I woke up the next morning, instantly awake. The sounds of a busy street could be heard despite the closed windows, but from the height of our room, they were very faint. I looked over at the clock on the nightstand and groaned as it said 4:18 a.m. Well, it was close enough and I wasn't going to go back to sleep just yet.
I carefully extricated myself from James and made my way into the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth and shaved, I looked at myself closely. I was now over halfway through my 30th year. I wasn't extremely fit, but then again I wasn't out of shape either. My once platinum blond hair had faded into a brownish-blond, but the curly style that James had gotten me to adopt helped. Of course I couldn't help but be reminded of pre-buzz cut Justin. It was even colored a lighter blond than my natural color. Still no gray though. I knew I would freak when I found the first one. I was finishing my shave, wiping my face and applying aftershave lotion when I heard movement from the bedroom. James came plodding in, rubbing his eyes and then stretching as he looked at me.
He reached towards me and mumbled `Good Morning' as he gave me a hug. Then he moved towards the large roman style tub and began filling it with hot water. There was a selection of soaps and even bubble bath, which he added. I couldn't help but stare at his nude form. As the tub filled, he turned and smiled at me. When there was enough water, he shut it off and climbed into the tub.
"Aren't you going to join me?" He asked in a small voice as I stood there staring at him. I didn't have to be asked twice and was immediately lowering myself into the hot water.
"Good." He whispered, turning until he was sitting between my legs with his back to me. "This is so much more fun with two people."
"Anything with you is fun." I whispered into his ear as I ran my fingers up and down his chest.
We had to refill the tub three times to keep the water warm. It was the longest bath we'd ever taken together, and we spent a lot of time figuring out, um, new things to try. I can say we both were very clean, and very hungry by the time we were done. After drying each other, James went and ordered breakfast from room service. I put on a pair of green bikini briefs and James of course put on a pair of silk boxers that was a Christmas present from me. We then wrapped ourselves against the chill of the outside with the warm terry cloth robes provided by the hotel. We were sitting on the couch, snuggling when the food arrived. We sat down to eat heartily, talking very little until we both were done eating and were just relaxing with a cup of hot tea.
"So, love." I asked him softly, my foot stretching under table and massaging his inner thigh under the robe. "What do you want to do today besides shopping?"
"How about Westminster Abbey? I didn't get to see all of it last time I was here." James asked me, stretching out in his chair to give me easier access.
"Sounds good, we can go there this morning them come back through Oxford Circus for shopping."
"It's plan. What about tonight?"
"Hmm, how about dinner near Victoria Station. I know a great pub for dinner. Then we can go see a play while we're there, then hit a gay pub."
"A gay pub, eh?" He said with a laugh.
"Yeah, I had fun there last year."
"Good, sounds like our day's planned. What time do we start?" James said, lowering himself more in the chair until I felt just how excited he was. I almost groaned, but then realized my own dick may be sore, but it was wanting some more James as well.
"Oh, about two hours." I said looking at the clock. We could leave around 8:30 this morning.
"Good, we have time then." James laughed, opening his robe as he stood up and made his way to the bedroom. The robe was gone before he was halfway there and I was right behind him, also getting rid of my robe.
"Plenty of time." I said with a giggle. Okay I was 30, and horny as a 16-year old. Life is good sometimes.
We didn't make it out of the hotel until after 9 that morning. As expected, it was overcast, cold, and drizzly. Let me tell you something here: I've lived in hot, arid climates most of my life. Visiting London in winter, with this weather, is a welcome vacation. I don't want dry and warm England. I want cold and wet.
I'm just lucky James didn't mind it too much.
We walked arm in arm to the Queensway tube station, buying an all day pass (again I used my credit card). On the way, we stopped at an ATM machine and pulled out a couple hundred in cash. You want to know another nice thing about London? Use their ATM machines. The machines at most banks don't charge ANY fees at all. It's like using your ATM card at your own bank. I made a mental note to open an account with a British bank. Not for any reason other than the fact that they never charged me a fee whenever I visit London.
Gee, I wonder if that is part of why they don't charge fees? Lure in new customers. Well, that was neither here nor there as we got on the tube at Queensway. Okay, to get an idea of how interesting the underground can be, Look at a map. Bayswater and Queensway are on two different lines, but fairly close to each other. On the maps, they are shown in such a way that you might think you need go around a corner or something to get between them. In reality, they are just down the street from each other.
Don't ask how long it took me to figure that out the first time. It's embarrassing.
We rode the Central Line from Queensway to Oxford Circus and went back above ground there. James stopped while we were still in the tunnels and listened to one of the buskers playing beautiful tune with a flute. He was smiling as we walked among the crowded streets, our arms interlaced lightly.
That was when we hit the stores. Now, I enjoy shopping (okay, spending money). My idea of shopping is going into a store, finding something you like, trying it on, and buying it if it fits. James taught me a different way. I swear I've never really tried on 8 shirts to see how they go with a single pair of pants, then start over again with another pair of pants until that day. Then there was the coordinated under clothes routine. Then shoe shopping, then shopping for heavy coats and scarves.
Yes, I gave in and we got the matching black leather dusters. I put my foot down on the scarves though. I got blue and gray, he got green and gray. Compromise. It's a necessary part of any relationship. We took all of our new clothes back to the hotel where we also ate some lunch. Then it was off to Bayswater station to head down to Victoria station. We got on the Circle Line train and people watched.
London is a great city to people watch in. The level of diversity there is immense. We heard about fifteen different languages on that trip alone. I loved it, and James was enjoying his first look at London from something other than a bus or chauffeured car. Believe me, it is two totally different experienced. We got off at Victoria Station, and James' eyes bugged out when we got to ground level. Although not as big as Paddington, there was a real strong `old' flavor to it that was intoxicating. We wandered over to one of the theatres, took a look at the billboards for the play they had there, and bought tickets.
Yes, we picked good seats that were expensive. James paid for them though. Then we walked down Buckingham Palace, watching the tourists gawk at the Royal Guards. I realized it was a good thing it was so cold when a herd of teenager German girls came rumbling through. We were both wearing our new leather duster coats, scarves, sunglasses (James insisted), and hats. They ran right by the pop-star without paying us a second thought. I felt him relax as they ran by, and we headed down for a relaxing stroll through St. James Park.
Yes, I enjoyed St. James park with my James at my side. He isn't a saint though. He's too damn good with that tool of his to be anything remotely saint-like. Trust me on this because you're never going to find out. He's mine.
We left St. James and walked down a street full of old buildings with impressive signs on them. The Royal Guild of Civil Engineers. The Royal Guild of Architects. Those types of buildings. James took pleasure at finding each one (okay my first time here I did too), then we finally reached the square where you find Westminster Abbey and of course Westminster Hall. Fortunately the queue (what we Americans call a "line") was very short and we were soon inside that grand structure.
Have you ever been inside there? Do you know the American superstition about walking on graves? Well, guess what, the place is full of graves (or sepulchers or whatever fancy word you want to use). Centuries of English nobility were buried there, and inscriptions made honoring them. When James had been here, they'd spent an hour inside and barely got to read any of them but the most famous. This time we read every single one until they kicked us out. James was loving it, and fortunately, he was finished reading the last one as we left.
Guess what? In London during winter, the sun sets at like 3:30 and comes back up around 8 a.m. or so. Very long nights. We went to the a pub closer to Victoria Station for dinner. That was when James suggested we go back to the hotel room and take a hot bath. He was getting a little chilled. I naturally complied.
That bath was great. It wasn't until 9:00 p.m. that we finally went back to Victoria station. We'd missed the start of the show, and decided we really didn't want to see a play anyway. We'd rather go to a bar and have some fun. That's how we ended up at The Stag.
It's a red building right across one of Great Britain's Ministry buildings. We walked down the dark street and James had this weird look on his face. It was then that I realized it was much darker than the surrounding streets and he may be worried. That's why I picked up the pace a little. We walked up the stairs and I nodded at the bouncer as we entered. I didn't recognize him so I figured that like most bars, the staff had probably rotated in the last year.
"Bloody hell. We need to chat with Dom about who he lets in here." A heavily accented Irish voice said as James and I were removing our coats. I groaned, then turned around with a smile.
"Watch what ya say, bloke." I told the bartender who had spoken in a decent London accent. "If they let a bloke like you peddle here they bloody well aren't going to keep me away!"
"Davey!" Terry shouted at that point, coming around the bar and embracing me. He was a short guy, shorter than James, very skinny with dark, buzzed hair and a sliver of a goatee. We hugged for a moment, then he noticed James staring at us.
"Who's the new bugger?" Terry asked me, a gleam in his eyes.
"It's my boyfriend, James." I told him. "James, this is Terry, Terry meet the man of my dreams, James.
"Pleasure," Terry said, shaking James' hand, then turning back to me. "Does this mean no more singing "Summer Nights", dancing on the bar, running from the bobbies, or orgies downstairs while you hide from the bobbies?"
"Not this trip." I answered, smiling a little as James gaped at me. "I'm on honest man now."
"Bloody hell, it won't be as fun now." Terry said, acting all depressed. He went behind the bar, and we followed him, grabbing some seats on the customer side. James just kept staring me as I hung up our coats on the hook below the bar and Terry stood in front of us.
"So, I assume you'll have your regular." Terry said to me. "What about your mate, here? What's he want?"
"Give him a Kronie." I said. I was pretty sure James would like that beer. Terry soon sat a jack and coke in front of me and a beer in front of James. I gave him a $1 bill as he rang it up. He looked at it a moment before laughing.
"Ya know better than that." Terry said in between laughs. "We still go the last one."
Sure enough, the dollar I'd given them the last time I was here was framed and hanging on the wall. I'd accidentally pulled a dollar bill out of my wallet instead of a 5 pound note last year. I tried to pass it off telling them how American businesses always framed their first dollar as a good luck charm. They had taped it up to the wall and demanded 2 pound 90. I laughed at seeing the damn thing framed now. Of course, Terry told James all about it, which seemed to snap him out of whatever was making him stare at me.
"Funny, Davey." James said as I paid Terry. Like last time, Terry frowned at the tip, but just sighed as he took the two pound coin. He thought I tipped too much. He's the only bartender I'd ever met who tried to refuse a tip.
"I thought so at the time." I told him. James just turned to Terry.
"So, do you guys have karaoke tonight?" he asked.
"We do." Terry said smiling. I frowned.
"I'm not singing." I said firmly. That's the end of it. I'm not.
"Okay, okay. How about a shot?" James assented, then asked. I frowned at him.
"Don't try getting me drunk and then talking me up on stage. You're not Manuel."
"Now, why would I try something like that?" James asked, eyes wide and innocent.
"James..." I began warningly.
"Don't worry." James said softly, patting my shoulder. "Maybe I'll just sing."
That was when Terry brought over some people I'd met, and partied with last time. Of course, they all fawned all over James and got into a contest to see who tell the wildest tale of what I'd done last time I was here. I'd spent 8 nights in this bar last year, and they seemed to remember everything. Even the things I'd thought no one noticed, like the skinhead in the bathroom stall. I blushed at that one considering some of the things the guy was yelling out. I just didn't know they figured out it was me. I mean, the lights had been off at the time.
James did not let me go to the bathroom by myself there that night.
Of course I followed him every time he went as well. I just didn't trust other people to keep their hands off of him. He's too damn cute.
By 10:30 p.m. I realized I was in trouble. Have you ever been drinking with a bunch of Irishmen (I mean REAL Irishmen) and Scotsmen? If you haven't, you're lucky. I think they got six shots and four drinks down me in that hour. James was lucky he'd stuck to beer. He was doing better than I was.
That was when he announced he was going to sing "Summer Nights" from Grease. He mentioned that it was a two person song and he needed someone to sing with him. Mark, this really cute red-headed Irishman immediately announced he would. Mark had a beautiful voice and I noticed that he'd been looking hard at James all night. Yes, I got immediately jealous.
"No, I'll sing with you." I announced, not really cognizant of what I'd just said I'd do.
"But!" Mark started to object until Matt, his boyfriend stomped on his foot.
"No, I'm doing it." I stated firmly, glaring at everyone lest they say something.
"Cool, I'll sing the Danny part, you sing Sandy." James said, smiling as they called our names. How'd they know to call our names? I noticed James also hand something to Mark, but couldn't really see what it was. (Later James admitted it was a 20 pound note for helping him lure me onto stage.)
James dragged me up on stage before I could freak out and run. We stood up there, the lights shining on us, and James grabbed two microphones. He handed me one, and as I looked into his eyes, I suddenly forgot we were in a bar full of people. The music started and I lost myself into it as I looked at him.
"Summer lovin' had me a blast" James sang.
"summer lovin', happened so fast" I sang my line. You know, when I'm just the right amount of drunk I don't sing that bad. That night, I sang better than I ever had before.
I met a boy crazy for me – James
I met a boy, cute as can be – I sang (note the rest of the lyrics is James first, then me.
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights – We both sang.
Tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far? Tell me more, tell me more, like, does he have a car? – Everyone in the bar shouted out.
He stood by me, He got a cramp - he went by me, got my suit damp I saved His life, He nearly drowned - he showed up, splashing around Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights Tell me more, tell me more, was it love at first sight? Tell me more, tell me more, did He put up a fight? Took Him bowlin' in the Arcade - we went strollin', drank lemonade We made out under the dock - we stayed up until ten o'clock Summer thing don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights Tell me more, tell me more, that you don't got Him preg Tell me more, tell me more, cause he sounds like a drag He got friendly, holdin' my hand - well He got friendly, down in the sand He was sweet, just turned eightteen - well He was good, you know what I mean Summer heat, boy and boy meet, but uh-oh those summer nights Tell me more, tell me more, how much dough did he spend? Tell me more, tell me more, could He get me a friend? It turned colder, that's where it ends - so I told His we'd still be friends Then we made our true love vow - wonder what He's doin' now Summer dreams ripped at the seams, but oh, those summer nights Tell me more, tell me more.
As we finished, the entire bar erupted in the loudest cheering of the night. The DJ smiled out over us, and James was smiling at me. I couldn't do anything but stare at him as he pulled me into him and kissed me hard. The cheering got even louder.
"You know, it's not every day we a boy band member and a Hollywood producer in here. Weren't they good?" The DJ said into his microphone and the bar cheered even more loudly. I started blushing as James pulled back from our kiss and raised his microphone.
"Well, it's not every day a boy band member gets his boyfriend to sing after he's been saying he couldn't sing. He may not be good enough to sing with my group, but he's not THAT bad."
"You've never heard him sing Rhinestone Cowboy!" Terry shouted from behind the bar, and everyone cracked up laughing.
"So, was London the secret destination you two referred to on MTV yesterday?" the DJ asked, and I groaned. I didn't really thing about MTV being international. Oh well.
"Yeah, he surprised me and flew me out here for some vacation time." James responded lightly. He was actually enjoying the attention. PERFORMERS! Gah!
"Well, I heard the only time we can ever expect to see this bloke is during the winter." The DJ said, chuckling. "Apparently he's too cheap to come over here when he would have to pay full fare."
"Oh, is that why you chose this place?" James said, turning and giving me a mock glare. Of course everyone cracked up laughing.
"Yeah," I said, finally finding my voice. "It was so much cheaper."
"Really?" James giggled. "I didn't know flying on the Concorde was ever cheap!"
Okay, everyone pulled in a deep breath, then started laughing. James and I got off the stage as the DJ called the next person up. Poor guy, he was so nervous following us that he had to restart twice. The group of guys we'd been drinking with all gave us compliments, and had a fresh round of drinks.
You know, we must have had every person in that bar come up to us and talk to one or both of us that night. They were all supportive of us in recent events and were fairly gushing. I'd been trying not to think about my uneasiness of our coming out as a couple, and the recent troubles in terms of how it might affect other people, but I learned that night that we truly were in the public eye now. While we wouldn't shatter the earth with what we did, we would have an impact on people's lives on personal levels.
It scared me. It scared me a lot.
Which doesn't mean we didn't have fun. We left at two a.m. and stumbled over to Victoria Station. There we got a cab (the tube stopped running two hours earlier) and went back to the hotel. That night our lovemaking was energetic and frenzied. By the time we passed out from exhaustion, it was almost 4:00 a.m.
The fact that we didn't get out of the hotel room until 10:00 a.m. the next morning made me realize we probably weren't going to be doing a lot of sightseeing. At first, I was worried James would be upset, but he reminded me he'd been here before. I calmed down when he let me know he was more interested in just spending time together.
That's why I took him to St. Paul's and we climbed up to the dome. I was chagrinned to find that he was in a lot better shape than I was. Damn dance routines.
Have you ever climbed to the top of St. Paul's? I've done it twice now. The spiral stairways are fun in and of themselves. The view from the very top though...it's spectacular and worth every drop of sweat getting there. We hugged each other at the top, and got another tourist to take our picture for us (James was carrying several of those little disposable cameras in his jacket). After the trip down, it was after noon and we decided to get some lunch before going to our next tourist trap.
Lunch was at this little café across the street from the Tower of London. I enjoyed my bangers and mash while James had his shepherd's pie. Two pots of tea later, we went over to the two amid a light drizzle and got in line for tickets. No, we didn't take the guided tour, we just meandered our way through the ancient structure.
Oh, both James and I cracked up bad at Henry the VIII's suit of armor. Why would anyone need a cod piece that big? Don't believe me? Go see it for yourself. They also had this great collection of old firearms that James couldn't resist touching. After he leaned over the rope and touched one, we had to resist the urge to run away from the alarm that was shrilling. He pulled his hand back, started blushing and looked around. Several docents standing nearby just shook their head and smiled. We moved on pretty quickly. When we were on the sliding walkway to look at the crown jewels, he didn't appreciate my `Look, but don't touch' comment.
That night, Mark and Matt joined us at our hotel for dinner (they were two of the guys we'd met the previous night). The four of us had a delightful time telling stories and generally just getting to know each other better. We ended up going back to the Stag after dinner, then started making our rounds of the different dance bars. By the time we left the Stag, our group had grown to nine people and we needed three taxis to take us to the dance club. Once we got there, James and I immediately started dancing.
The night passed quickly, and it was so much fun. We just relaxed with each other, danced both together and with other people from our group, and pretty much enjoyed ourselves. We did manage to get back to the hotel by 2:30 a.m. this time. Too bad we were both tired from the dancing to make love. Instead we just went to sleep with James wrapping his arms around me and holding me.
We did have sex in the morning, but you probably already guessed that. We both loved sex when we first wake up. It seems to make the day a whole lot brighter. We didn't have a morning after' glow, we had a morning of' glow.
That was pretty much how we spent the next few days in London. During the day we would sightsee, and spend the evening with our friends. Dancing each night until the wee hours of the morning was wonderful. Spending so much time together was even better. The fifth morning in London saw us traveling by train to Gatwick Airport. From there we had a short flight to Brussels, Belgium.
Yes, Brussels, Belgium was our destination. Don't know much about Brussels, do you? Well, if you're American, I can understand that. I didn't know much about it before the first time I visited it either. Brussels has been the home of NATO for decades. If you don't know what NATO is, look it up. Of course if you were born after the cold war, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know about NATO. Brussels is also one of the capitals of the European Union. What most people don't realize is that it is a great place to visit.
The Belgian countryside is beautiful, even in winter. We rented a car at the airport and drove to the La Campanile hotel where we would be staying. It's a chain hotel with lots of sites throughout continental Europe. It's not like a Sheraton or a Hilton, but more like an extended stay. It also has a wonderful breakfast buffet (too bad we never got out of our room soon enough enjoy the food).
We spent the next three days touring the countryside, castles, and old battlefields. The evenings we spent enjoying the various restaurants and bars of downtown Brussels. Didn't we have a problem with language? No. Most people there speak English to one extent or another. We got home late on the last night in Brussels and I didn't pay any attention to the blinking phone.
The next morning, we packed, checked out of the hotel, and made our way back to the airport for our flight back to London. I was struck by many things as we drove into the airport. First was a mental note to talk to James about driving in foreign countries. My knuckles were going white from gripping the arm on the door. The next was how we had now spent more time in the company of each other than ever before and I did not show any signs of tiring from his presence. New Years passed while we were in Belgium. Guess what we did? We made love spanning the old and new years. Much better than Times Square if you ask me.
Have you ever gone on an extended trip (more than 3-4 days) with someone? I have many times. Usually by about day 8 I am ready to go home and have some alone time. Not this time, though. I only wanted even more time with James. We had all day today in London (we'd be landing around 9:00 a.m. there.) and then we flew home tomorrow evening. I was not looking forward to going home, except for seeing Nathan again. That kid was growing on me, and I felt love for him somewhere between little brother and son.
Our flight was uneventful, and we returned to the hotel where we'd stayed at earlier. During check-in, the clerk handed us a number of message slips. I was surprised, but shrugged my shoulders as the bellboy took us up to our room. James tipped him as I began to thumb through the messages. Most were for me, and were from JMS, Luke, John Frakes (he was directing our next episode which filmed when I got back), and one from Lynn.
Lynn took priority since it was probably about Nathan. I picked up the hotel phone and began the international calling process. Soon enough, Lynn was answering the phone. Her tone was not a happy one.
"Dave!" She said, putting some level of cheerfulness into her voice. "How's Europe going?"
"Good, Lynn." I told her. "We've been having a great time so far. What can I do for you? How's Nathan been?"
"Nathan's fine." She said, responding to the worry that had crept into my voice when I mentioned Nathan. "Justin and him have been hanging out each day. I'm beginning to think that Justin's decided he wanted another little brother and has been spoiling him rotten. You're going to have a spoiled son to deal with when you get back."
"Oh great.." I moaned in mock dismay. "Tell JuJu that he's going to hear from me when I get back."
"I will." Lynn laughed easily.
"So, what's with the `urgent' message if Nathan's doing okay?" I asked.
"Well, this isn't going to be easy to hear, so I'm just going to blurt it all out." She warned, and I braced myself. "There's a social worker from the California Department of Child Welfare that's been burning up the phone lines. She says that she's been assigned to your case on behalf of Arizona and must conduct a home interview with you and Nathan immediately. She was upset about the Rob Thomas article and believes that you are failing to provide a good home for Nathan. When she found out you were in Europe, she threw a conniption fit and began talking about child abandonment. She's demanding to see you as soon as you return, with Nathan. I think she may plan on taking Nathan away."
"Dammit!" I shouted, causing James to rush over and wrap his arms around me. His face asked what was going on, but he knew to wait a few moments. "I won't let that happen. Have Jenny at Free Lance make an appointment with her for the Monday after I'm back."
"Okay, I'll call her." Lynn said. "If you need me out there in California when you meet with her, let me know. I'll fly out immediately."
"Thank you, Lynn." I said softly as I hung up. It was a moment later that I started to cry, and James was hugging me, begging me to tell him what was going on. I managed to get the story out, and he was furious. We eventually calmed down, realizing there was little we could do until we left tomorrow. With the flight schedules, we'd still arrive faster leaving on our scheduled Concorde flight than on a regular airline. We resolved to enjoy the day ahead of us. Before we'd left London earlier in the week, he begged me to let him plan this day, so I followed him out to a waiting Rolls Royce limo. We climbed into the back, surrounded by class and comfort that only old Europe could provide, and the driver took off for a destination unknown to me.
It proved to be not that far away in Central London. We pulled up in front of a beautiful building complete with doorman who opened the door for us. We were immediately shown inside and James led me to an elevator. Inside the elevator, he pushed a button on the top and a voice asked "Lance, is that you?" in an American accent. After James responded, the elevator began to move. To say I was intrigued only begins to describe my feelings at the moment.
My curiosity was soon satisfied as the elevator opened onto a penthouse apartment and two men stood there before us. To say I was flabbergasted just about described how I was feeling. On our third night in London, James had asked me what entertainer I thought of as an idol of mine. My answer had been one of the men standing there before me.
Elton John.
I had paid $280 for a front row ticket to see him and Billy Joel when they came to Phoenix. His video for "I'm Still Standing" had been a masturbation fest for me as a kid. I had cried at his playing of the special version of "Candle in the Wind" during Princess Diana's funeral. Okay, let's just say I was extremely star struck at that moment.
Yes, I was the boyfriend of a pop star. Yes I personally knew more than a few Hollywood legends. Yes, I was becoming a well-known figure myself. That doesn't mean I can't be star struck myself. I was frozen as I stood there looking at Elton and his partner David Furnish. Elton immediately opened his arms and walked over to us, giving James a big hug.
That broke the ice, and my frozen shock.
"I take it he did surprise you?" Elton said smiling as he turned to me and gave me a hug too.
"Ye...Yes." I managed to squeak out. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."
"Call me sir again and I'll show what a bitch I can be." Elton said, laughing. David soon joined him and shook our hands. I guess he wasn't as outgoing as Elton in some ways. They led us into their home and soon we were sitting around the piano room sipping on some drinks as we got to know each other.
Here we were, two singers and two producers, both gay couples and all enjoying the company. I had seen Tantrums and Tiaras, so I knew how bitchy Elton could be when he was working, but when he was relaxed...well he was one of the greatest persons I'd ever had the pleasure of getting to know. We talked about how James and I met, how they met. We talked about adjusting to a relationship where the fame and personality of one partner threatened to overshadow the other, and how we each dealt with the problem. We also talked about my work, and I found out that they both enjoyed it. While Elton and James were talking about music, David and I started talking about movies and television production. I didn't realize how long had passed until we sat down to eat dinner.
The food was delicious. The dinner company was even better. Our conversations continued over dinner and soon I realized I had made some new friends. I only hoped that I'd get to see them more in the future. After dinner, we sat down in the viewing room, which held a large screen television. Elton didn't want to miss some show and insisted we watch it with them.
I was surprised to learn that it was an episode from my series. I realized what it was as soon as the opening scene came on. There was Chad Allen, dressed in a tight fitting white lycra shirt and leg hugging black leather pants. He was sitting on an elevated examination table in the Ganymede base infirmary. Standing in front of him with a pneumatic syringe was the show's doctor played by a dark-haired woman named Maria Schafter. She had been an unknown actress until we hired her.
"One of these days, Mr. Bowen." Maria said (in character) to Chad Allen (his character name was Alex Bowen). "You are going to catch something I can't cure."
"But, Doctor." Chad/Bowen protested. "What's the fun in worrying about such things? I've got you here to cure me. We all know you're a miracle worker."
"Bowen, you know that flattery won't work with me." She protested. "I don't believe in sex without marriage."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with being married for a day." Chad/Bowen shrugged, not really giving up.
"Why, you!" she stuttered, slapping him sharply across the face. He looked at her in shock, then immediately followed her order to turn around and drop his trousers. He complied, smiling at her before she told him to turn his head. That was when she pulled an actual needle syringe out of her pocket and stuck him in the butt with it. He howled in pain as she injected the needle's contents into his butt and looked back at her with anger on his face.
"Why did you do that for?" He demanded, his face red.
"Because I heard you like taking things in the butt." She said with a sweet smile before walking out.
"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a very, very bad day?" Chad/Bowen asked himself as he buttoned up his pants and left the infirmary. I was delighted to hear Elton and David laughing (James was too, but he'd seen it before).
"I can't believe you got that past the sensors!" Elton said while laughing.
"Well, your British blokes wanted to cut out part of the scene, but we talked them into airing the whole thing. We convinced them they were getting a safe sex public announcement disguised in a television show. They bought the story." I responded.
"You know, you are right in a way." David said while the commercials came on. "It really does tell people what can happen with unsafe sex."
"That was actually why I wrote it into the story." I admitted. That was when the show came back on and Elton shushed us. The next hour passed quickly and I was pleased they enjoyed the episode that much. During commercials I answered their questions about the filming and post-production of different shots. When it was over, David refilled our drinks and we sat down talking some more.
"You do realize that we four are now the most prominent gay couples in the music industry?" David asked as Elton sat down next to him.
"You're right." James said after a moment. I'd recently realized that James and I were going to be prominent as an openly gay couple, but I hadn't realized that there weren't too many other openly gay male couples in the industry.
"Don't let the pressure get between you in your relationship." Elton advised sagely. "I remember all the comments about David being nothing but a gold digger when we first started going out. We've managed to overcome most of that, but you two had better be ready for what people are going be saying about you as a couple. Your recent troubles are only a beginning."
"Sometimes I wish NSYNC wasn't so big." James muttered.
"I can sympathize with that." Elton said with a smile. Of course, our road so far had not been as rocky as his.
"You know," David said after a few moments. "Tantrums and Tiaras really helped us out as a couple. It let people see Elton, and me in a new way. Do you two think you might be open to such a film?"
"I'm not sure." I said slowly.
"It wouldn't be just about us." James said just as slowly, clearly thinking about the idea. "It would have to include the rest of NSYNC as well. We're all part of each other's lives."
"Of course." David said, sitting forward. "But it might just let people see how hard it is for Hollywood couples as well as gay couples."
"I could fund the project through Rocket." Elton said, referring to the film company he started after meeting David.
"Why don't you have your staff contact Jive?" James offered after a few moment's thought, and a nod from me. I was tending to agree that such a video might provide some positive insight into us as a family, and might provide a wake-up call for millions who thought we were just two perverts taking sexual pleasure in each other.
"Definitely." David said with a smile. We continued talking a little more and soon it was late enough that James and I were tired. He called for the limo, which would be here in a few minutes as Elton asked me what are plans were for the following day. We hadn't really made any before having to be at the airport before 5:00 p.m. That was when he invited us to a party he was going to the next day at noon. We agreed and he suggested we dress in suits. We left when the limo arrived and soon made our way home.
We weren't really tired, just very, very horny.
Our final day in London saw us waking up early and taking breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. I was surprised as we finished and the manager of the hotel came over towards us. He had a harried expression on his face and was quite out of sorts.
"Pardon me, Mr. Bass, Mr. Young." He said, almost bowing with our names. "There seems to be a problem outside. Somehow, word has gotten around of your staying here and there is a crowd forming outside. I've called the police so that they would not get inside, but I'm afraid your privacy has been breeched."
"It had to happen sooner or later." James said almost apologetically towards the poor man. "Don't worry about our reaction. We've had this experience a time or two before. We'll be expecting a limousine around 11ish so please have the crowd moved back by then. If you don't mind, we'll pay to have our bags shipped over to the airport and just check-out before leaving."
"That will do, sir." The manager said, nodding his head. "The Hotel will be honored to send your bags to the airport with no charge. Please, just leave your access cards in the room and we'll have your final bill sent directly to your home address. Is that acceptable, sirs?
"Yes, fine." James said. I was quiet, letting him handle this. He certainly had more experience than I. We were soon back upstairs, quietly laughing. Oh well, it was only the last day of the vacation and we were going to be gone soon anyway. We packed and called downstairs. Several bell hops came and got our luggage. Most of it was being shipped back since we had done a lot of shopping and were now over the baggage limit for the Concorde. The Hotel was taking care of that as well. We were relaxing having dressed in our suits, doing nothing more than watch television when we noticed that it was time to go.
The trip out of the hotel was...frenzied. About a hundred screaming girls were there, and about a dozen reporters. Cameras flashed, girls screamed, and reporters yelled questions. We waved at all of them and scrambled into the limo (another Rolls Royce). The driver took off into the London traffic while James and I giggled at each other. Okay, maybe I could get use to the crowds of little girls after all. It was actually kind of fun.
As soon as we reached Elton's flat, he and David joined us in the limo. We greeted each other warmly, and all laughed as James told them about our little run-in at the hotel with fans. I asked what kind of party we were going to, and David mentioned rather offhandedly that it was a charity fundraiser. I almost sighed as I realized we'd probably be spending more money at this fundraiser.
You wonder why celebrities go broke? There are a lot of expenses related to upholding the image of being a celebrity. I'd probably end up agreeing to David's documentary film simply for the income at the rate I was spending money.
We soon arrived at another hotel, and this time the flashes of cameras were truly blinding. Elton stepped out first, followed by David. Then James stepped out and I followed him (notice the symmetry?). A murmur ran through the crowd that was gathered and Elton led us up the red carpet. He stopped about halfway and greeted a reporter in a friendly manner.
"Robert!" Elton exclaimed, a genuine smile on his face. "What the devil do they have you here covering this event for?"
"We heard you were showing with some mystery guests." Robert replied. "It's interesting seeing two of the biggest gay couples in show business show up at a fundraiser together."
"I'm glad the gay press thinks we're so important." Elton said, then introduced us to Robert, who worked for the Gay Times. He was nice and asked us about our vacation, how we enjoyed it, where we went. We gave him an edited version, leaving out the sex in all the hotel rooms and the Belgium countryside. After a few moments, Elton subtly hinted that we should head inside, and we followed him.
The next hour we spent being introduced to Sir so-and-so, Lady That, Countess Somebody or another. The names went right past me, as did their inane chatter. We both donated money to the cause du jour. I believe it was some children's fund or another. We'd been there for two hours, snacking on hor'dourves and sipping drinks when the crowd murmured and a gentlemen by the door announced "His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cornwall, and His Royal Highness, Prince William."
Yep, you got it, Prince Charles and his oldest son had arrived. Elton positively glowed as they made their way through the crowd of lesser nobility that suddenly swarmed them. It was obvious they were heading in this direction, but were taking their time to be polite to those around them.
"You know, I think we're the only commoners here." I whispered to James. David heard me and started chuckling.
"I'm still a commoner too." He laughed.
"No you're not." James disagreed with a smile. "You're married to a knight."
"Shit." David muttered.
"Now, is that any way for the partner of a Knight to speak." A rich, cultured voice asked, and we all looked only to find that the Princes had finally made their way up to us. All three of us blushed while Elton laughed. David glared, and Elton turned to introduce James and I to the two Princes.
"I must say," the blond Prince William said after we'd been introduced. "My brother will be quite upset that he missed this event to go with his mates. He's a big fan of your series, Mr. Young. He's even planning on collecting all of your ship models when they become available."
"I'm honored, Your Highness." I said, smiling. "How about I make it up to him by sending a complete set from the studio's art department? That way he won't have to wait too much longer."
"I would think that my son would prefer to have two sets, both signed by the series creator," Prince Charles said with a slight chuckle. "My older son forgot to mention that he nearly threw a royal tantrum when he had to miss one of your episodes the other week."
Okay, we all burst out laughing at that point. I know you've seen pictures of Prince William. He's adorable. Well, he's even more adorable when he blushes just like he was then. It's a good thing I loved James because I would have spent plenty of sleepless nights wanking to that memory.
As it was James gave me a VERY knowing look.
We must have talked to the Royal pair for at least an hour about various topics. One of my shows had dealt with the issue of nobility and whether it was outdated by the time period of my series. The episode was based on some things I'd learned while idly searching nobility on the internet years ago. I nearly dropped my drink when Prince Charles told me his mother had watched that episode and was quite pleased with what she saw. That was when Prince William informed us that HE had shown it to his father. There was a speech in there about `in these modern times, it is the job of the nobility to provide an example to the people of compassion, love, and grace; to show the people that it is possible to serve the common good without sacrificing their own sense of self-identity.'
"The Queen approved of that message so much that I know she will be upset at not getting to meet you and your partner." Prince Charles said to me with that urbane smile.
"I'm honored, your Highness." I told him, my voice quavering with astonishment. This was a...special...compliment for me. I totally hadn't expected something like this.
"Yes, well, next time you visit, you be sure to call my staff and inform them of the dates of your trip." He told me in a pleasant, but firm tone. I knew this was something that he expected to be done without argument. Ah! To be royalty! "We will work out a time for you to be presented to the Queen. Mayhap a small reception."
"We would be honored." I answered his invitation. We either were going to come back real soon or never. Which I didn't know yet. Maybe James would talk our way out of it. I didn't really want to get involved with royalty. As if the press weren't bad enough as it was, that would only make it worse.
How was I to know that Johnny Wright would hear about this and change the NSYNC Europe leg of the tour so that there would be two extra days in London? Well, that's down the road a bit so back to the present.
Altogether, the afternoon passed quite smashingly. After a while, the older prince was dragged off by his assistant to talk with some other people. Elton and David went to talk to some other people and we were relatively alone with the handsome young prince.
"I read that you had adopted a young boy." Prince William asked after a few moments.
"Well, I have legal guardianship of Nathan. He's 15 now." I replied.
"Oh, do you both plan to adopt him?" he asked.
"Actually, we have just recently discussed that." James answered, smiling. "If he agrees, we'll be pursuing that. California is a pretty liberal state so we hope there won't be too many problems."
"I must say that he's a mighty lucky young man." Prince William said. It was then that I realized he was close to Justin's age. "You will have to bring him with you when you come to meet the Queen. I'd like the chance to meet him."
"Oh, I think he'll love that." James said, this time grinning widely. "I seem to remember quite a few magazines with pictures of you."
"Oh, yes, I imagine that would be, um, interesting for him." The prince replied a little nervously.
"Don't worry, he won't make a pass at you." I said. "He's already got a boyfriend."
"Well, from what I hear, there's millions of young girls, and not a few guys who would love to make a pass at me. I just wish it was for the real me instead of the `prince'."
"I can relate to that." James said with a chuckle. That's when they started talking about marriage proposals in fan mail. Sooner than we had hoped for, James watch started beeping, reminding us that we were due at the airport. The young prince escorted us to where his father was talking with Elton and David. James announced our imminent departure, and a vehicle was summoned by someone's assistant. A few moments later, we were escorted down the red carpet by the four of them, the cameras flashing as we all waved at the photographers. Our limo pulled away and I could see the royal pair getting into a similar vehicle behind us.
The drive to the airport actually took longer than the train would have. That's why I like London's transport system. It's actually better some times than a vehicle. Nevertheless, we made it to the airport and spent an hour waiting in the reserved lounge.
Once again the flight on the Concorde was magnificent. There's something about chasing the setting sun across the ocean, and beating it to your destination that was thrilling. What was even more thrilling was the way we managed to sneak into the same lavatory. The attendant smiled at us as we came out and we realized we weren't as stealthy as we thought. We blushed, but luckily it was only another half hour until we landed.
It was James' fault. He just can't be quiet while I'm on my knees.
We landed at JFK in New York, then made our way to a connecting flight. Terminal hopping is not fun, but we had plenty of time. By the time we landed in Orlando, we were absolutely exhausted. It was long after midnight in London, but still relatively early in Orlando. Justin picked us up, excitedly yapping about all the things he'd done with Nathan, then asking us about our trip. We finally arrived at our Florida home and climbed out, barely carrying our bags. In fact, Justin grabbed most of them, as did Nathan who had been waiting inside for us.
He was overjoyed to see us. He hugged me first, then James, then grabbed some suitcases and rushed them inside. It was almost funny as he started asking what we brought back for him, but we were too tired. We stumbled upstairs and decided to go to bed immediately. We were out like a light before our heads even hit the pillow.
It had been a good vacation I thought.
Yes, more to come.