"It's late Chris. You have a lot to do tomorrow. Why don't you go to bed?" Alex got up from her chair and stretched.
"I just want to make sure you're not too nervous about Friday. It's your debut and I want to be sure you're not nervous." Chris fidgeted with the pen in his hand.
Alex laughed at Chris' repetition. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you are the one that is nervous. Chris, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. This recording contract is like a dream come true for me. I'm going to go out on that stage on Friday night an knock'em dead. Don't worry Chris. I won't let all of our hard work go down the drain."
Chris pushed his chair back and stood. "What? Me nervous? Pshaw! Do you want me to stay and watch your rehearsal on Thursday? Are you sure Jive has the proper music? Do you know what you're going to wear?"
Alex put both hands flat against Chris' chest and pushed him towards the door. "No, you can't stay and watch my rehearsal, you and Joey have an interview when your rehearsal is finished. Yes, you made sure that Jive had everything necessary. And no, I haven't got something to wear yet. I'm going shopping tomorrow. Okay?"
"Um yeah okay, I guess I'll just go and yeah um I'll go."
"I heard your date cancelled on you. Are you going alone tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It's a little late to ask someone else. Who would I ask anyway?"
"Well...you could always ask Shae."
"I guess I never thought of her. It might be kind of weird dancing with her, seeing as she's almost like a sister to me."
"Or you could go alone. No big deal."
"I don't know. I'll be too worried about other things."
Alex laughed. "Relax Chris. I'm not nervous and you have no reason to be."
Chris hugged her and left the room. Alex quietly opened the door to the bedroom and smiled at the sleeping form under the comforter. She changed her clothes and slid under the cover. Justin groaned and rolled over. He quickly gathered her into his arms and kissed her hair. "We'll have to make sure Chris doesn't have any caffeine on Friday."
Alex sighed and closed her eyes. "Yeah, he's going around the bend if he doesn't relax."
"You're not nervous are you?" Justin mumbled sleepily.
"No, not at all - surprisingly. The song the JC wrote for me is beautiful. Kermit the frog could sing it and it would be grammy worthy."
Justin snuggled closer to Alex. "Somehow I doubt that. The song is really good but you've got Kermit beat by a long shot."
"Thanks. Good night baby, I love you."
Justin kissed Alex again and drifted off to sleep.
(*******************)
"Good morning beautiful." Josh kissed Carey on the cheek as she sat up in bed. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"Yes you did." Carey replied.
"You're right. I did. I just wanted to tell you to have a good time with Alex today."
"Are you leaving already? It's so early." Carey said incredulously.
"Duty calls you know."
"Yeah," She smiled. "I'll be fine. I'm sure Alex and I can find some trouble."
"That is what I'm afraid of." He kissed her again and left the room. The phone rang and Carey picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Carey, its Alex. Are you up?"
"Yeah, sort of. Why?"
"Johnny want to talk to us before we go shopping. Can you be ready in half an hour? I'll meet you in front of Johnny's room."
"See ya there."
(*******************)
Exactly thirty minutes later, Carey met Alex outside Johnny's room.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Alex questioned.
"No, I thought you would." Carey replied, suddenly nervous.
"No idea." She shook her head. "I thought it might be about work but now that you're here, I know that it's something else." Alex knocked on the door. Johnny yelled and the girls went in. Johnny stood as they entered the room. Jake was sitting on a chair in the corner.
"Hi Alex, Carey." He nodded at each one as he said her name.
"Johnny what's this all about?" Alex began, feeling nervous herself.
"Have you seen the paper this morning?" Both girls shook their head. He continued. "I woke up this morning to this." He picked up a paper and handed it to Alex. Her eyes scanned the front page and widened.
"Oh my god! Carey look at this." Alex passed the paper to Carey. A photo of Alex holding hands with Justin in a café graced the front page. Underneath it, in a photo just a large, was JC and Carey kissing in the airport. Nsync Heart Throbs 'Need Love' Too the headline screamed out.
"Well if that isn't the cheeziest headline I've ever read..." Carey quipped and folded the paper in half.
"Johnny, it's just a supermarket tabloid. No biggie." Alex argued.
"I'm glad to see you two taking this so well. Regardless, I'm sending Jake everywhere you go, at least until we leave this city."
"Johnny, I really don't think that's necessary. You can barely see either of our faces in these photos. Nobody's gonna recognize us."
"It doesn't matter, Lex. Need I remind you what happened to Cassie?"
"No, Johnny, you don't."
Carey, looking bewildered, turned to Alex. "Enlighten me please."
"Cassie was a girl that dated Joey briefly, some tabloid got a photo of her, stuck her face on a naked body and had a hey-day trashing her. Fans screamed insults at her everywhere she went. She couldn't handle it and went into hiding. It nearly broke Joey." Alex turned back to Johnny. "Thanks for caring so much Johnny. We'll be fine."
"Okay, just remember, the next time you're lookin' for lovin' make sure it's a little more private than an airport." He grinned.
Carey immediately turned crimson. Alex laughed. "No worries John-boy. We'll keep our hormones behind closed doors." She grabbed Carey by the arm and signaled for Jake to follow them out of the room.
"Oh good I can see you are wearing good shoes." Alex said to Jake, once they were out in the hallway. "We're going on a mall mission and you get to be our pack mule." Jake rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Oh come on Jake! It will be fun. Maybe we can give you a makeover." Carey laughed.
Alex screamed like a little girl. "I see blue frost eye shadow – everywhere."
"And blonde highlights!" Carey added
Jake shooed the girls into the elevator and tried to ignore their giggling as the door closed.
(*******************)
"Carey, you have to try this on. It is perfect for you!" Alex exclaimed. They had been shopping for three hours and Jake was beginning to get bored.
"Alex, I've already tried on four dresses and none of them worked for me. I'm giving up. I think I'll just stay at the hotel while you guys go to the Jive show without me." Carey shouted from behind the door of the change room.
"Nonsense! Besides, JC would kill me if I brought you back to the hotel without something to wear tomorrow night."
"Oh I see. So you had this whole shopping trip planned from the beginning." Carey's voice was slightly muffled while she changed out of yet another dress.
"Yep!" Alex grinned.
"I think Justin is right about the two of you being co-conspirators."
Alex laughed. "I could tell you more but then I'd have to kill you." She took the dress off its hanger and threw it over the door of the change room. "Try this one on. If you don't like it, I promise I won't make you try on any more."
"Gee, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing to go shopping with a wardrobe co-ordinator." Carey teased.
"I like shopping with you. I always have to pick out clothes for men."
"Don't even think about whining about it to me. You love it. I hope we don't have to sit close to Britney Spears."
"Why? Don't you like her."
"Oh I like her fine, her music that is. I've never really met her in person. It's just she's so beautiful. Sitting next to her I'll look like a beached whale."
"Yeah, I have a hard time believing that. Besides, I've met Britney, she's really nice."
"Yeah, well if I ever see her walking down the street, I'll wrestle her to the ground, sit on her chest and cram cheetos down her throat until she grows at least one jean size."
Alex laughed hysterically. "You are too much!"
Carey unlocked the door to the change room and stepped out. Alex's eyes lit up as soon as she saw her.
"That's definitely the dress. You look fabulous." Carey was wearing a sleek, spaghetti strapped creation with chiffon over silk. It was floor length with a small train at the back. The blues, greens and lavenders were all swirled together, giving the dress a cosmic look. Carey walked over to the mirror and smiled at her reflection.
"Do you think JC will like it?" She asked.
"Are you kidding? We're gonna have to hide you during his performance. One look at you and he's gonna forget his lyrics."
"I don't know what is going on with him. He's hiding something – I know it. Every time I ask him he gets this sly little grin and won't tell me anything. Do you know?"
"Yeah, I know." Alex smiled a sly grin of her own.
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Nope." Carey threw up her hands in frustration and returned to the dressing room to change.
At the same store they found a dress for Alex. It was a two piece with a ball gown skirt. The top had spaghetti straps criss-crossing her back to tie on the front. It was an iridescent orange that shimmered red to yellow in the light. It too was perfect. The next stop they found shoes and accessories to match their outfits. Then, after much whining from Jake, they went for lunch and then back to the hotel.