Gabe was everything and more than Lesly ever expected. Too good to be true, yes, but here he was, lying next to her, holding her in his arms. She knew James was concerned, but Lesly had ignored the glances from her at work and only brought him up when it was necessary. For instance, the next week when she'd be watching Sutton. She'd asked James if it would be okay for Gabe to come with her. She'd seen the hesitancy in James' expression, but then she'd relented and agreed it would be fine. So he'd at least be staying another two weeks with her. She didn't let on, but Lesly kind of felt like James probably had when JC had postponed going back to L.A. two years ago. She of course didn't tell James that because she knew James would probably disagree, but Lesly couldn't help but think this was what it must have been like, not knowing when your new boyfriend would be with you before he went back to his other life.

Lesly turned over and Gabe stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake. She studied his features sleepily as he breathed rhythmically next to her. His black hair cascaded somewhat over his brow line. His full lips were closed and she dared herself to kiss him, but held back and closed her eyes instead. Last night had been yet another amazing love making session. He knew what to do, that was for sure. He'd remembered how she liked to be touched and caressed and held. And it was nice to be with someone who was all about her. 

But, deep down, she couldn't shake the nagging feelings she kept having about Chris. She was infatuated with Gabe, that was for sure. But did she love him? It was too soon to tell, obviously. And she knew, she knew her feelings for Chris hadn't gone away. She thought about him a lot. Even, she admitted, when she was with Gabe. Even as good as Gabe was, there was something about Chris. 
She shook the thought from her head and closed her eyes, snuggling next to Gabe, as though the closer she got she'd somehow forget about Chris.

**
The doctor's office smelled. Chris couldn't pinpoint it, but it smelled like the nursing home he'd once been in when he had gone to visit his grandfather as a child. It was strange because the hospital was a newer one downtown, but when he inhaled, the memories of the nursing home came back to him. He sat next to Stephanie in the lobby of the waiting room. She was showing just a little now and had become bitchier than ever before. She also cried at the drop of a hat. It unnerved him incessantly. Especially because he was still in doubt. But he'd quit saying it so much to Joey because Joey would just tell him to get a test done and the way that Stephanie was acting lately, Chris was honestly afraid she'd fly off the handle. And so here he sat, in a smelly doctor's office with a woman he grew to detest more and more everyday.

"It takes forever," Stephanie sighed, irritated. "Chris, go tell the receptionist that we've been here 45 minutes and haven't been called!" She threw her head over towards the nurse behind the window. Chris snorted and shook his head. There were at least fifteen people in the same waiting room and most of them had been there since he and Stephanie had arrived.

"Pretty sure she knows that, Steph," he responded to her plea. "We haven't moved."

Stephanie glared at him. "Now is not the time to be a smart ass!"

"I'm not going over there," Chris whispered loudly. "So get over it. I'm only here because I'm supposed to be as the father of this kid."

"Chri-is!" she whined, leaning into him. "Please, baby. I'm so tired of waiting." She tried to give her best puppy dog face but it only made Chris even more irritated. He got up abruptly and went to the door.

"I'm going out for some fresh air. Text me when you get called," he walked out of the waiting room before she could protest, already knowing how much of an ass he'd just made of himself. He roamed the hallways and took the elevator down to the main level of the hospital. He found a room off the side of the lobby that was empty and sat down in a chair, resting his head on the back of the chair. He got his phone out and his eyes immediately lit up when he saw a text from her. From Lesly.

How are you?

It wasn't much. Just as simple question. How are you? But a simple question that made the wheels in his head start to turn and made him wonder how he should answer her. She still didn't know. 

Hey. I'm good. How about u?

He waited, his breath held, wondering how long he could hold it in before he broke the news. He'd held it in for weeks now. She had to know. But he couldn't tell her over the phone and he certainly couldn't tell her through a text. It had to be in person. He'd have to see her. He wanted to see her.

I'm ok. Working and taking care of family stuff. Same as always.

Chris waited before he responded, but then she texted him again.

I was just texting you because I'd been thinking about you. I hope you're well. 

He didn't hesitate before he typed next.

Les, I want to see you. Please. I need to talk to you.

Her turn.

I can't. Not a good time just yet. Will let you know. Got to go now.

He groaned inwardly and just as he was about to type back, his phone rang and he saw Stephanie's name flash across the screen.

"Get your ass back up here," she greeted him as soon as he picked up. "We just got called. And don't ever pull that little stunt again, Chris!"

Chris didn't answer, simply hung up and took the elevator back up to the fifth floor.

And he knew it was time for a little trip to Georgia. Soon.

**
She wished she hadn't done it. She didn't know why she did it. She was plainly with Gabe now. And she was doing exactly what Chris had done with her and Stephanie. Sort of. It wasn't like they were sexting or even talking about meeting up. But she had told him she'd let him know. And she hadn't mentioned anything about her new relationship. Lesly felt awful and it showed all over her face when she went into work later that day. 

"What happened?" James asked her, as soon as Lesly came behind the counter. Lesly wondered if deep down that James was expecting her to say that Gabe had broken up with her and gone back to California. That wasn't the case at all.

"I'm a terrible person," Lesly said softly. "I texted Chris today."

James' eyes grew wide. "Really?! So are you and Gabe -"

"James, no, it's not like that. Gabe's still here, he's still with me. But today, I just, I don't know. I was at Dad's getting his lunch ready and while he was eating, there was a commercial about visiting Orlando that came on TV and it just made me think about him. So I texted him," Lesly looked guiltily at James, as though James were her mother and she'd just taken a cookie from the cookie jar without permission.

"Well, what did he say?" James put down the Windex she'd been using to clean the countertop with and focused all of her attention on Lesly. 

"He wanted to see me. Which I knew he would. But I told him it wasn't time yet," Lesly wrapped the apron around her. "And I didn't mention Gabe. At all."

"Good," James replied without batting an eye. "He doesn't need to know about that."

"He will eventually. Especially if Gabe and I take it to the next level," Lesly answered. "But whatever. I feel terrible. I shouldn't have texted him because now he's going to think this is the same as me forgiving him and being ready to talk about us."

James looked at Lesly square in the eye. "And? Are you?"

Lesly shook her head, "No. I-I can't. Later. When Gabe goes back to San Francisco. I just don't want Chris come up here and confusing me even more. Or, you know what I mean. Not confusing me, just, I don't know what I mean."

James bit on her lower lip. "Well, clearly you still have feelings for him or else you wouldn't be so torn up. And you told him eventually you'd talk to him, so you'll have to do that at some point, too."

Lesly didn't like how reasonable James was. "You just want me with Chris and not Gabe. I'm not an idiot, James,"

James shrugged and took off her apron, then placed the Windex under the counter. "I'm not saying anything else. Oh, by the way, can you stop by tomorrow so I can show you everything you need to know for watching Sutton?"

Lesly didn't argue the point anymore and simply agreed to come over the next afternoon after they were both off for the day. James threw her a wave as she left and Lesly tried not to think about all the points James had made that were right. She did have feelings for Chris and she did want to see him. But she also knew she wanted to keep being with Gabe and didn't see that being broken off any time soon, unless he flew back to San Francisco and wasn't going to come back. She felt her phone vibrate against her leg and took it out, reading a text that was from Chris.

I think about you all the time. Please let's talk soon.

**

"Oh, doll, live a little!" Chad thrusted a pair of black feathered handcuffs into James' hands as they walked the aisles of the local sex shop on the outskirts of town. It had recently been renovated and now was a place that people would actually go into, where as before, it had reminded Chad of an old worn down brothel that would've been popular at the turn of the 20th century. JC had asked Chad to take James there this week so that she'd surprise him with a few things for their trip to Greece. James had protested, but Chad hadn't given her a choice when he'd picked her up that evening. Now, here they were, roaming the aisle marked "NAUGHTY" and James was declining everything Chad had mentioned. Of course she and JC had been somewhat daring and kinky, but in the last few months, their waning sex life had caused them to just go for it as quickly as possible, without any thought except that they wanted each other.

"Chad, handcuffs? Really?" James rolled her eyes and put the handcuffs back on their hook. He took them back and threw them at her, playfully.

"Yes, really. You and JC need a little fun on this trip. That's why I'm here. To help you out," Chad knelt down. "Oh, look, here's some of that dice you play for different positions," he took the dice from the shelf and put it in James' basket. "And don't take it out."

"As much fun as I'm having shopping with you for sex toys for me and my husband, don't you-" James stopped dead in her tracks and tugged at Chad's arm so he wouldn't say anything. They looked over and saw Gabe flirting with the girl behind the counter. 

"Is that-" Chad started to ask, and James quickly nodded, ducking down and pulling Chad along with her. "How long are we going to be down here? Because he could be at that for a while."

"Sh, listen!" James put her finger over her mouth and tried to catch the conversation going on, but the music was blaring out of the speaker right above her head and it was hard to make out what was being said at all. 

"....here for a little bit. Visiting my parents and all. Just thought I'd stop in and see if there were any movies I hadn't seen yet," Gabe's voice said over the music. "Nice place you have here."

"I live upstairs," the girl said. "Wanna come up and see it? Or are you more interested in watching that new movie?"

"What time do you get off work?" Gabe asked. James looked over at Chad and shook her head. She knew there was a reason she didn't like Gabe and she'd been right. He was a pig.

"Fifteen minutes. Why don't you go on upstairs. It's always unlocked," the girl replied in a lower tone. 

It was quiet for a second and James slowly stood to her feet seeing that Gabe had apparently made his way upstairs.

"So, I'm guessing Lesly and Gabe aren't going to work out, huh?" Chad whispered, as they headed down another aisle. "And she always leaves the door unlocked?! Maybe this is still a brothel."

"Lesly was just going on and on today about how she felt bad about texting Chris. This is terrible, Chad," James sighed and rubbed her temples. "Should I tell her?"
"Yes. You know what it's like to be cheated on by scum. I almost hate to give this woman any money, but I really want to try out this edible underwear and you need to let me know how the dice game is," Chad walked toward the girl behind the counter. She was leaning on her palm and smiled seductively at him.

"Edible underwear, huh? You like your girls dirty?" the girl purred, taking the package from Chad.

"Uh, honey, I don't do girls," Chad nearly snapped, but held back. The girls shrugged and put the underwear in a brown bag, handing it over to Chad. She took the dice and handcuffs from James, did a double take, and then grinned.

"Hey, you're the coffee shop girl that married JC Chasez. I used to fantasize about doing your husband," the girl giggled. "When I was fourteen, I thought he was about the sexiest thing on earth. Tell me, how is he? I guess he likes it kinky, huh?"

James frowned, "I'll just be paying and going, okay?"

"And this isn't for JC. It's for me!" Chad spoke up. "She's just buying a late birthday present for me."

The girl rolled her eyes at Chad and gave James' credit card back to her. "Wow, no hard feelings, honey. I was just saying-"

"Thank you. We'll just be going now," Chad pulled on James' elbow and they headed out, not saying anything until they were in the car. James looked next to her to see Gabe's rental proudly showing off in its parking space. She looked up at the second floor of the old building and saw the lights were on. The girl came to the door of the store and James saw her lock it and then turn the lights off. She shuddered at the thought of what she'd have to tell Lesly tomorrow. 

"I will never, ever, step foot in there again," Chad told her as he started the car. 

"You and me both," James sighed, and couldn't wait to pull out of the parking lot and get home. She needed to debrief with JC and figure out a plan of what she was going to have to tell Lesly.