Chapter Fourteen

Jess went straight home from the airport. She had gotten an apartment about two miles from the studio. She walked in and crashed on the couch. The place looked more like a guy lived there. She was not the cleanest person in the world. She had also become addicted to a game on Playstation so it was sitting in the middle of the floor. Sighing she wondered why she was so tired. Then she smiled when she thought about her sea adventure. She hadn't had that much fun in a very long time. She even laugh when she remembered Nick pulling her in the water. She was trying not to think of Brian blowing on the back of her leg.

Jess had become a bit of a hermit. She was not letting myself get distracted from her career again. Loren had tried to set her up on many occasions. But none of her friends were very appealing to Jess and she was dead set against dating anyone at work. She fell asleep wondering what the guys were doing now and when she was going to see them again.

The phone woke her up.

Jess - "Hello?"

Loren - "Hey how was Florida?"

Jess - "Girl it was hot!"

Loren - "Did you get to the ocean or did Chris work you the whole time."

Jess - "No I got to the ocean." She tells Loren about her trip, including Brian blowing on her leg.

Loren - "Jess he was flirting with you."

Jess - "No he wasn't. He was...I don't know but he wasn't flirting with me."

Loren - "Yeah okay. Whatever. Well Tristens making me crazy, here he is." He's three by now and a trip.

Tristen - "Hey Jessie!"

Jess - "Hey Tristen, how are you?

Tristen - "I'm okay. When are you going to take me to the museum?"

Jess - "Well I've got off Wednesday, do you want to go then."

Tristen - "Okay. I've got to go Jesse just want in my room." He hands the phone back to Loren and they chitchat for a couple minutes and Jess promise to come over for dinner. Loren is trying a new recipe and need her neutral taste buds. Jess didn't hear from Brian or anyone until after she had got promoted and they were scheduled to be on TRL.

October 1998

Jess - "Okay is everything ready for Backstreet." She looks around the guest lounge. There was sodas and chips magazines, she even went out and bought a scuba magazine and set it on top where Nick would see it. Jess was really nervous but she was just telling herself it was because the show was still new and she had a lot to be responsible for. She even had her own assistant. That would be Brad, who was putting more ice on the soda. "I thinks that's enough ice."

Brad - "I think it's already then."

Jess - "Okay, um go make sure that security is in place." He leaves and she heads to the dressing room. Carson was getting some finishing touches. "Are you nervous? I'm nervous, they're the first really big guests we've had."

Carson - "It'll be okay Jessica. Is the audience up?"

Jess - "Yeah Michelle is prepping them." He gets done and comes over and puts his hands on her shoulders.

Carson - "Okay breath with me. In out, in out. It's okay. Besides if things go wrong we're not the people responsible. Mary is. Okay."

Jess - "Okay. Alright, it's time for you to get out there."

He leaves and Jess hears the audience get loud briefly as Carson walks out on stage. Brad comes over to tell her that Backstreet was here and making their way through the offices. Her calm is gone like that. She checks the room one more time, it's perfect. Then she sees Howie come around the corner.

Howie - "Jessica? Hey guys its Jessica." He comes up and hugs her. Then Nick comes around the corner and also hugs her.

Nick - "You're not still mad at me are you?"

Jess - "No. How are you guys?" She was going to try to play it cool but she was too excited to see them.

Howie - "Good and you?"

Jess - "Not bad. You guys are suppose to wait in here." She shows them the room. Kevin kisses her cheek as he walks by. "Okay make yourselves comfortable if you need anything just tell Brad he'll get it for you."

Brian - "Where are you going?"

Jess - "I work on the show."

Brian - "Can't some one else run the camera."

Jess - "Actually I got promote I'm an assistant producer now. They need me in the control room."

The show goes off with only one small problem. When the boys went to the window they caused such hysteria down stairs that the police asked them to not go and wave anymore. Finally the show was over, she was hoping that they were still there but they had left. Jess was kind of bummed so she got ready to go home. She went to her office got her coat and started to leave. Brad chased her down the hall.

Brad - "Hey I've got a note for you."

Jess - "A note?" it's from Brian. "What are we in high school? Next thing I know he'll ask me to met him behind the gym."

Brad - "What?

Jess - "Nothing. Thanks Brad" She opened it up.

Jessica,
Sorry we couldn't stay to catch up
with you. But for security reasons
we had to go. I got your number
from Brad. I'll call you later.
Brian

Jess - "You gave them my phone number."

Brad - "You told me anything they wanted. I didn't think it was a big deal, it seemed like you all were friends."

Jess - "You're right it's okay."

So then she had to go home and sit by the phone. Something she hadn't done since she was dating Donnie. The comparison was not lost on her. She made a sandwich and started watching the Simpsons. Finally the phone rang.

Brian - "Hey what ya doing?"

Jess - "Watching the Simpsons."

Brian - "What channel."

Jess - "5. So whats up?"

Brian - "Not much, hey Nick turn on 5." Nick yells in the background. "What are you doing tonight?"

Jess - "I was just going to stay home." Her stomach does flip-flops when she thinks about him asking her out. Stop it stop it now, she thought. "Why what are you going to do?"

Brian - "We're planning a jail break. Want to help?"

Jess - "Sure. What do you need me to do?" So he tells her the plan. Jess parks behind the Sheraton with engine running. She waited about five minutes then saw Kevin, Nick, Brian and AJ running out. They jumped in and she took off. "Where's Howie?"

AJ - "Rick almost busted us some one had to be sacrificed."

Jess - "Sacrificed?"

Kevin - "Rick's part of our security. He wouldn't have let us go. So Howie distracted him."

Jess - "okay so where are we going?"

AJ - "Back to your place." She thinks about the mess her apartment is in.

Jess - "oh I'm sure you guys could think of something better to do then go to my apartment."

AJ - "Everyone in this whole city knows we're here and they'll be out looking for us. We have to go some place quiet."

Jess - "Alright but I'm warning you it's a sty."

Kevin - "What do you think living with them is like." They get to her place and she runs in and shoves the worse of it in to her bedroom, then lets them in. Nick automatically goes to the Playstation.

Nick - "Cool what games do you have?"

Jess - "They're under the TV." He starts rummaging through the games. AJ's looking at her movie collection.

AJ - "you guys want to watch a movie?"

Nick - "maybe later what's this Bust a move?"

Jess - "it's like a puzzle game. Um, guys I wasn't expecting company so I have to run out quick I'll be back make yourselves at home."

Brian - "I'll go with you." Kevin looks at him.

Kevin - "No that's okay man I'll go." Jess has no idea what's going on, but they are acting funny.

Jess - "I can go by myself, it's like a block away. I'll be back in like 15 minutes, you can order a pizza awhile if you want the number's on the fridge." She leaves.

Kevin - What are you doing?"

Brian - "Nothing."

Kevin - "I thought you were seeing Christine."

Brian - "I am but it's nothing serious."

Kevin - "Does she know that?" Brian shrugs his shoulders.

Nick - "I like Jessica better. She's got video games."

AJ - "And a personality."

Kevin - "It doesn't matter, she's a friend of ours. If you screw around with her she might not talk to any of us and I personal think she's a good kid. I don't want to lose her friendship." Brian looks at his feet. "Look Brian if you like her give it time to develop on its own. If you jump at her she might run."

AJ - "I think he's right man. There's something about her that seems kind of skittish to me." Nick has been busy playing games.

Nick -"Who wants pizza?" The three of them just look at him. "What?" So they order pizza and Jess gets back with some snacks. She can't believe how much food they ordered. She was sitting on the floor playing a game with Nick when Kevin asked to look at her photo albums.

Jess - "Um I guess so but you guys have to promise me that you won't freak okay."

AJ - "Why is there naked pictures of you in there."

Jess - "No! " Kevin starts flipping through one it's from when Jess was in college. He gets to a picture of everyone at her graduation.

Kevin - "Holy Shit!"

AJ - "Is she naked?" he looks over his shoulder. "She's not naked, wait that's Sean Connery." Now they all were looking over Kevin's shoulder.

Jess - "Come on guys its no big deal."

AJ - "When did you met him. Bond, James Bond."

Jess - "Actually he hates that. He's my Grandfather." She gets up and open another album and show them a
picture of Stephen and her with Sean at his 'house'.

Nick - "Hey that guy looks familiar."

Jess - "that's my twin brother Stephen."

Nick - "He's that guy from that movie that's coming out."

Jess - "Blade."

Nick - "yeah, he's your brother?" She nods. "Anyone else we know of?"

Jess - "Well Kevin kind of skipped a page. That's my mom Goldie and my dad Kurt."

Kevin - "Anyone else?"

Jess - "No that's it. Well not exactly my aunt works on Broadway."

Kevin - "We haven't had a chance to catch any shows."

Jess - "Well she's finishing up Les Miz I could probably get tickets if you all are going to be in town awhile."

AJ - "I'd love to go. I haven't seen live theater in so long."

Kevin - Count me in."

Brian - "Me too. How about you Nick?"

Nick - "I think I'll pass Howie would probably like to go so I'll run interference."

Jess - "Okay I'll go call her." She grabs the phone and goes into her room. Loren answers on the third ring.

Loren - "What's up?"

Jess - "Hey could you possibly get me five tickets to your show tomorrow?"

Loren - "Five! Who are you bringing?"

Jess - "Some friends."

Loren - "Those guys that were on TV today?"

Jess - "Yeah."

Loren - "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Jess - "I don't know what to do. I really like Brian but it's just all too familiar."

Loren - "Jessica you are a totally different person then when you were with Donnie. And hopefully this guy is not like Donnie."

Jess - "No. Him and Donnie are like night and day."

Loren - "Look just take things slow, and don't let your self get left alone with him."

Jess - "Okay."

Loren - "I'll leave the tickets at the studio for you." They hang up and Jess goes hangs out with them until like two then they catch a cab back to the hotel, cause she had to work the next day. She was late getting into work and there were flowers on her desk from all of them. Loren dropped the tickets off and raised an eyebrow at the flowers.

Jess - "Not a word."

Loren - "I didn't say anything." They go have lunch before Loren has to head to the theater. Work was pretty uneventful the rest of the day. Jess rushed home to get ready, they were going to meet her at the theater and she didn't want to be late.