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A week had passed, tranquil in it’s routine. Miranda had been careful to avoid any further run-ins with Kevin, prefering to let Amy handle whatever situation arose with him, while she was content to assist one of the other guys. For the first few days, Kevin had seemed intent on making conversation with her, but had finally given up when she refused to respond. The dejected expression on his face when he had made his final attempt had almost prompted Miranda to break down. But somehow, she held firm.
Perhaps her greatest diversion, was the arrival of Leigh Anne, an actress and also Brian’s girlfriend. Her sense of humor was much like her boyfriend’s, but she acted with a gentleness of manner that endeared itself to Miranda almost immediately. Leigh Anne was anxious to have a woman to talk with in the midst of the testosterone ridden tour buses, and Miranda was happy to oblige. Her new found friend sensed that something shadowed was hidden in her past, but never pressed. Gently, she asked questions every once in a while, but understood when Miranda wasn’t comfortable.
Now, Miranda and Leigh Anne sat together at one of the tables set up near the catering unit, backstage. “No, Brian’s always been a nut! Maybe that’s what attracted me to him, I don’t know. I’ll tell ya though, he makes a mean casaroll! Nevermind that the staple ingredient is Mac and Cheese.” Leigh Anne’s eyes twinkled with amusement. She leaned closer, her blond hair falling over her shoulder. “Shh! Don’t tell, but Brian can’t cook! The man is seriously impaired when it comes to the culinary arts!” Miranda giggled and took another bite of her salad.
“Mind if we join you, ladies?” asked an all too familiar voice, interrupting their conversation. Miranda tensed and bit her lower lip. Startled, she had started to look up into the face of the man she took great pains to avoid, but had stopped herself just in time. Leigh Anne welcomed the arrival of Brian and Kevin happily, scooting over on the bench to accomadate her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Kevin contemplated the raven haired beauty before leaning down and asking softly,
“This seat taken?” His breath was warm against the side of her face, and Miranda shook her head, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. Kevin slid in beside her, his leg briefly brushing against her own. Miranda flinched slightly, but began breathing again as Brian and Leigh Anne began their reparte. She eventually allowed herself to look up and across the table, watching the loving couple interact. Brian told several jokes, made some faces, and terrorized those passing the table before Leigh Anne chastised him and sidetracked his focus with a kiss. Miranda blushed lightly when their lips met, willing herself not to think of the man who sat next to her. Unfortunately, he seemed to have different ideas.
“So, how ‘bout those Yankees?” he drawled wryly. Miranda’s mouth curved into a smile; she couldn’t help it.
“I take it this happens often?” she asked softly. Kevin laughed.
“To say the least. Leigh Anne’s been busy with her new movie, so visits have been few and far between. Brian has been positively insane without her.”
“How long have they been seeing one another?”
“Hmm....about two or three years now, much to the chagrin of our fans.”
Miranda digested this, then decided to take a chance. “How about the rest of the guys?”
“What, do they have girlfriends?” he cocked his head slightly. She nodded. “On and off. AJ has been seeing a girl named Amanda for some time. We never know from day to day whether or not they’ll be an item.” he chuckled. “Nick recently discovered the wonderful world of dating, and has since been paired with a shy little gal named Stephanie. None of us have met her, though Nick speaks of her incessantly. Howie.....he plays the field. Right now, he’s more interested in his family ties.”
“Hmm.”
“What?” Kevin wondered.
“Nothing, it’s just....you didn’t mention yourself.” she replied quietly, toying with the remains of her salad. Kevin was silent for a long moment before answering.
“There hasn’t been anyone in a while. Hey! You haven’t eaten very much.” he admonished, neatly altering the course of their conversation. Miranda glanced down at her plate.
“Yeah, well, today was hamburgers and french fries.” she shrugged.
“You don’t like them?”
“You could say that. As a rule, I don’t eat red meat.” she glanced at her watch. “Oh my God! I’m late, I promised Amy I’d be back at two, and it’s already ten minutes after. I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.” Miranda hurriedly stood and began gathering her tray. Kevin held up a hand to halt her actions.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get your tray. Just go.” he smiled. Inside, he was filled with disappointment. Today had been their first real conversation. Now it was coming to an end. For once, she hadn’t been uncommunicative, though she had persisted in avoiding his gaze.
Miranda thanked him softly. As she turned to go, her eyes met his and held. Neither moved, but simply starred into one another’s eyes. A light began to dawn in Kevin’s hazel orbs. Recognizing it, Miranda blinked and hurried off in the direction of the wardrobe department.
Kevin was left looking after her retreating back, his heart and mind filled with confusion. Hesitantly, he glanced across the table to find Leigh Anne and Brian feeding one another french fries. Brian accidentally “missed” his girlfriend’s mouth, resulting in a smear of ketchup on her nose. Kevin’s gaze traveled from his friends down to their plates. Hamburgers. Red meat. He looked to the remainder of Bethany’s salad. Bethany didn’t eat red meat. Niether did someone else he had known, a long time ago.
*@*
Carl’s beady eyes shifted from one figure to the other. His target certainly seemed enamored with this new woman. He hadn’t been near any lady for the past two years. Why now?
The woman stood suddenly, leaving in a hurry. Kevin was left to watch her receeding form, then turn his attention to the couple sitting across from him. Carl considered gaging. Those two -Brian and his woman- had been lip locked for several minutes now. A depressing fact to those who were maintaining long distance relationships while chasing a wild goose. Carl thought of his employer angrily. Damn him. Damn the whole family. If wasn’t trying to gain a blessing from the old coot to marry his daughter, Carl wouldn’t have been there. For all he knew, the old man was taking advantage of his leave of abscence to convince his daughter that she really didn’t want to marry “that damned Botecci”.
Carl sighed and considered his options. He could stay here, watching Kevin contemplate his cheeseburger......or he could follow the new woman from wardrobe. She had bustled off in a flurry. Maybe she was up to something. Even if she wasn’t, she would be a lot more fun to look at than Kevin. Who knows? Maybe the eldest Backstreet Boy was gay. That would be a logical reason for his celebacy over the past two years. Carl snickered to himself as he pondered that idea. To hell with it. He stood from his vantage point and made his way out of the catering unit, walking in the direction of the wardrobe room. That new woman -Bethany?- she reminded him of his own ebony haired beauty waiting at home.
*@*
Amy tapped her foor impatiently, dismay wrinkling her forehead into a frown. Harris was late. He called every Thursday at eleven pm, and it was a little after eleven thirty. Amy was beginning to worry, and she hated that. Particularly when it was Harris who caused her strife. As much as she hated to admit it, she actually missed the big lug. They had been a large part of one another’s lives for the past three years that they had been paired together. He knew her inside and out, and visa versa. Hell, he even knew about Mr. Fluffy. And NOBODY was aware that Mr. Fluffy even exsisted. Except maybe Amy’s mother -but that was beside the point. Harris was late. He was never late.
Suddenly, Amy’s cellular phone rang quietly. “Dammit Harris, where the hell have you been?”
“Hey there honeybunch. Cranky much?” the wry voice she had been waiting for wafted over the line.
“You’re late.”
“Aww. Were you worried?” he asked teasingly.
“Well when bullets, drugs, and pissed off mafia men are a staple of our lives, yeah, I was kinda wondering where you were.”
“Hmm. Point taken. So, what’s got you all worked up?”
“He’s Ba-a-ack.”
“Who?” Harris was instantly concerned, the professional in him taking charge.
“Miranda’s estranged lover. Those pencil necks at the Fed office screwed up big time and positioned us in a not so annonymous location.”
“Meaning?”
“He’s here.”
“As what? A grip?”
“No, a singer. He’s in the band, meathead! How come you didn’t know about this?!”
“I don’t usually have to double check work that should have already been done properly. Besides, they hadn’t messed this case up yet-”
“That should have tipped you off.” Amy broke in. “You’re working on another case, meanwhile, I’m stuck here trying to swing this mission on my own! And Harris....I’m not doing a very good job.”
“You’re just down on yourself, that’s all. I’m sure you’re doing fine. In fact, as long as you both are still alive, you’re doing GREAT.” Amy sighed, an action which her partner echoed. “Listen, I’m almost done here. As soon as I can, I’ll see what I can do about another location, alright?”
“Okay. Thank you. Any word on our status? Do we have a shadow yet?”
“No, you’re clear. At least, that’s what the government tells me. Again, when I get a second, I’ll double check to make sure you’re not in any danger of aquiring some uninvited friends. Back to the unexpected aquiantance issue. Does he recognize her?”
“No, so far, so good. I don’t think he has a clue it’s Miranda, but it’s pretty plain to see that he’s attracted to her. In a purely subconscious way, I’m sure.”
“Well, they did spend several years together, I’d be surprised it he didn’t have an inkling. The important thing is that this STAYS subconcious. We’ve done a good job of altering her appearance, so I don’t think it is that big of a threat.”
Silence enveloped the line for a moment. “Harris?”
“What?”
“Don’t get a big head or anything, but.....I miss having you here.”
“You know what? I miss your company too.”
“Who’d have thought we’d actually get along when they assigned us to one another three years ago?”
“Certainly not me. But we make a good team, and that’s what counts.”
“Just hurry up and finish that case so we can go back to being a team, alright?”
*****
Kevin ducked his head and glanced left, then right. Steathily, he moved down the hallway, hoping no one was in sight. He came to the doorway and attempted to concentrate on what he had come here for. Mind reeling from the possiblities, Kevin took a deep breath then entered the wardrobe department. As he had expected, all was quiet. Kevin had watched Miranda leave on an errand several minutes before, and Amy was no where to be found. Racks of clothing cast odd shadows on the walls until he flicked the light switch. Florescent rays illuminated the room as Kevin contemplated the room, unsure where to begin. With a mind of their own, his feet propelled him toward one of the counters stocked with makeup. As Kevin drew near, his reflection loomed in front of him. It didn’t take long to rummage about, opening drawers and looking for some tell tale sign that he wasn’t going crazy. Just then, something looped around Kevin’s foot, hindering movement. Glancing down, he saw that he had stepped into the circle of a black purse strap peeking from beneath the counter.
Without a moment’s pause, he picked the purse up from the ground, settling on the surface before him. The bag unzipped easily, making way for Kevin’s exploritory hands. A wallet emerged which contained an Oregon State driver’s liscence issued to one Bethany A. Ballard, twenty dollars, and a social security card. Oddly enough, there weren’t any pictures slipped into the clear plastic pages of the card organizer. Tossing the wallet aside, Kevin dug deeper into the recesses of Bethany’s purse. A package of gum, a brush, and a tube of lipstick dropped onto the counter next, and Kevin continued his search. Other, ordinary items were recovered, and Kevin felt his heart sink. It was certain now. There was no way she-
“What the.....” a lump lodged itself in Kevin’s throat, refusing to budge. His eyes hardened with surprise and a hint of anger as he struggled to keep tears at bay. “How did she get this?” Kevin turned the object over in his fingers, unable to look away as the light glinted off its sterling silver. In his palm lay a ring, a simple band, though undoubtedly masculine in appearace. Smooth and cool, polished to a shine. There was only one way she could have-
“What are you doing?!” demanded a voice which had previously haunted his dreams. Kevin turned to see Bethany standing in the doorway, hands balled into fists at her sides, eyes wide with something akin to fright.
Clenching his palm shut, Kevin pivoted entirely to face her. She stepped forward from where she stood, and edged around him carefully. Silence pervaded the air between them as each appraised the other.
“Why are you going through my things?” she asked quietly, her mouth set in a firm line. Her eyes were narrowed and her voice shook a little when she spoke.
“Where did you get this?” Kevin countered, holding the ring up between his thumb and index finger. He watched as her mouth dropped open, a gasp escaping her lips.
“Give it to me.”
“No.” he replied cooly. Bethany closed her eyes for a moment.
“Yes.” she responded through gritted teeth, “It’s mine, and I want it back.”
“I don’t believe you. This ring is too large to be yours.”
“Trust me, it’s mine.” she gave a strained laugh, but Kevin was not fooled. He saw the muscles in her jaw tighten as she grew increasingly uncomfortable.
“You know what else I don’t believe?” he continued, capturing her blue grey eyes with his own. She struggled with her emotions again before asking quietly,
“What?”
Kevin wondered at his ability to keep speaking, his heart and soul felt as though they would burst. The ever present ache in his chest worsened at her nearness; he shoved his feelings deep down within himself, letting his mind take control. “You’re not from Oregon. You’re real hair color isn’t black. And your name isn’t Bethany.” Tears finally welled up inside his eyes as he watched the woman he had loved lose her calm exterior. She had been aloof and distant, unwilling to be close.
“I wore that ring on a chain around my neck for two and a half years. Yesterday-” she reached slowly behind him to extract something from the outer pocket of her purse. Kevin felt his entire body shiver at her proximity. “-the chain broke. I placed the ring in here for safe keeping until I could get a new one.” The broken silver necklace dangled in the air as she held it out before him.
Kevin cleared his throat. “Chains can be fixed. You just need a little time.” Her eyes were just as he remembered them.
“Maybe not this one. I didn’t mean to break it.”
“It seems like you did. Maybe you decided you didn’t like this chain anymore.”
“No. That chain was perfect.”
“What if it gets mended? Would it break again?”
“I don’t know. It depends on alot of things.” she whispered softly. Kevin sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“I want to know how the chain got broken.” he said finally. “Don’t you miss it?”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Very much.” Kevin swallowed with difficulty.
“Can I hold it?”
Slowly, hesitantly, she extended her hand with the necklace suspended from her fingers. Their eyes locked as he raised his hand beneath hers, grasping the chain, then her hand. The feel of her palm tucked inside his once again elicited a sigh from both of them. A tear slid down his cheek, her own already wet. Gently, he tugged her hand drawing her closer. She slipped into his embrace as though she had never left. “Miranda.”
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