Not long after Nick's bought with the flu, things became more complicated for Jennifer than she had bargained for. In between their scheduled concerts on the road, the guys had to fly to Los Angeles to do a video for one of their latest single releases. It was a beautiful love song that was topping the charts at both the record stores and the radio stations. They had rented a warehouse in downtown L.A. for the video shoot and were spending the next two days putting it all together before they had to fly back to continue the road trip.
As Jennifer walked into the warehouse, she was amazed at the transformation that had occurred in just twenty-four hours! Just the day before, it had been basically empty except for some trash and old wooden structures. Now, it was suddenly a beautiful set . . . five different bedrooms to match the personalities of the five members of the band. She slowed down, watching the construction workers continue working on the sets as the film crew was setting up at one of them. As she walked, she noticed the intricate details that had been put into each set and she mentally tried matching the rooms with the band member it belonged to.
The first one she stopped at was a dark one: greens, mahogany, velvets, and very rich tones. It was a very romantic bedroom and after thinking about it, she concluded that this one probably belonged to Kevin. Almost all the guys were romantics at heart, but this one matched Kevin's personality. "Whose set is this?" she asked Nigel, director of the shoot.
He looked up from his work, smiling at her. "Whose do you think?"
"Kevin's?" she asked, looking around at it once more.
"Bingo!" he replied, laughing. "You're really getting to know these guys."
"I'm trying," she said, shaking her head at the set. "This is absolutely beautiful! I could die in this room." He laughed with her a moment as she reached out to touch the velvet covered chaise lounge. "Can I have this when you're done?" she teased.
"Sure," he said and then, "If you like this set, you should go take a look at Brian's."
"Really," she asked, her interest piqued. "Where is it?"
He nodded over to the right of where they stood. "It's the second one down," he answered. "I think you'll recognize it right away." He smiled at her as she thanked him, lightly touching his shoulder. She walked up the aisle, watching the construction on the set next to Kevin's. She wasn't sure whose it was going to be, but guessed it might be Howie's. The workers were hanging electric guitars all over the walls and she knew that Howie loved playing the guitar . . . one of his many talents. This room fit him.
When she reached Brian's set, she sucked in her breath. This was her bedroom back home in Texas! It had a southwest theme; complete with a rustic four-poster bed covered with an Indian blanket style bedspread. A Hopi Indian ladder stood against one wall and an antelope's skull hung on the wall. There were two sets of standing candlesticks complete with candles. A hand-tooled rug was on the hard-wood floor in front of the bed. She stood for a moment, lost again in the similarities she and Brian shared. Even their tastes in decorating ran along the same lines. As she stood admiring the handiwork of the set designers, Brian approached her.
"Hey," he called, reaching out to touch her arm.
She turned quickly, smiling at him as he stopped at her side. "Hi!" came her answer, glad to see him. She turned back to the set. "Brian, this is just beautiful!"
"Yeah," he agreed, folding his arms across his chest. "I picked it out myself."
"This is my bedroom back home," she told him, crossing over to the bed. She picked up one of the throw pillows, fluffed it and then placed it back on the bed, in a different position than where it had been. "That looks better," she said, more to herself than anyone else. Brian followed her over to the bed.
"Really?" he asked, surprise registering in his voice. "I didn't know you liked the southwest."
"Well, what do you expect? I'm from the southwest, you know."
"That's true," he said, raising his eyebrows as he smiled at her. And then seeing the look that crossed her face, "You miss it?"
"Oh," she said, shrugging her slim shoulders. "Parts of it. But then, I'm glad to be away from it, too," she answered, her mind lingering on her ex-fiancée and the hurt he had put her through. She was glad to be away from him that was for sure! Turning to look at Brian, she smiled at him. "But most of all, I'm glad to be here, doing this. It's been great! Better than you know . . ." She trailed off, looking back at the bedroom set. She and Ty had had plans to decorate their first house totally southwest and right after the break-up, she had vowed never to decorate in southwest again. But as she stood here with Brian looking at this set, she realized she couldn't let what happened ruin her taste in decorating. It was beautiful and inside, she was thrilled that Brian liked it as well. She couldn't help but let her imagination linger on what he'd look like lounged across that bed . . .
"I think I understand . . ." he said, touching her arm again. He remembered the night on the bus that she had told them what had happened to her back in Texas and he regretted that he had brought up something that was still obviously painful for her. "I'm sorry I asked."
She turned towards him, touching his arm in turn. "Don't be," she said, smiling at him. "It's okay. I'm okay." She withdrew her hand from him, fighting the urge to move into his arms. Something about him made her feel safe and she wanted to feel his arms around her. "That part of my life is over and I'm glad. You know, sometimes things work out because they're supposed to be that way." She shrugged her shoulders once more. "It just wasn't meant to be. I'm convinced that there's someone better out there for me." And then looking at him, "There has to be." She wondered if he could read her mind. . if there was anyway he could know that she desperately wanted that someone to be him, even in the little time she had known him.
He looked at her, tempted to tell her he wanted to be the one to make it okay for her. He was drawn to her. . they were connected already and he wanted her to realize it the way he did. But something inside held him back. He wasn't sure if it was the band or her, but something wouldn't let him pursue her, at least . . . not yet. Maybe it was too soon after her heartbreak or maybe it was the vibes he felt he was getting from her. They hadn't known each other very long, but at times he felt he could read her like a book. Like now, a part of him said she felt the same way he felt about her. . the way her eyes glowed when she watched him, the way she smiled when he was near, the words that came out of her mouth. It was like she was guarded about what she said to him, but sometimes what she was really thinking slipped out before she knew it. But then, a part of him said he was only reading something into it that just wasn't there, just because he wanted it to be that way.
"There's someone out there for you," he finally said. "You deserve much more than that jerk. Any guy would be lucky to have you." And then he wondered if he had said too much by the look she gave him. He quickly reverted his gaze back to the set. "Well, I gotta go to make-up."
"Are they shooting your scene first?" she asked, glad they were getting on another subject. She had been tempted to blurt out that she wanted him to be the one . . . the one to make everything okay for her. She took one last look at the bed, wishful thinking quickly replaced by the business at hand.
"No," he answered, glancing back down the aisle. "They're setting up at Kevin's set first. That's where they'll start. But my set's ready, so I'll either be after him or the next one. Have you seen Nick's set?"
"No," she answered, stepping away from the set and back into the aisle. "Is it finished?"
"I think so," he said, following her. "I heard its pretty wild."
"Kind of like him," she laughed. Brian joined her laughter for a moment and then grew serious. "Are you sticking around for the shoot?"
"I wouldn't miss it," she said, not willing to part from him just yet. She wanted to follow him to make-up and then stay by his side for the rest of the day. "I brought my camera and thought I'd take a few pictures."
"For publicity?" he asked.
"No," she smiled. "For myself."
"I'd like to see them when you're finished," he said, starting to walk back down the aisle towards make-up. He stopped a few feet from her and then turned, adding, "Jennifer?"
