Chapter Nine

On the airplane taking the group to Chicago, Nicole shared many glances with Kristin, a majority of which had followed her looks at Kevin. Nicole sat with Jessica as she told her an edited story of what happened the night before. Most of the details of Kevin's relationship with Kristin were left out. Jes was excited for her friend, knowing how long she was attracted to Kevin. The only details of the relationship Nicole told were of how he could tell a change in Kristin and didn't know how to deal with that. Nicole's story was followed up with questions from Jes. "So, is he breaking up with her?"

"No. Well, not that I know of," she answered glancing over at the peaceful and sleeping Kevin who sat across the aisle and one row ahead of the gabby ladies. She sighed and returned her attention.

"It was unbelievable, Jes. This was the first time I felt one hundred percent comfortable with him. It was like he came to me with this and he trusted me to listen. When it was all done, we shared the sunrise. I mean, it was no big thing, but I haven't even seen a sunrise in God knows how long. And to have him standing right behind me, through the whole thing. Unbelievable."

Jessica was beaming a smile seeing a pair of glistening blue eyes staring back. Nicole sighed heavily and then laughed to herself. "I also get the best timing to say the stupidest things with him." They shared a laugh that grabbed a few of the guys’ attention. They brought their voices back down to whispers.

"I haven't seen you this way since Scott," Jes recalled of Nicole's last relationship with a co-worker at the agency Nicole and Jessica worked together and first met at.

Nicole shifted in her seat and looked straight at the back of the seat in front of her. "Yeah, well, Scott was different.

"How so? You smiled every time you mentioned the guy's name, constantly looked at him when he wasn't looking, shared intimate secrets. Let alone a sunrise. And hello! You always said stupid things around him."

Shaking off the discussion Nicole turned to her friend, "Yeah, the difference is Scott was dating me. He's dating her," she pointed at the couple across the way avoiding mentioning names.

"You're doing it again." Nicole flashed a disappointed look, half-knowing where this was heading. "The woe-is-me act. Just go get him. Next time he's in your room, or vice versa, grab his head and plant one on him."

AJ turned from his seat directly in front of Nicole and peered over the seat facing the conversation. "I totally agree." He smiled and playfully wiggled his eyebrows.

She wanted to laugh at her friend, but felt differently. Frowning, Nicole responded, "I'm not like that. You know that. I can't just go after a guy, let alone take him from another girl. Especially someone as scary as Kristin." All three laughed together while the immediate neighbors looked at them.

Once they got to the hotel around 3pm, Nicole could not wait to get on the phone to call Maggie. She practically ran to her room, threw her bags on the floor--propping open the door--and jumped to the bed. Kevin, AJ and Brian were witnessing the whole event and looked at each other.

"What's with her?" Brian asked.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders, and then AJ remembered the phone conversation Nicole had earlier. "Maggie." He laughed to himself with the other two staring at him. He mumbled to himself walking off to his room, "Nevermind. You guys never understand anything."

The cousins looked at each other again, this time Kevin asking, "What's with him?"

Brian shrugged his shoulders and guessed, "Maggie?" They chuckled wondering who Maggie was and what it had to do with anything.

Inside Nicole's room, not only was there heat, but a great friend on the other end of the phone. "Hey dear... Yeah, I'm here now. You coming?... Well why didn't you tell me this before?... I could have arranged something.... Yeah, I'm sure.... You're coming, I'm not arguing this.... Yeah, I know, I haven't changed from college." Nicole laughed thinking of all the times she tried to persuade Maggie to come over to her room to try to get homework done with their other friends in the room. Of course work hardly got done as gossip or hysterics were present.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's ok.... They're excited to meet you. They said they can't wait to see what kind of people pity me." Nicole continued to laugh while Maggie amused her with her own attacks on Nicole. "Yeah, I've got a whole story on him, Mags. It's been way too long to not tell you this!... No, nothing like that.... I'll tell you when I see ya.... Alright, I'm gonna leave in a few and I'll come get you... Alright, see ya soon. Buhbye." She hung up the phone, remembering every street on the way to Maggie's house in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park.

Nicole grew up in Berwyn, the neighboring suburb of Oak Park. She lived there after college, with her parents while she was establishing her writing, until she came on to the tour. Maggie lived out past school, about two hours from Nicole but moved closer to the city for work and graduate work. Nicole quickly persuaded her to move within the fifteen minutes where Maggie now resided.

Nicole ran over to Jessica's room to ask her to drive out to Maggie's to pick her up. Jessica was too tired to go but offered up her rental. Nicole picked up the keys and headed out the door when Jessica called to her, "Take AJ with you, though."

"What? Why AJ?" Nicole felt like she was asking her mom for the car and was told to take her brother with. She couldn't wait to see Maggie and wanted to spend the whole ride back telling her stories about the guys. Especially since Maggie had a thing for AJ, he would definitely be a topic.

Jessica was lying face down on the bed. She said with hardly any emotion, "It's an Expedition."

Nicole breathed deeply, gripping at her chest and speaking slowly, "That- is- my- favorite- car-," stressing the word favorite.

"Yeah, well, I don't know if I trust you driving it."

Nicole was outraged, and again felt like she was arguing with her mother. "You trust AJ, and not me?!"

"He's got the same car. So, yeah I trust him.

"Unbelievable." Jes explained that the options were to take AJ and the car, or to not take the car.

Nicole gave in and ran to AJ's room, where it took some convincing. Her argument to AJ was this was his way to redeem himself in front of Maggie for harassing her on Nicole's cell phone. He was soon coming with her. He also was tired after the long night and flight, so he let Nicole drive. She told him she was forever grateful to him for that gift.

The ride there Nicole told stories of her and Maggie together. How well they got along and all the fun they had. Nicole confessed to AJ that she was a bit of a fan, as he called the night before during the game, and said it was because of Maggie. They shared many moments together like hysterical sisters; ironically, both of their only siblings were brothers. AJ chuckled with Nicole of all the stories, including the times they each spontaneously broke out into the choreographed dances from their videos in odd places, like the elevator lobbies of their dorms. AJ could tell Maggie and Nicole shared a thoughtful and timeless bond and he became excited to meet Maggie.

Nicole and AJ already began to form their own friendship and he wanted to see the two girls in action. He had only shared those few moments with Maggie on the cell phone some time ago.

She drove the vehicle up to the driveway next to the house. Maggie peered out the window to see the Expedition and thought to herself, "Oh my God! An Expedition?" She knew AJ drove an Expedition and shared the same love that Nicole had for it. Her second thought was that Nicole sent AJ to pick her up. She got extremely nervous that he did, until she saw Nicole hop out of the driver's seat. They both ran to the door, Maggie still inside, and Nicole grabbing at the screen door handle. The door whipped open and the two friends embraced excitedly, swaying from side to side.

Maggie was the first to pull away and speak. "I was so afraid this car was here because he drove," she said pointing to the truck then laughing at herself.

Nicole laughed, "Oh, well, no, he didn't drive." They both heard the sound of a door opening, then closing. AJ walked from behind the truck. Maggie's face dropped and couldn't believe he was in her presence. He looked just the way she liked, wearing a yellow cotton button down shirt that was open, showing off a white wife beater. His puffy gray down jacket hung below his belt that held up a loose pair of jeans, but not too baggy. He tugged downward on his blue baseball hat as he walked towards the girls.

Walking towards them he examined Maggie seeing her baby blue v-neck sweater and flare jeans. Extending his right hand towards her, he spoke, "Hi, Maggie. I've heard a lot about you. I'm AJ." He flashed her a warm smile.

Nicole laughed at the cliche introduction he used by giving Maggie his name. "J, I think she knows who you are." Nicole began calling AJ "J" to separate the myth of AJ's player persona from the man who she was building a friendship with.

Maggie blushed and then laughed. "J? Don't tell me your name complex is happening again?" Maggie knew about Nicole's Myth vs. Man complex. Nicole had a hard time with her last relationship, Scott. She met him because he worked at the talent agency she had met Jessica at. Scott was getting jobs for modeling and commercials and his face became recognizable as more jobs came in. His "show" name was Scotty Marvell, but she only knew him as Scott--the man he was before the popularity--not Scotty, the persona that was created for the model/actor. She could never see herself call him anything but Scott.

"What?" She looked at AJ and could tell he didn't understand. "I'll tell ya in the car, let's go."

The three got into the ride, this time AJ drove. He told the girls he didn't want their giddiness to cause any accidents. Nicole and Maggie shared a few stories, most coming from Maggie's end. Nicole was saving her stories for a more private time, but paid full attention, turning to face the back seat that held her friend.

Maggie sparked, "Hey, I didn't tell ya. I heard Scott is back in Chicago." Nicole's attention was stronger than before towards her friend. "Yeah, he broke up with Renee." Nicole started to feel sentiments of their relationship well up, but tried to ignore them. "He wanted something more grounded from Chicago. I talked to him the other day. He said he's looking to start up old things." Nicole's eyes widened.

AJ could see Nicole's anxious expression and asked, "Who's this Scott everyone keeps talking about? First, Jessica on the plane, now this?"

Nicole turned to face the dashboard trying to ignore the question. She answered flatly, "An ex."

Maggie quipped in, "Not only an ex, THE ex. THE love of her life." Nicole didn't want to respond and simply breathed deeply closing her eyes. Memories flashed in her head of the beautiful brown hair and blue eyed man she loved. Her thoughts reminded her, "Once loved, Nicole. ONCE loved."

AJ turned to Nicole, "So, I guess if this Scott character is in town, Kevin's being bumped off the schedule?" Nicole's only answer was a sigh.