Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:30:37 +0100 (BST)
From: Jezebel <eh_oh_po@yahoo.com>
Subject: Star Encounter 6

Star Encounter 6
Author: Jezebel
Feedback: eh_oh_po@yahoo.com

Disclaimers: I do not know any of the celebrities mentioned herein, this has no
element of truth to it.  This is no reflection on their true sexualities or
personalities of any people mentioned.  Brandon Taylor is a fictional
character, any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental.  If you are
underage for your area or if it is illegal for you to look at this why not go
somewhere else, if you don't like the thought of two men together in a loving,
sexual way this isn't for you either.


Part 6.

When Justin left the Paradiso and returned to his own more modest hotel it
was like a reminder of everything that was different between himself and
Brandon.  Not only was his lover older but he was also at the top of the charts.
Nsync were doing well but Justin realised he would never be in Brandon's
league while he was with the group.  The thoughts made Justin feel guilty
because he was doing what he had always dreamed and got to do it with his
best friends at his side.  Why did it matter if he was not as famous as
Brandon, he was famous enough.

Justin hoped that he would be able to break the melancholy thought for dinner
with the boys or else they would know that something was up.

JC was waiting for him in the corridor when he hit their floor.  Justin knew that
he must be concerned because his best friend was only half way ready for
dinner and JC always cared about what he looked like.  Justin wondered why
his friend was worried until he realised that he had been gone all day and that
he had not reported to anyone where he would be.

"Hey C." Justin said with a full smile.  "Everything okay?"

"I'm great." JC replied.  "Caught a nap this afternoon and went for a swim.
What about you?" He kept the question casual but Justin knew that he wanted
to know where he had been.

"I caught up with Maya." Justin said, it wasn't exactly a lie because he had
seen some of Brandon's little sister, it just meant he had left out the bit about
Brandon.  "Played a few slots, you know how it is."

"You still coming to dinner?" JC asked.  Obviously wanting to know if Justin
had had a better offer.

"I wouldn't miss an Nsync outing." Justin answered, heading to his room to get
ready.  "I'll meet you out here in five minutes."

JC nodded and headed back to his own room to finish getting ready.  Josh
knew that there was something that Justin was not telling him because there
was no way that Justin would only spend 5 minutes getting ready on a normal
day out.  The only question left was how JC found out what was wrong.

***

Over dinner that night Justin found that his heart was not in it as much as it
usually would be.  He enjoyed going out with the boys but there was a part of
him that wished he had gone with Brandon instead.  The same part of him
was desperate for the dinner to end so that he could head back to the hotel
and see Brandon again.  He was half hard just thinking about what they might
get up to.

"Justin?" Chris asked, throwing a piece of his bread roll across the table.  "Are
you okay?  You're miles away..."

"He saw Maya today." JC replied, as if this was some explanation.

"Ah." Chris said knowingly.  "I should have known that the glazed over
expression was one of someone that just got laid."

"Hey." Justin responded, pulling himself away from thoughts of Brandon.
"You ought to be nicer to me considering I might have scored us tickets to see
Brandon Taylor tomorrow night."

Chris' whole face lit up at that news.

"You did?" Chris asked. "How did you manage that, I thought you said that the
thing had been sold out for months."

"I know some people." Justin replied.  "Or rather Maya does." He corrected.
Justin realised that he ought to have thought up a better excuse than this
before telling them because Josh was already frowning at that and would no
doubt have more questions.  "She has all kinds of contacts in the business
and is trying to organise some seats for us."

"Don't pay too much." Josh replied.  "There were rumours tickets are changing
hands for as much as $2,000 a piece."

"Brandon would be worth it." Chris replied.

Justin smiled at that and wondered what Chris would think if he knew just how
worth it Brandon was.  A part of him wanted to tell his friends but another part
of him wondered what they would say when they realised that he was dating
someone so much bigger than them.  Would the boys judge Brandon for
dating someone younger than him, or worse, would they think that he was
using Brandon for his money and fame?  Justin realised that he was not quite
ready to reveal the truth.

"You remind me of some of our fans when you get like this." Joey said, cuffing
the now daydreaming Chris upside the head.  "He's just a guy.  He probably
sits around with his band talking about the same stuff we do, in the same way
that we do."

"No way man." Chris answered.  "This is Brandon Taylor we're talking about.
I bet he has groupies backstage after every show and parties with them all
night."

Justin thought that on second thoughts Chris would probably be disappointed
if he met Brandon and realised that Joey was right, that he was just as normal
as they were.

He wondered what Brandon would think of the guys.

"Jup, you okay?" Josh asked.  "We lost you again."

"Sorry." Justin replied.  "I was just thinking about later." He said, Josh raised
an eyebrow and Justin realised he had said too much.  "I'm heading over to
Maya's hotel again."

"Okay." Josh said.  "Just make sure that you don't get caught doing anything
compromising. We may be on vacation but we're still recognisable." Josh
lectured.

Justin rolled his eyes, wondering how stupid JC thought he was.  The older
man had always treated him like his naïve younger brother that needed
looking after.  Justin was just glad that Brandon didn't treat him like that.

***

After dinner was over Justin headed back upstairs with the boys long enough
to throw a few things in a bag and then headed out again.  He had already
told them that he was going to Maya's hotel and because they thought that he
and Maya were seeing each other Justin didn't bother telling them that he
would not be back.

Josh had other ideas however and followed Justin out of the hotel, he
watched Justin get into a cab and then asked a member of staff where his
friend was going.

"Mr. Timberlake asked for a cab over to the Paradiso." The doorman said
helpfully.  "Did you want me to get you a cab there so that you can meet up
with him?"

Josh shook his head, distracted by what he had been told and wondered what
Justin was doing heading over to one of the most exclusive hotels on the strip.
The Paradiso also boasted one of the largest casinos with the highest stakes.
They said that it was where the high rollers went to spend some serious
money. He hoped that Justin was not getting in over his head.

Josh thanked the doorman and then headed back into the lobby, hitting a
number on his speed dial and then waiting for it to connect.

"Johnny, it's Josh." He said as soon as he was connected to their manager.  "I
need you to do me a favour.  I want you to run a background check on
someone for me.  Her name is Maya Mattherson, she's about 19, dark hair,
dark eyes.  Lonnie'll be able to help you out with a better description."

"You dating again Jayce?" Johnny joked.  "She sounds a little different from
your usual type."

"She's sniffing around Justin." Josh replied.  "And he seems to be getting
drawn in by her but there is something about the girl that I'm not too sure
about."

"You think she might be a gold digger?" Johnny asked, always concerned for
his boys.

"Actually, I think that she might be a journalist or something." Josh replied.
"Justin said that she had connections in the business and she seems to be
well informed about certain aspects of our lives."

"I'll look into it." Johnny promised.  "You boys doing okay?" He asked, glad
that one of them had decided to check in.  "Lance told me that you were
heading out to Vegas."

"We're doing okay." Josh replied.  "Joey has a date with a couple of showgirls
tonight and Lance has been working on some business out here.  I think I
finally caught up with my sleep too."

"Sounds like a fun vacation." Johnny said seriously, glad that the boys were
making the most of their time off.  He knew that they didn't get enough of it
and hoped that in a year or so, when they were finally at the very top of their
game he might be able to give them a little more freedom.  "I'll look into this
girl for you C, and don't worry, Justin isn't as stupid as he seems."

"I know." Josh replied.  He just hoped that Justin wasn't too blindly falling for
this girl in an attempt to get over Britney.

***

Justin felt his palms sweating as he made his way up to the Penthouse suite
at the Paradiso Hotel.  He hadn't felt this way since his first date with Britney
and even then he was sure that he was not this nervous.  It was silly really, it
was not like this would be his first time with Brandon, they had slept together
before but this was the first time that Justin was sleeping with a man that he
loved.  That alone was enough to scare him back to his own hotel.  Of course
there was no promise that they would sleep together that night but they would
still be spending the longest amount of time in the same room that they had
for a long time and if Justin had his way there would definitely be something
going on.

When the doors to the private elevator pinged open Justin almost pressed the
button to return to the lobby, but then he spotted Maya in the corridor and
realised that if he ran away now then he would be turning his back on the
chance of a relationship forever.  They were too early on in their relationship
to deal with anymore stress.

"Hey." Maya called with a slight nod in Justin's direction.  "Brandon will be by
later.  He's got an interview after the show for the DVD that they are doing, but
he said to let yourself in."

"Thanks." Justin said, swallowing the lump in his throat and wiping his palms
off on his jeans.

"Unless you want to come and hang out." Maya added, she could see that
Justin was nervous and wanted to ease that tension.  "I'm not doing anything."

Justin thought about it for a moment.  He could go with Maya and do
something safe, he could pretend that he hadn't come here to see her brother,
to have sex with her brother.  Justin thought that maybe he could even
pretend that he was there to see Maya instead.  He shook his head at the
thoughts and to Maya's suggestion.  He was sick of pretending and it was
time to face up to the truth he had wanted to live for years.

"Thanks." Justin said.  "But I want to be here when Brandon gets back."

Maya smiled, as if she agreed with his decision, and headed off into her own
room.  Justin was alone again.  Taking a deep breath he slid his key card into
the door and went into the room to wait.

***

Brandon swore as he checked his watch.  It was a lot later than he had
thought it would be and he was disappointed that he had booked the DVD
recording for after the show.  Of course when they had done the schedule he
had not know that Justin would be coming out to visit him but he thought he
should have pre-empted some kind of scheme from Maya.  Now he was
running late for his first real date with Justin and he knew that the younger
man had better things to do than sit around a hotel room and wait for him.

The elevator took longer than Brandon thought and he was impatiently
tapping the glass when it reached his private floor.

He could not get to his room quickly enough.

As Brandon got to his room his hands shook slightly as he tried to open the
door.  He only hoped that Justin was still waiting there for him.  If he were
Justin he might not have decided to stick around.

The door opened as Brandon's key slid out of his hand for a second time and
he looked up to see Justin smiling at him.  He took his hand and pulled
Brandon inside, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

Brandon felt even more nervous as he entered the room and threw off the
jacket that he had worn onstage.  He had already divested himself of his
microphone and ear pieces but he had wanted to get back to Justin quickly
and was still in his stage gear.  He was sweaty and tired but wasn't really sure
if he could strip in front of Justin.

"Good show?" Justin asked as he came up behind Brandon and wrapped his
arms around him.

"I guess." Brandon replied.  "Although I have to admit that it wasn't my first
choice of places to be tonight."

"You'd rather be down in the casinos?" Justin asked.

"No." Brandon replied.  "I'd rather be with you."

It was a corny response and coming from anyone else Justin probably would
have laughed aloud but it seemed right when the words were coming from
Brandon's mouth.  It sounded right that Brandon wanted to be with him
because despite the fact that he had been with his boys that evening it was
the last place that Justin had wanted to be.

"You need a shower." Justin said against Brandon's neck as he reached up
and began to unbutton his shirt.  "You're all sweaty from being onstage."

"Justin..." Brandon breathed as he felt the cool air hit his now exposed chest
as Justin continued to undress him.  "I..."

"You want some company?" Justin asked as he gave Brandon a gentle push
towards the bathroom.

Brandon couldn't find his tongue in order to say yes but Justin was already
starting to rid himself of his own clothes and heading to the bathroom.
Brandon was glad that he hadn't had to answer the question because he was
speechless. The sight of Justin's muscular back was enough to take his
breath away as well.  If anything Justin had gotten even more handsome over
the last few years, filling out and growing into the man that he had promised to
be at 18.  Brandon looked down at his own spreading waistline and felt a little
in awe.  He took a deep breath and entered the bathroom.  Justin wanted him
and that would be enough, it didn't matter that he was getting a little older or
spreading out in the middle because Justin wanted him for who he was not
what he looked like.  That was something that Brandon was sure of.

The good thing about staying in the Penthouse was a that it was built for
luxury.  In addition to a bed that would sleep fifteen people there was a sinful
shower that had various different shower heads.

Justin had already adjusted the temperature when Brandon stepped into the
shower stream and he had to admit that it was nice to be in the shower.  As
he relaxed he felt Justin's soap slicked hands run up his chest and then settle
him against the wall.  Justin leaned in for a kiss and Brandon allowed himself
to be led.

"Let me look after you." Justin whispered as he pulled out of the kiss and
started to wash Brandon.

Brandon nodded, not wanting Justin to stop what he was doing.  It was a
fantasy that he had always had to take a shower with someone else and the
fact that it was Justin only added to the experience.

Justin soaped him all over, paying particular attention to his nipples and chest,
and finally moved his hand down to Brandon's cock.  The soap slick hand
gave the right amount of friction and Justin jerked them both off together.

When the water sluiced away the rest of their juices Justin turned off the
stream and reached for the towels that were folded neatly at one side of the
bathroom.  He handed one to Brandon and trusted the other man to dry
himself.

They retired to the bedroom afterwards and Brandon slumped onto the bed.
He had hoped that he and Justin would do more than have sex that night.  He
had promised a DVD or something but was too tired to do much more than
sleep.  He hoped that Justin would not hold it against him.

"It's okay." Justin said, as if he could read Brandon's mind.  "I know what it is
like to come offstage bone tired and wanting nothing more than to sleep for a
week.  To be honest I could do with some extra sleep myself, might as well
store it up for the upcoming tour."

Brandon smiled, kissing Justin softly and then pulling him down to lay on the
bed.

"Stay." Brandon said as he cuddled close to Justin.

Justin nodded his response and turned out the lights.

***

Brandon woke the next morning to a great sense of relief.  It was his thirtieth
birthday and he should have been depressed about getting older but waking
up beside Justin it was hard not to smile.

Justin snuffled in his sleep and Brandon carefully slid from the bed.  He
gathered the wet towels that they had discarded the night before and sorted
out a fresh one, taking a brief shower before dressing for the day.  When he
stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed ten minutes later he was faced with
a disoriented Justin.

"You got up." Justin complained.  "I thought we would have breakfast in bed."

"Justin, you might be on holiday, but I'm not." Brandon replied with a smile.
"Much as I would love to spend the day with you in bed I know that we both
have plans."

Justin nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pulling on his
jeans from the night before.  Justin looked a little upset and Brandon
wondered if he had been too hasty in dismissing Justin.  He did not want a
replay of their first encounter where he did not see Justin for three years
afterwards.

"That doesn't mean that you have to rush off." Brandon continued.  "I'm
meeting Maya for breakfast but you are welcome to join us."

Justin smiled.

"What about the press?" Justin asked naively.

"We're not going out.  We've rented out the whole floor, Maya's suite is bigger
than this one and has an attached dining room."

"You haven't got the Master Suite?" Justin asked.

Brandon laughed.

"I thought you knew Maya." Brandon replied jokingly.  "If you knew anything
you would know that she is firmly in charge."

Justin laughed too.  It was true, she did seem to dictate a lot of what Brandon
did.

***

Justin wasn't sure how he had managed it but he ended up spending the
whole day with Maya.  After a leisurely breakfast with Brandon and his sister
he had been ready to go back to his hotel and Maya had followed him.  They
ended up walking around the sights of Vegas, taking in a few rides and shops
along the way.

Justin knew that Maya was going to be busy that day because of the party
that she was organising that night but he got a taste of her life as she
wandered around with him and wondered why they had joked about her
controlling Brandon.  Maya took three separate phone calls in one hour due to
problems with the caterer and also had to deal with the tour manager's
position because the regular tour manager was out with flu.

Justin had a new respect for her by the time the day was over and they were
heading back to his hotel.

"I hope that you don't mind." Maya said as they entered.  "I had the hotel send
over some of my clothes so that I could change here for tonight.  I thought it
would be easier and we can all go from here."

"To the party?" Justin asked.

"No, to the concert." Maya said.  "Brandon mentioned that you wanted
tickets."

"Oh." Justin replied.  "Yeah." He had forgotten that he was supposed to see
Brandon play that night, he bet that Chris would not have so readily forgotten
and was glad that Maya had tickets.

Chris was waiting for them as they hit their floor and was bouncing on the
balls of his feet like tigger on crack.

"Did you get them?" He asked.

Maya smiled and reached into her purse, extracting the six tickets that looked
in almost mint condition.  Chris' smile erupted into a grin and he reached out
and hugged her closely, almost forgetting that she was supposed to be
Justin's girlfriend.

"I swear, if you ever get sick of this idiot..." Chris said gleefully as he spun her
around and then set her back down again a little dizzier than before.

"Thanks Chris." Maya said.  "But I think that you're a little old for me."

Chris didn't reply to the insult, mainly because he was already halfway down
the corridor telling anyone that would listen (and some that didn't look as if
they wanted to) that he was going to see Brandon Taylor that night.

"I see that you haven't told them." Maya said knowingly as they entered
Justin's room.  "They still think that we're dating?"

"Yeah." Justin said.  "I guess, because I spend so much time over at your
hotel and you're coming out with us tonight..."

"Will you ever tell them about B?" She asked softly as Justin sorted through
his suitcase to find something clean enough to wear that night.

"I don't know." Justin replied.  It was true, he wasn't really sure where he and
Brandon stood at the moment and he didn't want to tell the rest of the band
anything too soon in case it didn't work out.

"Okay, I'm going to use the bathroom while you finish up in here." Maya said,
taking the suit hanger that had arrived at Justin's room and heading towards
the bathroom.  Justin finally chose a pair of grey pants and a light blue shirt
that looked smart enough to wear.  He was just finishing changing when Maya
came out of the bathroom.

Despite the fact that he was dating her brother Justin did a double take when
he saw her.  Maya was wearing a Chinese style black dress with red flowers
that was obviously made of silk and very expensive.  Justin wasn't sure how
much it would have cost but it was worth it, making Maya look like a million
dollars.  The diamond drop necklace that adorned her throat just added to the
effect.

"Wow." Justin said as he saw her.

Maya blushed.

"Thanks." She replied.

She wanted to tell him that she wasn't making an effort but that would be a lie.
There was a certain member of Nsync that she had always had a crush on
and Maya knew that this was her chance to make an impression.

She hoped that Brandon was not going to be the only one that got lucky that
night.

***

The concert hall at the Paradiso Casino where Brandon would be playing that
night was decked out in the finery one would expect for the $200 starting price
for tickets.  It was an intimate venue, much smaller than the Staples Centre
that Brandon could easily have sold out, but that was part of the atmosphere
that they were going for.  Brandon Taylor played small, personal concerts and
that was why he could command up to $5000 per ticket for some of his
shows.  He had played larger crowds in the past but recently it had been
much smaller, much more private concerts.

Nsync were lucky to even have tickets to the event but they were even luckier
to have a table on the floor with a great view of the stage.

"These are great seats." Joey said as they were shown to their table by an
usher.  "Justin, I don't know how you managed this but you ought to keep a
hold of this girl."

Josh frowned as he sat down and wondered how Johnny was doing with his
investigation into Maya.  How she had managed to get the best seats in the
house at such short notice was just another in the long line of mysteries that
made him question if what she had told Justin was true.

"The show's about to start." Chris warned as the lights went down, and for the
next hour there was a magical stillness around the room as they all listened to
Brandon's new album and the amazing simplicity of one man and his guitar.

***

Brandon was glad that he had asked Maya not to get a table in the front row.
He had used the excuse that Justin's bandmates would be suspicious if they
were on one of the reserved tables at the front but really he had not wanted to
play in the eyeline of Justin.  He knew that Justin was watching and that was
bad enough but to have been able to meet his eye would have been harder
still.

There were so many of his songs that had a personal tone to them and
Brandon was the first one to admit that Justin was something of a muse when
it came to his writing.  For two years Justin had represented a plethora of
emotions from guilt to lust and just about everything in between and Brandon
had put all of those feelings down on paper and into his songs.  As many of
the songs were written about Maya, his father and even a few about Chrissie,
his ex-wife, but the ones that meant the most to him now were about Justin.
Maybe it was because he had the deepest feelings for the young man.

It felt strange to sing songs about the missed opportunities of life and love
when he had everything that he had ever wanted, but Brandon knew that it
could all change in a heartbeat.  As he sang the last words on one song and
prepared to move into another he decided that he would change the pace a
little.  He stood and rested his guitar to one side and went off stage, there was
a commotion from the audience who wondered what he was doing until he
came back onstage a moment later.

"Usually around this time I would play a song called 'More than Just a Simple
Thank you' but tonight I felt like playing something a little different.  So, With
my apologies to Mr. Rose, this is my attempt at a classic." Brandon said and
then began to sing to the toned down version of a well loved song.

"When I look into your eyes I can see a love restrained
But darling when I hold you, don't you know I feel the same
Nothing lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November Rain

We've been through this such a long long time
Just trying to heal the pain..."

And as Brandon continued playing the song, Justin knew that this was aimed
at him.

"...I just need some time, on my own...
Everybody needs some time, on their own."

Brandon continued to sing and Justin could see exactly why he had chosen
this song, it was a song filled with the treachery and trials of love but that
ended on a note of hope.

"Never mind the darkness,
We still can still find the way.
Nothing lasts forever,
Even Cold November Rain."

And as the song closed everyone in the crowd let out a sigh.

"Wow." Chris said as there was silence and half the room stood to clap and
cheer.  "That was amazing. I don't think that I've ever heard a cover version
that good."

"That's probably the only time that you'll hear it too." Maya said knowingly.
Once the record company knew that Brandon had strayed from the agreed
play list they would probably have someone sitting backstage for the rest of
the tour ready to pull the plug if he pulled the stunt again.  But it only made the
song more special because this was a once in a life time deal that only the
people in the theatre had seen.

Maya knew that was half the magic of her brother's appeal, that people could
say they had seen him the time when... and about a dozen stories would
follow.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming out here tonight and helping me celebrate
my birthday." Brandon said as the applause died down.  "I'm off in a moment
but before I go I would like to play you one last song."

Justin waited as he wondered what it was going to be.  He was surprised that
this time it was not for him.

"It must have been cold there in my shadow,
To never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way
You always walked a step behind.
While I was the one with all the glory,
you were the one with all the strain
A beautiful face without a name for so long,
a beautiful smile to hide the pain...
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
And everything I would like to be?
And I can fly higher than an eagle...
For you are the wind beneath my wings...."

Maya had tears in her eyes as Brandon finished the last bar of the song and
as he bowed and stepped off stage she continued to cry as the band played
the all too familiar refrain.

Justin knew that the song had been for Maya by her own reaction and he
wondered what the story behind it was.  He knew a little about Maya's history,
he knew that the pair of them shared a painful past but he did not know the
details of it.  Judging by her reaction it was something that he should probably
have asked more about.

Justin reached over and wrapped an arm around Maya as she cried softly,
waiting for the lights to come up before he handed her a tissue to wipe her
eyes.

Josh frowned slightly at her reaction and wondered what part of her plan this
was.  Was she just trying to get Justin to feel sorry for her so that he would fall
for her more easily?  Or was this some act to make him think that she was a
weak and feeble female that needed looking after?

The house lights came up and the audience began to move away, talking in a
long hum about the show that they had just seen.  The buzz around them
seemed to be that it was one of the best concerts that anyone had seen
Brandon play.

"Wow." Chris said as they too began to gather their things and get ready to
leave.  "That was awesome."

"Yeah." Justin replied.

"I'm so hyped up now.  We should go out." Chris said unexpectedly.  "It's not
like we have to get up early in the morning to go anywhere and we don't have
an interview or photo shoot that we have to be rested for."

"We'd love to, but Justin and I have plans." Maya said as she pulled away
from Justin's embrace.  Josh raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You could both come." Chris said, not wanting to break up the group.  "Or we
could come with you."

"Sorry, it's a private party." Justin said.  This earned him a few laughs and
back slaps from his brothers as he blushed at the unintended meaning behind
his words.

"Well, don't let us stand in the way of young love." Chris replied with a smile.
"What about the rest of you guys?  Any of you heading off for a little private
party of your own?"

Justin opened his mouth to correct them but Maya stopped them.  If they
already thought that they were together then it would not seem suspicious if
Justin didn't return to his own hotel later that night.  If they started asking
questions then it would be time for Justin to reconsider what he was going to
tell them.

For now they had a party to get to and Maya did not want to be late.  It was
not often that she got to surprise her brother with something rather than the
other way around and although he did not want any fuss she wanted him to
have a good birthday.  It had been a tough couple of years and he deserved a
break.  Thirty was going to be a good year and Maya wanted to start it off with
a bang.

Justin followed her out of the venue and up to the ballroom where she had
planned the party.  The idea was that Justin would invite Brandon there for a
private dinner and that when he arrived all of the guests would surprise him.

Most of the guests knew that Brandon knew of the surprise party, a lot of them
had told him themselves, but Maya did not know this.  In fact, it was really a
surprise party for Maya because she was the only one that was not aware that
Brandon knew.  Still, she had wanted to gift him with this and Brandon was
not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.  Justin was not about to tell her
either.

Justin called Brandon on his cell to confirm the plans and agreed to meet him
in ten minutes, then they went up to the room to check that everyone was in
place.

Justin had to admit that Maya had done a good job in organising this and that
the hotel had really helped out with decorations and ornaments that befitted
the occasion.  When Brandon arrived he looked startled, but Justin thought it
was probably by the décor and not the fact that he had a party.

Brandon smiled and shook hands with all of the guests who approached him,
thanking them for being there and accepting their well wishes, as he headed
towards Justin.  When he finally reached him he reached out a hand and
Justin took it.  Instead of pulling him in for a hug Brandon shook his hand and
then threw a brotherly arm around Justin and pulled him close.

"I know that you are not comfortable with being out, but if I don't acknowledge
your presence people will question it." Brandon said.  "I'd love to introduce
you to some of my friends, I'd like to tell them that you're a talented young
artist that I met and respected because that is true.  Is that okay?"

Justin was speechless.  He didn't know how to take such praise and
wondered what people would think if they knew the real truth.

"Yeah,  I guess." Justin said.

"I have some friends that will want to meet you." Brandon said as he headed
for a table in the corner where a group of older men sat.  Justin knew one of
them as 'tank' who had been with Brandon all those years ago in Chicago.
The others were a similar age but were varying shapes and sizes.  "Boys, this
is Justin.  Justin, this group of miscreants are my band.  You probably saw a
few of them out on stage tonight."

Justin realised that the faces were familiar.  He didn't like to admit that most of
his focus had been on Brandon though and he had not given much more than
a passing thought to the other people on stage.

"So, is this Maya's latest?" One of them asked.  "Do you want us to help bury
the body."

"Actually, Justin is a fellow musician." Brandon said.

"So, you're finally replacing one of us." Someone joked.  "You only want the
young and the beautiful now that you're a big star."

"Justin is an artist." Tank pointed out.  "In one of those bands that Maya
pretends she doesn't like anymore."

There was a general laugh and Justin realised that these men knew each
other as well as he and the boys did.  Brandon may be the lone star on his
stage but he was not alone out there.  The thought warmed Justin a little
because before that night he had thought of Brandon getting lonely on tour.

"I want you boys to make Justin feel welcome." Brandon said.  "Justin and I
are working closely and you'll probably see more of him around here."

The band nodded and all said their hello's to Justin.  They were just starting to
open up when Brandon pulled Justin aside and mentioned that there were
other people for him to meet.

Maya may have meant that night to be a celebration for Brandon but more
than that the birthday boy saw it as a chance to help Justin further his career.
There were a large number of producers and record executives there and he
wanted to give Justin a chance to meet them.  Brandon circulated amongst
everyone that night and in his wake he left everyone knowing that Justin
Timberlake was a new talent to watch out for in the months and years to
come.

When they returned to Brandon's room that night both were exhausted from
the evening's events.

"I want you to know that I appreciate what you did tonight, but  I don't expect
it." Justin said as he undressed.  "Just because we are together it does not
mean that I expect you to talk me up to people."

"I know." Brandon replied with an indulgent smile.  "I don't have to do it, but  I
want to do it.  I guess I should have asked if you were comfortable with it but it
just seemed like a perfect opportunity..."

"It was a good night." Justin replied with a slight yawn.  "I had so many plans
for tonight..." He said, trailing off as another yawn silenced his apology.

"Don't worry." Brandon said.  "I'm too tired too.  Just you here is enough."

The pair fell asleep moments after their heads hit the pillow.

***

Justin was woken the next morning by the familiar trill of his cell phone.
Usually when he was on tour the ringing meant that he had overslept for an
appointment or that his mother was trying to speak with him before he headed
out for the day.  It took a moment for him to realise that he was not on tour at
present and that he was not even in his own hotel room.  When Justin finally
comprehended where he was he answered before causing further worry.

"Hello?" Justin asked as he tried to stifle a yawn.

"It's Josh." His friend replied, less than sympathetically.  "You need to come
back to the hotel now."  There was a tone to Josh's voice that promised bodily
harm for anyone that argued with him.

"What's up, C?" Justin asked as he threw off the blankets and tried not to
wake Brandon.  "You knew that I was staying out last night; we're on a break
so it shouldn't matter what time I get back."

"Don't argue with me on this Justin." Josh warned.  "I'm calling a group
meeting for 10 and I expect you to be there."

The phone went dead before Justin could respond.

Justin put his cell back on the bedside table and crawled back into the warmth
of the shared bed.  He didn't want to leave because this could be the last
chance he got to see Brandon that trip but something about Josh's tone
worried him enough to wake Brandon to say his goodbyes.

"Brandon?" Justin called, not liking the waiver of his voice as he said it.
"Brandon, wake up."

"What?" Brandon grumbled softly as he tried to rouse himself from sleep.
"What time is it?"

"A little after nine." Justin replied.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked, sitting up in bed as he heard the concern in
Justin's voice.  "Is Maya okay?"

Justin smiled slightly at the thought that Brandon's first thought was of his
sister.  He wished that he were that close with his own siblings.

"I've got to go back to my hotel.  Josh has called a group meeting and it
sounded urgent." Justin replied.

"Do you think he knows?" Brandon asked as the possible reasons for such a
meeting went through his mind.  "I can come with you if you want me to."

"No." Justin replied.  "I don't think he knows, and anyway you have a full
schedule of interviews today."

"I can cancel them." Brandon replied smoothly as if it were no big deal to
rearrange interviews and photo shoots.  "You're much more important."

"Thanks." Justin said.  "But I should be okay.  I've got to go though."

"I'll keep my cell on.  Call me later to let me know how you get on."  Brandon
answered as he watched Justin begin to gather his things.  Brandon too
exited the bed and moved into Justin's path before the younger man could
leave.

"I've got to go." Justin said, stalling any deep conversation that he was not
ready to have.

"I know." Brandon replied, his words saying much more than they were meant
to.  "I just..."

Justin waited, wanting to see what Brandon was going to say.

"I love you." Brandon said, knowing that if he didn't say the words then this
may be his last chance.  If Justin's bandmates decided that they didn't want
him to see Justin then they could probably keep them apart.  Brandon wanted
Justin to know the truth.  "You don't have to say anything back to me, I just
wanted to say something before you left."

Justin nodded.  He could not say more because of the lump in his throat but
he was touched by the words.  Brandon was saying this because he thought
this would be their last time together and he wanted Justin to walk away with
more than he had last time.  Brandon had said that Justin deserved more than
a simple thank you and this time he was getting it.

"I love you too." Justin replied.  He knew that he didn't have to say anything
but he wanted to give something back to Brandon and this was his way of
doing it.  "And I will call you, maybe I can come out next time we get time off."

"We'll see." Brandon said as he showed Justin to the door.

Neither of them knew when they would see each other again, but both made a
promise to themselves that it would happen.

***

***

Justin entered his hotel without really taking in the scenery.  He knew that it
was not as impressive as the Paradiso and there were more important things
on his mind.  Justin hadn't lied to Brandon when he said that he didn't think
Josh knew about them but on the cab ride back to his hotel he had begun to
think the worst.  If JC had discovered his secret was he ready to share it?
Justin wasn't sure that he could break the news but that made him feel guilty
after what he and Brandon had just shared.

Justin hoped that the meeting would just be about a change in the schedule or
something and it was just his mind making him feel guilty for keeping a secret
from his brothers.  Justin wasn't sure why he wanted it to be a secret but there
was something special about keeping his relationship with Brandon to
themselves.  He didn't want to have to share him just yet and once the boys
knew he was certain that things would change.

It was just before ten as Justin arrived at the floor he was staying on and he
knew something was up when he was met by security.  They had not brought
anyone with them because they felt safe on their own  but Johnny had sent
Tiny out and that probably meant that Lonnie was around too.

"Justin." Tiny said with a nod of acknowledgement.  "They're waiting in Josh's
suite for you."

"I was going to change first." Justin said, indicating the clothes that he had
worn the night before.  They smelled faintly of smoke, as clothes do after a
party, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to sit in them for one of the most
important conversations of his life.

"Best get in there.  Josh is fuming and I wouldn't like to see how much worse
it will be if you keep him waiting."

Justin sighed.  He would have to go as he was.  Taking a deep breathe he
made his way to Josh's room and entered, surprised to see all of his
bandmates and Johnny sitting around waiting for him as if they were
preparing for some kind of intervention.

"Justin, come in." Johnny said with a small smile that didn't quite reach his
eyes.  "We've been waiting for you."

"What is this?" Justin asked, already suspicious because Johnny was there
with them.  He took a seat anyway because he wanted to see where this was
going, but he made sure that he was close enough to the door in case he
needed to escape.  Justin's apprehension was obvious and Johnny indicated
to Josh that he should start.

"We just want to have a talk with you, Justin." Johnny said, unnerving Justin
by using his name.  Usually he called him "son" or something equally as
demeaning.  "Josh is a little worried about you and after talking to him I have
to admit I am too."

"Why?" Justin asked, his mind wandering through the last conversations that
he had with Josh and trying to think of some reason that his best friend had to
be worried about him.  There were a few questions about Maya but nothing
that Justin wouldn't expect where Josh was concerned.  JC always grilled him
about potential dates because he had once made a promise to Lynn to look
out for her son and he was still keeping his word.

"It's about Maya Mattherson." Josh said as he lifted a folder that Justin hadn't
noticed before.  "I asked Johnny to investigate her and..."

"What?" Justin asked as he comprehended the words.  "Why?"

"Justin, Lonnie was already looking into her background when I started to
look." Johnny placated.  "It's standard procedure where girlfriends are
concerned."

"She's not my girlfriend." Justin said.

Chris coughed to hide his snicker and Johnny turned to give him a look which
spoke of death if he were to laugh again.

"Justin, whether she is or not is not our concern." Johnny said.  "What worries
me is how close the pair of you have become in a short amount of time."

"Maya is like that." Justin replied, his mind thinking back to their first meeting
and then again when she had come out to see him.  They had built a firm
friendship quickly because she understood a lot about his life that others
could not begin to comprehend.

"How well do you really know her?" Josh asked, as he flipped through the
pages of his report.  "Did you know that there is no record of her having
finished high school, or that she hasn't worked since then?  Do you know that
she has been spotted with half a dozen high profile stars and that the only
reason her name isn't in the papers is that there is not enough information on
her to publish?  She's a gold digger, Justin, and I don't want to see you get
hurt again."

Justin knew that he could answer all of JC's points, he knew that Maya had
dropped out of school to tour with Brandon but she had achieved her diploma
on the road.  He supposed that Brandon had paid to keep her name out of the
paper when she was spotted, and that it was probably doing work for him that
had gotten her noticed.  Justin also knew that with Brandon's money she did
not need to work a day in her life, or tie herself to a husband for profit.  Maya
worked *for* Brandon but didn't get paid for it.  Justin knew all of this but he
couldn't tell them without exposing her relationship with Brandon.

"Maya is a model." Justin answered, it was a start and he knew she had done
some work.  "And has worked with a few famous people in the past in an
advisory role, but isn't a gold digger by any standards.  I know her better than
you or your investigators do and most importantly I trust her." Justin said.
"Maya is a close friend and, unlike you, if she wanted anything from me she
knows that she only has to ask for it."

"Justin, I don't think that it is a good idea for you to see this girl." Johnny said,
trying to be the voice of reason.

"And I don't think that it is a good idea for you to try and stop me." Justin
replied.

He was glad that he had sat near the door because it made walking out so
much easier.  Justin was halfway back to the elevator before he realised that
he had nowhere to go.  They were due back on tour in a few hours and he
had to leave with the band.  As much as he wanted to make a big exit it was
not worth risking his career over.

He hoped that no more would come of his confrontation with the others but it
was wishful thinking.  Once JC had a bee in his bonnet he was like a dog with
a bone.  He wouldn't let go until he had his way.

Justin hoped that he had the strength to hold out.

***

***

Brandon was relieved to hear that Justin was not forced to reveal their
relationship when heard about the encounter later that day.  Brandon eased
Justin's concerns about revealing Maya's identity by confirming that he had
ensured her past was well buried but Justin was still bothered that Josh had
her investigated.  Brandon had come to expect people trying to find out about
his private life, but had fought hard to keep it private, he was not too worried
about what Josh's investigator might find.

It was hard for the pair of them to try and work it out though because Justin
was going back out on tour and Brandon had commitments to his own career.
Justin had always thought that he would not get involved with anyone else in
the business after Britney but he supposed that his fate had been sealed back
when he had first met and fallen in love with Brandon.  There would never be
anyone else, in the industry or not, that would meet that standard.

Justin wished that he could get out of his own obligations and go to Brandon,
to be with the man that he loved and do all of the things that he had planned
to do to celebrate Brandon's birthday but he had to move on and one fuck, no
matter how good it would be, was not worth losing his entire career over.

They would just have to find a way to balance their work and their private
lives.

Justin could not help but wonder if keeping their relationship a secret was not
just adding more pressure on them.  After all there would not have been a
problem with him spending time with Maya if they knew she was his
boyfriend's sister.  Josh would have to understand their friendship then but of
course it brought its own difficulties.  Justin was almost certain that the boys
would accept his sexuality but the world at large was not ready to hear that he
was gay, or that Brandon Taylor was either.

It was not a problem that he could solve overnight and not one that he wanted
to solve alone but it was certainly something to think over.

Maybe he could just tell the boys that he and Brandon were friends.  Would
that be enough to get them off his back or would it bring more questions than
answers?

Justin fell asleep that night with the troubling questions in his head.

He hoped that tomorrow would bring the answers that he needed.

***

To be continued