Babylon
Chapter 4: Babylon
* *
Friday night I'm going nowhere
All the lights are changing green to red
Turning over TV stations
Situations running through my head
* *
Every time JC would land in London's Heathrow Airport it would almost always be raining. This time around it was no different. Just looking out of the window made him want to cuddle up in bed and forget about his whole purpose of being here in England. It was easy enough to travel here as he was alone this time around, no band mates, no entourage, only himself for the weekend. Arrival was delayed for a half-hour due to the rains, but that didn't bother him. Not the weekend crowd of people, nor the immense jet lag he had for flying almost the whole day, gave him any irritation, only a throbbing need to go to bed. He managed to get through customs, grabbed his luggage off the carousel, and hailed a taxi in record time.
JC's purpose on this trip would be to meet possible collaborators. The list was long and he only had the weekend to pick one or two out. Mentally cutting down the people he wanted to meet was not as distracting as he wanted. His mind was still back in Los Angeles. Shaking his head to focus, he decided to mail to fax his short list as soon as he got to the hotel.
The somewhat annoying chatter of the Anglo-Indian driver of the taxi didn't cease until JC arrived at the front of the Sanderson Hotel in the heart of Soho. One good thing about being in the heart of things was you could virtually feel the pulse of life flowing. It made people alive. JC felt that as soon as he looked around from the lobby doors, the people scurrying left and right while the neon glow radiated down the gray afternoon. Unusual also, the lobby was alive with activity, which wasn't normal in a London hotel.
The Sanderson was just what JC needed. Like Soho, it was new, palpitating distracting, and hipster cool. Much like the lifestyle JC has gotten used to in the past few years. It was recommended to him by a good friend of his the last time he was here, and so far he was impressed. Ultra modern mixed with the classics, as well as very, very good service, as JC could tell from the doorman alone. After checking in under the name 'Jayson Scott', he collapsed on the king-size bed the moment the bellhop was given a tip and left the door. Surprisingly, sleep didn't come at once, so JC turned on the TV and placed it on low volume on some European music channel. After three videos, he was unconscious.
* *
Well looking back through time
You know it's clear that I've been blind
I've been a fool
To ever open up my heart
To all that jealousy, that bitterness, that ridicule
* *
Back in LA, Lance was just staring into the blank bluish ceiling of JC's guest room. He was recalling the morning after when JC placed him into bed. Contentment is not something a person should be feeling when you find yourself in bed with your ex who broke up with you on bad terms. He wasn't even sure that sleeping with JC felt that good even when they were together. Maybe it was a hallucination or something to simulate that feeling.
Obviously, no answer came to mind as Lance continued to muse to himself. If Joey were there, he would be telling him to go out and get laid or something like that. Chris would tell him to find the root of it and offer no real advice, but he was gallivanting around in New York on FuMan business. Only Justin could tell him what he could do now. He wished that he didn't have to go visit some pediatrician for Taylor's shots. Right now, he needed a different point of view.
Lance's literal mind went off. Checking, double-checking, balancing out the possibilities through his befuddlement. Suddenly, wanting never seemed to be that important before now.
"Some Gin and Tonic seem like a good idea at the moment," he sighed as he continued to stare at the ceiling, wishing Justin would hurry up and get home.
* *
Saturday I'm running wild
And all the lights are changing red to green
Moving through the crowd I'm pushing
Chemicals all rushing through my bloodstream
* *
Early Saturday morning, JC had a meeting with David Gray, which was quickly set up by Jive the day before. They had breakfast, a real English breakfast, which JC silently appalled, but wasn't about to admit it. However, the meeting was very productive in his mind. By the end of the breakfast, David promised to produce a track for him in exchange for some connections in the US. JC agreed, and then moved to do some shopping in the fashion district before his 1PM meeting with another UK artist.
By the end of the afternoon, he was pleased that the day proved to be quite different from the day before. No headaches from traveling, no thoughts of Lance, no one riding on his ass. He was glad that he took that side trip to that art gallery and bought that painting for Chris. With most of his shopping done, all he had to do was drag all of his purchases in his room and rest a bit before he had to meet Dido, who agreed to duet with him on the album.
He arrived at the front desk with all his packages and asked for any messages. One thing about Europe was that fans were more cordial, a little restraint, because even if the female receptionist recognized him, she would be professional about it and leave him alone. He thanked her, and then went up to his room.
"Jive. Jive. Joey. Mom. Chris, shithead trying to annoy me. Justin. Jive. Heather, what's with her and Belgian chocolates? I swear. Strange. Nothing from Lance. Wonder why," he thought to himself as he read off the messages one at a time. Once he settled back in his room, he made the necessary calls and then told a quick nap before getting ready for the night.
* *
Only wish that you were here
You know I'm seeing it so clear
I've been afraid
To tell you how I really feel
Admit to some of those bad mistakes I've made
* *
Lance heard the sound of Justin cooing Taylor from downstairs and instantly rushed down to meet with him. They made small talk until Justin noticed the faraway look on Lance's face. He placed Taylor on her bassinet and went to prepare her formula. As soon as Taylor went to sleep, Justin faced his friend with serious eyes.
"So Bass, talk to me."
Lance went to the kitchen and opened two bottles of beer, to which Justin raised on eyebrow to. He handed him one bottle and gulped heartily the one he had.
"Drink up. It's going to be a long night."
Justin suspicions had just been confirmed then and there. He drank slowly while listened and smiled at Lance's prattling.
* *
If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
Babylon, Babylon
* *
Sunday proved to be a light day for JC. Just lunch with Bono and his wife, then he would make time to head out to Stratford-upon-Avon for the rest of the afternoon. He loved the fact that England was a small country and that you could go anywhere with any form of land transportation. He managed to hire a car for the day so he could relax and enjoy. As he got to Shakespeare's home, he managed to catch the local troupe's production of 'Much Ado About Nothing', which greatly pleased JC. Touring Shakespeare's house was a treat, and he somehow felt the creative vibes that the house projected. As soon as he got back to the car to go back to London, he was writing up a storm.
At the hotel, Clarisse, the receptionist, gave him about nine messages from Lance.
"Weird! Yesterday, I got nothing from Lance. Now, there's nothing here but messages from Lance. I wonder what's going on," JC thought. He started to worry as each message became more frantic than the one before. "What's going on?"
JC picked up the phone and dialed his house in LA. After about a dozen rings, Lance's sleepy voice answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Lance! What's up? You left about at least a dozen messages at the desk for me. What's up?"
Lance perked up when he heard JC's voice. "Jace, where have been all this time?"
"Chill Lansten! I went out and had Lunch with Bono's family, then I went to Shakespeare's hometown. I sorry if it took forever to get back to you but I left my cell here at the hotel. What's going on anyway?"
Lance sighed. "The immediate danger is gone now but I'll tell you anyway. Chris' plane crashed about 30 miles outside Orlando. He survived, but is still shaken about it."
"Holy Shit! You're joking me!"
"No, two of the engines malfunctioned at the same time and had to make an emergency landing. Most of the passengers were okay. A few got concussions and bruises. Chris was part of that few, but at least it didn't affect his sense of humor. He's in the hospital now though for overnight observation. He'll be checking out tomorrow morning."
"Well that's a relief. I'm glad he's okay. Listen, I'm leaving here around 7:30AM Orlando time so I'll be in the air when you guys wake up. Give Chris my regards and tell him that it's confirmed, he has the hardest head among us."
Lance gulped, wanting JC to stay on line. "Sure. I'll tell him."
"Okay, nighty-night Scoop. Go to bed." And JC ended the connection. Lance slowly replaced the receiver and melancholically walked back to his room.
* *
Sunday all the lights of London
Shining , Sky is fading red to blue
I'm kicking through the autumn leaves
And wondering where it is you might be going to
* *
JC decided to stall his departure for about a day when he heard that Coldplay was going to play at some club nearby. He called Justin to tell everyone that he was staying an extra day, and that saddened Lance a great deal when Justin told him.
As Lance was carrying Taylor in his arms, he spoke with a lower than usual tone so the baby could sleep. Rocking her small body with gentle motions made Lance's being soar with quiet contentment.
"You know, Taylor, you're going to be a beauty when you grow up. I can see it all now. After all, you have Timberlake genes in you. Just don't tell your Dad about that, okay. His ego won't let me alone if he finds out. I wish that I had a kid just like you. Who knows though? Maybe in a few years, you will have more friends, kids by all your crazy uncles."
Justin was just getting back into the living room, but stopped at the doorway, watching Lance conversing with his two-month-old daughter. It warmed his heart a great deal.
"I just hope that I will find the love that your Dad felt when he was together with your Mom. For the few months that they were together, both of them were so happy. I got to admit that I got jealous with them. All I have now is hope that your Uncle JC will come back to me. Maybe, if I wish hard enough, he'll fall in love with me again and I'll be happy again. Yeah, maybe."
Justin frowned when he heard what was Lance saying. It was bad enough that Lance and JC have reversed roles now. JC, once pining for the bass, now the distant, clueless one. Lance, now the unrequited, before being the one who didn't see anything that was right in front of him.
"How fucking ironic," Justin thought before approaching Lance with a new change of clothes for Taylor.
* *
Turning back for home
You know I'm feeling so alone
I can't believe
Climbing on the stair
I turn around to see you smiling there
In front of me
* *
JC made an overnight stop in Orlando to visit Chris. He came over to Chris house with an armload of gifts for the guy. At first, Chris was feigning being pissed at him for not giving at least a call to check up on him. "After all, I almost died," he said with as much melodrama he could squeeze. All that change when JC showed him the painting he got, along with a pile of clothes and gag gifts. But the big one was when JC gave Chris all the signed Coldplay merchandise he could get.
"How?" stuttered Chris as he pawed over all the signed shirt, hats, and coffee mugs. His eyes gleamed with greedy possession. Sometimes, JC wondered if Chris' obsession with Britrock Bands was healthy. Last time they saw U2, he practically had to drag him to the limo after meeting Bono and Adam Clayton.
After spending the day with Chris and making a quick stop by Joey's, he was back into the air to fly back to California. As he slept in the flight, all he could dream about was how nice Lance's voice was.
* *
If you want it
Come and get it
Crying out loud
The love that I was
Giving you was
Never in doubt
And feel it now
* *
Justin confronted Lance and forced him to do something about his current state of mind. "Either do something and romance the hell out of JC or forget about it and turn around," he said bluntly. "I'm going to head over to Ryan and Reese's so I can introduce them to Taylor. JC will be him in about two hours. You have enough time to figure where you stand. If you are going to be a wuss about it then I'm not going to hold it against you, but I'm going to be very disappointed." After that, Lance was left alone in the house with some dread.
It took a full twenty minutes for Justin's words to fully sink in. Lance looked at the clock, and freaked. If he was going to tell Josh, he was going to do this right. He quickly grabbed his keys off the front foyer table and drove like a madman to the store.
"I'll be damned if Josh turns me down," he thought as he rushed to buy all the ingredients to JC's favorites, Santa Monica Chicken and Baked Potatoes, all the while the rest of the shoppers giving him queer looks.
* *
Let go your heart
Let go your head
And feel it now
* *
The flight, being long and tedious, made his body feel like he was confined in box for 10 years. When he touched down at LAX, he made his way through the checkpoints and paid his way out of the long-term parking.
"47 friggin' bucks. I should have asked Justin or Lance to have dropped me off," he grumbled as he drove his Jeep through the highway towards his house. Like every time he traveled, all JC wanted to do was go to bed and sleep until the judgment day. He sighed because with Justin, Taylor, and Lance in his house he knew that was nothing but a pipe dream.
"Pipe Dream," his subconscious echoed. 'Was this a pipe dream? Who knows? I may be reaching too high but I still want this. I just pray that I don't fall and hurt myself in the process."
He pulled into his property and sigh heavily, dragging his suitcase to the door. His muscles stiff and painfully tight. Eyes droopy with fatigue and hungry beyond belief. As he entered his house, he smells the familiar scents of things that make his stomach grumble even more. He entered the kitchen just in time to see Lance remove a chicken out of the oven.
"That for me?" In surprise, Lance nearly dropped the casserole dish and quickly turned to see JC smirk slightly. Lance blushed and placed the chicken on the kitchen table where it was set of two. JC lifted an eyebrow and looked back at Lance.
"It's just us tonight. Justin and Taylor went out to Ryan's place. Sit down, I know you're always hungry after a flight so grab a seat. I made your favorites."
JC's eyes eyed the food and nodded with appreciation. "Thanks Lance."
"No problem."
'It's now or never,' Lance thought, 'I hope I don't ruin this.'
"Do you want the Zinfandel or some Gallo Sauvignon?" Lance asked as he turned around and showed JC the two bottles for approval.
"I think the Zinfandel is okay."
He smiled and Lance melted. "He's hoping."
**(Babylon by David Gray)**
Continue
Back To The Singer/Songwriter Series Main Page
