Howie was walking around the house, as he suddenly came to a halt by the hand of his wife on his chest.

“Honey, I need you to do something for me,” Leigh said with a serious look on her face.

Uh-oh. “Uhm. Sure, what?,” he asked with his most innocent smile.

“You see, my parents sent me five invitations for an art exposition to go to tomorrow night. It’s in LA, and since we have to go by plane, my parents said they’d pay for the flight tickets and the hotel. The only thing I don’t understand is, why did they sent five invitations, instead of just two?”

“An art exposition? But sweetheart, art is boring! You know I’m not interested in that!” Howie exclaimed.

“Oh, tell me something I didn’t know!” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we can’t refuse this! My parents paid a lot of money for this and it’s a sweet gesture. You have to come with me! And you must decide who else we can give the other three invitations to.”

Howie’s face lightened up as he knew who. “I know who..”

“No! Not Nick, AJ and Brian! They will cause accidents! Especially Nick!” Leigh interrupted him as she held her hand in front of his face.

“Aw, come on!” Howie whined as he turned to walk away.

“Hold on a second. I wasn’t finished,” Leigh said as she turned her husband back to her. “At least, there’s one thing we both agree about; you’re coming with me. We’ll discuss the invitations later. I’m going to check on James.” With that, she turned around and got upstairs.

Howie sighed in despair as he took notice of five envelopes on the dinner table. Once again his face lightened up, as he took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number with a mischievous smile on his face.

                                                                                             ***

“I swear, if you invited those three, you’re in huge trouble!” Leigh spoke to her husband as if he was a little kid.

“And I swear I haven’t invited them. Just don’t worry,” Howie soothed.

“This is really important for me. My parents will be there too, you know.”

“I know, that’s why I haven’t invited them.”

They walked to the entrance of the big building filled with classy people, dressed in the most expensive suits and dresses.

“Your invitation, please,” a tall man, dressed in a black smoking, asked them, before they could step inside.

Howie handed both invitations to the man. The man checked them, then nodded and let them pass.

“Now, we just have to wait right here,” Howie said as they stood in front of two huge glass doors.

“It better not take too long,” Leigh muttered, but short after she said that, her eyes widened when she saw who was coming in.

Brian just gave his invitation to the tall man, as he stepped inside.

When he saw Howie and Leigh, he smiled and waved at them.“Hey there! Oh wow, Howie, your tuxedo! Nice! Leigh, you look great,” Brian smiled politely at Leigh.

“Thanks, man,” Howie smiled nervously. He could feel his wife’s temper rising with every minute.

“Uhm. I gotta go to the restroom. I’ll see you later,” Brian said as he quickly took off.

“What did I tell you about inviting him? I bet Nick and AJ can come inside any minute now too!” Leigh hissed through her teeth.

“I’m sure they’ll behave. At least Brian will,” Howie said.

“Not if he’s with those other two goofballs!” She sighed and desperately sat down on a posh couch.

“Really, you don’t have to worry! I will tell them to behave. They are mature enough to realize they can’t goof around with all the precious and fragile art hanging and standing everywhere,” he said as he knelt down in front of her. “Just please, let them stay. It makes the exposition at least less boring for me.”

He looked at her with his big, brown pleading eyes.

Leigh sighed. “Alright. But tell them! And they have to promise that they will behave! If my parents know one of them damaged something, I swear, I’m going to get a stroke.”

“Hush. You won’t get a stroke. It’s going to be ok.”

“Oh, shit!”

They turned around to see who said that.

“I swear, I put it in my pocket at home! It must have fallen out somewhere!”

“That sounds like AJ. And it is AJ,” Leigh said as she squinted her eyes. “I knew it!”

“I’ll go to him,” Howie said and walked up to him.

“Dude, what’s up?”

“Hey D, I’ve got a little problem here. You see, I can’t find the invitation,” AJ said as he gave an innocent smile at the tall man, who started to look impatient.

“You… you lost the invitation?! AJ!” Howie shouted. “You stupid!”

“I didn’t lose it! I said, I can’t find it! Wait, I’ll check my car. I’ll be right back,” he said and quickly ran away.

“Please God, let him have it in his car,” Howie mumbled as he threw his head backwards.

Another seven people got in, when AJ stood in front of him and the tall man again with a big smile. “I’ve found it!”

“Great. Now, come in. Leigh is about to explode.”

“Explode? Why?”

“I didn’t tell her that I gave the invitations to you, Nick and Brian.”

“Dude, you lied to your wife. That’s bad.”

“Duh, she didn’t want you guys to be invited. She said that you all will cause accidents,” Howie said.

“Accidents? Us?” AJ pointed at himself with a fake shocked face.

“Ugh. You know you do. So please, try to behave. Tell this to Brian and Nick too.”

“They are already here? I mean, Nick is already here?”

“No, only Brian is. But please, promise, ok?”

“Ok, I promise. Just because I don’t want you get killed by your own wife,” AJ smirked as they reached Leigh and Brian, who already got back from the restroom. 

Leigh gave Howie a questioning look. “Did you tell him?” she whispered.

“Yes, he will tell Brian and Nick too,” Howie whispered back.

Short after AJ and Brian greeted eachother, they heard someone saying a couple of times ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’.

They turned to see Nick stumbling inside.

“Who the hell puts a bin with a plant in the middle of the hall?!” Nick said as he rubbed his knee. “God damn.”

“Please, could you watch your language?” Howie muttered. “I don’t want any of you getting kicked out of this place.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind. Look at the kind of people that walk around here! They sure are rich,” AJ said as he scanned the people passing him by.

“You are rich too, dumbass,” Nick said while raising his eyebrow.

“But I’m not walking around like some cocky, arrogant posh person,” AJ sniffed.

“Maybe we should go inside,” Brian suggested.

“Good idea. I don’t wanna hear these two discussing all night long,” Howie nodded, and wrapped an arm around Leigh’s waist while walking inside.

“Holy crap, this statue rather fits in a Kamasutra exposition than something like this,” AJ said as he studied a small statue of a naked man and a naked woman in an embrace, kissing eachother.

Brian bumped his elbow against AJ, only too hard so AJ almost fell against the statue but nearly missed it and fell on the floor and hit his head against the wall.

“Oh, that’s got to hurt,” Nick said while looking down at AJ.

“No shit, Sherlock. God damnit, Brian! Thanks to you, I almost broke a sex statue!” AJ said as he rubbed his head.

“I’m sorry. But remember what Howie said: watch your language! It’s your own fault,” Brian said.

He helped AJ getting up and then they quickly walked away as if nothing happened. “And by the way, it’s not a sex statue! It’s art!”

They saw Howie and Leigh turning left into another room, but the other three decided to turn right.

“Man, this is boring. I wanna do something!” Nick said as he looked around for something to do.

“No, Nick. I promised Howie that we would behave,” AJ said.

“Oh yeah? Seems like we already broke the promise since you nearly broke a statue,” Nick replied.

“I nearly broke a statue? Brian hit me too damn hard!” AJ shouted.

“Quiet, please,” an old lady, who stood next to them, said.

“Ugh. This place is like a reunion for the old people’s home. Look how many wrinkled creatures there are in here!” AJ said and pointed around the room.

“Well, it's better than all the screaming fans. Unless you'd get an old granny jumping on you and trying to get a kiss from you,” Brian smirked.

“Eeeeeew! No way! I’d rather have the screaming girls than an old wrinklesaur!” Nick shuddered.

“Wrinklesaur? Like, in dinosaur?” AJ raised his eyebrow.

Before Nick could reply, Howie interrupted them. “Hey guys. Please, stay near Leigh and me, ok?”

“Jesus, what are you? Our dad?” Nick scolded.

“No. But I just want to make sure nothing happens,” Howie said while glaring at Nick.

“I agree. Let’s stay close to them,” Brian nodded.

Much to AJ and Nick’s disagreement, they followed Howie to Leigh.

This room was filled with stone art. Not the stones like you find outside. These were diamonds, emeralds etc. Several artists made figures out of these jewels.

Except for statues, you could also buy necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They were worth a fortune.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” AJ said as his eyes sparkled at the sight of all the jewelry. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he turned around with his arms spread, “welcome to my world!”

Nick and Brian were walking away from AJ, who was intrigued by the shiny jewelry.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Nick smiled.

“Hmm?” Brian said as he studied a necklace.

“Let’s pick a piece of jewelry, for example, a golden necklace, and try to guess the price. The one who is farthest from the price, has to pay 5 dollars to the one who was closest to the price.”

Brian couldn’t resist participating in this new game. “Alright! I’m in! Let’s ask Howie too!”

Nick nodded and walked away to get Howie. “What’s up?” Howie said when he joined the two of them.

Nick explained the game once more and even Howie couldn’t resist the temptation of playing this game, even if it would cost him money.

“Alright, let’s start,” Nick said as he rubbed his hands. “You can better have 40 dollars ready, because I am going to win!”

“We’re not making that many guesses, Nick!” Howie said.

“Alright, let’s make 5 guesses. Deal?” Nick said and stuck his hand out.

Brian and Howie both shook his hand. “Deal.”

Like Nick predicted, he won the first guess, and also the second. However, Brian guessed the third. Nick again guessed the fourth. Now they were at the fifth and the last guess, and Howie didn’t win at all yet.

“I better be winning this guess, otherwise I’m gonna kick your asses! Especially yours, Nick!” Howie said with crossed arms.

“Let’s guess the price of… the diamond dolphin statue,” Brian suggested.

They all studied the statue without looking at the price label.

“2,456 dollars,” Nick said.

“5,899 dollars,” Brian guessed.

“1,677,222 dollars,” Howie said.

“What?! More than one million?” Nick shouted.

“Yeah, so? It looks really expensive,” Howie said.

“Let’s check the price label,” Brian said, and they all three walked toward the statue and looked at the price.

“Ah-ha! Finally!” Howie yelled and did a happy dance. “I’m closest!”

“Well, boohoo. I did win three of the five guesses, which makes me the big winner.” Nick stuck out his tongue.

“Oh, you’re so immature,” Howie rolled his eyes.

“No, you are. You just did a happy dance just because you won one guess,” Nick said.

“Can’t you just be happy for me?” Howie said as he pushed Nick’s shoulder.

“Watch out, tiny man. You just can’t handle the fact that I am better than you!” Nick pushed him back.

“Tiny? Let’s see who’s tiny,” Howie said, getting pissed and pushed Nick real hard backwards.

Nick tripped over a black leather bag and stumbled backwards into a small glass cabin and knocked over a diamond statue on the ground. The statue shattered into pieces.

Everybody in the room turned around to see what happened. Even a bunch of other people came into the room to see what that sound was about.

“You dipshit! Ow! Look what you’ve done! You broke a statue that’s worth a fortune!” Nick yelled.

“What I’ve done? You provoked me! Calling me a tiny man!” Howie yelled back.

“You pushed me into this!” Nick yelled again.

AJ and Leigh came rushing to the circle of people. A man offered Nick help and got him out of the pieces of glass.

“Thank you,” Nick said as he sat down on a clean piece of floor.

“What happened? Man, Nick you look fucked up,” AJ said as he saw several cuts in Nick’s face and a few ripped pieces in his suit.

“Thanks for cheering me up,” Nick said sarcastically.

“Nick! Wha-what happened to you?” Leigh shrieked.  

“Your fine husband there is a bad loser. He pushed me into a statue and now it's broken,” Nick answered.

“You WHAT?!” Leigh yelled as she looked at Howie, who shrunk back on a chair.

“It’s always the quiet one,” AJ shook his head as he snickered.

Later a man, who seemed like the owner of the exposition, came to stand with them. “What happened here?”

Brian explained in details how Nick had fallen and broke a valuable statue.

“So, who is the one that’s responsible for this?” the man said, obviously angry.

“I suppose it’s Howie over there,” AJ shrugged as he directed his head to Howie.

“Thanks for being such a good friend, Jay,” Howie said while grinding his teeth.

“You realize you have to reimburse the damage, right eh… Howie?” the owner said.

“I do,” Howie said as he lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Great. Just great,” Leigh muttered with her hands desperately in the air. 

After they took care of the damage and of Nick, they walked out of the building.

“Well, taking them to a place like this… that’s a mistake you only make once,” AJ said and cracked up about his own quote.

“Well, it is after this,” Leigh sighed and could even bring up a small smile.

“I’ll take Nick to his hotel. You should get some rest, Leigh. This night has been very stressing for you,” Brian said as he nodded at her.

“Thanks, Brian. I definitely will need that,” Leigh smiled appreciatively at Brian. “You,” she said while pointing at Howie, “I will talk to you tomorrow morning. And Nick, hope you’ll have a quick recovery!”

“Thanks, Leigh,” Nick smiled.

“Hey, Nick,” Howie said before the both of them got into their own cab.

Nick looked up at him. "Yeah, what?"

“For the record, I blame you for this.”