Over The Hill

One

Three Months After the End of Lehigh Hill

“It's not my fault, honey!” Justin whined.

“She'll just breeze in here and take control of everything!” Joey snapped.

“I thought you liked my mom.”

“I LOVE your mom. It's not that.”

Chris, Nick and JC watched the men argue, their heads swinging back and forth as if they were watching Wimbledon. “Then what is it?” Justin asked. “The ceremony is in two months. She wants to come visit.”

“She'll try to boss us around and make it go her way, and you'll let her. She has you under her little finger.” Joey stormed to the bedroom and slammed the door.

“You know this is all because he's nervous as hell, right?” Chris asked Justin. “He's afraid this ceremony is gonna ruin what you have.”

“It's just a private little thing,” Justin mumbled. “And my mom has sworn up and down not to do anything that we don't want. She's offered to help…even to pay for renting the ballroom.”

JC smiled, remembering the ballroom in question. It was where he and Lance had finally admitted they loved each other, right in front of half the reporters on the east coast. “He's nervous,” he agreed. “He'll come out in a second, apologize, and kiss up to you big time.”

“Right,” Justin sighed, falling into a chair. “So…have you heard from Lance lately?”

“Not really,” JC said, frowning. “He's been in Europe, premiering the movie over there left and right. He calls a lot, and he did fly in overnight, you know, but otherwise…”

“He's busy,” Nick said. “You know he's crazy about you, Jayce.”

“Yeah,” JC said vaguely, but it was odd. He and Lance talked when they could, but except for a few brief hours the night of the Lehigh Hill premiere, they hadn't really seen each other. Lance had flown in for a visit overnight, but he was so exhausted that they hardly had time to talk before he fell asleep. He had planned on taking a small vacation before starting to even think about the next film, but JC wondered if that would really happen. He had met with Lance's friend Martin, the screenwriter, and they had done a lot of work on Lance's new script, but that was the extent of his current contact with Lance.

They heard the bedroom door open and Joey soon sheepishly reappeared in the living room. “I'm sorry, babe,” he said shyly. “I'm just so worried.”

“It's okay.” Justin held out his arms and Joey flew into them as the others grinned.

“You have a really great day,” JC said to the customer, trying to smile. The gallery's business had doubled after it became known that its owner was dating Lance Bass, and Brian's girlfriend had quit her job at the coffeehouse to come help out.

“You okay, Jayce?” Brian asked.

“Yeah…you two go get lunch,” JC said.

“We could just get takeout and bring it back,” LeighAnne suggested.

“Nah…take a break. I'll see you in an hour or so,” JC said, waving his hand in the air.

“Thanks,” Brian said, giving him a grateful smile. They darted out of the gallery before he could change his mind.

The bell merrily tinkled, and he looked up from his work with a sigh. “Can I…” JC's mouth fell open.

“Help me? You bet,” Lance said, turning the “open” sign to “closed.” “I think you're done for the day.”

“I think you're right,” JC said breathlessly, still unable to move. “Holy hell.”

“Wanna come around here and kiss me, or do I have to hop the counter?” Lance asked with a devilish smile. JC flew around the counter and into Lance's arms.

“What are you doing here?” JC asked when they finally came up for air.

“I'm officially on vacation.”

“But you're in Europe,” JC said, shaking his head.

“Uh, no, I'm here,” Lance said, smiling.

“And Kevin?”

“I'm not really into threesomes, Josh,” Lance teased. JC glared at him. “Kevin is back home in Kentucky. I am totally free and without assistance for the next month.”

“A whole month?” JC said, delighted. Lance nodded.

“And…if you don't mind, I made some plans that include you.”

“Me?” JC squeaked, feeling like a thirteen-year-old girl.

“Yes, you.” Lance blushed slightly. “It's…uh…well…I rented us a house.”

“Cool! Where? Here in town?”

“Uh, no…in France.”

JC blinked. “As in the country?”

“Yes, as in the country,” Lance said with a grin.

“You're kidding.”

“No.”

JC felt waves of happiness crash through him. “I hadn't heard from you…and I thought…”

“Every time I talked to you I was dying to tell you, so I didn't talk to you,” Lance said. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay!” JC hugged him again.

Over The Hill >