A Treasure Worth Seeking
By: Shellie - shelliemg at gmail.com
Chapter 10"So, have you decided yet?"
JC looked up at his friend who dropped down onto the swing across from where he sat. Sighing, JC shook his head, turning to stare out over the ocean again. He’d been thinking about a lot of things, his future, his past, Lauren. He’d been thinking about her a lot, actually. Was it significant that he’d found this person he felt so at home with at this particular time in his life? Was it fate? Was it a sign telling him to settle down and let the rest of it go? Or was she merely a distraction, an obstacle to confuse instead of clarify?
He turned his gaze upon Joe again. "This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. You know that right?"
Joe nodded. "I knew from the start it would be the hardest on you. I worry about you. It’s part of the reason I came here. I wanted to make sure you were okay. And I just missed ya." Joe grinned his famous Fatone grin.
"I keep putting it off. When I try to think about it, it depresses me and I hate that feeling. You’ve already decided?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah. I knew how I felt before we agreed to take this break. Is there anything you wanna talk about?"
"No. We agreed to make the decisions on our own. I’m gonna stick to that. Thanks though, for the offer. And for coming to see me. I’m really glad you came."
"No problem. And we don’t have to talk about the group. We can talk about Lauren." Joe grinned again.
This time JC smiled back. "I guess I’ve gotten in over my head a little here haven’t I?"
"I think she’s great, C. She’s beautiful and that kid of hers…well, she’s just an absolute angel. Almost as cute as my own – whom I miss." Joey frowned slightly.
"No kidding. I just don’t want to hurt her, ya know? I mean we don’t even know what the future holds for us, Joe. I have no idea what I’m going to do 6 months from now, either with NSync or without it. How can I get involved in something now?"
"How can you not?" Joe asked softly and JC’s eyes focused on him. "I’ve seen you with her. With both of them. You guys are perfect for each other. Like a ready-made family. Take my word on this one, man. At least give it a try, this is one of those things you’ll regret for the rest of your life if you don’t."
Thoughtfully, JC nodded.
***
"Knock, knock?"
Lauren stuck her head out of Caroline’s room. Seeing Ami standing alone on her back porch she called out. "Come in! I’m dressing Carrie."
Ami stopped in Carrie’s doorway. "Hey, you two."
"Say hello to Miss Ami."
"Hello," Carrie waved while waiting patiently for Lauren to tie her shoe.
"Are you two going somewhere?" Ami asked.
"We were just going to run to the grocery store. What are you up to?"
"Joey and JC are talking shop so I thought I’d come over and see if you and Carrie wanted to go shopping or something. Just to get away from here and the guys for a bit."
"We can, as long as we stop by Publix on the way home. It sounds fun, actually. Carrie, do you want to go shopping with Miss Ami?"
"Shop! Yes!" the girl clapped her hands excitedly and the two women laughed.
"You are going to have your work cut out for you with that one. She’ll be running up your credit card bills by the age of 10."
"I will kill her."
"Well, let me run back and grab my purse and tell Joe I’m leaving and we’ll get the heck out of dodge!"
Ami reappeared a few minutes later and the three girls headed out. Ami jingled Joe’s keys with a wicked grin and helped Lauren move Carrie’s car seat into the large black Expedition. Instead of staying in the smaller town closest to them, they drove the 45 minutes to the next one over. It was larger and offered more places to shop. They spent the morning shopping and talking about anything and everything, books, writing, Joey. Ami all but hovered above the ground at the mention of his name and it was obvious that her feelings for him had deepened even in just the few weeks since they’d come to stay with Josh. She confided to Lauren that she had worried at first about him. His reputation as a player wasn’t something that she’d been looking for in a man but the more she’d gotten to know him, the more irresistible he had become. She also confessed that she was pretty sure she was in love with him, head over heels in fact and it scared her to death. But hearts were meant to be broken and as far as she was concerned, the time she was spending with him now was so wonderful that even if things didn’t work out in the end, it was worth the broken heart.
Lauren didn’t quite know what to say to that. She’d never thought about love that way. She’d always considered love a forever kind of thing. If it wasn’t until the end of time then what was the use? But as she thought about the situation she was in she wondered if she didn’t feel the same way. Would it be worth the pain in the end? Could she handle having her heart broken again? But what was her alternative? Spending the rest of her life alone? Honestly, since she’d moved out to the beach the only men she’d even spoken to were Joey and JC. When they left…would she be completely alone? How was she going to find love then? Take out a personal ad? And what if by some strange chance things did work out with Josh? Wouldn’t it be worth the chance?
"Are you thinking about JC?"
Startled, Lauren blinked, focusing on the girl grinning at her from across their table. They’d decided to break for lunch when they’d walked past a quaint little café, it’s delicious smells wafting out onto the sidewalk, calling for passerby’s to stop and eat. "What makes you think I’m thinking about Josh?"
Ami smiled at the name Lauren used. "You always get the same expression on your face when his name is mentioned or when he walks in the room or talks to you. It’s cute really. You just drift off with his little smile on your face. You looked like that just now, so I assumed he was the reason why."
"Guilty. I can’t believe I’m acting so stupid. I actually have a crush on the boy. I’m too old to have crushes."
Ami made a face. "You aren’t old. You are only 30. He’s 27."
"I have a 2 year old."
"Um…hello? Joey has a 3 year old."
Lauren smiled. "But he’s a pop star. He’s freaking JC from NSync. I can’t have a crush on him."
"Too late, you already do. Besides, I’m thinking the feeling is mutual. Or was it just my imagination when he kissed you the other night?" Lauren blushed and Ami continued. "And, if I’m not mistaken…he slept somewhere other than his house that night. It was nearly noon before he showed his face around the house the next day."
Lauren’s blush deepened. "He slept on the couch." She decided to tease Ami in return. "When he came over he said something about you and Joe being a little too loud in the bedroom."
Ami dropped her face into her hands and the two girls started to laugh. "Oh god. I’m so embarrassed. Nah, I was having too much fun to be embarrassed. Whew!" She grinned wickedly across the table at Lauren. "Ugh. I don’t want to go home. I want to just stay here forever. I’ve had so much fun the past couple weeks."
"How did you get so much time off work?"
Ami made a face. "I didn’t. I got fired. Joe kept me out all night too many nights in a row and I kept going in late. I got fired for it. He felt guilty. I think that is why he brought me out here to begin with. I have to go back and find another job. I have bills to pay. Unlike our little boyfriends, I live in the real world and don’t have money to burn. But it has been fun living like I do, ya know?"
"Yeah, I’ve found I like this working at home deal. The smartest thing I ever did was let my ex talk me into going in halves on the business he wanted to start. He’s successful as hell and I own half of it. I’m not rolling in money but I can stay home with Caroline and try my hand at this writing thing and not have to worry about work and daycare right now."
"Lucky. In another week I’ll be behind the checkout at Wal-Mart and you’ll be writing a novel. I’m jealous."
"Yeah…but you’ll have your man."
"It could work out, Lauren. You just have to have a better attitude than this. He likes you."
Shrugging, she sighed, "I guess we’ll have to wait and see."