First dates never seem to go as planned for me. This one however is starting very well. The girls help me get ready. Kia put hot rollers in my hair and Stacy did my makeup a golden smoky eye. I insisted that I would do my simple hair and makeup but they insisted stronger of doing it. Instead of making an issue out of it, I let them do it.

I could feel the nervous butterflies in my stomach, it felt like I was going to hurl. Finally I got the call that the car was downstairs for me. They were all going to dinner without me. I felt bad, this was a vacation for us, and I have totally ditched them. I have to make sure there are more group efforts tomorrow. Tonight, tonight was all about me and Justin. I got into the car, my nervousness was gone. I was excited to see him, I spent the whole day at the beach with him but I wanted to see him so bad. It was as if I haven't seen him in months.

I stepped out of the car. I had that little yellow dress on with the purple heels, a simple bangle and earrings. My dark chocolate brown hair had loose curls. I felt sexy and ready to begin the night with him.

I was informed to take the elevator to the fifth floor and take a right. I thought we were going to dinner. Maybe he had to change hotels, due to security issues, I didn't know. I got off the elevator on the floor and as I turned right I see the hallway is fairly dark only lit by candles. The smell of lavender candles and lilacs everywhere filled the hallway. I opened the door to the only room on the floor. He was standing the second doorway, dressed in black slacks, white dress shirt, yellow tie, and a black suit jacket. I look around the room is much like the hallway. There are rose pedals and candles around the entire room. It took my breath away. I walk up to him and he says, "You look absolutely gorgeous. How funny we both wore yellow. It must be a sign."

I said thanks, and then I said "You look gorgeous as well; a well dressed man is a complete turn on."

Smiling from ear to ear he says. "Now we have to at least eat dinner first, I worked all afternoon on the room and the meal. Let me show you what I can do, without hired help."

"You made dinner? Without anyone's help?"

 "Yes, miss I can cook anything. Please, sit. I have to serve your dinner."

 I felt like a perfect. He made steak, which is my favorite. He remembered, along with the lilacs that are my favorite scent. I found a guy that listens and remembers things. I must be dreaming. We had salad then Steak and a baked potato. Only with me would it be perfect. I was on cloud nine.

"Is this okay?"

"It's perfect. I'm a steak kind of girl."

"I have planned for us to take a walk on the beach; I loved night time on the beach."

I interrupted him and said at the same time "Hearing the wave's crash at night is the best part."

He wasn't too sure how it was going to work out being on the beach but we were going to try it. We got to the hotel lobby and there was no one around. We thought we were good but the moment we stepped out of the doors we realized that it wasn't so easy to walk alone. Lonnie his security guard ended up going with us. However he stayed back pretty far. He knows how to respect Justin's wishes. He actually asked the photographers if they would respect Justin and his date and stay back. They listened, however it didn't stop them from taking pictures. We talked about everything, past relationships, things we liked to do, what we saw ourselves in five years. Lonnie had taken a picture of us on the beach with the moon behind us. It was a gorgeous picture. Priceless that's for sure.

We finally decided to go back to the room. He had something else planned for us before the night ended. We got back to the room and he had the hot tub full of HOT water, more candles, and roses. He really went overboard for this date. I wasn't complaining it was all so sweet, I loved all the details.

 "I don't have a suit."

"You don't need one?" he responded.

"Oh, really?" I smiled and then he handed me a little bag. There was a brand new swimsuit inside of the bag. He shot me that smile and said, "I thought of everything. I didn't want to tell you to bring one then you would have known."

We got in, the water was very warm. I'm sitting across from him, only so I could see his face. I ask, "Why has it taken you so long to make another album?"

"I have been working with many different artists since I recorded Future Sex/Love Sounds, I was in a relationship that wasn't to healthy for a very long time. In a sense I was sidetracked from what I really enjoyed in my life. So for the last year, I have been single and writing this new album. I am very proud of it and I'm ready to share it with everyone. I'm more excited to tour with this album. There is a lot of rock in this album so it will be fun to do live."

 "When does the tour start?"

 "They will announce the tour dates in a couple weeks, but it looks like it will kick off in three months. Around the same time the album releases."

"Seems like your plate is full, Mr. Timberlake."

 "I know it seems like bad timing but honestly a tour puts me back into reality. I love to tour."

He seemed to want to get off that topic; he asked me "What do you want to do, if you want to live in Ohio? What do you have planned for your future?"

 "I never plan anything too far in advance because you never know what could come along and change your path." I continued, "But I have always wanted a career in fashion. Designing clothing would be my dream, that can't happen from where I live now. I also dreamed of singing, but fashion was more of a reality than a career in music."

"Why can't you have both? Being in the music industry can open up so many doors for you. I think you could be very successful in this industry. I would love to work with you and record some demos and get you your own sound. I would love to do that for you."

I was flabbergasted everything I have ever wanted lied right there. I suddenly felt bad. "I don't want you to think I am telling you this because I know you can help me. I don't want to you to think I would ever use you to get this career. I would never do that."

He responded very quickly with "I never for a moment would think that you were able to use anyone. I know you were just stating things you wanted for your life. I would want to help you. I would want to make sure it was done the right way."

I glided across the hot tub and climbed on top of him.  Kissing him, rubbing my hands through his curls, and caressing his beautiful face. I couldn't wait any longer, I had to have him. I felt him get aroused; I knew it was only moments now. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and began to kiss him more. Suddenly I am being taken out of the hot tub; we couldn't even wait to get to the bedroom. I feel him press inside me. Slow at first, then a rapid movement that keeps a slow moan escaping from my throat. It feels as if he knows my body so well. I feel my legs loosing grip around him, they are trembling. I know it's about the point for me to finish. I ask, "How.. close... are you?" In some form of the words he said, ‘Almost..... there.' Moments later I felt him explode. ‘Wow... " he said. "I don't think I will ever get used to that. I have been having sex many years and it's never been like this."

We fall asleep in each other's arms and it feels wonderful. We are woken up by a phone ringing over and over again. Its Justin's phone and whoever it is won't give up. He gets up and answers it. "Hello" in that sleepy, you just woke me up voice.

All of a sudden I hear a male voice yelling , "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? You are supposed to be at an interview fifteen minutes ago. I have called you for the last twenty minutes. I have these interviews set up for you. All these people are here for you..."

Justin finally realizes what he is talking about, "I told you I was in Mexico until Sunday. I was not leaving and that I wanted a small vacation before the craziness of promoting starts, you chose to ignore everything I said. I was already here, I wasn't leaving." I realize who it is now. It's his PR person in Los Angeles. He interrupts Justin, "I don't understand what you are still there. Is it because of this woman you met, this new fling, this person that is going to sell you out to the press the moment she sets her feet back on home soil. You really surprised me Justin; I didn't think you would flake out and choose yet another woman over your career."

"I am not going to discuss this with you right now. It's a waste of my time to argue with you. I will call you when I get back in town on Sunday. Call my assistant, get the schedule from her and reschedule all the interviews. But remember I'm leaving for New York City Wednesday." He hung up the phone. I got up in the middle of the conversation and went to the bathroom. I am standing in front of the mirror, thinking to myself. Am I destroying his career? Maybe I should just walk away, that would be the best thing for him.

He came into the bathroom, asked if everything was ok. He could see the worry in my eyes. "I don't want to ruin your career. I would never want to be the woman that made the one thing you love the most in the world fade away. If I am holding you back from anything, please... please don't. I want to see your career farther than it already has..." he interrupts me, "I am here because I want to be here. I want to be here. I will never let a relationship and my career interfere with one another again. I have to have someone that understands that my career is very demanding and that it has nothing to do with our relationship. If I'm with someone it's because I want to be with them. Not to just be in a relationship." He paused then continued, "I want this, and I want you. You are not making me miss anything that was scheduled. He did this. He made the choice to schedule things, knowing I was already in Mexico and not returning until Sunday. Don't worry about this. It has nothing to do with you. This is his mess to clean up."

That day we went straight to the boat. Breakfast, lunch & dinner were being served on the boat. I was excited to scuba dive, parasail, and lay out. Simply spend some time with everyone. The day seemed to be like a blur as were the next couple days. Before I knew it I was on my way to the airport. Justin's flight was leaving a little more than an hour before ours. I felt like we were parting ways, and it was the end of something. We were going back to our separate lives, three thousand miles apart. I couldn't look him straight in the eyes. I knew that this could be it. He lifts my head. Kisses me and says, "This isn't it. I promise you we will make this work somehow. You will come see me in New York this weekend. I will come visit you, you will visit L.A., and this will work. If we want it to, it will. Maybe we will even record that track... hmm.  There will be a ticket waiting for you at the airport." I smile and say yes to everything. I want to believe this isn't the end, I really do.

I sit in that empty airport bay waiting for everyone else to join me. How could I have let myself fall for someone? Fall for someone that lives across the country? How stupid of me. How could have I have fallen for someone this quick? I felt both empty and full of life at the same time. Tears start to stream down my face. I wasn't sure why I was crying. I knew exactly what I was doing the entire time. I knew not to fall for him.

I hear Kia's voice coming up behind me "There you are. I thought you were going to meet us at our gate? We have to go, the flight is boarding." She gets in front of me and see's that I am sitting there because I can't imagine standing on my own two feet at this moment. "Mel, honey what's wrong?"

"I just let the first person I have had real feelings for in god only knows how long walk away from me.... I let him get on the plane."

She grabbed my hand and said, "You have met the person that may very well be the person you spend the rest of your life with. However you are more responsible than to just up and leave your responsibilities. This is not how you would want to handle it. You know this isn't you. Do I think that this trip has changed everything about your life? Yes, everything is going to be different now. We go home, you make sure this is what you want, make sure that this is a choice that is made on thought and logic. Then if you decide that you want to move to L.A to be near him, well then I guess I will help pack you up and road trip it across the United States to get you there. You need to do what makes you happy at the end of the day. I support whatever decision you make. I love you. Now get your booty up and let's get on that plane and go home. Start the rest of our lives."

Kia's little pep talk really seemed to hit home. There was so much that I had to think through and decide what I wanted to do. The flight home was long. It felt like it took an entire day to get there. Once the flight landed I was comforted by a voicemail. Justin had called at some point during the flight, "I miss you already. It's like this trip was a dream. I hope I don't wake up from it. I will be in NYC this weekend. I really want to see you, so I hope you can come. Anyways I wanted to tell you good night and talk to you soon."

I called him back once I got home. I wanted to hear his voice again. Once again he asked about New York, he was making it a point he wanted me there. I told him I would be there.

I had to work in the morning, I was tired, I didn't even unpack, just went to bed. I guess it really was back to reality. Back to what my life was like.