Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 08:13:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Brandon Kies <brandonkies@yahoo.com>
Subject: Right For Me - Chapter 4

Author's Note:

This isn't my first attempt at writing or posting to
Nifty, but it's my first attempt at anything for the
boy-band area.  I have to admit it took me a long time
to actually read any of the stories in this area.  I
made some assumptions about the genre that took a bit
to get over.  Once I did though, I couldn't stop.  I
think some of the best writing on Nifty is in this
area, and so I finally decided to join the ranks of
some of my favorite authors and post.

Any comments, encouragements, or suggestions would be
appreciated.  Please feel free to email me at
brandonkies@yahoo.com I'm more than willing to accept
criticism, but please no flames.   I've gotten some
wonderfully encouraging emails already.  I think I've
responded to everyone privately, but in case I missed
you, thanks for taking the time to let me know what
you think.  I do appreciate it.

Disclaimer:

This story is pure fiction.  I don't know any of the
guys from `N Sync and my writings should in no way
imply anything about their sexuality.  Please do not
post this story with out first receiving my
permission.

Story Notes:

I guess I should have taken a moment or two more to
edit chapter one.  Dylan was 19 when Chad was born.
This means he's 22 now, not 18.

_______________________

Right for Me -- Chapter 4
_______________________


I heard them giggling a few seconds before they
launched their sneak attack.  It was familiar,
routine, and I was happy that our move to Florida
didn't seem to be affecting Chad negatively.

When I was home, each morning he would sneak into my
bedroom, climb on the bed, and pounce, bouncing on me
gleefully as he worked to wake me.  I would have to
retaliate, tickling him until he was screaming
joyfully.  Not a bad way to start a day, full of love
and laughter.  It seemed he'd brought help this
morning.

"Shhhh," I heard Chad say as he and his accomplice
entered my room.  I assumed he'd managed to convince
Jesse to help, so I burrowed down a bit deeper under
the covers in anticipation.

Clutching the covers to me, I kept my breathing slow
and even, pretending to still be asleep.  I felt the
bed dip as someone got in.  As the giggling
intensified, I felt fingers poking at me.

Whoever my tormentor this morning was he started
pulling at the covers.  I held tightly to them for
another moment or two then relented, allowing them to
be pulled off.  Gauging it carefully, as the covers
uncovered my head; I opened my eyes, roared furiously,
and leaped to tickle my victim.

I'm not sure who yelled louder, Justin or me.  I do
know that he hit vocal registers that Mariah or
Whitney would be proud of.  And as he jumped away from
me, his eyes obscenely wide with surprise, mine
changed from shock to amusement as I saw him tumble
off the side of the bed and land with a loud thump on
the floor.

Jesse and Chad stood at the foot of the bed, watching
our antics silently; it's amazing how children are
able to cloak themselves in innocence when you know
positively that they were involved intimately in
whatever scheme has just gone awry.  But there they
stood our two innocent little lambs watching in open
jawed amazement at the antics of the two silly `grown
ups'.

Peeking over the side of the bed I saw Justin lying on
the floor groaning softly.  It started simple.  A tiny
smirk that I quickly contained, a giggle from Chad,
but when Jesse began laughing with childlike abandon,
all bets where off, and the room was soon full of
laughter as the three of us collapsed in a boneless
mass of merriment.

I don't think Justin enjoyed being the brunt of our
laughter, but he was a good sport and suffered through
it; for about two seconds.  Then he retaliated.

Springing off the floor, Justin first chased the boys
down and tossed them carefully on the bed, and then he
leapt at us, screaming a furious Tarzan-esque like
yell as he began tickling us.  I'd like to say that we
fought him off bravely, overpowered him with out
superior numbers and left him an oozing ball of
laughing goo.  I'd like to say that, but it would be a
lie.  He destroyed us.  His hands where everywhere.
We never stood a chance.

We were a living Picasso; hands, arms, legs, and faces
intertwined.  Unable to tell where one person left off
and another began.  Yet, somehow, Justin was supremely
careful with the children, aware exactly where they
were in relation to the next person so that they were
never hurt.  It was impressive and uncanny.  I
attributed it to his dance skills; he was a master at
bodies in motion.

"Would you like to introduce me, Justin?"  A woman's
voice I didn't recognize asked intruding on our game.


The four of us froze.  Justin and I looked at each
other, barely breathing, blinking in confusion, and
then turned our heads toward the bedroom door to see
who had spoken.

"Mom!"  Justin yelled, leaping from the bed to hug the
petite, short haired blonde that was standing in the
doorway, "what are you doing here so early?"

"Honey, it's after eleven.  I thought we were supposed
to meet for lunch."

"Mom this is Dylan Carlton and his brother Chad, Dylan
this is my mom, Lynn Harliss."

I began to get out of bed to shake her hand when I
realized I was sitting in front of her in my
underwear.  It might not have been so bad if I'd been
wearing boxers, but I wasn't.  I had on a pair of
bikini briefs, and the realization of what I was
wearing sent the blood rushing to my head.

Blushing furiously, I grabbed Chad and Jesse sitting
them on my lap, using them as human shields as I
stuttered my greeting.  Justin looked at me curiously,
wondering I suppose at my sudden modesty.  I figured
as an entertainer he'd long since lost any sense of
decorum he might have had, but I didn't have his
background, and walking around in front of your
friend's mother in a pair of bikini briefs was simply
beyond my comfort zone.

Lynn seemed to understand my embarrassment instantly,
"Justin, let's head down to the kitchen and give Dylan
a chance to get dressed.  I know you want us to get to
know each other, but it can wait a moment or two, at
least until he has some pants on."

Laughing delightedly, she turned and headed back down
the hall.  I glared at Justin for a moment, determined
somehow to blame him for my humiliation.

He smiled at me shyly.  It was completely engaging,
totally disarming, and left me completely breathless.
 He was just too damn good looking for my peace of
mind, and I was going to have to become immune to his
shy smile and his stunning looks, or he was going to
be able to walk over me effortlessly.

"I think she likes you," he said as headed out of the
bedroom.  Turning back, he smiled at me mischievously,
"Although she may just like your butt."

He managed to duck out of the room before the pillow
I'd snatched up and flung at him went flying across
the room.  Peeking his head back around the corner, he
motioned for Jesse and Chad to follow him, "Come on
guys, let's let Dylan put some pants on, he's flashed
enough people for one day."

I glared at him in disbelief until I saw the boys
scamper down and follow him.  My glare grew to
encompass all of them.  The little traitors!

Mumbling to myself about exactly what I'd like to do
to a certain boy-band member, I grabbed my robe,
searched the wardrobe hastily to find something to
wear for the day, and headed to the restroom to shower
quickly before I headed downstairs.

As I relaxed in the shower, the warm water cascading
down my body, my thoughts returned to my epiphany of
last night.

I couldn't be falling in love with Justin.

I'd just met him.

I was confused.

He was amazing to look at, kind, and our life
experiences seemed to parallel each other.

But it wasn't love.

I was just projecting.

It couldn't be love.

It took a bit, but I was finally able to convince
myself.

I felt much better by the time I stepped out of the
shower, even able to laugh at myself and the situation
I'd found myself in earlier.  After all, how many
people would be able to say they met Justin
Timberlake's mother when he was in bed with you and
you were almost naked.

Dressing quickly, I ran a comb through my hair, tied
my sneakers, and ran downstairs.  I heard voices as I
got closer to the kitchen.  Plastering a smile on my
face, I took a deep breath, and entered the room.

"Morning everyone," I said brightly.

"I gave Helen the morning off, since we're having the
bar-b-cue this afternoon, so we're going to have to
scrounge up something for lunch ourselves," Justin
said as he began opening and closing cupboard doors.

"I can't understand why I slept so late," I apologized
moving to help.  "Little man normally wakes me up at
the crack of dawn."

"He wanted to this morning.  But I managed to head him
off at the pass.  Figured after driving, unpacking,
and swimming yesterday, you wouldn't mind the chance
to sleep in."

Opening the refrigerator, I grabbed the pot roast we'd
had for dinner the night before and a couple of red
bell peppers.  Once I'd located the olive oil, onions,
and garlic, I decided I could toss together a
reasonably nutritious meal quickly.  "Thanks, I
haven't been sleeping well lately, and I do feel
better from the extra rest."

"Justin," I said motioning for him to move out of the
prep area in the kitchen, "why don't you get your
mother something to drink, and I'll make lunch."

Grabbing a crusty French baguette, I deftly cut it
into slices, coated it with olive oil and rubbed
garlic cloves on it.  Lying it aside to soak up the
oil, I turned a couple of burners to the stove on,
placed a nice iron skillet on one to heat up the
roast, and skewering the red bell peppers on a fork,
roasted them over the flame of the other.

Justin had some wonderful swiss and provolone cheese,
so once I melted that over the heated meat and sliced
an onion to grill; it took no time to put together
steak sandwiches for everyone.

I made the boys a grill cheese sandwich, grabbed some
fruit for a quick salad, and began placing everything
on the kitchen table.  Justin and his mother had been
chatting while I'd been working, but it'd been mostly
background noise for me.

"They aren't going to wait forever, Justin.  You have
a contract to deliver, how much longer before you're
finished?"

"Joe thinks we should be finished in a week or two."

"What do you think?"

"It's hard to say.  This album won't be like anything
I've ever done.  Joe say's it is cutting edge,
dynamic.  He's convinced it will shatter the `pop
artist' stereotype I've been stuck with."

"I really don't understand what this fascination with
Joe is, why you're staking your career on this guy.
You've listened to the tracks haven't you?  What do
you think?"

Avoiding Lynn's eyes, Justin muttered, "I've heard a
few samples."

"Christ!  You haven't listened to the tracks?"

"Justin what the hell's going on?  You wanted to start
your own label.  You wanted complete artistic control.
 You wanted to build and record in your own studio.
The guys backed you, supported you emotionally and
financially.  I hope you're not betraying that
support."

I was setting up the boys' booster seats, trying
desperately to be as inauspicious as possible.  I'd
come in, in the middle of the conversation, but from
what little I'd picked up, I knew it would have been
less awkward if I wasn't there.

Justin sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of both
hands; he seemed to be counting to ten mentally.
"Mom, can we talk about this later?  I'm sure Dylan
doesn't want to listen to us argue his first day
here."

It was slick, playing on his mothers southern
sensibilities, and it was effective.  Patting my hand,
she said, "I'm sorry dear, Justin's right.  We can
wait until your second day before we embroil you in
family squabbles."

Her smile was infectious, and I returned it
automatically.  But I did take the opportunity to
change the subject, "Justin tells me you have to leave
town today?"

I had to hide my smile behind my hand when I saw the
relief that crossed Justin's face as I redirected the
conversation.  I did manage to give him a quick wink
of support surreptitiously.

"Business unfortunately, but I am planning on visiting
our place in Tennessee when I'm finished."

"Is the place in Tennessee `home'?"

"Yes.  It isn't where Justin grew up.  But it's where
our roots are.  We have friends and relatives there
that have known us forever.  It keeps me grounded, and
I always feel revitalized after going back."

"Do you spend much time there?"

"Not nearly enough, a couple months a year, I guess."

"Have you been to Florida before?" She asked me.

"A couple of times.  We used to visit Disney at least
once a year.  It's been awhile since the last time."

"Has Chad been?"

"No, not yet.  The restaurant has been doing
phenomenally well the last few years, and Dad and Pam
thought it would be better to wait until Chad was a
bit older and would actually enjoy the experience
before taking him."

"Your father started the restaurant?"

"My grandfather actually.  He and grandmother
emigrated here from Sweden.  His family ran a bakery
there.  Carlton's was originally modeled on that
bakery.  But it evolved over the years, until it
became an upscale restaurant."

"You father was the eldest son?"

"Yes, an only child actually.  We've never been a
large family, usually only one or two children born
each generation.  It helped to make us closer I think,
but lonelier.  There isn't the huge support system to
draw from that large families have."

"Your mother's family?"

"Mom's parents died not long before she married my
dad, killed by a drunk driver during the Thanksgiving
holiday.  It always made the holidays bittersweet at
our house.   Mom was wonderful about making those
times magical for Dad and I, but there was always this
sadness there in the background.  It was never any one
thing you could identify, but it existed."

"No brothers or sisters?"

"No, she was an only child too.  I think that's part
of what attracted Dad to Pam.  She had this large
family that you could lose yourself in."

"Was that hard for you?"

"What?  Dad and Pam getting married?"

"Yes."

"Maybe at first, Mom's death was hard for me.  I
didn't handle it very well.  I was angry at everyone
for the longest time.  I gradually retreated from
everyone, spending my time on my music, unable to let
go of my grief."

"I don't know how Pam was able to break through the
walls I'd created.  But she managed to get me focused
on art, to express visually the emotions I was
internalizing.  She was the one that discovered that I
could express music and emotion with oils."

"More importantly, she got me to look at the world
around me, to see that life went on, that I could too.
 And do it without being unfaithful to the memory of
my mother."

"I'm not sure who was more excited after they
discovered they were expecting Chad, me or them.  But
it was the turning point, and shattered whatever walls
that still existed."

"It was the cause of our biggest battle too."

"I didn't want to train in New York.  I'd already
lived there for a few years while attending school;
and I wanted to be in Chicago so I could spend time
with them and Chad.  But they'd convinced me to give
it a shot, refusing to let me slack.  It was a great
experience, and I learned a lot, but I still think it
was a mistake."

"I guess hindsight really is 20/20; I wish I'd spent
these last few years at home.  If I'd known how little
time they had left, I would have."

Patting my hand, Lynn waited patiently for me to get
my emotions under control.  "I'm sorry dear; I didn't
mean to bring up painful memories."

Wiping my eyes to clear the tears, I gave her a watery
smile, "You didn't.  They were wonderful memories.
Thank you.  Things have been so strange lately that
it's been hard to find the time to remember what
loving wonderful people they were."

She smiled at me in understanding, "Lunch is terrific,
dear.  Did you learn to cook at the restaurant?"

"Some.  But I really became interested in it because
it was something Dad and I could share.  For years,
you could find the two of us in the kitchen at home or
in the restaurant on weekends experimenting with
different recipes."

"I don't think he was like other fathers.  He loved
his job, but didn't try to keep it separate.  He
treated it like a person at times, I guess.  And he
wanted the people in his life to love each other.  He
was a marvelous teacher and guide.  Encouraging me to
care for and see the restaurant as he did.

He shared his responsibilities and taught us the work
and value involved for running a successful business.
He was able to nourish my interest in cooking, while
teaching me the monotonous but necessary skills that
went with the job."

"What about a social life?  Wasn't there a special
girl?"

I looked at Justin unsure how to answer the question.
I wasn't comfortable lying about who I was.  I knew
Justin had no problem with my sexuality, but I wasn't
sure how Lynn would react.  I decided to skirt the
issue until I could discuss it with him.

"Mom, Dylan's gay," Justin said before I could answer.

I held my breath waiting for her reaction, but I was
completely unprepared for what she said.  Eyes
twinkling merrily she joked, "I guess that explains
why I found Justin in bed with you this morning?"

I'm not sure who blushed redder, Justin or I.  He
shrugged helplessly as Lynn began laughing at our
reaction.

I decided to play along; I still owed him for that
cute butt remark.  "He did say I would fall at his
feet within five minutes of meeting him, but you'll
notice he got in my bed.  I guess he got tired of
waiting."

His eyes promised serious retribution.  I knew he
would get even, but hearing his mother laugh even
louder made it worth it at that moment.

"I think that's my cue to leave boys."

"Dylan it was wonderful meeting you, you're more than
welcome to come cook for me anytime, dear."

"Thanks, Lynn.  It was great meeting you."

She gathered her dirty dishes and placed them on the
sink before turning to Justin and Jesse.  Kissing
Jesse, she motioned for Justin to follow her out to
her car.

It didn't take me long to tidy up.  Once I was
satisfied with the kitchen's cleanliness, I turned my
attention to the boys.  They had been following my
movements, waiting patiently as I stowed leftovers and
washed dishes, and I decided they deserved a reward.

Grabbing a couple of cookies I'd noticed on a shelf, I
handed each of them one and helped them out of their
booster seats.

"So what should we do now guys?" I asked, not
expecting an answer.

"I was going to show you the rest of the property
today," Justin said as he walked back into the
kitchen, causing me to jump with startlement, "but Joe
just rang my cell phone.  He wants me to work for an
hour or so this afternoon.  Wanna come check out a
recording session?"

"I'd love too, but Jesse and Chad would be bored out
of their minds.  Maybe it would be better if I stayed
here.  I'll keep them entertained until you're free."

"You can if you want, but we have day care facilities
in the studio.  They can play in there while I'm
recording."

I wasn't sure I wanted to meet Joe.  Lynn seemed to
have concerns with him, and if Justin was behind on
his album he probably didn't need any distractions.

"Come on, Dylan," he said his bottom lip pouting
provocatively, "I'll make it worth your while," he
finished seductively.