More To Come....
“C, I mean it,” Joey argued back.
“I just needed some time alone. I am sorry if it interfered with you and your schedule. When we have a day off, sometimes I just want to spend it by myself.”
“Whatever Jace. You could have at least told someone that you weren’t planning on coming.”
“I’m sorry okay. I didn’t think,” JC said and then slammed the door behind him. He walked into the other room, the main lobby of their hotel floor, and faced Justin. “Look, I’m gonna go hit a movie. I need to get away from Joe for a little while. Do you want to come with?” he asked.
Justin flipped through the magazine and then looked up from the couch he was sitting on. “Nah, I’m gonna stick around here. Trinity is supposed to call later.”
JC looked at the phone that Justin had stretched the cord from his room to the lobby with. “Alright. I’ll be back later,” he said and then walked toward the elevator with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
JC really just didn’t want to deal with anything at the moment. They had had the day off yesterday and Joey wanted to have a get together with a bunch of people. JC on the other hand just wanted to stay home and relax. He wanted to spend some time at the computer and work on some new tracks. While he was at home enjoying his evening, he had gotten a few phone calls that he ignored, and then one from Haley that he answered. She had told him that she waited for him to pick her up to bring her over to Joey’s, but he never showed. She said that she went there by herself and then he wasn’t even there. JC knew that he was going to be hearing about it for the rest of the night, so that gave him even more of a reason not to want to go to Joey’s place.
Finally he had given in and said that he would be over in a few minutes. He had hopped in the shower and then was pulling out of his driveway when Haley called his cell phone and told him not to even bother. She also made sure that he knew it was ‘over’. JC was so tired of it all that he told her, ‘fine, the relationship wasn’t working anyway,’ and then hung up with her.
It had been almost twenty-four hours since all that happened and JC hadn’t heard back from Haley, nor did he want to. All he needed was some time to himself. He figured that a movie would do him some good. He would go get some munchies and a soda pop and sit in the back row with no one around him. At that point in time, anything sounded better than sitting in a hotel listening to Joey complain.
JC got out of the taxi, leaned in the window, and tipped the cab driver. “Thanks,” he said as he wandered up to the theatre, which ended up only being down two streets from the hotel. The movie theatre didn’t look very busy so he figured that he’d be safe. Not having a big body guard with him also kind of took the attention away from him. JC stood at the front of the building and looked at what was playing and then at the times.
“Got a winner,” he said when he saw a movie that started in ten minutes. He reached in the small window hole and gave the teller his money and took the ticket in return. JC pulled the door open and glanced around to find where he had to walk through to have his ticket tore. Just as he saw it and started to walk, he thought, “food.” His attention was directed in the opposite direction and he headed toward the counter.
JC held his head down and glared into the glass. “Hmm,” he said as he studied the options.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, can I get a large Dr. Pepper and,” he stalled. He looked again and scratched his chin. “A bag of licorice and a thing of those sour patch kids. Oh and some milk duds too.”
The lady took out all of the snacks that he had asked for, poured his drink, and told him his total. JC dug into his pocket and pulled out his money. As he did so, he dropped a quarter. Just as he was about to bend down to get it, a soft female hand brushed up against his.
“Here,” she said softly.
JC’s eyes caught hers and he smiled. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” she smiled back and then pointed to all of his stuff on the counter.
“Oh, yeah,” he turned to get his stuff.
“Feeding a whole brigade of people?” she questioned with a cute smile.
JC looked at everything that he had just bought. He chucked, “I, uh,” he stuttered. “Nah, just me.”
The girl smiled again. “Enjoy the movie,” she suddenly said and then turned to walk off.
“You too,” he said in a soft tone that faded into almost nothing. JC carefully carried all of his stuff over to the man asking for tickets. “Shit,” he cursed. “Hang on, it’s in my back pocket,” he said. “Uh,” he mumbled. “Can you...” he started to ask.
“Here, let me help you,” the same girl from the snack bar said. She took the soda from JC’s hand so that he could dig into his pocket to get his ticket.
The couple behind JC was obviously getting irritated.
“Here. Sorry,” he said and handed the man his ticket.
The guy tore it and said, “Down this hall. Number eight.”
“Thanks,” he said and took his ticket stub back and then took the soda back from the brunette standing next to him.
“Sure thing,” she smiled. “I’m Alexandria, but my friends call me Lexi.”
“Hi Lexi. I’m JC.”
“So I realized,” she giggled quaintly.
JC flashed her one of his million dollar smiles. A sweet girl was exactly what he needed right then. “So are you here alone?” he asked as they walked down the same hall.
“That, I am,” she said back. “We’re seeing the same movie,” she said as they both walked toward the same theatre room.
JC looked up at the number again. “I guess so. Uhm, care to keep me company?”
“I’d love to,” she replied back. “If you don’t mind me slurping my drink,” she added.
“I won’t if you won’t mind me smacking on these milk duds. They kind of get stuck in my teeth,” he laughed and sat in one of the seats.
Lexi laughed back in return. “You’ve got a deal.”
“Right on,” he shot back. Just as he said that, the lights went dim and the previews started.
“You take half, I‘ll take half.,” JC said in a deep staggered voice and then laughed. He then shoved one of his sour patch kids into his mouth. “Crazy. How you could tell a kid that is like five to kill half of those people? Kill them all!”
Lexi walked out right next to him and laughed along with him. “I think that was...”
“It was actually a little better than I thought it would be,” he mumbled referring to the movie that they had just seen.
“If you didn’t think it would be good then why did you come see it?” she asked.
“I just needed to get out and this was the only movie that started when I got here.”
“That makes since I guess,” she stated.
“Yup! I was going crazy. I wanna be cool like the Scorpion King.”
“You’re an odd one.”
“Yup, but I wanna be able to talk to animals too, like Dr. Doo Little,” he joked.
“JC that would drive a sane man crazy.”
“Ah, you’re saying that I am sane,” he teased.
“Well I hope that you aren’t INsane,” she laughed. “Because if you were... I’d have to part my ways with you right now, and never speak to you again. You could like, stalk me,” she giggled.
“Well, putting it that way,” he smiled. “I am a sane person. Only if you put it that way though,” he laughed.
“Got ya,” she smiled at him.
The two of them had talked basically non stop during the movie, and they were sure that the people in front of them didn’t appreciate it very much. Oh well. They had fun, and that was just the medicine that JC was asking for. As the neared the exit to the theatre JC stopped.
“Hey?” he started.
“Yeah?” she stopped in front of him.
“You sure we don’t know each other. Cuz, we’re really clicking.” JC smiled, “I think so at least.”
She smiled back. “I only know the person you’re made out to be on TV, but I’m enjoying getting to know the real you,” she added on.
“Uhm, my hotel isn’t far from here. I should get back.”
“Do you want a ride?” she motioned to her car as they walked out of the theatre.
JC considered the offer and then turned it down. “Nah, I’m just gonna walk.”
“Well, do you want some company?” she persisted.
JC thought for a second. A simple, “Sure,” he then answered her with.
“Cool,” she smiled and kind of danced her weight around as she walked.
“So Lexi, where are you from? Around here?”
“No actually. I’m from Orlando.”
“What are you doing way out here then?”
“I flew in to visit my grandmother,” she replied.
“That’s cool,” JC said back.
The two of them continued to walk down the dark street toward JC’s hotel. It was a quiet area, and only a few cars passed by them on their entire walk. The hotel was about a ten minute walk from the theatre, so the time passed quickly. JC listened to Lexi as she told him a little more about herself, and while doing so, he got lost within her eyes. They were the brightest shade of blue and spoke in a language all of their own. Her silky brown hair waved in the subtle breeze and fell just at her shoulder blades. Lexi’s voice rang in his head as her listened to her speak.
“When are you guys due back to Orlando?” she asked as the approached the front of the hotel.
“Next week,” he said point blank.
Lexi smiled and didn’t know what to say next.
“Maybe we can get together down there. Ya know, do dinner or something?”
“I’d like that,” she said with a smile from ear to ear.
“I don’t usually pick up girls at the theatre,” JC began, “so forgive me for not offering out my number or anything. You just never know what some people will do with it,” he tried to say without sounding cocky or totally untrusting.
“No, it’s fine. Here,” she said and took out a pen. “I’ll give you my number and if in a week you still wanna do dinner, call me.” Lexi turned JC’s palm. “You’re 407 right?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
She then wrote out her seven digit number on his hand and then closed her pen tight. “Be sure to write that down before you go washing your hands,” she giggled.
“I will,” he chuckled back.
“So, it was nice. I’ll talk to you soon k?” she stood mostly on one foot.
JC adored her stance. “Definitely. Take care Lexi,” he said and then turned to head to the hotel lobby. He stopped at the door and watched as Lexi disappeared down the street. JC raised half a smile and then pulled the door open and walked into the almost dead lobby.
“See anything good?” Justin startled JC as he crossed the small lobby on their floor.
“Why are you sitting on the floor by the couch, and not on the couch?” JC asked as he stood over Justin.
“I don’t know. Why not?”
“Strange. Okay. Uhm, I saw Scorpion King actually.”
“Any good?”
“It was better than I thought it would be,” he said and sat on the couch.
“So are you in a better mood?” Justin blurted out of nowhere.
“Yeah. I just needed some cool off time.”
“Got ya.” Justin leaned against the couch and shut his eyes. “I am so dead,” he said.
“Why don’t you go to bed then?”
“Too early,” he laughed.
“You are a nerd,” JC said and stood up.
“Where you going?” Justin shot out and sat up straight.
“To my room. I don’t care how early it is. I’m tired.”
“Fine. Just ditch a fellow man.”
“Go to bed Justin. You’re wiped.”
“What time we gotta be up tomorrow?” he asked as JC slowly got closer to his own room.
“Seven,” JC shouted back.
Justin looked at his watch. “Damn.” He got up and pulled the phone cord together and headed after JC. “You wanna order a movie or something?” he asked right before JC’s door shut.
JC leaned against the frame of the door. “Justin, I just got back from the movies.”
“And?”
“I am tired now.”
“Come on. I am off the walls here man.”
JC sighed. “Fine. But I pick.”
“You pick boring shit,” he whined.
“Go to your own room then.”
“No, it’s okay. You pick.”
“What the hell is your deal dude? You homesick or something? You’re clingy all of a sudden.”
“No. I’m just not tired at all. The other guys kind of conked out.”
JC looked at him surprised. “Joey?”
“I guess yelling with you wore him down.”
“Weird.” JC reached over Justin to get the remote control.
“What’s on your hand?” he asked and grabbed JC’s wrist. “Whoa, you got a number when you were at the theatre?”
JC jerked his hand away. “Yes, I did.”
“What’s her name? Is she cute? Is she legal.”
“Oh my God Justin. How about to breath between questions instead of just drilling them out.”
Justin took a deep breath, “Well?”
“Yes she’s legal. She is very cute and her name is Lexi. Now get off it. You wanna watch this?” he asked and pointed at the screen.
Justin looked then nodded in agreement and leaned against the bed. He was once again on the floor.
“You don’t want a chair?”
“Nah, it’s comfortable down here.”
“Whatever man,” JC said and crossed his ankles at the foot of the bed. He reached over to the table and grabbed the pad of paper and a pen. He jotted down the number on his hand and then propped his head up on his arms and watched the beginning credits for the movie scroll across the screen.
*~*A Week Later*~*
JC plopped himself onto his couch. He unfolded the paper that he had just taken out of his wallet, and grabbed the phone. He cleared his throat and then dialed the number that was on the paper.
“Hello?” a voice answered. Lexi had to race for the phone because she wasn’t sure which line was ringing. She had three phone lines in her house. One for home calls, and one for her mothers business calls whenever she was in town, which seemed like never as of late. Then the other was a computer line, which she sometimes unplugged so she could use the phone for her own personal calls.
“Hi. Can I speak with Lexi please?” JC asked.
“This is her,” she sat on the chair at the kitchen table.
“Hey, this is JC,” he said and put his feet up on the coffee table.
“JC? Wow,” she smiled. “I didn’t know if you’d call.
“Hey I told you I would didn’t I?”
“Well yeah,” she cooed in her sweet tantalizing voice.
“Okay then,” he smiled. “So how are you?”
“I’m good actually. I got home two days ago. Yourself?”
“We got in last night.” JC looked at his watch. “Wow, I slept all day,” he said as his watch read seven at night.
Lexi let out a soft laugh. “I’m most sure that you deserved the sleep. Are all the other guys sleeping too?”
“Nah. Lance and Justin went out to some thing at a friends house. They asked me last night if I wanted to go, but sleep sounded a little more inviting at the time. Uhm, Chris is probably out with his girl. And Joey called a few minutes ago to see if I wanted to go to that local pizza place with him. I swear, he spends hours over there on the games.”
“That’s too funny,” she smirked.
“Yeah I guess it kind of is. So, I was wondering if maybe tomorrow you wanted to do something.”
“What did you have in mind?” Lexi asked.
“Oh I don’t even know yet,” he chuckled. It just sounded like a good thing to ask right then.
Lexi laughed. “I’d like that. I really hate to do this now but I’ve gotta do a few things around here.”
“Hey it’s no problem. I should probably go over to where J and Lance are.”
“Well,” she paused. “Call me tomorrow?”
“Sure,” he smiled.
“How about, five. Maybe we can do dinner or something?” she hinted.
“That sounds great to me. Take care,” he said.
“You too,” she said back. “Bye,” and then she hung up the phone.
JC smiled as he clicked off his phone and laid her number on the table by the couch. He got up and trotted up the stairs to his room where he would try to wake himself up the rest of the way so he could go hang out with Lance and Justin.
“One down. One to go,” Lexi said and then grabbed her purse and let herself out of her house.
Alexandria pulled her purse up on her shoulder as she walked into the pizza place only five minutes from her house. She ran her hands through her hair and leaned over the small bar at the pizza joint. “Hey can I get a slice of cheese pizza and a sprite?”
“Sure thing,” the young man answered.
Alexandria looked over her shoulder nonchalantly and noticed Joey standing in the arcade. “Just where he said you’d be,” she hissed softly.
“Shit!” Joey yelled as his pinball slid down the middle slot of the game. He hit the machine and turned towards the rest of the building. He had a soda in one hand and a piece of pizza resting on top of the lid. He caught a slight glimpse of Alexandria and liked what he saw. “This is going to be easy,” he laughed and walked toward her.
“Thanks,” she said to the guy behind the counter. She turned to grab a napkin and her eyes caught Joey. “Hey,” she smiled and then reached over him as if she didn’t give a second thought about him.
“Hey,” he smiled back.
Alexandria let out a sigh and then said, “Whoops,” as her shoe slipped off her foot.
“Let me get that for you,” Joey insisted. He sure didn’t waste any time. He got off of his stool and grabbed her shoe and then slid it back onto her foot. “There ya go,” he said back up at her.
“Thanks,” she innocently replied. “I’m Alexandria, but people call me Andi.”
Joey accepted the hand that she put out to shake. “Nice to meet you Alexandria. I’m Joey.”
She smiled. “Nice to meet you too Joey.”
“So do you come here often?” he asked.
She seductively sucked on her straw. She nodded her head. “I make a point to come at least once a week. I love the pizza here,” she finally replied.
“Nice,” he breathed her perfume in and was almost in a trance. “I, uh, I like the pizza too.”
“But you like the games more huh?” she motioned towards the arcade she had seen Joey in only a few minutes prior.
“How did ya guess?” he chuckled. She hadn’t asked for an autograph yet, so Joey was enjoying the moment.
“Just a hunch.”
“Good one,” he smiled and almost got lost in her blue eyes. Joey had always been a trip and fall for the girls, so this was nothing new to him.
About fifteen minutes later they were both still at the bar. “Hey, you wanna get out of here?” she asked.
Joey was surprised at how fast she acted. “Sure,” he sprung up.
“I mean, to a real bar and all,” she smiled. She knew exactly what he thought, and she loved it. “I could use a drink.”
“That sounds great to me.”
Andi slid off of her stool and tossed the hair out of her eyes. “Cool. Follow me okay?”
“Sure thing,” he smiled and followed her out into the parking lot.
Joey watched as she stepped into a silver 97 Eclipse. He then got into his car and followed her out of the parking lot and onto the highway. They took the second exit that they came to and then drove down the road for about two miles. Finally she pulled into another lot.
Andi parked her car and then got out and met Joey next to his. “Ready?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said and then hit the alarm on his car. “Let’s go.”
The two of them walked into the building together and found a table almost in the far back. There weren’t many people there, but still more than usual. The waitress came up and asked them what they wanted, they told her and then resorted to small talk until their drinks got to them.
“So I take it that you’re from around here,” Joey said.
“Yup,” Andi answered and twisted the napkin that sat on the table in front of her.
“So, how old are you Andi?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Are you bored or something?” he tilted his head.
Andi turned to him. “No why?” she asked back.
“Well you were just giving me really simple answers is all.”
“Sorry, I guess my head was somewhere else.”
“Nah, it’s fine. So...,” he said in hope that she would actually have something else to say to him. Usually girls that knew who he was always seemed to drill him. He liked the fact that Andi wasn’t like that, but it also was something that he wasn’t used to.
“So, do you always pick girls up at that pizza joint?” she asked soon there after.
“I think you picked me up Andi.”
“Me?” she said innocently and pointed at herself.
Her smooth actions caused Joey to laugh under his breath. “Yes you.”
“Well, you didn’t do too bad at picking up the places I left out.”
“You left out something?” he asked stunned.
Andi giggled and nodded her head. “I think I did somewhere in there. Is it so bad though?” she asked.
“Is what so bad?”
“That I picked you up, per say.”
“Not at all,” he smiled.
He was such a flirt it was almost disgusting. Andi just laughed it up though. After all, she was doing a lot of the flirting as well. “Good,” she said and left it at that.
Chiming in on time, the waitress brought them their drinks. “That looks good,” Joey said in regards to Andi’s drink.
“Thanks,” she smiled and looked down at her Strawberry Daiquiri with whipped cream on top. “You want some?” she asked with a serious, yet seductive look.
Joey just nodded.
With enough of an answer that she needed, Andi stuck the tip of her finger in the whipped cream and then brought her finger to Joey’s mouth. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and allowed Andi’s cream covered finger to graze just between his lips. “Good huh?”
“Mm hmm,” he agreed.
“Thought you’d enjoy that,” she snickered and then continued to drink her Daiquiri.
Almost an hour later Andi stood up from the table her and Joey had been sitting at. “I really should be getting home,” she stated.
“Yeah, I should try to get a hold of the other guys and see what they are up to and all.”
“So, it was nice meeting you Joey.”
“Same with you Andi.”
She grabbed her purse and was about to turn when Joey grabbed her arm with a gentle touch. “Uhm, can I get your number maybe? I mean, I think we had a good time and I’d like to take you out sometime.”
Andi smiled and licked her lips. “We did have a good time. Here,” she said and grabbed a pen off of the nearby bar top. “This is my number. If it just keeps ringing, the computer is plugged in. Just try again,” she smiled at him again.
That smile of hers made his knees go weak. “Thanks,” he said and looked at the napkin she had just given him.
“Anytime Joey,” she leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Call me,” she said and then disappeared amongst the small group of people in the center of the bar.
Andi had already left the bar and Joey just sat at the table in a daze. He couldn’t believe how easy that one was. It was always easy to get a girl to talk to him, but the majority of them always had something to say about the other guys or about his money and fame. Andi on the other hand didn’t do either of those. She was for sure a catch that Joey wanted to pick up on more.
Just as Joey was about to leave the bar his cell phone rang. He pushed the door open with one hand and used the other to get his phone out of his back pocket. “Halo?” he said.
“Yo, we aren’t in Germany. Where you at?” Justin asked.
“Leaving a bar. Why?”
“C is on his way over here so we were checking if you were gonna stop by too.”
“Where are ya at?”
“We’re at Brad’s house right now, for now, today.”
“Right now?” Joey asked. “Are you about to leave?”
“No. I dunno why I said that,” Justin chuckled. He had already had a couple drinks in him so he wasn’t totally aware of what his vocabulary consisted of.
“Uhm okay. I’ll be over in a few minutes then.”
“Mmmm k, bye then,” Justin said and then clicked off the phone and threw it on the couch, and went back to what he was doing.
It wasn’t too much later that Joey showed up at Brad’s place. He could hear the music from inside the house all the way down by the street. With long strides Joey finally made his way up the hill like drive way and entered the open screen door on the side of the house.
“You trying to let all the bugs in or what?” Joey asked and shut the door behind him.
“We’re letting them out,” Justin laughed and swatted the mosquito that was on his arm.
“Sure thing buddy. Who’s been observing the alcohol intake of him tonight,” Joey asked the room.
“He’s a big boy,” JC said as he turned the corner. He had just gotten there a few minutes before Joey did. “So where have ya been?”
“I was out with a chic that I just met.”
“I should have guessed that one,” JC chuckled and took a sip of his beer.
“Nah man, she was cool. Her name is Andi and she’s such a babe.”
“Of course she is man. Why else would you talk to her.”
“That’s rude C. I’m not that bad.”
“Yes huh you are you are,” Justin butted in.
Joey turned to Justin and shook his head. “Well she knew who I was and didn’t ask about any of you guys and how to hook up with you all, so she’s good on my list.”
“We’ll see how that one works.”
“Yes, I guess we will. I can’t say that you do too well with the ladies either.”
“I happened to have met a great girl too not too long ago, so bite me.”
“Bite me! Bite me!” Justin rolled on the couch. He was ten sheets to the wind.
JC reached over and took the beer from Justin. “This is to make sure you don’t go getting gay on us big buddy.”
Justin just pouted.
“I’ll put my girl up against yours any day,” Joey stated.
“I’ll just have to hold you to that one,” JC laughed back. “If you can even manage to keep her past this week!”
“Low blow man. You’ll see. Just wait.” Joey smiled and held his beer in the air as if toasting a victory.
“Yeah I guess I will. Did you even get her number?” JC asked.
“Of course I did!” he practically yelled. “You really think I would meet some gorgeous chic and not even get a number out of her. You think I lost my touch that bad?”
“Who knows man. Sometimes you just aren’t all there.”
“Well I sure was with this one. Damn she’s hot,” Joey fanned himself.
“Did you even get to know her?” JC asked. “All you keep saying is how hot she was. “At least I know a little about the girl I met.”
“Uh yeah I do,” Joey didn’t really know a whole lot, but he did plan on finding out more.
“Sure, sure,” JC said and just left it at that.
The guys hung out and drank more than any of them should have, but it was all in good fun. They all hassled Joey a little more on his girl he met at the pizza joint, but they didn’t get much else out of him. He did give them a description of her, but of course JC wasn’t in the room at that time so he didn’t get to realize how she seemed to sound just like the girl he had met. How the heck did this girl really think she was gonna pull anything like this off?