Part 27


"You SNIFFED him?"

Chris shrugged. His mouth twitched a little. This damn chair he'd sat down in wasn't very comfortable. Maybe that's why it was way back here, in the corner of JC's bedroom.

"Yeah. Sort of. And he smelled like sex. So?"

JC couldn't believe what he was hearing. He sprang forward off the pillows he was lying on and sat up on his bed, glaring at his neighbor through darkly narrowed eyes. "So? Fucking hell, man! Tell me you didn't seriously go up to him and shove your nose in his ass and sniff him like a damn dog on the elevator! Tell me that, please."

Chris shook his head quickly and shifted in the chair. "No! Of course not! Do I look stupid? Not on the elevator. We were already out of the elevator and in the frigging parking lot."

"When you sniffed him."

"When I got a whiff of his scent. And it wasn't a bad scent, per se. Just like he'd been rolling around in bed all night with somebody, doing the deed, having sex."

"Oh. Like you're such the expert." JC rolled his eyes and huffed. "I honestly can't believe you, man."

"What?" Chris flashed puppy-dog-innocent eyes.

"What? Chris! You think he won't remember you SMELLING OF HIM if he ever meets you again? Duh!"

"IF he ever meets me? Dude, I thought you said you were seeing him again tonight. That's like date numero three. Like there will surely be more. He's gotta meet your buds sometime."

JC wrinkled his nose and snorted. "I am seeing him tonight. HowEVER, that doesn't mean he'll be coming in any kind of contact with YOUR sick, ass-sniffing ass."

"Chasez, you need to take a Valium, man. It wasn't like I was overboard on the obvious. And your dashing young man didn't even notice I was on the damn scene. He was still high on all that loving you must've been putting on him last night. His eyes were, like, glazed over and everything. So chill. All is cool."

"His eyes were not glazed over. Give me a damn break." JC scowled at him.

"Okay. Maybe a tiny exaggeration there. But everything is still hunky-dory. Don't panic."

The slits of JC's eyes glinted their threat. "You fuck this up for me, CK, and I will do much bodily harm to you. I swear."

"Bro, look. I know you will. And I wouldn't screw with this and mess it up behind your back, C. No damn way. I was just stunned as hell at my dumb luck putting me on the elevator with him! What are the chances of that happening anyways?"

"Way too high for my liking." JC smirked. "How'd he like your Gay-Teletubby car, man?"

Chris frowned, mocking a hurt expression. "It's NOT a Gay-Teletubby car, you ass."

"It's Tinkie Winkie flaming purple!"

"It's 'orchid spectra,' for your information," Chris pouted. "Stop bashing the Cruiser, dude. It's hot."

"It's loud."

"So what? You gotta be loud to be heard in Hollywood, C. Your wheels say who you are."

JC rolled his tired eyes again. "Well, then you fit right in, Kirkpatrick. Screaming-homo loud."

Chris got up, moved across the room, plopped down on the end of the bed, and ignored the surly comment. He grinned and slapped at JC's shin.

"So ya de-briefed him, so to speak, did ya? The boy with the sexy voice and nice build?"

JC sighed and fell backward onto the pillows again. "He wears boxers. Not briefs."

"Whatever. You got 'em off that dashing bod."

"Well, they didn't stay on."

"Woo hoo! I knew it!"

JC smirked again. "How'd you know it, man?"

"I saw him leaving your pad, C. In the morning, no less. And he was post-sex rumpled."

"You did not see him leave this door. I live on Floor Three. You're on Two. Could you be more conflicted in the head, CK?"

"What the hell ever, C." Chris pushed at JC's leg again. "You know what I mean. Now let's go and hit that new taqueria over on Melrose and celebrate, dude! This is good news!"

"CK, you're the one that needs to cool it, man. You're going to hurt yourself getting so fucking jazzed about this."

"What's wrong? You tired?"

"Restless. Nervous energy."

"Big-time crushing. That's your problem."

"Fuck off, CK."

"Was he a good shag? Make your head spin, man?"

JC groaned and grabbed a pillow beside him. "It was……….awesome."

It was just a breathy, generalized bone he threw out to appease his curious friend. What he didn't add was: It was like making music with somebody you've got this really strong vibe going with, a song neither of us had ever heard before but one that was rich and groovy and spontaneous and just flowed out of both of us and into each other. A song that sounded like a beautiful poem dancing on air……….That's what it was like.

Chris sighed and lowered his voice down to gentle and sincere. "You still into him? This Justin guy? Now after you've bedded him?"

"Yep. More so now……….There's just something about him, man. I don't know. He's got this……….quicksilver charisma or something……….and a great body to go along with it."

"Fantasticalicious." Chris grinned. "I'm glad for you, Chasez. Truly."

"Thanks," JC mumbled the hiss from beneath the pillow he'd planted on his face.

"So you in the mood to go and burn off some of that restless energy? Get a huge-oh burrito and an even huger-oh margarita? Dude, you've gone so next-level here with this thing. We need to drink - and eat - to that, yo."

JC lay there for a moment or two, and Chris listened patiently to his breathing. "Your treat, Kirkpatrick?"

"All the way, C. You got it……….As long as you shower off that reek first, man. Yep, that's the same stank your boy had on him. Undeniable."

"Blow me, man," JC snickered. "And go wait in the other room while I get ready. I'll be out in a few."

"Hey, C," Chris added quietly. "He's cute, man."

"I fucking know that. Thank you."

"So when can I meet him?"

"When hell freezes over. I already said."

Chris groaned and cracked his knuckles. "C'mon, Chasez. Don't be a hard ass. Lemme see that soul-drenching smile. I know you've got it in there, man."

JC grunted. "Soul-drenching. Hmm."

"Brilliant, right? You can thank me for it later. After you use it on him, you romantic fool, you."

JC tossed the pillow to the floor and slowly let a grin light up his face as he turned his eyes on Chris. "You suck, man."

"No, I don't. That's in your little bag of tricks. But we won't argue trivial technicalities. Get your just-got-laid ass out of bed and freshen up. I'll be out here waiting. And dying of hunger……….Oh, and one more thing, dude."

"What?"

Chris smiled. "Smitten looks damn great on you, C."

"Shut up, CK."

"Whatever, man. I kind of like that new shine to your eyes. So get up. Let's go out and face the world. It's almost noon."

"Yeah, yeah. As soon as you vamoose, man."

"Vamoosing! Vamoosing!"

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Yo, Timberlake! What'd you find to get into this weekend, man? Anything hot? Have yourself a good one?"

Justin's head shot up from the paperwork on his desk, and he peered across his office at Joe leaning into the door frame and tapping a pen on a notepad. He squinted.

"What?"

"Yeah, I couldn't help but notice that extra little spring in your step, buddy, that little bounce in your walk when you left the brainstorming meeting a few minutes ago. What gives?"

It was 11:45 a.m., and Justin had been at work just over an hour. He'd already had to suffer through two monotonous Monday meetings, one of them also attended by Joe. He still hadn't encountered Lance, which was odd in itself considering how all-fire anxious Lance was to scarf up the gooey details about last night. He was probably tied up downstairs in Accounting, Justin figured. Those goobers were always screwing up stuff with their new computer software, and Lance was always being called in to save their asses for them.

"Sorry, Joe. I was lost in this Approval to Produce e-mail from those Ray-Bans folks. Come again?"

"The proverbial weekend, man. Did it treat you right?" Joe repeated and chuckled. "You look different somehow. Did you get some sun or what?"

Justin felt something like the sun spreading across his cheeks, and he laughed breathily. "Sun? Nah, man. No sun. I just got me some……….um……….rest. I guess. I got all rested up and relaxed the past couple of days. Man, I was wiped after all that Deer Park drama from last week, you know?"

Joe lifted his bushy eyebrows skeptically. "R&R? That's all? You sure? Sounds like a yawner of a weekend to me, man. Especially for a sexy, young player like yourself. And, plus, you've just got that extra little sparkle about you this morning. I swear."

"Ah, c'mon, Joe. Give it a rest. I'm the same ol' me as always." Justin grinned and leaned backward in his big, leather chair, a little uncomfortable under the keen scrutiny from his coworker but not showing it. He hoped. "And I'm not a sexy, young player either. You know how dull I am outside the office. Bor-ing."

"Umm hmm. Whatever you say, Justin. I'll buy it. You're the man with the plan every time." Joe laughed again.

"So how was your weekend, dude?" Justin asked and nonchalantly raised his hand to pull the collar of his button-down shirt a little closer to his neck, remembering the telltale tender red mark in that soft pocket of flesh just below his collarbone. "Did you guys rustle up some family fun or what?"

Joe shrugged and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. His face lit up a little with the chance to talk about his daughter. "Kelly heard about a little carnival deal set up out in Glendale, so we took Bri out there. The kid went bonkers, man! So much energy! It was insane! Had to ride everything about twice! Wore me the fuck out."

Justin snickered. "She's a wild little senorita, all right. Brave Miss Bri. How old is she now?"

"Four. And already nagging the hell out of us to get her a baby sister." Joe rolled his dark eyes and grinned. "God help me, man. I thought one was enough. You know what I'm saying?"

"Dude, then you'd better get busy. And fast too. You're running up the mileage on the ol' age odometer, you know." Justin laughed.

"How about you run up THIS, JuJu boy," Joe snapped back and grabbed his crotch dramatically.

Justin snickered and tugged at his collar again, almost unconsciously. "I'll pass, man."

"Yo, Fatone. There you are, dude. I've been looking all the hell over this building for you, man. And here you be, fraternizing with the likes of Timberlake and rubbing on your little, bitty man parts. Nice. You need some fucking counseling, man."

"Hey! Kiss my ass, Robson! And my freakishly large man parts too!" Joe grunted over his shoulder playfully as the other copywriter sauntered past Justin's office door.

Wade came to a stop and peered in at Justin before bumping Joe's bicep with his fist. "Yeah, yeah. You got the freakish part right, man."

"Like I said, Robson. Kiss my ass."

Not surprised at any of it, Justin rolled his eyes and remained silent, watching from the safety of his chair. Wade turned his sullen, squinted eyes from Justin to Joe.

"Your ass is probably way too hairy to even feel a kiss, Fatone. Waste of time. Get my drift?" Wade sort of growled and laughed. The other two only smirked.

"How the hell would YOU know about my ass being hairy, man? Eeww!" Joe wrinkled his forehead and his nose.

"I don't know. Don't ever want to know. I said 'probably,' man. I'm speculating. You deaf or something?"

"Um, could you two take this completely insane and nauseating conversation some place else? Like out on the freeway, maybe? 'Cause I'm so not interested." Justin groaned softly and rolled his head back on his chair, his voice hinting a laugh but never quite producing one. "Jesus Christ. Is this what copywriters get paid to do all day? Fuck around?"

Wade's dark peer pivoted around on him again. "Oh. Nice of you to finally join us today, Timberlake, even if only for a half day. I hope we didn't inconvenience you too damn much. Office hours around this joint for most of us are nine to five, by the way."

Justin glared back at him, feeling the pointed chill of his non-subtle sarcasm. How the fuck had Wade known he was late this morning?

"Thanks, Wade, for the reminder. I'll make a note of it. Such a comfort to know you're keeping such excellent tabs on me, man. It's almost like I feel stalked," he answered, quietly and without emotion.

Something - maybe the beginning of a wicked smile - curled unattractively at the edges of Wade's mouth. Something else slithery flashed in the onyx pupils of his eyes.

"Missed you at the big ho-down after work Friday night."

"So I heard. Sounded like I ruined your whole night."

"Hardly," Wade grimaced.

"Yeah, well, anyway. Really sorry I couldn't make it. Something came up."

The menacing shadow flickered over Wade's lips again. "Ah, I'll just bet it did."

Immune to the acidity of their little verbal standoff, Joe perked up and laughed. "I totally forgot you skipped out on the celebrating Friday, J." He cut his animated eyes to Wade again. "Robson, I was just ragging Playa Boy here how something about him looks different today. Can't put my finger on it, but isn't he all glowy-looking or whatever, man? Or is it just me?"

Wade's stare tried to consume Justin from the doorway across the room. "Yeah, man. I totally noticed him strutting down the hall earlier too. Like he thought he was a damn runway model or something. Maybe he got kicked up a notch or two this weekend. You think?" The laugh that came out of Wade was full of dirty grit.

"I was not, Wade. Christ. You and your speculating crap can just shut up. You're wrong."

"C'mon, Timberlake. Break it down for us, dude! You can share with your pals! Who'd you grease up with this weekend? Spill!"

Justin felt his stomach turn over with disgust. But he only smirked again, fingers laced across his abdomen complacently defiant.

"Wade, sometimes you're just so gross. Did you learn that at USC too?"

"Whatever, man."

"Yo! I was guessing our boy here found himself some action over the weekend too!" Joe chimed in again, heehawing at their back-and-forth quipping like he usually did. "Sure looks like it to me, bro. He's got a little more hip in that hop than usual, doesn't he? Maybe we should start calling him 'TimberTART' now. What do ya say?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Well, it sure looks like to me you two adolescent pains-in-my-ass should go back to your own private Romper Room and leave me alone. I, for one, have work to do."

"Did you get tapped this weekend or not, Timberlake? Yes or no. We just want the basic scoop. Be a tight-ass with the details if you want. That's fine. Just fill us in on whether something went down or not. 'Kay?"

Wade tried to sound as close to chummy as he could and even turned to nod and smile at Joe, making him his ally. But Justin detected the surly, untrustworthy underbite in his voice. He countered it with a calm, moon dust hollowness and an icy smile of his own.

"Um, even if I did, Wade, I'm not the type to kiss and tell."

There is no way in all of hell I'd ever share with YOU what happened between JC and me. No fucking way. Never.

"Yo, Robson. Tell the man your new ideas for that toothpaste ad we're working on, man. He'll laugh his ass off," Joe interjected and nudged Wade. It was obvious to him that Justin wasn't going to crack and give up the goods on any weekend exploits he may or may not have had. And he was bored silly now with the whole topic. Time to move on. "J, check this out. You know the client. Their brand name is 'Stout.' Robson's been working on some funny-as-crap copy for them."

Wade's face brightened - or maybe darkened (Justin couldn't be sure which) - with the grin that finally broke over it. He cleared his throat.

"Okay. Here goes……….'Got plaque? Well, if you've got to put a TUBE in your mouth, better make it a STOUT one. Who wouldn't want a STOUT one? Guaranteed not to choke you with that frothy lather too!……….And now available in new hand-job PUMP containers!"

As they stood there guffawing and high-five-ing each other gleefully like 10-year-olds who'd just scored the game-winning field goal, Justin powerfully wished for them to vanish into thin air. "Um, it wasn't that funny, you clown-asses. In fact, did I miss the part that was funny at all?"

"It's just a joke, Timberlake," Joe hissed at him and laughed some more.

"Oh. Is that what you're calling it?"

Wade faced him again with a prickly, challenging stance and stopped chuckling. "Want to hear about this hot new chick I banged Saturday night, man?"

"Now THAT might make me laugh my ass off," Justin snickered.

"Yo, I'm not joking. She's a total giggly shit-for-brains ditz, but, damn, she's got a kick-ass rack on her."

Just your type, hmm, asshole, Justin thought. "Maybe later, man. I really need to get back to this shit on my desk. Congratulations, though. I'm sure it was a great time." Inside, he shuddered.

"She was a nice piece of tail, dude. I'm not lying. You might be just a little interested," Wade chided, with that malignant sort of smile and stringent twinkle creeping in once more.

"And there goes Robson," Joe tapped his office mate's forearm and winked. "Spewing his notorious respect for the fairer sex again." Wade shot him a bird.

Justin willed his eyes not to roll again, although it was difficult. And he made a mental note to remember to return Britney's call this afternoon.

"Trust me, Wade. I won't be. But more power to ya, man. Another one bites the dust, right?"

"Hell yeah. This one's never hurting for some fresh, young pooty-tang, I tell ya," Joe bellowed heartily, clapping Wade on the back. "Damnit if I don't envy the hell out of his ass sometimes. Lucky dawg."

"Hey, TMI, Joe. Gross," Justin smirked. Couldn't they just GO already?

"Justin, don't book up your schedule for Thursday night, man. The gang around here's already making plans to hit Starlight Lanes on Sunset," Joe tossed in as a random afterthought. "It's gonna rock."

"Bowling?" Justin's forehead became a small highway of furrows.

"Too common and classless for you, Timberlake?" Wade scowled.

"Dudes! What the hell is up with all this noise? Christ! Is J's office the company water cooler meeting spot now? Nobody sent ME that fucking e-mail!" Lance darted into the conversation with his deep, resounding voice, sliding past the two copywriters, carefully avoiding any physical contact with Wade's person, and slipping in to ease down gracefully into one of the chairs facing Justin's desk. He flashed a stunning smirk around the room.

"What up, you numb nuts? What have I missed?"



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