Chapter -- 6
by JT Poole and
Nikki Brown
Oh yeah I hate coming into the office so early in the morning like this. After the late night me and Nikki had clubbing, I'm surprised I'm not comatose right now. I was so wired up after being with Brian earlier; I just didn't feel like going home to that big empty house. Besides Nikki and the cat, that place would drive any person insane at times. After a bit of dancing and drinking, we got back to the house around three this morning. I so wanted Brian to come out with us, but he couldn't, something about a meeting with his band mates to prepare for this morning's meeting.
I hope today's meeting goes by quickly. I don't think I can last longer than four or five hours in this place today. After only getting three hours sleep, I'm afraid I might pass out around here if I'm here longer than that. Ordering up some donuts and coffee, I get the conference room ready for this meeting. I know it's not my job and all, but since I'm in here so early, might as well do it. Turning around talking on the phone with the front desk receptionist, the door opens behind me and in walks Quentin.
"Good morning bro, how did your night go?" Quentin asks me, walking up behind me and patting me on the back.
"Just a moment," I say, turning my attention back to the phone. "Could you also send up a few pitchers of water, glasses and napkins please?"
"Sure thing Mr. Poole, I'll have that stuff sent up shortly." The front receptionist says as I thank her and hang up the phone.
"So I'm guessing you and the pretty Ms. Nikk-ay didn't stay out too long last night," Quentin says, sitting down at the table. "I saw you two at Club SugaDaddy's last night shakin' ya asses."
"Her name is Nikki and we didn't stay there too long, we moved on to another club," I say, trying not to sound rude to him. "She wasn't happy at a gay stripe club so we went on to some place else."
"I wish ya'll should have came and got me. We could have hit the beat together. I would've really enjoyed hanging out with her." Quentin tells me as I look at him and walk around the table.
"Quen she's a married woman. She's not interested, so don't go after her like you go after other people," I say to him, hoping he would take the hint and not bother her.
"If she's so married, what the hell she doing here in Orlando staying with a gay man and a cat?" Quentin asks as I turn around quickly, trying to contain my anger.
"Quen I have a meeting that will be starting pretty soon. I'll talk to you later," I say, closing my eyes as I stand at the door, opening it, waiting for Quentin to leave the room as a young man arrives with the stuff I had ordered a few moments ago.
"I'll check you later since it seems I've touched a nerve," he says as the young man pushes a cart into the room and starts setting things up on the table.
For the last few days me and Scoop have been here at my house chilling out together. Since we're headed back to Orlando to get with Johnny to talk about a new tour, he's been really clingy. I know he wants a commitment, but I don't think I'm really ready for that just yet. There are too many women out there I haven't been with you. If I commit to him, I can't fool around with some possible cutie. I know he's in love with me and he left that other guy from Jive for me, but I can't be the man he's wanting right now. Momma keeps telling me that I should make up my mind and stop stringing him along, but I just can't do that either. I like the girls, but I'm in love with him too.
"Justin is something wrong?" He asks me, rolling over in the bed and wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm okay, just thinking about some stuff," I say, not meeting his eyes.
"Oh, okay," he says, pulling away from me and getting out of bed. "I-I'll leave you alone."
"Lance...Lance wait," I say, grabbing his arm and pulling him back into the bed.
"Why should I wait Just?" He asks me, snatching his arm away from me. "Why am I even here with you?"
"You know why you're here with me Lance," I say, getting up now and walking up behind him as I wrap my arms around his waist.
"Stop it Justin. I'm only here so that you can get your fucking rocks off!" He screams at me as he pushes me away from him. "I was such a fucking fool!"
"Lance that's not true. I know it might seem that way sometimes, but I really do have feelings for you baby," I say as I walk over to him and grab his hand.
"You only have fucking feelings for me when you're high or drunk out of your fucking mind!" He shouts, his words stinging me a bit.
"Lance you're wrong! Dead wrong! I'm not high right now and I'm sure as hell not fucking drunk!" I shout at him. "We're here together now! Explain that damnit!"
"You were drunk the other night when you stumbled into my damn house!" He counters back as he turns around and walks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Oh hell naw! This is by no chance over Lance!" I shout, opening the door and walking out of the room to follow him.
"I left a man that loved me, loved me for me, regardless if he was drunk or not for a confused prick like you!" Lance shouts, walking out onto the patio as he started crying.
He had a point. He left that man for me and I can't even make up my mind of what I want. I want to be with him because of our history, but I know that as soon as we take that step into commitment, I'll do something to fuck things up. He knows I love him, I just can't tell him I do. I know if we keep on going around like this, he'll leave me and I'll be all alone. Damn, why can't things in life ever be easy?
Oh God I think I drank too much last night. I don't know what the hell we were thinking. If I feel this bad, I'm sure J feels just as bad as I do. Knowing him, he probably went on in to work. I don't know why he does it. The boy loaded, I don't know why he still works. I guess he does it for the hell of it. I wonder who that could be this early in the morning. I'm sure most of his friends know that he's gone to work this time of morning. I know it couldn't be for me, no one I know, knows I'm here.
"Hello?" I ask into the phone.
"Could I speak with a Mr. John T. Poole please?" The person asks on the other end of the phone.
"I'm sorry, he's not available right now. May I take a message?" I ask the person.
"Sure you can. My name is Howard Marshall. I need him to get in contact with me as soon as possible. He can reach me at 407-380-XXXX. I shall be in the office as late as 4:30 this afternoon. Please inform him that this is a very critical matter and that I need to her from him at his earliest convenience," the man says.
"Okay sir. I'll get the message to him as quick as I can," I say, writing the information down so that I can call J up and tell him.
"Thank you miss and you have a wonderful day," the man says disconnecting the call.
"I hope J isn't in any trouble," I say as I put the pen and paper down and walk into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.
"How are we going to increase revenue with these added dates?" JT asks, walking around the table to grab the chart that Trey and Johnny was looking at. "If you add these dates in here and here, that means that you have to pay for accommodations there."
"No we don't. We can add those dates here and not have to spend a dime really. This could be an in-between stop. What I'm saying is that for these three dates we can stay on our buses instead of going to a hotel. We can set up a small stage and do like mini concerts on those dates," Kevin says, using the pencil to circle spots on the map route.
"So basically you're saying that you guys are willing to stay on the buses for those stops?" JT asks, looking around the table.
"Well if we plan it right, it would be like any other ride on the bus. We'll leave this show here and arrive in this town the next morning, do the show and then leave for the next show like we're supposed to," Kevin says, pulling out his notebook and writing down some other things.
"So are all of you okay with adding in three extra dates?" JT asks, walking back around to his seat and sitting down.
"I'm okay with it," Trey says looking at the guys.
"We agree on it," Kevin says looking around the table. "We talked about this last night. The reason why I brought it up this morning."
"Well then that's settled," JT says, leaning back in his chair as the receptionist sticks her head through the door.
"Mr. Poole, Mrs. Cavanaugh is here to see you," the receptionist says.
"Just send her up to my office and tell her I'll be there in a bit." JT tells her as Johnny and Trey stand up.
"Is there anything else we need to go over?" Trey asks, stretching as Howie, AJ and Kevin stand up.
"I think that's it. Will everything be ready to go for Wednesday?" JT asks, standing up.
"Well everything has been finalized except for your hotel arrangements," Johnny says, patting JT on the back.
"What do I need hotel arrangements for?" JT asks him.
"Well you are going to be joining the guys for the first leg of the tour," Johnny tells him as his eyes went wide.
"What? Have you lost your ever loving mind?" JT asks him as the guys all turn around and look at him. "I can't go on tour!"
"What? Why not?" Brian asks him.
"I have work to do here," JT says, sitting back down in the chair.
"Well we want you to go on the first part of the tour with us," Kevin says, walking over to JT. "We want you to see what we can do and how well we pull in the dough."
"I'm sure you guys do a good job at what you do. I don't need to go on tour with you guys to see that," JT says as Johnny shakes his head.
"JT it's in the paperwork. Did you overlook that little tidbit?" Johnny asks him, sitting down in the chair next to him. "For the first three stops on the tour, the head manager has been requested to be in attendance. So unless you plan on flying out to each and every show. You'll be with these guys for the first three stops."
"Well I guess I did overlook that," JT says, looking over to Brian, wondering did he have something to do with that. "I'll have Tina make the hotel arrangements."
"Good, now that everything's settled. Its time for lunch," Kevin says, shaking hands with Johnny and Trey and walking out of the room following the other guys.
"Baby B did you have something to do with that?" JT asks, looking Brian in the eye.
"Who me? Why would I have something to do with that?" Brian asks him. "That paperwork has been around for weeks. We haven't known each other that long.
"Uh huh, I'll take that lame excuse for now. I'm beat. I'm calling it a day and going home early. My weekend starts in about twenty minutes," JT says, standing up and stretching, letting a yawn escape his mouth.
"Sounds like someone is tired and sleepy," Brian says, leaning in and kissing JT passionately on the lips as he hugs him.
"I am tired and sleepy. Since you weren't available last night, me and Nik Nik went out clubbing. Oh great, she's up in my office. I hope she doesn't want to go out or anything. I don't have the energy to do anything," JT states, pulling out of Brian's arms.
"Hmmm, how about I take you home and we take a nice long nap together and then go grab some dinner later?" Brian suggest, smiling at JT.
"That sounds good. Come on, let's go see what's up with Nik Nik and we can go from there." JT states, kissing Brian quickly as the two of them walk out of the room.
"Hey girl what's up?" JT asks, walking into his office with Brian following behind him.
"Hey J, how are you doing?" Nikki asks, getting up and hugging JT. "Here, this is for you."
"Howard Marshall? Wonder what that's about?" JT asks, looking at the number as he sat down at his desk. "I don't really want to make this call."
"He said it was critical JT. Something might be wrong with someone," Nikki says, sitting back down as Brian took a seat across from her on the chair closest to the desk.
"Oh alright. Let's see," JT says, picking up the phone and dialing the number. "May I speak to a Howard Marshall please?"
"Hi this is Howard Marshall, may I help you?" Howard Marshall asks him.
"Mr. Marshall my name is JT Poole and I got a message stating I needed to give you a call as soon as possible. Can I ask what this is pertaining to?" JT asks, picking up a pencil on his desk playing with it.
"Mr. Poole would you happen to be related to a LaTasha Reynolds?" Howard Marshall asks.
"LaTasha Reynolds? No I'm not related to her, but I do know of her, why?" JT asks.
"Sir I think it would be wise if you would come down to my office so we could discuss this face to face. Would you have time for a meeting today sir?" Howard Marshall asks, writing some things down as JT looked over to Brian and then over to Nikki.
"I guess I can. What time should I come by?" JT asks him.
"At your earliest convenience," Howard Marshall says as JT stands up.
Collecting all the information he needed from the man, JT hangs up the phone, looks at Brian and Nikki signaling to them that he was ready to go and walks over to the coat rack and collects the rest of his things.
"My name is JT Poole, I'm here to see Howard Marshall," JT says as his hands started to tremble.
"Right this way sir," The woman says, getting up, ready to escort JT back to the man's office.
"Wait, can my friends join me?" JT asks, looking at the woman.
"I don't see why not," she says, motioning for Nikki and Brian to follow her.
"Good afternoon, I'm Howard Marshall and you must be John Poole," Howard says, shaking hands with JT as he, Brian and Nikki walk into the room. "I'm glad you were able to see me today. What I have to say is very urgent and the matter needs to be seen to aptly."
"What's going on if you don't mind me asking? Did I do something wrong? Is there a warrant for my arrest or something?" JT asks him, his nervousness showing.
"No no, nothing like that Mr. Poole. The reason I called you today is to relay some bad news. Last Friday afternoon at 3:45 pm, LaTasha Reynolds died after injuries sustained in a plane crash. After arriving at the hospital, she was pronounced DOA. After the county was able to get information about her personal and family ties, they found none. After the reading of her will, only then were we able to shed some light on things. You are John Timothy Poole, born on June 5, 1975 with social security number ------- and currently residing in Orange County Florida? Is this information correct?" Howard asks him.
"Yeah that's me, but what's going on? What does me being here have to do with LaTasha Reynolds?" JT asks him.
"I'm just verifying some information to make sure you're the right person," Howard says before pulling out a folder from his desk and laying it on the table. "Here sir. Look at these."
"What is it?" JT says, taking the pictures from the man.
"That's your son Chad Reynolds," Howard says as JT faints.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I don't know any of the members of «N SYNC, Backstreet Boys or any other celebrities mentioned. I don't know anything about their sexual orientation or the orientation of any other celebrities in this story (even though I wish some of them were gay). This story is fiction and you shouldn't take it for anything else but that. This is for entertainment value only folks.