Chapter 1

When I wake up in the morning and the ‘larm lets out a warning I don't think I'll ever make it on time.

Jaelyn rolled over and silenced her phone.  Was it Monday already?  She rubbed her eyes and scratched her head before getting out of her comfortable bed and slowly making her way to her restroom.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror with disgust, realizing that she forgot to remove her make-up the night before...time to start the morning routine.  She turned on the faucet and grabbed her facial cleanser.  She was in the middle of lathering the left side of her face when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her middle and a feather soft kiss on her right shoulder.

"Why are you up so early?"  Jaelyn smiled at the reflection of her and boyfriend of two years, Daniel. 

"Unlike you, I have a ten o'clock class hun," she answered wiping the cleanser off her face.

"But you don't have to go; you can stay here with me."

"I would, but I've already missed this class twice in the past two weeks."

"Well you said that your professor doesn't take roll, just stay here with me," Daniel said, kissing her shoulder once more.

"Yeah, but I need to actually go and listen to his lecture if I'm going to pass this test that's coming up in a week."

"Fine; I'm just going to crawl back into our big, comfy bed and sleep for a few more hours."

"No one likes a bragger, hun," Jaelyn said jokingly, "Hey, are we still on for lunch?"

"Yeah, where do you want to go?"

"How ‘bout Quiznos?  It's right up the road and I know you have that test today at one."

"Sounds good to me.  I'll pick you up in front of the UC at 11:30."  Jaelyn nodded and kissed her boyfriend sweetly before walking towards the closet and grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  She dressed quickly and headed off to her history class.

~*~

"Preston Brooks was a member of the House of Representatives...but that's not what you need to remember for this test.  You need to know that during a legislative meeting he proceeded to beat Charles Sumner and Brooks wasn't arrested because of his authority."  Jaelyn laughed at her professor's last statement.  Leave it up to him to stress a fight or alcohol in the history class.

"Well it looks like it's about that time.  I'll see you guys on Wednesday, and don't forget about that test next week!"  Jaelyn shut down her laptop and placed it in her tote before grabbing her water bottle and exited the lecture hall.  She was waiting for the elevator when a classmate approached her.

"I have no idea how I'm going to pass that test next week," he said.  Jaelyn just chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I'll be happy to get out of this class with a ‘C'.  But I'm actually learning with his methods," she replied shrugging.

"Well we could always study together.  You know they say two brains work better than one," he said inching closer to her.

Where's the friggin' elevator?  It would be taking it's time today of all days.

Jaelyn chuckled nervously.

"Umm, sure.  I'll probably be studying in the library this weekend."

"Or we could do it at my place; I hear it's better to study in a more intimate environment."

"Hey babe!"  Jaelyn looked up and saw another guy approaching them.

"Sorry I'm late, chemistry ran long."  Jaelyn looked up at the new guy with a semi-confused look on her face.

"It's ok, I was just talking to..." she paused to let her classmate say his name.

"Jeff."

"I was just talking to Jeff about Newsom's test next week," Jaelyn said with a soft smile.  The new guy placed his arm around her shoulder possessively.

"Oh, are you two..."

"Yes," the new guy said, interrupting Jeff before he could finish his sentence.  He gave Jaelyn's shoulder a small squeeze for an added effect.

"Oh.  Well I guess I'll see you Wednesday then."

"Alright, bye," Jaelyn replied with a small wave.  She waited until Jeff had made it all the way down the stairs before she turned around and faced the stranger.

"Do you always interrupt other people's conversations?"

"Only when they look like they need to be interrupted," he replied with a slight smile.

"And what made you think that ours needed to be interrupted?"

"Your body language.  It was saying that he was in your personal space and practically begging me to come rescue you."

"Oh really?" Jaelyn began, "So now you're supposed to be Prince Charming?"

"Or you could just call me Justin," he said holding out his hand for her to shake, and she quickly did.

"And you can call me Jaelyn.  Nice to meet you Justin."

"Pleasure's all mine.  I'm just happy I don't have to call you ‘Teacher's Pet'."  Jaelyn laughed.

"Wait, I thought you said that you just came from Chemistry?"

"Well I couldn't say that we were both in the same class; he thought we were together and it would be kind of awkward if we didn't sit by each other and walk out of the class together if we had class together.  I sit on the opposite side of the lecture hall, and I've caught ‘ol boy glancing back at you one time too many."

"Oh gosh, are you serious?"

"As serious as the dollar Whopper on Wednesdays at Burger King," Justin replied with a laugh.

"Oh crap!  Speaking of food, I have to go."

"Well you better let me escort you, just in case we run into that guy again."  Jaelyn laughed.

"Well I'm heading to the UC...well the front of it; I have a lunch date I have to keep."  She smiled and waved before heading towards the stairs.  She texted her boyfriend and told him that she'd be out front in a few minutes.

"Hey baby," Daniel said, giving his girlfriend a quick peck as she got into his Jeep Cherokee. 

"How was class?"  Jaelyn hesitated on telling him about the incident that happened after her History class and decided against it.

"Long.  I'm just happy to see you."

"And I you darling.  You ready to go eat?"

"My stomach has been growling for the past 20 minutes; lets go," Jaelyn said with a smile.

 

Chapter 2

I know she got it 'cuz she lookin' at me like she want it.

Justin couldn't help but hum along with his iPod as he walked back to his fraternity's house.  He'd finished his classes for the day and just wanted to relax before his chapter meeting that night.  He scaled the stairs two at a time to get to the room he shared with his best friend, Trace.  Justin and Trace were what people called "crib buddies".  They'd been best friends since they were in their mothers' wombs, they went to the same grade schools from Pre-K to 12th grade; so it only seemed fitting that they'd go to the same college.  The fact that they pledged the same fraternity was just a fluke though.  Both of them were legacies for two different fraternities and initially wanted to follow in their fathers' footsteps but changed their minds when it came to rush.  They weren't even in the same rush group and didn't find out that the other had also rushed Sigma Alpha Epsilon until bid day.  It was somewhat a tradition at the school not to reveal your top greek choice, so you don't jinx it.  Well on bid day both Justin and Trace were shocked when they saw each other in SAE's room.  Fast forward to the present day where both guys hold executive positions in their fraternal organization and were roommates.

"What are you smiling about?" Trace asked, tossing a rubber basketball against the ceiling.

"Life's good man, that's all."

"Did you get a quickie between classes or something?"

"Shut up!  No, you know I'm not like that."

"Anymore," Trace replied, throwing the toy ball at his friend.

"Shut the hell up man," Justin said, throwing the ball back at Trace.

"For your information I just had a good day, can I do that?"

"What's her name?"

"How do you know it's a girl?"

"Ok, what's his name?" Trace asked jokingly.

"You know I'm not like that.  Her name is Jaelyn; she's in my history class."

"Is she hot?"

"Ye-- wait, is that the only thing you think about?"

"No, but if she has you gaga like this, she must be."

"She's cute, I guess you could say that."

"So she's hot."

"Yeah, and a sweetheart too.  This guy was flirting a bit too hard with her so I had to step in and pretend to be her boyfriend."

"The whole 'Prince Charming' move huh?"

"That's what she said."

"Hey, great minds think alike," Trace said with a smile.  Justin rolled his eyes at his friend.

"So are you gonna ask her out?"

"Dude, I just found out her name; she may have a boyfriend or something.  She definitely said she had a lunch date to go to after class."

"What girl says she has a 'lunch date' with her boyfriend?  How lame is that?"

"Shut up," Justin responded.

"But seriously, think about it."  Justin was silent as he pondered Trace's comment.

"That is true."

"Yep.  Why don't you look her up on Facebook."

"But I don't know her last name."

"But you know her first name and what school she goes to."  Justin pulled his laptop out of his backpack and booted it up.  He logged onto the popular networking site and searched 'Jaylen' in his school's network...and came back with nothing.

"Is that the way you spell it?"

"I don't know man, she wasn't wearing a name tag," Justin replied with a chuckle.

"Whatever, we need to get ready for chapter anyway.  Shut the shit down and help me find my pin, bitch," Trace said jokingly.

"Shut the hell up!" Justin replied, throwing a pencil at his friend.

~*~

Jaelyn logged onto her school Blackboard account to check her grades.  As usual the first class she clicked on was her Criminal Justice class.  After seeing that she had a solid 'B' in there she checked her history grades...she had a 'B' in there as well.  Jaelyn glanced at the sidebar on the screen and saw the 'Tools' link and clicked it.  She clicked the 'Classmates' link and scrolled down the list and saw that she had a total of six "Justin's" in her history class.  She jotted down the different last names and made a mental note to search them on Facebook.  Jaelyn went to the networking website and checked her various notifications before searching for Justin.  It took her five times, but she finally figured out that his last name was "Timberlake".  She added him as a friend and was browsing through his photo albums when she heard a door open and close.  Jaelyn logged out of Facebook and closed her laptop.

"Hey baby, how was your test?" she asked her boyfriend with a smile.  Daniel kissed her forehead sweetly before answering her.

"Long and hard."

"That's what she said," Jaelyn joked.  Daniel laughed.

"You watch way too much of that show.  How was your day?"

"Fine; I'm just happy it's over with.  So, what do you want for dinner?"  Daniel grinned mischievously before replying, "You."

Jaelyn giggled like a school girl when her boyfriend scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.  He placed her in the center of their king-sized bed and kissed her lips softly.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Daniel whispered against her lips.

"Yes, and stop stealing other people's lines," Jaelyn replied with a smile.  They both chuckled at her comment.

"Come here you," Jaelyn said, grabbing her boyfriend's collar and pulling him on the bed with her.  Daniel settled his lower body between her legs as they began an intimate tongue wrestle.  Jaelyn wrapped her arms around his neck in an effort to eliminate the space between them.  She tried her hardest to hold back the moans that were escaping her throat.  Daniel knew her body like the back of his hand and could play it like a well tuned instrument.

"Ooh," she said almost in a whisper when he kissed that spot below her right ear.  Daniel kissed his way down her jawline, her throat and her collarbone.  He looped two fingers beneath the straps of her spaghetti-strapped top and her bra, slipping them down over her shoulder.  He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the iPod stereo remote and turned on the system.  Avant's "Making Good Love" began to softly play throughout the room.

"Oh, so you planned this?" Jaelyn asked in a playful moan.

"Maybe I did...maybe I didn't," her boyfriend replied wiggling his eyebrows.  He dipped in and gave her one more quick peck on the lips before he slipped off her other straps and began making love to her breasts with his mouth.  Jaelyn was in ecstasy and Daniel could tell by the sounds of pleasure he was eliciting from her.  He looked up at her face and smiled when he saw her eyes closed and her mouth in the shape of an 'O'.  Beyonce's "Speechless" came on just as he began to kiss his way down her torso...

~*~

Jaelyn couldn't sleep and she couldn't figure out why.  She was usually dog-tired after a round with Daniel, but tonight was different.  Tonight she couldn't seem to shut her brain down and go to sleep.  She was tempted to put on some workout clothes and take a jog around the block but decided against that when she saw what time it was.  No woman in her right mind goes running alone around a college campus after midnight!  Thinking that maybe a warm glass of milk would help her sleep, Jaelyn made her way to the kitchen.  She had just placed her mug in the microwave when she noticed that her laptop was still on the coffee table.  She grabbed it and booted it up, deciding that she might as well check Facebook since she was up.  As soon as she logged on she noticed that not only had Justin accepted her friend's request but he had sent her a message. 

Hey, I'm glad you found me on here...I would've added you but I didn't know how to spell your name.  You have a very unique name, by the way.  Oh!  I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me study for Newsom's next test?  Those things are a beast and if I don't make at least a 70 on this next one there's no way I can pass his class.  No pressure, lol.

• - Justin

Jaelyn couldn't help but smile as she read the note, and quickly clicked 'Reply' once she was finished it.

Yeah, everyone spells my name J-A-Y-L-E-N or something of that nature.  lol.  And thanks for the compliment! =]  As far as helping you study for the test...NO!  Just kidding!  Of course I'll help you.  I don't have class on Tuesday so just let me know if that's ok with your schedule...and if you have another day that's better for you just let me know. 

• - Jaelyn

She clicked 'Send' and was about to log out of Facebook when she saw a Facebook Chat notification pop up.  Justin was IM-ing her.

Justin: Someone has insomnia.

Jaelyn grinned and quickly replied.

Jaelyn: ...and I don't know.  I'm usually passed out by now.

Justin: it happens to the best of us =]

Jaelyn: it's a good thing I don't have any classes tomorrow or I'd be pissed...lol

Justin: no one likes a bragger...lol

Jaelyn: don't hate!  so what are you doing up so late, Mr. Timberlake?

Justin: i usually don't fall asleep until one...i was just about to shut down my laptop when i got your message.

Jaelyn: yeah, we can study together...just let me know when.

Justin: cool...do you wanna grab lunch on tuesday at the cafe and we can study there? 

Jaelyn pondered his question before typing her answer.

Jaelyn: sure...sounds good to me.

Justin: alright, well my number is 512-867-5309

Jaelyn: are you serious?  like the "jenny" song?

Justin: yeah...don't laugh!

Jaelyn: i already am!  mines is 281-489-4608

Justin: alright, i'll save it in my phone

Jaelyn: okie dokie!  goodnight!

Justin: sweet dreams =]

Jaelyn chuckled as she logged off the networking website and shut down her laptop before walking over to the microwave to reheat her milk.  She'd totally forgotten about it while she was playing around on her computer.  She drank the warm liquid, rinsed out her mug and turned off the lights in the apartment before walking back to her bedroom and getting in bed with Daniel.  He instinctively wrapped an arm around her middle and kissed her back.

"Where did you go?" he asked half asleep.

"I couldn't sleep, I went and drank a warm cup of milk."

"Oh ok.  Well try and get some sleep baby, love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back...and instantly had a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 

Chapter 3

Here we go again.  Jaelyn thought as she saw her history 'stalker' approaching her as she sat down and booted up her laptop.

"Where's lover boy?  Too busy in chemistry?" he asked sarcastically.

"Actually, I was just finishing up my paperwork to switch me into this class.  I decided to take my lab on a different day so I can be in here with my girl," Justin said, walking up and sitting in the seat right next to Jaelyn.  He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly and winking at her, encouraging her to play along.  'Stalker Boy' finally got the hint and left.

"Thank you; you always seem to know when to show up."

"It's a gift," Justin said playfully.  Jaelyn shoved his arm teasingly.

"Does this mean that you're going to have to sit by me everyday?"

"Damn, you make it sound like me sitting by you is some cruel and unusual punishment or something."

"No!  I didn't mean it like that," Jaelyn said quickly, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"I'm kidding.  I know how you meant it.  And to answer your question; I'll just have to sit by you until he gets the message that you're not interested.  Is that ok with you?" he asked.  Jaelyn looked up and was entranced his blue orbs.  Who could resist eyes as gorgeous as his.

"Yeah...yeah, that's fine with me," she replied with a half-grin.

"Alrighty," Justin said just as their professor entered the room.

~*~

"You got her number!?!  Damn bro, you move faster than me!" Trace exclaimed.  He, Justin and a few more of their fraternity brothers were showing greek unity and participating Pi Kappa Phi's 'Peg-A-Pi-Kap' fundraiser.  Right now it was SAE's turn to float out on the lake on campus and be targets for the rest of the educational community.  Let's just say that their fellow students didn't have very good aim because Trace and Justin were still bone-dry.

"I don't know what you're talking about man.  We're studying together Tuesday and she gave it to me so I can call her with a time."

"Ya'll couldn't have set up a time on Facebook?  Speaking of Facebook, did you ever figure out how to spell her name and add her."

"She added me.  I don't know how she found out my last name, but she did."

"A chick who knows what she wants and goes after it...me likey!" Trace said with a laugh. 

"Shut up!" Justin said, reaching over and pushing his friend off of his inner tube.

"Finally!  I thought ya'll were gonna leave here bone dry!"  Justin looked up when he heard one of the Pi Kaps shout that from the deck.

"Maybe you just need to talk to your brothers about their aim," he fired back jokingly.

"So, is she single or what?"  Justin looked over at Trace, who was now back on his bright colored flotation device.

"Huh?"

"Does it say she's single on her Facebook?"

"Actually, it didn't say anything."

"Really?  So she left it blank?"

"No, it wasn't on there; you know they have the feature now where you can take it off your profile."

"Well I guess this means that she's single.  Why wouldn't a chick who's in a relationship not want to put it on Facebook?"

"Damn Trace, you sure do know a lot about females to not have a girlfriend," Justin said facetiously.

"Haha," Trace replied before shoving his friend in the lake.

~*~

"It only needs two cups of water?" Jaelyn said into the speaker of her phone.  She had the device cradled between her shoulder and neck.

"Is that what the recipe says?"

"Yeah, but how is two cups of water gonna be enough for a Crock-Pot full of stew?" she asked her best friend of four years, Amanda.

"Just use two cups now and if you need more you can add more once you've added the rest of the ingredients.  Ok?"

"Alright, I'll put everything else in and we'll see."  Jaelyn turned the 'speakerphone' function on her phone on and placed it on the counter as she added potatoes, carrots, onions, and stew beef to the Crock-Pot.  Two cups was the right amount of water, just as Amanda had said.

"Ok now it needs to cook for...six hours!  Are you serious!?!"

"That's why it's called a 'slow cooker'," Amanda said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Well thank you Captain Obvious," Jaelyn joked back.

"Shut up!  You called me for help little girl."

"Well thank you for that help; that's why you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world.  But hey, I'm gonna have to call you back.  I have to finish straightening up and getting everything ready before he gets home."

"Oh my gosh, when did you become so domestic?" Amanda asked in a joking tone.

"I don't know.  I just felt like doing something nice for Daniel.  Do I really need a reason to do something sweet for my baby?"

"No you don't, and I don't want to know that much about your relationship!"  Both women laughed at Amanda's comment. 

"Well I'm gonna let you go so you can get everything ready for your man."

"Shut up!" Jaelyn said with a laugh, "Alright girl, I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, bye."  Jaelyn hung up her cell phone and put the Crock-Pot on 'High' before grabbing her Swiffer mop and began cleaning the kitchen floor.  While wiping down the counter tops and vacuuming the carpet in the livingroom Jaelyn contemplated Amanda's statement about her being so domestic all of a sudden.  Her friend was right, Jaelyn had never been the domestic type.  She didn't like to cook, Daniel did most of the cooking for them or they ate out.  She cleaned and did laundry on a regular basis, but all this that she was doing today was a bit of a stretch.  She was cleaning the apartment thoroughly, cooking dinner and drawing a romantic bath for the both of them.  She wanted to show him how much he means to her, how much she loves him...even if the night was more a reassurance in their relationship for her than it was for him.  She'd been having a reoccurring dream the past few nights of her and Justin sharing a mind-blowing, earth shattering kiss and she couldn't seem to get the dream out of her mind.  She loved  Daniel, she really did, but that dream seemed a little too real, and Jaelyn wasn't sure if she wanted to make that dream a reality.

Chapter 4

So what time did you want to hook up?

Jaelyn stared at the text in confusion. To the average college student this text would be an invitation to meet up for sexual reasons. Even Jaelyn had a hard time thinking of the text in a strictly platonic way...although she knew that he was referring to them getting together to study.

"So how was your surprise dinner?" Amanda asked, breaking up Jaelyn's daydream.

"Huh? Oh, it was fine."

"Fine?" Amanda asked, sitting down across from her friend. Usually they wouldn't be able to hear each other's voices over the ruckus that's the norm for the UC, but today it was remarkably quiet.

"You made a home-cooked meal and pulled a Mary Poppins and you're telling me that you didn't even get any?!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down; I don't want everyone and their mommas knowing my business," Jaelyn scolded.

"Sorry; I just didn't expect that answer. But please tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that you didn't do all that work for nothing."

"No, we had a romantic evening."

"Yet you used the word 'fine' to describe it. Trouble in paradise?"

"No! No, we're fine," Jaelyn replied quickly.

"Ok; your mouth is saying it but your face isn't showing it. Are you sure things are ok? He hasn't put his hands on you has he...I swear I'll kick him in the throat if---"

"No!" Jaelyn cut her friend off, "No girl! We're fine. I promise."

"Ok," Amanda said before looking down at her watch and noticing the time, "I have to go to Politics but I'll call you later ok?"

"Alright, bye girl," Jaelyn said, waving at Amanda as she walked away. She sighed heavily before opening up the text from Justin again and typed a reply.

What are you doing now?

It wasn't long before her phone vibrated, indicating that she had a new text message.

Nothing. Why? You wanna meet now?

Jaelyn thought about it for a moment before responding.

Yeah, meet me in the library in like 30 minutes.

The message was sent before she had the chance to change her mind. They were only studying, there was nothing wrong with that...right? Right. Studying isn't cheating. Jaelyn stopped by Subway and grabbed a few cookies and grabbed two Dr. Pepper's from the school convenience store before heading towards the library. She got there a few minutes before Justin and checked out a study room for them. She was a visual learner and the wipe-off boards in the private rooms were quite helpful when it came to making lists and random notes. She texted him the room number and went upstairs to set things up. It wasn't long before Justin was there.

"You study the same way I do," he commented as he watched her write some key points that they'd have to go over in this study session.

"You like dry erase boards and flash cards too?"

"I swear it's like we're soulmates or something," he said, pulling out a stack of 3x5 notecards. Both of them chuckled at his comment.

"Who knew a frat boy could be so studious?" Jaelyn said jokingly.

"Hey," he laughed, "I find that offensive. Not all of us are skirt chasing alcoholics...well at least not everyday." Jaelyn was in hysterics once again.

"Don't worry, according to Newsom ya'lls drinking habits are no different than our founding fathers. But enough about alcohol Mr. Sigma Alpha Epsilon; we have to crack open these books."

"Yeah, I need to make at least a 70 on this next test."

"You and I both hun," Jaelyn said with a smile, "Oh! And before I forget, I got us some snacks. I wasn't sure if you'd eaten lunch already so I bought some cookies and sodas."

"Seriously?" Justin asked with a smile, "Dude, will you marry me? How much more perfect can you get," he said with a slight chuckle.

"If you pass this test...maybe," Jaelyn replied, playing along before sitting down and pulling out her own stack of 3x5 notecards. The two of them began dissecting the notes they took in class and wrote on the important key points on the dry erase board and on their flash cards. They were just about to go through their textbook to note any extra things that weren't in their notes when Justin's phone vibrated, indicating that he had a new text message. He apologized before reaching in his pocket and pulling out the device.

"Girlfriend checking up on you?" Jaelyn asked jokingly when he finished typing his response.

"Naw, I wish. I'm a single man," he replied with a half-smile, "What about yourself?" Before Jaelyn could answer his question her phone rang...saved by the bell.

"Sorry, I have to get this," she said before looking down on the screen and seeing that it was Daniel calling her. She excused herself from the room before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby, where are you? I came home to surprise you with dinner...and maybe continue last night but you aren't here." Jaelyn could hear his smile in his voice.

"I'm studying at the library with some friends from history."

"Oh, well I'll pick you up, that way you don't have to walk all the way back over here."

"No," Jaelyn said quickly, "I'll be ok walking home. I'll be there in a bit, ok?"

"Alright. See you when you get here. I love you."

"Love you too," she whispered right before she went back into the study room she and Justin were sharing.

"Everything ok?" he asked with in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, my friend Amanda just needs my help with something," she lied, "But I have good and bad news."

"Oh really? And what is that?" he asked with a grin.

"Well you sort of already know the bad news...I have to go. But the good news is that you're ready for this test."

"I am?"

"Yep," she confirmed, "We've gone through all of these notes and the chapters in the book and you're ready for this. Just continue to go over your notecards and you'll be fine," Jaelyn stated as she began gathering her belongings.

"Here, let me help you with that," Justin said, just as they both reached for her dry erase markers. Their fingers grazed and she looked up at him, immediately getting lost in his deep blue eyes. The atmosphere thickened, charged with sexual static that raised the hair on her arms. He reached out slowly, enticingly. She closed her eyes, shivering as his knuckle brushed her cheek...then something tickled her lashes. Her eyelids fluttered open and Justin hesitated, probing her eyes for what seemed like an eternity, then he slowly, exquisitely, brushed his lips over her mouth in a touch so delicate she wondered if it had been real. His hand slid down her throat, paused, then moved to cup the back of her head.

"You are simply amazing," he whispered. Before she could even think to breathe, his mouth covered hers in a kiss that shook her to the soles of her feet. If her brain was numb, her body wasn't and she responded with an instinctive eagerness that was both shocking and thrilling. She melted against him and without conscious command her trembling fingers clutched his greek shirt, frantic to bring him closer - and closer still. When he urged her lips apart and tasted her deeply, a frightened whimper bubbled from her throat. Justin swallowed the tiny cry, then slowly, almost painfully, released her. Realizing what she'd just done Jaelyn lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, that shouldn't have happened. I have to go," she said, frantically gathering the rest of her things and leaving the building. It wasn't until she was outside that she slowed down and assessed the situation. She had just cheated on Daniel...and actually enjoyed it.

Chapter 5

Jaelyn couldn't stop replaying the kiss in her mind. It had happened a week ago, but it felt like last night. She was surprised that Daniel hadn't called in a missing persons report in on her that night. The walk that usually five minutes from the library to their apartment took twenty minutes that night. Jaelyn couldn't even look Daniel in the eyes when she walked in the door of their apartment. She declined dinner and a repeat of the night before, using the excuse of being tired. Honestly, she just couldn't be intimate with Daniel like that after that passionate kiss she'd just shared with Justin. She decided that the best thing for her to do was to push the incident to the back of her mind, which she'd sort of succeeded in doing until she saw object of her daydreams in class the next afternoon.

~*~

"Hey," he said with a smile. That smile. That beautiful smile. That was the smile that got her everytime.

"Hey yourself, Timberlake," Jaelyn replied, moving her belongings over so he could place his on the desk.

"How's your friend? Amanda, is it?"

"Oh!" Jaelyn had forgotten about the lie she told him the previous night.

"She's fine, she just needed some help picking out an outfit for a date."

Yeah, not likely. Amanda's one of the best dressed people Jaelyn knew.

"That was the big emergency?" he asked with a laugh, "You should've told me; I would've helped ya'll out."

"Whoa," Jaelyn said, catching on to his infectious laughter, "So you're telling me that in addition to being a frat boy, you're a Prince Charming, you like to study and you have good fashion sense?"

"What can I say? I'm pretty awesome," Justin shrugged.

"Well Mr. Timberlake I hope that awesomeness shows up on the next test," Professor Newsom said as he got situated in the front of the lecture hall. Jaelyn and Justin laughed at their teacher's comment.

"You and I both sir," Justin began, "You and I both."

Professor Newsom started his lecture and Jaelyn couldn't believe that Justin could just sit there like nothing had happened between them...maybe he was thinking the same thing about her. But he had no reason not to say something about it. It wasn't like he had cheated on a significant other. Jaelyn didn't realize that she was daydreaming until Justin placed his hand on hers.

"You've been holding down the 'Enter' key for the last thirty seconds."

"Oh," she said, immediately removing her fingers from the keys, "Sorry, my mind must've have slipped off to la-la-land for a moment."

"Penny for your thoughts."

"After class, I need to concentrate on these notes."

"Is there something you two would like to share with the class?" Professor Newsom said, looking directly at Justin and Jaelyn.

"No, sorry sir," Jaelyn apologized. He went back to his lecture and a minute later she felt Justin poking her side. She glanced at his laptop and saw eight words on the screen.

Do you want to do lunch after class?

Jaelyn had to think it over for a minute for giving him a quick nod in response. After all, it wasn't a date, it was just lunch and at least they'd get the chance to talk about what happened. The rest of the history class continued and it seemed like the fifty minutes went by slower than usual. But finally the class was over with and just as Jaelyn was packing up her things her cell phone vibrated. She looked down and saw that it was Daniel calling her.

This boy must have ESP or something; I swear it's like he has some kind of radar on me...always seeming to call or text at the worst times.

"Hey you," she said with a grin. This peaked Justin's interest, causing him to cock an eyebrow when he glanced at her. She mouthed the word 'Amanda' and Justin nodded before he continued to put the rest of his things in his backpack. Jaelyn couldn't believe that she just did that; Justin wasn't her boyfriend yet she was standing there justifying her conversation with her boyfriend to him. Justin mouthed that he'd meet her out in the hall and Jaelyn nodded before she continued her phone conversation with Daniel.

"So I was thinking that we should do lunch," Daniel said over the line, "I mean, I didn't get to feed you last night so what do you think about McAlisters for lunch?"

"Umm..."

"C'mon baby, what could be better than a loaded baked potato and some of their sweet tea?" Daniel said before she got the chance to respond.

"I actually had plans with classmates for a study lunch," she said with sadness in her voice...but the sadness wasn't because she was turning down lunch with him, it was because she was lying to him once again.

"You should have told me earlier hun; I wouldn't have made plans."

"It's ok, go study with your friends...but tonight you're all mine. Ok?" Jaelyn silently wished that he wasn't so gullible with this, wished that he didn't take her lies so easily.

"Yeah, and you better get ready," she said with a smile.

"Oh really? Do I hear a challenge coming on?" he asked. Jaelyn laughed, the two of them sometimes challenged each other to see who would wear who out first...Daniel usually won.

"Maybe; but hey I'll talk to you when I finish lunch, my friends are waiting." They said their goodbyes and Jaelyn walked out to meet Justin in the hallway.

"Ready to go?" he asked, extending his elbow for her to hook her arm through.

Here we go.

~*~

Jaelyn couldn't believe that all of that had happened a week ago. Her 'lunch date' with Justin went pretty well. She still didn't tell him that she was dating Daniel, but she made it clear that they couldn't be more than friends...with benefits. They ended up kissing again, though this one wasn't as deep as the previous one. Since then Jaelyn has vowed not to kiss him again, but it's so hard to resist those beautiful lips he has...especially since she's felt how velvety smooth they are. She didn't tell Justin about this particular vow, but she could tell that he could sense her hesitancy when they were alone together, always keeping a bit of distance between them. And Justin wasn't the only one she was being distant towards; her relationship with Daniel was becoming a bit strained, but Daniel couldn't even tell. He assumed her sudden mood change was because of her course load, and it was killing her that she didn't have the balls to end whatever was going on between her and Justin, or at least confess her infidelity to Daniel. It was like a high to her, like a thrill ride...but it was a bittersweet one. The more enthralling her time was with Justin, the less it was when she was with Daniel.

 

Both she and Justin had passed their history test and decided that they'd continue to be study buddies for the remainder of the semester, keeping things strictly platonic though...or at least trying to.

"So SAE has this date party coming up and I was wondering if you would want to go with me." Justin asked Jaelyn while they were waiting for Newsom to arrive. He noticed the hesitancy in her expression and quickly added, "...as friends of course."

"When is it?"

"This weekend; and I do apologize about such short notice. It's just that I already paid for two tickets and I don't want the other one to go to waste."

Jaelyn couldn't believe this; it was like fate was telling her to be with Justin. Daniel would be going home this weekend to spend time with his family and she was gonna spend Saturday night curled up in their bed with a pint of ice cream and a chick flick, but her plans have now changed.

"Sure, we can go as friends." She watched as his face glowed with happiness.

" Really? You didn't have any other plans? I mean, I don't wanna pull you from anything." Or anyone.

"Nope, I just had a date with a pint of 'physh food' but I can get a raincheck. So what are we doing?" she asked.

"Don't laugh ok? It's sort of a tradition for this chapter, but we're doing costume karaoke." Jaelyn tried her best to hold back the chuckle in her throat.

"What?"

"We dress up as famous couples and go eat dinner at Texas Roadhouse then head over to Roscoe's to do karaoke." His statement cause Jaelyn to raise an eyebrow.

"As in the Roscoe's downtown? The karaoke bar that's packed like a can of sardines every weekend?"

"Yeah, don't ask," Justin said with a light laugh.

"Alright, well I'm game. Who do you want to go dressed as?"

"Ike and Tina?"

"Very funny."

Chapter 6

"I can't believe I agreed to this outfit," Jaelyn said as she pulled at the too-short skirt of her outfit.  Somehow Justin had convinced her to go along with idea of dressing up as Hugh Hefner and a Playboy bunny...a minor lapse of judgment that she wished hadn't have happened.  Now she was standing in the restroom of her apartment with Amanda adjusting the outfit and fixing her make-up.

"I think you look cute," Amanda said as she applied eyeliner to her friend's light brown eyelids. 

"I look like a hooker," Jaelyn stated plainly.

"I thought that was the point, and you don't look like a hooker...well sorta; but a hooker with great style," Amanda said with a smile.

"Not helping," Jaelyn replied shaking her head and tugging at the skirt of her dress once again.  She twirled around once in the mirror and checked herself once more.  She had to admit that she did look pretty good.  Once she'd gotten the ‘Ike and Tina' idea out of Justin's head she and Amanda hit up the local costume shop and decided with this theme instead.

"And now all we need are these," Amanda said, grabbing the black and white bunny ears from the dresser and placing them atop of her best friend's curly crown, "...there, now your look is complete."

Jaelyn smiled and hugged her friend.

"Thanks girl."  She didn't have to say anything else.  She knew that Amanda would know that the ‘thank you' wasn't just for helping her get dressed, but understanding what she was going through and not judging her.  Jaelyn was having mixed emotions about the night; on one hand she was excited about going out with Justin and his fraternity brothers, but on the other hand she couldn't help but wonder what tonight actually was.  She was Justin's date to his fraternity's date party.  She was officially going on a date with a guy who wasn't her boyfriend.  They were just going as friends, but both of them knew that that was just a guise to make them feel better about the situation...or at least her.

"Penny for your thoughts," Amanda said, bringing her friend back to reality, "You're thinking about backing out of this aren't you," Amanda said, reading Jaelyn's expression.

"Or at least telling Daniel; I just feel so guilty."

"But you're going as friends, right?  So as long as you don't cross the line you should be fine.  And besides, it'll be fun!" Amanda said, grinning.  Jaelyn had conveniently forgotten to tell her friend about the kiss...well kisses.  Suddenly there was a knock at the front door and both women looked at each other.

"And he's on time too," Amanda commented.  Both ladies opened the door and saw Justin standing there with two long-stemmed red roses in his hands.

"Good evening ladies, these are for you," he said, handing each of them a flower.

"A true gentleman indeed," Amanda said, inhaling the wonderful scent of her rose.

"Thank you," Jaelyn said with a grin.

"You're welcome; and by the way you look amazing.  I'm gonna have the most beautiful date tonight, hands down."  It was comments like this that pulled at Jaelyn's heart strings.  How could she be faithful to Daniel with Justin laying his charm and kindness on her like this...not to mention the fact that he looked absolutely delectable in his Hugh Hefner get-up.  She didn't know a guy could look so good in a burgundy robe and PJ pants.  He also shaved his head and the buzz cut with along with those studs he had in his ears made him ooze sex appeal.

"Last chance to back out; no hard feelings," Justin said, bring her out of the trance-like state she was in.

"No, I'm fine," she replied with a slight smile, "We can go."

"Alright, well your carriage awaits you then," he said, offering his arm to her. 

"Have fun!" Amanda called out to the two of them and Jaelyn smiled and waved at her as she and Justin made their way out to his F-150.

~*~

"So how did you two meet?" 

Jaelyn looked up from her plate and smiled at Callie, the girlfriend of Justin's frat brother, Jeff.

"Do you wanna tell the story or should I?" Justin said with a slight chuckle.

"You tell it; you tell it better than I do," Jaelyn replied, looking up at him sweetly.  The two weren't even dating and were already acting like an old married couple.  Jaelyn placed a hand on his firm bicep and laughed along with Jeff and Callie as Justin told the story of how the two of them met.

"Aww, that's adorable!" Callie said once Justin finished speaking, "I swear it's like you two have been together forever," she said with a wide grin.

"Oh, we're not dating," Jaelyn interjected.

"Yeah, we're just friends," Justin said, his mood slightly soured.

"Really?  Well you two should totally hook up!  You'd probably be the next Ms. SAE, Jaelyn."  Jaelyn chuckled nervously at Callie's comment.  It was things like that that had her skeptical about coming tonight.  She was already beginning to doubt her relationship with Daniel and here were all of Justin's fraternity brothers and their girlfriends and dates encouraging them to move forward with their relationship.  Justin just grinned and threw an arm around Jaelyn.

"I don't think she can handle all of this Callie; I'm too much of a man for her," he said jokingly.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh, is Timberlake about to get his ass handed to him by another girl?" Trace exclaimed, joining the conversation.

"Can it Ayala.  And you're on, Jaelyn."

"Ok Mr. Macho Man.  Let's see how much of a man you really are."  She got up and walked over to the karaoke booth and signed them up for a song.

"What did you pick?"

"What?  Too chicken to sing a song I pick, Timberlake?" Jaelyn asked with a cocky tone.

"Not at all, let's go."  All of a sudden ‘You're the one that I want' from the move ‘Grease' started playing.  Jaelyn began singing John Travolta's part.

I got chills!  They're multiplying!

And I'm losing control

Before long the entire room had joined in.  She and Justin ended the song with a graceful bow and headed back to their seats.

"I'm sorry man, but I'm gonna have to say that Jaelyn won that one," Trace said as the pair sat down.

"Thanks, I'm happy that I can always count on a brother to have my back," Justin replied sarcastically.  Callie, Jeff and Jaelyn couldn't help but laugh at the friends as they went back and forth.  Jaelyn smiled and relaxed in the comfortability of the situation.  She could definitely get used to this whole environment, hanging out with Justin and his fraternity brothers and their significant others.  Jaelyn mentally questioned her relationship with Daniel once again.  It wasn't like Justin was her first male friend; in fact when she was younger she got along better with guys than with the girls.  It wasn't until college that she started socializing with girls who weren't in her core group of best friends.  Speaking of her besties, Jaelyn needed to call them; she made a mental note and picked up her drink.  She didn't even notice that Justin was no longer at the table until she saw him back on the stage, this time solo.  She raised an eyebrow, confused with what was going on.

"This one's for you Jaelyn," he said before Al Green's ‘Let's Stay Together'.

I-I'm so in love with you.

Whatever you want to do is alright with me.

Jaelyn's jaw dropped, she didn't know he could sing!  They were just playing around earlier when they were singing ‘Grease', but this boy was really talented.

‘Cause you make me feel so brand new

And I want to spend my life with you.

Justin took the wireless mic off its stand and began advancing towards his date.  He didn't know whether this newfound courage was coming from the alcoholic beverages he'd consumed earlier or if he just felt that now was the time to take their relationship to the next level.  Sure he was fine with just being friends with her, at first but the more they hang out, the more he gets to know her, the more he wants to know her.

So baby let's, let's stay together.

Loving you whether, whether times are good, bad, happy or sad.

Once again the room was singing along and cheering.  Justin took Jaelyn's hand in his and brought her to her feet.  The two of them danced while he serenaded her and the rest of the people in the room.  Trace whooped and hollered, exclaiming that they no longer needed to hire entertainment for their events, that Justin had that covered.  The song ended shortly after and applause exploded from the crowd.  Justin bowed slightly and spun Jaelyn around and kissed her squarely on the lips.  That merited more cheering from the room.

"Looks like we're even."

~*~

Jaelyn unlocked the front door and she and Justin stumbled into her apartment laughing.

"I can't believe you made me sing a Backstreet Boys song...I can't stand those guys."

"Well excuse me; I happen to have been a big BSB fan coming up darling," she replied with a grin.  The two of them had had a bit to drink and even though they weren't drunk they were feeling good. 

"Wow, I can't believe you just admitted that to me," he said with a laugh.

"Neither can I," she said laughing along with him, "Do you want something to drink?  Have a seat," she said, motioning towards the couch.

"Naw, I'm fine...wait, on second thought can I get some water, please?"

"Sure, I'll be right back."  Jaelyn turned on the lights in the living room before making her way towards the kitchen for their beverages.  Justin looked around the room rose to his feet to go look at the extensive DVD collection when Jaelyn came back in the room.

"Here you go," she said, handing him a plastic tumbler of ice water. 

"Thank you.  That's quite a collection of movies you have," he said, approaching the wooded case.

"Thanks, half of those aren't even mine," she said before thinking.  She forgot that she hadn't told him about Daniel and here they were in the apartment that she shared with Daniel and she expected him not to notice anything...genius move.

"So you just borrow movies from friends and never give them back?  Remind me never to loan you any of mine," he said with a slight laugh.  Jaelyn chuckled nervously. 

"I was going to get around to that," she said with a smile.  Jaelyn silently thanked God that she and Daniel hadn't gotten around to putting up pictures of themselves in the living room...that would've been way harder to explain than the movies.

"Wow, I definitely thought you'd have more chick flicks than this.  I've never met a girl who owned this many guy movies." 

Little did he know.

Jaelyn laughed nervously again, thinking that she had to get him out of there soon, or else she'd have a whole lot more to explain than a collection of DVDs. 

"So I would offer to give you a tour of the place, but I really have to get to bed...I have to get up early for a study group breakfast," she lied.

"Oh ok, well I don't want to keep you," Justin replied, kissing her cheek sweetly.

The first time we ever got a chance to be alone we knew,
That it was wrong to do,
I guess that's why I was drawn to you,
The 2nd time leads to the 3rd, the 5th, the 7th time,
I feel so alive, it won't last but it's alright,
Fleeting joy and fading ecstasy, here it goes again, oh,
Sneaking fruit from the forbidden tree, sweet taste of sin

He slowly pulled away and his eyes captured hers, silently asking for approval for another kiss.  Jaelyn felt her reserve fading fast and before she knew it she had his face in her hands and was pulling his lips towards hers. 

And I'm doing it again;
Yes, I'm doing it again,
Oh, I'm doing it again,
I said it would end but here it goes again

...and here we go again.

 

Song credits: You're the One that I want - Olivia Newton John & John Travolta, Let's Stay Together - Al Green, Again - John Legend