I know you see me watching you

And I see you watching me...

Temptation is callin'

I be wantin' you so bad I could cry

            I couldn't believe I had asked and he had said yes.  Was I really going clothes shopping with Justin Timberlake?  When had my life turned into a fan fiction story?  I laughed to myself as Justin paid for lunch and we left. 

            "Where do you want to go?" He asked as we left the patio.  He slipped his sunglasses on and looked over at me. 

            I looked around.  "I didn't really have a specific place in mind." I answered.   "Can we just wander around for a little bit?"  I was anxious to explore this new place and find out what other delightful secrets it possessed. 

            "Lead the way." Justin put his arm out. 

            Deciding to turn left, I began to walk.  Justin fell in step beside me and I felt a sense of giddiness bubble up inside me.  We window shopped for a little while, talking and laughing as if we had been friends our whole lives.  The fact that he was a world famous celebrity, and my nervousness being so close to the man I had been lusting after almost my whole life, slowly disappeared as I got to know him. 

            I smiled as I saw the tension that had had him completely seized up during lunch begin to relax.  I had been more than a little worried when his manner had changed so suddenly while we'd been eating.  At first I had thought he had suddenly come to his senses and regretted his decision to have lunch with me.  I wouldn't have blamed him in the least for finally walking up to the fact that I had no business being anywhere near him.  Then I had realized what was going on and sympathized with him. 

            Trying to break a habit or addiction was always rough.  I wanted to help if I could.  I hadn't really expected him to agree to go clothes shopping with me.  I had put out the offer, mostly as a joke-to get him laughing and his mind off his cravings.  He had jumped at the suggestion, though.  How could I tell him I had only been teasing? 

            After a few more moments, I was planning on making some excuse about having to go home then I'd stop by the mall on my way home.  As much fun as I was having with him, I hated clothes shopping alone.  There was no way I was really ready for the embarrassment and torture of trying on clothes with one of the hottest and well-known celebrities in the world. 

            "I think you should try that on."

            Justin's voice pulled me from my thoughts.  I looked around and saw he had stopped in front of one of the only clothes stores at the Farmer's Market.  I then looked at what he had seen.  I laughed. 

            "Not really work appropriate." I replied, eyeing the mannequin modeling the short shorts and low-cut sequined top. 

            "Depends on what it is you do for work." He countered with an impish grin and a mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes. 

            I shook my head.  "I'm a marketing major, Justin."  I told him.  "I'm going to be the assistant to a successful ad exec downtown.  I can't really show up Monday morning looking like a hoochie mama."

            "I don't know," he cocked his head to the side as he looked at the mannequin and then back at me.  "That outfit would inspire me, if I saw you in it.  Isn't that the goal of marketing?  Inspiration?"

               Again, I laughed.  "You're...no.  Just...no.  That outfit might work for the club tonight, but not for work."

            "What club tonight?" He looked at me in interest. 

            "Some of the girls at the coffee shop want to get together tonight for a farewell party." I explained.  "I'm meeting them at nine."

            "Well then," he said as he turned and we began walking again.  "we need to find you a club outfit and some ‘appropriate' work clothes.  Let's head over across the street," he pointed over at the bigger shopping area of The Grove.

            "Okay." I adjusted my purse on my shoulder and followed him across the street. 

            We spent the next couple hours going into several stores.  I found an adorable peach colored, knee-length dress, a couple classic button-down shirts, a new pair of slacks, and a beautiful purple floral faux-wrap top that was on clearance.  I felt great about my purchases and was about to insist that I had taken up too much of his day and needed to go home, when he pulled an article off a rack we passed and stopped. 

            He turned to me, holding it up and I shook my head. 

            "No."

            "Try it." He insisted, holding out the small scrap of animal-printed material.  "You said you needed a club outfit."  He reminded me.

            "No I didn't!" I laughed.  "You decided I needed a club outfit.  I don't.  I can wear something I already have.  I--"

            "Try it on." He said, taking the bags in my hands from me and shoving the dress at me. 

            I opened my mouth object again, but he shushed me and all but pushed me into a fitting room.  I stood in the small space for a moment then looked down at the fabric in my hands.  "Is this a dress?" I asked, looking at the material in shock.  "There's no way I'm--"

            "Put it on, Lauren."

            Justin's voice came through the curtain and I scowled at him, even though he couldn't see me.  I huffed then hung the dress up on the wall hook.  Eyeing it warily I began to strip.  I turned my back to the mirror as I shimmied into the tube dress then took a deep breath.  I closed my eyes and turned around to face my reflection. 

            My jaw dropped when I saw the scrap (and it was a scrap) of fabric I had on.  I tugged at the hem that was barely mid-thigh then tugged up the top when that revealed even more of my chest than was already on display. 

            "I knew you'd look sensational."

            I let out a squeak in surprise and tried to cover myself up as Justin suddenly slipped into the room with me.  "What are you doing?  Get out!"  I exclaimed. 

            "No way."  He shook his head.  He reached out and took a hold of both my hands-pulling my arms away from my body.  His eyes ran over me and I felt my cheeks warm.  I had never shown this much skin before and I was extremely uncomfortable.  Like any girl, there were always things I didn't like about my body, but I'd never been more aware of my flaws than I was at this moment.   

            "Justin..."

            "You're buying this dress." He stated firmly, cutting me off.  "You look incredible!"

            "Are you crazy?" I argued.  "Nobody wants to see me in this thing!"

            "Have you looked at yourself?" He questioned, giving me a look of disbelief.  "Girl, you're a knockout!  Turn around," he said, keeping a hold of my hand as he twirled me around once again to look in the mirror. 

            "It's too short." I said, tugging at the hem again.

            "Stop." Justin put his hand over mine, trapping it against my thigh.  He spoke quietly, but forcefully in my ear.  Goosebumps immediately rushed over me at the warmth of his hand on my leg and his breath on my neck.  I swallowed and fought the urge to pass out.     "If anything," he continued-totally unaware of the powerful effect he was having on me at the moment.  "It could be shorter and you'd still be breathtaking."

            "Any shorter," I teased, proud of the steady quality of my voice-completely belaying my scattered brain and emotions.  "And I'm right back being that hoochie mama you wanted me to be earlier in those short shorts and sequined top."

            He chuckled-the sound causing delightful shivers to skirt across my shoulders and down my spine.  Those perfect lips of his lifted into a smile as our eyes met in the mirror.  Time seemed to stand still for a few moments and my heart beat wildly in my chest at the blatant sexual hunger I saw in his eyes directed at me.  At me!  This could not be happening.  This whole day had to be some sort of fantastic dream.  Any minute now I was going to wake up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

            I didn't understand why she couldn't see how absolutely gorgeous she was.  Taking even more liberty than I already had, I reached up and tugged her hair out of the ponytail she'd put it up in a few hours ago.  I watched as he long blond hair fell around her shoulders and down her back-hunger licking at every nerve ending in my body.  I wanted to sink my hands into her loose curls as I drew her incredible body against my own. 

            She was different than a lot of the women I associated with.  One of the biggest disservices that had ever been done to the human race was when the media decided to convince woman that their natural curviness was unattractive.  To me-and to most hot-blooded males I knew-there was nothing better than being able to wrap your arms around a succulently voluptuous woman and lose yourself within her curves.  Unfortunately, there were too many nowadays who were starving themselves and doing real harm to their bodies and minds in order to achieve the world's standard of beauty.  The straight, rail-thin, waifs I saw walking around town all the time did absolutely nothing for me.  Give me a woman who was warm and soft in all the right places and I was a goner. 

            Lauren had no idea how badly I wanted her right now. 

            My thumb brushed lightly against the skin just below the dress's short hemline.  She shivered slightly sending a bolt of lust through me.  A few months ago I wouldn't have thought twice about pushing her back against the mirror for a quickie.  The mental image that flashed in my head of Lauren's legs wrapped around my waist as I sank into her-her head thrown back in surrender as I devoured her neck-almost made my knees buckle at it's intensity.

            The danger of being caught only added fuel to the fire raging within me and I struggled against making my fantasy a reality.

            But, like always, Jessica's heated and angry words slapped the thought from my mind at the last moment.  With herculean effort I tore my hand away from her and stepped back.  Without a word I left the fitting room, only making it a few steps before I sank back against the wall.  I closed my eyes-my hands fisted at my sides-as I struggled to get my thoughts and breathing under control.  Thankfully there were only a few other shoppers in the store and nobody else back in the fitting room area as I fought to deflate my body's almost painful reaction to seeing Lauren in that dress. 

            Kittens.  I thought.  Lots of fluffy kittens.  Trying to conjure up the most unromantic mental image I could think of.  It didn't work.  I tried thinking of every ugly person I knew, hoping one of them would help relieve me of my current condition.   I could hear Lauren getting dressed just a few feet away and my thoughts stubbornly went back to how much I wanted to...

            The curtain moved and I panicked. 

            I didn't want her to come out and find me in this position. 

            As a last ditch effort I thought of my grandmother.  The disapproving look I knew she'd give me if she saw me right now and knew what I wanted to do, successfully succeeded in wilting my desire enough so that I was able to straighten up when Lauren finally emerged from the dressing room.  I was still uncomfortable, but able to act as if nothing were out of the ordinary.   She gave me a penetrating look and I fought not to squirm under her gaze.  Or look down to see if my "problem" wasn't as under control as I thought it was. 

            "I'll make you a deal." She said finally, breaking the silence between us and blessedly giving me something to concentrate other than my traitorous body.   "I'll buy the dress if you'll do something for me."

            My thoughts were once again back in the dressing room and quickly running through every scenario I could think of involving me and her.

            "I want you to come with me tonight." She said, pulling me from my thoughts.

            "What?"  I was taken back.  Though I had secretly wanted to, ever since she'd mentioned her plans for the evening, I hadn't been able to think of a way to get myself an invite.

            "Unless you already have plans." She continued.

            "I don't." I assured her.  "I was just...uh...okay." I smiled and held out my hand.  "It's a deal."

            She slid her hand into mine and we shook. 

            "But only if you actually wear the dress tonight." I countered.  "Not just buy it.  Deal?"

            She looked at me for a moment, her hand still in mine, and then finally nodded. 

            "Deal."