Eight

 

"I will be SO glad to get home," Chris said, leaning back in his chair. 

JC obediently closed his eyes as the makeup artist dusted powder over his face.  "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I love you and all, but I miss living in a house instead of out of a suitcase," Chris said.  He leaned over and wiped a smudge from his shoe.  "I'm ready to settle for a bit."

"Well, the tour is over as of tonight, and you are free to go home."  JC smiled up at the makeup artist. She smiled back and packed up her things.  JC waited for her to leave before he continued. "I think I'll hang around here for a while."

Chris' mouth fell open. "What?  And when were you going to tell ME?"

"I just did," JC said innocently. "Vegas is fun. And I can find a lot of things to occupy my time."

"JC, the hotel thinks you're leaving tonight!" Chris said frantically. "I don't have a reservation for you anywhere else."

"Relax, Chris." JC began to flex his fingers as a warm-up exercise.  "I have it under control. I wouldn't stay here, anyway."  JC wrinkled his nose. "I got a suite at the Luxor.  That place ROCKS!"

"And you weren't gonna tell me?" Chris looked hurt.

"Chrissy, I just kinda decided this today. This morning.  And you're welcome to stay with me, if you want to," JC said.

Chris looked at him for a moment.  "This has nothing to do with Vegas. This has to do with what's OUTSIDE Vegas, doesn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," JC said arrogantly.

Chris grinned.  "This has to do with that little piece of ass with the curls, doesn't it?  You coulda just SAID so."

"I don't know what you're talking about," JC repeated, but this time he smiled.  Let Chris think that for the time being.

 

"You got us what?" Lance gasped.

"Tickets. To see JC Chasez's last performance at Caesar's tonight," Joey said. "What...you don't want to go?"

"Of course he does!" Justin yelled, grabbing the tickets from Joey's hand. "I love you, Joe!"

"What'll I wear? I mean, I've never even BEEN to Las Vegas," Lance said quietly.

"I'll find you something," Justin promised.

"No, I'LL find him something," Nick interrupted.  "If we let YOU dress him up, he'll look like a two bit whore."

"Nah, he'd definitely look better than you," Justin replied, which earned him a headlock from Nick.

"So, uh, why?" Lance asked. Joey shrugged.

"Every now and then I'm a nice person. Is that a crime?"  Lance quickly shook his head and Joey laughed.  "Teasing, Bass.  I just...last time that manager guy was here...uh...Chris...he told me to call if I wanted tickets. And since you three are the only ones I can count on to behave out on your own..."

"Lemme guess. I'm babysitting?" Lance asked, and Joey laughed again.  He put an arm around Lance's shoulders.

"You're a good kid, Bass, and I get the feeling you haven't had too many breaks in your young life. I thought you'd enjoy it. You told me you like good music..."

"And JC Chasez is awesome!" Justin crowed as he weaseled out of Nick's hold.

"Thanks, Joe, thanks a lot," Lance whispered.

"Nick, why don't you go bug some of the guys for clothes for Lance while he gets back outside to finish what he's working on?" Joey said.  "You'll need to leave around seven."

"Thanks," Lance said again, blushing as he went out the door of the house.  He tried to do his work correctly, but his mind kept wandering to JC Chasez.

 

"Your little boyfriend's out there," Chris said as he bounced back in to JC's dressing room.

"Which boyfriend would that be?" JC murmured, reading through some sheet music. He had fifteen minutes before curtain.

"The one with the curls and the legs that don't quit.  The one with the smile like sunshine. The one with the eyes blue as the ocean," Chris said.  JC stared at him.

"I'm shocked for about a hundred reasons right this minute, but I'll narrow them down to two. First of all, you're saying that...uh...boy from the...place...is out there?" JC asked. Chris nodded. "And you noticed all that about him?"

"That's not the point," Chris said, and JC raised an eyebrow. "At any rate, he's out there with two other guys...I couldn't really see them.  Check out stage right about halfway back.  Have a good show, man." Chris gave JC a hug and disappeared.

 

"Okay, remind me to give Joey the blowjob of a lifetime for free when we get back," Justin whispered about halfway through JC's performance. "He's incredible."

"That he is," Lance agreed.  JC basically stayed behind the piano, but his voice and his fingers were like magic.  And when JC looked in their direction, Lance felt a spark from head to toe and back up again.

"And to think that I had his..." Justin began, but Lance shushed him. He didn't need Justin's slutty talk ruining his evening.

 

JC found Justin's curly head immediately, and sent a quick smile in that direction.  He briefly froze when he recognized the handyman sitting next to Justin.  Lance.  He wore a dark black shirt that seemed to outline the cream of his skin, and JC's fingers itched. He made himself concentrate on the music and the people in the audience.  He had to concentrate on everything but looking at that table.

 

"I went and said hi to them," Chris said later, as they were escorted back up to JC's suite.  "You going out there tonight?"

"Nah. I think I'll stay in the hotel and gamble a bit before heading to the Luxor," JC said, rubbing a towel through his sweaty hair.

"Oh," Chris said, and he almost sounded disappointed.

"Ya know, I'm beginning to get the impression that you want to experiment with the Pink Side," JC teased.

"Shut up, Joshua," Chris snapped. "You don't know anything about me."

"Sure, I don't," JC said lightly.  "Did they enjoy the show?"

"Yeah.  It was Justin and Lance and Nick, who I think works there like Justin," Chris said.  "They were full of compliments for you."

"Of course they were," JC said, smirking.  "I would have gone out there, you know, but..."

"But you don't like the idea of reminding yourself that they're prostitutes and you know them," Chris finished for him.  "Like anyone else would know. They looked perfectly respectable, and you're an out and about gay man.  No one would care."

"Nevermind," JC said, and quickly changed the subject.

Chris bowed out of gambling, saying he had to pack the rest of his things.  He had decided to stay in Las Vegas for a few days at least, saying JC needed someone to look after him. JC rolled his eyes but smiled as he said he was glad Chris was hanging around.  JC went into his suite and showered quickly, throwing on a blue shirt and jeans.  Before leaving the suite, however, he found the brochure and picked up the phone. "Mr. Fatone?  JC Chasez.  Yes, I know they were here. I hope they enjoyed the show.  Mr. Fatone, it ends up I'll be hanging around the city for a while yet, and I had a request to make..."

Nine