Nick wanders into the kitchen and Jenny jumps down from where she was sitting on the counter.
"Great you can do the pasta."
"Sure. What do I do?"
"Just watch the water, make sure it doesn’t boil dry."
"That all? No problem."
"Great, I have to go pick up Sara."
"How do I know when it’s ready?"
"Just try a bit, if it’s hard or rubbery it’s not done."
"Cool." She leaves him in the kitchen and grabs her car keys. She walks past the door on her way out and sees him still standing in front of the oven, staring intently at the pasta.
"Err, Nick. You don’t have to actually WATCH it all the time."
"You SURE I look OK?" Sara twists in her seat to look at Jenny again.
Jen sighs. "Yeah, you look great." She had decided to pick Sara up in her car so she could get all the hysteria out of the way before the girl actually came face to face with Nick. They pull up outside Nick’s place and get out of the car. Sara looks up at the building.
"Nick lives here?"
"Yep."
"Which floor?"
"Third."
Sara looks up at the lit window on the third floor and sighs. "That’s Nick’s chair… That’s Nick’s light….That’s Nick’s clock…"
Jenny rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah Sara. The place is FULL of Nick’s things so get off that track."
"Oh my God.." Sara starts pacing the pavement. "I’m nervous, Jen."
"No? And you hide it SO well." Sara stops pacing just long enough to glare at her. "Look, scream and let’s get inside."
"Really?"
"Just get it out of the way now. Call me old-fashioned but I don’t think screaming at him would make a good first impression."
Sara suddenly lets out a huge scream. Jenny winces and looks up at the third floor window. She sees Nick and AJ suddenly appear. They see her. AJ grins and Nick mouths the words "Oh God." Jenny grins at them and waves her hand in the OK sign. Nick shakes his head and starts hitting it against the window. Jenny sees Sara start to open her mouth again and reaches over to clap a hand over her.
"Hey, that’s it. We don’t want the police out here."
"Go ahead, kitchen’s that way." Sara heads off towards the kitchen and Jenny dumps her car keys. She walks into the kitchen and runs straight into a statuesque Sara. "Hey..move in." She pushes Sara through the door and sees what had made her friend stop. Nick is bending over the pasta, wriggling his bum in their direction as he adjusts the heat.
AJ is sat on the counter chewing a piece of pasta with a grimace.
"Man, this is yuck."
Nick straightens up and notices Sara. "Oh hey."
Sara stares at him until Jenny gives her a sharp nudge. "Owch! Yeah, hello."
"This is Sara. Sara, these are…hell who am I kiddin’. You know already." She walks over to AJ. "The pasta’s yuck?"
"Nice to finally put a face to the silence." Nick grins at Sara.
"Hmm. Huh?!"
"Y’know, I call Jen, you answer. I talk, you…don’t. So nice to face you."
"Yep. Yuck." AJ holds out a half-chewed piece to Jen. "Try it."
"Err, no." Jen impales a piece from the pan and nibbles it with a grimace. "Yep, way overdone."
Nick groans. "Oh man…you never said to turn the heat down." She looks at him. "Ah yeah. Kinda obvious."
"No problem. I’ll go get some more."
Nick blocks her access to the door.
"If anyone leaves this place, it’ll be ME."
"Hey, be a good host."
"YOUR friend."
"YOUR date."
He gasps and manoeuvres her out the door. "My WHAT?!"
"Date."
"No way."
"Relax. Kiddin’."
He sighs and glares at her. She grins and grabs the car keys. "Hey!"
"Too slow Nicky."
The kitchen door opens and AJ appears. "So who won?" Jen dangles the car keys with a grin. "Great. Let’s go."
"Huh?! The girl is getting pasta. Don’t think that requires two people."
AJ looks at Jenny. "Yeah. One to drive. One to run in and grab pasta. Two."
She shrugs. "Can’t argue with that logic. Bye Nick"
She heads for the door and AJ follows her.
"We’ll try not to make any detours."
"So we have to go back?" AJ gives her the puppy-dog eyes.
"Yep." She laughs and gets out of the car. "It’ll be fun."
"Hmmm." They let themselves into the apartment and it’s deadly quiet. AJ grins. "Do you reckon he killed her?"
Jenny laughs and opens the door to the lounge. Nick and Sara are sat on the floor in front of the playstation.
AJ groans. "I mighta known Nicky’d get that out."
They don’t even look up.
"Hey you’re back quick."
"Yeah, Nick. I promised not to delay."
"I’m kicking his ass!"
"You are NOT!"
"Totally kickin’ your ass." Sara giggles and slam dunks Nick on-screen.
Jenny grins and heads out to the kitchen to boil some pasta. AJ follows her and launches himself onto the counter, banging his head against the cabinet in the process.
"Owch!"
"Awww…" Jenny grins at him as he rubs his head with a pout.
"I need a drink now. What you got?" She gestures towards the cabinet and he jumps down to check it out. "Hey, you got EVERYTHING."
"Of course. You think I could live with Nick otherwise?"
He grins. "Good point Jen." He pulls out a bottle of Jack Daniels and pours them both a drink.
"That was delish." Sara smiles at Jenny. "Thanks."
"No problem."
"This is so cool….dinner parties!" Nick claps his hands and the others give him a look. "I mean, how grown-up are we?!"
"Well, we’re grown-up. How about you?"
"Aww AJ, you know what I mean. This is SO sophis."
"Calm down Nicky." Jenny stands up. "I’m gonna go crash with some tequila."
"Sounds good." AJ follows her into the lounge. Nick and Sara follow. Nick heads towards the playstation.
"Nick, that’s not too sophis now is it?"
"Aww, Jen. I can’t have a girl kick my butt."
"She already did." Sara throws herself down onto a chair. Nick scowls and sits down himself.
"You guys do tequila slammers?" Jenny shakes the bottle at them.
"Nuh." Nick grunts.
"C’mon. They’re great. We got limes right? And salt?"
"Yup." Nick wanders off to get them. When he comes back, Jenny pours out four shots and gives everyone a glass and piece of lime. She puts some salt on the back of her hand.
"OK…you lick the salt, down the tequila and suck the lime."
"That all?" AJ grins and grabs his glass.
"After three, guys. 1,2,3!" They all lick some salt, down the tequila and suck a lime.
"Urrrgh" Nick shakes his head violently.
AJ sits back on the sofa. "Nice."
"Another!" Sara giggles and slides her glass over to Jenny.
Jenny opens her eyes gingerly. Yep, she was right, the sun was too bright. She was hungover. She groans and rolls over. Her arm makes contact with something. She smiles sleepily and moves closer. She feels an arm wrap round her and smiles. Her dream was amazingly life-like this morning. All of a sudden, the slushy record in her head skips and grinds to a halt. She opens her eyes and looks straight into the sleeping face of AJ. She yelps and leaps up. She realises she’s naked and grabs the sheet to wrap round her, and in doing so, falls off the bed.
"Owch!"
AJ opens his eyes and leans over the bed to see Jen wrapped in a sheet on the floor.
"What you doin’?"
"What’s it look like?" She groans and crawls back onto the bed. He grins at her and drapes an arm round her again. "Whoa!" She sits up again. "Are you naked?" He peeks under the sheet and nods. She groans. "I don’t wanna deal with naked AJ at this time."
"Why not Hun?" He lies back down and closes his eyes.
"How did I get up here anyway? Last I remember I was doin’ body shots with you." He raises an eyebrow. "Oh noooo! Please tell me we didn’t."
"Several times as I recall."
"Man, how much tequila did I have last night?" She closes her eyes and stretches out on the bed. "Maybe this is all a horrible dream." Her toes touch flesh and she opens her eyes again. "AJ please tell me you have bendy legs or something."
"Huh?" She groans and sits up. She pulls the sheets back from the bottom of the bed.
"Man…light..hurts…" Nick groans and tries to pull the sheet back over his head.
"Oh God….Why me?!"
Nick sits up at looks at Jenny. "Hey, Jen…" He smiles drowsily and then notices AJ. "AJ?!" AJ grins and waves at Nick. He sits bolt upright, "Oh man…what’d I do?!!"
Jenny shrugs. "Ask this guy. He seems to know everything."
AJ grins and closes his eyes again.
"Hey, Sara’s not in here somewhere?"
"Nope. She went home."
"Well that’s something I guess." She looks at AJ. "C’mon, spill." He shrugs and rolls over to sleep. She pushes him off the bed.
"Owch!" He glares up at her and then crawls back onto the bed. "OK, you guys got trashed on the tequila."
"And you didn’t?"
Nick looks at her. "Asbestos guy get drunk?!"
"Point." She pulls her sheet back up over her shoulders.
"You decided you wanted to ravish my body."
She rolls her eyes at AJ. "As if."
"Hey, who remembers here?" She shrugs. "Who am I to deny your lust? So we came up, then Nick followed and…"
Nick’s eyes widen. "I did NOT."
AJ nods. "Yup..and fell asleep at our feet."
"Aww, I always miss the good stuff." Jenny kicks him. "Owch!"
"Gettin’ a memory now Jen?"
"Nup. Must’ve been good."
"Owch woman." He closes his eyes. "Nah, you fell asleep too."
Nick grins and pulls the sheet back from Jenny. He curls up.
"So why are we all naked?"
"Strip poker."
Jenny curls up with her back to AJ. "Ahhh."
"Damn, think hypnosis would get back the image of Jen naked?" Jenny aims a kick in Nick’s direction. "Owch!"
"Go on Kev, explain that Matrix thing to Jen."
"Aww Bone, you still don’t get it?!"
"NOBODY gets it…except maybe crazy freaks like you."
Kevin laughs, "You wanna know Jen?"
She looks at him for a minute then shakes her head.
"You’ll just confuse me even more. Let’s forget that film and concentrate on this one." They look at the TV. The video is ‘American Pie’. Brian and Howie are out with girlfriends and Nick is paying a visit to his family. The infamous apple pie scene comes on.
"NO way! I’m too innocent for this!" She laughs and grabs a cushion to cover her eyes with.
"You innocent?!" AJ laughs and tries to wrestle the cushion off her. "Kevvy pause this bit! Jen, you gotta see this shot…"
She giggles and peeks out from under the cushion.
"Urrggh..gross!"
"Yeah….do you think the actor REALLY did that?"
"Probably Kev." AJ grins. "Probably found it quite satisfying too."
"Methinks he speaks from experience."
"Too slushy for me Jen!"
"Urrggh AJ….that just conjured up a terrible image." She gets up and throws the cushion at him. "I need a drink. Guys?" They shake their heads and she leaves the room.
Kevin stares at AJ for a while.
"Buddy, why don’t you just get it over and done with?"
"Huh?"
"You and her. It’s SO obvious."
"It is?"
"Yeah. MAJOR flirtation goin’ on between you guys." Kevin grins at AJ. "I’m right, you like her."
"Maybe."
"Ha. Knew it."
"Where’s AJ got to?"
"No idea."
Kevin grins at them, "Ah, he’ll be with Jen."
Nick looks at him, "Why would he be with her?"
"Left them getting’ VERY cosy last night y’know."
Brian and Howie glare at Kevin but he doesn’t understand.
"Well, ahh…Frack..did ya see the game last night? Bulls and Dolphins, huh?"
Nick ignores Brian.
"Last night Kev?"
"Yeah, I watched ‘American Pie’ with them. Then figured they wanted to be alone so I left kinda early."
"The Dolphins huh?"
"What you on about Howie? Dolphins?!"
Howie shrugs, "The GAME man." Brian looks at him sympathetically and Howie retires into the corner.
Kevin looks at them and finally gets the message, "Oh…ah…actually, think AJ left with me."
"You don’t KNOW?"
"Yeah…I remember now." Kevin nods. "Definitely had AJ in my car goin’ home."
AJ walks in.
"Sorry I’m late guys. Didn’t wanna get outta bed this morning." He grins.
"You fuck!"
AJ stares at Nick, "Huh?"
"I can’t believe you. We’re supposed to be FRIENDS and you go and screw me over some girl!"
"Whoa Nick. I’m completely lost here. What am I supposed to have done?"
"You slept with Jen."
"I did not."
"Well Kev said you two looked pretty cosy last night."
AJ glares at Kevin who spreads his hands and steps back into a corner.
"Kev don’t know jack shit."
Nick stares at him, "You like her huh?"
"OK, yeah I do. Is that a crime?"
"Man, I’m your FRIEND."
"Nick, you’re not exactly dating her."
"Doesn’t matter. You can’t date her."
AJ glares at him, "Oh can’t I?! Last time I looked we were both fully consenting adults and you didn’t have the rights to my life." Nick folds his arms.
"AJ, you gotta see Nick’s point. He did kinda see her first, it’d be rubbing his nose in it if you got together with her."
"Ah butt out Brian."
"Nick, AJ’s got a point too. Maybe you should just let two good friends of yours be together if it makes them happy."
"Brian, who died and made you Judge?" Brian looks at Kev and Howie and steps back into a third corner with his arms crossed. Nick and AJ stand glaring at each other. AJ turns around and walks out.
AJ walks across the floor to Jenny’s desk and sits down on it facing her. He takes her face in his hands and kisses her.
She sits back and stares at him.
"AJ…."
"Hey."
"What’d you do that for?"
"Cos I wanted to." He rubs his eyes. "Ever since you walked into that room and yelled at Nick."
She smiles sadly.
"Nick."
"Forget him."
"I can’t. He’s one of your best friends. And mine."
AJ sighs, "I knew you’d say that."
"You’d end up hating me if I said anything else."
"Damn Nick. Why can’t he just let it be?"
"It couldn’t have worked. I go home next month, remember?"
He sighs and walks out of the office.
"How could I ever forget?"
Nick watches her pack up her suitcase.
"I think that’s everything."
"I’m really gonna miss you Jen."
She gives him a big hug.
"I’ll miss you too. Promise you’ll keep in touch." He nods. "And call in when you’re next over Europe way?"
"Of course!"
"Please make it up with AJ. I don’t want to think of you guys as not friends."
"It’ll be OK. I promise."
Jenny looks up at the departures’ board and hoists her bag up over her shoulder. Her flight has just been called. She starts walking to the boarding gate.
"JENNY!" She turns round and AJ runs up to her. "Thank God, I thought I’d missed you."
She smiles.
"You almost did."
He puts his arms round her and kisses her head.
"Don’t go."
"What?" She looks at him.
"You heard me."
"I have to go AJ." She smiles. "The US government wouldn’t like me over-staying my visa."
"You could get another one." He kisses her. "I can’t have you leave me."
"I have to go AJ. My flight has been called." She kisses him softly. "Patch things up with Nick. Please."
He stands at the window and watches the plane slowly rise into the cloudy sky. It soon disappears from view and she is gone. He sits down and rests his aching head in his hands. Someone sits next to him.
"She’s gone?" AJ looks up at Nick and nods. Nick sighs. "I wanted to tell her….I’m sorry AJ."
"Yeah. Me too."