Part Two

    Later that day, Jennifer decided to go lay out at the pool rather than the beach. She told herself over and over again, that it had nothing to do with Justin. She wasn’t hiding from him, or avoiding him, she told herself. She just wanted to go to the pool instead.
    After convincing herself one more time, she picked a lawn chair that was excluded by every one else. There weren’t that many people at the pool, since this was a very secluded resort. She smiled as she saw a couple of kids playing in the water. There was a little girl who was about six and a boy who was about eight. Their parents were lounging together on the lawn chair, spending time together, but still keeping a close watch on them. She unwrapped her floral wrap, which revealed her baby blue bikini. She slipped on her sunglasses, laid back and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long until she went under.
    She didn’t know how long she was out, but when she did finally come too she heard the kids squealing with laughter along with a much deeper laugh too. She tiredly lifted her head to see Justin in the pool with the kids. The little girl just hopped on his back and the boy leaped up on him. “You’re going under, Justin!” he exclaimed.
    “Never!” he shouted and then laughed right before all three of them went under. Jennifer laughed in amusement. He was very sweet with them.
    “I dunked you, I dunked you!” the boy paraded.
    “Yeah, yeah,” he teased and gave him a little splash.
    “Justin, Justin, throw me again,” the cute little girl with orange arm floaties exclaimed.
    “Alright, come here,” he said as he reached for her and put his hands under her skinny arms.
    “One...two....three!” He then lifted her up in the air and she let out a shriek of laughter that was cut off when she hit the water.
    She came up with a smile on her face. “Again, again,” she said as she dog paddled to him.
    “Oh, Jess,” he sighed. “You’re killing me.” But he just laughed as he pulled her back in his arms. His eyes then finally met Jennifer’s and he gave her a little nod.
    Feeling like she just been caught doing something wrong, she jumped a little. But then gave him a quick wave with her hand, before she got up and wrapped her wrap around her.
    Justin watched her walk towards the outdoor bar. She walked very gracefully, he noticed. She looked good in her bikini and he then realized that Jess was saying his name. “Oh, sorry Jess,” he said pulling his eyes away from her. “Ready for lift off?”
    Jennifer continued to watch him play with the kids. This time they were playing chase, and Justin was swimming away from him while they both tried there best to catch him.
    “May I take your order, miss?” the bartender asked. Jennifer swiveled in her stool. “Oh yes, please. I’ll have a diet coke.”
    “Coming right up,” he said.
    Justin finally let himself get caught by the two rascals. “Okay, okay, you got me,” he laughed as they both were clinging to them. During their invasion, he managed to sneak a peek at Jennifer who was trying to act like she wasn’t watching him. He laughed silently. She can hide herself very well. Her face expression gives her all away. “Hey, Michael,” he said softly to the boy. “Come here, gotta job for you.”
    “Yeah?” he asked as he clung to his arm.
    “You see that pretty girl over there?” he whispered to him.
    Michael turned to Jennifer. “You mean that one,” he said a little to loud and pointed.
    “Yes, shhh! And don’t point. I want you to go up to her and say...”
    Jennifer suspiciously watched Justin whisper something the boy’s ear. He looked up at her at one point while he was talking, and she raised a brow. But he just looked and continued whispering something. She finally decided to ignore him and swiveled her back away from him.
    She wanted desperately to look back, but she refused. She just casually sipped on her drink like she hadn’t had another care in the world. Then all of the sudden she felt a tug on her wrap. She looked down to see the little boy looking up at her. “Why, hello there.”
    He smiled. “Hello. Justin wants you to meet him at the beach.”
    “What?” she asked as she looked up and saw that he was gone.
    “Yeah, he said to tell you to meet you... uhh... where you fell! That’s right.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Oh, he did, did he?”
    His head bobbed up and down. “You should go cuz, he’s really, really cool.”
    She laughed. “Did he tell you to say that?”
    “Uhh... yeah, only if you needed persuasion.”
    She laughed. “Well, then maybe I will stroll on over there. Maybe make him wait a bit.”
    Michael giggled. “Okay. I’m gonna go and play in the pool again.”
    “Bye thanks for the message.”
    “Sure,” he yelled before he jumped back in the pool.
    “Would you like another drink?”
    Jennifer pondered for a second. “Sure why not,” she said and then glanced at the ocean. “Let’s just let him wait a little bit.”

    Justin impatiently walked back and forth on the surf. He had practically ran away from the pool so he could get here before her, but she was sure taking her sweet little time. With a frustrating sigh, he glanced at the pool for the umpteenth time and then looked away.
    “The hell with it,” he said and then took off his white cotton T-shirt and angrily jumped waves as he made his way to the ocean. Dammit, why was he so mad. Why should he care so much on whether or not she would come. She has a boyfriend anyway, he told himself and then dove head first under a wave.
    She watched him come up from the water as she stopped at the edge of the surf. He was waist deep and the water glistened around him like diamonds. He ran his fingers through his unruly hair and almost jumped when he angrily hit the water with his fist. “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to make him wait,” she mumbled softly. “Can I join you?!”
    Justin turned around at the sound of her voice to see her standing at the surf, with her brown hair blowing slightly from the breeze. “Well, that’s the reason I asked you down here isn’t it?”
    “Correction,” she said as she began to make her way towards him while jumping the waves. “You made a kid ask for you, instead of asking yourself.” She was almost to him when a big wave was coming towards her. She attempted to jump it but it was too big and she went under.
    Justin was chuckling when she finally resurfaced. “You okay?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth as she finally got to him.
    “Just a little F.Y.I,” he said trying to hide his grin. “It might have been better if you went under the wave since it was taller than you, then over it.”
    “Gee, thanks,” she said with a laugh.
    “You don’t go out on the beach much do you?”
    “Is it that obvious?” she laughed. “This is my first trip to the beach.”
    “Really?” he asked, astonished. “How come?”
    She shrugged. “I’m from Chicago and my family couldn’t really afford trips like that.”
    “Oh,” he said and cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be,” she assured her. “It was definitely worth the wait. It’s very beautiful here and... ahhhh!” She jumped and without thinking clutched Justin’s arms.
    “What?” he asked concerned as he placed his hands on her waist.
    “Something just bit me on my ankle,” she said nervously.
    He chuckled. “Relax, it was probably just a crab or something.”
    “A crab!” she shrieked and frantically jumped up and wrapped his legs around him clutching him for dear life.
    “Woah,” he said as she caused him to loose his balance. “Calm down, Jen. It’s just a crab.”
    “Just a crab!” she exclaimed. “I don’t LIKE crabs.”
    “Jen, this is an ocean,” he laughed and then slowly set her back down. “What else did you expect, I mean we're not the only two in the sea.”
    “I know,” she said warily as she slid down his body until her feet touch the bottom. “It’s just creepy.”
    “Crabs are nothing, it’s the jellyfish that hurt.”
    “JELLYFISH!!”
    “Oh...Jen,” he said in frustration as she jumped back into his arms. “It’s okay, you can spot those things from a mile.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Positive. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind holding you like this one bit,” he teased.
    When she saw his wicked grin she nudged out of his arms. “Very funny, Justin.”
    He just laughed. “So, what took you so long getting over here, I thought you were gonna blow me off.”
    “And heaven forbid someone blow off dreamy Justin Timberlake,” she teased.
    He rolled his eyes. “Puhleese. I could of cared less if you came or not.”
    She laughed. “Yeah, right. That’s why you were angrily beating the crap out of the water before I got here.”
    He opened his mouth to argue, but closed it when nothing came out. “You know you really...”
    “Yes?” she asked when he didn’t finish.
    “You...” He put his hands on his hips and gave her a square look. “You’re going down.”
    He then lunged for her and she let out a shriek. “Justin,” she laughed. “Stop, I...” Her pleas were then cut off after he tripped her with his leg and pulled her under.
    “Oh, you are so dead,” she said when she resurfaced.
    “Ohhh... I’m shaking,” he teased and then splashed her.
    “Hey!” she said as she splashed him back. “Quit it!”
    “Not on your life,” he said and then slipped underwater.
    “He better not,” she said warily as she tried to back away. But he did. He grabbed her legs underwater and pulled them out from under her. She let out a laugh before she went under.
    When he resurfaced he expected her to be standing there fuming with anger, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. He looked around him. “Where did she run off to? If she even….ahhh!” He felt her grab his leg and before he knew it he went under as well.
    When he resurfaced he expected her to be standing there fuming with anger, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. He looked around him. “Where did she run off to? If she even... ahhh!” He felt her grab his leg and before he knew it he went under as well.
    When he resurfaced, he found her laughing at him breathlessly. “Swim, girl,” he warned. “You better swim like you’ve never swam before.”
    When she saw that playful look in his eyes she shrieked and dove in the water and headed for shore. Surprisingly she made it to shore before he could catch her but she looked over her shoulder to see he was right on her heels. She then quickly turned around. “Okay, truce”
    She turned around so fast, he bumped into her causing her to loose her balance. But he quickly grabbed her around the waist to prevent her from falling. “You got it?” he laughed.
    “Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “I’m okay.” She then looked up at him and when she saw his eyes shift to her lips, her smile slowly began to fade. Her heart began to race and she nervously licked her lips. When his head moved toward hers, she panicked. “Uhh...” she said nervously as she backed away from him. “I... I better go in... Peter is suppose to call me.”
    He looked at his arms that were now empty and then back at Jennifer. He cleared his throat as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Okay... I’m...” He took a deep breath. “I had fun with you today, Jen. I hope we can do it again.”
    She gave him a little smile. “I’d like that.”
    He smiled. “Well, I’ll let you go. See ya.” He then started to walk off back towards the beach.
    “Hey Justin?”
    He turned around. “Yeah.”
    “I just wanted to say that...” the phone ringing in her den interrupted her. “Oh, that’s... Peter...”
    “Go, we’ll talk later,” he said and then watched her disappear into her bungalow.

Part Three