Chapter 29~

AJ and Howie immediately jumped up to separate the two of them, but Kevin put

his hand up stopping them. "Give her a minute to vent. He won't dare hurt her

while we are here" he said. She hit him with everything she had in her. All

her pent up rage and frustration coming out. "Enough" Nick yelled, trying to

get up. Kevin looked at the guys as a sign to break them up. Howie grabbed

Eileen, pulling her off Nick. AJ stood with Nick making sure nothing

happened. "What's the matter Nicky? I thought you wanted to talk. You wanted

to get this out into the open. What? You don't like the boys knowing what a

disgusting pig you are?" "Oh shut up Bitch. You were begging for me to fuck

you that night and you know it" he spat. "Do the words 'shit baby, that was

better than I thought it would be' ring any bells with you Eileen?" he

grinned. "You son of a bitch, you know that wasn't mean for you" she said.

Suddenly she realized he had screwed her again. All eyes were on her. She had

just admitted in a round about way how she wanted Howie. She wanted to die.

She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her at that moment. She didn't

know where to look, then Brian caught her eye. He was sitting back in a chair

staring off into space. I can't believe him, Bri thought. He was always my

best friend and I thought I knew him like a book. I see I really didn't know

him at all. "Brian, are you ok?" she asked kneeling in front of him. "NO!" He

shouted, jumping up. "Nothing is right. I thought I knew you all. Now I'm not

sure I know anything about any of you. Why? Why is this all happening? Why

are we falling apart?" he cried. He sat back down, holding his chest. "Cuz,

are you ok?" Kevin asked. "Yeah. I think this is just all too much for me" he

replied. "Well, when we stop tomorrow, I think you should see a doctor Brian"

Eileen said sitting on the arm of his chair. "Look what your doing to him

Eileen" Nick yelled from across the room. "Your hurting him with your lies"

She looked over to him. At that moment she had never wanted to hurt him as

much as she did now. "Shut up Nick. Unless you want them to hear the rest,

just shut the fuck up" she screamed at him. AJ looked at her. "The rest? You

mean there's more?" he said seething. "I'm going to take Brian to his bunk to

lay down" Kevin said. "Kevin, just leave me alone!" Brian yelled. "I'm

perfectly capable of going to lay down. I can't listen to any more of this"

he said slamming the door as he walked out. "If anything is wrong with him

because of you Eileen, you will pay!" Nick said walking out to be with Brian.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes. Eileen was worried about Brian. He

didn't look good. She also knew as much as she wanted to go to him now, she

couldn't. Not with Nick there. At least she knew one thing, as much as a

bastard as Nick was, he loved Brian and would make sure he was ok. She was

jarred back to her senses when she saw Kevin standing over her staring at

her. "So I think you still have something to tell us Eileen?" "No" she

whispered. "No more. I can't do this. I hate him for what he has done but

it's tearing us apart. Look at the shape Brian is in. I can't, I just can't"

she started to cry. "You have to" AJ said. "It's got to come out now. It's

hurting you just as much as Brian. Your blocking out things, you can't go on

like this. We all can't go on like this. We need to know what he's done. We

need to know how to help you and how to deal with him" he said with anger at

the last sentence. She stood up and walked over to AJ, tears streaming down

her face. "You wanna know J? You want all the sordid little details? Fine"

she screamed at him. "The very next day after the rape was the day you all

had the radio interview with Hildy. Remember? You all wanted to go dancing

and celebrate. AJ, you and I were dancing and Nick came up behind me. He had

his arms around my waist so I couldn't get away. He was grinding into my ass.

YOU thought it was so fuckin funny that you walked away leaving me on the

dance floor with him" she said pointing her finger into AJ's chest. "I hated

you so much at that moment. He was stronger than me and I had a hard time

getting away. He kept whispering things into my ear about how he planned on

having me again. I looked to you for help AJ and you were too busy partying.

That's when I finally asked Howie to take me home." AJ looked into her eyes

and she saw so much pain. "I'm sorry Eileen, I didn't know" he whispered,

reaching out to touch her face. She pulled away quickly and walked over to

Kevin. "He kept calling me. Over and Over leaving messages on my machine.

Some about how he wanted to talk about what happened and others taunting me.

Telling me how he wanted me and how he knew I wanted him. That he was a part

of me. A part I could never get rid of. That's when I stopped answering my

phone and I got my cell. I spent a week of those messages, 3 - 4 - 5 of them

a day. He wouldn't stop" she cried sitting in the chair, her arms wrapped

around her head as if to block out the voices. "Then the night of the

bar-b-que came. The most horrible night of my whole life. After I left you

guys" she said looking at them one by one. "Nick showed up at my house. I

wanted him to stop, I wanted him to leave me alone. He kept coming back" she

said the tears flowing freely now. "I just wanted him to leave me alone."

"Eileen" Kevin said gently, "Why didn't you come to one of us? We would have

helped you" he said gently petting her hair. " Oh Kevin, How could I? That

would have meant I would have had to tell you everything. I was to

embarrassed, I was to ashamed" she hung her head. "Eileen, what happened that

night at your house" AJ inquired. She looked him in the eye and said "I did

everything he said I did before AJ. You want the sordid details" she said

half questioning. "He came over and I was scared. He was taunting me. I knew

if I didn't take control of the situation, then he would. My mind went crazy.

I knew I wanted to make him pay for all the horrible things he did to me. I

came on to him, knowing he wouldn't resist. That's all he was in it for was

the sex, so I offered it to him. Right there on my living room floor. I took

off my clothes in hopes of turning him on and took his off too." AJ couldn't

stand hearing it anymore. It was making him sick to his stomach. "Stop

Eileen. Just stop" he said looking away from her. "No AJ, you wanted to know.

I've humiliated myself this much. I might as well tell you the rest. That's

right AJ I fucked him on my living room floor and when I got off, I slid off

him and kneed him in the nuts rendering him immobile and yes I fucking

sodomized him" she fell to the floor crying hysterically. "My God, it was so

sick. When I woke up the next morning I had no idea of what had happened. It

was so awful I made myself not remember. But ya see, that's when he struck

again. He never stops" she screamed. When he found out I didn't remember, he

told me that we had gotten back together that night and convinced my I was

his girlfriend. He is so sick! He won't stop" she sobbed. "Please somebody,

make him stop" she cried.

Kevin carried her to his bunk. She was sobbing uncontrollably. AJ and Howie

were the only ones left in the back room. They both just stared at each

other. Trying to understand everything they had just been told. "What do we

do now J" Howie said. "I don't know. I can't believe all this happened. I

mean I believe she is telling the truth, I can't believe he did all that

stuff to her. He needs help man. He needs it bad." Howie just nodded his head

in agreement. "How can we help Eileen?" Howie said softly. "She's been

through so much. I don't know if she will ever be the same again" he said. "I

saw that look in her eyes" AJ said. "She will never forgive me Howie. I let

her down when she needed me the most. She said she hated me." AJ said sobbing

into his hands. Kevin laid Eileen down on his bunk. He went to go lay on the

top bunk, but Eileen grabbed his hand. Please Kevin, please don't go. Stay

with me" she whispered. Kevin slid in next to her and held her tightly. She

cried on his chest until she finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.

Kevin on the other hand, never slept.

The next morning when they awoke. They found themselves at their location.

There was a diner next door to the venue. They all piled in for breakfast.

There was an eerie silence among them. Eileen finished her coffee and

announced she was going next door to check out the venue and when they

finished, they should join her. She walked into the back entrance in search

of the dressing rooms. She wanted to make sure all was in order for the show

tonight. She passed a security guard who kindly pointed out the dressing

rooms. She entered the room, when a figure slipped out from behind the door

to surprise her. "Lou" she said startled. "Surprise" he grinned.

Chapter 30~

She walked into the back entrance in search of the dressing rooms. She wanted

to make sure all was in order for the show tonight. She passed a security

guard who kindly pointed out the dressing rooms. She entered the room, when a

figure slipped out from behind the door to surprise her. "Lou" she said

startled. "Surprise" he grinned. "Lou, what are you doing here?" she asked

shocked. "I came to see how things were in Boy Band Land" he laughed. "Things

are just fine Lou. So now you can leave" she answered curtly. Of all the

times for him to show up she thought. This is just freakin great! "So where

are the boys?" he asked ignoring her tone. "They are having breakfast next

door. They should be over in a few. Why are you really here Lou?" she asked

with her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I came to see how my investment is

honey. You know it's all about money" he smiled. "You know damn well how your

investment is Lou. It shows in your bank account each month. You could care

less about these boys. You haven't seen or contacted anyone of them in the

last year and a half. So what are you really up to?" she yelled. "Aghhh my

dear, you know me too well" he grinned. "I've heard how wonderful our little

project has done here in the United States and I've just come to see for

myself." "So what have you done with your other group? N Sync was the name,

right?" she grinned at him showing she wasn't as dumb as he thought. "Oh, so

you know about that?" he inquired? "Oh for quite some time Lou." "Well, then

I guess I can tell you why I'm back. Since BSB had been doing so well since

the cd release and the shows are selling out, I thought it was time for the

reigning Kings to be dethroned. My Princes of Pop will be taking over

shortly" he smirked. "Over my dead body" she said lunging towards him. Just

then the door opened and the 5 guys came pouring in to come face to face with

Lou. Kevin stepped up between them and said "Lou, what a surprise. To what do

we owe the honor of your presence?" Lou laughed. "My Kevin, you've gotten to

be all grown up since last I saw you. Taken over as the daddy huh? I always

knew you would" he said as he walked towards the other men. He greeted each

man warmly and received ice in return. Then he finally reached the end of the

group. "Nicky, my how you've grown" he said taking him into a bear hug. Nick

was white ghost and visibly shaking. He pulled away from Lou and walked to

the other side of the room. "So where are your Princes?" Eileen asked wirily.

"They should be joining us any minute" he said as the door opened. In walked

5 young men. Strangely, in their own way resembling Backstreet, not

necessarily in looks but in mannerisms. It was too damn spooky.

It was about a half hour till show time. Eileen walked to the back dressing

room door and knocked. She heard someone call to come in. She entered the

room to find all 5 men dressed and ready to hit the stage. She felt so

uncomfortable but knew she needed to talk to them. "Guys," she said not being

able to look at any of them. She sat in a chair wringing her hands. "We have

to talk about Lou being here" she said softly. "Eileen, if he is back for

good, I am so outta here" AJ said quickly. The guys all nodded in agreement.

She stood up "Look, he is not here to check on your well being. We all know

too Lou, you are just a source to line his pockets. He had come back because

he is bringing his new band here to ride on the coat tails of your success. I

don't know what we can do, if anything. I just don't want him messing with

any of you." She began to pace. She knew what needed to be done, even if she

didn't want to. Business is business and personal matters can't play a role

in any of it. She looked around the room at each one of them. "I know what

has happened isn't pleasant for any of us, but for the sake of the group, it

needs to be put aside IF you all plan on keeping this group together. This is

not a decision I can make for you. It's yours and yours alone. If Lou gets

wind of anything that has happened among us he will tear this group apart,

leaving the space wide open for his boys. We have all spent the day avoiding

one another. This needs to stop NOW if we are to go on. You make the choice"

she said walking out of the room.

For the next two hours, the boys performed like their lives depended on it,

and in a way it did. There singing was awesome as usual, but their appearance

on stage was shocking to Eileen. They were singing, dancing, smiling, high

fiving each other like nothing had ever happened. Anyone on the outside would

have no idea of the inner turmoil going on within them. They looked out on

the sell out crowd, knowing full well that Eileen, Lou and N SYNC were out

there watching their every move. They gave the performance of a lifetime and

the crowd loved every minute of it.

Eileen entered the dressing room about a half hour after the show. The guys

were all just sitting around, worn out from the show. "You guys were great!"

She entered smiling. That was the best show I've ever seen you do. Thanks"

she added softly. Nick looked up at her and said "Eileen, I gotta ask you

something." As much as she really wanted to avoid Nick, after her pep talk

earlier she had no choice but to address him. "Yes Nick" "Did Lou say how

long he planned on being around?" he asked gently. She looked at him and saw

something in his eyes. She wasn't quite sure what, but it was there. "I

really don't know Nick. He didn't say anything to me about his plans. Is

something wrong?" Brian looked at Nick and saw it too. He immediately was at

Nicks side. "Buddy, ya wanna talk about it?" Nick started pacing wildly. "NO!

I don't want to talk about it. I just want him out of here" he said quickly.

The door opened and Lou walked in. Everyone turned to face Nick. The look of

horror was evident. "I gotta get out of here" he said bolting for the door.

Chapter 31~

Nick pushed past Lou and ran out. "Nick" Brian called to him. Kevin leaned

into his ear and whispered. "Go find him Bri. Don't let him outta your site

with HIM hanging around." Brian went to walk out and Lou asked "Is something

wrong Brian?" "No, Nick just went to get something to eat and I wanted him to

get me something too. I guess he didn't hear me" he said walking past Lou.

"Great show tonight guys" Lou said smiling. "Too bad it won't last much

longer once my boys hit the streets" he laughed. Howie, who was always quick

on his feet said, "Lou, I thought you were a better business man than that?"

Howie looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Why only have one group when you

can have both of us? Your pockets will fill up faster that way" he said

smiling. "Aghhh always the business man too huh Howie?" Lou smiled. "Well you

may be right. Two for the price of one. A whole legion of fans fighting over

which group is better. BSB or N SYNC. Wow, imagine the possibliles." He

grinned from ear to ear. "Just as long as you stay with N SYNC Lou" Eileen

said seething.

Brian ran down the corridors looking for Nick. He finally found him in an

empty room sitting on the floor crying. "Nick, what's wrong buddy" Brian said

putting his arm around him. Nick quickly pulled away. "Don't touch me" he

whispered. Brian didn't know what to make of the situation. He looked like a

little boy curled up in a ball on the floor crying. "Nick, let me help you.

Please tell me what's wrong" Brian once again asked. "I'm afraid Brian. I'm

afraid. I wanna go home. I want it to all go away" he said softly. Brian

crawled to him on the floor until he was in front of him. "I'm here Nicky. No

one will hurt you. Please tell me what is making you feel this way" he said

reaching out to touch Nick. This time Nick didn't pull away. Brian could feel

Nick shaking. "I hate him Brian. I hate him so much. I'm afraid. I'm afraid

of what he will do to me if he stays. I wanna go home" Nick sobbed. Brian

pulled Nick into his arms rocking him gently. "Shhhh, I won't let anyone hurt

you Nicky" Brian whispered into his hair. "What has he done to you? Please

tell me?" Brian begged. Nick held onto Brian for dear life. Though his sobs

he told Brian, "He used to come into my room at night Bri. He used to do

things to me. He made me do things to him" His cried wracking his body. "It

was awful, Brian. He hurt me. He made me do bad things. I hate him" he

screamed. Brian heard a small sniff from the doorway. He looked up to find

Eileen standing there watching the two of them. "Oh My God" she whispered

looking at Brian.

Chapter 32~

His cries wracking his body. "It was awful, Brian. He hurt me. He made me do

bad things. I hate him" he screamed. Brian heard a small sniff from the

doorway. He looked up to find Eileen standing there watching the two of them.

"Oh My God" she whispered looking at Brian. Nick looked up into the eyes of

Eileen. He saw her concern, he saw her hurting for him, he saw love for him.

"I'm so sorry Eileen" he said barely above a whisper. "I''m sorry" he cried.

Eileen looked to Brian. Neither knew what do. Eileen slowly walked towards

Nick. She didn't know what his reaction would be. If he would let her come

close. He had his head on Brian's shoulder and was crying long held back

tears. She reached her hand out to touch his arm. He felt her hand shaking.

He looked towards her. "Nicky, why didn't you tell someone. Anyone. I would

have helped you?" she said gently. "Eileen, I was so scared. He told me he

would hurt me worse if I told. I just wanted him to go away. I'm sorry. I'm

sorry I hurt you the way he hurt me. I never meant to do that. I love you

Eileen. I've always loved you." He leaned towards her not knowing if she

would pull away or not. She reached out and took him in her arms. "Nicky,

I'm sorry too. I hurt you just like he did. I'm no better than him. I'm sorry

baby" She began to cry too. They sat on the floor holding each other for

what seemed like an eternity. She took his face in her hands. "Nick, I'm

gonna get rid of Lou. Once and for all. I don't want him around any of you.

I'm gonna need your help. Will you help me?" she asked. He shook his head,

not knowing if he could speak. "Brian?" she looked at him. "Anything Eileen.

Anything to get rid of him." "OK, Bri go get one of the bodyguards and bring

him in here. Don't say a word to anyone about ANYTHING. Let me handle

things." "Alright Ei. I will be right back." He leaned over and put his hand

on Nick's shoulder. "Don't worry buddy. Everything will be ok. Just remember

I'm here" he smiled at Nick. Nick just put his hand on top of Brian's and

gave a small smile back.

Eileen was livid. She was outraged. She was beyond words at that moment. That

son of a bitch. How dare he?? Nick was an innocent little kid and he took

that all away from him. She had gone and washed her face after she had

security escort Nick back to his hotel room. The guard was instructed not to

leave his side until she arrived. Once she knew he was safely out of the

venue, it was time to find Lou. She threw on her Oakleys just to make sure

no one saw her eyes and would be tipped off. She entered back into the

dressing room to find Lou in conversation with Kevin. "Lou" she called to

him. He got up and walked over to her. She walked them over to a corner so no

one could hear them. "Since we are staying at the same hotel. I want to get

together and talk tonight." she said to him. He looked at her strangely.

"Talk about what?" "We need to talk about our investment Lou. You and I don't

get much time together. We need to seriously talk about the boys and the

awesome position we are both finding ourselves in" she smiled. That did it.

His curiosity was peaked. "What kind of position Ei" he answered. "Financial

of course Lou." She knew that would get him hook, line and sinker. That was

the only thing Lou cared about was money. "Sure" he replied. "When ya get

back, call me and I'll come up to your room." She smiled and walked away.

"Come on guys. Let's get showered and changed so we can go back to the hotel."

After Lou had left, Eileen and Brian gathered the guys together. "Guys, we

need to talk" she said taking off her glasses. They could all see her eyes

were red and swollen. "What's wrong Eileen and where is Nick" AJ questioned.

"Nick is already back at the hotel with security. That's what we need to talk

about. Eileen and Brian began to fill the guys in on everything they knew.

They were outraged, they were shocked and they were hurt. "To think we

trusted him" Howie wondered outloud. Kevin began pacing the room. "Why the

hell didn't Nick come to one of us?" "Kevin" Eileen said grabbing his hand.

"He was afraid Kevin. Just like I was afraid. It's scary, its embarrassing.

He was a kid. He was afraid no one would believe him" she said. "But we would

have" Howie cried. "He was a kid. He still is. If you could have only seen

him in that room before. He was curled up in a ball waiting for something bad

to happen. I'm beginning to understand why he did the things he did to me"

she said softly. "He was hurt. He wanted to hurt back. He thought it would

make his pain go away. I know" she lowered her head. "I did it too. But it

doesn't go away. It just makes you hurt more." She looked up at the boys, a

lone tear trickled down her cheek.

She called Lou to come to her room. She had everything ready for him. She let

him in and smiled as she offered him a drink. They each took their drinks and

sat at the table facing each other. "OK, Lou. Let's get right to the point.

You have N SYNC and I have the Boys. I want to end this partnership" she said

looking him dead in the eye. Lou just leaned back in the chair and laughed.

"Do you think I would say yes and walk away? Come on now Eileen, I think I

taught you better than that" he laughed. Eileen stood up and put the palms of

both hands on the table and leaned into his face. "First off Lou, you didn't

teach me anything. Any business sense I learned I learned from my father and

by trial and error. Secondly, I didn't ask you to walk away. I'm offering to

buy you out. State your price LOU." Lou stood up and walked a few steps away.

With his back still to her he simply stated "You don't have enough money to

buy me out." "I SAID NAME YOUR PRICE LOU" she yelled. He turned and faced

her, a smile slid across his face. The more she looked at him, the more

disgusted she was. "You want a price sweetheart. I'll give you a price. 50

Million" "50 Million? Are you out of your fuckin mind?" she questioned. "You

wanted a price you got one" he grinned. He walked towards her till they were

inches apart. "You know darlin" he said running his hand along her cheek.

"The price is negotiable." She pushed his hand away. "What are the terms?"

she asked getting rather annoyed with him. "Well the way I see it Eileen, you

have 3 choices. Either I stay, you come up with 50 million, which I know you

can't raise, or me and my boys have you" he smiled. That was what it took to

put her over the edge. "You and your boys" she spat out. "Yeah sweatpea, do I

have to spell it out for you? You service me and my boys from NSYNC for the

night and Backstreet is all yours. Just remember, your MINE first. The boys

can have leftovers" he laughed. That scumbag! she thought. Time to put the

cards on the table girl. It's now or never she thought. "Lou, you surprise

me" she said trying to keep calm. He turned to look at her. "Why is that

honey?" Cause I had no idea you wanted me" she purred. "Ohhh always. Ever

since you came to us years ago. I always thought you were a hot piece of meat

honey. Now I know why your boys like you so much. I'm sure they all enjoy

being serviced by you. All I'm asking for is a piece of the action" he said

running his hand along her breast. She looked into his eyes trying with every

ounce of her being not to smash in his face. He suddenly grabbed her breast

hard, hurting her. "Just so you know baby, I like a little pain involved.

That is, on your part" he laughed. She smacked his hand and back away just

enough. "Oh. I really only thought you liked little boys Lou" she said with

venom in her voice. He looked at her surprised. "Little Boys" he questioned.

"Yeah, like Nick" she said trying to keep the upper hand. "You don't think I

know about that Lou?" she questioned. "About you going to his room at night.

Did that turn you on Lou? Do you do that with your new little boys?" He flew

into a rage, advancing towards her. "He told you?" he yelled. "All about it.

Did that make you feel special Lou? Taking a little boy against his will,

scaring him to death? Threatening him? Is that what makes you a man Lou?" She

was backing up and was running out of room. The rage she saw in his eyes

scared her. She told herself to hang tough. He wouldn't hurt her. "Your wrong

Eileen. I don't know what he told you, but your wrong. Nicky loves me. He

used to beg me to let him suck me off. He wanted me to fuck him. He always

begged for more. My Nicky loves me" he shouted. "The games over Lou. In just

about every state in this country, that's against the law. Sign over the boys

or I go to the police NOW" she shouted. She was backed up against the wall

and had no place to go. Lou stopped about 6 inches from her face. "I could

kill you now bitch" he said. He looked to see her fear but there was none. He

was surprised. "Go ahead Lou, do it" she glared defiantly back. "The way I

see it, YOU have 2 choices. You kill me now or you sign the papers. Either

way, I'm done with you" she spat in his face. His hand reached out to her

neck. "It would be so easy" he smiled.

Chapter 33~

She was backed up against the wall and had no place to go. Lou stopped about 6 inches from her face. "I could kill you now bitch" he said. He looked to see her fear but there was none. He was surprised. "Go ahead Lou, do it" she glared defiantly back. "The way I see it, YOU have 2 choices. You kill me now or you sign the papers. Either way, I'm done with you" she spat in his face. His hand reached out to her neck. "It would be so easy" he smiled. She stood there defiantly looking into his eyes. "Go ahead Lou, it would be worth it to see you lose it all" she smiled. His hands dropped to his sides. "You are sicker than I thought" he sneered. She walked over to the table and picked up the papers. "Sign them NOW!" she commanded. "Be my guest Lou, read them. I've offered you a fair settlement." He picked up the papers and began to read through. "Actually Eileen, I'm impressed. This is a sizable amount of money" Lou grinned. "Your Bank check will be drawn in the morning" She said watching him sign. He dropped the pen to the table. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you. Just make sure I have the check in my hands by 10am. An hour should be enough time to get to the bank" he said slamming the door behind him. Her whole body was shaking. Its over, thank God she thought. She slowly walked over to the end table, lifted up her shirt that lay on it and shut off the tape recorder. She had security walk her down to the front desk where she put the tape in the hotels safe deposit box.

The tour had been going well. They had finished the American leg and were heading into Canada. The wounds among them were beginning to heal. Eileen had hired a councilor to travel with them. Both Eileen and Nick were seeing him on a daily basis. Even the other guys spoke to him when the pressures of being on the road would get to them. It was a good thing for everyone. Everyone was happy to see Nick and Eileen were starting to come around and become part of the group again. Everyone had been happy to hear about Lou's departure. They pressed Eileen for the details of how that had come about, but she refused to discuss it. She told them it was taken care of and that was all they needed to know.

Life on the tour bus can be boring and lonely. Everyone tried to find their own way to pass the time. Brian and Kevin would write songs, Howie started to dabble in Real Estate now that the boys were making a little money, and Nick had his drawings. AJ, well AJ just liked to hang out and make everyone nuts. Kevin had gone to AJ"s bunk looking for him. "Hey J. Brian and I just finished a terrific song we've been working on. Wanna come hear it?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, but if it's that good, maybe you should put it on tape so Ei can hear it later" AJ replied. "Good idea. I'm outta tapes, do you have any" "Yeah I know where there are some. I'll be right there" AJ said getting off his bunk. He went into Eileen's bunk and went in the travel bag and grabbed a cassette. He brought it up to the front of the bus where Kevin and Brian were waiting for him. "Here" he said flipping the tape to Brian. "Ei had tons and when we stop I will replace it for he" he said. "We better just check and make sure she doesn't have any notes from our shows on that" Kevin answered, popping the tape in. The tape began and they heard Eileen. "We better get another one" Kevin said reaching to turn it off. "Wait!" Brian said. "Isn't that Lou?" he asked. They sat there listening. They knew they shouldn't but they couldn't believe what they were hearing. Eileen asking him to sign over the group and Lou's proposition. When the tape was over, they looked up to find Eileen standing over them. "What the hell are you doing?" she said angrily. "We needed a tape and wanted to make sure nothing was on this one" Brian said sheepishly. He knew they shouldn't have listened. "Well there obviously was" she said grabbing the tape from Kevin. She took it back to her bunk, flopping down. "Eileen are you nuts?" she heard from above her. "Kevin, please leave me alone" she rolled over not wanting to discuss it. He sat down on her bunk. "He could have killed you. From the sounds of that tape, it looked like he just might have" "I guess leave me alone doesn't mean anything to you does it?" she groaned. She just wanted to forget that night ever happened. She would have to be more careful in the future to make sure nothing happened to that tape. "Look at me Dammit" Kevin shouted. "WHAT?" she rolled over. "Why did you do something that stupid?" Kev demanded. "Just think Kev. Do you think Lou would have just signed over his rights to the group? I had to do what I had to do. I wanted him out. I wanted him away from Nick and from all you guys. He was only using you to line his pockets anyway" she answered. "But you put yourself in jeopardy. That wasn't too smart Ei. From the sounds of that tape he was raging" said Kevin. "I know. I needed him to admit what he did to Nick. Without that I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. I know it was risky, but it was one I was willing to take. My job is too protect you. All of you. If he ever tried to nullify that contract he signed, at least I have the tape as proof of what he did." she said softly. "Don't you know by now I would do anything necessary to look after you guys?" "How much?" he asked. "How much what?" she acted dumb. "Come on Eileen. How much did it cost you to buy us away from him?" Kevin asked sternly. "It doesn't matter Kev" she replied. "Answer me" he shouted. "10 Million alright? are you satisfied now" she said getting up and walking away. "10 Million are you crazy Eileen? That's just about everything you have" he yelled. She walked into the dining area where the guys were having lunch. Kevin followed right on her heels. "ENOUGH Kevin" she said putting her hand up to stop the conversation. The guys all looked amongst each other. What now they thought? Just then, the bus driver yelled back that they had arrived at the hotel.

The guys had checked in and headed over to check out the venue. There were a few girls hanging around outside so they headed over to sign autographs. Howie was still looking down as he handed the paper back to its owner. Another was put in his hands. "Please Mr. Dorough, would you sign this." Howie looked up into the eyes of a beautiful woman. "Certainly" he smiled at her. "What's your name?" he asked. "Claudia" she replied. Howie couldn't take his eyes off her. "You seem a bit older than our usual fans" he said not wanting her to leave. She smiled sweetly at him, "I'm the same age as you. I first saw you guys when I was over in Europe and have been waiting for you to get here ever since Mr. Dorough" she replied. "Please, it's Howie" he said kissing her hand. Nick and Brian had been watching the whole exchange from a few feet away. They were smiling and nudging each other back and forth. "awww looks like Howie has a crush" Nick laughed. "Look at them, they can't take their eyes off each other. That's sweet." Brian said. The stage manager yelled out to the boys he needed them for sound check. They all said their goodbyes and headed in. Once in side he handed out mikes. 1-2-3-4 "hey we're missing someone" the stage manger said holding a left over mike. Kevin ran to the door to see Howie still talking to the lady he had been with the whole time out there. "Howie! We need you" he yelled. He saw Howie say something to the woman and kiss her hand again. He slowly headed inside. "Awww puppy love, how cute" Kevin laughed, smacking him on the back of the head.

Chapter 34~

Backstage was a buzz. Everyone was so up for tonight's show. It had been 4

long days since the last performance and who would have known Canada was so

well informed about the Backstreet Boys. Sure the word had been getting out,

but no one expected all 3 shows here in Toronto to sell out so quickly. Seems

that Canada gets their music news straight from Europe and have been

patiently awaiting the boys arrival. Eileen milled around the backstage area

checking to make sure everything was ready. Most faces seemed somewhat

familiar to her. All except for one. She grabbed Brian aside and asked, "Who

is that girl?" she said pointing to a pretty blonde. "Oh, her. That's Claudia.

Howie's new heartthrob. Ain't love grand!" he giggled as he walked away. When

the hell did this happen, she thought to herself. She watched for a few

minutes as Howie did everything but fall all over himself for her. I don't

think I'm gonna like her too much. Now why did I just think that? She is

probably very nice. Just then, Howie called out to her. She slowly walked

over to the couple. "Eileen, I'd like you to meet Claudia. Claudia, Eileen is

our manager" Claudia smiled sweetly and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet

you Eileen." Eileen slowly shook hands with her and forced a smile back.

"Yeah, you too .Listen guys, I gotta get going and get things ready. Nice to

meet ya" she called over her shoulder. She's nice, Eileen thought. Was that a

twinge of jealousy she felt? Nah. She's nice, she thought.

The next 3 nights in Toronto and 2 more in Ontario were fantastic. The crowds

were great. They really loved the boys and momentum was building. They were

finally heading back to the states to do 2 more shows. One in Boston and one

in New York City. Then home to Orlando. Home sweet home for a break. They

sure as hell needed one! Word had been trickling down and when the boys got

to Boston, the crowds waiting for them were huge. The boys, however were

becoming a little restless. "I say after tonight's show, we party!" shouted

Brian. "Yeah, Im up for it" AJ chimed in. It seemed like all the guys were in

agreement. The show went well and when they headed back to the hotel there

were tons of girls awaiting their arrival. They worked the crowd scanning for

their perfect "date" for the evening. Brian pulled a cute young lady named

Kathy out of the crowd. Kevin found Linda, AJ found an adorable brunette

named Tina, and Nick found Kat. Howie looked around the crowd wishing he were

back in Canada with Claudia. He had spoken to her earlier before the show.

She was heading over to London in the morning for a fashion shoot. He missed

her already. He signed what seemed like an endless amount of autographs and

noticed a woman to his liking. She was a little older, but that was how he

kinda liked it. "Good Evening" he smiled, signing her photograph. "and you

are?" "Roberta" she said coolly. She didn't want him to know she was dying

inside. "Would you like to come and join us in the hotel club Roberta?" he

smiled sweetly. "Sure" she answered taking his hand. They all entered the

club laughing and talking. Eileen looked up from her table seeing them enter.

"I think we might want to find another place to have a drink. I don't think

the guys would take to well to seeing you here" she smiled. "No problem Ei.

We can go upstairs to my room for a drink if you'd like" he grinned. "Ummm I

don't think so" she smiled. "I don't know you that well and I don't go to

strange men's rooms" she grinned back. "Well I saw a little place just down

the street. You can get to know me better" he said taking her hand as they

discreetly slipped out.

They sat in a cozy little booth each having a beer. "I was so surprised to

see you tonight" she said. "Well honestly, I had heard you were going to be

here tonight and we happen to be home so I decided to fly up" he said shyly.

"I still don't understand. We've only met once for a short time. What would

make you fly up?" she questioned. "I know it was only a short meeting Eileen,

but ever since then, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I think

about you all the time. I thought this might be a good idea so I could get to

know you better" he said, his green eyes looking into hers. He was nice. Not

what she would call drop dead gorgeous, but handsome and so sweet. She was

intrigued by him. She wanted to know more. They sat for hours just talking.

Talking about themselves and their work. It was nice to have someone in the

same business to talk to. They understand when you say your tired. They

understand what you've been through all day between photo shoots, radio

interviews and then a show in the evening. "Wow, it's late" he said. "We'd

better get back" he offered his hand to help her up. They walked down the

block together back to the hotel hand in hand. They got off the elevator on

his floor. "We can do a little role reversal here" she giggled. "Yeah I don't

think it would be a great idea for me to be up on your floor Eileen." "I feel

bad not walking you to your room" he smiled taking her hand. "It's ok. It's

the way it needs to be right now" she smiled back. "Maybe, but its the

gentlemanly thing to do." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. His lips

lingering just long enough. "Good Night" he whispered, as he walked inside.

Eileen hopped on the elevator back to her floor feeling better than she had

in a long time. She could still feel his lips on hers. When she got off on

her floor, she began to laugh out loud

as she passed each room. "Ohhh Brian, harder." "Ohhh baby" she heard Nick

moan. She could hear AJ yelling "Who's your daddy baby?" "Faster Kevin,

Faster" and finally "Oh God Howie, your the best." Jeeze this hallway

sounds like the mustang ranch (infamous US brothel) she thought. Normally,

she would have thrown a fit, the guys screwing their fans. Tonight she

couldn't have cared less.

The next morning, Eileen woke up to pounding at her door. Dragging herself

out of bed and to the door was a major task. "It better be good" she yelled

as she approached the door. As she swung it open, there was a bellman holding

a bouquet of a dozen peach roses. Wow. Thanks" she said handing him a tip.

She put them down on the dresser and sat on the bed to read the card.

"Eileen~

Thanks for a wonderful evening. Im sorry I have to head back this morning.

I hope when you come home soon we can spend more time getting to

know each other. I will never forget such a beautiful evening. Call me when

you get back.

Always,

Lance"

Chapter 35~

After everyone had their breakfast, we all boarded the bus to head to New

York and the last show of the tour. We have the rest of today off and

tomorrow too. Then 2 shows in New York. When Eileen boarded the bus she put

the roses in the center of the table in the eating area. Brian walked by,

seeing them asked Eileen. "So who sent the flowers?" "There from a friend"

was the only answer she was giving. Howie and AJ looked at each other and

frowned. "Where were you last night Ei? We had one hell of a party going on

at the club" Kevin asked. She laughed a deep hardy laugh. "Yeah I heard your

little party from the hallway hun. Now....hummm what was it again?" she

snickered "Oh yeah, it went something like this.....'Faster Kevin,

Faster, or maybe it was it more like.....Ohhh Brian, harder. And then there

was Nick screaming Ohhh baby, and lest not we forget Oh God Howie, your the

best." She was hysterical laughing at this point as the guys turned 12 shades

of red. "Oh but ya haven't heard the best yet!! As I passed the last room do

my ears deceive me or do I hear our beloved AJ saying 'Who's your daddy

baby?" At this point all the boys were on the floor laughing. They were all

surprised that she wasn't mad at them cause she kinda had this strict rule

about sleeping with the fans. "So" Kev said, leaning up against her. "You

still haven't told us where you were last night" he grinned. "And I don't

plan on it DAD" she smiled back. "OH, Ok. That explains it" Brian laughed.

"She was out gettin a little somethin somethin herself. That's why she's not

complaining about us" he snickered. "BRIAN THOMAS LITTRELL" she yelled. "I

was not! If you feel you must know, I was out with a friend. As in some

drinks. No sex." The conversation was interrupted by Howie' s cell phone. "Hi

Claudia" he said, as everyone awww'ed. He walked up front of the bus to get

away from them. "No, there just playin around. Yeah, we're headed to New York

now. I miss you too" he said feeling the guilt from last night. "Yeah

everything is ready for tomorrow night. You'll be back in time? That's great

hon. Ok, bye babe" he said closing the phone. The guilt he felt was weighing

heavy on him. "Whose phone is that now" Kevin asked as everyone checked their

phones. "I'm the lucky winner" Eileen laughed. Hello" she answered. "Hey

there" They all heard her voice soften as she walked down the hall way.

"Yeah, I got them. Thanks, they are beautiful. I had a wonderful time last

night. Your home already? Wow, that was fast. Yeah, I'll be home in a couple

of days. Yeah, I'd like to see you again too. Ok, hun. I'll see ya soon. Bye"

she said closing her phone. She leaned up against the wall just thinking

about last night. How sweet he was. How beautiful his eyes were. How soft his

kiss was. She was suddenly brought back to life when she heard Kevin yelling

the bus driver wanted to talk to her. As she walked passed the guys she threw

her phone down on the dining table. As soon as she was out of earshot, they

all went diving for the phone. Nick came out the victor. "Well lookie here,

Ei's guy is from Florida" he said checking the caller Id. "And she had a

wonderful time last night" Kevin grinned. "How the hell do you know" AJ

asked. "Well why the hell do ya think I was leaning on the doorjam AJ? Like

for my health? Of course I was listening" he smirked.

Eileen had informed them they would be in New York in about 2 hours. She

headed into the back of the bus to the TV room. When AJ found her back there

a little later, she was laying on the couch, her mind a million miles away.

"Hey sweet thang! Wazz up?" he asked picking up her legs and sitting down.

"Nothing J. Just hanging" she said putting her legs across his lap. "So?" he

said looking at her. "What?" she laughed. "Aren't your gonna tell me what's

making you lay here with that silly grin on your face? About the flowers?

About disappearing on us last night? C'mon spill it girl" he smiled. "There's

nothing to tell J" thinking to herself he would die if he only knew. "Ok" he

said. "Time to be blunt. Who's the guy Ei?" "J, lets just drop it ok. There's

nothing going on. At least not yet" she smiled, thinking about the kiss

goodnight. "There you go again with that grin" he said, pointing to her face.

"You like him huh?" "He's nice J. Different from the guys I've met in the

past." "Meaning??" he said leaning over to look at her. "I mean he is such a

gentleman. He didn't try anything, he didn't push me to jump into bed with

him. We just had a few beers and talked." "Did he kiss you?" AJ asked. "Yeah"

she smiled. "A soft kiss goodnight" she said barely above a whisper. "Does

prince charming have a name?" he said snidely. Oh shit, she thought. It's not

like Lance is a common name. "Eileen" he said waving his hand in front of her

face. "Oh, his name. His name is James." Well, she thought, I'm not lying, it

really is his name. "James. How nice" AJ said.

The guys were still in the dining area discussing tomorrow night. "Howie, did

you get everything set up at the club?" Kevin asked. "Yeah, they said they

would keep it closed to the public, so only we and the band and the road crew

will be let in. It will be nice and private" he answered. "Is the gift taken

care of" Nick asked Brian. "Yeah I got everything in my suitcase" he replied.

"You don't think she suspects anything do ya?" Kevin asked. "The only way she

is gonna find out is if AJ opens his big mouth" Nick said. "We gotta pretend

like we all forgot her birthday" Brian said getting excited. He loved

surprises. "AJ is gonna take her out shopping for a while right?" Howie

asked. "Yeah. I hope she's gonna love this" Kevin laughed.