Chapter Three

Howie had just finished shoving some boxes into a hall closet when his doorbell rang. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he hurried down the rounded staircase to answer it.

“Surprise!”

He grinned at his four best friends and stepped aside to let them enter his new home.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

Kevin tossed him a bottle of wine. Brian handed him a bunch of balloons. Nick and AJ carried in several large pizzas.

“We’re your ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ greeters,” Nick said. “Damn, this is a nice place you’ve got here, D.”

Howie shut the door and lead the way to the living room.

“Not much furniture yet, but I’m planning to go shopping this weekend. Anyone want to join me?”

Four shaking heads were his answer.

“I can send Kristin over,” Kevin suggested. “She’d love to help.”

“So would Leighanne,” Brian added. “She did a great job with our place.”

The group settled down on various chairs and the floor to dig into their pizza. Howie unpacked some glasses and rinsed them out in the kitchen sink. Then he brought them back and helped AJ pour the wine.

“Pizza and red wine,” Nick said, examining his glass. “What a combo.”

“So, Howie, I’ve been meaning to ask you this,” AJ said a few minutes later, his mouth full of cheese and sausage. “What made you decide to move out now?”

Howie shrugged. “It just seemed like the right time, that’s all. I’m almost 30 years old, I should have a place of my own.”

“Okay, so how come you waited so long?” Nick asked.

A deep sigh came from Howie as he thought about this. Finally he answered, “I always thought that when I moved away from my family, I’d be moving in with my own. You know, wife and kids and all.”

Nick nodded. “Trust me, women ain’t all that great.”

Brian looked up. “Problems in paradise again?” he asked, referring to Nick’s on again, off again girlfriend Mandy.

“She’s pissed at me for coming over here tonight.”

“Again?” Kevin asked in an exasperated voice. “I thought things were okay with you guys now.”

“She’ll get over it,” Nick said, picking cheese from his crust. “And then she’ll be her normally sweet self again.”

The other four snorted in perfect unison.

AJ drank the last of his wine and reached for the bottle. “It’s too quiet in here. You need a dog, D.”

“Want one of mine?” Nick offered.

Howie laughed and waved his hands. “No way! This is new carpeting!”

“They’re better now. They all pee in one spot!”

The conversation switched to the new album they were to begin working on shortly. That was why Brian was in town instead of at home with his wife. He was staying with Kevin and Kristin in their new house while they worked on rough tracks for songs. Howie sat back in his chair and half listened. His mind was on other things.

AJ, sitting across from him, had a feeling he knew what one of those things was.

Her.

Ever since Howie had seen the story in the paper about Kirkland Haberlan dying, he’d been quieter, less talkative. AJ had asked him about it, and he was told the story of Haberlan’s daughter, Lori, and how they had spent barely a month together before Haberlan shipped her off somewhere. Where exactly, Howie was never able to find out.

AJ had never met her, but she sounded like the perfect girl for Howie. It was too bad the way things had worked out. Howie had feelings for her, but didn’t get the chance to tell her. He always felt sorry for the way their relationship ended, partly because he knew he was the reason her father had sent her away.

The day of the funeral, Howie dragged AJ with him to the service. No one else knew about any of this.

“You’re going to a funeral to pick up a chick?” AJ had joked. “That’s sick, man.”

But Lori was nowhere to be seen, and Howie didn’t know anyone there to ask about her. He wondered if she would come back at all, and if he should try to find her.

“Howie? Yo, Howie!” Brian called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Hmm? What?”

“Where were you at?”

“Another place, another time. What’s up?”

“We were wondering if we could get a tour of this place,” Brian said.

“Oh, yeah! Sure, come on.”

Howie jumped from his chair and led the guys around. The place was huge! Way too big for one person. AJ made a mental note to go find a big guard dog for Howie. . . or a woman.

They ended up out back by the pool. Nick rolled up his pant legs and walked down a couple of steps into the water. He didn’t notice Brian sneaking up behind him, or see Brian’s hands reach out towards his back. But he sure felt himself being pushed face first.

He squawked and flailed his arms around as he splashed into the water. When he surfaced, his hair was plastered to his head like a golden helmet and he was pissed. Brian yelped and tried to run away, but Nick swam to the edge of the pool like a man possessed and grabbed his ankle. With a firm tug, Brian was soon joining him.

“That’s not fair!” Brian screamed.

“Fair?! Who said I was fair?” Nick retorted, splashing him.

Howie, AJ and Kevin stripped down to their boxers and jumped in.

“Hey, you’ve got to have your clothes on,” Nick said, squirting water between his hands. “Those are the new pool rules.”

“Who put you in charge? This is my house, Nicky Boy!” Howie yelled, laughing.

They stayed in the pool until they started to prune and then everyone got out. Howie passed out towels and by the time they were pretty much dry, it was nearly eleven pm.

“Got to get home and call Leigh,” Brian said, searching the living room for his jacket. “The lady is a-waitin’ for me.”

“Mine too,” echoed Nick, Kevin and AJ.

“Well, that’s nice. All ya’ll have women, and I have a house. How cozy,” Howie said.

AJ sighed. Howie was really feeling down, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Some friend I am! he thought.

“Hey, you wanna go out tomorrow night?” he asked.

“I don’t know, depends on what I feel like.”

Nick, Kevin and Brian left, but AJ lingered at the door, his hand on the knob.

“Are you okay?”

Howie shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I just wish I could talk to her, ya know? Tell her that I really liked her, and that I thought we had something.”

“How come you never introduced me to her?”

“You were always busy with auditions and stuff, so was I. I didn’t get to see her much, but when I did. . . “ His voice trailed off.

AJ nodded and finished with, “Magic.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you ever try to find her?”

“Oh yeah. Several times. I stopped by her house, only to be shooed away by her old man. Yikes, he scared the piss outta me! And he wouldn’t tell me anything. I didn’t have the means back then to look for her overseas, where I figured she’d gone.”

“How ‘bout now? You’ve definitely got the means now.”

“Yeah, but what if she’s happy? Married or something?” Howie shook his head. “I don’t want to barge into her life and upset things just because I’m feeling lonely right now. It wouldn’t be right.”

AJ smiled sadly. “Sweet D,” he said. “You certainly fit that nickname.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Howie said, grinning.