Nick looks at the sandwich he had ordered. “They didn’t say it was gonna be TOAST.”
“Ah, everything here is toasted.” Jenny takes a bite of her sandwich.
They all eat in silence for a while. A group of English girls sit down at the table next to them and start talking quite loudly.
“God, that guy looks like Nick from the Backstreet Boys.” Nick slouches down in his seat and pulls his cap lower.
“Yeah right. What would he be doing here?”
“I didn’t say it WAS him, just looks like him.”
“Hmm, nah he’s not good-looking enough.” Nick raises an eyebrow. Jen, AJ and Brian look at him and stifle their giggles.
“Trust you to see him EVERYWHERE we go. You saw him in Calais too.”
“Well I like him.”
“Hmm, I prefer Brian. He’s so sweet.” Brian grins at Nick.
“Nah, he’s a bit of a geek.” Nick laughs and then coughs before the girls can look at him.
“AJ’s MY guy.” AJ nudges Jenny with a grin.
“The tattooed freak?” AJ’s eyes widen and Brian claps his hand over Nick’s mouth before he can laugh.
“He’s unique.”
“Oh yeah, I don’t dispute that. What colour hair’s he got right now anyway?”
“Who knows? He changes it with his pants.” AJ pulls his hat further down over his newly dyed blue hair and the others try not to laugh.
“My little sister LOVES Howie.”
“Urrgh, he’s too corny for words.”
AJ nudges Jenny and whispers, “See?!”
“And that wink…” The girls giggle. “First time I saw him live I thought the poor guy had something in his eye.” Nick chokes on his sandwich with laughter and the girls look at him. Brian whacks him on the back.
“What about Kevin?”
“Ridiculous name.”
“He can’t help that! I think he’s the sexiest.”
“Oh by far. He has that thing about him. Y’know.”
“What?”
“Like you could ask him to do ANYTHING and he’s probably already done it.”
“Oh yeah.”
“And he sounds like Barry White.”
“Ohh, yes. That’s so sexy.” They all sigh. “Still prefer Nick.”
Nick nods his head. “Damn right too.” The girls look at him and he gestures at Jenny. “Yeah, what you were sayin’.”
“Want to go up to the top?”
Nick looks up at the Eiffel Tower. “You can?”
“Yep. There’s a lift.”
AJ grins. “Hey, long as there’s no stairs involved I’ll do it.”
Brian shrugs. “Why not.” They all walk up to the Tower and get in the lift with a French operator.
Nick nudges Jenny. “Hey I can speak French.”
“Yeah, what’s stopping you then?”
“Nothin’.” He moves closer to the lift operator. “Bonjour.”
“Bonjour. Comment ca va?”
Nick grins at the others. “Ca va bien merci.”
The operator smiles. “Bien.”
“Je t’aime.” Nick grins and the operator stares at him. He laughs and shakes his head as the doors open and they’ve reached the viewing platform at the top of the Tower. “What’d I say?”
Jenny smiles. “That you loved him.”
“No way.” She nods. “Aww, I wanted to say I liked France.” AJ laughs and looks out at Paris. Nick grabs the railings. “Whoa, it’s real high up.”
“It’s great.” Brian closes his eyes and spreads his arms. “Look at me Mom! I’m top o’ the world!” The others laugh and Brian opens his eyes again with a grin.
They suddenly hear a scream and spin round to see two girls running at them. They run straight into Nick and AJ’s arms.
“Whoa! Tryin’ to throw yourselves off?”
The girl looks up at AJ.
“I LOVE you!”
“Well, thanks.”
“I can’t believe it’s really you.” The girl grabs Nick’s hair.
“Owch…yeah I’m real. Quit pullin’.” She giggles and looks at her friend. AJ and Nick slowly pull away from the girls and step away from the railings. “Well, it’s been nice.”
“Oh Nick. Are you going?”
“Yeah, gotta be somewhere.”
“You too AJ?”
“Yep, sorry.”
They suddenly notice Brian and launch themselves on him.
“Oh God! B-Rok!”
“Yep, that’s me. How’re you doin’?”
“I LOVE you.”
“Hey thought you loved ME.” AJ sighs and folds his arms. “So fickle.”
“Look, we have to go. Want us to sign somethin’ for you?” The girls look at each other and then produce paper and pens from their bags. The guys all write a little message and kiss the girls quickly.
“OK, bye.”
The girls stand there rubbing their cheeks in a daze and the guys back away into the lift.
The lift doors shut and AJ grins. “Stun ‘em and run. Good tactic guys.”
“Yeah.” Nick laughs.
Jenny looks at the guys. “When I heard that scream I thought someone had fallen off the Tower!”
“Yeah, me too.” Brian shakes his head. “Scary thought huh?”
“Yep.” She laughs. “The way you two edged away from the railings was funny.”
AJ grins. “I suddenly thought maybe they’d get over excited and jump on me again.”
“Yeah, accidentally push us over the railings or somethin’.”
Jenny sits on a sofa flicking through a magazine. The Boys are sat round the room doing separate things. It’s a little down-time before a concert. A girl comes into the room with a Walkman.
She sits next to Jenny.
“Hey, I figured you’d like to hear this.”
Jenny looks up from the magazine and smiles. “Hey, Clare. What is it?”
She gestures towards the Boys. “You’re gonna want to hear it!” Jenny takes the Walkman off her. Clare stands up.
“I have to go help out the techies. Let me know what you thought.”
“Sure.” Jenny watches her leave and puts the earphone in and turns the Walkman on. There’s a quick burst of music and the Boys sing “Everything I have is for you.” Jenny sits back to listen. Kevin’s voice introduces himself in a very deep Barry Whiteish accent. She giggles.
He looks up from his book and catches her eye.
“What?” Jenny shakes her head.
The others look at her too. She starts laughing and stops the Walkman.
“What IS this?!”
AJ looks at her. “Gimme a clue.”
She adopts a deep American voice. “If you’re that type o’ girl then you’re gettin’ ALL my love.”
Kevin groans. “Oh man. That thing’s gonna haunt me forever.” She laughs and presses play on the Walkman again.
“Gimme that.” AJ stands up and she moves towards the door laughing.
“Brian likes schoolgirls….Hee hee!”
Brian blushes and AJ makes a dive for her. He misses and she races out of the room into the corridor giggling. AJ follows her.
“Bacon, Guacamole?!”
AJ grabs her around the waist but he’s too late. She looks at him and mouths the words he says on the tape. He groans.
“Hmm, haven’t noticed you makin’ ME lunch lately.” Nick’s voice comes through her earphones now and she listens. “God, he’s horny.”
“Nick? Oh yeah…”
She takes the Walkman off. “Can’t believe you guys did that!”
“What can I say? We needed the money.” He turns her round so she’s facing him and kisses her. “Hey, I’M the horny one anyway.” He nuzzles her neck. “How long we got?”
She looks at her watch. “‘Til you go onstage? Half an hour.”
He puts on a deep voice. “Oh yeah baby.” He manoeuvres her down the corridor into an empty room and locks the door. “I’m gonna ALWAYS love you. No diggedy.”