The next few days fly by and we fly to NY, go through a day of rehearsal and then get ready for the VMAs. I go to make up and they put foundation, rouge, lip gloss, and eyeliner on me. They put a very light blue on me for eye shadow.
JC likes it. We go to the limo and we get there. Sway sees us. He stops us for an interview. "JC, it's been awhile since we've seen you. Three or four years, other than the movie awards."
"Yeah, been busy with ABDC, producing and hanging with friends."
"I see you brought someone with you. Is she your girlfriend?"
We look at each other and smile. "Not yet. I'm trying to talk her into it. She's a very close friend of mine. She came with me to the movie awards in June. Sam's a riot and makes fittings and things like that more bearable."
"So, she makes you laugh?"
"Yes, she's the kind of woman to play tackle football with me, Justin, Joey, Chris, and Lance. Three on three. It's fun."
"Name something she does that made you laugh."

"During the fitting she had to pick her shoes and she picked the ones she's wearing walked over to me and said she grew. She picked on herself saying she didn't fall flat on her face. She would rather wear jeans and a tank top with a pair of sneakers, hanging around or fixing a car."
"So she's like a tomboy?"
JC looks at me. I smile. "I guess I am, according to JC. I would rather be goofing off, working on a friend's car or messing with a computer or something like that."
"What do you like the most about JC?"
"His personality and intelligence."
"JC, is it true that you've been sleeping with a good friend of yours?"
"I'm not talking about that. That's my personal life. My friends and family know about my relationship status."
"Do you have someone you can see yourself with in a year?"
"Sam." I smile and give him a kiss. "Flirt. You're gonna end up starting rumors."
I shrug. "So? Friends who are as close as us can kiss every once in awhile."
Sway laughs. "She likes ya, JC."
"I know she does. She's had a crush on me since what year?"
"Only since 92, JC."
"Best friends and crushes usually mix until things get personal."
"I know pretty much everything about her and she knows me."
"Thanks for talking to me. Lala?" Josh and I head in and he bumps into Taylor Swift, Justin Beiber and Usher.
We bump into Usher first. "JC! Haven't seen you in a good while here!" They shake hands and hug.
"I know it's been almost forever. How are you?"
"Good, good. Who is this pretty woman?"
"Sam, I'm sure you listened to Usher before."
I smile and he gives me a hug. "How's the business?"
We start walking to our seats. He looks at me, smiling. "Busy. JB! Come here, meng." Justin Beiber comes over. "This man is an old-"
"According to Sam, I'm not old."

We laugh and Usher tries to intro JC to JB again. "This is JC Chasez and his-"
I smile. "Very close friend."
"Sam."
JB smiles and hugs us both. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Chasez."
"Just call me JC. Everyone else does."
"Sorry, JC. I'm just a little excited to meet you."
"Wait till the after party. You'll meet so many other people, your head will be spinning for a few days at least."
They talk for a few minutes and then we go to our seats. Taylor bumps JC. "Oh, sor-JC!" She hugs him. "It's been so boring at the shows without you. I thought it was someone being funny when I saw two seats reserved for you. She is so beautiful. I'm Taylor."
We smile at each other. "I'm Sam."
"Are you dating?" She points back and forth between us.
I laugh. "Not yet. He's trying to talk me into it."
She laughs. "JC has to talk you into dating him? That's great. I love how your eyes are brought out by your hair."

"Thank you, Taylor! I love your music. My daughter wants to be you when she gets older."
She smiles. "Maybe she will be. How old is she?"
"She's seven." I pull my cell/iPod out and show her pics.
JC smiles. "I have some of her playing with the kids."
She smiles at JC. "You spend a lot of time together?"
"Yes. She's a good friend of mine and we're extremely close."
She sees one pic where the kids dog piled me. "That is adorable! You have three?"
"Yeah. He's nine, she just turned seven and he's five."
She sees a picture of JC and I with the kids at the beach. "How'd you take this one?"
I show her my iPod. "My cell."
She laughs. "JC must spoil you."
"No. I bought it over a year ago and just had service activated six months ago."
"Oh. I bet he's always there when you need someone."
"He's my best friend. He's there no matter what. Even if it's just to help me fall asleep. He's an amazing friend. He's seen me through thick and thin." I smile and look at him. The film crew asks us to sit down. We take our seats and JC puts his hand on the side of my face, I look at him and he kisses me.
JC sees Taylor smile. "You saw that?"
"That's cute."
"If anyone asks, tell em what you want."

We sit through all the awards and performances. I change into a skirt and tank top. He keeps the same clothes on. We head into the after party and start dancing. They put on Nelly's 'Hot In Here' and I start dancing pretty dirty. They put on Usher's 'Bad Girl' and JC leads me to a dark corner away from everyone and we do our thing, both of us get off in twenty minutes. I make it look like we were only making out while sitting on one of the speakers in the corner cuz I sit on his lap, straddling him, kissing him and doing body waves. We sit there for a few more minutes talking, kissing and laughing. We're so focused on each other we don't realize anyone standing behind me. I hear someone behind me and JC knows. I whisper in his ear. "Someone's behind me."
He looks and smiles. I zip his pants so it doesn't look like we just had sex. I stand up and turn around, looking Britney dead in the face. They hug. "Britney, how have you been?"
She shrugs. "Good. How about you, JC?"
"Very good. Sam, Brit. Brit, this is a close friend of mine, Sam."
She gives me a hug. "I love how your hair makes your eyes pop. I liked what you wore for the awards and love what you're wearing now."
"Thanks, I love your outfit too."
"How long have you known JC?"
"Almost six months. He's an amazing friend."
She looks at JC. "I heard through the grapevine that you've been fooling around with a beautiful mom of three."
JC and I look at each other and smile. "Who told you that?"
"Ran into Justin."
He nods. "It's the truth." He kisses me, pulling me close.
"She's the one you've been fooling with?"
"Yeah, we're talking about getting together."
"Really?" We nod. "I've been seeing pictures of you two out with three little blondies."
I smile. "Those are my babies."
"They are adorable. JC, are you sure you wanna deal with someone else's kids?"
He shrugs. "I've been around them for the past couple months. They're really good kids. They bring enough craziness into my days when they're with us that I don't need to go to the club."
"Oh, wow."

My hand brushes his, he grabs it and I rub the back of his hand. He looks at me and gives me a kiss. "Josh, I'm gonna get a drink."
"C'mon. I could use one too." We give Britney hugs and head to the drink table. I take a soda and he grabs one too. "It's awkward running into her since Justin and her broke up the way they did."
"I heard it was cuz she was doubling up with Wade."
"Yeah, that's what made rehearsals so hard. That's when we called Darren in."
I shrug. "Shit happens and sometimes you just have to take a deep breath, move on and just let it go."
"Yeah, sometimes it's harder than you think."
"I know. They were best friends. Shit like that can destroy friendships."
"You told Nick something about a Dan."
"High school crush who just turned out to be an asshole after he got some. Not worth the energy or brain cells to say much about. Best friends for two years, stopped talking for a few years, he moved in with us, had an affair under my ex's nose, he moved back into mom & dad's house and we don't talk unless we run into each other. It's basically a hi, how ya been? And see ya around kinda thing. He's engaged and I haven't spoken to him in almost a year and a half. Don't give a shit. He's his own person, chose his life and made his choices."
"So, he took what he could from you and when another girl came about, dropped you like a hot potato?"

"Yeah, he can deal with his losses. So I focus on my kids and me, moved here, I'm with you and I include you in my focus now." I look at him and smile.
"You're stronger than you let on. Always ready to move on."
"When I see shit's about to hit the fan, yes. Every other time, I allow myself to get lost in the moment."
"What about right now?"
"Lost in the moment. When I talk to you, spend time with you or get close to you" I step closer to him and he holds me close "like this, I allow myself to get lost in the moment."
He leans over so he can whisper in my ear. "What about when we have sex?"
"I get so lost in the moment, I forget anything else exists."
He smiles and kisses me. "That's why you kept kissing me?"
I whisper in his ear. "It's either kiss you or be vocal and draw attn to us. I know you kept one hand on my hip and the other on the side of my ribs. You did that to feel me moan."
He smiles. "I did. It was a new experience for me here."
I throw my head back, laughing. The dj plays Britney's 'Boys' and I drag JC to the dance floor again. We kiss and dance provocatively, not caring who sees or gets some pictures. After that song we duck out and head for the hotel. The whole ride to the hotel in the limo, we make out and grind. I started it by straddling and kissing him. He keeps pulling me to him by my hips, kissing me back. I start doing body waves and he starts to slide one hand down my leg, toward the inside of my thigh and up the inside of my thigh.

The driver tries to get us to the hotel as fast as he can but can't. "JC, we just got stuck in traffic."
"That's fine. Just try to get us there as soon as you can."
"Will do, Mr. Chasez."
JC whispers between kisses. "Sure you want it again? Now?"
"Mmmm-hmmmmmm." I pull him closer by his shirt and kiss him.
He shrugs and keeps kissing me. I slide my hands to his chest, down the front of his body, undo his pants and give him a bj. He smiles during it cuz I'm looking at him as I do it. After about ten minutes, he pulls my arms so I straddle him again and we start again. I ride him for the second time and he grabs my hips, lays me on one of the seats on the side of the back. We make out as we have sex in the limo. After almost 45 minutes, we get off and sit on the back bench seat again. We look at each other, smile, breathing a little heavy and sweaty. We start laughing. The driver opens the window between the front and back. "Sorry it took so long, but we're pulling up now."
JC smiles. "Thanks." The driver rolls the window up again and we crack up. "Before we even get back to the hotel." We pull up, security escorts us to the elevator and we make out as we go to the third floor.
The doors open and Aaron's standing there. "There you two are!"
We look at him and smile. "Looking for us?"
"Not anymore. When did you leave the show?"
I look at JC's watch. "About an hour ago, during the after party."

We walk to our room. Aaron smiles. "Nick said he spotted you guys after I left the after party. He said something about you two making out on a speaker in a dark and kinda empty corner." We look at each other and back at Aaron. "It was you guys."
I put one hand on my hip. "Obviously!" I shake my head.
JC unlocks our room and the three of us go in to talk. He looks at Aaron. "What's up? Other than Nick spotting us making out."
"We should hear back about that test in the next couple of weeks, Sam."
I look at him. "Nick couldn't walk up to me and say this at the after party?"
"By the time he went to, you guys disappeared. He saw you talk to Britney and then you disappeared. He recognized you when you threw your head back and laughed."
"I did that a few times on the speaker. Is that all it was about?"
"And I'm bored and wanna hang out with someone."
Josh and I look at each other and shrug. "We have a red eye to catch home, so sure. Josh, can we order from the bar?"
"Depends on what you want."
"Corona with limes."
"Sure."
He calls the hotel bar and order a dozen coronas and 4 limes. Aaron smiles. I cut the limes up and stick a small piece in each of our beers. I put the rest in the mini fridge and bring the boys their beers. "Thanks, Sam."
Josh kisses me. "Thanks, beautiful." He takes a sip. "Kinda sour."
I smile. "I'll use a smaller piece of lime. Here have mine. Smaller piece of lime."
He kisses me and we swap beers. Aaron laughs. "Mine tastes just fine." He already drank a few sips.
"Easy on it, lush. We only have four each."

I sit in front of JC and he drapes his arms over my shoulders. "Just enough for her and I to have a nice buzz but not even close to drunk. It's about eleven, the flight isn't till four am. If we drink our beers by two thirty, she and I will be close to sober before we board." He lifts the hand with the beer in it and takes a sip. "Let's sit outside on the balcony." We go sit on the balcony and chat till around  1:30am, Aaron says he's gotta catch a red eye to Orlando around the same time as ours.
"Get your shit and we can leave together. We leave for 2:30a." I smile.
"I'll be back in ten minutes."
"Don't threaten us and I'm timing you." I move so I can look at JC. "As for you, I would really like a kiss."
He smiles. "What do I get?"
"Once we get back to your house, sweet lovin. Oh! Another blow job." I look away. "Unless you don't want it."
He puts his beer down, puts his hand on the side of my face, I look at him, his other hand slides up the inside of my thigh to touch me, and we kiss. I'm sitting with my legs side by side with one knee bent and my foot pulled back near my butt. "I would love that." He smiles again.
Aaron comes outta nowhere. "How fucking often do you two screw?"
We laugh. JC shakes his head. "Depends on how much time we spend together, alone."
"The past week and a half."
I count in my mind. "About fifty times in the past nine or ten days. What's it matter to you?"
"Damn! That's about five times a day! How the fuck do you handle that?"
"During the week, after his house is clean and before the kids get outta school, after they go to bed and when Nick or one of the other guys take the kids. Mainly when we know it's possible. Past week and a half, Aaliyah has been staying with Joey and Nick took the boys till a couple days ago. Mikal has been staying with James and Demitryus is with Chris. So it works. When we get back we might be able to make love twice if we're lucky. And that's on a daily basis."

"Holy shit! You two are crazy!"
"No, we just know how to make it work. I have an idea how your parents had Nick, Leslie and Bobbi and somehow get pregnant with you and Ange."
"So, you're not even together like that and talking about having a baby?"
"Not really. He asked how I'd be able to get pregnant cuz I had my tubes tied 2 1/2 years ago. He wanted information and I gave it to him."
"Oh. Never mind then."
I take a sip of my beer. I'm on my last one and have an hour to drink it. I have a light buzz. "Aaron, I'm just saying I'm a mom of three and can still manage to have a great sex life. You take advantage of any uninterrupted free time you can get and take care of everything."
"True."
Josh wraps his arms around me and I hold his left hand with mine. "It helps me to appreciate time and the four of em more than I did in the beginning. Now I understand what my parents mean by time and life are gifts, something you're not supposed to expect."

I look at JC and Aaron. "Nothing is promised in life. Life in and of itself is a gift. If someone says 'I promise', they're lying. Everyday you wake up and experience is something to be thankful for. Love is the biggest gift, whether it's the love of a child, a partner, yourself or the small things that make you appreciate everyday. There are always lessons to learn, the biggest factor is if your eyes are actually open for you to see the lesson life and God are trying to teach you. I believe that if only the good die young, I wasn't meant to be good cuz I'm not dead yet. God gives you one path, destiny. His brother and fallen angel, Lucifer or Satan or the Devil, gives you another one called temptation. For every choice you make, at the end of it, you end up at a fork in the road and have another choice to make. Think em through and don't rush into something, unless you've come across it and you know one outcome. Never give up and bust your ass to get what you want. Sometimes you have to DESTROY friendships and walk away from family to find your calling and true positivity. I'm not just repeating things my gramma told me as a kid, but also things I've figured out in my life." I get up and walk over to the balcony railing.
"Like what, baby?"

I lean on the balcony railing, looking over NY. "Destroying friendships and walking away from family to find my calling and true positivity. I went through most of my life being told not to answer my calling and that my dreams would never happen. That I'd never amount to anything. I walked away and I've gotten outta a bad relationship, have unbelievably loving and positive friends, you" I look at JC "answers that I've been looking for for awhile. I'm finally genuinely happy for the first time in 13 years cuz I can't stop smiling. I lay my head down every night, excited to wake up in the morning just to live and thank God for allowing me to live. I'm thankful for you guys for so many reasons. I love each one of you guys but Josh, he's different. Something made him completely unforgettable. I still can't tell what it is but I love so much about him and appreciate him more than words can ever express. My kids mean more than life itself to me. I'd give my own life for them. They need something like that, take it from me. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep them alive. I feel like I can finally truly breathe. I appreciate everything in life and love. I appreciate how you hold me, Josh. How you tell me I'm beautiful, even when I look like a hot mess. Your kisses, every moment with you, hearing your thoughts, and how you always tell me to try. 'Even if it means you land flat on your face, try it. It's better to have tried and know the outcome than to let a hypothetical fear of the unknown keep you from knowing. Trying something means you learn, you learn to gain knowledge, knowledge is power and to truly live, you have to learn.' I remember you said that almost six months ago when I asked if you were sure you would stand behind me and help me leave the last bit of negativity I had in my life. Now I can only be so grateful that I stand beside you, as a friend or more. It all depends on what you say and want." I drink the last sip of my beer, leaning on the railing and facing them. I look back and forth between Aaron and JC.
JC smiles. "You remembered what I said six months ago. You're like a sponge. I love how intelligent you are." He gets up after finishing his last beer, walks over to me, holds me close, and kisses me.

Aaron shakes his head. "Damn. I don't know why but that made more sense than half of the shit I've heard all my career."
I smile and put my head on JC's chest. "Because you've been through it or seen someone who has. Most likely Nick. I know he's been through hell and back." I grab my Buccaneers hat and put it on. "It's already 2:15. We have fifteen minutes to get ready." I stand next to JC and he pulls me close. I cuddle him and pull his cap from his back pocket. "Come on, guys. Hustle, hustle. Hut, hut, hut." I smile at JC.
He smiles and shakes his head. He takes his hat and puts it on. We share a quick kiss. "Like she said, hustle, Aaron. We leave in ten minutes."
Aaron grabs his hat and sunglasses from his bag. "Where are your glasses?"
I look at him. "In my bag." I walk, switching my hips as I go get them and come back. JC smiles, knowing it's a subconscious habit now. I hand him his sunglasses and I put mine on. We grab our bags, check out and head for the airport. Halfway to the airport, Aaron realizes JC called me baby. "Why'd he call you 'baby'?"
I laugh. "Now you realize it?"
"Yeah, how long has he been calling you that?"
"Couple months." I lied.
"Usually when you're alone."
"Yeah."
JC is smiling. "J'aime tu, mon amour."
I look at him surprised. "You just said-"
"I did and I know it. I don't have the balls to say it in English, so I said it in French. "
"Who taught-?"
"I did learn some French when we toured in countries that spoke that language."
I look at him. "Graim thu Igconai."
Aaron's confused. "What in the fuck?"
I look at JC and smile. "I hope you know what he said."
"Sounded familiar. I don't remember what it means."
I put my head in my left hand. "Ask Nick. I know he remembers. I said the same basic thing, just in a different language." He thinks for a minute. I pull my cell out and dial Nick. "Hey, Nick." I have it on speaker.
"Aaron find you?"

"Yeah, we're on the way to the airport to catch our planes. We have him with us. He doesn't remember what 'j'aime tu, mon amour' means."
"I'm on speaker?"
"Yes."
"Hey, Aaron. It means 'I love you, my love'. Why?"
"You're telling me JC just told Sam that?"
"If that's what he said in French, then he did. JC is that what you said?"
"Yes, I said 'j'aime tu, mon amour' and I mean it. She said something like it in Irish Gaelic."
"How do you spell it, Sam? I'm gonna look it up."
"G-r-a-i-m, space, t-h-u, space, capital i-g-c-o-n-a-i. I know what it means."
"Tell me if this is right. According to Google, it means 'I love you, always' or something like that."
"Yes, 'I love you, always' is right. I have other things I say in Gaelic. Which are more for Josh."
"Can you teach Lauren?"
"Maybe. We can talk about that later."
"Alright. Bye."
"Bye." I hang up with Nick, Josh and I head back to LA and go about our regular days.