Quit Playing Games

Chapter 20

Jay walked in to the restaurant and looked around, finally seeing the group he sought at the back of the room.

"Gentlemen." He nodded to Leighanne and Micheline. "And ladies, of course."

"How’s it going, Jay?" Howie smiled. He’d been feeling a lot better recently. Calmer, less tense. Maybe things were getting better. He didn’t seem to need those pills Miriam had given him as much. Either that or he was getting used to them. What did it matter really? No one had said anything, other than to compliment him on his new and improved physique. And that is all that was important anyway. He may be Short D, but he was damn well Built D.

"Pretty good. So. Last stop. How you all feeling?"

"Good," Kevin replied gruffly.

Brian flashed him a concerned look, then turned back to Jay. "Tired. It has been a good tour. But I can’t wait to get back to the States and into my own bed."

"I want normal pizza. Not this European type," Nick agreed.

"Frack, pizza IS European," AJ pointed out. "It’s Italian."

"Fine. Then I want American pizza. Happy, Bone?"

"It will be good to get home and have Mama D fuss over me," Howie grinned. "And to get out of those damn buses. I swear the bunks in the ones over here are even smaller than they are at home."

Nick snorted. "They are. Believe me. I keep having to scrunch up."

"I miss my dogs," AJ sighed and Micheline groaned. "What? You don’t like Panda and Bear?"

"I like them fine. But they like you so much. Being with you at home is going to be as bad as being with you here on tour. They’ll monopolize all your attention," she pouted with a grin.

"You’ll have all of my attention, baby," AJ said huskily as he started to nibble on her neck.

"Okay. I’ve lost my appetite now," Nick said. "Get a room, you two."

"Yeah," Kevin nodded and AJ and Micheline broke off their cuddling quickly.

"Sorry, Train," AJ mumbled.

"So Jay," Brian tried to change the subject as quickly as he could. "Anything we need to go over for tonight?"

"Yeah. Just a few things." Jay pulled some papers out of his bag and the Boys pored over them, nodding as he explained some of the features of the stadium.

Leighanne and Micheline announced their plans to do some sightseeing before they had to get ready to leave and slipped from the table. Their exit was hardly noticed as the briefing continued.

About half an hour later, Jay began to fold up his papers, and the Boys started to make noises about heading out. He signaled to one of them to stay behind and let the others wander off.

He sighed deeply and pulled a tabloid out of his bag. "I think you better take a look at this."

"What the fuck!?"

 

 

THUD

"That one is for that jerk who cut me off this afternoon."

WHOOSH

"And that is for that spineless jerk, David."

CRACK

"Oops, sorry Parker. Did that hurt? "

THUMP

"Take that, Howie, you hypocritical asshole. Here. Have another one."

SMACK

Kat had to admit. This had been a good idea. When she had suggested to Nick that he take up a more aggressive sport, she’d really never thought of it for herself. But she had to confess, she rather liked boxing. Nothing like beat the crap out of a heavy bag to really let all her hostility escape. And it was a hell of a lot more productive than bottling it up inside the way she had for years.

Jack, her boxing coach, came over and helped her to perfect her technique, and complimenting her on how much she had improved since she’d stumbled into the gym a little over a month ago. She grinned at him. She hadn’t felt so good, well, ever. More calm, assured… and loaded for bear. She would so love for David to show his scrawny ass near her now. She’d pop him one…

After her workout she headed back to her apartment. Her new apartment.

It was amazing the good luck that had hit her after she’d pulled that scene in the restaurant.

After she had told him the most preposterous story she could think up on the spur of the moment, she had burst into annoyingly loud tears. He had tried hard, embarrassed, to hush her. She only calmed down when the waiter brought over the dessert. Which she promptly "accidentally" knocked out of his hand and all over David. Crème Brule and Armani don’t mix, if anyone was wondering. Especially not when a full cup of hot coffee was also "inadvertently" poured over them. Kat had shrieked an apology loudly, told David that is was over and ran from the restaurant.

So it had all gone pretty much according to plan.

Being away from her apartment for a few days had cleared her mind. And returning to discover that the landlord had an opening, a slightly larger apartment on the next floor, was even better. He was more than willing to arrange a quick switch and she’d moved upstairs almost immediately. The extra space was nice, though unnecessary really, but the view… WOW! Right over the ravine and the river. Much more attractive than the parking lot and garbage bins she’d formerly had to focus on.

David had come by the old apartment a few times, leaving bouquets of flowers at her door if she wasn’t there. She had managed to get him to leave, stating that she was too embarrassed about what had happened that night, and upset over what she had revealed to him. No, she wasn’t going to rethink her decision to stop dating him, could he please go away? It didn’t take too long for him to disappear. Or at least she thought he had. She wasn’t living there anymore so whoever had taken the place was probably dealing with him.

A new apartment, a new hobby, even a new phone number – unlisted this time – and she felt like life had begun again.

She dropped her workout clothes on the laundry pile and looked through the mail before logging onto her computer and working on a new writing assignment. This freelancing thing was great. She should have thought of it long ago. All the assignments she could handle, and do at any hour of the day. Just as long as they met the deadline no body cared if she wrote them 9 to 5 or 5 to 9. And, even better, no co-workers like the heinous Parker.

Yep, life was definitely getting better.

 

The next morning it was raining lightly. Kat cursed. She had so been looking forward to trying out her new bike. Oh well, tomorrow. Or tonight maybe, once she got the headlight put on.

She pulled on a pair of jeans and a light sweater and headed down to the bus stop. It didn’t take long to get to the doctor’s office. In fact she was early. She nodded a greeting to the receptionist and took a seat in the corner.

She read a fascinating article on pre-natal care. So fascinating it set her to yawning. At least the one on premature baldness was more interesting. Not.

She thumbed through a romance novel that someone had left and sighed. A bike ride would have been so much better. It would have taken longer to get here, and left her with less time to kill. Still, a glance out the window at the darkened sky told her that she had made the right choice. It hadn’t started raining heavily yet, but it was threatening.

She glanced around for something else to read, ignoring the pamphlet on antidepressants and pulled out a ragged, much-thumbed tabloid from the stack of similar material. She was about to cast it aside when a familiar face caught her eye.

It couldn’t be!

She scanned the headline and swore. Which got her a nasty look from the receptionist. Not that Kat noticed.

She tore the tabloid open, searching for the story. Then she read it incredulously. And swore again.

"If you don’t mind," the older women behind the desk said huffily.

"Oh, I mind. I mind an awful lot. I am going to kill that son of a bitch. And his pet whore too," Kat got up and grabbed her jacket.

"But you have an appointment! What should I tell the doctor?"

"Tell her I’m cured," Kat replied as she hurried out the door.

Chapter 21

(c) Kat Morgan