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Everything Your Heart Desires Chapter 26 Kristy walked into the women�s lounge and paused as she saw Leighanne turn away, trying to compose herself from her most recent emotional outburst. �Leigh? You okay?� The two girls had met for the first time the night of the dress rehearsal and at the dinner afterwards. Brian�s girlfriend turned towards the other blond and tried to smile, her eyes red from crying. �As okay as I ever am before they leave.� Kristy slumped against the vanity. �Oh God, you mean it doesn�t get any easier?� That simple remark brought a smile to Leighanne�s pretty face when nothing else had that evening. For the first time, she saw the pain and fear in Kristy�s own eyes. She shook her head. �And here I thought you were just amazingly composed." Kristy gave her a weak smile. Like most people who knew much about the Backstreet Boys, Kristy and Cheryl had known of Leighanne before they'd actually met her. Kristy recalled the rumors she'd heard about her before, but had decided to dismiss them all and get to know her as a real person. She was glad she had. Leighanne had been rather quiet the night they'd first met, but Kristy realized it was because she was cautious about letting people get too close to her, not that she was being unfriendly. Sitting amongst Brian and Kevin's relatives, Kristy had looked up to see Leighanne send her a sympathetic smile. Kristy had moved over to the empty chair next to her where Brian had been sitting before he went to get more food. "Glad to be beyond this stage?" Kristy had asked her as the two glanced around at the laughing group surrounding them. "I was actually just remembering the first time I met 'the fam'... and thinking about how well you're doing in comparison!" Kristy had risen her eyebrows slightly. "Really? You seem to fit right in now." "Yeah, now... After how many years of us being together?" Leighanne had giggled. "Try imagining how this group reacted to their 'golden child' bringing home a slightly-older, aspiring actress who he'd met during a video shoot? Let's just say it wasn't the love-fest you see before you now." Kristy and Leighanne had smiled at each other in understanding. "Besides... anyone who can make Kevin smile as much as you do, doesn't have anything to worry about with this group. They think you're some sort of angel." "She is." Both girls had jumped slightly as they heard Kevin's deep laugh behind them. "Ah crap. How much of that did you hear, Train?" Leighanne asked as she thumped him in the arm. "Enough. So are you trying to say I used to be grumpy?" "That's an understatement," Brian joked, joining his girlfriend and the conversation. "Let's just say that until you met Kris, I never knew you had so many teeth!"Cheryl had finally given up staring at the clock. The elements of time and space weren�t likely to cooperate with her tonight. She had already sat through three hours of marketing, merchandising and media strategies. �So much for making the party. Damn, how am I supposed to clear this up with Howie?� "Okay� so it sounds like we can start implementing these ideas on Monday," a muffled male voice interrupted her thought process. "Thanks for your help, Orlando, and have a great weekend!" Cheryl glanced at her watch. 9 o�clock. She sighed as he gathered her notebooks and headed out the door to her office. "Night, Cheryl," Rosa called as she headed toward the front door. "Night." Cheryl once again reached for the phone and dialed Howie�s cellphone. All that greeted her was his voicemail. "D, I�m so sorry. Please call me." She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks as she turned off the light and walked out the door.Howie was still formulating the plan in his mind as he let himself into the girls� condo an hour later. He had borrowed the key from Kristy prior to leaving the party with the assurance that she would be staying at Kevin�s that night. He could hear his cellphone ringing but couldn�t reach it to pick up because his arms were laden with the tools he was going to use to beg Cheryl�s forgiveness. It rang a fourth time as he rushed to set the bags on the kitchen counter. "Hello?" he answered the phone once his hands were free. �Damn, it went to voicemail.� He shrugged it off and began to prepare for the evening he hoped would make Cheryl realize what she meant to him and close the rift between them.Kristy and Leighanne rejoined the party after steeling themselves with fresh drinks from the bar. Brian glanced across the room to see the two attractive blonds standing and chatting against the wall. He made his way over to his cousin. "Kev, we have a slight problem." Kevin's face darkened, worried that it had something to do with either Kristy, Howie and Cheryl, or the tour - in that order. "What?" "There are two extraordinarily beautiful wall-flowers over there. I believe this situation demands our immediate attention." "Uh oh, Kris... don't look now, but I think we've been spotted," Leighanne joked as Kristy turned in the direction her friend was already looking. Kevin smiled as his eyes searched out and met Kristy's. Even across a crowded room, simply catching her eye could make his heart skip a beat. The two cousins crossed the room, ignoring the well-wishers. They were on a mission, and nothing short of an act of God would distract them. Leighanne sent Brian a seductive smile and turned to say something else to Kristy but stopped at the look on her friend's face. Magnetism. That was the only word that could describe the force between Kristy and Kevin right then. Raw animal magnetism. Kristy would've agreed - had she been able to form an articulate thought at that moment in time. Sometimes just seeing Kevin took her breath away. Yes he was beautiful to look at... that was undeniable. She'd never been as attracted to someone as she was to Kevin. But it was more than his good looks that made her weak-kneed. There was his presence - a power, strength and confidence that drew her to him. There was his generosity, gentleness and spirituality that few people saw. And there was his passion and love for his family, friends, and music - and now her. Brian and Kevin approached Leighanne and Kristy as the last song finished playing. Wordlessly, Kevin took Kristy's hand and led her to the dancefloor of the club as a dance beat started. Brian and Leighanne followed them to the floor, smiling at their friends' happiness and enjoying this part of their own last evening together. Kevin pulled Kristy to him, but she danced away from him a bit, letting the music and the words lead her. Kevin watched her body, a slow smile crossing his face as he saw the flirtatious look in the incredible blue-green eyes that stared back at him.Like a movie scene In the sweetest dreams I have pictured us together He lifted Kristy's hand to his lips, kissing it softly. Kristy stepped towards him - closer, but still slightly out of reach. Now to feel your lips On my fingertips I have to say is even better Brian and Leighanne danced together closely, both focused on each other. Yet out of the corner of their eyes, they couldn't help but notice one of the other couples on the dancefloor. Waiting for tonight, oh When you would be here in my arms Waiting for tonight, oh I've dreamed of this love for so long Waiting for tonight Kevin waited until the chorus, then pulled Kristy into his arms - where she belonged. He smiled and shook his head as he saw the twinkle in her eye. Damn, she knew he was going to do that! But she didn't know what he was going to do next. Tender words you say Take my breath away Love me now and leave me never Kristy expected him to whisper something sweet in her ear - like the next verse of the song suggested. But Kevin chose to take her breath away with a passionate kiss instead. When it ended, she let herself be held closely in his arms. Found a sacred place Lost in your embrace I want to stay in this forever Tim sat at a table off of the dancefloor, talking with John and Pollyanna. His eyes widened as he watched his brother and Kristy dancing together again. John chuckled at the look on his friend's face. "Do you ever wonder if they realize they're not alone?" Tim asked as he shook his head, watching them dance flirtatiously. Kristy turned in Kevin's arms, her back to his front as they moved with the music.Gone are the days when the sun used to set On my empty heart, all alone in my bed Tossing and turning Emotions were strong I knew that I had to hold onPolly smiled as she watched the attractive couple, so obviously in love that anyone in the room could see it. "They're pretty much always alone - in their own little world." Next: Chapter 27 |