AJ walked Nick back over to Brian's house to hang out for a while, giving Xanda some much needed time alone. AJ knew he couldn't talk to Nick about her because he was having his own problems and talking to Brian would be like talking to a volcano. Sooner or later, it would erupt. AJ was about to go back over to Xanda's house when his cell phone rang. "Yo D, what's up?" AJ answered. "Hey, I just called your house and you weren't home. Thought I'd try somethin' else." Howie quickly explained. "Good call. Got a few?" Howie could sense that AJ had been doing a lot of thinking and needed someone to talk with. "Sure. Want to meet me somewhere?" Howie asked, knowing full well where AJ was. "Yeah, I'm at Bri's." AJ replied, throwing Howie for a loop. "Rok's house? I thought you'd be with Alexandra." "I was. Come over before I go insane. Bri's in one of his moods and Nick's been caught cheatin.'" AJ joked to the tune of Jane's Addictions song, 'Been Caught Stealin'. Howie laughed as he clicked off his phone. He was already in Brian's driveway by that time.

AJ sat on the porch when Howie walked up to him, taking a seat next to AJ. "What's up?" Howie asked. "Nada." AJ replied. "It's a girl!" Howie accused with a laugh while AJ nodded his head. "D, I'm confused. I figured that the Latin Lover could give me some advice." AJ grinned. "I'll give it my best shot!" Howie laughed as she pushed up his sleeves. "Lay it on me." He added. "It's like this. I like Xanda...a lot. But how can I tell if it's purely sexual or something more? You know how I am with women. It's the blonde on Monday, brunette on Tuesday, twins on Wednesdays, recover on Thursday because the weekends gonna rock. Now this woman comes into my life and she throws me for a loop every time we talk. I actually found myself comforting her this morning because I felt like it...because I needed to comfort her. It felt right. I'm not sure what I'm even talking about." AJ complained. Howie quickly realized that this was going to take a little more work that he thought. "How about telling her how you feel? Tell her how you were and how you're trying to change. Just tell her what you're telling me." Howie suggested. AJ shook his head. "I have. I mean, I've tried and she seems to understand what I'm telling her. I know she's confused, too, cause she's gone through a lot relationship wise over the past year. Every time I want to tell her how I am and what to expect from me, she says something that makes me actually want to get to know her better. She makes me want to get inside her head before I get inside her pants." Howie laughed with the look of amazement on his face. "You mean, after two days you haven't slept with her yet?" AJ grinned slightly. "Nope." He stated. "That's sure as hell an improvement over the past few years. Your idea of a commitment is meet on Monday, fuck on Tuesday, kiss and break up on Wednesday. I gotta hand it to you...or her. I'm not sure which one yet." Howie remarked.

"So? What's the advice?" AJ asked. Howie sat on silence for a moment. "I guess you take it one day at a time. Start off slow...and I mean slow. No waiting a week until you hop into bed. Try like a month or two." AJ groaned in response. "Start off as friends and get to know her. Find out about her past. Her family, her friends, her interests, her likes and dislikes, and her career. Find out what makes her laugh, what makes her smile, what makes her happy, and most importantly, what makes her pissed. That way you know what not to do. Get to know her inside and out before you know what it's like to be with her. I guess that's all I can tell you, man." Howie finished. AJ shook his head as he tried to comprehend everything. "I guess I'd be an idiot to say that I didn't expect any of that advice from you. I know what it's like to be in a relationship, D, you know that. I'm just not sure about this one. She's...I dunno...she's just..." "Different." Howie finished. "Yeah." AJ agreed quietly. "Well, I gave you a piece of my expertise. Now it's up to you to do what's right."

***

A few hours of hanging out with the guys was enough for AJ. "Guys, I'm gonna go. I'll call you all later." AJ said as he stood up and walked toward the frontdoor. "Use a condom!" Nick shouted from the living room causing Brian to roll his eyes and Howie to give him a warning glare. "Nah..." AJ laughed as he left the house.

He walked slowly up the steps of Xanda's front porch and felt slightly nervous. He knocked softly and waited. Xanda padded across her living room, knowing full well who was at the door. "Hey." She greeted as she stepped aside to let him in. "Hey." He greeted with a smile, giving her a soft peck on the forehead. AJ took a seat on the couch and watched as Xanda closed the front door. "Can we talk?" He asked. "Sure." Xanda smiled as she took a seat next to him. "Friends, right?" AJ asked. Xanda didn't understand for a moment. "Oh...yeah, of course." She grinned. "Good. We start off that way and let things develop on their own...slowly." AJ stated but it was more of a question. Xanda nodded her head. "The sexual attraction's gonna drive me nuts but I think I can handle this." AJ laughed softly at her forwardness.