Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 10:26:10 EDT
From: Pierce Phillips <pierce_phillips@hotmail.com>
Subject: Pierce Straight to the Heart / 1 / boy-bands

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.

In my world, I get to bend them to my will.  Kevin, if your reading this
and you are offended by my portrayal of you, give me a call and we can
discuss anything you want.  If you could wear as little as possible during
our conference, I would be more compliant.

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.

e-mail = good

Drop me a line at pierce_phillips@hotmail.com to tell me how much you love
my story.  (Or if you must crush me with well intentioned criticism.)


Chapter One


Pierce Phillips was in the second year of an MBA program at NYU.  He was on
track to graduate with honors.  He would be 28 soon.  What had he
accomplished.  He felt the only thing that mattered to his parents and
family was the Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in
Performing Arts.  He had only told a few people what his degrees was.  They
thought he had some sort of multiple personality disorder.  In reality, he
was very focused on a goal.  He wanted to be a world class actor.  To be
one of the greats.  He had no intention of pursuing stardom.  If it came he
would tolerate it.  In his fantasies, it would be at the end of his career
that when the experts looked back on his body of work that he would gain
recognition.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Pierce had been born to great privilege and
great responsibility.  Well at least that was what his father tried to
drill into his head.  His family owned one of the largest manufacturing
companies in the world.  They had a global presence.  He was the only
child.  The heir apparent.  As long as it appeared that he was working
toward the goal of taking over the company, he was left alone.  This bought
him time.  If his father had known he had a minor in Performing Arts or
that he had dominated the performances at his undergraduate college, he
would totally freak.  For the last two years, Pierce had been doing off
broadway plays.  He changed his name and appearance to match his double
life.  When he went home for the holidays he dyed his hair back to its
original brown, wore the same style of glasses that he had worn since he
was a child and wore baggy clothes to hide his muscular body.  When he was
performing he dyed his hair blond, wore contacts that changed his eye color
and tight fitting costumes that showed his work at the gym.  He had gone to
great length to maintain this double life.  He thought it was necessary.
He had always told his parents and anyone who asked that he would not be
taking over the company, ever.  They just laughed and didn't take him
seriously.  He had made sure that none of his father's money was spent on
his education.  He had paid for it with scholarships and part time jobs.

Pierce had skipped his classes for a week and flew to California to
audition for the lead in a major motion picture.  The producer had seen one
of his plays and convinced him to audition.  He just got off the phone with
the producer.  He got the part.  His double life was coming to an end.  The
confrontation was set.  It could not be avoided.  No one cared who the
parents of actors in off broadway shows.  It wouldn't take that much
digging for a reporter to find out who his family was.  It would be better
if he was up front and honest.  First, he would have to tell his parents
that he was dropping out of school moving to California and pursuing his
dream full time.  There was no way around it this time.

Pierce got out of bed and went to the registrars office.  He withdrew from
all his classes.  It was official.  He was no longer in the business
executive training track.  He had worked doubly hard at getting an
engineering degree.  He had graduated with honors in a very demanding
program.  All while spending so much time at play rehearsals.  He felt it
was a small price to pay to keep both his dream alive and his parents.  It
was his gift to his parents.  If they wouldn't listen to his plans, he
would give them bragging rights to their friends.  They were so proud of
his independence.  In reality, it was remarkably easy for him to lead a
dual life.  If he would have been from a close knit family, he would never
had been able to keep them from knowing the truth.  They ignored him.  His
father was consumed with managing his company and his mother was an artist
and professional philanthropist.  The fact that he only came home two times
a years for the past ten years never occurred to them.

His friends who knew how rich his family was had always marveled at how few
belongings he had.  He had been raised with every conceivable advantage and
had come out of it anti-materialistic.  It was not a conscious choice.  It
was just his personality.  He grabbed his luggage and his plane ticket
home.  For the first time he did not dye his hair.  He had thrown away his
baggy clothes and glasses.  He wondered if they would recognize him.  His
plane ticket was for Boston a four hour layover to drop the bomb on his
parents face-to-face and then to off to Los Angeles.

He was sitting in the airport when First Class passengers were encouraged
to board the plane.  He normally would never fly first class, but the
studio had booked the flight.  He was sitting with his eyes closed going
over how he would tell his parents.  He was brought back to reality by the
late arrival of the person who had the seat beside him.  He was a tall man
with spiked black hair with a goatee.  He wore dark sunglasses.  As he sat
down he took them off.  While putting on his seat belt their eyes met.
Pierce could not break the gaze.  This guy had the most amazing eyes.
Sexy.  Kind.  Exotic.  Pierce was surprised at his instant attraction to
this man.  He had always assumed he lacked the hormone that caused sexual
attraction.  He had never been in a serious relationship.
  He dated rarely.  His dates usually ended up in platonic friendships.  He
had never been the aggressor.  But for this handsome man, all that changed.
He realized that the flight attendant was talking to one of them.

"Excuse me," Pierce said with a half turn to the beautiful flight
attendant.

"I said, 'Isn't it my lucky day to server two celebrities today?", she
said.

"What do you mean?"  Pierce said.

"Well I have been to one of Mr. Richardson's concert and I have seen you in
a few plays here in New York."  She informed them.

"You are some sort of performer?"  Pierce asked his seatmate.

Kevin grinned, "I can't believe you don't know who I am.  By the way you
stared at me, I thought for sure that you had recognized me and were star
struck."

Pierce turned deep red with embarrassment.  It became apparent to Kevin the
reason why Pierce had been staring.  Kevin continued to grin.  He was very
flattered by the attention of gorgeous guy like Pierce.  "So you're an
actor."

"Yes, I am an actor."  Pierce recovered to state his answer with pride.

"Well I think I would have remembered seeing you, what kind of acting have
you been doing?"  Kevin became curious.

"I've done some off broadway productions, but I'm moving to LA to do my
first movie."  Pierce explained.

"You're going to LA by way of Boston.  You need a better travel agent."
Kevin suggested.

"Well first I have shatter my parents dream and tell them I'm not taking
over the family business."

"That's going to be hard.  What sort of business does your family own?"

"Magnum Enterprises."

"Your father is Maxwell Russell????"

"The one and only."

"Woe.  Your giving up heading a world wide company to act."

"Have you been taking lessons from my father?  The way you just said that I
feel foolish admitting it."  Pierce laughed.

"Sorry, it is a little amazing."

"It feels as if I really have no choice.  I have wanted to do this for so
long that I can't imagine myself doing anything else.  It's not my fault
that no one asked me if I wanted to be a businessman.  It was just inferred
on me.  I have always been honest and said that I would not be taking over.
They just don't listen.  Yes, I did get an Electrical Engineering degree
and I almost finished an MBA, but that was so I would be welcome in my own
home.  To tell you the truth after today, I seriously doubt my parents will
ever want anything to do with me again.  They are not use to anyone going
against their wishes.  Especially their son....."  Pierce's voice trailed
off and he looked out at the clouds.

Kevin placed his hand on Pierce's shoulder and he immediately felt the
electricity of this man's touch.  "oh great.  Now I'm gay.  I might as well
throw that bomb at them for the complete annihilation of the family.  Why
not take away their hope of grandchildren while I'm at it.'  He rejected
that idea immediately.  He didn't understand what was going on here.  He
had to think about this.....

"You never answered my question."  Pierce said.

"What question?"  Kevin asked.

"The flight attendant said you performed at a concert of some sort.  Are
you a musician? Or a singer?"

"I'm in a pop band called 'The Backstreet Boys'.  My name is Kevin
Richardson."

"Oh!  I guess I should have known that.  But I've been a little busy
leading two lives and I'm not that into music except if it is required for
a role."

"That's OK.  It's kind of nice you not knowing who I am."

"Kevin, you are the first to know who I am.  I have kept my acting a
secret.  I guess I am coming out of the closet.  Kevin.....I'm an actor."
Pierce feigned the shameful truth.

"You know there are support groups for that."  Kevin laughed.

"That's good to know.  Maybe there's a group for my parents...  You know
like POT.  Parents of Thespians."

Kevin was laughing so hard that the other passengers in first class were
staring at him.

Pierce informed them that Kevin just got out of rehab and was having
trouble adjusting to life on the outside.  Kevin rewarded him with smack to
the back of the head.  "Don't start those kind of rumors or I will the
headline story on Hard Copy!!!"  That sent them both into hysterics.

They were exiting the plane together when Kevin handed Pierce a card with
ways to contact him.  "I'll be in LA in a couple of week.  Why don't we get
together for dinner?"

"That sounds great Kevin.  I don't know anyone in LA.  It will be nice to
get out with someone.  I'm looking forward to it.  I better get going.  I
didn't give myself much time to talk to my parents.  Here goes nothing."
Pierce said as he shook Kevin's hand.