Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 14:22:47 EDT From: Dale E Wright <bwicub@hotmail.com> Subject: "The Lottery Winner" Chapter 14 Hi everyone... Wow...people are actually reading my stuff. Thanks for the positive responses. -- I'm even a nominee for the awards! Vote for me please!!!! (http://jump.to/nsync_stories or http://www.geocities.com/sasha02.geo/award.html) I'm nominated in the `Best Joey story' and `Best Slash Fiction'. As always, Gabriella and Mike and Charlie are my main cheerleaders. I'm a bit nervous--so if people could please e-mail me at bwicub@hotmail.com--I'd really appreciate it. I love e-mail!! DISCLAIMER: This is a fictional story that came right out of my own mind. I have no knowledge if any member of N Sync are gay or whatever. That being said, please enjoy the story and remember-- write me!!! (Especially write me if you're a member of the group! GRIN) --The Lottery Winner Ch 14-- I woke up with a start when the wheels touched down on the runway. We rolled up to the terminal, and I grabbed my bag from the overhead so I could be one of the first ones out the door. The limo counter was fairly empty, so I was able to get a car and driver for the trip to Baltimore with no problem. I followed the lady who was assigned to be my driver to the set of cars. As we left the airport, she told me that there'd be a bit of a delay because of afternoon traffic. I told her that was fine then pushed the button for the privacy screen. I leaned back and closed my eyes. I woke up when she opened the door in front of my apartment. I tipped her and thanked her, and headed upstairs. Loki was glad to see me, my cat has never dealt well with being left alone. I pulled him to me, and he let me pet him...for about ten seconds. Then he tried gnawing my hand off. I laughed and let him down. `God he's warped. At least he's calmed down since I rescued him from the alley. I should call Dan and let him know I'm home...but I'm just so tired right now. I'll take a nap first.' Part of me knew that I was sleeping so much to escape, but I didn't care right now. I took my clothes off and crawled into my bed. I remembered my cell phone, so I pulled it out of my pants, which were at the base of the bed and turned it back on. BEEP...7 messages. I debated on checking my voice mail, but the tired part of me won that debate. Whoever had called will call back if it's important enough. I put the phone in the charger, when my regular phone started ringing. FUCK. I looked at my alarm clock and saw it was four o'clock. Sorry, I did not feel like answering the phone right now. "Hi, it's Dale, I'm out of town right now, but will try and check my machine as often as possible. Leave your name and number and what the call is regarding and I'll call you back when I get the message. BEEP." "Dale, it's Chris. Are you there? Man, are you okay? Joey's a wreck. Please give me a call on my cell. I have to talk to you." As I nodded off, I felt Loki curl up beside me. My ceiling fan added a soft hum to the background. RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG I came awake, and realized that someone was ringing my doorbell. I staggered down to the front door of the house. (Before I continue I should explain my house. I live in an apartment that takes up the top two floors of an old rowhouse. It's nice, but it can be kind of a pain with two sets of doors.) I got down to my front hallway and saw that it was my friend Dan. He looked worried as I opened the door. "Dale, what are you doing back early? I thought you were going to be gone for another week or two." "Dan, It's...complicated." "Uh-huh...sure. Come on, I'll brew up some cappuccinos. Wait a sec. You were sleeping weren't you? Okay, now I know that it's not good." He went into my kitchen on the third floor and began brewing, I went and changed into comfortable clothes, and headed up to the living room to get yelled at my by friend. I sat down on my couch, and pulled my furry blanket around my legs. (My personal outlook on things: You can't go wrong if you have a furry blanket. They're like cups of hot chocolate in the dead of winter...it's just RIGHT.) I got comfortable, and Dan came in with two cappuccinos. One iced and one not (he knows about my fondness for iced.) "Okay Dale, out with it. And don't give me your standard `it's nothing I'll deal with it.' That's been old for awhile now and you know it." He smiled to take the sting out of his words. "What happened?" It took him about ten minutes of ranting and raving, but he finally wore me down. I started talking. I held nothing back. I'd told him about my trip down to Florida, and what it was for. He smiled when I told him about Joey. He giggled when I told him about the encounter with Britney. He knew all about mom and Deb, and was glad when I told him that they'd flown to Denver to meet me. Finally, after making him swear on all he holds sacred that he would never breathe a word of this to anyone, I lapsed into silence. He didn't say anything for a minute, then he put his cup down. He took a deep breathe, then let me have it. "What the fuck are you doing? You left him a note? God Dale...that's just mean. And that's not you." I started crying again. Lord, this isn't what I needed to hear right now. Dan pulled me into a hug. "Are you going to call him Dale?" "God no Dan, I can't." I broke the hug, and pulled away. "I need to go nap. You going to hang out here for a bit?" "Yeah, going to commandeer your computer and surf the net for a bit." I went downstairs and left him to his own devices. About twenty minutes after I went to sleep I started waking up when I heard someone enter my bedroom...but couldn't wake fully up, I just wanted to sleep. I heard a voice speak briefly, but it wasn't enough to wake me up. ***At the hotel in Phoenix, a cell phone started ringing. "Hello? Yes this is he. Dan? Do I know you? Oh my god, you're Dale's friend?!" Chris sat on the bed. "Is Dale okay? What the hell happened do you know? I know! Joey showed me the note, he's a wreck by the way. Remind me to smack Dale when I see him. Shit, someone's coming in so I have to go. What's your number? I'll call you after soundcheck." Chris scribbled a number down on, and hung up just as the door to his room opened. Joey trudged through. "Hey." "Joe? You okay?" "Wow Chris, that qualifies as a really stupid question doesn't it. The man I fell in love with left me." Joey fell onto the bed and let out a sigh. Chris didn't say a word, just squeezed his shoulder. "Are you going to try and call him Joey?" Joey got off the bed abruptly and headed to the door. He slammed it behind him as he stormed out. Chris just sat there for a second. "Well, that certainly didn't go well." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Dan, it's Chris. Okay, we have a problem. Neither one of these two are going to take the first step. What do you want to do to get the ball rolling? The soonest I can get Joey out to Baltimore is three days. We have a two-day break, so I should be able to get him there. The next few days aren't going to be fun though. How's Dale holding up? Damn, that's not good. Okay, we're going to have to get the ball rolling. I'll work on Joey and you work on Dale. Oh yeah, before I forget. Nice to meet you Dan!" Chris hung up the phone and went in search of his friend. **Elsewhere** My phone was ringing, which woke me up out of my sleep. I looked at the my alarm clock. I was shocked to see it was nearly midnight. "Hello?" dead silence on the other end... "HELLO?" "Dale, it's James." Oh...great. "Hey James, what's up?" "We have to talk." "Why? What good will it accomplish. This way Joey can have his life and I won't get him in trouble." "Dale, listen to yourself. That's not what this is about! He's miserable. He's been doing nothing but crying and then sitting and staring out the window. We're all worried. If you really cared, you'd be too." "Dammit Lance, don't play that card with me! You of all people know how much I care." "*sigh*. I know Dale, I just wanted to see if you really did care. Are you going to call him?" "Eventually. Are you guys in Phoenix now?" "Yeah, we have to get going for soundcheck. And get ready for the meet and greet. I wish you'd come back. All of the guys do. Well, JC is a little pissed for you hurting Joey. But Chris and I talked him out of killing you next time he sees you." "Go to soundcheck hon. I have stuff to get done." "Okay Dale, if you're sure. Hey, I love you bud. Don't forget that. Once a member of the family always a member." I was crying again. "Okay Lance, you to. I gotta go." I hung up and lost it. I hate crying like this! I went and crawled into my tub. There is something nice about taking a hot back in a clawfoot tub. I fell asleep in the tub. I remember thinking that it'd be so easy to just slip underneath the water, but didn't want to do that to mom and Deb. After drying off, and opening a bottle of wine. I curled up with a book, when the phone rang again! Suppressing a growl, I answered it. Now, I had to explain myself to mom. "Dale, he was a wreck. He cried on my shoulder for over an hour. Are you sure you did the right thing?" "No mom, I'm not. It'll either work out or it won't. I'm hanging up now." I finished the entire bottle of wine on my own, so by the end of the night I was pretty much gone. The next few days found me slowly getting back into the swing of things. I caught up with my accountant on what's gone on with my money since I'd been gone. He told me that the transfer of funds for the concert had gone smoothly. My throat tightened up when he told me that, but I was able to finish talking to him. I then talked to some of my friends who I'd been ignoring the past few weeks. That Thursday started like any other day. I woke up, and after going an hour with the personal trainer I'd hired to whip me into shape, I was in a pretty good mood. Dan called, and told me that he needed my help with some stuff up at his house. I took off at a jog, and spent the next thirty minutes manhandling old Victrola record players around his place (he collects them and decided that it was a good day to rearrange the collection.) He disappeared briefly a few minutes after I got there, but I took him at his word when he said he was just getting something out of his basement. I got back to my place about one in the afternoon. I was shocked when I noticed that the light going up the stairs to my apartment front door was on. I never turn it on! FUCK, was someone trying to break in or something? I went upstairs as quietly as I could, and tried my door. It was still locked. HHMM... I opened my door, and noticed that Loki didn't meet me like he normally does. I went up to my third floor, and headed into my living room. Sitting on my couch was Chris, James... And Joey. I found my way to the easy chair, and sat without saying a word. Chris stood up. "Dale, James and I are going down to the Indian restaurant and getting some lunch. When we get back you and Joey WILL have made up. Have I made myself clear?" I had to smile at the tone in his voice. "Yes daddy." He grinned at that. "Daddy? Kind of like the sound of that." He walked up to where I was sitting and just stood there. I stood up, and he pulled me into the tightest hug I've ever been given. As he broke away James gave me a hug too. "Don't worry about letting us out, Dan lent us his keys." As they disappeared, I looked at Joey. "Dan? How'd you guys get in touch with him?" Joey stood and went to the window. "He called Chris a few days ago. Was worried about you. They concocted this plan." "Joey...I..." "Why did you leave like that Dale? All you had to do was tell me you wanted to go home, I wouldn't have had a problem with it." "I don't know Joey. I just felt like I was a third wheel in your life with the group. I mean, I fell in love with you, not the guy in the band. Don't get me wrong though...he's really cute and the boy does have some moves." He turned and smiled at me. "So you think that I've got some moves huh? Well honey, you want to go downstairs and see some more moves?" I ran to him and hugged him tight. "God I've missed you Joey. I don't know what I was thinking. The past few days have been miserable." Our kiss when our lips met started out bittersweet, but before long our passion was fully aroused. I broke away from him and grabbed his hand in mine. Without a word, I led him downstairs to my bedroom. We stripped each other, and got into bed. Two hours later, when the guys came back from lunch, they peeked in at us. The blankets were down around our ankles, we just had the sheet over us. We were snuggled close. They looked at each other and whispered "aaawww's" to each other. They went upstairs to play on my Playstation. Chris pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed a number on speed-dial. "Hey it's me. All clear. They're back together. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell him you said so Justin. See you soon." He disconnected, and looked at Lance. "Now comes the fun part...getting Dale to come back with us."