| Chapter 5 |
| Justin whipped around to face JC, his face blank. "What did you say?" he asked. JC shook his head, willing away the blush he knew was creeping up his neck. He coughed and tried to make eye contact with Justin without looking away. "Um, isn't that Lance?" he asked, pointing to the blonde a few tables down. "The one you were telling me about?" His voice dropped to just above a whisper. "Your boyfriend?" Justin looked up, his eyes following JC's finger until he saw Lance. He grinned and turned to JC. "Yep, that's him," he said. "Come on, lets go say hi." JC's eyes grew wide and he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before following Justin through the crowd. Lance was laughing at Chris and Joey when he heard someone call his name. "Lance! Lance!" He set his drink down and looked up, his eyes growing wide with surprise when he saw Justin making his way towards him. He grinned, unable to keep the excitement off his face as he resisted the urge to jump up and hug him. Joey sighed at the look in Lance's eyes, and shot Chris a warning look. Justin stopped at their table, grinning at Lance. "Hey," he said. "Fancy meeting you here." Lance nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, it is weird. I thought you had a business meeting today." Justin nodded. "I do. That's why I'm here." He stepped back, motioning for JC to step up. "Guys, this is JC, my newest client. Dude, you should hear this guy sing. It's like whoa." JC blushed. Joey stuck out his hand first and JC shook it. "Name's Joey Fatone," grinned Joey. "JC Chasez," he said. Chris stood up and shook his hand next. "Chris Kirkpatrick," he said, "but you can call me God." Joey rolled his eyes and smacked Chris on the back of the head. "Only in your wildest and freakiest fantasies little man." Chris growled, and then grinned evilly. "Hmm, speaking of freaky, are you talking about the way your girl was screaming my name last night?" Joey choked on his water. "Oh hell no ... you did not just go there." Chris rolled his eyes and smirked. "And what if I did Fatone?" Lance rolled his eyes at his two friends, used to their bickering. He looked up and laughed at the expression on JC's face. His eyes were large as saucers and he looked a little uncomfortable. "They're just goofing around," Lance grinned at him. "They don't mean anything by it." He smiled warmly at JC and held out his hand. "I'm Lance." JC smiled, shaking Lance's hand. "I know." Lance raised an eyebrow and JC blushed, mentally kicking himself. "I mean, Justin showed me your picture in his office." Justin grinned, resting a discreet hand behind the back of Lance's chair and brushing his thumb along the back of Lance's neck. "Well, you know, I like to brag about my baby," whispered Justin, and Joey and Chris stopped fighting long enough to tease Lance as he blushed. JC sighed, feeling like the fifth wheel in their little group. Lance cleared his throat, glaring at Chris and Joey before looking up at Justin and JC. "Why don't you two join us? There's room here. Unless you have business to take care of." JC mentally crossed his fingers and prayed that Justin would say no. He didn't think he could stand being so close to Lance and not having the guts to do anything about it. Justin shook head. "Nope, we pretty much covered things at the office," he said. He looked at JC. "Do you mind if we join them?" JC didn't look at Justin, instead making eye contact at Lance, who gave him a friendly smile. He smiled back and said, "Sure. Sounds great." Joey and Chris shared a look. "Great!" said Justin, pulling up a chair next to Lance as JC sat next to him. Joey coughed lightly to catch Chris's attention. He nodded towards JC and raised an eyebrow. Chris grinned and nodded. "Um, I need to use the little boys room," said Chris, standing up. "Come on Joe, come with me. Maybe we can switch the signs on the bathroom doors while we're there." Joey grinned and stood up. "I'm there!" The two of them walked off, stopping a few tables away to watch the three remaining people at their tables. Joey nodded towards JC again and grinned. "Looks like somebody has a little crush on Lancey-poo." Chris nodded, scratching his goatee. He grinned at Joey. "You know what THAT means, don't you?" Joey nodded and started singing. "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match..." Chris joined in as they walked away. "...find me a find, catch me a catch..." ~*~ Lance and Justin laughed together and JC smiled politely, wishing that he were anywhere else but there. He looked at Lance and sighed. 'So close, and yet so far away,' he thought. JC watched as a good-looking man walked by their table, looking Lance up and down as he strutted by. Justin frowned, scooting closer to Lance and letting his arm on the back of Lance's chair slip onto his boyfriend's shoulders. He glared at the other guy until he shrugged and walked away, and then moved his arm back onto the chair. He smiled triumphantly and looked at Lance, who was frowning slightly. "What was that all about?" he asked. Justin shrugged. "He was checking you out," he said. "I was just making sure he knew that you were with me." Lance rolled his eyes. "God, just brand me with your logo why don't you?" Justin sighed. "Come on Lance, don't be like that. I just..." His explanation was cut off by a shrill sound coming from his coat pocket. Lance crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. Justin sighed and pulled the ringing cell phone out of his pocket. "I have to take this Lance," he said. Lance turned in his seat, lowering his eyes to his plate as he picked at his salad. Justin threw his arms up in the air and answered the phone. "Hello? Yes, Mr. Wright. How are you sir? That's good. Yep, we signed the contracts this morning. Actually, he's with me right now. We're having lunch with some friends." JC blocked out Justin's conversation, choosing instead to watch Lance's sad and angry face as he rearranged the food on his plate. 'He looks so sad,' he thought. 'Work or no work, Justin shouldn't be answering his phone when he's supposed to be with Lance. Judging by the look on his face, I'd say this has happened before.' Justin pushed his chair back, still talking on his phone as he walked away from the table to get some privacy. JC swallowed hard as he realized that it was just him and Lance. Alone. Together. 'Don't be such a chicken shit,' he scolded himself. 'Say something to him! Make him laugh or smile. Anything to wipe that lost look off his face.' JC cleared his throat, feeling his palms start to sweat when Lance looked up at him. He smiled nervously and clapped his hands together, mostly to keep them from shaking. "So," he began, "why don't you tell me something about yourself." 'God, I am such a loser,' he thought.' "I mean, Justin didn't tell me much." Lance sighed. "That doesn't surprise me." JC closed his eyes, wanting to smack himself. "I'm sorry," he said. "If you don't want to talk to me I'll just..." "No, JC, that's not it," Lance said, brushing his fingertips across JC's wrist. JC stared down at where Lance had touched him, groaning inside when Lance pulled his hand back. Lance smiled at him and shook his head. "This has nothing to do with you. It's something between Justin and I that has been going on for a while. I promise you aren't a part of it." JC nodded, silently wishing he WAS a part of it. Lance sat up straight and looked at him. "So, do you still want to know about me?" JC made eye contact with Lance, smiling at his bright green eyes. "Yeah, I do." Lance grinned. "Okay. I warn you though, it's not very exciting." JC laughed and leaned forward. "I'll be the judge of that." ~*~ Chris and Joey grinned as they watched Lance and JC laugh together from across the patio. "Looks like they're both enjoying each other's company," Chris observed. Joey nodded. "So, what do we do now?" Joey shrugged. "We do nothing. Justin is still our friend Chris, and he DOES actually care about Lance. He just has a funny way of showing it." Chris nodded. "Do you think they're still in love?" Joey shrugged. "I dunno." He smiled as he watched Lance laugh at something JC said. "But this is the happiest I've seen Lance in a while. I say we watch them and Justin, make sure nobody gets jealous. They'll have to take it from there." |