The karaoke was incredibly funny, especially since most of the people who were going up were drunk. Erin made good on her promise and took many pictures. She and Johnny were sharing laughs, and whispering to each other, critiquing the singers. When the fifteenth singer on the stage got off the stage, somebody started chanting Johnny’s name. Erin laughed when she realized it and then proceeded to join the chant herself. His chocolate eyes narrowed at her, but he got up and sauntered to the stage.
Erin watched with amusement as Johnny began to sing an Elvis Presley song, but as she heard him sing, the amusement dimmed dark, until it turned to lust. He was an amazing singer, and seemed really into the moment, and the intensity he was giving off was a turn-on for her. She could not take her eyes off of him so she did not even attempt to. His eyes burned in hers when he looked at her, and the look her eyes were conveying to him caused him a difficult time to focus on the words. This was a side he had never seen before, a side that he liked very much.
When he was finished, people shouted at him for another song, but he declined. “I think a girl needs to get up here,” he said, getting a couple of whoops from the crowd. Erin’s mouth dropped open when she realized what he was about to do. “Erin, Erin, Erin…” Soon everyone was chanting, but Erin still remained in her place. “You know, I bet you that Erin won’t even come up here because she’s too scared to. I’ll buy the next round of drinks if she goes up.” He smirked at her, and her eyes narrowed at him.
Placing her hands on the small, round table, she pushed herself up. “Make it the next two rounds,” Erin snipped, and the crowd cheered as she proceeded to make her way up to the stage. Johnny just grinned and went back to the table, her camera in his hands, ready to take pictures. As she waited for the music to start, she turned so that her back was facing the audience. Johnny’s brow inched up as he took in her long back and her small, firm butt. He could see her legs were toned and long, even in her capris. Her song began, and she turned and proceeded to sing Shania Twain’s Any Man of Mine.
She is sexy, Johnny thought to himself as he took pictures of her. Her curves distracted any man from whatever they were attempting to do, and he was lucky to have her on his arm, to walk through the club with her. Her face was stunning, those eyes, that nose, those lips. Her jersey indicated she liked football and he was glad for that. When she finished her song, whoops were heard from the audience, and Brandon Vaughn, Johnny’s co-star, jumped up and pointed at Johnny.
“I think you us two rounds of drinks, buddy!” Brandon exclaimed.
Erin smiled cheekily as she sat down, and when she did, Johnny wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him to take a quick picture of their first night in New York together.
---
The next day, Johnny took her to the typical tourist spots that everyone must see if they visited New York. She saw the Statue of Liberty, Little Italy and at night, the Empire State Building. The following day, Johnny taught her how to ride the subway, and they got off at a stop next to Central Park, where they saw a play there. Johnny took her to all the excellent eateries, and Erin made sure she was taking tons of pictures. She talked to Zoë and Jessica every day, detailing exactly what she and Johnny did. Zoë was really excited and happy for her friend, while Jessica could not believe what was happening. Johnny was ever the gentleman, always walking her to her door at night and not asking her if he could stay. As the days went on, Erin began to feel much more comfortable with Johnny. Of course, wherever they went, Johnny would be bombarded by fans for pictures and autographs, and although Erin was uncomfortable with some of the female fans, she was incredibly happy for Johnny, and incredibly happy to be with him. As friends, of course.
The last night they spent together, Johnny took Erin to the Broadway show of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Erin was mesmerized by the show, the music resonating in her mind, so that after the show, a particular song would get stuck there. The story was interesting and suspenseful, and the ironic twist at the end surprised Erin. When the show let out, Johnny and Erin walked hand-in-hand out on the street, their fingers interlocked.
Erin could not deny her feelings for Johnny Barker anymore. She always had a crush on him, of course, but never in her imagination did she expect to actually have real feelings for him. The way his long fingers held her hand made her feel completely safe. The way he looked at her with such happiness made her feel like the most special girl in the world. He respected her, and never pressured her, and she liked him; she really, truly liked him. She would definitely have to thank Zoë and Jessica when she returned home.
---
Once they returned to the hotel, Johnny escorted Erin up to her room. God, she looked gorgeous, her hair straightened, her makeup highlighting her sea-green eyes. She had a tight, green shirt on, and tight black slacks. He, in his simple black suit, looked good as well. They looked good together, he and she. They made a very attractive pair. It wasn’t official yet, but he knew he didn’t want to be with anyone else except her. And he hoped that she felt the same way.
Johnny walked her to her door. She thanked him, as she always did. They looked at each other, both wanting to say more, knowing this would be the last time they saw each other until Johnny returned to Los Angeles. Erin bit her lip, and Johnny knew she was confused about something. He opened his mouth, but then abruptly closed it. The silence between them was deafening. Onscreen, Johnny was brilliant at saying exactly the right things at the right time, and he liked to think he carried that talent in real life… and yet whenever he was with Erin, he couldn’t think of anything witty to say. The air was filled with tension between the two, but before anything else could happen, Erin turned and opened her door.
“Thank you for everything,” Erin said softly. “Please sleep well, and enjoy your time here.”
“You’re welcome,” Johnny said after a moment, shortly. His mind was trying to think of anything to say, anything to ask to get her to keep her door open, to not retire and go to bed. He did not want her to leave. His eyes widened when he realized that she was shutting the door, so he said the first thing that came to his mind: “I want to see you again.”
---
Erin paused while closing the door. Her shy eyes reached up and locked with his chocolate eyes. She was scared that this would happen. It was easy to say she wanted to fall in love with him, and she knew she was well on her way of doing so, but the barricade that had fallen down upon entering New York was building itself back up. It wasn’t the fact that he was Johnny Barker anymore; it was relationships in general. To give herself to somebody was sacrificing a lot. After her first relationship, she felt that she had given her ex-boyfriend so much of herself, and while she was getting herself back slowly but surely, she had yet to retrieve her whole self. And she realized she couldn’t head into another relationship until she fully got over her last one. It wouldn’t be fair to Johnny; it wouldn’t be fair to her.
Johnny was waiting for an answer. Her silence made him increasingly nervous. What would she say? He thought she had enjoyed his company. Surely, there was some sort of chemical reaction between them…
“I would like that,” she murmured softly.
“January fifth,” Johnny announced suddenly. “I have a premiere and I would love it if you could accompany me.”
Erin smiled sadly. “I’m honored that you want that,” Erin said, “but I don’t quite think I’m ready for something that public.” His look became disappointed, his chocolate eyes melting into hers. Damn that look of his. “I’ll be there, though,” she said quickly. “I mean, out in the crowd. Look for me.”
Johnny smiled. Another good compromise, and yet he really wanted her there to be the woman on his arm. “Bring your journal,” he said softly.
“I will,” Erin said with a smile. “Good night, Johnny.”
“Good night, Erin,” Johnny murmured, not leaving until she finally closed her door. He walked back to his room. No, they were not official yet, but
soon, soon they would be, he vowed to himself.
Three
When Erin got home, Zoë and Jessica were both there to pick Erin up from the airport. The whole twenty-minute ride, Zoë inquired about every single thing that went on between her and Johnny, despite the fact that Erin had already told her all of this the night it actually happened. Jessica was actually growing increasingly curious about Erin and Johnny’s officially unofficial relationship, and even went as far as to say that she supported them if anything ever happened. Once the three got to their apartment, Erin immediately called her mother to tell her that she had arrived home safely, and that they would talk more later. After unpacking all of her things, Erin took a quick shower, changing into a tank top and shorts, grabbed her keys, and headed back out the door. More than anything, she wanted this relationship with Johnny to progress, and Zoë was right, she had to get over her fears. The only way she could actually think of doing something like that, however, was to face her fear herself, and that meant going to see Marcus.
There were so many things she had wanted to tell him when she found him with another woman but never had the courage to actually say it to his face. She even wrote down everything she was so eager to say, but ripped it up into tiny shreds, hoping to get everything out of her senses. It didn’t, of course. The only thing that would was to actually confront Marcus herself. Her words may not come out the way she wanted them to, but she would be sure to definitely convey her message to him.
Erin pulled into an urban neighborhood, and then parked on the side of the curb, in front of a shabby house. A few men were sitting out there, smoking cigarettes and making dirty jokes. When Erin walked up to them, they blatantly stared at her, and one even went as far as to make a catcall. Her eyes narrowed at the one in the middle, and he smiled seductively.
“I don’t see you up in these parts, Holl,” he said, his voice silky smooth. “Watcha been doin’ boo?”
“Can we talk in private, Marcus?” Erin asked, her hands on her hips.
“Anythin’ you gotta say to me can be said in front o’ my peeps,” Marcus said, leaning back with a smile on his face. Erin’s heart clenched when she saw that smile; the smile that won her over, back when she was young and stupid. It pained her just to be in his presence.
“Fine,” Erin said, her mind racing with what to say first. “I hate you,” she said, and Marcus and his cronies started to snicker. Erin blushed, but knew she had to continue if she wanted to truly be over him. “You stole something from me I will never get back. You fucked me up for future relationships. You make me second-guess myself when I know I’m a catch and any guy would be lucky to have me. You were lucky to have me. You’re manipulating with what you say. You’re good, Marcus, at crawling under a girl’s skin, at making her feel special. But I’m not here to feed your ego. I’m here to tell you personally that after all this wasted time I am finally over you. You didn’t deserve me. I am way too good for you. Look at you, still smoking out in front of your mother’s house. You made me forget myself. But after a while, I’m beginning to remember why people want me, and apparently, you either forgot or wanted me to forget, and I did until just recently.” She grinned at this point, ready to conclude. “By the way, I’ve found someone who totally makes you look like shit (which isn’t necessarily hard to do, but that’s not the point). He’s gorgeous, he has a job, and he makes more money than you’ll ever be able to count to. So fuck you and fuck your friends because I am so over your ass.” With that, Erin turned to leave, and before Marcus could open his mouth to respond, Erin drove off, blasting her music and grinning like a fool.
She did it. She told off Marcus. Suddenly, it felt like a sudden weight lifted off her shoulders, and she couldn’t stop laughing. She was free, finally free.
---
Erin watched as the clock ticked slowly. Time was cruel when it wanted to be. Tonight was Johnny’s movie premiere. She knew she would have to work that day but she was hoping that by some act of grace, she would be able to leave early so she could change out of her uniform. Her journal was safely tucked under her shirt and in her pants, and every so often, she would touch it, just to ensure it was still there. By the time Brad counted her out, the press was already beginning to line up and the people across the street looked maniacal. She smiled so herself as she walked out of the building and across the street. Johnny would be looking for her; not any of the girls there, but for her. Her heart warmed at the thought.
It was nearly six fifteen when she stuck herself in the crowd of people, her journal underneath her arm. She hated standing for long periods of time because even though she was sitting the whole day, her back curved in which ached when she sat up straight. She yawned, and right then, girls started screaming so loud that Erin’s ears began to ring. She frowned in displeasure, but her heart jumped when she caught sight of him. It had been two and a half weeks since she had last seen him, and although they wrote each other every day, it was not the same as seeing him in person.
After the whole Marcus debacle, Erin was incredibly happy. Zoë and Jessica noticed it, and when Erin told them what she had done, Zoë took the two out to a club for dancing and celebrating. Erin flirted and danced with other guys, loving the way men looked at her, wanted her. She would never give herself over to them, of course, but she did not realize how much she liked attention from the opposite sex until she went out that night. She would have to thank Marcus, she realized, because if it was not for him, she may have never gotten this sudden confidence booster.
When she saw Johnny’s eyes scan the crowd as people took pictures and he signed autographs, her heart fluttered. He was close to her, a few feet away. She pushed herself through two older women, who both looked down at her with disdain, and stuck out her journal as she had previously done. And there he was, holding her journal in his hand, a familiar smile on his face. God, he looked good. That was the first thought that sprang into her mind whenever she saw him, but it was true. He had a red collared shirt on, covered by a black blazer and black slacks. His hair was fashionably unkempt, and he was wearing thick-rimmed black glasses. He could pull off anything now, couldn’t he? She was almost embarrassed to be in the same uniform whenever they saw each other at the theatre.
Johnny looked down at his signature already on the journal, remembering the first time he saw her. It was those eyes that had haunted him for three long months. “It seems there is already a signature occupying the cover of your journal,” he said.
“Apparently so,” Erin said with a smile, and watched him with slight curiosity as he opened her journal and began to scribble something inside. It took a bit longer than just a signature, which only increased Erin’s anticipation to get back her journal so that she could read it. When he finally handed her journal back, she gave him the same polite courtesy of thanking him, and she turned to leave.
Johnny watched her go, but this time he knew he would be seeing her again. Sooner than even she expected.
---
Erin nearly ran into her apartment door, she was so excited. She knocked on the door loudly, not having the patience to go through her purse, take out her keys, find the correct key, and let herself in. Jessica answered the door, quirking a brow. Zoë walked out in merely a towel, her hair wet. Obviously, she had just taken a shower.
“Oh, it’s you,” she murmured. “And here I thought there was some crazy serial rapist trying to get in our apartment.”
“Right, ‘cause serial rapists knock,” Jessica replied dryly, rolling her eyes.
“Read this,” Erin said, thrusting her journal to Jessica before Zoë could reply. She glanced over at her other friend, and explained, “You can’t touch it because you’re all wet.”
Jessica looked down at the opened page and read it quickly.
After-party tonight at the Roosevelt Hotel. Meet me there at ten?
“So, are you going?” Jessica asked.
“Going where?” Zoë asked.
“Johnny invited me to h
is after party,” Erin said with a smile.
Zoë let out a shriek of excitement, her towel nearly slipping off. “O-M-G, Holl, get your ass in the shower this instant!” she ordered. “I’m going to transform you into the sexiest femme-fatale since Rebecca Romijn, except way better.” Erin raised a brow out of fear, but Zoë would not have her refuse. “Get in there now!”
Zoë did not have to tell Erin twice. As Erin showered, Zoë quickly changed into her pajamas, and then grabbed Jessica’s arm and led her to Erin’s room. The two women began to go through all of Erin’s clothes, but Zoë was left unsatisfied. She sighed, and then led Jessica back into Zoë’s room, where they went through all of her clothes until they both finally agreed on a simple black dress. When Erin was finished, Zoë instructed Jessica to blow Erin’s hair dry, as Zoë popped in Beyonce’s first CD so that the three got into a good mood. Even Erin was attempting to shake her hips, even though she was sitting down. Once Erin’s hair was dried, Zoë got down on her knees and began to start doing Erin’s makeup.
“I am trusting you with my face, Zoe,” Erin murmured to her friend. “Don’t make me into a slut.”
Zoë rolled her eyes, but did not respond, her focus only on Erin’s face. After that, Jessica brought in the dress.
“You’re wearing it,” Zoë said as she and Jessica began to exit the bathroom. “No ifs, ands, or buts, except yours, of course, looking amazing in that dress.”
Erin rolled her eyes as she shut the door, and then slipped on a thong and a push-up bra that she was saving for a special occasion. She figured this occasion was definitely special, and after that, slipped on the dress. When she looked into the mirror, Erin’s jaw dropped. The dress was not too low-cut, but the push-up bra made it seem so. It hugged every curve she never knew she had and stopped at mid-thigh, her long legs looking even longer due to the cut of the dress. At that moment, Zoë burst in and began to tease her hair so that half of it was up, and half was down, leaving a few strands that outlined her face. Jessica came in with the final touch of the outfit; the black high heels. Erin slipped on the shoes, and she looked at her back in the mirror. The dress made a v shape, revealing her back, but not completely. Her butt, she was happy to see, jutted out nicely, opposite the curve inward of her back.
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