"So? What are your plans for the rest of the evening?" Xanda asked Howie as they sat around her living room chatting. "I have a date in about 5 hours. Until then, I'm free." Howie grinned back to her. "A date in five hours? Damn, you better go home now! I know how long it takes you to get ready." Xanda teased as Howie laughed. "It doesn't take me THAT long to get ready." He replied. "Want something to drink?" She offered as she stood up to go into the kitchen. Being around Howie made her miss AJ for some odd reason. 'It's purely sexual.' She reminded herself. "Yeah, I'll take whatever you've got." He shouted from the living room. 'Oh please don't say that.' She laughed in her head. "Lemonade, coffee, vodka, and Kool-aid." Xanda listed off. "Um, I guess Kool-aid and Vodka, but just one. I'm driving." He replied. Xanda laughed uncontrollably when she realized he had remembered the American Music Awards post party in AJ's hotel room. "You don't think I can tell the difference between Vodka and Kool-aid from Vodka and cranberry juice?" He laughed back. "I'm sorry! We ran out of cranberry juice and all they had left downstairs in that store was cranberry kool-aid." She giggled as she mixed his drink. "It was pretty good if I remember correctly." Howie mussed. "Howie, you were DRUNK. Any sort of alcoholic beverage was good to you at that point." Xanda stated as she walked back into the living room and handed him his drink. "We'll see right now, won't we?" He winked at her. 'God, where is AJ when you need him?' She thought as Howie took a long sip of his drink. "Well?" She questioned back as she wrinkled up her nose. "Not bad. Pretty sweet but drinkable." He replied. "Do you want something else? I saw some iced tea in the back of the fridge." She offered. "Yeah, let's do that." He replied as he quickly gave her back his glass. Xanda stood up and finished his drink before turning her attention back to Howie. "Oh god! This stuff is pure Vodka!" She choked. "Yeah, I think the acid in cranberry juice kills the Vodka flavor. Kool-aid unfortunately, doesn't." He laughed.

Xanda was about to ask Howie a question from the kitchen when she realized that there was a black wallet on her table. She flipped through it and gasped. "Oh shit! Brian and Nick haven't left yet, have they?" She asked hurriedly. "I think I just saw them drive by. Why?" He asked when he noticed the panic in her face. "Cause Nick forgot his wallet and cell phone on the table." She replied as she held up Nick's possessions. "Let me see Nick's cell phone. I'll call Brian to let him know we have Nick's things." Howie demanded. Xanda watched as Howie played around with a few of the phone's features. "Um, Howie? We don't have time to play." Xanda cautiously stated. "I'm not playing, Xandra. I don't know Brian's cell number off the top of my head. I figured Nick had it stored." Howie replied with a sheepish grin. "You don't know his number?" She laughed. "Well, just dial '1' and click Send. They're best friends and all." Xanda offered. Howie shook his head and laughed as he dialed '1'. "Damn. It's the right number but his phone just died." Howie replied. "What about your cell phone?" She asked. "It's dead, too." He replied. "What is it about you men and charging your damned cell phones?" She laughed. Howie shrugged in response as Xanda flipped her cell phone on and dialed someone's number. "And he's not answering his. Let me guess, he forgot to charge his phone, too." Xanda replied as she clicked off her phone. "Who?" Howie asked as Xanda quickly walked to the nearby closet. "AJ! Who else?" She replied.

"What about Kevin?" She asked as she put her small coat on. "I don't know his number off the top of my head." Howie replied. "What is it with you guys? You work together ALL the time! You see each other ALL the time! And you don't know each others cell phone # off the top of your head?" She accused as she grabbed her purse and Nick's belongings. "I know their phone numbers. AJ is number 2, Kevin is number 3, Nick is number 4, and Brian is number 5." Howie offered in response. "On speed dial! But what about their entire number?" She asked back as she looked around the room. Roadie was asleep in his kitty bed that AJ had bought him which caused Xanda to smile. "Um, I guess I don't know their entire number." Howie said with shame before he laughed. "How good are you at driving? I mean, SPEED driving?" She demanded. "Good, when I have to be. Why?" He asked back. "You brought your Corvette, right?" She asked again as Howie nodded. "Good. You're driving us to the airport." She stated as she scribbled a note for AJ just in case he showed up at her place.

"Corvettes can go over 100 MPH safely. And you're going," Xanda said as she leaned over Howie's arm, "...75 MPH. Step on it, babe!" She laughed. "Xanda, there's a cop behind us. If I go any faster we're gonna get pulled over and then we'll lose time and Nick will lose his phone and wallet." Howie replied as the cop zoomed past them. "What's your other excuse?" She asked sweetly. "Hold on." He replied as he stepped on the gas.

"So? Who was number 1?" Xanda asked as she tried to make conversation. "Number 1?" He asked back. "On your phone's speed dial." She replied. "Oh that! Um, my family." He replied with a grin. "Oh how sweet, D!" She cooed as Howie grimaced slightly. "Um, no pun intended." She laughed again. "So? Who is number 6?" She asked. "AJ's right. You do ask a lot of questions." Howie replied. "I like to be informed. So? Who is number 6?" She asked again. "My date for tonight." Howie replied as Xanda laughed uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" He asked when he noticed that she had tears in her eyes from laughing. "What's so funny? Number 6 is your 'date'. Howie, she's no longer your 'date'. She's your girlfriend and you two no longer go on 'dates'. Face it, babe. You've got yourself something permanent." She laughed. "I, well, I..." He stumbled over his words. "Howie, face it. You've got yourself a girlfriend." She stated as they pulled into the airport parking lot.

***

"What is with you?" Brian accused as Nick frantically looked around his bags. "I can't find my wallet!" Nick shouted back at him. "What!? Didn't you have it when you came over?" Brian asked back as he helped look through another of Nick's bags. "I don't remember. Shit! I don't have my cell phone either!" Nick complained. "Well, we have 15 minutes to look for it before your plane leaves." Brian said. "Did you leave it in my car, maybe?" He asked as Nick scratched his head "No, I don't even remember having them in your car." Nick stated. "Well? Where could you have put them?" Brian asked. "If I knew, Bri, I wouldn't be going crazy looking for it, would I?" Nick sarcastically asked back as Brian shrugged. "Oh shit! I think I left them at Xanda's house!" Nick shouted. "Figures." Brian murmured. "Give me your cell phone." Nick demanded. "What? Nick, if your things are at her place there won't be time for her drive out here to bring them to you. You'll miss your flight." Brian tried to explain. "Rok, your cell phone." Nick demanded again. "All right, all right." Brian mumbled as he handed Nick his cell phone. "Damn!" Nick shouted into the cell phone before closing it. "What?" Brian asked back. "It's dead." Nick stated. "Oops." Brian laughed softly.

***

"What flight, Xanda?" Howie asked as they ran through the terminal to a monitor. "United or American Airlines?" She asked Howie. "Normally we fly American but he might have gone United to throw off the obsessive fans." Howie stated as he looked at the United monitor. "American Airlines is leaving in 15 minutes to LA. United is leaving in 20. I say American." Xanda stated as she pointed to the screen. "Whatever you say, Bear." Howie laughed as Xanda turned around to give him a slight glare. "That's my nickname that only Nick can use." She pointed out with a smirk. "Okay, Bear. We're gonna miss him if we don't move our asses!" Howie laughed as he dodged Xanda in her attempt to smack him. "You move your ass!" Xanda replied in an annoyed voice. "I'm movin' my ass! I'm movin' my ass!" Howie laughed as he danced around the terminal causing people to stare. "Howie! Knock it off!" Xanda grimaced. "Knock what off? You told me to move my ass!" He replied with a laugh. "Ugh!" She groaned as she walked in the direction of the American Airlines gates. "How the hell can AJ be dating you? I bet he pisses you off all the time." Howie laughed as they walked quickly to Nick's departing gate. "Actually, he doesn't. I'm just having a bad day." Xanda stated.

"So? Which gate?" He asked as they glanced around the terminal. "I think that one. I mean, I see a tall blonde boy going crazy looking for something and a much shorter punk standing next to him." Xanda replied in reference to Brian. Howie laughed as they walked over to the two men. "You two really hate each other." Howie noted. "No shit, Shirlock. He drives me nuts, makes me want to rip his eyes off, cut his dick off and staple it to the wall with the rest of my collection and..." "You don't need to go any further, I get it." Howie grimaced.

***

Nick and Brian were crouched down on the floor looking through Nick's bags when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He quickly tighten up thinking that it was a fan. "Looking for something?" He heard a familiar voice. "Bear!" Nick shouted as he jumped up and hugged Xanda. "How'd you get here so quickly?" He asked back. "I made him drive." She said as she pointed to Howie who was standing behind her. "Oh wow! Thank you!" He shouted in happiness after Xanda handed him his wallet and phone. "We tried to call Brian's cell phone to let him know but your phone died. We were going to use Howie's cell phone but his was dead, too. So, I tried to call AJ to get Brian's cell number but AJ's phone was dead, too." She explained as Nick went through his wallet to make sure nothing fell out. "It wouldn't have done any good. Brian's phone died when I tired to call you." Nick laughed.