The evening had been lovely… exciting… exhausting. Well into the morning, the car carrying JC and Callie from the release party turned into the driveway. Everyone else in the house had made their escape before midnight. JC felt compelled to stay and mingle with the guests who had come to celebrate his first album release in years. Callie stayed to keep him company.

“My feet are killing me,” she said, limping up the driveway to the sidewalk.

“Want to hop on my back?” he joked.

“Don’t tempt me, I’ll hop on that back so fast—“   JC turned around and picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder.

“Oh my God! Put me down!” Callie pounded on his back and laughed hysterically.

“Quiet, you’ll wake everyone up.” He unlocked the door, stepped inside, closed the door and carried her up the stairs, finally dumping her onto the bed.

“You are crazy. Insane!”

He snapped on the lamp next to the bed, then laughed and laid next to her. Callie rolled to face him; he rolled onto his side so he could face her. Their hands met between them and for a few minutes they laid there, smiling and staring at one another.

“So, are you happy with how it turned out?” Callie stroked his cheek, he loosened his tie.

“Very, very happy,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I’m even happier that you’re here with me. It’s been pretty cool to share it with you.”

“Yeah, it is pretty cool. I like that you want me here. This can be a really stressful time.”

“It can be, yeah.” He yawned.

“I told you not to wear yourself out.”

“I didn’t,” he said, yawning again. “I’m not tired, mama.”

“I am,” she said, letting out a short little laugh.

“Say it ain’t so.”

“It’s so. I’m exhausted. You’ve been going, going, going for days, and it’s not even over, yet. You still have a show in two days!”

JC pouted, and fluttered his eyelashes at her. “Are you saying no to me?”

“No, whiny. Just, let’s not take all night.”

He laughed, and leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead. “Callie, if you’re tired, honey, we don’t have to any—“

“Oh my God, if you don’t get over here.”

Callie yanked him by the tie until his lips met hers in a hot, wet, sultry kiss. He moaned and whimpered, rolled on top of her, opening her legs with his and grinding himself into her. She moaned, hips rolling. He shuddered, feeling her writhe beneath him.  He tore his lips away from her and began to undress, tossing clothes left and right. She followed his lead and shimmied out of her dress,  her shoes, jewelry, bra, panties, everything else adding to a small pile next to the bed.

JC turned the covers back and they climbed in under them, at once finding each other’s arms, lips, tongues, limbs intertwining. Chests heaving, voices moaning, squealing, hands roaming, a defining moment when two became one and then a perfect climax. Panting, they collapsed against each other, sweating—and grinning ear to ear.

“How was that for you? Quick enough?” he managed to say between gasps for air.

Callie sighed, content and satisfied. “Hell yeah. If I smoked, I’d be burning one right now.”

“I don’t smoke, and I kinda need a cigarette,” he said, laughing.

Callie’s head felt heavy, like she couldn’t even lift it to sit up. Instead she rolled it to the side so she could see him. “Have I told you, in the last five minutes, how proud I am of you?”

“Not in the last five minutes. Get on that.”

She giggled. “Fucker. See, I try to be nice to you…”

“I never asked you to be nice to me. I like you feisty. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“I can’t help it,” she said, turning to face him. “You’re so good to me. I know I don’t always show it but I appreciate you. You’ve been the nicest man, ever, since I met you. You should have got up from that first meeting and walked right out, but you didn’t. And now my life is so different and I’m really thankful for it.”

“Aww. You’re cute when you’re serious.”

She rolled her eyes and then closed them, shaking her head. “Why do I even try? Just… why?”

He leaned over her and sang in her ear. “Because you loooove me, you want to kiiiiiiiiss me, you want to huuuuuuuuuug me.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned, and rolled over.

“Perfect. I wanted to spoon anyway. Scoot back.”

She did, and he pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her, smiling into her hair.

“Thank you, Callie. For the things you said to me. It was sweet, and I didn’t mean to discount your feelings. I didn’t walk out of that meeting because I really wanted to work with you and if didn’t fire me, I wasn’t leaving. We’re both living different lives than we’d live if we’d never met. I have you to thank for the life I’m living now, the life I got back. I’d be so disappointed if I couldn’t share this with you. I love you, and I’m happy you’re here.”

She didn’t want him to see the two tears that fell from her eyes and rolled down the side of her face, so she simply reached down to the hand that laid heavily across her body and held it, lacing her fingers between his.

###

Energy and excitement surged through the air as the caravan of cars lined up outside the local Anaheim theater. Taking no chances, everyone planned to arrive very early for the show—no one wanted to get stuck in traffic or in a line—and there were already people lining up outside.

JC had been on site since early that morning, assisting with setup and now going through a sound check.  Finding nothing to occupy her time, Callie sunk into a couch in the ‘Play Room’ JC had set up backstage.   A Quiet Room was set up across the hall for just him to get prepped in peace. An old friend flew in to do him a special favor and work security.  Lonnie smiled politely when necessary but mostly stood stone-faced at the dressing room door. Besides wardrobe, hair and makeup, and Eric, Callie was the only other person on the list for admittance.

People milled about the Play room, talking, laughing, sitting, waiting. The rooms around them seemed to come to life as the band came off stage and began preparing their wardrobe for the show, talking to friends and relatives, grabbing a bite to eat from catering. JC poked his head in once or twice to say hi, but other than that he was consumed with interview after interview, then meet and greet with a room full of fans.

Callie’s calm outward appearance hid inner nervousness. She was literally shaking, a twitching foot the tell-tale sign. JC hadn’t been on a stage in years, performing new material with a new band. He was calm—she was the one wracked with nerves, hoping it would go off without a hitch-- that The Show Room would be full to overflowing and that he would have a good time and the audience would love the music.

One hour to show time, and the backstage area was controlled chaos. Dancers, musicians, security, agents, press, Grove staff all wandered about purposefully, weaving in and out of each other’s paths. Callie stood outside JC’s dressing room and watched the organized dance. More than a few people had tried to get past Lonnie into JC’s room. She found it amusing that they backed down so quickly when Lonnie gave them a stern glare and stepped in front of the door.

“Stop laughing, I don’t look mean when I’m smiling,” he said to Callie, trying to look stern.

“Sorry. I can’t help it!” she said, still laughing at the last photographer who tried to get past him.

“I’m gonna have to send you back to the Play Room. Interfering with my job, ma’am.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be good.”

A commotion was stirring down the hallway. Callie’s face broke into a grin as she saw the four members of JC’s old group sauntering down the hall. ‘God Bless Joey’, she thought. ‘He got them all here.’ She nodded at them as they made their way to the Play room. Chris shoved himself up against a wall as soon as he saw Lonnie was standing guard.

“I know the drill, Lonnie. Don’t have to frisk me, or anything,” Chris teased.

“Don’t tempt me, Kirkpatrick. How you been, man?” They shook hands and grinned at each other.

“Real good. Nice to see you found work.”

“Well, let’s just say I’m always available for my boys. Now get away from this door before I have to hurt you.”

“Dude, man, I’m goin’, I’m goin’.  Chris jogged down the hall to the Play room where everyone was waiting before they took their seats. Eric walked out of the room, followed by JC’s hair, makeup and wardrobe people.

“The only person he wants to see right now is Callie.”

Lonnie stepped aside as she walked into the cool, darkened room. JC, dressed in stylish black suit and crisp white shirt sat waiting on a large plush couch on one side of the room. The other side held a vanity table, lit by tiny bulbs, and a makeup chair. On a small table in front of the couch were two full champagne glasses. He extended a hand to her, inviting her to sit next to him.

“Hey. What’s all this?”

“This,” he said, lifting a glass and handing it to her, “is me and you making a toast. To tonight, to the show, to us. I mean it, when I say that I wouldn’t be right here, right now, if it wasn’t for you. I really needed the kick in the ass you gave me, and I’ll love you forever for it. I love that you believed in me. You had faith in me. You were never satisfied to let me give up and once I was going, you let me just go and do it. I’m very happy, right now. This show is for you. I hope you like it.”

He tapped his glass against hers and they each took a long gulp. Callie wasn’t much of a champagne drinker and the fizz tickled on the way down.

“Oooh. That’s bubbly,” she sputtered, blinking and coughing.

“You ok?”

“Yeah,” she said, clearing her throat. “Uhm. Well thank you… for the toast. It’s awfully sweet of you to attribute all your hard work, late nights, bleeding fingers, and aching bones, to me. I’m glad I was here to go through it with you, but… you did all the work. I could not be more proud of you, Producer Man. I’ll let you get into your zone and relax,” she said, standing up. “Just go out there and have a good time?”

He nodded, and pumped his fists in the air. “Excited about it. Can I get a kiss for good luck?”

He opened his arms and she stepped into them, feeling strength wrapped around her, and tipped her head up to meet his lips. He moaned against her mouth, his tongue running along her bottom lip. He finally pulled away and sighed, resting his forehead on hers.

“I’m nervous,” he whispered.

“Good. That means you’re not too cocky,” she whispered back.

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “I’m scared. What if I screw this up?”

“Not possible. You’ve worked too hard to make it perfect. There’s a goof-up on every show but no one will know the difference. Just have fun, ok?”

She started to pull away, to leave, but he held her next to him. “Will you stay here with me, till I go on? I don’t want to be alone. Please?”

“Yeah. I will. Come on, let’s sit.” Callie sat back down on the couch and pulled him back, next to her, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Do you want to see anyone else?”

“No. Just you. I feel sick.”

Her arms tightened around him and she kissed his temple. “J. Honey. Relax. You love this. You’re ok. Talk to me. About anything. Here’s your chance to talk without me telling you to shut up.”

He talked about everything and nothing. None of it made any sense, she just let him talk, occasionally laughing at a comment, or dropping a kiss on his forehead. He talked through his opening act and as they came off stage, the stage manager came to collect him.

JC took a deep breath and sat up, then took her hand in his and stood, dragging Callie up with him.

“Come on. I’ll drop you off at VIP.”

The sounds of the band warming up and the crowd chanting ‘JC! JC! JC!’ got louder the closer they got to the stage. At the end of the hallway, they could either turn right or left. The Stage Manager was rushing ahead of JC and turned to the right, toward the stage. VIP seating was to the left. Callie’s hand lingered in his as she looked back at him. He gave her the slightest wink, and let go. “I love you,” she said. “Go have fun.”

###

The show could not have gone better if he had tried to plan it that way. From beginning to end, the crowd was lively and energetic and JC seemed to have a great time, talking to them, belting out his songs, dancing, working through the crowd.  After the first few songs, he removed his jacket, sat on a stool, and just talked to the crowd. Talked about what he’d been doing in the years he’d been offstage, and how badly he’d wanted to be right back there. He thanked his family, who were all in attendance—even Heather, who had flown in earlier that day and would normally watch the show from backstage, was front row center with the rest of his family. Lastly, he paid a special tribute to the four men who came to show their support to him, and asked them to come out onto the stage.

This, of course, brought madness.

For a full ten minutes nothing JC said could be heard. As the five stood together on stage for the first time in nearly a decade, the entire auditorium, from the cheap seats to the front row were on their feet, absolutely screaming, cheering, stomping, whistling—the noise was deafening, and eventually gave way to chants of ‘Nsync!  ‘Nsync!  ‘Nsync!

“If ya’ll will calm down, we might sing something for you,” JC said, to which the crowd went wild again. The men laughed to each other, and huddled on stage for a few minutes, then each picked up a microphone.

“So, there’s a special someone out there,” JC said, when he could get a word in. “And she’s got a favorite song. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. And I just want to take this time to do something for her, since the guys are here. Now, we only practiced this once, by phone, so I hope it doesn’t sound like ass.” The crowd laughed, and JC turned around to count down the start of the song. “One, two, three.”

Callie knew what the song would be, before they even began to sing, but that did not stop the rush of emotion that coursed through her as she stood between Tyler and Paula, listening to the blend of voices, the harmonious sound she had once considered pop drivel. She swayed with the crowd, arms lifted, and sang along to the words, especially moved that ‘Just a dream and wind to carry me/ soon I will be free’ had finally come true. Her dream had carried her to this time, this place, and she was finally ‘out from under everything over her’. She felt free, and invincible, and happy.

The House was packed, since the show had nearly sold out. Every time JC paused or moved or sang or danced, the applause and screams rose to the rafters. Callie loved hearing the sound from the stage, but it was much different sitting in the audience and being a part of it, especially for someone she knew and loved, who deserved every last ounce of it.

He did a few familiar songs from his first album, and a few songs that had never been released from his Jive album, but the bulk of the show was new music, new songs from the heart and soul of him. While onstage he announced plans for a tour and the entire auditorium went wild. The show was over before she knew it, much too quickly, she thought. He must have agreed, because he came back out for two encores before saying his thank you’s, introducing the band, and his good nights. He spent one last moment on stage, looking out over the crowd, grinning ear to ear. He was back.

As soon as the House lights went up, people began to disperse, milling about. Callie felt a tug on her elbow, and Lonnie was next to her. “I was told to find you and bring you to him. Let’s go.”

As soon as she reached the dressing room door, Eric came out of it. “He’s asking for you. The van will be here in 20 minutes, so don’t keep him.”

Callie stepped into the dressing room, rolling her eyes and laughing.

“Eric is a little high strung. Forgive him,” he said, fresh out of a quick shower, water still dripping from his hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Here, J. Let me help you.” She took the towel from him and turned him around, blotting the water from his back, and then his chest and arms.

“So,” he said, with a shy smile. “Uhm. What did you think?”

“Hmmm, what do I think,” she mused, blotting and wiping until he was dry. “Well. I think that I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone since the beginning of time. I think that the show turned out incredibly better than I ever thought it would be. I think you had a better time than you thought you would, once you relaxed. And I think that if you dance with anyone else the way you danced with me during ‘All Day Long’, I will hurt you. And you know I can. Are we clear?”

He let out a loud belly laugh and turned to get dressed. “That was just for you, honey.”

“Thank you, for the song. I loved it. I was totally surprised. You mean the world to me. You know that, right?”

“I do now,” he said, smiling over at her.

“JC, sometimes I actually say nice, serious things. Can you just follow my lead, here?”

“Yes, yes I know. Thank you.”

“Any other reason you wanted to see me, than for me to ogle you while you dress?” Callie sank into a low chair, watching him pull on a t-shirt.

“Not really. I just wanted to see you. See what you thought. Make sure you had a good time.”

“Well. I thought it went perfectly. I had an excellent time.”

“Good,” he whispered, bending over her and lightly brushing her lips with his.

Callie gripped his shirt and didn’t let go. “Hey. That wasn’t a kiss, you tease.”

“Oh. You want a kiss, kiss?”

“Mmmhmm…”

He dropped a kiss on her forehead and dug through his duffel bag for socks and shoes.

“That wasn’t a kiss, kiss either. Stop stalling!”

“I know. I am evil.”

“I’m so glad you find this funny. Wait till you find out how long it will be till we have sex.”

His head popped up, eyes large as saucers. She nodded. “Uh huh. Didn’t think of that, did you?”

“You can’t resist me. I’m not worried.”

“Really? You think so? You want to take that bet? Over a kiss? Really?”

He pondered for a moment, then said, “No.” He bent over her, his lips landing softly on hers. She held his face in her hands. He moaned, leaning into her, playing with her tongue. She moaned in chorus, her arms circling his neck. 

A sharp knock at the door startled them. JC disappeared into the bathroom and Callie checked the door. Lonnie was standing outside, blocking the view of nosy onlookers walking by.

“Van’s here. Is he about ready?”

“Yeah he’s just putting his things in his bag.”

“One minute.”

She closed the door and picked up JC’s discarded suit and towel and shoved them inside the duffel bag. He reappeared with his shower gel and razor, brush and aftershave and dumped them into the bag.

“Do you have everything? Eric is probably frothing at the mouth. Lonnie said the van is here.”

“I think so. Can you tell him to clear the hallway? I’m tired, I don’t feel like dealing with people right now.”

Callie opened the door to find Lonnie still standing outside. “Is the hallway clear?”

“Just about. Working on a quiet exit. We started diverting people at the hallway up there so these should be the last people. I’ll knock when it’s clear.”

A few minutes later a knock at the door said it was time to go. Gerald, another member of security, walked in front of them, and Lonnie walked behind as they navigated the now empty hallway, out of the back door and down the steps to the waiting van. They climbed into the warm, running vehicle and fell into the two seats in the second row.

“All in,” said Gerald, closing the van doors and tapping the side. The driver pulled away from the curb and out onto the side street, leaving the Theater behind. 

“Great show, honey. I enjoyed it. It was nice to see the new stuff live.” Karen reached up and tapped JC on the shoulder.

“Thanks mom,” he said, yawning. “I’m glad you guys could come. Especially Heather. You have a good time?” He turned to look at her. She was smiling and playing with a curl.

“Yeah, it was nice,” she said, nodding.” I enjoyed myself. Thanks.”

 The van filled with chatter from various people as it rolled toward the restaurant where they would have dinner, relax, and celebrate a successful show.

“You know what, honey,” JC said, dropping an arm around Callie’s shoulder. “I think when I come off tour, I’ll do a movie. I think I have an acting bug.”

Callie laughed hysterically. JC stared down at her. “Oh my God, you’re serious. Oh okay,” she said, composing herself. “Well you know Paula is an agent, she can give you lots of advice. And uhm. Maybe hook you up with a coach.”

“Yeah, that sounds like fun. Not for awhile, it’s just something else I wanted to get back to, if I could.”

“Have I created a monster?”

“Maybe,” he said. “Will you come to my first movie premiere, too?”

“Try to stop me,” she answered.

“So, I have an album. You need to start thinking about yours.”

“You don’t get to just order me around, now.”

“Yes I do. I have some time, before the tour starts. Let’s start banging some stuff out. I know you’ve been writing.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said, winking up at him.

“Calpernia,” he said, laughing, shaking his head.

 ###

JC rolled two large suitcases toward the bus and parked them in front of the driver so they could be loaded. Callie shivered next to him. It was early, and it was cold.

“I have something for you, Producer Man.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,”she said, handing him a small box. “Just a little something to remind you of me.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, grinning as he removed the red bow she had tied around the small white box. He lifted the lid, and gasped as he pulled the delicate tissue paper back. Nestled inside the box was a pewter cross, adorned with multi colored gem stones. The stones gleamed in the moonlight as he picked it up, moved it around.

“You sweet girl. This is… wow. I have never seen one like this. Thank you.”

“I had it made for you. Do you like it?”

She stared up at him, eyes wide and hopeful. He smiled down at her, then leaned down to kiss her, sincerely, softly. He pulled back, slightly and whispered “I love it. I really, really love it. I love you, thank you. I’ll wear it every night.”

The driver honked twice and waved. JC looked back at him, then back at Callie and grinned. “This is gonna be fun.”

“Yeah. So. I’ll see you at the first stop,” she said, backing away toward her own bus.

“Explain to me, again, why we have two buses?”

“None of my people want to ride with you!” she called back to him.

“Well, you’re gonna ride with me sometimes, aren’t you?” he yelled at her, across the parking lot.

“I’ll think about it!” she yelled, climbing onto her bus.

“Calpernia!” he yelled at the bus. Laughing, he shook his head, and climbed the steps, the door sliding closed behind him.

A few minutes later, the sun rising and casting a bright glow across the landscape, the two buses pulled out of the parking lot and rolled toward the freeway.