PART 8

Walking down the streets of Orlando Nick glanced at each bar he passed. If I go and get drunk 
again maybe I'll wake up with someone else, he thought, stuffing his hands deeper into his coat 
pockets. Stopping outside one he looked at the neon sign and contemplated going in, he moved 
back to let a group of people walk by and decided to follow them in.

~Next Morning~

Brian sat in his office, looking over the email she'd sent him the night before. He made a few 
notes in his schedule and quickly deleted the email, knowing he didn't need to reply, she'd know 
he'd make an appearance. Hearing Shan moving around upstairs he quickly shut the computer down 
and pretended to be working on a song.

Alec poured herself a cup of coffee and picked up the paper she had left on the table the night 
before. She needed to make a few calls she decided. It was time for another group meeting.

Shan opened the door to Bri's office and peeked in, "Hey you busy?"

He looked up, "No, but I think I'm in need of a break."

She smiled and pushed the door open further walking in with two cups of coffee. "Thought you 
might need one of these." she set his down on the desk and sat down in the chair across from 
him. "What are you working on?"

Brian took a sip of his coffee. "Just some song ideas..."

"Do you know when you leave for Nashville yet?"

"Not yet, I'm calling today to get a last minute flight. I want to leave probably Thursday 
night, Friday morning."

"My offer for meeting you in Lexington still stands."

He smiled, "Thanks Shan but really it's going to be pretty much just business talk between us 
up there. You'd have more fun staying here."

AJ rolled over on the bed and picked the phone up, "Yeah?"

Kevin cleared his throat, "Hi AJ."

His eyes narrowed, "Kevin I think we settled everything..."

"No we haven't. Look I think we should get together one more time..."

AJ cut in, "To what? Record something? Do a little press conference apologizing to the fans that 
we're too damn scared to stay together?"

Kevin sighed deeply, "AJ I just want us to sit around the table and discuss some things. If
nothing else if we should sue the tabloids for some of the stories they're running." AJ stayed 
silent a couple minutes, "J?"

"When and where?"

"Tomorrow, after lunch at the beach house? And bring your envelope."

"I'll see."

"J..."

"Kev, I may or may not be there all right?"

Howie sat out by the pool, watching the sun reflect off the water. Ty had gone out for awhile 
which finally left him alone. Lately he was a bit paranoid that she'd see something, figure 
everything out and leave him. Howie picked up the envelope that was laying beside him on the 
cement and glanced at his watch, fifteen minutes had passed since she had left so he thought 
he was safe.

~Flashback~

"D nice to see you."

"Wish I could say the same." Howie said, taking a seat at the conference table. "Why am I here?"

"Never one to beat around the bush were you?" he said with a smile, pushing an envelope across 
the table.

"What's this?" D asked, his eyes on the envelope.

"Something I'm sure you'll find extremely interesting."

Howie opened the envelope and pulled out the rather large stack of papers. He scanned through a 
few of them then glanced up at him, "What is all this?"

"Howie you're a smart man, why don't you tell me."

"No I think you should explain this."

"All right, you've been laundering money for the mob for about the last three or four years...
and been quite successful at it."

"That's a lie!! All our invested money is legal."

"Sure it is Howie. Or maybe you just think it is. You know I'm sure there's a lot of people who 
would be interested in knowing what's in those papers."

"A pile of lies, that's all this is." he said tossing the envelope back across the table.

"But can you prove it's lies D?? See most of the time allegations are more than enough proof for 
the media."

D swallowed the lump in his throat, "What are you saying?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, be horrible if somehow this information made it to the press and the
authorities. Wouldn't want to see you end up in jail."

"And you can prevent that from happening?"

"Of course, well if you go along with what I say."

~End flashback~

Kevin leaned in the doorway watching Alec type away on the computer. "Busy?" he asked when she 
finally stopped typing.

She looked up from the computer screen, "Not anymore. Been standing there long?"

He shrugged, "Don't know." He walked in and sat on the edge of her desk. "I'm going out 
tomorrow."

"So am I. We're having another girls day out."

"At least you five still get along." he muttered, "That's good. Someone should be having fun on 
their vacation."

Alec moved her chair over in front of him, "You'd have fun too if you didn't spend so much time 
in your own world Kev."

"I know and after tomorrow I promise I will dedicate myself to having a fun extended vacation." 
he smiled at her, "Feel like going out to dinner tonight? Or we could order in...do something 
that resembles living?"

"I like that idea."

Nick picked up his cell phone and clicked it on, "What?" he asked, expecting it to be Lis.

"Nick?" Kevin asked concerned.

"Kevin? Look I really don't need to talk to you right now."

"Just hear me out for a minute okay?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I want you to."

Nick groaned, "I'll give you two minutes then I'm hanging up. Use your time well."

Kevin took a deep breath. "All right, that's fair." and he started explaining. At the end of 
the two minutes he stopped and waited to hear the click of the phone, instead he heard dead 
silence. "Nick?"

"I don't have the envelope on me. I'd have to get it. That is if I show."

"Okay. Uh I'd really like it you did come Nick...like I said there's a lot of things we need to 
go over."

"Yeah well I'll see. Bye Kev." He clicked the phone off and closed his eyes, nothing made sense 
to him anymore. He wondered if it ever would.