Their eyes widened as a tall woman wearing spandex shorts and a tank top climbed out of the driver’s seat. But it was Kevin, emerging from the passenger’s seat that had their jaws dropping. Actually, it was what he was wearing… or rather, what he wasn’t wearing.
“WHOO HOO!” Brian whistled.
“Go Kevin!” Howie cheered.
“Now I know why you didn’t want to fly,” AJ was checking Michelle out.
“Keep your pants on, AJ,” Kevin warned as he pulled his shirt, singlet, sweatpants, shoes, and socks out of the backseat.
“A lot of good that piece of advice did you, Kev,” Michelle quipped as she locked the car doors.
“Um, why aren’t you dressed? I know it’s hot and all…” Nick couldn’t help but snicker when Kevin started blushing and Michelle began laughing.
Kevin pulled his sweatpants on and was buttoning up his shirt when he muttered, “that stupid game.”
“What game?” Howie leaned closer.
“Truth or dare.”
Brian was shocked. “In the car? While it was moving?”
Michelle shrugged. “Why not?”
“Wow, Kev. I never thought you’d do something like that.”
Kevin grinned across at Brian. “There are a lot of things about me that might surprise you, cuz.”
“Yeah,” Michelle’s eyes lit up. “Did you ever know about…” Kevin’s hand flew over to cover her mouth before she could finish. Before the conversation could go any farther, Kevin introduced Michelle.
“No, that’s okay.” Michelle shook her head when the guys invited her inside. “I still have to meet up with Sara and my family before the concert tonight.”
Everyone watched as Kevin walked her back to the car where they talked for a few minutes before she got into the Mustang and drove away.
“That’s it?! No kiss? No hug? Not even a handshake?” AJ protested.
Kevin shook his head. “What do you think this is? A fanfic?” He laughed. “She’ll be back for the shows.”
They could almost see the light bulb turn on above AJ’s head. “Both shows?”
“Yeah, front row.”
They could see the wheels turning.
“You did what?!” Michelle slapped her hand over Sara’s mouth just like Kevin did to her almost two hours earlier.
“Don’t say it out loud, but yes.” The two women stared at each other: one in shock, the other in amusement.
“So what’s he like?”
“Kevin? He’s nice, easy to talk to, and looks VERY nice in his boxers.”
She slapped her hand over Sara’s mouth again in the nick of time. Michelle quickly related the story to her best friend while they watched Gretchen and Lisa carefully write ‘I love the BSB’ and the names of their favorite Boy on their arms and faces.
“Wow-o-wow! You are the luckiest gal ever! You practically saw your favorite BSB naked!” Sara whispered.
Michelle blushed at that. “The naked part was his idea, and I also told him that Nick was my favorite.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“Well, to see how he’d react, and I didn’t want him to feel weird being in the car with a rabid fan.”
“Rabid?”
Michelle laughed. “Yeah, can’t you see me drooling?”
“Over him?” Sara pointed to the poster of Kevin that Gretchen had hanging over her desk. “I still don’t get it, Michi. How can you like HIM?”
“You just stick with your Tattoo Boy and everything will be okay.” Michelle retorted in their long-time argument over their favorite Backstreet Boys. Sara nodded and both women laughed as they ushered the hyperactive pre-teens out to the car.
“Hi, my name’s Michelle Stephenson. A friend said that he would be leaving something for me.”
“Michelle Stephenson?” Michelle nodded at the woman sitting behind the will-call window. “Here you go.” She handed Michelle an envelope.
“BACKSTAGE PASSES?!” Gretchen and Lisa shrieked and started jumping up and down.
“Actually, they’re just for the meet-n-greet,” Michelle explained.
“Who cares?” Gretchen exclaimed. “I get to meet Brian.”
“And Howie’s mine!” Lisa couldn’t stop bouncing up and down as Sara attempted to attach her meet-n-greet sticker pass to her shirt.
With a quick detour to get tourbooks for autographs, the four were whisked backstage with all the other anxious fans.
Twenty minutes later, Lisa was convinced that one day she was going to marry Howie. “And when I asked him for a picture, he smiled and put his arm around me! It’s fate!”
“But you’re only twelve, Lisa. He’s twenty-six,” Sara playfully argued.
But Lisa could only sigh as she watched Howie. “He’ll wait for me.”
“SSSSHH! Here comes MY future husband,” Gretchen hissed. “Behave yourself!”
“Yes, Mom,” Sara muttered under her breath to Michelle as they watched Brian joke around with the girls.
Sara and AJ flirted incessantly when he came over when he realized that they met before at her radio station.
Kevin crouched down while he signed Gretchen’s tourbook. “I bet your aunt is waiting for Nick to come over here.”
Gretchen frowned. “Why would she want that?”
“Doesn’t she like him?”
“No, he’s not really my type.” Kevin looked up when Michelle spoke.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah,” she grinned as he stood up. “Stooping to new lows, Kevin?”
“What do you mean?”
Michelle smirked. “You had to ask a twelve-year-old about my taste in men? You really shouldn’t listen to gossip.”
Kevin could only shake his head. “So if Nick isn’t your type, who is?”
She cocked her head like she was seriously thinking of an answer. “Oh, I don’t know, but I am kinda partial to tall guys who still wear SpiderMan boxers.”
Michelle and Sara both burst out laughing as Kevin turned a bright red. “I told you they were a gag gift!”
“Sure, Spidey. Whatever. Don’t you have fans to meet and greet?” Michelle wiped tears of laughter out of her eyes as Kevin scowled at her. Then he laughed and shook his head as he moved down the line to talk to more fans.
After a rather uneventful meeting with Nick, the four girls made their way to their front row seats for an amazing concert. At the end, Kevin came over to their side of the stage and mouthed, “See you tomorrow?” at Michelle. She nodded as he grinned before running offstage with the other Boys.
The next day, Sara arrived at the meet-n-greet with only Lisa in tow.
“Where’s Michelle?” Kevin asked.
“Sue, Gretchen’s mom, went into labor early this morning. Michi’s staying with the kids,” Sara explained.
Kevin reluctantly nodded and left the room. Ten minutes later, he returned and handed Sara a sealed envelope. “Could you please give this to her for me?”
“Sure thing, Kev.”
Early the next morning, as the Boys were on their bus heading out of Chicago, a familiar voice echoed over the radio. Kevin reached over to turn up the volume.
“… Backstreet Boys concert last night was a huge success. Luckily, I caught the show two nights ago, because I spent last night at the hospital as my sister-in-law gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Andy-spawn Number Four, otherwise known as Marcie Lynn, will be raised as a Backstreet fan, if big sister, Gretchen and I have anything to say about it. So in honor of Marcie’s arrival and the Boys’ departure, this is Auntie Michelle leaving you with ‘I Want It That Way’…”
Their recorded voices rang throughout the bus as Brian and Nick sang along with the radio. AJ and Howie were talking in the kitchenette, so Kevin headed back to his bunk for some much-needed rest.
Hearing the bantering voices, Kevin fell asleep with a smile on his face as he remembered spending those few precious house of unexpected freedom with a new friend on his recent road trip.
