Slouching against the cool tiles in the shower cubical in the joint bathroom, i let the spurting hot jets of water, crush against my skin washing away the days impurities and anything else that cared to slip down the plug hole. My hair was dripping wet freshly washed as i took time out to let myself calm, closing my eyes as the steam rose around me. The fact i had stunned myself in making a promise to Alba, was finally sinking in and as good as it felt to have done something right about her for once, curiosity about the situation we'd created previously, still itched at my brain. Just then i heard a knock at the door, a sweet little thing that could only be made by one person. 'Who is it?' i lamely called out, as i pulled myself to standing and set about reaching for the soap. 'It's me baby,' Smiling to myself i welcomed her in, sticking my head round the curtain and greeting her with a lazy smile. She looked wiped as she collapsed onto the stool near the sink where mom had placed a fresh pile of towels. 'Someone looks tired, you wanna come in?' i invited as i picked up the novelty rubber ducky at the side of the soap dish and poked it out from round the shower curtain. A small laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. 'Not tonight Taylor, i just came to tell you i'm going to have an early night-i'm going back tomorrow to do some harmonies and i need all the strength i can get, Her eyes looked worn, her voice was starting to sound horse and her hair was looking ratty at the ends from one too many ponytails. 'So this Hyde's a slave driver then?' i quipped as i disappeared back behind the shower curtain and continued my relaxing shower as i waited for her answer. 'Oh god no, not at all-i'm just a perfectionist, but then again you know that,' God did i ever-that's why we'd never share musical ideas, it's not that they are diverse per say, it's the fact we have different interpretations of perfection-vocally. 'I tell you something though, he dotes on his girlfriend so much, there's pictures of them everywhere-if i didn't know any better i would have sworn they were newly married,' she waffled as i suddenly dropped the soap at the mention of Hyde's "girlfriend". 'Um yeah, i thought they were kinda sweet together at the dinner,' i stammered as i bent down to pick up the soap and place it back in the dish before turning the shower off and sticking and arm through the curtain to reach for the towel i'd left on the top of the cabinet. 'You didn't say much too her, considering she was engineer on your last album baby,' It was 60 minutes and the questions were coming quick fire at me from all directions. I took a deep breath and tied the towel round my waist, stepping out of the shower and face to face with my girlfriend.
I walked over to her to snatch a kiss before walking over to the cabinet to find my brush before looking in the mirror, trying to find some way to reply. 'Well i guess it's because i don't really know all that much about her, i mean she worked for us but it was work, we had the odd chat but nothing much really-she always kept herself to herself,' i babbled as i finished brushing my hair and turned to see Beau nodding and smiling. 'Eh anyways, i'm going to get to bed.....you don't mind if i share yours do you? I fall asleep quicker when your next to me,' Her quick brush off of her question lead me too believe she was either totally wiped, or she was partly distracted by something....but i couldn't think of anything so, i went with the first. She walked up to me and put her arms round my neck, bumping against me sexily as i tried my hardest to remember she was tired. 'Since when did you ask?' i chuckled as she kissed my lips sweetly, licking my bottom lip menacingly before pulling away, giving me a cheeky shrug. I broke out in smile and shooed her to the door, patting her bum fleetingly. 'Go ahead, i'll be in soon,' i smiled as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and wandered off down the hall. Shutting the door i rested against it briefly, tilting my head back with closed eyes. Beau's curiosity about Alba was only natural, and there was no cause for alarm but the fact i'd have to actually stick to our promise religiously, or risk losing Beau, scared me somewhat. I still didn't know if Beau was 'the one' like Hyde was Alba's 'one'-but Beau meant a hell of a lot to me right now and i wasn't going to go around breaking any hearts, so i'd just have to like it and jolly well, keep to it.
'Promise you'll have a nice hot bath ready for me when i come home?' I begged as i pulled out of my close embrace with Hyde. He pretended to think before pecking my lips and walking down the drive with me slowly. 'You can share one with me, what with all this emphasis on economizing water,' he smiled, rubbing my hips softly as i said my goodbyes before work. We'd collapsed in a heap on the sofa last night and fallen asleep there, only waking this morning to realize that we were both truly wiped from our hard says grind. Just as i opened my mouth to say goodbye, a car pulled up in front of the drive, a familiar car with a familiar person behind the wheel and one annoying person getting out the passenger side door. 'Hey Hyde, Hey Alba-thought you'd be at work!' It was an understatement to suggest that Beau had a slightly, over happy voice for 9:30 on a Saturday morning. Turning too her with a polite smile i pulled out of Hyde's grip when i noticed Taylor escorting her up towards us. My toes curled, holding me upright as i put on my brave face on to the world and any other onlookers as i watched him scuff his feet, hands shoved in his jeans, a surprisingly baggy green t-shirt adorning his top half. 'Well i better get going, don't work him too hard,' i joked to Beau, her irritating giggle soon chiming around me, i wish to god i could have been forcefully serious with her, who knew what tooth-fairy's were capable of these days? Kissing Hyde on the cheek i turned to see Taylor muttering something to his beloved, swiping a smoocher as i acknowledged his presence with a nod of my head and started off down the drive and the short walk to the studio.
I'd not gotten more than 6 steps when i heard thudding footsteps running up behind me, a slight flinch striking through me when i realized who it was. 'I can give you a ride if you want,' his voice was trustworthy but as much as i wanted to stand there, turn round and smile saying that would be nice, i'd made a silent pact with myself not to be around Taylor more than is necessary-our track record at being straightforward adult friend, only seems to last a couple of days. 'If i wanted a ride i would have taken my own car,' so maybe i sounded a little cold, but he didn't have to be polite to me, just as long as he kept his promise. 'Oh come on Alba, shake the attitude,' He grumbled as i turned to face him, hands on my hips as i caught sight of my watch in the process. Sighing like the ungrateful child i was acting like, i rolled my eyes and reached for the passenger side door of his car, getting myself in with the promise to myself i'd have to let go of what happened before-if we keep the promise it'll never have to haunt either of us again...right?
'Beau was talking about you last night, she asked me why i didn't talk much to you at the dinner,' They were his first words to me since i'd practically stamped my foot in defiance to accept a lift from him. I looked over to him as we sat in traffic a few blocks from the studio, my body pulsing, awaiting his reply. 'She doesn't strike me as the type to see what's under her nose Taylor-what line did you feed her?' i chortled as he shot me a warning stare, as i bit my lip to stop from laughing. 'I told her that you might have been our engineer but apart from idle conversation we never liased outside the studio with you, so i didn't really have much cause for conversation,' he shrugged as he gripped the wheel, turning left when the traffic lights finally let up. I felt somewhat hurt that he practically told his girlfriend i was a nobody, a nothing-a zit from the last album recording. Ah but then, i'm a zit that doesn't go away, just like he's the stubborn stain on that new white blouse i got as a pick-me-up gift last year. 'She also said that Hyde dotes on you like mad,' he added softly, checking his indicator on as he pulled into the parking lot of the studio. I felt a slight blush at my cheeks as i heard his words, but i also noted the drop in his voice as he pulled up at the front door. 'Well it's nice to know she's observant to more things than just your sex life,' i smiled, just to let him know it was a non-offending joke, and if his face stayed that sullen, if the wind changed-it'd stop like that.
'What do you think would have happened if that was us-i mean, we were a couple?' His words shocked me as i was about ready to thank him, exit the car with just another notch on my sarcasm totem pole. But instead i sat there looking at him through cautious eyes, thoughts of the last night i saw him, and the exact same question spouting from my mouth, in the midst of a frustrated anarchy. 'I seem to recall asking you the same thing about a year ago, but then again at that point i was so screwed i didn't know my ass from my elbow,' i retorted as he ran his hand through his hair before flopping it back down to grip the wheel. 'So don't answer my question then, but i mean you love Hyde, totally uncomplicated, not based on sex, love him. I just care for Beau yet i know she's a fantastic person, i so want to commit more to her but now i don't think i can-there's too many old memory's reminding me of what a bad person i can be, and i don't want to do that to her,' His admissions were staggering, that he'd share something of any depth with me, just an old blotch on his past-a sexual conquest if you will. 'We just had a personality clash that led to shit we didn't understand and still don't-you won't do that to Beau, it's totally different, you can't even compare the two situations,' I was flinging my hands about Isaac-style trying to underline my word of shock, that he'd even think about delving in, once again to the cess pit we'd created. 'Why are you even saying this too me Taylor? Oh wait, your going to tell me that it was me one year ago and now the shoe is on the other foot and your the one left wondering if we'd started over and worked out any feelings-what is it we could have had? Oh no, don't start on me, i'm happily taken-if that's your game you can just forget it, it's done it's over-you promised me!' I was practically pushing myself into speculated paranoia, shouting at him sporadically as he rested his head against the window, his hand creasing his forehead. 'No Alba! That's not my game but the thought just came to pass! Just because i tired to see the sensical side that last night at your house, doesn't mean i didn't wonder if we could have had feelings if we pushed all the shit aside! In fact, truth be told, i called Beau up after a partially hard day when i'd come to the point i didn't want to let myself dwell on an un-chanagble past! Christ you never change Alba Montrose,' He scoffed back, seriousness filtering in at obligatory points as i stared back at him, our eyes meeting once more in battle. 'I don't believe you,' i whispered as i reached for the door handle and retched my gaze away, stumbling out of the car, slamming the door shut with satisfaction. 'I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'VE JUST LET IT ALL GO EITHER!' he shouted out of the window, before speeding off, leaving me clutching my sanity and my headache free mind, with both hands. It wasn't until i closed my eyes and saw Hyde's face that i realized that i had beaten this long before he had, and that's something i didn't think would happen. We don't believe each other, once again were at war over something that shouldn't matter-but unlike the other times, there was no one to get hurt but ourselves, and we did. This time there were more people at stake, but there were no feelings, except the odd feeling of guilt floating around. Striding into the reception, best foot forward, i'd know for as long as Taylor was around and Hyde was friends with Beau-i'd always end up paying through the nose for a stupid dumb mistake i like to called Jordan Taylor Hanson.
I didn't seem to be going anywhere fast today. My voice and my brain weren't functioning, despite a comfortable nights sleep, pressed against Taylor, his arms lulling me into a safe place between security and unconsciousness. But now i was feeling run down and i had a splitting headache cracking right across the eyes, the grey clouds outside transferring their negative energy into my body. 'Beau are you sure your okay, you seem quite pale to me,' Hyde's caring voice broke through my haze as i gripped onto my chair for fear of a dizzy spell sending me flying. 'Uh....not really, i have a bad head and i feel really bunged up,' i smiled weakly as he set down what he was fiddling with and walked over too me, kneeling down in front of me with a sympathetic stare. 'I can call Taylor, get him to come and pick you up-i'm sure he'd have his cell on him,' he queried as i shook my head lightly. 'He's got meetings all this afternoon, with Zac and Isaac-there all out,' I hushed slowly, as i held a hand to my head as the throbbing of my headache worsened. 'Oh okay well lets see, how about i get you upstairs and you can nap on the sofa and we can carry on later, or i can take you home in my car-we've still got tomorrow before i have to start work,' He was looking everywhere around the room as he read out my options in a cute, low voice, causing me to break out in smile as he stood up once again and looked down at me. 'What?' he grinned as i contemplated making my head throb ten times more and his as well. 'Well it just goes to show my theory was right. You see what i said yesterday, about if i was a couple of years older then maybe we could have been a proper couple instead of settling for a one night stand, hot and sweaty and steamy...i thought you'd be the strong caring type and well, i guess you just proved that a little more too me,' These words felt forced to leave my mouth, and i instantly crossed my heart and hoped to die as i registered his bemused look, washing over me.
'Beau that's really kind of you, but it was just a one night stand i mean....i don't want to sound rude but, i have Alba now and it's not like...,' And that's when i over stepped my mark by a foot as i nudged my lips to his cautiously, pulling away as soon as i realized what sort of hole i was digging for myself. 'Don't worry, i know you meant that innocently,' he held up his hands to stop me from trying to explain myself, his expression turning from caring to annoyance within a split nanno second. 'I wish it could mean more,' i hushed under my breath as he walked away from me and picked up my bag and jacket from over in the corner off the basement/come makeshift studio. 'I better drive you back to Taylor's, you'll have a lot to finish tomorrow because i can't help you anymore after tomorrow,' He was brushing everything over with a laminate glaze as i slid down from the stool and walked over to take my things from him. I so desperately wanted to tell him i was sorry and i didn't know any better today, what my senses were telling me too do, but on the other hand Hyde Dewitz was once again intriguing me and i wanted to know more. This has nothing to do with how i feel for Taylor, for nothing would change that but i guess you could say that i wanted to know if anything would have happened between me and Hyde, before Taylor was even a glint in my mind's eye. He helped me slip my coat on, as i turned too him, scanning my eyes over his face in shock of myself. His eyes were staring back at me, wide and fearful as i let my bag drop to the floor, gently tip-toeing up once again to let my lips brush against his in curiosity. I caught his upper lip in my own, sucking on it lightly as i felt his mouth move a little to kiss me back, his dry lips soon swimming in the moisture of my own in a mere few seconds. I reached my hand up to run it through his silky brown locks, risking it all for one little kiss, as i let my tongue venture forward.
'No, no Beau....you can't just do this, i have Alba and you have Taylor, it's not right and it's not on, i'm sorry,' He said flatly and sternly as he pulled away from our sweet kiss, clutching his keys in his hand as he bent down to pick my bag up and thrust it into my hands. I watched him stride up the stairs to the ground floor to get out and take me home as soon as he possibly could no doubt. Clutching my fevered head in throbbing pain i vowed i'd go home to Taylor's, snuggle in his arms, wake up in the morning and give myself a good hard slap-not to mention a growling apology to Hyde that started with 'i was feeling out of sorts yesterday but that's no excuse to come onto you and i hope you'll forgive me,'. What the fuck was i playing at?