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“Wake up guys! It’s time for your first sound check and rehearsal!” Denise cried cheerfully. Kevin rolled over in his bed, and groaned into his pillow. Nick cracked an eye open.
“It’s barely light outside!” he whined. Denise smiled, and gave AJ’s shoulders a shake.
“Come on Baby, get up.” she called to her son. He frowned up at her.
“Thanks mom. Just when she was about to give me her number.” he complained, making Denise laugh. Kevin shoved Brian’s side, trying to wake him.
“If you’re not an insanely beautiful woman, I’m going back to sleep.” he mumbled.
“If you don’t get your butt from this bed, I’m going to pour a tub of cold water over you.” Kevin responded, taking the water bottle frm his bedside, and wetting his fingers, giving Brian a wet willy.
“Aaaahhh!” he exclaimed, shooting out of his bed. Everyone laughed.
“Hey, guys? Where’s D.?” Nick asked. They glanced around the bus.
Denise smiled. “Check outside.” Immediately, the guys tumbled from the bus and practically fell upon a still sleeping Howie and Mackenzie. She lay in his arms, her head pillowed on his shoulder, one hand splayed across his chest. One of Howie’s hands was entwined in her thick waves, his other hand on her back. The guys exchanged shocked glances.
“Alright Howie!” Nick shouted. They guys laughed, while Denise gave Nick a slap on his arm and a dissaproving look. Howie and Mackenzie had jerked awake at the sound of their voices, and were flushed deep red. The two struggled into an upright position, Howie freeing his hand from her hair, and Mackenzie hiding her face in his shoulder. Both were thinking the same thing...... “How embarrassing!” They had planned to be awake before anyone on the bus, and instead, had overslept.
“Awwww!” all of the other guys cooed. Mackenzie jumped to her feet, and straightened her dress, while Howie shot the guys dirty looks. He threw a blanket at Nick and Brian, while Kevin gave him a sympathetic glance.
“Mackenzie!” a voice called. Everyone turned to face a frantic Luke. “We need you! Mark just about got fried, and the wiring is screwed!” She walked toward the bus, nodding to their observers. “Boys.” she acknowledged with what was left of her dignity. The guys pivoted back to Howie.
“So?” AJ asked.
“So, what?” Howie replied.
“You know, how’d it go?” Brian questioned impatiently.
Kevin gave him a look. “I’m pretty sure it went ok, you twerp. I mean, they ended up kinda cozy, didn’t they?” Before the guys could grill Howie further, Mackenzie darted from the bus, having changed into a pair of windpants and a event staff shirt. Howie watched her receeding back as she dashed backstage, and found himself wishing that he had been able to watch her wake.
AJ sighed. They had just finished their rehearsal, and he and Howie were on their way to the bus, hoping for some email replies to a couple of queries that they had sent out. Relations between the best friends were still tense, and AJ knew that they’s have to talk again sooner or later, more for his own relief than Howie’s. Howie was not the type of person to hold a grudge. He had treated AJ almost normally since his admission the previous day.
Once they reached the bus, AJ booted up the computer while Howie changed. “Hey, Howie! You’ve got to see this!” he exclaimed.
“What?” Howie asked, slinging a towel around his neck. AJ jabbed a finger at the screen. Howie bent closer and read the email. “So?” he shrugged.
“So? So, this means that Watchman28 isn’t the guy who killed Micki’s parents.”
“How do you figure?” Howie asked with his eyes narrowed in thought.
“Ok, remember how we took down the user names of each of the active buyers?” at Howie’s nod, AJ continued. “Well, Mackenzie and I sent out a couple of queiries to different online contacts that Marty emailed us. We asked things like, what does this buyer deal in? How much does he bring in annually? What professional jobs, if any, has he been in on? You know the drill.”
“Ok, so Watchman28 was one of the active buyers?”
“Right.”
“I still don’t get how you know that he’s not the killer.”
“Alright, let’s go over this. We know that the person who killed Mackenzie’s parents was involved with the black market, so he has to be an active buyer. We know he’s into company take overs, so that means that his business wouldn’t be into small potatoes. Finally, we know that because of the job he did on Mackenzie’s family alone, he’s got to be bringing in a hefty sum of cash and assets annually. Watchman28’s profile says that he deals mostly in precious stones, and he’s currently looking to buy a Carnegie diamond. The loot he’s looking for is primarily found on the collector’s scene. This guy doesn’t go in for techical stuff, let alone a software company take over. Understand?” AJ asked.
“I get it. So, that means we’ve got six more buyers to get information on so that we can narrow the field.”
“Make that five.” AJ commented, his eyes glued to the screen. “Marty just sent an email. He says that Warsoulja334 isn’t the man we’re looking for either. He deals in explosives.” Howie and AJ looked at each other.
“We’re getting closer.” Howie whispered.
Mackenzie and Anita sat knee to knee in the wardrobe room. As soon as Mackenzie had fixed all the kinks in lighting, she had sought out Anita. The two had run over to catering, pilfered some maltballs and potato chips, and were currently camped out on the sofa in Anita’s department.
“So,” Anita said around a mouthful of guacomoli and potato chips, “What’s goin’ on with Howie?” Mackenzie pondered a moment, popping several maltballs into her mouth.
“What do you want to know?” she asked.
Anita giggled, “Everything!” Mackenzie laughed at Anita’s enthusiasm. “Ok, for starters, how was your date last night?”
“It was magical....” Mackenzie sighed, her mind drifting back to the previous evening’s events.
“Spill it, girl!” Anita demanded.
“Well, he looked so handsome!” Mackenzie began. “He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, and finally we pulled up to the Space Needle-”
“He took you to the Space Needle?!”
“Uh huh.” Mackenzie smiled. “It was so beautiful, and so romantic. There were candles, and flowers, and strawberries- he fed me those.”
“He fed you the candles?” Anita frowned.
“No! He fed me the strawberries- actually we fed each other.”
“Oh. How sexy!” Anita’s eyebrows moved up and down.
Mackenzie laughed. “It was! Anyway, after dinner we went for a walk along the pier, which was enchanting. There were little white lights strung along the tops of the posts, and the waves washed softly against the pilons. It was......”
“Beautiful.” the two women sighed in unison.
“So, how do you feel about him?”
“Howie?”
“Who else?” Anita said, exasperated. Mackenzie’s brow furrowed in thought.
“I can’t put a name to it.....it’s more....it’s......well, complicated.” she paused, “But he’s a wonderful man. So caring, and kind. Very generous, and affectionate. I think I-” she stopped suddenly.
“You think you.....” Anita prompted.
“I think I want to know how it’s going with you and Brian.” Mackenzie said in a rush.
“Micki!” the other woman exclaimed. Mackenzie smiled sheepishly. Anita let it go, realizing that Mackenzie needed more time. “We’re just friends.” she answered.
“Are you sure? You didn’t dance like ‘just friends’ at the club.”
“No, I’m not sure. But Brian has a career to watch out for. I understand that.” Anita replied sadly. Mackenzie reached out and offered a hug to her new friend, who accpeted.
“Thanks. I needed that.” she sighed.
“We both did.” Mackenzie said softly.
“Good news, everyone!” Denise called out to the occupants of the bus, several days later. The Backstreet Family was headed to Chicago, to perform three nights worth of sold out shows. “Because we’re booked for two nights in the Windy City, I’ve made hotel reservations!” This announcement induced cheers from every corner. John got on the CB and radioed the other two buses, spreading the word. Joyous cheers came across the speakers into the lead bus.
Howie plopped down next to Mackenzie on the sofa. “Hey, girl. How’s it goin’?” he inquired. She turned with a smile.
“Great! Even better with Denise’s surprise!”
Howie grinned, then leaned close. “So, did AJ tell you our news?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“Not that I know of.....”
“Another two quieries came in. We’ve narrowed the field down to three possible suspects.” He watched as Mackenzie’s eyes grew larger.
“Only three left?” she said in awe. He nodded,
“That’s right. Two deal in precious stones, one in gases and chemical intellegence, and one in explosives. That leaves three active buyers.” They starred at one another.
“What do we do about those three if no other quieries come through?” she questioned. Howie frowned.
“We do our own research, I guess. Marty warned us that this may happen.” The couple was quiet for a moment. Just then, Nick bounded up, and said in a rush,
“Hey! How’s it goin’? Great! Awesome, so do you two wanna go clubbing when we get to Chicago?? I got everybody else to say ‘yes’! I think that would be so fun! Come on, come on! Yeah, Let’s go!”
“Nick...” Howie looked at him dubiously. “How much sugar have you had today?” Nick only laughed, pulled some M&M’s out of his pcket, and popped them in his mouth.
“I dunno. Why?”
“No reason.” Mackenzie grinned. Nick scurried off, having never recieved an answer. Howie turned to Mackenzie.
“Do you want to go out with everyone?” he asked. She thought for a moment.
“Actually, I think I’d rather spend a quiet night in my hotel room, if that’s okay.” she said apologetically.
Howie smiled with a trace of relief. “No, that’s fine. Would you mind if I stayed with you?”
She only shook her head, and turned her face to look out the window, hoping to hide the flush that crept across her cheeks.
Mackenzie ran her hands through her hair, and accepted the bag that Luke handed her from the compartment beneath the bus. “Thanks.” she muttered. Howie and Brian reached for their own gear which followed hers, and the three of them set off for the entrance of the hotel. Exhausted, they didn’t say a word to one another; they had been at the venue until this late hour, unloading the buses, and several of the 18 wheelers. Everyone was more than ready to find their beds. The three walked up to Denise who stood in the middle of the lobby, directing everyone to their rooms. She smiled when she caught sight of Howie, Mackenzie, and Brian.
“Hey guys!”
“How can you be so cheerful?” Brian groaned. “It’s two AM!” Denise’s smile only widened.
“It’s called cafine. Alright, Bri, you’re in room 218, Howie you’re in 220, and Mackenzie, you’re in 222. Now, go get some rest, guys.” she said, handing them each a set of keys. Trapseing towards the elevator, they waited impatiently until it dropped them off at their floor. Brian bid them goodnight, and Howie and Mackenzie unlocked their own doors.
“Goodnight, sleep tight.” Howie said with a tired smile.
“I will. You too.” she replied, and stepped into her suite. She dropped her bag on the floor, and leaned against the door for a moment. She turned her head, and came face to face with Howie. A confused look passed over her face, and she glanced at the door, then at Howie.
“What are you doing here?” she questioned. “I’m really not in the mood to be halucinateing.”
He chuckled. “You’re not. Our rooms have an ajoining door. I found it left open, and thought I’d investigate to see who my suitemate was.” he finished. “So, hi.”
“Hi.” There was an awkward silence.
“I guess I better let you get to bed, huh?” Howie said. Mackenzie nodded, and as Howie walked from her room, her call stopped him. He turned around; she shifted uncomfortably.
“Maybe...since the door was already open......we could leave it that way.” she said softly. Their eyes met and held. Howie nodded once, then entered his own room. Once he was around the corner, he leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed. In the next room, Mackenzie sank onto her bed and bit her lip to keep a smile from crossing her lips.
The next morning, Mackenzie was awakened by the unmistakable sound of someone snoring. She cracked an eye open, and tried to identify where she was. The Hotel, she finally remembered. But who was snoring? An image of Howie dissappearing thought the ajoining doorway came clearly to her mind. She smiled, just as a knock sounded on her door. A muffled voice called from outside.
“Mackenzie! Come on, wake up! Micki!” the voice persisted. Crawling from her bed, Mackenzie slid the bolt on her door, and opened it. She found Anita standing outside, in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt which looked to have been thrown on in haste. He hair was a riot, and her face bore no makeup. “We have a problem.” she gasped. Mackenzie became alert right away.
“Why? What’s wrong?” she asked. Just then, Howie’s face peered over her shoulder.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” The two girls shrieked as they heard his voice. Mackenzie turned around with a start, while Anita stood in shock.
“You startled us!” She admonished. Howie gave a sheepish smile.
“Sorry about that. Now, what’s going on?” he brought them back to the subject. Anita recovered from her surprise,
“Someone forgot to load the finale costumes. They’re probably stuck back at the last venue.”
“What?!” Mackenzie and Howie exclaimed together.
“Yeah, and it’s not like we keep a couple of extra magician’s cloaks and 18th century shirts around, you know?” Anita sighed. “ So, it’s just you, me, and Cheryl.” she finished, looking at Mackenzie. In answer, Micki rushed back into her room, pulled a pair of windpants on over the pajama boxers she had been sleeping in, and grabbed a sweatshirt to cover her tanktop.
“Let’s go!” she cried, as she and Anita raced down the hotel hallway. “Bye, Howie!” she called over her shoulder.
“What was Howie doing in your room?” Anita asked incredulously. “Did you guys.....”
“NO!” Mackenzie cried. “I mean, no. We didn’t. Last night, we discovered we had ajoining rooms. That’s all.”
“Ajoining rooms have doors. Did they convieniently forget to put one up, or something?” Anita asked suspiciously.
“No, there’s a door. We just left it open.”
“ I see. Open.” Anita smirked. Mackenzie slapped her arm, and the two dissolved into giggles.
Later that day, Howie walked into wardrobe, to find Mackenzie fitting Nick, who stood on a small platform; Cheryl and Anita were close by, both sitting at sewing machines.
“Nick, stop squirming!” Mackenzie exclaimed.
“I can’t help it, I want to go play basketball.” he whined. Mackenzie stood to her full heigth, set her shoulders, and stared up at Nick, looking him in the eye.
“Nickolas Gene Carter.” she growled. Nick ducked his head, and became still. “Thank you.” she sighed. Howie chuckled, and sat with an amused Kevin on the sofa. Brian stood over Anita’s shoulder at her sewing machine. Both were awaiting their turn for the fitting.
“Done.” Mackenzie announced. Nick leapt off of the platform, and raised his fists in the air.
“Whoo-hoo!” he yelped, and sped out of the room. Mackenzie turned to Kevin and gave him a tired grin.
“Your turn, Train.” she said. Kevin patted her on the back, touched by her use of his nickname. Fortyfive minutes later, Mackenzie finished Kevin’s alterations, and it was Howie’s turn.
“What have you been up to?” she inquired, while smoothing the fabric over his chest.
“We did a sound check; Fatima worked the bad habits out of our choreography. I guess Nick, AJ, and I started adding a step where we shouldn’t, and Brian skipped a couple all together. Kevin and Nick got kind of sloppy too, so we practiced for a couple of hours.” he explained. “How’s all the costuming coming?”
“It’s ok. Cheryl’s got AJ’s completed, and she’s working on Nick’s; Anita’s almost finished with Brian’s. After that, we’ve got to tackle all the last minute fittings. It should be done for tomarrow night’s rehearsal and performance.” she concluded. Soon after, Howie stepped from the platform, and before he left, turned to Mackenzie. He ran his hand nervously through his hair.
“So, um....are we still on for a quiet night in?” he asked. Mackenzie’s face lit up at his remembrance.
“Yeah. We’re still on.”
Howie relaxed. “Great! We can order something on Pay Per View, call room service, and unwind.”
“Sounds good to me!” Mackenzie beamed.
“Awesome. Knock on our door at....say....7:30?”
“Perfect!”
Mackenzie bolted into her suite, and rushed into the bathroom. “Ugh!” she said, looking at herself in the mirror. She glanced at the clock; it read 7: 13pm. Hurriedly, Mackenzie grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a shirt with beadwork at it’s v-neck. She jumped in the shower. When she emerged, refreshed, Mackenzie quickly dressed and ran a brush through her hair, toweling it as dry as possible. Her gaze darted to the clock- 7:27pm.
Howie scrutinized his reflection one last time. He had dressed deceptivly casual, in a pair of jeans and a shirt, several buttons undone at his neck. A nervous sigh escaped him, and he glanced at the clock. Poised at the ajoining door, he waiting until it’s red, digital numbers switched to 7:30. He knocked gently.
Mackenzie heard Howie’s knock, and glanced at herself once more, before speeding over to the ajoining door. She paused, took a deep breath, and opened it.
“Hey there.” she said, in as normal a voice as she could muster.
“Hey yourself.” he grinned, his heart beating wildly. Her hair hung wet around her shoulders, a rose aroma wafted about her. She stood aside, and gestured for him to enter. “I took the liberty of calling room service. They should be here soon,” he informed her.
“Thanks.” she smiled. “Do you know what’s on Pay Per View?”
“I asked the front desk, and they told me that we have access to Showtime, HBO, and Cinemax, so we should be able to find something.”
“Great.” They stood awkwardly for a moment, a rap on the door breaking the silence. Howie strode to the door, ushering in a bellhop who left the cart in the center of the room. Howie tipped him, and the boy left. Mackenzie flipped through the movie listing while Howie uncovered the dishes.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, causing Howie to look up sharply. “My favorite movie is on!”
“What’s that?”
“It’s called ‘Renaissance Man’, starring Danny Devito. It’s a really good character study.” she explained. Howie smiled.
“I’m up for that.”
She sank to the floor, and switched on the TV, turning to HBO. Howie followed her lead, and the two settled on the carpet. Howie had ordered a tray of fruits, cheeses, crackers, deli meats, and other finger foods. Smiling shyly at one another, they watched as the movie began. Half way through, Howie leaned back against the bed. Mackenzie sat up from where she lay on the carpet, and leaned next to him. He reached over and took her hand in his.
An hour later, the credits began to roll, and Mackenzie became concious of the tears that fell on her cheeks. Howie smiled, and tenderly wiped them away.
“That part gets to me every time.” she said in explanation.
“Which part? The end, the middle, or the beginning?” he teased.
“Just call me Niagra Falls.” she laughed. “I remember when The Little Mermaid came out. I went through an entire box of Kleenex!”
“For The Little Mermaid?”
“Yeah. All of the Disney movies, actually.”
“That’s ok. I won’t give you too bad of a time. I’m usually pretty sentimental too. Just ask AJ about the first time we went to see Titanic!” he said lightly.
“Speaking of AJ......” she hesitated. Howie sat still, and waited for her to go on. “Are you two alright?”
“Yes and no. I don’t know if I should be talking about this with you though......it’s kind of about you.”
“About me? I’m sorry for whatever I did wrong!” she said hurriedly.
“No, no! It’s nothing like that.” he paused and shifted uncomfortably. “AJ ended up telling me that he kissed you.”
“Oh.” she stated softly. After an awkward silence,
“I was jealous.” Howie admitted. “I didn’t think that I could compare to AJ. I thought you’d choose him over me.”
Mackenzie’s eyes widened, and she placed her hand over his, causing him to meet her gaze. “Howie.....no. I....you shouldn’t think things like that.”
“You’re the first girl that I’ve liked in a really long time.” he confessed. “How could I not feel that way?” In answer, Mackenzie leaned close, and kissed him. It was a serious kiss, a kiss of confirmation. It took both of their breaths away. When they broke apart, they starred at one another for a moment, before Howie pulled her into his arms. She leaned back against him, and sighed in contentment.
“Does this mean that you chose me?”
“What do you think it means?” she asked in an amused voice turning her head up towards his. “Of course I did.”
“I want to know everything about you.” he stated suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“Everything. Tell me all the little things about yourself that you haven’t told anyone else.” he clarified. She thought for a moment.
“When I was little, I used to sit out under the sky at night, watching for shooting stars.”
“Did you ever see one?”
“Once. I saw a shooting star, and could hardly believe it. Then, I closed my eyes, and wished for a bicycle.” she smiled at the memory. “I got one, too. It was pink and yellow, with a little white wicker basket on the front. Training wheels not included. I tried to learn how to ride that bike every day for two weeks. I fell down a thousand times, and bruised my knees black and blue. Finally, my dad flew home from his business trip. He took me out the next day, and held on to the back of the seat, pushing me along, waiting for me to find my balance. He never let go until I was ready.”
Howie chuckled at the image her words evoked. “You loved him alot, didn’t you?” She nodded.
“I remember the first time I went out on a date. My dad was even more nervous than I was. But, when my date pulled up, my dad replaced his anxiety with a stern mask, and took my date aside. To this day, I don’t know what he said, but that boy didn’t lay a hand on me all evening!” They laughed together.
“What would your father have thought about me?” he questioned quietly.
“He would have loved you.” she answered without hesitation. “You’re just the type of man that he could have gotten along with: honest, caring, quiet, impartial until all of the facts are presented. You two are very similar.” She played absently with the only ring on his fingers, twisting it back and forth.
“Ok, here’s another one.” she said, changing the subject. “I sing in the shower. I’m really quite terrible, but I sing anyway. I can’t carry a tune.”
“Do you sing Pavarotti, or Stresand?” he teased.
“Neither. I heard of this really great group, called the Backstreet Boys.”
“Ah, I see how it is.”
“Yeah, they have this catchy little tune, something about Playing Games......”
“Oh, really?”
“Mmhmmm. There’s a very hot guy in the group too. I think they call him Latin Lover. Now, why do you suppose that is?”
“I don’t know.....maybe you can help me figure it out.....” he said slyly, then proceeded to tickle her sides until neither could breath, they were laughing so hard.
Late that night, Howie returned to his own room, once again leaving the ajoining door open. Mackenzie readied for bed, donning a pair of silk pajamas. In the last city, she had been unable to resist the night clothes, basking in the feel of the turquoise silk. She crawled into bed, and snuggled under the covers. Sudden lonliness crowded in, Howie’s abrupt abscence taking away her security. The shadows in the room became longer and darker. Shutting her eyes tighly, Mackenzie sang softly to herself, willing her conciousness to sleep.
Howie awoke to a muffled voice. Whoever the voice belonged to was in trouble. A cry issued forth from the ajoining room, causing Howie to bolt from his bed, and race into the next room. When he entered, ready to skin Mackenzie’s attacker alive, he found Mackenzie still tucked in her bed. She writhed under the covers, her face distorted, mumbling something incohearant. “No!” she cried plainly. She was having a nightmare. Howie sat on the edge of the bed, and shook her shoulder.
“Wake up! Mackenzie, wake up!” he called. She sprang up in her bed, with a gasp. Tears ran down her cheeks.
“Oh God....” she moaned. Howie wasted no time, pulling her to him.
“Shhh.....it’s ok. It was just a dream....it’s alright.....” he murmured assuringly. She clung to him, pressing her face into his bare chest. He continued to comfort her, until, finally, her sobs abated.
“Are you okay, now?” he asked gently. The only answer he recieved was the slight nod of her head. He began to ease her out of his arms.
“No!” she exclaimed, pulling him nearer. “Don’t leave me, please, don’t leave!” she pled.
“Okay, okay....Relax, I’m here.” Howie aquiesced,
holding Mackenzie close, strokeing her hair. He shifted, making himself comfortable against her pillows. “I’ll stay here all night.” he promised. He lay awake, listening to her breathing become even. His hand absently continued to caress her hair. Howie drifted off to sleep soon after.
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