�Yes?� Defensively Tina�s arms folded across her chest at the sight of A.J.�s presence. That boy was more than a thorn not only in Nick�s side but hers as well. Did he not think she hadn�t noticed the stares from his direction whenever the group went out together for dinner? Or the way whenever they talked to each other (which was rare) he�d give her these snippy answers? Even now he had attitude and she didn�t even say much. Walking right into the bus, A.J. bumped into Tina�s side upon entry.
�By all means, come in,� she said sarcastically closing the door behind her.
�You need to go home.� Dang, he didn�t even give her enough time to turn around before speaking.
�Well sorry A.J. I�m not.� A.J. paced the room thinking of something, anything to convince her to leave but nothing valid came up. She was getting paid for a job that she was barely doing for all the money she could think of. If he was in that position he wouldn�t leave either. So he just had to come out with it.
�Tina just listen to me for a second.�
�Why? Why would I listen to you when you�ve been nothing but discourteous and boorish to me the entire time I�ve been here. If you told me the entire sky was falling I still wouldn�t believe it.�
�Well you need to believe this--this whole little thing going on with Nick is not real. He�s setting you up!�
�Yeah sure,� she scoffed, returning to her plate.
�Fine you don�t have to believe me but you�re gonna listen. Nick can�t handle not getting what he wants and from what I�ve been told by Howie and Brian he wanted you. Since he couldn�t get you the exact way he�s wanted you then he found another outlet to get you by making sure you�re close to him at all times to fall for that Carter charm. And if you think that�s farfetched think of all the girls that loiter around him. It�s like a strategy to him and you�re just another pawn.�
�Whatever A.J., if you haven�t noticed we�re just friends. Anyhoo I�m starting to really think Nick�s right about you. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt because I told him I wouldn�t pick sides between either of you but now I�m starting to see that maybe you are just that jealous to go as far to talk about him as such.�
�Listen to yourself! See that�s why I treat you along with the guys the way we do! You�re daft and you�re proving me just right by not believing anything I have to say. Wouldn�t you think I knew him better than you?� Seeing that she wasn�t really going to take heed to his warning, A.J. turned around and walked towards the door. �Just let me tell you something its gonna happen sooner or later. He�s gonna take you down and he�s gonna take you down hard. And when that happens I can only hope you�re not completely fucked up.�
�You can leave now A.J,� she demanded.
�Fine I�m leaving but just remember these two words--Willa Ford. Look at her now and just chew on that ok?� Nick felt the tenseness in Tina�s back as she thought of the conversation she had with A.J. earlier that day. He could tell she was somewhat off a little when he saw her from the stage, now he knew for a fact that something was wrong.
�Tina, what�s wrong?� Nick massaged his hand down her spine in hopes of relaxing her body more but failed to do so.
�Nothing� she answered. Hopefully that�d be the end of that�nope.
�It�s more than nothing, you can tell me anything.� Removing herself from Nick�s chest, Tina sat up against the edge of the bed and looked out to the night sky. The entire room was illuminated by the full Seattle moon. Its light reminded her of the first night when she and Nick sat on the roof of the bus. In all its natural wonder it shone down upon them, upon her as she contemplated on telling Nick or not about exactly what A.J. said. Not that it would cause any more of a rift that was already there, but to add on anymore would just be unbecoming. Nick moved up from the bed and wrapped his legs around her waist. Resting his head on her shoulder, Nick held her. �Do you trust me?�
�Yes.�
�Then why won�t you tell me what troubles you?� It would�ve been easy to hold the truth in from Nick because that technique had been mastered between herself and her mother over the years but as soon as Nick laid those silky lips along her shoulder blades up to her jawbone there was no looking back. Those lips could make the truth spew out like water from a water fountain.
�I um, I got in an argument with A.J.�
�About me right?�
�Yeah�.,� turning to face Nick, she looked him square in the eyes, �He said and his words not mine, �He�s gonna take you down and he�s gonna take you down hard and when that happens I can only hope you�re not completely fucked up,� that�s what he told me. Nick--I�m almost scared to ask what he means by that.�
�I oughta--� Nick was ready to jump up from the bed knowing full well that Tina was going to stop him.
�Nick don�t he�s not worth it ok?�
�Ok, but if he says another word against me I swear he�ll get his. Anyways trust me when I say this, I would never, NEVER treat you in the way A.J. says I will. I could never hurt someone that I�m starting to have feelings for.� Wow he was having feelings for her? Deep down she was too despite her many protest on not doing such. Believing everything he said, Tina leaned in to kiss him, hoping that it would reassure him that deep down she knew he�d never do the things A.J. claimed he would.
^*^
They were just friends right? Nothing more, nothing less. A few stolen kiss, maybe a soft touch that made her dizzy but just friends.
Repeatedly she had to tell herself that only it wasn't working. She knew they were more...not much more, but more nonetheless. If they weren't she wouldn't be in his room right then drinking coca cola trying to stay up.
Yup in his room because his grand idea was that it was purposeless to sleep in separate rooms when they were growing closer than ever.
"I won't touch you or anything; we can put a sheet in between us if that makes you comfortable." Looking at the bed the thought was a little over the top. But he wanted to make sure that she was comfortable with the idea of them being in the same bed.
"Nick that's not even necessary. You're a grown man; you know how to keep your hands to yourself. If not you'll be performing with a nub."
"So you'll stay with me?"
"I'll stay."
Bad idea. Tina looked back at the clock that now read in red dial 4:13.
Didn't clubs close at 2? But then again she wasn't back in Detroit, Michigan in fact where everything basically closed when the sunset.
Promotional wise Nick had to be seen on the scene. Photos here and there with other beautiful women. They were just friends right? He had a reputation to retain, it was understandable. Just the few weeks of being around the group showed her that image meant everything. Even the opening pop acts had to retain some sort of image for their adoring fans. Only except their images were squeaky clean, I drink milk everyday sorts of images. Not heartthrob 'Nickolicious' 'playboy' 'manho' and countless other named images. Fully she digressed that�s just how it was and that�s the way it was gonna be for the next 3 months. When she was not working she'd spend her time with Nick and at night he'd spend his time with notable tabloid drawn women to feed into the image Jive and Nick set for himself. Once more she glanced behind her at the clock that now read 4:20.
It took her all not to pick up that phone and call Nick. You know, just to make sure he hadn't got too plastered. Finally coming to the decision that waiting up for this boy like a lost puppy was growing to be ridiculous. Making her way to the makeshift kitchen in their massive hotel room that rivaled most apartments, Tina poured herself a single glass of water, nursing the cool liquid flowing down her throat when all of a sudden Nick stumbled into the bedroom. His crisp white shirt she admired when he walked out earlier that night literally hung from his body, his cropped curls tumbled and the smell of booze and weed emanated from his obvious tired body. Must've been some night at the club. Nick said not a peep to her, walking right past her plopping on the bed they shared. Normally she would've slept by his side but from the looks of Mr. Carter she wasn't sure that would be such a good idea. Polishing off the remainder of her water, Tina walked back into the bedroom and slid Nick out of his garments before taking herself a much needed rest on the firm tan couch in the living room.
^*^
Morning was upon them and another city would be inhabited by the likes of one super group. Nick remained in their room, still knocked out from the previous night/morning. A.J., Brian, Kevin and Howie all looked over to Tina who sat in the far corner of the hotel restaurant reading over movie reviews in the local newspaper along with breakfast that didn't look fit enough for a bird let alone someone of her stature.
"Nick must still be knocked out." Brian commented.
"Hmmph" was all A.J. could say. Girl brought it on herself after many warnings from the group. Whatever problem lay between her and Nick was for them. He already forewarned her once.
"Look we can't blame her for the way Nick is acting ok? No I don't like the fact that she's here and I don't like the fact that sooner or later Nick's gonna do something to break her heart but maybe if we're a little more forthcoming she'll be fine by the time this tour is over."
"I'm not going to be her bosom buddy Howie," A.J. added, "I've already talked to her and she didn't listen."
"More like screeched to her," Brian mumbled. That in turn caused a death glare to be sent his way from A.J. "Don't look at me like that, all you've done is yelled at that girl. Haven't you figured out by now yelling doesn't help? Besides we aren't exactly saints ourselves acting the way we have."
"You know what Brian--� A.J. was ready to give him an earful when Howie abruptly jumped from his seat and walked over to Tina's table. All watched like a bad television show intently of what was to come from the small meeting of sort.
"Hi," he smiled.
"Hi," she replied not once looking up from her paper.
"Look let me be the first to apologize for my actions towards you. I've been very unfriendly towards you and that was unfair of me. With the time we have left on this tour we need some sort of semblance to make the rest of this tour smooth you know?" Tina glanced up from her paper to Howie who keenly watched her for any kind of idea of what she was thinking. Her brown eyes then focused on the table 3 rows back where 6 eyes stared at her, breaking away when she looked up at them.
"Did they send you over here for that?"
"No...A.J. was still over there arguing about how you should leave."
"Well at least he's consistent," she joked. A thousand pounds felt as if they were lifted from Howie's shoulders.
"That he is but I'm serious. I shouldn't have treated you like that without getting to know you. I wouldn't want anyone to be that way with me and I shouldn't be that way with anyone else."
"You're cool dude, don't sweat the small things," she smiled.
"Alright...so um, Nick's still sleep huh?"
"Yeah, still knocked out. You guys must've really partied hardy last night huh?" Howie looked at Tina with confusion. Party? What party? The party in his dream with Halle Berry, Gabrielle Union and Amber Tamblyn?
Last time he checked that was an invite only party that didn't consist of Nick, or anyone conscious for that matter. Completely throwing him off all he could reply was with a simple yeah. "Didn't get in till late plus with not being a morning person..."
"Yeah, yeah, Club Dash will keep you up all types of night."
"Yeah, well speaking of which I'm going to go check on him, see if he's ok."
"Alright, if you have nothing to do later maybe we can hang or something. They're probably not going out tonight since we have to be in Chicago so early, maybe snatch up a few movies or something."
"That'd be cool" Tina got up from the table leaving her barely touched breakfast on the table. "I'll see you around."
"Later." Howie watched the young woman leave the dining area with questions floating in the air. What in the world was going on?
^*^
Slowly walking back into their hotel room, the sun was sealed from within their mauve colored room. Apparently Nick had to have been up to close the drapes that she was sure totally killed him upon eye contact.
Back into a deep slumber, Nick's head was cocked off to the side of the bed, one arm hanging over the edge and the sheet that she put over his entire body when she left out in the morning now hung off his ankles.
Boy what all had he had a taste of last night? Shaking her head, Tina gently sat upon the side of the bed not far from his head and looked down at his sleeping body.
"Well I guess I won't know what I'll be doing today," she groaned.
Getting up from the bed something on the floor caught her eye. Where Nick's clothes laid was a little black matchbook. Probably from the club they went to that night before. "I'll just put it back in his pocket," she thought to herself. But just as she was about to do such, the matchbook halted her. Club Dash will keep you up all types of night. So exactly why did this matchbook say Exoctique?
