We were all sitting in AJ’s living room, trying to pick a movie.

“Lethal Weapon?” AJ suggested.

Diana gave a thumbs down.

Diana and Howie were curled up on the love seat. Natasha was in the middle of the couch, saving one of the seats for AJ, but not being specific about which one, so Brian and I were on the floor, leaning against one of the cushions, his arm around me.

“Pulp Fiction?”

“AJ, we’re not watching that again!” Brian threw a piece of popcorn at him. “I know it’s your favorite movie, but give it a rest!”

“Man, I swear, if you get butter on my carpet…” AJ picked the piece up. Laughter erupted.

“Maybe we should go with Armageddon and have the tissues ready in case you start crying. Living alone has you in touch with your feminine side,” Howie grinned. Although kidding, Diana perked up.

“I love that movie! Do you have it?”

AJ groaned and started to shake his head.

“Yeah, he does,” Natasha got up and found it on his DVD shelf. “It’s one of my faves.” Without waiting to hear anyone else’s vote, she slipped it into the DVD player. Having watched this movie recently, I wasn’t keen on another viewing so soon, but I kept my mouth shut. My presence here alone was enough to aggravate Natasha. I didn’t really care anymore, though. I’d been nothing but nice to her, and where had it gotten me?

“Can you move your leg a little?” I put an overdose of sugar in my voice and smiled.

“Huh?” Natasha said.

“You’re kicking our cushion.” Still smiling.

She stopped, begrudgingly. Soon, however, I was the one receiving an occasional “accidental” kick instead of the cushion. The third time it happened, I spoke up again.

“Could you not do that, please?”

“Do what?” Natasha feigned innocence.

“You’re kicking…”

“Look, I don’t have enough room. I can’t control where my leg goes!” she said, getting annoyed. “Do you want the couch?” She was being sarcastic, not to mention rhetorical, but I jumped through the window of opportunity.

With the same sweetness in my voice, I said, “How nice of you! That would be wonderful.” I quickly stood up and pulled Brian with me. I left the cushion in the floor, for her to use if she chose to, and as she leaned forward, trying to figure out what I was doing, I moved that cushion from behind her to our side of the couch. I sat down, and Brian followed suit. Now squished, Natasha stood up, fuming.

Stuttering, she looked around trying to figure out how exactly that had just happened. She glared at me, but I stared at the screen, grinning, pretending to be oblivious. I wasn’t going to give her the chance to try to weasel her way back onto the couch. Finally, Natasha resigned herself to the floor, moving her cushion in front of a bewildered AJ and leaning against his legs, arms crossed.

I dared a glance at Brian. He had an astonished look on his face, but the hint of a smile was evident; he was impressed. I put my head on his shoulder, and we continued to watch the movie.

A little while later, Howie complained of being out of popcorn. Diana offered to pop some more, so I decided to help her. I was ready for a break from sitting on the couch so long.

“So… I take it you don’t get along well with Natasha,” Diana said, once we were safely in the kitchen. She rummaged around some cabinets until she found a box of popcorn, and put another packet in the microwave.

“You realized that, huh? I was trying so hard to hide it.”

We laughed.

“She’s hated me from the start,” I said. “I can’t really figure out why. I would love to know how I’m supposedly trying to steal her man.”

“She definitely wasn’t ready to join my fan club when we first met, but she warms up to you… a little. Well, maybe not you,” she laughed again. “I can’t say I ever beat her at her own game.”

“We both know you’re too nice for that. At least you won’t have to worry about her making a voodoo doll of` you or something… I guess I’d better watch my back,” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know what he sees in her.”

Diana poured the popcorn into the bowl and started to smile. “I”ll give you a hint.” She pointed at her chest.

We were still cracking up when we reached the living room. Diana was handing Howie the bowl when he asked if she’d remembered his soda.

“How can she remember what you never told her?” I shook my head. “I’ve got it. Anyone else?”

“Ooh, ooh, me! Pick me!” Brian waved him arm like an eight year old.

What a goofball. But an adorable goofball, I thought.

I pulled a 2-liter out of the refrigerator. The only glasses I could find were in the sink. “AJ, do you ever do dishes?” I called.

He appeared a few seconds later. “Umm… every year or two. Let’s see.” AJ pulled out some plastic cups from the pantry. “These are clean.” He blew some dust off the top one. “Mostly.”

“Wow. I don’t even know what to say.” I poured two glasses of Coke, a third when AJ asked where his was, and a glass of water for me. I set the now empty soda bottle next to the sink and turned around to help carry the cups, not knowing that AJ was reaching over me to set a dirty plate on top of the pile already mounting in the sink. I bumped into him. He stepped backwards and his hand sought the island to stay upright, but he only managed to knock over my cup of water. It splashed to the floor, and he slipped, now grabbing me for support. I was still in the process of turning around, so AJ knocked me off balance, and I fell with him, landing halfway on top of him.

My arm was a little sore from being tugged, but the situation was too amusing for me to be upset.

“What is with you Backstreet Boys always falling? I’m surprised any of you can stay upright long enough to dance!”

AJ then remembered the night I’d met Brian, too. “What can I say, August? We can’t help but fall for you.”

“Right,” I pushed on his chest as I stood up.

Only to find Natasha standing over me. To make matters worse, Brian was behind her.

AJ hopped up. “Tasha, babe, it’s not…”

“Just shut up,” she did a “talk to the hand” motion worthy of Cher in Clueless.

After sending me a death look, she stormed out of the kitchen.

Guess there was a zero percent chance she’d ever warm up to me now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So… they walked in to find you lying on top of AJ?” Carmen asked. “And I thought I was the one with the hot date last night! One Backstreet Boy not enough for you?”

We were sitting on the balcony the next night.

“No, not when there are five of them… and I’m going after Nick next,” I joked.

“What did Brian have to say?”

“When AJ ran off to apologize to Natasha and try to explain, I started to do the same, and Brian just laughed. They’d both heard what AJ had said, but since Brian actually got the joke…” I trailed off.

“Well, once Natasha knows what it was in reference to,” Carmen began.

“Then she’ll still hold it over his head.”

“Yeah, your right.”

“So what happened with Nick?”

“We had a good time,” she said. “He’s a fun guy.”

“Did you do anything after getting coffee?”

“Just walked around. Guess it was past the bedtimes of his tween following,” Carmen laughed. “No one bothered us… Well, a paparazzi dude took our picture.”

“Nuh-uh. Are you serious?”

“Maybe I’ll be in a tabloid.” She laughed as soon as she said it.

“Look at us, leading interesting lives!” I said.

She nodded, leaning back in her chair. I could tell she was daydreaming about Nick.

“Anything else happen?”

“Well, I don’t kiss and tell…” she smiled.

I couldn’t refrain from going “aww.”

“I think we’re going to lunch tomorrow. If he has time.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Brian printed me off a tour schedule. Do you want to see it?”

She followed me to my room. I’d left my TV on. Friends was about to come on. They were dancing in the fountain and the theme song was playing. I grabbed my purse from behind my door and pulled out the tour date list. After handing the paper to her, I noticed her staring past me.

What?”

“You took down your poster.”

“Oh. Yeah. That’s been down.”

“Since when?”

“Since Brian and I made up from out fight.”

If he’d gotten so angry over me buying that book, I shuddered to think about what he’d say if he ever saw a Backstreet Boys poster. That there was ever a time that I thought I could casually bring it up was unbelievable. I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it.; the hurt from his last relationship was too evident. And we had been doing so well apart from the one issue, I didn’t want to spoil it. Maybe there would come a day when I could tell him…

But I didn’t plan to any time soon. I’d stuffed my poster, VHS, and CDs in the closet. As far as I was concerned, I was a girlf… well, friend, at least, first and fan second.