Chapter Twenty-seven

“AJ, wake up,” Howie whispered, poking his friend in the shoulder.

Beside him, AJ groaned and turned his head away. Howie poked him again.

“We’re landing soon, wake up!”

“D, I swear, if you poke me one more time, I’ll break your finger,” AJ threatened, forcing his eyes open. He moved his seat into its upright position and twisted to each side, sighing in pleasure as his back cracked loudly. Howie cringed at the noise.

“Do you have to do that?” he asked, irritated.

AJ grinned. “I do it just to piss you off, D. You know that.”

Howie rolled his eyes and focused on the clouds outside the plane window.

“Do you think she’s down there somewhere?” he wondered.

“Maybe. You got the address right?”

Howie blew out a mouthful of air in exasperation. “No, AJ, I don’t. We flew all this way, and oops, silly me, I left the address at home!”

AJ raised a brow. “Dang. Someone’s a little tense,” he said, slumping in his seat and crossing his arms.

Howie instantly felt bad. After all, AJ had volunteered to come to Switzerland with him, had gone with him to talk to Ivan and find out where Lori lived in Geneva, and had convinced the others into covering for them with management while they tried to find her.

“I’m sorry, AJ. I’m just scared.”

“I know you are,” AJ said, peering at him over his shades. “That’s why I’m not taking it personally.”

Howie gave a small smile and prepared himself for the landing. Thirty minutes later they were leaving the plane and entering the airport. They went through customs and were soon on their way to a hotel. After dropping their things off, AJ decided they should head on over to Lori’s apartment.

“I don’t know,” Howie hesitated. “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow?”

But AJ grabbed his arm, forced him into a taxi and said, “Maybe we should go now.”

Their driver found the building easily, and AJ paid the man well.

“I can’t,” Howie said, his voice shaking when they were standing outside Lori’s door. “What if she slams the door in my face?”

“Then you better back up before it hits you in the nose,” AJ said reasonably. “Now knock.”

When Howie didn’t move fast enough, AJ raised a fist and banged on the door.

“AJ!”

The door burst open.

“Who the hell are you?!” a redhead with bright blue eyes demanded, hands on her hips.

“Hello, miss,” AJ said politely. “We’re looking for a friend, Lori Haberlan, but perhaps we’ve knocked on the wrong door?”

The woman eyed them curiously. “No, this is her place. I’m watching it for her while she’s away.”

“Do you know where she’s gone?” Howie asked hopefully. “It’s really important that we find her.”

“Just who are you?”

“My name is AJ McLean, and this is Howie Dorough. Please, miss, if you can help us --”

“Omigod, you’re Backstreet Boys!” the woman squealed, dropping her evil glare.

Howie laughed nervously. “Yes, we are. Um, Lori --”

“What are you doing here?!”

AJ surpressed a sigh. “Please, miss --”

“Gina,” the woman said, suddenly all smiles. “My name’s Gina. I work with Lori.”

AJ smiled back. “Well, Gina, you’d be a great help to us if you told us where she is.”

Gina chewed on her lower lip, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Well, she told me not to tell anyone. Seems she had a lover’s spat over in the States and she’s afraid the guy will come after her.” Realization dawned on her and her eyes widened. “Was it one of you?”

Howie tugged uncomfortably at his shirt collar. “It was me, miss. But she doesn’t understand. I need to explain some things to her.”

“Omigod, Lori had a fling with a Backstreet Boy. Just wait until the girls at work hear about this!”

AJ and Howie exchanged glances as Gina continued to gush. Finally Howie couldn’t stand it any longer and took Gina’s hands in his in a pleading gesture.

“Gina, you’ve got to tell me where she went. I love her, and I have to tell her how much. She’s my whole world, and I can’t live without her. Please, Gina, help me.”

Gina had been shocked into silence. When she regained her voice, she was almost in tears.

“Who am I to stand in the way of true love?” she asked, sniffling. “She’s in Brussels. She goes there a lot on business and has an apartment there. I’ll give you the address.”

She ushered them inside while she searched for Lori’s address book. Howie studied the surroundings, not surprised at how calm and natural the place looked.

Calm and natural, just like Lori, he thought.

“Here you go, the address and phone number. She said she was going to be there for a few weeks, to think and maybe do some work. I hope you find her,” Gina said to Howie.

“You’ll promise not to call her and tell her we’re coming?” AJ asked. “We don’t want her to run again.”

“I promise. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Howie said hugging her.

They were almost out the door when Gina stopped them.

“Oh,” she said, blushing slightly. “Do you think I could get an autograph?”

Lori wandered along the Rue Neuve, a long pedestrian street full of small boutiques and large department stores. She peered into various windows, admiring the merchandise. Every once in awhile, she’d spot a piece of jewelry, a piece of clothing or a painting that would remind her of Tony.

No, not Tony. His name is Howie. Howie Dorough, she scolded herself.

She stopped at a candy shop and decided to go in. Chocolate sounded very good to her right now. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, the sweet, warm aroma of rich Belgian chocolate invading her senses. She purchased a box of her favorites and left the shop, her eyes darting the sidewalk for any sign of Howie.

For some reason, she had this nagging feeling that he was there, somewhere in the city, looking for her. She tried to shake the feeling away, but it remained, irking her.

“Dammit, get out of my system,” she muttered.

Tucking the box of chocolates in her purse, she continued on her way, deciding that she’d walk back to her place instead of taking a cab. She watched happy couples strolling arm in arm along the sidewalk, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, holding hands, and kissing.

It made her sick to think she was like that just a few days ago. It also made her angry to think of how easy she had been deceived.

“Never again,” she said to herself, continuing on her way.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” Howie said, wiping his sweaty palms against his khaki pants.

“There’s a window to your left,” AJ said helpfully.

“Oh shut up!”

Howie raised his trembling hand to knock on the door. He rapped so lightly that AJ rolled his eyes.

“Do you want me to knock?” he offered.

“I’d rather you weren’t here at all. I think you’re what’s making me nervous!”

The elevator at the end of the hallway gave a small ding and the doors slid open. Both men turned to see who was getting off.

“Lori?” Howie asked.

Lori looked up from her purse, where she was digging for her keys. Her first thought was to turn around and run, run as far away as she could to keep her heart safe.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, stopping a few feet away.

Howie just wanted to take her into his arms and kiss away her pain, but he knew that wouldn’t be a good idea right now. AJ nudged him in the side, then stepped back to the window and peered outside.

“I came to see you, to explain --”

“How did you find me?”

“Your friend, Gina, she --”

“I wish you hadn’t come,” Lori said flatly, forcing herself to move again. She pushed past him to her door and began fumbling with the keys. She could feel him right behind her, smell him all around her. He seemed to permeate through her every pore.

“I had to. We need to talk,” Howie said, sounding sad.

“We’ve got nothing to say to each other.”

She finally found the right key and shoved it into the lock. She twisted the knob and practically jumped inside, closing the door as quickly as possible.

“Lori! Please!” Howie cried, putting his hands on the door to keep it open. “Give me a chance to explain!”

“No! You hurt me, Howie, really, really hurt me! How am I supposed to trust you?”

Suddenly AJ rammed his shoulder against the door, making Lori jump back in fear. He swung it all the way open, grabbed Howie by the shoulders and steered him in the apartment.

“We flew all this way for Howie to talk to you because he’s madly in love with you and can’t live without you. Now you two are staying in here and talking until you get this thing resolved, and that’s that! AJ has spoken!”

With a growl of annoyance, AJ slammed the door shut, rattling the walls and shocking both Howie and Lori into silence. When they still hadn’t spoken a minute later, AJ yelled, “I don’t hear any talkin’ goin’ on! Get to it, I’m hungry!”

Lori edged away from Howie to the couch, sinking into it with a sigh.

“Gina’s dead meat when I see her next time,” she said, dropping her purse on the floor.

“Don’t be mad at her. I would have tracked you down somehow.”

“Oh really?” Lori snorted. “That’s right. You’re famous, you can get anything you want.”

Howie winced and stepped closer. “I guess I deserved that.”

“You deserve way worse than that.”

Lori crossed her arms and stared blankly towards an opposite wall.

“Will you let me apologize?” Howie asked, perching on the edge of a leather armchair. “And perhaps explain?”

Suddenly, it seemed that all the fight went out of Lori. Her shoulders slumped and she ran a hand through her tangled hair.

“I’d love an explanation, Howie,” she said. “I thought we had something special. I thought I knew you.”

“You do! Everything that Tony was, that’s me!”

“But I don’t know who Howie is,” she said tiredly. “I don’t know anything about the singer, the teen idol that girls lust after. I don’t know anything about that!”

“I’m glad you don’t. I wanted you to know the real me, and not the guy that gets his picture taken all the time, or gets asked for his autograph, or is only wanted because he’s famous.”

“That’s why you lied to me?”

Howie nodded. Lori mulled this over.

“What if I gave you a chance to see who that part of me is?” Howie asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Would you spend just one more day with me?”

Lori hesitated, twirling the silver bracelet on her wrist around and around.

“Doing what?”

“We have a lot of press stuff to do next week, in preparation for the next album. Talk shows, radio interviews, charity things, and even some studio time. Would you be willing to spend a day with me, with all of us, the Backstreet Boys, and really see what it’s all about? You’ll have access to everything, and you’ll be protected, I promise.”

“I don’t know...”

“Please? If you don’t like it, and decide you don’t want any part of that, then I’ll step back and let you go. We’ll part ways and that’ll be that. But please, give me just one last chance.”

Lori looked at him. “Why should I?”

Howie didn’t hesitate at all when he answered.

“Because I love you.”

Lori was at a loss for words.

“I love you, Lori, I do. With all my heart, and I want to prove it to you. Will you let me?”

A moment of silence passed before Lori could speak. When she did, it was only one word, a simple yet powerful word that gave Howie hope.