"Hope you don't mind me dropping by like this," Brian started apologizing.

"No, no, it's okay. Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked, stepping aside to let him in.

"Oh, it's nothing really," he said, ducking his head.

"Come on, bashful Brian, what is it?" I poked him.

"Well, you remember the Christmas talent show our junior year in high school? The one where you were leading the girls in screaming for me?"

"I wasn't leading," I said.

"You paid 'em then."

"I didn't pay them. They did it on their own. But we did have a bet going?"

"What?"

I laughed and sat down on the couch. "Well, you see, the girls and I had a bet going on when you would get discovered and what you'd be singing. They all thought I was crazy when I told 'em I thought you'd sing pop or R&B. 'But pop was so last week,' they'd tell me. 'Plus, what big record producer is gonna come here to hicksville?' I would then tell them that they obviously hadn't been following you down the halls because you were always singing New Kids songs. They would laugh and then say that it was more likely for you to end up singing country. Needless to say, I collected up at the five-year reunion."

"I was gonna go to that, but we were on tour."

"I know. I told 'em all that, and I have to say, they're all impressed."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They all have bragging rights now. Oh, you remember Manager Dave from Long John's right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, he retired your uniform. It's hanging on the wall in a frame now. Your mom and I have talked about auctioning it off."

"Oh God," Brian put his head in his hands.

"Hey, I'm sure the university wants to name a hall after you, too." Brian chuckled. "Hey, I just report what I see," I told him.

"But I'm only twenty-four."

"Our birthday's coming up," I told him. Oddly enough, Brian and I were born on the same day, a year apart. It probably added to the confusion the teachers felt.

"Yeah, and unfortunately, I'm gonna be on tour. And I want you to be there."

"What day is it again?"

"Sunday."

"Oh, Bri, I wish I could, but if it was a Saturday..." Brian stuck out his lower lip and pouted. "I'll think about it. So is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Brian looked at his hands. "No. I wanted to know if you wanted to go on tour with us."

"Of course I do Brian, but it'll have to wait until summer."

"Well, we finish the tour in April and then we go into the studio in May. The next album should be released in September."

"Oh great," I said out loud, to myself. "How many kids are gonna ditch my class that day?"

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, Bri. Just talking to myself."

"Oh. Well, just promise me you'll come to the concert on our birthday."

"I'll see what I can do, okay? I promise." I placed my hand on his knee. He put his hand on top of mine.

"Briann?"

"Yes, Brian."

"There's something else. I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time now."

"What?" He looked into my eyes. He was about to say something when...

To Chapter Eleven

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