This is FICTION. It NEVER happened, at least not to my knowledge. This story is not intended to imply anything about the sexuality of Carson Daly, James Van Der Beek, or any member of N Sync.
"Well I've just about had it with this shit! The next time you line something like this up for me, you'd better at least make sure that I'm the main attraction! Do you know how bad it is for my image right now to be overshadowed by a boy band, for God's sake? A boy band! It undermines all the success I've had with the show and with my movie career. Do we understand each other?" James Van Der Beek barked at his agent, who was far away in L.A., over the telephone.
"Good. Let's not have this conversation again, then," James snapped and hung up the phone. He fell backwards on the king size bed and groaned at the incompetence of the people who were supposed to be helping him to shape a long term career as an actor.
Of course, his irritation didn't stem just from having played second fiddle to N Sync that afternoon on MTV's special Superbowl edition of TRL. He was also deeply irritated at himself for having allowed the guys of the band into his fantasies while he'd relieved some of his frustrations after the taping of the show.
"I'm not gay," James said aloud. It was true, he wasn't. He'd been having sex with girls ever since he was fifteen, and he'd certainly never been with a guy. So he wasn't a queer. He wasn't!
But then why did he sometimes think of other guys when he was beating off? Or even, sometimes, when he was with a woman? The question nagged at the back of James's mind, as it had for a long time.
Rolling off the bed, James strode purposefully across the room and took a script out of one of the dresser drawers. He sat back down on the bed and began to do one of the two things he always did to take his mind off that question- concentrate on his work.
The other thing, of course, was picking up women. Later, James decided, he'd go down to the hotel bar or maybe even out to a club in town and do just that.
There was total silence in the back of the limousine, despite the fact that five young guys were piled in together. The silence wasn't an uncomfortable one, though. Rather it was the sort of silence that can exist only between a group of people who are so comfortable with each other that words just aren't necessary all the time. Justin, sitting next to one of the tinted windows, watched the slow moving traffic of pre-superbowl Atlanta pass by while his thoughts moved off in other directions. 'I thought I saw James looking at me while we were performing. Maybe he's into guys, too. He's got a killer bod, that's for sure. I guess there's really only one way to find out if he's interested...' JC, sitting across from Justin, was leaning against the back of the seat with his eyes closed. His own thoughts were running along the same track as his band mate's, though he'd have been very surprised indeed if he'd known it. 'Should I call James? Or just find out where he's staying and show up? What the hell would I say? I've got to be careful, I can't be too obvious. I've gotta play it cool.' Lance, seated next to JC, was staring at his own hands, interlaced in his lap. His mind was replaying the conversation that had occurred in the dressing room earlier. "You were the one making eyes at Mr. Dawson's Creek." Justin had said that to JC, in a playful way. Straight guys were always doing things like that, Lance knew. They were constantly giving each other a hard time about being homos or fags. Only, Lance really was one. He couldn't help it, and God knew he'd tried. For years he'd denied it even to himself. He'd finally stopped doing that, he'd at last come to terms within himself. Now, though, he faced the problems of finding someone else to be with, and Lance didn't think he'd ever be able to. 'I'm only attracted to guys who couldn't possibly be gay. I mean, look at JC. He's just about everything I could ever want in a guy. Gay guys aren't like him! They're all flouncy. I could never be with a guy like that,' Lance sighed quietly. He'd just have to accept things as they were and face facts. He'd never have a guy like JC."I'm having a tough time deciding. How would you choose?" Carson asked into the receiver of the phone, which he held balanced between his shoulder and his chin, his hands busy running through his hair as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
"I don't know, Carson! Only you could have a dilemma like this!" an amused female voice came across the line.
"Yeah, I know. Oh, by the way! That hot intern I was telling you about? Score," Carson laughed.
"You're kidding?! How do you do that? You said he was a hundred percent straight!"
"Well, let's just say it turned out to be more like ninety nine point nine percent straight!" Carson smiled as he took the receiver back into his hand and turned his head from side to side, wondering if he should shave before he went out.
"So, listen Love, I can't decide. Do I go for one of the guys from N Sync, or do I go for Mr. Varsity Blues? Help me here, will you?" Carson asked Jennifer Love Hewitt, his best friend. As far as the public was concerned, the two had dated for well over a year and then Love had broken Carson's heart.
The reality was that they'd never been more than best friends, but Carson had happily played up the relationship rumor to help reassure all of MTV's teen fans that he was what they expected him to be. Love had gone along with it, until she'd actually began to date someone else and they'd had to stage a break up.
"I don't know! I guess you should start with Van der Beek. You're less likely to have another chance like this with him than you are with N Sync. Didn't you tell me they were doing that Snowed In thing with you in a few weeks?" Love asked.
"They are. Good point. It's just like having a box of assorted chocolates in front of me, I want to eat them all and I just can't decide which one I want first," Carson laughed.
"Well don't eat too much at once or you'll get a stomach ache," Love replied, laughter in her voice. "I've got to go, Car. Call me tomorrow with all the steamy details, kay?"
"Got it babe. Ciao," Carson said, hanging up the phone. Taking a final glance in the mirror, Carson Daly headed for the door of his hotel room. It was time to get his latest conquest under way.
"Thank you so much. This is really going to be a huge surprise for Jamie! I really appreciate it." "No problem, sir. And thank you for the autograph for my daughter! She watches your show every single day. She votes, too. This will be the highlight of her life so far, having your autograph!" The hotel maid gushed, smiling at Carson Daly as she unlocked the door to James Van Der Beek's suite for him. "I'm so glad. And thank you again," Carson smiled as he shut the door behind himself and looked around James's empty suite. Being a celebrity certainly had it's perks. Any other person asking to be let into someone else's room while they were out would have been laughed out of the building, but a recognizable face could ask for just about anything and get it. It was actually perfect that James hadn't been there when he'd knocked. It put the element of total surprise on his side, which was always an advantage in situations like this. All Carson had to do now was set the scene and wait for James to walk right into the trap."Any plans tonight?" JC asked casually as he pulled a shirt over his head. Lance watched quietly and with a small surge of disappointment as JC's well defined chest disappeared from sight beneath the fabric.
"I'm just going to hang out here, maybe watch some TV or do a little writing," Lance said.
"Are you sure? Chris and Joey are hitting some of the clubs. I'm sure they'd love to have you go along," JC said, glancing over at his friend, who was sitting on the floor with his back against a sofa.
"Nah. Clubs aren't my thing, you know that," Lance smiled. "What about you?"
"Oh, I've got a few old friends here. Thought I'd look them up," JC explained, feeling the twinge of guilt he always felt when he was forced to lie to his friends to cover up the truth.
"Oh. Where's Justin, do you know?" Lance asked, feeling very lonely. It was nothing new, of course. Most of the time he felt lonely even when he was with the other guys.
"Not sure. Probably got a hot date or something. You know Curly," JC grinned.
"Yeah. Well, have a good time," Lance smiled at JC as he made his way to the door of the suite.
"Thanks. You, too. And hey, check with Chris and Joey. See what clubs they're going to. That way if you get bored later, you can still catch up with them," JC advised.
Lance promised he would and smiled as JC made his exit. That was JC, so thoughtful and caring. He made Lance feel so wonderful, just by being his friend. Lance had long since accepted the fact that his feelings for JC went far beyond friendship, of course, but he knew there was no way they'd ever come to anything.
Still, their friendship was very special to Lance. In fact, it was the most important thing to him. He could lose everything else, and as long as he still had JC as a friend, it wouldn't matter.
Alone, Lance dug a tape out of the bottom of his bag and slipped it into the VCR. He smiled to himself as the familiar beginning to 'Beautiful Thing', his favorite movie, appeared on the screen. Lance watched it whenever he had a chance, which wasn't very often. The story of the two British teen boys who fall in love against all odds never failed to touch him.
Justin knocked lightly on the door and then stood back, waiting for it to open. He ran a hand down his baby blue t-shirt, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles while he waited. The door remained firmly closed and Justin sighed. James wasn't in, obviously. "I knew I shoulda called first," he muttered out loud to himself. Turning to go, he caught sight of James coming down the hall towards him, his head down as he stared at something in his hands. Justin watched unobserved as the actor moved closer to him. Looking up as he neared his door, James's pace faltered as he saw his visitor. He felt a jolt of excitement, which he quickly forced out of his system. "Can I help you with something?" James asked as he reached his door and took out his key card. "Actually, I thought maybe you'd be interested in going out, having some fun tonight. Atlanta's got some phat clubs," Justin smiled, his easy charm and self confidence spilling forth. "Uh, no. I don't think so. Thanks anyway, though," James said dismissivley as he opened his door and started inside. "Okay, thats cool, man. Hey, maybe there's something on one of the movie channels or something," Justin suggested, following James inside. James stared at the boy band member with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. Why was this guy so anxious to hang out with him? "Actually, I already have some plans for this evening. I've got a lady friend coming over in about half an hour. So if you don't mind...." James indicated the door through which Justin had just come. "Mind if I use your bathroom before I go, then? I don't want to go back up to my room, and if I'm going to hit some clubs, I'd better go before i leave," Justin smiled, trying not to show his disappointment. "Just hurry up," James snapped, feeling irritated with himself and the way he was feeling in the presence of this guy. He couldn't stop thinking of what he'd imagined earlier in the day, while he'd been beating off in his dressing room. Justin made his way back towards the suite's bathroom, which was accessible only through the bedroom. 'Prick,' he thought as he went. His first impression had been right, after all. James Van Der Beek was an asshole with a high opinion of himself. Good looking or not, he wasn't worth wasting any more time on. Justin stopped in shock as he opened the door to James's bedroom and flicked the switch on the wall next to it. The light that flooded the room illuminated Carson Daly, who was lying stark naked on the bed, his cock at full mast and a smile on his face. "What the-" Justin raised his voice, stunned. Carson stared back, his smile fading into a look of dismay. "Justin? What are you doing here?" Carson asked, not bothering to cover himself up. Justin felt himself staring at the toned, hairy body of the man before him and felt a stirring in his pants. "I-" Justin wasn't able to finish the sentence before James pushed past him into the room and froze in shock at the sight that awaited him. "Who the hell let you in my room?" James demanded when he finally regained his voice. "I think I'll be going now," Justin cut in before Carson could answer. Without waiting for a response from either of the other men he turned and left the room in a hurry. The last thing he needed was for Carson Daly to notice that he was turned on by him. The guy flirted with him way too much as it was. Once the elevator doors closed and he began his descent down to the lobby, Justin burst out laughing as the hilarity of the scene he'd just witnessed hit home. The funniest part was, he'd never be able to tell any of the other guys about what he'd seen, even though he was dying to!"I asked who let you in here," James repeated.
"That's not important, is it?" Carson asked, running a hand down his own chest in a sensual manner. James's eyes followed it's course, almost unwillingly.
"Yes, it is. I don't really care what you do in your bedroom, but I'm not gay! Now, get the hell out of here before I call security!" James shouted.
"Why? You know what's going to happen as soon as I leave, don't you? You're just going to lay right here in this bed and beat off like crazy, thinking of me. Come on, James. Why do that alone when I'm here to lend you a hand? Or a mouth. Or whatever else you'd like," Carson grinned as his hand wrapped itself around the base of his hard cock.
James watched, unable to turn away, as Carson began to stroke himself. "Get out," he said, but this time his voice was weaker.
"Come on, James. Aren't you even curious? Blow jobs from another guy are the best, you know. Guys know what it feels like, so they're better at it. You've never had a blow job before if you haven't had one from a guy," Carson tempted, running his tongue across his lips.
James glanced down at the front of his pants, which were tented out. He looked back up at Carson's body and felt a sudden urge to give in to what the other man was suggesting. He wanted it so much....
"NO!" James's voice regained it's force. He wasn't gay! He wasn't. This was all too queer for him. "Get the hell out of here, right now. If you don't, I'm going to make sure that everyone in this hotel knows that the host of TRL is a flaming homo. Do you got that?"
"Take it easy, man. All right, I'll go," Carson said hastily as he climbed off the bed. He could tell that he'd misjudged James's position and moved too quickly. He swiftly gathered up his clothes and started for the door.
"Think about what happened here tonight, James. Think about it long and hard, and then give me a call," Carson said softly, his face serious. He knew now just how to play the younger man.
James refused to even look at him again and Carson left the suite, pausing only to pull on his underwear before doing so.
He dressed quickly while waiting for the elevator and replayed the events that had just occurred in his mind. James would come around, but probably not for a few months at the least. In the meantime, Justin Timberlake certainly had gotten an eyeful. And somehow, Carson didn't think it would take much of an effort to land the N Sync hottie before the night was over.
"Think about what happened here tonight, James. Think about it long and hard, and then give me a call." JC had stared in surprise at the scene before him. He'd found James's door open and had been about to call out for him when he'd heard those words. Glancing inside, he'd seen the naked form of Carson Daly and had quickly turned and walked down the hall, turning the corner before he was noticed. "Carson and James," JC mumbled to himself. Ah, well. If James was the type of guy who'd fall for someone as sleezy and and as easy as Carson Daly, than JC was better off. Still, it was disappointing. All he'd been able to think about since they'd met that day was James. Sighing, JC made his way to the service elevator and took it back up to his floor. At least Lance would be there to hang out with. JC liked hanging out with Lance a lot, more so than with any of the other guys. They had a good relationship. JC knocked briefly on the door of the suite and walked in. Lance looked up in surprised and then blushed a deep shade of red. "Hey! What happened to looking up your friends?" Lance asked as he hastily stood up and reached for the TV/VCR remote. "No, don't turn off your movie. It's okay. I'll watch with you. It turns out my friends are gone for the evening," JC said as he dropped down to the floor and pulled Lance back down next to him in a friendly fashion. "So, what are we watching?" Lance looked horror stricken and didn't seem to be able to form any words. Surprised, JC glanced at the screen but couldn't figure out what was wrong with his friend. The movie seemed to be some sort of a British film. "I......It's......um....." Lance spluttered and then finally hit the Stop button. "It's nothing. Let's watch something else, this would bore you." "Okay, if you're sure," JC agreed. "You pick, though. I'll order some pop corn from room service and we'll make a night of it." Lance nodded and removed his copy of Beautiful Thing from the VCR. His feeling of horror lessened somewhat. 'I've got to be more careful! If he'd walked in during a different scene, he might have realized that it's about gay guys!' Still, the danger was over and an evening of just hanging out with JC was suddenly before him. Nothing could be better than that! ***TBC Write colby4347@yahoo.com