Chapter Two

“Where are you going?” Eddie asked groggily as Vanessa searched under the bed for her shoes.

It was 11:15 and Brooke was on her way to pick her up. Eddie had just woken up.

“I’m going to the mall with Brooke, we’re going clothes shopping,” she said. She found her shoes and slipped them on. “You just go back to sleep.”

“Buying new outfits for the concert?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.”

“Why? It’s not like you’re gonna meet them or anything.”

It was a good thing she was facing away from him, or he would have seen the expression on her face.

“We still want to look good,” she said. She turned around and leaned over to kiss him. “I’ll be back later. Love you.”

“Yeah,” he said, and rolled back under the blankets.

Vanessa sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her. A few minutes later, Brooke knocked on the front door and came inside.

“Are you ready? I have two credit cards and a checkbook. And I’m not leaving the mall until I find the outfit that will make AJ mine!” she declared.

“Isn’t he seeing someone?” Vanessa asked, gathering her keys and purse.

“Well, I’ve heard it’s not serious, so I have a chance!”

“All right, whatever you say.”

“So is he hiding from me or what?” Brooke asked, gesturing to the bedroom. “I know he hates my guts.”

“He doesn’t hate you. And he’s sleeping.”

“What a lazy butt. Anyway, let’s go get our tickets!”

They left the apartment and took the elevator to the first floor. They walked outside to the parking lot. A group of college guys jogged past them and whistled. Brooke smiled and waved back, but Vanessa just ducked her head.

“You can still flirt you know,” Brooke said as they climbed into her car.

“I have a boyfriend. And besides, they were whistling at you.”

“Not just me. You’re pretty too.”

Vanessa snorted and buckled her seatbelt. “Not like you.”

“Me?!” Brooke said. “With this wild hair?” She pointed to her bright red locks. “I would rather have your exotic looks.”

Vanessa smiled. They had this conversation all the time. Brooke had the wild red hair and bright blue eyes that guys just loved. And a smattering of freckles that she absolutely hated. But Vanessa thought she was beautiful, with her tall slender build, and she loved her hair.

Brooke on the other hand, adored Vanessa’s jet black hair that hung to her waist, and her dark almond shaped eyes. Vanessa’s background was Asian, so her skin was a slight olive shade. She was a few inches shorter than Brooke and she hated being short. She made sure her shoes all had some sort of heel before she bought them.

Brooke turned on the radio, and the Backstreet Boys were on singing “I Want It That Way.” She turned the volume up and they started singing along. When the song ended, they sighed happily and then laughed.

“I can’t wait! I am so excited!” Brooke exclaimed. “What are you going to say when you meet Kevin face to face?”

“I have no idea. I guess whatever pops into my head. Probably nothing!”

“I’m sure he’ll fall head over heels for you when he sees you.”

“I have a boyfriend,” Vanessa pointed out.

“But what if Kevin asked you out?”

Vanessa shook her head. “He would never do that.”

“You never know.”

“I heard he’s seeing someone anyway.”

“Oh, well I bet you’re way prettier than she is.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the radio station and Brooke parked. “I’ll be just a sec,” she said, hopping out of the car.

Vanessa nodded. She settled back against the seat, thinking of Kevin. Why couldn’t they just clone him? she wondered.

“I’m being so stupid,” she said out loud. “I love Eddie.”

A minute later, Brooke came flying back into the car. “I got them!” she squealed. “I got them! Look!”

She opened the manila envelope containing her prize and pulled out two tickets and two VIP passes with a group picture on the front. “Oh my God, this is so cool!” she said.

Vanessa held her pass and just stared at it. “This is more valuable than gold, you know,” she said.

“I know. Should I stash them somewhere?” Brooke asked, suddenly worried. “What if I lose them before Saturday? You know how scatterbrained I can be.”

“You won’t lose them.”

“Can you hold them? Please?”

“Are you crazy? What if Eddie found the passes? He’d flip!”

“So hide them. I know you can, and Eddie would never go looking for them anyway. Please?”

Vanessa finally relented. Brooke all but shoved them at her.

“Thanks so much. I know they’re safe with you.”

Vanessa tucked them into the bottom of her purse. “To the mall?”

“To the mall!” Brooke said.

They stopped at the food court for lunch, talking about Saturday. Then they went to every store in the building, trying on clothes left and right. They talked about school starting in a week. This was their fourth year in college. They would each walk away with a bachelar’s degree in English Literature when they were finished. Nearly three hours later, they finally emerged from the mall, laden with bags, and almost broke.

Brooke drove them back to Vanessa’s apartment. Eddie was sitting on the couch, watching tv when they came inside.

“Did you buy out the mall?” he asked, looking at Vanessa’s bags.

“Not quite,” Vanessa said, taking her things to the bedroom. She stashed the bags in the back of the closet and then came back out to the living room. “Do you want a soda?” she asked Brooke.

“Sure.”

Brooke settled at the kitchen table, away from Eddie.

“So what time do we leave on Saturday?” Vanessa asked, her voice low so Eddie didn’t hear them.

“Well, the show starts at 7:00 with the opening act. And the meet and greet is scheduled an hour before that, so maybe we should be there by 5:30?”

“Okay. Do you want to drive, or should I?”

“I can drive. I love to drive.”

“Sounds good.”

“Whispering about your precious Backstreet Boys?” Eddie sneered, coming over to them. “You know, Brooke, that one you like, AJ? He’s really weird. I mean, 11 tattoos? Isn’t that a little much?”

“Geez, Eddie, for someone who hates them, I’m impressed that you not only know AJ’s name, but how many tattoos he has,” Brooke said. “A closet fan or what?”

Eddie glared at her.

“Thanks for the soda, Vanessa, but I gotta get home. I’ll talk to you later.”

Vanessa watched as Brooke headed for the door.

“Bye, and thanks for going shopping with me,” she said before she left.

Eddie saw the look on Vanessa’s face and frowned. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “It’s just that, I can’t stand the fact that you spend so much time fawning over these guys.”

“They’re musicians, we like they’re music. So they happen to be cute too. So what? Do I say anything when you drool over models and pretty actresses?”

“No.” He pulled her up from her chair and hugged her. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

She snuggled closer. “I know. And I love you too.”

“Good.” He kissed her gently on the lips.