I walk down the corridor with the can of Sprite Nick had begged me to fetch for him. As I pass one room I hear the sound of Brian’s voice. He sounds pretty angry and I stop slightly.
“HUSBAND!” he yells and I gasp.
I cover my mouth and fight the urge to burst into the room and demand to know what is going on. Before I can recover the use of my limbs the door bursts open and Jade is standing there. She glances at me and then turns back to Brian.
“It means I’m leaving tonight Brian.” She walks past me and down the corridor. I stare at Brian who has walked to the doorway.
“Fine!” he yells at Jade’s back before walking off in the opposite direction.
I stare into the empty room before hurrying after Brian. “Brian?!”
“Not now Ali!” he yells crashing into the band’s dressing room.
“Jade’s leaving?! You’re MARRIED?! What the FUCK is goin’ on?!”
“Not NOW!” he repeats angrily before slamming the door in my face.
“Wha?!” I open the door angrily and march inside. “Yes, NOW!” I yell at him. “And don’t you EVER slam the door in my face again. I’m not Jade so don’t take it out on me.”
“What do you want Ali?” Brian glares at me.
“I want answers. Are you and Jade married?”
“What?”
“I heard you Brian!”
“Why ask then?!”
“I don’t believe you!” I yell. “When did you do it?”
“In Vegas.”
“When you got engaged?”
“Yes,” he sits down heavily.
“You fuckin’ LIED to us!”
“We did NOT! We said I’d asked Jade to marry me.”
“But you failed to mention it was in a CHURCH!” I yell. “I can’t believe you didn’t invite any of us along! It was your WEDDING Brian! How do you think Nick and Kevin are gonna feel when they find out?!”
“It was just for us. We were gonna have a church blessing after the tour for all our families and friends.”
“Were?!” I ask angrily.
“Yes. You heard Jade ok?!” Brian stands up and walks past me.
“Hey Brian, where’ve you BEEN?” asks Nick. “We’ve been calling for you for AGES.”
“I’m here now,” Brian says sharply and grabs his microphone off AJ.
“Jeez!” AJ complains.
“What?!” Brian glares at him and AJ holds his hands up.
“Hey, take a chill pill dude.”
“What is with you?” asks Kevin. “You’ve been actin’ weird since you first got here. Jade ok?”
“Jade is fine. As always,” Brian mutters.
“Where is she?” asks Howie.
“Like I know,” Brian says angrily. “Can we get on with this damn rehearsal?!”
“Hey, we were waitin’ for YOU,” says Nick sulkily.
“What song is it?” Brian asks.
“Drowning,” says Howie.
“Oh GREAT,” Brian mutters as he walks off to sit on a stool. “Like I really wanna sing that CRAP right now.”
“Whoa, I wouldn’t wanna be Jade today,” mutters Nick as the other guys stare at Brian in shock. Drowning had always been one of Brian’s favourite songs to sing cos it reminded him of Jade. Something has seriously gone wrong here.
When I get back to the hotel I throw my clothes into a case angrily – caring nothing about the art of packing. I jump up and down on the case in order to fasten it and, in doing so, burn off some of my anger. I check my watch – it has just gone past 6pm. The Boys’ performance would be over soon and then Brian would be back at the hotel. I was going to leave before he got here but now I think I’ll wait and try to say goodbye on better terms.
The Unplugged session finishes at 10pm and Brian follows his band mates out of the building and into several waiting cars. He really doesn’t want to go back to his empty hotel room just yet. He looks out of the car window as it stops for a light. There’s a bar across the road and he leans forward to the driver.
“Stop here. I’m gettin’ out.”
“No way Brian,” Marcus objects as the Backstreet Boy starts to open his door.
“Yes way Marcus,” Brian climbs out, closely followed by Marcus. “I need a drink and I’m gettin’ one.”
“Fine,” Marcus sighs and leans down to talk to the driver as Brian heads across the street to the bar. “HEY!” Marcus catches him up just as he walks inside.
“What?”
“You coulda waited.”
“I don’t want company,” Brian mutters and pushes his way through the crowd, over to the bar.
“Well tough shit.”
“Fine, you gotta be the big bad security guy,” Brian tells Marcus. “Be it over there.”
“Jeez, what got up YOUR ass?!” Marcus stares at the usually calm Backstreet Boy.
“A double vodka,” Brian orders his drink, ignoring Marcus.
“Fine. I’ll be over there,” Marcus walks away.
“Thanks,” Brian pays for his drink and takes a long sip. The alcohol burns his throat and sets his body on fire. He closes his eyes and shivers slightly. God, he had needed that. He opens his eyes and looks around the room. It’s a smoky little place. The last place you’d expect to find a Backstreet Boy, something which suited him just fine. He carries on sipping his drink, ordering another double when he’s done. He’s so mad at Jade for leaving him. It’s like she doesn’t love him, not really. If you love somebody you don’t leave them. After half an hour of being left alone and totally wrapped up in his thoughts, Brian notices a blonde girl staring over at him. He smiles slightly. She is just his type – long blonde hair and a body like Pamela Anderson, only not so pneumatic in the chest department. Before he had met Jade, he would’ve been salivating. BEFORE Jade, he thinks with a sigh. She has changed everything.
“Hi,” a voice says and he looks to see the blonde standing by him. God, she had moved fast.
“Hey,” he responds casually.
“I hope you don’t mind me comin’ over,” she purrs in a deep southern accent. His favourite accent. “You just look so lonely.”
“Well I’m not lonely now,” he smiles. “I got you.”
“Uh huh,” she giggles shyly. “I’m Carrie.”
“I’m Brian.”
“Good to meet,” she holds her hand out and he shakes it.
“You too Carrie. Can I get you a drink?”
“I would like that,” she smiles. “A JD and coke would go down well.”
“Sure,” he turns to order the drink. Jade’s favourite drink.
“Why, thanks,” she flutters her eyelashes at him as he hands the glass over. She takes a slow sip, licking her lips when she’s done.
“So, where you from Carrie?”
“New Orleans.”
“Oh, cool.”
“Yeah. You’re from Kentucky, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“The accent is pretty recognisable,” she explains with a giggle.
“I guess it is,” he laughs. Get real, he thinks. You know where I’m from cos you know who I am.
“So, what do you do?”
“What do I do?” he repeats slowly. We gonna play that old game huh? The game where I say I’m a Backstreet Boy and you say you’ve never even heard of us even though there’s a billboard right across the street for our latest CD? “I’m in a group – the Backstreet Boys,” he tells her.
“Really? The Backstreet Boys? I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you.”
Bingo, he thinks and then points out the window at the billboard.
“Oh!” she colours up as she looks. “Gee, you must think I’m so dumb.”
“Not at all,” he smiles sweetly and looks across the room. He notices Marcus watching him with a nervous expression. It makes Brian more determined to keep on talking to this girl. Maybe Marcus will tell Jade just how good he is doing without her around. “It’s kinda refreshing to meet someone like you,” he lies. “Somebody who only wants me for me.”
“Totally. That’s me,” she giggles before excusing herself for the restroom. He agrees to watch her drink and she heads off. Marcus quickly takes her place.
“What the fuck are you doin’?!”
“Sorry?” Brian plays innocent.
“You tryin’ to totally piss Jade off?”
“Jade isn’t here,” Brian says.
“You don’t wanna do this Brian,” Marcus says quietly. “This is just a kneejerk reaction to her leaving.”
“You know about that?”
“Uh huh. I had to arrange security for her.”
“Great. She told you before she told me!”
“She didn’t,” Marcus groans.
“Sounds like she did!” Brian says angrily. “Look, just leave me alone to do my thing here. Jade has gone ok?!”
“Not forever. You’re acting like she left you. She just needed a little time away from the tour.”
“Yeah, away from ME.”
“You’re acting real dumb Brian.”
“Whatever. Leave me alone Marcus,” Brian shoots the big guy a cold glare.
“Fine,” he holds his hands up and backs off just as Carrie comes back.
“Here’s your drink,” Brian tells her, handing the glass over.
“Thanks,” she giggles. She looks nervous and a little distracted.
“You ok?”
“Uh huh,” she nods.
“Well, I guess I gotta get going,” Brian decides and she grabs his hand to stop him.
“No!” she exclaims and he gives her a look. “I mean, not yet,” she adjusts her voice to a low purr. “We’re only just gettin’ to know each other.”
“Uh, I’m sorry Carrie but I really gotta go,” he moves his hand out of her grasp. “It was good meetin’ you though.”
“But I…” she starts to follow him out of the club but then a movement catches her eye and she stops. “Oh!” she murmurs and runs after Brian again. “Could I just get a hug?”
“A hug?” he stops and looks at her. “Why?”
“Uh, well, I was lyin’ before. I am a real big fan and a hug would totally make my night,” she says quickly and Brian smiles.
“Uh, well sure,” he shrugs and Carrie practically jumps on him. “Whoa!” he laughs and wraps his arms around her for a quick hug. “Ok,” he tries to get away after a few seconds but she’s holding onto him too tight. He sighs and submits to a further hug. Carrie’s hand slips down to squeeze his butt and he yelps, jumping away from her. “Whoa, what was THAT?!”
“Sorry,” she blushes and reaches up to kiss his cheek.
“Ok, bye,” he mutters and walks away.
“She squeezed ya butt!” Marcus comments as he catches Brian up by the door.
“Ya think I didn’t notice that?” Brian says grumpily.
“Just sayin’,” Marcus shrugs.
“Well don’t.”
At around midnight, Brian walks through the door of his hotel room. He almost falls over Jade’s case and sees her sat at the table by the window.
“I thought you’d already gone.”
“I thought I’d wait and say goodbye properly. But if I had known you would be so long I wouldn’t have bothered.”
“Jeez sorry but I had a job to do.”
“Which is obviously more important than me,” Jade fires back standing up.
“If you believe that then there’s nothing I can say.”
“You stayed in a damn rehearsal instead of trying to stop me from leaving!” she yells at him. “And you want us to stay together but it’s me who has to make all the sacrifices. What about YOU spending a little time with ME instead of the other way around?! It’s always on YOUR terms.”
“Jade…” his eyes fill with tears. “That’s not fair.”
“YOU’RE not fair,” she says. “You’re dismissing my writing as bein’ less important than what you do. My writing makes me who I am. I need to feel independent of you.” They stare at each other in silence for a while, then Jade picks up her case. “I’m just going to go now Brian.”
“Go where?”
“Home,” she says.
“You have my keys.”
“That’s not my home,” she says before walking out of the door.