Colleen was relieved that she had given JC the caveat about work because when she checked with her boss the following morning, he asked her to keep her weekend open in case last minute negotiations were needed. Sure, she could have tried to fit their date in but she didn’t want anything to interrupt them. She broke the bad news to JC who, by no surprise, was very cool about it.

In truth, JC was feeling his own type of relief about the delay. He hadn’t planned on having Colleen over quite yet but somehow the words just fell out last night. He was hoping that was an unconscious sign he was ready to try a relationship again.

The following Tuesday, Colleen texted JC to let him know the deal was finally reached and she was good to go for dinner whenever he was. JC swallowed hard and opted to reschedule for that upcoming Saturday. He didn’t want to try to do after work and rush to ensure she got to bed early enough. It needed to be leisurely, with no pressure. Plus, this gave him a few days to think and plan. He didn’t want her to think the invite to his house was just to have sex, but he also didn’t want to leave that off the table. JC just felt that once he crossed that bridge, there would be no going back. He wanted to be sure he was ready.

What kind of fish do you like?

The text came into Colleen’s phone Friday as she was cleaning up her files from the week.

Dead is preferable.

JC laughed at his phone.

Come on, I’m at the market and don’t want to choose wrong.

“Shit, is he cooking?!” Colleen began to panic. She mentally tried to price point different types of fish, not wanting JC to think she was trying to get him to spend a bunch of money on her.

Does Mahi-Mahi work?

JC took a quick look over the fish counter and saw some Mahi-Mahi on display.

J: It does. Anything you want with it in particular?

C: Your choice, I’m not picky.

J: Oyster casserole it is!

Colleen scrunched up her face at the phone. 

C: Ok, I guess I’m a little picky. What can I bring?

J: Just your beautiful self. I’ll shoot you my address in a bit.

Colleen blushed at JC calling her beautiful. Every new thing with him seemed so unbelievable and she made sure to take a moment and appreciate it every time it happened. JC was special, not because she had a crush on him, not because he was famous and not even because they shared the same “interests”. JC was a genuinely good guy who respected her time and her values. It was running dangerously close to pushing past just wanting to sleep with him and she couldn’t tell if that was because of how good it was going or accelerated due to her years of feelings for him.

A quick Google search told her Sauvignon Blanc paired well with Mahi Mahi so the next morning she stopped at the local store to pick some up, along with the brand of Rosé JC tended to order. She hummed to herself as she picked up a few other various items while she was there, trying to pretend it was a normal day and that she didn’t have a dinner date with JC Chasez at his house that evening. If she dwelled on it too long, she’d probably pass out in the produce aisle.

Once home, Colleen allowed herself a long shower as she got ready for the evening. JC had commented on how much he liked her orange suit against her skin tone that night after the club while they had their drinks so she chose a simple orange dress that cinched at the waist and hugged her curves just right. She had gotten a French manicure on the way home from work yesterday that worked perfectly with the accent of the white spaghetti straps on the dress and added a pair of white peep toe heels to complete the look. Underneath, she opted for the same bra and panty set she was wearing the night JC had her writhing on her bed in hopes he might actually see them this time.

Colleen made the drive up the Hollywood Hills to JC’s house. She’d seen grainy aerial shots of it before but wasn’t prepared for the real thing. She was honestly surprised there wasn’t a gate she had to pass through. Sure, it took a couple turns and was definitely out of the way but if someone wanted to find it, they probably could. She hoped he had a good security system, then remembered the break in he had years prior and was sure he was well protected. 

She parked her car behind JC’s Rubicon which was next to his silver Mercedes convertible. By the garage was his motorcycle with the bright yellow helmet resting on the seat. She wondered why these weren’t tucked safely away in his garage but then remembered him joking in some interview that that’s where a lot of his memorabilia was stored. Colleen stared at the garage door a moment more and wondered how many dates they had to go on before she could ask to ride the mechanical bull. She then laughed at herself, realizing there was a different bull she was trying to ride tonight.

JC jogged over to the door as soon as he heard the bell and greeted Colleen with a quick kiss and showed her in. “Wow, you look….WOW!” JC complimented her.

“Glad to see you dressed up for the occasion,” she teased him, tugging slightly at his dark gray button down shirt. “I was beginning to think your closet only consisted of Deus Ex Machina shirts.”

“They sent me a bunch when I bought my bike and they’re super comfy,” he laughed. JC ushered Colleen into the house with a sweeping gesture of his arm, “Welcome to Casa de Chasez.”

“I’m surprised it’s not Chateau Chasez,” Colleen said with a small laugh.

“Felt too opulent. This place is good but it’s no castle.”

“Any home can be a castle if you treat it with care. Besides, chateau also means large country house. I think this would fit the bill.”

Colleen took in the general living space. There were those curtains that led out to the deck. The floor was a gorgeous dark hardwood that contrasted beautifully against the light furniture in the living room. The room was pretty minimalist and not an award in sight, which actually didn’t surprise her. On her right was the spacious kitchen with a dining room beyond it. An island resided between each side of the kitchen where JC had left the prepped food for the evening. Colleen couldn’t help wondering if this was the infamous “kitchen counter” of 100 Ways lore.

“Hmmmm, I guess I’ll have to rethink that,” JC chimed in. “I hope you don’t mind but I set up on the deck. The weather is really nice tonight.”

“Don’t mind at all,” Colleen smiled. “Oh, I brought some wine. Wasn’t sure which was best but both should go with the fish.”

“That was very sweet, thank you.” JC took the bag with the wine from Colleen and leaned in to kiss her once more, this time lingering there, remembering how much he enjoyed this feeling. Colleen smiled against his lips as they continued kissing, never intensifying it but just soaking in the experience of having JC’s lips on her.

JC finally broke the kiss and let out a loud and long shiver. “Ok, if we don’t stop, I’m never going to get dinner ready.”

Colleen laughed and took a step away from him. She wanted to say she wasn’t here for the food but it was clear JC had gone through a lot of trouble. “So, may I ask what we are having?”

“Well, at the Chateau Chasez,” JC started with a terrible French accent, “we only serve the finest of cuisine. First, we have the charcuterie board full of many meats & cheeses. Then, we will move to the elegant salád and finally, per the mademoiselle’s request, a beautiful Mahi-Mahi with a ginger glaze over a bed of rice with a vegetable medley side of broccoli, cauliflower, baby corn and sugar snap peas.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing,” Colleen stated, thoroughly impressed. “I should have brought a dessert.”

“Oh, I got dessert,” JC told her, dropping the fake accent and lowering his voice an octave. He gave her a wink then headed into the kitchen with the wine. “For now, you are the guest so you can go have a seat outside while I pour you a glass of wine to enjoy.”

“Tempting,” Colleen countered, “but I’d rather have your company. How about I get the wine and you grab the charcuterie board and we both enjoy the weather together?”

“As long as you don’t mind eating a little later.”

“I don’t have any other plans for the evening, do you?”

“I got plans but only with you,” JC said, coming back to Colleen and giving her another quick kiss and handing her the wine opener. Normally JC would just open the wine himself but something about Colleen told him she’d be offended if he didn’t give her the opportunity to do it on her own.

They headed out to the deck and Colleen gasped as she took in the view. She knew they were high up in the Hills but didn’t realize just how much so until this moment. JC set the board on the table and wrapped his arms around Colleen from behind. He didn’t say anything as he lightly kissed her cheek, down her neck and across her shoulder. He knew his vantage point was gorgeous, it was a big selling point in why he bought the house to begin with, but after 20 years, he didn’t always appreciate it everyday. It was rewarding for him to see people experience it for the first time and a gentle reminder of how good he had it.

Somehow dinner felt like hours and only a few minutes at the exact same time. Colleen took the last bite of her rice and leaned back in her chair. “JC, that was delicious. Thank you so much. Where did you learn to cook like that?”

“Once I was able to actually live in one spot, I took a few cooking classes to get the basics down. I’ve always been a foodie so I wanted to learn to make what I liked to eat and from there just kind of played around with stuff.”

“That’s really awesome you took the time to do that. Ever think about doing one of those celebrity cooking shows for charity?”

“Oh no no,” JC protested. “I cook for fun, not competition. My buddy Joe was on Chopped years ago and said it was so stressful. Fun but nah, not for me.”

Colleen took a sip of her wine to suppress her laugh. She knew JC was talking about Joey Fatone but wasn’t sure if he actually called him Joe or he was trying to hide it was one of his band mates. Either way, she wanted him to feel comfortable talking about his famous friends. “Yeah, I remember Lance was on one with his Mom a few years back. They totally should have won.”

JC chuckled as he finished his wine then peered at Colleen as he set down his glass. “Wait? Is it Lance? Your mystery dream crush guy? Cuz, I hate to tell ya….”

“No, it’s not Lance,” Colleen laughed.

“Dammit, I’m gonna figure this out.”

“No, you aren’t,” Colleen joked as she stood and started clearing the plates.

“What are you doing?” JC questioned, himself now also rising.

“I’m gonna start washing the dishes.”

“Uh uh,” JC said, taking the plates out of her hand. “You don’t need to do anything tonight, I’ll take care of it.”

Colleen gave JC the evil eye but relented. “Fine, this one time but I’m following you in to refill our wine glasses.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” JC asked as he gathered up the remaining silverware.

“Yes,” Colleen teased as they moved into the house. Colleen reached the counter where the wine bottle was and was surprised to find it empty. “Did we really go through two bottles of wine already?”

“Three. I had another bottle of that Rosé you brought on hand.”

“Ok, no more wine then,” Colleen declared. “You ok if I hang around for a bit? I don’t feel drunk but I’d rather wait a bit before driving.”

“You in a hurry to get home?” JC asked as he loaded his dishwasher.

“No, I just...want to make sure it’s ok,” Colleen floundered, a bit of her nervousness peaking through. JC somehow always made her feel at ease but now that dinner was over, the promises of what was to come were making her stomach do cartwheels.

“I insist,” JC smiled at her from the kitchen. “Go get comfy on the couch, I’ll be over in a few.” Colleen did as instructed, kicking her shoes off and folding her legs under herself. Colleen checked her phone real quick to see if she had any messages and saw Sara had texted asking her to hit up a bar for some drinks. Colleen declined and instead of once again saying she was working, she at least let her know she was on a date. She’d been avoiding her friends because of JC and she was feeling more and more guilty about it as the weeks went on. As much as she swore that if she ever met JC she’d rent a billboard to advertise it, now that it actually happened, she wanted to keep it her little secret as long as possible.

JC plopped on the couch next to Colleen, shaking her from her thoughts and handed her a plate of some delicious looking concoction. “I told you I had dessert,” JC grinned.

“Jesus, you bake too?” Colleen asked as she dug in for a decedent bite, giving a moan of satisfaction as the flavors hit her tongue.

“This is not baking. This is whipping and assembling,” JC smiled as he corrected her. “It’s just meringue, strawberries, chocolate and whipped cream. I, um, wanted to play off the troupe of when you mix sex and food but more elevated and less messy.”

Colleen smiled at him as she placed another bite in her mouth. “Job well done, I’d say.” 

The two ate the rest of their dessert in silence. Colleen tried to concentrate on the food but kept getting distracted by the idea of licking the dessert off JC’s stomach. JC was kicking himself for bringing up sex, not wanting to put so much pressure on the evening. 

Dessert now done, JC quickly dropped the plates in the dishwasher and started the cycle. He returned with another glass of wine for them each. “I thought we said no more wine?” Colleen protested yet accepted the glass and took a sip.

“Technically you said no more wine but since you ate a little more, I figured another glass wouldn’t hurt. I only filled it half way,” JC pointed out.

“Now who’s trying to get who drunk,” Colleen smirked.

“I’ll make sure you are good to go when you want to leave. If I have to call an Uber, it’s not a problem.”

“Then I suppose a little more wine couldn’t hurt,” Colleen said, raising her glass to toast with JC, who in turn reached over to clink her glass with his own. Both were feeling good, the wine helping them ease their nervousness. “This has been a very nice night, thank you.”

“You are more than welcome. It’s been a long while since I’ve been able to unwind like this.”

“Can I ask how come?”

JC sighed, “Things with my last ex. It got super intense real fast and, well, I guess we had two different ideas of what we wanted for our futures when it came down to it.”

Colleen didn’t want to press him for details about his ex as it seemed to be a raw topic but his statement led to a question she didn’t want to slip away. “So what do you want for your future?”

“Honestly, I’m trying to figure that out. I thought I knew then my perspective shifted and now I’m just not sure.”

“Let me ask it this way: what do you want right now?” JC raised an eyebrow at Colleen and she swatted his arm. “I’m trying to be serious, you horn ball. No, I mean, what are the things that would make you wake up with a smile on your face tomorrow morning?”

JC considered the question. “Knowing my music was heading in the right direction. It’s so tough to know if what you are doing is going to work and every day is a leap of faith; some self assurance would be nice. I also, um, would like to have a certain someone waking up in that bed next to me.”

Now it was Colleen’s turn to cock an eyebrow at him. “Really?” she smirked, sipping more of her wine.

“Yeah, really,” JC confessed. “I know how this came to be is so fucking weird but I really like you. I like this. I like the way you make me feel. I don’t have to watch what I say around you, I can just be myself and that’s….that’s really refreshing.”

Colleen momentarily stopped breathing. She felt the connection too but to hear him say it was almost too overwhelming. She was fighting hard to stave off her tears. It was indescribably odd to have someone you’ve prayed would like you for 20 some odd years actually say it.

JC saw the panic crossing Colleen’s face. “Sorry, that was probably a little too forward.”

“No no, you’re fine,” Colleen tried to reassure him as she got her respiratory system to start working again. She wanted to explain how she was feeling but didn’t want to scare him off, especially in this moment, so she settled for a lesser truth. 

“It’s been about 3 years since I’ve been in a real relationship. To start, most guys can’t handle my crazy hours and even if they can, they don’t like how much I can handle myself. They say they want me but really they want the opposite, a submissive little girlfriend but all that aggressiveness in the bedroom. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize I couldn’t nor shouldn’t compromise on the things that I wanted just to be in a relationship. So, I’ve just been dating around ever since because something serious never seems to work for me.”

“Oh, I see…” JC trailed off, turning his attention to the floor.

“No, you don’t,” Colleen stated, turning his face to meet her own. “You are...you’re something special, JC. You’ve been amazing these past few weeks. You understand when I have to cancel plans cuz of work. You let me vent all my legal mumbo jumbo without sounding bored. You make it easier to tell you the things I want without fear, whether it’s a choice of restaurant or my deepest sexual desires. You make me feel like just being me is good enough for you and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Colleen’s lower lip started to quake and she quickly drew her wine glass to her mouth and drank slowly, closing her eyes trying to calm her breathing. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest. She had commanded meetings with billionaires before and it was nothing compared to how scared and vulnerable she felt right now.

“Hey hey hey, come here,” JC said after giving her a moment, taking her wine glass from her and placing it on the coffee table as he pulled her onto his lap. “This is...scary, for the both of us. This can be whatever we want, no pressure. I just wanted to tell you how I feel.”

“I just keep coming up with more and more questions I wish I knew the answers to. I don’t go into court until I’m fully briefed, you know what I mean?”

“That brilliant brain of yours really does run at lightning speed, doesn’t it?”

“You see now why I need a reset from time to time?”

JC looked up at Colleen and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Colleen, you can ask me anything you want but I don’t always guarantee I’ll have the answer. But let’s see if we can’t take them one at a time, ok?”

Colleen smiled down at JC. “Ok,” she whispered as she leaned down to kiss him. JC held out about 10 seconds before pulling Colleen’s body flush to his own and deepening the kiss. He had been thinking about this all day and while he didn’t want to rush, he also was desperate to be inside her.

JC worked his hands up Colleen’s back and slowly pushed the straps of her dress and bra off her shoulders. He broke from her lips and kissed down her neck in a similar fashion as he had done earlier as she admired the view, but this time with more intention, more urgency.

Colleen gasped as she felt his cock grow hard underneath her. She couldn’t help swaying her hips on top of him as she grabbed the back of the couch with one hand as the other found its way to tangle in JC’s hair. She gripped it firmly in her hand, which caused JC to practically growl as he kissed lower down her chest.

JC’s lips quickly found her breasts as his tongue snaked out to lick along her cleavage. At the same time, his hands found the hem of Colleen’s dress and worked it slowly up her thighs. Colleen felt helpless as JC touched and caressed her body and she loved every second of it. This was it, this was the dream and she was going to let him do anything he wanted to her tonight.

Colleen straightened up slightly so JC could push the skirt of her dress up and over her back side. His hands grabbed and played with her soft flesh and he had to fight every instinct to not smack her ass. He didn’t want anything remotely rough tonight, he just wanted this about the two of them.

JC’s hips bucked inadvertently up and Colleen responded by grinding her pelvis into him. Just because she was going to let him have his way didn’t mean she couldn’t have her own fun as well. Colleen moved her hands to JC’s chest and undid the buttons on his shirt, pushing it down his shoulders.

“Oh, come on!” she exclaimed, half laughing and half exasperated as she saw JC’s undershirt.

“I told you, they’re comfy,” he protested back. He quickly pulled his button down off his arms then peeled his t-shirt over his head and discarded it behind the couch. “Better?”

“Much,” she confirmed, her voice growing husky with lust. Her hands ran up and down his chest, enjoying the feel of the hair upon it. She knew he had some from pictures where it was more trimmed than shaved over the years but to feel it against her palms had never entered her imagination. Her hands moved to his stomach. Gone were the abs of his youth but she didn’t care; he was still JC. It was never solely about how he looked but rather who he was.

Colleen’s hands found JC’s belt and started to undo it but JC stopped her. She met his eyes with confusion. “Not just yet,” he whispered. Truthfully, he could have plunged right into her as his cock was straining against his jeans but he had something he wanted to do first.

JC slid his right hand from his belt to Colleen’s crotch, feeling the wetness on her panties. He deftly pushed them to the side as he let his middle finger run along the length of her pussy. Colleen threw her head back and moaned as he teased her, her back arching as she moved herself against his hand, silently begging for him to enter her.  Still, JC continued his slow torture, his eyes never leaving Colleen’s face. 

“Look at me,” he whispered. Colleen pulled her head back forward to face JC and was met with the piercing blue of his eyes. “I want to watch you,” he stated as his finger teased her opening.

“Fuck, the voyeur thing was right,” Colleen thought as she bit her lip and locked eyes with JC. She’d stared into those eyes thousands of times but the real thing was much more captivating. She wanted to memorize every shade of blue and watch how the intensity changed with his mood. She could have just stayed here forever watching him watching her.

However, Colleen’s eyes soon rolled to the back of her head as JC slowly inserted his finger inside her. He licked his lips as her body shuddered at the feeling, wrapping his left arm around her waist to keep her upright. Colleen finally brought her eyes back to meet his. They looked darker than they had just a moment before to Colleen as she lost herself in them once more.

JC added his index finger as he moved with Colleen, his cock begging to be released as he watched her face give way to the pleasure he was giving her. “I want to fuck you so bad. Please, let me fuck you,” JC asked through gritted teeth as his fingers sped up.

“Yes, please fuck me,” Colleen breathed. JC eased his fingers out of her as she whimpered. He maintained eye contact with her as he stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked them slowly back out. He moaned his satisfaction, wanting her to know how much he enjoyed the taste of her. All Colleen could do was stare and watch him in awe.

“Stand up,” JC instructed her. “Get those panties off.” Colleen did as JC asked as he lifted his hips off the couch and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs past his knees. He gave his cock a few satisfying strokes, feeling better now that it was out of the confines of his pants. “Come here,” he beckoned to Colleen.

Colleen only caught a glimpse of his length as she straddled his lap once more, staying upright on her knees until JC was ready. Normally, Colleen would have kicked herself for missing the opportunity but her head was so clouded in lust that all she could think about was him inside her.

JC wrapped an arm around her waist again as he pulled her close, the tip of his cock just out of reach. Colleen put her hands on each of JC’s shoulders as she slowly lowered herself down onto him. JC moaned loudly as he finally got what he had been craving for the past 2 months. Colleen fought to not pass out as she finally got what she had been aching for for much much longer.

“I need a second,” Colleen informed him. The rumors of JC’s size were definitely true and that compounded with not having had sex in a number of months meant Colleen needed a moment to acclimate.

“You ok?” JC asked as he looked up at her, his fingers running lightly over her back. 

“Yeah, it’s just….a lot,” Colleen said with a small laugh. “I’m ok.”

“I’ll go slow,” JC promised with a smile as he placed his hands firmly on Colleen’s hips and lifted her off of him slightly then guided her back down slowly. JC watched Colleen’s face contort in pleasure as he sped up just a little. He was pent up but didn’t want this over quick so he put his full concentration into Colleen’s enjoyment.

Soon they found a steady rhythm as Colleen rode JC, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed feverishly. JC could feel his orgasm building and didn’t want to reach there before Colleen. He reached down between them and found her clit, rubbing it in time with their movements. Colleen moaned into JC’s mouth and kissed him harder. She wanted this feeling to last forever but knew she couldn’t hold off too much longer.

Colleen’s hands started pawing at JC’s back as her breath became more ragged. JC sped up, hoping he could time it right. “Let go. I want to feel you cum all over me,” JC encouraged her. That was all Colleen needed as her body tensed and shook as her orgasm overtook her. She practically screamed against JC’s shoulder and tried to be conscious of not digging her nails into his back as her pussy spasmed and contracted wildly around his cock.

JC couldn’t hold out any longer as feeling Colleen close in around him put him over the edge. He thrust into her hard several times as he came, his teeth gritted in concentration, his arms wrapping around her body, holding her close against him. Her body shuddered once more at the feel of his orgasm inside her as JC slowed them down to a gentle rock for them both to settle down.

Colleen lay limp against JC’s body, completely spent. JC let her recover, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. “You alright there?” he finally asked.

“No,” Colleen mumbled.

JC pulled his head back to examine her, trying to decide if she was just worn out or something more serious was wrong. “You need some water?”

“Water would be good,” she replied. JC smiled, realizing there was no serious threat.

“I’ll get you some water but you have to get off of me.” Colleen groaned and shook her head in protest. “Come on, the longer we wait, the more it’ll suck.” Colleen knew he was right but still didn’t want to agree. “Ok, I’ll help,” JC chuckled as he rolled both their bodies so that Colleen was now laying flat on the couch. He slowly pulled out of her as she let out a displeased cry.

JC almost tripped over his jeans he forgot were around his calves as he went to stand up. He kicked them off and ran to the kitchen naked to get Colleen a glass of water. Again, Colleen was too gassed to appreciate the scene before her.

Water and two towels in hand, JC returned to the couch. He placed the glass on the coffee table and used one of the towels to clean himself up and put back on his underwear. He placed the other towel on Colleen’s stomach. “Sorry it’s a kitchen towel but it’s clean.”

Colleen finally pulled herself out of her euphoric daze and assessed the situation. She realized with some surprise that she was laying with her legs spread and her dress around her waist on JC’s couch. “Oh Jesus,” she shouted, quickly grabbing the towel and placing it between her legs as she sat up and pulled her dress back up to cover the top half of her at least.

“You’re fine,” JC reassured her. “Have some water.”

Colleen grabbed the glass JC had provided and slowly drank the contents until she reached the bottom. “Apparently I needed that,” Colleen finally spoke.

“The water or the sex?”

“Both but, uh, more so the sex.”

“I have a feeling you’re gonna sleep very well tonight.”

“Oh yeah, I could probably pass out right now.”

“We can head to bed right now. That is, if you’d like to stay?”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Colleen smiled at him. JC extended his hand as Colleen stood up and adjusted the bottom of her dress. He closed up the kitchen and led Colleen upstairs.

JC’s bedroom was much like his downstairs, minimalist but sheik. The room was large with his king bed being the center focal point. End tables on each side with a bench at the bottom and a bureau across.  A brown coverlet over the bed matched two brown leather chairs that faced out to a pair of French doors and what she assumed was another deck.

“Did you want something to wear or…?” JC started to ask.

“If you have something I can borrow, that would be great,” Colleen replied. JC went to the dresser and handed Colleen some clothes to sleep in. She slipped into a pair of light blue boxers with dancing pepperoni pizzas adorning them. She unfolded the t shirt and sighed. “Seriously, do you own stock in the company or are you a walking billboard?” Colleen laughed at the familiar logo. 

“I’m going to convert you,” JC grinned as Colleen begrudgingly put the shirt on. “See? Soft, right?”

All Colleen could do was shake her head and smile at JC as they headed to bed, letting him lead to dictate which side she should be on. They slid under the covers as JC turned off the light and wrapped his arms around Colleen, the moonlight illuminating them as they laid there.

“So, are we really doing this?” JC asked.

Colleen wasn’t sure if he meant sleeping in the same bed together or starting an actual relationship but she was agreeable to both. “I believe we are really doing this,” she confirmed. 

JC kissed her cheek. “My girlfriend, the kick ass power attorney to the stars.”

Colleen couldn’t help but giggle. “My boyfriend, producer and lyricist extraordinaire, about to take Broadway by storm.” Suddenly, a thought flashed through Colleen’s head. It was a risk but she could always play it off as a joke if it didn’t work. “JC, don’t you have to sing the song when you get a new girlfriend?”

“What song?” JC asked in confusion.

Colleen laughed, not even a little surprised he wouldn’t get the joke. “You recorded this song Girlfriend with these four other guys if I recall.”

JC flopped back on the bed dramatically. “No, I’m not gonna sing the song,” he laughed.

Colleen rolled over to face him. “I’m pretty sure it was an addendum to your Jive contract. I can look it up and check if you’d like.”

“First of all,” JC stated, turning himself towards Colleen with a smile, “our contract with Jive was completed when Sony bought them out and released albums without us knowing. Second, after a colossal fuck up with our first contract, you better believe I read every word seven times over before I sign anything.”

“It was worth a shot,” Colleen laughed and kissed him. “You know, I actually had to study your court case in law school.”

“Really? Small world,” JC chuckled as they both moved to their initial positions, JC kissed Colleen’s neck a few times then moved up to her ear as he sang low “I’ve searched around this whole damn place and everything says you were meant to be my girlfriend oh. Why don’t you be my girlfriend, I’ll treat you good. Something something something say you should.”

Colleen broke out in a full blown laugh. “Ok ok, good enough. Thank you for humoring me.”

“You get points for not requesting This I Promise You but that’s enough exploiting my past for your own amusement for one evening.” JC moved his body over Colleen’s and gave her a long deep kiss. “Goodnight Babe.”

“Goodnight JC,” Colleen smiled back at him and caressed his cheek. JC moved back behind her and draped an arm around her waist and Colleen placed her hand over his. She stared off into the night sky, trying to relive every moment of the evening but didn’t get very far as sleep caught her quickly and she was asleep within minutes. JC heard the change in her breathing and smiled as he too followed right behind her.