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“Who is that?”  AJ wanted to know.  He nodded over at the pretty blonde who had her hand on Nick.

The girl had been at the fan conference.  She had hovered on the edges, but always moving.  It was hard to take your eyes off her.  AJ thought maybe he’d take a run at her.  But she never looked at him.  Only at Nick.

And now here she was backstage.  AJ had seen her talking to Howie for a minute and then she had sidled up to Nick.  She had cut him from the herd around him like an expert cowboy roping a steer and was now talking and laughing with him.  He seemed to be enjoying himself as well, thought AJ, bending his head down to hear her words.  She touched his arm in a very familiar fashion.

“That’s Ronni…the girl from California,” said Howie.  “The one before Abby.”

“What the hell is she doing in Chicago?” asked AJ.  And what the hell is Nick doing, he wondered. They’d all been concerned when they heard that Abby was too ill to come to the concert, but Terence and Nick had both assured them that she was on the mend and that Patrick was taking care of her.  Nick seemed to be taking care of something else.

“She lives here.  She’s married,” said Howie.

“So’s he,” retorted AJ.

“Oh, I don’t think you have to worry,” said Howie.  “That’s ancient history now.”

It didn’t look too ancient to AJ.  “She’s seems pretty familiar with him.”

“Well, they were practically living together.  But don’t worry, she’s no match for Abby.”

In the looks department, she was more than a match for Abby, thought AJ.  This woman was gorgeous.  And she knew it.  She strutted her stuff like she knew that every man in the room was watching her.  And she wasn’t wrong.  Every man was.  So was every woman, for that matter.

“Don’t worry about it, AJ…I mean, come on…can’t you talk to Amanda or Sarah or any of your old flames without it becoming something?”

No, thought AJ.  I can’t.  I pretty much want to nail them all over again.

AJ got called to makeup and when he came out, the girl was gone.  But he saw her again, as soon as he stepped on the stage.  She was in the pit…in Abby’s place.  And she was looking at Nick like she wanted to eat him up with a spoon.  AJ kept an eye on her throughout the show.  It seemed like she thought they were putting on a personal show just for her.  She smiled and waved at AJ when she saw him looking at her.  She winked at Howie.  Howie winked back, AJ noticed.  And she sent looks to Nick that spoke of personal experiences and inside jokes.  It was way, way too intimate for AJ’s liking. 

He brought up Abby’s name in every costume change.  He even suggested that Nick phone her.  Go ahead, you’ve got time, he said.  But Nick demurred.  She’s probably asleep.

During the ‘quiet, little thang’, AJ tried again.  Kevin started it off as he always did.  “So here we are in Chicago…”

“Nick’s new hometown,” said AJ.

Nick nodded at the cheers.  “Yep,” he said, when they died down, “got a great new apartment.”

“And a great wife,” put in AJ.

Nick nodded again.  “Yep.  So, did you guys get to see any of Chicago last night?”

Brian mentioned the restaurant where they’d had dinner and Howie named the club he’d gone to.  Kevin said something about the charities.  AJ looked at Nick.  Nick looked at Ronni.

AJ knew that four of them were getting on the buses right after the show, but that Nick was not.  His bus wasn’t leaving until morning…to give him more time with Abby.  That meant he’d be hanging around backstage until the crowds had dispersed.  And he’d be the only one.

They finished the show and left the stage for the last time.  “Behave yourself,” called AJ over his shoulder as he was running past Nick to the bus. 

“Why would he want to do that?” laughed Kevin.  “I hope Abby’s feeling better.  Give her our love.”

Nick watched them all get on the buses and go.  He went to the dressing room and took off his costume.  He slipped on jeans and a t-shirt.  He was going to shower at home.  He looked at his watch.  Another half hour, he figured.  No one knew he was staying behind, so there wouldn’t be many fans around.  He could probably grab a cab right now.  But he didn’t want to take the chance of having some fan follow him to the apartment and get the address.

“Come in,” he called out in response to the knock on the door.  He figured it would be Terence.  He was wrong.

“Now this is how I remember you,” said Ronni, in a low, sexy voice.  “Jeans and a t-shirt, just chillin’.”  She walked up to him and smoothed a lock of hair off his face.  “Hair just a little rumpled.  That is a good look for you.”

“Um…okay…thanks, I guess.”  Nick shrugged. 

“Although I must say, the leather pants and open shirt hit the spot as well.”

Nick was glad he’d taken the costume off.  “So, did you enjoy the show?”

“It was wonderful,” said Ronni, looking around.  “You were wonderful.”

“Um, thanks.”

“It’s a shame I never got to see you perform when we were together.  I got a whole host of fantasies from the show.”  Ronni sat down on the loveseat in the corner of the room and crossed her legs.  She stretched her arms up over her head and shook her hair.

Nick felt awkward standing in the middle of the room.  But he didn’t want to sit down beside her.  His body was reacting to her in a way that it shouldn’t.  He turned a chair backwards and straddled it, leaning his arms on the back.  Come on, Terence, where are you?

“So how long do you have to stay here?” she asked, waving her hand at the room.

“Just until Terence gives me the all clear.  Then I’ll catch a cab to the apartment.”

“I could give you a lift if you’d like,” offered Ronni.  “I’ve got my car.”

“No, that’s okay.  But, thanks.  Terence will take me and then he and Patrick will go back to the hotel.”

“Patrick?”

“One of the bodyguards.  He’s staying with Abby right now, making sure she’s okay.”

Ronni did not want to talk about Nick’s wife.  “Well, would you like to go for a drink or something, since you don’t have to rush home?”

“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.  And I’m all sweaty and shit from the concert.  I just want to get a shower and go to bed.”

“Well, we could do that too,” said Ronni, with a sexy laugh.  They’d had some good times in the shower.

Nick was speechless.  He was picturing the same thing.  Where the hell are you, Terence?  Nick stood up and moved the chair back to its original spot, not making eye contact with Ronni.

Ronni rose to her feet.  She walked over to him.  “I’m just kidding, Tiger.”  She used her pet name for him.  She raised her hand to his face and stroked it.  “I miss you sometimes,” she said, absently.  And then she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him…very gently, very softly.

And he kissed her back. 

He didn’t want to…he knew he shouldn’t, but she evoked good memories for him.  Her scent intoxicated him and he wanted to taste her…just this once. 

Ronni let him kiss her for a moment and then she stepped away.  “Mmmm,” she said, running her fingernail down his shirt front.  She stroked the nipple ring through his shirt and gave a secretive, sexy grin, recalling past sexual encounters.  She licked her lips and moved her hand away.  “See ya, Tiger,” she said, and turned for the door.

Nick did not respond.  He had nothing to say and no way to say it.  He was stunned.

“Okay, Boss,” said Terence, a moment later, sticking his head in the door.  “We’re good to go.”

Nick never said a word all the way home in the cab.  Terence filled the void for awhile talking about the concert and stuff.  Then he gave up and sat in silence.  At the apartment, Patrick reported that Abby was asleep.  She was much better, he said.  She’d even managed to get up a couple of times for an hour or so.  She’d fulfilled all the requirements as far as food and drink went and had taken her medicine at the appropriate times.  She’d had a long chat on the phone with her mother…something to do with seating arrangements.

Nick listened to it all but didn’t take it in.  He thanked Patrick and sent the two bodyguards on their way.  Terence told him the bus would pick him up by ten the next morning.  They really couldn’t leave it any later than that.  Nick just nodded and closed the door behind them. 

Nick wandered through the apartment, turning off lights.  He looked in on Abby.  She was asleep.  He felt her face.  It was cool to the touch.  The fever was gone.  Good.  The meds were doing their job.

Nick went into the second bedroom.  He saw the bed turned down.  He wondered if Abby had done that or Patrick.  Nick moved on through to the bathroom.  He stripped off his clothes and stood under the hot water.  He wanted to wash away the sweat and grime of the evening’s performance.  He wanted to wash away the feelings he’d had when he’d seen Ronni again.  He wanted to wash away the taste of her lips.

His mind was reeling.  This was not the way it was supposed to be.  This was supposed to be his homecoming.  This was supposed to be the weekend where he and Abby reconnected and played together in their new home.  Nick had waited six weeks for this and now it was all wrong.

His wife was not supposed to look awful and be too sick to come to the concert. 

Another woman was not supposed to be there in her place, looking healthy and gorgeous. 

Nick was not supposed to be standing in the shower jerking off and whispering that woman’s name.

But he was.