Chapter 19

Wednesday of that week, the day after JC’s birthday Alexis spent the morning with JC then had some interviews and a fitting for her music video that afternoon.  In fact, the whole rest of the week both Alexis and JC would be going non-stop. 

The new *NSYNC album, “Private Affair” was supposed to drop that next week, on Tuesday and they would be shooting the video for the first single, the song with Alexis that next Friday.  It was going to be a busy few days, and with that in mind, JC had invited Alexis over for some alone time on Thursday evening.  They ordered Chinese food from JC’s favorite Chinese takeout place and just enjoyed the quiet and each other’s company.  It was nice.

Alexis opened her eyes Friday morning to find JC awake and smiling back at her.

“How long have you been awake?” Alexis asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes then stifling a yawn.

“Not long.” JC replied grinning.

“Were you watching me sleep?”

JC smiled and popped a kiss on her lips.  “I was.  Do you know how peaceful you look when you’re sleeping?”

Alexis giggled.  “No.”

“I didn’t have the heart to wake you.  You just looked so content, and happy.  You were actually smiling in your sleep.”

Alexis blushed.  “I was probably dreaming.”

“And what do you dream about Pretty Lady?” JC asked, still grinning.

Alexis blushed.  She didn’t have the courage yet to tell him that most of her dreams for the past eight years were about him.

She smiled and shook her head.  “I thought we discussed this, if you tell a wish it won’t come true.”

JC chuckled.  “That’s a wish, not a dream.”

“A dream is a wish your heart makes.” Alexis shot back.

JC laughed then popped another kiss on her lips.  “Cute.  I forget you’re like the Disney quote queen.  Would you like some coffee?”

Alexis sighed and returned the pop kiss.  “Coffee sounds wonderful.”

JC smiled then tossed the covers on the bed aside, stood up and started for the bedroom door.  He was still NAKED from the night before and it made Alexis laugh.

“JOSHUA SCOTT CHASEZ!” Alexis squealed.

JC looked back at her, the smile on his lips was more of an evil grin than a smile.  Her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her bottom lip as she giggled and shook her head.

“What?! It’s MY house! I can walk around naked if I want.” JC teased.

Alexis laughed.  “True.”

He grinned at her then turned and headed for the walk-in closet instead.  Moments later he emerged wearing a pair of sweats and a black, male tank. 

“Better?” He asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Alexis just giggled and shook her head more.  “I wasn’t complaining before…you just caught me by surprise.”

“Uh huh, sure.” He chuckled.

In the next moment he was gone, leaving Alexis alone in the bed.  She giggled to herself then sat up and pulled the covers up around her body.  His bed was incredibly comfortable, more so than her own, and as she sat there, she began to wonder if it was the bed itself or the fact that it was HIS bed that made her feel so good.

Sighing happily Alexis reached for her phone on the night stand next to her and started to scroll through her messages.  There was a message from Andrew, reminding her about the video shoot the next day.  As if she could forget.  Then, there was a text from Kenny, just checking in with her and a text from her sisters, asking about her night with JC.

Alexis quickly shot a text off to her sisters first, letting them know that things were going well.  Then, she sent a text to Kenny to let him know she was fine and would check in again later.  Finally, she sent a text to Andrew confirming that she hadn’t forgotten about the video shoot. 

Once that was done Alexis placed the phone back down on the night stand and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment.  She heard the sound of a coffee grinder coming from the downstairs and she couldn’t help but smile.  He was making her fresh coffee and the smell of the beans wafting up the stairs was heavenly.

Minutes later JC re-entered the room carrying two cups of coffee.  He handed one to her then sat back down on the bed next to her.

“Thank you.” Alexis said as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip.

Her eyes widened and a smile spread across her lips as the hot liquid traveled down her throat.

“Did you put Peppermint creamer in this?” Alexis asked grinning.

JC smiled and nodded.  “I did.  I found some at the store the other day so I bought it just so you always have some in my fridge.”

Alexis smiled more.  This was the thoughtful Joshua she remembered.

“That was extremely sweet of you.”

JC beamed.  “It was my pleasure Pretty Lady.”

Alexis lifted the cup to her lips again as she tried to hide the fact that she was blushing a bit.  No other guy she’d ever dated made her blush quite the way he did.

“What’s on your agenda for today?” JC asked as he sipped on his own coffee.

Alexis paused in thought then giggled a bit.  “I promised Michelle we would do lunch together then I have a meeting with the video director just to go over final details before the video shoot tomorrow.”

“Should I be worried?” JC smirked.

“About?” Alexis replied.

“The video.” JC chuckled awkwardly.

Alexis laughed. She knew what he was implying.

“No.  No more Josh doppelgangers, I promise.”

This time it was JC that blushed a bit.  “Good to know. I’m not sure I could handle that again, especially not for this song.”

Alexis nodded and grinned.  It thrilled her to think her song had that much of an effect on him, then again, so had the other one.

“There will be a few guys in this video but none that look like you. I swear.”

JC made a face.  “Hmm…not sure I like that either.”

Alexis smiled.  He was jealous and at the moment she found it slightly adorable.

“You have nothing to worry about.  It’s not that kind of video.”

“What kind of video is it?” He asked seriously.

Alexis grinned.  “Nothing like you’re thinking, I promise, it’s all very innocent and playful.  That’s all.”

“I trust you.” He said nodding.

As much as he didn’t like the idea of other guys being that close to her, especially in a video for such a suggestive song he understood that it was all part of the job.  It was an act and she was playing a role, but it still irked him a bit. 

“What are you up to today?” Alexis asked sensing the need to change the subject.

JC smiled.  “I don’t know, just relaxing, I think.  Justin mentioned hitting the gym later but we will see. I kinda like the idea of having a day to myself before things get crazy again.”

Alexis nodded.  She understood the desire to relax completely.  Like JC, she LOVED what she did but the time off to recharge and refocus was always welcome.

“A day to just relax sounds nice.” Alexis said before taking another sip of her coffee.

“You could stay, you know.  We could stay in bed, I could make you breakfast…”

Alexis giggled.  “Breakfast in bed?! Just what are you cooking for breakfast?”

He grinned at her over the top of his coffee cup.  “I make AWESOME toast, and I think I have some fruit in the fridge.”

She shook her head and laughed.  JC loved the way she laughed. He loved the way her eyes seemed to sparkle and the way her laugh lines crinkled.  He loved the sound of her laugh too.  It was cute. 

“Well, as delicious as toast sounds, I really can’t stay in bed with you all day.  Like I said, I promised Michelle we would have lunch and I have a meeting with the video director this afternoon.”

“Do you have to go now?” JC asked pretending to pout.

Alexis giggled and shook her head.  “Not right this second.  I can finish my coffee then I probably should get dressed and head out. It is almost 11.”

“It’s not 11 yet?” JC asked smiling.

Alexis shook her head again. “No. Not yet.”

“What time is it?” JC asked, still smiling at her.

Alexis picked up her cell phone and looked at the time then back at JC.  He was smiling at her and biting his lip.  It was sexy as hell.

“10:40.”

JC grinned then set his coffee cup down on the night stand. 

“Hmm…20 minutes.  What can we do with 20 minutes?” He teased.

He was on his hands and knees now, crawling towards her on the bed.  Alexis laughed and took another sip of her coffee before setting it down on the nightstand beside her.

“You are terrible.” Alexis laughed as he crawled on top of her.

“Rotten to the core, but are you complaining?” JC chuckled quietly before burying his face in her neck.

“No sir.” Alexis giggled.

“Didn’t think so.” He whispered before pushing the comforter down, leaving Alexis naked and exposed on the bed.

The feeling of his lips and his teeth on her neck was sending shockwaves through her but she was trying to play it cool.  Alexis wasn’t quite ready for him to know just how much of an effect he had on her.  She didn’t know why, self-preservation perhaps.  She was still operating on the fear that he was going to leave her again.

Smiling a bit, she lifted his chin so that he was looking at her.  His blue eyes were smoldering and the way his curly hair cascaded around his face was making the butterflies in her stomach do flip flops.  

“Kiss me.” She whispered.

He grinned then placed his lips firmly on top of hers.  Alexis moaned softly and leaned into the kiss.

While he was kissing her JC pushed his sweats down around his knees.  He pushed her knees apart then slowly pushed himself inside of her. 

This time he was slow and attentive, kissing her mouth the whole time.  The rhythm of his kisses matched the rhythm of his thrusts.  He would slow down, making sure she felt every bit of him and then he would speed up a little making her tremble beneath him.  Meanwhile, her hands were all over him.  Alexis was touching every part of him, his chest, his back, his arms, and the feel of her hands on his body was making him dizzy with pleasure.

“Hey Pretty Lady, open those beautiful eyes of yours and look at me.” He whispered gently.

Alexis opened her eyes and looked up at him.  Was it love she saw in his eyes? She couldn’t be sure but he was definitely looking at her differently than he had before.

“Come with me?” He asked smiling.

Alexis bit her lip and nodded. 

Moments later she felt herself let go just as he did and then their bodies both relaxed as JC fell onto the bed next to her.

“That was better than toast.” Alexis teased.

JC laughed out loud.  “I’m glad you approve.”

Alexis rolled over on her side and popped a kiss on his cheek.

“I really should get up and get dressed.  I need to shower and change before lunch and I didn’t bring any clean clothes with me.”

JC nodded.  He didn’t like that she had to leave but he understood. Sighing loudly, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.  He pulled his boxer briefs on from the night before and then his sweats that he’d kicked off minutes earlier.  Then, he stood up.

“I’ll walk you out.” JC said looking down at her, still in the bed.

Alexis nodded and smiled, then swallowed the last bit of coffee before getting out of the bed.

“What?!” Alexis asked smiling as she pulled on her panties.

“I’m just admiring you.” JC replied grinning.

Alexis giggled.  “Ok.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Alexis shook her head.  “No.  Not at all. Just know I’m going to do the same to you.”

“I’m good with it.”

Alexis laughed and shook her head as she fastened her bra then pulled her jeans and her t-shirt back on.  He was being very flirty, but she wasn’t about to complain.

Alexis sat back on the bed to put her socks and shoes on but when she stood up, he was in front of her, wrapping his arms around her.

“When do I get to see you again?” He asked as he rested his forehead against hers.

Alexis screwed up her face in thought.  “Hmm…I don’t know. Sometime next week?!”

He shook his head.  “That’s too long.  How about Monday?”

Alexis bit her lip and made a face as she tried to picture her schedule.  Monday.  The *NSYNC album was scheduled for release on Tuesday.  Alexis grinned at him once realization hit. 

“Yes! You will see me Monday! Monday night!”

“I will?!” He asked excitedly.

“Yes! I will be at the Album Release Party Monday night, so will you.”

His eyes widened.  “The Album Release party?! FUCK! That’s right! I almost forgot!  Monday night it is, but you’re leaving with me.”

Alexis giggled. “Done.”

JC dropped another kiss on her lips then took her hand in his.

“C’mon, I will walk you out.”

Alexis quickly gathered her keys and her phone and shoved them into her pockets as she followed him out of the room and down the stairs.

At the door he stopped, pulling her into him again. 

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be.” Alexis whispered against his chest.

“I don’t want you to leave.” He replied.

“I know, but the sooner I go the sooner we get to Monday when I can see you again.”

“You’re gonna call before then, right?” He asked pouting his lip out dramatically.

Alexis giggled and swatted at him playfully. “Of course. I will call and text all weekend, promise.”

JC sighed and placed one last kiss on her lips before pulling away and unlocking the door.  He opened the door but was still facing her so he didn’t see what was on the other side but the sound of a voice snapped both of them from their trance.

“Well, well, well…what do we have here?” A familiar voice asked chuckling.

“Alexis?!” Another deep voice echoed in her ears.

Alexis immediately looked up and her jaw dropped.

Standing in front of the door were Tony Lucca, Matt Morris, Dale Godboldo, Jason Minor and Marc Worden.  All of them had sly grins on their faces and duffel bags in their hands. It was Marc that had said her name and from the moment her eyes met his Alexis knew it was going to get awkward.  They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in years.

“Alexis?! Alexis Moretti?! Is that really you?” Tony Lucca chuckled.

Alexis blushed.  “Umm…yeah…Hi.”

“Girl! Get your butt out here and give us a hug! It’s been TOO LONG!” Dale said grinning.

Alexis giggled a bit and stepped through the doorway and immediately was pulled into a hug from Dale.  Tony hugged her next, then Matt and Jason, and finally Marc.

The hug from Marc was awkward and sloppy. They fumbled a bit and he looked nervous as he pulled away. JC noticed immediately. 

“It’s good to see you.” Marc managed to say as he pulled away.

Something was up between them, JC could tell just by watching the way Marc seemed to be falling over himself with her.

“I KNEW it!” Matt exclaimed once the hug session finished.

“Knew what?” Alexis asked curiously.

“I’ve seen your video…quite a few times actually, but the name Danielle M. didn’t seem right.  Then, after about the third time watching it, I noticed the Leo pendant on the guy. That’s when I knew it was you.” Matt explained.

Alexis laughed.  “Took you that long Matt?! Geesh, have I really changed that much in eight years?”

“Yes!!” All six men chorused.

“You’ve had a MAJOR Glow Up, for real, you’re looking GOOD Lexi!” Jason teased.

“Hey now!” JC warned sounding defensive.

“Dude! C’mon! She’s HOTT!” Matt chimed in.

Alexis blushed slightly.

“So, it’s true?” Marc asked bravely.

“What’s true?” JC asked, his eyes studying Marc intensely.

“You and Alexis?” Marc continued.

“What about me and Alexis?” JC asked raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, come off it, man! It’s 11 a.m. on a Friday, you’re basically in PJ’s, she’s leaving your house…just admit it…” Tony teased.

JC smirked.  “And just what am I admitting to?”

Alexis made a face and placed her hands on her hips.  She loved Tony but she didn’t like what he was hinting at.

“I’m NOT a Booty Call, if that’s what you’re implying Lucca, and I don’t really appreciate the insinuation either.”

Tony smiled and held up his hands in surrender.  “Never! I would never imply such a thing! You’re too good for that, always have been Lexi.  All I am saying is, it’s good to see you again, and it’s about time JC started admitting he chose the wrong Moretti the first time around.”

Alexis lowered her eyes a bit. “Careful, Tony! That’s my sister you’re talking about.”

“Right?! But last time I heard she was in New York, and you two weren’t speaking.” Dale chimed in.

Alexis smirked.  “There have been some very recent developments in regards to THAT, but regardless, she is my sister and as much as we disagree, I refuse to let anyone talk bad about her.”

“That’s fair, but for the record, I agree with Tony, you were ALWAYS the right choice.” Jason added grinning.

“Exactly!” Tony replied winking at her.

JC just chuckled and shook his head.  This was NOT AT ALL how he had envisioned his day would go but he did have to admit it was good to see old friends. They had A LOT of catching up to do.

“Ok, ok, you’ve made your point, now, please, someone tell me what you all are doing here? I’m not complaining in the least, I’m just curious because I haven’t talked to any of you in MONTHS.”

“What?! We can’t just show up and surprise you.” Matt smirked.

JC laughed.  “You can, I am just curious as to why.  What’s the occasion?”

“You just said it, you haven’t talked to any of us in months and you did just have a birthday.  We thought we would surprise you with a “guys weekend” just the six of us.  Catch up, hang out, drink, eat, reminisce, celebrate the fact that you’ve joined the 30 club.” Dale explained.

“Sounds great.” JC said grinning.

Alexis smiled and shook her head.  This whole scenario had awkward written all over it and she felt the need to escape before it got any worse.  She did NOT want to be around if it slipped that she and Marc had been together.  She wanted to be as far away as possible IF and when that happened.

“You guys have fun with that. I am going to head out.” Alexis smirked.

“Aww. You can’t stay, just for a little bit?” Dale asked hopefully.

“Sorry.  Maybe next time.  Michelle is expecting me for lunch and I have a meeting this afternoon.” Alexis explained.

“Next time. That’s a date.” Tony said grinning.

Alexis giggled and shook her head.  “Have fun gentlemen.  Josh…I’ll talk to you later.”

In the next instant Alexis was gone, headed down the driveway towards her car.  However, she didn’t say or do anything until she was inside.  Once inside the safety and privacy of her car Alexis pulled out her phone and shot off a text to her sisters.

Alexis: Shit! I am in trouble!

Michelle: Why?

Alexis: Tony, Matt, Jason, Dale AND Marc just showed up at Josh’s place!

April: Damn! Do you think Josh knows?

Alexis:  I am sure that he doesn’t.  Josh was already long gone when Marc and I got together

April: Do you think Marc will say anything

Alexis: I don’t know but it was awkward so I am sure Josh noticed

Michelle: Well, it’s not like Josh has to worry…Marc is married now and he has a kid

Alexis: He is? He does? How do you know that?

Michelle: I just looked it up.  Matt, Marc and Jason live here in LA.  I’ve actually seen Matt and Jason a few times but they had NO CLUE who I was

Alexis: Oh

Alexis breathed a tiny sigh of relief.  At least she didn’t have to worry about Marc still being interested in her.  That would have driven Josh over the edge for sure.

Back at the front door JC was ushering his friends into the house. 

“This is quite the surprise.” JC chuckled as his friends stepped into the foyer.

“I called Justin.  He said your schedule was pretty open this weekend so we decided to just go for it.” Matt explained.

JC grinned and shook his head.  “You called Justin?! Of course, you did, and what was he doing when you called?”

“You know, I actually think he was out with a girl when I called.” Matt answered grinning.

JC laughed at this.  “Probably.  He’s kinda seeing Michelle.”

“Michelle?” Dale asked raising an eyebrow.

“Michelle Moretti; otherwise known as Alexis and April’s little sister.”

“That cute kid with the braid that used to tag along after April and Alexis all the time?” Tony laughed.

JC smirked and nodded his head.  “Yeah.  She’s not a kid anymore…I swear to GOD she’s like the younger, slightly shorter version of April and Alexis…it’s kinda creepy actually.”

“I bet.” Matt chuckled.

“So, give us the scoop!” Jason urged.

JC grinned and bit his lip.  “Tell you what, let me give you the tour then I’ll get a quick shower and I’ll tell you everything afterwards while we grill up some burgers or something.”

“Sounds perfect but we better get the Reader’s Digest version and not the Cliffnotes.” Dale teased.

“Deal.”

After showing the guys around the house and finding an air mattress in the garage JC left his friends to get settled while he jumped in the shower.

JC shut the bedroom door then walked into the master bathroom and opened the shower door.  He turned the water on, giving it time to get warm while he went to the closet and pulled out clean clothes.  He pulled a clean pair of boxer briefs from the drawer then settled on a pair of jeans and a simple navy blue, v-neck t-shirt. 

He stripped quickly then stepped in, allowing the hot water to hit his back and shoulders as he felt himself relax.  He was excited about having his old friends over to visit but there was something about the interaction between Alexis and Marc that didn’t sit well with him.  Yes, she’d been surprised to see them, he had been too, but with Marc it was awkward, like they didn’t know how to act around each other. 

Grunting a bit in frustration JC dropped his head back and allowed the water to splash over his head and face.  Things were finally good between him and Lexi, they were finally in a place where they were at least comfortable around each other, and now, here was another roadblock. 

Had something happened between Alexis and Marc? If so, what? When?  Just thinking about it was making him tense up again.  He needed to chill. This was supposed to be a fun weekend with his friends, not more drama.

After the shower JC quickly dried himself off then got dressed and headed out to the kitchen/dining room area. 

Tony had been to his place several times, Dale too, so they knew where everything was and were already making themselves at home. 

Tony had miraculously found hamburger meat in the fridge and was molding it into hamburger patties while Dale was scouring the fridge for condiments and other burger toppings.  It felt completely normal, and NOT normal at all at the same time.

“Didn’t waste any time finding the food, did you?” JC chuckled as he walked into the kitchen.

“Not really, no.” Dale smirked.

It didn’t take long before they were all out in the backyard, on the patio.  Tony took control of the grill while Dale brought out the condiments and other burger toppings and Matt carried out beers. Where all the beer had come from JC had no idea but he wasn’t complaining.

Jason handed JC a beer as they all stood around the grill just chatting.

For a while it was casual conversation.  They talked about work and families and sports but the topic of discussion quickly shifted to JC and Alexis.

“Ok, so give us the details, you and Alexis, how did that happen?” Tony teased.

JC chuckled nervously. “Umm…well…it was a bit of a surprise.  I got asked by her label to produce her album, or should I say, I got asked to produce Danielle M.’s album.  I had no idea it was her, but there was just something about her and that song that was making me crazy.”

“So, you heard it before you saw the video?” Matt asked.

“Yeah, I mean, it was the first song on her album that we worked on and that first day, when she sang it, I could have sworn she was singing it to me.  It was just so haunting and that look…OH MY GOD!”

“And you had no clue it was her?” Dale smirked.

“Nope.” JC said shaking his head furiously.

“When did you figure it out?” Marc asked.

Until then he had been curiously quiet and it was making JC crazy.

JC chuckled and bit his lip.  “Umm…well…technically, I didn’t.  She had to tell me.  I took her out, after we finished the album.”

“On a date?” Jason laughed.

JC blushed. “Yeah.”

“But you still had no idea it was her?” Matt smirked.

“Nope.”

“Classic.” Tony teased.

“So, then what happened? After you took her out?” Dale chimed in.

“Umm…well…after our date I offered to walk her to the door.  She said I didn’t need to, but I insisted.  Then, we got to the door and I asked if I could see her again and she kinda blew me off.”

All the guys started to laugh at this.  It was a bit un-nerving, but at the same time he understood why they found it funny.

“Go on.” Jason chuckled.

“I said something…I don’t remember what exactly but I called her Danielle and she corrected me and said her name was Alexis.  I didn’t get it at first, not until she mentioned that I used to call her Lexi.”

“I bet that went over well.” Tony smirked.

“OH! I was pissed! Unfortunately, we were standing inside the house by that point so, of course, Michelle walked out and basically chewed us both out.  I spent the night on the couch.”

All five men were chuckling and shaking their heads.  In truth, he wasn’t mad at them.  The whole thing was a bit over the top but then, he wasn’t complaining one bit about how it was turning out.

“Things seem good now though. You two seem…happy.” Marc said smiling awkwardly.

JC nodded and tried not to let his emotions show too much.  “Yeah.  I think things are good.  We are still trying to figure out how we feel, and well, April showed up last week so that was weird.”

“Dude! April was HERE! In LA?! You should have led with that!” Dale exclaimed as Tony started serving up burgers.

Once they were all seated at the patio table JC continued his explanation of what had happened.

“Yeah, last weekend, at my birthday party, she showed up, not on purpose.  It happened by pure coincidence.  I guess she saw the video too and decided to come to LA and make things right with me and Alexis.  She had no idea we were going to be at the same restaurant at the same time.  It was….it was SOMETHING! Alexis lost her SHIT! Then Michelle made them both leave and locked them both in her and Alexis’s apartment until they worked things out.”

Tony laughed and shook his head.  “Apparently all 3 of the Moretti girls are FEISTY! I thought April and Alexis were bad, Michelle sounds FIERCE!”

JC grinned and nodded. “She TOTALLY is!”

“Sounds like Timberlake may have met his match.” Matt snickered.

“Oh, she is more than capable of keeping him on his toes. I have NO doubt about that.” JC chuckled.

“Did April end up apologizing to you?” Jason asked sincerely.

JC cracked a smile and nodded.  “Yeah.  They had to trick me to get me to meet with her, but yeah, she apologized, then confirmed that Alexis was in love with me for the past eight years.”

“Are you in love with her?” Marc asked bluntly.

Married with kids or not, Marc knew that Alexis was a good person and deserved someone who would treat her well.  In other words, he still cared about her.

“Ok, for real, Worden, what is your deal? You’ve been WEIRD since you got here, since I opened the door and you saw Lexi.  Did something happen between you two?” JC blurted out.

Marc shifted in his chair.  He’d known from the moment JC had opened the door that this was going to be weird, but, there was no sense hiding what happened.  It would just make things worse, and, he was married now, happily married with a son so it wasn’t like JC had to worry about competition.

All eyes were on Marc.  He hadn’t told anyone this, except for his wife, who happened to be a big fan of Alexis and her music. However, as his wife had pointed out, Alexis was part of his past, part of what made him the man she’d fallen in love with so she couldn’t fault Alexis one bit.

“Umm…so…what you have to understand is…” Marc stuttered.

“Wait?! Wait?! Marc? Man, DID something happen between you and Lexi?” Tony asked as four pairs of eyes went wide.

“Well..umm…we were all friends…all of us…you, me, Tony, Matt, Dale, Jason, Lindsey, Jennifer, April and Alexis and the MMC ended and we all started going our separate ways.  You and Justin went off to Nashville and then to Europe with *NSYNC, Tony went to LA and then Nashville…”

“Ok yeah, not many of us stuck around, got it, keep going.” JC insisted as he felt the veins in his neck start to throb in anger.

“I stuck around for a bit, just trying to figure out what I was doing next.  I wasn’t in a rush to go back to Canada and Alexis and I we just started hanging out…”

“Hanging out?” JC asked as his jaw started to tighten.

“Yeah, hanging out.  You know, going to dinner, the movies, stuff like that.” Marc answered.

He could see that JC was getting angry, and he could hear the tension in his voice.  This was not going to go well.  That much was obvious, but he wasn’t about to run or hide from the situation.  They were grown men who should be able to handle their differences like adults, and Marc wasn’t about to end a friendship that was over a decade old because of a woman.

“So, you were dating her?” JC grumbled.

“Yeah, ok, we were dating.  You were still with April and would be still for at least another year or so.” Marc shot back.

“And?” JC replied.

“And what?” Marc answered.

“There’s more. I can tell just by the look on your face.” JC smirked.

“Like I said, you were off in Nashville with Justin but you were still dating April.”

“Ok, I was still dating April, we’ve established that but what aren’t you telling me?” JC replied, but this time his voice was more of a growl then a grumble.

“You guys were there a few months then you came back and jumped right into *NSYNC…” Marc continued.

“I don’t need a history lesson, I was there, get to the point Marc.” JC snapped.

“Things got serious between Alexis and I, then you went off to Europe and well…”

Around the table every pair of eyes was wide with shock.  None of them had known, apparently not even JC but now that he did, he was NOT happy.

“Marc…did you and Alexis…” Tony began.

“DON’T! Don’t answer that Marc.  I don’t want to know.” JC growled, his body seething with anger.

However, Marc was not about to let JC have the last word.

“LOOK man, I get it!  She was your best friend, but you weren’t dating her.  You were dating her SISTER, and if memory serves me correctly, after you came back from Europe, you were talkin’ about putting a ring on it! So, don’t sit here and act like you had claim to her too!” Marc shot back.

“You could have said something.”

“Yeah, I could have, but would it have changed anything?! No.”

“So, then, why did you two end it?” JC asked, still grumbling a bit.

Marc smiled at JC a bit.  Really, it was half a smirk and a smile.  Of course, he would ask that question. 

“Two reasons. One, I realized there really was nothing for me in Orlando anymore, aside from her, and two, because right about the time I realized that, I also came to the realization that it would have never worked long term between us because she was in love with someone else.”

“Who was that?” JC smirked.

“You! Dumbass!”

“So, you broke up with her?” Dale asked bravely.

No one wanted to piss off JC further.  He already looked and sounded pretty upset.

Marc smiled a bit more and shook his head.  “Yes, and no. It was mutual.  She was cool about it, and we stayed in touch for a bit.  She called me after you left, that night actually. She was pretty upset.”

“What did she say?” JC asked curiously.

“Not much.  She didn’t really want to talk about it so we talked about other stuff.”

There was an awkward pause that followed.  JC didn’t know how to respond to this new information.  It bothered him that neither Marc or Alexis had ever mentioned anything about their relationship, but he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he understood why.  How exactly did one bring that topic up in a discussion?

Finally, after several very tense and awkward moments Marc found the courage to speak again.

“I get it, you’re jealous.  I don’t blame you.  I probably would be too, but she’s not the one I’m married to now, is she?” Marc smirked.

“No.” JC sighed.

“Exactly my point.”

“Yeah man, she’s with you now so quit being pissy.” Dale teased.

“I’m not being pissy.” JC replied defensively.

“Yeah, you kinda were, but we get it, trust me.” Tony chuckled.

“Just do us all a favor.” Jason added.

“What’s that?” JC asked with a smirk.

“Don’t walk away this time.” Marc replied.