She loved this. The shows, the excitement, the chaos that they went through with every tour. She wouldn't dream of doing anything else. They reached the dressing room and the guys quickly shrugged off their sweat-soaked clothing, down to the form-fitting suits underneath. Whip and her assistant, Ruby made sure they had everything before they left them alone to rest for a few and get dressed.
Whip had been working with NSYNC for a few years now. She'd come on as an assistant at the beginning of the No Strings Attached Tour and now that their new album was out after their long hiatus, she was head of wardrobe. She made sure all the "costumes" were always together and ready for them, made sure they were washed daily, and temporarily fixed any accidents that happened while they were onstage. Life couldn't get any better.
~*~
"Boy, I forgot how much this shit takes out of you," Justin groaned. Each of the others grunted in agreement. They were out of shape and it showed. Chris stood up stretching and Joey let out a moan as Shay rubbed his shoulders. Lance smiled to himself when Joey pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck. Joey and Shay were perfect for each other. They'd basically grown up together and even though it had taken some unwanted help from his friends, they were finally together. Lance was happy for Joey. He deserved it.
Just as they were beginning to relax, Anthony popped his head in the door and told them it was time to meet the fans. Groaning again, they all got up slowly and made their way down the hall. It was the usual scene. There were mostly young teenagers, telling them how awesome they were, a few college-aged girls, dressed in the skimpiest things they could pour themselves into, and then there was the last group. This was the group that Lance liked the best. Adults. Most of them were there with their younger children and he loved hearing about how surprised they were at the great show they put on. He was always excited to see the range of people that their music affected. Of course, there were some adults that came there on their own and that was great too. They had been through so much proving themselves in this business and it had paid off.
Putting on the smiling faces, they schmoozed with the crowd until they were finally escorted out the back door to their waiting transportation. Once they were inside and on their way to the hotel, they finally started to relax. Justin and JC picked at little things that they noticed needed little touch-ups while Chris and Lance joked about the fans they met backstage. Joey and Shay just hid in the back, cuddling and making up for the time they'd spent apart. The SUV made it's way to the hotel and they hurried up to their rooms. Lance was tired, but the adrenaline was still running through him and he decided to go down to the pool and swim a few laps to see if he could work it off.
~*~
Whip couldn't stand it anymore. Her roommates were driving her nuts with their constant chatter and giggling. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and go to sleep, but she knew they wouldn't be winding down for quite some time. Sighing, she grabbed her room key and walked to the elevators. She'd just go for a little walk and maybe by the time she got back, it would be calm enough for her to get some sleep. All these hotels had basically the same layout, so she just roamed around the lobby, looking for something to take her mind off sleeping. Pushing through a set of glass doors, she realized she was in the pool area. She started to leave and heard a splash. Turning to see who would be swimming at this hour, her eyes settled on a lean figure arcing it's way gracefully through the water. Her interest piqued, she moved a couple of steps closer to watch him glide soundlessly along the length of the pool before performing a flawless turn and pushing off the side again. She realized she was intruding on this person's time alone, but she couldn't help but be fascinated by the way his muscles flexed and the contours of his slim, but broad frame. She watched for a few more minutes before turning again to leave.
"Whip?" A deep voice echoed through the room. She stopped and blushed at being caught. Straightening again, she turned back toward the man and was a little surprised to find Lance holding onto the side of the pool, dripping and grinning. He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up everywhere and she almost giggled at the image he made.
"What are you doing here," he asked, breathing hard.
"Well," Whip replied, "My roommates had decided to throw a little party and right now, I'd just like to relax, but it doesn't look like I'm gonna get to do that for awhile."
"Yeah," he nodded in agreement, "I've got the same problem. I figured I'd come down here and work off some energy."
"Well, I'd better let you get back to your workout then," Whip turned to go again and stopped when he asked her to stay.
"I'm gettin out anyway," he explained, "We could go to the lounge and see if they can scrounge us up somethin to eat." Whip thought about saying no, but knew if she went back to the room she'd have to deal with all the people and she liked Lance. It would be interesting to get to know him a little better. She accepted his invitation and watched with interest as he pulled himself from the water. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away, although she knew she should. She peered at him as he toweled himself off, watchin his hands rub the towel over his lean body. He told her he'd be back as soon as he'd changed and she nodded mutely. She shook her head after he'd left and mentally chided herself. What the hell was she thinking? This was Lance. She'd been around him for years. Why the hell was she fantasizing about those hands running over her own body? Before her thoughts could go any further, she stepped over to the door and waited. She was just tired. That was why her mind had done that. She was tired and not thinking correctly.
Lance came out of the locker room, still a bit damp, but fully dressed. Whip was relieved that this Lance had no effect on her whatsoever. He opened the door for her and she thanked him before going through. Whatever had happened was gone now. Hopefully, it would stay gone. She couldn't afford to get hooked on one of the guys. It wasn't her style anyway. Whip shrugged it off and Lance joined her quickly as they headed toward the lounge.