*Kelly*
I was still in AJ’s comfortable embrace for what seemed like an eternity. I glanced up and saw Howie and Theresa lip to lip and looked around and saw everyone else gone, except for Kevin and Vic.
“AJ, honey?”
“Hmmm….” He said breathing in the fresh scent of my hair.
“Can we go outside for a bit? I’m pretty warm in here,” I said looking deep into his dark chocolate eyes.
“Of course, baby. Anything you want,” he said smiling at me and grabbing my hand interlocking it with mine and leading me outside onto the balcony.
AJ and I walked outside together and I walked over and sat down on his lap in the chair. I lay my head on his shoulder while he stroked my blonde hair.
“I love you,” I said with my eyes closed thinking about his precious face.
“I love you too, Kelly,” he said kissing my neck gently and then my lips a few times.
I sat up and looked him straight in the eye, “AJ, do you really mean that?”
“Yes, of course I do sweetheart. Why?”
“Well, it’s just you’ve only known me for what, a day?! Besides, you meet so many people on tour and everything and well, I just want to know if you’re going to break my heart and leave me after this weekend,” I said cautiously.
“Baby, how could you say that? I care about you so much! I would never hurt you or cause you pain, you know that,” he said holding onto both of my hands.
“Yeah, I guess so….” I said looking away, avoiding his gaze.
“You still don’t believe that I love you, do you Kelly? Well, let’s see if this will persuade you.” AJ cupped my face in his hand and pulled me to him and gave me a deep, hard kiss. “I’ll never break your heart, I’ll never make you cry, I’d rather die than live without you, I’ll give you all of me, honey that’s no lie,” AJ said this verse very lowly and softly into my ear. Me, being the big mushy person that I am broke down into tears and just sobbed.
“Darlin’, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m sorry,” AJ comforted me very sincerely.
I sniffed and raised my splotchy face to his and said, “No, it’s not your fault, I’m just sorry for doubting your love for me. I love you so much!!!” I reached my arms around his neck and pulled him to me for a strong embrace.
“I love you too, Kelly,” he said stroking my hair once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Gail*
“Nick, this is insane! It’s got to be like 20 below 0 and we’re the two idiots that come out here digging in the snow trying to find my purse!” I exclaimed as Nick led me by the hand through the snow.
“Sssh…” he said placing his finger over my lips, “I think we might be near it.”
“Nick, hon, it’s a purse, not a deer.” He gave me an evil looked and I just laughed at him.
“This is going to ruin my dress!” I whined. “It’ll be alright, here, I found your purse,” he said handing it to me brushing my hand ever so slightly.
“Thank you!” I said giving him a hug.
“Anytime, sweetie!”
“Hey, what’s going on down there?? Hmmm….” AJ called from the balcony.
“Yo! Bone, what up, man?” Nick yelled looking up at AJ and Kelly leaning over the balcony with AJ’s arm around Kelly’s waist.
“Nothin’ man, what’s going on down there??? Looks like you and Gail got a little somtin’ somtin’ goin’ on,” AJ teased.
“Shut up, man! We just came down here to find Gail’s purse,” Nick explained.
“Yeah, yeah, Nicky. You just do that….” AJ laughed and took Kelly and led her away.
Nick turned to me running his hands through his blonde locks nervously. “Can you imagine him saying that we were um…well you know, uh, doing something?!” Nick laughed a bit nervously.
“Oh yeah, I know…we’re just friends, of course,” I said trying to sound happy.
“Yeah, I know we’re jus…” I interrupted Nick, “Ohmygosh! Look at my dress! It’s all wet around the bottom from the snow and ice!”
“Eww…sorry, Gail! I didn’t mean to make you ruin your dress. You look so hot in it! I mean, uh, um….” He stammered.
I smiled and blushed. “I heard you, Nicky!” I teased. “It’s okay, thanks for the compliment.”
Nick blushed a bit and said, “Hmmm…now let’s see about your dress….you can’t walk back like that. You’ll catch pneumonia or something!”
“Oh Nick, stop…I’ll be fine,” I said playing slapping him in the arm.
“Nope…c’mon, you’re coming with me,” he said lifting me up into his arms and carrying me inside to their room.
“Thanks, Nick, you didn’t have to….” He interrupted me, “Sssh….just sit here by the fire and I’ll get you a blanket and something warm to wear, ok?”
Before I could stop him, he returned with one of his t-shirts and a pair of boxers for me to change into. I went into the bathroom and changed and when I returned Nick was lighting candles and setting up a dinner for two inside of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Claudi*
“Brian where are we going??” I asked as he led me with my eyes closed.
“You’ll see….” He said.
“Brian…..” I warned.
“Ssshh…here it is. Open your eyes!” he exclaimed.
I looked around and I was in shock. We were in a mini-theatre!!!
“Brian, this is so cool!” I looked around and saw big, plush purple, green, and orange couches and loveseats.
“I rented this little room out just for us,” he gushed.
“Aww…I love it Brian!!! What are we watching??” I asked putting my arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips.
He smiled and said, “We’re watching ‘The Horse Whisperer’!”
I took in a deep breath and exclaimed, my eyes lighting up, “Really?! I’ve been dying to see that movie. I love horses!!!”
He smiled again, took my hand, and pulled me onto his lap on one of the big, fluffy loveseats. “Yeah…I know you do.”
“You do? How?” I asked.
“Oh…I’m psychic…I just know these things….” He joked.
“Yeah, uh-huh, whatever…”
“Oh, look, the movie is starting,” he said paying attention and looking straight at the screen.
Brian grabbed my hand and interlocked mine with his and then we kissed and I leaned on his shoulder just as the movie started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Vic*
I finally wiggled my way out of Kevin’s embraced and wiped my watery eyes with a napkin.
“You alright, hon?” he asked stroking my cheek.
“Yeah, of course. Thank you, Kev,” said giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
“What for?”
“For listening and caring so much. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but for you to be a member of the Backstreet Boys, you should have less time than anyone to listen to my silly problems, yet you’re the one who has listened the most. Thanks!” I said sincerely.
He smiled and took my hand into his, “Vic, I’ve never met anyone quite like you. You’re gorgeous, you make me feel happy, and I care about you a lot. If you’re willing, I’d like to start a relationship with you.”
“Um…Kevin, I don’t know, I just…” he stopped me by bringing his face so close to mine and saying, “Vic, I really care about you. I’ll never hurt you, I swear.”
I knew, like when he was holding me so tight in his arms that he was telling the truth and I had nothing to worry about.
I smiled, “I know Kevy, love you.”
“You what?!”
“You heard me, now come here!” I said pulling him to me and giving him a deep, overwhelming kiss.
I knew I was taking a big risk with getting my heart broken, but I trusted Kevin and loved him with all my heart and I knew that he felt the same way about me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Theresa*
Howie and I were swaying to the music and giving each other smooches every um…2 seconds.
“Man, I’m starting to get a big worried about us!” I said.
“What?” he asked, half smiling.
“We’re starting to get like Kelly and AJ. Please slap me!” I joked.
“Nah…I like it this way,” he winked.
“Hey, let’s go get some dessert!” I exclaimed getting all excited.
“You are my dessert, baby!” he said giving me another kiss and pulling me tighter.
“Oh stop…you’re making me blush! I’m for real…I want a chocolate fudge sundae…yummy!” I said, pleading with him.
“Okay, but they aren’t serving it,” Howie said looking at the empty kitchen.
“Oh well…I guess we’ll have to make our own!!!” I said devilishly. “C’mon, Howie, puleeze!!!” I begged.
We went into the kitchen and got out a bowl and all the necessities to conjure up a sundae. I was scooping the ice cream into the bowl when I caught Howie staring at me.
“What?!” I asked smiling.
“Theresa, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. You’re so beautiful and so much fun to be around. I think I’m in love with you.”
I stopped scooping and stopped smiling as I remembered what I had said to my mom right before I left, ‘The worst thing that could happen is that I fall in love.’ Oh no! Am I in love?? Do I really love Howie?
“Theresa,” Howie called, “I just said that I loved you.”
“Yeah, um…I heard you. Uh…thanks,” I ventured to say.
“That’s not exactly the answer I was hoping for, Theresa,” Howie said with disappointment in his voice.
“Listen, Howie, you’re a great guy and all and I like you a lot, really, but I’ve never really been in love before. I don’t know if I can love you.”
“Oh…I see, I guess. Theresa, what’s keeping you from me? Is it that I’m a celebrity, that I’m a little older, what, what is it? Tell me, please,” Howie pleaded with me.
“Howie, I don’t know what it is. I’m sorry…I like you a lot, I really do, but I just can’t right now,” I said sorrowfully.
“Alright, listen, whenever you’re ready, but I’ll always love you.” He kissed me softly on the cheek and left the kitchen. What did I do? How could I do that to him? What’s wrong with me?