Reach for it-5 By nate_eric@hotmail.com
Here I go again! I have really enjoyed writing this so far I look forward to finding out where this is going. I would like to say excellent job to a few of the really worthy authors out there. I know that I for one have waited with baited breath for several of the stories out there, most notably Runaway and Lance's Search. Bravo!
Now for the standard disclaimer. I know not what I do. Translation, this is fiction, I don't know 'NSync, if I did I might hang my head in shame if they knew I wrote this (brilliant prose). Also, don't read this if you aren't supposed to, I don't know who told you couldn't read gay porn, but I trust they know what's best for you.
I awoke the next morning to blissful silence. The hustle of downtown Atlanta appeared to be miles away, a sure testament to this fine hotel. I rolled over and looked at the other side of the bed. Empty.
I sat bolt upright when it hit me. I slept in the same room as NSync, the same bed as Lance Bass. He was gay! I remembered the things that had happened as I slept here. I could feel the sadness he held like an echo in the wind. I knew I had mad a plan for tonight.
I got out of bed and marveled at how the room was a little messier than when I went to bed. At least I knew the guys had not lied when they sent me to sleep with Lance, he really was the quietest of them in the morning. I could tell they had all left and he had not made a peep. I walked into the common room. Maybe I was mistaken, maybe lance holding me in my "sleep" last night and his tears were completely innocent, maybe I was reading too much into this. I made my way to another room, knocked, and with no answer peeked in. I had my answer right then, two beds. It turned out both of the other rooms had two beds. I know as nice as Justin, JC, and Chris, would have put me in a room with a separate bed given the choice; they were just nice. Joey, hell, no telling what he would do. I smiled thinking of the New Yorker. I think we might end up good friends, maybe not as good as Lance and I, but I hope it all works out.
I saw a note on the counter when I took time to sit down. "Tim, make yourself at home. Lonnie is outside and will take you anywhere in town that you want to go. Order some breakfast, we should be back around three. Looking forward to tonight." It was signed JC. Added at the bottom was a brief note, "Hope I didn't wake you." Lance had signed after that. I smiled, then looked at my watch, nine thirty. I had to get ready. It is gonna be a night to remember.
"I think we are never going to get out of this." JC looked at his friends. The meeting had gone one forever it seemed. Public relations firms could drag the most insignificant detail up and talk about putting a positive spin on it.
"What? What's this? Pappa smurf grumbling!" Joey snickered.
"Hey, even I have my limits." JC whispered back. He gave a good glare at his bearded compadre.
"Joey knows how to push anyone's buttons. Lets let his talk and we'll be outta here in minutes." Justin looked triumphant as the entire group of friends, save Joey, gave a hearty laugh. Unfortunately this drew the attention of the very executives they wanted to escape.
"Did I miss something?" A dry brown suited man directed to the group. His face was unwrinkled despite his apparent age.
Chris thought either he had a good plastic surgeon or he never smiled to crack the look. The thought made him crack a smile despite the stern look coming in his direction.
"Singer's" the man said exasperated. "We are the ones who have to make you marketable and presentable. You just sit there and look nice and we'll do the dirty work as long as you all play the part."
Justin stood up excitedly. "I think you should watch yourself man. We wrote almost all of the songs on our next album, I don't know many people who can do that, but I am sure there are a lot of people who can do what you do." The thinly veiled threat may have made another man shrink back, but not this one.
"You people are a dime a dozen. Don't let anyone tell you different. It is up to men like me to make you and yours sellable with the teenyboppers. As long as none of you develops a drinking or drug habit, kills somebody, or turns queer, we'll make a buck off of you."
This time JC stood up next to his friend. "I think this meeting is at an end. Thank you gentlemen for your time. I will be telling our management that creative differences will be preventing us from working with your firm in the future." JC turned and walked away from the table. Justin followed, as did the rest in a united front.
Chris turned around and looked at the fuming man and his panic stricken associates. "Just remember this feeling. It must be the same as the guy who told Madonna she would never make it." He laughed loudly. "By the way, AJ is one of the great ones and a friend, so suck my..." the door slammed.
"Way to go Stan, see you in the mailroom in the morning!" One of the men in the background told the fuming man in the front of the table. "Wait 'till the Boss find out how much money you cost the company." The others looked at the speaker, a young man in a pinstripe navy suit. "I didn't even get my daughter a fricken autograph!!" He screamed at the Stan, who now had a seriously ashen appearance as reality crashed down on him.
In the parking lot the five guys and four bodyguards moved to the limousine that had brought them. Justin was still furious, as was JC. Lance walked quietly behind them as Joey and Chris imitated the startled looks on the businessmen as the walked out. "Lou might kill us but it will be a cold day in hell before we go back." Chris yelled back at the elevator.
"Can you imagine?" JC looked at the others as the limo pulled out.
"My artistic pride is hurt!" Joey looked at his friends. His remark was greeted with a laugh form the others as it was received. Joey being the least self-promoting of the group knew how to lighten the mood. "I suppose this means we will have to have a good time tonight."
"Oh, No!" JC looked around. "He has that look. That one that we will regret in the morning after we go out."
"I for one think that we are going to have a great time." Justin reached into the cooler in the minifridge. "I think that Tim may have a surprise in store for us from the way he was talking last night."
"I forgot about our imported party-meister." Chris leaned in to grab a diet dew from Justin.
"Hopefully he didn't sleep to long. He said he had some preparations to do. Hey Scoop, did he say anything this morning when you got up?" Chris turned over to look at Lance who had been until now starkly silent. It was like a poorly choreographed joke as everyone's heads turned simultaneously to face the young Mississippian.
"I didn't wake him when I got up. He was sleeping so soundly." He said it with a strange sense of wonder and amazement. Lance seemed caught in a memory and when he snapped out of it and looked around everyone's head snapped around like children caught staring.
"Well I hope it is a good time to be had by all. I know I need one after today." Chris chuckled at a thought. "I think everyone should relax tonight and just go with the flow wherever it takes you."
JC and Justin looked at Chris, looked with questioning glances.
Joey added, "Yeah, he said he would take use somewhere that we would not be recognized and we could just be ourselves totally."
JC and Justin turned their heads simultaneously to Joey this time. Why was the goon squad getting all philosophical? Justin looked at Lance and he had not been paying attention, just staring out the window.
"Yeah, I guess we'll see what turns up." Justin looked at JC.
"Yeah..." JC gave a questioning look to Chris, who shrugged it off looking over at Lance. A moment of realization hit JC. He looked wide-eyed at Chris and Joey, mouthing something to them. Chris nodded. JC looked surprised. "It is going to be a night to remember." He mumbled.
When the guys arrived back at the suite the first thing they noticed was the five brown wrapped packages on the floor. Each package was labeled with one of their names.
"What is this?" Joey jumped and grabbed the one marked with his name.
"Oh, no! Not just yet!" I walked from the bedroom and sat on the leather sofa. "That is for tonight. So hold your horses Italian stallion."
"What's with the presents?" Lance asked.
"You are so cute Mr. Bass relating everything to Christmas. They are indeed presents but not to be opened until the appointed hour. I promised where we were going tonight you would not be recognized. Those are a part of the deal."
"Costumes, which will be interesting." Justin shook his package and listened closely to the sound it made. "I am not sure I am going to like this. I asked one of the guys at the ad place if he had ever heard of Wonderland. No dice."
"I should not have thought so. I went a few years back and had one of the best times of my life there. I had to pull a few strings and owe some serious favors to get you guys in. I think tomorrow you will thank me, if you don't hate me that is." Lance came and sat by me. I could not help but stare at him as he moved. He had such wonderful light in his eyes. He always, I realized then, looked as if the world were new to him. Though his look I felt the same.
"We will be dining promptly at eight so we must leave around seven thirty. I have made arrangements for a nice cozy restaurant that is not to far but you should be shaved and showered by then." I tried not to sound like an English nanny.
I could not stop smiling. The excitement I felt rang in the room like a guitar string just plucked. The guy could feel it; they were bummed when they had come in but now that was rapidly changing.
"Dude, what have you gotten us into. I am worried, he has some kinda serial killer gleam in his eye." Chris smiled and started laughing. It turned out to be contagious as the room erupted in a funny vibe. The guys separated and started walking to their respective rooms.
"How should we dress?" Joey threw back at me.
"Casual... for now." I smiled again.
"We are in Tee-rouble guys." He yelled and walked out.
I turned and was facing right into Lance. He must have been standing right behind me. Our faces were inches apart; I could feel his breath on my face. His eyes held a question and an answer wrapped into one, it is a difficult expression to explain. I could not help myself. I stared into his face, studying every line. We stood there for what seemed like and eternity and yet it was only a few seconds.
"Don't worry. I will take care of you." I whispered. I don't really know why I said it, I mean I meant it, but I said it as one of those unguarded thoughts that come from the heart when you least expect it.
He slowly smiled; his eyes alight with an inner glow. He backed to his door, turning only when he had to.
When he spoke, his deep voice echoed off of the door, even if it was less than a whisper itself. The bass was a physical caress to my ears, "I know."
It took me a minute to will my limbs to obey me and walk to the door to the room. I opened it and looked into the hall where Anthony, the security guard who had helped me through the day was located.
"Anthony, did you get the stuff I needed?" I looked out at him.
"Yeh, I admit I was a little embarrassed to buy a few of the things." He blushed.
"Thanks, we are going to leave in about two hours. I am not sure I would trust housekeeping with the task, sorry I laid it on you." I apologized.
"You want it in the bed room to the left of the door?" He asked.
"Yes, we will be back about 4am."
"Roger!" He stood at attention.
"Dismissed." I went back into the den and turned on the TV, though I was too nervous to really watch it.
I was surprised to see that the guys were ready on time. I don't think I had any reason to doubt, just assumed. JC was the first to emerge; he was wearing a red silk shirt with some Asian appearing design on the back. The corduroy pants were so dark green as to appear black; I stated what I thought to be an oblivious fact.
"How did you get ready so fast? I thought the hair alone would take most of the afternoon." He looked down and laughed. "I am sorry, but I could not resist. I am not even going to bet, I know you must get that all the time from every one."
"I do. Too much I think, but I have started getting used to it." JC self-consciously ran his hand through his stylin' locks.
"I like it. It definitely is a good thing. To quote Martha on that." I tied to lisp a little on the last.
"You don't really match a stereotype." JC looked at me very seriously.
"Would it be stereotypical to say that I don't believe in stereotypes? I don't try to be anyone. I am just myself." I looked to JC. He seemed on the verge of asking something. Then seemed to change his mind.
"Even in your profession, you don't sometimes throw a cover over yourself?"
JC continued.
"I don't flaunt myself if that's what you mean, but I also don't deny it. To many times I have had to swallow a bit of a quick return, but I never compromise my ideals or myself." I looked in the direction of Joey and Chris's room where Chris was exiting as I finished.
"What is happening my friends?" Chris moved to the sofa next to me. Sat and threw his arm around me. He pulled me in close and started to knuckle my head. I fought but it really was of little use. Chris seemed to have much more practice than I did.
I finally shouted, "I give I give. Uncle, Uncle!"
"Tell me I am the master." Chris put on his triumphant voice. "You are the master." I shouted in a rather high-pitched voice, the best I could manage under the duress of being tickled by a new set of hands. The hands started to get a little fresh I noticed. Joey is the only one who would start that I was sure.
Chris released me to regain my composure. I was forced to stop and start breathing after the onslaught. Joey indeed was sitting next to me. He was dressed in a long sleeve shirt that was as close to the color of the bluest sky I could imagine. His pants were black leather than was more like suede.
"Chris..You are the master." I repeated as I caught my breath. "The master in your own mind!"
By the time the retaliation had come I had jumped up and was on the other side of Joey.
"Children please break it up." Justin strolled in. He was presenting us with a sight of him in a black t-shirt covered in a white thick cotton shirt, he matched Joey in leather pants, though his were jet black traditional. Completing his outfit was a stark silver chain that wrapped around his neck. A simple pendant in the shape of an "N" hung from it.
"Damn boy, I may have to fight off some child molesters!" The comment brought a round of laughs.
"Joey will be good!" Chris then defended his friend. Another heartier round of laughs.
Justin smirked, "Alright I thought this was nice and low key."
"In a funny wack world, I suppose your right." shaking my head in disbelief, I turned back to the rest of the guys. "I suppose I am just a conservative southern guy. I just don't dress like that."
"That's right you dress like a lumberjack." Justin blurted out.
"Ouch!" I grabbed my heart.
"I thought gay guys were supposed to have some sort of genetic fashion sense?" Joey asked.
"The killing blow!" I twisted around clutching my chest and fell to the floor.
"Look at you. We are here in Atlanta, gonna hit the town and you are wearing a pair of khaki pants and a button down shirt. Really!" JC now was adding his two cents worth.
"Where is Lance? He is from the Mississippi, my neck of the woods, he would defend me." I reached for straws.
As if on cue, out comes Lance. I rolled my head around to look at him as he emerged. I expected him to support me in my moment of fashion emergency.
He walked out from the room and I was glad to already be on the floor. Lance was wearing a skintight red muscle shirt, with a loose over shirt on top, the over shirt was a light yellow silk. His pants were as tight as his shirt and were black, so black as to seem to soak up the light. He looked questioningly at me on the floor and the other guys who seemed as stunned as I was. His hair was spiked up and the blonde color highlighted for him by the bight colors he wore. His eyes, before I had thought had a inner light, I don't know if he knew it now but the choice of color he had now made the eye blaze with color. A virtual bonfire burned behind them.
My breath was stolen from me, in some ways what he wore was the epitome of what I had been talking about, but he owned that outfit.
"See I told you. You need to listen to us we know how to dress." JC mumbled. I was obviously not the only one affected.
"Get off the floor my good man. Let Sir Fatone clean you puddle of drool up." Chris spoke in a faux English accent.
Joey indeed did walk up and help me off the floor. I could not take my eyes off of Lance. He grinned at me the whole time. Knowing what he had done.
In a few minutes of silence on my part and chit chat from the others there was a knock at the door. Lonnie, one of the bodyguards had arrived to tell us it was time to go.
We took of into the night in a stretch limousine, not that new for Atlanta but It was new to me. I was really not used to riding in this kind of style. The trip was quiet and uneventful, only when we were nearly there did Lance speak.
"I think I can speak for everyone when I ask, where the hell are we going?" Lance's tone was only in humor.
"I hope everyone likes a little exotic food. I thought we might go to a little Japanese restaurant. I am a big fan of sushi, but I know others are not so they have quite a selection of other traditional foods. It has incredible artistry and the taste is, dare I say fabulous. " I looked for a reaction. They seemed to acquiesce quickly. Thinking to myself, they have no idea what they are in for.
We arrived at the restaurant and a young Asian man appeared and opened the door. We all exited the car and filed in. The first thing was a young Asian girl, who could not have been more than thirteen materialized in front of us. She wore a traditional kimono and here hair up in a bun. Her face was powdered white.
"Please sirs, remove your footwear and entered behind me. I will have your shoes shined for you when they are returned." her voice seemed so meek and passive.
The guys came and took off their various shoes, which she dutifully took for them. She carefully placed each on in a numbered bin and we followed her lead from the room.
She sat us on pillows around a low set table in a U-shaped room. The room was large and the walls made of sliding tissue paper doors. A faint odor penetrated the room, cherry blossoms.
"Not to shabby, Tim." JC commented. "If the food is as nice as the service then it will be something"
"Well, we will have to see won't we." it was hard to speak as enigmatically and unemotionally as I had.
"I don't like it when he talks like that." Justin piped in.
The geisha came back in now with a tray that was loaded with soup and seaweed salads. She dutifully sat each down in from of each of us in turn and then turned and left.
"Tonight is all about a lesson. Things don't have to be what they seem. Things don't have to be, as we believe them to be. They just are." I spoke slow and with authority.
"OK" Joey looked at me.
"Tomorrow ask me how I learned that." I sat the miso soup I had been eating down.
"What is the name of this restaurant? I didn't see a sign outside." Chris looked around.
"The name is painted in black on the wall outside. It is in Kanji, I was told that it has no translation and it is bad luck to try." My statement was interrupted as our geisha came back in to deliver a few more appetizers.
As she set the trays down another older woman entered. The young girl turned and knocked over the soup and spilled it onto the table in front of Justin. The older woman quickly berated her. The younger woman shrank back and the older came at her, she reared back her hand and slapped the girl, knocking her to the floor. The girl crouched into a ball in the corner.
JC jumped us, as did Joey, Chris nearly knocked over the table in his urge to help the woman. Justin and Lance were frozen a moment longer but started to stand.
"SIT DOWN!" The older woman commanded causing everyone to freeze. "This is none of your affair." She turned back to the younger girl who had by now stood up in the corner. She approached and reared back to hit the girl when Joey grabbed her hand.
The older woman spun and reached out to punch Joey when the slight hand of the young girl caught the hand midair. Joey reflexively let go of the hand as the girl pulled the woman from his grasp. She punched the chest of the older woman knocking her to the floor.
Stunned the guys backed up. The older woman performed some judo flip and rose from the ground to standing with a graceful movement. She assumed a martial arts stance and then launched a flurry of blows at the girl, all of which were deftly returned by the wisp of a girl.
The older woman pulled out a few of the sticks that held her hair in place and threw them at the young female. Again the girl dodged the projectiles and pulled out the ornament from her own hair, which turned miraculously into a silver fan.
Grabbing a fan from her belt the woman then engaged in a dance of flapping noise and reflected light as they fought. This continued until the older woman was caught off guard by a blow to the back and fell. The younger woman pounced on her prone form and held the fan to the woman's throat.
"Kanji manna sumay!" The young woman spoke. A look of defeat passed over the face of the older woman.
The guys paralyzed in stance by the display snapped out of it when the heard me start clapping. They looked stunned almost not breathing.
"I have always wondered if the show would have been as cool if the audience was not nice upstanding gentlemen." I could not look them in the face as I spoke.
"This was a show?" Lance was out of breath.
"Gotcha!" By now I was nearly rolling off my pillow. I was having a seizure laughing. I remembered my first time here. I was exactly where they were. I thought I was witnessing some Asian murder squad.
In perfect unaccented English the women thanked the guys for their participation in the game. "I never know if such men as you will help or sit by. Each time it is exciting for us." The younger of the women spoke.
"Indeed. Please enjoy the rest of the meal and the show." They left us in peace right after.
There were two more demonstrations, one with swords and one with straight karate. The meal was consumed with rich conversation and the entertainment was nothing less than spectacular.
Back in the car I finally got what I knew was coming.
"We are going to kill you." Chris threatened.
"I nearly crapped in my pants when they started fighting. You will pay in horrible ways for that." Joey laughed.
"But did you have fun? I knew you had never had that experience before." the grin could not have been wiped from my face with sandpaper.
"What next? How can you top that?" Justin looked at me. "I hope that is not the best you have to offer because if it is not, we may not live till the morning.
"Well I think our next destination is right here." The car stopped as if on cue. "We need to go in so you guys can change. There is a discreet location up the stairs. You will find the packages I bought in the trunk, the ones with your names on them." I opened the door and climbed out.
One by one they followed me. We rounded the car and Lonnie had the Lonnie had the trunk opened distributing the packages. "I checked out the place earlier it's OK." he spoke in his baritone voice. He had a grin on his face.
Chris grabbed JC and pointed at me, "Gonna kill him."
"Quit your whining and come on up here. I walked up the steps to the plain brownstone building. I reached up and grabbed the knocker. I gave it two loud knocks and stood back.
The door opened and in the way stood a man dressed in a tuxedo. He looked dubiously at us. "Can I help you?" He sounded like an undertaker.
"I was wondering if Alice was home?" I told him.
"May I ask the reason for the query?" He remained deadpan.
"I was hoping she could guide us to wonderland." I responded.
His whole demeanor changed in an instant. "Come in gentlemen. I trust you brought appropriate attire?" His voice was animated and he was suddenly full of life. We were ushered into the foyer.
"Yes, we have it all can we get tot he changing rooms?" I asked, making sure everyone had his or her packages.
"Yes, to your left. I will return shortly with Alice." The tuxedoed man left us as we moved into the indicated room.
Inside the room were several changing rooms. I assigned rooms for everyone. "Listen go in and change. Don't worry your clothes will be ok. And the stuff in the packages is pretty simple to put on."
I took about five seconds after everyone had gone into the rooms and I heard the ripping of the paper of the packages before I heard the first, "What the fuck is this?" It started with Justin and echoed through every cubicle save Lance's he only had a brief "heck" to say.
I changed and was the first out of the cubicle. I waited patiently. Justin was the first to come out. His costume was the simplest, dressed in monk's plain robes.
"I don't know what to say." The simple burlap cloth concealed everything but his head and hands.
"My first thought would be thank you. The burlap is lined, might have been a little rough trade if it weren't."
"I am glad, I didn't wear any underwear." He snickered.
I raised a single eyebrow and the corner of my mouth curled up.
Our conversation was cut off, as next emerging from his chrysalis was Joey, his costume that of a Jest was incredibly funny. From the floppy hat to the spandex leggings, it was colorful and fun, none of which described Joey's look.
"Chris I am going to help you kill him." Justin started laughing as soon as Joey cleared the gate. There was a perfunctory grumble from the cubicle where Chris had gone.
"I think I like mine." JC swung around the corner. His costume was that of a Knight, leather leggings and loose shirt, the tabard bore the crest of the Queen of Hearts. He was very pleased, especially when he saw the others.
Lance called out, "Here I come. I think I have this on right." His costume was the voluminous garb of an Arab soldier, ala 1001 Arabian nights. The majority of the costume was constructed of loose cloth.
"Why does he get to be covered up and I am just here." Joey looked down at his costume. "God You can see my..." He quickly pulled down the short skirt.
Laughter pealed in the room.
"OK, Chris come on out." Joey sounded irritated.
"I don't wanna." He sounded like a child in a department store modeling underwear for his mom.
"Come on Chris it can't be that bad, you should see what Joey is wearing!" Justin managed to say without laughing, until right up to the end.
The door to the cubicle opened and out came Chris. Or rather Chris in the giant white furry suit of a rabbit.
For the second time in one night I saw the guys of NSync paralyzed. It only lasted a second, just until their minds could lock onto the reality of the situation, then they fell to the floor and screamed in pain as their abdominal muscle contracted in hideous cackling laughter. I was seriously thinking we might not make it out, as they would never stop laughing.
"I hate you, I hate you, and I hate you!" He seemed to cry. I went over and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"What are you supposed to be?" He asked in his mock crying tone.
"I am jinn, a male genie. Don't you think my costume looks silly too?" I turned in the wispy silks that covered my body. I looked really good in them, if I can say so. I picked them out, my prerogative.
"Not like meeee!" Chris whined.
"I think you look delicious!" The female voice cut thought the tension in a moment. At the far end of the room stood an auburn haired vixen. Her icy blue eyes cut through the room like the proverbial hot knife.
She was dressed in a revealing cut renaissance dress with a bustier to hold up a significant amount of breast tissue. Her hair teased over the sapphire blue of the dress to see as if it were floating about her.
"I am Alice, and welcome to my party." She turned to me. "Alan told me you were bringing friends, I would have let you come without an invitation if you told me you were bringing such tasty morsels." Her demeanor spoke of sensuality.
"Well..." My own voice cut out in the air of sexuality she carried.
"Yes...I believe I should tell you the rules. There are no rules, play nice unless you agree not to. I do so hate party poopers." She turned and walked to a recessed cabinet in a niche near the room's door. She opened it and withdrew a silver box. On setting it on a low table she with drew a jeweled mask, the kind worn at masquerades since the Middle Ages. "Tim come!"
I walked to her side and she affixed the mask to my face with a rubbery adhesive. The mask covered only my upper face. In turn we all received our masks.
"Follow" She turned and led us to the foyer and then a den beyond. She turned to us, revealing, in the slit that raced down the side of her gown, a little more than usually left to the imagination. "I have one rule and only one, nothing happens without consent. Nothing!" She emphasized the last word with the promise of venom to her bite. "Everything you see will be your to keep, but not to share. You may run into a few people you recognize. Those people are anonymous here. Keep to this premise and I can promise you a night that you won't dare tell your grandkids about." She turned and walked to a grand fireplace on the north wall. Only then did the elegance of the room jump out. Alice attracted so much attention; one forgot the eighteenth century look of the room. The massive stone fireplace held a great redwood mantle where a single clock stood. It ticked loudly in the otherwise quiet of the room. She opened the glass face with her delicate hand, a diamond bracelet apparent there. She arranged the hands of the face to exactly midnight and a resounding click issued from the mechanical device. The fireplace stared moving out in a large arc revealing an open elevator door. She gestured us into the confines.
I moved first followed by everyone else. I swear Chris was hopping! As soon as we all had move in the elevator doors closed and we stared a trek downward.
"I am scarred shitless!" JC half joked.
"She's not coming?" Joey whined.
"What the hell have you gotten us into Tim?" Justin pronounced.
"I want a carrot!" Chris added.
The door opened and into the silence of the elevator invaded the cacophony of light and sound as Rob Zombie poured into the confined space. We walked out of the elevator and into a new world. It looked like the inside of a giant warehouse. The ceiling was appointed to resemble the clouds of the sky. In the center of the ceiling was a large light that was supposed to resemble the sun, and it did a convincing job, as it was nearly impossible to look at it. All around us people danced. Each dressed in various costumes, all very convincing. >From James Dean to Victorian ladies, from sumo wrestlers to Indian fakirs, all with delicate sparking half facemasks glue tot heir faces, everyone could be themselves and no one at all. All around us sound poured out like a palpable force, the sound system was a testament to engineering for even at the deafening volume that obscured most speak it was completely understandable, not washed out. The base I was sure would loosen a filling, but felt strangely reassuring.
JC motioned toward a bar and we followed. I too was like a newbie to this area. Though When I had been through before the upstairs was the same, here it was completely different, even the dimensions of the space.
We each ordered a drink by pointing at various bottles on the wall of the bar, now in this place we gave up on speech quickly. After watching the dancing spectacle around me while I drank the first drink I decided to take the plunge and move to the dancing crown. There were no individual partners, but rather a mass of undulating forms, which I readily joined.
After a few minutes Joey joined me. I continued to dance in a join with the crowd, but soon moved to dance with Joey. A waited brought a try of drinks around and I took a blue neon drink, Joey grabbed a red one that I swear was glowing on its own. We danced as music poured from the speakers hidden away somewhere out of sight. I felt warm from the drink and when the next song started I knew I was getting my groove on. You know the one that only comes on as your blood alcohol rises. I turned around and noticed JC had joined us, he undulated in the rhythm like a dolphin moves through water, the grace was natural and a sight to behold. I looked to where we had been standing and saw Chris and Lance attempting to converse with made up sign language. Without context I had no idea what they were talking about. Justin was dancing with a young lady who was dressed in a skintight cat suit, complete with fur and a tail, which I swear looked prehensile.
My attention was drawn back to my location when I felt a pair of hands grab about my waist from behind. I felt the hands draw me back into a strong form. I turned my hands and saw Joeys smile behind me. I felt his body undulating behind me. I tried to turn into him but he held me in place. I relinquished that idea and turned back around to see Lance and Chris move into the crowd with us. We moved to together and yet separate from the throng around us. Different songs played I could tell but the beats blended in together, The waiter moved through several times, I grabbed a refreshments as did everyone else with his passing. Soon Chris moved in front to me and danced with the amalgam of Joey and myself I felt like the stuffing in an Oreo, except as far as I know Oreo's don't have a spike in one side. I felt a certain part of Joey's anatomy rubbing firmly on my hindquarters. Chris had Lance move in with us and by this time we were not dancing so much as writhing.
Chris executed a quick spin and before the blur was gone I saw I was face to face with Lance, as he had taken over the position of Chris's side of the Oreo. Joey reached from behind me and grabbed Lance's arms and was doing some kind of wave with them round me. Between Lance and front of me and Joeys rubbing behind me, I was in sensory overload. The final part of the maneuver was over in a face as Joey placed Lances arms on my hips and disappeared into the crowd.
At first I thought Lance would let go and walk away, but he held on as the beat finally slowed down from the usual high-energy techno we had just been moving to. I looked into Lance's eyes, those green oasis's in the desert of night. I moved my hands to his back and locked my fingers together. I felt us inch closer even as the beat continued to slow to a monotone bass thrum. He looked into my eyes as I looked into his. By this time the dancing had worked us into quite a sweat. I saw a drop coming down his nose and form at the end. I don't know if it was raw lust of the drinks but I moved in and delicately licked it off of the tip of his nose. I savored the salt taste.
I opened my eyes to look at him; I had not realized I had closed them. He was staring at me with a strange gaze of wonder; I smiled at him and noticed another drop of sweat about to fall from his nose. I moved in to capture this one as well, only to have Lance move and position so our lips met. The moment was fleeting, as I was the one to draw back with a look of surprise, only to have his smile looking back at me. I looked stupidly at him for a second them moved back in and reinitiated the kiss. This time it felt like we were struggling for oxygen in the kiss, the passion overflowed. I wanted to consume him and yet be consumed by him. The kiss took on its own life, I felt his tongue on my own, and we felt like on animal, moving to a primitive beat. I tasted him and he me, I felt his hands move on my back as I felt my own on his, My stomach rubbed against his and my crotch ground into his. I think we had abandoned the pulsations of the dance music for our own pulsation, the one generated somewhere deep in us. I ran my hands low over his back and felt that wonderful ass kneading under my hands. I felt his hands find their way into the folds of my costume and feel my naked skin; the touch was electric and nearly broke our kiss as I moaned in uncontrollable need to feel him. He pulled back and smiled; in that smile I knew clarity that moment. Here was a man I could spend my life with. We moved off of the dance floor over to the bar where I leaned back and turned towards him, directly into a kiss. We were at it again and I am not sure how much time we were at it, but soon Chris who just looked at us with an idiotic grin pulled us apart. A frown crossed Lance's beautiful face for a moment and the coming to a decision, just smiled back and grabbed me tighter. Chris motioned us back to the elevator. We moved toward the exit, holding hands like a lifeline to a drowning man.
As the door to the elevator closed, silence closed us in again. I would have thought that I would have my ear ringing from the noise, but I think it was just my heart beating.
"Why do we have to go, we just got here?" Lance laughed after speaking a little loud.
"Dude we have been here for four hours. It's two am." Chris looked at us; he knew exactly how we had lost track of time.
Lance looked at me and giggled, I think I did the same. Chris rolled his eyes.
"Dude, are you alright with this?" Lance looked at Chris.
"Lance, we all are. We just want you to be happy. It's not like we couldn't tell, I mean you aren't like obvious, but we have eat, slept, and worked with you for four years." Chris grabbed him by the head and pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the forehead. "Your like my own brother. I would do anything to make you happy, we all would."
Lance turned back to me and pulled me in close. I kissed the side of his neck, again tasting the sweat that had accumulated on us; first from dancing then from heat we generated ourselves.
"Get a room!" Chris turned and groaned. "Shit, you have a room and it is right next to mine."
Lance and I laughed.
"Where are the rest of the guys?" Lance queried.
"JC and Justin headed back, Joey hooked up with some chick dressed like a back Sheena." Chris informed. "I waited to see if you both would pass out from lack of oxygen or suck each others tonsils out. I mean hell what would you have done the doc would have been out."
"I think he would have been safe, I already found out that mouth to mouth was a perfect fit." I joked. Lance turned beet red, but quickly tested my theory again, as his lips touched down again.
We rode in silence back to the hotel, not even bothering to change cloths, I only then realized our masks must have come off in the tongue derby. I trust no one would look at us strangely when we went back into the hotel; luckily it was deserted by the time we arrived. We rode the elevator in silence, the entire time we held hands, of course I would have been perfectly happy to have the grow together permanently.
Entering the room, we immediately moved into the bedroom.
"Not even a good night?" Chris called.
"Good night Chris." We chimed together, though our kissing muffled it.
We fell onto the bed and Lance rolled over on top of me. He looked into my eyes and when I moved in to kiss he held me in place.
"Tim. I don't know how to say this." He looked troubled.
"What. You can tell me anything all the time, we need that to be an understood from the beginning."
"I really want this. I feel like you have been an apart of me since we met. I was scared at first, but if this is going to work I want to take this slow, that is just the way I am. I am afraid that if we rush into this it will be too much for us. It wasn't the way I was raised, I mean I wasn't raised for this exactly, but I feel like if I am going to give this my all we have to ease into it." He looked worried now.
"Anything you want. I have all the time in the world. I can tell, you already have my heart; my body can come at our own pace. I want to give this the best chance as well. Lets play it be ear." I marveled at his silly grin.
He released me and we kissed again. I helped him out of his clothes down to his boxers, they had green eggs and ham on them, and he did the same for me. We lay back in the bed and held each other in a tangle of arms and legs.
"Lance, Why were you crying last night?" I quietly asked.
He waited a moment then, "You were awake?"
"Yeah"
"Well, I felt so good holding on to you, so warm and comfortable in the darkness. I didn't want to surrender to the loneliness again before I woke up." I could see a tear form in the ocean of emerald his eyes held. "I felt whole holding you; safe and protective all at once. Something I was confused about, I wondered if it was right or wrong to feel that about a guy."
"And now?" I kissed the tear away, so gently I doubted if he felt the pressure.
"Now I know it was right. If it were wrong, I don't want to be right." He kissed me lightly on the lips, lingering for only a moment.
"Thanks Lance." I whispered.
"For what?" he whispered back, I felt sleep pulling my in with the wonderful feeling of warmth in the cold dark that surrounded us, just then.
"For reaching..." Sleep claimed me then. I was a peace and slept better than I had in a long time as did Lance. Nothing could or would ever touch what we felt.
More to come!!! Let me know what you think or suggestions!!!