"I swear that doesn't even feel like me," Will laughed as he looked over the contact sheet.

"I know the feeling dude," Ashton smiled.

"No, seriously I swear it looks like someone else."

"It's funny what some make up, a hair stylist and black and white film can do huh?" Ashton exclaimed as he looked over the other contact sheet.

"I'm glad Katie introduced us," Elliot exclaimed as he walked into his office.

"Me too, I guess," Will muttered.

"I see this one and these," Elliot exclaimed as he took a pink chalk marker and circled a few pictures on each of the three sheets.

"Huh," Will asked confused.

"I'm going to submit them for consideration, I think they'd make great ads," he smiled.

"Like in magazines?" Will asked as Ashton grinned.

"Magazines, billboards, back lit in bus stops," Elliot exclaimed as he shuffled a set of papers on his desk.

"Whoa, you mean like," Will asked glancing out the window at a huge billboard with Calvin Klein's current male model standing in the new briefs.

"Yup," Elliot replied without looking up.

"First however you need to have a look at the contracts, take these home or wherever and look them over then get back to me tomorrow."

"Um ok but," Will started as Ashton pulled him out of the office.

"I'll have my lawyer look them over for you if you want," Ashton smiled as Will stared down at the stack of papers.

"It's probably just a typical contract and rights release to those photos," he exclaimed as they walked down the hallway.

"Hold up a sec, my cell phone is all messed up in here. Lemme use the phone," Ashton exclaimed as they stopped in the main lobby.

Shuffling his papers around Will accidentally dropped two of the contact sheets which ended up zipping quite a few feet out on the marble floor of the lobby.

"Oh my God," a voice exclaimed as one of them slid to a stop at the feet of a strawberry blond woman wearing large black sun glasses.

"I'm sorry it slipped out of my hands," he apologized as he walked up and began to stoop to pick up the sheet.

"You don't remember me," she exclaimed as she took off her sunglasses.

"Cassandra," Will almost gasped as he nearly dropped all the papers on the floor.

Laughing she helped him gather himself together again.

"At least this time it's you dropping everything and not me," she smiled.

"Wow, it's been," Will paused.

"Yeah a while now," she grinned.

"I saw you on MTV," she smiled.

"Yeah," Will grew quiet as everything began rushing back to his memory from that night which felt like so long ago.

"I've also seen," she began as she glanced up at his eyes.

"Anyways," she changed the subject.

Cassandra grew quiet, not really sure of what she could ask him. Afraid she might upset him.

"We broke up last week," Will whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry," she replied just as quiet.

"It's ok, I guess it just wasn't meant to be," he replied.

"Don't say that, just because things seem difficult right now, doesn't mean they will stay that way," she smiled as she patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well all things considered," he began.

"Hush, you don't know everything that's happening, he could be just as upset as you are," she started.

"I doubt it," Will cut in.

"And why is that?"

"You didn't see how he acted when his mother called him up and started talking to him. Suddenly he seemed very willing to let me go and to leave me here, basically stranded with nowhere to go," he sighed.

"You'd be surprised at just how powerful and persuasive a mother can be," Cassandra explained.

"Whether he's a little boy or a grown man, his mother, hell everyone's mother will always have that ability to say the words needed to move mountains, whether or not they are justified or in the wrong," she almost whispered as she looked him deep in the eyes.

"Yeah," was about all he could muster to reply.

"You love him deeply, I can see that, and for your love to be so strong and so deep it must have been reciprocated, he must have shown it back for you, and it must be as strong, don't let go of him that easily."

"There is so much standing between us," Will replied as he glanced around.

"There is only as much between you, as you allow," she corrected him.

"Hey," Ashton exclaimed as he walked up.

"Oh, hey," Will smiled.

"Well hello," Cassandra grinned with a slightly caught off guard expression.

"This is," Will began.

"I know who Ashton is," Cassandra grinned.

"He's a friend," Will smiled.

"Yup, I know," she smiled turning to Ashton.

"My friend here is in desperate need of a good dependable friend, I've got one hundred dollars riding on his relationship with Taylor," she smiled glancing over at Will as he began to remember how she gave him a one hundred dollar bill to get to Times Square to see Taylor at MTV that stormy afternoon on TRL.

"Uhm, ok," Ashton looked slightly confused.

"So what I'm asking you is to do what you can to help him get his man back," Cassandra smiled.

Ashton looked both confused and uncomfortable for some reason.

"Alright," he replied slowly.

"Cassandra, babe," Will laughed patting her on the arm.

"No, you don't," she exclaimed, turning to face him.

"Fight damn it, don't let go so easy, hell use this to your advantage," she replied tapping on the stack of papers and the contact sheets.

"Trust me, it will all fall into place," she finished quietly.

"I've got to go, I have to drop off some designs," she started.

"You design for Calvin Klein," Will asked caught off guard.

"Yeah, anyways you heard me, here is my number keep me informed," she exclaimed handing him her card.

"Alright," he replied as she walked off down towards the elevators.

"Who was she?" Ashton asked as they walked out on to the sidewalk.

"A very long story," Will sighed.

"Well, you know if I'm supposed to do what she said, maybe you could update me on what's been going on with you and Taylor," Ashton started as he glanced over at Will.

"Unless you're not hip on telling me," he added quickly.

"Actually, no I don't mind really I guess," Will muttered as he stared at the sidewalk.

"Well come on, we can get some lunch and you can fill me in."

*          *          *          *          *

"I think that's the last of it," Taylor exclaimed as he set the last box down in the basement.

"It's great to be back home," Ike exclaimed with an expression Taylor knew all too well.

Unfortunately, while Ike was dependable as an older brother, he was also dependably spineless when it came to their parents. Sure, Ike could be a tough no nonsense kind of person with fans, and the rest of the family. However, when it came to Walker and Diana Isaac pretty much followed their lead. This was something, that at times infuriated Taylor.

Zac on the other hand, was the total opposite. While he as almost always flying off the handle, doing what he wanted and not giving a rat's ass, he still managed to take up any slack everyone thought he'd leave behind. Plus, he didn't let their parents hold rule over him with fear. Taylor found himself chuckling at some very choice comments Zac had made in the past week in reply to either their mother or father. This wasn't to say that he didn't get punished for it, because he did. Taylor just loved seeing someone stand up to them.

He sat down on the back deck and stared out at the pool. He remembered when it was being installed. When they had said they were getting an above ground pool Taylor wasn't really thrilled. He kept seeing replays in his mind from America's Funniest Home Video's when some fat redneck would bust the side and a tidal wave of water with a bunch of kids would go spilling across the yard. However, his fears of reenacting that were dissolved when he saw the quality and the set up that made the pool level with their back deck. Sometimes he wondered if he'd still like going back there even after they moved.

Now with Ike moving into the old house he knew it'd be tougher for him to find a place for privacy. At least before, if he got fed up with the noise or the lack of privacy he could drive over and chill out. He was pretty sure now, those days would be long gone.

He rested his head back and closed his eyes. Deep down in the back of his heart he felt a twinge. Swallowing hard he sat up and glanced around. His cell phone rang causing him to jump.

"Yeah," he asked as he answered the phone.

"We're all going up to get burgers do you want to come along?" Ike asked.

"No, just bring me back something, I'm tired," Tay yawned.

"Alright, if the phone rings answer it. It's most likely the studio back in LA calling," Ike exclaimed as Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, ok," he muttered as he hung up.

After hearing the car pull away Taylor reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. After staring at them for a moment he pulled one out and lit it. In the back of his mind he heard numerous voices scolding him for doing so as he took a deep drag.

At that moment all the health risks, and damage he was causing to his vocal chords didn't make a bit of difference. The soothing rush of nicotine into his system was worth it. As the pangs of anxiety began to mellow, as the pain in his heart began to dull he felt just a slight sense of peace. Even though it was next to nothing compared to the turmoil he felt inside, it was doing the trick.

"What would your grandmother think?" his mother's voice echoed through his mind as he closed his eyes.

"Do you think she'd approve of your relations with another man?" her voice sliced through him.

"You know how God feels about this sort of thing," he heard his father's voice echo.

"Do you have any idea what kind of position you're putting us in?"

"What are you going to tell your brothers and sisters, do you know what it will be like when people ask them about you two?" their voices echoed repeatedly.

Taylor felt a tear squeeze from his eye. His chest filled with anger, hurt and sorrow all over again. He pulled another cigarette from the pack and lit it. He stood up and set it down on the edge of the deck railing and walked inside. After digging around in a box with 'kitchen' written on it he pulled out a bottle of vodka. Smiling knowing that it had to have been Shiye's he promised himself he'd buy her another bottle.

After filling a glass with a mixture of orange juice and vodka Taylor returned to the deck and his almost totally spent cigarette.

"Here's to you babe, and what we were," Taylor sighed as he took a deep gulp from the glass, coughing a bit after he swallowed as he realized he had poured more vodka than orange juice.

*          *          *          *          *

"Are you sure you're feeling alright," Cristin asked with an unconvinced face as she looked up from a sheet of paper in her hands.

"Why?" Daphne almost snapped at her.

"Oh, just because this song you wrote is a bit," she searched for the word she wanted to use.

"Harsh," Amber finished for her as she looked over her shoulder.

"You're still really upset by that whole thing with Zac aren't you?" Amber asked as she sat down on the sofa next to Daphne.

"Oh, hmmm well I wonder why?" she sneered.

"Hey, relax, you're single again, you can have anyone you want," Amber replied suddenly seeing that she was getting Daphne annoyed.

"Yeah, wonderful let me tell you," Daphne replied uninterested in the unsung joys of being a single girl.

"Well, all I can say is cheer up, we can't fill our album with all these songs that like, might scare people," Cristin replied as she sat the paper down on the table.

"Scare people?" Daphne replied slightly taken back.

"Yeah, hello, even if we changed it to 'guts' it would still seem pretty sick to sing 'For the way you lost trust in me I'd gladly cut out your guts and feed them to you,'" Cristin replied.

"Yikes, I didn't read that, where?" Amber started as she noticed it was a better idea to keep quiet.

"Yeah, well walk a mile in my shoes and you'd understand," Daphne exclaimed standing up.

"I wouldn't even walk a mile in my shoes," Amber giggled as she held up her foot and flaunted her new pair of extremely attractive, but entirely uncomfortable high heeled shoes.

Daphne found herself smirking slightly.

"See, ah hah! I knew you were in there somewhere under Ms. Grumpy Pants," Cristin laughed.

"You two are nuts," Daphne sighed as she left the room.

"I'd rather be nuts than," Amber paused as she glanced over at Cristin.

"Guts," Cristin finished laughing.

*          *          *          *          *

"If it hadn't been for Zac, we might have ended up in that hurricane," Will sighed as he took a drink from his coke.

"That's tight," Ashton replied quietly staring off the balcony of his condo.

"Yeah, too bad he didn't see this coming," Will muttered.

"So, I mean, I don't get it."

"You don't get what," Will asked turning to face him.

"Ok, so for all this time his mom and dad were supportive, they liked you right?"

"Yeah, or so it seemed."

"Well then why are they suddenly pulling all this shit?" Ashton asked as he eyed Will's cigarettes.

"That's something I haven't figured out yet."

"Guess you're still really attached to him?" Ashton exclaimed still glancing at the pack.

"Yeah," Will muttered.

"Take one, geeze it's not gonna crawl out of the pack and sneak over to you," Will smirked as he nudged the pack over with his elbow.

"I really shouldn't," Ashton whispered.

"Yeah, well there are a lot of things we really shouldn't do."

"Yeah, tell me about it," he replied quietly as he lit the cigarette.

"I can remember back to the time when we first met. When I was sure I was just seeing only what I wanted to see," Will trailed off quietly.

"How do you mean?"

"You know, when you look at someone you think is cute, and you're sure that they are looking at you because they like you, you know, like they are attracted to you?" Will exclaimed glancing over.

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Ashton replied.

"Where every little thing they do, every little inflection says to you that they want to kiss you, or hold you, and at the same time the other half of your brain says that you're seeing only want you want to see."

"Yup."

"Has that ever happened to you?"

"Oh yeah," Ashton laughed.

"Lots of times," he smiled.

"Really, well at least you follow me there," Will smiled as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah," Ashton muttered staring off into the distance.

"So tell me what's been going on with you," Will asked.

"Oh, you know the same old same old, modeling, TV work."

"I guess it's safe to say you're single, seeing as how you haven't mentioned anyone," Will exclaimed staring off into the sky.

Ashton glanced over at him with one of his eyebrows raised.

"Yup, I'm single," he grinned, Will still staring off distantly.

"Well, that's nice, at least you don't have a girlfriend throwing a fit because I'd be hogging your private time with her, since I've been crashing here for so long now."

"Hey it doesn't bother me man, you can stay as long as you want," he finished a bit more enthusiastic than Will had expected, which caused him to turn towards Ashton.

"Yeah," Will laughed slightly and turned back to the city view with a worried look on his face.

"What is that boy thinking," Will heard his mind ask himself.

*          *          *          *          *

Taylor sat up, his head swimming from the vodka he had been drinking. His eyes puffy from crying, his head aching, his heart twisted. The image of Will's face still lingering in his mind.

"Was that?" he muttered to himself as he heard the door bell again.

"It was," he groaned as he stood up and went into the house.

"Who the hell would be," he started as he reached for the door knob.

"Anthea," Taylor exclaimed in shock.


On to Chapter Ten

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A Love Incognito is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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