Nick
"You're a brave man to take me to dinner here. It's crawling with people. Why didn't we have dinner before sound check again?"
Heather's flip-flops were, er flip-flopping loudly as she walked beside me. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"'Cause I like to live dangerously," I said. She shook her head, her gaze drifting over the seats quickly filling up. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see," I said in my best 'Mysterio' voice.
We climbed up towards the owner's booth. I hovered by the door. "Close your eyes."
"What? Nick..."
"Close em."
She sighed dramatically, but her baby blues fluttered closed. I took her by the elbows and shuffled her inside.
"Oh," she exclaimed. I saw her chest rise and she inhaled deeply. "What's that smell?"
Now usually when I had people asking me that question, it was with a look of disgust. But, this time her face softened and a brillant smile lit up her entire being.
"Open 'eeeemmm!" I sang.
Heather's eyes popped open. "Wow," she whispered.
She stepped forward, her arm outstretched, and slowly stroked the petals of the nearest dozen red roses. I had gone a little overboard, maybe. Ten dozen bouquets dotted the room along with a small table covered in a white cloth.
"Wow," she repeated.
"You like them?"
She seemed to be struggling for words. "Yes."
She plucked a rose from the vase and held it to her nose. Just watching her made me flash forward a few months. The wedding.
"I think that should be one of our wedding colors," I said. She looked up, slightly panicked.
"What?"
"Red. It looks great next to your skin. We should go with red."
"I dunno..." she said slowly. "I--"
The more I looked at her the more I was sure. She hadn't said anything about colors yet and I knew guys didn't usually help. So I was going to be a helpful fiance.
"Red," I said with a nod. "That's it."
"Nick, this is amazing, but shouldn't you be down with the guys?"
I waved my hand. I had lingered more than I should have, but my steak was so good I couldn't leave. Besides, Heath had only eaten half of hers and I was eyeing it like a starving dog.
"I only need a minute to change. I could run out there five seconds after everyone else and be good. I'm the King of procrastinatio n. Besides, I can't think of anywhere else I'd want to be now then sitting up here overlooking Fenway. With you."
A deep blush sprawled across her cheeks. "Thank you," she said softly. I took her hand and ran my thumb over her empty finger.
"Your ring will be here tomorrow," I said. "I know you'll love this one, but if you don't tell me, okay? We're going to give this honesty thing a shot."
She nodded. "O-okay."
I brought her fingers to my lips. They smelled like A1. Slowly, I ran my tongue along the tips. She gasped.
"Nick..."
"You'd make a nice dessert," I said quietly. "Wanna practice for the honeymoon?"
I drew her pinkie completely into my mouth and sucked. I had her squirming in her seat now.
"Ooohhhh," she moaned as my teeth grazed the flesh. I was drawing her in like a stubborn fish. I was--
"Ahem."
I looked up, the tip of her finger still in my mouth. Brian was watching us. That's right. He wasn't just popping his head in. He was standing there gawking. Probably for minutes.
"We gotta go," he said hurriedly. I noticed he didn't make eye contact with Heather. As soon as he passed the message along, he turned and fled. Heather pulled her hand back.
"Later?" I asked hopefully. The only response I got was a mix of a gargle and a hum.
I wasn't sure if I should take it as a yes.
Heather
Nick was like an octopus.
I lay there under him as he worked his magic, as he worded it, staring at the ceiling, my hands over my head on the pillow. His hands were running along my sides, his body writhing against me, and so help me God all I could think about was Brian. I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry…
Brian had taken forever to warm up to me and I thought we were okay that afternoon, playing basketball with Baylee, but when he walked into the freakin’ florist store from hell – alternatively known as dinner with my future husband – he’d seemed to revert back. I wondered if I’d ever get him to forget whatever it was that Chris had told him.
Nick’s mouth was on my thigh.
I wondered what Chris had said to Brian anyways. I mean, it’s not like Chris was some great, all-knowing entity in my life. I’d never really confided my feelings for Brian into Chris. But I guess as my older brother – my real older brother – Chris was entitled to a bit of guesswork and intuition about me. But I’d never realized that Chris knew enough about my crush on Brian to tell him. I also never would’ve thought Chris would betray my confidence on something like that.
Nick’s tongue was working against my flesh in small circles, slowly making his way up the inner thigh towards --
“I wonder what Chris said to Brian,” I said outloud.
Nick’s tongue froze. “Uhhh?” he asked, not withdrawing his tongue to ask what in a normal manner. Spit dripped from his mouth onto my thigh and slid along to the mattress below.
“Brian’s letter,” I said, clarifying, “He said that he’d talked to Chris. I wonder what Chris said to him.”
Nick’s tongue lifted slowly, hesitantly from my thigh. He looked longingly at my bared woman-parts and sighed before sitting up. He wiped his chin with his palm. “I dunno,” he grumbled. “Why’s it matter? You’ve got me.”
“I know,” I said, “I’m just – I’m curious is all. Aren’t you curious?”
Nick’s eyebrow raised. “As a dead pussy cat. Speaking of pussy…” he smirked.
“Nick this isn’t the time.”
He pouted.
“I’m serious. I think whatever Chris said might’ve… you know, damaged my relationship with Brian… and Brian’s one of my best friends, Nick, I just don’t wanna lose that over this.”
Nick sighed. “Heather, it doesn’t matter, okay? He’s Brian, whatever it is, he’ll get over it. Brian always gets over it.”
“What if he doesn’t?” I asked, “What if Brian doesn’t get over this?”
Nick stared at me, studied me, then he finally said, “Jesus, Heath, he’s gonna get over it. It’s not the end of the world.”
I sighed. “Yeah,” I said quietly, “You’re right. Forget it. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah?” Nick asked, he glanced down at my legs. “Are we –“
“Yeah.”
Nick smiled and ducked back down.
But what if it was the end of the world?
Brian
New Jersey.
I sat on the tour bus peering out at Rutherford, wishing the tour was over already. I know that’s terrible, but I was ready to go home. Now that Nick had let the NKOTB guys in on my lesbian wife situation, literally everyone in the entourage couldn’t stop talking about it and a weird hush fell over the room whenever I first walked in – so I knew when they’d all been talking about it the moment before my arrival.
It was the second night we were in Jersey. Heather and Nick had been holed up on Nick’s tour bus – yes Nick’s tour bus, they moved AJ in with me and Howie – and hadn’t been seen hide nor tail for a solid fifteen hours since the show the night before.
It didn’t take a complete idiot to figure out what a couple does for fifteen solid hours on a tour bus, alone.
“Cheer up,” Howie commanded, sitting down across from me. He smiled in that annoyingly happy way Howie has, and winked. Sometimes I can’t tell if Howie means to wink or if he just does out of like some weird tic he’s got or something.
I sighed, “I can’t.”
“At least you told her,” Howie said with a shrug. I’d told Howie and AJ about my letter to Heather and the whole fiasco on the bus when she’d locked herself in the bathroom. “Most people wouldn’t have had the guts to spill that out for her.”
“I know.”
“If she doesn’t want you back then she’s a stupid girl,” Howie added.
AJ, who I hadn’t realized was even listening, poked his head out of the bunk. “I was sure as hell that she felt it back, though, that’s what gets me.”
“You’re sure everyone wants everyone,” Howie argued, “If you were in control of everybody’s emotions, we’d all be one giant orgy.”
AJ grinned. “And your complaint would be…?”
Howie winked.
I’m pretty sure that wink was a tic.
AJ ducked back into his bunk laughing.
Howie looked at me, “My point is you were ballsy, you took a chance, you got shot down but it was a heroic effort. If you hadn’t tried you’d always wonder.”
“All the signs were there,” AJ’s voice floated through the bus from the bunk. “I thought you guys were idiots for not seeing it.”
“At least you tried.”
My head was swimming in all the words they were saying and I glanced out the window again, letting the continued speeches from them wash over me. As I was watching, though, I saw a yellow taxi cab slip into the private parking area behind the venue and roll to a stop by the buses. My interest piqued, and I waited to see who would possibly be arriving via cab.
When she got out of the taxi, I felt blood rush to my face in anger.
“Oh hell no,” I growled, getting up and rushing for the door of the venue. I heard Howie gasp and AJ nearly fall out of his bunk trying to get a look at what had me fired up so quickly.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement of the parking lot, my voice barked out, “What the hell are you doing here?” Lauren looked up. She’d been just about to knock on Nick’s bus door. Shock and surprise registered on her face as I neared her. “Did he call you? Seriously? What the fuck is wrong with him?” My fist hit the door before she could, booming and angry, calling out Nick so I could kill him.
Lauren looked taken aback. She backed a couple paces away. “No,” she said, “He didn’t call me.”
My eyes narrowed.
“He didn’t call me,” she repeated. She looked at the bus door. “That’s why I’m here.”
“Because he didn’t call you?”
Lauren’s bit her lip. “He’s making a mistake,” she blurted out.
“No,” I said, “He’s correcting the mistake he made when he slept with you.”
Lauren shook her head, “She’s not right for him.”
“And I suppose you, his mistress, are?” I demanded.
Lauren looked at her feet. “Brian,” she said quietly, “I know what you think of me and I’m sorry that it happened this way. I know what Heather means to you and –“
“DO YOU?” I snapped, “Do you know what she means to me?”
Lauren’s eyes met mine, “I love him,” she blurted out. “I’m not the kind of girl that goes around falling for guys everyday. In fact, I’m more guy than I am girl in that department. I’ve been perfectly fine with friends with benefits for years, Brian, but I sleep with Nick and it’s like my whole world is—“ she sighed, “I’ve never said I love you to a man before.”
I shook my head, “Yeah, well…”
“Brian,” Lauren’s voice was thick, “I want him to love me instead.”
Lauren, I realized, was in a pickle not that unfamiliar to my own.
The bus door opened and Nick stood before us in boxers that were pulled onto his body crooked, his hair was disheveled. He was bleary eyed. He stood there on the step looking confused for a long moment, his eyes traveling between Lauren and I. Finally he asked, “What’s going on here?”
Lauren looked up at Nick. “Pick me.”
Nick stared down at her, and pain crossed his face. He ran a hand across the back of his neck at his hairline and sucked in a deep breath. He sank to the step, sitting down and covered his eyes with his hand.
I looked at Lauren.
Her face was desperate, her eyes pleading. “Nick,” she said, her voice low, “I know this is crazy, I know it’s stupid even. Hell, it’s something I swore to myself when I was a teenager that I’d never do. I never wanted to be this woman who shows up and does a big romantic plea… but…” she stepped closer, laid her hand on his bare knee. “I’ve never loved someone like I love you, Nick, and it’s not just about the –“ she glanced at me and blushed, but turned back to Nick and said, “—it’s not just about the sex.”
Nick looked up at her.
I could see it in his eyes. He really did love Lauren back.
For a fleeting moment, I imagined Nick jumping up and taking Lauren’s hands and them both hopping into her yellow cab and riding into the sunset, sappy Western style, and me going onto the bus, sweeping Heather off her feet, and riding into the opposite sunset, to live happily ever after. For a moment, I imagined us all getting fairytale endings with lots of gooiness.
“I’m in love with Heather, Lauren,” Nick said quietly. “I love Heather, and I’m engaged to Heather, and I’m gonna marry Heather.” He swallowed. “And I’m going to be faithful to Heather.”
Lauren’s eyes filled with tears. “Nick, please. I –“
“You need to go, Laur,” Nick said quietly. He stood up. “You need to go.” He turned and went onto the bus, closing the door behind him.
Lauren leaned against the bus door and her shoudlers shook as she started to cry.
“C’mere,” I said, cupping my hand on her shoulder gently, “C’mon. I’ll buy you a coffee.”
