More feedback...more feedback...more feedback! Okay, enough pleading.
This story in no way implies anything about the sexuality of NSYNC or 98 degrees or the guys management or even their pets...it is a made up story, plain and simple. Also, please be of legal age to read this and if it is not legal at all where you live, go away before you end up in prison. Enjoy!
Chapter 15 - If you feel true love and trust
Lance was moping. And he knew exactly why. He felt terrible for the way he treated JC the night before: using him as a piece of meat so he could feel better about his erotic dream involving Drew Lachay.
And, of course, JC noticed and even asked him about it that morning. Lance had brushed it off to being tired, but he knew JC could see right through him. Lance knew in order for this thing with JC to work, total honesty was required. He just hoped that when he did tell JC how he used him, he wouldn't be too angry.
So, Lance now sat on the balcony of their hotel, overlooking the busy New York Streets below. In a couple of days, they would have to fly back to LA to appear on the Latin Grammy Awards. Originally, they were just going to hang out and rehearse here, since the tour kicked off on the East Coast; but, they agreed to do this appearance and it meant more flying for the guys. Lance was not looking forward to it.
Lance was checking his e-mail. Part of him hoped his dad had sent him something and part of him didn't. If they couldn't talk on the phone for some reason, Lance and his family almost always e-mailed each other. But, when he opened up his inbox, he only had one e-mail and it was from Tyler, JC's brother. They had exchanged addresses before he left last weekend; but, he really didn't expect him to write. Still, it was nice to get something besides that Spam Mail.
He opened up the letter:
Lansten,
Had to call you that, since I know it bugs ya so! And since you are sorta
family now, I have a duty to rag on you. Anyway, just wanted to say hi.
I'm really just trying to put off writing a psych paper for as long as
possible and am going through my address book. Seriously though, I think
it's cool about you and my bro. Weird, but cool. If the world only knew,
huh? My girlfriend's roommate is totally in love with you - I could really
pop her bubble, right? I won't though, don't worry. Congrats on winning
those awards. And please tell my bro not to wear that coat in public again!
Write me back if you get a chance!
Adios,
Ty
Lance smiled and hit the reply button. He began typing a normal spiel with the hellos' and I'm fine's'. He said he would send an autographed pic for that girl. He ended the letter by thanking him for being so cool about he and Josh. He was about to hit send when he heard the sliding door open and someone walk up behind him. >From the cologne, he knew immediately it was JC.
"So, you are having an affair with my brother. I knew it!" JC joked as he leaned over Lance's chair and put his arms around him, kissing him on the cheek. JC's breath was sweet with the scent of the apple he was munching on.
Lance sent the mail and closed his laptop. He looked up at JC and smiled, "Oh yeah. We have hot cybersex every night".
JC sat down next to Lance and they both sat in silence for a minute, staring at the cloudy sky.
JC finished his apple and turned to Lance, "So, you gonna tell me what's wrong or am I gonna have to play twenty questions?"
Lance sat up and swung around to face JC, "No, I'll talk. It's about last night".
JC interrupted, "You mean the half-asleep sex we had? I was hoping you'd explain that. Not that I didn't like it, mind you, but it wasn't really like you".
Lance hesitated, "Well, it started because I had a dream last night".
JC sat up and smirked, "Oh, a dirty one?"
Lance nodded and lowered his head. JC figured it out, "Let me guess. It wasn't about me?"
Lance whispered, "No, it was about another guy".
JC appeared to not be too bothered and somewhat excitedly asked, "Who was it? Not one of the guys?"
Lance shook his head, "No, it was.uhhh.Drew Lachay".
Lance expected JC to blow his top, but he was still quite calm and in fact quite aloof about the whole thing. He put his hand on Lance's knee, "You were worried I'd be upset about a sex dream you had? Is that why you're so down in the dumps today?"
Lance said nothing, so JC went on, "Hon, you can't control your dreams".
Lance stood up and walked to the railing, "Yeah, but doesn't it mean that I have some sort of attraction to him? I mean, I love you with all my heart Josh".
JC got up and went to Lance, "I know you do and I trust you. Just because you had that dream doesn't mean you should doubt your feelings for me. I mean, you spent time with him last night and he is a handsome guy. Hell, he's pretty hot - have you seen their new video?"
This caused Lance to smile slightly, but he returned to him sullen manner when he thought about the consequences of that dream, "Yeah, but what I did after I woke up was inexcusable".
JC took Lance's chin in his hand, "We had some hot sex. I wouldn't call that a bad thing."
Lance looked lovingly in JC's eyes, "But, I used you to prove something. It was wrong".
JC walked Lance back to the chairs and sat him down, "You're being too hard on yourself, Lance. You woke up, you were horny, we had hot sex. We didn't make love - we fucked. But, the point is, you did it with me. You weren't even tempted to go find Drew and screw him. Fantasy is okay. It's when that crosses over into reality that we might have a problem".
Lance was overwhelmed. JC was so wonderful and he wanted to show him. So, he leaned in and kissed him on the mouth and pulling away said, "I love you so much".
JC didn't reply, but instead got up and sat behind Lance on the chair. Lance leaned into JC and they lay there, Lance listening to JC's heart beat slowly and rhythmically in his chest.
Finally JC broke in, "Of course, if Drew wants to join us for a threesome sometime."
Lance sat up and glared at JC, "You are too funny, you know that?"
JC kissed Lance, "And you are too cute."
Lance ran his fingers up and down JC's chest, "I know".
JC grabbed Lance's hand and led it down to JC's crotch, "You know. The thought of our little fuckfest last night has made me a little horny. Care to help me relieve some tension?"
Lance got up, pulling JC with him, "I think we can arrange something". He led him back inside the hotel, being sure to close the curtains.
The next day was a Saturday and the guys were supposed to have the day off; but, early that morning, they had gotten a call from Johnny, their manager that they had to have a meeting. These summit meetings never were for something positive and Lance feared something regarding his relationship with JC had surfaced.
These meetings had been commonplace earlier that year when they were battling with their record label. Lots of yelling and name-calling had occurred and it had really hurt the moral of the group. There was a brief time during the whole thing that Lance worried there wouldn't be an NSYNC at all.
But, since Jive had stepped in and saved them (which made their treatment as of late even more depressing) things had been going well. The summit meetings had stopped and except for the recent semi-summit the week before, things had been going smoothly.
Of course, when Johnny called a meeting an sounded serious about it, it only meant bad things were in the future. So, understandably, the guys were apprehensive about attending, but knew they had no choice.
So, they gathered that afternoon in one of the meeting rooms at the hotel. Johnny was there and so was Melinda, their PR guru. Luckily, the suits from Jive weren't in attendance, which cleared some of the tension in the room.
Johnny and Melinda were wearing their "I'm-smiling-but-trouble-is-ahead" faces that Lance and the others knew well. As they sat down, JC grabbed Lance's hand. He was just as nervous as Lance was.
Melinda greeted the guys and they chit-chatted for a minute about the awards and other random stuff. Finally, Johnny got up and opened his briefcase, removing a picture. He slid it across the table to JC, who grabbed it.
Lance's heart skipped a beat as he wondered what in the world could be on the photo. He was certain is was a picture of he and JC in some awkward position. Maybe the tabloids took it, or maybe Jive did it to show how vulnerable they were.
Lance waited nervously for JC to show him the picture.
But, looking at JC, he realized that the picture wasn't something so simple as the two lovers kissing. JC was downright confused and lowered the picture on the table. Lance looked at it and noticed the other guys were straining to see too.
Lance saw why JC was confused. The picture was something of a surveillance photo of a young woman holding a baby. Lance didn't recognize her and from the look on everyone else's faces, neither did they.
Johnny coughed, "You don't recognize her JC?"
JC shook his head, "No, and I have a feeling I should".
Melinda leaned on the table, "Her name is Melissa Dougherty. She's 21 and 2 years ago, after a concert in Philadelphia, she says that she and JC had sex".
JC cocked his head, "Okay. I know this sounds bad, but honestly, a lot of our groupies look the same. I wasn't exactly thinking about women when I slept around. I was thinking about not being gay."
"Well, it didn't work, right Lance?" Chris asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Johnny sat back in his chair, "Well, we have a problem".
Justin spoke up, "So, Josh had sex with girls. We all knew that. What's the big deal? What - is she saying this baby is his?"
Johnny and Melinda looked at each other and said nothing. Justin laughed nervously, "I was kidding guys. Tell me it's a joke."
Melinda frowned, "No joke. Miss Dougherty is claiming her 14-month old son is yours JC. She's talked to Jive and is thinking about filing a paternity suit".
Everyone gasped and grew silent, turning their gazes to Josh. Lance sat back, in shock. How could this be happening? If it wasn't one horrible thing, it was another. He glanced at JC, who had laid his head on the table.
Again, Chris tried to lighten the mood, "Well, this should squash those pesky gay rumors".
JC ignored him, and stood up, "Then let's do a paternity test ASAP".
Melinda stood up, "You're not denying it, JC?"
JC shrugged, "How can I? I did sleep around with women back then and I can't remember all of them. It's entirely possible."
Johnny got up too, "I'll call Jive and we'll get started on doing a test".
Melinda smiled at JC, "You know no matter what happens, we'll be behind you JC".
JC waved his thanks and walked out of the room. The other guys sat there, in stunned silence. Lance went out after JC and found him pacing the hallway.
Lance tried to calm him, "Don't worry. We'll get through this".
JC snapped, "Don't worry? How the hell can you say that? If this is true, my whole world is going to change completely. I'll be a father. And you know I can't abandon my kid. I won't do that".
Lance reassure him, "I know you won't. You're a good man and you'll be a great father - if it comes to that. But, you can handle any changes that come your way".
JC stopped, "I don't know if I can".
Lance grabbed JC be the shoulders, "Look! Less than a month ago, you were acting like Mister Straight Boy and hiding in your closet and the thought of being with me wasn't even close to being a reality in your mind. But, it's all changed. Your life has changed. And you handled that okay".
JC shook him off, "But, this is another person we're talking about. My child".
"You don't know for sure, Josh," Lance retorted.
JC wiped his face, "I just need to deal with this".
Lance cupped his face, "We'll get through this together".
JC pulled away, "No. I need to be alone right now. I'm sorry." He walked away, not looking back. Lance stood there, knowing that JC probably did need some alone time; but, still his heart was breaking inside.
Lance and the guys (minus JC) headed back to the hotel suite. When they got there, there was no evidence that Josh had been back yet. Lance was beginning to get worried.
Justin saw this and tried to comfort him, "He just needs a little time to think, man. This is a lot to swallow right now".
Lance sighed, "I know. I just want to be there for him".
Justin put a hand on his shoulder, "And you will. When he needs you. But, for now he needs alone time. You gotta respect that".
Lance did. It just hurt him to think of JC in any kind of pain. If this allegation was indeed true, it would radically shift things in the group. After JC left, Lance went back into the room and sat with the other guys discussing things.
Joey stepped up first, "Look, if this is true, it won't sink us. I mean, that guy Jeff in 98 degrees has a kid and he's even kept it low key".
Johnny agreed, "I realize that. Guy's, I don't care as much about what the public thinks, but I don't want this to hurt things in the group". He glanced at Lance.
Lance sat up in his chair, "I can't speak for Josh, but it doesn't matter to me if he has a kid. It's not like he's gonna marry this girl, regardless".
Chris got serious, "But, is he gonna want to be a part of this kid's life and live with him?"
Justin thought, "I would think so".
Melinda chimed in, "Well, that could certainly hurt things. It's hard to tour when you're trying to be a family man".
Lance stood up, "Look, why are we speculating? Let's just wait and see how this pans out, okay? This woman could be some crazed fan or something".
Melinda spoke, "I don't think so. Steve and Mike at Jive think this is pretty legit. They've already got me getting press stuff together for a news release".
They talked for a few more minutes, but really got nowhere. Lance finally convinced them to just drop it for now and see what happened with the paternity test.
As they all collapsed on the couches, no one said a word. A minute later, JC walked in the door and right past the guys. Chris said hi, but JC walked into he and Lance's room and shut the door. Lance was unsure what to do, but opted to go check on him.
He knocked on the door and when he didn't get an answer, he opened the door and went inside. JC was there, sitting on the bed, staring off into space. He turned to Lance, but didn't smile. Lance sat next to him.
JC grabbed Lance's hand, "This is what I get for being a slut".
Lance admonished him, "Don't say that Josh. It only takes one time with someone to make a baby."
"Thanks, Dr. Ruth," JC replied sarcastically.
"Jeez, sorry," Lance whimpered as if he had just been slapped.
JC got up and replied quickly, "Sorry. I'm a little on edge".
Lance got up and went to him to hug him, but JC avoided his touch, "Lance not now."
Lance backed off. JC started pacing again and finally turned to his boyfriend, "I don't know what's going to happen with this thing, but it could affect us. I just want you to know".
Lance was confused, "Why would it? Are you saying there won't be room in your heart for me and your kid. Because I don't believe that. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know".
JC held up his hand to stop Lance, "Please, no more of this 'I'm a great guy' crap, alright".
Lance shut up and turned away from JC. JC went on, "I'm just telling you that if I do have a kid, then I intend to concentrate on him and I'm not for sure where that puts us".
Lance turned to JC, somewhat offended, "You're serious? You're saying that you can just toss what we have out the window like that?"
JC was getting frustrated, "It's not like that. I love you and always will, but I have to put my kids first".
Lance laughed, "God, you're acting like you're a father already! You don't even know yet!"
JC was angry now, "I'm just getting prepared for things Lance".
Lance was also peeved, "I'm not asking you to abandoned a child or any responsibility you may have; but you can find a happy medium if you try."
JC walked to the window, "Look, I just need to deal with this on my own terms and I need you to just leave me alone".
Lance wasn't' going to back down, "We're in love! You can't share this with me?"
JC spun around and got in Lance's face, "You don't understand okay! You don't know what it's like to have this problem. You won't ever have this problem, cause you're nothing but a damn fag! You haven't even slept with a girl before".
Lance was stunned at JC's harsh words and walked out of the room. JC didn't try to stop him. He walked by the other guys, tears streaming down his face. He walked to the elevator and took it down to the lobby, where he proceeded to the lobby bar and ordered a shot of tequila.
He threw back his drink and wiped away his tears. He didn't know what was happening. This morning, things had been fine. They had worked through the dream issue and made love. Things were great. But, now Josh wanted nothing to do with Lance. It scared him and made him angry that he couldn't trust him. Lance ordered another drink.
"Better be careful or you'll fall off the stool," a voice said as Lance leaned his head back and swallowed the shot.
He turned around to see Drew Lachay standing there, "Drew? What are you doing here?"
Drew sat on the stool next to Lance, "MTV put all of us up in the same hotel, remember?" Lance had forgotten that. He had seen quite a few stars in the hallway over the last couple of days.
Drew continued, "I was checking my messages at the front and saw you in here, downing shots and figured something was wrong."
Lance played it off, "It's nothing, really"
Drew smiled, "I doubt it. Man trouble?"
Lance laughed. Drew must've been psychic. Plus, the shots were getting to him, "Men are pigs".
Drew ordered two Cokes and handed one to Lance, "That we are my friend."
Lance took a sip, "It's a long story".
Drew took a swig too, "I don't have any plans tonight. I'm a good listener".
Lance looked at Drew and was glad that he was here. It was nice to have someone who was like him to talk to. So, he began unloading his tale, but caught himself when he noticed that the bar was filling up and people were looking at him.
Drew noticed to, "Ah, the price of fame. Look, why don't we go to my room and you can spill your guts there".
Lance felt a knot in his stomach and didn't know if it was the alcohol or not. Still, he hopped off the stool and turned to Drew, "Sounds good. Let's go".
Drew led Lance out of the bar and onto the elevator. As the doors closed, Lance knew the night was far from over.
Had to the cliffhanger thing...once again, don't worry about the guys - too much! Look for them on the Latin Grammys (don't really know why they're there - Gloria?) on Wednesday.