Chapter 7

Madison walked back over to JC and slung her left arm around his waist and hugged him tightly. She gave Justin a patient smile, ÒJustin stop ragging JC. Leave him alone,Ó she sighed. Justin grumbled in response and Madison winked at him. She turned her head toward JC. ÒWell weÕve got to be heading back toward the stage for our rehearsals, and youÕve got to get ready to leave for your radio interview.Ó She placed her right palm on his chest. ÒIÕll see you later tonight,Ó she gave him a saucy smile and pulled her arms away from him to walk with the girls out of NSYNCÕs dressing room.

Before she made it out the door, her arm was gripped and she was pulled backwards back into JCÕs warm embrace. When she opened her mouth to question his actions, she found her mouth covered by his lips before she could speak. JC captured her lips with his in an intense lip lock. His large hands embraced her face, as he deepened the contact for a moment before he pulled away. ÒThatÕs to hold me until later,Ó he whispered huskily. JC smiled at her and she smiled back biting the edge of her lip.

ÒDamn,Ó Joey broke in between them. He wrapped an arm behind Madison and proceeded to dip her backwards. ÒMy turn Ma Cherie.Ó He made a move as if to kiss her, but Madison saw his play and decided to let her body go limp in his arms. ÒOh crap!Ó Not expecting this, Joey pitched forward with Madison in his arms, and she let her body fall to the ground. Within mere moments, JC had Joey pulled off of his girlfriend and gave the younger man a warning look that was only half playful. MadisonÕs chuckle from the floor quickly grabbed his attention, and Justin leant her a hand to pull herself up from the floor.

Madison gave Joey a quick wink and called out as she walked to the door, ÒIÕm onto you Mr. FatoneÉ But nice try!Ó MadisonÕs continued chuckled could be heard as she continued down the hallway and back towards the stage area.

The moment Madison was out the door, JCÕs attention snapped back to Joey. He pointed a finger into the happy-go-lucky manÕs chest. ÒPaws off! SheÕs off limits to you. SheÕs mine!Ó

ÒSheesh! Chill man, Joey was only playinÕÉ He didnÕt mean anything by it.Ó Chris rolled his eyes at JC as he lounged back on the couch heÕd returned to its upright position. ÒNever took you for the Jealous-Possessive type C! Let me know if you need to talkÉ I took some classes about this stuff. ItÕs not healthy to keep it all bottled up insideÉ Just let it out man!Ó Chris chuckled at his own wittiness. ÒBoy am I good!Ó He smirked just before he felt a pillow chucked at his head. ÒOh itÕs on!Ó He glared back at JC.

~~~~~~~~~~ Allure On Stage ~~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny stopped by to check on the girls before he ushered NSYNC into the van to head for their radio interview in the next town over. He walked in front of the stage where the girls were standing, and placed his folder down in front of him. Riffling through the papers he came across the show schedule for the girls to confirm with them they would be doing as NSYNCÕs opening act.

Ã’Alright girlsÉ So weÕre all on board with the songs for this preshowÉ  Get Over Yourself, Love This Way, Weak, A Girl Can Dream, and WeÕre DancingÉ The technicians at the board have the background music lined up, and Alex has been working on the choreography with youÉ He should be down tomorrow; he was just wrapping up some stuff with Britney today. Why donÕt you girls get started practicing with the music and working on the mic levelsÉ Just get familiar with the audio, stage and the routine Alex has set upÉ IÕm going to make sure the guys are all set to head out, and will be back in a few.Ó The girls said goodbye to Johnny and set themselves up on stage to practice their routine. By the following week they would be working on dress rehearsals, if all went well.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 5:30PM ~~~~~~~~~~~

JC and Madison were snuggled up on an oversized loveseat in the room JC shared with Justin. The other guys and girls were off doing their own thing and would be coming back later to hang out after JC and Madison had their meeting with Johnny. Madison was wearing jean shorts and an oversized Washington Redskins sweatshirt of JCÕs, while JC wore a pair of cargo shorts and a black t-shirt. Madison sprawled out on JC, nuzzled her face into his chest absorbing the smell that was uniquely him, while he lightly ran a hand up and down her arm.

ÒJC what if Johnny tells us to call it quits?Ó Madison asked him softly. She really hoped that didnÕt happen. She was quickly coming to rely on having JC in her life. She may even be falling in love with him, but wasnÕt quite ready to analyze those feelings yet.

ÒItÕs not going to happen, baby. I know Johnny. He can be a hard ass yes, but he would never tell us we canÕt be together, no matter what JIVE says.Ó He lightly kissed her lips when she looked up at him. ÒNow letÕs not focus on the meetingÉ ItÕs nothing to worry aboutÉ We have an hour and a half still and-Ó His words were cut off when MaddyÕs lips met his own. He decided to take advantage of this opportunity, since they likely werenÕt going to have much alone time in the future. He slid his hands down her back to grab her tight ass and hold it against him. Madison groaned in response. JC lightly ran the edge of his tongue along her bottom lip before slipping it inside her mouth and deepening their kiss.

~~~~~~~~JohnnyÕs Room (7 PM)~~~~~~~

JC and Madison knocked on the door for JohnnyÕs room at the rental unit JIVE had rented out for the tourÕs use during rehearsals. A moment later, Johnny opened the door for them and walked back into the room silently requesting for them to follow him. JC and Madison looked at each other cautiously, before stepping into the room themselves. As soon as the door was closed JohnnyÕs lit fuse blew.

ÒWhat the hell are you two thinking? You know company policy. You signed the contracts in agreement. Not ONLY that, but on top of everything your BOTH JIVE artists, which makes this even more complicating. I just donÕt know what to do with you two,Ó he threw his hands up in the air dramatically. The room remained silent for several minutes before Johnny continued. ÒWellÉ What do you have to say for yourselves?Ó

ÒJohnny, this isnÕt MadisonÕs fault. She didnÕt want to date me at first, but I insisted we give it a try. I really like her Johnny. DonÕt blame her for thisÉ ItÕs all on me,Ó JC explained to Johnny. He draped his arm around her shoulders keeping her locked close against his body in a protective gesture.

ÒJC it doesnÕt matter who instigated thisÉ It matters that you are seeing each other nowÉ This is a complete breach of contractÉ You could loose everything for thisÉ Are you willing to do that?Ó

ÒI doubt itÕs that serious,Ó JC replied.

ÒOh itÕs that seriousÉÓ Johnny stated flatly. ÒI like you both I really doÉ You must really have something, because you even have Justin standing up for you against me.Ó Johnny sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He took a deep breath before continuing on. ÒOk hereÕs what weÕre going to doÉ You two can continue to be together if you follow these conditionsÉ One slipup an youÕre doneÉ Do you hear me?Ó When he received positive acknowledgement from the couple he continued. ÒFirst, on tour you two will not be seen alone together in public that includes backstage and public parts of the hotelsÉ We donÕt need any of the crewmembers letting this information slipÉ Security will need to be made aware of the situation thoughÉ Second, no more ridiculous shows of jealousy JCÉ The next time you fly off the collar like thatÉ Well it will all be overÉ Got it?Ó JC nodded his head. ÒThird, during the tour you can only hang out on the other groupÕs tour bus if another member of your group is in attendanceÉ It will spark less rumors this wayÉ And lastly, no more PDAÕsÉ Especially during photo shoots.Ó Johnny paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and take a breath. ÒWhy do I feel as though IÕm going to regret this,Ó he mumbled. ÒAlright IÕm done with you twoÉ Get out and send in Mike and Jeff.Ó

With that said JC turned Madison around with him and walked out the door. He spoke to the head of NSYNC security, Mike and the head of Allure security, Jeff; told them Johnny wanted to speak with them, then they walked down the corridor to the room JC was sharing with Justin and where all their friends were gathered and waiting for JohnnyÕs decision. JC pulled his room key out of his pocket and opened the door. He urged Madison inside in front of him before stepping in and closing the door. The crew was gathered around the sitting area on couches and chairs. Justin was propped back on a bed and Chris was lying on his back on the floor staring at the ceiling. When they heard the door open, all eyes turned toward Madison and JC.

ÒSoÉ HowÕd it go?Ó Justin asked cautiously.

ÒSurprisingly good,Ó JC smiled.

ÒWe have a bunch of Ôguidelines,ÕÓ Madison said with her fingers in the air making quotations, Òthat we have to follow. So as long as we stick to them, weÕre good.Ó She smiled up at JC, who pulled her in close to his chest.

ÒYes,Ó Joey exclaimed suddenly. ÒIf thereÕs hope for you two then there is hope for me. The perfect woman for me is out there somewhere, and when I find her IÕm grabbing herÉÓ

ÒWhen you find this woman let me knowÉ I got to see who this is that can tame the Italian Stallion,Ó Lance chuckled. Joey threw a pillow at him in response.

ÒShut up Poofoo,Ó he rumbled in response.

ÒAlright enough,Ó Justin yelled. ÒWhy donÕt we head out to the pool and have a little party to celebrate.Ó Everyone agreed and headed back to their rooms to change into swimwear.

~~~~~~~~Pool (A little while later)~~~~~~~~

The compound that was rented for tour use was isolated from curious fans and snooping paparazzi. It contained two pools and hot tubs; one more isolated for the talentÕs use, while the other was made available for staff and crew to use.

Since it was evening outside, the pool was illuminated with underwater lights and some fairy lights strung around the bordering fence, giving off just enough light to see by. The guys all stood around in their swimming trucks, while they awaited the girls to join them.

Several minutes later, the door in the corner buzzed and the girls emerged. All of them wore some kind of cover-up over their bathing suits. They strode over to the guys to say hi before choosing lounge chairs for their things. Maria and Tiffany decided they didnÕt actually want to go swimming and so they left their cover-ups on and leaned back in their chairs to relax. You could tell by a roll of the guysÕ eyes they didnÕt much like these two females. The fake and bitchy attitude was a major put off, and in only a day the guys could tell they were girls theyÕd prefer to keep their distance from when they could. They especially didnÕt like the attitude they gave Lauren and Madison.

Lauren and Madison decided to immediately strip off the cover-ups to jump in the pool, while Kimberly went over to flirt with the guys. She was cute they gave her that much, and Joey was willing to flirt with her for fun, but knew nothing would ever really come of it, since she wasnÕt really his type.

All attention was pulled away from the other girls when Lauren and Madison emerged from their cover and stood in bikinis. Lauren was wearing a pale yellow one, and Madison was wearing an emerald green one. Neither was stick skinny, but they both had curvy and toned dancer bodies that made guys drool, and these guys were no exception. Plus, they had well developed chests that were enhanced in the triangle tops.

Justin began punching JCÕs arm as he stared Madison up and down. Damn if he only knew a body that fine hid under all that clothing. He groaned. JC pushed Justin away after a minute to stop the annoying behavior.

ÒWhat is your problem? Stop hitting me,Ó JC yelled at him.

Justin swallowed deeply before answering. ÒIÕll fight you for her,Ó he managed to spit out.

ÒYouÕre kidding me,Ó JC looked at his friend in astonishment. Justin shook his head negatively. He watched the girl who was quickly becoming one of his best friends, standing off to the side in a tiny green bikini that seemed to be made for her.

He shuddered a moment later, when his head finally cleared and realized he was thinking this way about someone he had considered to be like a little sister to him. It was a very uncomfortable position to be in. He decided he needed to cool off and quickly, so he ran over to the pool and dove in headfirst. The guys chuckled at him, when they saw the realization cross his face that he was thinking that way about little Madison. They were close in age, but she was so much smaller than him, he dubbed her his little sister.

JC strolled over behind Madison and placed his hands around her waist pulling he backwards against him. He kissed her lightly behind the ear. ÒMaybe you should cover that hot body up someÉ YouÕre torturing that poor boy over there,Ó JC nodded towards the pool, where Justin leaned his forehead against the edge looking down into the water. Madison and Lauren both turned in his direction and giggled at the picture Justin made. ÒCome onÉ LetÕs go for a swim.Ó JC pulled Madison along behind him as he walked over to the stairs and stepped into the cool water of the pool. When they were waist deep, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her along with him into the deeper water. Lauren also walked into the pool, but headed over towards Justin to tease him a little.

Off on the side on their lounge chairs Maria and Tiffany were having a whispered conversation of their own.

ÒLook at herÉ How much sluttier can you get?Ó Tiffany said sarcastically nodding toward Madison.

ÒI know, right? SheÕs so obvious about it tooÉ Do you really believe sheÕs as virginal as she tries to make everyone believe?Ó Maria questioned a disgusted look coming across her face. Too bad they werenÕt aware of the two males figures hunched behind them playing spies, listening to their every word; as the girls continued digging themselves in a deep hole of bitterness.

ÒPffÉ If sheÕs a virgin stillÉ Then IÕm a freakinÕ princess,Ó Tiffany giggled. ÒI donÕt understand what the big deal is with herÉ I mean if sheÕs so good and so talented why the hell did she join a group? She should have gone soloÉÓ

ÒI bet thereÕs something wrong with her that we havenÕt figured out yetÉ No one can be that perfect.Ó

ÒNo definitely notÉ IÕm so sick of her getting so much attention thoughÉ We keep losing all of our solo parts in songs to her on this albumÉ WhatÕs next? SheÕs going to become the face for the group like Justin is for NSYNCÉ While we all fade into the backgroundÉ We canÕt let that happen.Ó

ÒNo we canÕtÉ HmmÉ I got the perfect solutionÉ We just need to find out what the ÔguidelinesÕ Johnny talked to them about wereÉÓ Maria said with an evil smirk breaking across her face. Tiffany smiled in response.

Chris and Lance quietly backed away from the girls and walked into a corner on the opposite side. They had a hurried quiet conversation between them before they excused Joey from Kimberly to bring him up to date.

ÒTiffany and Maria are planning something against Maddy and JC,Ó Lance informed him.

ÒWhat,Ó Joey questioned in confusion.

ÒWe were spying on the enemy,Ó Chris said with an evil smile. ÒAnd we gathered some interesting Intel.Ó

ÒReally Chris you need to stop with the spy moviesÉÓ Joey replied with an eye roll. ÒLance why are you encouraging him?Ó Lance shrugged in response.

ÒHeÕs right thoughÉ I believe based on what we heard that they are looking for a way to out JC and Maddy to the public,Ó Lance explained.

ÒAre you serious?Ó

ÒAs serious as an addict,Ó Chris replied firmly.

ÒWell damnÉ We got to let Lauren and Justin knowÉ IÕm not sure about Kim yetÉ It is still a little touch and go with her jealousy of Lauren and Maddy.Ó The group began to form a plan they would let Justin and Lauren in on later. They had to find a way to stop the other girls from ruining their friendÕs relationship. This was the happiest theyÕd seen JC in a while. He was much happier in this relationship than his previous one, and they didnÕt want to see how heÕd react if it all came crashing down around him. Madison was a special girl and much different from the others heÕd dated previously. She was a blonde compared to the brunettes he seemed to prefer, but that was minor. It was her outgoing personality, talent and charm that seemed to capture all their hearts. The guys had quickly dubbed themselves her older brothers, after their first few meetings, well all of them except JC that is.