Disclaimer: This story is a work of pure fiction. It is in no way meant to show that he members of 98 Degrees are homosexual. This is just a piece that I have had running around my head for a couple of weeks.
Rating: PG
I love all of the feedback that you guys are sending! Keep it coming.
Hey everyone! Sorry about the long delay. You know, holidays and what not. I just wanted to send out a special thanks to Nate, Jon, Angel, and all of the rest of you that have sent your feedback in. You guys have kept me going on this one. Even though this one will end fairly soon, I can tell you that I have a few other 98Degrees stories running around in my sick little mind.
<> these indicate private thoughts.
Here ya go! Enjoy!!
Peace. RinSong@aol.com
"Good morning," Matt said cheerfully. He walked into Karen's office with a smile across his face. Karen was sitting at her desk talking on the phone. Matt plopped himself into one of the chairs facing her desk and waited for her to hang up.
"Good morning to you too," Karen said, placing the handset back in the cradle. "I see that someone is in a good mood. It wouldn't have anything to do with that date the other night would it?"
"Maybe," Matt said, grinning slyly at the older woman. Karen gave a raucous laugh and grinned back at him. "We had fun."
"Fun? Or Fun, with a capital 'F,'" Karen asked, raising one eyebrow archly and staring at him. "Well don't just sit there for Christ's sake. Spill! I want all of the details."
"You and your sex drive. I swear," Matt replied shaking his head in mock despair. "You know better than to ask me that. Honestly though, we had fun. We went to dinner and then dancing. That was all. No sex, so don't even go there."
"Well, you are just no fun," Karen said. She stood up and pulled Matt up from the chair. "Up Simba up! Go on, get to work silly boy. I want your budget on my desk before you go home. No more excuses."
"All right! All right," Matt replied, laughing as he walked out of her office.
Matt walked into his office and closed the door. Sitting down behind his desk, he took a moment to look at the picture sitting behind his desk. If one didn't know what to look for, they never would have noticed it, hidden among the others around it. The picture was that of a very famous 'Boy Band' none other than 98 Degrees. Matt was in the middle, between Nick and Jeff.
He smiled softly and turned back to his desk and his work.
"How late are you planning on staying," Karen asked, popping her head in the door. She had her briefcase in her hand and her keys in the other. "It's almost seven o'clock. Go home."
"I will, in a bit," Matt told her not looking up from the computer screen. He heard Karen laugh as she closed the door.
Matt went back to his work and didn't even think about the time until the phone rang. Glancing over at the clock, he saw that it was almost eleven at night. <Wow, I was totally engrossed there. I am surprised that security hasn't stopped in yet.>
He reached over and picked up the phone, vaguely wondering who it was. "Matt Richards."
"Matt," Laura's panicked voice came back over the line. "Oh God. I am so glad that I got a hold of you. I have been calling your house all evening. I just didn't know what else to do."
"Whoa! Laura, calm down hon. Slow down and take a breath, now tell me what is going on," Matt told her. He had never heard her this upset before. He was about to ask her what had happened when she started sobbing. "Laura, honey, where are you? Sweetie, is there anyone there that I can talk to? Laura, please, you're scaring me."
It was at that moment that he heard voices in the back ground and then heard a man's voice come over the line. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Matt just sat there for a second, his heart in his throat. "Jeff?"
"Matt! She got a hold of you! Thank God! Jus, Laura found him," Jeff yelled. Matt could tell that he had put the phone down for a second.
"Jeff! What is going on? Jeff!"
"Huh, sorry Matt. You gotta come out here. As soon as you can."
"Jeff, hang on a sec, what is going on? Has something happened to Laura? Talk to me dammit!"
"Laura's fine," Jeff said. "It's Drew. He was in a car wreck. He in bad shape."
"What? Oh, Jesus," Matt said softly. "How is Nick?"
"Nick is blaming himself. Drew was driving because Nick had drank a bit too much at this party we were at. You know how Drew hated driving in L. A. traffic. They are working on him in the operating room now. They don't know if he is going to make it," Jeff said the last very softly. Matt could hear the catch in his voice. He was taking this pretty badly. Jeff and Justin were as close to Nick and Drew as one could get without blood relations.
"Oh, Jeff," Matt said, tears welling up in his eyes. Swallowing them down he tried to calm down Jeff. "C'mon man, you know that Drew won't give up without a fight."
"Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you come out here? Laura needs you," Jeff said. Matt knew that he had almost said, that Nick needed him. But, damn the man! He knew that was the thing to say to get him there.
"I'm on the next plane. What hospital are you at?"
"I will have someone meet you at the airport. See you in a bit."
"All right, see ya in a while." Matt hung up the phone and called Karen at home, hoping that she was still awake.
"Hello," Karen's voice came over the line. She sounded awake so Matt skipped the apology.
"Karen, it's me," Matt said quickly.
"Matt? Is everything all right?"
"No, not really. I was calling to let you know that I won't be in tomorrow. I have to catch a plane to Los Angeles."
"LA? Why?"
"Laura just called me. Drew was in a bad wreck. She needs me. I told her that I would be out there as soon as possible. I'm sorry Karen. I have to go"
"I understand, Matt. Take as much time as you need. You haven't used any of your vacation this year remember? You have three weeks. I will get everything taken care of. You just catch that flight."
"Thanks Karen. I owe you one," Matt said, hanging up the pho
Matt was surprised that he was not stopped on the way home with the way he had been driving. He had flown down the highway topping speeds close to ninety-five to one hundred miles per hour. Pulling into his driveway, he threw the car in park and jumped out without even closing the door. He was cursing loudly by the time he got the key in the lock and the door open.
Immediately, Matt ran to the kitchen and dialed information. "Information, what city please?"
"St. Louis. I need the number for TWA reservations," Matt said rapidly. By this time he was in his bedroom with his small suitcase and his overnight bag on the bed. He grabbed clothes and threw them into the suitcase while the recorded message relayed the phone number to him.
Selecting the auto-dial that the phone company offered, for an extra fifty cents, Matt went into the bathroom and grabbed his necessary things. By the time he had his plane reservations made he was packed and heading down the stairs and out the door.
Matt made himself slow down on the way to the airport. He had almost an hour before the plane even began boarding. He had plenty of time to get there. Matt pushed the accelerator to the floor and raced off down the highway. He needed the adrenaline rush or he knew that he would be hysterical in an instant.
Matt found his seat and made himself as comfortable as he could manage. It was few minutes later that the captain came over the intercom and announced that they would be departing in a few minutes, if the passengers would please fasten their seat belts and stow any belongings, they could begin taxing out to the runway.
It was about fifteen minutes later and they were in the air. Matt just looked out the window at the night sky. He lost himself in the sight of the stars until he heard a soft voice speaking to him. "Sir, would you like anything to drink?"
Matt turned and smiled at the young man who was speaking to him. He softly placed his order for a glass of ginger ale and sat back in his seat. The young man gave him his drink and smiled back and then said, "If you need anything, just let me know."
"I will, thank you," Matt told him. He knew that the young man was flirting with him but he could not bring himself to flirt back. Not tonight. He took a moment to glance around the cabin. He was sitting in first class, most of the seats were empty. Odd as it is, the rest of the flight was sold out. Luckily, Matt did not have anyone sitting with him.
After a few moments, he turned his attention back to the stars. <They are so peaceful and serene. Why can't our lives be like that?>