“Hon, it’s practically winter.” Kevin just looked at his girlfriend.
“Hon, it’s a heated pool.” She winked at him as she stood up and held out a hand to him.
They walked out of the den to go find the others. Lumien was playing a video game in the game room.
“We’re going swimming, Lu. Wanna join us?”
“I didn’t bring a suit.” The young woman looked up, ignoring the fiery crash of her character.
“I think we can find you something to wear.”
Lumien just looked at Irene’s figure before staring down at her own.
Irene laughed while Kevin tried to hide his smile. “Let’s go see about a swimsuit.”
The older woman found something for Lumien to wear, and they all disappeared into an available bedroom to change. Lumien walked out onto the deck and dipped a toe into the water, appreciating the warmth of the pool even as she shivered in her robe.
Irene knocked on Meredith’s bedroom door when she finished changing. Her sister opened it, looking much calmer.
“We’re going swimming. Wanna come?”
Meredith smiled softly. “Let me check with AJ.”
Closing the door slightly, Meredith looked across the room where AJ was scrunched up in her overstuffed chair.
“They’re going swimming, wanna go?”
He looked at her. “Isn’t it a little cold to swim?”
“Heated pool.” She grinned.
“Sounds good.”
Reopening the door, she smiled at her sister. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Irene nodded and headed for the backdoor to join Kevin and Lumien. She found them in the pool, sunk almost to their chins in the warm water.
“You guys look like Kilroy.” She chuckled as she tossed her robe onto a chair and quickly dived into the water.
“That’s because it’s frigging cold out here.” Kevin shuddered and chuckled as Irene surfaced next to him. “They coming?”
“They’ll be out in a minute.” She began swimming some laps to keep her body moving.
About ten minutes later, AJ and Meredith walked out her bedroom door and dropped their robes and towels on a chair, quickly diving into the pool. They spent about 45 minutes in the pool before shifting to the hot tub for a few minutes.
By the time they climbed out, nobody wanted to do anything other than crawl into bed. Kevin curled around Irene as they drifted off to sleep. AJ wrapped his arms around Meredith, twining their fingers as he held her close. Lumien stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes, barely realizing that she fell asleep thinking of soft brown eyes.
***Backstreet Boys***
The next morning was filled with hurried packing as Irene rushed through things to help finish before she and Kevin had to leave. When the last box was taped, Irene and Kevin jumped into the shower to wash off the sweat. They had packed the night before to cut down on prep time. In thirty minutes, the group was standing in the foyer as Irene and Kevin waited for their taxi.
Irene told Meredith she didn’t want to say her goodbyes at the airport, afraid she would make a scene. She turned to Lumien, surprising the young woman with a hug.
“Watch out for all of them, okay?”
Lumien nodded, patting the other woman’s back. She moved to AJ next, holding him close for several moments.
“Love my sister. Take care of her. If you hurt her, I *will* hurt you.” Irene pulled back to look into AJ’s eyes, making sure he understood her message.
He nodded and hugged her again.
Kevin shook hands with Lumien, telling her to be careful on the trip down and that he would see her in a few days. He turned to Meredith and watched her watching Irene and AJ. Pulling her into a hug, he chuckled softly.
“You’re not that far, and she knows where you’ll be.”
Meredith nodded against his chest, sniffling a bit. “I know. It’s just weird and hard.”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.”
She looked up into his face, seeing the truth in sparkling green eyes. “And you’ll take care of her?”
“I promise.” Kevin nodded, completely serious as he spoke.
Meredith nodded and turned to look at Irene. Two sisters met in the middle of the foyer, hugging each other tightly.
“At least you’re not sending me off to a battle.” Meredith offered a watery chuckle.
“Well, there won’t be any guns, but having seen some of the fans, I wouldn’t say that.” Irene stepped back, wiping her eyes with her fingertips.
The taxi honked its arrival, and Kevin picked up their bags. Meredith and Irene hugged one more time before the couple walked out the front door and climbed into the taxi. Irene pressed her hand against the window as they drove away, watching her sister.
The trio remained at the front door until they couldn’t see the taxi any longer. Meredith sighed as she walked back into the house.
“You okay, love?” AJ rested his hands on her shoulders.
Meredith laid her hands on top of his, looking around at the house that had been her home for so long. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Giving herself a shake, she looked at the other two. “Ready to load some boxes?”
They nodded, and the three of them began the process of loading up the cars. Meredith put Stasi in the backyard while they moved things. It only took them a few hours until everything had been carefully packed into the three vehicles.
Meredith finished her letter of instructions for the service company that would finish closing up the house. For a fee, they would check on the house and open it up whenever they wanted to come visit. She took a long walk through the house one last time as AJ put Stasi on her leash and led the dog outside to the Land Cruiser.
Sighing, she turned off the light switch in the kitchen and closed and locked the door. Pulling the SUV out of the garage, she closed the garage door and stared into the rearview mirror. Taking one more look, Meredith pulled out of the driveway and led their little caravan south.
***Backstreet Boys***
They stopped every few hours to change vehicles and give Stasi a break. That night, Meredith pulled into the motel she had found that accepted pets and checked them into their rooms. They ate dinner at the small restaurant connected to the hotel, then turned in early to get a quick start on traveling the next morning.
By 7:00 a.m., they were back on the road, reaching Orlando in the early afternoon. When they pulled up to the house, Meredith stared at the cars in the driveway. “This isn’t gonna work.”
She got out of the Land Cruiser and reached back in to get Stasi’s leash. Putting it on the dog, she let her wander around the yard sniffing. AJ and Lumien got out of their cars and stood in front of the house.
“The cars aren’t going to fit.” He rubbed his chin.
“I noticed.” She grinned at him before they walked up to the front of the house.
Lumien trailed along behind them, interested in seeing the “white” house. Denise opened the door, hugging AJ and Meredith, the dogs yapping at her feet. She took a look at Stasi.
“This should be interesting.”
The other three watched as Meredith took the little dogs and held them up to Stasi to introduce them. The big dog took one look at them and immediately swiped them with her tongue, practically drowning them in dog drool. The two little dogs shook their fur and proceeded to bounce around Stasi.
AJ laughed. “See, I told you they’d get along fine. Mom, this is Lumien. She’s Howie’s bodyguard.”
Denise reached out and shook the young woman’s hand. “How do you do?”
“Good, thanks.” Lumien smiled as the four of them walked into the house, following the dogs.
The young woman walked around the house as AJ, Meredith, and Denise talked in the kitchen. Peeking into various rooms, she tried not to grimace.
%Never would have pictured AJ living here.%
Meredith walked down the hall and found Lumien standing in the entrance to the living room. She watched the young woman’s face as she looked around.
“What’d I tell you?”
“You were *so* right. This looks nothing like him.” She gingerly sat down on a sofa. “Anyone coming over to help tote?”
“Denise just left. Howie and Nick are coming over, although I don’t know how long it will take Nick to get here from Tampa.”
“Isn’t that hard on him, living there but having to come here for meetings and stuff?” Lumien leaned back against the sofa cushions, careful not to disturb anything.
“He’s got a great view of the bay, and that helps him a lot, I think.” Meredith settled on the other sofa, tucking her feet beneath her.
AJ leaped over the sofa back and landed next to Meredith, propping his feet on the table. “Whatcha ladies talking about?”
“Who’s coming to help unload the cars, and why Nick lives so far away.”
“Thrilling topics of conversation, I must say.” He draped his arm across Meredith’s shoulders and pulled her close.
The three of them relaxed after the long days of driving. They had almost fallen asleep when the front door opened and closed.
“Meredith?”
Meredith sat up in surprise, and AJ fell over onto his side when she moved.
“Nick?” She got up and walked into the foyer. “How’d you get here so fast?”
She wrapped him in a hug before he bent down to rub Stasi’s ears. “Howie got me a place to stay while we’re here doing stuff before we leave for L.A. I figured driving back and forth would get hard after a while.”
“You coulda crashed here, man.” AJ came up behind Meredith and wrapped his arms around her.
Nick smiled as he looked up from crouching next to Stasi. “Yeah, I know, but I needed my own space, and I figured the two of you needed to figure out this living together thing without an audience.”
“We have lived with other people, you know, as well as spending six weeks together.” She quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, I know, but you haven’t lived just with each other.”
The couple stared at each other, wondering when Nick had suddenly grown up. Lumien walked up to join them in the foyer.
“Hey, shortstuff.”
“Hey, Rogue. How was the trip down?”
“Good. Long, but good.”
The door opened again, and Howie walked into the house. Lumien stared at him, her heart fluttering a bit as she drank in his appearance. The shorts and t-shirt weren’t any more casual than she had seen him on tour, but he looked so relaxed that she had to take a second glance.
“Hey, D.” Meredith reached over to give him a hug that was gladly returned.
“Hey, Merry. How was the trip?” Howie shook hands with AJ, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
“Long, but good. Saying goodbye was hard, though.”
He nodded in understanding and turned to Lumien. A full smile graced his face as he looked at her. “Hey, Lu.”
“Hey, Howie.”
“Have a good time?” He stepped closer to her as she did to him.
“Yeah, I got to meet Arianna.” She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling.
“She’s great, isn’t she? Did you get to eat any of Giuseppe’s cooking?”
“First night there. It was incredible.”
The two of them continued to talk, pretty much ignoring the others.
“Well, I feel unloved and unwanted.” Nick stood up after petting all three dogs.
“Aw, Munchkin, you know I still love you.” Meredith laughed at him as she dragged the two men into the kitchen with her.
After twenty minutes, Howie and Lumien wandered in to find the trio eating ice cream.
“We wondered where you went.” Howie sat down next to Meredith, grabbing the spoon out of her hand and taking a bite.
“D, I let you get away with that once. Do it again, and I’ll chop off your fingers.” She took her spoon back.
“Lumien will protect me, won’t you, Lu?” He looked over at the woman sitting at the end of the table.
“I got your back, Howie.” She winked at him.
They finished their ice cream, set the bowls in the sink, and walked out to the front of the house to start unloading the cars.
“Do you always have this many people staring at you when you do stuff?” Lumien pulled a box out of the Honda and handed it to Nick.
“Well, there are always a few fans hanging around. I imagine the fact we’re unloading things and there are two more Backstreet Boys here has something to do with the increased number of onlookers.” AJ picked up a box and followed Meredith into the house.
With five people, it didn’t take long to unload all three vehicles. The living room and foyer had boxes stacked along the walls. AJ walked around the area, and he felt incredibly good knowing that Meredith was going to be putting pieces of herself in the house. She already made the place feel like home.
“Dinner?” Meredith dusted off her hands and stood in the middle of the living room.
“I could eat.” Howie finished setting a box on top of another to keep the cardboard tower from toppling over.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Nick walked in from the foyer, Stasi on his heels, and Vegas and JD on hers.
Meredith smiled at the sight. “Order in or make something?”
AJ rolled his eyes. “Let’s remember that I haven’t been here in several weeks. I sincerely doubt there’s anything edible here.”
“What about the ice cream?” Lumien looked around the group.
“Mom always makes sure there’s ice cream for when I come home. That’s about it, though. Let’s just call something in and have it delivered. We won’t have to worry about grocery shopping or finding any pots or pans.” AJ rubbed Meredith’s fingers as he held her hand.
“Suggestions?” Howie grabbed the phone, knowing AJ had restaurants on speed dial.
“Chinese.”
“Mexican.”
“Italian.”
“All three?” AJ smiled and held up menus.
They collaborated for several minutes, and Howie called in the orders. AJ and Meredith fell onto one of the sofas, while Howie and Lumien claimed another. Nick stretched out on the floor and was immediately covered in dogs. The other four laughed as he was soundly licked.
The food finally arrived, and they quickly dug into it. An hour later, tired, happy people with full bellies smiled at each other.
Lumien sat up suddenly and looked around the room. Meredith sat up, too. “What?”
“Where am I gonna stay? I didn’t make hotel reservations or anything. I forgot all about it while we were moving.”
The older woman smiled. “You’re staying here tonight. The first door on the right when you go up the stairs is your room. Howie’s got some places to show you in the morning.”
Relieved, she leaned back at the sofa. “Thanks, Meredith. Thanks, AJ.”
Turning her head, she smiled shyly at Howie. “Thank you, Howie.”
“My pleasure, Lumien.” His grin was almost as shy.
Another hour of quiet talk filled the room as everyone began to relax more and more. Nick finally stood up and stretched, sighing as vertebrae popped.
“I’m heading home, people. Call me if you need anything. I left the new number on the counter.” He hugged Meredith, shook hands with everyone else, petted the dogs, and left.
AJ stood up, tugging on Meredith’s hand. “C’mon, I think we need to get you settled.”
“Mine, I just moved in.” She smiled at him.
“No, I meant settled in my room.”
“I thought I had already settled in there the last time I visited.” She raised an eyebrow at him as he led her toward the hall.
“That’s just it, you were visiting last time. Now, you’re home.” He quickly pulled her to him and kissed her willing mouth, luxuriating in the taste.
“Mmm. I see what you mean.”
They turned back to the couple still sitting on the sofa.
“Lock up when you go to bed. Night.” AJ waved as he pulled Meredith after him.
All she could do was wave as she disappeared from sight.
“They’re so funny.” Lumien giggled.
“Yeah, they’re pretty hilarious to watch.”
Howie stood up. “Well, I guess I’d better go. I’ll pick you up around nine tomorrow, okay?”
Lumien stood as well, following him to the front door. “I’ll be ready. Goodnight, Howie.”
“Goodnight, Lumien.” He turned to leave then abruptly turned back, kissing her on the cheek.
With a smile, he opened the front door, walked out, and closed it. She stood there for several moments, her hand pressed to her cheek. As if on autopilot, she locked the front door and turned out the lights.
Still in a slight daze, she changed into pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. Once she relaxed into the sheets, she let herself fully experience the sensation of his touch. She smiled.
***Backstreet Boys***
Lumien woke up early, creeping downstairs to avoid waking anyone up. She found Meredith in the kitchen drinking orange juice, dressed in running clothes.
“You going out or coming in?”
“Going out. Wanna go?”
“How long are we gonna be gone? Howie said he’d be here at nine to take me looking at places.” Lumien sat down at the kitchen table.
Meredith looked at the clock. “Probably 45 minutes. Think that’ll give you enough time to get ready?”
The young woman grinned. “Give me five.” She raced up the stairs and quickly pulled on some clothes.
The two women took off and jogged around the streets of the secluded community, nodding at people as they passed. They arrived back at the house around 8:20, and Lumien dashed upstairs to get showered and changed.
Meredith laid out the newspaper and looked it over as she waited for her turn in the shower. AJ walked up behind her and slid his arms around her neck, pressing a kiss to her head.
“I like you all sweaty in the morning, but I much prefer to have been the one to make you sweat.”
She chuckled. “Next time, go with me, and you will.”
“No, thank you. I imagine I’ll get enough running on the tour with you, I plan on relaxing the next few days.” He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to her.
“You’re not smoking anymore.” She continued looking at the comics.
“Nope. You said you were allergic, and I’d been wanting to quit anyway.” He shrugged it off as he looked over the lifestyles section of the paper.
She smiled, reaching to hook a couple of fingers with his. They continued to read, dogs scattered at their feet. The doorbell rang, and Meredith got up to answer it.
“Good morning, D.” She smiled, accepting his kiss on the cheek.
“I hoped everyone would be up. I didn’t want to just barge in.” He followed her into the kitchen, heading for the coffee pot.
“You must be joking, man. Of course she’s up. I think they went running this morning.” AJ rolled he eyes as he held out his coffee cup for a refill.
Howie filled both of their cups then sat down with his. “Are you gonna do this on tour, too?”
Meredith just smiled at him. He groaned, but this complaint was interrupted when Lumien walked into the kitchen.
“Hi, Lumien.” He smiled at her, taking in the freshly scrubbed face and still damp hair.
She was clad in jean shorts and a red tank top, with socks and sneakers completing the outfit.
“Hi, Howie.” She smiled back, admiring the khaki walking shorts and navy polo shirt.
“You ready? I’ve got several spots to show you.” He stood up and took his cup to the sink, rinsing it out.
“Sure, although I have to tell you I haven’t had breakfast yet, so we’ll have to stop somewhere.” She put on her sunglasses and grabbed her purse.
“I haven’t eaten yet, and I was hoping you hadn’t either. I know this great little place that serves the best pancakes.” He swept out his hand in invitation.
“Sounds great. Thanks.”
The two of them headed for the front door, completely engrossed in their conversation. Meredith and AJ just looked at each other. Right before the door closed, they heard “bye.”
Shaking their heads, they just laughed.
***Backstreet Boys***
Just as she was about to give up, Howie took Lumien into a little group of apartments nestled in a forested area away from the road. The little bungalows were surrounded by trees and flowers, and with the afternoon breeze, it was very relaxing.
Stepping into the small building, she walked through the rooms, admiring the light, airy feeling. She walked back into the living room, smiling at Howie and the complex manager.
“I like it.”
The young woman smiled. “Great. We can go back to the office and draw up the paperwork. What kind of lease are you looking for?”
The trio walked back towards the main office, and Lumien looked at Howie. “How long do you think? With the tour and everything?”
He rubbed his chin. “Well, we will have breaks when we’ll be coming home for short visits. If you take it for a year, it’ll be here for you.”
Cindy, the manager, smiled. “If you’d like, we can even arrange to have someone air it out and get your mail while you’re gone.”
Lumien nodded warily then looked at Howie. Smiling at Cindy, she held up a finger. “Can you excuse us for a minute.”
Pulling him to the side, she looked at him and chewed on her lip. “I’m guessing you know something about this place or you wouldn’t have brought me here, right?”
He chuckled. “Actually, I’m kinda one of the owners.”
She raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. “Does that mean I get a rent break?”
Howie laughed out loud at the question, steering her back towards the desk. “Thanks, Cindy. Sign on the dotted line, Lu, and it’s yours.”
Looking at the rental agreement, she realized she did, indeed, get a price break. Scrawling her signature, she took the keys and held them tightly in her hand. She shook Cindy’s hand, watching as Cindy thanked Howie for coming out, then followed Howie back out to his Corvette.
“Excited?”
Looking at the keys, Lumien exhaled slowly. “This is the first place that I’ve ever been able to call mine.”
Howie put the car into gear, and they headed away from the complex. “What are you going to do about furniture?”
She bounced in her seat a bit. “Hit the thrift stores and Salvation Army. I’m gonna ask Meredith if I can borrow the Land Cruiser to move some stuff.”
He saw how thrilled she was and grinned. “I’m sure she’ll say yes. Want some company shopping?”
Surprised, Lumien turned to look at him. “Um, well, sure, if you want. Thanks.”
He just shrugged. “It’s okay.”
She reached out and laid her hand over his for just a moment. “No, Howie. It really means a lot to me. Thank you.”
Before she could move her hand away, he turned his over and wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing softly.
“You’re very welcome, Lumien.”
Half an hour later they were parking on the street in front of AJ’s house.
“Looks like a car lot.” Howie opened Lumien’s door, holding out his hand to help her out.
She blushed a little as she took it, and he held it a few extra seconds before letting it go.
Chuckling, she looked at the cars. “Yeah, it does. Wonder what the neighbors think?”
“They’re probably just glad it’s quiet, ya know?” He opened the front door and let her inside.
“Hey, did you find anything?” Meredith was passing through the foyer, the dogs following her.
“Yeah, it’s the cutest little bungalow. I’m gonna scope out some stores tomorrow for furniture. Do you think I could borrow your truck?” Lumien followed the other woman into the kitchen.
“Sure. I was gonna talk to you about driving anyway. Do you think you could use the Honda?” Meredith pulled pans out of the cabinet so she could start dinner.
Lumien just looked at her. “You want to sell the Honda?”
“If you want to buy it. We don’t need any more cars here, and I’m probably going to get rid of the Land Cruiser at some point. I’m keeping the Porsche, though.”
The young woman thought about it. “I guess I could. I’d have to make payments though until my finances get settled.”
Meredith nodded. “Fair enough. You can look up the Blue Book online and tell me what it is. Let me know payments and stuff.”
Lumien shook her head. “You’re too much, you know that?”
Looking at her friend, the redhead shrugged. “Well, it solves problems, ya know? You need a car, I’ve got one I need to get rid of. It’s a good little car, been well maintained, and you know how it handles on long trips.”
“Stop, stop, you’ve sold me on it.” They shook hands, sealing the deal.
“One less thing I’ve got to worry about.” Meredith turned back to the ground beef she was cooking.
Howie stayed for supper, promising Lumien he would come by around noon to take her to some stores. She walked him to the door, holding it open as he stood outside.
“I had a really nice time today, Howie.”
“Me, too. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lu.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek again
She smiled and quickly leaned over to return the kiss.
Grinning, he waved and headed down the walkway towards his car, whistling softly. Lumien closed the door and locked it, walking towards the stairs.
“Night, Lu.” “Night.”
“Goodnight, guys.” She smiled and headed upstairs, still relishing the soft brush of Howie’s lips against her skin.
***Backstreet Boys***
Howie picked Lumien up and took her to lunch then they hit secondhand stores to find her some suitable furniture. She didn’t need a lot since she would only be there a short time before they would pack up and head for Los Angeles and then onto the world tour.
She found a nice iron bed frame, practically new mattresses, and a nightstand at one store. She found a futon and frame and a table and chairs at another. Both stores agreed to deliver the next day for a small fee, which Howie insisted on paying since he was her boss and felt somewhat responsible for her having to move into an empty apartment.
Although she protested, he was adamant, and Lumien gave in somewhat gracefully. They went to Kmart and shopped for pots, pans, dishes, sheets, pillows, lamps, and towels, along with other household necessities. They loaded everything in Howie’s car and rode over to the apartment.
Howie watched the awe on her face when she opened the door to *her* apartment and welcomed him inside. They set everything down, and she just stared at the place.
“I like the way it feels.” She turned a full circle in the living room.
“Yeah, it’s nice to have someplace to call your own.” He leaned against a wall and nodded at her.
They headed back to the car and left for AJ and Meredith’s place. She was going to stay one more night, then pack everything up and head to her place before the furniture was delivered.
The next day, Meredith insisted on coming over to help move things, which meant AJ was coming, too. Of course Howie wasn’t going to be left out, so it was a party at Lumien’s as they shifted the furniture around and got everything set up. There was a small washer/dryer in the utility room of the apartment, so freshly washed sheets were placed on the bed and towels and washcloths set in the bathroom closet.
With a sigh, Lumien stroked the clean sheets on her bed before wandering out into the living room. They ordered a pizza and celebrated the new place. Lumien shyly thanked them for helping with everything, and everyone hugged her. It pleased her to know they really cared, and she accepted their embraces easily.
Around nine that night, everyone left after happy goodbyes. Lumien locked the door and turned out the lights, climbing into her bed. Sighing happily, she sank into the pillows and had a wonderful night’s sleep in her very own place.
Table of Contents
Chapter Twenty-Four