It was 5 a.m. when Melanie emerged from her room, fully dressed for the day. She walked to the elevator in the quiet of the hall, sweeping out of her face her bundle of hair that was thrown carelessly into a bun.  She yawned as she ambled down the hall towards the elevator, pressing the down arrow once she arrived. She looked at herself in the reflection of the elevator doors. She looked exhausted and she felt it. She had a rough night, she didn’t sleep a wink.

It was day 3 into their trip to New York and they had early mornings and late nights. It wasn’t the problem though, her doctor up the dosage on her Zoloft, her body had little time to adjust, so spent most of the night, sweating and nauseated. It was some of the side effects, her doctor explained.

So, with the lack of sleep, she managed to pull herself from bed throw on a pair of sweats, throwing her hair up on the top of her head and slip into her sneakers walking out of the door, with her messenger page wrapped around her and phone in her jacket pocket. The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside, taking it all the way down.

 As she exited into the main lobby, she was meant by the group right along with Justin, talking with Rachel. She yawned against as she approached the group, JoAnn was first to spot her, she glanced at first and then a double take taking in Melanie appearance.

“Wow girl, you look like hell.” She shamelessly announced, causing Erika too look, but slapping her arm in the process.

“Rude much?” She snapped.

Melanie wasn’t mad because that is exactly how she felt,” I feel it, but the day must go on. I’m sure I’ll get better.” She croaked. Great, she thought. Now, she sounded like Kermit the Frog. They winced at the sound of her voice. She cleared it a couple of times in hopes, it would clear up a little better.

“I think I’m going to make a coffee run, while y’all head out to the radio station did you guys want anything?” Melanie asked her voice sounding clearer, but still groggy sounding. They declined stating they had some in the hotel room.

Melanie moved along asking around until she reached Justin and Rachel. Justin looked away from whatever Rachel was showing him on her phone and his eyes landed on her. She looked tired and a little flushed in the face, but even with a messy head full of hair and baggy sweat pants and a fitted sweat jacket and plain. She still looked beautiful.

He smiled at her causing the small frown on her forehead, from the slow pounding from a headache that was about to surface to disappear.

“Hey I was going to go make a coffee run can I get you guys something?” She groggily spoke clearing her throat a few times.

“You okay, you don’t look so good.” Justin asked Rachel nodding in agreement.

She waved it off,” Rough night, but I’ll be fine once I get some herbal tea and a couple of glasses of orange juice. Coffee”

Rachael nodded,” Yeah get me a venti coffee with skim milk, sugar and a double shot espresso and two pumps of vanilla.”

She turned to look at Justin,” Just a Grande with cream and sugar. Thanks, Erick and Tiny with take you.”

He waved Tiny over and instructed him to take her to Starbucks while the others headed off to the radio station.  They drove quietly to the nearest Starbucks from the hotel, the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, but enough light lit the sky giving it a royal blue color. As the approach the crib was too loitered with taxis for Eric to pull up right in front of it.

“We going to drop you off down here at the corner and you can walk up. We’ll circle the block and meet you back here. If you don’t see us when you come we are making our way back.” Tiny instructed as he made a slow left on the corner.

Melanie quickly flung open the door as he came to a rolling stop and hopped out shutting the door quietly, but not fast enough to keep from Tiny getting honked at.

She walked briskly to the Starbucks, to get out of the fridge cold air, passing through the opened door as a man held it for her. She hit was the smell of fresh coffee and spinning mixing machines the all too familiar sounds of Starbucks accompanied by coffee house music and chattered New Yorkers.

She stepped into the long line, clearing her throat once more. She pulled her phone at her pocket and began to go through it aimlessly as the line was stop and go. For about five minutes, she stood their only getting half way to the counter.

Her phone chimed:

JTimb: How are you feeling? Get your tea yet?

Melanie: No still waiting in line, I will be fine. Thank you for asking.

JTimb: My pleasure. I forgot New York never sleeps. You may be there for a while.

Melanie: A true New Yorker never forgets.

She smiled a bit and slipped her phone back in pocket as she finally approached the counter ordering their drinks and standing off to the side. As she waited, flipping through the little rack of new music they had in the counter.

As she did, she felt a body come up beside her as she moved over onto the table of new papers  reading the headline,” Melanie?”

She looked up and stared up into a pair of familiar brown eyes. She felt her heart stop for a second and began to race in her chest and the heat from her back shoot up around her neck.

“Reggie.” She stated as she moved from the corner.

“Melanie!?” Her name was called out by the barista. She quickly made her way over as her coffee was placed in a holder and she nodded with a tight lipped smile, grabbing it from the counter. She felt him follow her.

God she didn’t need this right now.

She try to bee line it from the door only to have him jump in front of her, stopping any chance of that.

“Wow I didn’t know you were back in New York, I thought you were in L.A. for good.”

She noted the mixture of surprise and disbelief in his voice,” I am. I’m just out her for a few days for business.”

“Oh, so you working now? What you doing?” He stood relaxing as if they were about to have a normal conversation, catching up on old times as if they hadn’t seen each other in ten years and they have completely moved on and that all was forgotten.

He was ridiculous.

“Look Reggie, I have somewhere to be. I gotta go.” She moved around him heading towards the door, only for him to job ahead of her stopping her again.

“Wait wait, I just wanted to talk to you. See how you were doing. I know last time we talked it didn’t end so good—“

“We didn’t end so good? “ She scoffed in annoyance.

“Yeah I know I said some things I didn’t mean—“

She narrowed her eyes,” You meant every word.”

He sighed restraining himself for rolling his eyes at her harden attitude. He knew she was upset, but enough time past that she could at least have a conversation with him, so he thought.

“Look Melanie, I’m sorry. If I could take everything back I would, but things happen for a reason and we can’t change what has already been done. We can move forward.”

“There is no WE, or no US..look I got to go.” She began to get fluttered as she held onto the hot drinks.

“Melanie come on—“

"--Just let me...it’s hard enough that...!"

She chokes back tears as -she tried forming sentences. Blinking her eyes quickly while adjusting the cup holder in her hands. He reached out in attempt to touch her, but she drew back quickly.

"I got to go Reggie." She said quickly, getting the courage to brush past him and into the open air of the city. As the wind blew, she felt a cold chill on her cheek. She reached up to wipe the stream of tears that fell from her eyes. This couldn't believe this was happening right now, of all the places in New York he could be. He had to be in the upper Manhattan, in the same Starbucks, at the same time as her. What were the odds? She didn't know, but what she did know was that they were for damn sure not in her favor.

"Melanie! Wait!"

Proof.

She continued on walking briskly around a corner, her eyes scanning the littered streets for the black Yukon truck she climbed out of.

"Dammit Tiny where are you?" She whispers sharply. As she continued to walk quickly, she could hear the sound of heavy boots closing in on her. She kept her eyes ahead, but her brain was on what was behind her. She prayed quietly that he would run into a pole or something, but what were the odds of that.

"Melanie, please." She felt a backward jerk of her arm as his hand wrapped around bicep, drawing her walk to a halt, starling her causing her to lose the grip of the cup holder, coffee splattering everywhere.

Proof again. The odds were really not. AT ALL

"Godammit!" She screamed in utter frustration.

"I'm s--" He rushed to apologize

She threw up her hands," What do you want from me?!"

He looked over her face and stuffed his hands down into his pocket," I want to fix this, Mel we can fix this."

She chuckled in disbelief before tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked off down the sidewalk to see Tiny jogging making his way over. She crouched down to pick up the mess," You nor I could ever fix it. There is too many pieces to put back together. It would never be the same."

Tiny jogged up eyeing Reggie as he stepped back quickly from her," Melanie, you okay?"

Melanie picked up the trash and chuckled nervously," Yeah, just lost my grip on the drinks."

Tiny glance between her and the unknown male, reaching out to help her stand onto her feet," You sure? Who is this?"

Melanie straightens up and looked Reggie in his face as he shifted nervously under Tiny's suspicious glare.

"An old friend."

Reggie looked back at her with defeat written all over his face.

"Well let's get back; there is a Starbucks even closer to the studio. We can stop there and I'll get the coffee." Tiny spoke placing his large hand on the small back, as he helped her watch her step around the puddle of coffee.

"Goodbye Reggie."

He stood there watching as she walked off and headed to the car that was waiting. Tiny opened the door and she climbed into the back seat. Once, closed she looked through the darken windows as he stood there watching as the car pulled off and disappear from his view.

Melanie dropped her head and bite down on her quivering bottom lip. She rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face into her hands as she began to cry. The cry she held in from the moment she saw him. She couldn't hold it in much longer.

Tiny glanced in the overhead mirror as he watched the quiet woman crumble in the backseat. He looked over to Eric as he was driving. They shared a glance before Tiny pulled out his cell phone...

"Aha, it’s possible." Justin clapped his hands together as he doubled over in laughter.

"I'm just saying, is it really possible to bring sexy back again?" radio personality, Angel Martinez questioned with a snicker.

“Anything is possible, but as far as I go I never lost it, it just seem on reserve for about six years. I was ready to pull back out again." Justin answered with a smile.

He sat in the celebrity guest room before getting ready for his radio interview about his upcoming album. He sat in a lounge chair with bottle water balanced on the arm of the chair. He continued on conversating with the people in the room as his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He dugged down into his front pocket and pulled it out swiping the screen and reading it:

Tiny:

Heads up. We got a problem

Justin:

Whats going on?

Tiny:

Your new assistant is having a serious melt down. We on our way.

Justin:

Melt down?

Tiny:

I think she had an unexpected run in with some dude. now shes coming apart. she tryin to pull herself together. but i just want to give you heads up.

Justin:

Alright thanks.

Justin slipped his phone back into his pocket and sighed softly. His heart truly ached for her. He already had an idea who she ran into.

Melanie rummaged through her purse in the bathroom of the Starbucks that was right next ot the radio station. Why they didn't just come here in the first place was beyond her. She managed to get into the bathroom and splash water on her face, but her hands were shaking something awful. She had to find her anxiety pills.

She finally retrieve them and tried to calm her hands enough to open up the bottle," Come on." She hissed at herself.

After fighting with her hands and the bottle for a moment, it finally popped open only for the last few to go spilling into the sink," No! No no no nooo!"

She groaned deeply, the last few were gone and there was no way she could get to a pharmacy right now in the middle of working for a refill. She couldn't believe it.  She looked at herself in the mirror as she could see the vein that ran across her temple throbbing against her skin.

She would just have to pull it together, someway, somehow.

She stuffed her things back into her purse and threw it over her shoulder and made her way out of the restroom. She looked up to see Tiny standing by the door with the coffee in his hands waiting for. She walked up to meet him and he looked at her," You alright?"

She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face," Yeah, I'm fine."

Tiny looked over her face once more before smiling slight, not buying it at all, but didn't know her well enough to voice his concern. He pushed the door open with his back allowing her to step through to the outside.

They walked the small corner until they reached the radio station. She reached out her hands to retrieve the coffees from his hands, reluctantly handed them over and held the door open for her. They made their way into the building and to the elevator riding it to the fourth floor and stepping out then going through a set of doors before reaching the main area.

She walked in to a few people mingling around and spotted Rachel off to the side talking on the phone. Melanie walked over holding out the coffees, Rachel looked at her with a smile before taking hers an mouthing a "thank you."

Melanie nodded; she turned around looking around for Justin only to have Rachel tap her on the shoulder and point to a closed door off in the corner. She made her over to the door, knocking lightly before pushing open the door. Justin turned around once hearing the door open and jumped to his feet immediately as he noticed it was her.

She gives him a ginger smile, holding up his cup," Coffee."

He returned the smile and retrieve the hot liquid," Thank you."

She nodded dropping the empty cup holder into the nearby trash can, rubbing her hands together and clasping them against her body," Sorry it took so long, I end up dropping them all bumping into somebody on the street."

He waved her off taking a sip of his black coffee before speaking," It's alright, it happens."

He knew that she wasn't telling him the truth, but he gave her credit for the half-truth, He took another sip of his coffee as he watched her divert her eyes to random things in the room, rocking back and forth on the balls of her heels. He noticed the redness of her cheeks and the slight swelling of her eyes. He didn't know exactly how to ask her about her well-being, without pointing out the obvious and possibly making her very uncomfortable.

Melanie could feel his eyes on her as she swayed back and forth, praying that the awkward silence would end. Justin placed his cup down on the nearby coffee table and cleared his throat.

“You still look a bit tired. Why don't you go back to the hotel and catch quick nap, I have one more interview after this and then I'm going to be in the studio all night. I don't see why you can't go nap.." Justin chuckled with a smile.

Melanie eyes him for a moment, not knowing what to say. He motioned towards the door while placing a hand on the small of her back to guide her to follow him," I insist. I'm not super busy today and plus Rachel is here."

She watched as he opened the door for her, stepping out into the hall," Are you sure? I mean, I am kind of, technically still training."

"It will be fine, it’s just for the day, let me tell Rachel." Justin waved her over as she paced up and down the little hall still with her phone attached to her ear. She told whoever it was that she would call them back and made her way over. She looked back forth between Melanie and Justin, as he still had his hand on her back.

"What's up?" She inquired.

"I'm going to send Melanie here back to the hotel, jet lag has set in and she looks a bit tired, since today is not going to super busy. I'm allowing her to go back and get rest up, so she can be prepared for the rest of the week," Justin informed Rachel and quickly calling out to Tiny, who was talking to Angie.

Justin didn't give Rachel time enough to protest, not seeing why she would, but thought it was best not to even give her a chance. Tiny walked over, pulling the keys from his pocket, looking at Melanie with a nod to signal he was ready when she was.

"Um, well, okay I guess." Was all Melanie could say. Justin nodded with smile before being called over by Angie that were on air in five minutes. Melanie looked at Rachel, whom facial expression she couldn't make out. She just stared blankly before speaking...

"Go get some rest."

And with that Rachel turned on her heels, and followed behind Justin.