| Justin was stunned, but Lance was more so. He pushed Olivia up, his face a mixed pallate of emotions. "What the hell are you doing here?" he gasped, standing up. "Olivia, you weren't supposed to be here until the show, you know that." He glared at her, daring to think what JC was going to do when he caught wind of her being here. Olivia sat on the hotel capet, her face fallen. Not quite the reception she had anticipated. "God, Lance. I flew here after my shift just to be with you and that's all you can fucking say to me?" Her eyes teared with anger, and sadness, and most of all the mention of JC, her newfound enemy. JC spoke and the whole world dropped to it's knees it seemed, Lance included. Justin extended his hand to her, assisting her up. "Hi," he said quietly, not knowing what else he could possibly say. "Hi," she replied as Lance stormed into the bedroom. "He been like this long?" Justin stared after the angry figure. "Hell, it's JC. He's been riding him all week, and it's getting to him." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "JC doesn't want anything interfering with this routine." He noticed the tears pooling in her eyes, and felt so badly for her. He wrapped her up in her arms for a friendly hug. "Give him a minute to get his shit together. He needs you." He kissed her foehead, wishing he could do more. "Tell him I'm heading out." She nodded, locked the door after him and took a deep breath. "Lance?" she called out softly, entering the bedroom. She spotted him sitting in the corner of the room, his head cradled in his hands. Goddamn JC and his assinine rules. "Honey?" She was afraid to approach him, fearful of being rejected. When she'd come up with the idea to fly out to NYC, she hadn't even considered the possibility he wouldn't want to see her. He glanced up, at the wonderful sight for sore eyes that was Olivia. Suddenly, he felt awful, and a knot formed in the pit of his stomach, rolling involuntarily. "God, I'm sorry," he whispered, opening his arms to her. "I've missed you, and had such a shitty time. I can't get the dance down, and JC is on my back." Olivia moved closer, hugging his head to her stomach, stroking his hair, the soft tips standing up. Lance wrapped his arms around her waist, inhaling her scent, the one he'd missed so damn much. "What's he doing?" she asked, feeling anger build inside her. She was well aware that JC was against their relationship. He'd made no attempts to hide it. "Lance? What's he doing to you." She tilted his head up to face her. "It doesnt' matter," he smiled, kissing her belly button. "All that matters is you're here now, and that's a very good thing." ************************************************************************************************************************************************** The next morning, Justin sat next to Joey in the hotel's resturant. "Yeah, so she just showed up. I swear to God, the shit's gonna hit the fan now." Joey poured himself another glass of juice and gulped it down. "What's the big deal? I think Lance let's JC walk all over him, way too much. He's too goddamn polite, that's his problem." Chris joined them, sunglasses over his tired eyes. "What's who's problem?" he asked, swiping a piece of bacon from Justin's plate. "Lance. Olivia's here." Justin said, pulling his plate away before he lost all his bacon. Chris would do it, too, without a second thought. "No shit? She's here already? I thought no dates until the show." JC popped in. "That's right. Why? Who's worried about dates?" He nabbed Justin's last piece of bacon. "Hey," Justin complained as Joey laughed. "It ain't funny. Man, you guys get your own!" Lance sighed heavily as he held onto Olivia's hand and exited the elevator. He knew damn well the guys were in the resturant waiting for him, and he knew JC was going to lay into him, and he hated the pit in his stomach that knawed relentlessly in confusion. "Don't let him push you," Olivia said, taking charge. She hated what this was doing to him. He'd complained of stomach pains all morning, and she was sure it was stress. "I won't interfer with practice. I'll go shopping, and you call me when you're done, okay?" Lance nodded, knowing she was trying, and he was glad because he knew damn well JC wouldn't try, not at all. JC looked up as they entered the room, and his anger flared. Lance knew the rules, and he was blatenly breaking them. "Olivia," he said coolly. "JC," she replied, just as curtly. No love lost between these two. Lance looked at JC sheepishly, ashamed almost. Justin nudged him hard. "You aren't doing anything wrong," he reminded him. "Stop looking like that." Lance forced a smile, while the tension slithered through the room like a snake, wrapping around his ankles and tugging him hard. Olivia was smart, keeping the conversation light, and mentioning her planned shopping spree. JC stayed silent, and they all knew he was biding his time to let loose later. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************** "I don't fucking believe you!" JC screamed, once in the saftey of the hired car. Lance placed sunglasses over his head, and wished he had headphones for his ears so he wouldn't have to go around on this merry go round with JC again. "You're being unreasonable," he commented quietly. "Fuck you," JC spat, glaring at him. "This is important. I don't care, she's here now. Nothing I can do with the show tommorrow night, but I'll tell you this. You better be dead on today, and tommorrow night." Lance sighed, staring out the window. He held his temper well. With Olivia's introduction to his life, he'd learned. Justin scowled on the other side of the car. "JC, stop threatening him. It's his group too." JC stuck his middle finger up in defiance. Chris swatted at it. "Knock it off," he grumbled, sick and tired of all the childish shit that was swirling around. "Lance will do his job, and you stop playing God." Rehearsal went perfectly, and Lance perspired the whole way through it, mostly from JC's scrutinous glare. He nailed every move right on time. When MTV producers appeared to move them along and let the next act on, JC grabbed his towel and headed over to Lance. "Nice job," he stated, unsmiling. "Thanks," Lance responded, just as unsmiling. He pressed his lips together and headed off the stage, reaching for his cell phone and dialing Olivia. Her phone rang and rang, and she finally picked up just as he was about to hang up. "Hey," he said. "Hey yourself. You are not gonna believe what happened to me today!" Her voice was breathless, excited, and Lance cringed. He wanted to wallow for a while, have her pity him and the way JC was still treating him. "Are you guys done?" she asked. "Yeah, I'll be back at the hotel in like ten." "Better idea," she cooed. "Planet Hollywood. I want you to hear my good news." Lance rolled his eyes at Justin, who was passing by. He told her he'd meet her there, wary of the impromtu meeting, and what good news could she possibly have? He feared he was being selfish, so when he hung up, he headed out, hailed a cab, and made his way to the resturant. Three giggling girls approached him, asking for an autograph, and despite the weariness in his eyes and ache in his body from repetitive rehearsals, he smiled and signed away. Olivia watched from the side, waiting until the girls were done collecting their hugs, beaming with pride at her wonderful man who always had a grin, and endless patience. "That's why I love you," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek. Lance rubbed his tired eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. "So what's your good news?" he asked, snuggling deeper into her body. "You're just not going to believe it," she replied, taking his hand and leading him to the table that she'd gotten. Lance followed, half heartedly, wanting to collapse back at the hotel and sleep for days. He was so tired, but she was so hard to ignore. Once they were seated she stared at him, a glimmer in her eyes. "I got asked to be a model," she gushed, barely able to contain her excitement. "A what?" he gasped, his jade eyes widening. There was no way. It wasn't what he wanted. He wanted a regular woman, not some model, someone as famous as him, someone he would have to share. The obvious less than thrilled expression on his face made her frown, her lips tugging downward with confusion. "Model," she stated again. She produced a card from her purse and handed it to him. "I was shopping on Madison Avenue and he came up to me." She stared at Lance hard, his face frozen in shock. "I thought it might be fun." Lance glared at the business card. It was simple, embossed gold letters reading 'Matthew Diablo- Elite'. This was not what he needed right now, to worry and fret about dating someone with stars in her eyes. Olivia never reveled in that sort of thing. That was one of the reasons he loved her so much, because he could be the real him with her, not some fantasy people had of him. "Livvy," he said smiling, handing the card back to her. "Why would you want to model? You have such a great job as an EMT. You love your job." He rubbed his temples, trying to focus, trying to sort out his emotions. They were surging dangerously out of control, and he wanted to be excited for her, happy that she'd been given a shot at fame and fourtune, but he couldn't deal with it, not now. Not with JC breathing down his neck and being nervous about the show, and she was supposed to be all his, there for him alone. He laughed bitterly, wondering when he'd left the nineties and headed back to the fifties. "You don't know what fame can do Livvy. It's not all fun and games. It sucks sometimes. I don't know...." "You don't know what Lance?" Olivia challenged, balling up her napkin and tossing it onto her plate. "You know what? I'm sick of it, Lance. I'm sick and tired of playing second fiddle to you and JC and his stupid rules. I'm sick of always being there for you, but now something good happens to me and you're telling me it's not fun and games?" Her eyes blazed into him, and he grabbed her hand, trying to calm her. "No!" she growled, pushing him away. "Olivia," he hissed. "Quiet down. I just, oh hell, it just caught me off guard is all." He forced a smile. "I want to be happy for you." She frowned, but placed her napkin back on her lap. "You want to be happy for me but you're not. Is that what you're trying to say, Lance?" Since first laying eyes on him back in that club, she had played the part he needed, moving for him, cooking and taking care of him, staying out of the public eye so as not to cause him problems, and been exactly what he needed. She pushed her hair behind her ear and sighed. "Lance, look. I won't do it if you really don't want me to, but it's gotta be a decent reason. It can't be just because." Lance knew damn well she was right. He didn't own her, he had no right to make demands on her life and what she wanted to do with it. "Sorry," he said quietly, tracing the little droplets of condensation that streamed down his glass. "I am, it's just been a lot to deal with lately, and I support whatever you want." His eyes met hers and he grinned. "A model huh?" He stared at her beautiful features and it struck him. She was certainly pretty enough to be a model. She was just never interested in that type of life. EMT was in her blood, she was good at it. Olivia smiled hesitently. "Well, it's just a consult really, a few head shots is all. I'm not really the model type." Her cheeks flushed and she gazed down at her hands, suddenly embarassed. Lance touched her wrist, tracing the diamond tennis bracelet he'd gotten for her in August. "Livvy, you're gorgous. You can be anything you want." His heart twisted unnaturally, and he inahled deeply, waiting for the feeling to pass. He knew things were going to change if she made it, and God help him, he was hoping she'd get rejected. He knew it was wrong, so damn wrong, but he couldn't help it. |
| FATES 15 |