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Day 3 - Part 5

-What are you looking so happy for? Howie asked from AJ who was smiling from ear to ear.
-Oh nothing, AJ answered and kept humming a tune he�d heard on the radio while Tom had been driving him to downtown.
-Why do we have to keep these meetings every other day? Nick asked entering the room. -You know I hate meetings!
-That explains a lot, AJ said and tried to remember the words of that catchy track.
-What�s with him? Nick asked, annoyed.
Howie shrugged. Then it hit Nick.
-You�ve got some! Oh my god, AJ�s got some!
-AJ�s got what? Don�t tell me he�s having a flue? I told you that New Year�s party wasn�t a good idea.
Nick laughed at worried Brian.
-It sure wasn�t a good idea but not in a way you think. I mean AJ�s got some sex. Haven�t you?
-Maybe.
-Maybe, Nick imitated. -Look at you. Was it good? Different? What�s it like to have sex with pregnant woman?
-Nick! You�re just impossible.
-I know, blond man smiled temptatingly. Then door opened one more time and Kevin came in.
-What are you all smiling at? Do I have toothpaste on my face? Kevin asked.
-Just that AJ�s got some, Howie said.
-Well, good for him. What�s new about that anyway? Every normal person has sex occasionally.
-No, Nick disagreed. -Every normal person has sex REGULARLY. So gongratulations bro, and welcome back as normal.
-What about you? Brian asked innocently. -So you do have sex on regular bases? I�ve heard something else...
-You know how they talk, Nick tried but this time Samuel and Victor saved his ass. They were Boys� management team. Victor Myers was the head of their agency and Samuel Stallion his right hand. He also attended tours where as Victor stayed in LA running business.
-Good day, boys. And sorry that you�re here so soon after New Year. But you know how much we have to work during the next six months, Victor said and sat down to the end of the table. Sky seen behind him trough big glass windows was stunningly blue and they would all have been somewhere else if they would have had a choice. But they didn�t.
-Bad news first, Samuel continued. -You�ve been booked to have an extra meeting with your security team this afternoon.
-Why? Why? Why? Nick complained.
-I�ll tell you why, Samuel said hursly. -New Year�s Eve party one of your groupies was raped.
Brian noticed how Nick shivered and wondered a reason for that. But then he saw Kevin�s eyes slowly closing and opening again and that gesture seemed totally inappropiated to the situation.
-Probably because she had offered some sexual service for the entry to the party. That can not happen. I know we�ve been trough this before. But this time it�s getting serious. Your groupies or fans can�t in any circumstances think that they could get closer to you by sleeping with someone. And you can not have sex with your fans. You can�t. This one goes especially for you Nick.
-Why me?
-You�re the only single, Victor commented.
Brian kept following Kevin�s reactions that were pretty odd. Man seemed like shrinking in his chair. Why was that? Kevin was the ultimate good boy. Well, not in the beginning but Brian had seen his black book and there weren�t that many names.
-If you feel horny, you can�t pick a girl outside of the hotel. If you need some, ask from Tom or JK, or anyone of your staff to get you some. I know this sounds hard, but this is the way it has to be. Your image is on line.
-What about that girl? Howie asked. -Is she OK?
-We�re not sure, Victor said.
-You�re not sure? AJ asked. -How can you not be sure?
-Because Bob found her from the house after you�d left the party. He had taken few glasses of champagne, couldn�t drive so he told someone to take care of her.
-Who was it?
-I don�t think the name will tell you anything.
-Who was it? AJ was determined to know.
-It was Ophelia. According to Bob and other guards she�s been touring with you over a year.
-What does she looks like? Howie asked.
Victor gave him a wry smile.
-I haven�t seen her but they said that she was gorgeous 20 something half latino.
-Oh that one! Nick remembered her. -Poor girl.
-It�s more that poor girl, Samuel interrupted. -But we�ll talk about that in the afternoon. Now we have some decisions to made.

-I�ll buy it, Nick said, completely bored.
-What? Samuel asked.
-I buy the fucking house. Now can we move on?
-Nick, have you been listening at all? Victor asked. -It�s not just house, it�s a small mansion.
-So? I�ll buy it.
-What are you going to with a mansion in Portugal? AJ asked.
-Shoot our videos there. Isn�t that why we�re trying to get it?
Men in the room looked at each other.
-OK, Nick, if you�re serious...
-Anything to get me out here faster.
-I�ll call your lawyers to take care of the deal, Samuel said.
-Fine.
Victor browsed trough the papers.
-So, now we can rely to fact that mister Carlos Garcia will direct two of your new videos.
-Is he any good? Kevin asked.
-I�ll send you some of the work he�s done. He�s Europe�s new, young, hot name. Just what you need.
-OK.
Brian raised an eyebrow. His cousin was usually much more into things, asking details, wanting to know that everything was completely perfect. And when he didn�t react to next line...
-We have another change in your schedule, Victor told. -You�ll fly to New York tomorrow.
-What? Tomorrow? Howie shouted. -We were supposed to have time off before going to Europe!
-Calm down, Victor said. -I�m sorry. But you have a once in a life time situation. You�ve been asked to do MTV Unplugged. And I think this is something you have to do.
-We have to, we have to... Brian complained. -I hoped to spend some time with my wife and family...
-You can take them with you. But you need all the time you�ve got to put up a great show. Choose songs and rehearse. Maybe you could pick some of your new songs too. Show world the new Backstreet Boys.
-But we�re not ready, AJ stated, desperately looking at Kevin, waiting him to say that straight no that would save their ass. But Kevin just watched out from the window, looking like he wasn�t in the room with them at all. Over the table AJ reached Brian�s eyes and saw his own amazement reflecting from those.

-Of course we were there. Actually just four of us. I don�t know why others didn�t know about that meeting. But we were there, standing on the street. And when they came out...
She�s now standing in front of the window, turned her back on me once more. Maid came and took leftovers of our breakfast away. I�m lying on the bed, starting to feel better and better. She isn�t. She keeps long pauses when she talks. Like she�s lost in her thoughts. And I know every time she leaves something out from there. I know it from the way she tells the next thing. And how she sometimes refers to something I haven�t heard before. But it doesn�t bother me as long as I can keep up with the story. And if I can�t, I just ask something.
-What about Ophelia? How was she? Did you know, at all?
She shakes her head. -They didn�t tell me. I noticed she was quieter than usual, but Pie explained to me something about bad trip. I was so happy to have us all four together I didn�t pay too much attention on details. Not as much as I should have.
-What did Be-Bob do when he saw you? I mean you both had had something to do with him in New Year.
-He did nothing. He was in the meeting with the Boys, so they had different guards out there. None of them knew us. If they had known, I guess they would have driven us off.
-You were standing on the street right?
-Yeah. Just by the doors of that building where their management was.
-And they walked out?
-Yes.
-What happened?
She is silent for a while. But when she continues, her voice is stable. Metallic, but stable.
-They walked by us. I tried to look Nick into eyes but he was in a bad mood, hiding under his cap. Be-Bob walked next to him, nodded at me slightly, that was all.
-What about Kevin? Did he saw Pie?
-They had almost gone by us. They were all pretty dark and serious, probably because of that meeting. By that time they fucking knew more than I did!
It�s first time I hear her to curse so heavily. And it surprises me that it grates on my ear that much.
-Then Kevin stopped. He just stood still. I guess he then realized that Pie was Pretty and the girl he had... Everyone else turned also. Kevin looked at us, at the other guys. Brian asked if something was wrong. And Kevin just came to us, stopped in front of Ophelia. Then he raised his hand, touched her face and said he was sorry. I remember being totally confused. Ophelia started to cry and Kevin hugged her, kept her in his arms for a long time. And part of that time he watched Pie over Ophelia�s shoulder. It was one of the weirdest moments I�ve ever lived. Then Billy came to Kevin, placed hand on his shoulder, time to go. And without a word he let go of Ophelia, kissed her on the cheek and walked on.
-Then what?
I may be too eager, but it�s so exiting. I try to reming myself that it really is someone�s life, it�s not just a story. She�s been trough that all.
-Then we went back to the house.

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