“God, that was delicious,” he exclaimed.
“It’s good to see you eating for a change,” she observed.
Nick chuckled. “Now that’s something I figured I’d never hear coming out of anyone’s mouth.” He burped loudly and then quickly excused himself. “Sorry. Hey, what’s for dessert?”
“Slow it down some there kiddo, you stomach was pretty upset earlier, you don’t want to overdo it,” Brian lectured.
Nick looked at him sheepishly. “Yeah, I better back off, maybe later I guess we can have that. Ya know, Julie was supposed to have her visit with her oncologist today and find out her test results.”
“Oh?” Leighanne replied as she took a plate off the table. Brian jumped up to help his wife.
“Yeah, she said there were some things that the doctor saw and wanted to check out but she didn’t really go into detail about it. I wonder what’s going on with her,” Nick wondered outloud as he played with the fork on the table.
“Why don’t you call her and find out?” Brian suggested.
Nick shook his head. “No, I’d feel bad if it’s something not good news and I don’t want to make her upset. Hey, Frick, ready to get your ass beat on PS2?”
Brian grinned. This was the old Nick he grew to know and love. “Yeah, after I get done with dishes, you’re on!”
“Brian, you can go ahead and play with Nick, there really isn’t that much to do in the kitchen, the pan has to soak anyway, so go!”
Brian followed Nick into the den. His love of video games was evident judging by the large library of games that overflowed the shelves. Nick had a room that was dedicated to strictly video games and he hated being parted from it when they were touring.
Grabbing a controller and situating himself in the large black leather recliner, he gestured towards the shelves with a nod. “Your choice dude.”
Brian looked over the games not sure of which one to play on the wide screen television. “Oh, I dunno, how about some basketball?”
“Sounds fine by me,” Nick agreed.
Pulling the game out and placing it into the playstation system, Brian grinned back at Nick. “You can never go wrong with basketball and I’m taking the Pistons!”
“Ha, like that’s gonna help you any!” Nick laughed dryly. “I’ll take the Lakers. Be prepared to go down.”
Leighanne shook her head as she entered the den. “You two are simply amazing!” She settled down on the armrest of Brian’s chair and he accidently elbowed her in the side.
Brian’s eyes widened. “Ohmygod, are you okay?”
Leighanne laughed. “Yeah, I’m okay, I think I better sit on the sofa or you’ll wind up knocking me off the seat.”
“Wuss,” Nick taunted as he expertly manuvered his man down the court for a perfect layup.
“Hey, no fair, I was preoccupied!” Brian protested.
“You’re always preoccupied!” Nick and Leighanne shot back.
“Yeah..yeah..yeah,” Brian replied.
Leighanne watched with amusement as both Nick and Brian were concentrating on the game, both had their tongues slightly poking out from the corner of their mouths.
Nick’s expression left his face quickly when the phone started ringing. Both men stopped their playing the game and stared at the telephone sitting on the stand between the chairs.
“You gonna answer that?” Brian questioned.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno.” He wondered if it was his mother calling. He didn’t feel in the mood to be confronted by her just yet.
“It could be Julie,” Leighanne pointed out.
With that suggestion made, Nick quickly tossed the controller down and snatched the phone from it’s cradle. “Hello?”
Brian and Leighanne studied Nick’s face as he answered the phone. His face went from a happy expression to a pained expression. The couple glanced at one another and then back at Nick’s face.
“Oh, hi Kevin,” Nick stated in a tense voice.
They waited nervously as they couldn’t help but listen to Nick’s side of the conversation.
“Yeah I’m......no.......no......NO.....yeah.....no it’s not what you think......NO....no way man.....Kev...Kev....no....no.....yeah.....no....I’m what?....NO.....hey, I gotta go...nice talkin to ya bye.”
Nick clicked the phone off and threw it across the room, watching the receiver shatter when it made contact with the wall.
“Okay, that was pretty intelligent,” Brian pointed out as he surveyed the plastic shards laying on the carpet.
“Well, I feel better now,” Nick replied, folding his arms defensively across his chest.
“I take it that was Kevin that called?”
“Yeah Einstein, it was Mister Know-it-all,” Nick snapped.
Brian looked hurt. “Hey now, don’t get mad at me. Can I ask what he wanted?”
Nick stared at the paused game on the television screen and sighed. “He said he heard some things so naturally he has to call me to find out if the shit was true or not.”
“What things?” Brian questioned.
“Oh, stupid stuff.”
Brian realized that this was going to be another twenty question session with Nick trying to get the info out of him about the phone call. “Okay, what kind of stupid stuff?”
“I guess some people saw me getting sick on the way home from chemo and it got on the internet and it was in chatrooms and on the message boards and people are making a big deal over it,” Nick replied angrily. “Kevin got wind of it from someone and he automatically thinks I’m drunk or something or worse.”
“Or worse?”
“Yeah like I’m doing drugs,” Nick spat.
“Did he listen to you denying it at all?” Leighanne asked.
Nick shook his head. “I doubt it, but I really don’t care what Kevin Richardson thinks. He’s in his own little fantasy world with Kristin and that’s all that matters to him anyway so he can take a fuckin’ leap.”
Brian shot an angry glare at Nick for his choice of words.
“Sorry Leigh, but that’s the way I feel,” Nick apologized.
“It’s okay hun, I understand,” Leighanne sympathsized.
Nick picked up the controller and turned the game back on. “Okay, Brian lemme finish whippin your ass now!”
