“The Grammys, the Grammys, oh how wonderful they are!!” AJ sang to no particular tune. It was the day before the big awards ceremony, and the guys were in Las Vegas, where it was being held.

“I can’t believe the show is tomorrow!” Brian exclaimed. “Michelle’s flying in tonight, I can’t wait to see her beautiful face.”

“Well, Lynnsey’s flying in as well to accompany me. She’s so excited, she’s never been to something like this before. She wants to meet Garth Brooks.” Kevin laughed.

“Kara’s flying too… she had her doctor’s appointment today, and she’s going to tell me how it went when she gets in,” Howie said.

“Is she still afraid that the cyst she has is cancerous?” Kevin asked.

“Not really. She’s been doing some research on it, and women her age have a very slim chance of getting ovarian cancer, but the cysts are very common. She feels a lot better about it.”

Nick, who was out of the hospital and doing much better, commented, “Well, Gretchen is flying in too, but I won’t see her until right before the show.”

“I have to go shopping with Jen tomorrow to find her a dress to wear,” AJ said.

“She still doesn’t have one!? Michelle already has everything picked out, down to the color of her lipstick. I had to hear all about everything on the phone last night,” Brian chuckled.

“Well, Jen isn’t like most girls. She likes to be different and spontaneous. That kind of shallow stuff doesn’t matter as much to her,” AJ replied haughtily.

“Chill, AJ, I wasn’t insulting her or anything. You’re really defensive, do you know that?” Brian asked. “And Michelle is not shallow, she just likes to look nice.”

“Will you guys get off it?” Howie asked.

“Sorry,” Brian said. “Just forget it, AJ.”

“It’s forgotten.”

Later that night, Kevin, Brian, and Howie all went to the airport to meet their ladies. Michelle’s flight was supposed to arrive at 7:15, Lynnsey’s at 7:30, and Kara’s at 7:55.

When Michelle arrived, she and Brian hugged and were in their own world. Kevin and Howie stood by awkwardly.

“I am so glad to see you,” Brian purred in her ear.

“Me too,” she replied. ‘And I have something I need to talk to you about,’ she thought.

Kevin cleared his throat loudly, and Michelle and Brian laughed. 20 minutes later, Kevin was acting the exact same way with Lynnsey.

“The past two weeks have been hell,” Kevin said in her ear. “Heck, the past two months have been hell. Without you.”

“I know, sweetie, I know,” she said back.

This time, Brian cleared his throat loudly. He was clutching Michelle’s hand. She was surprised at the affection he was showing towards her. She didn’t mind it though. Not at all.

“Ha ha,” Kevin said sarcastically. “We have one more arrival to wait for,” he told Lynnsey, who was star struck by Michelle.

“There she is,” Howie said, pointing. He ran over to Kara and hugged her. “How are you doing?” he asked quizzically.

“I’ll tell you about it when we get to the hotel,” Kara said. The six went to the baggage claims and the girls got their stuff, then they all headed to the parking garage.

“I hope you’re comfortable rooming with me,” Kevin said to Lynnsey. He didn’t know if she would be or not.

To his surprise, a mischievous look appeared on Lynnsey’s face. “I think that’ll be just fine, Mr. Richardson.”

He grinned, and put his arm around her.

The Las Vegas Marriott Hotel was the hotel many musicians were staying at for the awards show, and as the guys led the girls up to their rooms, they passed, among others, Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray and the guys from Creed.

“I’m not used to this!” Lynnsey squealed.

Michelle smiled at Lynnsey’s excitement, and so did Kara. Michelle was very used to meeting other celebs, and so was Kara, due to her interviewing job for PEOPLE.

When Howie and Kara got to their room, Howie put Kara’s luggage next to his own and then sat down with her on the bed.

“What’s going on, Kara?” he asked.

“The cyst is still there,” Kara said. “I go back to the doctor in a month, and if it’s still there, I’ll have to get it checked out at the hospital. The only way to find out if it’s cancerous or not is surgery… to take tissue samples from it to be tested.”

“Oh, Kara…” Howie moaned. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, Howie. We’re going to forget about this for a day and have lots of fun tomorrow. We’ll party all night long… OK?” Kara forced a smile.

“OK.”

“Now, I need a little… ‘pick-me-up.’ Do you have a problem with ‘going to bed’ a little early?” Kara smiled, coyly.

Howie shook his head. “I have no problem with that!!”

“Lynnsey, I don’t want to force you into a situation you’re not comfortable with…” Kevin said.

“I’m not uncomfortable at all, Kevin. Look, it’s not about sex. At least not right now. I just want to be in the same bed as you, sleep next to you, wake up next to you. OK?”

“That sounds really nice, Lynnsey. Whatever you want.”

“Kevin… the night I broke up with Ross… you never told me where you were. You just apologized for not answering your phone. Where did you go?”

“Oh, all of us had gone out to eat. I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you then.”

“Oh… Do you guys go out to eat every night after concerts?”

“Mostly. It’s us 5 guys, and some people who work on the show, as well as our two opening acts.”

Lynnsey nodded.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m just wondering is all.”

“Do you want to go over to Brian and Michelle’s room? He suggested that the four of us could all play a card game or something.”

“Sure! I am such a fan of Michelle’s. I have seen all 7 of the movies she’s been in, and I watch the Soap Opera she used to be on, and… Well, I sound like an idiot, but… Let’s go on over there.”

The next day was when the nerves started settling in. It was they guys’ third Grammy Awards ceremony, but it might as well have been their first. They were all very anxious.

“I would go get my hair done, but… I’d rather do it myself,” Michelle was saying to Brian as they both got ready.

“You don’t have enough time anyway,” he said.

“Nervous?” she asked.

“Just a little. Were you nervous at the Academy Awards?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this is just as… prestigious, I guess. I’m really nervous.” Brian was also nervous, because he knew that Leighanne would be watching. He knew that the Backstreet Boys would be shown on camera at least once during the entire show, and that Leighanne would see him and Michelle together. It wasn’t like Leighanne didn’t already know about him and Michelle… he and Michelle along with Gretchen and Nick were two couples that got a lot of attention from the media. But it was just weird that he was going to be at such an important event in his life with someone else besides Leigh. Still, he reminded himself, this was the beginning of him experiencing important things with Michelle.

Soon it was time to leave for the awards, and the Backstreet Boys’ limo wasn’t the only one leaving the hotel entrance/exit.

“I didn’t realize that so many musicians were staying at the Marriott,” Michelle said. She was nervous as well, but it wasn’t because of the awards show. It was because she was going to have to get some things out in the air with Brian after the show.

The 9 people in the limo plus the driver made their way to the awards center. Nick would have to find Gretchen when he got there.

He didn’t have to look long, as soon as they got there, they spotted her on the red carpet, being interviewed by Joan Rivers from E! Entertainment.

“She looks beautiful!” Nick exclaimed, jumping out of the limo.

Jen and Lynnsey both clutched on to their boyfriend’s hands, starting to feel shy.

Nick got hold of Gretchen and she joined the whole group, and the 10 of them made their way, interviewer by interviewer.

“Do you think you’re going to win?” Michelle asked Gretchen.

“No. Honestly, I may have a shot at one, but not both.”

Soon, they were all in the center, getting seated and situated.

“I just want it all to be over,” Gretchen mumbled to Nick.

“What!? I love this! Don’t you? It’s great- the energy, the air, the excitement…” Nick said.

“I just like the comfort of being more alone, not so dressed up.”

“That’s where we’re different, sweets. You’re the introvert, while I’m an extrovert. Opposites attract, I guess,” Nick said.

Gretchen smiled.

Before they knew it, the show was starting.

As the host, Rosie O’Donnell, started her monologue, Gretchen looked at her watch. In about 3 hours, she’d be at a post-party, with Nick and the rest of the gang. Even though she’d be with the guy she loved, she was dreading it. She hated going to the crowded, noisy parties full of people who she didn’t know. Parties just weren’t her thing. She looked forward to 6 hours from now when she’d be out of the parties and… either with Nick somewhere quiet or back at her hotel. Either way, she’d cherish the private time. She rarely got any these days.

She had finished up recording her sophomore album the day after she’d gone back to Los Angeles, and was now preparing to go back home to Georgia until promoting for the new single started. She was pretty sure that her rage song she had written about Brandon – the one she had sung to Nick the day they had had their park date - was going to be the first single. She had also sung it to David, since he knew Brandon and all, and he thought that it was… in his exact words, “Incredible.”

Gretchen perked up and paid attention as the first award was announced- “Best Song.” The Backstreet Boys were up for “Show Me the Meaning..”

All five guys crossed their fingers and stared at the ground as the winner was announced.

“The Backstreet Boys!” the presenter shouted. The Backstreet Boys cheered, but stayed seated. The writer of the song got to go up, and since they hadn’t written it, they stayed in their seats. Max Martin went up and accepted the award.

A few minutes later, the second award they were up for, “Best Pop Single” was won by Christina Aguilera.

In an hour’s time, Gretchen had lost the “Best New Artist” award, but still had “Best Female Performer” to look forward to. And she won it!

Flushed, and excited, Gretchen, in shock, felt as if she had weights on her feet as she walked down the aisle to the podium.

She hadn’t prepared a speech, and didn’t even know what was coming out of her mouth.

“Um… gosh. Let me regain my composure for a sec… OK. Um, first I want to thank God, above all. Then I want to thank my parents and family, my agent, John Harrell, uh… my publicist, my choreographer… and I want to thank Nick, too… for being there.” She smiled out at the audience, knowing he was smiling back. “Thank you.”

Backstage, they took the award away from her, because they had to engrave her name on it and then mail it to her. She took pictures, answered some questions for reporters, and then went back in to sit down. Nick kissed her cheek as she sat down.

Jen was confused by the way AJ had been acting. She was already insecure about how he felt for her- after all, he was a Backstreet Boy, and the most flirtatious one at that. She didn’t know what was so special about her that had made him choose her to date in the first place.

Jen was only 19, and had left North Carolina University to pursue her dancing career 2 months into her freshman year. Her parents had been very upset about it, but there was nothing they could do to stop her. Then, her mom had suddenly died in a car accident, and shortly after Jen made it onto the Backstreet dancers. Curtis- the ex-boyfriend- had taken her under his wing, once she was on, and made her feel welcome. Then he had started acting overprotective… and AJ was the escape.

Jen focused back on AJ- he was looking behind her. Jen turned around… all she saw was Brian, Michelle, Gretchen, and Nick. ‘Whatever.’

Michelle didn’t want to get suspicious, but she had never had a real boyfriend before, and she didn’t know what this meant. ‘This’ was Brian’s sudden overdose of affection. Had he cheated on her, and felt guilty? No… she honestly didn’t think that he’d cheat on her. Then what was it? Why was he suddenly always wanting to hold her hand, and always stroking her back or playing with her hair? She liked it a lot, but didn’t know what it meant.

Brian rubbed Michelle’s hand, and smiled at her. She smiled back, and he didn’t notice the quizzical look in her eyes. ‘She’s so great,’ Brian thought happily.

Kevin could tell that Lynnsey was just blown away by everything about the show atmosphere. The prestige, the celebrities, the formality… She wasn’t used to it at all. She’d have to get adjusted, if she was dating him. It was apart of him, his career.

Kevin was caught off guard when Lynnsey leaned over and whispered, “Who’s that girl that keeps looking at you?” Lynnsey nodded down the row.

“Who? Kayla?” he asked.

“I guess.”

“She’s one of our opening acts, we’re friends.”

Lynnsey raised an eyebrow. Kevin just chuckled.

Finally, the show ended, and all the guests started filing down the aisles to get outside.

“We get to go to parties now!” Michelle cheered. Nick cheered too.

“Yea,” Gretchen said dryly.

“I think we should just go to the Vanity Fair party and stay there until we’re ready to go back to the hotel,” Brian said.

“I agree. It’s probably one of the nicest ones, and it’ll save the trouble of traffic and stuff,” Kevin said.

“Fine with us,” AJ said, his arm around Jen. Jen was glad he was acting normal again.

So the ten were driven to the Vanity Fair party, which was held in an beautiful restaurant with elaborate decorations. AJ and Jen went off immediately to start dancing, and Brian agreed to go dance with Michelle if she went with him first to go talk to the singer, Joe.

Gretchen, Nick, Kevin, Lynnsey, Kara, and Howie sat down at a table and ate some food.

“Gretchen, what’s this I hear of some tabloid story that got mailed to Nick?” Kevin asked.

“Oh, it was all a big fluke,” Gretchen said. “I went to lunch with an old male friend, and a reporter took a picture and the tabloid made it seem like I was cheating on Nick.”

“Who’s your friend?” Kevin asked.

“David Gordon. I went to high school with him, and he recently moved to Los Angeles,” Gretchen said. “He used to be good friends with one of my ex-boyfriends.”

“Oh. Well, you should never take those stupid tabloids seriously. All they’ll do is confuse and upset people,” Kevin said.

“I agree,” Gretchen said. “Because there was NO truth to that story. None.” She glanced at Nick, and he stared down at his hands, feeling embarrassed for overreacting about the whole thing.

About a half-hour later, Michelle and Brian arrived at the table, and it appeared that Brian now had an upset stomach. “I think it’s a result of all the stress I’ve felt leading up to tonight,” Brian said.

AJ and Jen came up behind them.

“I hear ya,” AJ said in agreement.

“So I guess you don’t feel like dancing now,” Michelle said, disappointed. Brian shook his head.

“I’ll dance with you,” AJ said out of the blue.

Brian smiled, delighted. “Great! You two go dance!”

Michelle looked at Brian uneasily. She didn’t really want to go dance with AJ.

“Go ahead, I’ll be waiting right here,” Brian said.

AJ and Michelle walked to the dance floor, and Jen and Brian sat down at the table.

“I hope they can become friends,” Brian said. “Maybe they’ll finally start to get along!”

‘Can I Get A…?’ by Jay-Z came on, and so Michelle and AJ began to dance with each other, and as they did, Michelle calmly asked, “So, why did you offer to dance with me?”

“Because you needed a partner,” AJ replied.

“Yeah, but you hate me,” Michelle said.

“Maybe. Maybe not. You care?”

Michelle rolled her eyes. Now he sounded conceited. “You think you’re something, don’t you?”

“Something. Besides, you wanted to dance with me.” AJ didn’t know why he said that.

Michelle stopped dancing. “What!?”

“I could tell. You were just begging for me to ask you.” AJ didn’t know why he said that, either. She brought out the worst in him.

Michelle’s mouth fell open. “I don’t know how Brian can stand to be friends with you!” She threw him a look that could kill and then stomped off the dance floor and back to the table the group was at. AJ just laughed and followed her.

“Come on, Jen,” he said, leading Jen to the dance floor.

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked.

“Nothing,” she lied. “Oh, I almost forgot. I want to talk to you, Brian.”

“About what?”

“Stuff… can we go someplace where we can be alone?”

“Sure… let’s go outside.”

Brian and Michelle headed outside through the back door. They sat down on the steps right next to the door.

“What’s up?” Brian asked.

“I… haven’t told you everything about me since we began dating,” Michelle said.

“Ok… go ahead.”

“OK… first, you know that my parents are divorced, and I haven’t seen my dad since I was 15, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, after my parents split when I was young, my dad didn’t pay child support for awhile, and my mom had to work a bunch of different part-time jobs, and… we ended up having to sell our house because my mom couldn’t pay the house note along with all the other bills. So we rented an apartment, but soon enough, my mom wasn’t able to pay rent, and so we had to live in our van for awhile. We were REALLY poor, and it stayed like that until I was 14 and got on a soap opera.”

“Is that all? Because it’s OK that you waited to tell me, but I don’t know why you waited. That doesn’t change my opinion of you.”

“That’s not all. I didn’t lie to you, but I wasn’t honest either. Because I’ve been acting since I was 14, I always focused on only that, and making enough money for my family. I have never had a boyfriend before you, have never been in love… am a virgin…”

Brian paused. “I find it hard to believe that someone as beautiful, and intelligent, and talented as you didn’t always have to beat off the guys with a stick.”

“I had offers before, but I always turned them down. I don’t know what made me give you my number when you asked for it, because in a regular setting, I would have said no. I guess I could tell you were special.”

“Michelle, were you worried that I would think less of you because of these things?”

“Well… I don’t know. I just wanted you to know.”

Brian put his arm around her. “You know what this does? It just brings us that much closer, because you have confided in me much more than what your words said. I can read you so much better now that I know.”

“Aw, you mean I’m losing my mystery?” Michelle asked.

“Mystery is good at the beginning of the relationship, but I think familiarity works too.”

“And Brian?”

“Yeah?”

“When I’m ready to not be a virgin anymore, I’ll let you know, OK?”

“OK. I’ll be waiting.”

Earlier, in Florida...

Irene and Mandy threw popcorn at the screen while Gretchen did her acceptance speech.

"That should be you up there for 'Best Female Performer'," Irene encouraged.

"I know," Mandy said. "It will be next year, I'm sure. My career will have taken off by then... I'm sure."

"She thanked Nick! I can't believe they haven't broken up!" Irene said.

"I TOLD you that he wouldn't believe a tabloid story!" Mandy said.

"We're gonna have to do something else. Maybe we can find out more about the guy in the picture with Gretchen. Who knows? Maybe he likes her, maybe he can help us," Irene said.

"Not a bad idea!"

"But we don't even know his name."

"Oh...yeah..."

"Look, Mandy, you're just going to have to throw yourself on Nick or something the next time he's home. Kiss him, remind him of the old times. I'll take pictures, and send them to Gretchen. So we'll kill two birds with one stone... you remind Nick of his feelings for you, and Gretchen dumps him."

"OK!"