"Grrr. That man is so fuc…freaking annoying," AJ said pointing at the door.
Lori nodded, glancing up from the magazine. "Isn't he though?"
AJ looked at her funny. "Annoying you too, is he?" he asked walking back over to the bed.
Lori nodded and sighed. "He's just completely getting on my nerves today."
"Oh?" AJ asked sitting down. "And what was his royal pain in the ass doing to get on YOUR nerves?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. He's just acting like he doesn't trust me or something."
AJ looked at her confused. "Doesn't trust you? Why wouldn't he trust you?"
She shrugged again. "Guess he doesn't think I've been paying enough attention to him."
"You seem to be paying an AWFUL lot of attention to him," he mumbled.
Lori arched an eyebrow in question. "What? What would make you say that?"
"Just an observation," he said shrugging. "So…are ya'll having problems or something?"
"Sort of. I guess. I didn't really think so, until yesterday. I don't know. I guess my mind has been…elsewhere lately."
"What's bothering you darlin?" he asked his voice full of concern.
"Just…thinking about other things," she said softly looking down at the magazine that lay forgotten in her lap. "I'm…I'm probably just being silly."
AJ lifted her chin gently with a finger and looked at her very seriously. "If it's bothering you, it's not silly. Is it Kevin?"
Lori shook her head slowly. "No, it's not Kevin."
"Is it Lesh? Are ya'll fighting? You seemed to be getting along okay earlier today."
"No, it's not Alesha."
A look of worry crossed AJ's face. "Is it me? I didn't do anything to upset you did I?"
Lori smiled softly. "No. It's not that."
"It's not that," AJ repeated slowly. Looking at her, he said, "So it IS me." Lori nodded, causing AJ to cringe. "What did I do? I'm sorry…whatever it is…I didn't mean to upset you."
"Noooo," she said smiling up at him. "AJ darlin, you didn't upset me."
"Then what is it?" he looked so lost, her heart almost broke for him.
"I…I can't stop thinking of you," she mumbled, looking back down.
"You…what?" he asked looking at her surprised. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," she said, embarrassed.
"No. You…think…about me?" he asked slowly. "You mean…" he stopped and looked at her.
Lori nodded. "And I think that Kevin suspects."
AJ blinked, confused. "But…nothing happened. Why would he…how COULD he suspect anything. There isn't anything to suspect. We…YOU stopped before anything happened."
"But AJ," Lori said looking up at him, "I WANTED it to happen."
"DUDE…sit down," Alesha said watching Kevin pace back and forth. "You're giving me a headache."
"I can't help it," he said sighing. "I have no idea what's going on up there. And I don't know when I'm going to be able to get her out of there."
"Man, she IS an adult. And she CAN take care of herself," Alesha said looking at him.
"NO!! It needs a turn right THERE!" Nick exclaimed.
Alesha glanced over at him. "What ARE you two doing?"
Brian looked up from the mess he was making on the floor. "I'm building a race track."
"Out of straws?" Alesha asked looking at the wrappers he had laying around him.
"Yeah," he said as if it were a perfectly natural occurrence.
"Hmmm…" Alesha nodded. "And your cars?"
"These," Nick said holding up a white sugar package, a pink Sweet N Low package, and a blue Equal package.
"Riiight. Nick, come here so I can check your temperature," she said.
"I believe that she is making fun of you," Brian said looking at Nick.
Nick shrugged. "I'm use to it," he said grinning. "Besides, she's just jealous of our artistic genius."
Brian laughed. "Somehow I doubt that."
"NOOOOO!!" Nick said. "There," he pointed. "The curve goes there. Sheesh. Do I have to do everything."
Howie grumbled. "Dudes…do you mind? WE're trying to nap over here." Rebecca mumbled something to him, and he nodded, wrapping his arms tighter around her. She snuggled closer to him, her eyes closed. He leaned his head back against the wall, dozing off again.
"I'm sooo sorry," Nick mumbled. "Not MY fault the cars are loud. I didn't create the engines."
Alesha laughed. "You are so weird," she said shaking her head.
Glancing over at Kevin, she sighed. He was sitting at a table by the window, staring out at the storm looking lost and lonely.
AJ looked shocked. "But…you…then why did you…You left. You ran away."
Lori sighed. "I was scared. Not of you. But of how easy it was to get lost in you. To forget who I was…who you were…where we were…I was scared of how strongly I felt."
"But YOU were drunk. I was drunk. We didn't know what we were doing," he said quietly.
"I wasn't that drunk. I knew what I was doing," she said sadly.
"But I'm sorry for even putting you in that position. It was unfair of me," he said looking into her eyes, her sadness reflected in his. "I'm sorry for starting it."
Staring into his eyes, she said softly, "I'm not."
"I should have known better," he whispered, looking away.
"Hey," she said turning his face towards her. "I was there too. I wanted you just as badly."
"But it would have never…we could never…you have Kevin," he said.
Lori sighed as her eyes filled with tears. "I know. That's what makes wanting you hurt so much."
AJ wrapped his arms around her. "Oh darling, I am so sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" she said, laying her head on his chest.
He was quiet for a moment before saying softly, "Because I can't change the way I feel…and I can't change who you're with," he sighed. "And I don't think I'd ever be satisfied with just one night."
Lori moved to sit up, but he refused to let her go. She whispered, "I don't think I could either."
AJ pulled her closer to him, burying his face in her shoulder. Kissing her softly on the neck, he murmured, "I don't want to let you go."
Holding him close to her, she caressed the back of his head and neck softly. "I don't want you to," she said, biting her lip as the tears started falling again.
AJ pulled away from her and looked deep in her eyes. "I don't just mean tonite baby."
Lori nodded. "I don't either."
"I'm bored," Brian whined, pushing the track away from him. Walking over to Alesha, he put his head on her shoulder.
"HEY!!!" Nick shouted. Glancing over at Howie and Rebecca he cringed. "Get your head offa my woman," Nick grumbled.
Alesha laughed. "Oh for crying out loud Nick. I have two shoulders."
"Yeah, well…they're both mine. Not his," he pouted.
"Oh have her stupid shoulder. I'll just use Kevin's," Brian said getting up and laying his head on Kevin's shoulder.
Kevin shrugged him off. "Get offa me. Grow up, Brian." "SOMEone's not a happy camper," Brian complained. Sighing, he sat down on the floor. Then he fell backwards. "I'm going to sleep. Take care not to step on me."
Nick stood up and walked over. "Where did Brian say he was sleeping?" he said as he "accidentally" tripped over Brian's body laying in the middle of the floor.
"Oww…I'm broken," Brian whined, rolling up in a ball.
Alesha looked up at the ceiling. "God, PLEASE let the lights come back on soon. PLEASE????"
