The five
men of *Nsync entered the awards after party on cloud nine. Their performance
had gone well and they had won two awards. JC had popped a champagne bottle in
the limo, and by the time they walked through the doors at the party, all five
of them were pretty toasted.
JC stood
near the back of the room watching as his four friends worked the room. Chris
and Joey had each found women to entertain them, and Justin was over on
Britney's arm playing the ever doting boyfriend. His eyes scanned the room for
his last bandmate, but he saw no sign of Lance.
Moving
away from the wall, he made his way onto to the make shift dance floor. The
first one he spotted was Joey. He tapped him on the shoulder, and he pulled him
away from the girl he was dancing with. "Hey, man. Where's Lance?"
Joey
took a quick glance around the room, and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea,
C. I thought I saw him with Em when we got here, but they both have
disappeared."
JC
patted Joey on the shoulder before walking away. He walked throughout the room
looking for any sign of Lance or his leading lady, but neither one of them were
to be found. He left the room, and
walked down a hallway. He could hear voices somewhere close, so he continued on
down the hallway. As he got closer, he
could make out the voice of Em talking in a soft whisper. He moved as close as
he dared, not wanting either Lance or Em to see or hear him.
"Lance,
you know he loves you. Brit is just for appearances. I saw you guys up in
Toronto when he came up to shoot his cameo. He loves you, and only you. "
"Sometimes
I have to wonder though. He makes him and Britney look so real. He is even
talking about going to Hawaii with her once her tour ends. That could be time
he and I could get away for a little bit. Have some alone time just to
ourselves away from the other guys, but he says it would be good for
appearances. In a way he is right, but..."
"Lance,
have you asked if maybe you could go along. Maybe stay in the background, but
just be there."
Lance
sighed. JC could picture his friend running his hand through his spiky hair. He
almost laughed, but he kept quiet. "I mentioned it, but it would be hard
to do. They will have press all over them the whole trip. The paparazzi are
bound to see me if I go."
"Lance,
you know as well as I do that there are ways to hide yourself. If you don't
want to be seen or noticed you won't be."
"True,
but this will be difficult. I know I shouldn't be jealous of Britney. She is
his best friend. I know there is nothing romantic really going on between them,
but she is Britney. One of the sexiest women in music today, and I also know
she wants him."
"She
may want him, but you have him."
"I
do. I'm glad we talked to you about us. It is nice having someone to talk to
that is a friend."
"I'm
glad you felt you could trust me with your relationship, but I am pretty sure
if you told the guys they would be okay with it too."
"That
is something to talk about another time, Emmy."
"Yeah,
you're right. I am going back into the party. You coming?"
"In
a minute."
"Okay
see you out there."
JC hid
inside a room until he heard Em pass by. Now was his chance to make his move on
Lance, and that is exactly what he would do. Lance would be his by the end of
the night.