Written By Laura V.C
“Why are you so worried about it, man?”
“AJ, I’m not worried I just don’t think you should have dinner with someone who just happened to tell our manager that she found your chain.”
“Wow, all in one breath that’s a record Brian.”
“I’m being serious and I’m telling you this is not a good idea when you’re a Backstreet Boy and she’s a…”
“What’s the real issue here?”
“You’re takin a big risk, man.”
There was really no arguing with Brian over matters concerning fans. He only had one thing to say when it came to them. “No one in this band should take that risk.”
What risk, AJ wanted to know. How come everyone knew about the risk when he had no idea what was going on?
Brian sauntered out of the elevator once it had reached the executive floor of the Holiday Inn Hotel. This was one of the nicest hotels in Winnipeg according to their manager.
“Talk to anyone of the guys and they’ll tell you,” Brian called back to him. “Except for Nick.”
He nodded as if he actually heeded Brian’s warning when really he was admiring the strong combination of deep red carpet with formal white walls. With his eyes on the small chandeliers hanging above him he headed to his suite at the end of the long corridor. It even smelled nice, like scented candles and burning potpourri sticks.
He brought out his key card to unlock the white double doors that led him into his massive penthouse suite. With ease he slipped in, closed the door and kicked his shoes off. He had a date to get ready for so he poured himself a drink at the mini bar, and took sips as he walked into the bathroom.
Brian’s concerned voice drawled in his mind over and over as he stroked a comb through his hair slicking it back from his face. He should’ve dyed it blond before leaving Toronto, but he had no time.
Oh well its just hair, he thought pulling a string of it into his view. “Black isn’t bad for right now.”
A strange presence chilled him and he stopped frozen holding the comb in his hair. Someone was watching him, two eyes running as warm as a kiss down his back. The feeling suddenly became familiar and he pressed a hand to his stomach, as it seemed to be filling with restless butterflies. “Hello?”
With that he spun around the corner and caught a figure alongside the wall beside the door. “Oh my god…”
A fan. He should’ve guessed. Cautiously he stepped a little closer into her line of vision, but she had already taken a very good look he was sure, from the blush that climbed into her cheeks. “What are you doing in my room and who are you?” He gasped.
She stepped out of the shadows revealing a height that matched his height of 5’9, along with blinding blond hair and piercing blue eyes. “Nika, and the door was open,” she replied as if she had to take a few breaths just to produce the words.
He was nervous, there was no question about it. Would Nika jump him the moment he approached her? Would she start screaming in a fan frenzy like some crazed lunatic? He knew they existed, he had run from them in practically every country. “There’s always one,” his manager had warned him one night after a scary encounter with a woman who demanded she kill him and herself. How could she even think it? All he wanted to do was give her an autograph, but than again he never should’ve decided to walk to the hotel at midnight from the concert arena alone. He was in New York, he should’ve known better.
“Keep your door locked at all times and never leave your hotel without an escort.”
But he had forgotten that night until now when he was stuck staring at a fan whom had walked in uninvited. Who knew what she was capable of?
His steps ceased all together from the horrible memories of the New York lunatic. “I want you to leave,” he mumbled trying to stop his knees from knocking.
Nika’s eyes seemed to brim with tears and she dropped her head. “I’m sorry… I’ll leave, but I…”
He couldn’t believe it, he actually felt sorry for her so he approached rapidly. She choked on her words and they faltered. “Tell me you want an autograph,” he heard himself plead.
She caught her breath and he seemed to lose his. Fear was not what he felt for this intruder and that scared him more. “No… I have to go…”
“What?”
She caught the door handle than glanced back to whisper, “bye.”
With that she ran out as if she were Cinderella rushing out of his sight before the clock struck midnight. He could almost hear the chimes in his head as he watched her frantically punch the elevator button. What had happened that had frightened her? His eyes were on her yellow tank top that matched her black pants. She didn’t look very dangerous. No, it wasn’t the looks, it was the feelings; the sudden need to follow her into the elevator that was dangerous.
He yanked his eyes away and forced the door closed against his will, but before he could return to the bathroom, he caught sight of a trinket lying next to the wall. He bent down to pick it up. He couldn’t believe it; Nika had dropped her bracelet made up of different shades of yellow beads.
Immediately, he threw the doors of his suite open and yelled, “NIKA!” She was gone already and her name echoed down the corridor never to reach her. He’d never get a hold of her now. He stared down at what was his name stitched with black beads along the yellow. The bracelet with his name was exquisitely crafted, and he wanted one just like it. Where did Nika get it? He had to know. He had to have one.
That evening he thought about her even as he dressed for his date with the fan who claimed to have found his expensive gold chain in the snow outside the concert arena. He strung the bracelet around his wrist staring at it for a second. What was wrong with him? He could just leave it in his suite. He didn’t have to wear it. Slowly, he began to untie it when he heard a knock on the door. “Are you chickening out?”
“Robyn?” he called with a slight smile. Robyn was Nick’s new girlfriend since their performance in Toronto. Robyn had won a contest to see them backstage and that was Nick’s golden opportunity. Originally she was from Winnipeg, so Nick offered to drop her off instead of allowing her to leave that night with the other three contest winners. AJ liked Nick’s choice more than any other that week and he practically begged Robyn to stay with them on the tour. She was a great listener, she had the best sense of humor and she respected the Backstreet Boys as people and not just objects.
“That would be my question, lovely,” he laughed.
“Don’t be flirting with an involved woman,” she teased him. “You going to let me in?”
He pulled the doors open staring into her gingerbread brown eyes. She had her light brown hair put up in a ponytail. “Lookin’ good,” he whispered with a wink.
“Tell me about her,” she started in right away.
“About who?”
Her eyes were on his bracelet. “Must be someone special.”
He wanted to spill his guts to her about Nika and how she was making him feel, but before he could, Nick came running down the corridor. He was dressed in a penguin suit. Why was he dressed like that? “I was thinking, Robyn…” Nick stopped his trail of words when his eyes met AJ’s. “AJ?”
“You’re out of breath,” laughed Robyn catching the collar of Nick’s dress shirt to smooth it down.
“You’re not setting me up are ya?” He asked exchanging glances with AJ.
“Yes, I am now staying still so I can fix your collar.”
She placed her thin finger on his lips. “I’m kidding, of course. But you will have to meet someone new when I leave tonight.” She stepped back to admire the collar. “Much better,” she sighed.
“About that… see the thing is…”
AJ stared into the eyes of Nick confused by how he was acting all of a sudden. Nick was always so smooth, so calm and collected. At that moment he looked to be perspiring. “We’ll miss you, Robyn,” he heard himself whisper to her.
She turned her eyes on him. “Same here, but we will be fine I assure you of that.” Her eyes fell on Nick, “right?”
He blew out a breath, “right… sure.”
She patted the chest of his jacket and smiled. “Good.” Immediately she was onto a different subject explaining that she was going to introduce Nick to her best friend. “She’s great, Nick, she’s friendly and cool. She’ll probably flip out at the sight of you, but after that we’re in the clear.” She laughed and pecked his cheek.
After AJ allowed Robyn to fix his collar to match the perfection of Nick’s he went with them down to the lobby where they were supposed to split into different directions. Once in the lobby they continued to take the same route until they were all standing in the restaurant over looking the crowded tables. He glanced at Nick with a smirk, “ya know it’s so weird that you actually look like a gentleman tonight.
“Looks can be deceiving,” Nick replied and a sly smile crawled over his lips.
“Ya got a plan to keep her here?” AJ mouthed motioning to Robyn.
Nick nodded and rested his hand against Robyn’s back. “I got a strategy that’s bound to work,” he whispered.
“You two are as bad as children you know that,” she lectured without turning to them.
Suddenly Robyn screamed and raced to the center table where she had obviously found her best friend. “NIKA!”
“What?” AJ caught his balance before he toppled into the table.
Nika stood up to face him, “AJ?”
“You know him?” Robyn whined staring from Nika to him in confusion. “But I was supposed to introduce you to him.”
Nika blushed, avoiding AJ’s gaze. “We kind of met unexpectedly up in his suite, which I was sure was Nick’s. Didn’t you say you would leave the door open for me, Robyn?”
Now Robyn started blushing, “Yes… I did…”
“The door was open, Nika,” Nick put in.
She caught her breath obviously to stop from screaming and sat down hiding her face behind a menu. “I would’ve met you earlier, but things kinda…” she stopped and dropped the menu to the table. Her eyes were now on AJ’s wrist. “Isn’t that mine?”
He pulled it to him and tried not to look as if her words affected him. She wasn’t a lunatic as he had thought and relief swept over him. “Yeah, you must’ve dropped it on your way out.”
“I made it,” she murmured.
He stared hard at the bracelet. “You did?”
“I would’ve told you she was an artist,” laughed Robyn gripping Nick’s arm.
Nick rose beside her, “So you aren’t setting no one up huh?”
“I wasn’t setting you up.” With that she laughed and winked at AJ. “Come on Nick lets let these two have some private time.”
Nick leaned over to grip Nika’s hand to shake it, “Hey, I’m Nick and you have an awesome best friend,” he greeted with a smile. “Anytime after the concert you can crash in mine and Robyn’s suite.”
Nika nodded, watching as Robyn tried to force him out of her set up.
Nika watched AJ rock on his heels across from her. The chair was empty, but he didn’t seem to take any notice. “Is everything okay?” She heard herself ask him in a slight whisper.
“Oh… yeah.” He stopped rocking to glance at her. “I’m just waitin for someone.”
“A date?”
He nodded grabbing the chair in front of him. He looked nervous, like he might collapse right over the chair. “Maybe you should sit down,” she murmured.
“No I’m…”
“You’re nervous… and you look like you’re going to faint.”She stood up to escort him into his chair, when she heard a loud wailing from outside the door. “That doesn’t sound good,” she gasped.
“Come on!”
She hadn’t been able to think past AJ’s words and she felt his arms clasp her waist to carry her away from the table. “I should’ve called an escort, damnit,” he muttered.
A scream tore through the restaurant and she felt her body spin around a corner. A scream finally left her own lips and AJ dropped them both behind the long counter in the kitchen. “What’s going on,” she gasped.
“FAN frenzy,” he answered just as out of breath as her. “Look you have to stay quiet so we can get the hell out of here unseen and unheard okay?”
She nodded glancing back at him. “You’re not going to carry me the whole way are you?”
His arms fell from around her and he peeked out from behind the counter. “It’s clear, let’s go,” he ordered gripping her hand now.
All she could do was nod as they slipped out to find the exit doors. She grabbed the handle and pushed only to find herself facing a crowd of fans awaiting them. “NIKA!” She heard AJ scream for her.
“GO! Run out the front way!” She demanded him motioning through the kitchen.
“NO!” He yelled.
She tried to force the door closed. This would make up for sneaking in on him. If she didn’t get killed under the feet of more than a thousand fans. “I’m a fan AJ! I can handle this!” He had to believe it or he’d never get away. “GO!”
The fan’s screams and struggles against the door was enough to make her lose energy, but before she collapsed he caught her. “It’s okay, Nika,” she heard him whisper against her ear. “It’s okay…”
AJ carried the exhausted girl through the kitchen doors, back through the restaurant into the hotel, where he met two large, burly bodyguards holding back a large crowd that screamed his name. He stared down into a crown of blinding hair and sighed. “Could one of you take this girl to my suite?” He requested.
The taller of the two held out his arms and AJ rested Nika into them. “Make sure she’s okay and don’t let her leave.”
“Of course, Mr. McLean.”
With an escort protecting him he went through the crowd signing autographs and greeting fans. “AJ!”
That voice caught him off guard and he found Robyn waving from the middle of the crowd. “Robyn?”
She laughed trying to fight her way forward. “IT WAS EITHER ME OR NICK!”
He glanced to his escort, “rescue that girl would you? That’s Nick’s girlfriend.”
The escort nodded and ordered the crowd to disperse for her. Robyn tried to protest, but it was too late, the escort had already carried her up and out of the crowd. “There you go miss,” he murmured setting her down before AJ.
“Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that,” she laughed. “Where was Nika taken?” She wanted to know right away as soon as they had made it safely into the elevator.
“Don’t worry, Robyn I had one of the bodyguards take her to my suite.”
“Trying to be the hero eh?”
He nodded and hugged her to his side. They arrived on the executive floor where he unlocked the gate and ushered Robyn into the corridor. There stood Nick punching the elevator button. “Nick?” He called.
Nick looked up to reveal eyes so red he knew right than that Nick had been extremely upset. He took one look at Robyn before racing at her to scoop her up into his arms. “Robyn… oh my god… you scared me outta my mind. You said you’d meet me up here and when I didn’t find you I ran all over this hotel looking…”
“I’m okay I was just hanging out with the fans,” she spoke with her face buried into his shoulder. “I can’t breathe.”
Nick loosened his grip and she pulled her face up to gasp for air. “A bodyguard escorted us into the elevator, Nick,” AJ offered in assurance. He was sure he had never seen Nick look so distraught before.
“He’s telling the truth,” Robyn murmured. “Don’t look so sad…”
Nick was about to let all his feelings out and AJ couldn’t be there when he did or it might not have so much of an impact. “I gotta check on Nika… make sure she’s okay and everything.” Slowly he backed away from the couple and began to walk towards his suite. He knew how Nick felt, how scared he was of losing Robyn. He felt the same for a split second as soon as Nika threw open the emergency kitchen doors. Every kind of emotion flowed through him in that moment like water and all he could do was save her. If he had to he would’ve raced right into the crowd if she had done what Robyn had.
He approached the doors of his suite where the bodyguard stood watch. “Mr. McLean,” he addressed in a low husk. “The girl is asleep.”
He nodded and patted the bodyguard’s arm before stepping into the suite. “Thanks for your assistance, man,” he said with gratitude. The bodyguard left down the corridor and AJ closed the doors.
A smile met his lips as he laid eyes on the brave creature curled up on his bed. On soft steps he tiptoed to the edge and leaned down to analyze her face draped over by her hair. With quiet fingers he moved the smooth strands to the side and brought his hand down on her cheek. “I owe ya for what you did,” he murmured.
She groaned and brought her hand to her face to rub an itch from her nose. His hand caught hers before it could return to the spot beside her face and he held it. He brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Thank you lady hero.”
With that he lifted from the bed and changed into his costume for the concert. According to his watch the Backstreet Boys were to be on stage in a half hour. He glanced back to Nika and sighed. “I have to go, darlin’…”
Her eyes popped open as if on cue from his words. “I feel so stiff,” she gasped forcing her body to a sitting position so she could massage the kink from her neck.
<AJ smiled, “stiffness comes with heroism.”
“What heroism?” She wanted to know stretching her neck back.
“Nika, you put yourself in danger for me. I think that’s heroism.”
Her eyes flew wide open and she practically jumped out of the bed. “That actually happened? I’m not dreaming?”
While he explained she began pinching the skin of her arm. “You’re not dreamin’, Nika. If you were dreaming you wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of reoccurring dreams?” She squeaked avoiding his face to continue pinching her skin. He wanted her to believe him that he couldn’t lie to her that she had done something to him. He crawled up on the bed just as she murmured, “I think I’m immune now…”Her eyes so bright blue met his in shock from his closeness. “Are you dreaming now?”
She gulped, “I could be.”
Without another word he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. Her gasp against him awakened his senses and even when he wanted to stop he couldn’t. Her hands found the ring of his collar and grasped it so tight that he was pulled forward. With a yank back he separated leaving her speechless with wide, confused eyes. “What about now?” He rasped.
She shook her head and tried to gain herself, “I don’t think so.”
“Are you okay?” He had to ask, since she looked like she would faint at any moment.
“I think so,” she replied.
A sigh left her as she crawled off the bed and had to catch her balance on the edge of it. “Nika, why don’t you come with me to the concert? You could watch us from backstage.”
She spun around to face him, “I can’t… I mean… I want to, but I don’t think I should be doing this.”
“Don’t take off again,” he pleaded jumping from the bed.
“You can’t do this, AJ don’t you know the risk of this?”
He shrugged, even she knew about the risk. Was he the only one who didn’t know? “I want to take you to a concert, what kind of risk is there in that?” He snapped yet not with anger.
“I can’t… I’m sorry…”Nika ran to the door about ready to leave when AJ spoke up, “Aren’t you supposed to be a fan? A fan would want this!”
Tension caked thick between them and he knew he shouldn’t have taken that route. “Goodbye, AJ.”
The doors slammed shut. Had he lost her for good? He was so threatened by fans. They ran after him, pursued him like wild dogs for a good piece of meat. They wanted to rip him apart, he thought. They wanted nothing more than a body part. He walked to the doorway realizing that Nika threatened him. She was more threatening than fans wanting to tear him apart. He wanted her; he wanted to pursue her and he, for the first time, felt like the fan.
“Someone tell me what the Hell is going on!” He demanded busting backstage in frustration.
Each of the guys stared at him bewildered by his temper, finally blowing up. Nick approached him, but in his eyes was not the look of victory. “Robyn is not staying…”
“Because she’s a fan, right?” He shot. He couldn’t control his emotions especially the anger.
Nick’s eyes went wide, “I don’t think that matters, man. She couldn’t risk it, she was surprised she had let it go on this far.”
“Risk what? What is she risking?” Without a reply Nick held out his palm opening it to reveal a gold chain, his gold chain. He grabbed it, stared at it than looked at Nick for explanation.
“Nika wanted to give this to you…”
He held it tight in his fist and fought the need to scream and release a floodgate of unexpected tears. “I have to find her, Nick,” he choked glancing back at the guys.
“Don’t do this AJ, you don’t need to do this,” warned Brian stepping forward. “Nobody will approve.”
“I don’t care,” he growled.
“Hey man you’ll find another,” offered Howie with a slight smile.
“Yeah Nika will be a thing of the past,” Kevin added.
She could’ve been gone and he couldn’t stand it. “Nick, help me. Where did Robyn go?”
“She’s staying for the concert. She told me that she didn’t buy the tickets for nothing even though they were bad seats.”
“Why didn’t…”
“Because she’s not like the others. I offered front row seats to her and Nika, but she declined saying that she had already bought her tickets. She bought them before we met.”
Kevin’s arms wrapped both their shoulders kindly, “Hey ya know what, why don’t we take a drive out on the town, maybe check out Dark Zone again? The activity should calm you both down so you can think rationally.” Nick had always carried a stubborn streak and he meant to use it.
“I’m not givin my girl up without a fight!”
“It’s been two days,” Brian reasoned. “This couldn’t possibly be long term for either one of you.”
“And you would know that how?” Nick shot with a glare in his eyes.
“I know you, Nick. You aren’t like this. You like the challenge and the chase, but you would never give love two days.”
AJ shrugged, he had known that too. “Yeah… uh… two days for you, one day for me. That’s a bit sudden.”
“CONCERT TIME!” Kevin announced fully and energetically. “We have fans waiting for us”
AJ thought about the predicament he was in. One day with a fan and he was already falling for her? Impossible. That wasn’t AJ. He’d never just fall for some fan, but she saved his life. She risked her own life for his. He clasped his gold chain around his neck and stared hard at the beaded bracelet still wound around his wrist. He couldn’t give it back even if he let her again in the future. The thought of her lips on someone else’s or her smiles of admiration directed to another guy caused him to grit his teeth. It was painful to think about it.
Lights flashed into his eyes of all different colors and he came to the front of the stage staring out at all those fans, all those girls staring back. Where was she? Was she on the floor? No, Nick said that Robyn had bad seats. He glanced to the balcony levels singing as he searched. Maybe they hadn’t stayed. Maybe Nika convinced Robyn not to after what had happened that night.
“There,” whispered Nick’s voice close to his ear.
He spun his head half way around to acknowledge that Nick’s arm was out stretched in the direction of the top balcony. He focused on the two girls watching with intrigue. His heart skipped than landed in his feet as he tried to concentrate on the words he was supposed to be singing.
Tears rose in his eyes causing his vision to become blurry. He couldn’t just stand realizing that he would be on his knees in mere seconds. He stopped the words and gasped into the microphone. “Stop the music!”
The fans began to scream, but some in the front had wide eyes from their puzzlement. “What’s going on?” He heard one girl whisper.
Nick added his words, “you heard him band. Stop the music.”
The music faltered to a stop that would be hell to clean up. AJ glanced to each of the guys and shook his head. “You won’t understand until you’ve been there,” he told them focusing most of his attention on Brian. He turned his eyes to the balcony and motioned for the lights to land on Nika and Robyn. “Come on you two come down here,” he pleaded. The audience now had their eyes on the two fans trying hard to conceal themselves from the bright spotlight. “Nika! Robyn!”
“Come on baby,” Nick put in with his eyes on Robyn.
Nika jumped over her chair to try and escape, but there would be no escape now. He couldn’t let her go. “STOP HER!” He cried to the fans. “Please don’t let her leave…”
“You can’t do this!” She screamed but was caught by a crowd of fans who had decided to help AJ. “You don’t understand the risk here.”
“We’re risking our jobs, isn’t that a risk?” Nick called up.“Nick, listen to me,” Robyn started in being escorted down by the fans. “We know the boundaries that make us fans.”
He shook his head, “There are no boundaries.”
“You’re taking advantage of us because we love you! You know that the moment we fall you’ll be gone! You know it!” Nika fought as she was literally pushed close behind Robyn.
“What are you talking about?” AJ wanted to know immediately, and he dropped the microphone.
“You want to know the risk?” She choked landing on the stage. “LOVE is the risk. You know that I would do anything for you. You witnessed it.”
AJ took her into his arms stroking her blond strands. “I’m not afraid to take the risk if you aren’t,” he murmured into her ear. She yanked back to stare at him in disbelief. Tears had come slowly from her eyes wetting her cheeks. He leaned close to her ear, “by the way thanks for finding my gold chain, Nika."
“And thanks for finding my bracelet, AJ,” she whispered.
He wanted to keep the bracelet and he pressed it to his heart. “I uh… don’t think I’ll be able to part with it,” he admitted raising his eyes to hers.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to part from you,” she choked and he crushed her against him moaning into her sweet smelling hair. He had never felt so full, so alive, and so ready to begin the rest of his new life.
Meanwhile he watched as Nick acted without words bringing Robyn against him for a strong kiss that caused her body to collapse into his. Both girls would never get away, he thought pulling back to smile as he moved Nika’s hair from her face. She accepted a kiss so sweet and delicate from him. The crowd hooted and hollered all around them, screaming for true love.
“Love conquers all,” he whispered to Nika. “That’s why it’s such a risk.”
THE END
