Lady J

Lesson one: If you are Chasez’s ‘girl,’ his friends must like you. That hadn’t proved too horribly difficult for James. They were not a judgmental bunch and she as not a snob. She played hostess in their suite, ordering food in, chatting with everyone, playing bartender at times. She didn’t hold herself aloof. Her sharp, often dry wit made her one for a quick joke or a wry comment. Her smile was open and genuine.

Lesson two: Be prepared to be touched. JC wasn’t the kind to grope or play tonsil hockey, but he was one to touch. Resting his hand on her bare midriff as he spoke to someone. Pulling her into his lap if she went by. A soft kiss or a nuzzle, he was openly affectionate and wanted to be well received.

“She’s not at all like anyone else,” his friend Tony pointed out to JC one night after JC had joined his friend on stage for an impromptu duet. After a while the party had moved to the suite JC shared with James. It had a large living area complete with a wet bar. James had ordered Chinese and challenged them to all eat with chopsticks.

JC smiled, his gaze on James across the room. “No one else,” he agreed.

“Every inch a lady and still open, still friendly...”

“Still real.”

“Yeah.” Tony had seen women come and go for his friend. One had tried to cut him off from his friends, to change him. That had been rough for all involved. JC needed the grounding of old friends. One girl had tried to become one of the guys – that relationship died because JC wanted a ‘lady’ to be proud of, someone his mother would ultimately like. Then there had been the users and hangers on, basking in reflected spotlight. James wasn’t like any of them.

“She’s my lady.” JC sighed happily. “I never expected this now.” JC had confided in Tony about the stalker. His friend had commiserated and offered his support. “I mean that security agency is good. I know they’re there watching even if I can’t see them. James knows she’s watched by them and the stalker – and she goes through every day with the same grace and good humor.”

“Our Lady J,” Tony dubbed her.

JC smiled. “I like that.”

When the subject of their conversation walked by, carton of food and chopsticks in hand, JC pulled her down to sit in his lap. “Gimme some,” he commanded.

James cocked an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”

“Some food,” he said, expanding on what it was he wanted.

She looked at Tony. “Manners?”

“Who? JC?” Tony chuckled.

“James, would you please share your food with me?” JC asked.

“Sure!” She lifted a piece of broccoli with her chopsticks and raised it to JC’s lips. He took the offering and chewed thoughtfully. “More?” He nodded. “Tony you were wonderful tonight,” she said to the other man as she fed hers. She genuinely liked Tony’s music. She thought him an unmined talent.

“Thank you, James.”

“I miss that,” JC said. “The intimacy of a club. I never expected to play stadiums and arenas.” *NSYNC had been a phenomenon no one could have expected. “But it did get me this.” He gave James a gentle squeeze.

“I’d like to think we would have met any way.” Then she would have been able to come to him whole-heartedly, she thought. She wasn’t good at holding herself aloof from the sincere blue-eyed performer who made love like a god. She found she was not doing a ‘job’ – she was protecting her lover with every means available.

“We would have, baby,” JC assured her. “It was fate.”

“More?” she asked indicating the food carton.

“Please.”

“So, what’s next for you, Tony?” she asked as she fed JC.

“LA for awhile.”

“We’re going there soon, aren’t we?” They had come to Orlando to support Tony and JC had done some charity events and was expected to make several more appearances.

JC nodded. “Next week.”

“We’ll do lunch,” James said to Tony. Neither of them being the ‘air kissing’ showbiz sort; they both laughed.

“Maybe I can steal you away, Lady J.”

“A poet!” she teased.

JC’s arms tightened. “No stealing my lady.”

“Oh, you have ways to keep me,” James quipped.

JC grinned.

“Out of rice.” James stared at her empty carton. “Hmm...this was not empty when I sat down – and I don’t remember eating any...”

“Chinese food can cause temporary amnesia,” JC suggested.

“Or I shared too well..”

“You share very well.”

She sighed. “Now I have to get up – and I was comfortable.”

Tony rose. “I’ll get your refill,” he offered.

“Thank you. The shrimp fried rice.” Giving him the carton, she snuggled back into her lover’s embrace.

“You amaze me,” JC announced.

“How’s that? Because I like shrimp fried rice?”

He chuckled. “And could eat it seven days a week?”

She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed at her.

“No, baby, you amaze me by how well you fit in my life. My friends adore you. You just make everything I do that much easier. It was like you were that missing puzzle piece in my life. Once you slipped into place, you worked.”

James stroked back his dark waves. “Joshua...”

“You so fit, James, so work...”

“Here you go.” Tony presented James with her refill and two fortune cookies, then resumed his seat.

“Ooh, I love these!” Taking the carton, she snatched the cookies and offered JC his choice. “Thank you, Tony.”

He took one and broke it open. “Love must persevere.” He read the fortune.

James opened hers. “Be ever vigilant.” That was a slap! While JC continued to chat with Tony, she leaned against him, looking for the world like she was concentrating on her food. She was really giving herself a reality check. Was she getting too comfortable, maybe complacent? She didn’t think so. She had her routine down to a science. She kept Kevin up on comings and goings. JC literally went nowhere without her; she was his security blanket of sorts. Okay, so she got some major unexpected perks on this assignment. She got a fantastic lover – a guy she would have preferred to meet under different circumstances. He was easy to be with and she genuinely liked who he was. He had nice friends. He took her nice places. They both loved Chinese food...

“Not sharing this time?” She heard JC’s amused voice and pulled herself back into the moment.

“You ate most of the last carton,” she retorted.

“Baby, I’m a growing boy...”

James snorted.

JC grinned.

James rose from his lap. “I’m gonna go eat my food elsewhere – so I get some,” she taunted.

The two men watched her go.

“Wanna be my best man?” JC asked his friend.

Tony was startled. “Has it gone that far?”

JC nodded. “Nearly so – from day one. I love what she brings to my life: the love, the companionship, the fun – the whole package. James is everything – lover, friend, playmate – protector. Is that strange? I feel like she’d defend me to the death. That is so awesome...”

“I’ll be there for you, dude,” Tony answered.

James was bent over at the small refrigerator behind the bar when someone rubbed himself against her. It as not JC; that particular package she would recognize.

“Yeah, I thought your ass would be this sweet,” a slurred male voice muttered.

Her first inclination was to snap the drunken clown in half, but she wasn’t supposed to know how to do that... “Get off me, you oaf,” she hissed lowly as she straightened.

“Yeah, bring it here, baby.” He jerked her hard against him.

Damn! JC caught the action and was on his feet immediately. In a few long strides he was at the bar. “Get out,” he growled at the man.

“Hey, she...” The man shoved James away.

“Did nothing.” JC ended the sentence for him. By the disgusted look on her face, James had not encouraged the man. “Get out.”

“Joshua, he’s drunk...” James said.

“I’ll call a cab and pour him into it” Tony offered. He’d seen the incident. JC didn’t usually have a temper; but with his Lady J, Tony didn’t know what his friend would do.

“Thanks, dude,” JC muttered.

Tony moved the drunk along with ungentle shoves until they reached the door.

JC stepped behind the bar.

“Josh, I...”

“I saw it, James. You have no reason to defend yourself.”

“I’m still sorry.”

He shook his head. “I expect a heart-felt apology from him to you before he shows his face here again.”

“I’m sorry...”

He moved behind her. Nudging into her like the other man had. “You knew it wasn’t me right off.” He’d seen it in her eyes.

“Mmm...he isn’t as…blessed as you are.” God, he was doing it to her again. He made her so easy...

“No one but me is allowed to grind into your gorgeous butt,” he purred against her ear.

“I don’t want anyone else’s crotch...” She broke off on a little moan when he cupped her through her jeans – reminiscent of their first encounter. “Joshua...”

“Yeah, baby?” He eased the zipper down her jeans.

“A room full of people...” The bar hid them from view midriff down nearly but still!…

“The first time I made love to you was a much larger room full of people,” he reminded her, his hand slipping beneath her panties. “And you came so sweet for me.”

“They’ll leave in a bit. We can – oh, God!” she gasped and grabbed the edge of the bar. One talented finger found her and began to tease.

“C’mon, baby.” His mouth ran along the side of her neck while his finger played a tune on her little gem full of excitable nerve endings.

“Joshua, you’re sadistic,” she whimpered, already beginning to tighten.

“Come for me, baby. Spill over my finger like you did that night,” he urged. “So responsive...so my sweet baby from the first moment.” His voice was slow and easy but his finger was not – he strummed her faster until her walls clenched him.

“Joshua!” she cried softly as she followed his demands.

“That’s my girl.” His hand didn’t depart quickly. He caressed and stroked to soothe. When he pulled it from her jeans, he licked his finger. “I’ll have some more of that later.”

Damn! He’d done it again! He tore her defenses to shreds without much effort! “You don’t play fair,” she complained.

He chuckled as he refastened her jeans. “Who says I’m playing?”

“I’m gonna get my revenge later,” she warned.

“I look forward to it.”

Once the crowd had left and James had cleaned up, she headed to the bedroom. JC was barefooted in jeans and open shirt, propped upon the bed’s headboard strumming his guitar. He looked relaxed and that made her feel good. Being with his friends, especially Tony, seemed to help him pretend he had a normal life.

“Are we tipping the maids extra when we leave?” she asked as she kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her jeans.

He glanced up with a smile. “Tell me what you want to leave.”

“Okay.” She knelt before him on the bed. “Should I get lost so you can concentrate?” She indicated the guitar and pad of paper he had scribbled on.

“No, baby, just give me a few more minutes.”

“Okay.” She lay down with her head pillowed on one hard thigh.

He smiled, reached down to stroke her hair, then went back to the guitar.

Whatever it was, the halting melody he worked on was slow and soothing in places, almost playful in others. She’d never known how songs came to be – they were just there. With JC they seem to come a group of chords at a time. When he decided he had a sufficient amount strung together, he played and hummed along. It was going to be a lovely ballad – more the kind she’d heard Tony write as opposed to anything JC had been known for. Well, there had been ‘Selfish’ and ‘Give In To Me,’ but ‘No Strings Attached’ and ‘Space Cowboy’ had made more of an impact.

JC liked the way she seemed perfectly content to be with him in his moment of creativity without demanding his attention. It spoke of her respect of him as an artist and her care of him as a human being. His James was a wonder – and she deserved anything he could ever give her.

“Like it so far?” he asked her. She had closed her eyes, but he could tell she was listening.

“Mmm...it’s lovely, Joshua,” she purred.

“Tony gave me the idea for it. He nicknamed you.”

“Shrimp fried rice fiend?” Though her eyes remained closed, she smiled broadly.

JC chuckled. “No. Too long.” Reaching to stroke her cheek, he murmured, “Lady J.”

She turned her face into his palm to nuzzle it. “That’s sweet.”

Reaching around, he carefully placed the guitar against the nightstand and set the pad of paper aside. “Let me hold my Lady J awhile,” he said huskily.

Opening her eyes, she saw his arms out to her. Climbing astride his legs, she sat on his thighs with her arms around his neck.

Touching her face with both hands, he ran his fingers lightly from forehead to chin. He wrapped his fingers around her jaw and drew her face near. “My sweet baby girl,” he sighed before their lips touched. It was a tender kiss, a gentle tasting.

“I’m older than you,” she said. They had never gotten around to exchanging ages. She was 29 to his 26.

“Cool. I don’t care.”

“You don’t want to know?”

“It doesn’t matter, James.”

“Okay. I was just pointing out I am hardly a baby girl...”

“Shut up.” He stopped her rant with another soft kiss and smiled at her dazed expression.

“Okay...shutting up now...” She put her head against his shoulders. “Josh, can I ask something?”

“Anything. I got no secrets from you.”

And she had nothing but... “Why did you do that to me tonight?”

“Why? Didn’t you like it?”

“I liked it, but that’s not the point. Why did you feel the need to do that to me in front of your friends. Power trip?”

“On you? No, baby. I don’t need to power trip on you.” He sighed, gathering his thoughts. “I don’t really know. Little reasons, I guess. First of all, to get the feel of that guy off of you. I mean I wanted to do the dude harm for even touching you...I guess I wanted to make sure you were the only man you were feelin’...”

“You are, you know,” she told him softly.

“I know it. You never even look at other guys.” He sighed again. “I didn’t say my reasons made sense. I was reacting on a gut level. Something that says ‘if I can get you off, you’re still mine’.”

“You do it so well, it’s shameful for me.”

“Don’t ever be ashamed, James. It’s wonderful for me.”

“I don’t want anyone else.” With a hand behind his neck, she guided his mouth to hers. “You’re all I see.”

JC slid down to recline, tucking her to his side. She made him feel so good.

“Want to go to sleep?” she asked after a moment.

“No, baby.”

She leaned up to drop soft kisses on his bared chest.

“If this is part of your revenge, baby, bring it on.”

“Revenge?”

He shook his head. “Never mind.”