“Hi,” Christine said warmly. Ugh! Where had she seen him before?
“Hello,” he replied.
She sat down and pulled her job information from her bag. Quickly, she skimmed over it and then shoved it back. Nervously, she began to chew on her nails. She had never been on a plane before.
Her neighbor must have noticed, because he touched her arm. “Are you going to be okay?” he said in a heavy Southern drawl.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just a little anxious. I’ve never flown before,” Christine explained.
“I don’t really like it either, but it’s not that bad once you get used to it,” he assured her. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Christine Sullivan,” she said. “You?”
He seemed surprised that she asked. “I’m Brian. Why are you going down to Florida?”
“I just got a job that…uh…starts down there, I guess,” she said, unsure of how to put it. “What about you?”
“I guess I could say the same…” he trailed off. “What kind of job?”
“Dancing,” she replied.
“I’ll be singing,” Brian said. She heard caution in his voice, but she couldn’t figure out why. “Dancing, that sounds pretty interesting. What kind of dancing?”
“I’m going on tour with the-with a band,” she said, catching herself before she gave out too much information. She wasn’t about to tell a stranger all about her life.
“I’m going to be singing with a band,” he said, amused. Why did he seem to be having so much fun? It was as though he was teasing her.
“Awesome!” Christine said.
After an awkward moment, he reached down into his bag and grabbed a novel. Assuming the conversation was over, Christine watched out the window as the plane took off, and then she stared blankly at the ground below them. Flying wasn’t that bad when you got to look out the window.
Eventually, after forty-five minutes, even looking out the window didn’t hold off the extreme boredom. Suddenly, she remembered that she had brought along her CD player. After contemplating what CD to listen to for a second, she decided to listen to the Backstreet Boys, since she’d be touring with them. She pulled out her CD and froze. “Oh my God! That’s where I’ve seen him before!” she said ditzily, just loud enough for Brian to hear. He looked up at her and she blushed. I must look like a total idiot, she thought.
“What’s wrong?” Brian asked.
“Oh my God, I am so slow,” Christine said calmly. “Are you Brian Littrell?”
He looked down at the CD cover and nodded in understanding. “Yes, I am.” He laughed softly.
“I’m your new dancer!” she exclaimed.
“You are? Wow! This is really weird,” he said, looking her in the eye.
“I wonder why they didn’t tell us that we would be sitting together,” Christine said.
“Well, actually, my original flight was canceled, so they got me a ticket to this flight,” Brian explained.
“Oh my gosh, I feel so dumb that I didn’t recognize you!” she said, shaking her head.
“That’s okay. It’s really nice when people don’t recognize me, actually,” Brian replied.
“I can imagine,” Christine replied.
“Usually I get attacked on public planes. Luckily, there aren’t many teenagers on this flight,” Brian said. “This is a pleasant change. So you’re our new dancer?”
“Yep, I am!”
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from Madison, but I interviewed in Menomonee, Wisconsin. I just graduated from high school there. I went to boarding school.” She scrunched her nose in disgust.
“Really? So you don’t know anyone now, huh?” Brian asked.
“Well, I just met you, so I know Fatima and you,” Christine replied. “Other than that, no, I don’t know anyone.”
“Don’t worry, the guys are easy to get along with,” Brian stated. He frowned. “Nick is kind of mad because the dancer that broke her ankle is his girlfriend, so he probably won’t be very friendly, but give him time, and he’ll come around.”
Christine’s eyes filled with worry. “I’m kind of…kind of really nervous about this.”
“Oh, don’t worry. You seem like a great girl,” Brian assured her.
She blushed and smiled appreciatively. “Thanks.”
Soon, they arrived in Orlando and got off the plane. Christine looked around as Brian threw on a hat and a pair of sunglasses. “Where do we go? Someone is supposed to pick me up.”
Brian surveyed the room and saw no one he knew. “I’m not exactly sure. I’m supposed to be meeting a chauffeur here. Let me-” He started to pull out his cell phone but a man tapped him on the shoulder.
“Mr. Littrell? Miss Sullivan? My friend and I will be taking you to the hotel,” said the man. Christine studied him and the man he was with. Both were older, bald, and dressed in black, just like all the chauffeurs in movies. “Here are our IDs.”
Brian and Christine checked the IDs and nodded. “Okay, then, I guess we just grab our baggage and follow you,” he said.
Like a gentleman, Brian helped Christine carry her three suitcases, but not without a manly complaint. “Why do girls have to pack so much stuff?”
“Because we have to worry about our appearance more,” Christine replied, suppressing a smile. “Besides, I’m going to be away from home until September. It’s June now. I had to bring lots of clothes and stuff.”
Brian rolled his eyes and laughed. “I think you could have cut this in half,” he said.
“Nah, that would be no fun,” Christine joked.
They got outside to the two limousines and the chauffeur took Christine’s things from Brian. After placing them carefully in the trunk, he opened the door for Christine to get in. She did, and sitting in the seat across from her was a very sullen looking Nick Carter. Wow! He looked good! He ran his fingers through his short blonde hair and made no attempt at introducing himself.
“Uh, hi,” Christine said shyly. “I’m Christine.”
“I know that,” Nick snapped. “I’m only here because Fatima sent me to come get you.”
“Thanks, you’re friendly,” Christine groaned sarcastically. He may be a hottie, but what a jerk! Christine thought glumly. If he was going to be like this the whole time she worked with him, she might as well quit now.
Nick didn’t bother to try to start a conversation, nor did Christine, so they rode the whole way to the hotel in awkward silence. Finally, they pulled up and the chauffeur let them out. He handed her the suitcases and she struggled to carry them all, but there was no way she was asking Nick for help. Luckily, Brian’s limousine pulled up, and he got out.
“Nick, why aren’t you helping her?” Brian asked, rolling his eyes. “You can see she’s having trouble.”
Nick shrugged apathetically. “She didn’t ask.”
Brian shot Christine an apologetic look and grabbed two of her suitcases. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. You certainly weren’t lying when you said he wouldn’t be very friendly to me,” Christine groaned. “He didn’t talk to me the whole way here.”
“Don’t worry. He’s just a little upset because of his girlfriend,” Brian said. “Give him time.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Christine dropped her things on the floor and looked around. The room consisted of a walk-in closet, a bathroom, two beds, a television and VCR, a table, and two chairs. Nothing really fancy, but still very nice. As Christine studied everything carefully, there was a knock on the door. She turned and opened it to find a tall, curvy girl with long, curly, brown hair and blue eyes standing outside.
“Hi, my name is Sandra,” she said, stepping in. “I’m assuming you’re Samantha’s replacement?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Christine replied. “My name’s Christine.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I guess we’re roommates, then,” Sandra said. She frowned. “So Nick rode over here with you?”
“Yeah,” Christine smirked. “He wasn’t very sociable. He just complained about having to pick me up and then didn’t say anything the rest of the time.”
“Not surprised. Nick and I don’t get along particularly well. We didn’t really hit it off,” Sandra said, rolling her eyes. Christine looked at her curiously, and Sandra sighed. “He ran into me and knocked me down before we had even talked to each other. Didn’t apologize or anything. In fact, he blamed it on me. I never could understand what Samantha sees in him, but then, Samantha and I don’t get along well, either.”
“So basically he’s an ass,” Christine snickered.
“Pretty much,” Sandra replied. “So tell me about yourself. We didn’t get any information about you.”
“My name is Christine Therese Sullivan, but you can call me Chris. I’m seventeen. I’m from Madison, but I went to boarding school in Menomonee, Wisconsin. That’s where I interviewed, and I obviously got the job. I have two brothers, Sam and Jason. Sam is twenty-five, and Jason is twenty. My sister, Michelle, is twenty-three. I don’t talk to her all that much. We don’t get along. I’m not in a serious relationship, and I haven’t been since my junior year,” Christine confessed. Sandra looked at her doubtfully. “I’m just not a serious relationship type of person. I like to play the field,” she added quickly. It wasn’t the real reason she hadn’t been in a relationship in so long, but Sandra didn’t seem to notice. She stopped, not sure of what else to add.
“Go on, tell me about your close friends,” Sandra encouraged.
“Okay, my best friend, Kate, loves the Backstreet Boys. She’s eighteen, and she’s really sweet. I can talk to her about anything. My roommate in school was Lil, and she’s sixteen. She’s got two years to go before she graduates. She’s messy and loves to party. Amber is Sam’s girlfriend, and she’s twenty-four. I ask Amber for advice on everything. I swear, she’s got to be the nicest person in the world. Then there’s Carlie. She’s nineteen, and she’s Jason’s girlfriend.”
Sandra interrupted her. “What kind of stuff do you like? Music, movies, actors, actresses, all that?”
“I like dancing, obviously. I also like writing and sleeping. As far as music, I like pretty much everything. I like oldies, pop, and R&B. I also like the Backstreet Boys. My favorite movies are probably ‘The Wedding Singer’ and ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding.’ I love Adam Sandler and Matt Damon, and I also like Jennifer Aniston. I like to read, mostly mystery and suspense.” She paused. “What about you?”
“My name is Sandra Marie Phillips. I’m twenty years old. I have a little brother, Jeff, and he’s sixteen. I didn’t go to college. I’m from Chicago. I like sleeping, listening to music, shopping, talking on the phone…all that girl stuff. My favorite band is the Backstreet Boys. I couldn’t live without Adam Sandler movies. He cracks me up. That’s really all there is to know about me.”
Christine looked at her watch and then back up at Sandra. “Dinner is in a half an hour. What do we wear?” she asked.
Sandra studied her outfit and smiled. “That’s perfect. Just wear that,” she suggested.