"Can I ask you a personal question," he ventured.
"Well," Whip relied, grinning, "You can ask, but that doesn't mean I'll answer." Lance chuckled and leaned forward again.
"How did you get the name Whip," he asked with a twinkle in his eye. Whip just blushed and looked down at the table. She'd hated that nickname when she'd first gotten it. Sighing, she looked up at Lance's expectant face.
"You really wanna know?" she asked.
"Well, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," he replied, folding his hands under his chin, "I've always been curious about that." Whip shook her head, smiling. Well, she supposed she'd have to tell him.
"Alright," she began, takin a sip of her water, "my best friend nicknamed me that in high school. My real name's Whitney or Whit as most people called me." Lance's gaze was so intense that Whip had to take another sip from her glass to keep her mouth from drying out. She continued, laughing a little, "This is where it gets silly. Ok, you know the song Whip It by Devo?" Lance nodded, his attention never wavering.
"Well, my best friend, Marcy loved that song and everytime she saw me in the halls at school, she'd just stop and yell whip it at the top of her lungs," Whip knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help it. His sparkling green eyes were beginning to unnerve her. She laughed nervously and kept talking.
"Since everyone called me Whit to begin with, Marcy just went and changed it to Whip and it stuck. So, there ya go, the whole story. Maybe more than you wanted to hear, but that's how I got the name Whip. It's kind of dorky, but it fits I guess." The waiter returned with their sandwiches and they sat back, letting him place the plates in front of them. He asked if there was anything else they needed and when they declined, he said if there was to let him know since he'd be in the back. Turning to their food, they ate in silence for a little bit. Whip didn't know what the hell was coming over her lately. It had to be the exhaustion. That was the only logical conclusion. She glanced up to find Lance looking at her expectantly and realized he'd spoken. Setting her sandwich down, she asked him what he'd said.
"I said that you weren't rambling earlier," he chuckled, "I like hearing about people. Since we've never really talked before, I figured we could just get to know each other a little better." Whip thought about it and realized that they hadn't talked much except for their usual joking around backstage and the clothing changes. She started to relax and before they knew it, they'd been talking for hours. Their sandwiches were long gone and they just sat there, drinking their teas. She'd enjoyed this little experience with Lance, but looking at her watch, her eyes widened at the time. She told him she needed to get back to her room and he offered to walk her up. Whip smiled to herself. Always the gentleman. They talked non-stop till they reached her door. Whip turned back to Lance.
"Thank you for......well, for everything," she said, knowing she sounded like an idiot, "I gotta go."
"You're welcome," Lance's eyes caught hers again and she shivered unexpectedly, "I hope we can do it again sometime." Before she could protest, he leaned down, quickly brushing his lips against her cheek and spun to head for his own room. Whip just stood there, her hand touching the spot where his lips had been. Shaking herself, she entered her room and shut the door behind her.
~*~
Lance walked slowly back to his room, whistling softly. He'd really enjoyed talking to Whip tonight. It surprised him, although he didn't know why. He'd known her for quite some time and they'd always gotten along. Leaning against the wall in the elevator taking him up, he thought back to their conversation in the lounge. Whip was actually a very interesting person and he looked forward to seeing her again the next day. The elevator opened and he turned left, walking toward the door to his room. He didn't know why he'd felt compelled to kiss her when he'd walked her to her room. It had just felt right. All thoughts of Whip though were pushed out of his mind when he reached the room to find the it in shambles. He shook his head and shut the door. Yep, he thought, they were definitely back on tour.