Anne sighed once again. By now, JC knew there was more to it than plain boredom; it sounded more like frustration.

“What’s up, Babe?” He picked up the remote and paused the film.

“Huh?” She seemed almost surprised to see him there. “Uh, nothing, Jace. Why do you ask?”

“Because that’s like the fifth time you’ve sighed. Is the movie that bad?”

She laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s not the movie. What are we watching anyway?”

He rolled his eyes. “Only ‘Memphis Belle’, your all-time favourite. Come on; just tell me what’s wrong. You know I’m not going to let it go, so you might as well tell me now.” He touched her arm.

“Nothing’s wrong, JC, seriously. I’m just feeling, I don’t know, I guess I’m feeling lonely. I know I’m not alone really, I mean who could be with a family the size of mine? It’s just that I'm single still. I’m tired of being the odd one out with no date and no life and I hate being the third wheel and it’s not that I want a boyfriend right now, but sometimes I just want someone.” She paused. “I miss that feeling of just being with someone, having someone to hold me and kiss me and that’s all. That’s what I want. I’m tired of being alone.”

“OK, what I hear you saying is that you want some physical contact with a member of the opposite sex, is that right?” He met her eyes, trying to make sure he had gotten it right.

“Yeah. Just the physical stuff, not a commitment.”

“Anne, are you saying you want to have a one night stand?” He pretended to be shocked.

“No!” She threw a pillow at him, which he caught. “What is wrong with you? You know I’m not like that! I’m waiting for marriage, Jace. I’ve been hurt a lot in relationships without involving sex. Can you imagine how much more it would have hurt if there had been sex involved?” Anne reached over and picked up her drink.

“I don’t know if you’re idealistic or if you’re right but, if you’re just looking for some hugging and kissing, what about me?”

She spit her soda on him.

“Thanks, Anne. That makes me feel really good.” He wiped the soda off his face.

“I’m sorry, Jace,” she laughed, coughing out a bit more soda. “You totally surprised me! Where did that come from?”

He passed her a napkin. “Nowhere. You want physical contact with a guy, I’m a guy capable of giving you that contact, and I totally understand what you’re looking for. I won’t give or expect more than hugs and kisses. I’m single too, and I’m lonely too. What do you say?”

“JC, you can’t mean that. We’re friends. We’ve known each other forever. Heck, I even had a crush on you in high school!” It was true, she’d had a crush on him since the first time she’d seen him at Joey’s school. What she didn’t tell him is that her crush was current; she still liked him a lot and she probably always would.

“You think I didn’t know that? What makes you think I didn’t have a crush on you too?” His blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled at her.

“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes, “I seem to remember you always had a girlfriend.”

“So what does that have to do with now? Neither one of us is dating anyone. How often has that happened before in our friendship?”

“Never?”

“That’s right, never. Come on, we’re not talking about a relationship. We’re talking about two lonely single people who happen to be attracted to each other giving each other companionship.”

“Wait a minute. Did you just say that you think I’m attractive?” She couldn’t believe it. Had she heard him right?

“What is it with women? That is totally not the point right now.” He was getting a little frustrated with her.

“Yes it is! You said, ‘people who happen to be attracted to each other.’ Does that mean you think I’m attractive?”

It was his turn to sigh. It was a losing battle; he might as well just give up. “Yes, Anne, I think you are attractive.”

“Really?” she asked in disbelief. “What’s attractive about me?”

“Can we get back on topic, please?”

“We haven’t left the topic.” She was getting bossy and if he had to admit it, he’d say it was kind of funny. “I want to know what you find attractive about me. Come on, how often do I get to ask a guy and know that I’ll get a straight answer? Please, JC?”

“What do I find attractive about you?” He shrugged and then he reached out and took her hand. “Anne, you love life. You’re fun and crazy and silly and serious and sweet. You’ve got a lot of qualities that the guy who is lucky enough to capture your heart is going to love.”

“Oh.” She frowned.

“What? You asked, I answered.” He was getting frustrated again.

“I know. It’s not your fault. I was hoping there was more than just a ‘great personality’ that would attract a guy to me. I was hoping I was maybe a little bit pretty.”

“Anne! What are you talking about? You’re beautiful!”

“Whatever, JC,” she shook her head. “I know what it means when a girl is described by her personality traits. It’s not a big deal.”

“You are crazy. Do you know that?” JC moved from his chair to the loveseat where she was sitting. He put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Anne, will this convince you that I think you’re beautiful?” He stroked her cheek gently, looked deeply into her eyes and brought his lips to hers.

Anne couldn’t believe JC was actually kissing her. Talk about a dream come true. She felt her heart start to soar and thought she was going to float off the couch. It was like her insides were melting. Yes, she was definitely missing out on the physical contact part of a relationship. She pulled away from him slowly. “Wow!” she breathed.

“I know,” he returned with a smile. “That was wow!”

Before he had a chance to say anything else, Anne turned wrapped her arms around JC’s neck and kissed him. They were enjoying their ‘platonic’ kissing session when the lights were suddenly turned on.

“Oh, geez, I’m sorry, JC! I’ll be in the kitchen.” Justin did a quick about face and turned out the light on his way out.

Anne and JC had pulled apart quickly. They looked at each other and laughed. It was just too funny and exactly the kind of thing that would happen to two klutzes like them.

“Jace, do you think he saw it was me?” she bit her lip nervously.

“I don’t think so. If he did, he wouldn’t have left. Let me go to talk with him and see if I can get rid of him.” JC gave her a peck on the cheek and went down the hall.

In the kitchen, JC found Justin with his head in the refrigerator, scrounging for leftovers. “Hey, Justin. What’s up?”

“Maybe I should be asking you, C, seems like you might have forgotten that we’re getting together here tonight to watch the fights. I rang the doorbell a couple of times, but you didn’t answer. I guess you were too busy, huh?” he smirked.

“The fights are tonight? I thought that was tomorrow. Who else is coming over anyway?” JC was racking his brains.

“Wow, C, she must be quite a kisser if you’ve forgotten everything!” Justin laughed.

“She is, but that’s none of your business. Who’s coming?”

“Well, let’s see…you invited your brother, Joey, Lance, Chris and a couple other guys.”

“Shit! Did I really? Look, I’m going to bail on you. The house is yours. Just don’t do anything to get my neighbours mad at me, OK? And don’t trash my house!”

JC raced down the hall and grabbed Anne’s hand. “We have to get out of here. Your brother is coming. Do you know what he would do to me if he caught me with you?”

“Please, JC. Joey’s a teddy bear. What could he possibly do to you? I had as much of a part in any kissing as you did.”

“Anne, I thought you knew your big brother better than that. Let’s just get out of here before everyone else arrives.”

They were headed to the front door when the doorbell rang again. JC put the brakes on and was starting for the kitchen when Justin started to open the kitchen door. JC had to think fast, so he scooped Anne up in his arms, and so that Justin wouldn’t see her face, he planted a big kiss on her as he carried her through the kitchen door.

Justin gave him a grin and went to answer the door.

JC put Anne down and they bolted out the back door. They ran out into the yard laughing.

“Well, that was quick thinking, JC. I can’t believe we got away with it.”

“Are you kidding? You should have seen the look Justin gave me. I think he’s jealous.”

“So, Smarty, how are we going to get out of the backyard without someone else seeing us? It’s too cold out to stand around here all night.”

“We’ll have to wait until they are all inside, then we can scoot down the driveway and find someplace to go. I’m sure we can find some way to keep warm while we wait,” he grinned mischievously.

“Yeah, maybe we could. I think playing tag would be a great way to stay warm, and guess what? You’re it.” She smacked JC on the arm and ran out of arm’s reach.

“That wasn’t what I had in mind, Anne.”

“It wasn’t?”

“Don’t play all innocent with me, Hot Lips. Come over here and I’ll show you what I had in mind.”

“Hot Lips?” She questioned with a smile.

“Yeah, Hot Lips. Don’t tell me you didn’t know what a great kisser you are.”

“Actually, I didn’t, but I’m glad you think so.”

“I know so,” he nodded. JC sat down on a garden bench and pulled her into his lap.

The minute their lips connected, she felt much warmer. She didn’t remember kissing ever having this effect on her before. Maybe it was the danger factor; her brother could come out of the house at any minute. She wasn’t really afraid of what he might do. Joey was pretty laid back, albeit a little overprotective when it came to his “baby” sister, but that didn’t mean he’d go ballistic or anything.

Justin opened the door for Chris and Joey; they were soon followed by Lance, a couple more friends and JC’s brother. Justin was the perfect host. “Come on in, guys, the beer’s in the fridge, the munchies are out and the television is warming up!”

“Where’s JC?” everyone asked.

“Man, he bailed on us for some new girl. You should have seen him kissing her. It was like he’d never kissed a girl before. He looked happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

“What do you mean he bailed on us?” Chris asked. “With a girl? He can’t do that on guy’s night!”

“Well, he can and he did, Chrissy,” Tyler replied. “Besides, if Justin says JC was happy, that’s enough for me. He’s been a total bear lately.”

“Yeah, but you can only blame that on she who shall not be mentioned. She did a real number on our boy,” said Joey.

“She sure was a piece of work. What was he thinking?” Chris asked.

“Who said he was thinking?” Justin countered.

“Good point, J.” Chris nodded. “So what was this new girl like?”

“How should I know, it’s not like he introduced me or anything. He was actually surprised to see me here.”

“Hey, guys! We’re supposed to be watching the fights. This is starting to turn into one of those sensitive touchy feely things, and if it doesn’t stop, I’m outta here!” said Joey as he turned up the volume of the TV.

The guys left the topic of JC behind them and got into the matches on the TV.

Anne and JC had been sitting on the bench for about a half an hour. Anne was enjoying the feeling of JC’s arms wrapped around her. She felt so comfortable and shielded. She was still sitting on his lap, with her cheek pressed against his. She could feel the prickles of his five o’clock shadow. They were watching the moon rise over the house next door.

“Anne, I am totally comfortable sitting here with you like this, but I think it’s time we made a dash for it.”

“OK. I guess you’re right.”

They stood up and started towards the gate. Anne was surprised when JC reached for her hand and held it firmly in his own, but she decided not to comment on it.  They crept down the driveway with more caution than was necessary judging from the noise coming from the house.

They spent the evening walking around town. They had fun window shopping and pointing out the ugliest things in the shop windows to each other. They strolled hand in hand, enjoying each other’s company. When they got a little chilled, JC pulled Anne into an out of the way coffee shop. He settled her down at a table near the fireplace and went to the counter to order. Anne sat, mesmerized by the colours of the flames.
JC saw how absorbed she was in watching the fire. He laughed to himself as he weaved through the tables on his way back to her. He set two large mugs of hot chocolate on the table and sat down before Anne even saw him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked while reaching out to touch her fingers.

She jumped a little, then smiled. “Sorry. I guess I zoned out on you there. Have you ever noticed how many colours there are in flames? I love to watch them dance, the way they move, the patterns they make, it’s just so beautiful. It’s funny, isn’t it? Fire is beautiful, but can be so deadly. But, I guess that’s the same as a lot of things in life, isn’t it?”

“Wow. You’re deep. You know, Anne, you’re the only person I know who would notice something like that. You’re really different, you know?”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m single,” she replied bitterly. “Guys never like girls who are different. A girl with half a brain scares them.”

“No, the only reason you are single is because you choose to be. You’ve got high standards, and that’s a good thing. If a guy can’t see how great the way you think is, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

JC took a sip of his hot chocolate and looked at Anne. He had whipped cream on his nose, and she tried not to look at it. It was too hard. She finally let out a giggle.

“What?”

Anne picked up a napkin and said, “Lean this way, Jace.” JC leaned towards her, expecting a kiss. He was surprised when she wiped his nose off.

“Sorry. I couldn’t let you sit there with whipped cream on your nose, even if it did look cute.”

“Cute, huh? I’m cute?”

“Like you didn’t know that, Chasez.”

“Come here and give me that kiss I thought you were going to give me a minute ago.”

She leaned across the small table and gave him a small kiss on his nose, and then she sat back in her chair and picked up her drink, smiling innocently at him. JC just laughed and picked up his drink as well.

They sat and talked and talked. JC stretched one arm over his head. That was when he noticed the clock. “Anne, do you know how late it is? I’d better get you home!”

They walked to her place holding hands again. At her doorstep, she turned and looked up at him.

“Goodnight, JC,” she said.

He drew her face towards him and placed his lips gently against hers. She felt her insides melt again. He pulled away from the kiss, “Sweet dreams, Honey.”

JC watched her get in. Once he knew she was safe, he turned and walked home. There were only a couple of blocks between his place and hers. He spent the walk debating about when he should call her again. He couldn’t believe how excited he was about this change in his friendship with Anne.

JC walked in his house just as the rest of the guys were getting ready to leave.

“JC! I can’t believe you ditched us,” said Chris.

“Sorry, guys. I had to. I couldn’t let her go.”

“So, are you going to tell us about her?” Joey asked.

“Not tonight, fellas,” he replied with a smile on his face, “Hey, how were the fights?”

“You don’t tell us about your girl, we don’t tell you about the fights,” Chris teased.

Anne entered the house like she was floating on a cloud.

“Hey! Looks like you had a great night,” commented her sister-in-law, Kelly. “Care to share the details?”

Anne smiled. “OK, but you have to promise not to tell Joe.”

Anne told Kelly all about the evening with JC and their new status as “kissing friends”. Kelly watched as Anne became more and more animated.

“Anne, I’ve known you for a long time now, and I’ve never seen you like this about a guy before.”

“I know. I’ve never felt this way before. JC was great. He was so tender and sweet and he made me feel so good about myself. And when he kissed me, well, I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She knew she had a goofy grin on her face, but she couldn’t help it.

Kelly couldn’t believe how oblivious Anne was. “You know you’re in love, right?”

“Kelly! I am not! He’s my brother’s friend. He’s my friend. I can’t fall in love with him. Besides, he’s famous and I’m a nobody. And, he’s my brother’s friend.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve established that JC is Joey’s friend. That doesn’t mean anything. And as for the whole famous thing, you know well and good that your brother fell for somebody who wasn’t famous. Why can’t JC? And, for the record, you are not a nobody!”

Joey walked in, and their conversation was over. He wrapped Kelly in his arms and kissed her passionately. “I missed you, Babe!”

Anne watched her brother and his wife and realized that she wanted a relationship like theirs. She wanted a man who would miss her and be happy to see her even if they were only separated for a short time. Now the question was, what was she going to do about it?

“Well, lovebirds, it’s obvious to me that I’m in the way here, so good night!”
Joey put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Whoa! Annie, you know you are never a third wheel. We love having you live with us.”

“I know, Joe,” she hugged her big brother, “and I love being with both of you as well, but you need your space, and I really need to get to bed anyway. I have to work in the morning.”

“OK, but before you go, Kelly and I have something to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else yet.”

Anne looked from Joey to Kelly. “Don’t keep me in suspense! Tell me!”

“OK, Aunty Anne.”

Anne’s jaw dropped. “No way! I’m going to be an aunt?”

Joey nodded, “Yep, in about six months.”

Anne squealed and hugged both of them at the same time. “I’m so happy for you two! I’m going to be an aunt!”

She put her hand on Kelly’s stomach and bent down, “I’m going to be the best Aunt ever. Anytime Mom or Dad say no, you come see Auntie Anne.”

Joey shook his head and smiled at Kelly, “I told you. She’s totally going to spoil our child.”

“Hey, that’s my job as an aunt. Live with it.” Anne stuck her tongue out at her brother as she left the room.

JC stretched out on his couch. Everyone had left except for Justin.  

“C, you’re about to burst open at the seams. Tell me about her.”

“I can’t, Justin.”

“Yeah, you can. Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

“Look, if I tell you, you cannot tell anyone. I’m very serious.”

“JC, don’t I always keep your secrets?”

“OK, here’s the thing…” JC described the events of the evening to Justin.

“Hold on. That girl you were in lip-lock with was Anne? Little Annie-Anne, the sweet little girl who is like a little sister to all of us? That Anne?”

“Yeah, J, that Anne.”

“C, you know that Joey’s going to kill you if you hurt her, right?”

“I know.” He paused. “You know what though? I have never felt the way I felt when I kissed her. I think maybe she could be the one. I mean the one. But she only wants companionship and I told her I wouldn’t give her more than she wanted. Justin, I’m in love.”

“Wow. Now that’s something I thought I’d never see.”

“What’s that?”

“JC Chasez falling head over heels and not knowing what to do about it. But, I’ll tell you what to do. You treat her right, and you respect her, and you love her. It will all come out right in the end.”

Anne had been tossing and turning for over an hour. She turned on her bedside lamp and tried to read, but nothing was keeping her attention. How could it when all she could think of was JC?

She picked up the phone and dialed his number. The phone rang quite a few times, and she was just about to hang up when she heard a tired grunt on the other end.

“JC? I’m sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“No, Anne, don’t hang up. Girl, you could call me anytime of day or night, and I wouldn’t mind. I wasn’t asleep yet anyway.” I was just lying here thinking of you, he thought. “What’s up?”

“Um, nothing. I just couldn’t sleep, and I thought maybe we need to set some ground rules with this kissing thing, don’t you?”

“OK. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I mean, I think we need to agree that we will be totally honest with each other, you know? If this thing isn’t working for one of us, we need to be honest and tell the other person, right?”

“Sure, right,” he agreed absently. “Anne, are you trying to tell me that this isn’t working for you?”

“No! That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to miss out on the perfect relationship because you’re spending all your time with me. I think you need to go out on dates and stuff. I don’t want to hold you back.”

“Anne, Honey, you aren’t holding me back. I don’t want to date right now, but how about we agree that if either of us is interested in dating someone, we should tell the other person first so they don’t find out from someone else.”

“Sure, that sounds fair. But I’m not interested in dating anyone. I’ve pretty much given up on the whole dating scene. Guys pretty much suck, except for you and Joey, of course.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be so cynical?” He laughed.

“Oh, sure, make it sound like I’m still in high school. I’m only two years younger than you.”

“That’s it, huh? Two years. That’s not a bad age gap in a relationship, not that we are in one, but if we were, that wouldn’t be a bad difference at all.”

“Sure, if we were. Like that would ever happen.”

“Why not, Anne? Aren’t I good enough for you?”

“Please. It’s more like you’re too good for me. Good grief, you’re a famous pop star, and I’m just a pop star’s little sister. I’ve seen the girls that mob you all. You could have your pick if you really wanted it.”

“You know you’re more than just Joey’s sister. You’re a pretty fantastic person all on your own. I could totally see myself with you—I mean, if we had feelings for each other and stuff, but we don’t!”

“No, we don’t, that’s right. I’d better go, JC, I’ve got to work tomorrow.”

“Poor baby. We getting together tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’m finished at four. How about I come over to your place around six?”

“Tell you what, why don’t you come over right after work, and I’ll make dinner?”

“JC, no offense, but I’ve eaten at your place before. You’re not the best cook.”

“Hey! I can cook! Well, if you count macaroni and cheese, and anything I can throw in the microwave. OK, then, I’ll order dinner in. We can finish watching the movie. What do you say?”

“Sure, that sounds good. I’ll bring dessert from the bakery beside my work.”

“Now you’re talking,” JC laughed.

They both said goodnight, and when they hung up their phones, both were finally able to fall asleep.

Anne had a rough time getting up for work. She contemplated calling JC to make him wake up and suffer too, but decided it was probably best not to.

Fueled by a couple of cups of coffee, Anne made it to work and got down to business. She was a manager in big box bookstore. It was a busy Saturday and things were just not going right. The phones were ringing incessantly, stock wasn’t where it was supposed to be, and she’d totally screwed up in front of her boss’s boss. She was running all over the store trying to help customers, track down items, and keep the staff from standing around talking when a delivery person approached her.

“Excuse me, are you Anne Fatone?”

“Yes, I am. How can I help you?”

“Can you please sign for this package?” He held out the tablet and stylus for her signature.

“Look, we don’t accept deliveries on the weekends. You’ll have to deliver it on Monday.” She didn’t mean to sound so snarky, but she was really tired.

“OK, but they’ll be dead by then,” he smiled. Lifting up a corner of the box, he revealed that the contents of the box were flowers.

Anne laughed and signed for the box. “I’m sorry, I thought you were delivering stock.”

“No problem,” he laughed. “Enjoy them.”

Anne was still on the sales floor, and some of her staff congregated around her.

“Anne, open it.” “Who is it from?” “Let’s see!”

She lifted the lid off the box and gasped at the sight of six light pink roses. She inhaled deeply and enjoyed the scent. On the card was written, “Just to let you know I am thinking of you! XO JC.” She couldn’t believe it. She excused herself from the staff and went to her office.

“Anne,” one of them called after her, “aren’t you going to tell us who they are from?”

“No,” she called back with a smile.

Anne picked up the phone in her office and called home. When Joey answered, she brusquely said, “I need to talk to Kelly.”

“Nice to talk to you too, Sis.”

Kelly came on the line, “Anne, what’s up? Joey thinks you’ve got ‘woman problems’”.

“Kel, he sent me roses. Pink roses. Is that friend like or love like?”

“What did the card say?” Anne told her the message. “Hold on, let me ask Joey.”

“What? No! You can’t ask him.”

“Relax, I’m leaving names out. He won’t know. Joe, if a guy sends a girl pink coloured roses, does he like her as a friend or as more than a friend?”
Joey grabbed the phone. “Someone sending you roses, Annie?”

“Maybe. Just answer the question, please.” She was getting exasperated.

“Well, personally, I only send flowers to people I care about. Roses for people I really care about. Pink? I don’t know. Maybe he really likes you as a friend, or maybe he just liked the colour. I can’t tell you for sure.”

“Thanks, you’ve been a big help.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

“That’s what I’m here for. Any other things you need a man’s opinion about?”

“No thanks, I’ve got to go back to work.”

JC had been watching from outside the store when the roses were delivered. He wanted to see how she would react. It was worth the wait to see her face light up, especially when she read the card.

He was hoping that she would start to see him as more than a friend.

By the time her shift was over, Anne was bone tired. She got herself together, and as she was leaving the store, she called JC on her cell phone.

“Hey, JC!”

“Hi Annie, how is my favourite bookstore manager doing?”

“Ugh! I’m exhausted. Work was really chaotic today. Look, I’m not going to be very good company tonight. Can we reschedule?”

“Tell you what. You have to eat, right? So you might as well come over for dinner. I know Kelly and Joey are going to be out, and you don’t want to go home to an empty house after such a rough day.”

“I’m not going to win this, am I?”

“Nope, so get your butt over here. But don’t forget to pick up dessert first—something good and chocolaty.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

Anne picked up the dessert and made her way to her car. Actually, it was really Joey’s car, but she was the only one who drove it, so it was pretty much hers. She stowed away her flowers, dessert and her bag, got in and drove off. Traffic was pretty hairy, and by the time she got to JC’s house, much more than twenty minutes later, her knuckles were white.

JC met her at the door with a hug. She let herself be held and didn’t want to let go.

“You OK?” he asked concernedly.

“Traffic was insane, but I’m much better now that I’ve got you to cuddle me,” she smiled.

He laughed, “Hey, cuddling is what I’m here for.”

“JC, thank you so much for the flowers! They really brightened up my day.”

He kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you liked them. I picked them out especially for you.”

JC took Anne’s coat and laid all her parcels aside. “OK, you. Get yourself up to my bedroom.”

“I beg your pardon?” She took a step away from him.

“Let me finish! Get your mind out of the gutter,” he teased. “In my room there is a robe on the bed. Take that and go into the bathroom and have yourself a nice warm soak in the tub. I already ran the bath, so it should be just about right now. Go relax for a bit, and when you’re ready to come down, there’s a pair of sweat pants and a shirt there for you.”

“JC, that sounds so good, I think I just might take you up on it.”

“Good, now get on up there, and I don’t want to see you down here for at least a half hour!”

Anne climbed the stairs slowly. She had never been in JC’s bedroom before. It felt a little weird to be there. It probably wasn’t that much different than being in one of her brother’s bedrooms. After all, she’d known JC for what seemed like her whole life, definitely for a long time anyway. They were good friends, even if she had always wanted to be more. She had been half expecting to see pinups of scantily clad women on the walls, as she had remembered seeing in Joey and Steve’s room when they were teens, but thankfully there weren’t any. Actually, the room was tastefully decorated in neutral tones of beige and brown with the odd blue accent. It felt comfortable and masculine without being too macho.

She picked up the robe and went into the ensuite bathroom. The bathtub was deep, what Joey called a “two-person” tub when he was trying to be funny. There were plush towels laid out as well as a hairbrush. Anne double-checked to make sure the door to the bathroom was locked, then peeled off her clothes and slid into the tub. She let the warm water and bubbles envelope her.

It was more than a half hour later when she returned to the main floor.

“There, you look like you’re feeling better,” JC commented with a smile.

“Yeah, thanks.”

JC approached her and gave her a hug. He bent down to kiss her, and at first she enjoyed it, but then she backed away. JC could take a hint, so he decided to give her the space she seemed to want.

He took her hand and led her into the living room. There were takeout boxes of Chinese food on the table and the room was lit with candles.

“Nice touch,” she said with a smirk.

“Thanks, you know, I was going for that whole romantic-relaxed vibe. Do you think I got it right?”

“Sure, JC,” she laughed. “You know how to make even takeout special.”

“Hey, I don’t go to all this trouble for just anyone, you know.”

She leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek. “I know. Thanks.”

They sat side by side on the couch and ate their dinner. They were both fairly quiet, each wanting to say more to the other than they felt they could.

Anne’s hair fell in front of her face while they were talking, and JC’s natural reaction was to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. “You have your hair down,” he commented. “You hardly ever wear it down. I didn’t realize it was getting so long. It’s really pretty.”

“Thanks,” she replied softly. “I put it up mostly because it gets in my way, especially when I’m working. I’m thinking of getting it cut shorter, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

“I like it long.” He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Anne couldn’t believe she was sitting here next to JC listening to him talk about how he liked her hair. She half fantasized about what a real relationship with him would be like, but she stopped herself. There was no use in pretending. He liked her as a friend, and she wanted more than that. No, she needed more than that. Friendship just wasn’t good enough any more. She panicked and realized she had to get out of there.

She got up. “Jace, thanks for dinner and all, but I’m really tired. I’ve got to get home and get some sleep. Don’t get up, I’ll let myself out.”

JC got up anyway, and stopped her at the door as she was putting on her shoes.

“Anne, did I say or do something to upset you?”

“No. Why would you think that?”

“You’ve been pulling away from me tonight, and I don’t know why. We’re friends, right, we can talk about stuff.”

“Yeah, JC, we’re friends,” she agreed quietly. She opened the door and left the house.

“Goodnight,” she called over her shoulder. What he didn’t see was the tears running down her cheeks. What good was being a friend when she wanted more and knew she could never have it?

The next few weeks were hectic for Anne at work. It was a good thing, because it helped to keep her mind off JC. He had called her a couple of times, to invite her out for coffee or to hang out, but she had been busy, and then he went out of town for a while.

Anne tried to keep busy when she wasn’t working, but it wasn’t always possible. One night, Justin stopped by to see Joey, but Joey and Kelly were out. So, Justin invited Anne to go out with him and shoot some pool.

As he racked up the balls, Justin spoke to her, “Anne, you know that you’ve always been like a little sister to me, right?”

“Yeah, J., but I'm older than you.”

“Technicalities. So, you know how sometimes a big brother can tell his little sister that she’s making a big mistake, right?”

“Sure, Justin. Where are you going with this?” She took aim with her cue and broke the balls.

“Corner pocket,” Justin said as he hit the ball. “Look, Anne. What’s going on with you and JC? One minute, he’s telling me how happy he is kissing you, the next, he’s moping around at his place and you’re moping around at home. What happened?”

“He told you I kissed him? He told you that?” She was right ticked.

“Yeah, Anne.” Justin rolled his eyes, “We’re friends, we talk.”

“He made such a big deal about Joey finding out, and he told you? How could he do that?”

“He did it because he was so happy he had to tell someone. I bet you told someone too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I told Kelly, but that’s different. Totally different.”

“Is it?” He waited for her to answer.

She shrugged, “Whatever, Justin. Did you ask me out to play pool or to talk about JC? Because if you just want to talk about JC, I’d rather go home.”

“I asked you out because I haven’t seen you for a long time, and I wanted to spend time with you. I have one more thing to say about JC, then I’m done, OK?”

“Fine.” She glowered at him.

“He misses you. Eight ball, side pocket. Rack ‘em up!”

Anne watched in disbelief as Justin sunk his last ball.

“Oh, now I see your plan. Distract me so that you can win, right?”

She racked up the balls and they played a few more games before calling it a night. Justin dropped her off at her house, and gave her a big hug.

“Think about what I said, OK?” he asked and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Anne watched him drive off, and went inside.

JC called Anne a couple of times while he was away. They talked about the usual things, but he felt the distance between them more this time than he ever had before. Anne was glad that he was away. It gave her a chance to try to get her emotions under control so that when he came back, he wouldn’t be able to tell that she had ever felt more for him.

JC came home the week before Christmas, but Anne was so busy at work that they didn’t have time to get together before the holiday. JC had been hoping to take her out, but there would be plenty of time after the holidays. He understood that her job in retail kept her busiest at this time of year. He would just have to look forward to January when things slowed down for her and she would have more time to spend with him.

They each spent Christmas with their families and saw each other briefly when JC and the guys came over to Joey’s place on Boxing Day. Anne had to work the afternoon shift at the store, so she was getting ready to leave when everyone was getting there.

She went downstairs and said hi to everyone. Chris caught her under the mistletoe and made a big show of giving her a huge kiss on the cheek.

Joey passed her the monstrous lunch he’d packed her. “Have a good day, Bella,” he said, giving his sister an “Italian style” kiss, “Make sure you eat! You’re getting too skinny.”

Anne rolled her eyes, “Geez, Joe, you sound like Nonna. I’m not skinny at all, but whatever.” She made a point of avoiding the mistletoe on her way out the door.

JC had hoped to have a minute alone with Anne, but he saw that it was doomed to failure. Everyone heard him sigh when the door closed behind her, and they all knew the reason why.

Anne hated Boxing Day. What a rip off for retail employees. Everyone else got time to spend with family, but retail workers had a crazy month of sales followed by one day off and then a crazy discount day that had to be set up. Oh well, at least it got her out of the house today. She knew she wasn’t yet able to hide her feelings for JC. It would be too embarrassing if he knew how she really felt, especially since she was sure he didn’t return the feelings.

Anne was working again on New Year’s Eve when Joey called her. She had volunteered to work knowing that it was going to be a fairly slow day and that she didn’t have any big plans to get ready for after work. It was unusual for Joey to call her at work, so she was immediately apprehensive.

“Joey? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Anne. Everything is OK here. I need to ask you a huge favour. Kelly is really not feeling well today, and I have to go to that fundraiser party tonight. Kelly’s sister will come over and stay with her, but I need someone to be my date. Will you come with me?”

“Joey, isn’t it a black tie event?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, it’s black tie and I don’t have a dress and you think I can be ready to go out with you tonight?”

“Sure. Kelly says she’s got something you can wear and she and Cathy will help you with your hair and stuff. Please, Anne? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“OK, Joey, but only because you’re my best brother.”

“All right! Can I tell Steve you said that?”

“Joey!”

Anne called in a favour with one of the other managers and was able to get out of the store early. She got home and before she knew it Kelly and Cathy had her decked out and looking good. The dress she wore was simple, but very pretty. It wasn’t something she would have chosen for herself, but it really suited her. The dress was a pale green that really brought out the red highlights in her dark hair. It flattered her figure with its empire waistline and flowing skirt. She twirled in front of her mirror one last time before heading downstairs.

Justin and his date Alison arrived just as Anne was coming down the stairs. Justin’s jaw dropped when he saw the tomboyish Anne looking so feminine. Joey was proud of his little sister and promised that he would name his firstborn after her. Anne just rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Don’t do that to the poor kid.”

Joey was the designated driver, so the four of them piled into his jeep and headed off to the party. When they arrived at the banquet hall, they checked their wraps, and entered the room. Joey swept Anne off onto the dance floor as soon as they entered.

She smiled at her big brother and just enjoyed being with him. It wasn’t hard to share him with Kelly, but it was nice to have him to herself for a little while.

The song ended, and Justin and Joey swapped partners. It was while Anne was dancing with Justin that she looked across the room and saw JC. She knew he had seen her and there was no way to avoid him. She checked for the nearest exits, but there wasn’t one close enough.

Justin noticed her tension. “What’s wrong, Annie?”

“Did you know JC was going to be here?”

He shrugged, “Yeah, didn’t you?”

“No. Help me out here, Justin. Get me out, please. I can’t talk to him.”

Justin looked over his shoulder. “I don’t think that’s going to work, Babe.”

“Why not?” she asked, almost panicked.

“Because he’s right behind us.”

“Damn.”

“Hey, Justin.” JC said, “May I have the next dance, Anne?”

“Uh, yeah, sure, JC.”

Justin graciously handed Anne to JC with an apologetic look. He knew she was uncomfortable.

When Anne felt JC’s hand on the small of her back; it made her insides turn to jelly.

“It’s been a long time,” she commented, concentrating hard on not throwing up.

“Yeah, well, that would have something to do with the fact that you’ve been avoiding me.” He met her eyes.

“I haven’t been-,” she knew she couldn’t lie to him. He would be able to tell for sure. “No, you’re right, I’ve been avoiding you.” She hid her face against his chest so that she didn’t have to look at him.

“Annalisa, tell me why,” he pleaded gently, “What’s going on?”

She looked up immediately. No one called her by her full name. It was a shock. “Why did you call me that?”

“Because it’s your name, why else? Please, Anne, tell me why you’ve been so distant. Is it something I did or said?” She was surprised to see the look of concern he wore.  She didn’t think he would be so deeply affected by the avoidance.

“No! JC, it’s totally not you. You’ve been great. It’s…it’s really difficult to talk about.” She stalled.

“Come on, honey, you know I’m good at listening. That’s what friends are for anyway.”

She snapped, much to his surprise. “That’s just it, JC!” she practically shouted at him.  “I don’t want you to be my friend anymore. I don’t need you as a friend. JC, I wantmore than friendship with you. I can’t be around you because I love you and you think of me as your friend or worse, as a little sister, and that’s just not enough any more!”

“Oh.” That was all he said. What he thought was, did she really just say what I think she said? Before he could fully register what he had heard, she pulled away from him.

“Look, just let me leave with what is left of my dignity,” she started to cross the dance floor. He tried to catch up with her, but she was smaller and was able to skirt between couples quickly.

Anne ducked into the ladies’ room. She hid in a stall near the back and let her tears flow. She wasn’t going to let JC see how much he hurt her. It wasn’t like he had meant to hurt her anyway. It was her own fault she was hurt. She went into this with her eyes open. And still her heart got broken.

She had cried out most of her tears before Alison came in looking for her. “Anne? Anne, let me in.”

“OK,” Anne opened the door and Alison entered.

Alison gave her a hug and passed her a tissue. “What happened, Hun?”

“It’s nothing, Al, I just let my feelings for a friend grow too deep, and he doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Are you sure he doesn’t feel the same? Did he say so?”

“He didn’t have to. I knew it already. Besides, all he said was ‘Oh’. What is that all about?”

“Want me to go smack JC upside the head?” Alison volunteered.

Anne laughed. “No thanks. He doesn’t deserve it. But, you could smack Justin for me. I’m sure I’ve been set up somehow. On second thought, maybe I’d better smack Justin myself. He’d enjoy it too much from you.”

The two girls had a little chuckle and exited the bathroom together. Alison had promised to try to keep JC away from Anne, so Anne decided to go out and try to salvage the rest of the evening.

Anne joined her brother at the table for dinner. They were seated at the same table as Justin and Alison. JC was at the table behind them, and Anne could feel him looking at her all through dinner. She knew she was just being paranoid, but it didn’t make her feel much better.

Justin and Alison were out on the floor dancing when Joey got the page. He looked at the screen.

“Anne, it’s Kelly. I’ve got to go home and see what’s going down. If nothing’s wrong, I’ll be back in an hour. If I’m not back, call a cab when the party’s over, OK? And you be sure to call me and let me know when you are leaving, young lady!”

“But, Joey, why don’t I just come with you? The only reason I came was to be with you anyway.”

“I’ll see that she gets home safely, Joe,” JC piped in from behind her. Great. Things could only go downhill from here.

“Anne, stay here, have fun. There’s probably nothing wrong at home. Most likely, Kelly just wants me to pick up some food she’s just got a craving for.” Joey reached out to shake JC’s hand, “Thanks, Man. I’m trusting you with my sister.”

JC nodded. “I know, and I appreciate it.”

“Hold on here, fellas! I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I’m not a child any more. You all seem to have forgotten that I’ve grown up.”

Joey pulled her aside, he cupped her face with one hand, “Bella, you know that’s not true. I know you can take care of yourself, but you’re still my baby sister, and I can’t help it, I’m going to look out for you for the rest of your life. Look, I’ve got to leave. I should be back soon.”

Joey left and Anne turned away from JC. She thought of escaping back to the ladies’ room, but she had the feeling this wouldn’t work twice in one night.

She was saved by Justin. “Anne, you owe me a dance, Cutie pie!”

“I do?” she looked at him quizzically.

“Well, no, not really, but I’d love it if you would dance with me.”

“OK, Justin.” She smiled at him.

Justin took a minute to whisper something to JC, and then escorted Anne through the dancing throngs.

JC had been glaring at Justin while he was talking to Anne. How was JC supposed to talk to her if Justin was interrupting? Justin approached him and said, “Alison wants you to ask her to dance. Just remember to keep your hands to yourself.”

JC asked Alison to dance little knowing that he was in trouble.

“JC, what is your problem?”

“What? What did I do now, Alison?”

“That sweet girl pours her heart out to you, and all you can say is ‘Oh’? What is the matter with you? Couldn’t you find a faster way to break her heart?”

“Well, Alison, if you and Justin hadn’t gotten involved, I would be talking to her right now. Anne took me totally off guard. She’s been avoiding me for so long, and out of the blue she tells me that she doesn’t need or want my friendship anymore and that she can’t be my friend because she loves me. I said, ‘Oh’ because I was trying to process everything she told me. By the time I did, she was gone.”

“Promise me you won’t break her heart.”

“I would never hurt her. I love her, Alison.”

“Well, then why didn’t you tell her in the first place? Never mind, don’t answer that. You need to switch partners with Justin. And quick!”

Justin spun Anne around in a couple of circles, then caught her and held her close to him. “So, wanna talk about it?”

“About what, Justin?” she asked on the defensive.

“Come on, Anne. I saw you run into the bathroom—I know he made you cry. Talk!”

“For your information, no one made me cry. I did that all on my own. I know Alison gave you all the details, and I really don’t want to talk about it. What I would really like to do is go home.”

“Anne, don’t leave. Give him another chance.”

“What? You want me to give him another chance to reject me? No thanks! I’m OK, Justin. I have feelings for JC that he doesn’t have for me. It’s not a big deal. I’m not going to force myself on him. I’ve seen way too many girls force themselves on all of you over the years, and I won’t put him through that again. I can learn to be satisfied with his friendship. Now that JC knows how I feel, I don’t think he’ll be as upset about me avoiding him for awhile until I get my feelings under control.”

“So, are you planning on avoiding him for the rest of your life? Anne, you love JC, you always have. You can’t just turn off your heart like a tap, you know.”

“Oh yeah, Justin? Watch me.”

Justin was a little surprised by the defiant look in her eyes. Anne was clearly determined to build whatever walls necessary to contain her pain and keep others from seeing it.

JC and Alison danced closer to where Anne and Justin were. Alison made signals to Justin to indicate that they needed to swap partners.

“JC, I don’t like how close you are dancing with Alison. I think we need to switch girls here.” Justin let go of Anne and swept Alison away from JC.

Anne was so shocked over Justin’s apparent betrayal that she didn’t do anything right away. Then she looked up at JC. “Look, I know this is awkward. We don’t have to do this, OK?” She turned and started to walk away from him.

“Anne?” JC called her name softly. She turned around.

“What, Jace?” she whined.

“Can we talk?” The look in his big blue eyes was pleading, but she wasn’t about to fall for it.

“Do we really need to? I know what you want to say to me. You want to tell me that I’m like a little sister to you and you’ve never thought of me any other way, and you’re flattered, blah, blah, blah…”

“Anne, please. Don’t put words in my mouth. Hear me out, and then if you want me to leave you alone, I will.”

“Fine, JC, let’s just get this over with,” she said resignedly.

He took her hand and led her through the dancing couples and out into the vestibule. There were still quite a few people there, so he continued down the hall and they went outside. JC took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

“Sorry, I know it’s cold, but I really wanted to talk in private.”

She didn’t respond. She seemed to be intent on her shoes. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Anne, look at me, Sweetie.”

She looked up at him without raising her head. “What do you want, JC?”

“Anne, part of what you said is true. I used to think of you as a little sister.” She looked down, disappointed. He cupped her chin and raised her head so he could see her eyes again. “I said I used to think that way. That was a long time ago when our age difference was more noticeable. I’ve been watching you grow from a girl into a woman, and it has been incredible to watch. You are so poised and classy and gorgeous and just amazing! I’ve been feeling more for you lately than a friend feels for another friend. I didn’t fully realize it until we kissed, but it has been there for quite awhile.”

“I didn’t think you felt the same way, and I told you I wouldn’t give you more than you wanted, so I played up the friendship role more than I felt,” he paused. “Anne, what I’m trying to say is that I love you too. I am in love with you. I want to be your best friend and your boyfriend. What do you say?”

“Really?” she asked. It was one of those things that sounded too good to be true.  Could JC actually feel the same way about her as she did about him?

He gave her a huge grin, “Really and truly, Babe.”

“Then I say that is the best news I have heard in a long time!” Anne laughed threw herself into JC’s arms and he held her close. He started to lean down to kiss her.

“There you are! Get in here, you two. It’s time for the countdown!” Justin reached out and grabbed both of their arms.

“Great timing,” Anne muttered under her breath.

They were thrust into the crowd of people and got separated. Anne stood on her tiptoes, trying to scan the crowd for JC. She couldn’t see him anywhere. Suddenly she felt someone’s arms slip around her waist from behind. She turned around quickly; ready to fend off any unwelcome advances.

“Looking for me?” JC smiled.

“Yes. For longer than you know.”

The countdown started. Their eyes locked.

10-“I’m going to kiss you on the stroke of midnight,” he told her.
9-“Um, OK,” she replied.
8-JC’s arms tightened around her waist.
7-Anne took a deep breath.
6-JC looked deeply into her eyes.
5-She lifted her face towards him.
4-He lifted a hand to her cheek and stroked her face.
3-He pulled her closer
2- The room was quiet; they were the only two people in the entire world.
1- Happy New Year!!! Their lips met and they shared their first real kiss. He kissed her gently, with all the love he felt for her. She met his lips and felt like there were sparks flying around them.

Other people were kissing everyone around them. JC and Anne were too wrapped up in each other to notice anyone else. Music started to play, and they danced together again. This time, they were totally in sync. They didn’t speak at all. They just held each other and moved to the music.

They would have stayed that way for the rest of the party, but Joey and Justin interrupted them.

“Boy, it’s about time the two of you got together,” Joey said.

JC’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Oh, come on, you two have had it bad for each other for a long time.” Joey smiled, “What? Did you think I was going to hurt you for making my sister happy? Not a chance, but I warn you, if you break her heart, I’ll be forced to pound you.”

Kelly put a restraining hand on her husband’s arm. “Joey, leave them alone. Come dance with the pregnant woman.”

“Kelly! What are you doing here? Wait a minute.” Anne looked at JC. “I think we’ve been set up in the mother of all set ups, and I bet they’ll never let us forget it.”

Kelly reached into her purse and pulled out a set of keys. “We brought your car here for you. I packed a bag for you. See you whenever you get home.” Kelly smiled as she led Joey out on the dance floor.

Anne looked at JC. “Well, what are we waiting for?” She handed JC her keys. “Here, you drive. I’ve got too much skirt to deal with and these heels are no good for driving. Just don’t get used to it.”

“I won’t, I promise,” he bent down and kissed the tip of her nose.

They went out into the parking lot. It was quiet outside. The stars seemed to be shining extra brightly. JC stopped Anne.

“Wait a minute, Sweetheart.”

He turned her so that she was facing him. He tugged the lapels of her coat together so that she was warmer.

“I just realized that I didn’t get the chance to tell you how beautiful you look tonight. You’re absolutely gorgeous!”

“JC,” she started to protest.

"No, I mean it, Anne. You are! I am so proud to be with you.” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I’m glad the New Year is starting off on the right foot.”