Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 14:31:51 -0700
From: dkstories@cox.net
Subject: A Phone Call 9

Legal Stuff: I don't know NSYNC or any other celebrity mentioned.  While
real people are the basis of characters, they are characters here and do
not represent the real lives, thoughts, or feelings of the real people.
Again, these are characters based on them, not the real people themselves.
If you are too young, or live in a location where it is illegal to read
stories that include love between men, read no further!  Like that would
have ever stopped me...

Author's Note: With this chapter, the characters of this story begin to
deal with some heavy issues.  I think the story does a good job explaining
what is going on, what they are thinking, and why they react the way they
do.  I'm also expecting some people to react negatively to some of the
characterizations presented.  I suggest you read the next chapter, which
should be posted at the same time before sending a flame mail.  This
storyline is 15 chapters in length, and I've finished writing all of them.
I'm trying to edit them as fast as possible, and hopefully you'll be seeing
two chapters a day until it is finished.

The feedback has been great, and I appreciate all your comments.  Don't
hesitate to drop me a note and let me know what you think.  Also, if
something in the story hits you pretty hard, and brings up the need to
talk, don't hesitate to e-mail me.  If you've gone through what some of the
characters have, and you've never told anyone about it, I urge you to talk
to family, friends, or a therapist.  Failing that...e-mail me.  Holding it
in will only make things worse in the long run.  Now, on with the story...

A Phone Call Chapter 9 --

Did I say I hate mornings?  Well guess what?  I woke up Saturday morning
with a smile on my face and the most wonderful feeling in the world
emanating from down below.  A half hour later I was telling James just how
great of an alarm clock he makes.  He had the modesty to blush.  I told him
it was my turn to wake him up, and a half hour or so later, we were
showering together, relearning each other's bodies.  Sure, we'd been
separated less than two weeks, but you stay away from the man you love that
long and see how reassuring a shower can be.

We got out of the shower and started getting ready for our drive.  It was 3
hours to where we were going and I wanted to be there by noon.  I'd made
reservations for us at the campground but I still knew that it would be
full this weekend.  James started dressing in some clothes that would look
good in LA, but was not suited for the mountains.  I smiled and showed him
four sets of clothes that I'd bought the other night.

"Pick some of those to wear," I told him.  "We'll pack the others."

"But..." He began to object, but I cut him off.

"But nothing, love.  We're going up into the mountains, not out on the
town.  Trust me you'll be happy you're wearing those."

"Okay.  I guess if you're nice enough to wear what I buy, I can wear what
you buy." He said with a smile.  The retort I had ready never got uttered
because the phone rang.  To my shock, it was Manuel.  He usually called me
at midnight, or later (even with the time difference having him a couple of
hours ahead of me) and complained about not meeting anyone when he went out
or something similar.  He NEVER called me this early.

"What's up?" I asked him worriedly.

"I just wanted to tell you about the last few days." He said, his voice a
mixture of happiness and his more usual pessimism.

"Oh, nothing bad happened, did it?" that was my first thought.  I always
got a call when bad things happened.

"No," He said, his voice telling me he knew what I was thinking.  "I
actually had a good time and thought I'd share it with you."

"Okay, well James and I are leaving soon, but talk while I finish packing."
I told him.

"He's there?" Manuel actually sounded interested.

"Yeah, he's packing his bag.  We're going camping."

"Cool, well anyway, I had yesterday off work and went out Thursday night.
I met this guy and went home with him.  He was actually pretty nice.  A big
bottom."

"Oh, just what you like." I said, smiling.

"Yeah, so I hung out with him on Friday. You know the 24-hour test." He
said.  You see, Manuel has this belief about people he meets.  If he likes
them, he sticks with them for 24 hours.  If he still likes them after 24
hours, they are a keeper.  If he gets tired of them within 24 hours,
they're gone.

"So, how did it go?" I asked.

"Not too bad.  We hung out, went to the movies.  Then we went a friend of
his house.  Drank some there, then went to the opening of some new club.
That's where things went downhill.  His best friend Rick was there and I
felt sorry for the guy.  He's older, single and was looking lonely so I
kept on talking to him.  Clyde, the guy I was with got all jealous.  After
we'd been there for a few hours, Clyde gets all pissed and throws his keys
at Rick and says he can have me.  Like I'm some piece of meat to pass
around."

"Shit." I commiserated.  James was ready, and so was I.  He started lugging
stuff out to the car, and I finished packing the foodstuffs we'd take with
us.  "What happened next, Manuel."

"Well, Rick to me to his place.  We talked for a bit and I told him I
wasn't interested.  He took me back to Clyde's because that's where my
motorcycle and my gear was.  I had to talk to Clyde.  I tried telling him
what was going on, but he got all pissy, so I left.  I mean, he was good in
bed, but I don't know."

"What don't you know?"  I asked, laughing inside.

"He was just too damn happy all the time." Manuel complained.  I couldn't
help but to bark out a quick laugh.

"Let me get this straight...you don't think he's right because he was too
damn happy?"

"Yeah, I need someone who's not always so...chirpy.  You know, just happy
in their little world talking to people all the time.  I want someone who
is..."

"What, more moody like you?" I asked him, starting to get exasperated.

"Well, not as downer as me, but not fluffy happy all the time." He said.

"Okay, look, hate to chat and run, but we need to get on the road." I told
him.  "Hope you have a better weekend."

"Later, Dave.  You have fun with that boy toy of yours." Manuel said,
hanging up.  I helped James get the car loaded with the rest of the gear
and we took off before another phone could ring.  Oh, and yes, we both left
our cell phones in the apartment.

The drive up north was beautiful as always.  It had rained a few days
before and the desert was in full bloom.  Didn't know the desert could
bloom, did you?  Well, it doesn't often, but when it does, there are few
sights more beautiful.  Imagine the red bluffs you see in movies that show
the desert.  Now add a carpet of red, blue, white, and purple flowers
running up the lower slopes until it reaches the red rock.  That was the
sight that greeted James and I as we drove up I-17.  James' breath caught
in his throat at the first glance, and the car was relatively silent as we
drove up.  Thinking before hand, I had put an Enya CD in the player and her
soft tones filled the car at a low volume.  After about a half hour of
driving, James reached over and took my hand.

He didn't let my hand go, or say anything until we passed out of the desert
and climbed up into the forest near Flagstaff.  I pulled off the freeway
there and fueled up the car before continuing on our way.  Instead of
taking the main freeway up, I took the more scenic route, and was again
treated with a sigh of pleasure from James.

"You know, I think I had forgotten how beautiful it can be away from the
cities." He said after a while.

"I forget sometimes, too." I replied.  "That's why I try to come up here
whenever I can.  I always feel more grounded, more centered after a trip
into the mountains."

"I love you." He said softly, squeezing my hands.

"I love me too." I quipped, earning myself a smile and another squeeze of
my hand.  We finally got up into the Grand Canyon entrance and paid our
camping fee.  I drove to the campground where we got a reserved campsite.
I'd been here several times over the past few years and had gotten a site
that was set back from the rest, a little more private.  It had cost more,
but when you're with a pop star, I knew it would be worth the price.

It took a little longer to set up the tent than I had expected.  James and
I were both a little rusty and we had a good laugh at our inefficiency.
The air mattress was blown up with a little pump run off the car's adaptor,
and placed inside (Yes, I use an air mattress.  My back demanded it these
days.).  I caught James sniffing the air that was clean and filled with the
scent of the nearby trees.  His smile was as big as mine as we finished up
fixing our campsite.  By then it was mid-afternoon and we were both hungry.
We fixed up some sandwiches from the supplies I had brought and ate them.
After we finished, we tidied up and started walking down the trail.

If you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, you've most likely seen the main
observation areas.  The view from there is absolutely stupendous.
Insignificant is probably the best word to describe how I feel whenever I
see that view.  The great gash that is the canyon, the red and brown walls,
the windswept rock, and the sparkling of the Colorado River along the
bottom all combine to let you know just how much stronger than man Mother
Nature really is.  We stood there for a while, until I motioned for James
to follow me.  We walked for a half hour along the trail, heading further
up the Canyon.  We finally moved past the main tourist points and were now
walking a few dozen feet away from the rim.  We kept walking for another
fifteen minutes past where the guard rails ended and I found my favorite
spot.

I left the trail, with James following timidly behind me, and moved to the
very edge of the Canyon itself.  Here, the rocks along the edge had the
topsoil scraped off by years of wind and rain.  I moved cautiously to the
very edge.  The guardrails preventing people from approaching the edge did
not exist here and I smiled as I found my spot.  Very carefully, I sat down
on the edge of Canyon and swung my legs over the side.  Looking down
through my fee, there was a drop of a thousand feet.  A gentle wind had
begun sometime in the last few minutes, and it tugged at my rugged shirt as
I sat there, drinking in the unobstructed view.  I felt James moving closer
to me, then he was beside me.  His indrawn breath as he swung his legs over
the side made me laugh silently.

"I'm scared of heights like this." He said quietly.  "But this view is
worth it."

"Yes, it is." I agreed, taking his hand in mine.  "I'm the biggest wuss
when it comes to heights, but this, this is worth fighting down the fear
and the vertigo."

We sat there as the sun started to set, watching the night shadows begin to
creep over the canyon.  I went from holding his hand to putting my arm
around him and hugging him tight.  He responded by running his hands over
my chest and holding onto the front of my shirt.  As the last rays of the
sun disappeared over the horizon, James leaned in and kissed me.  If we
hadn't been sitting on the edge of a thousand foot drop, the kiss would
probably have lingered for a long time.  As it was, my head was spinning
and I decided it was time to head back to our campsite.  I carefully pulled
myself back from the ledge and started to stand up.

What I didn't expect was that my leg had gone to sleep and didn't respond
right when I stood up.  I lost my balance and started to fall towards the
canyon. In that instant, many things flashed through my head.  My script
would go unfinished.  My grandmothers would have to bury, okay, hold a
memorial service for another kid they'd outlived, my sister would be all
alone, and James.  I had no more than started to fall when he reacted.  The
sure-footedness of a stage performer was definitely a plus right then as he
went from sitting on the edge to tackling me back towards safety in a
second.  He laid on top of me for several minutes as we both breathed
heavily, staring into each others eyes.

"Promise me." He said after those minutes had past.  "Promise me you won't
ever do something like that again."

"I promise." I said softly, staring him in the eyes.  My adrenaline was
still pumping and I had never wanted someone as much as I wanted him at
that moment.  I reached up, pulled his head to mine and began to kiss him
passionately.  He must have felt the same way because the next thing I
knew, his hands were unbuttoning my shirt while his mouth was attacking my
neck.  It looked like I was in for a fresh set of hickeys to replace the
ones that had faded in the last two weeks.  It was there, a few feet from
the edge of the Grand Canyon that we made love that night, casting our
clothes off and totally forgetting the road a few feet in the other
direction.

We realized how lucky we had been as we finished getting dressed and headed
back to the campsite.  Just as we were returning to the hiking path, a
Ranger truck drove by, shining a light along the canyon rim.  We smiled at
each other then and James ran the back of his hand across his forehead. I
nodded and we returned to the campground.

The fire that night was cozy and warm as we cooked hot dogs over the open
flame. I had a kettle full of baked beans with brown sugar and bacon that
we also heated up for eating.  There were people all around us, but we went
undisturbed most of the evening, just leaning against each other and
talking softly.  I talked with him about the past two weeks at work,
sharing things I hadn't discussed over the phone with him.  It was getting
late, at least nine p.m. when I realized that I had been doing most of the
talking and little of the listening.

"So, how was Orlando?" I asked him softly.  He stared into the fire for a
long time after I had spoken.

"Awful." He answered succinctly.

"Care to share?" I asked, keeping my tone as light as possible.

"It was so hard being back with them."

"With whom?"

"With the guys.  Everything's changed.  It's like none of us are the same
people we were a few months ago."

"How so?" I was worried now.  The group, and these guys, most of whom I'd
never met, had been a big part of his life for years.

"Chris is so wrapped up in his relationship that it was obvious he didn't
want to be there.  Joey did nothing but talk about his daughter and Kelly.
Josh, he just sat there and sulked while Justin spent more time on the
phone regarding his solo work and some damn MTV stuff." James said, his
voice showing pain.

"Well, all of you have been busy doing your own stuff since the tour
ended." I said, trying to comfort him.  "You have plenty of time to work
things out."

"That's the thing." He said in a stressed tone.  "I don't think we want to
work things out."

"Why not?" I was stunned.  Sure, I hadn't been a big NSYNC fan, but I knew
just how big of an impact they had on people.

"I don't think I can work with Josh like I use to." He said softly.

"I know he hurt you by cheating on you like that." I said, referring to
when James had told me why they broke up.  He'd caught Josh cheating on him
with men and women one time too many.

"It wasn't just that." James whispered into the fire.  That brought a long
time of silence before he spoke again.  "Can we go lay down in the tent?
I'm tired."

"Sure." I said softly.  He went into the tent as I banked the fire for the
night and put away the leftover food.  I locked it in the car, taking out a
couple bottles of water for the evening and made my way inside the small
tent.  James was already undressed and laid out inside the large sleeping
bag.  I undressed and climbed in, pulling the extra blankets over us as I
did so.  It was getting cold outside.  We snuggled up, face to face and he
stared into my eyes for the longest time.  I kissed his nose and he smiled
gently, but there was something else behind the smile the worried me. His
eyes held some trouble and I wondered if he'd share.  When he did, my heart
cried out in pain.

"He raped me." James said softly.  He winced at what he saw in my face, and
I immediately squelched the anger I was feeling.

"I'm so sorry, babe." I told him softly.  "No one ever deserves that to
happen, least of all you."

"I provoked him." He said softly.

"No." My voice was firm, but filled with my love for him.  "No one ever
provokes rape.  You can provoke anger, but the actions the person takes
based on that anger are their own responsibility.  It's not your fault."

"I still feel like it is." He said softly.  His face was showing the guilt
he was feeling.

"That's normal, too.  But it...is...not...your...fault." I said, stressing
each word.

"Thank you." He said softly.  I could see he was accepting my words, but I
knew that this would be a conversation we would repeat many times.  It took
years to fully recover from something like this.

"When?" I asked after another few minutes of silence.

"Before you and I met." James said.  "It was the day after I caught him
with that guy.  He was drunk and I'd come by to talk to him about it. I was
going to try to convince him to give up the other people, then we might be
able to be together."

"He didn't take it too well?" I asked.

"No, he did.  We were sitting on his bed and making out.  He wanted to go
further, but I still didn't feel like doing that with him so soon."

"He didn't take no for an answer?" I stated softly.

"Right." James whispered.  "I begged for him to stop and he didn't He said
I wanted him, and I did, but not just right then."

"He should have stopped then." I said softly.  "Just because you are in a
relationship doesn't mean the other person as a right to you body without
your permission."

"But what about the other morning when I woke you up with a..." James
whispered.

"Did I say `No' when I woke up?" I asked him, looking deeply into his eyes.

"No, you smiled and said thank you." He replied, smiling at the memory.

"Would you have stopped if I said no?"

"Yes, I would have stopped."

"Then it was consensual. There's a difference between a sexual surprise and
forcing of sex.  You were surprising me.  I hope that if I ever surprise
you like that, and you don't like it, you will tell me to stop
immediately."

"But what about..." He started to ask, and I interrupted him.

"Unless you want sex with me right then, and right there, I want you to
tell me to stop.  I may react negatively, I may be upset, I may get
frustrated, but those are my problems to deal with, not yours.  If problems
develop in our sex life to the point where they are causing me to think
about ending things, I will talk to you about them before I do anything.
Do you understand that?"

"You mean that if I say `stop' you're going to leave me?" he asked in a
voice that was almost a whine.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that if every time we start to
have sex for six months, you say `no' I might want to talk to you about
what's going on and figure a way to work through whatever the problem is.
I'll do that long before I even think of leaving."

"Oh." He said softly.

"I love you James Lance Bass." I told him softly.  "The only problem with
our sex life is that you and I are separated far, far too much.  I never
want more from you than you are willing to give, and if I'm not satisfied,
you will be the first to know. Not because I want to hurt you, but because
I want to be able to work things out.  Relationships are about
communication.  If we don't communicate, we won't last, and I want us to
last for the rest of our lives."

"I don't know what to say." He said softly.

"Tell me that you will listen calmly when and if I bring something up for
discussion. Promise me that if you are having problems or concerns, that
you will tell me. Even if you don't go into specifics, just tell me
something is bothering you and to give you some space.  Tell me that you
won't drive off like you did after the Chad article.

"I promise." He said softly, drawing me into a kiss filled with passion.
We made out until we fell asleep, literally.  I only remember kissing him,
then waking to light filling the tent and birds calling to each other in
the new morning.  My face was freezing where it was exposed, but it was
nice and warm curled up with James.  Sometime during the night, he'd rolled
over until his back was now spooned against my front.  His breathing was so
regular and peaceful that I didn't move in case it would wake him.

Thoughts filled my head of our discussion from the previous night, and I
had to deal with suppressing the anger I was feeling right then.  If JC had
appeared in front of me right then, I'd have killed him easily.  Not that
doing so would help James.  I'd be in jail and James would lose me forever.
No, killing him wouldn't do any good.  Maybe there was something else that
could be done.  I knew one thing for sure, unless James told me otherwise,
I was not going to force him to face JC alone.  I'd be calling Justin later
to make sure of that.

James started stirring in his sleep, and I realized that he was having a
nightmare. I'm normally a heavy sleeper, and I wondered if he'd been having
nightmares a lot. Maybe I could try to sleep a little lighter so I would
notice these things.  I whispered in his ear, telling him that I love him
and that I'd be there for him.  He calmed down, and I continued to lie next
to him until he woke an hour later.  He turned over onto his back, looked
at me and smiled while raising himself onto his elbows.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." I told him.

"How long have you been awake?"

"An hour or so." I said, looking at my watch.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you were too beautiful to wake up, angel." I told him softly.

"Oh, man I have to piss." He moaned, throwing back the covers.  He
immediately blanched as the cold air hit him, and I felt myself lose the
warmth we'd been sharing as well.  All of a sudden I had to pee as well.  I
threw on my jeans and a warm shirt while he did the same.  Leaving the
tent, we used the small pit I'd dug yesterday and covered it.  James rushed
back into the tent and hopped under the covers while I got the fire going.
He joined me as the coffee was finished.  Breakfast followed soon after,
and I had to listen to numerous compliments on my campfire cooking. I just
grinned at him and pointed to the dirty pan.  He got a horrified expression
on his face until I just packed it away.  We were going home today, Sunday,
and I would clean it later.  We struck camp after breakfast, and packed
everything away in the car.  Then we took a stroll back down the hiking
paths.

Did I say stroll?  It was a HIKE.  It was four miles at least, each way.
We returned and most of the morning was long gone.  I drove us down the
hill and we stopped at the main tourist area for lunch.  We both winced at
the hordes of teenagers running around, and not because they were loud.
Luckily, no one ever expects a major pop star to be eating lunch with his
boyfriend at the Grand Canyon.

Wait, did I say no one?  I obviously forgot the girl at the gas station.
James went to pay for the gas, and the next thing I knew, there was a
high-pitched scream and I could hear his name being yelled.  Fortunately,
there weren't too many kids and James got away with just having to give a
few autographs.  He was smiling though, and so maybe it was actually a good
thing.  He even gave me a kiss on the cheek as I started the car and drove
off.

For some reason, I always let loose on the drive back from the Grand
Canyon.  That's why I was doing 95 in a 65.  I realized I should probably
slow down when I noticed a cop car coming the opposite direction.  I swear,
as he passed me, I looked in the rear view mirror and thought I was
suddenly in a Smokey and the Bandit movie.  The guy slammed on his breaks,
did a u-turn and had his lights flashing.  I slowed down and pulled over,
while James just started laughing.  He was still laughing when the officer
came up to the car and got some very weird looks.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" He asked me as I handed him my
license, registration, and proof of insurance.

"Because you thought I was the Bandit?" I asked, and immediately regretted
it.  He was frowning.

"Now why would you say that?" He asked me with a frown.

"Sorry, it was just the way you turned around and came after me.  Reminded
me of a Smokey and the Bandit movie." I said, the smile fading from my
face. Of course James just had to start laughing again.  I relaxed when the
cop started to smile.

"It's not often I pull someone over and he cracks jokes." He was chuckling
now.

"Well, hell, it's not often I see a cop drive like that." I smiled. That
was when he noticed the City parking sticker that I had not yet removed
from my car.

"You work for the City of Mesa?" he asked.

"Yeah." I responded automatically.

"Well, Bandit, how about keeping it down to the speed limit or close to
it?" he asked me, handing me back my license and other paperwork.

"You got it, Smokey." I said, smiling. James was just staring at me.  The
officer tipped his hat and walked back to his patrol car.  I waited for
some cars to go by, then immediately peeled out and got up to speed.  I
looked behind me, and the officer was laughing by his patrol car. No, I
didn't go over 65 after that, but it was funny.

"You are so damn lucky." The hyena that was my boyfriend said after a
while.

"What?" I asked.  "Just because I joke with a cop and he lets me off?"

"No, because you lied to him." James said soberly.

"What do you mean I lied to him?" I said, a hint of anger in my voice.
Don't call me a liar, I don't like that.

"You said you work for the City." He explained and I immediately felt
guilty.

"You want me to go back and look him up to tell him the truth?" I snapped,
my anger running my mouth before my brain could.

"HEY!" he shouted at me, snapping me out of my mood.

"Sorry." I apologized immediately.  "I've worked there for three years and
it really hasn't sunk in yet that I don't anymore."

"That's okay, but you're still lucky." He said, a small smile on his face.
"You're human, you're bound to make mistakes."

"No I'm not," I protested.  "I'm perfection incarnate.  You should know
that by now, pretty boy."

That set the hyena off on another laughing trip.  He was laughing so hard
he started hiccupping.  Then it turned to tears when he couldn't stop.  I
was patting him on the back, driving with one hand and debating pulling
over when he finally got a hold of himself.  The rest of the trip back was
spent in quiet discussion of the next few weeks.  He was going to be busy
flying back and forth between Orlando, Mississippi, and LA on FreeLance
business.  I was going to be in LA for that same time. I also had to
arrange for my moving from the apartment into the house, and another dozen
details like Insurance, change of address for credit cards, etc.  By the
time we got home, and the car unloaded, it was time for me to hit the road
again.  We packed the boxes I would take to LA into the car and stood there
in the parking lot just staring at each other.

"I love you." James said softly, leaning into me and resting the top of his
head on my chin.

"I'll see you Wednesday, right?" I asked him for the tenth time.

"Yeah, I arrive at 1:00 p.m."

"Good, I'll pick you up at lunch." I told him.

"I've got a question for you." He said softly.

"Go ahead."

"I'm sick of getting rental cars in LA, and I know I'll get sick of rentals
here in Phoenix too.  I already have vehicles in Mississippi and Orlando.
Do you think I should by some for out here too?"

"Can't we do with one car in LA?" I asked him.

"Maybe, but I would prefer two." He said softly.

"Okay, then I think you should get one for LA and for here too.  Especially
since I won't have my car out here either." I told him softly.

"Thanks." He told me.

"James, why did you ask me if you could buy some new cars?  It's your
money."

"Because of the clothes.  I realized we're a team now, we're a partnership.
I didn't feel comfortable making a big decision like this without talking
with you first."

"Thank you, James." I told him honestly.  I was surprised.  We hadn't given
each other access to our separate bank accounts, but we were sharing our
lives together.  It was nice to see that he thought enough of me to ask my
opinion.  As we kissed goodbye and I drove off into the setting sun, I
couldn't help but whistle.  The drive to LA took me five hours, with
another half hour to get into the condo.  By that time, I was totally
exhausted and crawled into bed.  However, before I went to sleep I called
James and told him I'd arrived safely.  He sounded as tired as I was so the
phone conversation was no more than a few sentences, and our `love you'
before I was passed out.

***

Seven a.m. rolled around far, far too early for me.  Luckily, James called
because I hadn't set my alarm clock.  Our conversation that morning was
longer than the night before.  He told me that he'd managed to pack my
stuff up and gotten it labeled for the movers who would be arriving the
next week.  They already had all the keys for the apartment and the house
so neither of us had to be there for the move.  He'd woken up earlier than
me and was now at the airport preparing to fly back to Mississippi.  We
hung up when his plane started boarding.  I was dressed and out the door
shortly after that.

I pulled up to Korvan Studios right on time for my meeting with JMS and
Luke.  We'd be interviewing the short list of directors during the morning.
JMS was still unhappy with my choice to disappear for the weekend, but I
really didn't care at that point. I was feeling well rested and relaxed and
I knew that this next week would prove to him that the time had not been
wasted.  By noon, the three of us were ready for lunch and went to a nearby
restaurant.  As we ate, we discussed the three interviewees, and
surprisingly, we all agreed on the same person as our top choice.  JMS and
I had the same second choice, while Luke had picked the other for second.
We worked out the order of preferences over dessert, and parted ways at
that point.  JMS would be handling the negotiations with the directors
while Luke was going to look at some graphics companies that would be
bidding on the contract for producing our special effects.  I went back to
the condo (after stopping at a grocery store and stocking up on food) and
started writing.

There's something you have to understand about me.  When I'm rested,
relaxed, and prepared, I start writing and I don't stop.  That's why it was
a little after midnight when James called me and I took my first break
since 2 that afternoon.  I noticed I'd gone through two 2-liter bottles of
Dr. Pepper by the writing desk in the office.  Our conversation was short,
but good before he hung up for bed (it was after 2 a.m. there) and I
finished up the section of dialogue I was working on.

I was back awake and on the computer at 6:00 a.m.  I'd called James briefly
before starting so that I wouldn't be interrupted.  Then I'd made some
breakfast and some lunch that I could heat in the microwave later.  I sat
down in front of the computer and started typing.  Fourteen hours later, I
paused to cook dinner and catch on phone calls.  James was first (of
course).  His day had gone good, although he said his mom was pestering
him, but wouldn't give details as to why.  JMS was next, and he gave me the
good news that our first choice for director had accepted the offer and
would begin pre-production in two weeks.  Since that marked the fourth week
of the project, and I planned to have most of the script done by then, it
worked perfectly. Next was Luke who really wanted me to go with him to
visit this company he had seen.  They had some revolutionary new system of
rendering effects that he described as "mind-boggling."  I finished the
phone calls off with calling each of my grandmothers to make sure they had
my new numbers and that everything was fine with them.  Of course they told
me everything was good.  After that it was back to work on the computer
with only one break to call James again before he went to bed (remember the
time difference).  I then worked for two more hours before hitting bed.

The rest of the week was wash and repeat, except for Thursday, when I spent
two hours visiting this company with Luke.  He was right, their work was
unbelievable.  I thought I was watching pictures of real actors when they
showed me how they had totally generated everything digitally.  I was sold.
Now if we could just afford them.  The good news was that they were
struggling still to get off the ground.  We could become their first big
project, and if our show succeeded, they would be become highly in demand.
I spoke with their company President very directly and honesty, something
he wasn't expecting.  In return, I got a verbal commitment from him to do
the work within the budget so long as he was given an option for any future
seasons at a higher rate.  I told him to include that in his bid to the
studio and I would support it.  By Friday afternoon, I e-mailed my
completed first script to JMS and Luke for them to look over.  My phone
rang five minutes later.

"This is a joke, right?" JMS said before I could even say hello.  His words
scared me to the bone.  How the hell had he read enough to determine the
quality of my work yet?  Had my writing been so bad he thought it was a
joke?

"J, what do you mean? I asked, confused.  "I know my writing is not that
bad."

"I'm not talking about what you wrote." JMS said angrily.  "I'm talking
about how MUCH you wrote.  This is impossible that you finished two hours
of script in one week!"

"You're forgetting something." I told him.  "I first wrote this 8 years
ago.  I've had this idea, these characters in my head since then and I've
written the first two hours of this story about twenty times since then.
All I'm doing is taking the best ideas I've had over eight years and
putting them together."

"It's still amazing."  He said.  "How many hours per day are you working?"

"Twelve to sixteen." I said honestly.

"Dave, a word of advice, you're going to burn out before you finish."

"That's why I took last weekend off, and why I'm taking the next two days
off." I advised him.  "Work hard, play hard.  And James' plane arrives in
two hours so I'll be playing the rest of the weekend."

"Take Monday off if you need to." He told me. "You're ahead of schedule
now."

"Thanks, but I prefer to stay ahead of schedule." I answered.  We chatted a
bit about just how much I thought I'd get done in the next week and what
our weekend plans were when my phone beeped with an incoming call.  He hung
up and I took the incoming call.

"Dave Young." I said with a tired voice.

"Dave, this is James." My handsome lover said. His voice sounded depressed.

"Heya stud.  I can't wait to see you." I told him.

"I'm sorry, Dave. Something's come up with one of our country acts.  It
appears she got busted with drugs at a party in her hometown last night.
I've got to get there and work on damage control."

"Want me to come out there?" I asked him, worried for him.

"No, there will be too many media types around." He told me sadly. I knew
he wanted me out there.

"What can I do to help?" I asked.

"Well, just keep your phone with you in case I need a shoulder to cry on."
He said softly.  Yep, he was upset.

"I will.  I'll probably call up Luke, Chad or someone else and go out a
couple nights.  Is that okay?"

"Sure, you go have fun." He told me.  He knew how hard I'd been working,
and how I needed to have some fun.  I'd rather be with him, but my other
friends would be an acceptable alternative.  Them, and my hand for when I
got home.

"Good luck with your damage control, love" I told him.  A few minutes
later, our phone call was over and I was calling Luke.  It turned out he
had a big date that night and wasn't available.  I called Robin after that,
and found out he was out of town, as was Whoopi.  Chad was my next call and
he sounded excited to hear from me.

"Absolutely, I'd love to go out.  How about dinner and a club?" he answered
my invitation.

"Sounds good, where do you want to go?" I asked.

"Do you mind possibly getting your picture taken?"

"We're in Hollywood." I laughed. "I didn't think we could go out anywhere
without running that risk."

"Well, there's places to go that aren't always staked out, but I was
wanting to go Planet Hollywood.  They've got some new props on display that
I want to see.  Then I thought we'd go the Excel club.  There's usually
paparazzi at both places."

"That's fine." I informed him.  "James knows I was probably going out with
you and won't be surprised by any pictures."

"Good, good." He said, laughing a little.  "How about I pick you up at
7:30?"

"What, my eight-year old Camry isn't good enough for you?" I asked in a
mock offended tone.

"Not when you're going to be seen with me.  We'll use my five-year old
Lexus." He said with a laugh.

"Okay, it's a date." I told him.

"Oh, you two-timing now?" He asked with a laugh.

"In your dreams, sweet cheeks."

"Hey!  I seem to remember you telling me that you jacked-off watching me in
that tight suit on Star Trek!"

"Shit, I did tell you about that, didn't I? I laughed.

"It's okay, you were trying to seduce me at the time.  I'll see ya in a
bit." He said before hanging up.  That was when JMS called me back to talk
about some plot points.  It seemed he'd immediately started reading what
I'd finished.  That's why when Chad pulled up at 7:30 I was just getting
out of the shower.  His whistle at seeing me in a towel was flattering, but
I still punched him.  Fifteen minutes later, I was out the door, dressed in
some more fancy clothes courtesy of James.

Sure enough, as soon as we pulled up to the valet parking, cameras were
going off.  Apparently Chad Allen was still a big enough star that his
picture was taken.  What surprised me was that as Chad was talking to some
people waiting in line, one of the reporters called my name out.

"Yes?" I asked in surprise.  Chad was also surprised and was staring at the
reporter.

"Is it true that you've signed a deal with Korvan Studios to script a new
television series?" he asked me, and I felt the eyes of a lot of people
turn towards me.  I was suddenly very nervous.

"Ye...yes." I managed to get out.  "It's actually a mini-series and series.
We're still in early development though, so I can't tell you much right
now.  You can contact Korvan Studios for more information."

"Are you and Chad dating?" Another of the photographers was asking.

"We're good friends, but not dating right now." Chad said with a smile, and
I gave him a grateful smile in return.  He motioned with his head towards
the door and we walked inside.  We got a table near the back, and Chad got
up to look at the props he wanted to see after we ordered.  When the food
came, he was laughing about the questions outside.  "So, how does it feel
to be the center of attention?" he asked me around a mouthful of his
burger.

"Scared the crap out of me." I said honestly.  "I don't deal well with
surprises like that."

"I can sympathize.  It took me a while to get use to it." He said, and we
proceeded to devour our food.  We talked as we ate, catching up since the
last time we'd hooked up. It had only been a few years, right after my move
to Phoenix.  After dinner, we went to a sidewalk caf nearby and had
some coffee while people watching.  That passed another hour in quiet fun
and we were soon headed for this club.  Considering that both Chad and I
were `out', I don't know why I was surprised that it was in West Hollywood.
There were people outside waiting in line, but we were waived through.
Fortunately, I didn't see any cameras there.

We had a couple of drinks at the club, looking at the eye candy the place
had to offer.  There were tons of hunks running around the place, most half
nude.  Their bodies were cut, gym-type muscle heads and I soon found myself
wishing for my James.  The natural lines of his body were far superior to
these guys. I've always had a naturally husky build, and while I wasn't
overweight, I certainly wasn't cut like the cream of the Hollywood crop.
Chad and I were pretty much ignored, and after a few drinks decided to hit
the dance floor ourselves.

I soon found myself totally lost in the beat of the music, dancing my heart
out.  Chad and I moved closer the longer we danced until we were touching.
I was still attracted to him, but knew I didn't want any more than this
contact while we were dancing.  I had closed my eyes for a bit since the
strobe lights were starting to bug me, but opened them in time to see
another type of flash, one I recognized as being from a camera.  I looked
around, and it flashed a few more times and I finally spotted the reporter
from earlier that night.  He'd been the one asking about Chad and I.  Since
I had my arms around Chad, and we were grinding our crotches into each
other when the first flash went off, I knew how that picture was going to
look.  I groaned, got Chad's attention, and left the dance floor.

We were both panting hard, and I got two bottled waters for us to drink
while we caught our breath.  It was sad, really that a fun time had been
ruined, and Chad started apologizing right away.  I was going to answer
him, when my phone rang.  I rushed outside and stood by the door where I
could hear the caller.  As I suspected, it was James calling for his
tuck-in conversation.

"Hey you." I said, smiling at just hearing his voice.

"How's the night on the town?" He asked me.  I knew he could hear the music
from the club.

"Good and bad." Was my honest answer. "Chad and I are having a good time
catching up, and dancing, but there seems to be a reporter dogging us.  He
got some pretty good pictures inside the club."

"Oh, really?" James asked, his voice showing curiosity. "What were you
doing?"

"I had my arms around him and we were grinding." I answered honestly.
Hell, he'd see the picture probably.  "I think we looked like we were
having a good time together."

"Did you have your eyes closed?" he asked me.

"Yes." I admitted, blushing.

"Were you thinking about me?" he asked in a sweet tone.

`Yeah, I was." I admitted.

"I can't wait to see the picture!" he actually squealed!

"What?" I was astounded.

"Yeah, my boyfriend dirty dancing with Chad Allen and all the while he's
thinking of me, and no one knows!"  He was actually sounding
enthusiastic. I could think of only one thing to say.

"I love you."

"I love you too" He said lightly. "Don't worry, I trust you, and I'm not
going to freak out of any pictures of the two of you.  Unless you don't
have ANY clothes on.  Then you're in trouble."

"I'll never be in trouble then." I assured him, then remembered why he
wasn't out with me.  "How's things going?"

"Good.  We've got her a lawyer and he thinks she'll be able to beat the
wrap.  I think we're still going to drop her after this is over though.
I'm getting reports that make me think she probably is guilty.  Unless she
goes into rehab, I'm not having a user associated with me."

"Sounds reasonable, love." I told him.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you in the morning, now get back in there and have
fun!" he told me before hanging up.  How had I gotten so lucky with this
guy?  I went back inside immediately, the bouncer holding the door open for
me, and found Chad finishing his water. I smiled at him and drug him back
onto the dance floor.  We got even nastier than before, but the only
clothes to come off were our shirts.

It was 3:00 a.m. before we pulled into the condo.  Chad was far too tired
to drive the forty minutes to his house, so I showed him the guest bedroom
where he slept the rest of the night. I climbed into James' bed and went to
sleep hugging his pillow.  Life just isn't fair sometimes.

I didn't wake up until 11:00, and there were three phone calls on my
cell. Al l from James.  I immediately picked it up, and called him back,
but got his voice mail. I apologized for missing his phone calls and asked
him to call me back.  After a quick shower, I padded out to the kitchen
wearing some sweat pants and started the coffee.  I also pulled out the
fixings for omelets and was starting on them when the phone rang.  I was
pleased to hear James' voice.  He on the other hand, was not sounding as
well.

"Things took a turn for the worse." He told me succinctly. "One of the guys
that was arrested at the same time rolled and fingered my artist as being
the one who provided him with coke.  To make matters worse, she didn't call
for her attorney when they questioned her, and got her to confess.  They
promised her leniency if she fingered her supplier, who happens to be her
manager.  I signed both of them although I've never worked with the manager
before."

"Drop them.  Your contracts have stipulations about drug use." I advised
immediately.

"I know, but know FreeLance is going to be associated with users." He was
complaining, rightfully.

"Offer them a chance." I said, thinking fast.  "Offer her rehab.  I don't
think the manager will be out anytime soonl. If she doesn't do rehab, dump
her.  If she quits rehab, dump her.  If she passes rehab, subject her to
random tests at her expense and dump her if she even fails one."

"That's what my mom said." He told me.  I smiled.  I hadn't met his mom yet
and was wondering if that would ever happen, but it seemed we were both on
the same track here.

"Listen to her, Jim." I told him.

"Oh, yeah, if you think that you should have heard her talking about you
not being out here!" he retorted, and I could tell he was frustrated by her
comment.

"Do you want me to come out there, or need me to come?" I asked him
seriously.  I opened a web browser and pulled up an airline while he paused
on the phone.

"Part of me says yes, the other part says no." He answered honestly.

"I can be there in 4 hours from right now if you want me." I told him.  "If
you need me there, just tell me and I will be on the next flight."

"Don't worry." He said after another pause.  "Just knowing you're ready to
drop everything and come out here makes me feel better.  I'll talk to you
later tonight.  I love you."

"Love you too." I said as I hung up.  Chad was awake now, and came ambling
out of the guest room, rubbing his eyes.  He was dressed in just his boxers
from the night before.  I couldn't help but peek and smiled when he caught
me.

"Just looking." I said nonchalantly, as he laughed.

"Food, now" he grumbled, pouring himself some coffee.

"Working on it, slave driver." I said with a light laugh.  Our morning
conversation was light and fun as we gossiped about different celebrities
we both knew and some of the hijinks going on.  As we cleaned up the
remains of a hearty breakfast, he started asking me about my project and I
spent a good hour telling him all about it.  I could tell he was interested
because he kept on asking questions about different characters.  As that
topic wound down, we decided the condo was too boring (especially me since
I spent the entire week working here) and went to his place.  He had a nice
little house and I made myself comfortable on the couch while he went to
change into fresh clothes.  I'd just thrown a t-shirt over the sweat pants
and put on some sandals, so he dressed similarly.  I was turning on the
television while he was changing, and to my utter lack of surprise, it was
on one of those celebrity gossip shows.

"Oh my GOD!" I shouted when the pictures of Chad & I appeared on the
screen.  They were running a segment on various stars who weren't too
active right now, highlighting what they were doing.  Chad came running in
just his sweat pants, and stared at the screen.

"We look hot." He said at the picture of the two of us dancing.  Just then
my trusty cell phone rang.

"You could at least tell me when you go out on a date." Marketing Mark said
in a nasty tone.  I was well on the way to having a love/hate relationship
with him.

"I wasn't on a date." I answered.  Chad looked at me worriedly and mouthed
`James'. I shook my head and he relaxed.  He turned back to go into the
bedroom and finish dressing.

"Well, what do you call what you were doing in those pictures?" Mark asked
me.

"Dancing, and before you ask, yes my boyfriend knows about them.  He wants
copies." I said.

"Sometimes I don't understand gay men." Mark was muttering.

"He wants them because I was thinking about him while dancing with Chad.  I
told him all about it." I assured Mark.

"So, is Chad Allen your cover boyfriend?" Mark asked.

"No, he's my friend and that's what we tell everyone who asks.  We're good
friends." I informed Mr. Marketing.  He could probably see my smile through
the phone.

"Justin Timberlake tried that with Brittany Spears and look at the rumors
that started about them."

"Exactly." I said.

"So he is your cover boyfriend." Mark exclaimed in triumph.

"No, he's my cover rumor." I corrected the poor guy.

"Cover boyfriend suggests the possibility I could love someone other than
James.  That just won't be happening so the best we can do is fuel some
rumors."

"Does Chad know this?"

"Yep, and he thinks it's nice to be getting his name out there again."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later.  No more risqu pictures though!" He said
as he hung up.

Did everyone who wrote a script and signed on as an Assistant Producer have
to go through with this?  Why was I letting a studio use me like this?  Was
it worth it?

Of course it was, pity party over.

I stayed over at Chad's all day, then went home later that evening. I was
still tired from the night before so I was early to bed after calling
James.  His day was improving.  It seemed the media, and fans, liked his
harsh but fair reaction to the drug snorting country princess.  He would be
coming home on Tuesday after some meetings in Orlando, although he had
meetings planned from the time he landed until hours after sunset.  We
would be going shopping for a car for him on Wednesday morning.  Sunday I
woke up with nothing to do. Chad was visiting some family, and no one else
was around.  So I sat down at the computer and started typing.  Sure enough
the story was ready to come out some more so I spent ten hours that day
working on the script.

Monday came around, and I had morning meetings with the director, who had
accepted the deal, and some other people.  That was when JMS told me I'd be
interviewing next week for staff writers.  They'd be working on tightening
up my language and developing some of the dialogue that seemed choppy.
They'd only be working on my scripts after I'd written them, and then all
their changes would have to be approved by me.  If they caught on and were
acceptable to me, they'd end up working on the series, producing scripts
for those episodes I was unable or unwilling to do.  That took up my entire
morning, so I worked late into the night on the script.  I was now well
involved on the second two-hour episode of the mini-series and enjoying it
tremendously.  This was the easiest part because the second hour of Day Two
was really the first hour of my movie script.  Day 3 Hour 1 was the second
hour of the movie.  Once I breezed through those two hours, I could work on
the new finale.  Things were looking way up for me.

That was when the first shoe dropped on Wednesday morning.  James wasn't
able to make it home.  He was having to fly out to Orlando because of JC.
Apparently JC had been out drinking and passed out at a bar.  He was in a
hospital detoxing.  Fortunately, they'd been able to keep things quiet, but
James felt he had to be there for his ex.  I tried not to be jealous, but I
was and I didn't get any work done on Wednesday.  Thursday rolled around,
and I woke up realizing that for the first time, James did not call me in
the morning when we were separated.  I actually managed to ignore that, and
worked on typing my original script into the mold of the television
mini-series.  It was a lot harder than it had been before, but this was one
of the most important parts of my show, and I put a lot of effort into it.
It was after 1:00 a.m. that I realized James wasn't going to call that
night.  It was almost four in the morning back east.  I passed out from
exhaustion and ended up sleeping in.

I was late for my Thursday morning meeting with JMS and Luke, but did show
up with copies of the script completed to date.  I was distracted
throughout, and both of them noticed my state, asking what was going on.
Luke asked the smartest question of the day.

"Why don't you call him?" he asked me.  "He's always calling you, why don't
you call him this time?"

I took his advice, and got James' voice mail.  I instantly hung up, then
called again.  This time I was expecting the voice mail, and when I heard
his recorded voice, my hurt lurched a little.

"James, it's Dave." I said softly.  "I hope everything is going okay, Give
me a call when you can.  I love you."

I returned to the meeting, feeling better for having called him.  We went
over my last two days work and I saw a lot of things that I needed to redo.
After we were done, and I'd taken a lot of notes from their advice, I
returned back to the condo and continued working on the script. It was a
little after 10:00 p.m. when my phone rang.  I picked it up immediately and
answered.

"Dave." I said simply.

"Hi." A longed for, deep voice said softly.  I knew immediately he had been
crying, and crying hard.  "I need you."

"I'm on my way.  I'll call as soon as I have the flight information." I
told him, then added softly.  "I love you."

"Thank you, love." He whispered before hanging up.  Obviously, a lot was
going on back there and he did not feel like talking about it on the phone.
I burned my work onto a CD while dialing Peter, James' assistant.  He was
at home, and from the sounds of it was a little, uh, busy when I called.  I
didn't care.

"Peter, get me on the next plane to Orlando.  Use my private account.  Also
arrange for a rental car." I told him, my voice crackling with authority.

"What's wrong?  Is Lance okay?" he asked immediately.

"He's physically fine. He just needs me out there." I told him.  "Call me
back as fast as you can with the information."

"Got it, call you right back." He said, and I could hear a female voice
protesting.  Too bad, she could wait for Peter while he did what I
needed. I got up from the computer and pulled a bag out of the closet.
While I stuffed clothes in it, I called JMS and told him I was leaving
immediately.  To say that he was upset was an understatement.  However, I
reminded him of my state the other day and asked if he wanted to see me in
a worse condition.  I reassured him I was burning a CD and taking my work
with me, and that I'd be back as soon as possible, sometime next week at
the latest.  Thank god I had a laptop as well as a desktop machine.  It was
going to come in very handy.  By the time I got done with the phone call, I
was packed.  As if on cue, Peter called right then to tell me there was a
red-eye leaving in forty minutes if I could get into LAX in time.  Just as
I headed out the door, Chad was pulling up.

"What's up, Dave?" He asked, seeing me with a bag and my computer case.

"James needs me in Orlando.  What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area and thought I'd stop by and say hi.  How you getting to
the airport?"

"I was going to drive, my plane leaves in 38 minutes." I told him.

"Get in, it'll be faster if I take you." He said, getting back in his car
and starting it. I sighed with some relief at not having to pay the
outrageous LAX parking fees and hopped in the passenger seat.  The drive to
the airport was quiet except for the squeal of tires and Chad's cursing at
every little delay.  He had me there in less than 20 minutes and was
dropping me off at the airport terminal.

"Go help your man." He told me as I jumped out.  I hope he heard me
thanking him, but I was in a hurry.  I got to the counter, went to the
first class line, which was empty and went right up to the counter person.
Sure enough, my plane was boarding already, but he gave me my ticket.  Both
bags qualified as carry-on, so I didn't have to check anything.  I rushed
through the airport and found myself stalled for a moment at security. I
made it through after beeping and getting all but strip searched.  I
arrived at the gate, with 3 minutes to spare, so they made me spend those
three minutes being searched again.  It was then that I noticed I was
wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, and sandals.  The perm I had in San Diego
had been stuck under a hat the last two days, but I wasn't wearing one at
the moment.  No wonder everyone looked at me weird.

I didn't care, James needed me.

The flight took off on-time, and I sat back in first class.  I ordered a
Jack Daniels & Coke to calm my nerves, took out my laptop and started
working some more on my script.  The guy next to me kept on looking over at
my screen, and I started getting nervous.  Who was he?  Why was he paying
so much attention?  Was he some reporter?  Was he going to go e-mailing
websites saying he'd gotten a peek at my script?  That was when I figured
it out.  He had a blanket and pillow and was trying to sleep.  Poor guy. I
shut my computer down, he sighed and closed his eyes.  I spent the next few
hours looking out at the tops of clouds willing the plane to go faster.

I must have finally drifted off to sleep somewhere along the way.  The nice
thing about being in first class was that the attendant was nice enough to
put a blanket over me, allowing me to sleep without freezing.  Also waking
up to coffee and a real breakfast as well as a warm towel helped make me
bearable.  The pilot came on right as I was finishing the breakfast to
announce that we were preparing to land.  Local time was 7:10 a.m.  As soon
as the door was open, I was off the plane, bags in hand.

I found the right rental counter and Peter had done a good job because my
vehicle was ready.  A short shuttle ride later, I was getting into a silver
mustang GT convertible and screaming down the road out of the airport.
That was when I realized I had absolutely no idea where I was going.  I
pulled out my cell phone and dialed James.

No answer.

I sat there at a red light wondering what I should do.  That's when I
realized that Justin would know where James was. I ran through my speed
dial, accelerating as the light turned green, then pulled into a parking
lot while the phone rang.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Justin's sleep-filled voice
raged in my ears.

"Justin, it's Dave.  James called me upset last night and I flew out here
to Orlando right away. I'm in a parking lot and I have no idea where James
lives!"

"Oh," He said a little more calmly.  "Hey, Manuel, you're right he reacts
really weird when he's under stress.  Look, Dave..."

"WHAT THE FUCK IS MANUEL DOING THERE?  WHERE ARE YOU?" I shouted into the
phone.  This was way to fucking freaky.

"I flew Manuel up to New York.  He's helping me with a practical joke.  I
wanted to go down to Orlando when I heard about Josh, I mean he's my best
friend, but so far they've kept this whole mess quiet and me canceling a
venue would blow it wide open so I'm stuck here till tomorrow night, then I
get to go down there so I will see you then.  By the way, since you're
there, I'll just bring Manuel down."  Justin said all in one breath.  I was
amazed, to say the least.

"How did you talk that bastard into taking the time off work?" I asked him.

"Oh, he got laid off." Justin said off-handedly.

"WHAT?!"  I screamed.

"Whoa, buddy.  Calm down." Justin said.  I could hear Manuel cussing him
out in the background.  "Sorry, we weren't supposed to tell you until after
you finished your script.  He says he'll talk to you when he comes down.
Don't worry, I'll buy. I owe him one for his help with this joke. He is
absolutely evil, you know."

"Yes, I know." I said through clenched teeth.  "Justin, I've had maybe 3
hours of sleep on the plane.  Will you please tell me how to find James?"

"Oh, yeah, that is why you called, isn't it?" He said.  I swear that boy
sometimes!  "Okay, here's what you do..."

Justin spoke rapid style, but I was able to write down his directions. I
already had keys for the house, and his gate codes so that wouldn't be a
problem.  Justin hung up soon after, before I could demand he put Manuel on
the phone.  It was far, far too early.  That was when I noticed I was in
the parking lot of a convenience store.  I went inside, got a coffee with
lots of sugar and cream, and got back in the car.

To my surprise, Justin's directions were good, real good.  I found myself
driving up to James' Orlando home with no problems whatsoever.  My first
glance at it also told me something else: His home in Phoenix and the condo
were nothing compared to this.  I parked my car next to a Rav4, which I
assumed was James. I wondered why he hadn't parked in the garage, but that
was just my tired mind wandering.  I grabbed my bags and went up to the
front door, unlocking it with the key I'd been given and immediately
finding the alarm punching the correct code in.

That's when I noticed someone else was in the living room.  It was a short,
dark-haired guy wearing nothing but boxers and holding a glass of water.
He was staring at me with wide eyes, probably taking in my disheveled
state. I recognized him as being Chris from Manuel's and James'
descriptions.

"Who the fuck are you?" He nearly snarled.

"I'm Dave." I said shortly.

"How the fuck did you get in here?"

"James gave me a spare key and the code.  Where is he?"

"Asleep." He said, his expression still sour.  "So you're the new fuck toy
wannabe Hollywood star being dragged along James' coattails, huh?"

"Who in the fucking hells do you think you are?" I snarled, then
immediately caught myself.  "Okay, I just flew 3,000 miles because James
said he needed me. I've had 3 hours sleep and have major jetlag.  I'm going
to go out that door and come back in, pretending this did NOT happen."

I put my words into action, going outside, shutting the door.  After taking
a few deep breaths, I turned around and opened the door again.  Chris was
still standing there with the glass of water frowning at me.

"Hi" I said, making my voice as pleasant as possible.

"Who the fuck are you?" He snarled, still frowning.

"I'm Dave, James' boyfriend." I said, still trying to be pleasant.  In
truth, I was a few milliseconds from screaming at him when his expression
changed to a smile and he rushed over, enfolding me in a hug, water
spilling onto my back as he sloshed the glass.

"You are damn cool." He said as I stood there stiff as a board.  I relaxed
as he started laughing, and soon was joining him in laughter.  I actually
slid down to the ground as relief filled me.

"Sorry about my initial reaction." He said as we got our laughter under
control.  "I was surprised when you walked in. Lance didn't tell me you
were coming."

"Forgiven, if you can forgive me being rude back at ya." I said between
laughs.

"It took me a moment to recognize you." He said, laughing again.  "You look
like crap compared to your picture."

I wondered what he meant until he pointed into the living room.  There had
to be at least ten pictures of me in there, including some from the Grand
Canyon with James.  I had no idea he had put all these pictures up, and it
made me feel all tingly inside.

"I didn't have time to change." I told him.  "I caught the very first
flight out here I could when James said he needed me."

"Aren't you supposed to be working on some script or something?" Chris
asked me, helping me to my feet with his free hand.

"Yeah, and JMS is pissed as hell at me for taking off like this, but like I
told him, James comes first. I called our PA and had him get me the first
plane out of here. I may wince when the credit card bill comes in and I
have no job to pay for it, but if it make things easier for James I'll
figure some way to pay it off."

"You know," Chris said slowly.  "when James first told me about you, I
figured you for a gold digger or opportunistic Hollywood wannabe.  I'm glad
you've proven me wrong."

"James is the best thing that ever has happened to me." I said slowly.
Knowing that people might think things like that about me, and hearing it
are two different things.  For a moment I felt guilty, but his words came
back to me and I felt more comfortable.

"Well, the old lady wanted a glass of water.  I better get it up to her
before she gets cranky.  Come with me and I'll show you where James' room
is.  He was at the hospital until 2 this morning so he's dead to the
world." Chris said, waving me upstairs with a toss of his head.

I picked up my bags and followed him. He waved the glass at a door and
mouthed `In there' real quietly.  I was glad that James wasn't alone in
this, and that his band mates had rallied together, but I wanted to be even
closer to him.  I opened the door into a darkened chamber, barely making
out the form of a bed in the room.  I put my bags down next to the door and
tip-toed over to the bed, shedding my clothes as I went.  A lump under the
covers told me where he was, and I slipped inside, taking him into my arms.
He twisted a little until we were wrapped together, our skin touching
wherever it could.  His face turned towards me and a smile lit his face
even though his eyes stayed closed.  I could barely him when he murmured
something.

"I love you Dave." Those words, from him in his sleep, made me shiver with
pleasure.  I planted a soft kiss on his forehead and closed my eyes,
letting sleep claim me. I was home where I belonged, with James.


***

To be continued.