“Ok. Bye Gwen. It was nice meeting you.” Megan waved as Justin drug her away.
“What happened to the star struck teenager I used to know?” He asked.
“She just met Gwen Stefani and had a full conversation with her.” Megan shot back. “Then she was rudely interrupted by her boyfriend who for some reason is very excited to get to his seat.”
“I just don’t want to run into anybody that might ruin my --” He bumped into somebody and almost knocked her over. She turned around and a pair of familiar brown eyes met Justin’s blue. “--Night.”
“Hi Justin.” The girl smiled.
“Hello Britney.” Justin said, not returning her smile. “Where’s Ben?”
“Oh...umm...he isn’t coming.” Britney said. “He had some movie thing to go to or something.”
“He couldn’t spend just one night away to go with his girlfriend to one of her events?” He asked.
“He is very busy with his career. ” Britney explained.
“I’m just wondering why you were so quick to leave me when your “boyfriend” doesn’t even go out in public with you...you think Ben might be a little, oh I don’t know, embarrassed?” He asked smugly.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Maybe he thinks that since you just dumped me that if you two are caught in public together there might be a little problem. I bet the media would have a field day if they found out that Ben had paid somebody money to keep your affair a secret. Especially since he’s what? 9 years older than you?”
“Ben’s not like that. Unlike you, he doesn’t have a problem admitting that him and I are together. He doesn’t care if his fans don’t like it. And, unlike you, he’s not so obsessed with his career that he doesn’t even notice what’s happening right in front of him.”
By this time, Justin and Britney were in each other’s faces and things looked like they could get very nasty VERY quickly. Megan had been standing back watching the whole time. She had known as soon as she saw Britney that things weren’t going to turn out good. She had to stop this before it got out of hand and Justin made a fool of himself.
“Baby, let’s go find our seats.” She said pulling on his arm. “She’s not worth it.”
“Hey, you don’t even know me!” Britney snapped.
“No she’s right.” Justin said. He looked at Britney with fire in his eyes. “The only thing I have to say to you is that you threw away the best thing that will ever happen to you.”
“We’ll see.” Britney shot back. Justin leaned over close to her ear.
“I could ruin you.” He said with venom in his voice.
“Is that a threat?” Britney raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a promise.” He breathed into her ear. “One phone call is all it takes. If you tell one more lie, everyone will know what you did to me.”
“Justin, I’ve known you since you were 11. You’re not gonna do a thing to me.” His eyes flashed. She didn’t believe him.
“We’ll see.” He said grabbing Megan’s hand and walked away.
As soon as Megan and Justin found their seats, Megan shoved Justin roughly into his chair. He looked at her like she was crazy.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked.
“What the hell was that back there?” She demanded.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why are you starting fights with her?”
“I couldn’t help it Megan.” He said. “I haven’t talked to her since the night we broke up and all the stuff I wanted to say just kinda came out.”
“But why did you have to get into a fight with her right in the middle of everything?” She asked, a whiney tone in her voice.
“I don’t know.” Megan let out an exasperated sigh and threw her hands in the air. “Baby, just sit down. I’m sorry I did that. I was upset.” Megan sat next to him and he laced his fingers through hers. He looked over at her. She was staring at the stage refusing to look at him. She was obviously upset with him.
“Megan, look at me.” She glanced at him and saw those puppy dog eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She said trying not to smile. He just stuck his lip out further and made his eyes wider. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Aw c’mon baby! I said I was sorry.” He leaned over and nuzzled her neck. “I’ll make it up to you later tonight.”
“Oh, I don’t think so mister!” She exclaimed. “It’s not gonna be that easy to get out of this one.”
“Fine.” He pouted.
He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He stuck his lip out again. With the curls, his boyish looks and the expression on his face, he could have passed as a 7-year-old being punished for something he claimed he didn’t do. If he weren’t 6’0” you wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.
“Oh god.” Megan rolled her eyes. “If I forgive you will you quit pouting?! Jeez!”
“I knew you’d crack.” Justin grinned triumphantly.
“Don’t get too cocky, it won’t happen very often if you keep doing stuff like that.”
“I swear I’ll never do that again.” He promised. “Now can I have a kiss?”
“I guess.” Megan sighed. They shared a kiss right there in front of everybody. It didn’t stop until JC and Bobbee came over and split them up.
“Please spare us all.” JC said. “There will be plenty of time for that later.”
“Jeez, JC you’re so boring.” Megan said.
“I’ve been telling him that for years.” Bobbee sighed. JC gave her a sharp look. “I was just kidding Jace. What’s wrong with you tonight?”
“I’m tired, Bee!” He whined. “I wanna go to sleep!”
“And I thought you whined...” Megan mumbled to Justin. JC rested his head on Bobbee’s lap and she lovingly stroked his hair. She leaned over and said something into his ear causing him to laugh. He looked up at her and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
“Please spare us.” Justin joked. “Don’t worry ‘C, it’s only a couple more hours then you can go and sleep all you want.”
“No I can’t. Tomorrow I have to go meet Alex to work on some songs, then we have sound check then I have to go finish mixing some songs before the album is done then we have the concert...I am going to be so beat.” He griped Bobbee's arm. “Bee, don’t make me work tomorrow! Pleeeeease?”
“Sorry baby but you have to work.” Bobbee said. JC groaned in protest but didn’t say anything. Just then, the others came over and sat down.
“Yall ready to win some awards?” Chris asked.
“Oh god!” JC groaned. “Now I’m nervous!”
“Shhhh…” Bobbee quieted him down. “Don’t be nervous. We’re supposed to be having fun, right.”
“OK everybody please find your seats, we’re about to start.” They heard the host, Sisqo, from a microphone on stage. There was excited chatter as they found their seats. “That’s right...very good. Now, we’re going to try to make this go as quickly as possible so those of you get an award, please make it short. A simple ‘I love you mom’ will do just fine.”
“Aww, What’s wrong Sisqo? Worried we’ll steal all your air time?” Justin yelled.
“You better watch it Timberlake, or you won’t get any air time.” Sisqo pointed at him.
On the way back to the hotel, after the show and the after party, Megan and JC were both asleep. JC leaning on Bobbee’s shoulder and Megan lying across Justin’s lap. The others talked quietly so they wouldn’t wake them but when they got to the hotel, neither would wake up. Bobbee finally woke JC enough to get him to walk up to their room but Megan was a different story.
“C’mon babe, let’s go upstairs.”
“Uh-huh...” She nodded. She almost stood up but decided better and laid down again. Justin rolled his eyes and got back into the limo.
He slipped one arm under her legs, the other around her torso and picked her up. He carried her inside and up to their room putting her on the bed before changing his clothes and lying next to her. He moved a piece of hair out of her face and studied her. She still had her make-up on. He knew she hated sleeping with make-up on.
“Megan...wake-up baby.” He shook her shoulder.
“Hmmm...no...” She mumbled. She moved closer to him and nestled her head between his neck and shoulder. As much as he like this position, he didn’t like it enough to risk getting yelled at in the morning for letting her sleep with make-up on.
“Just go take off your make-up then you can go back to sleep.” He coaxed.
“Fine...” She drug herself out of bed and went to the bathroom. Justin heard her moving around then heard her run into something.
“Owww! Who the hell puts the tub in the middle of the damn bathroom!?” She yelled.
“Are you OK?” Justin asked trying to hold back his laughter. She stuck her head out the door.
“Timberlake, you wipe that smirk off your face or I’ll wipe it off for you.”
“Reow...” He mumbled. She came back into the room fresh and clean in her pajamas.
“Nice PJ’s.” Megan looked at her black tank top and white pajama pants with cows all over them.
“Better than those boxers with the little red peppers on them you always wear.” She snapped.
“Hey baby, those bad boys saved my life.”
“How?” She raised an eyebrow.
“You remember the other night when you were talking about what happened while you were in France?” She nodded. “I was so comfortable in those things that I fell asleep and didn’t have to listen to it anymore.” He laughed. “It was sooo boring!” She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him in the face and he dramatically fell back onto the bed. She jumped on the bed and straddled his stomach, beating him with the pillow.
“Take it back!” She demanded.
“Fine, fine! I take it back! Just stop please!” He laughed uncontrollably.
“Who’s the greatest?!” She asked.
“You are!” Megan realized something and stopped hitting him.
“I just thought of something.” She said.
“What?” Justin asked. His hair was standing in a million different directions and Megan couldn’t help but laugh a little. She ran her hand through his hair and they fell back into place.
“We had a conversation like this a few weeks ago.”
“Yeah...” Justin smiled. “And it ended very nicely, I believe.”
“Really?” She smiled. “Care to refresh my memory?”
“Not at all.” He pulled her down and captured her lips with his.
When he felt Megan relax against him and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hair fell around her face and Justin pushed it away, never breaking the kiss. Justin increased the pressure of his lips on hers and made the kiss deeper. He felt her shiver and pulled away. Megan took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong baby?” He asked rubbing her back.
“This is serious, isn’t it?”
“What?” He was confused.
“Me and you.”
“I hope it is...You don’t want it to be?” He asked. He couldn’t help but have a frightened tone in his voice.
“I’m just scared, that’s all.” She said. “The last serious relationship I was in, I ended up getting hurt.”
“I’m not going to hurt you Megan. I could never hurt you.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I’m still scared though.”
“Don’t be scared.” He pulled her closer to him. Tell her now... he thought to himself. “I love you.” Megan slowly raised her head. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say...?
“You what?”
“I love you Megan.” He placed a hand on her cheek. “I’ve felt this way for a while...I’ve just been too chicken to say it. I just hope you’ll tell me you feel the same way so I won’t feel rejected.” He smiled. She smiled back and kissed him softly. “I do.” She murmured. He smiled and kissed her again.
“I love you, I love you, I love you.” He said placing kisses all over her face. She laughed at his blissful disposition. “I love you so much.”
“I love you to.” He leaned towards her slowly, as if he were going to kiss her and she closed her eyes. He smiled mischievously and grabbed a pillow. He hit her in the head with it and she opened her eyes in surprise.
“Oh, no you didn’t!” She laughed grabbing a pillow and standing up on the bed.
“I think I did.” He smiled.
“Alright Timberlake, you wanna go?” She challenged. “C’mon, let’s do this.”
“You asked for it.” He stood up and an all out war started.
Justin’s pillow broke open and feathers went flying everywhere. When all he had left was an empty pillowcase he tackled Megan to the bed and started tickling her. She laughed uncontrollably while still hitting him with the pillow as much as she could.
She wasn’t all that tired anymore.
