Chapter 23

A.J. was in the dressing room wondering why Christin left. He checked everywhere he thought she might be, but she was no where to be found. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Seeing the rest of the guys were wrapped up in what they were doing, he got up and answered the door. When he opened it he was surprised to see Christin standing there with his security guard, Marcus.

“She said she knows you. That she was with the new management firm. We get a lot of these, but she seemed so insistent, I thought I’d bring her back and check. So what’s the word.” Marcus explained.

“It’s aight. She’s cool.” A.J. walked into the hall and shut the door.

“Thank you A.J. Am I going to get this treatment if I agree to your offer?” Christin was slightly teed.

“Naw. I apologize. It’s just that Marcus can’t be letting every woman who claims to know us. You just lucky he came to check. Marcus this is Christin Casey. Christin, this is my security guard, Marcus Johnson.” A.J. introduced them.

“Hello Christin. Sorry bout that. I just gotta make sure. You know?”

“Yeah. Been there. Done that. It’s forgotten.” Christin shrugged her shoulders.

“Cool. A.J., I gotta get back down there and help. Seems like there are more of them tonight. Catcha later.” Marcus walked away.

“I thought you left.” A.J. said to Christin.

“No. Why would I leave?” Christin asked.

“Well after the show, I looked for you but didn’t find you.”

“Oh. I was still here. I was having a talk with someone.”

“Who?”

“Your mother. Are you always full of questions?”

“Only when I’m around you.”

“Well then. Maybe I should stop coming around.”

“That would be a little hard if you become out manager.” A.J. smiled.

The door opened and Nick walked out. “I thought I heard voices out here. Told you.” He hollered at Brian. “Hey Christin. I thought you left already?”

“Nope. Still here.”

“Well then don’t stand out here in the hall. You might get attacked.” He joked. “Come in and take a seat.” Nick held the door open.

“Okay.” Christin walked in followed by Nick then A.J.

A.J. shut the door, as Christin sat down, both Kevin and Howie looked at her. A.J. soon joined Kevin and Howie in starring at Christin.

“I’ll tell you. Just stop it.” Christin covered her face.

“Tell us what?” Nick asked clueless.

“Shut up.” Howie, Kevin, and A.J. shouted at Nick.

“My answer is -um- well, before I say anything, I’ve thought about it non-stop since yesterday. I’ve weighed the pros and cons…”

“Please don’t say no. If you are saying no stop.” A.J. pleaded.

“Let me explain my reasoning first.” She said as Kevin and Howie sigh of disappointment.

“What reasoning? Most people would be jumping at this opportunity to take the job. Why not you? You would be perfect for this job.” A.J. said.

“I’m not most people. I’ve been a manager before. Blink was fine until they became famous. Marshall was the same way. You can’t just be their manager. I’m a female related to no one in this business. I have to be sleeping with them according to the press. I have gotten so much bad press where they are concern. If you look on the Internet you might find old sites about me. Who I might be sleeping with. Pages calling ma a hoe, slut, trick, butch. Stuff like that. It won’t just change my life, but yours too. You will face question after question. Your good image will be tainted. Marshall and Blink never had good images so it really didn’t mater. I suppose partying with them all the time didn’t help, but still I won’t do it again.” Christin sat down in the closest chair.

A.J., Kevin, and Howie thought about it for a few minutes before A.J. came up with a solution. “You won’t have to. We won’t tell anyone. If they find out, we’ll just deny it. Just give us a chance. Whenever you feel it gotten too much for you, quit. No questions asked." He wasn’t really letting the others talk. It was more of an argument between himself and Christin.

“How do you expect to keep the fact that you have a manager or better yet, don’t have a manager, from the media?” Christin asked logically.

“We’ll get a figure person. Pay someone to say they are our manager. When in truth you’ll be our manager.” A.J. was on a roll.

“And I can quit whenever I want. No questions asked?”

“None.”

“Okay, I’ll be your manager, until your next tour. You’ll have to find a new manager by then.”

“Deal.” A.J. smiled.

All the guys got up and said good. Each of them congratulated Christin with a hug. They thought they would really enjoy having Christin as their manager. She seemed like a nice, fun, organized person. Nick was especially glad. Kevin was the only one who was a little shaky about it. What Christin had said had made a lot of sense. She was a single, young, attractive woman among five guys. He was a little worried about what might happen to them as a group and also as friends. He tried to shake it off though. He would just have to wait and see how it turned out. He hoped it turned out good too. For the sake of them and Christin.

“So how was the show?” Brian asked.

“It was KILLER. I never thought a POP band could do so good. It was amazing. The way you flow over the crowd at the beginning on the surf board. The dancing was excellent. The singing was off da hook.” Christin exclaimed.

“What song did you like?” Nick jumped up and down.

“Well I think there was three. Yeah three. The one…” she pointed to Kevin, Howie, and A.J., “sang yesterday. That song A.J. sang to his mom. That is the sweetest song. It’s a little sad though.”

“Sad?” Brian questioned. “I didn’t write it to be sad. I wrote it to give thanks to my mom. How do you get sad? Can any of you see it being sad? How is it sad?”

“It’s a beautiful song. All I meant was that it reminds me what I missed out on not having a mom. You wrote it. That’s kewl.”

“See it is a word. I told you. I’m not the only one who uses it.” Nick held out his hand. “That’s fifty dollars from each of you.” Brian and A.J. pulled some money out of their pocket and handed it to Nick.

“What word earns Nick $100?” Christin inquired.

“You just had to say it. You could’ve have said cool. You had to say kewl.” Brian whined.

Christin laughed.

“You said you had three favorites. What’s the third?” Howie asked.

“Oh. I don’t know the name of it be A.J. starts singing it. It think it starts out Don’t want you back. Then A.J. says something about Backstreets back. You know what I’m talking about.?” Christin tried to explain.

“Yeah. It starts, ‘Don’t, don’t, don’t, want you back. You hit me faster than a shark attack. You saw picture on the Backstreets back. Alright.’ Right?” A.J. half-way talked, halfway song the words to ‘Don’t Want You Back.’

“Yeah that’s it. I like the beat. And pole dancing thing. I’m sorry but I thought it was…hilarious. You all reminded me of pole dancers. I think I laughed during the whole song. I tried to hide it. The girls around me thought I was psycho. It was funny though.” Christin laughed at the memory.

“Funny?” Kevin asked offended.

“Kevin, don’t tell me you don’t think so. First off your audience is girls that average from 12 to 18. Now you know all you older fans were thinking about whipping out the money and screaming take it off. Take it all off.” Christin laughed.

“I guess you’re right. But it still doesn’t make it funny. It wasn’t our idea.”

”Ok. I apologize.” Christin happened to glance down at her watch. “Oh my god. It’s almost eleven o’clock. I’ve gotten work tomorrow.”

“Work? Forget about work. It’s the end of our world tour, you became out manager. Tonight is a night to celebrate. Plus it’s still early.” Nick said.

Christin thought about it for a few seconds. Nick was right. Tonight was the perfect excuse to celebrate. But on the other hand she did have to work. She couldn’t miss work because she decided to get hung over. And knowing herself, she would. Maybe she could party with the guys another night. Tomorrow was Friday. She didn’t have to work on Saturday. The excuse would still be there. “That’s great and all but why don’t you party without me tonight. Then tomorrow night we’ll all party together. Because I really have to work tomorrow. Please.”

“Yeah fine.” They all agreed.

“Did you guys drive over here in your own car.” Christin inquired.

“Yeah.” Came from all of them.

“Good. Kevin can you give me a ride to my apartment?” she turned to Kevin and asked sweetly.

“Yeah.” Kevin grabbed his keys out of his pocket and walked to the door with Christin in front of him.

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Chapter 24

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