"I hate this concert!" Kat said as she kicked a pillow across the room. "He is here, just down the street, and I can’t even spend time with him!"

"Welcome to my private hell," sympathized Faith. "If Brian is not on the road, he is in the studio. If I hadn’t found time to come on this trip I don’t think I would have had a chance to see him again for another month!"

"Geez, and you live in the same city!"

"Yeah, well, it doesn’t always make it easier."

Kat picked up the pillow and returned it to the couch. "What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?" Before when she thought that it was a good thing. Something she was happy about. Now… She had barely had five minutes alone with Howie since they arrived. Okay, so that was not true. They were sleeping together. But sleeping was all they were doing. Howie came back to the hotel exhausted, and all Kat could do to try and make him feel better was massage his back until he fell asleep. Which was usually immediately. Then she would spend a restless night tossing and turning and when she finally woke he would have all ready left.

It didn’t help to see Brian and Faith always together, or Kevin and Alexis constantly with their arms around each other. Kat wanted to be like that in public with Howie, but she knew she didn’t look like the skinny supermodel type that pop stars were supposed to hang out with. She had lost a lot of weight since they had first met, but it was never enough, was it? I mean if you think you are fat and awkward-looking, you always thought of yourself that way.

The people she was spending the most time with was Nick and AJ. And both were pouting. AJ and Kimberley had hit a snag in their relationship for, surprise, the same reasons that Kat and Howie were having trouble. Nick wouldn’t say what was wrong with Jordan. He just retreated to his room and played video game after video game.

In fact he had just come in. He nodded at Kat and Faith, then went into his room and slammed the door.

Faith sighed. "This has got to stop. He won’t even tell B-Rok what is wrong."

"Fine. Enough is enough. That damn Nintendo is keeping me awake anyway," Kat said and she rose from her seat and went over to Nick’s door. She knocked lightly.

"What?" he yelled brusquely.

"Frack, I want to talk to you."

"I’m busy," he replied, and Kat could hear the sound of a game beginning.

She opened the door, walked over and unplugged the game from the television.

"Hey!"

"No more, Nick. That damn thing is giving me a headache. We are going to talk."

"You’re in a mood. Howie not giving you good lovin’?" he taunted

"Shut up," she said as she shut the door and sat on the bed next to him. "What is going on, Nick? You won’t talk to anyone, and we are all concerned."

"I thought you told me to shut up," he mumbled as he turned away.

"That’s not what I mean and you know it."

He sat in silence. Kat waited him out. Finally he turned and sighed. "I am not stupid, am I?"

She was stunned. "Stupid? No, that’s ridiculous."

"I mean everyone makes fun of me because I didn’t know the capital of Holland."

"Nick, I can’t remember the capital of Holland! And geography was my best subject in school. Most people don’t know the capitals of their provinces, or states," she said quickly, amending it for his American background. "It doesn’t mean they are stupid. There are just other things to know."

"Jordan said I was an idiot because I never went to college," he said sadly. "It’s not my fault. I was touring."

"I can’t believe she said that."

"Thanks. You don’t believe me," he said turning away.

"No, Nick, that is not what I meant," she said, pulling him around to face her. "I am just surprised. I mean that girl is crazy for you."

"Ever since she went to college she’s been like this. ‘She can’t come over because she has to study.’ ‘I can’t help her because it is too hard.’ She is just making excuses because she doesn’t think I am smart enough."

"Maybe she is just concentrating on school. College is hard work. Its like," Kat thought for a moment, "making an album. How much time do you put in at the studio?"

"Sometimes we are there night and day."

"And once that is over it’s making the videos, and doing the promo circuit, and then it’s learning the dance moves, and then it’s the touring. It’s your passion, Nick. This is hers. She is trying to take school as seriously as you do your work."

"But I want to help…"

"And you let her produce a track on the last album?’

"No, of course not."

"So why do you want to do her work for her?"

"It’s not the same!"

"Maybe its not, but perhaps Jordan sees it the same way. Have you asked her? Have you told her you feel left out?’’

He frowned, "no…"

"Phone’s over there," Kat smiled.

He hugged her. "Thanks Kat. I’ll try."

She was about to leave the room when he called after her, "Amsterdam."

"What?"

"Amsterdam is the capital of Holland. The Hague is the seat of government. See? Not so stupid."

"I never thought you were, Nicky," Kat laughed.

"All right, what were you doing with Nick?" Howie sat, with a slight jealous tone, as he got up from the sofa.

"You’re here!" Kat said, surprised. "I thought you’d be gone all afternoon."

"You thought wrong. Nick?" he reminded her.

She was surprised by his reaction. "Talking about Jordan. You can go check if you want; he’s probably talking to her right now," she said defensively.

"And the door? Why was the door closed?"

"Howie? You’ve seen the way he’s been acting. I thought he’d talk to me if we were in private."

"And that is all?"

Nick suddenly erupted from his room, grabbed Kat and danced around with her, singing, "you were right! She doesn’t think I’m stupid. She was just getting ready for midterms!"

Kat smiled tautly, still concerned about Howie’s behaviour. He took in Nick’s antics and then looked chagrined.

"Umm, Nick. I have to talk to Kat," Howie drew her into his room, and shut the door.

"Are you sure you want to close the door? I mean what would people think?" she said waspishly.

"Hopefully that I am in here making love to my girl, the way I want to. Look, Kat, I am sorry. I just wanted to spend all my time with you and I can’t. I see you spending time with AJ and Nick and everyone else, and I never get to do that."

"Howie, you are never here. I get to see more of you asleep than awake. I talk to them because they don’t seem to be as busy as you," she said, trying hard not to show the hurt that caused her. "And I was only talking to Nick now because if he played that N64 one more time I was going to break it over his head."

"I know the feeling."

"Look, Howie. If I am underfoot, just say. I have work I could be doing. I only took these days off so I could spend them with you, and it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. I’ll be out of here, and you won’t get jealous of the guys."

"I’m not jealous. Okay, I am. I just miss you so much, and you are here and I can’t even touch you," he sighed.

"Who said you couldn’t touch me?" she said, touching his face softly.

He looked into her eyes, then groaned and captured her lips. She rubbed her hands over his firm, well-muscled back, pulling him down on top of her. He ran a hand down her front, stroking her breasts and stomach, then pulling at her shirt, She shifted, allowing him to draw it over her head and tried feverishly to unbutton his silk shirt. His mouth was already on her breast when she finally got the shirt unbuttoned and fondled his firm, sinewy chest. She licked a finger then swirled its wet tip over his dark brown nipple, moaning in his mouth as he caressed her belly. He moved down, leaving a trail of fire down her body with his tongue, before moving his hands under her skirt and pushing it up on her waist. He nipped delicately on her inner thigh before moving up and breathing heavily on her panties. The feel of his hot breath set her aflame and she arched her back as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He moved the cloth of her underwear aside and plunged his tongue into her. He followed that with first one finger then two, then his tongue, then fingers again. Kat writhed in desire, then pushed him off of her. She grabbed his pants, pulling them down, then licked the precum on his tip and drew his erect cock into her mouth. He slid around, positioning himself back at her thigh and continued the tongue dance that he had started as she sucked on him. It didn’t take long; the two had been holding back for so long, and they both climaxed; Howie first and Kat only seconds behind.

They lay side by side, luxuriating in the afterglow. Howie was kissing her neck and Kat was reclined there enjoying it.

"What was that?" he said.

"Hmm?"

"You just purred."

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did, you purred!" he said laughing. "You really are a cat."

She stretched languorously, "meow."

His eyes burned across her body as she stretched, taking it all in. "Yep," he said, diving in for another kiss, "I am going to make my little Kat purr."

She rolled him over on his back and slid her body over him, slipping lightly over the sweat they had all ready created, using her nipples to make little circles on his chest. He groaned, and she moved forward licking and nibbling his shoulders, then moving down his arm to his hand and suckling on his fingers. He wound other hand through her hair, pulling her down to his mouth where he kissed her fiercely. She slowly moved her body over his, so that she was lying completely on him, her legs wrapped around his. Her pussy lips rubbed their wetness over the head of his penis, and she felt it start to enter her.

"No!" Howie suddenly threw her off of him, pushing her away.

"Damn you," she wailed, at the same time as Brian knocked on the door.

"Howie? We have to go. We are going to be late for the performance."