(A few hours later)
After walking around numerous parks, and driving around all different parts of Orlando, it was nearing dinnertime. JC was trying to think of a casual way of asking Caitlin to dinnerhe'd had such a great afternoon getting to know her, he didn't want it to end. Looking over at her and smiling, JC tuned in to what she was saying.
"So, I think it was Alex who decided this would be a good time to go
sledding, even though none of us could barely walk, much less stay on a sled!
That night is now referred to as the Drunken Sledding Adventure of 1997. I
swear, I don't drink much, but every once in a while, the guys get me!"
Caitlin laughed aloud at the memory.
JC laughed with her. "It sounds like you, Alex, Jon and Scout are really
close."
Caitlin nodded her head with a smile. "They're my best friends. I don't
know where I would be without them. They've gotten me through a lot of things,
and we really look out for each other. Even though we sometimes have these
tear-down arguments, we're always friends five minutes later. Well, you know
what it's like to be so close to several guys." Caitlin said.
"Yeah, I'm definitely in touch with that!" JC agreed. "Me and
the guys...we're closer than brothers, but there are times when I could punt
each of them to the moon!" JC said with a grin.
"What drives you the most crazy about each of them?" Caitlin asked
with curiosity.
JC laughed as he walked around his car to open the door for Caitlin. After
seeing her safely inside, he walked around and hopped in the driver seat and
started the car. "Let's see...they all have little things that drive
me nuts."
"Like" Caitlin prompted with a smile. "Come on--I want some
payoff for hanging out with a superstar...I want the inside scoop!" Caitlin
teased.
JC laughed. "Ok. Ok. Joey is not as big a 'ho' as everyone makes out,
but he is definitely a ladies man. And sometimes it drives me nuts the way
he treats women, you know? It's like he doesn't respect them enough or something,
since he knows he can't give them the attention or relationship they want,
but he still plays them."
Caitlin nodded her head. "What else?"
"Umm...Chris is justhyper. All the time. And usually it's cool, but there
are times when I just wanna stuff him in a closet so we can have some peace
and quiet." JC said with a grin.
"Ok, I could see that. Even from watching you guys in interviews and
stuff, you can tell he's always wound up." Caitlin said.
"Lance doesn't really drive me too nuts, he just has some quirks. His
cell phone is permanently attached to his hand, which can be bad when we're
trying to get something done or have to be somewhere. Oh, and he bites his
nails." JC added, trying to sound like he was giving away a state secret.
"Ok, that's posted on every website! I want something better than that!"
Caitlin joked.
"I don't have any dirt on Lance, really. And Justin is just, well, he's
just Justin. He's super-talented, and a real businessman, but he's still a
kid. I mean, he's 19and he still shows his age a lot. But overall, he's pretty
well adjusted. I don't much care for his girlfriend, but other than that..."
JC said.
"Are he and Britney together? I'm sure you guys have been asked a trillion
times. It's certainly the main discussion point on any fan website I've seen."
Caitlin asked.
"Yeah. They date on and off when they can see each other, but it's usually
pretty low-key. The press has really made it more than it is. It's pretty
casual between them." JC answered.
"More of a booty-call scenario?" Caitlin teased.
"I didn't think nice girls like you knew about booty-calls!" JC
sounded shocked, though he had a teasing grin on his face. "I don't think
it's like that, but it's still pretty casual between them." JC responded.
"Why don't you care for her?" Caitlin asked.
"I don't like the way she's played him in the past, or the way she treats
him when they are together, but it's really none of my business. I'm just
looking out for him. He's my best friend, you know?" JC said with conviction.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I love how much you care about the people
you are close to." Caitlin said, sneaking a glance at JC as he drove
along. "So, um, where are we going?" Caitlin added.
"Well, there are two options, and I'll leave it up to you. Either you
can let me take you to dinner, or I can kidnap you and take you to dinner."
JC said, in what he hoped was a teasing, flirty voice. When he heard no response,
he glanced over at Caitlin with concern on his face.
Caitlin was staring back at JC, mouth slightly agape and hand placed dramatically
over her heart. "What?" She asked in a dramatic stage whisper. "You
are going to kidnap me? Against my will?" She asked.
"Well, no, um. I mean..." JC was fully concerned now that he had
offended her in some way.
"I guess there are worse ways to go than to be kidnapped by Mr. PopStar
himself, and forced to go to dinner. I mean, I could be made to sit and watch
numerous hours of Married...With Children, or forced to sit through a Neil
Diamond concert, or forced to spend hours with my least favorite grandmother
talking about the weather and how nice the boy next door is--the 37-year-old
one. So, in contrast, dinner with you sounds ok." Caitlin said teasingly.
She had seen the look of concern JC had given her when she first started speaking,
and was glad to see the relief spreading over his face.
"Thank God! I thought maybe you'd taken me seriously." JC said as
he steered the car through traffic.
"JC, you're going to quickly learn not to take me too seriously. There's
a lot of sarcasm and teasing in the world, and I got more than my fair share."
Caitlin retorted.
"I can't wait to find out for myself." JC said with a smile as he
guided the car into the parking lot.