An Illicit Gentleman

                         Chapter Twelve

AJ leaned against the elevator wall holding himself up, barely.  The small box was spinning as it went up, or it felt like it too him.  The ride up seemed to take forever and his drunken imagination made him hope she changed her mind.

“Ding!” AJ said as he stumbled out from the elevator doors, mocking the bell.

“AJ” He heard Kevin say and he looked up.

“Once sec.” AJ slurred holding up his two fingers and he headed towards his hotel room door.

“She’s gone Alex.” Kevin said and he stopped dead in his tracks.  “She left a half hour ago.”

“Fffffuuck!” AJ shouted drunkenly as he stomped his foot. He dropped to the floor as he started crying.  Kevin sighed as he sat down in front of him on the hotel hallway carpet.

Kevin sighed as he sat down in front of him on the hotel hallway carpet.

“What happened man?”

“I dunno.” AJ slurred as his arms flew up.  “I woke and up she was crying, I tried to find out what was wrong and she told me she wanted to go home, she wanted to get out of the relationship now and save me the pain.”  He paused and cried a little more.  “She said she couldn’t have people talking about her Mom and Brother, she couldn’t have people judging me because of her, and she couldn’t come between me and Brian.”

“This is his fault acting like such a fucking douche bag!” AJ yelled as he stood up.

“What happened to her Brother and Mom?” Kevin asked as he stood up as well.

“What?” AJ asked confused.

“You said she didn’t want people asking her about her Mom and Brother, why?” He asked. 

AJ took a deep breath and tried to gather his drunken thoughts.  “Her Mom killed her Brother when she was fifteen, that’s why she’s a stripper, she got put into Foster care, she bailed and now she dances to take care of herself.”  AJ blurted out.

“I had no idea” Kevin said stunned.

“Well it’s not like it’s a conversation starter.” AJ snapped.  “She said…” He paused.  “Who cares what she said she was full of shit anyways.”

“Let’s get you sobered up before our flight.” Kevin said as he helped AJ too his room.

            When AJ’s plane touched down he was more awake and sober, he borrowed Howie’s cell phone almost every twenty minutes trying to call her but there was always no answer.  Every day he tried calling and still she didn’t pick up.  By the time the tour was over, AJ had pretty much given up on talking to her again.  He was fine until he got home and the loneliness sunk in and he started to miss her.  He missed having her around, he missed talking to her, the fact she would never point out when he miss pronounced a word, in stead of pointing it out and mocking it like other girls did.  She didn’t get mad when he forgot something, she would just laugh.

            “Have you tried talking to her?” Kevin asked as he sat on his patio chair.  AJ sat across from him on this nice sunny day.  It had been a couple of days since the tour ended and Kevin invited AJ over for dinner because Brian was leaving for Atlanta the next day.

            “Dude I’ve tried, while we were still on tour, when I got home, she doesn’t want to see me so what can I do?” AJ said with a shrug playing it off that he wasn’t as hurt as he was really feeling.

“Why don’t you go see her, go to the club or her apartment?” Kevin asked as he grabbed his can of soda.

“I’ve thought about it but I just don’t want to hear ‘she doesn’t wanna see you right now.” AJ said as Brian came out from the back doors.

“Kristin wants to know if the BarBQue is ready?” Brian said as he walked up to AJ and Kevin.

“Yeah it’s ready.” Kevin said as he titled his head a little.

“What’s up with you?” Brian asked as he sat down.

“Tired.” AJ said wondering what Brian had to say to him.

“Just tired?” Brian asked.

“What do you care? You didn’t like her anyways.” AJ sighed as he sat back.

“Still don’t like seeing you like this, I mean maybe it’s a good thing.  You’re pretty beat up about it and you guys were only together a couple of months, and your Mom didn’t even know her.” Brian said as he opened a can of soda.

“Yeah well, you wouldn’t understand.” AJ said as he flipped his lighter in his hand.

“You’re right I don’t, you two barely knew each other.” Brian said with a shrug. 

“You know there are different levels of knowing someone, being there for someone, and what the fuck do you know about how much we knew each other.”  AJ said his voice rising.

“Calm down.” Kevin said finally talking again.

“Well then tell him to shut up about shit he knows nothing about.” AJ replied angrily.

“Brian back off.” Kevin said to his cousin.

“Fine” Brian said standing up and leaving.

“Later prick.” AJ mumbled under his breath but Kevin heard him.

After dinner AJ went home and opened a new bottle of Jack.  He called a friend and soon he added some coke to the mix.  Sitting in the living room AJ got drunker and drunker and soon he was on the phone calling her.  Her machine picked up.

“Where are you? I miss you so much” He slurred into the phone.  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to say goodbye.  I’m worried about you, please don’t shut me out.”  Waiting a minute he listened, waiting to see if she picked up the phone but there was nothing.  “Evie?” He waited some more.  “Eve?” AJ said one more time, when there still was no answer he sighed and hung up the phone. 

Lying back on his couch he fought the tears that so desperately wanted to get out.  As he fought them his anger and frustration rose to a bursting level, he looked around for something anything, all he found was his glass half full of JD.  Picking it up, screamed at the top of his lungs and he chucked it across the room.  As the pieces shattered against the wall AJ collapsed onto the couch. The tears he fought won and came rushing out.  He put his head in his hands trying to understand what happened.

AJ fell asleep that way for the next three nights, minus the glass tossing.  This night was no different than any other night.  He lied on the couch bottle in one hand, smoke in the other, and just stared at the ceiling.  Just getting back from Howie’s he had just open the bottle and waited anxiously for the buzz to kick in and too take him away.  Putting out his smoke AJ laid his head back on the arm of the couch and sighed.  He had only closed his eyes for a moment when a dream popped into his head and he was asleep. 

As he dreamt he kept hearing the same sound over and over again.  A very quick tapping sound and then music, and then more tapping and music, and then it repeated.  Suddenly he found himself out of the dream and back on his couch as his new cell phone vibrated on top of the table, moving ever so slowly as the vibration carried it.  Then his ring tone went off and he realized that was the same music he kept hearing in his dream.  Rubbing his eyes and shaking the cob webs from his head he reached for his phone and answered.

“Hello?” He spoke half tired.

“Hello, you have a collect call from….” The automated voice said.

“Eve.”  Her voice was quiet and then got louder and shaky. “It’s Eve.”

“If you accept these charges press one now.” The voice said and AJ quickly pressed one on his cell.

“Hello?” AJ said quickly.

“Thank you, you will be charged for this call.” The automatic voice continued.

“Hello?” AJ said again when he heard another line pick up.  He waited and there we silence.  “Eve, Eve are you there?” He swore it was Eve.  He looked at his watch, the time read six twenty three. The sound of her crying on the other end woke and sobered him in one second. 

“Alex?” Her voice broke over the receiver. 

“I’m here Eve, what’s wrong, where are you, why are you calling me collect?” He asked all in one breathe.

“I don’t know.” She cried.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” AJ asked as he tried to listen for some background noise.

“I don’t know where I am.” She spoke through her tears.

“What?” AJ said confused.

“I don’t know where I am.” She said and he heard her getting frustrated.

“Are you by your apartment?” He asked as he stood up and headed into the kitchen.

“I…I don’t know.” She said.  “I was working and when I went to my car I heard some fighting, I looked up and some guy was standing over Ricky.” AJ stopped dead in his tracks, his hands on his keys.  “I went to get into my car and get away but this van pulled up behind my car and the guy at Ricky came at me, dragged me into the van.”  Eve started crying again and AJ started to shake a little.  “I don’t know where I am Alex,”

“Stay on the phone with me ok, try looking around do you see a street sign anything?” He asked as he rushed out of his kitchen and out of his house.

AJ jumped into his car and peeled out of his driveway.  He kept talking to her, kept her on the phone, and tried to narrow down where she was.  It didn’t help that he sucked with directions.

“I keep seeing buses go by down the street.” She said.

“Maybe you’re by the terminal, are they on the left side or right side of you?” He asked.

“Left.” She replied. 

AJ kept driving until he came to the bus terminal.  He drove past it and then turned up a street.  When he stopped at a four way stop sign, he looked around trying to find her. 

“Can you see my car yet?” He asked her.

“No” She said quietly.  He decided to go right since there was only a block between him and the terminal on the other side.  He drove down the street slowly as he peered out his window looking for any sign of her.  Then up about another block he saw someone standing at a phone booth.

“I think I see you.” AJ said quickly as he felt his foot get heavy on the gas peddle.  He saw the person turn around and he knew it was her. 

“I see you.” She said as she started crying. 

AJ stopped the car by the booth and got out.  He was about to run up to her when he saw her coming at him.  Her jacket was covered in dirt; her hair was a mess, and her makeup smudge.  As she got closer he realized it wasn’t make up at all but bruises and cuts.  Eve ran into his arms and wrapped hers around him as she broke down crying.  Still shocked by what he saw he slowly wrapped his arms around her too and held her tight.  He stood there with her until he thought she had calmed down enough and he slowly pulled her away. 

“I’m going to take you to a hospital ok?” He said as he tried to fix her hair up.  Her eyes were dull, no spark, soaked with tears and dirt, all she did was nod. 

AJ got her into his car and he headed to the closes hospital.  He told them what had happened, her calling him and him trying to find her.  He told the doctors he didn’t want to hang up with her to call the police after she told him what happened.

“You’ll be here right?” She asked looking at him as they put her in a wheel chair.  He knelt down in front of her and gently touched her face, not wanting to touch the bruises.

“I’m not going anywhere.” AJ assured her and as he said it she started crying again. He pulled her into a hug for a moment and let her cry in his arms. The nurse lightly smiled as she wheeled her away to be examined.  He was surprised when the police showed up so fast but that question was answered as he talked to them. 

“We just came from Ricky Montezes room, the owner and Ricky reported her missing.” The cop said as he wrote in his notepad.

“Is he ok?” AJ asked thinking about the bouncer who was always at the front door of the club. 

“Yeah, he has a nasty cut on the head and a concussion but he’ll be ok.” The officer said with a nod.  As they finished writing down the last of their notes a doctor came out.

“You gentlemen can talk to her now.” The doctor said as he stopped at the cops.  He started to walk away with the police when AJ stopped them.

“Is she ok?” He asked.

“Physically yes she’s ok, her face is bruised, some cuts, her ankle is swore, but nothing broken.” The doctor told him.  “Mentally we just don’t know yet.” The doctor told him and then left with the officers.

AJ’s face fell as he plopped down in the chair behind him.  Everything started to sink in for him, the phone call, the sound of her voice, the realization of what happened to her and seeing her at the phone booth.  He started to get angry, someone, more than one, hurt her; they hurt her in the worse way possible and it made him furious.