*The Backstreet Boys' Hotel; that evening*
"Shit, Robert's daughter is one major hottie, huh guys?"
AJ McLean asked his friends, the other Backstreet Boys.
"Well, yeah, she was hot." Howie Dorough agreed.
"Guys! The girl was a total spoiled-rotten Daddy's girl!" Nick called yelled to his bandmates.
"You're just jealous because she doesn't like you." AJ told Nick with a laugh.
"No fuckin' way! I don't want that bitch to like me." Nick replied seriously.
"Woah, this is weird. Nick not liking a chick." Brian Littrell laughed.
"There's just something about her, she just pissed me off." Nick finished. "I hope she doesn't come to rehearsal tomorrow."
"I hope she does come." AJ said with a grin.
Nick just pushed passed him and walked to his room.
AJ sat in his hotel room most of the evening with his cell phone in his hand. He was hoping Veronica would call him. She didn't.
~~~
Veronica didn't get off the phone with Lacey until after midnight that night. Her father was already asleep.
Damn... she thought to herself. I wanted to try to get out of going to the rehearsal tomorrow.
But she didn't want to wake her father, so she just changed into pyjamas and crawled into the large bed. She was asleep in no time.
~~~
The next morning, Veronica work up to her father's voice.
"Veroinca! Get up! We've only got fifteen minutes to get there!" she heard him yelling.
"Daddy! Do I have to go?" Veronica asked back, sitting up in her bed.
"Yes. I want you to become friends with these guys. You weren't this bad when we had to spend a month with N SYNC." he laughed, and Veronica shrugged.
"Fine, Daddy. I won't fight with you about this anymore. Anyway, AJ gave him his cell phone number, I think he likes me." Veronica allowed herself to smile, as her father shot her a look of warning.
"AJ just ended 6 month relationship. He might just be looking for a rebound girl, you know?" he asked his daughter.
"If you don't want me to date those guys, just say so." Veronica told her father, still smiling.
"No, it's ok. You do whatever you feel is right. Just be careful." he answered, "Now let's go." he finished and pulled her out of her bed.
Veronica got dressed quickly and didn't even put on make-up. She threw her hair up into a messy bun and followed her father out of the hotel room.
The drive to the studio seemed to take alot less time, most likely because her father sped all the way there. They got there just on time.
"Hey guys..." Veronica tried to be nice, as she followed her father into the room where the guys were.
"Hey Veronica." Brian replied. He seemed to be the most friendly.
"Please, call me Ronnie. Only my father calls me Veronica." Veronica told him, and he nodded.
Suddenly she felt someone pulling on her arm, and she turned around to face AJ. He grinned and pulled her away from the others.
"Hey beautiful. Why didn't you call me last night? I was waiting." he told her, still grinning madly.
"I know you would be. That's why I didn't call." Veronica answered honestly.
"So, you like to play hard to get?" AJ asked her. She nodded at him, and then leaned in and whispered in his ear,
"I'm a good girl."
"You can count on me to be your bad boy." AJ grinned again.
"Really?" Veronica questioned, smiling. AJ just nodded his head. "Well, sorry, I'm not interested. My Daddy warned me about you." she finished, turning away.
"Wait, Ronnie, I'm not really like that." AJ tried to stop her.
"Yeah you are. You just ruined your chance with me." she answered, and then continued walking away from him.
~~~
The rehearsal was boring for Veronica. All the guys did was sing and dance and sweat. They didn't look very attractive then. She admitted they were bad singers, or dancers, but it was still boring for her to watch. It was after 2pm when they finished.
"Daddy, I'm starving. Let's go eat." Veronica interupted her father's conversation with one of the managers.
"Oh, Veronica, I told the guys we'd go out for lunch with them." her father answered her.
"Fine, let's go!" she agreed, but wasn't too happy about it.
They got into a limosine not long after and drove to a fancy resturant nearby. It was just Veronica, her father, one manager named Michael, and the five guys.
Veronica ended up sitting next to Brian and Howie. Howie had been so sweet to her the whole day. She liked him alot, as a person. Veronica also engaged in a conversation with Brian, who was also very sweet. He was married to an actress, Leighanne Wallace. He told her his cousin Kevin, the oldest member, was also married. That was two out. And she couldn't see herself getting together with AJ anymore. Howie, to her, was too good of a friend to ever date. Plus he was many years older than her. The only one left was Nick, and she was pretty sure he'd never concider dating her. Veronica's conclusion was that the next two months were going to be the most boring of her life. Was she ever wrong.
That day was actually pretty for Veronica, except for the dirty looks coming from AJ and Nick. She told herself to forget about them, and focus on getting to know Brian, Kevin and Howie more. Howie had given her his cell phone number, so they could become friends.
When Veronica and her father got back to the hotel it was 4:30pm. She called Howie's cell awhile later, around 5pm, but it rang many time and no one picked up. She figured he was busy and left it at that.
~~~
*BSB's Hotel*
"Man, Nick, you were right from the start. Veronica is just a Daddy's girl."
AJ told Nick later that evening, as the guys gathered in one of their hotel rooms for a chat.
"Duh. So she turned you down, huh?" Nick asked and AJ nodded angrily.
"She's not like that, guys. You gotta get to know her. She's really sweet." Howie told Nick and AJ. He didn't want them to be dissing his new friend.
"You like her, don't you D?" AJ asked Howie.
"Nah, man, she and I are just friends. She doesn't like guys who try to get in her pants right away, AJ." Howie laughed at his friend.
"I didn't, I swear. That girl's just wacked." AJ replied, but no one believed him.
"Actually, I talked to her alot today, too. She seems really nice." Brian spoke up, agreeing with Howie.
"Whatever. I'm with Nick now." AJ finished.
"Dammit, I forget to turn on my cell... Veronica was supposed to give me a call tonight." Howie said, flicking on his cell phone.
AJ and Nick stood up then, walked past the rest of the guys, and went back to their rooms, without another word.
