Howie Dorough, laden with two suitcases, unlocked the front door to his girlfriend’s condominium in the eastern suburbs of Orlando. Anne wouldn’t be home for two hours. Her job as sports publicity director at the local university required her to be in attendance at a men’s basketball game that evening. He wasn’t scheduled to be home until the following night anyway, but the Backstreet Boys, the singing group of which he was a member, had been able to come home earlier than expected.
Howie had told no one of his early homecoming. He had planned a couple of surprises for Anne and wanted to spend the extra 24 hours with her. Now he had just a short time to execute the carefully thought out plans he’d spent three months mulling over.
* ~ * ~ * ~*
Anne arrived home at 10 p.m. somewhat exhausted by the stress of a long day at work. Still she was awake enough to notice the smell of paella coming from the kitchen as well as the purple and blue roses that were arranged in a crystal vase sitting atop her dining room table.
Anne smiled as she dropped her briefcase by the table in the foyer. “Howie,” she whispered lovingly before yelling, “Okay, Dorough, this the police come out with your hands up!”
Howie emerged from the kitchen wearing a pale purple satin robe and matching boxers. “Don’t shoot. Okay, coppers, you got me.” As he held his hands in the air in mock surrender, Anne could see the wide smile and the twinkle in his soft brown eyes.
As he lowered his arms, she walked into his embrace. She looked so much like an angel – if an angel wore a black sleeveless tailored pant suit. Her light auburn curls remained in place even after a 14-hour work day. Through her wire-rimmed glasses, he could read both the exhaustion and elation in her blue-green eyes.
He held her close inhaling the scent that even three months of touring couldn’t erase from his memory. Howie sighed. “I missed you so much, Annie.”
“I missed you too, Howie,” her voice cracked with emotion. “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you out there this time. My job just takes so much of my time.”
“Shh...no need for explanation, sweetie. I understand. I knew about it when we started dating. Both of our jobs demand a lot of attention and time. I’m just happy that we’re together now. No disturbances.” He kissed her forehead. “No one but the guys know I’m home. And they don’t know that I headed straight here from the airport. We have the entire night to share.
“Now go. Get changed into something comfortable and we’ll have a little dinner, okay?”
Annie went upstairs to her loft bedroom where she found a silk spaghetti-strapped nightgown and robe in pale green. She smiled. It was good to have her man back.
* ~ * ~ * ~*
When Anne descended the stairs a few minutes later, Howie couldn’t keep his eyes from staring at her figure. She looked exactly the way he had imagined she would when he had purchased the negligee. He approached her slowly. “You look beautiful,” his whisper was low and husky. Howie wrapped his arms around her torso from behind and guided her to a seat at the table.
“Thank you for the gift...and the compliment.” Annie blushed.
“You are SO worthy of both. Now enjoy.”
The coupled nibbled on Howie’s cooking while engaging in intimate conversation. Each filled in the gaps left by the three months they had spent apart. During that time, they had connected weekly and often daily via the internet or over the phone and via a scattering of postcards and letters. Still nothing could compare to face-to-face communication and interaction. With the demands of her job and the timing of the tour, that had regrettably not been possible as it had in the past.
Howie and Anne had known each other for a few years before losing touch in 1995 when the Backstreet Boys became successful in Europe. They connected again in 1997 – just prior to the group’s surge in popularity Stateside.
Howie had accepted an invitation to play basketball with some friends and gone down to the campus to meet them. He had become lost looking for the recreational courts and popped into an athletic department office to ask directions. Anne was there. She had helped him find his buddies and he had asked her to dinner to both thank her and to allow them to become acquainted again. A few months later, the relationship progressed and they began dating.
Prior to his leaving for the European leg of their latest promotional tour, the couple had finally consummated their year long relationship. It was Annie’s first sexual experience, and while Howie had been with a handful of other women in his 25 years, making love to Annie was the most pleasurable experience he could remember.
It was in contemplating that moment and the rest of their relationship over his three-month absence that Howie had made his decision. A decision that he was acting upon that very night.
Howie gazed at the woman next to him as she placed another bite of his paella in her mouth. It wasn’t long before she felt his loving stare and glanced up to meet his eyes. “What?” she asked quietly. He only smiled. “Oh, do I have rice in my teeth?”
Howie took her hand. “No, sweetie, I was just admiring the woman I love. I missed her so much. “He kissed her softly.
“I’m sure she missed you as much – if not more.” Her eyes, now more obvious with contacts and even greener from the reflection of the robe she wore, stared deep into his. “And she loves you with all her heart.”
Their lips met again with more passion than before. “If you are ready, I’d like to move to desert.”
She nodded silently. Howie pulled out her chair, reclaimed her hand
and led her upstairs.
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