To Die For

Chapter One

 "I'm so nervous, Sammy," Alison said to her sister. Well, not really her sister - Alison's parents had died when she was eleven years old and as she was taken in by her godparents, the Welch family, she had moved in with and become a part of the family - so she behaved as if they had always been sisters.

"What're you so nervous about?" Samantha answered in her usual flippant tone. Sam and Alison couldn't have been more different - Alison was as quiet as a church mouse unless she knew you well while 

Samantha would talk a stranger's head off with no problem - but they couldn't have been any closer.

It had all been Sam's idea of course, this Saturday night foray. She'd been eighteen for months already while Alison had only just reached that milestone that very day. Sam had been dying to go to an eighteen and over club but wouldn't consider going without Alison and she'd finally achieved her goal, which had not been an easy task - Alison was decidedly unsociable and terrified at the thought of being in such a crowded place - and with boys there too! Another difference among the two girls was that Sam was also boy-crazy and one of the most popular girls at their modest high school. That's why Ali, as Sam referred to her, was now sitting down at H20, a popular club in Washington, D.C.

Alison shook her head. "I don't know how to act or what to say ... I don't even wear stuff like this," she tugged at the little black dress that they'd purchased earlier in the day. "I feel out of place," she told her sister, looking around nervously. Sam simply pulled her along until they reached the bar and ordered soft drinks. "Oh, this is such a big deal," Alison scoffed and mad a face. "This is stupid. This is boring!"

Sam ignored her protests, having heard them all week. "Wait until we start dancing!" She shook her butt a little, making Alison giggle.

Sam always made Alison laugh. They were like yin and yang but somehow it all worked out well. Same height, same coloring, a light toasty brown color, both very curvy and in great shape. Alison had a little something more going on in the backside area than Sam did but Sam made up for it in the chest area. Perfect for each other. Sam brought Alison's personality out more, making her participate in school activities like cheerleading and softball, while Ali calmed down Sam's sometimes manic activity. Conversation bounced back and forth between the two innocent girls who had no idea that two young men in the VIP area were studying them quite closely.

 *~*

 "Yo, dude, Justin hit his friend JC on the shoulder lightly. "Check out those two girls down by the bar ... over there," he pointed with his glass.

 JC took a quick look to see what and who his friend was talking about and shook his head. "Cute, but jailbait. We're looking for over twenty-one, not over eighteen, dude." He drank some of the champagne in his glass. "But that is a damn shame because those two are F-O-I-N-E."

Justin persisted, gesturing with his glass again. "But shit, eighteen is fucking legal, too. And it's not like we'd ever have a problem getting them into any club or anything, right? Dude, we fucking own this city."

And in a way, he was right. At the age of eighteen, Justin and JC had been introduced into a new business through Justin's older brother - the business of selling drugs. He'd started them out doing small-time stuff like selling weed, then slowly moved them to cocaine and heroin. Now at the ripe ages of twenty-six, the two men were very close to being millionaires and had amassed a little empire with Justin's brother and two other guys. The called themselves "The Firm", after the John Grisham book just because they liked the name. But they ran their business exactly as if it were a firm. Everything was done by the book - their Book - and everyone handled their side of the business smoothly. And business - which was now mainly crack -- was booming.

They weren't stupid about their business, either. They weren't too flashy with their money and kept up a guise of being employed at Justin's family's business. They built houses and did very well so their quiet elegance and nice clothes and cars seemed justifiable. It wasn't as if Justin needed to deal drugs. It was just easy to do so - and he liked the money he gained from it way too much to stop yet. Someday, though, he planned to stop. He just needed a reason.

All he needed was someone to spend all the money with. He didn't lack gorgeous girls coming after him, especially when they realized he had a shitload of dough. But someone who'd liked his money and his drugs had burned him badly once before. He was determined to find someone else soon. He wanted to be in love.

And he was pretty sure that he had just fallen in deep like.

Oh yeah, he was pretty sure something was going on. To move things along even more quickly, he sent a bottle of Cristal over to the girls, slipping the bartender and extra $100 to take care of the age problem. "Ask them if they'd like to join us in VIP while they drink," he told the very happy bartender.

And then again, he just watched.

~*~

"For you, ladies," the bartender presented the bottle to Sam and Alison with a flourish.

"To us? From who?" Sam looked up and down, around and around all over until she saw the two extraordinarily handsome White men raising their glasses of champagne to them. "Ooooohhhhh! Ali, look!" she pointed up to where Justin and JC stood in expensive suits, looking down at them.

Sam smiled up at them but when Alison got a gander of who had sent the champagne, all she could do was wave weakly. These were men, not boys, and she had no idea what to say or do around them. Alison was shy around boys at high school, so the thought of actually drinking Cristal, the drink all the stars sprayed around in their videos, with such good-looking men had her in a tizzy. Neither of them were bothered by the fact that the men were White, as over three-quarters of their school was and they'd been surrounded by interracial dating for years. Knowing Alison would freeze up, Sam took over by grabbing the bottle of champagne in one hand and Alison's arm in the other and headed straight for the stairs, ignoring Alison's protests all the while. And there were lots of those.

"Hello," JC greeted them with a twinkle in his blue eyes, taking the bottle from Sam.

"Hi, I'm Sam," she flirted back, always up for a challenge. This was way more exciting than she had expected the evening to be.

JC eyed her up and down, liking what he saw. He'd known instantly which girl his friend was interested in, so he took over with the friend - who wasn't too shabby herself with shoulder-length auburn hair and a rack that he couldn't take his eyes off of. He would have no trouble occupying himself with this one tonight, that was for sure.

Alison, on the other hand, felt completely abandoned and had no idea what to do next. This tall, White guy was staring at her with burning, deep, blue eyes and she had no idea why he was doing do so or what he wanted from her. If he expected flirting he could forget it, she thought. Maybe he wanted to get her drunk or something, she just didn't know. But she did know that Sam had been planning this evening for months so she absolutely couldn't turn and run away like she wanted to. So she gave him a tentative smile and straightened her back, shaking her hair from around her face. "Umm ... hi."

"Hi, I'm Justin," he said very slowly, his eyes still glued to hers. He found himself mesmerized by her, unable to stop gazing at her lovely face. He had the sense that would need to be careful with this one, that she would spook easily and the last thing he wanted was for her to walk away.

Oh, that was the very last thing he wanted.

And then she spoke again and he knew he was in love.

"Uh ... hi ... I'm Alison." She politely put out a hand for him to shake and he wanted to smile at how ‘textbook' she was behaving, like he was one of her parent's friends or something. He guessed she looked about eighteen or nineteen and he also guessed when he was about that age he'd thought twenty-six was old, too. But he didn't want to embarrass her so he shook her hand. She looked like she wanted to pass out when he took her hand in both of his. Fuck that, he thought, he really wanted to bring her hand to his lips but he was afraid she would pull away so he didn't make that move.

Yet.

This girl already so had him that he realized that he was fucking shaking. Girls do that shit for me, he thought, and pulled his hand away and shook his head to clear it. Grabbing the bottle from JC, he asked 

"Champagne?" He began to expertly open the bottle while Alison and Sam looked on, completely impressed. They'd never come anywhere near champagne before and this was Cristal, damn it. They both giggled a little at the pop of the cork.

As Justin poured the liquid into glasses, Alison began to say, "We've never drunk-" only to be quickly cut off by Sam who knew she was going to say alcohol, saying, "champagne before!" She then gave Alison an obvious kick while Justin and JC looked on, amused by the girls' naivete.

"Here you go ... what was your name again?" Justin handed glasses to first Sam and then Alison, having missed her saying it the first time. They smiled at one another briefly then returned their attention to their respective partners.

Justin observed Alison amusedly, who was waving her glass under her nose and sniffing it. She was wondering what real alcohol smelled liked. Justin, over the curious one, quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What are you doing?"

Embarrassed at being caught, Alison blushed and Justin was enchanted. He'd never met anyone so innocent before and he was loving it. She smiled guiltily at him, "I don't know ... seeing if champagne smells different."

He tilted his head, actually not knowing the answer. "Does it?"

She shrugged. "Not really." They laughed together.

"So why not taste it?" he gestured with his glass.

Alison looked at Sam who was giving her a ‘do not fuck this up for me' look as she sipped the liquid like she was used to having it everyday. Not wanting to piss her off, Alison finally lifted the glass to her lips and too the first sip of alcohol she'd ever drank. It went straight to her head.

"This is really good!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"I know, right?" Sam was already finished with her first glass and JC was busy pouring her another.

"Now I see why people drink all the time!" Alison tripped up and revealed her secret, feeling like an idiot.

Justin and JC laughed while Sam rolled her eyes at Alison. "Thanks for blowing our cover."

JC laughed more. "We already sort of picked up on it. You guys don't seem to be that experienced." Sam didn't like that at all.

"What, should we be lushes?" Her attitude was showing its' face and JC liked it.

"Aren't you feisty?" he asked, almost as intrigued as Justin was with Alison. They turned and began talking again; leaving Alison paralyzed with fear over talking to the young man. He was studying her so closely that it was like he was inspecting her. Taking another sip from the fabulous concoction in her glass, she studied him back, albeit underneath her thick lashes, and took in his features.

He was tall, she liked that. For some reason he made her feel safe, with his broad shoulders and extreme height. His head was shaved with a little part in it, making her do a double take to make sure that he wasn't really Black. He had a little goatee going on, like all the celebrities wore these days. In fact, he sort of looked like a celebrity to her, dressed from head to toe in a hideously expensive suit and wearing ... hold it. She started laughing full out now, not even trying to hide her giggles.

"What you laughing at, girl?" he said in the most Ebonically-enhanced voice she'd ever heard. He sounded blacker than most black people she knew did.

But the alcohol was giving her courage so she had no fear. Pointing at his feet, she laughed. "Your shoes. They're-"

"Sneakers?" he asked, lifting his pants leg up so she could get a better look.

She nodded, sipping on the champagne. "Everything else you have on is so ... I don't know ... put-together, and those are, like, a surprise. They're different, I like that."

"Well thank you very much," Justin said about his fashion statement. "It's the one thing I don't compromise on - I always wear sneakers. I have hundreds of them in my closets." 

Alison almost choked on her drink. "Hundreds?" she asked. Why on earth would anyone have so many sneakers? And why would they refuse to wear anything else, especially with evening wear? This guy was weird, she deduced, and without knowing it, took a step or two back from him. Justin noticed and tried to smooth things over.

"It's just a little quirk I have," he told her. "Everyone has some kind of quirk, don't they?"

Alison thought that over and supposed they did. But her mind was on other things right now. "May I have some more, please?" she asked, surprising herself that she had finished her glass so quickly. Justin was happy to oblige and suggested they sit down. Maneuvering around Sam and JC, who were involved in a conversation of their own, the two sat down at the small banquette that the guys had been standing in front of.

It was time to learn more about this girl, Justin decided. And while she was drinking, she'd be more apt to tell him things that maybe she normally wouldn't. He had the feeling that usually she would be close-mouthed about her life and he had no idea how close he was to the truth with that thought.

"So what do you do?" Justin inquired as he honored her request for more champagne.

Alison's eyes widened. "What do I do?" she repeated, not knowing how to answer the question without making herself and Sam look young. But there was no way around it. "I ... go to school."

He persisted. "Catholic U? American? Where?"

She shook her head and gave up the ghost. "I go to high school," she told him and waited for the inevitable rejection. But Justin wasn't surprised; he'd pretty much figured that out earlier. He'd just asked the college questions to make her feel better. He nodded slowly, taking a sip of liquid.

"Where?"

This was turning into an inquisition, Alison thought, but she answered his question anyway. "Wheaton High School. In Wheaton," she added stupidly.

He nodded again, glad she was telling him more. Now he knew where he could find her - if he needed to. "I've heard of it, know a few people who graduated from there. But it's been awhile for me," he subtly brought his age into the conversation.

"How ... how old are you?" Alison asked tentatively. "If I'm being too nosy, you don't have to tell me," she said ironically, when it was him who had been grilling her.

He shook his head. "You're not being too nosy. I'm twenty-six," he answered and her eyes widened.

"Oh," was all she said, eyes focused on the table while she inwardly freaked out. Twenty-six! She could barely talk to Chris in AP Biology and he was the same age as she was! She had the feeling that she and Sam were in over their heads.

"How old are you?" Justin asked, already knowing the answer. He wanted to show her that he didn't care about her age.

She brought he eyes back up to his, a little nervous. "I'm eighteen. Today's my birthday, as a matter of fact," she said, the liquor loosening her tongue even more. Inside she kept telling herself to shut up but for some reason things kept escaping from her mouth.

Raising an eyebrow, Justin smiled. "Happy birthday. We should have a special toast," he began looking around for the bartender but Alison hurriedly stopped him.

"No! Please ... nothing special. Drinking Cristal is special enough," she told him and he nodded, agreeing to her wishes as a plan began to develop in the back of his mind for later. "I'm really happy with just this," she slurred, and he could see that the small amount of champagne she had imbibed was already beginning to affect her. He wondered about how she was getting home.

"Did you drive here?" he asked, wondering how in the hell these two girls from a Maryland suburb were going to get home from DC.

She nodded. "I'm the designated driver," she told him, then frowned. "Or I guess I was. We have our parent's car. How are we going to get home?" she worried, looking at Sam who was on her fourth or fifth drink and totally unable to drive.

"I'll take care of that," Justin assured her. "You'll get home with no trouble. But you just got here ... why not relax and hang out, dance a little before you leave?" He didn't want her going anywhere just yet. He was barely getting to know her and he didn't think she realized that he was interested in her. Before the night was over he wanted her to at least have his cell number or something.

Alison thought it over carefully and checked her watch. It wasn't even midnight yet and they weren't under a curfew - their parents trusted the girls to come home at an appropriate time and in a respectable manner. She thought that maybe she should lay off the liquor so she wouldn't get into trouble.

"Okay," she said slowly. "But not too late."

"Do you have a curfew or something?" Justin asked, honestly not wanting her to get into trouble.

She shook her head. "No, our parents know we'll get home at a decent time. We're okay."

"Okay," Justin smiled at her and his sparkling eyes dazzled her. "So that means you can dance with me." He stood up and held out his hand to her, waiting for her to stand up and take it.

Dancing? If what people out on the floor were any indication, that meant grinding and touching and all sorts of other things that she wasn't sure she was ready to do. But somehow she didn't think that Justin would be all over her in some nasty way - laid back was definitely more his style.

But still ... the chemistry between the two of them was out of control and so was she, due to the Cristal. And somehow she had a feeling that a dance was not just a dance with him. He seemed like he wanted things from her, things she wasn't sure she had. He was so much older and self-assured, and he had zeroed in onher for some reason. In this case, a dance was not just a dance.

Did she dare?

Chapter Two

"Can I give you girls a lift?" Justin asked through the window of his black, shiny brand-new looking Navigator.

Alison and Samantha stopped in shock, at first not recognizing who this stranger was that was offering them a ride home from school. Sam squinted, "Justin, is that you?"

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "Come on and hop in – it’s cold outside," he told the two shocked teens, standing on the sidewalk dumbfounded. How had he found them?

When you thought about it, it wasn’t that hard, really. Alison had danced with him at H20 and all sorts of feelings she’d never felt before bubbled up inside of her. They hit the floor just as a 50 Cent set began and Ali loved 50, but only knew the radio version of his songs and had been shocked to hear the real thing. Still, she didn’t let that bother her as she got down with Justin who was an amazing dancer. They’d danced for almost an hour then returned to their booth where Justin had questioned her about everything under the sun. Under the influence of champagne, the walls that normally surrounded her were down and she told him about her whole life – including where she went to school, she now recalled. The guys had even driven them home – Justin and Alison in his car while JC drove Sam home in their parent’s car – because the girls had had too much to drink at the club. So he knew where she lived and went to school, she thought in the brisk air. Was he stalking her now?

Sam was all for catching a ride but Alison hesitated. It was freezing out and she really wouldn’t mind a lift. Besides, she thought slowly, he already knew where she lived. What difference did it make if they got a ride? He seemed like a nice – if persistent -- guy but she was with Sam and knew she would take control of the conversation and make sure she was okay. "Okay," she said to a pleading Samantha, and the two got in the vehicle. Alison purposely chose the back seat even though Sam whispered to her that she should get up front. She just wasn’t ready to be so close to anyone, although Justin seemed to be a force of nature, pushing his way into her world.

"How the hell did you find us?" Sam asked, taking off her gloves and settling back onto the plush leather seats.

Justin chuckled at how quickly she made herself comfortable. "Alison told me what your school was the other night, and she forgot something so I decided to bring it to you. I was worried I wouldn’t catch you guys but y’all look so good that I saw you right away. You were late coming out too, so it was easy to spot you. Y’all dressed for a pep rally or something?" he asked, referring to the uniform with very short skirts that the girls wore.

Sam shook her head. "Nope, we have a basketball game tonight and we have to wear our cheerleading uniforms on game day. You’re lucky you caught us – someone decided that we should stay later and study Trig forever! And then it was so cold and everyone left so we couldn’t catch a ride. I swear I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" she chattered on as Alison sat quietly in the back. Justin’s eyes met hers in the rearview mirror every few seconds and she knew he had come to see her.

"So what did Ali forget?" Sam asked, ever the inquisitive one.

Justin told her, "Just a little something … I’d like to give it to you when I get to your house, if you don’t mind," he told Alison. The message was clear – he wanted to give whatever he had to her alone and Sam was more than happy to acquiesce. In her opinion it was about time that Ali started dating and as far as she was concerned, it didn’t get much better than Justin. He had money, he was cute and he was nice. Yeah he was little older but if he didn’t seem to mind than neither did she. The only person that had to be convinced to give him a chance was Alison herself but she’d work on that this evening. And the next if necessary. Whatever it took, she wasn’t going to let her sister pass up such a golden opportunity.

"Okay," Sam replied easily, then went on talking about the cold and how they had to go back out to cheer at a basketball game later that evening – mundane stuff that Justin listened to with one ear. His mind was elsewhere.

Ever since he laid eyes on Alison in the club he’d wanted to spend some time with her. And when they danced and her body brushed up against his he was in heaven. Unfortunately, even though he managed to get some personal information on her while she was tipsy, there was only so far he could go. And kissing her was out of the question – she ‘d practically run out of the car after a hurried thank you on Saturday night. But he was not deterred. The more he saw, the more he liked. And what Justin Timberlake liked or wanted he got.

No exceptions.

That was why he found himself lurking outside of a high school, feeling like an idiot and a pervert. But if that was the only way to see her again, he would do it. He just thanked God that he’d found her. "What’s up Ali?" he used her nickname easily, as if they were old friends. "How you doin’?

She smiled hesitantly in the rearview mirror at him. "Fine, thanks … and thank you for the ride," she told him as she, too, took off her gloves. "But I didn’t leave anything at the club, Justin. Maybe you got me confused with someone else." She wracked her brain to think of something she could have left behind and came up with nothing. If he was playing games … well, she knew how to shut a guy down if she had to. Something inside her hoped that he wasn’t playing games. They’d had so much fun Saturday night and he’d been a perfect gentleman when he dropped her off.

Hopefully he was on the up and up, she thought.

In minutes, they were at the girls’ home – they didn’t live far from school. Neither their mom nor dad was home this early, giving Alison a chance to see what he claimed she’d left behind. Sam climbed out as soon as they got there, thanking Justin for the ride and telling him to tell JC to call her. She also told Sam to get in the front, leaving the door open so Alison gathered up her textbooks and hesitantly got into the front. Luckily for her, the SUV was so big that she had enough space to feel somewhat comfortable across from him.

"So what did I leave at the club?" she asked, genuinely curious now. "I don’t have long; I’ve got to do some homework and eat dinner before the game tonight," she told him.

Justin smiled a little, remembering the days when was on his high school’s basketball team. He had lived and breathed it for years and still played pick-up games all the time. "You look really cute in that skirt," he complimented her, making her blush furiously, something he loved.

"T-t-thanks," Alison stuttered, feeling insecure and unconfident around this self-assured man. It wasn’t the self-assured part that got her so much as the man part. "But I really do have to go; I have some more homework to finish, then I have to eat before we go to the game."

Justin reached into the side pocket of his car door, extracting a subtly colored blue box that said ‘Tiffany’s’ on it. "You didn’t forget anything – I’m just late getting this to you. Happy belated birthday, Ali," he put the package in her trembling hands, liking the effect he had on her.

Alison had no idea what to do. Tiffany’s? Everything in that store was expensive, she’d heard. She didn’t even think her mom had anything from there … and here was a stranger that she’d shared a few drinks of Cristal with – Cristal –handing her a box like it was from some cheap store. She wanted it more than anything but knew she couldn’t accept it.

"Justin! I can’t take this … I barely even know you and besides … it probably cost a lot of money and I can’t just take it…" her voice trailed off as she stared at the box, trying to suppress the desire to rip the top off the box to see what it contained.

He chuckled again and shook his head, "You have to take it … I can’t take it back. It’s engraved. So go on, open it. I want to see if you like it." He was pretty sure she would, any girl he knew wouldn’t turn down something from Tiffany’s. That was one of the reasons he liked her so much – her innocence and honesty was refreshing.

Engraved? Well, that was different, Alison thought to herself. If he couldn’t return it … what the hell, she decided, and ripped the top off of the box, dying to see what it contained. "Ohhhh," she breathed when she saw the gift." It was a white gold locket with her initials, AT, engraved in script of the top. It was beautiful and she held it with still trembling hands. "This … it’s beautiful. I can’t believe … thank you so much, Justin," she finally lifted her eyes to meet his piercing gaze, the same one he’d given her all night long at H20. For a moment there was only silence between the two as they gazed at each other, then he seemed to come out of the spell that only she could put him under.

He smiled broadly. "I’m glad you like it. Wanna put it on?" He lifted it out of the box and motioned for her to turn around so he could put it on her. Still in shock and not knowing what else to do, she did as he said and turned. She shivered as his hands lifted the necklace over her head then lifted her hair up so that he could clasp it. Once it was on, she turned to him, one hand gently toying with the necklace.

"I don’t know what to say, Justin. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough." But that was all she could do – he wasn’t getting any funny business from her over a present that he’d decided to get for her. But oh, how she loved it. "I know exactly what picture I’ll put in here," she grabbed her purse and started rummaging through her wallet to show him. It was a photo of her parents, smiling and carefree, not thinking of the car accident that would cut short both of their lives just a few months later.

"Is that your parents?" he asked softly, taking the photo from her to study it himself.

"Yeah," Alison said sadly. Then she thought of the necklace and perked up. "If I can just find one of those places to make a copy of it, I’ll make it small enough to fit in the locket." She began thinking of where she could get that done when Justin interrupted her thoughts.

"There’s a place at Montgomery Mall," he informed her, having already anticipated her need to have a photo shrunken. "I can take you there to get it done. Only takes a few minutes." Inside he was leaping up and down like a little boy, thinking ‘She likes it! She really likes it!’ but outside he kept it cool.

She shook her head. "I can’t tonight. I already told you that I have a million things to do…" her voice trailed off in disappointment but he changed that again.

"What about tomorrow?" He leaned over to her, just a little closer to better catch the smell of her perfume. "I can pick you up after school and we can go. That’s if you’re not busy studying or cheering or whatever else it is that you do." He somewhat resented the busy schedule that was keeping her from him but he knew how to be patient. He knew very well how to be patient and God knew he needed it with this woman. She was like a wild horse that needed to be soothed and pampered in order to get used to its new owner.

He would be very patient, no matter how much he wanted to plant his lips on hers at that very moment more than she could imagine.

Alison thought for a moment. Should she really go anywhere alone with this guy? She could always bring Sam. "Can Samantha come, too?" she asked hopefully and Justin was honest with her.

‘"I was really hoping to spend some time alone with you," he said, his face open, his expression hiding nothing. "I want to get to know you better and I want you to get to know me, too. No offense but if Sam is around, the conversation will be completely controlled by her. Don’t you think I’m right?

Alison laughed and covered her mouth – she shouldn’t be laughing at her sister like that. But everything Justin had said was true. "Mmm … I guess so. But I barely know you and my parents would have a fit if they knew I even accepted this, much less going places with you in your car. They’re used to me staying at home, watching basketball games with my dad or something," she told him, her brow furrowed.

Justin said seriously, but as calmly as he could, "I would never hurt you, Ali. I just want to help you fix the locket up and spend some time with you. It won’t be more than an hour or so. I could pick you right up from school and we could get it done tomorrow."

Alison thought for a moment. He was right, they could get it done in about an hour and she could be back at home before her parents suspected a thing. And she knew Sammy would cover for her if need be – neither of her parents would be surprised too hear that Alison had decided to stay late at school to study as it was a regular occurrence. The thing that surprised her was the strong reaction she was having to this guy – no, this man. He had on a dark red Vokal sweat suit that probably cost a couple hundred dollars and looked so delicious to her. In a way part of wished he would try to kiss her – she was that attracted to him but so far he’d been hands off which she also liked. It showed that he respected her, unlike the few teenagers she’d dated – they’d always fumbled around, trying to touch her breasts or breathing their hot breath onto her. She really didn’t see what Sam saw in the multitude of guys she dated and talked to on the phone. Alison had never been interested at all.

Alison had never been in love before. And while she certainly didn’t love Justin, she really really liked him at this point. How could she not? It wasn’t the material thing he’d gotten her, although that was impressive, too. She just liked his laid-back, comfortable style. So why shouldn’t she get to know him better?

"I guess that would be okay," she finally relented and he flashed a dazzling smile at her, making her momentarily forget about anything and everything but him. God, he was handsome, she thought. "But I can’t let my parents know … they’ll have a fit if they knew how old you are."

His brow furrowed now. "We won’t let them know this once but … Ali … I’d really like to take you out on real dates. I don’t want you sneaking around and lying to be with me … if I meet them, I promise they’ll like me. All parents like me," he finished, cockily.

Her dad would probably throw something at him if he really knew his true age Alison thought but didn’t say. She hated lying to her parents too. Maybe they could fudge his age a little or something. "I guess we could come up with something … maybe not tell them your real age or something like that?" Already she was asking his opinion on things and he liked it.

He shrugged. "If that’s what it takes to see and be with you, I’ll do it. So we’re definitely on for tomorrow then? What time should I pick you up?" His mind was already thinking ahead to the next time he would see this cute little thing.

Alison thought for a moment. "Well, I have last period free because that’s when we work on our cheerleading," she told him. "But we’re not working on anything right now. How about around 1:30 in front of the school?" Skipping school was so not her style but something in her changed when she was around this Justin character. He made her want to do crazy things, like accept a necklace that had to cost a couple of hundred dollars and sneak away to be alone with him.

It was crazy but she had to do it. Something inside her was sending her directly into his arms.

"Great … I’ll be waiting for you."

"Don’t you have to work?" How could he afford a necklace like this when he didn’t seem to have to ever work? He sure didn’t look like he was building houses, and she told him so, asking where his hard hat was or whatever it was that guys wore when they did that kind of work.

He laughed. "I look over blueprints, meet with potential buyers and stuff like that, Ali. I’m not out there, like, putting cement on anything. The workers do that," he told her and she felt a little stupid.

"Oh," she said, blushing again and enchanting him again. He couldn’t get enough of this girl. Just then his cell phone rang, interrupting the two.

"Hold on, Ali … Hello? … Yeah, I’m finishing up what I’m doing, why? … They what? Well, did you get it? Okay, good … No, we need to move on this now. I’m heading your way, gimme about thirty minutes … Alright … talk to you in a few."

Ali noticed that when he talked his voice was low and he turned away from her, like she was intruding on what was obviously a business-related call. She felt uncomfortable and started gathering her books together, preparing to go inside the warm house. She couldn’t wait to show Sam her present and ask her opinion on Justin. Just as she was about to leave, Justin hung up his phone.

"Hey, wait a minute you forgot something."

Something else? What was wrong with her?" What else did I forget?" When he was around her brainpower seemed to just disappear,

"I know it’s too soon for a kiss, but can I at least get a hug?" His blue eyes bore into her brown ones and she couldn’t look away, even as shy as she felt.

"Umm … sure, if you want one," she finally answered after their eyes had a private conversation. She knew he wanted a kiss but asking for a hug was just plain ol’ romantic and it made her feel warm all over. Awkwardly, she leaned across the console and he wrapped his arms around her, settling his face on her shoulder, inhaling her perfume deeply. She settled in on his shoulder, feeling like she was going to get sick because he made her so nervous.

"Why you shaking, Ali?" He rubbed her back in soothing circles and she calmed down, stopped the shaking and just enjoyed the feeling she got from him touching her. "I don’t want you to ever be nervous around me. You can tell me anything or whatever … don’t be nervous, baby. Okay?"

"Okay," Ali whispered into his ear, blushing again and glad that he couldn’t see it.

"I won’t," she promised.

"That’s my girl," Justin squeezed her a little tighter and then reluctantly let her go.

"So I’ll see you tomorrow. Right?"

"Tomorrow," Ali echoed her mind still on how she felt in his embrace. She liked it. A lot. She opened the car door in a daze. "I’ll see you tomorrow.’"

"Bye, Ali. Have a good night."

And she was gone inside the house so quickly that Justin felt a pang of disappointment. He’d wanted a kiss but instinct told him that holding back was the right thing to do. He needed to let her come to him, and she slowly was. He’d get her one way or another.

But right now JC had called and there was business to take care of. Making a three-point turn, he drove out of Sam and Ali’s middle-class neighborhood and headed for downtown DC.

He’d take care of business now, putting her completely out of his mind, and do what he was paid the big bucks for.

And he’d take care of Miss Alison Thompson tomorrow.

Chapter Three

When Alison walked into the house after sitting in Justin’s truck for a few minutes, Sam pounced on her and demanded every tiny detail.  Alison of course told her everything, as she had no secrets from Sam. They oohed and ahhed over the piece of jewelry, then Sam started grilling Alison.

“When are you gonna see him again?  Girl, he must be in love to give you something that expensive from only one meeting!  And don’t even try to back down from going out with him on a date or I’ll kill you.  I will, too, you know I will.

Alison sighed, looking at the necklace again.  “I can’t believe all this stuff is happening to me,” she said faintly.  “First they’re buying us champagne like we’re all video stars, then he shows up at school with a present from Tiffany’s.  Don’t you think it’s kind of weird that he was waiting for us outside of school? Like a stalker or something?”

Sam scoffed at that statement.  “Does he look like he has to stalk people?  Homeboy is fine, girl.  Just take what he said at face value and enjoy it. Maybe he just likes you and wanted to do something nice for you since it was your birthday, after all.  Did he ask to see you again?”

Alison relayed the arrangements for the next day and Sam was over the moon with excitement.  She raced off to Alison’s closet to start picking out cute outfits for her to wear and Alison followed, still dazed by certain events.  They’d decided to tell their parents that she was working in a group so she had to stay late from school, an excuse they would easily buy.  The next morning before they left school Sam dressed her from head to toe, supervised her hairstyle, the whole enchilada.  When she was satisfied she finally allowed them to leave.  And at the end of the school day before she left to meet Justin, Sam again commandeered her into the bathroom and carefully re-applied Alison’s makeup.

“I don’t like this, Sam,” Alison whined.  She wasn’t one for wearing much makeup but Sam insisted that she had to look older and not act like such a kid.  So she went along with it.

When she walked outside, there he was, idling on the side of the street with some kind of rap music booming out, only this time he was in a different car – a champagne colored Jaguar.  Alison’s entire fellow cheerleaders were being nosy since they didn’t have a class to attend, wondering whose car Alison, Miss Goody Two-Shoes as they affectionately called her, was getting into.  Looking over her shoulder, she could see them all drooling over Justin and how good he looked, not to mention the phat car he was rocking.  Alison knew Sam would have the story all over the school before they arrived at the mall.

“Hey,” he said easily, as he reached over and opened the door for her.  “How you doing today, Ali? Your make-up looks really good.” He looked just as good as before, if not better.  Same freshly shaped goatee, still wearing sparkling white sneakers with big track pants and a red t-shirt.  She was so nervous that she could barely get into the truck.  Once she got in and was safely buckled in, she finally answered his question.

”I’m doing okay,” she replied tiredly, but secretly hyped about him saying she looked good.  “I just hate basketball season.  There’re games at least twice a week and that means I have to stay up late studying … I’m just a little tired.  How’re you doing?  You look nice,” she complimented him then wanted to kick herself.  Wasn‘t it supposed to be the other way around?

He smiled, flashing those pearly whites at her again and she felt butterflies in her stomach.  He smelled so good that she wanted to lean right over and nestle her head into the curve of his neck like she had when they’d hugged the day before.  But she didn’t think her timing would be right if she attacked him the minute she got into the car.

“Thanks, Ali,” he actually looked a little bashful.  He was so cocky before that that surprised her   “Now you are the one who’s looking good.  You look sexy as hell in that shirt … and those jeans,” he went on, embarrassing her.

“Stop!” she yelled, laughing along with him.  Suddenly, without even realizing it, he’d put her at ease with him, which wasn’t an easy thing to do.  But something in her trusted him and felt like she could tell him anything.  They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, she thought, and if that’s true then his soul is wide open for me to see whenever I look in his eyes.  He kept laughing but she could still feel him gazing at her.  It was a little unsettling.  So she took a chance.  “Why’re you staring at me?  You’ve done that ever since we met.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said simply.  “And I like looking at beautiful things.”  He waited for her reaction, which was a ducking of the head and a blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Where’s the truck you had yesterday?” she asked.  He certainly must have a lot of money to own two cars like the one he’d been driving, she thought.

“I told you I like beautiful things … I figured you would go good with the Jag,” he said smoothly, looking for the reaction he was sure he’d get.  He wasn’t disappointed, either – she ducked and blushed yet again.

Smiling at her naiveté and done with teasing her, Justin put the car in drive and they headed off to the mall

~*~

“That was so easy!” Alison exclaimed as she and Justin examined the tiny copy of her parent’s photograph.  “I could’ve never figured out how to use that machine without you, Justin.  Thanks again so much.”

Justin and Alison were spending the afternoon shrinking the picture of her parents so that it would fit into the locket Justin had given to.  Surprisingly it only took about twenty minutes to do what they needed to do on the photo machine at Ritz Camera, so Justin suggested they get a snack.  Alison wasn’t really hungry but she wanted to spend more time with him so she went to the food court with him.  They both went to McDonald’s and sat down a little table off to the side at the food court.  Justin had a gotten a Big Mac Extra Value meal super-sized while Alison got a Coke.  He told her he’d been playing basketball earlier and worked up an appetite.  He proved himself right, because he started wolfing down the burger as soon as they sat down.

“So … you didn’t have to work today?” Alison tried to make conversation.  She felt like a dork talking about work but she didn’t know what else to say.  Most people that worked regular jobs didn’t hang out at one-thirty in the afternoon.

Justin shook his head as he sank his teeth into a Big Mac.  After waiting for him to finish chewing and swallowing, he answered, “I make my own hours.  Building houses is tricky; sometimes you have 7 AM meetings, like I did this morning, or sometimes you meet for dinner … shit like that.  It’s kinda unpredictable, when you think about it.  I’m just used to it because my dad’s been doing this his whole life.”

“You must make a lot of money,” she mused, thinking of the gift, the cars, and the clothes.  “Do you still live at home?” Alison inquired, than thought better of it.  “No, never mind.  That’s none of my business.” But she hoped he would answer anyway and he did.

“In a way,” he said mysteriously and she looked at him quizzically.

“’In a way’?  Either you do or you don’t, I think,” she answered.  “But you don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t have been so nosy.

Justin looked at her with those eyes, now determined and midnight blue.  “Alison, you have permission to ask me any and everything you want, okay?  I hereby give you free and clear admittance to all of my secrets.  But to answer your question, I guess you could say I have two places of residence.”  He thought it over for a second.   “Maybe not all, but most of my life will be a fucking open book to you soon.”

Alison tilted her head.  “Soon?  You say that like you know for sure we’re going be talking that long, or whatever.”  A part of her liked what he said but another part of her thought he was assuming way too much.  One trip to the mall did not a relationship make. 

“We are,” he drank some Coke. 

She raised her eyebrows at him like he’d lost his mind and he enjoyed that she had given up being so scared of him and was opening up, having a conversation.  “What makes you so sure of that?”

“Because when I saw you Saturday night, Ali, you blew my mind.  I don’t just go to clubs every weekend to pick up girls.  I thought you were fucking gorgeous so I sent the champagne down so I could get to know you better and that made me like you even more.  You’re down to earth, levelheaded, smart, and extremely sweet.  I don’t see what there is to not like about you so far,” he said, chewing on some fries.

Alison laughed.  “You must be thinking of someone else,” she told him.  “I’m not all that nice and I have my bad sides, just ask Sam.  It feels like …” her voice trained off as she was uncertain on how to finish the statement.

“Like what?” he prodded, polishing off the rest of his meal and reaching for her fries that she wasn’t eating.

She shrugged.  “I don’t know … you’re moving awfully fast, Justin.  You barely know me and you think all these wonderful thoughts about me … I don’t want to be put on anyone’s pedestal.  I’m just a regular girl.”

Too late for the pedestal, Justin thought to himself but decided not to mention that.  “Okay, I admit the necklace is a little much, but I knew it would look pretty on you and I wanted to get you something for your birthday.  But other than that shit, I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary.”

Alison laughed.  “Like tracking me down at high school?  That’s not overkill, noooo.”

Justin pointed at her.  “I wouldn’t have to do those things if you had been like a normal girl and given me your telephone number.  Instead I had to resort to Map quest to find your ass.  You should treat me a little more nicely, Alison,” he teased.  He was pleased at the rapport they were beginning to build.

“Okay … what do you want me to do to be nicer to you?” 

Boy she left herself wide open with that one, he thought.  Instead of all the things he could’ve asked for he came up with one answer.  “Give me a kiss.’

Alison dropped her Coke on the table but managed to catch it before it spilled everywhere.  “A what? A kiss?  Justin, I don’t even know you.  I can’t kiss you.”

“Is there a law?  Some sort of waiting period before you can kiss me?  Because I’d love to know what the rules are,” he teased again.

Alison shook her head and stood up with her tray.  “C’mon, you nut.  I’d better get home soon; my parent will be home in a little while and I don’t want them to see me getting out of your car.”

Justin followed her.  “Well, then why can’t you just introduce me to them?  I don’t like sneaking around and I bet you don’t either.  Let me meet them and show them I’m not a fucking serial killer and take you out on a real date.”  He was tired of this cloak and dagger business.  He wanted to date her and make her realize how strong his feelings were for her.  He was certain she would reciprocate if he only had the time to spend with her.  And to do that, he needed her parent’s blessing.

They began walking along the mall again.  “Okay.  I’ll think of some way to say I met you … and I’ll tell you the plan and—“ he cut her off.

“When you start lying, you end up lying even more and more until that shit turns into a disaster.  Tell them you met me when you went out Saturday night and we’ve talked and we’re just going to the movies. Why would they object to that?

He had a point, she thought.  And what did she really have to lose?  Her parents trusted her; they knew she wouldn’t go out with anyone that wasn’t decent to her.  She was just worried about the age difference but she’d cross that bridge when she got to it.   But before she got him anywhere near them, he’d have to quit with the cursing.  If one curse word slipped out near them, she’d be under house arrest for the rest of the year.

“Hey, let’s go in here.” Justin pointed out one of those photo booths where you squash in with your friend and take a strip of pictures together.  Alison had always thought they were cheesy, although she and Sam had tons of those little strips floating around their rooms.

“You want to take pictures?”  Alison was surprised.  He acted like they were already a couple, she thought.  Like everything was settled and they had been together for years.  She just didn’t get this guy. But taking pictures sounded like fun, plus she could show the pictures off to her friends and Sam. “Okay.”

They squeezed in together, Alison in first, Justin in second.  “Okay, you gotta be ready for the flashes,” he told her.

“What are we gonna do?  Make faces, rabbit ears, what?” she asked him.

“Just do what comes naturally,” he advised her, then slipped his arm around her shoulder.  She shuddered a little at being so close to him.  “Okay, smile!” he told her and they both smiled and finished taking the pictures. 

She didn’t know how it happened.  But it just did.

In the first one they were both smiling broadly; in the second one they were turning to face each other, still smiling and laughing.  In the third one their faces were closer and closer together and in the fourth Justin hit jackpot.  She kissed him!  He couldn’t believe she actually did.  She didn’t actually believe that she did it.  Granted it was only a peck, but he was at least getting somewhere if she let him kiss her.  One small kiss was all he had, but he was at least making headway.  He’d get her, if it was the last thing he would do.

When they exited the booth Alison was flustered and staring at the machine, waiting for the pictures to appear.  She was busy trying to figure out what came over her that made her lean over and kiss him like that.  He was just so close to her and smelled so good and his soft, red lips were right by hers … she could honestly say she never did anything like that before.  He didn’t say anything to her about the kiss until the pictures appeared.

“Which ones do you want?  I hate splitting them up,” Alison told him as they studied the photos.

Justin said, “Just give me the last one.  You can keep the rest.”

She told Justin on the car ride home. “I just … I need you to know that I don’t normally go around kissing strangers.  I don’t know what came over me but I just … it just … I don’t know, it just felt right.”

He said,  “Baby, I know you’re not like that.  You’re the most innocent person I’ve met that’s legal in years, since I was in high school myself, probably.  But I asked for the one of us kissing because I don’t like people all up in my business,” he said.  “I mean, I want to date you and I don’t mind showing you off but some things in a relationship should be kept quiet.  Don’t you think?”

Alison blushed at the fact that he wanted the one of the two of them kissing.  She’d almost wanted it for herself but it was private and she didn’t want Sam or any of her friends seeing it. 

It was private, something just for them.

But wait. 

Relationship?  “We’re having a relationship now?”  This guy was moving at rocket speed and Alison couldn’t keep up with him.  Her head was still spinning from the soft, but tantalizing kiss he’d given her in the booth.  It was all she could think about – and she wanted more.

“I hope we are,” he told her as he pulled up in front of her house.  “Are we?”

Alison gazed back at him for a while and shrugged.  “I … I guess so.”  This man had her feeling all topsy-turvy inside.  She was really beginning to like him.

Alison had always been a loner unless Sam got her involved in something.  She’d gone on a few – by few, meaning three – and they’d all been disasters.  She was either too serious for them or they were too goofy for her and as for kissing?  She’d kissed exactly two guys before and hadn’t felt a thing.  So why did her insides skyrocket like it was the Fourth of July when his lips touched hers?  She couldn’t fathom it.

“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”

And there he went again.  Only this time, instead of being shy she simply nodded her head and waited for him to make his move.  She’d gotten a taste of what it was like to kiss him and she wanted more.

Justin didn’t disappoint.  He started giving her soft, deep, close-mouthed kisses before using his tongue to coax hers out to play.  Alison was lost in a world of sensation and feeling.  They could’ve kissed for a minute or thirty minutes, if you asked her she wouldn’t have known. 

Justin felt the same way and didn’t want to let her go.  He wanted to whisk her off to some hotel or something and seduce her slowly.  He knew that he could but he wanted to do things the right way.  This was a good girl and she deserved to be wooed.

And wooed she would be.  She won’t know what hit her, Justin thought as broke away from the kiss. Man, he wanted to take her to his apartment.  Soon, he told himself.  Soon.

Alison was flushed and breathing heavily.  “I … umm … I guess I better get inside.” She whispered, toying with her locket.  “My mom will be home any minute and I have some writing that I want to do.”

“You writing for school or something else?” he asked, curious.

She sighed.  “Sometimes I write just for me, when I have the time and the space.  Sam and I share a room and there’s only one desk in there.  Sam doesn’t use it much but I can’t concentrate when she’s around.  She always has music or the television on or is talking on the phone.  So I write my little short stories and poetry when I can but I hardly ever have the privacy.”

“Really?” Justin pondered, then asked her something completely out of the blue.  “What are your favorite colors?”

“My favorite colors?” she asked, totally confused.  “Why?”

“It’s just something I wondered.  So tell me, please.”  He had something in mind for his apartment …

“Umm … purple … fuschia …pink … those type of colors.  Maybe a little yellow, I don’t know.  But I do know I need to go before my mom pulls up.  I’m sorry, Justin.”

“Okay, baby, don’t be sorry,” Justin leaned over and kissed her one last time.  “Go … I don’t want you to get into trouble.  But remember, tell them the truth about me and just say I want to take you to a movie and dinner.  Oh wait, gimme your phone number, too.”  Alison recited the numbers and he programmed them into his cell phone.

“I’ll see you later, Justin.” She said, opening the door and climbing out with her schoolbooks. 

“Fo’ sho’,” he winked at her and watched her enter the house.

Alison practically sprinted across the lawn and into the house closing the door behind her and leaning onto it.

She was in love with the most wonderful guy she’d ever met.

So how was she going to be able to actually date this wonderful guy when her parents probably wouldn’t let her anywhere near him?

Sam would know the answer.  She always did.

“Hey Sam!” she shouted as she took off her coat and dropped her books in the foyer.  “Come down here.  We’ve got stuff to figure out!”

Chapter 4

"I did it!" Alison exclaimed to Justin over the telephone that Sam evening. She’d been trying to get in touch with him ever since their dinner was over but his cell phone kept going directly to voice mail. So she’d left a message and waited patiently for an hour or so before he called her back.

"Did what?" Justin asked, and she could tell he was in a car. She could hear the music playing and the sounds of downtown D.C. through the telephone.

She couldn’t contain her excitement. "My parents! I asked them about going out with you and they said yes! Can you believe it? We can go out tomorrow!"

Alison and Sam had brought up the subject at dinner – how they’d met two nice guys at the dance club they went to last week and how they now wanted to go out on a date with each of them. Their parents asked a few questions like what they did for a living, where did they live, how old they were. Alison kept her promise not to lie about anything but Sam wasn’t bound to any such promise. She told her parents that JC and Justin were twenty and Alison couldn’t very well come out and call her a liar. She read her the riot act afterwards, though, but Sam pointed out that they wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the guys if their parents knew the truth, so Alison had to concede on that point.

"I knew you could do it," Justin’s smooth voice came out of the phone, "Never doubted it. Hey, you like basketball?"

"Basketball?" What a weird question. "Yeah. I told you before that I watch a lot of games with my dad. Why?"

Justin exclaimed, ‘Cause I just got us two courtside seats for the Wizards vs. Lakers game tomorrow night. You down for that?"

"Sure," Alison replied, so excited that she almost couldn’t stand it. She didn’t care about a basketball game; she was just excited to spend time alone with Justin without having to sneak around. "I probably would’ve watched it on TV anyway. How’d you score courtside seats? Are you some kind of baller or something?"

"Am I?" he asked, laughing. "Baby, I know people. When you roll with me, I make sure it’s first-class all the way … I’m not gonna have you sitting in nosebleed seats."

"Those are the only seats I’ve ever had at a Wizards game," she told him. "Dad couldn’t afford anything closer. He’ll probably try to weasel his way into going instead of me, knowing him. Just mention basketball and you’ll be in with him," she gave him some pointers.

He chuckled. "I don’t need any help charming parents. It’ll all go great. And we’re going to dinner afterwards, too, if you can wait that long to eat."

"No problem," she answered. "Now I need to go study and figure out what to wear."

Justin chuckled again, this time in a sexier tone. "You look good in everything you put on," he told her throatily.

Alison shivered. If he could have this effect on her over the phone – God knew how he’d make her feel if he was actually in his presence. Shy again, she said, "Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then … what time should I be ready?"

Justin checked his watch. "Probably six-thirty. I’ve gotta come all the way up there and then drive back downtown."

"Umm … okay, Justin. I’ll see you tomorrow at six-thirty. ‘Bye."

"Bye, baby."

Alison flopped back onto the couch and covered her heart with her hand. It was beating so fast it felt like it might burst through her chest. A date with Justin.

Was it all a dream? If so, she hoped it would never end.

*~*

"Well, that was painless," Justin yelled over the crowd of the screaming basketball fans. "Your parents are really nice."

After leaving the house, Justin dropped Sam and JC out at JC’s car, which was parked around the corner. They were going to a club – San had absolutely zero interest in basketball. On the way to the arena, Justin was constantly on his cell phone, which was being blown up by different people wanting to talk to him. At first Alison worried that it was girls that he was talking to but he didn’t have that voice that she was used to hearing and figured it was friends and business associates. He apologized for it when they got settled at the game and promised he’d focus more on her for the rest of the night. She wanted to tell him that he’d better, after all the trouble she went through to get here: lying, finding the right outfit, putting on makeup, worrying about them coming and talking to her parents. What a relief that it was all over – she could finally relax, unlike earlier in the day.

After school let out, Samantha and Alison had been pacing back and forth in their room, wanting the guys to hurry up and show up but scared about what might happen if they did. There was a chance their dad would see right through the lie about them being twenty but it was too late to change anything. So they tried to take their mind off of things by tweaking their makeup and finding more clothes to wear. They each changed at least three times before finding the right thing to wear. Once they were finished with that, they resumed their pacing again.

When the doorbell finally rang, Sam rushed out of their room to grab the door before their dad did. Alison followed more slowly, excited about seeing Justin again but still shy at the same time. "Hi guys," Alison waved weakly from where she was leaning against the wall for support. Justin had on jeans and a regular, long-sleeved shirt with his ever-present sneakers, and he really did look twenty with that baby face of his. JC, on the other hand, still looked older than twenty to Alison but she just crossed her fingers and prayed for the best.

And it turned out fine. Their dad was generally a nice guy and he never tried to be intimidating to scare guys away from his girls. He just liked to have an idea of who they were going to be spending time with, that sort of thing. They talked about how Justin and JC worked for Justin’s dad, helping build houses and Mr. Welch was duly impressed. He loved hearing about good, hard-working people who became successful. They stayed for about fifteen minutes just chatting with both parents, and then they had to leave, as it was time for the game to start soon, Sam and Ali kissed both of their parents’ goodbyes and promised they wouldn’t come home too late.

"You were right," Alison admitted to him. "I feel bad lying about your age but that was a must if you want us to keep seeing each other."

Reaching over, he took her hand in his. His other hand held a cup of beer while she had a Coke, her favorite drink. "I hate lying too, baby, but we gotta do what we gotta do. When we’re really secure about us and our relationship, we’ll both sit down together with them and explain everything."

He made it sound so easy. "I still don’t know how they’ll take it," Alison said cautiously. But Justin erased her thoughts with a soft kiss.

"Enjoy the game, Ali. Don’t start worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet, okay? Right now, everything’s fine except my girl is all worried about something she can’t do anything about."

His girl? That, coupled with the kiss, suited Alison just fine. She got way into the game, yelling at players and referees. She even thought for a second that Kobe Bryant glanced at her while she was cursing out the ref for a bad call on his behalf.

"Wasn’t that fun? Kobe is the man," Justin said as they walked to the car.

Alison sniffed. "If you forget that he admittedly cheated on his wife with what was probably an innocent, start-struck girl."

"Let’s not get into that," Justin advised. "Because we obviously have two different opinions here. So let’s agree to disagree, okay?"

“Okay," Alison said, rolling her eyes as he opened the door to his truck for her.

"Look at you!" Justin exclaimed as went back around and hopped into the drivers’ seat.

"What?"

"Rolling your eyes, giving me attitude. I didn’t think you ever acted that way."

"Well I do when the subject is something I feel strongly about. But like you said, we’ll agree to disagree. Now where are we going?" She didn’t want to waste another minute talking about that basketball player.

Justin smiled mysteriously. "You’ll see … I want to show you something."

Alison wasn’t the type to get very giddy and beg for explanations, so they rode in silence with him holding her hand. His phone had been turned off, thank God, she thought, so he was all hers. Except she was on pins and needles wondering what he had to show her. Finally, only after about ten minutes of driving, they arrived at a really nice apartment building where Justin drove underground into a parking garage. It was obviously his house and Alison was torn. She wanted to see it but did he think ‘seeing it’ meant sleeping together?

"Justin … I don’t know what you expect from me … sexually … but I’m nowhere near ready to--"

"Alison. Haven’t I treated you with respect? I’m just showing you something, not inviting you up to spend the night. Although we could do that, too, if you wanted." He wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh as they waited for the elevator.

When the car finally arrived, he used a special key that was for one of the two penthouses on the panel.

"You live in the penthouse?!" Alison asked in disbelief.

"Just wait and see," was all Justin would say.

Soon enough they arrived at the top floor and Justin opened the key to one of the most expensive, luxurious looking apartments that she’d ever seen. The whole theme was black and silver; with a soft-looking, plush black couch that felt like velvet, a huge entertainment center with the centerpiece being a wide, flat-screen television and various other black and chrome accessories like the coffee table which Alison was afraid she’d cut her leg on if she got too close. The whole thing was extremely stylish and she loved it.

"Justin! This is how you live?" she asked, thinking of the small, two-bedroom house where she lived. It was obvious that selling houses was a great job. Maybe she should look into it.

He smiled. "This is nothing." He showed her the dining room and kitchen, all done in the same color scheme. In the dining room there was a silver tray with one of those big round coverings on it – their dinner. But Justin wanted to show her the rest of his duplex apartment.

Upstairs, he showed her the master bedroom. It was all black, with satin sheets and a soft, down comforter on the king-size bed, and another flat-screen television with a huge entertainment system. Alison wanted to flop down on the bed and see if it was as soft as it looked, but Justin was still tugging at her hand.

"C’mon, I want you to see the other room." He dragged her down the hall to the only other room on the floor.

"You ready?" he inquired, dragging out the moment as long as he could. Alison had a feeling that this surprise was for her and she asked him. "Is this surprise for me?"

"Hmm," Justin said. "Maybe. Let’s look and see." And with that, he opened the door majestically to show Alison her fantasy room. There was a queen-size black canopy bed with silk streamers twisted around the canopy and hanging down. The streamers were fuchsia, muted pink, yellow, orange, and a rainbow of colors that she couldn’t quite make out, they were so woven together.

"You like it?" Justin looked like a kid at Christmas. "I got furniture to match in case you ever need it, plus I sort of created something for you. I hope you like it."

"Like it?" Alison asked incredulously? I love it already!" She hugged Justin, a full-body hug that made him get excited right away. Man, this girl was driving him crazy but he knew he wasn’t getting any anytime soon.

So he settled for the hug, smelling the perfume of her hair.

When he decided the hug was getting to be too much, he broke the embrace and took her over to the side of the bed, where a bay window sat. "I kinda jacked this from that show "Cribs" on MTV," he explained as he showed her the curtains of silk fabric that cascaded down the ceiling to create an "I Dream of Jeannie" sort of look. All the colors worked together to create a curtain for whoever was inside. On the floor inside there were plush, brightly colored pillows for her to relax on.

"I made it so you’d have a private place to write, ‘cause you said you didn’t have one before," he told her. "There’s a desk and a computer right over there, too," he pointed in that direction, "but I thought this might inspire you. Or at least give you a place to take a nap," he joked, still not certain if she really liked this new thing. "I got the idea from when they did Beyonce’s crib – she had something just like this. So I basically jacked her whole style," he laughed and was unprepared for the way she leapt up onto him, ankles crossed behind his waist, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"I can’t believe you did this for me! This is like … I can’t even explain … I saw that "Cribs" episode, too, and I was, like, wow, I wish I had something like that. Even though I don’t live here, this is the most special thing anyone has ever done for me! Thank you so much, Justin!" And she then proceeded to kiss him all over his face – everywhere but his lips. They locked eyes and Justin had to clear his throat, trying to get rid of the dirty thoughts he was thinking about her.

"I’m so glad you like it, baby. But that’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about." He carried her over to the bed and gently sat her down on it. Then from out of nowhere he produced a key. "This is for you," he told her. "So you can come crash here whenever you want, any time of day or night. My only request is that you don’t bring Sam here." Justin knew Sam was way more street savvy than Alison and she might put two and two together about the drugs. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t give a damn, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "Hardly anyone comes here --- JC occasionally, his brother or another one of my friends sometimes – but mostly it’s just me. And now, I hope it’ll be you and me. I know you can’t sneak around your parents a lot but I thought, instead of going to the library or something to use the computer, you could call me and I’ll pick you up and get you back in a decent amount of time."

Alison was overwhelmed. Clutching the key tightly in her hand, she asked him, "Do you really want to share all of this with me? Justin, you barely know me. And don’t you have to work? You don’t have time to be my chauffeur … although I guess, like, on the weekends I could just say we’re hanging out and come here … this is just a lot to get a grasp on …"

"I know," Justin said, wrapping his hands around hers. "So why don’t you take a few days to think about it and we’ll talk."

"But Justin …"

"Yeah?"

"Why me? Why did you do all this for me, and how did you do it all so fast?"

He shrugged. "I know an interior designed who works quickly … I’ve worked with her before and told her what I wanted and she came and did it all. Probably just finished before we came in," he laughed to himself. "And there’s dinner too, don’t forget about that. As for why you? I honestly don’t know," he knelt down in front of her. "I just knew when I saw you at H20 that I needed to meet you. And then when I did, you were one of the sweetest, most beautiful, innocent and honest person I’d ever met. I fell in … like, I guess, is the word for it. And I just want to make you happy Ali. That’s all. I just want to make you happy."

"You make me happy, without all of this stuff," she answered, placing her forehead against his.

He swept his arm around the room. "So you want me to make all of this disappear? ‘Cause I can do that, too, if you want," he joked.

"No!" She exclaimed quickly, making them both laugh. "I love it, don’t get crazy on me now.

"Okay, then … crawl over there and see what it feels like to be a genie." She obediently hopped off the bed and got down on all fours to crawl into the space while Justin watched her every move. This celibacy thing just wasn’t working for him, not when he saw an ass like that, ripe for the picking. But he’d decided that he would take it at her speed and not push. He didn’t want her scared of him; he wanted her to trust him. When that happened, he knew he would get what he wanted and he had a feeling that it would be the best sex he ever had. So for now, he waited.

Alison was lying on her back on the plush pillows, gazing at the ceiling. "Come in here," she beckoned and he crawled his way over and inside, propping himself up next to her on and elbow.

"You make me feel like a princess," she said softly, running a hand down his face.

"My job is done, then."

"I wonder how God brought you to me. There must’ve been something going on up there to make this happen."

Justin sighed and now touched her face. "I don’t know if I believe in fate, but I hardly ever go out to those clubs anymore. All you meet are girls trying to see if you have money and what they can get out of you. So when you walked in it was like the answer to why I was there. I guess there is such a thing as fate, because how else would you have been brought to me?"

Alison shook her head. "Wow. All I can say is wow."

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a minute, and then Justin asked, "Can I have my kiss now?"

She nodded her head and his lips descended on hers slowly, soft, closed-mouth kisses at first that quickly picked up speed until they were, as kids say, making out. He made sure not to let his hands wander too much, and somehow she ended up on top of him. She could feel his arousal pressing into her and got a little scared so she stopped.

"I … I think that might be enough for today," she told him as she sat up and away from him and he nodded his head, wiping the beads of sweat off of his forehead. "Are you okay?" she asked, never having gone this far with a boy before and not knowing what to do.

"I just need a couple of seconds to … calm down," he smiled at her, looking so sweet and innocent with the light streaming through the streamers.

"Can I help?"

Boy, if you only knew how much you could help, Justin thought to himself but shook his head no. "I’ll be fine.

Just gimme a few minutes."

He calmed down and they went into his dining room to have linguini with shrimp and asparagus, all perfectly made by someone Justin knew. "You sure know a lot of people," Alison commented and Justin shook his head again. If she only knew.

"Let’s get you home," he told her and she looked disappointed. "Honey, if I don’t get you home soon your parents might not want me to see you tomorrow night, and her face brightened.

"You want to go out tomorrow night, too?" She asked, like he wasn’t obviously sprung over her. He’d just re-made an entire room for her, for crying out loud.

He nodded. "I thought it was understood that I want to spend as much time with you as possible … and weekends give me that option."

She blushed. "Okay. Just tell me what time and I’ll be ready for you," she told him.

Ready for him? He only wished. But that time would come.

"I’ll call you in the morning and we’ll figure out a good time, that way you can run it by your parents," he figured, and Alison nodded.

They made their way to the car and this time Alison sat snuggled up as close to Justin as she possibly could. They didn’t talk much, just held hands and listened to the slow jams he had programmed into his XM radio. When they finally got home, Justin insisted on walking her to her door.

"It’s the polite thing to do," he told her, and she nodded. At the door, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug, followed by one, soft kiss that left her floating above the clouds.

"Talk to you tomorrow," he said as he made his way back to his truck.

"Okay," Alison called after him, and then went inside. Thankfully her parents were asleep – she tapped on their door to let them know she was home and her dad grumbled something in his sleep -- and Sam wasn’t home yet, so she could crawl into bed after washing her face and brushing her teeth to go over the night’s events in her head.

God had sent Justin to her, she was sure of that. Never had she met a man so perfect for her. Maybe that was the difference – he was a man, not a boy. Whatever the reason, she was falling, hard and fast.

And she had her cushioned hideaway to break her fall if she needed it to.

Chapter 5

"Hey there, beautiful," Justin winked at Alison as she climbed up into his truck. "What’s going on besides you?"

Alison blushed at his words, just like he knew she would. They’d spoken on the phone that morning and the entire time had been spent with him teasing her, talking about how pretty she was and how lucky he was to have found her in her little black dress that night. Alison made him promise he wouldn’t do it all day so she blushed and gave him a stern look, which was hilarious to him.

"Justin! You promised not to … do that! Stop it!" Although he was right – she did look beautiful with her glossy brown hair hanging down her back in waves and her heart-shaped face with the big, brown eyes staring at him through her thick lashes.

"You’re right; I’m sorry, baby," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "What the hell is in that backpack? It looks so heavy that I’m surprised you can carry it."

Alison had brought along all of her homework and books, because as much as she wanted to spend time with Justin, she really had to study, too. "It’s my homework; I told my parents I was studying with a friend all day and that I might be out really late so I have to bring them. Besides, I absolutely have to study at some point today. There’s no way I can get all this done with church tomorrow."

Justin was surprised to hear that she went to church. Well, he was but he wasn’t. Kids her age usually didn’t go, but her family seemed so close-knit that he supposed they all went. He wouldn’t want to be around Samantha when she had to get up on those early mornings; he thought to himself and laughed.

"What’s so funny?" Alison asked as she settled in, unzipping her coat.

Justin laughed again. "The thought of Sam getting up to go to church after she’s partied all night long. She must be a total bitch on those mornings, right?"

Alison laughed with him. "Oh my God! If you could only see … every Sunday my dad comes in our room yelling at her, forbidding her to go out the following weekend if she doesn’t get her butt up. It’s so funny."

"Your family seems really close," Justin commented as he drove gown a major street that would get him to his house quicker.

Alison nodded. "We are. Closer than most of our friends’ families. Sam resents it sometimes but I love it. I told you, I watch basketball with my dad, help my mom cook or do her arts and crafts … whatever they want to do. I like being around them; they make me feel good." She thought for a moment. "What about you and your family?"

Justin tilted his head and rubbed the top of his bristly head as he thought her question over. "Close? Yeah, we’re close. My parents are really busy with different activities but I talk to my older brother all the time, a couple times a day, in fact. And I talk to my parents at least every other day. We run into each other in the house at least every other day," he said slowly.

The house, Alison thought. His other house. "Can I see it? I mean, the house where you live. With your family or whatever." She hoped she wasn’t being too pushy but he’d showed her his secret lair, why wouldn’t he show her his regular house?

He shrugged. "I guess so. I was gonna go by there later today anyway to pick some shit up; we can go now." He made a right-hand turn and started off in another direction, then got on the highway. "It’s not even noon yet so we might see my parents."

"Is it far?" Alison rarely got on the highway for anything. She, Sam and her parents were cocooned in their safe, little world, almost confined to the area.

Justin shook his head no and the two enjoyed the rest of the ride, talking about Alison’s homework and how Justin promised he would ‘help’ her with it, despite her protestations. She knew if he helped her at all, her mind would go haywire and she’d never get anything done. Finally, they got off the beltway and after a few turns, were in an affluent, posh-looking neighborhood. The houses were so far back that you couldn’t even see most of them and Alison sat, open-mouthed as she gazed at the rolling lawns they passed.

"Here we are," Justin announced as they turned down what looked like an empty dirt road with trees overhanging. After a few seconds, the trees opened up and they drove a few more feet to a gate, which had an electronic keypad on it. Justin wound his window down and pushed several buttons and the gates opened to reveal a long, winding road on a hill. They followed the road for about a quarter of a mile before they even saw the house, which was a gorgeous Spanish house, covered with stucco with a three-car garage attached to it. They drove up onto the circular driveway and Justin hopped out, then walked around to open Alison’s door. She’d gotten so used to him opening doors for her in such a short time that she didn’t even bother to make a move until he walked around.

"C’mon in, don’t be nervous," he told her when he took her hand and found it a little sweaty. "I don’t think anybody’s home, anyway." They walked inside to paradise, Alison thought.

The living room was on the left and was completely filled with beautiful glass figurines and white carpeting, to the left was the family room, with comfortable couches and chairs and a huge, plasma screen television just like the ones Justin had in his apartment. "Wow," Alison breathed, looking around. "This is gorgeous." She could understand Justin wanting privacy, hence the apartment, but why would anyone want to give up this luxury for a small place like he had? It was filled with the latest toys and everything, but this place … all she could say was wow. He showed her the kitchen, and then they cut through the family room to a back room that had an indoor pool in it and huge skylights over the water.

"Do you ever use it?" she asked, still completely taken in by all this luxury. 

He shrugged. "Sometimes. When it’s hot or something. But it’s heated year-round, so we can use it in the winter, too."

Next was upstairs, where they traveled past several bedrooms on the right hand side of the staircase. He stopped in front of a door and swung it open. "Welcome to my humble abode," he said and she entered a small to mid-size room that belied the size of the entire house. It had a full-size bed in it with a blue comforter on it, a dresser and an open closet with no door; the shelves and hook were just built into the wall.

And sneakers.

There were sneaker boxes in the closet, stuffed full. There were sneaker boxes lined up outside of the closet. There were even sneaker boxes poking out from underneath the bed.

"You’re insane, do you know that?" she asked him. "Why do you have all of these shoes? Do you have a different pair for, like, each outfit?"

He laughed. "I guess. I told you they were my quirk, didn’t I?" She nodded but was still overwhelmed.

"You can’t even fit anything else into this room! The boxes are everywhere," she said as she turned to look around at some more boxes and almost tripped over one. Justin easily caught her from behind.

"Easy there," he whispered in her ear and goose bumps spread onto her skin. Only he could do that with just a touch; and his warm breath in he ear wasn’t helping matters any. She gathered herself together as he pulled her back against him in an embrace. "So you’ve finally seen all there is to know about me. Any questions?"

"Ahh … no," she stammered, her temperature rising at being so close to him. He smelled so good … she turned around in his embrace and found herself almost face to face with him. She took a deep breath … his eyes were boring into hers and his lips were so very close … a kiss was inevitable. And when it finally came, she welcomed it, opening her mouth with his and kissing him fully for a moment. Then she pulled away, remembering where she was. "Oh! Someone might walk by," she said, stepping back and smoothing down her hair.

"Nobody’s home, girl," he reminded her but didn’t press her. "I forgot one of my cell phones, that’s why I needed to swing by here anyway." He reached over to his nightstand, pocketed the phone and grabbed her hand. "C’mon, let’s get out of here."

*~*

"Are you finished yet?" Justin walked into what was now Alison’s room in his apartment downtown. She was lying in her genie space, surrounded by books and papers."

She laughed. “It’s only been an hour, Justin! I have hours of work to do … don’t you have anything to do?"

He climbed into the space and moved her books so that he was sitting beside her. "Hang out with you," he smoothed her hair and she closed her eyes. She loved how he touched her whenever he was around her. "Besides … I got something to show you. Come out in the living room.

"I have so much to do; can’t it wait a little bit?" She wondered what his surprise was but he had a surprise for her every time he saw her and she was feeling overwhelmed.

He shook his head. "I promise, after I show you it, you can study for two whole hours uninterrupted. I promise I’ll leave you alone. Okay?"

How could she say no to that? Ali let him pull her to her feet and they ventured into the living room where she saw a garment bag and a shoebox on the floor. She eyes the box warily. "Is that a box of Air Jordan’s?"

Justin threw his head back and laughed. "Of course not! I just got you a little something to wear for when we go out to dinner tonight. Go on, open it." He gave her a little nudge.

She walked over and unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a corset-front dress with criss-cross skinny straps to hold the dress together in the back, with an ethereal fairy skirt that looked like it was floating. In the box was a pair of stiletto pumps, so high that Alison wasn’t sure she could walk in them.

"Oh my God, Justin!" she exclaimed, touching the dress as if it were made out of spun-gold.

"This is … it’s too much! You can’t keep doing this!"

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!"

He smiled, arms crossed. "Then why should I ever stop? You only deserve the best, Ali, and I’m going to make sure you get it. No one can stop me from that."

She shook her head. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Just enjoy it, Ali. We’re going to dinner tonight and you’re gonna be the most beautiful person there. Let me show you off."

Still overwhelmed, Alison just shook her head, sitting in stunned silence on the couch. "Where did you come from? Why are you here with me?"

"I came from Memphis, baby. I’m here with you because … you’re my girl now. Aren’t you?"

Alison nodded slowly, still feeling out of place, almost in a fog. "You’re from Tennessee? You never told me that before," she told him, standing up and holding the black dress against her frame. "And how do you know this will fit? You don’t know my dress or shoe size."

"Sam does," he replied with a wink. "I can’t believe she kept it a secret; I owe that girl one. And yeah, my family’s from Memphis. We’ve been here almost ten years, though."

"I thought I detected an accent from you. Not a strong one but just a little something," Alison answered. "It’s cute."

Justin shook his head. "You know what’s cute? You … in that dress. I almost want you to try it on but I want to be surprised. So there’s your surprise and I’ll get mine later. You sure you like it?"

Alison carefully laid the dress down on the sofa and floated over to him. Giving him a soft kiss, she answered, "I adore it. I love the way you spoil me … even though you shouldn’t!"

"Don’t tell me I can’t spoil you. Tales away my fun," he said against her lips softly. "Seeing you happy makes me happy. You want me to be happy, don’t you?"

Alison shook her head, giving up this fight. "There’s no getting through to you, is there? I’m going back to finish studying so I can hurry and put that dress on. Is that all right with you?"

After stealing one last kiss, Justin nodded. "Go do your thang, baby. I’ll be around here doing something."

Alison went back and after a lot of trying, finally immersed herself in Pre-Calculus. Over an hour went by before Justin popped his head in the door. "Ali?"

"Yeah?"

"JC and a friend of mine are dropping by real quick. They shouldn’t stay long, but I wanted to let you know in case you hear voices," he informed her from the doorway.

"Okay … this is your house, Justin. You don’t have to tell me those kinds of things."

"Well, while you’re here, this is your house, too. I’m just being the polite, Southern boy my Momma taught me to be," he said in a teasing tone. Ali threw a pillow at him and he ducked. "Okay, okay, I’m leaving. You need anything?" She shook her head no and he disappeared.

Close to another hour later, Alison heard loud voices and got up from her study center. They weren’t arguing, they were mostly laughing so she thought it would be okay to say hello to JC again and possibly meet this new friend. She came down the staircase as loudly as she could, not wanting to startle them. Justin heard her and encouraged her to come downstairs.

"Ali! C’mere … I want you to meet Slo." Slo was a Black guy with a bandanna tied around his head. He was dressed in the newest basketball gear and had on a pair of Timberlands. He looked like a gang member if you asked Ali, but she smiled and held her hand out to shake. He looked surprised but shook it, throwing a "Wha’sup" her way. She nodded and said hi to JC, who was just as friendly as always.

"I’m glad you came down ‘cause I was on my way up to see you," Justin said. "I have to run out for a minute," he told her. "It won’t take long, but we have something to take care of. You gonna be all right by yourself?"

Alison nodded. "Sure. Just don’t forget dinner," she reminded him.

"I won’t forget," he replied, putting an arm around her. "In fact, why don’t you be ready when I come back? It won’t be later than six, okay?"

"Okay. I’ll be ready and waiting," she turned her face up for him to kiss. It just felt so natural between the two of them now.

Justin grabbed his keys and with a wink, disappeared out the door with Slo and JC. Ali pondered why they would be hanging out with such an obvious thug but figured he was just a friend who looked gangster. At any rate, it was none of her business. She went back upstairs and studied her heart out, waiting for the time to start getting ready.

She wanted to be perfect for Justin when he came back.

Chapter Six

"Sam?"

"Yeah ... Ali? Is that you?" she croaked, still half-asleep.

"Can you come and get me?" Alison pleaded, on the verge of tears.

"Come and get you? I don't understand ... why can't Justin bring you home?"  Sam was still trying to wake up, things weren't very clear to her."

Alison sniffled and wiped her eyes with a tissue.  "He can't ... he's not here."

"Where are you?  Why did he leave you?  What the fuck is going on, Ali?" As she woke up, Sam squinted at the clock.  It was close to 1 am.  "It's almost one o'clock in the fucking morning!

"He left and just never came back.  I want to get out of here, Sam.  You gotta take the car and come and get me."

"Where the hell are you?"

"Somewhere in DC," Alison realized that she had no idea where she was.  "Shit!  He always drives and I don't know where I am...” She had no idea what to do next.

Sam sighed; annoyed at being woken up but glad Ali had called her if she was in trouble.  "Why don't you look and see if he has some old mail lying around or something ... or is there, like, a doorman you can ask?"

Alison didn't even know if there was a doorman for the building; she and Justin had always come straight to the apartment through the elevator.  "Hold on, Sam ... let me see if I can find something around the apartment."  She went into his bedroom and dug in the nightstand and struck gold -- there was a letter addressed to Justin Timberlake lying right on top of everything in the drawer.  She grabbed it and rushed back to the phone, reading the address to Sam.

"I don't know where that is!" she exclaimed, completely confused.

"Well, I don't know either," Ali retorted.  "I never pay attention to where he's going ... can't you just Mapquest it?"

Sam groaned.  "Fine.  I'll Mapquest it and be there in ...how long does it take for you to get there from here?"

"About half an hour."

"Well, look for me in forty-five minutes or so," she groaned again, getting out of bed.  "Sit tight in front of the building, okay?  I'll be there soon.  And stop crying, I'm sure everything is okay.  Maybe there was some misunderstanding," she told her sister.

Alison shook her head although Sam couldn't see it.  "Believe me -- there was no misunderstanding.  He just fucked up," she said and Sam knew it was serious because Ali rarely, if ever, cursed.

"Shit," she answered.  "I'll be there soon."  She hung up the phone, leaving Alison to go over what had gone wrong with what seemed like a promising night.  She looked back on the events of the evening with sadness.

All done with studying for the day, Alison started getting ready for Justin around four-thirty.  She took a long, delicious shower and slathered herself in the perfumed body lotion he had bought for her.  Smelling like a rose, she pulled on the stockings and slid into the dress.  Well, not exactly slid -- she got caught up in the criss-cross sleeves for a minute and thought she was going to choke herself to death but managed to get everything straightened out.  She used the curling iron and hair products that Justin had so graciously provided her with and put on the tiniest bit of foundation and mascara, topped off with some lipstick.  She knew Justin didn't like a lot of make-up so she didn't want to put a lot on.

She finally slid the shoes onto her feet and practiced walking in them for about thirty minutes since she didn't have anything else to do -- and finally mastered the art of walking in them without toppling over.  It was just around the time for Justin to be back so she at last sat down on the living room couch and waited patiently for him to show up.

And waited.

And waited.

Around nine-thirty, she had called his cell phone four times already with no response.  His voicemail kicked right in as soon as she dialed.  Frustrated, she kicked off her shoes and began pacing.  Was he hurt somewhere?  Was there a car accident or something?  She couldn't understand why he was so late.  Time and again she thought of calling Sam but that would mean giving up the secret of the apartment so she held back.  Once the clock passed midnight, she gave up fighting with herself and changed back into her regular clothing with a serious attitude.  It was obvious that he didn't find her important enough to even call and let her know there was a change of plans.  To her, that was not only rude but a serious betrayal.

After she changed, she debated what to do.  She had a little money, but not enough to take a taxi home and it was getting late.  She had to get up early the next day.  The only solution she finally came up with was to call Sam.  After waiting about thirty minutes for Sam to get closer, she grabbed her coat and gathered her books and papers together, loaded up her backpack and went downstairs to the lobby.  Sure enough, there was a doorman there who offered to find her a taxi but she declined, standing outside on the cold street as she waited for Sam.  She didn't even want to be inside that building anymore; no, make that never again.  It was freezing but preferable to being anywhere near Justin or anything that belonged to him.

After about fifteen minutes, true to her word, Sam pulled up in their mom's car.  Alison had never been so glad to see anyone in her life.  She rushed over to the car and as she was getting in she heard a "Hey!  Ali!" and looked over her shoulder to see Justin waving at her.  "Wait a minute!" 

Ignoring him completely, she hopped in Sam's car and yelled, "Drive!  Don't wait for him, get away!"

Sam listened to her sister, though she was thoroughly confused, and pressed the pedal to the metal and got the hell out of there.  "What the hell is going on?  This better be good, Ali, because Dad's already mad at me for getting an E on that quiz and he'll kick my ass if he knows I sneaked out at all, even to get you.  What happened?"

Alison burst into tears again as she retold her story to a sympathetic Sam.  "And he just never showed up until right now, when you pulled up.  Can you believe that?  It's so fucked up, Sam.  I never want to see him again.  I'm so humiliated!"

Sam tried to comfort her sister as she tried to remember how to get home.  "Sweetie, maybe something happened, like a car accident or something.  I'm positive he wouldn't just stand you up unless something really important happened."

"You ever heard of a phone?" Ali snapped back at Sam, who couldn't believe the change in her sister.  She never behaved this way but right now she was furious and sad all at once.  Crying through her anger, she was cursing Justin out with every other breath.  "That fucker ... had me all dressed up for nothing ... I'm never talking to that asshole again...”

Sam glanced at Ali.  "Hey!  You've got on make-up and" she sniffed "a new cologne, too.  You did all that for him?"

Ali nodded her head slowly.  "I made a fool out of myself, Sam. And you know what?"  He'll probably think he can feed me some line and I'll forgive him.  That's the worst part of everything," she said sadly.  "And I was just starting to really like him."

"You didn’t' make a fool out of yourself -- if anything, he's the fool.  He missed out on a good thing," Sam tried to console her as her cell phone rang.  "Hang on ... who's calling me in the middle of the night?  Hello?" she clicked the on button on her cell phone.

"Samantha, it's Justin -- don’t hang up!" he shouted just as she was about to click off on the phone.

She scowled at the windshield.  "Why should I listen to anything you say?  You left my sister stranded!"  She glanced at Alison who was glowering at her.

"Don't you dare pass that phone to me," she warned Sam who took her very seriously.  She'd never seen Alison so hurt before, which was causing her anger.  "I never want to speak to him again, " she followed up.

"Can you put Alison on for just a second?  I can explain everything ... I just got caught up in some business that couldn't wait," Justin pleaded, only to fall on unsympathetic ears.

"Caught up in what, on a Saturday night this late?"  Sam was beginning to put two and two together slowly.  Was Alison dating a drug dealer or something?  "What the hell could be so important on a Saturday night, Justin?  I'm not letting anyone fuck around with my sister.  Besides, she specifically said she didn't want to talk to you -- ever again. So good-bye, okay?  And don't bother calling my cell because I won't be picking up.  Buh-bye."  She pressed of on the phone and looked back over at her sister.  "Are you okay?"

"No," Alison answered honestly.  "I'm not.  I trusted him ... maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this but he could've at least called.  I was thinking he was, like, dead or something and he's just running around with the boys."

Sam perked up.  "The boys?  Tell me everything that happened.  Because JC said we might go out around nine tonight and he never called or showed up either, that's why I was at home when you called."

Alison relived her wonderful day and her nightmare of a night, explaining the apartment business to Samantha as she spoke.

"You mean he made a room just for you?  Ali, this sounds weird," she told her while pausing to look at her directions.  "Don't you think things are moving just a little too fast for this kind of stuff?  Clothes, jewelry, and a room... it's all just too much.  Too stalker-ish.  And he said on the phone that he could explain, that he got caught up in business ... what business could he have on a Saturday night?  You know what I'm thinking, don't you?"

Alison sighed and wiped her eyes again.  "Yes, I know ... but Sam, he took me to his parent's house and it's obvious that they're rich.  His apartment is nothing compared to where they live.  They live in PG County in one of those huge houses.  He has an indoor pool, everything!  He probably has a trust fund or something.  I'm not taking up for his behavior tonight, but I do think he's just really rich."

Sam shook her head.  "So what is this business crap he's spouting?  Did they have trouble building a house on a Saturday night?  JC not calling me or anything just makes everything seem too shady for me.  I think they're drug dealers," she finally said the words out loud.

"Justin doesn't act like a drug dealer," she said in his defense.  "And neither does JC.  Who knows what could've happened?  Maybe he had to meet with his dad or something..." her words trailed off as she realized how lame she sounded.

"With that friend?  That guy called Slo?  You wanna tell me he's part of the family business?  This just doesn't add up, Ali.  That's all I'm saying."

"At this point, I don't even care," she said to her sister, sniffling.  "I just want to go home, to my bed, where I don't have to see him or talk to him.  Just get me home, okay?"

"Okay," Sam answered quietly and they continued the drive home in silence.  Just as they turned the corner to their street, Ali gasped and Sam sighed.  Justin's Navigator was sitting a few houses down from theirs with the only the fog lights on.  "Shit!  How the hell did he make in here before me?"

"This is just great," Alison groaned.  The last thing she wanted to do was talk to him and now, unless she wanted to make a scene that would get her and Sam grounded for the rest of their lives; she had to talk to him.  She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.  "I have to talk to him or he'll probably just come to our house everyday or something.  Maybe he is a stalker," she said to Sam.

"Looks like it to me as she parked the car and turned it off.  "I'm just going to sit here while you talk to him.  It's too cold to wait outside," she said.  "But I'll be here if he tries anything.  Don't let him sweet-talk you," she warned Alison, who nodded. 

"I'll be right back.  This won't take long."  She opened the door and walked halfway to where Justin's car was parked and waited.  She knew he wanted her in the car but no way was she getting into his vehicle.  She didn't want to be warm and cozy while he told her some lie; she wanted to have it out in the freezing cold so it would be brief.  She really didn't want to hear anything he had to say.

She didn't have to wait long; he hopped out of the car and jogged over to her.  "Ali!  I can explain everything, baby. Look, we got held up at--"

"I don't care," Alison spat at him.  "You're full of shit, do you know that?  "Leaving me alone, waiting for you for six hours, and not answering your cell phone?  I thought you were dead or something had happened to you.  And here you show up like everything's fine.  Well, making me worry and standing me up is not cool with me.  Not at all," she said angrily, with little puffs of smoke coming out of her mouth with each breath. "I'd appreciate it if you would just leave me alone, Justin."

He looked shocked, like no one had ever said no to him before.  Alison relished that. 

"Alison," he said seriously, "I swear to you that it was business that held me up.  I got too involved and I admit I forgot about our meeting but I thought you'd be okay just waiting for me--"

"For SIX HOURS?" Alison almost yelled, her teeth clenched together.  "Are you crazy?  I don't know why I ever got involved with you in the first place.  You're just too damn weird," she told him, still furious.  "What kind of business would hold you up that long on a Saturday night?"

He looked hurt.  "Alison, I'm not weird.  There was a fire at one of the houses and that's what we went to check out. The fire inspector was there and so was my dad and we had to go through all kinds of paperwork and wait for the blaze to die down.  That's what took so long," he explained.  "I was wrong not to call, I admit that.  But you have to admit that I had a decent reason, at least somewhat of a decent reason.  I wasn't standing you up on purpose but I told you -- I work weird hours sometimes.  I'm not a drug dealer, for God's sake."

Alison accepted his reason as believable because she didn't want to think that he dealt with drugs.  But she still wasn't satisfied with his reason for not calling her.  "Look ... maybe you had work to do or whatever but the point is you should've called.  And you didn't.  So with that said, I'm going inside to go to bed so I can go to church with my family in the morning.  Please don't bother me again."  She turned to go.

Justin was stunned.  No other girl had ever treated him this way before.  But every other girl he'd dated knew the deal with him and his business so he'd never run into this problem.  He'd never had to call before because he knew they would happily wait for him.  But Alison wasn't like any other girl he'd dated; he had to keep reminding himself.  If he was going to keep up this charade he had to come more correct than he had been.  She was already suspicious that he was dealing drugs and that was the last thing he wanted because he knew she would dump him then and there. 

"Ali, please ... please wait a minute," he pleaded with her, reaching out and grabbing her arm.  "I told you what happened.  I really had an emergency but I know I should've called.  Are you just gonna stop seeing me and throw away what was going on between us because of this one stupid thing I did?  I swear it'll never happen again.  I swear.  Let me have another chance, baby, please.  Let me take you out to dinner in that dress like I wanted to ... just give me one more chance.  You won't be sorry, I promise you."

Unbelievably, Alison felt herself softening towards him.  What he said did sort of make sense but she still was angry that he hadn't called.  And she did like him so very much -- everything between the two of them had been perfect between them up until that night.  She was so confused -- Justin's eyes looked like he was telling the truth, and the eyes never lied.  She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. 

"I don't know, Justin.  I need time to think about you and me and all that's been going on.  Let me go, please,” she asked softly and he did.  Everything inside him wanted to grab her and kiss her sadness away but he knew she didn't want to be touched so he held himself back.

"That's fine, baby, if you need time to think I'll give it to you.  Just don't shut me out, okay?  Don't avoid my calls or whatever ... don't stop talking to me over this.  We can get past this; it's not as bad as it sounds once I explained it, right?"  Justin was scrambling for the right things to say and so far he seemed to be getting through to her.  He’d never had to plead with a girl to talk to him before and he had no idea what he was saying.

Alison sighed.  "I'll ... maybe we can talk tomorrow," she finally gave in.  "But don't call me ... I'll call you.  Don't bug me, okay, Justin?  Give me a little bit of space or I'll just be angry again.

He sighed himself and nodded.  "Okay, Ali.  I'll give you space, all the space you want.  But call me, okay?  Call me tomorrow so I can just hear your voice.  I miss you already," he said, and her heart jumped in her chest.  Why did he have this effect on her?  She needed some serious time to think alone and figure out what to do next.

"I..." she didn't know what to say.  "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Justin.  Good night."  She waved at Samantha to come out of the car and she did so, with Alison's backpack full of books.  Her parents would wonder why her backpack was in their car if they left it.  She joined Alison and together they walked up the path to their house, entered and turned off all the lights.

Justin waited until Alison's bedroom light was on, and then drove home, his mind working furiously.  There was no way he was going to lose her now.  No way.

Alison went to church the next morning fuming.  She and Sam had spent most of the night trying to figure out what Justin’s deal was.  Sam kept insisting that there was something shady about him and JC while Alison didn’t.  He’d opened his entire life to her: showed her his apartment, and even where his parents lived.  She was getting the feeling that the night before really had been an accident but that didn’t erase her feelings of anger.

There were such things as telephones, right?

Still, she knew she’d hear from him today and she decided to give him a chance to explain again.  She’d been so upset the night before that she wasn’t sure she got all the facts straight.  So if he called – and she was sure he would – she would invite him over to talk for a bit.  He deserved a second chance after everything he’d done for her, she thought.

On the way home, her mom, Morgan, turned to ask her what was wrong.  She’d been sulking and not her usual sunny self after church.  Alison didn’t know what to say, so she told her the truth.

“Justin and I had a little argument,” she finally said and her dad, Julian raised his eyebrows. 

“Already?” he asked, surprised.  “You only went out once.  Can we help?”

That was Alison and Sam’s parents to a tee.  They always wanted to help their girls – they came to almost every game they cheered at and supported them in whatever endeavors they attempted, even with dating boys, although Mr. Welch was less helpful in that situation.  He still saw his daughters as little girls and wanted to protect them from everything.

Alison shook her head.  “Thanks dad, but it’s not a big deal.  I’m sure we’ll straighten things out tonight.”

“Tonight?” I don’t recall you asking if you could go out on a school night,” Mrs. Welch gently reminded Ali.

She shrugged.  “It’s not a date; if I see him, it’ll be to go get some ice cream or something and then straight back home, if that’s okay with you.  If it’s not, I can—“

“No, no that’s fine.  Just remember to let us know what you’re doing,” Mr. Welch told her.

“I will, Dad,” she said quietly, then slouched back into her seat until they arrived home. 

Sure enough, there was a message from Justin asking her to please call him back, and when Sam turned on her cell phone she had about five messages from him asking the same thing.

“Well?” Sam asked, as they changed into jeans and sweaters after church. 

“Well what?” Alison snapped, knowing where this was leading. She didn’t mean to be short with Sam, but she was the only one she could express her true feelings to.  “You already know I’m going to call him.  I just want to hear what he has to say.”

Sam tossed Alison her cell phone.  “Then here … go somewhere private so I don’t have to hear this.  If he had done that to me, he’d still be trying to pull my foot out of his ass.”

Ali ignored Sam and went down into the barely used living room, then slowly dialed Justin’s number.  He answered on the first ring.

“Sam? Ali?  Who is this?” he sounded wild, almost out of control compared to the message he’d left on her parents’ machine.  Then he had sounded normal and in control.

“It’s me, Justin,” Ali said quietly. 

He let out a huge sigh.  “Ali, I’m so glad you called me back.  Can we talk? Can I see you?  Let me explain everything that happened last night and I swear you’ll understand,” he chattered on and on.  “Can we meet today?  Please, Ali.”

How could she say no after that?  “Okay, Justin.  I can see you for … a little while … my parents don’t like us socializing on school nights.”

“I’m on my way right now.  I’m on Connecticut Avenue right now; I should be there in, like, twenty minutes, okay?”

“Okay.” Ali was still a little angry with him so she wasn’t as nice as she usually was.  “I’ll be ready.” Then she hung up the phone without so much as a god-bye, not feeling he deserved one.  Then she went to get ready, putting on a little mascara and lipstick as Sam berated her for breaking down so easily. Unexpectedly she turned on Sam, tired of hearing her go on and on.

“You don’t even know him, Sam, okay?  So don’t make assumptions that you can’t back up.”

“And you do know him after, what, two dates?  He totally dissed you and you’re just giving him a second chance without making him work for it?  You’re a total pushover, Ali.”

That made Alison angrier.  Maybe she was taking it out on the wrong person but she needed to vent somehow.  “I don’t see your love life going so smoothly,” she retorted.  “And what I do with Justin is my own business.  I know how to handle him and I would appreciate it if you would give me the benefit of the doubt.  I know what I’m doing,” she finished, lying through her teeth and Sam knew it.

Sam muttered under her breath, “Seems like he knows how to handle you …” and Alison whipped around from the mirror and gave her a death stare, which shut Sam up.

“Fine, do whatever you want.  I’ll be waiting for you to come crying back to me.” 

After giving Sam another dirty look, Alison grabbed her coat and went downstairs to wait from Justin. Still, some of what Sam had said had crept into her and made her even more anxious.  Was she doing the right thing?  She didn’t know.  All she knew was she had to see Justin again.

~*~

Justin was driving like a madman through the streets of Maryland, trying to get to Alison as fast as he could.  He’d made a complete wreck of things and knew it, but he couldn’t very well tell her that a drug deal had gone awry and that he, Slo and JC had to take care of business.  He knew he was wrong but he had to persuade Alison to give him another chance.  He couldn’t sleep all night from tossing and turning, wondering what tomorrow would bring – would she talk to him, or would she completely ignore him?  Luckily for him he’d been given one other chance and he had no intentions of blowing it.

He pulled up at her house and pulled on his jacket as he hopped out of the car.  Walking up the sidewalk, he saw the front door and there she was.  His heart flip-flopped and he smiled tentatively at her.  “Hi, Alison.”

“Hi,” she said reluctantly.  “Do you want to come in?”

She was looking gorgeous in a black sweater and black jeans that showed off her curvy figure.  His mouth was watering but he pushed those thoughts away. He had more important stuff do deal with.  “I thought we could go some place and talk, if that’s okay with you.”  The Welch house was so small that he knew the whole house would be able to hear him apologize and he wasn’t going to put himself on display like that, especially in front of Sam.

Alison sighed.  “I told my parents we might go for ice cream or something … do you want to go to the Coldstone Creamery?  It’s just a couple of miles from here.”

He would’ve driven her to a crack house if that was what she wanted.  “Sure, that sounds great.  You wanna get your coat?”

She sighed again.  “It’s right here,” she said unenthusiastically and put it on slowly, like a child being dragged somewhere they didn’t want to go.  But something inside of her did want to be with him again or she wouldn’t have let him get this close.  So in Justin’s mind, things were looking up.  They couldn’t get any worse, he thought.

They walked side by side to his Navigator where he opened the door for her and made sure she got in safely.  She was already buckling her seat belt by the time he got it.  “How are you today?” he asked cheerfully as he started the car and buckled in himself.  She gave him a look and he got the message that she was still mad in spite of their meeting.  “So, how do I get to this Creamery place?”

She gave terse directions until they arrived.  Usually packed, the place was uncharacteristically empty since it was winter.  They ordered their ice cream and sat down at one of the little tables.

“Ali, I know you’re still mad.  But didn’t you listen to what I said yesterday?  I had a fire at one of our properties and couldn’t get away.  I had no intention of standing you up; I just looked at my watch and noticed it was close to one and took off out of there, hoping you wouldn’t be pissed off.  Unfortunately, I looked too late at my watch,”

“Ever heard of a phone?” Ali said wryly, licking at her cone.  Justin watched her pink tongue licking at the ice cream and had to slow down before his mind wandered to other places.

“Like I told you, I lost track of time.  I promise, Ali, I promise it’ll never happen again.  Don’t be mad, baby,” he leaned over and took her free hand, running his thumb over it.  “You don’t know how bad I wanted to see you in that dress.  I wouldn’t have stood you up unless it was a major emergency and it was.  Let’s start that night over next week, okay?”

Ali sighed.  She didn’t know what to believe anymore.  Should she trust him again?  If it were anyone other than him, she would’ve written him or her off immediately.  But it wasn’t just anyone; it was Justin, the guy who treated her like a queen.  And if what he said was true about the fire, she could understand how he got lost in time.  But still …

“How do I know this won’t happen again? She asked him.  “How many times am I going to left, sitting by the phone, while you’re distracted with other things?  Especially in the middle of the night?  I could’ve gotten in serious trouble last night if my parents hadn’t been knocked out, asleep.”

“All I can give you is my word, Ali.  Is that good enough for you?”  He asked, hoping it was.  His word was important to him – it had to be in his business – so he hoped she understood how serious he was.  “I promise to never stand you up again.  I may get phone calls and have rare emergencies but if I do, I’ll call you and let you know right away.  Is that fair?”

Ali couldn’t help but agree that that was indeed fair.  So was she ready to start over with a clean slate? She supposed she was, given the earnest look in his eye and how upset he seemed to be about the whole situation.

“Okay, Justin.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I … forgive you, I guess.  Just … don’t … I don’t want anything like this to happen again.  If it does then I’m gone.  I need to depend on someone if we’re going to be dating and up until last night you were 100 percent dependable.  Everyone is allowed a mistake,” she reasoned.

He grinned at her and felt like giving up a big whoop.  “You won’t regret it, baby,” he promised her. “Now let’s finish our ice cream.  I want to take you home where we can talk and relax.”

Alison shook her head.  “Not today.  I have homework to do and I promised Dad I’d watch the game with him.”

Justin was visibly disappointed.  “Can I see you sometime this week, then?  What about tomorrow, during your last period at school?  We can just go to the mall and walk around or grab something to eat before your parents get home,” he said persuasively and Alison couldn’t say no. 

What hold did he have on her to make her feel this way?  She couldn’t fight it – she was falling fast and hard for him and it seemed like nothing could get in the way of that.

Still feeling suspicious, she nodded her head.  “Okay, tomorrow.  You know where to meet me, right?”

He smiled.  “Got it all memorized right up here.  I remember everything about you, especially how fast you can suck down an ice cream cone,” he joked.

“You jerk!” she squealed, and threw a balled up napkin at him.

After their ice cream jaunt, he drove her back home but was reluctant to let her go.  “Are you sure you can’t spare a few hours for me?” he asked, between soft, deep kisses that made them both shiver. Alison was practically in his lap as he showered her with affection and attention.  Even his wandering hands to her breasts hadn’t bothered her – in fact, she liked it way too much for someone who wanted to remain a virgin until marriage.  But he seemed to take all thought of that out of her mind with his magic hands.  Nothing had felt so good as when he brushed teasingly against her nipples.  She thought there was no other pleasure that great in the world but Justin had a huge bag of tricks to show her that there was way better stuff than that.

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t,” she ran a hand over his bristly head.  “We’ll be together tomorrow.”

“But we can’t do this,” he said as he seized her in a passionate kiss that made her body sizzle.

“Maybe we’ll skip the mall and find a nice, quiet place …” Ali hinted that they could make out some more the next day if they could find a place to be unnoticed.  Justin got the meaning right away.

“I’ll see what I can come up with, baby.”  Oh, how she loved it when he called her that.  “In the meantime, get as much homework done as you can so you can concentrate on me tomorrow.”

As if in a spell, she nodded.  “Okay … I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she climbed back over to her side of the car, and he hopped out to open the door for her.  They held hands as they walked up the sidewalk to the front door and he gave her a peck on the cheek.  “’Bye, Justin,” she said softly and he kissed her on the lips one last time.”

“If I’m going I better go now … or I won’t be responsible for what happens next,” he half-joked.  “See ya tomorrow baby girl.” And with that he got in his car once again and disappeared down the street with Ali watching.

Finally feeling like things were good, she floated into the house, ready to ignore Sam’s protestations. 

Justin and she were meant to be together, she thought.  It was fate.

And nobody would come between them.  Nobody or nothing.

Ignorance is bliss.

Alison danced into Justin’s apartment; completely drunk from the champagne she’d had at dinner.  She’d had so much that her feet didn’t even hurt anymore in those stiletto shoes.  “Laaa la la laaaa,” she sang as she twirled around the living room.  Justin watched her from the front door, amused at her antics, and glad that they’d seemed to have gone back to normal since the events of last weekend.  Sure, Alison had been tentative at best when they first began talking on the phone but he’d managed to convince her to come out with him the following weekend and she’d finally acquiesced.  So far everything had been perfect and Justin was sure not to do anything to make the night less than wonderful for her.

“So did you have a good time, baby?” he asked, walking over to her and taking her into his arms, moving his feet so that they were doing a little bit of dancing.

“Mmm hmmm,” Ali answered, resting her head in the crook of his neck.  “You smell so good, Justin,” she slurred, still dancing with him.  “I had the most fun ever tonight.” Her lips found their way to his neck and instinctively began kissing it softly, and grazing it slightly with her teeth.  He closed his eyes at the feel of it, wanting to stay in the moment for a very long time.  She was never one to initiate such contact so he just stood there and enjoyed what she was doing. 

Slowly, she kissed her way across his cheek to his lips where she teasingly brushed her lips against his. “Did you have a good time, too?”

His hands slid up and down her back, rubbing her skin softly.  “Oh yeah,” he said throatily.  “I had an amazing time … but I always do when I’m with you,” he told her and she smiled, and then suddenly pulled away from him. 

“C’mon,” she said out of nowhere, kicking her shoes off.  

“Where are we going?” Justin asked as he loosened his tie.  She reached over and grabbed his hand.

“To my special place,” she said and began dragging him upstairs behind her.  “I just want to lay there with you … just for a little while,” she said and almost missed a step, stumbling back.  Luckily, Justin was right there to catch her.

“Whoa there, girl,” he said softly.  “Be careful, okay?”

Okay,” she said dreamily as they finally reached the top of the stairs.  They went to her room and Justin took off his jacket and threw his tie on the bed while he watched her crawl over to her little genie place. Her ass was stuck up in the air and he was riveted for a moment, stuck in a moment filled with desire. He knew she wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, but he didn’t think she’d last that long with him. God knows he was planning to try everything in the book to change her mind.

He had to have her.  This little slip of a girl had come into his world and now he was completely consumed with her.  All day and night he thought about her and more than anything he wanted to make love to her.  But she wasn’t ready yet.  She would be soon, he knew, and he would make it and experience that she’d never forget.

So he found himself crawling beneath all the scarves to get to her.  She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling.  “Isn’t it beautiful, Justin?” she asked, lazily pointing at the multi-colored scarves.

He looked right at her, putting his hand to her cheek.  “You are beautiful,” he said simply, and she turned her eyes to gaze at him.  “I can’t notice anything else when you’re around … you’re the only one I see.”

She blushed and brought her hand up to his face.  “I think you’re beautiful, too,” she whispered.

He shook his head.  “Men aren’t beautiful, Ali.”

“You are, to me,” she replied.  “Everything about you … your eyes … your lips … your hair ... Well, wait a minute.  You don’t have any hair,” she pointed out and they both laughed.  “But you’re beautiful to me anyway.  I think…” and she stopped.

Still caressing her cheek, Justin asked, “What do you think, baby?”

She sighed and continued looking deep into his eyes.  “I’ve never been with anyone like you before. Guys were always so silly and stupid but you … you’re so different.  You treat me like a queen and I can’t believe how lucky I was to have met you.  I like you so much, Justin.  I think about you all the time … I want to be with you every second of the day.  I just … I can’t explain how I feel about you,” she said frustrated.

Because Alison knew what she wanted to say.  She wanted to tell him that she was falling in love with him but she was scared about how he would take such news.  They’d only known each other a few weeks, only spent a small amount of time together … how could she be in love?

But she was.  And she just couldn’t say it first and be hurt by his response.  So she sighed again and moved closer to him, burying her face in his chest.

He stroked her hair while he answered her.  “I feel the same way.  I think about you all the time too, and every second I’m away from you sucks.  You’ve completely messed up my head, baby.  I can hardly work or do anything anymore without you being on my mind, too.”

She smiled into his chest.  “Really?  You feel the same way I do?  You don’t have to just say it, it’s okay if you’re not where I’m at right now.”

“If anything, I’m past you regarding our feelings, Ali.  I think I might be falling in love with you,” Justin finally told her.  He didn’t want to tell her that he was madly in love with her because it might scare her so he took a softer approach.  He knew for sure that he was in love but he didn’t want to sound like some lunatic so he kept how deeply he felt for her close to the vest.

She raised her head to gaze at him again.  “Justin … really?”  He nodded and she sighed, her eyes filling with happiness.  “Me too!  I just was afraid to say it, that’s all … I think that I am in love with you.  No one’s ever made me feel like this … all happy and excited but with butterflies in my stomach and half the time I think I’m going to throw up!”

He gave her a wry grin.  “I make you want to throw up?”  He was only kidding; he knew what she meant. 

She shoved against his chest softly.  “You know what I’m trying to say … you just make me feel all warm inside.  And happy, you make me so happy even when we’re just talking on the phone or something.  I can’t wait until school is over so I can see you and talk to you.  I want to be around you all the time.”

And they had been together for the better part of the previous week: Justin went to her basketball games twice; picked her up after school almost everyday and they’d gone to get something to eat or just sat in his car and talked.  And the phone lines were still burned up even though she’d seen him everyday.  It was out of control, how much the two of them craved to be near each other.

“Me, too,” Justin answered, dipping his head low for a kiss.  One kiss turned into another until she felt his hand on her breasts, rubbing softly, and then squeezing them.  Moving down, he pushed the fabric around her breasts down and she was exposed to him.  But it didn’t matter to Ali because right away his mouth replaced his hands and she couldn’t believe how good it felt.  Her hands curled onto his head and stroked softly as she enjoyed the way his tongue teased her nipples.  His hand had been stroking her legs but soon she felt his hand on her upper thigh.  For a moment she froze, but he stopped kissing her and looked deep into her eyes and told her, “Don’t worry; I’m not going to hurt you.  Okay, honey?  I just want to touch you.  Is that okay?”

Alison thought it over.  Everything else he’d done had been amazing; why wouldn’t this be amazing, too?  Besides that – she trusted Justin, so she nodded and said okay.  His hand brushed over her teasingly and when she’d thought his tongue on her breasts felt good, it was nothing compared to this. Her hips lifted up automatically, seeking his hand, and he didn’t make her wait.  He rolled her pantyhose down and tossed them somewhere then put his hand right back on her spot, his fingers creeping underneath her panties.

It was like the Fourth of July in Alison’s mind.  Fireworks were going off in her brain as she rubbed against his hand, begging and pleading for more, calling out his name loudly as she came closer and closer to climax.  He said, “Let go, baby.  Just let go.”  Alison had heard of orgasms but never experienced one before now, and this one was a whopper.  Her legs went straight, her toes curled and she cried out his name so loud that she was sure the neighbors could hear her.  But she didn’t care.  It was the most delicious, satisfying felling she’d ever felt, and it made her fall a little more in love with him.

When it was over, Justin held her and kissed her until she came back to life again.  “Thank you,” she said to him and he smiled, kissing her forehead.

“Baby, you don’t have to thank me.  Watching you make me feel good as shit.”

“What can I do for you?” Alison asked him.  “I want to make you feel good, too.  As she talked, her hand went down to his arousal and rubbed against it, making him close his eyes.  Instinctively, Alison knew a little of what to do.  She unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his penis, then began stroking it softly.  “Does this feel good?”  He nodded and covered her hands with one of his.  “Tell me what you like, Justin.

“Move like this,” he instructed her in a hoarse voice, making her movements faster and faster until he came, shaking and sweating, spurting all over her hand.

“Shit, baby,” he sighed.  “Stay here until I get a washcloth.”  He disappeared out of her genie spot and came right back with hot washcloths for them to clean up with.  After they’d finished, he took her in his arms again.  “We gotta get you home soon,” he murmured to a sleepy Alison.  He could go for a little nap himself, he thought as he yawned loudly.

“Not yet,” she whispered.  “Let’s wait, like, a half hour or so.  I don’t want to leave you yet.”

Justin shifted around until her head was on his chest and his arms were around her.  “Okay, baby.  Half an hour.”

And they both fell right asleep.

*~*

“Shit!” Justin jerked awake suddenly by the sound of his phone ringing.  Checking the Caller ID quickly, he saw it as JC.  He flipped open the phone.  “What’s up, dawg?”

“Nothing much man, what about you?” JC said to his best friend through his cell phone.

Justin wiped a hand across his eyes and glanced at his watch, put off immediately by the time.  He needed to hang up the phone and get Alison home ASAP.  “Just laying here with Ali; she’s dead asleep and I need to her get home right away.  It’s after three in the morning.  I hope I don’t get her in trouble,” he said worriedly.

"Man, what the fuck are you doing?  How long do you really think you can pull this shit off?  The girl is young but she's not stupid,"

Justin sighed.  "Look, man, if I tell her the truth now then she'll bolt.  She's too young and inexperienced for this shit.  I have to ease her into it -- how, I don't know.  But I know if I told her today, I'm gonna lose her.”

"That's my whole point, man.  She's way too young and inexperienced for what we do.  There are a million girls you could've picked to deal with who would be down with the shit we do and you go and pick the one who is Miss Innocent.  Even Sam doesn't act like her.  As a matter of fact, I think Sam knows what's going on herself, if you ask me.”

"She what?!" Justin almost swerved into another lane.  "Did you tell her something?  JC if you screw this up for me I swear, I'll kick your ass!"

It was JC's turn to sigh, because he was worried about his friend.  "No, I didn't tell her anything.  Your mistake of not showing up on time the other night got her suspicious and she asked me if we were involved with any kind of drugs today.  Of course I told her no but she didn't believe me. I have a feeling thought that she won't tell Alison unless she has some proof because Alison won't believe her.  You got that little girl sprung, J, and it's not right.  Something about this whole thing just isn't right."

Justin rubbed his forehead with his hand, he was so tense from all this secrecy and drama and hiding.  He wasn't used to living his life this way, behaving like a double agent.  Girls he’d hooked up with knew what they were getting into -- his reputation preceded him so he didn't have to worry about explanations. A certain look or comment would let them know that he had something to do regarding business and that no questions should be asked. 

He wasn't mean -- in fact he probably treated his girlfriends too well, if you asked JC.  But Justin was a one-woman man. He didn't cheat, he didn't flirt, and he kept to himself and his girl when he was with one.  It was just the bad breakup before he met Alison had been so heart-wrenching that it'd taken awhile for him to even dare to socialize.

And it couldn't have been coincidence that the first night JC had dragged him out to the club just happened to be the first night Sam had ever dragged Alison to the club.  It was fate, like Ali had said. The moment he laid eyes on her he'd wanted her.  She was so beautiful he couldn't keep his eyes off of her -- and then to find out she was a nice girl on top of that?  It was like God led him to her.  Things like that didn't just happen -- it did have to be fate.

And who fought fate?  Justin sure didn't want to try.  He'd fucked up once and he wouldn't be doing it again.  He just thanked God for giving him a second chance with Alison, whose cheerful face he saw as he pulled up outside of the high school earlier that day.  She was standing outside in a coat and her little cheerleader outfit waiting for him with a gaggle of her cheerleader friend gaping and gawking at him.  Just to be perverse he got out of the car and escorted Alison in, making sure to give her a big kiss right in front of them.

What the hell was he doing?  JC was right – if he really cared for Alison her should tell her the truth or let her go.  Problem was, he did care for her but he was scared what she would do if she found out the truth … Alison was truly a good girl and drugs were not something he could see her accepting as part of her life.  So he had to keep the secret just a little while longer.

Now he had to get her home right away so she wouldn’t be in trouble.  “Alison …" he shook her shoulder softly.  “Ali … wake up!”  She took her time coming out of her slumber but when she finally did, she graced him with the biggest smile ever as she stretched her body against his. 

“Hi,” she said sleepily, and Justin couldn’t help himself; he gave her a soft kiss on her lips. 

“Hi there,” he replied.  “Baby, I hate to do this but it’s really, really late … I need to get you home right now.”

She stretched again, this time accompanied by a yawn.  “What time is it?”  She wasn’t wearing a watch and therefore had no idea of the time.

“It’s a little after three,” Justin told her and immediately she sat straight up, panicking.

“I’ve gotta get changed and we’ve gotta go right now, Justin.  I’ve never stayed out this late before and someone is sure to notice!”  She got up and went over to where her clothes were, and then took them into the bathroom to change.

Justin waited for her with his keys in hand.  When she emerged from the bathroom, her face was scrubbed clean of makeup, dressed in her jeans and her t-shirt, and he’d never seen her look more innocent.  “You ready?” she asked anxiously, grabbing her backpack and coat.

They made their way silently downstairs to his car and once they were inside, Justin apologized.  “I know I should’ve kept track of time for you,” he told her while holding her hand.  “I just was so comfortable and happy laying there with you that I honestly forgot everything else.  I love you Ali, and I’m sorry.”

Alison sighed.  “I know you meant well.  It’s nobody’s fault so don’t blame yourself,” she reassured him.  “I’ll figure something out ... its just another fat lie on top of everything else,” she said bitterly, shaking her head.

“No,” Justin interrupted her.  “It won’t be a lie because I’ll be there.  I’ll go inside with you and we’ll explain that we just fell asleep.  They should at least respect that we’re telling the truth.”

She shook her had slowly.  “I don’t know if that’s the best way to handle things,” she told him truthfully. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss and I think that applies to my parents.  The less they know about my sex … about what we do,” she blushed furiously, “the better.  I can handle them on my own better than with you there.”

“But I don’t want to leave you stranded out there,” Justin protested.

“You’re not leaving me stranded,” she replied.  “You offered for me to come with you and I declined your offer … you haven’t deserted me or anything.  I just think things would be better if I did this myself.” 

Soon they pulled up in front of her house and Alison could see that a light was on inside the living room. “Great,” she groaned.  “I’ll probably be punished so don’t expect to hear from me for the next couple of days,” she warned Justin.  “I probably won’t be allowed to use the phone.  At least that’s what they do to Sam all the time.  But she sneaks and uses her cell phone anyway – my parents don’t know that she has it.  She keeps it on vibrate.”

Justin reached into his glove compartment.  “Here,” he handed her a tiny cellular phone, obviously fancy with it’s sleek silver packaging.  “Use this to call me.  I never use this phone anyway.  Just keep it on vibrate like Sam does and that way we can talk whenever you want.”

Alison took it hesitantly.  “How does this work?  I hate sneaking around, Justin.”

“It’s not really sneaking around, just calling me.  Besides, if they’re not mad at you, which I doubt they will be because you always do what you’re told, then we won’t even have to worry about it.  Right?” He leaned over and caressed her cheek.

“Right, I guess,” she said, trying to look on the bright side of things.  He then showed her how to work the phone and assured her that no one would call it.

“How do you know that? What if one of your friends call?” she asked, completely worried.  Not so much about the phone but worried about what happened when she stepped inside her house.  Somehow Justin understood and kissed her softly.

“Don’t worry, okay?  You’ve got probably the best record of doing what your parents want more than anyone I know.  Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Alison shook her head.  “No, it’s better if I go in myself … trust me, it’ll go a lot better with me alone than if you came.  Maybe I can convince them that I just fell asleep over my books …”

“That’s what you did,” Justin reminded her.  “So don’t be afraid.  And call me if anything goes down, okay?  I’ll come right back and get you if you need me to.”

Ali stared at him.  She couldn’t comprehend not working things out with her parents. Not enough for her to actually leave the house.  “Justin, nothing like that’s going to happen.  They may be mad or whatever but they won’t want me to leave.  If anything I’ll be staying in the house for a week or two,” she said glumly.  “And the longer I stay outside, the longer I make things worse for myself.  It’s time to go,” she finally finished talking as Justin’s private cell phone rang.  He answered it briefly and handed it to her. 

“It’s for you,” he told her.  When she looked surprised he told her it was Sam.  Alison got on the phone and listened while Sam whispered to her from upstairs.

“You need to get in here right away, Alison,” her sister whispered.  “Mommy and Daddy are flipping out.”

“Is it really bad?” Alison asked, almost trembling.  She’d never been in this much trouble before.

“Yes,” Sam answered.  “They’re talking about calling the police.  You need to get in here now.”

“Okay,” Alison answered and hung up the phone.  “Goodnight, Justin.  I’ll call you tomorrow when I get a chance, okay?”

“Okay, sweetie.  Don’t worry; everything’s going to work out.  I promise.  If you start to get sad, remember what happened tonight and how much fun we had.  And remember, I’ll be around if you need me.  Just call me, all right?”

“Okay.”

“And remember that I love you, okay?”

“I love you too,” Alison nodded and with a deep breath and a heavy heart, climbed out of Justin’s car. She hadn’t even reached the porch before the door swung open, revealing her dad clad in a robe and obviously angry.

“Young lady, you have got a lot of explaining to do,” he said angrily.  “Now get in here,” he held the door open for her to enter.

But her dad didn’t know how strong her feelings had become for Justin.  She wasn’t ready to give him up by a mile, parent’s anger or not.  He had the fight of his life on his hands if he expected her to stop seeing Justin.

And she didn’t really care if they accepted it or not.

“Sit down,” Mr. Welch growled at Alison, who promptly took a seat on the couch in the living room. “Now you’re going to tell me where you’ve at all hours of the night.”

“Honey, what were you thinking?” Mrs. Welch asked her, clad like her husband in a robe.  “We’ve been up sick worrying about you since one a.m.  If you needed to stay out late, the least you could have done was called so we wouldn’t worry.”  Their guilt trip didn’t make Alison feel any better than she was already feeling.

She hemmed and hawed.  “I fell asleep, Mommy,” she finally said.  She purposely directed her comments to her mom, knowing she would be more sympathetic than her dad, who was fuming as he paced up and down the carpet.  “I was studying, honest, and I just fell asleep over my History,” she lied, feeling like she was going to hell.

“What about Lisa?” Her dad asked, Lisa being the so-called friend she had been studying with.  “We called her house and her parents said they hadn’t seen you all day.  How do you explain that?  Alison, if you wanted to go out and see that boy all you had to do was say so and be back at a decent hour. We’re more than fair with you and Samantha when you want to date, but you lied to us and had us up worrying all night.  I’m furious with you, do you hear me?  And I do not want you seeing that boy again.  What the hell were the two of you doing until three A.M.?  Huh?  Answer me that.”

Alison sat quietly for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts.  She knew she was in deep shit and was trying to figure a way out of it.  The only problem was, she had never been in trouble before and had no idea how to fix this.  If only she were Sam, who had lots of experience with early morning grillings by their parents.

“Mommy … Daddy … I was with Justin, yes.  I went over there and studied – I can even show you my homework – and we went out to eat.  When we got back, we both fell asleep.  That’s the honest truth. Nothing else happened.”  She conveniently left out the sexual interlude the two of them had shared. There were some things you never tell your parents, she thought.  Besides, if her father heard the truth he’d probably have a heart attack.

Her father continued his pacing.  “I just don’t understand this.  You’ve never done anything like this before.  Sam, I can understand – we’re used to that.”  There was a discreet cough from upstairs where Sam was listening, letting Alison know she didn’t appreciate that last remark.  “But you, you’ve always behaved properly.  This is not behaving properly, Alison, and you’re going to be punished.”

Alison bowed her head.  “I know, Dad.   I expected it when I woke up, that you would punish me.  But please don’t make me stop seeing Justin,” she pleaded.  “It wasn’t his fault!  We fell asleep, that’s all!”

Her mother entered the conversation again.  “Honey … are you … having sex with this boy?  Please be honest with us … if you … if you decided to have sex, there are things you need to know.”

“Mom, I’ve already taken Sex Ed, I know all there is about … sex,” Alison answered, her face crimson.  “And no, I’m not having sex with Justin!  We just fell asleep, I promise!  This is all just a mistake.  Please don’t turn this into something that it’s not.”

“Well, what do you expect us to think?  You stay out until three in the morning, having lied to us about who you’ve been with – this is not behavior we expect from you.  I don’t even know what to say to you now,” Mr. Welch said.  “You deserve to be punished for the way you’ve lied – and that’s the least of things we’re upset about.  God knows what you’ve been doing.  We’re not naïve enough to expect you to tell us.  Your punishment will be—“

Mrs. Welch interrupted.  “I think the best thing for everyone is to sleep on this and discuss it tomorrow,” she said, ever the peacemaker.

“But I want to—“ Mr. Welch began, only to be cut off again.

“I said in the morning, Julian,” Mrs. Welch said again.  “It’s late and we’re all a bit angry.  In the morning we can discuss this with clear heads.  Alison, I think it’s best if you go to bed.”

Alison stood.  “Okay, Mommy.  But I just want to let you know that I didn’t do anything like you’re thinking.  And I don’t plan to stop seeing Justin, since we didn’t do anything wrong.  Maybe you can punish me but when it’s over I’m going to start seeing him again.”

Mr. Welch looked even more furious than before.  “Are you defying my orders?  I don’t know what’s gotten into you since you’ve met this boy who is nothing but trouble —“

“His name is not ‘boy’,” Alison replied with a bit of anger in her voice.  “His name is Justin and he’s a good person.  “Just because I made a mistake doesn’t mean he’s wrong.  I don’t care what you say I’m not going to stop seeing him because of one mistake.  You can punish me ‘till the cows come home and I’ll still see him after.  And you can’t stop me.” 

With that said, Alison picked up her backpack and headed for the stairs, angry herself.  She’d always played by the rules and now she was being punished for one mistake.  Sam had gotten away with tons more mistakes than she had – she wasn’t going to be persecuted for one mishap.

“We’ll talk about this in the morning,” her father called after her.  “And be prepared to eat your words. This is not something that I’m taking lightly.”

Without bothering to answer, Alison headed up to her and Sam’s room.  There was nothing left to say. She wasn’t going to stop seeing Justin no matter what anyone said.

*~*

“What happened?  What did you do?  What did they say?” and eager Sam asked the moment Alison entered the room.  She immediately made her way over to her bed and flopped down, exhausted.

“I’m going to get my punishment tomorrow,” she told her sister.  “Dad thinks Justin is nothing but trouble and I think he’s going to tell me I can’t see him anymore.  If that’s what he’s thinking, I have another thing coming for him.”

Sam sat up, totally interested.  She’d never seen Alison defy their parents before.  “Are you crazy? Daddy will kill you if you don’t listen to him.  I know you like Justin but is it worth going against him? And what happened tonight?” she repeated.

Alison sighed.  “We fell asleep, that’s all,” she told her.  “We went out to dinner and came back, our stomachs full, and dozed off.  Justin woke me up about thirty minutes ago and got me home right away.”

Sam looked skeptical.  “You mean to tell me that all you did was fall asleep?  No fooling around? C’mon, Ali.  This is me you’re talking to.”

“Well,” Alison thought over what she wanted to say, “we kissed and stuff.  We did not have sex, if that’s what you mean.  I’m nowhere near doing that with anyone, you know that.  It was innocent.  It’s nothing you haven’t done before,” she finished.

“There’s a big difference between you and me and you know it,” Sam replied.  And nobody stays out ‘till three without getting something on.  You don’t have to tell me but I know – believe me, I know.”

Alison got up from lying on the bed and got into her pajamas.  “Think what you want, okay?  I told you what happened and you can choose to believe it or not.  Whatever, I don’t care.”  And she climbed under the covers and snuggled in, thinking over her evening with Justin.  It had been magic and no one was going to ruin it for her.  Most importantly, it was private and not to be shared with anyone, not even Sam, her closest ally. 

“Well, at least when you broke curfew, you did it with a bang,” Sam said.  “I hope you’re ready for what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

“Mmph,” was all Alison said.  “Goodnight, Sam.” And with that she turned her lamp off and lulled herself to sleep with thoughts of Justin and the wonderful things he had shown her tonight.

She definitely wanted more.

*~*

“So what happened?  Did you get in trouble?” Justin wanted to know.

Alison moved the cell phone he had given her from one ear to the other.  “I’m on restriction for three weeks,” she said miserably.  “I’ve been commanded to go from home to school and back again, and no studying with ‘friends’ for the duration.”

Justin let out a curse.  “We fell asleep, for fucks’ sake!  It was just an accident!  How are we supposed to see each other for three weeks?”

“I don’t know,” Alison answered.  “I was thinking we could maybe meet after school for a few minutes or whatever, but I don’t want you driving all that way for a few minutes worth of time.  It’s way out of your way.”

“No, no,” Justin said.  “Even if it’s only for a few minutes, it’s worth it.  I can’t believe your parent went so haywire about it when you’ve practically never done anything wrong.  Why didn’t they give you the benefit of the doubt?”

“My mom said it’s because Daddy was so worried,” Alison told him.  “And there’s nothing I can do.  I told them that I wouldn’t stop seeing you though.  They even asked me if we … you know,” she said uncomfortably.

“Had sex?” Justin asked.  “Did you tell them no?  Because we didn’t, Ali.  I know we fooled around but it was just innocent fun.”

Alison bristled.  “Had fun?” she asked.  “That’s the furthest … I mean, I’ve never done that with anyone.  It wasn’t just innocent fun to me,” she said, a little upset.

“Don’t get upset, baby,” Justin replied.  “I didn’t mean it didn’t mean something, I just meant we didn’t get our freak on, you know?  All we did was kiss … and touch …”

Alison turned red when she thought about what had transpired that night.  “I know.  But it’s just I never went that far before.  I always expected to do that stuff with the man I’d marry,” she said frankly.  “But I got carried away, I guess.”

“Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?” Justin asked, his voice husky.

“You know I did!” Alison exclaimed.  “It was like I’d never imagined.  I guess I’m just shy about those sort of things,” she finished, her face still burning hot.

“I like that about you,” Justin said.  “I like that I’m your first … and if I have my way, I’m gonna be your last,” he told her.

Not knowing what to say, she sat in silence. 

“Ali?  You there?” Justin asked.

“I’m here,” she replied.  “I guess I just don’t know what to say to something like that.  It’s more than I expected from you.”

Justin chuckled.  “I think I may surprise you,” he told her. “I’m strictly a one woman man, and I think I’ve found the right woman.  You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Alison.  I think about you all the time, and all I want to do is be with you.  I don’t know how we’re going to get through these three weeks.”

“Not only the three week,” Alison reminded him.  “My parents think its’ best if we don’t see each other anymore.  But I can’t do that … I want to be with you too much, and I told them that.  Whatever we have to do, however much we have to sneak around, and then I’m prepared to do it.  I want to be with you, too.”

“Then we’ll make this work, baby,” Justin said.  “Like you said, whatever we have to do.  Your parents don’t get home until five or six.  That means we have a few hours to spend together, right?”

Alison sighed.  “They told me they’ll be calling me to see if I’m at home at the right time from school.  I have to be there to answer the phone or else I’ll get in even deeper trouble.”

Justin consoled her.  “Look, we’ll figure something out.  Don’t worry, okay?  I can’t not spend time with you.  No kissing, no holding … it’s not an option.  I’ll figure something out.  You know, Ali, you’re eighteen – you can do whatever you want.  Legally, you’re an adult.”

“But where am I supposed to live?  I can’t defy their orders and expect to live under their roof, Justin.”

“So live under mine,” he said, blowing her mind.

Could she do it?  Should she do it?  Alison had no idea what to do … the only thing she knew was that she couldn’t stay away from Justin.

Maybe it was time to make that move.

Chapter Ten

Alison rushed outside during her last period of school that day, anxious to see Justin.  It had been two whole days since she’d gotten in trouble so she’d rarely had a chance to take to him, even with the cell phone.  Her parents were watching here every move, it seemed.  He was waiting patiently outside for her, as usual.

As soon as he saw her approaching, he hopped out of the Bentley that he’d chosen to drive that day and gave her an enormous hug.  “Damn, I missed you,” he mumbled into her hair where she could barely hear him.  He was also squeezing her way too tightly and she could barely breathe, but she didn’t mention a single word of complaint.

It was amazing to her when she thought about the fact that they’d only known each other for a few weeks but now wanted to be inseparable. They never grew tired of being in the others’ presence.  To Alison, school was becoming something else to interfere with her seeing her boyfriend and she was tired of it.  So on that Monday she was a little tense and still angry with her parents for forcing her to have to sneak around.

“I missed you, too,” she rubbed his cheek softly instead of his head, which was covered with a funky hat.  If collecting sneakers was Justin’s #1 obsession, hats definitely came in a close second.  “You didn’t shave,” she remarked, gently rubbing the scruffy beard and goatee that were just beginning to grow in.

He nodded, finally releasing her from his grip so that she could breathe and he could see her beautiful face.  “Nope … I just haven’t felt like it since I haven’t seen you.  And I always wanted to grow a beard to see what it felt like, so I figured why not now while it’s cold?  Nobody could possibly want that hot shit on their face in the dead heat of the summer.”

He opened her car door and got her seated, taking her heavy backpack from her and tossing it in the car.  Once he got in and got settled, he asked, “How much time do we have?”

“Not long,” Alison said miserably.  “I’ve gotta be home within the next half hour in case they call to check up on me.  I was thinking that maybe you could just come home with me and hang out for a little while, and then leave before my parents get home.  Does that sound okay?”

Justin shrugged, holding her hand and running his thumb over it.  “I honestly don’t give a shit what we do as long as I’m with you.  But are you sure they won’t catch us?  Are they cracking down on you hard?  Because I don’t want you to get into even more trouble.”

Alison shook her head.  “I can say for sure they won’t see us but Sam does this all the time and never gets caught.  As long as you leave around four-thirty or so it should be okay,” she told him her plan.  And speaking of Sam …” she deliberately let her voice trail off, which immediately got his attention.

“What about Sam?” he asked, intertwining her cold fingers with his to warm them up.  He switched on the car, ready to go to her house and be alone with his girl.

“Well … I sort of said she could catch a ride home with us … you don’t mind, do you?” she said apprehensively.  While he didn’t look angry, he didn’t look excited either.

He put the car back in park.  “Sure, I don’t mind if she rides with us.  I was just really looking forward to us spending some time alone, though.”

“She won’t bother us,” Alison assured him.  “She’ll go upstairs or whatever and leave us alone, which is what I usually have to do when she has guys over.  She won’t bother us.”

“Okay,” Justin said, still reluctant to be around Sam.  After what JC had told him, he was worried that the more time he spent around her, the more suspicious she would get and that was the last thing he needed.  “Are you sure she won’t tell your parents anything?”  His main concern was not letting Alison get into trouble and while he liked Sam. She did sort of have a big mouth.

Alison snorted in a very unladylike way – Justin thought it was cute because he’d never seen her act like that before.  “With all the dirt I’ve got on her?  She wouldn’t dare to say a word to them.  Besides, she likes you and knows how much I … like you, too.  She wouldn’t do anything to get me in trouble or make me sad.”

Justin smiled cockily.  “So now it’s back to ‘like’?  Whatever happened to love?”

She blushed, her face burning hot.  “Well … it’s still there,” she said, laughing a little uncomfortably.  She just wasn’t used to hearing or saying those words.  “I guess I just like to hear you say it first, you know?  I have a thing about rejection,” she informed him.

“You don’t gotta worry about me telling you I love you, Ali – not any minute of the day,” he said.  “And besides, how do you have a ‘thing’ about rejection when from what I hear, you were the one turning down dudes left and right, not dating and shit?”

Alison mulled that over.  “I guess that’s true, I mean I’m no femme fatale or anything.  But I don’t think it comes from guys anyway.  I think it comes from my dad.  He basically dumped me with the Welch’s’ after my mom died for what was supposed to be a few months so he could set up a household and get a nanny or whatever.  And that was the end of that.  He called a few times and I think he sent my mom – Mrs. Welch, I mean -- some money sometimes, but we didn’t have a relationship.  I think I reminded him too much of my mom.”

Justin was puzzled.  “But I thought they both died at the same time?  Didn’t you say they both died when you were, like, eleven or something?”

“They did die when I was eleven, but not at the same time.  My mom was in a car accident first and a few months late my dad dropped dead from a heart attack.  It was weird because the last time I saw him before he died was at my mom’s funeral.  He was always working or something; he never had time for me.  The only thing he left for me is some money from his and my mom’s life insurance policies.  Money is the only tie I have left to him.  My mom, though, she always had time for me.  Just like my new mom does.  I never feel left out or unwanted or anything.  I love them so much; I sometimes forget they’re not my real parents.”

Justin looked concerned and sad for her and she sensed it right away.  “Look, don’t be sad for me, okay?  I miss my mom but I was so lucky to find this new family … I love them and they love me like their own daughter.  I couldn’t have a better life – I’ve got them, I’ve got you … I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.”

Justin leaned over and kissed her softly, his tongue teasingly darting between her full lips.  “I know I’ve never been this happy,” he said seriously. “I want this to work out, Ali, the two of us.  I think we can be so happy together.  And my offer about moving in still stands – I’ll make sure you get to school and that you’re taken care of.”

She sighed heavily.  “I don’t want it to come to that, you know?  I just wish they would understand that I’m not out having raging sex, I’m just hanging out with my boyfriend.”

“I like when you say that,” Justin smiled.  “And I like calling you my girlfriend, too … it just feels right, don’t you think?”

Before Alison could respond, Sam came huffing up to the car and banged on the window.  “I was looking for your other car, Justin,” she said as she climbed into the back seat.  “Oooh, turn up the heat please.  I’m freezing my ass off.”  Justin complied and the three of them took off to Alison and Sam’s house, talking about everything and nothing.  Justin mostly sat back and listened to Alison talk to Sam.  She was so much more open and unreserved with Sam.  He’d caught glimpses of that behavior before but he wanted her to feel that way towards him – able to laugh and joke and say anything.  She was just so guarded with her feelings that he had to work overtime to know what was going on in her head.

But at least she loved him.  Because he knew he loved her to death already, loved everything about her.  Still, even though he’d told her that he knew it was better to take things slow with her.

However, something new had popped up – this whole idea of her moving in with him.  He couldn’t think of anything that sounded better at that time, the two of them being together every single day.  It wasn’t something he would’ve proposed if her parents hadn’t started tripping out, but the more he thought about it the more he liked it. 

The more he wanted it.

And Justin Timberlake always got what he wanted.

*~*

“I like your room,” Justin told Sam and Ali, looking around.  He’d never seen such a girly looking room before in his live.  Everything was done in pink and purple, with posters and photographs covering the walls.  Alison’s bed was purple and neatly made while Sam’s bed was pink and her bedding was strewn across the floor.  “It reminds me of you,” he said to Alison.  And it did.  Feminine … soft … it totally reminded him of her.

“Thanks,” she said, having no idea what to do with her.  She’d never let a boy into their bedroom before, although Sam had plenty of times. 

Sam had been sexually active since the girls were sixteen, something Alison would never even consider.  Not that she was a prude but none of the boys she met interested her in that way so she just figured she’d try to do the right thing according to what her parents and the church said – wait until you’re married.  She and Sam had argued over it many times, with Sam trying to push Alison not into necessarily having sex, but to try dating more guys and getting out more.  Alison had never wanted to until now.  Until Justin came along and turned her world upside down. Suddenly she had a twenty-six year old boyfriend who she was sure would soon expect sex from her and she wasn’t sure if she was ready.  Part of her wanted to talk to him about it but he seemed to know her feelings on the subject and hadn’t pushed her, something she was grateful for.  It made her love him even more, if that was possible.

At any rate, there they were, the two of them alone in her room.  Sam had stayed downstairs in the family room after giving Ali a thumbs up, letting them have their privacy.

“Which bed is yours?”  Justin inquired, as he looked at all the photos on the walls.

Alison pointed.  “The purple one.”  He immediately went over and flopped down onto it on his back.  “C'mere, baby.”

Alison hesitantly made her way over to the bed and sat down on the edge next to him.  She stared at his stomach because she was so nervous she didn’t know where else to look.

“Hey,” Justin said, “come up here with me.”  He opened up his arms and Alison stretched out beside him and curled up against him, her heart beating fast, so fast that Justin could feel it.  “What’re you so nervous about?  Your parents?”

She shook her head.  “No … well, yeah, a little bit.  But mostly … I guess it’s you that makes me nervous,” she replied. 

Justin looked worried.  “What?  How do I make you nervous, babe?  We’re just lying here together; we’re not doing anything wrong.  What’s got you so scared?”

“You just make me … I don’t know.  It’s like you make me want to do things … do you know what I mean?  Things I’ve never done before and didn’t think I’d be doing until I was married or something.  At least until I was older.  So that’s how you scare me … but I have to admit that I like it.”

Justin raised an eyebrow at her.  “You like being scared of me?” he asked, bewildered.

She was getting this all out the wrong way.  “I’m not scared of you, like you’re going to hurt me or anything.  I’ve never felt as safe as I do when I’m with you.  The thing that scares me is my own feelings about you, you know?  They’re so strong.  And it’s only been a few weeks since we met but now I can’t imagine not having you around me.  That’s why I’m so angry with my parents … they should trust me by now.  I’ve never done anything wrong like this, Justin, and Sam does it all the time.  It’s not fair,” she said, frustrated.

Justin tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead.  “I told you my offer is still open … just say the word and we can pack your shit and you’ll be at the apartment in an hour or so.  I meant it when I said you could move in with me, Ali.  In fact, I want you to.  I’ll get you to school and stuff; you won’t have to worry about anything.”

“But I don’t even have a job!  How am I going to support myself?  And what if Mom and Dad decide not to speak to me again or something? There’s so many questions that are driving me crazy.”

“I told you I’d take care of you, Alison.  You wouldn’t have to worry about a single thing when you’re with me.  I have more money than I know what to do with – I can easily afford to take care of you and spoil you.  I love you, Ali.  I want us to be together.”

“That’s another thing,” Alison said with a sigh.  “When you say you want us to be together, do you … do you mean, like, sex?  Because I’m not ready for that yet, Justin.  I don’t want to lead you on and move in and disappoint you.  I’m still getting used to what happened the other night.”

“Did you like it?” he asked.  “Did I push you or something?  I thought we were just doing what came naturally?”  And he did think that.  She had initiated the physical contact between the two of them that night and he just followed her lead.

“Heck yeah, I liked it,” she laughed a little.  “Too much, actually.  Are you really ready to wait until I’m ready?  Because I know guys get frustrated or whatever …” This was all so humiliating for her to discuss and she wished they’d never begun discussing it.

“Baby,” Justin smoothed her hair back, “I’ll wait for as long as it takes.  I know you’re young and not out there like other girls having sex and shit.  I want to be your first, Ali, because I love you.  I don’t care how long we have to wait as long as I can hold you … kiss you … and touch you.”  As he spoke he did all of those things and pretty soon they were involved in a heated make-out session, neither of them caring where they were or what was going on.  Justin’s touch set Alison’s body on fire and she had the same effect on him.  His hand were just sliding underneath her shirt when there was a loud knock on the door from Sam, calling out Alison’s name.

“Shit,” Justin groaned, pulling away form Alison and sitting up. 

“What?” Alison called out to Sam.  Talk about your bad timing …

Sam cracked open the door.  “Daddy’s pulling in the driveway,” she warned them and Alison felt her heart drop.  “You’ve gotta get him out of here now or Dad’s gonna kill both of you!”

Chapter Eleven

They didn’t make it.  Alison jumped off of the bed and pushed Justin up, too, so she could smooth out the mess they’d made of her comforter. Then they frantically rushed out of the bedroom door, which was being held open by Sam, only to see her father standing down at the end of the hallway.

He looked like he was going to kill someone.  Alison had never, ever seen him look anywhere close to how angry he was.  She tentatively began, “Daddy, it’s not—“

“I don’t want to hear a word from you until I speak to you, do you understand, Alison?” he dad practically yelled, making her and Sam wince. Justin, however, wasn’t scared at all.  He knew something like this would happen eventually; her parents would catch the together when they weren’t supposed to be and throw a fit.  He’d actually planned for it to happen, not on purpose but in a roundabout way.

He was tired of dealing with curfews and strict parents.  Alison was eighteen and should be able to go on a fucking date, he thought bitterly, without them freaking out her being late one night.  He’d been nothing but a perfect gentleman to her and her parents and sister so he didn’t understand what the big deal was.  She was eighteen; she was bound to become sexually active at some age!

“Mr. Welch—“ he began, only to be cut off by the still irate man.

“”The only thing I want to hear from you is good-bye,” he told Justin.  “I won’t have anyone disrespecting my house in such a manner; I don’t care who it is.  Alison’s always behaved beautifully until you came into the picture.  I don’t know what it is but there’s something about you that makes me want to grab her and hold her away from you.  Now get out of here and don’t come back,” he finished firmly.

Justin shrugged.  “We weren’t doing anything wrong, sir.  I came by to see Alison to just say hello for a few minutes.  And her behavior seems perfectly fine to me – now that she’s not cooped up inside of this house like a prisoner.”

“Justin, stop, please.  I can take care of this,” Alison pleaded but he ignored her.  He was going to have his say.

“I love Ali and she loves me and we’re together now.  Grounding her isn’t going to make me go away.  Whatever you try to do to block us, we’ll still be in love and see each other some kind of way.  So you might want to get used to me being around.”

Mr. Welch looked apoplectic.  “Boy, Get OUT of MY house before I call the damn police!”  Alison was worried he’d have a stroke in the condition he was in.

“Justin, please listen to him.  Just go.  We’ll talk later,” she whispered to him but Mr. Welch heard her.

“Oh no you won’t be ‘talking later’,” he said snidely.  “Alison, you are not to see this boy ever again, do you understand me?  A long as you‘re under my roof, you will do as I say!” he ordered a meek Alison.  She’d never gotten in trouble like this before, although Sam had.  But Sam didn’t care; she could take it or leave it -- her parent’s behavior – while Alison had always cried just because her sister was in trouble and her father was mad.

Alison hated when her mom or dad got angry with her.  A small part of her always wondered if they would one day be sick of her, since she wasn’t really their daughter, and throw her out or turn their back on her.  They hadn’t done a single thing to warrant this kind of fear, but Alison had it nonetheless.

“Daddy, okay, I understand,” she replied, pushing Justin past her dad to the front door.  “Shhh,” she said when he tried to say anything.  I’ll call you tonight.  Just go.  Please.”

Grudgingly, Justin left the house and got into his Navigator.  He didn’t want to leave; he wanted Alison to come with him.  She didn’t deserve to be yelled at in such a way as her father had.  He could easily take care of himself, he thought.  And judging from her reaction to her father’s words, she didn’t care what he thought about not seeing him.

He knew they’d be together again the next day.  And if things kept going this way, Mr. Welch might be doing just the opposite of what he really wanted to do – push Alison right into his waiting arms.  It was sort of sad, he thought, that he was unknowingly helping Justin out – because he was going to have her in his apartment, come hell or high water.

Finally satisfied that things would eventually turn his way, he turned on the ignition and drove off into the night.

*~*

Inside, Alison was shaking, she was so scared.  Her father had ordered her into the living room and was berating her for betraying their trust and not sticking to her punishment.  He went on and on about how she’d been behaving lately and said it was all because of Justin.  That’s when she’d heard enough.

“Look, Daddy, I know you’re mad but I didn’t do anything, okay?  I’m not having sex, I’m not skipping school or getting bad grades, I’m doing everything that I’m supposed to be doing!” she exclaimed loudly.  “I just finally got a boyfriend and you’re flipping out for no reason!  Justin is a good guy and I do love him, Dad.  And I’m not gonna stop seeing him.”

Mr. Welch looked shocked.  “Are you saying you’ re going against my decision?  You’re telling me what you’re going to do?”  He shook his head in disgust.  “What has this man done to you, Ali?  This isn’t the daughter I know and love.  You would never sneak around or lie to us but ever since Justin came into the picture, you’ve done nothing but lie.  Don’t think we didn’t notice that expensive necklace you’ve been wearing lately,” he informed her, much to her surprise.

He paced back and forth in front of where Alison sat in her chair, while Sam stood in the doorway taking it all in.  “We figured we’d give you some time to get to know this fellow, maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy.  He seemed nice enough.  But first you come home after two in the morning, then you lie to us about where you’ve been, and catching him in your bedroom?  Well, that’s the final straw.  I cannot and will not condone such activity in my house from my daughters.”

Alison listened to him lecture her and for some reason she stopped feeling guilty.  She just got angrier and angrier.  For years she’d done nothing but kowtow to her parents’ wishes, never doing anything slightly rebellious.  She sat around the house with them constantly while Sam dated and did almost whatever she wanted.  And now that she had found someone, someone that she loved and that loved her back, they were trying to take it away for her.

Alison never asked for anything.  Sam would beg for money for clothes and the like, and Alison would always be given the same amount of money as Sam.  Or if their parents bought one of them something, they usually got something for the other as well, even on birthdays and Christmas.  But Alison never made up wish lists or wrote letters to Santa, which drove her mom crazy.  It was just that she was grateful that she had somewhere to stay where she was accepted and wanted.  That had been more than enough for her.  But now, the one thing she wanted more than anything was being threatened and it made her feel rage like she’d never experienced before.

“Well did you ever think about the fact that I’m not your daughter?” she angrily, bringing the subject up for first time in years, almost shocking herself by her harsh words. “Maybe I’m just some dumb slut, Dad, that doesn’t know what she’s doing.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been hanging out with Justin, sleeping around and drinking and doing crazy other stuff.  But somehow I managed to keep my A average anyway,” she said in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone.  “But yeah, throw out everything I’ve done for the past seven years – which was anything and everything you guys wanted me to do – and ‘let’s take away the first guy Alison really loves?  She won’t care, we’ll just tell her to make some cookies or whatever.  She’ll be fine.’”

She stood up even though her dad was towering over her.  At any given second she was bound to burst into hysterical tears but she refused to do it in front of him.  “I can’t believe you’re treating me like this, Dad.  All because I was hanging out with a guy in my bedroom  with my sister,” she fibbed a little.  “I know you said I shouldn’t see him anymore but I told you that I would.  And I’m going to again, I promise you that.  So if this is going to be a big problem for you, let me know right now and I’ll make other arrangements.”

“Other arrangements?”  Mr. Welch hollered to Alison’s back, because she had turned and walked away after her tirade, brushing past Sam as if she wasn’t there.  “You mean living with that boy?  You’re not going anywhere—“

“I didn’t say I was going  -- not yet, anyway,” Alison stopped and turned to look at her father.  “But like I said, if there’s a problem, you need to let me know.  Because I’m not giving him up!”  And with that, she entered the bedroom and slammed the door as hard as she could.

Then she flopped down on the bed where she could still smell Justin’s cologne and cried her eyes out.

They were not going to ruin this for her, she thought, hot tears running down her face.  The more she thought about it the more she realized that Justin was right; she was an adult, a mature and responsible one who could make her own decisions.  And right now she was making a doozy of one.

Sitting up, she slid Justin’s cell phone out from between her mattresses and dialed his number.  Her head lowered, she spoke quietly whe n he answered.

“Ali?  You okay?”

She took a deep breath.  If she did this, there was no turning back.  “I think you were right,” she answered.

Justin knew what she was talking about but decided to play dumb so he could hear it all straight from the horse’s mouth.  “Right about what?” C’mon, Alison, he thought.  Say what I wanna hear.

She sighed, sniffling a little.  “About moving in with you.  I think, if it’s okay with you about going to school and everything else, maybe I should move in.  What do you think?”  She was still unsure that she was doing the right thing because not seeing him was like cutting off her air supply. It simply wasn’t an option.

Justin smiled in his car and heaved a sigh of relief.  “Of course it’s okay with me, baby.  It was my idea, remember?”

She nodded even though he couldn’t see her.  “Yes, it was,” she recalled.

“Stop crying sweetie,” he said, trying to get her to calm down.  She was hiccupping and sniffling and sobbing between every word. 

“When do you want me to come get you?” he asked, ready to make a u-turn to get her right then.

And that was the million dollar question.

Alison was on the verge of hysteria. “I want you to come and get me now,” she said, still hiccupping and sobbing.  “I just … I need to get away from here right now, Justin.  Can you come back, please?” She sounded pitiful and Justin was outraged that her father had been so mean to her for one small rule that she broke. 

She was an adult, for fuck’s sake!

“I’m already on my way,” he said soothingly, looking for a place to make a u-turn.  Once that was done, he worked on calming her down.  I’ll be there in about five minutes and I’m gonna talk to your Dad and—“

“No!” Alison’s voice went up several octaves.  “I don’t want that Justin.  I can’t take another fight, please.  Just … I’ll come out when I see your car, okay?  Don’t come in … it’ll make things even worse for me,” she said sadly.  She had never had a single, solitary argument with her dad.  Never.  Sam probably got reamed out once a week, but Alison always followed the rules.

Until Justin.

And she couldn’t understand why her Dad was so angry.  She’d told them that she wasn’t having sex, and it was the truth.  She was a straight A student, a cheerleader, was on the softball team … what more could they want from her?  She did everything their way, and falling asleep that night at Justin’s apartment created something like a permanent black mark on her parent’s report card for her.  It was an accident.  She never lied, and they still didn’t believe her.  But now things were different.  She had Justin and he meant everything to her.  No way was she going to give him up.  It just wasn’t going to happen.  That’s why she asked him to come and get her even though she was forbidden to see him.

He sighed into the phone.  “Fine, Ali.  If it’s gonna upset you more, I won’t come in.  Okay?  I’ll park a few doors down … just come out when you can.”

“I have to sneak out,” she told him and he was surprised.

“I thought you’d made up your mind; are you moving in with me or not?” He was genuinely concerned and didn’t know what to think now.

It was Alison’s turn to sigh into the phone as she sniffled from crying.  “I … I want to, Justin.  But … it’s a big step and I need to talk to you about some things before I move in.  If I move in,” she finished.

Instantly he knew what she was talking about.  And he wasn’t afraid to say the words like she was.  “You mean sex, right?  Is that what you’re worried about? Because baby, I haven’t pressured you at all and I’m not going to.  You’ll have your own room and the only way I will come in there is if I’m invited – by you. Okay?  I would never force you to do something you don’t want,” he reassured her.  “So if you want to come and stay with me, let that be the last thing you worry about.  And financially, I more than got you.  Money is not a problem, baby.”

Blushing at his frankness, Alison wasn’t sure what to say.  “Umm … I believe you, Justin.  You make me feel safe, you know that.  But you’re a man and … men … want sex.  And I’m not there yet, and it makes me worry that I won’t be enough for you.  I mean, what if you suddenly meet another woman and BAM! I’m yesterday’s news. It could happen, Justin.”  And she really thought it could happen.

Justin exhaled, feeling frustrated.  Why couldn’t she understand how much she meant to him?  Over and over he tried to please her, and she was still worried that she would lose him.  Which was impossible.  “Ali … there’s no one else in the world for me.  I love you, girl.  I want you with me all the time.  Shit, other girls don’t even register anymore!  As for sex, I will wait for you, for you to be ready.  Ali … I would wait forever for you.  I love you,” he repeated himself.

“I love you too, Justin,” she replied.  “And I believe you.  But you have to promise me if one day you’ve had enough, or want someone more experienced, you promise right now to tell me, okay?

Shaking his head with a small smile on his face, he answered “I promise.  But that day will never come.  And guess what?”

“What?”

“You’re not crying anymore and I’m here.  So get your cute ass out here,” he teased her, trying to lighten the mood.

“Justin!” she exclaimed, blushing at his language.  He cursed quite a bit and she was slowly getting used to it, but sometimes he would shock her.  She thought he did it on purpose, trying to shock her, But she didn’t mind.  It was kind of sexy, the way he said certain things.  Hell, everything about him was sexy to Ali.

“Ali!” he said right back.  “C’mon.  It’s cold out here.  How are you getting out of there anyway? Isn’t your dad at home?”

“Yeah,” she said.  “But I mean, what’s he gonna do, block the doorway?  I’m already in so much trouble that it doesn’t matter what I do anymore. You know?  I just don't care anymore, what they say about you.  I told him that I was still going to see you and be with you and he just has to deal with it.  So maybe they’ll try to ground me for a couple more weeks, but you’re right, Justin, I’m eighteen now.  I’m gonna do what I want to do.  Period.”

Justin smiled.  He’d never heard her speak so passionately about anything, and she was saying it about him.  He couldn’t believe it and wondered what had gotten into her.  Whatever it was, he liked it.  “Ok badass, get your shit and come on out.  Bring some clothes or whatever, just put it in your backpack and don’t stop to argue with your dad.  Just walk away, okay?”

“Okay,” she said.  “See you in a few.”  “See you, baby.”

Hanging up the phone she turned and faced Sam, who had been sitting on her bed listening to the entire conversation.  Sometimes the lack of privacy bugged each of the girls but they were so used to it at that point that it didn’t matter.

“Are you insane?” Sam said in a loud whisper, indicating her disapproval right away.  “You can’t just … just leave with that guy!  You’ve only know him for a few weeks?  What the hell is wrong with you, Ali?”

Alison was already shoving some clothes into an old duffel bag from the bottom of their closet, barely listening to Sam.  Her mind was made up.  If she had to choose -- and her mom and dad were making her choose – then Justin was her choice.  She couldn’t breathe without him in her life, couldn’t imagine how she lived before that night he had come into her life.

“Sam, look … I don’t have time to explain everything now.  But you pretty much know what’s going on.  I’m not staying away from him.  I can’t.  So if this is how it has to be, then so be it.”

“How are you gonna live?  You’re gonna let yourself be dependent on some guy – who probably is a drug dealer, by the way – and let him totally support you?  Do you know how crazy this sounds?  What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Alison knew Sam was upset when she cursed.  The girls rarely cursed, mostly because their parents would’ve killed them, so it was kind of a big deal.  But she just didn’t have time to get into is with her right now. “Sammy, I promise I’ll call you later tonight, okay?  Right now I have to go; Justin’s outside waiting."

Sam got up from her bed and shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.  “So this is it?  You’re just gone?”

Alison dropped her backpack and duffel bag and walked over to hug Sam tightly.  “You’re gonna see me tomorrow in school, dummy,”” she tried to be light-hearted, knowing that Sam was so upset.  Alison was upset too, this was the biggest, scariest decision she’d ever made in her life but somehow she knew she had to assert herself and do, be with him, or she’d regret it forever.  Something about Justin’s love had just enveloped her and … she didn’t care.  She liked it.

Giving Sam one last squeeze, she let her go and licked up her things.  “Love you, Sammy.  I’ll call later, okay?”

Sam just nodded, standing their helpless to do anything.  “Bye.”

Just as Ali reached the foot of the stairs her dad appeared from out of the kitchen, watching in disbelief as she walked out the door.  “Alison!  Get the hell back in this house right now, damn it!”  He was angrier than she’d ever seen but she remembered Justin’s advice and quietly just kept walking, pretending she didn’t hear him.

Justin watched Alison emerged from the house.  She had just reached the sidewalk when the door opened and Mr. Welch came out, yelling something.  As Justin had told her, Alison didn’t engage.  She just walked to his car and never looked back.  Once she was inside, Mr. Welch stomped back into the house, obviously mad.

“I take it he’s angry,” Justin said wryly and Alison shook her head.

“I can’t believe this is happening.  It’s like a dream, you know?  I mean, you’re the first boyfriend I’ve ever had and they’re acting like I’m sixteen and pregnant.  They’re, like, making me choose between you and them.  And … well, obviously I chose you … I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but … I’m not staying away from you.”

Justin reached over and took her hand, which was cold and trembling and grasped it tightly.  “This will all blow over, baby, I promise.  They just need to realize you’re not a kid anymore.  You’re an adult now, and there are decisions you have to make about your life that they may not agree with.  It’s a part of life, Ali.”

“Did you have to break away from your parents, too?” she asked him.  He never talked about his family, really.  She sort of wondered about them, if she’d ever meet them.

He shrugged.  “I think it’s different for boys than girls,” he told her as he drove towards his apartment.  “But in a way, yeah, I had to have my own place because my mom would drive me crazy, being nosy.  Dad’s okay, he doesn’t get into our business much.”

“Who is ‘us’?” Alison wanted to know.

“Me and my brother Jason.  We call him Jase … you’ll meet him.  We hang out a lot; we work together and play basketball, shit like that.  And we talk almost every day.  We’re pretty close.  If anyone knows anything about me, it’s Jase, JC or Slo.”

Slo, Alison wondered. Maybe she could ask him about Slo now.  “You’re that close to Slo?” she inquired, not sure how to bring it up.  Or even if she should.  It wasn’t a big deal, really.

“Yeah,” he answered easily.  “He’s one of my best friends … why? You don’t like him?”

She shrugged, her mind drifting away from her trouble with her parents, which is exactly what Justin wanted.  ”Well, I only met him that one time.  He seemed okay … he just looked sort of …”

Justin was curious.  “Sort of what?  You can tell me, Ali.  You know I won’t tell anyone.”

“He looked like a gangster or a drug dealer,” she blurted out, her face hot with embarrassment.

Justin just gazed at her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the road.  “I can see why you might think that,” he said slowly, with his brain spinning.  She was questioning him and that wasn’t a good thing.  She wasn’t ready to know yet. If he told her now, she’d probably jump out of the car!  “Umm … he dresses like that, I guess,” he said.  “But Slo is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.   I’ve known him forever; he was my first friend here when we came from Tennessee. So … yeah, he’s a good guy.  If you give it a chance I know you’ll like him. Can you try, for me?”  He glanced over at her and she was biting her lip.  How he wished he was the one doing the biting!

“I guess,” she finally answered.  “I mean, he didn’t do anything wrong.  He just looked … thuggish.  But a lot of people dress like that.  It’s not a big deal.  Of course, I’ll give him a chance if you want me to.”

Turning into his parking garage, Justin squeezed her hand even tighter.  “That’s my girl,” he smiled at her. “And … now we are at our home.  Should I carry you over the threshold?” he joked, making Alison laugh for the first time that day.

“You’re crazy, Justin.  Don’t you dare!” And she ran for the elevator but he caught her and turned her around.

“Welcome home, Ali,” he said, his lips a millimeter from hers, and she felt her knees begin to buckle.  It was a good thing he was holding her so tightly because she would’ve melted into a puddle on the floor.  “You’re gonna be so happy here; I know it.  And Ali?”

“Yes, Justin?” she leaned in closer.

He whispered “I love you, girl,” and her heart started pounding.  She couldn’t wait anymore so she leaned forward and made the connection.  Their lips met with a sizzling intensity.  Before long, Justin’s hands were around her waist and they slowly moved down to cup her ass.

“Justin!”

“What?” he said against her lips.

“Someone might see us, my God!”  And she stepped back a little.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he said, reaching for her again, and she gave him a look.

“Fine, I’ll stop,” he promised.  “But you started it by kissing me in public.  You just can’t get enough of me, can you?” he teased her and they both laughed.  Picking up her backpack that she had dropped, he reached a hand out for her to take and they went to the elevators, ascending to the penthouse.

Chapter 13

“Justin?” Alison wandered out of her ‘new bedroom’, where she had spent the last house putting away her things, wondering where Justin had gone.  She hadn’t heard a peep out of him since he escorted her there. She gazed at her surroundings, unable to believe that all of this privacy, this luxury was hers now.  Hers only.  And Justin had said that he would only come in if he was invited.

If she were being truthful, she wanted him in there on the big, comfy bed right this very second but she just wasn’t ready to take that step yet.  But she was thinking … oh yes, she was thinking.  That night when he had touched her had been so amazing, so … explosive … so much more than she’d ever experienced before.  And she wanted more and more of it, but the final step was holding her back.  Because the more she got of those feelings and touches and caresses, the more she needed him.  Her body actually craved his touch.  Shaking her head, she reached the top of the stairs and heard his voice wafting up through the air.  She decided to go downstairs to let him know.

For the time being.

The thing was, Ali wanted to stay there and live with Justin almost more than anything.  But she had defied the people who took her in when she was alone and treated her exactly like their own child.   She loved them and already was missing them so she was feeling a little down.  That’s why she was searching for Justin; he could always make everything seem okay.  The more she descended, the more she realized he was yelling into the phone.  Something about a shipment not arriving on time and how everyone was in deep shit when it was over.  He clicked the button and tossed it beside himself on the couch, then leaned to rest his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face in frustration.

Alison didn’t know what to do.  Should she let him know she was there?  Or should she tiptoe back upstairs?  She was worried about his reaction but she didn’t like seeing him so upset so she decided to go over there.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she inquired quietly.  “You okay?”

He chuckled as he removed his hands and straightened up.  “Yeah, baby,” he answered.  “Why?”

She shrugged, shifting from side to side.  “Well, you were just screaming into that phone a second ago … usually that’s a sign that there’s a problem …” Was she being too nosy?

He leaned back on the couch and opened his arms.  “C’mere, baby,” he beckoned for here to come over and she eagerly complied, walking over and sinking down into the soft cushions into his arms.  She rested her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder and just sighed.

“What?” he wanted to know.

She shrugged again.  “Just … I’m so happy right now.  I mean, being with you anytime I want is so weird but so perfect.  I love this,” she shifted in his arms so they could look at each other without breaking the embrace.

“No regrets?” he asked, and she could feel his body tensing slightly as he waited for the answer.

She sighed again, but this was not a sigh of contentment.  “No … I don’t regret leaving and being with you.  Not at all,” she shook her head for emphasis.  “But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad for leaving like that.  I didn’t get to say goodbye to Mom and Dad pretty much disowned me when I left!  Justin, what you have to understand that I have never gotten into an argument with them.  Never.  If they said to do something, I just did it.  Sam is the rule-breaker, not me.  So … for me to do this is BIG.  I just worry that this is permanent, I mean, not leaving here but not having a relationship with them at all.  It bugs me.  I love you and them, you know?  So this is hard. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Justin squeezed her tightly against him.  “Yeah, baby.  I do get what you’re saying, I really do.  If you want my honest opinion,” he paused and looked down at her and she nodded for him to continue, “I think it just needs a little bit of time.  Everybody needs to cool off, including us.  It’s not like you won’t be at school, doing all the usual things you do.  If they want to find you, they know exactly where to find you.  Look, Ali -- I want you here with me permanently.  But I know a part of you wants to reconcile with them, move back in and still be able to see me, and I don’t blame you for that.  The ball is in your court, so to speak.  I want you to stay but if you want to try to smooth things over with them or not has nothing to do with my feelings for you.  I love you no matter what. So do whatever makes you happy.  I just want you to be happy, baby,” he finished.

“So you want me to be happy, huh?” she smiled at little up at him, thinking how cute he looked with the little bit of stubble on his chin.  She was tired of thinking about her parents and arguing and moving.  She just wanted to enjoy the parent free time with him.  “What’re you gonna do to make me happy?”

Justin smiled and his eyes turned a darker blue.  “Baby, I can make you happier than you could ever imagine.  Ever.  I’m going to spoil the fuck out of you.  And I just thought of the first way to do that.  So get up,” he said suddenly, making Alison wondering what the heck he was up to.  She untwined herself from around him and stood up and he followed suit, grabbing her by the hand and heading toward the door. 

“Where’re we going?” she wondered as they grabbed their coats and headed for the elevator.

“Well,” Justin said thoughtfully, “I could take you upstairs and make mad, crazy sexy love to you right this second.  Believe me, that would make you happy.  But since we’re waiting on that, I know what the second way into a girl’s heart is.”

“Which is?” Alison asked impatiently but blushing slightly from what he had said.

“Shopping!

~*~

Three hours later they returned home laden with bags from almost every store in Pentagon City, most of then for Alison, but a few for Justin.  He tried to be the gentleman and carry all the bags but staggered under the weight so he reluctantly agrees to let Alison help.  They were laughing and talking when they entered the penthouse and saw JC and Slo standing there, obviously waiting for Justin.  While Alison was surprised, Justin didn’t bat an eyelash

“Guys, what’s up?” he asked them.

Slo, looking as gangsta as ever in baggy jeans, boots, and a Washington Redskins jersey, told him, “We’re still having a problem with the shipment.  It’s still on the way and the motherfuckers are like three hours away.”

Alison didn’t mean to but she shrunk back a little to hide behind Justin who barely noticed as he slipped his arm around her waist. Slo was scary to her, no matter how nice Justin said he was. 

“Hey Alison,” JC said, giving a little wave.  “Doing a little shopping?” he smiled at her.

She smiled back genuinely – JC seemed like such a nice guy.  “Looks like it,” she raised her arms holding a ton of bags.  “Hi, Slo,” she said tentatively, for frustration and anger were written all over his face.

But he surprised her.  “Hi Alison,” he said back easily, all previous dissatisfaction gone.  “Nice to see you again,” he even gave her a small smile which she returned.

“Baby,” Justin turned and kissed her on the forehead, “why don’t you take some of this stuff upstairs and start sorting through it until I figure out what’s going on with this shipment, okay?  I’ll come get you when we’re finished.”

Alison hoisted as many bags as she could carry – she couldn’t wait to get to the loot Justin had insisted on buying for her – and nodded.  “No problem.  I’ll probably be busy for hours with all of this,” she laughed and started heading up the stairs to her room.  “’Bye, guys,” she waved again and went on her way.

Once Justin was sure she was gone his expression and easy manner changed quickly into that of a cold as ice, steel-made man.  “What the fuck?  JC, you knew she was coming here.  You knew she had a key and was pretty much moving in!  And you idiots just show up here on a fucking Sunday talking shit about a late shipment?  Are you seriously trying to blow my cover or are you just that fucking stupid?”

Trying to defend himself, JC spoke up.  “Look J, we got kilos coming in late and people don’t like shit that eats up three hours of their time, especially when then shipment was already postponed earlier!  We called your ass on, like, three different phones and you didn’t answer so we came over.  We do this shit all the time, what the fuck is your problem?”

“My problem is that there was no Alison before.  She cannot, I mean cannot know that I do anything except build houses.  Now I gotta come up with an excuse as to why I’m worried about a shipment coming in on a fucking Sunday night?  You assholes are fucking up my shit big time,” Justin said, extremely annoyed as he flopped down on the couch.

Slo finally spoke up.  “Look, we won’t come here anymore unannounced or whatever the fuck you want.  But Jase was MIA and so were you so we were kinda fucking worried.  We didn’t know you were hanging out at the mall,” he said snidely, making JC laugh quietly.

“Jase ain’t MIA – he’s playing ball over at 32nd all day,” Justin told them.  “And I took care of the shipment this morning – or so I thought – and turned off my phones so I could have some private time.  Look guys, I really need you to downplay this whole thing and only talk house shit around her, okay?  Just do this shit for me.”

JC shook his head as he sat down in a chair.  “You gotta tell her, man.  This is too difficult.  You’re talking about having her move in and shit? And you really think she won’t find out?  She may be naïve but she ain’t stupid.”

Slo paced the floor while Justin answered.  “I’m gonna tell her … eventually.  I have to ease her into it.  I want Jase to meet her, and then maybe my mom and dad … see how things go.  But for now she’s living here and—“

“WHAT?” JC sat straight up.  “A re you insane?  Seriously, are you fucking insane? You’re not gonna be able to keep things from her.  This is the dumbest shit I ever heard.  Slo, would you please say something?”

Slo was a man of few words, even in situations such as these.  “Dude, you’re gonna get busted and then you’re gonna lose her.”

Justin shook his head as if to clear it.  “No, look.  She has her own room.  We both are sleeping in separate rooms.  Any business that has to be conducted will be conducted in my private room.  That includes when you two motherfuckers wanna come over here talking business.  Got it?”

Unable to talk any sense into their friend, both men agreed, and then the three of them got down to business – one of their so-called crack factories was about to be shut down if they didn’t get their shipment soon.  Slo had the best outcomes dealing with these types of guys -- if you thought Slo was hood, you wouldn’t believe what some of their associates looked like.  The guys started making a plan for Slo to carry out so that business wouldn’t be disrupted.

~*~

Alison had tried on at least twenty-five different outfits, not to mention shoes, underwear – she made Justin leave her alone in Victoria’s Secret while she shopped – makeup, everything you could think of.  And she loved it all!  On an impulse she reached for the phone to tell Sam everything but then stopped short.  They were probably having dinner right now, she thought, and she could just imagine the misery everyone was feeling.  And it was all her fault.  Everything.

But she didn’t regret it.  She was eighteen after all, and eventually she had to spread her wings.  This wasn’t the best way to do it but Alison couldn’t see her parents ever letting her date Justin again after what had happened.  She would try to mend fences with them as soon as possible – yes, that was it – a nice, long, letter explaining anything.  That way they couldn’t cut her off and yell.  Even if they were angry when they first read the letter, surely they would eventually calm down and hopefully be able to meet her halfway.

Yes!  Looking around the room, she walked over to the desk and saw the computer and printer set up but no paper.  Wow, Mr. Perfect actually forgot something, she mused to herself, then decided to go ask him.  She was sure he wouldn’t mind her interrupting him and his friends for a second. 

She left the room and walked over to the stairs, then slowly began going down to see if now was an okay moment to bother him.  Words came floating up the high ceiling and she could barely hear what they were saying.

“So it’s back on track,” Slo said.  “Another hour and we’ll be good.”

“Good work, dawg,” Justin said, and it sounded like they were giving each other a pound.  “Look, man, I gotta ask you another big favor … you know we go way back so I’m trying to keep it straight with you.”

“What up?”

“Can you chill a little on your dress code?”

Alison stopped cold, knowing she shouldn’t be listening but unable to stop.  It was like she was frozen. 

“Chill on my dress code?  What the fuck does that mean?”  Uh-oh.  Slo sounds a little offended.

“Not everywhere, dude.  Just … when you’re coming here or Ali’s gonna be somewhere can you wear, like, regular clothes?  Leave the boots at home?”

Slo laughed.  “You mean wear sneakers everywhere like you?  You think that’s a better way to dress than me?”

“Nah, man, it’s just, she was asking questions about you, like how we met and how you’re in the housing business and shit dressed like that.  I kinda got the feeling she was fishing for information and you know—“

“I know, J.  You got it.  Can’t have anybody getting too curious right?  I’ll clean up for you.”

“Aight man.  They slapped hands again and Justin said, “C’mon, I’ll walk you out.”

Alison stayed where she was, frozen on the stairs.  Getting curious?  She was downright suspicious!  The penthouse, the cars, the shopping, the money just flowing everywhere … What had she done?  Was she living with a true life drug dealer?

Alison had no idea what to do.  Should she confront him, ask him why he would ask Slo to change his way of dress, and insinuate that she was asking too much about this housing business?  This was all too much and she had no idea what to do.  Her first thought was to call Sammy and see what she thought, but she kind of had a feeling already of what she would think.  She would say he was a drug dealer and tell her to come the heck home. Alison sighed and sat down right where she was, on the stairs.  She needed to think and she was too tired at that moment to do it anywhere else.  Literally, she couldn't find the strength to get up and go back to her room, close the door, and think in privacy.  It seemed like too much.

Everything seemed like too much.  Too much with the presents, with the luxurious room in the opulent penthouse, too much with the argument with her parents and being separated from them.  Everything had changed and things were moving so fast she felt like she was on a roller coaster and today had been full of ups and downs.  It was too much.

"Ali?" Just was halfway up the stairs when he saw her sitting there on the stairs.  "Baby ... what's wrong?" Justin was concerned as he'd never seen her look so sad, so despondent.  He knelt down in front of her and ran a hand over her hair, then resting it on the nape of her neck.

Afraid she was going to burst into tears for the millionth time that day, Alison shrugged her shoulders and said, "Nothing.  Just tired, I guess."

Not sure if that was true, Justin waited a moment before answering.  He didn't remember exactly what he and Slo had been talking about since JC left an hour or so earlier, and he wondered if maybe Ali had heard something that maybe she shouldn't have.  But he couldn't just come out and ask her that; if shehadn't heard anything he would be putting his business on blast.  Better to watch her closely and see if she was acting funny.  

Just as he thought that, Alison leaned forward suddenly and put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder, sighing.  Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close into him as he could get her.  "Baby, you wanna go upstairs and lie down?  I can give you some privacy if you want.  I know you had a long day," he suggested.

She shook her head and sighed again.  She was so confused and worried and the only thing that made her feel better was being in his arms.  If that was was wrong, then so be it.  Right now she needed comfort, love, reassurance ... she needed him.  "Can we ... can you lie down with me in your room?"  

He was surprised that she wanted to go into his room but he didn't really care where she wanted to go.  He would've laid down on the kitchen floor for her is she asked him to.

"Sure, baby.  C'mon," he pulled her up and waited for her turn and around.  Watching as she trudged dejectedly up the stairs, the thought that she had heard something again floated into his mind.  But then he reminded himself that she had had a very long and stressful day.  Anyone in her shoes would be feeling out of sorts, for sure.  Sure.  That was it.  He followed her up the stairs and they walked the short distance to his room, opening the door for her.  He kicked off his shoes while Ali went to sit on the bed, looking pitiful.

He climbed up on the opposite side of the bed and stretched out.  "C'mere, baby," he pulled her arm until she relaxed her body and rolled over so that she was lying in his arms.  "You've had a fucking shitty day," he said, stroking her hair down her back.  "I would be exhausted too if I were you. Is that what's bothering you?"

Sighing yet again, Alison nodded.  It was true; it was an exhausting day.  And maybe she was just hearing things.  Maybe she got it confused when she heard him talking to Slo.  Their voices weren't clear and she was eavesdropping anyway.  Justin was so sweet, so perfect. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man.  Yes, a man.  He was not a boy and maybe it was time to stop acting like a little girl and be  a real woman for him.  "I just want to to be here with you right now.  It's the only thing that makes me feel ok.  Being with you, I mean.  And Justin ..." her voice trailed off and he moved his head so he could look down into her eyes.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I ... I wanna be with you.  Like, for real.  I mean ... you know," she said blushing and closing her eyes, burying her face into his chest.

You could've knocked him over with a feather.  She wanted to have sex?  Immediately he got hard as a rock and he almost wanted to put his hand down there to press his erection down so it wasn't so obvious.  And obvious it was.  She felt it and moved against him, sort of pressing her sex into his and both of them groaned at the same time, it felt so good.

"Ali ... are you sure?" Justin asked, his voice hoarse from wanting her so much.  He couldn't believe she was going to go that far already.  But he wanted her to be sure about it.  He didn't want her to have any regrets.  "You don't have to do this now if you're not ready, baby girl.  Make sure you're really ready, you know?"  But GOD did he want her to be ready.

"I'm ready," she sighed and she pulled his head down to meet her lips and they fused together in a sizzling kiss that should've sent smoke spiraling up the ceiling.

It was time.

She was ready.

Justin kissed Alison liked he’d never kissed a woman before, almost like it was his first time.  He was so hot for her, so anxious, he wanted to rip her clothes off and devour her.  But he couldn’t; he had to hold himself back and do it slowly, do this right.

He kissed his way over to her neck, sucking and teasing the soft skin there, making her moan and squirm underneath him.  While he concentrated on that, his hands roamed up and down her body, brushing his hand teasingly over her breasts, stomach and hips.  After a while his mouth moved downs to her breasts and he bit and grazed the nipples through her shirt, making her moan and push her sex against him even more.    It felt so good to him that he thought he might come in his pants.

But no.  This was for her, and he was determined to make it the best thing she’d ever experienced.  Lifting his mouth up he looked up at her to see her eyes closed, her face flushed, her breathing hard, and her hands stretched out clutching the pillows on his bed.  He smiled.

“Ali?’ he asked quietly, sliding up beside her, smiling indulgently. 

“Yes?” she breathed, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair and then pull him closer to her.

He planted a quick kiss on her lips.  “Wanna get rid of some of these clothes?  Just your shirt,” he clarified so she wouldn’t get spooked.

She surprised him by wriggling out of his embrace and standing up.  “I put on the new underwear we bought,” she said shyly, turning him even more if that was possible. 

He grinned.  “Well do I get to see it or what?”

Alison had no idea what had come over her.  She was hot, burning up, and all she wanted was to be with Justin with no barriers.  Skin to skin. As inexperienced as she was, her instinct was taking over and the shyness was receding.  She was acting like a woman should act when she was with her man.

“Close your eyes,” she told him, and he eagerly complied.

Alison took a deep breath and began quickly stripping off her jeans, shirt, socks and shoes.  She was wearing a red satin lace bra and panty set from Victoria’s Secret, nothing like she’d ever worn before.  It made her feel sexy and alluring, especially when Justin opened his eyes and they bugged out of his head. 

“Ali!”

She shifted from side to side awkwardly.  “What?”  Her hands automatically went up to cover her breasts and Justin sprang up in front of her, kneeling on the bed.

“Don’t you ever do that,” he admonished her.  “Your body is beautiful.  You’re beautiful.  Please don’t ever hide yourself from me.  Okay?”  He looked deep into her eyes.

She looked at him and believed what he was saying.  “Okay,” she answered, moving her hands down by her sides.  "But …”

“But what, baby girl?”

“I want you to take your clothes off too," she whispered and he grinned again.

“Girl, that ain’t no problem,” he told her as he whipped his shirt off, then stood up to take his pants off.  Standing in front of her in his boxer briefs, he reached out to lightly rub her arms.  “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.  Things were moving at the speed of light compared to what they’d usually done.

She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders.  “I admit I’m … well, a little nervous,” she said with a small smile.  “But this just feels so right, Justin!  Being here with you, finally doing this … I’ve dreamed about it for years and I never thought I would meet someone as perfect as you.  And everything with you is just so easy and … right!  That’s the only word I can think of,” she explained and he smiled down at her.

“Then come here, girl,” he said and took her in his arms pulling her against him.  “We can do whatever you want to do, okay?  Let’s just go slow and take our time.  If you want to stop and any time, just say so and I will.  All right?”

Ali sighed.  It felt so good to be in his arms and she just laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.  “Okay,” she answered, pressing as close to him as she could.  “This feels so good, Justin,” she moaned, loving the way his hands roamed around her back hips and ass, 

Finally there were no barriers between the two of them.  No parents, no school, no JC and Slo, no drug deals gone bad, just the two of them.  Justin almost didn’t know what to do he was so excited, but he knew he couldn’t be rough with her.  This was going to be so gentle and sweet, and it was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life because he wanted to ram into her until he came the hardest he’s ever come in his life.  But he couldn’t, no way.  She’d be terrified of him and probably never see him again.  He would make this first time for her a beautiful experience.

Still rubbing her back, he said,” You wanna lay down for a while?  We can just kiss … and touch …” Everything in him was dying for her to say yes and he was gratified when she nodded her head and took a step towards the bed.

He led her to the bed and she scooted over so he would have room to lie down beside here.  They lay there side by side for a moment – Justin didn’t want to jump all over her right away so he was holding himself back – but Alison had other ideas.

“Why aren’t you …” she stopped, unsure of what to say.

“Why aren’t I what” Justin asked.  “What do you want me to do baby girl?”

She hesitated, and then said, “I want you to touch me.” Both of them were a little floored at her words but Justin sprang into action.  Rolling over on his side so that he was lying right beside her, he said teasingly, “Where?” Then he touched her stomach lightly, tracing circles with his fingers.

Tara moaned and closed her eyes.  “Yes, but … higher … I mean lower … I mean, shit, I don’t know,” she said, making Justin smile.  He couldn’t remember her ever cursing before and it was kind of funny, but now was not the time to laugh.

“You mean here?” he asked brushing his hands over the peaks of her breasts, maker her moan even more and twist and turn with pleasure.  “And here?” he let one hand run down her body, over her stomach and down between her legs, lightly rubbing in the vee between her legs. Alison lifted her lips and couldn’t stop herself from moving her hips back and forth.  She’s never felt such pleasure before in her life and a rainbow of colors was floating through her head.

“Justin,” she whispered, reaching up from where here hands were on his shoulders to run them through his hair.

“Yes, baby?” he asked, not stopping the delicious torture he was inflicting on her.

“I’ve never felt so good in my life,” she said, sounding so sexy that he smiled again.

Justin shook his head to clear it of all the nasty thoughts.  “Baby … this is just the beginning.  This is nothing, he said cockily.

“I want it … I want more, she told him reaching down to his hips and pulling him over so his dick rested between her thighs.  They both closed their eyes and said nothing for a few moments, just enjoying the pleasant feelings coursing through their body.

Finally Justin moved into action.  “So are you ready to take these off?”  He toyed with her panties and waited for her answer, praying it would be yes.