Chapter 43
As much as I wanted to get up and just run away, I couldn’t. I was no quitter. So instead I stayed rooted to my seat and just smiled sweetly while all around me, people were whispering and craning their necks to get a better look at the future Mrs McLean (although unknown to them, I was already married to their favourite Backstreet Boy).
Jonathan carried on with his interview, congratulating AJ and asking when the wedding was, to which AJ replied “we haven’t set a date yet” and then moving on to his next question. Thankfully, the camera stayed away from me and after a few minutes, the whispers died down as the audience didn’t want to miss the rest of the interview.
“Are you really marrying AJ?” Shelly asked when the interview was finished and the boys were getting ready to sing, her tone a little calmer. I nodded, hoping she wasn’t going to turn psycho on me.
“Sorry for acting like a complete bitch” she apologised “I was a little shocked y’know, to find out that AJ was getting married and that his fiancée was sitting here in the audience next to me”
“It’s OK” I replied. What else could I say?
“Congratulations by the way” Adele smiled genuinely
“Thanks” I replied, glad that not everyone in the room hated me.
“Yeah, congratulations” Shelly added “you are so lucky, AJ is so hot”
“Uhuh” I agreed. I wasn’t going to get into a conversation with virtual strangers about my husband.
Before they could ask me anything else, Jonathan introduced the boys as they began to perform their new single ‘Rebel’. I loved that song so much and was glad they’d decided at the last minute to go against management and put it on the new CD and release it as the first single. So many amazing songs hadn’t made it to the album and this had almost been one of them. I wondered if they’d ever considered putting together an album full of the unreleased stuff, they certainly had more than enough of it.
The audience obviously loved the song as much as I did, some already knew the words and I wondered how that could be when the album hadn’t been released yet. AJ had mentioned something about a few songs being leaked; maybe this had been one of them.
I decided to sneak away just after the song finished, I knew the boys were going to be playing a couple more sings off air, but I wanted to wait backstage. I wasn’t used to attention and I’d had more than enough already. I don’t think I could’ve coped if anyone had said anything really negative to me about marrying AJ, I would’ve been tempted to tell them to ‘fuck off and mind their own business’ and I’m not sure that would’ve gone down well for the band.
“Was nice meeting you, hope you and AJ have a lovely wedding” Adele said when I got up to leave.
“Thanks” I replied “enjoy the rest of the show”
“Oh, we will” Shelly grinned and then turned her attention back to the stage where the boys were singing an oldie, ‘I Want It That Way’.
I wasn’t going to make a scene or anything like that here, but Alex was going to get it later when we were alone!
After signing autographs and posing for photos with fans (a couple of whom weren’t all that nice if you ask me), the guys eventually got out of the BBC building and into a car to take us back to the hotel where they were staying. Unfortunately we were in a people carrier with Howie and Brian (Nick had opted to make his own way back, god knows what he was up to), so the rant would have to wait until we were alone.
“I think that went down well” Howie proclaimed as he sat back against the leather seats.
“Yeah, there were a few tricky questions, but we handled ourselves well” Brian agreed.
I just raised my eyebrows at AJ.
“Oh come on Steph, you can’t blame me for Nick blurting it out” AJ said and gave me the full effect of his deep brown eyes. In a way he was right, but I still wasn’t happy that he’d told the world on national television!
“Whatever” I shrugged.
“Someone’s in trouble” Brian teased. He was so right.
We arrived at the hotel and said goodbye to the others, who were going to have something to eat in the hotel restaurant.
“You sure you don’t want to join us?” Brian asked
“No thanks, Alex and I are going upstairs” I replied. The look I gave AJ told him that sex wasn’t on the menu.
“Good luck” Howie teased and then they left us to find the restaurant.
“Is it really that bad Steph? Come on, for fucks sake, be reasonable here” he started as we strode towards the elevators.
“Me be reasonable? Is it reasonable to blurt it out on air when I’m sitting with a bunch of girls who hate my guts for being with you? Do you have any idea how scared I was? How embarrassed I was when that fucking camera zoomed in on me, knowing that my face will appear on millions of TV screens when the show airs tomorrow night?” I seethed, trying to keep my voice down, but failing miserably.
“Well, when you put it like that…” he mused
“Exactly!” I said as the elevator doors closed and he pressed the button to take us up to his room.
We stood there in silence until the doors pinged open a few moments later. I stomped out of the confined space and turned right down the corridor.
“Wrong way” he said and I could hear the amusement in his voice.
Without looking at his silly smirk, I turned and stomped the other way, following his lead.
“You can be such a child at times y’know Steph” he muttered and shook his head.
“Says the man who posts videos on You Tube of pillow fights with Brian!” I retorted
“Hey, I never posted it, I don’t even have a You Tube account…how did you see that anyhow?” he asked
“I didn’t, I heard some girls talking earlier. So you can’t call me childish” I said smugly.
He came to a sudden stop outside room 104 and I crashed right into him, almost sending us toppling to the floor.
“Sorry” I mumbled
“Don’t be, I don’t mind you jumping my bones in the hallway” he grinned
“In your dreams Alexander” I folded my arms across my chest and he just shrugged and opened the hotel room door.
AJ’s bags were opened on the bed, clothes spilling out of them. I realised he mustn’t have had much time to do anything since arriving here earlier.
“Yeah, there isn’t really room to sit down is there” he surveyed the room. I walked over to the chair which had his laptop bag perched on it, placed the laptop on the floor and sat down.
“I don’t want to fight over this Steph” he sounded defeated
“I don’t want to either, but you could’ve considered how I’d react in that situation” I sighed
“I didn’t think and I’m sorry. I forget that you’re new to all of this crazy shit. But I wasn’t going to deny it. I want everyone to know that AJ McLean, the so called ‘bad boy’ of the band, has finally settled down” he admitted and sat down on the edge of the cluttered bed.
“I’m sorry too” I told him “I over-reacted I suppose, I’m just not used to that kind of attention”
“Believe me, you get used to it eventually. You should’ve seen what it used to be like! There was no fucking way I could’ve gone public about girlfriends back in the earlier days. When the fans did find out about girlfriends, they used to go fucking nuts, especially if Nick ever dated anyone, he got it the worst out of the lot of us” he said to me “It’s not so bad these days, we’re older, the fans are older and more accepting. You’ll get used to it…that’s if you still want to get used to it” he looked at me cautiously.
“I think you’re worth it” I teased
“You only think I’m worth it?” he teased me back and got up off the bed and stepped towards me.
He stood in front of me, took my hands and pulled me up off the chair and into his arms. One hand twisted into my hair and the other hand was at my lower back, his fingers spread out radiating heat through my body. He gently pulled my hair back so that my face was tilted up slightly and then he brought his lips softly down onto mine. My god, this man made me want him so much. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, wanting more of him as we deepened the kiss.
“I know you’re worth it” I said breathlessly and walked him backwards towards the bed.
He swept the bags off the bed, sending clothes flying to the floor, then pulled me down on top of him so that I was straddling his thighs. He grabbed the edge of my top and eased it up, kissing every inch of uncovered skin before tossing the garment aside to join the heap of clothes already on the floor.
“I’ve missed you” he murmured as his stubble grazed my neck.
“I missed you too” I gasped as he kissed just below my ear, the place he knew I loved to be kissed.
Before long, every item of clothing was on the floor and we were having the best make up sex ever.
“You must be tired” I said as we lay there in each others arms, Alex trying to hide a yawn. This promo trip had been non-stop for them, no wonder he was tired.
“Not too tired” he grinned and circled his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
“You’re insatiable” I said as he moved and positioned himself between my legs. I was just as ready as he was.
“Yep, pretty much” he murmured as he trailed hot kisses from my collarbone, up my neck and then making his way to my lips. I moved slightly and wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him into me, until he filled me completely.
“Oh fuck Alex” I moaned as he grabbed hold of my legs, pulling them in the air. He withdrew all the way and then thrust deep within me.
“So fucking good” he rasped
“Oh god yeah” was all I could say, over and over until we both felt a wave of ecstasy washing over us.
“I love you” he whispered in my ear as we lay there totally exhausted.
“I love you too, so much” I assured him before we succumbed to sleep.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm sorry it took so long, but I hope you're still with me!
