Chapter 9 - Blush and Bashful

Saturday, June 11th

Ellie lay on the bed of JC's hotel room, scrolling through a real estate website for rental properties. She lay on her stomach, her freshly washed hair tied into a bun on the top of her head. She was wearing a grey tank top and a pair of jeans, the tank riding up to show a small glimpse of the curves of her hips and the small of her back. Her ankles were crossed in the air, the flare cut of her blue jeans revealing just the balls of her feet and toes. JC stood leaning on the wall watching her, his wet hair slicked back with a faint beard of four day old scruff. He was wearing only a pair of jeans, a hint of the elastic band of a pair of black briefs peeked out of their waistband.

"How about this one?" She turned her head slightly toward him. "West Village: Two bedroom loft, large, open living area, hardwood floors, cats and dogs up to 80 pounds allowed. Only $4200 a month."

"Let me see." He walked over to the bed and straddled her, laying on top of her to see the computer screen.

"I mean, with my $2400 rent budget, you'd only have to foot $1800 a month. I'm pretty sure you could fit a piano in the living room, at least from what I can see from the photos."

"Why are you so insistent that the apartment fit a piano? I'd be happy with just a keyboard and a guitar."

With their four month anniversary two days away, Ellie and JC had decided to move in together. Claire and Derek were in the final stages of moving back to Baton Rouge, and most of Ellie's belongings were in storage, with the exception of Linus, who was staying indefinitely at Craig and Maurice's until Ellie could work out her living arrangements. Over the last three weeks or so, JC and Ellie had been having multiple arguments a day as they tried to come to a compromise that suited the both of them, Ellie wanting to stay in New York for work and JC preferring to live in L.A., or at least only staying in New York a little while longer, the city being too active for him to want to live there permanently.

Even though Hollywood seemed to never shut down, his house in the hills had a comforting stillness during the evening. A stillness he craved at 3am laying in bed with the roar of New York outside his hotel window. But he loved her, and since he was the freer agent of the two, he would be the one making the sacrifice.

Their conversation about musical instruments continued. "You're already cutting yourself off from a large amount of your preferred resources by choosing to spend more time in New York. I don't want to deny you whatever's left at your disposal here," she said as she entwined her fingers in his and tucked his hands under her chest.

"That's very sweet of you, Ellie, but I really don't need that much."

"I want you to feel free to create, and an artist should have access to all the tools he needs."

"You just want a piano so you can live with a sexy pianist man." He softly bit her neck.

"No!"

"Yes!" He started tickling her. "Admit it."

She let out a squeal. "Stop it!" She followed him as he pulled softly at her side, motioning her to turn onto her back. She looked up at him as he towered shirtless over her. "Why are you so sexy?" she asked him as she ran her fingers through the black hairs on his taut lower stomach.

"Why are you so sexy?" he responded, bending down to kiss her as he pressed his palms on her wrists.

"We just made love," she murmured as he pulled her top to reveal her stomach.

"I want to go again." He started kissing her down her neck and torso.

"I've got to meet Claire and her mother at the dress shop. Miss Diana is only in town for the next few days. They could only get an appointment today. Claire will hate me if I'm late."

"Fine." He got off her and went to find a shirt in a disgruntled manner.

At a few minutes to twelve, Ellie checked her lipstick in the front window of the bridal boutique. JC stood behind her, watching her reflection with his arms wrapped around her waist. "You look beautiful."

"You keep using that word," she replied as she placed her lipstick in her purse.

"Only because it's true." He kissed her cheek before she turned to face him. They playfully kissed each other as a blonde woman in a white sundress with a large yellow floral print started running towards them through the crowd of pedestrians.

"ELLIE! ELLIE, STOP!" Claire ran up to them, her high heels clacking on the pavement. She stopped dead in front of them, bending down to catch her breath. "Miss...Emily...Your mama...flew..." She paused in between breaths. "Your parents...flew into town with my folks to...surprise you...your daddy's at the hotel...but your mama's here."

"Oh, shit..." Ellie looked into the crowd as four women, her mother, Emily, Claire's mother, Diana, Claire's little sister, Anna, and Derek's mother, Beth, emerged.

Emily was a tall, thin woman with sharp cheekbones and Ellie's cornflower blue, almond-shaped eyes. She was wearing a light pink polo shirt with a pair of white riding pants tucked into brown equestrian boots, her wispy, caramel-greying hair pulled back into a bun.

Diana and Beth were complete opposites. Diana was a tall, rectangular, artificial blonde in a salmon-coloured twin set and white pleated skirt, the type you take luncheon at the local country club in, whilst Beth was a short, curvy, African American woman with a full head of dark chocolate, natural curls. She wore a fuchsia tank top with a v-neck chosen to show off her endowments. She matched these with black capris and comfortable, but stylish, walking shoes in contrast to Diana's white court shoes.

Anna, on the other hand, had inherited the petite build of her father's family and followed the main group of women like their collective shadows, falling behind to take in the wonders of the city. She wore an outfit of chucks, cutoff denim shorts, and a long-sleeved, charcoal shirt with the silver outline of a Japanese anime idol with floor-length pigtails on the front. Around her waist was a thick belt with four rows of studs stamped into the black leather, an occasional gap appearing where a few of the studs had started falling out from years of wear. Her short, onyx black hair was half pulled back from her face with a few stray tendrils falling at her temples. She mainly kept her eyes to the ground, but made eye contact when spoken to, the same intense green eyes she shared with her mother and sister staring up through her bangs. She collided with her mother's back as the three women in front stopped suddenly when they saw Ellie in the arms of a tall man in a greyish-blue t-shirt and aviator sunglasses.

Ellie angrily flipped through a rack of champagne-coloured bridesmaids gowns as her mother approached her, the heated discussion between Claire and Diana filling the boutique along with the winter wonderland of white satin, lace, and snowflake-like sequins. Anna was flipping through a rack of black gowns as Beth took rest on a chaise lounge with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

"Ellie, I'm very sorry..." Emily was cut off by her daughter.

"Mama, you could have told me you were coming up. My life is very hectic right now, and I frankly don't have the time to entertain my parents."

"Well, if you feel that way, it was your Pa's idea."

"It's not that. If you would have told me, I could have made the time and planned things out a little more."

"Well, life's full of little surprises. I didn't expect to meet Josh in such circumstances."

"And how do you think Josh feels about this? Huh? Now he has to meet Daddy...I just..." She sighed knowing JC would have to meet her father face-to-face. Ellie also knew that she might have to ask JC to clean himself up a bit, unfortunately, just as she was starting to enjoy JC's newly relaxed attitude towards shaving.

She followed her mother as Emily started flipping through the discount bridal gown rack. "You've been together for four months now. Maybe if things go well, we could be here again in a year picking out your wedding gown, unless you still want to wear mine."

Ellie paused as she tried to find the words to explain. "Actually, Josh and I have decided that maybe marriage isn't for us."

"Elizabeth!" Emily hissed through her teeth. "What kind of heathen ideals..."

Emily was cut off again. "Mama, I love him. Anyway, it's more for business reasons. He's very wealthy and legal marriage just creates a lot of problems if it ends."

"Oh, so he doesn't want to take care of you or his children."

"He doesn't have any children. Anyway, he takes care of me in his own way."

"I'll take care of him. If I can bring down something as beautiful as a thoroughbred stallion, I can take down something as beautiful as him."

Ellie sighed as she clenched her teeth together. "Don't say it, Mama."

"I own a shotgun, Elizabeth, and I'm not afraid to use it."

JC, Eric, and Natalie, a real estate agent recommended by a business associate of Eric's, walked around a loft apartment in the Upper West Side. It was empty with cream walls and cherry wooden floors. A spiral staircase leading upstairs was the main focus of the room. The outside wall was lined with large windows.

"It'll be like living in a greenhouse," JC mumbled under his breath as he looked out the windows onto Central Park.

"And the building allows pets? JC's girlfriend has a cat," Eric, in a blue shirt and khakis, asked Natalie, a petite, brunette woman in a black business suit and a purple blouse.

"Ah..." She looked down at the papers in her arms. "Yes, both cats and dogs. Is there anything else you want to know, JC?"

JC wandered around the room looking at the minor details around staircase. "Ellie wants a piano in the apartment," he said, almost to himself.

"You'd have no issue getting one up with the freight elevator. Does she play?" Natalie was imagining this "Ellie" as a tall, swimsuit model who played the piano and owned a cat. Probably one of those exotic breeds, Natalie thought to herself.

"I play, she doesn't. It would be for me." He thought about it for a moment. "What was the asking price again?"

"1.5 million," Natalie stated as she tucked her papers under her left arm.

"I'd have to talk it over with Ellie, show her the place, but I'm interested."

"Would you like me to put the apartment on hold?"

"It's not a safe bet." He took a final look around the living area. "I think she might love it, though."

Ellie was planning JC's makeover as Diana and Anna shared coarse words over a black bridesmaid's gown. "Mama, this is my prom all over again."

"You didn't even go to your prom."

"That's because you wouldn't let me choose a black dress."

"My mind's made up, Annie. I'm not letting you wear a black bridesmaid's dress. The colour's are..."

"Blush and bashful, we know."

"Anna, you don't joke about a bride's colours like that. They're peach and carnation pink."

"She said it first." Anna pointed to Ellie.

"Miss Elizabeth." Diana turned to Ellie. "I understand that you're against this whole marriage thing now, but you can't joke about those things."

"Shouldn't the relationship between the bride and the groom count more than the wedding?"

"God only gave me two daughters, Miss Elizabeth. He only gave me one who could get married, so I'm having the biggest wedding I can throw my Claire."

"Gay marriage is slowly becoming legal, Diana," Beth interjected from the copy of Vogue Bride she was flipping though. "You know what, girls? I think the two of you would look darling in those black halter neck gowns."

"Don't take this from me, Beth."

"I spent 38 hours in labour with that boy. It's just as much my day as it is yours."

Emily emerged from the dressing rooms and made a whispered shushing sound. Ellie told everyone to quiet down.

"She's ready," Emily announced, holding her hands together in front of her. With this, Claire emerged in a body-hugging, pure white gown with delicate beading covering the garment head to toe in dainty floral patterns. It was sleeveless with a long train. She lifted the skirt up as she stepped onto a platform in front of a wall of mirrors, a lump forming in her throat as she looked at her reflection, tears welling in her eyes as she adjusted the skirt and the cathedral length veil.

"This is it, Mama. This is my dress."

To: joshstotallynotfakeemailaddress@itotallydidnthavetomakethisup.fake

From: elizabeth.argyle@clefnotesmagazine.fake

Subject: Dinner

Time sent: 3:57pm 6/11/2005

Josh,

Since you're meeting my father tonight, would you mind shaving before you meet us for dinner? Also, if it isn't too much of a hassle, can you please wear something nice? Not a suit, though, just a nice shirt and some jeans.

Just as a further warning, my mother knows that you don't want to get married and she, as well as my father, will most likely threaten to kill you tonight, whether or not you meet their standards.

Love you,

Ellie.

Ellie took a sip of wine as she sat at the table with her parents in the little Italian restaurant she had chosen for the night. "Try the gnocchi with the red sauce. It's simple but delicious."

"I wouldn't mind the veal. Joshua isn't one of those hippy types who's against that kind of thing?" John wore an oversized red flannel shirt over his large, muscular build. He scratched his grey beard as he addressed his daughter. "You don't think it's too early in the meal to drink, love?"

"It's only a little something for now, and no, I don't think he's like that." Ellie caught a cleanly shaven JC enter the restaurant out the corner of her eye. "He's here."

JC thanked the host as he excused himself to their table. He had put a blue sweater over his t-shirt from that afternoon. He reached out his hand as he introduced himself. "Um, hi. John, my name is Joshua." He pressed his lips together in a small, hopeful smile as John took his hand.

"I hear you're in love with my Ellie? I hope you're treating her right."

"I'm doing my best, John." He sat down next to Ellie and lightly kissed her cheek. "I want to thank you for raising such a beautiful, lovely, and smart daughter. She's brought a lot of happiness and love into my life," he said in an awkward yet truthful manner. "I really do mean that. I love her a lot."

He stared into the table for a moment. "Please don't shoot me."

John roared in laughter as he grabbed JC's arm and shook him in jest. "I wouldn't do that! Not unless you actually hurt my girl..."

"Daddy, if you say anything, I'm going to call the police. I mean it."

"Ellie, you know I'm only joking," John said as he took a swig of beer.

"I don't care, Daddy. I've had enough. Ever since I told you we were dating, you dropped these threats every time he's come up in topic and I'm sick of it. You don't say that kind of shit if you don't mean it."

JC took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, softly kissing her knuckles. "Thank you," he whispered.

Ellie softly ran her fingertips along the underside of his wrist. "I love you." They stared into each others eyes for a moment.

"It's OK if you want to kiss in front of us. It's nothing we haven't seen before," John reassured them over his glass of beer.

Ellie scooted over her chair as close to JC as she could and kissed him. "Baby." She let out a little whispered moan as their lips parted. She buried her head into his chest before she turned to face her parents as he held her in his arms.

"So, it was a hot, balmy night..." John was cut off by Ellie.

"Daddy, it was Louisiana in June. Every night is a hot, balmy night."

JC smiled a small smile into his wine glass as John insisted on telling the story of Ellie's birth.

"Let me tell the story, baby. Anyway, so I'm cleaning up the barbecue at my mama's diner, really scrubbing it, and my mama comes out the back to tell me that Rosemary, Emily's mama, called to say that Emily was having bad pains and that she was worried she was gonna lose Ellie here, you know, ‘cause we had already lost three babies before. So, Rosemary calls and says that she is taking Emily to the hospital and to come as quickly as I could. So I got in my truck and drove as fast as I could to the University hospital. When I got there, the nurse said that Ellie was fine, but she was coming quick, and lo and behold, within the hour, the hour, my baby girl was out absolutely perfect, all ten fingers and toes, and there I was all covered up to my elbows in barbecue grease."

Emily took a sip of coffee and changed the subject. "Only 15 days until your 27th birthday, Ellie. Any ideas what you might like to do?"

"We were thinking of maybe going down to my house in Orlando. She'll get to meet my mom, and we'll spend the 4th of July down there. If you can make it, you're more than welcome to come," JC answered, taking a bite of his meal.

Emily placed her coffee cup on the table. "We usually do a big party on the 4th, but it won't hurt to spend a little time with you two at the end of June. We'll have to wait and see."

"If you don't mind me asking, who takes care of your horses when you travel?"

"Usually one of my cousins looks after everything." Emily adjusted her watchband. "You know, Josh, you didn't need to shave for dinner."

John drained the remaining fluid in his glass. "He shaved?"

JC slowly turned his head to face Ellie. "Ellie suggested that I should. She thought I wouldn't be good enough for you."

"Nah, I mean, I had a beard for most of the seventies after I was discharged. Lots of fine young men have beards. I wouldn't deem you unsuitable based on facial hair."

Ellie looked up from the napkin she was folding into a paper crane. "So? What do you think of him?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "He's alright, I guess."

Emily and JC walked behind Ellie and John as the father and daughter caught up, their own conversation turning to details of JC's relationship with her daughter. "So, when's the anniversary? Ellie's told me to expect it soon, but she hasn't given me an exact date or just what you're celebrating," Emily asked as she swung her purse over her right shoulder.

"Monday, actually, the 13th," JC answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"So the day before Valentines?"

"Yeah. Well it could've been Valentine's, but we were too drunk to know the exact time and date. We just say it was the 13th because it still felt like the 13th to us."

"What exactly are you celebrating? I thought you met in September."

"We did, but we kind of continued on our separate paths. We met up again in February when Ellie was in L.A. for the Grammys. We bumped into each other at a party and we had fun catching up, so we decided to meet up again the following Thursday when I was in New York for business. We've been dating since." They came to a stop at a crosswalk, just a little behind John and Ellie. "I don't know. Ellie picked it."

"Ellie says you're from D.C.?"

"I was born in D.C. I grew up about an hour out of D.C., town called Bowie. Ellie says you're not originally from Baton Rouge." They continued walking.

"My mama is. I was born in Oklahoma, back where my daddy's from. He died when I was seven. My mama took me back home to Louisiana almost immediately afterwards. She never got on with her mother-in-law, and my granny was desperate to have her back home."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did he die of, your father I mean?"

"He broke his back in a riding accident." They came to a stop in front of the hotel Emily and John were staying at, John and Ellie waiting for them by the front entrance. "Well, this is us. It was nice meeting you." Emily reached up took JC into a gentle hug, softly kissing him on the cheek.

John patted JC on the back, "Night, son. Get her home safely." He then followed his wife into the hotel lobby, turning back to wave to Ellie and JC before they entered the elevator up to their room.

Ellie and JC stood there watching the lobby through the front window in silence for a few moments, JC letting out a long grunt..

Ellie took his arm. "They know we're fucking, I can tell. I think they like you, though."

"I'm worried about Josh." John sat on the hotel bed in a pair of red, tartan pyjama pants and a old, ratty grey undershirt.

"John!" Emily exclaimed from the hotel bathroom as she patted her face with a towel.

"Not that he isn't a good boy, but..." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Maybe he's not the right man for Elizabeth."

Emily walked into the hotel room wearing a light blue nightgown. "What makes you think that?"

"I'm just not too sure about him, that's all," John said as Emily sat next to her husband on the bed and snuggled into his barrel chest.

"We'll just have to trust that Ellie knows what she's doing."

"I'm just scared for her, that's all."

"So, what did you think of my parents?" Ellie asked JC as she undressed.

"I think they're cool. Your dad's not as intense as I expected." JC lay on the bed in just his jeans.

"What do you mean?" Ellie picked out one of JC's dress shirts out of the dresser. "This one?" she asked, holding up the blue garment.

"Yeah, I just thought he would be a little scarier in person. He's a lot like you, only a bit louder. Take your panties off," he said as she was just about to get on the bed. "Also, keep it open. Let your hair down." She stepped out of the little purple lace panties she was wearing. "Also, if we're going to fuck, can we please stop talking about your parents?"

Ellie undid her hair, the caramel waves falling onto her shoulders. She undid the few buttons she had done up on the shirt. She got on the bed and straddled him, opening the shirt to expose her breasts and shaven pussy. He bit his lip as she bent down to kiss him, her tongue softly flicking the tip of his. He ran his hands up the back of her thighs, gently squeezing her buttocks. She sat back down on top of him, reaching down to undo the buttons on his fly and pull his cock out of his underwear.

He grabbed her wrist to stop her, guiding her hand between her legs. "Touch yourself."

"Only if you do it, too," she whispered as she slipped her fingers into the folds of her pussy.

"I will. I'm not quite ready yet." He watched as she closed her eyes and parted her mouth slightly, her body becoming taut and her breathing becoming quicker and heavier as she quickened her strokes.

She leaned forward and rested her left hand on his chest. She gasped as he grabbed her ass and leaned forward to take her nipple into his mouth, biting softly just as she came to climax, letting out a soft moan as he finished pulling his hardened cock out of his pants.

She looked down as she steadied herself on his torso. "It's so fucking big."

"Get me a condom."

She reached over to the bedside table and opened the drawer, taking a small foil package out. She handed it to him.

"Thank you." He carefully ripped the package open and slid the rubber down the tip and shaft of his penis. He then pushed down at the waistband of his jeans, trying to take them off, before she helped him push them down further, revealing his thighs. He kicked the pants off his feet and settled his legs back down underneath her.

"Take the shirt off," he commanded her, watching as she pushed the collar down off her shoulders and pulled the sleeves to take the shirt off, placing it on top of his jeans at the foot of the bed.

"Would you like me to ride your cock, Daddy?"

He nodded with a small grunt as she scooted forward and inserted the tip of his cock into her pussy, softly gasping as she lowered herself to take him completely into her. He pushed her thighs open further as she rode him, wanting to see her take him better, looking past the black tuft of hair to see the shaft of his cock slowly slide in and out of her lips. He dug his fingers into her thighs as a shockwave went through his body, pressing harder as another one went through him. She let out a soft cry in reaction. His breathing quickened as he pressed his right thumb to her clit and started rubbing. He started to feel a ball of energy form in his gut as she grinded into him. She let out a long cry as she came, leaning forward to grab the bed head to steady herself, finding no relief in grabbing the cold, steel bar. Releasing her hips, he cradled her face in his hands, their lips meeting in a kiss. She repositioned herself, placing her hands behind him to press down on the pillow he was lying on, her nose softly brushing against his. He wrapped his arms around her lower back, softly kneading her ass with his right hand. "Faster, Mummy.'"

She leaned down to kiss him again, feeling a flush of hot air on her lips as he exhaled heavily, letting off a soft moan as the ball in his gut burned.

"Fuck, Mummy." JC moaned, digging his fingers into her ass. Another shockwave coursed through him, igniting the ball as he came. He cried out, feeling the force of his cum leaving him, and hitting the barrier between them.

She stopped and rested her forearms against his chest, cuddling into him as she tried to catch her breath.

"Kiss me," he whispered, lifting her chin so her lips met his. "Don't ever finish making love to me without kissing me." He wrapped his arms around her as she looked him in the eyes.

"I love you." She leaned forward slightly to kiss him again.

"I love you, too."

"Did you mean all of those thing that you said at dinner? About how I'm smart, beautiful, and lovely, and how I bring a lot of happiness into your life?"

"Every word. You make me feel happy."

"You mean very happy." She tried to correct him.

"No, well, yes. But you do make me feel happy, full stop. I wasn't before, I am now."

"Can you write me a song about it?"

"I already have."

"No, one that's happy. Write it yourself, just you and a guitar."

"How about just me and that fucking piano you're forcing me to put in our apartment?"

Monday, June 13th

Ellie clicked "Save" on the document she was working on. "I'm ready to go," she told JC as she turned to leave her desk chair.

She pulled down the hem of the body-hugging, charcoal dress she was wearing as she got up from her seat. She reached to grab her purse from behind where JC was sitting on her desk, coming face-to-face with him. They smiled at each other as they shared a soft kiss.

"Ooooooh," Craig said as he walked past them to meet his husband for lunch.

JC stood up and pulled his white t-shirt over the waistband of his jeans. "There's something I want to show you," he told Ellie as he took her hand into his.

Natalie watched Ellie get out of the cab as JC paid the driver. Shit... she thought to herself as JC got out of the cab and placed his hand on Ellie's back. Natalie never would have thought in a million years that someone as rich as JC would go for such a normal girl. Goddamn it, I had a chance, she thought as she saw the potential alimony check slip away as quickly as it appeared. Oh, well, I'll go cry into a glass of wine and my commission check, she thought as she smoothed her skirt down. Sell this bitch, Natalie, she encouraged herself. She reached out her hand and introduced herself. "Natalie Kaplan, West Bridge Real Estate."

"Hi, um, Ellie."

An hour or so later, JC and Ellie stood looking out the window of the master bedroom. "What do you think?" he asked.

"It's nice, but we can't really afford it," she responded as she leaned against the window ledge.

"I can." He sat next to her.

"I wouldn't want you to..."

"What? Jive settled. I'm a free agent now, no business pressures."

"But you lost quite a chunk of your fortune."

"I can earn it back. I'm thinking of selling my house in Orlando. Except for my family, there's nothing down there for me, not business wise."

"*NSYNC really is over, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's time to move on, start new." He played with his watchband. "Fuck Justin."

"What's the rental price on this place?"

"It doesn't have one."

Ellie realised what he was thinking of doing. "What's the asking price then?"

"1.5 million."

"And you're thinking of buying it? I thought you wanted to move in together."

"I do. I want you to move in here with me. We'll spend most of our time here, and we'll go to L.A. when we can. I want to know what you think of that."

"You know, something happened in the new issue of Clefnotes. Somebody put ‘official L.A. correspondent' next to ‘copyeditor and junior reporter' under my name in the personnel column. It's almost like someone at the magazine wants this relationship to last, so much so that it seems that Maurice has banged out a plan with Sam for me to spend a few weeks a month in L.A. doing whatever stories they want me to do, so you can spend two weeks at home each month."

JC smiled to himself at the suggestion that Maurice would move mountains for them. "So, what do you think of the apartment? Should we buy it?"

"We..?" Ellie snapped her head to look at him.

"Well, when we get married...well if, the apartment may be considered shared property as I bought it for us during our relationship."

"Married..?" Ellie squeaked out at his little dropped hint at what their future might hold. "If you want it, get it." She bit the tip of her thumb as he got up and went downstairs calling for Natalie. She swore to herself not to let anyone force her into a big southern wedding.

Friday, 24th of June

Ellie watched the houses go by as they drove through the little Florida suburb JC's parents lived in. "I thought Baton Rouge was bad, but fuck this heat," she exclaimed as she lowered the window down. The rush of hot air prompted an immediate closure.

"If you want to blame anyone, blame Walt Disney. He's the cockstain who decided to build an entertainment resort down here," JC commented offhandedly.

"Are you allowed to say that as a Mouseketeer?"

JC feigned shock. "OH, NO! What if they bugged the car?!" He let out a scream before he went back to his normal state. "Justin and I have said worse."

He pulled into his parents driveway and stopped the car, grabbing the keys out of the ignition. He looked at her as Ellie sat beside him playing with the frayed hem of her denim shorts nervously.

"She won't bite." He got out of the car and adjusted his white t-shirt and black cargo shorts, walking over to Ellie's door, his flip flops thwacking on the red bricks on the driveway. He opened her door and bent down to reinsure her. "She's the sweetest woman you'll ever meet." He kissed her. "You'll love her."

He helped her get out of the car and wrapped his arm around her waist, slipping a few fingers underneath her yellow tank top. They walked up the stairs together, and he opened the screen door with his free hand, knocking softly on the front door. Almost immediately, the door opened and a small petite woman in a light blue t-shirt and cream linen capris appeared in the doorway. "Mom, this is someone very special to me. This is my girlfriend, Elizabeth."