Chapter 2
December 21st 2005
During the second half of the flight Win fell asleep. Her head fell down onto AJ’s shoulder and he smiled to himself thinking about what had happened in the last few hours. Win had touched him again, Win had kissed again. He felt as if he’d swallowed a balloon and his chest puffed out proudly in the thought that was loved by Win. This time he would not screw up. This time he would be the perfect man, and make her know that she did not make a mistake in giving him another chance.
Latecia sat across from AJ, busy talking quietly to Jack the rat. AJ smiled at the two beautiful ladies he had in his life. Latecia, his daughter, the perfect flower of his eye. Win, the love of his life, the woman he wanted to marry. He couldn’t have loved anyone more than he loved these two people right here.
They arrived in France near nine o’clock at night. Everyone was exhausted although they had taken nap at some time during the flight. AJ carried Latecia out of the plane draped over his shoulder, fast asleep.
“She’s quite the little beauty,” Win said as she looked at the sleeping Latecia on the drive to the hotel.
“Yeah, she’s beautiful,” AJ remarked smiling.
“She has your eyes, your nose definitely,” Win said pinching his nose, “and that giant smile.”
“Which one?” he asked grinning.
“That one, right there!” Win said pointing at him and laughing.
“You love that smile, though,” he replied smiling again. She cupped his face in her hand.
“I love more than that.”
“Daddy, are we at the hotel yet?” Latecia asked picking her head up.
“Yes sweetie, we are,” AJ replied placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Good, cause I’m tired,” Latecia said putting her head back on his shoulder.
A few minutes later they pulled up at the hotel and went inside. While checking in, AJ asked if he could get the room adjoining his for Win. She smiled at him when he asked the question and took the key from the desk clerk.
“Why don’t I get Latecia to bed and you come over and talk for a while after you get settled?” AJ asked when they got to their rooms.
“Okay, sure, we could order something to eat, I’m starving,” Win replied unlocking her door.
“Great, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” AJ said, his eyes lighting up.
Latecia snuggled gratefully into her bed with her stuffed dolphin. AJ grinned to himself as he stopped at the door and looked back at his daughter. Sighing to himself he closed the door and went back out to the parlor.
He spent a few minutes looking over the room service menu before deciding on what to order. He placed the order with the kitchen and as soon as he hung up the phone there was a knock at the door. His hands started to shake.
Nervously he went to the door and grabbed the handle. It turned slowly in his hand as if eternity were between his fingers. On the other side of the oak door were the eyes he drank in every time he looked at her face. Win greeted him with a genuine smile and walked in.
“Latecia go to bed all right?” Win asked watching him close the door.
“Oh yeah, she was exhausted.” AJ replied shaking slightly.
“What’s the matter?” Win asked cocking her head to one side.
“It’s just that this is the first time we’ve been alone together since, well you know since when, but I’m just so glad to see you,” he said looking up from his hands. He walked to the middle of the room, looking around but really just looking for an excuse to stall. He didn’t know what to say.
“I’m happy to see you too.” She replied walking towards him. He felt scared, he didn’t know what was going to happen.
“I ordered room service, hot roast beef sandwiches with cheese, it was the closest thing to Philly Cheesestake they had, oh, and a side of fried eggplant.” AJ replied awkwardly.
“You remembered,” Win laughed.
“I can’t forget anything about you,” AJ whispered, almost not hearing the words come out of his mouth himself. He looked up at her; she was smiling at him, standing only a few feet away from him and waiting.
But he couldn’t get up the nerve to make the first move. The moment was so intense he jumped when there was a knock at the door.
“I better get that,” he said reaching into his pocket as he walked to the door.
“Room service,” the bellhop said as the door opened.
“Looks great, just put it over there.” AJ said holding open the door. The bellhop rolled the cart in where directed and went back to the door. AJ handed him a tip and the bellhop thanked him.
“Thank you sir, very much, and I know this is very rude, at this time of night, but could I get an autograph for my sister, she’s a very big fan of yours.” AJ laughed slightly.
“No, it’s not rude, I’ll start worrying when no one asks for my autograph. Hang on, let me get something,” AJ said and hurried over to his bag. He pulled out a T-shirt he’d worn on a couple different interviews.
“What’s your sister’s name?” AJ asked.
“Amber,” the bellhop replied smiling.
“All right, to Amber, one beautiful fan, yours forever, Alexander, AJ McLean. How’s that?” he asked holding the shirt out to the bellhop.
“She’ll love it, thank you so much Mr. McLean.” The bellhop replied grinning.
“No problem, and it’s AJ,” AJ replied holding out a hand to the bell hop and shaking it vigorously.
“Say, what are you and your sister doing this Saturday?” AJ asked.
“Nothing, why?”
“Bring her down here, say around eleven, we’ll be eating in the dining room. Bring her down, I’ll introduce her to all the guys and the crew. I think we can even muster up a few tickets for her and her friends for the show that night.” AJ replied.
“You’re serious?” he asked with wide eyes.
“Sure!” AJ said hitting his arm in a friendly fashion.
“This is great, I’ll make it a surprise, she’ll just die, thanks a lot sir, have a good night!” The bellhop said before walking away. AJ laughed again and closed the door.
“Now that was really sweet of you,” Win said smiling.
“Hey, what can I say, he caught me at a good moment, people can get anything they want out of me when I’m tired,” AJ replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “Let’s eat, I’m hungry.” AJ walked over to the cart, Win followed.
“They can get anything out of you when you’re tired?” Win asked.
“Yeah,” AJ replied looking over at her.
“Then there is something that I want,” Win said giving him a piercing look. He didn’t have time to respond as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight to her body. He closed his eyes and felt the emotion wash over him in one big warm wave. It felt so good to have her do that again. Tears burned in his eyes again and he couldn’t fight them. He felt the first sob come and didn’t make any effort to stop it.
“AJ, you don’t have to cry,” Win said softly clinging to him tighter. He couldn’t stop once he’d started and soon he couldn’t hold on to her, it was too much.
“Damn girl,” he said walking away and laughing as he wiped his tears away roughly, “you see what you do to me.”
“What did I do to you?” Win asked sympathetically, following him to the couch and sitting beside him.
“I’m waiting to wake up from this dream,” he said, still wiping his eyes. She put a hand on his knee and smiled.
“You are awake, it’s not a dream,” she replied squeezing his knee.
“You swear to god it’s not a dream?” he asked looking directly in her eyes.
“I swear. AJ, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things since everything happened. I tried to make a case to stay away from you. I tried to make myself believe that I could never care about you again after what you did. But it didn’t work.” Win said moving closer to him.
“But what about Nick?” AJ replied.
“We were friends, friendship can be confused with love sometimes. But a love like this, between you and me, can’t die over one thing.”
“Love?” AJ asked breathlessly.
“Yes, AJ,” Win replied warmly.
“You love me?” he asked.
“I never stopped. And that’s why it hurt so much, I tried to deny something that never waned into nothingness.” Win replied.
“So, we could, I could, Win,” AJ stammered.
“I want us to be together.” Win replied taking his hand.
“You do?”
“Yes, I do. I know that if you could you’d take back what you did, and I know that if I could I’d forget that anything happened I would.” Win replied caressing his face.
“Then you, you think, we could try being together again?” AJ asked, not daring to breathe.
“Yes, AJ, more than anything,” Win replied. He closed his eyes again and sighed deeply. The words he’d wanted to hear for so long, finally they were happening.
“AJ, AJ, are you okay?” Win asked putting her other hand his side.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” AJ said opening his eyes and trying not to cry again.
“AJ, please tell me what’s wrong,” Win asked.
“You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to here those words, I’ve just missed you so much, and I love you so much.” AJ said breaking down again.
“Come here, come here,” Win said pulling his body towards her.
“You do realize that you are the only one who can make me cry like a baby,” he said laughing. Win laughed as well.
“Come on, let’s eat something,” Win said standing up and pulling him to his feet. She wiped away some of his tears. He took hold of her waist and stared at her. She knew what he was thinking. Simultaneously their faces came together and their lips met. AJ felt his knees buckling.
“AJ, lets go to bed,” Win said after a few minutes.
“Uh huh, okay,” AJ mumbled as she pulled him by the hand towards the bedroom.
Win sat on the edge of the bed and pulled AJ down on the bed with her, guiding him because he was still nervous and shaking. She lifted his shirt off over his head and ran her hands along his arms and whispered,
“AJ, make love to me.”
“Okay,” AJ replied leaning down to kiss her again. She felt his nervousness, his body shaking, the tension in his muscles. She moved her hands as to cover as much of his skin as possible. Slowly the tension in his muscles began to subside. His lips trailed along her cheek, down her neck. He nibbled on her ear whispering,
“I love you.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
thanks for the reviews!
