Chapter 1

 

 

Midori stifled a yawn and leaned against the cool brick wall of the club. All the dancing she had done that night had left her tired and quite thirsty. Across the dimly lit room she watched as her best friend, A.J. McLean, was pulled onto the floor by a tall leggy blonde. Midori smiled to herself, knowing all too well what A.J. would do: dance half the song with the fan and then make his way back over to her, sitting in the far, dark corner of the loud room.

She was right. After seeing A.J. give the girl a no-more-than-friendly kiss, she watched him order two drinks from the bar and saunter back over to their table. His cocky, self-assured swagger always had turned her on, but she'd never let him know that.

"Hey, baby. Did you miss me?" he asked sexily. Bending over, he ran his tongue over her lips before sliding it into her mouth. They kissed teasingly for a brief second.

"Sure did," Midori answered in her flirtatious manner as she pulled him into the chair next to her. "Glad you're back."

A.J. and Midori had been best friends since childhood. They grew up in the same apartment complex and were virtually inseparable everywhere they went. Then the offer to be a Backstreet Boy came along and A.J. couldn't refuse, even if it did mean leaving his "Dori" back at home in Palm Beach.

The first couple of years were trying, and the strain showed on their friendship. But A.J. was faithful to his promise of letters and phone calls, and as soon as Midori graduated high school with honors she left behind an abusive father and an alcoholic mother to travel the world with her best friend.

A.J. and Dori shared the same hotel room, but their relationship never went farther than late-night talks, deep kisses, and genuine friendship. That's how they both liked it--casual, uncomplicated, and comfortable, although A.J. figured a little making out wouldn't hurt things every now and then. And Midori had to admit that her A.J. was extremely sexy, now that he had grown up a little.

A.J. placed a drink on the table in front of Midori and took a long swallow from his own cup. "Drink up, doll! You don't turn 21 everyday!"

Laughing, she downed the glass and finished off the rest of A.J.'s. "Well, right now I've got you beat seven to five, baby. Sounds to me like you're the one who needs to drink up." A.J. just shook his head and made his way back up to the bar to buy two more drinks.