Author's Notes --------------
Nothing really to say today. Hope y'all enjoy the story.
Disclaimer ----------
The story in these pages is entirely in the mind of the author and in no way reflect the true orientation of the Backstreet Boys. Remember the difference between make believe and reality, kids.
If you're too young to read this, leave. If it's illegal where you live, move.
And now...'Forever'...
Chapter 65
When we got to our room, I had a message waiting for me. I was surprised, especially since I hadn't told anyone where I was staying. I was even more surprised when I saw that the message was from Anna.
"Trouble, D?" Kev asked when he saw the look on my face.
"I'm not sure, Kevin. It's from my boss, although I have no clue how she found out where I was," I filled him in.
"Well, I'm gonna walk down and talk to Allen for a bit. Why don't you give her a call, and I'll find you later?"
"That sounds fine, hon," I replied, giving him a little kiss on the cheek before he wandered out of our room.
I picked up the phone and dialed. I had to dial twice, cause I was nervous and misdialed my phone card number the first time. She answered after only two rings.
"Hello?" her voice came through the line.
"Hi, Anna. It's Dylan. I got your message," I replied, going right to the point.
"Hey, Dylan. I'm glad I caught you. How's the trip?" She was apparently feeling chattier than I was.
"It's fine so far. I'm a little bummed about having to come home already, of course," I said, a touch of humor in my voice.
"Well, you coming home is kind of why I called," she answered. There was something about the way she said it that made me nervous.
"Oh?" was all I replied.
"I received a rather strange phone call this morning," she said. "Actually, TWO rather strange phone calls. And the fact I got them both in the same hour makes it even more bizarre."
"Who were the calls from?" I asked.
"Well, one was from someone named Howard or Howie. I didn't catch his last name. He just said that he worked with the Backstreet Boys, and he was wondering if it was possible for you to take a leave of absence," she said.
"What?"
"Yeah. He said something had come up that made it kind of important for you to travel with the group for a bit, and he wondered if you could have some time off," she continued.
"Anna, I'm sorry he did that. The guys and I were just talking about some problems going on last night and," I started.
"Dylan, I understand. I know you've been having a rough road of it lately. But the fact is that I can't let you just disappear from work for an indefinite period of time. I need every hand I can get on this project if we're gonna make it on schedule," she said.
"I know, Anna. And I'll be back on Monday to start back to work," I said.
"Well, no, actually you won't."
"What?" I was shocked. "Anna, please, I know my work hasn't been up to par the last week or two, but please give me a chance. I can get back up to speed, I promise," I was practically begging.
"No, Dylan, you misunderstood me. You WILL be working on Monday, but you won't be HERE to do it."
"Huh?" was my rather witty reply. She chuckled.
"I'm sorry, Dylan. Let me explain the whole thing, ok?" she asked. I nodded stupidly, which she couldn't see, of course. She continued anyway.
"Your friend and I talked, and we came to an agreement. You will continue to work, but you will be allowed to do it on the road. I'm shipping you a company laptop. You can use your own cell phone if you need to and just charge any business related calls back to your expenses."
"You will be required to check in with me at least once a day, and you will have to provide regular progress updates so that I can prove to anyone who might ask that you are in fact working." She paused a moment here. "There are two catches, though," she said.
"Go on," I said.
"If I find that you are not pulling your weight, then I will have to ask that you return to Tampa. If you choose not to return, then I will have to terminate your employment," she said, her voice very formal. She shifted to a more friendly tone before she continued.
"I realize that this is a highly unusual set of circumstances, Dylan, and you're a valuable enough worker that I'm willing to take this chance, but it's MY butt on the line if you're not performing. I'm the one who'll have to justify all of this to upper management."
"I understand. And I have no problem with that. I won't let you down, Anna. I know the risk you're taking," I replied. And I did. While the company allowed telecommuting, and even had a good modem and networking setup to handle it, they didn't normally let people telecommute 100% of their time. She WAS taking a risk allowing this.
"Second, if for any reason anyone else in the office registers a complaint or feels that they should be allowed to do the same thing, then I'll have to pull you back, as well. It's not totally fair to let you do this and not your coworkers, but I also can't run a development shop with everyone at home. I've tried it before and it just doesn't work. So, your ability to stay on the road will be contingent on your coworkers. Try not to piss `em off," she finished with a chuckle.
"Got it. I'll try to butter `em all up as much as I can," I replied, also chuckling. I remembered her other statement. "Who was the other phone call from."
"Well, this one was strange, especially since I got it like an hour after I finished talking to the first guy," she paused, as if gathering her thoughts.
"This second call comes in and the guy says that he's also affiliated with the Backstreet Boys, and that it was important to the continued success and stability of the group if I made sure you were NOT with them come Monday."
"What?"
"Yeah. He said that he wanted to make sure that I wouldn't grant you the time off to stay with the group. Something about him kind of rubbed me the wrong way, so I just told him that I wasn't going to give you time off. I told him that, come Monday, you'd be back working again. I just didn't mention that you would still be with the group when you were working."
"I don't suppose you got his name, did you?" I asked, already knowing what she was about to say.
"Actually, I did. He said his name was Allen. He also requested that we keep the conversation confidential, as it could be misconstrued if certain people got wind of it. He intimated the media, but I'd imagine that it wasn't reporters he was worried about, was it?" she said.
"No, it probably wasn't," I sighed. He'd done it again. Kev was going to have a fit. "Listen, Anna, I want to thank you for all of this. And, I want to apologize," I said.
"Why?"
"It was totally unprofessional for EITHER of them to call you. While I'm personally glad that you decided to let me stay here, I'm frankly a little embarrassed that people are going to you behind my back like that."
"Don't worry about it, Dylan. Normally, this would probably reflect badly on you. But, the fact of the matter is that, since that announcement a few weeks back, nothing that happens around you is really normal," she said that last with a smile in her voice.
"Thanks," I paused, "I think, anyway." We both chuckled a moment. "Seriously, though, I do appreciate you doing all of this for me. I can't really imagine what I've done to deserve it, but I'll do my best not to let you down."
"See that you don't, Dylan, and we'll be just fine," she replied. She still sounded like she was laughing, but I knew she was very serious.
We hung up then, and I sighed. I was going to get to stay with the guys. With Kevin. I was relieved beyond words. But, Howie and I were definitely due for a little talk. As much as I appreciated his concern, it wasn't right for him to go to her like that. Especially without talking to me first.
And then there was Allen. I had no idea what I was going to do about him. Obviously, he didn't approve, either of my relationship with Kevin or of me personally. Or perhaps it was both.
I momentarily debated not telling Kevin, keeping it to myself. But, I'd already had enough of trying to go it alone. Kevin was in for the long haul, and I guess he deserved to know how his management was working me over.
I walked down the hall to Howie's room. I figured I'd chat with him first. After all, I wasn't really all that mad at him. I just wanted to set a few things straight.
He answered quickly after I knocked. He seemed a little surprised to see me, but invited me in. We walked inside his room, and I sat down in a chair. He sat across from me on the edge of his bed.
"So, what's up?" he asked.
"Well," I said, "I just got off the phone with my boss."
"Oh," he said.
"Yeah, `Oh'," I replied. "Look, Howie, I appreciate you doing that and all, but," he interrupted he there.
"Dylan, I know." He sighed. "I shouldn't have gone behind your back and called her. But, I thought maybe it'd make a stronger impression on her if someone besides you was asking."
"Well, you made an impression on her, I guess. She agreed to let me stay. It's just," I stopped, trying to find the right words. "It comes across as a little...unprofessional. Like I'm back in high school sending my best friend to find out if someone likes me or not, ya know?" He nodded.
"I get it, DJ. And I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. You seemed so miserable last night. And I knew that if you had to go back to Tampa, Kevin would've wanted to go with you. That would've caused problems for him with management, and you'd have gotten caught in the middle there. So, I tried to fix things before they blew up again."
"I understand, Howie. Just, next time you decide to rearrange my career, please tell me. When Anna told me that I wasn't going to be coming back to work, I nearly had a heart attack. I thought I'd been fired or something," I told him, smiling. He chuckled.
"Alright, I promise, man. I'll give you a heads up when I decide to play God in your life again," he said. I nodded in satisfaction.
"Just one question, Howie," I said.
"What's that?"
"How the hell did you get in touch with her?" I wondered. He kind of blushed and looked away.
"Well, Dylan, I sort of snuck in your room this morning and borrowed your cell phone and checked through the programmed numbers. You had one that was `Anna Rodriquez', so I took a chance and got her," he replied.
"My, my, aren't you just a regular Ethan Hunt?" I said, referring to the main character in the `Mission Impossible' movie. Howie just laughed and started humming the theme to the show.
We talked for a while longer, mostly me giving him a dose about going to my boss. But, he knew I was only kidding, and took it all in stride. Eventually, I stood and headed for the door. I knew that I still had one stop to make.
I walked further down the hall after saying bye to Howie. I wasn't really looking forward to the next meeting. But, my anger was growing as I thought more about it. Not only had Allen decided he was going to keep us apart, he'd also gone to my BOSS to try to arrange it. Tacky.
I came to Allen's door just as Kevin was walking out. He didn't seem upset at all, so I guessed that his meeting had been productive. I hated to spoil that, but I really needed to get this worked out, so I just pushed him back inside and shut the door before turning to the two of them.
"We need to talk."
Chapter 66
"Dylan, what's up?" Kevin asked. I glanced at him a moment before turning to Allen.
"Where exactly do you get off calling my boss to discuss whether or not I am able to stay here?" I asked, not even bothering to say hello first.
"He did what?" Kev asked me, turning to Allen with a shocked look.
"He called Anna this morning and requested that she not allow me any time off. Said it would be better for the `continued success and well being' of the group if I wasn't with you." I was starting to build up a good head of steam, now.
"Allen, is this true?" Kev asked. I was a little hurt that he'd think I was lying, but I quickly realized that he was thinking of Anna. Whoever it was might've lied to her. Fortunately, Allen didn't bother to deny it.
"Yes, it is, Kevin," he said calmly.
"What the hell were you," Kev started to ask. I put a hand on his arm, interrupting him. This was my fight, at least for now.
"Allen, I don't know what it is that you have against me. I don't know if you hate me personally or if you're one of those ignorant asses who thinks that I `converted'," I laid on the sarcasm here, "Kevin to the gay side. Frankly, I don't give a shit."
"You have NO RIGHT to interfere with my life like that. The fact is that I have absolutely NO connection with you or with the Firm. I actually don't even have a legal connection of any kind with the Backstreet Boys, unless you consider sleeping with one of the singers to be a legal connection. But understand this."
"If you EVER pull something like this again, I will slap you personally and the Firm as a corporation with a lawsuit so fast it'll blow the shorts off that scrawny little thing you call an ass," I said. Allen opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him.
"And before you tell me that I have no legal basis for it, keep in mind that this is the age of the frivolous lawsuit. I could probably sue you for scratching your crotch with the wrong hand and still win a million dollars. And even if I lose, it's publicity you don't need." I stopped and took a breath.
"Are you finished, yet?" Allen asked. Kevin jumped in here.
"No, but you are, Allen," he said quietly.
"I don't actually think so, Kevin," Allen replied, a trifle smug. "You see, I was told to take action by my superiors at the Firm. So, any problems you have with me will have to go through them."
"And did your superiors also know exactly what type of action you were going to be taking?" Kevin's voice was that quiet-but-deadly tone. "Or that your actions would probably result in the defection of at least one and possibly all of the group you were managing?" Allen looked a little less smug when he said that.
"No, I didn't think so. I'd imagine that they probably told you to get Dylan to sign a contract or agreement of some form so that they could get some control over him. I'd also imagine that they would much rather keep him with us where they can keep an eye on him than send him back to Tampa where he can do or say anything he wants without them knowing a thing about it."
"So, I'm thinking that those superiors of yours would much rather just accept my relationship with Dylan and work with the group to keep us all happy. I'm guessing that, if I went to them to discuss your rather questionable decision to approach Dylan's employer in an official capacity as a representative of the Firm, they'd probably have quite a bit to say. And none of it would be good."
Allen looked like he was about to explode. I guessed from the look on his face that Kevin had probably hit home with almost everything he'd said.
"Don't you get it? Haven't you figured it out, yet?" Allen said, looking at Kevin. "I was doing it for the good of the group. None of you understands what he," he pointed a finger at me, "means to you. What he represents."
"Allen, I do understand what he represents. Far more than you apparently do. He represents happiness. He represents a chance for me to live something approaching a normal life. And I'm not giving that chance up for you or for anyone."
"Now, either you get that through your head, or you give up management of the Backstreet Boys for someone who can understand what we want. Someone who can understand that all of this is a job. It may be a job that we love, but it isn't our entire life. It can't be. I'll give you until tomorrow to make the decision. If you don't, then the guys and I will make it for you."
He turned then, taking my hand and pulling me out the door. I was frankly a little surprised that he hadn't fired him on the spot. So, I asked him.
"Why didn't you fire him?"
"Because, Dylan," he replied with a sigh, "for one thing, I don't have the power to do that myself. And, for another, I didn't want to stir up a lot of resentment with him."
"The fact is that he has an influence in our lives. If he wanted to, he could make some trouble for us. If he decides to leave on his own, that's one thing. If he decides to stay, then he makes that choice knowing that you're part of the package now. And, he makes that choice himself. Either way, it gives him at least a semblance of control over his future."
"I'm sorry about all this, Kev," I said quietly.
"It's not your fault, D," he replied. "It's just frustrating, is all. I can understand having to deal with this from outsiders. But, he's one of our own. We should be able to rely on him like we do on everyone else."
I didn't say anything else as we walked the rest of the way to our room. He turned to me when he went to unlock the door, the corner of his mouth tilted up.
"Dylan?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"Suing him for scratching his crotch with the wrong hand?" he asked.
"Hey, gimme a break," I said, lightly hitting his upper arm. I was under the gun, and it just popped into my head," I replied, smiling back. He just shook his head at me, leaning in to give me a quick kiss.
"Love ya, sweetie," he said.
"Love ya back, hon," I whispered back.
Chapter 67
I leaned back in my chair, stretching to work out the kinks. I felt a few joints popping and wondered to myself if I could get Kev's management to spring for a decent chair for me. These hotel chairs were killing me.
I'd been on the road with the guys for a week now. Memorial Day weekend was coming up, but the guys weren't getting much of a break. We'd be in Minneapolis doing interviews and signings through Tuesday night. Then, we were off to Chicago for a few days, then one last stop in New York before finally heading home.
We were currently in my former hometown of Denver. We were due to fly out tomorrow afternoon for Minneapolis. I was a little sad to be moving on. I hadn't had much chance to take a look around the area. We'd been really busy the entire time we were here.
Actually, we'd been busy the entire time I was with the guys. It seemed to be a never-ending parade of public appearances and interviews. My time in between was filled with work. As promised, I'd gotten my company laptop on Monday morning, and I'd been working since.
Anna had commented to me this morning during our status call that she was very pleased with what I'd accomplished. I'd managed to get through a couple of problem areas that had been plaguing me up until this point. It made me feel good that I was living up to my end of our bargain.
The interviews were different than I'd expected. Most of the interviews involving BSB that I'd ever read or seen were pretty lightweight. "What's your ideal girl like?" "What do you miss the most when you tour?" "Are you currently dating?"
But, the interviews that I was involved with tended to be a little tougher. They got into the issue of Kevin's deception. What it was like for him to have lived in secret for so long. Why it was that he'd finally decided to come out. Questions about growing up gay. How the guys felt about the whole thing.
Occasionally, fans were brought in if the studio could accommodate them. Generally, they were either supportive of Kevin or really didn't care much. There were very few who were outright hostile, and even they eventually settled down after being around us for a bit.
On the whole, the interviews and public appearances were very positive experiences, both for me and for the group. It really helped me see that I wasn't as hated as I'd thought. That was definitely a plus.
Unfortunately, all the scheduled group activities' and my own work during my free hours pretty much eliminated the concept of fun time'. And, even worse, it basically cancelled any time that Kev and I might spend together.
The only time that we spent alone was in bed at night, and by that time, we were both so tired that we couldn't do much more than drop a peck on each other's cheek before slipping into unconsciousness.
But, at least it was time together. While it might not've been ideal, it was far better than the alternative of going through all of this by myself.
I stood up from my chair and took a look out the window. We were in a hotel in downtown Denver. We weren't high enough to have much of a view, but it helped to get a look outside. Actually, it gave me a great idea.
I turned and grabbed my coat, walking towards the door. Even though it was May, the evenings were still chilly. I figured it was better safe than sorry.
I walked out into the hall. I thought about stopping by Tom's room to grab him, but decided against it. In the week since I'd been with the guys, I hadn't had any more harassing e-mails or phone calls. I'd pretty much decided that the guy had given up.
I stepped out of the hotel and onto the street. There was a crowd of fans outside the door, as there always was wherever the guys stayed. No one seemed to recognize me, though, which was good since I wanted some privacy.
I started wandering down the street, not heading in any particular direction. I just felt like taking in the evening air and stretching my legs. I didn't have any special destination in mind.
Kevin and the other guys were out tonight. I couldn't remember where. The schedule was starting to blend together. The only thing I knew was that I didn't have to be with them, so I could stay at the hotel and get some work done.
"Got any change, mister?" a scratchy voice interrupted my wandering thoughts.
"No, sorry," I absently shook my head, not even looking up. I'd gotten used to panhandlers in the city a long time ago. I didn't even register them all that much anymore.
"Too bad, Dylan," the voice said. That DID get my attention.
I turned to see a strange man standing there. There was nothing remarkable about him. He was...average. Brown hair and eyes, average build, about 5'10". The only unusual thing about him was his voice. It sounded almost like he was missing part of his vocal cords or something. It was very dry, very scratchy.
"Do I know you?" I asked.
"No, but I know you," he said. There was something in his eyes that was starting to make me uncomfortable.
I took a moment to look around. I didn't see anyone else on the street around us. I wasn't too surprised. I was away from the main `party area' of downtown, and it was a Thursday night. Downtown Denver didn't have much in the way of a night crowd on a Thursday when you weren't in LoDo.
"No one's around, Dylan. No one to help you out," he said. He paused then, staring into my eyes. "I told you that you'd burn."
I sucked in a breath, realizing finally who he was. My own personal stalker. The man who, until a week ago, had been sending me hate mail and threatening to make sure I took a trip to hell, very soon.
"Ah, figured out who I am, huh? I told you that you'd burn. I told you that you'd suffer for your sins. You've corrupted the innocent with your filth. You've made a mockery of God's law with your perversion. And now, you shall face judgement."
I started to take a step back when I saw him pull something from his pocket. It was black, but it reflected the glow of the streetlight enough for me to see that it was a gun. I immediately stopped, not wanting to tempt this guy into taking a shot.
"Come on, man," I said, trying to persuade him not to shoot me. "Think about what you're doing. If you do this, you're gonna end up in jail."
"No I won't. God protects his own. I am his right hand, come to wreak his vengeance on you," he said. There was a wild look coming into his eyes. I could tell he was starting to get into his role as `God's judge'. I was in trouble.
"Look, how do you know that this is God's will. Maybe he doesn't want me dead. Maybe he wants me alive to use as an example for," I started, but he cut me off.
"Oh, you'll be an example all right. You'll be an example to all who would go against God's will. He has spoken to me. He has told me to strike you down in His name, so all who sin would know His will." He raised the gun then.
My mind was in a frenzy. I had no idea what I should do. Do I run and hope he's a really bad aim? Do I stand my ground and just let him shoot me? I could feel myself starting to panic, to lose control.
Kev, I love you,' I thought. I wish I could see you again to tell you!'
"Drop the gun, now," a voice rang out from across the street.
I looked to my right to see a police officer standing there, his own gun drawn and pointed at my would-be killer. The man holding a gun on me glanced at the officer but did not lower his gun.
"I can't do that, officer. I have my mission, and I must see it through. God has told me," he said.
"I don't care what God's told you. I want you to drop that gun. NOW!" the officer shouted back.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the gun started to slowly lower. Then, the world shifted into slow motion. `God's assassin' turned his head back towards me, and started to raise the gun again. I spun around, hoping to move enough to throw off his aim.
The next thing I knew I heard gunshots, followed quickly by a lance of fire as everything went dark.
To be continued???