Hi people, sorry for the delay. I did have the story done earlier, but when I re-read it, it sucked so badly that I didn't want to post it. I wrote and re-wrote it, then gave it to my lovely proofreader Mel, who sent it back with 3 pages of hand written corrections. So I have again re-written the chapter and I'm now happier with the result. I'm also happy that Celebrity was finally released in Australia today (we're a bit behind the rest of the world) and I'm even more glad that it has sexy pics of the guys in the liner notes. Yummy.
Thanks to everyone, especially Jack (my fave playboy bunny), Lee (hope everything works out for the best), Rob & Dan (the mad, Scottish, shelf-breaking duo), Dawn (always thinking about you!), Laurence, Memo, Christine, Aaron and Mel (ok so Ian Thorpe won, now have a Beck's and a good lie down, both of you!) and everyone else who wrote to me, sorry I haven't got back to you all, but I promise I will reply soon, I don't make it a habit to ignore email.
Disclaimer: I'm not even gonna concern myself with this bit. If you don't know by now that this story isn't real, then take a good, long look at yourself. Switch on! I mean jeez, what is wrong with you? LOL.
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On with the show:
After his shower, Lance dressed and made his way to the kitchen where the rest of the guys were watching basketball on the small counter-top television.
"Mornin' Lance" JC said with a mock southern accent, reminding Lance of his failure to cover up his accent earlier, then smiling warmly.
"Good Morning JC" Lance replied with a deliberate absence of drawl, then playfully slapped JC in the back of the head. Lance was amazed that JC had managed to shower, dress and tame his unruly mass of hair, then make it to breakfast before he had.
"Help yourself to breakfast" Justin told them, his eyes still focussed on the game.
JC opened the cupboard doors and laughed. Justin's pantry looked as if it had been stocked by a child with a checkbook and no adult supervision. "Let me see" JC began sarcastically, as he pawed through the range of sugar-coated cereals and sweets "Yum Yum, sugar Frosties, one serve gives you 608 times the daily recommended intake of processed sugar.......my favourite."
"Maybe we could stop somewhere?" Lance laughed.
"Good idea, I think 3 hyperactive children in a car will be quite enough." The other 3 guys turned around, as if in a rehearsed move, and stuck out their tongues, then turned back to the game.
The basketball game finished and the guys all piled out the door. In the driveway Lance took the keys from his pocket then playfully pulled them back as Justin made a lunge for them. Justin pouted and Lance gave him a questioning look.
"Can I drive?" Justin asked "I mean a hot machine like this......you've gotta give me a go. No offence but your driving sucks."
"Oh...no offence taken, it's not like that was a personal attack or anything." Lance laughed
"No way! If Justin's driving I'm staying here!" Joey stated with half seriousness.
"But you'll go if Lance drives?" Chris asked in amazement.
"No! I vote JC drives." Joey answered.
"Seconded." Chris said, raising his hand.
"Fine" the 2 youngest members pouted in unison, before Lance quickly threw the keys to JC and ran for the opposite side of the car "Shotgun" he called triumphantly.
"Not fair" Justin whined, as Chris and Joey pushed him into the backseat of the BMW.
"So where to?" JC asked as he started the engine.
"I don't know, you're in control, surprise us." Lance responded, happy to just be with JC, not caring where they were.
"Anywhere but freakin' Universal." Chris warned.
"Yeah" Joey agreed "sick of that place."
# # # # #
The group spent the day shopping, with Lance and JC being especially cooperative, even when Justin and Joey dragged them through sports stores and car dealerships. They ate lunch in a small café on the top floor of a shopping mall, where they went, surprisingly, unnoticed during the entire meal. Late in the afternoon they made plans to check out a club later that evening, that Justin had heard about. After dropping Chris and Joey at home to rest and get ready, the other 3 returned to Justin's house.
"Anyone hungry?" Justin asked, as Lance and JC flopped down on the couch in the living room.
"Yeah, kinda" JC replied warily
"Depends." Lance said, smiling
"On what?" Justin asked, not getting the joke.
"On whether or not we have to eat your food" JC giggled.
"What's wrong with my food?"
"Nothing" Lance replied "Except I needed a tooth filled after JC opened the cupboard this morning."
"Yeah J, one day you'll get old like Chris, and your body won't process all that sugar, you'll get fat and Brit will leave you for............a Backstreet boy with an alcohol problem."
Lance gasped in mock horror and Justin threw a cushion at him. "My food was good enough when you got here last night Lansten."
"Yeah, but I'd just been conditioned to airline food." Lance joked.
"Fine, we can order in if you like." Justin conceded with mock irritation.
They ordered Chinese food and sat on the floor around the coffee table, talking and watching TV, Justin had brought some Heineken from the fridge so, by the time Chris and Joey arrived, the 3 of them were primed for a good night.
"Looks like we've got some catching up to do Joseph." Chris stated as he walked into the living room.
"What are you implying Chris" Joey asked "I know that these two are too responsible to encourage Justin to drink underage, these empties must belong to someone else."
"I didn't want to drink it, they forced me." Justin cried innocently, before losing control and breaking out laughing.
"Sorry Chris" Lance and JC said solemnly "It won't happen again" then they too were laughing hysterically.
# # #
They got to the club and were immediately ushered to the VIP room, it was a large room at the rear of the club, which over looked an even larger main floor. Looking for a booth they noticed Kerri Russel sitting alone. They sidled up to the booth and frown that plastered Kerri's face was instantly transformed into a smile of pure happiness.
"Mind if we join you Ma'am?" Justin asked, smiling broadly.
Kerri gave an "as if" stare and moved further into the booth.
"So how come you guys are here?" Kerri asked happily.
"Just blowing off steam, Y'know just finished touring." JC replied "How 'bout you?"
"Long story, don't wanna bore you with details, let's just say I've been stood up." She laughed.
After they'd had a drink Justin got Kerri up to dance, Joey took off to scout for girls and Chris hung on the bar, chatting-up a sexy bar maid, leaving Lance and JC alone in the booth.
"Wanna dance?" JC asked after his 3rd rum and Coke.
Lance was taken aback by the abruptness of the way JC asked him, he assumed that it was JC's version of a pick-up. He gave JC a strange look before realising that JC hadn't meant to dance together and noticed that JC's facial expression changed. Realising that his own facial expression had been one of confusion, he was worried that he may have offended JC.
"Not with me......but......oh you know what I mean" JC backtracked, laughing to himself. Inside he fell apart. He had convinced himself that tonight was the night that he and Lance would get together. Up until now he had assumed that Lance's inhibitions had been lowered by the alcohol, as much as his own had. He suddenly remembered that he didn't even know for sure if Lance was gay, let alone in love with him. JC had almost given up on the idea of dancing, until Lance's expression changed and he agreed.
The two guys danced non-stop for 2 hours, never taking their eyes off each other. The smoke filled room and the alcohol had quashed most of their inhibitions and awkwardness and they had begun a ritual of obvious but not overt flirting. Neither man wanted to stop dancing but thirst and exhaustion soon overcame them and they walked back to the bar and ordered drinks before returning to the booth where Justin and Kerri sat chatting.
"Having fun?" Kerri asked the pair.
"Yup" Lance said, smiling happily
"This place is great." JC replied.
"Hey do you wanna go downstairs and check out the other rooms?" Lance asked JC.
"Yeah, that'd be cool." JC replied "I think they've got a room that plays dance music."
After the 2 boys quickly downed their drinks, they got up and left the table, unaware that their behaviour had been scrutinised.
"What's going on with those 2?" Kerri asked.
"What do you mean?" Justin replied
"They're acting like a couple."
"Those two?" He laughed
"I'm serious, there's something there."
"You really think?"
"Honey, they might not know it yet, and you're a guy so you won't notice it, but it's there." She laughed "Call it women's intuition, or whatever you want, but something is there."
"They have been weirder than normal since the tour ended." Justin admitted "But that's just...............eewwwww..................that's nasty." He chuckled
"I think it's sweet."
"You would."
# # #
JC and Lance entered the small, crowded room unnoticed. The sounds of a heavy bass beat accompanied by fast electronic pulses complemented the cloud of smoke and the furiously flashing lights. Lance walked to the bar and ordered a beer for himself and passed JC a rum and Coke, they headed toward the dance floor.
"I've been coming 'round here now for quite some time and I think I've got you figured out but you don't look at me like I look at you you make it so hard for my love to get through"
The only time JC took his eyes off Lance was to go to the bar and get more drinks, even then he watched Lance swaying and moving in time with the music and thought about how much he'd like to hold him as he danced.
"And I know I'd make you happy if you only let me in you never really know unless you try I could be the man of your dreams I strongly suggest you don't let me pass you by"
Lance found JC's face mesmerising. JC didn't seem to mind that he was studying his features so closely, so the blonde never stopped staring. He was amazed at how flawlessly beautiful the older man was, how he moved so sensually, apparently unaware of his beauty.
"It's a lesson in simplicity and I've spelled it out specifically the rest is up to you and it seriously bothers me that you may just not ever see the way I feel about you"
The music and the alcohol, combined with the dark, smoke-filled room and the lustful gaze in Lance's eyes caused a strange reaction in JC, the other patrons ceased to exist and he was fighting the urge to grab Lance and pull him close.
"I've got everything you need And I want you to be with me This is not some crazy fantasy I've got everything you need"
Justin interrupted the boys when he tapped Lance on the shoulder, and told them it was time to go.
"We've been looking for you guys for hours" Justin told them as they walked out of the club and searched for a cab.
"Really" Lance slurred
"Nah, not really, we were just waiting for you to come back, I just thought you'd feel guilty if I said that." Justin laughed.
"We've been having a good time, we've got nothing to feel guilty about." JC giggled.
"Yes, you have had a good time." Chris noticed "How much did you guys have to drink?"
"Dunno" Lance replied.
"You should always come to Orlando after the tours Lance." JC babbled drunkenly "you're so much fun!"
Kerri turned toward Justin and smirked.
A cab stopped and Justin sent Chris, Joey and Kerri in it, because there wasn't enough room for all six of them.
"We'll have to wait for the next one guys" Justin explained to them as he helped Kerri into the cab.
"MMMMM" Lance replied dreamily, as he sat on the gutter next to JC.
"Remember our conversation, Justin" Kerri laughed as she shut the cab door "I wanna be able to say 'I told you so'"
"Will do" Justin replied "But you're wrong." But after the display he'd just witnessed, Justin wasn't so sure.
The cab arrived and Justin climbed into the front seat, opening the back door for JC and Lance. Lance climbed in after JC and promptly fell against his chest, dozing off. He felt JC's heart, it was like a machine which had started 24 years ago and never once faltered in it's steady throbbing.
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OK guys and girls, that was it. What did you think? Email me at the usual address to let me know if you liked it, or if you have any suggestions. Love, Corey.T.