Allyson and JC had started talking more regularly. It was not every day necessarily, but it was a steady series of phone calls and text messages, sharing funny stories and holiday greetings. The thing Allyson loved the most was even though they lived completely different lifestyles, they both found comfort in a chill night at home or a casual quiet lunch at a neighborhood diner.

Over the course of their messages, Allyson had earned a new nickname she was quite proud of: JC’s favorite barista.

So, how’s my favorite barista? he texted one Saturday morning in March 2008.

Swamped. Gotta get ready for my shift and then an after hours training to learn new drinks.

Ouch. Well call when you can, he wrote back. Exciting news!

OK. The message was calm, but her mind was racing, her heart was pounding out of her chest and her stomach was doing back flips. He had exciting news for her?

When are you done tonight? Forgot to ask, JC texted as the training was beginning.

8.

“What’d he saaayy?” Shannon asked. Allyson didn’t know it, but she had a special goofy smile whenever anything involved JC.

Allyson shushed her friend as the training continued. “I’ll tell you at break,” she whispered.

Shannon rolled her eyes before ultimately agreeing.

As they broke for a quick five-minute break, Shannon sat on her stool and turned to wait on Allyson to say what was going on.

“You’re such a pain, you know that?”

“But I’m a lovable pain,” Shannon smiled back, exaggeratingly batting her eyelashes. “So come on, this isn’t a long break!”

 “He wants me to call him when we finish here because he has exciting news, so he was checking to see what time we’re finishing up tonight.” Allyson’s face again shifted into her “JC face” as Shannon called it.

“Wait, you’re getting inside scoop? What’s it about?”

“I don’t know. All he said was exciting news and to call him once we’re done today.”

“Damn it. Why do we have to do this crap? It’s not like these drinks are that complicated. At least not for us. I want to know what this news is.”

A couple hours later, the gathered employees had learned the five new drinks and proved themselves competent in making each one. Now it was a little after 8.

Across the country, JC was sitting in his home studio tinkering with some music he had been inspired to work on. He didn’t have the lyrics yet, but he liked how the chord progression translated from his head onto paper. The words just hadn’t revealed themselves yet.

Allyson looked at her watch. It was 6:15 for JC. “Maybe I should let him have dinner first. I’ll call him later.”

“Oh no you’re not. Allyson Marie Stewart – yes, I used your full name – you’re calling him right now. He asked you to call after work. If you want to call when you get home, that’s fine, but I’m coming with you to make sure you do it.”

Allyson laughed and agreed. She had stopped getting nervous when she talked to JC, but this was different. This was more than just a funny story about silly things they witnessed. Shannon and Allyson had been guessing what the big news could be, from he was buying a place in D.C. to new *NSYNC music. But, ultimately, they had no idea. Allyson was just doing her best to put it out of her mind, so she didn’t get too worked up.

“So what are you going to say?” Shannon asked as they walked the few blocks from the Metro station to Allyson’s apartment.

“Uhh, hi, I guess,” Allyson said matter of factly trying to push her emotions down a little longer.

Shannon just rolled her eyes as Allyson hung up her coat, stalling a little bit, as they moved into her room, keeping the noise down for Mandy who had an early-morning appointment. Allyson couldn’t understand why this made her so nervous. His news could be that he had a girlfriend or something.

“Call him. Now,” Shannon said sternly. “This is why I said I’d come over.”

 “OK, OK,” Allyson said, pulling out her phone, flipping it open and punching the 5 and 2 buttons to pull up JC’s name and hitting the green call button.

The phone rang three times and Allyson began to panic. She hadn’t thought about having to leave a message. What would she say? Maybe she would just hang up and text him.

“Hello? Allyson,” he said into the phone, cutting the fourth ring short.

“Hi, yeah, sorry. We got out a little late.”

"Turn it up," Shannon whispered. Even without a speaker phone she could hear the other side of the conversation if Allyson had the volume up loud enough. 

“No it’s fine,” he said, his voice getting louder as Allyson hit the volume button as far as it would go. “I’m just glad you called. I was getting worried you’d forgotten about me.”

Shannon’s big grin was met with a relieved smile from Allyson. Immediately she felt more comfortable. She had gotten herself worked up over nothing. This was fine. It felt like any other conversation between them.

“No, no, no. I want to hear this exciting news you have.”

“Yes!” he nearly screamed into the phone. “I’m going to be in New York in a couple weeks and thought I’d build in some extra time to come down to D.C. to visit.”

Shannon was shocked and it showed all over her face.

“Woah really?” Allyson said, genuinely surprised herself. That was the last thing she expected him to say. “Do you have another meeting at the Capitol?”

Both girls heard a low chuckle come from the other end of the line. “No, I’m coming to see you.”

“Oh,” Allyson was still shocked.

“I mean, I can not if you don’t want me to,” JC said, all of a sudden nervous that he had felt too comfortable in their relationship.

“No, no! I’d love for you to visit. I just wasn’t expecting you to say that,” Allyson said, her smile evident in her voice.

“Oh good,” JC said, letting out a relieved sigh and cracking into a smile.

“So, then, what’s going on in New York?”

“Well, because I’ve become such an advocate for funding for art and music programs, I was approached about being on a charity record that will benefit fine arts programs throughout the country.”

“Oh that’s great! Kind of like a ‘We are the World’ thing?”

“Yeah basically. I’ve done a couple of these before, so it’ll be fun. I’ll see some folks I haven’t seen in a while too. But, don’t say anything to anyone about it yet. It hasn’t been officially announced.”

Wow! Inside information, she thought, but saying, “No problem.” She gave Shannon a death glare that said, “Tell anyone before it’s announced, and I’ll kill you.” Shannon knew the look and drew an X across her chest with her right pointer finger.

They chatted for a few more minutes as JC relayed more details about the trip and their schedules. As soon as Allyson hung up, she and Shannon spent the rest of the night gushing over what had just happened. Shannon didn’t live far, but now that it was past 10 and neither of them had to work the next day, they decided to treat it as a sleepover, ordering Chinese take-out for a late-night dinner.

“Oh my God! Allie! I can’t believe JC is making a special trip just to see you!” Shannon said. “So what do you think he has planned for the third date?

Allyson just rolled her eyes. “This isn’t a third date and the last times weren’t dates either.”

“Yeah, OK, whatever.”

“It wasn’t! Just go to sleep!” Allyson whisper-yelled over to her friend who was sleeping on the air mattress set up on Allyson’s bedroom floor.

“Fine, but we’re not done talking about this.”

Allyson just chuckled as she rolled over to go to sleep.

The next morning, Allyson and Shannon strolled to one of their favorite French-American restaurants around the corner for some brunch. With a mimosa and two coffees on the table and an order of French toast and an egg sandwich on their way, Shannon broke the JC ice in the conversation.

“How the hell do you not call that a date? He takes you to dinner and then the next day fucking makes you dinner – or tried at least – and then you spent the night at his place!”

“You know it wasn’t like that.”

 “But am I wrong? Is that not what happened?”

Allyson smirked. “Yes, but, I mean, no. They weren’t dates.” To be honest, she was still trying to wrap her mind around the events of the fall. “He almost broke my jaw, remember? And then there was a shelter-in-place so I couldn’t go home.”

Shannon sighed. Allyson had a point, but Shannon was still convinced they were dates.