For the next two weeks Lexi and *NSYNC were both practicing five days a week for eight to nine hours a day. Because JC and Lexi still had to record their duet, they were going into the studio very late at night and on Sunday mornings. Besides their time in the studio, they really weren’t able to see each other. Most of their communication was done through the telephone, but they knew that once they got on the road they’d be able to see each other a little more.
On Saturday April 6th, they made their way to Atlanta, GA where the tour would kick off on Tuesday April 9th. The stage was set up at Phillips Arena, and although Lexi and Steps (the other opening act) were able to use the stage for about an hour each, obviously *NSYNC took up most of the time.
Opening night came, and Lexi was more nervous than she has ever been in her entire life. She began to think that, when it came down to it, this could make her or break her. Tens of thousands of girls were there to see *NSYNC, not some chick singing. Since she was opening the show before Steps, she was even more afraid of rejection. But when the time came she performed like she’d never performed before. The audience loved her and continued to love her at every show on across the US and Canada.
Aside from her three-song set, Lexi was worried about her duet with JC. The song was to be sung halfway through *NSYNC’s performance after they sang a few of their ballads. The audience’s reaction to their song was unusually good. Both JC and Lexi were pleasantly surprised that it was accepted so easily.
By the beginning of July the tour had reached New York for their final two shows. They would be there for two weeks for two Madison Square Garden concerts and other appearances and events. Also, Lexi would be a guest on Total Request Live, and the next day would be *NSYNC TV.
The two concerts were performed on Saturday July 1st and Sunday July 2nd. After the concert on Sunday everyone went out clubbing and didn’t get back to the hotel until various times. Since Lexi was to be a guest on TRL the following day, Richard insisted that she and her dancers were back at their hotel by 2 AM. So at about 1:45, when everyone was dancing at Cream (a club on Columbus Avenue) Lexi caught a glance of her watch and decided that she should get going. She got a hold of her dancers and went to tell JC that they were leaving.
“Hey, Josh!” she yelled when she caught sight of him at the bar. “We’re gonna head back to the hotel.”
“Oh, ok. I’ll go with you…”
“No, no you stay here and have fun. I’ll see ya tomorrow,” she answered still yelling over the music.
“Are you sure? No, I’ll go with you…” he said yelling back.
“No! Stay! I’ll see ya later. Ok?”
“Ok. I’ll call you when I get to my room. Bye.”
A couple hours later Lexi was showered and laying in bed in the dark unable to sleep. She was so nervous about being on MTV for the first time that she couldn’t even think about sleep. At about 4:30 the phone in her room rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Did I wake you up?” JC asked.
“Not at all. I can’t sleep.”
“Nervous?”
“Yup.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll do fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Want me to come over to your room to talk?” Lexi and JC weren’t aloud to share a room on tour. If fan or even a maid saw them go into the same room together it could cause some sort of chaos that they weren’t ready to happen yet. They’d come out with their relationship in due time.
“I’d love you to, but I’d have no chance of getting any type of sleep if you were here. Rain check?”
JC laughed. “Absolutely. Well, if I don’t see you before you leave tomorrow, break a leg.”
“Thanks. Good night.”
“Sweet dreams, Sweetie.”