Cat stood up. "There, I have something on, it isn't Justin standing up, and one of us is leaving. Everyone's happy."
"No, I'm fucking pissed. You did something I said you couldn't do," Liz said. "You, me, and Lex are going to have a talk later."
Cat walked over to her room. "Whatever."
Liz glared at Justin. "You aren't going to have connecting rooms anymore." Everyone left the room.
Justin took a shower, then went out. Liz stared at him. When Cat came out, she started her lecture.
After ten minutes, Cat threw her hands up and told her to stop.
"I'm an adult, you know; and so is Justin. Just because you're older than both of us doesn't mean anything."
"Yes it does. I'm your friend...."~~~~~~~~~~~ A month later ~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm going to visit my cousin; Chris, Lex, and Lance are coming with me," Liz told Cat. They were in Cat's room; they'd just come back to the hotel after shopping. "Do you want to come?"
"No, I'm working on my latest book." Cat pulled her laptop out of it's case and walked into the front room.
"Okay. Have fun. We'll be back in about two hours." Liz walked to the front door where Chris, Lex, and Lance had gathered.
"Bye," Cat called. She had the room to herself. Justin, JC, and Joey had gone out.
In the next hour, Cat worked fast, writing over half of the book. When Justin, JC, and the returned, she took a break.
Justin sat down next to her, pulling her close to him. They hadn't been left alone since the last night in LA, and neither could stand it.
After fifteen minutes of watching them make out, Joey became exasperated.
"Why don't you two get a room?"
"If we were alone, we would, but you guys are here," Justin replied.
"We won't tell. We promise," JC said. His arm was draped on the back of the couch, his hand behind it, so no one saw him cross his fingers. "Now, go in your room."
Justin and Cat walked into Justin's room. Seconds later, the guys heard the stereo come on. JC looked at Joey and raised his hand. Joey stated to laugh.
Liz, Chris, Lex, and Lance returned thirty minutes later. They collapsed on the couches and chairs. Chris put his feet on the coffee table, right next to Cat's laptop. He picked it up.
"Isn't this Cat's?"
Liz looked at it. "Yep, it's hers. Why is it out here?" she asked JC and Joey. "She never leaves it out in the open; it goes where ever she goes."
"I think they didn't plan on taking so long," Joey replied.
"They as in Cat and Justin?' Liz asked. "Taking so long doing what?"
"They're... um... in... um... Justin's room...."
"What?" Liz yelled. "And why didn't you stop them?"
"We got sick and tired of them making out," JC said. "We told them to go in a room."
"And they did?"
"After we promised no to tell," JC said. "But I crossed my fingers." He smiled.
"Because you told us, I won't kill you; but because you told them to go, I'm going to hurt you." Liz got up and walked toward the two guys.
Forty five minutes later, when Cat and Justin came out, JC and Joey were bruised and battered.
Liz was sitting in a chair, tapping her fingers. Cat and Justin looked around.
"You told," Cat said glaring at JC.
He smiled.~~~~~~~~~~ November 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight was the last concert of the year. The guys didn't have anymore concerts for nearly a year. Everyone was happy. They were home in Florida.
Lex and Liz were both pregnant; Lex by six months and Liz by five.
The concert was wonderful and that night, they went out to celebrate.
"Cat and I are flying to Tennessee tomorrow," Justin said. "We'll be gone a couple of days."
"I think someone should go with you two, to make sure you don't do anything wrong," Liz said.
"No, Liz. Justin and I have been engaged for nearly eight months. We don't need supervision," Cat told Liz.
"Fine then. But I'll be out on the next flight."
Cat and Justin looked at each other. They couldn't have that. "Fine. Joey, want to come?"
Joey looked around. Something told him Cat and Justin weren't going to Tennessee. "Sure, why not." Joey said.
That night Justin got another plane ticket, for Joey. He then called Joey and told him the flight information. Cat was staying with JC and Joey, since Liz and Lex wouldn't let her stay at his house, and Cat didn't want to stay with one of them. There would already be enough explaining to do.
"I'm so glad that no one came to say good-bye," Justin said. He, Cat, and Joey were waiting for the plane.
"I know. They'd so kill us," Cat replied.
Joey looked at them. "So we aren't going to Tennessee?"
Just then, a voice blared over the loud speakers, "Flight 340 now boarding at Gate 11. Flight 340, to Las Vegas, now boarding at Gate 11."
Cat stood up and picked up her carryon. "That's us." Justin and Joey got up and they started towards the gate
"You eloping," Joey sid. It wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact.
Justin nodded. "Neither of us want a huge wedding with a whole bunch of fuss. This is easier."
"You can't tell Joey. If you talk to the guys, please don't give any hint. Let us break the news," Cat said. They'd taken their seats and were now waiting for takeoff.
Joey looked at them. "When are you going to tell everyone?"
"When we get back," Cat said. "We just don't want Liz or Lex to find out until we tell them."
"Don't worry, I won't tell them. I have no desire to get my head chopped off."
"I thought so. So when we come back and Cat and I tell them, you say that when we were in Tennessee, we ditched you and flew to Vegas. You realized where we were and came to try to stop us. But it was to late," Justin told Joey. They hadn't wanted anyone to come with them because, no matter what they were getting married. They just didn't want anyone to get blamed for it.
Cat and Justin walked out of the courthouse. They'd just gotten the wedding license.
"When do you want to get married?" Justin asked. They were walking hand in hand down the Strip.
"Tonight. I wan to do some shopping. Get a dress and some other things," Cat replied. They walked into the lobby of their hotel.
"Okay. I'm going to wander around like a little lost puppy until then. Where and what do we meet?"
"Here, at seven."
"Okay. I'll be ready be then." It's only five hours away, Justin thought. I can live with that.
Cat spent the next hour trying to find the perfect dress. It was around three thirty when she finally spotted it.
It was a floor length, spaghetti strapped dress of midnight blue silk. It fell from a high waist into a flowing skirt, with a small train. It was embroidered with silver, in the shapes of the moon and stars.
Cat fell in love with it the minute she saw it. She knew it was the dress for her the minute she saw it. She had to get it. It fit perfectly, as though it was made for her. It accentuated her nearly black hair and golden brown eyes. It matched her engagement ring.
The next stop Cat made was for shoes. It took a while to find what she wanted, but it was worth it.
It was nearing five when she returned to the hotel. She hopped in the shower. At five thirty, a stylist was coming to do her hair and make-up.
When she got out of the shower, Cat laid out her things. Her lingerie for the night was silver. The stockings were cobweb thin, with delicate designs on them. She gotten entirely new things for the night.
The stylist knocked on the door; Cat let her in.
With fifteen minutes to spare, the stylist finished. Cat's hair was an artfully arranged mass of curls. Her eyes were highlighted with silver. Diamonds dripped from her ears; sparkled around her neck.
Cat slipped into her clothes when the stylist left. She grabbed the small purse she'd bought and left the suite.Justin was waiting in the lobby, where he'd been for the past hour. He'd used Joey's room to shower and change. Joey was waiting with him. He'd said he wouldn't go with them, he just wanted to see how Cat looked.
The elevators opened. Justin looked up. Cat should be coming down. When he noticed her, his jaw dropped and he stopped breathing. She looked perfect; far too beautiful to be mortal.
Justin noticed every other guy in the room starting at her. Joey's jaw had dropped to the ground.
Chapter Sixteen