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Chapter Forty One - September 7

By the time that I got back to the hotel, Liv was fast asleep. Noah and Brooke had fallen asleep with her on the bed. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to move two toddlers, but they were stuck to Liv like glue. Brooke looked like she was making a snow angel in her sleep; her outstretched limbs were taking up a huge chunk of bed. I tried to slide in and scoot her over, but she wasn't budging.

I ended up sleeping in one of the chairs, a blanket thrown over me. It was a crummy night's sleep. I woke up feeling grouchy. Liv was still asleep. Noah woke up soon after me. I got him a bottle and we played 'roll the ball' until Brooke woke up. As soon as Brooke woke up, she made sure Liv didn't sleep any longer. She had been doing that since she was born.

"Morning, angel," Liv said with a yawn. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her gaze fell on me.

"What time did you get back?"

"After midnight," I said. Liv rolled her eyes.

"Did you behave?"

I grinned. "Always."

I stood up. "I'm going to take a shower."

I disappeared into the bathroom. After taking a nice long shower and spending some quality gargling time, I headed back into the room. Liv was on her laptop. She had that intense look she used to get when she worked on our concert footage.

I had a bad feeling.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up and smiled. "You guys had way too much fun last night."

My stomach did a flip flop. "Did you post Kev's thing?"

"Yup, it's posted."

I licked my lips. "Anything else?"

Liv looked at me in fake confusion. She wasn't able to pull it off. Her head fell back and she laughed.

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...," she sang.

I felt my face turn beet red. "Tell me you didn't post that."

"I did. It's already gotten more hits than Kevin's cornrows."

I threw my hands up in the air.

Perfect.

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I was in a grouchier mood by the time we went down to breakfast. I wasn't mad at Liv, but I was in the funk I always fell into when things weren't going my way; aka, I was pouting.

That mood only got worse. At breakfast Liv announced that the girls were abandoning us to enjoy some "girl" time. That left all of us alone with the kids. I could handle watching Brooke and Noah, but you put all of us together and...well...

I think Bri and Howie were siding with me, but AJ had to go and ruin it all. Just 'cause he wanted to get on Molly's good side for a kiss he had to go and tell all the girls to enjoy themselves.

"You guys can spend time at Kevin's," Liv suggested in the elevator as we headed back up to the room.

"Where are you guys going?" I asked. There was absolutely nothing to do in this place unless you went to church or the diner.

"We're going into Lexington," Liv announced. I raised an eyebrow. She just smiled.

I played hide-and-go seek in the hotel room with Brooke while Liv got ready. When she walked out, my eyes almost fell out of my head.

She had put on a little black dress.

I loved little black dresses.

I tried to think of a quick way to smuggle myself onto the bus after they dropped all the guys off at Kev's, but I knew there was no way. Brooke and Noah were officially attached to me.

It was 'Daddy Day.'

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-- Liv --

As Leigh pulled the bus away from Kevin's house, I looked out the window. I had a feeling that the guys were going to be in deep trouble. It wasn't so much the babies I was worried about, but Mason, Baylee, James, Shelby, and Brooke were already running in five different directions. Well, Brooke was toddling, but she was getting faster every day.

"I'm a little worried," Leighanne said.

"Shelby's a lot to handle," Molly said.

"It's going to be fine," Leigh said. She looked so small behind the big wheel of the bus.

"Yeah, they didn't even ask us if we would watch the kids last night," I reasoned. "They just told us. It's a taste of their own medicine."

Addy was quiet. Just like the night before. I glanced at her. Before I had met Nick, I hadn't had a lot of friends. The ones I did have had turned out to be two-faced bitches. I loved the other 'Backstreet' wives. I hoped that we could show Addy a good time.

As we got closer to Lexington, I suddenly missed Ro. Somehow the idea of partying seemed incomplete without her. I remembered her bachelorette party. As dramatic as it had been, it sure had been a lot of fun. Then there was the night I got that tattoo...

Leigh and I had discussed possible things to do in Lexington. We had gone through the phonebook and found a male stripclub called Cocktails. There was also a nearby mall.

"Where are we going?" Addy asked. She looked nervous.

I caught Leigh's eye in the rearview mirror.

"Want to go to a strip club?"

Addy's eyes widened. She seemed to have such a tough exterior, but suddenly she looked...scared. Leighanne leaned over and put a hand on her arm.

"I don't do strip clubs either," she said. Leigh groaned.

"We had a Cocktails where I come from. They don't get completely naked. It's fun to guess which guys are gay. Plus, the drinks are cheap," Molly said. She turned around and smiled at Addy. "And, if you don't want their nuts in your face, you can send them my way."

Addy laughed. I felt hopeful.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything..."

"Right!" I said. "I mean, I haven't been to one before either." I glanced over at Leighanne. She crossed her arms. I smiled sweetly.

"Leigh, you heard Molly. They're not naked. I mean it's no different than Bri grinding up on a dancer onstage. It's all just show. Plus you sat through the one at Ro's..."

I trailed off. I watched Leighanne's face. There was sadness mixed with something else...

"I guess you're right," she finally said with a smile.

An hour later, all five of us were sitting around a table front and center of the stage. We had martinis with little umbrellas and we were waiting for the show to start. I was surprised to see so many women at the place. It was just a little after one o'clock on a Friday afternoon.

"I guess balls were on the menu for all these business lunches," Molly quipped. She took a big gulp of her drink. I glanced over at her; I was seeing how come AJ was attracted to her. She was feisty.

I could tell Addy was still nervous. She downed her drink and made a face.

"Want another?" I asked. She glanced down.

"I probably shouldn't. I don't usually..."

Music started blaring out of the speakers. I saw Addy turn a shade of gray. She glanced at her empty glass then at me and nodded. I signaled over a waiter.

"Just keep the drinks coming," I said. "For all of us."

Leigh turned around. "Except for me. I'm designated driver."

I gave Leigh a sympathetic look but she just laughed. "Hey, you and Leighanne deserve it. Neither of you are pregnant. I've had my wild nights already."

I remembered Ro's bachelorette party again. And the closet. With Howie. I smiled and leaned back in my seat.

"Hello, officer," Molly said. I turned my attention back to the stage. Leighanne went for her cellphone, but I pulled it away and slipped it down the front of my dress.

"Watch. It won't kill you."

If there's one thing that I would say has changed about me since I've been married to Nick, it would hands-down be my grip on sexuality. When I had been married to Hunter, intimate moments were few and far between. If I initiated anything I was turned down. Even when we did have sex, I could set my alarm clock for five minutes and we'd be done with three minutes to spare.

And then there was Nick...

I now had a newfound appreciation for the male body. As we watched Officer Nasty do his thing, I couldn't help but compare. I was pretty sure that if Nick had lived in the times of the great sculptors, people all over the world would be seeing his junk carved in ivory in museums all around the world today.

"He's a gay one," I heard Molly whisper. I looked over and laughed. She had three empty martini glasses in front of her. I was still babying my second.

"What?"

Molly pointed. "He's an ass man. We've seen way more of the back than the front. Not that it's not a nice back..."

I glanced over at Addy. She was keeping up with Molly in the martini department. She had a nice glazed smile over her face and her eyes weren't moving from the stage.

Officer Nasty finished up his set and we all ordered lunch. Drinking on an empty stomach was bad news.

"So Addy, where are you and Kev going on your honeymoon?"

Addy smiled. "He's taking me to Abaco Island in the Bahamas," she said with a smile.

"How'd he pick that?"

Addy started in on her next martini. "They have wild horses," she said. Her face was starting to get flushed; I couldn't tell whether it was the excitement or the alcohol.

"Going to start working on another Richardson baby to add to the mix?" Leighanne asked. Addy was mid-sip of her drink. She started to cough. Molly leaned over and slapped her on the back.

"Sorry!" Leigh said. Addy shook her head.

"No it's okay," she said. She looked over with a smile. "And yes. Kev would like more children."

"Just beware of the tour curse," Leigh said.

"Tour curse?" Molly asked.

I grinned. "No one gets pregnant during tour. No one."

"Why?"

I glanced over at Leighanne. She grinned and took a very proper, very Southern belle, sip of her drink. "The guys have a knack for interrupting each other's 'moments.'"

"On purpose?" Addy asked.

"Sometimes," I said.

"So you're telling me when they go on a two year tour that the busses never start rocking?" Molly said skeptically.

"Oh, no. They do. But it's like Backstreet bus birth control," Leigh said. "It just doesn't happen."

Molly snorted. "C'mon."

"It's going to be worse now," I added. "I mean, every single one of us is going to have a child on board the bus."

"Mason will be with Kristin for the summer," Addy said.

"Doesn't he start Kindergarten this year?" I asked. Addy nodded. "He already did. He got kicked out."

Leighanne snorted her drink. So much for lady-like. "What?"

Addy laughed. "He's smart; he's just rambunctious. The private school Kevin was having him go to didn't appreciate his humor. So I'm going to homeschool him on the road."

Leighanne and Addy jumped into a conversation about the benefits of homeschooling and tutors. Luckily our food arrived. Just as I was taking a bite of a cheeseburger that melted in my mouth, the music started again. Molly let out a loud finger whistle.

Through the course of the afternoon we saw a cowboy, a professor, a wizard (let me tell you, that was weird), and a rock star. Leigh actually stuck some bills into the Professor's little g-string. Molly was all over the rock star. I scooted back a clear distance while he did a little lap number for her.

"Gay?" I asked as he walked away. She shook her head.

"Totally straight."

Her face was almost as red as her hair. She had looked like she wanted to tear the guys undies off with her teeth. I must have looked amused because she drained her last martini and shrugged.

"I have a thing for musicians," she said.

"Oh really?" Leigh said.

"I happen to know an available musician..." Leighanne said.

Molly looked at all of us. We must have been cheesing it up really bad. I blame the alcohol.

"I don't mix business with pleasure," she said. "For Shelby's sake."

"You mean you haven't ever dated anyone?" Addy asked. Molly smirked.

"Just Mr. Wonderful."

"Who?"

Molly stood up and laughed. She teetered slightly in her heels. "Follow me girls."

Leigh had to help Addy out of her chair. The world suddenly seemed to spin for her. I smiled. I was holding my own with the liquor. Leighanne took my arm. Okay, so maybe I wasn't.

"Follow the leader," she whispered.

I laughed loudly.

---------------------------------

Molly had walked out of Cocktails and across the street. I hadn't noticed it when we had come in, but there was a porn store right across the street. We all walked in, trying to smother giggles, but failing miserably.

The guy behind the counter looked like the only naked women he had ever seen in his life had been on DVD or in comic books. His eyes about fell out of his head when we all walked in.

"What are we do-oing here?" Addy asked. Molly smiled and held up a finger. She wove around a whole display of blowup dolls and headed towards the back wall. She held out her arms.

"Mr. Wonderful."

It was wall to wall vibrators and dildos.

Now, I have a feeling that before the alcohol, Leighanne and Addy would have walked right out. Instead Addy walked right up to a big black dildo, her mouth agape. The thing looked like it weighed about twenty pounds.

"Team lift?" Leigh asked. We all laughed hysterically.

Molly started to give everyone an educational lesson about the best vibrators. Waterproof, rabbit...you name it. I found myself wandering off. Leighanne tagged behind me. We stopped at a display of edibles. I picked up a candle. Edible massage oil candle in cherry.

As I read the back (don't ask me why, all the words were blurring horribly), I saw Leigh run by with a flash of red.

"What are those?" I called. She stopped.

"Satin Wrist Cuffs in red," she said. "Howie loves red."

I rolled my eyes.

I was convinced that Leighanne wasn't going to find anything. I was pretty sure she was just going to tag along with me.

But then we got to the clothes racks. Addy caught up with us. She leaned against me. I could tell she was going to be down for the count before the sun set.

"These clothes are defective," she said.

"No, they're supposed to be topless and crotchless," I explained. "That's the point."

"You need something for your honeymoon," Leighanne said.

Even though she was drunk, Addy still skipped over anything crotchless or topless. She ended up with a silky one piece in dark blue.

"Guys, you've got to look at this!"

Leigh sounded like she was about ready to burst. Leighanne grabbed a skimpy number that I knew would require Brian to go to confession every day of his life and we followed the sound of Leigh's voice.

She was crouched down and she looked like Christmas had come early.

"Vibrating boxer briefs for men with wireless remotes."

I stared at her like she was crazy. Molly was standing behind Leigh grinning; obviously she had been privy to the plan.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"We each need to buy a pair and give them as a gift to the guys," she said. "Not now. Save them for the first concert of the tour."

Now I was really confused.

"Why?"

Addy started to laugh. I felt really dumb. Even sweet Addy got it.

"Because," Leigh said. We give them good luck undies to wear and while they're on stage we start jamming on the wireless remotes. I want to see the look on Howie's face while he's trying to hold a falsetto and Mr. Caliente gets stroked."

I think Leighanne and I 'got it' at the exact same time. I laughed. Then I laughed harder.

"Wait. Mr. Caliente?"

Leigh rolled her eyes. "It's what I have to live with. C'mon, let's each pick out a pair."

I knelt down next to her. I picked out Celtics green. Leighanne got the blue. Leigh got red. Addy got black. I turned at looked at Molly.

"Pick one out for AJ."

She laughed. "No way."

"C'mon."

"I'm not giving my boss underwear."

I was kind of hoping that by the time tour started, they would have moved on from the whole 'boss / nanny' thing. From what Nick had told me, that was AJ's plan at least. I picked out a pair of tiger stripes and tossed them to her.

"Trust me, he'll love those."

By the time we were done at the store, we each left with a bag full of stuff. I had a feeling the guys were going to forgive us for leaving them with the kids.

"You know," Leigh said as we got back in the bus. "It's still early. Addy, is there anyplace in your town where we can all go and down some more drinks? Someplace that doesn't require me driving the bus?"

Addy looked thoughtful...or maybe just on the verge of puking. Finally she smiled.

"There's a liquor store right outside town. And I know just the place to have some drinks..."

I don't know why, but I smelled trouble. But it wasn't a bad thing. I was married to Nick after all. And he was trouble.

In fact, I love trouble.