JC was trying to keep his mind focused on his work. He was trying to give instruction and encouragement to the eleven girls that looked to him for guidance and wisdom on this, one of their first public appearances. But he was constantly distracted and his mind was on Annie since he’d left early that morning. He’d only briefly seen her when she was feeding Emma-Claire breakfast and both were guarded about how demonstrative they were towards each other. He’d grazed her hand with his fingertips as he passed by the stove where she was putting scrambled eggs onto Emma-Claire’s plate. That had been it. No kiss goodbye. Not even a hug. He’d glanced at her on his way out but her attention had been on Emma-Claire and she’d barely been able to look up at him.

After their talk the night before, they’d gone back into the house and kissed and made out for a while on the couch but Annie had opted to stay in the pool house for fear of locking out Emma-Claire again. JC knew she was right but it still didn’t make it any easier for him to know she was only a few feet away from him and he desperately wanted to wake up with her in his arms. He’d kissed her a little longer before letting her walk back to the pool house, then gone upstairs and hopped right into a cold shower.

All he could think about right now was that after the girls’ performance at the Galleria, he wanted to go home with Annie and Emma-Claire and just be with them. He couldn’t believe he was even having these kinds of feelings. Hadn’t it only been just weeks ago that the last thing he’d wanted was to do anything with his daughter? He knew it had been Annie that had changed him, and all for the better. Now all he wanted was to play with Emma-Claire and be with Annie in every way possible.

“Um, C, are you with us?” Jimmy snapped his fingers in JC’s face and JC came out of the fog he’d been in.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Get your head out of the clouds and back to earth,” Jimmy hissed in his ear. “They’ve got a performance today and are nervous as hell!”

“I know,” JC mumbled and did everything he could not to think about Annie. He’d see her soon enough with Emma-Claire. He pushed past Jimmy and stood up front, ready to take on the role of manager.

“But Daddy’s work is boring!” Emma-Claire whined as Annie helped her get ready to leave the house. It was nearing three and with traffic, Annie knew that they had to leave at least in the next fifteen minutes to ensure they’d get there in time. JC had given her instructions on where to meet him so that she wasn’t lost in the crowd. Annie had tried not to show her disappointment when he’d left that morning. They both knew just how important it was to act as though nothing had changed for Emma-Claire’s sake. Ultimately, Annie knew the child would be ecstatic if she knew, but for now, it was too much of a risk to take. However, JC leaving with just a nod of his head had not been what Annie had wanted. If they didn’t care so much for Emma-Claire, Annie would have kissed him over and over again before he left. She knew that tonight as soon as they were alone that the lost time would make up for itself in no time.

“We’re not going to his work. We’re going to a mall to watch the girls he helps. They’re going to sing on a stage. That will be fun, won’t it?” Annie pulled Emma-Claire’s brown hair back into a ponytail and tightened it. “Okay. What shoes do you want to wear today?” She observed the outfit that Emma-Claire was wearing. She’d wanted her to look good for JC and so Annie had dressed her in a blue pin tuck top and black leggings. She looked adorable even if Annie did say so herself.

“My black shoes,” Emma-Claire answered and ran into her room to pull out a pair of soft leather ballet flats. Annie was just relieved it wasn’t her purple sneakers, which was something that Emma-Claire always demanded to wear no matter what the outfit. It was an argument that Annie was glad to avoid today.

“Great. I think we’re ready,” she smiled at Emma-Claire.

“We match!” Emma-Claire pointed at the yellow blouse and black leggings that Annie was wearing. “Cause you have on black, too!”

“I guess we do, girl,” Annie grinned at her. “Ok. Let’s go see your daddy.” Annie couldn’t help but get excited about seeing JC. Even though she knew there could be absolutely no public displays of affection –especially when she was sure there would be at least one or two paparazzi lurking around – she still couldn’t wait until she was with him.

The Galleria was packed as usual but adding to the crowd were the families of each member of Girl Radical not to mention a few new fans and of course fans of JC. He waited next to the stage and tried to talk the girls out of the butterflies in their stomachs. He was also keeping an eye out for Annie and Emma-Claire and had made sure he had a good viewpoint of the entrance of the mall courtyard.

“Can I have a picture?” an eager fan asked as she approached him.

“Sure,” JC smiled at her and her friend and he was suddenly posing for a quick selfie. He chuckled as he heard the women scurry off, discussing how fast they could upload it to Instagram.

“Okay fifteen minutes,” Jimmy said as he walked by JC. “Girls I’ll let JC announce you and then you take the stage. Just let it flow and you’ll be fine.”

JC nodded in agreement, looking over and smiling when he saw Annie and Emma-Claire walking towards him. Emma-Claire had immediately spotted her father and was trying to drag Annie faster through the hoards of people by the stage. He wanted nothing more than to grab Annie and kiss her but he knew that would be saved for later tonight. For now, all he could do was hug Emma-Claire as she ran up to him and then give a wink and a smirk to Annie, who tried to be just as nonchalant as he had just been.

“You got here just in time,” JC told them, picking up Emma-Claire and settling her on his hip.

“Daddy, are you singing today?” Emma-Claire played with the collar on JC’s shirt.

“No, baby. See all of those girls standing over there?” JC pointed to the spot by the stage where his eleven girls were anxiously awaiting their performance. Emma-Claire nodded. “They’re singing. I’m their boss.”

“I thought you were Annie’s boss?” Emma-Claire pointed to Annie.

“Well, I’m also theirs,” JC put Emma-Claire down and leaned over to Annie as discreetly as possible. “Hi,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. Annie wanted to lean in further and kiss him but the little girl holding tightly to her hand reminded her to wait for a few more hours.

“Hi,” she smiled back at him.

“I’ll be home as soon as this is done.”

“Good.”

JC grinned at her and let his fingers skim her arm before he turned to walk over to the group. “I’m just going over here. You guys can watch from the front of the stage. I’ll meet you back here as soon as they’re done.”

Annie nodded at him and took Emma-Claire over to the front of the stage. She looked over and spotted several cameras aimed right at Emma-Claire and immediately tried to shield her. The cameras came closer and Annie moved into the crowd and away from the front, trying her best to lose them. She ducked down and tried to hide behind a few girls in front of her who were talking about trying to find JC. Annie just prayed they weren’t the crazy type of fans who’d seen Emma-Claire’s picture in the People interview and would turn around and draw more attention to the child. She looked up and the paparazzi had gone back to their nesting spots and Annie breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Emma-Claire who was straining to see her father who had now taken the stage. Annie tried her best to get back as close to the front as possible but the crowd had gotten bigger and the best she could do was right in the middle of the fourth or fifth line of people.

“Can you see?” she asked Emma-Claire.

“No,” Emma-Claire shook her head. Annie sighed and wished she could cuss at the paparazzi for causing them to move. She lifted Emma-Claire up by wrapping her arms around her waist and holding her up as high as she could. JC finished introducing him and the crowd went wild, though Annie imagined it was just a bunch of old Nsync fans who’d come to see him. The girls took the stage and began to sing their first number. Emma-Claire looked over at JC who was standing at the bottom of the edge of the stage and waved at him. JC waved back smiled at both her and Annie.

“I wanna go see Daddy,” Emma-Claire turned her body towards Annie.

“I don’t know if we can get over there, honey,” Annie grimaced and tried to see if she could make her way through the labyrinth of people.

“But I want to see him!” Emma-Claire pointed to JC and then looked at Annie with tears forming in her eyes.

Annie sighed and began to excuse herself around the mass of people as she tried to make her way back towards JC.

“Um, excuse me! We’re trying to watch!” a teenage girl snapped at her.

“Sorry,” Annie mumbled and continued to walk with Emma-Claire in her arms. She was cursed at several times but finally made her way back to the side of the stage where JC was standing and watching. He looked up and was surprised to see them both standing there.

“Daddy, I wanted to see you,” Emma-Claire reached for JC, who took her out of Annie’s arms.

“Sorry,” Annie apologized. “She was about to cry and-“

“Don’t apologize,” JC stopped her. “Here, come over here with me.” He lifted the rope that separated him from the rest of the crowd and Annie slipped behind it.

“There were a ton of paps over there trying to get her picture,” Annie told him after the girls had finished their first number.

“Yeah, I saw them. Thanks for protecting her,” JC glanced at her and leaned over once more. “You look really nice, by the way.”

“Thanks. So do you.” Annie caught herself nearly grabbing his hand but relented and put it behind her back. It was going to be hard to be with him in public that was for sure.

After a few songs, JC went back on stage to thank everyone for coming out and that the girls would be hanging around to sign autographs for the next hour. The throng of people immediately descended around the stage and JC pulled Annie aside with Emma-Claire still in his arms to avoid the mobs coming toward him.

“I’ve gotta go sign a few autographs. Don’t leave just yet,” he said to Annie before disappearing into the crowd and handing off Emma-Claire. Annie sat down on a nearby bench by the stage with Emma-Claire in her lap. She saw JC posing with fans and signing autographs and tried to point out to Emma-Claire that her daddy was loved by a lot of people. This didn’t seem to faze the child at all. She simply leaned against Annie’s shoulder and took everything in.

“I wanna go home, Annie,” Emma-Claire said after fifteen minutes of watching her father smiling for random cameras that were thrown in his face.

“I know, babe. I know,” Annie kissed the top of her head and continued to watch JC talking and occasionally laughing at something one of his fans had said.

“So, I guess you’re waiting on JC?” Jimmy said, coming up to Annie and Emma-Claire.

“Yeah,” Annie nodded and forced a smile.

Jimmy looked down at a bored Emma-Claire. “Guess she’s not ready for this just yet, huh?”

“No. I think she thought she was going to get to see her dad for the whole time,” Annie said. “I’m sure in a year or two she’ll be used to all of this.”

“I understand. I have kids. Let me see if I can get him out of that crowd,” Jimmy offered and left to walk into the mass. He headed towards JC who was taking his umpteenth selfie with a few fans. Jimmy tapped him on the shoulder. “Time to go,” he muttered into JC’s ear. JC looked at Jimmy and then over at Annie and Emma-Claire. “I think your kid was hoping to get some daddy time today. She looks a little bored and overwhelmed by all of this.”

JC quickly said a goodbye to those fans who were still swarming him and he and Jimmy made their way back to the side of the stage which was almost barren except for the stage hands who were clearing off the microphones and speakers. He sheepishly smiled at his girlfriend and daughter and walked over to them. “Sorry. I guess I figured she’d enjoy this,” he said to Annie, noticing that Emma-Claire’s eyes had been glazed over. Emma-Claire reached for him and he lifted her out of Annie’s lap as Annie stood to her feet.

“It’s okay. Now you know,” Annie assured him. “I think we’ll just have to give it a few more times. She was a little stunned by everything going on.”

“Let’s get out of here,” JC looked at Jimmy. “I’ll have Annie drop me off at the studio to get my car. Can you get the girls rounded up?”

“No problem. Go home. Be with your kid,” Jimmy slapped him on the back, then pulled his shoulder towards him so he could whisper, “and spend some time with that good looking nanny you’re sleeping with.”

“We’re not-“ JC started to say and then rolled his eyes. “Anyway, thanks. I think today went really well.”

“I think it did, too,” Jimmy agreed. “Go home. The girls are off until Friday.”

That was music to Annie’s ears and she perked up when she heard Jimmy telling that to JC.

“Yep,” JC caught Annie eyeing him and winked at her. “So, I’ll see you Friday morning.”

“And not before,” Jimmy cautioned him, referring to Annie. “You’d better not leave your house. I’m pretty sure you’ve got a lot to keep you occupied.”

Annie felt JC’s eyes on her during the drive to the studio. She was trying her best to concentrate on the road but whenever she glanced at him, she saw him eyeing her back. She looked in the rearview mirror and Emma-Claire was dozing on and off. Annie reached over and linked her fingers through JC’s.

“Wow. Contact,” JC chuckled, bringing her fingers to his lips. “It felt like an eternity.”

“Tell me about it,” Annie squeezed his fingers with hers. “I wanted to kiss you goodbye this morning for good luck.”

JC rested his head against the seat and took her in as he spoke. “You’ll get to do plenty of that when we get home. I mean, after Emma goes to bed.”

Annie shivered and felt her insides churning with pleasure at just the thought of getting to be close with him. She’d never had it this bad for someone and she knew it. With anyone else, the intimacy had been nice, but it wasn’t something she craved and with JC she craved every single second of him.

“Yeah, after she goes to bed,” Annie said softly. She felt JC’s thumb gently caressing her own and was grateful she was pulling off the exit to the studio. It only meant that they were closer to being home.

“I’m not tired,” Emma-Claire whined when JC told her it was time for bed. “Can I stay up and watch a movie? Pleee-aase?!” She’d become a pro at giving JC a good puppy dog face and he’d had to be careful not to give into her as much.

“Sorry, babe. You know the rules,” he picked her up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where Annie had just finished loading the dishwasher. “I’m gonna put her to bed. Be down in a minute.”

“Sure,” Annie replied and took a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, holding it up to him. JC nodded in agreement and left with Emma-Claire to head to the second floor. Annie went into the bathroom near the living room and did a quick take of herself in the mirror. She made sure her shirt was unbuttoned at just the right spot, ran her fingers through her curls and then smoothed out her hair. Going back into the kitchen she took down two wine glasses and brought them out into the living room with the bottle of Pinot Gris. She leaned back onto the couch and waited excitedly for JC to come back downstairs.

“…and the evil witch died and Hansel and Gretel returned to their father. The end.” JC closed the book feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t read all of the end of the story, but tonight it had taken an extra long time to get Emma-Claire even into her pajamas. She’d been whiny throughout her bath and pouted when JC had brushed her teeth. “Now, you need to get to bed, honey. I think you’re going to sleep nice and long and hard tonight.”
“No I won’t cause I’m not sleepy!” Emma-Claire whined as she let a yawn escape her mouth. JC stifled a laugh and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

“Goodnight, Emma,” he stood and handed Emma-Claire the picture of Shayna that she slept with every night.

“Daddy?”

JC had just turned to leave the room and felt just a tad exasperated, knowing that Annie was waiting for him downstairs. “What, baby?”

“Are do you want to get married so I can have a mommy again?” Emma-Claire was sitting up in bed, looking at her picture.

“I don’t know, honey,” JC told her truthfully. “That’s a big question for Daddy right now. What if it’s just me and you for a while?”

“And Annie. Daddy, you could marry Annie!” Emma-Claire’s blue eyes grew wide and JC smirked.

“Goodnight, Emma-Claire. I love you,” he answered her and left the room. He put all thoughts of marriage out of his head and stood outside of Emma-Claire’s bedroom for a minute or so before he went downstairs. He knew for sure that he and Annie would really have to be careful in front of his daughter. Especially if she was already rooting for them to get married without knowing that they were together. He walked downstairs and found Annie on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand and staring off into the distance.

“Hey,” he sat down next to her and she put her wine down on the coffee table. He pulled her against him and they sat in silence for a few seconds before either said anything. Annie had expected for them not to be able to keep their hands off of each other but she was enjoying this moment just resting against him.

“You feel good like this,” he finally spoke again, his lips kissing the top of her head. Annie looked up at him and smiled and JC bent down to peck her softly. She resumed her position, her head on his chest, her hand resting on his stomach. She played with a button between her thumb and forefinger until it eventually came undone. “Are you trying to undress me?” he chuckled and slid his hand down her back until it rested on her backside.

“Maybe,” Annie said softly, her hand reaching inside of the fabric. She began to rub his bare stomach and JC shifted, letting her know he was enjoying whatever she was starting.

“Today was tough,” he admitted, watching her fingers deftly undoing another button. “I wanted to be next to you and kiss you so much and be a real boyfriend-“ he stopped when he heard Annie giggle. “What?”

“That’s the first time you’ve said that is all,” she looked up at him.

“Well it’s true,” JC cupped his hand on her cheek and grazed it with his thumb. “And I actually thought about just foregoing what we said about not showing any affection in front of Emma but then tonight when I was tucking her in, she told me I should marry you.”

Annie pulled herself up from the slouching position she’d taken and looked at JC with wide eyes. “Yeah? Do you think she thinks-“

“No. I think she sees us together and she’s four so it just makes sense to her,” JC leaned in to kiss her lips. “But it made me realize we really do have to be careful for a few more weeks.”

“Weeks? You sure you don’t mean months?” Annie questioned.

“Baby, I could barely make it through a day without touching you. You’re asking me to go months?” he shook his head. “One day at a time. Remember? We can do that. So far, the last forty-eight hours have been pretty great.” The silence resumed and Annie splayed her hand on his stomach from inside of his shirt and let her fingers trace circles around his naval.

“Annie?”

“Huh?”

“Go further,” his breath suddenly quickened when he spoke.

“Down?” as she said it, her hand moved lower until she was gripping his belt buckle.

“Yeah,” he shifted once more, moving so that Annie had a better grasp on the buckle and in one swift move, she’d managed to pull his jeans down and move in front of him on the floor. She looked right into his eyes as she pleased him and JC bit down on his lower lip to silence the groan that wanted to escape him. He watched her head bobbing up and down and occasionally she’d tease him and let go, only to slowly take him back in. His hand rested on the back of her head and his other gripped the back of the couch until he finally couldn’t take any more and let out a loud moan, pulling on her hair as he came. Annie slowly crawled back onto the couch and JC pulled her into his lap.

“That wasn’t selfish of me was it? I mean not like, you know, what’s his name?” JC kissed her forehead and clasped his hands with hers as she leaned into him.

“No. You weren’t like Doug. Because I wanted to do that,” she assured him. “But we should probably take this upstairs. I don’t want Emma thinking something’s wrong with her dad because you were kind of loud just now.” She moved away and stood up, pulling him with her. She stopped before she reached the stairs and turned around. “Hey, is your pool heated yet?”

“No, I keep forgetting to turn on the heater. Why?” JC moved toward her and they slowly began to ascend the stairs.

“Just because. It might be fun to go swimming one night. You know, after Emma-Claire’s asleep,” she looked at him pointedly and he raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll get on that right away,” he answered, slapping her butt. “Now, get to my bedroom. It’s your turn.”