"So, are you dating anyone?" Alex asked before she started eating her pasta.

Claudia flipped her strawberry hair over her shoulder and resituated her glasses before responding. "Not really. I mean, I have dates every now and then, but I just broke up with my boyfriend of like 3 years about 2 months ago, so...I'm still adjusting."

"Oh. Sorry." Alex cringed.

"No it's ok. I mean we just were too different. I don't know. What about you? Are you, uhh, dating anyone?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm seeing this one guy." Alex continued eating her food, hoping Claud wouldn't inquire too much.

"Oh that's cool. Ya know? This might sound a little weird. But I just have to ask."

Alex looked up at her and took a sip of her drink.

"Well uhh, you see Dave and some of the other guys at the lab were talking about you."

"Oh yeah, I've heard that Dave has like a crush on me. I mean, he is nice but I never talk to him that much, ya know? It's weird."

"Ummm, that's not what I'm talking about."

"Oh." Alex quietly said.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. Everyone at the lab knows he's got the hots for you. But uhh, they were all talking about you and this certain guy."

"Um ok?" Alex didn't like the color of green in this girls eyes. She didn't know Claudia very well, but they had been to lunch before and she was nice. But, she dint know what it was about her, it made her feel...weird. She was afraid of this little inquiry she had going on.

"Ok, this might sound totally crazy. I mean, it will be kinda funny if its not true, which I'm sure its not. But uhh..Ok.."

"What is it Claud? Just tell me"

The girl took a deep breath. "Ok, so you know Deedee up in the wind section."

Alex nodded.

"Well, so every day she buys Inquirer or Star or some tabloid for kicks just for us to laugh at..."

-Oh shit. - Alex tried to remain cool about it. She ringed her napkin in her lap and licked and chewed on her lips, praying that Claudia wasn't thinking what she knew she was.

"...well, so like there was this big article about a week ago on one of the Nsync members..."

-Definitely oh, shit. -

"...and like, ok. So you probably don't even know what I'm talking about but there was this article about him and this mystery girl named Alexandria and there were pictures and everyone was talking about how they thought that was you..."

-Stay cool. Stay calm. Laugh it off. Dammit LAUGH ALEX! LAUGH! - "Ohh, ha ha ha ha. Me? Which member was it? Those boys are kinda cute!" Alex's laugh was VERY fake and she scolded herself for being a sucky actress.

"Justin Timberlake. YA know? The one that is supposedly dating Britney Spears."

"Why do yall think that's ME?"

"Uhh, well the pictures kinda looked like you. And the girls name was Alex and Dave said he has past your office hearing you talking to "Justin" on the phone."

"Oh gosh, Me? Nsync? I don't even like their music. Hehehe.."

"Oh, well I was just asking. I mean it was kinda observed but I mean the pictures kinda looked like you. They were a little blurry though. I mean, I was just going to see if you had seen the article or heard about it or whatever."

"Yeah, well the guy I date is named Justin."

"Well that's probably the main reason why they think that. Is he cute?"

Alex sighed, seeing Claudia's now eager and excited expression that replaced the unsure and confused one a few moments before. "Oh yeah, he is VERY cute. Just..mannn..."

"AHh, I wanna meet him." She smiled and dug into her almost untouched food.

"He's a little shy."

"Yeah, well anyways...did you hear about the new report NOAA let out about the tides and..."

Claudia's word faded out and around Alex. She didn't care about the stupid NOAA report. She was just thankful that she was able not to freak out, too much, and that Claud didn't believe the stupid tabloids. But at the same time she was scared. This was the first time anyone had approached her about it. And she didn't know if she could lie about her relationship again. She didn't like to lie, especially about sometime that meant that much to her.

But she was willing to do what ever it would take to keep that relationship because...it DID mean so much to her.

-------------

"I've always thought Janet was so cool." Alex mumbled, resituating the pillow, in Justin's lap, that was cushioning her head as she lay on the couch.

Justin sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "Yeah, I had a huge crush on her ever since I saw her "Love will never do" video."

"She makes me jealous. I mean she's what like 30 something and she is so gorgeous." Her fingers traced the denim lines of his jeans.

"Lexia, you know you are like the sexiest woman alive, so don't even try it."

She giggled. "Well you are the sexiest man alive."

He nodded. "And that's why we go so good together...look it's on."

Alex turned back to the TV just in time to see Justin and Chris come on the stage. She didn't move any muscle except to breathe and to blink, not even blink, from that point on until about 5 minutes later when they cut to commercial.

Justin thought she had fallen asleep or something, she hadn't said a word. "Lexia?"

"Huh?"

"You awake."

"Oh...yeah."

He turned her face up to his and looked down at her. "What is it baby?"

She grinned and soon it turned into a giggle. She couldn't control the giddiness she had from seeing that little cover Nsync had just done. She turned on the couch and hugged his stomach, laughing into his belly. "What is goin on babe?"

Her voice was muffled in his shirt. "That was so hot, Justin. Oh my gosh."

"What was? Oh the Janet thing? I told ya."

"I mean your whole little "I'll go deeper, deeper baby..." Mannnn. HEHE." She smiled up and he and he put a cocky grin on his face.

"Yeah, I was thinking about this FINE girl I know when I sang that line. Her name is Alexandria."

She sat up and looked at his smug little grin for a few moments before turning his head to hers and pressing her lips to his. Before she knew it, and before he knew it, his back had slid down the couch and she was on top of him. One of his hands cradled her head while the other ran up and down her back.

He sang as she kissed down her neck, giggling also. "You feel so go I'm gonna cry."

She kissed back up to his mouth and smiled against it and whispered. "That's the way loves goes."

"So you liked it?"

"I loved it." She leaned back in and locked his bottom lip between hers as her weight settled on top of him.

His mind forgot all of his worries and plans and everything else that was going on at that moment. He loved moments like this, when he could just get lost in his girlfriend.

But this moment was potentially able to get out of hand. And he knew it. So, he pulled away from her beautiful lips and caught his breath.

"Wait."

"What?" Alex groaned.

"Get up. We got something we have to do."

She pushed off him and sat at the end of the couch. "Huh?"

"Come with me." He stood up and walked out of the game room towards the kitchen.

"Where we goin?" She hurried behind him sliding her socked feet on the wooden floor.

Justin didn't say anything just grabbed his keys and walked to the garage door.

"Justin, I'm in sweats and a tee, I don't even have shoes on. Where are we going?" She stared at him unbelieving as he held the door open for her.

"You'll see." He smiled as she sighed heavily and walked through the door. He cut off the light switch that was by the door and walked out of the house, locking it as he went.