Howie seemed to jump out of his skin as he turned to face her. �Hey babygirl. Don�t do that.�
�Do what?�
�Walk up behind me and . . . talk.�
�Are you okay?�
�Not really.�
�You want to tell your ex-friend about it?�
�Why ex?�
�I don�t know you�re the one who stopped hanging with me.�
�Let�s go upstairs and talk. I have to fill you in on a lot.� They went to one of Nick�s guest bedrooms and talked. D told her everything except for the fact that he was in love with her. He told her about his weakening nerves and his stress problems. He told her about all his medications that he had to take for his problems. Later they got on to other subjects and before they knew it they had been in the room for three hours. They heard a knock on the door and AJ walked in.
�You two seem to be having fun.�
�Me and D have been catching up.�
�Well did you catch up on the fact that you�re now my girlfriend?�
�What,� Howie said in a questioning yet excited voice.
�Oh yeah me and AJ are going out now.�
�I would have never thunk it,� Howie said as he got up to leave. AJ walked over to So�Cy and kissed her.
�So do you want to come home with me,� AJ asked.
�And do what?�
�I don�t know. I thought first we would start with some kissing then get into the more fancy stuff.�
�AJ!�
�I�m sorry So�Cy. You know I want to make love to you.�
�Please don�t pressure me.�
�I�m not. I�m just teasing. I like the fact that your saving yourself for me.�
�You suck AJ.�
�No I don�t. You won�t let me.�
�Let�s just leave.�
As they walked out of the room and downstairs to leave, the more she thought about AJ�s teasing. His teasing seemed more like pressuring. When they got to AJ�s house they began to mess around on the couch, then So�Cy stopped.
�AJ, do you think D will be okay?�
�Why wouldn�t he be?�
�I don�t know I just get this feeling . . . �
�Come to think of it, I did see him down some more of those stress pills of his.�
�I�ll call him tomorrow.�
�Will you stay with me tonight? You don�t have to do anything.�
�I know I don�t have to do anything.�
They went to bed in each others arms. Before So�Cy closed her eyes, she heard AJ whisper I love you. It felt good being in his arms but something was missing. The next morning AJ woke up to the sound of the shower running. So�Cy came out wearing two towels one around her hair the other around her body. He pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply removing the towel from her hair and letting it fall to the floor. He guided her to the bed. She was so caught up in the intensity of his kiss that she didn�t notice anything until she was naked and they were under the covers.
�AJ, stop.�
He continued.
�AJ, stop!�
He looked at her and then got up and walked into the bathroom. She laid there in the bed wondering what just happened. She finally got the nerve to get up and put on clothes. After about ten minutes AJ walked back into the bathroom and sat on the bed. �Babe, come here.�
So�Cy just looked at him.
�I won�t hurt you.�
She walked over to him and sat in his lap.
�I am so sorry for scaring you babe. I think we should see less of each other, and never under any circumstances be alone together.�
�Why all of this, what did I do?�
�You didn�t do anything. As we both know, I can�t control myself around you. I want you to keep that promise you made to yourself. I don�t want you making love to me because I want it, or your feeling pressured. I want you to do it because you�ve fallen in love with me and you know I�m the right man.�
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
�You�re willing to sacrifice your own pleasure for me?�
�I�m willing to sacrifice everything for you.�
�I have to call D.�
�I�ll take you home.�
�That would be best.�
He kissed her and then took her home, where she immediately called Howie. She asked him about his medication and then the conversation moved to her and AJ.
�So are you and AJ like together?�
�Yeah.�
�No I mean like together. Are you two . . . �
�No . . . not yet.�
�What do you mean yet?�
�Well, I�m like, thinking about...it.�
�But with AJ?�
�He�s sweet and I know he cares about me. He told me that he would wait for me forever if he had to.�
�But it�s AJ.�
�What do you think I should do?�
�Do whatever your heart tells you to. I�ll always be here when you need to vent once AJ does something stupid.�
�Good to know.�
With that she hung up the phone.
