“So just tell everyone you were buying it for Howie.” Serenity looked over the wide assortment of dildos and vibrators laying on the glass shelf.
Grinning, she turned a couple of them on and watched them dance across the surface. Even as he laughed, he switched them off and pulled her towards the boxes of toys that came in varying sizes. They looked over their choices, both agreeing on one before grabbing some lube. Serenity spotted the anal beads and grabbed those as well.
She pulled out her credit card when they reached the register, smiling at him. He grinned back, taking the bag after she signed the receipt.
Walking hand in hand to her Jeep, they soaked up the warmth of the sun.
“Wanna go home and try this stuff out?” Brian pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it before letting her climb into the Jeep.
“Will we traumatize the dog?” Serenity chuckled as she cranked the engine.
“I’ll put him in the den.” He grinned.
***Backstreet Boys***
Irene opened the door to her loft, smiling at the young woman standing in front of her. “Hi, I’m Irene.”
“Anita. Nice to meet you.”
“C’mon in.” She opened the door wider to allow the woman inside.
“This is a great place.” The young woman walked around, studying the large, brightly lit room. “So, you heard about me from AJ?”
“Actually, you did a tattoo on my sister, Meredith.”
“The sun and moon around the belly button.”
“It was beautiful. Now that I’m ready, I asked who did hers, and she gave me the number. Thank you for coming by.”
Anita smiled. “No problem. Can I look at the design?”
Irene handed her the design she had picked out.
“Where do you want it?”
“On my back, approximately where my heart is. Is that a problem?”
“Nope. Let me make a stencil real quick, and we’ll be ready to go. Is it okay if we do it in here with all the light? I’ll need a towel and some paper towels. You’ll probably want a couple of pillows.” Anita quickly created the stencil as Irene gathered the requested supplies.
The tattoo artist had just started on the outline when Kevin walked in the door. Irene smiled at him as she laid on the floor.
“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it.”
He dropped onto the floor beside her, reaching out to hold her hand. He finally stretched out, looking into her face as the tiny needles inserted the ink under her skin.
“You okay, babe?” He brushed his fingers across her forehead.
Opening her eyes, she smiled. “Yeah. It’s an interesting sensation, that’s for sure.”
“You’ve got a lot of color, which tends to hurt most people. I’m almost done.” Anita sprayed some alcohol onto the design and wiped away the blood, returning to her task.
Within thirty minutes, she was smoothing anti-bacterial ointment over the design and taping the plastic wrap over it. “Make sure you apply the ointment for two days, then lotion for about a week. Keep it away from a lot of water and don’t scratch or I’ll have to reapply the color because it will peel off with the scab.”
Anita smiled at the couple as she packed up her supplies. Irene pulled on her t-shirt and stood, handing the money to the young woman.
“When you’re ready for another one, give me a call.” She walked out the door with a smile.
“Another one? She’s gotta be kidding me.” Irene moved her torso a bit, feeling the twinge in her skin.
“I dunno. Look at AJ. The man keeps going back for more.” Kevin smiled at her.
“I’m not AJ, thank you very much, so don’t expect any more tattoos or piercings.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they swayed together.
“Thank God.” Kevin chuckled as he kissed her temple.
***Backstreet Boys***
Meredith and her team strolled down the hallway of The Firm’s offices in Orlando where they were scheduled for a meeting to go over more tour details. Hearing a familiar voice, she slowed down and held up her fist to stop the group.
‘N Sync walked out of the conference room in front of them, smiling at the gentleman with them. “We’ll give you a call, Mr. Smith.”
Justin looked up and smiled. “Hey, Meredith.”
Winston Smith turned around, his back straightening as he saw the group in front of him. JC looked from Winston to Meredith, wondering what was wrong.
She nodded to the group, a smile on her face, before she turned her gaze back to Winston. Lance shivered at the fury in her eyes.
“Justin, JC, Lance, Chris, Joey. How are y’all?”
“We’re good. Just interviewing for a security manager for the tour.”
Ramos started laughing, while Leary, Sully, and Marcus shook their heads. Lumien had only heard stories about the man, but she bristled as she stared him down.
“You guys must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if you’re interviewing him.” The ex Seal continued to laugh.
“Is there something we should know about?” JC looked at Meredith.
“How about two fans jumping on Kevin and bruising him.” Ramos started the list.
“Or the fan getting to AJ and scratching him while ripping off his glasses.” Marcus added another comment.
“Or fans getting through the barricade and nearly stampeding Nick.” Leary’s face hardened at the memory.
“Oh, and let’s not forget Collins’ broken ribs and Howie’s concussion when you abandoned them.” Meredith stepped forward and Winston took a step back.
“Thanks, Meredith, for letting us know.” Chris looked at the man who had appeared so fit for the job just a few moments ago.
Winston, seeing his chance disappear, turned back to Meredith with a sneer. “Is there anyone you aren’t fucking?”
Arching an eyebrow, Meredith smiled. “You.”
He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. “You’re gonna pay for this.”
She laughed. “Maybe I’ll just let Nick finish the job next time.”
Winston’s hand automatically went to his throat, and he fled down the hall.
JC turned back to the group in front of him after he watched the man run. “Thanks again. We were seriously considering him.”
Meredith smiled again, but her face was open and cheerful this time. “My pleasure. After all the shit he pulled with me, I intend to do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
Looking down at her watch, she sighed. “We’ve got a meeting to attend. You guys be careful, okay? Drop me an e-mail or a phone call to let me know you’re okay.”
As the band passed her, they leaned in to hug her or kiss her cheek. The team continued towards the conference room, and Marcus chuckled.
Turning to her right, she looked up at the big man. “What’s so funny?”
“Fraternizing with the enemy.” He grinned as he opened the door for everyone.
“You should have seen them at my house with the boys.” Meredith grinned back as they filed into the room and sat down at the conference table.
After three hours, the team practically stumbled out of the building, holding up their hands to cover their eyes from the sun.
“Do they even have a fucking clue?” Leary slipped his sunglasses on and ran a hand over his hair.
“Not sure, but I’m not relying on them for anything more a foot in the door and paychecks.” Meredith pushed her sunglass onto her nose and looked at the five people standing in front of her. “Can I buy you guys lunch?”
“Oh, yeah. Steak. Big, *big* steak.” Lumien rubbed her hands together.
Meredith, Lumien, and Marcus climbed into her Land Cruiser, while Leary, Ramos, and Sully climbed into Leary’s old truck. He followed her to a nice little restaurant not far from the management office. The six of them walked inside, and the maitre d’ rushed over to greet them.
“Ms. Davenport, it’s so nice to see you again. Will Mr. McLean be joining you this afternoon?” The little man looked nervously at the four large men standing behind her.
“Not today, Thomas, just a table for six, please.”
“Oooh, I’m impressed.” Ramos danced out of range of Meredith’s hand as they were led to a table.
“Ramos, if you’re not careful, I’m going to stick you with clean-up detail.” Meredith smiled at his frown.
The group sat down and looked through the menu, giving their orders. The non-drivers ordered drinks, while Meredith and Leary stuck to tea and soda. He grumbled until Ramos promised to drive next time.
They were eating their salads when two young women approached them. Marcus looked up and immediately catalogued them as fans.
“Excuse me.” One girl reached out to tap Meredith’s shoulder.
She turned around and smiled. “Yes?”
“Are you Meredith?”
Meredith raised her eyebrows. “How did you know my name?”
“Oh, cool! My name’s Tricia, and this is my friend, Renee. We saw you on a web site with AJ. Are you really his girlfriend? I wasn’t sure it was you until I saw Marcus, too.” Tricia waved at him, and he waved back.
Closing her eyes for a minute, she took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m really his girlfriend. What can I do for you, ladies?”
“Can we have your autograph?” Tricia held out a piece of paper and a pen while Renee did the same.
Meredith laughed. “Sure. How do you spell your names? I wouldn’t want to mess them up.”
The girls spelled their names and squealed with excitement when they saw the detailed messages. Impulsively, both girls wrapped their arms around Meredith and hugged her before dashing back to their table.
After she caught her breath and straightened her shirt, Meredith turned to find the rest of the table staring everywhere but at her.
“Not one word.” She looked at them in warning.
The table erupted in laughter, which didn’t stop until the waitress appeared with their meals. After the delicious steak dinner and an assortment of desserts, the group left and headed in separate directions. Meredith dropped Marcus and Lumien off at their apartments and continued home. Pulling into the driveway, she caught sight of the group of fans a little farther down the block. Shaking her head at the perseverance of some of the girls, she grabbed her purse and headed into the house.
“Mine?”
“In here, love.”
Meredith followed his voice into the Sinatra room. He was playing pool with Howie, the dogs quietly lounging in the corner.
“How was your meeting?” He reached out and pulled her to him for a kiss while Howie took his shot.
“Long and interminable, but I had an interesting experience at lunch.” She sat down in a chair in the corner, and the dogs immediately moved over to be petted.
“What happened?” AJ lined up his shot and sank a stripe.
“I was asked for an autograph, then was soundly hugged by two of your fans.”
“Better than being cursed and slapped, I suppose.” He looked at her after he missed his next shot.
“True. Just found it interesting. I imagine it will be all over the lists by tonight, and Irene will keep me up to date.” She continued to pet the dogs.
“And I saw Winston today.”
Howie messed up his shot, and scratched. Meredith winced.
“Sorry, D.”
“Did you kick his ass again?” AJ looked at her, as both men turned to face her.
“Not, physically, no; but I think I managed to ruin his chance at the job he was interviewing for.
“Which was?” Howie leaned on his pool cure.
“’N Sync security.” She smiled at them.
AJ shook his head. “What moron suggested him for the job is what I’d like to know.”
Meredith shrugged. “I’ll definitely be giving anyone who calls for a reference my honest opinion of his abilities, that’s for sure. He’s not going to hurt anyone else if I can help it.”
Leaning down to kiss her, AJ brushed her cheek with this thumb. “Always trying to save the world.”
“What can I say?” She smiled.
“Love you, love.”
“Love you, too, mine.”
***Backstreet Boys***
Brian picked up the advance copies of the CD he requested and carefully sealed them in envelopes, dropping them off at the post office. He wrote a note in Frieda’s to let her know he would have front-row tickets and passes waiting for her when they got to Phoenix, for both concerts if she wanted.
Heading for Serenity’s, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and sang along with the radio. Pulling into the parking lot of her apartment building, he grabbed the peach rose he had picked up and the new CD.
Opening the door with his key, he looked around the quiet apartment before making his way to the bedroom. Seeing her stretched out on the bed, her body glowing in the sunlight streaming through the windows, made his cock ache. Sticking the rose between his teeth, he unbuttoned his shirt and left it laying on the floor, adding his jeans, socks, and shoes to the mix. Settling gently on the mattress, he stroked the petals down the length of her spine.
“Mmmm.” The moan escaped her lips on a sigh, and he began to kiss her shoulders.
“Hey, baby.” He whispered the words against her skin.
Serenity rolled over and opened her eyes, reaching out to wrap her hand around his neck and pull him close.
“I love it when you wake me up like this.” She spoke against his lips, the words tickling him and making him smile.
“Me, too.” He agreed before he covered her mouth with a kiss that made her brain short circuit and her body throb with pleasure.
***Backstreet Boys***
They waited until the producer nodded that they were off the air before taking off their headphones. Nick ran his fingers through his hair to loosen it up from the headset, and he left it looking like he had stuck his finger in a socket. Brian looked at him and shook his head, just chuckling at the sight. The DJ extended out his hand, thankful the interview was over. Dave Parker was a sophomore at UCF, and he had been very surprised to show up for work this morning at the college radio station and discover he would be interviewing two of the Backstreet Boys.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate this.” He managed not to stutter his words since they were actually finished.
“No problem. You did fine.” Brian shook the young man’s hand, acknowledging the terror he had recognized when they got there that morning.
“I don’t usually do this shift, got called in because Sheena was sick, so I didn’t have time to really prepare anything.”
“It was cool.” Nick shook the other man’s hand as well.
“Hey, maybe we can do this again after the tour.” Now that he had conquered his first celebrity interview, Dave was ready to take on the world.
Brian tried to hide his amusement. “We’ll see what we can do.”
The two men waved goodbye to the producer and headed out of the radio station. Sully and Leary were waiting outside the studio and escorted their charges out of the building. Nick was so involved in his description of his latest video game he missed the young woman in front of him and plowed into her.
Books went flying, as did both people. He looked at her in shock then scrambled quickly to his feet to help her off the ground.
“I’m so sorry.” He started gathering books, trying to ignore the laughter from Brian, Sully, and Leary.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure nothing’s permanently damaged.” The soft drawl held amusement as long fingers extended towards the man still on the ground.
He looked at the hand, admiring the length and shape, then looked up at her. She smiled at him before gesturing at her books.
“I’ll need those back now.”
“Oh, yeah.” Nick stood up, looking down at the book he held. Confusion spread across his face as he registered the title.
“Euclidian and Non-Euclidian Geometry?”
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” She didn’t speak loudly, but every word was crystal clear, as if all other sound had faded from existence.
“Uh, yeah, I guess.” Regretfully, he handed the book over to her then held out his hand.
“Sorry about running into you earlier. I’m Nick Carter.”
She grasped his hand, squeezing gently. “Allyson Devereaux. It’s a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” He continued to hold onto her hand, until the three men behind him started clearing their throats.
“Nick, man, we gotta go.” Brian came up beside his friend, knowing exactly what had the young man captivated.
“Uh, yeah. Um, Brian, this is Allyson Devereaux. Allyson, may I call you Allyson?”
She nodded, and he continued his introduction. “This is Brian Littrell.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Brian.”
The two shook hands before Sully and Leary joined them. Leary put his hand on Nick’s back. “Nick, we’ve really got to go.”
“Yeah, yeah, be right there.” He motioned for them to go on before he turned back to Allyson.
His shyness flaring, he looked down for a moment.
“Try not to run into anyone else, okay?” She smiled at him as he looked up, noting the pink cheeks as he blushed.
“This is going to sound really forward, and I’ll understand perfectly if you don’t want to, but can I call you sometime? I mean, we don’t have to do anything, but I’d really, *really* like to see you again.” The words tumbled over each other as he tried to get everything out with stuttering or looking any more like a fool.
Tilting her head, studying him for a moment, she smiled again and pulled a card out of her backpack, scribbling a number on it. “I’d like that. Here’s my number. Maybe we can have lunch or something.”
He took the card, holding it carefully as he studied the number. He looked at her, a drop-dead sexy grin spreading across his face.
“Count on it.”
“Goodbye, Nick.” Stepping to the side, she continued down the sidewalk.
“Bye, Allyson.” Nick watched her walk away, then practically skipped to the car.
“Oh, boy, you’ve got it bad.” Brian laughed as his friend joined him in the backseat.
Nick was oblivious, his eyes still following Allyson as she walked across the commons. He watched her until the car turned down another street and he couldn’t see her anymore. Leaning back, he sighed and stared at the card she had given him. %Lunch is only the beginning.%
***Backstreet Boys***
The next day, Nick dialed the number on the card and waited for her to pick up. When it rang to voice mail, he punched a 0 so that he could actually talk to a person.
“University of Central Florida. How may I help you?” The woman was quite pleasant.
“I’m trying to find Allyson Devereaux.”
“Doctor Devereaux has a class. May I take a message?”
Nick froze. “Uh, no, I’ll call back. Thanks.”
%Doctor? She’s a doctor?%
He hung up the phone with a shaky hand, laying the card on the table. He thought she was a student. Hell, she looked like one. His teachers had never looked like that. He couldn’t call her. She probably thought he was some stupid kid who always tripped over his two big feet. He was tempted to tear up the card, but dropped it into the drawer of the phone table and firmly closed it.
Later that afternoon, he was sitting in a meeting about the upcoming tour and gazing into space. Brian nudged him and smiled.
“Talk to Allyson yet?” He could barely keep the laughter out of his voice.
“No.” The answer was terse, and Brian knew something was wrong.
“What happened?”
Nick sighed, knowing his friend wouldn’t leave him alone until he heard the whole story. “I called her number and it rang to voice mail, so I zeroed out to the operator. When I asked for Allyson, the woman said Doctor Devereaux was in class.”
“Doctor Devereaux?” Brian’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure they got the right Allyson Devereaux?”
“How many Allyson Devereauxs do you think there are at UCF?” The more he thought about it, the madder he got.
Meredith looked over at the two men as Nick’s voice rose above the clamor of the multiple conversations filling the room. Standing, she moved to them.
“Problem, gentlemen?”
“No.”
She could tell by the way he bit out the word that Nick was very upset. She looked at Brian, who shrugged and leaned away. Bending down, she whispered in Nick’s ear.
“Let’s take a break, shall we?”
He knew better than to argue with her, getting to his feet and following her out the door.
Kevin looked up as they left. “Trouble?”
Brian shrugged. “Girl problems.”
Kevin nodded with a knowing smile, then turned back to his review of the tour schedule.
Meredith pushed Nick into another office and closed the door. “Now, what’s the problem?”
“What makes you think I’ve got a problem?” He refused to sit down, choosing instead to pace around the office.
“The way you’re moving around tells me a lot.” She leaned against the wall and waited until he finally settled next to her.
“I met this girl.”
She waited for the rest of the story.
“Her name is Allyson Devereaux, and I sort of ran into her at UCF when we were there for the interview.”
She nodded slowly.
“She gave me number and said that we might could do lunch. Well, I called her and got her voice mail.”
“She said no?”
“Zeroed out to the operator, and the woman tells me that Doctor Devereaux is in class.”
Meredith looked at the young man. “And this is a problem, how?”
He threw up his hands and looked at her. “Hello? She’s a doctor.”
“So? She did say she’d like to have lunch.”
“But she’s a doctor.”
“Does that mean she doesn’t eat?” Meredith was beginning to get exasperated with her young friend.
“Why would she want to go out with me?”
The light bulb clicked on over Meredith’s head, and she stared at Nick. “So that’s what this is about. She’s a doctor, apparently pretty young to have reached that position, and you’re wondering what she would see in some pretty blond pop star?”
When Meredith put it into words, he slid down the wall, staring morosely out the window. He felt her settle next to him, her hand resting on his arm. “If she’s doctor, she’s pretty smart, right?”
He nodded.
“Then she probably knows what she wants and isn’t likely to waste her time or someone else’s, right?”
He nodded again, feeling worse.
Meredith sighed. “Did she say she wanted to go out with you?”
Nick nodded once again, still not speaking.
“Did she give you her phone number?”
“Yeah.”
Smacking him lightly on the forehead, she shook her head. “Then call her. If she didn’t want you to call, she would have made an excuse. I’m sure she could have figured one out since she’s a doctor and all.”
He didn’t feel much better, and Meredith could see the fear in his eyes. “You are not a stupid man, Nick. And you don’t need to try and prove anything. She saw something in you she liked, which is why she said yes. So she’s got a doctorate and you don’t. I’m sure you could kick her butt at video games.”
He smiled reluctantly.
“And I’m sure she’d be impressed at how well you’ve done with your life, and everything you’ve gone through to get where you are today. You are a gentle, kind-hearted, loving, handsome young man who has a lot to offer. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to meet someone who could change your life.”
He sighed, closing his eyes as he thought about what she said. There were still days when the old insecurities came roaring in, leaving his confidence decimated and him wondering if he would ever be able to do anything on his own. A gentle kiss on his forehead brought him out of his thoughts.
“thanks, mom.” The words were soft, but she heard them clearly.
“Anytime, Munchkin. Now, let’s get back to the meeting.” She stood and held out her hand to help him up off the ground.
When he stood, he pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss on her hair. They walked back into the meeting, and Nick sat down beside Brian while Meredith returned to her seat beside AJ. He leaned over to her.
“He okay?”
“Minor crisis of faith. He’ll be fine.”
AJ pressed a kiss against her mouth before turning back to his phone conversation with Fatima. Meredith looked over at Nick, nodding at him when he looked at her and holding her hand to her ear like a phone. He nodded back.
Table of Contents
Chapter Twenty-Five