VIII
"Where the hell is Lance?" JC said pissed.
"Yeah man, I'm friggin hungry!" Justin yelled.
"He's probably still in bed with Rob!" JC mistakenly said, "Oh fuck!"
"What?" Chris and Joey said simultaneously.
"How'd you know?" Justin said.
"You knew?" Joey and Chris said again.
"Look, it's a long story, and I wasn't gonna say nothin till they felt like telling you guys. But they're I guess sorta seeing each other." JC regretfully admitted.
"What are we gonna tell the guys?" I asked Lance.
"We'll just tell them that you dropped your keys when we were in here yesterday and when you came up to get them we started talking and it was late so you crashed on the couch." He said.
"Clever, will they buy it? We'll eventually have to tell them the truth."
"Yeah, but not now." He said.
"Ok, fine."
The doors opened and we walked out to see the guys waiting in the lobby.
"Look, here they come, shut up, shut up!" Justin said.
"Hey guys sorry I'm late!" he said as I cut him off,
"Yeah, pretty boy here took forever getting ready."
"Yeah.. ok.. so, you slept over?" Joey said suspiciously.
"Yeah I came back here last night cause I my keys fell out my pocket yesterday when we were upstairs. We were chillin and it got late so I crashed on the couch."
"Oh... okay." Joey said not seeming to believe me.
"So, how was the sex?" Chris blurted out.
"What?"
"Huh?"
"Stupid!"
"Idiot!"
"Dumb ass!" was what came out of our mouths.
"Oh, sorry I forgot, it's a secret! Shhhhh!" He said trying to turn it into a joke.
"What are you talking about?" Lance said trying to deny it.
"Look, we know about you and Rob." JC said.
"Damn it Justin! You can't keep a secret for shit!" Lance yelled out.
"ME? I didn't say nothin!" Justin said defending himself, "JC's the one who let it slip!"
"How the hell'd he know?" Lance yelled again.
"Uuuh, that's my fault. Me and Justin were talking about you last night in the bathroom at pizzeria and JC overheard through the door. He asked me about it last night when we went to the bathroom just before we left the studio. I didn't know what to say, he just knew, I didn't get a chance to deny it." I admitted.
"And you didn't tell me?" Lance asked.
"Look, lower you voice, there's no need to cause a scene, especially when there are potential fans around. And besides, it's not like I had a chance to!" I said in my defense.
"AH HA! So there was sex?" Chris yelled out.
"SHUT UP!" we all yelled.
"Look," I said, "we can all calmly discuss this over breakfast. So, where we eating?"
"How bout we just go upstairs and order room service? This way we won't be interrupted by fans." JC suggested.
"That's fine with me" Joey said.
"Sure"
"Fine"
"Whatever"
"Ok" was all that was said as we turned around and headed to the elevator.
"So," I said trying to break the silence, "who's room we going to?"
"How bout we go to JC's room, it's the biggest?" Chris said.
"Whatever" JC said.
The rest of the ride up was pretty silent. We went into JC's room and all sat down. Me in a chair, Joey and Justin on the couch, Lance and Chris sitting on the bed, and JC standing by the phone.
"So, what are we ordering?" JC asked.
"I'll have some french toast and coffee" Lance said.
"Scrambled eggs and bacon." Said Joey.
"Pancakes and OJ" Justin said.
"I'll have the same, what about you Rob?" JC asked.
"Well.I'm not really that hungry, I don't want to put you guys through any more trouble." I said.
"Don't worry about it, what do you wanna eat?" JC said again.
"I guess I'll have, a bagel and some Orange Juice." I finally gave in and said.
"That's it?" Justin asked.
"Yeah, I'm not that hungry." I said.
"I wonder why?" Chris mumbled under his breath.
Lance gave Chris a dirty look and JC hung up the phone and said,
"All set, it should be here in a few. So, who wants to go first?"
"I guess I should," Lance said, "everything that we told you that happened yesterday was true for the most part. The only thing different was that when we were in the caf‚, Rob took my wallet to see the pictures inside just like I did to him in the car. He saw the picture of me and Trey kissing, and I got pissed and stormed off."
Joey interrupted, "I thought you were over Trey!"
"I am, but I left the picture in my wallet, why? I don't know but I did."
I was wondering who Trey was, although I knew from the picture that he obviously had to be an ex beau but I wanted to know what happened between them two, but was too afraid to ask, at least at this moment. I would ask him another time when we were alone.
"Anyway, I got in a cab and left him, he tailed me back to the hotel and kept saying he was sorry and that he still had my wallet. I was just about to get on the elevator when I realized that I needed my wallet, so I went back and I helped him up off the floor, cause he had tripped over some luggage. He kept saying he was sorry and said that he wouldn't tell nobody because he had the same secret. He said that was one of the reasons him and his girlfriend broke up. I felt bad and invited him up to my room to talk, really just to talk. We ran into Justin when he was on his way out to play ball and he found out, so I made him promise not to tell anyone. He agreed and me and Rob went into my room. We talked for a really long time, and we even sang together, then all we did was start to kiss, I won't go into detail of what happened next, but no, we didn't have sex. Justin knocked on the door and we went down with him. As for last night, we came back here and he spent the night, again I won't go into detail, but like before we didn't have sex."
While he was saying this the rest of the guys kept looking back and forth from me to him. Just when he finished there was a knock at the door. The food had come. JC got up and opened the door let the guy in and gave him a tip. We all got up and got our food. This time I sat down on the bed next to Lance. We started eating and that's when the silence broke.
"So, anything else worth mentioning?" JC asked the group.
Justin and I looked at each other and I motioned to him that he didn't have to say anything.
"So, what's the schedule for today?" Chris asked.
"Well, we gotta be at the studio at 1:30, Rob you can come with us. I think I speak for the rest of the group as well when I say, that we're glad that you're in both Lance's and the rest of the groups lives. You have proved that you are not like some of the other fans we have encountered. So we trust you." JC said as he got up and gave me a hug,
"Welcome to the family!"
With that the rest of the guys got up and did the same. It was a dog pile on the bed, me being at the bottom. Luckily I was finished with my food or else it would've spilled. We were all laughing and I noticed the time. It was a quarter to one.
"Hey," I said still stuck at the bottom of the pile, "Shouldn't you guys be getting ready?"
They looked at the clock, got off of me and agreed. They were all pretty much done with their food so all we had to do was clean up and we were out the door. With things patched up between the six of us, Lance and I weren't afraid to hold hands in front of them. In fact when I went to grab his hand Chris was making fun of us.
"AAAAAaawwwwwww, look at the pretty couple!" he said as he pinched my cheeks.
"Shut up!" Lance said as he started blushing.
"Aaaaawww look! They're blushing!" Justin joined in the fun.
We all started laughing. The elevator door opened, we got out and went to the limo. We got to the studio around 1:15. The guys met with the producer while I was chillin in the control room looking at all the buttons on the board.
"You know how to work it?" Lance came in and asked.
"Ah! Oh, it's you." I said startled.
"Aawwww, did I scare you?" Lance said making fun of me from before.
"Shut up! Yeah I know how to work this. This board is a lot bigger than the one we had in school. But, I pretty much can figure out the rest." I said.
"That's cool." He said, as the rest of the guys came in.
"Hey, Rob!" JC said.
"What's up?" I said.
"I have a proposition for you."
"What?"
"How would you, like to be featured on one of our tracks?"
"You're kidding right?"
"Nope!"
"He's kidding right?" I said looking at Lance.
"Nope!" Lance said.
"Oh SHIT! Well.. Um... YEAH!"
"Okay, good. Here's the music, you got an hour to learn you part." JC said.
"What exactly is my part? Back up?" I asked.
"Nope, you get a solo." Lance said.
"Look, you come in right after my solo." Justin pointed out.
"Oh shit! You're serious! I can't believe it! Thank you!"
I got up and hugged each of them.
"GO, get to work!" Lance said.
I went into one of the rooms with a piano. I had my part down in a half hour. Lance came in to check on me just as I was going over it on last time.
"How you coming along?" he asked.
"Great! I got it down perfect, and I even added some more harmonies, if that's okay?"
"Sure, let's here how it sounds."
I started to play the vocal parts on the piano, while I sang my part. He noticed the differences in harmonies and was impressed at how I came up with them.
"Here, let me sing it with you." He said.
"Sure!"
We started to sing the song when the rest of the guys came in and joined us.
"How are things going?" JC asked.
"Great, we were just going over the song. Look, if you don't mind I added some harmonies to some of the parts." I said as I handed him the music.
He looked it over and said,
"Hey, this is pretty good! I was thinking some of the same things."
"You guys wanna practice it now?" I asked.
"Why not?"
"Sure"
"Okay" They all said at the same time.
I played the intro, and JC started to sing, the rest of us came in on our parts and it was going well. Justin sang his solo, and it wasn't long before I started mine. As the moment approached closer and closer, I started to get a little nervous. Sensing this, Lance grabbed my hand and I started to sing. I really got into it and when they started to sing the chorus, I improvised a little along with Justin. We continued on and the when we were finished, they started clapping for me. I started to blush and Chris came over and pinched my cheeks again.
"That was really good!" Joey said.
"Nooo, shut up!" I said.
"No for real! He's right!" JC said.
"For real? You thin so?"
"Yeah!" they all said in unison.
"Thank you! That really means a lot to me coming from you guys!" I said as Lance gave me a hug.
"Well, time to get to work!" Justin said.
"OH my god! This is it!"
"Don't worry! You'll do fine." Lance reassured me.
"But..but. but what if I mess up? What if I forget my part? We'll have to start over again and again and your producer will get mad and.and.." I was silenced by Lance's lips on mine.
The guys were a little shocked for a sec but got over it.
"You okay now?" Lance asked.
"Huh? What? What was I saying?" I said smiling.
"That's what I thought."
"Let's do this!!" I said.
IX
"So, how's this gonna work?" I said as they were setting me up.
"Well, first we're going to record the chorus, then once we've finished with that we'll started on the verses." The producer said, "Y'all ready?"
"Yeah" we said.
Although I was still a little nervous, I calmed down once we started singing. I had to stand between Joey and Lance considering my voice range was between theirs. Although I could go lower than both Lance and Joey, I could also go higher than Lance so the producer thought it best that I stand in between the two. It was the three of us one mic and JC, Justin, and Chris on the other mic. Once we finished recording the chorus, the set up different mics for the soloists. This was it. My big chance, to show everybody I could do this. Who knows where it would take me from here? First went JC's solo, then Justin's. It was my turn and I got a little nervous again, but this time I just thought of the song and all the nervousness left my body. I did even better this time than in the rehearsal. Once I finished the solo, like before Justin and I improvised on top of the chorus. The song faded out and we kept singing until the producer said stop. He congratulated us, and the guys once again clapped for me. I smiled and we all walked into the control room. The producer played the song back for us and I didn't like the way my voice sounded.
"That's just because you're not used to hearing yourself recorded." The producer said.
"No, it's not that, I'm used to that, I mean there's something missing!" I said.
"Like what?"
"Well, considering I'm a lower voice, I think, there should be another lower voice harmonizing with me as well as an upper voice. Not through the whole thing, but just on some of the parts."
They were all impressed that I knew what I was talking about, even though they knew I went to school for music, and wanted to be a producer, they didn't think that I would take control and make some suggestions.
"Well, what do you want to do?" The producer asked.
"Well, ok, sing it on the second inversion, and add the seventh. Have Lance take the fifth, and have Joey, sing the third, I'll sing the root, and have Justin or JC sing the seventh."
"Ok, let's try it. You guys up for it?"
"Yeah" they said.
"So which one of you will sing the 7th? Justin or JC?"
"I'll do it." JC said.
"Is that ok with you Jus?" The prod asked.
"Yeah, it's ok." Justin said.
"Well ok, Rob, Lance, JC, and Joey, get in there and we'll do this."
We went in there and Lance whispered to me,
"Good job Babe!"
"Thanks!" I said.
Once we were set up we sang the verse on the chord. I indicated on where I wanted them to come in and drop out. Once we were finished we went back into the control room and heard it.
"Perfect!" I said.
"Well then, any more suggestions before we wrap?" asked the prod.
"Just one if you don't mind." I said.
"No, not at all. Please."
"Well, if you would let me change the ending a little."
"How so?"
"Instead of letting it fade out like that,"
"We should let it come to an end somewhere definitely." JC cut in.
"Yeah, exactly, we should cadence somewhere. I think it would make for a better ending. If you don't like it, it's ok. We don't have to do it."
"No, no, no, I agree with Rob. I was thinking the same thing myself." JC said.
"Ok, all of you get in there, and we'll do the last four measures, and I want Rob to sing how he thinks it should end. Once we've done that we'll record it and then we'll wrap." The prod said.
We went in and did as told. I snag how I thought it should end and everybody was satisfied with it. Through the intercom the prod said,
"Ok, I want Chris, Justin and Rob to sing the ending how we just did it. This time we're recording."
"You, sure you want me to sing it?" I said.
"It was your idea, I think you should sing it." He said.
"Yeah man!" Lance agreed.
"Ok, fine." I said.
We sang the last four measures over again and ended the song.
"And, that's a wrap!" the prod said.
We walked into the control room to hear what we recorded. While listening to it, everyone was looking at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Anything else?" Justin asked.
"Uuhhh, well." I started to say making them think there was something, "Nope, just kidding!"
We started laughing and I said,
"It's perfect!"
"Great than that's a wrap. You gentlemen are free to go. I want you all back here tomorrow at 12. You too Rob." The prod said.
"Me? Okay!" I said.
It was about 6 when we got out and we all were starved.
"Let's go get something to eat." I said.
"Yeah, I'm starved." Chris said.
"Where you wanna eat?" Joey said.
"How bout Chinese?" I suggested.
"Nah, gives me heartburn" Chris said.
"Italian?" Justin asked.
"Yeah, I'm in the mood for some fetteccini alfredo." I said.
"Ok, I know this place in the Village." Joey said.
"Lead the way." JC said.
We got in the limo and drove down to this Italian restaurant in the Village. We got there and got to sit in the garden in the back. It was totally closed off to us. One of the perks of being a hit making pop/R&B group. We ordered and the food came. We talked about nothing during dinner.
"So, where're you taking us tonight Rob?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, you gonna show us some moves like you said last night?" Lance said.
"Oh, I'll show you some moves," I said as they started laughing, "as for the rest of you, after dinner take me back to the hotel so you guys can get ready and I can get my car and go home and get ready. I'll meet you back at the hotel around nine."
"That sounds good to me." JC said.
"You're all gonna love this place!" I said.
We finished eating and headed back to their hotel. Lance insisted on coming back to my apartment to see what it looked like. He said he would grab some cloths and whatever else he needed he would get when we came back. I agreed and we were off to my apartment on the upper west side.
X
We got back to my place and I had messages on my machine. I told Lance to press play while I sorted through the mail that I had gotten.
"This is a nice place you got here!" he said.
"Yeah, my uncle left it to me." I said.
"Oh, I'm sorry did he die?"
"No, he moved to N. Carolina."
"Oh."
"Hey Rob, it's your mother, call me!" first message on the machine.
"I swear she's always calling me!" I said.
"Does she live far?"
"No, she lives in the Bronx"
"Hey Rob, call me when you get in. I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU!!" second message.
"Dam it! What the hell is wrong with her now?" I said.
"Who's that?"
"One of my best friends from high school."
"Um...Rob, you know who this is. Uhh. we need to talk. It's important. So could you please get back to me? Bye" third message.
I dropped the rest of the mail and just stood there looking at the machine.
"What's the matter?" Lance said as he came running to me, "Rob? What wrong? ROB! Who was that? What wrong? BABY!"
"Huh? Oh.what? Um.. that was my...um. my ex."
"Oh..." he said as he turned around, "Well, you should call her back, it sounded pretty important!"
"You think so? No, forget it. I'm not gonna call!"
"Don't worry about me, I'm not jealous. I understand, she sounded like she really needed to talk to you. I'll go get dressed and you talk to her. Really!"
"Ok, fine!"
He went into my room and closed the door. I picked up the phone and hesitantly dialed her number. The phone rang twice and she picked it up.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hey..you called?"
"Rob! Oh hi.yeah I called yesterday. Where were you? I was worried, you didn't return my call."
"I was out. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about." I said while thinking, "What was I supposed to be waiting by the phone for you to call? What do you care where I went? It's none of your damn business!" I came out of my thought and heard her say something,
"Huh? What I didn't hear you." I said.
"We have to talk."
"I know you said that already."
"Well, I guess I'll go first. Well, here goes. I realized that I made a mistake in letting you go. And I guess what I'm trying to say is I want us to get back together. There I said it."
"Okay, wait let me get this straight, you dumped me, because you said you weren't in love with me anymore, and basically broke my heart. Now that I'm finally getting over you, you call me and say that you wanna get back together?" I said calmly trying not to lose me temper.
Meanwhile Lance had just stepped out of the room to use the bathroom when I said all this. I didn't see or even hear him come out and he ran back into my room and started to cry.
"What's the real reason? Your man dump you? Why all of a sudden you wanna come back to me? What makes you even think that I'm gonna accept you back?"
"Well, because you love me."
"I loved you. You know, I tried to stay friends with you, I tried to be there for you. Then, you start going out with some one a little less than a month after we break up, causing me to look at you in a totally different way. Even though we remained friends, you still threw that in my face. And now you want me to forget everything and come back?"
"Well, yeah"
"I can't believe you! Did it ever occur to you, that I might have moved on, that I might have found somebody else, that I didn't want you back?"
"Well, yeah but I thought I'd give it a try anyway."
"BULLSHIT! You knew I was suffering and you thought that I was still miserable! Well GUESS WHAT! I HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE! I don't need you in that way anymore. Of course I'll always accept you as a friend but you're the one who's gonna have to earn that back! And until you're ready to do that, GOODBYE!"
"Rob, wait.."
I hung up the phone and leaned against the kitchen counter. I needed to be held. I went into the room cause I needed a hug. I went in there to find Lance on the floor curled up into a little ball crying.
"Oh my god! Lance, baby what `s wrong?" I said as I ran over to him.
"Don't you baby me! Why don't you go back to her, I'm sure you'd rather be with her anyway!" He said in between sobs.
"What? Why would I want to go and do that when I have you?"
"I heard you say that you wanted to get back together! I heard you!"
"I don't want to get back together with her! She wanted to get back with me! I said no, because I'm with you!"
"But I thought you loved her!"
"I did, but I realized that I was over her this morning watching you sleep."
"Sure! Why don't you just go run to her? I'm sure that's what you want!"
"LOOK I DON"T LOVE HER! I LOVE YOU!"
"What?" he said as he looked up at me.
"I said, I love you. I realized it this morning. The way I felt when I woke up with you next to me, was exactly the way I felt when I knew that I loved her. I didn't want to tell you, cause I thought that I would scare you off."
He got up and put his arms around me and said, "I...I.I love you too Rob! No one else has ever made me feel this was and I owe it all to you. I love you!" We kissed and hugged for what seemed like forever. It was 8:00 when I realized that I had to get ready if we were gonna meet the guys. This was hard to do when all I really wanted to do was stay there and make love to the man of my life. But we had a commitment to the guys. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, shaved, got dressed, and put on some cologne. I made Lance wait in the living room because if he were in the room with me I would've never got anything done. Finally at 8:45 I was ready. I told him that we could come back here after the club if he wanted and he agreed. We hopped in my car and got to the hotel at 5 after nine. The guys were waiting in the lobby. Lance went to get them while I waited in the car.
"Hey, guys, come on lets go Rob's waiting in the car." Lance said once he saw the guys.
"Where you going?" Joey said.
"I gotta get something upstairs. I'll be right down."
"Okay" they said.
They got in my car and I asked where Lance was, they told me where he was and I said whatever. I had the radio on Z100, and Joey had an idea,
"Hey, lets call up the station."
"Why?" JC said.
"Why not?"
"If we do that, and they know that we're in NY, then we'll be mobbed for the rest of the time we're here!"
"And how long is that?" I asked.
"You don't know?"
"No"
"Let's see, I think for another week or so."
"Then I better make this week, a week to remember!" I thought to myself.
"Fine, I won't call. But can I at least request a song? I promise I won't tell them who I am!" Joey begged.
"Fine!" JC said.
"Oh shit! I forgot! I didn't teach you any moves!" I suddenly remembered.
"What's the big deal? Dancing is dancing!" Chris said.
"You think so huh?" I said.
I put in on the Spanish radio station (La Mega) and they were playing some merengue.
"Can you dance to this?" I asked.
"SHIT!! That's fast!" Justin said.
"Like I said maybe I should teach y'all some basic moves."
They agreed. So, I parked the car and we walked back t the hotel. Just as Lance was coming out, we were going in.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Don't worry follow us." JC said.
"Who's room has a radio?" I asked.
"All of them do." Chris said.
"Well let's go to JC's room, like you said, it's the biggest."
"Ok" they said.
"What's going on?" Lance said still confused.
"Rob's gonna teach us some basic steps." Joe said.
"What's the big deal? Dancing is dancing!"
We all laughed as if it were a private joke that he didn't get. We went into JC's room and I turned on the radio. It was a commercial so I got a chance to fill in Lance on what was going on and tell them a couple of things.
"Ok, first of all, there are two types of music that they play in this club mostly. Salsa, and Merengue. To dance salsa, it's pretty easy. They're both easy but that depends on the person. The basic steps are one-two-three-kick one-two-three-kick'. You keep moving like that. It's easy." I said just as a Salsa song came on, "Look, I'll show you, Lance, come here! I'm gonna lead and you follow my feet. Look one-two-three-kick one-two- three-kick' Now just keep doing that back and forth, to the beat. These are the basic steps. But you need to add more to it than just doing that cause then the girl's gonna get bored. Now one of the most important things to do while dancing salsa and merengue is to move your hips from side to side. In other words shake you ass! Ok now all of you try."
They attempted to dance to the music. For the most part they had it, I just had to grab their wastes a couple of times and shake it for them. Now it was time to teach them merengue.
"Ok, the difference between salsa and merenegue it the tempo and the way you move to the music. OOOOoooh, I love this song! Ok, watch me feet and mimic my movements. It's very easy all you do is sort of march in place, while shaking your ass from side to side. Move your hips in a small figure eight. Also move your shoulders along with your ass. It's sounds more complicated than it really is. Try it!"
Once again, they mimicked what I was doing and they weren't that bad.
"Ok, you got it. You won't make too much of a fool out of yourselves. Let's go!" I said as we walked out the door.
TBC... Comments Suggestions, email me Papito1465@aol.com