Date: Sun, 03 Sep 2000 22:37:34 MDT
From: . . <sec_ko@hotmail.com>
Subject: Hot and Humid 11

The usual legal jargon, get the hell outta here if you don't belong or don't
care to read :P.

I don't claim to know anything about any of the celebrities mentioned in
this story.  This is a work of fiction nothing more.


Hot and Humid

Chapter 11


	I climbed up to my middle bunk and tried my hardest to get some sleep.  The
bus was noisy, Chris and Joey were busy playing Goldeneye, Lance was tapping
his pen against the side of the small table and Justin....?  He was on the
phone to Ryan.
	These past few weeks have been torture for me.  I would always get to hear
them talk or see them together when we stopped back in Orlando and it was
starting to get to me.  Not in the way that you might think though!
	Ryan's a great guy and hey what can I say?  The two of them were made for
each other.  The only problem is that being alone has started to get to me.
It's always been hard in the past with girlfriends.  There was always that
funny feeling in the pit of my soul that seemed to scream out.  WAIT STOP
SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT HERE!!!!!  Something would always happen and we'd fall
apart.  Lately I've been wondering if maybe I've been closing myself off to
another world of possibilities.  Maybe, just maybe the one that's out there
for me................  The one that I'm meant to be with isn't a girl?
	"Am I gay?" I thought to myself as I stared blankly into the opposite wall
of the bus.  I let out a deep sigh and tried desperately to block out all
the other garbage from my head and get some sleep.  After all I'm not about
to sort everything out in one night...............



	We spent the next few days in a studio just outside NYC.  Most of my days
were spent lost in the daze that I've come to know as work.  Any time that
we weren't busy shooting the new video, planning the new video etc I spent
roaming the streets in search of something I couldn't yet grasp.
	The guys and the management were all very concerned for me although they
never truly came out and said it.  I was in my own little world; nothing
really mattered to me except internalizing what was going on inside my head.
	"Am I really gay?  What's going on and when did these changes start to
happen?"  I didn't have the answers and it was eating away at me piece by
piece.  I was so lost in my own little world that I never noticed where I
was or for that matter where I was going.  I looked around in every
direction but found nothing.  Nothing familiar, no land marks.  Nothing.  In
my confusion I noticed a small male figure in the distance.  In my mind he
was set apart from the crowd like I knew he before but couldn't quite put my
finger on it.  His features were covered in confusion and he looked as
though he was expecting someone or something.
	Mindlessly I started walking in his direction; mesmerized by his mere
presence.  He was around my age, he had pitch black hair and slender
features.  I could tell that he was toned and reasonably well built.  There
was an air about him that I cannot even begin to understand.
	The crowd was thick and it took me quite a while to even begin to get near
him (I'm still happy that no one recognized me :)).
	"What would I say to him?" I thought wildly, "Hey there beautiful you doing
anythang tonight?  I can keep you warm..."  (yeah right :P )
As soon as I was closing in something happened that I will always remember.
	Someone from the crowd bumped into my mystery man and knocked him off
balance and into the direction of the incoming New York rush hour traffic.
A brief and startled cry escaped from his lips as he plummeted towards the
oncoming peril.
	Time stood still.  The mind numbing crowd was gone, the din from the chaos
in the urban jungle had momentarily stopped.
	The adrenaline shot through my system like wild fire as I sprinted through
the last few feet towards the dark haired stranger.  I grabbed one of his
outstretched arms and pulled with all my strength but his momentum was too
much.  We both started to tumble, my mind raced as fast as my pulse!
	"I had to do something!!" I thought.  With my free hand I searched wildly
for something, anything to hold onto.  I felt my digits brush with cold
steel and I braced for the shock of impact.  It held, we held.
	"Ooh," he managed through rapid panting breaths.  I pulled us both up and
we collapsed onto the sidewalk both to terrified to speak.
	"My god!" he breathed clasping one hand to his chest as though his heart
would suddenly jump out.  "Thank you SO much," he cried as he grabbed me and
pressed me to his chest, "oh my god."
	"You're welcome," I smiled as I broke the hug (not that I wanted to or
anything :)).  "Are you ok?" I asked empathetically.
	"Ooooh.......  Yeah," he said as he tried to stand up without much luck.
He started to topple a little as he grabbed his head with his right hand.  I
managed to catch him easily this time.
	"Th......Thanks," he did his best to try and smile.  I could tell that the
brush with traffic had affected him more than he would have liked to admit.
	"Do you have any place to go?" I asked him, "you don't look so good."  He
blushed lightly and stood back up.
	"Ughhh......" he started.  "Oh!  My stuff," he exclaimed bending down to
pick up his papers and folder that were now scattered all over hell's half
acre.
	"Here let me help you," I offered bending down to give him a hand.
	"You don't have to.........." He said, a little unsure of himself.
	"No problem," I shrugged.
	".............  Oh I'm so sorry......" he said obviously still bothered by
the accident.
	"What on Earth for?" I laughed a little, I was kinda confused.
	"Well....." he shrugged. "You saved my life and I don't even know your
name," he smiled.  I could have melted into a puddle on the pavement.
	"Ugh....." I snapped back into reality aware that I had been staring.  He
smiled again, I blushed.
	".........J.....Umm I mean Josh," I smiled offering him my hand.  He
grasped my hand and shook it warmly.  I was surprised at how warm it was and
the tiny jolts of electricity through my system and down my spine.
	"Hi Josh," he cocked his head slightly to one side.  "I'm Rich pleased to
meet you," he briefly looked down to our hands.  I blushed; I was still
shaking his hand.
	"Well Josh," Rich beamed, "I can't thank you enough."
	("Oh I wouldn't say that," I thought to myself, "I could think of a few...
What!?  Bad Josh bad bad Josh!!)
	"I know," I said as he gathered the last few papers off the ground.  "I'll
buy yah lunch."
	"Ugh......" I replied.
	"Oh come on," I scolded, "It's nothing at all considering what you did for
me!"
	"Um...." I started, "it's not that."
	"What then?" he asked with a hint of curiosity.  "I can't be that scary."
I laughed to myself.
	"No you're no scary," I shook my head, "it's just that I've got to get back
to the studio."
	"Oh...." he said with a hint of disappointment.  "Well can I at least have
your number so that I can thank you properly?" he asked I couldn't help but
laugh.
	"No," I shook my head.
	"You don't want me to thank you?" he asked a little hurt.
	"No it's not that," I shook my head a second time.
	"Well I'm fresh out of ideas," he shrugged his shoulders.
	"Do you want to come with me?" I looked him in the eye.
	"I'd love to," he smiled, "that is if I won't get you into any trouble."
	"I guess we'll just have to find out," I told him as I started walking.
	"I can never say that you're boring now can I?" Rich said while running to
catch up to me.
	We managed to find our way through the crowd and get oriented.  The studio
was only a few blocks away.
	"Great!" I thought, "At least I'll get to know him a little on the way."
	It turns out that Rich was here on vacation alone (bonus bonus!).  He was
still going to school at the University of Florida (BIG bonus!!) to get a
degree in Education.  I was in NewYork to visit a few old friends from high
school that were currently living in NYC.  But hey plans can change, right?
;).
	"So Josh," he asked as we rounded the last curb towards the studios.  "What
is it that you do for a living?"
	"Ughhh...I" I began but I was cut short.  Lance was out in front front of
the studios waiting for me to get back.
	"JC good you're back......." Lance began but stopped short.  'You're new,"
he smiled at Rich.
	"Lance I....." I started.
	"JC?  Lance?  Oh now I remember you guys," Rich said, "*N'sync right?"
	"Yup," I scratched my neck lightly with my right hand."
	"That's us," Lance smiled, "Now Josh I hate to cut the formalities short
but......."
	"Everyone's waiting for me," I finished.  "But what about Rich......." I
asked gesturing at my new companion.
	"Why doesn't he just come with?" he asked casually.
	"I don't want to get in the......." Rich began but this time I was the one
to cut him off.
	"You can arrange that Lance?" I pleaded with him.
	"Welllllll," he teased.
	"Lance!....."
	"For you J," he laughed, ".....sure..."
	"Thanks," I punched him playfully in the arm.  The three of us went back
inside the bowels of the studios.  Lance left to arrange all the little
details while the two of us went in search of food.  We eventually ran into
the cafeteria one way or the other.
	Both of us gathered together some food and found a little table in the
corner.
	"Sheesh," Rich smiled.
	"What?" I stopped from shoveling the food in and paused.  "Is something
wrong?"
	"Well," he began, "It's just that I should be the one treating you.  I
mean," he paused, "you were the one who saved my life after all.  Oh and by
the way I feel like an idiot for not recognizing you."
	"No worries," I smiled, "you wouldn't be the first."
	"Still," his face lit up, "you've got a knack at sprucing up my summer
vacation."
	"Still want to look up your friends so soon?" I laughed.
	"Welllllll........" Rich hesitated, "Maybe bot just yet."  We both couldn't
help but laugh.
	After we were finished eating, we dumped off our junk and headed out in the
direction of the set of the music video.
	"Ever seen the set of a music video?" I asked him en route.
	"Well there was that time with the Back street boys........" he nudged me
lightly in the gut with his elbow.
	"BSB?" I asked almost falling over, "you traitor!"
	"Kidding kidding," he put his hands up in his own defense, "I repent I
repent."
	"Well........" I reconsidered.
	"Sorry but one boy band is the extent of my tolerance," he shrugged his
shoulders.
	"HEY!"  I chased him down the hall and around the corner.
	We burst into the studio doors suddenly.  I fell over onto Rich's back in a
very humiliating position.
	We got up and brushed ourselves off.
	"I'm sorry that I'm late guys," I began, "I guess I got a little bit
lost.........  Oh....  Um everyone this is......."
	"It's ok Josh," Justin smiled.  "Lance has already told us," he winked at
me on the side, "nice to meet you Rich."
	"Now everyone, let's get rolling!"




	Well what do you think?  I'll get back to the others don't worry :).  I
think that my writing is taking a nose dive although I'm not sure :(.  Oh
well
	Best wishes
sec_ko@hotmail.com
P.S	I'll have to think some more about what to do about Justin and Ryan.
For now I hope that you all liked Josh and Rich and I'll explain the whole
thing soon don't worry ;p.