“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my big brother Joshua! And here I thought you were kidnapped by a rabid fan or something.”

“Shut up, Ty,” JC muttered as he went to the fridge for a Coke.

“What was I supposed to think? I haven’t seen you in like five days. Your girlfriend leaves and you’ve been holed up in your room ever since…”

“I wasn’t in my room,” JC interrupted sternly. “I’ve been in the studio. A lot.”

“Finally find a new muse?”

“You could say that.”

JC took a seat at the island, and glanced at the mess Tyler made on the table. He was surrounded in thick books and stacks of papers, which he frequently referenced while typing quickly. JC was always amazed by his brother and sister’s dedication to formal education. He just never had the patience to sit still and study like they did.

“Josh I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to you since Hannah left. How are you doing?

“Fine. It sucks but…I mean I’m handling it. Really we didn’t even get together,” he emphasized with air quotes, “until this past weekend anyway. We’ve been dating, what? Six days? Four of which we haven’t even seen each other?”

“Yeah but,” Tyler paused. “Technically six days or not, it feels like you’ve been together a lot longer.”

JC responded with a half-hearted shrug.

Tyler continued. “I’m just really glad to see you so happy, even though you’re kind of mopey right now. I didn’t think you’d be able to fall so hard again after…”

“Don’t even mention her name.” JC interjected forcefully.

Tyler nodded. “OK, I won’t.”

They sat in silence a few moments before Tyler spoke up again.

“I think that when I’m the best man in your wedding I’m going to tell the story that you paid me to go to Vegas for the weekend so you could be alone with Hannah.”

“I didn’t pay you to go to Vegas, I paid for you to go. There’s a diff….Wait, what to you mean at my wedding?” JC asked incredulously.

Tyler shrugged nonchalantly. “I just think that this one has the chance to go all the way. I think she is just what you need. I only spent a few hours with the two of you, but the way you complimented each other…I’ve just never seen you like that with someone before.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, Ty.” As much as he wanted to shout out ‘we’re not getting married,’ he couldn’t. Ty did have a point. He had never felt so at ease around any of his girlfriends before. Tyler, and the rest of his family for that matter, always hated his girlfriends, so if Ty really liked her and thought this could last, maybe he was on to something.

“But um,” JC continued, “speaking of getting ahead of ourselves, what are you doing the weekend of the 10th?”

“Nothing! Finals are that week, so its my first weekend of freedom.”

“Want to go visit mom and dad? Its Mother’s Day weekend. And um, Hannah will be in Chicago. I’d like to see her.”

“Wait until mom finds out this has nothing to do with Mother’s Day and everything to do with you getting laid.”

“Tyler, when did you become such a fucking smart ass? I think I’m going to introduce Hannah to mom and dad.”

Tyler’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, already? I mean, I’m not really surprised, but…wow, I guess I’m really surprised.” He laughed. “I don’t think she who must not be named even met mom.”

“She didn’t. I guess deep down I just knew it wouldn’t work out.”

“Well mom and dad are going to go crazy for Hannah. So will Heather is she ever meets her.”

“So you’ll go then? I’ll get our tickets.”

“Yeah, I’ll go.”

“OK good, I’ll call mom and let her know. I have to tell her about Hannah anyway.”

“She won’t believe you.”

“Shut up you ass and finish your paper,” JC muttered under his breath as he walked away.

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

From: joshua.scott@gmail.com
To: hjannsen@janssenspub.net
Date: May 2, 2007 at 5:57 p.m.
Subject: “What have you done with my son?!”

That’s what my mom said to me when I told her that I was bringing a girl home next weekend. My daily secret is this – I haven’t brought a girl home since the heyday of nsync. Her name was Bobbie (I’m sure you’ll hear more about her some other time…..) My parents hated her, so I just kind of quit bringing girlfriends home. So my mom was ecstatic when I told her about you. She said, “Joshua, a nice Midwestern girl is just what you need.” – ha ha – now you better impress! Kidding, you don’t have to do anything special. Just show up and she’ll adore you.

I adore you. I miss you.

-j

From: hjanssen@janssenpub.net
To: joshua.scott@gmail.com
Date: May 2, 2007 at 10:32 p.m.
Subject: Re: “What have you done with my son?!”

I miss you, too. This is stupid. I’m being such a freakin’ girl.

I was excited to meet your mom but now I’m just nervous! My mom wants to know when she can meet you, and she keeps whining that she can’t wait until Memorial Day. She was kind of bitchy when I told her I would miss Mother’s Day, but she can deal. Jens will call and she’ll forget all about me anyway 

Don’t you think I’ve forgotten that we’ve haven’t had “The Ex” conversations yet. Not that it really matters, but its good to get that stuff out of the way. I’ve been doing some online research, and I must say…I’m not an actress or a model, so I hope you don’t kick me to the curb. In my online research I also found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vNUESlnxns

I also enjoyed parts 2 – 4.

“Quit yankin’ my chain!”

HA HA HA HA.

-h.

From: joshua.scott@gmail.com
To: hjannsen@janssenspub.net
Date: May 4, 2007 at 12:50 a.m.
Subject: Re: re: re: “What have you done with my son?!”

Stop googling me. Its not fair. And I’m not even going to dignify that link with a response.

I really wish you were in my bed tonight.

j.

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

JC groaned as his phone buzzed on his nightstand. He had just managed to fall asleep about a half hour ago, and now his phone was ringing at 1:30 a.m. “Who the fuck is calling me now?”

Hannah.

“Hi,” he mumbled in a gravely voice.

“Hi to you, too.” He could hear the flirtation in her voice. “I got your e-mail. You can’t send stuff like that and then go to bed.”

“Stuff like what?” He had no idea what was going on.

“Um, stuff like “I really wish you were in my bed tonight.”

“Its 3:30 where you are. Why are you awake?”

“I was working. Just got done cleaning up the bar for the night and I come home to that message. If it makes you feel any better, I wish I were in your bed tonight too.”

“Mmm,” JC groaned. “Is it Friday yet? I can’t wait to kiss you senseless.”

Hannah groaned in return. “Only four more days. So, we’re not staying at your parents’ right? I mean, I want to have wild, passionate, monkey sex and if we were at your parents’ house your mom would no longer think I’m a nice Midwestern girl,” Hannah laughed.

“We’re staying at the Park Hyatt. I’ll meet you there on Friday afternoon and we won’t head over to casa Chasez until Saturday afternoon – if that’s OK. My parents want to cook for us on Saturday.”

“I love the Park Hyatt! And its right by the Ghirardelli store. Even better! We’ll have to have sundaes,” she paused. “You know what the best thing about Chicago is?”

“What?”

“That we’ve both been there countless times. No need to sight see. We can stay in our hotel room the entire time.”

JC let out a quiet grunt and they laid in silence for awhile, comforted by the sound of each other’s breathing.

“I really miss you,” Hannah finally spoke quietly. “I fell really hard, really fast.”

“I think we both did,” JC replied softly.

“This distance thing….”

“Sucks?”

“Yeah. How are we going to do this?”

“I wish I could answer that.” 

“Its just…kind of strange before because I’ve never been this happy or this miserable in my life. It’s a bizarre contradiction.”

“I know,” JC whispered. There was an uncomfortable silence as JC tried to figure out what to say, but he had no idea. The distance thing was already a problem and it was only going to continue to grow.

“Jace, I’m falling asleep over here. I should go. Its almost 4 a.m.”

“Yeah, get some rest,” he paused, not quite knowing what to say. “I will see you on Friday, OK? 2:30, Park Hyatt lobby.”

“I’ll be there. Tell Tyler I can’t wait to see him.”

“I will.”

They were both quiet for a few moments before JC spoke up.

“One of us needs to say goodbye.”

“No, let’s just both hang up on the count of three. OK, one, two, three…”

And JC hung up.

“I think I’m falling in love with you too, Hannah,” he whispered to himself before dozing off.