AJ sat at the end of a long table, wondering what thoughts were going through Nick's head. They had been on the road for almost a month, and in Toronto for the past week. In all that time he hadn't seen or heard a word spoken about Kayla, the girl who was supposed to have been his girlfriend. He could see Nick at the other end of the table twirling his pencil around and around in his fingers, tapping it down on his pad of paper like a drum stick. Was he thinking about Kayla? Are his feelings for her real, or is he just going to use her like he did with all the other ones? Is she even his girlfriend anymore? AJ was curious to know.
It's not like he could have found out from Kayla. They hadn't spoken since he had left the angry message on her machine, even though he regretted it. He missed her, he missed talking to her and sharing his life with her, but he couldn't get over her relationship with Nick. He knew he had no right to pass judgment on any of her choices, she never criticized him or what he did in his life, but that wasn't going to stop him. He needed to get Kayla away from Nick before he hurt her. Or at the very least he needed to know how serious things were.
He looked again at Nick, still twirling the pencil, still lost in his own world. He knew he'd have to break down and talk to him, find out for himself what was going on. It had just been so long since he'd really talked to Nick that he didn't even know how he'd approach it. Finally he just bit the proverbial bullet and got up from his seat, sitting down next to Nick.
"Hey, what's up?" AJ said uncomfortably, trying to push past his own resentment. He didn't even know how to approach the subject of Kayla.
"Not much." Nick muttered, still flipping the pencil.
"You gonna come out with the rest of us tonight? We're going to some club."
"Nah, I think I'll just stay in the hotel room and watch movies or something."
"Oh, is your new girlfriend up here? Is that why you want to stay in?" AJ asked, awkwardly throwing the girlfriend mention in, since he couldn't figure out another way to bring her up. "It's about time she made an appearance, we've been on the road for a month."
"No, um she's not here. She's home." Nick said shifting in his seat, the pencil dropping to the table.
"Is it serious. I mean is it just a fling or something, is that why she didn't come? Because I know how you are with the people you see, you want them around you all the time." AJ stated, seeing how far he could push. "I couldn't imagine going away and not seeing Elisa for a month, even though we just started seeing each other it would have driven me crazy by now, the loneliness, sitting in the hotel room all by myself. Especially if I knew she was at home waiting for me. Although I guess without anyone here to check up on you you won't get caught right?" Nick looked up at him for the first time since he sat down.
"She had to work. I mean, she isn't here because she's working." Nick said, getting even more tense.
"Whatever." AJ said, trying to shrug off the awkwardness of the moment. "Well if she ever comes out here to visit make sure you introduce us."
"Yeah sure." Nick said going back to his pencil. AJ stood up giving Nick a couple of pats on the back returning to his seat.
He seemed really uncomfortable when AJ referred to Kayla as a fling, especially when he alluded to the fact that she wasn't here so Nick could cheat and not get caught. He knew the way Nick worked, he'd seen Nick do it to Jenna more times than he could count. Calling him on it felt good. Although he had fully expected Nick to deny having a girlfriend altogether. Now all he needed to really find out was if he was using her or if he actually cares. Because maybe, just maybe, AJ thought. If he really cares, if this whole thing with Kayla isn't just another notch on his belt, maybe then I'll accept it. She deserves happiness.
"AJ, wake up." Elisa shouted, shaking him lightly in the bed. "It's almost twelve thirty, we're supposed to be meeting everyone for lunch."
"Just one more minute." He mumbled.
"AJ, c'mon. I don't have enough energy to deal with you today." She whined.
"Do we have to go? Can't we just stay in bed today?" They had spent the whole night out on the town, not returning home until almost five in the morning. Getting up to go out to lunch was the last thing he wanted to do when he was hungover and exhausted.
"Baby, you know we promised Dan and his wife we'd be there. He'd expecting us."
"Fine." He muttered, sitting up in the bed.
"Don't forget to call Nick and see if he wants to come. Dan couldn't get ahold of him." Elisa reminded AJ as she walked into the bathroom. AJ picked up the phone next to the bed, calling downstairs to be connected to Nick's room.
"Hello?" Nick said, his voice sounding like he had been awakened from slumber as well.
"Hey."
"What do you want, it's our day off."
"I'm just calling to see if you want to come out to lunch with us. We're heading out to Dan and Julie's, they wanted me to give you a call."
"What time is it?" Nick mumbled.
"Almost one."
"No, I'm gonna get lunch on my own today."
"Is someone there? Is that why you don't want to come to Dan's?" AJ asked, hearing something in Nick's voice, and in noises in the background.
"Yeah,"
"Well have a good lunch then." AJ said coyly.
"Talk to ya later." Nick said flatly.
"Yeah okay."
"Bye." Nick muttered, as the phone clicked in his ear. AJ shook his head as he hung up the phone, same old Nick, same old tricks. Guess that answers my questions about how much Nick cares for Kayla, he thought with a smug smile.
"Is he coming?" She asked, stepping into her shoes.
"No, he has company." AJ said, looking around the room for something to wear.
"Well whatever, but hurry up the car's already downstairs."
"I'm coming." AJ replied as he pulled on a sweater, following her out the door. He hadn't expected his prodding to make Nick cheat on Kayla, but he had the answers he wanted and couldn't wait to talk to her. Just to make sure she knew that Nick was using her, that she needed to leave now before she really got hurt. He'd be there for her though. Regardless of what he said on the phone to her. He'd be there for her no matter what.
"Oh hey, did you hear?" Howie's wife, Christine, said as soon as Elisa entered the car.
"What?" Elisa replied, her tone growing excited.
"She's finally here."
"Who is?"
"Nick's girlfriend. Kara."
"Kayla." AJ corrected unconsciously as he sat down next to Howie, avoiding his knowing glance.
"Yeah Kayla."
"Are you sure?" Elisa asked, AJ getting more and more of an impression that she was a hot topic with 'the wives'.
"Positive. I was coming back from the gym this morning and I saw her going into his room. She had luggage and a key."
"Are you sure it was her though, I mean Nick's not notorious for-"
"I'm sure. Howie showed me a picture of her one day. She's unmistakable. It was her. Besides, most one night stands don't show up with a suitcase."
"I wonder why she was there so early?" Elisa wondered out loud. "Was Nick with her?"
"Not that I could see. She didn't knock or anything, just swiped the key card and pulled the suitcase inside. I didn't even get a chance to say hello."
"Maybe she was there to surprise Nick?" Howie said, suddenly speaking.
"If it was a surprise how could she have gotten a key?" Elisa questioned.
"I have no clue, I'm just glad to know she actually exists." Christine laughed as the car pulled away from the hotel. " I was beginning to think everyone made her up!"
"Guess that explains who his company was this morning!" Elisa said, nudging AJ.
"Guess so." AJ laughed to himself, all his questions to Nick had prompted him to invite her up, not to cheat on her. Maybe now we'll get a chance to talk, he thought. All he had to do was get her alone. That might be a problem.