“Hey, C.” Michael grinned and pulled him into a quick hug, welcoming JC into his house. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“I got in on Tuesday.”

“Does Lance know you were coming by? He is finally getting a haircut but he should be back anytime now.”

“No, I didn’t call first.” JC followed Michael into the cozy living room, petting the dogs as he went. “I-I was kinda hoping to talk something out with you two. I mean, if you have time.”

“We always have time for you, hon. Do you want a drink?”

“Sure.”

By the time Michael uncorked a bottle of wine and brought it to the living room, Lance was home. The three settled into a groove and JC started to relax.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Michael asked, his arm behind Lance on the back of the couch. “Ooh! How was your time in Chicago?”

“It went well at first. Mom and Dad loved having me and I got to hang with Dan and Paul.”

“What about Kennelly? Did you see her?” Lance leaned into Michael’s touch and JC felt a pang of jealousy, remaining silent. “Or is that what you want to talk about?”

“I-I met some of her family.”

“Oh, yeah? How was that?”

JC sipped his wine before answering Michael’s question. “Her aunts are cool but there is a lot of family in the immediate area. One of the bakery fridges quit and she had to go in to help salvage groceries. Her grandfather showed up and we ended up at a family dinner at his house.”

“Did you want to meet her family? I mean, it is kinda soon.” Lance scrunched his nose and JC sighed.

“She gave me an out, telling me that I could just relax at her condo while she went in but I wanted to go. I wanted to help her. I-I wanted to see her in her baking element. But then Pop insisted I come to dinner so I couldn’t really say no.”

“Yes, you could have. Ken would have understood, I’m sure.”

“Babe, let him speak.” Michael kissed Lance’s temple. “We both know that JC is smitten with Ken and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Meeting the family wouldn’t have stopped him.”

“So what is the issue then?” JC squirmed under Lance’s gaze. “Oh, I see. You more than like her.”

“Yes.”

“And she doesn’t like you?”

“Of course she does.” Michael swatted Lance’s shoulder. “Let him talk, babe.”

JC took a deep breath then sipped more wine. He needed to say what was on his mind, just get it out in the open. He crossed his right leg over his left and bit his lip. As honest as he needed to be, he also didn’t want his friends to think he was selfish.

“How do I know she’ll make us, er, me a priority? She says that she wants to move here but what if that’s just a line?”

The couple across from him was silent. JC lifted his eyes to meet Lance’s green orbs for a second before lowering back to his wine glass. All of his NSYNC bandmates knew him well but sometimes his insecurity surprised even them.

“C-man, she’s into you. You know that, right?” Lance moved to sit beside him. “She wouldn’t have come to LA or welcomed you in Chicago if she wasn’t into you.”

“It could just be sex.”

“If it was just sex, would you spend hours on the phone talking about random things? Or texting about the surf report?”

“I guess not.” JC kept his eyes down.

“I’m sure the distance makes things harder but you’ll figure that out.”

Michael moved to sit on the coffee table in front of JC and patted his knee. “Why don’t you invite her out to LA again soon?”

“The next block of time she has off is Labor Day and I invited her to Orlando with the family.” JC thought back over how he’d accused her of looking for an invite. “She is also going to the Hamptons with me.”

“She didn’t press for an invite to family time?” Lance grinned at Michael when JC shook his head. “C, she’s as nervous as you are. I bet everyone will love her though.”

“It’s just that her life is so full and, right now, I have a lot of sessions here on the West coast.”

“Look at it this way, you’re without her temporarily right now. Could you give her up entirely?” Lance posed the question and JC’s heart immediately started racing, hating the idea. “How does that thought make you feel?”

“Nauseous. Shaky.” JC took a gulp of wine then dug his phone out of his pocket as an incoming text signaled.

“How did you leave things in Chicago?” Michael took JC’s glass to refill it as JC read his text. “Is that from her?”

“Yes, it’s from Ken and we left things in a pretty good place but my brain has had several days to overthink everything.”

“I know what your problem is.” Lance grinned and sipped his own wine before clueing the other two in. “You’re second guessing yourself. You are finally letting yourself be vulnerable with a woman. You haven’t done that in years, not since…”

“Don’t say her name.” Michael shivered. “She’s like the boogie man. You say her name and she’ll appear. I can’t deal with her today.”

JC couldn’t help but laugh at Michael’s reaction to one of his ex-girlfriends. Her treatment of him and his friends had left a very lasting impression. Lance could have a valid point but JC had no idea how to be comfortable with putting himself out there again.

“You need to figure out how to tell her what’s going on inside that brilliant mind of yours.” Lance sighed. “You said she has been thinking of moving out here.”

“Yeah, she has to take some exam in October to get her license. I don’t know much more about what has to happen for her to get a job out here. She said it will take some time.”

“I know you, C. You are going to drive yourself insane worrying about the details until she’s physically here.”

“I know. I also know that it’ll drive her insane to see me worrying about something neither of us can control.” JC smiled as he pictured her worried face, her teeth biting her lip. “I have to figure out how to help but not go insane or drive her insane.”

“We’ll help anyway we can.”