CHAPTER TEN
 

“She what?”

“You heard me Brian. Michelle said that she wants us to come up with this statue or she won’t join our tour.”

“AJ, I thought you said she was a fan.”

“She is but I can’t make her join the tour if she doesn’t want to,” he replied in his defense.

I just peered over the balcony of the club we were at watching Michelle, Rissa, Liz, and Courtney dance on the dance floor. I wondered why she didn’t want to finish our tour with us. Then it hit me.

“Hey guys. Isn’t she on vacation?”

I turned to look at the guys who were sitting at our booth.

“Actually I think she did say something about it earlier today. I am so stupid.”

“Kevin chill. It’s an honest mistake,” Brian said being positive about the situation.

After a few more minutes of debate Kevin’s cell phone rang. When he got off he looked at us and smiled.

“That was Fred guys. Looks like Michelle is going to be on our tour and we can kiss Sisqo goodbye.”

“They found that statue?” Brian asked.

“Yep. Fred said Mike found it in an antique shop in California while looking on line for it. They are having it shipped now and it should be here tomorrow. I say we take it to Liz’s house to her personally.”

AJ chuckled, “Oh yeah that sounds like a really good plan.”

I shook my head and decided to go down to the dance floor and dance with the girls. When I made it down to where the girls were a slow song was coming on. I walked up behind Michelle and tapped her shoulder. She turned around and smiled at me. I thought I felt my heart skip a beat but I just rode it off. Tonight she totally took my breath away. She was wearing a short black leather mini skirt that showed off her well toned legs and a neon green tube top that showed off her tan. Her emerald eyes sparkled under the lights of the club. I could stand there all night and bask in the beauty she possessed.

“Nick! Earth to Nick!”

I shook my head and grinned while bringing one of my hands behind my head to run my fingers through the back of my hair.

“Sorry, I was wondering if you’d like to dance.”

She smiled at me, “I would love to.”

The other girls had already headed back up to the table and I pulled Michelle closer to me. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I could swear she could hear it. She was so close to me that I could smell every different scent that she was wearing that night.

“Michelle, why don’t you want to come on tour with us?”

She looked up at me in my eyes while I looked down back at her.

“I want to, but do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a break?”

I shook my head.

“I have been on tour with *Nsync for six months now. This is the first week I’ve had off in a while. On Monday I am supposed to be back in the studio to work on my next album but I have nothing for it or an idea even of what I want to do with it.”

I nodded fully understanding where she was coming from. She opened her mouth to speak again but I rested my finger against her lips to silence her.

“Shhh. Don’t talk about it. Just enjoy tonight while you can and we’ll see what all we can do tomorrow.”

She smiled at me and rested her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that until they picked the beat back up. We then went back to the table where everyone else was at.

* * * *

I followed Nick as we weaved back through the crowd to our tables on the second floor. I had to admit I was having fun tonight and the guys at this club were incredibly hot not to mention my friends and I were with five really hot guys anyway. I sighed as I sat down next to AJ and rested my head on his shoulder. He put an arm around me and leaned his head next to my ear.

“What’s wrong?”

I looked at him and shrugged.

“I don’t know. I am going to go get some water, want anything?”

He looked at me. I know that he was trying to figure out what was wrong with me and right now EVERYTHING seemed to be wrong.

“Sure, get me a Sprite.”

I nodded and walked away from the table leaving them talking about god knows what. I just needed to be away from them all, especially Nick. I don’t know what happened out on that dance floor but something happened and I know it wasn’t good whatever it was. I know that if what I felt was real I was slowly setting myself up for heartache and that wasn’t going to happen.

“What can I get for you darling?”

I looked up at the bartender as I sat on the stool in front of him.

“The hardest shot you can muster.”

He gave me this weird look. “Are you sure darling?”

“I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.”

He shrugged and went about getting it for me leaving me to my thoughts. I didn’t know how to stop what it was I was feeling and I needed to find a way and fast. I knew that I wasn’t what he needed or even wanted. I just needed to be his friend. His really good friend and that’s it. That’s all that I can be. That’s all I want to be.

The bartender sat the drink in front of me and I took it in one gulp with no chaser or anything. The drink didn’t even faze me, I guess I’ve just gotten accustom to certain drinks.

“How did you do that? That was strong enough to knock grown men down.”

I shrugged, “I need a sprite and a bottle of water honey.”

I knew lying to myself probably wasn’t good but eventually that is all I would be. Just a good friend. Nothing more and nothing less. I grabbed mine and AJ’s drink and headed back up to the table where everyone was at.

Everyone was laughing and having a good time but me. I just don’t understand myself at times. Why now? Why after all that has happened to me? I just slumped back into the booth next to AJ wondering when I could escape to the bar again. AJ looked at me but didn’t say anything. I was really hoping he wouldn’t either.

“So, what do you think of this song?” I heard Liz ask about the stupid song that was playing now on the loud speakers of the club.

I shrugged my shoulders not really paying any attention just trying to figure out my get away plan.

“I think it’s stupid. There’s no beat what so ever and the background music is terrible,” Kevin said literally analyzing the music.

I let out a soft sigh and sunk even further into the booth just wanting to make it to the bar for another drink. I felt AJ put his arm around me and pull me closer to him. I tensed knowing what was going to happen next.

“What is wrong Michelle?”

“Nothing, I just got a headache, that’s all,” I lied. I didn’t want anyone to know what was going on in my head or my heart. That was personal and knowing the way the guys were they would be right in the middle of everything faster then flies on stench.

AJ gave me an ‘I know you’re lying’ look but I just ignored it getting up and walking away before him or any of the other guys had a chance to protest.

* * * *

AJ watched as Michelle got up and sprinted away from the table mumbling something of having to use the restroom. AJ just had this feeling that it was an excuse. An excuse to do something he was all too familiar with. He looked at the rest of the group, content that they were in a deep debate about the music the club was playing, so he himself got up and went to find her before she did something that she would regret later.

He pushed his way down the steps of the smoky club trying to get to the bottom floor where the bar was. He was deeply worried about Michelle. Her mood changed so drastically that he knew there was something more than a ‘headache’ that was bothering her. The crowd had gotten thicker since they arrived making it impossible for him to get through to where he saw Michelle take off.

“Excuse me!” he yelled over the loud music but no one seemed to hear him and kept pushing him further away from her.

He finally turned and went with the crowd, taking him a whole ten minutes to cut through and make it to the bar. When he reached his destination it was already pretty much too late. Michelle sat there with four shot glasses, all of which were empty, sitting in front of her, and she was downing another.

He sat next to her and smelled the liquor reeking off of her. It took all he had not to scream and yell at her. She looked at him and laughed the alcohol obviously now effecting her.

“’Ello Bone!” she said giggling, a total change in mood from the one she left in.

AJ sighed and just sat there looking at her. He shook his head and watched as the bartender fixed her another of whatever it was she was drinking.

“Hello Michelle. What is wrong with you?”

AJ wasn’t going to drop it now. Drinking socially was one thing but drinking when you’re upset is completely different and he of all people knew that.

She shrugged and laughed as she took another drink. AJ covered her glass as she set it on the counter and made her look at him.

“Michelle I don’t know what happened out there on that dance floor between you and Nick, but you need to stop drinking NOW. This isn’t good and you know it.”

Michelle was so drunk by this point that she didn’t comprehend anything and just laughed at AJ.

“You’re funny,” she slurred. “Have you thought about being a comedian?”

AJ shook his head and looked at the bartender.

“No more for her. I’ll be right back.”

The bartender nodded and AJ took off leaving Michelle sitting at the bar laughing a laugh that anybody could tell wasn’t a happy one but one of someone trying to down something with alcohol. After about five minutes AJ showed back up at the bar with Kevin close on his heels.

“This is how she was when I finally got to her. I tried to stop her but I didn’t get to her in time. Now she’s drunk and hiding something.”

Kevin nodded and looked at her causing her to laugh harder.

“Kev you have a worm of some sort on your face. You know that don’t you,” she slurred laughing her head off at her own joke that wasn’t funny to anyone but her. She didn’t seem to care though.

“AJ take her back to the hotel and put her in your room. Get her out of here now and make sure no one sees you. She doesn’t need the press onto this.”

AJ nodded and pulled her out of her seat telling her they were going. Michelle didn’t protest but leaned into him for support beings she couldn’t walk a straight line if she tried. AJ waved goodbye to Kevin as we walked back up to where the rest of the group was to tell him what is going on.

Back at the hotel AJ dressed Michelle in a pair of his boxers and one of his tee shirts and put her into bed. No sooner had her head hit the pillow and she was out cold. AJ looked at her and wondered where her good mood diminished to and why. No more then ten minutes after Michelle crashed there was a knock on his door. AJ opened it to find a disheveled Nick standing there looking ready to cry. AJ grabbed his card key and stepped out into the hallway so they wouldn’t wake Michelle though he knew nothing would at this point.