Chapter 14

The ringing telephone punched a hole in his dreams. Eyes shut, Nick blindly groped for the jangling phone, knocking an empty glass from the bedside table to the floor. �H�lo...� he slurred.

�I can not believe he forgot our appointment. Does he think I have time to waste?�

Dropping his head back on the pillow, Nick asked, �Who?�

�Bear Ralston.�

�Oh. I didn�t know you had an appointment with him.�

�It wasn�t anything definite, but I told him I wanted to meet with him this week. ARRRGGHH!�

�I�m sorry Jet.� He bit his lip to keep from laughing. He could picture her stamping her feet like a two-year old. �Can�t you just schedule an appointment?�

�I could if he was here, but he�s not.�

�When does he get back,� he asked, scratching his head and settling in for a long conversation.

�His assistant didn�t know. What I want to know is why it is so important for him to go to Nashville and buy a house?�

Nick�s heart tripped. �He�s in Nashville?�

�Yes. He and his friend are house hunting.�

�Which friend?�

�The one who introduced you to him.�

�Abe?�

�Yes, Abe. Are you even listening to me,� she spat.

�Yes, I�m listening to you.� His tone becoming abrupt.

�I didn�t even know they were a couple.�

�They weren�t.�

Bridget snorted. �Well, they must be now. Otherwise, they wouldn�t be moving in together.�

�I guess,� replied Nick, a knot twisting it�s way through his stomach.

�I should just call Daddy and tell him what Bear did.�

�No,� he exclaimed a little too quickly.

�What?�

�I mean, there isn�t any need to involve your father. You said yourself, that you didn�t really have a set appointment with him.�

�But still.�

�I know baby, but he�s new to the business. Give him a break�

�Well, he should know me and Daddy.�

�I�m sure he does, but I bet he didn�t think you were serious about meeting with him.�

�Why?�

�Jet, you are the star and he�s new in town. I bet he didn�t think someone like you would be interested in working with him.�

�Humph, I suppose�If that�s the case, I guess I won�t call Daddy.�

�So what�s my girl been doing,� he asked around a yawn.

�Mary and I went shopping today and I got the cutest little bag��

He only half-listened as Jet droned on and on about her latest finds. He was trying to process the fact that Abe was buying a house with Bear. It shouldn�t bother him, but it did. Knowing Abe was in a serious relationship with someone else felt an awful lot like having a twenty-pound weight sitting on his chest. It was difficult to breathe. His heart ached. It hurt. After all this time...it hurt.

�Nick,� yelled Bridget.

�Huh? Sorry baby.�

�Were you listening?�

�I�m sorry, it�s after three here. Guess I was starting to drift off,� he lied.

�Oh Nicky! I forgot about the time change. I guess I should let you go. I�ll call you later.�

�Okay.�

�Bye.�

He held the phone to his ear for a long moment after they�d ended the call. When he was sure she was gone, he sarcastically added, �Me? Yeah, I�m doin� good. Recording�s going great. Thanks for asking.�

Letting the phone drop to the floor, he turned over and pulled a pillow close. He suddenly felt completely alone. He missed having someone to snuggle. Actually, he missed having Abe in his bed. He could hold her as close as he wanted and she never minded. Then there were those times when she would snuggle in close to his back and hold him. No one had ever held him. He wondered if she was now going to be holding Bear.

Throwing the pillow off the bed and kicking his feet free of the sheets he sat up on the side of the bed. Squinting against the light as he turned it on, he reached for his phone. He cycled through the saved numbers until he found the one he wanted and dialed.

�Hello?� Nick panicked and said nothing. �Hello�Last chance�Hello�I�m hanging up now.�

�Don�t hang up, Bella.�

Her heart dropped to her toes. �Nick?�

�Yeah.�

�Is something wrong?�

�No.�

�Where are you?�

�London.�

�Why are you calling me from London?�

�Tell your boyfriend I saved his ass,� he said, grasping for something to say.

�Who are you talking about?�

�Bear.�

�Bear isn�t my�forget it. What are you talking about?�

�Bridget was supposed to meet with him this week, but I guess he forgot cause he�s in Nashville with you.�

�He blew off a set meeting with Bridget?�

�It wasn�t set, but Jet got pissed and was going to call her Daddy.�

�So,� asked Abe, her voice taking on a tone of complete annoyance.

�Goldie Goldsmith isn�t somebody you fuck with. Bear would be shut out before he even got all the way in the door.�

�What a brat!�

�Hey???�

�Don�t hey me, Nick. You�re telling me that, because Bear wasn�t waiting for Miss Thang to grace him with her presence that she was going to run to Daddy and tattle. I stand by my assessment, what a brat! By the way, why do you call her Jet?�

�It�s her nickname.�

�It�s short for Bridget.�

�That and the fact that she is a jet setter.�

�I see and you�re happy with this new life?�

�What ya mean?�

�I mean, are you happy hanging with the jet set?�

�Hey, I�m still me.�

�I hope so.� They both paused. �Thanks.�

�For?�

She chuckled. �For running interference for Bear.�

�No problem.� He blurted out, �Are you buying a house with him?�

�How did you?�

�His assistant told Bridget, he was there looking at houses with you.�

�No. He is here looking for a place to live.�

�Why,� asked Nick, his tone more biting than he intended.

�He has some deals he�s working on here. He didn�t want to rent. I�m just riding along when he looks at houses.�

�Oh. So you two still aren�t��

�No Nick.� Her irritation growing. �We are just friends. Again, I ask you why you care. You and Jet seem to be doing fine.�

�We are.�

�Then what exactly is your problem, Nick? Will you only be happy if I�m alone and miserable?�

�No.�

�I think it would do us both a world of good, if we stayed out of each other�s love lives.�

�I guess,� he said, dejected.

Changing the subject, she asked, �So how is the record coming?�

�Good. We�ve got several tracks selected and four are done.�

�Sounds like you are making great progress. Have you talked to any of the guys.�

�No. They�re all too pissed right now.�

�Sooner or later you will have to face them.�

�Later,� he said, around a yawn.

�What time is it?�

He looked at the clock on the nightstand. �3:32.�

�AM?�

�Yeah.�

�Nick, honey, go to bed.�

�I will. Night Bella.�

�Night Nick.�

This time after he turned off his phone, he said, �Thanks for asking, Bella.�

Chapter 15

�Wake up.�

Abe jumped. �I�m up!�

Bear laughed. �Come on, we�ve got a plane to catch.�

�Huh?� Abe wiped sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the couch.

�We have a party tonight.�

Glaring at him, she said, �I�m not awake enough to play twenty questions.�

�Okay. Okay. We are invited to party in New York tonight. It is a party celebrating the release of Vin Diesel�s new movie.�

�How did I get an invitation?"

�You�re going as my date.� He grinned. She scowled. �Please. You�ll have fun.�

�Ya think?�

�I know.� Turning serious, he said, �I need you there with me, Abe.�

�You need me there?�

�Yes. Please,� he begged, batting his eyelashes at her.

Sighing, she said, �Fine.�

�Thanks.� He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. �Now, get dressed. They�ll have the jet ready within the hour.�

�What should I pack?�

�Nothing. We will get it all there.�

�What?� She looked at him like he had three heads.

�Live a little, Abe.�

�It�s a waste��

�No it�s not. I want to do this.�

�You are so weird.�

�But you love me.�

�You�d like to think so,� she groused, on her way to the bathroom.

*********

Nick lay back in a chair with his eyes closed, concentrating on the playback. His phone went off. He heard Max sigh, as the playback stopped.

�Sorry.�

�It�s time for a break anyway,� replied Max on his way out of the control room.

�Hey Jet. What time is it there?�

�Hi baby. Three or Four am. What are you doing?�

�Listening to vocals I just recorded.�

�Uh-huh. Guess what I did?�

�What?� �Guess,� she said, drawing the word out. �Hmmm�you got on a plane to see me.� �No,� she giggled. �I flew to New York and attended a party for Vin Diesel�s new movie.� �You did?� Nick only half listened as she droned on about the party and everyone there. He watched Max walk back in and motioned he would be another minute. Max tapped his watch, then sat down at his computer and began working. �Anyway, I ran into Bear and �oh shoot! I can never remember her name.� She had his full attention now. �Abe?� �That�s it! Abe was with him. It looks like they were successful in finding a house.�

�In Nashville,� asked Nick, his heart hammering in his chest.

�Yes in Nashville. God knows why. Anyway, Bear said they should be closing on their house at the end of the week.�

Nick felt ill. �I didn�t know they were dating.�

�Yep. They seemed pretty cozy tonight, too. I can�t believe the number of pictures they got.�

�What pictures?�

�The photographers on the red carpet. Got a computer handy?�

�Max does.�

�Well, type in this address.�

Max pushed away from his keyboard and Nick typed in the URL Bridget read to him. He watched pictures of Bear and Abe fill the screen. He scrolled down and saw one of Bear kissing her. Not on the mouth, but still he was kissing her. They looked right together.

�Nick!�

�Uh?�

�You haven�t said anything about my outfit.�

�Hang on Jet, it�s slow.�

Max arched an eyebrow at him and he held his finger up to his lips to shush him. Max shook his head in amusement, tapping his watch again.

�You look beautiful. Jet, you always do.�

�It took me forever to find the shoes. It is so hard to find the right color, pattern,�

Nick gave Max a pleading look. It worked. Max started the track again.

�That�s�um�great�finding the right shoes. Listen Baby, I need to go.�

�Oh all right. Have fun. See, you soon.�

�Bye.�

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Nick jumped when he felt his pant leg move on its own.

�What?�

Max inspected his ankle. �I was seeing how tight the cuff was.�

Nick gave him a blank stare.

�For the ball and chain.�

�Fuck you, man!�

*********

�Abe, for the third time, I�m sorry,� whined Bear, as they entered the hotel suite after the party.

�I�ve accepted your apology.�

�You don�t act like it,� countered Bear, his tone harsher than he intended.

�Bear accepting your apology and being pissed aren�t mutually exclusive. I do accept your apology AND I�m still pissed at you. Deal with it.�

�What did you just say?�

Feet firmly planted and hands on hips, she said, �Deal with it.�

�I can�t believe you are being such a bitch about this!�

Mentally, he was trying to reel the word back into his mouth. Instead, it hung in the air like a noxious gas cloud. Abe�s stare became very cold.

Through clinched teeth, she said, �take it back.�

He knew he should, but his pride would not allow him. It would mean bending to her will and he never bent to anyone�s will. Squaring his shoulders, he folded his arms across his chest and remained silent.

Spinning on her heels, she disappeared into her portion of the suite. Less than five minutes later, she returned and had changed from the dress she wore to the party into jeans and a t-shirt. He watched her grab a room key off the table by the door.

�Where are you going,� he asked, when she opened the door.

�Out.�

�It�s too late.�

�I�m an adult. I�ll be fine.�

�You�re not acting like one and this is New York, not Nashville.�

�I know where I am and I may be a bitch, but I�m a bitch that knows her way around New York.�

She slammed the door and left him standing with his arms still crossed.

Chapter 16

�Hello.�

�Why are men stupid?�

�You call a man to ask that question,� replied AJ, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. She hesitated. �Yes?�

�Which man and what did he do?�

�Bear! He told the paparazzi my name at Vin Diesel�s party.�

�Vin Diesel had a party in Nashville,� he asked, brows knitted together in concentration trying to follow her.

�GRRRRR!�

�Okay! Okay! Tell the story.�

�Thank you.� Blowing out a breath, she began again. �Bear woke me up this morning and told me we were going to New York for Vin�s Party. He made me leave without packing anything. He flies us to New York. We go shopping and then the party. On our way in, we had to stop for pictures. He wouldn�t let me go on in. They asked him my name and he told them!� She waited for his reaction, but he remained silent. �Well?�

�Oh! I can speak now?�

�AJ!�

He couldn�t hold in his laughter. �All right. Damn! You are wound tight. So let me see if I got this. You were flown to New York to attend a cool ass party. Did I mention shopping in NYC? And don�t think I missed you calling him Vin. You are now on a first name bases with Riddick.�

She captured her lips between her teeth to keep the giggle in.

�Did I get it straight?�

�Yes, but��

�Tut, tut, tut, yes will suffice,� he teased.

�Fine! He did make all of that happened, but you know me.�

�Yes I do and I�m sorry he said your name. Maybe they won�t care.�

�They asked AJ. What do you think?�

�I think it will appear with any picture of you in the press. Did you react there in front of the photographers?�

�No. I�m not stupid.�

�No. According to you men are.�

�Bite me.� A smile clear in her voice.

�Did he apologize?�

�Yes, but he doesn�t get it. He thinks if he apologizes, that is the end of it. I�m not allowed to be pissed anymore. Plus, he only apologized, because I�m mad, but he doesn�t see the big deal in telling them my name. Now, they think we are a couple.�

�You aren�t?�

�AJ!�

�Hey! I�m just checking. You all are acting like a couple.�

�WHAT?�

�He�s been staying with you. Right?�

�Right.�

�You�ve gone with him to all these different events.�

�Yeah.�

�You�ve gone out to dinner and stuff with him.�

�Yeah.� Her voice very quiet.

�Abe, baby, if it walks like a duck��

�But we�re not,� she wailed.

�So you two ain�t?�

�Ain�t, what?�

�Done the nasty,� he whispered, though he wasn�t sure why he was whispering.

�NO! God AJ!�

�Just checkin�! Sounds like you two need to talk.�

�You sound like a girl,� she taunted.

Cackling, he said, �Better than a stupid man!�

�True.�

�You are being a hard ass tonight!�

She sighed. �Sorry.�

�It�s okay. Abe, you will have to talk to him. It�s the only way you will know what he is thinking about you two.�

�I�ve never��

�I know, but you can do it. How do you feel about him?�

�He�s my friend.�

�Have you two kissed?�

�Not that it�s your business, but yes.�

�How was it?�

�I don�t know�nice.�

�Ewww.�

�What?�

�No guy wants to hear his kiss is �nice�. Makes your toes curl, your panties catch fire, but never he�s kiss is nice.� He blew out a breath. �Well�there�s your answer. He really is just your friend.�

�See?�

�Yeah. Hey, where are you?�

�The bathroom off the hotel lobby.�

�Why on earth are you there?�

�Bear, called me a bitch.�

�What,� he exclaimed, feeling his temper flair.

�I was really pushing his buttons. Then he pushed mine and I left.�

�And you stormed off to the lobby bathroom?�

�At least I left the suite.� She laughed. �I�m such a bad ass.�

�Damn straight girlfriend! I only hang out with bad asses.�

�This I know,� she chuckled. �So, what were you doing when I called?�

�Comin� in from dinner. Boring night.�

�No plans?�

�Yep. A hot date with my bed when we hang up.�

�I�m sorry for keeping from your hot date.�

�You okay?�

�Now I am. Thanks.�

�Awe shucks,� he said, stretching out on his bed.

�You helped.�

�I�m glad.�

�So, off to your hot date.�

�I�m already there,� he chuckled.

�TMI, TMI!�

�Talk to him, Abe.�

�I will. Night, AJ.�

�Night, Abe.�

*********

Bear walked back into the lobby after questioning the doorman, who insisted Abe had not come out through the main entrance. Running a hand over his head, he tried to think of where she would be.

�Bear?�

He spun around to see Abe walking toward him. �Thank God, you�re okay!�

Abe found herself in his arms. �Yes. Why wouldn�t I be?�

�I got worried when you didn�t come back. I�m sorry. I�m sorry for this whole night. You can be pissed at me if you want. I screwed up so bad.�

�Its fine, Bear.� She pulled back to look at him and saw the worry in his eyes. �Let�s just go up stairs and get some sleep.�

�Okay,� he eagerly agreed.

Taking his hand, she led the way to the elevators and soon they were safely ensconced back in the suite.