Chapter Twenty-three

“Tony? Are you all right?”

“Huh?”

“You seem kind of spacey today. Do you want to leave?”

They were wandering through a mall, looking for a birthday gift for Ivan. Lori had already passed on several possiblities, stating that either Ivan already owned it, or wouldn’t know what it was.

“I’m fine, just worrying about something,” Howie said, squeezing her hand.

“Worried about that real estate deal?”

“Mmm,” was how Howie replied. “Um, Lori --”

“Oh wow, that would be perfect!” she interrupted, spotting something in a shop window.

Howie followed her inside to examine a beautiful crystal swan. While Lori talked with the saleswoman, Howie was mentally arguing with himself over how to tell her the truth. He was also trying to guess what her reaction to it would be. Would she run? Slap him silly? Or would she ask for time to think it over, and hopefully decide to forgive him?

“Tony?”

“What?” He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her.

“What do you think?” she asked, pointing to the swan.

“I like it.”

“But would Ivan?”

“Uh, Lor, I’m really not the right person to be asking. You should have brought Kris or Leighanne with you.”

“But I wanted this to be a decision between us, as a couple.”

“Oh. Well, I think he’d like it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said, trying to sound confident.

Lori eyed it again, tapping her index finger thoughtfully on her chin. She turned to the saleswoman and asked if they could giftwrap it and have it delivered.

“Of course, miss.”

“All right.”

The two women went to the counter to work out payment and Howie browsed the rest of the store. He stopped to admire a display of mirrors with intricate frames.

“I look like crap,” he muttered.

Dark circles rested under his eyes from his lack of sleep the night before. He seemed a little paler than usual, probably from worry.

“See what lying does to your appearance?” he asked himself. Then he turned away.

“Phew, got that out of the way. I’m starving, are you hungry?” Lori asked, coming back to him and hooking her arm with his.

“Sure. Where do you want to go?”

“How’s the food court here?”

Full of teenagers! he thought frantically. Teenagers who would know me!

“Uh, well, it’s all fast food. What about the Olive Garden?” he suggested.

“Ooh, sounds nummy. I could go for a big plate of fettucine. Let’s go!”

They headed in the direction of the parking lot where Lori’s jeep sat. . .at the other end of the mall. Howie had been nervous the whole time they’d been there, but now as he glanced at his watch, he became even more so. They were in a mall on a Saturday. This could be bad if they didn’t get out of there quick.

“Are we in a hurry?” Lori laughed, noticing Howie’s suddenly faster pace.

“Huh? Oh, um, I’m hungry, aren’t you?”

“Sure I am. But first I need to use the restroom.”

“Can you wait till we get to the restaurant? It’s not that far.”

“Sorry, bud. I gotta go,” she said, grinning.

They stopped at the long hallway leading to the restrooms.

“I’ll wait right here,” Howie told her.

Lori kissed his cheek and started down the hallway to the ladies room. Howie browsed nearby store windows, trying to blend. There weren’t many people in that part of the mall, and so far, he hadn’t been recognized, for which he considered himself extremely lucky. He wanted to tell Lori everything before she found out from someone else. He knew Mandy was just itching to spill his secret and cause trouble, but Nick had done a good job of stopping her. It was just a matter of time before someone made a mistake.

A group of teenage girls were leaving the store he was standing beside, and he quickly turned the other way. But it was too late.

“Hey, aren’t you. . . “ one girl started.

“Howie Dorough!” her friend screamed.

Suddenly they were surrounding him, asking for autographs and pictures.

“No, wait, I’m waiting for someone, please,” he begged, looking behind him for Lori.

Their screaming had caused others to come over and see what the fuss was about. Soon Howie was signing autographs and trying to break away from them. Mall security was called to break it up.

Howie’s mind was racing as he scrawled his name on shopping bags and receipts. Lori was going to come back any minute! Everything would be ruined if he didn’t get away fast!

Lori was washing her hands when a girl poked her head into the restroom and shrieked, “Howie Dorough is in the mall!”

The room emptied in a heartbeat, leaving Lori to guess that this Howie guy must be a celebrity or something. She took her time in drying her hands and finger combed her hair. She wasn’t interested in any celebrities.

She picked up her purse and left the ladies room, walking back to where she left Tony. As she neared the spot, she could hear screaming like she’d never heard before.

“He must be pretty big,” she said out loud.

She stopped at the outside of the circle of young girls and looked for Tony. Maybe he’d moved farther down the mall to avoid this mess. Or maybe he was caught up in the excitement too and was trying to get an autograph. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see into the mass of people. She spotted him in the center of it all, taking the papers and pens thrust at him and writing on them.

She started to laugh. He’d been mistaken for someone else!

A girl of about fifteen came up beside her, jumping up and down to see better.

“God, he’s so dreamy!” she said to Lori. “He’s my favorite Backstreet Boy!”

“Your favorite what?” Lori asked.

“Backstreet Boy. You do know who that is, don’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s my boyfriend Tony Donetti. I think there’s some mistake, he’s not a Backstreet Boy.”

The girl gave her a confused look. “Tony Donetti was his stage name a long time ago. That’s Howie Dorough, he’s been a Backstreet Boy since the group started!”

Now it was Lori’s turn to look confused. “What?”

She watched as the girl reached into her shopping bag and pulled out a large hardcover book that she’d just purchased. She flipped through pages and then showed it to Lori.

“Omigod,” she gasped, taking the book.

There, in a huge color photograph was Tony! Only the name above the picture read “Howie Dorough”. She scanned the little biography and felt herself go numb at the “Fun Fact: Howie’s old stage name used to Tony Donetti. “

“Are you okay?” the girl asked, concerned at the way Lori’s face had drained of all color.

“Um, y-yeah, I’m fine.” She turned pages, recognizing Kevin, Nick, Brian and AJ. They were a group called the Backstreet Boys, a world famous one at that.

They had lied to her! All of his friends, and John . . . John Dorough, most likely his brother. But worst of all, Tony, the man she loved, had deceived her from the start. She felt her stomach churning as she gave the book back and thanked the girl.

Then she turned on her heel and ran for the exit.

Howie looked up in time to see Lori running away. “Dammit!” he muttered. He handed back a pen and paper to one of the many girls and started pushing his way through the crowd, towards Lori. “Please! Let me through! I have to go!”

Security guards tried to help him and finally he was able to get away. He ran as fast as he could, his heart racing. She knew!

He ran through the doors and turned to the parking lot. He saw her hurrying to her car.

“Lori!” he yelled.

She didn’t turn around, instead she ran faster.

“Lori! Please stop!” he yelled louder.

He watched her fumble with the car keys, trying to unlock the door. He caught up with her, his chest heaving, his heart aching, and grabbed her arm. She whirled around, lashing out at him with her keys. He ducked to avoid them.

“Lori, I can explain!”

“Get your fucking hands off of me!” she screamed, her voice shrill with anger. “You’re a liar! All of you are! How could you do that to me?!”

“I was going to tell you today, honestly I was. But then things went wrong--”

“Oh yes they did. They went wrong from the minute we met up again. I don’t ever want to see you again. Do you hear me?!”

She yanked her arm away from him, jammed the key into the car door and unlocked it. Howie tried to stop her from getting inside but she turned around and slapped his face with all her might.

Tears sprang to his eyes at the stinging sensation, but he didn’t let go. He couldn’t! He had to make her understand!

“Lori, please calm down and let me explain.”

But calm was not what Lori wanted to be. Using every ounce of strength she had, and backed by her hurt and anger, she shoved him away, causing him to fall to the cement. She jumped in the car and sped away, leaving behind tire marks and smoke.

Howie just sat there and watched her go.