***Chapter 4 is here! My goal is still to develop the characters and the friendships involved, so please enjoy the environment I am painting for you. I'm returning to school very shortly, but am trying to maintain a regular WEEKLY chapter submission. Write me and rip me a new one if I fall behind, okay? I give you permission.
I want to thank Ad. for the proof, the talks, the friendship, and everything. You're the coolest! :) Check out his story, "Tests of Frienship". It's great! Thanks also to all my new friends-I appreciate you all!
As always, refer to the disclaimer in chapter 1 that reminds the readers of the fictional, homosexual content of this story. If you're cool so far, enjoy the rest!
Communication IS my fuel! Write me. (Address at the end) ~Jeff
LAST TIME...
I was in a haze as I walked to my room. I quickly changed into some clean boxers and crawled into bed, under the covers. As I stared at the wall, which was dimly illuminated by my alarm clock, the emotions of the day, and especially of tonight, finally came to a realization in my mind. I had found a friend in Lance. Not Lance Bass the N'Sync member, but Lance the kind, compassionate, loving, funny individual that he was. I've searched for those qualities in a friend for a long time. Now I've found that friend. I just hope this friendship will last.
"Thank you. Thank you." It was all I could whisper as a small tear rolled down my cheek and I drifted into a peaceful sleep.
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- Chapter 4
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I woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. I was in that 'physically awake, mentally asleep' state-of-mind, trying to get my bearings after awakening from what I assumed was a dream. I thought hard for a moment and tried to remember what the dream was. Urrrrrrrrrgh... nope, couldn't remember it. I looked around, and found out I wasn't in the dorm room that I stayed in while I was visiting the college in Virginia. Rather, I was in my own room. I sighed as I glanced over to my clock, discovering it was 8:15am. I figured it was as good a time as any to get up, so I hopped out of bed, taking note I was sporting quite the morning wood in my shorts and realizing I had to take a wicked piss. I stumbled down the hall to the bathroom where, after failing to 'tame the tiger', I was forced to use creative tactics to relieve myself. I leaned on the wall at a 45 degree angle, using one hand for support, and the other hand to direct the flow. I felt absolutely ridiculous urinating in that position, but desperate times call for desperate measures, eh? Haha.
My mind still completely asleep, I opened the door and stumbled down the hall. The smell of bacon caught my attention, and I steered towards the kitchen rather than back to my room. Dad was the cook of the family, and it smelled like he was outdoing himself today!
As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed not only bacon being prepared, but sausage, hashbrowns, toast, and scrambled eggs. The refrigerator door was opened, so I leaned over the door and mumbled,
"Gee dad, smells great! Did I miss someone's birthday or something?"
This blonde figure, much younger than my dad, popped his head from inside the fridge and responded,
"DAD?!? I ain't yo' daddy!" The shock of seeing Lance instead of my dad coupled with the memories of last night's activities startled me beyond belief.
"AHHH!" I screamed, jumping backwards. This startled Lance, and he yelled,
"AHHH!" We were both startled, and yelled simultaneously,
"AHHH!" Lance recovered much more quickly than I did. As soon as he realized my case of mistaken identity, he shut the door of the fridge and collapsed on the floor in side-splitting laughter. I was still trying to kick start my brain and breathe after my little startle there. Man, I'm sure glad I had just gone to the bathroom!
"Hahahahehehe... haha... you thought... hahaha... I was your dad... hahaha... That's sooo funny... hehe..." Lance's laughter was contagious, and I was quickly matching his chuckles as I realized how stupid I must have looked. We were both sitting on the kitchen floor, laughing our heads off. Lance had tears in his eyes, and would have probably kept laughing until he passed out if he hadn't smelled burning bacon. "Oh haha crap haha!"
Luckily, he saved all but one piece. I finally calmed down and got to my feet, only to look again upon the bounty in front of us on the counter. We had an island in the middle of the kitchen that housed the stove, and I walked up to the side opposite Lance.
"Why such a big breakfast? You didn't have to do this!"
"Sure I did! I was hungry. I think there's some stale cereal in there for you, if you want." We both started laughing again and I just shook my head. "But seriously, I always like to pay back what is given to me. You gave me a place to stay last night, and so I'm paying you back with breakfast!"
"Well, I gave you a bumpy couch that was too short for ya. I don't know if that counts. And besides, it's MY FOOD you're cooking!"
"Ah yes, my unobservant friend, but it could never have been made Bass-style! You've never had anything like my Scrambled Eggs a la Lance."
"Oooohh! I'm impressed! So what's in them?"
"Hey hey hey... A good cook never reveals his secrets, okay? However, you better make a note to pick up a new jar of peanut butter after this morning's meal." I made a sour face and asked if there was anything I could do to help.
"Nope, not a thing. We're almost ready, so why don't you go get dressed and I'll dish it up!" I cocked my head, wondering what was wrong with what I had on. The answer came to me as I looked down and I realized I was only wearing boxers. My head was still spinning so much after the refrigerator incident that I had forgotten that I was barely clad!
"OHMYGOSH, I can't believe this! MY BAD!" I said as my face started to turn a deep crimson. I turned and started walking quickly to my room as Lance jested,
"Hey, nice butt! Don't be embarrassed, I've seen much worse. Think about it: I have to room with Joey, of all people!" I laughed as I got to the bedroom hall. WAIT! 'Did he really say that? He's probably just joking around,' I thought. I was still within eyeshot of the kitchen, so I turned around to glance back at Lance. I discovered him looking at me, but quickly glancing back to the eggs, smiling. I blushed even more, if that were possible, and dashed to my room.
I tossed on a pair of jean shorts and a new green T-shirt. I decided to go barefoot, considering I'd be showering later, and socks would be pointless. I glanced in the mirror on my way back to the kitchen, and discovered my face had returned to its normal shade. Thank goodness! Unfortunately, that crap-eating grin was glued in place and wasn't coming off for nothin!
Lance had everything already dished up on two plates on kitchen table, complete with paper napkins, silverware, and glasses of orange juice and milk. I didn't even know we had food in the house! I guess that's the sign of a good chef-can make a meal out of nothing.
"Wow Lance, this looks great!"
"Dig in, man. It's just going to get cold." I did as I was told, and was treated with a delicious meal.
"Lance, I heard you enjoyed cooking, but this is REALLY good," I tried to spit out, with half a sausage link sticking out of my mouth.
"Really? You HEARD this? From where exactly did you hear this?" Uh oh. I was stuck!
"Well, uh, my... sister gets those teen magazines, and uh... well, she hears things through her friends and stuff..." Lance just looked at me with an unbelieving stare. "ALL RIGHT! So I'm a curious fan! I... read it somewhere on the Internet. You happy?" I was half-ashamed, half-relieved that we had this little exchange. Lance smiled and chuckled, turning back to his plate. He said,
"What? You think I'd see you differently if I knew you read about the band on the Internet? I consider it a compliment. But I'll bet the Internet doesn't say how good Eggs a la Lance are, does it?"
"Well, now that you mention it, there is something about some funky dish with peanut butter..." Lance and I both laughed, and he reached over and punched my arm. We had a Seinfeld discussion through the rest of the meal-you know, one of those about absolutely nothing. I cleared the plates and dropped them off in the sink, dreading the return to Lance and our impending conversation. I had so much enjoyed Lance's company over the last 11 hours or so, and was preparing myself for him to simply shake hands and walk back into his life-and out of mine. I slowly trudged back to kitchen table and said,
"Well, last night and this morning were SO much fun..." Lance cut me off.
"Oh, no doubt! And we didn't even get to finish Austin Powers. Maybe we can finish it tonight?" I stopped, stared, and did a double take.
"Wha... tonight?"
"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm just assuming... That's terrible. I'd just be imposing. I wou..."
"NO! Not a problem! Tonight would be great. It's just that... well, I figured that you being so busy and all, you would want to get back to your life and the guys and all..." I trailed off as I looked away. Lance got up from the table and faced me.
"HEY. My friends are my life. Haven't you figured that out yet? I'm not hanging with the guys today because they can start to bug, especially after our LONG concert tour. This week, I'm hanging with friends!" he said as he held up his fist for some props. I looked up, smiled, and gladly popped him back in the knuckles. "So... do you want to do something tonight?" My response?
"DEFINITELY! Whatever you want to do is fine with me."
"Great, well, I have a meeting...yick!... with the guys and Peter and Roger-they're our road manager suits. It's at around 12p, but I'll be free for the afternoon and evening. You know San Diego, and I'm counting on you to guide me." He grabbed my shoulders, turned me around, and started pushing me from behind, rubbing my shoulder and saying (in a very bad Aladdin voice, I might add), "Oh genie of the lamp, lead us on the path of ultimate fun and mischief..." I laughed as we walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. "Ah, but first, lead Prince Lance to the bathroom, he stinkie to high heaven. Need shower!"
"Hahahaha... you can say that again! Hey, the shower is all yours. You and I are about the same size, so help yourself to anything in my closet."
"Thanks a lot! That's cool. Wait, you mean... I get in the shower first?" Lance said to himself, remembering the shower incident the day before.
"What'd you say?"
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking. I'll be back in a few," Lance said as he disappeared into my room. A few minutes later, he reappeared only to disappear again in the bathroom. I just sat on the couch, flipping through cartoons, trying so hard not to think of Lance in my shower. 'Bulldozers, palm trees, nuns, dead kittens, AHHH'. I just gritted my teeth and awaited for him to reappear. This he did about twenty minutes later, fully clothed in his own jeans and my navy blue sweater. I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to see him in a towel or something. Oh well.
"Well Billy, I can't say thank you enough for everything. I'm sure glad we met, and hope we can hang out a lot this week."
"Me? Thank YOU! YOU got the tickets. YOU had a great show. YOU brought pizza. YOU made breakfast. I think you win." He laughed and just shook his head.
"Well, I best be off. Still have some prep for today's meeting. Here's the plan. Why don't you come down to the hotel at, say, 4pm? We're at the Marriott downtown. You can park..." Lance gave me instructions where to park and how to maneuver myself to a special service elevator around the back, where I could get past security and up to the room.
"...and when the security guard asks you the question, just answer it."
"What question?"
"Well, I'll talk to them before and tell them you're coming. All you have to do is show ID and answer the question they ask. Don't worry. It's something only you will know, and I am going to tell them. Trust me, you know the answer." I sat with a bewildered look on my face.
"Oooooooo...kay... whatever you say, goof."
"Haha. You'll do fine. See you around 4?" I nodded, and he smiled. I stuck my hand out for a good-bye handshake which he readily took. To my surprise, he pulled me into a hug. I got over the surprise real quick and closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of the embrace. 'Ah, yes, I could get used to this.' Moments later, however, it was over as he gave me three solid pats on the back and released. Thinking nothing of our hug, he walked to the door and I quickly followed. I was able to utter the words,
"See ya, Lance. Thanks for everything."
"Don't mention it!" he yelled behind him as he walked down the pathway to his car. He glanced back to the front door, smiled, and waved. I watched him get in, start the car, and drive away. And as quickly as it started, it was over. For now.
I beamed as I walked back through the house, reveling in my newfound friendship. Lance was like no other friend I had ever had. He seemed very open-minded and straightforward about things. He spoke what was on his mind, and I appreciated him for that. He was almost like a role model, in that I strove to be that comfortable about who I was in front of him. I mean, DANG, I still hadn't REALLY acted 100% like myself to him, and I was kicking myself for it. He's Lance Bass! I just had to get that through my head, accept it, and see him completely and totally for who he is as a PERSON. Thankfully, I think every moment I spent with him that night and morning, I got closer to my goal.
I decided to hop in the shower to try to clear my mind of all the cobwebs still floating around from the last 24 hours. Thinking it would do the trick, I walked into the bathroom, only to find Lance's red button-down shirt and white undershirt draped on top of it, both across the toilet.
"Oh boy." I figured out what these last few days were. They were a test of my patience and will power. I was totally patient in times of chaos with my missing bag. I was rewarded with its safe return. Now, a very powerful temptation had been placed in my path. One that had not only physical, but more importantly, mental ramifications on my part of the friendship with Lance... do I pick up the shirts and smell them? Oh, my knees could have just buckled as my mind volleyed that mental argument back and forth. Now, don't get me wrong. Smelling the shirts wouldn't have been a bad thing. It's just that my whole goal was to see Lance totally as a friend, rather than an object of sexual interest. Smelling the shirts, as much as I wanted to, would have caused me to step backwards from that goal. ERRRRRRRR.
With a twisted face, I picked up the shirts, walked back to my room, opened up my clothes hamper, and tossed the shirts inside. I exhaled deeply, convincing myself I had done the right thing... at least for my own state of mind, eh?
After my shower, I felt much better. I hopped in front of the TV and started flipping aimlessly. I wound up watching ESPN, which was showing the Indians and the Angels playing in Ohio. I was somewhat of a baseball fan, so I watched. Watching the game, it dawned on me what Lance and I could do tonight. All I had to do was call Ticket Master!
"It was not even a LITTLE bit irresponsible! I was simply trying to make right the whole suitcase thing, when we got to chatting, and it was late, and I spent the night," Lance said, defending himself to JC.
"I know Lance, but you didn't even know the guy! I could understand if you'd known each other for a while and knew you could trust him, but..."
"That's just it... I can't explain it JC, but I knew I could trust him. We'd talked for hours on the phone the night before, and I just felt comfortable with him. It's almost the same situation with you and Philip."
"How is this like me and Flip? I see no similarities."
"WHAT? You met Philip totally on a whim when all us guys went out after a show. You bumped into him, hung out for a few days, and look at you now! You're best friends. I mean, you're going to be each other's best men when you both get married, I'll betcha."
"Yeah, but Flip and I are different. Flip lives in Orlando-same place I do." JC reached into the fridge and grabbed two sodas, offering one to Lance. Lance nodded, then responded,
"It doesn't matter WHERE a friend lives. They're still there, and they're still a friend. Billy is... well, he's a really cool guy that can see past all the celebrity crap. You know as well as I do that people like that don't come along all that often." JC was silenced for a moment, then spoke up.
"All right, I guess I see what you mean. Just be careful. You gotta be careful who you pick to be your friends."
"Hey JC, have I made a bad pick yet?" Lance said with a smile. JC could only slowly return the grin.
"Ooooooh, all right. Lance, I'm glad you found a friend like that. If he's really that great, God only knows I could use a buddy like that too."
"Well, as a matter of fact, you're going to get to meet him. We're gunna hang out tonight, and he's picking me up in about... OH CRAP! 30 minutes!"
"Looks like you've got some getting ready to do. What are y'all going to do?" JC yelled as Lance took off for the door, then down the hall to his room.
"I don't know. I'll find out soon. Hey, stop by at 4pm. I want you to meet hi..." Lance's door shut, ending the conversation.
I turned into the hotel parking lot at 3:50pm. I couldn't believe the traffic! Come on, the traffic is supposed to be bad LEAVING downtown, not coming in?! Anyhoo, I got a parking stub and found a nice spot near a big fountain. Following Lance's directions as closely as I could from memory, I weaseled my way through the front lobby and around to the back. For the hotel that housed the guys of N'Sync, I found it curious that there weren't any girls with posters running around. My side thoughts screeched to a stop when I found the service elevator manned by the N'Sync security duo, John Rambo and Conan the Barbarian. Man, I'm sure these guys have squirts like me for breakfast!
"Uh... hi guys! Um, I was told to meet you here to see Lance from N'Sync? Hehe haha?" I nervously said as Rambo approached me.
"No one named Lance here."
"OH. I was told to meet here so I could be allowed to see my friend." Conan was now walking forward, and I felt a lump in my throat.
"What's your name?"
"My name? Uh, Billy. Billy... Wilson."
"Can I see your ID?" I quickly showed my driver's license, which both guards looked at for a while.
"Okay Billy, what's the secret ingredient?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I said... what's the secret ingredient?" My mind rewound about seven hours to our breakfast conversation. A light clicked, I smiled, and I responded,
"Peanut butter?" Conan nodded to Rambo, who inserted a key to allow access to the elevator.
"17th floor. Room number 1740. Enjoy your stay Mr. Wilson."
"Um, thanks guys," was all I could say before the doors closed and I was whisked up to meet Lance.
As the doors opened, the sudden realization came to me that I was about to walk on sacred ground-the private hotel floor of the N'Sync band and entourage. WOW. I stepped from the elevator and started scanning the doors. 1702. 1704. Okay, got some walking. As I approached the right room, a door next to me swung open and JC walked out. Had it been any other day before today, I would have probably fallen over sideways on the floor. But today?
"Hi JC." A bit shocked by those two little words, JC responded,
"Um, hi. Can I help you? Do... do I know you?"
"You will in about 2 seconds. I'm Billy Wilson, and I'm here to meet Lance." JC slowly smiled and nodded, saying,
"AH YES. Mr. Wilson. Lance speaks quite highly of you, you know."
"Really?! Like what?"
"Well, let's just say he really appreciates your friendship."
"Cool. That makes me feel good." SMILE.
"Hey, I have an idea. You up to a little mischief?" I nodded and he continued. "When we go into his room, just play along with anything I say, okay?" Not sure what JC had in mind, I agreed and JC proceeded to open Lance's door. JC just busted out chatting to me.
"...and I couldn't believe it, you caught the biggest Largemouth Bass I think I ever did see. Remember that? I mean, you and I have been going fishing at that same waterhole for YEARS, and I've never seen a fish that big. So anyways, how's your sister?" Slowly catching on to JC's plan, I answered,
"She's great. College is treating her well. She wanted me to tell you hi."
"That's cool. Hi right back at her. And your parents?"
"On vacation now, but would LOVE for you to come over for dinner as soon as they're back. They just love your company, JC." By this point, I was grinning ear to ear, and JC had a similar situation going on his face. We both glanced over to Lance, who was dumfounded beyond all recognition.
"WAIT. You two... but I thought... How long have... Billy, why didn't you... Fishing hole? Where..."
JC and I just busted out laughing at Lance as he tried to figure out our bogus history together.
"Oh yeah, Lance, JC and hahaha I go WAAAAY back. Didn't I haha say something last night? Hehehaha WAAAAY back to...hehehaha the hallway outside!" JC and I were instantly on the floor in stitches as an evil death stare came over Lance's face when he realized he'd been had. However, the death stare was quickly replaced with a smile, and soon with uncontrollable laughter. We all rolled around for a few minutes, taking time out to pat Lance on the back as a 'gotcha' in between giggles. When we had finally calmed down, Lance said,
"Well... it looks like you two met. But just for formalities, JC, Billy. Billy, JC." JC and I shook hands and laughed at our accomplishment and first bonding moment. "JC, you see what I mean now?" JC simply nodded and smiled back at Lance.
Clueless, I said, "What? See what you mean, what? Are you talking about me?"
"Never mind, Billy. Inside joke," Lance said.
"Hey. Not fair."
"So anyway, where we off to tonight?"
"Well, I thought dinner would be nice... where ever you'd like."
"Great... I want to find the greasiest spoon out there... something, like," our eyes met and we BOTH said,
"Mexican." Surprised, we started laughing as JC shook his head in disbelief. He said,
"That was unbelievably weird." Recovering, I continued,
"Then I was thinking... I like baseball, you like baseball, let's go to the Padres game!"
"That's a great idea! My only concern... visibility. We have to keep it totally down low tonight."
"No problem, I got WAY out of the way seats... in the UPPER UPPER section, Oxygen mask required." Both Lance and JC smiled, and then I realized something. "JC, what are you doing tonight?"
"Nothin' really. Justin and Brittany are out doing 'couple' things, Joey and Chris are going clubbing later, I was just going to hang out here." I glanced over at Lance, and he nodded.
"Well, I think you're gunna come to dinner and the ball game with me!"
"Oh, no... I, well... nah, I couldn't."
"Sure you could. You're paying, anyways. Haha. Get your stuff, quick. The game's at 6:05p." I was pushing him out the door into the hall as I spoke. Closing the door behind me, I saw Lance smiling walking towards me. He put an arm around my shoulders and said,
"That was really nice. See JC? I DO have good taste in friends." He said the last part a bit louder, as if JC could hear him through the door. All I could do was blush.
"Dang man, you blush a lot!"
"Hey... you bring it on. Just stop embarrassing me, and I'll stop blushing. Deal?"
"HAHA! No way... NO DEAL!" We slapped each other around a bit, then settled to watch the tube for a few minutes until JC came back. JC finally showed up, we gathered our stuff, and were on our way.
We walked out of the service elevator, past Conan and Rambo, and Lance donned a ball cap and shades while JC pulled on a ski beanie and shades. I laughed, but quickly realized they were essential. We managed to get through the lobby and almost to the car when a few fans spotted the guys. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes, since they weren't pushy. Actually, they were pretty cool. Lance and JC gave out some autographs, and we were on our way in the car. Lance called shotgun (which I was happy about), and JC sat in the back.
"That was really cool. Man, I wish I had people asking for my autograph," I said.
JC answered, "Hey, if it was that simple every time, I'd do it every day. The problem is 500 crazy girls vs. 5 guys and 3 security guards. That's when it's hairy." I nodded my understanding, as I reached to turn on the radio. We had another Seinfeld chat both in the car and while we were eating our food. I got a Carne Asada burrito, JC got some tacos, and Lance got some combination plate with a taco, an enchilada, and beans & rice. We cracked the usual jokes about steering clear of Mr. Beans for the rest of the night, then packed up and headed to the ballpark.
Parking was not a problem, since it was a weeknight game. We made our way to the will call window, and I gave them my name.
"Yes Mr. Wilson, I have your two tickets here. How will you be paying?"
"OH. Actually, I need to add one more ticket to that in the same section. And I'll be paying by credit card."
"One more seat is no problem, I'll add that now. Can I please see the credit card?" I pulled out my credit card and was handing it to the ticket agent when JC grabbed it and said,
"Wow, what a neat design!" In the meantime, however, Lance had handed the agent his credit card while JC was distracting me. I glanced back over, and got mad.
"JUST WHAT do you think you're doing? This was my treat!"
"Key word: WAS. There's no way we're letting you pay tonight. It's your night, dude." I just shook my head, realizing I'd have one more thing for which to get back at Lance. JC handed my credit card back, and gave Lance a high-five for the successful snatch and grab. With that, we were into the stadium.
We bought (well, THEY bought) some popcorn, cotton candy, and three HUGE sodas, and we made our way to the TOP level of the stadium. Had I the opportunity to entertain any other celebrity, I'd have been mortified to get them seats in the worst section in the park. But Lance and JC seemed to just love being normal people for once. They were happy, which made me happy. Finding our seats, Lance sat down, with JC and I on either side. We sat chatting ball and whatnot, until 6:00, when they sang the national anthem. They both hesitated, but wound up removing their hats as the intro began. It was at this moment that the most exhilarating musical moment of my life (to date) occurred.
I began to sing the Star Spangled Banner as I always did at ball games. However, this time there was a beautiful harmony supporting my melody. Lance and JC both started singing the song as well; Lance sang bass, and JC, tenor. The sound produced by the three of us was incredible! I usually sing softly at games, so as not to draw attention. This time? I didn't care. I just let it rip.
...and the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air...
JC was screaming a high harmony, Lance booming down low, and I could only shake my head in disbelief that I was actually singing with these guys.
...and the home... of the... brave...............
Our new trio just sat there, staring at the baseball diamond, speechless. Thankfully, there were MANY empty rows between us and our nearest neighbors. I slowly glanced over at Lance as he turned to me, and I was greeted with misty eyes and a look of 'wow'. JC had the same look. Realizing my eyes were also welling up, I reached up and patted them, with no success.
"That was... great!" were Lance's first words. We were all smiling as we sat down. I was looking straight ahead, and I realized both Lance and JC were staring right at me. Snapping my head to the left, I said,
"WHAT?"
"Lance, you didn't tell me he could sing, too!"
"Hey, it's news to me. Billy, you sing really well! That was awesome." The smile on my face was huge, and I could feel my face going crimson again. JC noticed, and said,
"Aw, Lance, you made him blush!"
"Shut up! Jerk. Stop it. Leave me alone!" I managed to get out between smiles. We talked for a few more minutes about my music courses in school, until the announcer came on the PA and announced the start of the game.
We chatted the whole time during the game, cheering and booing for the different teams as they came up. Once, Lance yelled,
"That was a strike! Get some glasses, ump!" I turned and said,
"You're in the farthest seat in the stadium. He's two feet away. Think about it." JC and I both laughed.
"He still needs glasses," Lance muttered.
Around the 6th inning, we got bored, so we started throwing popcorn kernels into the air, catching them in our mouths. Lance then tried to throw them to JC, then to me. A few times, they landed in my hair, and Lance simply retrieved them and popped them into his mouth.
"Eeuuuu! That's gross. Those were in my hair! I might have lice or something!" While anyone else might think it was gross, I was secretly turned on.
"Eeehh... couldn't be worse than anything I have." We all smiled and continued watching the game. During the 9th inning, Lance got up, stretched, and sat back down. But this time, he put his arm around both JC's and my chair. I was leaning back, but not enough to make contact. I noticed his arm, and my heart jumped! I glanced over to Lance by reflex, and he simply turned over, nodded a quick nod, and turned back to the game. He might have done this simply to make himself feel more comfortable, but it made me feel like a million bucks! I had Lance's arm around me, and I was indestructible! I wished we could stay like that forever, but the game ended less than fifteen minutes later. We all got up, and Lance and JC walked on, while I paused to look at the chairs we were sitting in. Yeah, I made some memories there tonight! Snapping back, I quickly caught up to the guys, and we decided to go back to the hotel.
The drive back to the hotel was uneventful, and we eventually arrived and parked. I wanted the evening to continue, but I had to be considerate of Lance and JC's schedules.
"Well guys, I had a blast tonight. Hope you did, too..." I said, not trying to sound too bummed out. JC responded as he got out of the car,
"Yeah, Billy it was great. I really needed something like this. It was really good to meet you." I had noticed Lance was silent, up until now. He was staring at the dashboard, picking at the knob on the gear stick with his fingernail. He finally spoke up and said,
"Wanna... come up and hang out in the room? We could get ice cream or something..." his voice trailed off, and he peeked up at me with a sheepish face.
"That would be fun... as long as it's okay with you." Lance smiled and said,
"Cool. Let's go!"
Our trio walked around the hotel, avoiding the lobby in case there were any fans, and made a beeline for the service elevator. Conan and Rambo were still there. Conan turned to us and said,
"Mr. Bass. Mr. Chasez. Mr. ........."
"Mr. Billy Wilson. He's with us," Lance said to the guards as we walked past and into the elevator. I couldn't help but smile at Lance representing me to the guards. As we walked out of the elevator on to the 17th floor, JC started to head to his room and Lance said,
"Hey JC, why don't you come over and hang out? We can get a Playstation or something sent up."
"Ummm... Thanks Lance, maybe another night. I think I'll just hang out in my room. I'm kinda tired, I might just hit the hay a bit early."
"Cool. We'll be next door if you get bored, though." JC nodded his acknowledgement and disappeared into his hotel room. Opening the door to his room, Lance waved his arm inwards, beckoning me in. He clicked the lights on, walked to the bed, and dumped his pocket contents on the nightstand. I did the same with my keys and wallet. Lance grabbed the phone, and flopped onto the bed.
"Hi this is 1740. I'd like to order some room service... Yes, I'd like two pints of... What kind of ice cream do you like?" Hmmm... what do I like?
"Something with caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter."
"Okay... did you hear that? Okay, and the other one... how about strawberry?... That'd be great. Can I also request a Playstation be delivered?... or you know, like a Nintendo?... Oh......... Okay... I just thought... okay, no problem... 10 minutes... great... thanks." CLICK.
"What's the word?"
"Bummer. They don't have any video game systems. They said there's a video rental store down the street, but I don't feel like going out."
"Man, that is a bummer. Oh well. At least we got the ice cream, right?"
"Yup. That's on the way now." To pass the time until the ice cream arrived, we flipped channels on the TV. Lance had kicked his shoes off, and was settling in on the bed. I was still standing up to the side of the TV, not wanting to intrude in someone else's hotel room. Lance noticed and said,
"Are you going to stand up the whole time? Get comfortable. Kick off your shoes. Hop on the bed! Joey won't mind." I nodded my agreement, and was soon laying down on my stomach, elbows holding up my head, watching the TV. It quickly hit me that I was in Joey's bed. Ha! Lying on a celebrity bed. If only there was someone I could tell about all this!
KNOCK KNOCK. "Room service!" The ice cream had arrived! They were somehow able to find a Peanut Butter Cup ice cream that was absolutely to die for. We both macked down on our treat while watching TV.
"Mmmm... you have GOT to taste this ice cream! It is the best strawberry I've ever tasted," Lance said. He got off his bed and proceeded to sit a few feet away from me on Joey's bed. I started to reach over with my spoon to take a sample when I realized he already had a scoop ready on HIS spoon, traveling closer to my mouth. I hesitated for a split second, then accepted the spoon. I savored the flavor of the strawberry, but more so, I savored the fact that the spoon had also been in Lance's mouth. With the spoon being pulled out all too quickly, my eyes fluttered open and I managed to say,
"Good. That's good." Did Lance have any idea what he was doing to me? He either was a sexually taunting, sadistic person or he was simply a very open, very comfortable friend. I'm not sure which I hoped was true!
"So how's yours taste?" he asked, expecting reciprocation. An evil idea flashed in my mind as I scooped a chunk out of the carton. I moved the spoon up to his face and as he opened his mouth, I proceeded to spread the ice cream all over his mouth and a bit up his nose. He blinked and flinched, yelling,
"HEY! That was uncalled for!" The mother load had managed to make it in his mouth, so he chomped on that while licking his lips and cleaning the rest of his face off. I just sat and laughed at the mess I'd created. He got up, went to the bathroom, and blew his nose. "HONK!"
"Gee Lance, got something stuck up your nose?" Lance popped back out, threatening,
"Yeah squirt, and you're going to have a SPOON stuck up your nose when I'm through with you!" With that, Lance jumped in the air, landing on the bed and bouncing me sideways. Instantly, he was on me and the wrestling match was a go. We tossed around for a good 15 minutes. We were pinning each other on the floor, swatting each other with pillows, and even rearranging the furniture. At one point, I lifted up one of the mattresses to smother Lance with, and it wound up getting tossed haphazardly to the side. I was loving every second of this physical contact with Lance, and neither of us noticed the hotel door opening.
"What is going ON IN HERE?" We both stopped, Lance holding a pillow in attack-stance and me on the floor behind the mattress, out of view of our visitors. Lance looked over at the door to find two people standing in the doorway, amazed at the destruction before them. Lance dropped the pillow, turned to these people, and said, with a bashful look on his face,
"Hey, Joey! Hey Chris! Um......, I can explain..."
***Any feedback is accepted and appreciated. I would love to hear from you, even if just to say 'hi'. As always, if you are a silent reader, PLEASE don't be shy. I'm a regular, everyday person just like you! Stay tuned in for the continuing saga of "Twist of Fate", coming in about a week.
Peace out! ~Jeff Kaiser kaiser_goof@hotmail.com