The five guys look up at her as she rushes into the room. She lets out a big sigh.
"Sorry I’m late. I had a hell of a morning and…" She catches Nick’s eye, "YOU?!"
"Ah, yeah. I meant to.."
"Save it. You left me sprawled in the gutter." He gasps and stands up.
"Not fair! I left you standing on your two feet."
"OK, theoretically. But metaphorically" she glares at him.
"Metaphorically? Huh."
"Sorry. Was I using words too big for your meagre intellect to grasp?"
Nick shakes his head.
"I understood just fine lady. Anyway, you sicced those girls on my ass."
"Oh yeah" She tries not to laugh, "if it helps, I said Ooops afterwards."
"Ooops?!" AJ laughs.
"Ooops don’t make my ass feel better" mutters Nick as he sits down. Jenny grins at him and sits down opposite the guys.
"So, what’s the story?" asks AJ.
"Well, I was wandering along minding my own business and this jerk barrels straight into me and sends my files and stuff flying off in all directions."
"I was trying to escape. You shouldn’t have been hanging around a corner anyhow, people do have a tendency to go round them." Nick nods his head and folds his arms like a politician making a valid point.
"Huh? Anyway, he doesn’t even say sorry."
"I started to."
"And runs off."
"Yeah. Cos those banshees were on my tail. Apologise and get mobbed or run and stand some chance of escape? Ooh, big choice."
"Took me ages to get that stuff sorted again."
"Well, I’m sorry. But you did sic those girls on my ass."
"Yeah. Sorry ‘bout that" she grins. "What’d they do to you anyway?"
"I ran for about 3 blocks then came up against a brick wall. Figured I’d climb it, y’know like Spiderman."
"Been readin’ too many comics Nicky" laughs Kevin.
"Yeah well I woulda made it if it wasn’t for the damn dog. So I’m stuck on this wall with banshees one side and rottveiler the other."
"Hard choice!" AJ grins.
"Which one did you choose?" asks Brian.
"Only decent one really. The dog." They all laugh and Nick winces. "Isn’t funny where I’m sittin’ guys. My ass got chewed off, and I was wearing some pretty cool pants."
"Oh not those black ones from New York?" Nick nods and Brian winces. "Owch. Those were great Frack."
"Well, that was a tale worthy of the Oscars." Jenny gets her tape-recorder out of her bag.
"You’ve got a cold heart" sniffs Nick. She looks at him and laughs.
He smiles back.
"So is all forgiven?"
"Hmmm, OK then. I better get on with the interview or your publicist is going is going to fry MY ass for keeping you too long." She clicks the recorder on.
Jenny stands up and smiles at the guys in front of her.
"That was great. Thanks."
"No problem." Kevin stands up and kisses her on the cheek. "You made it interesting."
"I especially loved the entrance you made." She turns and smiles at AJ.
"I aim to please."
Nick walks over to her. "Want to see my ass?"
"Thanks but…no."
"Aww, it’d make you feel real sorry for shouting at me." She laughs. "Geez, you’re English."
She stares at him. "Mr Observant you’re not. I’ve been talking for about..oooh 90 minutes now and you’ve only just twigged my accent?!"
"I thought there was SOMETHING about you, but couldn’t quite work it out."
AJ laughs, "Go back to bed Nicky, this just ain’t your day."
"Sorry ‘bout him" Kevin smiles, "he can be a lil dumb sometimes."
"MOST times" AJ corrected him.
"Oh gang up on me why dontcha?" Nick grumbles.
Brian slaps him on the back with a grin, "Frack, some days it’s best to keep quiet."
Jenny smiles at him and looks at her watch, "I’m off. See you guys around maybe." She walks out of the room.
The guys all sit down and start fiddling with comics, clothing and gameboys. Nick sighs and looks round the room. He sighs again, louder.
"Heard you first time Nicky" AJ mutters as he thrashes Howie at a game of baseball on the gameboy.
"What is it Nick?" Brian puts down his comic.
"I like her, yeah."
"The reporter? Oh right, yeah she was nice" Brian picks up his comic again.
"No, I mean, she’s damn CUTE." The lads look at him. "Oh did I say that too loud?"
"Any louder and Europe’d hear." Brian looks at his friend. "Really?"
Nick grins. "Yeah. She shouted at me."
AJ looks at him, "Lookin’ for a teacher substitute Nicky?" Nick throws a cushion at AJ, hitting him full in the face. "Owch!"
Nick sits back on the couch. "Do you know how long it is since I met a girl who can stop caring who I am long enough to shout at me? Way too long I tell ya."
"Yeah, it shows" Howie grins. "Why don’t you call her up?"
"Duh, did you hear her give me her number?"
AJ laughs, "Really Nicky you can be so dumb sometimes. We’re the Backstreet Boys, does anything stand in our way of getting journos’ numbers?!" Nick grins and leaps up. He runs out of the room screaming for the band’s publicist. The other guys look at each other and shake their heads.
"Poor girl" AJ says.
Jenny looks at her friend Sara.
"Sara, they’re PEOPLE. Guy-people, not superstars. So that makes them appear kinda normal. Well, except maybe Nick."
"Jen, no. They’re gorgeous and damn sexy. I’d have fainted."
"And you wonder why the editor sent me instead of you" she laughs.
"Why’s Nick not normal then? Cause he’s damn fine?"
"No Sara. Cos he’s NICK." Jenny laughs at Sara’s puzzled expression, "Long story." The phone rings and Sara grabs it. She listens a minute and then hands it over to Jenny.
"Long story is on the line for you."
"Hello….Oh hey Nick…..Oh no, I don’t mind but if you wanted my number you could’ve asked…..oh right, spur-of-the-moment thing…….hmmm……yeah sure….No problem, at 8….bye."
Sara stares at her.
"Omigod! NICK called you. I SPOKE to him. I didn’t collapse."
Jen pats Sara on the back, "Congratulations."