"Do you ever get up early?" AJ asked when Kristen walked into the kitchen at one in the afternoon to make herself a cappuccino.
"I'm tired so sue me. What are we doing tonight anyways?" Kristen asked setting her coffee mug down on the table and wrapping her arms around AJ's neck from behind since he was sitting down at the table.
"I'm just taking you out for a special night is all."
"And what exactly are we going to be doing?"
"You like going to the beach right?"
"Oh yeah that reminds me," Kristen said getting off AJ's lap and picking up the telephone. "I have to call Toni so she can come over and help me get ready."
"Can't you girls ever get ready on your own?"
"Yeah but I'm saving myself the time and aggravation of doing it myself. If I have to look nice I get picky about the way my hair is done or something. So if I have Toni do it and it looks bad I can just blame her."
"I can see the love in the friendship," AJ said sarcastically. "Dinner is at six so be ready by five-thirty please." Kristen got on the phone and called Toni and she said she would be there by three-thirty that way they would have two hours to get her ready. When three-thirty came around the door bell rang and AJ got up and answered it to see Toni standing on the other side with a bag of stuff that she was carrying. "What is all that stuff for?"
"It's make-up and hair stuff. You said you wanted Kristen to look nice so I'm going to make her look that way," Toni said.
"Don't make her look fake."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means I actually want to look at her face instead of a bunch of make-up that is covering it."
"Shut up AJ. I've always made her look nice before, haven't I?"
"Yes you have. Now just out of curiosity, when you and Nick are going out for a nice evening or something do you have Kristen get you ready?" AJ asked trying to figure out what Kristen's problem was with having other people do her hair and make-up.
"No, I trust myself. Kristen doesn't if that's what you mean."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I swear you two make no sense!"
"That's great really it is but where is Kristen?"
"My room I think."
"K, you can get ready in the guest bathroom."
"I'm being kicked out of my own bathroom now?
"Yes," Toni said as she went to AJ's room. She walked in and saw Kristen sitting on the floor going through a bunch of shoes. "What are you doing?"
"We should have gone to a shoe store yesterday. I have no shoes to wear with the outfit I bought."
"Just wear those platform heals of yours. They will match plus they will make you taller so you won't have to stand on your toes to kiss AJ," Toni said with a smile.
"I don't find that very funny Toni."
"I know I'm sorry you still wouldn't be able to reach him. How do you guys do it with you being so short?"
"Do what?" Kristen asked as she grabbed her clothes to go into the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed.
"Do it, as in having sex you know? Your really short and AJ's not. Do you guys have like positions or something?"
"Please tell me I heard you wrong," Kristen said looking at her weird and Toni shook her head no. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What?" Toni asked confused. "I was just asking you a simple question why don't you answer it?"
"Do I ask you about your and Nick's sex life?"
"No, would you like to know something? I'd be happy to share with ya."
"I know you would but personally I don't want to know," Kristen said as she went into the bathroom shutting the door behind her so she could take a shower. When she got out she put on the shirt she bought and then a pair of pajama pants and wrapped her hair up into a towel and walked into AJ's room where Toni was sitting on the bed.
"That looks really attractive," Toni said when she saw what she was wearing.
"Shut up. I don't want to put the skirt on right now and if I put the shirt on after my hair is done it'll get messed up." Toni and Kristen went into the bathroom while Toni did her make-up. When she was done she took the towel out of Kristen's hair then brushed her hair out and blow dried it straight. She then started doing her hair while Kristen painted her nails in a French manicure.
"How many times exactly have you and AJ had sex?" Toni asked out of the middle of no where.
"Okay, can you please explain to me why all of a sudden you are asking me about my sex life with AJ?"
"Well, when I was in the hospital there wasn't exactly much for me to do. Sure Nick was there most of the time but it still got boring so I had a lot to think about."
"Do I want to know what you thought about it?" Kristen asked hoping Toni wouldn't tell her.
"Yes you do. I was thinking about how when we were sixteen we would stay on the phone really late at night talking about if Nick and Howie were any good in bed. Just for the record Nick proved to be really good."
"Thanks Toni for that wonderful information that I did not want to know."
"So you and Nick never had sex when you were dating?" Toni asked shocked.
"No we didn't. And just for the record," Kristen said mocking Toni. "It was my decision not his."
"What the hell is wrong with you? How could you not want to screw him?"
"Okay can we not talk about ex boyfriends?"
"Fine, but it's a good thing you two didn't do it or I would have kicked your ass. Anyways, back to the original subject. We always use to both agree that AJ would have to be the best in bed out of all the guys with all his pelvic thrusts and humping the stage that he did in concert. I know you haven't slept with Howie so you have to tell me if AJ lived up to the standards we gave him. So spill it or I won't leave you alone."
"Fine. It was really sweet. AJ knew that the reason why I didn't have sex with Nick or with him before that was because I was afraid they would leave me like Jessi did when he went and cheated on me with Cassie. He was really sweet, he even asked if I was ready to go all the way with him," Kristen said with a smile on her face. "Then my dad walked in," she said changing the tone in her voice.
"What about the other times?"
"There were no other times. That was the first and last time we've had sex together."
"Are you serious?" Toni asked disbelieving.
"Yes, I'm serious."
"No way! There's no way AJ could last that long! I have to go ask him!" Toni said running out of the bathroom as Kristen yelled at her not to. She ran to the guest bathroom and barged in to see AJ standing in front of the sink shaving wearing nothing but a towel.
"Do you mind?" AJ asked.
"Actually I don't. I have a serious question that I want a serious answer to. How many times have you and Kristen gone at it?"
"Let me guess. You asked Kristen and she wouldn't tell you so you come to me. If she doesn't want you knowing then I'm not going to say."
"No she told me you guys did it once I just don't believe her."
"Well believe her then."
"Are you serious! I can't believe me and Nick have done it more than you two!" AJ grabbed Toni by the shoulders and pushed her backwards until she was out of the bathroom and then he shut the door and locked it. Toni went back into the other bathroom to see Kristen sitting there looking at her weird. "What?"
"How much surge have you had today?"
"Four cans I think, why?"
"Because that would explain your hyperactive mood. Now finish my hair please." Toni finished doing her hair then Kristen got up and put her nylons, skirt, and shoes on. She was wearing a long black skirt that had slits up both sides of her legs that went a couple of inches above her knees. Her shirt was sleeveless, not too low cut V-neck that was light blue. All around the shirt on the edges was a black trim. Her hair was parted down the middle and then put up in a claw clip in the back with her hair coming out the top and it was curled around the clip so you couldn't see it was there and her bangs were curled. All in her hair were little pink, blue, and purple, rose gems. She was wearing a silver Y-necklace that went perfect with the V-neck shirt. "How do I look?" Kristen asked.
"Great. Whatever happened to the promise ring AJ gave you?" Toni asked as she looked at the rings on Kristen's fingers and didn't see the ring AJ had given her.
"I don't know. I lost it that night we were taken to the hospital. I remember taking it out of my jewelry box and clutching it in my hand but when I woke up it wasn't there," Kristen said upset that she lost it.
"I've got it," AJ said coming into the room wearing a black suit and tie. "Nick found it on the ground when they were putting you in the ambulance I think," AJ said putting the ring back on her finger.
"Thank you," Kristen said wrapping her arms around AJ as she kissed him.
"Okay you know what? I'm out of here. I don't want to watch you two make out before you even leave. Have fun, bye," Toni said walking out of the room while AJ and Kristen were still kissing.
"I've missed kissing you like that," AJ said when they pulled apart.
"I'm sorry about those couple of months. I really am."
"I know and I don't hold anything against you. Come on we're going to be late for dinner," AJ said taking Kristen's hand as they left his place and got in his car. AJ drove to a fancy Italian restaurant that Kristen had never been before. When he parked he got out of the car and went to the passenger side and opened the door for Kristen and closed it while she took his arm as they went inside. They were seated as soon as they got there since AJ had made reservations. They ordered their food and when it arrived and they started eating. Kristen noticed that AJ wasn't saying much all through dinner.
"Is something wrong?" Kristen asked him.
"No, why do you ask that?"
"I don't know, you haven't said much and you just look a little nervous."
"Oh sorry. I was just thinking about some stuff."
"Like what?"
"I'll let you know a little later okay?"
"Okay," Kristen said confused. After dinner AJ took Kristen to the movies. Throughout the whole movie Kristen had her head laying on AJ's shoulder while he had his arm wrapped around her. After the movie it was pretty late and AJ drove to the beach and him and Kristen got out and walked around under a full moon. It was a little chilly outside so AJ took off the jacket to his suit and put it around Kristen. "Are you going to tell me what you were thinking about that was making you look so nervous now?" Kristen asked him after about fifteen minutes of silence as they walked hand in hand.
"Yeah. I guess now is the right time, come on," AJ said as they walked farther up the beach so they could sit down without getting wet from the small waves.
"So what is it?"
"I'll tell you but I don't want you to say a word until I'm finished because I have a lot to say." Kristen agreed afraid of what AJ was going to tell her since she was thinking the whole night was a fancy way of breaking up with her. "Okay here goes. Those few months that you wouldn't speak to me killed me. It broke my heart in two. I tried not to show it but it was showing clearly in my performance during our tour and I was constantly being yelled at by Kevin. I couldn't wait to get home just to see your face even though I knew for a fact you wouldn't speak to me. When I did get home I was disappointed to see that you weren't there. I was thinking that you found some guy and were dating him. I was crushed and just went to bed. Next I know Nick is at my house yelling at me to get my ass out of bed. He told me that you were in the hospital and a million thoughts were running through my head," AJ said as his eyes began to fill with tears as he thought about when Kristen was in the hospital. "Doctors told me you wouldn't have long to live and I wanted to be there to die with you. If you had left me I don't know what I would have done."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Kristen asked confused.
"I'm trying to say that ever since the day I found out you were pregnant I knew exactly what I wanted in life," AJ said reaching into the pocket in his jacket that Kristen was wearing and pulling out a small box. Kristen's eyes started to fill with tears of happiness as she figured out what AJ was getting at. "I want to live the rest of my life with you and I would be the luckiest man alive if you would marry me," AJ said as he opened the box showing the ring. "So what do you say?" AJ asked as he looked Kristen in the eyes with a smile on his face. Kristen nodded head yes with a huge smile on her face as AJ took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger above the promise ring he gave her. AJ wrapped his arms around Kristen as they fell back into the sand and shared their first kiss of the beginning of the rest of their lives together.
Read the sequal "Tryin' Times"!
