Oreos for Breakfast: Chapter 30

Oreos For Breakfast: Chapter 30
By the Paperbag Princess and Pumpkin Coach

My phone rang, and everyone at the table glared at me. "It's Rachel. Can we take a five minute break?"

It had not been a good morning so far. The only thing we'd decided was that Backstreet was not going to be back any time soon. Which was fine by me. Two months hadn't helped anything and we were still getting on one another's nerves like we had been at the end of the tour. Maybe we really did need more than a couple months off. We'd been going nonstop of nearly 10 years, after all.

AJ nodded. "Yeah. Take ten. Tell her I'm worried about her."

They all added something for Rachel as I picked up my phone. My damn group liked Rachel more than they liked me now. "Hey, buttercup," I said, trying to not sound as tense as I felt.

"Hey, bunny. You should have woken me up. I wasn't even sure if you'd come back!"

She sounded awake and happy, and I smiled at AJ, letting him know that she was okay. It really was just lack of food and sleep that caused her to pass out. "I did wake you up, Rache."

"Was I that asleep?"

Laughing, I left the room to stand in the hallway where I knew the guys wouldn't be able to listen in. "Twice. When I came back to the room last night, you asked if I was okay, and I told you that James and I didn't get arrested. You mumbled something about cookies and a pathetic turkey sandwich before you fell asleep again. Did your sandwich suck?"

"You are making that up. I didn't talk to you last night!"

I loved outraged Rachel. "You did, sweetie. I swear. And this morning before I left, I told you to wake up by six, because we're going out to dinner."

"What did I say?"

"You said you loved me." But she hadn't said that she was looking forward to dinner or anything. I didn't really think that one had sunk in.

"I don't remember that, either. If your side of the bed hadn't been slept in, I wouldn't have known that you'd come back."

"I left you a note!" It wasn't much of a note, but I'd put it right next to the clock, so she'd see it first thing when she was awake enough. It was something about how I loved her and I liked the cookies.

"You did? Oh! I must have knocked it over when I was trying to answer the phone. Aw… yeah, they are good cookies, aren't they? Did you leave me any?"

"Yes." A couple. There was not a crumb left from her dinner when I'd gotten back to the room, but there was a whole basket of different kinds of cookies. Arguing with paparazzi had made me hungry.

"Guntrum gave me those. He was the nice hotel guy who took care of me while you were off beating people up."

"I didn't beat anyone up! James did!" That was pretty weird statement for me to be making. I would have hit the guy, but James got there first.

"Yeah… Lola just called. I need to make some public appearances."

"Buttercup, you need to sleep." It was only 11. She couldn't have slept much more than 8 or 9 hours. She definitely needed more sleep than that.

"I'll be fine. I'd rather go to Entertainment Tonight now and have tomorrow free. I hate L.A. If I had passed out in New York, no one would have noticed."

"Um, sweetie? You were a Grammy winner at a post-Grammy party. You would have been news anywhere."

"Well… okay. Are you going to be free tomorrow?"

"Yes." I hoped. I didn't really think we were going to resolve any of this soon. Maybe we could just decide to take a break and make the management decisions later. Who cared who was managing us if we weren't going to be working? I was staying with the Firm for my solo stuff, so whatever. They guys could decide whatever they wanted.

Given the fact that Brian and AJ really wanted to drop the Firm, I didn't think they were going to like it when I told them that I was staying with the Firm for my stuff. I wasn't looking forward to that discussion.

There was some noise on her end, and she sighed. "That's Lola, I'm sure. She's going to yell at me for not even showering yet."

"Go, then. Will you be back by six? I'll make dinner reservations. I'm not letting you forget to eat again."

She chuckled. "I know. Don't make reservations, though. I might want to stay in. Yes, Lola! I'll get in the shower in two minutes."

"I'll start it running, and then I'm picking out your clothes. You need to look sweet and innocent."

Rachel and I snorted in unison. "Doubtful," she told Lola.

"I love you, buttercup, but sweet and innocent are not words I'd use to describe you."

"Please don't! Let me go and save my wardrobe from Lola. I love you, bunny."

"Love you, too. See you soon."

At the end of this day, I got to be with my girl. I just needed to remember that and I'd survive.

I managed not to be sweet and innocent, opting for normal instead. Well, as normal as I could be in jeans that I'd gotten for free in my Grammy goodies basket. I didn't want to know how much these jeans cost in the real world, because I needed a dozen pairs. They somehow managed to make my short little legs look long and slender. Great jeans and blue silk shirt, and the make-up artist at Entertainment Tonight made me look natural and awake.

My boys came in while I was in the make-up chair, and I nearly fell out of it when I saw James. "Are you going for the tough look, sweetheart?" I asked him, as the make-up artist dabbed something under my eyes. Even after a few hours of sleep, I still looked tired. I was tired.

James ran a hand over his stubble. "Darien convinced me this was a good idea." James never left the house with stubble. He'd gone through a facial hair stage a while ago, but that was more about cultivating the gayest goatee possible.

With stubble, and in his old battered leather jacket, my James looked nearly menacing.

Cackling, Darien handed him a pair of sunglasses. "She needs the full effect, dude."

James put on the shades and pouted at me. I laughed, and the make-up artist sighed. "Hold still," she said.

"You look good," Jeremy said.

"It's all make-up. But I'm just tired."

"Are you sure you shouldn't see a doctor?"

If I wasn't having mascara applied, I would have rolled my eyes. "I am fine, honestly. Europe kicked my ass. That's all."

"Done!" the make-up artist announced, stepping away from me. Jeremy stood next to me, meeting my eyes in the mirror.

"We can join the 'Nsync tour later. Saffron already checked it out."

"I'm fine!" I insisted.

He considered me for a long moment, and then nodded. "Okay. Let us know if you need more time."

"We'll take it, really," Darien assured me. "James can spend the time working on his left hook."

"I'll need the time off to let my hand heal. I've never punched anyone before. It hurt like a bitch!"

He held out his right hand to me, and I kissed it. "Poor baby. Getting injured because you were being an overprotective boy. I didn't know you have that much testosterone, sweetie."

"Are you gonna start sleeping with girls now?" Darien whined.

"You don't want that sort of competition, D," James informed him, and Jeremy and I laughed. I loved my band.

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