Part Eleven
The house was still empty by the time they got to the party, so the guys made them some drinks and told them to relax at the bar, while they made sure everything was ready for the party. The bartender they hired
showed up, not far behind from the DJ. They had moved all the furniture to the sides of the walls, and even moved some upstairs, so they had room for dancing.
Slowly, friends and family began to arrive. They tried to make it a private party, but as always, friends bring friends who bring friends, and sooner or later people that they don't even recognize are showing up at this party.
JC and Adam finally managed to escape from greeting guests and made their way to MA and Natalie. JC rolled his eyes when they made contact. "Sorry, I couldn't get away."
"That's okay," she said. "Me and Nat were just sipping our drinks and taking in everything. Do you KNOW all these people?"
"Hell no," Adam said. "I know a few of them, but not all."
"I know less that's for sure," JC said and then suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her out of the barstool. "Come dance with me, sexy mamma."
She grinned and then took a long sip of her drink and set it on the bar. "Thought you'd never ask," she said and then grabbed JC's hand. She turned around and faced Natalie as he dragged her away. 'Oh my god,' she mouthed excitedly and Natalie just laughed and toasted her drink to her.
"They make a cute couple, don't they?" Adam said as he sat next to her.
She smiled as she watched them moved to the music together. "They sure do."
"Do you have someone special back home?" Adam asked as he ordered her another drink.
She swiveled in her stool to face him. "No, I don't. School is my priority right now, and getting this job."
"Yeah, JC was telling me a little about that. Working for Disney?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I want to do something in marketting."
"I'm sure you'd be great at it," he said as he stirred his bourban and coke with his straw. "You look like you gotta good head on your shoulders."
She smiled. "Thanks, I hope I get it."
"They'd be stupid not to," he said with a wink. "When is the interview?"
"The fifth. The day before I leave to go back home."
"Well, good luck," he said as he held up his drink.
"Thanks," she said and then clinked it with hers. "So, tell me about, Cheri?"
His face glowed at the sound of her name. "She's wonderful. I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving."
"I'm sorry," she said sadly. "Ya'll talk on the phone a lot?"
He laughed. "All the time, and the computer too. Instant message is a life saver."
"Yeah, so what....." She stopped talking when she saw JC pulling a beautiful woman towards them. He made eye contact with her and pointed to her. 'This is Cheri,' he mouthed to her and Natalie smiled and
then looked at Adam who was waiting for her to finish.
"Ahem...what does she look like?"
"Well, she has...."
"Wait, lemme guess....Long auburn hair, green sparkly eyes, fairly tall....am I getting warm?"
Adam's jaw dropped. "Um...very," he said in shock. She just grinned and cupped his chin and turned his head around to face her. "Oh my god," he said as he jumped out of his chair and ran to her.
Natalie smiled when the two embraced. He really did love her, she noticed as she watched the way he looked at her. She just wished that one day a man would look at her like that. Her eyes then traveled through the
dance floor and saw JC and MA still dancing and Adam and Cheri doing the same. Everyone looked like they were having a good time, she thought with a smile and
then her smile dropped when she saw him....with her.
Dani was right, she was gorgeous. She was clinging to Joey's side as they talked to another man off to the right of the dance floor. She had long wavy blonde hair that flowed down her back, and a slim waist and flat stomach. Her skirt was a little short, she thought but it showed off her extremely long legs. She was the type that she had always hated. She was
perfect.
Her eyes then traveled to Joey and she gasped soflty when she saw him staring at her. The corner of his mouth lifted and he nodded slightly at her. Her stomach started to turn at the sight of him, but she maganged an easy smile and gave him a small wave. She then saw him murmur something to Kim, and she just gave him a wave while she still chatted away with the
other man. Her heart stopped when he looked at her and realized that he was coming her way. "Ah hell," she said nervously and then quickly turned to the bar.
"Sir, can I have another!"
Joey made his way through the crowd, slowly nodding at people smiling and waving at him. But his eyes never left Natalie's; all his attention was focused on one thing and that was getting to her. She looked so
pretty sitting there by herself at the bar, casually sipping her drink. It upset him that she was alone on a night tonight, but he didn't think he would enjoy it very much if she did in fact meet someone tonight.
He gave her a smile when he finally stood right in front of her. "Well, hello there."
"Hi," she said and then turned around to grab the drink from the bartender. "Having fun?"
He shrugged. "I'm having an okay time." He was having a miserable time. If Kim had groped him one more time at dinner under the table, he was going to scream. "Are you?"
She nodded. "Yeah, it's fun. We had a good time at dinner. Did you see Cheri?"
He laughed. "Yeah, I did. That's great that she came."
They smiled at each other, and the awkward silence surrounded them. Natalie casually sipped at her drink, while Joey had his hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on the back of his heels. "Well, I...I just wanted to come over and say how pretty you look and..."
"Joey!" Kim shouted as she stumbled to him. "There you are, silly."
"Kim," he said as he forced a smile. "This is...."
"Let's dance," she said as she pulled at him.
He rolled his eyes. "In a minute, I'm trying to introduce you...."
"I'm Kim," she said as she held out her hand.
Natalie grabbed and gave her a fake smile. "Natalie."
"Are you a fan?"
She looked at her wierd. "Well, yeah but...."
"Joey's so nice to his fans," she beemed. "I bet your speechless right now."
"Speechless?" she asked in annoyance. "You have no idea."
"Natalie," Joey sighed. "I..."
"I need to go to the bathroom," she said as she hopped off the stool. She put a hand on Joey's arm. "Like, it was SO nice to meet you, oh my god." She then rolled her eyes and disappeared through the audience.
"Well, she was rude," Kim said and then yanked on Joey. "Come on, let's dance."
Joey wanted to go after her, but it was kind of hard with Kim pulling at him. He decided to just let it go and enjoy himself. He picked up a glass of champagne that was passing through on a tray. "This will help," he mumbled and let Kim lead him to the dance floor.
"Need another refill?" JC asked MA above the music.
"No, I'm fine," she said as she placed her empty cup on the passing tray. "It get's kind of in the way when I dance."
He grinned as he put his on the tray as well. "Very true," he said as he wrapped both arms around her. "Now I have an extra hand."
She just grinned as she put her arms around his neck and pressed closer to his hard body and they both began to move together to the beat. They were about to take a break, but when the new Nelly song came on,
Mary Ann gasped. "Nevermind, JC, I LOVE this song!"
"You're the boss," he said as he started to grind with her hips. He ran his hands over her hips and then up her ribcage and then ran them over her arm and grabbed her hands that were resting behind his neck.
He pulled her away only to turn her around, while he still held on to her hands. He pressed her back against his chest and rested their joint hands on her stomach and then nuzzled her neck. "Undeleah, undeleah, mamma, E-I, E-I, Uh-ohhh," he sang playfully in her ear.
Mary Ann laughed as she ran a hand up his arm and cupped the back of his neck while they moved to the music. She had always dreamed of this. Of being with him. "JC?" she mumbled as she cocked her head to the
side. "You know what?"
"What?" he asked and then kissed her neck softly.
"THIS was one of my fantasies," she admitted with a smile and then looked up to see him grinning.
"It was?" he asked as they stopped dancing. "Us dancing?"
"Yeah, I actually had a dream once that we danced to this song."
He just laughed softly and kissed her cheek and then continued to move with her. "It's fate I guess."
"What time is it?" she asked after a moment of silence.
JC lifted his hand off her stomach and checked his watch. "Oh, girl...it's showtime. We have four minutes till midnight."
"Crap," she said as she swung around. "Okay, you go find Natalie, and I'll hunt for Joey."
"I see Joey," he said as he pointed across the room. "He and Kim are talking to some guy."
"Okay, I'm going to go and steal him. This spot right here is the meeting spot."
"Deal," he said and then they both parted ways.
Mary Ann made her way through the crowd, dodging people left and right and when she got to Joey he tugged on his arm. "Hey, have you seen JC?" she asked worriedly.
"JC?" he asked. "Wasn't he with you?"
"Yeah, but I lost him. He left to go to the bathroom and I can't find him. Joey, it's almost midnight, I HAVE to find him."
"Okay, I'll help," he said and then turned to Kim to tell her, but she was so wrapped up in this guy, he figured she wouldn't notice his absense. "Okay, let's go."
Mary Ann grabbed his hand and took him through the crowd.
"Natalie!" JC said as he walked up to her at the bar. "Have you seen MA?"
"Why isn't she with you?" she asked in confusion.
"We lost each other in the crowd," he said in frustration. "It's almost midnight and I'll be pissed if she's not in my arms by then. Help me look for her."
"Oh, okay," she said as JC grabbed her hand and yanked her through the crowd.
"TEN, NINE..." The crowd began to chant.
"There he is!" Mary Ann said as she continued to drag Joey through the crowd.
"EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE....."
"Oh, I see her," JC said and then quickened his pace.
"FOUR, THREE, TWO...."
Mary Ann yanked him hard and moved out of the way, and JC did the same with Natalie and they both stumbled forward into each other's arms. Joey's chocolate brown eyes met Natalie's stunned blue ones as he balanced her by resting his hands on her hips.
"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
JC and Mary Ann stepped back and watched to see if their plan had work. They were gazing at each other, lost in the moment. People were yelling and couples were kissing all around them, but they were oblivious
to them. "Happy New Year, Nat," he said huskily as he played with a curl of her hair that laid against her cheek.
"Happy New Year," she managed to say as her heart raced.
Joey smiled softly and then his eyes traveled over her face and then landed on her lips. His head swooped down towards hers, but he paused right before he made contact. "Joey, you better kiss her, or I'm gonna kick your ass," JC mumbled softly to himself.
As if Joey had heard him, he finally captured her lips with his own. He moaned at the feel of her soft lips, rubbing against his. He felt her hands run up his arms and then he pressed harder against her when her fingers dove in his hair. He pulled his lips away, only to return once more and kiss her more deeply. He dove his tongue in her mouth and groaned at the taste of her. Right then, he felt complete.
"Mission accomplish!" Mary Ann said as she turned toward JC.
He grinned as he pulled her in his arms. "We make a good team, sexy mamma."
She put her arms around her neck. "That we do, stud muffin."
He smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Happy New Year, Mary Ann," he whispered.
"Happy New Year, JC," she said as her eyes fell to his lips.
He reached up with his other hand and cupped her face softly. His eyes flickered back and forth from her eyes to her lips as he moved his head in and.....
"Oh my god!!" Three girls yelled at once as they tore JC away from Mary Ann's arms.
"Holy shit," JC cursed as they started to paw on him. "What the hell?"
"Oh my god, I love you," one of the girls said. "Can I please kiss you?"
"No, JC, don't listen to her," another one said as she yanked him towards her. "Kiss me."
Mary Ann stood there in shock, not realizing what the hell was going on. One minute her and JC were in each other's arms, lost in the moment and the next, three phsyco b!tches maul on HER man. All of the sudden, anger swooped over her and she stalked toward him. She reached up and grabbed one girl by the hair and yanked her away.
"Ow!" she yellped as she grabbed her head as she fell backwards.
Mary Ann ignored her and pushed the other girls away. "What the hell is a matter with you people! We were having a moment, and you biaches ruined it!"
"Um, MA," he said uneasily.
"Do you actually think JC enjoys being pawed like that?" she asked angrily. "He's a normal person, dammit, so treat him like one."
"How the hell would you know," one of the girls boasted. "JC would never be with someone like YOU."
"Oh, you little...."
"Okay, Mary Ann," JC said as he yanked at her before she could attack.
"Let me go, C!" she yelled angrily.
"Just let it go," he said and then pulled her away from the crowd.
"Like hell!" she said as she tried to pry away from his hands. "Let me GO!"
JC finally rolled his eyes and then surprised her by throwing her over his shoulder. "Come on, Joan of Arc."
"JC!" she said in shock as she started to slap his back. "Put me down!"
"In a minute," he said as he walked down the empty hallway.
"I swear those bitches are going down," she threatened.
JC just swore as he kicked open a door and carried her inside the laundry room and plopped her down. But as soon as she was down, she tried to open the door, but he slammed it shut and pinned her against the door. "Let it go, sweetie. You're officially my hero, okay? Just let it go."
"I will not!" she said as she tried to push him away.
"How dare them try to make a fool out of me."
JC grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head against the door. "Mary Ann, just chill."
She started to breath heavily. "I swear, I'm gonna...."
"Ah jeeze," he said with a roll of his eyes and silenced her with the only thing he had left to use....his lips.