CHAPTER 7
Everyone went back to the hotel to hang out until dinnertime. Maggie hung around in Howie and Claudia’s suite. She was surprised by how many things she and Claudia had in common. Maggie knew that right away they would sooner or later become good friends.
"Are you serious"? Maggie asked.
"Very, I’ve had fans throw things at me just because Howie holds my hand" Claudia said.
"How do you put up with all that"?
"Well it’s not that bad, I mean some fans get jealous and say mean things, but most of them are cool and want to take pictures with me"
"Oh, well so moving on...do you know where were going tonight to eat"?
"I think the place is called Limbo" Howie said walking out from the bedroom where he had been taking a nap.
"Oh how nice of you to join us...so do you know if it formal or casual"? Maggie asked.
"I think it’s semi-formal"
Maggie looked at her watch and it read 6.
"Shit I forgot were supposed to meet everyone in the lobby at 7, I better go" Maggie said rushing to the door.
Soon everyone was in the lobby waiting on Maggie and Howie to come down.
"Gosh it’s bad enough Howie takes forever and a day to get ready, but now we have to expect this from Maggie too" Nick whined.
"Please Nick, don’t worry you will be fed soon" A.J. said.
Maggie caught up with Howie and Claudia in the elevator and they all made their entrance. Maggie was wearing tight dark blue leather pants and a tight tank top with a black leather coat on top. Howie was wearing cream slacks and a brown shirt under a cream coat. Claudia was wearing a short purple dress.
"Okay now we can finally go," Kevin said taking Christie’s hand and walking towards the door with a bodyguard.
"Dam what’s his problem" Maggie said to nobody inparticular.
"Get used to it, he likes things his way ALL the time" A.J. said coming behind her.
"I see" Maggie said still walking in front of him.
Once at the restaurant everyone took his or her seats at a table. Maggie sitting between A.J. and Nick. Amanda on A.J.’s other side and Mindi on Nick’s other side. Everyone looked over the menus and while waiting on the food got into his or her own little conversations. Amanda began talking with Leighanne who sat across from her. Maggie decided to start a convo with A.J.
"So..." Maggie said trying to get his attention.
"I see you are really like me," A.J. said facing her.
"What do you mean"? Maggie asked
"Don’t say much"
"Well I only speak when spoken to"
"I feel you, so why so nervous"? A.J. asked.
"Nervous"?
"Your leg, you’ve been shaking it ever since we sat down"
"Oh that, I guess I’m still getting used to all of you"
"Don’t worry we don’t bit, plus now your a part of us"
"Thanks"
When the food arrived everyone except Maggie began talking about his or her best and worst moments on stage. Maggie was just listening and laughing at how funny Brian made something so small so funny. But soon Maggie became uninterested in the discussion and began shaking her leg, she still kind of felt like she could never be apart of such a successful group. A.J. noticed her leg shaking and placed a hand on her thigh. Maggie looked at him with a bewildered face. He looked at her and gave her a small smile and began rubbing her thigh to soothe her. Maggie was forced to look away from him when Nick starting shouting something.
"I hope this video looks good," Nick said facing Kevin.
"It will, I just wonder what our story lines are going to be" Kevin said.
The new video was going to be for their latest single Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely. They were talking about the story lines they wanted in the video.
"So Mag what story line do you want"? Brian asked.
"You can call me Marjorie, Carson, or Maggie whatever makes you happy, but don’t call me Mag" She said with a small smile on her face.
"I think we need to make a name up for our new band mate" A.J. said.
"Yeah, but what"? Brian asked.
"Um maybe Candy" A.J. said.
"Why Candy"? Maggie asked.
"Because when I knocked on your door earlier tonight to tell you to hurry and meet us in the lobby, you couldn’t even hear me" A.J. said.
"That doesn’t answer my question" Maggie said with a confused face.
"The reason you didn’t hear me was because you were blasting the radio to that song Candy by Mandy Moore" A.J. said.
"Please tell me he is kidding Maggie"? Claudia asked.
"No you don’t understand I had the radio up real loud and that song just came on and I didn’t have time to lower it...I can’t stand that song" Maggie said trying to defend herself.
"Yeah, sure I even heard you singing along"
"I know the words because I hear it so much, but I don’t like the song...I mean how in the hell do you miss someone like candy"
"You’re in denial Candy" Brian said laughing.
"I hate all of you" Maggie said with a huge smile on her face. Now everyone at the table was laughing.
"You know you love us, so back to my question...what story line do you want"? Brian asked yet again.
"Um I’m not sure yet, but I was thinking something about losing my maternal grandmother to Cancer"
"I’m sorry to hear that" Brian said.
"It’s okay"
"Well I’m sure you can have that sort of story line," Kevin said.
"Yeah I hope so...so how about you A.J. what story line do you want"? Maggie asked.
A.J. got into some story about losing a girlfriend and while telling his story he never took his hand off of Maggie’s leg rubbing it every now and then. Maggie new it was wrong for him to be touching her like that and also knew she should have pushed his hand away but for some reason she liked how his hands felt.
Copyright © 1999 BSB Fiction