FicWad

Footsteps sounded from the hallway and Tommy strode inside the living room with a fed up expression on his face. He took one look at Nikki kissing my lips and threw his hands up in the air with exasperation, "I have had it with all this drama between you two! One minute, Amy's with Vince and the next it's Amy and Nikki. Then it's back to Amy and Vince and now it's Amy and Nikki again! Can't you just make up your minds what you're gonna do with your love life?"
Nikki blushed and moved his lips away from mine, but kept a firm grip around my waist. I could feel my face reddening, and I looked at the ground. Tommy rolled his eyes and continued, "Anyways, I guess it's your guys' business and I should stay out of it since I keep telling Nikki to stay out of Amy's personal business."
Nikki smirked at Tommy and changed the subject, "So tell me, is Doug coming or what?" Tommy sighed loudly and flopped down on the chair opposite the couch we were sitting on, "Yes, he's coming. I swear to god, he's mentally impaired with directions though. He should be here in five minutes unless he gets lost again. Speaking of that, where's Mick and Vince? They really ought to be here by now." Tommy glanced at his watch impatiently.
"Mick should be here any minute," Nikki replied assuredly, "But I don't know about Vince. I suppose Amy would probably know whether or not Vince is coming though." Nikki and Tommy turned and stared at me questioningly. I looked down at my face and muttered in a small voice, "Vince isn't coming."
Tommy narrowed his eyes and cursed, "Fuck this! Amy, you're gonna have to stay away from the Crue if this kind of thing is going to keep going on. Vince isn't coming because of you, isn't he?" I blushed and nodded, unable to find my voice. Did Tommy really mean what he had just said? Was I causing that much trouble that he actually wanted me to stay away from the Crue members? The whole thing with Vince wasn't really my fault. After all, Vince had initiated the relationship and he was the one avoiding me for no good reason.
Luckily, Nikki came to my rescue, "Tommy, you can't honestly ask Amy to stay away. She's part of the Crue in a sense. It wouldn't be the same without her. Besides, you were the one calling her everyday after she left the tour, remember?" Tommy nodded and replied in an irksome tone, "Yeah, I remember. Okay, forget I said that. I'm just a little fed up right now because I just spent the last two hours trying to get Doug to follow directions. Plus neither Vince or Mick are here. It was kind of important that they met the new manager."
"Yeah, I know how you're feeling, Tommy," Nikki agreed sympathetically. "Just try to relax; it'll all me okay." Nikki went over to where Tommy was sitting and placed a hand on his arm comfortingly. It was quite obvious that Nikki and Tommy had been friends for a long time. While the two talked, I let my mind wander to what had just happened between me and Nikki. From what it looked like, Nikki was going to give me another go as his girlfriend. But the real question was, did I want to be Nikki's girlfriend?
I had been enamored by Nikki for years; that was true, but did I really want to be his girlfriend? It wasn't hard to forget all of Nikki's past girlfriends. It was the same story with each one. Nikki would date them for around a week, probably fuck them once or twice, and then ditch them and never see them again. I didn't want that to happen to me. I wanted a long, committed relationship with someone, not a one-week romance.
As I contemplated the issue at hand, the door swung open and Mick stepped inside. Instantly, my heartbeat quickened and I felt butterflies in my stomach. What was going on? Was I sick or something? Tommy glanced over at me from across the room, "Hey Ames, you feeling okay? Your face looks pale."
"I'm fine," I replied without thinking. I tried to figure out what was going on. I had felt this way before...but when was that? Mick pushed his tousled, black hair out of his face and gave me a smile. I felt my heart flutter excitedly. Finally, I was able to remember when I had felt this way before. It was the day almost a year ago now when I had met Vince for the first time. There was no mistaking the instant infatuation I had with him.
But why was I feeling this way towards Mick? I had never had feelings for Mick before. He had been a great friend to me, but there had never been anything more between us than that. I looked Mick over more carefully to try to decipher my sudden feelings for him. He was tall and slim with gorgeous gray eyes and full lips. He was most certainly good looking - that was a fact. I restrained my sudden urge to flirt with him. After all, I was already in a mess of relationships. The last thing I needed at the moment was to get tangled up in another one.
To my excitement, Mick hung up his coat and then took a seat next to me on the couch. The four of us sat in silence, waiting for Doug to reach Tommy's home. I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off Mick; I kept looking him over and wondering what he would look like beneath his thin shirt and jeans.
Mick turned to me and gave me a puzzled smile, "What's up, Amy? You keep looking at me funny." My face reddened and I stuttered, "Uh...nothing's up." Tommy exchanged a worried look with Mick. I could read his thoughts; he was worried I was going to mess up the Crue more by attempting to date Mick.
Suddenly, there was a rapping on the door. Tommy's jumped up from his chair enthusiastically and rushed over to the door, "I think it's finally them!" Nikki rolled his eyes, "It's about time." Tommy flung the door open wide. Doug and Doc entered the room and shook Tommy's hand. Doug was tall and slim with curly blonde hair while Doc was heavyset with short, brown hair.
"Come on in!" Tommy greeted as he directed them to the living room. "Let me introduce everyone. Doug and Doc, this is Mick and Nikki. Mick and Nikki, meet Doug and Doc." Doc flashed us a wide smile, "Hey everyone! It's great to meet you guys. I heard you'd like me to set up a World Tour for you guys?"
Mick nodded eagerly, "Yes, that would be great. We've already started planning it." Doug glanced around the room before his eyes paused to linger on me, "Who's the girl?" I glanced uneasily over at Tommy. I wasn't sure I liked being called "the girl." Tommy took one look at me and then replied, "Oh, that's just Amy. She helps out with the Crue. She's not a band member, but our band certainly wouldn't be the same without her."
Doug nodded without removing his eyes from me. I squirmed under his gaze and tried to hide myself behind Mick. Doug gave me a glimmer of a smile before going on, "I see. Someone's missing though. You told me you had four band members, isn't that right?" Tommy fidgeted nervously, "Um, yes, that's correct. Vince seems unable to make it today."
Doug raised and eyebrow and asked suspiciously, "Hm, that's unfortunate. I had been expecting to meet all of you today. Is there a reason why Vince is unalbe to attend our meeting?" Tommy shrugged and glanced at me for an explanation. I figured Vince was probably at the Tropicana or 7th Veil getting wasted with some chick, but of course that wasn't something I could tell Doug. Instead, I replied, "Um, I dunno where he is."
Doug gave me that same intense, unblinking stare. I dropped my eyes to the floor and prayed that he would stop looking at me. It was making me feel uncomfortable. For some crazy reason, it felt like I was invisible and he was looking straight through me to my soul. I shivered and shifted on the couch.
Tommy frowned at me, "Amy...you don't look too well. Maybe you should go?" I didn't really want to go. After all, I wanted to figure out what my status with Nikki was and I wanted to keep gazing at Mick's gorgeous body. But the way Doug was looking at me made me want to hide. Reluctantly, I stood up and took a few steps forward, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's kinda been a long day." I forced myself to smile as I turned to Doug and Doc, "It was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you as well!" Doc replied with a genuine smile. Doug on the other hand, simply nodded. Before leaving the living room, I took one last glance at Mick's face. As I took a step forward, my legs trembled violently and I toppled to the ground. My head smashed against the hard, wooden floor. Pain shot through me as I lay on the ground, completely paralyzed. I heard footsteps rushing over to me and then there was a soft voice in my ear, "Amy? Are you alright?" Slowly, I twisted myself around to see who was speaking to me. Nikki was bending over me looking very distressed.
I flinched from the pain, but attempted a smile, "Yeah, I'm okay. I just feel a little faint, that's all." Tommy laughed sarcastically, "I think you're more than a little faint, Amy. Hey Mick, why don't you help Amy to her car?" Nikki glared over at Tommy, "I can do it. I'm right here after all." Tommy shot Nikki a warning glance. I knew why Tommy didn't want Nikki to walk me outside. He was probably convinced we'd end up in a long makeout session.
Nikki made a face and retreated as Mick extended his hand to me. I took Mick's hand. It was smooth and warm. Mick helped me up and then put a hand around the lower part of my back to help support me. Mick had never touched me in this kind of way before and I felt a shiver go down my spine as we exited Tommy's banged-up home.
I leaned into Mick a little closer than necessary, and smiled up at him. As I glanced up at him, an idea suddenly ignited in my head. It was a dirty plan, but a good plan nonetheless. Mick opened my car door for me and I slid in carefully. Before Mick could leave, I quickly burst out, "Hey Mick...would you like to do something with me tonight?"
Mick's eyes widened in confusion, "'Do something?' What do you mean by that?" I felt beads of sweat on my neck as I thought about how to answer his question. Before I could answer, Tommy stuck his head out the front door and gave Mick a meaningful look, "Mick, what are you doing out there? We need your opinion on when the tour should start!" Mick nodded and yelled to Tommy, "I'll be right there!" Then he turned back to me and said in a softer tone, "Why don't I call you after the meeting is over? It sounds like Tommy's a little anxious in there."
I nodded, glad that I wouldn't have to answer Mick's earlier question, "Sure, that sounds great. Talk to you in a little bit then?" Mick grinned, "Yep!" I watched Mick retrace his steps and disappear into Tommy's living room. I sighed with relief as I turned the car around and headed back home. That hadn't gone too badly with Mick. He hadn't said yes, but at least he hadn't said no. Plus he had even agreed to call me! I reached inside my purse and turned the volume on my phone to level eight. I wasn't taking any changes that I would miss Mick's call.
As soon as I reached home, I popped excitedly out of the car and began to run towards the front door. All my feelings of dizziness earlier where replaced by euphoria. I whipped open the front door and skipped up my stairs to my room. After I had securely locked the door to my room, I rummaged around in my closet to try to find a perfect dress. If Mick happened to agree to go on a date with me tonight, I wanted to look my best. A few minutes later, I found the perfect dress. It was a strapless, shimmery black dress with a dangerously short skirt. I was going to go for the sexy, seductive look tonight.
Carefully, I removed the dress from my closet and stripped my jeans and sweatshirt off. I slid the satiny dress over my body and took a look in the mirror. The dress fit me perfectly. I smiled in the mirror and was about to go into the bathroom to redo my hair when the ringing of my phone sounded from across the room. Diving over to my bed, I snatched up the phone and said in a breathless voice, "Hello?" To my delight, Mick's deep voice replied, "Hey. This is Amy, isn't?"
"Yeah," I agreed cheerfully. I could feel my heart doing somersaults at the sound of Mick's voice. God, I was such a sucker for hot guys! Mick replied, "You know how you asked if I wanted to do something earlier? Well, what exactly did you have in mind?" Even though my heart was racing with excitement, I tried to keep my tone casual and easygoing, "Hm...I'm not sure. Maybe we could go to the 7th Veil? I heard it was a pretty nice club." There was a short pause on the other side of the phone. I held my breath, praying for Mick to answer me with a yes.
"Are you sure you want to go...with me?" Mick asked hesitantly. "It's not like we've ever done anything together before." Quickly, I answered, "Of course I want to go with you! I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to go with you."
"True," Mick agreed with a little laugh. "Well, I'd love to take you if you're sure you want to go. What time do you want me to pick you up? It's nine right now." Mick had said yes! Unable to keep my pleasure inside, I did a little dance around my room.
"I'm ready to go whenever you are. Want to go in an hour or so?" I suggested excitedly.
"That sounds great," Mick replied agreeably. "I'll be over in an hour. Seeya then!" With that said, Mick disconnected. Elated, I skipped into the bathroom to redo my hair. So far, my plan was going exactly as I had planned.



Forty-five minutes later, I perched on the edge of my couch to wait for Mick to pick me up. I had just had a complete makeover. My hair had been curled, my nails painted, and my makeup refreshed. I could only hope that Mick found me as attractive as I found him to be. Suddenly, a voice from behind me asked, "So where are you going like that?"
I clenched my teeth with annoyance; it was just like my mom to need to know exactly where I was going and what I was doing. Couldn't she just fuck off for once? Vexed, I turned around to face my mom, "I'm just going out on a little date, mom. No big deal, okay?" My mom squinted at me suspiciously. It was obvious she didn't believe me when I said it was "no big deal."
"You're all dressed up. I haven't seen you look like that before..." my mom glanced at my tight-fitting, low cut dress with disgust. "Can't you wear something a little more modest?" I groaned and refrained from rolling my eyes, "Mom, I'm going on a fancy date. This is the only thing I have that looks okay. Just deal with it, okay?"
"Fine," my mom asked exasperatedly as she took a seat next to me on the couch. I glared over at her, "What are you doing?" She shot me a sly smile, "Why, I'm waiting to meet your date of course!" Crap! The last thing I needed was for my mom to scare Mick away. My mom never liked any of my boyfriends, no doubt she would just hate Mick as much as the previous ones. I felt like lashing out against my mom, but decided against it. I had argued with her enough for one day.
"So," my mom continued after a short stretch of silence, "What's this one's name?" As politely as I could, I answered, "Mick Mars." Just as I got the words out, our doorbell sounded. I jumped to my feet, "Here he is now!" I raced across the room and whipped the front door open. To my annoyance, my mom followed right behind me.
Mick stood in the doorway looking handsome in a black coat and black pants, "Hey there, Amy. Is this your mom?" Mick smiled respectfully at my mom and extended a hand out to her in greeting. I watched my mom look Mick up and down. I wanted her to like Mick or at least tolerate him more than anything.
After a short moment, my mom took Mick's hand and smiled gracefully, "It's nice to meet you, Mick. You can call me Tina. It's nice to see that my daughter has such good taste in guys!" I looked over at my mom in surprise. This had been the first time my mom had ever complemented any of my boyfriends. Could it be that she actually approved of Mick?
Mick blushed at my mom's comment, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her tonight." My mom nodded at him approvingly, "I'm sure you will. Well, off you two go! Have fun tonight." My mom gave me a little push towards the door. Mick waved good-bye at my mom as I joined him outside and pulled the door shut behind me.
As soon as we were outside together, Mick took my hand into his and led me towards his red truck. As we walked hand in hand, I exclaimed, "Wow, Mick, you must have the perfect touch! My mom absolutely loved you! She usually hates any guy I bring into the house." Mick laughed, "I'm glad she approved."
I swung myself into the passenger seat of Mick's truck as Mick started up the engine. As we pulled out of my driveway, Mick turned to me and questioned, "So have you ever been to the 7th Veil before?" I shook my head, "No, I haven't. How about you?" Mick also shook his head, "Nope. I've heard a lot about it from Nikki and Vince though. By the way...you look really good tonight." Mick's eyes wandered over my bare shoulders and lingered on my cleavage.
I blushed, "Thanks. You look really great too." Mick laughed, "That's nice of you to say, but I don't think so." The two of us continued making small talk until we arrived at the 7th Veil about fifteen minutes later. The 7th Veil was very similar to the Tropicana. As a matter of fact, in my eyes, it looked exactly the same besides for the fact that it was about half the size of the Tropicana. Mick parked near the doorway and quickly ran around the car to open my door. I took his hand and jumped down from the car seat. The two of us wandered through the doorway and were suddenly immersed in a completely different world.
Raucous, head-banging music met our ears. The lighting was dimmed so we were cast into a darkened world. Mick and I peered around to try to find an empty table. Well, Mick looked for an empty table. I was busy stalking someone. After a few minutes of searching the crowd, I finally found the familiar blonde-haired figure I had been looking for.
"Hey Mick," I said to get his attention, "Why don't we sit over here?" I pointed over at the table next to the blonde-haired man. Mick nodded amiably, "Sure, why not?" The two of us pushed our way through the crowd until we reached the table I had selected. Mick pulled out a chair for me. I sat down in it. Luckily, the seat gave me a perfect view of the blonde man and his date. Mick turned to me, "Why don't I go get us some drinks? What do you want?"
"Hm, I dunno...a margarita maybe?" I smiled up at Mick gratefully. Mick returned the smile, "Alright. I'll be right back then." As soon as Mick had left, I leaned close to the table next to me to try to make out the blonde man's date. She looking irksomely familiar. There was just something about her pin-straight brown hair and tanned skin. All of the sudden, my eyes widened in horror; it was none other than Jessica! This is where Vince Neil had been all the last few nights; here at the 7th Veil with Jessica!
I was lucky that the lightning was so dim otherwise Jessica most certainly would've recognized me by now. I watched in a sickened trance as Jessica stood up and slid onto Vince's lap. Vince pulled her against him and stroked his hands over her breasts. He whispered something into her ear and she laughed lightly. Before I knew it, the two were kissing with their lips glued tightly together. I was so bewitched by the scene in front of me that I was shocked when Mick called my name, "Amy?"
I whirled around and found Mick giving me an awkward look. Taking a deep breath, I apologized, "Sorry, Mick, I guess I was just zoning out..." I trailed off as Mick looked at the couple next to us. I could see the recognition dawning in his eyes as he opened his mouth, "Hey Amy, isn't that Vince other there? Why don't we go other and say hi?"
"No!" I replied a little too quickly. Mick gave me a funny look. I tried to make up for my error, "I mean, how about not right now? I just don't feel like talking to him right now. You don't mind, do you?" Mick nodded understandingly, "Not at all. I would never make you uncomfortable." Mick and I took a sip of our drinks. I could feel the cool liquid trickle down my throat; how refreshing!
"I don't mean to pry," Mick started hesitantly, "But do you mind telling me what happened to you and Vince? Last I knew, you two were still in love." I shot a dirty look at the two lovers next to us before replying, "I'm not quite sure what happened to tell the truth. One day Vince was in love with me, and then the next day he was with...this girl." I pointed over at Jessica.
"He didn't even bother breaking up with you?" Mick asked in surprise. I shook my head, "Nope. You see, I'd like a lover more than anything. But the thing is, I want someone who's gonna stay committed to me and take me seriously. Vince and Nikki...well...they don't seem to take girls seriously. Do you know what I mean?"
Mick nodded thoughtfully as he took another sip of his drink, "I know exactly what you mean. Girls have feelings, but Vince and Nikki treat them like they're emotionless dolls." I watched Mick thoughtfully as he took another swig of his drink. I wondered if there was a possibility that Mick could get drunk.
"Amy...why did you invite me here with you tonight?" Mick asked straightforwardly. I was taken aback by the questioned and stuttered for a few moments before answering, "Well...I really like you, Mick. You're a great guy and you really seem to understand me. I think...I might love you." My cheeks reddened and I waited for Mick to respond. Half of me thought he might laugh at me or call me a freak. But when Mick finally responded, his voice was sincere and gentle, "I was hoping you'd say that."
Mick leaned across the table towards me. Ever so slowly, I leaned towards him. Now only inches apart, we gazed into each other's eyes. In Mick's gray ones, I could see excitement and apprehension. In a rush, Mick closed the gap between us and took my lips into his with a soft kiss.
As the two of us kissed, I shuffled sideways in my chair and kicked Vince's leg. Startled, Vince spun around and glanced around the room to see what had hit him. It didn't take long before his eyes locked onto our table. Vince's eyes opened wide with shock as he took in the scene of Mick and me kissing ever so softly. Vince met my eyes and dropped his beer bottle as if an electric current had hit him, "My fucking god, is that you, Amy?"
A loud smash sounded as Vince's glass bottle smashed onto the ground and broke into a thousand tiny pieces. I pulled my foot away from the shattered glass in disgust and fixed Vince with a hard stare, "Yes, of course it's me. Who else do you think I am?" Jessica had jumped off Vince's lap when he had dropped his beer bottle, and was gazing at me in surprise. With a sickly sweet smile, she said, "Why hello there, Amy! I didn't expect to see you here tonight."
"Nor did I expect to see you," I muttered backed, still keeping my eyes glued on Vince. Vince looked completely lost for words. He seemed unable to look away from me and Mick. Finally, he found his voice and said in a weak tone, "W-what are you doing here?" I rolled my eyes and gave Vince a patronizing look, "What does it look like I'm doing here?"
"You and Mick are...?" Vince trailed off, glancing between the two of us in shock. I wanted him to finish the sentence. Most of all, I wanted to cause him pain. He had sliced my heart in half and now he needed to pay.
"Mick and I are what?" I insisted. Vince gulped nervously, "You and Mick are going out?" I rolled my eyes; sometimes Vince could be so stupid, "Of course Mick and I are going out! What does it look like we're doing?" Several emotions flickered across Vince's face. I could see hurt, surprise, and anger. I expected Vince to leave with Jessica. After all, I knew just how much Vince hated to be in awkward situations. So I was completely taken aback when Vince did the opposite.
Vince stood up from his chair and crossed the space between us with one step. He leaned down and grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look him right in the eye. Vince's cheeks were red, beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead, and he was breathing hard. I couldn't help but wonder how much he had been drinking.
Without warning, Vince began shaking my shoulders viciously, "How dare you do something like this to me, Amy? I trusted you." Vince's words came out in one long slur. I could feel his hot, heavy breath on face. I tried to pull away from him with disgust, but he only gripped me harder. Jessica was watching the scene from a distance with a worried expression on her face.
"Um, Vince?" she started cautiously, "Maybe it's time we go now?" Vince completely ignored Jessica and continued to search my face. His eyes were blurry and unfocused; he was obviously wasted. Attempting to escape, I twisted away from and tried to squirm free of his excruciating grip. Sensing that I was trying to get away, Vince help me tighter. I could feel his long fingernails digging into my skin. A little cry of pain escaped my lips.
"Be quiet!" Vince commanded, "you deserve pain." Vince was beyond reasoning with. He had lost all sense of what was going on. All he could feel was anger at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but my words never left my lips. For at that moment, Vince raised a fist and punched me between my nose and my mouth. Unable to resist, I screamed as his fist smashed against me.
Mick quickly rose from his seat and rushed to my side faster than the speed of light. Mick put a protective hand around my shoulder and glared at Vince, "Listen to me, Vince, you need to get home. And if you ever touch Amy again, you're gonna have me to reckon with." The two glowered at each other for a long moment.
I cautiously put a hand up to touch my face. When I brought my hand away, it was covered with fresh, sticky blood. I must have a nose bleed. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice from across the room called out, "What's going on over there?" Mick, Vince, and I all glanced towards the voice. To my surprise, several pairs of eyes were staring at us. Until then, I had been completely unaware that we had been causing such a big commotion!
With one last icy stare, Vince released my shoulders and was quickly lost in the crowd of the 7th Veil. That was typical of Vince; he would disappear as soon as he thought he might be getting into trouble. Jessica stared uncertainly after him as if she was unsure of whether or not to follow him.
By that time, the woman who had called out to us earlier had approached our table. She took one look at the smashed glass on the ground and shook her head with disapproval. Turning to Mick, she asked, "Did you see who did this?" Mick nodded. The woman gave him an impatient look, "Well? Who was it then?" Mick shifted uncomfortably as if unsure as to whether or not he was suppose to tattletale on Vince. Finally, in a low voice, he replied, "Um...Vince Neil."
"Hm," the woman replied. She gazed around the scene until her eyes came to rest on me. With a little gasp, she uttered, "What the hell happened to her?" I frowned; I didn't look that bad, did I?
"Vince hit her," Mick answered. I turned away from the woman's gaze; I hated it when people gaped at me. Mick picked up a napkin from the table and pressed it between my lip and my nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The woman sighed, "This Vince person sounds like quite a character. Are you going to be alright there, girl?"
It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me. Without speaking, I simply nodded. I hated it when people turned things like this into such a big deal. It was nothing really, just a little blood.
As soon as the woman had left, Mick turned to me with a rueful expression, "We should probably head back to your home now, Amy. Your nose bleed has stopped for the most part, but I want to make sure no serious damage was done." I frowned with disappointment. It felt like our date had just begun. I wanted to spend more time with Mick. After all, we had only arrived forty-five minutes ago. Reluctantly, I nodded, "Well, okay. Promise me we'll go out again soon though?"
Mick grinned, stood up, and extended his hand out to me to help me up, "Of course we can go out again soon. Well, as long as you want to, that is." With a spring in my step, I took Mick's hand and followed him out the door. As soon as we were outside in the moonlight, I turned to him, "You know Mick, I had a really great time with you even though it didn't last too long. You're so different than anyone else I've ever been with before." Shyly, I stood on my tiptoes and caught Mick's lower lip in mine for a quick kiss. After a few seconds of enjoying the feeling of my lips in between his, I drew away from him and peered up at his face to see how he would respond. I still felt a little shy around Mick; I didn't know him as well as any of the other Crue members.
Mick smiled down at me, "It's crazy because I barely know you, and yet I feel like I love you more than any other girl I've met before." I blushed as the two of us meandered back to Mick's truck. Neither of us seemed to be in any hurry to get back to my house despite the fact that blood was still trickling from my nose.
As the two of us drove back to my home, Mick turned to me with a serious expression, "Amy, I need to talk to you about Vince. You may not like to hear it, but you need to listen to me, alright?" I was taken slightly aback by his change in demeanor. Why would Mick want to talk to be about Vince? I shrugged and waited for Mick to continue.
Mick took a deep breath before recommencing, "Vince used to be your lover. I know he had feelings for you, and I'm almost positive you had feelings for him. Am I right about that?"
I paused momentarily, unsure of how to respond. It was most definitely true that I had feelings for Vince. I had loved him more than anyone or anything. Was it okay to tell that to Mick? After all, Vince was in my past now and Mick was my new lover. I didn't want to make Mick feel slighted or jealous.
In a cautious voice I replied, "Um...well I did have feelings for him before, yeah." Mick nodded as if he had expected me to say that. I sighed with relief that he hadn't acted angry at all.
"I know you used to love Vince, Amy, but I'm gonna have to ask you to stay away from him. I'm sorry, Amy, but I don't trust him. He's got a terrible alcohol addiction problem. He can be dangerous too. I saw the way he slapped you tonight; if you two had been alone he could've hurt you much worse. Also, I hate to bring this up, but didn't Vince try to rape you at the Tropicana a while back?" Mick inquired. I remembered that night from the Tropicana all too well. With a little shiver, I replied, "Yeah, he did."
Mick pulled into my driveway, but didn't turn the car off. He gently put a hand under my chin and gazed at me passionately, "Promise me you'll stay away from him, Amy? Please? For my sake?" Gazing into Mick's eyes, I knew I could never refuse him anything, "I promise. Happy now?" As soon as the words had left my mouth, an uneasy feeling filled my stomach. It was one thing to give a promise, but a completely different thing to actually keep a promise. Would I be able to keep my promise to Mick? Vince and I always seemed to have an awfully hard time staying away from each other.
Mick finally turned off the car and suddenly cursed, "Damn, your nose is still bleeding!" I frowned, "Can we see if we can get it to stop? My mom won't be too happy if she sees me coming home from a date with a nose bleed." Mick tore of his black coat and pressed it against my nose for two, long minutes. When he brought the coat away, it was shimmered crimson. Mick leaned back to take a good look at me.
"That's better!" he commented triumphantly. "You're no longer bleeding. Want me to walk you inside your house?" I nodded eagerly. I wanted to spend as much time with Mick as possible before he had to leave. Mick and took my hand, and the two of us entered my home. To my displeasure, my mom was sitting on the couch reading a book.
She glanced up as soon as we entered, "Hello again, Mick! Did you two have a nice time tonight?" I hid behind Mick in case there were any signs of blood still on me. Mick gave my mother a gracious smile, "Yes, we did. Thanks for asking. I'm just gonna walk Amy upstairs and then I'll be off." My mom nodded approvingly, "Sounds good!"
Mick and I walked up the two flights of the stairs before reaching my room. I held the door open for Mick and carefully locked it behind him. The two of us sank down on the bed and exchanged amorous glances. No words were necessary. Mick slid his arms around my chest and pressed his lips against my mouth. My lips eagerly took his between mine and we exchanged soft, tender kisses. Kissing Mick was so much different than kissing Vince. Mick was so gentle with me...unlike Vince.
Adrenaline started racing through my veins and I felt an urge to strip Mick down and beg him to stay with me tonight. But of course, that was impossible with my mother in the house. After several more kisses, Mick finally forced himself away from me, "If I kiss you anymore, I'll end up going a lot farther with you than I should."
"Aw, okay," I replied. The two of us stood up and I walked Mick to the door. We exchanged one last goodnight kiss before Mick said, "Sleep well, Amy. I really do love you." With that, he shut my door softly behind him and was gone. I lay back on my bed, going over the night in my head. In reality, this had been one of the best nights of my life.



Ten o clock the next morning found me still buried underneath my bed covers. Light streamed into my room from my open windows. Annoyed, I flipped onto my left side so I was facing the wall. I really didn't want to get up right now. For some reason, I felt fatigued and my nose ached slightly from Vince's pummel last night.
Suddenly, a loud knock sounded from outside my bedroom door, "Amy?" my mom called loudly. I frowned; what did my mom need so early in the morning? Surely it could wait! Irked, I pulled the covers tightly over my head and ignored my mom. To my vexation, the knocking continued, "Amy! There's someone here to see you."
My heartbeat started racing; Mick must be here to see me! Now fully awake, I jumped out of bed and started rummaging through my drawers to find the perfect outfit. I called back to my mom, "I'm getting dressed right now. I'll be ready in just a second." My mom sighed, "Okay, just hurry up."
I quickly selected some tight jeans and a strapless top that would expose most of my cleavage. Sexiness was a key aspect in attracting a man. I stripped out of my pajamas and carelessly threw them under the bed. They could be taken care of later. All that matter now was looking my best for Mick. After I pulled on the tank and jeans, I ripped a brush through my hair and took a quick glimpse in the mirror. I didn't look my best as I had just gotten up, but I didn't look horrid either.
After taking a calming breath, I walked over to my bedroom door and yanked it open. To my complete shock, I found myself face to face with Vince Neil. He was standing in my doorway biting on his lip nervously. My eyes focused in on his full lips. It would be so easy to reach forward and take them in my mouth. Just one lick couldn't hurt right?
I felt like slapping myself; what the hell was I doing? Vince was no longer my lover. Remembering my promise to Mick, I could a step backwards and slammed the door in Vince's face, "Vince, you and I are over. For the love of god, just leave me alone!"


I plopped down onto my bed and sighed miserably. I had been hoping so much that Mick had come to bring me on another date. The last thing I wanted was to be confronted by Vince. Mick was right; Vince was acting very unpredictable and there was no knowing what he might do to me. Taking a deep breath, I crossed my fingers and hoped that Vince would just leave. Of course, I was not that lucky because another knock sounded on my door.
"Amy? Can't you let me in? I really need to talk to you," Vince pleaded from outside my locked door. Through clenched teeth, I hissed, "No, I can't let you in. There's nothing to say. Besides, I'm keeping a promise." There was a short silence before Vince asked curiously, "Promise? What promise?"
I was getting fed up with Vince. There was no reason that he should be here. Annoyed, I replied, "It's not any of your fucking business, bastard. Can't you just go away now?" A new voice called from the living room, "Amy, just let the guy in for god's sake! I'm trying to get some peace and quiet down here. If you need to argue, do it in your room so I don't have to listen to it." That was definitely my mom. Annoyed, I stomped over to my bedroom door and threw the door open.
Vince gave me a satisfied grin and stepped inside my cluttered room. I blushed as I gazed around the bedroom, wishing I had thought to clean earlier. But did it really matter what Vince thought of my room? Maybe the mess would scare him away!
"So," Vince stated as he took a seat on the edge of my bed, "What was all of that drama about last night?" I frowned at Vince, unsure of what he meant, "What do you mean by 'drama'? You were the one who caused the drama, not me." Vince chewed his lip nervously, "Look, what I did with Jessica doesn't matter. Can't we just forget it and go back to how things used to be between us? I'm truly sorry. I didn't know you'd be so offended."
How in the world could Vince expect me to forget this? God, the man just didn't get it! Trying to keep my temper under control, I replied, "What you did with Jessica does matter. Well, it matters to me anyways. Besides, you've changed lately, Vince. You've been drinking like crazy and you're not your usual self. I don't want to be around you when you're like this."
A hurt expression crossed Vince's face and he stood up and started walking towards me. Nervously, I started backing up. I shot Vince a warning look that meant "back off"! Vince must have taken the hint because he sighed and collapsed back down on my bed. Finally he continued, "It's just some things going on at home, Amy. None of it has to do with you. I can try to stop drinking less if you want." I grimaced, "Vince, I don't care what the hell you do with your life! Just stay out of mine, okay?"
"But my life isn't complete with you in it," Vince protested, "You and I both know we need each other. Just admit you love me. You know you do." Damn, Vince was tempting me. It was hard to resist being lured into his trap. As a matter of fact, it took every ounce of my willpower to keep me from dropping to my knees in front of him and begging him to make love to me.
In a somewhat softer tone, I said, "I do love you, but we can't be together. You have Beth Lynn and all your girlfriends that you fuck every over night. Besides, I could never be with a man who hits me." I pointed to my left cheek. The skin there was black and blue from Vince's punch last night. A guilty expression crossed Vince's face as he focused in on my cheek, "I never meant to hurt you. I guess I was just a little out of control. It won't happen again. That I can promise. Come on, Amy, if you love me you can surely find room in your heart to forgive me, can't you?"
Vince was making this so hard for me. I didn't want him to beg for forgiveness from me. All I wanted was for him to admit that he had moved on and that he no longer had any interest in me. With a sad smile, I replied, "Sure, I can forgive you. But we're going to be nothing more than friends from now on."
Vince frowned, "I could never just be friends with you. I want you to be mine. I don't want you to be some distant friend. You need a lover, don't you?" Vince must be blind. Had he forgotten that I had been to the 7th Veil with Mick?
"Not anymore," I replied with a little smile. "I'm with Mick now. Please don't tell me you forgot that already." Vince leaned against my wall and surveyed my face carefully. After a few moments, he answered, "No, I didn't forget. I know you don't really love Mick though. You were only doing it to get back at me. You're easy to read, Amy."
My temper flamed up inside me; how dare Vince suggest that I was using Mick? Indignantly, I shot back, "Of course I didn't ask Mick out just to get back at you. I'm not nearly that selfish. As a matter of fact, I'm going out with Mick again soon. Like I've been trying to tell you, we're over now. Our relationship is history."
Vince eyed me carefully from the bed. I could see several expressions flash across his face, but I couldn't seem to be able to identify any of them. I tapped my foot impatiently, hoping Vince would just leave now.
In a sudden motion, Vince slid off my bed and crossed the space between us in less than two strides. He grabbed my shoulders violently and pressed me up against the wall so I was forced to look into his irresistible blue eyes. I could feel his breath on my face and his light blonde hair tickling my cheek.
"Vince...what are you doing?" I whispered at him, searching his face. I could feel my willpower start to decrease. The closer I got to Vince, the more I wanted him. Being alone with Vince was hard for me, but being this close to Vince gave me chills down my spine. Vince slid his lips next to my ear and whispered back, "I'm going to teach you to love me since you don't think you can."
Faster than the speed of sound, Vince whipped his hands under my shirt and tugged my pants down. He pushed down my panties and slipped his hand in between my legs. A gasp escaped my lips and I tried to pull away from Vince. To my disgust, I started to drip onto Vince's finger, "Damnit, Vince! Just let me go!" Vince squinted at me, "Not just yet. Not until I get my fill of you." His breath was hot and sticky on my face. In a wild movement, I broke away from him and stumbled across the floor.
Unfortunately, I landed on a stray book lying on the floor and tripped. I landed with a thud on my back. A short burst of pain shot through my skull and I lay on the ground paralyzed for a few seconds too many. Vince took advantage of my prone position and dropped down on top of me. His hands worked quickly as he stripped the rest of me down.
I wanted to scream, but was unable to because Vince's mouth was locked down on mine. Fear crept through me. I was unable to deny the fact that I wanted Vince to make love to me, but I didn't want him to fuck me when he was still hungover. I tried to plead with my eyes to Vince to stop, but he seemed oblivious to my pleas. My mind spun as I tried to think of a way to escape. But deep in my soul, I knew it was useless. Vince would get what he wanted. I was much too weak to resist him.
Suddenly, a loud knock sounded from the door and my mother's voice called anxiously, "Amy? What are you two doing in there? You aren't fighting are you? I heard a loud bang from downstairs. Can I come in?" Vince gave a terrified look towards the door and released my mouth so I was allowed to speak.
"Uh...we're just...talking," I stuttered in a weakened voice. Even to my own ears, my excuse sounded like a lie. My mom's voice replied, "Hm. Well, let me come in, will you?" I tried to think of a good excuse to not let her in. There was no fucking way she was coming in right now when I was mostly stripped down.
"We're fine. There's no need to come in. Just go downstairs and relax," I replied in a slightly steadier tone. I had tried to sound reassuring, but I knew I had failed miserably at that. A long silence fell and then my mom sighed, "Alright. But I want you and Vince downstairs in ten minutes. Someone was on the phone for you, Amy." My heart skipped a beat and in an elated voice I inquired, "Who was it? Mick?"
"Come downstairs and see for yourself," my mom grumbled as she retreated down the stairs. I sighed with relief; thank god she hadn't decided to unlock the door and let herself in. As soon as the sound of her footsteps disappeared, I yanked my bra and shirt back on and searched the room for Vince.
He was sitting on my bed with his head in his hands. My heart went out to him and I cautiously took a seat next to him, "Vince?" He glanced up at me with a miserable expression, "I'm sorry, Amy. I just can't control myself around you..." As crazy as it was, I found that I forgave him. I placed a hand on his arm, "It's okay. Just forget it. But Vince, this needs to be it. We can't be alone together anymore. I'm serious."
Vince frowned, "But I want you. I know I'm hungover right now...but can't we talk about this tomorrow or some other time when I'm back to normal?" Sadly, I shook my head, "No, we can't. You're as much as a temptation for me as I am to you. We've gotta learn to go on with our lives and forget the past."
"Can't you just let me love you for one night?" Vince pleaded with innocent puppy eyes. God, Vince could be so persuasive! Without meeting his eyes, I replied, "No, I can't. I need a long-term relationship with someone. I don't just want to be fucked one night and then be forgotten. I know that's not how you see things, but it's what I want."
Vince did look puzzled. In a confused tone he asked, "But I wouldn't forget you..." Ugh, Vince just wasn't getting my point. Irritably, I continued, "Regardless, I'm with Mick now. It wouldn't be fair of me to cheat on him. I, unlike some people, actually stay loyal to my lover." A pained look crossed Vince's face and I could see a flash of anger in his eyes.
"You know, I think I know what your problem is," Vince accused with a sly smile on his face. I didn't like the way he said that I had a problem. There was absolutely nothing wrong with me! He was the one who was cheating on his wife and taking heaps of drugs. How could he possibly say I had a problem?
Vince smiled at my speechlessness and continued, "You're afraid of sex, aren't you, Amy? That's why you won't let any guy fuck you. And that's why you're still a virgin even though you're halfway through college." I blushed furiously; I was already embarrassed as it was to be a virgin, I didn't need Vince to make an even bigger deal out of it.
"That isn't at all true," I slashed back at Vince furiously. "Damn, when has being a virgin become a crime? I'm just waiting until I find the right guy. Is that really a problem?" Vince stood up and crossed the room with a patronizing expression on his face. With a little smile, he said, "That's gonna be never, Amy. I'll bet you ten thousand dollars that you'll still be a virgin by the end of the year." I let out a derisive laugh.
"Vince, you don't have a dime to spare! How can you possibly be trying to make a bet with me when you're broke?" I accused. Vince merely shrugged, "I'll find the money by this time next year. So how about it? Wanna make the bet?"
I couldn't decide whether or not to make the bet. Ten thousand dollars would be nice, but most likely Vince wouldn't have the money even by this time next year. But on the other hand, I was tired of being the "good girl" and it was about time I had sex with some guy. Finally, I nodded, "Alright." I crossed the room and took Vince's outstretched hand. After shaking hands to confirm the bet, Vince stepped out of my room, "You just lost yourself ten thousand dollars, girl. Now I'm gonna have to stay away from you. Seeya later honey!" And with that, Vince disappeared down the stairs.
I sank back down on my bed and shook my head with distress. It had been stupid of me to make the bet with Vince. I was already regretting it. How in the world was I going to find my soul mate in the next year?



Two hours later, I was still sitting on my bed doing absolutely nothing. I was feeling tired for absolutely no good reason. I knew I should do something, but what exactly was I suppose to do? Part of me felt like calling Mick. More than anything I wanted to go on another date with him. But I didn't want to seem pushy. Wasn't the guy usually suppose to ask the girl out? A
As I debated as to whether or not to call Mick, I suddenly remembered that my mom had told me that someone had called me earlier. Suddenly motivated, I jumped of my bed and streaked down the stairs to the living room. My mom was lounging on our dark burgundy couch reading a thick novel. As soon as she saw me, she set her novel aside and turned to face me, "So are you gonna tell me what you and Vince were doing earlier?"
I rolled my eyes impatiently, "We were just discussing something. So who called earlier? Did they leave a message?" My mom gave me a crafty grin, "They did. But you don't get to hear it until you tell me what you and Vince were discussing." I exhaled loudly; sometimes my mom could be so nosy!
"Remember how I told you that Vince use to be my boyfriend? Well we both decided to go separate ways. Okay, can I hear my message now?" I asked anxiously. My mom scrutinized me as if trying to detect whether or not I was lying. Finally, she handed me a slip of paper and replied, "Here's your friend's number. She said the phone call was urgent and that you should call her right away." Her? What friends did I have that were girls?
Instantly, I ran into the kitchen and punched the unfamiliar numbers into my cell phone. After only two rings, a familiar female voice said, "Hello?" Still unsure of who I was talking to, I replied, "Um, hi. This is Amy. You called me earlier?"
"Oh hi Amy!" the voice on the phone said with relief. "This is Beth Lynn. Is there anyway you can come over to my house this afternoon? I hope you're not busy. This is rather urgent and I really do need to talk to you."
"Yeah, I can come over," I replied. "How about I come over in five minutes? Wait...is Vince home?" Beth Lynn gave a nervous laugh from the other side of the phone, "Nope. Five minutes is great, see you then." I slapped my phone shut and grabbed my purse as I headed to the door.
I was completely bewildered; what would Beth Lynn want with me? We hadn't seen each other for months. I wondered what could be so urgent. After sliding on my shoes, I stepped out the door and yelled a quick good bye to my mom. She merely grunted as I slammed the door behind me and rushed over to the car door.
Just as I was about to start the car, my phone started ringing again. This time, I knew better than to hope that it was Mick. Most likely it would be Beth Lynn. I flicked open the phone, "Hello?"



"Hey Amy, it's Mick," the voice on the other side of the phone answered. My heart skipped a beat; it was finally Mick! In a rather flustered voice, I replied, "Hey Mick! What's up?" As I sat in my jetta, I crossed my fingers and hoped with all my might that Mick was going to invite me on a date.
"Not much really," Mick replied. "I'm pretty bored actually. There's not much to do around here. So I was thinking, do you want to go see a movie or something with me now if you're not busy?" My heart sank; I had to go to Beth Lynn's right now. Part of me wanted to cancel on Beth Lynn and go on the date with Mick. After all, Mick was my boyfriend and he deserved top priority in my life. But I had already committed myself to Beth Lynn and she had said that she needed to talk to me about an urgent matter.
"I'd love to go, but I was actually just going other to Beth Lynn's house," I apologized sadly. In a suspicious tone, Mick replied, "Wait, so you're going to Vince's house? I thought you were going to stay away from him. I don't really approve of you going over there." I bit my lip uncomfortably, "He's not home right now. Beth said he was out doing something. Don't worry; I'll be fine."
"Hm," Mick muttered concisely. I had a bad feeling that he thought I was going to Beth Lynn's house to see Vince. How could I make him see that I didn't want to be involved with Vince anymore? In a pleading tone, I begged, "Mick, I'm not going over to see Vince if that's what you're thinking. I love you; not him, okay?"
"Well...alright," Mick replied. There was a short silence, and then Mick said in a somewhat more cheerful voice, "Doc McGee, our new manager, wants the Crue to come to Vegas to see visit his organization. I think it's called McGee Entertainment Inc. He's sending a private plane over to Nikki's house tomorrow morning so we can go over there and check out his business. Want to come with us? I'd love it if you could come."
My disappointment from a moment before was quickly replaced by exhilaration. I had always wanted to visit Las Vegas! Going there with Mick for a few days would be like a dream vacation. Doc McGee also managed a few other bands; maybe I would have the chance to meet some of the members from those bands too!
"I'd love to come," I exclaimed excitedly to Mick. "This will be so much fun! So what time should I be at Nikki's tomorrow?" Mick thought for a moment before replying, "Probably around ten am or so should be good. We're leaving at ten-thirty, but I don't want to take any chances that you'd miss the flight in case we leave early. Does that work for you?"
"Yeah, of course it does," I answered happily, bouncing up and down in my seat. "I can't wait to leave! Seeya tomorrow, Mick!" I was just about to flip my phone shut, when Mick's voice stopped me, "Um, Amy?" I pressed the phone back to my ear, unsure of what else Mick could want, "Yeah? Is there something else?"
"Sorta," Mick started hesitantly. "Be careful at Vince's, okay? I'm gonna worry about you." I couldn't help but give a little smile; Mick was so sweet! In what I hoped was a reassuring voice, I replied, "I'll be careful. But like I said earlier, Vince isn't even going to be there. I'll be just fine. Seeya tomorrow then? I love you."
"Sure. I'll see you then! I'm sending you a kiss through the phone," Mick told me. I couldn't help but laugh at Mick's comment before I snapped my phone shut. Finally, I started the car and pulled out of the driveway. Unable to keep my excitement inside, I turned the radio up loud and started singing along. I had dreamed about going to Vegas since I was a little girl and now my dream was finally coming true! Tomorrow just couldn't come soon enough.
About fifteen minutes later, I pulled into Beth Lynn's familiar driveway. I couldn't remember the last time I had been here. Vince had rarely invited me over to his home. It was much too awkward for him to have me over when Beth Lynn was around. A wave of apprehension washed over me as I parked the car and started up the driveway to Beth Lynn's front door. I hoped nothing was seriously wrong. Even though I was excited about going to Vegas, I felt my heart damped nervously as I rapped on the large, oak doorway. Hopefully this meeting wouldn't take too long.
Only a few minutes later, the door shifted open just a crack and Beth Lynn peered nervously out. Seeing it was me outside the door, Beth smiled and flung the door open wide so I could step in, "Hi there, Amy! Come on in. Sorry about calling you over so last minute." I stepped through the doorway and carefully shut the door behind me, "It's okay. What's up?"
Beth brought me to the living room and motioned for me to have a seat on the brown, leathery couch on the far side of the room. I peered at Beth Lynn curiously; there was something different about her. Beth's normal sleek, smooth blonde hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail on the top of her head. Her eyes were dark and bloodshot and instead of wearing her normal risque outfits, she was wearing a lose fitting sweatshirt and sweatpants. Something was definitely up.
Beth took a seat next to me on the couch and turned to me with tired eyes, "I'm sorry to bother you with this, Amy, but I'm really worried about Vince. He's been so out of character lately. All he does these days is make up excuses so he can go and get wasted with some girl...I think her name is Jessica. I hate to pry, but did Vince break up with you?"
"Uh...not really," I stuttered. This wasn't a question I had been expected. "Vince and I went separate ways I guess. There's not much more to it than that. Did you call me over here to ask me that?" Beth shook her head, "No. You know that Crue's going on a World Tour soon, right? Nikki probably told you that I would suppose."
"Yeah, I know about the World Tour," I answered, "What about it though?" Beth sighed before continuing, "I'm worried about being away from Vince for so long. The tour will probably last close to a year; so much can happen in that amount of time. Vince could turn into a complete animal for all I know. Amy, can you look after him for me? Please?"
I looked at Beth Lynn in shock. She wanted me to try to take care of Vince? Had the woman completely lost her mind? Vince had so much control over me; I was his puppet. There was no fucking way I took try to help Vince "make good choices" and stuff like that. As kindly as I could, I replied, "Uh...I'm sorry, Beth, but I don't think that's possible."
Beth gave me a devastated look, "Please, Amy? Couldn't you try? That's all I'm asking. I just want you to try. I know you can't control him, but I'm sure you have a little bit of influence over him." Beth's pleading eyes softened my heart and I reluctantly agreed, "Well, okay...but no promises. By the way, I have a question for you. Vince has been telling me that there's been 'trouble at home'. Has something been going on between the two of you?"
At my words, Beth Lynn's face froze and a guilty expression crossed her face, "Well, yes. I'm pregnant, Amy. It's such an awful time to be having a child though. Vince and I are so distracted by other relationships and Vince doesn't even want the child. The reason I want you to look after Vince is so my future kid will have a good role model as a dad someday. I don't want him to never know his dad like Vince's first child."
Stunned, I merely gaped at Beth Lynn. She was pregnant? That was a shocker. Beth was so skinny it was still impossible to tell that she was pregnant. The pregnancy did explain the lose clothes though. Suddenly, I comprehended the last of Beth's words. She had talked about Vince's "first child." Had they had a child together before?
Finally, I shook myself out of my paralyzed state and asked in a weak voice, "Wow...I wasn't expecting any of this. But what did you mean by Vince's 'first child'?" Beth gave me a puzzled expression, "Didn't Vince tell you?" I was immediately suspicious; was Vince hiding something from me?
I shook my head, "No...he didn't tell me anything." Beth nodded awkwardly, "Well, Vince got a girl pregnant way back in high school. I think her name was Tami. Anyways, she decided to go through with the pregnancy. So Vince had his first child when he was seventeen. The sad thing is, Vince doesn't even know Tami anymore."
I was quite surprised by this news although I wasn't exactly shocked. It was just like Vince to get a poor, innocent girl pregnant in high school. An awkward silence fell between Beth Lynn and me as I turned this news over in my mind.
"So," I continued to break the awkward silence, "How long have you been pregnant for?" Beth shrugged, "About three months now. I haven't told anyone though. As soon as my boyfriend know...I'm sure he'll dump me." A tear fell out of the corner of Beth's eye. She quickly whipped it away as if she were determined not to cry in front of me. Sympathy washed over me as I looked at the broken down woman in front of me. I had completely forgotten that Beth had been involved with another man for almost a year now. Marriage just seemed to ruin lives sometimes. Suddenly, a black and purple mark on the left side of Beth's Lynn neck caught my eye. I careened my neck to the left to try to get a better look at the mark.
Beth followed my gaze until she realized what I was looking at. Quickly, she pulled her sweatshirt over the bruise. It wasn't quick enough for my eyes though. In a serious tone, I asked, "Beth, what's that big bruise from?" In a high pitched voice, Beth replied, "Uh...nothing. I just...fell the other day." I rolled my eyes; Beth wasn't a good liar.
"Come on Beth," I said, taking her hands. "You can tell me what it's from. Vince slapped you, didn't he?" Beth stared at her feet for a moment and then finally nodded, "Yes." Anger boiled up inside me. Vince had absolutely no right to go and abuse his wife like this. Their whole marriage seemed to be falling apart.
I put my arms around Beth Lynn in a comforting hug. She leaned against my shoulder and silent tears began dripping down her cheeks. I held her against me for about ten minutes until she had stopped crying. She pulled away from me and tried to smile through a tear-streaked face, "Sorry about that, Amy. You're such a good friend."
"Not really," I replied. I couldn't help but remember how I had cheated on Beth Lynn and lied to her on so many occasions.
A loud banging noise came from outside. Beth Lynn jumped up from the couch and ran to look outside the window, "Oh shit!" I followed her to the window and put an arm around her shoulders, "What's wrong, Beth?" Beth pointed to the black Porsche that had pulled up in the driveway, "Vince is back. Why don't you exit through the front door? Vince always comes in through the garage door so you won't have to run into him. I really don't want him to know you were here."
I walked to the door and hastily pulled my boots back on, "Won't he know that I'm here though? I mean, my car is sitting right in front of your driveway." Beth gave me a sad smile, "He'll be way too high to notice. Anyways, thanks for stopping by. It's nice to talk to a friend." I stepped outside the door and waved to Beth, "It was nice talking to you too. Good luck with everything!"
Quietly, I shut the door behind me and raced into my black jetta. I pulled out of the engine as quickly as possible and started the drive home. But no matter how hard I tried, the vision of the black and purple bruise on Beth's neck kept haunting my mind. Vince changed so much when he was drunk. He was normally a really sweet guy, but the drugs changed him into a whole different person. Suddenly, I decided to make a vow to myself. I would do my very best to try to get Vince to start drinking less. It wouldn't be easy, but I was going to try my hardest. If I succeeded, it would make life easier for everyone.



The next morning, I pulled into Nikki's driveway and ten am sharp. I wasn't about to take any chances of being late. My mom hadn't been too happy when she heard I was going to Vegas. At first, she had completely forbidden me to go. It had took hours of pleading and reasoning on my part before she had finally given in. So I had packed my suitcase and gotten up early this morning so I would look my best. After all, Mick deserved only the best.
Yawning, I gazed around from the seat of my jetta. No other cars were in the driveway or on the street. Most likely, I was the first person at Nikki's. I couldn't decide whether or not I should knock on Nikki's door, or wait outside in my car. It was nice and warm in my car and I didn't really feel like talking to anybody this early in the morning. With those thoughts in mind, I parked the car and leaned back against the seat with my eyes closed. I always seemed to be tired these days.
Just as I was starting to drift off to sleep, two loud honks sounded from the road. Smothering another yawn, I whirled around to see Mick pull up next to me in his truck and Vince park on the side of the road in his familiar Porsche. I pushed the door of my jetta open and jumped outside to wave at Mick.
Mick waved back and ran around the side of his car to give me a little hug. I pressed my cheek against his neck. He smelled good; clean and fresh. I was so entranced with Mick, that I didn't hear Vince approach from behind us. After Mick and I finally parted, I turned to see Vince gazing at me with a longing expression.
To my surprise, he kept his mouth shut and didn't even comment on my relationship with Mick. Then I remembered the bet I had made with him. It seemed to stupid now. I resolved to talk to Vince alone later that day and call of the bet. I shouldn't have to try to get a guy to fuck me so I could win the money from Vince. Love needed to form naturally.
Suddenly, the sound of laughing voices came from the doorway. Mick and I looked up to see Nikki and a gorgeous woman walking towards us, hand in hand. I groaned as I felt my heart knot up; did Nikki have another girlfriend already? I tried to tell myself that it didn't matter if he did. After all, I had Mick. I just needed to leave Nikki alone...right?