Written by: Alexandra

Dra clicked on the windshield wipers as she drove down Pine street. Snowflakes flew through the air, pasting themselves to her window. The rhythmic swishing of the blades helped to relax Dra. She was driving to a swank hotel in the middle of town. She was finally going to see AJ again after he had been on tour. Butterflies swelled in her stomach......

.......and he started getting jittery. AJ drove through the streets of town after running a few errands. Luckily, he had scored a rental car and was trying to find his way to Pine Street. The boys had just finished up the tour and with the time off he had promised to come see Dra. He couldn’t believe how much he missed this girl. The little time they spent together didn’t mean a thing. AJ knew in his heart of hearts that this was his girl. This was the one. He looked up at the street sign and.......

..........turned onto Bleaker. Dra heard a whimpering from the back seat and shushed Mr. Peepers. She never went anywhere without him. Dra smiled at the thought that jumped in her head. Ever since AJ had left he religiously wrote to her at least once a month. Once he wrote about how he would have to compete with Mr. Peepers for her attention. She assured him the there was room enough for both in her heart. Pulling into the hotel parking lot........

......AJ sighed. He turned his car around once again. It was starting to snow harder now and AJ couldn’t really see the street signs. ‘Relax, McLean,’ he said to himself. He pulled into a gas station and laughed silently to himself. Dra and him had kept in correspondence ever since he left. He remembered one phone conversation that they had had. He had told Dra about his wonderful sense of direction and about how he was late to a show because he got lost looking for a thrift shop. Dra just giggled and told him that it was a good thing she knew her north from south. She could always make him smile and knew just what to say to cheer him up. He got out of the car and..........

........walked up to the front desk. She smiled at the clerk as she set down the dog carrier.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but dogs are not allowed in the hotel,” stated the snooty desk clerk.

“I’m in the Penthouse suite....with Mr. Brite,” she said smartly.

“I’m sorry, miss, I didn’t know. Let me just ring the suite to let him know you are here.”

Dra smiled thinking of how much AJ would have got a kick out of this. He always had this wild sense of adventure and always was telling her about the whacked out things he did. Once at the airport in Germany, AJ had Nick paged to the information booth and when he went there, about hundred rabid fans were waiting for him.

“Miss, no one is answering.”

“Oh well he’s probably sleeping, if you could just give me a key,” said Dra sweetly.

“I can’t do that unless you are renting the room,” replied the man.

“Look, I’m Mr. Brite’s girlfriend and I hate to think what he’s do if he found out his girlfriend wasn’t given a key to his suite. You know he’s booked under an assumed name and how would I know that name unless he told me so just give me the key,” Dra said forcefully.

“Yes, Miss,” he said handing over a key card. Dra picked up the pet carrier and.....

.......walked out of the gas station. He looked at the scribbles on the piece of paper and got back in his rental car. The snow was coming down at a steady clip and he hoped he could get back to the hotel safely. He hoped Dra was at home just waiting out the storm. He turned the wipers onto high and squinted trying to see the road. “This is impossible,” he said as he pulled over and put on his four way flashers “I just hope Dra isn’t waiting for me.......”

......Dra plopped down on the large couch and spread out. She opened up Mr. Peepers’ cage and he bounded out. She threw one of his chew toys onto the floor and he went to town. Dra closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She smiled smelling the scent of AJ’s cologne. ‘He must have just left,’ thought Dra as she got up and looked around the suite. A television with a VCR and stereo were in the entertainment center. Off the living room was a kitchenette. Dra got a smile on her face thinking how she could make breakfast for them tomorrow. She walked into the bedroom and was surprised to find no bed. She remembered AJ saying how he hated hotel beds and how they were so uncomfortable. ‘Looks like he pulled some strings and got the bed taken out. How he did that I’ll never know,’ thought Dra. The room was filled with lots and lots of soft fuzzy blankets and some giant pillows. There was a pretty balcony that over looked the city. Dra could see the snow coming down and she felt a small tinge of panic. “Hopefully AJ is OK.....”

.......AJ closed his eyes and sighed. The snow wasn’t looking good and AJ knew, through some uncanny psychic ability, that Dra was at the hotel waiting for him. His head popped up remembering that he had his cell phone. He picked it up and hit the power button. It turned on and flashed ‘low battery’ at him.

“No! Not now please,” he said shaking the phone. It was no use, a couple of seconds later it shut off. “Perfect! Can this day........”

.......get any better?” exclaimed Dra. She found a package wrapped in brown paper with the word ‘Alexandra’ scrawled across it. She tore it open and found it was his journal that he had been writing in. She smiled as Mr. Peepers found his way into the room. As he snuggled next to her, Dra began to read........

......December 4th, 1999, I am stuck in a rental car right now and writing this on some spare paper I found in the glove box. I should be at the hotel seeing Dra for the first time in about a year. I’ve missed her so much. I can probably predict what she is doing right now. I bet she’s found her way to the bedroom, found her package and is reading it right now. That girl is as about impatient as I am. I bet she’ll cry at the first entry. I wrote it all about how I feel about her. She’ll think it’s corny but she’ll still cry. I promised myself that the only tears she would have is tears of happiness. I wonder what she’ll say when I ask her my big question. I really hope she says yes. I’d feel really stupid if she didn’t. Let see what else can I say.......

.........but I love her. The way her eyes scrunch up when she giggles. Oh God that giggle! It sends this shiver of pure happiness though me. I could go without anything just to hear her giggle. She’s like this girl that I’ve always wished for. She got every single one of the qualities I could ever want in a woman. It’s like going down a list. Beautiful, check. Intelligent, check. Funny, check. Caring, check. It’s like someone took my list and just went down the line and made her. I wish I could see her smile right now. I wish I could feel her small hands grasp onto mine. I wish she’d look at me with those sultry eyes. I wish she’d smile at me with her luscious lips. I can’t believe what I feel for this lady, this woman. That’s where the first entry ended. Dra wiped the tears from her eyes. It was the most heartfelt comments she had ever read and they were all about her. She laid back on the........

.......cushy, plush seat and smiled at the thought of Dra’s face reading the entry. He poured his deepest most heartfelt comments into that book. It was after he had gotten her book and after reading it he believed even more in fate. He walked around with a smile plastered to his face for days after that. In everything he did, in everything he said and in everything he sang Dra was there pushing him along in spirit. His life felt like a mixed up fairy tale. He finally had the woman of his dreams but instead of living happily ever after he was stuck on a tour bus headed to Columbus. The pain of her being away was more than he could bear sometimes. Hearing her voice only helped somewhat. AJ would often go to bed clutching his pillow and her book tight wishing it were Dra, wishing he could hold her and never let go, hoping.......

..........that this damn storm would end. Dra watched the snowflakes fall in big hunky flakes. Dra smirked-AJ was probably lost in the snow, he pulled over and wants to wait it out hoping that I’m not here yet. Mr Peepers laid down on AJ’s book and whimpered.

“I know, Peeps, I know,” she said scratching his ear lightly “I miss him too.”

Dra pulled the book from out underneath Mr. Peepers and flipped ahead skipping over the song they wrote over the phone together. AJ need the inspiration and called her up and they ended up talking all night and doing the lyrics. Dra flipped another page and started to read.......

.........Talked to Dra today. You never really know how much you miss somebody until you talk to them. Hearing her voice made my heart just crack and break into tiny pieces. She misses me too which is a good sign considering. We talked about going on a first official date. I’d love to romance her. Make her this huge elaborate dinner. All her favorite foods and for dessert her favorite Chocolate Mousse. We’d eat Asian style on the floor and it would just be a small table with some blankets and pillows and tons of candles. No lights, just candles. Millions of candles everywhere. The soft glow playing on her soft defined features. I can just imagine the look on her face. Hell it would be priceless. Then after dinner I draw her up a nice warm bath with lots of bubbles. After a hard day at her job she deserves a bubble bath. Give her a nice shoulder and neck message while the warm water relaxed her aching muscles. Only problem is I’d wanna join her. There go my male hormones again but can you blame me. Dra is FINE! Anyway, I’d let her dry off and I give her something of mine to sleep in because I just find it such a turn-on for a girl to wear my clothes. But then again Dra could wear a snowsuit and I’d still find her sexy! Then we go outside to the balcony and watch the sunset. I could just see the wind blowing through her silky red hair. She’d keep flipping it over to one side, get frustrated, and say she was going to shave it all off. I’d laugh and hold her in my arms, telling her how beautiful she looked tonight and how much I loved her hair-the color, the smell, the length. She’d giggle and tell me I was on crack. I’d probably end up staring at her. I love looking at her. It sounds stalkerish but I just look at her wondering what I did to deserve her. She’s incredible and she’s all mine. She could have ANYONE in the world but yet she chooses me. I’m so incredibly lucky. I have a job I love, I have the unconditional love at a woman that I don’t’ deserve and the 4 greatest “brothers” in the world. Life doesn’t get much better, does it?..............

.................AJ shifted uncomfortably in the car. He wanted nothing more than this whole snowstorm to be over with.

“Well since I’m here, I can go through the stuff I bought,” AJ pulled the bags out of the backseat and ran through them. Roses, a tape of her favorite slow songs, strawberries, peaches, grapes, kiwi, apples, a lighter, and Chocolate Mousse. Satisfied with what he found he dug through the other bag. Candles, lots and lots of candles filled the bag. He flipped on the radio and tried to tune in a station. “Country, Country, Country. What the hell? Am I stuck in the twilight zone?” He stopped on a station that had some nice music playing and got interested in the song. He smiled listening to the words.

Taxi cab is waiting
Wish I could hold you one last time.
After all we’ve had together
There’s gotta be a better way of telling you good bye

If I had a horse, I ride off in the sunset
If I had wings I’d fly off in the sky so blue
If I had the time I’d spend my whole life dreaming
And I’d wake up still in love with you

Be in Baton Rouge by morning
Hope you’re missing me by then
I’d like to be the kind of memory
Makes you wanna take me back in your arms again

If I had a horse, I ride off in the sunset
If I had wings I’d fly off in the sky so blue
If I had the time I’d spend my whole life dreaming
And I’d wake up still in love with you

Some night when you get lonely
Will you still remember me?
If I had a horse, I ride off in the sunset
If I had wings I’d fly off in the sky so blue
If I had the time I’d spend my whole life dreaming
And I’d wake up still in love with you

And I‘d wake up still in love with you