Five

When Nicole heard a door creak open and footsteps trail into the room, she barely moved an inch from her resting spot on the recliner in the front room. Figuring it was AJ, who would leave her alone, she simply moved her head to a more comfortable position. It was when she sensed someone close to her that she opened her eyes and jumped upon seeing another face so up-close. When she did in fact flinch hard enough to throw her arms into the air, her elbows shot out and smacked the man who had been looking over her.

After the shrieking from both she and the man now on the floor, laughter filled the air and she saw AJ walking towards the commotion. Nicole leaned over the arm of the chair and found Nick sprawled on the floor, repeatedly blinking his eyes. In a careful voice, "You okay?"

After a few more blinks, he rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, you knocked me good the second time." She smiled, holding back a laugh. "The first one I blocked, but I didn’t think you’d keep going."

"Well, I didn’t really know what was going on," she chuckled, leaning over with a hand to help him up.

AJ came over to help Nick in his attempts to stand back up. "You gonna sleep the night away?" he asked of Nicole.

After she pushed the chair back upright, she tugged the ponytail at the back of her head. "No, no. We have plans," Nicole responded as she fought a yawn.

"That’s right. We’ve got plans." AJ started pulling on her arm, one hand at hers and the other at her elbow. "Let’s go, you slouch."

Once she was upright, she pulled at her button-up shirt and glanced to the two men before her, instantly feeling fashionably inadequate. "Can I get a few minutes?"

Nick spoke up as he sat down in the chair she had just occupied. "Just a few. The car’s waiting."

"You coming, too?"

He pushed out the back of the chair to a reclining position and got comfortable, laying his hands behind his head. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

Hesitantly, Nicole glanced over to AJ and sighed. "Who all’s going tonight?"

AJ nodded off towards the bedroom and spoke short. "Us. Come on, Nic. Get moving."

After some wavering, Nicole finally walked from the area and to her bag. Once she exited the bathroom in gray chinos and a black sleeveless top and brushing out her hair, AJ was on the bed watching her. "What’s wrong?" he asked as she neared him.

Nicole held the brush within her hands and gave him with a guarded look. "Who all is going?"

"I said us."

With a bothered glance, she tipped her head to the side. "Who’s us?"

Rolling his eyes, he moved off the bed. "You wanna know if Kevin’s gonna be there."

"Well, yeah."

AJ walked towards the window but still looked back to her. "That’s nice. I wanted to take you out and you’re wanting him to be there."

After a tired breath her face softened. "AJ, I just don’t want him to be there."

"You don’t?" he asked oddly.

"Things are weird right now."

He scoffed, "That’s for sure."

"Are you going to be a sourpuss the whole time? ‘Cause then I don’t want to go out tonight."

Running a hand over his head, he sighed then gave a slow smile. "Sorry, Babe. It’s just been a long day."

She pulled the brush through her hair again, bringing all the locks into a ponytail then smiled. "So, Nick’s going then?"

With a nod, "Yeah, Howie’s meeting us there. They just couldn’t get off the idea of you being there."

Giving an odd look, she had to wonder. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You hardly came out much before because you had to work. Now you don’t have to work."

"Thanks for the remind," she gave off a sour smile.

He closed the space between them, bringing his arms around her for a hug. "I’m sorry." Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek as he released her. "We’re gonna have fun tonight. You know that, right?"

With one raised eyebrow, Nicole smirked in return. "So you say."

Once at the bar, Nicole kept close with AJ, enjoying the night as they took in a few drinks and occasionally hitting the dance floor. Howie and Nick kept up with them, staying at the bar table at times, other times going out to dance with ladies who approached them, or piqued their interests. As the alcohol was hitting, Nicole felt rather chummy with AJ, as did he and he rung his arm around her back, leaning against the back of her chair. At a few different times, she’d lean her head against his head or his shoulder as they sang along with songs they recognized. On the floor, they’d dance close enough to warrant something to stir between them.

Nicole tried a bit to ignore it, not wanting to question it while under the influence. AJ was simply going with the flow of being with her and enjoying himself. Come the end of the night, they were holding hands out to the taxi and all throughout the ride, she leaned into his embrace with a smile.

Back at the hotel, AJ and Nicole sat up late, talking nonsense through their states and giggling like crazy. They settled into the bed, still talking and still laughing like there was no tomorrow at whatever insane things crossed their minds. As the night passed on and light was coming through the windows, Nicole felt suddenly awake and was hard pressed to keep AJ up. Given that, when they were set to leave the coming morning on the buses, AJ and Nicole took residence in the back area where a larger spread of mattress was for them to rest on.

They were quite disoriented when the bus stopped. AJ was simply confused they had slept that long and Nicole was confused to not only the sleeping on the bus issue, but the issue of lying within his arms and feeling quite content. It was much more confusing when she considered the fact that just days ago she felt the same exact way with another man.

In instants, her mind wandered to Kevin and she stiffened in the embrace before carefully moving to not make AJ curious to her sudden want of movement. He stretched out on his back, pushing his legs and arms outward. "God, I’m so damned tired."

On a mumble, "Yeah, me too." Nicole sat at the edge of the bed and stared out the door that was half-open, watching movement ahead of them in the main area. She saw Howie walk from one side to the other, gathering his items together and she was suddenly reminded that while their days and work continued, hers was presently standing still.

AJ scooted to be beside and nudged against her shoulder. "You still dazing?"

She tipped her head towards his with a weary smile. "It just feels very surreal to watch you guys move, knowing I have nothing to do with it anymore." Even while her mind wandered again to Kevin, she tried to keep something steady in her voice. "I think I may go home for a few days."

"No, Nic," he instantly broke.

With an odd look and voice of insistence, "I’ll come back." Watching his weary expression she nudged back at him. "I promise. I’ll come back."

He swallowed at the odd situation, wondering himself why he felt so bothered with the idea of her leaving. "At least wait a few days. I’ll get something arranged for you to fly out. And to come back," he asserted.

Nicole gave off a crooked smile while she repeated him. "And to come back."

The next two days passed on much like the first two she had spent with AJ. During the day she hung out with him when he didn’t have some other obligation and some times Nick would join them, or Howie would, too. Once he left for the arenas, she lounged around the hotel rooms, keeping to herself. Nicole knew arrangements had been made for her to fly back to Chicago the next day out of their present city, to return just a week later as the band was heading southward on the tour schedule.

She was satisfied with AJ’s plans because he was actually letting her go home without much argument, even while she expected him to based on his sudden actions and words. He seemed to be more interested in just hanging out with her, not doing anything specific, but also all the more excited to hit the nightlife when they did venture out. And when the time at home was nearing a close, she would meet up with the tour just days before it hit Louisiana. She was definitely excited to finally hit New Orleans and was looking forward to what havoc they could partake in, in the city.

In the afternoon, AJ had an interview that Howie was joining him at. The two made their way down to the conference room on the second floor and Nicole was to meet AJ down there at a scheduled time, when he knew he’d be done, so they could head out for a late lunch. She had readied herself, gathering her jacket into her arms and walked towards the door to the hallway. Just as she grabbed onto the door handle and turned, there was knocking at the door.

Nicole pulled open the door and had to blink as she found Kevin staring back at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Hey," he spoke oddly with a strange smile. As the lips creased a larger smile, his head tipped to one side. "What’re you doing here?"

She couldn’t help but smile in return and feel as if she hadn’t seen him for quite a while. Then her mind calculated it hadn’t been but a few days. But when she considered how much time she had spent with him just before the actual firing, compared to not seeing him at all the past few days, she felt like she had been missing him the entire time.

Nicole pushed the door fully open and leaned against it while he remained in the hallway. "I was staying with AJ for a few days."

He glanced into the room, then took her into sight from head to toe as if he still could not believe she was standing before him. "How’re you doing with everything?"

She smiled warmly at his concerned voice. "I’m doing okay. I’m actually going home tomorrow."

Kevin’s face dropped a bit as his hands slid into his front jeans pockets. "Oh, you are."

Pushing a hand over her blonde hair, spraying the bangs across her forehead, she leaned her head against the door. He was only in faded blue jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, but she could stare at him for days with the casualness he was giving off. "Just for a few days. I’ll be back before New Orleans," she suddenly smiled.

Kevin smiled along with her, remembering instantly that during one of their late night talks, she had beamed at the prospect of visiting the city. "I love that place. I’d love to show it to you if we had the chance."

Her mind quickly worked through the schedule she still had memorized in her head. "Actually, there’s a day or two open just before the show." Nicole then winced, feeling strange at the idea she had just presented.

He gave a thoughtful glance. "You’ll have scheduling or something, won’t you?"

Instantly and without thought, she corrected. "Oh, no, I’m just visiting with you guys this time around. No work." Nicole realized that for the first time, the idea of staying with the group and having no work responsibility sounded like a very good idea. Especially if it meant she could still see Kevin and be around him.

With a content expression on his face, Kevin nodded. "We’ll have to figure something out."

Nicole nodded in a jerky motion, excitement reeling through her. "Yeah, we will."

Kevin shifted, resting a shoulder against the doorframe. "Where you headed off to?"

"Oh, I’m meeting AJ for lunch," she responded while glancing down to her watch. "And I’m actually late now."

He pushed off from the woodwork with a sour expression. "Sorry I kept you."

"No, it’s cool. It’s good I saw you."

Reading the true sentiment in her eyes, Kevin smiled warmly, patting a hand to her arm then squeezing at it. He spoke lowly, "It’s good to see you again. I was kinda starting to miss you."

Nicole swallowed and gave a shy look. "Yeah, I was, too."

"Well, if I don’t see you tonight or tomorrow, have a good time at home."

"Thanks."

"And come find me when you’re back and we’ll make sort of plans."

She held an odd glance at that statement.

"For New Orleans."

Nicole tried to hide a tiny laugh at the idea. "You’re serious about that?"

He gave a half-hearted shrug. "If you are, I’m game."

She nodded in return, "That sounds very good."

Taking a step forward, Kevin gently hugged her, as if he was afraid the motion would make her uncomfortable, when in fact it was the exact opposite. She rubbed at his back in a caring way before releasing him and walking down the hallway with goodbyes given as she neared the elevator.