Justin flipped through the magazine as he waited for all of the groceries to be rung up. Stopping abruptly, he pulled the issue up to his nose as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Adding it to the pile, he paid for the groceries and took them out to the Expedition. Heading for the house, he kept glancing at the bag that held the magazine.
Walking into the kitchen, he saw BJ and Lance out at the pool. He put away the groceries and then took the magazine out back with him. Sitting on one of the lounge chairs, he watched as they swam around the pool.
“Hey, Curly. Why the long face?” Lance rested his arms on the pool edge.
“I think you need to see this.” Justin waved the issue at his friend.
Lance got out of the pool and grabbed a towel, drying off before he reached out for the magazine. Justin flipped it open and just watched his friend’s face. BJ suddenly appeared next to them, a towel wrapped around her as she read over Lance’s shoulder.
Blessed Event?
Lance Bass was seen shopping at the Twin Forks Galleria last month.
Not an unusual occurrence except for his companion and the stores they
visited. Lance was accompanied by Backstreet sister, BJ Carter, and the
twosome visited maternity shops and baby stores. Does this explain the
lack of visibility from this elusive ‘N Sync member?
A cell phone began to ring, and Lance ignored it. Justin just looked at him. “You’re not going to get that?”
“Why? I can just imagine who it is. They can leave a message, and I’ll call them back after BJ and I talk.” He looked up and over his shoulder, smiling at her.
She smiled back before heading into the house. His eyes followed her, seeing the tension in her shoulders as she disappeared into the bedroom. Laying the magazine on the table, Lance got up and followed her inside. Justin sighed and closed his eyes, running his hands over his head. His own phone began to ring, and he ignored it.
When Lance walked into the room, he heard the shower start. Walking into the bathroom, he saw BJ’s outline through the opaque glass doors. Pulling off his own suit, he climbed in behind her and reached for the body wash. Squirting some on his hands, he lathered it up and began to apply it to her back.
“What’s going to happen now?” She kept her eyes closed as she began to relax.
“I don’t know. I love you, BJ, and I love this baby.” His hands moved around to rub her belly.
She dropped her hands on top of his and leaned back against him. “I love you, Lance, but I don’t want you to be hurt because of my mistake.”
“Your mistake was getting involved with that jackass, not this child and not loving me. If management’s got a problem, I know where the door is.” He continued to soap her body, moving down her legs.
Gasping, she looked down quickly. “What?”
Crouched on the floor, he looked up at her. “I like singing and I like being with the guys…when we’re not fighting. But I don’t want to do this the rest of my life. I like managing talented people who have a gift to offer the world. That’s where I really want to focus. Now that I have you, I see the infinite possibilities, and I won’t give that up. My mom used to tell me that I’d know when I found the right one.”
He stood up, pushing the wet hair out of her face. “I have.”
Tears mingled with the warm water coursing down her face. Leaning into his chest, she sniffled as she wrapped her arms around him.
“When Sam left, I would have sworn that I would never love again. Now I know I didn’t have love in the first place.” BJ looked up into his face.
“I love you, Lance, and I’m willing to stand beside you.”
They kissed tenderly, the warm water showering down on them.
**~~**
When they walked back into the kitchen, Justin was hanging up the phone after calling in an order to Giuseppe. Once Meredith had introduced them to the man, they never went anywhere else for their pizza.
He looked at the couple, taking in the wet hair and glowing skin. Smiling, he sat down at the table. “They called me, too. I just listened to the message, but haven’t called them back.”
Lance nodded, picking up his phone. He started out of the kitchen but turned around. Leaning down, he pressed a hard kiss to BJ’s mouth. Standing up again, he winked at her before heading towards the office. BJ pressed her fingers to her mouth and brushed the tips over the slightly swollen lips. With a start, she remembered Justin and looked over to find him smiling broadly at her.
“You’ve been awfully quiet about this, Justin.”
He shrugged. “What’s to say? I see how much he loves you. I see how much you love him. It’s cool.”
He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek before standing. “I’m going to pick up the food. I’ll be back in a few.”
“Be careful.” She smiled as he waved and walked the door.
In the office, Lance listened to four messages from management, then made the call. He listened to them, letting them rant and rave. He was a little surprised to hear Joey’s voice in the background.
“C’mon, Scoop. What’re you doing? I know you weren’t dating her, so what’s up with the smokescreen? What about us?”
Lance sat up abruptly. “You did *not* just say that.”
There was some grumbling in the background, and JC’s voice echoed through the phone. “Ignore Joe. Everything okay up there?”
Lance sighed. “Yeah, we’re fine—all of us. How are you, Josh?”
“I’m getting there, Lance. I’m getting there.”
Someone on the management team interrupted them. “Lance, what about your place in the group? What are you going to do?”
“Explain what my place in the group has to do with anything.” He leaned back in the chair.
“What about the fans?”
He snorted and heard an echoing laugh from JC. “You don’t read the Internet? A lot of fans think I’m gay. They’re probably going to think I’m in denial or I’m covering up a torrid affair with Nick or something. Look. Let me lay it all out for you in simple words you’ll understand.”
He stood up and moved to the window, looking out at the shimmering water of the pool. “I love BJ Carter. No, I’m not the biological father of her child, but I’m the daddy in every way that matters. And with any luck, when she checks into the hospital to give birth, her last name will be Bass. So, you guys take it however you want it, but this is the way it’s going to be. I’ve got to go now. Justin’s back with dinner, and my lady needs some pampering.”
He clicked off the phone and tossed it onto the desk. Standing there, he took a deep breath and released it, feeling incredibly free. Strolling into the kitchen, he wrapped his arms around BJ, pressing a kiss to her cheek before waltzing her around the kitchen. Justin walked in and watched the couple, raising an eyebrow. He set the food on the table, yelping in surprise when Lance pulled him into a dance step before kissing his cheek.
Justin stepped away and just looked at his friend. “Either your phone died or they were all completely stoned and could care less.”
Laughing, the older man grabbed some drinks for everyone and distributed them as they sat down to eat. “Actually, neither. Joe wanted to know what I thought I was doing. JC quickly stepped in and ended that conversation—he was quite nice. I’d like to invite him up here if you don’t mind.”
Justin stopped in mid chew and just shrugged. Lance continued. “I told them that I wasn’t giving BJ or the baby up, and they could take it however they wanted. It was very liberating.”
BJ looked over at her boyfriend then reached out to touch his cheek. He quickly turned his head and kissed her fingers before picking up his slice of pizza. They talked about what was probably going on down in Orlando. Justin joined in on occasion, but his mind was thinking about JC and a possible visit.
**~~**
Late that night, after BJ went to bed, Justin and Lance were sitting out on the patio enjoying the breeze.
“We don’t have to invite him, you know. It’s just that…I miss him.”
Justin sighed. “So do I.”
They sat in silence for a little while longer. The younger man stood up and stretched. “I’ll call him in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Night, Curly.”
Lance spent a few more minutes looking up at the stars before heading to bed. He climbed up onto the mattress, settling behind BJ and wrapping his arms around her.
**~~**
Early the next morning, Justin quickly dialed the phone before he lost his courage. Pacing the den, he waited for an answer.
[Hello?] The voice was groggy with sleep.
“You can come visit if you want.” The words rushed out of Justin’s mouth in a whoosh.
There was silence for a minute. [Justin?]
“Yeah. We’re at Meredith’s in Emerald Point. You can come visit if you want to.” He held his hand over his eyes as he waited for answer.
[And Lance is okay with this?]
“Yeah.”
[Are you okay with this?]
The sadness in the voice almost made Justin cry. “Yeah. Just let us know when you’re arriving. Someone will be there to get you.”
[I’ll call you later with the flight info.]
“’kay. Bye.”
[Bye, Justin.]
Breathing out slowly, he hung up the phone and fell back on the sofa.
**~~**
Irene flipped through the latest issue of People and stopped suddenly. Getting up, she walked over and knocked on Meredith’s door. The older woman answered with a smile.
“Yeah?”
Irene showed her the picture. “Is he gonna flip?”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she studied the picture. “I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure. I wonder if they’ve seen it.”
Picking up her cell phone, she dialed the number and waited for an answer.
[Hello?]
“Hey.”
[I was expecting Nick.]
“Well, I guess that answers my question.”
There was a chuckle on the other end. [Has he seen it yet?]
“Don’t know. Irene just brought it to my attention. How’s BJ?”
[Good.]
Meredith could almost hear the blush. “Still the master of understatement, I see.”
He laughed again. [Hang on, I’ll get BJ.]
[Hey, Mom.]
“Caro. So, everything’s going okay.”
[I’d say it’s way beyond okay.]
“I’m glad to hear it. I just wanted to check after seeing the picture.”
[Has Nick seen it yet?]
“If he has, he’s been remarkably quiet about it. I’m going to show it to him. Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.”
[Yes, it will, because I won’t accept anything else.]
Meredith heard the determination in the young woman’s voice, realizing how much BJ had grown up during this time. “I’ll let you go now. You two have fun and be careful, although you certainly don’t have to worry about the ‘getting pregnant’ part.”
BJ’s giggles filled her ear. [We will. You guys be careful, too, okay?]
“We will. Love you, Caro.”
[Love you, Mom.]
Meredith hung up the phone and looked at Irene. “Can you send Nick in here?”
Irene nodded and headed out into the other room. In a few moments, Nick appeared in the doorway.
“Something wrong?”
“Come in and close the door.”
He was immediately wary, but followed her instructions and then joined her on the bed. She handed him the open magazine, and he read the caption under the picture. Studying it for several moments, he finally closed it and handed it back to her.
“You okay, Munchkin?” She rubbed his back as they sat there.
“Yeah. I knew it was coming. When I was there in April, you could see the little glances they threw at each other. Every time I talked to her on the phone after that, he always ended up in the conversation.” Nick turned his head and looked at her, giving her a grimaced smile.
“But how do *you* feel? I can hear the happiness in their voices, but you’re involved in this, too.”
“I’m okay right now. I told him if he hurt her that I’d hurt him, so I don’t think he’ll do anything deliberately. He’s a pretty good guy.” He rubbed his temples.
“Yeah, he is. I think he’ll be good for her and the baby.” Meredith patted his shoulder and stood up. “I think they’re waiting on a call from you.”
“I’ll call them in a little bit. I need to show the picture to everyone.” Nick stood up as well, taking the magazine and heading out into the common room.
Without saying a word, he just handed it to Brian, who took a look at the page Nick flipped to and opened his eyes wide. Saying nothing, he passed it on to Howie, who just looked at it before passing it on. It moved from person to person, each one looking at it before looking up at Nick to get his reaction. When the issue was back in his hands, he looked down at it once more.
“You okay, Frack?” Brian moved over next to his friend.
“Actually, I am.” He smiled at the other man. “I gotta call BJ and let her know I’m not yelling or breaking things.”
Brian patted him on the back before he left the room.
**~~**
JC called back that afternoon, telling BJ that he would be arriving the next morning around 7:30 to avoid the crowds. She told him she would pass on the information and that she looked forward to meeting him. He returned the sentiment, hanging up shortly after that.
Early the next morning, Justin was leaning against the wall near baggage claim as he waited for JC to appear. Catching sight of his friend before JC could see him, he leaned farther back behind the plant and just watched.
The older man appeared tired, and there was a definite sadness floating around him. When JC had grabbed his bag, he looked around the terminal for his ride. Justin stepped away from the wall.
“C.”
Turning abruptly, JC’s eyes widened at the almost shaven head of his band mate. “Curly?”
Chuckling, the younger man rubbed his head ruefully. “Not anymore. C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”
He led the other man to the Lexus parked in the visitor’s short-term parking, unlocking the doors with the remote. JC threw his bags in the backseat then climbed into the passenger seat. There was silence in the car as they drove back to the house, but it was not as uncomfortable as Justin feared it would be. He led the other man into the house, telling him quietly that any of the guest rooms except the first one was free. JC nodded and headed down the hall, choosing the next to last room so that Justin wouldn’t feel as if he were being crowded.
Walking back towards the kitchen, he found a smiling Justin waiting in the foyer.
“Wanna see something cute?”
JC shrugged and followed the younger man as he headed for the master bedroom. Opening the door softly after listening for a moment, they looked in to see Lance flat on his back with BJ curled against his side. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her close as she hugged his chest. They backed out quickly and closed the door, heading for the kitchen.
Lance opened his eyes and looked at the door before pressing a kiss to BJ’s head. She buried her face in his neck.
“Morning.”
“Morning, sweetheart. JC’s here.”
BJ sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. “How did he look?”
“I don’t really know. I only caught a quick glimpse of them before they shut the door.” Stretching, he twisted his neck around to pop it, and BJ grimaced.
“Sorry.” He kissed her quickly before getting out of bed and pulling on his swim trunks.
“No, you’re not.” She climbed out of bed and grabbed a tankini.
After brushing her teeth and peeing, she pulled on the swimsuit and twisted her hair up on top of her head. Meredith had left an array of hair accessories, and BJ rummaged through them to find a pair of hair sticks decorated with butterflies. Lance slid in behind her and used the toilet then washed his hands and brushed his teeth. She returned to the bedroom and grabbed a sarong, tying it low on her hips before walking towards the kitchen.
Justin and JC were sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee when she walked in. Smiling at Justin, she leaned over the table.
“I’m BJ Carter.”
“JC Chasez. Nice to meet you.”
She nodded. “The same.” Her gaze swung over to Justin. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Dunno. What does the kid want?” Justin leaned back in his chair and watched as she foraged through the refrigerator.
“I believe French toast is the request. You doing the bacon?”
“Yeah.” He got up and pulled out a pan then opened the bacon and put some strips in to cook.
BJ made the batter and dipped bread in, cooking each piece to a golden brown before setting it on a plate. Lance walked in from the backyard, having been out there cleaning the pool.
“Morning.” He smiled at everyone, reaching out to shake JC’s hand.
JC nodded back at him and smiled, watching as his friend moved toward the stove. He sat back and watched the three of them work together.
“Hold on.” Lance kept BJ from moving by placing his hands on the counter on either side of her body.
“What?” She blinked her eyes at him.
“Oh, brother.” Justin rolled his eyes as he set the plates on the table and turned to the refrigerator to get the syrup, juice, and milk.
Leaning close, Lance slowly licked the side of BJ’s mouth. “Powdered sugar.”
“Maybe I should just dip myself in that.” She grinned at him as he released her and picked up the platter of French toast.
“You’d get no complaints from me.” He set the food down and held out her chair.
JC just watched the whole scene in amazement, very surprised at seeing the normally reserved Lance be so openly affectionate.
The group ate breakfast, taking time to chat about Orlando gossip and general information. When they finished, Justin picked up the dishes and began to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. When JC helped him, he got a smile in return. Lance and BJ headed outside while the other two finished up.
“Are they always like that? It’s so unlike Lance.” JC wiped his hands on a towel.
Justin laughed as he reached in to grab a soda from the refrigerator. The other man looked at him with a questioning glance, so he retrieved another soda and handed it to JC.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
**~~**
Every moment JC spent with Lance and BJ he was surprised. At one point in the afternoon, he turned around when he heard someone singing along with the CD.
Come my lady. Come, come my lady.
You’re my butterfly. Sugar, baby
Come my lady. Yo, my pretty baby.
I’ll make your legs shake, you’ll make me go crazy
His eyes widened as he watched Lance step behind BJ. He dropped his hands to her hips and pulled her snug against his groin, dancing with her while singing Crazy Town’s Butterfly. If JC hadn’t been sitting down, he probably would have fallen over in shock. Justin just laughed at the expression on the other man’s face as the couple grooved to the seductive music.
“I told you.”
“Oh my God. He can dance.” JC’s eyes were wide.
“That ain’t all he can do.” The younger man dived into the pool, ignoring JC’s questioning glances.
Table of Contents
Chapter Two