The tour was going well. Everyone was lovin' the Anniversary Tour. They were supposed to end on Elaine's birthday in Orlando. Lance and the guys thought it would be easier that way considering what they were giving her for her birthday. The present had been delivered to Lance's house and they already had it confirmed that everything was ready to go as far as the after party was concerned. They were throwing her a birthday party to end all parties.
Since the retreat break, the schedule had been nonstop. The guys were really looking forward to the downtime, Lance in particular. He fully intended to use that time to work on his relationship with Elaine. That was his number one priority. He did not want anything to go wrong.
The girls had worked through contacts that Lance had at UCF to get applications for entrance there for school. The people he knew were making sure that the applications received first priority and were processed as soon as they were received. Three days before they were to return to Orlando, Lance received the email that stated if the girls wanted to attend UCF in the fall, they would love to have them, and, they would work the courses to accommodate the traveling they would be doing. Also, the work they would be doing for *N SYNC would count as credits for their school work.
Now came the problem of a place for them to live. Of course, Gwen's apartment would not hold all of them, it barely held Elaine when she would visit. She used the hide-a-bed sofa. Of course, Lance wanted to offer his place for them to stay, but he didn't know how she would feel about that. Oh well, he would worry about that when the time came.
The guys were getting excited as the big day drew near. Lynne and Rickii were helping with as much of the pulling together of this surprise as possible because the guys were busy with interviews and special appearances. They had just about single handedly finalized everything.
The guys had talked to Johnny about the changes that were going on in their lives. Joey informed him that he and Kelly were engaged and that they wanted to make a public announcement at the last show. Of course, when Lance mentioned Elaine, Johnny was concerned. "You two haven't been messin' around have you?" asked Johnny, immediately concerned with the legal issues that could come from this.
"Johnny, don't you know me better by now? I respect her too much for that," remarked Lance. "She has no idea exactly how I feel. She may know that I really like her, but certainly not to the extent that I really do. Johnny, I want someone I can spend the rest of my life with and have a family with before I am too old. I want someone who understands me and accepts me for who I am, warts and all." Lance recalled what Elaine had said to him before they left on tour the night he had the nightmare.
Lance thought for a moment and looked directly into Johnny's eyes. "We love our fans dearly, but they have dictated our lives long enough. Justin and JC want a chance at happiness, too. Lynne and Rickii have become very special to them. They want to pursue a serious relationship with them. We don't want to have to hide our feelings anymore. If our fans truly love us, they will be happy for us. If they don't, then the last ten years have been a joke, a complete lie."
Johnny shook his head. "You guys know what you are doing, I guess. How are you planning on doing this?"
"The guys and I have discussed this and we want to have a chance to tell the fans first, so we are going to do a special number for Elaine's birthday, like always, and then, we will announce about Joey and then introduce the girls. I plan on talking to Elaine before hand so she is not caught off guard and of course to see if she will be my girl. I wouldn't want to embarrass her or me out there. JC and Justin will do likewise."
"And this is an unanimous decision?" asked Johnny.
All the guys spoke in unison, "yes." Chris stood up and walked around the room and, for once, was very serious when he spoke. "Johnny, these guys deserve happiness. Happiness that only comes from sharing your life with that special someone in your life. Happiness that comes from having a family of your own to work for and to pass things on to. Johnny, we've allowed the fans to run our lives for ten years. We still love the fans, but, it's time that we think of ourselves. If the fans are not happy that we ARE happy, then, they're NOT our fans. They're not TRUE fans. I, for one, completely and totally support them." As Chris sat down, the guys thanked him for his support.
Lance had been working hard to get all his FreeLance business under control so he could take some time off to spend with Elaine after the tour ended. Stacy was helping him with as much as possible. She was excited for her little brother. He had sworn her to secrecy, except she could tell Ford, because he was going to be helping her with a lot of the things that he wanted done. But he had to tell his sister about his feelings for Elaine. She was the one person he could totally share his heart with and she would not criticize him or try and make him change his mind. She always helped him think things through.
They were working on the computer back and forth all the time. Everytime he got on, he would get IM'd by YrMyn4Eva. The conversations were getting weirder and stranger. The day before they were to return to Orlando, Lance was on with Stacy and he got an IM:
YrMyn4Eva: Hi Baby!
ImPooFu95: Excuse Me?
YrMyn4Eva: Just a term of endearment, no harm meant.
ImPooFu95: Well, none taken for now. Only certain people have the right to call me that, and since I DON'T know you, you don't have that right, understood?
YrMyn4Eva: Okay, sorry. No need to get your boxer briefs in a knot. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night.
ImPooFu95: Are you coming to the show?
YrMyn4Eva: Hell yeah! I wouldn't miss seeing you for any-thing. Can we get together afterward? Love to spend some time with you.
ImPooFu95: Afraid not. Already have special plans for after the show.
YrMyn4Eva: Who with?
Lance was really starting to get annoyed with this person. He didn't want to be rude, but it was none of this person's business what he was doing.
ImPooFu95: Special friends. I really must go. Enjoy the show tomorrow.
YrMyn4Eva: Who is she?
That was it! He put a block on the screen name for IM's and didn't even answer. Let them get mad. They will find out soon enough.
7/12/05 11:00 PM
The buses pulled out of Charlotte, N.C. at almost midnight. Elaine and the girls rode on the bus with the guys. They wanted to have a small intimate birthday celebration with Elaine before all the hoopla started. As far as they knew, she had no idea what they had planned for her tomorrow night. The guys let Lance get his shower first because they knew he needed to talk to Elaine. So they were going to stay up front and let them use the TV room to talk in after their little party.
When Lance was done with his shower, he came out to the front to sit and have some water while the others got cleaned up. They had a small cake in the pantry that Lynne and Rickii prepared while everyone got cleaned up. Lance sat next to Elaine and put his arm behind her on the couch in front. As he sat down, she caught the scent of soap and his Armani Emporium and she almost lost it.
Now that she knew what all those strange sensations were she experienced on the retreat, she needed to be careful not to get too carried away. But, his eyes, those incredible orbs of green were spellbinding and the lips were so full and so sweet. And his voice was so seductive, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. "God give me strength," was her silent prayer.
7/13/05 12:20 AM
Chris finished his shower just after midnight and everyone gathered in the front of the bus. Lynne brought out the cake with candles lit and they told Elaine to make a wish. She sat there thinking and looked at everyone around her and her eyes fell on Lance last. All she could think of was her prayers to God for the last five years to save Lance for her. Her wish was simple, she wished for him to love her half as much as she loved him. That would be a great deal. She closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
When she opened her eyes, Lance was right there beside her smelling and looking so very good. He looked deep into her eyes and softly said, "Happy Birthday, Sugar. I hope this is the best birthday of your life." With that, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. She breathed him in and was overwhelmed by him. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. As the kiss deepened, so did their exploring tongues. She was totally and completely lost in him. Finally, the noise of the others around them, trying to ignore them, intruded into the moment and they pulled apart. Lance looked at her and said, "Let's have some cake and ice cream, preferably Butter Pecan."
After everyone was done with cake and ice cream, Lance asked Elaine to join him in the TV room. As he got up to go to the back, Lance nodded to the others and they gave him an encouraging look. Lance placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided Elaine through the door to the TV room. They moved to sit on the couch and turned to face each other. When he looked into her big brown eyes, the look she was giving him was overpowering. Lance extended his hand toward her face and his fingers trembled as they touched her. At his touch, her eyes closed and she leaned in to his touch. She lifted her hand to cover his and turned so that she could place a kiss on his hand.
"Thank you for my little party, Lancelot. It was so sweet of you guys to do this. What did I ever do to deserve such great friends like you?"
"All you have done is just be you. Sugar, you are the sweetest woman I know. You are so full of compassion and love that it's contagious. It's not difficult to want to do for you. You're special to all of us." He paused and then continued, "You're very special to me in particular."
Elaine's eyes met his. The look there caused her breath to catch in her throat. There was such tenderness there and such love. Dared she believe what she was seeing? He was her universe and all she had ever wanted was to love him and be loved by him.
Lance slipped closer to her on the couch and wrapped his arms around her. "Sugar, there is something I need to tell you and I have been waiting for this day to come so that I could say what I have wanted to say for such a long time. You're eighteen today, and now, I can pour out my heart to you and not feel so much like a dirty old man," he laughed softly.
Elaine looked him deep in the eyes and softly spoke to him, "I would NEVER think that of you. You could not be like that. You're you, Lancelot, my knight in shining armor."
"Oh, I wouldn't be putting me up on a pedestal if I were you. Some of the thoughts that went through my mind while we were on our retreat, I should have been put in jail for. Elaine, you have come to mean a great deal to me.
I can't describe, or even pinpoint exactly when these feelings came to be, but all I know is that when we came to sing for your graduation, something inside of me changed. I saw you in a whole different light. Suddenly, you weren't Sissy anymore, but a beautiful, desirable young woman. JC had me pegged from the start. I tried to fight it, but, I've finally had to be honest with myself in order to be honest with you." He was rambling.
Elaine looked at Lance with concern, "Are you okay? You're sweating like you've just come off a performance. Sweetie, are you okay?"
Lance gazed into her beautiful, soulful eyes and found a peace there that he had never found in another woman's eyes. Suddenly, he had a revelation, she's the one. My Dad was right, she's the one and I can't lose her.
Suddenly, Lance's heart felt so full of love for Elaine that he couldn't stand it anymore. He tried to hold back, but he pulled her close to him and his hand gently lifted her chin until her eyes met his. She looked back and forth between his eyes and his lips and she nervously licked her lips and when she did, he leaned forward and kissed her. He kissed her full and long.
She raised her hand and placed it behind his head and pulled him closer to her. His arms circled her and pulled her close to him. She felt right in his arms, her lips felt right on his. She was RIGHT.
Lance reluctantly pulled from their kiss. He needed to talk to her before things got out of hand. "Elaine, oh...Sugar, I NEED to talk to you about tonight. I really need to talk to you."
Elaine looked at him through half closed eyes, "What is it, Lancelot?"
He loved it when she called him that. "As I was saying, before I was pleasantly interrupted, I've had to be honest with myself in order to be honest with you. And on your eighteenth birthday, I can finally tell you what is on my heart and mind." He turned so that he could look into her eyes. "Elaine, you mean the world to me. You make me feel things I never thought I would ever feel again. You healed my boo boo." Elaine looked at him strangely as to ask what he meant. Lance answered her unasked question. "Remember the night I had the nightmare?"
Elaine remembered her gesture to heal his hurting heart. "I meant it, Lance, I would do anything for you. Whatever it takes to protect you. You're very special to me, too."
"I can only hope that I am half as special to you as you are to me. It seems like we've known each other forever. You know me better than anyone. I feel so good when I'm with you. This relationship of ours is precious to me Elaine, and I'm not doing a very good job here, but I guess the only thing to do is just come out and say it. Will you be my girl? Will you be my special lady?"
Elaine looked at Lance in total disbelief. She had dreamed of this happening for years. Never in her wildest dream did she think it would happen like this. Lance had opened himself up to her and she knew how much that took for him to do after what Vivica had done to him. She could do no less for him. "Lance, I've got something I need to tell you before I give you my answer."
Lance's heart almost stopped. He was afraid she was going to say there was someone else, but then why would she have kissed him the way she had? "Okay Sugar, lay it on me...no pun intended."
As she spoke, Elaine watched Lance for his response to her words. "Lance, I know how much it took for you to open up to me about this and I want you to know that I am not taking this lightly. That is why I want to be honest with you."
As she looked into the depths of his gold specked green eyes, a tear slipped down her cheek. It was a tear of joy, although at the time, Lance did not know that and moved to kiss it away. She smiled at him and spoke.
"Lance, how long have we known each other?"
"Five or six years," he answered.
"Five years, seven months and thirteen days to be exact. I worshiped you until the time Wes came and played that summer and then, I fell in love with you. You stood up for me and protected me. You were my hero. Every moment we spent together, I cherished. Every hug or kiss on the cheek was priceless to me. Even when you got involved with those crazy women, I prayed that God would help you to see that they couldn't love you the way you needed to be loved. When you were hurting, I hurt for you.
Lance, I honestly prayed to God that if it was His will for my life, that he would save you for me until I was old enough to have a relationship with you.
I prayed that God would keep you safe from harm. I am so sorry that one prayer went unanswered and that she was allowed to hurt you, but, I know it wasn't your fault. Do you remember the night you finally broke down in my arms? Do you remember what you kept saying over and over as I rocked you?"
He searched his brain and for the life of him, he could not remember and shook his head. "You kept saying, 'she took my innocence, she took my innocence.' Oh Lance, it broke my heart to see you in such pain. Every racking sob that came from your body, I felt it. I vowed that night to love you as honestly and purely as I could. I vowed to make all that hurt go away."
As she spoke, she touched his cheek with trembling fingers and they moved to trace the outline of his lips. As she drew closer to him, she continued, "Lance, I've loved you forever, it seems, and, Lord willing, I'll love you the rest of my life."
With that, she kissed him softly and timidly. As she pulled back, she continued, "To answer your question, yes, I'll be your girl, I'll be whatever you want, Lancelot." Lance was ecstatic and kissed her again and again.
