Brian
“Whassa matter, dude?” Nick asked as we headed down the hall to a makeshift boardroom, set up in another hotel room on the same floor. I shrugged.
“Nothing...what makes you think something’s wrong?” I questioned.
Nick rolled his eyes. “Your face is all squished...like...like...”
“Like he’s in pain?” AJ supplied from in front of us. Nick pointed excitedly.
“Yeah, that’s it! So what is it?”
I shook my head. “Really, nothing,” I tried to put him off. He gave me his best impression of Kevin’s focused look.
“Brian, you can talk to me,” he said in a conspirational tone. I laughed, despite my incredibly frayed nerves.
“Thanks, but don’t worry about it.” Nick shrugged this time and sped up to catch up with Howie, who he no doubt wanted to rile up again. I was glad to be alone for the last few moments before facing the meeting. Nick was right in guessing that something was the matter. I had committed a big no-no in the world of Backstreet law and I had about only minutes til I had to fess up to it. Without telling anyone or clearing it with management, I had asked my girlfriend to fly out for a few days and stay with me. This was something that you just didn’t do around here. Frankly I wondered how I’d gotten the guts at all, because I was by no definition a risky sort of guy. As I sat and waited for the meeting to begin my palms got sweatier and sweatier. I tried to tell myself that it wouldn’t be so bad, but somehow I doubted it.
Lou, Donna and Johnny rambled on and on, and I paid attention to none of it. Finally (or maybe way too soon), Lou cleared his throat and peered around the table. “Any announcements?” he asked. I half-raised my hand. “Brian, shoot.”
“Ah, well,” I began, looking more at the table than anything else. “I need to ask for a ride this afternoon, if that’s all right.”
“Where to?” Lou questioned. I ducked my head a little.
“The airport.”
“Why do you need a ride to the airport?” It was at this point that all the other activity at the table ceased and was focused on me. Nick stopped poking Howie in the arm with a pencil. AJ stopped twisting his shirt. Kevin stopped twirling the pen in his hand between his fingers. They all just looked at me. I wanted to crawl under the table.
“To pick up my girlfriend,” I muttered. Complete silence.
“Your what?!” Lou exclaimed.
“You never mentioned anything about your girlfriend visiting,” Johnny chimed in at the same time.
“Where will she sleep?” Donna added. I shrugged.
“I’m sorry, we sorta arranged it and I forgot to mention it t’ y’all.” Whenever I was nervous my accent came out full force. I looked up to see the four guys staring at my in warped fascination. Lou was shaking his head.
“No.”
“I’m really sorry, Lou.”
“No, Brian. She isn’t staying here.”
“But where else will she go?” I asked him desperately. He shrugged.
“I don’t care. You should have thought of that before.”
“But Lou, please...” I didn’t know what to say. I looked to Donna for help. She rolled her eyes but turned to Lou.
“How much harm could she do? We’ll keep a close eye on them.”
“I promise we-” But I stopped as Donna held her hand up. I wouldn’t trample on my one ally. Lou sighed.
“I don’t want this becoming a trend.” He looked to Donna again, who gave him a ‘just this once, let’s humor the dumb Southern one’ look, and he sighed again. “Fine, but just this once. You all hear that? Next girlfriend that comes un-cleared, I send her back to O-town or Louisville-Lexington-Frankfort or wherever she’s from. Understood?” The guys murmured their agreement, now looking at me in utter shock. I don’t even know that all of them knew I had a serious girlfriend, let alone one that I could (almost), single-handedly get Lou to bend for. The meeting was called to an end and we all stood.
“You owe me, Littrell,” Donna warned after Lou had left. I gave her a big hug.
“I do, thank you, I appreciate it.”
“What time do you need to be at the airport?” Johnny asked.
“Her flight gets in at three,” I responded. He checked his watch, then gave me a look.
“In other words an hour from now?” I nodded sheepishly. It was Johnny’s turn to sigh. “Downstairs. Now.” I said nothing, just gave him a big smile. I wasn’t one to argue. As I went out the door I passed AJ and Howie, who both gave me admiring looks.
“Way to take control,” AJ complimented.
“Thanks.”
“So what’s your girlfriend’s name?” Howie asked.
“Brian, I better not catch you talking to anyone!” Johnny called from inside the room. I grinned at the fellas.
“Annie,” I whispered as I headed for the elevator.
“Don’t whisper and think I can’t hear your ass! Move! You are not moving fast enough!” Johnny informed me. Laughing, relieved, I picked up the pace.
Howie
“I’m still in shock,” AJ announced from his bed as we sat and watched TV.
“About what? Brian?”
“Yeah. I mean, damn, the kid’s still shy after almost a year and a half, and suddenly he stages an uprising. How’d he do that?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll have to get him to share his secrets.”
I just nodded, what I did a lot in response to AJ. He rambled constantly, something he’s done since the first day I met him years ago, and a lot of times I had little to say in reply. I got bored pretty quickly with the show he’d put on, so I got up and started to pack. We’d been at the same hotel for a week and were about to be travelling from Duluth to Green Bay for yet another series of mall and junior high shows. It really wasn’t so bad, all these little shows, because I knew eventually it would pay off, and word had it we’d be going back to Europe to record our first album in not too much longer. I hated travelling a lot less than I used to, which was no doubt for the best.
AJ joined me in packing, but soon Nicky charged in and threw himself on the bed in a huff.
“What’s the matter with you now?” I asked. He sighed dramatically.
“I don’t understand Brian,” he announced.
“Join the club,” AJ muttered.
“Why don’t you understand Brian?” I humored. Nick flipped onto his back.
“Because first he decides to have his girlfriend come visit, without even telling me, his best friend-”
“In other words he wanted it to be a secret,” AJ threw in with a grin. Nick flipped him off - his latest favorite gesture - and continued.
“And before he left with Johnny he asked if I could share a room with Kevin while she’s here,” he whined. AJ and I exchanged a look.
“Reeeeeally?” AJ wondered. Nick nodded tragically. “And we thought Brian was the pure one,” he mused.
“There are two beds in there,” I pointed out. AJ rolled his eyes.
“Two beds. Yeah, OK, sure D.” He went back to ramming his clothes in his bag. “I’m really curious to meet this chick.”
“Me too,” I agreed.
“Hello?! Have you guys forgotten me? I have to share a room with Kev for a week,” Nick reminded us pitifully.
“So? What’s wrong with Kev?” I asked.
“Nothing except oh wait, he hates me.”
“He does not.”
“Wanna bet?”
“I’d get in on that action,” AJ piped in. I sighed.
“We are not betting on whether or not-” But suddenly I stopped, hearing voices out in the hall. One was male, one was most definitely female and not belonging to one of the moms or Donna. AJ perked up too, but Nick just moaned loudly and put a pillow over his face. Kevin wandered in through the bathroom.
“What’s with him?” he asked, gesturing to Nick. AJ and I shushed in unison.
“They’re back,” AJ whispered. It was sad that this was our high point of the day. We heard Brian narrating and feminine laughter ringing out afterward.
“I think at least some of the guys are in here, I’ll introduce you. Knock knock,” he greeted, smiling widely. I glanced at the girl with him, then did a violent double take. She was slimmer, with longer hair that was now brown with highlights instead of red. She wore wire-rimmed glasses but there was still no mistake, especially with the shock in those big blue eyes.
“OK, this is Kevin, obviously, the blonde on the bed is Nick, AJ’s in the sunglasses and finally there’s-”
“Howard,” she breathed, still staring at me. Brian looked confused.
“Ah, yeah, wow. Howie, yeah. And this is-”
I held her gaze. “Georgie,” I whispered.
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