Part 5




Monday morning, Justin claimed the lottery ticket. He knew there would be hoopla, but he didn’t expect to be in a conference room for two hours, answering questions and smiling non-stop, all the while gripping a ridiculously oversized check.

When he didn’t show up for work, his boss called and left a nasty message on his machine.

“Timberlake, you’ve been MIA one too many times. You’re through.”

Justin had giggled, deleting the message. It wasn’t like he planned on keeping the job anyway, and this saved him the energy of going down and quitting in person.

He decided to stay on at the coffee shop. He actually enjoyed his work there, and Lance was a good friend. Justin wasn’t about to leave him high and dry just because he’d come into some money.

At that, he laughed. Loudly, in fact, tears almost spilling down his face.

“Daddy?” Ella asked, poking her blonde curls around the corner. “Wa’so funny?”

“Nothing, baby girl,” Justin chuckled, patting his knee. Ella scurried into the room, climbing up onto his lap. “We’re rich, honey. You know that?”

Ella nodded, eyes wide. “It means we have lotsa money, right?”

“Right,” Justin agreed, kissing her nose. “And we’re going to put it to good use, ok?”

“Ok, Daddy,” she said, and after a pause, “What’s good use?”

Justin laughed, tickling Ella playfully. “It means we’re going to buy a new house, baby girl, and get the heck out of this place.”

Ella beamed up at him. “Can we have a pool?”

“We’ll see, sugar,” Justin grinned. He set Ella down when the phone rang, reaching for the receiver.

Ella beat him to it.

“Hello, Timberlake reserdents,” she said. Justin laughed at her mispronunciation.

“Hi…this must be Ella.”

“Yep. It’s me. Ella.”

“Is your daddy home, Ella?”

Justin noticed the way Ella frowned just a bit, her eyes meeting his. “Maybe. Who’s this.”

“This is Josh,” he said.

“Josh who? I don’t know any Josh. You must be a stranger. Daddy said I can’t talk to strangers. Daddy said--”

“Daddy said give me the phone,” Justin demanded gently, his heart nearly pounding out of his chest.

Ella giggled and handed the phone to Justin, who pressed it to his ear and turned away, taking a deep breath.

“Hello?” he said quietly.

He could hear Josh smiling even through the phone. “Hi, Justin.”

“Hey,” Justin said, smiling himself. “How did you get my number?”

“A little birdy,” Josh teased, and Justin knew he wouldn’t get it out of him, so he just went with it.

“Oh? And what did this little birdy say about me?”

“He said that you’re sweet. And smart. And sexy,” Josh said, and Justin felt his cheeks get hot.

“Oh really?” he said, trying to keep the squeak out of his voice.

“Really. He also said that you should come to dinner with me tonight. At Fiera’s.”

Justin’s heart leapt, and he closed his eyes, leaning back against the counter. “I’d love to,” he said, sighing happily.

“Great. Meet me at the coffee shop at 7?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”

“Bye Justin.”

“Bye,” Justin said, hanging up only after he heard the soft click on Josh’s end.

“Daddy?” Ella said, tugging at Justin’s pantleg.

“Yeah, sweetie?” Justin said, corners of his mouth curved up slightly.

“I got dance practice tonight.”

Justin’s mind snapped back to reality, and he silently cursed himself for forgetting that he had a four-year-old daughter to take care of.

“I know, honey.”

“Then how can you meet that Josh person if you gotta take me? You promised you’d watch this time!”

Justin sighed, pulling Ella into his arms. “I know, sweetie. I’ll be there, ok?”

“Ok, Daddy,” Ella said happily, jumping off of his lap to chase Bella around the kitchen.

The phone rang again, and Justin grabbed it before Ella could get her hands on it.

“Hello?”

“Justin my man!”

Justin smiled, shaking his head. “Hey, Lance.”

“Dude, why didn’t you tell me?” Lance asked.

“Sorry man,” Justin laughed. “Must have slipped my mind.”

“You went to see JC Chasez at the club, went with him to his dressing room, and that just slipped your mind? Come on, Justin, don’t hold out on me!”

Justin gasped, realizing that Lance wasn’t talking about the lottery at all.

“H-how…how did you know about that?”

“Relax, dude,” Lance laughed. “Chasez isn’t one to kiss and tell. Joey told me.”

“Joey?”

“Yeah, JC’s friend. The one that he was talking to when you went up to him at the club?”

Justin nodded to himself, remembering the man Josh had been talking to.

“And then Joey calls here this morning, asking for your number so Chasez can call you? Dude, you are so in!”

Justin frowned, rubbing his temple. “Lance, what are you talking about?”

“Wait, you mean you don’t know?”

“Know what? This is getting really annoying, man.”

“Dude…Chasez’s, like…loaded. We’re talking multi-millionaire here.”

Justin’s breath caught way down in his chest, and he gripped the counter, afraid he was going to collapse. “What?”

“Yeah, man. Mr. Moneybags.”

“I don’t…but he…why…”

“Why’s he play at the club? Because he loves it. Joey owns Moody; Josh plays there for free.”

Justin felt numb all the way down to his toes. He slid to the floor, burying his face in his hands.

“I…I have to go, Lance.”

“What’s wrong, man?”

Lance didn’t get an answer; Justin had already hung up.



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