I can’t believe I just did that, he thinks as his eyes focus on the door in front of him.

Turning around to face the room once more, he nervously runs a hand through his hair and swipes at his nose with his index finger.

“I can’t believe you just did that…” She echoes, still rooted to her spot in front of the kitchen island.

“I know…Are you angry?” He asks hesitantly walking forward. “I don’t know what got into me, I was just sitting there boiling because he was being an asshole…and I just reacted,” he finishes, crossing his arms over his chest as he stands a few feet away from her.

What the fuck Chasez?

Why do you always go 1-800-HERO around pretty girls?

“No,not at all. That was…awesome!” She finally gets out, hopping around for a moment in a silly dance.

Huh?

At her words his eyes move up from the floor to meet hers which are obviously full of laughter at the moment.

“..Y..Yeah?” He stutters, uncrosses his arms and walks toward the kitchen island once more.

“Yeah! Now he thinks that I actually can meet and be with some hot guy other than his conceited ass!” She laughs again and moves toward him quickly, he feels her arms wrap around him in a hug.

Hot guy huh?

He smirks to himself, returning the hug for a moment and stepping back to look at her.

“I just hate it when nice girls let those kinds of guys walk all over them. You don’t deserve that. I know we’ve only just met, but I can tell you’re a kind person and I guess my…protector instinct came out.” He shrugs, a smile still tugging at his lips.

Watching her bright smile, he gets lost in it for a moment, taking in the features of her face that make her look so beautiful…but normal. Normal in a way that her skin hasn’t seen hours upon hours of sun on the beach or below the harsh rays of a tanning bed: skin that looks sun kissed but healthy and glowing. Her hair which doesn’t seem to want to stay in the braid she had put it in, catches the light in different shades of blonde. One particularly light strand of it cuts across a crystal clear blue eye and he is completely oblivious to the moment his hand reaches forward to gently push it away from her face and behind her ear. He sees her blink for a moment, taken aback by the action but obviously not repulsed by it.

Cool it Josh. You like this girl.

Don’t screw it up.

Absentmindedly reaching up to scratch at his left shoulder, he licks his bottom lip for a moment and chuckles. “Maybe I should put my shirt back on,” he says as he walks back toward the couch and grabs it from where it landed earlier.

“You weren’t hearing any complaints from me,” she teases, moving back to the island and taking a bite out of her sandwich.

“So…you obviously knew who I was when we met earlier,” he says, pulling the shirt over his head for the second time that day. “Can I ask if you were a fan? Or?”

“I guess you could say that…” She smiles, picking a chip from the bag and munching on it slowly, her eyes following him as he takes his seat on the stool once more. “Although were, are…”She shrugs. “I’m embarrassed to say because I don’t want you to think I’m like freaking out inside and just want to fulfill some teenage fantasy, you know?”

“Nah, I get what you mean. I figure that if that were the case you would have tried to jump me in the alley way earlier or just now when I was walking around half naked.” Winking at her, he grabs a hand full of chips and starts eating them.

“So yeah, I quite enjoyed you boys back in the day. Posters, recreating dances at talent shows, you know the usual hormonal teenage girl reaction.” She grins and gets up to grab two bottles of water from the fridge.

Sliding one across the counter to him, she moves to the washing machine as she hears it stop its cycle. Pulling the clothing out of the washer, she stops for a second. “Uh…can I put these in the dryer? I sort of have to so that they are dry for your meeting…but I’m sorry if it ruins them or something…they look expensive.”

Shrugging he turns to watch her, “Go ahead, I don’t have a choice. I have a million of each in my closet probably, so it’s not a problem.” He unscrews the cap off of his water bottle and takes a sip. “I’m sorry, I feel like a jerk. I should have taken care of that. You were nice enough to offer, you didn’t have to do my laundry too.”

“I don’t mind. Just takes a minute.”

Is it wrong to think I wouldn’t mind her doing the laundry at my house?

Every day?

Yes, totally wrong.

And sexist.

“So you said that you have a brother? Any other siblings?”

“Nope. Just my brother and I. And Mom and Dad. Mom is a school teacher and Dad owns a construction company. My brother is 2 years older than I am and he works with Dad. He’ll take over the business when he’s ready and when Dad decides to retire.”

“You weren’t interested in staying the family business I guess?”

“Not really, I mean I’ve been around it my whole life you know? I can swing a hammer and do some basic stuff but it’s not the type of life I want to have. I think my Dad was hoping I’d take care of the business side one day, but that is just so…dull. I had to tell him that after he’d paid for a business degree and I was completely unhappy. I just couldn’t do it. I wanted to, I wanted him to be proud of me and to have both of his kids carrying on the family business and legacy but…I just couldn’t.”

Nodding, he wipes his hands on the sweat pants and leans onto the counter, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, I get that. So...you decided to go into photography?”

“I’ve always loved it, never thought I could make a living out of it. I was just floundering in the business world, trying to fit in, trying to like it but it was driving me mad. I would just go out with my camera and take pictures. Create my own stories, a different life. It made me happy.”

Sighing, she motions him over to the living room area and takes a seat on one end of the couch.

“I had met a guy in college, he was an art history major and he blew my mind. He brought me to all these galleries and studios, it made me realize that some people made a living out of their passion. That it was all possible. So I went home one day, sat Mom and Dad at the table and told them that I would not be in the family business. Patrick had offered me to come visit him in LA where he was opening a gallery with his boyfriend. They were moving in together and I could rent his studio flat for as long as I wanted to. So…I packed up and left. Now I’m here.”

“And now you’re here. How did your parents take it?” He asks, settling in more comfortably into the couch, crossing one leg over the other.

“Um, it was tough for a few weeks. They were scared that their little girl was all alone in this massive city where people don’t talk to their neighbors and you don’t know who lives down the street, you know. No one to trust.” She shrugs and picks at the bottom of her shirt,

“They got over it though, they had met Patrick a few times and then they met his boyfriend. They are both really great guys and have promised to keep an eye out for me. I’ve been doing well…just not that I’d ever admit it to my parents…but I miss home a lot.”

“I’m sure you’ll find your groove. You have your two friends and now you have me.” He smiles, catching her eye. “I have a lot of connections here and I’d love to be able to show you around…maybe bring you to places you never knew existed. It could help with your inspiration.”

Smiling, she reaches over and pats his arm gently. “Thanks JC. I appreciate that, though I really, really would never ask you to use any of your connections. Those are a result of your hard work, your sweat and tears. I’ll make some of my own one day; it’ll just take a little time.”

“You don’t have to ask, I offered. I owe you anyway for helping me out today, I appreciate this.” He smiles, hearing the dryer buzz loudly. “I’ll get those.” He gets up and makes his way to the dryer to pull out his clean clothes. Clothing in hand he returns to the bathroom andvshuts the door.

Who is this girl?

She’s witty, funny,sensitive…not to mention beautiful.

“All shiny and new?” She smiles as he walks out of the bathroom with the clothes he was first wearing today.

“Yep, all better!” He hands her the folded pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. “I’m sorry to just leave like this, but if I want to make it to my meeting I better start making my way there.”

“I understand. I’m just happy I was able to help.”

Walking over to the kitchen chair he’d left his messenger bag on, he pulls out his cell phone and checks to see if any messages have popped up since they’d started talking. Nothing.

“Hey, can I see your phone?” He asks with a nod to her own bag that is still sitting on the table.

Reaching into her bag, she pulls out her phone and hands it to him after unlocking it. Taking it from her, he pulls up her contact list and adds his number and his name to the list. “Um...Text me something later if you want me to have your number. Maybe we can get together sometime again? I’d love to see more of your work.”

He doesn't often give out his number to someone new but for some reason he feels that it would be okay this one time. 

Might as well risk it. It wouldn't be the first time I'd have to change my number. 

“Yeah...yeah, sure.” She smiles, taking her phone back from him and setting it on the table. “I’d like to show you some things too.”

What kind of things?

Chuckling to himself he looks up at her and realizes that she has caught onto his train of thought.

What?

She said she’s a fan, she know that most of my songs revolve around one thing…therefore my brain works a certain way.

“Good luck at your meeting.” She adds, walking him to the door and pulling it open, leaning against it.

“So one last question before I go…I know you said you liked the group back then…” He walks through the door and leans against the opposite door frame. “Was I your favorite?’ A goofy smile spreads across his lips.

“Oh…” She says softly, her face falling for a moment. “No…I’m sorry JC, but I’m more of a Brian Littrell girl…” Her eyes meet his with no trace of laughter in them. “I’ll see you around?” She adds with a smirk and shuts the door quickly.

Rooted to the spot, he takes a second to process what happened and bursts out laughing, shaking his head as he starts to walk away and down the nearby set of stairs toward the exit door onto the street.

That girl will be the death of me.

About twenty minutes later, he is taking a seat on a fancy swivel chair at a solid mahogany table. He feels his phone vibrate against his thigh. Pulling it out of his pocket, he swipes his thumb over the screen and opens a new text message from an unknown number.

So I lied. You have always definitely been my favorite.

Grinning like a fool, he closes the message and slides the phone back into his pocket as his friend Jimmy walks into the room.

“What’s the goofy grin for?” His friend asks, taking the chair beside him and placing his stuff on the table.

“Inspiration.” JC answers, pulling a file folder closer so he can open it, still unable to make that grin go away.