~ Chapter 1 ~
Northern California
"This scenery is breathtaking!" Danielle Denver exclaimed, looking out the window as the car sped down the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco.
Brian smiled. "I've never driven across this bridge before. It's certainly a nice view. I can't wait 'til we're in Frisco. The thought of spending a week just relaxing and playing tourist sounds like heaven."
Danielle leaned over and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "After the long tour you guys just finished, you need a vacation."
"It's not exactly a vacation," Brian reminded her. "We still have to film the video, but that's only two days work -- thank God."
Brian exhaled. Thank God was right. After spending eight months on the road, he was more than ready for a vacation.
The guys had unanimously agreed that they would all arrive in San Francisco a week before they were due to shoot the video to their next single, a song off their Black & Blue album titled 'Get Another Boyfriend.'
Brian and his girlfriend Danielle had flown in from Kentucky three days earlier and had spent some time in Marin County. Now they were making their way to San Francisco where they would meet up with the others that evening.
Nick and his girlfriend were flying in from the Florida Keys, Howie and his girlfriend were flying in from Orlando with AJ and Kevin was flying in from Missouri.
Brian glanced sideways at Danielle. She looked positively radiant as she stared out the window at the view. Her eyes sparkled with interest and the dejected look that had haunted her features for so long was finally gone.
Brian had met Danielle Marie Denver three years ago while on tour in New York. Danielle was 25 years old, with curly auburn hair that she hated because she claimed that it was frizzy and out of control. She had doleful brown eyes and a smile that melted Brian's heart. At six feet tall, she towered over Brian and because of that, they endured constant teasing from their friends, most notably from Nick and AJ.
Danielle was a quiet, intelligent and a sympathetic woman whose life hadn't been an easy one. She had lost her mother to Uterine Cancer when she had been only seven years old. She had grown up with three older brothers and a father who had started drinking himself into oblivion after his wife's death.
To escape the pain and loneliness, Danielle had listened to music and discovered The Backstreet Boys. Working as an assistant coordinator for the marketing department at MTV, she had gotten a backstage pass to meet her favorite group. That had been three years ago.
When Brian went on tour, she stayed in New York and worked. She visited him as often as she could on weekends and took some vacation time to see him when he was overseas. She knew she could trust him and she also believed that because they weren't together every minute, it made the time that they did spend time together more special.
Her family thought she was far too trusting. Her father and brothers had laughed when she told them that she was dating a popstar. They had snickered when she told them that she would not be the type of girlfriend who follows her famous boyfriend everywhere.
Her brothers loved to torture her with stories of groupies and orgies, but Danielle trusted Brian. She knew he could never be unfaithful. He was far too religious and lived by the same morals and principles as she did.
That's what kept their relationship strong.
Brian remembered meeting Danielle for the first time and how his pulse had quickened.
"Why do they have to let so many people backstage?" Nick complained.
"Be nice," Brian admonished. "We owe our success to these people."
"I know that," Nick snapped. "I'm tired. Ignore me."
"Guys, there's someone that would like to meet you," Kevin called out, approaching them with a very tall girl.
Brian looked up at the girl and smiled. She was very pretty and very tall.
"This is Danielle," Kevin said by way of introduction. "She works for MTV."
"You know Crapson?" Nick asked with a smirk.
"Uh…" Danielle was at a loss for words.
Brian smacked Nick in the arm. "Ignore him. He forgot to take his Nice Pills this morning."
He wanted to kiss Danielle on the cheek, but was too embarrassed to ask her to lean down. Of course Nick didn't have that problem which irked Brian.
Danielle seemed to sense Brian's discomfort and leaned over. "I'm so happy to finally meet you," she said sincerely. "I know this is gonna sound totally fan cheesy, but your music literally saved me a few times."
"From what?" Brian asked, interested in hearing what this girl had to say.
"Myself," she answered simply.
Brian asked her out to dinner that night and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Earth to McBLT..." Danielle jested, using the nickname she had bestowed upon him the year before.
Brian jerked from his daydreams. "Just thinkin' about us." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I love you."
Danielle always turned to mush whenever those words flew out from his mouth and landed in the center of her soul. He was so very special and had helped her in so many ways that she could never thank him enough. But she knew that the loved they shared was thanks enough. As long as she had Brian, nothing else mattered. He was her knight in shining armor. Cliché, maybe, but oh so true.
"I love you, too," she told him quietly.
Brian gave her a winning smile, his blue eyes twinkling. "Another 20 minutes and we'll be at the house."
"Oh and what do you have up your sleeve, Mr. McB?"
She knew that look. He got the look when he wanted to love her. She shivered in anticipation.
Brian looked up his sleeve. "My arm," he answered, laughing at his own joke.
"Funny McB. I guess if you don't have anything special planned, I'll go straight to sleep when we get to the house. I'm beat." She yawned for effect.
"Oh no you're not!" Brian sputtered indignantly. "We're going to make wild monkey love. Then you can sleep all you want."
"You drive a hard bargain," Danielle tittered, "but I guess that can be arranged."
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his manhood. "Feel that? It's waiting for you, baby."
Danielle removed her hand before he got distracted and smiled happily.
Could life get any better?
Sheer Will is a work of fiction. Any characters and/or events resembling actuality are merely coincidence. All contents are copyrighted to its author and no part may be reproduced or used. © 2001 by Marie-Alicia Carlos. All rights reserved.
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