Friends of mine and I are pretty much regulars at Tabu - the club that Howie Dorough owns in downtown Orlando - and we're big Backstreet fans. When it was announced on the club's marquee that there would be a cd listening party for Black and Blue on Nov. 24. Kayanne went ahead and made our usual VIP reservations upstairs. Later, we would find out that Howie himself would be there that night for an autograph signing. Just prior to the event, it was announced that Nick Carter and A.J. McLean would be joining him.

Since become a resident of Orlando a few months ago, I've seen that old adage about not being able to go anywhere without running into a boy band member come true. Our first night at Tabu, Chris Kirkpatrick was in residence. Just last week at the BBMak show, Joey Fatone was hanging out as were members of Take 5 and C-Note. I had yet to see any of the Backstreet Boys.

I've been a fan of the Backstreet Boys since the Fall of 1997 - a late bloomer by most others accounts, but still like all other fans, I wanted to meet them face-to-face. This was my opportunity.

We had all gotten in as part of the Sushi Happy Hour ahead of the younger fans waiting outside. A.J. would arrive first and go up to the VIP balcony where he watched the crowd of over-21 fans and talked to someone on his cellphone. He would explain later that as usual he was on time and Howie and Nick were late.

Meanwhile, Nikki Knight, the afternoon DJ from XL106.7, hosted the activities. She was coaxing fans into singing to the cd, which I helped Kayanne do to "I Promise You". From that point on, A.J. kept staring at us from balcony - kind of a trip, really. Howie and Nick arrived together with John and Pollyanna Dorough. There were only two bodyguards that I could see and the whole group joined A.J. upstairs.

Around 8 p.m., the autograph signing got underway. The Boys all made a few remarks to start then began penning signatures to the various items - one per person. Nick was giving out a few hugs here and there including one to my friends Monica and Mel. I approached him and asked what the deal was with The Funky Chickens. He became all embarrassed and covered his face with his hand. Finally, he just said it was a garage band he was in about 8 years ago.

I'd had a hard time deciding what to say to Howie, being that he is my favorite. Finally, I told him that I loved the club so much that we were regulars. A.J. - without sunglasses - was last in line and he didn't really look up until I said, "Thank you, A.J." He said, "You're welcome, sweetheart." (Does that man realize exactly what he does to us when he says that with THAT voice? I melted.)

Kayanne, Lisa and I were the last of our group to proceed through the line, so we joined everyone else at the back of the dance floor right in front of the guys. Our group of nine was fairly rowdy eliciting Nikki Knight to call us the crazy women the rest of night. She would be prompted to ask us if we had any alcohol yet to which we told her no. She then wondered if we would be staying to drink and to pick up some men. Our reaction told her yes. "You do realize there are three single guys right up here?" she teased. Duh!?

Nick and A.J. were in rare form that night, but Howie seemed a bit tired. He did do an interesting rendition of the "All I Have to Give" Conversation Mix. ("I want a woman who'll cook me chicken, rice, guacamole, French Fries.") A.J. kept bobbing his head and drumming his hands to the beat of the songs. The true highlight of the evening came when Nikki Knight decided to allow Kayanne and I to sing and invited us on-stage. The two of us stalled through "What Makes You Different", so that we could sing our favorite "How Do I Fall?" It was difficult to hear the music on the stage because we didn't have the luxury of in-ear monitors, but we managed to find the right note and the right words. It didn't really hit me until part of the way through our performance - the first two verses and the chorus - that we were singing in front of 3/5ths of the Backstreet Boys. That's when I became a bit nervous. We still sounded okay and earned our XL106.7 t-shirts. When we finished, Nikki Knight took back the mic and told us we did a good job before saying that A.J. must have thought so too because he was clapping for us.

I turned around and caught one look at those beautiful brown eyes. And, yes, A.J. was indeed clapping for us along with our friends who were clapping wildly. I can tell you that I am still gushing.

We did stay the rest of the night. Nick was seen leaving at 10:30ish; A.J. followed soon after. Howie, his hair back in the ponytail, and John were still there when we left just after 1:30. I walked by A.J. several times, but because of the other girls around him (and the rather intimidating bodyguard), I never did ask him what he truly thought of our performance.