Looking for Love in all the Right Places - Chapter 4

Looking for Love in all the Right Places
By Dream Howler

Standard Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or with any personal knowledge about their private lives.

Author's Note: As with the last chapter, you may recognize some of this from the original version of the story. This is where the major changes start happening as far as pairings go. I thought long and hard about some of the pairings that existed in the last version of this story, and decided that several were not right, so I changed them.

Beta Thanks: Thanks to my editors, Dawn and Draconian, for doing the editing on this chapter. Thanks guys!

Dream Howler Contact & Story Information:

Cast Pictures: Click Here. Link also has pictures of cast vehicles, tattoos, and eventually pictures and floor plans of houses.

Join my Mailing list: Click Here
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E-mail: dreamy@rqarchive.com

Chapter 3 Recap:

As Aidan, Kent, and Drew came home from the concert, they commented on the behaviors of some of the members of both groups. This includes one very sad looking JC Chasez. When Aidan arrived home, he decided to check his email before going to bed, and finds an email from his online friend CMajor. What shocks Aidan the most is that he has finally told him who he really is!

Aidan was stunned to find out that his online friend was JC Chasez, from *NSync. He talked to Kent about the situation, and feels slightly better about it before he falls asleep. The next morning, Aidan checks his email and finds out that JC has sent him another email. Before he is able to reply, JC catches him on AIM and they have a little chat.

When the groups arrive for their trip to Underground Atlanta, Aidan has decided to see if Howie and Josh would like to come back to visit and see where things go.

Chapter 4

Underground Atlanta

The drive to the mall was relatively uneventful, considering the passengers in the van. When they arrived, their bodyguards stepped out of their van first, but luckily nobody had caught wind of their plans, so no one bothered them as they used the tunnel to enter the mall itself. The manager, who introduced himself as Robert, came to the entrance, unlocked and opened the door for the group, and smiled. "Welcome to Underground Atlanta. The stores are all open, and are waiting for you. Please enjoy yourselves."

Lance smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Lance turned to the group and smiled. "Well, I'm going to The Hat Shack, `cause I need a new hat. Anyone want to come with me?"

Kent grinned, "I will, if you go with me to Balboa when we're done?"

Lance tried not to blush, but was unsuccessful. "Sure, that sounds okay."

Kent winked, "Well, let's go, then!"

Drew cleared his throat and smiled. "Hey guys? Before we all run off to have fun, can I just say something to you really quick?"

All the guys nodded and formed a semi-circle around Drew. "I just wanted to let you know that both groups put on a really great concert last night. I also wanted you to know that my company, Wolf Sound Entertainment, is buying out Jive, and consequently obtaining your contracts. I suspect that someone told you I was coming to the concert already. It was supposed to be a surprise."

Lance nodded and cast a quick glance at Aidan, and then the rest of the group before speaking. "Well, we have heard the rumors for several weeks now about Jive being purchased. We were almost positive that the record executive was coming last night, though we weren't sure if he was coming backstage or not. At least our new management seems to be much more civil than our last one," Lance said with a smile.

"Well, I wanted to tell you guys last night, but I was having so much fun just sitting around talking that I forgot." Drew chuckled, and his eyes flicked over toward Brian as he smiled.

"Well, now that we all know, let's go have some fun!" Chris exclaimed.

The group as a whole nodded in agreement as they smiled at Drew. After a few more moments, Lance and Kent quickly walked off together, leaving the rest of the group behind. As Aidan looked over the remaining group, he noticed that Justin was glaring at the back of Lance's head before stalking off to the side, further away from the group.

"What was that all about?" asked Aidan, who was looking confused.

"Guess Lance was in a hurry? He does that sometimes, especially lately. I think something is up with him, but he won't really tell us what," Josh said as he came to stand next to Aidan.

Aidan smiled at Josh and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'm going to try and get Howie alone to talk to him, okay? I need to tell him."

Josh looked concerned and a bit sad, but nodded. "All right, talk to you later."

Aidan moved up behind Howie, who was looking around trying to decide which direction to go in. Aidan tapped him on his shoulder and smiled. "Why don't we go for a walk, and talk for a bit?"

Howie nodded and smiled up at Aidan. They turned and started walking across the mall. Justin, who had just rejoined the group was just about to say something to Aidan, when he began cussing to himself as he watched them leave. This just isn't my day, Justin grumbled to himself as he started walking off toward Balboa. I'll look around while I wait for Aidan to come back.

Drew and the rest of the group blinked as they watched Justin stalk off. The other guys were just shaking their heads and laughing. Drew looked over at Brian, and then over at the remaining guys. "Wonder what crawled up his ass?"

Joey sniggered, "Actually, I think that's the problem; nothing has, lately." All the guys joined in as Joey high-fived Chris and they howled in laughter.

"Yeah, Curley gets a little... well, cranky, if he doesn't get some often enough. And he hasn't had anyone in a while: though not from a lack of trying on his part," Chris added jokingly.

Drew looked over at Brian and, still chuckling softly, quickly changed the subject. "Well, where shall we go? How about the Magic Shop?"

He turned his head and saw that the rest of *NSync had moved into a group, and were nodding and discussing the idea. As they separated, they smiled at the pair, and Josh spoke:

"Sure, let's go; we can meet up with the guys in Balboa on the way back. It looks like that is where everyone is headed eventually," Josh said.

They all agreed, and proceeded toward Magic Masters.

Aidan and Howie

Aidan walked with Howie for a few minutes, enjoying the silence before he spoke. "Howie, I have something to tell you. Now, I want to assure you that I didn't know this last night when I met you, but it's kinda important." Aidan moved to a nearby bench and sat down. "Let's have a seat, and talk for a bit."

Howie sat down quietly, struggling with an inner battle. He tried not to look too concerned, but he doubted that he managed it. "Okay, what's so important?" he inquired nervously.

Aidan cleared his throat. "I met this guy on-line about a year ago. About six months ago, we really started talking a lot, emailing, etcetera. Whenever I was sad he was always there to comfort me, it seemed, and I really liked him. However, up until last night, I really didn't know who he was or what he did, other than the few things he let slip."

Aidan stopped for a moment to compose himself, and then continued, "Well, when I went to the concert last night, I met him, and I didn't know it `til I got home. I was checking my email before bed, and he finally told me who he was."

Howie looked at Aidan confused, "You met him at the concert? What do you mean? At the concert, or after the concert? He's in one of the groups? Who?"

Aidan nodded, swallowing slightly, "JC. He saw us talking last night and realized that if he didn't tell me who he was now, he risked losing me altogether. Josh was planning to return to Atlanta when he was on break from the tour, but when he saw us together last night he panicked. When I left after the concert, he must have hurried to his laptop and sent me an email. I couldn't believe he finally told me know who he was. I was pretty shocked because I had just met you, and thought you were pretty great, only to discover that the guy that I wanted to know better all along was finally telling me who he is."

Howie nodded and sighed softly. "I always seem to be competing with people like JC. I guess I understand; you knew him first."

Aidan took Howie's hand in his, and smiled at him. "I like you both. You're so sweet, and I really had fun talking with you last night. However, the problem is that I don't think I could choose between you right now: not without getting to know you both better. So this is what I propose : you and JC come back here for your break. We'll take turns getting to know each other, and see how it goes. I know it's a little unfair, but it's the only thing I can think of that might work."

Howie sighed softly and took several moments to compose himself before shaking his head slightly, "No, it's okay. Really. I know you're probably doing this to spare my feelings, but you don't have to. I think it would be rather easy to choose between someone you have known for a year, and someone you have only been around once. How about we just become great friends and leave it at that?"

Aidan nodded before murmuring, "That's not how it is, but all right, if that's the way you want it. I understand. I really am sorry. I really didn't know about Josh." Seeing that Howie was barely holding himself together, he spoke a little louder, "Well, I guess we should get back to the others; we will probably find them in Balboa by now."

Howie nodded and stood, looking down at Aidan for a moment. It was a nice dream while it lasted, I guess, he thought to himself. He stood up, waiting quietly for Aidan to join him.

Aidan sat there for a minute before standing, thinking to himself. Well, that sure went well... though he looks like he's hurting. I had no idea how interested he was in me last night. We just met and he seems to be really upset. Aidan then decided to find a way to make it up to him. Howie was, after all, a great person from what he could tell. Maybe I can find him a boyfriend. He smiled to himself as they walked toward Balboa, still considering the possibilities. After several minutes, he had an idea. This will take some careful planning, but I think I know the perfect person for Howie.

Magic Masters

The rest of the two bands walked into Magic Masters and started milling around, picking up various items, when Nick picked up a little creature that looked like a red fox. Next to it were several other creatures: a raccoon, a skunk, and several other types of foxes, all looking different from one to the next. Nick chuckled and jumped as the creature moved around in his hand.

"Hey, guys! Look at this little thing," he said, and several of the guys walked over toward Nick. He picked up the accompanying book, read a couple of lines, and had it dancing all over his hand and nodding its head.

Brian moved closer to examine the fox and smiled, "Cute... you going to buy one, Nicky?"

Nick nodded, laughing, as he picked up the black and gray fox and made it dance, too. He did the same with some of the others before finally taking the black and gray fox to the counter.

"I'd like to buy this, please," said Nick after he cleared his throat.

"All right, just a moment, sir." The clerk nodded her head and punched up the price, "Your total is 40.66, sir. Would you like to pay with cash or credit?"

"Credit, please." He smiled as he took out his credit card and gave it to the clerk, who looked it over. "Thank you, Mr. Carter, for shopping at Magic Masters. We hope you enjoy your purchase. If there is anything we can do to help you, don't hesitate to call or come by for a full demonstration."

Nick smiled, "Thank you. Have a nice day."

The group moved around, playing with various magical items before Josh cleared his throat, "Perhaps we should head toward Balboa and the Hat Shack. We might need to rescue Lance from Kent." He chuckled and started heading for the door of the shop, while the rest followed.

Balboa Menswear - Underground Atlanta

Aidan and Howie walked through the large doors into Balboa, looking around for any signs of Lance and Kent. They walked in the direction of the fitting rooms, looking up and down the rows of clothes until they arrived at the tailoring platform, only to find that Lance and Kent had been there for quite awhile. Kent was standing in front of a large array of mirrors getting a pair of black pants hemmed, while Lance was sitting in a chair looking up at him with an adoring look on his face. Aidan smiled as he headed for them, noticing that it was Tyler who was kneeling in front of Kent, hemming the pants.

"Hey, Ty, what's up? You working hard?" Aidan grinned as he spoke to Tyler.

Tyler didn't look up, as he was staring intently at the pants that he was marking, putting pins and marks in Kent's pants where it was to be taken in. Aidan knew that Kent liked his pants to fit perfectly to show off his body to its fullest. Kent wouldn't be caught dead in baggy pants, that's for sure. Aidan thought it was mildly funny, on a certain level. Kent wanted to make sure he was noticed for what he had, and for his hot body, while most guys ended up covering it up.

Aidan had to admire that about Kent; he was very straightforward about things.

Tyler looked over toward Aidan and smiled. "Hey, Wolf. Stone told me that you were here. How in the world did you get so lucky to meet both *NSync and Backstreet?"

Aidan chuckled, "Drew took us to their concert with backstage passes. It was really a great concert. It was a shame that you couldn't have gone, although you should be able to meet them in a little bit. We heard them say something about meeting here, I believe."

Tyler smiled, "Well, I heard this morning some special guests were coming, and they were shutting down the mall for their use. I am definitely surprised that it would be because the Backstreet Boys and *NSync. It will be cool to meet the rest of them." About that moment, Tyler looked over toward Howie, gave him a once over, and grinned at him, "Hello Howie. Once I get finished with this cuff, I'll get up and shake your hand... kinda occupied at the moment."

Howie chuckled softly, "That's okay; take your time... no rush. I am sure that Kent would appreciate it if you wouldn't stick him with pins."

Howie was smiling; that was a good sign. Aidan figured that Howie was going to be okay: or at least he hoped so. As Howie moved over to sit next to Lance, who was watching Kent be fitted, Aidan took that as his cue to leave. Drifting toward the exit, he moved to a bench just outside the store. As he sat waiting for Josh, he began working out how to put his plan into action. He also wondered what Josh would think about his idea.

Balboa Menswear - Group Reassembled

The remainder of the two bands were walking in the direction of Balboa when they spotted Aidan sitting alone on the bench with a big smile on his face, and walked over to him.

Nick grinned at Aidan, "Hmmmm, someone looks happy. Everything okay?"

Aidan nodded, looked over at Josh, and grinned. "Everything seems to be great at the moment. Lance, Kent, Howie, and Tyler are inside. I thought I would step outside and get some air, but the doors are locked, so I just stayed out here for a bit, thinking."

Josh nodded. "Why don't you guys go in and meet the rest of the group? I want to talk to Aidan for a few minutes."

Nick tilted his head and nodded, wondering what was going on, but didn't say anything as he moved toward the entrance to the store. There were several confused looks and big smiles on the faces of most of the members of *NSync: all except for Justin, of course, as the group filtered into the store and left the two alone.

Josh and Aidan - Outside Balboa Menswear

Aidan motioned for Josh to have a seat and smiled at him. "Well, looks like this will be easier than I thought. Howie backed off."

Josh blinked, "He did? You mean he isn't hurt that you wanted to get to know me better?"

Aidan shook his head, "No, I think he is a bit hurt. I told him that I wanted to get to know you both, but he wouldn't have it. He seemed to understand that I knew you first."

Josh smiled, "Well, let's say we celebrate, tonight: go out to dinner and have some quiet time to get to know each other better, up close and personal?"

Aidan nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a good plan. It's a date."

"You know, I actually have an idea how to make all this up to Howie. My older brother is scheduled to start working for Wolf Sound pretty soon. He's been single for way too long, and I think they would be perfect for each other. We would have to be really subtle, though; don't want them to think I am setting them up."

"Your older brother is gay, too? That must be hard on your parents."

"Yeah, it is. They want grandkids so badly. I am sure my brother or I will have to find a way of having kids. My brother always thought Dawn might be willing, but neither of us are really ready to have kids."

"Who's Dawn? I think you mentioned her once or twice over the last year."

"Oh, she was our nanny growing up. She isn't too much older than Riley is, so it could work. He just hasn't decided how to ask her. I am sure my dad will be thrilled; she is already one of the family."

"Well, if he's going to, he needs to take her age into account. I have read a few reports that say that the older the woman is, the more chances that the kid will have some sort of medical problems. Anyway, have to make sure Howie doesn't find out you are trying to set them up. It might be disastrous; he does have a temper, sometimes."

"I am not going to set them up. I am just going to introduce them and see how it goes."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Let nature take its own course."

"Yeah. Anyway, we better get inside before they send out a search party. I will talk to Drew and see what we can do about me staying tonight."

Aidan grinned, "Sounds great."

Inside Balboa Menswear

Walking into the store, Nick, Brian, AJ, and Kevin looked at each other with puzzled glances.

"Does anyone know what's going on, here?" Kevin asked.

Chris and Joey nodded, smiling widely, and Chris spoke, "Yeah, but we aren't allowed to tell."

Kevin frowned, "Not allowed to tell? Well, I guess they will tell us what is going on later. I just hope Howie is okay."

Kevin let out a puzzled sound, hating the mystery of the situation. He glanced over toward Justin, who had just stepped out from behind a rack of clothes. "Do you know what's going on, Justin?"

Justin shook his head and grumbled, stalking off further into the mall.

The group watched Justin leave, and started shrugging their shoulders. "He sure is moody lately..." mused Nick.

"Yeah, well, you know Curly: he's always gets grumpy this time of the month," said Joey as he laughed, causing the others to join in, and breaking up the weird mood.

"Let's go find Lance and Howie. I think it's time to finish up shopping, and leave," Kevin said.

Inside Justin's Mind -- Just outside Balboa Menswear

Justin grumbled as he walked into the mall from Balboa, I don't like what seems to be going on here at all. I am supposed to get Aidan! I am the cutest guy in both the groups, aren't I? I just have to get Aidan away from Josh. It won't be too hard, he suspected. Sure, Aidan hasn't really given me the time of day yet, but I haven't yet turned on my charm.

It was then that Justin had an epiphany. He would call Management tomorrow and see if he could get Aidan a job on the tour, so he would have plenty of time to seduce him.

It probably should have bothered Justin that Josh was his best friend and stealing someone away from him was a bad idea, but Justin was way too horny to care right then.

Balboa Menswear

Tyler had just finished telling a joke and stood up, when he noticed a large group moving toward them. "Okay, Stone: I'm done. Go take them off and bring them back to me," said Tyler.

Kent laughed, "Good! You already stuck me with a pin. I swear, sometimes I think you stick me just to get a rise out of me."

Tyler grinned up at Stone, "Nahhh, it's not my fault you move when you laugh. Seriously, if I got a rise out of you, you'd be sticking me!"

Kent chuckled and swatted at Tyler's butt. "Okay you, stop that and go say `hi' to everyone. I'll be right back."

The Group Reunited - Balboa Menswear

Aidan and Josh walked back inside Balboa Menswear, rejoining the group who were all chatting away, shaking hands, and introducing themselves to Tyler.

Aidan looked around and spotted Kent walking to the back of the store. He led him over to the group where the pair stood on the outskirts of the conversation, quietly talking. "I guess you guys are ready to go, huh?" Kent commented as he rejoined the group, grinning at seeing everyone together.

The guys all nodded, and several walked over to Tyler, asking for his number - including Nick, who seemed to be quite eager to talk to him.

Kent walked over and shook Tyler's hand, and grinned at him. "Let me know when those are ready. You know my other sizes; I don't know why I even get measured every time."

Tyler laughed, moving backwards quickly. "Because you like hands running up and down your body, and you want everything to be perfect on you?" he teased.

Kent laughed and grinned. "Well, that's true... but considering I am always working out, I want to make sure my muscles haven't caused me to go up another size. It just wouldn't do for me to burst out of my clothes." Kent winked.

Tyler shook his head, blushed. "Shoo, go have fun with your friends. I'll see you soon."

Kent nodded, giving Tyler a kind of half hug and walked off toward the group.

The guys made their way back to the front of the mall. The manager came out of his office and let them out. "Thanks for shopping with us; please do come again."

The guys nodded and climbed into the van, though this time the seating arrangements were different. Aidan was sitting next to Josh, and Justin had somehow weaseled his way to sitting on the other side of Aidan. The rest of the places just seemed to fill in where it was available, but several of the guys began wondering what was up with Justin.

The Ride Home

The van wound its way through the city streets, and came to a stop in front of Kent's house. Aidan and Drew got out of the van, turning around to say their goodbyes, when Josh also clambered out. He pulled Drew away, out of earshot of the others

"Can I ask you a question?"

Drew nodded, "Sure."

"Well, is it okay if I take a night off? I'd like to stay overnight here. I can make it to Lexington tomorrow in plenty of time for sound check and practice."

"Any particular reason?"

"Um... yeah. I wanted to take Aidan out to dinner: spend some time with him. Okay?"

"Aidan? Well, that is unexpected, but sure, that's okay. However, you should really call Jive. They have to sort out your current projects; it would be politic."

"Okay." Josh pulled out his cell phone and pushed speed dial. "Hi, it's Josh. No, no - nothing's wrong. I just need some personal time. Yeah, I just want tonight off. I'll come to Lexington tom... What do you mean, `No'. You haven't even listened to... Now wait a minute! You can't just...What? What the hell do you mean by that?"

Drew couldn't help but overhear the conversation, and seeing how distressed Josh was getting, he snatched the phone out of his hand and took over.

"This is Andrew Wolcott. I have told Josh that he can have the personal time. I would appreciate it if you would agree to his very minor request," Drew listened for a minute. "The band and equipment have already arrived at the Arena in Lexington, so that's not an issue, is it?" Again, he listened. "Yes, I should think it's easy to rearrange a flight. One phone call should do it." This time only a few seconds passed before Drew answered. "Yes, thank you. I'm glad you see it my way. Yes, I'll speak to you tomorrow. Yes, `bye." With a smile, Drew handed Josh's phone back to him, and gave him a little push toward Aidan.

Josh smiled, then walked over toward Aidan and grinned. "Okay, our plans are official. I was supposed to fly out tonight with the guys, but Drew talked Jive into letting me stay the night. That way we won't have to rush our date."

Aidan smiled, "Good! Rushed dates just aren't fun."

They walked back to the van, and Josh grinned at them, "Guys, I'm staying in town tonight. You go on to the hotel without me."

Lance and Joey looked over at Josh and winked; the rest just looked puzzled, except Justin, who was now obviously fuming.

Why does Josh always get the cute ones for himself? Justin thought bitterly.

The guys nodded at Josh. After they had said their goodbyes, Josh, Aidan, and Drew stood on the sidewalk as they drove off. Kent waved from the van; he had decided to go back to the hotel with the guys for a bit to see them off.

Drew looked at Aidan and then Josh. "Okay, Wolf ... spill. What's going on? I am so confused! Are you two together now? What about Howie?"

Aidan and Josh laughed, "Yeah... you could say that we are together." Aidan winked at Drew. "You know that on-line friend I have been talking about for over a year?"

Drew nodded.

"Well, meet CMajor."

Drew laughed, "You're kidding, right? Your on-line pal was JC from *NSync? Well, I guess it's a good thing I am keeping his contract, or he might be mad at you and me both."

The trio laughed, and Josh was still breathing a sigh of relief after that earlier conversation. With all the problems that they had with Jive and their management, it would be nice to know they had better management. Lance had been worried since he let him know that the record executive from the new company was coming to the concert.

As Aidan and Josh looked at each other, Josh happened to look around and noticed they were drawing a small crowd. "Ummm, guys, I think we might want to get inside before I get mobbed."

Aidan and Drew nodded, quickly hurrying inside after Josh. When they were all inside, Drew looked down at his watch and smiled. "How about I leave you two alone for awhile? I have some business calls to make, and I have to pack to get ready to fly back to Orlando for more contract meetings," he said.

Aidan smiled, "Okay, thanks. See you later, Drew."

Josh reached out to shake Drew's hand, and smiled. "I am sure I can say, with the backing of the group, that we are glad you are keeping our contract. We were worried when we heard the rumors that Jive was being bought out. Actually, we were really surprised they were selling."

"I'm not. My partner and I made them an offer that they couldn't refuse. They were losing money. Apparently, the company only had a couple of big names, and all the money went into the management's pocket instead of promoting the bands, as they should have. Quite a few of the smaller groups that were signed shouldn't have been recorded," replied Drew.

"Losing money? Well, I certainly didn't get that impression, but you would know, since I assume that you have seen their accounting information. So, when do we meet this partner of yours?" Josh asked.

"Oh, when you come back to Orlando we are going to get both groups together and have a contract meeting. So if you have something in your contract you didn't like, but Jive forced you to sign, let me know and I will see about rectifying it. Our contracts are straightforward. We are looking to make money, but we don't try to rip off our acts while doing it. It's how we are one of the hottest up and coming record companies; we look out for our groups as well, not just the final dollar amount," Drew answered.

"Well, that is definitely good to hear. I am sure both groups will be glad to hear it. We both have had a dreadful time with management in the past. We only just started making money recently, and we have been popular for years. Our old manager robbed us blind and told us that we just weren't making enough to get paid when we were selling millions of records," Josh said as his face slowly morphed from being happy, to being sad and mad.

Drew smiled and put his hand on Josh's shoulder to get his attention. "Don't worry, JC. My company isn't going to make themselves a part of your group and take all of your profits. I just can't operate like that."

Josh smiled, "You can call me Josh. And I am glad to hear that, really." Josh looked over at Aidan who was standing there with a satisfied look on his face; Josh could tell that he was proud of his cousin's attempt to make him feel better with his little speech.

"Well, I have calls to make, and Dom will want a report on your two groups and whether or not we are keeping you. I will tell him to get the contract department to draw up the initial contract and have your reps call him to get the particulars. It was nice to meet you, Josh. I will see you again soon."

"Take care, Aidan."

Josh nodded shaking his hand with a smile. "Thanks. See you later, Drew."

As Drew walked upstairs, Aidan walked over toward the couch, deciding to stay downstairs in the living room so that Drew wouldn't be disturbed. A few moments later, Josh sat down on the couch next to Aidan, grabbing his hand to gently pull him closer toward him. Before he realized it, Josh was kissing him, which surprised Aidan, as he would have expected Josh to be a bit shy at first. His lips were soft but firm, wooing him, coaxing his own lips to part. Aidan wasn't prepared for the demanding heat of his tongue, or how he instinctively answered, his mouth widening hungrily as Josh deepened the kiss. Aidan's heart raced and his head felt as light as the moon floating in the night sky. When he finally broke off the kiss, he was breathless and wanting more.

"Wow that was so hot," Josh whispered to Aidan, clutching him close as he leaned back against the back of the couch.

Aidan nodded, unable to speak for a moment longer, "Yeah, it was. If that is just a sample, then I can hardly wait for the real thing." Aidan grinned and leaned forward, nuzzling Josh's neck.

Josh smiled, breathing in deep as he inhaled Aidan's musky scent. It was all man, and Josh found it very arousing. "I can't tell you how long I have wanted to do that. It was so worth the wait."

Aidan nodded, releasing his hold on him, to wrap his arm around him as they sat on the couch. "Yeah, definitely was. I think that is probably the hottest kiss I have ever had."

Josh smiled and nodded agreeing with Aidan, "Yeah, same here."

Deciding to change the subject, Josh spoke again, "So, where would you like to go to dinner? It would probably need to be somewhere quiet, with a back room for privacy."

Aidan thought for a moment and hmmmed. "I know the perfect place. Do you like Italian food?"

Josh nodded, "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I have this place I go a lot. I'm friends with the owner, so I can get the private back room at any time, as long as it's not already booked. It's called Veni Vidi Vici, and it's not too far from here."

Josh smiled, "Sounds like a nice place. Guess you should call for reservations."

Aidan nodded and smiled. Leaning over, he grabbed the phone off the hook and started dialing the familiar number to the restaurant.

Veni Vidi Vici

Raimondo had just put down the phone when it rang again. Not many people had his private number, so he quickly picked it up.

"Hello, Veni Vidi Vici. Raimondo speaking." he said.

Aidan laughed, "Since when do you answer the phone like that, Raimondo?"

"Ahhhh, Aidan... hello. I thought it was that time of the week for you to call. How many in your party tonight?"

"Just two of us, though we need the back room. Is it available?" Aidan asked.

Raimondo hmmed and checked his books. "Yes, it is. Must be important to want the back room. Is this a new boyfriend you're trying to wine and dine, my boy?"

"Well, actually he's a friend that needs privacy to go out. So I would appreciate it if you had Tino there to meet us, so we can get into the back quickly."

Raimondo hmmed again, "Alright, that can be arranged. What time will you be here, and why won't you tell me who he is?"

Aidan laughed, "'Cause it's a surprise? Trust me; I think you will like my new friend a lot."

Raimondo chuckled, "Really? Well, if he is a friend of yours, he is already a friend of mine."

Aidan smiled, "Thanks, Raimondo. Just a sec' while I ask him something."

"Alright," said Raimondo.

Aidan put his hand over the mouth of the phone. "Did you want to go back to the hotel to freshen up first? Or did you want to go now?"

JC hmmmed, "Well, I am kinda getting hungry. If you bring some extra clothes with you, we can freshen up at the hotel later."

Aidan smiled, "Sounds fun... "

JC laughed, "Ooooh, I think I like the way you think." Aidan laughed as well, leaning over to kiss him quietly.

Aidan uncovered the mouthpiece on the phone and cleared his throat. "We will be over in about twenty minutes or so. Will that be okay?"

"That's fine; I will keep the room open. See you when you get here," Raimondo replied.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. See you soon! Bye," Aidan said as he moved to hang up the phone.

"There! All set. He's holding the room for us, so as long as we get there soon, we should be okay."

Josh nodded, "Okay, sounds like it should be lovely."

Aidan nodded and thought for a moment before speaking. "I will go change clothes. You are welcome to borrow some of my clothes if they fit. Or if we really need to, Kent has a million spare clothes that we can explore for your size."

Josh nodded, "Sure! You must have something I can wear, especially if there are two closets full."

Aidan and Josh quickly changed clothes while Aidan packed a small bag with some clothes and grinned at Josh. Josh looked elegant in a pair of black slacks, a green and black silk shirt he borrowed from Kent's stash of clothes, and a black baseball cap. "It's a good thing I always carry my comb; I will need it after wearing this cap."

"Don't wear it, then."

"I kind of have to. It makes it less likely that I'll be spotted and mobbed."

Aidan nodded and then looked in the mirror, pleased with his blue silk shirt, which showed off his glowing tan. It fit his body perfectly, emphasizing the muscles he worked so hard to maintain, completing the look by pulling on a pair of black twill pants. Aidan had once been accused of having too much silk in his wardrobe. He'd told them that one could never have too much silk; it always felt just right on the skin.

Aidan walked toward the garage door and, opening it, led Josh toward his Mercedes. Josh chuckled as he noticed the Dodge Viper that was also parked in the garage and pointed toward Kent's car. "I want one of those: in black, though."

Aidan smiled, and laughed softly. "Well, Kent might let you borrow it sometime, but it's his baby. You'd have to be careful with it. He got it specially painted with a silver stripe, instead of white."

Josh laughed and shook his head. "Men and their toys are hard to separate. I think I would rather drive yours. What is it? A Mercedes GTR?"

Aidan nodded. "Yep. Brand new. I got it for my birthday in October."

"Sweet. It's really nice. I still want a Viper, though." Josh replied.

Aidan laughed and grinned at Josh. "Well, I thought it would be too confusing for me and Kent to have the same car, only color reversed. Anyway, we better get going." They hopped inside the car quickly, and were off to the restaurant.

Outside Veni Vidi Vici

As the car pulled up outside of Veni Vidi Vinci, Aidan looked over and grinned at Josh as they got out of the car. Aidan nodded to the valet as he handed him his keys, who quickly drove it away to the back parking lot as they walked inside.

Aidan and Josh were quickly ushered into the back room by a handsome young waiter: Valentino, Raimondo's son, who was trying not to blatantly stare at Josh. "Hello, Aidan. It is a pleasure to see you again."

Aidan smiled, "Nice to see you, Tino. Where is your Papa?"

Valentino chuckled, "In the back, as usual. I will go get him in a minute. He won't believe who is here." Valentino turned and smiled widely at JC, "Hello, JC. Err... Mr. Chasez. How nice of you to come to our restaurant! I hope you will find everything to your liking."

Josh chuckled; he was used to being recognized by now. "Nice to meet you, Tino. No need to be so formal; JC is fine," Josh said, taking his cue from what Aidan called the young man.

Valentino smiled, "My name is actually Valentino. Only Aidan, here, calls me Tino."

Josh nodded, "Valentino: It's a good Italian name." Josh smiled up at the young man, who started to back away.

"Let me go get Papa. He will want to meet you. He's a big fan, just like me."

Josh smiled. "Always glad to meet fans."

Valentino smiled and hurried out the back room and made his way toward the kitchen closing the doors behind them, leaving them in privacy.

Kitchen - Veni Vidi Vici

Valentino hurried into the kitchen, yelling for his Papa over the loud noise in the room. He found his father talking to one of the cooks, and quickly pulled him away and into his office.

Raimondo stared at his son. "Valentino, what is the meaning of this? I was talking about dinner!"

Valentino gasped to catch his breath, "Sorry, Papa, but you will never guess who Aidan's special guest is!"

Raimondo looked, puzzled, at his son, "Who is it? Don't leave me in suspense, boy!"

Valentino grinned at his father, "It's JC from *NSync, Papa!"

Raimondo grinned, "Well, let me go greet our guest, did you leave them menus?"

Valentino looked down, "Sorry, Papa. I was so excited when they came in, I forgot. I didn't want him to get mobbed, Papa."

Raimondo nodded, "I shall take the menus, then. Get back to the door and find a replacement for you, for a bit."

Valentino nodded and smiled. "Yes, Papa."

Raimondo smiled as his son hurried off. He was a good boy, though a bit forgetful at times. He walked down to the cellar to collect a bottle of his best wine, returned to the kitchen, grabbing some menus from the counter, and then entered the back room.

Back Room of Veni Vidi Vici

Aidan laughed after Valentino left. "He forgot to bring the menus. Ahh, well... His papa will bring them when he comes. He's a good kid: barely eighteen. I've known them for a very long time."

Josh nodded, and smiled. "Seems like a very nice place; looks expensive, too."

Aidan nodded his head. "Yeah, it is a bit, but the food is worth it."

It was just at that moment that Raimondo opened the doors of the back room and walked into the room. He set down the wine and the menus, and spoke. "Ahhhh, my dear friend, Aidan. How good it is to see you again, my boy."

Aidan stood up and hugged the man, who Josh could only assume was Valentino's father. "It is good to see you again, Raimondo, sir."

"Ahhh, Aidan; introduce me to your friend. We do not wish to leave him out, now do we?" Raimondo grinned and winked at Josh, which caused him to blush slightly. Raimondo reached out his hand and grasped Josh's. "Raimondo, at your service. I am the proud owner of this establishment."

Josh smiled and shook Raimondo's hand. "Pleased to meet you, sir. I am Joshua Chasez."

Raimondo grinned, "Oh, I know who are, my boy. My son gave me one of your CDs for my birthday. It was good. I look forward to your next one."

Josh grinned, "Well, our next one should be out in March of next year, if everything goes well. We will be working on it again during our break from the tour."

Raimondo nodded. "Glad to hear it. Well, please forgive my change of the subject, but here - let me get your wine poured. I know what Aidan likes with his meal, so I grabbed a bottle of my fine Ruffino Classico for him. "

Raimondo uncorked the wine, offering a glass and a menu to each, "Enjoy! Tino will be back shortly to take your orders. I must be getting back to the kitchens."

Aidan smiled, "Thanks, Raimondo; it was good seeing you again."

Josh nodded in agreement, "It was nice to meet you, Raimondo. I will be sure to let you know the release date for the CD. Perhaps you would like to go to our February concert?"

Raimondo turned around and grinned, "I would like that very much, as well as my son. I'm sure Aidan can pass our details on. I will see you two later."

Josh nodded and smiled, "Alright; see you later."

Aidan smiled at Josh, who seemed to be very full of surprises. "That was very nice of you, Josh."

Josh shrugged, "It's no big deal, really. We get free tickets for every concert for friends and family. I figure that if he likes our music, we must be doing something right. It means we are reaching adults too, which is a good thing."

Aidan smiled, "True. I am sure Tino will be thrilled with your offer. He couldn't go to the concert yesterday; they were sold out awhile back."

Josh nodded, "I like to help people. Tino and his father seem real nice."

Aidan smiled, "They are - just like you."

Josh chuckled softly and blushed. "Yeah, well..."

Back Room of Veni Vidi Vici

Valentino opened the door quickly, and hurried inside. As he had passed his father, he mentioned that JC had a surprise for him. Not having any idea what the surprise might be, he smiled and hurried to the back room. Surprises were good things, right? Maybe he would sing for him, or something better.

Valentino stopped before the table, turned toward JC, and grinned. "Papa says you have a surprise for me?"

Josh chuckled as he watched Valentino practically bouncing up and down from excitement, "Yes, I offered you both tickets to our concert in February."

Valentino gasped, "Really? Oh, wow! That's great! Thank you so much!"

Josh nodded, "You're welcome. I will make sure you get them."

Valentino nodded and grinned. "I look forward to finally seeing you in concert. Now, how about we begin your first course? What kind of salad can I get you gentlemen?"

Aidan hmmmed, "I will take the Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Arugula Salad. What do you want, Josh?"

Josh looked over the salad menu. "Just give me the Classic Caesar salad, please."

Valentino nodded. "Great: I will be back shortly with your first course," he said as he hurried off to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone to talk.

Author Notes: Well, I finally got chapter four done. I actually added more to it than I had originally. I was going to stop before they got to their date, but for some reason I didn't like where it ended at the time. This place seems to be a bit more concrete for a stopping point. I am editing chapter five for you. I hope to get it out soon, as I am getting some work done due to a short bout of inspiration.

Published: 11/29/09