Summary: Justin had girl. Justin lost girl. Justin wants girl back. Nothing too fancy.
Rating: PG-13
Categories: Long Stories
Characters: Justin Timberlake, Unknown
Genres: Drama, Romance
Warnings: adult language
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 06/11/04
Updated: 07/06/04
Undecided by coldgirl
Chapter 1: Meet The Man
Author's Notes: ***********
He rolled over in the bed, away from last night's companion. He scratched his stomach and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Because the king-sized bed was mounted, his feet did not quite touch the lush carpet, colored an unassuming shade of merlot.
The New York apartment had been purchased during the summer months of the previous year, and quite successfully served its initial purpose as a "bachelor pad." He had no idea how many women he'd met in various places around the city and brought back to his place since he had signed for it.
"Hey, chick, it's time for you to leave." He didn't know her name, nor did he care. He had problems with her actually sleeping in his bed with him (it was too personal, for one), but last night had been a different case. He'd just simply been too spent to protest. It would never happen again.
"It's Keia, not 'chick,'" the dark-haired girl groaned, struggling to wake. "Keia, Justin."
Justin shrugged and stood. His toes dug into the carpet as he walked to the adjoining bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower, Keia. I'd like it a lot if you were gone when I got back. Last night was beautiful, though." He winked and closed the door behind him.
"Asshole," she muttered as she donned her clothes from the previous night. However, try as she might to dislike him, she could not dispel the fact that they had had an incredible night together. On her way out the door, Keia placed a slip of paper with her name and number on it on his bed. Just in case he changes his mind, she thought.
***********
Justin let the water rain down all over his body, his eyes closed in pure exhaustion. He was physically tired, but it wasn't just that. He was just plain tired. Tired of all of the women, all of the parties and the drinking. His life didn't seem to be his anymore. If only he could get back what he had lost all those years ago...
After the shower, Justin stripped his bed and remade it with a fresh set of sheets and pillowcases. He didn't like lying in a bed where he'd done less than acceptable things with women he barely knew. His deeds were dirty, and he usually felt dirty as a result of it.
He saw the slip of paper on the floor near the foot of the bed. Rolling his eyes, he picked it up and placed it in a special drawer, hidden away in his spacious walk-in closet, which was reserved for such cases. It was lost immediately in a sea of similarly intentioned numbers.
Justin had an appointment with his publicist that morning, and as it was, he was already running late. The meeting was set for eleven-thirty. Granted, it was only nine o’clock, but he had a few routine things to do before heading over to Tim’s office.
After pulling on hunter green jogging pants with two navy blue stripes running down both sides and tugging a navy blue Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt over his shaved brown-haired head, Justin fixed himself a bowl of cereal like he did every morning and sat on his living room couch to watch television. He was deeply into a rerun of the Cosby Show when his phone rang. Glancing quickly at the wall clock to his left, he reached over to pick it up. Justin drew in a deep breath when he saw the number on his Caller ID.
“Hello,” he whispered.
“Justin, are you still asleep?! Why aren’t you up?” his publicist asked shrilly. “We’ve got so much shit to cover it’s ridiculous.”
“I’m sick, Tim,” Justin answered hoarsely. He coughed once for effect, then once again.
“Damn it, Justin! You will not do this again. Are you trying to mess up your career?”
I don’t give a damn about my career anymore, was Justin's immediate next thought. Can’t I just fucking sing? “Of course not, Tim. But I can hardly get up out of this bed, let alone get dressed, and brave that lovely New York traffic to come see you. Can you make the trip here?” he asked innocently, already knowing the answer.
Tim sighed heavily. His breath was coming in quick, exasperated bursts. Justin grinned. He knew it was all Tim could do to keep from chewing Justin out over the phone. “Justin, I am not going to do that. I am not going to coddle you like everyone else does. We had an appointment that you’re trying your best to break. We both know you’re not sick, and you better not let anyone see you outside your apartment today and tell me, if you’re not at the pharmacy buying some medicine. Goodbye.”
Justin laughed as Tim hung up the phone. Don’t leave the apartment? He had planned on going home to Tennessee after his meeting with Tim today. Now that it was cancelled, he could make arrangements to get going now.
***********
Three hours later, Justin was hugging his grandmother, Sadie, and putting down his lone duffel bag in the foyer of her home.
"Where's Trace?"
Probably chasing some ass. "I don't know. I think he's with his girlfriend, in California."
“How long you staying this time?” she asked as she followed him into her kitchen.
“Oh, I don’t know, Gramma. A few days, a few weeks, who knows?” he replied cryptically, rummaging through the refrigerator. Hell, I might not ever leave again.
“If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared something for you to eat. I could whip up something now if you have time.”
“Nah, that’s all right, Gramma. I think I’ll go on to my own house now. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night, and I’m kind of tired.” He reached in for another hug and started to kiss her cheek, but remembered where his mouth had been less than eight hours ago; on some whore whose name he couldn’t even remember. The shame he suddenly felt because of it almost took his breath completely from his body. “Bye, Gramma.”
“Bye, baby.”
Sadie walked with him to the door and waved as he drove away.
Justin saw her disappear back inside the house once he got to the end of her long driveway. He quickly turned in the opposite direction of his home.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
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