Thanks Mel!
I walked through the door of the hotel with the brown jacket around my shoulders. I sighed as I turned around to see Mel standing behind me and Amanda waiting on the couch.
"Oh great," I sighed. "Hi."
"Hi?" Amanda said.
"Um... goodnight?" I tried.
"Oh no you don't. We want details." Mel commented pulling me to the couch.
"Wait a minute... Who's jacket?" Amanda smiled knowingly.
"Um... It's Lance's."
"Forget the jacket. Did you get a goodnight kiss?" Mel asked, leaning forward.
"Uhhhhh," I stared down at my hands.
A smile formed on my lips, which both noticed.
"AHHHHHHHHHH," Mel screamed. "I hate you."
I stood up laughing. "Well if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."
"Lansten! How was the big date?"
"Joe, I'm trying to go to bed. It's almost eleven and we have to get up early tomorrow."
"Come on... just give me a bedtime story. Please??" Joey pleaded into the hotel phone.
Lance could see the grin through his voice. He sighed and fell back onto the bed.
"If I tell you then you are gonna tell the other guys."
"Why?"
"Cause I don't feel like telling the story five times."
Joey laughed, "Ok."
"We went to eat then walked along the beach and came back. End of story."
"Oh man. Give me more details."
"Goodnight Joe." Lance said as he hung up.
We finally returned to the recording studio, to finish our debut album. But this studio was different than the one in California. Or maybe it was that we actually got to see all the expensive equipment they use to make the song sound right.
Amanda collapsed on the overstuffed couch as she walked through the door. Mel and I followed behind her talking softly. As I looked down at Amanda I couldn't help but laugh.
"What?"
"Nothing," I told her as I picked up her legs and sat under them.
"Ok," Freeman, our manager, said walking through the door. "Hello girls. How's the tour?"
"Mr. F. you are the man for getting this for us." Mel told him from her place on the floor near the couch.
"All I did was send them a copy of that tape."
"Well still... We love you, man!" Mel grinned.
Laughing he clasped his hands together. "Ok, who's first?"
Immediatly Amanda and I pointed our fingers at Mel.
"Out numbered, Mel." Freeman grinned at Amanda and I.
"No fair. This whole group was Laura's idea! Why can't she go first?"
"Hey Laura," Amanda whispered. "Where's Lance?"
"He's coming for lunch around noon."
"You know we aren't stopping, right? We get to eat either before or after we finish recording." She whispered.
Mel had stopped protesting, having heard out conversation, and looked at me.
"Uh... I'll go first Freeman." I said trying to free myself from under Amanda.
"Nah, you know I think Mel does want to go first." She said not moving.
"Nah, come on. Amanda, move your ass." I said, still stuggling to get up.
I finally stopped struggling to see everyone in the room laughing at me. Everyone! Including Freeman, who didn't even know what it was all about. We haven't said anything to anyone about our dating except the girls and the other members of NSYNC.
"Can we get started please? I wanna get back to the hotel at a reasonable hour."
"So she can go see her man." Mel commented.
I never said a word. Just picked up a pillow and hit her in the back of the head with it before getting up and locking myself into the small room.
WE GOT A DEBUT ALBUM!
I'm so excited. Our release party is tonight. We aren't expecting a big release. Actually I think it's just gonna be us, the guys and our families and friends in Freeman's suite. But that's good enough for us.
Which is exactly what it was. Very small, very intimate. But we got to surprise everyone. Our debut was kept secret from the guys too. Which isn't an easy thing when you travel with them so extensively. We danced, ate, joked around. Basically just had a fun night off. Oops, door.
"Jimmy," Laura said, opening the door to find Lance.
"Hey, whatcha doing in here all alone?" He said, walking in and sitting on the couch.
"Playing," She said, glancing at her lap-top open on the king-sized bed.
"Did you have fun tonight?"
Laura was quiet for a moment remembering the close dancing the two had done.
"To much. I'm beat now." The younger blonde replied.
The two laughed lightly when the phone rang.
"Hello?" Laura said, glancing over at Lance.
Listening to the other side, Laura suddenly stopped breathing. Her face lost all color and eyes began to turn red. Finally her breathing returned, quickened.
"Laura?"
Silence filled the room as Laura remained on the phone.
"Laura. What's wrong?" Lance questioned, quickly getting off of the couch and rushing toward her.
Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes. The grip she held on the phone was tight and her hands began shaking.
"Laura. Give me the phone."
Lance was suddenly worried that her quickened breathing would cause her to pass out. And frantically pulled at her fingers to release the phone.
"Give me the phone. Come on," He continued to struggle.
Finally he got the phone out of her grasp. He helped her to sit on the edge of the bed and then turned his attention to the phone.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Lance could barely make out crying and sniffles in the background before the party on the other end hung up the phone and the dial tone rung painfully in his ears.
It's been two weeks since that phone call. I'm in complete debt to Lance and the other's for sticking by me. For going home with me. To face someone I hardly knew. One week since I came home. Back home to Dallas. I have decided.
ANGELHART is over. I quit.
