Chapter 2 - The Run-In

~*~TWO WEEKS LATER~*~

"Do the beginning of the first verse one more time," the technician told me through the intercom.

I nodded and placed the headphones back on my head. A few seconds later, I heard the familiar music, and I started singing.

"I wished upon a star one night
For a guy that would be true
But nothing that I wished for
Could ever compare to you."

The music stopped and I looked up at the technician.

"Ok, I think I got it that time," he said. "But I gotta fool around with this a bit, so take 20."

I nodded as I placed the headphones back on a hook on the studio wall. Then I stepped out of the room through a door labeled on the outside 'Studio 3' and started walking down the long hallway.

I guess now would be a good time to give you an update on what's happened in the last 2 weeks. Well, a couple of days after I found out about the record deal, Elise and I met with the big guys at Jive. I did a little mini-concert for them, and they signed me on the spot. Of course, I was freaking out. They wanted me to start recording immediately so I could get a single out soon. So a week ago I walked into an Orlando recording studio - my first time in a professional studio. Since then, I had been recording my first single, a fast song called 'All I've Ever Wanted'.

Anyway, back to the present. I walked into the lounge. There was no one in there, so I bought myself a Pepsi and walked towards the main room. I was kind of zoning out when I ran into someone, spilling my soda all over him and myself - and my white camisole.

"Shit!" I cursed as I immediately started examining my top.

"Oh god I'm so sorry," the guy said.

I looked up and found myself stating into the most gorgeous blue eyes I'd ever seen in my life.

"Um...that's ok...it's not your fault," I stammered.

Then I noticed 4 guys standing behind him, cracking up.

"Smooth move, Rok!" one of them said.

"Yeah, you sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet - literally!" another one said.

This caused the 4 of them to start cracking up again, while the other one just kind of stood there and blushed. Then a 30-ish looking man walked by and stopped.

"Well guys, I see you've met the newest addition to the Jive family," he said.

"Not formally," the guy I ran into stated.

"Well, in that case, Ticha, meet Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and Brian Littrell, also known as the Backstreet Boys. Boys, this is Ticha Morano. Jive just signed her on the spot a week and a half ago. Her manager is Elise Jacobsen. I think you've met her."

The guys nodded.

"Nice to meet you - or rather, run into you," Brian said with a grin.

"You, too," I replied, returning the smile.

"Ticha - that's an unusual name," Nick stated.

"Yeah, well I guess I'm an unusual person," I replied.

"Somehow I get the feeling you aren't lying," AJ said.

I just grinned.

"So, when do you get out of here?" Brian asked casually.

"Well, hopefully around 5. But the way this day is going, who knows," I replied.

"Bad recording days happen. They suck, though," Kevin said.

"Yeah, I noticed. I've been recording for about a week now, and it's not going too well. Basically, I can't get past the first verse of my first single. It just doesn't come out right," I said.

"That happens sometimes. You'll get past it soon, though," Howie said with a sympathetic smile.

The other guys nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I hope so. It's been nice to meet you guys, but I'm only on a 20 minute break..." I said.

"Wait, one thing. Would you like to join us for dinner after we all finish up here?" Brian asked.

My heart immediately started pounding at the speed of light.

"I'd love to," I replied, surprisingly cooly, considering the way I was feeling inside.

Then pictures of my roommates flashed through my mind.

"Um, one thing. See, I have these 4 roommates, and they're, well, obsessed with you guys...and they're going to completely murder me..." I stammered.

"Are they half as pretty as you?" AJ asked.

I immediately felt my cheeks turn red.

"Don't mind AJ, he's just being, well, AJ. Bring your roommates along," Nick said.

"Ok, good, cause I'm too young to die," I said with a laugh.

"And how young would that be?" Brian asked.

"Well, if you must know, I'm 23," I said with a flirtatious smile. I was flirting with a Backstreet Boy. What next? "But anyway, my 20 minutes is up."

"Ok, here's my cell number, just give me a call when you're done," Brian said, handing me a slip of paper.

"Ok. See you guys later!" I said.

We exchanged goodbyes, and I walked back to the studio, grinning like a total, complete idiot.

Chapter 3 - Dinner