“And then there were five,” Liz laughed as she sat down in an open chair.

“This is much more my speed,” Allyson said as she sat on an ottoman near the chair JC had been sitting in earlier.

“Yeah, I like entertaining, but this is the best part of the night,” JC said, taking his seat behind Allyson.

She leaned back against the seat of the chair, her shoulders in line with JC’s knees. He leaned forward to hug her shoulders from behind. He kissed her cheek before leaning back, but kept his hands on her shoulders. It was his way of letting her know he was there. It was a comfort she needed in that moment.

“So how did you enjoy your birthday?” Lance asked Allyson.

“It’s probably one of the most special ones I’ve had in a long time.”

Justin pointed to JC, “Yeah, he’s good at throwing parties, even if he doesn’t like them for very long.”

 They all just laughed.

“Actually, speaking of birthdays. Would y’all do me a favor?” Allyson asked the room.

The four guys on the couch shrugged in unison. “Sure.”

“What can we do for you, birthday girl?” JC asked from behind her.

“I want to surprise Shannon,” she smirked at JC. “She’s going to die.”

JC let out a hearty laugh. “OK by me.”

They all nodded with Lance being the brave one to ask, “Who’s Shannon?”

“One of my best friends in D.C. She and I both love y’all, and she will lose her mind that I’m with y’all.”

“I’m always up for making a girl lose her mind,” Joey said.

“Dude!” Chris said, shaking his head.

“What?” Joey said to laughter.

JC just shook his head too. “Let’s do it. I’ll go get my laptop.”

A little more than a minute later, JC returned with his laptop and Allyson was logging into her Skype account.

The internet ring began and a dark screen answered.

“Hello? Allie?”

“Hey, I’m sorry it’s late, but I’m celebrating my birthday in LA tonight, and I wanted you to be a part of it.”

She tilted the computer so JC was in the frame. “Hi again,” he said.

“WHAT?” Shannon screamed as she flipped on a light in her room. Everyone laughed at her reaction because Allyson had called it. “I mean, hi JC. Good to see you again.” JC let his head fall forward as he laughed. It was 2 a.m. in D.C. by now, but she knew Shannon would still be online on a Saturday night. Obviously they had caught her just in time. 

“I’ve got a few more friends if you want to see.”

“What are Joey, Chris, Lance and Justin there too?” she asked facetiously. Allyson just smirked without saying a word. “No! Allie, no don’t tell me you’re there with all of them?!”

Allyson turned the computer around to show the four guys lounging on the couch. “Hi, Shannon,” they all said together waving at the computer.

“OH MY GOD!!!” she yelled. “HI *NSYNC!!”

Allyson turned the computer back around to face her and saw Shannon’s mouth was still wide open in shock.

“Can you bring them home with you?”

Allyson chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I guess I don’t have to ask how your birthday’s been,” Shannon said with a laugh. “I expect more details when you get back.”

“You got it. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Laters,” Shannon said. “Bye JC! Bye *NSYNC!” she yelled over the speakers

“By Shannon,” they all yelled back as they ended the video call.

“Well that was as entertaining as I hoped it would be,” Chris laughed.

“I told you she’d freak out!” Allyson said. 

“And you did not undersell,” Lance said. “And I think that’s my first Skype fan encounter.”

“Always a first,” JC said with a light laugh that spread throughout the room.

“Thank you, JC, for probably the most LA birthday I’ll ever have,” Allyson looked up at JC.

“Of course,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “But the party was the last of what I had planned, so the rest of the night is a free-for-all.” He turned his attention to the room. “It’s fine with me if y’all stay, but I think birthday girl here has the final say.”

“Yeah, of course! I’d love it.”

“Thanks, but we weren’t leaving anyway,” Chris said quickly.

“Good because I wouldn’t want you to,” Allyson smiled back. “But can I pick what we do?”

“As long as it doesn’t involve a bed or watching us, that’s fine with me. I’ve seen myself enough, and I’ve seen just about all of him that I ever want,” Justin said as he started to point to JC and chuckle.

“Hey, I make this look good,” JC said as he stood up and modeled the charcoal gray V-neck shirt he had paired with dark wash jeans cuffed at the bottom.

“Yeah sit down, Fabio,” Joey said. “What do you want to do tonight?” There was a sweet genuineness to his voice as he nodded toward Allyson.

She laughed. “Can I be honest? I really just want to watch Disney movies.”

JC squeezed Allyson’s shoulders. He knew Disney was a comfort watch for her. “I think we can arrange that,” he said as he walked toward the cabinets along the same wall as the TV.

With the flip of a latch, he opened the cabinets to reveal just about every Disney movie – animated and feature length – that had been produced since Snow White in 1937.

“Oh my… What?” Allyson gawked as she stood up and walked toward the cabinets, taking in the collection before her.

“Take your pick.”

“Do you have Aladdin?”

He nodded with a smile. “Y’all go get whatever you want and I’ll get this set up.”

“Anyone want anything?” Justin asked as he headed toward the kitchen.

He didn’t have any takers, but Allyson joined him in the kitchen to pour a glass of milk for herself.

“Going hard I see,” he laughed.

“You know it,” she laughed as she clinked her glass with Justin’s beer.

They walked back into the living room to see JC relocated to the recliner with the remote in hand, ready to play the movie.

Justin took his seat, and Allyson questioned what to do. She wanted to sit with JC in the recliner, but she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate just yet.

She walked a little slower than usual and caught his eye. It was as if they were telling her it was OK, and he moved over in the chair as she got closer.

She was close, but not on top of JC, and it felt right.

“We ready?” JC asked the room.

“Yep,” everyone answered.

Allyson looked over at Liz and she smiled at her, as she scooted her chair a little closer to the couch. At least she wasn’t the third wheel. Instead she was the fifth wheel. But she didn’t mind, given the company.

“Happy birthday, Allie,” JC whispered into Allyson’s ear as he kissed her cheek and pushed play on the movie.

She giggled and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Thank you for a great celebration.”

“What was your favorite part?”

“All of it. What was yours?”

“This, right here,” he said.

She instinctively wiggled a little closer to him in the chair, resting her head on his shoulder, content, as “Arabian Nights” began to play through the surround sound speakers in the living room.

JC looked down at her and then continued his gaze across to his brothers sitting on the couch. This might have all been for Allyson’s birthday, but he couldn’t think of a better night.