"Good morning."

Aubrey looked up from her computer Monday morning and smiled at Rachel.  "Morning." She said.

"Did you have a good weekend?" Rachel inquired.

"Yes, I did." Aubrey grinned-the high from her day with Justin still with her.  Every time she thought about it a huge grin appeared on her face and it wasn't because she could say that Justin Timberlake had wanted to spend time with her.  He had accused her several times of being surprising but he was the one who kept pulling cards out of his sleeves.  For someone as high profile as he was and had been in the spotlight the majority of his life he was surprisingly down to earth and...normal. 

Yesterday she'd all but forgotten she was out spending time with a world famous musician whose face and voice were instantly recognized by millions.  When they'd been paint balling--and especially when they'd been at lunch--he'd been a regular twenty-something guy just out having fun. 

"That's a pretty big grin you got goin' on, girl." Rachel observed, drawing Aubrey out of her thoughts and back to the present.  "What did you do this weekend?" She prodded as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I went out with Justin." Aubrey told her.

"Really?" Rachel's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Mmm-hmm." Aubrey nodded.

"What did you guys do?" Rachel asked excitedly.

"We went paint balling."

Rachel was quiet for a split second.  "I'm sorry, what?" She questioned her face the picture of confusion.  "Paint balling?" Rachel leaned against the top of the reception desk.

Aubrey chuckled.  "It was something we talked about at Red Mango.  He asked for my number and said he would call the next time he went.  He picked me up yesterday and we spent the morning playing a game."

"Was it just the two of you?" Rachel asked.

"No." Aubrey shook her head.  "It was me and Justin and then Trace and, um..." she faltered, searching for the other guy's name.  "Ryan." She said when it came to her.

"Hmmm." Rachel hummed.

"What?" Aubrey asked, confused at Rachel's response.  Hadn't she been the one who'd told her Justin had talked about their meeting at Red Mango?  Aubrey had been fine thinking that that would be the extent of her contact with the man--until Rachel kept throwing out hints that Justin was possibly interested in her.

"Nothing." Rachel replied.  "It's just...I didn't know he paint balled.  Is that all you did?"

"We went out to eat afterwards." Aubrey answered.

"The four of you?"

"No.  Just Justin and I." Aubrey said.

"Huh." Rachel replied.  "Well good." She smiled. 

"Yeah?" Aubrey asked, feeling a sense of relief.  She'd been more than a little confused at Rachel's line of questioning but now that it seemed she was okay with the encounter, Aubrey allowed herself to once more feel the giddy excitement that had filled her since Justin had dropped her off yesterday afternoon.

"Yeah." Rachel nodded as she straightened up and pushed away from the desk.  "You better keep me informed if anything else happens between you two."

"I will." Aubrey felt her cheeks warm slightly. 

"‘Kay." Rachel said with a grin as she started walking back towards her desk.  "You know where to find me."

~~~~~~

"So..." Rachel said as she plopped down next to Justin on his couch Thursday evening.  JC had been over all day working with Justin on a couple songs they were toying around with.  Rachel had come over after work--a couple bags of Chinese take-out in her hands--and the three of them now sat, the guys watching a game on ESPN.

"So...what?" Justin asked, looking over at Rachel as he put the bottle in his hands to his lips.  Taking a swig of his beer he looked down at his leg as Rachel put her hand there.  Rachel looked at him--a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat on her face.  "What?" He asked again with a confused chuckle.

"I talked to Aubrey on Monday." She said.

"Congratulations." Justin offered dryly.  Rachel pushed him playfully. 

"Brat." She laughed.  "She told me about how you took her paint balling last weekend."

"Oh." Justin replied.  He turned his attention back to the television--trying to act casual so Rachel wouldn't get it into her head to make more out of this than there was.  Not that anything would stop her. He thought with a roll of his eyes.  He could see that determined look in her eyes.  If there was one thing he'd learned about JC's girlfriend over the six months he'd known her it was that once Rachel got an idea into her head, there was no stopping her until she'd achieved her goal.  For instance: the dance try-outs he'd snuck her into a couple weeks ago.  She'd decided that, despite her injury from years ago, she was going to try-out for JC's tour and had called him up, asking for his help.  She's told him she wanted to prove that she could still dance so he'd done what he could to get her in without JC seeing.  What he couldn't understand was why she'd gone to all the trouble of sneaking in and trying out to then turn around and turn down the offer she'd been given by the tour manager.

"‘Oh'?" She asked, clearly not satisfied with his response.  She folded her arms across her chest as she raised one eyebrow.  "That's all you've got to say?"

"I'm sorry." He replied, beginning to feel irritated.  "What did you want me to say?" Justin saw JC look over at him and Rachel--the other guy watching them cautiously.  Why was everyone so concerned about him all the sudden?  And why was this affecting him so much?  Yes, he's spent some time with Aubrey last weekend.  What was the big deal?  Couldn't he spend time with a girl without everyone automatically assuming he was hooking up with her?

"I was just wondering how it went." Rachel continued on as if his irritation didn't phase her one bit.

"It was fun." Justin replied non-commitally with a shrug as he took another swig of his beer.  Rachel was quite for a moment and he thought maybe he'd get lucky and she would decide to drop this whole line of questioning. 

"She's cute, huh?" Rachel asked with a grin and he groaned.  No such luck. He thought.  He turned to look at her, intent on telling her to just butt the hell out of his life but before he could open his mouth she continued.  "I told you she would be good for you." She said, a smug smile on her face.

"Rachel--" He sighed.

"Rach." JC cut him off.

"Yeah?" She asked turning to look at her boyfriend.

"Come here." He said scooting over on the couch he was sitting on.  He crooked a finger at her then patted the seat next to him.  Rachel looked back at Justin for a second then stood and walked the few feet to where JC was.  Justin shot JC a look of gratitude and JC smiled at him briefly then turned his attention to his girlfriend--pulling her down next to him and effectively distracting her by whispering something in her ear and tucking her beneath his arm.

Justin laid his head back against the couch cushions and took a deep breath.  With a sigh he let his thoughts wander.  Was Aubrey cute?  Sure.  No question.  Did he have fun when he was with her?  Yes.  She was fun and so...real.  She was the first person--besides the guys from N SYNC--that he'd met in a long time that he felt completely comfortable with.  Was he in love with the girl?  Absolutely not! 

He sat up.  With that thought firmly planted in his mind Justin finally pushed all irritation with Rachel and her meddling ways aside.  He looked over at his two friends and smiled.  He knew Rachel only had his best interests at heart; she'd proven that over the last few months since his break-up with Jessica.  He just had to find a way to convince her that he was an adult and could make his own decisions on who he wanted to date.  He was a big boy and could take care of himself.       

~~~~~~

Aubrey took a deep breath as she stepped to the edge of the concrete, her toes curling around the edge.  Raising her arms above her head she jumped--her body slicing through the warm water as she began swimming the length of the pool.  She took a deep breath as her head came above the water and settled into a steady and familiar rhythm, her body expertly performing the movements she'd spent years training to perfect. 

She loved coming here early in the morning--right when the center opened and before all the kids arrived with their parents.  As she moved from one end of the pool to the other she couldn't help remembering the many meets and competitions she'd participated in when she was in high school.  Swimming had been her niche--the thing that made being the new girl in school more bearable. 

Once it had been discovered that swimming came as naturally to her as breathing, she'd been put on the school's team and started a winning streak for her high school that still held the record.  She could remember the sense of accomplishment and pride that filled her as she had finally found something that she was good at.  Everyone had assumed she'd go on to get a scholarship somewhere and maybe even eventually end up on an Olympic team one day, and they hadn't understood when she'd turn down the offers she'd gotten.  But that hadn't been the path Aubrey had wanted to take with her life.  She'd never wanted to be a professional athlete.  She knew that the glory would be short lived and then she'd have the rest of her life to fill.  She wanted to do something that would make an impact on someone's life and actually mean something in the grand scheme of things.  Yet there was still a small part of her that wondered just how far she could have gone had life not thrown her such a fast curve ball a few years ago.

Aubrey stopped as she came to the edge of the pool.  Putting her arms up on the concrete she wiped the water from her eyes, looking up as a bare pair of feet stopped right in front of her.

"When you gonna try out for the Olympics?"

"Hey, Kevin." Aubrey smiled as she looked up.  She moved over as the lifeguard sat down next to her, dangling his legs into the water. 

"How are you?" He asked.

"Pretty good." Aubrey replied. 

"Just pretty good?" He inquired, his friendly brown eyes sparkling.

"Oh, you know," She shrugged, looking back down at the water.  "Work and school are keeping me pretty busy, but life is good.  How about you?" She asked, looking up at him.  "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been here." Kevin said, splashing his feet in the water next to her.  "You're the one who hasn't been coming to see me." He tried to look hurt but Aubrey laughed.

"Sorry."  She apologized with a grin.  "I had a ton of homework on Saturday and I went out on Sunday with this guy I met a few weeks ago."

"Wha--?" Kevin pulled back and looked at her.  "Girl, you been holdin' out on me?  How many times have I asked you out and you always tell me no?"

"You've never asked me out." She laughed.  "And besides, I don't want to date a lifeguard." She teased him.

"And what does this guy do that makes him so much better than me?" Kevin inquired.

"He's a..." Aubrey paused.  "Well, he's...I guess you could say he's a business man." She finally answered vaguely.  That's one way to describe Justin. She thought.  And she didn't want to say anything that would give away his identity just yet.  Although she barely knew him, she figured she owed him the courtesy of not blabbing all over that they'd gone out together.  Heaven knew if she were in his position she would appreciate whoever it was not making a huge deal of it and dragging everybody in the whole world into it.

"What kind of business man?" Kevin asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.  Aubrey tried to act casual as she pushed back from the wall slightly. 

"He's got a couple different ventures he's a part of." She replied.  "He's one of those guys who has his fingers in several different pies at the same time, you know?"

"And how did you meet?" Kevin asked.

"What are you?" Aubrey asked.  "My brother?"

He laughed.  "I'm just trying to look out for you." He said.  "You know you're my girl."

Aubrey smiled.  Since she'd moved to California and started coming to the community center every Saturday to swim, she'd become familiar with the lifeguards that were always on duty, but Kevin was her favorite.  They really had nothing in common, besides their mutual love of the water, but for some reason they'd hit it off and had begun a casual friendship.

"You don't have to worry about me, Kevin." She said.  "I'm a big girl.  I can take care of myself."

"I know." He replied.

"Hey, Kev!"

They both turned as one of the other lifeguards called over to him.

"Yeah?" Kevin called back.

"Phone's for you." The blonde said then ducked back into the small office area.

"Gotta go." He said, standing.

"See ya." Aubrey replied as he began walking away.  "Hey, Kevin?" She called out.

"Yeah?" He turned back around.

"Is that teaching position still available?" She asked.

"Yeah." He smiled.  "You interested?"

"Maybe." Aubrey replied.  She'd noticed the posting for the swim lesson coach a few weeks ago and had been thinking about applying.

"You want me to put in a good word for you with Zack?" He asked in reference to the Director of the Aquatics Center.

Aubrey paused for a moment then, with a deep breath, nodded her head.  "Yeah." She said.

"You got it." Kevin said, then turned and continued walking towards the office.  Aubrey turned and pushed off the wall.  After one more lap up and down the pool she got out.  After slipping her feet into her rubber flip flops, she ran her towel over her wet hair then wrapped the blue material around her waist and headed back towards the locker room.  A sense of excitement filled her at the prospect of possibly teaching here soon.  She wouldn't be able to do it full-time, what with school and her regular job she already had, but hopefully it was something she'd be able to do on the weekends; something to help build her resume up and give her something fun to do in her spare time. 

Aubrey grabbed her bag and left, deciding to just shower when she got home.  As she walked past the office she waved back as Kevin waved at her and smiled as she walked out to her car. 

~~~~~~

"Thanks for coming with me." Rachel said as she and Aubrey got out of her car the next Saturday.  

"No problem." Aubrey replied with a smile.  Rachel had called her the night before wondering if Aubrey wanted to go shopping with her the next day.  JC was out of town again doing some promotion for his album and Rachel was feeling lonely. 

"You caught me on my last remaining free Saturday." Aubrey said.

"Oh yeah?" Rachel asked as the girls walked towards the outdoor mall they'd parked at.  "What are you going to be doing now on Saturdays?"

"I just got a job as a swim instructor at the Aquatic Center by my grandma's house." Aubrey replied proudly.  After talking with Kevin last Sunday, she'd gotten a call the next day and had gone in for an interview.  After talking with Zack, the director, for about an hour he'd offered her the position teaching one of the beginner classes. 

"I didn't know you were a swimmer." Rachel exclaimed.  Aubrey smiled.  "That's exciting!"

"Yeah, I'm really excited about it." Aubrey replied as they walked into the first store.  "It's going to be kind of crazy busy for a while, working two jobs and taking my classes, but it'll be fun."

"What classes are you taking right now?" Rachel asked as she began going through the clothes on the racks in front of them.

"Generals mostly." Aubrey replied.  "Math and English.  I'm taking a Psychology class next semester which should be interesting."

Rachel looked up at her.  "If you don't mind my asking," Rachel began.  "Why are you still just taking general classes?  Did you change degree programs or something?"

"No." Aubrey looked down at the rack of shirts in front of her.  "I'm just...taking it a little slower than usual." She continued going through the shirts, hoping to appear casual.  "I didn't start school right after I graduated high school for a couple different reasons and I'm trying to do it without having to take out any student loans."

"That's awesome." Rachel replied.  "I wish I could say I didn't have any student loans."

Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief as the other girl didn't seem intent on dwelling on the subject.  Aubrey always felt a little uncomfortable whenever someone asked why she was twenty-one and still in her first year of college.  It wasn't that she didn't wish she were father along than she was, but with the medical bills that had started piling up her senior year of high school and then the surgery she'd had to have...Aubrey squared her shoulders as she took a deep breath.  There's no sense in dwelling on the past.  She reminded herself.  What's done is done.  All she could do was move forward and try to have a positive attitude about things.

"What do you think of this?" Rachel asked, holding up a sleeveless black dress with a long flowy skirt.

"I like it." Aubrey smiled. 

"Good." Rachel said, holding out to her.  "Go try it on."

"What?" Aubrey laughed.  "No." She shook her head.  "I can't afford anything in here.  I'm just window shopping."

"I didn't say you had to buy it." Rachel said, still holding out the dress to her.  "I just said you should try it on."  Aubrey hesitated.  "Come on." Rachel prodded.  "What fun is shopping unless you try some stuff on?  I can't afford anything in this store either."

"That's a lie." Aubrey replied with a roll of her eyes.  "You forget I know who you're living with."

Rachel laughed.  "Just try the damn dress on."

"Fine." Aubrey said as she took the article of clothing from her. 

Rachel smiled triumphantly.  "Good.  And, I'm going to try this one on." She said, picking out a dark blue halter-top dress with an empire waist. 

"That's a pretty color." Aubrey remarked. 

"It is, huh?" Rachel asked.  "I've always liked this color." She smiled almost dreamily and Aubrey wondered what she was thinking.  She was about to ask when Rachel seemed to snap out of her thoughts and smiled at Aubrey.  "Let's keep looking." She said.  "I love this store.  You never know what you're going to find here."

Forty minutes later Aubrey stood in front of the mirror in her dressing room, silently cursing the fact that she was a part-time student living on a receptionist's paycheck.  She turned and looked at herself from the back.  The black dress Rachel had picked out for her when they'd first arrived fit her perfectly and Aubrey had never felt more sexy and feminine than she did looking at her reflection.  The halter top tied behind her neck and the neckline plunged daringly.  She twirled slightly, watching as the layered skit fell back into place-a slit revealing most of her right leg up to her knee.

For once in her adult life she wasn't cursing the fact that she had hips--or a chest.  The dress seemed to have been made specifically for her, only magnifying the positive aspects of her body and she wished she could justify spending the exorbitant amount of money she was sure it cost.  She reached up and pulled her hair from the clip she'd had it in, watching as the loose curls framed her face and brushed her shoulders alluringly.  She turned and looked over her shoulder, batting her eyes at her reflection then laughed at herself.

Who am I kidding? She asked, pulling her hair back up.  If there's one thing I'm not, it's sexy.

"I want to see!" Rachel called out excitedly and Aubrey sighed.  She unlocked her fitting room door and stepped out, watching as Rachel's face lit up.  "You look gorgeous!" She exclaimed.  "I knew it would look good on you!  Turn around."

Aubrey did as she requested then sighed.  "It does look good." She admitted.  "Too bad, I can't afford it." She continued.  Rachel stepped closer to her and picked up the price tag hanging from the back of the dress. 

"It's on sale." Rachel said.  "It's only sixty dollars." She stepped back again and put her hands on her hips.  "You can afford sixty dollars, right?"

"Uh, yeah, no." Aubrey scoffed.  "Sixty dollars may not be much to you now a days, but that's about a tank and a half of gas in my SUV and right now that's a little higher on the priority list than a dress that would just hang in my closet because I have absolutely nowhere to wear it."

"You never know." Rachel countered.  "Every girl should have a sexy black dress--just in case." She smiled.  "I can loan you the money and you can pay me back a little each month." She offered. 

"No." Aubrey said, though Rachel's offer was tempting--too tempting.  Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth she looked at herself in the full length mirror outside the dressing rooms.  She studied her reflection.  The dress did look amazing on her and made her feel amazing. 

"You could wear it the next time you go clubbing." Rachel whispered.

Aubrey smiled as she rolled her eyes.   "Okay, okay." She said with a sigh and Rachel perked up in excitement.  She took a deep breath.  "I'll get it."

"Yea!" Rachel clapped her hands together.  "Now, go change.  We need to go find you a pair of shoes to go with it."

"I knew coming shopping with you today was a bad idea." Aubrey teased and Rachel laughed.  "You're evil, you know that?" She asked.

"I know but you'll thank me later." Rachel promised.  "Trust me."

Aubrey shook her head as she stepped back into the dressing room.  She put her shoulders back and stood up straight--looking at her reflection once more before slipping out of the dress.  It wasn't often that she splurged and bought something so extravagant.  It was kind of exhilarating, buying something so frivolous.  She just hoped that she'd find an excuse to wear it before it hung in her closet for too long and she regretted buying it.

~~~~~~

An hour later, after walking out of the last of the stores they wanted to go into, the girls headed over to where a couple restaurants were clustered together--trying to decide what to have for lunch.

"Ooh!" Rachel suddenly got really excited and Aubrey looked over at her in question.  "This is the Pussycat Dolls!" She exclaimed over the song that was currently playing on the outdoor sound system.

"The who?" Aubrey asked, looking at her in confusion.

"The Pussycat Dolls." Rachel replied, looking at her strangely.  "You know, ‘When I grow up, I wanna be famous...'" She did a few dance moves as she sang the lines to a song that Aubrey had never heard before. 

"I don't know who that is." Aubrey replied, looking at Rachel blankly.

"You're kidding me, right?" Rachel said, coming to a stop in the middle of the courtyard.  Aubrey shook her head, suddenly feeling the age gap between herself and Rachel.  When they were at work and when they had hung out before it was easy to forget that Rachel wasn't her same age.  "Who doesn't know who the Pussycat Dolls are?" Rachel inquired.  Aubrey raised her hand and grimaced.  Rachel laughed.  "Seriously?" She asked.

"Seriously." Aubrey replied.  "Sorry."

"It's okay." Rachel shook her head with an amused chuckle.  "It's just...you are so innocent sometimes."

"Is that a...bad thing?" Aubrey asked.

"No." Rachel insisted.  "It's not a bad thing.  Truth be told I wish I were still as innocent as you."

"You make it sound like I'm a little kid, Rachel." Aubrey replied with an embarrassed laugh.  "I'm not as sheltered and innocent as you might think.  I am twenty-one." She said in defense.

"Phff..." Rachel scoffed and Aubrey tried not to take offence to her reaction.  "I'm sorry." Rachel said, putting her hand on Aubrey's arm.  "I didn't mean to offend you.  I was just surprised is all." She smiled.  "I forget sometimes that not everyone listens to or likes the same kind of music that I do."

Aubrey smiled to show she hadn't taken offense to anything Rachel had said.  "Where do you want to eat?" She asked, changing the subject.

"There's a great little Italian place here." Rachel said, following Aubrey's lead and dropping the conversation.

"I love Italian." Aubrey smiled.

"Me too." Rachel replied.  "Come on."

"How come," Aubrey questioned as she followed behind Rachel.  "You're the one who wanted to go shopping today but I'm the only one who's spent any money?"

Rachel laughed and shrugged.  "Sometimes that's just how it happens.  But the day's not over.  I'm sure I'll find something I can't live without by the time we leave."  She smiled.

Aubrey shook her head as they continued walking.  After deciding to be impetuous and buy the black dress in the first store they'd gone too it had been a slippery slope downhill from there.  She and Rachel had gone into a few different shoe stores and had finally found the perfect pair of slinky black stilettos to go with the dress.  Then they had found a beautiful silver necklace with a heart shaped pendant in another boutique.  Aubrey smiled.  She felt like a walking MasterCard commercial.

Black cocktail dress: $60

The perfect pair of black heels to go with the black cocktail dress: $45

Silver heart shaped necklace to complete the outfit: $32.50

Finding somewhere to wear all this stuff? Aubrey asked herself.  Priceless.  She grinned.  Good thing I'm starting that teaching job next week.  Otherwise there's no way--Aubrey bumped into Rachel as the other girl stopped suddenly.  "Hey." Aubrey chuckled.  "What gives?"

"This is perfect!" Rachel exclaimed under her breath.

"What?" Aubrey asked, not sure she'd heard Rachel correctly.  What's perfect? She looked around them.

"What?" Rachel asked looking at her.  "Oh, nothing.  Come on." She said and continued walking quickly toward the restaurant.

"You're crazy." Aubrey commented with a laugh.  Rachel just grinned.  They walked past the outdoor patio area where several people were out eating-enjoying the pleasant spring afternoon.  Again Rachel pulled up short, but Aubrey was paying attention this time and didn't run into her.

"Justin?" Rachel asked a bit too dramatically for Aubrey's comfort but her eyes darted over to the patron Rachel was addressing.  "What are you doing here?"  Justin looked up from his cell phone and Aubrey felt her cheeks warm as his blue eyes connected with hers.

She'd been trying the last two weeks not to get too disappointed that he hadn't called her again.  The more time that passed without him calling her back, the more she felt her hopes slip. But, she reminded herself.  It took him almost a month to call me the first time.  Still...a girl couldn't help but hope.  She'd even debated calling him herself but luckily she'd been able to resist.  She didn't know what she'd say to him in the first place and secondly, she didn't want to appear too desperate.

"Hey Rachel." He said with what sounded to Aubrey like an irritated sigh.  He smiled at her.  "Hi Aubrey."

"Hi." Aubrey replied, lifting her hand and smiling back at him.

"Are you here alone?" Rachel asked. 

Justin looked at Rachel for a moment.  "Mmm-hmm." He finally nodded.  "Do you guys...girls, sorry." He smiled.  "Do you girls want to join me?"

"We'd love too." Rachel exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.  She quickly sat down in one of the empty chairs across from him and pulled one out for Aubrey as well.  Aubrey sat down, putting her bags down on the ground.

"What'd you buy?" Justin asked, nodding towards her purchases.

"Oh," Aubrey tucked the hair that had escaped her clip behind her ears.  "I--"

"She got this amazing little black dress!" Rachel cut in.  "You should see it!  And the perfect shoes to go with it."

"Really?" Justin perked up.  "The perfect shoes?" He said with a slight lisp as he clasped his hands together beneath his chin and smiled brightly.  The girls were quiet for a split second until Rachel started to laugh.  Aubrey wasn't quite sure what was going on.  She'd never seen him act this way before.  Granted, she'd only seen him at random times and places but at each one he'd been a normal guy.  He gasped, drawing her back to the present.  "I want to see!" He exclaimed.

Aubrey snorted.  "Well...phff-yea...right." She said, completely stumbling over her words and sounding absolutely ridiculous.  With a grimace she sank down in her chair, her face completely on fire, and looked down at her hands in her lap as Rachel busted out laughing.  Aubrey chanced a look up at Justin to find him struggling to keep a straight face.  The corners of his lips twitched up finally revealing his adorable grin, but she gave him points for trying.  He winked at her and Aubrey felt herself melting into her chair. 

"What did you buy this amazing dress and perfect shoes for?" He asked, back to being his normal, charming self.

You.  Aubrey replied dreamily then sat up as the reality of her thoughts filtered through her hormone clouded brain.  "Um..." She thought for a moment.  "I don't know yet." She smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.  "But Rachel convinced me I couldn't pass up the bargain." Justin smiled.  Silence descended upon the table for a moment and Aubrey was just about to ask him why he was here when Rachel jumped up suddenly, startling both herself and Justin. 

"I'm sorry." Rachel said, taking her phone out of her purse.  She looked down at it.  "But I...I have to take this call, will you excuse me?"

Before either Aubrey or Justin could say anything she walked away and disappeared around the corner of the building.  Aubrey furrowed her brows in confusion.  What was that all about? She wondered, then turned back to look at Justin.  His eyes however, remained focused in the direction Rachel had gone for a second longer before he turned back to look at her.

"Aubrey?" He asked, sighing in resignation as he folded his arms and leaned across the table towards her.

"Hmmm?" She hummed, her eyes locked on his as she tried hard to ignore the shiver that went down her spine when he said her name.

"I believe we've just been played."