*Romance* Chapter 3! Thanks for the Feedback! -- Fictional Getdown

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Date Posted: 14:25:45 05/09/03 Fri
Author: Kira
Subject:

*Romance* Chapter 3! Thanks for the Feedback!

I'll probably post the old chapters every few days until I get caught up. Thanks for all the feedback. The dates and events in this story are as real as I can make then. The romance, of course, is fiction. But that's the best part!

Chapter 3

Justin was immersed in green. The ordinary green of his lawn. The sharp emerald of the sapling trees planting neatly around his home. And the smoky jade in Gavrielle�s eyes. They followed him, washing over his face as he pulled her around his large estate, showing her where the small golf course would be and the privacy of his new home. There was something uniquely vulnerable and fiercely beautiful about her eyes and he was losing himself in them, searching for the answer. He gently took her hand, leading her around the far end of his land, where a new gazebo sat tucked in an intimate corner of latticework and thick trees. Trays of flowers lined the walls, pinks and yellows and reds and purples. Rosebushes were propped up, resting on the lattice, still wrapped in durable plastic.

Gavrielle�s eyes lit up and she trotted the narrow patch of overturned earth and studied the precise laminated sketch that was tacked to a stake stuck in the ground. �This is what it�s going to look like?� she asked.

�Yeah, when I finish.�

�YOU did this?� Gavrielle gasped, fingering the sketch.

�Um, yeah. Well, I bought the gazebo and they game and put it in. I wanted to do the gardening and planting myself though. I wanted something in here that was mine. I just don�t know when I�m going to get started. My schedule went from empty to crammed in like two days,� Justin explained, rubbing his upper arm.

Gavrielle nibbled on her bottom lip and tugged on her ear. �What about now?�

Justin found her eyes again, eager to do so. �What?�

Gavrielle blinked, long lashes tangling beautifully before separating. �We could do it now, the flowers need to be in the ground before winter or whatever kind of winter you have here comes.�

Justin lifted his eyebrows. �You wouldn�t mind?�

�Of course not.�

�Let�s go change then.�

Justin led her back into his home, taking her upstairs. �I didn�t bring a change of clothes with me. Can I borrow an old shirt of yours?�

He peered at the small woman, sitting on the edge of his bed, feet dangling off the side and laughed with a twinkle in his eyes. �No prob. I�m sure I have some of my mom�s stuff in here. Somewhere. She always leaves a few shirts around.�

Justin ventured into his large walk in closet, equipped with two full walls of shelves packed with clothes all organized by season, then color. Justin delved into his shirts, starting with white and flipping through them quickly, searching for a pale green shirt he remembered his mother having. �I have to dance tomorrow, Gavrielle,� he called from the closet. �I don�t know what you�re going to do. I should have planned this better or something. Before JC�s barbeque, I have rehearsal from 11 til 5.�

Gavrielle shoulders slumped in disappointment and her smile dropped slightly. She pushed her hair away from her face and hoped Justin didn�t see the discontent that flashed across her features. �Well, I mean, this is LA. I�ll go shopping. Wait, window shopping. It�s not like I can actually afford anything here,� Gavrielle joked.

�Gavrielle, I�m sorry. Like, I had the whole four days planned, but as soon as I planned to actually use the time off of recording I had, everything blew up. My schedule was full before I even knew it,� Justin explained, his voice soft and strained from the closet.

�Justin. It�s not a big deal. I�ll find something to do. School starts like a month and I plan to use this vacation to the fullest. With our without you, no offense.�

Gavrielle grinned at the laughter wafting from the closet.

�I hope you�re leaning towards with, sweetie.�

�I am.�

�Good girl,� Justin simpered.

He saw a flash of pale yellow and pulled the shirt off the rack. He stilled as he freed the garment completely, watching as the yellow silk fluttered from the movement. It was Britney�s dress. Justin froze, his arm awkwardly outstretched. The bottom wavered slightly and the small sequins sparkled delicately. Justin blinked and rubbed his stomach. He craned his head, catching a glance at Gavrielle. She was studying the framed pictures beside his bed. With a heavy-hearted sigh, Justin quickly shoved the dress back into the closet, ignoring the thick ache in his stomach. Grabbing the nearest shirt he could find, he walked out of the closet, kicking the door shut. �You can wear this. It�s clean and way too small for me.�

�Oh, thanks.�

**

Gavrielle ventured out into the sun, her hair piled on top of her head and her feet bare. She trotted in the soft grasses still clad in her blue jean skirt a black Harley Davidson tee shirt of Justin�s that was ripped at the collar, causing it to hang loose. A soft, brown shoulder poked through as the winds shifted. They gardened quietly, Justin pulling out his sketch, explaining how he wanted everything to look. He dug the holes for the tiny flowers lining the walkway to the gazebo and Gavrielle trailed behind him, planting the pink Gerberas behind him, watering them with care.

Gavrielle felt it, the innate comfort between them. They didn�t need to talk, force themselves into a jerky conversation, because they had many sleepless night of talking over the phone, imagining what they would do if they were in fact together, now that they were mere inches from each other, everything seemed to come together.

Justin watched Gavrielle hands, caked with dirt, as she gently set a budding plant into the hole, her long fingers swept over the rich soil, pushing it carefully around the roots, then watering them generously. She sat tucked on her knees, beautifully brown legs caked with mud and grass. Her feet were bare, exposing adorable feet with stubby toes. She�d painted her toenails a deep purple and they flickered sporadically. His eyes moved upwards to her neck. Tendrils of hair had fallen out of her messy bun. They curly at the base of her neck and tickled it softly. Justin licked his lips, simply wanting to trail kisses up and down the soft flesh.

�Justin!�

Justin started and caught Gavrielle�s eyes. �Huh? I mean yes? What?�

�Keep up, boy. I�m gainin� on you.�

�Oh sorry!�

Justin grabbed his knees and scooted ahead on the path and began digging, creating small holes, setting the dirt aside.

Gavrielle glanced up from working another plant out of the thin plastic container. She watched as Justin dug faster, picking up the pace. He was wearing a gray muscle shirt and a pair of mesh basketball shorts. His upper arms were sculpted. Lean but firm with muscle and they churned lusciously against the resistance of the earth as he dug. His shoulder rippled with the movement, strong, round and peppered with freckles. Justin�s curls were glinting in the sun, feathered perfectly on the top of his head. He paused wiping his face with the back of his hand, smearing a bit dirt across his cheek. Perspiration dripped down the sides of his face, down his neck, into the collar of his shirt. Gavrielle�s eyebrow arched in lustful appreciation as Justin�s pecs suddenly jumped, standing taut and erect as he plunged the shovel into the earth again.

Justin began singing, candidly. �This little light of myyyne�I�m gonna let it shine. Oh, this little light of myyyyyne. I�m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine�� his voice hung in the air, thick like honey, rich as sin.

Gavrielle smiled softly, letting his soulful voice wash over her and resonate through the air. She rubbed her upper arms as goosebumps buzzed to the surface. She continued planting and hummed along.

**

The sun dipped lower, plunging behind the clouds. Gavrielle took the hose rinsing the mud off her legs. She was dirty, but very pleased with their work. She eyed the rows of neatly planted sproutlings and smiled.

�You�re filthy,� Justin grinned with a chuckle.

Gavrielle nodded and glanced over at Justin. He was immaculate. No dirt smudges or grass stains to be found.

�And you�re�not. How the hell did you do that?�

Justin shrugged and sat down in the grass, gazing at the amber sun. �Dinner is served.� Justin set the bags of delivery down.

�Good, I�m starving,� Gavrielle dug into her turkey croissant piled high bean sprouts and mayo.

�Me too,� Justin opened his bag of dill potato chips.

�Should I be nervous about tomorrow?� Gavrielle asked, sipping her soda.

�Nervous why?�

�Your mother is going to be there and it�s like a big group thing.�

�My mother will be everywhere,� Justin chuckled. �She�s harmless as long as you�re not crossing anyone she cares about. As for everyone else, you�re fine. JC already loves you.�

�How are you gonna surprise JC on Saturday?�

�JC is oblivious and gullible,� Justin replied with a smile. �It shouldn�t be too hard. Tyler, JC�s brother, is going to take him out to dinner and then drop the seed about this great little club. JC will plant it himself and insist that they go there after.�

�Sounds wonderful.�

**

Gavrielle woke up in heaven. Palm trees, bright flowers and the most comfortable bed she�d ever slept in. She hovered, floating between dreams and reality, wondering when the line between them because so wonderfully blurred. As sleep waned, Gavrielle grinned, blinking tiredly. Running her fingers through her sleep-tangled hair, she tucked the blankets under her chin and snuggled down into the warmth of the bed. There was a sharp knock at the door and Gavrielle frowned, rolling out of bed, licking her lips and wiping at her eyes. She quickly slid into her robe and tied it tightly over her matching shorts and tank top pajamas. Opening the door, she was greeted by a chipper bellman pushing in a large tray. �Room service, miss.�

Gavrielle frowned. �Excuse me, um, you must have the wrong room, I didn�t order anything�� she answered hastily, pushing her messy hair behind her ears.

�You didn�t, but a�� he glance down at the order slip, �Mr. Timberlake did. He left a note. Enjoy.� He handed her the large envelope and left, the cart positioned at the end of the bed.

Gavrielle opened the envelope and retrieved the letter inside. �Gavrielle, hey girl. Get up, it�s almost 7AM. I figured you had nowhere to go for breakfast, so I ordered damn near everything on the menu. It�s on me. Have a great day today and I�ll be at the hotel at 2 sharp to pick you up. Eat up, sweet thang. Justin.�

Gavrielle giggled and jumped on the bed, turning on the television and crawling to the end of the sleigh bed, pulling off the elegant silver trays off the china. She had Belgian waffles, strawberries and cream, cereal, coffee, scrambled eggs, orange juice, bacon and sausage. Gavrielle rearranged the tray and placed the waffles in front of her. Drenching them in butter and syrup, she dove in, chewing hungrily. �Oh god,� she groaned. The food was sinfully delicious.

She ate happily, watching reruns of ER, stuffing herself into oblivion. When she finished, Gavrielle climbed back to the pillows with the strawberries and cream and picked up the phone. Dialing quickly, she called Marta.

�What?�

�CALL ME BACK!�

�Gavrielle?�

�Yeah. I left the number of my hotel on your door. I can�t afford this call. Call me back now. Bye.�

Gavrielle hung up the phone and waited impatiently for it to ring once more. When it did, she snatched it, mouth full of strawberries. �Hello,� she cooed.

Marta giggled exuberantly into the phone. �You having a good time?�

�God yes. I mean, we haven�t really done anything and I�m already just�yes, Marta,� Gavrille swirled another strawberry in sweet cream.

�So, Justin is wonderful, huh?�

�Yes. He�s really quiet and I mean he�s not like a celebrity at all. He�s charming,�

�Aww. What are you munching on right now?�

�Strawberries in cream. He had to rehearse for something and he felt really bad, so he ordered me room service. It came with a rose,� she simpered, plucking it from its vase.

�Oh god, shut up. You�re making me jealous!�

�Tis my intent,� Gavrille laughed. �But there�s a huge tub in the bathroom and then I�m going to hit Rodeo Drive, so I will call you later, okay?�

�Yes. You do that. Buy me something nice!�

�I will, hun. Take care and I�ll see you when I get back. If I can pry myself away from him,� she giggled.

�Okay...good luck with that. Have a safe flight!�

**

Gavrielle stood on her tiptoes in the small hotel bathroom as she finished getting ready. She painted her lips with a pink frost, making them pouty, wet and shine. With her fingers, she carefully teased her loose curls before tucking two pink-jeweled pins on either side, they pulled the hair away from her face, layering it slightly. Her hair dipped down her back and she left the bathroom. Pulling out her beige sandals, she slipped them on, wrapping the long laces around her legs, tying them at the ends.

Gavrielle took in her reflection in the full-length mirror mounted on the closet door. She felt beautiful, sexy, dressed up in the soft pink dress and saucily little sandals. Tugging a curl in place, she sat down on the bed and waiting for Justin. Tonight was JC�s surprise party and she had no clue what was going to happen.

**

Justin climbed out of the limo, asking the driver to come back in ten minutes and ambled into the hotel. He walked gingerly, his back stiff with pain from the seven hours of dancing he�d done just an hour ago. With a grimace, he pushed himself across the lobby and into the elevator. His cell phone vibrated against his stomach and he reluctantly answered, not bothering to check the id. �Timberlake?�

�Justin�� the voice was husky with sadness and tears.

With a muffled curse, Justin fought not to hang up. His face flushed with anger and he closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with both hands. �What, Britney?� he gritted, his voice a nasty snarl.

She sniffled into the phone, hiccupping before trying to speak. �Um�what are you doing?�

�I�m about to go to a party.�

She perked up. �Where? Maybe I can meet�you there,� she hiccupped. �I�m�not in New York right now. I�m in LA�at�our house,� the sobbing commenced and Justin shook his head, grinding his teeth together.

She always did this. She called him, crying and desperate and nearly begged him to come to her, to talk�to right the wrongs. Justin didn�t have the patience or the strength to deal with her anymore. He was trying to heal. Trying to move on. �Britney��

Britney continued to cry and sniffled loudly into the phone. ��I�they�re making me record now, Justin�they promised me six�full months off.�

�Just STOP IT,� Justin snapped into the phone. �I�m not yours anymore. I�m not going to fight your fucking battles. I�m not in your little soap opera anymore Britney. That ended the night you fucked around��

�Justin, stop talking to me like this��

�NO! I�ve been polite and I�ve been civil and I�ve been too damn patient. I�m the one that got hurt. You let me go, Britney, now you deal with your shit. ALONE!�

Britney cried, breathlessly. �But�um, I�m sorry�and��

�I�m being as patient as I can right now. Unless you want me to break that promise that I so graciously made for you, then get. The. Fuck. Off. The. Phone.�

The lined clicked loudly in his ear and he flipped it shut. Banging his hand on the elevator door.

He tugged at his curls in frustration and closed his eyes. He stepped off the elevator and down the hall. Knocking on Gavrielle�s door, he waited, trying to compose himself. Dropping his head, he rubbed the back of his neck and breathed deeply through his nose.

Suddenly, Gavrielle was standing in front of him, a dream in pink. Her ever-bright smile died on her frosted lips as she saw his face, cheeks darkened with rage, fists clenched with inner turmoil. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him into the hotel room. �What�s wrong, Justin?� He stared at her feline eyes, lined with dark eyeliner, brimming with concern. �You okay?�

�My�back�hurts, that�s all.�

�You�re back hurts? What happened?� she pushed him down on the foot of the bed.

He rubbed at his forehead. �I have back problems. They flare up sometimes,� he muttered. He felt Gavrielle fingers hovered under his navy blue shirt and flinched sharply. �Shit!�

�Sorry!�

�Nah, you didn�t do anything. It�s fine.�

She stood up and hurried to her bag. �I have so Mortin in my bag�or Aleve, which one?�

Justin�s eyes followed her as she bent over her suitcase, the pink fabric of her dress clinging to her curves. She turned around with the pill bottles and handed them to him, walking to the bathroom to get him a class of water. She returned quickly. Her dress fluttering as she walked. �I�m so damn rude. You look�beautiful, Gavrielle��

�Thank you. You look�tired. No offense.�

�It�s been a long day,� he sighed, swallowing two Motrin with a sip of water.

�You okay for the party?�

Justin turned his head, smiling brightly at her concern. �I�m fine, sweets. Let�s go.�

�Okay,� she grabbed a purple gift bag by the door, detailed with green curly ribbon.

�What�s that?�

�I got JC a present.�

�What�d you get him?� Justin peered in the bag as she tucked her keycard in her purse and followed Justin out of the door.

�Um�a lyric book with a lion embossed on the cover.�

Justin laughed loudly, clutching his stomach and shook his head. Gavrielle looked at him, pouting. �What? It�s a nice gift! What�d I do wrong?� Justin bent over, chortling thickly. �Am I missing something? What�d you give him?�

�A dildo, ass plugs and two blow up dolls?�

�Oh��

�Girly, you�re in a for a treat tonight��

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