*I've got to give props to all my supportive readers. You are the ones that encourage me to keep writing. Thanks for all the feedback! Thanks to Ad. for the never-ending friendship, and to Braan. for the proof.
*School has become this looming menace, seeking to devour every moment of free time I once possessed. I'm still writing bits here and there, but the chapters might take a LITTLE bit longer than the precedent I've set up. I've NO intention of ending the story, so calm your hearts if you wrote me one of those terrified emails. :)
*I'll keep this short and sweet. There's a warning in ch1 talking about the homosexual and fictional content of this story. Read it, then read chapter 7 if you're still cool with it.
*If you've never written, don't be silent! Please drop me a note to say 'hi' if you've got a spare second, and also to let me know you're reading the story. I want to have a chance to thank you PERSONALLY for reading. I don't bite... until I get to know you. Communication IS my fuel!
Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com ~Jeff
Previously, on Twist of Fate...
Lance laid down next to me and put a pillow under his head, facing up. I pulled my pillow just a bit lower than his and scooted up next to him, facing down, so I could throw an arm over his chest and bury my face on his left side. I ran my hand over his chest a few times and said,
"Nice chest! Do you work out?" We both hooted for about a minute at this, remembering the situation that had brought us together. Lance pulled his other hand up and locked fingers with mine, squeezing gently.
Not another word was exchanged that night. Saying anything at all would have spoiled it. The day had started in utter chaos, but had ended in perfect peace. Talk about a twist of fate!
Chapter 7
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you wake up, but you're still dreaming? That's what happened that morning. I had been dreaming about getting together with my favorite person in the whole world, Lance Bass. It was the most perfect night I had ever experienced. Of COURSE it was, because it was a dream. Well, now I was waking up in my dream and Lance was by my side on the ground, with his arm around my midsection. What a nice dream! Too bad it's just a dream. I stirred, causing my dream-mate to awaken, and look at me with tired eyes. He actually spoke in my dream!
"Good morning! Sleep well?" I smiled and closed my eyes, thinking it was weird that Lance would say something like that during my slumbering illusion. I felt his arm leave my stomach, but then felt something else on my face. There was a moist, warm presence on my lips. I opened my eyes to find Lance was kissing me. It was at this point that I realized I was awake, conscious, and that everything that was happening was real. The kiss was just a good morning peck, but it was enough to get my adrenaline flowing and wake me up. As Lance pulled away, I tilted my head up, shook it a few times, and said,
"Hey! You know what, Lance? You're a dream come true." He blushed, but only I knew the hidden meaning.
"Awwww... how sweet! But enough of that mushy stuff. We've got to get you to work," he said, as I snapped up again. Lance had learned, and was leaning way back to prevent another headbutt.
"Ohmygosh... what time is it!? I've got to work at 10am, and I'm going to be late... I don't think I'll..." Grabbing my shoulders to calm me down, he assured,
"Don't worry. It's only 9:00a. You have plenty of time! You're fine... you're fine..." I took a deep breath, and acknowledged what he was saying. He continued, "How 'bout you go shower, then I'll shower while you're getting ready. I've got to go to the hotel anyway for ANOTHER meeting with Peter and Roger. Yippie." His last word was said sarcastically. I agreed, and I was on my way. I stopped in my room to lay out an outfit on the bed and grab some fresh boxers, then proceeded to the bathroom where I stripped and showered. After a refreshing shower, I tossed on the boxers and walked to my room. I was amazed to see that Lance had completely remade the bed from the night before, placing my outfit back perfectly as he found it on the mattress. He was sitting in my chair, watching me as I walked in the room.
"Hey Lance, do you do windows too?"
"Only for a small fee."
"How much?" He flashed an evil grin, and I suddenly didn't want to know.
"NEVERMIND. Don't go there. I'll do the windows myself. Go take a shower!" He frowned for a sec, clearly disappointed that he couldn't watch me dress. "OUT! GET OUT!!" I smacked his butt with my towel as he walked out, causing him to yelp and me to laugh. After getting myself dressed and ready, I realized Lance didn't have a clean change of clothes, so I set out an outfit for him. I poked again at my hair, when I saw him walk into the room through the reflection in the mirror. His towel was round his waist, and his chest looked better than last night. I turned around and smiled at him, nodding my approval at what I saw. He took this as a vote of confidence, and started doing this pathetic flexing routine you'd only see on those muscle man competitions. I just laughed and had to get out of the room before Lance made a complete fool of himself. As I was walking out, I said to Lance, "Get dressed, Goof. I laid out some clothes for ya." He grunted his appreciation, and I went to the kitchen to get some OJ.
Lance finally emerged, and I handed him a glass of OJ. Okay, so it wasn't the quality breakfast he had prepared a few days before. It would have to do. He drank it graciously, and we talked about our plans for the day.
"I work at Mervyns 10-5, but I have the evening off. Do you have any plans tonight?" I asked, paranoid that he had already booked the rest of his vacation without my inclusion.
"Hmmm... let me check." He looked into the imaginary organizer in his hand, and said, "Nope, evening's clear! How 'bout you come down to the hotel when you're off, and we can see if anyone wants to go to dinner. You can meet them all again..." I looked at him questioningly. "Still as my FRIEND." Relieved, I nodded and agreed.
Tossing the cups in the sink, we both walked to the front door. We said our goodbyes and hugged, snatching quick smacks on the lips here and there before leaving the house and heading of to start another day. 'Can this be true? Tell me can this be real?' I thought as I drove to work. Well, apparently so!
"Good morning Amber, good morning Jamie," I said as I floated into the cash office, a big crap-eating grin spread across my face.
"Well, it's nice of you to show up on time today, Billy," Jamie said. I glanced at the clock, and it read 9:56am. 4 minutes early. I nodded, and sat down in the chair, spinning around a few times. When the chair stopped, I made eye contact with two stupefied faces staring at me. I just smiled and grabbed my timecard, ready to punch in. Jamie just shook her head and walked out. After punching in, Amber chimed in,
"Why are you so happy this morning? Did you get laid last night or something?" Her question caught me off guard, and I had to laugh to prevent spilling the beans about my new 'friendship'.
"Uh, YEAH, whatever. You're talking about ME here. That's about as likely as a bright yellow hippo flying by your window there. Besides, can't a guy be happy every once in a while?" Amber shrugged and dropped it. We chatted about nothing while I got my deposits out and got ready to work. On the way back from the vault, I stopped by my box and pulled out a piece of paper. I read it when I got back to the desk, realizing it was a write-up for being late yesterday. It indicated that I could be terminated if there were any future attendance issues within 60 days. Blah blah blah. Try as she might, Jamie couldn't kill my happiness. Not today! I signed the paper and dropped it into her box, returning to my desk to do my job.
My day proceeded uneventfully, as usual. The clock suddenly read 1pm, indicating it was about time for lunch.
"Hey Amber, do you want me to get you anything for lunch? I'm going up the street to find something good," I asked as I turned towards my coworker.
"Nah, but thanks Billy! I brought my lunch today." I nodded and punched out, grabbing my keys and wallet. I hopped into my car and drove a few blocks to a strip of stores and fast food restaurants. I tried to focus on the task at hand-getting lunch-but all I could think about is punching out for good and seeing Lance again. Finally deciding that I'd pass out and not be able to see Lance if I didn't eat, I turned in to Arby's and got in line at the drive thru. I was about four cars deep in the line, so I turned the radio on. As fate would have it, the last part of "Music of My Heart" by N'Sync and Gloria Estefan was playing. I started kicking myself for not turning the radio on a few minutes sooner. I just enjoyed the music until the DJ came back on and re-announced the song.
"That's right, it's the new one by Gloria Estefan and N'Sync, and who better to join us in the studio today than the guys of N'Sync themselves." Was I dreaming again? I turned up the radio and listened intently. "Hey guys, how are you doing today? Are you enjoying San Diego?" A montage of young voices rang through my speakers, of which all I recognized. Lance hadn't told me exactly what they were doing today, and apparently a radio interview was on the agenda.
"Yeah, we've really enjoyed our stay in San Diego. We had a concert Monday night, and we've enjoyed just relaxing and taking in the sights since then. San Diego weather is awesome!" Unmistakably, this was JC. The DJ and the guys bantered back and forth for a few minutes about touring, the new CD, what the guys do on vacation, etc. Finally, the DJ asked what the guys plans were now.
"So, what's your plan now? I'll bet you guys are pretty busy. Are you headed off to another concert somewhere?" Chris spoke up and answered,
"Actually, we've got a week or so off before we have any scheduled commitments, so we're enjoying vacation. But we'll all be leaving this afternoon right after we're done here at the station. We're all flying back to Orlando to finish the rest of our time off." My eyes bulged. WHAT DID HE SAY?
"Welcome to Arbys, can I take your order?"
"Not now!" I yelled at the speaker, turning up my radio.
"Okay, take your time." I ignored the lady inside and listened intently to the radio as I felt a cold sweat start to break out on my face.
"Leaving today? Well, I know some girls that are going to be disappointed at that news!" Yeah, that's not all! Justin spoke up and said,
"Yeah, we want to thank everybody for their love and support in going to the concerts and buying our CDs. Stay N'Sync and we love you all! Good bye and thank you SAN DIEGO!" The DJ then thanked the guys as they all bid their thank yous and good byes to San Diego.
"Are you ready to order, Sir?" I had totally lost my appetite, in fact, my stomach had started to churn and cramp.
"Uhh... I've changed my mind. I just need to get out of this line." I started to panic and feel claustrophobic, now finding myself trapped in a sandwich of cars.
"Ok, fine. Go ahead and pull forward." My mind spun trying to remember a time when Lance said he was leaving. I couldn't think of a time! Why would he do this to me? Build me up and make me feel so strong, then leave without a simple goodbye?
The line moved by one car length, and I revved my engine in a desperate attempt to get closer to the exit and to the road. I could see the lady in front of me look in her rear view mirror and give me a dirty look, but I didn't care. I needed to get to the airport. Finally, the line cleared and I peeled out of the drive thru. I hit the road and drove as quickly as I could to the airport.
I was making myself sick just thinking about what had happened. My stomach was cramping up, my palms were sweating, and I was getting lightheaded. For the past three days, Lance and I had become close friends. A lot closer last night, for sure. I felt a connection with him I had never felt with any other person. Now, that friend was walking out of my life, forgetting that I even existed. I don't care if he wanted to walk out on me. I just wanted one last glimpse, a last look, just one last goodbye before he disappeared forever.
Traffic wasn't bad, making it somewhat easy to get to the airport. For all I knew, I could have been causing accidents left and right in my path of destruction on the freeway. All I could focus on was finding Lance. I pulled into the parking lot and grabbed a ticket, parking in the closest spot I could find. I sprinted into the terminal, determined to find who I was looking for. I was shaking a bit as I looked at the endless list of outbound flights, trying to keep my logic about me and prevent myself from becoming an emotional wreck. I needed to think straight if I was going to get to Lance in time. 'Okay Billy, think. You've done the whole travel bit before. Are there direct flights from San Diego to Orlando? ......NO. Transfer points? Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta.' It was a start. I started scanning screens to find departing flights within the next 30 minutes with a Dallas or Atlanta destination. 'There's one. Gate 18. There's another. Gate 4. There's another! Gate 31.' I refused to let myself get discouraged by this. I was going to find Lance! I got through security at the metal detectors and bolted towards the closest gate-number 4.
I was out of breath when I finally arrived, but I still was able to communicate with the flight attendant. "Where... PANT... is this... PANT... flight going... PANT...?" The bewildered lady responded,
"Direct service to Dallas/Fort Worth, then through to Columbus, Ohio." I nodded and began again my trek through the terminal. The good news was I had eliminated one possibility. The bad news is Lance could be on the plane already, never to be seen by me again. I arrived at the second gate only to find that the plane was just pulling away from the terminal. I ran to the window and slammed on the glass, letting my frustration out. Lance might be on that plane! I fought the tears as this possibility came to mind, but forced every bit of strength within me to get me to the third gate-number 31.
I dodged and swerved, narrowly missing people left and right. Gate 31 was a LONG way down the terminal, but I finally arrived, only to find a group of about 30 girls cheering for someone on the plane. It took only a split second to realize I definitely had the right plane. My spirits lifted, and I felt new hope for my quest. I tried to force my way closer to the front, but I was denied by screaming girls in their pre-teen bliss. I glanced up to find a few security guards controlling the crowd. I looked past the guards, down the ramp to the plane, and saw a few heads bobbing up and down, walking down towards the aircraft. I could barely make out a brunette, one VERY red head, a guy with brown and white braids, and two blondes.
"LAAAAAANCE!! LAAAAAAANCE! IT'S BILLY!" I screamed down the hall, hoping someone would hear it. Yeah right. My yells were obliterated by the screams of the dozens of teenie-boppers surounding me. I managed to move closer, pushing my way up. If only Lance could hear me, he would turn around and see me. "LAAAAAAANCE!! DON'T GO!" I watched the guys round the corner on the ramp, walking out of my eyeshot and on to the aircraft. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
I stopped fighting. I stopped pushing. I stopped yelling. I stopped trying. I stopped hoping. I stopped dreaming.
At that moment, I almost stopped living.
The most special friend I had ever made had just walked out of my life without saying goodbye. Not four hours previous, we were soul mates. At least, it felt like that to me. Now, I was just yesterday's newspaper, tossed to the recycler of used souls. I wanted to hate Lance SO badly, but I just couldn't do it. I could only stand and wonder why he would do something like this to me. I was just standing there thinking, staring blankly down the ramp, totally deadened to the fact that the girls all around me were dispersing, telling each other how sad they were that the guys were leaving. If they only knew.
A zombie had more animation than I as I walked over towards the chairs in the terminal. I collapsed in the chair, planting my head in my hands, staring at the floor. I didn't cry, and I'm not sure why. I was angry, hurt, sad, miserable, humbled, and confused. But most of all, I was in shock. My mind and body were numb. My nervous system just couldn't handle the overload, and just shut itself down. I sat for WHO KNOWS how long in that position, frozen in time, staring at the ground, thinking of all I had gained-and LOST-over the past few days.
I finally glanced up, noticing that the crowd had completely dispersed and the warzone of a few minutes ago had returned to a regularly functioning airport terminal. There were a few passengers seated around me, and a few groups of people walking back and forth on the pathway. The searing realization that I was still on my lunch break-and would be late from it-came burning into my mind, causing me to frown and unwillingly stand to my feet and start walking. I knew I was going to be in big trouble for this, but it really didn't phase me in my current state of shock. I was an emotional wreck on the inside, but I forced myself to put on a calm fa‡ade on the outside as I walked through the terminal.
'When was the last time I was on such an emotional roller coaster? I've only seen crazy emotional situations on TV and in those fictional Internet stories I've read on occasion. But it's not supposed to happen to real people in real life! I'll tell you what, if I live through this, it'll be amazing. They say that whatever doesn't kill you can only make you str..' OOOOOF.
My thoughts were tossed as I crashed into someone's shoulder, clearly as a result of me not looking where I was walking. I felt bad, but knew I would either burst into tears or start yelling if I stopped to apologize, so I just shouted over my shoulder, "Sorry. I'm sorry!" and walked on, my face pointed at the ground. I shook my head as the unmistakable sensation of deja vu overtook my body, but quickly shrugged it off and continued walking.
"Billy?" PAUSE. Nah. There's somebody else with my name. "HEY, Billy?" PAUSE. Nah, there's somebody else with HIS voice calling my name. Footsteps approached. A hand grabbed my shoulder. "Billy!" As my shoulder was spun around, my world twirled upside down as I found Lance staring me right in the eyes.
Touche.
I was in a dream state. My head was spinning, once again facing Lance trying to put the pieces together. I couldn't form a sentence to save my life. "Wha... you left... the plane... no goodbye... I saw the plane leave... how... why are you..." Lance was as surprised to see me at the airport as I was to see him. He saw a look of shock mixed with fear on my face, yet he let me process without interruption. I was still totally confused, but the single most important fact of the whole situation was crystal clear to me.
"You didn't leave me..." I whispered as my eyes began to well up. He reached up, grabbing the top of my arms by my shoulders. He looked into my eyes and, without me having to speak another word, he knew exactly what had happened.
"Oh Billy, I would never leave you. Not like this, not ever," Lance responded, comforting my doubting mind. "You weren't supposed to know about this. It was just a trick for the fans. I had no intention of leaving. Oh Billy, I am so sorry..." Lance couldn't speak anymore because he had been pulled violently into a hug... by me. A feeling of relief and redemption I had never felt before swept me over as I held my friend in my arms, finally believing he was still here and not on the plane. My chin was rested on Lance's shoulder, and I slowly opened my eyes-only to find the rest of the group silently staring at us with confused looks. Quickly breaking the hug, I made eye contact with Lance again and tilted my chin towards the guys, indicating that some serious explaining was needed. Lance realized my reaction, bit his lip, thought for a moment, and turned to face his bandmates.
"You guys obviously remember my friend, Billy. I guess he heard about us leaving and ran down to find us. I didn't tell him we were doing this, and he thought it was the real thing," Lance said, sheepishly looking at the guys and watching their reactions.
"Oh man, I'd have freaked out!" Justin said, walking up to me and Lance, obviously concerned about the situation.
"Nice one, Scoop! When were you going to tell him about 'Fly and Run'?" Chris stepped forward, addressing Lance.
"Hey guys, I'm glad to see a happy family reunion, but let's do this in private where you're not visible. Remember, you're supposed to be on a plane on your way to Orlando," Peter spoke up, herding the guys towards the VIP lounge.
"Billy, come with me. Let me fill you in." A minute later, we were in the VIP lounge. Lance had picked a couch and forced me to sit down. "Remember how I told you about how we spread false info about which hotel we are staying at to prevent mobs? This is another tactic of management called 'Fly and Run'. If we're going to stay somewhere for an extended period of time, sometimes the suits have us make a public departure-but we don't really leave."
"I ran from gate to gate to find the plane you were on. But when I found your plane, I saw you walk down the ramp and on to the plane!" I said, confused.
"You saw us walk down the ramp, true. But we exited out the door and down under the terminal out of the view of the fans. We never set foot on the plane. Now everybody thinks we're gone, and we can enjoy San Diego as normal people." I sighed in relief, happy that I understood what had happened this afternoon.
"I was so scared. I thought you had just taken off without saying goodbye. I didn't know what to do." Lance reached with his hands as if to comfort me, but glanced around the room and noticed a few inquisitive bandmates trying to inconspicuously eavesdrop on the conversation. He pulled his hands back and looked me in the eyes. His stare was speaking volumes to me, and I was comforted and assured of his commitment in the few short seconds we shared. Lance's beautiful green eyes had the ability to do that. I got lost every time I looked into them! We had only known each other for a few days, and we were already able to communicate on a level far beyond words.
We both quickly returned to reality, turning to the other guys in the room. Heads quickly turned away, acting as if the light switch on the wall or the spot on the rug was the most intriguing thing they had ever seen. Lance spoke up,
"Well folks, everything seems to be settled here. We're home free in San Diego, complete with our very own, private tour guide!" I smiled at Lance's reference and saw the rest of the guys start to nod and grin. JC walked to the couch next to ours and sat down, saying,
"So what are we doing tonight, Billy?"
"Yeah, how are you going to wine and dine us tonight?" Chris piped up. I thought for a moment and dared asking,
"Anyone into jazz?" I was answered with unanimous nods, so I continued, "Well, a friend of my parents manages a nice jazz club downtown. It's not in the REALLY busy part of the city, so I think I'll be safe to take you and your 'fame' down there. Hey Justin, what's Britney up to?" Justin looked up, frowned a pouting frown, and said,
"She left this morning to go home. She's doing some studio work, and couldn't hang out for the whole week." Justin's cute puppydog frown garnered Justin a chorus of 'Awwwwwws' from the group.
"Well then, I guess it's just us," Lance said. "Well, except for Joey, too. He's still visiting family up North. Let's meet back at the hotel and we'll freshen up and figure out what the plan is."
A round of handshakes with the guys were exchanged, and Lance even introduced me to Peter.
"Peter, this is my good friend Billy. Billy, Peter, our assistant road manager. Pete's awesome. He's the boss, but he's a cool friend, too. OH YEAH... It's thanks to Pete that your bag was stolen that day at the airport. Without Pete, we'd have never met." Extending his hand, Peter said,
"It's nice to meet you Billy. I've heard a lot about you. I'm REALLY sorry about the luggage. If there's anything I can do to make up for it..." I smiled and said,
"Pete... don't worry about it. It was a learning experience for me. Plus, I got to meet my good friend, Lance, uh James here." Peter chuckled and answered,
"James, yeah I remember that. Haha. Well, I guess everything works out for the good in the end! I'll catch ya back at the hotel." The guys were grabbing their stuff and were starting to head out the back exit as Lance turned to me and said,
"I'm sorry if I scared you today." Lance then spoke a bit quieter. "I'm glad you came down. That means a lot to me."
"Lance, I came down because YOU mean a lot to ME. But it's all solved now, so there's no need to apologize anymore," I whispered. We smiled, and I think Lance was just as tempted to hug me as I was him, but common sense prevailed due to our audience, and we shook hands.
"Meet you back at the hotel? I need to ride with the guys. Can't have people seeing me in the terminal." I nodded, smiled, and understood, and we both walked our separate ways out of the VIP lounge.
I knocked on Lance's door and waited. And waited. No response. 'That's weird. It took me forever to get out of the airport parking lot. He should be here by now.' I knocked again, with similar luck. Totally confused, I decided to check with the guards downstairs to see if Lance had shown up. As I walked towards the elevator, however, a door opened to my right and Lance, along with the sound from a very loud TV, came out.
"Billy!" Lance closed the door behind him. "I was just coming to get you. We're all watching a movie in here, and was coming to put a note on the door."
"Well, I saved you the time!"
"Yeah, that's true." There was a pause as neither of us could think of something to say. The paranoid and socially inferior side of me decided to speak up, creating a discussion topic.
"Hey Lance, are you sure the guys want to hang out tonight? I mean, it is their vacation, do they really want to be forced to hang out with me?" Lance grabbed my hand, saying,
"Billy... the guys really like you. You've been a friend to me AND to them, not a star-struck fan. The guys think you're great.......and I think you're greater!" he said as he squeezed my hand.
"Well okay, as long as you're all cool with it. There's just one thing... We have to be careful."
"Careful with what?" Lance asked.
"Careful with THIS." I leaned over and planted a wet one right on his smoocher. Ha! I totally caught Lance by surprise. Payback time. I leaned in to his ear and said, "You're it!" as I quickly opened the door and joined the party in the crowded hotel room. Recovering from the shock, Lance followed, bellowing,
"Hey! No fair!" The door shut, but the sound of laughter could still be heard in the hall.
We arrived at the jazz club around 7:30p. I had called Herb, my dad's friend, and he had been more than accommodating to get us in without any hub-bub. I didn't really have any concerns about causing a scene, though. People that are in to a jazz club probably aren't going to be freaky freaky N'Sync fans, anyway.
When I was freshening up at the hotel, I realized I didn't have a change of clothes-big surprise-so Lance loaned me yet another outfit. At this point, I think it was safe to say that I had half of his wardrobe and he had half of mine. Anyhow, I walked into the club with a pair of green jeans, a white T-shirt and brown Doc Martens; all Lance's. Herb saw me and came over and shook my hand. We chatted for a few seconds, and I introduced the guys.
"Herb, these are my friends and guests. This is Chris, JC, Justin, Peter, and Lance."
"Any friends of the Wilsons are friends of mine. Allow me to lead you to your table." Herb led us through his club/restaurant and showed us to a table towards the outside of the seating area. The atmosphere was lively, and I saw genuine smiles on the guy's faces. I made sure the guys were seated in a way that I would be next to Lance. Duh! The waiter took our drink orders quickly, and we perused the menu. The club had a real cozy, informal style that included using butcher paper for a table cloth. Of course, provided on every table were a few boxes of crayons. There's nothing like watching a group of young adults revert back 10 years and start drawing aimlessly on the table. It was quite enjoyable to watch.
When the waiter returned, we ordered a few baskets of cheese fries as appetizers, along with a plethora of entrees ranging from a patty melt to a Philly cheese steak sandwich to a taco salad. As we were waiting for our meal, Lance decided to be evil and share with the group the details leading up to and surrounding our first meeting. How embarassing.
Not only did the guys think it was a hoot that I was clueless about the fact that he was Lance on the phone, they roared as Lance described and imitated my reaction when I saw him for the first time on the steps of my porch. I gave the guys the death stare of embarrassment for as long as I could before joining the laughter myself. I'm sorry, but one can only frump for so long in a group of people laughing! Don't worry, I took my revenge.
"Hey JC? Remember when you and I first met? At the FISHING HOLE?" JC laughed out loud and proceeded to share the whole sordid tale of how we REALLY got Lance that first day I came to the hotel. Lance was not laughing. I was. All is fair in love and war, right? Hehe. Fortunately, Lance was saved by the arrival of our entrees. Not long after we dug in, a band got up on stage and started performing. They were terrific! There's no better way to appreciate music than to go to live performances, and I'm so glad we were here tonight. The waiter came back a few times to refill the drinks, and I enjoyed the time immensely. A live band, spending time with friends, being close with Lance. We had managed to scoot close together on the seat of the circular booth. Our hips and legs were touching, but we managed to maintain our upper bodies in a way that made it seem like we were sitting farther than we were. We didn't dare hold hands, but an occasional game of footsies would arise now and then.
I was never one to boast a strong bladder, but I didn't want to ruin the contact with Lance. Justin saved the day. When the band took their first break, Justin spoke up,
"Hey guys? Those sodas went right through me. I gotta piss like a race horse." Lance and I both nodded and indicated we had to go, too. We decided the rest of the guys would go chat with the band on their break while us three used the restroom. Justin sprinted in, followed by Lance and I. There were two occupied urinals and two open stalls. Justin and Lance took the stalls, and I waited for a urinal, which freed up almost immediately. Conversation was non-existent... come on, guys pee too quickly to get a decent chat going! Lance was the first out of the stall, and he joined me at the sink to wash his hands.
"Everything coming out alright in there, Justin? Do you need a hand?" Lance jested.
"I'm FINE, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I know how to handle the equipment."
"Yeah, you're an expert from what I hear through the bathroom door in your hotel room!" Lance and I both laughed and Justin could only yell 'shut up!'. Lance continued, "Justin, we'll meet you back at the table." I took this as a cue to leave, and started opening the door. However, Lance reached over me and forced it closed with his hand, spun me around, grabbed my face and planted a forceful kiss on my lips. I was totally stunned!
"Hehe... I'm being careful! You're it," Lance whispered smugly as he broke the kiss and walked out the door back into the club. I just stared at the door, turning around when I heard the toilet flush. I saw Justin walk out of the stall, still with a shocked look on my face. Justin walked over to the sink and washed his hands, looking up at me and saying,
"What happened? You look like you just lost your virginity or something!" He chuckled at his own joke, and I genuinely laughed along with him, not wanting to let him know he was at least in the right ballpark. In two seconds, he forgot all about it as he looked at his hair in the mirror and started poking his curls. Not long after, we were both back at the table.
We got back to the table and assumed our previous seating arrangements. Lance was chatting with Peter about this and that, and he glanced over to give me a half-cocked smile that said, 'Haha gotcha'. I squinted my eyes and gave him a 'don't ever try that again or I'll kill you but I enjoyed every second of it' look right back. The rest of the table was completely oblivious to our unspoken communication, much to our relief. The band returned to the stage and we enjoyed another 45 minutes of music and discussion.
We were all laughing as we got out of the elevator at the hotel. I had to agree with Lance when he said that Peter WAS pretty cool. You don't find a boss that's also a good friend very often! We all chattered in the hall for a few minutes.
YAWN! "Man, I'm tired folks, I think I'm going to turn in," Chris said as he stretched. "Billy, thanks for a great night. That was a cool idea to check out that jazz club." We shook hands, and he reached for his room key.
"Yeah, thanks Billy. I had a blast," said Justin. "But I'm nowhere near tired! I'm still awake as ever! What do you guys want to do?" He looked around at JC, Lance, and myself, and got only bewildered looks and shrugs.
"Did I see a few pool tables in the lounge when we walked through before?" JC asked. Justin's face lit up and he licked his lips, thinking about getting his hands on a pool cue. "I think I owe you a rematch from the last time." Justin defended himself.
"Nuh uh! I owe YOU the rematch. I won fair and square! You just got a bad memory, JC."
"Okay Curly, you ready to put your money where your mouth is? $20 says I can whomp some bootie on that pool table tonight," JC said as he waved a $20 bill from his wallet. Justin pulled out two $10 bills and said,
"You're on, Josh! Be ready to say bye-bye to Mr. Jackson there!"
"10 minutes. Downstairs. Bring your money and some tissues. You're going to lose one and need the other to sop up the tears, sucker!" The two shook hands dramatically and turned to us. JC asked,
"Are you two going to join me as I kick Curly's butt?" Lance looked at me, and reading my thoughts, replied,
"Nah, I think I'm gunna hang out here. Billy's probably got to take off, and I'm getting sort-of tired. You guys have fun." They nodded and headed to their rooms. Lance then opened the door to his room and we walked in. He fell down backwards on the bed, and I flopped down next to him on my stomach. I put my hand on his arm and said,
"I'm guessing you're not getting tired?" He smiled and shook his head. "That's good," I continued, "because I don't have to take off soon." Silence took over in the room. I wanted to say more, but the thought behind the words just wouldn't form in my head. Lance looked like he had the same problem. We looked at each other, knowing the other had something on his mind that they couldn't speak about. We both finally spoke simultaneously,
"You know, ever since..." "Hey, I was thinking..." We smiled, and I continued. "I was thinking that we haven't really had any time to talk since, well, last night. Life has been so crazy since we left my house this morning, that we haven't really been able to work out the whole... well, you know... jacuzzi thing, and the... well, you know, with the..." The words I was trying to say were so foreign to me. I'd never talked to another guy about straightening out the details of 'our romantic relationship'. This is the guy I trusted with my deepest secret, and yet I couldn't find the words to talk about it. I stuttered for a few more seconds before Lance reached up with a finger to silence my faltering lips.
"We haven't talked about 'us'?" I must have looked so funny with such an incredible expression of relief passing over my face. Ahhh... 'Us.' That sounded so nice!
"Thank you. You always have the right words. We haven't talked about 'us'. I like 'us'. I much prefer 'us' over 'me'. I just don't know what 'us' is right now. That's the problem..." Lance looked at me with such a caring smile. His eyes just pierced through me.
"I totally agree. I really like this 'us' thing too. But we DO need to talk. Not here, though. Let's go out for a drive or something."
"A drive is cool. It is getting sorta late, so why don't we just crash at my place again? Then we won't have to worry about being interrupted by anybody."
"I'd like that. Wherever you are, I will be also." I was touched by his words, but cracking up at the terrible clich‚.
"Oh stop. That was sweet, but really corny. Let's get out of here before the corn really starts to flow." I leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his lips and said, "You're it!". I quickly hopped off the bed with a chorus of Lance's complaints from behind me.
Lance left a note on JC's door saying he'd be back in the morning, and we made our way to my car without a fuss. Strangely, even though it seemed that both of us wanted to talk about this relationship, we didn't want to touch it while driving. We managed to stay off the topic as we drove. It was weird... for the two chatterboxes we both were, we were gravely silent on the trip home. The radio was on, and Matchbox 20, 98 Degrees, Jewel, and Shania Twain all came on. Some songs we sang to, and to others we were silent.
I can't speak for Lance, but I know I was thinking about this waking dream I'd been in for the past few days. I still had to mentally pinch myself to keep me aware of the fact that this was ALL TRUE. Lance was such a caring, concerned friend. Lance and I liked each other. Lance and I have had moments of intimacy. I shook my head slowly and smiled as these thoughts passed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lance looking at me from the passenger seat. Being a jerk, I glanced over at him quickly, causing him to immediately turn his head to the floor and smile an embarrassed smile. I reached over and punched him playfully in the shoulder, and the drive home continued.
We rolled into the driveway, where I parked. I quickly hopped out, but Lance had also gotten out to meet me at the front of the car. Out of the blue, Lance reaches down to grab my hand. I want to say there was electricity, but that would be too melodramatic. What I really sensed was the caring heart in Lance's chest that caused him to reach for me in the first place. We exchanged smiles, and walked slowly up the pathway to the front door. As I arrived, I unwillingly released our interdigitation as I fumbled for the door key in the dark. However, it seems that Lance had other thoughts. He grabbed the keys, set them on a wood ledge, reached up to grab my face, and closed in for yet another passionate kiss. However, this one was like no other we'd yet experienced. It was not forced, it was not rushed, it was not nervous. The porch light was off, the moon dimly lighted the sky, and Lance had me in his control as he only reaffirmed our relationship. He held my face, he held my heart, he held my destiny in his hands. Each time we had kissed, it seemed like it was new and fresh. This kiss was no different. We finally broke as Lance said breathlessly,
"You taste good." I blushed and smiled.
"That's because I brushed my teeth today. You ought to try it sometime!" I jested as I made a sour face and pretended like his lips tasted like cigarettes.
"Oh thanks a lot!" I could only smile as I reached for the keys and opened the door. We both wandered down the hall into the kitchen.
"That's funny, I must have left the light on this morning," I said, noticing the kitchen was illuminated. I kept walking further into the house until I froze in my tracks and my heart stopped at what I saw in the living room.
"Mom! Dad! You're home!"
Well, this chapter answers the question from so many of you, "What about Billy's parents?". So there. More on them next time, for sure. Again, I love feedback or a quick 'hey, what's up', so drop me a line. Stick around here, same Nifty time, same Nifty channel for the next chapter of... TWIST OF FATE (said with big, booming voice).
Kaiser_goof@hotmail.com ~Jeff