“So I was thinking about coming in next week for the weekend, maybe we can catch up and just hang out. You think you will be free?”

Justin held back a sigh as he climbed out of the luxurious confinement of his SUV. He pushed the door shut behind him as he walked a few feet away from the vehicle before hitting the lock button twice hearing the chirp in confirmation. He readjusted his cell phone against his ear as he began to walk towards the undisclosed building.

“As much as I would love for you to come out Jess, I just don’t know if I would have the time really. I been really hitting the ground running with this album and I don’t want to lose momentum if I can help it. I’m sure you don’t want to be cooped up in the studio with me all day.”

He could hear her sigh softly into the receiver as he walked up to a blacked out door to the building and pressed numbers into key code box that was sitting on the outside of the door. Once the red light flashed green he pulled open the door.

“I don’t care Justin and you know what. I just miss you a lot and any time with you is perfect for me and you know that.”

Justin walked inside of the building as he did he was greeted by a red head woman that sat behind a circular desk. He nodded towards her as she broke away from her computer for a moment to give him a way and pressed the buzzer for the double wood doors he soon when through.

“I miss you Jess. I really do. Look you go ahead and book it for two weeks from now. We will figure it all out when you get here, but I have to go into this meeting. I will call you when you get out just send me your flight information. Okay?”

“Alright, I’ll text it to you.”

“Ok bye Jess.”

“Bye Justin.”

He hit the end button and slipped his phone into his front pocket. He ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed. He had to be honest he didn’t have the time for Jessica. He was so focused on his music right now that he didn’t want to get distracted. He had finally hit another creative flow and he wanted to get it going. Also, to add on top of that he was having a whole new team for this album, the music was different and so was the marketing. He was doing a lot of collaboration with hot named artists. So, it was a lot of talking going back and forth between his people and their people.

But he did promise her that he would put forth more effort into making their relationship work. They had taken a break since their schedules had become hectic, but she insists that they would make things work out. He had been in a relationship with actress before, but they never quite worked out because of the conflicting schedules. It was much easier to date in your field so to speak, but Jessica was someone he could see himself with.

She was so down to earth, very much the girl next door type of chick. She was very understanding and he could tell her absolutely anything. They started off as good friends and it just escalated slowly from there. She was like a piece of home to him, but he wanted to give her the time that she deserved and he didn’t feel like he could do it as effectively as he wanted to right now. He wanted to give her everything she deserved, but he couldn’t afford it right now not in the way he wanted to give her.

He walked down the long hallway until he rested a conference room area. He turned the knob and pushed the door open to reveal room full of people. It was Johnny and the team, business manager, road manager, PR and everyone in between including Melanie…

“Hey everyone.” Justin called out as he shut the door behind him and took a seat at the head of the table with Johnny to his right with Melanie beside him and Rachel his cousin to his left. He glanced over to him and gave her wink as she just smile nervously.

Johnny clapped his hands,” Alright guys, let’s get this meeting started. First, I want us to welcome our newest team member Melanie Jacobs she will be working closely with Justin and I on this new project, so let’s give her hand.”

Everyone clapped giving her waves, and hello’s. She smiled gingerly while subconsciously uncapping and recapping the pen in her hand.

“Alright let’s get this meeting started shall we?”

The meeting took a full two hours 45 minutes of Justin explaining his vision for his album and the verses artist he wanted to work with. The rest of the time was brain storming to bring Justin’s vision to life. Melanie sat there taking notes what seemed like for days, it was a lot to take it, she wasn’t sure what was going to be actually used and what wasn’t, but she continued to write it all down as much as she could.

Now she was just looking at it all, quietly scanning over her notes in the empty room. She was told to wait her while a lady named Rachel went to collect more information for her. She blew out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. She rubbed her clammy hands against the fabric of her jeans.

She breathed slowly in and out as she tried to steady her nerves on the inside. Within the last year, she had come to mask her emotions on the outside for a while, long enough to pop a pill or get a moment to herself, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to do this always on the run with this new job. As much as a good idea this was to get some type of movement in her life, this was probably not the best idea on where to start.

A vibration from her purse broke her reading; she reached down into the purse sitting in the chair beside her and pulled it out. It was a text from Sanaa:

Na-Na:

How is it going so far?

Melanie:

It’s going, it’s just a lot of things I have to know about one person.

Na-Na:

Ha. Yes, you will be living and breathing Justin Timberlake for the next year. Most women your age, this is a dream.

Melanie:

….Sanaa.

Na-Na:

Yes?

Melanie:

I’m not so sure I can do this. This is a lot at once. I should be better off bagging groceries or something.

Na-Na:

I know it must be overwhelming. You came to start over and you are going to start off on a great foot. Justin is a great person; he is seasoned so he isn’t some spoiled man that has these crazy demands. He is a man about his business and is extremely focused. If there is anyone in Hollywood that is the easiest to work with Justin is. You are in good hands, and so is he. Don’t think too much about it JUST ENJOY IT. Love you see you at home later. Xoxo

Melanie took a deep breath and sighed softly. Sanaa was right as always who else could say that they dropped everything, flew half cross the country and stepped into a dream job with one of the hottest music artist in the world. Even if she had a little help, with the status of her cousin and her fiancé, she couldn’t complain.

“So, how are you feeling?”

Justin asked as he sat in the black leather chair swirling back and forth as he watched his cousin Rachel gather papers from Johnny’s filing cabinet and placing the pile on the cherry wood desk.

“About what?” Rachel replied without looking up as she adjusted the min-stacks of paper she had organized and returning back to the filing cabinet flipping through the multi-papers. She gathered informational packets about the company and business for Melanie to read over.

“Johnny and I hiring a new assistant for this new project.”

. “It’s perfectly fine, I could use this time to working on some projects I wanted to get off the ground.” Rachel gave him a reassuring smile while passing behind him patting his back gently on her way to another cabinet.

“So, you aren’t upset?”

Rachel snorted with a chuckle.

“Why would I be upset Jay? I’ve been following you around for around 10+ years now. I appreciate the break. I love you, but it’s been a long time coming.”

Justin looked at her with disbelief as he was taking back by his cousin confession. He really thought after all these years that she moved working for him.

“You make it seem like I’m awful to work for.”

 Rachel shrugged unmoved by his expression as continued to buzz around the room.” No, not now, you are a peach to work for. A couple of years ago, it would be a completely different story. This is a perfect time to get someone new in. A fresh face, a pretty one I might add.”

Rachel cut her eyes at him with a grin only to grow an eyebrow from Justin. He stopped swirling and threw his hands up in defense, while shaking his head..

“I know what you thinking and that’s not why.”

Rachel stopped what she was doing and turned her body towards him with one hand placed on her hip.

“Then why, from what Johnny has told me. She has no experience that can relate even close to this job. Expect for her social skills, which I have yet to see on display. I can tell she is organized and a great listener from the notes she was taking at the meeting, but other than that. She is a bird in the wrong flock.”

“She seems that out of place? She just nervous, this is completely different from any other job she has had.”

“It shows Justin. She is very timid, but she is great at hiding it. So where did you find her? Which one of your celebrity friends’ relative is she? Because I know you are too far along in your career and too established for her to be a random person.”

Justin sighed and began to play with a crystal paper weight that was sitting on the desk and shrugged his shoulders.

“She is a cousin of Sanaa Lathan’s.”

 Rachel nodded slowly with a smile as she turned back to the filing cabinet pulling out some more papers.

“Oh, Sanaa. I haven’t heard her name floating around in a while.”

“She is engaged to Josh Duhamel.”

She pushed the cabinet closed and walked over to the desk and sat down on the opposite side of Justin. She threw the papers in her hands on top of the stack that was in front of her and leaned back crossing her arms and legs looking at Justin.

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. The next time you talk to her tell her I said congratulations and that I better get an invitation, whether or not you go.”

“What makes you think I won’t go to the wedding?”

Rachel tilted her head to the side and shook her head with a chuckle and roll of her eyes.

“You and I both know why. I’m surprised you both even talk anymore.”

Justin starts to roll the crystal paper weight back and forth  in between his hands as he kept his eyes fixated on it.

“We don’t really, but Josh and I have hung a couple of times. I went over to their house one day for guys night and her cousin is staying with her, just moved out here from Syracuse.”

“Do you know why? I know it’s not to get this job with you. She used to be married?”

Justin raised his eyes to look at his cousin “Huh?”

“I can tell by the imprint on her ring finger.”

 He shook his head and laughed a bit.

“Damn, yeah. How in the hell did you know that?”

It was Rachel’s turn to laugh as she leaned forward in the conversation with her arms and legs still crossed.

“Justin it has been my job for the last decade to pay close attention to details. There are only a couple reasons why a woman in her late twenty would get up and fly half way cross country to start a new job. It’s either because she is following her dreams, following a man or running from one.”

He threw his hands up once again and shook his head with frustration. It was like she had her own special way of knowing things and he hated it because he hadn’t caught and he had seen Melanie more times than she had.

“Shit, Rach. You got her all figured out huh? I don’t know personally. All I know is she needed help finding a job so I got her one.”

Rachel dropped her arms and folded her hands in her lap. She sat up with a look on her face that read bullshit.

“A job working as your personal assistant, really? A woman that you don’t even know personally, you didn’t get her a job as receptionist, or mail room, or housekeeping, but as your personal assistant?”

“So I get no brownie points for helping someone in need?”

She rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth as hopped onto her feet and gathered the papers into her hands as she talked, her tone drawing more seriousness to the conversation which caused Justin to tense a bit and give his full attention. The paperweight stop rolling.

“No Justin, your 31 years old, you don’t get brownie points for shit. We aren’t 12 years old and besides she probably knows nothing about you because she doesn’t seem like the type that has followed you or your music throughout the years. Also, this isn’t some favor for Sanaa seeing as you haven’t talk to her in years up until now. So all I know is that this better not be one of your little schemes for this woman to be a charity case and God forbid you fall for this broken damsel in distress.”

Rachel tucked the papers into one of her arms and began to make her way towards the door. She had kept the woman waiting for at least fifteen minutes already and she didn’t want to seem rude or unprofessional. Even, though she secretly thought this was not a good idea at all since Johnny broke the news to her.

Justin hopped up and caught his cousin by the arm before she could pull the door open.

“Whoa, whoa! Rachel come on, you are making me out to be desperate for a woman. I am Justin Timberlake I will never ever have to be desperate for a woman or having to scheme to get one. You and I both know that. I mean excuse my ego for the moment, but come on”

Rachel couldn’t help, but laugh at Justin’s brute confidence. Justin after all these years of fame, he remained one of the most humble people. He knew who he was and knew he had pretty much unlimited access to anything in the world, but he never abused it. He always managed to use his celebrity status as an advantage for others. He never allowed anyone to use him, but he never turned down the change to help someone who really needed the help. It was want worried her about him sometimes.

She reached out a touch his arm, giving it a squeeze.

“I never said you were desperate Justin, but I know you. You can’t help to come to someone’s rescue. You have always been like that. It’s a great trait about you, but only when used carefully. I could be all wrong about this and this could just be a good deed act, but just be careful about this Justin. I can’t be on my break trying to enjoy myself while worrying about if you call me one day with a broken heart whether it be yours or hers.”

Justin couldn’t help but smile at Rachel’s genuine concern for him.  This how he was able to go so far in his life was because he was surrounded by people that genuinely cared more about his personal well-being than his success. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her into a side hug and kissed her temple. He pulled the door open allowing her to walk out into the hall while as he followed suite.

“It’s nothing like that at all. It just is helping out someone. Besides, I think she will do great.”

Rachel shrugged while giving Justin a look.

“That has yet to be seen.”