Whitney headed into the dance studio for her first day of rehearsal and felt relief when she saw Casey, waving her over.  “Okay, things to know.  I’ll give you the quick breakdown of the other girls.  Laura is the other blonde, she’s the loud-mouthed gossip but she’s a lot of fun.  Rebecca has dark black hair and is the intellectual sarcastic one.  And then there’s Ashleigh, she’s the one with curly brown hair and she is the fun-loving partier of the group.  They have all been working with us for about eight months,” Whitney nodded, trying to absorb every detail into her memory before meeting the other girls. 

They walked over the group of the other three women.  “Girls, this is Whitney.  Whitney, these are the girls,” Casey said, taking a moment to introduce everyone.    

Rebecca shook her hand and Ashleigh gave her an emphatic hug.  Laura looked at her, eyeing her up and down.  “Have you met Justin, yet?” she asked her.   

Whitney nodded, “Well, I auditioned for him.  But I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him.”

“He doesn’t do a lot of talking,” Rebecca said, smirking as she made eye-contact with Laura. 

“He’ll be joining rehearsals soon.  Next week,” Casey said, trying to change the subject. 

Clap.   Clap.  Clap.  The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of their choreographer.  It was the same Zack that had been running the audition Whitney had attended.  Without anymore introduction, he walked up them, “Ladies, ladies.  Let’s get down to business.”  Just like that dance rehearsal was underway.    

**

Justin stretched his arms in the air as he yawned and plopped himself down on the sofa.  He was sitting behind another 2-way-mirror in the dance studio, watching the ladies as they tried to learn the dance routines.  He ran a hand through his short curly hair as his eyes shifted from one lady to the next.  “So, what do you think?” he asked to his friend, sitting beside him.

He looked over at JC, who had his earphones in and his eyes closed, tapping out a beat on his leg with his hands. 

“JC!”  he yelled.  JC looked over and slowly pulled the earphones out. 

“Sorry.  Why is this necessary again, Justin?” he asked, looking impatient.

“Well, I like watching my ladies dance, especially without them knowing.  And it doesn’t hurt that I learn the choreography by watching.  Then, when I rehearse with them next week they will be beyond impressed with my ability to learn the steps so quickly,” he said, smiling cockily as he leaned back.  “Now, what do think of my girls?”

JC looked up at the group for the first time since they had arrived.  “New one?” he asked, focusing on Whitney.

“Yes, I decided that I needed one more.  Her name is Whitney.  She has a sort of sensual innocence about her.  She’s going to be my new muse,” Justin said with a smile as he put a finger to his lips and watched her move. 

“How many of those do you need?” JC asked with irritation.

“They all fulfill my needs in their own way,” Justin said as he stared at the group of girls before turning his attention over to JC.  “You know, JC, if you ever wanted a night with one of them-“

“-No, I don’t want any part of this.  I don’t even want to hear about any of it.  Now, can we head to the studio like you said we were going to?”  JC asked, as he stood up, noticeably uncomfortable. 

**

It was move-in day.  The girls arrived with their extensive luggage and headed onto the tour bus.  The tour didn’t start for a few more days, but they were getting situated so when the tour started they were adjusted and ready to go.  The five girls were lucky enough to have their own bus with plenty of living space since they were separated from the other crew members. 

The girls unpacked and got situated for a few hours.  It was already later in the evening when Casey excused herself from the group and headed to the back.  She ran her brush through her hair and surveyed herself in the mirror, applying lip gloss.  Laura smiled as she asked, “Where are you off to this time of night?” already knowing the answer.

“It’s Monday night,” Rebecca said, sticking her head out of her bunk where she had been reading a book.

“What’s on Monday nights?” Whitney asked, turning to Ashleigh.  The two were watching a movie together. 

Ashleigh looked over at Casey, unsure of what to say. 

“Monday is meeting day for the tour.  I’m the lead dancer and I handle other arrangements as well, so Monday nights I always have a meeting with…Justin…” Casey said, checking herself out in the mirror one last time before picking up her clutch and heading towards the door.

“Don’t worry –we’ll wait up,” Laura said as she smirked at Rebecca. 

**

It was now Wednesday and it was the first dance rehearsal day that Justin was going to be attending.  All the girls were trying to perform their best in an effort to impress him.  He walked out onto the floor and the energy in the room shifted dramatically.  Each girl seemed desperate to vie for his attention. 

“How are my ladies, today?” he asked with a grin. 

The girls all greeted him and they started to learn the steps as a group together quickly.  The group numbers ran fairly smoothly.  It was now time for some of the individual partner dances.  When it was Whitney’s turn her heart started to beat rapidly.  As he rested his hands on her hips she felt dizzy and light-headed.  She tried to concentrate on moving to the music, but it was all she could do to get through the routine without him distracting her from steps. 

“Am I making you nervous?” he whispered into her ear.  She didn’t know how to respond so she kept dancing, remaining silent.  She held her breathe for what seemed like ages, finally exhaling after the routine ended.  He locked eyes with her as she retreated off the dance floor for Ashleigh’s turn.               

**

The girls had returned to the bus after a long day of rehearsing.  Whitney leaned her head against the window of the living area, exhausted.  She noticed a familiar man walk by with dark hair and deep blue eyes.  He seemed slightly overdressed in suit pants with a vest and tie.  He walked quickly with his head down and his hands in his pockets.  “Is that?” she asked, aloud. 

“Yes, that’s JC Chasez,” Casey responded.  “He’s coming on the tour with us – at least for the first leg.  Justin and him have been writing music and collaborating so he brought him along for some music production and such.” 

“He’s a bit shy though,” Ashleigh said, “He mostly likes to keep to himself.” 

Whitney nodded as she kept her focus on him until he slipped out of sight. 

“Shall we head to dinner?” Casey asked the group and they gathered their belongings and headed off the bus. 

**

The ladies returned from dinner and saw a periwinkle box wrapped with white ribbon sitting on the table in the living area.  “Ah, who is this one for?” Rebecca asked. 

Laura looked down at the envelope attached to the box.  “Whitney, it’s for you,” she said, handing her the envelope and grabbing up the package and shaking it, trying to guess what was inside.

Ashleigh headed to the bar area and pulled out three shooter glasses and a bottle of Patron tequila.  She started pouring out the shots and then brought some lime wedges out.  “Whitney, here you go,” she said as she motioned to the glasses.

“Oh, I’m not a big fan of shots,” Whitney said as she put her hand up in protest and started to open the envelope

“Trust me girl, you’re going to need them,” Ashleigh said, handing her one. 

She opened the card.  It said Whitney Wednesday…  What was that supposed to mean?  She downed the first shots of tequila Ashleigh had handed her and put the glass down. Laura handed her the package.  She nervously untied the ribbon and slowly opened the lid to the box.  The other girls looked on in curiosity, already suspecting what she would find inside.  She stopped and looked at the contents of the box and her eyes widened as she pulled out a black lace bra and panty set.  She was speechless and she felt her face flush as she reached for another round of tequila. 

**