~*~Kevin~*~

Things quieted down a pretty soon after. Most everyone left. AJ and Nick crashed out in what AJ called "his room". Howie, and Brian went on home and took Lee to her place. Tracie helped me start cleaning up the mess. We made it five minutes before we both looked at each other, "Damn, I’m hungry!"

We raced into the kitchen and started rooting around. Tracie screamed, "Ah ha! I must have this! Bake me brownies, Kevlyn."

"Are you PMSing too?" Look, crossed another one of those lines didn’t I. Screw it.

"IF I say yes will I get brownies?"

I took the box from her, "Get the eggs." She kissed my cheek then went to the fridge. "How long do these cook."

She looked at me laughing, "Thirty minutes. Shit!"

"Shit is right!" I couldn’t make it thirty minutes. No way. I grabbed two spoons, the bowl, and her hand. I dropped onto the couch and handed her the spoon.

"Oh yum, oh yeah. That’s good. Yummy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You dropped some. Don’t waste it." Both of us were shoveling those brownies. "Why ever bake these again?"

"No reason I can think of." We leaned against each other and laughed ourselves silly. When we finished those off we took to our opposing sides of the couch and stretched out. "Here we are again."

"Four am couch chats. Kinda cool."

~*~Tracie~*~

I loved this. He had this far away look all of a sudden, like he was upset about something. "Kev, is something wrong?"

"I don’t know. I like her. But she’s a little distant. Sometimes I feel invisible, other times not at all. Hard to explain."

I laughed, "She’s playing hard to get."

"Tracie, she wasn’t hard to get."

I sighed, "I don’t mean hard to fuck, I mean hard to get. She wants to keep you interested. Old ploy. Playing hard to fuck wouldn’t work with you. You’d be outta there."

"Damn right. God, that sounds horrible." He dropped his head into his hands. "If the rest was there I wouldn’t mind the wait. I’ve waited before. But I haven’t found everything in a long time."

"Don’t apologize to me. I wouldn’t be in your position for anything. You can have anything you want, except reality."

"I get reality from a handful of friends. You included."

"I know. I feel bad for you all sometimes. That was one of the things about dating a politician that sucked, no reality. Spin it all to make it look like the polls say it should. I see him every now and then, on something, or on the news. Still spinning his way through the muck. Leaving was a good decision on so many levels."

"So what do you want now? Men, love, relationships?" He had this way of cutting to the chase and being painfully direct.

"Right now I’m content to date casually. I go out, have some fun, have sex if I’m in the mood, stop seeing him when it’s not what I want anymore. Much like you, I believe." I smiled, knowing him well.

"Yeah, I want more though. This won’t last forever. I’ll enjoy it while it’s here, and keep my eyes open for my ‘reality’. Wife, kids, family, porch swings."

"Always a country boy. I didn’t say I don’t want more, but until then. You’re leaving on tour in a few weeks, and I know you’ll be taking advantage of those ‘perks’. You won’t find more in a blow job from a groupie in the men’s room. But until then, why the hell not."

"Sometimes I wish I had a little more control. But there’s nothing to do sometimes, and I get horny. And it’s not like they don’t get off on it. I’m just careful. Discrete. Shit! I can’t believe we’re talking about this." We both laughed, "I’m gonna miss this while we’re gone. You have to come out when you can. Not like you need that job."

"Which is exactly why I have that job. It’s disposable. If they don’t let me do what I want I’m gone. I like that freedom. I’m not ready to give that up. For a job, or for a man."

We talked until dawn. Some serious, some just goofing off. I would miss him too. I’d gotten used to all of them being around, but like I’d told Lee he was my best friend. He knew things without me even telling him.

~*~AJ~*~

Knocked out on the couch. Again. I think I’m jealous.

We headed out and went shopping. Kevin got this huge frigging suitcase for the tour. He could pack Tracie in that thing. We needed snacks. Ate Kevin’s whole kitchen last night. They told me about the brownies and I nearly vomited.

I called Lee. She was hungover, but would be ready when we got there. Good woman. I also called this girl I was going out with, Angela, and invited her over. She was going to get me on a Saturday night, that’s pretty good.

Lee looked over, "Are you always pigs? And I mean that with all possible love."

Tracie laughed, "It’s amazingly refreshing to get the inside view on pigdom though. I think of it as opportunistic."

I needed to explain. "I’m not a pig. I just don’t want to waste my time. I don’t know if she’ll be fun out yet. And I’m not letting anyone ruin my good time. If they can’t play nice they need to go the hell away."

"Like that Pam chick?" Lee was a little perceptive. The three of us were dead silent. "Hit a nerve there."

Kevin rubbed his face, "We don’t get it."

"When you asked him, what did he say?"

I jumped in, "It’s his fault."

"That’s ooky."

"Ok, I love that word."

When we got back to Kevin’s Nick was already there. Drunk. "She left, went back home. I fucked up again. Why can’t I keep my big mouth shut?"

"What exactly did you say that was so wrong?" Kevin said dryly.

"I know better than to say anything about another woman in front of her. I makes her insecure."

I couldn’t help it, "Breathing makes Pam insecure." Tracie hit me. "Well, it does!"

"But I am her boyfriend. I know this and I should be more careful."

Tracie sat down beside him, "Nick, what are you gonna do while you guys are on tour? Kevin told me that there are always pictures and rumors. You can’t control that. How is she gonna deal with that?"

"I’ll just have to be careful. Watch myself." He passed out.

Kevin and I hauled him upstairs, "When the fuck will he see it’s not him. It’s her. And when the fuck did he get so heavy."

Kevin and I went for booze and picked up Angela. When we got back Tracie and Lee had dumped a bunch of snacks in bowls and had arranged things. There were a few people there. We were cooking out. In my usual style I walked in talking, "Wow, look how domesticated they are."

Tracie walked over and . . . well . . she put a death grip on my cock. Looked me straight in the eye, "What was that?"

I looked down, "That kinda feels good, there Trace." She tightened her grip, "Ok, you win. I’m a pig."

She let go and slowly stroked the crotch of my jeans, "Much better."

I closed my eyes, "It’s getting better." She walked off. Damn woman. Here’s a good thing. Angela walked over and kissed me and told me I deserved that. Yep, she can have this Saturday night.

~*~Kevin~*~

AJ got laid. Early and often. I didn’t. Things with Michelle weren’t perfect, but at least she was around. So far Jessica wasn’t around much. Tracie had a date tonight too. Some guy she’d gone out with two or three times. He wouldn’t be around long. He was good looking, but lacked substance. It was kind of fun to watch her play with him. He didn’t even realize it. I may be a pig, but she’s a spider. I wouldn’t be surprised if she bit his head off after she fucked him. And I do mean after she fucked him, but he’d think he fucked her. Idiot. I doubt anyone had ever fucked her, unless she let him. Then it’s not really the same thing is it?