Chapter 3
One week later, Amaya turns on the television and smiles as she sees Jeff, Nick, Justin, and Drew all sitting together in a row during another award show. "Sam, do you see your daddy up there?" Amaya asks her little daughter.
"Dadda?" Sam gurgles, seeming to come instantly alert to Amaya.
"Yes, dadda."
The two sit there watching as the cameras travel a distance away from the guys and focuses on the stage again where Jennifer Lopez is performing her latest hit. Soon, the host comes to the category of Best Group/Duo R&B group, which 98 Degrees is up for. Amaya holds her breath as all the nominations are read and could hardly contain her scream when she hears, "And the winners are... Drew, Nick, Jeff, and Justin of 98 Degrees!"
'Oh my God! We actually won!' Jeff thinks to himself as he gets up to hug Justin, Drew, and then Nick before leading the group up the stage to accept their award. 'I wonder if Amaya was able to see this. Man, I feel as if my smile is too big... Oh well!'
"Wow... What can a guy say when he has one of his biggest dreams come true? I would like to thank God for giving us all the talents we possess and the strength to carry on through this business as it gets tougher and tougher each day. Without him, we would never have made it this far. I would also like to thank our record company, Universal, as well as our management and the rest of the guys for making my dream come true. Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to thank my wife Amaya and my daughter Samantha for always being there and loving me unconditionally, the way no one else has ever in my life. I love you baby," Jeff says before handing over the microphone to Justin who continues on the acceptance speech.
Once they are all done, they exit the stage and are greeted by a crowd of reporters and cameramen fighting to get quotes and pictures from the guys. After posing for a few pictures, the guys decide to head towards the dressing room to change into their performing clothes. As Jeff follows behind the other three and is about to enter the dressing room, a girl he has never seen before flings herself onto him and begins to kiss him deeply. 'What the heck?' he thinks before pushing the girl away from him.
Jeff looks into her eyes and finds himself totally entranced by them. He forgets all reality and just zeros in on the girl in his arms. She smiles up at him and willingly accepts his tongue into her mouth as he goes for a deeper kiss than before. Jeff has no clue who this girl is but he knows he wants her and loves her...
"Jeff! What are you doing?" a voice yells from somewhere.
Jeff pulls back and sees a familiar guy coming towards him with a look of shock and anger. He blinks a few times and realizes that it is Nick. "What do you mean man?"
"Look at yourself! Who is this girl?"
Jeff looks down, into the eyes of the girl again, and finds the answer coming out of his mouth before he could even think of it. "This is Lacey. Nothing is wrong with this picture."
Justin comes into the room and realizes that the press is paying close attention to the scene and discretely lets Nick know. Nick puts his arm around Jeff's shoulders and steers him and the girl out of view, into a private room where he, Justin, and Drew can speak to the two privately.
"What the heck has gotten over you man?" Nick demands.
"Nothing. I'm serious. You asked who she is and I told you."
Drew realizes that having the girl there next to Jeff isn't helping so he asks, "Lacey, could you please give us a few moments?"
Lacey, knowing full well what is about to happen, nods and makes her way to the door, but not before giving Jeff another passionate kiss. Once she is out of the room, and out of sight of everyone else there, she transforms herself into mist and creeps under the door to observe the scene she just left.
The three have Jeff surrounded and are staring Jeff down. "Now, what the heck was that about?" Justin asks.
"She's the one," Jeff declares.
"The one? What is going on in that head of yours Jeff? You already have a wonderful wife and a beautiful daughter. Don't mess that up now."
"That's all wrong. Lacey is who I am meant to be with. I could feel it instantly."
"Explain how she ended up here tonight and in your arms," Drew instructs.
"It is fate. I was shocked at first but when I looked into her eyes, something happened."
"This is bull Jeff! I can't believe you. I thought you were someone else," Nick explodes. "How could you do this? You and Amaya have been together for years! Why couldn't this have at least happened before your marriage? Now everything is just going to kill her more. You probably won't be able to see your daughter anymore after this either. Then again, I wouldn't blame the courts for not giving a cheating husband custody of his child once the divorce goes through."
"Who wants custody of a whining little brat anyway? I'll be happy with Lacey."
Before Nick, Justin, or Drew can say anything, there is a knock on the door. Lacey floats out of the room, down the hall and takes human form again, laughing at what she has managed to do. 'Man, that was way too easy,' she thinks to herself as she walks back to the side of the stage where she was before.
Justin opens the door and sees a crew member there. "Guys, I've been looking for you everywhere. You are on in ten minutes. You better hurry up if you are going to make it." He leaves, leaving the four guys to stare at each other.
"Well, you heard the man. We better go," Jeff says.
"Yeah, but you aren't getting away with this that easily," Justin promises as he leads them out and into the dressing room.
Once dressed and warmed up, they make their entrance and perform "I Do" for the audience. Drew could feel something wrong throughout the entire number and prays that no one else notices. After they complete the number, they exit and walk back into the dressing room to change. Normally, they would go back to the audience but Nick decides that they need to talk to Jeff more so they change into their regular clothes and pull him out of the building.
"Hey! Where are we going?" Jeff questions.
"We are going home. You need to straighten yourself out," Nick answers.
"Why? I'm fine. Oh yeah, Lacey will be home. Let's go."
Drew puts a hand on Jeff's shoulder and asks, "You did mean Amaya, right?"
"No, Lacey. I told you, Amaya is not the one."
"My God! We have to straighten him out before we reach their house," Justin says.
"Gee, no that wasn't obvious Justin," Drew says.
"Hey! Come on, we need to work on Jeff here, not fight with one another. Let's just pray that the sight of Amaya can help this one find his true mind and heart. I don't know what just happened back there but I'm hoping it is just a temporary fluke," Nick says.
Many hours later, they arrive at Amaya's and Jeff's house, tired from trying to work on Jeff and trying to figure out what has happened. Not even the plane ride back could get rid of Jeff's conviction of him loving that girl Lacey. All the lights are off in the house so Justin, Drew, and Nick break up to look for Amaya. To their surprise, they couldn't find her anywhere in the house.
"Where could she be?" Justin wonders.
"I'm not sure. Wait, what's that sound?" Nick questions while walking towards it. The sound is coming from the television in the living room. Nick goes over the to television to turn it off and freezes as he realizes what is on it. "Guys, come here quick!"
There on the television was Jeff, fully making out with the girl he calls Lacey. "Holy mother of..." Justin mumbles.
"The cameras were on them during that time?" Nick asks.
"Apparently. Shh... Listen to what they are saying," Drew says.
"Is this the end of such a new marriage? No one seems to know. The group went on to perform after this incident and then vanished afterwards so none were available to comment. This is the biggest incident that has happened at tonight's award show by far though. Amaya, if you are out there, we're sorry," the reporter says before it goes over to another reporter with some of the night's winners.
Justin turns the television off and asks, "What time is it?"
"3 AM," Jeff mumbles, coming into the room.
"You really have lost it completely huh?" Drew asks.
"What do you mean?"
"You aren't at all worried about the fact that we can't find Sam or Amaya here, where they should be."
"Who are they?"
"Oh my God! What has happened to you?"
"Nothing. You guys, Lacey should be here soon. If you would kindly remove yourselves, I would be most grateful."
"Whatever man. Don't worry about the tour. It's going to be canceled for the next few weeks until you get yourself together again," Nick announces.
"You can't do that."
"Yes I can. Now go on being the villain you are making yourself out to be. We are going to go look for Amaya and Sam. I hope to God they are fine."
"If you care for them so much, why didn't you marry her?"
"Because I had too much respect for a guy that I thought was my best friend to move in on his girlfriend. Maybe I will though after she tosses you out."
"Fine! Now leave me. Lacey will be here any minute."
Justin, Nick, and Drew all leave Jeff in disgust and pile into Nick's car to drive over to Jackie's house. To their disappointment, there is no Amaya or Sam there, only their things.
"Jackie, what happened?" Drew asks.
"Gee, could it be that Amaya saw Jeff passionately embracing a woman that wasn't her on national television?" Jackie returns sarcastically.
"We know that much. Okay, we were afraid of that but where is she?"
"She's gone. I'm not going to tell you where she is nor what is to become of things here when she returns."
"Please Jackie, we have to know if she is okay," Justin pleads.
"She's fine. That's all I am going to tell you."
"What exactly did she see?"
"The whole embrace. I guess you guys forgot that usually the cameras go backstage and film a little bit of the winners doing their thing backstage after receiving the award. That shocked the poor thing and made her a wreck. When she left here though, she was totally composed and determined to go where she planned. All I can tell you is that she has no intentions of seeing Jeff anytime soon, and that their marriage is completely over. I really didn't see this coming at all."
"Neither did we. Did she say where she was going?" Nick asks.
"Yes but I cannot tell you. She obviously wants to be left alone so let her be."
"If you say so. I just pray that she's okay, wherever she is."