Lance stood at the door watching the kid. Andie had somehow convinced him that if he would play 'Tea Party' she would play with him and his Hot Wheels for the rest of the day. She truly was a Timberlake, always coning people to see things her way.

Lance smiled as he watched Sean wrinkle his face into a frown as Andie pretended to drink out of her toy china. Typical male.

He looked a lot like his mother when he made the frowns, Lance noticed. Sean made faces when he was obviously uncomfortable. He wondered if that was the case with his mother.

"You know they arrest guys that do what you are doing right now. Some even get the lethal injection."

"What?" he turned confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You look like you're stalking the kid." she said with a chuckle.

"I'm watching both kids, since I have become the baby-sitter for the day. I wasn't stalking. Where did Juls go? She said she would be back and that was half an hour ago." he said looking at his watch.

"She's getting dressed. We are going to the store to get a few things for the cookout."

"We're having a cookout?"

"Yeah, I guess. I was just checking with you if you wanted anything while we were out."

"I'm guessing that I was volunteered to stay here with the kids?" Lance asked Jenn who gave him a blank look and a shrug of her shoulders. "Who is going?"

"Juls, Justin, Jc and I. Why?" Jenn asked with a smile. "She's at the pool house shopping for Fuman stuff. She didn't leave, if that's what you're trying to ask."

"I wasn't trying to ask anything. Besides, you did notice her child is in the house, didn't you?."

"Well excuse me!!" Jenn rolled her yes playfully. "Do you want anything or what?"

"No, thank you."

"Okay." Jenn said leaving the play house, which in reality was INSIDE the house in a large room decorated with kid sized furniture. "We won't be long."

"Yeah right!!" Lance said under his breath. "Who wants to play some 'memory'?" He asked the kids.

"Me!!" Lance laughed as he saw Sean get up quickly from the chair he was sitting on.

At the store

"Ready?" Juls asked the others.

"Go." Justin said moving forward with an evil smile on his face.

"Cheaters!!" Jc said with a smile matching Justin's. He grabbed Jenn's hand with his left hand and the other was used to push the shopping cart.

Both couples went to opposite sides of the grocery store and began their race. Justin had called in to the store before they left the house and asked if the store could be cleared out for him for thirty minutes. The owner, a close friend of Johnny Wright, had said it would be okay but just for half an hour. It wasn't the first time Justin had done it and he knew it probably wouldn't have been the last. A few days before when they had gone to the grocery store with Andie Justin hadn't called in because he didn't want Andie to be asking questions about why they were in the store by themselves. But this time was different. This time it wasn't just Juls and him it was Jc and Jenn who also brought a lot of attention with them. They had to be in and out of that store quickly because neither one of them dared to call Lonnie or
Mike for the trip.

Mr. Delvillaggio stood at the front of the store watching the couples laugh and struggle to carry the big items. At the end of the race he knew he would get a decent tip for his services.

Jc and Jenn were always the slowest and always had to pay the bill and the tip to Mr. Delvillaggio. Jenn promised Justin that he would pay the next day at the studio. Justin wasn't scared.

"That was a work out." Juliana said as they got back into the SUV that was parked in the back delivery door of the store.

"Tell me about it. My heart is about to jump out of my chest." Jc said a bit out of breath.

"Who the hell is this?" Justin said as he looked in his rear view mirror. There was a black Excursion directly behind their car and it beeped the horn. "Did your check bounce, Jenn?"

"Ha-Ha!! That's Joey, Mr. Comic Relief." Jenn said slapping Justin on the back of the head.

"How did he know we were here?" Juls asked getting out of the car following Jenn.

"He probably called the house." Justin said.

"Where are you going?" Jc asked Jenn as she stepped off the car.

"To say hi to them."

"Them?" Jc asked looking behind him for the first time. Joey had gotten out of the car and was now standing with Luis, Jenn and Justin, whom he didn't notice get out of the car. On the passenger side of the car he saw Juls talking to Kelly. Jc turned around and when he saw his eyes in the rearview mirror he was terrified. His eyes were red with anger and he cursed himself for being so damned paranoid. He stepped out of the car closing the door loudly causing Justin to shake his head in disapproval but continued his conversation with Joey.

Luis saw him coming toward them first and his eye movement caused Jenn turn to look behind her. She knew he was coming because she along with everyone else had heard the loud slam of the car door. "What's up Jc?" Luis said nonchalantly.

"Are you going to J's?" Jc asked Joey completely ignoring Luis.

"Jc?!" Jenn said shocked and embarrassed that her husband was being so rude.

"What?!" he asked but not really waiting for a response. "Are you?" he asked Joey again.

"Yeah, man. I have to go drop Fonsi off at his hotel then we'll be over."

"You do that." Jc said before placing his hand on the small of Jenn's back. "Let's go." he said giving her a small shove that meant she needed to start walking toward the car.

"I'll see you next week sometime, Luis." Jenn said embarrassed as she turned with Jc toward the car. Jenn went into the car first and Jc watched as Luis got into
Joey's SUV and gave him a grin. Jc was ready to commit murder.

"We WILL talk about this later." Jenn promised as Justin and Juls joined them in the car.

"You guys okay?" Juls asked putting her seat belt on.

"Never better." Jenn said sarcastically.

"Okay then." Juls said giving Justin a look as he backed out of their parking spot.
 At the house

"That was a bit rude, wasn't it?" Justin asked as he and Jc unloaded the back of the SUV.

"I don't care, man. That guy is trouble and I don't like him." Jc stated to Justin as they loaded the golf cart with the groceries.

"I can't really believe that you are jealous of this guy."

"It's not jealousy, Justin. It's protectiveness, there's difference. This guy seems shady and  I don't like it."

"He's always seemed okay to me, C."

"He also hasn't been hanging all over Juls either. So you can't really say that, Justin."

"C, they are working together. Do you think the same was about me? I spend more time with your wife than you do."

"Thanks, Justin."

"You know what I mean. It's just that I don't see it. Jenn has worked with mainly male artists for years. Single ones at that. I just don't see how Fonsi is any different. He's one of Joey's closest friends. I really don't think that Joey has that bad of judgment on people."

"Joey hasn't really had contact with him for years until now that he's planning on moving to LA." Jc said setting the last bag into the golf cart. They both got into the golf cart and started heading for the pool area on the other side of the house. "Think about it. If he didn't run into Luis's mother at the realtor, Joey wouldn't have called him. And Lance wouldn't have signed on to manage him."

"I really think you're over reacting."

"Am I?"

"If it makes you feel better I will invite myself to one of the recording sessions next week and see what's what. Okay?"

"Whatever man. I'm done talking about it."

"Talking about what?" Juls asked helping the guys unload the cart.

"Nothing." Jc and Justin said in unison.

"Whatever." Juls said rolling her eyes. "Justin, get Trace from the game room. I think that's where I saw him last on the monitors."

"Page him, J."

"Justin stop being such a lazy ass and get him."

"Lazy? Me? I just unloaded four hundred dollars worth of shit out of the truck." Justin whined.

"Stop crying." Juls said and pushed him toward the door to the house. "Jc..." she started to say.

"I know. I know. Start the grill, Jc. Are you gonna start the grill, C." he mocked.

"Please." she said with a bright smile.

"Right on Captain." Jc said with a salute.

"Where's Jenn?" Juls asked.

"She's downstairs in the studio calling RJ about something." Jc said going toward the grill carrying a tank of propane they'd gotten.

=====================================

As Justin approached the game room  he could hear music playing and laughter. He walked in unnoticed and saw Kayla and Trace playing on the air hockey table on the other side of the room. They both looked up at him and continued playing without a word. Noemi was off to the side of the door with her back turned towards him, looking at the wall of monitors.

"Are you spying on someone?" she jumped a bit hearing his voice. He stood next to her mimicking her stance.

"Oh hi." she said looking at him briefly and turning to look at the monitors again. "I was just watching Sean go back to the playhouse. He was just in here a second ago. Your daughter was in there but just walked away. I lost her." she said with a chuckle.

"Let's see what we can do here." Justin said reaching for a laptop sized remote she hadn't even noticed was sitting on top of the bean bag chairs. "It looks like my little princess got tired of watching boys play because there she is with her mom." Justin said as he pressed buttons on the control pad and zoomed in on Andie walking toward her mother in the kitchen.

"That's neat. Do you have these camera's all over the house?" she asked but kept her line of vision on the monitor where Sean was with Lance.

"Almost the entire house." Justin said with a chuckle. "Juls wasn't going for the one in our bedroom. Actually none of the bedroom have cameras but all the rooms in the house have monitors where you can see everything."

"Kind of creepy isn't it?"

"Not really. We have to keep track of everything around this place because Andie tends to wander. This way we always know where she is."

"What if she goes into the bedrooms?" she asked now looking at him with lifted eyebrows.

"She won't." Justin said matter-of-fact.

"She's a kid. Kids do things they aren't supposed to." Noemi said with a laugh. "Like Sean climbing on that chair." she said pointing to the monitor where Justin saw Sean getting on the chair to reach for a book on a shelf. They both also saw Lance pick him up safely and get the book for Sean.

"She can't get into the rooms. They all have digital  locks on them. They need a code to open."

"Wow, is this a house or Alcatraz?"

"A little of both." Justin laughed. "He likes him." Justin said pointing to the monitor where Lance and Sean read a book.

"Sean, you mean?"

"Yeah, he's a cute kid."

"Thank you."

"Lance seems to be enjoying his time with him because I haven't seen him come out of there yet today."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that Juan has something to do with him being in there with the kids for almost three hours now." Noemi said with a roll of her eyes. "It was really nice of you to invite us for the cookout but I think I'm going to go get Sean and get going."

"Why? Because of Lance?" Justin asked setting the control pad back on the bean bag chair. "Lance is harmless."

"What makes you think it’s because of your friend? Maybe I just have things to do."

"Or maybe, you are avoiding contact with Lance." Justin said with a grin. "Let me let you in on a little secret, Noemi. In this house their is no way you can avoid someone. They can see you wherever you're at, at all times."

"I'm not avoiding him." she stated annoyed. "Maybe you should mind your own business."

"You pissed her off." Trace said with a laugh walking up next to Justin. He received a scary look from Noemi.

"No I didn't." Justin said with grin. "Noemi and I were just getting to know each other. She really is just like your described her."

"You've been talking about me?" Noemi asked looking at Trace.

"No." Trace said innocently looking at Kayla who was now standing next to him.

"What's going on?" Kayla asked.

"Your cousin wants to leave again." Justin said with an evil smile. "But I got this." he winked at her. "I was just going to get Sean."

"Thank you." Noemi said to Justin.

"Oh you're welcome. We'll be a while because I know he'll want to drive the Mercedes around."

"What?" Noemi asked looking at Trace for an answer when Justin walked away quickly.

"Power wheel. Mercedes power wheel." Trace said trying to hold back his laughter. He knew what his best friend was trying to do. If he distracted Sean into something he wouldn't want to leave and Noemi would have to stay because Justin and Andie could put on a pity
party within seconds.

"He's never going to want to leave now." Noemi said frustrated. "thanks a lot, Kayla." she said following the path Justin had taken.

"He's good." Kayla said to Trace as they followed Noemi.

"He's doing it for me." Trace said.

"Why?"

"He knows that if Noemi leaves then you will leave and I don't want you to go."

"I see." Kayla said with blushing cheeks.
---------------------------------------------------

"You must be Noemi." Juls said to the woman sitting on Justin's bench. Justin had wanted to have a bench where he could sit and look at the Hollywood Hills because it made him feel "ON TOP OF THE WORLD".

"Yes." Noemi said looking behind her when she heard the voice. "And I do believe you are Juliana." she smiled.

"I am. But please call me Juls. I was given the task of getting you." Juls smiled at the woman and still thought the woman looked very familiar. "The pool is ready."

"Oh. I'm sorry I got a bit dazed looking at the view. It's beautiful. My house surroundings are covered by palm trees." she chuckled.

"It is wonderful here. I actually haven't been down in the area in a few weeks. I've been working and don't get a chance. And Andie doesn’t like it because it's too high."

At the mention of a kid Noemi asked. "Is Sean okay?"

"Yes in fact he was the one who sent me to get you. He is still driving around in that power wheel."

"He came down here with it a few minutes ago with Juan." Noemi laughed. "It's a Mercedes by the way."

"Yeah I know but I want to keep my child humble so it's just a power wheel." Juls said "You coming?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Everyone is here already. Have you met Joey?"

"No, not yet."

"He just got here with his wife and his daughter. We had to get the Hummer and the Barbie Jeep out so the three kids could have something to ride."

"How many power wheels does she have?" Noemi asked as they walked the path back to the house.

"She had four but Justin saw the Mercedes at FAO Schwartz in New York a few months ago and decided she NEEDED to have it. So she has five."

"She's spoiled." Noemi commented hoping it wouldn't offend the other woman.

Juls chuckled and Noemi was glad that she didn't take offense to the comment. "Andie is really smart, she doesn't ask for anything like normal kids her age would.
Her dad is the one that buys all these things for her. She will give all of her things up just to spend time with Justin."

"That's sweet."

"I'd like to think that my kid has her priorities straight. So yeah she's spoiled but with more love than material things."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Noemi apologized.

"Oh no honey. You didn't offend me at all. My daughter is spoiled rotten and even though she would give up her things without a thought for her daddy she does act like a spoiled brat sometimes."

"You're lucky to have such a nice home."

"Thank you. " Juls said with a friendly smile. "You look really familiar, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Like I've seen you before."

"I don't think so." Noemi said as she took a few steps ahead to where Sean was watching, who she recognized as Joey and Jc, change the battery of the Hummer he had been riding.

"Mommy!!" Sean yelled out when he saw her causing Jc and Joey to look up at the beautiful woman coming towards them. Up on the balcony of the theater room, Lance also raised his head to look.