After talking to Nick I decide to call Jade. Hearing his voice made me realise how much I miss him and the other guys. Also, how much I miss my best friend. And I really need somebody to talk to about this whole Nick thing. I dial Jade’s cell and listen to it ring for a while.
“Hey,” she answers.
“Hey Jady, it’s Ali.”
“Hey Ali!” she greets. “How are you? I was about to call you today!”
“Great minds and all that,” I laugh. “I’m fine. Been busy shooting Bitchney for Rolling Stone.”
“Cool,” she laughs.
“Oh, and I caught up with Jay. Why didn’t you tell me he was gonna be here?”
“God, I totally forgot! How is he?”
“He’s great,” I smile. “He left yesterday. How about you?”
“I’m good. I miss you.”
“I miss you too. Uh Jade…” I start to broach the subject of our fight.
“Ali, don’t,” she says.
“But I wanted to apologise.”
“There’s no need. I deserved the stuff you said. And I said a few things back myself. Can we just let it go and move on?”
“Friends?” I ask.
“Always.”
“Cool,” I grin. “I have missed you girl.”
“Ditto. Sarah’s around but she’s not you.”
“She still blissfully happy with AJ?”
“Uh huh,” Jade laughs.
“Anything happen lately?”
“Uh, I saw JC again at a party,” she tells me.
“And?”
“And he got a little drunk and laid a total guilt trip on me.”
“Ugh,” I sympathise.
“So I had to tell him that I chose the right guy and hurt him even more. I felt awful,” she sighs. “And then Brian got stomach flu…”
“He ok now?”
“Yeah, he’s fine now. But he was a nightmare when he was ill. The doctor told him he had to rest but they had a show the next night and he insisted on doing it.”
“Typical Brian.”
“He was fine though. Slept for two days straight after the show but hey…” she chuckles. “You gonna come back?”
“To the tour? Uh, I don’t know.”
“Oh Ali please!” she begs and I laugh.
“I would LIKE to. I mean, I miss y’all but…”
“Nick?”
“Nick,” I agree. “He called me today.”
“And?” she asks.
“And he said he loves me but he doesn’t know if he loves me enough to last.”
“Oh,” she sighs. “I think he does.”
“I really don’t know. He said he’ll always be my friend and he’ll always love me, whatever happens.”
“That’s something.”
“I guess.”
“You gotta come back!” she exclaims. “Show him just what he’s missing.”
“You think?” I giggle.
“Hell yeah! Plus, I’m tired of not having you around girl! And I know AJ misses you too.”
“But I bet Brian, Kevin and Howie are damn pleased I’m not around,” I mutter.
“Oh y’know Brian – he gets mad and he yells and then he calms down. He’s fine now. And Kevin and Howie think you left the tour temporarily to do a job.”
“They do?”
“Uh huh. They know you and Nick are on a break but nothing else.”
“What about the whole Jake Flurry thing?”
“Hey, if I can put that behind me they sure can!”
“Thank you,” I tell her sincerely.
“So, come back!” she tells me.
“Maybe I will.”
“No maybes! Do it!” she orders and I laugh.
“Yes ma’am.”
I talk to Jade for a few more minutes and then hang up. I really want to rejoin the tour but I’m scared of upsetting Nick. Or, even worse, having to watch him decide he doesn’t love me enough. I stand up and head into the shower, hoping the cool water will help me clear my mind.
I check my watch for the third time in about thirty seconds and go up on tiptoe to peer over the heads of the crowd in front of me. I’m at the airport waiting for Ali to get in. She had rung me back a couple of hours after I had spoken to her with the flight details and I cannot wait to see her again. I have felt bad leaving things so weird with her. Not talking to her for a few weeks has been crazy. I finally spot a familiar blonde head walking through the arrivals gate.
“ALI!” I yell and push the people in front of me aside to give her a big hug.
“Whoa Jady!” she laughs when we separate. “I guess you missed me!”
“Of course I did!” I laugh.
“I missed you too,” she grins and gives me a quick hug before we head out to flag down a taxi.
“The guys are recording a segment for MTV,” I tell her as we climb into a car and I give the driver the hotel address. “They’re all excited about seeing you again.”
“Really?”
“Uh huh. Howie wants us all to have dinner tonight.”
“Cool,” Ali smiles. “I’d like that. Has Nick said anything about me bein’ here?”
“He just asked what time your flight got in,” I shrug.
“He’s still thinking huh?”
“His brain probably can’t cope,” I joke and she laughs.
After dumping her bags in her hotel room, Ali joined me by the hotel pool to sun ourselves. We gossip about friends back home and I tell her what she’s missed lately. We eat lunch by the pool and go for a swim when the sun gets too hot. It’s a real nice way to spend a few hours.
“Hey Jady,” Brian bends down to kiss me softly and I sit up to smile at him. “Thought you’d be out here.”
“What time is it?”
“Uh, about 4pm.”
“You’re done for the day?”
“Uh huh. Just got the show later and then that’s it. Where’s Ali?”
“In the pool,” I tell him and he looks for her.
“She ok?”
“Fine.”
“Cool. Hey Ali!” he waves as she climbs out of the pool and walks over to join us.
“Hey Brian,” she grins. “I’d hug you but I’m kinda wet.”
“Hey, I’ve missed you,” he gives her a big hug and then steps back. “Plus, I’m gonna grab a shower soon anyway.”
“Thanks,” she smiles, obviously pleased at his easy manner with her.
“How was the flight?” Brian sits down on my sun-lounger to talk to her.
“It was ok,” she shrugs. “How was the TV interview?”
“Ok,” he laughs. “So, tell me what you’ve been up to lately.”
“Sure,” she grins and sits opposite him.
I tune out their voices and close my eyes, feeling the warm sun on my body and Brian’s hand gently stroking my skin.
“Baby,” Brian’s voice murmurs in my ear and I open my eyes to see him leaning over me. “You fell asleep.”
“And you woke me,” I complain lightly.
“Sorry,” he grins. “It’s 5pm and I’m goin’ to take a shower before heading to the show.”
“I’ll come with,” I tell him and try to sit up but he pushes me back down and shifts his position so that he’s practically straddling me. “Ali,” I murmur.
“She’s gone,” he says and leans down to kiss me, softly at first but then turning more insistent. His tongue dips inside my mouth and I wrap my arms around his body, slipping one hand down his pants to rest on his butt. He moves slightly and deepens the kiss, running his fingers through my hair and then down along my neck to my collarbone. I sigh contentedly as I feel my body waking up, responding to his.
“Honey,” I break off the kiss and look into his dark eyes. “I think we should take this somewhere a little more private…”
“I think so too,” he grins and moves off me to stand up. He reaches down and pulls me up off the lounger. “You better walk in front of me,” he says and I look down at his pants and giggle.
“You don’t say?!” I tease and he blushes slightly. He wraps his arms around me from behind and we walk back into the hotel slowly. When we reach our room he lets go of me to lock the door before walking over to slowly strip my of my bikini. “Y’know, it’s a good job you married me otherwise I might think you only wanted me for my body,” I tease as he pushes me down onto the bed before taking his own clothes off.
“I do only want you for your body,” he grins and lowers himself down on top of me.
After leaving Brian to wake Jade up, I had gone back to my hotel room to shower and change. I’m drying my hair when there’s a knock on the door. I walk over to open it.
“Ali, you got here!” Nick gives me a quick awkward hug.
“Yeah,” I smile at him. “Wanna come in?”
“No, I need to shower and stuff,” he says. “I just wanted to say hi.”
“Well, hi,” I grin and he laughs.
“Did anybody tell you about our dinner tonight?”
“Brian mentioned it. Howie’s idea right?”
“Uh huh,” he nods. “Kevin booked us a table at 11. Is that ok?”
“That sounds good,” I smile.
“Cool. You comin’ to the show?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna go with Jade,” I tell him.
“Great. Well, I’ll see you later,” he backs away and then turns to walk to his room. I watch him go and then shut the door. That had been so awkward. I really hope it’s not going to be like that from now on.