A Treasure Worth Seeking
By: Shellie - shelliemg at gmail.com
Chapter 8When Lauren emerged from Caroline’s room JC was leaning against the back of her couch waiting. He smiled as she approached. "Joe and Ami were having a little private moment so I came to hide in here. Is Carrie sleeping?"
Lauren smiled. "Yes, she’s out like a light. Joe and Ami are adorable. Two totally different ends of the spectrum but they seem to fit so perfectly."
"I know. It’s very strange too. Joey’s a total player. He buzzes from one flower to the next like a honeybee, if you know what I’m saying. I’ve never known him to be so taken with just one girl for such a long time. I think he may be falling hard. It’s a very scary thought."
"Doesn’t he have a baby?"
"Yes. He and Kelly have one. He adores Brianne but he and Kelly…they just aren’t good together. They finally called it quits. The games were just too much to take anymore. Ami is so different than his normal type. And so not like Kelly. Ami is like…like Lance. She’d be a perfect match for Lance and yet there she is…wrapping the Italian Stallion around her bumpkin little finger."
"They say opposites attract. Who knows? Want a soda?"
"Sure. Thanks." JC followed Lauren into the kitchen, moving to stand and watch his friends out the window. "See…he’s all playing and tickling and kissing on her. Normally Joe would be trying to take her bathing suit off. Convincing her to go inside with him or out into the water where no one could see. He’s sick like that." JC laughed.
"You talk bad about him, considering he’s your friend."
"Oh no. Don’t take it the wrong way. Joey wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s just that way. He has A.D.D. when it comes to the ladies. He sincerely likes each one he meets, but then a new one appears and he sincerely likes her too. He doesn’t mean to hurt the first one by leaving…it just happens. I love Joe. He would give an internal organ to keep a smile on your face." He motioned out the window. "But now look at him…laying there holding her hand. What’s the world coming too?" He smiled down at Lauren, "Next thing you know, the sky will be falling."
"Everyone is entitled to find that special person. It just takes some people longer than others. Sometimes you choose wrong the first time. Some times it takes many heart breaks, but eventually you find that person that makes it all worth while."
JC looked at Lauren, his expression serious. "You really believe that?"
"I do."
"Have you found that person yet?"
"No. Not that I know of. But he’s out there. Hopefully. What about you?"
"Not yet. But who knows right? She could be living right next door," he winked and Lauren blushed becomingly.
"You’re a tease, you know that right?"
He made a shocked face, "Moi?"
"Oh don’t play innocent with me. You’re no better than your friend Fatone. You just do it discreetly."
JC snorted, "You are so far from the truth it’s not even funny."
"Hmm. I just call it like I see it, baby."
* * *
"Get dressed, we are going to dinner."
Lauren looked up surprised as JC and Joey walked unannounced into her home. "Pardon?"
"Knock, knock. Joey's taking everyone out to dinner. You and C have to come."
Joe shot JC a look. "Oh I'm taking everyone out?"
JC just grinned as he leaned over the back of Lauren's couch. "Come on. You need to get out of this house. I haven't seen you go anywhere since you moved in."
"I go places."
His brows arched, "Where?"
"Um...the grocery store?"
JC looked over his shoulder at Joe who smirked and pointed at Lauren. "You. Get your cute ass up and get it dressed. I'm taking everyone but JC out to dinner." He turned and headed back out the door. "I mean it!"
"Are we celebrating anything in particular?" she asked.
"Freedom!" Joe called as he stepped off the porch and JC frowned.
Lauren's eyes searched him. "Freedom from what?"
JC shrugged, no longer looking so enthused about the night. "Who knows...probably NSync."
Her eyes widened. "Josh?"
He shook his head and followed Joe. "We'll talk later. Right now you need to get dressed. If you are like any girl I've ever met, it takes ages for you to get ready."
Lauren was left staring after him. What was going on? Surely the group wasn't breaking apart? Could that be what he'd been so upset about all this time? And if so, Joe seemed to think it was a wonderful thing. Wishing she knew more about what was going on inside his head and that his frown didn't affect her so strongly, Lauren headed for the shower.
Twenty minutes later she was once again faced with a dilemma. What on earth was she supposed to wear? She reached for the phone, dialing JC's number from memory and then tried to figure out when she'd learned it as she waited for someone to answer.
Joe picked up, "Best little whore house in Florida."
"Joe!" she giggled and then burst into to full out laughter when she heard JC threaten him in the background.
"Hey, baby. You ready for our little date? I've decided that JC and Ami aren't coming.
JC's gonna watch Caroline and me and you... we’re gonna rent a hotel room down the street and-"
The phone rattled and Joe yelled in protest before JC's voice growled near the receiver. "Stop fucking around like that you ass." Lauren was grinning when JC finally spoke to her. "Hey. Ignore him. He's hyper."
"Must be all that love he's getting from Ami."
JC laughed. "Apparently he's not getting what he needs if he's making plans to hook up with you."
"He's just trying to make her jealous."
"He's trying to make someone jealous. Anyway, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to find out what to wear. Are we going to KFC?" she teased.
"Hey! I wasn't in search of gourmet! I was taking care of your kid! She said she wanted mac 'n cheese!"
"I'm teasing. And just for future reference, anytime you ask Carrie what she wants to eat, you will get the same answer."
"Mac 'n cheese."
"Exactly."
"She's too cute. Anyway...I have no idea what I'm wearing. Just some khaki's or whatever. Joe will probably wear jeans. It's against the 'Religion of Joe' to wear anything else."
"Shut up." Joe commented from somewhere behind JC.
"So casual but not beach casual."
"No floral shirts and knee socks please."
"I would never. That's for you northerners."
"Maryland isn't that northern, honey."
"Yeah, well... How long do I have now?"
"Ten minutes."
"Ten minutes!? Bye!" Lauren was laughing when she hung up. JC obviously must have gotten over whatever had made him so upset earlier. Shrugging off the thought she headed in to wake Caroline.
***
His arm along her shoulders felt great. She knew it was just a casual gesture, nothing more than JC sprawling in his chair with his glass of wine, but his warmth, his strength… it was a nice feeling and one that she hadn’t felt in quite some time. Rousing herself from her thoughts, she glanced at Joe who was watching her with a smirk. His mouth spread from that smirk into a wide smile and he winked. Wondering if her thoughts were written on her face she turned toward Caroline to hide her blush. She fussed with the child, cleaning her up from dinner, wiping her face and hands with a damp cloth. JC's hand still rested on the back of her seat and she missed the weight of it. She found herself rushing to finish so she could lean back again.
Caroline whined and reached, signaling her desire to be free of the highchair. JC wimped out in a hurry, "Why don’t you let her out. We can take turns holding her."
Lauren chuckled, freeing the child who was growing more and more spoiled by her newfound adorers. "You’re a wimp, Josh. I can’t imagine what your kids are going to be like."
Caroline curled against Lauren, her hands resting on JC’s arm behind Lauren’s neck. She felt Carrie’s arms pull at him, his arm falling off the chair back to rest directly against her neck and shoulders. His hand curled around her shoulder and her pulse quickened. This time she didn’t chance looking at Joe, she knew he’d read her mind again.
JC shifted uneasily in his chair once he realized he was being much more affected by his contact with Lauren than he’d expected. He was barely touching her but his body was reacting as if he were feeling her up. Jeez, it was like being 11 again and holding hands with a girl for the first time. He stared at Joe whose eyes were filled with mirth as they shifted back and forth between his and Lauren’s faces. Joey Fatone was amused and JC was a little uneasy with the fact, knowing that his friend was known for speaking what was on his mind right when it was most inappropriate. Shifting his gaze to Carrie, JC prayed that Joe would just this once keep his damn mouth shut.
He reached forward with the hand resting on Lauren’s shoulder to touch Carrie’s nose. As he reached, his thumb brushed Lauren’s neck sending a jolt of electricity through him along with a shudder. He sat up in his chair pulling his arm from around his neighbor and sitting his wineglass on the table in front of him. He shot Joe – who was chuckling softly across the table – a chilling look before he reached for Carrie, turning her to sit on his thigh to cover the fact that he was slightly more aware of the child’s mother than he should be period, much less in a public restaurant. The two pop stars had already attracted the attention of several diners as it was, JC Chasez sporting an erection at the local restaurant wasn’t news he wanted shared. He’d had enough trouble with that in the past to last him a lifetime.
In the car on the ride home JC stayed quiet, contemplating the situation he’d managed to get himself into and whether he was going to try to get out of it or not. He knew the truth was that he wasn’t ready to start a relationship with someone new. He also knew from experience that love didn’t wait until it was convenient to appear and if you let it pass you by you would regret it for the rest of your life. Sighing he slumped somewhat in his seat, draping his wrist across the steering wheel.
"You okay?"
He glanced over at Lauren, where she was propped between her seat and door. "I’m fine."
"I don’t believe you."
He smiled softly, "I’m just tired. Joe doesn’t sleep much so he expects someone to entertain him until the wee hours of the morning. Ami usually climbs in bed with a novel and Joe just can’t sit with her for that long and not do anything."
"Well, he’d hate me. I write the novels instead of read them. Do you read?"
"All the time actually. Novels too, if you can believe that. Joey says a portion of my brain is gay because I like to read novels. He’s brain damaged. It’s not like I’m reading Jackie Collins. Do you still read or only write?"
"I read all the time. Shellie yells at me cause I read when I should be writing."
"She’s the one that does your editing, right?"
"Yes."
JC smiled. "We’ll have to hang out and read together sometime." The image of the two of them, curled in bed, her body tucked against his as they read made JC long for the kind of love he’d never had. Love that had nothing to do with who he was or how much money he had. Someone who wasn’t interested in how he could help her career or her resume, only good old-fashioned romance where just being in the same room with someone made your heart overflow. A relationship that was more than sex, more than superficial, and way more than anything he’d ever experienced, that was for sure. There had only been one time when he’d felt that connection. The connection where you go, I want to spend every waking moment with this person for the rest of my life. But it had been at the wrong time, as usual, and in the wrong place. Hell, it had just been wrong period. And so he’d let it go. He’d never regretted anything more.
"Josh…are you sure you are okay, honey?"
"I promise," he lied with a sad smile. "I’m as good as I get."