The days and the months past. I was very happy with AJ and he was happy with me. Yeah, of course we had our issues and problems, but who doesn’t? I couldn’t working at the ice cream store nights and weekends and then I went to school during the day. I was studying for a bachelor of arts in psychology, currently I was in my third year. It was a hectic and difficult schedule, especially trying to fit in as much time as possible with AJ, but some how I managed, we managed. having AJ in my life was wonderful, he means so much to me I cannot describe it. AJ worked really hard on a solo ‘Johnny’ album. He definitely wanted to participate in every aspect of making the album. Unlike the BSB albums, which don’t get my wrong he loved the group, the work and the guys. But he wanted to more, he always felt this need to improve himself and his quality of work. That is a trait I really admired in him. So on his ‘Johnny’ album, he wrote two of the songs and co-wrote another three. There were days when he’d come home from the studio frustrated, feeling things weren’t going the way he wanted them to or that he hadn’t accomplished anything that day. Yet that was never the case. He just had a desire to make the album so good, he would do take after take of certain sections of songs. During this time, The Backstreet Boys were taking a two year break. A world tour had just finished when I met AJ, he was 22 and I was 19. AJ released his ‘Johnny’ album a year and a half into the break, which meant he had just over 6 months to do promotion with it and tour. Then he had to prepare to go back with the Boys, they were scheduled to start recording a new album, it would be there fourth. The ‘Johnny’ album, which was titled: “Be Good, Be Bad, Behave Baby!” Did moderately well. It was a lot more rock than pop although in a few songs the two genres had been infused together. This album appealed to a select audience, and not the massive BSB audience. This was something very new for AJ, at first it was hard for him to deal with being less popular on his own. But eventually he grew to appreciate it. He realized the fans who liked his solo album, truly liked it and were not just BSB fans trying to get the latest thing hoping it would be like the other BSB albums. He went on a tour 2 month tour with the album. He went to places all over the US and Canada, he actually loved this tour as he could play smaller clubs instead of massive arenas. He definitely felt more of a connection with the audience, which was one of his favorite parts of being a performer. I missed him when he was gone. I thought all the time about what he was doing, who he was meeting.
*Lying in my bad, I hear the clock tick and I think of you, caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new.*
Finally, at the end of July his tour finished, we had three weeks to spend together before the Boys had to go into the studio. By this time I had moved into his house. It was massive! We spent a lot of the three weeks lounging around his pool, watching movies in his movie theater or bowling in the alley had had below his house! It was great. It was like a little vacation, only at home. I’d go to the market everyday and pickup things for dinner. Most days we had candle lit dinners in the dining room, we didn’t need to, but we did, just because we enjoyed it!
It was our last night before AJ had to leave to go record the album with the other boys. They were going to the island of Martinique. It was one of the lowest down islands in the chain of the Caribbean islands, it was approx. 1200 miles from the Bahamas, where they went last time to record the previous album. That had worked so well, being away from home and on a tropical island they could all focus on the music without some of the worries of home, so they were doing it again, only on a different island. So tonight AJ said he would get dinner, it was actually our 2 anniversary, we decided to stay in. AJ made me stay outside and lounge by the pool while he made dinner, he didn’t even let me do a thing. Eventually he called me in for dinner. The dining room was set as usual with the burning candles, yet tonight he had tossed rose petals onto the table. It was very sweet. I sat down. as did he!
“Happy Anniversary!” AJ said
“Happy Anniversary to you too baby! Wow, I can’t believe it’s been two years, I’ve had such a wonderful time. I love you so much!” I exclaimed
“I got you something. And I’ve had a wonderful time with you to, I don’t know what I’m going to do without you for two weeks!” AJ spoke intensely, like he was also worrying about something else.
“I know, but you’ll have lots of fun seeing the boys again and making the new album and I have to go back to school, it’s finally my last year and I don’t have a full course load so I’m hoping it will be a little easier, oh and I have a present for you too!” I told him and handed him a wrapped box. He opened it and smiled, it was a silver chain with a silver charm on the front that was in the shape of a bone. On the back I had engraved “AJ - I will love you forever and always - Becca” The charm was about 2 inches long. The writing was small.
“Thank you so much baby, I love it and I love you!!! I have something for you too. He pulled out a small blue velvet box, a ring box, I gasped, Becca, I was attracted to you from the moment I met you, even with the flour on your face! I love having you in my life and can’t imagine what I would do if you weren’t there. I’ve wanted to ask you this for the last year and a half but that I should wait until the time was perfect, but I don’t think life gets any better than this, Becca - will you marry me?” He asked tears glistening in his eyes. I just sat there in silence for a second.
“Alexander, I would be honored to marry you! I cannot express how much I love and adore you.” I cried, the tears running openly down my face now, AJ came over and wiped them away, and then placed the ring on my finger, it fit perfectly! Later he confessed that he had ‘borrowed’ another one of my rings to get the sizing right!
The next day AJ left for Martinique. We decided we’d have the wedding in about six months depending on how the tour went.
AJ had a blast in the Caribbean and he called me everyday! I missed him, it was a long 3 weeks, but I had lots to keep my busy with work and school. Many times AJ had talked to me about taking a break from school or quitting work so that things would be easier and we could spend more time together. But I couldn’t yet, many some day I would but who knows. When AJ got back he had a 4 month sorta break. He had to do promotional stuff for the album and rehearse the new tour but he was at home and only working about 4 days a week. So that was good. The two of us decided to get married sooner, like before the tour. I was very excited, as was he! We got married in the park we went on the day we meet, it was a beautiful ceremony.
“You ready Becca?” My best friend and maid of honor, Michelle asked.
“Yeah, how long until we do this?” I asked
“Like 30 seconds” she replied
“Oh my god! I didn’t realize it was that soon!” I replied
“Yeah, it is so let’s go and you look beautiful by the way!” She answered
“Thanks so much” I answered and hugged her before we went out. I was wearing a long white, off the shoulder, V-neck gown. It had pearls and rhinestones beaded into it and it had a tighter bodice with a puffy flowing skirt. I really liked the dress, AJ had never seen it yet, so I hoped he liked it as well. Because AJ couldn’t just have three groomsmen, as he would have to leave one of the boys out he had four, so I, as well, had four bride’s maids. I was very happy on my wedding day! Slightly nervous, about being in front of all the people, but not about my commitment with AJ! The music started and I walked down on the aisle.
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