Nick leapt up to answer the knock at the door. There stood Tori, flocked by her constant traveling companions; a wheely suitcase, portable stereo and laptop computer. She was in perfect balance with a camera bag on one shoulder and a bulging black leather purse on the other. A cell phone sat perched between her left ear and shoulder, and she winced at the effort to tilt her head to hold the phone in place.
"Tori's here!" shouted Nick.
"Never mind," said Tori into the phone. "This is the place. Later." She let go of the suitcase handle, put the stereo down and closed her phone. "Hello, girls... Mama's home!" she announced, with a sarcastic tone and a forced smile.
"Hey, mama, wassup?" asked Nick as he gave her a one-armed hug around her shoulders. AJ and Howie joined Nick and lessened Tori's burden by pulling off the items hanging from her shoulders and taking in the rest of her gear.
"Hey, I didn't hear you unlock the door. Why wasn't the door locked?" she asked inquisitively but seriously. Nobody bothered to answer her and she became distracted by a quick glimpse of Brian as he walked out from the kitchen and threw her a relieved smile.
"So, how was the trip out?" he asked as he air-kissed her on the cheekbone.
"It wasn't bad - but I'm tired already," said Tori. Her mind was racing with a hundred questions and she blurted out a couple in succession, "Where's the B.M.I.C.? And WHO put us out here in BF Egypt, anyway?" She glanced at Nick. "Nicky?"
Nick hated being called "Nicky" but had forced himself to accept it from Tori. After all, she was quite a bit older than he. Though at 30, she had the uncanny ability to fit in with whatever group she was with; whether it be young teenage fans, stuffy old businessmen or other maturing adults finding themselves smack dab in the middle of a 30-something crisis. As chameleon as she was, she always managed to remind Nick that he was the baby. He smirked and fluttered his eyelashes at her.
"The Big Man In Charge would be filling his 'sexiest alive' face in the kitchen," said AJ. "Yo, Kev, front and center! The Commander's here and she got lotsa questions, bro!"
Kevin strolled out of the kitchen, rubbing his hands together, as if to dust them free of crumbs. His face wore a strained expression, but his saunter showed that he was confident and ready for battle. He knew from their earlier phone conversation that she wasn't happy, and though he respected and admired her position, he didn't want to lose face in front of the other fellas. He stopped just short of Tori and noted how comfortable she looked, hoping her laid back appearance would ease her wrath. She was dressed in boot cut jeans, a black sweater and black leather boots. Her blonde hair was mussed from the wind. She pulled her fingernails through her locks to refresh the style, finishing by tucking the little wisps of hair at her temples behind her ears. Her pale face and emerald eyes were perfectly accented by fall's colors and a hint of rosiness, caused by the cool autumn breeze, lit up her cheeks.
"Hello, gor-geous," said Tori with a twinkle in her eye as she gave Kevin a light hug, then backed quickly and uncomfortably away. "So, before we all start having too much fun, I really would like some information," she said, matter-of-factly.
Kevin looked at the floor and then looked back up, accepting Tori's direct eye contact. In his best, broken Spanglish Desi Arnaz impersonation, Howie said, "Kev, you got some esPLAINing to dooooo." Howie knew that he himself was just as much to blame for the decisions he knew Tori questioned. Since he was the second eldest and tight with Kevin, they tended to bounce plans off each other for moral support. Howie raised his eyebrows twice quickly at Kevin to let him know he was on his own on this one.
"First off," asked Tori, "who the hell said you guys could go anywhere without your guards? I don't remember that being part of the deal." All five guys stood in silence until Kevin responded. "I told you, it's no big deal. We just wanted some real life without guards and assistants. We needed a break from all that. Besides, it's pretty safe here. We're okay without 'em."
"Hmmm. Question two…" Tori's voice took on a louder tone. "Who's BRILLIANT idea was it for you guys to all travel in the same vehicle?!" The guys looked around at each other, unsure of whose idea it had actually been.
Nick piped up. "We traveled together because it made sense. We were all going the same place at the same time. Duh."
Tori cut in, "Perhaps. But there are reasons why arrangements are made so you can all have your own vans, you know?" The guys looked at each other as if they'd never before considered the upcoming reasons. "The first reason for traveling separately is to keep you guys from getting on each other's nerves. That is first and foremost. The second is to free you up so you can keep your individual schedules and plans… so you don't get on each other's nerves! The third is so that one semi-truck-crossing-the-center-line later…"
"That's kinda morbid, Tor," interrupted Kevin with a disgusted look on his face.
"Sorry. I don't mean to be nasty. But how shitty and devastating for the public would that be if it were a reality?" she asked rhetorically. Sarcastically and dramatically she added, "Even the President and Veep don't travel together so they can't be wiped out together."
AJ responded with equal sarcasm, "Did we get promoted to diplomat status or something? Because the last time I checked, we weren't world leaders ruling a country."
Tori snapped back, "No? Well then you clearly underestimate your worth and don't truly have a grasp on how influential you are right now."
There was a silent, guilty pause as the guys thought heavily about the celebrity they held and the responsibility and respect such distinction demanded. Reading the concern on their faces, Tori concluded her lecture with a softer nature. "I know you want to have a normal life back, and I do my best to help you out. But let's face it… you guys aren't ordinary anymore. For your own sake, PLEASE, just start doing what you're supposed to do and follow the security protocol - you know, no letting strangers feed you or get you drinks; no disorderly public drunkenness without your guards; no taking potentially incriminating photos…"
The guys looked at each other with a "cat that just ate the canary" look - knowing they had broken just about every common sense rule in management's book. Tori knew they had and found a sick sort of pleasure in watching them squirm with guilt.
Brian suddenly changed the subject. "Well," he said, "if something ever happened to a couple of us, or even one of us, it's not like we'd continue on without them." Nick retorted with a squeak in his voice, "Speak for yourself, bunghole! I'd go solo."
"Oh, well, let me rephrase," said Brian. "If something ever happened to a couple of us, or even one of us, it's not like anyone besides NICK would continue on without them." AJ shifted his eyes toward Nick and jokingly whispered under his breath, "Greedy bastard!" Nick elbowed him subtly and whispered back, "At least I'd WAIT…."
Discussion was interrupted by Angela, Kim Ann, and Sandra who, without knocking, bounded through the front door and surprised the guys, offering a perfect segue for Tori. "And speaking of protocol," continued Tori with a sharper tongue, "what the hell were you guys thinking spending the night in an abandoned house with female fans?" She turned to face the girls and continued. "God, please tell me you're at least all legal."
With a frightened look on his face, AJ asked, "You'd rather we spend the night in an abandoned house with MALE fans?" AJ closed his eyes, stuck out his tongue like Mister Yuck and visibly shuddered. "Yyyyikes! No thank YOU!"
"You knew what I meant," sighed Tori.
Kevin glanced at the girls, embarrassed that they had to hear Tori's comment. But relating to the importance and validity of her anxiety, he addressed it right then and there. "That was a mistake, and it won't happen again," he promised.
"No shit," said Tori, as she glared back at AJ.
"Now what are you lookin' at ME for?" asked AJ defensively. "What did I do?"
"I don't know," said Tori, "but I know you and it probably wasn't good."
"Well that's not what SHE said," said AJ with a devilish grin, as he blew a warm breath on his fingernails and buffed them against his chest. "I'm… just… kidding," he added quickly, "so you just back the hell up, sister, 'cause I'M not the one you need to be worrying about here." Everyone turned their eyes to Nick and Howie.
"What?" asked Howie.
Nick chimed in behind him, "I didn't do anything."
"Not YET, anyway," said Brian.
Nick and Angela both felt like dropping dead right then and there and could feel the heat cover their faces as they started to blush. Kevin broke in to save Angela and the other girls from further humiliation. "Tori, I'd like you to meet Kim Ann and Sandra -- and this is Angela. She's in charge of the Peace House."
Angela said "hi" to Tori but didn't approach her or extend a hand to shake. Tori moved toward Angela and put out her hand, noting mindfully that Angela was wearing a turtleneck sweater. "Uh huh," she thought, "Hiding something under there little girl?" Tori spoke, "Good to meet you, Angela, I'm Tori Winter." She shook Angie's hand then turned to introduce herself to Sandra and Kim Ann. "Tori Winter. Nice to meet you."
Tori gave Kevin a smirk and eyed Angela's sweater again. "Wow, Angela. That's a beautiful sweater. But you must get awfully hot doing remodeling and construction work in a turtleneck." She acted innocent and intentionally waited for Angela's response. Nick closed his eyes, turned around and made a hasty exit to the kitchen, much to Kevin's amusement. He knew Tori was just having fun and letting them all know who was going to have the upper hand now.
"Well, it is fall and it's kind of chilly these days," answered Angela, cautious about not saying too much. She couldn't believe Nick deserted her! She glanced at Sandra nervously, but she wouldn't look back at her.
Coming to the defense of her friend and immediately testing the pecking order of the female domain in the house, Kim Ann spoke up, eyeing Tori. "Well it looks like you planned for the cold weather, too. Your sweater might be a bit warm for housework as well."
Tori looked at the guys with an expression that said, "this girl is a twit." She responded in a hushed, condescending voice. "Well, sweetheart, actually, I have no intention of working on the house in the first place. See, these guys are the philanthropists, not me."
"Oh yeah?" asked Kevin. "That's where you're mistaken. We've got plans for you to help. Besides, what happened to the 'we're a team' stuff?"
"Yeah," added Brian, "what happened to 'there is no 'I' in team'?"
Tori gave Brian a she-devil grin and then nodded her head as if she were defeated. "You're absolutely right, Bri. There is no 'I' in team. And that's precisely why 'I' am not going to be joining you in the whole labor movement thing."
Tori walked toward the kitchen where Nick had retreated and the girls turned to head to the kitchen in front of her. Just as she and Angela reached the kitchen entryway and met Nick in the center of the floor, Tori whispered to Angela, "Keep the turtleneck over it, Hon." She practically walked through Nick who had just taken a breath to say something, and interrupted him by closing her eyes and holding up her hand. "I don't wanna know, Nicky. I don't wanna know."
Nick thought to himself, "She could be SO off-base on this." Yet she
wasn't. "God, how does she DO that?"
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