Chapter 16
“I say we drive home,” Nick mumbled as
the plane stopped in front of the terminal.
“I’m not sure I could spend four days
straight in a car. Tour bus, yes. Car, no. Especially not with you.” Riley
teased.
“Thanks. Love you too.” He rolled his
eyes as he stood up.
“You know I’m joking. About you
anyways. I couldn’t do a four-day trip. You couldn’t either.”
“Probably not. Hey? You know what?
We’re not supposed to be talking right now.”
“Excuse me?”
“I told you I wasn’t talking to you
again because of those damn costumes.”
Riley snorted, nearly choking on
laughter. “Just get over it already.”
He was about to protest, but she slid
her arm into his and led him from the plane. A rush of cool air encircled them
as they entered the airport.
“Do you see him?” Riley asked,
standing on her tiptoes in attempt to find Kevin.
“Yeah. Straight back.” Nick grabbed
her hand and weaved her in and out of the mass of people.
“Hey guys.” Kevin greeted in a booming
voice. “How was the flight?”
“That’s not a good question to ask
him,” Riley said as she hugged him. “He’s grouchy.”
“I’m not grouchy.”
“Yep, definitely grouchy,” Kevin
replied.
“I… never mind. I won’t win this.”
Nick rolled his eyes.
Kevin slung his arm around Nick’s
shoulders as they headed towards the baggage claim. “You know we’re just
playing with you. Don’t be such a grump. How are you feeling anyways?”
“Just peachy, thanks.”
“Did you guys remember your costumes?”
“Unfortunately,” Nick mumbled,
ignoring the evil glare from Riley.
“It can’t be as bad as my costume,
Nick. I swear, this is the last time I let Kristin choose.”
“What’s yours?” Riley asked.
“Aladdin.” Kevin smirked. “She found
some old pictures from Disney and got all excited.”
“Well, at least we’ll match. She’s got
Cinderella and Prince Charming for us.”
Kevin snickered. “I won’t feel as bad
then, seeing as I’ll have a fellow friend who’s not appreciative of the
costume.”
They maneuvered their way through the
thick crowd around the baggage claim.
“What’s your bag look like, Rye?”
Kevin asked, peering over the heads of the people in front of him.
“Black with a pink tag.”
Riley stepped away from the crowd,
beginning to feel claustrophobic. Kevin and Nick joined her a few minutes
later.
“I hate this airport.” Nick said as
Kevin led them through the airport towards the parking lot. “You guys need to
move to somewhere less crowded.”
“I’ll get right on
that.” Walking through several aisles of vehicles, they soon came
upon Kevin’s black Denali. “Or you could move out here so you wouldn’t have to
deal with the airport altogether.”
“And leave the ocean? I think not.”
“Nick, there’s an ocean here, too.”
Riley laughed, getting into the backseat of the vehicle.
“But it’s not the same.” Nick joined
Kevin in the front of the SUV. “There’s less people in Marathon, too. You don’t
feel you’re rushing around everywhere.”
Nick hadn’t realized how exhausted he
was until he leaned back against the seat. It seemed as though every muscle in
his body was weak. He sighed deeply, yawning in the process.
“You okay?” Kevin asked as he backed
out of the parking spot.
“Yeah. Just tired. Jet lag, probably.”
The ride to Kevin’s house was fairly
quiet. Nick stared silently out the window while Riley and Kevin chatted back
and forth occasionally.
“Howie gets in this evening, but he’s
staying over at AJ’s, so it’s just us four here at the house.” Kevin pulled the
vehicle into the garage and turned the engine off before they climbed out.
“Kris went to a few meetings with her agent, so she’ll be back early this
evening.”
Leading them into the house, he closed
the door to the garage.
“Are you guys hungry?” Kevin asked,
setting down Riley’s bag by the stairwell.
“I’m starving,” Riley replied,
glancing at Nick.
“Actually, I think I might go lie down
for a while.”
”You okay?” Riley asked quickly, a worried expression on her face.
”Yeah, I’m fine, just tired.” He gave her a reassuring smile but she knew he didn’t
feel fine. He looked paler than usual and he had been more tired in the past
week then he had in quite a while. But she knew he wouldn’t give in so easily.
“Same room, Kev?”
“Sure. Whatever you want. They’re all
ready for guests.”
Nick disappeared up the stairwell as
Kevin went into the kitchen.
“What are you up for?” He asked,
opening the refrigerator.
“Anything you have is just fine.” She
sat down at the island on a barstool, admiring the house as she did. “Your
house is so awesome.”
“Thanks. So how’s business in
Marathon?”
“We haven’t really started much yet.
I’ve mostly just been trying to decorate the building. I have contacted some
people about needing employees, though, so I should be hearing back soon.”
“Sounds like a plan. Hey, how about
hamburgers? I can toss a few on the grill.”
“Okay. Can I help with anything?”
“Want to make some salad? There should
be some vegetables in the drawer in the fridge. Cutting board is beside the
dishwasher.”
Riley helped herself to the vegetables
while Kevin went onto the back patio to start the fire. He returned to the
kitchen and began to gather ingredients for the burgers.
“Want a beer?” He asked as he opened
the refrigerator.
“Sure.”
He took out two, along with a package
of ground beef. Opening a drawer, he used a bottle opener to pop the caps off
before handing the bottle to Riley.
“Thanks.”
She took a long swig from it before
setting it back down.
“So how do you think he is?”
She looked up, hesitant for a moment
as she watched him add seasonings to the meat.
“I’m not sure. He has his days,
really. There are some days when he seems to be really tired and worn out, and
others when he’s full of energy like the regular Nick. But he won’t tell me if
he’s feeling bad.”
“Imagine that.” Kevin rolled his eyes.
“Is he doing better, stomach-wise?”
“Yeah. I had to practically cut his
arms off for the last few weeks because he kept trying to lift things or do
things he shouldn’t have been.”
“Maybe the trip just wore him out.”
“Probably. He’s still not back to
one-hundred percent yet.”
As Kevin lifted the plate of
hamburgers from the counter, the doorbell rang.
“I can get it.” Riley offered.
”Okay. Thanks.”
Riley slid off the stool and went
through the foyer to the front door. She peered out the side window by the door
to see Howie standing on the porch. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Riley!” Howie exclaimed. “I didn’t
expect you to be here yet.”
“Yeah, we just got in.” He pulled her
into a tight hug.
“What are you doing here? I thought
you were going to AJ’s?”
“I was but the dimwit left a messages
on my voicemail telling me he had just remembered he had a meeting with his JNN
manager that could last a few hours. So, I decided to rent a car and come over
here to hang out for a while.”
“Well now you can spend more time with
me,” She grinned cheesily, making him laugh. “Are you hungry? Kev is just
putting some burgers on.”
“I’m sure I could eat.”
She grasped her hand and pulled him
into the house before closing the door. Leading him through the foyer, they met
Kevin in the kitchen as he came back into the house.
”Hey D. What are you doing here?”
“AJ has a meeting and forgot until
this morning. I figured I’d come hang out over here until he was finished.”
“Hungry?”
“Gee guys, am I really that fat?”
A confused look came over Kevin’s
face.
“I already asked him,” Riley laughed.
“Where’s Nicky?” Howie asked, sitting
down beside Riley at the bar.
“Upstairs. He said he was tired so he
went to lie down.”
“Is he doing okay?”
“He says he is.”
“We’ll have to take his word for it,
won’t we?”
The afternoon lingered on slowly.
After eating and cleaning up the kitchen, they sat in the living room, each
nursing a beer as they chatted, mostly catching up on each other’s lives.
“I’m going to go check on Nick real
quick.” Riley said, setting her beer down on the coffee table. “Which room is
he in, Kev?”
“Second door on the left.” Riley
abandoned the two as she went through the kitchen to the foyer. As she climbed
the stairs, she realized how exhausted she really was from the plane. As she
reached the top of the stairs, she walked several feet down the hallway to the
second room. The door was slightly ajar, allowing a stream of sunlight to
splash across the carpet of the bedroom. Riley knocked quietly as she slowly
pushed open the door. Though the blinds were closed, they allowed in enough
light for her to see his silhouette lying atop the bed.
“Riley?”
She jumped, startled from his voice.
”Yeah. I was just checking on you. How do you feel?”
”I have a bad headache.”
“Do you want some Advil or something?”
“I already took some.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Okay. Do you need anything?”
“Can you hand me that blanket?” He
motioned towards a quilt that sat in the window seat. She opened it and laid it
across his body.
“You’re cold?”
”Freezing.” With her gut instinct, she automatically placed her hand on his
forehead.
“Fever?”
“No, but you feel cold. Just sleep.
It’s probably from the flight.”
“I’m sorry I’m not being very social.”
“They don’t care, babe. It’s just
Howie, Kev, and I. They know you don’t feel good.”
“Will you wake me up for dinner if I’m
not awake before?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
She left the room, closing the door
quietly behind her. Returning downstairs, she was greeted with curious looks.
“He’s got a bad headache.”
Though worry still appeared in their
eyes, they nodded. She, too, was worried about him. But she realized now that
she would always worry about him.
~~~
“Nick, are you ready?” A voice called
from the foyer.
“Yeah.”
He stood from his chair at the kitchen
table.
“You going to be all right here by
yourself for a while?” He asked as he set his empty plate in the sink.
“Yes sir. Kris is taking me to Rodeo
Drive.” Riley said, setting down her mug of hot chocolate.
“Then we probably won’t see you two
until tomorrow night?”
“Funny. Now go before you make
yourselves late. Have fun. Tell the other hi for me.”
Nick went into the foyer where Kevin
was patiently waiting by the garage door for him.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
He followed Kevin into the garage
where they got into the SUV.
“Did you know that your wife is taking
Riley to Rodeo Drive?”
“Are you serious?” Kevin rolled his
eyes as he started the vehicle. “We can plan on eating dinner by ourselves
tonight.”
“I got a dirty look for saying
something like that.”
There was suddenly an uncomfortable
silence. One of those where you don’t know what to say, but you want to say
something to break the silence. It continued for a few more minutes before
Kevin turned the radio on.
”So do you feel better today?” He asked, talking over an old Eric Clapton song.
“Yes… much better.”
“Good.”
It was the truth. He did
feel much better than he had yesterday, though; but he still wasn’t totally up
to par.
Kevin steered the vehicle into a small
parking lot of a white business building. Brian had arrived at the same time
and was already stepping out of his BMW.
“Hey cuz,” Kevin greeted as they got
out of the car.
“Hi Kev,”
Brian glanced at Nick, but quickly
looked away as their eyes met.
“Someday you both will grow up,” Kevin
mumbled as he led them into the building. They walked through an empty lobby
before taking a sharp left into a conference room. A large table sat in the
middle, surrounded by ten overstuffed office chairs. A pitcher of water sat in
the center with overturned glasses beside it.
”Hi… you guys are here for a meeting with Rob?” A woman asked, stepping into
the room.
“Yes,”
“He’s running a few minutes late, but
should be here shortly. Make yourselves comfortable and if you need anything,
I’ll be around.”
“Thanks.”
Nick, eager to rest already, sat down
in the chair nearest the window. Kevin sat beside him, at the head of the
table, as he poured himself a glass of water. Brian fidgeted, unsure of what to
do with himself. He suddenly turned around and left the room.
“I don’t understand you two,” Kevin
shook his head.
“What?”
“You’re both grown men playing the
“silent” game.”
“It’s not me, Kev. I’d do anything to
have my friend back. He’s the one that won’t even look at me.”
Brian returned with AJ and Howie on
his heels.
“Hey kid.” AJ greeted Nick, hugging
him tightly.
“Hi J. How are you?”
“I’m good. How about you? Holding up
okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Awesome.” AJ took the seat beside
Nick as Howie and Brian sat across. A tall, thick-shouldered man entered the
room, a stack of folders in his arms.
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late.”
A round of greetings filled the room
as Rob handed the folders out.
“I think we can make this real quick
if we just get a few things done with first.”
Within an hour, the meeting was over.
Their next year was tentatively scheduled with recording studio dates and
possible appearances. The record company wanted the album out by the same time
next year or earlier if possible. That would mean a tedious schedule of studio
time. The brief thought of “what if…” entered Nick’s head, but he quickly
pushed it away.
“You guys up for lunch?” Howie asked
as Rob left the room, leaving the five alone.
“Uhh… sure,” Kevin said, “Kris took
Riley out shopping. Might not see them for a few days. Nick, lunch?”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
“I.. uh.. actually have to get back
home. Leigh’s got an appointment and can’t take Baylee.” In his eyes, Nick
could tell he was lying. Brian always looked down if he were lying about something.
“Oh… okay. Well, we’ll catch you
tomorrow night then, Bri.” Howie said.
Nick slowly closed his folder, waiting
for the others to leave.
“Brian, wait.” Nick said, as Brian was
about to walk into the hallway.
He stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“I know you’re pissed at me and I
don’t blame you, but don’t take it out on the other guys. You’re just as much
of a part of this group as the rest of us; so don’t pretend like you have
somewhere to go when we’re doing something as a group. Don’t worry. I won’t
talk to you or make eye contact with you, and I sure as hell won’t touch you,
okay? Just suck it up and get over it. The others have, why can’t you?”
Nick pushed his chair roughly, causing
it to bang against the desk. He slipped out the door beside Brian, making sure
he didn’t brush up against him.
The other guys were standing by the
cars when Nick got outside.
“You okay?” Kevin asked, noticing
Nick’s flushed cheeks.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s for lunch?”
“We were just talking about that. What
do you want?”
“A big juicy cheeseburger full of
grease.”
“Someone’s feeling better than
yesterday,” Howie snickered.
“I do have to agree with Nicky,
though. A cheeseburger sounds great. How about Johnny Rocket’s down on
Melrose?”
“Sounds good. We’ll meet you there?”
“Yep.”
Kevin let AJ back out first so they
could follow him.
Kevin waved to Brian as he walked out
of the building.
“He looks upset. Did you say something
to him?”
“Yeah. I told him not to take hating
me out on you guys. It’s not fair for you guys not to see him just because he
hates me.” Nick said, staring out the window.
“I hope Baylee doesn’t learn anything
from this.”
***