Lance answered the door. "Hey, J. Come on in, man."
"I’m early." Justin looked around the sitting room and smirked, "I won’t even ask why these roses are laying all over your floor, Scoop. In a hurry were we?"
Lance narrowed his glance over at him. Room Service had just brought breakfast, but there was no tea for Mercedes. Lance was calling down to have some brought up. He gave the person at the desk the room number.
"Listen Scoop, I was hoping we could talk about this outstanding bet Chris and I have that hasn’t been settled yet." Justin began.
Lance picked up the last of the roses. "Don’t ask me about that night, Justin. You and Chris both know I’m not going to talk about it. It’s too personal."
"Where’s Mercedes?" asked Justin.
"Taking a shower." Lance answered.
"Okay then, I have to say this Lance...what’s the harm? Come on!"
Lance started to get steamed, "Let me tell you something, Justin..."
"I’ve got a LOT of money riding on this bet, Lance."
"I could care less, J," said Lance honestly.
"Take my advise and just split the money Joey put in between you and Chris. You don’t want my answer...trust me."
Justin thought about it and smiled, "Okay. I’ll see what Chris says to that."
Lance shook his head, "Justin, I have just one last thing to say about this..."
Justin looked over at Lance who was about to open the door for Room Service. "Huh?"
"Don’t EVER use my personal life for your gambling games again. I MEAN THAT. If you do, I’ll burn you."
Justin threw up his hands. "Okay. Sorry."
Lance let room service place the tray with the pot of tea on the table they had brought up minutes earlier. He tipped the guy and turned to see Justin grinning widely at him. "What?"
Justin kept grinning and shook his head, "Nothin’ man."
"What is it, J?" Lance asked again.
"You man! You’re so concerned about Mercedes’ tea for God’s sakes. It’s like you, you’re really INVOLVED." Justin started picking at the fruit.
"Look at me, Justin." Lance yelled. "What in the hell do you think is going on here?"
Justin gave him a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"
"Do you think I could sleep with a woman I wasn’t INVOLVED with?"
"It seems like I can’t say anything this morning."
"It’s your attitude that’s pissing me off."
Another knock at the door, Chris and Dani arrive. "Hey, Scoop. How’re you doing? Thanks for having me and the Mrs. over." Chris laughed and hugged Dani who gave Lance a look that said, ‘He’s a crazy dude, but ya gotta love him!’
"Where’s Mercedes?" asked Dani.
"In the shower." Justin answered. "I can say that can’t I?" Justin shot a look at Lance. Lance didn’t answer him.
Dani wasn’t sure what to make of that, but knew enough after almost three years around these guys not to ask. Whatever hassle goes on between them, it usually doesn’t last long. They always work it out. "I’m asking because I’d like to see what she’s wearing tonight."
"You two wearing his and her outfits, Scoop?" asked Justin. He flashed a dazzling grin. Lance gave Justin a bored and disinterested look.
"Oh oh." said Chris, "What’s up with you two?"
"Nothing, right Lance?" said Justin. He made eye contact with Lance and got a serious look on his face. "Lance is just pissed because he thinks I have a bad attitude. Don’t cha?"
"I said I didn’t like your attitude, J."
"Why? You used to make gambling bets with us and it was all in fun. Now, you’re so...Shit, you‘re acting like..."
"Don’t finish that Junior." Chris warned him. "I believe Lance has every right to be angry at both of us for making the particular bet we did. It is a HUGE invasion of privacy...and don’t YOU of ALL people think that happens to us enough already? I was wrong. All bets are off. We leave EVERYBODY’S private life OUT of the betting realm. "
"What’s the matter with everyone this morning?" Justin asked in disgust.
"I’m in a great mood, J." Lance smiled.
"Any problems with dreaming last night?" asked Chris. Lance grinned even wider and shook his head. "Told ya. It was a curse! You’re probably gonna have to marry her!"
Chris laughed. Justin grimaced. They looked at Lance. "Laugh Lance, it was a joke." Justin said.
Lance just sat there, raised his eyebrows, looked away and smiled.
"Anyway, so Dani and I were watching "Forest Gump" last night and do you know who’s in that movie?"
"Besides Sally Fields and Tom Hanks?" Joey smirked.
"Yeah, besides them." Chris said. After a pause he said, "That little boy from "The Sixth Sense"!"
"No way." Lance said. "I didn’t know that, did you?" He asked Mercedes who was sitting cuddled up on the couch next to him. She shook her head, ‘no.’
"It’s at the end of the film, he’s Forest’s son with Robin Wright’s character. He’s sitting in front of the television when she tells Forest he’s the dad..."
"Oh, was that him?" Mercedes asks. Lance absentmindedly plays with her hair. As she speaks to Chris, Lance kisses her head and she smiles up at him.
"Well, he turns to his Mom in the movie and says, " Chris whispers, "I see Dumb people."
Everyone cracks up. "Chris, is he really in the movie?" Bobbie asks.
"Yeah, he really is. I made up the ’I see dumb people’ line. Ya know cause in "Sixth Sense" he says, ’I see DEAD people’?"
"It loses a little when you have to explain it, dear." says Dani.
There was a knock at the door, J.C. opened it to find a Messenger standing there with a Fed X package. "Lance, you need to sign for this."
Lance bounced up from the couch. There was a smile a mile wide on his face. He was so obviously pleased with himself. He tipped the guy and opened the package.
"Yep! Perfect timing!" His eyebrows were very expressive. Lance closed the package back up and brought it into the bedroom. Chris and J.C. share a puzzled laugh between them. Joey asked what that was about. But, no one knew.
"When I called Lambert’s Cove Inn, they said they didn’t have any pieces to add to the ankle bracelet. But, they gave me the name of the designer in New York and I called her." Lance said, watching Mercedes rub her fingertips over the beautiful gold bracelet Lance had just given her.
The pattern had two swans facing each other, then a heart, then again two swans, then a heart and so on. The hearts placed in-between each set of swans had diamonds encrusted in them.
"This is absolutely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Lance." Mercedes said looking up into his eyes.
"Then, it’s perfect for you." Lance sat beside her on the bed, "Because you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen."
Mercedes started to cry. "What’s this?" Lance asked, "This was suppose to make you happy, baby!" He hugged her and kissed her forehead. Mercedes couldn’t speak. She just kept shaking her head. "Here, let me put it on you, okay?" Mercedes shook her head, ‘yes.’
"Thank-you. Thank-you for everything." Mercedes finally managed to say to him.
Lance smiled, leaned his head against hers, and whispered, "In case you had any doubt...I love you, Mercedes."
The guys all sit nervously at the Awards Show. Justin bites his fingernails, and Chris’ legs jump. Lance keeps biting the inside his mouth. Finally he asks Mercedes if she has any gum or tick-tacs. "Ooo, I’m sorry Lance. I just put the last one in my mouth. Do you still want it? I can take it out...and share...if that doesn’t gross you out."
"It doesn’t gross me out at all, Darlin’" He grinned. Lance looked around as if to check out who was watching, "Can I come and get it myself?" His eyebrows moved up and down expressively. Mercedes giggled and shook her head, ‘yes’. Lance moved his face closer to her. Mercedes reached up with her hand, the lovely bracelet dangling, and touched his cheek.
It was the French kiss plastered on the front of the Entertainment Section of the L.A. Times the next morning.
"What did they say about our set?" Justin asked while chewing on a piece of toast in J.C. and Bobbie’s suite.
"Nothing much." offered Johnny.
Chris was laughing so hard that he thought he might choke on his coffee. "I’m sorry guys, but only on MTV. You’ve got Jim Carrey farting out his ass and they print a photo of OUR Lance in this compromising position? It‘s too good. Granted it’s prettier than seeing Jim Carrey’s ass farting..."
"So much for keeping their relationship under wraps. You’d think they’d want to be more discrete." Johnny said. "Anyway, that’s Lance’s business."
"Lance is taking care of HIS business. His BUSINESS, apparently, is making it with Mercedes. What I want to know is, who‘s taking care of NSync business?" Justin asks pouring another cup of coffee.
"Come on, Junior. That’s a little harsh for so early in the morning. Our friend is in love, let’s cut him some slack." Chris says.
"I’m just wondering what the minimum wage is now, Chris. I’ve never had to go out and get a real job before."
Lance and Mercedes arrive at the door for breakfast. "Have you seen the L.A. Times?" asked Johnny.
"Yes, we have Johnny. I’m sorry." Mercedes said somewhat embarrassed.
Lance made a bewildered face, "Why are YOU sorry? I’m the one that wanted to go fishing for the tic-tac." he said holding her to him. "Come on, it happened. I should have known better, but it happened."
"It’s not just the L.A. Times, Lance. It’s MTV News, E News Daily, even Entertainment Tonight wants some sort of statement." Johnny says.
"Nice job Romeo." Justin says sarcastically.
"Melinda and I have been fielding calls already this morning. Not to mention the countless little web sites and chat rooms. Now, the fans know." Johnny told him.
"Okay, so I really screwed up." Lance admitted, holding onto Mercedes’ hand.
"Want some coffee?" she asks him.
He nods. "Thanks."
"Well, there’s little chance anyone is going to buy the ‘friend from home’ alibi now." said Joey humorously.
"Ya know maybe it’ll fly if he says it was his cousin. Ya know those Southerners." jokes Chris. Lance flings the first thing he can grab at Chris. Luckily, it was a croissant.
Mercedes hands Lance his coffee and sits next to him stirring her tea. "Mercedes were you going to the Rose Bowl?" Johnny asked.
"Mercedes is staying until Monday morning." Lance answered. Then he leans his head against hers and whispers, "Please stay until Monday."
"I have a reservation on South West Airlines that leaves at 7:10 am Monday from Oakland." She smiles and musses her nose against the side of his face.
"THAT’S EARLY Darlin’, can’t we change that?" Lance asks.
"Not unless you’d like me to leave the night before. I have studio time scheduled, Lance. Meredith has a little tweaking to do on the record."
"7:10 it is, then," Lance chuckles. "Why do you ask Johnny?" Lance inquires.
"Because, we’ll have Mike make security arrangements if Mercedes is staying on with us for awhile."
Lance put his cup down, and then, using both his hands, he brought Mercedes hand to his lips, "I didn’t think about that."
The magnitude of what had transpired on Music Television finally hit him. Lance looked into her eyes, "One little tic-tac...Shit."
