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Chapter 4: An unpleasant meeting


Leighanne had gotten him to stay up just in time to be in time for the meeting. He now felt even more tired and exhausted like this morning.

As Brian left their room he met Doc Martin on the hallway.

“Hey Brian, how are we doing?” Doc Martin greeted him with a warm smile.

He had always liked Brian. He was one of those persons who wouldn’t thought that they were dying when they were having the flue. His health was an important part of his life. It had to be. He lived his life in a healthy way, but he never pushed it to far.

“I’m doing fine besides of being really tired. Haven’t had really much sleep with Baylee puking all the time” Brian explained.

“Leighanne already told me. I’m gonna have a look at him right now. He’ll be fine within no time” Doc Martin assured.

“I know. I trust you as you full well know” Brian nodded and made his way to the elevator.

The elevator-doors where just about to close when AJ came out of his room and screamed for him to keep them open. He closed up his door and jogged towards the elevator.

“Thanks man. I surely would have been late. No good” AJ smiled.

“I realized that” Brian said with a smile.

“I heard Doc Martin on the hallway. Are you okay?” AJ was a little concerned.

He took a good look at Brian and saw how pale he seemed to be.

“I’m fine. Baylee´s sick. He has a fever and has vomited the whole night trough” Brian replied.

“Oh I’m sorry. That’s why you were late this morning?” AJ began to understand.

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have been. I’m sorry for spoiling your free noon” Brian said letting his head hang once again.

“It’s okay. I was planning on spending it in front of the TV. You might have saved my eyes” AJ joked.

Brian smiled. AJ seemed to be the only one how seemed to care about him anymore. He was acting totally normal. It felt good that there was somebody who didn´t blame him for all the worse in the world.

They stepped out into the business hallway of the hotel and headed for the conference room Kevin had rented. As expected Kevin, Nick and Howie already were there. This conference room was much smaller than the one they met in this morning.
Brian sat down and AJ choose the chair on the opposite of the table.

“Okay I think we can start than” Kevin announced than.

They all nodded.

“What happened this morning was unprofessional. We had to wait for over an hour an than had to start without you, Brian. What do you think the Management of this Producing-Company is thinking of us? We are not beginners. We should act like professionals right know” Kevin started.

“I know” Brian said simply. He felt sick to his stomach although he hadn’t been eating all day. He was so damn tired.

“You know? Well that’s fantastic. Why haven’t you been on time then?” Howie sneered.

Brian was stunned. Howie normally never talked like that. Why were they making such a big deal out of it?

“I said I was sorry” Brian said frustrated.

“Being sorry isn’t enough anymore Brian. Hanson was furious. He wanted to rip your head off. I said that bringing a Backstreet Boy without head on stage wouldn’t help either” Kevin snapped.

He didn’t wanted to be funny, but AJ, Nick and Howie were laughing lout.

Brian again wasn’t laughing at all. Kevin’s statement had some facts in it that were hitting him like a slap.
A sorry wasn’t enough anymore? What did he want to hear? That Baylee and Leighanne were going home to Atlanta? That he would go one with the tour without them.
And bringing a Backstreet Boy without a head up the stage wouldn’t help either? Brian knew that they couldn’t really treat him to do anything. They couldn’t go on without him. Could they? They just needed him up one stage? Than why weren’t they leaving him alone while not performing?

“We once again will have to talk about you have Bay….” Kevin started to say what Brian had him expected to.

“No!” Brian’s voice was calm. He had a headache forming.

“What?” Kevin was startled by Brian not letting him say what he wanted to say.

“No!” Brian repeated. A mayor headache.

“You’re not doing anything for this group. You spent all your time with your wife and son, you are not really working with us. We have to do everything” Nick exclaimed.

Brian felt how he began to pale. He was doing nothing? He remembered that only this morning he had left the side of his sick son and his wife to join a meeting which could have easily taken place without him or even any of them. He was totally shocked and frustrated. He was feeling way to sick to get angry, he just felt disappointed by all of them. But suddenly by AJ the most. He did know about Baylee. He knew what his family meant to him. He knew how he had fought with himself about rejoining the group.

He just looked at AJ, hoping that he would maybe now after all say something. But AJ kept silent, looking down at the table they where sitting at.

“Okay, I can do this. I do whatever they want me to” Brian gave up on hoping for AJ´s help.

“What do you want me to do?” Brian said, again dead calm, not looking at anybody.

“Since Nick and I have been writing the video for JWYTK and have to help the new director along and Howie is gonna help AJ re-plan the live-performance of the song to match with the video more, you should care about the public appearances. With means interviews, shows and all stuff. We can’t all be going all the time” Kevin stated.

“The public stuff?” Brian asked unbelieving

Of course this was what took most of the time. It meant constantly traveling and doing shows. They used to share the work, but one alone? That wasn´t possible.

“Yeah right. Hanson´s gonna give you your schedule” Kevin sneered again.

Brian looked around the first time. All accept AJ seemed to be alright with this. AJ looked uncomfortable with the idea of Brian doing all the stuff they barely were able to do on five.

“And you have to pay a forfeit of $10.000 for being late for a meeting” Kevin added.

$10.000? He couldn’t have cared less.

“That means one shopping less for you wife I guess” Nick grinned.

It wasn’t a nice grin. It was evil. He meant it the way Brian understood it. Couldn’t he leave her alone? Nick never really liked Leighanne. Brian never knew why. She was kind to him as to anybody else.

After that they finished the meeting. Brian was feeling like crap. And it had nothing to do with the things with were said in the meeting. He rushed to the next restroom and barely made it in time. There wasn’t much in his stomach to be thrown up, so Brian collapsed next to the toilet in that little cabin and just cried. He needed this relief right now. This was all so unfair.