The Gift

Chapter 7

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Eagle Point was just as Lainie had remembered it. A big, open room with tables around the walls, a stage at one end, and a dance floor in the middle. It was crowded, hot, and smoky inside, and the music blared from the speakers on the wall. The band was taking a break, and the DJ was playing all 70's stuff. AJ walked straight to the bar and ordered a coke.

"Well, looks like there's nowhere to sit," Lainie said, trying to talk over the music.

"Leave that to AJ. We'll have a table in a minute," Nick laughed. They watched as AJ surveyed the crowd. He spotted a table in the corner with two guys occupying it. AJ walked over and said a few things to the guys. They laughed, then got up and moved. AJ put his drink down, turned, and motioned for Nick and Lainie to join him.

"How the hell did he do that?" Lainie asked.

"I have no idea. He's the master. He does it everywhere we go," Nick answered, leading her to the table by her hand. They sat down and the waitress came by to get their orders.

"I'll just have an iced tea," Lainie said.

"I'll have the same, but the Long Island variety," Nick said, smirking at the waitress.

"I'll have to see your ID," the waitress replied, not amused.

"My ID?" Nick laughed. "I've never been carded in my life." He pulled out his drivers license and handed it to the waitress. She looked at the ID, then at Nick, then at the ID again.

"Thanks Nick," the waitress said, smiling. "I'll be right back with your drinks."
Lainie, Nick and AJ sat at the table, watching the people on the dance floor. Lainie could see AJ's muscles twitching with the music, and it was obvious that he wanted to dance. She chuckled.

"Get out there and show us what you can do," she said.

"I think you know what I can do," AJ quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Lainie blushed. Nick laughed and held her hand. "Don't mind him," Nick said. "He's just a flirt. He doesn't know any better." Lainie nodded.

Just then, Lainie spotted Jan and her friends, Stephanie and Jane Ann entering the bar.

"Shit," she muttered, squeezing Nick's hand and sighing heavily.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. The last time Lainie visited the bar, Jan and her friends had done their best to humiliate her. In the end, Lainie had run out in tears, vowing never to return. Lainie noticed the evil smirk on Jan's face as she crossed the room.

"Well, well," Jan said, standing in front of the table. "I can't believe my luck. Two Backstreet Boys in one day. Who'd have ever thought it?"

"Hi Jan," Nick said. "Nice to see you again."

"You, too, cutie," Jan said, winking at Nick. "Lainie, are you going to introduce me to your new friend, or do I have to introduce myself?"

"Sorry," Lainie mumbled. "AJ, this is Jan. Jan, this is AJ McLean."

"I know who you are, sexy man. I'm a big fan," Jan purred, leaning over onto the table, propping herself up with her elbows. She made sure AJ had a clear view down her shirt.

"And I think I know what you are," AJ said, smirking, "and what you want."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jan asked, the smile fading from her lips.

"Guess…" AJ said, still smirking.

"I want you to dance with me," Jan said, standing up straight.

"Well, ok. If you insist. Think you can keep up?" AJ laughed.

"But of course."

AJ slid out of the booth and took Jan's hand. As soon as they hit the dance floor, the DJ began to play Backstreet's Back. AJ threw his head back and laughed, then yelled at the top of his lungs, "OH MY GOD, I'M BACK AGAIN!"

Nick chuckled as he and Lainie watched Jan try to keep up with AJ on the dance floor. She was hopeless. She knew the moves to the song, but not well enough to hang with AJ.

"Why don't you put her out of her misery?" Lainie asked Nick. Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You wanna see me dance or something?"

"I'd love to see you dance," Lainie said, smiling. Nick's blue eye sparkled and he kissed her briefly as he got up. He joined AJ on the dance floor and gently moved Jan away. Lainie, as well as the rest of the patrons were treated to Nick and AJ, pounding out the dance moves to Backstreet's Back. That song faded, and Larger Than Life faded in. Nick looked at the DJ and laughed.

"You trying to kill us, dawg?" he yelled. The DJ gave the thumbs up sign. Everyone had moved off the dance floor just to give them room. As soon as they finished Larger Than Life, Nick held up his hand to signal the DJ to stop with the BSB songs, and he joined Lainie at the table. AJ, however, was far from finished. He jumped up on the stage with the band and began to talk to them about something.

"Oh hell," Nick said, laughing. "He just eats this shit up. He has to be the center of attention everywhere, every time."

"What's he doing?" Lainie asked.

"Just watch," Nick said, rolling his eyes.

Within a few minutes, the band began to play the first bass lines to "Brick House". AJ grabbed the mic and began to belt out the lyrics.

She's a brick… house…
She's mighty mighty
Just lettin' it all hang out

The crowd was loving it. Everyone was dancing and having a great time. Lainie was just enjoying watching AJ perform.

"Come dance with me," Nick said, nudging her.

"I can't dance," she replied, looking down at her glass of tea.

"Sure you can. Anybody can dance."

"But I don’t wanna look like an idiot."

"You won't look like an idiot," Nick chided. "Come on. I love this song. AJ does a great job. We can't just sit here like a couple of dorks while he's up there showing off."

"Let's let him be the dork, ok?" Lainie begged. She really didn't want to get out on the dance floor with Jan and her friends. She felt too self-conscious. They'd make fun of her if she wasn't any good. She had been dancing in front of her mirror for years, but she had never had the courage to actually dance in front of anybody.

"Lainie, be my brave little soldier," Nick said in a mock serious tone. He grabbed her hand and half-dragged her onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She draped her arms over his shoulders and they began to dance to Brick House. To her surprise, she was able to keep up with Nick very well. He was probably going easy on her. That had to be it. He was an awesome dancer.

"See? You can dance," Nick murmured in her ear. He then kissed her neck. She felt a shiver travel through her body. Lainie found her own fingers traveling up the back of Nick's neck, through the soft hair on the back of his head, urging him to continue kissing her neck. What the hell am I doing? she thought. There are people watching! Nick's lips found hers, and he gave her a long, passionate kiss, right in front of the whole place.

Suddenly, Jane Ann exclaimed, "Oh my GOD look! He's kissing LAINIE MATTHEWS! What the HELL?? Does he not know about her?" Her voice was loud enough to be heard all the way in Atlanta. Everyone in the entire bar stopped and looked at Nick and Lainie.

"Ok, can I go die now?" Lainie said, pulling away from Nick. She ran for the door and quickly found herself outside, sobbing against the car. Nick followed, but at a slower pace. He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Lainie," he whispered, "don't let these people get to you, ok? They're jerks. They don’t know you like I do. They just don't appreciate the person that you are. You're beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met."

"Nick," Lainie said bitterly, turning to face him, "maybe you're the one who doesn't know me. You've known me for what? Two days. These people have known me my entire life. Maybe I really am a loser, and you just don't realize it yet. Maybe they're right about me and you're wrong.."

"They're not right about you. I'm am. I'm always right. And don't you ever forget it. Seriously, have any of them ever sat down and talked to you like I have? Have any of them ever spent any meaningful time with you? I'd venture to say that they haven't. Even though I've only known you for two days, I am 100% positive that I know you better than they do. I see the real you. They see what they want to see."

Lainie stared up at him for a minute. Nick used the back of his fingers to wipe the tears from her cheeks. He kissed her forehead.

"You ready to go home?" he asked.

"Definitely."

"Ok. I'll go get AJ. You wanna come with me, or do you wanna stay out here?"

"I'll stay out here, thank you."

"Suit yourself," Nick said, shrugging. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Ok."

A few minutes later, Nick returned with AJ. Nick was laughing and AJ had a scowl on his face.

"What's wrong?" Lainie asked. "Oh wait, you didn't want to leave yet, did you?"

"No. I was more than ready to leave," AJ spat.

"You should have seen him," Nick said, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "He told that chick off so bad, he had her in tears."

"You told Jane Ann off?" Lainie asked incredulously.

"Hell yeah. What a fucking bitch! She interrupted my song," AJ said.

"Yeah, and tell her what else you said to her," Nick laughed.

"I told her she was a washed up high school cheerleader with nothing better to do than try to make people feel bad about themselves so that maybe it would draw attention away from her own rather large ass, which appeared to be growing in front of my very eyes. I also told her she was just jealous because Nick wasn't into trailer trash, and she would never stand a chance with him. Then I asked her if she looked in the mirror before she left her trailer and thought to herself 'yeah, this is the look I'm going for… bleached out cotton candy hair, too much blue eye shadow, and an outfit that looks like it was bought on the bargain rack at Kmart.' I think I hurt her feelings."

Lainie burst out laughing and hugged AJ. "My hero," she said.

"Hey, you keep hugging me like that and I'm gonna show you a hero," AJ growled, grabbing Lainie's ass. She jumped back and slapped his arm lightly.

"Pervert," she laughed. "Ok, it's getting awfully cold out here. Let's get home. Maybe I've still got some firewood and we can put a fire in old Edward's fireplace."

They got into the car and headed home, laughing all the way about how AJ told off Jane Ann. Lainie decided she liked AJ. He was brash and crude, and he cursed way too much, but he was a genuinely nice person. As AJ would say, she was learning to appreciate him.

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