Chapter Two

Orlando FL
February 13th 2009

 It was mid-afternoon when Trace finally saw her getting off the public bus across the street from the university. It wasn’t like he was waiting for her specifically, but he’d been curious about her since she’d given him his recorder back a few days before. Okay, so maybe he was specifically waiting for her, but who could blame him? She was cute. It was now Friday and probably the last day he’d see  her for almost a month. The only class he had signed up for was accounting that semester and the professor was going into surgery. Which meant there were two options, one was to join another class that was way ahead of their class and be completely lost, the second choice was to take a couple weeks off. Trace had chosen the latter, which coincidently was what the cute girl had chosen as well. Trace had decided on going to visit his friends in California for the time that he had off.

 She was walking towards the main entrance of the campus struggling with a gym bag which looked like it was doubling as a suitcase. Trace hurriedly got out of his truck and ran towards her.

“Here, let me help you!!” he said looking into her eyes with a wide grin on his face.

“No thanks, I got it.” she remarked and tried to walk faster.

“Damn, I’m not going to steal your things. I just wanted to help you out.” Trace said defensively. “you and I both know that it’s heavy.”

“I’m okay.” she said readjusting the straps on her shoulder.

“Can I please help you? You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“You don’t give up, do you?” she said stopping abruptly making Trace take a step back.

“You know, I’ve been asked that before.” Trace said with a smile.

“You should get the hint then. No is no. You should learn how to quit.”

“I never quit. Besides if I quit how are we ever going to get to know each other before we get married?” at that she stopped to look at him with a bored look. “Would you stop being so stubborn and let me carry your bag for you. If we stay out here arguing about this we’ll be late for class."

“Fine. Here.” she said trying not to smile. In all honesty she’d been watching him just as much as he’d been watching her. She’d even go as far as saying that she enjoyed his attention even though she played him hard with her attitude.

“Did you just smile at me?” Trace asked with a shocked expression on his face while walking a few steps behind her. “I think that was a smile. Damn!! What are you? Moving into the school? This shit is heavy.”

“First of all it’s not shit, it’s my clothes. Second of all, not that it’s any of your business but I have to be at the airport as soon as class is over.”

“Really?!! That’s a coincidence, so do I.” Trace said with a serious face. “Are you following me? Where are you going?”

“You only wish I was following you. And where I’m going is none of your business.”

“Ouch! I thought we were getting to be friends.” Trace said with a smile before setting her bag next to her seat.

“What made you think that awful thought?” she said with a smile before turning her face and facing the front of the room.

“That’s twice.” Trace said charmingly.

“Twice what?” Kayla asked without a glance.

“You have smiled at me twice in the span of ten minutes.”

“No one is smiling at you, Juan.”

“Oh, I’m in-love. You just said my name.” Trace said with his right hand over his heart.

“Oh please!! Tell that to someone who cares.”

“Oh you’re breaking my heart. Stop it girl!!”

“Can you find your seat Mr. Ayala?” everyone in the room looked to Trace when the professor spoke.

“Sure.” Trace said before mumbling under his breath something about a scalpel being left in the man’s knee while in surgery. “I’ll talk to you later.” he said tugging Kayla’s ponytail.

 An hour later, when everyone in the room started to clear out, Trace got up, walked by Kayla’s seat and grabbed her gym bag and kept walking, without a care in the world.

“Hey!! Where are you going with that?” she asked standing up. Trace pretended not to hear her and kept walking out of the room with her bag.

 Kayla quickly disconnected the call she was getting ready to make on her cell phone and followed Trace out the door. I swear if he wasn’t so cute I would call campus security. “Umm, hello? That’s my bag.”

“Yes, I do realize that.” Trace said stopping to let her catch up to him.

“Give me my bag, numb nuts. I don’t have time for games right now. And especially not yours.”

“Oh Kayla, how you break my heart with every word.” Trace said once again putting his right hand over his heart. “One thing that you’ll learn about me, if you’re lucky, is that I may be a lot of things, but numb nuts isn’t one of those things.”

 Trace watched as a sparkle came to her eyes. And then it happened. She laughed. She had the most beautiful laugh he’d heard in a long time. She calmed herself down, which turned into a giggle that was adorable and then she looked at him with a cheesy smile.

“Alright, alright. You got me to laugh. You win. Now give me my bag, please? My bus is coming in two minutes.” she said trying to get the strap off his shoulder to have no success.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny by the way.” Trace said starting to walk away. When he saw her trying to protest again, he turned to her and winked.

“I really have to go.”

“You need a ride?” Trace offered walking towards his car.

“No I’m taking the bus to the airport for God sakes!! How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“And how many times do I have to tell you that I’m heading to the airport too? So why not take the ride with me? For free.”

“Because I don’t know you, that’s why!! Besides that’s such bullshit that you have to go to the airport at the same time that I am.”

“How is that bullshit? People other than yourself go to the airport, Kayla. I told you earlier I was heading there. ”

“Yeah but that was only after I told you I was going there. I just figured that was just your moronic attempt on hitting on me.”

“You’ve called me a moron and  numb nuts in the span of five minutes. I’m really reconsidering myself whether or not I want to be confined to a car with you. But I’m a nice guy and I can’t leave you here crying because you’ve missed your bus.”

“What a guy!!” she rolled her eyes. “I won’t be left crying because if you would give me my bag I can go across the street over there.” Kayla turned around and pointed to the bus stop. Only the bus stop was covered by her now departing bus. “Damn it!!!”

“Here’s you bag.” Trace said placing the bag in front of her on the grass.

“Oh my God, you made me miss my bus!!” she grunted wanting to strangle him.

“I didn’t make you miss anything. You were the one that followed me to my car.”

“You’re kidding me right?”

“Once again I wasn’t trying to be funny. You should get out more because it seems to me that you don’t know the difference between a joke and a conversation.”

“Of course, I followed you to your car, you ass. You have my bag.”

“Speaking of ass, I believe yours is the nicest one I’ve seen in a long time. And if I may correct you. I no longer have your bag. Your bag is right there.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do now?” Kayla asked to no one in particular as she watched her bus drive farther and farther away from her.

“Such language coming out of that beautiful mouth of yours.” Trace said walking closer to her. “Hey, here’s a thought. You can take me up on my offer and go with me to the airport instead. But again that’s just a thought.”

“I can’t go with you.”

“You know I find myself repeating myself a lot with you. Why is that?” Trace asked as he grabbed her bag to walk around the back of his SUV and put it in the trunk.

“Because I don’t know you!!”

 Trace closed his door and walked up to her where she stood in front of his car with her arms crossed. He extended his hand to her and when she didn’t go to shake his, he grabbed her right hand and put it in his. “Hi, my name is Juan Carlos Ayala the third. My friends call me Trace, but you’re going to call me  all kinds of things, I bet. I’m twenty-six. I live in Orlando and L.A.  It is definitely my pleasure to meet you, Kayla.”

“What are you doing?” Kayla asked looking strangely at him trying not to smile. Damn him, for being so cute!!

“I’m introducing myself, so that you KNOW me. Come on, seriously, I don’t want to miss my flight either. I really don’t mind giving you a ride to the airport. Will you please get in the car?”

“Fine!! But if I end up dead in a ditch somewhere I’m going to kill you.”

“You do know you didn’t make any sense with that remark, right?” Trace said with a chuckle as he guided her to the passenger door.

“I tend to babble when I’m nervous.” she said getting in to car.

“So you’re saying I make you nervous? Do you like me, Kayla?” Trace said teasingly as he jumped into the driver’s side.

“Don’t give yourself so much credit, short stuff. I’m nervous because this day might be the very end of my life.”

“You need to relax.”

“That’s what serial killers tell their victims before they torture them to death.”

“You watch way too many movies.”

“I don’t have time for movies.”

“Of course not.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked a bit offended that he seemed to think that she was a bore.

“Nothing.”

“What?!!”

“Nothing girl. Chill!!”

“Whatever, I better not miss my flight to L.A. because of you. Because I promise you’ll be the one laying down in a ditch somewhere.”

“Are you threatening me? Me, the good Samaritan who is giving you a ride?”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. I don’t go much for the surprise. I like to let the victim know when I’m going in for the kill.”

“Well you’re about to be surprised.”

“What?!!”

“Oh Kayla, Kayla my sweet. You’re going to love this.”

“Huh?”

“Guess what flight I have to catch?” Trace asked taking the airport exit off the expressway. He turned to her with a wide grin on his face.

“Oh hell no!! Please no!!!”

“Oh yes!! Oh yes!! Looks like we’ll be seeing each other for a couple more hours, sweetie. So retract the claws now so we won’t have any trouble getting through the security check in this place.

--------------------------------
Same Day a few hours later
Los Angeles, California
February 13th 2009

 Justin lowered his hat over his eyes, holding onto Andie’s hand firmly as they walked infront of Lonnie towards the terminal. Sometimes he wished he could just take his little girl to the airport like a normal person. Not having to worry about having their pictures taken. Justin and Juls always tried their best to wear disguises so that their daughter wouldn’t have to. It was still so incredibly amazing how he was still showing up on magazines like he was five years before. Not to mention his supermodel wife. Combining the two of them and their daughter, going out to McDonald’s for a cheeseburger was damn near impossible. And when they did get the chance to do things like that with their daughter, it was considered an event. Justin and Juls didn’t much care that their faces were plastered on every magazine every week but when their daughter was the main headline they weren’t too happy at all. Both their lives were open books as far as their careers went. So when Justin had to throw on a hoodie, a baseball cap and sunglasses just to make it through the crowd in an airport. When he walked exactly two steps ahead of his security holding his daughter’s tiny hand firmly in his, he knew that he was taking a risk. But something he hated more that paparazzi was to see his little girl cry. So when he’d told her that she couldn’t come with him to pick up her uncle Trace at the airport and she’d become teary he’d given up. And tears he hated, especially tears that came from Andie and her mommy. He’d had Juliana put on a matching tiny trucker’s hat to match her daddy’s on and he’d called Lonnie to be safe.

“Daddy, you’re hurting my hand again.” Andie whined.

“I’m sorry again, baby girl.” Justin said releasing the grip he had on her tiny hand.

“It’s okay.” she said smiling up at him.

“Just a little bit more walking, baby girl and we’ll sit and wait for Trace. Okay?”

“I can’t wait to see uncle Trace. He’s so funny.”

“Looking maybe.” Justin mumbled under his breath to Lonnie who in turn replied with a chuckle.

“Loonie, can you carry me on your shoulders like you do when mommy comes from the plane?” Andie asked once they got to the waiting area of the terminal.

“Sure, shorty. But stop calling me Loonie or I’ll hurt your ugly daddy.” Lonnie joked.

“You’re silly, Loonie. My daddy isn’t ugly, he’s beautiful.” Andie giggled.

“Thank you, Princess. You aren’t so bad yourself.”

“You two are crazy!!” Lonnie said giving  both of them a strange look.

“Crazy for my daddy!!” Andie said with a snap of her little fingers like Justin had taught her. Andie was a clown just like her daddy and her five uncles for that matter. She had nicknames for everyone that she only shared with her mommy and daddy.

“Hey they are coming out, short stuff. You ready?”

“Yeah.” Andie said excitedly while Lonnie picked her up and placed her high on his shoulders.

“Hold on tight to Lonnie’s hair, baby girl.” Justin said with a wide grin looking at Lonnie, who gave him a bored look.

“It’s too early for your sh…” Lonnie started to say.

“Child present, big guy.”

“Oh please, like she hasn’t been around her mother and Jenn and their potty mouths.”

“Where you going to say sh….” Andie started to say before her dad gave her a look of warning.

“Andie.” Justin said threateningly.

“What daddy? I was just going to say shishcabbobs. That’s what aunt Bobbie says.”

“My daughter is becoming a psycho like the rest of the women in my life!!” Justin said before turning to face the people coming out of the terminal.
 

-------------------------------

“So what gives? You’re really not going to give me your number?”

“Give it up, Juan.”

“You know I loved when you said my name earlier today. But now it’s just comes out like venom. You’re breaking my heart, Kayla.”

“You still have room in that body of yours for a heart? Does your ego allow any room?”

“See, now that’s cold. Be nice and warm, Kayla. It’s soo much more attractive.” Trace said walking next to her out of the plane and into the long corridor leading to the terminal.

“Just call me the Ice Princess.” Kayla said giving him a bored look when in reality she enjoyed talking to him.

“Queen, suits you better.” Trace said with a smile.

 When Kayla had checked her bag at the airport, Trace had been right there behind her. To her surprise when she had sat down in her seat on the plane Trace had seated himself right next to her. Apparently after Trace did mostly all the talking and she pretended not to care. He’d told her he’d switched his first-class ticket with the old man that was assigned to be seated next to her. While Kayla pretended not to enjoy his company they’d talked about fashion, music, movies and whatever came to mind. The only subject they didn’t encounter was any personal information about each other. As cute as he was, Kayla would not fall for his charm, or anyone else’s for that matter.

“Okay so when can I call you?” Trace insisted which caused Kayla to laugh.

“How are you going to call me when I haven’t given you my number yet?” Kayla said before quickly going back to correct herself. "I mean when you’re not going to get my number.”

“My ears chose to have selective hearing just now and they heard the word YET in there.” Trace pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. “Okay hit me.”

 Kayla did just that. She stopped walking and playfully punched him in the arm. Considering her height and weight, it was nothing more than a slight shove.

“Ha ha, very funny. Seriously, what’s your number?”

“Alright alright.” Kayla said looking bored yet sounding anything but. “I’ll give you my number but promise me you won’t harass me.”

“Me? Harass? What makes you think that? I promise I’ll only call three times in an hour instead of seven.”

“Forget it!!” she laughed walking away.

“I’m kidding, Kayla. See, now that was a joke. My opinion still stands that you need to get out more. And I’m just the guy for that.”

“Whatever.” Kayla remarked before saying her number soo fast Trace had to be quick in pressing the number keys on his phone. “Maybe you’re right, shorty.”

“Stop with the name calling, Princess. And this better not be a wrong number!!” Trace said pointing a menacing finger at her.

“Why would I do that?” she said as they neared the end of the terminal.

“Yeah, why would you? Let’s see how honest you are, Kayla.” Trace dialed the number and seconds later her phone rang from inside her purse.

 She took the tiny device out her purse  and practically shoved it in his face.

“Good.” Trace placed his cell phone into his pocket once again and gave her a cheesy smile. “I know that you were too shy to ask me for my number, so now you have it. You don’t need to ask me for it.”

“How kind of you to free me from that excruciating task.”

“My pleasure.”

“Uncle Trace!!” a small voice called out to him. Trace looked towards the voice that he’d been wanting to hear for weeks. On top of a large man’s shoulders a little girl with a hat reading ‘Barbie’s Gone Wild’ waved at him. He turned to Kayla who was looking at Andie with a smile on her face.

“Well looks like my fan is here, I have to go. But I’ll call you.” Trace said with a wink.

“Is he hitting on you, Miss? Should I call security?” Justin appeared next to Trace putting him in a quick headlock and covering his mouth.

“I can take care of small things like Juan. It’s the big things that I need security for.”

“Ohh, I like you.” Justin said letting go of Trace’s head and extending his hand out to her. “Hi, I’m Trace’s best friend, Jay.”

“Nice to meet you, Jay. I’m Kayla. How do you get Trace out of Juan Carlos?”
 

“Ohh I see how it is? You ask my friend about ME, but you won’t ask ME about ME, yourself?” Trace asked shoving Justin tot he side.

“I think I’ll let JUAN tell you the story behind his name himself. It was nice meeting you Kayla. I better get back to my daughter. Hurry up JUAN. The five o’clock rush is coming.” Justin said shaking Kayla’s hand again and pushing Trace to the side.

“She’s beautiful.” Kayla said to Justin as he started to walk away.

“Takes after her mother.” Justin said with a wave towards his daughter who remained on Lonnie’s shoulders.

“And her father as well.” Kayla commented before smiling at Justin.

“Ohh she’s a keeper JUAN!!” Justin laughed.

“Did you just flirt with your future husband’s best friend?”

“Who? Me? Why would I do such a thing?” Kayla said dramatically.

“Ohh so you do admit it! Ha!” Trace said pointing accusingly. “you like me, Kayla. You do. You know you do. Just admit it. You do. Say it.”

“You’re delusional is what you are. I gotta go. I see my cousin over there.” Kayla said pointing towards the crowd.

“Alright, I have to go too.” Trace lifted his hand, pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and ran his finger slowly down her cheek. “Have a nice vacation, Kayla.”

“Same to you, Juan.” Kayla said trying not to blush. She turned around and started weaving through  the crowd towards her cousin.

“You were blushing!!” Trace yelled out over the crowd, scaring the guy in front of him in the process. Kayla didn’t even attempt to look back towards him. Instead he saw her raise her arm with a middle finger directed towards him. “Damn!! She’s cute.”
 

---------------------------
 Still same day

“What about this one?” Jc said pointing to a magazine with pictures of grand pianos.

“No, I think with the colors that you guys already have the living room in that the burgundy marble looking one is the best choice.” Juls said pointing to the magazine she had in front of her.

“Yeah but the pearl white one comes with the matching music notes sculptures.” Jc argued.

“My vote goes for the burgundy one. And I bet Jenn would like my choice too.” Juls said before she got up and checked on the barbequed ribs she was making for Trace.

“Well I like the white one so maybe I'll get both.”

“Why do you need two grand pianos at you house? Whatever, it’s your money you'll be wasting.” Juls said licking her finger to taste the sauce.

“That’s right. It is my money. I don’t care what you ‘vote’ for.”

“You better start caring if you’re betting on eating tonight.”

“I don’t need you to feed me, Juls.”

“But your wife seems to think so. She specifically left me with instructions to feed your skinny ass while she’s gone. No junk food. I follow orders.”

“Since when?” Jc asked giving her a knowing look.

“Since now, you ungrateful son of a bitch!!” Juls said laughing when he started making faces at her.

“What are you doing alone in my house with MY wife?” Justin said entering through the back door of the kitchen.

“The same thing you do with mine in the studio, dumbass.” Jc quickly replied.

“You were having hot sweaty sex with my wife?” Justin asked in a mock shocked voice.

“Hilarious I tell you. The hilarious JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, that’s who you are.” Jc said sarcastically.

“You have been taking pointers from your wife, haven’t you? The comebacks are just marvelous.” Justin said just as sarcastically.

“J, behave. Jc has no bed warmer for the next two days. He’s cranky.”

“Ahh poor baby.” Justin mocked in a baby voice before kissing Juls on the nose and then softly on the lips. "I love you.”

“Love you too. Where’s my daughter?”

“She went with Trace to drop off Lonnie at home.”

“You let OUR daughter ride in the car while Trace is behind the wheel?” Juls asked holding her chest as if about to panic.

“Hey!! Watch it!! I don’t talk smack about your friends, Juliana.” Justin responded in a mock hurt voice, before heading out to the living room.

“That’s because my friends ARE your friends too.” Juls said.

“I beg to differ. I seem to remember a certain ‘friend’ of yours that is most definitely not a friend of Justin’s, which certainly is most definitely NOT a friend of mine.” Jc said matter of fact.

“Who invited you into this conversation, skin and bones? You guys need to get over the whole John thing. You guys have to learn to look at it the way I look at it. If it wasn’t for John, we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be here married to the man of my dreams. And you wouldn’t be married to the woman of yours.” Juls said raising her eyebrows at Jc.

“Ha!!” Jc said sarcastically as he entered text into his two-way device. “I much rather look at it from my view. Thanks.”

“I completely agree. Are the ribs done yet, J?” Justin asked coming back in the kitchen, now only wearing a wife beater.

“I hope the hoodie you were wearing is in a hamper and not on the living room couch. And just a little while longer. How was the airport?”

“Hold that thought, be right back.” Justin said running into the living room. Juliana heard him run down to the basement where the hamper was and then come back upstairs. “the airport was surprisingly dead today. Oh, let me tell you how your daughter was about to say ‘shit’ if I hadn’t stopped her today.”

“Is that right?” Juls said trying not to smile up at him.

“That’s funny to you?” Justin asked opening the magazine Jc had been looking at. “Tell Jenn not to forget to bring me the things I asked her to pick up at moms’ house.” he told Jc who was busy sending messages back and forth to his wife before turning back to face his own. “So you think that your daughter cursing is funny?”

“Stop being so melodramatic, Justin. And how come when she does something wrong, she’s only MY daughter? You helped make her buddy. Besides she knows better than to say any of the things she hears adults say.

“Yeah right.”

“Jenn says that if you keep reminding her of your shit she will, wait I have to scroll. She will personally make your life a living hell when she’s behind the control panel in the studio next week.” Jc said with a chuckle. “I love that woman.”

“She’s a fucki….” Justin started to say but stopped himself when Andie walked in the house followed by Trace.

“And you wonder where she gets it from?” Juls asked skeptically with an eyebrow lifted.

“Shut up, J. Hey baby girl.” Justin said taking her hat off and placing it next to his ‘Girls Gone Wild’ hat on the kitchen counter.

“Do I smell barbequed ribs?” Trace said dropping his bag in the middle of the kitchen.

“Just for you, little man.” Juls said giving Trace a quick hug.

“I’ll let you slide with that one.” Trace said walking over to where Jc sat on one of the stools. “What’s up man?”

“Not much. How’s school?”

“Not in session. The way I’ve always liked it. Did Jenn leave to Orlando already?” Trace said looking in the refrigerator.

“Yeah a little while ago. Joey went back home with her.” Jc said. “Can I please get some food, woman?!!” he said to Juliana.

“Speaking of little. I just remembered something. Trace has a girlfriend.” Justin announced while running his fingers through his daughter’s hair.

“I saw her, mommy.” Andie volunteered. “when Loonie had me on his shoulders.”

“That’s right baby girl. Oh and guess what else guys?” Justin continued after tying his daughter’s hair up in a ponytail. Trace stood by the kitchen island not saying a word and looking bored.

“What?” Juls asked interested.

“Do we know her?” Jc asked just as curious.

“I AM in the room, you know.”

“Uncle Trace the adults are talking.” Andie said putting her index finger to her lips to quiet him, making everyone laugh.

“Trace’s new girlfriend is amazingly shorter than he is.”

“Oh my God, Trace!! You’re dating a dwarf?” Juliana joked.

“Why did I come here, God? Why? What have I done in my life to deserve friends like these? They’ve even corrupted the children.” Trace said with his head lifted towards the ceiling as if begging for mercy.

“It doesn’t get any better, my friend.” Jc said laughing while he patted Trace’s shoulder. “Can I please GET SOME FOOD NOW?”

“Yeah, you fuc…...go wash your hands Andie so you can eat. Take your hat and daddy’s upstairs and place them were they belong, baby girl.” Juls said while giving Jc the finger behind her back.

“And you ask me where she gets the language from?” Justin said giving Juls a sarcastic look.

“You better shut up, Timberlake. The SAT scores haven’t been tabulated yet.”

“Yes, ma’am.”