- Text Size +
The next morning Howie awoke to an empty bed. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the clock, 8:30. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to the image of Elle typing away on her laptop. She was working.

"Morning." She smiled up at him over the screen.

"Babe, why don't you come back to bed, you didn't even get to sleep until four." He rubbed his eyes again, and scratched his arm.

"I've got a lot of work to do though, before I leave tommorow." She flipped through a stack of papers by her side.

Howie lowered his head and sighed, "Not even for a little while?"

She set down her papers and looked at him. How could she resist that face? She closed her laptop and walked over to the bed. He smiled at her sweetly.

"C'mere." He held his arms out for her and she crawled into bed next to him. He cuddled her close, spooning her. "The boys and I were thinking about going out tonight, since it's your last night and all." He kissed her cheek.

She sighed, "Uh...sure." She rested her arms over Howie's as he wrapped his leg around hers.

"You don't have to if you don't want to babe, I could just stay with you here, or we could go out." He started kissing her neck gently and caressing her side.

She laughed, "Howie, I thought you wanted me to go to sleep."

He smiled, his lips making their way up to her earlobe, "I do...I do...."

"Hmmm, I don't know about that." She pulled his hand away from her stomach and held it with her own.

"Go to sleep and stop touching me." He laughed smoothing her hair with his other hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She turned her head and met his lips with her own.

****

"Red or black Howie?" She asked in her robe, holding up different dresses to her body.

"They both look good." He said barely glancing.

"Red or black?!" She raised her voice.

"Uh..um..." He stuttered.

She ran out of their hotel room quickly and knocked on the room next door. AJ opened.

"Thank God! Red or black?" She asked flashing the dresses quickly.

AJ's heart almost caught in his throat. Elle was standing there in her hotel robe, hair damp, her golden skin glowing without a stitch of makeup on. She was wearing hotel slippers, and the cross necklace she always wore hung gracefully around her neck. He could have taken her away right then and there and forgot about all the consequences.

"Black." He answered simply.

She pulled it away from her and looked at it again. "Yes, Aje I knew I could count on you, thank you sweetheart." She beamed at him.

"Hey anytime, thats what I'm good for right?" He smiled back, weakly.

"Awww, hey are you coming tonight?"

"I was thinking about it." Now I doubt it, he thought.

"Please come, it's the least I can do. I barely got to see you the whole two weeks I with you guys."

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

He ran back into the room and came back with two shirts.

"Red or Black?"

****

"Would you go talk to him for me?" Elle asked Howie as they danced together at the club later that night.

Howie glanced over at AJ who was sitting all my himself in a booth.

"Nick!" Howie shouted.

"D, whats up?" Nick smiled.

"Dance with Elle would you?"

Howie gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll be right back."

She put a hand to his cheek, "Thankyou."

He nodded and smiled at Nick before walking over to his best friend.

Nick wrapped his arms around Elle, "Everything alright?"

"I dunno Nick. I'm--"

"Worried. Yeah I know. We all are."

"You are too?" She parted from him a little and gave him a confused look.

"Yeah of course, I mean the man's never been the same since--" He stopped himself right there and then.

Elle lowered her head, "It's not still....I mean..."

Nick shook his head, completley lying through his teeth, "No, I mean he's just changed a lot, nothing bad." AJ would kill him if he found out anything had slipped.

"Nick, it's been years, you know that right?"

"Yes I do, he's fine you don't have to worry about it."

Thats what everyone said.

****

"Hey J, whats up?" Howie sat across from his friend.

"Oh not much man." AJ forced a small smile.

"Why don't you come dance with us? I mean is this AJ I'm talking to? Because the AJ I know never sulks at a club."

"Nah, actually I think I'm gonna head out."

Howie had a confused look on his face, "What?
Why?"

"Just tired thats all."

Howie looked at the table, there were at least four napkins with phone numbers on them.

"Hold up here AJ. You've got women flinging themselves at you and you're going to go back to the hotel?"

He laughed, "Yeah I guess so."

Howie glanced back at the dancefloor to find Elle staring at him and AJ. He gave her a smile, and AJ noticed.

"So I guess I'll see you tommorow then D." AJ said standing up and zipping his sweatshirt up.

"Yeah I guess so. Thanks for coming." Howie stood up and gave him a hug.

"Later." AJ looked back at Elle and waved at her before heading towards the door.

Why had he even agreed to come tonight? He always got himself into the most awkward situations it seemed. "Oh yeah sure, I'll go out with the woman I want and can't have and the man that's got her wrapped around his finger." Right. He knew Howie was sent over to talk to him, and thats what made it all even worse. She was worried about him. He needed to talk to her. He had to. At least then he would know, before she left. He hailed a cab, and headed back to the hotel room. Pitiful he knew, but he would be there. Waiting for her.