Justifer: From the beginning

When Jen met Justin

"You want to go where????" I asked my friend Christine in surprise.

"I want to go down to Ben's set. C'mon Jen. I miss him so much." Christine begged.

We had just returned to my house after a yoga class with Mandy and were having lunch by the pool.

"Are you serious? Just a week ago you said you never wanted to see him again and now you want to drive 450 miles to see him out in the middle of nowhere?" I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing. The woman was certifiable!

"Well, maybe I didn't want to admit how much I liked him.” she said earnestly. “We've only been dating for 6 months but I already feel like he could be the one. I really do."

I searched her face for signs that she was joking but I could tell that she meant every word. I couldn’t say no. I mean, I was the one who had set them up on their first date because I knew they could be perfect for each other and she was my friend; her happiness was important to me.

"Okay honey. Let's do it" I said. "This will be fun!"

"Yay! Thank you Jen!" Christine squealed, "Let’s leave today!"

We finished lunch and I threw some things in a bag. Christine, much to my surprise, already had her packed bag in her car which we left parked in my garage. We locked up the house, grabbed Norman, and hit the road. Five and a half hours later, we pulled onto the long dirt road leading to the set. Ben, along with a mystery man, came out to greet us.

The first time I saw Justin, I was drawn first to the unfiltered kindness that rested behind the most beautiful pair of eyes that I have ever seen on a man.  They looked like pools of warm milk chocolate encircled by a ring of jade green.  His eyes were framed by long, black lashes that would make supermodels jealous and set beneath thick, black eyebrows that arched naturally and made my fingers long to touch them. I had to force myself to look away before he noticed my stare. This guy was sexy. I mean really, really sexy, but he was oblivious to his appeal. He was dressed in black jeans with a white t-shirt under a black hoodie, black combat boots and a gray pageboy cap. He had a cocky swagger when he walked like he was above anything petty. His demeanor screamed of a confidence that came from knowing himself well and being comfortable in his own skin and I liked that a lot.

"Justin, meet my girlfriend Jen," Christine said without breaking away from Ben's hug. "Jen, this is Justin. He's the screenwriter on the film and one of Ben's best buddies."

Justin smiled and reached his hand out for mine and as I put my hand in his I could feel the tiny callouses on his palms as his fingers curled around mine sending a tickle up my arm and down my spine. His grip was firm but gentle and he held my hand just long enough for me to think that maybe, just maybe, he was feeling something as well. And then .. he spoke.

"Jen," he said in a low, gravelly voice that made my name sound more like a caress than a greeting, "it's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was sensual. ‘Made for sex’ as my Aunt would say. He didn't even try to make it sound that way, it just did.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Justin" I replied, my voice shaky. I sounded like an answering machine.

“Who’s this guy?” he asked sweetly, bending down to scratch Norman’s head. Norm was basking in the attention and assaulted Justin with a tongue-bath to his face.

“This is my boy. This is Norman,” I said. I was still amazed at how easily Norm took to Justin. He trusted him instantly which never happened. Norman was usually very protective and jealous when it came to males being around me.

Justin played some more with Norman while we all chatted and I found myself entranced by the way he moved, the way he spoke. He was obviously very intelligent with a playful nature and a wicked sense of humor.