If anyone has ever doubted my acting abilities, they only have to watch me around Abbey and know that I should never be doubted again. Really, even I’m amazed at how I’ve been handling myself lately, especially when Rachel and Trace are around at the same time Abbey is.
After the whole fight with Rachel I decided that I truly needed to quash any feelings I had for Abs so I wouldn’t tip her off (and I didn’t want to hear it from my cousin anymore). To their credit, everyone has shut up about the whole thing and life has mostly returned to normal. Well, as normal as life for Justin Timberlake can get, anyway.
I will say that it’s been easier than usual the past couple of days to keep my mind off of my non-crush. We’re days away from the Madison Square Garden show for HBO and I am so fucking excited it’s not even funny. I want everything to be perfect, so I’ve been even more anal than usual, but I just want this show to be on point. HBO is a big deal, and this is the show that’ll be on DVD for everyone else to watch that didn’t get to go to the actual tour. Needless to say, I’m being picky about everything.
I’ve also been trying to help Abbey get situated for her next video shoot. Filming starts today and I haven’t had a chance to meet with Dave to hear about his concept, and I haven’t seen Abbey either.
Which is why my curiosity is brining me down to the dance studio where filming has started up for the day.
I actually laughed out loud when Abbey told me her concept for the video. It’s widely known how much the girl hates to dance, so I was genuinely shocked when she told me she wanted it to be centered around a dancer. Of course, she was quick to point out that her character doesn’t know how to dance, and the love interest is the hunky instructor that makes it all worth while.
Still, I think it’s funny as hell that she’s stepping into a dance studio on her own free will. But I’ll give her some credit for stepping out of her comfort zone, well, after I tease her about her terrible dancing.
Mickey and I reach the studio where the video shoot is taking place, and I sneak in the back so I can watch without being spotted yet. I don’t want to make her nervous, and I’d like to see what’s going on before I make my presence known.
I grab a spot toward the back of the room and search the small area until my eyes land on Abbey and Channing Tatum. Well, now I see who her hunky instructor is.
How the hell did she land this guy without me knowing about it, anyway?
Dave calls quiet and I hear the music que up before I start seeing red. Well, I should probably say green.
A streak of jealousy so hot and so overwhelming courses through my veins at a rapid speed. I actually have to pull my collar away from my throat in an attempt to fill my lungs and cool myself off. I can’t take my eyes away as Abbey circles around Channing and they gyrate across the dance floor.
So this is what this feels like.
I’m not usually a jealous person, I’ve never had cause to be, but I’m about ready to go over there and pull him off of her and slap him for the thoughts that I know are running through his male mind right now. I know the look in his eyes as he watches Abbey sashay away from him, and I know that I feel like punching him for thinking those thoughts.
I take my eyes off of Channing for a second and know I’ve made a mistake. Abbey is in a pair of cut off shorts with pink tights underneath. On top she’s wearing a very form fitting running top, and I wish I hadn’t noticed how it gives her some killer curves. I know I’m done for when she bends at the waist to stretch, and my eyes follow the lines of her legs and hips like I’m dying for thirst and she’s the only water around.
Yeah…this sucks.
Dave calls cut and I scramble to find my way out of there before I’m spotted, but I don’t make it out in time. I hear Abbey call my name and I contemplate pretending that I couldn’t hear her, but it’s not loud enough in here for that be to a viable excuse.
“Hey Jude.” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as strangled as it feels at the moment.
“Hey Bossman!” She beams at me and I want to reach out and touch her flushed cheeks. “How long have you been here? Did you see that last take?”
I don’t trust my voice at the moment, so I only nod and try my best to smile. If she notices my awkwardness she doesn’t show it, instead turning around to call Channing over.
“Justin, this is Channing, Channing this is my boss, Justin Timberlake.” I wave slightly at the man and grit my teeth as he wraps his arms around her waist from behind. I think I might puke.
“We’ve met. The ’06 VMA’s, right?” Channing smiles genially at me and I have to remind myself that there’s absolutely no reason for me to be jealous and territorial.
“Yeah, it was. I’ve seen your work, you’re a great dancer, man.” That doesn’t even sound forced.
See? I’m a phenomenal actor.
Abbey beams up at him, “Yeah, I’m hoping the talent will rub off on me.”
Here’s the part where I start to wonder why my talent isn’t good enough to rub off on her, and then my thoughts wander to the rubbing that I’d have in mind for spreading that talent…and then I realize where I am and blush profusely. Fortunately, it seems the only person that notices is Mickey, because I catch his all-knowing glance and chuckle, but I shake it off in time.
“How long are you staying?” She’s hopeful when she’s asks, but I know I can’t take much more of this torture, so I lie. No, wait, I act.
“Uhm, not much longer. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were going. I have to get back to the arena. I’ve got a…an interview in a little bit.” Phew, nice save.
“Oh.” I don’t miss the disappointment, and I just barely manage to stop the smug smile that makes it way to my lips. “Well, I’ll see if I can get some of the footage from what we’ve done so we can check it out later.”
“Sounds great.” I say my goodbyes to those nearest and then do something that might jeopardize all my hard work these last few days. I lean down and gently grab Abbey’s elbow, bringing her out of Channing’s embrace and toward me, where I plant a soft, lingering kiss on her cheek, just on the corner of her mouth. My eyes never leave the other man’s as the whole exchange happens. He gives me a look and I know I just marked territory that doesn’t belong to me.
Shit.
Mickey and I make a hasty exit out the back door. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding and look over at my body guard when he starts to cluck at me.
“You know, Justin, it might have been more subtle if you peed on her.” I scoff.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I click my seatbelt and settle myself back in the seat, a rigidity in my frame that I know won’t leave until I find a way to relax.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about, boy. That nice little ‘back of bitch’ stare you handed Pretty Boy. And the kiss on the cheek? Really, JT, I thought you were smarter than that.”
The wind leaves my sails and I deflate like an old balloon. “I am smarter than that,” I grumble, “I just seem to loose my head when she’s around.”
Another laugh. “No shit, Sherlock.” He waits a few seconds before going on. “You’re just lucky that our little pop princess was too caught up in her dancing partner to notice you’re little show back there.”
“She was not caught up in him.” Yeah, that would be the jealousy talking. Mickey laughs again and I’m about ready to stuff something in his mouth to shut him up.
“Sure, JT, she’s not caught up in him just like you’re not caught up in her.”
You know that old saying ‘curiosity killed the cat’? Now I know what everyone’s talking about when they use that term. I really wish I hadn’t let my curiosity get the best of me, because now all I can see when I close my eyes is the way she kept looking at him. And all I can think about it how I wish she’d look at me that way.
~*~
Rachel bounces into the room and I swallow the groan that bubbles up my throat. Things have been a lot better between everyone lately, and I don’t want to piss anyone off. Well, I should be more specific. I don’t want to piss Rachel off, because those couple of days that she was mad at me were hell. My coffee was cold, my bagel order was always wrong, and she started to send me my day schedule in other languages.
Note to self: Never piss of your personal assistant.
“Hey Justin.” She lightly plops herself onto the couch next to me and I force myself to relax and smile. It’s not Rachel’s fault that I’m on edge. “Did you hear about Abbey’s new crush?”
OK. Now it’s her fault.
“What?” Honestly, I should be getting a Oscar for this shit.
“The guy they put in her video. Channing Tatum, the dancer,” I think she sways a little when she says his name and I think I might just puke. “I guess he’s made quite the impression on our little Abbey and she can’t shut up about the guy.”
“The guy from that Dirty Dancing knock-off movie?” I get ‘the look’ and know that my acting skills are slipping.
“He was in Step Up with Jenna. Don’t play dumb.” She grabs a magazine off the coffee table in front of us and starts to flip through it. I don’t usually keep those things around me, but this one had a drunk picture of Trace in it and I just had to get it so I could give him shit for it.
“I never thought that Abbey would want to date a dancer, I mean, she’s not too fond of me and Marty for making her dance in the show.” This is good, I’m conversing and there’s no sign of jealousy.
“Right, but this is different.” I turn a little away from her, afraid of what she’s about to reveal to me. “Abbey does hate dancing but it’s a whole new ballgame when the guy you’re dating is a dancer. I’ll bet he can show Abbey moves that she’s never dreamed of before.”
I nearly choke on the sip of water I just took, and Rachel has to slap me on the back a few times before the coughing subsides. I wave her off and nod my head when she repeatedly asks if I’m OK.
“I’m fine. I just swallowed down the wrong pipe, that’s all.” I close my eyes and lean my head back against the couch. Great, new mental images to add to the collection.
“Well, you’ve got another half hour before your interview.” She pats me on the knee and gets up. “It’s a phone one, don’t bother changing.”
“What? An interview?” I thought I was making that up when I told it to Abbey earlier.
“Yeah, an interview. You know, those things where people ask you questions and you answer? Make a few lewd comments and plug your tour. Jeeze, Timberlake, you on something?”
“Ha ha. You should be a comedian.” I flip her off as she leaves the room laughing at me.
As soon as I know she’s gone I let out the sigh that’s been building in my chest. I don’t know how much longer I can go on pretending that things are cool. It’s going to be even worse if Abbey decides that she actually likes Ballerina Boy because it means I’m going to have to watch them get all mushy and shit around me. Just thinking about it makes me want to hit something…or someone.
You know, Kermit was right, it really isn’t easy being green.
