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Chapter Two
A.J. looked up from the new song that they would be performing in Chicago and stared out the bus’s window. He looked around for the other guys and saw Brian and Nick playing Mario Kart, Howie sleeping on the couch, and Kevin reading a book.
“Hey guys,” said A.J. “I’m hungry.” He set down the song and walked over to the couch and shook Howie awake.
Kevin looked up from his book. “I thought that was Nick’s line.”
Nick paused his game and looked up. “Well, if you want to know, I’m starving.”
“Big surprise,” said Brian. “But so am I.”
Howie, who had just woken up, sleepily nodded his head.
“Well, I am too,” said Kevin. “Let’s stop and get something to eat.” Kevin got up and walked to the front of the bus to where Donna was. She was busy typing on her laptop.
“Hey Donna, we are all hungry. Can we stop to get something to eat?” asked Kevin as the others came up behind him, making puppy faces.
Donna laughed. “Okay, where do you guys want to eat?”
They all looked at each other. Howie looked out the window and saw a sign for the White Flint mall. “Hey,” he said. “There’s a mall, there has got to be a place to eat there.” The rest of the guys nodded and Donna told the driver to pull in. The bus drove around the mall and they saw a sign for the Cheesecake Factory.
“CHEESECAKE! All right,” yelled Nick.
“Sounds good to me,” Brian said nodding. The rest said sure and the bus stopped. The boys grabbed their hats to disguise their looks and got off. Donna and the rest stayed on the bus to talk about upcoming concerts and decided just to eat what was on the bus. The boys walked into the double doors of the restaurant. It was packed.
“Oh great, someone is bound to recognize us,” said Kevin with a frown.
“Oh come on Kev, just keep your hat on and it will be fine. Plus I’m to hungry to walk out,” said Nick dramatically. So they kept walking up to the hostess desk. They all saw a small 5’6 woman, with long black hair and pretty blue eyes turn around. She smiled.
“Hi, Welcome to the Cheesecake Factory. I’m Ashleigh, the owner. How many will there . . .” She stopped and they knew from the way she was staring that she recognized them.
“Aren’t you guys the Backstreet Boys?” she said with a smile.
The guys looked at each other. They hoped she wouldn’t scream or something.
A.J. nodded slowly. “Yeah, we are.”
Ashleigh just smiled. She couldn’t believe it. The Backstreet Boys in her restaurant. Wait a moment, she could believe it. She had already had Ron Howard, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett come and eat there. So what was the difference with the Backstreet Boys.
“So you guys want a table, right?” The guys looked relieved.
She was going to treat them like normal guys.
“Yeah, five, nonsmoking,” said Brian.
“Well, I sorta figured out the five part. But the wait is usually about an hour.”
Nick groaned. “Man, I’ll die of starvation before then.”
Ashleigh laughed. “A little melodramatic, isn’t he?” The guys laughed and nodded. “Well, you are the Backstreet Boys, so I will let you have the booth that just opened up.” Ashleigh grabbed six menus. They can sit with Colleen, she thought. Colleen will just love that. She had always said how gorgeous Kevin Richardson was. Ashleigh stole another glance at him. I would have to agree with her, Ashleigh thought grinning.
The boys looked a little uneasy. “We don’t want to steal someone else’s table.”
Ashleigh couldn’t believe it, celebrities who cared about others. Amazing! “Well, what is the use of being celebrities if you can’t get some special perks?”
The guys thought about it and then smiled. “Okay,” said Brian.
“Anyway, you’re not going to get it for free,” said Ashleigh.
“Can you guys do me a favor?”
Oh great, thought Kevin. She’ll want us to sing or something.
I knew we wouldn’t get away without doing something, thought A.J.
Man, I’ll do anything for some food, thought Nick.
“Sure, if we can,” said Howie while the others thought of possibilities of what she could want them to do.
“Well, my cousin, Colleen, just drove in from Illinois and I promised the booth to her, but since it sits six, I was wondering if she could eat with you guys,” said Ashleigh with a hopeful look.
The guys looked at each other. “Well, who’s your cousin?” asked Nick, hoping that she looked something like Ashleigh.
Ashleigh grinned. She knew exactly with Nick was thinking. Well, no worries, Colleen was gorgeous. She looked towards the bathrooms for any sign of Colleen and instead saw her coming through the main entrance of the restaurant. “She’s right there,” said Ashleigh, pointing in her direction.
Right as the guys turned to look, a huge fat woman about forty years old stepped in front of Colleen. They were suppose to share a booth with this woman? The woman needed a booth for herself alone.
Ashleigh looked for the guys reactions and saw only misery, suffering, and discomfort on their faces. The fat woman continued walking towards them and the guys put smiles on their faces, ready to act enthused to meet one of their fans, no matter what shape and size she came in. Then the woman walked right past them and Ashleigh without stopping and their looks of torture became ones of confusion. Ashleigh suddenly realized that they thought that woman was her cousin and she started laughing. The guys turned to face her as they heard her laughter. She was doubled over, from laughing so hard.
“What’s so funny?” asked Brian.
“You guys. The looks on your faces when you thought that woman was my cousin,” gasped Ashleigh between breaths.
“Well, who’s your cousin then?” asked Nick, throwing his hands in the air, looking exasperated.
Ashleigh wiped the tears from her eyes and pointed to where Colleen was walking towards them. The guys jaws dropped as they took in the long, auburn hair, long legs that seemed to go on forever and gorgeous hazel eyes. This was her cousin?
Colleen was oblivious to the five guys staring at her as she walked quickly right by them and excitedly stopped in front of Ashleigh.
“Ashleigh, I went out to get my beeper, because Mom is supposed to beep me. She wanted to make sure that I made the drive okay. So anyway, there is this huge bus outside, like one of those touring buses and I looked at the license plate and it said BSB. And I thought wouldn’t it be hilarious if it was the Backstreet Boys. You could add them to your list of celebrities. So are the infamous hunks of the decade here?” said Colleen jokingly. Ashleigh started trying to interrupt her before her cpusin said something she would regret. “Of course, the only one that I would really want to meet is Kevin Richardson. Talk about tall, dark, and handsome. Maybe I could use my cherry stem tying skills on him,” Colleen said laughing. “Of course, the attractive point of him being liked by all twelve year olds on the planet helps too.”
Before Colleen said something like that. Ashleigh looked over Colleen’s shoulder and saw the group trying to hold back their laughter.
“So Kev, you’re wanted by all twelve year olds?” said Nick. “At least I get thirteen year olds.”
Colleen’s back stiffened as she heard what sounded like horribly familiar and famous voices.
“Yeah well at least I don’t look like I could legally go out with a thirteen year old,” said Kevin.
“Oh man, that hurt.”
“Cherry stem tying skills?” asked A.J. with an interested look on his face.
Colleen turned around and was greeted face to face with the Backstreet Boys.
“Bugger.”
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