“Parties SUCK,” I declare to my brother.
“Chill out pookie,” Jay laughs. “The actual party will be fun. It’s just this part that sucks.”
“Uh huh,” I agree, struggling with what seems like the hundredth folding chair.
Brian is off doing an interview with the other guys, something he forgot to mention when we organised this housewarming party. So he managed to get out of all this preparation and I’ve decided I’m not speaking to him. At least Jay is here. He caught a flight from Atlanta last night and is booked into a real exclusive hotel, courtesy of the FBI. He’s in town to brief them on a few investigations. Ali’s helping as well – she’s in the corner of the garden with Kristen, trying to light the barbecue.
“What time is Brian back?”
“He said about 2.”
“Oh, we can leave him stuff to do and go swim,” Jay suggests and I laugh.
“Definitely. He’s doin’ some work before this party starts at 4!”
“Bored as all hell!” Nick suddenly announces to the room.
“Thanks for that Nicky,” AJ says dryly.
“And don’t say hell,” Brian starts. “It’s…”
“Not nice!” Howie, Nick and AJ finish off for him.
“If you know it, why say it?” Brian asks.
“Because if you don’t get to say ‘it’s not nice’ at least once a day, the whole world goes wrong,” Nick says. “So I figure I should do my part to help the world.”
“Whatever,” Brian rolls his eyes and goes back to his book.
“The party’s somethin’ to look forward to though,” Kevin says. “What time is it?”
“4,” Brian says. “Jade’s pissed at me cos I forgot about this interview so she’s gotta do it all on her own.”
“I think Kris went over to help out,” Kevin says.
“Still bored,” Nick says.
“Who isn’t?” responds AJ.
The five Boys are waiting to do a satellite interview with Jay Leno and so far they’ve been waiting an hour in a small room. Howie is on his fifth phone conversation; Kevin is almost done with his paper; Brian is halfway through his book; AJ has counted the burns in the carpet and Nick has told everybody he’s bored for the sixth time.
“If we don’t get called through in five minutes we should leave,” Nick decides. “I mean, we’re the Backstreet Boys!”
“And?” Kevin asks dangerously.
“And we’re the Backstreet Boys!” Nick repeats.
“So we’re too good to wait around?” Kevin asks.
“No,” Nick backtracks when he sees the look the older man is giving him. He knows that if he doesn’t cover himself, he’ll be open to a Kevin lecture on the importance of keeping both feet firmly on the ground at all times combined with the old Kevin lecture of keeping all the people happy on the way up so they don’t smack you in the butt on the way down. He may be bored but not THAT bored. “I meant, we have to go meet and greet our fans outside soon and I don’t wanna keep THEM waiting!” he says smugly.
“Ah, I see,” Kevin nods and goes back to his paper.
“Good save,” compliments AJ.
“Of course,” Nick grins widely as a phone starts to ring. “Oh Howieeee,” he singsongs. “Ready for your nine thousandth conversation of the day?”
“Uh hello?!” Howie says sarcastically, holding up his cell. “I’m already on the cell dude.”
“It’s your cell man,” AJ tells Nick who roots around in his bag for it.
“Oh yeah. Who changed my damn ring tone?!”
“That would be me,” AJ grins proudly.
“Well don’t. I don’t want the damn bossa nova every time somebody calls!” Nick grumps and switches his phone on. “Why the hell is my display in some kind of funky language?!”
“That would be Chinese and also, me,” AJ tells him.
“Man, I’m gonna kill ya some day when you least expect it,” Nick promises and answers the call. “Hey?… Oh hey Ali! How you doin’?…”
“Ohh, it’s ALICIA,” AJ tells the rest of the group knowingly.
“Ah, ALICIA,” grins Brian.
“Shut up!” Nick tells them. “No, not you Ali. The guys are bein’ annoying… I’m just waitin’ around to do the TV show, then we got fans outside waitin’ to meet us and then I’ll be right over… Jay is there? Oh just great,” he mutters darkly. “Naw, I’m not sulking… He’s ok I guess… Aw whatever Al…”
“Guys, would you come through now?” a man pops his head in the door and the guys all stand up.
“Ali, I gotta go. We just got called through… I will. Ok, bye…” he hangs up the cell and throws it down on the couch as he follows AJ out of the room.
“How is Alicia?”
“Fine,” Nick says. “She’s helping Jade with the party. And Jay is there too,” he adds with a scowl.
“Well he IS Jade’s brother,” AJ shrugs. “He know you’re jealous of him?” AJ asks casually and Nick hits him.
“No because I’m NOT.”
“Aw c’mon!” AJ laughs. “You are SO jealous of big FBI dude Jay Greene.”
“Well I’m not! Ok?!”
“You’re jealous.”
“Am not,” Nick folds his arms sulkily.
“You’re jealous,” AJ repeats calmly as he sits down opposite a screen of Jay Leno.
“I am NOT jealous of fuckin’ Jay GREENE!” Nick yells, making the entire studio look at him. “That wasn’t live? Please tell me we’re not live right now,” he begs, turning red.
“We’re on a break,” a floor manager tells him with a grin.
“Nick, calm down,” Kevin puts a hand on his shoulder and pushes him down into a chair.
“I am calm,” Nick mutters. “Tell him to shut up.”
“Shut up AJ,” Kevin says, sitting between the two Boys.
“Honey I’m home!” I hear Brian call as he shuts the door behind him.
“Oh hey, the work dodger is back,” I tell Jay as Brian walks into the kitchen.
“I heard that!” he tells me with a laugh. “And I’m here now. What do I got to do?”
“Uh, well the barbecue needs cleaning, the pool needs a new filter and the grass is a little long,” I tell him with a straight face and his eyes widen.
“All that? Really? Ok, I better get changed then…”
“You know I’m playin’ ya,” I laugh and he grins.
“Well I wasn’t sure. You WERE pretty pissed at me this morning.”
“Hell yeah,” I agree. “But it wasn’t so bad really. Jay, Ali and Kris all helped out.”
“Cool. Thanks Jay,” Brian walks forward to shake his hand. “How you doin’?”
“I’m good. You?”