Good Whiskey and Bad Popstars
by Lorelei

Icy blue eyes followed the bobbing heads of every musician and executive that really mattered to anybody. Every gelled spike or curl bobbed to the music that they had all created. They closed with a sigh as the man behind them made his way to the balcony for a cigarette, trying desperately to look aloof while still avoiding everyone in the room.

He finally let out the breath that he had no idea he had been holding, when he got out on the balcony with the door closed behind him. He took out a cigarette and lit it between his lips in one swift movement. He exhaled but before he could catch his breath again, he was startled by a rumbling cough at the other end of the balcony.

He turned back toward the corner of the balcony and sighed. It was dark out, but the figure was easily identified as a member of some boy band.

“Do you mind?” The steel eyed man put out his cigarette and was about to leave when a glass was shoved into his hand. He eyed the other man and sat down, fingering the glass in his hand.

“Aren’t you going to use this?”

“The bottle’s so much quicker.” Both men chuckled as the second poured for the first. The first took the bottle and gave it a good look before giving it back.

“This is some serious liquor. I didn’t think that a guy like you would be drinking the good stuff.” The second man took a long swig before answering.

“Yeah well, when you drink as much whiskey as I do, you really get to know the good stuff.”

“I never took you to be much of a whiskey drinker. You always came off as more of a goody-goody to me.” A deep chuckle filled the air as the second man took another swig.

“Most people see me that way.” The first man smiled against the cool glass in his hand, and sipped at the amber liquid within it. Most people did. He did.

“So what are you doing out here?”

“The same thing you are.” The first man frowned into his glass, confused.

“But, aren’t you in a boy band?”

“I’m Lance from NSYNC, so yes, I am in a boy band. Just because I know how to act perky and happy all of the time doesn’t mean that I like mingling with these people any more than you do.”

“Yeah, I guess” He didn’t really understand that. I mean, acting perky all of the time ought to rub off on a person’s actual personality, right?

“I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not lying. I honestly hate these things. You’re lucky that you only have to do one a year.” The second man took a long sip from the bottle in his hand. “Sometimes it seems that I am always at these fucking parties. I never get a chance to just stay in at home anymore.”

The first man scowled.

“Look, all I’m saying is that you’re lucky in that way. That’s all that I’m saying. Honest.” The first man nodded in appreciation, but then sighed.

“Well, I have it harder than you do, trust me.” The second man, Lance, looked over the neck of the bottle at the first.

“Really, and what makes you think that?” The first man put down his glass on the gravelly floor and stared across to Lance, trying to decide if he could trust the young pop star with his secret. At first he said no way, but then again . . . He did know the good stuff, and that had been a surprise. Maybe he could trust him, just this once.

“Can you keep a secret? And be honest with me, because it’s really big.” The second man contemplated the question for a few seconds before answering.

“Honestly, if it hurts me, than I will tell everyone I see.” The first shook his head and chuckled.

“It won’t hurt you. Just me, and besides we have different main demographics, right?” They both chuckled and Lance took another swig.

“Whatever man. You can trust me.” The first man leaned closer to the second and breathed in his heady scent as he was about to let out the words.

“I . . . I’m . . .” Before he could squeeze in the last word, Lance leaned over and licked his open lips.

“You don’t have to say it.” Before he could answer, Lance was gone, with his bottle and glass, back pretending to mingle inside.

The first man slumped down to the ground and licked his lips. He could taste whiskey on his lips and in his breath. But, how had he known?

That was the question that plagued his mind for the next month. It bothered him so much, that when his manager came to him, asking if he would make it to an MTV get together, he said yes rather enthusiastically. His manager had been quite shaken. He never said yes to anything like that, but he had done it for a reason.

He knew that Lance would be there.

As soon as he got to the studios where the get together was taking place, the first man, went looking for Lance, and oh did he find him.

Not an hour into the party, he walked into a dressing room, where he found Lance, passed out on a sofa with the same whiskey bottle in his hand. The same one from that night, more than a month ago.

“Lance?” There was no answer and the first man crept closer, watching the chest in front of him rise ad fall with each breath. He came closer, and looked at those lips again. He smelled them and caught the scent of whiskey in the air; good whiskey.

He, then looked around the room and decided to lock the door before making his way back over to the couch. He looked again at Lance, passed out on the couch, and before he had time to consider the consequences the first man dove in for a kiss.

There was more whiskey on his lips and his tongue.

While the first man was still busy licking the bitter whiskey from his lips, Lance awoke and looked up at him with foggy eyes.

“Hey you. I know you.” The first man nodded.

“Yes, you do.” Lance smiled, and hugged the first man close. He just stayed like that, not making any further move, until the first man spoke.

“Lance, can I ask you a question?”

“Uh hu.” Lance nuzzled his nose into the first man’s neck and smiled even wider.

“You remember when we met at that party last month?” He heard no answer, but went on when he felt Lance nodding his head against his neck.

“Well, I was going to tell you a secret and you said that you already knew what it was, that I didn’t have to say it. How did you know?” He felt Lance’s tongue on his neck.

“I just knew.”

“But, how?” The first man pulled away and looked hard into cloudy eyes.

“I can tell, you know?” He went back to the first man’s neck.

“I have to be very careful with my secrets in this business, so I have learned to spot em pretty well.”

“You mean, you’re . . .”

“Uh hu.”

“Oh.” The first man kissed him again, but jumped when he hear someone unlocking the door. He turned around and caught Carson Daly, walking in on them.

“Whoa, what are you two doing in here? Lance? Marshall?” Marshall held up Lance’s hand, grasping the bottle of whiskey.

“Good whiskey.”