It was 2:00 in the morning and the bartender rang the bell for last call. We had gone to the Elephant Bar after talking in his dressing room for what seemed like 15 minutes but was really close to 2 hours. The manager there had become a friend of mine since I had gone there for lunch at least once a week because I worked right across the street. I called him when I got into Justin's chauffeured town car and asked him to set us up a table somewhere secluded. He met us at the back door and ushered us to a small table for two in the back of the bar. There weren't that many people in there since it was close to midnight and the people that were there were pretty much obliterated, so even if they did recognize Justin, they wouldn't remember it the next day. The waiter came over to us the moment we sat down to get our drink orders, a luxury that never happens when you're not with one of the most famous people in America.

"Jack and Coke please," he said keeping his head that now adorned a baseball hat down.

"And I'll have a tequila sunrise please, thanks," I said. I watched the waiter walk away and for some reason felt the need to make sure he wasn't going to make an announcement to the entire bar that Justin Timberlake was there. Luckily he put the drink order in and went on to another table. Justin looked up after a good minute but didn't say anything.

"Do you always feel like you need to hide when you go out?"

"Only at new places I guess. Before I'd go into bars and I'd get recognized and people wouldn't make a huge deal about it, then when the whole paparazzi craze started I couldn't go anywhere without being hounded by everyone in the bar. I'm okay when I go into places that I've been to before and know that I won't get hounded, but new places I always feel like I need to hide. You can imagine I only go to a few select bars."

"So when you travel you have a bar in each city you go to?"

"Yeah, it's called Room Service," he said laughing. "I go to clubs when I travel if I have time, they have VIP sections so I know I won't be hounded, but at bars it's everyone for themselves so I try and stay away."

"I wish I had known, I wouldn't have taken you here."

"No, this is great. You got the VIP treatment coming in, back corner table; you're on top of things. I knew there was a reason I needed to meet you! Then to top it off you order tequila, girl after my own heart."

"Go big or go home right?" I questioned while the waiter brought our drinks over and took our food order. He asked if we needed anything else from him, then left us to talk. He told me all about touring and what it was like to be on the road for an entire year, and how hectic his schedule gets. The tour was ending in a couple of weeks and he was looking forward to just going home and relaxing, but he said that he gets antsy and never takes as much time off as he plans. After a couple of drinks he started telling me about his last girlfriend and how they broke up because she assumed he was cheating on her and even though she had no proof she accused him of it anyway and left him. He'd been single for a while and not really looking for a relationship just to have one, but not not looking for one either. Something about 'Whatever happens, happens.' I told him a lot about me too. I explained how I always seemed to be in a relationship because I wanted to feel wanted since I never felt that from my parents, and how once I realized that I hadn't been in a relationship since. We talked about my sister and how she was engaged and how since that announcement was made my entire family had been asking me when that would happen to me. Once I was more then a little tipsy I told him that I never thought I would get married, and the thought of kids made me cringe. I grew up being the youngest in my family until I turned 18 so I guess you could say that I didn't have much experience with kids even though I was a babysitter for a few years. After about an hour we were interrupted this time by his cell phone ringing. He ignored it at first but the caller was being persistent so I told him to take the call.

"Sorry, this will just be a second," he said while reaching into his pocket and taking out his blackberry. I thought he was going to walk away so that I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he sat back down when he answered, "Hey Mama...I'm actually at a bar right now...I told Rachel not to call you...I'm fine, more then fine...Yes, I promise...I'll call you tomorrow...Love you too, goodnight." He hit the end button, threw the phone on the table and gulped down the rest of his drink. He got the waiters attention and while he cleared our plates, Justin ordered another round. I waited for him to say something but he just played with his empty glass until the waiter came back with our drinks.

"My mom thinks I'm crazy because I'm at a bar with you," he said taking a sip, "little does she know this is the longest most intriguing conversation I've had with someone that doesn't actually work for me in years. I don't really know what I was expecting, and honestly for a second I thought I might be crazy, but I'm not," he was rambling and I wanted to stop him but he just kept going. "I didn't think I'd end up at a bar with you when I first wanted to meet you, I thought I'd just talk to you for a few minutes. Hell what am I talking about I didn't really know what to expect and I was fucking nervous as hell. And now I'm sitting here talking to you and I don't want to leave, I don't want to leave this bar, this city, you. I mean you're a fan I've never done this before, whatever it is I'm doing..."

"Justin," I said but he didn't hear me.

"I'm comfortable with you. I let some of my guard down with you after just a few hours, who does that? You're treating me like a normal person and looking past what I do for a living, you're getting to know Justin not Justin Timberlake music superstar. I hate that people are questioning me and not letting me live my life, I can make my own damn decisions and if I want to go to a bar with a stranger, I'll go to a bar with a stranger and I shouldn't be checked up on."

"Justin..."

"I didn't expect to actually like you, or connect with you. I didn't expect to feel the way I do..."

"JUSTIN," I screamed this time and he stopped and looked at me. I didn't really know what I wanted to say but I had to stop him. He was getting upset and saying things that he might regret in the morning when he was sober. "You're not crazy," I started and took a big breath. "I mean you might be crazy, but I don't see it, not yet anyway. And I can only imagine how it feels to be put under a microscope everyday of your life, but your family and friends are just looking out for your best interests. I'm sure they don't want to see you hurt. They don't know me; they haven't been sitting here talking to me for close to 4 hours so they're just concerned for you. And to top it off, you sir, are drunk so I don't want you to say things you're going to regret in the morning."

"I know they're concerned and I'm overreacting and I may just be a little drunk, but I know I'm not going to regret what I say in the morning. Drunken words are sober thoughts right?" he said and took another sip of his drink.

"From my experience yes, that statement is true," I replied while swirling my drink on the table not able to really look at him.

"I want to get to know you. I want to know everything about you. You've told me so much but I know that there's so much more to you then what you say." I didn't know how to respond. He was right, after just a few hours he could see right through me. Sure I told him about my parents and school and the rest of my family. I've talked to him about what I want in the future, but he had no idea about my past and as comfortable as I was with him I couldn't let my guard down. I couldn't let him in because of the fear that was lingering over my head. What if I let him in and he left me hanging out to dry. At the end of the day he's Justin Timberlake, sure I can see past that sitting with him now, but he's touring the world and I'm a college student. He leaves tomorrow for a different state and in two weeks he'll be in LA 3,000 miles away. How could I let my guard down knowing that not only would he be leaving me, but he'd be leaving me in just a few hours. "I know what you're thinking," he said and took my hand into his, "you're scared because of who I am. You think I might use you or hurt you somehow and I want you to know that I won't. There's nothing else I can say to prove that to you right now, you just have to trust me." He told me this while looking into my eyes, and those baby blues were pleading with me to believe him just like they had years before.

"You leave tomorrow," I said while pulling my hand away from his, "I'm in college, what is it that you want to happen?"

"I want you to give me a chance."

"A chance for what Justin?" I was getting angry now, "You want me to give you a chance, to open up to you, to let my guard down. You want me to trust you. How can I trust you? I've know you for a few hours, and you want me to break down a wall that it took me years to build up. I'm comfortable with you yes, but I can't just let you in and give you a chance to break me down. I can't let that happen. I can't handle being hurt again." I could feel the tears start to form again. Apparently today was going to be a tear fest. "If I get hurt again...I don't know if I'll be able to pick up the pieces this time." A single tear slid down my cheek, and this time it was me that picked up my glass and gulped the rest of my drink down.

"I know you want to trust me. You wouldn't have told me everything that you have if you didn't. Give me a chance Marissa, maybe I can help."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't need help Justin. I'm just fine the way I am."

"I'm not saying you should change, but you should be happy," he said softly while reaching for my hand again.

"Who said I wasn't happy?"

"These," he said while wiping the tears that were sliding down my red cheeks, "these tell me that you're not happy."

"I'm happy right now...and it's scary. I can't just let my guard down that easily Justin, I'm sorry."

"So let it down little by little and just give me a chance." My mind was going in twenty different directions. I wanted to believe him, and I wanted to give him a chance. I've had my guard up for years, and he was right I wasn't happy. I lived life just to live it and not with a purpose. I hadn't smiled as much as I did tonight in God only knows how long. I wanted to believe him; I wanted to give him a chance. Then there was something else that was telling me it was a bad idea. But I'd listened to that something else for too long. Justin nailed it on the head, that's what I was missing...happiness. So I ignored that something else and for the first time in a very long time I went with my gut.

"Promise you won't try and knock my wall down all at once? You'll take it slow?"

"As slow as you want."

"Don't hurt me," I said it as a statement but inside I begging.

"I promise you," he said while getting off of his seat and walking over to me.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Justin."

"I promise you I will not hurt you."

"Okay, and I promise to TRY to let my guard down," I said while resisting the strong urge to reach out, grab his face and put his lips on mine.

"Good," he almost whispered. "I can figure out my schedule, we can IChat until I'm off tour. I'll come visit when I'm done, and you can come out to LA for a long weekend."

"We'll go slow," I said trying to convince myself that this was a good idea.

"We'll go slow." The last call bell was being rung and he was standing directly in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. He dipped down to look into my eyes and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I want to kiss you," I said shocking myself that I actually said it out loud.

"I want to kiss you too," he replied while slowly moving closer to my face. I closed my eyes not knowing what to expect. Was this really happening to me? Just this morning I was excited to go to the concert of one of my idols, and now he's only centimeters away from my face. How was this ever going to work? What is this even? A friendship? A relationship? My mind was wondering when I felt the softest lips I've ever felt on mine. He didn't push it though, he wasn't rough or asking for more then I wanted to give him. Inside I knew that this was right. I knew it would be hard and it would be a lot to get use to, but the moment his lips touched mine I knew it was a risk I was ready and willing to take. "Come back to my hotel with me," he said as more of a statement then a question.

"Justin, we already went over this."

"I'm not asking you to sleep with me, I just want to spend as much time with you as I can before I have to leave. We'll stay up all night and order room service. We could watch a movie, anything you want," he looked at me with pleading eyes.

"How about we just talk?" I said.

"I'd really like that," he responded while holding me close to him. He pushed back and looked that the bill the waiter had left on the table, took out his wallet and dropped a $200 on the table.

"Quite the tipper I see."

"When people don't cause scenes they get rewarded," he said with a chuckle as he reached out for my hand. I took his hand, hopped off the bar stool and walked over to the owner to thank him for everything. Justin came over and thanked him as well as signing an autograph for his daughter, something I learned he didn't mind doing as long as people left him alone while he was eating or drinking. We went out the back door of the bar and I started walking towards the car. He asked me to wait where I was and he walked around to the driver side window. A minute later he was walking back to me and the car was pulling away.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I want to walk back with you, you can show me some of your favorite places to go in the city."

"You want to walk around Boston without a bodyguard or anything?"

"It's 2:15 in the morning, I think we'll probably be safe."

"Okay," I said almost scolding him, "but if you get hounded I'm running away."

"I'm fine with that as long as it's back to my room...deal?" He asked while sticking out his hand. I put my hand in his and he squeezed it tight. I looked up at him and smiled the most genuine smile I had in a long time.