Bumblebee: Betrayal is what makes everyone turn on their heads and become someone else. Those that they used to trust are now being scrutinized and no one is safe from suspicion. All because we don’t want to get hurt again.

~~~

Astoria Applebee’s watch beeped right as soon as the bell above the door jingle-jangled. 7:05, right on the dot. She grabbed a fresh pot of coffee, turned towards the tables that were spread across the Daily Grind Café and then headed towards his table–just to get it over with–table eight, a booth near the window.

He was always seated on the side of the booth where his right side was facing the window, his companion across from him. Lately he’s been coming in wearing a leather jacket, some shirt, and some beat up jeans. His companion was dressed more simply, a sweatshirt and jeans, her hair pulled back. Astoria would greet them both with a smile–it was customary if she wanted to keep her job–they would accept, and then they’d get into conversation on what they saw on the knees that day while Astoria walked away, a scowl on her lips.

“Evan,” Peter barked from behind the counter. “Table three, get on it!”

Evan’s blonde ponytail bounced over her shoulder as she dashed from the backroom and to the front. “On it, sir,” she replied, getting straight to her diligent work.

Astoria’s perfectly plucked eyebrows lifted at Evan’s ever-moving body as he moved his mug for her to pour the steaming coffee into. She pursed her lips. How long has he been showing up? About five years now? And they haven’t exchanged more than a few polite words over those five years.

Her face was void of any expression except her ‘I-mean-business’ look despite the storm of anger, annoyance, and apprehension swirling around inside of her. She learned how to lock down her emotions ages ago and being at work helped her with that.

“How are you today?” Justin asked. His voice was slightly raspy, she noticed. Probably just woke up.

Astoria sighed. He was the first person to address her in the mornings and whenever that happened she felt obliged to respond. “Fine,” she replied shortly, she nodded at his companion who gave a bright, white, beautiful smile in return. Astoria fought the urge to roll her eyes as she poured the hot beverage into a cup.

Steam curled up into small ribbons before disappearing in the air. Astoria moved to pour some coffee into the other’s cup when she accidentally splashed the hot liquid over his thumb. “I’m sorry, sir,” she instantly apologized, reaching to the waist band of her waist apron for a towel.

Justin laughed off her attempts to dab at his thumb. “It’s alright. No harm done.” He stuck his thumb into his mouth and sucked off the hot beverage. “See? All better.” He flashed her a smile.

Oh, she did see. His blue eyes, as blue as the ocean in some tropical paradise, were looking back at her. He had gone back to his shaved head look which made his striking jaw stand out more. His eyes crinkled in the corner when he smiled. She made an inaudible sound and poured the drink into his friend’s mug.

“Anything else?” She asked, her voice tight.

“A smile?” his friend offered. And then they laughed. At her. She gave a sarcastic kind of smile which made Justin smile even more, hiding the slight scar that was on the side of his nose–a gift from his childhood friend pushing him off the top of the monkey bars when they were kids.

But she wasn’t supposed to know that. She turned when her name was called and stalked away, shaking her head and tugging at the end of her copper ponytail with her free hand.

“You’re slower than usual today,” Peter pointed out, wiping at his shiny forehead. The sweat made his slightly receding hairline more noticeable.

“Slow morning,” Astoria replied with a shrug, returning the mug to the coffeemaker that was sitting on the counter. “Evan! Two hands, please!” She called out to the blonde who was balancing a stack of dirty plates in one hand. Evan looked at her, smiled and nodded, and then gripped the stack with two hands before depositing them into the tub.

“That’s my job, don’t be so tense,” Peter laughed.

Astoria shrugged. “I just take this job seriously, sir.”

“Excuse me, miss,” a woman called from across the room. “Could I get a refill, please?”

“Sure thing.”

Astoria took the pitcher of juice that Peter had handed to her and she made her way through the tables to get to the female customer. She almost didn’t see Justin’s foot turn into the aisle to stop her from moving. She gave his foot of a look of distaste before looking at him. She then noticed his friend was gone. Probably in the bathroom.

“Yes?” She asked, lifting one eyebrow.

“I was wondering if you have a minute to talk,” he replied.

Her lips twitched slight. “I’m sorry, I have tables.” She moved to step over his foot but he stopped her with a short laugh.

“Look around, Astoria, not many of them are filled,” he said, using his hand to gesture to the nearly empty café. What’d he expect, it was seven in the morning in downtown L.A. If people weren’t already at work they were either at the beach or sleeping in like normal people.

“I’m busy,” she replied more firmly. Did he really expect her to just drop what she was doing to talk to him? Just because he was some big shot movie star? Then her blood ran cold.

What if he knows?

“It’ll just take a second,” he urged.

“Miss,” the woman called again.

Astoria sighed and rolled her eyes. Anything to get him off of her back. “Fine. You’re lucky its slow,” she replied and walked quickly to the woman’s table. She wasn’t one to talk much in the morning, that was Evan’s job. She could gab away at anyone if they gave her the chance. Astoria was more talkative in the afternoon, when people came in to unwind after a day of hard work. They usually had good stories then and they left pretty good tips. “Sorry about the wait, miss,” she apologized while refilling her cup.

Astoria made sure she was as busy as possible so she had time before she went over to talk to Justin, but her first break was soon and she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. While Evan took over taking orders for her she started her walk to Justin’s table. It was far too short of a walk. The times she wished they were longer never seemed to happen to her until she was in trouble over something.

“Hey thanks for taking the time to talk to me,” he said with a smile.

Astoria nodded. “You’re welcome,” she said politely, a little sharply.

It didn’t faze him. “I know you have to get back to work—I have to get to work soon—so I’ll make this quick,” he said diplomatically. “I was hoping to hire you for a project.”

Astoria blinked. “Go on.” She crossed her legs. Outside the window a rollerblader whizzed by with a large breed of dog pulling him. Justin leaned forward in his seat. His foot brushed hers and she instantly pulled it away.

“Well, I was talking to some friends about some books that they recommended to me. A mystery book was brought up and I thought it sounded interesting. I did a little research and found out that you wrote it.” He paused. “You’re on the New York Times Bestseller List. Why do you work here?”

Astoria’s eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your business,” she replied. “What’s your project?”

“You’re a mystery writer—“

“Nice observation.”

“Hear me out, okay? You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, just listen.” She stayed silent. “Astoria?”

She watched a family squeeze into a taxi, the children fighting over the window. “I’m listening,” she replied. Oh god, leave so I can get back to work.

“As I was saying, I need your help.”

“You said that already.”

“It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Her eyebrows shot up then and a devious smile curled on her face. “Go on,” she practically purred, enjoying his discomfort.

Now he had her attention.

“There’s this woman. I have feelings for her—“

“I don’t see the problem,” Astoria interrupted him. He was talking about the girl he was with, Jessica Biel, of course. She read online blogs and PerezHilton. She knew what was up.

“Let me finish,” Justin said with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t know her.”

Wait, what? Now Astoria was confused. If it wasn’t Jessica, then who was it?

“Let me start again,” he sighed. “I’ve been exchanging e-mails with this woman. We’ve been communicating for a while now, about a year.”

Astoria’s fingers twitched in her lap. “Okay.”

“We’re pretty friendly. She’s amazing, I think.”

This isn’t happening.

“I want to meet her. I think I have feelings for her but I won’t know until I meet her.” Astoria’s teeth clenched. “You must think I’m crazy for wanting to meet someone I don’t really know but we have a connection, I think. It just happened, how we met. The thing is, she won’t meet me in person. I don’t know why. But I need to find her.”

“Find her?”

“I need your help.”

Astoria’s ears buzzed. “I can’t.”

“You’re the perfect person for the job.” You got that right. “I need someone who can get something out of nothing, with clues and junk. I have a lot of e-mails that you can sift through.”

“I’m not the right person,” Astoria sighed.

Justin smirked. “Your editor thinks otherwise.”

Lenny! She vowed to wring the man’s neck. Astoria thought quickly, needing a plan to get away from the conversation. “Maybe it’s because she doesn’t believe you. Did you give her your name? She’s probably skeptical to believe that she’s talking to Justin Timberlake. Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.”

“I want to meet her,” Justin said firmly.

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be with you,” Astoria said firmly. His dedication was starting to get on her last nerve. “What if she’s married?”

“She’s not,” he replied almost instantly.

“How do you know?”

“She’s not. I just know.”

Astoria sighed. “There has to be some reason she won’t meet you.”

“I think she’s scared. I think she’s afraid of taking the next step but she won’t say anything until I find her, I think. I’m not going to give up on her. If you don’t help me I’ll find someone else.”

Astoria’s mouth dried. She couldn’t let that happen. Hell, she refused to let that happen. If he used someone else—a PI or something—that would be ten times worse. They’d be able to find the woman fast. If someone else helped him, read every single detail poured into that letter it wouldn’t take too long to find the person he was looking for.

It wouldn’t take too long for him to realize that he was searching for her.

Memphissoul81: No matter how long it takes, this lifetime or the next, I won’t give up searching for you.

~~~

Justin tore his eyes away from Astoria’s, but it wasn’t easy. He had fallen in love with her eyes the first time she took his order at the Daily Grind. They were the sort of green that seemed to lighten and darken depending on the type of shirt she wore. He liked it light, especially. It reminded him of emeralds. He watched a tour bus moving around the busy streets before looking at her again.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and let it drop behind her shoulders while sighing. She licked her lips—her tiny pink tongue standing out in contrast to her red lips—and sighed again. Nervous habit, maybe? “If she doesn’t want to be found,” her voice quivered, “Maybe she has a good reason. Maybe she doesn’t want to disappoint you when you meet her.”

He sucked in his breath at her words. He wanted to crawl into her brain and nestle himself inside, figure out what she was thinking. Was she thinking about telling him the truth? Did she not want to? Was she wishing she’d never responded to his e-mail in the first place?

He needed to back her into a corner. Make her see that there was no way out of it. He’d bluff his way through finding someone else if he had to, but he didn’t want to find someone else to help him. He wanted her. He wanted her to realized who he was, that he knew who she was, and that they were perfect for each other. He couldn’t go along with the charade much longer, pretending now to know her when he knew her inside and out.

Finally, he leaned back in his seat. “I’m going to find her, regardless of the outcome. I have to find her. She’s been running through my mind since we’ve started talking. Girls like this don’t exist but…she does. I think–no–I know you’re the best person for this job but I can find someone else.”

That had to do it. He watched her face eagerly, to see any change in expression. Maybe he’d scare her into confessing now? No, she was too strong for that. He knew that. It was a cheap trick, but he had to get his plan to work.

“You seem determined.” Her words wobbled.

Justin smiled a bit. He was a jerk. But it was worth it. He thought she was so beautiful, inside and out. Yet, she seemed so unaware of it and that’s what made him fall for her even more. She wasn’t being modest, she honestly wasn’t aware. She had a sort of armor on her, invisible armor, in person, but through her letters she was see through. Easily read.

But only when hiding behind her computer.

“I’m going to find her,” Justin said firmly. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

“Weren’t there clues left in her e-mails? Did you look hard enough?”

“I’m not a between-the-lines sort of guy,” Justin laughed. “It’s how I don’t understand girls and their motivations. They’re too complex. Besides, I only really use my computer for business, except for this instance, I don’t have time, with my sort of life.”

Astoria nodded as if she knew. Which she did, he realized. He didn’t talk about his life that much but it was enough for her to guess what he did without him having to reveal his name. “What’s her name?”

Justin scoffed at her act. “She goes by Bumblebee.”

“You don’t know her name?”

I know everything about her but her name! I even know what she looks like! I have her photo! He was about to blurt that out but he held his tongue. It would be too much too soon. He’d probably scare her away, but she was so close already. He then realized how funny it was that he knew everything but her name. He had a picture but, of course, it wasn’t hers, was it?

He looked at her again and took the time to get immersed in the vast tide of moss. “I know I care about her. I know she’s different. I know she’s special. I know I want to meet her. And I know I’m going to find her.” But why won’t you let me find you, Astoria? What are you so afraid of?

Her face harded into a sort of mask but Justin knew it was a defense mechanism. Beneath it she was soft, had a tender heart, and a warm soul. If only she’d say yes already and put him out of his misery of hanging on by a threat. If she spent time with him, he’d be able to gain her trust. She trusts me as Memphissoul, how hard can it be for her to trust me as me?

“You can take time to think about it, if you’d like,” Justin said to her hesitation. She blinked and looked her doe-like eye at him. He had to turn away or else he’d be staring too long and he was sure she’d find that too weird. Unsettling, even. “I want to at least find someone by the end of the week so, if you’re too busy—“

“No!” She yelped and he almost jumped. “I’ll help you.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“I can start in two weeks. I—“ she paused, looked around, and lowered her voice, “I have to finish a manuscript first.”

“That’s fine. Evenings work best for me, if it works for you,” Justin stated.

“Evenings?” She questioned, wrinkling her nose. “Can’t you just…print them for me?”

“I wouldn’t feel right about printing something so personal, let alone sharing them with you in the first place. I hope you understand.” He’d rehearsed that so many times that it didn’t even feel like a lie to him anymore. She bit her plump bottom lip. “If you’d rather I find someone else…” he baited again.

She closed her eyes briefly and then shook her head. “It won’t be a problem.”

“Great!” Justin was basically beaming now. “I’ll see you in two weeks.” He got up from the table and moved towards the door. As he pushed it open with his back he added, “But I’ll see you here before then.”

He chuckled as her back stiffened and he stepped out onot the busy L.A. streets.