The drive to Grayson had been a familiar one for Clay. He’d taken it numerous times in college when he had been dating James. As he drove past familiar exits and signs, his mind wandered back to those days when he and James had been just starting to get serious. She wasn’t extremely popular, but everyone liked her. He’d seen her at a party and watched how she interacted with everyone and soon he was right by her side, introducing himself to her. That next weekend they’d gone on their first date and he’d put on the charm extra hard to woo her. He knew she’d been smitten and it hadn’t taken long at all for him to get her to sleep with him. His only flaw was that he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of any other girl that paid him attention. There’d been that fraternity party that James was going to be late getting to and so Clay had gone ahead and started drinking before she arrived. Since he’d already had three beers before the party, he was well on his way to being drunk and when a young, blonde girl had approached him, he backed her into a corner and began kissing her. That was when James had walked in and seen him with her own eyes. He’d sworn up and down that he wouldn’t do it again and she had taken him back. The blonde girl turned out to be Jennifer Duran, someone he’d go back and forth with his entire collegiate career and somehow, managed to do it all behind James’ back.

It wasn’t that James hadn’t been enough for him. She was amazing and everyone thought they were the perfect couple back then. It was just that she was busy. She wanted to take over the world and concentrated solely on her studies, barely having time for a boyfriend.

“I thought you said you finished that project last weekend?” Clay leaned against the doorframe of James’ bedroom in the campus apartment she shared with three other girls.

“That was two weeks ago. We have a project due every two weeks in this class. I told you that,” James was exasperated and didn’t look up at him. “Clay, I’m sorry. I can’t go with you to the Sigma Chi party. You’ll have to go on your own.”

“Just finish it tomorrow!” he’d persisted.

“No, tomorrow Chad’s coming in town, remember?”

Clay had rolled his eyes at that. Nothing came between her and her precious gay best friend. “Oh, I remember. We’re supposed to go pretend to be excited about that new restaurant he wants us to try.”

“I’m excited about it,” James retorted. “You don’t have to go.”

Clay came over to her and pulled her away from her desk. James had protested but Clay shook his head. “C’mon, James. Just live a little for once in your life.”

“No,” James pushed him away and Clay glared at her.

“Fine!” he raised his voice and headed for the door. “Just don’t get mad if I don’t call you tomorrow!”

And he hadn’t called her. He’d instead called Jennifer and spent the rest of the weekend at her sorority house, telling James that he’d decided to go home for the weekend. She hadn’t questioned him and thinking back on that, Clay became even more infuriated. She did what she wanted, that was for sure. How had JC Chasez ever kept her under his thumb?

The exit to Grayson was fast approaching and Clay began to feel the anxiousness and excitement build within him. As he pulled off the interstate, he took a breath and began to ponder just how he would finally meet Sutton face to face. He’d thought about it beforehand, but now it was actually here. He was on the outskirts of Grayson and Sutton was within reach. She wasn’t going to be just a picture he’d found on the Internet. Soon she’d be someone he’d know in the flesh. He drove on, discovering that Grayson hadn’t really changed all that much in the last 10 years. It looked just as it had when he’d been here with James.

The hotel wasn’t anything fancy, but it had free Wi-Fi, a continental breakfast, and cable television and when Clay checked in, the receptionist had informed him that all guests got 10% off at Brewster’s, the local coffee shop. Clay had only nodded at her as though he was impressed by this and acted as though he had never heard of Brewster’s. To make it even easier for him, she’d given him a map of the city, highlighting places and shops that he might be interested in seeing. Clay only nodded and smiled as though he’d never heard of any of them, took his key, and went up to the third floor. His room overlooked the pool and beyond that a billboard that advertised a local realtor with Century21. He set his things on the bed and immediately went over to the desk, pulled out his computer, and began to piece together what he knew about the Chasez’s.

First, he’d learned that there were three, second grade classes at Grayson Elementary and Sutton was in Caroline Pryor’s class. He’d combed the school’s website and found that Mrs. Pryor had a class website listing the entire schedule of each week for the students so that parents could easily see what their child was doing and when. It made it quite easy for Clay and he made sure to add it to his information. Sutton had recess in the morning, then Reading, then lunch. PE was on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon. They dismissed at 3:00. He’d then gone onto the dance studio’s website and looked up all of the schedules for each class. Sutton was in Intermediate Ballet in the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:00. It was almost too easy.

And then there was James. Obviously, he knew nothing about her schedule, but there were profiles of each employee on the Brewster’s site and Clay took note of each one, making sure to attach a name to a face. There weren’t a lot of baristas, so Clay had an easier time of it than he’d thought. It also was nice that JC’s studio was adjacent to Sutton’s dance studio and next door to Brewster’s. He’d already decided that day to park his car unassumingly across the street from Brewster’s and wait. In order to do that, he knew he’d have to scope out Les Designs and Chad’s Interior Design office. He was starting to wonder if James’ entire group of friends had taken over Main Street. It sure seemed that way. Yet another thing that only made Clay more annoyed.

He went back downstairs, nodded at the receptionist, and went outside to get into his car. Starting the engine, he leaned back against the seat and pulled out his phone. He’d had three missed calls from his mother, another from his AA sponsor, and an 800 number – which, he assumed, was the collections agency out to get him. He’d deal with all of them later. There were more important matters to attend to.

“Great class, girls. You are all showing much improvement!”

Sutton beamed at her ballet instructor and skipped over to her gym bag with her friends Carly and Anna-Kate. Both girls were best friends with Sutton and had been in ballet with her since they’d all been small. Now they were all in Mrs. Pryor’s second grade class and on Friday night, Sutton was going to have a sleepover with them at Carly’s house.

“I have to go. I see my mom in the lobby!” Anna-Kate called to Sutton and Carly as she dashed out of the studio.

“Is your daddy picking you up today?” Carly asked Sutton, as they walked out into the lobby together.

“Yeah. I have to go upstairs to his office, though,” Sutton answered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Carly!” She waved to her friend and walked towards the front of the entrance. She said hellos to people coming in and out and smiled at one mother who she heard whispering to her little girl, “That’s the girl whose dad I saw sing live one time!” Sutton had heard all about her father being in a band with Chris and Joey and Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass. But that had been a long, long time ago and Sutton, though she had seen a few videos, hadn’t really cared all that much about it. To her, her father was just that-her father. He was funny and he could sing and they had a great time together no matter what they did. She’d never known him as a famous celebrity and sometimes she couldn’t believe he ever was because he’d always just been “Dad” or “Daddy.”

She climbed the stairs to where her father’s office and studio were. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Chris sitting at the table in the front, talking on the phone. He was laughing and swiveling back and forth in his chair. He pulled a funny face at her when he saw her enter and Sutton giggled at him.

Chris put a hand over the receiver. “What’s up, kid?”

“Where’s my dad?” she asked him, putting her gym back and backpack on the couch in the lobby area.

“He’s back in the voice studio. I think he’s waiting for you,” Chris told her. “Huh? Yeah, babe, that’s Sutton.” He looked over at her again as she began to make her way towards the back. “Lesly says ‘hi’, Sutton.”

“Hi, Lesly!” Sutton replied, and continued to walk back to the voice studio. She opened the door and peeked in, watching her dad as he sat at the piano and hummed to himself while he plunked a few notes on the piano. He grinned when he looked up and saw Sutton standing in the doorway.

“Hey, honey,” he stood from the piano and Sutton walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Hi, Daddy,” she reached up to peck his cheek and JC took her hand, shutting off the lights as they left the room.

“How was dance?” he asked her, as they came back into the lobby.

“It was fun,” Sutton replied. “Dad, can we stop at Morrie’s and get a milkshake? I’m starving!”

JC chuckled and shook his head. “Honey, it’s almost time for dinner. You know your mom’s probably got something yummy for us at home.”

“Pleeee-ase?!” Sutton begged him, teasing him with a puppy dog frown.

“Ooh, me too!” Chris chimed in and tried to match Sutton’s face.

JC rolled his eyes. “No,” he looked at Chris and then at Sutton. “And no, babe. Not today. Another time, I promise.” He looked back at Chris. “You waiting for a client?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah. New vocalist from the high school. Says she’s auditioned for Disney, like that’s supposed to impress me. Sounds a little too hoity toity and full of herself if you ask me,”

“Be nice,” JC teased him. He looked down at Sutton. “Okay, Squirt, are you ready to get home?”

“Yep,” Sutton answered and turned to Chris. “ ‘Bye, Chris! See you tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?” Chris questioned her, a puzzled look on his face.

“Well, yeah. You always come over with Lesly or I always see you at Daddy’s work,”

“Huh. True,” Chris shrugged then remembered his conversation with Lesly from a few minutes before. “Hey, C, call Lesly. She says she needs to tell you something.”

“About what?” JC asked, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

“Just call her,” was all Chris would say and JC sighed and waved as he and Sutton headed for the door.

JC unlocked the Mercedes and Sutton bounded for the backseat, immediately asking if he could put the top down. It was much chillier than it had been that morning, but JC relented and did as he was asked.

“But if you get sick, don’t blame it on your dad,” he told Sutton.

“Promise,” Sutton crossed her heart, then grinned at him. She giggled with delight as JC put the top down on the convertible. Fastening her seatbelt, she began to hum along with the radio as JC pulled out of the parking lot. A soft breeze came over them as they started down Main Street and turned off towards the house.

JC watched Sutton and grinned at her through the rearview mirror. He hadn’t wanted to say ‘no’ to the milkshake, but he also knew that if she got home and didn’t eat dinner, James would not be so pleased. He took his phone out and hit Lesly’s number on the speed dial, still looking at Sutton who was singing along to Selena Gomez.

“Hi, Josh,” Lesly answered on the first ring.

“What’s up,” he replied, turning the radio down ever so slightly.

“I assume you’re on your way home?”

“Your assumption is correct. What’s up?”

“Okay, look,” Lesly took a breath. “Your wife is dying for some alone time. She needs a spa day or some kind of a day where she’s not working or with your kids. And I think you should get her a day package to the Jekyll Island Club or something like that. I’ll take off work or Chris will take off or something so you’re not home with all four of them or Mrs. Ryan isn’t overwhelmed. But I really think you should do this and soon because-“

“Lesly, Lesly, I hear you,” JC cut her off and chuckled into the phone. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll go on their site tonight and do something for her.”

“Good! Just let me know so I know when I need to be around,”

“I’ll do it, Les. Thanks for looking out for her,”

He hung up right as he pulled into the driveway.  “Hey, Sutton,”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“We’re gonna surprise your mom. How does that sound?”

Clay had seen it all. Sutton leaving ballet. Sutton walking up the stairs on the side of the building to the studio. Sutton coming back out with JC holding her hand. Sutton running to the car. He’d also seen the gaze in JC’s eyes looking at her. Clay didn’t want to admit it, but he knew that JC loved that little girl and he’d been smiling at her ever since they’d been walking down the stairs from his studio. He hit the steering wheel and started the car. He was getting angrier by the minute but he knew he still had much research left to do.