Nine

When Nicole and AJ parted for the four-day long break, they parted with a caring hug and sweet kiss, only awaiting the next week when she was going to return to the tour. AJ wanted to get to Florida to visit with his family, mostly his mom. Nicole just wanted to relax and stay in one place for longer than 36-hours. Going to Chicago was certainly her chance for that.

She visited with Maggie, but never said a word about she and AJ. Nicole let on that she was staying strictly with him, but never insinuated anything more. She still wasn’t sure of how to explain things to her long-time friend. And she’d tried her best to keep the stories about Kevin at bay as well. Nicole didn’t see the point in explaining that either.

It made for a strained visit when the two did get together.

Nicole made the mistake of sending Maggie to her purse to get her wallet when the two had ordered pizza. Maggie took her time inside the wallet when she came across a slip of paper and held onto it even while handing a few bills over to the deliveryman. As the two friends started their meal, she broached it with a smile.

"What’s been going on with Kevin?"

Nicole paused in her first bite of the hot pizza and tried to remain calm. "Nothing really."

Maggie’s voice held the same smile, quite amused. "You see him much?"

With a shrug, "Here and there, not all that too much."

"Oh?"

"No. Kristin’s there."

"Still?"

"Yeah, still. They’re just about married." Nicole shot an annoyed look to her friend at the last comment then shook her head. "Is this really that interesting for you?" Before Maggie could answer, Nicole continued on. "If something real interesting was going on, I’d most likely tell you."

Pretending to be offended, Maggie questioned further. "Only most likely tell me? So you probably wouldn’t tell me that you have his cell phone number? Conveniently while you’re at home and they’re on break?"

Nicole slowly brought her eyes to her friend and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. "Who’s cell?"

"Idiot, who’ve we been talking about?"

She ran a hand over her head, pushing blonde hair away from her face. "What are you raving about now?"

"The fact that you have his number," she then paused and flashed the slip of paper. "And are on break, but aren’t calling him?"

Nicole watched her friend’s playful face, as well as anxious demeanor. That alone, got Nicole to smile and think that perhaps this situation wasn’t all that bad to be in. It was Kevin after all. Kevin chasing after her. She wiped at her mouth then threw the napkin down to her plate for the time being. "Okay, you wanna hear the story … "

"Hell yeah, I do."

After a deep breath, "We still kinda see each other."

"See each other?" Maggie asked, sounding very interested.

"Not like that. Like I said, Kristin’s still around. We just hang out every so often. And when we’re all out somewhere together, he seems to find a moment to come talk to me alone."

"Alone," the friend nodded with a sly smirk.

Rolling her eyes, "Anyways, so we still hang out a little bit. And last week, he mentioned wanting to see me over break."

"Mmm-hmm," Maggie sounded, still intrigued.

Nicole brought her plate back up, ready to continue with the pizza. With a firm voice, "I’m not calling him."

"You want to … "

"No, I don’t."

"Why not?"

"Because, it’s just … this is Kevin."

The friend bit back sarcastically, yet with an amused way. "Really? I thought we were talking about AJ here."

Maggie’s playful remark hit Nicole at an odd spot inside. She stared with surprise in her mind. Nicole wasn’t certain if her friend was just being silly, or really intended to hit her with it the way it most certainly did. Scratching at her chin, Nicole regarded Maggie lightly. "Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re not. Look, the thing with Kevin, it’s just weird. And it’s some thing that I have yet to figure out."

"I think you should call him." It appeared as if Maggie hadn’t paid much attention to what Nicole had said.

Nicole didn’t answer, but just shook her head.

"Here," and Maggie then picked up her cordless phone and started pushing at buttons, paying attention to the slip of paper in front of her. "I so know you wanna talk to him. And he obviously wants to talk to you."

In a flat tone, "Why do you say that?"

"Because he gave you his number," she waved the paper in the air to make the point.

The phone was then tossed into Nicole’s lap. She really believed that Maggie was just playing a trick on her and just trying to mess around with Nicole’s mind. When Nicole heard someone’s faint voice through the receiver she realized that Maggie wasn’t just playing with her mind. And she wasn’t just playing a trick. It was a cruel trick.

Tentatively, Nicole gathered herself and grabbed the phone to bring it to her ear. There was no further noises and in a nervous fashion, she swallowed then spoke. "Hello?"

"Hello," his voice echoed.

Her jaw tightened and she glared at Maggie. Mouthing, "You’re dead."

Nicole was surprised that he had no response to her end of silence. She figured he was mighty patient.

Which then reminded her of the many times he showed anything but patience when she was working. "Hello?" she tried again.

"Hello," he repeated, sounding just slightly annoyed that time.

Feeling quite stupid, Nicole tried her best at normalcy. "Uh, Kevin?"

"I dunno. You called me. Who you lookin’ for?"

After a quick breath, Nicole spoke in an odd tone. "Kevin, it’s Nicole."

There was a brief pause on his end. Then the voice came through. With a smile. "Nicole, Honey, how are you?"

Nicole internally winced at the ‘honey,’ but tried to ignore it. "I’m doing okay. How’re you?"

"Good. Good. You enjoying your break?"

With a snort, "Well, it’s more of a break for you guys than me, correct me if I’m wrong."

"Yeah, I’d suppose so," Kevin returned, sounding amused. "So, you actually called."

She was thrown off at the quick subject change. Let alone what the subject was. "Yeah, I did. Stupid things happen all the time." Nicole then looked to her friend with a harsh glance as she considered her last comment.

"Stupid thing?" he laughed. "You think it’s stupid to call me."

"Well … yeah," she answered quite honestly.

"Wow," he chuckled lightly. "That’s awfully nice of you to say."

"Kevin, do you not realize how ridiculous this is?

Kevin then spoke in a mocking way. "What? Talking?"

Trying to hide her smile, Nicole turned towards the TV, making sure Maggie couldn’t quite see her face so well anymore. "No, I’m saying this whole charade?"

"What?" he questioned in that same voice. "I can’t talk to my friend."

"That’s not why you gave me this number, is it?"

"Maybe." They both fell silent as Nicole considered that option and Kevin allowed her to stew. Then, he spoke, using the same playful tone. "Maybe not."

Thoughts ran through her mind and she spoke one on a low voice. "I hate you."

Kevin murmured his response. "No, you don’t."

Nicole rested her elbow at the arm of the chair and brought her hand up to cover her face. Her voice fell lower. "Okay, maybe not."

"You want me to come up there?"

She was instantly startled. The entire time that they’d been talking and socializing, so to speak, he’d never been that forward about anything. He was always speaking roundabout ways, insinuating things with a smirk. This time, even while his voice sounded to be laced with a smile, he spoke easily with the question.

"I bet you do," Kevin continued more confident. "I’ll come up there if you want."

Nicole swallowed down her nerves and tried to keep her mind from going blank.

"You don’t have any plans do you?" Kevin’s voice then seemed to be that of a sing-song notion. "You’re not speaking. You can’t say no that way."

She was going nuts on the inside with sensations she couldn’t figure out. ‘I have to have plans,’ Nicole thought frantically. And her mind continued to search for something to say because saying yes to Kevin was becoming too easy in her common sense. The best she could manage was a strangled voice and quick look to Maggie. "Hey, we got plans?"

"Um, no," her friend replied oddly, seeing the way Nicole was acting.

"No, tomorrow. Mags, what’re we doing, I know there’s something … "

Maggie was shaking her head as Kevin spoke easily enough. "No plans, right? I’ll get something arranged and get back to you. Okay?"

Finally, her voice went strong. "No, Kevin. No."

"Why not?"

Nicole wasn’t sure where it came from, but she had this massive boost of common sense that was telling her to tell him no. Somehow, she did it. "Because." Yet, it didn’t tell her why she was saying no.

"Nicole," he chuckled. "You can do better than ‘because’."

Her mouth spit out quickly, "Because you’re practically married."

She heard an involuntary cough come from his end. Soon enough, his voice was a bit scratchy. "Um, no, I’m not. If I want to spend some of my off time with you, then I’ll do that. I am an adult, Nicole. Last time I checked … "

Quickly, "Well, last time I checked, it’s not a good idea. So forget it."

"Are you serious?" On his sudden surprise, Kevin’s accent came through more than usual. Nicole had to relax at hearing that. His accent always hit just the right strings inside her chest. "Nicole, it’s not a hard thing to do. I can come there."

"And maybe I’m busy?"

Kevin smiled, "You weren’t quick enough to answer before."

"Well, I’m answering now. And now, I know I have plans. Forget coming here. I don’t want you to come."

Their conversation continued for a few more minutes and she really tried to dissuade him on the idea of coming to Chicago. She listened as his voice went fairly mellow, bordering on comfort. And she tried to keep her wits about her.

"You really don’t want me to come?"

At some point, Nicole wasn’t sure when, Maggie had left the room, leaving Nicole to her privacy. Noting that there was no audience, Nicole allowed her voice a bit lower and not so forceful.

"I wouldn’t really mind it. But given the circumstances … no, I don’t want you to come."

Somehow, Kevin allowed that excuse to slide and let her off the phone call with promises to call the next day.

It wasn’t long after when Nicole bowed out and headed back to her own home. The entire ride back, she felt an immense amount of guilt about the conversation that had transpired. And yet, she also felt a great longing all of a sudden, in wanting to see or talk to AJ.