Walking back into his room, he opened the bag and pulled out a box of Triscuits. He reached in again and pulled out the Cheez Whiz, noticing that it was cheddar cheese-flavored. Chuckling softly, he put the items on his dresser and just stared at them. As he folded the bag, he noticed the writing on it.
“Lunch?” was scrawled across the brown paper. Smiling, he grabbed the pad of paper and the pen laying on the nightstand.
“I’ll bring the cheese and crackers.” was quickly written, and he signed it with an H and a smiley face. After putting the food back in the bag, he folded it closed and set it on his dresser. He walked down the hall and slid the note under Lumien’s door before heading for the main room of the suite. It was still kind of early, an unusual occurrence for him, and he ordered some coffee before pulling back the curtains covering the window.
People slowly began to trickle into the room as they gathered together. The group ate breakfast before getting ready to head over to Fatima’s. Howie smiled at Lumien.
“I need to stop by my room before we head out.”
The two of them walked to his door, and he slipped into the room for a minute. Grabbing the brown paper bag, he stuffed it into his bag and walked back out to join her. They quickly caught up with the rest of the group and headed out to begin another day of rehearsals.
At lunch, people splintered off into little groups to eat. Howie grabbed Lumien’s hand, rushing over to the catering table to grab a couple of apples, some salad, and bottles of water. They walked over to a corner and sat down on a couple of mats. He opened up his bag and pulled out the Cheez Whiz and Triscuits she had placed in front of his door that morning. Laughing, she took the box of crackers and opened them, pouring some out on a napkin. They arranged their lunch and started eating.
Kevin grabbed his lunch and stretched out on the floor next to Nick. He looked around and noticed the missing people.
“Where’s Howie?”
Brian nodded with his head, and Kevin followed the motion to see the couple sitting in the corner. “Oh my God, he’s eating Cheez Whiz!”
Several heads turned to look, and Meredith looked back at Kevin. “So?”
“We practically lived on that stuff in Europe when we were first starting out. He swore he would never eat it again after we started getting successful.”
She chuckled, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. “Love makes you do things you never thought you’d do.”
AJ turned back to his lunch. “It’s about time.”
The others nodded, leaving the couple alone to finish their meal.
***Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys**
Meredith and AJ strolled down Rodeo Drive, stopping every so often to peer into windows.
As they continued to walk, AJ started to chuckle. “You know what’s great about being here?”
“What?”
“There are so many other celebrities around, you just sort of blend in.” He grinned at her, swinging their clasped hands between them.
They walked into a small café and sat down to order some lunch. As they sat there and talked, a shadow suddenly loomed over the table.
“Meredith?”
She looked up and nodded with a soft smile. “JC. How are you?”
The couple cleared off a chair so he could sit down for a minute. “I’m okay. What are you two doing here?”
AJ chuckled. “Tour rehearsals.”
JC cringed in sympathy. Meredith looked around.
”Where’s Corinne?”
JC made another face. “That was a mistake—one I’m not proud to say I made.”
“But have you learned from it, that’s the question.” She looked at him.
“That whole time is one unbelievable mess I’d just as soon forget.” He sighed, rubbing the tablecloth with his fingers.
“So what’s really on your mind?” Meredith sipped her coffee and stared at the other man.
“I miss them. Ever since we went off on this ‘vacation’, I’ve felt like I’m missing a part of me. Chris and Joey have started to see the light where that group’s concerned. I wish I’d listened to Lance and Justin more.” He stared off, looking through the window of the restaurant, but not really seeing anything.
“I’m sorry, JC. I know Justin and Lance have been feeling lost, too.”
At her words, he looked at her quickly. “You know where they are?”
Meredith raised an eyebrow. “They haven’t told you?”
“No, they barely return my calls, and only if it’s related to group business. Please, Meredith, I need to see them.”
“JC, I promised I wouldn’t disclose their location.”
At his dejected look, she reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “I will call them and tell them to call you, though.”
Sighing, he accepted her offer. “Thanks. Tell them…” He hesitated for a moment. “Never mind, I’ll tell them when I talk to them.”
Standing, he leaned down and kissed Meredith’s cheek before shaking AJ’s hand. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” “Bye.”
The couple watched him leave, noting the slump in his shoulders as he walked out of the café.
“They need to get their shit together before they lose it.” AJ sighed as he reached out to hold Meredith’s hand.
“Yeah. They do.” She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and flipped it open.
Dialing a number, she waited for an answer.
[Hello?]
“Hi, Lance. How are you?”
[Good. We have snow.]
She chuckled at the excitement in his voice. “Sounds beautiful. I guess this means you two are enjoying yourselves.”
[Oh, yeah. We’re going home for Christmas, but we’ll be back.]
“Good, I’m glad. Um, Lance, I just saw JC.”
Silence greeted her for several seconds. “Lance?”
[Yeah. How is he?]
“Sad. Lost. Alone.”
[And the others?]
“He said they were beginning to see the light, and that he wished he’d listened to you two.”
[Would’ve been nice, and maybe saved us some heartache. Then again, being apart has given us time to realize what we have.]
“I think he really wants to talk to you. He asked where you were.” She looked over at AJ as she spoke, reaching out to brush her fingers across his lips.
He kissed them gently and smiled at her as she continued to relay the news.
[I’ll talk to Justin when he gets back. I’ve got some cookies in the oven. I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Merry.]
“Bye, Lance. Say hello to Justin for me.”
[Will do.] He clicked off the phone and ended the conversation.
Meredith folded up her phone and slid it back into her purse. Their lunch arrived, and she picked up her fork to stir the pasta around.
“What’s the verdict?” AJ watched her as she mixed the pasta and Alfredo sauce.
“I’ve passed on the message. What they do with it is up to them.” She looked at him and shrugged
“True.” He smiled at her and started to eat.
***Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys**
Nick answered his cell phone when he realized it was his. “Hello?”
[Nick, it’s Jack.]
“What’s wrong?” There was an edge to his voice.
Brian looked up, catching the grimace that crossed his friend’s face.
[She stopped making the mortgage payments. The bank called me since your name’s on the ownership papers, too.]
He sat down on the sofa and rubbed his forehead.
[Nick?] Jack was a little worried. He hated what Jane was doing to the young man. For years, he had watched him try to take care of his family, giving in to his mother’s increasing demands. He was glad to see the new contract with Jive and The Firm had gotten the young man out of that situation for the most part, even though the woman still managed to suck money from her oldest child.
“Pay it.”
[You sure?]
“If I don’t, the kids will end up with no place to go. Just pay it. How are the accounts holding up?”
[They’re okay. Aaron’s had the most activity, but nothing drastic.]
“Thanks, Jack. Call me if anything else comes up.”
“Everything okay, Frack?” Brian looked over at the young man sitting at the other end of the sofa.
“What?” Nick looked up.
“You look like you want to hit something.” The older man turned his full attention to his friend.
“Mom stopped paying the mortgage. Guess she knew I’d pay it to keep the kids from getting hurt.”
“I’m really sorry things have worked out like this.”
“Thanks, Bri. You guys sticking with me has been a lot of help.” Nick smiled at his best friend.
“We haven’t done much, Nick.” Brian took a sip of soda.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I knew that if I needed anything I could come to you. Having that as a backup has been a real comfort.” He leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.
They sat there for a few more minutes, trying to relax before they had to return to the studio.
***Backstreet Boys***Backstreet Boys***Backstreet Boys****Backstreet Boys****
Nick walked into the main room of their suite, a decidedly wicked smile on his face.
“What are you up to, Frack?” Brian looked up from his book, worry filling him at the expression on his friend’s face.
“Anyone want to go to a concert tonight?” He straddled a chair, resting his arms on the back of it.
“Who’s playing?” Howie munched on an apple slice as Lumien sat beside him reading the paper.
Meredith walked into the room, reading a schedule. She maneuvered around everyone, never taking her eyes off the page, then sat down at the table next to AJ, who was writing in his notebook.
“Oh, an up and coming artist. I think it’ll be a very exciting show.” Nick chuckled, a bitter edge to his voice.
Kevin’s head popped up at the tone, pulling his attention away from his laptop. “What’s going on, Nick?”
“I have tickets to see Aaron Carter tonight. Not to mention backstage passes.” He rested his head on his hand as he waited for the arguments to start.
There was silence in the room as the guys looked at each other and tried to figure out what to say. Meredith kept writing in her planner as she spoke.
“I’m in.”
She looked up to find six pairs of eyes on her. “What?”
“You want him to go to this concert, knowing Jane will be there.” Brian looked at her as if she were insane.
“It’s been a long time since Nick has talked to Aaron. I’m sure Jane will be fully aware of the implications of lashing out in public. Now, if they get off alone somewhere, I won’t swear that the room will still be standing, but if he wants to see his brother, I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
Meredith turned to look at Nick. “Any of the other kids going to be there?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I hope so. I miss them.”
“I’d like to see the kid. Count me in.” AJ looked up and smiled.
“I’ll be there.” “Me, too.” “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Lumien looked at Meredith. “Guess we’re all going tonight. Leary’s out, though.”
“I’ll cover Nick.” The older woman nodded at her friend before she returned to jotting down notes about upcoming events she needed to coordinate.
****Backstreet Boys***Backstreet Boys***Backstreet Boys***Backstreet Boys****
That night, Meredith pulled on a pair of snug black pants and a cropped sea green t-shirt. Sitting on the bed, she pulled on socks and laced up her boots. She stretched then threw some punches and kicks to make sure she could move in the clothing. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her outfit and grinned. The shirt revealed glimpses of her tattoo, but covered almost all of the scars on her back. The scars that did show were not as prominent, and she figured it would be too dark for anyone to notice.
She got a perverse sense of pleasure dressing like this to meet Nick’s mother. AJ slipped up behind her and slid his hands along the waistband of her pants, gently rubbing her tat.
“You look incredibly sexy.” He licked her ear as he looked at their reflection.
“Thank you, mine. That’s the look I was going for.” She leaned back into him as they swayed together.
“Going for the big guns, I see.”
Meredith just winked at him. They stood, wrapped around each other for a few more minutes before they were interrupted.
“Yeah?” AJ kissed her again before he went to answer the door.
Nick stood on the other side, holding up two shirts. “Which one?”
AJ was tempted to harass his friend until he saw the fear in the young man’s eyes. Looking at the shirts, he pointed to the plain white t-shirt. “Go with the white.”
“You sure?” He chewed on his bottom lip, wanting to look really good.
“Trust me.”
Nick smiled. “Thanks, Bone.”
“No problem, Nicky.” He grinned at his friend.
“Don’t call me Nicky.” They both said it at the same time, erupting in laughter.
“Oooh, stereo.” Meredith walked up behind him, resting her hand on AJ’s butt so she could caress it.
Nick’s eyes widened as he looked at her, then he whistled. “You look great, Mom.”
“Thanks, Munchkin. Is everyone else ready?”
“I think they’re in the living room. I’ll be there in a few.” He turned and walked down to his room.
“Take your time. We’re not in any rush.” She closed the door to the hallway and leaned against it to watch AJ finish getting ready.
He pulled on a red button-down over the black wifebeater he wore. Black leather pants and black cowboy boots completed the picture. Walking over to him, she ran her hands through the dark curls on his head, enjoying the feel of the longer hair.
“I like your hair like this.”
“And I like your hair like that.” He tangled his fingers in the long curls, pulling her close to caress her lips with plundering kiss.
“Mmm.” She slipped her hands down his back to cup his ass and pull him close.
AJ rocked his hips against hers as they kissed, their tongues playing as they enjoyed each other’s touch. Another knock interrupted them, and AJ broke the kiss to press his forehead against hers.
“We’ll be there in a minute.”
Stepping away from each other, they both took a breath. AJ smiled. “Later?”
“Oh, definitely.” Meredith smiled.
He took her hand, entwining their fingers as they walked into the living room.
Black seemed to be a common theme. Everyone was wearing black pants, ranging from denim or leather. Howie wore a dark brown silk shirt tucked into jeans. Kevin wore a black t-shirt tucked into leather pants. Brian was wearing a blue t-shirt tucked into black jeans, a darker blue button-down shirt covering it. Ramos, Marcus, and Sully were wearing all black, creating an imposing sight as they leaned against the wall. Lumien was wearing black pants like Meredith, with a lavender t-shirt that hugged her body.
The door opened, and they turned to watch Nick enter the room. He was wearing the white t-shirt tucked into black leather pants and black cowboy boots. A long, black duster swirled around his ankles as he strode into the room.
“Everyone ready?”
They all nodded, and Meredith herded them toward the van waiting downstairs in the parking garage. She had called ahead and arranged for them to enter through the back entrance of the concert hall. She handed out the passes Nick had gotten, making sure they were all visible. When the van stopped, the security team stepped out first and made sure the guys got inside the building safely. Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of teenage girls hanging around the back of the building. Most people didn’t expect Nick or any other Backstreet Boys to show up after the rumors that had been circulating about the Carter family problems.
Once inside, they were ushered to their seats. They had timed it so that they got there a little before the show began, not wanting any scenes to upset Aaron before he performed. The show began, and they sat back to enjoy it.
It took a couple of songs before Aaron realized they were there. His eyes lit up as he saw Nick, leaning down to slap Nick’s hand. He slapped the other guys’ hands, too, then waved at Meredith. She smiled at him, waving back. From her seat, she caught a glimpse backstage and saw the absolute fury on Jane’s face when she recognized her oldest son in the audience.
Oh, this is going to be fun. I hope they don’t level the building. Turning back to Aaron, she laughed at his antics as he entertained the crowd.
Toward the end of the show, he drank some water as he chatted with everyone. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there are some pretty famous people here.”
The five guys looked at each other then at the young man in front of them on stage. He grinned, almost the spitting image of Nick.
“Everyone, the Backstreet Boys.”
The crowd went wild. The guys had no choice but to go up on stage, not that they really minded. Aaron’s band was familiar with some of their older songs, so they performed Everybody and Get Down, much to the crowd’s enjoyment.
The security team moved into the gutter to help out Aaron’s team, afraid that the six performers on stage would drive the audience into a frenzy. When the guys finished, they left the stage on the opposite side of Jane. The group hung around the dressing room, waiting for Aaron to finish his show. They were all talking when a blond blur came flying at them.
“Nick!”
The older Carter barely had time to brace himself before Aaron leaped at him, wrapping arms and legs around his brother. Nick closed his eyes as he hugged his little brother, and Meredith smiled as she watched the joyful reunion. After several minutes, Aaron made his way around the group to hug everyone. He stopped in front of Meredith, smiling up at her. She pulled him into a hug, and he laughed as he hugged her back. They all chatted and laughed.
The smiles disappeared as a strident voice washed over them. “What are you doing here?”
Jane Carter stood on the edge of the group, anger in her eyes. Her face was pinched with fury, and Meredith thought she looked like she had been sucking a whole orchard of lemons.
“We just came to see Aaron.” Nick smiled down at his little brother, ruffling the young man’s hair.
Aaron responded by wrapping his arm around his brother’s waist and grinning up at him. Those two simple actions served to infuriate Jane even more.
“I think it’s time to go, Aaron.”
“But, Mom...”
“Now!”
Nick looked at his mother, his blue eyes paling as he became more angry. Meredith stepped up beside him, laying her hand on his back. Jane shifted her attention to the younger woman.
“And who is this, Nick? Your latest toy?”
Meredith raised an eyebrow at the woman, grabbing Nick’s coat as he moved forward. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself.
“This is Meredith. Meredith Davenport, Jane Carter.” He looked between the two women.
Meredith held out her hand to Jane, her voice pleasant. “How do you do, Mrs. Carter?”
Jane ignored the proffered hand, looking the other woman over. “So this is the woman who’s taken my place. How much is he paying you?”
The others froze in shock, almost afraid of an explosion. To their surprise, Meredith just laughed.
“Paying me? You’ve got to be kidding.”
Jane curled her lip. “Why else would you be with him if not for money or a piece of the fame?”
Meredith felt Nick’s body shudder under her hand, and she automatically rubbed his back. “Because I want to be with him, to hear him laugh and watch him grow and see him become the best man he can be. Isn’t that what every mother wants for her child?”
She twisted the knife a bit, feeling a sense of vindication at the look on Jane’s face. The woman just stared at her. Nick recovered first, leaning down and whispering into Meredith’s ear.
“thanks, mom.”
Meredith smiled at him, kissing his cheek before she looked back at the two Carters standing in front of her.
“I think it’s about time to go. Aaron, you take care of yourself.” She ran a hand over Aaron’s head before patting his cheek.
Jane pulled him away despite his protests, looking at Meredith with daggers in her eyes.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Carter.”
The others moved away, surrounded by their bodyguards. Nick stood looking at his mother and little brother. Aaron pulled away and ran to Nick, hugging him tightly.
Nick leaned down and spoke quietly. “You’ve got the new card, right?”
Aaron nodded, his eyes filling with tears. “Yeah, and the girls got theirs.”
The tears spilled over, and Nick wiped them away. “You call me anytime you need me, little man. You need anything, you call.”
The boy nodded, and the man pressed a kiss against the blond head as he hugged him. Meredith stood off to the side as she waited for Nick.
He looked at his mother, watched as she turned away from him. One last hug with Aaron, and then Nick walked away.
Table of Contents
Chapter Thirty-Two