Nick
Have you ever seen those Energizer bunny commercials? I'm sure you have. The little pink rabbit goes around beating on his drum, outlasting all the other lameass batteries. No one can ever stop that damn rabbit and his drum, drum, drumming.
Well, I wasn't exactly on a first name basis with the little pink guy, but it felt as if he had crawled up my nose and had started to test his longevity inside my nose.
It wasn't often that I was the one that got beat up. I had let my guard down because of Lauren's little blue bikini.
And I hadn't been lying to Heather. I hadn't known Laur was going to be there. But Heather had gone crazy trying to strip and then she turned me away when I had suggested a little bit of booty. It wasn't fair. What else was I supposed to think with her in that little polka dotted bra? But Heather had continued to steam and announced that I could stay in the bus while she got a hotel room. And because of my banishment, I had roamed around the lobby thinking about the hulk of the guy that had pummeled my nose. The guy that was Lauren's...
Boyfriend.
The thought made my stomach churn. He was an ape. The thought of him crawling all over her...well, it made me sick.
It didn't help that I was sulking in the hotel restaurant when he came in. I caught a flash of dark hair and knew she was with him. I shielded my face and stabbed at my bowl of noodles.
"I don't have much time, but if you show me what you've got after dinner and it's any good, I can guarantee you that you'll end up in the top three."
"I'll, like, lick it like a pickle!"
The laugh the woman let out sounded a lot like Fran Drescher from The Nanny. My head snapped up.
It wasn't Lauren.
Ape man's hands were on the brunette's ass, running circles over each unattractive bun. When she turned, I saw the sharp bridge of her nose and the closeness of her eyes.
My first thought was: how did I ever think this unperfect...thing was Lauren?
My second thought was: the bastard's cheating on her already.
The bridge of my nose was practically vibrating from the pain it felt. It wasn't broken, but the swelling made me look a little like Owen Wilson. Kinda. But at the moment, my anger lessened the pain. I shot up from my table. Without thinking, I grabbed the asshole's beefy arm.
"You fucking prick," I hissed. The ape turned slowly, caught off guard. When he saw me he let out a sneer.
"You," he said, almost laughing.
"She deserves better," I said, my voice taking on a hard edge. The girl tugged on Mr. Meaty's arm, but he ignored her. He eyed me up, studying his handwork for an extra second.
"I've seen pictures of you and your girlie," he said, his sneer growing. "Look who's calling the kettle black. From one pussy hopper to another, you didn't see anything. Got it?"
My teeth ground together. I thought back to Lauren, crying over her prick of a father before one of my first solo shows in Japan. I had been nibbling on a popsicle (cherry) and had wanted so bad to cheer her up. When I found out her family life sucked as bad as mine did, somehow I had felt closer to her than I had to anyone in my entire life. After that the sex had kinda blown everything up to mythical proportions, but we clicked. We truly clicked. And, as crazy as it sounded, it seemed natural to want to protect her. I couldn't cheer her up; hell, she didn't want me near her, but I knew I could still protect her vicariously. I nodded.
"Got it," I mumbled. Before the guy turned back around, my fist connected with his face.
The Fran Drescher sound alike began screeching as all two hundred some pounds of dumbass fell to the ground. I smashed my foot into his gut and let him have another one. I was about ready to go for a third blow when he grabbed my ankle and my body flew out from under me.
"NICK!"
A pair of slender hands grabbed at me. I managed to get another kick into stupid's side before scuttling backwards. Lauren's surprised face looked down at me. She motioned to the door.
"C'mon, before you get arrested."
"You shouldn't have done that."
"He was cheating on you."
"Aren't all men cheaters?"
I stared up at the night sky. Lauren's hotel room was small, but cozy. We were on the tiny ass balcony watching the beginning of the fireworks show. The breeze kept picking up little strands of her hair and whipping them to and fro.
"My situation's complicated."
"More than you know."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She twirled her glass of wine between her fingers. Her head turned slowly. "It's so easy to see," she whispered. "Why can't you guys figure it out?"
I set my glass down, my stomach rolling. "I don't under--"
"I know you don't. And damnit Nick, I hate to say it, but you're a douche."
"A douche?"
Lauren's eyes fluttered closed. "I keep running from you and yet we keep meeting. This country's too big for this to keep happening."
I sighed. The sparks of red, blue, and green in the sky were reflected in the large lake below. "My gut tells me this is the last time I'm going to see you before my wedding."
"Nick, don't you think you're making a mistake?"
"I'm the only guy in the group who isn't married. I'm thirty. I need to grow up. Heather will be a good wife. It might be good that we don't make fireworks in bed. I mean, when I'm old and wrinkly and she's old and wrinkly it's not like we're going to get busy that much anyway. I need someone who knows how to make dinner and can remind me to call and wish people Happy Birthday and--"
"A maid can cook you dinner, a PDA can remind you to wish people Happy Birthday," Lauren whispered. Her voice shook. She stood up and for a second I thought she was going to leave me outside alone, the thundering display above my only company. Instead she stood in front of me, leaning down so her hands wrapped around my shoulders.
"Nick, I'm leaving tomorrow and I'm not gonna tell you where. But it's not going to be in the country."
I reached out and wrapped my hands around her waist. "So I'm not going to run into--"
"No."
She looked up at the sky and I saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm already going to hell," she whispered.
"You're not going to he--"
Before I could finish, she let her body fold into my lap. Her hands slid up along my neck, tickling my sensitive spot behind my ears. I couldn't help myself; I cupped her face and draw her to me. The sweetness of her lips mixed with the saltiness of her tears.
"Let me stay with you," I whispered as I pulled away, my thumbs flicking over the wetness. Her forehead pressed to mine.
"It really is the end of forever," she whispered. She kissed me again slowly. "But, yes. I need you. Just one more night."
Heather
I'm not sure which bottle from the mini fridge pushed me over the edge from slightly tipsy to full on drunk, but my guess is number seven or eight. The text on my computer screen blurred so bad that my steamiest love scene yet looked more like a barcode than English. I giggled as I lowered the lid, just as quickly sighing dramatically.
I had kicked Nick out. Him suggesting we get naked so he could slobber all over me was the last straw. I felt like a little kid again, continuously losing to Chris at Candy Land. He never let me win. The only one who did was Brian.
But now that we were grown up he wasn't letting me win anymore. And just like I used to do with Chris, I was pouting. Except now I was pouting with alcohol.
"This is a great big HOW-DE-DOO," I said to the blank wall. I was wrapped in one of the hotel's soft white bathrobes and I felt deliciously naughty writing my love scenes with nothing underneath. I had given up trying to correct each time I wrote 'Brian,' opting instead to do a Find and Replace at the end. Like, when I was sober.
For the first time in...well, a long time, I was actually turned on the point of wanting a little loving. I thought about going down to the bus and making up with Nick, but that thought instantly turned my sexy off.
I grabbed onto the desk as I wobbled to my feet. The room spun deliciously and I laughed, finding it incredibly funny. I staggered into the bathroom, studying my flushed face.
"You are a mess," I said pointing to my reflection. " You don't love Nick Carter. Do you? Well, do ya?"
For a second, I swear my reflection shook its head no. I snorted.
"Y'know what I'm gonna do? Well do ya?"
This time my reflection shrugged its shoulders.
"I'mma gonna call off the wedding," I slurred. My hand slipped from the sink and I barely caught myself. I eased back towards the mirror. "I'mma gonna join E- Harmony...and. ..and...meet someone."
My reflection didn't answer this time and I hiccuped. I slapped at my hair.
"Maybe Brian will join E-Harmony too. And maybe we'll be matched. Maybe he won't reject me if someone else tells him we're good for each other. Maybe--" I trailed off, my mouth forming an O. I gasped. My reflection was grinning at me.
"Noooo..." I said. I giggled again. In my mind, my reflection was talking to me.
You should go to him and MAKE him kiss you. TONIGHT.
"I can't do that. That's...naughty."
What's the worst that can happen? He can reject you in a letter...but nude? He IS a man. A man that probably hasn't gotten any for MONTHS.
"But he said it hisssssself," I declared. "We're just friends."
Friends can benefit from a little something EXTRA...
I pressed a palm to my flaming face. My heart was pounding. "Yeah..." I whispered. "Yeah."
It's amazing what kind of information a woman clad only in a bathrobe can get when she walks down to the front desk that way. Fifteen minutes later I was standing in front of his door. I could hear the 'boom boom boom' of the fireworks show just beginning. I knelt down and ran my hand along my leg to check that it was still smooth. Without feeling stubble, I kinda fell against the door before straightening up and knocking.
I was just about to knock again when the door open. Bri's face peered out from the safety chain. His hair was askew. He had been sleeping. That was pretty sad considering it was only eight o'clock.
"Heath?" he whispered groggily. He rubbed at his eyes. "Heath?"
"Can I come in?" I asked in what I hoped was a sultry voice.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. I heard him fiddle with the safety chain. A second later the door opened wider. I shuffled inside. He closed the door behind him. Through his balcony window I could see a breath-taking display of red, blue, and green light up the night sky.
"Y'know how I used to want to play Monopoly with you when I was little?" I asked. Bri's hand splayed across his bare stomach. I could see the hint of soft blonde hair dipping down into the waistband of his boxers. My mouth watered. Lauren seemed to borrow Nick without feeling guilty...could n't I borrow Bri?
"Yeah?" he asked softly.
My hands wrapped around the waistband of my robe. "I want to pass Go," I whispered. I tugged at the belt.
The cotton fell from my bare shoulders.
Brian
“I want to pass go.”
And then, she was naked.
I couldn’t breathe.
Heather’s skin was dewy and gorgeous and her breasts were perfect, perky and pointing at me like they were gonna shoot out little hooks and draw me in at any moment. Her hips were perfect and the curve of her abdomen led me down… down…
I looked up at her face.
“You’re drunk,” I whispered.
“Brian,” she whispered. She took a step towards me and I took a step back. We did this twice before she two-stepped, caught me as my back hit the TV console, and she pressed her bare chest against my bare chest. Her bathrobe lay in a pool by the door. Her hands ran across my chest, her fingernails digging into my skin. I closed my eyes. Every blood vessel in me was heading south on Interstate Brian’s-Hard-On. “I know you want this too,” she hissed.
I did.
I didn’t dare to touch her, though. An image of Nick’s face floated through my mind. Despite what an asshole he was, he was still my best friend. I froze, not daring to move. Not daring to breathe. Part of me was scared to stop this – I may never have this opportunity again, I realized – and the other part of me was scared that I wouldn’t stop it.
“Heather,” I said quietly, my tone lowering, trying to imply that it couldn’t happen, but she lowered to her knees in front of me.
“Brian,” she whispered, “Is it really cheating if I just know he’s sleeping with Lauren Kitt right now?” she asked.
My heart seized.
He wouldn’t. She wouldn’t. Would they?
Yes.
Heather, while I was mentally processing this, had taken hold of the strap of my boxers at my waist. “I’ve always wanted to see you naked again,” she said, giggling.
“A- again?” I stammered. She pulled the boxers down just a little bit. I reached for the band, but only halfheartedly. “When did y-you see me naked the first time?”
“In the Jacuzzi,” she giggled, “With Samantha Stonebreaker.” She slurred out the name. She stared up at me. “She had big tits.”
I felt my face turn red. “Yeah.”
“Do you like my tits, Brian?” she asked. She let go of my boxers and grabbed her breasts, pushing them up and together, thumbing her own nipples. She bit her lips and looked up at me all gooey-like. “Do you want to feel them?”
My throat burned. “What about—“
“Nick? I don’t love him,” she laughed. She stood up. “Brian, I want to have sex with you. Right. Fucking. Now.” She grabbed my hands and pulled my palms to her chest.
That was it. I couldn’t take anymore. Nick WHO?
I grabbed Heather by the hips and plowed her towards the bed. We fell back onto the mattress, she was giggling the entire way down. We slammed into it. It moved with us – a water bed – her hair flowing around her head. My hands still on her breasts, my mouth found her neck and she hummed and I felt the vibration of her voice in my lips and my body pressed against hers. She moved her hips, griding her crotch against my boxer-clad crotch, her fingers playing with the band again as I kissed her.
“Heather,” I murmured into her neck, “Heather, I love you.”
She didn’t answer.
She’d stopped grinding.
“Heather?” I pulled back.
She was asleep.
