restaurant with any of his women, including Nella. It was something special to Justin, something sacred. Maybe a way for him to stay close to his mother, but he didn't share it with anyone. And then, here comes along Tai. And where does he bring her? To that southern restaurant." Shaking his head in disappointment, Randall rested back in his seat, giving his son a bored look.

Robert was frozen in place, unable to even form coherent thoughts or sentences since he was so livid. He just stood there looking practically lifeless.

"Nella's pregnant." Randall hissed angrily, practically in disbelief. "But I'm sure you all already knew that." There was no word to describe the amount of anger that was inside of him, slowly building. But he kept his cool, looking almost unaffected from the outside. "Your party tonight Robert, don't disappoint me like your brother. You may leave now." And just like that, Randall waved his son away, completely ignoring him as he proceeded to attend to the documents on his desk, resuming his work.

Giving his father one last long, hard look, Robert quietly turned around and left his father's office, slamming the large doors shut on his way out, the loud noise bouncing off the walls, causing a few employees to look his way; but he ignored them, heading straight for his office before he exploded and caused a scene...

*****

Hours Later

[In The Fashion Closet]

"What should I wear Gem?" I ask in puzzlement as I continue browsing the racks of clothes in the A-List fashion closet.

"Whatever you feel like. You have the closet at your disposal." She snickers, walking up to where I'm standing pondering over a Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent dress.

"All of these clothes are so elegant and flashy. Do I really need any of this? I mean it's just Robert's party."

"It was just a suggestion Taiana." Justin says softly, coming to stand next to me and Gem looks between the two of us, a sly smile forming on her face and I shoot her a warning glare. "I told you, if you wanted to you could pick something out in the closet but anything you decide to wear will look good on you." Justin voices honestly and I smile, trying to hide it because I know Gem is just waiting to say something.

"Tai-ana?" Gem questions with a cheeky grin on her face and I groan. I warned Justin about calling me by that name.

"It's my full name Gem but could you not broadcast it please? I'm trusting you." I plead and she quickly nods.

"Of course." She assures and I heave a sigh.

"Ok, well in that case, I'll pull something out of my closet. I have Sean to help me so...no worries." I say while turning to face Justin who has an amused expression on his face.

"Ok." He grins, leaning down to place a small peck on my lips.

Then Gem begins coughing loudly and annoyingly and we both turn to face her, Justin with a cute smirk on his face and me with a pained expression on mine. She's going to tease me forever the next time we're alone.

"I didn't see anything!" She quickly blurts out with a raise of her hand, turning to walk away from us.

Chuckling, Justin grips my hand, pulling me away from the rack of clothes so we can walk up to the front where Gem's workstation is located.

"Thanks Gem. Tai told me you all talked some time back." Justin utters and she nods with a smile.

"That's what friends are for. Just please, try to be more careful you two? You still have your dad to worry about Justin." She points out and he scowls at her, giving my hand a soft squeeze of reassurance before he lets me go.

"Yeah, well, I'll deal with him when the time is right. But in the mean time, it's the end of the workday and we should leave to get ready for Robert's later. I'll pick you and Sean up?" Justin asks, diverting his attention to me.

"That sounds like a plan." I respond and he shakes his head.

"Ok you lovebirds...I'll see you all later tonight." Gem giggles, waving us off. "Now please leave. You all are distracting me. I need to finish the stitches on this dress for A-List's models before I leave." She explains while walking up to the mannequin that's wearing the dress she's currently working on.

Justin and I bid her farewell before leaving the fashion closet together so we can get back up to our work quarters and grab our things to leave for the weekend.

As we make it back to our section, we tell Sharron ‘hi' who's at her desk packing up to leave as well. When she sees us, she smiles, calling out to us, stopping us.

Justin is the first to make it over to her and I slowly follow behind, leaning against the white counter at the front of the receptionist desk.

"What's going on Sharron?" Justin asks brightly and she shrugs, slipping her jacket over her shoulders.

"Just getting ready to head home. And I'll see you all later at Robert's." She states and Justin nods.

"Ok, well, have a safe trip and all." He smiles and I giggle, causing Sharron to glare at me strangely.

"Right, well what I called you over for, was that Robert just left a few minutes ago, but he seemed pretty angry. I mean, he slammed the A-List book down on my desk and told me to give it to you when I saw you since you still have to write up ‘the letter from the editor,' so here you go..." Pulling out the book, Sharron hands it to Justin and Justin takes it from her with worry lacing his features. "He also said he'd see us later." She adds in.

"Did he say what was wrong?" Justin asks out of concern and Sharron simply shakes her head ‘no.'

"Whatever it was, it was enough to visibly piss him off because you know Robert is the cool, calm and collected type." She divulges and she's right. I wonder what's wrong with him.

"Wow, yeah, you're right." Justin agrees, drifting in thought. "Well, I'm sure it's nothing too bad else he'd tell me about it. He always does. I wouldn't worry. It's maybe just one of those days for him. We all have them." Justin dismisses and Sharron agrees.

"Probably. Well, I'm heading out, so I'll see you all later; bye." She says, getting ready to depart.

"Ok, thanks Sharron and bye." Justin responds then makes a signal to me for us to continue on our way.

I quietly follow behind him, my mind riling with all the possibilities of what could possibly make Robert so upset.

I can't seem to come up with anything except his dad.

I know this may sound horrible, and I should probably think more of Randall, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was the reason for Robert's sour mood.

Ugh, that man...he needs to be careful with how he handles his sons because what goes around comes back around.

"So I have an idea." Justin voices as we make it to his office, interrupting my thoughts.

"What's that?" I question as he turns around to look at me with a bashful smile on his face.

"How about we hang out for a bit before I bring you home to prepare for later? Then I'll come back and pick you and Sean up when you're ready and we'll all head to the party." He suggests.

"I'm all up for ‘us time'." I giggle and he chuckles in return.

"Sweet." He beams, excusing himself to grab his things so we can leave and I do the same, releasing a pleasurable sigh as I stare out at Manhattan through the large glass walls of A-List, getting lost in the moment...

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

[PART TWO]

Hours Later

Bronx, New York

"Sean, hurry up! Justin will be here any minute!" I snap at my brother who's taking forever in the bathroom.

"I'm coming, take it easy Tai." He hums smoothly and I roll my eyes, laughing softly.

I've been dressed and ready for about ten minutes now, sitting on my couch, patiently waiting for Justin's arrival. Sean has been in the bathroom for the past half hour doing god knows what. He's such a girl sometimes.

Lifting my head when I hear the bathroom door creak open, I smile when Sean comes into sight, sporting a pair of dark jeans, squeaky clean sneakers, a blue graffiti printed shirt and a matching blazer.

"Look at you." I say in awe. "My bro looks fine!" I giggle, standing to walk over to him and he takes a bow with a huge grin on his face.

"This doesn't just happen girl. It takes time and close attention to intricate details." He responds.

He really is a weirdo.

"Ok..." I drawl and he laughs before gripping my hand to spin me around.

"You're hot yourself babe, with your black strappy heels, mini jeans skirt and black matching tube top and jeans jacket. Sexy-chic." Sean supplies causing me to laugh loudly as I push him away.

"Whatever. Don't act like you didn't help."

"I did." He beams proudly. "And the hair is down, curly and falling around your face, shoulders and back. The makeup's subtle but fierce." He chuckles and I eye him with a smile. "Poor Justin. That man is going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of you."

"Shut up Sean! Oh my god!" I gasp, giggling like an idiot just when the doorbell rings. "That's Justin!" I say excitedly, rushing to the door. "Don't forget to leave your bedroom unlocked for Uncle Ricky and Aunt Jen when they get here later. They have the spare keys for the apartment." I remind Sean and he snaps his fingers, quickly heading down the narrow hall to unlock his room.

Shaking my head in amusement at my brother, I quickly unbolt the locks to the front door, swinging it open, coming face to face with a freshly showered and shaven Justin.

My mouth gapes open in shock as he looks down at me, his lips curving into a soft smile.

"Hey there gorgeous." He says slickly.

"You shaved?" I question, lifting my hand to touch the smoothness of his skin.

"Mm hmm." He hums, leaning down to capture my lips in a gentle kiss before he pulls away. "All for you." He admits and I bite my lower lip, taking in the sight of him.

"You look good Justin."

No, he looks so sexy it hurts...I swear. I'm stunned. I'm still not used to seeing him out of his work attire.

And he has such a refreshing style. He mixes past generation styles with present. It's kind of cool.

He's dressed in a pair of simple light jeans, dazzling white sneakers, a white shirt and a blue matching jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His left wrist is adorned with one of his designer watches and he has a matching fedora hat on his head.

Dear god, this is torture to the extreme!

And he looks so much younger with his face clean. I'd kiss him and skim my hands over his face whole day, whole night...

"I'll take your speechless staring as a compliment." Justin whispers, leaning towards me and I snap out of my thoughts, my eyes traveling south, noting the bulge in his jeans.

And I swallow hard, images of us meshed together naked with him buried deep inside of me flooding my mind.

Then I quickly snap my head up to look at him with wide eyes when I hear Sean at the back of me.

"All set!" Sean calls out, coming towards us, but I never break my gaze on Justin who's staring right back at me, a mellifluous chuckle escaping him before he grips my hand in his to lead me out of the apartment.

"Shall we?" Justin asks and I nod dumbly like a fool. "Hey Sean." Justin greets my brother.

"What's up Justin? Let's get this party on the road." Sean says eagerly and Justin nods in agreement.

"Let's go..." He voices, escorting us out of our apartment.

Sean quickly locks the door and moves to walk next to us, the three of us falling into casual conversation as we head out of the apartment complex and towards Justin's parked Mercedes so we can begin our journey to Robert's...

*****

Later

At Robert's Penthouse Apartment

Manhattan, New York

Visuals:

Manhattan At Night

Justin's Penthouse Apartment:

Robert's Penthouse Apartment:

Robert was right when he said to come prepared to have fun. I had no idea what to expect, but the moment we stepped foot into his apartment, the place was already swinging.

The night has been filled with non-stop games, dancing, laughing...you name it.

Plus, he has a nice set up here too. I still like Justin's penthouse better though but his is pretty cozy too.

There's a buffet laid out across this ridiculously long table. Lannick is actually the DJ! And the bar in here is fully stocked with all types of soft and hard liquor.

It's crazy.

I had no idea what to expect but this has certainly turned into a bash of some sort. There are a few extra people here besides who Robert mentioned would be there, but that's fine because they're all their close friends.

Carla was able to make it too. She's actually next to Lannick behind the mixing table, chatting with him and watching him do what he does best as she sips on her drink while he holds up his large stereo headphones to his ears.

Sean is off to the side in a deep conversation with one of the other guys Robert invited who I think is some photographer if I'm right.

Sharron is off on her own scene as well, flirting with one of their friends.

Justin and Chris are lazily lounging on the couch, sipping on their poisons as they talk about god knows what while laughing at Gem and Maura who are out in the center of the living room in front of them, doing some crazy dances since they're both tipsy.

And me? Well, I'm casually sitting on one of the stools close to the bar, enjoying myself as I sip on my poison, keeping my eyes trained on Justin, wishing I could just straddle his waist and make out with him in front of everybody and not care. Kind of like back in high school days when Sean and I attended some crazy parties for our old friends.

Unfortunately, this is not high school anymore, even if some of the people at A-List are childish. 

We need to keep up appearances even outside of work because all it takes is for one person to do the wrong thing and another to talk about it and just like that your reputation and image could be ruined.

Sighing, I finish off my scotch and turn to grab the bottle I placed up on the counter earlier, only to realize that it's gone. Frowning, I stand and make my way around the bar searching for another bottle but finding none. What the hell?

Groaning in annoyance, I abandon my glass and walk over to where Justin and Chris are seated, still eyeing Maura and Gem who are doing some type of booty dance now. Giggling when they call out to me to join them, I quickly shake my head ‘no,' plopping down between Justin and Chris on the leather couch.

"Ouch, girl, say excuse me." Chris scolds me, nudging me playfully and I stick my tongue out at him before diverting my attention to Justin.

Turning to glare at me, Justin raises his hand to rest behind my head on the top of the couch, getting more comfortable.

"So are you having fun?" He questions and I shake my head.

"Yup. This is nice."

"It is, definitely worth taking the load off." He chuckles.

"But there's no more scotch Justin." I pout and he laughs loudly in response.

"Are you kidding me Tai? And you say you're not addicted? You don't need alcohol to have a good time."

I'm not addicted to the alcohol, but Justin...well that's another issue.

"I had the bottle; it was right there and now it's gone...vanished." I say disappointedly.

"Maybe someone took it." Justin shrugs, finding my displeasure amusing.

"I guess. Well, I'm going to head into the kitchen and see if Robert has anymore in the cabinets. I think I saw him head in there to check on whatever he was cooking." I voice and Justin nods in agreement.

"Bring me back a beer?" He asks hopefully and I oblige.

"Sure."

"Me too!" Chris adds in and I eye him before giving in.

"Fine, I'll be right back." I state while getting up and heading into the kitchen where it's much quieter.

When I make it to the entrance, I notice Robert's t-shirt clad back as he stands over his stove, stirring whatever he has in the pot in front of him.

"Mm, something smells delicious." I voice, walking in, grabbing his attention.

He doesn't turn to stare at me right away. His form goes rigid before he heaves a sigh and wipes at his face.

"Thanks, it's my mom's recipe." He mutters softly and I frown, slowly walking up to stand behind him.

"Rob? Are you ok?" I question, touching his back lightly, causing him to flinch away from me.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? Are you having a good time?" He asks, still keeping his back to me and I move to the side to get a good look at him but he turns away.

"Yes, I'm having fun." I say contently, still glaring at him.

That's when I see the bottle of scotch I was looking for earlier, on the counter next to him.

So, he took it?

There's a half-full glass sitting on the counter on the other side of him and I look into the pot he's stirring, the delicious smell of the spices in the spaghetti sauce filling my nostrils.

"Good. Good. I'm just heating up the sauce to bring it out for you guys so we can all dig into the buffet." He explains and I nod even if he's not looking at me.

"Robert, what's going on?" I demand firmly this time, gripping his chin, forcing him to turn and face me.

And I gasp, feeling my heart ache at the sight of him.

He looks down at me, his beautiful blue-grays puffy and red as he sniffles lightly, wiping at his pinkish nose and I sigh.

"Damn it Robert, what's wrong? Were you...were you crying?" I ask in astonishment and he grunts, smacking my hand away.

"No." He lies and I fold my arms across my chest, calling him out on his lie.

"Try again Rob."

Studying me intently, he rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed with my presence. "It doesn't matter. Look why are you in here? You shouldn't be in here." He scoffs and I scowl at him.

"I just came in to..."

"I can't have you in here with me. I don't want to do anything I'll regret..." He mutters, drifting off and what the hell is he talking about? Is he having a breakdown or something?

"I only came in to ask you if you had anymore scotch but, I see that you took the bottle I was drinking from so, if I could just have it, then I'll be out of your hair. Oh, and two beers? Are they in refrigerator?" I question, ignoring his intense gaze as I move around him to grab the bottle but he grips my wrist, stopping me, and I freeze, feeling my heartbeat pick up.

"Tai..." Robert says weakly and I gaze up at him, really paying attention to him. There's hurt and confusion in his orbs as he looks at me, almost pleading with me. "I can't keep doing this." He states, his tone a little firmer now.

"Doing what?" I ask out of concern. My eyes flit over the large, spacious, marble kitchen, silently saying a prayer that he'll let me go so I can leave.

I can't deal with this. Justin's right in the other room and god, the look on Robert's face is breaking my heart.

"This Tai...any of this. It's destroying me Tai. What do I do?" He asks. "I don't know what to do."

I wish I knew what he was talking about but I'm so clueless. He's acting unstable and I hate to say it, but I'm a little afraid of him right now.

"Rob you're not making any sense." I say calmly and he growls angrily, letting me go.

"Would you stop calling me that? Only Justin and my mom calls me that. I miss my mom, I wish she was here. She's off somewhere in the Philippines with her husband. She doesn't care. Neither of our moms care." He says dejectedly and I hesitate, wondering if I should leave and maybe call Justin to deal with his brother instead; but when I make a motion to move, Robert stops me, cornering me between his tall frame and the kitchen counter.

Oh no.

"Could you...could you please back up Robert? I'm not comfortable with this." I tell him but he brushes me off, his eyes roaming over my face.

"You're so nice Tai. You're such a sweet girl. You were never meant to get sucked into our crazy lives. My dad's so wrong about you...so wrong." He whispers softly and I swallow hard.

So, this is about their dad.

What the hell did he have to say about me?

Oh boy, now I'm nervous.

"Rober..." But he cuts me off.

"I see why Justin is so taken with you. Why he's falling in love with you. What's there not to love?"

He sounds like Justin now.

Ok, this needs to end; I've had enough.

"Robert..." I say in a warning tone, pushing against his chest.

My eyes widen in shock and I gasp slightly when he leans down, closing the small gap between us. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I'm hoping he's not going to do what I think he is. No, he can't...he can't do this. He can't do this to me...

"Don't!" Is all I manage to get out before his lips connect to mine in a heated kiss and my heart stops, this entire moment at a standstill as I try to overcome the shock I'm in to register what's happening right now.

But I don't kiss him back, my eyes wide and bulging.

Then I hear someone else's footsteps as they enter the kitchen, the sound of Justin's voice paralyzing me with fear.

"Tai what's keeping you so long..."

Silence.

Then I hear a furious growl followed by...

"What the fuck!?"

And I push against Robert, trying to get him off of me.

I think he's drunk. He tastes like the scotch he was drinking and he quickly pulls away from me when he makes out Justin's voice but he's too slow...because in the blink of an eye, he's being rooted off of me and slammed harshly into the refrigerator, the large kitchen appliance shaking immensely from the impact.

"What the fuck is going on!?" Justin shouts, full of rage, his blues fixated on Robert.

"Justin? Hey..." Robert says lazily with a tiny slur, glaring at his brother.

"Are you drunk!?" Justin questions in disgust, holding Robert in a chokehold against the fridge.

I slap my palms over my mouth in shock, wanting to tell him to stop, but too afraid to say anything since I have no way of gauging his anger at this point.

"Maybe." Robert shrugs and Justin groans in frustration finally turning to glare at me with questioning eyes.

"Why were you kissing him?" He questions me, but he doesn't wait for an answer, immediately snapping back to Robert. "Why the fuck were you kissing her!?" Justin yells, his voice booming off the walls of the kitchen, even with the music playing outside.

Oh god, oh please don't let anyone hear this or witness this.

"Because I wanted to." Robert snaps back with attitude and oh no. Justin's eyes widen in astonishment before he releases his hold on his brother.

"Because you wanted to." Justin laughs dryly with a humorless expression on his face. "Because you wanted to!?"

Justin's composure completely breaks and he uses all of his built up strength to jack Robert harshly in his chest, sending him crashing into the fridge before Robert falls to the marbled floor in shock, gasping for air.

But Robert doesn't react or say anything. He simply takes it.

Hovering over him, Justin tilts his head to the side, gripping Robert by his arm, forcing him to stand. "My own brother? Are you fucking shitting me? Rob I swear you better start talking. Don't make me injure you. I swear to god, I'll break one of your limbs if you don't start talking." Justin warns in a low malevolent tone.

"Justin, stop. He didn't mean to...he's drunk he, he got carried away. Please don't make a scene out of this." I finally speak up begging Justin to chill out, but he raises his hand to silence me.

"Do not fucking defend him Tai, and don't even talk to me right now." He barks and I bow my head, biting my bottom lip harshly, willing away my tears.

"Don't talk like that to her!?" Robert retorts. "She didn't do anything wrong!"

"No asshole. You did apparently; what I don't get is why? Why would you do that to me Rob? You're my brother...my...my best friend." Justin's voice cracks and I can see the anger slowly diminishing from his system as it's replaced by hurt, pain and uncertainty. "You know how I feel about her. I told you and you go behind my back and pull this stunt!?" Justin shouts.

"Justin..." I call again weakly.

"Shut the fuck up Tai!" He snaps.

"Chill out Justin!" Robert yells back and Justin jacks him away again.

"Don't tell me what to do! Don't you tell me anything except explaining why I walked in on you kissing my girlfriend. So help me god, Robert, if you weren't my brother you'd be black and blue right now."

And Robert laughs bitterly, straightening his posture, trying to regain his composure as he eyes Justin. "So dad was right. You all are together. Great." He mumbles uncaringly and that's when Justin gasps in shock as realization washes over his face.

He backs away from Robert slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "Dad?" Justin questions in a daze. "Dad put you up to this?"

"No." Robert responds, rubbing at his soar chest where Justin jacked him a moment ago. Groaning in pain, he coughs lightly, looking away from Justin and at me, giving me an apologetic stare. "Tai I'm sorry..." He begins, but Justin's not having it.

"Don't change the topic Rob. Did dad tell you to do this? Did he tell you to come between Tai and me? Tell me the truth Rob. You owe me that." Justin demands but Robert shakes his head in disagreement before he starts to pace.

"I owe you nothing Justin!" He screams and Justin's head jerks back in offense.

Silently, I switch off the stove when Robert's sauce starts to burn.

But that's nothing compared to the intense burning in my chest. I feel so stuck, so torn between the two of them that I can't even get my legs to move, to pull me away from them, away from this disaster and to my brother.

Sean.

I need him.

I wish he'd come in here.

"Rob..."

"No Justin! Don't Rob me. All I've ever done is stick up and cover up for you. Our entire life Justin! All I've ever done is be there for you because you're my brother and I love you! And where does that leave me? On the verge of losing everything because our fucking father can't accept that this company is my dream and not yours! You don't want this, any of this but I do and he won't accept that. He has it in his head that his eldest, his first born should take the lead even if it's clear that you're not interested. Does he care about what I think, how I feel? No! You didn't hear him today Justin. You didn't hear the things he told me. I honestly don't think he loves us at all. He doesn't care. He's a damn monster. I didn't want to do it! I told him I didn't want to hurt you! But he wouldn't listen and he threatened to cut me off Justin! Because of you...because he can't accept that you.don't.want.this!" Robert wails and I whimper, feeling my heart break into a million pieces for him. Oh gosh, this is so sad.

"What!?" Justin asks in shock, his eyes glossing over. "Rob, you can't blame me for this!?"

Oh please, make them stop! I can't stand the sight of two grown men on the verge of tears. They better not cry, they just better not.

This is like the twilight zone or something.

"It's your fault Justin! It's your goddamn fault. If you just listened to dad and obeyed him instead of always rebelling he wouldn't treat us like this! He wouldn't do this to us! I can't do this anymore! It's driving me insane! The company, this business, isn't worth it Justin. It's not worth it. I tried my whole life. I tried to make dad proud, to make him see that I was just as capable of running this company. But it's pointless. I see that now. He thinks that I don't have what it takes. I'd rather be homeless living on the streets than endure any more of this torture under dad's hand. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Robert chokes out before resting his back against the fridge and sinking to the floor defeated.

I don't think I've ever seen this weak side of Robert. He's always so cool and calm. I'm sure it takes a lot to get him worked up so this was long in the making.

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out as I remain in place, looking at Justin whose stare hardens to pure rage and hatred as he balls up his fists.

"That son of a bitch!?" Justin yells furiously before kicking in one of the bottom glass cabinets, the glass shattering on impact, making a loud echo.

And just like that silence takes over.

The music dies out and I can hear voices in the other room getting closer and closer and I hold my breath when everyone storms into the kitchen with curiosity and concern on their faces.

"What's going on?" Chris is the first to speak up, his eyes widening in astonishment when he sees Robert sitting on the floor and Justin leaning against the counter, trying to regain his normal breathing patterns. "Did we miss something?"

Oh Chris you have no idea.

"Justin, what happened?!" Gem screams in shock when she sees the glass particles surrounding his feet.

But he doesn't answer her.

Instead, he turns to look at me with a blank expression on his face and I feel my nerves kick in as I'm wondering what's going on in his mind right now.

Maura brushes past everyone and quickly moves to Robert's side, stooping down to his level, asking him if he's ok and I frown in interest at their interaction. Maura and Robert? When the hell did that happen and how did I miss it!?

"Tai!"

"Sean?!" I reply, snapping out of my thoughts when he barges in, coming over to me to give me a hug. "What the hell is going on? Why is everyone in here panicking and asking questions? What happened?" He inquires, looking between Justin (who's glaring at us), Robert and Me.

"Nothing's happened, yet." Justin finally speaks up, straightening his posture. His voice is so cold, so unfeeling as he gives his brother one last glance before turning away from him. "Come on, we're leaving if you all still want me as your ride." Justin beckons to Sean and me before he makes his exit, brushing everyone out of his way.

"Justin what..."

"Sean." I cut my brother off. "Please, don't. Let's just go. I'll talk to you when we get home." I supply, glancing at Robert before I look away, getting ready to leave.

I would tell him that I had a nice time and all but, well...I did at first. But now...not so much.

"Fine." Sean caves and we excuse ourselves to follow in the direction Justin went.

When we make it out into the living room, we notice that he's standing in front of Robert's television, glaring at the screen in detest.

Following his line of sight, I gasp when I see pictures of he and Nella splashed across the screen of whatever entertainment show that's going on.

The headlines say something about a new heir being born into the A-List family to carry on the legacy.

Wow, I can't believe Nella would do that to Justin. She's such a bitch. I know it's wrong to hit a pregnant woman, but if I ever see her again, I'll gladly take the jail time for showing her exactly what I think of her.

Why the hell did Justin even switch on the television?

"Nella just texted me." Justin mutters practically answering my question. "She told me to switch on the television, that she knew I was at Robert's and it would make for fun entertainment at the party. I'm getting that paternity test Tai. I don't think that kid is mine." Justin explains emotionlessly before turning to glare at me.

Sean tightens his hold on me, giving me a reassuring squeeze as he remains quiet and I sigh.

"Justin, don't do this to yourself. Let's go...please." I plead.

Nodding weakly, he shuts off the television before tossing the remote and stretching out his hand for me to take.

I'm reluctant at first because I really don't know how he feels about me now after the whole Robert incident but he seems ok for the most part. I guess Robert's words pierced him deeper than expected. He has a solemn expression on his face and the moment my hand clasps with his, he squeezes it tightly, keeping a firm grip on me.

"I'm not angry at you Tai...o-or at Robert...anymore. And I'm sorry for my reaction." Justin voices, giving both Sean and me an apologetic stare as the three of us quietly make our exit to head for his car so he can bring us home. "I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of our dysfunctional lives." He adds in when I don't respond right away.

"It's...it's o-o-ok." I stutter, still feeling hurt because he's hurting and Robert is hurting too.

"But...I'm not letting you go. Not without a fight." Justin begins in a rough tone as his expression hardens. "I'm still my father's son; which means I have him in me and I can be just as callous as he is." Justin explains and I feel my heart skip a beat from the sheer hatred oozing out of him. "I swear to you Tai, Randall is going to regret ever, ever trying to take you away from me and turn my best friend, my own brother against me..."

*****

Credit: Google's Photo Search

I threw this little banner together for you guys since you all hate Randall so much, but he's not all bad you know...or maybe he is...lol:

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

[PART ONE]

A Week Later

[Friday]

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

Gazing at the shrilling office line on my desk I groan, deliberately ignoring it. It's been ringing non-stop for the past week with people trying to get in contact with Justin to ask him questions about his Nella baby situation. The only downside in all of this? He hasn't been here to physically reject or accept any of those calls.

Yes, that's right.

After how worked up he was at Robert's, I was sure that he was going to be out for blood and I was nervous for him, but by the time Saturday came and went, he was a completely different person.

He's famous for his abrupt switch in personality and moods, but I never expected this switch to happen so quickly.

Instead of facing his dad like he was supposed to and calling him out on his shit, Justin opted for the easy way out, the cowardly way at that.

How do I know this? He sent me a text. 

Yes, he sent me one measly text which read...'I couldn't do it.'

And I'm so angry at him, it's not even funny. Not to mention I'm a little confused as to why I still have a job. I was sure Randall would have fired me by now considering how horrible everything is turning out.

But I don't care about that right now. What I care about, is the fact that Justin called in sick on Monday, saying he wasn't going to be in the office and never showed after that or said anything for the entire week.

Yes, that's right again.

I haven't seen him since that night he dropped Sean and me home from Robert's. I have no idea if he's even still breathing now.

I've tried.

I've tried for the past week to talk to him, to at least know that he's ok but to no avail. I even found myself at his apartment but the guards wouldn't let me up via his request.

Can you believe it? He's avoiding me. He's avoiding every goddamn person, wallowing in his own self pity because his dad is a scumbag. Ugh!

The nerve of Justin. I expected him to have a little more fight in him. I mean come on! It's your dad! Your own father tries to destroy you and you're going to lie on your back and take it and let him continue to fuck you over? Seriously? What happened to the angry Justin at Robert's party who vowed to make his dad pay? I want that Justin back as terrifying as he was.

You know, I don't even know why I'm here, why I'm bothering pretending anymore. I don't want this job anymore. Randall clearly doesn't approve of me, yet, he hasn't said a word to me. And I don't know why. But I don't want this. Not if I have to endure the chaos that comes with it. I can't do it. I thought I could but I can't. I should maybe quit. Only, I can't yet since Justin is the only thing keeping me here. I need to know where he stands, where we stand before I can resign or something.

Thank god the media has no idea about Justin and me yet else they'd spin that shit around so quickly. Especially now with his supposed baby drama.

Not to mention Robert tendered his resignation just yesterday voicing that after the 40th anniversary party he was leaving A-List. To do what and go where? I have no idea. I still can't even believe it.

Randall is singlehandedly destroying his own empire because of what he's done to his sons. Does he care? I have no clue. I haven't laid an eye on him the entire week. The most I know is that he doesn't want to be bothered by anyone. He's maybe feeling the pressure now, as he should be.

I mean, today alone is utter chaos. People are going crazy in here, trying to get a hold of Justin, trying to find him because they can't send out this month's issue without the letter from the editor which he never wrote since he never came in to work this week. And I'm stuck right in the middle because I'm the assistant, so now I'm getting part of the blame. Fan-fuckin'-tastic.

"Where is he? Is he here? I'm going to kill him!"

My head snaps away from my computer screen, my eyes narrowing in detest when Nella comes into view, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Justin's not here." I deadpan, catching her attention.

She gazes at his closed office door before turning around to face me with a hand on her hip, her protruding belly much more noticeable now.

"So where the fuck is he? You're his assistant. You should know." She spits in a condescending manner and I smirk, standing to face her on the brink of explosion. She better watch herself with me.

"Even if I knew where he was I wouldn't tell you." I say saucily and her eyes widen in offense before she hisses lowly at me. "But, I have no clue where Justin is. He hasn't been to work all week." I admit, a satisfied smile gracing my face when she begins eyeing me suspiciously.

"Are you fucking him? I heard about what happened at Robert's over the weekend. You're another one of them aren't you? Another assistant? He never could separate business from pleasure or keep his dick in his pants." She huffs and I groan with aggravation, wondering how Sharron even allowed her past the receptionist desk.

"And you clearly didn't know how to keep your legs closed either." I retort, pointing at her stomach and she gasps, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Listen, Tay..." She begins.

"It's Tai actually." I cut her off, giving her a haughty grin which only infuriates her more, but we're interrupted by Robert.

"Nella?" He appears into view, his face contorted in confusion by her presence.

Great. Just the person I wanted to see; note sarcasm.

I haven't seen Robert all week and just the sight of him now breaks my heart again, bringing me back to that night when I witnessed his little breakdown...not to mention that drunk kiss he planted on me. You'd never say he's a deeply troubled man looking at him now though, dressed in his suit and tie, seemingly professional.

Nella scoffs at me before turning around to meet Robert's gaze which floats past her and lands on me, his blue-grays studying me intently.

I ignore him, shrugging before reclaiming my seat to continue adjusting Justin's schedule since Justin missed a shitload of appointments this week. Now I'm stuck with the dirty work of calling up those clients and kissing ass, apologizing and covering for his selfish behind so A-List won't lose their partnerships and accounts.

"Where's Justin Robert?" Nella demands. "I need to have a word with him. I can't get him at his apartment and he won't answer his phone. He showed up at my place on Monday and dragged me down to the hospital with him and now..." But she drifts, her voice cracking and my interest peaks.

So, that's what the little shit was doing on Monday why he lied and called in sick? I asked him if everything was ok, if he needed me and he was so quick to say no, to lie and say he would be in on Tuesday and we would talk and now it's Friday, nearing the end of the workday, and not a word...

"Well Justin's not here." Robert shrugs. "And, things are kind of crazy around here, so...maybe you should leave. But when I do see him again, I'll let him know that you stopped by." Robert suggests but Nella's not pleased with that so she continues to rant.

"The least he can do is fucking talk to me! For fuck's sake, he acts like we were never together once. Like I'm some stranger. What's wrong with him?" She snaps, glaring at Robert who's having a hard time keeping his attention on her since I'm right there and he's constantly stealing glances at me.

"Nella, Justin has a lot going on right now. We all do, with this company and with our father. We're losing clients because of your little baby stunt you pulled with him..."

Wait, they're losing clients over this? What the hell?

"Oh please, that's not my fault!" She says in an annoyed tone and Robert actually rolls his eyes at her. That's a first.

"Nella, you told the whole world that you're pregnant with Justin's kid and that he wants nothing to do with it. We're fucking heirs Nella, blue-bloods who are constantly in the public's eye...or something along those lines because now, I have no idea what the hell is going to happen. But, how do you think that makes A-List look considering Justin is the editor in chief and the CEO's son? Dad has always tried to establish an image of A-List that it's a family business, that it's family oriented and here you are proving the exact opposite to the world when it comes to Justin. Not like my father hasn't been lying about the family concept since we're far from being an actual family, but, think about it. It's bad publicity. This is a fashion magazine! You do the math. Just leave Nella. You're not going to find Justin here and you're only making things worse." Robert hisses angrily and I bite my lip at the venom in his tone.

Nella's rendered speechless, stunned to be witnessing this side of Robert which I'm sure he hardly ever displays.

And just like that, she huffs, not saying another word. She whips around to glower at me one last time before turning on her heel and storming down the hall, disappearing out of sight. Good ridden.

Sighing, I continue switching around Justin's appointment dates, hoping to god that he'll be back at work on Monday and stop this hiding, running away shit game that he's playing.

He needs to stand up to his dad. This needs to end. I can't take much more of it.

"You know, I'm still here." Robert whispers softly and I lift my head again, noting that he's indeed standing in the exact same spot.

"So I've noticed." I mutter grimly but that doesn't dissuade him. He moves around my desk, gripping the armrest of my chair to wheel me away from the computer screen and I gasp, looking up at him when he stops with us facing the large glass windows or walls, whichever way you swing it. The most ironic thing in all of this is that it's raining outside, clearly making the day drabber than it already is. "What the hell are you doing Robert? I have work to do. I have some serious damage control to do if you all don't want to lose some of your sponsors and..."

"Tai, forget about all of that. This is my dad's doing. He's to blame, so if this company fails, it's all on him." Robert replies coolly with a daunting smile and I furrow my brows at him, anxiously waiting for what he's going to say next. "I need to talk to you for a minute and then I'll leave you alone." He adds in and I know he won't leave me alone until I listen to whatever he has to say so I cave, nodding in understanding. "Just listen to me please, before you say anything ok?" He asks and I nod again, soundless.

Sighing heavily, he loosens his tie before taking a seat on the window ledge, resting his back against the glass. I cross my legs and lean back in my chair patiently, ignoring the weird glares that we receive from passing employees when they see us sitting together far off to the side. At this point, I could care less what anyone around here thinks of me.

"Ok Tai, it took me the entire week to muster up the courage to face you and do this, so bear with me. Firstly, I want to start off by saying, no one knows what really happened between the three of us in my kitchen last weekend. When you all left, everyone was still asking questions, so I lied plain and simple, because you and Justin didn't need the attention until you all could sort things out and I needed to sort my shit out too. So, if you want to tell Chris and Gem what really happened since you're close to them, you can, but that's your decision to make."

"Secondly, I need you to know that I am so, so sorry from the bottom of my heart and I hope that you can eventually forgive me for my poor decisions in handling this situation. I should have never allowed my dad to have such control over me, but, at least now, I'm getting some of that control back. I haven't spoken to him yet, but I was told that Justin supposedly called him only to warn him that if I ever left A-List it had to be on my terms and not on dad's, else Justin voiced that he would walk out if dad ever fired me I guess. But, that's all I know about that."

Hmm, so Justin talked to his dad? I wonder what else he said. I'm sure it wasn't much else he'd be here right now and people wouldn't be wondering if he's dead or alive.

"Thirdly, Tai, did Justin ever tell you why things didn't work out with our dad and moms?" Robert questions and I shrug still mute. "Well..." Robert begins, clearing his throat as he shifts uncomfortably...

"I guess you could say, dad did to our moms what he's doing to Justin and me now. He always wanted the control, always wanted to have the last word and as a result he pushed them away. Our moms are both free spirited women who really don't conform to the regular norm."

Justin told me more or less the same thing some time back.

"They were the type of women our dad fell for, but, it worked against him, because they were also the type he couldn't control. I guess Justin got that ‘needing to be free and his own person' trait from his mom more than I did from mine which is why dad had a tuff time with him over the years. But, dad really loved Justin's mom you know? I don't think he ever loved my mom the way he loved Justin's, but my mom was ok with that because she loved dad you know? So, the only rational reasoning I can muster up from their history is that, dad was crushed when Justin's mom left him and hence his bitterness from that divorce is why he made things just a little bit more difficult for Justin. I also think that's why he wants Justin to take over because that's dad's dream."

"So, you can understand if dad would be upset and want to punish Justin since Justin is killing his dream, the one thing he wants to go right in his life. I don't know..." Robert shrugs. "It's a guess on my part. But, I think dad's heart has hardened over the years to the point where he has no other way of expressing his feelings except..."

"Being a monster?" I question, interrupting Robert and he hunches forward, passing his hands through his dark straight locks.

"He's not all bad. He's still human."

"After everything your dad has put you through, how can you sit and defend him..."

"He's my dad Tai. He and Justin are the only people I have. In return, we're all he has. My mom, she was never around. Justin's mom was never around either. Our dad practically raised us. He can't let go of the fact that we're not little kids anymore that he can boss around. Maybe he's scared, maybe he's afraid that he's losing his sons since we're growing up and becoming men. I mean, besides this company, what does he really have? He's alone Tai. He's been alone for a long time. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I can understand where his coldhearted behavior is coming from."

"Don't Rob. Don't try to justify what that man has done to you!" Is he serious? Please tell me he's not defending his dad after all this!

"We're all he has Tai! How would you feel if you felt like you were losing the last remaining pieces of yourself?"

"I, I don't know."  I relent.

"Well I do. I would try everything in my power to hold onto it, by all means necessary. Dad simply went about it the wrong way, because instead of keeping us around, he's pushing us away. I'm not sure if he's realized it. Dad wasn't always like this Tai. He was always tough...but never like this. There has to be an explanation. What I said, that has to be it. He can't simply be so heartless. I won't accept that...I just...I can't. It doesn't make sense to me."

"There are some people like that in the world." I point out.

"Not my dad Tai. I grew up with him...that's not it." Robert insists.

"Well you better find a way to get Justin down here so you all can talk to your father once and for all, because this needs to stop." I say harshly and Robert nods in agreement.

"You're right. That's why I'm letting you leave early." He concludes and...what?

"What do you mean?" I ask hesitantly.

"You're free to leave Tai. I know where Justin is. He's at his apartment. He hasn't left it since Monday. The guards check up on him, but they haven't seen him. The most they've heard is his voice over the phone saying that he's fine but he's not. He's not fine Tai. I know my brother. And, I promise you won't get in trouble if you leave work early because you have my permission."

"But you need to go over to Justin's and make him listen to reason. He's strong, he's a fighter, but, when it comes to matters of the heart, he's weak you know? His mom, dad and I are his weaknesses and maybe now you...but if you can pull him out of this, he'll most certainly call dad out on trying to break you all apart, even if I was dad's pawn in his plan. Talk to Justin. He won't talk to me. And I get that he's still upset. But, he'll talk to you. He'll listen to you. He's done this once before you know. When his mom remarried a few years back, he disappeared for a month." Robert explains and I gasp.

"A month!?" I ask in shock and Robert nods.

"He couldn't take it, couldn't handle it. She tried to make him understand, but he couldn't. He couldn't accept that he would have to call someone else who wasn't our father ‘dad'. He's weird like that. He accepted my mom, but, he couldn't accept Georgiou who is his mom's husband. So, he stopped talking to his mom for a long time. They're talking now, but, she's living in France and well, Justin's not one to dwell on emotional stuff but I know he misses his mom, just like I miss mine, who is with her husband in the Philippines. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...we're pretty dysfunctional, but it works for us." Robert chortles helplessly and I give him a sad smile.

"But what can I really do?" I mutter, realizing that their issues go way beyond any scolding I could ever give Justin to toughen up.

"Be there for him. Talk to him. Don't judge him." Robert hesitates, giving me a firm stare before he continues. "Love him. Justin really needs that Tai."

Gosh, I know...I know that he does with the way their lives have been and their crazy parents. But can I? Can I really love Justin? I've never truly given it any thought. I've never really sat and pondered about how deep my feelings go for him. I mean, isn't it too soon to be in love with him?

Wait, is there even a set time on when it's ok and not ok to be in love with someone? Do people really have that much control over that emotion? I'm not sure.

"Just go Tai. I'll do the damage control here. Obviously, we're going to have to push back the release date on this month's issue until Justin writes the letter from the editor, but I'll deal with it and with our clients who had appointments with him. I can see the wheels in your head turning. Just go, and, I'm sure whatever questions you have, you'll find the answers when you see and talk to Justin."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to push us together now after everything?" I ask Robert suspiciously and he stands, stretching out his limbs as he hovers, looking down at me with a knowing smile.

"Because I never actually wanted you all apart once I saw how good you were for him. And, me being there for him is not enough anymore. Don't worry about our dad, I assure you, he will be dealt with. But, Justin needs you Tai. Even I can see that. My question to you is...what are you going to do about it?"

And that's the last thing Robert says before he excuses himself, bidding me farewell.

It's also the last thing I need to hear before I'm out of my seat and gathering my belongings so I can leave, saying a silent prayer that this doesn't somehow blow up in my face.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

[PART TWO]

Hours Later

Justin's Penthouse Apartment

Manhattan, New York

My initial plan was to leave work and head straight to Justin's but somewhere along that trip I made a detour and ended up on a train to the Bronx. The next thing I knew, I was home alone in my living room pacing since Sean didn't get off work for a few more hours.

I was almost like a crazy person, scolding myself and asking myself what the hell I was doing. Then, I was angry again because the least Justin could have done was call.

I mean, we're together now right? I highly doubt his disappearing act is part of the whole being in a relationship vibe.

But after what Robert told me I understood, sort of.

But, in all of my crazy pacing I had an epiphany...it was this moment of clarity where everything made perfect sense and I knew exactly what I had to do.

That would probably explain why I'm standing outside of Justin's apartment door right now after showering and dressing in simple jeans and a t-shirt which is much more comfortable than my work attire. I took the train back to Manhattan, and then grabbed a cab to his place, so he better be home. More importantly, he better not be a bitch about this whole ordeal and he better be prepared to explain his irrational behavior.

Luckily, Robert actually called the guards in the lobby to ask them to let me up and that it was for Justin's own good. When I came in, I told them who I was and they simply let me through compared to the hassle they gave me the last two times I stopped by during the week.

I didn't argue though. I simply slipped into the elevators and waited patiently until I got to Justin's door.

Now, I'm standing outside about to knock, my hands visibly shaking just a little because I'm nervous. I don't know what's going to greet me on the other end of that door and while I know he's going through a rough stage in his life, I'm praying that the old Justin doesn't rear his ugly head.

Taking in a deep breath, I bang loudly on the door since Justin's apartment is huge and I want to make sure that he hears I'm outside.

When I get no response or any indication that there's life on the other end I bang again using both of my hands this time, creating a small continuous rhythm until I hear something. It sounds almost like a crashing noise but I can't be sure.

I pause, waiting for something else, anything else, but nothing comes.

Groaning at his stubbornness, I begin banging again this time with both my hands and one of my feet. If anyone witnessed this, they'd say I was crazy, but I want to grab Justin's attention long enough for me to hear his voice when he realizes the person's not leaving.

And it works, a loud angry growl sounding from somewhere close to the door.

"Whoever you are, you're fucking impossible. Would you go away before I call the police!?" He snaps angrily and I smile, still knocking on the door, not saying anything because he doesn't know it's me yet. "For fuck's sake, leave me alone! How did you even get past my guards? I'm not giving any statements ok? So..." But his voice dies out when I finally speak loudly and firmly to him from behind the barrier.

"Justin, you better open up if you know what's good for you else I swear to god, I'm going to call 911 and make them send the ambulance, fire fighters and police squad on your ass. You know they'd come too if I told them Randall Timberlake's son was in trouble." I state firmly.

And I wait, holding my breath, anticipating his next move.

Jumping back when I hear a thud against the door, I tilt my head to the side, trying to figure out what the hell he's doing in there.

"Tai?" He questions, his voice weak and groggy now.

Gosh, that man and his mood swings, what am I going to do with him?

"Yes Justin." I smile even if he can't see me since he hasn't opened the door yet.

"Why are you here? I don't want you here." He mumbles and judging by the volume of his voice, I'd say he's standing right next to the door now.

"Justin, stop being a big baby and just open the goddamn door. I'm ten seconds away from grabbing my phone and screaming emergency. Don't make me do it."

"Well, I'm not up for you yelling at me so just leave." He groans and he's a smart little devil isn't he? I had every intention of calling him out on his shit, but now that he brought it up, I'm really not that angry anymore. I think I'm more worried than anything else.

"Look Justin, I forgive you for avoiding me this week; I'm not angry anymore; I get that you're going through a tough time, but you asked me to be there no matter what, and I'm here now because I care...so...please open up..." And I trial off, hearing the lock click, but nothing else happens.

Silence engulfs me as I wait patiently for him to swing the door open but that moment never comes.

Shrugging, I try my luck with the door handle and sure enough it's unlocked.

Sighing, I twist the knob and carefully push the door open, a whiff of some type of shower gel filling my nostrils. Hmm, he just came from taking a shower?

Carefully, I walk into his apartment before shutting and locking the door behind me.

Taking a look around, I squint at the lack of light, realizing that he has the huge blinds closed, making in here seem like it's almost nighttime when it's only late afternoon.

"Justin?" I call out as my eyes scan the room for him but find no one.

Is he seriously doing this right now?

Giggling despite myself, I kick off my shoes to the side and continue looking around, relishing in the lavish penthouse apartment, hoping that one day I can at least come close to owning a nice place like this.

"In here!" He finally answers seconds later, and my feet slowly pad along in the direction of his voice. Rounding the corner, I'm met with a short hallway and three doors, one of which is ajar.

"In here where?" I ask again and I hear him moving around so I follow that sound. "Justin you're seriously doing this right now?" I ask incredulously and just when I lift my hand to push the door open, he swings it open coming to stand before me.

And I gasp, my eyes quickly looking away as my mind turns to mush and my heartbeat speeds up.

"Gosh, you could have said you were naked out of the shower dressing or something..." I mumble, fighting not to look at him since he's standing before me in only a pair of navy blue boxers.

He must want to get mauled...that's the only explanation.

And he chuckles.

He actually chuckles.

That for some reason pisses me off and clothes be damned, I snap my head back in his direction, my chestnut browns narrowing at him.

"What the fuck is your problem Justin?" I spit, and his chuckles die out, his head lowering in guilt and I begin tapping my foot impatiently while I glare at him. "Well?" I ask when he avoids making eye-contact with me, his hands gingerly playing with his bare chest which I'm trying not to stare at right now.

Oh my god, he's practically naked in front of me and it's taking everything in me not to jump him and just say fuck it. I need to know what's going on with him first but so help me if he doesn't start talking soon...

"I'm sorry." He mutters listlessly and I frown.

"You're sorry?" He needs to do a little better than that.

"I'm sorry Tai. I don't know what else to tell you." He looks at me now, really looks at me, and I sigh when I see how tired and red his beautiful blues are.

"What's going on Justin? Why have you been hiding this past week?" I question.

"I wasn't hiding." He defends and I arch a brow at him which shuts him up.

"Try again." I demand and he releases a downhearted sigh before gripping my hand and pulling me into the room with him, shutting the door behind us.

I'm only now realizing that we're in his bedroom, which is ridiculously huge with everything plush you can think of. There is one thing which grabs my attention though, the fascination on my face increasing tenfold.

"You have a ceiling mirror?" I question in confusion, rushing over to his king sized bed like I own the place, like I've been here before when I really should be nervous. "Oh my god Justin, you're some kind of freak." I say still in awe as I look up as the full length mirror, seeing my reflection.

"Don't you want me to start explaining why I've been avoiding damn near everybody in the past week? That's why you came over here isn't it?" He questions, brushing off my surprise at his little ceiling ornament hanging directly above his bed.

Straightening my posture, I whip around to face him, noting the irritation on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest while he glowers at me. Aw, he's still a cutie. But I don't get why he's still so upset.

And I can't help it anymore. I completely and wholeheartedly indulge in the sight of him, taking in every inch and definition of his physic from head to toe. He's absolutely breathtaking, from the tiny curls on his head, to his pouty pink lips, down to his sculpted arms and six pack, all the way down to his slim waist with his boxers riding low, allowing me a small peak of the hair trail that disappears beneath the waistband of his boxers to his nether region.  Gosh, I thought he was gorgeous with clothes on, but that was nothing compared to how he looks now, fresh and standing there like a big white chocolate bar I'd just eat up. Ugh. Pure torture.

When he catches my staring fest, he smirks, rolling his eyes in amusement.

"Would you rather I put clothes on since I highly doubt you'll hear a word I say if I stay like this? I mean, this is how I usually am around the house, but if it bothers you..." He drifts, chuckling lightly when I quickly shake my head ‘no' as I continue to gaze at him in bewilderment, still a little dazed by the sight of him.

"It's been a week Justin." I snap out of my thoughts, getting down to business. "So, start talking." I supply, moving around the bed to take a seat on one of the cushiony chairs in his room.

He follows suit, moving around to sit at the edge of his king-sized bed facing me...and with a deep breath, he completely spills his heart...

"I'm sorry Tai. I really am. I didn't know what else to do. I literally wanted to kill my father for putting me and Rob through so much shit our entire lives. Trying to take you away from me was the last straw. I thought about going to my dad's place, about calling him out on his bullshit. I thought about injuring him, taking out all of my frustration on him. In fact, after I dropped you guys home that night, I made it all the way to his estate and just sat in my car staring at a place I once called home, which isn't my home anymore. I can't tell you the last time I set foot on his estate. But, in the middle of my anger and hatred something clicked. And I realized I couldn't do it...not yet at least. I didn't want to try and talk to my dad when I was so worked up because I would have maybe gone off on him. He may be a monster, but, he's still my dad. I'm not sure if you understand..."

"So, eventually, I left. I went home, threw off all of my clothes and went to bed still mad but not really understanding why anymore since my mind was made up that I was going to do what the hell I wanted from now on. I guess I'm just hurt over the fact that he'd do this to us. But, I don't hate him. I thought I did, but, I don't think I could ever hate my dad even if I tried because I sort of understand why he's this way."

He pauses briefly, frowning when he sees that my eyes are trained on his chest as I take in the way it expands and contracts with each deep breath he takes.

Damn it, I want to touch him so bad right now.

"Anyway..." Justin continues and I look up at him with a coy smile, completely forgetting why I was even angry at him in the first place.

He needed time. He needed to sort things out and I'm ok with that. I just wish that he would have told me something but, at least we're here now...together.

"The only reason why I didn't come into work this week was because of this Nella bullshit. The media has been trying relentlessly to get a hold of me, and since I was so worked up, I didn't want to say shit that would make the situation worse. Plus, I wasn't ready to face my dad's accusations until I knew for sure what I was dealing with. So, on Monday, I dragged Nella down to the hospital with me to get that paternity test. And, I wasn't going to see or speak to anyone until I knew for sure if the kid was mine...because this shit is killing A-List's image and my reputation and believe when I say I let Nella have a piece of my mind for going through with this. I'm sorry about lying to you by the way. I didn't want you to have something extra to worry about..." He trails, his voice going lower as he gazes at his hands like they're the most interesting things in the world and I wait on bated breath for him to tell me what I so desperately need to know. "The uh, the baby's not mine Tai. I got the results today. And, and I know I should be thrilled right? But, I'm kind of not. I was sort of getting used to the idea of maybe being a dad and doing all the things for the kid that my dad never did for me."

"I don't know. I guess it hurt a little to know that Nella was indeed cheating on me and, got pregnant on top of it. Not like I should care anymore because, because I have you and all..." He grips my hand in his, giving me a soft smile and I return the gesture, getting lost in his intense gaze. "It's just the principle of the matter." He finishes and I nod, understanding where he's coming from.

"It's ok." I finally speak up. "You have a right to be angry after going through all of that for nothing."

But I will admit that I'm ecstatic about the news and he will be soon too, once the drama clears up...I hope.

"It was a good learning experience for me." Justin shrugs, releasing his hold on me to stand and I follow him, not quite sure what the hell he's going to do next. "So, are you still mad at me?" His tone is cautious as he stands awkwardly, glaring at me with wide questioning eyes and how can I possibly stay mad at him?

I hate that all he has to do is look at me and I completely break down. When the hell did I ever allow him to have this much power over me?

Grinning, I lean up, gripping his face to pull him down for a kiss.

It's a gentle, sensual kiss which Justin breaks to let out a sigh of relief. "Is that a Justin I'm not mad at you and I forgive you kiss? Or, a Justin you need to shut up and you're too irresistible, I can't keep my hands off of you kiss?"

"A little of both." I admit, pulling him down again for another kiss, his breath hitching in his throat as his large hands graze over my breasts and make their way down to my waist where he grips me tightly, pulling me closer.

My heart starts beating erratically when I fuse with his bare chest as he deepens the kiss, his tongue softly playing with mine.

And I sigh, expelling a soft moan as I melt under his touch.

Warning signals are going off in my brain on the exact position we're in right now...us standing wrapped in each other's arms in Justin's bedroom with him only wearing boxers...and I gasp before pulling away from him, gazing into his deep glassy blues when I feel a familiar bulge, poking at my inner thigh. And I swallow hard, my entire body now a ball of nerves.

"Tai? You ok?" Justin questions, his hand coming up to caress my cheek as he looks at me. He releases a knowing smile before he grips my hand and pulls me towards his bed and I freeze momentarily before following behind him. "Lie down." He instructs and my eyes widen, causing him to chortle softly. "Lie down Tai. I'm not going to do anything. But, this time, you need to relax." He muses, causing me to giggle.

And I do just that, awkwardly crawling onto the mattress adored with a soft blue comforter and throw pillows.

I turn to face him and bite the bottom of my lip when he crawls over to me, placing his hands on either side of my half sitting form, hovering as he eyes me with interest.

"I have a question." Justin begins as he leans down to place teasing kisses on my lips.

"What?" I inquire, on the verge of pulling him down with me.

He needs to stop taunting me like this. Oh my god.

"How did you get up here? I specifically asked the guards not to let you up. I would have been back at work on Monday you know, handling the damage I know I probably caused with you and from not being at work this week and the whole letter to the editor thing."

So he knows he fucked up. But I don't care about that right now. I just want him to...

"Not helping Justin." I mutter mindlessly, lifting my hand to grope at his bare chest, trying to kiss him but he pulls away.

"I'm serious Tai. I'm really sorry but..."

"I get that you needed time, blah, blah, blah...shut up and kiss me!" I demand and Justin laughs, pulling away from me almost completely and I groan in frustration.

Is he trying to kill me? I think he knows exactly what he's doing to me and he's secretly enjoying it. Ugh!

He stands before me, crossing his arms and quirking his brows at me and I sigh in irritation.

"Look, Robert called and told your guards to let me up because he was worried about you. We did as much damage control as we could at work. I'm wondering why your dad hasn't fired me yet but it's whatever you know? Don't worry about it. We'll fix everything else on Monday." I say before stretching out my hands to grip him by the waist as I sit at the edge of his bed.

I part my legs and he walks up to stand between them, still gazing down at me with a hard expression on his face because I mentioned his brother no doubt. Hmm, he's really not talking to him huh? I hope they can overcome their egos soon because their father is long overdue for a visit from the both of them...together.

When he doesn't say anything, I roll my eyes, diverting my vision to his toned, cute stomach staring me right in the face.

"Rob's simply guilty, as he should be." Justin hums, looking away in thought but I ignore him, becoming mesmerized with his torso, my hands softly skimming over his stomach and chest as I memorize ever ripple and every freckle on his smooth light skin. "But, thanks for caring enough to come here and call me out on my shit. I messed up. But, I've got everything under control. I promise that when I get back to work, everything's going to change. Dad's going to get a dose of his own medicine. I have my shit all planned out." Justin continues and I nod mindlessly, my fingertips grazing his navel gently and he finally looks back down at me, an amused expression on his face. "Are you even listening to me Tai?"

"No." I reply honestly and he laughs.

"Well, ok then. I guess we'll continue this conversation another time."

"Yup." I mutter, finally caving completely, needing to feel and taste more of him. So, I lean forward, placing a delicate kiss just above his navel and he hisses softly, his body tensing before he relaxes under my touch.

"You know, you're the very first female to set foot inside of my room? That's epic considering whenever I had people over it was always my guest bedroom..." But he drifts, gulping down hard when I bite his flesh lightly before tracing my tongue over the mark.

I think he gets the hint. Less talking, more action. I don't care about anything else he has to say right now...

"Shut up Justin." I mumble and he breathes in deeply, frozen in place as I continue to explore him, my fingers gripping the waistband of his boxers.

"Ok..." He utters.

And I smile against his skin, placing butterfly kisses along his stomach before I slowly stand, trailing my way up to his chest until I make it to the soft flesh of his neck and his hands instantly fall to my waist, gripping me tightly, his fingers digging into my sides.

I pull away to stare at him, his blues wide and imploring as they bore through my browns.

His hands slowly travel north and he cups my cheeks in his palms, a small amorous smile gracing his face as he continues to examine me, his expression turning serious all of a sudden.

"Tai?" Justin whispers, his hot breath fanning my face and I smile weakly, trying to suppress the mass of emotions overpowering me right now.

"Hmm?" I reply in a sleepy murmur.

"I...I'm falling in love with you..." He chokes out, his voice barely above a whisper and my eyes widen, my body going rigid under his touch as I glare at him, never breaking eye-contact. Swallowing harshly, he takes in a deep breath, licking at his lips and my mind draws a complete blank when he says it again. "I love you Tai. I...I do." He speaks softly, pressing his lips to mine delicately before he pulls away to glare at me waiting for any type of reciprocation.

I open my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out and I gasp in  shock when my brain finally begins processing what he just said to me.

Oh my god! Oh my god! This is not happening right now.  I, I've barely figured out what this is that we have and what makes us tick, what makes us work so well together...and now he drops that on me and oh my god!

When he realizes I'm paralyzed with shock he sighs, his hands dropping from my face before he pulls away from me completely, detaching our bodies.  

No! No don't do that! Oh my god, I think I'm panicking...

"Right...uh...so..." Justin rubs the back of his neck nervously, his eyes flitting around his room as he avoids making eye-contact with me and aw, he's embarrassed.

His breaths are deep and uneven and if I didn't know any better I'd say he was trying his damn near hardest to control his emotions.

Oh gosh, I hope I didn't hurt him...or I hope he doesn't feel rejected...what the hell am I thinking? My mind is a mess of jumbled thoughts right now.

Shit, he said he loved me didn't he? I wasn't just hearing things was I?

Holy shit...

"Do you uh, want to get out of here and maybe grab a bite to eat?" He suggests, finally looking at me, giving me a sheepish grin.

"I'd like that." I smile, bowing my head slightly to avoid his questioning gaze and he nods.

"Sweet...I'll uh throw on some clothes and..."

"I'll leave..."

"No! No, I mean, I'm comfortable with you. You can stay. It's not like I'm butt ass naked. Besides, I'm already in my boxers here. You don't have to leave." He jokes, giving me an impish grin and I blush massively.

"Ok." I smile up at him and he nods, visibly relaxing a bit.

"Give me a few minutes and we'll head out...maybe to your side of town? And you can pick where we eat?" He suggests, moving past the open door of his bathroom to his wardrobe and I slowly follow behind him, taking in the shape of his broad back adorned with an angel tattoo.

"I'd like that." I voice as he begins digging through his draws.

Walking up behind him, I wrap my arms around his waist, standing partially to the side so I can see his reflection in the mirror.

He freezes with a pair of jeans in his grasp, his head snapping up as he eyes me through the mirror in curiosity.

I grin widely for him, placing a delicate kiss on his back and he bites his lower lip, still staring with a shy look on his face.

Ugh, make him stop! He's killing me softly here. He's too fuckin' adorable goddamn it!

But all of that is forgotten when I feel my heart racing, beating faster than I've ever felt it before as my entire body heats up.

"I love you too Justin..." I blurt out, nodding in affirmation, the words floating out of me much easier than I thought they would, and his eyes widen in uncertainty as he whips around in my arms to face me, looking down at me...

Wait did I really say that? Wow.

Well I'll be damned, Robert was right. I should have known.

But I knew it, I knew I was falling for Justin the moment I let him in. It simply took me a little while to really understand this...to understand us.

There's some type of mutual bond, some type of mutual attraction between us that's not only physical. It's almost like we're drawn to each other and really, ‘what's there not to love?'

"Tai, you didn't have to say it just because I...I mean I wanted you to know how I felt but you didn't...not if you're not ready..." He's rambling and it's cute but I silence him.

"Justin, shut up." I giggle and he smiles, his cheeks reddening by the second.  

I love this vulnerable side of him. It lets me see that he's not afraid to let down his guard with me. That he trusts me and he's comfortable with me to let down his walls.

"I love you...I do." I say quoting him and he smiles one of his big ole smiles that I adore. "You've quickly become one of the most important persons in my life next to my brother and uncle. You mean a lot more to me than you realize and I love everything about you Justin...flaws and all." I conclude and he's speechless, searching my browns to see if I'm telling him the truth.

When he realizes that I'm being sincere, he heaves a sigh.

"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that." He confesses, finally speaking up and I think I know what he means. After all, I have a front row seat to his life now and...well, it's going to be a difficult road for him.

"Good, now can we please quit with the sappiness and get dressed so we can leave because I'm starving? I was never the girly, girly emotional type though you clearly seem to be." I giggle, teasing him, trying to lighten the atmosphere and it works.

Justin busts out in laugher, shaking his head at me before he whips back around to continue on his clothes hunt and I step away from him, still eyeing him...enjoying the view of him as I hope and pray that things will only continue to get better from here on out.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A Week Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"Yes Vera, Justin got the patterns you sent in for your gown collection. He and Robert will be sure to contact you as soon as possible. Of course, you have a nice day as well. Goodbye..." Hanging up my office line I sigh exasperatedly.

I'm almost tempted to root the phone off and throw it down the many stories of this building until it crashes into pieces on the pavement below. That's how frustrated and stressed out I am right now.

The phones have been ringing continuously all week, barely giving me a window for bathroom breaks.

It's been a crazy week, from Justin returning to work on Monday to everyone frantically rescheduling the release date of A-List's monthly magazine issue.

Luckily for us, Justin wrote the letter from the editor so we were able to get the issue out today even if it was a week late. Justin and Robert even released an official apology to the public via the press, explaining their current situations at A-List and why there was a setback in the magazine issue release.

The media seemed to understand enough even if they kept asking Justin and Robert questions about their father as well as Nella. Both Justin and Robert steered clear of those questions though.

But, they're still not talking...not like how they used to. They're only professional now, discussing matters concerning A-List with each other and nothing else.

Those brothers, I swear, I'd smack them both upside the head as charming and as beautiful as they are.

And guess what? Two weeks later and no one has heard a word from Randall. He didn't show up to any of the meetings Justin and Robert held this week for the late release of the magazine issue. He's been into work maybe three times this week, simply voicing to Sharron to take his messages when he's not in. And the strange thing in all of this is that Robert and Justin don't seem to care one bit. They're all going along their days like nothing is up, like nothing happened, like they weren't on the verge of all killing each other.

Something is going on with Randall. There has to be an explanation for his nasty behavior with his sons and while I'd like to see some good in him, I'm finding it exceedingly difficult everyday for the sole reason that he hasn't even talked to his sons or seems interested in anything that's going on right now.

"Tai..."

Looking up, I smile when Chris and Gem come into view.

"Hey guys! What's up?" I ask cheerily.

I know Robert said I could tell them what really happened at his party if I wanted to, but it's best if they don't know because I don't want them to look at him differently due to his little mistake. He apologized and the air is clear between us, so I see no reason to bring that night up again.

"Gem came up to hand me some patterns for Rob but he's not in his office. He said he was going to be in Justin's office going over the preparations for next month's issue as well as the anniversary party among other things so...we figured we'd stop by to hand you the patterns to give to him or..."

"Oh, that's fine. Leave them on my desk and I'll give them to him. He's in Justin's office still." I point out and both Gem and Chris turn to stare at the glass window of Justin's office, frowning when they notice that the blinds are closed.

Yes, this is the second time Justin has closed his blinds, so I'm sure that whatever he and Rob are discussing in there is important and confidential.

"Must be a real important meeting." Gem hums, still staring at the glass window before she diverts her attention to me. "So, is everything ok with you Tai?" She asks cautiously while placing down the large wooden portrait of various dress patterns stuck against it on my desk.

"Of course why?" I ask, looking between her and Chris who's eyeing me suspiciously.

"Things haven't been the same around here since Robert's party. I know he said nothing really happened but we've seen the way he and Justin are with each other. They're distant and we understand if you want to keep things to yourself. We only want to make sure that you're ok." Gem explains and I sigh, leaning back in my seat as I glare at Justin's closed door.

"I'll be ok." I smile, reassuring them and Gem nods, satisfied with my answer.

"If you and Justin are together now that's totally cool too. You don't have to worry with what anyone says about you guys around here because I think everyone can see that you're different and good for each other and that's a good thing." Chris pipes in and I give him a small smile, shaking my head in agreement.

"Thanks guys, for always being there and for being such great friends."

Gosh, I'm not up for being emotional right now.

"Anytime you need us." Gem grins before gripping Chris's hand so they can leave. "We'll see you later...take care Tai."

"You too, bye guys!" I wave goodbye to them before they disappear down the halls and I expel the breath I was holding before slicking my hands through my dark curly locks.

Pushing my chair back, I stand before gripping the patterns Gem dropped off to hand them to Robert. I should probably wait until he and Justin are done with their little meeting but I'm curious and saying a silent prayer that they're not killing each other in there.

Walking up to Justin's door, I knock lightly, waiting for him to say ‘enter' before I twist the knob and stroll in, shutting the door behind me.

When they come into sight, I frown in perplexity at the vision of the both of them standing in front of Justin's large windows looking out at Manhattan.

I'm met with their broad backs as they stand tall dressed in their designer suits with perfectly groomed hair.

Well, this is weird.

"Uh...hi?" I say softly and Justin is the first to whip around to glare at me, a large grin spreading across his face when I come into view.

"Taiana!" Justin beams excitedly and I watch as Robert slowly turns around to look at me with a questioning glare on his face.

"Don't ask Rob." I warn him with a smile and he shrugs, grinning from ear to ear.

"I wasn't going to...Taiana." Robert chuckles and I narrow my eyes at him but I'm soon interrupted when Justin literally lunges at me, planting a large kiss on my lips which shocks me.

I kiss him back briefly before pushing him away. "Justin! Your brother is there!" I say, gasping in shock when Robert laughs loudly.

"Oh don't mind me, I'm clearly invisible...please carry on." Robert jokes and I scowl at the both of them.

"Ok, hold on...did I miss something?" I ask and Justin grips my free hand to pull me towards his desk, his smile never leaving his face.

"Rob and I are cool now." Justin simply states.

"No duh Justin." I say childishly and he quirks a brow at me in amusement.

"Who says things like that anymore?" He chuckles, causing Robert to chuckle as well and I pull away from him before placing down the patterns on his desk.

"If you hang around Sean long enough, you begin to pick up his weirdness." I admit and Justin nods in understanding still laughing lightly. "So, you two are really ok now?" I need to make sure. It's too strange that Justin would kiss me in front of his brother like that considering their present issues.

"We're fine Tai. We talked things out, we apologized and we're cool again. We both messed up you know? I have to give you props though, you really talked some sense into my big bro here. I agree when he says he'd be lost without you." Robert speaks up and I try to hide my blush, biting the corner of my bottom lip as I nod, looking between the both of them.

"Oh well, that's, that's good." I state. I'm happy that they're best friends again but it doesn't help the awkwardness I feel having to face both of them at the same time.

"So anyway..." Justin interrupts. "I was going to call you in here but you came in before so that's good."

"Oh? What's going on?" I ask Justin, my eyes flitting to Robert who rounds Justin's desk to take a look at the patterns I dropped off.

"Gem's done with these already?" Robert asks me and I shrug.

"She and Chris came to drop them off for you since you were in Justin's office."

Then I remember something Justin said some time back about how Robert never came into his office unless he really had to. Hmm, now I'm immensely curious to know what's going on with the two of them.

"Nice, these patterns are on point too." Robert states as he continues to examine them and I smile, looking back over at Justin who's fiddling with his wrist watch.

"So, what's going on?" I whisper to Justin and he lifts his head to stare at me, giving me a sheepish grin.

"Ok, firstly, I need you to schedule in a few days off for me next week." Justin begins and I nod, storing his request in memory.

"How long should I..." But he cuts me off.

"You're going to book us a flight to LA for three days. You have A-List's travelling information so let them know we're going to use the private jet and we'll be leaving from JFK to go to LAX." Justin explains and I nod.

"Ok, but who's we? How many people are..."

"Robert, you and I." He rattles out and my eyes widen in confusion.

"Wait what?" I ask in astonishment.

"You're my assistant Tai. I'm going to need you there." Justin points out and I hear Robert snicker behind us, but I ignore him as I glare at Justin suspiciously.

"Why isn't Chris coming for Robert then?" I ask.

"I don't need my assistant there. We never take our assistants on business trips unless necessary." Robert explains and Justin smiles guiltily.

"Thanks Rob." Justin mutters.

"Anytime J." Robert quips and I giggle.

They're definitely back.

"So why am I coming exactly?" I inquire and Justin sighs with a roll of his eyes like the answer to my question should be obvious.

"One, because I thought it would be a good experience for you to be outside of New York and visit LA with us since we'll be over there doing press releases for A-List's upcoming anniversary as well as making final preparations for it along with a few other A-List related tasks. And two, because I want you there with me. It'll be fun, it won't be all work. We can hang out and you'll get to experience the best of LA. Besides, Rob and I have our own place in Hollywood hills so hotels aren't necessary..."

"Why am I not surprised?" I snigger and Justin groans softly, hiding his blush before he leans down and gives me a quick peck on the lips.

"Is that a ‘yes' you'll come Tai?" Robert laughs and I shrug, thinking how Sean would kill to visit Hollywood.

"On one condition." I voice and Justin and Robert exchange glares before looking at me.

"What?" Justin asks skeptically.

"Sean gets to come along."

"This isn't a vacation trip you know Tai, it's a business one..." Justin begins but Robert cuts him off.

"Done!" Robert confirms and Justin growls before turning to glare at Robert. "What? Tai's coming for pleasure. It's not like you'll need her to work. I don't see anything wrong with Sean tagging along." Robert feigns innocence and I snicker. I know Justin simply wanted it to be him and me. I don't think he's keen on having my brother as a third wheel and Robert senses this too because he quickly speaks up. "I get that you want Tai all to yourself for those few days so don't worry. Sean can hang with me at my place and I'll show him around. It's all good bro. We'll meet up when we have to." Robert concludes and Justin caves.

"Fine whatever." Justin waves him off and I smile at the two of them, loving that they can be back to their old selves with each other.

"Now, on to more pressing matters. Tai, the reason we were going to call you in here is because, we'd like you to inform Sharron that we'll be holding a press conference right here in the boardroom of A-List in about an hour actually. Let the employees know so we're not interrupted for the next two hours or so and tell her to get our father into the boardroom, but, don't tell him why he's needed there. We want it to be a surprise since he decided to come into work today." Robert grins evilly and I look over at Justin who has the same devious smile on his face.

"What are you two up to?" I ask, feeling nervous.

"You'll see. You and Chris will be the only other A-List employees in that boardroom with us since you're our assistants when the media arrives so, put on your game faces." Justin gives me a reassuring smile and I can't help but feel queasy.

I have no idea what they're up to, but I don't think Randall is going to like it one bit. I mean, they're bringing the media into A-List? This has disaster written all over it.

Then again, whatever they have planned for their father, I'm sure he'll deserve it.

As I continue to stare at them, I'm slowly realizing that they're still their father's sons, which means they have the ability to be just as evil as him. Justin was right.

He and Robert together are clearly a force to be reckoned with when crossed. Justin may be a changed person, but, that doesn't mean he won't channel the Timberlake within him when he needs to.

"Great...well, I'll get right on it. I'll call your travel agents to book the flight for LA, I'll inform Sharron on your press conference and I'll see you guys in the boardroom. We'll talk later." I voice, quickly whipping around to leave, not giving them a chance to reply, because seeing this side of them is a little disturbing to me even if I'm silently rooting for them to stick it to their dad where it hurts the most.

I guess I'm a little twisted now after spending time here at A-List, but if there's one thing I've learned from working here it's that nothing is ever as it seems...

*****

Later

[In the Boardroom]

"Justin!"

"Robert!"

"A statement please!"

"Please calm down everyone, one at a time, we'll be sure to answer your questions." Justin voices...

Oh my god this is insane!

I'm hugging myself protectively as I sit in the corner of the boardroom at the front with Chris next to me. We're sitting a few feet away from Justin and Robert who have the forefront, directing the press conference with A-List lawyers and representatives.

In here is filled with representatives from at least three different news stations. Not to mention the mass of journalists from various magazines and newspapers, itching to get their hands on this supposed A-List story. What story is that exactly? I'm not quite sure. But once there's an empire and heirs involved, the media eats up any juicy gossip they can get their hands on.

I think I'm partially blind from the amount of flashes going off around us and the large cameras and microphones being shoved in Justin's and Robert's direction only making my already upset stomach worse. I'm terrible with nerves and I can only imagine Randall's reaction when Sharron gets him in here. Oh god. I have a very bad feeling about this.

"Yes, you with the bowtie." Justin suppresses a chuckle and I smile when I look at the man he calls out to who's waving his hand frantically.

Standing, the young guy clutches his notebook in his hand tightly and the endless chattering dies out as everyone waits for his question.

"I wanted to know, exactly what is going on with A-List? By that I mean you all and your dad. It's been rumored that you're losing clients over this Nella fiasco but sources believe that there's more to the story than that." The guy points out and Justin eyes Robert who has a scowl on his face.

"Well, uh, you have commendable sources." Justin says airily and I wince, waiting for him to call the guy out and deny these accusations but instead he opts for the truth...damn...

"You're right, there is more going on than meets the eye at A-List. That's why we invited you all here today of course, to set the record straight and clear up all of the rumors. I will start off by clearing the air that Nella is not pregnant with my child. We were together as you all know, and we had a bad falling out, but, we agreed together to take a paternity test and the results were negative on my end, that I'm not the father." Justin begins and the chattering starts again, the flashes going off like clockwork and he pauses since the noise drowns out his voice. He waits for everyone to calm down again before he continues and I'm practically chewing on my bottom lip right now. Oh god I'm nervous for him. "Ask for what else is going here at A-List; I can't say much because this is my father's company, but I think for once, it would be nice to hear what my dad has to say on the matter." Justin confesses and people start to whisper amongst themselves again.

Oh my gosh, Justin what the hell are you doing? Your dad is going to kill you!

"My big bro is being modest." Robert cuts in...oh no. "I'll lay it flat out on the table for you all on why this company is suffering as we speak and why there's been all of this controversy. Our father, plain and simple, is a monster." Robert shrugs uncaringly and my eyes widen in shock as a hush falls over the crowd. Justin snaps his head in Robert's direction glaring at him in astonishment. I don't think they agreed to this. "I will apologize that this is not what Justin and I agreed to say, but I think you all need some real insight into the owner behind this empire who is everything except a loving and caring father. This family image that the company has is a complete lie. We haven't been a family in who knows how long. And, just recently our father, Randall, tried to destroy us...literally. Yes, he tried to turn my brother and I against each other for his own selfish gain because things weren't going his way and heaven forbid he doesn't have full control twenty-four seven."

"Oh my god..." I whisper in horror, noting the satisfied smirk on Robert's face at the tape recorders being shoved in his direction as well as the few persons who are frantically writing in their notepads.

And just like that the craziness ensues.

"Justin!"

"Robert!"

"Justin do you agree to this? Is Robert telling the truth about your father!?" One reporter shouts and I turn to glare at Justin, not missing Chris's amusement over the entire ordeal.

I have to admit it is kind of funny in a painful way.

Justin clears his throat loudly, shaking his head at Robert before he diverts his attention to the many anxious faces in the room. He scratches at his light stubble and heaves a sigh when he realizes that there's no getting out of this.

"It's...it's all true." Justin caves, lowering his head in disappointment. "Our dad isn't the nicest guy on the planet. He, he definitely has everyone fooled with his charm and smile and while I know admitting this could ruin A-List, we feel it's our duty to let our clients know what type of person they're really dealing with. We're sorry." Justin hums softly.

Aw, this is so sad. But I have to give my baby his props. He's handling himself well.

"Look at our dad as ‘the devil wears Armani'." Robert quips causing the crowd to erupt in laugher before the endless questions resume but I think Justin's had enough.

"We're sorry but, that's it for this little conference. We hope we answered most of your questions in the past hour. If everyone could please..." But Justin's interrupted when a loud growl sounds from the entrance of the boardroom.

Things just got a whole lot worse.

Standing in the doorway of the boardroom with a shocked expression is none other than Randall himself. Sharron is a few feet behind him with a guilty expression on her face but that's nothing compared to the sheer terror on Randall's face when the noise in the room increases tenfold and everyone rushes in his direction for a statement based on what Justin and Robert said.

I've never seen Randall display any type of expression or emotion that's linked to weakness before. This is a first. This is priceless.

"What's going on here?" Randall growls while glaring at Robert and Justin who are both giving him expectant glares.

Oh god, I don't want to be here for this.

"Smile for the camera dad." Robert spits bitterly.

"What's the meaning of this?! Why are these people in my building? Get out all of you!" Randall shouts as he storms into the room past the reporters to make his way over to his sons. "You two have really done it this time." Randall hisses lowly at Justin and Robert who both have bored expressions on their faces.  "You're not getting a dime from me do you hear me? How dare you do this! How dare you pull this stunt!" Randall snaps angrily at them.

I'm silently jumping with joy on the inside that Robert and Justin can face Randall without any type of fear in their eyes. This is new.

"Get over yourself dad." Justin chides and Randall's eyes open wide in disbelief. "We're simply giving you a taste of your own medicine. Who's the coward now?" Justin snaps cattily.

That's when Randall's eyes flit over to me. His stare  is of pure hatred as he takes in the sight of me and I swallow harshly. "You...you did this. You've tainted my son." He says lowly. "You're fir..." But he's interrupted when Justin moves to stand in front of me protectively, blocking his line of sight.

"Leave Tai out of this dad. She hasn't done anything I assure you. You did all of this on your own. And if she's fired, Robert and I will walk along with half of your employees. Watch yourself old man. In case you forgot, you gave me a lot of power here."

"You're nothing without me Justin." Randall snaps and I'm holding my breath since the cameras are still rolling, taking in all of this.

This is going to make for one hell of an entertainment news hightlight.

Robert is standing to the side with Chris as Justin and Randall go at it in front of the cameras for the entire world to see. Oh god.

"No dad, I'm everything without you and nothing with you but your puppet. It ends now dad. I'm not having this conversation with you right now. But I promise you we will have it soon, once I get back from LA next week. In the mean time, turn around and smile for the camera. My job here is done." Justin grins brightly at his dad, enraging his dad more before he looks at me, gripping my hand gently for me to stand so I can follow him out of the room with Robert and Chris in tow.

And silently, I allow Justin to lead us out of the boardroom as the media closes in on Randall who's frozen in shock, while they ask him a mountain of questions, some of which refer to him as a monster like his sons stated.

When we make it out into the hallway and the door shuts behind us, drowning out the noise, I shake my head still in shock.

"Oh man that was sweet son!" Chris chirps happily and I glare at him, giggling softly. "You all were great." He congratulates Robert and Justin.

"It's not over yet." Justin voices.

Robert nods in agreement, telling us he'll speak to us soon before he excuses himself to leave with Chris.

When they're gone, Justin turns to look at me with an unsure look on his face.

Sharron silently excuses herself after Justin thanks her for getting their father to the boardroom and I continue to stare at Justin in wonderment, feeling proud that he could build up the courage to do this finally.

"You did good." I murmur and he grins, his grip on my hand tightening before he gently pulls me to walk with him back to his office.

"Thanks. Just having you there in person was all the support I needed." Justin admits and I gush with a giddy grin on my face.

"You're amazing Justin. I'm proud of you."

"You're pretty amazing yourself Miss Bennett." He cracks and I laugh.

"Ok, I can live with that." I muse while he releases his hold on me as we near our workstations. "But are you ok with losing all of this? I mean you've worked so hard your entire life to impress your dad and..." But he cuts me off, his arm slinging around my shoulders as we walk side by side.

"Tai, I would give all of this up in a heartbeat if I knew it would keep you with me forever." Justin states honestly and I turn to look into his eyes, his bright blues warming my heart with their loving stare.

"I know you would." I assure him and he nods, a large grin adorning his face. "But I don't want you to." I state. "I know you love this life Justin. So, there's still time to make things right with your dad." I point out and he shrugs, nodding lightly without giving me a verbal reply before he diverts his attention elsewhere, his body freezing solid as his arm drops from my shoulders abruptly.

Gasping, Justin moves away from me before picking up his pace and I frown at his sudden switch, my eyes landing on a woman standing to the side of his office door gazing out of the large windows in awe.

"Mom!?" Justin calls out, rushing over to her and I gasp in shock myself, my pace slowing significantly as I get closer.

I watch as she whips in the direction of his voice and I feel my heart warm at her bright blues that mirror his own.

"Justin, there you are!" She beams happily and it takes everything in me not to bust out in laugher when Justin runs into to his mother's arms like a big kid, hugging the life out of her as he lifts her off the floor, spinning her around. "Oh my, what a welcome." She giggles before he places her down. He pulls away from her with a sheepish grin on his face then leans down to place a big kiss on her cheek and I coo at them, silently slipping into my chair at my desk.

"Oh my god, mom what on earth are you doing here?" Justin asks in shock and awe.

As I sit admiring them, I take in her slender frame and big blonde curls on her head. She's dressed impeccably in a blue skirt suit which makes her eyes pop out and she has the most gorgeous smile on her face as she sizes up her son. Well, I see where Justin gets his irresistible smile from.

"I came to see you of course. Don't think I'm not updated regularly on all of the craziness going on here. I figured you were due for a visit. Last time I was here, you weren't the editor in chief yet. I see you've worked your way up." She says proudly and Justin smirks.

"More like I got shoved, kicked and pushed to the top by dad." Justin counters and she quirks a brow at him.

"Well, hun, don't give up on your dad yet. You'll get through to him eventually." She pats his shoulder affectionately, the smile never leaving his face.

This is too sweet. Oh my gosh.

"Whatever mom." Justin chuckles. "I'd ask you how my ‘other father' was doing but I don't care to know unless you're telling me that you're getting a divorce." Justin quips and his mom smacks his hand, giggling softly.

"Georgiou is a good man and we're perfectly fine thank you for asking." She jokes. "He's keeping your mom happy and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Justin grumbles and I can't help but giggle softly which diverts their attention in my direction. Oh no.

"Oh mom!" Justin speaks up quickly when he sees her eyeing me skeptically. "This is Tai, my assistant and..." But he drifts, rubbing the back of his neck as he walks over to stand before me. "She's my..." He eyes me nervously before casting his vision to his mom who's amused. "My girlfriend." He says slowly and I smile.

"You were never good with titles were you Justin?" She jokes. "It's a pleasure to meet you Tai. I'm Lynn." She beams and I grin, standing to shake her outstretched hand when she walks over to us.

"It's a pleasure mam." I smile.

"Please honey, it's Lynn. If you can make Justin nervous when it comes to him wanting my approval then you're a keeper." She jokes and I blush.

"Um, thank you." I say shyly.

"You're a pretty thing aren't you?" Lynn coos. "She's not like the rest Justin, I can tell. I like her." She looks at him and he nods in agreement, an embarrassed smile floating across his face. Aw, he's too cute.

But wow, this is...different.

I'm standing awkwardly while they have this bonding moment and I feel so out of place.

"We were just getting ready to leave for the day. We're traveling to LA next week for some A-List business but..."

Wait, we're leaving for the day? I didn't know that!

"Well you all should join me for lunch at my restaurant then." His mom speaks up and Justin's eyes light up with excitement.

Gosh, I don't think I've ever seen this childlike side of him before. I can tell that he really loves his mom. This moment is perfect for him.

"We'd love to." Justin pipes in and I nod, not about to protest under any circumstances. This is his mom of course. At least one of his parents approves of me.

"Good, let's get going then." His mom speaks up already making a move to leave. "I'll meet you all at the front." She voices and just like that she's gone, breezily strutting down the hall and out of sight.

"Well she certainly doesn't waste any time." I giggle and Justin hums in agreement, watching in the direction she went.

"That's my mom." He beams with pride. "We should really go. I don't want my dad to make it out of that boardroom with us still here. He's going to need some time to cool off." Justin snickers and I shake my head in agreement gathering my things to leave for the day before he excuses himself to do the same.

It's a good thing I called in the flight reservations for our little business trip earlier today. I haven't told Sean about the great news yet but I'm sure he's going to flip out because we're not paying for anything. All of the expenses are going towards A-List which is pretty sweet.

But, I'm a little worried about Randall.

I know he deserved what Justin and Robert did, but this company is all he has left. If it crashes and burns due to this little scandal, I can't help but realize that he'll be left with nothing. And then what?

I don't think I want to be around here long enough to find out the answer to that question...

*****

Later

[At Southern Restaurant]

Manhattan, New York

Imagine my surprise when I realized that Justin's mother's restaurant was the same southern restaurant he brought me to some time back when he asked me to be his girlfriend.

He failed to mention that the last time we were here and I could see the guilty smile on his face when realization struck me.

But it's cool. I'm not angry or anything. I'm actually touched that he brought me here and slightly amused at his secretive, sneaky behind for not telling me.

I didn't mind though once the three of us fell into comfortable conversation over lunch with Justin and his mom updating each other on everything that was going on in their lives.

Lynn was appalled to learn of the stunt their father pulled to tear us all apart but she wasn't surprised.

I mean, she was married to Randall once. I can only imagine what she went through with him before she decided enough was enough.

It's still nice having this small moment with Justin and his mom.

We ate lunch, talked, laughed and got to know each other a little better.

I've noticed that Justin's mom brings out a much lighter, more carefree side of him that I love.

Overall, it's been a great afternoon and I'm glad that I got a chance to meet Lynn. She's a darling warmhearted woman. Justin must get that side of his personality from her.

After briefing his mom on the whole media frenzy at A-List that was going on when she came to visit him as well as his Nella situation, the rest of our conversations were light and simple.

I'm casually sipping on my glass of wine presently as I enjoy hearing Justin and his mom go at it, playfully bantering on why Italy or France is better.

"I'm telling you mom...you're biased with France because of Georgiou, even if it's amazing there, I personally prefer Italy." Justin admits and gosh, I wish I had their lives to even visit those places.

"Ok Justin, for sake of saving poor Tai from boredom, you win." Lynn muses and I giggle.

"Actually I love hearing about those places. I hope I can visit them one day." I divulge and Lynn gives me a knowing smile.

"You will." Justin blurts out and Lynn and I turn to look at him. Quickly catching himself, he avoids our gaze, finishing off his glass of wine. "I mean, you know..." He drifts when I bust out in laugher, a huge grin adorning his cute face. "Whatever." He blushes and oh gosh, that man I tell you, he'll be the death of me.

I can't handle his sweet side.  It's overwhelming sometimes.

"Right. Well, all jokes aside, there is something I've been meaning to tell you Justin which got me on a plane out here instead of doing it over the phone." Lynn speaks up and I note how Justin's jovial mood quickly disappears before it's replaced by worry and concern.

"Mom? Is everything ok?" Justin queries with slight panic filling his voice as he stretches his hand across the table to grip her aging hand.

I'm holding my breath as well, knowing that a simple casual visit wasn't the only reason for her presence. I haven't forgotten what Robert told me about Justin and his mom. It's clear that they love each other unconditionally, but it's also clear that they live two very separate lives.

"You're not dying are you?" Justin speaks again in horror when she doesn't answer.

"Oh heavens no Justin. I'm fine." Lynn giggles and he breathes a sigh, but that doesn't lessen his worry. "I'm more than fine actually." She adds in and I think I have a clue where this is going.

Staring at Justin, I take in his confusion as he continues to eye his mother while stealing glances at me in between.

"So what's going on?" He questions and she takes in a deep breath, squeezing his hand in hers.

"Sweetie, you know that I love you with all of my heart. And you know that nothing and no one could ever replace you right? I know you don't like Georgiou but I hope that you can see how good he is to me and that we really love each other. But he'll never replace you and he's not trying to take the place of your father." Lynn explains.

Oh god. I don't think I should be here for this.

A deep scowl forms on Justin's face and he pulls out of his mother's grasp before resting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ok, cut to the chase mom." He demands and she nods, fiddling with her fingers.

"Well, I thought I owed it to you to tell you in person that I...I'm pregnant Justin." Lynn confesses and I bow my head when I see Justin's eyes widen in disbelief. When he doesn't say anything Lynn sighs, continuing with her little confession. "Now I know what you may be thinking. But Justin, this baby is in no way going to change my love for you. But, you're going to have a brother or sister sweetie. Isn't that great?" Lynn tires to lighten the mood but I think she killed it the moment she said she was pregnant.

I'm a little surprised myself considering her age, but she doesn't seem that old to me. I'm guessing she had Justin at a very young age, which would maybe explain why she wasn't around since she was still young and carefree at the time she had him.

"Say something Justin." Lynn pleads and I switch my vision to Justin who's biting the corners of his bottom lip as he eyes his mother with a blank expression on his face.

"Is it Georgiou's?" Justin asks in a soft whisper and his mom exhales deeply.

"Of course Justin." She replies and he nods, chewing on his bottom lip like I was doing earlier when he and Robert were in that press conference.

"Ok, well, congrats and I hope you guys are happy and all that. If that's all..." Justin trails as he abruptly pushes back in his chair, standing in record time before he grabs his jacket and wallet to leave. He digs through his wallet with shaky hands before pulling out a few bills, tossing them on the table. "Thanks for lunch mom." He mutters weakly and oh my god, what do I do?

I'm frozen in place as I see a mixture of emotions flash over his face as he looks away from his mother whose expressions aren't pleasant either.

"Justin this is my restaurant, you don't have to pay." Lynn says offended.

"Give it to the waiter as a tip then." Justin retorts and she frowns at him.

"And where are you going? Baby, please seat so we can discuss this..." But Justin cuts her off, a bitter chuckle escaping him as he snaps.

"Mom, there's nothing to discuss. You're pregnant and I'm going to have a brother or sister. Woop-ti-fuckin'-do!" Justin hisses bitterly, ignoring his mother's shocked expression. "I just have a few questions mom. While you were letting your precious Georgiou impregnate you, did you ever stop to think about the son you already have who you were never there for? The same one who got stuck with his dad who made most of his life a waking nightmare? Did you think of that? Did you ever stop for a second and say hey, I should be a mom first to my already existing kid? Did you ever once say that, I should be there for my son first before I decide to build my perfect little family and my perfect little life in France with my new baby, completely ignoring my first born? Did you ever stop to think of that mother!?" Justin growls angrily, his voice rising to the point where he attracts the attention of the other persons in the restaurant.

When Lynn doesn't answer, Justin scoffs while turning his back to her as he scopes out his surroundings. "I didn't think so." He concludes and I wince from the harshness and hurt in his tone.

I sink down in my seat, desperately wishing that I was anywhere else but here.

"Justin please..." Lynn caves, her voice trembling as she tries to contain her composure. "I'm sorry but you have to know I always loved you. I can't take any of those times back. I was young, and stupid. I still wanted to live, to explore. I didn't want to be tied down and your father wasn't making things easier for me either when he kept trying to control me. But I'm here now and we can..."

"Save it mom. I don't want to hear it." Justin snaps, finally looking at me and I break eye-contact with him, not wanting to be in the middle of this. "I survived without you for most of my life. I'm pretty sure I can handle the rest of my life with you popping in and out easily. Thanks for lunch, but, we're leaving now." Justin utters, stretching his hand out for me to take. "Tai, let's go." He says, giving me a pleading stare and I hesitate, turning to look at Lynn who's gazing down at the tablecloth, quietly smoothing out the wrinkles with her palms.

"It...it was nice to meet you Lynn." I smile and she looks up at me, giving me a soft, sad smile.

"You too sweetie. Take care of my boy for me?" She asks only enraging Justin more.

"Are you kidding me!? I don't need to hear this mess right now." Justin grunts, huffing before he walks away, storming out of the restaurant, leaving us alone.

"I'll try my best Lynn. And don't worry Justin's only hurting. He'll come around. I'll talk to him." I assure her and she nods in understanding.

"I don't blame him for being angry with me. He has every right to be. I haven't been the best mother. I'm trying not to make the same mistakes twice. But, thank you." Lynn murmurs and I nod, bidding her farewell before I turn on my heel and dash out of the restaurant to catch up to Justin.

I catch him just about to enter the back of one of A-List's company cars.

"Justin!" I call out, following him into the car and slamming the door shut behind us.

He rattles out to the driver to take us to his place before he seats back, not looking at me or saying a word.

"I get that you're upset and that you're hurting." I begin after catching my breath, momentarily gazing out of the windows at Manhattan as we pull into traffic. "But..."

"Don't defend her Tai. I swear to god." Justin mumbles, finally turning to gaze at me with big glassy eyes.

Aw...

"Gosh Justin. I'm not defending her. I think she needed to hear how you felt." I admit and he nods, quirking his brows at me.

"But?" He questions and I smile.

"But, the way you did it wasn't right and you know that. I know you wanted to hurt her, you wanted her to feel the hurt you felt most of your life but, Justin two wrongs don't make a right. Your mom loves you and you love her. She's not your dad. Don't blame her for that. At least you have one parent who cares enough to cross waters to tell you in person what's going on with them. I wish my parents were here with Sean and me every day. Don't take what you have for granted Justin. Cherish those moments. Appreciate the fact that you have both of your parents still here with you as twisted and as messed up as they are." I explain and he glares at me for a good moment before he relents.

He stretches out his hands and grips my sides, pulling me towards him to straddle his waist and I giggle, leaning down to place soft kisses on his lips.

Thank goodness for the tinted separating windows in the company cars. I know I couldn't see the point in them before but now, I'm thankful. I don't need the driver witnessing any of this.

Pulling away from me, Justin lifts one of his hands to brush some hair out of my face before a gentle smile slides over his face.

"I love you..." He whispers and I nod, mouthing back the words to him. "And thank you." He appends.

"You're welcome." I beam, knowing that he's thanking me for a lot more than simply giving him that tiny speech.

Inhaling deeply, Justin gives me an affectionate squeeze as he shifts underneath me to get more comfortable, the pressure of my weight against his center causing a deep, soft groan to pull from his lips which sends shivers through my body as I hold onto him, savoring his warmth.

"While I know that I do need to make things right with my folks, Tai, I think the most important thing now is knowing that I have you here with me no matter what. Because believe it or not, I'm ok with not having my parents around anymore since you're more than enough for me..." Justin coos and I think I'm going to tear up, this is so touching. He has a big smile on his face now that reaches all the way up to his eyes and once again, his gorgeous blues manage to entrance me with their depths. "And I mean that Tai. I hope that you can see that and that you'll stick around because I'm not afraid to admit that I need you..."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

[Part One]

Days Later

En Route to Los Angeles, California

[Via A-List Private Jet]             

Visual:

"It's official. If you all need me to, I'll worship the ground you Timberlakes walk on for having every single ingredient needed to make a bloody Mary here! Tai, can you believe it!? Look at this bar!" Sean shouts excitedly from the back of the A-List jet and I laugh boisterously, turning to stare at Justin who's also dying of laugher next to me as he types away on his MacBook.

"I know Sean! It's pretty sweet huh?" I question as I shift in my leather seat, fixing my seatbelt.

"No duh sis!" Sean chuckles and Justin's head immediately snaps up as he stares at me, his blues filled with amusement as he rests his laptop down on the finely crafted ebony table in front of us.

"You were right; Sean's a bad influence on you." Justin snickers. "No duh? I still can't get over that." Justin teases me, nudging and poking me playfully and I smack his hand away.

"Stop." I whisper, holding in my giggles and he grins at me mischievously before unbuckling his seatbelt to stand.

"I could go for a drink too. Come on." Justin states, coaxing me to follow him and I do, allowing him to lead us to the back of the Jet where Sean and Robert are situated.

It's no surprise that we're presently airborne in A-List's private Jet heading to LA.

These past days have been hectic and chaotic. Justin and Robert are the talk of the media world when it comes to heirs because of the press conference they held at A-List.

They're full blown celebrities now after airing A-List's dirty laundry for the entire world to see.

We even had a few paparazzi encounters when leaving A-List's building in the past few days which Justin simply ignored, gripping my hand and storming past the paps, ignoring their accusations and questions about our relationship.

I didn't care though.

I don't care anymore if people know that I'm with Justin because either way, I'm still going to be with him because I love him and we're not going to let the outside world dictate our lives. We had a talk about that recently and I don't mind facing the speculation because I'm not the type who really bothers with what people think about me when I don't even know who the heck they are.

Not to mention, a good chunk of A-List's clients put their accounts on hold when they heard about the incident concerning Randall. According to some of A-List's clients and partners, they were only willing to continue their business ventures with A-List once Justin and Robert were in charge, not Randall. Is that messed up or what?

Randall didn't take those turn of events very well. The last time I heard and saw him, he was in a screaming fest with Justin and Robert in Justin's office before he stormed out of the office and out of the building, letting his sons know that he'd deal with them once they returned from LA because he couldn't be bothered at the moment.

I have no idea what Randall meant by that but Justin and Robert didn't seem fazed by any of it.

They have high hopes that there's still some good buried in their dad somewhere.

I don't.

I'm scared for them, but if they're going to brush it off then, I'll brush it off too for the next three days we're away from New York.

Because damn it, I'm excited! I mean, we're flying in luxury! Is all of this even necessary? I've only ever seen private jets like this one on television and in magazines. It's actually a twenty-three seater Boeing Business Jet. It's beautiful and the interior color scheme is a mixture of black, cream and white which is exceptionally classy.

I had no idea I'd actually get to fly in one of these things in my lifetime. It goes to show you how your life can change so drastically when you least expect it.

This A-List jet has a large entertainment system, a fully stocked bar, and it even has a bedroom! Yes, it has a damn bed in here. I'm wondering how they were even able to fit it in here. Weird thought, but, still! A bed!? And it's at least queen sized too. Gosh! Those two brothers, I admire them so much. Not because they have this life of luxury, but, because even with all of this, they're so down to earth and humble that you can't help but admire them.

"Here you go Tai." Justin snaps me out of my thoughts and I smile softly at him from where I'm seating on one of the barstools.

Taking the drink from his grasp, I thank him and smile brightly when a whiff of the scotch in the glass fills my nostrils.

"You know my poison." I giggle and Justin chortles before taking a swig of his beer.

"You and Rob have something in common." Justin laughs and I nod, sipping on my drink lightly.

"That we do." Robert speaks up, lifting his drink in the air and I giggle softly, my laughs increasing when I see Sean reading one of the menus.

"So, why isn't there an airhostess on this flight?" I speak up and Justin shrugs.

"We didn't need one. We had here fully stocked so if you guys want anything to eat, you can grab one of the meals and heat it up." Justin explains and I nod, taking another gulp of my scotch on the rocks.

"I'm good." Sean speaks up, finishing off his bloody Mary.

"Me too." I confirm and Justin nods.

This is nice.

This is one of those small moments in my life I'm always going to remember: the four of us relaxing at the bar casually drinking and chatting effortlessly. It's these little moments that make you appreciate the people in your life.

Plus, I'm happy to be away from New York and the walls of A-List for a bit.

I'm tired since we had to wake up early for our flight today, but the good thing in all of this is LA is three hours behind New York so I'm pretty sure I'll have plenty of time to catch up on some sleep.

"I've been meaning to ask..." Sean begins, excitement filling his voice. "Besides you guys obvious work schedule, what fun plans did you add for us to partake in? I know Tai is going to be with you Justin and I'll be at Robert's and I'm perfectly fine with that because I don't need to be witnessing any of you all's...you know..." He waves his hand in effect and Justin glares at him oddly, trying to hold back his laughter. "But, I hope we get the Hollywood tour because I'm dying to see some of those sights."

"Actually..." Robert voices before finishing off his drink and placing it on the countertop. "Justin and I tried to fit in as much fun as we could specifically for you guys. We have that Hollywood tour down that you want Sean; we also have shopping, the beach with surfing and maybe jet skiing, clubbing and dinner at one of our dad's restaurants in LA. All Justin and I have to do business wise is two press conferences promoting A-List's anniversary shindig and we'll also be contacting a few clients in reference to the event. I think we can fit all of that into three days." Robert states and Justin nods in agreement.

"We can. Our first conference is tomorrow, so today, we thought the Hollywood tour and maybe some shopping was in order then we'll head home to get situated. I'll have the driver drop off our things at our place while we hit the town. Tomorrow we'll do the beach since our conference is early in the morning. Then, we'll do the club after dinner. And on the third day, after our second press conference, we'll visit those A-List clients but we'll have the rest of the day off to do whatever. Maybe we could all hang at Rob's or my place and invite a few of our friends over for a mini BBQ and pool party. It's up to you guys." Justin informs Sean and me and we both shake our heads in agreement, a large grin spreading across Sean's face at their plans.

"This I can live with." Sean chortles and Justin smiles in return. "Totally copasetic."

"Sweet." Justin hums, grabbing another beer out of the mini fridge and I simply remain quiet as I stare at his red t-shirt clad back.

He's so cute, with his matching fitted hat and jacket. Now that I know what he looks like without clothes on, it's hard not to picture him that way almost always.

Shifting in my seat, I place down my now empty glass on the counter, wiping my palms over my jeans before fixing my green top.

Robert excuses himself to return to his seat and Sean follows suit, asking Robert's advice on helping him to surf the net for cars at affordable prices.

We could definitely use a car. I'm tired of always taking the train and bus, especially at night.

Justin easily pops open his can of beer as he moves to stand before me, taking a long swig of the chilled liquid before placing the can down on the counter next to me.

"So, how's my Taiana doing?" Justin says softly and I roll my eyes lightheartedly at him as he situates himself between my legs, his large hands gripping my waist tightly.

"You're going to make everyone at A-List know my name." I grumble and he laughs loudly.

"I think it's cute. And only Rob and Gem know." He counters.

"No thanks to you, which means Chris maybe knows too."

"Why do you hate your full name so much?" Justin queries and I avoid his gaze as I shift in my seat, my hands circling around his neck to hold him in place.

"I don't. It makes me miss my parents. I have all these memories of them whenever someone says my name."

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that. Sean told me about it. If you prefer I won't call you..."

"No, it's fine. I'm getting used to it. Don't worry about it. What else did Sean tell you at Carla's album release party?" I enquire, remembering I never did scold my brother on the matter.

"You'll never know." Justin smiles deviously and I groan.

"Whatever." I snigger and he beams at me, leaning forward to place a delicate kiss on my lips.

I breathe in deeply when his hold around me tightens and he expels a soft growl.

Is it just me or is it getting claustrophobic in here? Ugh, but it's a good kind of claustrophobia even if that must seem strange.

It's not long before our little make-out session is interrupted by the pilot's voice over the intercom system, telling us that we'll be landing in LAX shortly once they have clearance on the runway.

Grudgingly, Justin pulls away from me then grips my hand in his as I stand so we can return to our seats and fasten our seatbelts.

"Welcome to Los Angeles, California." Justin murmurs while kissing my temple softly as we make our way back to our seats to join Robert and Sean, and I smile when I look out of the jet windows at the state below, the sun shining brightly through the clouds in the transparent sky...

*****

Hours Later

Los Angeles, California

Visual:

Today, hands down, was one of the most fun days of my life. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun.

From the moment we landed in LAX and got our luggage, the fun started.

Justin and Robert were like two big clowns, cracking all these ridiculous jokes of their past visits to LA which Sean and I ate up.

The first thing we did was hop into their awaiting company ride which took us into the heart of Hollywood before Justin instructed the driver to drop our things off at Robert's and his place.

When we got to our destination, they actually had a car waiting for us. It was a slick, belle, black Aston Martin too.

I was in awe.

Justin was the one driving so I sat at the front with him and Robert and Sean took the back seats. We had the music blaring from the speakers as Justin drove us around Hollywood showing us all of the sights.

Then, when it was later down in the day, we all grabbed something to eat at one of Justin and Robert's favorite restaurants.

Justin and Robert even stopped a few times during the day on our walks to sign autographs and take out photos with random strangers who recognized them.

It was crazy, but so, so enjoyable.

By the time it was late afternoon, we were all strolling around in one of the malls, buying knickknacks here and there while goofing off with each other.

And you know what? I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

It feels amazing when you can forget about everything and simply have a carefree fun day.

Plus, I absolutely love LA. The weather, the atmosphere and the whole vibe is so different from New York.

And the people! A lot of them are so beautiful, even if I know this is part of the trend and Hollywood lifestyle, it was a lot to take in.

By the end of our day, Justin and I bade Robert and Sean farewell after dropping them off at Robert's which is a huge two-story house. My mouth gaped open in shock when I saw Robert's place and he still had the heart to say Justin's place was a ‘tad' bigger.

This would probably explain why the chattering and laughing I was doing with Justin ceased when we drove up to the gates of his home and he punched in some long security code to open the gates.

As we pull up to the front of his home I furrow my brows taking in the lavish, white, glass wall, futuristic-type two-story home.

"Wow..." I voice as Justin kills the engine of the Aston Martin.

"Do you like it?" He questions, turning to look at me hopefully after he pulls the key out of the ignition and stuffs it in his jeans pocket.

"This definitely beats your penthouse apartment." I laugh and he chuckles.

"It was a gift from my mom some years back. It was her way of buying me over since she was never around. My housekeeper usually takes care of the place when I'm not around." He shrugs before opening the car door to get out, and I follow suit, rounding the car to help him with the few shopping bags that we have.

"Your mom loves you Justin." I point out. "You should talk to her."

"I know Tai, I know. Just, let me get over that pregnancy bomb she dropped on me and I'll give her a call...I promise." He sighs heavily and I nod, satisfied with his response.

I'm not going to push it.

He knows what he has to do; he simply needs a little time.

"Come on, let's get inside, I want to show you around." Justin grins brightly and I follow him as we juggle the shopping bags in our hands while making our way into his home.

*****

Later

Justin's Home

Los Angeles, California

Visual:

"I'll admit that I can see myself moving out here to live. I never thought I'd say it because I love New York, but it's blatantly obvious that I'm in love with LA also." I divulge.

"LA's not all glitz and glamour Tai. You should know that. You're getting the best part of it." Justin points out while coming to stand behind me as I lean over the glass railing in his bedroom, looking out at the beautiful lights of LA below at night.

"I know." I sigh. "But when you have the best of a world, it's magnified like no other." I coo in a dreamy state.

"Who knows, maybe you'll get the best of both worlds one day." Justin whispers in my ear as he wraps his arms around my waist tightly, pressing his front to my back. "You deserve it..." He adds in, dipping his head down to kiss my neck lightly.

Sighing, I smile softly, getting lost in the beauty in front of us.

Justin's home out here is spectacular. It's actually cozy with the way he set everything up and it's definitely a good getaway.

After we came in earlier, we called up Robert and Sean to let them know that we were safe and that we'd see them tomorrow.

Then, Justin gave me the grand tour before he made us dinner which was delicious.

Yes, he actually cooked.

And I was there to witness it too.

That was an unforgettable moment.

He made his mom's special Lasagna and stir fry vegetables as he called it which only concluded that he indeed missed his mom and he wasn't truly angry at her.

He was simply hurt.

But, now, he's doing really well.

He's happier now; he smiles and laughs a lot more and it's genuine, not forced.

I know he says that I have a part to play in it, and maybe I do, but, I'm glad that he's able to deal with his demons because we all have them. He helped me deal with mine by helping me to open up and actually embrace my feelings instead of always trying to suppress them.

So, I'd say we're both good for each other.

"What are you thinking of?" Justin hums in my ear, brushing his nose against the side of my face as we both take in the scenery in front of us.

"That I shouldn't have drunk that extra glass of champagne at dinner. I'm feeling a little lightheaded." I giggle.

It's true, I should have stopped while I was ahead, but it was so tasty.

Justin chuckles softly, releasing his hold on me to spin me around to face him.

"I feel fine." He mentions.

"Obviously...I'm the weak drinker here." I muse.

Looking up at him, I smile, my eyes traveling over the black wife beater and grey cotton slacks he's wearing. He just came from the shower after me so he smells damn good right now and his short brunette curls are a shade darker since they're slightly damp and glistening.

"I can't see how that's possible when you drink scotch on a regular." Justin jibes and I rotate my eyes playfully before walking away from him to get into bed...his bed...because he refused to let me stay in the guest bedroom. Hmm...

"I don't drink full bottles of scotch Justin. I only drink like one glass, maybe two at most. We went through more than one bottle of champagne tonight." I point out and he snickers, following me.

"True. Ok, point taken."

"But I had fun tonight; it was nice spending time together...just the two of us." I admit and he shakes his head in agreement, standing before me at the side of the bed as I crawl over the sheets to lie down.

Lying on my back, I look up, grinning demurely...

"I could think of a few ways to make our night more fun." Justin utters, his voice low and taunting as his blues examine my lying form closely.

My head snaps in his direction and I bite the corner of my lips when I see the lascivious stare he's giving me, my body instantly heating up.

But I ignore him for now, my vision diverting north again before I glare at my reflection in partial amusement and awe.

"I'd really like you to explain to me this fascination you have with ceiling mirrors Justin. Please." I titter and he grins widely from ear to ear, jumping onto the bed to lie next to me on top of the dark gold and black sheets.

Gazing up at the mirror with me, he smiles, tilting his head slightly to the side as he studies our reflection from where we're lying next to each other.

"It's kinky, hot, and different...and I like that."  He simply states as we look at each other through the mirror above us.

That's the only response I'm met with but that's not enough.

"So, when you and your girlfriends..."

"Ok, I'm going to stop you right there Tai and say ‘no.' I never did." He laughs out.

"So then why..."

"Honestly, this wasn't here before. I only had that one mirror in my bedroom but since you took such an interest in it when you were over at my apartment back in New York, I figured you'd maybe get a kick out of this one and I was right." He chuckles and I turn on my side to look at him, propping myself up on my elbow so I can get a better view of him.

"You installed this one because of me?" I ask incredulously.

"Don't seem so surprised. It's not that big of a deal." Justin states nonchalantly and I eye him, not believing him.

"What's on your mind right this second Justin? And don't lie or change your answer because I asked you."

"Ok, well in that case, my mind is presently filled with thoughts of the both of us, naked, rolling around on my bed." He confesses with a straight face and my eyes widen in shock, my mouth gaping open slightly.

He doesn't flinch or budge from his spot, but I notice the faint hint of a smile tugging at his lips before he casts his vision north again.

That sneaky little manipulative...ugh god, I'm most definitely thinking the same thing too but it's a bit more graphic than that.

"You're a tease Justin." I point out and he shrugs in response, finally breaking out into a lopsided grin.

"Not intentionally Tai."

"Yes, intentionally."

"Well then you're a tease too." Justin states in a low groan and I smile.

"Not tonight." I deduce and his head immediately whips in my direction, interest filling his blues before I cure his curiosity by gripping a fistful of his wife beater to pull him over to me.

He allows me to take control as I pull him until he's hovering over me, propping himself up on his hands while he nestles between my legs.

"What were you saying about making our night more fun?" I coo softly and he blinks slowly, his azures absorbing my browns in an intense stare.

"Are you sure you want to Tai? Because I really was only teasing...I can wait for as long as you want me to..." But I quickly shake my head in protest, cutting him off.

He's sweet. But really, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to jump him the very first day we met even if he was a colossal jerk at the time.

He must know how fine and irresistible he is. He can't be that oblivious to it.

"Just shut up and kiss me Justin." I giggle and that's all it takes before he completely caves, exhaling heavily before he relaxes against me.

And in a heartbeat, his soft lips are against mine, kissing me passionately while my hands find their way to his back so I can grip him there...all self-control vanished.

His kiss is slightly volatile, his hand slowly exploring my curves as a smooth growl bubbles up in his throat. I hold him in my embrace as his tongue lightly dances with mine in a deep, sultry kiss.

My breathing is labored and I'm fully aware of where this is going to lead, but I don't care because I want this...I want him.

Slowly breaking our lip-lock, Justin heaves a content sigh with a small smile on his face before he dips his head to my collarbone, his lips brushing against my skin since I'm wearing a thin-strapped top and shorts.

He slowly makes his way to my neck, kissing and nibbling on the flesh, driving me crazy.

"Ugh god...don't stop." I moan, my back arching slightly off the bed when his suction increases.

His hand disappears beneath my top, inching its way north until he cups one of my breasts, massaging it softly.

Then he pulls away from me, detaching himself from me as he inhales deeply, his blues shades darker as he glares at me.

I look at him, wondering what he's doing but my confusion doesn't last long when in one swift motion he roots off his wife beater giving me a perfect view of his tone, sculpted torso.

Giggling, I place my hands on his bulging pectorals, a shiver passing through me when a soft moan escapes him.

"Ok Tai." Justin swallows harshly. "Do me a favor and strip." He voices in a deep grunt before gripping my waist and flipping us over so I'm on top straddling his waist.

"What?" I mutter.

"Don't act so innocent." Justin growls, fixing his weight beneath me. "If you want...I can help." He winks.

I glare at him in shock, his gaze remaining on me for a mere second before he casts his vision north to gaze at our reflection, biting down on his lip harshly as his hands move around my body, gripping and massaging me.

That little freak!

Surprisingly, I'm loving that about him.

So I do as he requests, shedding my top and tossing it on the floor next to us.

His blues are back on me now, widening at the sight of my bare upper half since I wasn't wearing a bra.

"Damn you're beautiful." Justin groans softly. "And a perfect blended tone of caramel chocolate...Mm hmm." He hums, slowly licking his lips and I gasp in shock. Oh my god! "Don't think I didn't know...like that time when you switched my coffee...which means I'm the milk right?" He snickers and I smack his bare chest, blushing massively.

"Oh my god shut up Justin!" I whisper, giggling uncontrollably and he chuckles, pulling me down for an intense kiss which makes my head spin.

Then he flips us over again, his smooth naked chest meshing with mine as he continues kissing me, my moans lodging in my throat when one of his hands travels down to my shorts, tugging at the waistband.

My heart is thudding in my chest in anticipation when Justin pulls away from me with an annoyed look on his face.

Casting his vision south between us, he grips my shorts and swiftly yanks them and my underwear off in one pull. He tosses them carelessly to the side before pausing to take a good look at me since I'm now fully naked beneath him.

His large hands slowly and shyly skim over my thighs, inching their way up to where I need his touch the most.

"Justin..." I whisper and he snaps his head up to look at me, as if reading my mind before he sinks down between my legs and begins placing delicate kisses along the inside of my thighs, moving higher and higher until he places a firm, long kiss right on my clit.

And I gasp, my eyes widening as I grasp fistfuls of the bed sheet beneath us. I pant softly, my body going rigid under his touch when his tongue slicks out to taste me causing a ripple of pleasure to shoot through me.

Shit...seriously? He's really doing this right now? Oh my god.

"Jus..." But my voice dies out, my eyes growing wider when I look up and take in our reflection through his ceiling mirror.

Oh god, he was right...this is hot.

I'm practically mesmerized by the blend of our skin tones with his head buried between my legs, his lips and tongue working overtime, causing my toes to curl and uncurl as I fight to hold back any type of orgasm since I'm not ready yet.

"Jus...stop." I choke out, still looking up, noticing how the angel tattoo on his back makes a rippling effect when he contracts and relaxes his muscles.

"Ugh Justin!" I scream out, gasping for air when he forms a small suction on my clit, his hums sending goose bumps all over my body.

I can't take it anymore. I immediately grip his head, forcefully pulling him away from me until he relents and seats up, a satisfied smirk on his face as he licks his lips.

"Take those off." I point to his cotton slacks before he can say anything and he simply shakes his head, obeying me with a mischievous grin on his face.

I can't even look away. My browns are trained on him as he pulls off his slacks and tosses them aside.

He's fully naked in front of me now, his thick, long, impeccably beautiful male erection free of its confinements.

Damn...damn him.

I think he's aware of why I'm speechless right now, simply staring in awe because he doesn't say anything.

He simply bends forward, crawling over me before leaning down to kiss me harder than he ever has before. And I sigh against him, kissing him back, loving the feel of our naked bodies fused together.

His hands skim over my body, a soft growl escaping him when I shift beneath him, allowing the head of his erection to rest against my swollen entrance.

One moment he's kissing me feverishly, the next moment he's breathing deeply, trying to suck air into his lungs as he grips beneath one of my thighs, wrapping my leg around his slender waist.

My juices begin flowing freely now when he curves his hips, angling himself to the point where the head of his erection is resting perfectly at my entrance as he applies a little pressure, but not enough to sink inside of me yet.

"Uh shit, Justin...please." I whine, gripping him around his back tightly before lifting my hips slightly, desperately needing to feel more of him.

He can't do this to me now. He just can't.

"Tell me." He groans softly, placing butterfly kisses on my lips and I'm fighting to control my breathing as my other leg wraps around his waist, the heel of my feet grazing over his tight butt.

"Shit, fuck me please." I plead, but he shakes his head in protest, still kissing me, groping me and it takes everything in me not to scream.

"Louder." He demands gruffly and my browns latch onto his deep blues, holding his gaze.

I love this domineering side of him. It's so sexy.

"Damn it Justin! Fuck me!" I shout but then I gasp in shock, my muscles tensing when he suddenly thrusts himself deeply into me, in one swift movement, burying himself inside of me.

My walls swallow him up, tight, warm and slick.

"Fuck..." Justin pants, using one of his hands to grip my waist so he can hold me in place. "Mm, damn girl." He whispers, sucking in his bottom lip as he slides out of me before pushing back in.

Ugh, god, he feels so good. He has no idea how long I've wanted this.

"Yes, yes..." I growl, keeping my grip on him, completely indulging in how amazing this all is.

His thrusts are moderate and deep, the swivel of his hips causing him to hit my g-spot every time.

Pleasure overpowers me, clouding my thoughts as I relish in the feel of our bodies rubbing together sleekly with Justin's warmth engulfing me.

He dips his head down, softly biting my shoulder as he picks up his pace, his thrusts rhythmic and satisfying as he pulses inside of me causing me to bite down on my lip harshly to prevent myself from screaming at his powerful strokes.

Just when I think I can't possibly get more turned on, I allow my vision to travel north again, my mouth gaping open slightly when I take in our reflection, really studying the way we blend perfectly together.

I breathe deeply as my eyes travel down the length of his strong broad back to his slender hips, skillfully moving against me, making me squirm beneath him.

"Mm..." Justin groans in a low hum next to my ear. "I love you." He whispers, his voice raspy and deep and I gulp hard, licking at my lips as I continue to watch us with intrigue.

"I love you too J..." I murmur, panting when he grips my hips firmly and flips us over, never losing his rhythm.

My hands fall on the pillows on either side of his head and he looks up at me, brushing my hair out of my face as he continues to move inside of me, drawing me close to my climax.

"Look up Tai." Justin states and I frown at him when he diverts his vision. "Go ahead...look up." He probes again and I hesitate, fighting to hold off my orgasm.

If I do as he says it's all over for me...

But I look up anyway, arching my back and angling my body with my hands resting next to my legs so I can see us. My hair falls to my back and I gasp when I see Justin smiling at me through the mirror with his hands on my hips, directing my movements on top of him as he continues thrusting into me.

"Wow..." I mutter, getting lost in the sheer artistic feel of this moment.

I've never experienced anything so intense before. I've never looked at myself having sex before either, but there's something so incredibly kinky and hot about it. Not to mention Justin's biting down harshly on his lips right now, his eyes squinting when I feel him jerk beneath me.

He's close, I can tell...

I'm almost there too, too weak to hold back much longer.

So, I decide to help him out by lifting my weight almost all the way off of him before I slam back down harshly, the air leaving his lungs as his fingers dig into my sides.

"Fuck..." Justin grunts as I move on top of him, bouncing lightly, my hands making their way to my hair as I feel a small tingling sensation in my stomach, my walls constricting around him, tighter and tighter, until he can't take it anymore and he elicits a deep growl when he lets go, climaxing and coating my walls. 

And I follow soon after, my orgasm slowly building until I let out a soft scream when I feel an explosion, waves of pleasure surging through my body, causing me to shake.

"Oh my god." I gasp, falling against him, trying to catch my breath.

He wraps his arms around my back, breathing deeply too, trying to regain his composure before he switches position so I'm lying on my back once more with him hovering, still buried inside of me.

He shifts some damp hair out of my face as he stares at me, slowly sliding out of me and I pout at the loss in connection.

"You're amazing Tai." He divulges and I giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

"You're amazing too." I confirm when pulling away and he hums, shaking his head as he takes in the sight of me.

"Mm hmm...Je t'adore mon amour." Justin whispers in a sexy tone and oh my god! He needs to not speak to me in French before he makes me jump him again.

"Aw, I adore you too." I coo and he grins brightly.

"We should get some rest though. We have a long day ahead of us. It's like after four am in New York right now." Justin chuckles and I giggle.

"But we're on LA time, so it's only after one here, which means we have time still." I smile slyly and his interest peaks.

"Time for what exactly?" He plays along, feigning innocence and I laugh, feeling my heart swell with love for this man.

"Round two." I say eagerly and Justin erupts in laughter before dipping his head down to capture my lips with his.

I moan into the kiss, feeling myself getting turned on again and Justin groans in response, already semi-hard, breaking our kiss to look at me with a playful grin on his face before he opts to speak.

"Ok, you win Tai. We definitely have time for round two..."

Indeed we do...

*****

Credit for Photos: Google Photo Search

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

[PART TWO]

Next Day

Justin's Home

Los Angeles, California

"Morning beautiful..."

Lifting my head, I smile when Justin strolls into the kitchen fully dressed and ready for business in his work attire.

He walks over to where I'm seating at the island munching on a bowl of cereal while fixing his cufflinks.

"Morning." I beam at him and he grins widely before leaning down to capture my lips in a soft kiss.

"Mm...you taste like mint." I say when he pulls away and he chuckles.

"And you taste like my cereal and milk...still sweet though." He jibes and I roll my eyes before looking away to take another spoonful of that sweet goodness.

"So, how long will you guys be out?" I question while chewing slowly.

He gazes at his wrist watch, silently making a calculation before he shrugs.

"Two to three hours tops. Rob's on his way over with Sean as we speak. I called him when I got out of the shower. Sean will be here to keep you company while we're gone. You guys are free to explore. It's kind of early to go in the pool but if you want to you could...the sun will be out soon. Plus, I have a full entertainment system and a large archive of movies you all could dig into. There's food, alcohol...you guys can go crazy. Just don't break anything." Justin laughs and I giggle, finishing off my bowl of cereal.

"Ok, we'll find something to do." I murmur and he nods before leaning down to kiss me again. "Wow, someone's a little touchy this morning." I tease him and he groans.

"I can't help it Tai. There's something super sexy about you wearing only my big t-shirt which practically swallows you up." Justin coos, gripping my waist and forcing me to stand before him.

"Well, that's too bad." I state while fixing his tie for him and he frowns at me.

"How so?"

"Because I'm sure you'd much rather if the t-shirt was off, maybe tossed on the floor and all, but you have a press conference to get to so, maybe next time." I muse.

He growls deeply, his hold on me tightening when I say this.

"Don't tease me." Justin warns and I laugh softly. "You won't like me when I'm sexually frustrated...I promise you that. You have no idea the lengths I had to go with my psyche to hold off until you were ready..." But he drifts as he looks at me, a large smile forming on his face. "All my hard work of self-control died last night. I promise you Tai, teasing me is dangerous." He cautions and I cackle.

"I'll take my chances." I wisecrack and his brows curve in amusement.

But we're interrupted by the loud honking of a horn outside.

"Robert's here." I say excitedly, pulling away from Justin much to his distaste.

I can't help it. I missed my brother. I'm used to seeing him practically every night.

I'm not saying last night with Justin wasn't amazing because it was but still, I missed Sean.

Gripping Justin's hand, I drag him with me towards the front door.

"Come on Justin; you don't want to be late and the sooner you leave the sooner you'll return."

"You're not trying to get rid of me are you?" He asks suspiciously when we make it to the front door and I swing it open, just in time to see Sean and Robert strolling towards us.

"Yes. Now go so you can get back here!" I giggle, pushing him out and he chuckles, turning around to steal one more kiss before he struts away looking fine as ever.

I watch as Justin greets Robert with a manly handshake before Robert waves at me and I wave back.

I bid them farewell and so does Sean before they turn on their heels and head towards Robert's car which is a silver BMW.

Both Sean and I watch them hop into the car and head down the driveway and out of Justin's gates.

When they're out of sight, Sean turns around to face me in his knee-length shorts and t-shirt with his beach towel and bag in hand.

He gives me a once over then grins brightly before pushing me back so he can enter Justin's home and shut the door behind us.

When we're inside, he gazes at his new surroundings giving a slight nod of approval.

Then he looks at me, his smile never leaving his face. "Morning mama."

"Well Good morning to you too Sean." I giggle, giving him a tight hug.

When he pulls away, he chuckles softly, giving me one of his famous knowing smirks.

"Do I want to know the reason why you're so bubbly and happy and even glowing this morning?" He questions and my eyes widen in shock.

Am I that transparent?

"I know you Tai, you're my sister." He points out when I continue to stare at him silently, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"I uh..."

"You got laid didn't you? Justin finally ‘put it on you' huh?" Sean laughs out and I gasp in shock, smacking his chest harshly.

"Sean! Oh my god shut up! I swear I'll smother you if you tease me about it." I groan and his eyes light up with excitement.

"So it's true! Little Taiana finally got some of that Timberlake lovin'. Aw, I'm so proud of you. My how you've grown." Sean teases me.

"Ugh!" I huff, stomping away from him and he follows me into the kitchen. "Don't make me hurt you Sean." I snap, but I can't help the giggle that escapes me when I think of Justin.

"Damn sis, it was that good huh?" Sean beams brightly at me, taking a seat on the island and I follow, sitting down next to him.

Gosh, I love my brother even though he can be a pain in my derrière sometimes.

"Just be quiet Sean. Justin told us we could do whatever while they're gone. So, I was thinking maybe you and I could raid Justin's DVD stash and watch a movie until they return. What do you think?" I ask.

"Well..." Sean begins, still surveying his surroundings before diverting his attention back to me. "I think you should start with the details of how you and Justin spent your night, leaving off the graphic stuff of course. And then, we can work on that movie and whatever." He flicks his hand dismissively and I narrow my eyes at him.

"I'm starting to wish you stayed at Robert's." I joke.

"You missed me." He counters and I nod.

"I did. Fine!" I relent. "But you have to promise, no teasing me, especially in front of Justin." I warn him and he shakes his head in agreement, placing his hand on his chest.

"Scout's honor." Sean grins and I giggle, proceeding to tell him about my night.

I still can't believe that we're here like this now.

Who would have thought that Tai and Sean Bennett from Bronx, New York would be in LA up in Hollywood Hills at my boyfriend's home who's an heir to a fashion empire?

So this is what it feels like to be A-Listed.

But that's cool because I know that we'll never let these experiences change us.

We'll always be ourselves and that's what's so great about it; that no matter what, we'll always be simply Tai and Sean.

*****

Hours Later

Santa Monica, California

[At The Beach]

Visual:

Santa Monica Beach & Pier

"We're so beating you!" I yell as Sean revs up the Jet Ski, making a sharp turn in the opposite direction.

I cling to his waist from behind, the wind and salt water stinging my face.

"Hey that's cheating!" Robert yells back, catching up to us. "No sharp unexpected turns!"

Justin is close behind us on the third Jet Ski, passing the both of us effortlessly.

"You all suck!" Justin laughs loudly and my mouth gapes open before I erupt in laughter.

"Your pretty boyfriend is so not going to win!" Sean calls out to me. "Hold on sis!" He orders and I do just that when he hits the gas sending us propelling forward as we speed over the water, catching up to Justin and passing him just in the nick of time before reaching the winning flag hanging over the pier.

"Yes!" I shout excitedly as Sean slows down until we come to a halt in the middle of the ocean. "We won!" I shout loudly, doing a little victory dance from where I'm sitting at the back of Sean.

"That's messed up man. You all really do suck." Justin pouts, coming over to us before his kills the engine on his Jet Ski.

Robert shows up seconds later, laughing at Justin's displeased expression.

"They beat you fair and square Justin." Robert voices, still snickering.

"Shut up Rob!" Justin hisses before stretching over to Robert to give him a hard shove in the shoulder which causes Robert to lose his balance and go crashing into the water next to his Jet Ski.

A satisfied grin spreads across Justin's face when Robert resurfaces, glaring at him in shock while wiping water out of his face.

"Not cool J!" Robert snaps but Justin simply rolls his eyes and I giggle.

"You're a sore loser Justin." I point out. "Would you feel better if I gave you a kiss?" I coo and he nods like a little kid.

"Yes." He says half-jokingly.

"Too bad Justin, we're out. Last one back to shore buys us all drinks!" Sean speaks up before bringing the Jet Ski to life again and hitting the gas, taking off and splashing water all over Justin and Robert who's back on his Jet Ski ready to go.

"You're on Bennett!" Justin shouts in the near distance behind us and I can't even control my laughing fits as we make it back to shore because this is by far the most fun I've had in my short life.

And I owe it all to those two amazing brothers who I'm happy to call an extended addition to my family.

**

Later

[At The Beach]

After we got back on shore, Robert and Justin went to resituate the Jet Skis on the back of their trucks which they used specifically for us to come down here to the beach.

When they returned, Robert decided to join me on the sand while Sean and Justin grabbed their surfboards and dashed back into the ocean like two fishes out of water.

Sean's not a surfer, but he insisted that just sitting on the board and floating over some of the waves was enough for him. Good ole Sean.

We're actually in Santa Monica at the beach right next to the Santa Monica Pier. It's beautiful out here and the beach is filled with people enjoying themselves.

I'm currently sitting on a small beach chair under this huge beach umbrella which Robert brought, reading a vampire novel called "Twilight" which is a love story about a male vampire falling in love with a human girl. It's very modern day 'Romeo and Juliette.'

Robert is sitting next to me on his towel, gazing out at Justin and Sean in the ocean and laughing his head off whenever Justin wipes out.

"You know, Justin could get hurt out there...that's not funny." I state, my eyes drifting to the ocean as I fix my black swimsuit and floral wrap.

I squint under the bright sunlight taking in the beauty of the white sandy beach and blue ocean. You don't see anything like this in New York. Here is like my own tiny slice of paradise.

"Justin's fine. Surfing is like breathing for him. He'll be fine. The waves aren't really high today so it's all good." Robert voices and I shrug, casting my vision in his direction.

He's in red floral swimming trunks and his wet hair is brushed back out of his face. He has a nice toned physic too but Justin is a little buffer than him.

He's grinning at me mischievously and I furrow my brows in question.

"What Robert?" I ask in irritation and he shrugs innocently.

"I'm trying to picture what mini Tais and Jusitns would look like running around..."

He coughs loudly when I stretch across and smack him hard in the chest with my book.

"Are you kidding me!?" I giggle. "You're worse than Sean. Oh my gosh!"

"Ok I surrender I'm sorry." Robert laughs, rubbing his chest. "I'm simply saying you know...my brother really loves you Tai. And, I don't see him letting you go any time soon, so it's not impossible if things go that far with you guys. I mean, hey, I wouldn't mind being an uncle." He beams and I groan.

"Well, Robert...I think it's too early to tell. Besides, Justin would have to marry me first." I quip but he doesn't laugh this time as we fall into brief silence before he speaks up again.

"That could happen." Robert says softly. "I've never seen him with any girl the way he is with you. The way he treats you it's almost like...like you're it for him." He explains seriously and I gulp down hard, feeling my nerves kick in.

Wow, I never really thought about that. It's too damn soon to think about such crucial important life changing matters.

I mean...married to Justin with kids?

I guess I never pictured any of that before, but now that Robert's put the thought in my head, I can't stop thinking about it, about what it would be like.

Damn him.

"Whatever Rob." I finally speak up, trying to lighten the mood. "You and Sean need to give it a rest; I don't think Justin likes you teasing him either." I giggle.

"He doesn't." Rob agrees. "That's what makes it so much more fun." He says with an evil laugh.

Oh boy.

"Plus, he lost our race back to shore earlier so he gets to buy us all drinks at the club later tonight, which means we should probably head back if we want to make our dinner reservations first." Robert speaks up and I nod in agreement.

As if on cue, we notice Justin and Sean running up the beach towards us.

Justin is the first to get to us and he plops down on Robert's towel in front of me, sprinkling me when he shakes some water out of his curls.

"Missed me?" Justin grins brightly and I nod, leaning forward to kiss his lips softly.

"Yup." I confirm, taking in his blue floral swimming trunks and hard glistening abs. This is absolute torture. Rooting my eyes off of his chest, my browns meet his blues and I smile for him. "Are we almost ready to go?" I inquire and Justin nods before standing.

"Yeah, we could head out." He voices and Robert stands as well, giving me a knowing smile before he starts gathering our things to leave.

"Thank goodness. I don't know what it is about salt water that makes you so hungry afterwards, but I'm starving!" Sean quips and we all burst into laughter at his over exaggeration before quickly packing up so we can leave the beach and head out to partake in our next fun activity for the day.

*****

Later

At Randall's Hollywood Restaurant

Los Angeles, California

"I'll have another drink please. Make it another scotch and put it on Justin's tab." Robert smiles kindly for the waitress who's staring at him in awe before she excuses herself from our table to get his drink.

When she's gone, Justin cuts his eyes at Robert from where he's sitting across the table.

"I thought we agreed to a round of drinks at the club?" Justin hisses lowly at his brother and I duck, trying to hold back my laughter.

Those two have been going at it all day lightly bantering with each other. Robert's been messing with Justin purposely because he gets some sick thrill from watching Justin squirm.

It's kind of cute and painful in a way. You can't help but feel pity for Justin but at the same time, you can't help but laugh at his expense.

"This is why you should get all agreements in writing big bro. Contracts are solid proof. You should know this considering who our father is and all." Robert jokes and Justin groans loudly.

"Really Rob, you're an ass sometimes. We had a verbal agreement. So yeah, I lost our little race back to shore on the Jet Skis today and Sean said the loser had to buy everyone drinks. But this is ridiculous. This is your fourth glass of scotch and we haven't even made it to the club yet. You'll be drunk by the time we get there. I'm not driving your drunken ass home." Justin snaps but Robert simply smiles smugly.

"Well we had a breech in contract so chill out Justin. Loosen up. Sean can drive us if I'm too wasted."

"Uh, correction, Sean cannot. I do not have a license and this is my first time visiting this state so think again." Sean cuts in and I bite my lips, still trying to hold back my laughter.

Huffing, Justin rolls his eyes playfully before resting back in his seat. "You know what? You go ahead and drink Rob. I'd love to see you drunk. You're a terrible drunk. It'll make for some nice blackmail photos." Justin grins while waving his cell phone in the air. "Photos and videos in top quality. Keep testing me." Justin adds in and the smile on Robert's face instantly falls.

"You wouldn't." Robert challenges and Justin smirks.

"Just keep pushing your luck." Justin snaps back before they're interrupted by the waitress who hands Robert his drink.

Robert thanks her before she scurries off again and he eyes Justin, the both of them glaring at each other intently.

"Luckily big brother, I have a high alcohol tolerance. Cheers." Robert says smoothly while raising his glass in the air before he downs his drink in one large gulp.

My eyes widen in shock and I gasp, ignoring Sean's excited clapping and Justin's low chuckles.

Gosh they're crazy. Who knew?

Robert slams down the glass on the table triumphantly with a huge grin on his face and I shake my head in amazement.

But I remain quiet taking in this moment.

This is sweet.

We're at their dad's top class restaurant getting special treatment like celebrities because Justin and Robert really are celebrities when you think about it.

There's a red and gold sort of color theme going on and the interior is absolutely beautiful. It's an Italian restaurant and there's actually a live band playing soft music in the background.

When we got home earlier we all changed and got ready to come out for a night on the town.

For some strange reason, Justin felt that he wanted to match with me so he made sure to put on a hot long-sleeved black fitted shirt and jeans to go with the short black mini dress that I chose.

Even in the simplest attire the man is drop-dead gorgeous and looks like a million bucks.

When we met up with Sean and Robert, Sean was impressed to see that I dressed without needing his help. He even complimented Justin on not helping me out not realizing that Justin was the one who made the final decision on what I should wear from the three options I laid out on the bed. Sean didn't need to know that though.

At least I'm getting better with fashion thanks to A-List.

Robert was in a simple blue dress-shirt with a matching leather jacket and dark faded jeans.

Sean was wearing a graffiti print shirt and jacket since those are his favorite along with light jeans to match.

We all looked like we were ready for a night out on the town and we really were.

Justin and I came in his Aston Martin and Sean and Robert came in Robert's silver BMW.

And now, hours later we're still looking hot and ready for the club.

I know I'm ready to get out of here.

Dinner was amazing but now it's time for the main course of the evening: partying till the wee hours of the morning.

Because I have every intension of actually dancing with Justin tonight simply because I want to see what he's working with on the dance floor. I know that I don't dance and I'm not a very big fan of it, but if Justin can put half of the moves down that he puts in the bedroom then yeah, I can't pass up that opportunity.

"Are we almost ready to go?" I interject and three pairs of eyes turn to stare at me. I think they forgot I was even here.

"Uh yeah sure just let me get the bill." Justin perks up before signaling the waitress back over.

"I'll take one more drink before you cash in. What about you guys?" Robert asks while looking between Sean and me.

"I'm fine." I state.

"Me too." Sean adds in.

"You just keep drinking Rob. And I'll keep a tight grasp on my camera phone." Justin points out and I finally bust out in giggling fits this time as Justin and Robert glare at each other for the umpteenth time tonight.

Oh boy, this is going to be interesting...

*****

Later

At The Club

In Hollywood

We've been dancing up a storm in this club like no other. The moment we set foot inside it was a completely different atmosphere and Justin was immediately in the zone, dragging me out on the dance floor with him.

Robert and Sean were close behind.

They went to grab a booth, Robert stating that he needed to clear his tipsiness with some club soda and Sean deciding to get his first drink for the night before he hit the dance floor with us.

So far, I've been having a blast and the music is definitely blazing here. The DJ touched on all club worthy genres of music from hip-hop, rap, R&B, techno to dancehall and reggae.

I love this place and I'm not even a club person. But this is fun because I'm out with my ‘fam.'

"I see someone is letting loose tonight." Justin whispers huskily in my ear from where he's holding me behind.

My butt is pressed up against his front as we dance with each other on the dance floor swarming with gyrating sweaty bodies but I don't care because I'm enjoying myself.

"I'm having fun." I reply, pushing back into his crotch and he groans softly, his grip on my waist tightening.

"Tai." He says in a warning tone and I giggle, ignoring him as I continue to let my body do the talking as I wine on him roughly, constantly pushing into him so our bodies are glued together. He lets out another growl in my ear as he dips his head down to my neck.

"Don't." Justin warns in a strained voice and I roll my eyes, lifting my arms and bending them back slightly to wrap around his neck.

I continue to grind against him, shutting my eyes in the process as I feel my body heat up with how hot this all is.

Justin's keeping perfect rhythm with me and I know he's getting turned on too because I can feel the slight bulge in his jeans slowly growing with each passing minute, until he can't take it anymore and detaches our bodies to spin me around to face him.

His blues bore into my browns filled with slight shock and amusement.

"You're doing this on purpose Tai." Justin hums and I wrap my arms around his neck again as we continue dancing lightly face to face.

"No." I say innocently and he grunts.

"Tease." He mutters and I giggle, leaning up to place a soft kiss on his lips before we're interrupted.

"The floor's for dancing, not making out!" I hear someone say loudly next to us, and I pull away from Justin to see who it is.

"Robert?" I ask in awe when he strolls up to us, grinning widely.

Justin turns to stare at his brother and a deep scowl forms on his face.

"Rob, you're so drunk." Justin laughs and I gasp when Robert stumbles forward before gripping Justin's shoulder to keep his balance.

"Hey all..." Robert drawls in a slur and I giggle, noting how his eyes are red and dilated.

"Oh Robert." I sigh and he gives me a crooked smile.

Justin and I exchange knowing glares before he grips Robert, slinging his arm over his shoulder and I move to the other side of Robert to help Justin carry him off the dance floor.

When we get to the booth, we place Robert to sit down who's mumbling incoherently.

Sean is standing a few feet away from us talking to some guy.

"Ok Rob, this is how it's going to go down. We're going to all leave in my car and we'll come back for your ride tomorrow ok?" Justin explains but Robert's not listening, suddenly fascinated with the drink menu sitting on the table in front of him.

Grabbing the menu, Justin tosses it aside angrily and Robert snaps his head in Justin's direction.

"You really are a terrible drunk. This is like the calm before the storm." Justin growls in agitation. Turning at stare at me he gives me an apologetic smile but I'm finding this too amusing right now. "If we keep him here longer and he gets drunker, all hell will break loose Tai. We'll be the center of attention and I don't want that especially with what's going on at A-List right now." Justin explains and I nod.

"Ok, let's get him home then." I agree and Justin nods about to pull Robert out of his seat, but he pauses when his cell begins ringing and vibrating loudly.

"What the hell!?" Justin snaps, gazing down at his cell phone in his grasp. Frowning, he ignores the call but the phone starts ringing again seconds later and he scoffs. "Why the fuck is she calling me?" He hisses.

"Who?" I ask out of curiosity and he turns to face me in uncertainty.

"Nella." He admits and I mouth an ‘oh.'

"Maybe it's important, maybe you should see what she wants." I suggest.

"Maybe she just likes making my life a living hell." Justin retorts, but he caves, hitting the talk button and placing the cell to his ear. "Hello!? Nella!? Listen; hold on a minute so I can get out of the noise ok? Hang on!" Justin shouts to her over the line.

Pulling the phone from his ear he grips my hand in his. "Come with me?" He asks and I nod, not expecting him to say that.

"Let me tell Sean to keep an eye on Rob." I say.

"Ok, meet me out at the front." Justin voices before excusing himself to leave.

I wait until he disappears through the mass of bodies before I head over to Sean.

"Sean..." I voice but he interrupts me.

"Tai, this is Claude. Claude this is my sister Tai." Sean introduces me to his new friend and I give Claude a once over, his light caramel skin, jet black curly hair and bright hazel eyes standing out like no other. Damn, he's a cutie. My brother sure knows how to pick them.

"Hi Claude." I smile before turning to Sean. "Sean I need you to keep an eye on Rob for a bit. I'm going out at the front with Justin. Robert's sort of drunk." I explain.

We all turn to stare at Robert who has a deep frown on his face as he studies the zipper on his jacket intently. Oh gosh, I'd laugh if I didn't think this was so sad.

"Ok, will do. Hurry back though." Sean agrees and I nod, excusing myself before I head to the exit of the club.

As I make it outside away from the noise, I hug my body when a gush of wind hits me as I walk a little way down to where Justin is standing on the sidewalk talking to Nella.

"Nella, Nella calm down, you're not making any damn sense." Justin says in a frustrated tone as I move to stand next to him.

He lifts his head, smiling lightly for me before he roots the phone from his ear and hits speakerphone. "Nella, relax and start over. You're rambling all this crazy shit and I don't understand what you're saying." Justin enunciates and she groans before her voice filters out.

I feel sort of guilty, like I'm spying, but Justin doesn't seem to care.

"Justin, I can't have this baby." She states and my eyes widen.

Wow, what's going on?

"Why not Nella?" He asks. "So it's not my kid. That's fine. I forgave you a long time ago for the shit you pulled with me. But don't make the kid suffer for it. It may not be mine but I still care you know. I don't condone abortions." Justin states firmly.

"I know, I know but I just, I can't Justin! I can't do this. I can't be a mother; I can't handle this. Do you know what this will do to me? To my career, reputation and life? I can't go through with it." She caves, sniffling over the line.

I'm speechless. She actually has a soft bone in her body. Hmm, somehow, I don't think she's telling Justin everything and he senses this too, judging by the look of disbelief on his face.

"Nella, you were all for having this kid and trapping me with it too. What changed? What aren't you telling me Nella?" Justin demands in suspicion and I sigh, gazing out at the passing cars on the street.

"You know what? I made a mistake in calling you Justin I'm sorry. I thought you would have hated me enough to agree to this and give me a reason to not have this baby but you've only made it worse by caring when you shouldn't. I know you're in LA and that you've been avoiding me, not that I blame you. I went over to A-List and they told me you all were on a business trip so I won't disturb you. I'll deal with this on my own. I'm sorry..." She rambles out and I feel my heartbeat speed up when I see panic flash over Justin's face.

"Nella, Nella listen to me...don't hang up Nella. Don't do anything stupid ok? Don't do this Nella; the kid deserves a fair chance too." Justin snaps angrily but she doesn't listen to him.

"Justin I'm hanging up now."

"No Nella!" He shouts and I jump back from the harshness in his voice. "Did you even consult the baby's biological father? You did find out who the real father is didn't you? You couldn't have slept with that many guys to not know." He states bitterly.

There's a long pause and all we're met with is her deep breathing over the line.

"No Justin, you're wrong. I don't know who it is." She finally concludes and I furrow my brows in curiosity at her confession. "I'm sorry I hurt you. But this baby shouldn't suffer for it. I shouldn't have bothered you. I'll let you go now. Bye..."

"No Nella don't..." But Justin's cut off when she ends the call on her side, a click sounding before he's met with a dial tone. "Goddamn it!" He groans. "What's come over her? This isn't like her at all." He mutters in thought.

"She's having second thoughts. That's natural. But, don't worry; I think you got through to her." I try to reassure him and he shrugs with a sigh, stuffing his phone into his jeans pocket.

"I hope so. She's not my concern anymore but she clearly made it my business when she decided to call me. I guess I'll have to wait for us to get back to NY to talk to her or something. Thanks for understanding." Justin smiles before pulling me into his embrace so he can sling his arm over my shoulder for us to walk back into the club together.

"Anytime. I'm here when you need me." I coo and he nods.

"Thank god for that." He deduces and I laugh softly. "We should really get Rob home now."

"Sean's keeping an eye on him." I reply as we make our way back into the club and over to the booth where Robert and Sean are supposed to be situated.

Only, when we get there, Robert is nowhere in sight and Sean is casually leaning against the table still talking to Claude.

"Sean where's Robert?!" I ask in fright and he turns to look at me clueless.

"What? Oh he said he was going to the bathroom. You didn't except me to follow him in there did you?" Sean inquires while bunching up his nose in disgust and I give him a disbelieving glare.

"Yes Sean! He's drunk!" I state obviously.

"He seemed ok enough to make the trip on his own." Sean defends and I groan angrily before turning to look at Justin who has a pained expression on his face as something grabs his attention.

"If the bathroom is up by the DJ then, Rob found it alright." Justin points out and we all follow his line of sight, a gasp escaping me when I see Robert stumbling on the stage next to the DJ, trying to take the microphone from him.

Oh my god.

"Shit." Justin bows his head, passing his hands through his hair. "He does this every time. He likes being the center of attention. It's a sick thrill for him."

"Hey everybody! What's shaking!?" Robert speaks through the microphone and a hush falls over the crowd.

"Justin, do something, he's your brother!" I say, trying to hold back my laughter as I push Justin forward to walk.

A devious grin spreads across Justin's face before he turns to look at me.

"He's going to regret this. This is LA. His face is going to be plastered on every tabloid magazine once people realize who he is." Justin states.

"I'll help since this is partly my fault." Sean speaks up, excusing himself from Claude before he makes his way through the crowd ahead of Justin.

"Poor Rob." I giggle, slapping my palms over my mouth.

"Serves him right. I warned his ass." Justin shakes his head in disappointment.

"If you all don't know me by now, I'm Robert Pattinson heir to Randall Timberlake's A-List Magazine Fashion Empire. You all might remember me from that little press conference my brother Justin and I held some time back about our dad being a monster. Well guess what? That did nothing! He's still the devil in disguise but I don't care anymore because he can so kiss my a..." But Robert's interrupted when Sean makes his way on stage and grabs the microphone from him.

"Go Justin." I whisper when I notice that he's frozen solid in shock with wide eyes as he glares at Robert.

"I'm going to kill him." Justin confirms, clenching his fists together.

"You are not." I laugh out.

"No, no I'm going to kill him." Justin states, giving me a comical grin before he excuses himself. "He's a dead drunk man walking. Sorry about all of this Tai. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I promise."

"It's fine." I wave him off still laughing. "Now go save your brother from himself." I order and Justin shakes his head before heading into the crowd to make his way up on stage so he can help Sean with Robert.

Oh boy, what a night. Plus, everyone has their cell phones up in the air taking out pictures of Robert's little display.

I feel kind of bad for him.

The media is going to have a field day with this but at least it gives me something to tease him about now for all the pressure he was giving Justin and me.

I only hope that Randall doesn't get wind of this before they get back to New York, because if he does, it's maybe going to be another strike against Robert and Justin on the long list of strikes that Randall's maybe keeping on his sons.

****

Photo Credit: Google Photo Search

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

[PART THREE]

Next Day

Justin's Home

Los Angeles, California

I'm patiently sitting, waiting for Justin to get off the phone so we can begin planning how we're going to spend the rest of our day.

We decided to scratch the BBQ idea because after Robert's stunt last night, we agreed that a laid-back day hanging around and mellowing out was in order instead.

Justin thought it was best for everyone to crash over at his place so we're all here today.

It's early afternoon and Justin and I are presently lazing around on his couch lying in opposite directions with our feet tangled as he continues his already thirty minute conversation with Lannick.

"Yes, of course Lannick...no my dad doesn't know yet. I mean come on, we just made this merger with you guys. You can't pull out now. I know things are bad with A-List's reputation but you're my friend man. We need you. I'm not exactly looking for the company to fail. If it does I'd lose everything too. Sponsors, investors and simply our clients on a whole are what keeps A-List thriving. Yeah, sure. Your account is on hold right now and you have my word that I'll personally handle you guys' affairs...no one else. Listen, we'll talk more about this when I get back to New York. Ok you take care too man. Bye."

Hanging up his cell phone Justin lets out a heavy sigh. That was his third call in the past hour.

"This mess Robert and I caused is bigger than I anticipated...my dad's probably flipping out." Justin states with a wave of his hand and I smile softly for him, knowing that he has a lot of pressure on him right now.

The last thing A-List needs is more media chaos with their Anniversary extravaganza just around the corner.

But, with Rob's drunken episode last night, it's only a matter of time before things get worse.

In fact, when Justin went to their last press conference alone this morning since Robert was still knocked out unconscious to the world, rumors were already spreading.

Reporters kept asking Justin about Robert and how they spent their night. They already knew about Robert's little display at the club and were only waiting to see the video clips and photos in the tabloids and on television now. Justin knew this and he also knew that there was nothing they could do. The most they could do was try to come to some sort of agreement with the media using their lawyers but it was a long shot since Robert willingly put himself on display last night.

And, he hasn't even woken up yet for Justin to yell at him. But I know that fire is coming because Justin's been tense since last night trying to clean up Robert's mess. The last thing they need is more bad publicity but that's exactly what they're going to get when Robert's photos and what he said about his father gets published.

I can only imagine what Randall must know by now or suspect. I think he's convinced that his sons are out to take full revenge on him. He'd never look at what Robert did last night as a mistake.

But, in a way, it works.

Robert and Justin successfully switched places.

Justin is actually the one covering for his brother this time, as it probably should be since he's the oldest, which is maybe the same trend of thought Randall always had for his sons.

I can tell that Justin is trying his damn near hardest to grow up and be the man he should be. And he's been doing really well. I'm only hoping that he can handle the pressure because it looks like he's going to be the one taking the forefront soon.

"Do you want to know what the messed up part in all of this is?" Justin questions, snapping me out of my thoughts and I shrug waiting for him to continue. "We did everything we came here to do. We did the media interviews and whatnot promoting the Anniversary party as planned, we finalized some of the preparations, and we solidified our relationships with the clients we have here in LA who were on shaky grounds with A-List. But, after all of that, in the end it might all be for nothing. In the end, we could very well return to A-List with no jobs or titles or any claims thanks to Robert. That simple slip up on his part last night could cost us everything because of his terrible timing. I don't know Tai. I guess I always thought I would be the one responsible for putting the company at risk of sudden death via the media and bad publicity...not Robert. But in an odd way, I'm not too mad at him anymore. Had he woken up hours ago, things would have been different." Justin explains, chortling lowly as his blues hold my gaze.

He's weary and maybe a little perturbed, but he's not as angry as he was last night and early this morning.

"I think, all you all can do is apologize and wait to see what happens." I finally speak up and Justin nods in agreement.

"You're right. We're heading home tomorrow. This is it." He agrees downheartedly and I nod. "Once we're back and resituated in the next couple of days, Robert and I are going to clear things up with our dad once and for all. We already talked about it. It's time to put this to an end. It's been going on for too long. We can't live like this with our dad anymore. It really is destroying all three of us." Justin divulges and I shake my head, agreeing with him. "My dad may be coldhearted and all the negative adjectives in the book but, no one deserves to lose. This company shouldn't have to suffer, if we could just get our dad to listen to reason."

"Good." I beam and he smiles as well. "You do what you have to do and no backing out this time." I say sternly and Justin smiles, dropping his phone on the table next to us before switching his position to crawl over to me.

"Wasn't planning on it." He whispers softly, leaning forward to kiss me gently.

Pulling away he grins at me but we're interrupted by loud yawning and coughing.

"Guys? What time is it?"

It's Robert.

He sounds tired and his voice is grainy.

I bet he has a hangover.

Justin and I both turn to glare at him.

Narrowing his eyes at his brother, Justin glances down at his wristwatch before his blues connect to Robert's droopy blue-grays.

"You're just in time to join us in the kitchen Rob. We're kind of hungry so we're going to grab a bite to eat." Justin deadpans. "Sean's out by the pool but Tai and I need to have a chat with you and then, we can decide how we're going to spend our last day here before we head back home tomorrow." Justin explains.

Robert's eyes widen slightly, but his sleepy expression never leaves his face.

I can't help but giggle since his dark hair is flying everywhere and he's only in a pair of low riding sweatpants. Aw, he's a cutie too.

"That doesn't sound inviting." Robert speaks up reluctantly before Justin slowly moves away from me to stand.

"You have no idea baby brother. Come on get moving." Justin orders, making a signal for me to follow him and I do just that, remaining silent as the three of us stroll into Justin's large marble and tiled kitchen.

*****

Hours Later

Out by Justin's Pool

"So if I had one redo in life, I think I would have stopped mom and dad from going grocery shopping that day." Sean speaks up as all four of us lounge by Justin's pool taking in the sun.

"Me too." I say sadly from where I'm sitting next to Justin in my green two-piece swimsuit.

Nodding in agreement, Sean sips lightly on his beer as we turn to stare at Justin and Robert.

Robert is fiddling with the strings on his swimming trunks and Justin is mindlessly playing with his cell phone.

We all decided that a day doing practically nothing was as mellow as we were going to get since we're all aware of the chaos that possibly awaits us back in New York.

After Justin and Robert cooked lunch and we all ate, we decided to chill by the pool and just relax with each other which has been going great so far.

Justin and Robert talked earlier...or more like Justin yelled and Robert listened but, still, they're ok now...I think.

"Robert it's your turn." Sean speaks up, grabbing Robert's attention.

We're playing this little game called ‘if you could redo anything in your life what would it be and why?'

So far, I've learned that there isn't much I would really redo in my life that isn't linked to having my parents still here with us. And I know Sean feels the same but like they say, everything happens for a reason. So que sera sera.

"Oh uh...well..." Robert clears his throat, shifting in his seat and Justin's head whips in his direction. "I'd probably redo last night and not drink as much. Justin you were right." Robert says softly.

"No shit Einstein." Justin mutters and I smack his arm causing him to groan.

"Be nice Justin. Robert apologized."

"I know..." Justin waves me off and I sigh. I get that he's agitated and maybe nervous but it's not fair to pass it out on us, especially Robert since he apologized and acknowledged his mistake.

"I really am sorry guys. I...I have this really bad habit. Whenever things are troubling me to the point where I think I can't deal with them, I drink...because it helps me to forget. We all have our ways. Justin's way was rebelling and partying nonstop. Mine is drinking. I know it's not healthy and I should really consider quitting such a bad habit but all of this controversy happening with A-List was getting to me and..." Trailing off, Robert sighs before standing.

Well, that explains a lot.

"It's affecting all of us Rob. You should have at least talked to me about it and told me how you felt instead of bashing our dad again for the entire world to see. But, you know, I get it. I understand. I'm not angry anymore. But I am a little worried." Justin admits and Robert nods while rubbing his bare chest.

"We'll deal with whatever when we get back. It is what it is. Listen J, I'm going to head home and start packing up. We have an early flight tomorrow." Robert explains and Justin nods.

"Yeah man, sure. Tai and I should start packing up too." Justin adds in, turning to give me a soft smile and I smile back.

"Well I guess I'm coming back with you Rob to gather my stuff as well." Sean voices and Robert agrees before he excuses himself to head inside.

Sean moves over to give me a big hug and kiss on the cheek before telling us bye.

Justin and I bid him farewell before he turns on his heels and disappears inside in the direction Robert went.

It's not long before we hear Robert's car pulling out of Justin's driveway since Justin brought Robert's car home this morning from the club last night.

Sighing, I rest back in my lounge chair.

Justin turns to face me, gripping my hand in his while studying me intently.

"What's on your mind?" I ask him.

"Can't I simply like looking at you?" He muses and I giggle.

"Sure, but that's not all it is."

"True." He hums. "But, it's nothing really."

"Ok." I utter about to get more comfortable but he stops me. Standing, he pulls me to stand as well.

"I'm happy you're here with me Tai."

"Me too." I beam, squeezing his hand tightly and he heaves a sigh before his cell phone goes off.

"Hang on a minute. Come on let's get in to start packing." He voices, ushering me inside while he presses the talk button on his phone.

"Yes, hello?" Justin answers the call. "Sharron? Oh hey...uh...why are you calling?" Justin asks stunned and I turn to look at him as we make our way upstairs to his bedroom.

Stopping abruptly, Justin's entire body freezes up from whatever Sharron is telling him on the phone.

"Is...is she ok?" He questions, dread filling his voice.

Oh no, what happened?

"Well, what did she say?" He inquires before there's a long pause on his end as Sharron continues speaking to him.

"But she's ok right? Uh huh...well, I uh...I'll talk to her when we get back. Just, tell her to get some rest and don't do anything stupid. Wait for me to get back first so I can at least talk to her. Ok, thanks for calling Sharron. Oh how's dad?"

Turning to look at me, Justin pouts slightly as we enter his room.

Leaving his side, I move around to grab some things for the bathroom as he continues talking to Sharron on the phone.

"He hasn't been to work in the past three days? But he calls in? I see. Ok well, that's fine. Our flight gets in tomorrow so we'll be back in work soon. We'll talk then. Bye Sharron." Justin voices before he hangs up his phone and tosses it onto the bed.

"Is everything ok?" I ask, coming over to him with bubble baths and bath salts in hand.

"Sure, as fine as it could possibly get. My dad hasn't been into work since we left for LA so it has me wondering what he's been up to. Oh and Nella was in a car accident." Justin says nonchalantly and I gasp, nearly dropping the items in my grasp.

"Oh my god, is she ok?"

"She's fine." Justin waves his hand in the air dismissively. "It was a little accident, nothing major. She uh, drove her car into a tree in her neighborhood." He says this with unwavering fascination.

"Wait, what?"

How odd.

"Yeah, Sharron said she and the baby are fine. They're going to spend the night in the hospital so Nella's doctor can check up on her but she's fine. Uh, according to Sharron, Nella said she was distracted and didn't realize she swerved off the road and towards the tree." Justin mutters with a deep frown on his face.

"That makes no sense." I point out.

"I know, but, I believe her. I honestly don't think Nella would willingly try to hurt herself no matter how she feels now about this baby. But I do believe that she was distracted maybe because she was upset. What I'd like to know is what upset her to the point of causing her to lose her concentration while driving. I think it has something to do with that call I got from her last night. Something's going on with her that she's not telling anyone and that's not right."

Hmm, he may be on to something. I'd like to know too. She may hate me for whatever reason concerning Justin, but, I don't hate her.

Most importantly, I don't want anything to happen to her baby.

I agree with Justin that the child needs a fair chance in life also.

"Well the important thing is that she's ok. And when we get back to New York you can work on finding out what's going on with her." I say cheerily, trying to brighten his mood.

He's really been having some bad mood swings today.

"Yeah, whatever I guess." Justin brushes off the situation and I groan.

"You know what you need? You need to relax Justin." I state.

That elicits a large grin from him as he eyes me, looking fine as always in his swimming trunks.

"Don't start." He warns playfully but I ignore him, gripping him with my free hand and leading him into the bathroom.

"I'm serious. I'm going to draw you a warm bath, you're going to strip down to your birthday suit and get in and I'm going to give you a shoulder massage to ease some of the stress you're under. Sound good?" I ask, placing the bath items down by the sink before turning to face his questioning eyes.

"On one condition." Justin hums, pulling me into his embrace and leaning down to place a kiss on my lips.

"Shoot." I say when he pulls away.

"You join me when you're done with your little massage. Because we both need to release some stress." He grins bashfully and I blush.

"Ugh, fine!" I cave because how can I possibly say no to him?

"You're too good to me you know that?" He coos, breathing deeply as he holds my gaze.

"You're good to me too so we balance each other out. Now back up so I can get to work. We still have to pack and all that." I voice causing him to chuckle.

"Oh, I know, but we're on LA time remember, which means we have plenty of time to do all of that and more..." He adds in and I glare at him in curiosity.

"And more." I reiterate.

Smiling furtively, Justin nods and I giggle.

"Oh yeah...I was thinking we could shoot for round three this time." He quips and my eyes widen in astonishment as my mouth gapes open slightly.

Justin busts out in laughter but he has no idea, this is exactly how I wanted to spend our last night together.

But that's ok, I'll let him have his moment now because by the time our little bath is over and I slip into that little red number I bought specifically for him, he'll be the one speechless in shock, and I'll be the one laughing deviously...

What can I say? He's rubbing off on me, but surprisingly I'm enjoying it.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Days Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"There's my beautiful baby sister..."

Spinning around in my chair since I was busy daydreaming gazing out of the large glass windows in A-List, I smile when I see Sean standing at my desk with his tape recorder and notebook in hand.

"Hey Sean." I smile for him and he returns the gesture with a slight nod.

"So, I believe I have that interview with your hot little boyfriend in about five minutes." He voices and I quickly come out of my daze realizing that he's right.

"Oh yes, your interview with Justin is today huh?" I mention while quickly checking over Justin's schedule. I almost forgot.

"Damn straight. I'm excited to do this article on their anniversary party."

"I know, me too, I'm excited for you." I smile before hearing my office line ringing. Gazing through the windows of Justin's office I realize that he's the one calling me when he grins and motions for me to pick up.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I grab the line and quickly say ‘hello.'

"What's up Justin?"

"I see my appointment is here." He chuckles and I look up at Sean who's eyeing Justin with interest through the large window.

"Nothing gets by you huh?" I quip causing Justin's laughs to increase.

"Don't be a smartass else I'll punish you for it later." He speaks softly, his voice dropping an octave and I swallow hard, shifting in my seat, feeling a slight tingle of excitement rise in my stomach then travel down between my legs. Ugh, you see what this man does to me? And all he has to do is talk sexy. Damn.

"Looking forward to it." I smile, noting the slight shock on his face as he stares at me from behind his desk before he laughs lightly.

"Ok, ok, we're at work, back to business; send Sean in. I'll talk to you later."

"Will do boss." I jibe and Justin huffs over the line.

"Cute Tai. You're lucky I love you so much..."

"Pssh, whatever...you know I love you too...bye!" I quickly hang up before he can say anything else.

Rooting my eyes away from him and how adorably sexy he looks in his work attire I glance up at Sean who's trying to hold back his laughter.

I eye him oddly and he elicits a large grin but doesn't say anything.

"Is this my cue to go in?" Sean animatedly questions.

My brother I tell you...at least he knows when to not tease me. But I'm sure he's saving it for later when we're home.

"Go ahead. I have some computer work to finish up. I'll see you when you're done."

"Ok, I'm off to get me a fashion story." He beams happily before disappearing into Justin's office.

I look on through the window at Justin with an appraising eye, noting how he stretches across to give Sean a manly hug which only says that they're on a personal friendship level even if this is a business meeting. That makes me smile before I divert my attention so I can continue typing up some documents for Justin.

We came back from LA a few days ago and so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary. But, it has been unusually quiet around here since the day of our flight from LA to New York was the same day Robert's little episode hit the tabloid stands. There were even a few pictures of Sean and Justin when they were trying to get Robert off the stage in that club.

I thought all hell was going to break loose at A-List when we returned because of that, but, so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary. I will admit though that today is the first day Randall came into work since we left for LA.

I've been nervous since I stepped foot into work this morning because of it. I was waiting for him to say something...anything to us due to Robert's actions. But, he said nothing. I only caught a glimpse of him when he walked over to Sharron's desk to gather his messages from the days he was absent. But other than that...nothing.

It's irking the hell out of me. I mean, why would Randall not fire me? Why hasn't he set things straight with his sons? How long are they going to keep up these shenanigans?

I can't take much more of it. I'm slowly losing my mind and I'm so scared for Justin and what all of this might mean for his future. I don't want him to end up with nothing.

I want those A-List men by some miracle to come to some sort of understanding. Is that asking for too much?

Shaking out of my thoughts, I decide to continue typing away.

If Randall isn't going to do or say anything, then neither am I. But, that doesn't lessen my worry that he's up to no good.

Finally getting those documents typed up for Justin, I rest back in my seat with a heavy sigh, lifting my head when Justin and Sean exit Justin's office talking and laughing with each other...

"I trust you Sean. Make us look good ok? Especially with everything that's happened." Justin has a large grin on his face as Sean curves his brows in interest.

"No promises Timberlake." Sean snickers. "I'm just playing." He adds in and I giggle, grasping their attention.

"What's so funny Taiana?" Justin questions and my laughs instantly die out before I stick my tongue out at the both of them.

"You're so childish sis." Sean rotates his eyes with a jovial laugh and I scoff at him but our little happy moment is quickly interrupted and crushed when Maura and Sharron come sprinting up the hall towards us.

"Justin! Justin!" Sharron calls out and we all turn in their general direction.

I frown in perplexity and Justin's eyes widen in shock when Sharron and Maura finally make their way over to us, the both of them breathless.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Sharron looks between Sean and me before her expression turns to utter horror.

"Justin..." She begins, swallowing hard but Maura cuts her off.

"It's Robert!" Maura blurts out. "He...he's...we heard yelling, and stuff breaking and..." But that's as far as she gets before Justin interrupts.

"Where is he? Where's Rob?" Justin demands and I'm out of my seat in a flash, standing at Justin's side.

"What's going on?" I ask cautiously and Sharron's hands begin flailing.

"Your dad, he, Robert went into your dad's office to talk to him and then we heard yelling and screaming and...I don't know what's happening but..."

And just like that Justin takes off down the hall in a mad dash leaving us all momentarily stunned.

I'm the first to recover and I immediately grip Sean's hand to haul him away with me.

Sharron and Maura follow close behind silently.

I can feel my heart thudding harshly in my chest the closer we get because I can see a mass of A-List employees on our floor looking on in the direction of Randall's large office doors.

Oh god...oh god what the hell is happening?

Taking in a deep breath to calm my nerves, I hear a loud growl or groan of some sort coming from Randall's office just as Justin slips inside.

Biting my lips, I jump when Justin's head pops out from behind the door seconds later and he calls out to me. "Tai..." He begins with a pleading look in his eyes and I turn to look at Sean, Sharron and Maura before I excuse myself and follow Justin into his dad's office.

Saying a silent prayer when we step foot inside and Justin closes the door quietly behind us, I'm instantly miffed when I see Chris in there as well trying to pull Robert away from his father and the chokehold he has him in.

"Rob...calm down son!" Chris shouts and I frown in perplexity when my eyes land on Nella who's off in the corner of the room just sitting there quietly with her head down.

Justin has a look of confusion on his face as he tries to make sense of the scene going on in front of him.

"You fuckin' son of a bitch! I fuckin' hate you Dad! Do you hear me!? I hate you!" Robert screams, all up in his father's face.

Seriously, what the hell is going on!?

"What...what..." Justin's voice is weak and unsure as he stands there frozen in place not able to fathom that his brother has their dad in a tight chokehold.

Gasping when I see the look of terror in Randall's blues, I open my mouth to speak, to say anything to stop this madness, but Chris beats me to the punch when he notices us by the door.

"Justin! Oh thank god, help me man!" Chris calls out, snapping Justin out of his daze.

Justin quickly rushes over to them behind Randall's desk, his eyes flitting over to Nella for a split second before his hands are on Robert, forcefully pulling him away from their dad.

"No Justin! Let me kill him. I'll fuckin' kill him for what he's done to us. He deserves to die!" Robert screams, struggling against Chris's and Justin's hold.

"Oh my god." I whisper, taking a step to the side as I look on in fright.

What's come over Robert? This isn't him at all. What the hell did Randall do?

"Rob stop this craziness what the fuck is wrong with you?! This is our dad!" Justin yells harshly, him and Chris struggling with Robert as they slowly but surely get Robert to loosen his grip on Randall.

"No! He's not our father, he's a monster Justin! Just let me..."

"Rob! Stop it! You'll go to jail for murder. What the hell is wrong with you? You're not thinking straight. Trying to suffocate dad to death will only make things worse!" Justin snaps, his voice harsh and foreboding.

"Come on Robert! Chill out man please! Damn you're strong." Chris speaks up as he and Justin are finally able to detach Robert from Randall who hunches forward gasping for air.

An adrenaline rush is a bitch and then some.

"Let me go!" Robert cries out, his legs kicking up when Justin and Chris haul him away to the other side of the room.

"Not until you calm down!" Justin spits.

I can't do anything right now as shock overpowers me. All I can do is just look on, trying to make sense of what's really going on.

"I've got him Chris thanks." Justin states and Chris hesitantly lets go of his hold on Robert before taking a step to the side.

Turning to look at me, Chris gives me a weak smile and I offer a slight wave in return, not wanting to even look at Randall right now. We're so fired after this. There is just no way we'll keep our jobs. Hell if Randall doesn't fire me, I'm quitting. I can't work here anymore...

Justin is standing in front of Robert, blocking his path to their father, searching his brother's eyes for some type of understanding and explanation. "Rob..." Justin begins, his hands on Robert's shoulders as he continues to study his baby brother, his orbs filled with hurt and uncertainty. "What's going on?" Justin whispers in a horse tone, still a little dazed by what he just witnessed.

I can hear Randall breathing hard as he reclaims his seat but I refuse to look at him right now.

I'm too far gone with the interaction going on between Justin and Robert to care about Randall right now.

"That's it J. I'm done. I give up...it's over." Robert sighs, finally calming down, gazing Justin dead in the eyes as he speaks, his voice heavy and strained from all the screaming he was maybe doing before we got in here.

"You're not making any sense Rob. Help me to understand what the hell is going on please." Justin begs and Robert instantly brushes Justin's hands away from him so he can take a step back.

"It's dad Justin. It's all him!" Robert wails. "He's trying to destroy us...maybe already has. Do you want to know what he did now Justin? He's gotten his lawyers to slap us with a lawsuit Justin. He's suing us for our supposed ‘publicity stunts' which threaten the life of A-List. And, on top of that, everything that we own that's signed in his name, he's taking it back." Robert explains and Justin's head jerks back in disbelief.

"Wait what?" Justin questions, whipping around to face his father who has his head down, still rubbing his neck as he looks over some papers practically ignoring everyone in the damn room.

Oh my gosh, how evil can one person be!?

"You heard me J. The only reason why you didn't know yet is because the lawyers came to me first and I told them I'd handle it and tell you myself. Dad's taking back our cars and our apartments since they were signed in his name....just everything! Everything we own that's under his name as well, he's taking it all away. I wouldn't be surprised if he froze our A-List accounts. We'll be homeless by the time today is over and you know what else!? He had the heart to say it's my fault. My fault...because of my little stupid slip up at that club in LA which was a mistake! Can you believe it!? Him blaming me, saying my shit was the last straw? That he won't allow us to run A-List into the ground. And you call him our father!? He was merely a sperm donor!" Scoffing, Robert looks away from Justin who's seemingly speechless.

Turning away from his brother, Justin looks at Randall, his stare hardening when he meets eyes with his father.

"Dad? Is, is this true? You're really cutting us off?" Justin questions with slight panic.

"Oh don't give me that look boy. It's not like you didn't know this day was coming. What do you think I was doing all the time I was out? Settling all the preparations with my lawyers...because it's time you all really learned a lesson on taking things for granted." Randall finally speaks up, his voice grainy and deep but lacking that powerful luster to its tone. He must still be trying to catch his breath. Robert had a death grip on him when we walked in. "And Robert, you can add assault and attempted murder to that list when I get through with you." Randall adds in but his words pass right through Robert.

"Fuck you old man! I'm so over you!" Robert shakes his head in disdain, turning around to storm out but Justin stops him, begging him to stay a little longer.

The messed up thing in all of this is that Justin was actually planning on talking to their dad today when he learned that Randall finally came into work. So much for that plan huh? They're talking now but...I'm not sure what's really going to come of it considering the situation.

I don't want to admit to this but, I think Justin and Robert have reached the point where their relationship with their father is unfixable.

"Dad, you can't be serious with this. You can't...you can't do that to us. We're your sons." Justin explains, still calm for the most part.

Justin may have all of his attention on his dad but my attention is half on them and half on Nella.

I'm not oblivious to her presence. She's keeping to herself, not even looking up and I'm trying to make sense of why she's even here in the first place.

Chris is quiet also, keeping his focus on Robert incase he makes any sudden moves. But Nella is my main concern. Why is she here? What's going on with her and Randall?

It doesn't help that she's been avoiding Justin these past few days since we returned to New York. All he's been trying to do is help her, to get her to talk to him and tell him what's wrong but she's been ignoring him, avoiding him at all costs and now she's here!?

Ugh! Now I'm starting to dislike her because her presence only means more trouble.

"As of today Justin...you and Robert are no longer my sons. I want nothing to do with either of you." Randall hisses angrily and my sight drifts to Justin who looks like he just got punched in the gut.

"Dad, come on, we're trying to make things right." Justin states. "Rob made a mistake when we were out in LA and he overreacted now but please don't hold it against us. I've been trying to save A-List's clients, ensuring them that we're settling our misunderstandings with each other. I don't want the company to fail dad. I mean Robert and I had a rough life growing up with you because you were so strict. But you're not even giving us a chance Dad. How can you expect to see the changes we've made for you if you don't give us a damn chance!?" Justin belts, his anger increasing with each passing moment.

Walking up to his dad's desk, Justin leans forward, studying Randall's firm glare. "It doesn't have to end this way dad. We can come to some sort of agreement or compromise. You know how Rob and I feel about the way you've raised us. You know how we feel about you and we know how you feel about us. But, what we haven't done is actually sit and discuss why we're like this with each other...why you're this way dad. Why are you so cold and unfeeling? What aren't you telling us? What's going on? I don't hate you dad...I never could. You're still my father no matter how much of a monster you are and I still love you as twisted as it may seem. So what's it going to be huh? Are you going to push away your only heirs because you can't be man enough and actually face whatever shit you're going through? Are you going to keep hiding everything from us when you should talk to us since we're the only family you have left? You ran our moms away. Are you looking to do the same with your sons too? Aren't you tired of being a coward and hiding behind this fake power hungry animal front you have going!?" Justin barks, stunning us all.

Oh my gosh, go Justin! I'm silently rooting for him as his words render Randall dumfounded.

"You listen to me Justin..." Randall begins but Justin cuts him off, straightening his posture and walking away.

"No dad! You listen to me for a change! This ends here and now! I've had it. If you think for a second I'm going to sit back and let you take away everything Rob and I have worked so hard for then you have another thing coming. I'm ready to fight you on this. Because even if this is not what I want, I've accepted it and believe it or not I've earned it. I've worked hard and busted my ass for this company. We can do this the hard or easy way dad! Go ahead, take our shit away...it's all material stuff anyway. But you can't strip us of our pride and dignity. You want to fight, we'll fight....we'll go to court if we have to but please dad...come on...I'm telling you I care...I'm telling you I want to help. Help me...help us understand where this is coming from and why you're acting this way..."

Walking back towards his dad, Justin pauses when Randall opens his mouth to speak, a sigh falling from his lips, but they're interrupted by Nella.

Goddamn it! She has the worse timing. Justin was actually making progress ugh! I could punch her!

"I'm sorry Justin but, Randall asked me to say that the baby was yours even if I knew it wasn't!" Nella suddenly blurts out, jumping to her feet, grasping everyone's attention in the room.

Oh hell...

Blinking rapidly, Justin casts his vision in her direction, the look on his face alone saying that he forgot she was even in the room.

"Nella why are you even here?" Justin questions, ignoring what she said. "I've been trying to talk to you for days but you've been avoiding me and now..."

"Justin I'm sorry. I was in here with Randall trying to talk to him before Robert and Chris barged in. Look I don't know what shit is going on with you all and your dad but I came here to tell Randall that I couldn't keep doing this to you, to us, to this baby! I can't. It's not fair." Nella explains and I heave a sigh, biting the corner of my mouth when Robert laughs bitterly.

"He...your dad he offered me money, he offered to rig the paternity test if necessary to trap you in this because...because he wanted to teach you a lesson but I told him it wasn't fair because I knew the baby wasn't yours. But he...he was willing to pay me you know, but then, I couldn't do it, couldn't go through with it, that's why I allowed you to have that paternity test without your dad's knowledge so you'd see for yourself that the baby wasn't yours. I'm sorry for lying to you and hurting you...I just, I couldn't do it anymore." She rambles.

You'd think Randall wasn't in the room for all of this. He hasn't said anything yet.

"Doesn't make a difference now." Robert chides and Chris shakes his head, passing his hands through his long locks.

"What a disaster." Chris mutters softly and I couldn't agree more.

Justin is simply standing there, glaring at Nella, his chest rising and falling harshly. He looks torn...torn between her, Robert and his father. He doesn't know what to do, what to think, how to act or respond. His blues are wide and traveling over all of our faces. Then he lands on me, his gaze holding mine and it doesn't take me long to realize that his eyes are quickly welling up with tears. He looks frustrated and so, so lost.

Taking a chance, I move to walk over to Justin to try and calm him down before he flips out but my advances are cut short when Randall finally speaks up, finally takes charge like I was expecting him to do the moment Robert released his hold on him.

"All of you are worthless." Randall begins and Justin's head whips in father's direction. "You're right Justin. This does end now. Yes, what Nella said is true also, but tell him Nella, tell him whose baby this really is...you found out. Why don't you share that with them all? Let's see how the tables turn."

"What's he talking about Nell?" Justin questions and Nella pouts, taking in a deep breath before she spills her guts.

"At first, I thought the baby was Robert's, which would maybe explain why your dad was so hard on you all recently because he had this all figured out and planned out."

A flash of horror spreads across Justin's face as he heaves slightly, focusing on Robert who's glaring at Nella in shock.

"Me!?" Robert screams out. "That makes no sense!" He yells but Nella quickly interrupts.

"It's not yours Rob." She corrects but that does nothing to ease the tension in the room.

"Why would you even think that Nella? You...you cheated on me with my brother?" Justin is totally gone now, a spaced look on his face as he tilts his head to the side, glaring at Robert with narrowed eyes.

"Yow, man, J don't even...I didn't sleep with her, never have!" Robert quickly defends but Nella shakes her head in protest.

"You have Robert, you just don't remember it." She points out and...what?

"What!?" Both Justin and Robert say in unison.

"No, I think I'd remember." Robert spits and Justin nods in agreement.

"What the fuck are you trying to pull Nella!?" Justin groans angrily, passing his hands over his face and hair in frustration. "Oh god, you better talk now I swear, I'm so close to snapping it's not funny." Justin warns.

"Then let me speak!" She wails. "Look, what I'm going to say will only prove to you all what a bitch I am, but I'm telling you now, I'm doing this because I'm sorry and I need to clear my conscience. I can't do this anymore and I'm not going to. Listen to me and understand I made a terrible mistake because the price was right. I'm not proud of it, but I'm turning over a new leaf and even if you all won't be able to forgive me at least you'll know the truth."

"Now, Justin, your dad came to me some time back when you and I were dating. He wasn't pleased with you or Robert but wouldn't tell me why. He said something about you all not living up to his expectations so he wanted to teach you all a harsh lesson in disobeying him. He offered me a deal and in return he wanted my silence. The plan was, I was supposed to cheat on you with Rob and get pregnant with his kid to fuck up you alls relationship which would in turn make you all I don't know, turn mortal enemies or something and actually compete for your rightful positions in this company going all out which would in turn please your dad because you'd be proving yourselves to him. According to him, you all were slacking off and were too complacent."

"Anyway, Justin, I agreed at first, setting the plan into motion at a party you held a while back. I'm a horrible person I know and I can't take it back now. But you need to know how much I regret my actions and how sorry I am. Everyone was there that night and it was the perfect opportunity to for me because well, Robert would have never gone along willingly so...while everyone was enjoying themselves at your party and having a good time, I took it as my opportunity. All of you all were wasted, and so was I, but I was sober enough to drug Rob's drink which is why he doesn't remember a thing. You were already passed out so it worked well for me. There was just one little problem in my plans though. Rob and I we...we yeah, we sort of, you know slept together....but you see, I was so fucked up that night, I sort of didn't realize that Rob wasn't the only one who had a drink from his glass. So, the next morning, when I woke up, since I woke up first, I thought I was lying next to Robert right? And I needed to get away from him in fear of you waking up and catching me, even if you usually slept till afternoon whenever you threw wild parties the night before. I still needed to be safe. But it turns out, I wasn't lying next to Robert...I was uh lying next to someone else. I tried to make sense of how I ended up there because when I got out into the living room, all of your friends were still knocked out on the floor and couches since they crashed over."

"I uh, went to the kitchen and Robert was there, nursing his hangover and I nearly freaked, wondering if he remembered anything from the night before because I was already feeling guilty and dirty for what I did but he smiled at me and I knew he didn't remember a thing. He even said that he felt like a piece of his memory was missing. I never told him why, but I did ask him if he remembered the last drink he had and he said yeah, he drank about half before he..." Trailing, Nella takes a deep breath, looking down at the floor and my mouth is gaping open at how outlandish and twisted this story is. But she needs to spit it out!

"He drank half before he um gave Chris the rest since his head was spinning and he figured it was his cut off point. I was drunk too so I have no idea what really happened from the time I was with Robert to the time I woke up the next morning next to Chris. It's kind of hazy but...yeah so that's what happened. Chris got drugged too by accident. And, I uh, when I found out I was pregnant, I knew it had to be either Rob's or Chris's but I didn't know how I was going to find out but I uh, did manage to get a sample of both their DNA's. And yeah, Rob wasn't the dad so that meant Chris was... and look I know how crazy this all sounds, but when I went to your dad and told him what happened he was pissed and insisted that I said the baby was yours instead Justin because he didn't want to take the risk. I'm so sorry." She concludes before a few tears trickle down her cheeks. "I have the test results, but we can take them again if you all want. I'm just so sorry."

Holy shit!

I did not see any of that coming.

That's like...so, so ridiculous and crazy but it makes so much sense. Things make so much more sense, but oh my freaking gosh! This is absurd.

And that's as far as she gets before all eyes land on Chris who's so shocked his mouth is literally wide open as he fights to breath.

"You're lying Nella! You're lying! I don't...I don't remember that! I remember the party and waking up in the guest bedroom the next day! But, but no one was there with me, I don't...I don't remember a thing!" Chris rants, his hands over his face as he shuts his eyes. "Oh my god...oh god." He pants, panic taking over. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to. This is insane!"

"It's not your fault Chris." Robert interrupts. "Bitchella over there just forgot to mention that she drugged us!? Un-fuckin'-believable.  My life's a goddamn circus. Are you happy Nella!? Huh? Are you happy now!? Look at what you've done!" Robert hisses, walking over to Nella with a maniacal glimmer in his eyes but Justin stands in his way, blocking his path.

"Don't Rob." Justin warns, his eyes cutting to Chris before he turns around to meet Nella's sad gaze. "I can't believe you Nell. Was it really worth it? To cause this mess because my dad was offering you money? Really? I trusted you." Justin says sadly, not even angry or upset now. I think he's successfully managed to block out the shock and pain and numb himself to it all. "And dad...you're really a piece of work." Justin states, finally facing his father again who's resting back in his chair, eyeing all of us quietly.

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. Oh and start packing up your desks you're all fired." Randall states, standing from his chair casually.

"What!?" Robert snaps. "You can't fire us! This was all your doing dad. You've been trying forever to fuck up Justin and me! You can't fire us dad!" Robert yells brazenly. "I won't accept that!"

"Yes you will Robert!" Randall yells back with rage written all over his face. "I've sat here and let you all maul over everything, now it's time to leave! This nonsense is over. You will leave now! You all are not equipped to run this business. I've tried to shape you all, to harden you all and make you see what it took to run this empire because you have no idea and you never will unless you're the C.E.O. I've sheltered you all for far too long. It's partly my fault, for not making you see the truth, for not making you all see how cut-throat this business is and how your competitors are waiting to chew and spit you out. Accept that and move on with your lives outside of A-List. It's over!" Randall snaps but then something happens...

As if watching everything unfold in slow motion before my eyes, I feel my heart skip a beat when Randall's voice dies out and he gasps slightly, leaning forward and sucking in air while gripping his left arm and then his chest. Wheezing, his eyes widen before he falls back in his seat, a painful expression floating over his face.

"Dad?" Justin questions, finally speaking again. Frowning in confusion, Justin's blues widen slightly when Randall opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. "What's wrong with you?" Justin asks. "Look dad if you're trying to..." But Justin drifts when he notices that his dad is gasping for air. "Dad!? Dad!" Justin screams out, rushing to his father's side. Immediately, he drops to his knees in front of his father, gripping his hand tightly. "Shit, Rob call 911, I think dad's having a heart attack!" Justin belts.

"Oh my god..." I mutter with a shake of my head. Can this day get any worse?

I'm chewing on my nails now, looking at all of the stunned faces in the room paralyzed with fear as Justin tries to talk to their dad to keep him conscious.

"Dad, dad look at me, hold on...shit...fuck! Rob!" Justin shouts again, snapping his head in the direction of his brother who's looking on with intrigue and slight satisfaction. "Robert! What the fuck!? Call the ambulance dad's dying!" Justin begs, his voice cracking as the tears he was holding back finally break through the surface and begin streaming down his cheeks like a waterfall. "This can't be happening. What a fuckin' nightmare." Justin sobs and I instantly feel my heart break for him. "Rob please! Snap out of it!" Justin begs and without missing a beat, I pull my cell out of my skirt pocket.

"I'll do it!" I voice causing Robert to glare at me.

He looks spaced. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually wanted their dad to die right here in his office. It would definitely solve a shitload of their problems. I mean, Robert's stare is so hard and unrelenting that I have to look away because it's unnerving.

"No, I'll do it." Robert sighs before walking over to me and taking the phone from my grasp, hitting 911 before pressing the call button.

Moving away from us, he waits for an answer so he can explain our situation.

Justin mouth's a ‘thank you' to me as his tears continue flowing freely and I nod meekly, not able to move as I watch him quietly trying to talk to Randall who seems to be slipping in and out of consciousness now.

Well damn, what a twisted day this turned out to be. I can't say I feel remorse though, which is terrible of me, but, Randall hasn't exactly given me a reason to care for him.

I do care for Justin though and seeing how this is tearing him apart, I can't help but silently hope that his dad will pull through this, even if it's a small thread of hope...

*****

At the Hospital

Hours Later

An eerie silence looms over the waiting room as we all sit, impatiently waiting for any word on Randall and his condition from the sudden heart attack he had earlier today.

Today has been a whirlwind of lies and truths revealed as well as a tornado of mixed emotions.

I'm drained emotionally and mentally. I can't imagine how Justin and Robert must feel.

Today in one word was disastrous.

From Robert nearly choking Randall to death, to Nella's little confession, to Justin crying which broke my heart, to the ambulance showing up at A-List minutes after Rob's 911 call, to A-List employees gossiping, to the media getting wind of this fiasco with them presently situated outside of the hospital trying to get in, to Justin, Randall, Chris, Nella, Sean, Maura, Gem and I sitting in the waiting room, silently, not saying a word as nervousness, doubt and fear engulf us.

Yeah, it was most definitely a totally disastrous day.

And Justin bouncing in his seat isn't helping.

"God what's taking them so long!? Can't they just tell us if he's dead or alive!?" Justin hisses angrily.

"J, calm down." I voice, placing my palm on his lap.

He narrows his eyes at me before jumping to his feet. "This is just perfect! This is perfect. Our fukin' father is fighting for his life and the media is already saying shit! And I don't even know what to make of anything or this day basically!" Justin belts, pacing.

He's losing his mind.

Sighing, Robert rolls his eyes, resting back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest. "Death is too easy for dad. He needs to live and experience some of the hurt he inflicted on the people around him." Robert says coldly.

I notice how Sean shakes his head sadly, not saying a word.

Gem is sitting in the corner with Chris and Nella as they talk amongst themselves, no doubt about Nella's baby confession. Gem doesn't look angry though, just confused as ever.

Maura is tentatively rubbing Robert's shoulders, trying to lessen his tense form and Justin is still pacing...but he's barely said a word to me. He was practically in hysterics, crying in my arms when they wheeled his dad in hours ago, not caring that the media was flashing all these photos of us and asking all these questions. But the moment his sobs died out, he retreated into his own world, barely saying anything until now.

The only reason he's even talking now is because he's impatient and antsy.

"I mean come on! How long does it take to know if someone dies from a heart attack!? It's a quick fuckin' death!" Justin wails.

"Excuse me sir?"

Justin immediately whips around to face a short, plump, light-skinned woman with a nurse uniform on.

"I'm going to have to ask you to quiet down." She speaks softly and Justin growls but says nothing before reclaiming his seat.

Smiling softly for him, she excuses herself and disappears soon afterwards.

And I'm just sitting there, gazing at my black knee-length skirt while playing with my fingers mindlessly as I try to push today's events to the back of my mind. I don't know what any of this means for A-List or for any of us. We're at a standstill right now, not knowing what the outcome of our immediate futures will be.

"Tai..." Justin whispers beside me and I turn to look at him with questioning eyes. "I'm sorry I..."

"It's ok." I say weakly and he caves, pulling me towards him until I'm sitting sideways on his lap and he's hugging me tightly, his head falling to the crook of my neck as he breaths deeply, his arms firmly around my waist, keeping me in place.

My body tenses under his hold as I gaze around the room at everyone.

I know we're together now but Justin's never shown such a display of affection towards me in public.

I shouldn't care but still, he caught me off guard.

All that is forgotten though when I take in his warmth and listen to his deep breathing as he plants a soft kiss on my neck. "I'm so sorry Tai." He whispers, not caring who hears or sees. "I love you so much. Promise me you won't leave me. You're all I have. We'll get through this...whatever this is that's happening now." Justin says honestly and I swallow, ignoring Nella's stare and Robert and Maura's curious glares.

"I...I promise." I say softly and Justin gives me a light squeeze and a nod.

It's not long before we're interrupted when the doctor walks into the room, holding a clipboard in his hand.

He's fairly tall with auburn hair and tired eyes that scan his clipboard from behind his spectacles. "Robert and Justin Timberlake?" He questions, and Justin's head instantly snaps up, but he doesn't budge.

His hold on me tightens but he remains seated, gazing up expectantly.

Robert stands, walking over to the doctor.

"What's the status?" Robert questions and the doctor lets out a plaintive sigh.

"Let me start off by saying I'm Doctor Richard Hill and I'm actually your dad's personal doctor. I've been seeing him for some time now." When Doctor Hill sees the confusion on Robert and Justin's faces he quickly attempts to explain his self. "I know how this may sound to you, but your dad gave strict orders that no one was to know of this. And, we do have a policy on patient confidentiality so...listen, I know that you may not have known, but your dad has been sick for some time now."

"Sick!?" Robert questions in disbelief.

"Yes, he's been having heart trouble for some time and he's been seeing me. Plain and simple, he has a bad heart. His heart was failing with age and with the amount of stress he's been putting himself under with his company. I've told him on countless occasions to relax, to not stress out himself since his heart can't take it and he has hypertension, but he never listens. He's a stubborn man. I did tell him that eventually he would need surgery but he's been putting it off and the last time he visited me, he told me that he stopped taking his meds because they made him too tired and drowsy and there was work that needed to be done. I thought about calling you boys since I knew you all were his sons. I've been worried about him for some time. I know that his business means everything to him, but I told him his heart couldn't take the strain. I even suggested that he relieved himself of his duties as C.E.O to his company and pass the torch over to one of you. He told me he was going to do it. In fact, he was supposed to be out of office since a month ago. When I asked him why he was still going into work, he said something about his sons not being ready for such responsibilities. I'm truly sorry." Doctor Hill explains. "I tried everything. I knew this would eventually happen. Your father is very headstrong but doesn't always make the best decisions. He's ignored his health and now what I feared has come to pass."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Doctor Hill scans his clipboard before looking up at us, his eyes flitting over our faces.

Everyone is quiet, waiting for him to continue but he doesn't say anything else.

"Dad's so stupid." Robert says as he shakes his head. "You're telling me; this is why he's been the way he's been? Because he was sick and dying and was trying to make up his mind on which of us should run the damn company!? Really? That's it!? He killed his self over us!? Over this!?"  

"No Rob, that's not it." Justin speaks up and I turn to look at him, his azures glossy as he gazes directly at the doctor. "It makes perfect sense now though. Dad, he was scared...he knew exactly what was happening, but he was too scared to talk to any of us about it. We need to call our moms and let them know what's going on."

"Ok, I've just about had it and I'm just about ready to scream." Robert deadpans. "Doc, is our dad going to make it or not!? I know he's obviously not the brightest one when it comes to discussing matters of the heart, no pun intended, but, I don't want the bastard to die now." Robert states and I can't help but feel terrible at his almost aloof demeanor.

"Well, he's in surgery right now. We needed to do an immediate bypass but we can't tell yet. It's a delicate procedure and anything could happen. I will say it's going to be a few more hours before he comes out of surgery and then I'll update you. We'll do our best. But for now all we can do is...wait. I'm sorry again." The doctor admits with a somber expression on his face and Robert nods in understanding.

"Thank you." Justin voices before the doctor smiles lightly then excuses himself to return to the ER.

When he's gone, everyone looks at each other, none of us quite knowing what to say or make of our situations.

"I don't know about any of you..." Robert begins before reclaiming his seat next to Maura. I can tell that he's sad and worried, but he easily masks it, not wanting to show any weakness. He doesn't have to though. I think Justin's done enough crying for the both of them. "When all of this is over, I'm taking an extended vacation away from this company, this state and this life." Robert divulges and I feel Justin release a soft hum against me as he rests his chin on my shoulder, still holding onto me.

I turn to look at him, lifting my hand to caress the side of his face, not caring what anyone thinks or says.

I'm happy that Sean is here with us though. Just having him here gives me the strength I need to withstand this with Justin.

Sighing, Justin locks eyes with me and a depressed smile floats across his face as he chews on his bottom lip before he finally decides to speak.

"Still think that running away bit is a bad idea?" Justin questions seriously and I wince slightly, my eyes falling to his soft, pink, pouty lips before my browns meet his blues again.

"No." I voice honestly and he nods, agreeing with me.

Robert's right.

If we survive this and get through everything in one piece, we most definitely need a vacation because A-Listed or not, everyone deserves to getaway at some point in order to release some stress and gather their sanity.

That was Randall's undoing.

He never stopped and took a breather and just got away from it all.

Now look at where it got him...maybe on his death bed.

I won't let that happen to Justin. For as long as I'm around, I'll never let him get like that. I don't care what it takes.

I love that man and if it means disappearing to some remote island for a lengthy period of time to get away from everything for a while, then so be it because as long as we're together, that's all that matters.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A Month Later

A-List Magazine

Manhattan, New York

"How many times are you going to tell me this Sean?" I spit, glowering at my brother with heated eyes who has the most comical glare on his face.

"Until I drive you crazy." He replies smartly and I huff.

"Ugh! Would you stop!?" I snap but he ignores me, a large grin spreading across his lips.

"Not until you admit that I told you so and your fate or destiny was written in the books. There was no way you could have avoided it. You were meant to work at A-List. You and Justin were meant to be togeth..." But that's as far as he gets before I clamp my hand down on his mouth, not being able to deal with this annoying, teasing side of him.

"Ok! Fine! You win! It wasn't coincidence. It was fate...destiny or whatever. Happy now?" I groan, narrowing my eyes at him and his smile widens when I remove my hand.

"Of course." He beams and I roll my eyes, a small giggle escaping me.

"Come on, let's get back to the party before Justin comes looking for me. I can't believe you insisted that I brought you down here to the closet."

"Uh hello! You've been working here how many months? You know I needed to see the A-List fashion closet Tai, don't even play. Now was the perfect time." Sean chuckles as we exit the closet to head back up to where A-List's big Anniversary party extravaganza is taking place.

Hmm, if I didn't love my brother so much...

"Just be quiet Sean and pick up the pace." I laugh as I lead us back to the party in silence.

After months of planning and scheming, Justin and Robert were finally able to put together A-List's big Anniversary bash. It wasn't easy since things weren't the same again after what happened to their dad a little over a month ago, but it's not something any of us dwell on or talk about.

The point is, I'm proud of my boys and what they've accomplished in the past month. They managed to get A-List back on its feet and they successfully cleared up most of the media drama that was circulating about them and their dad.

And dare I say the Anniversary party is a success?

It's filled with A-List guests from all around the world, from designers to movie stars and music artists.

In fact, I was actually having a great time on Justin's arm as he pulled me along with him while he worked the room and greeted the guests until Sean stole me away and demanded that we paid the closet a visit.

We're finally back on the floor where the party is being held which is actually the same floor where Justin and Robert's offices are located. They cleared out the front area where Sharron's desk used to be and set it up perfectly to accommodate their guests. It's really beautiful and looks nothing like A-List on a regular workday. Justin even had the walls painted bright vibrant colors and placed up amazing art pieces. I'm glad he did because the pale white walls were beginning to drive me crazy.

Stepping foot out of the elevator with Sean at my side, I turn to look at him, drinking in his handsome features as he wears his tailored designer suit with pride. You know, everyday that goes by, I can't help but be thankful for my big brother. I honestly wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him.

"There you are Sean! I've been looking all over for you!"

Sean and I both turn to match a face with the voice that called out to him. A large grin spreads across Sean's face as he leaves my side and I smirk.

"Hey Claude!" I wave to the strikingly gorgeous man.

After we left LA, Sean made sure to stay in contact with his new friend Claude. In fact, they hit it off so well this past month, Sean actually built up the balls to ask Claude out here to visit him. And, Claude obliged and came. This is their first thing together and I'm actually happy that Sean has someone to keep him occupied since I spend a lot of my free time with Justin. We've really gotten closer in the past month and I'm happy about that.

Justin and I even had our first real fight like a week ago when he insisted on buying Sean and me both a car and I told him he was being ridiculous.

Justin is sometimes a spoilt rich boy but that's understandable. He hates the fact that I still take public transportation. His words and I quote were ‘no A-List girlfriend of mine should have to succumb to such torture.' I couldn't believe him and basically let him have a piece of my mind. Sean was all up for the free gift, but I told Justin it wasn't going to happen. Apparently, denying his gifts and good gestures was a major blow to the ego and manhood. Figured. We worked it out eventually though, with Justin apologizing and I did the same for cursing him out. Then, he showered me with a dozen roses and took me out to dinner. There's no way I could have stayed angry with him after that. He really is a sweetheart.

"Hey Tai, Justin's been asking for you. You better find him before he calls a search party." Claude laughs out, interrupting my thoughts and I groan.

"We were only gone for like fifteen minutes." I point out and Claude shrugs before turning his attention back to Sean.

"Just go sis. I'll catch up with you later." Sean waves me off before giving Claude his full attention and I roll my eyes at them then turn to leave, telling them bye before I disappear into the mass of people to look for Justin.

On my way through the sea of bodies, I stop a few times to tell a few of A-List's clients ‘hi' until I make it to our group of friends seated at our table talking, laughing and drinking champagne.

"Hey guys!" I call out, making my way over to them and taking a seat. My eyes flit over Gem, Chris, Lannick, Carla, Sharron, Maura and Christian Siriano. But, no Justin or Robert. Hmm, I wonder where they are...

"Hey girl! Justin's been up and down looking for you." Maura speaks up and I frown. Really, what's so important that he needs me so badly?

"Where is he?" I question, fixing my long, red Cavalli evening dress.

"He and Robert went up on stage to make their speech." Gem adds in and I turn to stare at her.

Well, that would explain why Justin's looking for me. He doesn't want me to miss his speech that took him at least two weeks to get right.

Holding Gem's gaze, I give her a soft smile when I notice that she and Chris are holding hands, facing each other.

They look so much in love. I'm glad they were able to get past the whole Nella fiasco that happened not too long ago. Chris took another paternity test to be sure that the baby was his and it turned out that Nella's story checked out after all. Both Chris and Nella agreed they would share custody and that Chris would do his part, but, Gem is where his heart is. It was sweet and I was happy that the three of them came to an understanding.

Nella actually traveled to Spain for a while to meet up with some of her relatives but she'll be back before it's time to give birth since Chris and Gem want to be there for that moment. I'm just happy for them.

Even Justin and Robert forgave Nella for the terrible things she did. They finally understood and wished her well. Everyone was finally able to settle their differences and go their separate ways but it wasn't easy, especially for Justin and Robert...

I'm glad Robert has Maura now. They've been spending a lot of time together and I'm happy for them. I'm happy that I can be a part of their lives and I'm happy that I have Justin and he has me...

"Excuse me, can I get everyone's attention please?"

Inhaling deeply, I lift my head and stare at the platform Justin and Robert had temporarily built to act as a stage.

"Tai!? Tai Bennett, where are you girl!?" Justin calls out through the microphone, grabbing everyone's attention.

Ducking my head in slight embarrassment, I feel a light push on my shoulder.

"You better go Tai." Sharron speaks up. "He obviously wants you up there with them."

Lifting my head, my eyes travel over the stage to where Justin and Robert are standing looking amazing in their suits with a microphone in their hand.

They both turn to glare at each other before Justin's blues are back out in the crowd, scanning the many faces. He's looking for me I'm sure.

A small smile plays across his lips before he decides to call out to me again. "Tai!? Are you hiding from me?" Justin questions and I hear a few people laughing softly. "Tai-ana Bennett! You better get your butt up here pretty lady." Justin drawls and I instantly jump up on my feet, my eyes wide with shock.

Ok, I know our relationship is public now and all that but really, he's pushing it. I'm not yet accustomed to the endless attention that comes with being the girlfriend of an heir but I'm dealing. Still, Justin calling me by my full name is unacceptable.

"Ugh, I'm going to kill him." I mutter, clenching my fist. I've warned him about blurting out my full name like that in public. He's so stubborn sometimes. He knows I'll respond to it; that's why he's doing it now. Damn him.

"Yeah Taiana...get up there..." I hear Chris joke but I ignore him when Justin's eyes finally meet mine in the room and a large grin spreads across his face.

"There you are Taiana my love! Come up here so we can get this speech out of the way huh?" Justin suggests, making a signal with his hand for me to come and I hesitate before I start walking slowly towards the stage.

I can see Robert standing next to him, trying to stifle his laughs and if I didn't know any better, I'd say Justin was borderline tipsy.

When I finally make it to the front of the stage, a deep frown makes its way onto my face as I study Justin's features closely. He walks over and leans down, stretching his hand out for me to take. Keeping my composure, I allow him to help me up until I'm standing next to them on the stage in front of all their guests.

"Here we have her folks, the most beautiful woman in the room next to my mom of course." Justin quips, causing an uproar of laughter. "And, the love of my life who's been there for me like no one else ever has." He adds in softly, causing the people in the room to coo and aw.

Oh god, thank goodness I have a brown complexion because I'd be turning all shades of red right now.

Turning to face the crowd in slight embarrassment, I wave shyly before trying to move away to stand next to Robert, but Justin grips my hand in his, keeping me at his side.

"Are you drunk Justin?" I whisper casually in his ear.

"Not nearly enough to make this speech." He replies nervously and I sigh, giving his hand a light squeeze for comfort and reassurance. "Here goes nothing." He whispers to me again before his smile is back and he begins talking into the microphone with me standing silently at his side.

"So, firstly, I'd like to start off with thanking every one of you for coming out tonight to celebrate A-List's 40th Anniversary shindig." Justin begins and a light applause breaks out in the room. When everyone quiets down again, he continues. "I know that this is maybe not what you all expected, seeing as the main host who should be there giving this speech is not with us right now." Swallowing harshly, Justin releases his hold on my hand to loosen his tie around his neck before he continues. "I'm sure that you all are aware of the chaos that took place with Robert and me a little over a month ago in relation to our father Randall. It was a very low time for our family and for the company, especially with what happened to our dad. We did issue public apologizes and explained the situation that took place to the public and to our clients, but I'd just like to say again that I'm deeply sorry for the endless drama that ensued. It seeped into the media and they had a field day with it but the most important thing is that A-List came out standing and if anything the incident made us all stronger. Robert and I understood that we had to pay that price for being heirs. We are glad that we were able to get past it and that we can have you all here with us tonight to celebrate such an achievement and milestone in A-List history."

"We wish that our dad could be here tonight to see this...but...unfortunately..." Pausing, Justin's voice cracks and he swallows hard before removing the microphone from his mouth and licking his dry lips.

Robert notices and quickly covers for him, taking over where he left off.

"Unfortunately..." Robert continues, diverting everyone's attention, "Randall couldn't be here tonight. But, he does send well wishes to everyone. You see, the thing with our dad was, he was such a workaholic and consumed with power, he never really took the time out to stop and enjoy life or really pay attention to the effect he had on his family and the people around him. Justin and I are happy that he didn't die of the heart attack he suffered a little while back from all the stress he was under but he was never the same again. Needless to say, forgive my brother that he's not able to continue with his speech. The subject of our dad is still a sensitive one for Justin. After all, between the two of us, I'm the only one who's seen our dad after his heart attack in recovery. I was also the one who received Randall's apologies and saw him actually feel remorse and pour his heart out. Justin wasn't there to hear or witness any of it and until he's ready to, talking about our father will always be hard for him."

It's true.

Robert was the one who experienced the human side of Randall. He was the one who sat down and heard his father apologize till the ends of the earth and beg for their forgiveness. Robert forgave him easily, because well, he's that type of guy. After everything, all Robert needed to hear was that their dad was truly sorry and admitted to his mistakes and he was ok.

But Justin? Well, let's just say when they told Justin and Robert their dad was going to make it, Justin literally told the doctor that maybe they shouldn't have tried to save him...

Everyone was shocked when he said that. I was stunned. But Justin didn't care. He didn't even flinch. He simply told the doctor thank you, got up and left and never came back.

I guess, as time passed and Justin was finally able to really absorb everything their dad put him through, he couldn't find the good in their situation anymore. He couldn't find a reason to even keep loving his father anymore. It's almost like he was broken all this time and only realized it at the last moment. Justin hardly ever speaks of his dad now.

Even after Randall tried to make things right by passing the company over to them, Justin refused to speak to his father or even see him.

After all of that, Randall gave Robert and Justin full control of A-List as joint C.E.Os of the company without even breaking a sweat.

I know that near death experiences change people but come on!? Even I was upset that all it took was for Randall to nearly die to see the light and error in his ways. If that were the case, he should have faced death a lot sooner and save his sons the heartache and pain.

I think that's part of why Justin shunned him all together.

Justin felt used, betrayed and lied to among other things. He felt like all the pain and suffering he had to endure under his father's hand was all for nothing. And I don't blame him, but I just hope that eventually he'll be able to face his father and talk to him and finally forgive him else he'll never be able to truly move on and away from all the hell he had to endure growing up...

"So in conclusion, I'd like to thank you all for coming and for making this anniversary party a success. My dad sends his ‘thank you' especially to our clients. We're sorry again that he couldn't be here since he's in Fiji right now on retirement with his two house nurses who are taking good care of him. But, on behalf of Justin and myself, we hope that you enjoy the rest of your night and thank you again for coming." Robert states before the room breaks out in applause.

I finally turn to stare at Justin who's silently scanning the crowd until I tug on his hand and he turns to glare at me.

"Can we get off the stage now?" I ask, feeling exposed up here.

He nods before handing Robert his microphone. "Thanks Rob." Justin voices and Robert shakes his head in understanding before patting Justin's back and giving me a quick hug.

"You kids have fun." Robert chuckles then excuses himself to leave.

When he's gone, Justin quietly leads me off the stage and into the crowd.

"Where were you?" Justin questions in a light whisper as we maneuver through the many bodies in the room.

"Sean dragged me down to the closet so he could drool over the designer stuff in there." I giggle.

"Uh huh and where's Sean?"

"Off with Claude somewhere." I mumble causing Justin to laugh.

"Hey at least he met his match." Justin wisecracks.

"Yeah whatever..."

"So do you want to get a drink?" Justin asks but I decline.

"No, and you're not drinking anymore mister. You're tipsy. I can tell." I point out and he gives me a sheepish grin.

"Ok mom..." Justin jokes before we're interrupted.

"Last time I checked, you only had one mother young man."

Both Justin and I turn at the sound of Lynn's voice, Justin's eyes lighting up at the sight of her.

"Momma hey!" He beams, leaving my side to engulf his mom in a large hug.

"Hey baby." She smiles when he lets her go.

"Thanks again for coming Lynn." I voice and she nods, touching my shoulder lightly.

"Thank you for inviting me." She says honestly and Justin actually blushes. Oh gosh, where's a camera when you need it? He's too cute.

"Come on mom, it's not like I could have stayed mad at you forever. I just needed some time to get over my shock is all." Justin admits, touching Lynn's belly lightly. "You better not let that little one out of your sight." He points out with a smile on his face but we can hear the firmness in his tone.

I know Justin would never want his little brother or sister to grow up without their mom like he did. Every child needs his or her mother.

Lynn locks eyes with her son and gives him a soft smile. "I don't intend to." She admits honestly and Justin nods in return.

"So, Tai and I were just going to grab some alone time. Is everything ok? Are you having a good time?" Justin questions.

"Of course baby, but there is one thing I wanted to let you know in reference to your dad. I would have told you when I came in yesterday but you were so busy preparing for tonight. And my flight leaves tomorrow so..."

"What is it mom?" Justin asks.

"Well I hope that you don't hold this against us, but I think part of the reason why your dad acted the way he did with you was because of me." She explains and Justin frowns.

"Because of you?"

"Yes Justin. Look, I'm just going to lay it out for you so you can get on with your night. You see, your father wasn't the only horrible one in our relationship. I had my fair share of hurting him as well. Around the time I became pregnant with you, he found out I was cheating on him and there was a possibility that you might have not been his. I know what I did was wrong, but, we were having our problems and you know that no marriage is perfect. I don't condone what I did. I was young and stupid and didn't know any better. I am sorry though. I think, when I left it hit him really hard and because I left, he took out all of his hurt and frustration on you and your brother. It was my fault. Randall never quite got over my infidelity and he was never the same again. I don't want to go into too much detail but you're grown now and I'm sure you can fill in the blanks and maybe understand and finally forgive him. It wasn't his fault. He was lashing out at the wrong person and I'm sorry I left you to take those blows. I just wanted you to know baby. It really only came to me when I tried to understand why he was this way with you boys and that's the best I could come up with." Lynn shrugs but I can see the fear and worry in her eyes.

I know she's silently praying that Justin doesn't shun her again but Justin seems so over anything to do with his father he almost doesn't seem to care anymore.

There's a long pause as Justin digests everything before he finally speaks calmly.

"It's ok mom. It's not your fault. I guess it makes sense and all but dad willingly behaved the way he did. No one forced him to or held a gun to his head or threatened his life. Don't make excuses for him. I get that he was hurting or whatever and obviously he was too proud to talk about it but that doesn't change anything. Robert and I didn't deserve the way he treated us. And, even if he supposedly had a wake up call and decided to change his ways, it doesn't lessen the scars. I know you want me to forgive him but I just...can't. Not yet anyway." Justin voices and Lynn sighs heavily. "I will eventually...I just need some time."

"I hope you will baby...soon...before it's too late. Randall may have survived his heart attack but he's not getting any younger Justin."

"I know ma. Look, why don't you continue mingling and enjoying yourself? Thanks for coming and I'll see you again before you leave tomorrow." Justin states, pulling his mom into another tight hug. See? I'm not sure when this is going to end, but talking about his dad is definitely not something he enjoys doing. "I love you mom. I'm not angry I promise. We'll be ok. We're doing good now. Things will keep getting better so don't worry." Justin assures Lynn and I smile softly as her hold on him tightens.

When he pulls away, he kisses her cheek before wiping away the lone tear that escapes her. "Take care mom." Justin beams, stretching out to grip my hand gently in his.

"You too sweetie. It was nice seeing you again Tai."

"You too Lynn, bye!" I wave goodbye to her before she excuses herself and leaves.

When she's gone, Justin turns to stare at me with a blank expression on his face.

"What?" I ask him, feeling self-conscious.

"Come on." Justin demands before pulling me down the hall with him, dismissing our encounter with his mom.

"Wha...where are we going Justin?" I ask as he picks up his pace.

Nearly tripping over my heels, I fight to keep up with his long strides since he has a firm grip on my hand as he hauls me along.

"Slow down!" I shout but he ignores me, a low chuckle escaping him.

"What's the best way to relieve built up stress and tension?" He questions as we walk further down the hall and away from the party.

"Ugh, Justin I'm so tired of telling you to relax. I swear. You're going to pop a vein or something. You're way too young to develop hypertension so you just better not." I warn.

"Yeah yeah, yeah I need to relax, got it Tai. But there's no professional masseuse here right now and while I love your massages, I'm thinking I could go for something more intense." Justin explains.

Looking around, I realize that we're heading in the direction of Justin's office where A-List is practically deserted since the guests aren't allowed down here. There are even security guards around, compliments Robert who wanted to make sure that the peace remained throughout the entire evening.

"You don't have a stash of alcohol hidden away from your guests that you plan on indulging in do you Justin?" I ask a bit reluctantly. I wouldn't put it past him.

"No..." Justin says softly as we stop in front of his office door.

My eyes quickly scan over my old desk facing the large glass window of his office.

It's my old desk because I'm not situated there anymore. I actually have my own office now. Justin and Robert had it ready for me about a week ago which was around the same time Justin and I got into our little argument over public transportation when he stopped by to ask me if I needed a ride home and I told him I was taking the train instead because I had to meet up with Sean since we were going on a prowl.

"What are you up to Justin?" I giggle when he swings his door open and drags me inside.

Turning around to face me, he grins brightly before stretching across and locking the door. Walking away from me, he closes all of the blinds and turns on this one lone lamp on the corner of his desk which is our only source of light really.

"It should be obvious what I'm up to by now Taiana." He smirks, his stare intense and I swallow hard because I'm very much aware of what's happening here.

"Are you fuckin' crazy?" I whisper, not quite knowing why I am.

"You mean am I crazy about you? Yes I am." Justin quips. "Plus I've wanted us to have some alone time all night."

"No idiot. We can't do this here right now. You have a big fuckin' party going on right now with guests you have to entertain since you're one of the hosts! We can't do this now Justin. People will start looking for you. You know this." I point out but he shrugs uncaringly.

"Then we should be quick huh?" He chuckles, walking up and encircling his arms around my waist.

"Oh god, you're fuckin' psycho Justin." I giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck.

I'm about to cave, I just know it. How can I possibly resist him or say no to him? I can't say no to him. I can't ever say no to him. Oh god, why can't I say no to him? This is bad.

"Well hey there miss potty mouth. What's come over you?" Justin snickers, lifting one of his hands to brush my curly hair away from my face and neck.

"I hang around you too much." I counter.

"I don't swear that much."

"Yes you do. Especially when you're riled up."

"Ok well, don't pick it up. It's not attractive when a woman does it."

"Oh please Justin."

"Fine, it's not attractive when my woman does it." He divulges and I smile at him.

"I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven." He coos. "Now, give your boss a kiss my little hot chocolate." He muses and I groan with a smile.

"You know, that's what got us here in the first place...mixing business with pleasure."

"I know. But aren't you glad we did though? I mean, I wouldn't have found the love of my life if I had simply ignored my feelings for her." He confesses and oh my god he needs to stop being so sickeningly sweet to me.

"Ugh, ok Justin I'm convinced. I totally agree, come here." I snicker, pulling him down for a kiss which he gladly obliges to.

And just like that we get carried away, forgetting about our surroundings and only focusing on us...here and now...in each other's arms.

Justin hums lightly in response the moment our lips connect before I feel him pulling us further into his office.

In the blink of an eye, I'm hoisted up in his strong arms to sit at the edge of his desk and I gasp in shock, breaking our lip action.

"You're serious huh?" I question him, my browns latching onto his dilated blues. "And tipsy." I snigger, causing him to elicit a deep growl.

"And horny." He adds in with a crooked grin, his large hands diving to my thighs.

He grips fistfuls of my dress, pushing it up all the way to my waist, exposing my legs and red matching panties.

"Hmm, I like this ‘lady in red' theme you have going. Is your bra the same color?" He questions, about the move the strap of my dress aside to see but I stop him.

"Who said I was wearing one?" I say innocently and his eyes widen with excitement.

"Shit, you really shouldn't have told me that Tai. Now we can never leave my office and get back to the party." Justin grunts, his fingertips grazing over my center until he grips my underwear getting ready to root it off of me.

"Why not?" I can't help but giggle at his anxiousness.

"I'll be too focused on the fact that you're not wearing anything underneath that red dress." He mutters.

"But I'm wearing..."

And just like that I hear a ripping sound which shocks me into silence.

Oh my freaking god! He just ripped my panties. I loved them too! They were one of my favorites!

"Justin!" I finally gasp but he silences me, tossing my underwear to the side.

"Don't act like you don't love it." He growls huskily, leaning down to kiss me deeply.

I moan softly, images of him taking me right here on his desk flooding my mind.

Wow, I can't believe this is actually happening right now...

I quickly allow my instinct to kick in as my hands go to work, rooting off his tie and pushing off his jacket. I frantically work on unpinning his shirt as he continues kissing me and groping me, his large hands roaming over my frame.

When I finally get his shirt undone, I skim my hands down his hard chest, my nails softly grazing over his hot flesh causing him to shudder.

Pulling away from me, Justin inhales sharply as his blues roam over my face.

"Fuck..." he breathes deeply, and I bite my bottom lip as my hands dip to his waist.

I quickly undo his belt and unpin his pants. Chuckling softly, he helps me until I'm able to shove my hand down his boxers and grip him firmly, wrapping my fingers around his length.

He hisses softly as I squeeze him gently, loving the feel of him.

"Lie back." Justin orders in a strained tone and I frown slightly.

"Wha but..."

"Lie back Tai." He says more sternly, his tone urgent as he removes my hand.

I turn around, realizing that his desk is filled with documents but that doesn't stop him.

Letting out a rather frustrated grunt, Justin leans over me and with one swift brush of his hand he sends the entire contents on his desk crashing to the floor around us including the lamp which makes a loud thud.

I gasp in shock, the small light in the room flickering, casting a shadow on the ceiling from its angle on the floor.

"Justin what..."

"Shh..." He silences me, using one of his hands to grip my waist and pull me towards him at the edge of the desk.

Not saying anything else, I wrap my legs around his waist as he uses his other free hand to push down his pants and boxers, freeing his erection that's thick and throbbing.

I can already feel myself getting wet just from the sight of him.

"Do you love me Tai?" Justin questions and my eyes snap up to his face.

"What kind of question is that?"

Grinning, he shrugs as he pulls me flush against him, positioning his self at my entrance. "How much do you love me?" He whispers sexily and I scowl.

"A lot." I decide to play along.

"How much is a lot?" he asks, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Times infinity." I giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"So, do you love me enough to scream my name and not care who hears?"

"What? Look Justin..." but my voice dies in my throat, my eyes widening when I feel him pushing his way in.

"Enough to scream my name?" He asks again, his voice low and taunting as he studies my expressions.

Gripping my waist to hold me in place, he slowly pushes in, thrusting into me, stretching my walls apart.

My mouth gapes open as I glare at him, not able to find my voice quite yet.

"Come on Tai, answer me." Justin coaxes, sliding out of me before he thrusts back in harshly causing me to whimper.

"Oh my god..." I moan, tilting my head back in the process.

"Come on babe, you can do better than that. I wanna hear you scream it! Scream my name Taiana." Justin demands, setting a steady pace as he pushes me further up on his desk until he's leaning over me as he stares at me intently.

"Justin..." I croak, but he shakes his head in protest, his rough side taking over.

"No...louder!" He growls.  

"But I..."

"Louder Tai!" Justin snaps, thrusting into me harshly.

Falling back on my elbows, I try to catch my breath as his pace speeds up.

"Ugh Justin!" I shout, not able to hold back any longer. "Yes Justin! Harder!"

"Thata girl. Tell me what you want me to do." Justin orders.

He likes this...this demanding controlling shit. It's kind of a turn on too. He has no idea that I'm enjoying this just as much as he is.

"Fuck me." I say softly, glaring up at him, loving the sight of him as pleasure washes over his features while his face creases up into a light frown and the muscles in his chest make a rippling effect with each breath he takes.

"A little louder baby." Justin coos, his hips slamming into mine as he's literally fucking me now, his thrusts rough and deep as he works on bringing us over the edge.

My stomach coils and a loud moan escapes me when he starts hitting my g-spot continuously. "Shit! Fuck me Justin...please! Ugh, yes!" I scream out, lying flat on my back as he hovers, never slowing his pace.

"That's it...almost there babe." Justin grunts, one of his hands gripping my thigh tightly as he continues working us over the edge.

Panting, my hands search for the edge of his desk, gripping it tightly to steady myself as our bodies rock violently on top of the piece of furniture.

Looking up at Justin, I notice that he's mesmerized with how he slides in and out of me as I swallow him up.

"Damn..." he mutters, finally gazing into my browns.

Leaning down, he kisses a trail up my bare chest until he gets to my neck. Shifting his lips up to my ear, he pecks me there gently before he whispers softly. "I love you Tai..."

"I love you too J." I coo, his lips connecting to mine in a deep kiss.

Gasping when I feel my orgasm building since he's still thrusting into me deeply, I try to push him away but he remains in place, stealing my air.

My hands instantly find their way to his chest until I grip fistfuls of his open shirt, my back arching off the desk slightly as one of his hands slowly skims over my thigh, kneading it softly.

My legs tighten around Justin's waist when I feel my walls clamp down around him as I reach my climax quickly, his deep, powerful thrusts driving me over the edge.

I shudder against him, my moans muffled by our kiss as my entire body trembles, my grip on him tightening.

Justin slows down his pace, finally breaking our kiss so we can take in air.

I heave, my eyes shut tight as I try to come down from my high with him still moving inside of me until he finally lets go, climaxing and filling my insides...

"Oh fuck." Justin groans deeply, his fingers digging into my thigh as his hips jerk, his thrusts slowing down until all movement stops.

I hold onto him for dear life, still breathing deeply, my eyes wide open now as I scan our surroundings.

The room is dully illuminated with a large shadow by the small lamp lying on the floor.

And, Justin and I are practically lying on top of his desk holding onto each other after fucking, totally spent. Our bodies are slightly damp and our clothes are disheveled. There is no way we can go back out to that party looking like this.

"Justin the party." I speak up when it dawns on me that we're indeed housing guests here at A-List.

I don't think it would be wise if any of them came looking for Justin now.

"Fuck the party Tai." He says hoarsely, still deep inside of me semi-hard. "You're so beautiful like this."

"What? I'm a mess. My hair is ruined." I giggle, hugging him and leaning up to peck his lips softly.

"Hmm, then you're a beautiful mess." He hums and I scoff.

"Nice one."

"Yeah..." He sighs contently and I roll my eyes playfully at him.

"Can we get up now? Your desk isn't exactly soft." I point out and he chuckles, finally sliding out of me and moving off before he helps me up.

I carefully stand on wobbly legs, my dress falling past my knees as I try to keep my balance in my heels.

Leaning against the desk, I watch Justin as he carefully pulls up his boxers and pants over his waist before he pulls up his zipper and pins his pant button.

"So, did you relieve the stress?" I ask jokingly and he smiles at me.

"Uh huh, I'm totally relaxed now." He beams and I shake my head in amusement.

"You're too much Justin."

"You love me like that."

"I do." I agree, walking over to him.

Looking up at him, I rest my hands flat on his exposed chest. Leaning forward, I place delicate kisses over his pectorals until he tenses under my touch.

"Tai, are you looking for me to jump you again?"

"Maybe." I shrug and Justin laughs out loudly.

"Ok, well as much as I'd love to, we have a party to get back to. But I'll take you up on that when we get home later." He suggests, pushing some of my damp hair behind my ears.

"Can we hang out in here still?" I ask hopefully, looking around at the mess on the floor. There are papers everywhere.

"Ok, but, I've been meaning to tell you that we're going to have to push back our trip to Hawaii a few months." Justin voices, pulling me with him to sit on his couch in the far corner of the office.

When he sits down, I straddle his waist facing him as I play with the small curls on his head. "Why?" I question as his hands skim my back.

"We have fashion month coming up and Robert and I have to work on our new season line among other things. But I promise after all that, we're taking that vacation." Justin states, his blues searching my browns.

"That's fine. As long as we're together I'm ok with it." I admit, smiling for him and he nods.

"Sweet. So you won't have any problem when I tell you that you'll be traveling with us to Italy for fashion month in the next two weeks." Justin adds in and I gasp in shock.

"Oh my god really?" I say excitedly, bouncing on top of him and he chuckles.

"Really."

"Wow, cool!" I gush and his chuckles increase.

"I told you you'd get to visit Italy one day."

"Only because of you J."

"I know; I'm a cool boyfriend like that." He says cockily.

"Whatever!" I smack his chest to shut him up.

"Ok, ok, but Sean was right you know."

"Oh no." I groan. There's no getting away from Sean is there. And he was right? About what? "What crazy thoughts did my brother put in your head Justin? Gosh, I need to remember to never leave you two alone." I joke.

"Yeah, yeah but he's a smart guy. He said fate or destiny was what brought us together and you know the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think that maybe he's right. I mean, the way everything happened...I don't know Tai, but it was all too convenient to be pegged as simply coincidence ignoring the possibly of greater forces at work." Justin shrugs and I stare at him incredulously.

A good moment passes between us before I finally gather my bearings to respond.

"Ok that's it, it's official. Justin you hang around Sean way too much. His craziness is finally rubbing off on you too." I giggle and Justin stares at me blankly before he caves and begins laughing as well.

"Yeah, it does sound kind of crazy huh?" He admits.

"You have no idea." I agree, but little does he know that I share his thoughts exactly.

I'll never admit it though and give him the satisfaction.

But, A-Listed or not, I believe that we were meant to be here like this now and I hope that we'll always be like this and that it will never end...

CHAPTER TWENTY

Seven Months Later...

Flashback...

"You're such a liar Rob, that's not how it happened!" Justin shouts in protest and I can't even control my giggling fits right now.

"Just admit that you are without a doubt a klutz plain and simple." Robert reprimands and Justin scowls, letting out a huff in aggravation.

"Oh come on, it was one stupid trip. That does not justify me being a klutz." Justin counters only causing Robert to chuckle in response.

"If you mean, nearly missing a fall on the runway at the end of one of our fashion shows during our speech, in front of all the cameras and media, where you literally held onto the prop background so you wouldn't crash on your face, which in turn sent the entire background setting crashing down around us then....yeah, one incident doesn't justify such." Robert inhales deeply before a large grin spreads across his face at Justin's embarrassment.

"Just shut the fuck up already." Justin caves, his head lowering in embarrassment and I try to sober up some when I see how his face is turning beet red but I can't help the snort that leaves me.

Both Justin and Rob turn to glare at me in that moment, Robert with a cheeky grin on his face and Justin with a deep frown.

"I'm glad my embarrassment which was showcased for the entire world to see amuses you Taiana." Justin spits and I pout lightly.

"Aw, baby I'm sorry. But you have to admit it was pretty hilarious." I point out, reliving the moment in my mind.

"Yeah whatever." Justin groans, folding his arms across his chest and turning away from me like a spoilt little child.

What Robert said is true. The very last fashion show they had a few weeks ago before we all jetted off for a well needed break ended in Justin bringing down the entire background set for their runway show. Obviously it wasn't funny then since people we more shocked than anything, but now, it's really hilarious.

Aw, my poor baby. Robert had one too many shots of scotch which aided in his loose tongue and urges to make fun of Justin. But like I've said before, Justin makes it too simple for his brother by being an easy target.

"Aw, J, don't be mad baby, laugh with us. It's over. We're here now." I point out, getting up from my sitting position to straddle his waist.

He's totally blowing my mellow with his cute, pouty face and crossed arms.

"Leave me alone Tai." He mutters childishly.

I ignore Robert when I hear him snickering lightly.

"Rob you should apologize." Comes Maura's light tone and Robert heaves a sigh in response.

"Fine...I'm sorry big bro. I shouldn't use your klutzy self as my comic relief. Grow some balls Justin. You're way too emotional." Robert voices earning a light smack on the arm from Maura.

"That apology could have gone without the last part Robby!" Maura quips and both Justin and I turn to stare at them.

"Yeah Robby." Justin snickers, teasing Robert because he knows that Rob hates the nickname but endures it for Maura's sake.

"Really Justin you shouldn't talk right now." I scold him.

"Yeah klutzilla!" Robert retorts with a scowl and I raise my hands in defeat, moving to get off Justin's lap but his hands quickly fly out to hold me in place.

"Fuck you Robby...and where are you going Tai?" Justin inquires, his blues burning into my browns and I glare at him before turning towards Robert and Maura just in time to see them share a sweet kiss. "They're giving us competition Tai." Justin whispers in my ear, his grip on my waist tightening and I giggle, trying to wriggle out of his hold but to no avail.

"Stop it Justin!" I warn but he ignores me, nuzzling my neck.

"Get a room people. I really don't need to see this. Babe, let's head to the bar and get smashed." Robert quips, gripping a giggling Maura by the hand before they stand from their lounge chairs.

"Yeah, Tai and I need some alone time." Justin voices, hugging me against his chest as he rests his head on my shoulder to glare at his brother and Maura.

"Good luck with that. I'll see you lovebirds in a few." Robert says before he gives Justin a quick hand tag and excuses himself to head up to the beach bar with Maura at his side.

In case I forgot to mention, we're actually on the beach right now in Hawaii to be exact. Yes, we finally took that vacation Justin was dying to go on months later. Better late than never right?

We're actually out on the sand soaking up the sun on our lounge chairs. Well, I've had enough of the sun. Justin and I are perfectly sheltered underneath our little beach umbrellas. We've been out here for a bit, enjoying the beautiful scenery. The lush white sand beach is filled with tourists from all around the world and the ocean is absolutely gorgeous in all its fierce beautiful blueness. I love it out here and I don't ever want this vacation to end.

It was actually Justin's idea that we double-teamed out here together with Robert and Maura since Robert was long overdue for a break himself. So far we've been having a ball. We've been here a few days now but we have three full weeks left and I intend on making the best of it. I'm just so excited that we can all be here like this now.

Plus, Justin's slowly coming around in reference to his father. It's not much, but he's making baby steps. They're talking now, which is good. I'm not sure if they'll ever build on a genuine relationship, but at least, all the hate Justin had built up towards his dad is slowly diminishing and I'm proud of him. Randall is still on retirement but he's back in New York now. He's well taken care of by his nurses so Justin and Robert don't have to worry about him. He comes in every now and then into A-List but for the most part he's left his sons to run the company.

It's been a bumpy ride but we made it out ok. Besides, life doesn't get any better than this, sitting in Justin's lap in only my black bikini with him only in his red swimming trunks nibbling on my neck.

"Justin stop it. Only you would want to get freaky in public for the entire world to see." I snicker, lightly pushing at his chest.

"We could give the onlookers a show...something to talk about. Don't think Rob and I haven't realized that some people out here noticed us."

"No duh Mr. obvious. You all are only heirs running a multi-million dollar company. Your faces are plastered on every fashion magazine among others." I point out and Justin lets out a soft growl before a low chuckle escapes him.

Pulling back, he looks up at me with a large grin on his face. "I need you to eliminate Sean's classic ‘no duh' from your vocabulary."

"Why?" I grin and he shakes his head in amusement.

"Because it's so Sean. I mean really, he's not even here right now." Justin mutters and I laugh loudly.

"There's no getting rid of Sean. I love my big bro." I point out and Justin nods.

"I just hope he's not burning A-List to the ground right now." Justin frowns in thought. "I mean, I can picture him accidentally setting the place on fire and running out screaming ‘save the fashion closet' to the fire fighters after he heads in there and grabs something for his self." Justin quips and I gasp in shock, slapping my palms over my mouth.

"Oh my god Justin, that's a horrible thing to say!" I choke back my laughter because really he just ‘dissed' my brother but I have to admit, that does sound like Sean.

"You know I'm playing Tai. You know I love Sean like a brother. But still, he scares me sometimes." Justin chortles and I can't help but smile.

"You couldn't have left a better stand-in for editor in chief. You know it's his dream. He practically screamed the house down when you asked him to fill in for you for the next month." I point out and Justin grins triumphantly with a nod.

"He did. My ears were ringing for a good thirty minutes after he was done." Justin muses.

"Yeah, but he finally got to live out his dream, thanks to you. You're amazing J." I coo, leaning down to peck his lips softly.

Justin really is amazing you know. I still can't believe he did that for my brother. But, that's the type of guy he is and I feel so fortunate and grateful to call him my guy. He even promoted me not too long ago. I'm still his assistant, but now I'm also writing up articles for A-List as one of their journalists. I still can't believe it. Justin has grown on me so much in the past year that I just can't picture my life without him in it anymore. And that's scary, but still, I love him and wouldn't change a thing.

"Speaking of dreams..." Justin speaks up, pulling me out of my thoughts. "There is one dream I have that's yet to be fulfilled but, I'm hoping it will be soon." He voices, turning serious and my interest peaks, my mind riling with endless thoughts now.

"Oh no. What's wrong?" I question, caressing his cheek lightly.

"Nothing." Justin shrugs nonchalantly before stretching over to his duffle bag.

Pushing back slightly to give him room, I watch as he digs through it before pulling out a small square item from it.

"I was just wondering how you'd feel about maybe making my dreams come true by honeymooning with me in Venice?" Justin questions, his blues meeting my browns.

"What?" I question helplessly, my mind turning to mush. "Justin what are you..." And that's as far as I get before he flashes the small item in my line of sight, my eyes focusing on it and growing wide when I realize it's a small box. When he opens his mouth to speak, I easily beat him to the punch, too stupefied to hold my tongue. "Holy shit." I breathe out in a state of shock and Justin chuckles, but quickly sobers up.

"Ok Tai. I'm going to pretend you didn't just interrupt my proposal with the phrase ‘holy shit.' So let's try this again..." he mumbles nervously and I slap my palm over my mouth as I stare at him silently in shock with wide glassy eyes. "I've thought about all the ways I could do this. I thought about taking you out to a romantic dinner, sweeping you off your feet, the works. I'm cheesy like that. But in the end, I realized that it wasn't so much what I did that led up to popping the question, but more the meaning behind me asking you in the first place. So, I figured I'd catch you when you least expected it, solely to see the exact stunned expression you have on your face right now." Justin pauses when I giggle lightly before he continues, my eyes quickly welling up with tears. Gosh, I'm such a softy it's ridiculous. "Tai, you know that I love you with all of my heart and soul. And you have no idea how happy I am to call you the love of my life. Because that's exactly what you are. You've easily become my reason for waking up every morning. Just knowing that I have you there with me helps me get through the day and even when we fight, I know that we'll be ok."

"Now, I know you're the type who likes to deem things as coincidence but Tai, if there's one time in my life I'll say this, it's now, that I believe in fate. That I believe you're my destiny, my present and future and I really can't picture my life without you in it so I never try to. I love you. You're the reason my heart beats, the reason I smile, the reason I laugh and everything positive that encompasses me. Before you, I was so lost. But, you helped me in so many ways. You helped me grow, love and learn to appreciate the simple things in life, and I think I manage to love you a little more with each passing day. I'm not trying to give a cheesy speech here even if it's coming off as such." Justin pauses, chuckling nervously and I blink a few times as a few tears escape me.

"I guess no amount of words will ever prove to you how much I love you. But, I know this will." Justin states, slowly opening the small box for me to see the beautiful diamond engagement band in it. "I want you to be my wife Tai. I want you to be my life partner, the woman I come home to every day and I wake up next to every morning. I want you to be mine and only mine. I want you to let me continue loving you and giving you the world because you deserve exactly that. I want you to not complete me since we're two wholes, but to compliment me in every way...and...I want you to be the mother of my children because together, we'd make some gorgeous babies." Justin jokes and I smile warmly at him, my heart thundering in my chest. "So, make me a happy man, say you'll be my wife?" Justin concludes, hope filling his beautiful blues and it takes me all of ten seconds before I can come out of my daze and respond.

"Yes." I whisper and he scowls, not quite hearing me.

"What?" He asks hesitantly and I grin widely.

"Oh my god, yes Justin! Yes, I'll marry you! Oh my god, I can't believe this. Yes!" I squeal, rushing forward in his arms, the strength of my lunge sending us crashing onto the sand and off the lounge chair.

We both break out into laughing fits as we roll around in the sand until I'm straddling Justin's waist and he's brushing my hair out of my face.

"I love you." He coos, looking up at me with adoring eyes.

"Aw, I love you too. Gosh, don't make me cry." I beg, leaning down to capture his lips in a deep kiss before we pull away for air.

"You should probably put this on." He states, pulling out the ring from the box and placing it unto my engagement finger.

I lift my hand to get a good look at the band, the reflection of the sun bouncing off the smooth shinny surface creating a glow.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." I say softly and Justin nods.

"No, thank you Tai." Justin points out and I stare him, still lying on top of him.

"What for?" I question.

"For being you." He beams up at me and I peck his lips again before we break away at the sound of Robert's voice.

"Damn, I see proposals bring out the freak in Tai. You better hold that bro." Robert jokes, causing Justin to erupt in laughter.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I carefully move off Justin to stand before helping him up. We both brush off the excess sand from our bodies as we face Robert and Maura both holding drinks in their hands and cheesy grins on their faces.

"You all knew." I state and they nod in unison.

"But of course." Robert voices. "Congrats you guys. Welcome to the family sis." Robert quickly pulls me in for a tight hug and I hug him back before giving him a light kiss on the cheek. When we separate, I hug Maura before she and Robert congratulate Justin as well.

"So, this calls for a celebration." Robert speaks up causing Justin to groan.

"Ok Rob, but I swear, this time around if you get drunk again, I'm posting that shit up on Youtube." Justin jokes as we all begin gathering our belongings to leave the beach and head back to our hotel suites.

"Pssh, I'm good. Maura would never allow that." Robert states, encircling his arms around Maura's waist and pulling her at his side.

"Huh, we'll see." Justin sniggers, gripping my hand in his.

"So, are you guys up for clubbing or what?" Robert asks and I turn to look at Justin for a response.

"I guess we could." Justin shrugs and I nod in return.

"Tequila shots on me!" I pipe in, laughing at Justin's shocked expression and Robert's pleased one.

"Oh oh, I knew Tai was a little freak. And the freaks they sure come out at night!" Robert hums in a sing-song voice causing me to giggle.

"Oh my gosh, Sean...I need to tell him." I suddenly blurt out, releasing my hold on Justin.

"Don't worry. He knows." Justin divulges.

That little sneaky devil...

"Justin you're sneaky. What if I said no?" I wisecrack and he glares at me for a good moment before responding.

"Would you have said no?" He asks curiously and I instantly cave when I realize everyone is silent waiting for my answer.

"No." I relent and he shakes his head in response.

"Well, there you have it. Come on let's go." Justin motions for us to leave after folding up the lounge chairs and really, I feel like I'm on cloud nine right now. This is by far the best vacation I've ever had.

"I just have one thing to say." Robert quickly adds in.

"What Rob?" Justin asks in annoyance and Robert grins.

"I don't know how you're going to pick, but, I'm willing to fight Sean to the death for the role of best man so you better accept that your wedding is going to have two instead of one Justin."

"Oh boy." I groan, fighting back my laughter at the death glare Justin shoots in Robert's direction.

An evil smile spreads across Justin's face as we begin walking up the beach towards the hotel. "You just keep talking Rob, and I'll keep a tight grip on my video phone for the rest of the night."

Ah yes, this is the good life.

It never gets old.

What can I say? I love my boys and their crazy, cute and goofy selves...

End of Flashback...

*****

The Present

Four Years Later

"Hello A-List magazine this is Tai speaking how may I help you?"

"Tai? What are you doing answering the phones?"

Cringing at the sound of Justin's voice, my eyes immediately scan my surroundings nervously.

"Uh..." I murmur before Justin releases a loud laugh into the line.

"It's ok baby, look up." He orders and I do just that, my chestnut brown orbs landing on his beautiful blues as he strolls into the office. Rooting his cell from his ear, he shuts it off, and I give him a guilty look, placing down the receiver of the office line.

"Mommy, mommy!"

My eyes instantly light up and my heart warms when I hear our little three year old girl calling out to me. She appears from behind Justin's long legs and rushes towards me.

"Hey Bella baby!" I coo, dropping to my knees to engulf her in my arms. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing here little lady?" I question, standing with her in my arms and she giggles before giving me a big kiss on my mouth.

"Daddy said you disappear and he know exactly where you are!" She beams and I give Justin a look which causes him to shrug and stuff his cell in his jeans pocket.

Gosh, he looks so gorgeous in his jeans, sneakers and button down blue shirt. How he manages to still look professional in just jeans, I will never know.

"I left a note for you J." I point out, shifting Bella's weight in my arms.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting I know you Tai. Sean needed your help here and you rushed to his aid. It's what you do." Justin points out honestly and I smile bashfully. "It's cool. But you could have asked us to come along." Justin shrugs again and I nod, placing Bella down.

She walks back over to her father who lifts her up in his strong arms.

"I thought you were swamped at the restaurant with your mom." I voice and Justin shakes his head in protest.

"Na, we're good. Georgiou took Rose with him so Mom's free." Justin voices, referring to his little sister.

"Oh well in that case I'm sorry I just disappeared like I did. Sean needed someone to man the phones since he and Robert are running around here with their heads cut off." I voice, walking up to Justin to give him a deep kiss.

We pull away when we hear Bella giggling, the both of us turning to look at her.

"What's so funny mi amor?" Justin coos, brushing her curly hair out of her face.

"You and mommy kiss." Bella grins brightly, her smile mirroring Justin's own.

Justin grins back at her and they almost look like twins as lame as that sounds. "And?" He questions and her little cheeks puff up.

"You love each other." She gushes, her little hands circling around Justin's neck.

"I see. Well aren't you a smart little one. Our kid's an expert on love Tai. I'm not sure how I feel about that." Justin jokes, gazing at me with a soft smile and I giggle, shaking my head at them.

"And we love you baby." I tell Bella, passing my hand through her curls.

"I know." She sighs and Justin's eyes widen slightly by her little attitude.

"If she grows up to be a heartbreaker Tai, I'm blaming you." Justin points out and I gasp.

"Me!?" I chuckle. "Look at who her father is!" I defend and Justin gives me a warning glare.

"I'm happily married thank you. My heartbreaking days are long over and behind me." Justin beams.

"They better be mister." I tease him, my fingertips grazing over his light stubble before we're interrupted.

"Oh good you all are here!"

Justin and I turn at the sound of Robert's voice, a large grin gracing Justin's features when his brother comes into view looking fresh in his suit.

"Well look at you all serious and shit Rob." Justin quips and Rob frowns but the moment he sees Bella his expression switches to a smile.

"Ah mi Bella, mi amor, como estas?" Robert coos, pulling Bella out of Justin's hold.

Bella giggles, bouncing in Robert's arms. "I'm bien tío!" She coos and both Justin and I gush at her little Spanish.

I don't know why, but, Justin likes the idea of Bella growing up to be multilingual so he usually speaks English and Spanish around her. And, she's picking it up really well too. I don't mind, because I'm learning myself.

Looking on, I can't help but feel elated at the sight of Justin, Robert and Bella animatedly talking to each other with Bella acting like she's all grown. It's cute. They're adorable.

By right, we're not supposed to be in A-List right now. We're actually supposed to be at Justin's restaurant helping his mom out since she came to visit and they decided that today they would give the cooks the day off and actually cook the meals themselves as a special treat for their customers. I was helping them in the kitchen until Sean text messaged me because he and Robert where short-staffed and needed an extra person to help them out. I didn't want to pull Justin away from his mom so I sort of snuck out after leaving a note for him but I should have known he'd find me.

In case you were wondering, Justin and I are married now with a beautiful three year old girl as you've noticed. Justin is still the co C.E.O of A-List but he doesn't work there anymore. About three years ago, just before Bella was born, he realized that this really wasn't what he wanted. So, he left the editor in chief job for Sean actually, knowing my brother was a good candidate for it. He basically made Sean's dreams come true and there's not a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for having Justin as a permanent part of our lives. Now he only really comes into A-List when important business decisions need to be made or if there are board meetings to attend.

Sean and Robert are basically the ones running things now and they like it that way. They're happy, doing what they love. I still work at A-List as well as one of their main journalists. But, I had today off per Justin's request so I'm really not supposed to be here right now.

Justin actually chased his dreams which surprisingly ended up being him following in his mom's footsteps. He's actually in the beginning stages of opening his own line of restaurants around the world and I have full faith that he'll accomplish that goal. His first two restaurants are situated in the heart of Manhattan and in LA, California.

The restaurant here in Manhattan is actually called "Southern Hospitality" since he named it after his mom's side of the family being from the south. It's an amazing place and the food is wonderful. I'm so proud of my baby. We've come a long way but we still have a long way to go.

"So, you're short a model for the fashion show tonight?" Justin asks Robert, snapping me out of my thoughts and Robert nods sadly with Bella still in his arms.

"Sean's like a crazy man running around the place. You guys should see him. It's kind of funny in a sad way." Robert jokes.

Aw, my poor Sean.

"Where is he?" I speak up, diverting their attention.

"Down in the fashion closet with Gem and Chris." Robert voices and I nod, gripping Justin by his hand.

"Come on J. Let's get this over with so we can head back to the restaurant and check on Lynn." I point out and Justin nods silently allowing me to lead him out of Sean's office.

"You don't mind babysitting for a few do you Rob?" Justin asks his brother.

"Of course not. You know I love Bella." Robert coos, tickling Bella in his arms, causing her to giggle.

"Ok, be good guys." I warn both of them because for some strange reason, Robert and Bella have a habit of always getting in some sort of trouble. They're like partners in crime or something and they cover for each other too. It's cute and frustrating and I hope that they behave this time.

"See you later mommy, bye daddy!" Bella waves goodbye.

"Don't I get a see you later too!?" Justin pouts playfully and I groan dragging him along.

"Come on you softy!" I giggle, blowing Bella a kiss before Justin and I disappear down the halls towards the elevators.

"I am not soft woman." Justin scolds me as we wave to Sharron at her desk before entering the elevators.

"Yes you are, especially when it comes to Bella." I voice and he looks at me but doesn't protest.

"Well, what do you expect? She's our little girl." Justin huffs, folding his arms across his chest and I smile at him, leaning up to peck his lips softly. He gets offended for the weirdest things. But I guess I can see how calling him a softy is damaging to the manhood. Ugh, men.

"I think it's sweet." I coo and he smiles softly but doesn't say anything else.

When we finally make it to the fashion closet, Justin and I exchange curious glares at the commotion we hear going on inside there.

Taking in a deep breath, I'm the first to waltz in with Justin close behind.

Sean immediately comes into view and the look on his face alone is of utter terror. "No! Gem! These designs will not work! Oh my god, are you trying to give Vera Wang and me a heart attack? You never alter a Vera Wang original Gem...never! That's like an unwritten rule!" Sean gasps, panic-stricken.

"Well it's not my fault your model put on a few pounds Sean. You need to ask that girl what she's been eating." Gem groans.

"No time. You need to undo the adjustments you made and we'll just need to get a model replacement." Sean concludes.

"Daddy, daddy! Can we go for ice cream?"

My eyes instantly drift to a little boy tugging on Chris's jeans clad leg who's silently sitting on a chair facing Gem with a tired expression on his face.

Oh god, this is a disaster. Turning to stare at Justin, I note the horrific look on his face but he remains quiet.

"Not now Brady...later...I promise." Chris voices, picking up the five year old and placing him to sit on his lap.

"Uh guys?" I finally say softly, grasping everyone's attention.

"Tai! Babe! Oh thank goodness. This is a nightmare!" Sean quickly rushes up to us, giving both Justin and me a hug. "I don't know how you did it Justin really." Sean adds in and Justin chuckles.

"Years of hard work and practice. Plus, I had a great assistant who always made sure I took time out to relax." He says, turning to look at me with a big smile and I blush.

"Well I need you guys help!" Sean pleads. Giving me a once over, his lips slowly curve into a smile and I bet I know what he's thinking right now.

Passing my hands over my blue dress nervously, I sigh, caving immediately. "Would you like me to model tonight in you guys show Sean?" I question.

"You know me too well sis. Would you please?" He begs, gripping my hand in his.

"Yes sure. Justin and I will come over with the rest of the family after closing hours. We should be there at least half an hour before the show starts." I state, waving ‘hi' to Gem and Chris who return the favor silently.

I'm kind of glad Nella hasn't been around since she's back in her modeling career and touring. Gem and Chris can spend time with Brady who's adorable void any interruptions.

"Great. You're a lifesaver sis. Now, with that out of the way, I just have one more thing to ask." Sean speaks up and both Justin and I exchange glances before glaring at Sean.

"What?" Justin questions, eliciting a bright smile from Sean.

"Where's my beautiful niece hiding?" Sean smiles and both Justin and I erupt in laughter knowing that Sean and Robert have been battling playfully non-stop to have Bella say which one of them is her favorite uncle.

Ugh, those men can be so competitive and ridiculous sometimes, but I love them all just the way they are because they're my family and that's all that matters.  

*****

Hours Later

Manhattan, New York

Southern Hospitality

[Justin's Restaurant]

Visual: Bella Timberlake

After a wonderful family dinner with Justin, Bella, his little sister Rose, Lynn and her husband Georgiou, I can't help but feel full and satisfied. We're actually still at Justin's restaurant after closing hours just relaxing at the bar. Bella is on her father's lap idly playing with his stubble as he sips casually on his beer while I pay close attention to them.

Lynn, Rose and Georgiou are a few chairs away from us in their own little world.

After years, Justin was finally able to warm up to Georgiou when he realized how happy Georgiou made his mother. That was all that really counted anyway and since then, Justin and Georgiou have been getting along for the most part, even if there's tension sometimes between them when they're competing for Lynn's attention.

I'm still happy to say that we're one big loving family and between Justin, Bella, Robert, Maura, Chris, Gem and Sean, I couldn't have asked for a better bunch.

"So do you know what you'll be modeling at the fashion show later?" Justin speaks up, breaking the comfortable silence between us as he eyes me.

"No idea." I shrug and he chuckles.

"I'm pretty sure Sean's going to make you put on that Vera Wang evening dress he's been fussing over. It's really extravagant and beautiful. It'll look amazing on you." Justin nods, deep in thought. "I hope he and Robert have everything ready for the show. I'm sure if they needed our help they'd let us know." Justin adds in and I nod in agreement.

"Do you miss it?" I question and Justin frowns slightly in perplexity.

"Miss what?"

"Everything A-List. The glitz and glamour. The parties. Being the editor in chief and having the first hand in everything A-List related like putting together these huge, spectacular fashion shows." I explain.

It doesn't take long for Justin to reply. In fact, I don't even think he thought of his answer.

"No." He simply states and I glare at him in disbelief.

Sighing, he fixes Bella in his hold who looks like she's going to succumb to sleep at any moment. "Listen Tai. That world wasn't me. It was my dad's and Robert's. They love that lifestyle. I never did. Ironically enough, I don't like the attention that comes with my status, being who I am. But I've learnt to deal with it and accept it over the years. I still have access to all of those things, and the 'glamorous life' as you put it. I just chose not to indulge in any of it anymore. I'm happy living a simple, decent life with you all as well as helping out with A-List when I'm needed but I don't miss it. I think the only thing I miss is being able to work with Rob because he's amazing at what he does. It's him. A-List is who he is. But me, well, I'm a happily married man with a wife and daughter. I have an amazing family, great relatives and friends and I was able to accomplish so many dreams, what more could I possibly ask for? Just having you guys with me is all that matters. So, to reiterate, I don't miss A-List. And I'm pretty sure I never will, but I'm ok with that." Justin shrugs, and I can't help but smile at his honesty.

"I understand." I whisper, leaning forward to place a soft, loving kiss on his lips.

"You always do baby...you always do." Justin coos, pulling away from me just as the front doors to the restaurant open and close.

"We're closed!" Justin states. "I guess we forgot to lock the doors." He mutters more to his self.

"It's ok, I'm not here to order anything." Comes an all too familiar voice which causes Justin to whip around in his seat.

"Dad?" Justin voices in slight shock. "What are you doing here?"

Standing with Bella still in his arms, Justin keeps a tight protective grip on her as he walks over to his father.

I sit silently just watching them.

Tired blue eyes scan their surroundings until they land on Lynn, a small smile pulling at the elderly man's lips.

"Hey." Randall mutters softly and Lynn smiles back.

"Good to see you're out and about Randall." Lynn laughs slightly and he chuckles along with her.

"Yes well, retirement in one word is boring to say the least. I figured I'd stop by here before I headed down to catch the boys fashion show later." Randall quips, waving and telling Georgiou ‘hello' before he diverts his attention to Justin.

"Well hey there little one." Randall says, touching Bella's cheek.

Smiling, her droopy eyes focus on Randall before she releases a yawn. "Hi grandpa." Bella says tiredly and I quickly jump from my seat and make my way over to Justin and his dad.

"I'll take her J." I say, carefully engulfing Bella in my arms. She immediately rests her head on my shoulder, getting more comfortable.

"It's nice to see you Tai." Randall nods and I give him a half-smile in return.

"You too." I state honestly.

"So dad, this is a surprise." Justin voices, giving his father a light hug.

"Yes, well I was told by Robert that Tai would be in tonight's show so I thought, maybe we could go together." Randall voices nervously and I have to say, this new side of him, I'm still not used to it but I'm welcoming it.

He is most certainly a changed man and even if he and Justin aren't very close, at least they've managed to converse with each other and deal with each other in a civil manner. I know that Justin loves his dad but it's clear that he's grown up over the years to where he doesn't feel obligated to please his dad or make him proud.

And that's ok. As long as they're getting along, that's fine. They've come a long way and I'm happy for the both of them.

"Oh uh..." Rubbing the back of his neck, Justin eyes his father before slowly nodding in response. "Yeah sure that would be cool. Just let Tai and I grab our things and drop Bella home so the nanny can put her to bed because she's beat. If you want to tag along then we'll head to the show after and meet up with mom and George." Justin speaks up, anxiously waiting for his father's reply.

"Sure." Randall utters and a large grin spreads across Justin's face.

"Ok, we'll be right back dad."

Turning to face me, Justin grips my elbow gently, leading me to the back of the restaurant where we deposited our jackets and other belongings earlier.

As Justin gathers our things silently, I don't miss the look Lynn gives us from across the room. I give her a ‘thumbs up' making sure Justin doesn't notice before I continue studying his actions.

"I'm proud of you J." I whisper and he lifts his head to look at me, his eyes wide and dazed.

"What for?"

"For coming such a long way with your parents and just life on a whole. I know it wasn't easy for you, but look at how well you're doing now." I coo.

"Well, Tai..." Justin drifts, straightening his posture. Walking up to me, his tall frame hovers as he looks down at me intently. Leaning down, he places a soft kiss on Bella's forehead who's knocked out in my arms now before he leans down and kisses me deeply. When he finally pulls away, he licks at his lips as his blues search my browns. "Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to survive the things I have or be here today without you baby. I didn't do any of this on my own Tai. You were right here with me every step of the way." Justin explains, his large hand touching under my chin softly. "And we still have a long way to go, but I have faith in what we have that we're strong enough to deal with whatever life throws at us." He speaks softly.

"Me too." I breathe deeply, smiling up at him.

"Good. Now, let's get going. We have a show to get to. You know I'm going to enjoy seeing you strutting down that runway with your long, sexy legs while you work your hips." Justin muses with a mischievous grin on his face and I can't help but giggle.

"Of course, and you know I'll have fun with it too." I joke, causing him to roll his eyes playfully.

"Hmm, you know it. We'll both have fun with it mon peu chocolat chaud." He muses.

Justin's developed this habit of calling me his ‘little hot chocolate' whenever he has sexual thoughts running through his mind because according to him I'm just as sweet and addicting. I can't really complain because I call him my tall glass of milk so it works.

I know we're crazy, but just looking at us now, I can't help but overflow with happiness since I feel more than blessed to have such a wonderful family.

In a way, I'm glad I walked through those doors of A-List magazine all those years ago seeking a job. If I hadn't I wouldn't be here now and even if it pains me to do so, I'm willing to give Sean full credit of his analysis that maybe fate was at work.

"You know...maybe Sean's onto something with this fate thing." I state mindlessly as Justin grabs the last of our stuff and leads us back in the direction where his father is patiently waiting.

"Oh, how so? What brought this on? Sean should be here for this." He chuckles.

"I was just trying to picture how different life would be if I had never come into A-List looking for a job."

"Well, I don't usually think about stuff like that because the way I see it, things played out exactly as they were supposed to." Justin divulges and I shake my head in response. "But, for what it's worth Tai, not a day goes by that I'm not glad you walked through those A-List doors and came back even after the way we first met. Because as much as I could have certainly found a way to fire you, you could have also easily decided to quit. I guess we both didn't realize it at the time, but, you wanted to be there as much as I wanted you to be." Justin concludes and honestly, I can't help but agree with him.

He's right. He's so right.

After all this time, it makes perfect sense that we were meant to be like this now.

And I have to say that if this is what it means and feels to be A-Listed, then I'm happy to be just that and nothing more or less.

*The End*