CHAPTER 25

Tristan was at Kevin’s piano when the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone and hoped it wasn’t a love struck fan who had managed to get through the gate. She looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Mike standing at the door with a rolled up newspaper in his hand.

“Come in, Mike.” she smiled, opening the door.

Mike took a long look at her. Since the party at his apartment, he had begun to reconsider Tristan. Not that he still didn’t want her out of Kevin’s life. No, he had be reconsidering Kevin’s attraction to her. She was wearing low slung khaki’s and a waist length sweater. The outfit wasn’t immodest, but Mike seemed to notice her figure for the first time. Her sweater had a scooped neck that wasn’t low, but at the right angle you could just begin to see the swelling of her breasts. He recalled the bruises on her arms and found himself wondering if there were similar marks on other parts of her body. He found the thought facsinating.

“Hi ‘ya, Tris. You still here, huh?”

Tristan was a little taken aback by his greeting. Where else would she be?

“Yeah, Mike. Still here.”

January was well on its way out and Tristan had continued to give small concerts. She had performed twice as a featured soloist - once at the New York Philharmonic and once at Kennedy Center. She’d had a busy and satisfying month, re-aquiring the respect of her peers and the public. When she wasn’t scheduled to perform, she worked with the Orlando Symphony helping to direct choral pieces and teaching promising young students.

Mike walked into the living room and spotted the piano. There were sheets of music scattered across the top of it. A metronome sat on the lid, still keeping time.

“I interrupted your practice. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, Mike. I needed a break.” She motioned to the sofa. “Have a seat.”

“Actually, Tris, I’m here to see Kevin for a minute. Is he around?”, Mike asked innocently, knowing that Kevin was in a meeting downtown.

“No, I’m afraid not. He won’t be finished today until late. I don’t suppose it’s anything I can help you with?”

Mike had to step carefully now. Plant the seed... Tristan had been at Kevin’s for almost a month and he still didn’t know exactly what their status was. Were they officially living together? Just playmates? In love? What? He had a right to know. He had to manage these guys which meant managing their public image.

“Well, maybe you can, Tris. I’ve been getting inquiries for over a week now and.....”

“Inquiries about what, Mike?”

He picked up the newspaper. “Here, look.”

Mike unrolled the newspaper he had been carrying. It was a supermarket tabloid. Tristan noticed one of the pages that had been folded down at the corner. She looked at Mike, who nodded and turned to the marked page, handing it to Tristan. A small paragraph in a gossip column had been highlighted.

“An undisclosed source has told us that Backstreet Boy, Kevin Richardson, has been keeping exclusive company with a classical pianist from VA. Our little birdie can’t say whether or not they’re “living in sin”, but does say that the ‘lady’ seems to have taken up residence at Mr. Richardson’s house. Looks like the BSB is tired of their wholesome image Lock up your daughters, Mom and Dad. Backstreet’s Back and Playing Games With Out Heart! Sorry girls!”

She should have her own place. She had presumed too much by staying here. She had been insulated and hadn’t considered the ‘outside world’.

“Tristan?” Mike’s face was etched with concern. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Tristan broke out of her daze. “No, no Mike. I’m fine. It just never occurred to me that anyone even thought about me staying here. I’m surprised, that’s all.”

“It’s really none of my personal business, Tristan, but it is my professional business. If you’re staying here as Kevin’s guest, then maybe you’d better consider leaving. If it’s something more,..well.....”

“What Mike? Tell me”

“Well Tris, that’s another ball of wax. Fans get upset. Parents of younger fans get upset. These guys are role models, after all.”

“Role models.....” Tristan sighed. “What about Leighanne and Amanda? has this kind of stuff been written about them, too?”

God, she is so fucking naive. What planet has she been on for the last couple of years? "Sure stuff has been written about them, but it’s a little different in your case. Leighanne doesn’t openly live with Brian, although she might as well. She has her own place and works in California a lot. She’s not here all the time, plus she was already with Brian when the boys hit big here. She kind of came with the package, if you know what I mean. AJ and Amanda are too wild for anyone to take seriously. They see other people. But Kevin came to fame with no - pardon me - baggage. He was ‘available’. Now if his public perceives him as, not only unavailable, but living with a woman, well,...they feel betrayed. It’s stupid, but it’s life.”

Tristan considered all of this. She could still be with Kevin if she got her own place. Just not all of the time.

“Listen Tris,” Mike went on apologetically, “I’m sorry about this. It’s no one’s business really. Kevin’s gonna shit brickbats when he finds out that this has upset you, especially if he’s already asked you to live with him and you’ve made a decision to. Damn, I’m good. Those seeds are falling on fertile ground!

“I see no need to upset Kevin, Mike. He has enough on his mind right now. We’ll keep this between us.”

“Good”. “Well, I’d better be off. Gotta make hay, you know!” he laughed. He could tell Tristan’s mind was elsewhere. “This is garbage. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

“Sure, Mike. Sure. Have a good day.”

“See ‘ya, Tris.”

Mike left satisfied that his little plan would be successful. No one would say that he was the ‘undisclosed source’ mentioned in the blurb. Not if they wanted more tid bits from him.

Tristan rehashed Mikes comments in her mind. “Upset fans... betrayed.... baggage... role model. She and Kevin had never actually discussed her living here. He never asked her or even said he wanted her to. She knew better than to make assumptions, but she had. The more Tristan thought about it, the more upset she became. She picked up her keys, got into her new lease, and left.

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

The guys were at the studio making some stabs at new material when Tristan entered the control booth. It almost felt like old times.

“Hey, baby!” Kevin smiled in her direction. “What are you doing here? Miss cracking the whip on us?” They all chuckled.

“No. It was fun though. Most of it, anyway. I’ve been busy today and I want to show you something. Take a ride with me?” She walked into the studio.

Kevin shook his head. “What have you done?”

The guys were drifting out of the studio. Brian and Howie headed for the offices to make calls, while Nick and AJ went into the booth to play with some mixes.

“You’ll be happy to know that I found an apartment!” She tried to sound excited. “I want you to come see it!”

AJ and Nick’s heads shot up in the booth. Tristan had left the intercom on.

Kevin stared at her as if she was speaking Gaelic. “What are you talking about?” He couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.

“I found an apartment! I can move in right away! ‘Bout time, huh?”

“About time?” His eyes shifted back and forth across her face. What the hell was she saying?

“Kevin, haven’t you heard the old saying - ‘Company is like fish. They both stink after three days.’ I must really be rotten by now!” she laughed.

Tristan struggled to sound light hearted. She liked sleeping by his side every night. Waking up with him every morning. Making love in the wee hours. Contented. Safe.....

“Company? I didn’t exactly think of you as ‘company’, Tris.” Kevin was getting pissed. “What the fuck happened?”

Nick and AJ glanced at each other in the control room. If they left, they would be heard. If they stayed, they would hear. Tris and Kev hadn’t seen them. They opted to stay.

“Nothing happened, Kevin. You never said anything to me about staying with you indefinitely. It looks like I’m living with you.”

“You are living with me...”

“I know I am, Kevin. But you never asked me to. I made a stupid assumption. I didn’t think.”

“Stupid? Us living together is ‘stupid’?”

“No...it was stupid of me to assume that was what you wanted.”

Kevin felt like this conversation was developing a life of its own. He couldn’t seem to grasp its meaning.

“God dammit, Tris. You’re not making sense to me!” Kevin shouted. “I thought you were happy. You know how I feel about you!”

“Kevin, I know you care about me, but....”

“Care about you? I think I more than care about you, Tristan!”

Tristan thought for a moment about this. Kevin was affectionate, tender and passionate with her. She knew he was content. He laughed more and played more. He had been gentle and loving to her. But the thought stuck in her mind that he had never said that he loved her. He had said that he wanted her, but not that he loved her.

“You’ve never told me that, Kevin.” She wasn’t angry or hurt. She was just stating the facts.

“Jesus, Tris. Haven’t I shown you how I feel?”

“Kevin, don’t get so upset. We can still be together. Not that much will change, really. Liar... I don’t want the press to eat you up alive over this.”

Bingo! "The press?! What do they have to do with our feelings for each other?”

“Nothing Kevin. Nothing at all. But you know how they scrutinize everything! It would be better if we maintained separate places.”

“Bullshit! Are you afraid of tabloid trash or..” he said sarcastically, “do you want me to get down on my knees and declare my love on stage one night?”

Tristan was hurt by his sarcasm and became angry.

“I thought it would be easier for you if you weren’t being chewed up by the tabloids, Kevin.” she shouted. “Dodging that crap can take its toll. As for the other, believe me, you’ll never hear me ask you to ‘declare’ anything!”

Kevin spotted a tear before she stormed out of the studio. “FUCK!” he shouted at no one.

AJ and Nick thought it was time they got out of there. Kevin was gonna blow. They clicked off the intercom to make their exit as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, the click of the switch itself echoed into the studio. Kevin whirled around and looked through the glass as AJ bolted out of the door. That left Kevin and Nick - facing off yet again.

“Well, Nick. Get an earful?” Kevin’s eyes bore down on him.

Nick paused. God damn, what’s wrong with him? Yeah, I did Kev. Is Tris moving out?”

“I think she tried to tell me that she had never officially moved in.”

Nick hesitated before he went on. “Didn’t you actually tell her how you feel and that you wanted her to live with you?”

“Not in so many words....”

“It only takes three, Kev.”

“Fuck you, Nick! You don’t know what goes on between Tristan and me, so don’t go making your little judgements! You jump to her defense like Sir Fucking Lancelot all the damn time. I’m not saying that she’s said or done anything that needed defending but, God damn, Nick! I don’t want to hurt her! You don’t have to protect her from me, for God’s sake!

“I saw the bruises, Kevin.”

“What?”

“The BRUISES, Kevin. The ones on her arms New Years Day. They weren’t there New Years Eve.”

Kevin couldn’t believe Nick’s implication.

“You can suck my dick, you self righteous little prick!” Kevin screamed. "Tristan’s bruises aren’t any of you damn business but to ease your suspicions, I’ll tell you this - Tristan didn’t know she had those bruises until I pointed them out to her. What in the hell do you think I am? They didn’t come from force or violence. I didn’t hurt her. They came from passion. Now, do want me to give you a play by play while you jerk yourself off?”

The room fell into a deadly silence except for the sound of Kevin’s hard breathing.

Nick’s eyes filled. “Man, Kevin...I’m sorry. I really am. I know you’d never raise your hand to Tristan. I don’t know why I said anything.” Nick put his hands on his hips and looked at the ceiling. His teeth were clenched. He didn’t want to cry. He took a deep breath. “Forgive me, Kevin. You know I love you both.”

Kevin’s anger disappeared at the sight of Nick getting emotional.

“Shit, Nick. I’m sorry, too. I guess we’ve both got a case of the ‘dick-heads’ tonight.” Kevin tried to laugh. “Look, I know you love us. We love you, too.” Kevin looked at the floor. “I know you’re looking out for Tris. She’s still naive , Nick. She needs all the protection she can get and I’m glad you’re in her corner. But please understand that I’m in her corner, too. I really do love her.”

Nick smiled slightly. “Tell her then, Train.”

CHAPTER 26

When Kevin pulled into his driveway, he could see right away that her car was not there.

I can’t believe this! Has she really left? I can’t go through this again. What in the hell happened today? One hour ago, we were as happy as clams - or so I thought.

He got out of his truck and entered the front door.

“Tristan?” No answer. Damn.

He walked straight for his studio, glancing into the kitchen on the way. There, on the kitchen counter, lay the familiar pink paper. He paused, then turned and kept walking. Kevin went straight into his studio, closed the door, pulled out the Jack Daniels, a shot glass and started pouring. He realized that he hadn’t even asked her where this apartment was that she had rented.

He took a shot and poured another.

It only takes three, Kev... Nicks words kept running through his brain. He was almost sure he had told Tristan how he felt. Only three, Kev... Shit. She should have known. Didn’t actions speak louder than words? Three, Kev...

Another shot went down.

She was suppose to come to New York with him next week. A whole week with a couple of interviews and some pre-show business with Disney. The rest of the time would be theirs. A suite at the Plaza.....

Shot number three hit its mark.

He’d gotten tickets for Giselle - a surprise. She loved the ballet......

Number four, going down.

She was going to visit some old teachers from Julliard, shop with Leighanne. She’d talked about getting her hair cut while she was there. “Not much,” she’d said. “Only about eight inches.” He smiled - he’d talked her out of that one.

Odd numbers - always lucky. He could use some luck. He swallowed his fifth shot.

Kevin was feeling pretty numb when he heard the key in the door. He wasn’t sure how many drinks he’d had by then, but it really didn’t matter.

“Kevin? Where are you?”

I must be drunk as a skunk. That almost sounds like Tris. “Kevin?”

He could hear her voice move through the house.

The door to the studio opened slowly and Kevin just sat and watched it, saying nothing. The line of light at the bottom of the door slowly became a triangle. Two feet entered the triangle. Nice feet. Pink polish on the toes. His eyes traveled up the khaki pants to a sweater. A soft sweater. The bulges in the front of it looked like cushions. He thought he’d like to lay his head there for awhile. His eyes moved up to a neck. Hair was falling down beside the neck. Thick hair. With waves. Kind of straw colored. The neck was long and slender and white. Then a mouth. Full lips. The lips were open. He could see some teeth. Oooops. Little Kev just said hello. Then the eyes. Purple colored. Long lashes. Damn...

“Tristan?”

“What are you doing in here, Kevin?”

“Just having a drink. Want one - or twenty?” Kevin laughed at himself.

“It’s dark in here. Why are you sitting in the dark?”

“Nothin’ to look at, baby doll.....did you forget somethin’? Oh! I bet I know! You forgot to leave your key!” He twirled around in the desk chair.

“Leave my key? Where?”

“On the counter kitchen - like last time.”

“The counter kitchen....” Tristan repeated.

Tristan flipped a switch and the overhead halogen came blasting on.

“Jesus, sugar lump!” Kevin squinted. “You tryin’ to blind me?”

Sugar lump? "Kevin, are you drunk?”

Kevin looked at her seriously, striking a casual pose, leaning back in the chair.

“Drunk? Hell Tris, I’ve only had a couple of drinks! Do I look drunk?”

Kevin leaned back into the chair farther as if to emphasize his sobriety. but he had to catch himself before he fell backwards onto the floor. Both of his legs came flying up and out and his arms stretched out in front of him, trying to grab the edge of the desk. His eyes widened with sudden alarm. His over correction had the desired effect. He caught the edge of the desk and pulled himself to safety.

“Yes, Kevin. You look drunk. You’d better eat. I brought food.”

“Food? Chinese?”

“Yes. Didn’t you read my note?” Tristan pulled on Kevin’s arm, finally getting him out of the chair and onto his feet.

“Hot damn! I can’t wait to read my fuckin’ fortune cookie! It’ll probably just have a skull and crossbones in it!” He laughed at himself again. “Let’s have a drink, Tris!”

“No thanks. I think we should get some food in you.”

“No, no....we’ll have a toast! What can we toast to?....Oh! I know! To the good old days!”

“What good old days are those, Kevin?”

Kevin stopped - suddenly serious. He had that same hint of desperation that Tristan remembered seeing in Virginia.

“The days when I felt you beside me when I woke up in the morning. The days when I would lay in bed and watch you brush your hair or put lotion on your hands. The days when we were together.”

“Kevin, we’re still together.”

“No, Tris. I finally began to feel like this was my home - not just a house. If you don’t feel like it’s your home, too, then we’re not together.”

“What are you saying, Kevin?”

“Do I really have to spell it out for you, Tris?”

“Yes. I need to hear you spell it out, Kevin.”

Kevin put his hands on Tristan’s shoulders, holding her at arms length. He was wobbly. His Kentucky accent was thicker than usual His eyes were still glazed. He was still drunk. Drunk, but sincere.

“Tristan...I...want...you...living...in...this...house...with...me. I...want... us...to...live...together...as...a...couple. I...want...us...to...have...carnal...relations every...time...we...get...a...chance I...want...us...to...fight...over...what... brand...of...tooth...paste...to...buy...and...I...want...you...to...know... that...I...love...you. How’s that?”

“That was good, Kevin.”

“You think I’m drunk and don’t know what I’m saying!”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

Tristan looked up at Kevin. His hands hadn’t left her shoulders but now they seemed to be there for support. His eyes opened and closed like he was fighting sleep.

“Come on, Kevin. I think you’d better get some sleep.”

Tristan put her arm around Kevin’s back to lead him across the room and up the stairs.

“Yeah. That sounds good. It’s been one hell of a day.”

Tristan sat Kevin down on the edge of the bed, pulled his shirt over his head and then took his shoes and socks off. He was like a rag doll. She pushed him down to the bed and unbuckled his belt, then pulled off his pants. He didn’t move and might have stayed that way all night, but Tristan managed to get him in the bed and under the covers. When Kevin laid his head on the fresh pillowcase, he closed his eyes with a sigh and smiled. He looked like he was about ten years old. She left the bedroom to go put the carry-out away.

“Are you coming back?” Kevin called to her.

“I’ll be right there.”

When Tristan came back five minutes later, Kevin was fast asleep. He hadn’t moved. Tristan crawled between the clean sheets and turned off the light.

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

The next morning, Tristan awoke to Kevin’s pelvis moving up and down her backside. They had unconsciously ‘spooned’ during the night and now she could feel him moving against her, moaning.

“Kevin, are you awake?” she murmured.

He just moaned, rubbing himself faster against her cheeks.

“Kevin?” She turned to move and he groaned, quickly pulling her bottom back against his substantial morning erection.

“Don’t move, baby...please.” He spoke as if in a dream.

She felt him pull down his boxers, releasing himself. Then his hands were on her panties, pushing them down her legs. He had never stopped moving.

He’s still asleep... Then his hand came up between her legs, startling her.

“Kevin! What......”

“Shhh, baby. relax.” His fingers slid into her and it was her turn to moan.

His humping got harder and faster. She could feel him sliding up and down the crease between her cheeks as his thumb found her button.

“God, Kevin!” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t you want me to turn around?”

“No, baby. Don’t move.”

He continued humping her and began to rub her harder. Tristan exploded with a shudder and felt herself tighten around his fingers. Then Kevin groaned her name into the back of her neck and warm fluid spilled up her back. He pressed up against her a few more times and then removed his fingers from her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

It had been fast and intense. They lay together in that position for several minutes - still and quiet. Tristan wondered if Kevin had fallen asleep.

“Kevin?” she whispered. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah. I’m awake.”

“Don’t you think we’d better get up? If we don’t, we may be glued together this way permanently.”

Kevin chuckled at the image. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“Might be awkward when you do a show!” Tristan laughed, making a move to get out of bed.

“Wait.” Kevin said, bringing her back to the ‘spoon’. “I have to tell you something.” He spoke against her hair, nuzzling her.

“What?”

“Tristan, I want you to live here in this house with me. I want us to live together as a couple. I want us to have carnal relations every time we get a chance. I want us to fight over what brand of toothpaste to buy and I want you to know that I love you.” He leaned up and kissed her shoulder.

A single tear hit the pillow. “I love you, too, Kevin.”

CHAPTER 27

February had been a busy and exciting month. Tristan and Kevin made their trip to New York but didn’t really see too many sights other then the surprise ballet. They chose to spend a lot of their time in the hotel suite ordering room service, talking, watching movies and making love. They both knew that things would only get more hectic for both of them, but especially for Kevin.

The Backstreet Boys had a single coming out in April and the CD would be released soon after which meant almost constant promotion. When they weren’t promoting, they would be busy creating and designing the new show and then rehearsing, trying to fine tune the production. They had decided to add dancers to the show. Tristan had serious doubts about that idea feeling that too many people on stage was a distraction, but the guys wanted to do a real show, not just a concert. They had a video to do for their single and after the CD release, the touring season would begin. It sounded like it would be a full five month tour with only a short break between the European and North American legs. Even that time would be taken up with additional promotion and video taping.

Tristan knew that she would probably see very little of Kevin, but this was a part of his life. He actually seemed to enjoy it most of the time. Kevin could be somewhat of a workaholic and he understood that the Backstreet ride wouldn’t last forever. They had to seize the moment.

Kevin was concerned about how all of this would affect his relationship with Tristan. He knew it would be difficult, but at least she had her own career to keep her occupied. Requests for her to play had steadily increased and he was pleased when she told him that she had planned to limit her engagements until June.

Mike’s plan to get Tristan out of Kevin’s house had failed. Tristan had kept the apartment and used it as her address. Her mail was forwarded from there and she could dial her phone there and retrieve messages, but she still lived and slept with Kevin.

Oh well. That little column was just a first stab. He could post some information about her and a few pictures on any one of hundreds of web pages and that might get something started. Maybe he could just leave it to the adoring public to bust up the relationship - particularly if they were hostile. Tristan hadn’t really experienced the anger of possessive fans. Mike smiled at the thought. This album, promotion and tour had been given an extremely high budget. The Backstreet Boys would be permeating the airwaves. Kevin might not fully understand all the implications of this, but Tristan would be able to appreciate it. She had to experience it. Mike would see to it that she did.

Tristan had seen groups of fans surrounding the guys many times. Usually, it wasn’t too bad, but it seemed to get worse day by day. Management was forced to hire security to protect the group whenever they were in public. What little privacy they had managed to keep was threatened. Complicated arrangements had to be made in advance for simplest outings. Even Leighanne had to have someone with her when it was known they would be spending several days in a particular city. Fans knew Leighanne now. Her privacy was gone, too. Whenever Tristan accompanied Kevin on one of these junkets, she found herself spending most of her time in a hotel room - alone. She often yearned for the privacy and freedom of home. At least at home she didn’t have to go through the trashcans to make sure something wasn’t left behind that could shed a questionable light on Kevin. She remembered Amanda telling her about a story in an English tabloid in which a hotel housekeeper claimed she had found thirty used condoms in the boys’ trash after only a one night stay.

The fans’ worship disturbed her on another level, too. Some fans were unbelievably aggressive and sexual. It wasn’t unusual for a fan to offer one of the guys a bare breast to autograph. The huge signs that many waved over their heads got to her, too. Young girls, who looked to be about fourteen years old, would hold up placards reading ‘EAT ME KEVIN’ or ‘PARK THE TRAIN IN MY TUNNEL’. She thought about how ignorant she had been at that age. Tristan thought these girls would probably be more than willing to follow through with the demands on their signs.

Then Mike called her one day and gave her the address of a website he thought she should take a look at. Tristan typed in the URL and waited for the screen to download. The title of the site was ‘Gettin’ Hot for Kevin Scott’ and had been created by someone name LindaTempleton AKA Linda Richardson. Tristan rolled her eyes and scrolled down the menu. She wondered why Mike had called her about this. There were hundreds of BSB sites on the web and dozens devoted to Kevin alone. The menu contained the typical choices. ‘The Body’s Bio’, which gave the reader the basics like birthdate and favorite color. Then came ‘Lick Me Pics’. Here a surfer could gaze upon pictures of Kevin shirtless, thrusting in concert and, of course the famous ‘hard-on’ shots from the ‘Quit Playing Games’ video shoot. Also included was any other photo that may even hint at the possibility of an erection. ‘Dick Fic’ was next on the list. The stories here were called ‘visuals’. They were extremely graphic and explicit and often contained elements of torture or homosexuality. ‘All About Kevin’s Wife’ caught her eye. Here she read a description of ‘Linda Richardson’ and her undying love for Kevin complete with details of how she showed him she loved him. “This is one sick chick”, Tristan thought. She almost felt sorry for the girl. The last item on the menu was called ‘Kevin’s Skanks’. Tristan clicked on the bar and the pictures downloaded. There were one or two pictures of several women, including Lily - a picture of Lily and Kevin dancing at a club, one of Lily at a BSB concert and one of Kevin and Lily leaving a hotel. They made her skin crawl.

At the bottom of the page was a small box that read “Click Here For Current Skank’ and Tristan clicked. Up popped a whole page of pictures. Pictures of her alone. Pictures of her with Kevin. A couple of the pictures were processional shots taken of her for concert promotion purposes, but the rest were candid shots that she never knew existed. Some were typical candids of Tristan and Kevin at public events. One was of Tristan leaving the dressing room of a women’ clothing store. Another showed her purchasing lingerie at a department store. Then there was a shot of her and Kevin walking through a park, holding hands and another of her leaning on his shoulder at the same park. The last two made her feel ill. They were taken at a venue through a cracked dressing room door. One showed them in an embrace, standing slightly apart and looking into each others eyes. Kevin was shirtless and had one hand behind her back and the other underneath the front of her sweater. The final shot must have been taken seconds later. She and Kevin were locked in a deep kiss, their bodies pressed tightly together.

The candids were recent - it was only the first part of March. At the bottom of this page was a rant written by ‘Mrs. Richardson’, which not only gave Tristan’s full name and occupation, but also stated that she was Kevin’s live in whore. She wrote about what a bitch and slut Tristan was and how she’s stealing Kevin away from those who really love him. Tristan felt a wave of nausea. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she could throw up.

She returned to the main page and scrolled down to a box which said ‘Read Guest Book’. There were several dozen comments about the ‘Current Skank’. Out of these, only a minute portion were supportive of Kevin’s relationship with Tristan. The rest seemed to want her dead. Tristan exited the page and sat in front of the blank screen wondering how she should handle this. Maybe the best thing was to ignore it. The phone rang and she jumped. She hoped it wasn’t Kevin.

“Tristan? It’s Mike. Did you see it?”

“God, Mike! What kind of sick person is this? Where did she get those pictures?” Tristan’s voice was cracking. She was ready to cry.

Mike heard the crack in her voice and managed to sound sympathetic while smiling.

“I know , Tris. It’s just awful! You and Kevin never noticed anyone suspicious?”

“NO! The dressing room, Mike? For God’s sake, that was a personal time. Who would do such a thing?”

Bodyguards who are sick of young punks who have lucked into exorbitant amounts of money and have women and perks at their feet - and who could use a little extra cash. “Gee, hon. Who knows? Could have been anyone. I was afraid something like this would happen. I guess it was only a matter of time.”

“I’m not hurting anyone, Mike. They sound like they could kill me!”

“They feel like you’re hurting them, Tris, by stealing Kevin away from them. They’re worried he might love you.”

“What if he does, Mike? Kevin isn’t allowed that luxury?”

“Kevin Richardson? Maybe. Kevin Backstreet? No way. Are you going to tell him?”

“Don’t you think I should?”

“I don’t know, Tris. What can he do about it? The damage is done. It’s one of those things you can’t stop. All he could really do is hire security for you.”

Tristan didn’t want that. She sometimes felt like she was suffocating as it was.

“I guess I’ll wait awhile and see what happens. Maybe I’m making too much of this - do you think? Kevin has seen this kind of stuff before. He probably doesn’t think it’s a big deal.”

“Maybe. I’m really sorry about this. It’s a shame, especially about the personal pictures. Don’t be too embarrassed.”

“Thanks, Mike”

“Bye.”

Mike leaned back in his chair, smiling. This had almost become a game to him. A dangerous game, though. If Kevin and Tristan would just bust up, the appeal of the Backstreet Boys’ never-ending batchelorhood could continue. If they beat the odds and - heaven forbid - married one day, the others could see this as a signal and follow suit. That’s okay. He still had a few cards up his sleeve. Those ‘kissy’ pics were taken by an amateur. He knew a few professional surveillance people who could use some extra bucks. They could get pictures of anything. He had some other guns loaded, too, if he needed to use them. This was going to be fun. He enjoyed manipulating lives. It made him feel almost god-like.

Three days later, the web page had disappeared. Within two weeks, unbeknownst to Tristan, the pictures were all over the internet along with ‘Mrs. Richardson’s’ comments about Kevin’s whore.

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

“Tristan, did you know about this? Kevin asked loudly. His tone was accusatory as he threw several printouts on top of the piano keys.

Tristan sat on the bench, studying his face, analyzing his tone. She was afraid of what was on those sheets. She had gone back to ‘Gettin’ Hot for Kevin Scott’ a few days after she first saw the site, but it had disappeared. Apparently, it hadn’t vanished before the pictures had spread. She glanced at the pages and once again felt sick.

“Mike called me a couple of weeks ago and said he thought I’d better check out a site. The pictures were there.” Tristan felt like she was apologizing.

“A couple of weeks ago?” Kevin’s voice rose. “And you didn’t think I should know about this?”

“I thought it would go away Kevin. I was upset. I thought you’d be upset. I thought it really had gone away. The site was down just a couple of days after I first saw it.”

“Tristan, Mike managed to kill that site, but he can’t get rid of hundreds of sites!”, Kevin shouted. “Don’t be stupid!”

“Why are you yelling at me? I didn’t know that pictures from that that site had spread! I don’t like this anymore than you do! You’re not the only victim here! My agent called a half hour ago. He’s been getting mail addressed to me from your adoring fans - telling me what a slut I am!” Tristan rose from the bench Her nerves had been shot over this and now Kevin was standing on them. It didn’t escape her that he had called her stupid.

Kevin stepped close to Tristan and got up in her face. “How the fuck do you think I felt when I first saw these at a press conference today? One that was filmed, by the way! How do you think I felt when a reporter asked me to comment on some internet pictures and the comments written below them and then handed these to me?” Kevin slapped the papers into the floor. “Do you think I enjoyed being put on the spot that way with no warning whatsoever? Does that sound fair? Fair to me? Fair to the group?”

“Mike knew about this! He’s your manager! I thought part of his job was damage control! Did you ask him why he didn’t tell you about this?”

“I’m asking you, Tristan! This is my life, here!”

“It’s my life, too, Kevin! They’re calling me a skank, a whore, a slut!”

Kevin stepped back from her. He was trying with difficulty to control his anger.

“Mike tried very hard to take care of this before it got out of hand, Tristan. He knows that one of the reasons we got rid of our former management was because of their interference in our personal lives. He doesn’t want to interfere. He said he tried to warn you about things like this! He left it up to you to tell me!”

“I told you, I thought it was over! Mike warned me that fans might become upset about our relationship, Kevin. He didn’t warn me about stalkers with cameras! I wasn’t holding my own hand in those pictures, Kevin! I wasn’t kissing myself! I‘m not responsible for the content of these pictures! There have been pictures on the internet of the guys with women and girlfriends before. Why is this so different?”

“It looks worse!”

“Why?”

“Because you’re restaring your career! And because you’re living in my house!”

Kevin’s hands were on his hips and he was glaring at her. Tristan could hardly take in what he was saying. Her eyes filled and her voice was shaking.

“What does all of this have to do with my career? I thought your career was the issue here!”

Kevin’s voice seemed calmer now, but his eyes were hard. “Fans get upset about this kind of stuff. They know that we see people. They’re not stupid. But many of them are young. They don’t like it thrown in their faces. That’s one of the reasons we try to keep a low profile about our personal lives. We try to respect their feelings.”

“And what about my feelings, Kevin? I don’t want your fans upset, either. I don’t leave the house with a sign around my neck that says ‘I’m sleeping with Kevin Richardson’. This affects me, too!”

“Well, it affects your bookings, that’s for sure.” Kevin’s hands dropped from his hips and he turned to walk away.

“What do you mean it ‘affects my bookings’?”, Tristan shouted after him.

Kevin stopped and turned back towards her.

“Mike contacted your agent. He was concerned about you. Your bookings have almost doubled in the last couple of weeks. Seems lots of young women are suddenly interested in classical music. Your name is brought up on every BSB website that mentions girlfriends or rumors. All of this may have caused you some embarrassment, but it’s worth a million dollars in publicity!”

Kevin turned again and left the room.

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.

~BEST VIEWED ON 800 X 600 SCREEN RESOLUTION~

Fiction by Grace