(Later That Night – After the Show)
“Hey
Jace,” Lance said as he caught up with JC in the hallway of their hotel. “What are your plans for tonight?”
“I’m
pretty sure I’m staying in,” JC shot a glance at the door of his room. “I’m probably not going to be allowed out to
play. But listen, umm… I kind of need
to talk to you, so if you could stay in tonight, I would really appreciate it.”
“Sure,
no problem. I wasn’t planning on doing
anything anyway.” Lance placed his hand on JC’s shoulder. “My door is always open.”
“Thanks
man.” JC sighed and entered his room.
“Dria?”
Alexandria
looked up from the book she was reading.
“Oh you’re back!” She put the book away, stood up and walked over to
him. “How was the show?”
“It
was good,” JC walked past her and sat down on the sofa. “Dria, we really need to talk about last
night. You have to cut back on your
spending.”
“But
it really wasn’t that much,” she purred and began to make her way over to him.
“It
was a lot Dria.” JC pushed his hair
back. “And it needs to stop. Right now.”
“But
JC…”
“This
isn’t negotiable.” He said sharply and stood up. “I’m going to lance’s room, he needed to talk to me about
something.”
“Are
you still mad?” Alexandria’s lower lip began to quiver and JC felt like a heel.
“No,
I’m not mad.” JC sighed and gave her a hug, followed by a chaste kiss on her
cheek. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Tell
Lance I said hi,” she smirked as the door closed behind him. “Still got it.”
Then
she grabbed her purse and left, catching the first cab to the airport.
**********
“So
what’s up?” Lance asked as he let JC into his room. JC didn’t answer right away.
Instead he walked over to the wet bar and helped himself to three
different bottles, downing them immediately.
Lance stood in front of him to prevent him from accessing anymore
alcohol. “Whoa JC, whoa. What’s rattled your chain so much that you
feel you have to drink?”
“I
slept with Alexandria this afternoon.”
“Oh.”
Lance paused. “Can I ask why?”
“It’s
not like I wanted to Lance,” JC fought to keep his eyes from rolling. “She just… practically attacked me and there
wasn’t anyway that I could stop her. I
mean, I know she’s my wife and all, but…”
“Are
you going to tell Laurie?” Lance asked bluntly.
“I
don’t want to hurt her,” JC whispered.
“But I don’t like keeping things from her either. Do you think I should?”
“Honestly
Jace, I’d have to say no. It’s not
something she needs to know unless she asks you directly. I mean, would you want to know when she’s
intimate with Craig?”
JC
cringed. “No… but he’s never home.”
“But
you still wouldn’t want to know.”
“No.”
“So
then why tell Laurie?”
“It’s
not something I wanted Lance.”
“Ok,
I have a question for you.”
JC
looked at him warily.
“Is
this something you’re going to be able to keep from Laurie without feeling
guilty?”
“Lance…”
“Is
it?”
“Probably
not. But I feel like I’ve been
unfaithful to her. It’s the first time
Alexandria and I have… you know… since I met Laurie again.”
“My
advice to you is to not tell Laurie… unless you want what you have with her to
change. And I don’t think that’s
something that you want.”
“But
I don’t want any secrets between us.”
“C,
it’s a chance you’re going to have to take.
You two are both adults – last time I checked, anyway – and you’re also
both married. Perhaps it’s something
that you need to discuss with her… your relationships with your individual
spouses. But if you tell her, I really
think that you’re going to hurt her.
Even though it wasn’t intentional.”
“You’re
right,” JC sighed and pushed his hands through his hair for a second time that
night. He stood up and began to
pace. “I just wish I didn’t have to
deal with all this bullshit.”
Lance
gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Listen,
uh Lance… do you want to come back and hang with me and Alexandria? I really don’t want to be alone with her.”
“I
don’t know,” Lance replied and looked at the amount of papers piled on his
desk. “I have a lot of work to do…”
“You
can do it tomorrow,” JC whined.
“Please?”
Lance
grinned. “I’m going to buy you a sign
that says “No Whining” and make you wear it all the time.”
“Come
on Lance.” JC pouted.
“Fine.”
Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed his keycard.
“But you’re paying me back for drinking my booze and you’re buying me
dinner.”
“As
long as you don’t expect me to put out.” JC smirked.
“Do
you want me to go or not?” Lance asked, clearly exasperated.
“Yes
please.”
“Then
let’s go.” Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed his keycard. “You know, you’re acting like a coward by
being afraid to spend time alone with your wife.”
“Lance…”
“I know, I know. I’m shutting up now.”
JC
opened his door to find his room empty.
He shot a quizzical look at Lance, who just shrugged.
“Dria?”
JC called out and began to search the room.
He found a note from her on the bed and swore. Lance ran into the room and JC showed him the note. “She did it again Lance. I’m so… sick and tired…” he screamed in
frustration and started throwing things.
“Shit…
C, you gotta calm down.” Lance tried to pacify him.
“Calm
down?” JC yelled. “How the hell do you
expect me to calm down when I can’t even deal with my own wife?”
JC
continued to yell obscenities and throw things while Lance slipped out of the
room and dialed Chris’ cell phone number.
“Yeah?”
Chris yelled over the noise of the club.
“It’s
Lance… I need to talk to Michelle.”
There
was a moment of silence before Michelle answered. It was significantly quieter.
“Hey Lance, what’s up?”
“We’ve
got a problem here, I need Laurie’s phone number.”
“Umm,
ok… why?”
“Just…”
Lance glanced into the bedroom that now looked like a war zone. “Just because.”
“Is
there something going on that I need to know about?” She teased.
“Come
on Shelle,” Lance was begging. “I
promise I’ll explain it later.”
“Fine,
but you owe me.” She rattled off Laurie’s home number.
“Thanks!”
Lance hung up and dialed it quickly.
“Laurie? It’s Lance.”
“Hi
Lance,” Laurie paused. “Is everything
ok?”
“Umm…
JC is in a really bad mood and I figured that you were the only one who could
calm him down. So I’m going to give my
cell phone to him, ok?”
“Ok,”
Laurie replied.
“C.”
“What?”
JC snarled.
“Laurie’s
on the phone.” Lance tentatively held out his phone to him and JC’s features
softened considerably. “Don’t tell
her.” He said quietly. JC took the
phone and Lance graciously left the room.
“Hey
Laur,” JC said quietly and sat down on the bed, his disposition changing
immediately.
“Hey,”
she said quietly. “What’s going
on? Are you ok?”
“I’ve
just had a really bad day.” He told her quietly. “I wish you were here.”
“I
wish I was there too… I’d make you feel all better.”
“Yeah?”
JC perked up. “How?”
Lance
stood at the doorway and cleared his throat.
“Umm, if you two are going to talk dirty, can you please use your own
phone?”
JC
chuckled. “Laur, I’ll call you back
from my phone.”
“Ok.”
JC
and Laurie hung up and JC gave Lance’s cell phone back to him. Lance rolled his eyes as he pocketed it and
headed back to his own room.
“Whoever
said music tames the savage beast wasn’t dating JC.”
**********
“What
was that about?” Chris asked as Michelle passed his phone back to him.
“I
haven’t a clue. I think Lance might be
losing his mind.” She paused and looked
at her empty glass. “I’m going to get
another drink, do you want one?”
“I’m
fine with what I have here,” Chris laughed and pulled her into his lap. “So Lance is finally losing it, huh?”
“Yeah,
I think so. He wanted Laurie’s phone
number… which reminds me…”
Michelle
dug a small notebook and a pen out of her purse and made a few notes before
putting it away again. Chris looked at
her curiously.
“What’s
that?”
“It’s
my list of things I’m going to make you do when I win the bet,” she grinned.
“Let
me see,” he said and reached around her for her purse.
“No
way,” she laughed.
“Please?”
Chris
focused his big brown eyes on her and tried to look sad. When that didn’t work, he started caressing
her arm lightly. Michelle shook her
head.
“Fine,
what are you planning for me if you win?”
“I’m
not telling.”
“Then
I’m not either.” She folded her arms across her chest and dared him to ask
again.
“You’re
no fun.” He pouted.
“I’ll
remember you said that later on tonight.” She laughed and stood up. “Drink?”
“Yeah,”
Chris was still pouting. “My usual.”
Michelle
laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“I still love you.”
She
slid out of the booth and walked up to the bar and placed their drink
orders. She jumped when felt a pair of
large hands touch her shoulders.
“Jeez
Joey, don’t do that!”
Joey
laughed. “Oh, I forgot I shouldn’t
scare people your age.” He motioned towards their table. “How come Chris looks like he’s sulking?”
“Because
he is.”
“Why?”
Michelle
grinned. “Chris and I have a little bet
going on. And I have some information
in here,” she patted her purse. “That
he oh so desperately wants. And I won’t
tell him.”
“What
kind of bet?”
“Nothing
someone as young as you would understand.” She patted his cheek sympathetically
and laughed when he frowned. “Can I buy
you a drink?”
“Do
I get to take you home if you do?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“I
think Chris might have some issues with that… besides, what would Denise say?”
“Before
or after I asked her to join in?” Joey laughed and Michelle made a face.
“You’re
such a pig Joey… and I’m telling her you said that.”
“Oink,
Oink, baby… and I want a Heineken.”
“Fine,
even though you don’t deserve it.” She gave the bartender some money. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
He took a long swallow. “You guys going
to be ready to head soon?”
“It’s
only one o’clock, since when do you want to leave a club early? Especially since you guys don’t have to be
anywhere until noon.”
“Dee
is coming to visit this weekend,” he chuckled.
“I need to get rested up.”
“Ah…
I should have known. I’ll let Chris
know that you want to leave soon. You
can find the artist formerly known as Curly and tell him.”
“I
don’t have to find him, he’s over there.”
Michelle
followed Joey’s gaze to a corner of the club where Justin was kissing a pretty
girl with dark hair.
“Joey…
that’s not Stacy.”
“Nope,”
Joey agreed. “He does this all the
time… whenever Stacy can’t make it, Justin flies Kristina in. Apparently it’s an arrangement he made with
her.”
Michelle
looked at Joey before looking at Justin again.
She left Joey’s side and walked back to the table with drinks in hand
and sat down.
“What
took you so long?”
“Oh,
Joey decided that I was going to buy him a drink. And I’m supposed to tell you that he wants to leave soon.”
“Ok.”
Chris downed his drink and placed the empty glass on the table. “Dance with me.”
“Chris,
I don’t…”
“Come
on,” he stood and pulled her to her feet.
“It’s been a while since we’ve danced.”
“All
right.” She let him lead her out to the dance floor and they fell into an easy
rhythm. She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you Chris.”
“I
love you too baby,” he whispered and kissed her forehead.