Millennium Love Scott Chapter 27

Author's Notes: Remember email is ALWAYS welcome! If you don't know what's going on in this story, read the earlier parts!

Well, now that they are on tour, I have to say this...I don't know anything about the real tour schedule, so I made it all up! I've never been to Europe so please go easy on me if I make factual errors!

I must give a big thank you to Justin for pictures he did for my stories for the boyband screensaver. THANK YOU!!

Legalities: This story is fictitious. It is not meant to imply anything about any of the Backstreet Boys or anyone else. No, I am not Brian Littrell, or Scott Waters. If you're offended, go away. If you're curious, keep reading, you might like it ;-)

So here's where you can reach me about this story or any of my other stories: kenitra_canada@hotmail.com

Thanks again for reading.

Kenitra

Previously

Silently we sat and watched the others get excited as midnight drew near. Finally Dick Clark began the countdown and we looked on as 1998 gave way to 1999. As midnight struck, the others all jumped to their feet to wish each other a Happy New Year and sing ol' lang syne. I finally realized why they had picked the balcony, when across the city a huge fireworks display began to explode in the nighttime sky.

Brian turned his head so his lips were next to my ear. "Happy New Years, Angel. 1999 is going to be our year!"

 

Chapter 27

The next week and a half was chaotic. Sheri and Drew flew back to New York and Toronto, respectively on January second. Both had resolved issues with the men in their lives. Sheri and Kevin announced to the rest of us that they were going to try officially dating. While Drew and AJ never said anything to the rest of us, it was pretty clear that their 'no strings' arrangement had become something more.

During the four days I was in Orlando, I only saw Brian at night when we went to bed. The group was into intensive rehearsing and PR with their Millennium CD to be released at the end of the week. After the official release, they were immediately flying to Europe to begin their world tour.

I had meetings with people from Jive and the Firm about my web site proposal. Contracts were finalized and signed and I became an official member of the BSB entourage. I remained in Orlando until January 4th then caught a flight back to Toronto.


I was finally on my way to join the tour. They were just beginning their European tour and I caught up with the band in Germany. The long plane trip finally ended as we touched down in Hamburg. I was so anxious to see Brian. Even though it was only a week since we'd been together, it felt longer. Phone calls had been scarce because of the busy schedule the guys had, and because of the time difference.

I disembarked and walked to the luggage carousel to pick up my suitcases.

"Scott?"

I turned around when I heard my name and saw Marcus standing there. I felt a little twinge of disappointment that Brian couldn't meet me, but I knew he was too busy. I walked over and shook his hand.

"Hey Marcus! Thanks for meeting me," I said as he grabbed one of my suitcases from me.

"Like I had a choice," he said with a grin. "I came to the airport an hour early just to get away from that boy," he added in exasperation.

I could hear the fondness for Brian in his voice. "I guess he does worry a little," I admitted as we walked outside.

Marcus laughed aloud. "You have no idea man," he said with a shake of his head. We quickly reached a parked rental car and put my luggage in the trunk. Marcus started the car and we drove into the city.

I glanced at my watch and realized that I hadn't set it for local time. "What time is it Marcus?"

He looked at his own watch. "Its five to five. The group should be at the venue by now. Brian suggested I take you to the hotel to dump your stuff, then go to the concert. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure. As long as I get to see Brian," I added with a smile.

"You sound just like him," Marcus said and I laughed.

We talked casually until we pulled into the hotel parking lot. I was surprised to see a crowd of fans standing around outside. Somehow they recognized the car or maybe Marcus, and began to scream as they surrounded the car.

"Shit!" Marcus swore softly and turned to me. "Stay in the car until I come around for you Scott. They don't know who you are yet, but you're connected to BSB so you're fair game. Got it?" he asked seriously.

The girls were completely surrounding the car and banging on it. It scared the hell out of me. I nodded to Marcus. "Got it!" I replied.

Marcus quickly stepped out of the car. Locking the door behind him. He pushed his way through the crowd and around to the trunk. Turning around, I watched a bellhop from the hotel shoving his way to the car. Marcus made sure the man made it back inside with my luggage before he walked around to my door.

The crowd had backed off a little as they began to realize no one knew who I was. I was grateful as Marcus opened the door and pulled me out. He held tightly to my arm and we walked quickly into the hotel. The hotel's own security ensured that none of the fans followed us in.

Once inside I breathed deeply, realizing I'd been holding my breath. Marcus looked at me. "You okay Scott?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so," I said quietly, not willing to admit how unnerved I was.

>From the expression on Marcus' face I knew he wasn't buying it, but he kept quiet. He picked up my suitcases and walked towards an elevator. "Come on," he instructed me.

I followed quietly, holding tightly to my leather laptop case. Once the elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, we walked down the hall to a room. Marcus pulled out a key and opened the door. Inside I was surprised to see all kinds of bags of luggage, sitting around.

I glanced at Marcus. "Whose room is this?" I asked curiously.

Marcus grinned. "It's the Backstreet room," he said. He noticed my confusion. "We kept this one room for all the luggage. We aren't staying here tonight. After the concert, the guys will pile onto the buses and we'll be travelling all night. The assistants will be loading the luggage onto the bus shortly, but we don't like to leave the bus packed in case something happens to it. Do you want to take a shower or change before we go?" he finally asked me.

My brain was swimming trying to follow everything. I really hadn't thought too much about life on the road. I looked down at my clothes. They were wrinkled from hours of sitting on a plane. I walked over to one of my suitcases and opened it. "I think I will change. Just give me a couple of minutes," I told Marcus. He nodded and sat down to wait.

A few minutes later we were ready to go. I refused to leave my laptop out of my sight, so I grabbed the case as we walked back to the elevator.

"So has anyone told you about the sleeping arrangements?" Marcus asked suddenly.

I glanced at him and shook my head. "Nope. Hadn't really thought about it," I admitted. "I just assumed I would be with Brian. Is that not true?" I asked, suddenly feeling unsure.

Marcus shook his head. "No, as far as I know, you will be travelling on the group's bus. Hotels will be a little different, but Brian can explain it to you. There are four tour buses, one for the group, one for the dancers, one for the band, and one for the rest of us."

The elevator stopped and we stepped off. "Hang on a second," Marcus said and walked over to the front desk. I stood there still trying to process everything. Marcus returned with a hotel employee. "Scott, this gentleman will show you to the back door. I'm going to get the car and I'll drive around to pick you up. See you in a few," he said and walked towards the door. I turned and followed the employee down a hall, making a couple of turns until we reached a back door. Without saying a word, the man turned and left.

I stood there in utter confusion until I saw the rental car pull up. I walked out and got into the car.

Marcus pulled out, then glanced at me. "How you doing Scott?" he asked with a grin. I looked at him in a daze.

"I really have no idea what the hell is going on. Everything is moving so quickly and after being on a plane for nearly eight hours, my brain just doesn't want to work," I told him.

Marcus laughed. "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it. This touring thing can take a lot out of you, if you let it. Try to just relax and go with whatever everybody else is doing."

I nodded and looked out the window. At that moment all I wanted to do was see Brian. A few minutes later Marcus pulled into a parking lot and I looked at the stadium. It was huge. Marcus drove up to a guarded gate and spoke to one of the guards. The gate was opened and we drove through.

Marcus stopped the car and turned to me. "Scott, you may not have realized it yet, but the guys are bigger here and in Asia than they are at home in the US. So the fans are going to be greater in numbers and more fanatical. Just to warn you, so you don't underestimate them. That little display we saw at the hotel is nothing compared to what we have encountered in the past over here. And with the new disk, it will only get worse. I'm not try to scare you, but you need to know the reality of it."

I listened to Marcus' speech intently. I was just beginning to realize exactly what he was saying. I hadn't expected the fans to be at the hotel. But he was right. Backstreet was bigger in Europe and I couldn't forget that.

I nodded. "Thanks for the warning Marcus. I needed the reminder."

We got out and walked to a back entrance to the stadium. Marcus spoke to the security man and escorted me through. Once inside the stadium, I kept close to Marcus, not wanting to get lost. He walked purposefully down one hall after another. Finally I recognized Jeff, the tour manager, having met him in one of the meetings back in Orlando.

Jeff spotted us and walked quickly over. "Hey Scott, happy to see you made it." He handed me a laminated card with a string on it. I put it around my neck, knowing it was my credentials. Jeff grabbed me by the arm. "Come on. Its almost time for them to go on and Brian is getting everyone worked up because you aren't here."

I followed him and looked over my shoulder at Marcus. "See ya," I said.

He grinned and walked off in the other direction. Jeff reached the door and knocked. A muffled, "Come in," came through the material.

Jeff grinned at me. "They're all yours. You have about ten minutes," he said and jogged off down the hall.

Shaking my head, I pushed open the door to the dressing room. My eyes quickly took in the room. There were a couple of couches and some chairs. I could see Nick stretched out on a couch, drawing in his sketchbook, Kevin and AJ doing some easy stretches and Howie sitting in a chair, almost meditating. The one I really wanted to see, was no where to be found.

Kevin was the first to notice me and I saw a big grin spread across his face. He grabbed AJ's arm and nodded in my direction. AJ ran over to me and before I could say anything, covered my mouth with his hands and dragged me to the corner of the room. Nick jumped up and came to help AJ hold me. I watched as Kevin went to a door I hadn't noticed before and knocked.

"Hey, Bri, can you come out for a minute?" Kevin asked, trying not to laugh. I knew what they were going to do and I struggled a little.

The door opened and I couldn't see around it, but I knew Brian was standing there. "Bri, I was just talking to Jeff and he was told Scott's plane has been rerouted for mechanical problems. He won't be here till tomorrow."

I was relieved that they weren't being too cruel and saying that my plane crashed or something, but I wanted to see my love.

"Damn it," I heard Brian swear softly. I recognized the sound in his voice. I knew he was close to tears. "All I want is to have my Angel here with me. Is that too much to ask?" he asked sadly. I began to struggle harder and AJ and Nick finally let me go. I grabbed the door and pulled it back further until I could see Brian.

He jumped a little at the sudden movement, but his face lit up when he saw me. I grabbed him in my arms and held him tightly, ignoring the laughter and catcalls coming from the others. I realized Brian was standing in the doorway for a bathroom. I pushed him back inside a little and grabbed the door behind me, slamming it shut and locking it.

Brian jumped back into my arms and began covering my face with kisses. I responded the same way. Brian eventually pulled back so he could see my face. "I missed you so much Angel," he said intently.

I leaned forward for another taste of his lips. "I missed you too, love," I said softly. I wished we could stay that way, holding each other, touching each other, for the rest of the night. But reality wouldn't let us.

"Guys?" We heard Kevin's voice from the other side of the door. "Brian? Scott? We have to go. Everyone is ready for 'the circle' Bri, come on."

I looked at Brian in confusion. What was the circle?

Brian reluctantly jumped down from me and grabbed my hand. "Come on my Angel. I want you to be a part of this," he said as he unlocked the door and led me out.

The others were standing by the outer door waiting for us. Brian walked us over and out into the hall, never releasing my hand.

I glanced at AJ. "See if I give you Drew's present now!" I commented as I followed Brian. AJ didn't have a chance to respond.

We walked to the end of the hall where there was a large lobby, and all the members of the crew, from dancers, to musicians to technicians, were gathered. Everybody stood around the edge of the room as the singers approached. They dispersed themselves throughout the crowd and took up positions. Everyone faced the center, and I realized that this was 'the circle'.

Brian still had a hold of my left hand. Nick stood to my right and picked up my other hand. Everyone in the gathering grabbed their neighbors' hands. The room fell silent.

"Thank you God, for bringing us all to this place," Brian suddenly spoke from beside me. "Thank you Lord for giving us the abilities that each of us has and allowing us to use your gifts. May you keep all our loved ones and us safe and healthy. Amen," he said. Everyone else added an Amen, then fell silent for a few moments. I heard Brian's whisper from beside me. "Thank for sending my Angel."

"Lets have a good one people!" Kevin said loudly, and the circle broke up with everyone pumped.

Brian turned me to face him. I could see the adrenaline was really flowing through him. "See ya after Scott?" he asked.

I laughed. "Of course! Where else would I be?"

Brian stepped forward to kiss my nose. As he pulled back he stuck out his tongue and licked right up my face before turning and running down the hall. "Love ya!" he called back before disappearing around a corner.

I shook my head and tried to wipe his saliva off my face. Once that was done, I looked around and saw Marcus waiting for me. I walked over to him. "Don't say a word!" I threatened jokingly.

He just grinned and shook his head. "Come on." I followed him through the maze of halls and out into the stadium. We made our way through the crowd to a private box overlooking the stage. For the Millennium tour, the stage was octagonal and set up in the middle of the venue. Parts would raise or lower and the guys moved around allowing fans on all sides to see them.

It was a truly impressive showing. I'd seen the New Year's concerts, but the energy they expended over the course of two and a half hours, almost left me exhausted. I tried to watch all of the guys throughout the evening, but my eyes kept returning to Brian. I loved to see his goofy side when he was on stage. Marcus stayed in the box to watch as well.

Before the final encore, he suggested we go backstage to avoid the stampede of fans. I returned to the dressing room the boys had been in earlier, and sat down to wait.

A few minutes later the door slammed open and five sweaty bodies poured into the room. Kevin and Nick crashed onto the furniture while AJ and Howie continued into the bathroom to use the two showers. Brian ran over and jumped on me before I could react.

I found myself lying on my back on the couch. "So? What'd ya think?" Brian asked as he straddled my waist. His hands immediately began to run up and down my chest.

I smiled up at him. "I thought the concert was amazing. The guys were great, and you weren't too bad either," I said with a straight face.

Brian stuck his tongue out at me.

"Brian! I told you we didn't want to see any of that!" Nick said from across the room. Kevin, Nick and I laughed.

Brian looked back at me and I could see the gleam in his eyes. He moved his legs up onto the couch and stretched out completely on top of me. I could feel the dampness from the sweat quickly soak through my own clothes.

"Ewww!" I protested and tried to roll him off. He wouldn't move.

He put on that puppy-dog face. "Don't you love me?" he asked with a fake sniffle.

I leaned up to stare directly into his eyes. "You know I do. But it is hard when you stink," I said before licking his nose, startling him enough that I could roll him onto the floor. The others laughed again and Brian decided to just remain where he was.

Howie and AJ soon came out of the bathroom and the other three made a dash for it. Brian and Nick won, leaving Kevin until the last.

Brian was in and out in a few minutes. The other finished getting dressed in casual, comfortable clothes as we waited for Kevin and Nick to finish. A clean Brian sat down on the couch beside me and curled up against my side. I put my arm around his shoulders.

"So how was your flight?" he asked quietly.

"Long, and boring. But worth it," I added as I squeezed him to me.

"Marcus find you okay?"

"Yeah. He said I would get to ride on the same bus as you," I said softly.

Brian pulled back. "Of course you will. I made sure of that. Some people had a little problem with that, but I wasn't about to back down," he said intently.

I smiled and kissed him softly. "Good. It would be agony to be here and know you were just on the next bus where I couldn't kiss you, or touch you or hold you."

"I know," Brian whispered as he leaned forward for another kiss.

We lost ourselves in each other's lips for a few minutes, until a thrown pillow hit me in the head. We separated and looked around to find the four other men standing by the door waiting for us to leave. Brian and I just grinned at each other. I grabbed my laptop in one hand, Brian's hand in the other and we followed the guys out.

Marcus and Chris were waiting and walked along with us to the door. The security was tight and no fans had managed to reach the area where the buses were parked. The 'Boys' and I walked on to their bus unaccosted.

The bus looked huge from the outside and it was just as impressive inside. As we walked onto the bus, there was a door to the right, sectioning off the driver from the rest of the bus. To the left was the first section of the bus, a couch against either wall, a table in front of one couch, with two chairs, then a small kitchen area with a sink, fridge, toaster oven and microwave. A door opened into a living room area with more couches, wall-mounted television and stereo system. A door to one side was for a bathroom.

Another door in the main hall blocked off the bunk section. A second bathroom was located behind the one in the living room. Two bunks were along that wall, while four bunks were on the other wall. The very back of the bus was another small room, simply two loveseats with one against each side of the bus, and the tinted back window.

All of the luggage had been placed on the couches in the kitchen, so everyone picked up their belongings and headed for the bunks. Brian and I took the two at the end beside the bathroom. Without even asking I took the upper bunk, knowing Brian wouldn't like to sleep up in the air. We stored the suitcases under the lower bunk, then Brian crawled onto his bed, pulling me with him. I was surprised that there was enough room for both of us. The beds were a little wider than a twin and even long enough for my tall frame.

Brian reached passed me to pull the curtain closed. We lay on our sides staring at each other.

"Hi!" Brian whispered, making me giggle.

"Hi!" I responded then kissed his nose. "I'm so happy I'm here," I said softly as I ran my fingers through his wavy, damp hair.

Brian sighed. "Me too. This tour would have been unbearable if you couldn't be here." Brian tucked his head against my shoulder. "I don't sleep very well when you aren't with me," he mumbled against me.

I gently pushed him back so I could see his flushed face. "I got used to having your warmth and feeling your arms around me," he admitted, slightly embarrassed.

I brushed hair off his forehead. "That's one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me love," I said sincerely. We both leaned forward to kiss, then I suddenly found myself rolling onto the floor.

I looked up and saw AJ standing above me, grinning. "So where is it?" he asked.

I stared at him blankly for a second until I realized he was talking about Drew's birthday present for AJ. "Couldn't you have just asked?" I complained as I pushed myself to my feet.

"What's the fun with that?" he asked. I just shook my head. Reaching under Brian's bunk, I pulled open a suitcase and felt around until I found the small box Drew had given me before I left. I glanced up at Brian who was still lying on the bunk.

"Think I should give it to him?" I asked with a grin.

Brian looked at AJ then back to me. "Yeah. If you don't we won't get any rest. Believe me, that one can go all night if he wants to!"

I nodded and stood up, handing the box to AJ. His eyes lit up and he ripped off the wrapping paper. He popped open the lid and stood staring at what was inside. He pulled out a folded note and put it in his pocket to read later. I took the box out of his hands and looked inside. There was a sterling silver ring, the top was shaped like a pair of handcuffs. A matching set of earrings, with small dangling cuffs, was included. I smiled. Typical Drew.

A grin spread across AJ's face. "I love them!" he exclaimed. He pulled out the ring and tried it on. He reached up and pulled off his simple loop earrings before putting in the new ones. "How do they look?" he asked.

Brian and I just laughed at his enthusiasm. I handed AJ the box. "Now, can I go back to doing what I was doing?" I asked sarcastically.

AJ nodded. He grabbed me and kissed my cheek. "Thanks Scott!" he said before walking back to the front of the bus.

I crawled back onto the bunk with Brian.


Over the next couple of weeks, I adjusted to the chaotic life on tour. Despite the limited space on the tour bus, it was our time on the bus that I enjoyed the most. Brian and I would just sit in the lounge, in each other's arms and talk, just the two of us or with the other guys. We could all be ourselves without the pressures of fans or media. Although I had my own bunk, most nights Brian and I would crawl into his bunk together, spooning tightly as we drifted to sleep. Occasionally, if the guys were extremely late returning to the bus, Brian would crawl into the empty bunk so he wouldn't disturb me. I kept telling him he wouldn't be bothering me because I never really slept soundly without him beside me. Fortunately those occasions were rare. Because of the nearness of the bunks, Brian and I agreed that anything more than hugging and kissing would wait until we checked into a hotel. It wasn't fair to make the guys listen to our lovemaking. It didn't really matter to me. Yeah, I loved the sex, but I just loved being close to Brian, holding him, watching him, listening to him. Being together was more important than the sex.

After two weeks of touring, I finally sat down at my laptop to begin working on the individual web sites for each group member. I'd been working on projects for my other clients while the guys were rehearsing or doing publicity. Now that I was caught up, I could focus on their pages.

I'd worked out my own plan and decided to talk to the guys that afternoon before the concert. They were presently at a fan press conference. We'd started in Hamburg, Germany and worked our way through Berlin, Warsaw and Prague before arriving in our current city, Vienna. We had checked into a hotel because the schedule gave the boys three days off after the second concert, before moving back through Europe for six more weeks.

I pulled out my little notepad and looked through the pages. I'd scribbled some ideas down for each man. Over the past two weeks I'd revised and added my ideas as I came to know each of them better.

I worked quickly setting up some basic pages with links to the official BSB site and to each of the other sites. I'd taken care of registering domain names while I'd been in Toronto. The problem of fans having registered the guys' individual names was overcome by registering each site as www.bsb.brianlittrell.com, or www.bsb.nickcarter.com. I'd wanted each site to be easy to find and the addresses to be related.

Before I realized it, I heard a key at the room door and Brian came in. I looked up and smiled at him as he walked over. He wrapped his arms around my neck and leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"Hey Angel. Miss me?" he asked softly peering over my shoulder to see what I was typing.

I turned my head to kiss his soft lips. "Nope," I said as I closed the screen.

He slapped me in the head. I stood up and pulled him against me. "What do you think, love? You ask me that every time and each time I tell you the same thing. I miss you whenever you aren't with me," I said quietly with a smile.

Brian grinned up at me. "I know. But I still like to hear you say it," he murmured, as he leaned forward for another kiss.

A knock at the door interrupted us. "Scott? You want to talk now?" AJ asked. I'd mentioned wanting to talk to all of them, before they'd gone to the fan conference. I pulled back from Brian and kissed his nose.

"Come on love," I took his hand and we walked into the hall. Kevin and AJ's room was across the hall, and the door was open. We found the others sprawled every which way on the bed and chairs, talking about the conference and their plans for the three days off.

"So how was the fan forum?" I asked as Brian and I found seats on the rug beside the bed.

"Typical," Kevin replied as he logged off his laptop. I looked at him closely and could see the hint of a smile.

"And how is my sister?" I asked him with a smirk.

Kevin looked at me in surprise. "How'd you...?"

"Oh please Kev!" Nick exclaimed, throwing a pillow at him. "We all know when you've been talking to Sheri because you get that goofy grin on your face!"

Kevin blushed and the rest of us laughed.

"Okay guys! I wanted to talk about the plans for your websites," I said, bringing everyone's attention back to me. I continued. "Since we're in Europe and there are so many interesting cities and places, I thought that if each of you picked your two favorite places that the tour is going to, I could spend the day one on one. I can get pictures and information about what you're really interested in. We can go over what I have for your site and make it the way you want it." I stopped and waited for a reaction.

I hadn't mentioned my idea to Brian. I knew he'd be a little upset about losing time with me, but I didn't see any other way.

I glanced at Brian, but he was staring at the floor. Howie finally broke the silence. "I like the idea! Not only does it give you a chance to find out what we're really like, but we can get to know you better too." He paused and looked at Brian. "Since it seems like you're going to be around for the long haul, it only makes sense that we get to know our newest brother better."

I was grateful for his comments. "That was part of my thinking," I replied. I pulled out some loose paper and passed it around. "Write your name and top 3 choices. We'll use two, but if there are duplicate choices, we'll have to use the third choice."

Each of them took the paper and grabbed a pen.

"Wait! There are two exceptions. You can't choose Venice and only one can pick Rome. You have two free days in Rome, but I'm claiming one of them," I said before they started writing.

I could feel Brian's eyes on me and turned my head. "Thank you!" he whispered and gave me a quick kiss. I'd picked two of his favorite cities to keep for us only.

The guys wrote down their choices and handed me back the sheets. I read them. AJ had picked Liverpool and Rome. Howie had chosen London and Barcelona. Nick, Paris and Marseilles; Kevin, Brussels and Frankfurt, Brian's choices were Athens and Paris.

We all went our separate ways. Brian and I walked back across the hall to the room we were sharing. As soon as we were through the door, Brian wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the back of my neck.

"I'm sorry Angel," he whispered.

I turned to look at him. "Sorry for what?" I asked, kissing his cheek softly.

Brian smiled. "You're sweet! For acting like a spoiled child," he explained. "I know you have a job to do. I may not like the fact that you have to use some of the little free time we have, but I shouldn't have acted so childish." He pulled me over so we were both sitting on the bed.

I brushed his wavy hair off his forehead. "I wish there was more time, so we wouldn't have to lose time together," I said softly, losing myself in his clear blue eyes.

"I know," he replied. He turned and stretched out on the bed. I lay down beside him.

My hand softly stroked his chest as he closed his eyes. "Bri?"

"Mmmm?"

"Have you thought about Nick's birthday?" I asked quietly. Nick would be nineteen in two days.

Brian's eyes popped open. "Shit!" he exclaimed and sat up on the bed. He looked at me. "It's in two days, isn't it?" he asked. I nodded, trying not to laugh. "I can't believe I almost forgot it. I mean I remembered it was coming up a few days ago, but then put it out of my mind. I better call the others and see if they have planned anything," he said and began to get off the bed.

I grabbed his arm. "Relax, baby. I have a plan I want to run by you first," I told him.

Brian turned to look at me. "A plan?" I'd piqued his curiosity.

I began to explain my idea and as the details filled in, I could see Brian getting more wound up.

"Oh Scott! That's brilliant! You do realize that he'll kill you?" he said excitedly.

I couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. "But it will be worth it. Do you want to talk to the others tonight and make sure they're okay with it? I'll call tomorrow and make the arrangements. I've already called a bakery."

Brian rolled over on top of me and kissed me hard. "I knew there was a reason I keep you around," he said as he came up for air.

I giggled. "Yeah, I'm the birthday coordinator. So what do you want to do for your birthday?" I asked. He would be 24 in just over three weeks. I knew the tour would be in Venice, which is why I'd saved the free day for us. I still hadn't decided what to get him.

Brian laid his head on my shoulder and held me close. "I'd be happy just staying in our hotel room, uninterrupted for the entire day. I can't imagine anything better than having you all to myself for an entire day," he said quietly. "I will talk to the others about your plan. I know they'll like it," he added.

Too soon, Brian and the others had to leave for the concert. I decided to stay at the hotel and do some more work so that when Brian was back, I could focus on him.

I was dozing on the bed trying to watch TV when I heard the door open. I really didn't want to wake up completely so I didn't move. I heard Brian go into the bathroom and a few minutes later felt the bed move as he crawled in beside me. Ever so lightly, he kissed my cheek.

"Love you," I murmured.

Brian kissed me again. "Love you too, Angel," he whispered. "The guys said to go ahead with your plan," he added softly.

I smiled to myself before drifting to sleep as I thought about what we had in store for Nick.


To be continued...

kenitra_canada@hotmail.com