“Hey yourself,” smiled back Lance.
“Can you come over tonight?” whispered JC so that only Lance could hear. “Something has come up.”
“Yeah,” nodded Lance, concerned, wondering if JC was already getting tired of him.
“Stop worrying,” smiled JC reassuringly. “I love you, okay? Never forget that.”
“I won’t,” whispered Lance before glancing around the bar quickly to make sure that no one was paying attention. When he saw that everyone’s attention was on Joey and his band, he leaned in and quickly kissed JC’s lips. “I love you too, Josh.”
*~*~*
Later when everyone had left and JC had finished closing up, the pair quickly made their way to JC’s apartment. The apartment was actually owned by a friend of JC’s who was in Germany for the time being and had allowed JC to stay there while he was in Chicago.
“So what’s up?” asked Lance, flopping down on the couch and taking the wine glass that JC was holding out for him.
“Something came up,” replied JC sadly, sitting down next to Lance. “I have to be back in Orlando by the end of the week.”
“No!” protested Lance, tears flooding his eyes. “You can’t go! I just found you!”
“I want you to come with me Lance,” whispered JC, stroking Lance’s cheek with his hand.
“Why can’t you just stay here?” whimpered Lance.
“I don’t just write music Lance,” sighed JC. “But I also produce it and I have to be back in Orlando to get these songs recorded. I’m sorry but I was already commented long before I met you.”
“So this is the end?”
“Come with me,” begged JC again.
“But my job is here, my friends are here,” protested Lance shaking his head. “I just don’t know.”
“Think about it,” whispered JC trying not to show his disappointment. “Take all the time you need. No matter what you decide we’ll work through it somehow. I’m not going to break up with you just because we’re not in the same city anymore. You mean too much to me for me to do that!”
*~*~*
The week passed quickly for the pair as they spent what little free time they had together. Fortunately JC had not much more than a few bags to pack and his laptop so that little time was spent packing and more time spent cuddling with Lance.
Although the words were not spoken they both knew that Lance was staying in Chicago for at least the time being.
Finally the day arrived for JC to leave.
“Here,” whispered JC handing Lance a slip of paper as the airport announced the final boarding for his flight to Orlando, trying to hold back his tears. “This is my address, home phone number and cell number. I’ll call you once the plane has landed. If you ever need anything call me day or night. And if you ever decide to come down to Florida, come. You don’t even have to call, just show up at my place if you must.”
“Okay,” whispered Lance sadly.
“I should know within a few weeks when I can come back for a short vacation,” continued JC softly.
“I’ll visit when possible,” whispered Lance before placing a soft kiss on JC’s lips. “You better go now.”
“Bye, Lance,” whispered JC. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” replied Lance softly as he watched helplessly as JC walked away from him.
*~*~*
“Are you okay?” asked Joey two weeks later as himself, Lance, Eric and Randy were hanging out in Lance, Eric, and Randy’s apartment. “You’ve been out of it for a while.”
“It’s nothing,” Lance lied. Truthfully however, Lance missed JC, a lot. The highlight of his days was whenever he would call JC or when JC called him. The pair spent hours each day talking to each other, yet still they didn’t know when they would be able to see each other again.
*~*~*
“You’re what?!” exclaimed Lance the next day as he sat in his boss’ office.
“Firing you,” replied the other man. “Letting you go.”
“But why?!”
“You’ve been slipping in your work these past few weeks plus the whole train thing with that girl left a black eye on the company.”
“So that’s it?”
“That’s the way it happens,” shrugged his boss.
*~*~*
“What’s up with you?” asked Eric that night as he slid onto the bar stool next to Lance’s.
“I was fired today,” grumbled Lance. “They said I was slipping in my work but I think they just wanted an excuse to fire me because of the scandal which you caused by the way.”
“And I’m the one going to make it better,” cried Eric happily, hopping off the bar stool and dragging Lance up with him before swinging them both around to look at the pretty girl standing behind them. “Lance meet Abby, the girl from the train!”
“Hi Lance,” smiled Abby shyly as Eric slipped away. “I’m sorry about what happened and the way I treated you, but Eric ran into me this afternoon and explained everything to me. He told me you had no part in the using the story to meet girls.”
“That’s okay,” sighed Lance. “I do feel better though, knowing you don’t hate me.”
“So do you want to go out sometime?”
“No thanks,” replied Lance. “I’m seeing someone right now. In fact I have to go since I’m expecting that person to call me tonight.”
With that Lance grabbed his jacket and without another word quickly made his way to the exit.
“What happened?” asked Joey when Lance had disappeared, walking up to Abby. Joey had watched the exchanged nearby along with Eric and Randy.
“I don’t know!” replied Abby confused. “I asked him out but he said he was seeing someone and then took off saying that she was planning on calling him tonight.”
“Lance hasn’t been seeing anybody,” informed Randy. “He would have told us if he did.”
“Maybe she’s ugly or something and doesn’t want us to see her,” suggested Eric.
“Whoever she is, something is up with Lance,” sighed Joey.