Brief Encounter


“You were smart to stay in the car,” JC said as they pulled away from the curb.

The smell of coffee wafted through the front seat as Justin took his cup from JC. “Why’s that?” he asked, sipping his frothy drink.

JC looked at Justin’s drink in horror. How he could drink those awful sweet creations was beyond him. He took a sip of his Grande French Roast, with just milk and a bit of sugar. “Lynne and Jamie-Lynn were in there.”

Justin choked on his drink. “Seriously?” he asked, looking in the review mirror, as if Britney’s mother was on their trail.

JC nodded.

“Why did you talk to her?”

“Because it would have been rude if I hadn’t,” JC explained. “She knew it was me, Just. Was I just supposed to act like I haven’t known her for half my life and walk past her?”

Justin nodded emphatically. “Yes!”

“It’s not her fault she’s so upset, Justin,” JC said. “If you and Britney had been honest with her, maybe she wouldn’t think you were the devil incarnate and want you castrated.”

Justin winched. “I tried, Josh,” he countered. “But Britney wouldn’t let me!”

JC raised a skeptical brow at Justin. “Justin, Lynne knew we were together before you started “dating” Britney. Why would she think it was anything but a façade?”

“It was the only way she’d accept it,” Justin said. “When we first started going public, Lynne told Britney she knew I was just going through a phase, that she was the love of my life, and that I’d finally figured it out.” He slumped behind the wheel, sucking forlornly on his straw. “We tried over and over again to tell her the truth, but she wouldn’t believe us!”

He turned to JC. “She even put is in the same room when I stayed in Louisiana!” he exclaimed.”

“Watch the road!”

“I mean,” Justin continued, his eyes back on the traffic. “How many mothers encourage their daughters sleeping with her boyfriend in their house!”

“What about Britney’s dad?”

“He knew,” Justin said. “But he just shrugged at Lynne and went off to do his own thing.”

JC was quiet for a moment. “Turn around,” he ordered, drinking the last of his coffee.

“What?”

“Just turn around and go back,” he said, smashing an imaginary brake to the floor as Justin whipped the little car through the traffic. “Fuck, we’re taking the SUV next time,” he mumbled.

Justin pulled up to the coffee shop with a squeal of tires. “Now what?” he asked, turning off the ignition.

“Let’s go,” JC said, exiting the car and coming around to Justin’s side. “Lynne needs to know the truth so she can stop being such a bitch in the press,” JC explained. “And you need to stop being such a puss, letting these women walk all over you.”

“I am not being a puss!”

JC rolled his eyes. “Justin, you are the biggest mama’s boy in the world,” JC said. “These women pull you around by the short hairs, and you know it!”

Justin glared at JC as they entered the coffee shop. They spied Lynne and Jamie-Lynn sitting at a table. Jamie-Lynne was smiling at Lynne with a whipped cream mustache on her face. Justin watched that smile fade as she saw the two men approach.

Lynne looked up as well, her expression freezing. “Hello, Justin,” she said, icicles dripping from her words.

Justin took off his hat. “Hello, Lynne. Jamie-Lynne.” He stood there, hat in hand, shifting on his feet nervously.

“What do you want Justin?” Lynne asked.

He looked nervously at Jamie-Lynne, then at JC. The older man got the hint. “Hey, Jamie-Lynn, I need some cookies for my desert tonight.” He nodded in the direction of the display case. “Can you help me pick some out?”

Jamie-Lynn looked between her mother and Justin, finally nodding and rising from the table. “I like the chocolate ones the best,” she said, taking JC’s hand.

Justin sat at the table, fingers working a napkin and trying to gather up his courage. Damn, he thought. I am a puss! “Lynne, I never meant to hurt you,” he started.

“You didn’t’ hurt me!” she protested. “You hurt Britney!”

Justin shook his head. “No, Lynne, I didn’t!” he replied. “We were never really a couple, see? I was with JC the whole time.”

“I don’t believe that,” she argued. “I saw you two together, Justin. I saw the love. You two are not that good of actors!”

Justin screwed up his courage. “You saw what you wanted to see, Lynne,” he said. “Britney and I were happy together, yes. After JC, she’s my best friend in the world. But I was never in love with her.”

“Why?”

Justin shrugged. “Johnny thought it would be good for both of our careers,” Justin said. “And there were a few too many rumors about me and JC. He wanted to squash them if possible.”

“And you accepted that?”

“JC talked me into, actually. He knew it would be good for Brit, yes.” Justin looked over at his lover and Jamie-Lynn, scrunched down together in front of the cookie display case and smiled softly. “And we can’t come out yet, Lynne. At least not to the public.”

Lynne observed that smile, a smile she never saw him give Britney. “Why not?” she asked. “Would it really matter?”

“JC says he doesn’t want it out yet, but I know the truth,” Justin explained. “He could survive it, Lynne. He’s strong like that. But he’s staying in the closet to protect me, Lynne. He knows I’d never be able to handle the press and censure it would cause.” He shook his head at the thought. “And since Britney and I decided to break up, I offered to be the bad guy, since she was with me out of friendship anyway.”

He turned to smile at Lynne. “Do you understand now I never hurt Britney?”

Lynne nodded. “Yes, I suppose so,” she agreed. “I just wish I would have understood that this whole time,” she complained.

“We tried,” Justin chuckled. “But after a while, it was just easier to accept it. And Britney’s bed was big enough for both of us.”

Lynne eyes widened at the thought. “Oh my god,” she gasped. “I can’t believe I made you two sleep together!”

“It was fine, Lynne,” Justin said. “Brit said it was as if she were a little girl again and had sleepovers.”

Lynne was laughing as JC and Jamie-Lynn joined them at the table. JC was holding a large bag and another cup of coffee. She looked up at JC. “I understand now, JC,” she said, pulling JC down and kissing him on the cheek. She repeated the action with Justin. “Take care of each other.”

“We will,” Justin said, ruffling Jamie-Lynn’s hair and following JC out to the car.

They pulled away from the curb in silence. JC sipped his coffee, knowing that Justin would speak when he was ready. He watched as LA flew by.

“Thank you,” Justin finally said.

“You’re welcome,” JC replied, knowing he was being thanked for more than making him confront Lynne Spears. He pulled the bag off the floor and opened it up. “Want a cookie?”



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