May 8, 2000 (Mississippi Coast Coliseum)

"Chris, stay on beat...Joey, get serious...Justin, stop looking at yourself in the mirror.....come on guys, five more minutes and I'll let you take a break."

"That's what you said five minutes ago, outback boy."

"Well, this time I mean it. But keep on talking Curly and it'll be another five minutes on top of that..now move it, Alfredo head!"

After taking a second to quietly laugh at Wade and Justin's as usual sarcastic banter, Melissa turned her attention away from the stage in front of her--where the guys were in the process of having their first of many sound-checks before their tour opened tomorrow--and tried to focus on her journal that was in front of her.

This one's too long...this one's too short...this one doesn't even make any sense. Shit, I'm never going to be ready by the time my sound check starts tomorrow.

"I should have just stayed on Christina's tour..."

"But then where would that leave us?"

Not realizing that break had been called caused Melissa to have to conceal her scream as the now laughing JC took a seat beside her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I thought you heard me coming up."

Having been too lost in her own world to hear anything besides the thoughts that were swimming around in her head caused Melissa to shake her head slightly, as if to say no she hadn't, before turning back towards her journal that was in her hands and replying: "I've just been sitting here trying to come up with a third song to perform while out on your guy's tour...it was so much easier while on Christina's 'cause then I could just use one of her songs, but now that that option is gone, I'm left with a total blank here."

Knowing that neither Wade nor Justin would have any time to make up a dance routine for one of Melissa's songs, and that Melissa wouldn't have time to learn it even if they did caused JC to first nod his head in understanding before replying, as if it was the most logical answer in the world: "Why don't you just use one of our songs?"

A question which caused Melissa to first roll her eyes in amusement before replying: "Right, because I can just see myself dry humping the stage to Digital Get down...I don't think so, but thanks for the offer, anyway."

After laughing slightly at the image in his head of Melissa doing just that, JC took a second to think of a solution to Melissa's problem, and then after a minute of contemplating an idea, he offered a suggestion. "What about a duet...?"

A duet....?

"With one of you guys?" Melissa asked, in confusion, causing JC to now roll his eyes in amusement, before sarcastically replying: "No, with one of our bodyguards. I heard Lonnie can do a pretty good impression of Barry White when persuaded--of course I'm talking about one of us, silly."

Without even bothering to hold back the laugh that threatened to come out of her mouth, Melissa replied: "Okay, so what song did you have in mind?"

"I wonder what their talking about?"

Turning away from the Teen people magazine he was flipping through, Justin followed his group-mate's line of vision towards the chairs in front of the stage, where Melissa and JC were seated looking to be in deep conversation. "Knowing C, he's probably boring Melissa again with one of his many stories about growing up in Maryland as an adopted child."

As Melissa's laughter was heard through-out the arena, Lance counter-replied: "I didn't think those stories were that funny...something tells me that their not talking about that."

Detecting a hint of jealousy in the older man's voice caused Justin to let a small smile take over his face as he jokingly replied: "Well, I'll be damned, Lansten...I didn't think you had it in you."

Now turning his gaze away from the two in front of them, Lance raised an eyebrow at Justin's comment. "What are you talking about?"

Not buying the innocent act, Justin replied smugly: "Don't play dumb, Bass, you know what I'm talking about. You've got a thing for Melissa."

"It all makes sense now: the constant wondering what she's doing when she's not around us, the always making sure she's never out of sight when she is around us, the way you always get that corny smile on your face every time she comes around...you have the hots for her."

Without even bothering to hide his roll of the eyes, a now slightly blushing Lance replied: "I do not..all the things you just said add up to me trying to be a good manager and friend to her. That's it: nothing more, nothing less."

Right, whatever you say...Justin commented to himself, before deciding to throw out the biggest hint that had shown him before that Lance had a thing for his protege. "Okay, so if you don't like her, as you say, what was up with you last week during our MTV taping when you said, and I quote, she's beautiful."

Noticing that Lance's usual pale cheeks were now becoming more redder by the second caused Justin to inwardly smile to himself; knowing that he had the older man right where he wanted him.

A fact which Lance knew as well.

"Okay, I admit it, I have a small crush on her. Happy now?" Lance threw out, before turning his attention back towards where Melissa and JC were still seated, now sharing Melissa's head phones--him with one ear plug in, and her with the other. "But look at her. It's hard not too. She's cute, funny, smart, sweet and has an amazing personality...but that's all it is, just a crush. As her manager, I can't pursue anything with her. It'd be unethical."

Knowing that Lance was trying his hardest, in Melissa's case, to do things the right way caused Justin to again follow his best friend's gaze towards where the older woman was seated and let out a small sigh before replying: "I hear you, Scoop. But I don't know, if it was me and I felt that strongly about someone, I don't know if I could just charge it to the game so easily as you could. I mean, look at me and Britney, we both knew from day one that it'd be wrong to get involved with one another, especially because everyone around us kept saying that it wouldn't work out--especially with her being on one side of the world, while I was on the other. But now look at us, we've been together for almost three years now and we're about to go public, and who knows what will happen after that. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and let things work themselves out on their own. You feel me?"

After taking a second to let Justin's words sink in, Lance nodded his head as if to say I understand, and then after hearing Wade say that break was over, he replied: "I'll think about it."

A comment which Justin couldn't help but smile at, while replying:

"That's all I ask."

The next day

"Miss. Alano, you're on in five."

"You've got to be kidding me...I haven't even finished putting my makeup on yet."

While watching on as Melissa tried to quickly apply mascara to her eyes while also brushing her hair at the same time, Lance couldn't help but silently laugh to himself; already knowing if he didn't stop the nervous girl soon she was definitely going to have a makeup malfunction.

"Here, let me help you before you end up poking both your eyes out."

Taking the brush from her hand, Lance began to brush Melissa's hair down her back, and then after a minute, he stopped; saying he was finished.

"Thanks." Melissa replied, while blushing slightly at the fact that Lance had to do the task for her, "I'm sorry I'm so nervous. You'd figure I'd be used to this by now, huh?"

Without even bothering to hold back his slight chuckle, Lance replied: "Don't worry...between me and you, Justin still throws up before every performance. You're not as bad as he is."

Seeing the woman in front of him slightly laugh at this comment caused Lance to mentally pat himself on the back for this small lie.

"Well, I guess I better get going...thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it." Lance replied, while watching Melissa take a second to make sure that she had everything she needed, before making her way towards the door to her dressing room.

Here's a better chance than any...

"Wait! I almost forgot..."

Waiting until after Melissa had turned around, with one hand on the door knob, Lance hesitantly continued with: "I heard a couple of the other guys saying they were going to go out tonight, and I was wondering if you didn't plan on going, if you wanted to watch a couple of movies with me in my room--you know, so we can work on this whole friendship versus manager/protege thing we got going on here."

After slightly laughing at the last part of that sentence, Melissa took a second to think about it before replying that she'd love to. "I'll probably be all sweaty and funky from the show, but if you let me take a shower first, then I'll be happy to join you after wards."

Yes!

While containing his excitement at the fact that she had agreed to hang out with him later that night, Lance wished Melissa good luck on her performance and told her that he'd see her later on.

"Not if I see you first." Melissa joked, before continuing on with what she'd been doing before Lance called her name, and exiting the room; leaving Lance alone in her dressing room to finally voice the one word he had said in his head before.

"Yes!"

(Later that night)

"Okay, I've got popcorn, movies, candy and drinks...now, why do I keep feeling like I'm missing something?"

Just as the last word exited his mouth, Lance was reminded about what he was missing as a knock was heard at the door.

That's right...I'm missing the guest of honor.

With one last look around his room, to make sure that everything was in its place, Lance opened the door to his hotel room and had to fight the urge to let a huge smile grace his face when seeing Melissa on the other side of the door.

"Hey, you made it."

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Melissa responded, while stepping into the room and waiting for Lance to close the door before continuing with: "My friend Sam called just as I was about to get in the shower and I couldn't get her off the phone without telling her how tonight went."

Remembering Sam as the waitress who used to work with Melissa at the diner they had met at caused Lance to nod his head in understanding, while replying: "Well, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of ordering us up some junk food, and I didn't know what kind of movie you wanted to watch so I had Mike rent us a bunch of different ones from the nearest blockbuster. We've got romance, horror, drama, comedy, dramedy and something called bromance."

While taking a second to laugh at the last word, Melissa replied that she had enough dramedy in her life: "So, how about a comedy?"

"What women want, it is then." Lance replied, before making a move to put the movie in the DVD player just as Melissa took a seat on the bed and started to make herself comfortable using his pillows.

"I can tell by the amounts of candy you got us that Wade is going to kill me tomorrow during rehearsel so if I don't see you after that, thanks in advance."

After taking a seat on the bed beside Melissa, Lance let a small chuckle slide out of his mouth while jokingly replying: "Don't mention it" and then after wards making himself comfortable as well while hitting play on the remote control. "I hope you like the movie. I haven't seen it before."

"Me either." Melissa replied, while opening a box of M&M's and offering some to Lance before pouring a couple of them into her own hand. "I guess it's a first time for the both of us then, huh?"

Before Lance could reply that she was right, his conversation with Justin from earlier came flooding back to him causing Lance to mentally tell himself:

You're definitely right..this is a first time for everything...