"How in the world did he talk you into that?" Leighanne asked me. It was the next morning and I was suffering from the hangover from hell. I'd downed a ton of Advil, but my head was still achey and spinning. I was laying in my bunk, even though it was well after two in the afternoon. We'd be going into the venue to do sound check soon.
I sighed. "I don't know," I admitted. "I guess because he says I'm a prune."
"A prune?" Leighanne asked, confused.
It was harder on me when she sounded like this, rather than angry. Overall, she wasn't mad, just disappointed, and that was way, way worse.
"Yeah. He says I'm turning into Kevin."
Leighanne giggled. "Brian, you're far from a prune," she assured me. "You're amazing." Her words made me feel better. I smiled and caressed the phone. "I dunno what I was thinking," I admitted, imagining her. "Your boobs are way better than that chick's last night," I said. Yes, I'd even told her about the girls and the strip poker.
Leighanne had said once that the key to a good, strong, lasting relationship was complete honesty, no matter what.
Nick's head suddenly popped up under my curtain. He made sign language at me that it was time to get up. I nodded and waved him away. He pouted.
"Mine are better, huh?" she laughed, "Hmm, I don't know if I believe you."
"I'll prove it," I offered. Nick was staring at me still. I batted at him, catching his hair and messing it up. He ducked and disappeared just before I caught hold of his blonde mop of hair.
"Oh you will, will you?" she asked, her voice deepening.
"Mmhm," I answered.
Suddenly Nick's hand - covered with a sock - popped back into the bunk... followed by a second sock-covered hand. He mimicked the two socks making out. My face turned scarlet. I kicked my feet at his hands and he laughed, but continued on with his mocking puppet show.
"How will you prove it?" her voice was sexy and sultry.
"Well," I faltered, realizing Nick was listening. "I- I'll..."
"Brian?" Leighanne asked, "You sound distracted."
"Sorry," I said.
Nick's face poked back into the bunk, right between the two socks, and he grinned.
"What's going on?" she asked.
I laughed as Nick mimicked one of the sock puppets eating his ear and he pretended to be in agony.
"Nick's being a goofball," I answered.
Leighanne laughed, "He sounds like a trip," she commented.
"Oh he's a trip all right." I answered, glaring at him.
Nick beamed and ducked away again.
"I'll let you go for now, Bri, you go play with Nick," Leighanne offered. She paused, "No more drunken poker games, though, okay?" she asked, "I worry about you."
"I know," I answered, "And trust me, even that one wasn't planned."
Leighanne made a kissy noise and I made one back. I could hear the smile in her voice, "Love you Bribear," she said.
"Love ya Leigh," I answered, and I hung up.
When I opened the curtain, Nick was standing there with a giant grin on his face. He held up two bottles of booze Kevin had missed when he cleaned out the night before. "Ready for night of awesome, part two?" he asked.
I seriously couldn't believe Brian. As I tried to save Zelda, Bri had called Leighanne and told her all about the naked booby fun from the night before. I had tried to distract Bri with a sock puppet show, but he was too busy laughing and cooing over the phone.
I waited impatiently while he said goodbye. The moment he opened the curtain I was armed with my second arsenal. I held up a couple bottles of liquor. "Ready for night of awesome, part two?" I asked.
Bri shook his head. "No way, Nick. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
I tapped the bottles together. "C'mon..."
"No."
I was ready to try my whining/stomping combo when the bus door opened. I shoved the bottles under my pillow. Kev peered down the hall.
"Soundcheck," he said. "Everything okay in here?"
"Fine," Bri and I said in unison.
The 'brow' raised up to the ceiling. I felt like I was getting x-rayed. After a tense couple seconds, Kev turned. I relaxed.
"Let's go," Bri said. He grabbed his Kentucky hat and put it on sideways.
"Y'know if you keep wearing so many hats you're gonna lose your hair."
Bri snorted. "No way."
I snickered and ran a hand through my hair. Bri had the same haircut since like second grade; my hair on the other hand was like art. It was constantly a work in progress.
The venue was crowded. We had a big group for VIP. This cute short blonde kept eyeing me. We each passed out like five roses and I made sure she got one. Her hand wrapped into mine for just a second and I came away with a number.
I friggin' loved my life.
Bri was way more selective with his flowers than me. He tried to give them to women that were way too old or little kids. It was like he was purposely avoiding any type of sexual advance.
It was pretty lame. Howie had the winking thing going on to drive the girls wet and wild. AJ made sweet, sweet love to the stage. He spent more time with his whole body on the ground then he did standing upright. Even Bert, aka Kev, had the half-opened shirt 'look at me, I'm sexy' thing going on.
Littrell was just a giant can of corn that had been left open for a few days. He wasn't fresh and he was dry and crusty around the edges.
I hated that he didn't want to know what I had planned for round two. I tried to brush it off. If he didn't want fun, that didn't mean I couldn't have fun.
He wasn't going to poop on MY party.
Determination had me keeping my eye on the prize through the rest of the day. By the time the concert was over, I had my arm around the cutie's waist from the soundcheck. I put a finger to my lips as we climbed the bus steps. Her name was Lea and she was one of those touchy-feely types. I loved where she was touching.
"Which one's yours?" she asked. She had brown eyes that reminded me of hot chocolate. The whites of her eyes were like marshmallows. It was a great combination.
"Here," I said proudly as we walked down the narrow hall. I pulled back my curtain. She climbed on up without me even having to ask. I fist pummeled the air when she wasn't looking before I followed her in. We sat across from each other. I rooted under my pillow and held up the two liquor bottles I had stashed earlier. Lea rubbed her hands together; I loved a girl that loved alcohol.
I also loved a girl who didn't need much alcohol; it didn't take much to get her buzzed. I didn't want her to be as drunk as the girl from the night before so I downed the rest of her bottle when she wasn't looking.
"This is so small," she said as she looked around for the tenth time. She giggled and leaned back. I grabbed her leg.
"Want to see something big?" I asked.
Her mouth opened. She nodded. I heard a groan from across the way.
"No, he's using the one pick-up line he has," Bri explained. I gritted my teeth. Was he talking about me to that....that.. ..
"Well?" Lea asked.
I couldn't let Brian ruin my night. No, scratch that. I WOULDN'T let Brian ruin my night. Ugh, did he really think that one line was all I had going for me? Well I'd show him...Bri was going to feel real bad once I had a girl moaning and screaming and doing hot things to me. It would be sweet satisfaction; he'd just have to lay there and cling to his phone. How lame!
With a smirk, I reached for my zipper. Lea crawled up beside me and started to kiss me. Bri was still talking, but I didn't bother to really listen to what he was saying.
My party was just getting started.
