JC wiped the sweat off his palms onto his pant legs. Why was he so nervous? He had been on thousands of dates and was completely comfortable around most girls. There was the problem: Rachel Levine wasn’t just any girl. What confused JC the most was that he didn’t even know her that well, other than the basics. What made her so special? JC couldn’t put his finger on it, but she was.
He rang the doorbell. “Coming!” A man JC had never seen before answered the door. “Ah, so you must be JC. Come on in!” As JC stepped into the house, the man introduced himself. “I’m Mike, Rachel’s brother. When she mentioned she had a date, I couldn’t resist.”
JC smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Rach should be down in a minute.”
JC looked around the living room. “Do you two share a house?” He asked nervously.
Mike laughed. “No, her house is like, 5 times bigger than my apartment, so I come over whenever I can find an excuse.”
“Mike, are frightening the poor man?” Rachel’s voice carried from the stairwell.
“No I’m not!” Mike laughed.
Rachel appeared a moment later, and JC’s jaw dropped. She was gorgeous. Rachel was wearing a short, black dress that accentuated every curve of her body. “You look great.” JC managed to spit out.
“Thanks.” Rachel smiled brightly, and then kissed her brother on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Rachel paused. “Actually, be gone when I get back please.”
“Gee, thanks sis. Love you too!” Mike watched this new man escort his sister to a very nice car, and then stuck his head out the door. “Behave you two!”
“So you and Mike are close?” JC asked after the two had ordered dinner.
“Yeah…he’s always been the protective older brother type.”
“How much older is he?”
“Mike’s 26, he’s three years older. In high school, I swear, he threatened every guy who ever wanted to take me out.” JC ignored the twinge of jealousy he felt when she mentioned other guys. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah, Heather and Tyler. They’re both younger and in college.”
“Are you guys close?”
JC sighed. “As close as we can be, I guess. I was never really home, with the whole MMC thing, and then once I graduated high school, I moved to Orlando.”
“I could never imagine not being close with my family.”
JC smiled. “It’s not that we’re not close now”we are”I just missed the things growing up. Like Ty’s first football game he started, or meeting Heather’s first date. But we’re close now.”
“That’s good. Sometimes I wish Mike would disappear. I love him to death, but tonight was not the first time he came over uninvited.”
“You say that now, but if he was really to disappear for months at a time like I did, you wouldn’t be a happy camper.”
“I guess not.” Rachel paused and looked at the man in front of her. He was handsome, very handsome, and was so full of life. Yes, Rachel wished he was Jewish, but she wasn’t going to fight this attraction just because he wasn’t. “So what’s your life story JC? Any prison sentences or drug records I need to worry about?”
JC laughed. “Nope, not yet at least. I can’t guarantee that I won’t kill Justin or Chris one of these days.”
“They’re in *NSYNC right?”
“Yeah. They’re my best friends, but sometimes…let’s just say, after 10 hours on a bus with them, they don’t seem too funny.”
“How long have you guys known each other?”
JC paused. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” After he saw Rachel’s enthusiastic nod, JC continued. “Justin and I were on the MMC together, so I’ve known him for about 11 years. I met Joey and Chris when I moved to Orlando 6 years ago, and we all clicked. So we started a group, but we thought we needed more bass. So Justin called someone, who recommended Lance, and he came into the picture 5 years ago.”
“Is it hard?” Rachel asked.
“Is what hard?”
“Being in the business you are.”
JC sighed. “Yes, it is, but it’s worth it. I love making music, everything about it. And the fact that I can make people happy with my music is amazing. That makes the 20 hour days, not seeing my family for months at a time, the lack of privacy…everything worth it.”
“That sounds tough.”
“It does take some getting used to…but enough about me. Tell me your life story Ms. Levine.”
Before Rachel could begin, their food arrived. After eating for a moment, she started. “I grew up in Orlando with Mike and my parents. I graduated from high school with honors and went to Syracuse University. I majored in International Relations and Business. I got a job collecting donations for Habitat for Humanities, and here I am.”
JC smiled. “Orange, huh?”
Rachel returned his smile. “I bleed orange.”
“That,” JC said in between bites, “I have to see.”
Laughing, Rachel said, “The day you cut me open is the day this is over!”
“You know you can’t resist me.” JC said jokingly.
“I guess not.”
“So there’s gotta be more. What do you do for fun? That stuff.”
Rachel thought for a moment. “I volunteer at my Temple, spend time with family and friends, the normal thing. I also play matchmaker for my brother everyone once in a while.”
“Mike’s a lost cause, is he?”
“Yeah, just about.”
“What kind of volunteer work do you do at your Temple?” JC asked, genuinely interested.
“It’s funny, actually. When I was younger, I wanted to save the world. So, my way of saving the world is trying to get kids excited about community service and that stuff. So I organize community service events for them.”
“That’s great Rachel.”
Rachel blushed. “Thanks. What about you?”
JC ran a hand through his hair. “I like music, obviously. Listening to it, I even get lost then. Umm…I’m a huge movie buff. I like friends and family too, and I love to sleep.”
Rachel smiled. “Sleep is good.”
JC opened Rachel’s door and offered his hand to her. She accepted it and walked with him to her front door. “I had a great time tonight JC.”
“Me too.” JC shuffled his feet. “Can we do this again soon?”
“I’m free tomorrow night.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
“That’s sounds good.”
JC hesitated, then lightly kissed Rachel. It was nothing earth shattering, but he felt sparks against her lips. Rachel felt the same thing. “Good night Rachel.”
“Good night.” Rachel leaned against the inside of her door, running her fingers over her lips. The kiss was…perfect”delicate, light, sweet, and romantic.
“So you really like this guy, huh?” Rachel’s best friend, Michelle, said over the phone the next day.
“Yeah.” Rachel smiled as she stapled papers together. “He’s so sweet, and he was genuinely interested in everything I had to say.”
Michelle laughed; she was very aware of the effect Rachel’s looks had on guys. “He sounds like a keeper.”
“We’re going out again tonight.”
“When do I get to meet this guy?”
Rachel sighed. She knew everyone would want to meet JC, and soon. Her parents, Michelle, everyone…but she didn’t know if JC was ready for that. “Soon, Miche, soon. I just don’t want to overwhelm him with everyone.”
“I get it. You want to keep Mr. Wonderful to yourself?”
Rachel laughed. “If only that were true. I share him with millions of people.”
“Really?”
“I guess I didn’t tell you his name yet, did I?”
“No…” Michelle wasn’t sure what to think.
“JC.”
“JC…?”
“JC Chasez of *NSYNC.” There was no response from Michelle. “Miche?”
“You’re dating a superstar!”
“We went on one date.”
“You’re going out again tonight!”
“Miche, you have to be cool about this or you won’t get to meet him.”
“I’ll be cool, I promise!” She paused. “Can I get his autograph?”
Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes.
“So how was your date last night?” Justin asked JC as he strolled in the door.
“Rachel’s amazing.”
“Did you bang her and now you’re done?” Joey asked skeptically.
“What?” JC’s eyes narrowed.
“What? You’ve been known to do that.” Joey pointed out.
JC sighed. “No, I didn’t. I barely kissed her goodnight…she’s special.”
“Good.” Lance decided. “When do we get to meet her?”
“I don’t know…I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
“Come on, we’re not that bad!” Chris joked.
“Maybe we can all have a barbeque or something.” JC wondered aloud. “So it’s not awkward. And you can bring Kali and Monica” JC added, referring to Chris and Lance’s girlfriends.
“What about next weekend, my house?” Justin asked. “I’m dying to try out the new barbeque I got.”
“I’ll ask Rachel tonight.” JC smiled; he was seeing Rachel tonight.
“Mike, what are you doing here?” Rachel rolled her eyes and tried to do something with her hair. She had gotten back from work late, and the last thing she needed was another distraction while she tried to get ready for her date with JC.
“I’m being the wonderful older brother.” Mike smiled. “And besides, now I can answer the door when JC gets here, so you can finish getting ready.”
Rachel opened her mouth to argue, but the doorbell rang. Mike stood there, smiling at her. “Fine, go answer it.”
Mike ran down the stairs, and threw the door open. “Hey JC! How are you?”
JC smiled. “I’m good, and yourself?”
“Rach is about ready to kill me, so I’ve been better.”
“Could that be because you’re always over here?”
Mike laughed. “Maybe.” Mike leaned around the stair banister. “Rach, JC is here!”
“I know dumb ass!”
“Is that anyway to talk to your older, amazing brother?”
“Yes it is, when he’s being a dumb ass!” Rachel continued. “JC, I’m so sorry…I’ll be down in a minute.”
JC laughed. “Is this how things work in the Levine family?”
Mike nodded. “If you think Rachel has a mouth, wait until you meet our mother. It’s kinda scary.”
“So your fly was really open?” Rachel asked, the piece of chicken on her fork momentarily forgotten.
“It was! I was so embarrassed !”
“I’m sure your fans didn’t care.”
JC laughed. “No, the probably didn’t.”
“Man, I don’t think I could ever sing on stage. I’d barf.”
“Do you have stage fright?”
“Not really…I love to dance, I used to in high school, so that was fine…but anything else…watch out…Mt. St. Rachel will appear.”
“You dance?”
“Past tense…”
“For real, the guys and I go clubbing all of the time, you’ll have to come!”
“Ok…” Rachel smiled. He wanted her to meet his friends.
JC reached across the table and rested his hand on top of hers. She smiled shyly at JC. JC was just content to sit there and watch her smile.
Things were changing fast. He wasn’t even done with his second date with Rachel, but JC was certain that he would no longer be going out to clubs unless the woman sitting across from his was with him. His heart sped up when he simply thought about Rachel, and he couldn’t stop smiling.
Rachel knew she was falling. There was no question about it. Now, she had to convince her family that it was ok that JC wasn’t Jewish. It was ok with her, and that’s what mattered, right?
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