"Brian," Nick called, running up to his best friend as they waited backstage. Finally, all the hoopla of the backstage pre-concert party was over and they had some time to concentrate on the concert at hand. They were scheduled to go on stage in twenty minutes.
"Yeah?" he replied, turning to look over his shoulder.
"Hey man, I got to talk to ya," he said, a wide smile beaming across his face.
"Sure, what's up?" he said, turning to face his friend. "You look like the cat who just swallowed the canary."
"Do I?' he laughed, dancing around Brian, playfully boxing at him.
"You sure are in a good mood," he said, playing back at him. This was the best time for the both of them . . . right before they went onto stage. They were all psyched up for this concert. It had been sold out since the day tickets went on sale.
"I'm in love," Nick said, still dancing around. Brian just looked at him, his smile slightly fading. He had a feeling where this was going.
Is that right?" he asked, turning back to peek out at the crowd.
"Yeah man," Nick said, coming around to stand beside him. "You'll never guess with who."
"Oh, I think I can," he muttered.
"What did you say?" Nick asked, not hearing him over the screaming coming from the stage area.
Brian turned back around and said, "I said, who?"
Nick grinned back at him. "Jennifer . . . I think I'm in love with Jennifer."
Brian took in a deep breath, a sick feeling coming to his stomach. "Isn't she a little old for you, Nick?"
"Oh shit," he said, shaking his head. "That's so lame. She's just twenty-three."
"And you're nineteen," Brian reminded him.
"Oh that doesn't matter," Nick replied, dancing around again. "Have you seen her tonight? She is hot!" Brian shook his head. He wasn't sure he wanted to see her. It was becoming painful to be around her and not be able to touch her . . . not be able to take her in his arms like he longed to do. "She's got on these blue jeans and man, they don't leave anything to the imagination and this tank top with these spaghetti straps . . ."
"Okay, I get the picture," he said, turning back towards him. "Where is she?"
"I'm not sure," Nick said, turning around to locate her himself. "I'd like to see her again before we go on. I need a little good luck . . ." Brian watched him for a moment, wondering what to do now. Things just kept getting more complicated.
The concert had been over for almost three hours now and Brian still couldn't sleep. He lay in his bunk bed willing sleep to overtake him, but it wouldn't come to give him any relief. All night, all during the concert, all he could think of was Nick and Jennifer. Every love song they had sung, all he could think of was her. And now Nick had to go and make it even more difficult than it had been before. As he lay there, his curtain drawn, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he had seen her one last time.
"Hey, you okay?" Jennifer looked up from her window seat to see Brian looking down at her, clad only in sweat bottoms.
She smiled at him, unfolding her legs and placing them on the floor, freeing up the seat beside her. "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered.
"Can I sit down?" he asked, pointing at the seat next to her. She nodded, looking back out the window at the dark shadows passing by. "What are you doing still up at this hour?" he asked, settling in next to her on the bench seat.
"I couldn't sleep," she answered, turning back to face him. "How about you? What are you doing still up?"
"I'm still psyched from the show," he answered, searching her face. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. This would have been the perfect time for him to make a move, but it was Nick that kept him from doing anything. He had made it impossible for him to make a move on her when Nick had already fallen for her. If only he wasn't his best friend!
"You guys did a great job tonight. I can't believe the enthusiasm and energy y'all put into every show." She stopped, smiling at him. He looked tired, but happy. "You have to be exhausted.
"I am," he said, yawning at his own words. "I just can't relax."
"Here, let me help." She turned towards him, turning his shoulders so his back was to her. She slowly, but thoroughly started to massage his shoulders. She could feel him relax at her touch. "Better?' she asked.
"Mmmm . . . much," he answered, closing his eyes. She had great hands and her touch made Brian wonder even more how he could work things out for them. He wanted her, but at the same time, he didn't want to hurt Nick. He could feel her hands rubbing his shoulders, his back, his upper arms. "You're really good at this," he said, leaning forward to give her better access to his lower back.
"Well, I used to massage my dad's back after a long day at work," she said, now lightly running her long nails across his back. "A friend of mine is a massage therapist and she taught me a few basics."
"Well, you learned well. It feels great." She smiled at his words.
"Are you relaxing any?" she asked, rubbing his neck. Just touching his bare skin sent tingles from her fingertips straight to her stomach. Being this near, touching him like this, made her want to turn him around, take him in her arms, and kiss the breath out of him. But all she dared do was continue giving him the best massage she could muster, hoping her hands weren't trembling with the desire she felt for him.
"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes as he felt her hands on him. As he sat there with her, he softly began to sing. "I can't imagine life without your love and even forever don't seem like long enough."
Jennifer stopped for a moment, her hands resting on his shoulders. "What song is that?" she asked.
Brian looked up for a moment, saying, "It's a new one we're working on."
"Sing some more," she urged, going back to her massage.
Brian smiled and then continued, "Every time I breathe I take you in and my heart beats again. Baby I can't help it, you keep me drowning in your love.."
At that moment, Nick passed by them, only turning his head to look at them. To Jennifer, it looked as nothing but a passing glance, but Brian looked up to see the surprise and slight anger shining in his eyes. He sat up straighter, watching Nick as he continued down the aisle of the bus and then disappear into the back.
Jennifer stopped, peering around Brian's shoulder to catch his gaze. "What?" she asked, sensing him momentarily tense up.
He turned back to look at her, not sure what to say. "Nothing. Why?"
"You tensed up," she replied, running a hand back down his back.
"Oh . . . it's nothing, really . . ."
"Come on, Brian. Tell me."
He turned to sit beside her again, glancing back over his shoulder towards the back of the bus. "Well . . . it's Nick."
"Nick?" she questioned, looking confused at the concern in his face. "What's wrong with Nick?"
"Well . . . I'm not sure how to say it." He glanced over at her, rubbing his hands across the tops of his sweat bottoms.
"Just say it," she said, curling her legs underneath her again.
Brian looked over at her, turning to face her a little bit more. When he did, he put his arm over the back of the bench seat. "Nick," he began, "I think he's in love with you."
All she could do was look at him for a moment, her eyebrows lifting slightly on her forehead. So ... she had been right all along. Nick did feel something for her. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," he said, searching her face for a reaction. "Nick is in love with you."
Jennifer continued to stare at him. This couldn't be happening. It was Brian she wanted. "Brian, he's nineteen. I don't think he knows what he wants." In her nervousness and Brian's revelation, she started to laugh.
Brian grinned back at her, relieved at her reaction. He laughed with her for a moment, and then said, "You can't blame him. Here we are, on the road with a beautiful woman . . . who wouldn't be in love with you?!" When Jennifer stopped laughing and just smiled at him, Brian thought he might have revealed too much. He quickly tried to cover his tracks. "I mean . . . you know, it's not often we're on tour with a beautiful woman and we're never in one place long enough to have a relationship. You're pretty accessible." Jennifer smiled at his discomfort.
"Brian, I understand what you're trying to say." Her heart sank as she realized he was trying to tell her that he wasn't interested in her like Nick was, and that's the one thing she wanted more than anything! She turned to look out the window again, fighting back the tears she felt burning in her eyes. She couldn't let him know how disappointed she was in his revelation.
He watched the back of her head for a moment, frustrated at his timidity once again when it came to her. All he wanted to do was forget how Nick felt about her, take her in his arms, and show her how he felt about her. His eyes traveled slowly down her profile, silently taking in her beauty.
Jennifer looked back at him. "So, what should I do?" she asked, wondering what he would say.
"I don't know," he said, wondering if she wanted to do something about it. "I guess it all depends on how you feel about him."
Jennifer wasn't ready to deal with all of this. Just when she thought that heartaches were behind her, here was another one to deal with. Brian was everything she wanted in a guy . . . and yet, here he sat practically pushing her towards a friend of his. "I don't know how I feel," she said, not wanting him to know how she felt about him. She didn't care about Nick. He was like a brother to her. But with Brian . . . She turned her head once more, looking out into the night. Why was this happening to her again?
