“God Brooklyn I missed you!” I yell from the top of Brooklyn Bridge.
Next to me Jade giggles. The Boys are holed up in the hotel doing interviews and we took the opportunity to walk round Brooklyn. I wanted to show Jade my old neighbourhood. I know a lot of bad stuff happened to me here but it was my home and that will never change. I have missed it but I’ve moved on.
“Jade, this whole visit makes me realise how much I’ve changed,” I tell her. “I’m not the same girl who used to live here.”
“Of course you’re not sweetie,” she smiles. “You’ve got me now. And Nick.”
“Yeah,” I grin. “Yeah, I sure have.”
“Great view,” Jade remarks looking out at the river and I agree.
After a few minutes we walk on.
“Hey, this is my old corner store!” I recognise the familiar building and pull Jade over to it. “I used to buy all my crap from here. I wonder if Eddie still runs it?”
“Let’s find out,” she says and we walk inside.
Ali heads straight to the store counter and I wander around the place a little. I examine a packet of Tootsie Rolls and giggle at how out of date it is. I notice a guy following me and shoot him a look that I hope says don’t fuck with me. I put my hands in my pockets to hide my wedding ring – I don’t want to be all “hey, I’m good for the robbin’” – and pretend I’m interested in a bottle of water.
“Hey lady,” he walks up behind me and I turn around. “You’re new here.”
“How’d ya guess?” I say dryly, not wanting to get into a conversation with this guy.
“I can tell,” he shrugs and then smiles. “You look too good to be from around here.”
“Well thanks,” I say warming to him a little. When he smiles, he looks pretty charming. And I shouldn’t judge people so quickly. “I’m from Atlanta actually but I live in Florida now.”
“Well all that sun and sand sure did ya good,” he compliments. “I always had a dream of goin’ there.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Money mainly,” he shrugs lightly. “But maybe one day.”
“Eddie?” says the store clerk. “No, he got himself killed a few years back.”
“Killed?!” I exclaim. “Oh God. What happened?”
“I dunno the exact details,” the guy shrugs. “I mean, I came here after it all happened. It was a pimp thing. Eddie covered for some girl and got his brains blown out for it.”
“Aw, I’m real sorry ‘bout that,” I say.
I had liked Eddie. I used to come into this store after meeting my ‘clients’ and Eddie had always given me a coffee for free. He would sit me down and try to give me the strength to leave Brooklyn and my boyfriend. He had been the first person I told when I got into college in Atlanta and he had been real happy. He never married so I guess I was kinda his honoury daughter. I really shouldn’t have lost touch with him but I guess things always get left behind when you try to start a new life. I feel guilty and turn around to find Jade. She’s laughing with a guy. He turns slightly so that I can see his face and I swear my blood freezes in my veins. My first instinct is to run outta the place and never look back but I can’t leave Jade. So I take a deep breath and walk over to them.
“Oh hey Ali,” Jade says. “This is… Uh, sorry I didn’t get your name?” she asks him with a smile.
“It’s Jake,” he says turning to smile at me. “Hello Ali.”
“Jade, we need to go,” I grab her arm and pull her away from Jake.
“Hey!” she protests and I give her a hard look.
“I’ll explain later.”
“Not so fast Ali,” Jake grabs my arm and pulls me back to face him.
“Hey, leave her alone!” Jade yells.
Jake stares at her coldly and then looks back at me. I sigh and wrest my arm out of his grip.
“It’s ok Jade. Wait for me outside ok?”
“But Ali…”
“Jade, please,” I say and she nods. I watch her leave the store and turn back to Jake.
“Well Ali, long time no see,” he says lightly. “You went to Florida?”
“Florida?” I can’t understand how he knows.
“I asked your friend. She’s real cute. Maybe you two could set up a threesomes service?” he said.
“I don’t do that any more Jake.”
“Really? So you paid me back all the money huh?” he asks and then holds up a hand before I can respond. “No, wait. I don’t think ya DID. I think you skipped the state before giving me my money back.”
“I don’t have your money Jake,” I say firmly and start to walk out of the shop. He follows me.
“Then that means I still own you.”
“No, you don’t,” I turn on him. “NOBODY owns me.”
“Ali will you PLEASE tell me who that guy was?!” I ask when we climb into a cab. She looks back at where he is standing outside the store and then looks at me.
“He was my boyfriend before I came to Atlanta,” she says. “The guy who farmed me out for sex?”
“The guy who pimped you?!” I exclaim and she nods.
“Yeah. I never told him I was leaving so he was pretty pissed at me. Particularly as I still owe him money.”
“You do?”
“Yup. He loaned me money for drugs.”
“You took DRUGS?!”
“Yeah,” she sighs. “I’m not proud of it but I needed something to get me through my life. And drugs numbed me to everything. I went into rehab before I came to Atlanta so I’ve been clean a long time Jade.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask and she laughs harshly.
“Oh yeah. “Hi I’m Ali, I was a whore and drug addict back in Brooklyn but will you be my friend?”… Yeah, that woulda gone down well.”
“I meant, later. I thought we were best friends but you obviously don’t trust me to tell me things,” I say angrily. “I mean, I had to find out about the whore thing in the middle of a crowded bar!”
“God, I thought you’d gotten over that!” she exclaims.
“I had but now this just brings it all back!”
“Ok fine Jade. This is why I didn’t tell you,” she glares at me. “Cos I knew miss perfect wouldn’t be able to take it.”
“Miss PERFECT?!” I fold my arms and glare at her. “You know what, I’m not even gonna talk to you any more.”
“Suits me just fine.”
“That woman totally SUCKED!” exclaims AJ as the five guys walk into the hotel restaurant. “She didn’t have a CLUE who we were! I mean, if ya gonna interview somebody – do your damn research.”
“Agreed,” nods Kevin. “Oo, noodle soup,” he gets distracted by the menu and AJ rolls his eyes.
“Hey,” Nick nudges Brian and points out Jade and Ali sitting at separate tables at opposite ends of the room. “What’s up with those two?”
“I dunno,” Brian shrugs. “But I got a feeling we’ll find out.”
“Good luck bro,” Nick claps Brian on the back and heads over to where Ali is sitting. “Hey babes,” he kisses her head and sits opposite her. “Good day?”
“It was ok,” she mutters.
“What’s with you and Jade?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh so that’s why you’re sat as far away as ya can get,” he says amusedly. “C’mon Ali. Spill it.”
“We just had an argument that’s all,” she says sulkily. “No biggie.”
“Ali…” he wheedles and she sighs.
“Ok, ok, she called Brooklyn shitty and I dissed Atlanta,” she lies quickly.
“That all?” he raises an eyebrow and then laughs. “Trust you two to fall out over somethin’ so dumb.”
“Shut up,” she says angrily.
“Ok, ok, I’ll let it go,” he raises his hands in surrender.
As Nick walks over to Ali’s table, Brian joins Jade. He pulls up a chair beside her and sits down, wrapping his arms around her for a kiss.
“Hey there Mrs Littrell,” he murmurs.
“Hey,” she smiles and rests her head against his. “Good day?”
“Nup,” he laughs. “I hate havin’ to do interview after interview. You?”
“Nup,” she says. “I fell out with Ali.”
“I got that vibe,” he says. “I just walked in here and I thought to myself “Jade and Ali have fallen out”… Dunno what gave it away…” She looks at him and laughs. “So, wanna tell me?”
“I just found out more about Ali’s past and she basically said she didn’t tell me cos she didn’t trust that I would still be her friend. She called me miss perfect!”
“She did? The bitch,” Brian says lightly and Jade giggles in spite of herself.
“Oh stop it,” she pushes him gently. “It was just the WAY she said it.”
“Ok. You probably just need a little time apart,” he tells her. “Which is real good cos I have two tickets to go see Chicago tonight.”
“You do?” she looks up at him excitedly. “I’ve been DYING to see that show!”
“You have? Well, that solves my problem of who to take,” he teases.