Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 12:58:54 EDT
From: D LS <dls_stories@hotmail.com>
Subject: Brian & Me Part 3-5

Alright everyone, here we go again.  This story is a complete work of
fiction, and is not meant to imply anything about anyone.  While some of
the characters may be loosely based on real people that I know, none are
meant to actually represent anyone, particularly any of the members of the
Backstreet Boys.  We may wish that they were gay, and maybe some of them
even are, but I'm certainly not about to say that they are. :) If any of
them happen to be reading this (hey, we can dream can't we?), feel free to
drop me a line and let me know what you think.

As usual, if you are offended or made uncomfortable by material concerning
sexual relations between consenting adult men, lighten up or go somewhere
else.  Also, if it is in any way illegal for you to be reading this type of
thing, please don't.  Or do, just don't get caught.

This is my first time writing a story like this, and it's also my first
time letting other people read anything that I've written, so I'd really
appreciate any comments (good or bad) that any of you may have.  If they're
bad, please support your opinions so that I can improve.  Drop me a line at
DLS_stories@hotmail.com

Thanks to everyone who has written, encouraging me to keep going with the
story.  Your comments are appreciated!

Enjoy!


     Brian & Me
     by DLS

     PART III

     "Hello Nate," Brian said.

     I ignored him and started to gather up the few things that I had
brought with me and left in the room when I had gone for my interview.  I
brushed past him and grabbed my cell phone off of the table, slipping it
into my pocket again.  I was surprised by the sudden mixture of emotions
that had arisen within me.  All of the hurt and resentment of a year ago
came flooding back, bringing with it a healthy dose of anger as well.

     "Nate..." Brian began again.

     "No Brian," I interrupted him.  "I don't have anything to say."  I
grabbed my jacket and laid it across my arm, preparing to leave the room.

     "But..."

     "Look Brian," I began, glancing up at him for the first time.  "I
don't want to be rude here, but...no, just a minute.  I DO want to be rude.
The way you acted in L.A. was incredibly rude, and very hurtful.  You made
your feelings crystal clear, and quite frankly, I have no desire to talk to
you, or even be in the same room with you.  Given your rush to get away
from me in the diner last year, I know you don't want to be stuck here with
a fag, so please just get out of my way and I'll leave."

     The look of pain that crossed Brian's face then was almost enough for
me to feel guilty for what I had said.  Almost.  Then I thought back to the
way I had felt when I had returned from coffee with Brian and Nick, and I
felt my resolve strengthen again.

     "I'm sorry," he said, hanging his head.

     "Yeah, you're something alright.  Excuse me."

     Brian still hadn't moved from in front of the exit, so I pushed past
him again, intent on getting out of there as quickly as possible.  As I
brushed against him, Brian grabbed my arm, turning me around to face him.
For the first time, I really looked at him.  There were tears in the
corners of his eyes, and as I watched, one rolled silently down his cheek.

     "Nate, I'm gay," he whispered, looking directly into my eyes.  Another
tear made its way down his cheek.

     My eyes widened in surprise.  Had I really just heard that?  I just
stared at him, trying to digest what he had just said.

     "Nate?  Say something at least," he whimpered, now starting to openly
cry.

     I continued to gape at him.  Did this change anything?  Had I
misinterpreted what had happened that night?  No, I knew that wasn't it.
He had left because he found out I was gay.  I was sure of that.  Suddenly,
the part of my mind that fills in for Andrea when she's not around spoke
up.  'Does his being gay really matter?  Does it change the way he treated
you?  The way he looked at you?  The way he made you feel?' I asked myself.
I had my answer.

     "You want me to say something?" I asked him.  He just nodded.  "What
would you like me to say Brian?  Would you like me to say that I
understand, and that I forgive you for before?  Well I can't do that.  I
don't understand how you could do what you did, and I can't forget how hurt
and rejected I felt.  You're gay.  Well, congratulations.  I hope you
manage to find more support from people than I did."  I fumed, removing his
hand from my arm and pushing by him into the hall.

     I could hear Brian sobbing as I made my way down the corridor.  Just
as I pushed the door open to step out into the main lobby, I heard him call
my name again.  I stopped at the sound of my name, but only for a moment.
My Andrea-voice spoke up again and I made my way outside.


     I jumped into the limo that my publishers had provided me and told the
driver to take me back to my hotel.  As he began to pull out of the parking
lot, I realised that I was still pretty worked up about running into Brian,
and didn't really feel like just heading to the hotel.  I rolled down the
window between me and the driver and told him to drop me off at a theatre
instead, and that I would catch a cab to the hotel.  He agreed, and I
rolled the window back up.

     I tried desperately to get the image of Brian crying out of my mind,
but it refused to go.  Before I realised it, we were pulling up in front of
a theatre.  I got out of the limo, pausing to thank the driver, and walked
over to look at the posters lining the entrance.  Nothing grabbed my eye,
so I decided to just grab something to eat.

     I made my way to a small streetside cafe and sat down.  For the next
hour, I just ate lunch and watched New York move around me, letting my mind
wander as it would.  More often than not, this was to the new book I was
working on.  Feeling more relaxed, I hailed a cab and gave the driver the
name of my hotel.  As he pulled into traffic, he started to tell me exactly
why he thought the world was going to hell.  Thankfully, it was a short
ride.

     I opened the door to my room, threw my jacket on a chair, and
collapsed on the bed.  It was only going on three in the afternoon, but it
had already been a long day.  I thought vaguely about going out and seeing
some of the sights of New York before I left in the morning, but quickly
vetoed the idea, deciding rather to rent a movie in the hotel and order
room service.  After all, my flight was very early the next morning, and I
was already way behind on my sleep.  Thinking about this, I closed my eyes
and drifted off...

     PART IV

     When I opened my eyes again, it was almost seven o'clock.  I jumped in
the shower, hoping that it would wake me up a little bit.  After showering,
I wrapped a towel around my waist and picked up the phone, planning on
ordering something to eat.  Just as I began to dial room service, there was
a knock on my door.

     Replacing the phone in its cradle, I crossed the room.  I looked out
through the peephole, but all I could see was the top of someone's very
blonde head.  'Boy these things are handy,' I thought to myself as I
grabbed the doorknob.

     When I opened the door, I was startled to see Nick standing in the
hall.  When he saw that I was only wearing a towel, he blushed slightly.

     "Sorry Nate, did I catch you at a bad time?"  he asked, looking past
me into my room.

     "Uh, no Nick, come on in.  I just got out of the shower.  Give me a
minute to find some pants," I said, moving aside so that he could enter.

     "Cool," he said, passing me and sitting down in a chair.

     I closed the door again, and made my way back to my suitcase, quickly
gathering something to throw on.  I excused my self and walked into the
bathroom, closing the door behind me.  'What's he doing here?' I wondered.
I pulled on my clothes, checked my hair in the mirror, and walked back into
the room.

     "Well?" I asked Nick.  "How do I look?"

     He laughed.  "You look fine, man.  Sorry I didn't get to talk to you
after the show today.  Had I known that you were going to be a guest, I
would have changed the schedule around."

     "No problem, Nick," I replied, trying not to think about my
confrontation with Brian.  "So how did you find me?"

     "I had management call your publishers.  They told me which hotel you
were staying at."

     "Cool.  I was just about to grab something to eat.  You wanna join me?
I was thinking of staying in and getting room service," I said.

     "Yeah, sure.  Sounds good," he said, taking his jacket off and getting
more comfortable.

     I threw him the room service menu so that he could decide what he
wanted.  When we had both decided, I called down and ordered.  We went out
on the balcony to wait for the food.

     We stood there in silence watching the cars and people move down
below.  I had always loved people-watching.  Most of my best characters had
come from people that I happened to see on the street.  That provided the
basic look and characteristics, and my overdeveloped imagination filled in
the rest.

     Several times I glanced over to see Nick looking over at me.  He would
open his mouth as if to say something, and then shut it again, as though he
was unsure of what to say.  I was about to tell him to just spit it out
when there was a knock on the door.

     We walked back into the room, and Nick took a seat at the table while
I answered the door.  The waiter wheeled the tray into the room, and
presented me with a list of the movies that the hotel had to offer, as I
had asked.  I gave the waiter his tip and promised to leave the tray out in
the hall to be collected when we were finished.  As soon as he left, I
moved back to the table and began unloading the tray.

     Just after we began eating, I noticed Nick looking at me again.  He
seemed to be debating with himself whether or not to speak.  I had a pretty
good idea what he wanted to talk about, but I didn't feel like beginning.
Finally, he put his fork aside and started to speak.

     "I didn't come here tonight to just hang out, Nate," he said.

     "I kinda figured that.  He sent you, didn't he?"

     "No, he didn't.  Really.  I was going to come and see you anyway, but
after what happened between the two of you today, I thought we needed to
talk.  A lot has happened this past year, Nate," Nick said, starting to eat
again.  He seemed relieved that he had said something, and that I hadn't
gotten angry.

     "Yeah, I know.  He told me," I said quietly, taking another bite.

     "No, I don't think he did.  There's more than just Brian being gay."

     "Well then, why don't you fill me in, Nick.  I wasn't exactly in a
talkative mood this afternoon.  I'm sure he probably told you that."

     "He told me what happened.  You were completely justified in being
angry with him, Nate, but he's really hurting," Nick said sadly, looking up
at me.

     "Poor baby," I said without much compassion.  "Like I said, Nick.  If
there's more to tell, tell it."

     "Alright, after we left you at the diner that night, Brian and I
headed back to the hotel.  I was really angry with him for treating you
that way, and I asked him if he had insisted we leave because you had told
us you were gay.  He just turned away.  He wouldn't even look at me.

     "When we got back to the hotel, Brian went straight to his room and
locked the door.  I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't let me in.  He
kept to himself for days.  I filled the rest of the guys in on what had
happened, but he wouldn't tell anyone what was wrong.

     "Then one morning maybe a week later, we were having breakfast in
Kevin's room when he sat up and said that he had something to tell us.
That was the first time since the diner that he had spoken to any of us
about anything other than work. He sat on the bed hugging his knees and
started to cry.  None of us knew what to do, so I sat beside him and put my
arm around him.  Finally, he stopped crying and looked up at us.

     "He told us that he was gay, and that he had known for a long time,
but that he had been afraid to tell anyone because he didn't want to ruin
things for the group.  He was afraid that we would all leave the group.  I
read that essay you wrote, Nate.  I know that you know what that's like."
Nick looked up at me, waiting for me to say something.

     "Yes, Nick, I do.  And I feel for him, but that doesn't give him any
right to act the way he did.  If anything, he should have been sympathetic.
Instead, he completely rejected me.  Do you have any idea what that feels
like, Nick?"  I responded, trying to keep the tears from coming.

     "No, I guess I don't Nate, and Brian shouldn't have acted that way.
He knows that, and it's one of the first things that he and I talked about
after he came out.  Apparently, when you told us about your essay and how,
in a sense, the Backstreet Boys helped you come out, Brian started to think
about his own situation.  Ever since the group had become successful, he
had tried to put that side of himself away and not think about it, but what
you said broke through.

     "He realised that, while the Backstreet Boys helped open the door to
your closet, so to speak, we did the exact opposite to Brian.  He felt he
couldn't come out for fear of breaking up the group.  All that time that
Brian spent unhappy and alone that week convinced him that he couldn't do
it anymore, so he decided that he had to tell us and hope for the best.  So
you see it wasn't you that he ran from that night so much as it was
himself.  You reminded him of what he thought he could never have.  That's
why he made us leave," Nick finished.

     "Shit.  I never even thought of that.  I was so sure that he had taken
off just because I was gay," I said, more to myself than to Nick.  I looked
up at hi across the table.  "So what did the group think?"

     "Well, Kevin has known Brian forever, and apparently he had always
suspected that he might be gay.  The rest of us were surprised, of course,
but AJ and I were cool with it right off.  Whatever makes him happy, you
know?  Howie had some problems, though."

     "Really?"  I asked.  "What happened?"

     "Well, at first, there was just a whole lot of yelling.  Howie wanted
to know when it had happened, and how it had happened, and what we could do
to change it.  For a while there, it looked like the group might break up
after all," Nick said.  I just stared at him.  "Anyway, the rest of us
managed to keep Howie from leaving the group, and it took a while, but
eventually he realised that it wasn't Brian's fault that he was gay.  After
that, things were fine.  We're pretty much back to normal now, but it was
touch and go for a while.  Thank god the tabloids didn't find out how close
we came to breaking up."

     "I tried to get Brian to find you and apologise, but he said that he
was too embarrassed to see you, and he didn't want to do it over the phone.
He decided to track you down the next time we were in L.A. but by the time
that we got there, you had moved.  Your old housemate wouldn't even talk to
any of us, and even told your agent to make sure that we didn't find out
where you were.  She's very protective."  Nick grinned.

     "Yeah, she is.  She was really pissed at Brian.  She never even told
me that anyone had asked for me.  I'll have to call her and let her know
what really happened, I guess," I replied.  A thought occurred to me and I
had to laugh.  "He must have shit his pants when he found out I was going
to be on Rosie today."

     Nick laughed too.  "Yeah, I think his heart stopped for a second
there.  After we were done with the interview, he told us that he wanted to
stay and talk to you.  I asked him if he wanted us to stay with him, but he
said it was between the two of you.  The rest of us went and took care of
our meetings and rehearsals.  He was sitting in his room sobbing when we
got back to the hotel. You really did a number on him, didn't you?"

     "Yeah, I guess I was a little hard on him," I admitted, feeling very
guilty about the way I had treated Brian.

     "Well, you were angry with him.  I'm sure he'll understand," Nick
said, putting his hand on mine.

     "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a really good friend?"  I asked
Nick.  He just smiled.

     "So you forgive him?" Nick asked hopefully.

     "How can I stay mad at him, now that I know why he acted the way he
did?  Especially since I've been where he was.  I just wish I had let him
explain this afternoon.  I feel like such a dick."  I said.  "Nick? Can you
tell me where to find Brian?  I really should talk to him and straighten
things out."

     "Well..."  Nick's voice trailed off.

     "What?"

     "When he found out that I was coming to visit and to tell you what
really happened, he insisted on coming.  He was really hoping that I could
get you to see that he didn't mean to hurt you, and that you would forgive
him."

     "Where's Brian, Nick?"  I asked.

     "Downstairs in the lobby, trying to avoid being recognised."

     I had to laugh.  "So is this an indication of his faith in you, or his
faith in me?"  I grinned.

     "A little bit of both, I think," Nick laughed back.

     "Well, why don't you wait here, and I'll go see if I can get him to
come up here?"  I asked, standing up and heading for the door.

     "Okay Nate.  I'll call and have them bring up some more coffee.  I
have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of talking going on tonight."

     "Yeah, me too.  Go ahead," I said, heading out the door and running to
the elevators.


     Brian was sitting in a dark corner, trying to look as inconspicuous as
possible.  He looked like hell.  It was clear that he had been crying all
day, and there were tears running down his cheeks even now.  He didn't even
see me as I walked up to him.

     "Brian?"  I said quietly.

     Brian's head shot up and he looked at me.  He stood up and immediately
started sobbing again.  "I'm so sorry Nate... please don't hate me... I
didn't mean to..."

     I couldn't think of anything to say to calm him down, so I reached out
and brought him to me.  I held him while he cried for a moment, telling him
it was alright.

     When he had calmed down, I pulled away from him and looked at his
face.  There were still tears in his eyes, but he was smiling now.  He
started to speak again, but I put a finger to his lips.  "Not here,
alright?  Nick's upstairs, why don't we go up there?"

     He just nodded and followed me to the elevators.  He drew quite a few
stares from other people in the lobby, with his red eyes and wet face, but
I don't think he even noticed.


     "I'm so sorry Nate," Brian started as soon as we were back in my
room. "I'm just so sorry I hurt you."

     "I know, Brian, I know.  Nick told me everything.  Everything's okay.
We're fine now, Brian.  Let's just try to get past this, okay?"  I said,
sitting beside him on the bed.  There was a quiet knock at the door, and
Nick jumped up from the table to get it.  A few seconds later, Nick was
wheeling another cart into the room.

     "I thought you were ordering us some more coffee, Nick," I said,
wondering why coffee required an entire cart.

     "Well, I had a better idea.  Come sit down you two," he answered,
directing us to the table.  Brian and I got up and made our way to the
table.  We both groaned as Nick began setting plates in front of us.  He
poured Brian and I each some coffee, and then got himself some tea.

     "We're going to eat this until we get it right," he said with a smile.
In front of Brian and I were two pieces of apple pie, and Nick had a piece
of apple and a piece of cherry.

     "Is he always this cheesy?"  I asked Brian.

     Brian laughed.  "Most of the time, yeah."

     We all laughed and began eating.  Nothing was said until all of the
pie was gone.  I suggested that we move to the small sitting area of the
room to be more comfortable.  Brian and I sat together on the couch, while
Nick took a chair.

     Brian insisted on talking about what had happened after they had left
me in the diner, even though he knew that Nick had already told me.  I told
him that it wasn't necessary, but it seemed important to him, so I let it
go.  By the time he was finished, there had been a lot more crying, this
time by all three of us as Brian talked about everything that he had gone
through since discovering that he was gay.  I was crying remembering back
to the time when I had thought that the world would end if I came out, and
how alone I had felt.  I'm pretty sure that some of what Brian said was new
to Nick, though.  The tears were streaming down his face as he listened to
the pain that his best friend had been going through.  Brian had also
managed to apologise to me about a dozen more times.

     After I had assured him that it was alright, and that I forgave him
for what had happened, I asked him if he would forgive me for the way I had
treated him that afternoon.  This seemed to take him by surprise.

     "You didn't do anything wrong Nate!  You thought I had deliberately
hurt you, and you were angry," he protested.

     "Yeah, I was angry, but I was wrong to be, even if I didn't know it.
I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I'm really sorry.  Forgive me?"

     "Of course I forgive you!"  Brian said, drawing me into a hug.

     "Awwww...GROUP HUG!" Nick yelled, jumping on top of Brian and I and
throwing his arms around us both.  Brian and I laughed and threw him off of
us.

     "Okay, I have a proposal to make," I said, sitting back in my seat.

     "Don't you think it's a little early for that, Nate?  And aren't you
supposed to be down on one knee or something?  And is that even legal?"
Nick grinned.

     "Alright, I have two proposals to make now.  The first is that we no
longer allow Nick to speak."

     "I second that!" Brian said with a smile.  Nick just shook his head.

     "And the second is that we don't talk anymore about what happened a
year ago in that diner, or what happened today at the studio.  Agreed?"

     Both Brian and Nick nodded their agreement.  I got up and handed Brian
the list of movies that the waiter had brought me earlier.  "We're going to
rent a movie, order some junk food, and just veg for a while.  I don't know
about you, but this evening has been kinda tiring for me."

     Again Nick and Brian nodded.  Brian settled on 'The Hanging Garden.'
I was surprised that he had heard of it.

     "Are you kidding?  I love that movie.  I've seen it a million times.
I've been trying to get Nick to see it for ages," he said with a grin.
"Besides, it's Canadian, like you.  I thought it was appropriate."

     "Alright, 'The Hanging Garden' it is then.  I'll go call.

     About ten minutes later, another waiter appeared at the door.  I
tipped him and took the cart he had, and asked him to take the other two
from the room.  After he had gone, I passed Nick and Brian each a huge
banana split, then grabbed the third one I had ordered for myself and sat
back down on the couch.

     When the movie finished, Nick stood up and stretched.  He looked at
his watch and his eyes opened wide.  "Holy shit, B!  It's really late.  We
better get going!"

     "Uh, Nick?  There's a small problem with that plan," I said, looking
at Brian.  Nick turned to look at the couch and smiled.  Brian was lying
down with his feet in my lap, sound asleep.

     "I guess today took a lot out of him," Nick said.  "I'll see if I can
wake him up."

     "No, leave him.  Just help me get up, will you?"  I asked.

     Nick lifted Brian's legs enough for me to slip out from under them,
then placed them back on the couch.  I motioned to Nick and he followed me
to the other side of the room.

     "Listen, why don't you leave him here for the night?  Like you said,
he's had a long day, and it seems a shame to wake him up now."  I said.

     "Are you sure?"  Nick asked, looking over at Brian.

     "Yeah, it's no problem.  My flight out is at nine in the morning, so
I'll get him up and send him back to the hotel before I leave."

     Nick agreed and grabbed his jacket.  "I'm really glad I came over
tonight Nate," he said, grabbing my hand and shaking it.

     "Me too, Nick, me too."  I pulled him into a hug.  "Thanks for
everything.  Things seem to have worked out pretty well."

     "I'm glad, man."  Nick walked to the door and opened it.  "Sleep well,
and I'll see you around."

     "Sure thing," I said, shutting the door behind him.  I turned and
looked at Brian sleeping on the couch.  He looked so cute lying there.  I
stepped back out into the hall and asked a maid if I could have a spare
blanket.  She took me to a supply closet and handed me one.  I thanked her
and returned to my room.  Brian hadn't moved.

     I took the blanket and spread it over him.  As I did, Brian rolled
over onto his side and let out a slight snore.  I grinned, and then did
something that I hadn't been aware I was going to do.  I leaned over and
gave him a kiss.  He moaned slightly and snuggled into the blanket, a smile
crossing his lips.

     I smiled to myself and crossed to the bed.  Stripping down to my
boxers, I climbed under the covers and was asleep almost before my head hit
the pillow.


     PART V

     I woke up to the smell of food.  I stirred and opened my eyes, trying
unsucessfully for a moment to figure out where I was.

     "Morning Nate!"  Brian yelled, and everything fell into place for me.

     "What time is it?"  I groaned, turning over and pulling the covers up
over my head.  I am NOT a morning person.

     Brian giggled and ripped the covers back down to the bottom of the
bed.  "It's just after six, sleepy-head.  Time to get up.  I ordered
breakfast.  I was just about to wake you up."

     I groaned again and sat up.  As much as I didn't want to get up, my
stomach was looking forward to breakfast.  I smiled at the change in Brian.
The redness was gone from his eyes, and the smile on his face was only a
notch short of blinding.  It was impossible not to smile.

     "Okay, okay, I'm up.  Gimme a minute to get dressed," I said, trying
to make my way to my suitcase.  I finally managed to grab some clothes, and
turned toward the washroom.

     "Better hurry, or it's going to get cold or eaten or something!"
Brian called after me with a laugh.

     "Boy, you touch my plate and you'll have to have that fork removed
from your forehead," I joked, closing the door.  I could hear him laughing
as I got dressed and tried to make myself a little more presentable.  A few
minutes later, I was dressed, and had brushed my teeth and hair.  I decided
it was good enough for breakfast, and headed out into the room again.

     I sat down across from Brian and lifted the cover from my plate.  I
smiled as the smell of the food hit my nose, and my stomach growled lowly.
I picked up my fork and started to eat.

     "Listen, thanks for letting me stay here last night.  I didn't mean to
fall asleep," Brian said, pouring us some coffee.

     "Oh, no problem Brian.  Yesterday was a long day for all of us.
Besides, you looked too cute to wake," I smiled at him and thanked him as
he handed me a cup.

     Brian laughed.  "Yeah, it was a pretty long day.  But at least it had
a happy ending."

     "That it did.  I'm glad we got everything worked out."

     "Me too Nate.  So what are you doing now?  You said something to Rosie
about heading back to Canada?"  Brian asked, changing the subject.

     "Yep.  I'm going to spend a couple of weeks at my place there, and
then I'm heading back down to L.A. to see Andrea and her folks.  It's been
a couple of months since I've seen them," I said with a smile.  I was
really looking forward to seeing them again.  "Oh, that reminds me.  I
heard you had a run-in with Andrea trying to find me.  Sorry she was so
rough."

     Brian looked up from his plate with a smile.  "Did I ever!  She's
quite the friend.  She wouldn't accept calls from me or any of the guys,
had the secretary at her office refuse calls from anyone associated with
the Backstreet Boys, and the one time that I actually showed up at her
door, I swear she almost chased me away with a broom!"

     "She's very protective of me," I smiled at the picture of Andrea
chasing Brian with a broom.  "Again, I'm sorry about that.  I'm sure once I
tell her what happened, she'll feel bad too."

     "Don't worry about it Nate.  I only hope my friends would be so
protective of me."

     "Something tells me that, at the very least, Nick would do the same
for you," I said, finishing the food on my plate.

     "He's the best.  I don't know what I'd do without him," Brian said
honestly.  "So you're going to be in L.A. in a couple of weeks?"

     "I think so.  My schedule is pretty clear after this little trip to
New York, so I'm supposed to be taking a little holiday before I really
start in on my next book.  Why?"

     "Well, We're going to be in New York for the next week, doing some
concerts and stuff, and then we get a week off before the group heads to
L.A. as well.  We've got a video to shoot, as well as some interviews and
promotions.  We'll be there for a week or so."

     "That's cool, " I said, pouring more coffee for the both of us.

     "Um...Nate?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Do you think maybe we could, you know, if you wanted to, could we
maybe hook up while we're both in L.A.?  I know that the rest of the guys
would like to see you again, given the way I treated you, and you seemed to
really hit it off with Nick.  I just thought..."

     "Brian, that'd be great!  I can get to know all of you guys better,
and you can get to know Andrea too.  I promise I'll make her leave the
broom at home," I said with a grin.

     "Alright.  Why don't you give me your number and I'll give you a call
when we hit town," Brian said happily.  I grabbed a piece of notepaper from
the table and scribbled down my cell phone number, as well as the number
for the condo in L.A.

	"Well, I hate to eat and run, but I have to grab a shower and get
myself packed and all together for the flight home.  I promised Nick that
I'd send you home before I left," I said, handing him the piece of paper.

     "Okay, well, do you want me to come with you to the airport?"  Brian
asked, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket.  He started to clear
the table and put our dishes back on the cart.

     "Sure, if you want," I said with a smile.

     "Cool.  You get your shower, and I'll call and have them take the cart
away,"

     "Alright, thanks."  I turned and headed into the bathroom again.  I
could hear Brian start to whistle as I undressed and started the water
running.


     When I was finished with the shower, I dressed again and took a few
minutes in front of the mirror.  When I was satisfied with what I saw (but
let's face it, are any of us ever completely satisfied when we look in the
mirror?), I left the bathroom and started to pack up my things.

     "Okay, I called Nick and told him that I was going to be back at the
hotel after I saw you off at the airport, and I called the limo.  It should
be here in half an hour or so," Brian said from the couch.

     "Oooh, the limo!" I said, smiling at him.  "I was just going to take a
cab."

     "Hey.  When you travel with me, you travel in style!"  Brian laughed.

     "Well then, I guess I'll just have to travel with you more often!"


     An hour later, we were standing in the airport.  As they announced my
flight, Brian and I both stood up.

     "Well, that's me," I said, turning to him.  "I'm really glad that we
cleared everything up Brian."

     "Me too," he said, shaking my hand and then drawing me in for a hug.
"I'll see you in a couple of weeks, eh?  Have fun in Canada, eh?  Enjoy
your vacation, eh?"  He laughed at his own joke as we broke the hug.

     As lame as it was, I couldn't help but laugh.  "Shut up, you hoser!"
I laughed.

     Brian just continued to grin at me.  "Seriously though, I'll see you
in L.A.?"  he asked.

     "You've got my number.  You better be calling," I responded, poking
him in the chest.  They announced the final boarding call for my flight,
and I bent over and grabbed my bag.  I gave Brian another quick hug and
headed through the doors, handing the attendant my ticket.

To Be Continued...

Okay, that's it for this part.  Please let me know what you think, and
whether I should keep going with this story.  I've gotten a few responses,
and they're pretty positive, but everyone's opinion is welcome and wanted.
Email me at DLS_stories@hotmail.com

The next part may take a few days, as I've been called away for the weekend
and won't be able to get anything written.  With luck, I should have it
done early next week.

Thanks for reading! :)