By Chance.

He rarely ever came there, but today was a different matter. He had conveniently missed his regular breakfast of Cap'n Crunch Cereal and a hot coffee due to the fact that he'd slept in. But he time he'd had a valid excuse, his parents had unexpectedly come over the night before, feeding him and insisting that he helped them with some legal issues they were having with their deli on the other side of town.

He yawned heavily and took a gulp of his coffee, which had taken forever for him to get. The woman in front of him and been short of change, searching through her large, brown canvas bag for a good ten minutes before discovering that she really didn't have the extra quarter she needed for her drink causing Justin in his impatience to get his food to pull out a nicely folded twenty dollar bill and pay for her meal as well as his own. She hadn't even said a simple thank you now that he thought about it. She had dashed away so fast that his head had spun when he turned to see her. Some people were very inconsiderate sometimes.

"Justin Timberlake?" Justin swallowed the piece of stale bread that was in his mouth and glanced up to see an older black man standing beside him with a smile on his face.

"Yes?" Justin asked, wiping away any reminants of mayonnaise from his chin with a napkin.

"I'm Johnny Wright from Wright Entertainment Group. Mind if I join you?" the man asked and Justin studied him for a moment before nodding and giving in. "Fancy meeting you here. I didn't think you'd go for a place like this."

"I usually don't," Justin responded and wondering why the man was there. "Can I help you?"

"Actually," Johnny smiled and placed his own coffee down on the table in front of him before continuing, "You can. I received your demo in the mail a few weeks ago and was hoping you'd sign with me. I was going to send you a letter or give you a call but..."

"Why did it take so long?" Justin inquired remembering the demo tape he'd sent in a few weeks before Christmas.

"Oh you know how it is," Johnny replied sheepishly and looked down at his cup before glancing back at Justin, "We get a lot of mail that takes weeks to sort through."

"Oh," Justin nodded, not really knowing what else to say and taking another bite from his sandwich before placing it back on the plate before him.

"So would you like to sign with us?" Johnny asked again causing Justin to divert his attention back to Johnny.

"I don't know..." Justin started, he'd sent that tape in weeks ago when he was sure he'd never get the promotion at work. But now, he had the promotion and was working his way to the top of the cooperate ladder pretty fast.

"I know it's a bit late..." Johnny started and Justin nodded in agreement, it was TOO late. He had always liked singing, in fact it had been a hobby of his growing up. But that's all it was. A hobby.

"I appreciate your offer Mr. Wright..." Justin started and finished off his drink before slowly standing up.

"Johnny please. Call me Johnny," Johnny said and Justin nodded.

"Johnny. I appreciate your offer but I'm afraid I can't. I mean singing to me has always been.... well it's just always been a hobby," Justin told the other man. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Alright," Johnny nodded, probably wondering why Justin had sent in the tape in the first place. "But if you change your mind here's my card. Call me anytime." Johnny produced his wallet and handed Justin a smooth,
green colored card with Wright Entertainment Group embossed on top of it.

"Thanks," Justin nodded and looked around him quickly to the barista who was standing beside the espresso machine preparing the next coffee. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you," Johnny smiled appreciatively and Justin responded the gesture before quickly stepping away from the table before the other man could say anymore.

Justin turned around, pushing the chair he'd been seated in back beneath the table and as he did so his left arm bumped into someone lese, causing the latter to turn around and face him instantly.

"Justin?" The voice was unmistakable and it caused Justin to cringe just slightly as he responded with a nod.

"Chris..." he began, glancing up at the older man and stepping away from the table. "Uh, long time no see."

"I know right?" the older man laughed heartily, "What are you doing this side of town? Last I heard you were...."

"I was leaving the firm?" Justin asked a bit to harshly for his own good causing Chris' smile to fall as he nodded. "Well unluckily for you I didn't. I got promoted."

"Really?" Chris tried to feign surprise but failed miserably. He and Justin had been old rivals, ever since law school where they had both shot for the head of their class. In the end Chris won out, getting him a better job much to the displeasure of Justin. They hadn't crossed paths since then. "So I suppose I'll be seeing you around more often then?"

"Maybe," Justin nodded and noted the lemon poppy seed muffin in Chris' hand. "Still going high on the carbs I see?"

"Well..." Chris began, before quickly glancing at his watch unsmoothly. "Look I need to go. Lunch is almost up. It was good to, uh, see you again."

"Yeah you too," Justin nodded in falseness. It had not been good to see his old friend again. "I suppose...."

"Yeah," Chris cut him off nicely with a sharp nod before grabbing up his scone and quickly exiting the coffee shop.

Justin sighed heavily and turned back around to see the table where he and Johnny were just seated, empty and looking at him longingly. Justin shook his head and pulled out the green business card from his fron top pocket. Maybe it wasn't too late to make a career change after all.