Chapter 45Kristen woke up the next day to the touch of someone shaking her. After a couple of seconds she saw AJ sort of hovering over her as he laid on the couch with her. "What time is it?" Kristen asked yawning.
"Three in the afternoon. I didn't think touring could wear you out so much that you sleep in so late."
"Sorry, it's just hard not to sleep late when for the past three months I've been sleeping on the tour bus. How long have you been up?"
"A few hours. I didn't want to get up because you looked peaceful and I missed holding you in my arms. But we need to get up and get ready. Everyone is going to be here in about two hours."
"What do you mean everyone?"
"Let's see, Kevin, Kristin, Nick, Toni, Brian, Angela, Howie and Jasmine. We're having a little get together since me and the guys haven't seen each other in a while and we didn't want to leave any of the girlfriends or wife out," AJ explained.
"What about Mandy? Aren't you going to invite her?"
"The phone was right here on the table so I called her while you were sleeping. She has a date tonight."
"With who? She just got home last night."
"I didn't ask questions I just told her to have fun and we'd all get together again when she's free. Now you want to get in the shower first?"
"No, I want to lay here for a little longer."
"Alright, don't fall back asleep," AJ said then got up and started to walk away when Kristen started laughing. "What's so funny?"
"Your ass may not be big like Nick's but it's still really cute," Kristen said with a smile on her face.
"I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment so I'm going to get ready," AJ said leaning down and giving her a kiss before leaving towards the bathroom to take a shower. After about ten minutes he walked back into the living room after taking a shower with a towel wrapped around his waist to find Kristen fast asleep on the couch again. He decided he would get ready and run to the mini mart for soda and snacks while he let her sleep a little bit longer. By the time he got back everyone would be there within a half hour so he went and started a hot bubble bath for Kristen and woke her up.
"Why can’t you just do this deal at someone else’s house and leave me here to sleep?" Kristen asked.
"Because I already agreed that it would be here, now come on. I already started your bath."
"This really bites," Kristen said getting up with the blanket wrapped around her body as she went into the bathroom. Around twenty minutes later AJ heard thunder outside then pounding on the front door. He answered it to see Toni running into the house so she wouldn’t get wet since it was starting to rain with Nick following behind her.
"I hate Florida when it rains! It never stops and this stupid state doesn’t believe in it drizzling a little first, it just starts pouring with no warning!" Toni complained and AJ gave Nick a weird look.
"I’m guessing we’re early huh?" Nick asked.
"Just a few minutes. You two are the first ones here."
"Good, then I can spend a little quality time with my twin. Where is she?" Toni asked.
"Getting ready. She got in the bath about twenty minutes ago. And why do you two say you’re twins? You look nothing alike and aren’t even related," AJ said.
"So, what are you trying to get at here?"
"Nothing, never mind. I’ll be right back, I’m going to go check on Kristen." AJ went into the bathroom to see Kristen still laying in the tub with her eyes closed. He knelt down on his knees beside the bathtub and kissed her on the forehead as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. "Toni is here and she wants to see you. Are you planning on getting out any time soon?"
"Toni can chill out. I’ll be out in a few."
"Alright, have you been taking your medication lately? I meant to ask you that. You’re doctor called last week to see how you were doing but you were touring."
"I haven’t taken it in almost a month. I don’t need it, I’m not stressed out or depressed. You are so cute you know that don’t you?" Kristen asked changing the subject as she stared at AJ.
"Naturally," AJ said with a stupid smile and leaned down and kissed Kristen. As he deepened the kiss Kristen wrapped her arms around him getting soap suds all over him as he put his hand in the water and placed it on her waist.
"Oh now isn’t this cute," Toni said in the doorway of the bathroom.
"Toni!" Kristen yelled separating from AJ.
"What? It’s not like you’re completely naked. You have bubbles covering you and AJ has his clothes on….well for now at least. But I must say AJ, the soapy shirt is really in this season."
"Well Toni, I must say, you don’t know what the hell a door was invented for," AJ said sarcastically.
"I knock every time I come over now! How was I supposed to know Kristen would be in the bathtub and you would slowly be making your way in too with your clothes on?" Toni asked when the doorbell rang.
"Do me a favor, get out and answer the door please so I can get changed and Kristen can get dressed," AJ said and Toni gave him a mean look and left. By the time Kristen was finished getting ready everyone was already at their house so she went into the living room to greet with them, without having seen most of them in months. The pizza arrived and Kristen went into the kitchen to get the ranch dressing out of the refrigerator but noticed that there was none.
"AJ I thought you went to the store?" Kristen asked going into the living room.
"I did, you were asleep on the couch."
"Where’s the ranch dressing? You can’t expect me to eat pizza without ranch dressing."
"Ranch on your pizza?" Kristin asked giving the other Kristen a weird look.
"What? It tastes good. Pizza is nasty without it."
"Don’t worry we all had the same reaction when we first saw Kristen eat pizza," Kevin told his girlfriend.
"Stop making fun of my eating habits. Jasmine you want to come to the store with me?" Kristen asked when they heard loud thunder outside just as all the lights went out.
"Man, so much for watching ‘American Pie’," Nick said disappointed.
"That’s the movie you guys agreed to watch?" Kristen asked.
"That movie is a classic," AJ said.
"And would you like some warm apple pie to go along with that movie?" Kristen asked sarcastically.
"Nah, you feel better," AJ said and Kristen smacked him in the head while the others laughed.
"Where do you keep some candles?" Kristin asked AJ and Kristen so they could have some supply of light.
"Uh, we don’t have any," AJ responded.
"How can you not have candles in your house?"
"This is AJ we’re talking about. Give me some money and I’ll go to the store on the other side of town to get some," Kristen said.
"No, the weather is bad outside. Nick can go," AJ said.
"Sure just nominate me to risk my life," Nick said sarcastically.
"Forget it I’ll use my own money. Come with me Jas," Kristen said as the two of them found their way to the door and left. First they went to the store and got ranch dressing and candles and on the way back they passed by a McDonald’s and Kristen pulled into the drive-through lane.
"Don’t you think we’ve had enough McDonald’s while on tour?" Jasmine asked. "And there is food at the house for us to eat."
"Well the guys are disappointed that they can’t watch that sick ass movie so I figured we could get them all some apple pie to make up for it," Kristen said with a smile. When they got back to the house the lights were still out so they walked in and lit a few candles then threw apple pies at all the guys.
"I don’t even like apple pie," Brian said looking at the box.
"It’s not to eat," Kristen said looking at him with a grin on her face.
"You’re sick, you know that don’t you?"
"A sick mind is a terrible thing to waist."
"You know what this all reminds me of?" Angela asked. "It reminds me of the first little party we had when you can Cassie first moved here so you could get to know the guys. All the way down to the thunderstorm and the power outage."
"Then how about we play a little truth or dare like we did last time?" Brian suggested.
"No, because the last time I ended up skinny dipping with AJ in the freaking cold rain," Kristen said.
"Well that doesn’t matter now since you’re married to him. But we could make it really interesting….."
