What You Like

“Ironically enough, my number six choice is Eminem,” Lance said, smiling up at the camera. “Without Me. It’s a creative song, a great way to bounce back on the scene, and hey, any time one of us can get mentioned in an Eminem song is a good thing.” The green light on the camera faded, and Lance sighed, adjusting himself to get more comfortable. He was seated in a light blue inner tube, floating around a tiny swimming pool. “God, this is annoying as hell. Is there any reason why we can’t just sit on the side?”

“You look like you’re having more fun this way,” one of the MTV people said. She looked at the person floating next to Lance. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” AJ McLean said, pushing up his sunglasses.

“We’re back in five, four, three…” Another MTV person counted down, and AJ smiled at the camera.

“And we’re back to the Back-N-Sync Summer countdown. It’s time for MY number six, and I’m gonna go with Aaliyah’s More Than a Woman. It’s an excellent song, and we all lost something special when we lost THIS angel.”

Lance rolled his eyes and picked at the tube. Jive had come up with the idea for a joint Backstreet Boy/NSYNC countdown show on MTV, but there was one problem. There was no possible way of getting all ten members in the same place at the same time. Straws were drawn on the Backstreet side, and Lance had finally volunteered, if only because he was sick of hearing about it.

The taping of the show took almost three hours, and Lance was shriveled into a raisin by the time they let him out of the pool. “Dude, you totally should have put on sunscreen!” AJ exclaimed. “You’re burnt as fuck, man.”

“I know. I can feel it,” Lance said through clenched teeth. AJ looked hurt.

“Sorry, just pointing it out.” AJ headed down the hall to the dressing room they were sharing.

“Hey, wait.” Lance hurried after him. “I’m sorry. I just…I’m sorry. Okay?”

“Sure thing.” AJ shrugged and opened the door.

“So, you, uh, staying in the city tonight?” Lance asked, making conversation as they got dressed.

“I was planning on it. Nothing else going on in my life,” AJ said.

“I thought your fiancée was here,” Lance said. AJ turned around, bitterness filling the chocolate eyes.

“I no longer have a fiancée.”

“Oh, shit, man, I didn’t know. I was in Russia and…”

“I know you were. I know you didn’t know. Not many people do,” AJ said. “She dumped me when she found out that I like to play with boys now and then.”

“Oh,” Lance said lamely, freezing with one sock on and the other in his hand. “Oh.”

“How about you?”

“I was gonna fly back to Mississippi tonight, but I don’t really feel like it,” Lance said. “My mom’s been getting on my nerves lately.”

AJ finally smiled. “My mom’s the only one NOT getting on my nerves lately. Nick’s been a brat, Howie is all about his club, and Brian and Kevin are married life this and married life that. Not exactly what I need to hear.”

“Would…would you like to grab a bite to eat later?” Lance asked nervously, shocked by the words coming out of his mouth.

AJ looked shocked as well. “Uh, well, sure. Anyplace special in mind?”

“No, I didn’t think that far,” Lance said.

“I’ll make the reservation. I know where you stay…I was there for a party a few years ago. I’ll stop by for you around eight?”

“Uh, okay,” Lance said, smiling.

I want to thank you, my friend, for making me feel worthwhile…sweeter than the honey of your lips and kindness in your smile…hand in hand we float across the room, explosions deep inside…cheek to cheek; there’s clouds under my feet, there’s only you and I…

“Looking good, Bass,” AJ said, shifting the gears of his sports car as Lance jumped into the front seat.

“You, too,” Lance said. He had spent over an hour trying to find the perfect thing to wear, then realized in horror that he was looking forward to this as a date. It wasn’t a date. He had just asked a friend to go for dinner. And, actually, AJ wasn’t even a friend, more of an acquaintance. That made everything even MORE confusing. It was all AJ’s fault, coming out as bisexual to Lance. Lance didn’t want to know that…because then he had started thinking. Thinking was bad, especially when one was thinking about tattoos and licking them, and running fingers through short dark hair to see if it was as silky as it looked.

“Thanks…for asking me to dinner,” AJ said, never moving his eyes from the road. Lance blushed slightly.

“Well, you know, we were both free,” Lance said, shrugging.

“I’m sure you have a whole passel of people who you’d rather hang with, and I’m just glad you picked me.” AJ cut a truck off and a horn blared behind them. AJ chuckled and kept driving. “I was feeling kinda lonely, believe it or not.”

Lance had felt the loneliness, and it was actually one of the reasons he had offered the invitation. “Passel?” Lance said, grinning. “That’s a Mississippi word if I ever heard one.”

“Glad I make you feel at home,” AJ said, and surprisingly enough, Lance DID feel at home with him.

Dinner was delicious. AJ had brought Lance to a small, quiet restaurant, and it was only after they ordered that Lance looked around and realized that every couple in the place was a same-sex couple. “Were you trying to shock me?” Lance asked, slightly annoyed.

“No. I figured you’d already been here before, actually,” AJ said, watching Lance’s face. The sunglasses were gone, and AJ’s dark eyes were curious.

“You think I’m gay?” Lance asked, chuckling as if the idea were totally ridiculous.

“Yes…or bi.”

“Well, I hate to disappoint you,” Lance began, and AJ’s eyebrows raised. “But I’ve never been here before.”

AJ grinned and leaned forward. “So, which one is it? Are you a switch hitter, or a full member of the team?”

“I tried switch hitting and realized it wasn’t my speed,” Lance said. He felt brave. “So I became a full member of the team. Catcher, actually.”

AJ spit water all over himself. “God, Lance,” AJ choked, laughing. Lance smiled and said nothing, just sipped at his glass of wine.

After dinner, AJ drove him back to the studio apartment Lance kept in town, for nights when he didn’t feel like driving out to his huge empty home. AJ let the engine idle in front of the building. Lance looked at him for a long moment, weighing his options. He knew he should just go in and go to bed, but he didn’t want to. Not alone. And of all people, AJ could be trusted to keep things quiet.

“Would you like to come in?” Lance asked finally. AJ nodded, and put the car in park.

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