COUPLE MORE HOURS LATER
I seem to be in this position a lot, head in my hands, just thinking. I hear him shuffling across the floor and open the basement door and walk down a little and shut it. He was probably going to his little studio room he had put it down there. When he is here, he spends a lot of time down there working on a separate project than just The Backstreet Boys. I got up and walked to the door and opened it and walked down. And I was right, he was singing away in the sound proof studio. I opened the studio door and let his voice overtake me. I sat in one of the big comfy leather chairs he had down here. He was pouring his little heart out into this one microphone. He obviously had the transparent mirror off. I listened to him awhile longer. He was truly gifted with singing, and I was proud of him for being so devoted to it. I loved how every time he would sing, the words almost stuck to his lips and he meant every word that comes out of his mouth. It all seemed so believable. I loved when he’d clench his shirt in his hand as he’d sing a little higher, and I loved…Well more than anything I loved how when he’d look you in the eyes while he sang, those words were for you, and NO ONE else. I turned the mirror on and he looked right to me, and smiled and told me to cut the track off, so I did. He put the headphones on the hook and walked back out and walked over to me.
“Aw, did you hear any of that?” He said to me.
“I heard some, and then I realized it was about me…” I hit him. “You big jerk why didn’t you tell me there was a song about me in your head?” I laughed.
“I wanted it to be something special for you…For tomorrow night.” I looked at him kind of funny. “I guess I can tell you.”
“Tell me what?” He had me sit in the chair I had been sitting in anyway. He sat in the other. He scooted it a little closer to me and grabbed my hands. Uh-Oh.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, what?”
“No, that’s it. I love you, and I wouldn’t want to see my World without you. I would love to get married to you, do you know that?” I put my other hand on my face. “What? What’s wrong?” He took my hand away from my face.
“I’m not ready for that, not with you yet.” He let go of my hands.
“Why not?” He stood up.
“Alex, you just told me you weren’t proposing to me! Now you are?” I stood up too and threw my arms around.
“I would at least think you would consider it! After all I just promised you!”
“AJ…there’s thing we need to solve in our relationship before we even think about getting married!” He was quiet. “I’m sick of fighting with you. I’m so, so sick of this! Call me when you are man enough to have a regular conversation with me.” I threw the ring he gave me at him and ran upstairs and got my shit, and left the house. I got in my car and turned it on. Suddenly my purse was vibrating with the words: “I love you baby.” Coming out of it. It was AJ’s personal ringer he set for when he’d call. I sent it straight to voicemail, there wasn’t any way in hell he thought that fast. I left the driveway and went back to my apartment.
FOUR YEARS LATER
The boys broke up the next year, AJ checked himself into rehab and has been sober now for 3 years. I haven’t spoken to him in that long either. I am still friends with the other boys and their girlfriends and wives…Yes, wives. Kevin and Brian got married to their longtime girlfriends, Kristin, and Leighanne. I went to the weddings as a bridesmaid and avoided AJ at all costs. Simple smiles were exchanged. It was hard to face the man I dated for so long and then quit him cold turkey. My stomach would go all up and down at the site of him. But, something happened…They were together again, making music. This time, AJ is 27 now and I’m 23. Things about us both have changed. He’s still so handsome and tall. His tattoo collection has grown rapidly and he is even working on that solo album he’s been dealing with for years now. I’m now a singer myself and I just finished my last tour date of my World tour. I was dating a longtime friend since freshman year in high school, he shall remain nameless. We’re still friends, but we’re better off not dating. The day of fate came, starting in my mailbox.
“Mary, here’s your mail!” My manager said coming into my own NEW house. I like making my own money instead of having the rich boyfriend to do it for me. My manager is not only my manager, she is my best friend. I adore her.
“Thank you!” I said taking it from her hands. She grabbed herself a diet coke from the fridge. I came to a brown envelope that said: “Urgent RSVP needed.” I opened it and found two VIP tickets to a softball game in Chicago where I am living now. The event was for The Backstreet Boys new tour NEVER GONE. Their new CD released a couple weeks ago, I even bought myself a copy. It was different, but I liked it none-the-less. I laughed. “He’ll never stop…” I said holding the tickets to show Lisa, my manager.
“Oh you’re kidding me!” She grabbed them and looked at them. “Hasn’t he moved on?” I shrugged. “I mean, I thought he was dating that girl that was on tour with him…Kaci Brown?” I laughed.
“Yeah, we all knew she would last so long, a 27 year old can’t date a 17 year old.” We shared a laugh together. I got the number and dialed the number on the back of the passes.
“JIVE/ZOMBA manager, Johnny Wright.” I was shocked.
“I thought they fired your old ass…” I said laughing. You see, before the boys broke up Johnny ended up managing a new boy band named; ‘*NSYNC’. The boys were furious how big they got. They ended up firing Johnny for not paying attention to them anymore, soon after…They broke up due to AJ’s rebellious life. It was actually AJ who quit the band first, go figure.
“Mary is that you?!” He asked excited.
“Of course it is!”
“EXCELLENT! Did you get the passes? The boys are really hoping you come this time! Since it’s in your area!”
“I will go; I’m bringing Lisa my manager ok?”
“Perfect! We’ll see you in two days!” I looked at the date.
“Wow, that’s soon, but ok!” We hung up with each other.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Things change.
