"Click this little computer and VOILA!"Brian yelled jumping in the air as his MAC laptop finally connected to a surrounding wireless area. He stood up from his seat and she sat down replacing him.
"Thanks Bri."she said clicking on the AOL button. "Now get out of here they have been waiting on you for fifteen minutes to start soundcheck."she said pushing him so he would leave. She shut the door behind him as he walked out and nervously turned back to the computer. As she typed in her username and password she contemplated even opening the video chat invitation. She didn't want to even appear to be nervous to him... he would know something was up. She took in a deep breath as she opened the invitation.
***
"You look beautiful."Josh said in his Marine Core get up. He appeared to be talking to her inside a brown tent of some kind.
"You look tired."she said and smiled as he put his hand up to the screen. She put hers up to simulate them touching and he smiled back at her.
"A little bit...it's just hot as hell here."he said and sighed as he picked up his hat off of his head to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He replaced his hat and looked back up at her. "I miss you though."
"I miss you too."she said noticing he was looking behind her checking out her surroundings. There were boys clothes strewn everywhere.
"Where are you? It looks weird."he asked nervously.
"Backstage at a Backstreet Boys concert..."she said and he chuckled. "You know my aunt Leighanne, she asked me to come and visit to babysit her son while she went to LA so here I am."she said turning the camera around the room so he could see everything. He looked confused. She hadn't fully explained the connection between her Brian and Leighanne to him because she didn't want him to see her as a Backstreet Boy's niece.
"I've been gone for three weeks and you go on tour with the Backstreet Boys!"he said laughing.
"I'm just babysitting."she said rolling her eyes.
"I know...well I gotta get going soon I know we haven't talked for long. They're strict on time limits, but I love you."he said as she turned around as the door opened behind her.
"Hey I forgot to tell you...oh shit sorry."AJ said seeing the guy in the Marine suit glaring at him through the computer screen. Caroline's heart jumped into her throat. She was afraid AJ would say something to concern Josh.
"Tell me what?"she asked daringly looking up at him as he fumbled through some clothes on the floor.
"Nothing..."he said and shrugged. "Meet me at 12."he said and walked out of the room shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Meet him where at 12?"Josh asked jealously. He had always been that way about other guys talking to her even though he had no reason to be, sadly though, this time he did.
"Nothing dont worry I just have to meet him to pick up Baylee."she lied. He didn't buy it and she knew it. "I love you. Talk to you soon."she said and waved as he disconnected.
--New York City the next day --
"So what were you going to tell me yesterday?"she asked as they had stopped walking along the Hudson Bay to look at the Statue of Liberty.
"Just that I had a good time, that's all."he said and she smiled as she looked up at him.
"And today?"she asked laughing.
"Even better."he said looking down at her. He put his hand on the side of her face and smiled at her. It was hard to see his face through his black hood pulled over his black DC hat. His face continued to get closer as their noses touched. She turned away quickly as their lips barely touched. She couldn't bring herself to willingly cheat on someone, as much as she wanted to kiss AJ. She just couldn't.
"I'm sorry."she said as he looked away from her. She could tell her was really disappointed.
"It's fine. Let's just get back."he said. He was mad about the rejection, but she couldn't help it. The cab ride back to the hotel was awkward and quiet.
"Hey! We were just going swimming come on...its all you can drink on Brian!"Nick said pulling Brian into a headlock as they walked into the penthouse the boys were staying in.
"I thought you don't drink."Caroline said looking over at AJ.
"Moderation."he said pushing past her walking into his bedroom.
"Something go wrong on your date?"Brian asked walking towards her in his swim trunks followed closely by Baylee.
"It wasn't a date."Caroline said walking into the bathroom to change. She walked out a few minutes later with a towel around her waist. SHe wasn't that comfortable with her body so she could think of nothing worse then swimming with the Backstreet Boys.
"Sorry about earlier."AJ said wading over to her handing her a drink as they all had started swimming. "It's not my place."
"Is this poisoned?"she asked and he rolled his eyes while laughing.
"Unfortunately not."he said taking his drink all in one gulp.
"Moderation huh?"she asked narrowing her eyebrows. She still was not sure about his drinking. She remembered the Oprah episode with him after rehab quite fondly.
"I haven't drank in like a million years. I think I can have a few."he said. He was actually unsure, but she was making him crazy and he needed to loosen up.
"Ever heard of relapse?"she said smartly and he rolled his eyes as he was hit in the face with a volleyball.
"Are ya'll playing or what?"Brian asked as him, Nick and Baylee waited on the other side of the pool volleyball net.
2 Hours Later:
"You're drunk."Caroline said sitting in the hottub between an EXTREMELY drunk Nick and an eve drunker recovering alcoholic AJ.
"I'm not babe...you don't know what you're talking about."he said putting his arm around her. Nick was slowly but surely passing out next to them.
"I do know what I'm talking about. You can't even hold our eyes open."she said laughing as he tried to open them wide with his fingers.
"I can keep my eyes closed for this."he said and pressed his lips lightly to hers.
"I can't."she said and pulled away from him. She wasn't as drunk as he was she thought.
"No babe...you can."he said and put his hand on the side of her face. He pulled his hat up just a little bit and put his lips to hers again. He lifted her up out of the water a little bit so she could straddle him as he continued to make out with her. As he rubbed his hands up her back he pulled her hair so he could kiss down her neck. She cautiously put her hands down his pans to feel his hard on. To be short, he wasn't small. Nick stirred beside them but AJ untied her top anyways kissing her chest.
"WHOA!"Brian said walking into the poolroom. Caroline hopped off of AJ fast and covered her face embarrassed.
"DAMN what did I miss?"Nick said slowly waking up smiling as he noticed she was shirtless.
"STOP LOOKING YOU PERV!"she yelled covering her chest with her arms. AJ was laughing his ass off.
"I mean there just..."Nick said laughing hysterically.
"Here."Brian said shaking his head as he handed her a towel. AJ hopped out behind her and pulled a towel around his waist. "Told you."Brian said laughing at the two of them.
"Shut up!"she said walking past him towards the bathroom.
"What in the hell am I doing?"she said quietly to herself as she looked in the mirror. She dried off quickly and put on her clothes as someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?"she asked stumbling over herself. She was a little more drunk than she originally thought.
"It's me."a deep raspy voice said on the other side. She cracked the door and leaned against the wall looking through the crack. "I'm sorry."he said raising his eyebrows while slightly smiling.
"For what?"she was not fully comprehending everything at the moment and neither was he.
"Come stay in my room."he said ignoring her question. The truth was he didn't know why he was apologizing, she had jumped on his lap.
"Why would I do that?"she said opening the door wider.
"Because you're drunk and you need someone to take care of you."he said.
"Are you sure its not the other way around?"she asked smiling.
"Come on we can order a movie or something."he said pulling her out of the bathroom. He put his arm around her to help her into his bedroom. Everything was quiet as they plopped down on his bed.
"I'm not supposed to be doing this."she said leaning back on the headboard thinking about Josh.
"This is right."he said squeezing her hand. It had been a long time since someone had really held her hand like he was. It was hard to explain, but she kinda got a rush from it. "This is right."he repeated and picked up the remote from the bedside table.
"HELL YEA!"she said as he passed ABC and she grabbed the remote from him to turn it back.
"God I love you!"he said making her laugh as he realized his favorite show in the world, Lost, was on.
"I like Jin and Sun's story."she said looking over at him.
"I like Charlie."he said showing her his painted nails.
"Is that why you do that?"she asked. They were all black with the pinkies painted red like the characters on the show.
"He reminds me of myself."he said looking over at her.
"I guess I could see that."she said pulling down his hat over his eyes. "Take this off already."she said.
"No I got bad hair."he said laughing.
"So...I don't care."she said snatching it off his head to reveal his receeding hairline.
"Come on."he said trying to get it back from her.
"No I think it's sexy."she said scooting closer to him as he wrapped her in a hug.
"I think you're sexy."he said. She rolled her eyes and laughed as he kissed her quickly. AJ reached for the remote. They had caught the tail end of the episode and he was getting tired. He switched off the television and leaned back in the bed.
"What are we doing?"she asked after a few minutes of laying there.
"What do you mean?"he asked leaning up on his arm to look at her.
"I mean this...I mean I am getting married...this was just me being the girl of the night right?"she asked and she could tell she offended him by the look on his face.
"You know I am almost 31 years old. Brian, Howie and Kevin are all married...two of them have kids, I feel like I am behind you know and for once someone it felt like got along with me other just agreeing with me to fuck me you know...I don't know babe what we're doing. I don't care really. I know I like being with you and I haven't felt this way in a while...that's all I need to know."he said and kissed her forhead.
"Me too."she said as she layed her head on his chest. "My head is spinning."she said closing her eyes to stop the room from moving.
"Cause your drunk."he said laughing at her.
"I'm.......not...."she said slowly. After a few minutes of silence he looked over at her. She had fallen asleep.
Author's Chapter Notes:
The love saga Begins...
