Part 326
Racing through the backstage, Sarah was trying to get away from AJ who had ambushed her as she’d been headed to Howie’s dressing room. As she rounded the corner, she stopped short grabbing her leg.
"Damnit!"
Kevin and Brian had been watching and laughing but went to Sarah’s aid seeing her stop. As they reached her, the water balloon meant for her nailed Kevin.
"AJ, cut it out," snapped Kevin. "Sarah’s hurt."
"Yeah, sure…and I’m the King of Canada," laughed AJ. "Where’s the super soaker you brought her?"
"No, seriously, ‘Bone’," said Brian. "She’s really hurt."
Seeing Sarah’s tears, AJ asked, "’Tigger’, what’s wrong?"
"I pulled a muscle in the back of my leg," groaned Sarah leaning against Kevin.
"Where is it, baby?"
"Right here," said Sarah putting her hand on the back of her leg just below her butt. "God, it hurts."
AJ cracked, "Gonna put a serious crimp in your sexual activities too."
"Oh BITE ME, Alex," growled Sarah. "This is YOUR fault. I ought to make YOU satisfy Howie."
"Oh NO!! NO WAY!"
Sarah and Kevin laughed as Brian said, "Come on. You need to get off it and put some ice on it."
"I’ll help you, Sarah," said Kevin as he put his arm around her.
Limping back with Kevin’s help and AJ and Brian following, Sarah dreaded hearing what Howie was going to say. She knew he’d be angry.
Just before reaching the dressing room, Sarah said, "You three go on. Howie’s gonna be pissed so let him take it out on me."
"Are you sure?" asked Kevin.
"Positive. There’s been enough arguing among the five of you and I can handle Howie."
"What do you need to ‘handle’ me for?" asked Howie as he exited the dressing room to go searching for Sarah.
The foursome looked at each other then at Howie. Simultaneously, Kevin and Brian pointed to AJ and said, "It’s HIS fault."
"Oh, just fucking great!" said AJ throwing his hands up in defeat. "Just hand Howie my ass on a silver platter why don’t you?"
"’Bone’, you don’t HAVE an ass to be on a silver platter," cracked Sarah as she limped to Howie.
"Angel, what’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing, D. I just pulled a muscle in my leg."
"Doing what?" questioned Howie suspiciously.
"That doesn’t matter, D. I just need to go lay down and put some ice on it."
"Sarah, WHAT HAPPENED and DO NOT tell me it doesn’t matter."
AJ spoke up, "D, I was chasing her with water balloons and she pulled a
muscle."
"Damnit, AJ! You can’t be chasing her. She could slip on the water and really hurt herself or the babies."
"Howie, stop," said Sarah. "AJ didn’t mean any harm."
Howie looked at Sarah, her eyes pleading with him NOT to start a fight. Tenderly, Howie took her hand. "Are you okay, Angel?"
"I’ll be fine, D….it just hurts like hell."
"Come on. I’ll help you get to the couch to lay down and then get you some ice."
AJ offered, "I’ll get it, D."
"Thanks, ‘Age’."
Howie put his arm around Sarah’s waist to help her into the dressing room as Kevin said, "I’ll catch you two later. I need to make a phone call."
********************
Kevin chuckled as he kicked his dressing room door closed with his foot. In spite of being soaked, he had to admit it was nice to see things getting back to normal again. As he dug his cell phone from his pocket, he pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside. It was a good thing he wasn't in costume yet, or there would have been hell to pay. He dialed the familiar numbers, looking forward to some company for a few minutes, a little escape from the hectic pre-show pace that he never quite became accustomed to.
Three rings … four … and then the answering machine kicked in. "Hey, it's Vanessa, I'm not here, so you have ten seconds to leave me a message! Bye!"
At the sound of the beep, he was suddenly tongue-tied. This was the fourth time this week he'd missed her, and it seemed there wasn't much point in leaving another message.
She had yet to return any of his other calls, and now he just wasn't much in the mood to talk anymore. He was just about to get dressed for the show when he had an idea. Pulling out his phone once more, he pressed the new code for the number he'd recently programmed into his speed dial.
"Hello, Backstreet Bordello, what's your pleasure?"
Kevin nearly choked when Lynne answered the phone, but made a snap decision to play along. "Well, now, darlin'" he drawled slowly, "I thought me and my buddies could hook ourselves up with some fine lookin' ladies this evening." His request was met with dead silence.
He tried again. "Hello?" Nothing. "Lynne?"
"Kevin?" she gasped in mortification. "Oh dear god … I thought you were Julie calling me back and I- I- Oh shit."
"So tell me more about this new business venture you seem to have started." He chuckled as he continued to undress, dropping his jeans to the floor and reaching for his pants for the opening number.
Lynne wanted to crawl through the floor and die. "Why are you calling me?" she groaned.
"I can hang up," he offered.
"No, wait! I didn't mean- Kevin, there's nothing wrong with Becca is there? Or Garrett?"
"No, they're just fine. In fact, that's why I called. It looks like everything has been straightened out. Seems you were right about some of it." He proceeded to fill her in on all that had happened after Becca had joined them in Detroit. "It was pretty rocky there for a couple of days, but Howie and Nick have kissed and made up so it's all good." He smiled as she began to laugh. Damn, it felt good to talk to her again.
"I'm glad to hear it, Kevin. So Bec's feeling all right?"
"Seems to be, and I know Nick is happy to have her back. Garrett seems to be handling the touring life like a pro, too."
"Aww, I miss him. He's so sweet."
"He's cute, that's for sure. So what are you up to? I mean, besides running an escort service." He grinned and could just picture her blushing.
Lynne was bright red, as she retorted, "Not much else, Kev. Keeping the girls in line is a full time job."
"So who's your favorite customer?" he asked, taking the charade one step further.
"Oh no, I have no customers. I must keep my calendar open at all times. I'm … taken."
"Taken, hmm? He must be a very lucky man." Kevin smiled.
"No," she said softly, "I'm the lucky one." The entire scenario was so clear in her mind and her only thought was of being a kept woman, waiting for her man to come home, waiting to serve his every whim…
"Lynne? You still there?"
"Yes," she sighed and she could still see him, Kevin, coming through her door and staking his claim, just like Rhett Butler with Scarlett O'Hara… "Oh, Kevin …" she sighed and managed to catch herself just short of eternal humiliation. "Umm … what are you doing?"
He chuckled to himself; this just got better and better. "Getting dressed for the show."
"What are you wearing?"
Looking down at himself he replied, "Socks … boxers…"
"Oh," she squeaked.
"Lynne, I called you from my dressing room. What are you wearing?"
"No fair. My old navy sweats and sneakers."
"Ahh… way to kill the illusion." He laughed and unfortunately, had to finish getting ready. "I need to go, I have a show to do."
"Thanks for calling."
"I'll have to do it again sometime. Maybe later at night when you're wearing something a little more interesting than old sweats." He had dropped his voice and heard the catch in her breathing, even across the miles.
"Maybe you should do that, Kevin," she said softly.
"It was good to talk to you, Lynne. I'll call again soon."
"I'd like that. Bye." She hung up the phone with a smile on her face, their last words replaying in her head. "Oh my god. I just agreed to have phone sex with Kevin Richardson…" She began to giggle. "Life is good. Life is SO damn good!"