CHAPTER 10

Mike had arranged for two busses to haul seventeen people through Europe and back in five days. The first bus carried Mike, John - a record executive, Leighanne, Brian, Kevin, Tristan and two bodyguards. On the second bus were AJ, Amanda, Howie and his sister, Polly, Nick and his brother, Aaron, and three more security people. Tristan was glad to be traveling with Leighanne close by and found herself somewhat relieved to be near Kevin, too.

They had left very early that morning in order to make it to Germany by early evening where the boys were scheduled to perform and be interviewed on a German talk show. Tristan boarded the bus and went straight to a bunk to get some sleep. Her anxiety was still evident and she wanted to get as much sleep as she could during the day so that she could, hopefully, stay awake that night. She knew that this would be an exhausting trip.

Kevin watched her throw her things in a middle bunk and chose for himself the bunk directly opposite her. He decided to get some sleep, too. The bodyguards took lower bunks up front and Brian and Leighanne claimed two rear bunks although it was probable that only one would have been necessary - some of the time, anyway. Mike took the bunk below Tristan and John put his things in the bunk below Kevin.

The busses made good time and passed each other continuously on the road creating a little competition between the passengers on the two busses. When bus two, which had gained the lead, pulled into a McDonald’s about eight hours into the trip, the first bus followed, its passengers knowing who had called for the unscheduled break.Everyone was ready to stretch their legs anyway.

Brian slid the curtain back on Kevin’s bunk to wake him, which wasn’t easy. Kevin was usually cranky when someone woke him, but the crankiness passed when he spotted long strands of Tristan’s blond hair tumbling from the curtains across from him. He leaned out of his bunk and across the narrow aisle to pull back her curtain and rouse her. He couldn’t help but stare. Kevin had never seen her asleep before and found himself mesmerized by her peaceful countenance. Her long hair spilled over the pillow and down her shoulders. Wisps of it lay across her cheek. She slept on her stomach. The flannel shirt she had been wearing with her jeans had been removed to reveal a baby-tee which clung to her upper body The small top stopped about four inches above the top of her jeans which were fitted down to her ankles. She had removed her shoes and he caught a glimmer of pale pink polish on her toes. He released a long, slow sigh as he felt a tingling in his groin. After a moment, he called to her quietly and watched as her eyelids fluttered open revealing eyes that looked almost violet. Kevin wondered what it would be like to wake up next to her instead of across the aisle of a bus and four feet off the ground.

Tristan smiled at him and climbed down from her bunk, grabbing the flannel shirt. His eyes fell on her ample breasts and then traveled down to her flat stomach and the outward curve where her hips began. He asked himself why, after a month, he hadn’t caught the full impact of her physical beauty before now. Maybe because her mind and personality had first captured his attention or maybe it was because she usually wore loose fitting clothes which hid her figure.

Mike lay in the bunk below Tristan watching Kevin through a crack in his curtain. He couldn’t see Tristan but he saw the strange look on Kevin’s face as he woke her. A little red flag went up in his brain.

Tristan tied her hair up in a knot at the back of her head, like she usually did, and fastened it with a clip. She pulled on her shoes and started buttoning her shirt as she headed towards the front of the bus behind Leighanne. Brian was behind her and Kevin followed. It felt good to be outside. The air was crisp and the sun bright. She stretched her arms up in the air, suppressing a yawn.

“How’d you sleep in the ‘coffin’?”, Kevin joked with her, glad to see that she seemed more relaxed now.

“Pretty well, actually. I must have been tired. I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

“Uh-huh.” Kevin glanced at her sideways. He hadn’t slept too well last night, either.

Mike came up between them, pushing them towards the door of the restaurant.

“Come on, let’s eat up so we can get to the city in time to get ready for the show. Besides, Kevin’s got to keep his strength up so he can fight off those German beauties, right Kev?”

“Sure,” Kevin laughed. “They’re all just dying to get at me - after they’re done with the other guys!”

Mike turned to Tristan. “Don’t let him fool you. This guy is a real ladies man and he knows it!” He hoped that he had managed to plant a little seed that he could water later if he needed to. Tristan just looked away towards the trees.

After lunch they reboarded the busses and headed down the road. Kevin talked to Mike about the promotion and Tristan discussed the album with the record executive. Time passed and before long they had arrived at their destination. The guys were whisked into the studio for a sound check and after dinner they rehearsed their number and went into makeup. The rest of the entourage waited in the wings during the broadcast. Kevin could speak a little German so he did most of the talking and translating. It went well for them and after a quick bite, they all climbed back onto their respective busses to head for Milan.

Tristan was getting a little anxious again now. Kevin was in the back of the bus reading and Tristan decided to join him. It was bright back there and music was playing and she thought that might help her to stay awake. The others had climbed into their bunks to sleep for the night. Tristan felt envy for them as she grabbed a book from her bag and

headed to the back. Kevin put his book down as she came in and looked at her. She was a little frayed around the edges and getting tired. He was surprised to see her hair down. He hadn’t realized that it reached almost to her waist. They talked for a few minutes about the show and the events scheduled for Italy and then drifted into a comfortable silence as they picked up their books and began reading.

Kevin wasn’t turning many pages. He kept glancing at Tristan to see how she was doing. Her eyes would close for a few moments and then fly open to refocus on her book. She’s trying so hard... After about an hour, he noticed that her eyes were no longer opening and he saw her chest rise and fall rhythmically as her book slid from her hands onto her lap. Kevin got up and walked over to the sofa where she sat sleeping.

“Tris?”, he whispered to see if she was awake.

When he got no response, he put his arms around her shoulders and gently moved her down onto the sofa and lifted her legs up onto the other end. She was so exhausted that she showed no reaction at all to the movement. Kevin grabbed a blanket to cover her, dimmed the lights and sat back down with his book, keeping watch.

He had been dozing when he heard Tristan gasp and then moan softly in her sleep. He shook himself and then looked over at the sleeping figure. He checked his watch. It was 2:25 am.

“Stop it!,” she whined a little more loudly. Her voice lowered again. “Please...”

Kevin stepped over to her as she curled herself into a ball and put her wrists over her face. He pried her hands away and could see that she held her eyes tightly shut. She was still sleeping. He knelt down beside her.

“It’s alright, Tris,” he whispered. “No one’s going to hurt you, baby. Shhh....”

He stroked her face with the back of his fingers as he tried to comfort her.

“Make him stop..”, Tristan whimpered. “He’s touching me.....” She began to move her head back and forth, becoming agitated. She had begun to perspire. “Get off me!”, she cried out. “Mouth...hands......on me! Please - no!” She was starting to lose it and Kevin’s heart hurt for her.

Kevin pulled Tristan up off the sofa and held her in his arms, rocking her and murmuring in her ear. He had made no plans as to what he would do if this happened. He was running on instinct. She leaned against his chest, trembling, but still asleep. His voice seemed to soothe her and her breathing slowed, although the trembling continued.

Kevin pushed some pillows to one end of the sofa as he continued to hold Tristan against him with one arm. He eased back and propped himself up on the pillows, pulling her with him. She had one arm snaked around his back holding on to his shirt. Her other hand tightly grasped the neckline of the wife beater he was wearing. He could see that her knuckles were white. He gently turned her so that she was laying between his legs, her back against him and then wrapped both of his arms around her, continuing to murmur comforting words as his mouth pressed against the top of her head. Kevin’s left hand unconsciously moved down to the area of bare skin between her top and her jeans and he began to caress her there, making little circles with his fingers. This seemed to comfort her and after awhile, the trembling stopped and she was once again dreamless.

Kevin reached down and pulled the blanket up over the both of them. They slept together in that position until early morning when Kevin stirred and removed himself from her, letting her lie alone. He hoped that she wouldn’t remember this. He didn’t want her to know that her fears had been realized. He went back to the chair and slept for a few hours more.

Mike was the only other person who had heard Tristan cry out during the night. He had gotten up to investigate just in time to see the tender little scene with Tristan laying in Kevin’s arms while he comforted her. Mike didn’t like this - not one bit.

CHAPTER 11

Following a stop in Milan for a short outdoor concert, the travelers headed for Barcelona. Mike made sure that the fans knew they were coming and when they arrived at one of the studios for MTV Europe, a huge crowd had gathered. Leighanne and Amanda seemed to take it all in stride, but Tristan had never seen anything like this. She felt intimidated and a little frightened. It was all too crazy. She didn’t think of the guys as big, international stars although she knew they were phenomenally popular.

She stood back and watched while literally thousands of girls, and many grown women, threw themselves at them offering them anything from stuffed animals to sex.

The five boys were kind and tolerant to the fans. They still remembered their start six years ago when no one had heard of or gave a damn about the Backstreet Boys and they practically had to haul people in from the streets to fill seats. Brian seemed the most uncomfortable in these situations. He was always the first to leave these gatherings. Nick handled them pretty well, but you always got the sense he’d rather be playing basketball or video games someplace else. Howie and AJ were great with the crowds, posing for pictures and laughing at their excitement. Kevin surprised her with his openness to the fans. He, too, was friendly and outgoing whereas in his private life he tended to stand back.

Tristan didn’t remember her dream from their first night on the road. Kevin was relieved that she hadn’t had any others but still kept her close by in case that changed. As far as she knew, she hadn’t had any nightmares for the past three nights. She was rested and in good spirits. Mike didn’t mention to anyone what he had seen. His gut told him that the scene he had witnessed may be put to better use someday down the road and so he kept quiet but alert. Kevin’s apparent attachment to Tristan disturbed him, although Tristan seemed unaware of his fixation on her.

When they returned to Sweden, they had only two days to wrap things up there before returning to Florida. They were very busy for the next 48 hours.

On November 19, they boarded TWA flight 318 to begin their journey home. The plane would land in Miami first and then fly on to Tampa and Orlando. Tristan was seated next to Nick and they enjoyed themselves, talking excitedly about returning home. About three hours into the flight, Nick fell asleep along with, it seemed, many of the others in first class seating. He looked like an angel, his blond hair falling across his eyes and his mouth slightly ajar. Tristan pulled a blanket down from the overhead compartment and draped it around him. She delicately brushed the hair from his eyes and took the Game Boy from his hands, placing it beside him on the seat.

Kevin, who was seated behind them, didn’t fail to notice this attention to Nick. He felt a mild annoyance and wondered if she’d do the same for him if he had been in Nick’s position.

Tristan was getting a little restless and decided to stretch her legs a bit and walk through to the rear of the huge aircraft. She smiled at Kevin as she passed and went through the curtain that separated first class from coach. When she had gotten halfway down the aisle, she heard a familiar voice.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the right arm of the Backstreet Boys!”

Several pairs of eyes jerked in her direction. She stopped and turned to see who was speaking. To her utter dismay, she found Lily sitting to her left raising what appeared to be a screwdriver in her right hand, issuing a mock salute.

“Hello, Lily.” Tristan cringed.

The seat beside Lily was empty. Lily grabbed Tristan by the wrist and yanked her down into the unoccupied space.

“Darling!,” Lily gushed. “Don’t tell me the guys are on this flight! I can’t believe the coincidence! Is my Kevvy up front?”

Tristan noted three empty miniature vodka bottles on Lily’s tray. “Yes, they’re all here but please - keep it down. No one knows they’re on this plane.”

Lily put her finger to her lips as her eyes darted around her. “Right!”, she whispered. “Our secret!” Tristan wondered how many more bottles Lily would collect before the end of the flight.

“Where are you headed, Lily?” Tristan tried to sound casual but Lily caught her apprehension.

“Miami,” she said, much to Tristans relief. Kevin had been much more laid back with Lily out of the picture. “But I think I’ll make it across state to visit Kevvy before too long. You won’t mind, will you? I mean, I don’t want to interfere or anything.” Lily was trying to look innocent and failing miserably.

“Interfere with what?” Tristan shot back. “Kevin is a grown man. He can ‘visit’ with whomever he pleases!” She was not happy with Lily’s plans.

“Oh, Kevvy’s all man, alright and he certainly knows how to ‘please’ me.” she purred. Tristan wanted to gag. She got up to leave, but was pulled back down.

“You and Kevvy still doing the ‘nasty’?”

Red spots danced before Tristan’s eyes. “We’re friends, Lily You seem to have gotten the wrong idea about Kevin and me.”, she said with anger.

“Of course. What was I thinking? Kevvy needs a real woman - one who knows the score and can give him what he needs, if you catch my drift.”

Tristan caught her drift, alright.

Lily giggled. “You know his nickname is Train, don’t you?” Tristan didn’t know. “That’s because he’s always pulling into someone’s ‘station’. Makes the phrase ‘all aboard’ take on a whole new meaning!” Lily went on. “Studio gophers just aren’t his style, especially young innocents. Kevvy has grown so far beyond that. He needs a woman of experience.......like me. You certainly have nothing unique to offer him. That fact is written all over you!”

Tristan could have spit in Lily’s face. She flew up out of the seat and ran back to her seat with no parting comment.

Lily sat back and smiled as she finished her drink. She had flattened that little bitch and she knew she had really hit Tristan where it hurts.

*************

Tristan returned to her seat upset and angry. Kevin gave her a questioning look that she didn’t respond to so he leaned forward to ask her directly what was wrong.

“Nothing.”, she answered evenly.

“You seem upset.” Kevin didn’t drop it.

“No shit, Sherlock! Your ‘girlfriend’ is on the flight.” Tristan spat.

“What?...Who?”

“Who do you think? Lily!”

“The hell you say!”

“No Kevin - I’m making it up!” Tristan didn’t mean to be so sarcastic but she was still thoroughly disgusted.

“You don’t have to be such a smart ass!”

“She asked me if it would be alright if she came to see you.”

“She asked your permission? What about my permission. Does she think you run my life?”

Tristan was getting annoyed. This wasn’t a pissing contest. Kevin seemed to be missing the point.

“Oh no!” She made it quite clear that she thinks you’re ‘all man’.” Tristan rolled her eyes at him.

“And you think I’m not?” Now Kevin was getting provoked.

Tristan looked heavenward and let out an exasperated sigh. God, men could be so dense! “Look, I don’t know about your.....your.....’manliness’, Kevin!” Kevin raised his eyebrows. “I think she’s coming after you again - that’s all.”

“I guess I’ve been around enough to know how to handle this...” Kevin sounded a little patronizing.

Tristan laughed cynically. “I’ll bet you have - KEVVY!”

CHAPTER 12

They finally landed at the Orlando airport. Nick had deplaned in Tampa. He was going to catch up with family and friends for a few days and then rejoin the group later to continue work on the album. They hoped to have the tracks ready to burn by mid-December.

The recording studio was state of the art and part of a large music company complex which also contained rehearsal halls, sound stages and even apartments which housed temporary employees and VIP’s. Tristan was, technically, employed by the label and she was to live at the complex until the work was completed, however, there had been a back up in scheduling recording time because of malfunctioning equipment. No apartments were free at this time because artists and producers who had been unable to finish recording would remain until schedules were reworked. Tristan would be put up at a local hotel and Mutt decided to remain in Nashville until they were ready to record. The expected delay was ten days to two weeks. This could present a problem. None of the boys wanted to be working over Christmas.

The homecoming was a happy one, however. Brian’s parents and brother would be coming in a few days and Brian would drive back to Kentucky with them for Thanksgiving dropping Leighanne in Atlanta. Howie had been homesick and couldn’t wait to get back to his childhood home with his family. AJ went to his home where he lived with his mom while Amanda returned to her apartment. Kevin would be on his own until his family arrived in Orlando for the holiday.

Kevin really didn’t like being alone. Oh, he enjoyed some private time to write or just clear his head and think, but he took pleasure in having people he cared about close by. This was part of the reason he loved seeing his family. They made him feel connected to the real world, something he needed after spending so much time in Bizzaro Backstreet World. There weren’t too many people he felt completely at ease with and for this reason he was often perceived as a loner. He really didn’t want that label but fate had slapped it on him anyway. People bought into it believing that he was really more content keeping to himself. In fact, he was often lonely.

When the cab dropped him at his house, he unlocked the door, sighed and went inside. It was a beautiful house and he had tried to put his heart into it. It contained lots of wood, many antiques that he had selected himself and rich fabrics. Books lined the shelves built in around the stone fireplace and oriental carpets covered the wooden floors. The house was perfect - or it would have been if he had thought of it as a home instead of a house. There was no laughter there, no love, nobody.

Tristan sat on the bed in her hotel room. The room was fine, but generic. She flipped on the television and moved to her stomach. She was fidgety. She had no one to talk to and nothing to do. Oh, she had plenty she could do but no place to do it with the studio fully occupied. She had gotten used to the comradery of the past five weeks and now felt isolated. She didn’t like it..... She had nothing to return to Virginia for, She would have been on her own there,too. She shifted on the bed and tried to imagine what everyone else was up to. She envisioned them happy, laughing and catching up with their families. She could imagine all but one. She knew that Kevin’s family wasn’t in town and wondered what he would be doing to occupy his time. Maybe she would call him tomorrow. She drifted off to sleep to the sounds of the local news on the television.

Kevin stepped out of the shower and began to towel himself off. He was tired from the long flight and thought he would just go to bed. He slipped on a pair of boxers and padded down the stairs to grab a bite to eat. There wasn’t much to grab. He would have to shop tomorrow. He settled for a beer and took it back up to his room. Sipping on his beer, he let his mind wander back to Stockholm. After a few minutes he realized that every event or occasion he recalled seemed to star Tristan. He remembered their awkward first meeting, the misunderstandings, the nightmares, the wistfulness and the fear. But that was tempered with memories of her kindness, joy and laughter, the way she looked while she slept in the bus bunk and the way she felt in his arms when he comforted her. He smiled sadly. At last she had been held - she just didn’t know it. He fell asleep trying to imagine her before the rape, sitting at a piano, softly stroking the keys.

When Tristan woke up the next day she decided that she needed a project - a goal for the day to keep herself busy. She thought she would be brave and give Kevin a call. He probably had a million things to take care of, but they were friends, weren’t they? Maybe she could give him a hand. Or maybe he already had plans. He never spoke much about his life in Orlando. Maybe he had someone special here. Naw.....he wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with Lily if that had been the case. Would he?

The phone rang several times before he picked up.

“This better be good!” Kevin answered roughly, his tongue thick with sleep.

“Kevin? It’s Tris. Did I wake you?”

“Yeah...no....I mean, I was just getting up.”, he lied.

Tristan paused. Her southern upbringing made her feel uncomfortable calling a man, especially when what she wanted from him was diversion. She suddenly felt like she was intruding on his time and wished she hadn’t called.

“Tris? You there?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah, yeah.” she answered. Her voice sounded small.

He was glad to hear from her so soon, but surprised. She had been a little snappy with him on the plane yesterday. Maybe she’d just been tired.

“Are you okay?” He sat up in bed suddenly concerned about what may have prompted her call.

“Yes, I’m fine Kevin.” She had intended for this to be social call, but then reconsidered. “I was wondering if maybe......um.......maybe you could give me your take on these last five tracks before we record.” She was pleased with herself for coming up with that one.

“Well, yes, I guess. If you really want me to.”

She didn’t really want him to. Then she got a brainstorm.

“How about I come over and fix you dinner one night and we can look at the music then?” Like tonight...

“Can you cook?” he laughed.

“Hell, yes. Just tell me what you feel like.” She flinched a little at her choice of words. “Eating, I mean.”

Kevin flinched at her choice of words, too. I’d like to ‘show’ you what I feel like...

“What?”

“What, what?” Kevin panicked. Surely he didn’t say that out loud!

“What do you want me to fix? Do you want southern?”

He sighed with relief. “I don’t know. How far south are you gonna go?” He cringed again. Jeez, my mind is in the gutter!

“Hon, I can go as far south as you want.”

Kevin groaned a little.

“What?”

“Nothing, Tris. Listen, I’ll leave that to you. That’ll give you a break.”

“I don’t need a break! I’m a damn good cook!”

“We’ll see," Kevin teased. “What are you planning to prepare?”

“That’ll be a surprise. This is a test, Richardson! I plan to see if you really are a ‘Dixie Darlin’’ or if you just use that southern charm to impress the women!”

Kevin wondered if Tristan was flirting with him. “Busted!” he laughed. “Do you want to do this tonight?”

“That’s fine! Okay, give me directions. If you want to eat at 7, I’ll have to start by 5.”

“Sounds great, Tris.”

Tristan was pleased. She called the front desk to arrange for a rental car, made her shopping list and jumped in the shower.

Kevin was no less delighted. He made a mental note of what he had to do that day and then bounced down the stairs, still in his boxers, to get the house ready for his guest. He hauled out rags and cleaning solutions. His perfectionism was showing - he wanted things to be right. As he reached under the kitchen sink to grab a bucket, he smiled as he remembered the new nickname AJ had pinned on him last year when he had gotten into one of his cleaning frenzies: Hazel.

Tristan Trilogy - Story I

"Will You Play for Me?" is a work of fiction.
The characters and events portrayed are fictitious.
Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright ©1999
All Rights Reserved
No part of this text may be copied or reprinted
without the author's permission.

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Fiction by Grace