AJ was beside himself. Jenna was long gone, his world had crumbled around him and there was nothing he could do to stop the whirlwind of pain. He was more alone than he'd ever felt, and he didn't know if he'd ever feel any different.
Yet again Nick had caused the hurt inside him to swell up like a balloon, all he could do was wonder what Nick had done to Jenna to make her want him so badly. To make her turn away from AJ, just when she should be turning to him. It had been over two weeks since she left and he still had yet to get a phone call or a letter from her. He deserved at least that for helping her get over Nick. For being her friend.
He had given up hope, waiting and praying for her to contact him, a little miffed at himself for not giving her a proper goodbye, or even finding out where she'd be in Chicago. But he knew he had to get out of the funk he'd allowed himself to sink into.
AJ picked up the phone, finally at a point where he could call her. More honestly, at a point he needed to call her. She was all he had left to hold onto, even though he hadn't seen her in a very long time.
"Hey baby, where you been all my life!" He said into the receiver when she answered, trying to mask the pain that threatened to be exposed in his voice.
"Waiting for you of course." She replied in the same tone, always knowing his voice no matter how much time had passed between them. "So, who'd you break up with this time?"
AJ smiled. "What makes you think I broke up with someone?"
"Because Alex my love, it's what we do." They both laughed at the truth of her statement. "So, who was it."
"Kayla, you know we never say names, and I didn't exactly break up with her, it's complicated." He sighed.
"So I'll meet you at the usual place? 10:30?"
"Sounds good." He replied, already feeling a little better.
The bass hit him hard when he entered the building, but it felt good. He needed to let loose and try to have fun for just one night, and the only person who could ever make him forget about Jenna was Kayla. Even if he had to drive over an hour to meet her in a club they had long ago dubbed their own.
Her spirit was absolutely infectious, and when he was in her presence all he knew how to do was have fun. He circled the dance floor for a moment before going upstairs to the karaoke floor, knowing she'd be sitting at the familiar table, ready to jump up on stage when he got there.
He smiled when he saw her, singing along with the group of guys on stage doing 'Seven bridges road', a rum and malibu in one hand, and a Jack and Seven for him in the other. He watched the men standing at the bar staring at her with ogling eyes. Her dark hair and eyes were mysterious, and they always stared at her, no matter where she was. But AJ knew she wouldn't give them the time of day, especially when she was waiting for him to arrive, she just wasn't the type to accept or return flirting. He watched them like he was watching the discovery channel, seeing the male approach, only to have it's head bitten off by the volatile female.
Finally he decided to put her out of her misery, slinking up behind her, seeing the men at the bar laugh at the next victim to fall under her wrath.
"It's been way too long since I've seen a face as beautiful as yours in this place." He whispered quietly into her ear, watching the amused looks on the faces of those at the bar drop when a smile crept across her own. Those same faces reacting in appallment when she stood up, spun around and gave him a giant hug while kissing him fully on the lips.
"God it's good to see you!" Kayla exclaimed. She was right, it had been a long time since the last time they'd hung out, and it was great to see her again. "What have you been up to?"
"What was the last thing you heard?" He asked as they both sat down, the sound of the music in the room fading away.
"Hmmm, Tokyo I think."
"Yeah, it's been way too long since we've seen each other." AJ replied. "I never ended up doing the Tokyo thing but I think I've been just about everywhere else. Everything just kind of blends together, but we're kind of taking a break right now, just meetings and recording a little, then in May we go back on the road for a little mini tour. Then we have another break before we have to go out and do promo for the album. Then I'm sure a tour will come eventually." He said with disdain.
"I thought you liked touring?" Kayla asked.
"I like performing. But I could do without the planes and being stuck in a bus with the same people consistently getting on your nerves."
"So I guess that's why I haven't seen you. Who has time to break up with someone in the middle of all that crap."
AJ laughed. "I guess so, but that doesn't explain why I haven't heard from you!"
"Haven't you heard? I've joined a nunnery!" AJ's loud laughter caught more than one person's attention, but neither of them noticed. "Actually I've just been far too stressed out and busy to even consider dating."
"What are you stressed about?"
"My job. The fact that I'll be without one in a couple of months."
"Why?"
"Alex my love, I didn't come here to talk about work."
"I know what you came for." He said with a sly grin. "Ready for a little Tiffany?"
AJ extended a hand and pulled
Kayla from her seat. "Children behave....that's what they say when
we're together!" She chimed with a smile as they made their way to the
stage for a tradition they began long ago.
AJ and Kayla laughed long and hard when they finally arrived back in AJ's house after a very very long and expensive cab ride back to his house. After singing for over an hour they finally left the stage and made their way to the dance floor below, never stopping once until last call had finally been called and the lights came on at 3 am.
They had both consumed far too much alcohol to even consider driving home, so they hopped in a cab and headed back to Orlando, laughing the entire ride home. Laughing even louder at the insane price they had paid the cabbie as they stumbled into AJ's house.
"Do I still get my room?" Kayla asked after kicking her shoes across the hard wood floor.
"You can sleep in mine if you want." AJ said with a playful smirk, his constant chiding never being taken seriously.
"Not bloody likely. Unless you plan on staying somewhere else." She shot back.
"Aww come on Kay." He smiled. "Not even once."
"Use your hand!" Kayla yelled as she walked into the kitchen.
"You can use my hand!" He said following her in.
"So, I'll ask again. Do I get my room?"
"It's your room isn't it!"
"Thank you!" She said with a quick kiss on his cheek as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and two tylenol from the bottle on the counter. "See you in the morning."
"You can grab some clothes from my room to sleep in if you want." He told her as she walked back into the main room to go upstairs.
"Thanks babe."
"No prob." He replied, opening the fridge and pouring a glass of water to drink before he went to bed himself. He saw the blinking light on the answering machine as he sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter.
His head swam through the messages from his mother and friends. From people who had gotten his number somewhere, and constantly left messages pretending they knew him. And finally the one from Jenna. The one he had been waiting for that had finally come.
"Al. Hi, it's me. I'm sorry I haven't called you in a couple of weeks, I've just been settling into my new place and my new job. I know that's no excuse, especially since we parted on such bad terms. But that's why I'm calling. I just wanted to make things right again, we've been through too much to just stop talking. I know I said I needed to get away from you and that whole scene, but I still want you in my life. I hope you still want me to be. I'm gonna leave you my number. Please call me when you get the chance I miss talking to you. My number is 7-7-3-4-8-7-2-2-2-9. Call whenever you like. I don't care what time it is. Bye Al."
AJ played her message four times before finally picking up the phone to call her. He dialed almost all the numbers when he realized it was nearly five in the morning.
He set the phone back down on it's receiver and shut off the lights in the house. He'd call her in the morning.