Their friendship blossomed quickly. Etta was spending her days off in the city with Josh. They had talked about everything- their past, present, and hopes for the future. Etta was surprised at how easily she opened up to him. Not that she had many deep, dark secrets of her own- but there were some things she hadn't talked to anyone about that she found herself telling him. Usually over a beer or a bottle of wine.

“I really think you should at least meet my friend,” Josh said to her. “I mean, he and his son. He's been interviewing nannies. He's been offered another great role in a film, and is really looking for a permanent child care option. It's another live in, and it isn't far from here.”

Etta sighed. Josh had been pestering her about this since the day she'd shown up on his doorstep two months ago. “If you really want me to meet him, I will. But I am not going to make you any promises about taking the position. Who is this friend anyway?”

“Justin.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Justin Timberlake?” she asked, scooting to the edge of her chair.

Josh laughed. “I'm hurt! You know who he is, but you didn't know who I am?”

“Everyone knows who he is!” she said with a dismissive gesture. “I didn't know he had a kid, though!”

“Yeah. His son turns four next month. He's had custody of him for the last year or so. The mom... Well, she wasn't exactly fit to be a parent and when she tried to extort Justin for an insane amount of child support, Justin fought for custody and he won it. He didn't even know about the kid until then. It was some one night stand that came back to haunt him. But he's adjusted to fatherhood pretty well. Took a year off from work to devote his time to the kid and help him transition. But you know- Justin is a mogul. He misses being in the business.”

Etta gave him a scrutinizing look. “You've already told Justin about me, haven't you, Josh?”

He blushed. “Maybe. But it was all good things! I told him about how we met and how nice you are and that I already trust you. He really wants you to come meet him and his son and see whether or not you think that you're up for the job. Justin would rather not hire a total stranger, even if it is through some kind of an angency.”

“If it means that much to you Josh, I'll meet him.”

He grinned. “Great! Because he's coming over tonight for dinner.”

Etta shook her head. “I should have known you'd pull something like that Chasez. We may not have known each other very long, but I know enough to know that you always get your way.”

“It's one of the perks of being so damn stubborn all of the time.”

“So what's the plan for dinner then?”

“I was going to order takeout. Chinese, probably. And we'll just hang out and talk and stuff. Chances are the television will be playing some kind of cartoon on repeat to keep Colton entertained.”

“I like that name.”

“Colton James Timberlake. Justin gave him his last name when he got custody of the boy. Awfully southern name, though.”

Etta laughed. “Nothing wrong with that. You seem to forget that Violet May is a southern name, too.”

“But I'm not allowed to call you Violet.”

She was worried about meeting Josh's friend. Had it been someone she'd never heard of, she probably would have been far less concerned. Even if she didn't follow popular music very much, she knew that Justin Timberlake was a big deal in Hollywood. Taking on this kind of a job wouldn't be something simple or trivial. Etta wasn't sure she would do it, even if she did get on well enough with Justin and his son. It felt a lot like Josh was meddling in her life, and Etta wasn't sure how she felt about it. Especially when she knew that it would put her in Los Angeles, which meant a lot more time around Josh.

She'd been sitting with Josh down in his studio, listening at him tinker with a few tracks when the doorbell sounded. She looked over at Josh and he stood up, grinning. “Let's go meet Justin and Colt.”

Etta followed him upstairs, stopping in the living room to gather the few empty beer bottles and toss them into the trash. They certainly didn't need a little kid grabbing hold of something like that. Then she made her way to the door. She looked at the little boy hiding behind his father, and smiled at the way he peeked out at her.

“This is Justin,” Josh said, introducing the two of them. “Justin, this is my friend Etta that I told you about.”

She took the hand that Justin offered, then knelt down to look at the little boy. “And you must be Colton. You certainly are quite handsome.”

The child hid again, and Justin bent over to pick him up. “He can be shy. It's nice to meet you, Etta. Josh tells me that you used to work as a nanny?”

Wow. He certainly was getting right down to business. “I did. And I loved it. I work at a daycare now. Josh says you're in need of someone to help you out with your little one?”

Justin nodded, walking through the house to the living room. He dropped the diaper bag on the couch and pulled out a few movies. He put Cars on the television, and Colton was immediately distracted. He sat in the floor, staring up at the television, gripping a stuffed dog tightly to his chest.

“I am. I've been doing it on my own now for about a year. But I really want to get back to my career. I need something more than a bunch of random baby sitters. I want someone who can really be a big part of his life. Teach him things. Stuff like that. If you have a degree in it, then I bet you definitely know what you're doing. And if you can handle a room full of them, I'm sure you're great with kids one on one.”

“It depends on the kid. Some children bond with you and some don't. It's as simple as that. I mean, I try hard with all kids. But sometimes they just don't like it. Which is normal. Sometimes I just don't like people, either.”

Justin laughed. “Considering the fact you like JC, I have to wonder about your taste in people.”

Etta grinned. “Well, then I'll have to worry about your taste in people as well, considering you've been friends with him a lot longer than I have.”

As Josh and Justin slipped into conversation- talking like boys do- Etta moved to the floor to sit next to the little boy. She didn't try to distract him from the movie, but instead watched it with him. By the time the movie was off, the boy had moved to sit in her lap, and had fallen asleep. Apparently Colton had decided he liked her. Etta lifted him and carried him into the other room, laying him down and covering him with a blanket.

“So what happened to Chinese?” she asked Josh.

“I've never seen Colton take to someone that quickly,” Justin said. “You didn't even do anything but sit there.”

“Sometimes that's all it takes.”

“So are you interested in the job?” he asked.

Etta shrugged. “Let's talk about it over dinner.”