February

"Rachel?"

Rachel cringed as Rob called out her name Monday morning.  She'd hoped she could sneak by his office without having to talk to him, but no such luck.  "Yeah?" She asked, stepping back and standing in his doorway.

"We just got the latest specs back from the architect on the Cooper building." Rob said standing up.  "Come take a look." He motioned her into his office.  Rachel hesitated.  She glanced over her shoulder hoping someone was walking by that she could pretend she really needed to talk to, but of course the hallway was empty.  She stepped into Rob's office, pushing back the uneasy feeling she got whenever she was within ten feet of the guy.  It had been more than two weeks and she still hadn't been able to figure out what it was about the guy she didn't like.  But he gave her the creeps and, lucky her, she was going to be working closely with him on this project for a while. 

Rachel shifted the notebooks she'd been carrying, holding them up against her chest as she stepped up to the table he'd laid the blueprints out on.  Rob stood up and came around to stand beside her.  "Hmmm." She hummed feigning interested.  "Looks g-good." She was startled when he placed his hand at the small of her back and she turned to move a step away from him.  "I've really got to go." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear and backing towards the door. 

"I was hoping we could go to lunch and talk about any ideas you have." He said, matching her step for step. 

"I-I can't." She said.  "Sorry." She smiled.  "I've got lunch plans already for today." She lied.

"Tomorrow then?" He asked as she turned and started walking down the hallway. 

"I'll have to look at my calendar." She called out non-committaly, before quickly ducking into her cube at the end of the hall. 

Rachel shivered in disgust as she sat down in her chair.  Setting her notebooks on her desk she picked up her cell phone and quickly typed out a text message to Megan.

Have I mentioned the fact my boss totally creeps me out?

She opened her email to check the latest messages she'd received and waited for Megan's reply.  When her phone vibrated a few seconds later Rachel quickly picked up the small electronic devise.

What happened?

Rachel sighed.  That's a good question.  What had happened?  He touched me briefly? In a completely non-threatening way?  She thought.  And asked me out to lunch?  Why the hell am I freaking out?  Still she felt almost...dirty after the whole encounter. 

Nothing really.  I'm probably just overreacting. How's the story coming?

Since Megan had gone on maternity leave a week ago, she'd made good on her threat to write a story with Rachel and JC as the basis for her characters.  Rachel cringed every time she thought about what her best friend was working on.  She had yet to see any of her work and it made her anxious.

Good. 

Megan's answer left a lot to be desired, but Rachel decided to just play it off.  Hopefully she would get this ‘writing bug' out of her system before it went too far.  She was counting on the fact that Megan would be too busy with the baby in a few days to work on it and would forget about her aspirations on becoming an author.  Rachel leaned back in her chair and pressed the second speed dial number she'd finally programmed into her phone a few weeks ago.  Counting the rings she waited for the sound of his familiar voice.

"Hey Beautiful." He said, answering after the third ring.

"Hey." Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, the lingering unease from her brief encounter with Rob disappearing.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." She smiled.  "I just needed to hear your voice.  Wanna go to lunch with me today?" She asked, hopeful.

JC blew out a breath.  "I wish I could, Rach.  I'm doing a radio spot in an hour then I've got to book it across town to tape Ellen.

"Oh," Rachel replied, disappointed.  "I forgot."  She tried not to let his sudden busyness get to her.  He was a musician after all, with an album due to hit shelves in a little over than a month and depending on how successful this second CD was his schedule could become very busy the rest of the year.  While part of her hoped this album did well, for his sake, a small part of her was hoping it wouldn't.  She'd gotten used to spending so much time with him.  Having to suddenly cut back on that time was going to be an adjustment--one that she wasn't sure she was ready to make just yet. 

"Can I take a rain check?" He asked.  "What about dinner?"

"I'm working late tonight." She informed him.  JC wasn't the only busy one in this relationship. 

"I could bring something by later." He offered.

"What time are you going to be done today?" Rachel asked.

"Uh...well Ellen should be over by four then I've got to go down and meet with Marcus to go over a few things about the album.  Justin called a little bit ago and wanted to come over and mess around in the studio, but I can tell him we have to do it another day."

"No." Rachel shook her head.  "I should be done by seven--I hope.  How about I bring dessert over when I'm done here."

"Mmmm," He hummed and she could picture his adorable smile.  "That's an intriguing idea.  Tell me more."

Rachel chuckled.  "I think I want to surprise you." She said.

"Now you've really got me intrigued." He replied.

"That was the plan." Rachel informed him with a smile. 

"Seven?" He asked.

"Probably closer to eight." She said.  He groaned and she giggled.  "I gotta go." She said.  "Good luck with everything today."

"Thanks." He replied.  "I love you."

It still made her heart skip to hear those words from him and her smile grew.  She knew she'd never get tired of hearing him say that.  "I love you, too." She said quietly then ended the call with him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she just sat in her chair for a moment.  It was hard to fathom sometimes, the happiness she'd found with JC.  Who'd have ever thought? She pondered, setting the phone back on her desk.

"I couldn't help overhearing," Rob said, startling her from behind.  Rachel gasped and turned around in her chair.  "Did your lunch plans fall through?" He asked his grey eyes hopeful.

"Nope." Rachel lied smoothly.  "I'm going out to lunch with some friends and just called to invite someone else but he couldn't go."

"Not just someone else." Rob said with a knowing smile as he sat down in the chair bedside her desk.

Did I invite you to sit down? Rachel wanted to ask but remained quiet, hoping by doing so he would get the hint and leave--quickly.

"Husband?" He asked, his eyes traveling over her and Rachel had the urge to cover up even though the vest and white shirt she wore was in no way revealing. 

"Boyfriend." She answered automatically, wishing instantly that she'd told him it was her husband she'd been talking to.  The interest in his eyes suddenly doubled and she fought the urge not to throw up.

"Oh," he replied.  "I just thought...with that ring..." He gestured at her hand.  Rachel looked down at the diamond ring that had been on her finger since Christmas.

"Well, we're more or less engaged." She told him.

"Which is it?" Rob asked his expression calculating.  Rachel looked at him in question.  "More or less?"

"More." Rachel said, praying for a way to get rid of this guy.  Why does he have to be the Vice President? She questioned.  If it were anyone else she wouldn't think twice about resorting to rudeness to get him out of her work space, but she couldn't do that with Rob.  Not without risking her job.

"Well." Rob said, patting her desk and standing.  "My offer still stands for lunch tomorrow." He said.  "Let me know."

"I will." Rachel said, watching as he left.  "Not." She muttered under her breath as she turned back to her computer.  She worked for a few more hours, waiting until she saw Rob leave for lunch before heading back towards the kitchen.  Walking into the back room Rachel smiled when she saw Aubrey sitting at the table, looking through a magazine.

"So what's the latest gossip?" Rachel asked as she put her Lean Cuisine in the microwave and sat down next to the receptionist.  The younger girl looked up at her in surprise, the green in her hazel eyes standing out thanks to the sage colored sweater she was wearing.  "Ooh, that's a good color on you." Rachel said with a smile, pointing to the sweater.  "Really brings out your eyes.  I like it."

Aubrey smiled.  "Thanks." She replied.

"So?" Rachel pointed at the magazine Aubrey had been absorbed in moments ago.

"Seriously?" Aubrey asked.  "I'd have thought celebrity gossip would be something you'd want to stay away from now." She teased.  Aubrey was one of the few at the office who knew of her relationship with JC and Rachel smiled.

"What can I say?" Rachel shrugged as she stood when the microwave beeped and pulled out the small entrée of rice and vegetables.  "I'm an addict looking for a fix."  She sat back down and took a bite.  "Jace doesn't like watching the entertainment shows with me--for obvious reasons--and since we've been spending a lot of time together I'm feeling very disconnected.  Help a girl out." She finished, taking another bite.  Aubrey laughed.

"Alright, well..." Aubrey looked back at the magazine and flipped back a couple pages.  "Says here that Brad and Angie are pregnant."

"Again?" Rachel asked in surprise.  "Good grief, that woman needs to give it a rest."

"Yeah, I know.  I totally agree." Aubrey nodded.  "That's really what everyone's talking about right now," she flipped through a couple more pages.  "That and Justin's breakup--but ‘Brangelina' seems to be winning out what with them adopting again last year.  I don't know--"

"Wait," Rachel interrupted her.  "Justin's breakup?" She asked, stunned.

Aubrey looked at her in surprise.  "I would have thought you of all people would have known about that!"

Rachel shook her head.  "You'd think so, huh?  But I...what does it say?" She asked, leaning forward to look at the magazine.  Aubrey slid it so it lay on the table between them.

   "Jessica moved out over the weekend." Aubrey supplied.  "Apparently they were ‘moving in different directions,'" she read the snippet in the news column, "And they decided it ‘just wasn't working anymore.'"

"Wow." Rachel said, sitting back in her seat, her lunch forgotten.  "I'm shocked."

"I'm not." Aubrey said.  Rachel looked at her in question.  "I don't like her and I never really understood why he was with her to begin with.  She was always so...mean and unhappy.  I mean, come on!  She was dating Justin Timberlake!  What in the world did she have to be unhappy about?"  Aubrey sighed as she shook her head and closed the magazine.  "And you could tell something was up between them.  Most of the time when they were photographed together they were never touching.  There was always several inches of space between them.  If that isn't a sign then I don't know what is."  She glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall.  "Ugh," she sighed.  "Back to work." She stood and threw the wrappers from the fast food she'd eaten for lunch away.  "See ya."

"Bye." Rachel smiled and held up her hand as Aubrey left then pulled the magazine they'd been looking at towards her.  Opening it she flipped to the page Aubrey had been reading to her about Justin and looked at the picture of him and Jessica that had been taken a few weeks ago and frowned.  Looking at the picture one could totally see the signs that all was not well in his world.  Rachel's eyes took in Jessica's notorious scowl.  Aubrey's right.  She thought closing the magazine and quickly finished her lunch.  What in the world is she always so unhappy about?

~*~

You will never guess what I am buying at the grocery store right now.

Rachel sent the text to Megan later that evening then shook her head at herself.  She'd once sworn she'd never be this ridiculous over a guy, but love did funny things to a person.  As she put her items up on the conveyer and waited in line her phone vibrated in her pocket.  She smiled as she answered it.

"If you tell me you're buying strawberries and whip cream I'm going to laugh." Megan said.

"Then I won't tell you." Rachel said with a giggle.

"Rachel!" Megan exclaimed. 

"I know!" Rachel responded, hanging her head.  "I know.  Pretty sure I'm the most ridiculous person ever!" 

"Going to a party?" Megan asked, trying to hold back her laughter, but failing miserably.

"Shut up!" Rachel said, laughing herself.  "I'm checking out.  Can I call you back?"

"Yeah." Megan said, still laughing. 

"‘Kay, bye."  Rachel finished checking out, trying not to give any indication she was laughing at herself for doing something she once swore she'd never do. 

"Have a good night." The cashier said, handing her the bag.

Oh I will.  Rachel thought and smiled.  "Thanks.  You too." She said, taking the bag and leaving the store.  Once outside and back in her car she called Megan back.

"Tell me what you think." Megan said without saying hello. "She trembled as his lips slowly traveled upwards, lingering right below her ear.  Her knees felt weak and she struggled to breathe as he closed his lips over her earlobe--his teeth lightly grazing the sensitive skin.  She whispered his name.  He pulled back slightly.  He laid her back on the mattress and slowly crawled up her body--his hands moving up her sides seeking the hem of her shirt.  Finding it, his fingers slipped beneath the fabric, caressing her warm skin as he brought the fabric up and over her head.  His hand moved down her leg, bringing it up and hooking it around his hip as he moved a leg between her own and knelt above her.  ‘Without you I would be nothing.'  He confessed as he continued to lavish her body with his praise.  She shuddered, her entire body engulfed in the sensations he was provoking as his lips roamed across her skin.  She felt him suck on the skin above her right hip and her eyes rolled back.  As his teeth nipped her--his tongue then working to sooth the sting--she couldn't help the moan that escaped as he marked her.  His--"      

"What the hell are you reading me?!" Rachel exclaimed with a laugh as she interrupted Megan.

"It's the book I'm writing." Megan said.  "You don't like it?"

"Is this the book about me and JC?" Rachel asked, taken back. 

"Yeah."

"You've turned our beautiful love story into a smutty romance novel?" Rachel asked trying to sound offended though it was all rather comical to her.

"It's the baby." Megan responded.  "I'm so horny right now I can hardly stand it."

"Jackson must be in heaven." Rachel replied dryly.

"He is, but there's only so much we can really do--if you know what I mean." Megan sighed.  "Two more weeks." She reminded herself and Rachel laughed.

"You do realize it's going to be a while after you have the baby that you can do...anything, right?"  Rachel asked.

"Yeah." Megan sighed in disappointment making Rachel laugh again.

"Please don't turn our story into smut." Rachel requested. 

"Well, with you buying strawberries and whip cream on a Monday night, sounds like things are pretty smutty between you two." Megan teased.

"You are such a brat!" Rachel laughed.  "Just because Jace and I have a healthy sex life does not mean things are ‘smutty'."  Megan remained silent and Rachel knew her best friend enough to read the silence.  "I'm serious." She said in response to the unconvinced look she knew was on Megan's face right now.

"You're dating Mr. All Day Long I Dream about Sex." Megan reminded her.  "Are you sure--"

"We're done with this conversation." Rachel interrupted her with a chuckle.

"But--"

"No." Rachel cut her off again.  "Done.  Drop it." She laughed.

"Fine." Megan chuckled.  "Spoil sport." She grumbled.

"Oh brother." Rachel rolled her eyes as she pulled up to the gate outside JC's house.  "I gotta go.  I'll call you tomorrow?"
  

"Sure." Megan sighed heavily.  "I'm just home.  All the time.  By myself."

"Oh, poor baby." Rachel laughed.  "Tell Jackson hi."

"Alright." Megan chuckled.  "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Rachel closed her phone and tossed it into her purse on the seat next to her, chuckling as she pulled into the driveway, parking next to Justin's white Cadillac Escalade EXT.  Grabbing the grocery bag and her purse she got out of the car and let herself into the house. 

"Rach?  Is that you?" JC called out as she shut the front door.  She turned and smiled as he and Justin walked into the foyer.

"Hi." Rachel smiled, putting the bags in her hand down on the floor and going up on her toes to wrap her arms around JC's neck.  She hugged him tightly for a moment, kissed him quickly then stepped back, though she knew he wanted to kiss her longer.  "Hi, Justin." She smiled, turning towards the other guy.

"Hey." He responded with a smile, though his blue eyes lacked their normal sparkle.  Rachel's heart went out to him.  Breakups were never easy, no matter the circumstances, but to have to go through yet another one in the public eye made it just that much more difficult.  Rachel put her arms around Justin and gave him a hug.  She felt him hesitate a second before he put his arms around her in return.

"I'm sorry." She said, pulling back and looking up at him.  He shrugged and put his hands into his pockets as she stepped back and put her arm around JC's waist--his arm going around her shoulders.  Rachel looked up and him and smiled sadly. 

"It's like you said." Justin said, pulling her focus back to him.  "You either grow stronger together or drift apart.  We just...drifted apart.  It was a mutual decision.  You two are lucky.  Don't let it get to the point where you're drifting."  He paused and JC pulled Rachel closer to his side.  "Later." Justin said turning and opening the door. 

"I feel so bad for him." Rachel said as he closed the door.

"He'll be alright." JC said, kissing the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. 

"I hope so." Rachel looked up into his blue eyes.  "How did all your appearances go today?" She asked, reaching up and brushing his hair back.  "You need a haircut." She commented, not waiting for his answer.  "It's getting a little long."

"I'll see what I can do about that." He replied with a wry smile.

"Megan was always the one that liked your longer curls," she told him.  "Personally, I've always preferred your hair shorter." She smiled up at him.  He laughed as he tightened his arms around her and leaned down, finally giving her the kiss he'd been after since she'd walked in.

~*~

"Move in with me." JC said, surprising Rachel one night as they sat on his couch enjoying a rare moment of quiet.  They had both been so busy lately with him doing promo for his album and Rachel with her big design project that after dinner they'd decided to leave the television off and forego listening to any music.  They wanted to just be together.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, removing her arms from around him as she sat up and looked at him in shock. 

"Move in with me." He repeated, raising one hand and brushing the back of his knuckles across her cheek as his eyes held hers intently. 

"Are you serious?" She asked a growing sense of excitement filling her.

"Completely."  He answered.  "I was thinking about what Justin said they other day."  He continued.  "I think it's time we did some growing in our relationship, what do you say?  You're over here all the time anyway.  You've got clothes hanging up in my closet and when was the last time you slept at your apartment?" He asked.

"It's been a while." She conceded. 

"It doesn't make sense for you to be paying rent when you practically live here as it is.  Besides I like it when I come home and you're here.  I really like it." He grinned.

"But I'm locked into my lease until May." She told him. 

"So I'll buy it out." He said with a shrug.  "I can afford it." He smiled.  "Or we'll find someone else to buy it out.  It's L.A." He reminded her.  "There's always someone looking for an apartment."

"Pinch me." Rachel said. 

"What?" JC laughed, looking at her in question.

"Pinch me." She said again, a grin breaking out.

"Why?" He chuckled.

"Because I have to be dreaming."  She told him.  "There is no way in hell that you just asked me to move in with you."  She giggled and moved to sit in his lap. 

"You're not dreaming." JC said with a grin as he put his arms around her waist.  Rachel placed her arm around his shoulders then leaned forward and kissed him.  "So we're doing this?" He asked when she pulled back. 

"If you're sure." She replied.

"I am." He assured her.

"Alright." She smiled.  "Ask me again."

He laughed.  "Will you move in with me?"

"Yes." She nodded her head.  "Yes, I will."