| “I see I’m interrupting something.” The woman said as she slowly approached them. Colby eased away from Brian’s embrace. She stood taller than Colby with auburn hair. She was all legs and Colby guessed in her mid twenties. Her tight fitting sweater and short skirt left very little to the imagination and the seductive move of her hips as she walked towards them let Colby know that she was a woman on a mission. “Vanessa?” Brian said as he looked into her dancing eyes. “I thought you might need some company, Bri. But it looks like I’m too late. Although I must say your tastes are running a bit long in the tooth lately.” She smirked at Colby. “Brian,” Colby said quietly, “I’ll be in the lounge.” She turned towards the door to leave. “Please,” he implored. He felt like he was in a bad scene from soap opera. “Don’t leave.” His eyes pleaded with her. “No. You two need to talk. I’ll be there when you are finished.” Colby opened the door and turned to look at him. She sensed his discomfort but he had to do this on his own. He came to her and she kissed his cheek. “I love you,” he whispered. Colby closed her eyes at his words. “I know. Talk to her. We had a date, remember.” She winked as she kissed him quickly and shut the door. “So. How are you?” Vanessa said as she came closer and ran her hand along his cheek. She brushed her body against his. “You look like you could use some loving, Bri. Let me help. We used to have such a good time together. Remember?” As she brushed her lips along his, Brian grabbed her by the arms and pushed away. “What are you doing here, Vanessa?” She noticed a distinct irritation in his voice. “I told you. I thought you might like a little diversion.” She purred, turning her body so her breasts rubbed along his hand. Brian released her, stepping out of her way and into the room. He noticed that the table had been set with a bottle of champagne and some caviar. He hated that stuff and she knew it. How anyone could eat fish eggs was beyond him. “Well you thought wrong Vanessa. You need to leave. Now!” His eyes burned into her and she detected a hint of anger in his voice. “Oh now, now. Don’t get so huffy. You used to look forward to our little adventures, Bri.” She slipped out of her shoes and seductively moved towards him slowly unbuttoning her sweater. “Maybe in the beginning but it got a bit old after a while, my dear.” His tone was condescending and he backed away from her advances. Her fingers played with the button on her sweater as she thrust out her bottom lip in that pout Brian knew all too well. He had suffered through many of her tantrums in the course of their short and fiery relationship. “I’m not the same person I was then and there is someone else in my life now. Someone I’m deeply in love with.” “You can’t be serious, that woman?” She nodded her head towards the door. “Brian she’s old enough to be your…” He put his hand up cutting her off. “Don’t Vanessa, or you’ll be sorry. I suggest you leave before I do something I’ll regret.” “You really are serious, aren’t you? I don’t believe this. Brian she is so much older than you. What can she possibly have that I don’t?” He laughed at her remarks. “She loves me Vanessa. That is something you know nothing about.” She tried to argue but he didn’t give her a chance. “Oh you can use your body to make anyone believe you love them, but in all our months together you never once said you loved me or cared about me. It was always about you.” Brian went to the door and opened it. “Goodnight Vanessa. I hope you find what you are looking for because it’s not here.” She lowered her head as she slipped on her heels. Brian waited holding the door open. As she passed him she said, “If it doesn’t work out, give me a call.” She buzzed his cheek and entered the corridor waving her hand as she walked down the hall. Brian closed the door and let out a breath. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Colby sat on the sofa sipping a cappuccino. It was late but the lounge was a buzz with guests returning from the theater or a late dinner. These three days here made her realize how much she had missed the city. Growing up her parents had always made a point from the time she was eight years old to take her to dinner and a play every year for her birthday and at Christmas. She would always look forward to those trips. They would take the train in from Long Island to Grand Central Station. She loved the hustle and bustle of the crowds and the sheer excitement of being in the ‘city that never sleeps.’ They would walk Fifth Avenue and browse in all the shops and stay at a hotel. Of course their accommodations weren’t as grand as the Plaza or dinners as fine as this evening’s but it was always so special. Colby missed them. She was alone and had felt it more so this past year with everything that had happened. The Spencers were family, but it wasn’t the same. She was still the outsider and even though Catherine had filled the void of her mother’s absence it was still not the same. Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them back. She had weathered the biggest storm of her life this year and had come through it, a bit battered, but nevertheless in one piece. There were just times she wished she could talk to her parents. They would have been able to give her the counsel she needed. She wondered what they would think about her being here with Brian. Would they have approved? There were times even Colby still had reservations about her decision. She wondered where all this would lead. Colby still felt the difference in their ages was a big factor that neither one of them had really addressed. She wasn’t kidding herself about a future with him. She loved him and for now she would see how long the ride lasted. She never thought about tomorrow when it came to Brian. There was only today because if she did then all her shortcomings came flooding back. She had tried talking to him but Brian wouldn’t listen. He loved her he told her and the rest would take care of itself. He seemed so sure, so confident but Colby knew otherwise. She was at the brink of entering the autumn years of her life. Just seeing that woman in Brian’s room made her realize how tenuous their relationship could be. Brian wanted what she had shared with Rob and he had every right to want it. All those years with Rob were the happiest of her life. Could she and Brian build that kind of life together? She wasn’t sure. She loved him but her experiences had made her more cautious. Nothing lasted forever. She knew that first hand and when it was gone all you had were the memories. She closed her eyes as the noise in the lounge receded into the background. If only her parents were here to help her. Their advice had never been clouded by the fact that she was their child. She could still see them as she boarded the plane to leave for college all those years ago. It was the last time she saw them alive. It was so long ago yet it felt like yesterday. Warm lips on her cheek brought her out of her reverie. “Hey, you okay?” She nodded and smiled at him still a bit disoriented from her reminiscing. A waiter came over and Brian ordered a cappuccino also. “I’m sorry about…” “Vanessa.” She ran her hand along his cheek. “It’s bound to happen, Brian,” he looked confused, “old girlfriends showing up.” “Vanessa wasn’t a girlfriend,” he said, a disgusted look on his face. “She was a nightmare. I don’t know what I was thinking when I hooked up with her.” His coffee arrived and he took a sip. “It was a time in my life I would rather forget and I had until I saw her just now.” He took her hands in his. “Colby, I’m sorry about her comments.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s okay. I better get used to it.” She tried to laugh it off, but that nagging doubt over their ages was always in the back of her mind. Yet when they were together she didn’t see it. It was the thought of being out in the public eye and having people know that made her so self-conscious. “Vanessa hasn’t changed. She is one sharp woman. She can spot a phony coming a mile away and can negotiate a deal like a pro but she never knew when to keep her mouth shut.” “Brian stop. We have to deal with this. It’s going to come up.” Brian noticed how the light had gone out of her eyes. He wished he could convince her that there was nothing to worry about. “Colby, it’s no one’s business but ours. I don’t care. When I look at you all I see is the woman I love and want to be with forever not some gap in our ages.” He took her in his arms. “I love you.” His fingers brushed her cheek as his lips gently caressed hers. “Now we had a date before we were rudely interrupted.” He stood and took her hand and Colby joined him. They rode the elevator in silence their playfulness of earlier in the evening gone. Brian made her forget her misgivings that night as he made love to her. He proved to her that their love had no boundaries. They were a perfect fit. Their bodies so in tune with each other. But their joining was more than mere physical and as Colby’s release surged through her she screamed out his name and then she watched Brian as he too called her name as his seed flowed deep into her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The doorbell rang and Colby moved towards the foyer. “You open the wine,” Brian said as he dropped the remote on the coffee table, “I’ll get the door.” Colby popped the cork and took the glasses and bottle into the back room and placed them on the table. They spent all their time here. It was like the front of the house didn’t exist. Brian loved this space as much as Colby. It was home. It was spacious, yet comfortable. It was a place where no pretenses were needed. They could just be. Upon their return from New York they settled back into a routine. Colby spent most days at the shop, taking a long lunch every now and again. Brian was busy working with Kevin on some new songs for the group’s next album. Their evenings were divided between the two houses with Brian still trying to persuade her to spend the night with him whenever they were at his house. Colby was still fretful over the idea of actually sharing houses like that and wouldn’t give in. The high brow community still had a stranglehold on her and she had to be careful. So here they were. It was Saturday evening, takeout had been ordered and they were going to watch Kentucky. Colby picked up the remote and clicked to the local station that was carrying the game. The local news broadcast was nearly over. Colby went and got the plates and utensils half listening to the report. “And our final story of the evening is about two of our own local celebrities. Has cupid’s arrow brought love to a pop star and a local heiress?” Colby’s head shot up as pictures of her and Brian flashed across the screen. File photos of them both blazed in front of her eyes. “Colby Spencer, widow of Robert Winthrop Spencer, the late son of Lexington tycoon William Randolph Spencer,” pictures of them all appeared to the right of the reporter, “was seen leaving the Majestic Theater in New York last week on the arm of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell.” Just then a picture revealed Colby kissing Brian’s cheek as they stood outside the theater. “Hey, Colby,” Brian called as he came to the back of the house carrying the large white shopping bag, “Maria sent some of that biscotti you love. Everything is hot so we should…” He stopped mid sentence seeing Colby staring at the television totally ignoring him and glanced at the television. “Oh God,” he muttered as he placed the bag on the counter and came to her side. The reporter continued. “Mrs. Spencer, 36, whose husband died tragically last February in a car accident has been recuperating from the stillborn delivery of their son.” Tears began to form in Colby’s eyes as the story continued. “Littrell, 27, who is a Lexington native and best known as a member of the world famous Backstreet Boys, recently purchased a horse farm outside Lexington.” Photos of Brian’s house were shown and he just shook his head not believing what he saw. “Rumor has it the couple recently spent a week together on Hilton Head Island. Could it be that this teen heartthrob has found love in the arms of an older woman?” Colby turned and walked down the hall not wanting to hear any more. Brian turned off the television and followed her. “Colby,” he went to hold her and she pushed him away. “Please, baby, look at me. It’s okay.” She glared at him knowing his comment wasn’t true. Somehow, some way their privacy had been invaded and by the look on Colby’s face she wasn’t ready to deal with living in a fishbowl. “How Brian? How?” She growled through gritted teeth. She started to pace back and forth in the living room and finally Brian grabbed her shoulders. “Stop this. Listen to me. We have nothing to hide.” He brushed the wet streaks on her cheeks. Her eyes held fear and uncertainty in them. He pulled her into his embrace. “I love you and nothing anyone says is going to change that. Maybe going to New York so soon wasn’t a good idea, but we can’t take it back. And I don’t want to. Those were special days. Ones that I will remember always.” A small shudder went through her body and Brian pulled back. “Do you realize this will be all over town by morning. Everyone will know. Everyone.” She began the pacing again. “What are we going to do. How do we deal with this?” Brian ran his hands through his hair. He knew the problem. They kept skirting it; well he did anyway, because he felt it wasn’t a big deal. But Colby, well, for some reason she couldn’t let it go. As long as they stayed within the confines of comfortable, familiar places she was okay. But Brian had plans for them to go to California together at the beginning of the year and Colby had been hedging as it was. With this kind of publicity it was going to be harder now for him to convince her she should travel with him. He looked at her as she waited for him to answer her. “I’m sorry this has upset you but I think we should just ignore it. I was so happy we were together that I guess I didn’t realize we might be spotted.” He took her trembling hands in his. “It will be okay, I promise.” “I’m worried, Brian. People talked before but now. I can just hear them. Colby Spencer and her young stud or something.” “Stud, huh. I’ve never been called that before.” He gave her a cheeky grin. She hit his arm as a weak smile played across her face. “Stop! I’m serious. They will have a field day with this. I mean here I am approaching 40 and you’re…” “And I’m approaching 30. So doing the a quick calculation that means you’ve got um at least another good 15 to 20 years of great sex before it becomes good sex, then maybe so so sex…” His voice trailed off. “Brian!” He took her in his arms. “Don’t listen to them. Love doesn’t consider age.” He brushed a lone tear from her cheek. “Just let it be. I love you and if that means having great sex, I would say that’s a bonus.” He raised his eyebrows. His making light of the situation was Brian’s way of trying to get Colby not to worry. But they didn’t live on a remote island. Brian’s work took him out into the public domain. His name and face were recognizable everywhere. Colby knew this would have an impact on his popularity. Not only was he seeing someone, but she was almost a decade older. Their relationship could be doomed before they ever had a chance. “Look I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but joking about this is not going to solve anything. There are your fans to consider and then the local gossips here in town.” “We will deal with it just like I told you at the beach, one day at a time. We go on living. You go to work at the shop and I will continue working on the album and at the foundation. We will lead lives like ordinary people and the busy bodies will get bored and they will eventually leave us alone.” She grinned as he tried to show her a solution. “Ordinary people,” she laughed. “But you’re not ‘ordinary people’ Brian. And yet I’ve never looked on you as this big pop star. Somehow you’ve managed to balance it all.” “I had good teachers and they still keep me in check.” “Your parents?” He nodded. “They never let me forget who I am.” He took her hand. “Now can we forget about that sound bite and eat. I’m starving and I’m afraid Duke could be wiping the court with our fellas. Come on.” They ate and drank and watched Duke beat their beloved Wildcats. And although Colby laughed and yelled along with Brian, in the recesses of her mind lurked this inexplicable feeling that they hadn’t heard the end of it. |