The Reunion
by
Rin
Disclaimer: This story is a work of pure fiction. It is in no way meant to show that he members of 98 Degrees are homosexual. This is just a piece that I have had running around my head for a couple of weeks.
Rating: R for mm relations.
If you like the story email me and let me know. You feedback will be the deciding factor on wether or not I post the rest of the story.
Peace.
RinSong@aol.com
Chapter 1
"Hello, you have reached the voice mail of Matthew Richards of The Fox Theater, Promotions and Special Events Department. I am out of the office for the day but will return on Monday, March 9. Please feel free to leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and I will return you call when I return to the office. If this is an emergency or you need to speak with someone directly please call (314) 555-2968 for Karen Taylor, Manager of the Promotion and Special Events Department. Thank you and have a great weekend. BEEP"
"Matthew, my name is Steven Carmichael. I am the Events Manager for 98 Degrees. The band is planning for a new tour to promote their latest album and was planning on a stop in St Louis. We were told about the Fox Theater from a business associate who felt that it would match the theme of the new album. I would like to speak with you about possibly setting some performance dates. So, if you could call me back on Monday when you receive this, I would appreciate it. My number is (515) 555-9768. I look forward to hearing from you. CLICK"
"Good morning, Karen," Matt said as he walked by his managers door on the way to his own office.
"Good morning yourself," Karen replied, coming into his office behind him and perching herself on the corner of his desk. "How was your weekend? Meet any interesting guys?"
"You are shameless, you know that? And, for you information, no, I didn't."
"Oh, honey, that's too bad. Tell you what, you get everything taken care of from Friday and I will treat you to lunch. How does that sound?"
"Sounds like a deal to me," Matt said, putting his briefcase away and grabbing up the coffee mug he kept on his desk. "Any coffee made?"
Karen laughs and heads out the door with her snippy reply following in her wake. "Of course there is, you silly boy. Do you honestly expect me to get any work done without some liquid lead in my veins?"
Matt followed Karen out into the hallway and headed down to the common break room that was shared by the majority of the office staff on the first level. Normally, the place would be a quiet but professional atmosphere filled with people going about their work in a seemingly subdued fashion. However, Matt and his boss were both early birds when it came to office hours and were usually there at least an hour or two before anyone else ever showed up. Although, it did help when you were the only employee that your boss had under her. It made things quite relaxed in the department of protocol. Matt liked that fact that he could be himself around Karen. He didn't have to hide what he was. She could have cared less and normally she was the one to come up with the more ribald and crude gay jokes than he was.
"Oh, Matt, you have to hear this one. I heard it this morning on my way to work," Karen said, turning around to look at him with an evil glint in her eyes. Matt just laughed quietly and picked up the full pot of coffee and began pouring himself a cup.
"Go ahead, hit me with it."
"All right, here we go. What do you call a gay milkman?"
Matt had to fight down the laughter that was building up inside. Karen cracked him up. It never ceased to amaze him at how excited she would become over a simple thing as a joke. He won the fight over his laughter and looked up at her with a malicious twinkle in his eyes, and calmly replied, "A Dairy Queen."
With this said, he turned and headed back towards his office, coffee in hand, leaving a dumb founded female behind. He could hear her spluttering at him as he walked in and sat down at his desk. "How did you know that?"
Matt looked up at Karen, she was standing in his office doorway looking quiet flustered. "Karen, dear, that joke is older than my nieces and nephew put together."
"Well, it's the first time I have ever heard it. I thought it was cute."
"Karen, I didn't say it wasn't cute. On the contrary, I think it is wonderful. Just old. Now, if you will excuse me, I have three days worth of messages to go through."
With this said, Karen laughed and walked back out of the room. Matt picked up his phone and began going through his messages. He sat busily scribbling down phone numbers and short notes on post-it notes and would move on to the next in line. He finally came to the last one. It was left on his phone on Friday, right around 3:30 in the afternoon. Steven Carmichael? What is he doing calling me? Oh, that's why. Well, I guess that I should get this over with.
"This is Steven," said the brisk deep voice over the phone line. Matt laughed to himself remembering how he always sounded like that when he was stressed.
"Steven, Good Morning, this is Matthew Richards with the Fox Theater in St Louis. I am returning the call that you left me on Friday," he said, hoping that Steven would keep it strictly professional.
"Matt! How the hell you been boy?"
No such luck. "Good Steve, and you?"
"Pissed and stressed as hell. I swear these four are going to send me to an early grave I'm telling you."
Matt laughed and shook his head. Steve hadn't changed a bit. "So, the guys are touring again? When where they planning on stopping in St Louis?" Matt crossed his fingers hoping that he could get this conversation over with as quickly as possible and move on to the next problem of the morning.
"Um....let me see......GOD DAMN IT!!!!" Matt almost lost it when he heard the phone clatter to the desk and proceeded to listen to Steve yell and curse in the background. Finally, after a couple of minutes Steve picked the phone back up. "Sorry about that Matt. Dropped the damned coffee."
"That's all right, Steve. I needed the laugh. Now, about those dates."
"Oh, yeah. Hang on a sec. Ah, here we are! All right, they were planning on making each for four days or so and two shows. How does October 16 through 20 sound to you?"
"Um, hang on, let me flip there. Okay, sounds good. Nothing planned for that weekend. That is Thursday though Monday. Shows on Friday and Saturday I'm assuming? That would give us a bit over twenty-four hours to set up the stage and what-not, and then two days following for the break down."
"Perfect! Matt, if I were there right now, I would kiss you! You know how hard it has been getting this damned thing planned with the way these fool boys want to do this? It tell ya, if even half of the people I have talked to these past couple of weeks were as laid back as you are, this would be a lot easier."
"C'mon Steve, admit it. If you had it easy, you would hate your job."
"You're right. So, how ya been kiddo?"
Oh, great. I was hoping to avoid something like this. Matt thought to himself with a silent groan. "I've been good. Love my job and it's nice to be back home again. How are Sally and the kids?"
Matt threw in the question about Steve's family hoping to keep him away from the topic that he knew would be coming too soon to escape. "Aw, you know them, spending my money faster than I can make it. Matt, you know, Nick really had a hard time when you left."
"Steve, I really don't have time to discuss this right now. I'm sorry," Matt said, feeling like an asshole the whole time. He hung up the phone before Steve could come up with any form of protest.
He sat back in his chair and sighed running his hands over his face. After a couple of minutes, Matt leaned forward and pulled open the bottom file drawer in his desk and pulled out a picture frame. The picture inside of it was one of him and all four of the guys. They were standing outside of Disney world in Florida.
Matt was in the middle, between Nick and Jeff. Justin stood on Jeff's left side and Drew was on his brothers right. Nick had his arms around both of them. Matt laughed as he remembered that trip. They had had so much fun. He had never wanted that weekend to end. The guys had been there for a performance that night. They had arrived the previous evening and had decided to make a day of the park. It was almost a week after they were back in Cincinnati that he and Nick had that horrible fight and he had come home not even a month later.
Chapter 2
"You're going out?"
"Well, not out but, the guys and I want to work on some of the new songs that we wrote last week. We would like to try them out on the new album," Nick said, coming over and wrapping his arms around Matt's waist and laying his head on his shoulder. "You don't mind do you?"
"Well, actually, I do, kind of. I haven't been able to spend any time with you in months. I miss you," Matt replied, turning around in the embrace and putting his own arms around the taller man's neck.
"Miss me? How could you miss me? We live together for crying out loud! Plus, we had our own room in Florida. Or was I just imagining that?"
"Don't joke, Nick. I'm serious. I never get any time alone with you anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love the guys like brothers, I truly do. But, I am not in love with them. I'm in love with you and I miss you."
Nick sighed and leaned in and put his forehead against Matt's. "All right, just give me a few more months and...."
"A few more months!!! Jesus Christ, Nick! That was what you said two months ago! You know, I will be more than elated when the new album comes out. Maybe then you can remember the 'other love' in your life." With this said, Matt walked out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Nick standing in the living room. At that moment the front door opened and Drew poked his head in.
"Are you ready to go? Nick, hello?" Drew was waving his hand in front of his big brothers face. "Bro? You in there?"
"Yeah, sorry Drew. You guys go on ahead. I'll meet you there," Nick told him, heading down the hall in the direction that Matt had gone.
Drew stood there with his arms crossed glaring down the hall when Jeff and Justin came in. "Hey, Drew, we're waitin' on you guys. You comin' or not?" Justin asked.
"Hey, where's Nick?"
"I think he and lover boy had a fight," Drew told them, still looking down the hall. By this time, Nick had reached the door to the master bedroom that he and Matt shared.
"Matt, babe open the door."
"Go away Nick! You are the last person that I want to talk to right now."
"Damn it Matt! Open the door!"
"Or what? You gonna break it in?" At that moment, the door flew open and Matt stuck his head out. "Cut the macho act Nick. It doesn't work with me, remember? Your music and your career are more fucking important than me. Fine, go, I don't care."
"What brought this on," Nick asked, stopping Matt before he could walk past him into the hallway. Using the moment of shock that it caused, Nick pushed Matt back into the bedroom and followed him in. "We are going to settle this, right here, right now."
"Fine, I am sick and tired of being shoved off to the side while you and the guys go off and sing for the slightest little thing with the smallest of excuses. I understand that your music is one the most important things in you life. I know that. But, I also thought that you loved me as well. You know something? Two weeks ago, it was our 2 year anniversary. Not so much as an 'I love you' or anything did I hear from you on that day."
"Oh, man, babe, I am so sorry," Nick said, coming over and trying to put his hands on Matt's shoulders just to have them shrugged off. "Matt, come on. I forgot. It happens."
"Fine. It happens. I can accept that. Now, it's my turn Nick. What about me? I haven't said anything to you for the past six months about spending any personal time alone with you. With the exception of two months ago, when I mentioned that gay friendly b & b I had found and you start making excuses on why we don't have the time. Then, tonight, when I am hoping just a few hours, you tell me that you and the guys want to rehearse."
Nick was trying to interrupt but Matt wasn't giving him a moment to even interject anything. So, he finally gave up and walked across the room and grabbed Matt by the arms. Matt stopped talking when Nick touched him and stared at him as he was pulled into a kiss by the larger and stronger man. But, Matt was able to pull free finally.
"No! Stop it Nick! You are not going to stop me by kissing me, not this time!"
"Why not," Nick said with a sly smile. "It always worked in the past."
"You condescending son of a bitch!"
SLAP
Chapter 3
All three of the guys winced when they heard the contact of Matt's hand slapping Nick's face full force. The three of them had walked down the hall when they heard the sounds of raised voices. Justin and Jeff just stood there staring in amazed shock at each other over the slap with Drew looked about ready to kill.
"He hit Nick. I am going in there!"
"Drew! No!" Jeff said, grabbing Drew by the arm. "The last thing that Nick needs right now is his little brother to come rushing to his aid. Trust me on this."
"Besides," Justin said in a quiet and thoughtful voice. "I think he kind of deserved that."
Drew didn't say anything but just glared at his two best friends and proceeded to stew in his juices. He didn't dare admit it to the others but he was extremely jealous of Matt. Nick is my brother. He belongs to me. Not some cheap fag that latched on to him when he thought it was a free ride.
"You hit me!"
"Yes, Nick. I did. You want me to do it again? I thought it might wake you up from the delusional world that you are living in. I am being serious here and you are trying to make a joke out of everything."
Nick was still too stunned to say anything else. He just stood there massaging his cheek while Matt walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Their bedroom was one of the largest rooms in the house. It contained a king sized canopy that was wrought iron and draped in mosquito netting. Right now, it was made and covered with the hand made quilt that he and Matt had picked up on one of the stops in New England on the "Revelations" tour shortly after they had met. The rest of the room was filled with a dresser that they kept their winter clothes inside and a chest of drawers that contained their summer clothes and small things. Sitting on the dresser was various pictures, the majority being the two of them together.
Walking over to the dresser, Nick picked up one of the pictures and brought it over to Matt. Handing it to him he said, "In this picture, I was happier than almost any other day in my life. I am sorry if you are upset. I love you. Don't forget that. But, if you want me to succeed with my career, you are just going to have to accept that it will be a couple of more months before we can have some private time."
Matt gave a small sarcastic laugh. "Fine, go. Have fun." He looked away and wiped at the tears on his face as Nick walked over to the door.
"I love you Matt. I always will," Nick said as he walked out the door.
"Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it," Matt whispered as the door closed.
Chapter 4
Matt sat in his office remembering that painful day while wiping the tears from his eyes. At just that moment, his office door opened and Karen came walking in. Matt just leaned forward and slid the picture back into his desk drawer and reached for a tissue out of the box that sat on his desk. Please don't let Karen realize that I am crying. Matt thought to himself, knowing that it was a futile hope.
"Matt," Karen said, concern evident in her voice. She walked around his desk and put her arms on his shoulders. "What's wrong? Why are you.....oh. I see."
Before Matt could form a reply Karen noticed the picture resting in the drawer. Leaning over and picking it up, she sighed. "Matt, honey, you really shouldn't do this to yourself. You know that?"
"I know," Matt sighed, reaching over and taking the picture from her. "Here, by the way, we need to make sure that no one else has tried to book this weekend."
Karen gave Matt a puzzled look as she took the slip of paper from him. Her eyes widened and she nodded with understanding as she read it. "I see. When did you schedule this, today?"
"Yeah, Steve Carmichael, the guys Events Manager called and left a voice mail on my phone on Friday. I don't think that he realized it was me that he was leaving the message to until after he had hung up the phone."
"Oh, he didn't say anything about your past with the band then?"
"Not on the message but, he did bring it up on the phone. I got rather rude with him and hung up. I probably should call back and apologize to him."
"Do you think that it will prevent him from finalizing everything with us," Karen asked him, concern coming back into her voice. The theater had been having an off year and needed all of the business it could get.
"No, he is more professional than that." At that moment the phone rang and Matt leaned over and picked it up. "Matt Richards."
"Matty, it's Steve. Look, before you say anything, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up Nick. It was rude. Forgiven?"
Matt laughed quietly and smiled up at Karen who was looking at him with that quizzical look that she had when she was being nosey? "Yeah, sure are Steve. You know that I could never stay mad at you. I am sorry also. I shouldn't have let it upset me as much as it did."
"Hey, it happens. I still get upset when anyone mentions Angela, my first wife. Anyway, those dates are set right? I can get the staff busy and send you the info and merchandise samples?"
"Sure can Steve. Here let me give you our address," Matt told him as Karen let herself out of the room.