“So, are you ready to leave?” I called to him, not realizing he was walking out of the bathroom and was only a few feet from me.
He shrugged and reached into his closet to pull out a shirt. “I guess. I like being out on the road, but sometimes it’s just like… same shit, different tour… and this time… I just…I don’t want to leave Macy…”
I turned my head – only slightly – to make a face, “Aww, isn't that adorable?”
He flipped me off and went to check his reflection in the mirror again. “I might even miss your punk ass a little.”
“I know you miss my punk ass.. I caught you checking it out earlier.” I teased him.
He laughed, “Yeah… you do have an awesome ass.”
I rolled over onto my stomach on the bed and slid off the edge of the mattress so my ass was in the air. I turned to smirk at him, giving my hips a little shake.
“That ain’t right.” He told me, turning the other way.
I gasped, “Oh my god… you just passed up an opportunity to not only blatantly stare at my ass, but possibly smack and/or violate me. What the fuck?”
“Girlfriend. Not you.” He replied.
“Oh, so NOW you learn that.” I said, getting back up.
“Better late than never.” He mumbled. “You ready?”
I chuckled. “For your friends? Always.”
He pushed me toward the door, “You promised me you’d behave.”
“No… I promised I’d play nice… and that was only with Macy. I fully intend to play very, very dirty with all your boys.” I said, giving him my sweetest, most innocent smile.
“I’m leaving you here.” He playfully tried to block the door, but I squeezed through past him and kicked him in the ass from the other side.
----
We got to the bar near the beach where we were meeting everyone at and slid out of the car, careful not to flash anyone that was standing around watching. It was sort of an out-of-the-way place, so there weren’t a ton of people crowded around, looking for who was arriving, like there were at most of the places I’d seen around LA. As we walked through the door, I liked the laidback atmosphere of the place immediately and could understand why Nick had picked this place. I was honestly surprised that Nick hadn’t gone by to get Macy… I knew she’d be there tonight… like they were going to miss their last night to be together.
“DUDE, OVER HERE!!”
I turned in the same direction Nick did as a guy’s voice echoed out the door to the porch-type area we were standing on.
Nick grabbed my hand and led me through the people loitering around, dropping it quickly when he saw Macy.
I just laughed and stood back, waiting for them to finish slobbering on each other and groping so he could introduce me to everyone. I glanced around the group – all fine specimens of the SoCal environment – beautiful to an unreasonable degree. I saw a few of the guys around the table trying to look past Nick and Macy and checking me out in return. I chuckled again… looked like I was going to get along fine with everyone. I knew he wanted me to get to know some of his friends out here, so I’d have people to hang out with or at least talk to, since I was basically going to be alone once he left tomorrow.
Realizing that they weren’t going to come up for air anytime soon, I sat down at the table and said hello to everyone. “Hey… I’m Summer.”
I saw a couple of the guy’s eyes widen and a few elbows jabbed into sides. Guess they’d heard about me, too. I just smiled. “So, who the fuck are you?”
Three of the guys jumped up and extended their hands to me at the same time. I gave them all my flirtiest smile as they introduced themselves, “Hello Sam, hello Tucker, and heellooo Elias…”
“You can call me Eli.” He said, returning my smile with his own stellar grin.
I followed the introductions around the table – the rest of the guys and a few girls – Will, Alexis, Tate, Kyra, Marina, Bryce, Derek and Cassidy. I said ‘hello’ and shook hands with all the guys, I got ‘hi’s out of most of the girls, but I could tell they were already sizing me up, determining if I was potential competition or not. As far as I could tell, there were a few couples – I was guessing that Alexis had made her claim on Will and the way Kyra was perched on Tate’s lap seemed to indicate a certain level of ownership.
Nick finally pulled himself away from Macy and said, “Hey everybody… this is Summer…”
“They know Nick, you missed it.” I told him and
He looked around the table and glared at Sam and Tucker. “Don’t even think about it.”
Hmm… Did that mean Eli was fair game?
Nick dropped down into the seat beside me, apparently reading my mind. He leaned over and whispered, “Stay away from him, Summer.”
I looked at him, like, what the fuck?
“Just trust me on this one, okay?”
“Alright…” I was sure as hell going to be asking for an explanation on that one later… but I wasn’t going to disregard his words. As I was looking at him, I saw Macy sit down beside Nick, and something about the way she moved just sort of intrigued me. She moved slowly, deliberately, and gracefully… and she was just sitting down. I saw the way Nick’s hand immediately moved over to rest on her thigh once she was sitting – and something about what had just happened made me understand them better. I knew the kinds of things Nick would notice about her – and how they were different from the other girls he’d been with – and why he’d want to hold onto to her. I was happy for him… and just a little bit sad for me.
----
A couple hours later, after several rounds of beer (mostly for me and the boys… the girls seemed to be working mainly on vodka, which I learned had few calories than other alcoholic drinks… soooo California)… and passing-around about 15 different kinds of appetizers and then our actual meals, the real talking began… and the real personalities began to show. It was becoming obvious to me why Nick had warned me to stay away from Elias (no more ‘Eli’, the friendly feelings were quickly subsiding)… as he seemed unable to remove his eyes from my chest… or the ass of any girl who walked by. Right on, Nick, thanks for the warning.
As we sat around the table, it felt alternately very familiar… and very odd. It was the same scene Nick and I had been a part of together a thousand times in the past… out with friends, him right beside me. But at the same time, it was different. These people weren’t like our friends in Florida… and there was another girl at his side.
I guess being the new novelty to the group, I was receiving a lot of attention, which I was fine with … I could bask in the limelight just as well as Nick could. And he was right there with me. I could tell the girls were watching us closely – I didn’t know who had been told what about me – but I knew they were all making assessments about me, and especially about my relationship with Nick. From what I could tell, Cassidy (who Bryce seemed to be more than a little interested in) was Macy’s closest friend in the group – they were the ones exchanging Those Looks when I’d say something … colorful. Particularly if it had been about Nick. So, I was surprised when it was Marina who asked, “So, like, what’s the deal with you two?”
“Who two?” I asked, as if I didn’t know. The beer and my terrible rhyme was making me giggly, so this may not have been the ideal time for that question.
Nick knocked his knee against mine under the table and I glanced over at him. I was not so tipsy that I couldn’t recognize a “please don’t” look when I see one.
“You and Nick… you’re, like, friends and… then some.” Marina said, giving me a fairly accusing look.
“We’re friends.” Nick said to her, immediately. “That’s it.”
I nodded, “Yeah, we’re friends. But… once upon a time… yeah, there was more.”
“How much more?” Marina pressed, obviously unaware of Macy’s extreme discomfort. I wasn’t even looking directly at her and I could see her squirming in her seat.
“Everything.” I said, directly to her. “Why does it matter?” I asked, giving what I hoped was a somewhat intimidating gaze.
Kyra jumped in then, “So, what happened?”
The part Nick didn’t want to talk about. I took a long drink out of my beer and said, “Life. The tours, the tabloids, I guess I couldn’t quite deal with it…” I turned and smirked at my trio of admirers – Tucker, Sam, and Elias were still staring me down – and finished, “And I fucked three of his friends.”
Jaws dropped around the table, and I was pleased with the gasps. They all thought I was a cheating whore and that was fine. I wasn’t so much concerned with what they thought of me, anyway. I do believe the formerly lecherous looks coming from the Three Musketeers had now turned almost purely lustful. I guess they figured if I’d did it once, I’d be inclined to do it again.
“I still can’t believe you did that…” Nick said, squeezing my knee, like he was saying thank you and playing along.
“What did you expect? You’re the one who kept telling them who good it was with me… you knew they were gonna wanna find out for themselves.” I said, giving him a look that clearly said “Hello, Obvious!” I sat back in my chair and finished off my beer as Nick quickly started a new conversation, taking the focus off me. I realized that was possibly the worst first impression I could have made – but whatever. I was willing to be the bad guy, I’d do that for him.
It wasn’t true, but what did they need to know really? Once everyone else was involved in whatever-the-hell they were talking about now, I got up, looked around to try to find the bathroom. Macy was still watching me carefully, and jumped up right after I did. I mouthed “bathroom” to her, figuring she’d just point me in the general direction. No such luck.
“This way...” She said, moving around the jumble of chairs with that easy elegance again and heading across the crowded room.
I followed her, knowing something had to be up. We got to the partition that hid the bathrooms and she stepped behind it and stood right in front of me, keeping from going any further. “What?” I asked, when she didn’t say anything.
She looked right at me, “That wasn’t the truth, was it?”
“What wasn’t the truth?” I wondered if Nick had said anything, if she would have known I was basically lying.
“What you told everyone about you and Nick… I mean, he’s never … said anything… just seems like if it all went down like that… he’d have been more mad about it.” She said, an expression on her face that I couldn’t quite figure out. I didn’t know if she wanted to think I was a slut or if she was hoping it wasn’t true. Maybe the idea of the touring was getting to her and she was afraid something was going to happen with them.
“Anytime there’s a break-up, there’s always two sides to every story. That was mine. Maybe you should ask Nick for his version.” I told her, giving a little smile.
She hesitated for a second and then stepped out of my way and headed back toward the tables.
I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I wondered what Nick would tell her. I knew he was in love with her – I could see it and I could tell from the way he talked about her. I was willing to let him decide what he wanted the truth to be about us. It was far enough in the past I was over it… most days. I knew he’d changed since then and I knew he was sorry about what had happened. I’d obviously forgiven him, but it had definitely hurt at the time. I knew he’d been messing around with some things I definitely wasn’t cool with, but I’d been willing to over look it. I knew he was stressed, I knew he needed an escape that I couldn’t give him, so I let more things go than I should… because I loved him. Looking back, because I loved him, I should have done something … anything… sooner. The official end had come when I’d caught him messing around with another (possibly underage) girl. He’d sworn she was 21… to which I’d said, yeah, maybe in dog years. I don’t know that they had sex…and I didn’t know that there’d been any other girls – I hadn’t wanted to know. But that was enough for me to say it was over. He went off and dated Paris… and I went off and had sex with three of his friends. Okay, I had sex with two of them and gave one a blow job he wasn’t going to forget anytime soon. After the Paris debacle had ended… and he was broken again… we’d come back together… not as a couple, but as friends who were close and knew we needed each other in our lives.
I finally got away from the mirror when an extremely drunk chic basically barreled over me and I went to the bathroom. I headed back to the rest of the group, only imagining what they might have said about me. But I knew Nick wouldn't let them, not while he was around. After he left, though… maybe I’d have sweet talk Elias a little and see what I could find out.
----
I put my feet up on the dashboard of the car – which I knew drove Nick nuts – as he drove us home. I was surprised he hadn’t brought Macy back with him. I was actually still shocked I had yet to be kicked out of the house for them to get busy. Things felt weird now… because it was like going back in time. Out driving at night… just me and him and the stars… knowing that he was leaving in the morning… and I was going to be alone.
He stopped at a red light and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “You were awesome tonight.”
I laughed, “I can’t imagine what everyone else thought.”
“I think they were… intrigued.”
“Only if intrigued means that the girls think I’m a whore and the guys want to fuck me.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“So what if they do?” he asked. “I know you well enough to know you’re not going to care either way.”
I smiled, “Indeed, you are correct.”
He started driving again when the light turned green, “Seriously, though… thanks for what you said… I didn’t expect… that. You didn't have to make it sound like it was all... you. I was just hoping…”
I looked over at him as his voice trailed off. I knew what he’d been hoping – that I wouldn’t say anything in front of Macy that would make her wonder what kind of guy he really was, or if maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought she did. “I know… I can be the evil one… I’m okay with that. We both know what happened… and I’m fine for it to just stay between us.” I leaned my head down and rest it on his shoulder, “I know you love her, Nick. I’m not going to do anything to screw that up.”
He turned quickly to kiss the top of my head. “Thanks… and I know you wouldn’t…” He paused for a minute, then said, “I still trust you more than anyone else, Summer. You’ve never been anything but good to me… you took a lot of shit… and I still can’t believe you’ve stuck with me like you have…”
I couldn’t help it, something in his voice made me a little teary just then. “I love you… always have and I always will.”
“I love you, too.” He turned the corner to the street he lived on. “Will you be alright if I take off tonight?”
“AH-HA!” I shouted, uprighting myself again.
“What?!?” he yelped, having practically driven off the road from me screaming in his ear.
“I KNEW it! You’re so going to Macy’s to get some last-night-at-home booty.” I cackled.
He almost looked like he was blushing under the street lights. “Shut up.”
I jumped out of the car – over the door, without opening it – as soon as he was in the driveway. I ran in front of the car and stood with one hand on my hip and the other pointing back out to the road. “Just GO, dude… get over there and get on her!” I made a few suggestive gestures, moaning “OH Nicky… yeah.. fuck me, baby, HARDER NICK!” loud enough the neighbors a few doors down were going to hear me.
“Oh my god. You are SO NOT RIGHT!” he yelled back at me, but started backing the car up to pull out, just the same.
I was laughing as I got my key out and went inside the house, stripping off my clothes as I walked to the bathroom. I’d pick my clothes up later… the place was mine now, I was going to do whatever I wanted. And first it was a shower… then… porn and some playtime. I might not have anyone to play with, but Nick sure as hell wasn’t going to be the only one getting off tonight.