'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know'... the small coffee shop stereo played. It was Christmas Eve and the lights twinkled and decorations welcomed customers in to get a cup of hot cocoa or cider. Of course in Orlando, the only snow that was visible was the white flakes that were painted on windows as decorations. It made the whole atmosphere feel wintery even though the weather was a balmy 60 degrees. JC sat in the corner of his favorite haunt, his eyes flitting to the door everytime it dinged. He'd been sitting there an hour and so far Chelsea had failed to show up. He shouldn't be surprised. She was always late to everything, which pissed him off to no end. He was about ready to get up and leave when his cell phone rang. “Where are you Chels? I've been waiting an hour,” he said, trying to keep his voice from sounding annoyed.
“Oh, Josh...I totally forgot. Today's been crazy,” Chelsea told him sweetly.
“You've been shopping with your mom and sister,” he replied lamely, snorting. “You've known about this all week. Ya know, you've been late to everything since we've met. I hate that. I hate waiting on a woman to figure out what she wants. Am I not important to you?” he asked, waiting for an answer. JC stared at his phone when he heard someone's voice tell him that Chelsea had went to try on some clothes and if he wanted to call her back. “Tell Chels I said not to bother...with anything that has to do with me. We're over.”
“Wh-What?” her sister said, surprised.
“In the words of an infamous pop song,” JC's lips curved into a smile, “Bye bye bye.”
JC clicked his phone shut, feeling better than he had in weeks. He wasn't so naïve that he hadn't seen it coming, he'd just held out hope that things would get better. And the thing was, he didn't even feel remorse over it. He sipped his coffee, thinking of what he had to do this evening. He was supposed to go to his now ex-girlfriend's house for the holidays. Now he was free until early in the morning when he would join his family in the Christmas festivities there. As always, his four bandmates would converge at someone's house for a few rounds of video games and unwinding. They'd sang at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and were on break until just after the new year to start recording “Celebrity”. He was looking forward to the album, having co-written some of the songs. “Josh?” his head snapped up at the sound of his name, smiling and getting up to hug the girl who'd said it.
Ashley smiled when the man got up, enveloping her in his arms. “I thought it was you but I didn't want to cause a stir,” she told him, stepping back. They'd been good friends for a while, having met through his sister, although they hadn't got to hang out a lot. She'd been out shopping for some last minute gifts and had decided to come in for a quick hot chocolate fix. “How are you?” she asked, sitting down when he gestured to the chair across from him.
“I'm good. How are you, Ashley?” he looked her over. She looked the same as always, vibrant hazel eyes that were more green than brown with black hair that was pulled back, but longer now than it had been. She was wearing a long sleeved sweater and jeans. “Dressed a little warm?” he said with a chuckle before she could answer.
“I'm doing alright...It's cooled off now that the sun is going down,” Ashley told JC, looking him over. He was, to her, devastatingly handsome. Even more so sitting there in a dark gray henley shirt, jeans and boots with a black bomber jacket hanging on the back of the chair. His hair was starting to get longer and more unruly. She wondered if that was the only rebellious side of him, his hair. It sounded silly but after they'd met, Ashley had found out how much of a perfectionist he was. She and his sister ribbed him about it, moving things around in his refrigerator or putting all the pillows on one side of the couch. “What brings you out?” she sipped on her drink, glad that it wasn't as busy as normal.
“Well,” JC pursed his lips and blew a breath out. “I was supposed to meet my girlfriend..now ex-girlfriend here. So I find myself suddenly without plans for Christmas Eve. And to be honest, it's kind of nice,” he admitted. “What about you? Besides the obvious, I mean.” He eyed the bags at her feet. A lot of bags from kid stores.
“Besides the obvious, I am much like you. I had no plans until tomorrow. I told Jerry that I'd go shop for some of the kids that didn't get picked off the Angel Tree. I have part of it done, but I still have 3 to go. I'm hoping to find what they want. Of course if I could put a bow on you, I'd have a very happy 12 year old,” she grinned cheekily at him as JC laughed.
“I'm not sure whether to be scared or think it's funny. Do you want some help?” he asked, volunteering himself. That was a part of the holidays that he loved, giving back to people that needed it. He'd grown up luckier than most kids. Adopted by Roy and Karen Chasez, in a loving famiy with siblings. “Maybe she'd be happy with an autographed marionette?” he questioned, seeing Ashley nod.
“I hate to tell you, but they are on the Barbie aisle. And they were out of JC Chasez's. I scored a Lance and Chris at one store. And I have a kid who wants a bike. That's all he put and he's six. How can you say no to a kid who wants a bike?” Ashley tried not to get emotional about it, biting her lip.
“What else?” JC asked, watching her retrieve papers out of her purse and showing him the list of the three remaining kids. He didn't ask where she was getting the money from, knowing it had come from donations and probably her own pocket. Now that he was in on the gifting he'd make sure nothing was left out. “What?” he asked, watching her look at him.
“How can you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, not sure what she was talking about. She was a friend and needed help. It would be something fun to do. And a little crazy. Shopping on Christmas Eve with no security. They might have to go to some stores closer to where he lived that weren't near the mall.
“Well...it's just that. I don't want you to think you have to do this,” she gave him a small smile. “And you broke up with your girlfriend recently. That's not easy,” her voice trailed off.
JC reached across the table and took her hand in his and squeezed it. “It's fine, Ash. Besides, Heather would kill me if I tell her tomorrow I saw you and what you were doing and just sat here. It will be good. Promise.”
“You're a good man, Josh. No matter what anyone else says.”
They decided to go to Ashley's house since it was close and JC would leave his car there and then shop. Most stores would be open late, offering deals for everyone last minute shopping. “What made you decide to wait so long?” JC asked, getting into the driver's seat after he'd parked and gotten out of his own vehicle. “To shop I mean.”
“It wasn't me. We were hoping for some names to be picked up this morning and they weren't. I'm not the only one out shopping. It's me, Jerry and Tina. We all got six kids,” she grinned, telling him some things she'd found. Clothes were a given. The gift part was the best. “It sounds silly, but I'd rather do my job and get paid what I do than get paid a million dollars to sit in an office all day.”
“But you do sit in an office part of the time,” JC pointed out.
“Smartass,” Ashley said, listening to him laugh. It was true though, since she worked for a non profit that helped organize events all year for charities and other types of organizations. She reached over and turned her CD player on. She quickly turned it down, hearing NSYNC playing. “Oops. Forgot that was in here.”
“Sure,” he turned it back up a little. “What's your favorite song on the album?” he asked, curious. Out of all the time he'd spent with Ashley, he'd never gotten to talk to her one on one much. She was usually being pulled away by his sister.
“It's actually not on the Christmas album..if you mean Christmas songs.” She reached under her seat and pulled out her CD case and found the disc she wanted and slid it in, skipping ahead to the much played track.
“I don't know when we fell apart, the love that we had was like a work of art. I used to see Heaven in your eyes, now angels are falling from your skies...” JC's voice sang and Ashley got this silly smile on her face. She turned it down and looked at Josh, blushing a little. “I begged Heather not to say anything. I went and bought the soundtrack just for that song. This is my second CD.”
JC smiled, looking over at her. “Well, my sister didn't have to say anything did she? And I like that song too.” He turned it up just enough to hear the music and put the song at the beginning, singing along and taking over Justin's parts as well. He chuckled when she just mouthed the words along with him. They made their way through traffic, getting stuck on the exit to where they needed to go.
“This traffic is awful,” JC muttered. “Do you have all of your other shopping done?” he asked, wondering how much she did for her family and friends.
“Yeah, I got it finished up last week. It looks like my tree exploded. My nieces and nephews will think Santa came all over again. What about you?”
“Got it done a few weeks ago. I was lazy and paid someone to wrap. It was either that or be up myself wrapping. And leaving the house a damn mess,” he shrugged, grinning. Glad when the traffic started moving again, Josh maneuvered them to a much more expensive part of town by his house, the shopping center much more compact and higher end. “Come on, we should be able to find everything here.”
Ashley looked at the names of the stores and went along with JC. She was thankful the parking lot wasn't as full and laughed when JC's first stop was a toy store. “You look like a little kid about to hit the candy store.”
“This store has so much cool stuff,” he told her, holding the door open for Ashley, his hand sweeping the small of her back as he ushered her in. They shopped, playing with toys and laughing. There was no awkwardness between them.
“Yes!” Ashley cheered when they found a stack of NSYNC marionettes. She grabbed up Joey and Justin, looking for a JC. “No.” She groaned and looked at JC. “What's the deal?”
JC had five boxes in his hand and grinned, holding up one. “Score.”
“You're my hero,” Ashley pecked him on the cheek and took the item from him. “Just for that, I'll take you to dinner.”
Josh chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her. “Dinner huh? What if I want something expensive?”
“Don't act like a diva, Chasez,” Ashley stuck her tongue out at him and left him standing there. “Let's get this done before someone sees you standing in the Barbie aisle. I'll tell Heather and she'll post it to MySpace so fast...” she teased, watching him shake his head.
“You're awful, Ashley Reynolds.”
“You have no room to talk, JC Chasez.”
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
“Aaaaand, we're done!” Ashley smiled at JC who shut the back passenger door carefully as to not disturb the bike that somehow fit in there after he'd folded down the seats. She hugged him, letting herself take a moment to soak up some of his cologne before stepping away. “I don't know how I could have done this without you. I'm serious,” she blinked back tears. JC had helped her pick out gifts and kept her company.
“It was nothing,” he replied, waving her off. “It was fun, Ash. The most fun I've had in a long time,” he gave her a big smile. “Now you said something about dinner.”
“I did, didn't I?” she fiddled with her hair a little bit. “What sounds good?” Ashley knew he loved sushi and she couldn't stand the stuff, but she was willing to brave raw fish and seaweed wraps if that's what he wanted. JC had saved her.
“I'd be happy if we went back to my place and called in a pizza. I got drinks. Saves trying to fight all the other crazies.” It wasn't that it was late, but JC was ready to be at his place. And it was easier to think in his space, his head going somewhere it hadn't ever before. It wasn't a deep feeling, just a tickling on his brain that he liked Ashley. Liked being around her, more so than just her hanging out with his sister.
“Sounds good to me. And even better we don't have to unload my car. I drop all this off at Jerry's tomorrow for him to deliver.”
The short ride back to JC's house was taken up with a conversation about some of their favorite Christmas childhood memories.
“So, there I was, stuck in a snow drift screaming my head off. When my dad came to pull me out, he had to get a shovel. He started laughing and so did I and then he couldn't stop. Imagine if you will, my dad who looked like a version of Chevy Chase from 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' rolling on the ground next to me, laughing so hard he was crying. As cars drove along our street. Our nosey neighbor, Mrs. Ellis, called my mother to see if Dad was having a heart attack,” Ashley said, laughing at the memory and at JC laughing and banging the steering wheel before pulling into the driveway. “What's your favorite childhood Christmas memory?”
“Without a doubt it would have to be the year we went to New York City and skated in Rockefeller Plaza. We ate good ol' New York pizza and saw some relatives. I knew I wanted to go back afterward to stand in Times Square.”
She nodded, taking the keys from JC. “And what has been your favorite grown up Christmas memory so far?” she asked.
“Well...” JC licked his lips, looking over at her. “I'd have to say this.” He leaned over the console, pulling her face towards his and kissed her gently on the lips. He gave her a small smile and kissed her once more, a little harder. “What's yours?” he asked, sitting back and watching her mind churn and process what had just happened. Josh wasn't quite sure himself, but he wasn't going to worry about it tonight. It was Christmas Eve after all.
“This...this definitely tops all the others,” she finally got out, praying he didn't hear her heart beating ninety to nothing. “Where is this going, Josh?” she finally asked after a few moments of silence.
JC looked her over and then laced his fingers through hers. “I'm not sure honestly, but this Christmas baby, you don't have to be alone.” He gave her a cheesy grin when she let out a huge laugh. “Okay seriously, Ashley,” JC's eyes bore into hers. “I want to give this a chance...see what happens.”
“Me too, JC..me too,” Ashley's lips brushed his once more and she sighed. She'd never seen this one coming, not from a mile away. “Just promise me you'll never use songs as cheesy pick up lines ever again..”
“Never,” he promised. “You'll look beautiful under my tree.”
“JOSH!”
Completed
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