“Oh, look, there’s a girl!” I heard a voice say. I whirled around. It sounded like it was coming from the speakers, but no one was at the microphones on the stage.
“That’s no girl, that’s a WOMAN!” I recognized Howie’s voice.
“And what a woman, let me tell YOU!” Alex cackled. I sighed. By this time everyone had heard about our bathroom fling, and they teased us like crazy.
“I want her.” I heard Kevin’s low voice and I giggled. I was still a bit in awe of him and it always embarrassed me slightly when he teased her.
“No, she’s MINE!” Nick zoomed down out of nowhere and grabbed for my ponytail. I screamed and jumped a mile. I looked up at the ceiling, where the five Backstreet Boys were flying around on what looked like snowboards.
“What the hell?” I shouted, loving the entire idea.
“You should try this. Too cool,” Howie called down to me. I shook my head.
“No, thank you. Better view from the ground,” I said, grinning as Nick flew over my head in baggy shorts that I could see up into. He blushed a furious red and shouted for the crew to move him to the stage. The guys slowly made their way down and by the time I reached the stage I was covered in Backstreet hugs.
“Missed you TOO much,” Howie said. “I want you to come on tour with us. Just drop everything and come along.”
“Yeah, that will happen,” I said. “Too much work.” To tell the truth, I had cut back on work, but I was NOT about to drop my life and tour with the Backstreet Boys.
“You sound funny,” AJ observed. I froze. “And you’re pale. Are you sick?”
“Well, I’ve been fighting a cold.”
“Oh, fuck.” AJ stepped back, glaring at me. I couldn’t help but giggle. Alex had this thing about mucous and blowing of noses.
“I promise not to get any wet substance on you anywhere, Alex,” I said, giggling harder. The giggle turned into a cough so rough that they stared at me.
“You okay?” Howie put an arm around me.
“Fine,” I said tiredly. “I can’t fight this damn cold. It’s been after me off and on for months now.”
“Doctor,” Howie snapped.
“Yes, Dad. I have an appointment tomorrow.”
“Good.” He took my hand and dragged me up on stage. He deposited me in the corner. “Sit here and listen. We’re good.”
“Ego much?” I said with a grin, but he was right. They were good. Damn good. I was proud.
“Dinner backstage,” Nick told me regretfully. “Sorry…just a buffet.”
“I missed you guys. A buffet is fine,” I assured him. “I just want to spend some time with you.”
“Your chariot awaits, milady,” Alex said, taking my arm and leading me to a golf cart. He climbed behind the wheel. I looked at the others fearfully.
“Is this safe?”
“Of course not!” They shouted together as Alex zoomed off and I screamed.
“You sure you’re okay?” Alex said as soon as we were out of earshot.
“If I survive this ride, yes, I’m fine,” I told him, giggling as he swerved to avoid a crewmember.
“You look like shit, honey, and you know I say that in the kindest way possible.”
I playfully glared at him. “Thanks, Alex. Seriously, though, I can’t kick this cold. Sometimes it varies into the flu, but mostly I just cough a lot and have a hard time breathing. I’m tired most of the time, too. For all I know I’m hypoglycemic. No big deal, I promise. I really do have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Alex glanced at me and then did a double take. “Is that a hickey?”
“A WHAT?” I shouted at him. I hadn’t been on a simple date in over seven months. A hickey was out of the question.
“That bruise on your neck. It’s a hickey!” Alex shouted with glee. “You’ve got a hickey…you’ve got a hickey…” he sang. The arena echoed with his song.
“Fuck off, Alex,” I said affectionately, hoping he would drop the subject. I hopped off the cart as soon as he slowed down and ran into the closest dressing room, looking for a mirror. Sure enough, there was a quarter-sized bruise on my neck. “Oh, God, Alex…I burned myself with a curling iron. Relax.”
“Hickey hickey hickey,” he hissed in my ear, cackling again as the others filed in. “She’s got a hickey!” He announced.
“You are so childish, Aje,” Brian drawled.
“Childish and jealous, maybe?” Howie said with a small smile. He had never really accepted the whole sex in the bathroom thing. He was so protective of me. Always had been.
“Well, it wasn’t me, that’s all I know,” Alex said. “And I think it’s sexy.”
“Thank you so much,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I need something to drink. Do we have tea?”
“Hell, yes!” Howie said, leading me to his own personal tea stash. The conversation quickly moved away from my neck to other things, for which I was infinitely grateful.
The concert was amazing. The guys left for Tampa after the show, and Howie still tried begging me to come along. I refused. I was tired and needed to go to bed. My doctor’s appointment was early the next morning and I needed sleep. I just KNEW the doctor was going to tell me I was suffering from exhaustion. What few jobs I WAS taking were totally mindwracking and took everything I had to complete.
“Okay, you can go ahead and get dressed,” the doctor said with a smile. I gratefully slipped out of the examination gown and back into my shorts and t-shirt. I met the doctor in his office. He closed the door behind me.
“Well? Let me guess. Too much work. I’m wearing myself out,” I said with a smile. “I know that already.”
“Well, that is part of it, but there’s more, I’m afraid.” The doctor’s voice was kind as he took his glasses off and folded them on the desk. “Are you intimately involved with anyone right now?”
“Um, well, no,” I stammered, surprised at the question. “Not for some time. I’d say it’s been…” I counted back to the end of my last disastrous relationship. “It’s been about a year now.”
“No sexual relations since then?”
“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “I’m not into that sort of thing,” I said, making myself ignore the incidences with Alex and John. “I don’t do the one night stand thing.”
“I see.” He sighed gravely. “You might want to call this last boyfriend, as well as the last three or four before him.”
“There WERE only three or four,” I said softly, confused.
“I’m not sure…I need to do more tests…but I believe you may be HIV Positive.”