“Well shit,” I complain sitting my sorry ass down in the black chair cautiously. “Am I glad that tour is done.”
Ali giggles and hands me a drink. “What hurts?”
“Everything. Even things I didn’t even KNOW I had.”
“So you won’t be swapping careers any time soon?” asks Ali.
“No way.” I sip my drink and sigh. “I’m never moving again. I mean it.”
“Ok,” Ali shrugs.
I eye her warily. “Any more thoughts about that Backstreet tour book?”
“Yes and they’re all along the lines of no.”
“Ali…” I beg.
“No,” she folds her arms. “N, O, no.”
“Oh c’mon. This would be great for us! I mean this could be a BESTSELLER with their fan base. Think of all the work we’d get from it.”
“Yeah, that bit’s good.”
“I mean, ok, so Nick’s a problem but he must’ve requested you for this book. They never do anything without ALL of ‘em agreeing.”
“You think?” she asks, a trace of hope creeping into her voice.
“Of course! C’mon Ali, this would be great. Just give it a shot and then y’know… Go back to New York if you have to afterwards,” I offer, knowing that she could never go back to New York after seeing Nick again.
“I guess I could do that. It’s not like it’s forever,” she muses. “Ok then, you got me.”
“Oh yes!” I leap out of the chair to hug her and then groan. “Remind me never to move again.” I sit back down again and reach for my cell phone.
“How was Vegas by the way?”
“Lemme just call Brian, then I’ll tell ya all the gossip,” I promise, dialling Brian’s number. He picks up pretty quickly. “Wow that was fast.”
“I saw your name on caller ID,” he explains. “Are you back home now?”
“Yup. Just got in actually. I spoke to Ali about the book.”
“Yeah?”
“She’s in.”
“She is? Wicked! So you’re coming?! Wow Jady, I missed you lately.”
“Ditto,” I smile. “So when do you want us?”
“Uh, would now be too soon?”
“Uh, kinda,” I laugh. “I was thinking more next week.”
“Oh ok. I guess I can wait a little longer,” he jokes. “I’ll book you in everywhere so just turn up at the airport next week.”
“Ok.”
“Great. So, how was the flight?”
“Pretty boring,” I laugh. “Uh, Bri… You kinda need to tell me what day, what time, and the flight number for next week. I’m not THAT psychic.”
“Uh yeah!” he laughs. “Lemme call ya back after I book it.”
“Ok. Bye,” I hang up and grin at Ali. “He’s pretty pleased.”
“I bet,” she says dryly. “Oh man, why can my love-life run as smoothly as yours?”
“Smooth?! Does the name AJ mean anything to ya?”
“Well yeah, but it’s all good now.”
“Hope so,” I grin to myself. I am seriously looking forward to being with Brian again. Ever since Ali had split up with Nick I have found it harder to be around her. I feel too guilty to talk about Brian and, really, he factors pretty highly in my list of things to talk about.
“All booked baby!” yells Brian racing onto the basketball court where the other guys are bouncing a ball around. He grabs the ball off Nick and slam-dunks it. “Nothin’ but net!”
“Ok, I’m guessin’ you heard back from Jade about the book,” chuckles Kevin.
“Yup, sure did!”
“And the word was…” Howie does his clairvoyant look. “Yes?”
“Wow Howie, you’re good!” Brian laughs and throws him the ball. “I got ‘em booked on Tuesday’s flight into Pittsburgh.”
“It’s Pittsburgh next week?” Howie tries a slam-dunk but fails miserably and throws the ball hard at Nick when he starts sniggering. “Shut up white boy.”
“Howie’s the pits in Pittsburgh!” Nick yells, jumping up to dunk the ball in the net. He tosses it to AJ who bounces it unenthusiastically.
“Well jeez, can we go do somethin’ else?”
“Like what?” Howie sits down on the sidelines.
“Like go hit the malls?” AJ says hopefully.
“Oh like last time?” Kevin scowls. “That sure WAS fun. I mean, nothin’ makes a day more than getting chased through a certain fast food outlet cos a certain freak who shall remain nameless wanted, no NEEDED, a happy meal.”
“Hey, it was a double McBurger.”
“Whatever.” Kevin checks his watch. “Anyways, we got a sound check in ten minutes so let’s go.”
“Sound check,” Nick whines. “Can’t we give it a miss? I mean, we been singin’ this stuff for YEARS already. I think we know it by now.” Kevin shoots Nick a glare and he hangs his head. “Ya could just SAY no instead of tryin’ to kill me with a look.”
“I just LOVE meet ‘n’ greets!” yells AJ with a grin, twirling his ten new shades and five hats. “It’s like Christmas!”
“Ya see any Gameboys out there?” asks Nick hopefully. “Or even a coupla games?”
“Ya wish. Lookin’ out there, anybody’d think beanies were bein’ made again.”
“Beanies? Aw man, I got ‘em all!”
“Hey, I get Gummy Bears so shut up,” says Howie.
“And I get BLUE things,” says Brian as Kevin comes back into the room with an armful of toy trains.
“I wish they wouldn’t take it so literally,” he mutters. “Hell to carry.”
Brian, Nick and Howie giggle and walk through into the big room where thirty meet ‘n’ greet fans are waiting. They split up to work the room in different directions.
“Hey y’all!” says Brian as two teenage girls rush into his arms at the same time.
“Whoa!” yells Nick as he gets pulled down into a tight hug by an eight-year-old.
“Howie doin’?” winks Howie as he gets handed his fifth packet of Gummy Bears.
“That one’s a screamer,” says Kevin peering through a crack in the door.
“Which one?” AJ joins him and the two men look through the door.
“The blonde one that Nick’s about to get to.”
“Ya think?”
“AHHHHHHH! NICK! I LOVE YOU!!! AHHHHH!”
“Told ya,” Kevin says smugly. “I can spot ‘em a mile off.”