You moved quickly along the pavement, whistling quietly under your breath. Pulling the door open, you slipped your sun glasses off your face, resting them on top of your head instead. It was much dimmer inside and it took your eyes a moment to focus. Waving to the receptionist, you made your way past her and down the long hallway, leading toward the studios.
JC was doing a favor for Dallas. He was working on an album for some new singer, the next Beyonce apparently. He’d called up JC a few days ago and said he needed his help on one of the songs. According to Dallas, it was missing something, and if anyone could figure it out, JC was that person. So JC had agreed, and had spent yesterday and today at the studio helping him out.
Joey and Kelly had taken their kids to the zoo this afternoon and had asked to take Sean along with them. You’d agreed, ready for an afternoon of peace and quiet. He’d been in a cranky mood all morning, screaming and crying over his bath, the clothes you put on him, his breakfast. Everything had been a challenge today. You’d warned them both before you just handed him off to them, but they didn’t seem to care. You just hoped they brought him back in a better mood.
You’d spent the early part of the afternoon golfing with Chris, but he’d had some sort of meeting to go to, so now you planned on surprising JC, seeing if he had time to go get some lunch.
Reaching the studio you knew they’d be in, you slipped the door open. But the sight that met your eyes stopped you from stepping into the room. It made your heart stop beating, then start up again, twice as fast. It made your stomach jump into your throat, gagging you slightly. It made your eyes water immediately from the intensity of the emotions running through your body. You lost both your breath and your balance and had to lean against the door frame so you didn’t fall over. JC was there, sitting in one of the studio chairs, in front of the soundboard, exactly where you knew he’d be sitting. But what you didn’t expect to see was Dallas, leaning toward him, their lips pressed against each other. It was your worst nightmare come true and you could do nothing but watch it with a sort of morbid fascination. It was killing you, breaking your heart into a million shattered pieces, but you couldn’t turn your eyes away.
The few seconds felt like lifetimes, their lips connected. But then, JC pushed on Dallas’s chest and slid back in his own seat, eyes level on the man before him. Neither one of them had even seen you.
“What was that, man?” He didn’t look angry, exactly, but he didn’t look please either. You saw Dallas lean back in his own chair, running a hand over his face.
“Look, Jace. I want you. I’ve wanted you since we worked on Blowin’ Me Up together.” JC sat back, running a hand over the back of his neck, a sigh escaping his lips.
“D, man. I’m with Justin. You know that.”
“But I could make you happy, JC. I could give you what Justin doesn’t.” A soft smile reached JC’s face and you saw him glance down at his hands, clasped together on his lap.
“Justin does make me happy. He gives me everything I could ever want or need. Everything I could ever ask for. And I’m not talking about material possessions here. Justin is in my heart, in my soul. We’re happy together, man. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize what I have with him. I’d never do that to him. I love him too much.”
And it was only then, only after he’d said the words, that you felt yourself relax. Your heartbeat started to return to normal, your breathing slowed. The nausea subsided, and the dizziness stopped. It was only then that you let a smile reach your face.
“You’re really happy with him? He’s really it for you?”
“He’s really it for me,” JC said, nodding. You saw the gentle smile reach his lips again and you knew it was for you. “He’s been it for me since before we even got together. What we share is special. He makes me feel incredible, just knowing he loves me. He’s my everything. And that’s not something I’d ever change.”
Dallas, you saw, had the decency to look embarrassed. You’d never liked him much, always knew there was something more than what he let on. You’d seen it in the way he always looked at JC. JC had just laughed if off every time you’d mentioned it, but you were right.
“I’m sorry, dude. Are you pissed at me?” Dallas asked, finally meeting JC’s eyes again.
“It’s cool. Just don’t do it again and we’ll be fine. I have no intention of leaving Justin, or fucking around on him. Remember that and we won’t have any problems.” JC turned back toward the soundboard. You smiled and turned to leave, hand already on the door knob. As much as you wanted to go in there and kiss him senseless, you knew that it would embarrass Dallas too much. And even though you really didn’t care much, even though you were pretty pissed at him for what he’d just pulled, he was JC’s friend, and you respected that. The door was almost shut when you heard Dallas’s voice again.
“Are you going to tell Justin about this?”
You could hear the smile in JC’s voice, see it in your mind as he spoke. And it, along with his response, brought a smile to your face.
“Yes. I tell Justin everything. We don’t have any secrets.” You pulled the door shut lightly, knowing the sound wasn’t loud enough for anyone to hear.
*****
You were sitting on the couch, watching a bad, made for tv movie, Sean curled up on your lap fast asleep, when you heard JC’s car pull into the long driveway. A few minutes later, the front door opened and closed and he stepped into the room. The smile that lit up his face sent a warmth through your body, hitting every nerve ending.
“Hey, baby.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to yours. Momentary thoughts of Dallas doing the same thing to him, hours earlier, crossed your mind momentarily but were gone quickly as you surrendered to the lips sliding along yours. Finally pulling back, he leaned to press a soft kiss to Sean’s head before sitting down next to you, body turned to face yours.
“How was your day?”
“Long. But we got it finished.” He glanced down to Sean for a moment before looking up to meet your eyes again, the deep blue orbs staring into yours, open and honest. “I have something to tell you. And it’s going to piss you off, but I want you to know.” You already knew it was coming, but wanted to hear what he was going to say, so you only nodded. “You were right about Dallas. All those times you said he wanted me, you were right.”
And suddenly, you didn’t need to hear it. You already knew and you could tell it was hard for him to say. He didn’t want to hurt you and thought by telling you, it would. But just knowing he was willing to tell you, that was enough. You lifted your hand, running your fingers over his cheek.
“I know,” you whispered, letting your thumb run across his bottom lip. “I was there. I came to surprise you, take you out for lunch. I walked in just as he was kissing you.” His eyes went wide and his mouth opened quickly. He wanted to explain himself, explain what had really happened. You’re fingers over his lips stopped him. “But I heard what you said, Josh. I heard everything.” You smiled as you leaned closer, lips hovering just in front of his. “Thank you.”
“I love you, Justin. And I meant what I said to him. I meant every word of that. You are my life, and I’d never do anything to intentionally jeopardize that. I vowed, a long time ago, to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you. And that still means as much to me today as it did when I first told you that.”
“You know that I feel the same, right?” You were suddenly worried that he didn’t. It was an irrational fear. You both showed each other every day just how much you meant to each other, but it was suddenly something you needed to say, suddenly a fear you couldn’t shake. His smile reassured you.
“I know, Justin. I’ve always known.” And as his lips pressed to yours, his tongue sliding against your lips, you could feel it. Could feel his love and the words he’d spoken so truthfully in every touch, ever caress. And you sent your own love right back to him with all of your heart.