Chapter Thirteen

  JC knocked softly on the bedroom door. “Syd?”
  “Yeah, come in,” she said as she leaned over the dresser as she put on her mascara.
  “Good, you're almost ready,” he said as he came up behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder.
  She plopped her mascara in her makeup bag and looked at him in the mirror. “Just what exactly are you guys up to?”
  He winked. “It’s a surprise,” he said and then started kissing her neck.
  “JC?” she warned, even though she cocked her head to the side to give him better access. “Stop trying to avoid the question.”
  “I can’t tell you,” he said and then nibbled her ear softly.
  “Jaaceeee,” she whined and stomped her foot. “Come on, tell me.”
  He grinned. “Nope.”
  She turned toward him and cupped the back of his neck with her hand. “Please,” she begged and then started nipping at his lips with her own.
  “Not…gonna…work,” he said between kisses. “But you…keep…on doing…what…your doing.”
  Just then the door opened and Joey and Lance shooed both girls in the room. “Stop shooing us like cattle,” Georgia said annoyed. “We’re going.”
  “Bad timing,” JC mumbled and then kissed her one more time before joining the guys.
  “What is going on?” Michele asked in frustration.
  “Just stay in here for awhile,” Lance said. “Relax, have a bottle of wine.”
  “Guys, let’s move,” Joey said and then yanked them out of the door.
  “Just what exactly are we trying to pull here,” Lance said as they walked down the stairs. “I mean can we really cook?”
  “It’s spaghetti,” JC said. “If we can’t cook spaghetti I’m worried.”
  “There quite annoying,” Michele said back up in the room as she poured the glasses of wine the guys left for them.
  “Yeah, but it’s kind of cute,” Georgia giggled and then sipped her wine. “Damn, that’s good.”
  “I wonder what they’re up to,” Sydney said as she sat on the bed.
  “Who knows,” Michele said. “Hey, I heard I missed quite a show this afternoon.”
  Sydney choked on her wine at the remembrance. “Oh, it was quite a site,” she chuckled and felt herself turn red.
  “Someone is turning red,” Georgia teased.
  “You would have too, if you saw what I saw,” she laughed and then chugged the rest of her wine.
  “Actually, don’t tell Joey but I caught a glimpse when he dashed through the back,” she laughed.
  “You did NOT!” Sydney laughed as she bent over.
  “I sure did,” she chuckled. “It was quite a site. That boy ran so fast it was like a blur.”
  Michele was laughing so hard she had to sit down on the bed. “Man, I would have paid money to see that. Poor guy.”
  While the ladies were giggling over JC’s streak episode, the guys were working hard in the kitchen. JC was setting the table and lighting the candles, while Joey was in charge of the sauce. Lance was tossing the salad, while he was waiting for the bread to rise. “This isn’t as hard as I thought,” Lance said as he started to mix in the ranch dressing.
  “Course it’s not,” Joey said as he stuck the fork in the spaghetti and pulled a wad out of the boiling water. “I think it’s ready,” he said and then took out a noodle and threw it against the wall. He grinned when it stuck. “Perfecto!”
  Once everyone was ready, they fixed the plates and placed them around the table. They put the bowl of salad and the bread in the middle of the table and a bottle of wine. The guys stood by it with their hands on their hips. “Not bad, gentlemen,” Joey said. “Now all we need is the guests of honor.”
  The three of them walked up the stairs and then opened the door to find them red in the face from laughing so hard. The three guys exchanged looks. “Um, what’s so funny?” Joey asked.
  The three of them grinned as all three pairs of eyes were on JC. JC turned red when their eyes traveled down his body. “Hey hey!” he said as he hid behind Lance. “Only person aloud to undress me with their eyes is Sydney.”
  The three girls just giggled and then took another sip of their wine. “I think we shouldn’t have left the bottle,” Lance said.
  “Oh, we’re fine,” Michele said. “So what’s the surprise.”
  The three guys just grinned and walked up to them. When they pulled out the bandanas the girls backed away. “Woah, wait a minute,” Sydney said warily when she saw the blindfold. “You are NOT blindfolding me.”
  He chuckled and just turned her around. “Don’t you trust me, sweetie?” he said as she covered her eyes with the material.
  “After what I made you do today?” she asked with a chuckle. “Not a chance.”
  He laughed and then kissed her bare neck. “Pushing you in the tub was my payback.”
  “Dammit, Joey!” Georgia cursed when he tightened the blindfold. “Take it easy.”
  “Sorry my dear,” he said with a laugh. “You guys ready.”
  Lance was making faces in front of Michele to see if she was peaking. “Ready,” he said when she stayed still.
  The three guys led them out in a single file. JC was first, Joey was following him and Lance was bringing up the rear. They took them slowly down the steps, whispering for them to take it step by step. When they got to the table they lined them up next to each other. “Wait there girls,” JC said and then walked over and dimmed the lights.
  “Okay,” Joey said as the guys walked around them and loosened the blindfold.
  All three girls gasped in unison when they saw the table draped in linen and the dressed in candle light. “Oh my,” Michele said as her heart raced. “It’s beautiful.”
  “You like?” Lance asked as he circled his arms around her waist and rested his chin around his shoulder.
  “Love it,” she sighed and then turned her head and kissed him softly.
  “I can’t believe you made us dinner,” Georgia said as Joey led her to the table.
  “Can you believe it,” JC said as he pulled the seat out for Sydney. “We didn’t ruin anything either.”
  “It looks very good,” Sydney said as she looked at her plate.
  “We’ve got one more surprise,” JC said and then ran over to the couch and pulled out a guitar. “We’re gonna sing to you.”
  All three girls placed a hand over their heart. “You’re gonna sing?” Sydney asked a little teary eyed.
  “Yep,” JC said as he pulled out a chair and sat down while the guys surrounded him. “It won’t be as strong, since Justin and Chris aren’t here, but it’ll have to do.”
  The girls smiled as the three of them mumbled to each other and warmed up their voices. JC finally shifted in his seat and lightly strummed his guitar. He looked in her eyes and gave her a wink before he took a breath and started to sing.

In all of creation
All things great and small
You are the one that surpasses them all

  Sydney breathed in quick as his words flew over her. His eyes were open as he concentrated on his fingers strumming the guitar. His blue eyes lifted and collided with hers.

More precious than
Any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold
When you came in this world
And I'm trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile
The heart of a child
That's deep inside
Leaves me purified.

  Lance and Joey joined him after last note JC sang and they all started to sing the chorus. Joey and Lance never left the girls eyes as they sang the words that fit so well with their feelings toward them.

You’re love is like a river
Peaceful and deep
You’re soul is like a secret
That I could never keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it’s true
God must have spent
A little more time
On you……

  When JC sung the last note, he looked up at his guitar and stared at Sydney. When he saw the tears in her eyes he set the guitar aside and kneeled down next to her. He took her in his arm and kissed her over and over again, praising her on how much he loved her.
  Joey was on his way to Georgia when she flew out of her chair and flung her arms around him. “Woah,” he said with a laugh when he stumbled backwards. “Sweetie?”
  “That was beautiful,” she said as she held him tight.
  He smiled softly and kissed the top of her head. “You’re beautiful.”
  Lance squatted next to Michele and wiped a tear away. “Didn’t think you were the mushy type,” he teased.
  She let out a laugh and then sniffed. “Yeah, well, I’m not at all. Like I always say, it’s that damn voice of yours.”
  He chuckled and then leaned up and kissed her softly and then rested his lips against her ear. “I love you,” he said huskily.
  Michele felt the tears start again and before she could say anything he was kissing her. “I love you, too,” she finally managed to say and then held him tight against her.

  The next morning, the three girls lined up outside of their van. They were quiet when people were buzzing around them, loading the car and getting everything ready for the trip back home. The girls weren't leaving till later on that night, so they were the ones that had to stand there while they walked away.
  The guys threw their bags in the back of the van, and then walked up and put the arms around them. They held each other for about a minute, while Lonnie and the guys were checking to see if they got everything. "Guys, better say your goodbyes now," he said sadly.
  The guys didn't say a word, they just held on tighter. "I love you, Michele," Lance finally said as he backed away. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "Never forget that."
  She fought hard to hold back her tears. "Never. I love you, too," she said and then reached up and kissed him again. "Call me tonight?"
  "Count on it," Lance said and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then walked towards the van. He turned around. "Oh, Michele?"
  She smiled. "Yes?"
  "Thanks for hitting your skis in my face," he teased. "Best damn thing that's ever happened to me." He then gave her a wink and then disappeared in the van.
  Sydney held on to the man she had come to love in such a short amount of time. "Do you know how much you mean to me?" she asked shakily as she buried her face in his neck.
  "I have an idea," he murmured and kissed her hair. "I'm right there with you."
  "You've helped me more then you know, JC," she said and then kissed him over and over again. "I love you so much."
  His heart turned at her words and he reached up and cupped the back of her neck and pressed her harder against his lips. "Keep that cell phone by ya," he finally said as he pulled away. "I'll be calling you whenever I can."
  She smiled. "Promise?"
  "Promise," he said and then kissed her deeply one last time and their fingertips were the last to touch before he walked into the van.
  Joey was feeling a lot of things right now, and he couldn't explain him. Georgia was truly special and he didn't want to let her go. Not now...not ever. He cupped her face and kissed her softly. "Georgia?"
  "Yes?" she said hopefully as she looked into his brown eyes.
  His heart started to race and he could feel his palms starting to sweat. "I..." He took a deep breath. "I..."
  "What is it Joey?" she asked softly.
  He sighed and then kissed her forhead. "I'll call you tonight."
  Her heart dropped as she sighed. "All right," she finally said and then managed a smile when he walked towards the van.
  The van slowly crept away and Joey stared out the window and watched Georgia. This wasn't right, he thought. He felt empty, almost. "WAIT!" he said and the driver slammed on his brakes. Joey swung open the door and ran to Georgia.
  "Joey what is..."
  He swallowed her words as he kissed her blindly. He deepened the kiss one last time before he pulled away. "I love you, Georgia."
  Georgia's let out a shaky sigh and then reached up and kissed him again. "I love you too," she said against her lips and then they held each other tight. They didn't pull away until the driver honked his horn lightly. "I gotta go," he said and then kissed the tip of his nose before trotting to the van.
  The three girls put their arms around each other as they watched the men they love drive out of their lives. "What are we going to do without them," Sydney said as they walked up to the condo.
  "It's gonna be hard," Michele said as they walked in. "But..."
  She was interrupted when all three of their cell phones went off. They looked at each other, before they all went to their ringing purses. They all checked the ID and laughed in unison.
  "Hi JC"
  "Hi Joey"
  "Hi Lance."
  The girls smiled at each other. Everything was going to be fine.