When we got back to the room, I went straight into the shower to get the salt off. Michelle went down to one of our hotel’s two ABC Stores (*AUTHOR’S NOTE: these are real; the nicer ones are like smaller, touristy Walgreens; they are everywhere in Hawaii, they’re literally on every street corner in Waikiki) to buy a magazine.
As she headed for the elevators to come back up when she was finished, one of them started to close.
“Great,” Michelle muttered.
Then the doors opened again. Someone had held them for her. When she got in and saw who it was, she almost fainted. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
It was AJ McLean, her favorite Backstreet Boy. Wow, this is your lucky day! she thought to herself. She was so surprised, she could barely speak, but she did manage to say thanks. I’m 17 years old, for crying out loud. Why am I all scared like a little teenybopper? If I start freaking out, that’ll be the end.
He smiled at her, and she started to go weak in the knees. “You’re welcome,” he said in what she always referred to as “that sexy voice of his” (which was always followed by that pathetic sigh I always laughed at). “Where you headed?”
“Um, 20.”
As they rode upward, Michelle thought, Just because Nat knows Brian doesn’t mean you’re going to get this opportunity again. She took a pen and the receipt from the YM she’d bought out of her purse.
“Can I have your autograph?” she asked AJ in what she later told me was a tiny, pathetic little voice.
“Sure,” he said, signing the back of the receipt. “I feel like I’m signing for my credit card,” he joked, making Michelle laugh. Man, this is too good to be true! she thought.
Before she knew it, they reached the 18th floor, and AJ had to get off.
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
“You too.” He smiled at her again. As soon as the elevator doors closed, she fainted.
When Michelle returned to the room, I was sitting on my bed, a towel wrapped around my head, watching Total Request Live and singing along to Joey McIntyre’s “Stay The Same”.
“ ‘Believe in yourself, reach down inside. The love you find will...’ Hey, Michelle, what’s up?” I greeted her, ending my little karaoke session. I hit the mute button on the TV, shutting Joey up, and turned to talk to Michelle. When I saw her, I was startled. She was leaning against the door, her face white as a sheet, a strange grin on her face. “Whoa, what happened to you?”
“You were right, Nat,” she told me, walking into the room and leaning against the table. “I kinda figured you were lying, but do you know who I was just in an elevator with?”
“Who?” I asked stupidly, even though I probably knew, judging from the look on her face.
“AJ.”
“McLean?” I said, still playing dumb.
“No, AJ Vogt,” she said sarcastically. “Yes, AJ McLean! I was coming out of the ABC Store and he held the elevator for me. And he gave me his autograph. And he smiled at me and talked to me in that sexy voice of his...” She let out that pathetic sigh, smiling dreamily.
This time, though, I didn’t laugh. I smiled and said only, “Wow. That must have been cool.”
She laughed. “Oh, whatever! You’re getting all friendly with Brian, and you’re sitting here saying, ‘Wow, that must have been cool.’”
“Don’t worry. What is meant to be will be.”
She laughed again. “Great. Now you’re getting all philosophical.”
“No, I’m serious. You never know what will happen. You may get to see him again.”
Michelle sat down on her bed and opened her YM. “Well, I hope so, Nat.” She sighed. “I sure hope so.”
”You did what?” Kevin Richardson exclaimed, laughing.
“Believe me, I didn’t mean to,” Brian said. “I can’t help it if I can’t surf worth crap.”
“Besides, he made nice with her,” Nick jumped in. “She hit her head on the board and got knocked out, and Frick pulled her out before anything bad could happen. Then, when she came to, she didn’t feel well, so he stayed with her for, like, an hour. Till she felt better. And then, the next thing you know, he’s putting the mack down on her.” He grinned.
“I did not!” Brian protested. “Get your facts straight, Frack.”
“Riiight,” Nick said in his best Dr. Evil impersonation.
“Well, I did ask for her number,” Brian admitted. “Turns out she’s right upstairs with her friend. Stepsister. Something like that. Little short blond girl, about 17.”
“Little? How old was...uh...what did you say her name was?” Howie Dorough said. “You never did tell us what her name was.”
“Natalie,” Brian replied. “She said she was 19, and I believe it. Heck, I thought she was, like, 21.”
“Did you say...” AJ began, then he shook his head. “Nah, there are a lot more blond girls than that in the hotel. I doubt it was the same chick from the elevator as you’re talking about, Natalie’s sister.” He shrugged, taking a long drink of soda. “I don’t know. I never miss a blond girl.”
“You never miss a girl, period,” Nick said dryly.
“Shut up, man,” AJ shot back, throwing a fry at him. Nick threw it back and was about to squirt a ketchup packet at him when he stopped.
“Ah, it’s not worth it,” he muttered. “But you left yourself wide open for that one, Boner.”
AJ started to say something, but Howie cut him off. “So Brian, what’s this Natalie girl like?”
Brian smiled. “She’s amazing. She’s smart and funny and sweet and fun to be around and...”
“Good-looking?” Kevin said hopefully.
Brian was grinning from ear to ear by now. “Beautiful.”
“So why haven’t you asked her out yet?” Howie said.
“Because a girl like that’s gotta be taken,” Brian pointed out, “and it’d be the surprise of the year if she wasn’t.”
“Well, her boyfriend – if she has one – probably isn’t here, so what’s the harm of asking her and Michelle to come along tonight?” Nick said, talking around a huge bite of his Whopper.
“You’re right. I’ll call her a little later,” Brian said.
“Now you make sure she knows to bring Michelle,” Nick reminded him.
“OK, OK, I will,” Brian said, chuckling. “I’ll help you out there, Frack.”
“With what?” AJ butted in. “You lookin’ to get lucky with this girl, Nick?”
“No!” Nick said quickly. “Yes. Maybe. Shut up, Boner.”
Around 2:00 that afternoon, the phone rang in our room. I was in the middle of painting my toenails blue, but the ringing startled me, and I slipped and painted my whole toe blue. I ignored it, put down the bottle, and picked up the phone. “Hello?” I said.
“Natalie? It’s Brian.”
I was a little surprised, but happy to hear from him nonetheless. “Hi, Brian. What’s up?”
“Nothing much. How you feeling?”
“I’m feeling a lot better, thanks.”
“That’s good. Um, listen...we’re all going to this place called Club Strata later. It’s a club, a good one from what I've heard. Do you and Michelle wanna come along?”
“Hang on,” I said. “I mean, I’d love to go either way, but I gotta see if Michelle wants to go.” I covered the mouthpiece with my hand and said to Michelle, “Hey, Brian’s on the phone. He wants to know if we wanna go to Club Strata, whatever that is, with them later. I’m going. Are you?”
Michelle lowered her magazine and looked at me like she was ready to go right then and there. “Now that’s the stupidest question I've ever heard!”
“OK, I’ll take that as a yes,” I said cheerfully.
“No, you can take that as a ‘hell yeah!’” Michelle exclaimed, laughing.
I uncovered the mouthpiece and told Brian, “Yeah, we’re both coming.”
“Cool,” Brian said, sounding happy. “Nick’ll be happy to hear Michelle’s coming.” I heard Nick telling him to shut up, and Brian laughed before telling me, “And I’m glad you’re coming. It’ll be a lot more fun that way.”
I was glad I wasn’t talking to him face-to-face, because I was blushing. “Thanks. You’re sweet. So, when and where should we meet you guys?”
“Around 8, down in the lobby on the east side of the hotel.”
“All right. See ya then. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up and turned to Michelle, grinning like an idiot. “Tonight, we party!”
“Why were you blushing like a human tomato?” she said curiously. “You never blush unless...aww. Was Brian being a sweetheart?”
“Come on. We gotta figure out what we’re gonna wear tonight,” I said, trying to change the subject. I turned away and started rummaging through my drawer.
But Michelle wouldn’t let it go. “That’s so sweet!”
I put down a pair of shorts and gave Michelle a don’t-go-there look. “Michelle, don’t start up. Brian and I are friends.”
She smirked at me. “That’s how it starts.”
I was starting to get a little pissed off. “Listen, you know me. You know what’s happened in the past. Do you really think I’m going to go and fall for a guy I haven’t even known five hours? I don’t think so.”
“OK,” Michelle said contritely. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I grumbled. “It’s all right.”
As I got up and walked over to the closet, I hoped Michelle didn’t realize that I was lying like a rug.