Eighteen 

“Jayce, don't be a fool,” Justin pleaded.

JC munched on a corn chip and swallowed it before speaking. “Justin, shouldn't you be getting ready for your big date at the movie premiere?”

“I am ready. Joey's the one that's been in the bathroom for an hour, trying to fix his hair,” Justin replied.

“I have not!” JC heard Joey yell, and he had to smile.

“You know my hair…it doesn't obey no matter WHAT I do, so I don't even try,” Justin said. “Can you imagine how Nick is acting right about now?”

“Thank God Chris went there to get ready, instead of vice versa,” JC said. “I couldn't handle that.”

“I think you should go, JC,” Justin said seriously. “You said yourself that he seemed to want to talk to you.”

Justin was the only person who knew about the note from Lance. JC had read the script, and it was very good. Lance would be perfect in it. “He said he wanted to consult me about the…”

“Bullshit,” Justin interrupted. “It was an excuse for him to kiss your ass.”

“Have a nice time tonight, J.” JC hung up before Justin could say anything else. He then took the phone off the hook. 

“Maybe we could call Brian and ask him to go talk some sense into him,” Chris suggested as the limo crept up the street. They had split the cost of the limousine for this special occasion.

“Brian's a wimp,” Nick said. “He couldn't talk anyone into anything.”

“Be nice.” Chris patted Nick's knee. “JC should be here. I'd do anything to get him here so they could make up.”

“JC told you to stop feeling guilty,” Joey said. “Don't you ever listen to anyone?”

“No,” Chris said cheerfully.

“I wish he'd get his head out of his ass,” Justin grumbled, looking out the window. Joey squeezed his hand but said nothing. 

JC decided he'd much rather be home alone than at the fancy premiere. He could do some painting, watch some TV…the only problem was that Lance refused to leave his thoughts. He tried three different times to start a painting, and every time the color he mixed ended up being just the right shade of green that matched Lance's eyes. And every channel seemed to have a reporter outside of the theater, giving a play by play of the famous people arriving. 

“Here comes Lance!” Nick said, poking Chris in the arm. They had waited outside the theater in a special VIP section, watching for Lance to arrive. He and Kevin Richardson got out of the limousine, and Lance waved to the crowd. Kevin had a date. Lance did not. His eyes carelessly scanned the crowd, and he smiled as he saw Justin.

“He's coming over here!” A woman squealed.

“Justin.” Lance reached out a hand and Justin took it. “You look good.”

“So do you,” Justin said, and Lance laughed, understanding the hidden meaning. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Lance said. His eyes darted across the group of friends, and he tried to keep his smile strong. “Hello, everyone. I hope you enjoy the movie.”

“We tried to get him here.” Justin put a hand on Lance's arm. “I swear. He's stupid.”

“No, it's okay. Really.” Lance smiled and gave Justin a quick hug before going back to the red carpet. “I wish I could talk more,” he said over his shoulder. “Gotta do this, then I gotta do interviews in the ballroom. See you!” 

JC stared at the television, unconscious of the fact that he was clutching a pillow to his chest. Lance looked so beautiful in his tuxedo. He gasped as he saw Lance stop to talk to someone in the crowd. Justin! The men spoke, then hugged. Lance looked thin…and miserable. JC knew the feeling. The camera stayed on Justin as Lance walked away, the reporter wondering who this man was. Justin looked right at the camera, and it seemed that he was looking right into JC's soul. JC jumped up, turned off the television, and tried to find a pair of shoes. 

“It was…different,” Chris said, standing up and stretching.

“He was incredible,” Nick said in awe.

“That had to be the dumbest movie I have ever seen,” Joey announced loudly, and Justin slapped him. “It had no plot!”

“But he was incredible,” Nick repeated. “You know an actor is good when he can take a crappy story and make it watchable.”

“I wish JC woulda been here,” Justin said, getting up and stretching as well. “Lance wanted him here, could you see that?”

“You're such a cute little matchmaker,” Joey said, kissing Justin's nose right in front of everyone.

“No…I just want my friends as happy as I am,” Justin said, sighing.

They pressed through the crowd slowly, knowing that it would take forever for their limousine to reach the door. “Hey…isn't that…” Chris said, standing on tiptoe.

“JC!” Nick yelled, wriggling through the massive crowd.

“I told you, sir, no ticket, no…” the security guard was saying.

“No…He's with us!” Nick told him. “Honest!” He grabbed JC by the shoulder and dragged him to an empty pocket of space. The others soon made their way over.

“Is he still here? Do you think I could get to see him?” JC panted. Justin grinned.

“He's in the ballroom, giving interviews and taking questions,” he said. “C'mon. You guys wait here.”

“The hell we are,” Chris said. “I wanna see this.”

The group shoved their way down the hall. A guard began to stop them, but Joey waved his VIP ticket in the air. “There's the ballroom,” Justin said. He gave JC a gentle push. “Go in there.”

“What if…” JC panicked.

“Give him a chance,” Justin whispered. JC nodded and quietly slipped into the room after grabbing Nick's ticket.

“Mr. Bass…what's next on your agenda?” A reporter asked.

Lance smiled. “A few months of rest and relaxation…then another movie.”

“Can you tell us anything about it?”

“Well…the script is under technical review right now…but I can say that it's like nothing I've ever done, or that you've ever seen. And I think it could be the best work I've ever done.” His eyes darted around the room to call on someone else. JC bravely raised his hand. Lance leaned to the side, trying to see the face attached to the hand. He paled slightly. “Yes…you in the leather jacket?”

“Have you enjoyed making the movie here in Lehigh Hill?” JC asked, his voice quivering. The other reporters turned to look at this stranger.

“Yes…I can honestly say some of the happiest times of my life have been in this town,” Lance said softly.

“Do you think you'd come back again?” JC asked.

Lance smiled a bit. “I'd like to…if I felt there was a place here that I was welcome.”

“There is,” JC said, and the grin on Lance's face seemed huge.

“Lance,” Kevin began, but Lance was off the stage and pushing through the reporters before he could stop him.

“I'm sorry,” Lance said, stopping in front of JC. “I'm so sorry.”

“I should hate you,” JC said. “I should…but I can't.”

“Forgive me, please? I love you,” Lance said.

“I love you, too,” JC barely got out before Lance was hugging and kissing him.

The End

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