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The sun crept in through the curtains and found it’s way to Justin’s eyes. He groaned and rolled over. His left arm searched the other side of the bed only to find it empty. “Lex?” He opened his eyes.
“Good morning sleepy.” Alex smiled from in front of the mirror. She was looking very business-like. She was wearing a pale lavender, two-piece suit. The skirt was a-line, down to her knees. The matching jacket had buttons up the front. Underneath the jacket, she wore a fitted, striped mint green and white tee. A green silk scarf was tied around her slender neck and knotted at the side. She was in the process of pulling back her hair into a tight french twist.
Justin did a double take to make sure it was really her in the bedroom. “Alex, you look like a librarian, or an-an accountant or something. What with the gettup?” Justin propped himself up on his elbow. Alex finished spraying her hair and sat down on the bed beside him. She toyed with the buttons on the front of her suit.
“I wanted to look … well, I wanted to look.” Her voice trailed off and she picked at imaginary lint on her skirt. “I want them to take me seriously. I don’t think they would if I showed up in a pair of bell bottom jeans and a halter, although I’d be much more comfortable in that.”
Justin giggled. “I’d rather see in you in the jeans and halter.” Alex didn’t laugh. Justin pulled her down so that she was lying beside him on the bed. “Nervous?”
“Very. I have to face his family, and they are ALL going to be there. I know how that family works and I’ll tell you, it’s not going to be pleasant.”
“Are you sure you won’t let me come with you?”
“And drag you into the snake pit with me? Forget it! You’d have a much more enjoyable afternoon if you were going for a root canal.”
“I can be ready in ten minutes. Just say the word.”
“Probably not a good idea to take you to the reading of my ex’s will. I’m not going to let you bear the weight of that stress.”
“I’ve got strong shoulders. I can handle it.” Justin grinned and flexed his bicep.
“I appreciate it, Justin. I really do but this is something I have to do myself. “
“I understand. But just for the record, I hate you doing this alone.”
“Are you going back to your room this morning? Or are you going to let them wonder where you are when they discover your hotel room is empty?” Alex asked, changing the subject.
“I don’t really care one way or the other. Do you?”
“No, not really. I just don’t want this getting back to management. Not yet anyway. Johnny might accuse me of seducing you.”
“Hmmm, you seducing me. I like the thought of that.” Justin growled and wrapped his arm around Alex. She giggled and pulled his face closer to hers, kissing him gently.
“I gotta go. Robert is meeting me in the hotel lobby in ten. And you get up and get back to your own room before someone finds out. I can just see the headlines now. ‘Youngest N’sync heart throb defiled by wardrobe personnel.’”
Justin groaned. “Alex, it’s not like that.”
“I know it and you know it but you have a very public reputation to think about. I’ll come straight to your room when I get back this afternoon.” With that she was gone.

~*~

It was late afternoon. Joey and Chris were watching TV and arguing over whom would win if superman and Spiderman were to go head to head in a fight.
“Superman for sure.” Joey said.
“No way!” Chris argued.
“He’s the fastest and strongest. Some flimsy little spiderwebs aren’t gonna keep him back.”
“Okay, you got me there. But Peter Parker could kick the crap out of Clark Kent.”
“Arrgghh. No way!”
“Please would you two stop!” Justin quit pacing by the window to glare at his friends.
“Would you sit down? You’re making me dizzy pacing like that!” Chris glared back.
“Look!” Joey added, “We know you are worried but you gotta relax, man. Alex is a lot stronger than you realize.”
“Yes, I do realize that.” Justin finally sat down on the bed beside Chris. “I just wish I could hold her and make this all go away for her, you know? She’s been through so much. I just want it to go away.” Justin sat in the chair and ran his hand through his hair.
“If you want a girl that is going to let you take care of her, you better look somewhere else because Alex isn’t the type.” Chris said to Justin.
“That’s not what I meant. I just wish I could find a way for her to be happy without this crap looming in the background.”
Chris shrugged. “It will be over soon enough. Just have patience.”
“Geez, leave it to me to fall in love with someone who has more emotional baggage than the LAX. You should have seen how nervous she was when she left this morning. She was awake half the night.”
“How would you know?” Joey grinned.
Justin looked annoyed. “Well, what I mean is…” He trailed off.
Chris interrupted. “What he means is you owe me five bucks.” He clapped Joey on the back.
Joey opened his wallet and threw some bills at Chris. “One of these days I’m going to win a bet with you.”
“Oh gawd! I can’t believe you guys!” Justin ranted.
Joey and Chris exploded into fits of schoolgirl giggles.

Shae and Lance entered the room.
“So, did you find anything interesting?” Chris asked.
“No, just an arcade with a pool table. This not leaving the hotel rule really sucks.” Lance replied.
“Well ya’ll are here of your own free will. No one forced you to come.” Justin interjected.
Shae sat down and leafed through the phone book. “Promising you wouldn’t leave the hotel was the only way Johnny was going to let you come. That and making sure we would be back in time for your birthday bash.”
“Where’s JC?” Joey asked Shae.
“I think he’s sleeping.”
“When is Lex going to be back?”
“Not soon enough for Casanova here.” Chris grinned in Justin’s direction.
“That’s it! I’ve had it.” Justin yelled and lunged at Chris sitting on the bed. Chris yelped and tried you jump out of the way but he wasn’t fast enough. Justin wrestled with him on the floor and then caught him in a headlock. “Say it! You have to say it or I’ll never let you go!” Justin taunted. Chris remained silent.
“SAY IT!” Justin laughed evilly.
“Never!” Chris sputtered as Justin tightened his grip. Chris’s face turned red.
“Mmmph grmph, gimph hmmm.”
“Louder! I can’t hear you!” He laughed again.
“Justin rules.”
Justin immediately let go and Chris fell to the bed. Justin waved his hands in the air and chanted “Go Justin! Go Justin! Go! Go! Go!” while wiggling his derriere. Chris laughed as Shae, Lance and Joey all threw pillows at Justin. Justin abruptly stopped dancing when he noticed that Alex had returned. She kicked her shoes off in the vicinity of the closet. Her face was grim and her eyes were expressionless. “Rough Day?” Justin whispered when she came close enough to hear. She bit her lip and nodded. Alex stepped over Chris, who was still on the floor catching his breath. She walked over to Justin and fell into his open arms. Once she was safe in his embrace, she let the tears flow freely. Justin whispered in her ear and stroked her hair while she let her emotions spill out.
The room had grown silent when she lifted her head from Justin’s shoulder. “Feel better?” he asked. She nodded again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I can’t believe how cruel some people can be.” Alex muttered between tears and hiccups.
“Greg’s family was upset that you were there?”
“Mostly his mom. What really hurts, too is that we used to be friends, you know? We’d go shopping and meet for lunch all the time - when I was with Greg.”
“She thought you shouldn’t have been there?”
“I think the exact words she used were ‘conniving little bitch’ who was only after Greg’s money. She will never forgive me for leaving him.”
“Lex, why didn’t you tell her the truth about him?” Shae asked from the other side of the room.
“Shae, would you want to hear a bunch of awful things about someone you loved after they are dead? It wouldn’t change anything now. It’s over now. It’s over and we can leave tomorrow.”
“What about the house?” Joey interjected.
“I’ve made arrangements with Robert. He’s going to take care of everything. He’s got my contact information if anything pressing comes up.” Alex pulled herself from Justin’s embrace and walked towards the door. “I’m going to change. Does anyone feel like eating? I’m famished. “ Four heads bobbed in unison. “Come to my room in fifteen. We can order something in.”
Justin let out a sigh after the door closed behind Alex. “Thank God that’s over.”