Chapter Sixteen

AJ drummed his fingers on the marble conference table and looked at his watch again. It read 9:35 am.

“He said he’d be here, right?” Kevin asked from where he sat.

AJ nodded. “He promised me he’d make it.”

"Was he driving back last night, or early this morning?” Brian wondered, looking up from the file he’d been flipping through.

“Well, I called his place last night, got no answer. I would call the cabin, but I don’t have the number with me,” AJ said, shrugging. “Guys, I’m sure he’s on his way.

Nick wasn’t paying much attention at all. He sat curled up on the leather couch near the window, sketching busily in his sketchbook, pausing every few moments to study the drawing.

Suddenly Howie burst into the room. Everyone looked up at him as he cast his eyes to the floor and selected a seat close to AJ. He dug his cell phone out from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Morning, all,” he said.

“You’re late, bro,” AJ whispered none too softly.

“I know, I’m sorry. I got back really late last night and forgot to set the alarm clock,” Howie explained. “I just woke up.”

“Did you have a good time?” Nick asked.

Howie stopped the huge grin before it spread all over his face, but AJ saw it.

“Yeah, I had a great time,” Howie said. “Uh, should we get this meeting going?”

“Yes, we should,” Kevin said sternly, the leader in him prepared to take control. “Nick, would you mind joining us at the table? We’ve got a lot to take care of this morning. . . “

Howie slouched in the chair, drowning out the sound of Kevin’s voice. He was still mentally back at the cabin with Lori. He wished he was physically there as well. They had spent the rest of their time together mostly in bed, although not always making love. A lot of time was spent just talking, sharing dreams, goals, fears and ideas. Howie had managed to keep up the charade he’d created so many years ago, finding it disturbingly easy to add to it.

The question of how he would finally tell her the truth had plagued him all the way home, and in his dreams too. There had to be an easy way, he reasoned. She would understand once she saw how his life really was. Maybe she would even thank him for shielding her -

“Howie? Howie!” Kevin’s voice boomed into his thoughts.

He jerked straight up and asked, “What? Huh?”

Four sets of eyes, one hidden behind dark sunglasses, focused in on him, making him squirm.

“Brian wanted to know your thoughts on the album schedule,” AJ informed him, pointing to the piece of paper that Howie hadn’t even noticed was in front of him.

“Oh.” He cleared his throat and studied the paper. “Are we behind in the studio?”

Nick nodded glumly. “Yeah, by about two weeks. The original track for ‘Get Another Boyfriend’ got messed up, so we have to start over. Someone spilled an entire can of Dr. Pepper on it.”

“And the drummer for ‘Shining Star’ is sick, so we have to find a new one,” Brian added, tapping his pencil on the table.

Howie nodded. “Well, other than that, we look okay, I’d say. How’s the plan coming for the big promotional tour around the world?”

AJ grinned. “It’s coming along great! The Firm has lined up this huge jet for us, and it’s gonna rock!”

“It’s also gonna be hard work,” Kevin said. “Right now, we’re aiming for a 24 hour trip, but something tells me that won’t happen.”

AJ stuck his tongue out at Kevin. “You’re such a party pooper, Kev. Did you not get any last night?”

Nick snickered, but quickly covered it by lapsing into a coughing fit. Brian decided to call for a break before someone got hurt.

Nick immediately went back to the couch to continue drawing. Howie moved to another corner to talk with Kevin about the lyrics to a song and Brian called Leighanne in Atlanta. AJ stayed in his chair, itching to go outside for a smoke, but reminding himself that he was trying to quit.

Howie’s cell phone rang, catching AJ’s attention. He looked up to see Howie, engrossed in conversation with Kevin. Shrugging, AJ grabbed it and answered.

“Hello,” he said in his huskiest voice. “This is the Bone Daddy. How can I help you?”

A slight pause and then a confused female voice said, “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong number.”

AJ laughed. “No, no, you’ve probably got the right one. This is a friend’s phone. Who are you calling for?”

“Oh, well, I’m calling for Tony Donetti. Is he there?”

AJ nearly swallowed his tongue. His eyes darted back to Howie as he stuttered, “T-tony Donetti? Uh, yeah, he’s here, but - “

Howie heard the name and gave a loud yelp as he raced around the table to snatch the phone away from AJ. He gave AJ a slight push and then retreated to an unoccupied part of the room.

AJ was frowning so hard, his face began to hurt. He glanced to Nick, who was staring back at him with a wide-eyed expression. Neither of them had heard that name in a long time. So why was Howie using it now?

Nick moved back to the table, eagerly awaiting Howie’s explanation. Kevin and Brian knew Tony Donetti had been Howie’s stage name before he joined the Backstreet Boys, and they were also curious as to what was going on.

Howie finished talking and turned off the phone, tucking it into his pocket. He turned around, saw everyone staring at him for the third time that morning and played innocent.

“So,” he said, waving his hands to the table. “Should we continue with the meeting?” He sat down in his chair again and didn’t look up.

AJ jumped to his feet, tore his shades from his face and cried, “Nuh uh! Howie! Who was that? Why was she calling you Tony Donetti?”

Howie’s face turned crimson as he stared at his hands.

“Wow, my nails need to be trimmed,” he said softly.

“Howie! Don’t make me call your mother!” AJ threatened, knowing that Paula Dorough could get her children to confess to things they hadn’t even done.

“All right!” Howie yelled. “That was Lori.”

AJ sank back into his chair, stunned, and Nick asked, “Who’s Lori?”

Howie sighed deeply. “She’s a girl, well, now she’s a woman,” he began awkwardly. “We met a few years ago, before the group. She knew me as Tony Donetti. It’s a long story.”

“I still don’t get it,” AJ said, shaking his head. “She asked for Tony! Does she not know who you really are?”

Howie’s silence was his answer.

“How can she not know who you are?” Brian asked, very confused. “It’s not like we’re unknown.”

“She’s been in Switzerland and she doesn’t really listen to pop music. She’s more into operas and classical stuff like that. She doesn’t know my real name, or anything about the Backstreet Boys,” Howie said. “I haven’t told her yet.”

“How did you find her?” AJ asked.

Howie laughed a little. “We met up in Falls Lake. Her dad has a cabin there too. We just sort of ran into each other.”

“And you couldn’t tell her the truth right away?” Kevin questioned, not liking this situation one bit. “I thought you were the most honest out of all of us.”

“No, that’s Brian,” Nick corrected. “At least that’s what Teen Beat says.”

Brian nudged his friend and rolled his eyes.

“Anyway,” Nick went on. “So she thinks your name is Tony instead of Howie. What, if I may ask, did you tell her you do for a living?”

AJ snapped his fingers. “Ten bucks Howie said real estate agent. Am I right?”

Howie nodded. “I really wanted to tell her, but then things happened. . . “

“What things?” Brian asked. Then it dawned on him and he groaned. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”

“Well. . . “

“Howie!” all four of them said in unison.

He ducked his head in shame. God, his mother would whip him silly if she ever found out about this!

“Did you tell her anything about us?” Kevin asked.

“She knows your names, and that you’re my friends. That’s all.”

AJ was scratching his head. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but what the hell were you thinking?!”

“I guess I wasn’t,” Howie said. “At least not rationally.”

“So now what’re you gonna do?” Nick wanted to know. “Do we get to meet her?”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Howie said quickly.

Nick reached over and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Have you ever stopped to consider that she’s going to find out sooner or later? I mean, our faces are plastered all over those teeny mags. We’ve got merchandise in a ton of stores. And with the new album in the works, our exposure is going to double, even triple. Don’t you think she should find out the truth from you?”

“Words of wisdom from the young one,” AJ said, grinning at Nick and giving him a thumbs up.

Howie nibbled anxiously on his lower lip. “All right,” he said heavily. “I’ll tell her. But can you all be there when I do? It’ll be easier to explain things with you guys backing me up.”

Kevin nodded. “Sure thing, bro.”

Howie pulled out his phone and dialed her number at her cabin. “I’ll set up a barbecue at my place for this Saturday? Does that work for everyone?”

They all said yes. Howie listened to the phone ring and then Lori picked up.

“Hello?”

“Lori! Hi, sorry to call you back, but I’ve got to ask you something.”

“Ask away, sweetie.”

“Are you busy Saturday? If you’re not, my friends would really love to meet you. I was thinking about a barbecue.”

“Oh, Tony, that would be great!” Lori gushed. “Of course I’m free!”

“Good. Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re doing then. See you Saturday.”

“Can’t wait. Bye, Tony.”

“Bye.” He turned to face the others. “It’s all set.”