“Come on guys, we need a video to go with the song. I want your input” Howie tried to get everyone’s attention, but seemed to be failing miserably. AJ was too busy tweeting random photos of himself, Nick and Kevin were messing around with the keyboard and Brian…well Brian wasn’t even there, something about having to model for the new Wylee catalogue. He wasn’t too far away though, as he and Leighanne were staying in their LA home whilst recording was going on.

“As long as we aren’t filming a friggin video in the snow, I’m easy” Nick replied, proving that he had been listening after all.

“Fuck no, I agree with that! And baby monkee is due soon, so I need to be near home, or within easy reach” AJ pointed the phone at the others, likely to make another of his Twitter videos.

“It won’t look very Christmassy filming a video in the LA sun though” Howie almost pouted. He was keen to make a traditional Christmas video, possibly with the five of them in patterned sweaters, sipping hot chocolate near a roaring fire whilst thick flakes of snow fell outside the log cabin they were staying in. He could actually picture how good that would look. He sighed. Maybe he’d record his own Christmas song one day, maybe he’d even be skiing in the video.

“Well I aint freezing my balls off in the Rocky Mountains again like we did all those years ago” Nick shook his head at Howie. He could still remember how cold he’d been.

“It was so fucking cold, mine disappeared!” AJ recalled. He hated the cold and shuddered at the thought of spending a day or two filming in sub-zero temperatures.

“Okay, okay, so we won’t go anywhere as cold…but come on guys, we need a festive theme”

“Let’s get out of here and grab something to eat, I can’t think on an empty stomach” Kevin stood and stretched. They’d been in the studio yet again, working on more songs for the new album. The amount they’d already recorded was enough to fill about four albums, so they hoped they’d be onto a winner this time.

“Now that’s an idea I do like!” Nick grinned, “what about sushi?”

“Sounds good” Kevin, AJ and Howie agreed.

“I’ll give Brian a call, see if he’s finished modelling those fugly scarves and shit” Nick grinned “he can meet us there”

An hour and a half later, the five of them were sitting around a table, eating sushi and sipping sake. Ideas were finally flowing, as was the alcohol.

“Howie wants a snowy video, but we don’t want to freeze our asses off, so what are we gonna do?” Nick asked.

“How about we aren’t even in the video at all?” Brian mused.

“And how would that work? The fans would not be too happy to watch a Backstreet video with no Backstreet Boys in it!” Kevin looked at his cousin, wondering what was going through his head.

“We could be cartoon characters” AJ exclaimed.

“And what would these cartoon characters be doing? Throwing snowballs and sipping hot drinks by the fire…we can do that for real!” Howie said, still keen to make the video of his choice.

“No D, we can’t, but our cartoon selves can!” Brian took AJ’s side.

“If we’re gonna get really creative, we need more to drink!” Howie suggested and ordered a couple of bottles of wine.

The night wore on and the boys certainly did get creative.

Not only had they decided to be cartoon characters, but they were having the snowy scene with the five of them dressed in matching clothes and singing carols and snowball fights.

“Can we have anime people too?” AJ asked. He’d had a couple of drinks, but knew his limit these days.

“Sure, why not, the more suggestions the better right!” Howie wrote it down on the notepad he had in front of him.

More drinks were consumed.

“And I want to be a pirate sailing the high seas” Kevin laughed “like Captain Jack Sparrow”

Howie scribbled it down.

Nick began singing “I’m Taking Off” and then announced that he was going to be in a rocket, with his spacesuit on.

“Can I be Santa?” Brian asked.

“As long as you’re not delivering Wylee shit to all the boys and girls!” Nick said under his breath, and then fell about in fits of giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Brian asked “I’d make a good Santa!”

“Yes you would” Kevin agreed and gave Nick ‘the look’, whilst Howie carried on writing it all down.

“Skiing…I want to be skiing” Howie added to the mix.

“Me too” Kevin said. The pair of them had been on many skiing holidays over the years with their wives.

“Can we fit in some Victorian London?” AJ asked.

“I don’t see why not” Howie agreed and wrote it down.

More drinks were consumed.

“So let me see, so far we’ve got cartoon characters of us, pirates, rockets, Santa, skiing, Victorian London…”

“Can we have gingerbread men?” Brian asked.

“…and gingerbread men…”

“Gingerbread houses in the sky!” AJ blurted out and drained his glass.

“…and those too” Howie scribbled.

“Floating on clouds and candy canes?” Brian queried.

“Why not” Howie jotted it down.

By now, the boys had what they thought was going to be the most epic video ever.

“Is that it?” Howie asked, his speech not so clear after having drunk quite a few glasses of wine.

“Pandaskunks!” Nick shouted.

“What the fuck?” AJ asked.

“Panda-skunk” Nick attempted to pronounce the word more clearly.

“What the hell is a pandaskunk?” Brian asked.

“Duh…it’s a cross between a panda and skunk…make that a flying pandaskunk!” Nick corrected.

Howie scrawled it down.

It was getting very late and one by one, the boys began to say their goodbyes. Howie closed the notepad and slipped it into his jacket pocket then he and Nick grabbed a cab back to Nick’s place (where Howie often stayed when in LA).

The following morning, Howie woke with a horrific hangover and could hardly remember the night before…until he came across the notepad full of ideas.

“How much did we drink?” he asked himself as he laughed at some of the things he’d written down the previous night.

“Enough to come up with one hell of a video!” Nick exclaimed.

Luckily the others agreed when they met up later that afternoon.