“I’m just saying I feel sorry for the kid,” Kevin was saying as he buttoned his shirt in the dressing room. “He didn’t have a childhood, and the only dating he’s ever done is on tour with backup dancers and other celebrities. He obviously likes the girl, and I think you should give him a break.”

“Thanks dad.” Howie grinned and rolled his eyes. “Any girls you’re liking?”

“I like girls, yeah.” Kevin shrugged nonchalantly and continued getting dressed. “By the way, is everything ready for tonight after the show? Cake, balloons, flowers, and all that?”

“Yeah, it’s all taken care of. Em is really going to be surprised, I think.” Howie continued to smile at Kevin. “You know she told me the other day that she always dreamed of having a surprise birthday party thrown in her honor, and here you are doing it for her. It’s really nice, Kevin.”

“She told me that too. That’s why I’m doing it.”

“Kevin and Emily, sittin’ in a tree....” Brian interjected, popping his head up between the two of them.

“Shut up, Brian.” Kevin turned away from him and began changing pants.

“K-i-s-s-i-n-g.....” Howie rolled his eyes and walked out.

Kevin’s eyes’ flared and he grabbed Brian by the scruff of his neck. “I said shut it.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh.” Brian held his hands up in surrender. “Who peed in your Cheerios this morning?”

“She just turned 19 today, and I’m 26. We’re better off friends. Plus, Kristin called today.”

“Oh.” Brian’s eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t think you two were together anymore.”

“We’re not.” Kevin shrugged. “But she’s going to meet up with us in Prague then ride with us to Berlin. A friend she met in New York when she auditioned for the Rockettes is studying abroad there and she’s going to visit with her for a few days.”

“So, if the two of you aren’t together, why isn’t she going straight to Berlin?”
Brian had a valid point there, and Kevin wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to explain his relationship with Kristin to his cousin without being preached at.

“My relationship with Kris is complicated. We’re.....friends.”

“With benefits?” Brian asked in amusement. Kevin shook his head and walked away. He had him there.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked into the green room after the show. Balloons, streamers, and vases of colorful flower arrangements seemed to adorn every surface and a large ice cream cake covered a small round table in the center of the room. All five Backstreet Boys, as well as the band and most of the tour employees exclaimed “Surprise!” loudly. It felt like something out of a movie when Kevin dropped an arm around my shoulders and stooped down to kiss me quickly on the cheek. “Happy Birthday,” he said with a wink.

After mingling, eating cake, and opening a few small gifts, Kevin walked me back to my room. “I can’t thank you enough for tonight, Kevin. It was really awesome,” I breathed as I slid the keycard in the door and pushed it open. “You coming in?” I asked. “The other girls agreed to give me my own room for the night, it being my birthday and all.”

He smiled. “I’d love to.” As I sauntered towards the bathroom, pulling bobby pins out of my hair as I went along, his hands fell heavy onto my hips and he spun me around to face him. His lips dropped onto my nose lightly.

“Dance with me.” He commanded.

“What? Kevin, there’s no music.” I tried to wiggle away from him but he kept his hands firmly planted on my hips.

“So? Dance with me.”

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He began to sway slightly. “Okay, we’re dancing, but still there’s no music. Maybe we should...” An index finger fell onto my lips.

“Shh. Dance with me.”

“Kevin this is weird.....” He smirked and bent down so that his forehead touched mine and began to sing.

“I know it’s late. I know you’re weary.
I know your plans don’t include me.
Still here we are now. Both of us lonely.
We’ve got tonight, babe. Why don’t you stay?”

His voice vibrated lightly on my face and I sighed as both of our grips tightened around each other. He chuckled slightly and went into the second verse. By the third verse, his lips were practically touching mine and I could nearly feel every movement, and by the time he’d finished, he’d pinned me against the wall. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he breathed heavily.

“Um, okay.” I squeaked, but my mind was reeling. Okay? He says he’s going to kiss you and the only response you can come with is okay? You’re such a dork, Em. I thought to myself. Before I could say anything else, his lips were on mine, his tongue was in his mouth, and his hands were in my hair. He pulled me away from the wall and pressed his body up against mine as he turned my back away from the wall and walked me towards the bed. I stumbled gracelessly over clothes, shoes, and my half-empty suitcase, but his arms held tightly to my waist and he held me upright until the backs of my knees hit the mattress. He fell on top of me and continued to make out with me for the next several minutes, but it never went any further than that. When we pulled away from each other, out lips swollen and our hair and clothes a mess, he dropped a kiss onto my shoulder and said “Happy Birthday and good-night.” I was little taken aback by this given the song he’d just sung to me, but knew I still wasn’t ready for him to really “spend the night,” so to speak, so also found it terribly romantic. The next morning, we traveled on to Prague, and that was where the rug was swept out from under me.