"She's not my girl Joe, this is strictly a business arrangement. As for when you'll meet her, at tomorrow's meeting for the tour."
Joey looked confused for a second. "What's she gonna be there for?"
Justin rolled his eyes. "Are you living on a totally different planet Joey? Man you should know this already, she's opening up for us. You did know we were going on tour right?" Justin mocked.
Joey shot Justin a dirty look. "Not funny Justin."
JC tried to steer the conversation in a more serious direction. "So how come you signed her up? I thought you were sticking to country artists."
"Yeah well once you see her you'll realise why I couldn't pass up this opportunity," Lance said.
"Is she that hot?" Justin joked.
"How old is she? She's legal right? Damn I bet she isn't!" Joey sighed. They were playing with Lance because they knew he was nervous about his new project.
"What makes you think she'd want you? You know as soon as she gets a look at this fine body she'll be wanting more," Justin pointed out playfully.
JC spoke up from his place on the couch, "what makes you think she'd want either of you?"
Justin and Joey both shot JC a look and JC decided to shut up for the time being.
"Joey, Justin, you are gonna leave this girl alone, you hear me?," Lance warned. "I don't want you scaring her away. It was hard enough getting her to sign with me without you going and mucking this up."
"Why didn't she want to sign? Most people would've been begging for the chance," JC said.
Lance sighed. "She's really shy about her performing. You wouldn't even believe how I got to hear about her,” Lance laughed to himself. "Her best friend snuck into her room and recorded her singing one day. Ashlyn, that's Alanna's friend, heard we were going to be at one of those after show parties, the ones that fans can come to. She slipped me the tape there. I put it in my jacket pocket and I totally forgot about it until about a month later. I got in touch with the best friend and she set up a meeting in Orlando. She fed her friend some story about picking up a package and when they walked into the room I was there."
"She took one look at your ugly mug and ran straight back out the door," Chris joked from the doorway.
"Not funny and nice of you to join us," Lance smiled sarcastically.
"My pleasure."
"Chris shut up. Lance get on with the story will you," Justin asked impatiently.
"Okay as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, she came in the room and her friend drops the bombshell on her that she is there to audition for me," Lance explained.
"Damn! " Joey laughed, "What happened next?"
Lance chuckled at the memory. "She turned and tried to make a quick escape but her friend had anticipated her move and blocked the door. After a lot of persuading from me and threats to reveal embarrassing secrets from her friend, I'd still like to know what those were," he thought aloud, "she finally gave in and sang. To wind this story up, the voice blew me away and after more begging and pleading from me to both her and her parents and a lot of threats to never speak to her again from her friend if she didn't sign, she agreed," Lance concluded out of breath.
"And that was the short story?" Justin laughed. "Lance Bass, the man of persuasion," he joked.
"So if she's that shy how is she going to perform in front of thousands of people night after night?" JC asked worriedly.
Lance sighed. "I don't know, I just don't know..."
~*~
*On the outskirts of Orlando*
"I can't do this Ashlyn!" was the muffled declaration from under the blankets.
"Tough luck girlie you have no choice," was the response from Ashlyn as she pulled the blankets off revealing her best friend of 10 yrs.
"Ash please don't make me," whined the girl from the bed.
Ashlyn Kent looked down at her best friend Alanna Scott. The girls had been best friends for 10 yrs, since the day Alanna had moved into the house next door. Ashlyn had immediately befriended the shy girl who seemed to be the total opposite personality wise.
Ashlyn was an outgoing girl and many that came across the girls would wonder how two girls so different could be such good friends. Ashlyn knew different though. Appearances could be deceptive. Alanna was much the same as Ashlyn and could break loose with the best of them but only with those she felt comfortable with. At 20 yrs old the girls were still inseparable.
"Alanna why are you still in your pj's? Damn girl we're supposed to be leaving in 30 minutes!"
"I can't go through with this," Alanna sighed. Her stomach was churning at the mere thought of it.
"Get your butt outta bed now and get in the shower. And quit feeling sorry for yourself while you're at it. Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?" Ashlyn asked.
"I never asked for any of this and you know it," Alanna pointed out. "You're the one who had to go and hand in that stupid tape to Lance. That reminds me, I still haven't got you back for that one. Don't worry though, I will and revenge is a bitch baby!" Alanna giggled.
"See, now that's what I want. Some of that spunk back. Now go get a shower and be quick about it okay?" Ashlyn said as she hurried Alanna along to the bathroom.
"Okay, okay, I'm going."
Ashlyn sat down on the bed with a sigh. She couldn't believe this was finally happening. Alanna was born with a gift, an amazing voice, one she'd kill for. Not many people got to hear it though. Alanna had always been shy about her singing but she loved to perform.
She had always been part of school productions but she would shy away from the main parts preferring to be in the background where she could do what she loved but with the least attention. She suffered from severe stage fright, something she would have to get over and quick. Ashlyn was one of the few who Alanna had felt comfortable singing around. Ashlyn believed a voice like that was a gift that could not be hidden, that's what had driven her to do what she had.
Three months before Ashlyn had overheard that 'NSYNC were to be at a local club where fans would also be able to attend. That was it, the moment she had been waiting for. She had heard on television about Lance managing artists.
The same day she had snuck into Alanna's room and unbeknownst to Alanna she had recorded her singing on her mother's old Dictaphone. How professional right? Lance Bass didn't seem to have had a problem with it though because a month later she had received a phone call from him asking for a meeting with Alanna. She was still amazed how her friend had actually signed the deal. Ashlyn knew deep down Alanna wanted this, it was just a matter of Alanna opening up to show her talent to everyone else. She could do this.
"Okay I'm ready," Alanna announced, breaking Ashlyn out of her thoughts.
Ashlyn smiled up at her. "Al you can do this. Anyway this is just a meeting. You signed the deal with Lance, you got a recording contract," said Ashlyn smiling and was thrilled to see a hint of a smile on Alanna's face, "you even went into the recording studio and managed to sing in front of all those producer type people." Alanna laughed at the way her friend described everything that had happened the last few months.
"Only problem is though Ash...," Alanna's voice trailed off.
"What?"
"We've gotta meet the rest of Lance's friends...the rest of 'NSYNC and you know how Lance warned us about them," Alanna said trying to keep a straight face.
Ashlyn burst out laughing. "Oh yeah, we better watch out for Joey and Justin. Damn girl I thought you were gonna tell me something serious then."
"Hey thought I'd try and lighten the mood a bit. God knows I've gotta do something to try and get rid of these nerves," Alanna explained.
Ashlyn smiled sympathetically. "I know you can do this Al, I have faith in you girl."
Alanna gave her friend a hug, a few tears in her eye. It felt like the end of an era but a whole new one was just around the corner. "Do you know how grateful I am that you can dance? I don't know what I would do without you if you weren't coming on tour with me." She started laughing at how soppy she was being. "Look, you got me crying now. Okay lets go before I totally lose it."
Ashlyn let go of Alanna and wiped her cheeks to rid them of the tears.
With one last smile she looked at Ashlyn. She was ready for this. "Let's do it!"
Chapter 2
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