* The Night Before *
A.J. had gone to check out a club, and now he was watching a girl sitting at a table with a few other people. He had watched her dance, and laugh with her friends. Something about her interested him, but he didn’t know what. He leaned against the bar and kept watching her, “Hey Billy,” he said to the bartender, “who’s the girl?”
Billy knew A.J. as a regular and looked over at the table A.J. was referring to, “Which one?”
“The brunette with long hair.” A.J. said without taking his eyes off of her
“Oh, she comes in here every once in awhile. I think her name is Jessie.”
“Hmm, Jessie.” A.J. said to himself
“I thought you were taken already.” Billy said glancing at the table where the girls sat laughing about some sort of inside joke
A.J. thought of Stephanie, “yeah….” He hadn’t even thought about her as he was watching Jessie, and now he felt guilty. After about an hour he decided to call it a night. As he was walking out the door he almost collided with someone, “Oh, Excuse.” He saw that it was Jessie
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Jessie said with a smile
He held the door open for her, “After you.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear, “thank you.”
“No problem Jess.”
She stopped and looked at him, “How did you know my name?”
He looked at her wide hazel eyes, “I’ve asked around.” He said gruffly and then disappeared.
**
“So, where are you guys staying?” Brian asked
Megan had been glaring at him but then turned to look at Stephanie as she answered, “Well, that is what we wanted to ask you about. Is it okay if we just stay with you?”
Nick spit coke everywhere as Brian grinned, “Sure, we can have a slumber party.”
“Thanks, we actually hadn’t thought about it until we were on the plane.”
“It’s no problem.”
“I guess we will go get our stuff.”
“Okay, you can have the rooms at the end of the hall on the left.”
“Thanks Bri.” Megan said as they both disappeared back into the house.
“I can’t believe you said yes.” Nick muttered once they were gone
“What did you want me to say, ‘No I’m sorry please stay somewhere else’?”
“Well, no.”
“Nick, why are you so uncomfortable around Stephanie?”
“I’m not!” Nick protested
“I think you are.”
“I’m not having this conversation.” Nick said as he stomped into the house. He had come to spend the weekend with Brian, not to have the fact that the girl he liked was going out with A.J. thrown in his face. He would have stomped up the stairs but he saw Stephanie and Megan lugging their bags up the stairs, “You guys need help?”
Megan sighed, “Could you get this bag for me Nick? Is heavy.”
Nick took the bag from her and followed them as they went down the hall, “What are you doing here, I thought you’d be in Tampa with your family.” Stephanie said as he dropped Megan’s bag in her room
“I came to spend the weekend with Brian. Sorry if I ruined your plans.”
Stephanie was taken back by the comment, “I didn’t mean….I just wondered.” Megan looked at Nick and then at Stephanie and then watched Nick walk out, “What did I say?”
Megan shrugged, “It’s PMS I guess.”
Stephanie went and dumped her stuff in the room next to Megan’s and went to find Brian. She found both Brian and Megan in the kitchen talking quietly. “Brian, I was going to go see A.J., could ya give me the address?”
