This is the one..all the people who were begging for it, you got it. The mystery man will be revealed in this episode. As you may or may not know, there were only 2 candidates for the mystery man, AJ and Jay. Only one of them can be the mystery man, if it's the one who you chose then, good for you, you guessed right. If it's not, I'm sorry, but this is the way I wanted it to go. So, read on and now ON WITH THE SHOW!!
XXIII
We all got out of the car and were on the sidewalk.
"What's up with Justin?" I whispered to Lance.
"I have no clue!" he said shrugging his shoulders, "I was wondering the same thing."
"You guys noticed that too?" Chris said standing behind us.
"Yeah, what's the deal with him?" I said.
"I don't know but I was wondering myself!" JC came up and said.
"I dunno, but I think it has to with what happened the other day." Chris said.
"What you mean?"
"Remember? He asked you about Jay."
"Yeah so?!?" Lance said.
"I get it! He likes Jay, and now that he knows that he's straight, he feels a little uncomfortable around him."
"Come on guys!" Justin said opening the door to the restaurant.
"I'll talk to him later, let's go eat!" JC said as we walked into the restaurant.
The people recognized JC and we were seated with no problem.
"How often do you come here JC?" I asked.
"I try to come every time we're in NY." He said.
"I think I've been here before."
"The food is really good!"
We all ordered and talked while waiting for the food to come.
"Oh! Did I tell you who I met yesterday?" I asked Jay.
"No, who?"
"The Backstreet Boys!"
"Word?!?"
"Yup, I might do a song with them!"
"Cool!"
"I gotta use the bathroom, excuse me!" Justin said.
"Me too!" JC said.
They got up from the table and went into the bathroom.
"Dude? What's up with you?" JC asked.
"What do you mean?" Justin asked not knowing what he was talking about.
"You know what I mean!"
"No, I don't."
"You've been acting strange."
"How?"
"Well, for one thing, AJ sucks at basketball! Even Joey could beat him! You seemed preoccupied when we were in the hotel, and like something was bothering you when we were in the car."
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Bullshit! Now what's wrong?"
"NOTHING!"
"You know you can't lie to me! I know something's wrong, now what is it?!?"
"Fine, I'll tell you, but you can't tell any of the guys!"
"I swear!"
Meanwhile back at the table.
"Did you guys notice something strange about Justin?" Joey asked.
"You did too huh?" I said.
"What's up with him?"
"I don't know, but something's definitely wrong with him!" Lance said.
"JC said he was gonna talk to him. I hope everything's ok." Said Chris.
"What about you Jay? Did you notice that too?" Lance asked.
"Not really, but, then again I don't really know him that well." Jay said taking a sip of water.
We all got quiet for a while, after about five minutes, Justin and JC came back from the bathroom. Right when they sat down, the food came. We all tried to not look like we suspected anything wrong with Justin. We were pretty successful too. The meal came and went, all full JC paid and we left.
"Now, I think we should go get ready for tonight!" I suggested taking my keys back from JC.
"Hey, I thought you said I could drive!" Lance said.
"I said you could drive to the club."
"Rob's right! Drop us off at the hotel we'll get ready and you pick us up when you are done." JC said.
"What about me?" Jay said.
"You can borrow some of my clothes." I said.
"Ok, let's go then!"
We got into the car and turned on the radio.
"Let's call the radio station!" Joey said.
"Yeah!" I said.
"Call the private line!" Chris said.
"What is it?" I asked pulling out my cell phone.
"Gimme, I'll dial it!" Joey said taking my phone.
Pretty soon we heard Cubby say on the air,
"We have Joey, from N SYNC on the phone with us now."
I turned down the radio after he said that and Joey was talking to him.
"Hey Cubby!" he said.
"Hey, wassup Joey?"
"Nothing, the guys and I here stuck in traffic!"
"So, you're still in NY I see."
"Yeah, we're in Rob's car right now! Just coming back from dinner."
"Oh yeah, Rob. How's he doing?"
"He's good, you wanna speak to him?"
"Sure why not!"
"Hold on! Here, he wants to talk to you."
"Ok..hello?"
"Hey Rob!"
"Sup Cubby!"
"Nothin much! Rob in case you don't remember ladies and gentlemen, is the bands lablemate and friend, who's coming out with an album in early spring correct?"
"Yup, that's right. Well, I can't really talk, I'm driving here."
"Hey, let me speak to him!" Chris said.
"Hold on, Chris wants to talk to you!"
"Hey CUBBY!"
"Sup there Chris!" said Cubby.
"Nothin. Ok, here's Joey again bye!"
"Okay, I don't know what that was about but whatever!" Joey said taking the phone back.
"So what are you guys up to tonight?" Cubby asked.
"Probably going out clubbing or something."
"Well you guys have fun! Matter of fact how bout we get into a little N SYNC right now!"
Joey hung up the phone and I turned up the radio. They played "I want you back" we were all singing along, it was really fun, it took our minds off of Justin. After the song was over, I started to sing my own version that I made up of "I want you back" they were listening and I didn't care. Usually I was a little shy about singing alone, but not anymore. When I finished, JC said,
"That was cool! Maybe we could use that in the show."
"What you trying to steel my work?" I said jokingly.
"No, I meant you would sing it."
"But, that's your song."
"I'm sure we could work it in the show some way or another." Lance said.
"Whatever, we'll have to wait till I'm in the show first! DAMN ALL THIS TRAFFIC!!"
"Probably an accident or something." Chris said.
"Whatever it is, it's taking forever! Hold on, I'm gonna try another way."
I turned at the next block, went down two blocks, turned to a block that was much clearer than the previous, and we were on our way.
"Now, that's much better! The problems of living in Manhattan!"
"How long till we get there?" Joey asked.
"About 20-25 min."
As I said, we got back to the hotel in 25 min. I dropped the guys off and proceeded onto my apt. We got there in no time.
"Alright, it's 6:45 now, I wanna be there at least by 8." I said.
"Ok, can I use your shower?"
"Yeah, go ahead!"
"I gotta iron, so pick out what you wanna wear first and I'll iron it for you."
We went into my room and we picked out what we were going to wear for that night.
"Damn! What happened to all your clothes?"
"Duh! I am leaving aren't I? I packed most of it away, the rest is for when I come back into town, or if you wanna wear it."
"Word?"
"Yeah. Now, what do you wanna wear?"
"How bout this?" he said pulling out a black cK shirt, and some khaki's.
"Alright, put it on the bed, I'll iron it."
"What are you wearing?"
"This!" I said pulling out a navy blue golfer vest, a white shirt and black slacks.
"What about shoes?"
"Here, you're lucky you left a pair here last time." I said throwing him his black shoes.
"Thanks!"
"Leave the shoes over there, I'll polish them." I said pointing at the floor.
"Thanks!"
"Use the towel on the back of the door." I said as he walked out of the room.
I ironed our clothes and polished our shoes while he was in the shower. By the time he came out I had just finished with everything. He came out in his boxers and I gave him the clothes he was going to wear.
"Get dressed in here, I'm going in the shower now." I said as I took off my shirt and pants and threw them in the closet.
I walked into the bathroom in my boxers. I took a quick shower and after I got out, I brushed my teeth, then shaved. By the time I was finished and walked back into my room, Jay was already dressed.
"Do you have any cologne?"
"Yeah, here!" I said as I gave him a bottle of Cool Water.
"Thanks!" He said as he sprayed some on him.
"I gotta get dressed so go wait for me in the living room."
"Aight!" He said as he left.
I got dressed and put on some cologne. Once I fixed my hair I was ready to go. It was now around 7:30. I called the guys to find out if they were ready or not.
"Hey, you ready baby?" I asked Lance.
"I am, and so is JC. The rest of the guys, well you know them! They gotta look pretty for everybody!" he said laughing.
"Well, we're gonna leave now. I'll call you when we're in front to see if they're ready by then. If not then we'll go up."
"Ok, see you in a few!"
"Bye, love you!"
"Love you too, bye."
"So, you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's bounce!" Jay said getting up from the couch and turning off the TV.
We got into my car and drove over to the hotel.
"Hey, Rob?"
"Yeah?"
"I gotta tell you something!"
"What?"
"Um....I didn't go to Gloria's house today."
"I knew you were lying! The day you take my advice so easily is the day that Ricky gets a decent job!"
"Um..I don't know how to tell you this..so I'm just gonna say it."
"What?" I said a little more concerned.
"Well, for the pass couple of months, I've been thinking about stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Well, about who I am."
"Yeah."
"I came to the belief that I might be.."
"Might be what?"
"Rob..I'm bi!"
"What?!?" I said stopping the car.
"I'm.I'm bi."
"Are.are you sure?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"You're sure now, you're not just curious?"
"Nope I'm..I'm sure alright!"
"Um.okay! Well, I'm happy that you've realized it!"
"There's more!"
"Oh god!"
"I didn't go to Gloria's house today."
"You said that already."
"I went to Justin's."
"WHAT!!?!!"
"Yeah, um..I asked for his number the other day when we were playing ball. We got together and met today."
"Did..did..did you have sex with him?"
"Um..yeah."
"What?!? I can't believe you!"
"Why?"
"You don't know what you've done."
"What do you mean?" he said now getting angry.
"Look, I'm happy for you, and I'm glad that you've figured out who you really are. But, if you just had sex with Justin, and that was all it was then."
"Then what?"
"Well, was it just sex?"
"I.. I don't know."
"Then it was just sex. Look, Justin has been going through a lot emotionally right now."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, do you want anything to come out of this? Or was this just an experiment?" "I don't know."
"Well, you'd better figure that out before we leave!"
"I know, I know!"
"I tell you this," I said starting the car again, "He either thinks a few things right now. Either, he's gonna want something to come out of this and if you do too, then you'll do the long distance thing. Which I know you suck at! He might feel really sad and depressed because it was just sex when he wants more, which will leave it awkward between you two. Let's not forget that I might be the one ending up in the crossfire!"
"Look, I'm sorry. But, you should know that he was the one who initiated it!"
"Didn't you say that you got his number?"
"Yeah, but he was the one who wanted the sex. I wanted to go out first, you know, see what it felt like."
"But instead you felt what something else was like."
"It was like he was begging me to do it. I wanted to go slow with it but he was fiending for it!"
"Alright! I get it!"
"Are you pissed at me?"
"Yes, and him too!"
"Why?"
"Because him knowing that he wants a relationship and not just sex, has sex with you, who's just starting out. When in the end, he's gonna feel depressed, and you might feel a bunch of different things."
"Are you gonna say anything?"
"Damn right!"
"NO! Please! I promised I wouldn't tell you!"
"Well, you should've thought about that before you told me!"
"Come on Rob!"
"Look, I'm not gonna do anything bad to him, after all I do have to work with the kid, but I am going to talk to him!"
We pulled up to the hotel and we went upstairs not bothering to call to let them know we were there. We went into JC's room and Joey, Lance and JC were there watching TV.
"Hey baby!" Lance said.
"Hey, where's Justin?"
"In his room why?"
"I gotta talk to him!" I said as I made my way toward his room.
JC got up and ran after me.
"Rob!" he said as he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
"What?"
"Look, calm down! Don't do anything stupid now!"
"You know?"
"Yes, he told me today at dinner when we went to the bathroom."
"Look, I'm not gonna do anything, I just have to talk to him."
"Then let me go in there with you!"
"No! This is between me and him."
"No, actually it's between him and Jay."
"What's going on?" Lance said coming out of the room.
"Nothing, go back in the room!" I said.
"Why? What the hell is going on?"
We both stayed quiet.
"Rob? Josh? What the FUCK IS GOING ON!?!"
"Calm down! There's no need to yell." I said going over to him.
"Then tell me what is going on!"
"Look, Justin and Jay slept together."
"What?!?"
"Yeah, it was just sex and nothing more, that's what was wrong with Justin today, he felt really bad and regretted what he did." JC said.
"Regrets it?" Jay said coming out in the hall.
"He regrets it being just sex, he wanted to be something more, but since we are leaving in a few days, he hoped that it would still be the same."
"Alright fine, you can come in there with me, but the rest of you stay in the room, we'll all discuss this later, right now I need to talk to him first." I said as JC and I walked back over to Justin's room.
I knocked on the door and got no answer. I tried turning the knob but the door was locked.
"Justin! It's Rob! Open up!"
"Jus, all he wants to do is talk, I'm coming in with him. Open the door!" JC said knocking on the door.
He opened the door and we went in.
TBC... Usual..questions, comments, suggestions, all welcome! Papito6187@aol.com