Chapter 8 - Snuffleupagus

Friday, May 6th

Ellie was hit with a slight burning smell as she came downstairs for breakfast. She was wearing an oversized light blue sweater over a pair of denim shorts. She walked into the kitchen to find JC struggling to flip a pancake.

“Will six be alright? I only have enough…um, batter for six?” he asked as he motioned to the plate by the stove, which was stacked with a variety of undercooked and burnt pancakes. He was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans.

“Six will be fine,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“They’re not very good. I’d be absolutely OK if you want to trash these and make your own.”

“It’s fine. You’ll get better with practice.” She kissed the back of his neck. “It’s very sweet of you to do this.” She rubbed in between his shoulders as she went to sit at the kitchen table that was set for breakfast. She poured herself a mug of tea from the pot as he flipped the final abomination onto the plate and walked over to the table. “Tea, baby?”

“Sure.” He placed the plate at his setting and cut the stack in half. “You don’t mind me doing this?”

“Nah, it means that we get the same amount of good ones and shit ones.” She spooned a lump of sugar in her cup and stirred.

“They’re all shit,” he commented as he lifted half of the stack onto her plate.

“Why do you do this, I mean, the sharing half a stack thing?” She watched him as he sat across from her.

He stopped and thought for a moment, rubbing the handle of his fork with his thumb. “My mom used to do it. The waffle house she worked at in D.C. would only let her have three pancakes if she needed to eat during her breaks. If she couldn’t find a sitter, she would put me in the booth by the radio during her shifts. She would cut the stack in half and give me half of it on the saucer of her coffee cup.”

He paused for a moment. “The first Christmas I remember was my last Christmas with her. I don’t remember the gift giving or the tree or anything, but I remember going to work with her on Christmas Eve and her doing this. I guess she barely had enough to get by because she used to share a lot of food with me.” He took a bite, grimacing as he swallowed.  “She went back to school when she gave me up. She’s a math teacher now, but she helps with the school choir. I guess I got her voice.”

Ellie stared at him as he played with his food, cutting and shifting the mass with his fork. “Has she told you anything about your father?”

“A few things; he was a delinquent, petty theft, that kind of thing. They didn’t go out too long. He told her he loved her so she would put out. Of course, when you’re in the situation my mom was in, a lost 15-year-old, being told that someone loves you is all you really want. I was conceived in his brother’s Chevy. He stopped calling her when she told him she was pregnant. He fucked right off. No idea where he is, don’t care. Roy’s my dad.” He took a sip of tea.

They sat for a moment and ate in silence. They were interrupted by knocking on the front door. The front door opened, and Carlos, wearing a black sweatsuit, and Isaac, in a maroon sweater and jeans, walked in. Carlos was holding a large bouquet of red roses and a stack of mail. Carlos placed the roses on the foyer table and took JC his mail, Isaac following behind him.

“Morning, you two. I see he cooked,” he said as he placed a stack of business letters on the table. “I don’t know what to say about this, but Trace sent this over with the bouquet.” Carlos gave JC a small robin’s egg blue box with a white ribbon tied around it. On the card was “Elly”  written in Justin’s scrawl.

“Piece of fucking shit.” JC got up from his seat, storming out of the kitchen. He grabbed the bouquet of roses and entered the garage, slamming the door as he got into his car and drove away. The three remaining in the kitchen sat in silence for a moment.

“Who’s Trace?” Ellie asked, finishing her cup of tea.

“Justin’s assistant,” answered Carlos as he gathered the breakfast plates and started cleaning the kitchen. Carlos liked to do busy work in times of tension. Isaac came over and sat next to Ellie at the table. He took her hand and pleaded with her.

“Honey, some shit is about to go down. I can’t make your choice for you, but I need you to promise me, whatever goes down, I need you, we need you, most importantly, JC needs you to…” Isaac trailed off.

“He needs me to what?”

Carlos flung the sponge into the washing up and pressed his hands on the edge of the sink. “No matter how hard Justin tries, we need you to not cheat on JC with him.”

“What?! Seriously? No, he wouldn’t!”

“He would, he has.”

Ellie looked up at Carlos in shock. “I need a cup of coffee.”

JC drove up the driveway up to the front door of Justin’s giant Spanish style mansion. He got out of the car and marched up the front stairs, two at a time, the bouquet of roses under his left arm and the gift box in his right. He pounded on the large mahogany door. “JUSTIN!” he yelled before he turned the knob, plunging the door open.

“Mr. Timberlake isn’t home right now,” a short, portly Hispanic woman in a light blue maid’s uniform said in a thick Mexican accent.

“His car’s in the fucking driveway,” JC said as he stormed past her through the archway to the right of the foyer. He met Justin in a hall leading to the billiards room, platinum records lining the access way. He stopped dead in his tracks and threw the roses onto the sandstone-tiled floor.

“JC, my brother, did Ellie not enjoy the roses?” Justin, wearing a royal blue sweatsuit, greeted him with his arms outstretched.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?” JC threw the blue gift box at Justin.

“Just a diamond necklace. Tiffany’s.” He opened the box and took out the string of diamonds. “Just some pocket change for me.” He smirked. “Heh, you on the other hand, in your situation, wouldn’t want to splurge. Keep the assets tight for when the record company wins.”

“You have a girlfriend, not that you fucking care. I know what you’re like.” JC turned away from Justin briefly.

“I also know what you’re like, too. Do you think she’ll like it when you start cheating on her? Or is she too hypnotised by your bank account to give a shit? Tell me, JC, do you think she’ll stick around when Jive takes you to the cleaners?” Justin said in a toneless snark.

“She’s not like that.”

Justin cut him off. “But they’re all like that. Every single one of them. We all have a motive in love. Your Ellie’s probably just some star fucker.” With those words, JC tackled Justin, throwing him against the wall.

“Don’t you ever talk about her like that.” JC spat through his teeth. Justin struggled to reply as JC held him to the wall with his forearm to Justin’s throat. Still, Justin found the words.

“Why? Why else would she be with someone like you?”

“Why?!” JC yelled in his face, “Why do you think that she would want to be with you? Why her? You can have any girl you want.”

“But that’s it. I can have any girl I want. I want her, JC. I want to fuck her,” Justin snarked, punctuating the last phrase, “and I want you to watch.”

JC slammed Justin against the wall again. “She’s not for you!”

Justin started chuckling. “You sad, lonely, lost, pathetic, little boy. She’ll leave you, they all do, just like your mommy.”

JC kneed him in the crotch and Justin slid down the wall. “And when she does, I’ll be here waiting for her to ride my dick.”

JC picked up the bouquet of flowers and threw them at Justin. “Fucking sociopath, I am finished with you and all of your shit.” JC started to leave.

“You’ll come crawling back!” Justin yelled from his position on the floor.

“Go fuck your mother!” JC yelled as he walked out the front door as he took his car keys out of his pocket, pressing them through his fingers as he went down the stairs, and scraped them across the hood of Justin’s Porsche as he walked to his car and drove away.

Ellie knocked on the door of the bedroom when she got home. “Are you OK, baby?” She found JC sitting in the white chaise lounge he had in his bedroom as he watched the sun set.

He turned his head to face her. “Yeah. How was your shopping trip thing?”

“Great.” She placed a shopping bag on the bed. “I got this great gown for tomorrow, white satin. I think it might be from the mid-’70s. It has the cutest little bow under the bust.”

“That’s nice.” JC had come back from Justin’s fuming. He had requested that he spend some time alone, so Isaac had taken Ellie to a vintage shop by his favourite Starbucks.

Ellie walked over to JC and sat on his lap. “Anything you want to talk about?”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as he could, lightly kissing her on the lips. She buried her cheek into his chest as he started talking.

“I honestly don’t know how to fix this. We were best friends, Justin and I. We’ve never fought this badly.”

“Do you know what may have gone wrong?”

“His career is everything to him. He’s literally been working since he was ten. He trusted me enough that I wouldn’t…” He paused. “I don’t know. I guess he always thought that I would always support him, that I wouldn’t try to bring him down. When I told you those things, about our business with the intent of your magazine publishing them, I crossed a line. I tried to sully him.”

“But you were hurting. He had essentially fired you.”

“That’s the thing. That’s my problem. If I apologise to him, I’m invalidating how I feel about what he did. I’m also invalidating how the other guys feel. I’m also enabling him. He couldn’t even tell us in person. He sent his manager to do it. We were once equals, all five of us. Now he’s powerful enough to tell us that he doesn’t need us anymore.”

“So you feel that you’re both in the wrong, yet you’re both in the right.”

“I guess. The problem is that both of us are being so petty that we can’t resolve this even if we try. Maybe it would be better if we just don’t speak to each other for awhile, just let things sit.”

Ellie tangled her hand in JC’s t-shirt. “Carlos says that Justin might try to seduce me, try and make me cheat on you. Has he done that before?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I mean, he sent me roses. He wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t trying to woo me.”

“He might’ve just sent them to bother me. Maybe he’s trying to come between us. You wouldn’t, would you?"

"Never, I'm in love with you. I would never hurt you like that."

"Elizabeth..." Ellie raised her head to look him in the eyes as he said her full name.

"Yes, Joshua?"

"You know the morning after the first night we spent together in New York, your ultimatum? You said that you didn't want to be with me if I wasn't faithful to you."

Ellie started to feel an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Yes?"

"I need you to promise me the same thing. I can't be with you if you are unfaithful. I'm not saying that I'm completely innocent here. I've done some things I'm very ashamed of. But I've also had those things done to me. I know how much it hurts to be cheated on. I can't forgive you easily if you do that to me. I need you to promise me that you won't."

“I won’t.”

JC grabbed Ellie’s wrist and squeezed tightly. “I need you to promise me you won’t.”

“You’re hurting me,” Ellie said as she pulled her arm away, seeing the hurt in his eyes. “I won’t do shit unless you apologise for that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” she said, rubbing her wrist. “I can promise you that I won’t cheat on you until I’m blue in the face, but you need to believe me when I say it. Otherwise, my promises don’t mean anything. You’ve admitted to me various times that you’ve cheated on an ex, yet I still believe you when you say you won’t.”

“Why?”

“I want to believe you. I want it to be true.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “This might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I want to stop being scared. I want to trust someone again.” She buried her head into his chest. “I’m setting myself up for being hurt again, but I want to believe that you love me enough to be faithful.” They sat for a moment not saying anything as JC stroked Ellie’s back.

“How did you find out where I was staying during the Grammys?” Ellie asked.

“I hit recall on the phone. It went straight to the hotel’s front desk.” JC explained. “I should also tell you that I stole one of your business cards when I took the condom out of your purse so I could contact you again.”

“So you didn’t just call the magazine? You called my work number?”

“Yeah, it’s easier if I can contact you than if you try to go through all the hurdles of trying to contact me.”

“Honestly, I don’t think I would have contacted you, even if I could have.”

“I know. You were rather hesitant at first.”

“I thought it was too good to be true. You could have any girl you want.”

“But that’s it. I can have any girl I want. I want you.”

“Why?”

JC chuckled, kissing her forehead, “I don’t know. I just do.”

Saturday, May 7th

Ellie wrapped her arm around JC’s back, tugging lightly at his shirt underneath his tuxedo jacket. She was wearing a floor-length, white satin, halterneck gown. Her golden brown hair fell in soft waves over her neck and shoulders. In between her breasts hung a single, decently-sized teardrop-shaped diamond on a dainty platinum chain. JC was wearing an all black tuxedo ensemble. They had been at Lance’s birthday party for the last few hours. Earlier in the evening, she was comfortable mingling on occasion on her own, as JC spoke to friends or went to the bar. But for the last hour or so, since Justin and Cameron had arrived to the garden party, she had never left JC’s side as she seemed to feel Justin’s eyes follow her around the property. The two of them stood under an oak tree, making small talk with Joey’s wife, Kelly. “I would love to have the confidence to wear rose pink satin,” Ellie said, complementing Kelly’s gown, a lush rose pink satin number with crystal detail where the halter neckline of the dress met at the centre of her bustline. “I’m much too shy to pull off such a bold colour.”

“Thank you. I love your gown.” Kelly pushed a blond curl behind her right ear.

“Well, except for the colour and a few small details, we are pretty much wearing identical dresses, both halterneck, both very low cut.” The two laughed.

“You really should wear your hair down more. I only really see you with it up.” Kelly observed, taking a sip from a champagne flute.

“It’s just easier to manage when it’s up.”

JC kissed Ellie’s temple. “I really need to go to the bathroom.”

“Please stay,” she begged him, drawing closer to him.

“If I don’t, I’ll piss myself. You’ll be fine with Kelly.” He walked away into the house.

Kelly reached over and touched Ellie’s arm in reinsurance. “It’s fine. Your first few parties will be scary, but it’ll get easier.” Kelly looked over the crowd, spotting her husband playfully carry Chris to the pool and threaten to throw him in. “Did Lance tell you Justin was invited? Joey said that he wasn’t.”

“He said that he didn’t invite Justin,” she replied, awkwardly smoothing her gown with her hands.

“Funny, Lance never would have invited both JC and Justin.” Kelly turned to face Ellie. “Especially after what happened on Wednesday.”

“Maybe he lied?”

“Lance would never.”

“Maybe they’re gatecrashing?”

“Do I feel my ears burning?” Justin asked as he slinked up behind Ellie, taking advantage of the moment. He was wearing a weathered Michael Jackson t-shirt underneath a leather jacket with jeans. “So, tell me, what is ‘Ellie’ short for?” he asked as he placed his hand on her back.

“Um, Elizabeth.” She sighed, transfixing her eyes on a crack in the pavement.

“Why not Lizzie then?” He slid his hand down and grabbed her ass.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!” she yelled, punching him in the face. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” She stormed through the crowd, entering the house to leave through the front door.

“Elizabeth!” JC called after her. He followed her out and found her just outside the front door, trying to catch her breath as she played with the single teardrop diamond necklace he had bought her for the night. “Baby, what happened?”

“I just punched Justin.”

“What?”

“He grabbed my ass. I didn't think. Is he going to sue?” She was cut off by him grabbing her and pulling her in for a passionate kiss. She felt her knees go weak as she saw a flurry of flashes go off through her eyelids as the small group of paparazzi waiting by the gate caught the kiss. JC grabbed her and pushed her into a nearby idling black sedan.

“Who are you waiting for?” he asked the driver.

“Mr. Timberlake, sir,” the driver replied, recognising JC.

“He’s not going to be leaving for awhile. He said I could take the car home.”

“No problem, sir.” The driver pulled away from the curb and started the journey to JC’s home.

“I guess he doesn’t know,” JC whispered.

“About what?”

“About Justin and me fighting.” They sat in silence, watching the trees and houses come in and out of view as they drove by. He squeezed her hand. She kissed him, running her hand up his thigh, brushing his crotch.

“I’m not wearing any underwear,” she whispered in his ear.

He tipped the driver as she walked up the driveway, taking her shoes off as she reached the front door. He followed her and opened the door, picking her up and carrying her inside. He kissed her as he slipped his hand down the back of her dress to confirm her statement. “What do you want to do?”

“Anything?” she whispered, a small devious smile coming to her lips.

“Anything.”

“I want you to tie me up and then do anything you want to me.” She kissed him before she made her way up to the bedroom. He followed her upstairs.

“No,” he said in a stern manner. She stopped, turning to face him. “Here, on the piano,” he commanded as he motioned her towards the instrument.

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” She teased as she walked over to meet him near the bough of the piano. He took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves.

“Get undressed,” he said as he took his tie off, watching her as she undid her zipper and lifted the halter strap over her head, revealing her naked body as the dress fell to her feet. “Don’t, I want you to leave it on,” he said, telling her not to remove the necklace. He lifted her onto the piano, kissing her. He pulled his tie straight before he wrapped it around her wrists. “Comfortable?”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“I can do whatever I want, but you can only do what I tell you to?”

“Right.”

“And I can touch you anywhere, except your butthole, but you can’t touch me, unless I tell you to?”

“Yes.”

“If it gets too uncomfortable, you say the safe word.”

“Snuffleupagus.”

JC reeled his head back. “Snuffleupagus?”

“Yeah, Snuffleupagus.”

“Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes, fuck me,” she said.

He tied the tie into a knot and kissed her mouth before softly guiding her chin to the right, exposing her neck, biting it softly. “Put your arms above your head,” he told her, guiding her arms up, running his hands along them as he kissed her again.

He licked her in between her breasts, following the chain of the necklace up her chest. He took her right nipple into his mouth, gently running his teeth along the peak, repeating until it was hard. He guided her down, pressing her stomach as he laid her down on the piano, kissing her pubic mound at he slowly opened her legs.

“Tell me if you’re going to come,” he requested before he bent down and spread her lips, running his tongue up her pussy.

She let out a soft cry as he teased her clit, stopping every time she made a sound. He spread her legs further and pressed his tongue to her clit, rubbing it in slow movements. He heard her gasp.

“I’m coming.”

He stopped, removing his tongue and raising his head to look at her. After a moment, he continued. He lifted his head again, watching her body shudder as she breathed heavily.

“Daddy, please let me come,” she begged.

He softly ran his fingers along her thighs. “But it’s more fun seeing you squirm.” He trailed two fingers along her left thigh. “I’ll only let you come if I decide how you do it,” he said as he placed his left hand on her stomach and slid two fingers into her vagina, turning them upwards to stimulate her G-spot.

“Funny, I heard you were a squirter.” He watched as she lowered her hands, biting the tie in the space in between her wrists, trying to silence herself.

Still, she let out a cry as she started coming, arching her back and lifting her heels up onto to the piano as she climaxed, but he kept going. She tried to rip apart her wrists, crying out as a shockwave ran through her. But he continued. She begged him to stop, trying to turn over to her side to dislodge his fingers, but he held her on her back, digging his fingers deeper into her as she clasped her legs shut, pressing her shins to his chest. Finally she came, squirting onto his hand, her cum running down his pant leg.

He removed his fingers and turned her onto her belly. He undid his belt and slid it out from his pants. “I’m going to hit you now,” he told her as he folded it in half and held it to his right side, his left hand placed on the small of her back.

He listened as her breathing became heavier as she waited. With one swift motion, he swiped the belt across her right butt cheek twice, dropping it to the floor before she let out a cry. He pulled her slightly towards him, angling her ass with his crotch. He undid his fly and pulled his cock out from his briefs, making himself ready for her. He gently pulled her legs opened before he pressed the tip of his penis to her taint, gently rubbing it up and down her pussy. Without warning he rammed his cock into her and started pounding. He dug his fingers into her hips as his breathing quickened, every exhale becoming laboured and heavy.

He withdrew as he came, spurting cum onto her ass and lower back. "Did you feel that?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

“You're mine now. No man can have you unless I don't want you anymore."

"OK." She turned over, releasing herself from her binding, taking him into her arms and softly kissing his cheek. "Come to bed now, baby," she said as she took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

After a few moments, JC woke up from a nap. “Baby?” he asked for her, getting up to see the bathroom light on. He walked in to find her showering.

“You can join me if you want.” She offered, opening the shower door for him. She tried to reach up as far as she could to take him into a bear hug when he entered. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I asked for it. I'm getting quite the little bruise on my butt.” She turned around to show him the bright pink mark where he hit her. “I’m done in here.” She stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel, exiting the bathroom.

“I don’t want to be alone,” he whispered as she closed the door behind her.

“We need to talk about some things,” JC said as he dried himself off, taking a pair of pyjama pants out of the dresser.

Ellie, wearing a light blue men’s pajama shirt, lifted her head from the tech magazine she was flipping through. “What is it?”

He stepped into the red plaid trousers and pulled them up. “I said some really fucked up things earlier, about me owning you. I don’t really mean them.”

“You wouldn't say something like that without there being something behind it. Do you think you might be able to tell me what it might be?” She undid and then tied her hair up.

“I don’t really want to get into it.”

“But you do. You wouldn’t say anything if you didn’t.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring into the carpet. After a moment, he spoke. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

“Baby, I won’t. You know that.”

“But that’s it. I don’t. I have some really fucked up abandonment issues. My mom just dropped me off at someone’s house when I was five and never came back to get me. I’ve had so many people say I was good enough but turn around a little while later and find a reason why I wasn’t.”

Ellie got up to comfort him. “Baby…”

“Don’t touch me.” He rolled his shoulder and got off the bed.

“Baby, what do you want me to do?”

“I DON’T KNOW, OK!” he shouted. “I really have no idea.”

“What do you want?”

“I just…” He paused, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure. I want it to stop being so hard.”

She sat for a moment before getting off the bed. “I’m flying back into New York tomorrow. We need some space from each other, to think. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Monday, May 9th

Claire opened the door as soon as JC finished knocking. “What brings you around these parts? She’s not home.” She was wearing a light grey, short-sleeved blouse with a pair of darker grey trousers.

“I know. I shouldn’t’ve even come ‘round.” He pulled the sleeves of his black sweatshirt over his hands as she gestured for him to come in.

“I wouldn’t be a good host if I didn’t invite you in. Tea?”

“Thanks.” JC awkwardly sat at the dining table. “Hey, big boy.” He picked Linus off the ground, putting him into his lap as Linus started purring.

“Are you hungry?” She called out of the kitchen. “I was making a tuna fish sandwich when you stopped by. I have enough for two.”

“Sure.”

Claire placed a plate and mug in front of him. He thanked her as she returned to the kitchen with her own mug and sandwich. She sat down across from him.

Without missing a beat, she starting flinging questions at him. “What the fuck happened between you two? Did you hit her? Is that why she has that bruise? If you fucking hit her…”

He cut her off to explain. “Things got too heavy for her in L.A. One of my former bandmates is acting like a real cunt right now. There’s some weird shit in between us, and Ellie got caught up in it. The bruise is a sex injury.”

She lifted her coffee mug to her lips. “Why are you here?” She took a sip.

“I have business here. I was only in L.A. for a friend’s birthday.”

“I mean, why are you here right now? You knew she wouldn’t be home?”

“I was hoping maybe she was, or maybe Derek was home.” He took a bite, placing his hand in front of his mouth as he chewed. “Why are you here?”

“Derek has an exam. I’m taking a long lunch to take some calls from back home.” She placed the mug back on the table. “What do you want? Anything you can talk to them about you can talk to me about. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“What has she told you?”

“A lot.” They sat in silence for a moment eating. “I never tell anyone this, but I haven’t seen my biological father since I was three. My mom and my stepfather got married before I started school, so everyone thinks I’m his daughter. I remember my biological father though. I remember playing with him and having a great time. He just got into his car one day and drove off, never came back.”

She turned the mug in her hand as she stared into her plate. “I remember waiting from him, everyday at first, then it became holidays and birthdays. I begged my mom to send him a letter when we moved to Baton Rouge saying that we had moved, so he knew where to find me, but he never came. He has three sons now. I’ve never met them. I never want anyone to know that kind of hurt.”

“I’m sorry.”

She looked up at him, finding a sympathetic look in his eyes. “It’s not your fault. But I want you to know that I kind of know how you feel, about your mom. Ellie doesn’t, not really anyway. Her parents were praying everyday for God to give them a baby. She wasn’t a mistake, like me. She trusts people’s words because her parents never broke theirs, and because they’ve been so honest to her, she’s honest in return. I can’t give you all the answers you want right now, but I can swear that she always says what she means and always does what she says she is going to. You can trust her, I know.”

JC got up from the table and pushed Linus onto the floor. “Well, thanks for the meal. I need to go.”

She followed him to the door. “Her office is at the Haughton tower, on 52nd Street. If you ask the security officer, he’ll call to tell her you’re there. Is there anything I can do for you?”

He looked back at her through the doorway. “I want your blessing.”

She made a small smile. “You have my blessing. Go get your girl.”

“Hi, I’m looking for Elizabeth Argyle, Clefnotes magazine.” JC stood at the security desk. The foyer of the Haughton was a large room with grey marble floors with three caramel-coloured wooden walls, the fourth being the wall of windows leading to the outside.

The security officer, a medium-sized man in a blue shirt, motioned to the elevator on the far left side of the room, never looking up from the magazine he was reading. “14th floor. You can go up.”

JC pointed to his left. “You’re not going to..?”

The security officer slammed the magazine on his desk. “Look, man. I fucking hate my job. If you want to blow this place up, I don’t fucking care.” He lifted the magazine back up. “Anyway, I doubt you would’ve asked if you were.”

JC walked over to the elevator. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The security officer went back to his animal crackers and magazine. “I loved you in *NSYNC,” he called as the elevator doors closed.

Ellie and Craig were making their way out to lunch as the elevator doors opened. She was wearing a cream blouse and grey pencil skirt; Craig was wearing a blue t-shirt and khaki pants. Craig greeted JC when he saw him.

“Hi, Josh. Want to join us for lunch? We’re going to this deli up the street a bit. Mo got some things he has to do, but he’ll join us in a bit.”

Ellie cut Craig off. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh…” Craig gently said under his breath as he took note of Ellie’s angry tone.

JC got out of the elevator and reached for his girlfriend. “We need to stop with this shit, Ellie.”

“We need to stop with this shit?” She pulled her arm away from him, taking a step back. “You need to stop with this shit. You don’t even trust me.”

He stepped towards her, trying to reach out to her again. “Maybe I can learn, OK?”

She took another step away from him, turning to face the wall. “That’s the best you can do?”

JC was taken back by Ellie’s hesitance. He took a deep breath before snapping in an offended tone. “I’m not going to fucking beg for you, Elizabeth. I’m not going to get down on my knees and fucking beg you to take me back.”

“I didn’t break up with you,” Ellie mumbled downward into the blue carpet as Maurice entered the foyer through the large glass door leading into the magazine’s offices, wearing a grey suit.

JC reached out to her again, trying to turn her towards him. “Then why are you being so fucking defensive?”

“YOU TWO NEED TO FUCKING STOP IT!” Maurice roared. “Ellie, he’s sorry. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t. Josh, she’s being defensive because you hurt her. That’s your fucking problem right now. Now either kiss and make up or fucking end it. There’s no point in staying together if you can’t be happy.”

“That’s an awful way to put it.” Craig interjected.

Ellie grabbed JC’s arm and pulled him into the corridor leading to the bathrooms. “Why are you here?” she asked as she pushed a small amount of space between them.

JC grabbed onto her blouse. “We can’t fix things. There’s no magic wand that’s going to wave away our drama. It’s our dynamic.”

She shook her arm free. “Then what’s the point.”

He grabbed her arm again. “We’re in love; we’re happy. That’s the point. We might have the occasional spat, but we work through them.” He let go of her. “All of the good stuff makes up for all of the bad stuff.”

They stood in silence. She looked downward, watching as he walked up to her. He put his finger underneath her chin and guided it up so she was looking into his eyes. His nose brushed softly against hers as he turned his head to kiss her. She brought her arms up to place her hands on his chest as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She shuddered as they parted lips.

“Why did you do that?” she whispered.

“We haven’t kissed since Saturday night. I’ve missed you,” he said as he kissed her cheekbone.

She stepped away from him, drawing her eyes back to the carpet. “It doesn’t matter.”

He placed both of his hands underneath her jawline. “Look at me.” He angled her head so they were looking face-to-face. “It matters. Everything we do matters to me.”

“I need you to trust me,” she squeaked out, looking at his chest, placing her fingers into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

He kissed her forehead. “I do, Ellie. You know I do. I got scared. I didn’t know how you were in that situation, but I know now.”

“What situation?”

He said point-blank, “Justin.”

She tilted her head to look at his face. “Is he going to keep being a problem?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so, but for me. He doesn’t go for women who are hard to get, only the ones that throw themselves at him. You’re a little out of his comfort zone.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head into his sweatshirt. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you, too,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” He buried his head into her hair.

After a moment, she asked in a sardonic tone, “Can you not get turned on right now?”

He let out a small chuckle. “I can’t help it.”

“My butt hurts.”