Kevin
and Jeanie continued to see each other somehow working around each other's
crazy schedules. There were times late in 1998, when she would have given
anything to chuck it all to be with him. The Boys were riding the crest of a
tidal wave of popularity, suffering through legal problems, personal problems
and management problems. It was none of her business. Kevin didn't ask her
opinion and she didn't offer it. All she knew to do was be there if he needed
her.
She
and Mike continued to work together and continued cranking out hits. She and
Mac settled back into a loving, comfortable friendship.
The
Boys were anxious to go into the studio to record their next album, Millennium.
She
and Kevin usually saw each other every six or eight weeks. When they found time
for each other, they both made sure their worlds did not interfere. They loved
each other completely...there was no distraction. Just two hearts and two souls
united for whatever short time they had.
Kevin
was adamant about his privacy and discretion. She completely understood and
agreed with his feelings. Jeanie wasn't any more anxious than he was to face
nosy reporters or paparazzi. He'd always taken the position with the press that
he dated...they all did. She didn't want the publicity or the intrusion into
her privacy either, so she gladly accepted his position. What happened between
them, was between them.
She
was terribly disappointed on New Year's Eve 1998 when Kevin told her that he
had to work because they would be taping a concert in Orlando. She understood
and spent New Year's with friends at Mac's, but at the stroke of midnight, felt
like her heart was breaking. She missed him. She loved him.
************************
The
early part of 1999 was much happier than the end of the previous year. The Boys
were happily in the studio recording and planning their upcoming European Tour.
They signed with a new management company. Things were good.
Jeanie
and Meg finally convinced Lindsay to cut a demo. Mike and Jeanie wrote for
her...Meg pulled every string she had. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that
Lindsay would be a star. They needed one breakthrough hit...just one.
Until
then, Lindsay continued to live with Jeanie in Dallas. She ran the office
during the day and worked on her demo tape with a local producer at night. She
had two good, solid original songs. Jeanie was convinced the same songs in the
hands of an established artist would have been hits. Lindsay wasn't
known...yet. They kept working.
It
was spring...May, just before Millennium was released. Jeanie, wearing cut-offs
and one of Kevin's Hawaiian shirts, her hair in a pony tail, sat barefoot in
the music room. Because of the headphones she was wearing, she never heard
Lindsay come in. She sat on the floor, tethered to a tape recorder, pencil in
her mouth and sheet music scattered on the floor. Tiny purple tinted glasses
rested halfway down her nose.
"Hey
boss lady!" Lindsay nudged her bare foot with her toe.
"Oh
crap!" Jeanie slid the headphones down around her neck. "I'm sorry,
sweetie. How long have been standing there?" Lindsay sat down next to her.
"Aw,
not long." She seemed sad. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure,
babe," This wasn't like Lindsay.
"Well,
I mean. I went home for Christmas and New Year's and well..." she searched
for the words. "Um, you stayed in Dallas, huh?"
"Linds,
yeah, remember? I went to Mac's for a small party. I told you that,"
Jeanie didn't understand.
"Oh...well,"
Lindsay started to get up, then sat back down. "Jeanie...even though me
and A.J. haven't worked stuff out YET," she rolled her eyes, "um, I'm
a big fan. I still do all the stupid fan stuff..." she laughed.
Jeanie
nodded, smiling. She and Jessie definitely still did all the stupid fan
stuff...including spying on Kevin when he was at the house.
Tears
began to well in Lindsay's dark eyes. "Oh crap. I'm just going to tell
you!" she cried. Jeanie wrapped her arm around her. "I-I was surfin
the net a few minutes ago and looking at BSB stuff. I found a bunch of stuff
about New Year's Eve and the Orlando concert...how Kevin arrived with a tall
blonde and also left after the show with her."
Jeanie
didn't know what to say. She quickly forced a smile. "Linds! That doesn't
mean a thing. Hey, for awhile people thought Mike and I were married. Remember?
The hick and the Yankee!" she giggled. "Don't worry about it. I'm
not."
Lindsay
got up and tried to smile. She wasn't buying that it didn't bother Jeanie and
she sure as hell wasn't buying that it didn't mean a thing. She decided to call
Meg...then Mac...then Mike. If they couldn't help her find out what the hell
Kevin was doing, she'd call A.J. Damn it, A.J. owned her that much.
************************
When
the Boys hit Ghent, Belgium on June 2nd, for the first show of the Into The
Millennium Tour, Jeanie and Lindsay were there.
Nothing
was said about the persistent rumors of Kevin's relationship with the tall
blonde. Some of Jeanie's friends tried to tell her...hey, you're a tall blonde.
Jeanie would just laugh, she knew better.
Kevin
treated her as he always had, passionate and loving. However, he was terribly
distracted. Jeanie chalked it up to the excitement of their first concert and
the new album.
A.J.
flirted shamelessly with Lindsay. To Jeanie's delight, Lindsay didn't succumb
to his advances. She played him like a pro. A.J. didn't realize it, but he was
falling in love with Lindsay...it was written all over his face. That alone,
was worth the trip overseas.
The
next time Jeanie would see Kevin would be in July in Milan, Italy.