~*~AJ~*~

The next day after they left we loaded the busses and headed out. To my surprise Nick started it, "What was up with last night, Kev?"

Obviously he was lost, "What do you mean?"

"You and Tracie digging at each other like that?"

He laughed, "We always do that. I don’t think Scott is right for her. Too boring."

Nick shook his head, "You two have the weirdest relationship. It’s like you’re a couple but without the sex." I held my breath.

"It’s great. I’ve never had a friend like this. I love it. It’s like you guys only she’s a girl. That perspective is cool."

"And Jessica is ok with this?" Nick was being brave. I waited for the explosion.

"Sure. She knows were just friends. She doesn’t really have a choice, I’m not giving up Tracie."

I think that Jessica is not ok with this. I think that Jessica deals with this because Kevin doesn’t give Jessica a choice. Knowing him he told her she had to deal with it or go. Pretty obvious to me that in a competition Tracie would win. Hands down.

The conversations changed.

~*~Brian~*~

Since we were on the subject of girlfriends, "Nick, where is Pam, when is she hooking back up?"

"This weekend."

"And how are things going? You guys fighting as much?"

Nick shook his head, "Nope, it’s better. I’m doing a better job. I knew if I could just do a better job with her she’d feel better about herself, about us."

I agreed. He didn’t always take the time she needed.

Howie didn’t agree, "What are you talking about?"

Nick looked over, "I have to be careful and make sure she knows how much I love her. I keep an eye out on the internet and get to get and explain the stories or pictures before she she’s them or pretty quick. Then she doesn’t think crazy stuff."

AJ was waving his hands, "Hold up! You do rumour control with your girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

He rolled his eyes, "Complete bullshit. She should trust you enough to not have to do that."

"She does trust me, bone. She just needs the re-assurance."

"I think you’re doing good Nick. I’m glad you figured out what she needs. Lots of attention." I thought he needed to know that.

No one else spoke.

~*~AJ~*~

That’s horseshit. I can’t believe that Brian is supporting that. Pam gets all freaky and pretty much holds Nick hostage. He’s right about one thing, she sees pictures and hears stories and does crazy stuff. She’ll call right before a show and Nick will get down about it. Not sure what she says, but it ends up with Nick doubting himself. Great way to walk out on stage in front of forty thousand people. He takes it all to heart. This is his first big relationship and he looks to her for guidance. He always thinks he does it wrong. I think it’s just that she is fucked. We’ve all tried to get him to see that maybe some of it is Pam. None of will say that Nick doesn’t screw up. Of course he does. But she isn’t perfect and she makes his screw ups huge. We don’t have a chance with her AND his best friend feeding him that crap.

Speaking of crap . . . I took this down day to talk to Kevin once we got to the hotel. Just general chit chat leading into girlfriend talk. We both had one. I listened to him talk about Jessica and thought he did care about her. I asked if he was in love with her. He told me about their vacation and her telling him she loved him. I was not at all surprised he didn’t say it back. "Kevin, where is Tracie in all this?"

"We’re friends. Didn’t we just do this?" He looked a little annoyed. I was used to that.

"Yeah, but this is just us. I have a hard time believing Jessica is cool with you guys falling asleep by the pool in the same chair, or all the nights you two fall asleep on the couch. Do you really think that just because you’re not in bed you’re not sleeping together?"

"Is that what you think? That I’m playing both of them?" Pissed now.

"Yes. You’re getting the best of both worlds. One for friendship, and unconditional love, the other as a girlfriend and sex partner. You’re making Jessica look like an idiot, and Tracie a whore."

He stood up, "What the fuck!"

"Everyone thinks you’re fucking Tracie when Jessica isn’t around. I don’t mean me everybody. If you say you’re not I believe you. But anyone at a party sees. The crew sees you one weekend with Jessica, next with Tracie. You hug them both, hold both their hands, dance with them both, and take off with both of them."

"I am not fucking Tracie. Jesus!" He slammed his hand against the wall, "I don’t give a fuck what everyone thinks. Screw them. I fucking hate being under a god damned microscope all the time. God forbid I should have a best friend that’s a woman."

I added, "Beautiful woman."

He stopped ranting, "You know what. I don’t even notice. I know she’s beautiful, but I don’t think "wow, she’s hot" every time I see her."

"That I don’t believe. I do not believe that you don’t notice." I’ve watched his eyes follow her. He notices.

"Believe what you want. I don’t think of her like that."

This was my chance. I headed out the door, "Maybe you should."

~*~Lee~*~

On the plane ride home I had planned on talking to Tracie about Kevin, but things went a little different. She downed one of those little bottles of Tequila. I looked at her, "Are you alright?"

She sighed, "I don’t want to deal with Scott. It’s getting yucky."

"How so?"

"Boring. Boring. Boring. He’s so nice, and is good to me, but his niceness is annoying the hell out of me. I just need . . . I don’t know what I need. The guys are right, I need strong, and exciting."

Notice how she left out what Kevin said she needed? I decided to let it go. It looked like she was coming around all on her own. If she is about to dump the boyfriend I’m not gonna slam her with the best friend issues. Hopefully, things are going as good with AJ and Kevin.