Chapter Forty-Four
“You have that look on your face,” A.J. says to Kaci.
“What look?” Kaci asks.
“The look you have when you like someone and are fascinated by them.”
“I do not!”
“Oh yes you do!”
Maksim comes in from changing out of his Dancing With The Stars outfit and overhears Kaci and A.J.’s conversation.
“What were you two lovebirds talking about?” Maksim asks.
“Oh nothing,” Kaci insists.
“So what are you guys doing tonight?”
“She has to be up early to go meet with Latium to discuss her contract and things like that, so I think we’re just going to go back to the house tonight.”
“Are you sure you guys don’t want to hang out for a little bit?”
“I know she’d love to,” A.J. says looking at Kaci, “but I’m going to have a hard time getting her up as it is already.”
“Maybe we all could hang out tomorrow,” Kaci suggests.
“That could be arranged,” A.J. says.
“Then it’s a deal,” Maksim says. “I’ll see you both tomorrow then.”
“Alright, I’ll call you when she’s out of her meeting,” A.J. says as him and Maksim say goodbye.
“It was nice to finally meet you,” Maksim says to Kaci.
“It was nice to meet you too,” Kaci says giving Maksim a hug. “I’ll give you my number later,” she whispers to Maksim while giving him a hug.
“See you guys tomorrow,” Maksim says as A.J. and Kaci leave.
A.J. and Kaci head to his car.
“Baby, can I use your phone real quick? Mine is not getting service for some reason.”
“Yeah sure,” A.J. says handing Kaci his phone.
*****
To: MAKS
From: Alex McLean
Hey Maksim. Its actually Jess. Heres my number. 754-224-7095. Reply to that number and not Alexs phone. See you tomorrow! =)
****
“What are you doing?” A.J. asks.
“I texted Angie about tomorrow,” Kaci says.
*****
To: ALEX MCLEAN
From: Maksim
Ok, I’ll ttyl
*****
To: MAKS
From: Alex McLean
I’ll get in touch when we get back to the house after Alex goes to sleep. Don’t reply! =)
*****
“Oh, okay. So what did you think of the show?”
“I enjoyed it. Kevin did awesome and I think I made a new friend in Maksim.”
“That’s awesome. Are you excited for tomorrow?”
“Yeah! Latium should be interesting. And going back and seeing Maksim, Kevin and Kristin again!”
“Don’t forget that we’re supposed to go out tomorrow too!”
“Oh I won’t,” Kaci says.
A.J. pulls into his driveway and they both go in the house.
“You hungry?” A.J. asks.
“A little.”
“Go change into something sexy for me while I make us something to snack on.”
“Alright.”
Kaci goes to change while A.J. prepares a quick snack for him and Kaci.
“I smell popcorn,” Kaci says walking out of A.J.’s bedroom.
“Is there something wrong with popcorn?”
“No,” Kaci says. “Whatever you make I’ll have.”
Kaci and A.J. go and sit out on the couch in the living room and watch a movie.
“That’s your phone again,” A.J. says after hearing Kaci’s phone ring for the fifth time.
“Fine, I’ll answer it,” Kaci says getting up and going to get her phone.
“Who is it?” A.J. asks.
“I don’t know, some 201 number!”
“Well, answer it next time!”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Kaci goes back out to the living room, taking her phone with her.
“Maybe it’s someone from your label trying to call you?”
“I have no idea! Where is that area code from anyways?”
“Go look it up on the computer!”
Kaci grabs A.J.’s laptop off the kitchen counter where she had left it earlier.
“Where would I go to figure out who’s calling me?”
“Just do a search for 201 area code.”
Kaci does a search for “201 area code”.
“It comes up northern New Jersey!”
“Who do you know in Jersey?”
“Nobody!”
Kaci’s cell phone rings again and it’s the same 201 number.
“Hello?”
“Jess?”
“Who’s this?”
“It’s Maks.”
“Oh hey, what’s up?”
“Are you busy?”
“We were watching a movie,” Kaci says getting a look from A.J.
“Oh, okay. I guess I mistook you. I thought you were going to call me when you guys got back to Alex’s house. I was getting worried. I tried calling his phone but it went right to voicemail.”
“Oh, sorry!”
“Well at least I know you guys are okay now.”
“Alright well, I gotta be up early in the morning.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. I will see you at the show then.”
“Okay.”
“Goodnight.”
Kaci and Maksim hang up with each other and Kaci gets a confused look from A.J.
“What?”
“Who was it?”
“Maks!”
“Are you serious? What’d he want? Wait, how’d he get your number but you not know his?”
“He wanted to make sure we got home okay. And I gave him my number earlier while at the show.”
“Oh, so I was right, you do have a thing for Maks!”
“Oh shut up Alex! I don’t even know the guy, how could I have a ‘thing’ for him?”
“Well, do you always give people you just meet your phone number?”
“I’m not even going to discuss this with you Alex because there’s nothing to discuss.”
“I’m going to bed and you need to too so that you can get up in the morning.”
“Fine, go to bed, I’ll sleep in the other room tonight.”
Kaci gets up and goes to the guest bedroom and locks the door behind her.
“What am I going to do Tyler? She looks so happy with this guy! And it’s the same guy she was at that hotel with.”
“Maybe he’s just a friend?”
“I don’t know. She’s never mentioned anything.”
“Well call her, see if she’ll mention anything.”
Jose calls Kaci, hoping she will reveal to him who this guy is and why she’s been seen with him.
“Hello?” Kaci says answering her phone.
“What, no hi baby I miss you?” Jose asks.
“Oh no, I do miss you baby! I just didn’t expect to hear from you!”
“You mean you didn’t expect me to catch you cheating on me.”
“What are you talking about? I have never cheated on you!”
“Well, according to these pictures on the internet you are!”
“Pictures on the internet, what are you talking about baby?”
“You’re in L.A. for business, right?”
“Yes,” Kaci says confused.
“Then why are there pictures on the internet of you and some guy?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Some guy. It says his name is A.J. McLean.”
“Oh my god, are you kidding me Jose?! You know who Alex is!”
“That’s Alex?”
“Yes! What else does it say?”
“It says ‘Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean and his mystery woman take a stroll along Sunset Strip to do some shopping at Ed Hardy and Kitson in Los Angeles on April 28, 2003.’”
“That’s too funny! He took me shopping because I didn’t bring anything with me. I knew they were taking pictures of us, that’s why we were doing what we were.”
“Oh. When are you coming back?”
“On the fourth, I have some things I need to handle out here. Why do you ask?”
“Tyler just bought a new house and I think I’m going to move in with him.”
“Oh,” Kaci says disappointed.
“Is that okay with you? I thought you were going to be back before I moved in with him. I don’t want you to feel like I’m leaving you or anything.”
“We’ll talk about it when I get back, I have to go,” Kaci says.
“Alright. Good luck tomorrow,” Jose says.
“Thanks.”
“Buenos noches mi amor.”
“I love you too. Goodnight.”
Kaci and Jose hang up and Kaci goes into A.J.’s room.
“Can I sleep in here with you?” Kaci asks walking into A.J.’s room and over to his bed.
“You know you don’t have to ask that,” A.J. says.
“Thanks,” Kaci says climbing into bed.
“Something’s wrong,” A.J. says noticing Kaci’s body language. “What’s going on? What happened?”
“Oh nothing. There’s just a bunch of pictures from earlier today all over the internet and Jose found them.”
“Where from?”
“When we went to Kitson and also from when we went to Ed Hardy.”
“I told you that would happen, and you said you didn’t have a problem with it!”
“I know, but I didn’t think it would get back to Jose! He’s moving out and moving in with Tyler on the first.”
“Oh, so is that why you’re upset? Because your boyfriend who’s been living with you is moving out?”
“I don’t know. I guess part of it is that. But this is the second time he’s seen pictures of us together.”
“He knows that we’re just friends though, doesn’t he?”
“He was wondering who A.J. McLean was. When I told him it was you, he was like ‘oh’ and made it seem like he was all ready to break up with me because of it until he found out who A.J. McLean was.”
“Well, do you want to know what I think?”
“You’re going to tell me either way, so I might as well say yes.”
“I think you shouldn’t worry about it. If he breaks up with you, then it’s his loss. You have an important day ahead of you and you need your rest. Now, you can either sleep in here with me or you can go sleep in the guest room. It’s up to you, but you need to get some rest!”
Kaci leans over and gives A.J. a kiss.
“Thank you. Good night Alex,” Kaci says then lays in A.J.’s arms and falls asleep.
Chapter 43/Story Index/Chapter 45/E-mail Brittany