Talk to Me
| Chapter 2 Walking into the party neither was sure who was more surprised to see each other, the girls or AJ. AJ with his typical twisted sense of humor came dressed as a Monk. “Whoa! Hey Evie. Kris? Is that you under that hood?” AJ had to squint his eyes, even though it really didn’t help, due to the black light and flashing strobes in the club. Kris pushed her hood back just a little. “Yeah, it’s me AJ. How’ve you been?” “Oh, WOW, Kris! Cool eyes! I didn’t realize they made contacts like that. I’ve been great. You?” Evie answered, “You’d be amazed at what you can find at Pearl Vision for Halloween. The glowing green cat eyes are nothing; they had these others that were totally whited out. Man, in here, it’d throw you for a loop, I’m sure.” Evie was happy to see AJ again. But got a little nervous because where there’s an AJ there’s also usually a Nick close by. “Yeah, I saw these when I went to pick up my prescription contacts. Evie convinced me at the last minute today to go back and get them. I’ve been ok. Busy, ya know.” “So, AJ, you here alone?” Evie questioned. AJ chuckled. “Not very subtle, are you? Nick’s around here somewhere. So are Howie and a few others we came with. In this crowd though, I’m even having a hard time finding them, and I know what they’re wearing. I can’t believe I actually saw you guys.” “Lucky, I guess.” Kris answered, suddenly very uncomfortable that Nick was here, and obviously not alone, if she understood AJ correctly. A few others, that had to mean their dates, right? Why did her stomach just drop to her knees? As much as she dreaded running into him tonight of all nights, especially if he had a date, she had wished on so many occasions that they could have the chance to talk. But, after the argument they had she doubted that he would want to listen to anything she had to say anymore. **Sigh** “Well, I guess we’ll let you get back to your crowd. It was great seeing you AJ.” “Hey, no way! Now that I got ya here, I’m not letting you go.” AJ laughed and put his arm around Evie. Grabbing Kris’s hand he pulled them deeper into the club. “So, what’cha ladies drinkin’ tonight?” “What’cha buying?” Evie quipped. “Evie!” Kris was wide-eyed. “Anything you want.” AJ winked at both the girls. “Well, then, I guess I’ll start with....Long Island Iced Tea.” That was Evie’s main drink. “Kris?” “Nope. Nothing for me. I gotta be at work in about 2 hours.” Kris knew Evie was catching a cab home, so she didn’t worry about her drinking. “Well then it looks like you and me are going to be the only 2 sober people in this joint. We can laugh at everyone else making fools of themselves. Sounds like fun, don’t it?” AJ wiggled his eyebrows up and down and cackled the way only AJ can. “Kris, you are NOT leaving me here alone with this madman tonight!” Evie joked. “Hey, you’re the one who’s bright idea it was to come here. Besides, he’s harmless.” “Hey! I’ve worked long and hard for my reputation. You just can’t label me as harmless like that.” He pouted. “Oh, AJ, pouting is not becoming of you, dear.” Evie laughed and patted his cheek. Kris never really noticed it before, but there definitely was something between those two. Maybe it was just their outgoing, over-the-top nature the two of them had. “Aje, man. There you are. What’cha doing over here hogging all the pretty ladies?” Howie stated to AJ. Then over his shoulder, “Nick I found the scrawny guy. He’s here trying to keep the two best looking ladies in the house all to himself.” “Naw man. You can’t be doing tha...” As soon as Nick walked up to the group he knew instantly one of the “ladies” was Kristyne. “Kristyne, I ahh, wow, you guys look great.” “Kristyne? As in THE Kristyne?” Howie blurted. “Yeah, D. You remember Kristyne from the 4th of July party at my house.” Nick blushed at Howie’s statement. “This is Evelynn. You remember, she was at the party too.” Howie, gentleman that he always tries to be, again kissed both their hands. “Did you guys just get here?” “Yup.” Evie said. Kris just nodded her head. Neither her nor Nick had taken their eyes off of each other. Looking at Kris, then laughing, Evie added, “AJ here was just about to get us some drinks. Well, me a drink. Kris leaves for work in a bit.” Nick saw an opening. “How’s it going at work, Kris? Find out anything behind the Captain rumors?” Kris somehow found her voice. “Ummm, yeah. Ummm. They want to promote me, but the by-laws state you have to be with the squad for over a year before you can make rank of Captain.” “If you ask me it is a dumb law! She’s always at work for them and has even started doing some moonlighting in the ER.” Evie piped in. “As what?” AJ and Howie asked in unison. Nick answered before Evie could. “Kris has her BSN. She’s a registered nurse. It wasn’t until after she got her degree that she got involved with the rescue squad.” Then to Kris, “Why are you working in the ER?” “Just keeping up on my skills. I worked too hard for my RN just to let it go completely to waste.” Howie was extremely impressed. “You have all that, and you’re what? 21-22?” Evie, Kris, and Nick all three laughed and then said at the same time, “She’s 24.” Howie was stunned. “24! Holy Simolies! You sure don’t look it, girl.” Kris had begun to feel a bit too uncomfortable with all the talk centered on her. Luckily at that moment AJ returned with Evie’s drink and following him were a few other guys and girls she didn’t recognize. She figured they were the friends and dates of Nick, AJ, and Howie. She was just saying a silent prayer of thanks that they might actually get away from this group when Howie asked her to dance. She had no where to go, and no excuse to offer. She said yes. The entire time she was dancing she could feel Nick’s stare. She had even managed to get a glimpse of him a couple of times, as well as the rest of the group. AJ and Evie were deep in conversation and doing a lot of laughing. The others had gathered around Nick and were talking to each other, but Nick was just looking at her. She couldn’t remember a time when she felt more uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Howie. What did you say?” Lost in thought she didn’t even realize Howie was asking her a question. “I said, how come you and Nick don’t talk? You seemed to get along at the party, and I know he likes you.” Peacekeeper, matchmaker, hey they all were the same. “Likes me? How do you know that? Things didn’t exactly go smoothly for us. In fact, I’d say they ended rather harshly.” Howie just smiled. “I know, because I know Nick. When you live with someone night and day for 9 years you get to know him pretty well. I know that he hasn’t taken his eyes off of you for a second since he realized you were here. I know when he was telling me about your degree there was admiration in his voice, something Nick doesn’t give easily. I know that what ever happened between the two of you is bothering him just as much as it is bothering you. And before you try to deny it, I know it is bothering you too, or you wouldn’t keep looking over to him. You wouldn’t tremble every I say his name. And you wouldn’t have given that involuntary smile when he first walked up to you.” “How? Never mind. I give up trying to figure all this out. It just doesn’t seem like it’s meant to work out Howie. Our lives are completely different. My life is very busy and crazy. In fact, it has only been recently that I have been able to finally get control over my life again. He doesn’t need all that complication in his life.” “Why don’t you let him decide what he needs in his life, instead of trying to decide for him?” Howie smiled at Kris. Kris returned the smile. Just then the song ended and the DJ picked up the tempo of things. Returning to the group with Howie, Kris found AJ and Evie noticeably not there. ‘How could she just leave me like this?’ Kris thought to herself. ‘Now what am I gonna do?’ “Hey. They just went over to our tables to sit and talk. Come on, I’ll show ya.” Nick had noticed the ever so brief look of panic on Kris’s face. ‘Oh, great. She convinces me to come to this party and then she is going to subject me to Backstreet Boy exposure all night!’ But when they got to the table, Kris was all smiles. At least Evie was having fun. Poking Evie in the arm she joked, “Hey where’d ya go?” For the next 90 minutes Kris and Evie hung out with Howie, AJ, Nick, and who Kris found out to happened to be a few of Nick’s friends, even the girls. No date. Not one of them was a date. All 3 boys came stag. Kris was flabbergasted at that. Conversation was kept to safe topics between Nick and Kris. But, at least they were talking. She even agreed to one dance with him, though through the entire song neither spoke a single word. AJ and Evie danced quite a few times and Howie even convinced Kris to dance with him to some salsa beat. She had to admit it was fun. Howie was an excellent dancer and a strong lead. 11:30 rolled around and it was time for Kris to leave. Surprisingly, she actually regretted having to go. She had been having fun, and had even begun to relax some around Nick. Evie promised to ‘be safe’ and Kris said her good byes, even to Nick. Nick watched her small figure disappear in the crowd towards the exit. She was the last person he would have ever thought he would run into that night. Initially, he had been shocked then glad that she was at the club. He was even more floored when she agreed to dance with him. But for the life of him, he could not think of a single thing to say while he had her all to himself that would make any difference in their situation. Watching her leave he wondered if that was all their relationship was meant to be, a few casual meetings here and there over time developing into nothing more than an awkward acquaintance. He really hoped that wasn’t the case. But time wasn’t making this any easier. He had been trying to convince himself it was time to just move on. And every time he’d be just about convinced he’d run into her somewhere. “That’s it. I’m not doing this anymore.” He said out loud to himself. “I am just going to forget her.” Somehow, this time he felt he meant it.
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