Chapter 14




The three days of practicing went fast for Katie. She found herself thinking less and less about her past, and more and more about her future. AJ was still harping on her about going out with Josh, but was else is new. She had a feeling that he would always harp on her as long as he wasn’t the one going out with her. She found herself very attracted to AJ. She just couldn’t take that chance of getting hurt again. She figured if Josh screwed her over, she’ll never see him again, but if something went wrong with a relationship with AJ, she’d still have to work with him. She already had a great friendship with him. She didn’t want to ruin it. Maybe some day though. You never know what’s going to happen in the future. Hell, she might even end up marrying him. She just had to take it one day at a time.


The other guys made her feel welcome. She had so much fun around them. They were always horsing around. You always found them with a smile on their face. They brought out the best in her. She started feeling like they were part of a family that she never had. She welcomed it with open arms. She thought that part of her problem was that she didn’t have a family to turn to. She was always by herself. Not anymore.


“ Yo, Kate.” AJ said as he waved a hand in front of her face.


She looked at him and asked, “ What?”


“ What were you thinking about?”


“ What makes you think that I was thinking about anything?”


“ It suddenly got quiet, so I assumed you were thinking.”


She slapped him on the arm and said, “ shut up, Aje. You’re just as bad as I am and you know it. So, stop blaming everyone else.”


“ You know you love me.” AJ said.


“ What would I ever do without you?” she said dramatically.


“ You would still be stuck in that hell hole of a city looking for a dream job. That’s what.”


“ Hey, I happen to like New York.”


“ You and who else?”


“ At least I’m not living in the same place that I was born.”


“ Uhh. Hello? I was born in West Palm Beach, and I… we live in Orlando. Big difference.” He said.


“ Well, sorry. At least I live in a different state.” Katie said trying to get in the last word.


“ Yeah, if I had to live in that state, I would have moved too.” AJ said trying to top Katie.


“ Yeah, well…” she paused searching for a good comeback.


“ Well, what Einstein?” asked AJ.


She leaned over and kissed him. When they finally parted, she said, “ Was that a good enough answer for you?”


“ Let me just say that you can render me speechless any time you want too.” AJ said smiling.


“ Yeah, you wish.” She said rolling her eyes at him and said, “ Men, they’re all the same.”


“ Hey. Some of us are gentleman, mind you. Not all of us are assholes.” Said AJ defending himself.


“ You, a gentleman? I’d like to see that.”


“ I’ll show you, if only you’d give me a chance.” He said seductively.


“ I’m sure.”


“ Hey. You know you can’t resist me.”


“ Please. Don’t make me gag.”


“ Hey!” AJ said.


“ I love you Aje. Don’t worry.”


“ You do?”


“ Get your mind out of the gutter. I love you as a friend, duh. Who would even want to love you?”


“ You would, and I happen to know several women who do also.”


“ Why don’t you call them, because you’re sure not going to get anything from me.”


“ But why not?” AJ whined.


“ We were already over this, Aje. You’re just not cute enough.”


“ Well, then, how do I become cute?”


“ It’s a gift you acquire.” She said.


“ Ladies and gentleman. Please buckle your seatbelt as we are preparing to land at LaGuardia Airport in beautiful, sunny NYC. Thank you and have a nice day.” Said the captain.


She buckled her seatbelt, turned to AJ and said, “ See, someone else does like NY.”