JC didn’t respond as he concentrated on getting back inside the room so they could leave.
“C, I’m gonna tell Joey we’re leaving, why don’t you go wait for the elevator?” Chris said, as he retrieved their jackets from one of the rooms.
JC nodded weakly and headed for the hall. Chris spied Joey, who had seen them come back in from the fire escape. He made his way to Joey’s side. “We’re taking off, Joe. C had an unfortunate needle sighting. We’re gonna head back to the hotel.”
“Is he gonna be okay?” Joey asked, concern knitting his brow. “You want me to go with you?”
“Nah, it’s cool. Stay and enjoy your night. He’ll be fine. He didn’t even lose consciousness this time. Maybe he’s getting better? At this rate, we’ll be able to get him a celebratory tattoo for his 80th birthday.”
Joey and Chris laughed at the joke’s untruth, but passed a question of concern and a nod of reassurance as they hugged. “Thanks for coming, man, it means a lot. Tell C I’ll call him in the morning.” Joey gave Chris a squeeze and a back pat and returned to his castmates.
Chris found JC in the hallway, leaning his head on the cool metal of the elevator door. He reached for his sleeve. “C? You ready?”
“Yeah.”
They rode the elevator in silence and walked the few blocks to the hotel, basking in the ironic security of New York’s vastness and anonymity. Chris was on a different floor, but he escorted JC to his room, following him inside.
“You gonna tuck me in?” JC asked, but his smiling eyes said he didn’t mind at all.
“Hell no! You made me leave a party with free booze early. I’m raiding your minibar.”
JC laughed and gestured to the cabinet in the corner with a key resting on top of it. “Help yourself.” Then he grew quiet. “I’m really sorry. I don’t know why such a little thing, that wasn’t even anywhere near me, freaks me out so much. I didn’t mean to make you leave the party.”
Chris grabbed a beer from the small fridge and popped the top, “Eh, don’t sweat it. It wasn’t the kinda party a rock ‘n’ roll guy like me shoulda been hanging at anyway. Not my scene.” He plopped onto the couch where JC had sat staring at his knees. “Hey,” Chris said, pulling JC’s head onto his shoulder. “Seriously, it’s okay. I just feel bad I didn’t see it coming.”
“It’s not your job to, like, defend me from the possible presence of evil pointy things.”
“Sure it is! Says so on my job description. Right after ‘Change Justin’s Diapers’ and right before ‘Lighten Lance the fuck up!’”
JC’s laughed softly relaxed under Chris’s arm, burrowing deeper into Chris’s chest. “Okay, so then it is your job. But, still, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Chris whispered into JC’s curls, dropping a light kiss on the top of his head. “Any time.”
Part 3
“C, I’m gonna tell Joey we’re leaving, why don’t you go wait for the elevator?” Chris said, as he retrieved their jackets from one of the rooms.
JC nodded weakly and headed for the hall. Chris spied Joey, who had seen them come back in from the fire escape. He made his way to Joey’s side. “We’re taking off, Joe. C had an unfortunate needle sighting. We’re gonna head back to the hotel.”
“Is he gonna be okay?” Joey asked, concern knitting his brow. “You want me to go with you?”
“Nah, it’s cool. Stay and enjoy your night. He’ll be fine. He didn’t even lose consciousness this time. Maybe he’s getting better? At this rate, we’ll be able to get him a celebratory tattoo for his 80th birthday.”
Joey and Chris laughed at the joke’s untruth, but passed a question of concern and a nod of reassurance as they hugged. “Thanks for coming, man, it means a lot. Tell C I’ll call him in the morning.” Joey gave Chris a squeeze and a back pat and returned to his castmates.
Chris found JC in the hallway, leaning his head on the cool metal of the elevator door. He reached for his sleeve. “C? You ready?”
“Yeah.”
They rode the elevator in silence and walked the few blocks to the hotel, basking in the ironic security of New York’s vastness and anonymity. Chris was on a different floor, but he escorted JC to his room, following him inside.
“You gonna tuck me in?” JC asked, but his smiling eyes said he didn’t mind at all.
“Hell no! You made me leave a party with free booze early. I’m raiding your minibar.”
JC laughed and gestured to the cabinet in the corner with a key resting on top of it. “Help yourself.” Then he grew quiet. “I’m really sorry. I don’t know why such a little thing, that wasn’t even anywhere near me, freaks me out so much. I didn’t mean to make you leave the party.”
Chris grabbed a beer from the small fridge and popped the top, “Eh, don’t sweat it. It wasn’t the kinda party a rock ‘n’ roll guy like me shoulda been hanging at anyway. Not my scene.” He plopped onto the couch where JC had sat staring at his knees. “Hey,” Chris said, pulling JC’s head onto his shoulder. “Seriously, it’s okay. I just feel bad I didn’t see it coming.”
“It’s not your job to, like, defend me from the possible presence of evil pointy things.”
“Sure it is! Says so on my job description. Right after ‘Change Justin’s Diapers’ and right before ‘Lighten Lance the fuck up!’”
JC’s laughed softly relaxed under Chris’s arm, burrowing deeper into Chris’s chest. “Okay, so then it is your job. But, still, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Chris whispered into JC’s curls, dropping a light kiss on the top of his head. “Any time.”