Chapter 5 Jeff managed to get a ride with Adam to the next show.  Jay rehearsed his apology speech as he pulled into the hotel parking lot.  Spotting Max standing out front, he drove right up to the front door and jumped out to help her with her bags.  As he reached for her bag, Max jerked it away and put it in the car herself.  "This is going to be harder than I thought.", Jay thought to himself as he opened the door for his somewhat testy girlfriend. Max merely rolled her eyes at him as she sat down in the car.  Jay got back in the driver’s seat and they headed out. "How far is this show?", Max asked not looking at Jay. "About 4 hours from here.", Jay explained, "Plenty of time for us to talk."  She turned her head to face him, "For you to talk…..I have nothing to say."  Jay took a deep breath and blew it out before beginning to plead his case.  He spent the next four hours pleading as Max sat silently listening, never once taking her eyes off of the road and the scenery around her. They pulled into the parking lot and behind the arena, parking in the closest spot they could find to the back door.  Jay turned off the car.  Max went to get out of the car but he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to sit.  Still she didn’t look at him.  "Max.  Will you please say something.  At least look at me.", Jay softly pleaded. With gritted teeth and her jaw firmly locked, for the first time in hours, she looked at him, "I don’t know if I can ever trust you again." "Oh, baby, of course you can.  It was a mistake.  Everyone makes mistakes.", Jay said grabbing her hand and pulling it to her mouth so that he could kiss it.  But Max pulled her hand back, "It won’t be that easy."  And with that she got out of the car. The small crowd of fans, mostly girls, that had crowded the barricades around the entrance to the arena began to scream for Jay.  He looked at them and then back at Max, "Come on.  Let’s go inside." Max followed him inside - this man, this stranger that she had thought she knew.  It was more apparent than ever that she really didn’t know him that well at all.  The two made their way to Jay’s dressing room that he shared with three other guys.  Evidently, they were the first to arrive. "I’ll be right back.", Jay said. Max looked at him as if to say, "What?!?!  You’re leaving me here?"  He sauntered over to where she was standing with her arms crossed coldly, "I have to go check in.  I’ll be right back."  He then leaned in to give her a kiss but she pulled away.  Jay sighed, "I’ll be right back." Max relaxed a bit when he walked out, "I can’t believe I gave in.  What was I thinking?" Just then, the door opened and a tall, blonde guy walked in, "Oh.  Sorry.  I didn’t know anyone was in here." "It’s okay.  I’m nobody.", Max said leaning against the wall. The man looked at her oddly, "I’m sure you’re someone.  What’s your name?" "Max.", she stated.  His eyes widened, "THEEEE Max?" She looked at him curiously, "Yeah.  And you are?" "I’m sorry, how rude.  I’m Adam.", the man said sticking out his hand to shake hers, "It’s nice to finally meet you."  Max’s hard edge softened a bit, for she felt like she had met him before.  Many times she had talked to Adam when he had called for Jay.  She shook his hand, "Nice to finally meet you too."  He smiled a big toothy grin, "Where’s Jay?" The mere mention of his name sharpened that edge once again, "I don’t know.  He said something about going to check in." Adam nodded, "Something we all have to do.  Kinda sucks sometimes."  "I think I’ll go look for him.", Max said. "Okay.  Don’t get lost.", Adam chuckled as he set his bags down. Max was turned around looking at him when she opened the door and ran smack into a chest.  "Oh gosh.  I’m soo..rrryy.", she stuttered as she looked up to see the face that matched the chest.  She couldn’t believe her eyes.  It was him - the guy from the other night, from the rooftop and the riverbank.  It was Jeff.   "It’s okay.", Jeff said with a huge grin as  he looked down at her, her face frozen with shock.   "How are you?", Jeff asked as he walked into the room and set his bag down in the corner. "You?", she asked following him back inside. "You two know each other?", Adam asked as he watched his fourth locker room partner walk in the door. "We’ve met.", Jeff said sitting down and beginning to rummage through his bag.   "Well, we haven’t.", Jeff’s brother Matt sat startling Max. "Matt, this is Jay’s girlfriend, Max.", Adam introduced them. Jay’s girlfriend?  The thought brought back Max’s anger. "So you’re Jay’s girlfriend, Max?  Jay talks about you so much we feel like we know you already.", Matt said laughing. "Are you sure it was me he was talking about?", Max said angrily beneath her breath.  Matt shot Adam an uneasy look which caused Adam to shrug his shoulders. "Where IS Jay?", Jeff said as he found himself staring into Max’s eyes.   Something in that gaze made Max uneasy;  the feeling it caused to stir inside of her.  Max was surrounded by Jay’s friends, Jay’s job…..Jay’s life, and that was exactly the opposite of where she wanted to be.  Without another word, she turned and walked out the dressing room door.  She needed some air….and quick.           Last Chapter ..*.. Next Chapter ..*.. Chapter Index ..*.. Home