Chapter 55:
All five Backstreet Boys shifted
restlessly in the cramped elevator, tense, the elevator chiming their descent
with excruciating slowness. Finally the doors opened and they simultaneously
breathed a sigh of relief, free from the cloying confines of one another.
A flood of screams assaulted their ears,
flashes of light blinding them as they exited the elevator, stumbling back in
surprise. Being the last one out, Brian received less of the impact and
shielded his eyes, confused but not for long. Years of experience kicked in and
he stepped away from the throng of excited fans, hearing the faint ding of the
elevator door beginning to close behind him.
He lunged for the closing doors and
impulsively grabbed the nearest guy standing in front of him, yanking hard.
Caught off-balance AJ stumbled backwards, his body crashing into Brian's as
they both fell to the elevator floor. He had but a moment to view the mayhem of
agitated fans surrounding Nick, Kevin, and Howie before the doors closed,
blocking the scene.
AJ nimbly jumped up, not noticing Brian's
slumped form until a moan of pain caught his attention. Brian twisted around
until he could sit up, holding his cast wrist upright and grimacing. AJ leaned
down to help him up but Brian waved him off, nodding to the levels.
"Hit the highest floor, hurry!"
AJ understood immediately, and punched the
16th floor. They had been caught in similar circumstances before. The speed in
which fans could climb stairways was amazing, and only through past experience
had the guys learned to aim for the top floor instead of a few levels above.
Brian stood up on his own power, leaning
heavily onto the side wall of the elevator as they watched the elevator ascend,
opening with a quiet chime to announce their arrival at the 16th floor.
AJ eyed Brian critically. "You okay,
man?"
Brian fished out two pills and popped them
in his mouth. "I will be now," he said grimly and AJ frowned, uneasy
with Brian's blunt answer. "Come on," Brian waved to AJ as they
jogged down the softly-lit corridor. "Let's find a place to hide."
They came upon the first door, its gold
lettering stating Miss Sherri's Dance Studio. "Uh, no, not that one,"
remarked AJ. Hurrying down the hallway, they glanced at the next. Longfellow's
Family and Children's Service. Glancing at each other, they shook their heads.
The next door was marked Kid Celebrations. "What's going on?" snorted
AJ in disbelief as he stared at the sign. Brian went ahead, scanning each door.
He gave a sharp whistle, motioning AJ to
come look. ABC Tax Service.
"Looks good to me!" AJ admitted.
They quickly entered the small interior, startling the elderly receptionist.
She stood up with difficulty, peering over her reading glasses as she
scrutinized the two before her, taking in their rumpled appearance and
especially AJ's various tattoos.
"We don't keep anymore than 20 cash
on us," she quavered, her eyes nervously flickering back and forth between
the two.
AJ stared at her dumbfounded and Brian put
on his best smile, trying to ease the anxious woman before him. "Ma'am, we
just need to use your office for a moment," he twanged, letting his polite
Southern accent come into full force. He went on hurriedly, before she could
object. "We're sorry to bother you. My name is Brian and this is AJ. We,
uh, got separated, uh, from our group, and ahh…" Brian stumbled, noticing
the confusion in her face.
"We got mobbed downstairs. Fans. We're
in a group called the Backstreet Boys," interrupted AJ. "Ever heard
of us?"
The silver-haired lady relaxed. "Of
course, young man. I may be old but I'm not stupid!"
Brian smirked at AJ's embarrassment.
"If you could let us hide out here for a while, we sure would appreciate
it, miss…?" he questioned, indicating her name.
"Evelyn." With a flick of her
hand she motioned to them. "Please, follow me." Brian and AJ trailed
after her, entering a small room, a conference table taking up most of the
space. "Will this do? Good. Can I get you anything? Coffee, soft
drink?"
"Water. Water would be just fine,
thanks," replied Brian. He could still taste the bitterness of the
painkillers he swallowed.
"Okay." She shuffled away,
pausing to touch AJ. "Too many tattoos, young man," she admonished.
AJ rolled his eyes, amused. "Yes,
grandma," he teased. She waggled a playful finger at him as she left the
room.
Brian went over to the window and pulled
back the blinds, peering down.
"See anything?"
Brian shook his head, letting the blinds
drop. "Nope. We're facing the north side, not the south."
"Wonder how the guys are doing."
Brian shook his head. "Don't
know." He glanced at the phone sitting on the edge of the table and
stretched out to snag it. "Guess I'll call Xavier to come get us."
Instantly AJ reached over and ripped the
phone from Brian's hand. "No thanks. I'll call Eric," he said
harshly. Brian met AJ's gaze, seeing the bitter hostility in his eyes.
"Whatever," he replied evenly
and walked over to the farthest seat and sat down, examining his broken wrist.
Evelyn came back with glasses of iced water in hand, noticing the sudden
tension. "Everything alright?" she asked, handing Brian his glass,
then to AJ who had hung up the phone.
"Fine, everything's fine, thanks."
AJ took a sip of his water, noticing that Evelyn was staring intently at him.
"What?" he asked, chafing under the scrutiny. "Do I smell or
something?"
"I was just thinking. Maybe I should
charge you for the water? You guys have sure cost me a pretty penny. I've got
granddaughters, you know!" she teased, holding up four wrinkled fingers.
AJ relaxed, his mouth twisting in humor.
"Evelyn...Evie," he pleaded, holding his
hands out wide. "I'm forever in your debt. How ever can I thank you?"
Evelyn smacked his hand away gently.
"Your charm won't work on me, you rascal," she scoffed laughingly.
"Save it for the young ladies." Evelyn turned to see Brian sitting in
silence, looking dejected. She suddenly felt a strong urge to give him a
motherly hug but refrained, remembering her daughter's warnings that her
maternal instincts always seemed to get her in some sort of trouble. She
cleared her throat instead.
"Well, guess I should be getting back
to my desk. You're welcome to stay as long as you want." She paused at the
door, glanced at the two, then closed the door with a
soft click.
***
