JC honked the horn of his truck in a quick succession of beeps to hurry Charlie along.  They had a nearly four hour drive to Seattle and he wanted to get on the road already.  It was still dark as it was only half past five in the morning.  They didn’t need to be at the children’s hospital until one but he wanted to give them plenty of time to get there.

Charlie rushed out of the house, carrying a small suitcase, an overnight bag, and two thermos mugs of coffee.  This produced a small chuckle from JC because they were only going for one night.  She looked like she was prepared for a week.  She threw her bags in the backseat before climbing into the passenger seat, handing him one of the coffees.  She was out of breath and frazzled.  He just watched her bemused as she attempted to situate herself in the seat.

“What?”  Charlie didn’t know why JC was staring at her with that sexy grin on his face that she had come to enjoy.

“Did you pack enough?  It is only one night.”

“A girl needs choices.  I didn’t pack that much.  Calm down.”  She rolled her eyes as she dug in her purse for her cell phone.

“Whatever you say.  Come here.”  JC leaned over the center console of the vehicle, pulling Charlie in his direction.  The kiss they shared was sweet and chaste.  This was becoming the norm for them.  Nothing had gone beyond kissing as JC didn’t want to rush Charlie.  

Since the previous week’s discovery of one of Charlie’s biggest secrets, JC was more present in spending time with her but not forceful in anything beyond sharing kisses.  Granted, for just being friends they did kiss more than normal but she didn’t seem bothered by it so he had no intention of stopping.

From what JC could recall, this was the first relationship with a woman, friend or sexual relationship, in a long time that he was taking his time with.  He had known Charlie for going on two months and usually by now, he would have slept with her already.  He was liking taking his time.  It didn’t feel rushed; it felt genuine.  He hadn’t had a relationship with someone that wasn’t based around his career in many years.  

Little by little, she was opening up more.  He found out that the two children that appeared on the wallpaper on her computer were of her niece and nephew.  She hadn’t met either of them in person, as both children were born after she moved away from home, but her sister emailed her pictures on a regular basis.  She also Skype’d occasionally with her sister and her kids.

No one in Charlie’s family, including her sister, knew where she lived.  She hadn’t relieved the reason for the seclusion but she at least checked in with them to let them know she was okay.  JC couldn’t imagine going years without seeing his parents or siblings.  He had spent a lot of time away from them because of his career but made an effort to visit them or fly them to LA.  He relied on the support of his family.

“You know, for you and I just being friends, we kiss quite a bit.  You this touchy feely with all your female friends?”  Charlie playfully cocked an eyebrow at JC.

“Contrary to shit printed in tabloids and the occasional fan fiction, I’m not a man whore.  I’m actually pretty selective who I share my lips with.”  He winked at her as he pulled down the long dirt road away from her house.

“Have you read fan fiction written about you?  That’s gotta be really weird.  I’ve heard that some of that stuff gets pretty racy sometimes.  Having someone write about your potential sex life for the world to read.  I heard the ‘50 Shades’ series started out as fan fiction.”

“And you say I ramble too much.”  A blush colored her cheeks.

“You didn’t answer my questions.”  Charlie produced a pop tart from her purse.  After opening it, she offered JC one.  He leaned over, opening his mouth for her to put a piece in his mouth which she obliged.  His eyes never left the road.

“The guys and I would occasionally check out the fan sites years ago.  It was a little weird at first but there are some pretty good writers out there.  I can’t knock someone’s creative outlet.  If they enjoy it, then so be it.  It’s not hurting anyone.  But I haven’t look at them in years.”

Charlie hadn’t thought of it that way and she silently commended him being so accepting.  She chewed a piece of her makeshift breakfast.  “So, what exactly does this charity event entail?”

“From what my manager told me, I’ll be at the hospital for a few hours with several other celebrities meeting with a bunch of the kids as well as hospital administration.  They have some small events for the kids that we will interact with them in.  Later this evening, there is a charity banquet at the Four Seasons downtown.  It’s a mixer to bring together investors and those who donate to the hospital.  They do a silent auction.  Whatever they can do to raise money.”  All of this sounded familiar to Charlie.  She had experienced many a charity fundraiser in her previous life but hasn’t shared that with JC.

“And you do these a lot?”

“I participate in many different events relating to children, specifically centered on adoption.”

“Why adoption?”  JC was surprised.  He assumed she knew.

“I was adopted when I was a little boy.”  He didn’t appear upset, his expression was matter of fact.  

“I didn’t know.  I was trying to dredge up a painful past.”  

“You didn’t.  It’s not something I flaunt but it’s common knowledge among my fans.  I was very fortunate with the people that took me in.  They’re my family.  I couldn’t have asked for a better life.”  JC smiled warmly as he thought of his family.

“Have you tried to find your biological parents?”

“I know my birth mother.  I’ve never met and have no desire to meet my father.  My adoptive father is my father.”  He stole a quick glance at Charlie.  She was twisting the small silver stud in her left ear; her telltale nervous tick.  “What about your parents?”

“My father has been pretty non-existant in my life.  He dipped out on my mother before I was even born.  He showed back up when I was sixteen.  He dropped in and out depending on his drinking.  He pretty much lives in the bottom of a whiskey bottle.  It’s been almost six years since I’ve seen or talked to him.”  She fell quiet for a moment.  “My mother...uh, she...I’m one of her least favorite people.”

That was the last thing JC expected her to say.  He knew that Charlie claimed to be closest to her grandmother but for her to say that her and her mother were at such odds struck him saddened.

“I was the child she never wanted to have, especially with my father.  She wasn’t ready for parenthood.  She still wanted to have a social life which is why I became so close to my grandmother.  She’d dump me on my grandparents so she could go out.”  She pursed her lips to ward off the tears that tried to form behind her eyes.  “She was more present as I got older.  Then she had my sister when I was ten and my brother two years after that.  They were the biggest joys of her life, specifically my sister.  I was glad they had the mother I didn’t; she was better with them.  I’ve never been able to live up to her expectations.  No accomplishment I achieved was good enough.”

Having never verbalized the tumultuous relationship she had with her mother before, Charlie felt a weight lift off her shoulders.  She gazed out the passenger window as the scenery outside passed by in a blur as they sped down the highway.  She nearly jumped when she felt JC’s fingers lace with hers she had been so deep in thought.

JC brought her left hand up to his lips to place a kiss on the back of it.  He ran his thumb along her wrist as he held her hand over the console.  

Charlie didn’t handle being vulnerable very well yet she had been that with JC a lot recently.  Anytime she had been so in the past, it came back to slap her in the face.  She learned how build walls.  After her divorce, she swore to never allow any man near her heart again.  That pain she experienced was one she wasn’t sure she could survive again.  The first time had nearly killed her.

During the remainder of the drive, they fell into comfortable conversation, passing the time quickly.  Since the charity banquet was at the Four Seasons, JC booked a two-bedroom suite at the hotel for them.  They were granted an early check-in upon their arrival.  They had a few hours before they needed to be at the hospital which gave them time to freshen up.

Charlie was reading that day’s edition of the Seattle Times when a knock sounded on the hotel door.  JC was still in his room and she figured he must have ordered room service.  She pulled the door open and froze in momentary fear.  She was face to face with none other than Joey Fatone.

“Well, you are definitely not JC.”  Joey’s eyes licked Charlie up and down from head to toe.  She quickly pulled herself together and plastered a smile on her face.

“And you are definitely not room service unless you’re hard up for work.”  Joey’s face lit up with laughter.  He dramatically clutched his chest.

“Ouch, sweetheart!  You wound me.  I’m not slumming it quite yet.  Hopefully I gotta few more good years left in me.  I’m Joey.”  He stuck his hand out for her to shake which she accepted.

“I’m Charlie.  Josh is getting ready still.  He’s worse than a girl.”

“Believe me, I remember.  Just be glad he doesn’t have the long hair anymore.”  They stood in the doorway for a moment, just staring at each other.

“Wow, I’m being rude.  Please come in.”  Charlie held the door for Joey to enter.  He stepped in, moving into the suite’s living room.

“C said he was bringing a friend but he failed to mention how beautiful this friend is.”  She felt a warm blush rise up her neck as they settled across from each other.

“He also failed to mention NSYNC was showing up.  Are there more of you lurking?”  Joey liked the spunk on this one.

“I’m as good as you’re gonna get this time.  No other pop stars lurking.”  Something about Charlie struck him as familiar.  He tried to place her.  “Have we met before?  You seem familiar.”  

Charlie swallowed the lump forming in her throat.  The nervousness inside of her was building rapidly.  She did her best to maintain composure.  “I don’t think so.  I think I’d remember you.  Besides, haven’t you had met thousands of women who have thrown themselves at you for years?  How could you remember them all?”

“You wanna throw yourself at me right now, I’ll for sure remember you, sweetheart.”

“She will do no such thing so keep dreaming, Fatone.”  JC appeared in the doorway of his room.  He was clean shaven and his hair was slightly damp.  His outfit was casual.  Joey stood to give him a manly hug when he approached.  JC sat next to Charlie.  “I see you met Charlie.”

“That I did.  She thought I was room service.  Even tried to tip me.”  Charlie snorted in laughter.

“Yeah, he got offended when I asked him to make change for a five.”  Her witty comebacks kept Joey on his toes.  “I’m gonna go get ready and let you two talk.”  As she moved to stand, JC pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her neck before letting her getting up.  She smiled shyly, moving towards her room.

“We leave in an hour,” JC tilted his head back towards her as he spoke.

“Don’t worry, I don’t primp like you do.”  With that, Charlie closed herself into her room.  Joey’s laughter bubbled in his throat.

“That girl has you pegged!  You gotta hang on to her.  Where did you find this one?”  Joey stared amused at his old friend.

“I met her a couple months ago on a road trip.  I was passing through the town she lives in.  Struck up a friendship.”  JC stretched his arms across the back of the couch.

“Friendship?  Most friends don’t kiss each other on the neck like you did.  That’s pretty intimate contact.  You guys haven’t…”

“No, we’re friends.  There’s no need to rush anything.”  Joey noticed a change in JC.  He seemed at ease.

“I guess I’m just shocked.  She doesn’t strike me as your type.  She’s more mine or Justin’s type.  Whatever she’s doing to you, keep it up.  There’s a change in you, a good one.”

Charlie quickly showered and dressed.  She had to give herself a pep talk to calm her nerves.  She hated that she lied to Joey about meeting him before but she wasn’t prepared to spill her guts to JC about the past yet.  Ironically, she met Joey several years prior at a charity event.  Back then, her hair was much shorter and a lighter shade of brown.  She hoped the handful of years along with her changed appearance was enough to keep Joey from remembering.

JC and Charlie rode to the hospital with Joey and his two daughters who accompanied him on the trip.  They were ushered into a large conference hall to meet with investors and hospital staff.  They were given special badges to wear while navigating through the hospital.  Charlie tried to stay towards the back of the crowd while JC and Joey rubbed elbows with staff and other celebrities.  

There were a few other fairly well known people present that raised alarms in Charlie that may recognize her.  She was beginning to regret agreeing to accompany JC.  She just prayed there was enough change in her appearance.  She tried to occupy herself with chatting with Joey's daughters, keeping her head slightly down, allowing her hair to fall over her face.

The large group of people were broken up into several smaller groups and began making their way to the upper floors to visit with the children receiving treatment in the hospital.  JC was busy talking with one of the hospital administrators but he had linked his pinky with Charlie’s as they walked.  She was worried at first what people would think but she recalled his words from the previous week to let him worry about his image.

Joey walked on the opposite side of Charlie.  He nudged her as their group walked a long corridor.  She glared at him playfully as he glanced down at her and JC’s linked fingers.

“I see the wheels turning in your head Joey.  Don’t go there.”  Charlie whispered so his daughters wouldn’t hear.

“I said nothing.”  He put his hands up innocently.

“So how did you get roped into this event?  You and Josh have the same manager?”

“No, we don’t but it’s still pretty common for all five guys to get invites to the same events.  People still hope for all of us to show up and have some kind of reunion.  If it ever happens, it’s not gonna be the way people want it.  I still hear bitching about our VMA performance last year being too short.”

Charlie recalled seeing the performance Joey referenced.  Sure their performance was short but the purpose was for their friend to receive an award.  They all showed up to support him.

Their group moved into a large common area that looked to be some type of arts and crafts room or playroom.  There were several children scattered all around either coloring, painting, playing with building blocks, reading books; the list went on.  While the children seemed unfazed by JC and Joey’s appearance, the mothers present were more than enamored.

Charlie stood along the wall, taking in the scene in front of her.  JC and Joey spoke with the kids and their stuttering mothers.  Charlie couldn’t help but giggle as these women fawned over the two men.  She watched Joey’s girls color pictures with a group of girls.  There was a young girl, sitting on the bench of a small upright piano in the corner.  The girl rested her fingers on the piano keys but didn’t play any notes.

Charlie wandered over to the girl.  She appeared to be about eight or nine years old.  She wore a pink and lime green scarf on her head that matched the robe over her hospital gown.  Charlie took a seat next to her on the bench, facing away from the piano keys.

“Do you play?  I’d love to hear a song.”  The girl turned her tired brown eyes to look at Charlie.  She just shook her head and looked back at the keys.

“I wish I knew how to play but I don’t.”  The girl’s small voice tugged at Charlie’s heart.

“Well, I can teach you to play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’.  That’s a good starter song.”  Charlie spun around on the bench so she was facing the keys.  “I’m Charlie.”  She shook the little girl hand.

“I’m Katie.  Isn’t Charlie a guys name?”  Katie’s doe eyes started quizickly at her, causing a small chuckle.

“I guess so.  My full name is Charlotte but my friends call me Charlie.  It’s my nickname.”  Charlie placed her fingers on the piano keys and slowly played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’.  Once finished, she placed Katie’s fingers on the proper keys and guided her through the song.  They played it for a few minutes, Charlie giving direction when needed until Katie was able to run the song through on her own.  “You, Katie, are a natural.”

Katie smiled brightly at Charlie that she was able to play the song on her own.  She played it once again without any mistakes.  Charlie beamed at the little girl’s pride in herself at the moment.

“Is your mom or dad here?  You could play for them.”  The smile that lit the little girl’s face dimmed and her fingers stilled.

“I don’t have parents.”  Twice in one day.  First JC, now this poor, sick child.  Charlie was batting a thousand on orphaned children.

“Well, you will find the right family someday.  You see my friend over there.”  Charlie pointed to JC who was building a lego castle with a little boy.  JC looked over at Charlie and Katie, smiling brightly at them, giving a small wave.  “He was adopted when he was a little boy by a great family.  You’ll find your family too.”

“No one wants a cancer kid.”  Katie hung her head.  Charlie felt her heart break for the little girl.

“That’s not true.  Cancer doesn’t make you who you are.”  A long silence stretched between them.  “Have you ever seen the movie ‘Meet The Robinsons’?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I play you my favorite song from the movie?”  The young girl nodded.

Charlie’s fingers moved expertly over the piano keys, playing the opening notes of the Rob Thomas song.  Katie stared at Charlie in awe, watching her play.  When Charlie opened her mouth to sing, the girl was hypnotized.

Let it go,

Let it roll right off your shoulder

Don't you know

The hardest part is over

Let it in,

Let your clarity define you

In the end

We will only just remember how it feels

Our lives are made

In these small hours

These little wonders,

These twists & turns of fate

Time falls away,

But these small hours,

These small hours still remain

Charlie nudged the little girl as she played through the song.  Katie’s eyes went back and forth between watching her fingers on the keys and her mouth belting out the words.  She finished out the song, the final notes drifting from the instrument.  Loud applause sounded behind the pair.

Charlie turned to see nearly all the occupants of the room along with passerby’s who had heard the music, all congregated behind her and Katie.  She felt a blush warm her cheeks.  She turned back to Katie, who had a huge smile splitting across her face.  Charlie hugged her briefly before rising from the bench.  She got a bunch of compliments from parents and excited children.

JC was standing at the back of the crowd, smiling knowingly at Charlie.  Joey stood next to him, pleasantly surprised at what he had just witnessed.

“No wonder you have a connection to that woman.  She could very well be a female you.”  JC eyed Joey curiously before chuckling.

“Whatever man.”  JC watched Charlie high five a bunch of the kids as she moved to reclaim her spot along the wall.  He stopped her by grasping her arm by her elbow and pulled her close.  She smiled sweetly at him.  For the first time, he saw her smile reach her eyes.  A true sense of happiness seemed to wash over her and her smile did something to his heart.  “You’re amazing.”

“She just needed someone to talk to.  She wanted to learn to play the piano.”  Charlie shrugged, playing off what she had done.

“I don’t think you realize how you affect those you come in contact with.”  He meant more than the little girl, specifically how she affected him.  “What you just did for that little girl is more valuable than any treatment this place can give her.”

JC leaned in and kissed the corner of Charlie’s mouth, lingering for a few seconds before pulling back.  She noticed a few of the mothers were staring at them, whispering to each other.

“We have an audience.”  Charlie motioned over JC’s shoulder.  He could see a nervousness settle across her face.

“Let them think what they want.”  He dropped a kiss full on her lips this time, smiling coyly before joining Joey and the rest of their group.

They were served a quick lunch in between visits to each of the hospital wards.  Charlie was captivated watching JC interact with the children.  He seemed a natural with them.  She was surprised he didn’t have any of his own seeing how good he was with them.

The remainder of the afternoon passed by swiftly.  They made their way back to the hotel a couple hours before they were due down in the ballroom for the charity banquet.  Joey’s wife flew in long enough to pack up their daughters and fly back home to Florida, leaving Joey alone for the rest of his trip.

JC and Charlie each retreated into their rooms to dress and prepare for the evening’s events.  When JC emerged from his room, he found Charlie standing in front of the large picture window of the suite overlooking Puget Sound.  Her back was to him but she looked stunning.  He was used to seeing her in jeans and sweaters.  The sun had mostly set but created an ethereal glow around her.  Her hair was pulled back into a loose french braid; a few pieces framed her face, curled softly.  The black halter maxi dress cinched at her waist, cascading down to the floor in a flow of chiffon.  She draped a long, white scarf over her arms.

The plush of the room’s carpet muted JC’s footsteps as moved through the room to approach Charlie.  The back of her dress dipped a little low to about mid-spine.  He caught a peek of what appeared to be a tattoo along her ribcage under her right arm.  As he got close to her, he caught the scent of her perfume which he now associated directly with her distinct smell.

“You’re creeping up trying to scare me, aren’t you?”  He didn’t realize she heard him approach; she never turned towards him.  He closed the remaining distance  between them, his hands resting on her hips.  He dropped a kiss on the back of her shoulder.

“You heard me?”

“No, I caught the scent of your cologne.”  JC chuckled, resting his chin on Charlie’s shoulder as they both gazed out at the boats in the sound.

“You look beautiful tonight.  You’ll have to fight off the guys with a bat.”

“Yeah right but thank you.”  She turned to check out his outfit for the night.  “And you’re looking quite handsome.”  He wore dark grey slacks with matching tie and navy blue dress shirt.  The blue in the shirt brought out the blue of his eyes.  He took in the simplicity of the her makeup which consisted of mascara, a light eye shadow, and lip gloss.  He loved that she preferred a more natural look rather than caking on heavy, dramatic colors.

“You ready?”  JC laced his fingers with Charlie’s.  She nodded, grabbing her clutch as they exited the suite.  

When they arrive downstairs, Charlie wandered through the large ballroom, avoiding the photographers covering the event the best she could.  JC had to pose for pictures with Joey and many others present.  Charlie busied herself slowly looking through all the item up for auction while sipping a glass of white wine.  She chatted with a few of the event sponsors.  She kept her distance, allowing JC to mix and mingle.

JC knew Charlie had reserves about coming with him to the event.  She was keeping her distance.  He was used to women nearly suffocating him at these things, always staying glued to his side for photo ops.  Not Charlie.  She didn’t seem to want any part of it.

As JC moved around the room, he constantly sought out Charlie.  His eyes continually would drift around the room until he found her.  He’d watch her, feigning interest in whoever he was talking to but in reality, all of his attention was on her.  He took in how she politely chatted with people but would move aside quickly if someone stepped too close.  He watched her eyes move around the room which was rife with activity.  She marveled at the decorations that surrounded them.  She ran her hands over the various displays of the auction items.

Throughout the evening, JC would seek out Charlie to check to make sure she was doing okay, usually bringing her a fresh glass of wine.  Their conversations were usually short as he kept getting pulled back to chat with other celebrities.

It was half past midnight.  Charlie was sitting at a table by herself.  The long day her and JC had was catching up to her.  A few more hours and she will have been awake for twenty four hours.  She was yawning deeply when a hand touched her shoulder.  She jumped at the contact but settled when she saw it was JC.

“Ready to go?”  He took the seat next to her, discarding his nearly empty beer glass on the table.

“If you need to stay, that’s fine.  I can go up on my own.”  She tried to stifle another yawn.  He smiled at her efforts.

“They’re wrapping up anyway.”  He leaned forward and captured her lips in a quick kiss, tasting the slightly sweet flavor of her wine that lingered.  “Let’s go.”

As soon as they stepped onto the elevator, Charlie pulled her hair from the confines of its braid, shaking her hair loose.  This simple motion cause JC to feel a stir in his groin.  The same hair tie that held her braid was used to pull her hair back into a messy bun on top of her head.  She pulled her earrings and necklace off as they exited on their floor.  He adjusted himself in his slacks as they walked to their room.  He was getting extremely turned on.

“Thank you for tonight.”  Charlie dropped her jewelry on the coffee table after entering their room.  “Seeing you today with those kids, I can see why you love these events.”

“Seeing their faces light up is the best part.”  A silence fell between them, nether sure what else to say.

Charlie shyly approached JC.  She timidly reached out, cupping her hands around his jaw.  She placed a soft kiss against his cheek.  She hadn’t made the first move in them kissing since the night they had their run in with Matt.  JC fisted the material of her dress as his hand on her waist pulled her close to him.  He kissed her hard on the mouth.  The heady flavor of the beers he had that night made her lightheaded.  She pulled back, seeing disappointment flash across his features when she ended the kiss.

“Goodnight.”  Charlie’s warm breath fanned across JC’s face before she turned to enter her room.  When the click of the door latching sounded through the suite, JC bent at the waist, resting his hands on his knees.  He chuckled quietly.  He had been turned on before; now he was downright horny.  It was taking everything inside of him not to bust into her room and throw her down on the bed.  He reminded himself not to push her too quickly.  He needed to take his time with her.  It would make it that much sweeter when they finally did sleep together.

JC righted himself and walked towards his room.  He had a situation in his pants he needed to deal with.