Jay comes into the lounge where we’re sitting through another episode of Jerry Springer. He glances at the show’s title and grimaces. I don’t blame him. It’s called “I Been With You For So Long That I Worked My Way Through Your Family And The Entire Town! And Now I Decided To Tell Ya Your Ass Is Gone!” One of Jerry’s best I think.
Jay throws himself onto the couch between us. “Whoa, Jerry! You GO man!”
I giggle at him. “Remember when Mom caught us watching Jerry that time we were off school sick?”
He rolls his eyes. “Oh yeah, my butt is STILL sore.” He grins and checks his watch. “Ok, I’m outta here. I’ll be gone at like 4am tomorrow so I’ll say goodbye now.” He leans over and pulls me into a long hug.
“You’ll be back next month?”
“Yup. Maybe even sooner, dependin’ on how things go tonight.”
“Excellent!” I hold onto him happily. “It’s been great having you around.”
“Ditto Pookie,” he kisses my head and turns to give Ali a hug. “When I come back, we’ll sort things out.”
“Yeah,” she nods, avoiding my look.
“Ok, I’m ghost. Laters,” Jay stands up and heads out of the door.
I lie awake staring at my ceiling, feeling glad I had resisted AJ’s suggestions to mirror the ceiling. The last thing I can do right now is look at myself. I feel so guilty. Jay has just left, closing the door so quietly but I had heard him. With every sound he had made, I had had to hold myself back from going to him. I wanted so much to tell him everything and beg him to help me. Like I have done so many times before. But now he is part of the problem. I muffle a frustrated scream with my pillow and close my eyes.
A loud banging on the door snaps me back to consciousness. I groan and look over at the clock. It's 6am and I pull the sheets over my head. The knocking continues and I fall out of bed and stagger out into the hallway where I bump into an equally pissed Ali.
"What the fuck?" she echoes my thoughts as we both head towards the door. Ali opens it and our darling boyfriends are standing there, grinning at us and brandishing two CDs. "What the fuck?" Ali repeats.
"It's 6am," I inform them. "6 AM in the friggin' MORNING."
Ali groans. "Nobody's meant to SEE 6am!"
"Happy Black And Blue day!" the guys chorus, thrusting the CDs at us.
"It's 6AM" I repeat.
"What the fuck...?" says Ali, staring at the CDs.
Nick points to the CDs. "Our new CD!"
Brian nods excitedly. "They got printed today!
"But it's 6AM!" My vocabulary failed me.
"You couldn't wait a couple of hours?! Or four?" says Ali, suppressing another 'What the fuck?'
"No!" Nick yells, steering us both into the lounge and onto our couch.
The guys head straight for the stereo.
I glance at the bright pink couch and shudder. "Ali, I can't cope with this thing at 6AM."
"Will you STOP with the 6ams already?!" she groans.
Nick loads the CD as Brian turns to face us dramatically. "You are about to hear the new Backstreet Boys CD. So, please... Take the responsibility seriously." I giggle and my tiredness vanishes. He grins widely at me. "The first track is..."
"The Call," Nick finishes, pressing play and the sound of AJ's voice fills the room.
"What the..." Ali manages to stop herself as the music kicks in.
Brian sits on the edge of the chair as Nick starts dancing around singing. Ali and I gaze at Nick in disbelief. The song ends and Shape Of My Heart begins. Nick lies on the floor, breathing heavily.
Ali giggles at him, "Gotta get in training Nicky!"
Nick rolls over and pulls a face at her. "When you can do our routines without dying, I'll listen."
"Shape of my heart?" I announce after hearing it sung for the first time.
Brian moves to sit next to me and pulls me into his arms. "Yup, I showed ya my heart and it's BIG baby!"
I laugh and rest my head against his shoulder as we listen to the song.
“Get Another Boyfriend,” Nick announces to Ali as the music starts.
She looks at him with a laugh. “You tellin’ me?”
“Yeah, huh?” Nick looks confused.
Ali turns to Brian. “Ok, so I gotta get another boyfriend. You’ll do.”
Brian laughs and Nick starts tickling Ali. “That’s the SONG dummy.”
“Oh damn,” Ali pouts and then laughs as Nick hits her ticklish spots. “Stop it!”
Nick stops and crawls over to me as the chorus begins. He puts his hands together in a begging position and leans on my lap. “Listen, I mean it. There’s nothing that he’s worthy of.
He’s just another player playin’ in the name of love.
I’ve seen enough. Now this must come to an end.
Get another boyfriend!”
“Playin’ in the name of love?!” Ali repeats. “Isn’t that GOOD?”
“Nah,” Brian shakes his head. “It means that he’s pretending to love you just so he can get some.”
“Oh right.”
After listening to the CD three times, "just so we'd know all the words", Brian and Jade go out for breakfast. Nick and I decide to watch TV, and just chill for the rest of the day. Now that Jay has gone, I feel easier. Looking into Nick’s eyes I wonder how I could ever have doubted him.
"You know what, I'm ready for my back massage now," I say to Nick, who lets out a sigh. I give him a sweet smile as I sit between his legs, leaning against the couch. I moan at the feel of his hands. "You have no idea how good this feels," I lay my head back on his lap and close my eyes. When I open them Nick is staring back down at me, grinning. He kisses my nose, and I come to a decision. "Since you are just too absolutely adorable, I think I'll do your dare too. You know, the love slave thing."
He stops massaging and a huge smile comes over his face. "Promise?"
"Promise."
"We'll start at my house tonight. But remember, you have to do ANYTHING I want. It could involve pool tables, vanilla icing, leather, handcuffs..." he smiles, and licks his lips.
"Bondage?" I laugh and stand up. Sitting back down on his lap I wrap my arms around him. "So, handcuffs, Nick? That probably means you aren't going to let me leave tomorrow are you?"
He grins evilly. "If I have it my way, and I will because you promised, you'll be too sore to even think about leaving."
"Think you can wear me out?" I ask, cockily.
"Hell yeah, baby."
"Let's just see if YOU can keep up, Nick," I stand up and walk into the kitchen, flipping my hair over my shoulder and smirking back at him.
"Where are you going?" he comes up behind me and throws me over his shoulder.
Bringing me back, he throws me down on the couch. He puts his arms around me, and shifts around so that we're both lying down and I'm resting on his chest. He lets one hand rest on my lower back, and turns on the television with the other. He flips it to MTV and TRL. Mandah Willaford is co-hosting.
"No way, Carson. All those rumours are completely untrue. I broke up with Nick because he was just a little egotistical for me. I did nothing to provoke him to dump me, it was the other way around," Mandy lets out a smile, and a valley-girl-hair-toss.
"Bitch," Nick mutters, turning off the TV and throwing the remote down.
"What's that about?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.
"She's my ex-girlfriend. I broke up with HER, she's a lying bitch."
"What happened?" I ask, putting my hand on his shoulder and looking up at him.
"She lied to me. She was pretty much a complete slut, and she cheated on me with Jonathon, one of her dancers. She was abusive too, physically and verbally. I couldn't take it anymore." He pauses and takes a ragged breath. Then perking up he says, "I'm so glad you aren't like that, Ali. I'm so happy I can finally trust someone. I love you, Ali, I really do." He leans down to kiss my head and sighs contentedly.
"I love you, too," I whisper.
“What happened to breakfast?” I say, staring at Brian’s house as he shuts off the engine.
“You’re looking at it,” he grins. “I got plenty of food in the kitchen.”
“Aw,” I pout, climbing out of the car. “I got to eat your cookin’?”
“Hey!” He laughs and leads the way inside his house. “I’m a damn GOOD cook.”
“Whatever,” I roll my eyes and pull myself up to sit on his kitchen counter. “So, impress me.”
“No problem!” Brian kisses me deeply and then rolls up his sleeves seriously. “So what do you want? A little toast? Some waffles? A sandwich? Some cereal? What?”
“Hmm, I guess a sandwich sounds good.”
“Good choice madam,” he says, pulling out the bread. “The Littrell special?”
“What’s that?”
“Cheese.”
“Figures.”