Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 22:15:57 EDT
From: RinSong@aol.com
Subject: The Reunion Part 1

				The Reunion
				    by
				    Rin

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: R for mm relations.

If you like the story email me and let me know.  You feedback will be the
deciding factor on wether or not I post the rest of the story.

Peace.

RinSong@aol.com

				 Chapter 1

"Hello, you have reached the voice mail of Matthew Richards of The Fox
Theater, Promotions and Special Events Department.  I am out of the office
for the day but will return on Monday, March 9.  Please feel free to leave
your name, phone number, and a brief message and I will return you call
when I return to the office.  If this is an emergency or you need to speak
with someone directly please call (314) 555-2968 for Karen Taylor, Manager
of the Promotion and Special Events Department.  Thank you and have a great
weekend. *BEEP*"

"Matthew, my name is Steven Carmichael.  I am the Events Manager for 98
Degrees.  The band is planning for a new tour to promote their latest album
and was planning on a stop in St Louis.  We were told about the Fox Theater
from a business associate who felt that it would match the theme of the new
album.  I would like to speak with you about possibly setting some
performance dates.  So, if you could call me back on Monday when you
receive this, I would appreciate it.  My number is (515) 555-9768.  I look
forward to hearing from you. *CLICK*"

				 *********

"Good morning, Karen," Matt said as he walked by his managers door on the
way to his own office.

"Good morning yourself," Karen replied, coming into his office behind him
and perching herself on the corner of his desk.  "How was your weekend?
Meet any interesting guys?"

"You are shameless, you know that?  And, for you information, no, I
didn't."

"Oh, honey, that's too bad.  Tell you what, you get everything taken care
of from Friday and I will treat you to lunch.  How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a deal to me," Matt said, putting his briefcase away and
grabbing up the coffee mug he kept on his desk.  "Any coffee made?"

Karen laughs and heads out the door with her snippy reply following in her
wake.  "Of course there is, you silly boy.  Do you honestly expect me to
get any work done without some liquid lead in my veins?"

Matt followed Karen out into the hallway and headed down to the common
break room that was shared by the majority of the office staff on the first
level.  Normally, the place would be a quiet but professional atmosphere
filled with people going about their work in a seemingly subdued fashion.
However, Matt and his boss were both early birds when it came to office
hours and were usually there at least an hour or two before anyone else
ever showed up.  Although, it did help when you were the only employee that
your boss had under her.  It made things quite relaxed in the department of
protocol.  Matt liked that fact that he could be himself around Karen.  He
didn't have to hide what he was.  She could have cared less and normally
she was the one to come up with the more ribald and crude gay jokes than he
was.

"Oh, Matt, you have to hear this one.  I heard it this morning on my way to
work," Karen said, turning around to look at him with an evil glint in her
eyes.  Matt just laughed quietly and picked up the full pot of coffee and
began pouring himself a cup.

"Go ahead, hit me with it."

"All right, here we go.  What do you call a gay milkman?"

Matt had to fight down the laughter that was building up inside.  Karen
cracked him up.  It never ceased to amaze him at how excited she would
become over a simple thing as a joke.  He won the fight over his laughter
and looked up at her with a malicious twinkle in his eyes, and calmly
replied, "A Dairy Queen."

With this said, he turned and headed back towards his office, coffee in
hand, leaving a dumb founded female behind.  He could hear her spluttering
at him as he walked in and sat down at his desk.  "How did you know that?"

Matt looked up at Karen, she was standing in his office doorway looking
quiet flustered.  "Karen, dear, that joke is older than my nieces and
nephew put together."

"Well, it's the first time I have ever heard it.  I thought it was cute."

"Karen, I didn't say it wasn't cute.  On the contrary, I think it is
wonderful.  Just old.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have three days worth
of messages to go through."

With this said, Karen laughed and walked back out of the room.  Matt picked
up his phone and began going through his messages.  He sat busily
scribbling down phone numbers and short notes on post-it notes and would
move on to the next in line.  He finally came to the last one.  It was left
on his phone on Friday, right around 3:30 in the afternoon.  Steven
Carmichael?  What is he doing calling me?  Oh, that's why.  Well, I guess
that I should get this over with.

				 *********

     "This is Steven," said the brisk deep voice over the phone line.
Matt laughed to himself remembering how he always sounded like that when he
was stressed.

     "Steven, Good Morning, this is Matthew Richards with the Fox Theater
in St Louis.  I am returning the call that you left me on Friday," he said,
hoping that Steven would keep it strictly professional.

     "Matt!  How the hell you been boy?"

     No such luck.  "Good Steve, and you?"

     "Pissed and stressed as hell.  I swear these four are going to send me
to an early grave I'm telling you."

     Matt laughed and shook his head.  Steve hadn't changed a bit.  "So,
the guys are touring again?  When where they planning on stopping in St
Louis?"  Matt crossed his fingers hoping that he could get this
conversation over with as quickly as possible and move on to the next
problem of the morning.

     "Um....let me see......GOD DAMN IT!!!!"  Matt almost lost it when he
heard the phone clatter to the desk and proceeded to listen to Steve yell
and curse in the background.  Finally, after a couple of minutes Steve
picked the phone back up.  "Sorry about that Matt.  Dropped the damned
coffee."

     "That's all right, Steve.  I needed the laugh.  Now, about those
dates."

     "Oh, yeah.  Hang on a sec.  Ah, here we are!  All right, they were
planning on making each for four days or so and two shows.  How does
October 16 through 20 sound to you?"

     "Um, hang on, let me flip there.  Okay, sounds good.  Nothing planned
for that weekend.  That is Thursday though Monday.  Shows on Friday and
Saturday I'm assuming?  That would give us a bit over twenty-four hours to
set up the stage and what-not, and then two days following for the break
down."

     "Perfect!  Matt, if I were there right now, I would kiss you!  You
know how hard it has been getting this damned thing planned with the way
these fool boys want to do this?  It tell ya, if even half of the people I
have talked to these past couple of weeks were as laid back as you are,
this would be a lot easier."

      "C'mon Steve, admit it.  If you had it easy, you would hate your
job."

     "You're right.  So, how ya been kiddo?"

     Oh, great.  I was hoping to avoid something like this.  Matt thought
to himself with a silent groan.  "I've been good.  Love my job and it's
nice to be back home again.  How are Sally and the kids?"

     Matt threw in the question about Steve's family hoping to keep him
away from the topic that he knew would be coming too soon to escape.  "Aw,
you know them, spending my money faster than I can make it.  Matt, you
know, Nick really had a hard time when you left."

     "Steve, I really don't have time to discuss this right now.  I'm
sorry," Matt said, feeling like an asshole the whole time.  He hung up the
phone before Steve could come up with any form of protest.

     He sat back in his chair and sighed running his hands over his face.
After a couple of minutes, Matt leaned forward and pulled open the bottom
file drawer in his desk and pulled out a picture frame.  The picture inside
of it was one of him and all four of the guys.  They were standing outside
of Disney world in Florida.

     Matt was in the middle, between Nick and Jeff.  Justin stood on Jeff's
left side and Drew was on his brothers right.  Nick had his arms around
both of them.  Matt laughed as he remembered that trip.  They had had so
much fun.  He had never wanted that weekend to end.  The guys had been
there for a performance that night.  They had arrived the previous evening
and had decided to make a day of the park.  It was almost a week after they
were back in Cincinnati that he and Nick had that horrible fight and he had
come home not even a month later.


				 Chapter 2

     "You're going out?"

     "Well, not out but, the guys and I want to work on some of the new
songs that we wrote last week.  We would like to try them out on the new
album," Nick said, coming over and wrapping his arms around Matt's waist
and laying his head on his shoulder.  "You don't mind do you?"

     "Well, actually, I do, kind of.  I haven't been able to spend any time
with you in months.  I miss you," Matt replied, turning around in the
embrace and putting his own arms around the taller man's neck.

     "Miss me?  How could you miss me?  We live together for crying out
loud!  Plus, we had our own room in Florida.  Or was I just imagining
that?"

     "Don't joke, Nick.  I'm serious.  I never get any time alone with you
anymore.  Don't get me wrong, I love the guys like brothers, I truly do.
But, I am not in love with them.  I'm in love with you and I miss you."

     Nick sighed and leaned in and put his forehead against Matt's.  "All
right, just give me a few more months and...."

     "A few more months!!!  Jesus Christ, Nick!  That was what you said two
months ago!  You know, I will be more than elated when the new album comes
out.  Maybe then you can remember the 'other love' in your life."  With
this said, Matt walked out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Nick
standing in the living room.  At that moment the front door opened and Drew
poked his head in.

          "Are you ready to go?  Nick, hello?"  Drew was waving his hand in
front of his big brothers face.  "Bro?  You in there?"

     "Yeah, sorry Drew.  You guys go on ahead.  I'll meet you there," Nick
told him, heading down the hall in the direction that Matt had gone.

     Drew stood there with his arms crossed glaring down the hall when Jeff
and Justin came in.  "Hey, Drew, we're waitin' on you guys.  You comin' or
not?" Justin asked.

     "Hey, where's Nick?"

     "I think he and lover boy had a fight," Drew told them, still looking
down the hall.  By this time, Nick had reached the door to the master
bedroom that he and Matt shared.

     "Matt, babe open the door."

     "Go away Nick!  You are the last person that I want to talk to right
now."

     "Damn it Matt!  Open the door!"

     "Or what?  You gonna break it in?" At that moment, the door flew open
and Matt stuck his head out.  "Cut the macho act Nick.  It doesn't work
with me, remember?  Your music and your career are more fucking important
than me.  Fine, go, I don't care."

     "What brought this on," Nick asked, stopping Matt before he could walk
past him into the hallway.  Using the moment of shock that it caused, Nick
pushed Matt back into the bedroom and followed him in.  "We are going to
settle this, right here, right now."

     "Fine, I am sick and tired of being shoved off to the side while you
and the guys go off and sing for the slightest little thing with the
smallest of excuses.  I understand that your music is one the most
important things in you life.  I know that.  But, I also thought that you
loved me as well.  You know something?  Two weeks ago, it was our 2 year
anniversary.  Not so much as an 'I love you' or anything did I hear from
you on that day."

     "Oh, man, babe, I am so sorry," Nick said, coming over and trying to
put his hands on Matt's shoulders just to have them shrugged off.  "Matt,
come on.  I forgot.  It happens."

     "Fine.  It happens.  I can accept that.  Now, it's my turn Nick.  What
about me?  I haven't said anything to you for the past six months about
spending any personal time alone with you.  With the exception of two
months ago, when I mentioned that gay friendly b & b I had found and you
start making excuses on why we don't have the time.  Then, tonight, when I
am hoping just a few hours, you tell me that you and the guys want to
rehearse."

     Nick was trying to interrupt but Matt wasn't giving him a moment to
even interject anything.  So, he finally gave up and walked across the room
and grabbed Matt by the arms.  Matt stopped talking when Nick touched him
and stared at him as he was pulled into a kiss by the larger and stronger
man.  But, Matt was able to pull free finally.

     "No!  Stop it Nick!  You are not going to stop me by kissing me, not
this time!"

     "Why not," Nick said with a sly smile.  "It always worked in the
past."

     "You condescending son of a bitch!"

     *SLAP*


                           Chapter 3

     All three of the guys winced when they heard the contact of Matt's
hand slapping Nick's face full force.  The three of them had walked down
the hall when they heard the sounds of raised voices.  Justin and Jeff just
stood there staring in amazed shock at each other over the slap with Drew
looked about ready to kill.

     "He hit Nick.  I am going in there!"

     "Drew!  No!" Jeff said, grabbing Drew by the arm.  "The last thing
that Nick needs right now is his little brother to come rushing to his aid.
Trust me on this."

     "Besides," Justin said in a quiet and thoughtful voice.  "I think he
kind of deserved that."

     Drew didn't say anything but just glared at his two best friends and
proceeded to stew in his juices.  He didn't dare admit it to the others but
he was extremely jealous of Matt.  Nick is my brother.  He belongs to me.
Not some cheap fag that latched on to him when he thought it was a free
ride.

				 ********

     "You hit me!"

     "Yes, Nick.  I did.  You want me to do it again?  I thought it might
wake you up from the delusional world that you are living in.  I am being
serious here and you are trying to make a joke out of everything."

     Nick was still too stunned to say anything else.  He just stood there
massaging his cheek while Matt walked over and sat down on the edge of the
bed.  Their bedroom was one of the largest rooms in the house.  It
contained a king sized canopy that was wrought iron and draped in mosquito
netting.  Right now, it was made and covered with the hand made quilt that
he and Matt had picked up on one of the stops in New England on the
"Revelations" tour shortly after they had met.  The rest of the room was
filled with a dresser that they kept their winter clothes inside and a
chest of drawers that contained their summer clothes and small things.
Sitting on the dresser was various pictures, the majority being the two of
them together.

     Walking over to the dresser, Nick picked up one of the pictures and
brought it over to Matt.  Handing it to him he said, "In this picture, I
was happier than almost any other day in my life.  I am sorry if you are
upset.  I love you.  Don't forget that.  But, if you want me to succeed
with my career, you are just going to have to accept that it will be a
couple of more months before we can have some private time."

     Matt gave a small sarcastic laugh.  "Fine, go.  Have fun."  He looked
away and wiped at the tears on his face as Nick walked over to the door.

     "I love you Matt.  I always will," Nick said as he walked out the
door.

     "Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it," Matt whispered as the
door closed.


				 Chapter 4

          Matt sat in his office remembering that painful day while wiping
the tears from his eyes.  At just that moment, his office door opened and
Karen came walking in.  Matt just leaned forward and slid the picture back
into his desk drawer and reached for a tissue out of the box that sat on
his desk.  Please don't let Karen realize that I am crying.  Matt thought
to himself, knowing that it was a futile hope.

     "Matt," Karen said, concern evident in her voice.  She walked around
his desk and put her arms on his shoulders.  "What's wrong?  Why are
you.....oh.  I see."

     Before Matt could form a reply Karen noticed the picture resting in
the drawer.  Leaning over and picking it up, she sighed.  "Matt, honey, you
really shouldn't do this to yourself.  You know that?"

     "I know," Matt sighed, reaching over and taking the picture from her.
"Here, by the way, we need to make sure that no one else has tried to book
this weekend."
     Karen gave Matt a puzzled look as she took the slip of paper from him.
Her eyes widened and she nodded with understanding as she read it.  "I see.
When did you schedule this, today?"

     "Yeah, Steve Carmichael, the guys Events Manager called and left a
voice mail on my phone on Friday.  I don't think that he realized it was me
that he was leaving the message to until after he had hung up the phone."

     "Oh, he didn't say anything about your past with the band then?"

     "Not on the message but, he did bring it up on the phone.  I got
rather rude with him and hung up.  I probably should call back and
apologize to him."

     "Do you think that it will prevent him from finalizing everything with
us," Karen asked him, concern coming back into her voice.  The theater had
been having an off year and needed all of the business it could get.

     "No, he is more professional than that."  At that moment the phone
rang and Matt leaned over and picked it up.  "Matt Richards."

     "Matty, it's Steve.  Look, before you say anything, I'm sorry.  I
shouldn't have brought up Nick.  It was rude.  Forgiven?"

     Matt laughed quietly and smiled up at Karen who was looking at him
with that quizzical look that she had when she was being nosey?  "Yeah,
sure are Steve.  You know that I could never stay mad at you.  I am sorry
also.  I shouldn't have let it upset me as much as it did."

     "Hey, it happens.  I still get upset when anyone mentions Angela, my
first wife.  Anyway, those dates are set right?  I can get the staff busy
and send you the info and merchandise samples?"

     "Sure can Steve.  Here let me give you our address," Matt told him as
Karen let herself out of the room.