Chapter Thirty-five

Casey enjoyed the show tremendously, especially when she and her mother were brought up to the stage during “The Perfect Fan.” Kevin walked with them and just made Casey’s year.

Just before the fireworks exploded, signaling the end of the show, Marcus took everyone backstage to join the Boys.

“Did you have fun?” Kevin asked Casey.

“This was the most exiting night of my life! Just wait until I tell my friends, they’ll be soo jealous!”

Megan made sure to steer clear of Kevin, keeping close to AJ’s side as they walked down the tunnel to the buses. Denise came jogging towards them, an annoyed look on her face.

“We’ve got a problem,” she said, stopping them.

“What kind of problem?” Brian asked, remembering the last problem they had in Phoenix. “A bad one?”

“Well, it seems that another musical act will be arriving at our hotel within an hour and the management has asked that we leave tonight instead of tomorrow morning. They don’t want a riot outside the building.”

“So we have to leave tonight?” AJ groaned. “Whatta pain in the ass.”

Megan nudged him with her elbow.

“I mean, rear,” he corrected, looking at Casey.

“Sorry, Hon, looks that way.”

Myra raised a hand. “What do we do? Our tickets were round trip from here.”

Denise nodded. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you on a flight out of Vegas. I hope you don’t mind riding with us tonight.”

Casey’s eyes danced. “On the bus? With you guys? Heck no!”

Denise laughed and hugged Casey to her side. “All right then, let’s get back to the hotel, pack and get outta here!”

A little over an hour later, just as they were about to start loading onto their buses and getting ready to head out into the night, another red bus pulled up behind them.

“Oh man, I recognize that bus!” AJ cried, peering over his sunglasses.

Kevin turned to look. “That’s --”

“NSYNC!!” Casey screamed, then clamped a hand over her mouth.

Megan whirled around to see. She’d never met any of the members of BSB’s rival, and was curious.

Howie excused himself from security and walked over to say hi.

“Sweet D strikes again,” Brian said, smiling.

“I don’t get it,” Megan said. “I thought you guys hated each other.”

“We don’t ‘hate’ each other,” Nick said, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. “We just do our best to avoid each other. But Howie’s friends with Chris, so he always stops to talk.”

“Which one’s Chris?”

Nick pointed to the guy holding a small pug in his arms.

Megan studied the other five men, forcing herself not to form an opinion on looks alone. She looked to her left when she felt a tug at her arm.

“Can we go over there?” Casey whispered. “I don’t like them as much as BSB, oh no, but I think Lance is cute.”

Megan scowled a little.

“Once again, I have to ask,” she said. “Which one is Lance?”

Casey stood on tiptoe and showed her a blond guy with spiky hair, shaking hands with Howie.

“Hmm. I suppose we could. Hey, AJ, we’re gonna sneak on over there, ‘kay?”

“You’re leaving us for them?” AJ teased.

Casey turned crimson. “No, I just wanted an autograph. We won’t stay long, I promise.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Go on over there, just don’t get crushed.”

Megan took Casey’s hand and together they began weeding their way through the crowd of girls that were begging for autographs and pictures. Howie saw them and pulled them close.

He introduced them and Casey was able to get a moment with Lance.

“Have fun?” AJ asked when they came back. He helped Casey, Myra and Megan step onto the bus.

“Oh, loads,” Megan said, rolling her eyes. “I just love being surrounded by a million females who want to rip me to shreds.”

AJ chuckled and hugged her.

Sleeping arrangements were quickly decided. Howie and Kevin each gave up their bunks for Myra and Casey, choosing to sleep in the back rec room.

“I would give you mine, but I think something’s growing in there,” Nick said with a crooked smile.

They all got ready for bed and then climbed into their bunks. Sleep dropped down on the bus in almost instantly, and soon the sounds of light snoring could be heard blending with the hum of the motor.

Megan lay awake in her bunk, with AJ curled up beside her. She realized she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since this damn tour had started. Sighing, she moved the curtain aside and got out. With the rec room occupied, the only place she could go was up front.

She jumped a foot in the air when she spotted Kevin, stretched out on one of the couches. His left arm was propped up behind his head, his right hanging limply to the floor. The television was on with the sound turned down low, an old episode of “I Love Lucy” on the screen.

It appeared he was sleeping, and Megan felt a sudden stirring in her lower belly at the peaceful sight. His dark lashes rested on his cheeks, and his mouth was slightly open.

“I do have feelings for you, Kevin,” she whispered. “How can I make them go away?”

His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, Megan feared he’d heard her.

“Hey,” he said softly, sitting up.

“Hi.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“Not really.”

He moved his legs, silently inviting her to sit down. She did, but on the opposite couch. They sat in silence, unsure of what to say.

“So...you ever been to Vegas?” he asked, figuring that was a pretty safe topic.

Megan shook her head and grabbed a nearby pillow, pushing it against the end of the couch. She lay down and faced Kevin.

“Will I like it?”

Kevin smiled. “Depends. It’s a party town and you know how AJ likes to party.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “He’ll probably end up partying without me then. I’m really feeling my age these days.”

“Hey, you’re my age,” Kevin said, laughing.

“No, seriously. I swear I never had as much energy when I was his age.”

“I don’t think I did either.”

Megan watched him run a hand through his hair, watched the dark strands fall ever so gently onto his forehead.

“Kevin,” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

He blinked at her. “Sorry for what?”

“For. . . for slapping you that night.”

He waved a hand at her. “Forget about it. I deserved it. I never should have said what I did.”

“I’m still sorry, and not just for that either.”

“What else could you possibly be sorry for?”

She twisted a lock of hair between her fingers. “I’m sorry for liking you as much as I do. That was never supposed to happen.”

Kevin let out a sigh and closed his eyes. “I know.”

They didn’t say anything for a few minutes. The only sound was the hum of the bus and the laughter from the television. Finally Kevin sat up again and looked at her.

“AJ is a good guy, and one of my best friends in the world. I want him to be happy, and he’s extremely happy with you. I know when I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, but I can’t stop hoping. There’s just something about you, Megan, something I can’t explain.”

Megan blinked back tears. “That same something is what I like about you. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s something that AJ doesn’t quite possess. But I don’t want to hurt him just because I want to find out what that little something is. He’s been nothing but good to me from the start and I feel I owe him the same kind of treatment. So whatever it is that exists between us, it stops tonight. All right?”

“For you maybe, but not for me. I can’t just stop feeling for someone like that,” Kevin said, snapping his fingers to emphasize his point. “But as long as I can be your friend, I’ll be okay.”

Megan couldn’t stop the tear that fell from her eye. She moved to sit beside him, taking his hand in hers.

“You’ll always be my friend, Kevin, I promise.”

Kevin placed a kiss on her cheek and released her, standing up.

“Good night, Megan. Sweet dreams.”

Megan let him walk away before she lay down on the couch and allowed herself to cry.

It was just before 7:30am when the bus rolled into its next stop of Las Vegas, Nevada. Megan woke to the sound of clumsy movements and hushed voices.

“’Morning, Sunshine,” AJ said, patting her shoulder. “Why’d you sleep out here? My bunk not comfortable anymore?”

She sat up and looked around, disoriented. Everyone was awake and hastily pulling on clothes, hats and sunglasses.

“Sorry, babe, I meant to come back, really.”

“It’s okay. Hey, you might wanna get dressed.”

“Yeah, sure.”

She started to make her way towards the back of the bus, colliding with Kevin in the narrow space between the bunks.

“Whoa, sorry.”

“Oops, sorry.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Casey poked her head out of Howie’s bunk and yawned.

“Are we there yet?” she asked.

Megan stepped aside and ruffled Casey’s hair. “Sure are, kiddo.”

Casey groaned. “I don’t wanna get dressed.”

“I think your sweats are okay. Just throw on a jacket, kay?”

“’Kay.”

Casey eyed them carefully before ducking back in the bunk. Kevin nodded at Megan and continued towards the front. Megan mentally shook herself and prepared for their entrance into the hotel.

Security was quickly put into place, and soon they were rushing inside, eager to get to their rooms and crash.

“I’ll tell you, Megan, I’m not at all cut out for the life of a celebrity,” Myra said, once she, Megan, AJ, Casey and Marcus were in the elevator and riding up to their floor.

“Me neither,” Megan agreed.

AJ raised his hand and waved it. “I am, I am!”

The elevator stopped to pick up more passengers on another floor. The doors slid open and they were greeted with a high-pitched shriek. Megan jumped back as a dark haired young woman threw her arms around AJ’s neck.

AJ hugged the woman and glanced apologetically at Megan.

“Amanda, what are you doing here?” he asked.

It suddenly came to Megan who this woman was. Amanda Latona, ex-girlfriend. Megan inwardly cringed.

“I’m visiting some friends, thought I’d stop by and see how you were,” she purred, running her hands up and down his chest. She seemed to notice the three other females in the elevator with them and paused. “Friends or fans?”

AJ reached a hand out to Megan and pulled her close. “Amanda, this is Megan Daniels. Megs, this is Amanda.”

Amanda’s eyes swept over Megan from head to toe, sizing her up. Megan gritted her teeth and forced a smile.

“Hello, Amanda, nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand.

Amanda shook it and quickly let go, turning back to AJ.

“And this is Myra Lawson and her daughter Casey, friends of Megan’s. They came to see a show last night.”

“How nice,” Amanda said. “Hey, Marc.”

Marcus simply nodded his head.

“So how long have you two been together?” Amanda asked, directing the question to AJ and ignoring Megan completely.

“A couple of months. You seeing anyone?”

“Nope. Not really. I was hoping we could get together for lunch?”

Megan thought she would get a cavity from all the sugar sweetness oozing from this woman.

AJ nodded and said, “Sure, Megan and I are free for lunch.”

Amanda’s plastic smile faltered slightly and she glanced at Megan. “Well, um, okay. I’ll give you a call, okay?”

“Sounds good. Oh, this is our floor. Nice seeing you, Manda.”

AJ let the ladies off first and followed with Marcus.

“Does she own stock in Cover Girl or something?” Casey asked once the elevator doors had closed, sending Amanda on her way.

“Casey,” Myra scolded. “That wasn’t very nice.”

AJ chuckled. “She does wear an awful lot of makeup.”

“Awful is right,” Megan muttered.

“Hey, am I sensing a little bit of jealousy?” AJ asked, nudging Megan’s side.

“What? Moi? Don’t be silly,” she scoffed.

“Ha! You are!” AJ exclaimed happily.

Megan resisted the urge to bury her fist in his gut, reasoning she’d probably break him in two.

"You’re such a nerd, AJ McLean,” she said instead, grabbing the card key from his hand and shoving it in the lock.

“Megs? That’s our room,” Casey said, hiding a smile.

Megan blushed. “Hehe, oops. Yeah.”

Casey and Myra said goodbye and went inside to take a nap. AJ guided Megan down to the next door and helped her insert the card key.

“I’m not jealous,” she said, dropping her bag on the floor. “I’m not.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I believe you. Now come on, let’s go to bed.”

“We slept all night.”

AJ shrugged and kicked off his shoes. “So? We’ve gotta get all the sleep we can get, while we can get it. Come on, let’s go.”

“I’m not jealous of her.”

“You keep saying that. Now prove it and let’s go to bed.”

“Fine.”