Two: Hatching a Plan
UGH! How can one man cause me so much frustration? I didn’t think it was humanly possible. However, AJ had definitely managed to drive me up the wall. I sighed to myself as I leaned my back against my hotel room door.
Dinner with Nick and AJ had been fun, but I was starting to get really annoyed with him coming on to me all the time. Sure, he and I are friends, and he’s a great guy to hang out with, but I just don’t see him that way. Really, he’s not my type at all. He likes to go out to clubs and dance and all that sort of stuff… and really, I’m not much of a club chick.
I know, it doesn’t make much sense since I’m a dancer on the tour and all, but I really do just enjoy kicking back in my room and watching a movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on tour with Nick and the other guys, but sometimes I can’t stand all the drama.
Like this whole AJ predicament for instance. He likes me. Like, he really likes me. He hasn’t really come out and said it, per se, but you can really tell he does with his actions and the way he treats me. He tags along whenever Nick and I hang out, and he agrees with nearly everything I say. Plus he’s always dropping little hints, talking about how he and I would be perfect together and that sort of thing.
Yeah, we wouldn’t be. And whenever I tell him that, he just winks and laughs. Am I supposed to find that attractive? I don’t know why he’s so intent on dating me, there are hundreds of girls out there who would be with him in a heartbeat. I guess I’m a bit different since I’m not really a fan, just a girl that he knows who happens to be touring with him. I suppose it’s hard for the guys to find girls who like them for who they are.
Oh, I’m getting over analytical again. Sorry, I tend to do that a lot. Where was I? Right, dinner with AJ and Nick. That actually was quite a bit of fun, save for the fact that AJ squished himself into the booth beside me. Of course, Nick was laughing at me the whole time, what a prick.
Did I forget to mention Nick is my best friend? Well, best guy friend. Every girl needs one of those, and Nick is definitely mine. He drives nuts sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade him for anyone. He and I play off each other really well, and I’m really happy to be spending my summer touring with him. Though, our close friendship has gotten us in a wee bit of trouble. Mainly, Nick’s ex girlfriend had a lot of issues with me being around so much. She didn’t seem to get the fact that Nick and I had a purely platonic relationship, and accused him of cheating on her a lot. It’s funny, had she trusted him more he probably would have spent more time with her, and less with me.
Either way, Nick ended up breaking up with her a couple of months ago, but she still calls and harasses him to get back together with her. I find it kind of amusing, Nick just finds it annoying.
“Thanks for inviting me to dinner!” Beverly said sarcastically, pulling me out of my thoughts. She’s another dancer on the tour, she and I are pretty close in age so we usually get paired in the same hotel room.
I rolled my eyes, knowing that Bev was just joking around. “You were busy talking on the phone with Joe.” I reminded her, as I joined her on the bed. Joe was Bev’s boyfriend, he’s a pilot and since she’s touring with us they rarely get to see each other.
“I know, I’m just kidding around.” She said, playfully hitting my arm. “So how was it? AJ hit you some more?”
“Of course.” I replied, flopping down and staring at the TV. Bev was engrossed in some soap opera. I didn’t get how she could watch those shows, they were such filth. “How’d you guess?”
“Seriously Dani, you just need to tell him to back off.” Bev advised. I shook my head. The girl was two years younger than me, and yet she was far more mature when it came to relationships.
“I did!” I defended myself. “But it’s not like he ever actually asks me out, he just hints at it, and I always tell him that I’m not interested.”
Bev raised an eyebrow, pushing a lock of her black hair out of her face. “Have you actually said those words?”
“No.” I admitted.
She shook her head, turning her attention back to her show. “Well then you can’t really blame him for trying.” She reasoned. That was Bev for you, she always liked to look at things objectively and rarely did she ever take anyone’s side. I guess it was a good thing… but in this case I really just wanted her to tell me I was right.
“I thought it was pretty clear I didn’t like him.” I said, continuing to stare at the TV screen.
Bev gave me a smile. “Hun, it’s not going to be clear until you tell him to his face. That, or until you get a boyfriend.”
I laughed. A boyfriend? Yeah, right. Being in a new city every day, it would be hard for me to find one. Unless I dated someone on the tour, but I really couldn’t think of anyone I had any interest in.
“You could always tell him Nick’s your boyfriend.” Bev giggled.
I thought about that for a moment. Yes, of course! That would be the answer to both of our problems. AJ would leave me alone if he thought I was dating Nick, Kels would leave Nick alone once she finally got her confirmation that Nick and I were together, and we wouldn’t have to deal with the drama of having a real relationship! It was perfect! A flawless plan! “Bev, you’re a genius!” I exclaimed.
“What?” She asked, she’d turned her attention back to the TV while I’d been thinking about the plan.
“Dating Nick! It’s the perfect plan!” I said, sitting up.
“I was joking, Dani.” Bev said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t want to date Nick.” She said seriously. That was another thing I forgot to mention. While Bev and Nick got along, she had some issues with him. They tended to butt heads a lot. Mostly I just ignored it, and usually they were able to be civil.
“I didn’t mean actually date him, more like we could tell people we’re dating and that would keep AJ off my back.” I explained.
Bev poindered that for a moment, before a grin spread across her face. “That might be funny.” She finally said.
“I know!” I laughed. It’d be great, I’d have all the perks of having a boyfriend, without having to deal with any relationship drama. I couldn’t see at all how this plan could backfire. I guess you could say I was a little, okay, a lot naïve. “This is going to be hilarious.”
“Do you think he’ll agree it to though?” Bev asked me, cocking her head to the side a little. “I mean, Nick really, really hates drama. I don’t think he’d go for that.”
I waved my hand as to dismiss what she said. “He’ll go for it. It’d work in his benefit too.”
“How?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Kels would stop pestering him.”
Bev shook her head. “Do you think she would? It might make her stalk him more.”
“I doubt it.” I replied. Kels was annoying, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d back off once she got her ‘proof’ that Nick and I had been sleeping together. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
“If you say so.” Bev said, still sounding a bit cautious. I dismissed it though. After all, what could go wrong? Nick and I were friends, and all we were going to be doing was helping each other out. A little white lie never hurt anyone.
That night, I’d had a lot of trouble sleeping. For starters, I’ve always had trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar place, and of course I was excited about my upcoming plan. After tossing and turning for about an hour, I finally gave up and decided to go get a snack from the vending machine down the hall.
Pulling my hair up into a ponytail, and putting my shoes on I quietly left the room as to not wake Bev up. As soon as I turned the corner to the snack machine, I smiled to myself. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who was having trouble sleeping.
“Hey, Dani!” Brian smiled warmly. “What’re you doing up this late?”
I shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.” I explained.
“Me too.” He chuckled. “Those beds are uncomfortable, aren’t they?”
I nodded, though that was hardly the reason I’d been awake. “Yeah.” I agreed. “I really liked the sleep number beds they had at the last hotel.”
He laughed. Brian always seemed to put me in a good mood. He was really sweet and easy to talk to. I guess you could say I was pretty close with him too, he and Nick were such good friends, it only made sense that I’d spend a lot of time with Brian as well. “So did I.” He said, and then turned his attention back to the junk food in front of him. “So, what’s on the menu for tonight? Chips? Chocolate?”
I put my finger up to my lips, as if I were in deep thought. “Chocolate, I think.”
“Of course. I shouldn’t have even had to ask.” He winked, putting some change into the machine and bushing the button for a snickers bar. “I was looking for something a little more on the salty side, myself.” He said, selecting a bag of all dressed chips.
“Thanks, Brian.” I said, unwrapping my snickers and taking a bite.
“No problem, Dani. Though I doubt that’s going to help you sleep.” He grinned.
I shrugged. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep one way or the other anyway. “Oh well.”
“I guess I should be headed back to my room though.” He said. “See you in the morning.”
“See you tomorrow.” I replied, turning around to go back to my room. “Or, I guess today…”
He just chuckled. “Goodnight, Dani.”
“Night.” I replied dumbly, not knowing what else to say. As I walked back to my room, my mind was once again consumed with thoughts of my upcoming plan. Though this time, I was a little worried. Would Brian be happy that Nick and I were together, or would he be disappointed in me? Nick was his best friend, but he’d always made it clear he wasn’t the biggest fan of Nick’s dating habits. I sighed to myself. I guess I’d have to cross that bridge when I came to it.
What I didn’t realize, was that things were getting more complicated by the minute, and I should have just backed out before this had even started.
