The following morning Cassidy sat across from Justin at the kitchen table.  Him with a giant bowl of Cocoa Puffs and her with a cup of coffee and a piece of wheat toast.  His cell phone was glued to his ear and had been for a good five minutes.  His cereal was on the cusp of sogginess. 

“I know.  I know.  But I am tired of hiding out.  Is there really such a thing as bad press anyway?”  He was talking to his publicist, who apparently wasn’t all that thrilled with their excursion out the night before.  Especially since—and Cassidy had just found this out—Justin was scheduled to start promotions for a movie he’d filmed almost two years earlier that was soon-to-be released.  “Look, I have confidence that you can spin this to make me look good and her like shit.”  Of course there was no question that the “her” he was referring to was Macie.   No explanation needed there.  “No, I seriously doubt they’re actually dating.  They’re just in cahoots together to get back at us.”

Cassidy couldn’t help it.  A tiny smirk escaped her at the sound of him using the word “cahoots.”  Justin looked up, eyeing her goofily.  Then he shook his head and rolled his eyes in obvious regard to the phone call. 

“Hey Jeff, my breakfast is getting cold.  Just handle it and call me when you find out the headlines.  Yeah, bye.”  Slapping his phone shut, Justin pushed a breath of air out his nose, wrinkling it for affect.

“Um, your breakfast started cold,” Cassidy pointed out before biting into her slice of eleven grain.

“Yeah, well I had to come up with something,” he said, finally spooning a bite.

“Cahoots?  I liked that one,” she told him with a playful grin, switching the toast for the coffee.

“I aim to please, baby.   I aim to please.”  He looked up from his cereal just long enough to give her a wink.  How on Earth was it possible he could make her tummy tumble this early in the morning?  Well, it wasn’t exactly early.  It was after ten, but considering they didn’t make it home till almost three the night before, it felt real damn early.  Plus, they’d only been up for about 30 minutes.

“How come you didn’t tell me that you had a movie release coming up so soon?”

Tilting his chin, spoon dangling in his fingers, he shrugged his shoulders just once.  “I guess,” he paused and looked away briefly, “for the first in my life I’m actually enjoying my down time.  I was trying to forget about work.”

Cassidy could understand that—sort of.  In actuality, she felt like her career had been too off-and-on to grow tired of it.  “Well, I feel a little bad.  Maybe we should have stayed in last night.”

“Please…” He drew it out.  “No.”

Slowly she took a sip of her steaming black coffee, peering at him over the ridge of the dark green mug. 

“Aside from all the drama with our exes, I had a really good time last night.”  There was this smug, confident grin across his face as he scooped another heaping bite into his mouth.  Suddenly Cassidy was having visions of their mornings together for years to come.  There was only one thing missing from the picture. 

“Me too,” she thought to agree.

“So what time does Cody get out of school, again?  I miss him.”

An instant smile popped to her lips as she was sure he’d just read her mind.  “Me too,” she said for a second time.  “He gets out at two.”

“I’m picking him up today,” Justin announced.  “Well, if that’s okay with you, I mean.”

“Why not,” she remarked, just before biting into her toast.  “It’s not like we can keep it a secret any longer.”

“We weren’t trying to keep it a secret,” Justin corrected.  “We were just trying to keep him protected from the media.”

Cassidy nodded her head.   “I didn’t mean to make it sound like we were keeping us a secret.”

“The whole world can know as far as I’m concerned,” Justin added, confidence oozing from every pore of his six foot frame, and then some.

“Well, I’m sure that our exes are working on that as we speak,” Cassidy remarked with cynicism. 

He shook his head.  It was such an irritating situation, it was actually comical.   Just the fact that Jason and Macie had actually gotten together to wallow or vent or whatever the hell it was they were doing, was quite astonishing.  Especially since they were the last two people you’d ever think could come together for anything.  Cassidy didn’t even think they knew each other.  “So how do you think it happened?  Do you think he called her up and was like, ‘You don’t know me but my bitch ex-wife is fucking your bastard ex-husband?’”

“Honestly?  I could really give a shit.”

“Good answer.  Let’s not mention it for the rest of the day.”

Sounded like a plan to her.   “I loved your use of descriptive words, by the way,” she grinned coyly.  He flashed her one quick and confident Timberlake grin before officially ending the conversation, Cassidy heading upstairs for a shower.

Justin ate his cereal in a hurry once he finished with the array of phone calls necessary thanks to the prior evenings events.  His main goal was to catch Cassidy in the shower before it was too late.  As anxious as he was to see Cody, he wanted to enjoy the last little bit of alone time he had with her. 

The night before had been fun but hectic, with all the drama caused by his ex wife and Cassidy’s ex husband.   They’d tried their hardest to let loose, but neither of them ended up drinking much and although Cassidy hadn’t said as much, she’d constantly been looking over her shoulder.  Justin knew because he’d been doing the same thing.

A confrontation would have been the worst thing for “date night.”  No doubt.

By the time they’d got home the night before, they were both wiped out and had ended up falling fast asleep.   Sex hadn’t even been a thought for either of them.  That had been a first.  Not that he was worried.  And not that he expected their awesome sex streak to last forever, because they were human after all.  He just hoped everything happening wasn’t too much for her.  He hoped she wasn’t changing her mind about their relationship.

Upstairs, instead of finding her in the shower, he learned instead that she’d crawled back in bed and was flipping through the late morning talk shows.  “Everything okay?” he found himself asking.

Her stare gravitated towards him.  Her brown tresses scattered all over the place.  There was just a tad bit of make-up left on her eyes from the night before, even though he distinctly remembered her washing her face and brushing her teeth before coming to bed.

She was kind of a mess, and still he found her utterly attractive.  The definitive sign of true love.  He found her completely captivating in such a natural state.  A massive swell of emotion buzzed in his chest and next thing he knew he was plopping down right beside her.

“I’m still tired,” she answered, as he propped his pillow next to her shoulder and huddled in close, throwing a leg over both of hers.  She grinned, smirked and eyed him next to her.  “Today sounds like a perfect day to do absolutely nothing.”

“I like that idea,” Justin agreed, delicately trailing the tips of his fingers down her arm.  “We can send T out for some movies and just lay around all day.”

“That sounds perfect.   T can even pick of Cody if you want,” she said, still eyeing him from the side.

“Nah.  If I don’t do anything else today, I’m still gonna do that.”

Five days later it was everywhere.  It.  As in them.  Pictures at the driving range.  At Out.   In the car, pulling out of Cassidy’s driveway.  In the car, pulling into Cody’s preschool.  The paparazzi were everywhere and there was absolutely no escaping it.  Hiding out at Cassidy’s house was pointless because the mob was just as bad there as it was at Justin’s house.  Didn’t these people ever need a break?

Some of the headlines were just plain funny, but most were simply stupid.  The mother of Justin’s illegitimate child finally revealed!, WIFE-SWAPPING! Justin Timberlake and Jason Brown! (Cassidy found that one especially amusing), Justin settling in… are marriage plans next?   The list went on and on.  And the stories to back up the headlines were just as amusing and only about 15 percent accurate.  She especially loved the one about the four of them showing up at the nightclub and having a major blowout in the middle of the dance floor.  The truth was, they’d never seen a hint of each other, although Justin and Cassidy had definitely been aware of the others presence.

A good conflict was always good for the club it had happened in, though.  So at least JC’s business was reaping from all the publicity.  Not that the spot had needed any help in that department to begin with.

There did seem to be one thing the media masses were reporting correctly.  The fact that she and Justin were gaga over each other had been published in just about every story, coming from several different “sources”—so to speak.   In actuality, Cassidy was positive that Justin had made sure his fondness for her was spread generously amongst the entertainment media.  And she had a good feeling it was probably irritating the hell out of the ex Mrs. Timberlake.

In less than a week’s time, Macie and Jason had been pictured everywhere.  Mostly in very obvious places to be photographed.  Places known to be a major draw.  Restaurants where celebrities go specifically just for publicity.  Bad or good, it didn't matter.  If you’re trying to be discreet, you certainly don’t have lunch on the patio at The Ivy. 

It was obvious the two exes were trying to pull something.  Neither Cassidy nor Justin cared to know exactly what that something was.  In fact, they were trying to ignore it all together.  But having a so-called normal relationship was rather difficult when you were living right smack in the middle of a full-out media blitz. 

And not surprisingly, they were both getting a little edgy.

All Cassidy wanted to do was go to the grocery store, but it was nearly impossible to get out of the driveway.  She’d never felt so stir crazy in her entire life and her nerves were definitely wearing thin.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”   She cursed softly as she stormed back into the house, slamming the front door behind her.  She needed a change of scenery—bad.  “This is so fucking ridiculous.”  She was whispering, mumbling to herself, trying to let off some steam without her words making way to her son, who was in the kitchen with Justin, Dre and Matt, Justin’s newly-hired assistant.  He needed one with all that was going on.  It was impossible to get anything done for himself.

They’d told her not to try and leave.  Matt was going to go.  That was his job.   But they didn’t understand.   Cassidy was used to doing these things for herself and she desperately needed some normalcy.  She needed something familiar.  Staying in the house all day was not normal.  Yes, it was definitely familiar.  It was too familiar.  That was the problem.  She felt like a damn recluse.

And it pissed her off to no end that they’d been right.  She’d realized it as the gate was half way open, hitting the remote button to shut it before it was too late and pulling back up the drive.  She’d marched back up to the house with the ugliest scowl across her face imaginable.    That’s how it felt, at least.

Taking in two deep breaths, she stormed into the kitchen.  All eyes focusing on her except for Cody’s.  He was deeply involved in a new coloring book—thank God.  “Justin,” she gasped, the wariness of her mind seeping through in the tone of her voice.  “I need to get out of here.”

As if on cue, Matt stole Cody’s attention away from the coloring book and they left the room.  Cassidy liked having the young guy around.  He wasn’t just good for running errands.  He was good for distracting her son, as well.  She realized at this point they needed all the help they could get.  The thought of a nanny had surfaced a few times already.  Not that Cody was too much to handle.  Cassidy had raised him without much help for most of his four years.  There had been times when she’d hired someone, but the majority of the time it had been just her.  And she liked it that way.  But her life was a bit overwhelming at the moment and the last thing she wanted to do was take her frustrations out on her little boy.

“I have the movie junket all day tomorrow.  We can go check into the hotel.  You guys can hide out with me there.”

That would have to do.   It was better than staring at the same goddamn walls in her living room for one minute longer.

Justin had never seen a woman pack so fast.  Ever.   And she hadn’t just packed herself, she’d packed Cody too.  Granted, they were only going to be gone a night or two, but still.  She was done in twenty minutes flat.  He’d sat at the end of the bed, watching the entire process with complete fascination.

She zipped a classic Louis Vuitton Keepall and looked up him expectantly.  “I’m ready.”

Glancing at the Rolex on his wrist, he tilted his head and then looked back at her.  “The room won’t be ready for another hour.”  Matt had only got off the phone with the hotel five minutes earlier.

“By the time we get past the circus outside it’ll have been an hour,” Cassidy reasoned.

She was right.  Justin hopped up and headed into the closet to throw some stuff into a bag for himself.

By the time they were all crammed inside the blacked-out security SUV another half an hour had passed.  Dre and T were up front.  Matt and Cody were in the middle seat and Justin and Cassidy were in the very back.  It was the most uncomfortable seat in the car, but neither of them wanted Cody back there if it wasn’t necessary.  Besides, the farther back they were, the harder for the paparazzi to get a glimpse—or a photo.

“Cody?  Did Daddy tell you that Grandma Lynn is meeting us for dinner later?” Cassidy leaned forward and ruffled the top of her son’s curly head.   The boy turned to look back the best that he could, around his booster seat.

“Nu uh,” he answered.  “I like Grandma Lynn,” he stated matter-of-factly.  “Is Grandpa Paul coming too?”

“Not this time, bud,” Justin answered.  “Just Grandma Lynn.”

“That’s okay.   We can send a plate for him,” the little boy suggested with complete sentiment.  Justin caught the peep of a giggle slip from Cassidy’s voice, just before she covered her mouth.  She shook her head, smiling wide.  The twinkle had returned to her eyes.  It was something he’d rarely seen since their world had turned completely crazy.  Next thing he knew, he was taking her hand and gently kissing the corner of her lips.  She turned into him, the intoxicating warmth of her palm finding his denim-clad thigh.  Unfortunately, the action was brief as a heavy groan sounded from the driver’s seat and shook them back to reality.

Justin gazed out the windshield as Dre maneuvered past the cars that lined the drive.  A new thought entered Justin’s mind.  It was one thing to have a gate around your property, but maybe it was time to secure themselves even further.  Maybe into a gated community.  Things couldn’t possibly be this bad—at least not directly outside your front door, so to speak.

Grasping Cassidy’s hand, he squeezed it tight and leaned in close to whisper.  “After I finish promoting this movie, let’s move.”

Her brow furrowed in the center of her otherwise smooth forehead.  “Move?”

“Yeah, to a more secure neighborhood,” he explained.

With a smirk, she asked, “Is there such a thing?”

Justin nodded.  “Gated.” 

Cassidy didn’t have any problems moving.  Sure, she loved her home and had made sure it was one thing she won from the divorce.  But still, it was just a house.  A thing.   Something she could easily detach herself from.   That wasn’t what had surprised her by his suggestion and she realized that Justin probably didn’t even realize what he’d just suggested.  Yes, they’d been living together—sort of.  Meaning, they’d slept in the same bed every night since the first night they’d got together.  But other than clothing and personal items, no one had actually moved any of their belongings.  He still had his own house.  She obviously had hers.  Both of them had their own places.  They didn’t “technically” live together.  So when he suggested that they move, he was also suggesting that they move in together.  At least that’s the impression she got.

Raising an eye, she peered at him curiously.  “Would you sell the house you’re in now?”

His expression went flat as he shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head.  “I don’t know.  I could.  Or I could just add to the list of properties I already own.”

Cassidy wondered exactly what that list entailed, but not enough to ask and it definitely wasn't the issue at hand.   The more important question was, “Would I have to sell mine?”

He shrugged again, his eyes round with openness.  “That would be up to you, of course.”

Still, he hadn’t acknowledged the fact that he was suggesting they move in together.  Did he even realize what he’d just asked?  Obviously not.

She let it drop.  And so did he.

By the time they arrived at the hotel Cody was in dire need of a restroom.  They pulled around to side of the building where there was an entrance for high-profile guests who preferred more private accomadations.  It was a driveway that went underground and led to an enclosed parking garage.   Cassidy helped Cody out of his seat as quickly as possible, the two of them rushing towards the elevator, which was only a few feet away.

After pushing the button, she turned her back to the shiny metallic doors and leaned down, urging Cody to hang in there just another second.  As soon as she heard the bell, she turned quickly and was met face to face with JC.  An unexpected encounter, for sure.

With an odd look, she pointed back to where she’d come from and said “Justin’s that way” before ushering Cody into the elevator and quickly pushing the button for the doors to close, flashing him a quick smile.  The last thing she wanted was for her little boy to have an accident on their way inside this five star hotel.

When they came out of the restroom a short time later, the small entourage was standing just outside, waiting.  “Feel better, bud?” Justin asked, looking down at Cody.   The boy nodded his head expressively.  “Good,” the bigger Timberlake smiled.

It was then Cassidy managed to take in JC’s appearance.  He looked somewhat disheveled in a worn pair of jeans and slightly wrinkled t-shirt, his short hair hidden underneath a dark baseball hat but still screaming unkempt underneath.   Maybe it was the lack of product or the way it had bed-head written all over it.  Regardless, she was picking up on the fact that his being there was a complete coincidence.  What exactly was he doing at a hotel at three o’clock in the afternoon anyway?  A mid-day booty-call perhaps?  She wasn’t sure why the thought brought on the urge to giggle, but she suppressed it nevertheless.   JC was the consummate bachelor.  It was one of those things you just know.  And she respected the fact that he didn’t try to pretend to be something that he wasn’t.  He put it all up front.  She watched him firsthand with a few different women the night they’d hung out at his club.  He made it very known that he was not looking for a relationship.  Of course there was a small part of her that wondered what had made him so hard-skinned, but she was just barely getting to know Justin’s friends.  It wasn’t something she couldn’t ask now.  Maybe something she wouldn't be able to ask ever. 

“Yeah, come back by later.  We’ll just be hanging out.  My mom’s meeting us for dinner.  She’d love to see you.”  That was the end of the conversation between Justin and JC. 

“Nice seeing you again, Cassie.”  JC grinned, flashed a wave and was on his way.  She had a feeling she wouldn’t be using her full name much anymore, thanks to Justin.  She figured Cassie was a nice change for this new page in her life anyway.  Bye, bye Cassidy.  Hello Cassie.   Whether she asked for it or not.

Justin looped his fingers with hers and used his other hand to ruffle Cody’s curly-topped head.  “Come on.  Let’s go find our room,” he said.

© BrandyRae 2006