An Unsung Melody

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Ashley: The record label wants me to grow up.

Ashley: They are threatening to shelve my new album if I don't try to change my image.

Ashley: Will you hate me if I give up?

Britney: Love you little sis. Please don't give in to them. If you give in to them, they win.

***

Justin had seriously debated not coming to dinner that night, he seemed to make things with Lance worse. The last time Justin had seen Lance, prior to at the recording studio, had been at Lance's wedding. Looking back, the event seemed happy in his memories. All the guys had been together, those with families had brought their families. Britney had been there, being around Britney was always a bit tricky since their break up; he wasn't ready to open that can of worms.

Ashley had still been with her prince at the time of the wedding, he'd been supposed to fly over for the event, but ended up not making it last minute.

Justin felt a light bulb go off in his head at that moment as he glanced at Ashley in his rear view mirror. They hadn't exactly planned to go to the wedding together, but since neither one of them ended up with a date he'd offered to go with her. She and Lance hadn't been together for years at that point, but she knew it was bound to be brought up by everyone in attendance and everyone in the media. She hadn't wanted to go alone.

Lance had come out as gay and so there shouldn't have been an awkwardness between them. But there was; when Lance decided to let television cameras into his wedding, the tabloids got involved and of course there had been remarks made about his one-time girlfriend of several years.

He remembered the dress Ashley had worn, called the revenge dress by some in the media in the days after the wedding, had brought more attention than she had maybe planned on. Justin hadn't minded the dress at all. He also hadn't thought twice about being her date for the event; but maybe Lance had?

They pulled into the restaurant where Lance had told them to meet, a trendy place Justin had heard of but never yet visited. The parking was valet parking as it was situated on a fairly busy street downtown.

Justin stepped out when the valet opened his door, taking the ticket that he was given, then opening Ashley's door for her while another valet opened the door for his mother on the other side.

Lance met them at the door and opened it for them, pointing them to the back corner booth where Michael was waiting for them.

Running with his instincts, Justin leaned down to Ashley, "I can't take the lead here, you've gotta tell him how it's gonna be."

Ashley looked at him in surprise, but then nodded, accepting as he pushed her from his side to walk in front of them. He then looked at his mom on his other side and leaned down to whisper to her, "Sit between us, please."

Justin could tell he wasn't the only one trying to figure out the game, Michael motioned to Ashley that she sit on one side of him while Lance sat on his other side. Maybe there were levels of complex past and present relationships going on here. Which was ridiculous in Justin's mind, but he knew that sometimes you just have to play the game.

Ashley slid into the booth, Justin helped his mother in next and then he took the end, sitting opposite Lance. "So...what's good here?" Justin asked as casually as he could.

"It's more of a family style restaurant, so we ordered several things for the table," Michael chimed in. He turned to Ashley, running a hand over her hair, "You're hair, it's gotten so long since I last saw you."