Brian follows AJ back from the bathroom and joins the rest of the group in the bar. AJ hands Brian a glass of wine as he looks past Ali.
“Hey where’s mine?”
“Your what?” Ali asks.
“My woman.”
“Ooh!” Ali giggles.
“Macho, macho man!” Kristen starts singing.
“Don’t let Jade hear you sayin’ that!” Ali mimes a slit throat and Brian laughs.
“Hey do you see her? Nup, see I wouldn’t call her that really!”
“You call her that ALL the time,” Nick argues. He puts on an exaggerated slouch and mimics Brian’s laid-back southern drawl. “Oh I wanna see my WOman.”
Brian laughs. “Shut up. Seriously, anybody seen her? I lost her after we danced.”
“Nup,” Ali shakes her head.
“She won’t be far,” says Kristen.
“How long have you and Jade been together?” asks Layla.
“Almost a year,” grins Brian proudly.
“Cool,” Layla grins. “Long time.”
“It doesn’t feel it,” Brian says.
“Aw,” grins Cindy glancing at Howie quickly. She kinda hoped Howie would be saying that about her one day. “How’d y’all meet? Ali and Nick too.”
“AJ’s my cousin,” Ali explains. “And Jade is my room mate. AJ came round one night and brought Nick and Brian with him. The rest is kinda obvious.”
“You’re cousins?!” asks Layla. “You don’t look alike at ALL!”
“I should hope not,” says AJ. “I’m WAY better lookin’!”
“Ha! In your dreams,” retorts Ali.
“I would have to go with Ali,” grins Nick, kissing her neck.
“Thank God!” exclaims AJ. “I’d be damn scared if you went with me.”
“Shut up,” Nick rolls his eyes.
“Hey y’all,” Jade joins them and Brian wraps his arms around her.
“Where’ve you been?”
“I went to the bathroom and then I kept gettin’ grabbed by people. Y’know, that Shaggy guy REALLY is mr lover, lover, lover man…” she winks at Ali who bursts out laughing.
“He came onto ya?” asks Brian aggrievedly.
“Kinda,” she grins and turns to face him. “But don’t worry. I told him I had my very own mr lover man waitin’ for me.”
“I should think so too,” he says and kisses her.
“Hey, isn’t that David Blaine?” asks AJ and everyone looks in the direction he’s facing. They can see the magician walking towards where they are standing at the bar. As he’s about to walk past, AJ stops him. “Hey man, I really dig ya stuff.”
“Thanks,” David drawls slowly and looks around the group. “You guys are kinda recognisable too. Backstreet Boys right?”
“Yeah, that’s us,” beams Howie proudly. “I know ya get asked a lot but could ya do a trick?”
“Yeah,” David says. “I DO get asked a lot.”
“Aw, go on!” Jade begs him and he chuckles.
“Ok, I’ll do one. But you gotta get me some paper, a pen and a lighter.”
Everyone rummages through their pockets and purses. Jade produces a pen, AJ a lighter and Ali some paper. David takes the paper and tears it in half before studying the group intently.
“You,” he points to Brian. “You got an open face. Wanna help me?”
“Sure,” Brian grins.
“Ok, I want you to write the name of the most important person in your life on this sheet of paper. Just their first name. Fold it up into half and then half again. I’m gonna walk over there so I can’t possibly see what you’re writing, count to ten and then come back. Ok?” he asks and Brian nods, grabbing the pencil and paper. David walks away and Brian writes the name down quickly, folding the paper up as David rejoins them. “This it?” he takes the paper from Brian.
“Yup,” Brian nods.
“Ok, did you print it or write it?”
“I wrote it.”
“Ok, sorry, you gotta print it. My mistake for not telling you,” David rips up the paper and scatters it on the floor. “Let’s try again huh?”
“Sure, sorry,” Brian grins and grabs another piece of paper as David walks away. He prints the name, folds it up and David walks back.
“Ok, done it?” he takes the paper as Brian nods. “Ok, keep the name in your mind. Concentrate on the letters of that name.”
“Ok,” Brian nods seriously and David stares at him a while.
“Ok, who got the lighter?”
“Here,” AJ holds it up and David turns to him.
“Ok, I want you to set fire to this piece of paper at the bottom.”
“Set fire?” AJ chuckles. “Sure as long as you take the blame for burning down the party.”
“That won’t happen,” David smiles and AJ lights the paper. David lets it burn a little and then blows on it slightly before he touches it across his wrist, pulling up his sleeve as he brushes the paper over his skin. He shows Brian his arm – JADE is written across it. “This the name?”
“Holy…” Brian mutters and everyone else gasps.
“Wow!” Howie exclaims. “How’d you do that?!”
“Damn, I’m seriously freaked by that,” Brian admits, shaking his head.
“Magic,” David spreads his hands with a grin and walks away, leaving ten extremely dumbfounded people behind to try and work out how he did it.
“He CAN’T read minds,” Kevin reasons. “He’d be a multi-millionaire if he could.”
“Uh, I think he IS,” Jade says.
“Point,” Kevin admits. “Jeez, I have NO clue.”
“Me neither,” Jade turns to wrap her arms around Brian’s waist. “But I’m honoured you see me as the most important person in your life.”
“Of course I do baby. You ARE my life,” he kisses her. “But I wish I knew how he did it!”
“JADE!” a girl’s voice screams.
I turn in the direction of the voice and see a grinning Britney rushing towards me, Justin isn’t far behind. I grin and hug her. We had gotten pretty close on her tour – especially after discovering we were both dating boy band members. We were also united in imagining the reactions Brian and Justin would display at being called boy band members.
“Hey Brit! How are things? You did real well tonight!”
“Thanks!” she grins. “Wyclef was SUCH a pro. Every time I missed a cue he just picked it right up.”
“You missed a cue?” I ask with a grin.
“Yup, several,” she laughs. She grins at Brian. “Hi Brian. It’s good to see you. Congrats on winning.”
“Thanks,” Brian grins and hugs her quickly before shaking Justin’s hand. “Hey Justin.”
“Hey Brian.”
“Have you guys met?” Britney asks Justin and me.
“You look familiar,” Justin says to me and I laugh.
“I interviewed your group last year. My name’s Jade.”
“Of course!” he grins. “Hi Jade.”
“Jady, I wanted…” Ali turns to us and stops talking as she realises Britney and Justin have joined us. I smother a grin. Ali has a serious problem with Britney. Apparently Britney had once snubbed Ali as photographer for a magazine feature and Ali has never forgiven her. “Oh.”
Britney looks at her and her smile fades. “Wait, I know you right?”
“Alicia McNamara,” Ali says. “I’m a photographer. I shot you for Rolling Stone last year.”
“Oh yeah,” Britney remembers. She also remembers Ali’s attitude and frowns slightly. “Yeah. Good to see you again.”
“Yeah,” Ali says as Nick joins us.
“Hey Nick!” Britney smiles at him brightly.
“Hey Britney,” Nick grins and kisses Britney’s cheek. “Yo Justin.”
“Hey Nick,” Justin replies.
“You did good tonight,” Nick tells Britney with a grin and she giggles – earning them both dirty looks from Ali and Justin. Ali wraps her arm around Nick’s waist and Justin pulls Britney closer into him. I glance at Brian and see that he looks amused.
“Are you in town for long Jade?” asks Britney.
“No, I fly to Houston tomorrow.”
“Aw, I’m around all week and I was hopin’ we could catch up,” Britney pouts and I shrug.
“Sorry. But when I get home to Florida I will call ya – promise.”
“Cool, cos I’m gonna be in Florida for the next few months recording my album,” Britney grins. “We’ll have a girls’ night in – just you and me,” she adds with a sideways glance at Ali.
“Great,” I smile and glance at Ali who is shooting Britney murderous looks.
“Well, do warn me if you decide to hang out at OUR place,” she drawls.
“I’m sure Jade would much rather come to MY place,” Britney says lightly as Ali glares at her.
“Uh, Brian…” I turn to him. “I REALLY love this song. Let’s dance. Bye!” I grab his hand and drag him away from the group and onto the dance floor. He starts laughing.
“Oh boy. Ali really LOVES Britney doesn’t she?”
“That’s one word for it,” I giggle.
“What’s Britney ever done to her?”
“Oh, Ali thinks she snubbed her over her last album’s photography.”
“And did she?”
“No idea,” I shrug. “But knowing Brit, I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. But Ali takes her work very seriously and saw it as a personal thing.”
“Well I was sure they were gonna come to blows over YOU,” grins Brian and I roll my eyes.
“Oh that wouldn’t have been funny,” I glance over at where we had left them all and see that only Nick and Ali are stood there now. “At least it’s over.”
“Oh you’re so popular Jady…” he teases me and I pull a face at him.
“Shut up.”
“And I never realised just HOW much you love My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion…” he chuckles as I realise what song is currently playing.
“Ugh,” I groan. “Just kiss me and maybe I can block it out.”
“Anything for you,” he grins and obliges.