I didn’t get that day alone with Justin, something happened with the soundboard in the arena and he had to spend all day doing a sound check before they packed up the stage and everything and sent it to the next destination. So instead of shopping and pigging out I stayed cooped up in Trace’s hotel room ordering room service with him while he made business calls, fun right?
Even with my horrible ‘date’ and not being able to have some alone time with ‘the man’ himself, I had a good mini trip to Philadelphia. But I had to get back to Jersey on Monday morning, with my two favorite animals in tow. When I got back to my house I was somewhat relieved to be away from the hectic life Justin lives and back into my boring life of school teaching and dog sitting. Although, getting back to my life in the real world meant getting back to my mom, which was something I didn’t really look forward to.
I was minding my own business out in my backyard playing with Buckley and Brennan when I heard the sliding door open. I looked up from under Buckley (yeah he tackled me) and was met with the disgusted face of my mom.
“I had no idea you were in town.”
“I got a call from your Uncle Johnny the other day and he told me you joined Justin on tour for a few days to bring his dogs to him. But I see you brought them back with you.” She wasn’t a big fan of his dogs for the simple fact that when Justin left me with them a few months back when he was in Hawaii they tore up her couch when I brought them home with me to Connecticut.
“I’m dog sitting for Justin for the majority of the tour.”
“That’s cute.” I knew she wasn’t serious; I inherited my mom’s sarcasm gene so I could tell that she wasn’t.
My mom was another person who thought I was dating horribly and could do better. She was the one by my side constantly during high school and college when my boyfriends broke up with me and most recently when a lot of my childhood friends were getting married and starting families. She was constantly trying to set me up with people but I would turn her down (if my best friend was horrible at picking guys for me my mom would be ten times worse).
“You seem to be extremely close to Justin lately Alana. What’s going on there honey?” I was sitting across the room from my mom after I managed to wrestle Buckley off of me to head inside.
“Wow Janelle, absolutely nothing is going on there.”
“He bought you a BMW for God’s sake baby.”
“My car died and you or Daddy sure as hell weren’t buying me a new one. I’m watching his dogs for a long time and it’s a way to pay me back.” She rolled her eyes and took a sip of the soda she stole from my fridge. Uncle Johnny tells her stupid stories about Justin and I together and it gets her thinking that there’s some attraction there. I’ve got to let Uncle Johnny know that going back to Mom about us being ‘cute’ together isn’t kosher.
“Anyways, I spoke to Isaac yesterday and he said thanks for the package of stuff your class sent their troop. Apparently they’re all doing really great over there and he and Jimmy should be deployed to come home in about a month. Aren’t you excited baby?” I love my brothers and everything but they’re all my mom talks about. I don’t ever hear her telling people how proud of me she is, she always rambles on to people about her two boys who have done so much for our country. Apparently her daughter does nothing. There’s another place that I’m second best and that’s in my mother’s eyes; she may not say it but her boys always have and will come before the only daughter she gave birth to. I guess that’s why I’m a lot closer to my dad. Even though he lives a lot further than my mom does I see him more often than I see her.
“Yeah I’m excited Ma. Tell them that it’s not a problem and I’ll be sending more in a week or two.” We didn’t speak much after that so my mom got up and said she was going to visit a friend in the next town over before heading back to CT. I don’t even get why she came to my house.
The next day back at work I was met with quite the shock and when I walked into my 3rd period class (all the action in my work life happens in that class in case you can’t tell) they were sitting with their desks already in a circle all holding magazines and talking loudly.
“Alright quiet down you guys. What’s going on? What’s the problem?” Jamal held up STAR magazine and I was met with a picture of Justin, Trace and I on the cover walking around Philly; somehow I was standing a lot closer to Justin than I was to Trace and Justin was looking at me and smiling widely. I don’t even remember there being people around us with cameras.
“I knew I recognized that Trace dude from somewhere Ms. G. How come you ain’t tell us that you get up with these famous dudes?”
“I don’t see how my friends are important to your education guys.”
“Are ya dating or something?” Another student, Emma, asked as I took the marker from the edge of the board and started to write that day’s objectives to ignore their questions.
“You’re watching his dogs Ms. G? That’s so cool; you should let me come over one day so I can tell people I’ve seen Justin Timberlake’s dogs. You’ve been holding out on me Ms G. and that’s so not cool.” I had forgotten that Erica was a die-hard Justin fan, great.
“He bought you that BMW that you got last week?”
“Are you really seeing him behind Jessica Biel’s back? That’s bad Ms. G. Don’t nobody like a home wrecker.”
“That’s enough! None of whatever is in those magazines is true so drop it. My uncle is Justin’s manager and that’s how we know each other. He’s been at parties that my uncle has thrown and we became friends through there, friends nothing more.” After my outburst, the first one since I’ve been teaching, my class got back on track and we managed to make it the remainder 45 minutes without bringing up my weekend in Philadelphia anymore. I got through the day of getting questioned by my students (and my colleagues) and managed to make it into NYC after work to meet Noel for a late dinner, at Southern Hospitality.
“I don’t understand why we have to eat here constantly Alana. Do you understand how many other restaurants there are in New York to choose from? I get that you like to keep in touch with your black side, but do you have to eat this food every week?” She becomes so annoying when she whines and her Colombian accent starts to show which adds to the annoyingness. I just laughed at Noel and ignored her as we sat down at our usual table by the window, didn’t she know that free food is the best food?
“Stuff it Noel. You’re not pretty when you whine. And besides I don’t hear you whining when we’re done pigging out and the bill is nada.”
“That is true; tell those friends of yours that I love them.” We ordered our food and talked to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives in the past two weeks.
Noel and I grew up together back in good old Madison, Connecticut and have been friends since the fourth grade. She knows everything there is to know about me and vice versa. I think she’s the only person in my life that doesn’t care about who I date or what I do with my life; we look out for each other and that’s it. She knows that I have bad luck with guys (and every other aspect of my life) and she doesn’t feel the need to broadcast and analyze it all the time the way other people in my life do. This is all the more reason for me to love her like a sister and not a friend.
We were eating dinner when my cell phone started to vibrate from in my purse. I groaned and went digging through it before the person could hang up, something that happens frequently in my life.
“Hello?” I heard a lot of noise in the background and couldn’t really tell who it was by the number on my caller ID.
“LaLa! Baby, where are you?” If there’s anything more annoying that Noel whining, it’s Justin and Trace when they’re drinking (without me of course).
“I’m eating right now Justin. It’s only 10 o’clock, why the hell are you so drunk already?” I realized after asking that question that he didn’t have a show until the next day.
“I’m slightly buzzed actually. We’re back home in Memphis and we’re having a party at my place and so many people came. I don’t even know the majority of these people LaLa. What are you eating? Chicken? I want some Chicken right now.” What?
“No, actually I’m eating a pulled pork sandwich.”
“Ohmygosh! You’re at my restaurant. Juanito, La is at the restaurant. Man I could go for some ribs.” I hate drunken phone calls from Justin and Trace.
“I’ve got to go Justin.”
“Wait!”
“What?”
“My friend Davis wants to meet you. He lives in the city and is free tomorrow night if you’re up for it.” Oh my gosh.
“No.”
“Please Alana?” I could hear Trace in the background screaming ‘please’ and dragging it out like a two year old would and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine. This better be the last time Jay, seriously you suck at hooking me up with people.”
“I promise if you don’t like him it will be done. Call me tomorrow morning, and when I say morning I mean 2 o’clock in the afternoon my time.”
“It’s only an hour apart.”
“And that extra hour is crucial. Call me tomorrow. Bye La.” He hung up before I could even say anything.
“Another blind date?” Why was this bitch laughing?
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why do you say yes to him all the time Alana?”
“Because he’s done a lot for me, and I owe it to him to agree. Besides he’s only trying to look out for me.”
“Right, well that’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid Noel, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Then help me understand.” Even though Noel and I are best friends there are things that I’ve never told her that only Justin and Trace know about. I feel guilty from keeping things from her, but its better that way. She may not come and outright say things about me, but I know she judges the things I do and how I live sometimes because I don’t have a corporate job and I haven’t settled down like she has. Manhattan has gotten the best of my Noel in a way and even though I love her to death, she’s very judgmental.
“No.” After our mini argument at Southern Hospitality Noel left dinner early and left me to finish eating by myself. When I was done I got the manager, let him know who I was (he was new) and let him check with whoever he had to confirm that Justin and Trace gave the okay for me to get free meals there, and then drove back home. It may seem like I’m poor and need to mooch off of my friends for free food, but I don’t. The agreement with the free meals at Southern Hospitality came because I was one of the people that encouraged them to open up this restaurant because both of them were very skeptical about it. In return for being a backbone through the whole process, they agreed on letting me eat there for free; Southern Hospitality wouldn’t exist without me (there goes my sarcasm again).
After leaving the city I got back home to my wonderful abode and was met with Double Trouble (that’s what I’ve coined them) out of their cages and tearing apart throw pillows from my sofa. After a few minutes of keeping my cool and not going off I locked them back up and cleaned up the mess they made and went to bed. I needed my beauty rest if I was going to meet this Davis character.
