“" Want You to Stay."Katherine, not now, we already did it multiple times, I’m exhausted.” JC joked.
“No we did it twice.”
“What, you wanna go for another round?”
“It’s not my fault that you are so damn attractive, besides it’s your birthday, you deserve it.” Katherine smirked, kissing the surrounding spots on his neck.
JC moaned, “Ok he admit it, it was his birthday, usually in moments like this, it usually involved food, cake, and something much more than cake, but something was off, he didn’t know what it was. Sure, he has been dating Katherine for almost three years, they did everything together, well almost everything. The media kind of knew that they were dating, and they even assumed that they were married and already had kids, which they didn’t, the good thing was, and at least they weren’t on the front cover of every magazine.
“May I go get breakfast first?” JC mumbled in between kisses.
“Sure, I’m gonna go wash up.” Katherine got off from him and headed to the bathroom.
JC put on his bathrobe and headed out the door, he had a case of the bedhead, but he didn’t really care, the breakfast room was just right down the hall, they were a few people already grabbing some plates and fruit, little kids bouncing around, he waved and smiled at them. Picking up a yogurt, eggs, toast, and some orange juice, and he got some bran muffins and a cup of coffee for Katherine, he carried the large plate and headed back to the hall, and stopped when he heard music, a soft melodic piece of music, sounded like piano, someone was playing it. He followed towards the sound, and saw a young girl, she looked like she was in her early twenties. Her hair was brown, straight and long, her creamy white skin seemed to glow with the lamps that were in the room. Next to her, was a carton of rainbow frosted cupcakes; JC wondered who the cupcakes were for.
JC placed the food down and continued watching her, the song that she was playing was a piece of “We Got Tonight.” by Bob Seger, she didn’t even know that she was being watched, when she was finished with the piece, she let out a happy sigh and looked at the direction of the doorway to see a man standing there grinning.
She shrieked, which scared JC off.
“How long were you standing there?” The girl cried.
“Long enough to listen to you play, that was beautiful sweetie.” JC said.
The girl blushed, “I don’t think it wasn’t that great.” She muttered.
“Are you kidding? You’re a natural.”
“Yeah but, not like you.”
JC was taken aback by the sudden response.
“Yes JC I know who you are, you inspire me to do things like this, and each and everyday, if there is a piano involved, you would usually see me behind it, it takes away my stress sometimes, but it’s sad that people don’t see it.”
“I see it.” JC told her.
“You are just telling me that cause you are trying to make me feel good.” The girl said.
“No really, you are good, I know good music when I listen to one.”
JC made his way and sat down next to her which surprised her a bit, and moved his hands over the ivory keys and started to play and sing-along to the song that the girl was playing.
“May I ask for your name first?”
“Leslie, Leslie Flormanta.”
“I want you to play the chorus bit okay, may you do that for me?” JC responded.
Leslie nodded and placed her hands on the keys, and played the part. She was astonished by the sound that came out of JC’s mouth.
I know it's late, I know you're weary
I know your plans don't include me
Still here we are, both of us lonely
Longing for shelter from all that we see
Why should we worry, no one will care girl
Look at the stars so far away
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
We've got tonight babe
Why don' you stay?
Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely
All of my hopes, fading away
I've longed for love, like everyone else does
I know I'll keep searching, even after today
So there it is girl, I've said it all now
And here we are babe, what do you say?
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
We've got tonight babe
Why don't you stay?
I know it's late, I know you're weary
I know your plans don't include me
Still here we are, both of us lonely
Both of us lonely
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
Let's make it last, let's find a way
Turn out the light, come take my hand now
We've got tonight babe
Why don't you stay?
Why don't you stay?
Wow.” They both said in unison and looked into eachother’s eyes for a minute, which felt like an eternity.
Then JC felt like he was struck by lightning, he felt his heart doing somer-saults or maybe it was his imagination, usually with a girl like this, he would take her to his room, but wait he had a girl already in his room, and was waiting for breakfast.
“I-I have to go, I have someone waiting.” JC reluctantly got up from the seat.
“Wait, before you go, I want you to have these.” Leslie got the carton of cupcakes and handed the box to him.
“These are for me?” JC asked surprised.
“Yes, I got them for you, I knew it was your birthday, and I knew you were here in this particular hotel, so Happy Birthday.” She smiled sweetly.
“Thank you.” JC beamed, he wasn’t sure how to thank her properly, so he placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Um, will I see you around?” Leslie asked
“Hopefully.” He winked.
Meanwhile back in the room
“JC, where were you?” Katherine told him.
“Sorry a bunch of fans came up to me, wished me happy birthday, and gave me cupcakes.” He lied.
“Oh.”
“So forgive me if the food has turned cold.”
“It’s okay, I’ll heat it up in the microwave.”
After the food was warmed up they ate in silence and JC got some calls and text messages from his parents, friends, and even fans, but those were mostly found on Twitter, he was amazed that they still cared for him after all these years. Shortly after, both of them got dressed and headed out, they would be heading back to the nightclub that the hotel had, and he would be soon be joined by all of his friends.
9:45pm PST Nightclub
“I want a slice of cake!” Chris whined, grabbing the fork and pretending to pinch people whoever got in his way.
“Chris, its JC’s birthday, he has to get the first slice.” Karly, his girlfriend said.
“Who wants more bubbly?” Lance asked.
“Give me another one dude.” JC said, he looked around and wondered where was Katherine, she was said that she was gonna be somewhere but she never returned.
“I’m gonna find Kat guys, I’ll be back.” The guys all nodded and went back to listen to the club music.
He started to text her but didn’t get any replies, just then as he headed to a secluded place, in the back of the club, he spotted her, she was with someone, a much younger guy, with tattoos, and he was built all around.
JC’s heart broke at the sight; he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Katherine!” He shouted.
She stopped kissing the man and turned to him, a shocked look on her face, and a confused look on the man’s face.
“What the hell are you doing?” How could you do this to me? On my birthday, I thought we had something special, we dated for almost three years and this is how you repay me?”
“JC, I like you, but you weren’t in it with me, I’ve enjoyed the times I had with you though, I just, kinda lost interest with you, I felt like our relationship was slipping away.”
“You’ve could’ve told me.” JC cried.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
“Sorry doesn’t even begin to describe you.” And with that JC walked off from her and headed to the backdoor, it was rare for him to cry, but really, what Katherine did was the lowest of the low, and he was so stupid that he didn’t even see it coming.
Leslie was at the gazebo, the twinkling lights danced on the ceiling, she was watching the river and thought about JC, she was thinking about him all day, when she suddenly heard silent weeping from somewhere at the far end. She followed the sound and saw a man, crying. She realized who it was, it was JC.
“JC? What happened? What’s wrong?”
“Leslie.” He whispered and wrapped his arms around her and continued to cry.
Leslie didn’t know what to do, so she hugged him back, she felt a sudden tug in her chest, maybe this guy all he needed was love, and maybe all of the girls that he had in his life, didn’t know how to give it to him.
“JC, you shouldn’t be crying on your birthday.”
“I know, but my girlfriend really hurt me, she told me that she lost interest in me, and-and-I never saw it coming, I found her with a much younger guy, built, tattoos all around.”
Leslie knew who his girlfriend was, she did thought that they were gonna be together forever, and she was happy for the both of them, it is what made her a devoted fan, but the way that JC was explaining it to her, she started to think otherwise.
“It was very wrong that she did what she did.” Leslie said, trying to comfort him, she motioned to sit down on the benches and JC followed.
After she talked to him and gave him some consoling words, that he shouldn’t get like this she told him, what goes around, comes back around.
JC smiled at that, “Justin’s song.”
“Exactly.” She repeated, “Speaking of Justin, he’s here right, he’s not in Puerto Rico still is he?”
“No, he managed to take a break and come to LA, he wouldn’t miss my birthday parties, no matter how important the work was.”
“See? That’s a real friend right there.” Leslie said, giving him a smile, “Are you ready to go inside now?”
JC nodded and walked back to the club with her, he passed to where he last saw Katherine and the tattooed guy, the couple wasn’t there anymore, he didn’t even wanna think about it.
“JC, where you man, Chris and Joey already ate half the cake.” Justin joked.
“No I didn’t!” Chris said, pieces of cake were coming out his mouth.
“Did you find Katherine?” Lance asked.
“Oh I found her all right, I don’t wanna talk about it.” JC muttered.
Lance saw JC’s face fall, he knew what happened, and he didn’t wanna push him to tell him, or the rest of the guys, eventually he’ll open up to them later.
JC sighed and introduced Leslie to his friends, “Guys, this is Leslie, she’s a friend of mine, she plays the piano.”
“Nice to meet you Les, don’t get starstruck.” Joey chuckled, giving her a hug.
“Any friend of JC’s is our friend too.” Chris mumbled, trying to bring the cake down with a drink.
So they all chatted and shared a few laughs, it made JC feel a bit better, he felt comfortable with his friends and Leslie.
After what seemed like hours, JC and Leslie headed back to the room, he stopped in the hallway, and pulled the card out, the door opened with a click. Afraid of what he might see, he found out that all of Katherine’s stuff has been packed up.
“Um, I would like to check-out of this room.” JC added.
Leslie nodded and waited for JC to call the phone so he can be checked out, while he was calling, she was gathering up his things, on the table she found the carton of cupcakes that she gave him this morning.
“Thank you sir, I’ll be down soon.” JC ended the call and saw that Leslie was still staring at the cupcakes.
“I thought you ate these already.” Leslie laughed.
“I was saving them.”
“For who?”
“For you.” He replied simply.
“No, you were saving it for that crazy girl of yours.”
“No really, I was saving it for you, she did ask who was it from, I told her that a fan gave them to me.”
“But why?” Leslie looked at him.
“Because, I’ve never met someone like you, when I first found, well listened to the way you were playing that piano, I realized something, this is what I have been missing, when I was with Katherine, I thought I was happy, but I felt that when I was intimate with her, it felt like something was missing, and now that I’m with you now, you have a hold on me, I feel it, and I know you feel it too.” JC explained.
“I know what it is, you want someone to love you, am I right?”
JC nodded slowly, “I don’t wanna be hurt anymore, I want someone to love me for me.”
“You know what JC? I’ve been looking for the exact same thing.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She repeated.
She pulled him into a tight embrace and held onto him for a while, she slowly let him go and headed out of the door, after JC was at the lobby signing himself out of the room, Leslie said if he wanted to come into her room, which was just upstairs.
JC agreed, he was still holding the cupcakes in his hand, and a backpack in the other.
Leslie took her key card and the door opened, her room smelled like berries, like a bakery of some sort.
“Your room smells nice.” JC said.
“Yeah that’s just my body spray.”
“So, are we gonna share some of those cupcakes?” Leslie asked.
“At 1 in the morning?”
“Hey, the night is still young, I’m hungry, I want something sweet.”
“Besides me?” JC asked.
Leslie just smiled at that and gave a kiss to JC on the cheek.
“What was that for?”
“Well, you kissed me on the cheek earlier today and so I decided to give that back, spread the love.” She said with a wink.
“You know Leslie, I don’t want you to leave me, I want you to stay.” JC told her softly.
“Jace, the way I saw you today, I don’t have the heart to do that to you, I would never leave you, I’m gonna stay with you.” She looked into his eyes for a minute and opened the carton of cupcakes, took a bite out of one.
“Yummy.” She said in between bites.
JC just smiled at her and he too took a cupcake, together they ate, this was something real sweet for the both of them.
On the bottom of the carton was card, a birthday card, JC took it and opened it.
“Happy birthday to the most talented musician, lots of love, health, and happiness, from a truly devoted fan, Leslie Flormanta, p.s the cupcakes are yours, enjoy.”
“That was really sweet of you.” JC asked.
“Yeah, but that was before I actually knew you.” Leslie said with a chuckle.
“I’m glad that I met you, I’m glad that you were there playing the piano.”
“I’m glad too.”
And with that, they continued eating the cupcakes and lightly conversing throughout the rest of the evening, all because they both decided to stay together.