An Illicit Gentleman

                    Chapter Twenty-Seven

 “How’s she doing?” Howie asked AJ as the two sat with Kevin, Brian and Nick at a table outside of a restaurant.  They were all gathered for lunch after meeting with their lawyers. 

“Eve?” AJ asked and Howie nodded.  “She’s doing better.” He told them.

“Kristin said she was at the doctors the other day.” Kevin replied.

“Yeah, I guess she’s been going through what her docs call artificial menopause.” AJ explained.

“Isn’t she a little young?” Nick said.

“No, its normal for someone who’s had their uterus removed, most hysterectomy patients go through it. AJ told them.

“You should keep your voice down.” Brian said.

“Uterus.” AJ said smiling at Brian.

“Alex” Brian sighed.

“Uuuteruuuss.” AJ said laughing as Brain went red.

“Ok you had your fun” Kevin said slapping AJ on the arm.

“Uterus.” AJ quickly squeaked out and Nick started laughing.

“You need to get laid.” Kevin smirked as even he chuckled to himself.

“Couple more weeks.” AJ sighed.

“Arm getting sore?” Nick asked still laughing a little.

“Not his.” Kevin said quickly.

“Hey” AJ frowned.

“Oh what ya’ll can talk about my woman but I can’t say shit about yours?” Kevin said as he rolled his eyes at everyone.

“So what’s the word on the guy that attacked her?” Howie asked as everyone started sorting out the bill.

“He was sentenced in Florida for the attempted murder, they brought him here for the rape charges, and the case gets heard on Monday.” AJ told him as he handed Kevin some money.

“Is she going?” Nick asked.

“No” AJ said shaking his head quickly.  “Think we’re just gonna spend that day together.”  Everyone shook hands and quickly hugged, agreeing they would all meet up at Kevin’s later for a barbeque and talk in a more private setting about the case.

“So how long has it been now?” Kevin asked as the two of them walked down to the car.

“For what?” AJ asked

“For you and Eve?” Kevin lightly laughed.

“Almost five months.” AJ replied with a light smile.

“That’s what Kris said.” Kevin sighed and AJ wondered if he lost a bet.  “Got anything special planned?”

“Not yet, still got a couple of weeks.” He replied with a light shrug.

“Why don’t I believe you?” Kevin said eyeing him as they stopped at AJ’s car.

“I don’t know.” AJ replied as he turned off his alarm.  “Catch ya later man.”

“Later” Kevin nodded with a smile as he walked away.

“Hello?!” AJ shouted as he walked into his house, when she didn’t answer he quickly jogged down to his office.  He walked over to a cabinet and set too white bags inside of it, closing it quickly.  Leaving his office he walked down the hall and stopped at the stairs. “Evie!?” He shouted up them but there was still no answer.  AJ walked into the kitchen and looked out the back windows, a smile came over his face when he saw her laying in the sun out back. Quickly he grabbed a cup then quietly walked out back and over to the pool.  Scooping up some water he slowly walked over to her.

“Do it and I swear I’ll make you female in two seconds.” She spoke up as she raised her hand to him.

“Damn woman.” AJ said with a frown. 

“Next time don’t come shouting through the house.” She replied as she turned to him and looked over her sunglasses at him.  He pouted as he walked over to her and she giggled as he sat down beside her.  “How was the meeting?”

“Good” He nodded.  “We’ll know a trial date and all that in a week or so.”

“Aren’t you worried they’ll get pissed and stone wall you?” She asked.

“A little but we never wanted to be treated like a puppet band, what ever fine we’re a boy band but we broke the fucking mold.” He said.  “But we will never be a puppet band and we’ve let that slid because we’ve been working none stop.”

“Well all of you are burnt out.” Eve said.  “You can see it in all your faces.”

“Kevin said now that were suing them for staling us on the new album he wants to take a year off, mostly for me, make sure I get a good solid break from touring and the stress.” He told her.  “Nick’s doing his album and by the sounds of it they’re pushing him to get some tracks down while they’re going through the courts. That’s going to eat up a couple of Months, who knows how long the case will take, so we might as well.” He shrugged.

“That would be nice” Eve smiled as he took her hand and moved to her chair.

“I’m not complaining.” He said as he nestled in beside her.  “Kevin wants us to come by for a barbeque later did you want to go?”

“Sure” She replied as she looked down at him.  “Join me for a shower?”

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” He said as he quickly got up and she lightly laughed following him into the house.

“Oh my god this is so good.” Kristin mumbled as she took a spoon full of food.

“I told you.” AJ said with a smile as he took another fork full.

“Well don’t eat it all.” Leigh Anne sighed as she grabbed the bowl walked towards the back.

“I need to get that from her, Kev is always complaining about how misses his Mom’s pasta salad, but don’t tell him Eve’s is way better.” Kristin said with a smile.  “And her lasagna last week was freaking awesome.”

“I know, I’m going to get fat this year with no tour and her feeding me.” AJ sighed.

“So your 5 months is coming up, got anything planned?” Kristin asked as she sliced up some more carrots.

“Maybe” AJ said with a light smile.

“Awww tell me, tell me.” Kristin said smiling.

“You just want me to tell you so you can hang it over Kevin’s head that you know.” AJ laughed.

“So?” Kristin said nonchalantly.  AJ laughed some more shaking his head.

“Alright but you tell know one.” AJ said looking around and Kristin sealed her lips. “I rented a lodge up at Sugar Bowl, going to spend the weekend there, maybe do some skiing.” AJ said with a light smile.

“That sounds nice.” Kristin nodded.  “Is there a ring going with you?”

“Ring?” Brian said walking into the room.  “Who has a ring?”

“No one, well I got some not wearing them today though.” AJ said looking at his hands.

“Don’t be a smart ass Alex, you better not be asking her to marry you.” Brian snipped.

“Whoa dude chill, no one said anything about me marrying Eve.”

“You’re marrying Eve!?” Brian’s wife said with excitement.

“No” AJ sighed as he lowered his head.

“Damn right your not.” Brian spoke out.

“Brian.” Both Leigh Anne and Kristin said.

“Well I’m sorry but its one thing to date her but to throw his whole life away?” Brian said harshly.

“Excuse me?” AJ replied back floored. “Where the hell is this coming from?”

“It’s coming from the fact that she can’t give you what you need Alex, a family.” Brian explained.  “She chose the path she has taken; you should not suffer for it.”

“That is the most closed minded shit I have ever heard!” AJ shouted.  “But you don’t have to worry ok, if you’d paid attention in the first place I said, I am not going to ask Eve to marry me!”  The sound of Kevin clearing his throat made everyone spin around.  Eve rushed back the way she came.  Quickly AJ got up off the stool and chased after her.

“Stop.” AJ said to her as he grabbed her arm. “Let me explain.”

“You don’t have too I heard everything.” She said as she looked up at him.

“Everything?” AJ asked.

“Well everything from I can’t give you what you need to how you don’t want to marry me.” She replied.

“I didn’t say that.” AJ told her as he placed his hands on her arms.  He took a deep breath and sighed knowing he was going to have to ruin his surprise.  “I told Kristin about how I was planning on taking you up to one of the ski hills for the weekend and she joked about a ring.  Brian over heard it and opened his big mouth, I just meant I wasn’t going to ask you that weekend, doesn’t mean I don’t want too.”  Gently he rubbed her arms.  “I want it to be perfect, you deserve it.”

“There you go talking about what I deserve what about you.” Eve said to him.  “Brian’s right you shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistakes…maybe, maybe we should separate for a little bit.”

“Eve come on.” AJ said with half a laugh.

“No, Alex I’m serious, you really need to think about this.” Eve told him.

“Where are you going to stay, huh?” He asked.

“I’ll find some place.” She replied. 

“Evie.” AJ said as he went to hug her hoping she was just upset and his arms around her would calm her.

“No Alex.” She said as she pulled away.  It hit him at that moment this was beyond her being upset, she really wanted to split.

“Fine.” AJ said throwing up his hands.  “If that’s what you want.” He muttered and he walked out the door, got into his car and left.  Slowly Eve walked over to the stair case and sat down; she put her head in her hands and started to cry.  She didn’t notice Kevin come out as he looked for AJ.

“Eve?” Kevin said as he stood in his front hallway.

Quickly she wiped her eyes and stood up.  “I’m sorry, I just need to call a cab and then I’m going.”

“Where’s Alex?” Kevin asked.

“He went home.” She replied fighting back her tears.  “I told him that we should separate so he can have time to think about things.”

“Eve, Brian can be a little…”

“It’s not just Brian, I know his Mom has been saying the same thing to him, and I think they are both right.” Eve told him.  “We need time apart so he can think about it and really understand what he’s giving up.”

“So where are you going to go?” He asked.

“I can go back to the Center and then go from there.” She told him.

“The Wellness Center?  Why don’t you stay here with us.”

“No Kevin I can’t do that.” She said quickly.

“Yes you can and I’ll even kick Brian out since he started this damn mess.” Kevin said trying to cheer her up.  “Please Eve stay here, we’ve got lots of room and it’s better than you being god knows where.”  She looked at him hesitantly and then lightly nodded.

“I don’t want too intrude.”

“Just say yes before he chains the door and locks us all in.” Kristin said as she walked out.  “They’re leaving anyways.” She whispered.

“Are they?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah they’re going out back.” She nodded towards the back doors.

“I’ll be right back.” Kevin said as he headed into the living room.

“So are you staying?” Kristin asked.  “At least the night, give yourself time to think and his ass time to cool down.”

“He needs more than just one night.” Eve told her.

“He needs you.” Kristin said and Eve looked at her stunned.  “I’ve known all these guys for a very long time, I knew them when they road in old school buses to shows, and I’ve seen them change but he was the worse.  He was a crazy kid, always goofing off, full of energy but very sweet.”

“Sounds like him.” Eve said with a light smile.

“He wasn’t always, he fell hard.  He found out his Dad had a mini shrine to him but never bothered to call.  A girl he loved more than anything but she didn’t really love him, his grandfather dying, him really understanding who his Dad was and what he really wanted, and then his grandmother died.”  Eve listened as Kristin talked.  “And he hit rock bottom and stayed there for at least a year, until Kevin went off on him in Boston.”

“I know he’s been through a lot it’s why I want him to really think about everything.” Eve told her with a frown.  “I don’t want to be one of those things.”