Chapter 13
"Uncle Brian, can I play with Sewena." Danni asked, not quite getting the *r* is the name Serena yet. "Don't you want to watch Anastasia?" Danni nodded vigoruosly, jumping up and spinning in circles. "I'm going to be Anastasia Uncle Brian! And I'm going to marry a handsome man named Dimitri!" Brian chuckled at Danni's statement as she spun faster. "Danni! Oh please stop, your getting me dizzy." Leighanne exclaimed coming into the television room where Brian, Serena, and Danni were. Brian and Leighanne were babysitting Danni so A.J. could go out with a new love interest that night. Brian looked up at his beautiful wife who set down a tray of snacks, and went to catch Danni. He watched as she spun Danni around in her arms, and saw the love in Danni's eyes. Danni recently just started wondering why she didn't have a mother when Serena had been born. Danni had grown attached to Leighanne after her own mother had passed away, and occasionally called Leighanne her mother.
He laughed as Leighanne fell to the floor with a thump, a giggling Danni on top of her. Serena was smiling brightly, finding their playfullness very amusing. After she had given birth, Leighanne had filled out all around her body, taking away that model figure she once owned. Personally, Brian had found it so incredibly attracting, it had taken away the teenager look, and put more of a woman on her, but Leighanne had looked at herself in disgust so she immedeitly had hit the gym and gained that perfect figure back. But Brian knew he loved her anyway. After Serena was born, Leighanne was always glowing, though had a weary, tired look in her eyes, she was happier than ever, and everyone could see that. She had told him a few nights ago, "I've got the perfect life...a perfect home, a perfect car, a perfect career, a perfect man...," She had smirked when she had said that part, "the most beautiful, perfect little girl, and...the perfect family." He had started getting emotional when she said that, and had cried. That sent them both into hysterics. They were laughing so hard all night.
He could never stop thinking about his precious Leighanne...
* * *
"So, do you like this place?" "Oh my gosh A.J...I love it..." A.J. grinned, staring at the wide-eyed woman in front of him. She was carefully sipping her martini, sitting sideway's in her chair, exposing those long tan legs of hers. He bit his lip, trying to contain himself. Everytime he brought himself to dating, Danni always came up in his head. Instead of thinking, "Hmm, what position are we going to screw each other in?" he was thinking, "Would Danni like her? Would she be a good mother?" After his last date a month ago, he was almost going to give it up. The girl he had went out with hated children, and was real racist. She had her nose in the air the whole time, and constantly complained that he wasn't worldwide famous anymore. He had dropped her off without a word, and sped off. Hadn't talked to her since. Gretchen, the woman he was with now, seemed decent. They had bumped into each other at his record company. She was a new secretary to the staff, and they literally bumped into each other when she had been crazily scampering down the carpeted hallway with a stack of papers, not paying attention.
He found her beautiful, not gorgeous, but so sophisticated. She was very clumsy, always knocking things over and messing things up, but he found that adorable. You'd think a 26 year old woman would have a nice sense of balance. They had spoken a few times after they met, and than he had asked her out, and here they were. "So, Gretchen, tell me, why'd you decide to work at Jive Records?" Gretchen casually shrugged, playing with the tiny umbrella in her martini. "Well, I was a secretary over at a Travel Agency not to far back, and they fired me because they went out of business, so I picked up a job at Jive." "Thats all?" She nodded, placing her martini back on the table. "Yep, nothing really interesting. What about you? How are you doing now in the music business?" A.J. chuckled, sitting back in his chair. "Well, there really isn't much doing. The Backstreet Boys aren't really THERE any longer, and I haven't really been thinking about the my solo career much." I have another dream now...A.J. added silenty to himself. "Why is that?" Gretchen wondered. A.J. looked at her for a second, letting his eyes sink into hers than sat forward, placing his arms on the table. "Because...I'm a father, Gretchen. I want to be fair to you before we go further, I have a child. A three year old angel that I adore, and care for." Gretchen didn't seem to have any kind of reaction to what he had just said. He expected her to laugh, or scowl, or at least twitch, or maybe even look dumbfounded. But it was an expressionless face until her eyes looked at him and said "Is that all?"
"What?" A.J. asked. "What what?" Gretchen shot back casually, sitting up as the waiter brought their food over. Ignoring the waiter busily assorting things for them, A.J. continued. "What what? What what I mean what do you think? Don't you have anything to say?" A.J. wondered. Gretchen looked at him, signs of a strong, understanding, mature woman pouring from her eyes. "A.J., I see you think of this as a big deal when it comes to telling women, but not me. Truth is, I've been pregnant four times in my life, starting at the age of 15. The first three were miscarriages, and the last one I had three years ago, but the child died after six months." A.J. was completely, and utterly shocked. I, uh, I" He stuttered out, at a complete loss for words. "Shocked? Don't think of it A.J. Those were mistakes. That's why they did not survive. There is no way I could handle a child with work. I'm way too immature, so I'm not sorry for it. I think it's wonderful you have a child. It shows maturity and sincereity and I'm happy you told me. I'm not saying I couldn't handle a child, just not right now." Gretchen pointed out, digging into her food. A.J. just nodded, and tried to contemplate what she just told him, trying to find a tug of relation to what she was saying.