Road Doc
Chapter 44
“Where’s AJ?” Brian asked as everyone gathered for their afternoon sound check.
“Haven’t seen him” Howie answered.
“Well damn” Brian said, plopping down on the edge of the stage.
A few minutes later, AJ staggered onto stage, large circles beneath his eyes.
“Let’s get the row on the shoad!” he shouted and then laughed.
Brian gave him a puzzled look and then shook his head. AJ was obviously tipsy, not an uncommon occurrence at sound check, but one that still ticked Brian off every time.
“Okay guys, let’s get this over with” shouted Gary, the stage director.
“Wait!” Brian shouted. “I have something to tell everyone”
Everyone gathered around Brian, including the band and several members of the crew.
“I just wanted y’all to be the first to know...” he said, looking around at everyone and smiling broadly.
“I wanted you to know that I’m getting married” he said, taking a deep breath and
waiting for everyone’s reaction.
Stunned could be the only word used to describe the looks on everyone’s faces, especially Nicks.
“God spoke to me a few days ago” Brian continued, looking directly at Nick. “He told me that I need to do this. He told me that it’s time.”
“Congrats man” Howie said, the first to make a move. He hugged Brian and walked
away. Howie knew that Brian and Leighanne had been seeing each other for quite some time. He supposed it was indeed about time they made things official.
“Way to go, cuz” Kevin said, shaking Brian’s hand. Kevin’s mind was numb. He felt like shit, he looked like shit. He was not dealing well with the beginning effects of withdrawal, and this news really didn’t register in his head.
“Two words, man” AJ said, walking over to Brian after the band had offered their
congratulations. “Bachelor Party!!!”
“I’ll get the strippers and the booze. We’ll have...”
Brian wasn’t listening. Nick sat on the edge of the stage, his head hung low. His mind was a whirl-wind of thoughts. Brian had been his best friend for eight years. They had done everything together. Since the day that Brian had made advances at him, Nick had thought of no one else. He was kicking himself for not taking Brian up on his suggestion, even if it might have been a one time thing. Now Brian was announcing that he was getting married. That meant no more best friend, and most upsetting to Nick, no more chances of being with Brian in the most intimate of ways.
Brian walked over to Nick and sat down. AJ followed, still rambling about naked women and kegs of beer. Brian turned around and shot AJ a look that could have burned a hole through him. AJ, not in his fullest mental capacity, did not notice and plopped down between Nick and Brian.
“So, I’ve got this great idea” AJ said loudly. “We’ll just all fly to the Chicken Ranch. You know that place in...uh...Utah?”
“Nevada” Nick said quietly
“Yeah, whatever, Nevada. Anyway...I hear that you can go there and the women there are just amazing and...”
“Why are you doing this?” Nick asked, leaning back and looking over at Brian.
“Why? Damn man, dude only gets married to his first wife once!” AJ said.
“AJ, shut up and leave us alone” Brian snapped.
AJ looked at Brian, surprised. He looked at Nick who’s head was still hung low.
Realizing he was interrupting he shrugged, got up and left.
“Why are you doing this?” Nick asked again, looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation.
“What do you mean? I love Leigh, you know that” Brian said calmly.
“Last time we talked you didn’t mention her. As a matter of fact, only thing you could talk about was fucking me” Nick said, hurt filling his voice.
“Nick!” Brian said, turning around to see if anyone had heard him. “Look, I know you don’t understand, but just be happy for me”
“Yeah, right” Nick said with a sarcastic laugh. He got up and walked away.
Brian’s heart sank. He was torn. He had gone to Nick in a state of shock. He didn’t understand Nick’s choice of lifestyle, and for the first time since they’d known each other, he and Nick weren’t doing everything together. He had truly wanted to be with Nick that day, although in retrospect he realized that it wasn’t something he probably could have actually gone through with.
Nick, on the other hand would have gone through with it had he not been so startled by Brians advances. It was all he had been able to think about since the moment Brian had left his room. He had truly never thought of Brian in that way before, at least not that he could remember, but he had always felt a certain love for him. He realized now that the love he felt for him went far beyond any brotherly type love. And now the man he loved was engaged to be married
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