For all the waiting and wanting for this to actually happen he'd done today, now that it was happening, Justin didn't have a clue what he was going to say when he took this call. Without remembering to breathe, he pressed the button and placed the phone back against his ear. He's probably just calling to confirm that he sent the invoice. Nothing more than a courteous business gesture. But wait. Why in the hell would he need to call and say that? Okay, maybe he's a klutz like that goob Trace - God forbid - and he lost the business card. But hold up. How would he even have the number to fucking call if he lost the stupid card? Well, it's got to be something minor, something insignificant. Something that will turn out to mean completely nothing. Yep. That's what it'll be. Watch. So don't go expecting too much. Fuck. "Yes? Hello?" "Justin?" "Yes. This is Justin," he answered, far more unsure and feather-like than he wanted to sound. And his heart suddenly decided to throb fiercely in his chest. "How's it going? This is JC. From the racquetball thing last night. Remember me, man?" Justin smiled. As if he could forget. "Of course! What's happening, JC? Did I leave some of my junk behind in the locker room or something? 'Cause I'm telling ya. That totally wouldn't be the first time." JC laughed, and it was smooth and silky. At least to Justin's ears. "No, dude. Nothing like that. I was just giving you a buzz to say that - Hey, did I call at a bad time? I mean are you, like, busy or whatever?" Justin squeezed the little phone in his large hand and subconsciously trusted his directional auto-pilot to help him steer the car back to the building where he worked. If I was busy, he thought, it would definitely wait. Whatever the hell it was. It would wait for you. "Um, no! Not at all! I'm just maneuvering out of some crappy traffic here and making my way back to the agency after lunch. Your timing's perfect." There's quite a bit of you that borderlines perfect. In my humble opinion. "Cool. Well, look -" JC stopped to snicker again, and Justin allowed himself to wonder briefly if he was imagining it or if this guy sounded every so slightly flustered and shaky. "Hey, is there, like, anything dumber than 'Look' you can say to somebody on the phone, man? 'Cause it's like what the hell are they supposed to be looking at? They can't see you. You know?" Justin laughed out loud. Yep. Affirmative. The guy definitely sounded as nervous and wound up as Justin was feeling. And that, he hoped, was good thing. "Yeah, I hear ya. I never thought of it like that before. You've got a point." "It's crazy, seriously. But don't mind me, man. I ramble on out of my head like a lunatic sometimes. Just ask anybody who knows me. It's crazy." "It's okay," Justin chuckled. Because, really, it was okay. He'd listen to the rambling any ol' day. "So what's up with you today?" "Well, see? It occurred to me after our little match last night - and what a dumbass I am for not realizing it sooner - that I owe you, like, 25 or 30 whole minutes of lesson time. You know?" "Pardon?" "It was supposed to be an hour-long session. And I was late. I gypped you out of a good third or even half of that time. So I owe you now, dude." In the thick, hazy heat of the moment, Justin's brain refused to logically compute for him where this all might be going. And later, he knew, Lance would laugh his ass off at him and at his mental tangled-up-ness. "Oh. I wasn't concerned about you being late at all, man. It certainly felt like an entire hour to me out there on that court. Sure wore me out." "Well, the thing is I don't want to be cheating you out of what you're supposed to be getting. You know, what you're paying for. I mean an hour is an hour, not a half-assed 40 minutes or so." Justin smiled to himself again. To make sure he wasn't asleep and dreaming. "Okay. So, um, what do you want to do about it, JC?" "I want to settle up, man! Fair is fair! Thirty extra minutes on the court at your convenience. On me. Deal?" "Hmm. I see. You just want to kick my ass all over said court again, don't you? You show off." Justin laughed softly, but his heart was now threatening to violently pound its way out of his ribcage. "Dude, I barely kicked your ass last night. Don't be all modest. So what do you say? Another round?" Um, yes. Fuck yes. Holy Mother of God yes. Like I'd turn that down. "Okay. I'll bite. Sure. I'm up for it. Like you said, fair is fair. I don't want your conscience to be suffering or anything like that. So when?" "Well, just so happens I just had a cancellation for tonight. My 8:00 came down with the flu and can't make it. If you're free - Ah, wait. This is Friday, isn't it? Damn. You're probably already booked with something else to do tonight. There goes me. Always a day late and 25 minutes short. Just damn." Justin giggled. Because it was so damn cute. "What are you laughing at?" "You. That babbling or rambling thing you do is funny." "Yeah, well, you wouldn't think so if you had to endure it all the damn time. So let me see." And JC seemed to be glancing through his schedule as he talked. "Are you available next -" "I'm available tonight, JC." "What?" "Tonight's good for me. You didn't give me a chance to answer. And as lame as it sounds, no, I don't have a big date or anything planned for tonight. So I'm available." JC giggled. "That doesn't sound lame. Or if it does, then I'm lame too. I don't have one either. Hell, I rarely have a big Friday night date, to tell you the truth." Justin shrugged although JC couldn't see him. "Yeah, but you're usually working at the gym, right? You have an excuse." "For being lame?" Justin laughed. "Stop. You know what I mean." "Well, I'm not working tonight. Tonight, you know, with you, will be just for fun." So then does that make it a "date" after all? "So then does that make it a 'date' after all?" Justin found the courage to say quietly and then laughed even quieter. Lance would SO high-five him for the one later. And JC was quick with a comeback, even if he did speak it a little shyly. "Hmm. Maybe. But only if we end up doing something after the match. You know……….Something un-racquetball-like." "Ah, I see. Something like……….get a drink?" "That would work. Since it's not a school night and all. Would you, like, be up for that too, Justin?" "I suggested it, didn't I?" JC snickered, sounding more relaxed and maybe even relieved now. "Cool. Just checking, just checking." "Because fair is fair." "Totally. So I'll catch you at Trinity at eight sharp then." "Or like 8:25 probably." Justin chuckled. "Woo hoo! Check him out! Mr. Timberlake is a smartass too! A man of many talents!" "I was kidding." "I know, dude. I was too. I like a sense of humor. Shouldn't be trying to get through life missing one of those. One more thing we've got in common, I guess." Justin smiled one more time as he pulled into the parking garage at Austin-Adair. Those folks inside the building might be a tad disheartened that he wouldn't be joining them to celebrate and "party-hardy" after work. But hey. He had his priorities, yo. This one was a no-brainer, man. And Lance would understand completely, he knew. Lance would get a big-ass kick out of this new development. Lance would tell him to go out to Venice, forget the hell out of Austin-Adair and Deer Park Spring Water, and do some celebrating of his own. "Somebody should be keeping track of all these weird little nuances we seem to have in common, man," he told JC, turning off the ignition of the car. "Hmm. Maybe somebody somewhere is," JC replied, softly and mysteriously. "Tonight at eight. Be there or be square." "I look forward to it." "Yeah, man. So do I." ~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~ "I swear. I've got to hand it to you, Chasez. That was a smooth and clever motherfucking move. You owe the kid an extra half hour. Ha. Slick as hot butter, I'm telling ya. How much does that make me proud of my boy. That's what I am. Yessiree. He's smooth." Chris tapped JC's bare knee as he made his way into the kitchen and helped himself to a beer from JC's fridge. "Want one, man?" JC glanced up from where he was perched on the breakfast bar tightening the strings on his racquet. "No, thanks. I've got a game to play. But how considerate of you to offer. Make yourself at home, why don't you." "C, I guess I'm going to have to break down and check you out on the ol' racquetball court, man, and see what's up with those magical, seductive powers you have on unsuspecting young men." JC rolled his eyes coolly but kept them focused on his task. "Man, forget it. My whatever powers wouldn't work on you." "Because I'm already too magical and seductive myself?" "Um, because you're straight. Or so you say at least. And that's not my type. But you know what? You could use a strenuous workout or two on the court, CK. So yeah. C'mon down." Chris slapped a palm to his own chest and feigned exasperated shock. "My goodness, Chasez! Are you calling me fat? Out of shape? The nerve! How dare you! I'm sensitive, you beast!" "Bite me." "Back to the issue at hand. I told you the boy would go for it. I mean look at you! Sitting there so cool and casual in your little blue shorts and white v-neck undershirt. How could he NOT want you, man?" "Nobody said he wants me, Chris. He just agreed to see me again for another match." "And a drink afterwards. A drink, I may add, that was HIS idea. Correct?" "Correct. But look. I know from past fucking experience not to get my expectations up. It's dangerous. So shut up making more out of than it is. Okay?" Chris chugged back some of his beer and sat down on a barstool next to JC. "Sure. More than it is YET. And your 'past fucking experience' has been a little missing in action lately, hasn't it, babe? Not much fucking experience or anything else going on in that big old bed of yours in the back, is there?" "Thanks for the reminder, CK. Like I needed one. Are you keeping an official track record for me on my bedroom activities or something, man?" "I'm only saying. This is definitely a step in the right direction for you. No reason not to get your hopes up, man. Hell, it's probably gotten more than just your hopes up, eh, C? Getting something else a little more, um, solid up too?" Chris threw his head back and bellowed out a huge, evil laugh. JC cut him off with a glaring lift of his smoky eyes. "You're a twisted perv, Kirkpatrick. You need to get a sex life of your own and stop being all up in mine. That's just wrong." Undaunted, Chris still grinned and brushed JC's exposed thigh next to him with the chilly beer bottle. "I'm glad this guy accepted your offer, dude. What's his name again?" "Justin." JC said softly, with a flickering hint of a smile on his lips, and went back to fiddling with the racquet. "JC and Justin. Has a nice ring to it. Yes, yes. Very melodic and even sort of balanced." "Fuck. Don't start." "Are you nervous? About tonight?" "As hell." "Well, you don't look like you are. But you never do. You're always collected and together, man. You'll be fine, C. Don't sweat nothing. You'll be awesome." "You're just loving the fuck out of this semi-drama, aren't you, CK?" Chris swung his head from one shoulder to the other merrily, eyes wide and playful. "Oh, hell yes. I'm enjoying every sweet minute of it, C. Semi-drama is lots damn better than NO drama. Know what I'm saying? And something tells me there will be lots and lots more sweet minutes of it for me to enjoy in the near future." ~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~ "Yo, Bass. Where the crap did you say Timberlake is tonight, man?" Lance threw a sullen, bored glance over his shoulder at Wade, who'd just sidled up behind him again - third time now during the festive atmosphere the office workers had created at Velvet when the business day was over. Wade had apparently mistaken him for being drunker than he really was and maybe assumed he could get away with more of his shit with Lance than usual. "Yo, Robson. I didn't say. He's somewhere else. Not here. What's it to ya?" Wade laughed, gravel in his tone. "Just wondering. Don't get your panties in a bunch, dude. This new account was HIS big project. Seems like he'd be here. That's all." "Well, he's not. Try not to cry. Move on and have a whacky time without him. Think you can do that?" "Big date for him tonight or something?" Wade pried blatantly and slowly brushed his fingertip down the back of Lance's sleek neck. Lance shivered and wheeled around with a repelling sneer on his face. "Dude, don't do that. My boyfriend's here. And even if he wasn't……….just don't. Okay?" Wade laughed it off again and then narrowed his dark eyes. The dance floor music rumbled and blared in the background. "Sorry. No offense. Everyone's just so laid-back tonight." Lance rolled his eyes and smirked. "Not that laid-back, Robson. Keep your paws off, if you don't mind. And the thing is if J had a date tonight, I'm sure we'd all know about it. Don't you figure?" Wade shrugged and wrinkled his nose, looking Lance over and clearly wanting to touch him again. "I dunno. The Infant did seem a little hyped-up about something this afternoon after his extra-long lunch." "Deer Park is on board. Duh, Robson. Sure, he's hyped." "Aww, c'mon, Bass. It was more than that. He's won accounts before. This was something different. He was more weird, more distracted, more plain damn giddy, yo. And you know it." "Maybe I do, Robson. But that doesn't mean I have to spill it to you. Get your own life. If Justin wants you mooching around in his, I'm sure he'll send you an e-mail and let you know. 'Kay?" "Hey, baby. You okay?" Jesse was suddenly warm and pliant at Lance's side, whispering in his ear and snaking an arm around his neck affectionately. They became one conjoined mass standing there at the bar in the shadows, heedless of the bustling and noise around them. Lance's face melted into a sunshine smile at the sound and feel of Jesse surrounding him. "I'm great now. Glad you're back, love." Jesse kissed his temple and smiled back. "The pooches are fine, but you know me. I'm so anal I had to call and check on them again. Tara said they're all excellent. Even bad boy Foster, the little renegade, is chilled out and resting after his grand hiking adventure today." "Damn dog. Gave me a fucking heart attack." Jesse giggled and pressed closer to Lance as he looked up to see Wade still standing in front of them, watching them intently. "Oh, hi, Wade. Having a blast tonight?" "Sure. What's up, Jesse?" Wade smirked contempt and barely rolled his eyes. "Baby, Wade was just confusing me somehow for Justin." Lance shot Wade a sly look and chuckled. "Do I look anything like J to you?" Jesse squinted disbelievingly. "Seriously? Wade, man, they don't look anything alike. Just that adorable Southern drawl. They sometimes do that the same. That's the only resemblance I can see. Maybe you had too many beers." Wade returned the sharp glare to Lance and then eyed Jesse again. "Lance is funny. Or thinks he is. I was just asking where Justin is this evening. This is sort of his party. His new business and shit. That's all I was saying." "Oh! He's playing racquetball again tonight, right, baby?" Jesse answered quickly, innocently, his dark-chocolate irises glimmering with love and with life. "Racquetball?" Wade was shamelessly intrigued. His eyebrows lifted like mud oozing uphill. "Did you say 'again'?" "Racquetball. Yes, that's all, dude. The boy's just getting some exercise," Lance confirmed and snuggled into Jesse's firm, heated body. "Now you know, Robson Feel better?" "Hmm." Wade narrowed his eyes again eerily. "Getting some exercise, eh? And what else is he getting? Must be one hell of a competition, this racquetball, to get him to ditch the celebration. Timberlake being such a team player at the agency and all. Know what I'm saying?" Lance rolled his vivid green eyes and laid his head against Jesse's warm, smooth throat. "Run with the possibilities, Robson. I know J will be all kinds of flattered that you're so damn interested." He and Jesse smiled smugly as Wade gave up, curled his upper lip into an ugly snarl, and then slithered off into the thick crowd. Then, as if they'd choreographed it, they silently turned to face each other and melded their slick mouths together for a long, loving kiss.