Four
"Have a really good time, okay?" Justin
said, hugging JC tight. "Forget
about everything back here."
"You sure you don't need me?" JC asked
anxiously. "I know you're freaking out right now..."
"No, YOU'RE freaking out," Justin said,
smiling. "I'll be okay, Jayce."
"Have a good time," Joey said, shaking
Lance's hand. "Take care of him."
"I will."
"If you meet anyone famous, give them my
number," Chris said to Lance.
Lance laughed.
"I definitely will," he promised. He turned to JC. "We should go to the
lounge. They'll be boarding us soon."
"Okay," JC said, taking a deep breath. He
sent a look of desperation in Justin's direction. Justin hugged him again.
"Relax. Get to know him. Let him pamper you,
okay?"
JC nodded. "Bye."
He followed Lance to the private lounge where they
were going to wait for their flight.
Lance was always one of the last people to board, so he wouldn't cause a
scene. "You okay?" Lance
asked JC.
"Yeah," JC said with a sigh. Then he smiled. He didn't want Lance to think
he wasn't excited. "I've never flown first class before."
"Me either," Lance teased, then
laughed. "It's not all that,
really."
"That's what you think," JC said.
"All the fuss helps me keep my mind off of
flying," Lance said. "I hate flying."
"Really?" JC asked, surprised. "I haven't flown all that much, but I
kinda like it. It's exciting."
"Well, I'm sure you can distract me,"
Lance said with a devilish look in his green eyes. "Do you want a drink or anything while we wait?"
"No, I'm fine." JC checked his backpack to make sure he had his sketchbook and
pencils. It would be a long flight.
"When are you gonna paint me?" Lance
asked. JC looked at him. "I just thought you might want to, I
don't know." Lance blushed slightly. "I've had a million pictures
taken of me, but never a portrait painted."
"I...I'm not very good at portraits," JC
stammered. "But if you want me to, I'll try."
"Only if you want to," Lance said,
shrugging, but JC could tell it was something he wanted.
"Mr. Bass, if you're ready to board," a
stewardess said. Lance nodded and
stood.
"Ready?" Lance said to JC. JC nodded as well, butterflies fluttering
against the walls of his stomach.
An hour later, when he was seated by the window and
Lance was dozing off against his shoulder, JC finally took the time to assess
his situation. It was like a dream come true. He was going to one of the most
romantic and artistic places in the world, with one of the most beautiful and
amazing men in the world, and it was still totally surreal. He was seated in first class with a glass of
expensive red wine in front of him, and all he could do was close his eyes and
pinch himself.
"You okay?" Lance mumbled.
"Fine," JC said, patting Lance's knee.
"You sleep." He shifted so he
could free his hand slightly and began to draw.
"We're staying about an hour outside the
city," Lance said as they stood and stretched and began to collect their
belongings. "Would you like to
stay overnight in the city, or just go out to the house tonight."
"I'd rather get settled there, I think,"
JC said, yawning. He had finally fallen
asleep for the last half of the flight.
"I can't believe we're really here!"
It was the first bit of excitement JC had shown,
and Lance was relieved. He was beginning to think that JC was only going along
with this trip to please him. He
decided to say something about it when they got off the plane.
"Monsieur Bass?" A steward said. Lance nodded, and the steward spoke in a
rapid stream of French. Lance nodded
and motioned for JC to sit back down.
"He said that if want to wait for everyone
else to get off the plane, we can go to a special section of Customs. I'm
fairly well-known here, but not as well-known as in America, so it shouldn't be
TOO bad. But at any rate, they decided
to offer us the courtesy," Lance explained.
"Oh, okay." JC sat back down and looked
out the window.
"Josh, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Did you really want to come along with
me?" Lance asked. "I mean...you haven't seemed too thrilled with it
all."
"Oh, I'm loving it!" JC promised. "I
just...I didn't want you to see me as some kind of hick, all excited about a
trip to France."
"Don't hold yourself back from me, Josh,
please," Lance begged. "I need at least one person in my life who's
going to be honest and sincere, okay?"
"Okay. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." Lance leaned forward and gave JC a quick
kiss before the steward came to get them.
