Reunion Chapter 10    After seeing Kat off at the airport, Howie said good-bye to Kelly and drove home.  He was already missing her, her laugh, her smile, her kiss, but most of all her closeness.  You would think that after all the long distance relationships, he'd be used to the separation. But this time it was different somehow. Always before the women he had relationships with had lived in the Orlando area, so when he was home, they were there and they had time together, as long as she wasn't off on a job! But Howie also knew  that wasn't the only reason things were different this time. Instinctively he knew that his feelings for Kat were deeper, stronger than any he had ever experienced before. He looked around his living room and in his mind he could see the two of them on the couch, snuggling and kissing while watching a movie. "God how I miss her" he whispered to the empty room.  Deciding he needed a distraction, he grabbed his keys and headed for AJ's house.                                                           ~~~****~~~    AJ opened the door and silently let Howie in. He knew all to well what Howie was feeling and he knew now wasn't the time for jokes. After they were seated at the kitchen table, AJ waited patiently for Howie to break the silence. Feeling the tension growing in the room, AJ asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"   Howie lifted his head and opened his mouth to speak, but his voice froze in his throat, so he settled for a shrug of his shoulders. Howie cleared his throat and tried again. "I just miss her, you know? I mean, I know she just left and all, but AJ I really don't know what to do with myself now that she's not here. The last few days, I've looked forward to seeing her at least once each day, and now...I don't know when I'll see her again. It's just hard, harder than I thought it would be."   AJ patted Howie on the back, knowing that there was nothing he could say to make him feel any better.  Howie smiled at his friend for his silent support. Feeling the weight of his depression settling over the room, Howie asked, "Want to play a game of pool?" AJ smiled and agreed and they went down to AJ's game room and racked the balls and began playing.   "You know it never gets any easier. When Amanda and I were together, everytime we had to leave for a tour or to promote our stuff, it was like the first time all over again. You get used to it, but it doesn't get easier" AJ said as he sunk another solid colored ball in the corner pocket.    "I wasn't expecting it to be easy. I knew it would be hard. But its just different. Take my relationship with Sasha for instance, at the begining I was sad to leave, and I did miss her, but at the same time I was relieved to be away from her for awhile. With Kat, if I could, I'd keep her with me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week" Howie answered as he watched AJ scratch and miss the cue ball.    AJ looked up at his friend and replied, "That's because Sasha was a clinging, want-your-money-position type of person. And from what you've told me about Kat, she's just the opposite. She likes you for who you are not what you do.  That's a mighty big difference there D" AJ said as Howie pulled back his cue stick and  hit the cue ball, knocking two stripped balls into the same pocket.  "Have you been practicing?" AJ accused good naturedly. Howie only laughed and flashed his friend a big grin at AJ as he bent to take another shot.    They both played on, the conversation of relationships forgotten. Howie had alot to think about and AJ knew that there was nothing else to be said.                                                             ~~~****~~~   Kat lay on the couch after talking to Howie, still hearing his voice inside her head. She knew he was just as sad as she was about being so far apart, even though he had tried hard not to let it show, but the little hitch in his voice as they said good-bye gave him away. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, only intending to rest them for a few minutes.   When she woke, it was to bright sunlight streaming through the window hitting her square in the face. She groaned and sat up, glancing at the clock. "I've got an hour before I have to be at work, better get a move on" she muttered as she stood and headed for the shower.   Her day wasn't going well at all, everytime she tried to concentrate on the accounts in front of her, Howie's face would superimpose itself on her brain and she'd end up drifting off wondering what he was doing at that very moment. Shaking herself for what seemed like the millionth time she stuck her nose back in the account in front of her and determined to finish before the end of the day. "Come on Kat, get your mind on your work. I promise you can think about Howie all you want after you get home, but for right now its numbers only" she mentally scolded herself.     At the end of the day when she got home, she quickly changed, microwaved her dinner and popped a Backstreet video into the VCR and got comfortable on the couch. Her eyes followed every move Howie made as he danced and sang his way across the screen. Even the ringing of the phone couldn't make her tear her eyes away. She reached blindly over the side of the couch to the table where the phone was and picked up the handset and said "Hello" all without looking away from the TV.   "Hi! How are you?" the voice on the other end asked. Kat smiled and answered, "Even better now!" There was a male chuckle and then a brief pause. "What are you doing?" "I'm watching this guy dance and sing. He's a real hottie. Long, dark curly hair, olive colored skin and the biggest chocolate brown eyes I've ever seen. Not to mention he's got a body that just won't quit!" she answered coyly. "Oh really" the voice drawled, "And here I thought I was the most important person in your life!" Kat giggle and said, "You know you are.  Oh wait...here comes the best part" she said as she turned up the volume and Howie began singing My Heart Stays with You.    So entranced with Howie on the TV it took Kat a minute to realize that Howie was singing the song in her ear. She lowered the volume on the TV and listened with tears in her eyes to Howie's beautiful voice singing with such emotion for her alone. When the song was over, she turned the video off and whispered, "That was so beautiful. Thank you." "Well I figured I had to top that guy on TV somehow!" he joked. Kat laughed through her tears and Howie joined in. "So how'd you day go?" he asked. "It was just awful!" Kat answered as she launched into an explaination of her day.   "That was bad! I think its contagious though, the same thing happened to me" he admitted.   They talked for an hour more before saying good-night. Kat went to sleep that night with Howie's sweet voice singing in her ears. Reunion Index                           Onto Next Chapter                                   Main page