Swollen Issues - Chapter Thirteen
"Oh not again," Kevin Richardson growled when the phone rang for the third time in ten
minutes.
The first time it was Bruce, telling him that they had to be at the lobby at 7:30 p.m. sharp,
since the limo would be there taking the boys to the dinner. The second call was from
Howie, trying to convince him that he should come down to the bar and take a drink.
Kevin had begged it off, hearing the disappointment in Howie’s voice. He was set to take
a couple of hours rest before meeting the public again.
A thought about skipping answering the phone, crossed his mind. He felt way to good
standing in the shower, feeling the hot water rinse away all his worries.But a second
thought popped up. It could be Kristin calling and he didn´t want to miss this opportunity
to get to hear his wife’s voice. It had been less than three days since they had seen each
other and he missed her,desperately
He felt a pain in his heart when he watched Brian and Leighanne being together. Even AJ
and Sarah set his emotions into a spin. Kevin was not normally an emotional man on the
outside, in fact, he had a hard time showing his emotions. But inside his heart they
ruptured like a volcano.
With his wife in mind, he turned off the tap and pushed the shower door aside. Grabbing a
towel, he wrapped it around his waist as he walked into the bedroom., the phone still
ringing.
This better be important, he murmured, noticing that water dripped all over the floor.
Kevin was a perfectionist and he hated messy rooms, water on the floor included
especially when stepping into it with stocking feet.
Lifting the receiver, he growled, "Yeah, Kevin here".
On the other side there was lots of music and laughter. He had a hard time making out
some voices. It sounded like a big party was going on at the other end of the line.
"Hello?" he asked once more. Irritation crept into his voice. He was just about to hang up
when a slurred voice called out "Kev?"
Kevin recognized the owner of the slurred voice as Nick.
"Yeah what do you want?" he asked a bit annoyed. Obviously Nick had been drinking and
this set his temper rising.
Nick had a bad tolerance for alcohol, even if it had improved a bit since he became
drinking buddy with Howie. Howie was a great guy, but he was a bad influence on Nick
when it came to clubbing. Kevin had several times tried to talk sense into both of the guys,
but Howie had get out of the situation saying that Nick was a big boy and that Kevin
should butt out, claiming he was being too damned parental.
That might be true, but growing up with Nick and seeing his ups and downs for ten years
had the older man experiecing some true feelings for the blonde. Nick was an annoying
brat and they had been in lots of fights over the years. Still Kevin felt overprotective and
he didn´t like when people took advantage of Nick’s immaturity. He was way too easily
led into bad situations that weren’t good for him.
Shuddering, Kevin remembered that time after WangoTango. Some of the guys from the
band and crew including Howie had really egged Nick on, getting him to drink. By the
time they go on the plane, Nick was drunk as a skunk. They had even threw cake a teach
other. At first Nick had been all giggling, then he had started to feel badly and Howie was
nowhere in sight. Kevin had been left with a puking Nick, in the small airplane bathroom.
It sucked. But somebody had to do the dirty work since Brian had experienced a bad
headache, and was in no shape to deal with a hungover Nick.
After that stint, Nick had been sick for days and Kevin had been upset with Howie for
leading him onto such adventures.
Nicks voice had him back into reality again."You know that time in Germany," he started.
Kevin listened, waiting for the next move." Yeah?" he replied, not following Nick’s
lead....at least just not yet.
“That time when you were at that party and you had the flu and some woman was offering
you some stuff to drink for your stomach and you were cured instantly?" Nick talked
without getting his breath, leaving Kevin to wonder how he did that.
"What was that called? The drink? It had something with the military to do," Nick slurred.
"What?" Kevin asked, confused. Sometimes it was hard following Nick’s tracks, and this
was such a time.
Nick seemed a bit annoyed, "You know..that brown stuff that tasted like cough syrup?"
Thinking for a moment, Kevin blurted out "You mean Jeagermeister?" he asked, while his
mind set off wondering where Nick was going with that drink.
"Jeagermeister, yup that´s it. Bye". With that Kaos was gone before Kevin had a chance to
tell him what he thought about his friend drinking. Especially in the shape that he
apparently was in.
Shaking his head, Kevin was left confused. He could never and possibly ever understand
this kid.
*~*~*~*~*
"Should I wear this?" Leighanne was showing the dresses she had bought earlier that day,
while her husband lay on the bed. Drinking in her sight, a content smile was on his face.
"Everything looks good on a beautiful woman," he mumbled, reaching out to grab her
waist. "Come here," he cajoled. "I need you."
"Brian," she said, making a resistment. "We have no time, we have to go down to the
lobby in less than an hour and I´m not dressed yet." Panic shone in her voice.
"An hour?..honey I just need three minutes", Brian laughed, not intending to let her go.
"You’re dirty minded," Leighanne laughed and slapped her husband’s arm, playfully.
"I know..do you wanna find out in what degree?" he whispered, then nibbling her ear in a
way that usually set her into action.
"Stop it," Leiganne smiled, trying to get out off his grip. He payed no notice to this and
they started to kiss passionately.
"Oh, god, I wish that we could skip this dinner," he murmured while tracing his hand
further up under her dress.
"Me too, maybe we can play hooky," Leighanne whispered, then captured her husband’s
mouth in a passionate kiss.
"Yeah, honey.. that´s it, uh, don’t stop," Brian moaned.
In a snap she with drew her hand, teasing him "Too bad. We have duties to be done. Now
get up it´s your turn to hit the shower."
"Honey.. why..oh that felt so good," he murmured while getting back to his senses again.
This dinner was starting to feel like a bad idea. Maybe he should really skip out of it,
saying that he felt sick. That he had caught what ever Nick had got. He and Leighanne.
Bruce would have a fit.
His thoughts drifted over to his friend, who had seemed to be so out of it the whole day.
"Lee," he frowned. " Do you know some kind of disease that makes the neck swell?"
"Why? Are you sick?" she asked, her face a mask of concern.
"No, not me. Nick has some strange swelling on his neck and today during the fan
conference I thought he would barf right there on stage.”
"Oh poor him," Leiganne thought for a moment then she said "Yes there is Strep throat.
Or he could have slept in a bad position or”.. she stopped, smiling to herself, "Or it could
be the mumps!"
"Mumps?" Brian asked, "but isn´t that some kind of children’s disease?"
"Yes, but I´m sure that it´s not it since Nick should be vaccinated like all kids that are his
age."
"Okay, anyway the flu bug that he caught is so nasty, and I hope it isn´t passed around to
the rest of us because I´ll tell you, if it does, then we are in for a real treat." Brian
shuddered while uttering the words.
"Poor guy, and he has to go to the dinner party as well?" Leighanne asked, feeling all
concerned for Brian’s friend.
"Yeah, there’s no way that Bruce is letting him stay back. Bruce can be so hard on Nick.
Pushing him in a way like if Nick was some kind of robot, without feelings or needs,"
Brian decided.
"I see, well is he in his bed resting now?", she contiued, setting Brian’s mind into action.
"He should be since he really needs that rest," Brian stood up, ready to hit the shower.
Frowning, Leighanne asked " You don´t think that he could be at Howies pre-party do
you?"
Brian thought for a second, then he concluded, "No, not even Frack can be that stupid!"
Chapter 14