Kristy scanned the crowd in front of the stage where a group of Pleasure Island dancers were performing a hip-hop routine.
"See 'em?" Heather asked, also looking across the sea of bodies moving in rhythm to the music.
"Not yet, although we are a bit early, for a change..." Kristy laughed, "And Kevin said AJ and Brian both have a tendency to run late."
Jessica leaned her head in, "So let's get a drink while we're waiting. Chris and Mike went ahead to the club to see if they could grab a table overlooking the dance floor."
The girls stepped over to one of the many drink stands located on the streets of Pleasure Island. Meant for adults, there was a strict admissions policy. Only people over 18 were let in without being accompanied by a guardian, and people over 21 had to show ID at the gate to get a wrist-band. The girls placed their drink orders, Heather and Jessica flirting with the bartender while Kristy leaned back against the counter, watching for a sign of Kevin and the guys.
"So do you see her?" Brian asked Kevin as soon as they'd paid the cover charge and gotten past the gate.
Kevin looked at Brian, confused by his attitude. "Not yet. But then again, we're not to the small stage yet, are we?"
"Kev, I'm takin' a small detour by the drink stand. I'll catch up with ya at the stage." AJ called out as he broke away from his friends. He stepped to the side window of the booth and waited to order his drink. The bartender was taking forever to acknowledge him, since he was busy flirting with a couple of pretty girls at the other window. AJ finally gave his order to another guy, and turned partially back to the street, so he could check the girls out a little better without appearing obvious.
The brunette with short hair and deep brown eyes was very attractive in her clingy green top, and he thought he wouldn't mind hanging with her a bit. Then the girl beside her laughed and caught AJ's attention. That gorgeous hair of hers was the first thing he noticed. Long, black and curly, it looked as untamed as she did. When she briefly stepped away from the bar, he caught a glimpse of her bright blue pants and knew she was his type. Just then a beautiful blond turned to the other two, laughing at something that had been said. With her little pink sweater and big blue-green eyes, AJ knew she wasn't his usual type, but couldn't stop wondering if she could be the exception.
He paid the bartender and headed towards the stage, vowing to catch up with these girls later. He wandered around a bit until he found Kevin and Brian off to the right of the stage. "Guys! I know you're both whipped and all, but I just saw three of the finest lookin' women! There was this beautiful brunette in a snug green veloury top-thing, a raven-haired hotty wearin' these awesome blue vinyl pants, and a drop-dead gorgeous blond..."
"In a little pink sweater, unbuttoned a bit?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, how'd you..." AJ started to ask, clearly confused how Kevin could possibly have seen the girls who'd been at the drink stand.
"AJ. Brian. I'd like you to meet Heather, Jessica and Kristy," Kevin gestured to the respective girls, grinning as the blond put her arm around his waist and willingly accepted a kiss from him.
"No way!" AJ looked dazed.
"You've gotta be kiddin'!" Brian mumbled.
Kevin introduced the girls to his friends, "The dumbfounded fashion-maven in front of you is AJ, and the cynical jock-next-door beside him is Brian. So, ready to boogy?"
"Yeah, baby!" Brian, recovering his ability to speak, said in his best Austin Powers voice. "Shagadelic!"
They all laughed, but no one more so than Kristy who knew about her roommate's favorite movies. "Do I make you horny, baby? Yeah, do I?" Heather asked, also doing a great imitation.
"Oh, behave!" They all laughed as they headed to 8Trax.
************************************************************************
"So what's your guys' take on this?" Heather asked AJ and Brian, nodding towards the dance floor. She, Jessica and the guys were the only ones left at the table. Mike and Chris had gone to check out the rest of the club, or more specifically, the rest of the girls in the club. Kevin and Kristy had left their friends to fend for themselves while they enjoyed a slower disco song out on the dance floor.
"I'd say we were all pretty surprised," Brian offered tentatively. Heather and Jessica nodded in encouragement and agreement.
"Yeah," AJ added in his usual straight-forward approach. "'Cause Kevin's so picky about his women."
"What?!" Jessica shot AJ a challenging look. "Are you saying you don't think Kristy's good enough for Kevin?"
"It isn't that," Brian corrected. "It's just, we doubted there was anyone who would meet his impossibly high standards... but it sounds like Kevin thinks Kristy does."
Heather still wasn't satisfied. "As a matter-of-fact, she DOES! And she has high standards of her own. She deserves only the best!"
"So, are you implying she could do better than Kev?" AJ countered, "'Cause, let me tell you, she couldn't." He probably should've stopped there, but he didn't. He was looking to learn more about Kristy, and if he had to push a few button to do so, well then, so be it. "Especially as some vacation fling."
Both Jessica and Heather spun on AJ. "You have some nerve!" Jessica exclaimed. "You obviously don't have a CLUE about the type of person Kristy is. So let ME tell YOU!" Her voice was becoming sharper and she was pointing at AJ with her drink straw. "Kristy is sweet, intelligent, hard-working, spiritual, and the best friend you could ask for. She is NOT the type that has 'one-night-stands' or 'vacation flings.' If some guy's lucky enough to have her care about him, then, trust me, it's for real!"
"Sorry if we're a little sensitive about this," Brian said, stepping between AJ and Jessica who looked like they'd enjoy strangling each other. "It's just, there's the whole 'fame-thing' to consider."
AJ nodded his agreement, as did Heather and Jessica. Brian continued, "Sometimes you wonder if people would still want to be your friends if you were just Kevin from Kentucky, instead of Kevin from the Backstreet Boys."
"And then there are the women who want to be able to tell everyone they were with a Backstreet Boy... like we're some kinda trophy," AJ frowned in frustration.
"But Kristy's not that type of person. She cares about people, not about what they do or who they know," Jessica said, calming down some.
"Exactly. And I can see how all that would make you a little cynical," Heather said diplomatically. "But you have to understand our perspective too. Kevin IS famous, and good looking, AND wealthy. He can probably have any woman he wants. You guys travel all over the world. What if Kevin's the kind of celebrity who has a woman in every country? Or hooks up with a different girl in each city you play? We don't want to see Kris end up as just another 'diversion'."
"None of us are like that!" Brian said, defending himself and his "brothers". "Especially Kevin. I mean, yeah, he'll go out clubbing when we're on the road, but he's ALWAYS back at the hotel, in bed... ALONE... at the end of the night."
Nick had wandered up to the table part-way through the animated exchange. While he was amused when he saw the frustrated looks on Brian and the pretty brunette's faces, he almost laughed out loud at the hostile way AJ and the petite woman in the blue vinyl pants were glaring at each other. Although he hadn't caught the beginning of the conversation, he could tell both groups of friends had their reservations about Kevin and Kristy being together. He listed to them continue to debate and bicker as he watched the topic of conversation dance, oblivious to the conflict surrounding them.
They looked like they were enjoying the mid-tempo song, dancing about a foot apart. Kevin's hands were on Kristy's hips, and she was moving them to the beat of the song. They danced in rhythm with the music and each other, looking only at one another.
Kevin leaned forward to whisper something in her ear, which caused Kristy to laugh and playfully swat him in the chest. Nick doubted Kevin even would've felt it, except once there, Kristy left her hand where it was, letting it rest softly over his heart. Nick couldn't believe the two camps were even discussing this... all you had to do was look at Kevin and Kristy together and it was obvious how they felt about each other.
"So, what are we gonna do about this?" Heather asked. She and Jessica liked Kevin well enough. It's just that they were still worried Kristy was going to get hurt. While Brian and AJ hadn't gotten to know Kristy all that well yet, they both would've agreed that she seemed like a nice enough person, and was obviously very attractive. But their loyalty was with Kevin, and they wouldn't stand back and just watch him get his heart broken... again.
"Guys? Can I add my two cents?" Nick asked as four pairs of hostile eyes turned on him. "I don't think WE have to do anything about this..." he gestured towards their friends as the song came to an end and Kevin pulled Kristy close for a leisurely kiss. "I think they've got it all figured out."
