�I�m glad you agreed to come out with me tonight Howie.� I said as we danced. I went over to a table and had a couple of drinks. �Hey, you�re not twenty-one yet!� Howie said. �I know. That�s why I hang out with friends like you�VIP treatment baby!� I said as Howie laughed.
�Are you okay?� Howie asked. �I�m great. Why?� �I don�t know. You�re acting strange.� He said. �Howie, can we go to your place? I haven�t seen it since you moved in.� I said. �Okay.� He agreed.
Howie drove me to his house and we walked inside. He showed me around, giving me the grand tour. �And this is my bedroom.� Howie said. �Ooh, nice fireplace.� I said sitting down on his bed. �Um, it�s getting late�didn�t you say you have class in the morning?� Howie asked. �Yeah.� I said lying down. �Come on, get up.� He said pulling my arms. He pulled me up, but I was limp in his arms. �Randi, you have to stand up.� He said as I pulled him down on the bed and pressed my lips against his. �What are you doing!?� Howie exclaimed as he pulled away.
�Howie please, I don�t want to think right now.� I said trying to kiss him again. �Randi, you�re drunk.� He said. �I don�t care.� �Well I do�what would AJ say?� Howie asked. �What? Oh I see how it is�he doesn�t want me and no one else can have me either?� I yelled as Howie looked at me confused. �You love him�don�t you? That�s why you�re acting like this?� he asked as I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up. I ran to the bathroom and that�s exactly what I did.
Howie helped me into his bed and I couldn�t remember anything until the next morning. I woke up and looked around. I walked into the kitchen and Howie was cooking breakfast. �Good morning.� He said. �Morning.� I responded. �Want some breakfast?� Howie asked as he added some hot sauce to the eggs. �Uh, no thanks.� I said as he laughed. He gave me a cup of coffee. �Oh I don�t like coffee.� I said. �Drink it. It�ll make you feel better.� He said sitting down next to me. �I�m sorry about last night Howie. I was just really upset. I hope I didn�t ruin our friendship.� I said. �Don�t worry about it.� He said kissing my forehead. �Please don�t tell AJ.� I asked. �I won�t.� he said. That was the only a secret I kept from him.
�So what�s this news that couldn�t wait?� AJ asked, as he was looking in the mirror and shaving. I loved to watch him shave. He was always making designs in his sideburns and goatee. �Well, you�re looking at the brand new staff music writer for People Weekly!� I said excited. AJ almost cut himself. He dropped the razor and hugged me. �Oh my God! You�re only out of college for three months and you already have a prestigious job! I knew you could do it! I�m so proud of you!� AJ said rocking me back and forth.
I was in my room listening to my favorite Backstreet Boys album, Black & Blue. I was dancing around because I was finally in love with a guy I was dating. I was dancing and singing around my room, when I turned to see AJ standing there looking a little upset. �Hey.� I said running to him and hugging him. �Where�s that McLean smile?� I asked as I put my hands to his lips and forced them to smile. He started laughing.
We sat down on my bed. �So the tour is starting soon.� He said. �Yeah, I know�are you excited?� I asked getting up and turning down the music. �Yeah, but I�m going to be lonely.� He said. �Well, isn�t Amanda going to be with you for a lot of it?� I asked. I turned around and AJ was looking down. �What? You guys broke up again?� I asked stunned. �Why? What happened?� I asked. �I don�t want to talk about it.� He said uncomfortable. �Okay, fine. We won�t talk about it.� I said sitting down next to him. �You want to go out and do something fun tonight?� AJ asked. �Oh, I had plans with Chris.� I said as he shrugged. �Oh it�s okay.� He said. �No, I can reschedule with him�you�ll be leaving in a couple of weeks.� I said as he smiled. I walked over to the phone and called Chris. I explained to him that I was going to reschedule. �Okay, I love you too.� I said hanging up as AJ stared at me. �Did I just hear you right? You in a serious relationship?� he asked. I smacked him and we both laughed.
We went out that night and had fun dancing and talking. We went back to his house. �Why don�t you just crash here?� AJ asked. �Okay.� I said. We both fell asleep watching a movie. When I woke up, AJ was staring at me. We just looked at each other and he started to kiss me. I kissed back as we got up and went to his bedroom. We got on the bed and that�s when I realized that it was wrong. �AJ�wait�� I said. �What? If you think I�m just doing this because I�m heartbroken, well I�m not-� he started to say as I stopped him. �No, it�s not that.� �I thought this is what you wanted�for me to be your first.� AJ said as I looked down. �Wait, you�ve had sex with someone and you didn�t tell me?� AJ asked angry. �It just happened last night.� I said as AJ looked like his heart broke in half. �So I�m too late�� he said turning away from me. �AJ, I don�t know what you want me to say�it�s really not fair�I finally found someone I love and then something like this happens.� I said as a few tears fell. �I�m sorry Randi�I�m happy that you found someone you love.� He said lying down. I went into the guest room and fell asleep in there. Of course the next day we just swept the whole thing under the rug with all the rest of our feelings.
My job flew me to Toronto to do a review on the Backstreet Boys concert and interview them afterwards. They were going to give the assignment to someone else, but I asked if I could do it instead.
After only minutes of me arriving at the hotel, I got a phone call.
�Hello?� I answered.
�Hey Randi, it�s Brian.� He said happily.
�Hey Rok!� I said giggling.
�Listen, go downstairs�there should be a limo waiting for you�don�t ask any questions, just get in, okay?� he said.
�Um, okay Bri.� I said curiously.
�I�ll see you tonight at the concert.�
�Okay, bye.� I said hanging up the phone.
I ran out of my hotel room and downstairs to the lobby.
�Miss Leoni?� a man asked.
�Yes?�
�Hi, I was told to pick you up.� He said.
I got in the car and lying in the backseat was a dozen red roses. I picked them up and there was a note attached.
My eyes got a little watery as I read it. The car stopped and the driver opened the door for me. I got out and saw a beautiful fountain. I stood by it and the driver told me to sit down. I did as he said as I noticed an orchestra in front of me, they were surrounding a gazebo.
Suddenly AJ walked into the gazebo as the orchestra started to play. AJ began to sing a song he wrote a couple of years back. I always meant to ask him whom it was about, but I think we were both afraid of the answer at the time.
As AJ sang he kept walking closer to me. He took my hand and kissed it. �If you only knew Randi.� He said as tears filled my eyes and I hugged him. �That was beautiful.� I said. �Why are you crying?� he asked wiping my tears. �I�m confused�AJ what does this all mean?� I asked. �I love you.� AJ said and I was stunned. �I love you too.� I said. We kissed and the orchestra began to clap. AJ and I laughed. They began to play some instrumental music as AJ and I danced.
That night backstage at the concert while the opening act was on, I gave AJ a present. I wrote him a poem and attached a box with a silver ring with the inscription, �My Angel� on it. �What�s this?� he asked opening the box. �A promise ring.� I said. He looked me in the eyes. �A promise that you�ll always be in my heart.� I said as AJ slipped the ring on. He handed me the poem. �I want you to read it to me.� He said. I took the poem and began to read.
I finished reading the poem and now AJ had tears in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and we kissed. As we parted, AJ looked as if he just realized something. �What?� I asked. �Listen to what song is on.� He said. I listened for a second and noticed it was �You�re My Angel� by Shaggy who was their opening act. �I guess we really are each others� angel.� AJ said as I smiled and kissed his lips. Next thing we knew four people jumped on top of us and were hugging us. It was the other four Backstreet Boys of course!
I took my seat for the concert with my notepad and my assistant was sitting next to me. During the song �Shining Star�, AJ walked over to me during the chorus as they all sang, �Angels everywhere, every time you�re near, there�s no one like you baby.� I blushed as he kissed my cheek. My assistant eyed me when this happened.
After the concert, I told my assistant that I was leaving with AJ. We went back to his hotel and spent a beautiful night together. It was like our first time all over again.
I flew back to Florida after spending a few days in Canada with AJ. I walked into work bright and cheery as my boss slammed down a copy of the National Inquirer on my desk. The front page had a picture of me and AJ kissing. The headline read, �Backstreet Boy�s girlfriend/journalist gives us the Juicy Details!� My mouth dropped. �You mind explaining this?� he yelled. �You�re a writer for me and you go and sell your life story to the tabloids!� �I didn�t write that!� I yelled back. �Well it has your name on it! You know how bad this looks for me?�You�re fired!� he said storming off. I slumped down in my chair and opened the magazine to the article. The article was talking about how AJ and I have been having an ongoing relationship behind the scenes, even during our other girlfriends and boyfriends. We had to sneak around and now we�re so happy that we can be open about it now. The article spilled all of our �secrets�. It mentioned me having a thing for Nick and that I had more than a friendship with Howie. I was shocked and hurt. AJ and I were portrayed as sleazy and horrible people. There was only one person I could think of who would write this�my assistant.
After I broke up with Chris, I went out with her to cheer myself up and spilled my heart about AJ, thinking I could trust her. She�s always been jealous of my job. I was about to get up and talk to her, just as my phone rang.
�Hello?� I answered.
�Randi, what the hell is wrong with you?� AJ asked.
�AJ, you don�t believe that I wrote that!?�
�Well who the hell did?� he asked.
�My assistant.� I said.
�How�d she know all that stuff?�
�I was stupid and told her one night.� I said sadly.
�What!? I can�t believe this! You ruined me.� He said.
�Oh gee thanks AJ, you really know how to make me feel better.�
�Well you should have known better�you can�t trust everyone�and is that true about Howie?� he asked.
�No! Well not the way she put it�I was drunk and I kissed him because I was upset about you�that was all!� I said desperately.
�I don�t believe this.� He said.
�Yeah, and I got fired.� I said as AJ sighed.
�Well I got to go�I�ll call you later.� AJ said and hung up.
I stormed into my assistant�s office and told her off. I told her that she�s going to have a lawsuit on her hands if she doesn�t go to the National Inquirer and publically say that that article was false. She agreed. I walked out of my office building and called AJ.
�Hello?� he answered.
�I fixed it�she�s going to retract the article.� I said.
�Good, but people are going to believe what they want to believe anyway.�
�So you want to try to fly over here this weekend?� AJ asked.
�I can�t�I have to pack.� I said.
�For what?� he asked.
�I�m not going back to my job at People�Rolling Stone offered me a job in New York.� I said.
�Oh my God! That�s incredible! That�s been your dream!� AJ said excited.
�I know�but I have to move�away from you�� I said.
�I�m never home anyway.� AJ said.
�I know, but I�m afraid.�
�Don�t be sweetie�nothing can break us.� AJ said.
When I moved to New York, I became so busy and AJ was traveling Europe. We became so busy that we never stopped to think of each other. After a few months, we hardly saw each other, so we decided to go our separate ways. We agreed that we�d still see each other every chance we got. Well, you can see how well that turned out.