Here it is...the first chapter of my second story. My first one is called "Next Window Please" (available on Nifty also) and it's all about the relationship between Lance and JC. It is a precursor to this story, so you might want to check it out to get some of the background. I tried to keep this story separate so you don't HAVE to have read the first one. Still, let me do a quick synopsis of NWP for those who haven't read it.
Basically, Lance and JC found each other and through several trials and tribulations, the tale ended with them happily ever after. In that story, Joey and Drew from 98 Degrees started dating, as did Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. Oh, and Chris had appendicitis. These were subplots, but this new story will examine them (mainly Drew and Joey) more in-depth. But, JC and Lance will also have their moments to shine (since they are my favorites!)
I LOVE to get feedback so please write me (xander874@hotmail.com) with comments, questions or confusions. And of course, the disclaimer: this story is fiction and anything mentioned in here, especially the part about these guys sexual preferences, is not implied to be factual in any way. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 - Wedding Bells Are Ringing
"You what?"
Joey Fatone screamed into the phone at (who-he-thought) was his boyfriend, Drew Lachay.
There was silence on the other end, so Joey continued his tirade, "I can't believe you would go and do something like this without even mentioning it to me. Drew, what the hell were you thinking?"
Drew hesitated, "It just seemed like the right thing to do and people were pressuring me. Look, Joe, can we at least talk about this face to face?"
Joey sat down on the couch in the suite he and the other guys were sharing in New York, "I can't leave. I have to rehearse."
Drew sighed, "Then, I'll come to you. I'll catch the next flight out and be there tonight".
"Fine," Joey coolly replied and hung up the phone before Drew could respond. He felt a hundred emotions racing through his body at that moment. He wanted to cry, but he also wanted to punch a hole in the wall. So, he compromised and just let out a loud scream.
This noise caused the other suitemates, Chris and Justin to come running out of their rooms. A minute later JC and Lance emerged from their rooms, somewhat disheveled and Joey knew they had obviously been in the middle of something.
At this point, however, he didn't care. He was so enraged.
"Man, what the hell happened?" Chris asked, making sure not to get too close to Joey, who was pacing furiously around the room.
Joey turned to the guys, "Wanna hear a good one? My boyfriend just got married!"
Silence filled the room and finally Lance asked, "Excuse me?"
JC, who had his arms around Lance, expanded, "He got married - to a woman?"
Joey simply nodded, "Is it wrong to want to kill him?"
Justin plopped down on the couch, "This has gotta be some PR thing, right?"
Joey sat down next to Justin, "Of course it is, but that's not the point. He didn't even tell me".
"Man, that's cold," Lance offered, "So, what happened?"
"He's flying out here tonight so he can explain face to face, although I'm not sure I even want to see him," Joey replied
JC went behind Joey and began massaging his shoulders, "I know this is a shock for you, but you should at least hear the guy out".
Joey nodded, "I know. I just need to calm down".
Lance sat down, "You remember the suits tried to do the same thing to us when me and Josh got together".
"Yeah, but that was different," Joey answered, "They weren't pushing marriage".
Chris jumped in, "Given half a chance, they would've. Those guys are sharks".
This caused Joey to laugh a little. He sat back and ran his hands through his hair, "I'll give him five minutes. But, this explanation better be good".
Drew Lachay was tossing random things into his bag. He really wasn't paying much attention to it. He had too much on his mind at the moment.
There was a knock at the door and Drew yelled for whoever it was to come in and in walked Drew's older brother Nick, "What's up? Why are you packing?" he asked as he sauntered in the room.
Drew continued his frantic packing, "I'm going to New York".
Nick sighed, "To see Joey? Shouldn't you be thinking more about your new wife and less about an old boyfriend?"
This angered Drew, "Lea is my wife in name only and you know it. Joey is the person I'm with, Nick."
Nick leaned back on the bed and casually spoke, "Look, I just think that maybe if you think about this whole thing, you'll see it isn't really that bad. Lea is a great girl".
Drew stopped Nick, "You think I don't know that? We dated for years, but she knows this thing is a sham. And she's fine with it."
Nick sat up, "You can't honestly believe that Lea is totally fine with being some kind of trophy wife for you. She loves you bro. And you love her".
"Loved her," Drew corrected, "I was never in love with her. Look, we talked this out a couple of years ago. She's fine with me being gay. I just wish you were".
Nick stood up, "It's your life, but I just think that you wouldn't have married Lea if you didn't have some doubts about your - lifestyle choice".
Drew zipped up his bag, "I am gay. Period. This thing is for business. I made a sacrifice for this group and you should be thanking me. I may have lost a really great guy over this, so I don't need any of your shit, okay?"
Nick held up his hands and backed away, "Whatever, bro. Just don't stay away too long. People are gonna wonder why you haven't started your honeymoon".
Drew felt his fists curl and wanted to punch his brother, but relaxed and headed to the door, "I'm gonna stay as long as it takes to fix things with Joey."
Drew breezed past Nick and headed out of the suite, not looking back.
Joey had worn a hole in the rug with all his pacing, Lance thought as he watched his friend fret over this Drew situation. Lance gave a reassuring smile to Joey, who barely noticed. Lance retired to the bedroom where he found JC lying on the bed, smiling at him.
"What's that for?" Lance asked as he climbed on the bed next to Josh.
"You're just so cute when you worry about other people," JC offered as he ran a hand down Lance's back.
Lance felt goosebumps from JC's touch and relaxed a little, "Would you ever do that?"
JC sat up, "You mean get married? No way. I don't like the whole beard things. I mean, I'm all for people protecting their private lives, but you don't have to deny it so blatantly. It's like a slap in the face".
Lance agreed and leaned over to give JC a kiss. As their lips touched, Joey burst in the room, "Sorry," he stated as he looked away.
Lance stood up and went to Joey, "That's okay, man. What's up?"
Joey sighed, "Drew called and said his flight will be here in about an hour and he forgot to order a car and wanted me to come get him in our limo. I was kinda hoping someone would go along with me".
JC walked next to Lance and Joey, "Need someone to keep you from killing your boy?"
This made Joey smile, "Something like that".
Lance patted Joey on the shoulder, "We'll come along for support, Joe".
Joey smiled and headed out of the room. Lance felt JC press into his back and he moved his hips slightly, eliciting a short, quick breath from JC. JC put his arms around Lance's waist, "We are such good friends, aren't we?"
Lance laid his head back and rested it on JC's shoulder, "Of course. So, let's get going."
Lance led JC out of the room and they grabbed Joey. The limo ride over to the airport was pretty silent. Lance tried his best to keep his affections with JC to a minimum, so as not to upset their bandmate. Still, Lance couldn't help but hold his boyfriend's hand.
Drew disembarked the plane and looked around the lobby, hoping to see Joey there with his arms outstretched. He knew this was an unlikely scenario anyway, but even more so now. He walked into the waiting area and didn't see anyone. Then, from around the corner, Joey emerged, his face in a scowl.
Drew gave a half-hearted smile and noticed that Joey's expression changed from anger to delight, but quickly returned to a somber state. It gave Drew hope that Joey was mad, but things might be fixable.
Joey approached Drew, but didn't look him in the eyes, "Lance and Josh came with me and they're taking care of your luggage. The limo's waiting at the VIP entrance".
Drew shuddered at Joey's businesslike manner and wanted so much to fall to his knees and beg Joey's forgiveness, but knew that was also out of the question. They needed to be alone and then (hopefully) they could sort this whole mess out.
And it didn't seem the limo ride would afford any opportunity to really talk. Lance and JC were there and, even though Drew knew they were aware of the predicament, he didn't want to start anything. After all, these guys were for sure on Joey's side (and he didn't blame them) and he wasn't in the mood to be ganged up on. So, he sat in silence next to Joey, staring out of the window. He tried brushing up against his boyfriend one time, but a stern look from Joey told him any advances were not appreciated.
When they got to the hotel, they were met in the lobby by Chris and Justin, who grabbed Lance and JC and said they were heading out to dinner. Drew was relieved he would now have some privacy. When they got to the suite, Joey looked at Drew's bag, "Planning on staying?"
Drew shrugged, "I wasn't sure how long I'd be out here so I packed for a few days".
Joey nodded, "Well, fine, then you can have the spare bedroom," he said grabbing Drew's bag and tossing into one of the bedrooms. This rejection hit Drew hard and he felt his heart break a little. Joey had no intention of letting Drew share his room and that hurt him deeply.
Drew thought he deserved it though and tried to keep his composure. He looked at Joey, who stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for Drew to start. Drew didn't know where to begin and finally Joey started the talk, "So, I'm waiting for an explanation as to why you went off and got in some sham marriage and didn't have the common decency to let me know".
Drew sat down, "Okay, I can explain, but please let me say what I have to say before you respond".
Joey said nothing, but sat down and held out his hands, giving Drew 'permission' to start.
Drew sighed and started, "Basically, I didn't even know I was going to get married. Nick told me late last week that he had a meeting with our management and some things had been decided and I was to go with him and the guys out to this ranch for the weekend as sort of a retreat".
Drew looked over at Joey, whose expression hadn't changed. So, he went on, "When I got there, Nick told me that they had planned a surprise wedding for me and Lea, who I told you was an old girlfriend of mine. We're still friends, but I never expected she would do this. I didn't think any of them would do this to me. I know Nick and the management aren't happy with me being gay, but this was low even for them."
He stood up and started pacing, "So, I told them flat out I wouldn't so it.
But, they laid this big guilt trip on me, saying the press had already been notified. They said it had to be done because, as you may know, our album sells haven't been exactly up to 'NSYNC' level and everyone thought they would be. The label wanted publicity, plain and simple and I was the fall guy".
Joey stood up, "Can I ask some questions now?" Drew nodded and Joey asked, "That still doesn't make it right, Drew".
"That wasn't a question," Drew offered, sort of as a joke.
It didn't amuse Joey, "Couldn't Jeff marry his girlfriend or maybe they could find some woman for Justin. He's straight, right?"
Drew replied, "Yeah, but they wanted to quash two birds with one stone. You know there have been rumors about me."
Joey had heard the rumors and was surprised no one had made a connection to him. Most of the stories talk about Drew being at a gay club and the truth was he had been there - with Joey. Either NSYNC's management had a lot of leverage with the gossip columnists or no one cared that Joey liked guys.
Joey was beginning to understand, but was still mad, "I had to find out via the newspaper, Drew. Do you know how shitty that was?"
Drew sat down, "I'm sorry. I should've told you, but I didn't know how."
Joey sat next to him, "What's gonna happen now?"
Drew looked down, "I guess I have to be married for awhile. I know Lea is moving into my place as we speak and they want me to go on a honeymoon. Then, things will die down, hopefully."
Joey said nothing but looked at Drew. Drew put his hand on Joey's knee and was glad he didn't push it away, "I understand if you want out of this. I knew doing this might end things with us. But, you have to know I only did it for the group. Of course, I don't even know if I want to be in the group anymore. Not when I can't even trust my own brother to be honest with me".
Joey smiled at Drew, "Yeah, but Jeff and Justin are great guys and Nick, in his own freaky way, is just looking out for you."
Drew smiled back and Joey put his hand on top of Drew's, "I really care about you and even though you could've handled it better, I do understand what happened. Our management isn't exactly happy with me and JC and Lance right now."
Drew sighed, "Why does this have to suck so bad?"
Joey leaned his head on Drew's shoulder, "That's the price of fame my dear".
Drew and Joey sat there for a minute, not speaking. Joey traced his fingers over Drew's hand and looked at his boyfriend. He rose up and lightly kissed Drew on the mouth. Drew squeezed his hand and asked, "Does this mean I can share your room?"
Joey got up, "Yeah, I guess. But, I don't think I'm ready to have sex right now. I'm still a little weirded out by things."
Drew stood up too, "I know you are and we'll do things your way. I just want to hold you tonight".
Joey hugged Drew, "Fine, but first can we get something to eat? I'm starving".
Joey and Drew hightailed it over to a small Italian place, where they were seated immediately. Apparently, Joey knew the owners and they treated him and Drew like kings.
After they had gotten their food, a generous portion of pasta, Joey started talking, "Mr. Malducci, the owner, is a good friend of my parents. I try to stop in here whenever I'm in town".
Drew dug into his food and as he swallowed, he realized just how hungry he was. He devoured the food in front of him before Joey had made a dent in his bowl. As Joey finished, Drew asked, "So, have you seen your parents since you've been in New York?"
Joey nodded, a noodle hanging from his mouth, "I had dinner with them the other night. They split their time between here and Florida and they're actually going back the day after tomorrow."
Drew pressed on, "So, have you thought about telling them about us?"
Joey stopped eating and set down his fork, "I thought about it the other night, but it just didn't seem like the right time. I kinda wanna do it before we head back on the road, though, and before they leave. Just to clear the air".
Drew sipped his wine, "Well, if you need the support I'm here. Do you think they'll be okay with it?"
Joey shrugged, "Don't know. They're kinda religious, but they seem pretty open. My dad's been in show business for years and my mom used to tour with us some and so she's definitely been exposed to that lifestyle. Still, Lance's mom did the same thing and she didn't take it all that well".
"But, she's okay now right?," Drew asked, Joey nodded and Drew went on, "I'm sure it'll take some time to adjust. My parents took some time, but they dealed."
"What about your brothers and sisters?" Joey asked.
Drew smiled, "I have so many half-siblings and step-siblings and adopted siblings, it took about a month to get together with all of them, but my parents were there to help me out and they seemed cool with it. I think kids tend to handle this thing better. Less prejudices," Drew brushed his leg against Joey's under the table, "You worried about your brother and sister?"
Joey was quiet, "I don't know. Janine, not much, but Steve I am a little worried about. I mean, I'll have to see him every day and if he doesn't like it, well, I don't know".
Drew remembered briefly meeting Steve Fatone at the VMA's. He was touring with the guys as their video technician. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but looks could sometimes be deceiving. Drew put his hand on Joey's, "Does he know about Lance and JC?"
Joey nodded, "Yeah and he's cool about it, but it's different when it's your own brother".
"Tell me about it," Drew lamented, thinking about Nick. They had gay people on their crew and in the band and Nick always seemed fine with them; but, he hadn't been too pleased when he found out Drew was that way. Of course, he came upon him kissing Joey, which was a shock. He had gotten better, but he still had that disapproving air about him and it was starting to get to Drew.
Joey squeezed Drew's hand and looked down at it. It was then that he noticed the gold band on his ring finger. He quickly pulled away, startling Drew, "What's wrong?"
Joey sat back and stammered, "Nothing," and then pointing to the ring, "Do you have to wear that thing?"
Drew held up his hand, "I should, but I can take it off it's it gonna be a problem".
Joey didn't want to cause waves, so he waved it off, "No, that's okay".
Drew heard the tremble in Joey's voice and knew that, even though he seemed okay with the marriage thing, it was gonna take some getting used to. He just hoped it wouldn't get worse. Things sometimes festered for awhile and Joey wasn't known for his outpouring of emotions usually. Drew silently hoped everything would be okay.
That's it - not too eventful - just a set-up - give me some time to get into the groove and e-mail me please!!!!!!!