" I can’t believe you!" Maia yelled pushing her foot on the gas once the light finally turned green, surging them forward in the open lane. Traffic hadn’t been so clear in a long New York while, Raven thought sitting amazed by her friend’s bold driving skills.

" Me, I wasn’t the one that lost my marbles." Raven defended.

" What, no that is no way loosing my MARBLES. First in for most I lost nothing back there.."

" But the act of speech and a chance to meet the world’s hottest guys." Raven chimed in before she could finish, laughing at her own wit.

" You think its so funny don’t you. Well laugh it up Groupie!" Maia shot back, angered that her friend had called her out.

" Jealous?!"

" Damn right!" Maia finally laughed turning onto 125th St. where Raven lived in a studio apartment with her cat. Maia stopped the car and turned to look at her friend who was spilling over with joy. She must have had a good time, Maia thought happy for her friend.

" You look like shit." Raven smirked

" Jealous?!"

" Yeah right, anyway...shall you come up for a can of coke so I can give you all the juicy details of my extraordinary night spent in the arms of JC Chasez." Maia pretended to think , as if she wasn’t two seconds from jumping out of the car and up the steps.

" If I remember correctly you have a coke and a Vanilla coke. Whoever up the stairs first gets it!" Maia teased already out the car.

" Fine leave your hooptie unlocked." Raven smiled purposely leaving her door- the only door- unlocked.

" Cheater." Maia grumbled walking down the steps as Raven moved up them closer to the Vanilla Coke.

Moving passed security, Justin Timberlake walked into the studio where he planned to find some solitude. He was lucky to find that JC had left early, leaving him the studio to share with the hand picked body guards who were ordered to watch his every movement. Sitting behind the booth on the wooden stool provided, he closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his head letting the steam of the day lift off his shoulders. He wrestled through his thoughts wondering why in the hell had that girl from the club still remained in them. What was so crazy about it all was that he had no idea what she looked like anymore, he had been so drunk that he barely remembered anything from the night before. Only that she was on his mind, whether his mind refuse to remember her face or not, she was still ragging his brain. He couldn’t tell you more than that she was a tall, beautiful woman with long dark hair and a remarkable body. Then it came to him, like a hidden jewel uncovered, her eyes glimmered in the darkness of his thoughts. They were a deep chocolate brown that transfixed them by a glance. He remembered those, how bold and daring they had been while she danced for him on that stage. Then he thought, hell she was a stripper. She wasn’t dancing for him, but for every guy that cam to that table- heck even his own buddies. What made him think there was something special about him- besides the fact that he was Justin Timberlake. There seated beside him had been JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone. So what difference did it make that he sat there. She could have easily ended up looking at anyone of them.

" None in the world." he answered himself out loud and opened his eyes to begin his work. HE looked over his notes and realized that he was almost done with the video edit of his next single "Cry Me A River" which would be ready to shoot in about two months. Next week he would be sitting down with Hype Williams to create a vision of the video. Timberland promised to fly in by next month to help him with casting as well as Missy Elliot who would undoubtedly help him with some choreographic moves. He was ready and glad that his band mates had backed him to this point. His solo album was going great, just as everyone’s separate careers seemed to be going. Only his social life had plummeted, and while he gained many friends in the industry he still was at a lost in the love life department. After his worldwide break up with phenomenon Britney Spears, he was quite the bachelor. And he did play his role well, only he was getting a little tired of the role and would prefer a warm body to call his own- instead of the multiple one night reliefs. And then that image of her popped into his head, those brown eyes seemed to chase any sane thought away. He shook his head, it was ridiculous. The girl was a stripper, most likely a whore and far from being the one he wanted as that one warm body. It would take a certified accountant to round up the number of bodies she probably had under belt. But damn those eyes of hers.

" Hey son." Charlie Merrimack threw a loving arm over his clients shoulder. Justin looked up at his manager and smiled meekly, his thoughts still not passed the beautiful stripper.

" Hey Chase, what you doing here."

" Lookin after your career, what else do you pay me for." Charlie smiled rubbing his shoudlers sensing his intensity. The short balding man wondered if his best client yet was still fretting over the loss fo Britney Spears or just hung over from the night before. He guessed a little bit of both and thought it better not to ask.

" I pay you?" Justin teased placing the headphones onto his ears. Charlie took his cue and moved over to the sound board to gear the star up for his editing. Listening in Charlie thought about the good wholesome image he had made of this clever teen. Well Justin Timberlake had certainly crossed over into adulthood and had it not been for Charlie it would not have been as easy of a transition. It was hard for America to see a growing teen idol talk about sex, hang out at clubs drinking and do the type of things any normal man his age would do. But somehow Charlie had made it all work out, even through the tough break up with Ms. Spears, they had survived. There was no way anything was going to mess that up.

Maia woke up to a loud blistering ring that came from nowhere else but Raven’s cell phone. She had fallen asleep waiting for Raven to return home from her night shift job at Polmeroy’s so they could both catch the L to Secrets Unfolded at 11. She glanced at the clock and realized she had been sleep for almost 5 hours seeing that it was 9:27 p.m. Maia had thought about just ignoring the incessant ring, but knew it would just drive her crazy. She hadn’t even imagined how incredibly annoying it was searching for the little rotten thing until she reached it at the very last ring.

" Figures." she sighed dropping it on the table and laying back down. Right when she closed her eyes the ring blared through the silence. " Goodness gracious." she complained pulling herself up and grabbing the purple monster.

" Hello." she tried to bite back the attitude but it slipped out anyway.

" Uh...hello, I mean hey how ya doin." a smooth voice cleared its way through the reciever confusing Maia.

" Who is this?" she asked a little more softly wanting to glance at the number but realizing she would miss the name.

" JC, remember." Omigosh, Maia thought pulling the phone away from her ear. No she didn’t, that little whore gave out her number. Maia smiled, Raven wasn’t treating this like a regular sale. Ms. Raven Piccecco had some explaining to do, BIG TIME.

" Uh, yeah, um.." This would be the time you tell him, your not Raven. "JC this is....this is not ..."

" I know, I know this is not right. It’s crazy but I can’t stop thinking about you." Wow, am I hearing this right is JC telling my friend that he can’t stop thinking about her...oh gosh. Hang up now before you embarrass you both. " Look you don’t have to say nothing, I know you said just call whenever I’m in town but I just had to call you and let you know I haven’t stopped thinking of you, not once. Ok I’m gonna go now, this is my number...so if you want call me." With that he hung up and Maia sat stunned, her mouth not able to close in utter shock. Then her eyes filled with tears, that had to be the most beautiful thing she ever heard. She couldn’t believe she sat there crying confused tears, she didnt even know whether they were for joy or loneliness. She decided they were for both afterall she was joyful for Raven but she knew the loneliness that would soon follow. Noone that led their life had that easy of a chance to find happiness. She pulled the one decorative pillow Raven adorned her shag couch with hard against her chest as she buried her head into its softness. She wondered where she might have been had she not left home at 16 in pursuit of a happiness that would never come. How silly and ridiculous the idea of her becoming some supermodel and actress seemed now. The only spot light she ever gained was that inside of Secrets Unfolded. She was the supreme seductress, that’s what she was good at now. She didn’t come to New York to finely tune her art of seduction, but that was just the way that certain cookie crumbled. IF she would have imagined this was how she’d end up she would have found some way to bear the life she had at home in Minnesota, nothing can be worse then having no one else to blame but yourself for the fuck up you’ve become. She looked down at the phone that had moments before held a man who had found his happiness on the other end and for a moment wondered what it would be like had he been calling for her. Would she be able to leave and continue her plans for the night. Or would she leave all that behind for the sake of love, for the sake of happiness. She knew Raven’s answer without even talking it over with her, standing up and heading for the shower she realized what hers would have been also. But that was just they way the cookie crumbled.

" How come you didn’t tell me you gave him your number?" Maia had just finished her set and she was prepping for working the floor as she watched Raven apply her makeup in the dressing mirror. The brown skinned girl didn’t miss a beat as she continued to smooth on a thick coat of lip gloss and smash her lips together. Raven peered at Maia through the glass and smirked in response.

" How come you weren’t there to wipe my ass this morning when I went to the bathroom." Raven mimmicked and Maia couldn’t help but smile. She loved her friend even if she was the biggest smart ass in the world.

" Fine, I’m just looking out. You know its crazy to get involved." Maia warned slipping her stocking up her thigh. Raven sat back starring at herself, amazed at how well she could hide herself in makeup.

" I know Maia." she said solemnly. " That’s why I won’t."