Twenty Seven

~ Fort Lauderdale, FL… Day Three… Concert Two ~

Kevin’s warning about the fans definitely was something that AJ and I needed to think about. We hadn’t thought about keeping our relationship under wrap since in Orlando we hadn’t been shy about PDA’s. But on tour it was a whole different world. I knew that once the news about our dating was public knowledge that I would surely be faced with some opposition. I didn’t think that it would happen by the third day of the tour though.

I woke up early for some reason, probably still on a high from the night before, and slid out of bed to the shower. Fifteen minutes later I'd left the suite, AJ snoring adorably curled up with my pillow, and explored the hotel. It’s amazing how quiet hotels can be early in the morning compared to at night with all of the screaming teenies running rampant through the building hoping for a glimpse of the Boys. Marcus would have kicked my ass had he known that I was wandering the building without security, but I figured that it was still early enough in the tour and I was fine. Armed with one of my smallest cameras that could fit into the pocket of my AJ inspired baggy jeans, one of his oversized tees and a baseball cap; I wasn’t exactly attracting much attention.

As I stepped into the lobby I giggled at the heap of girls who’d been in the lobby all night and had fallen asleep on the couches. I quickly snapped a picture and looked at the young man behind the front desk who I’d spoken with the night before. "Morning…" he smiled.

"Morning, Ben," I smiled back as I stepped to the desk and leaned on it. "I’m surprised you let them stay…"

"They fell asleep about an hour ago. They’ve been here all night. I only had to warn them once to calm down. I think it was when they realized that a few of the guys were in the bar."

I laughed, "Too young to follow them in though huh?"

"Basically…"

I smiled looking at the girls again, "Do you know if they’ve been to a concert or are going tonight?"

"Actually they’re hanging out here because they didn’t get tickets to the show. That’s kind of why I gave them pity and let them stay even though I’m not supposed to."

"You’re sweet…" I smiled as I reached into my pocket of goodies. "Do me a favor?"

"Sure…"

I pulled out four meet and greet passes for that evenings show and leaned over the counter grabbing a piece of paper from the desk scribbling a note on it. "When they wake up, give them these. This will get them into the meet and greet tonight and I’ll make sure that they get great seats for the show."

"Wow… they’re going to love you."

I smiled, "Yeah, whatever… I know all too well what it’s like to sit in a lobby waiting for just a glimpse."

"Very cool…" he smiled looking at the passes and slipping them into an envelope for me.

I started to turn away but then stopped and smiled, "You a fan too?"

He grinned and laughed, "I try not to let that get around much…"

"Closet fan, huh?" I asked with a smile. I pulled two more passes from my pocket and handed them to him, "For being so sweet to the fans… and to all of us."

"Oh you don’t have to do this, ma’am… I…"

I reached out and touched his hand gently, "First of all, I know I don’t have to, but I want to. It’s a perk of the job. Second, I told you, never call me ma’am… It’s Kel.”

"Thank you, Kel…"

"Welcome, sweetie… I’ll see you at the meet and greet…" I turned to go and then spun around quickly to snap a candid picture of him grinning at the passes in his hand. I winked and laughed as he looked up at me, "Later, Ben…"

I made my way to the hotel’s restaurant and looked around. I started to move toward a small table in the corner when a familiar head of hair stopped me in my tracks. I took a double take and then walked over to his table with a smile. I sat down and shot him a grin, "Morning, Nickers…"

He looked at me and laughed, "Morning, AJ…"

I giggled and looked at my clothes, "Nah… I don’t have enough tattoos yet. What are you doing down here with no security this early in the morning?"

A waitress brought his breakfast and sat it down in front of him. He picked up a piece of sausage and smiled, "Eating breakfast…"

"No Corn Pop’s huh?"

"Nope. But they offered to go get me some…" he laughed.

"Would you like anything else, Mr. Carter?" the waitress gushed. Obnoxious flirting going on there.

"Well you could take my friend’s order…" he said with a cocky look. I held back a giggle.

"What would you like?" she sighed looking at me.

"Same as he’s having please. But add the biggest coffee you have along with the orange juice."

She scribbled my order down and walked away without another word. Nick and I waited until she was out of range and then cracked up, "She doesn’t like you…"

"Yeah well I’ve gotta get used to that now don’t I?" I asked and grabbed a fork and started eating his eggs.

"Unfortunately, yes. I sometimes wonder if the women with me get it the worst though."

I nodded, "Yeah they probably do. You’re the stud…"

Nick rolled his eyes, "Am not…"

"Oh please, Carter… you are and you know it. You just don’t let it go to your head, that’s a good thing."

He shook his head, "Well I don’t feel like the stud… I may know it, but I don’t feel like it."

"Trust me… you are…" I smiled.

He blushed, "Thanks… are you going to eat all of my food?"

I laughed, "We’re sharing. Mine will come out and you can eat half of it…"

Nick smiled, "You’re weird…"

"Everyone keeps telling me that…" I laughed. "It’s more fun that way."

"Being weird?" he laughed.

"No!" I giggled. "I meant sharing food. It’s more fun that way. But you know what?"

"Hmm?"

"It is more fun being weird too…"

Nick smiled and nodded, "Yeah it is."

We ate and talked finishing up both plates of food and going through way too much coffee. We were giggling like kids and picking on each other relentlessly. At one point I looked across the restaurant and then looked back to Nick, "Fans…"

"Yeah they were in here when you came in. I could see them trying to figure out if they were going to come over or not. So far they haven’t."

"I didn’t see them when I came in."

"You were blinded by my studlyness…" he laughed.

"Oh that’s right…" I groaned with a smile.

"They’ve been giving you the evil eye. I’ve been watching them."

I sighed, "What is it with teenage girls now a days? I’d never be like that when I was a teenager."

"Oh bullshit…" Nick laughed. "I’ve heard all about how you treated AJ the day you moved into his neighborhood."

I smiled, "Okay you’ve got me there. But I’d never do that to an adult. I’m like ten years older than those girls are. Oh my god I’m ten years older than those girls!"

Nick laughed, "You’re not old…"

"Thank you…" I smiled.

"I understand what you mean though. It’s just that whole possession thing. They sometimes think that they own us. Then when they see someone else with what they think is ‘theirs’ they lose it."

I nodded and glanced at the girls, they were definitely giving me the stare, "Yeah…"

"Try not to let it get to you. You’ve been around it before. There are more good fans around who will treat you good… think about them."

I took a deep breath and smiled, "You’re right. Did you see the bunch up front in the lobby asleep?"

"Yeah they were cute."

"I left them M&G passes for tonight. They weren’t going to go to a show at all."

"See?" he smiled.

"What?"

"Good fans…"

I laughed and nodded, "Yup…"

"Plus, I’ll be mean to the fans that aren’t nice to you. It’s all good."

"You got my back, homie?"

"Sho nuff…" he giggled.

My cell phone rang and I jumped, "Whoa…"

Nick laughed, "Too much coffee for you, you’re getting jumpy."

"Morning, baby…" I smiled sticking my tongue out at Nick as I answered my phone.

"Where are you?" AJ groaned. I could tell that he’d just woken up and was probably still in bed with a confused look on his face.

"Restaurant downstairs…"

"Why?"

"Breakfast…want me to bring you something?"

"I want you…"

"Aww," I smiled and Nick rolled his eyes. I reached across the table and swatted at him. He smiled and grabbed my hand then kissed it. "I’ll be back soon. We’ve been down here for a while. I think we’ve gone through two carafes of coffee."

AJ groaned and I laughed, "Who is letting you drink that much coffee?"

"Blondie…" I smiled.

"Tall or short?"

"Tall…"

"Remind me to kick his ass. You are not allowed to have that much caffeine in one sitting…"

I cracked up, "Yeah but just think about the stamina that I’ll have with my caffeine rush!"

Nick groaned and I giggled at him, "Tell him to stop groaning."

I smiled at Nick, "AJ says stop groaning."

Nick took the phone from me, "Dude, you’re interrupting our breakfast!  Get your own woman." I laughed as Nick teased AJ, "Nope. We decided that I get her on…" He covered the phone and whispered, "What day is it?"

"Wednesday," I laughed.

"Yeah… I get her on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. You get her on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays."

"Kev gets Saturday actually…" I smiled.

"Oh. My bad, she said that Kev has Saturday. So you get Tuesday and Thursday. So you get her tomorrow. Today she’s mine." Nick cracked up and handed the phone back to me, "He’s going to hurt me…"

"Baby? Honey?" I laughed. "Alexander!"

"What?"

"Stop yelling at Nicky. He’s not even listening."

"Sorry…" he mumbled.

"You’re pitiful honey. Go back to sleep. You’ve got two hours before you’ve gotta be up. I’ll be back upstairs in a little while and I’ll bring you breakfast."

"Okay…" he yawed.

"I love you."

"Love you too.  Make Nick keep his hands off of you."

I winked at Nick, "He’ll treat me real good…"

"Kel!" AJ groaned.

"You’re too easy to pick on," I laughed. "Sleep, baby…"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"I love you, AJ!" Nick called out as he leaned across the table and talked into the phone. "I’ll keep a watchful hand on her… Maybe two."

"Nick, I’m going to kick your ass today… Watch it," AJ laughed.

"Such a nice ass he has too," I laughed. "Nicky can you show me your ass again before I go back to No Ass? Oh, bye, AJ…" I hung up the phone and we both laughed as it rang again.

Nick answered it for me, "I’m sorry, the party you have dialed is currently unavailable because she’s adoring my cute ass at the moment. If you’d like to leave a message call someone who cares…" Nick cracked up again and I literally could hear AJ saying something loudly to Nick over the phone. "Yuh huh… Yup… Okay, AJ… Yes, AJ… No problem, AJ… Okay… Yup… Bye…"

 "What did he say?" I asked as he handed me the phone back.

"Oh just a bunch of shit about how he’s gunna hurt me if I touch you and how you belong to him and no one is taking you away from him… the usual boyfriend shit."

I smiled, "He’s too easy to pick on."

"You’ve got him whipped."

"Yeah I do don’t I?"

"Mmm hmm… oh look, the fans left," Nick smiled as he took a drink of his coffee.

"It’s about damn time… I really should get back upstairs though. Got a lot of planning to do before I start snapping pictures today…. I feel so unorganized right now."

"You’re doing fine…"

I took a picture of Nick for that one, "You make my head swell you know?"

He nodded, "Some would say you do the same for me," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, hard on jokes… very nice." I chuckled and shook my head, "That was a good one though."

“Thanks."

"So, are you going upstairs with me?"

"You’ve got a boyfriend, Kel…"

I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed, "Sorry.  But nah I’m gunna sit for a little longer. I’ll find you guys in a little while. Go on up without me."

"Okay, kiddo… if I see Billy I’ll play dumb for ya."

"Thanks…"

"No prob. Thanks for sharing breakfast with me. We should do this more often, it was fun."

"I’m free next Wednesday. I’m sure Philly has a restaurant for us."

"It’s a date…" I smiled and stood up putting money on the table. "You can pay next week."

"Cool."

I kissed him on the cheek and then messed up his hair with a giggle, "Later, Nickers…"

He looked at my clothes again and laughed, "Later, Bone…"

I walked back into the lobby and stopped to tie my shoe just before making it to the front desk again. I heard fans talking and smiled as I took longer than usual tying my shoe so that I could listen, "Yeah Nick’s in the restaurant right now. He was waiting for breakfast all alone and we were going to go over and say hi then some bitch walked in and sat down at his table. Didn’t even ask him she just sat down!"

"Oh my god!"

"Yeah and then she started eating his food and stuff. I couldn’t believe her nerve!"

"Did he make her leave?"

"Well no… he just talked to her and let her eat his food and then when her food came he ate hers…"

"That’s cute… maybe they’re a couple or something? But last I heard he was still single."

"I don’t think she’s a girlfriend. She was too plain. Had on a big ol’ tee shirt and baggy jeans. Something like AJ would wear…" I chuckled as I heard that I and moved to tie my other shoe so that I could listen some more.

"So did you ever talk to him?"

"No cause that bitch hogged him."

"That’s a bummer. But we lucked out. Some woman who is on tour with the Boys came down while we were all asleep over there and left us meet and greet passes for tonight and a note that said she’d make sure we got great seats."

"No way! Is she still here? Did you meet her? Can she get us in too?" In your dreams little girl.

"I don’t know… Hey, Ben? Do you know if the woman who left us the passes is still here?"

I stood up with a grin on my face and leaned on the counter, "Ben, do I have any messages?"

He laughed and smiled at me, "I’ll check your box for messages… and" he pointed to the group of girls standing in front of me, "I believe these girls are looking for you."

The looks on the faces of the girls who were calling me a bitch were priceless as they realized what they’d done, "Hi girls… did you get my little gift?"

"Yes!" one of the good fans squealed. "You rock! Thank you SO much!" She hugged me and I smiled.

"You’re welcome honey. Anyone who did what you did last night without making a scene or getting in trouble deserves it."

"We were here all night too…" one of the mean fans smiled.  "Can we get passes too?"

"Hmm… Sorry, I’m fresh out… I only get a few for each show. They don’t give as many to the Tour Bitch as they do everyone else."

Ben laughed behind the desk and I looked at him, "No messages…"

"Thanks, honey… I’ll see you tonight." I looked at the good fans again, "I’ll see you all tonight too." I started to walk toward the elevators and then stopped with an evil smile, "Oh and girls… for the record… This is AJ’s shirt…" I smiled and waved before stepping onto the elevator smiling all the way back to the suite.