I totally do the whole proud girlfriend thing throughout the show. Brian just cannot do wrong. Every note he sings is perfect, his dancing enthusiastic if not polished, I even forgave the leather look. I swear I melt each time he glances in my direction – as does the whole section behind me. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it isn’t my boyfriend I’m swooning over but the Backstreet Boy. About five minutes before the grand finale, a security guy appears in front of us.
“Jade and Ali? Come on, we gotta go.”
“Aw, I wanna see the end!” I whine as Ali grabs my hand and follows him.
“Want Brian to get mobbed?”
“No but he won’t. He’ll go.”
“Oh yeah, and leave you behind…” she rolls her eyes and yanks me along a little harder.
“Owch!” I complain and wrest my arm out of her grip. “Geez, go easy on the weights next time will ya?”
The security guy reaches a tinted black car and opens the door. “Get in and wait here.” We climb inside and he locks the door on us.
“Uh ho,” I say. “Did we check his ID?”
“No but he’s legit.”
“Sure?” I sit back in the car. “We just got into a strange guy’s car and he locked the door.”
“He knew our names,” says Ali but she looks a little nervous.
I grin to myself. “Not hard when we’ve been screaming at each other all night.”
“You think?” she asks worriedly and tries the door handle.
“Oh!” I make my eyes as wide as possible. “I heard this warning on the radio about this rash of kidnappings goin’ on in the Tampa area…”
“You didn’t!” she laughs and then looks serious. “Did you? Oh boy…” She starts looking around the car in earnest, “You see anything that might make a good weapon?”
“Uh…” I start looking, trying my best not to laugh out loud. I grab a squeegee, “This?”
“Yeah, if you wanna WET him to death.” I can’t hold it back anymore and burst into giggles. Ali stares at me and then scowls. “You made it up!”
“Sorry,” I choke out and carry on laughing.
“You bitch!” she starts laughing as the doors are unlocked and Brian and Kevin leap into the car next to Ali. The door is slammed shut and the car speeds away. We’re still laughing.
“Ok, what’s the joke?” asks Kevin, wiping his face with a towel.
“Oh, just Jade bein’ silly again.”
“I got you GOOD girl,” I giggle.
“What’d you do?” Brian opens his window and then shuts it again quickly as a flying bra hits him in the face. We all fall about laughing as Brian blushes and tosses the bra at Kevin.
“Double DOUBLE E,” says Kevin checking the label. “Quick, open the window again! I gotta see the girl who owns this!”
“Double double E?!” says Ali grabbing the bra and checking it out. “Hey I bet Howie could use this to keep his hair in place overnight!”
“And he’d only need one CUP!” I giggle as Ali passes the bra to me. “Ugh, I sure hope she washed it.” I drop it in the side basket on the car door.
“I never get why they throw bras at us,” says Brian mournfully. We all laugh at his tone. “I mean, do they think we’re gonna use ‘em? And they HURT when they hit you.”
“Marginally better than beanies though,” says Kevin.
“Not much. At least Nick collected those,” Brian says before glancing worriedly at Ali. The laughter on her face has disappeared and she starts playing with her bag. I shoot Brian a look and he shrugs.
“So, Ali…” Kevin starts but then stops because he can’t think of anything good to ask her. “Enjoy the show?” he finishes lamely.
“Sure did,” she smiles at him. “It was great.”
“Where to guys?” asks the driver, breaking into the silence that has fallen after Ali’s words.
“Home would be good,” grins Kevin. “I got Kris waitin’ up for me.”
“She couldn’t come tonight?” I ask.
“Nup, she had a late call for rehearsals. But she’s gonna join us on tour for a few weeks next month.” Kevin grins widely and looks at Brian. “You goin’ home?”
“Uh, I guess.” Brian looks across at me, “You wanna come with me?”
Of course I do,” I smile at him. “You’re leaving tomorrow,” I add more brightly than I feel.
“So I guess I gotta go home…ALONE,” mutters Ali and I immediately feel guilty.
“Well, you could…” I don’t know what to suggest. I don’t want to leave Brian tonight. Who knows when I’ll see him again? But I don’t want to think of Ali crying herself to sleep.
“I’ll be fine,” she says quietly.
“Maybe you could go to AJ’s?” suggests Kevin. “I know he’s gonna miss ya.”
“Maybe,” Ali shrugs and I exchange a worried glance with Brian.
I pull out my cell phone and dial AJ’s number. After a few seconds, he answers.
“Jade?”
“Yeah, hi AJ,” I say warily. I haven’t spoken to him since the night we’d slept together. I have come face to face with him a couple of times but he had just walked right past me. But I am doing this for Ali’s sake. Surely he will understand that.
“I thought I already told ya to forget my number.”
“AJ,” I sigh. “This isn’t about me.”
“Well, there’s a shock,” he says dryly.
“Look, how far off is your car from ours?”
“Where are ya?”
“I dunno,” I cover the phone up. “Where are we?”
“On a road,” says Kevin dryly.
“You’re so funny Kevin,” I roll my eyes and he chuckles.
“Sorry, but AJ should know. He’s right behind us.”
“He is?” I turn around to look out of the back window and see a dark car close behind us. I can just about see Howie in the passenger seat. I go back to the phone. “We’re right in front of ya.”
“So?”
I sigh again. He isn’t going to make this easy. “I just wondered if you wanted some company tonight?”
“You?!”
“Not me. Ali.”
“Oh. She feelin’ down?”
“Yup.”
“Ah. Tell your driver to stop the car. I’ll come get her,” he hangs up and I tell the driver to pull over. A few minutes later, AJ pulls open the door on my side and I climb out. He leans inside. “Hey Ali, wanna come to my place.”
“AJ,” she climbs out of the car. “I’m fine. I don’t need to be looked after and I don’t need your sympathy. So just butt outta my life. Both of you!”
“Whoa…” AJ holds up his hands. “I’m not THAT noble Ali. I wanted a little company tonight but…”
She stares at him and he holds his sincere face until she sighs, “Ok AJ. Let’s go to your place.”
“Cool. Thanks Ali,” he takes her arm and walks her back to his car.
I stare after them for a minute before climbing back inside the car. I don’t think AJ will ever forgive me and I miss him.