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Day 3 - Part 13

-So did it help? Brian asked with weary voice. They were on the final stage of one endless meeting. Samuel looked trough his papers.
-Can you put it into numbers? AJ asked, lighting another cigarette.
-I thought you were about to quit, Kevin marked, getting an evil eye from AJ because of that. Samuel sighed, leaned back, taking a separate look on each guy.
-You have to understand that you�re going trough a face.
-Like a teenage girl? Nick asked with a smirk.
-Oh shut the fuck up, AJ said. Samuel sighed again.
-What you did in New York was phenomenal. Critics loved you. Audience loved you. Fans are going crazy because of you. Everything is great on that are. We�ll get your album recorded in no time, I know you have faith on that material. It�s going to be whole new Backstreet Boys.
-We won�t change our name, Kevin stated.
-That is not needed anymore. But you have to change your attitude.
Samuel let his look glide over uneasy audience.
-There�s been too much during last few months, he continued with a low but clear voice. -Howie. I have nothing to say to you. Or not as much as for others. Your relationship with Alicia seems to be under control. You�ve been clubbing quite a lot. So try to stay at the hotel some evenings in Europe, okay? Especially when she�s not by your side.
Howie nodded, looking serious. As did the rest of the guys, waiting what was coming.
-That goes for you too, Nick. I know you�re single and you want to be just like any guy. But you�re not. I don�t have to say that marketing is more that happy that you don�t have anyone special in your life. As some of you have too many of those.
Samuel turned to see AJ, as did others.
-Brian asked if it helped and you ask about numbers? What is with you, Alex? I thought you were happy with Helen. And you know I wouldn�t ever push you to that kind of solution if it was just some pr trick.
-I know that, AJ said keeping his look down. -It�s just... Like you said, some of us have many specials in our life. Not talking about you Kevin, he added, making Kevin flinch. -But it�s been hell of a ride. Since I was last time home, I�ve asked two women to marry me and they both said yes.
Every breath was caught, except Kevin�s. He�d known about AJ wanting to marry Anna. Too bad Helen�s got pregnant. And family came to AJ above all.
-Yeah, AJ continued. -Anna... After what happened with her I thought I�d never get married. That I would stay with Helen and our baby without any boundaries. And now I find myself wearing this.
He twirled his engagement ring.
-I don�t know. I feel trapped. Don�t get me wrong, I love Helen. And I love our baby. It�s just that if this thing with Kevin hadn�t happened...
AJ didn�t go on and Samuel let his words effect for a while before turning to Kevin.
-They are fans. You have to remember that. In every situation. They are fans. And you�re under public eye. Always. I don�t say that you can�t make mistakes and live like a normal people. You can cheat your wife. We cover that up if needed. You can fuck your fan. We cover that up too. We covered up your fan getting raped at the party she attended because of you. But how can you imagine us being able to cover up when you run around in a hotel and call people with names in the middle of the day? When you�re so upset that you don�t take orders from the people who are there to protect you?
-You don�t have to cover that up, Kevin said his face stable as a rock.
-Yes we do. That�s our job. And you�ve made it so fucking much harder.
-I�m sorry, Brian said. Samuel looked at him.
-There�s no need for you to be sorry, he said. -This doesn�t include you. This is about Kevin.
-It�s about us, Brian argued.
-But you�ve done your part. You just keep with your professional work and it�ll be all right.
Samuel sighed once again and crossed his hands leaning forward.
-This is big for you. And what happened so far... I think we can turn it into positive things. You�re more real than you�ve ever been. And that�s what I want to go on with. You�ll see promotion material of you never seen before. Your videos are going to be hot. You�re going to be hot. But we don�t want to get burn. YOU don�t want to get burn. Look at the audience. Look them here in Europe. This is what they�ve been waiting for. You to come back. They�ve waited. But they have their expectations. And you don�t want to let them down. You can�t let them down. Or you�re dead. Your personal life can�t get in the middle of that.
Samuel took one more look at Kevin.
-You and Kristin still together?
-Yes, Kevin replied.
-Barely, AJ added.
-You�re really a man I would take personal advices about relationships from, Kevin said with nasty voice.
-And it can�t get in the middle of you! Samuel reminded. -Since you started many things have changed. Everything has changed. But music is still the same. Why you do this is still the same. Because you love this. Don�t ever, and I mean EVER forget it.
One more fatherly encouraging glance at each one.
-Day after tomorrow back to London. Three days there. Then around the island. Lot of promotion, lot of rehearsing. You�ll have performances only on every other or third day, pretty much similar to Unplugged. We have to get you on shape. Two months on road. Britain, Ireland, Germany, some others. Quick trip back home for a weekend. To take care of your personal relationships. April 8th to Stockholm. Four weeks there. Studio, photo shoots, final drafts of the videos. Then to Portugal.
-What�s in Portugal? Nick asked.
-House you bought, Howie replied.
-I what?
-You bought the house. Don�t worry, you�re gonna love it. OK. Up till Portugal everything�s clear? Samuel wanted to get it over with.
Boys nodded. Except Nick.
-I bought a house?
-Yes you did. Everything else clear?
-Yeah. I guess. I bought a house?
-Portugal. One week. A lot of fuzz. Cameras, fans, videos, interviews...
-How much will there be fans? Howie asked, being careful not to look at Kevin.
-From five to ten. Or twenty if there are different dates.
-How much will there be cameras? Brian wanted to know, already feeling uncomfortable with the idea.
-There will be crew all week. They�ll hook up with you in Stockholm. Nothing to worry, just few days you goofing around in a studio. But all week in Portugal. For the DVD you know. It�s going to be �Backstreet Boys Uncovered� I think.
-Or �Backstreet Boys Unleashed�, Nick got carried away.
-What about Unmanly? AJ asked wryly.
-Don�t worry about the name. It�s not the issue.
-Cameras are the issue, Brian said.
-Then MTV making the video. And then crew for your both videos.
-Both? Kevin asked.
-We don�t want to get into Drowning situation all over again. So both videos. First song is already picked, as you know, it�ll be Incomplete. Second one is still under consideration and it�s gonna change for many times. This is familiar to you, right?
-How can we move around without cameras there? Nick questioned. -They�ll be all around?
-They will. Basically you�re shooting a music video, MTV will shoot that and our own crew will shoot all that.
-But they�re not around all the time?
-No. You�ll have enough privacy, I promise you that. It�s gonna be a tight spot. You have two days for each video and then two days for interviews and fans. One day is completely dead, for you to enjoy warmness of Portugal.
-Then what?
Samuel closed his eyes.
-That�s when working starts.

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