Chapter 11

The next morning Alexis woke up before her alarm.  She didn’t have anywhere to be, not until later that afternoon but she didn’t want to sleep the whole day away.  Smiling to herself, Alexis opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. 

The events of the previous evening were still fresh in her brain.  Actually, the events of the previous evening up until she met Josh in the hallway were still fresh in her brain.  The rest of the night after that had been mostly a blur. 

Shaking the thoughts from her head Alexis pushed the covers aside and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.  She stretched a bit then stood and started down the hall, readjusting her pajama pants as she walked.

Michelle was in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Good morning Sunshine.” Michelle teased, as she poured coffee for both of them.

Alexis smiled.  “You’re awfully cheery, even for you.  You must have had a good time at the party last night.”

Michelle bit her bottom lip and smiled back.  “It was fun.”

“Fun? Yeah, ok.  Is “fun” code for being giddy because you got to moon over Justin Timberlake all night long.” Alexis smirked.

Michelle let her jaw drop then pretended to be mad.  “I am NOT giddy, and I wasn’t “mooning!”

Alexis laughed.  “Keep telling yourself that.”

Michelle looked at her sister and grinned.  The teasing was all in good fun but in truth, it had been a LONG time since Alexis had been in this good of a mood.  Michelle was happy to see a bit of the sparkle back in her sister’s eyes.  It was long overdue.

“You are one to talk.  I’m surprised you even noticed since you were so busy making heart eyes at Josh all night.”

“Heart eyes?” Alexis replied.

Michelle laughed. “Yes, heart eyes.  Face it, you’ve got it BAD for him…you have since you were 18.”

“12.” Alexis shot back blushing.

Michelle smiled and shook her head.  “Exactly!”

Alexis took a sip of her coffee then sat down at the counter.  The events of the previous evening had started to replay in her brain again and she was still trying to make sense of it all.

“Last night…Kenny called Josh Mr. A.D.I.D.A.S boy, what does that mean?” Alexis blurted out.

Michelle laughed.  “You haven’t listened to his solo album yet, have you?”

Alexis shook her head.

Michelle could only grin.  “We need to fix that, like right now.”

Alexis made a face.  “Ok, why? What does it mean?”

“Think about it.”

Alexis sat quietly for a moment, thinking it over, but if she was supposed to have some realization it wasn’t coming to her.

“I don’t get it.” Alexis replied after several quiet moments.

Michelle grinned devilishly.  “A.D.I.D.A.S stands for All Day I Dream About Sex.”

Alexis nearly spit out her coffee.  “WHAT?! No, it doesn’t! Stop! Josh does NOT have a song about that.”

“Oh, but he does.  Sorry Sis, your man is a freak!”

“My man?  Josh is not my man?”

“Not yet.” Michelle smirked.

“We’ll see about that.”

“Yes, I imagine we will, and probably sooner rather than later.  What happened between you two last night anyway? One minute you were all moody and brooding like normal and the next there were stars coming out of your eyes.  Obviously, something happened.”

Alexis giggled as she brought her fingers to her lips, brushing them gently.  The tingle she felt when his lips touched hers was still there.  She could STILL feel it.

Michelle’s eyes went wide. 

“Lexi?! Did Josh kiss you last night?” Michelle squealed.

Alexis blushed immediately. 

“He did! Didn’t he?” Michelle continued giggling.

Alexis shook her head.  “No! Not exactly.”

“Then what exactly?”

Alexis blushed more.  It wasn’t like her to blush like this but that was just what Josh did to her.  She couldn’t help herself around him and that was part of her problem.

“He apologized.  He apologized for what he said and for comparing me to April.  He admitted that he shouldn’t have said it and that he wished he hadn’t.  He said that he understood that he had no right to ask me to forgive him but that he was begging for a second chance, a chance to make it all up to me.”

Michelle grinned.  “Well…that’s a start.  What did you say?”

Alexis smiled a bit and bit her lip.  “I said I needed to think about it.”

“And that’s when he kissed you?”

Alexis shook her head.  “He didn’t kiss me but I think he wanted to.  He got really close, so that our lips were just touching and then he said “Take all the time you need Pretty lady …I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”

Michelle laughed.  “Typical male…relying on sex appeal to make a point. “

Alexis shook her head.  “No.  I think if that was all it was, he would have kissed me, but he held back.”

Michelle giggled then nodded.  “Good! I’m glad to see him using a bit of restraint for a change.”

Alexis made a face.  “What does that mean?”

Michelle poured more coffee and shook her head.  “As much as it kills me to say this …Josh…or JC I should say, has a reputation for being a bit of a player.”

Alexis nodded and brought her cup to her lips.  “Honestly, are you surprised by this? After what April did?”

Michelle sighed.  “No.  Not really, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t kill me to see him like that.  I know that’s not the real Josh, at least not the one I remember.”

For a few moments neither girl said a word.  They were both lost in their thoughts.  Then, Alexis looked to Michelle and grinned.

“So…Justin Timberlake?” Alexis teased.

“What about him?” Michelle giggled.

“You tell me.”

Michelle swatted at her sister and laughed.

“He’s…”

“Hot? Sexy? Talented? Charming?”

Michelle made a face.  “I thought you steered clear of all things *NSYNC or Josh adjacent.”

Alexis smirked.  “Oh, c’mon! You should know me better than that.  I’m not blind or deaf.  The guy has some serious talent! Even I can admit that!”

“Good to see you’re not completely void of taste.” Michelle teased.

Alexis laughed.  “Yeah…about that…how about you go get this Josh solo album you keep talking about.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

Alexis shook her head and blushed again.  “No, but I guess we will find out, won’t we?”

Seconds later Michelle returned to the kitchen/dining room area and placed the CD in the stereo underneath the TV then handed Alexis the Cd case.

Alexis looked down at the cover and her eyes went wide.  There was Josh, on the cover, in a straight jacket, his blue eyes smoldering. 

“Schizophrenic?” Alexis asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, just wait!” Michelle snickered.

In the next moment music filled the room and as she listened Alexis felt her cheeks go warm and her heart start to pound.

Talkin’ to me all night long

When my song comes on

will you come out to play

To play

When you work your body

Shake it mami

Don’t hold back

‘cause I love to watch you play

By the time the song finished Alexis could barely contain her giggles.  In fact, she was laughing and blushing so hard that her face had turned beet red.

“What in the ever-loving FUCK was that?” Alexis laughed.

Michelle laughed.  “That was just one song.  I’m tellin’ you; the man has some serious FREAK in him.  Just look at the track listings.”

Carefully, Alexis turned the Cd case over in her hand and started to examine the back.  Immediately, she felt her pulse quicken as some of the track listings started to register in her brain.

Some Girls (Dance with Women)

100 Ways

Mercy

A.D.I.D.A.S

One Night Stand

“100 Ways? Do I even want to know what that’s about?” Alexis giggled awkwardly.

“You’re a smart girl, I think you can figure it out.” Michelle smirked.

“DAMN Josh! HORNY much?!”

Michelle burst out laughing at this.  She just couldn’t hold it in, seeing her sister, her older sister, react this way was just more than she could handle. 

“Oh YES!  I love him, I do, but the man has some serious issues!” Michelle giggled.

Alexis sobered for a moment and Michelle noticed quickly.  The conversation was about to get serious.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Michelle said smiling reassuringly.

“You do?” Alexis asked sighing.

Michelle nodded.  “I do.  You’re thinking you love Josh, but you’re not ready for “ladies’ man” JC.”

Alexis set her cup down and stared down into it. 

“I won’t settle for second place, not this time! I need to be number one with him or not at all.”

Michelle nodded.  “I think he knows that, or at least I hope he does.  He would be STUPID not to.”

Alexis gave her sister a look. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s done something stupid.”

Michelle nodded again, then cracked a tiny smile. “I really don’t think he’s going to make the same mistake twice, not with you.”

“I certainly hope not.” Alexis sighed.

***

A few days later, across town, Justin had called the group together to discuss their forthcoming album.  Most of the tracks were a complete but there were a few that still needed some tweaking, including their first single, “If I Never See Your Face.”

“What’s up J?” Joey asked as he settled back on the leather couch.

“Yeah.  You said you had something big, what is it?” Chris chimed in.

Justin grinned then pulled his laptop out and motioned for his “brothers” to get close.

“I think I found our female vocal!” He said proudly.

“Really? Where?’ Lance asked, getting excited.

Justin grinned over at JC and winked.  JC’s eyes went wide.  Justin was up to something, he knew it.

“Just watch.” Justin said as he hit a few buttons on his computer.

Moments later an image appeared on the screen.  It was Alexis, at the album release party, standing on the stage, getting ready to belt out the song she’d all but dedicated to him directly.

“NO WAY! NO! HELL NO!” JC exclaimed.

Justin laughed.  “Why not?  She’s PERFECT!  She’s EVERYTHING we are looking for…off the radar a bit, soulful, she’s got an edge and girl can SING her face off!”

“She won’t do it.” JC smirked with satisfaction.

“How do you know, have you asked her?” Justin shot back.

“No, but I just know.  She doesn’t like *NSYNC and she HATES me.”

Justin laughed.  “Oh yeah, she TOTALLY hates you, that’s why she’s written not 1 but 2 songs about you.”

JC’s eyes darkened as he glared back at Justin.  “Cry Me a River?!”

Justin shot back an equally withering look.  “I don’t hate Britney.”

“Maybe not now, but you did then.”

The three other men in the room just looked at each other.  It was time for someone to intervene, before this got out of hand.  The pressure they all felt as a result of re-uniting was already stifling, they didn’t need drama within the group on top of it.

“Ok, ok…none of this is worth starting an argument.  How about we just take a second, breathe, and at least hear what this girl has to offer.” Lance said bravely.

“Fine.” JC grumbled.

Justin grinned wildly then clapped his hands together before hitting the button for play on his computer.  Then, just as she was about to start singing Justin cranked up the speakers on his computer as loud as they would go. 

One by one three jaws dropped as they watched Alexis pour her heart out on the screen.  Justin was right, the girl could definitely SING!

“DAMN!” Chris whistled when the song finished.

“Did you know she could sing?” Joey asked looking to JC.

JC smiled a bit and shook his head.  “Not like that!”

Lance chuckled a bit and nodded.  “Well, she’s good. REALLY GOOD, and I hate to say it buddy but…I think Justin is right.  I think she’s PERFECT for this!”

“Agreed.” Joey said nodding.

JC sighed then ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  “I know! I would be lying if I said I didn’t agree, she is PERFECT but I’m telling you guys…she won’t do it.  That …and …well…I’d also be lying if I said the idea of singing with her didn’t scare the SHIT out of me! I’m not sure I am ready for that.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be doing it alone.” Joey said grinning.

“I know…it’s just…” JC started.

“It’s just that you’re in love with her.” Justin smirked.

JC sighed a bit more heavily and then started to rub at the bridge of his nose.  He was still trying to sort out his feelings and this was NOT helping.

“No! Yes! I don’t know!  I think maybe I could be.”

All four men grinned and nodded.

“Then why not give this a shot? Who knows, maybe she’ll surprise you.” Lance replied.

JC half smiled.  “Do you mean more than she has already?”

***

Over the next few days JC had a LOT of time with his thoughts, most of them involving Alexis.  He knew that his apology at the party hadn’t fixed things between them.  Far from it.  There was still a LOT of work to be done on his part if he had any hope of truly fixing things with her.  He was feeling up to the challenge.  She was special! He’d known that since the day they met.  Unfortunately, the pain and anger he felt as a result of what April had done had caused him to lose sight of that.

It was time to start showing Alexis what he remembered.

Unknown: Hey Pretty lady, what are you up to today?

Alexis looked at her phone.  She didn’t recognize the unknown number on the phone but the “Pretty lady” reference gave her a clue as to whom it might be. 

Lexi: Umm…that depends.  Who is this?

JC smiled to himself.  He couldn’t help but smile when he thought of her, sitting somewhere in her condo, looking down at her phone, her brow furrowed with confusion. 

Unknown: You can’t tell?

Lexi: I have an idea

Unknown: Well, you always were smarter than me

Lexi: Flattery?! Ok, keep talking.

Unknown: How about I continue to flatter you over coffee?

Lexi: Coffee?

Unknown:  Yes, coffee.  You do still drink coffee, don’t you?

Alexis giggled.  She had to give him credit.  He was trying.

Lexi:  Sure Josh. I’ll meet you for coffee

Then, she saved his phone number into her phone, replacing the old one that she’d never had the courage to delete.

Josh: You figured it out.  I knew you would

Lexi: Like it was hard.  Just one question, how did you get my number?

Josh: Gee, I wonder

Lexi: Figures

Josh: I’ll text you the address.  Want to meet up in an hour?

Lexi: Ok.  I have to bring my shadow

JC chuckled. If Kenny was coming along it was bound to get interesting, but he understood the necessity of a bodyguard better than most.

Josh: It’s ok…I have to bring one too

An hour later Alexis was walking up to a Starbucks somewhere between her Condo and his house in Hollywood.  It was an exceptionally warm day in mid-July so she had dressed casually in a pair of hip huggers jeans and flowy peasant top that came off one shoulder.  Her long, dark hair was piled in a messy bun atop her head.  She felt comfortable.

Kenny was just a few steps behind her.  His plan was to remain inconspicuous, that was until he saw a familiar face sitting at a table just beyond where JC was seated outside the front of the store.

“Kenny, is that you man?” A voice boomed from beyond where Josh was sitting.

The equally large man stood from his spot and a HUGE, cheesy grin spread across his face as he approached.

“Lonnie! Man, long time, no see.  How have you been?”

The two men exchanged what Alexis referred to as “man hugs” while she and Josh stood there dumbfounded.

“You two know each other?” Alexis asked in shock as the two men pulled away from each other.

Kenny grinned. “Yeah…Lonnie and I go WAY back.  I thought I mentioned that.”

“Nope.” Alexis smirked.

“Must have slipped my mind.” Kenny teased.

“Mmm.  Must have.” Alexis shot back.

JC just smiled and shook his head, then placed a hand at her back.  Alexis stiffened immediately and JC cursed himself for causing the tension between them.

“C’mon Lex, let me buy you a cup of coffee.”

Silently, she nodded then allowed him to hold the door and guide her into the shop.  Once inside they stepped up to the counter.

“What can I get for you?” the Barista behind the counter asked.

JC smiled down at Alexis before turning to the Barista to order.

“One bold drip with room for cream and sugar and a Venti Peppermint white mocha, no curls, please?” JC asked politely.

Alexis stood there in shock.  She couldn’t believe that he’d remembered her drink order after all this time. 

“You remembered my drink order?’ Alexis asked, the shock evident in her voice.

JC smiled, and it was one of those smiles that made her feel warm and tingly all the way down to her toes.

“I remember everything about you Lexi.”

“Oh really?” She asked, trying not to smile.

“Mmm Hmm.” He replied.

“I’m not the same girl I was back then.” Alexis said as the Barista handed over the drinks.

JC cracked a smile.  “No. No you’re not, but I’m not the same guy either.”

“So, I’ve heard.” Alexis smirked.

They were settled outside at a table now, with Kenny and Lonnie seated just a few feet away chatting, but still keeping tabs on the situation.

“What have you heard?” JC asked chuckling.

“Stuff.” Alexis giggled.

“Oh yeah? From whom?”

He was still smiling at her and it was making it incredibly hard to focus on forming coherent sentences.

“Who do you think?”

JC laughed.  “I’m not sure Michelle is a reliable source.”

Alexis nodded and giggled a bit.  “That may be true.  She is a reporter.”

JC’s jaw dropped.  “Wait?! What?! Michelle is a reporter? When did that happen?”

Alexis smiled.  “Ok, so maybe she isn’t a reporter per se, but she is getting her Masters in Journalism.”

JC laughed a bit then shook his head.  “Well, she was always the overachiever in the family.”

Alexis nodded.  “I think she felt like she had to be just to keep up with April and I.”

There was a very long, awkward pause that followed.  Neither knew just what to say.  There was still so much that needed to be said and just as much that didn’t.

JC shifted in his chair then cleared his throat.  The silence between them was making him crazy and it was getting him absolutely nowhere.

“When did you get so good?” He asked.

“Excuse me?”

He bit his lip and Alexis blushed.

“Your voice is AMAZING Lex! I’ve never heard anything like it.”

“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” Alexis replied as she felt her cheeks go warm.

He tilted his head a bit and looked at her.  He hadn’t expected a statement like that from her.

“When have you heard me sing?” He asked curiously.

Alexis giggled. “I told you, Michelle gave me a crash course in *NSYNC…and well…I might have heard your solo album recently too.”

JC’s eyes widened.  He wasn’t quite sure how to take that admission.  It definitely made him think about her in a way he hadn’t before.

“Oh?!”

Alexis blushed then gave him a look.  “I heard some of it…not all of it…but what I heard was…well…”

JC laughed, but it was low. It was the type of laugh that sent a cold sweat pulsing through her body and made the hair at the nape of her neck stand on end.

“We’re not kids anymore Lexi.” He said smiling back at her with a pair of bedroom eyes.

Alexis swallowed hard.  “No. No, we’re not.”

“Do you think of me that way?” He asked boldly.

The way he’d just blurted it out caught her off guard.  She didn’t know quite how to respond.  There had been a time when they told each other everything but she wasn’t back to that place, not yet.

“What way?”

He bit his lip suggestively and leaned back a bit in his chair. “You know what way.”

“Umm…”

JC chuckled, set his drink down on the table between them then leaned forward so that he was as close to her as possible without needing to crawl over the table.

“You do, don’t you?” He whispered.

If this was the JC that Michelle had told her about, she didn’t like him. 

“I’m not like that!” Alexis snapped, pushing her chair back with her feet.

JC reached out with both hands, placing them on her thighs, placing just enough pressure to hold her in place but not hurt her.

“I know you’re not Lexi!  You’re too good for that, but I am not going to sit here and lie to you and tell you that I haven’t thought of you that way.  I have!  I’ve thought about you that way several times since meeting you again.”

Alexis didn’t speak but the look in her eyes told him that she was listening.

He sighed then inched his chair closer, let go of her legs and took her hands in his.

“I know what you’ve probably heard.  I can only imagine, but I promise you, with you, it’s not like that.  I am not going to rush this.  I’m going to take my time.  I want to get to know you again…but Lexi…I want to get to know ALL of you.”

As much as she didn’t want to Alexis couldn’t help but smile.  Something in his eyes told her he was being sincere.

“Ask me out.” She said with a mischievous smile.

“What?” He asked confused.

“Ask me out on a date.”

“A date?” He replied grinning.

“Yes.  A date.  A real date!  You pick me up…at my place.  You take me out.  You pay.  You drive me home…and maybe…maybe…if you’re good…I’ll let you kiss me at the end of the night.”

JC grinned more then, leaned forward so their heads were touching.

“Lexi…will you go on a date with me?” He whispered.

“Yes, I’d love to go on a date with you Josh.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow?”

JC shook his head and sighed.  “Tomorrow is no good.  We have an interview and a photo shoot.  Friday?”

“Friday sounds perfect.” She replied quietly.

“Done!  But Lexi…I may not be able to wait until the end of the night to kiss you.”

Alexis giggled and the feel of her breath against his face, mixed with the sound of her laugh sent shockwaves through him.

“Play your cards right and I may kiss you first.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” She teased.