“What, what, what?” Gina questioned. She hadn’t the foggiest idea what Malinda was talking about.

“Oh my God,” Malinda sighed, pressing a hand to her chest. Eyes rolled heavenward, she dropped down into her seat heavily. “JC.”

“Huh?”

“JC. That JC,” Malinda pointed emphatically at the screen hanging from the fixtures on the stage.

“Yeah?” Gina was still confused.

With a frustrated sound that was a groan-shriek combination, Malinda sat back, and her daughter laid a comforting hand on her arm.

“What she’s trying to say, Aunt Gina, is that we were just backstage where we met Nsync. Momma and JC want each other, and JC gave her his phone number,” Laurel said calmly.

“His cell phone number. So I can track him down anywhere, anytime. Anytime day or night, he said,” Malinda spoke in near-disbelief, her voice a few octaves higher than normal.

“There, there. It’s okay,” Laurel teased, and turned to Gina’s niece, Kayla, to share the exciting news.

Gina absorbed all this in with a little bit of shock. Ever since the events that eventually led to Laurel’s birth, Gina had never seen Malinda so frazzled by a member of the opposite sex. She had pretty much shut men out from her life completely, and only recently began to go near them again. To see Malinda get all school girly about someone was a pleasant sight. One Gina hadn’t seen since high school.

“Mindy!”

“Huh?” Malinda was still dazed.

“Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve seen you like this?”

“Four minutes?”

“Try ten years. Girl, you weren’t even this excited when you met him.”

“Who?”

“You know. Him,” Gina nodded unnoticeably at Laurel.

“Ohh..., ” Malinda caught on. “Him.” A low growl sounded from in her throat, and she hissed.

Gina laughed, and changed the subject. “How did you get such great seats again girl? Do you have a horseshoe up your ass?”

“Hey, after it worked so well last year, I bought them online again this year. Forget that standing outside in the cold and that ridiculous handbill policy.”

“Last year we were a little closer though, weren’t we?”

“Yeah, but that stage was so damn big and our seats were off-center.”

“That damn runway. Screwed up the whole view.”

The women settled back as the announcer took the stage. For the first time in four years, no one knew who he was.

“Where’s Steve?” Malinda was looking for Steve Fatone again.

“Where’s Janet?” Gina was expecting the DJ from Kiss 98.5.

“Kiss was all over this, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, the van’s outside. We talked to Shy Guy Shawn, but where’s Janet?”

“Things are not the same without her or Steve.”

”—Tony Lucca!” the announcer concluded.

“Tony Lucca?!” Gina and Malinda echoed.

“Isn’t he like, forty by now?”

“I thought he quit this whole singing and acting and all this?”

After a moment or two of listening to Tony’s brave attempt to be heard over his own acoustic guitar, Malinda turned to Laurel, “Bathroom break. Are you coming?” she asked Gina and Kayla. Kayla shook her head no.

“Are you nuts? Tony Lucca!” Gina pointed at the stage, and Malinda rolled her eyes. Old television crushes die hard.

“Watch our stuff then,” she shoved it towards Gina as she and Laurel hurried the stairs to the main hallway, to the nearest ladies room.

Alone and quiet for minute, Malinda stared at herself in the streaked mirror. She couldn’t believe how wonderfully her life was currently going. JC actually showed interest in her… and her daughter. He made an attempt to start a personal relationship with her. This day had been the second best day of her life, coming in only after the day Laurel had been born.

She shook her head. No. He was just being nice. He hoped it would get around and he’d seem charitable or something. He didn’t really want for her to call him at anytime. It probably wasn’t even a real number.

Looking down at the cracked porcelain sink, she was reminded of her dream wedding dress. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. It had a halter neckline, and had a fitted waist. The skirt was light and floaty, and it had tiny beaded roses concentrated mostly on the bodice, but more spread out as they moved down the skirt. Malinda loved that dress, the dress she'd never get to wear.

But his eyes, Malinda interrupted herself. His eyes told a different story. He did want her to call. Often. Maybe someday he’d see her dress too. (Click here to see the dress. Pop-up)

Whoa, honey. Now you’re getting a little ahead of herself.

“Momma?” Laurel’s voice called from the stall.

“Yeah sweetie?”

“Just making sure you’re still here. It got really quiet,” she emerged.

“Still here,” Malinda looked back up at herself. Look at me, a twenty-six year old mother of a preteen and I’m the one daydreaming about pop star. She snorted.

“Thinking about JC, aren’t you?” Laurel asked teasingly, slipping her hand into her mother’s.

“No I am not thinking about JC,” she lied.

“Well, I am, we’re at an Nsync concert.”

The Gracies returned to their seats, where a bored looking Gina was fanning herself with Malinda’s picture of JC.

“Welcome back,” she said without looking up. “The way I remember Tony is certainly not how I just saw Tony,” she moaned. “Nice picture, by the way. Did it come with batteries?”

Malinda only stared in shock.

“Just as I thought,” Gina turned back to the stage as four older men took to it.

The girls watched as NSB2, fronted by a T-bird wannabe, made an effort to rock the house. The crowd was somewhat unreceptive, but after the revelation that the potbellied, oh-so-huggable-looking man in the bright orange t-shirt was Joe Fatone, Sr., the crowd grew more supportive. They were followed by two men with shirt guns shamelessly pimping out FuManSkeeto shirts, and then another lull settled over the Arena. Laurel and Kayla filled the void with chatter about which Nsync song was their favorite. Before the pause could get too long, the lights went down again, and Smashmouth took the stage, doing their remake of the Monkees’ I’m A Believer and other favorites like All-Star. They surprised the crowd with their own rendition of Gone, which drew a positive response. Malinda started to get upset when they sounded like they were finished with their set but hadn’t played her song yet.

“How are they gonna leave without doing my song? What is the problem here?” she whined, but was silenced when she finally heard the beginning horns of Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby.

Once the band had cleared the stage and the cheers and screams subsided, the atmosphere once again became that general feeling of ‘Okay, can we start the show now?’ Malinda and Gina took advantage of that time to lean back and close their eyes. Only when the lights went low and the disco ball came down did they re-open them. Over the screams Malinda heard the faint sound of the piano, which she recognized as the opening of Do Your Thing, and she saw Nsync rising to the stage through trapdoors, still in shadows. Once they were fully visible, the screaming rose to a fever pitch, and Malinda knew that Excedrine would be her very best friend later.

“Alright, now, we don’t ordinarily do anything like this,” Joey announced after the group wrapped up a new blues-y twist on an old favorite, I Want You Back.

“And this is why it took us so long to come out here, we had to settle some things with the band,” Justin explained.

“But we did it for someone special,” JC continued.

“This next song we’re about to do for you can be found on the On The Line soundtrack,” Chris began, and Lance broke in.

“And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, do so.”

JC’s eyes scanned the crowd. “Wherever you’re sitting, you know who you are. This is for you.”

“Holy shit.” Malinda gasped when Chris mentioned On The Line.

“Holy shit,” followed JC’s final comment

“Momma, he means you, you know.”

“Say it with me now. Ho. Ly. Shit.”

“You know I can’t say that word.”

“I’m saying it enough for the both of us.”

“That’s you?” Gina asked, incredulous.

“Holy shit,” Malinda repeated as a dreamy melody filled the air.

“Translation: Yes,” Laurel told Gina.

I don’t know how, I don’t know why. But girl it seems, you’ve touched my life
You’re in my dreams, you’re in my heart; I’m by myself when we’re apart

Something strange has come over me, a raging wind across my seas
And girl you know that your eyes are to blame
And what am I supposed to do if I can’t get over you, and come to find that you don’t feel the same

‘Cause I’m fallen, fallen; Girl I’m fallen for you
And I pray you’re fallen too
I’ve been fallen, fallen, ever since the moment I laid eyes on you

I lose my step, I lose my ground, I lose myself when you’re around
I’m holding on for my life, to keep from drowning in your eyes

Girl what have you done to me to make me fall so desperately
To think that I don’t even know your name
How am I supposed to live if I can’t get over this, and you decide that you don’t feel the same

‘Cause I’m fallen, fallen; Girl I’m fallen for you
And I pray you’re fallen too
I’ve been fallen, fallen

Fallen, Will you stay or will you go
Heaven, Heaven knows what my future holds
Questions, Questions linger on my mind
Daybreak, From daybreak till dark of night
I’m fallen, I don’t know what’s come over me
Can’t you see

That I’m fallen, fallen; Girl I’m fallen for you
And I pray you’re fallen too
I’ve been fallen, fallen, ever since the moment I laid eyes on you

The other four men’s voices faded out on the last line as JC crooned out one more time, “Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“Holy shit.”

“Is that all you can say?” Gina laughed.

“Sweet leaping Jesus.”

“Much better.”

“Momma, he so wants you.”

“Goodnight, you. Call me tomorrow and tell me what you and JC talk about tonight,” Gina told Malinda once they were outside.

“What? I said I’m not calling tonight. Do you know how desperate I’ll sound?”

“Look, the song gives you a perfect excuse to call tonight. Tell him you loved it, it was very sweet of them to do it, and oh, by the way, what’s up?”

“I’ll call tomorrow. Or next week.”

“Whatever. Listen, I was thinking of getting together to go out next weekend. Me, you, Mary, y’know, the rest of us. Can you get next Saturday night off?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Alright. I’ll talk to you later. Keep that phone call G-rated!” Gina managed to slip back into the ever-flowing crowd of people before Malinda could protest.

Laurel chattered non-stop most of the way home, but despite her excitement over the whole night, was unconscious before her head even touched the pillow. Malinda kissed her goodnight and retreated to her own room, where she replaced her clothes with her Victoria’s Secret nightshirt, crawling into bed. After staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, she sat up, reached out and pulled her phone off the charger. She grabbed JC’s number off the nightstand where she had dropped it, and programmed it into her phone book. Now she debated over whether or not to call.

“Do it, chicken,’ she told herself repeatedly. Finally, she gave in, at nearly two in the morning.

The phone rang over and over in her ear, and she told herself he wasn’t going to answer, if it was even a real number anyway. He didn’t want her to really call him.

She panicked when she heard the beginning of his voicemail and hung up.

Within seconds the tune to Inspector Gadget filled the room. Her phone was ringing!

After a moment’s hesitation, she answered, and heard JC’s voice over the line, “Did somebody just call me?”

“Um… y-yes,” Malinda admitted.

“Who is thi—Malinda?”

“How’d you know it was me?”

“Well, I didn’t recognize the number, that was my first clue. Plus, I…I knew your voice.”

“My voice? Already?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t forget it.”

Malinda put the phone down and squealed quietly into her hand. “So, um, I was calling because I wanted to request a song.”

“Oh yeah? It’s kind of late though. I’m not sure how loud I can really sing.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just… well… wanted to hear you,” Malinda leaned back against her pillows.

“Okay,” JC accepted, moving to the back of the bus, to the lounge, and closing the door. He, too, settled into one of the couches, getting comfortable. “What song is it you’d like to hear?”

“Give In To Me.”

“Which one?” JC blinked rapidly. She had said it so forcefully that he wasn’t sure if it was a song request or a command, period.

“Give In To Me. I downloaded it, but the quality was really shitty. So, uh, yeah, I wanna hear how it’s supposed to sound.” In truth, it was top quality; she just wanted to hear him sing it to her.

“Wow, um, I haven’t done that in years, but, let’s give it whirl,” JC ventured.

“Yes, let’s.”

JC closed his eyes and began to sing. The first few lines sounded a bit shaky, as he tried to remember the exact pitch and tone. It was a very low song, and he had gotten used to singing a little higher. But once he found the right note, it was smooth sailing from there.

“Hold me, caress me, give in to me. Just give in to me. Your love is like a whisper,” and like a whisper, JC’s voice lowered to husky, “you say what I want to hear –“

“Stop!” Malinda suddenly cried. “Stop right there.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. That’s the problem. I just… can’t take anymore of that song right now. Oh dear. Whew.”

JC began to laugh.

“What is funny?”

In his best Austin Powers imitation, JC asked, “Do I make you horny baby?”

“YES!”

That only made him laugh harder.

“I’m glad you find humor in this.”

“It’s a little funny, yes.”

“Not really. I’m over here… disturbed… and you’re… wherever you are, not disturbed, and there’s no way you can help me.”

He stopped laughing and his voice dropped to that husky level again. “Who says I’m not and who says I can’t?”

“Oh. Oh my.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Well, Mr. Chasez, maybe we should wait on that. After all, we’ve just barely met and I hardly know you.”

“Well, then, what would you like to know?”

“Anything that you want to tell me, I suppose.”

“Okay then. Well, I…”

And so they talked, getting to know each other, discussing everything from their families to the weather to work to past relationships, or lack thereof. They were still talking when the onset of the dawn sunlight leaked through Malinda’s window.