I am co-writing this with Erin Chambers. She and I will be posting these chapters as we go! Enjoy! And feel free to send feedback!

A Whisper in the Wind
Chapter 1 (Rachel)

Erin opened her eyes to the morning glare one Saturday morning. She could hear the familiar sound of Jack and Vegas scratching at the bedroom door. Annoyed, she closed her eyes again. Erin moaned softly, stretched, and yawned softly as she rolled over on her side. She noticed a wave of warmth coming from under the blankets. Suddenly she opened her eyes again and smiled. AJ was home. He had been away on tour for six long months and she was glad to have him back. Erin moved closer to him and draped her arm over his bare back. She kissed him lightly on his shoulder and made her way up to his neck. AJ scrunched up his nose and moved away from her. She giggled and moved her hand down his back to his ass. When she gave it a little pinch, AJ jumped and looked over at her.

"You can't let a man sleep, can you?" he said with a teasing glare.

"Not when I haven't seen him in six months and he's lying next to me naked," she replied.

AJ grinned and kissed her. "I missed you," he said then held her close.

"I missed you too," she said as she ran her finger down the creases of his abs. "I hate it when you're gone for so long."

"I know, Er Bear. Next time, you're coming with me. I'm tired of this long distance stuff."

"So am I, Erin said softly. "So," she continued. "Now that you're awake..."

AJ smiled as she began kissing his neck. "Mmm, you read my mind," he said then began kissing her.

Erin removed the blanket from off of AJ and trailed her tongue down from his neck to his pelvis.

He was already starting to harden up, so she decided to help him. Erin slid her tongue over the head of his dick. AJ moaned softly and placed his hand on her head, as a clue to continue. Erin was about to place his dick in her mouth when she heard two loud barks come from behind the bedroom door. She rolled her eyes and looked up at AJ.

"Oh no," she said.

"They're hungry," he said as he sat up. "We can finish this later," he continued then kissed her.

"Damn dogs," she mumbled and got out of bed.

Erin put on a T-shirt and shorts and followed AJ downstairs. The dogs skittered across their feet and begged for attention. Erin picked up Vegas and kissed him. He was her favorite between the two. AJ grabbed Jack and carried him to the kitchen. He grabbed their food from out of the fridge and filled up their bowls.

"Well, I guess since we're awake, I'll make some breakfast," AJ said. "Want an omelet?"

"Mmmm, yes! I've missed your omelets. Mine always turn out crappy."

"Yes, they do," he joked.

Erin smacked him on his arm. "You're not very nice, Alex!"

AJ continued to laugh. "Well, it's true. Your last batch was sorry looking. It look like something Vegas regurgitated or something."

Erin pursed her lips and looked at him. "I'm not speaking to you."

"Yeah, right. Lets see how long that lasts."

AJ finished breakfast and the two of them ate. They were in the middle of clearing away the dishes when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that," Erin said as she put the dishes down and went to the door. She smiled when she saw that it was Rachel, her best friend. "Oh my gosh! It's so good to see you!" she said as he let her in. "How was Hawaii?"

"It was wonderful. In fact, I did such a great job, the photo company is asking me to go back again soon. Can you believe it?"

"That is so great!" she said as she hugged Rachel. "Congratulations."

Rachel and Erin had been best friends all their lives. Their mothers were best friends and they were raised together. Rachel had gone to college to be a professional photographer and now she was living her dream. She had gone to Hawaii to take pictures of the landscapes, and she was excited to have the chance to do it.

"I'm sorry, I dropped by without calling. I just got back in town and I wanted to say hi."

"No, it's okay," Erin insisted. "AJ just got back too actually."

"Really? Where is he? I want to say hi."

"In the kitchen. Hey, Alex, come say hi to Rach."

AJ appeared from the kitchen with a smile. "Hey, girl! Long time no see," he said as he gave her a hug.

"I know. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great," he replied.

"Well, you look better," she said, referring to his latest visit to rehab.

"You have no idea," Erin said with a wink.

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Well, I have to get going. I just wanted to say hi."

"Okay, we'll see you soon. Hey, why don't you come by tonight? AJ and I are having a get together with some friends. Most of the guys will be here. Besides, we want to introduce you to Howie."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "How did I know you were going to say that."

"Please? He's really nice."

"Fine," she muttered. "What time does it start?"

"Seven," AJ said.

"Okay, I'll be here," she said then left.

Erin grinned widely. "That was easy."

"Yeah, it was," AJ agreed. "So, now that we are alone. You wanna mess around?"

Erin giggled. "You know it," she said then walked upstairs.

Chapter 2

"AJ, can you take the soda out of the fridge and put it outside in the big coolers?" Erin asked as she grabbed bags of potato chips from off the counter.

"Sure," he said as he grabbed the soda from out of the fridge.

Erin put the bags of chips on the table outside and began setting up the eating utensils. She had just pulled out the plastic cups when she heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," she said as she went to the door. She opened the door and saw that it was Howie. "Hey, Howie!" she said with a smile. "Come on in. We're just getting set up outside," she said as she let him in and shut the door.

"I know I'm a little early, but I figured that you guys would need a little help."

"Yeah, that would be great. Why don't you go outside and help AJ. I've gotta finish getting ready."

"Okay," Howie said as he walked toward the back door.

"Oh, can you answer the door if anyone comes? I still have to take a shower."

"No problem," Howie said with a smile.

"Thanks," Erin said as she went upstairs.

Howie walked outside where AJ was firing up the grill. "Hey, Bone," he said.

"Hey, what's up, D?"

"Not much. Erin asked me to help you get things set up. So, what do you need me to help you with?"

"You can unfold all those lawn chairs over there," AJ said, pointing at the chairs with the spatula.

Howie began unfolding the chairs, lining them up in a row along the pool deck. "So, who's this girl that you guys want me to meet?"

"Her name's Rachel. She's Erin's best friend." AJ chuckled to himself. "She thinks you two will hit it off."

Howie shook his head and laughed. "I wonder when the time will come that Erin realizes that she needs to stop trying to be Miss Match Maker in my love life."

"I don't know. She's always up to something. But I do have to agree with her though. I do think you'll really like this girl."

"Really?" Howie said with interest. "What's she like?"

"Well, she's just a really simple person. It doesn't take much to make her happy. You guys are a lot alike. I dunno, man. You just have to meet to her to see what I mean. It's hard to put into words, you know?"

"I see," he said as he unfolded the last lawn chair. "Is she cute?"

AJ laughed. "How did I know you were going to ask her that?"

"Well, is she?"

"Yeah, she's a knock out. She's got a body like you wouldn't believe. But it's her personality that makes you fall in love with her."

"Well, we'll see when we meet. I'll let you know if it's love at first sight or not," he joked. Just then the doorbell rang. "I'll get that."

Howie opened the door and was surprised to see a very attractive woman standing behind it. She had dark hair that draped over her shoulder and deep blue eyes that made him fall into a trance. He gave her one quick look over and he was turned on by her dangerous curves. The girl looked at him awkwardly then shot him a fabulous smile.

"You must be Howie," she said. "I'm Rachel," she continued as she held out her hand.

Howie had to strain to keep his dick from hardening as he shook her hand. "Yeah, that's me," he choked out. "Come on in. We're still setting things up," he said as he opened the door wider for her. When she walked in, he couldn't help but notice her nice round ass, swaying back and forth as she walked.

"Is Erin around?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's upstairs getting ready."

"Okay, well, I'm gonna go say hi to her. I'll catch up with you later," she said as she walked up the stairs.

Howie couldn't help but stare as he watched her walk up the stairs. Her steps were so graceful. She was to absolutely perfect. He knew that he had to hook up with her by the end of the night. Howie walked back outside where AJ was finishing up the hamburgers.

"Who was that?" AJ asked.

"Rachel," Howie said with a wide grin. "You told me she was a knock out, but you didn't tell me that she was a fucking goddess of all women! Damn she's fine!"

AJ laughed. "Man, you're so full of it. She's not that hot. I mean, no woman can amount to that."

"Well, whatever. She sure got my vote. You know I'm gonna have to take her home with me at the end of the night."

AJ cocked up his right eyebrow. "D, I think you've got it all wrong. Rachel's not like that."

"Not like what?"

"She's not easy like some of these chicks you've dated in the past. It's gonna take a lot more than some slick dance moves and smooth talk to get her into bed."

"You say that about all girls you know," Howie said, not convinced.

"You do what you want, man. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll take my chances," Howie said with a sly grin.

The night moved on and the party had been going on for three hours. Howie had been trying to talk to Rachel all night, but she kept bouncing around from person to person. Finally, he saw her walk into the kitchen, so he followed her. She was pouring herself a soda when he approached her.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hi," she said, not looking at him. "Want a soda?"

"No, thanks. I've got my beer. So, how long have you known Erin and AJ?"

Rachel put down the two liter and thought a moment. "Well, I've known Erin all my life, but I've only known AJ for about two years."

"That's cool. So, what is it that you do again?"

"I'm a photographer," she said proudly.

"What kind of stuff do you photograph? Cool things like models for dirty magazines?" he joked.
Rachel stared at him blankly before she spoke. "No, I take pictures of landscapes mostly. I've been working for the National Geographic for almost a year, six months of that was on internship."

"Wow, that sounds cool. You know it's kind of hot in here. Do you wanna step outside?"

"Sure," Rachel said as she grabbed her drink.

They stepped outside and Rachel took a seat at the table. Howie stood there and looked around.

"It's not really private over here. Do you wanna go over to that little spot where it's kinda dark? We'd have plenty of privacy so we can get to know each other."

"This is fine," Rachel said, not bothering to look up.

Howie shrugged and sat down across from her. There was a long, awkward silence. Howie wasn't sure what to say next, so he just picked a topic from off the top of his head. "How long have you been taking pictures?"

"Since I was twelve. My grandfather gave me first real camera for my birthday that year and I've been hooked ever since. It's like looking into a whole different world when you look through a camera lens, you know?"

"Yeah," Howie replied. "Hey, lets dance," he said as he stood up.

Rachel got up and took his hand as he led her over to the outdoor dance floor. They danced to Hot in Here by Nelly and Howie was ready to strut his stuff. He was definitely impressed with her dancing skills, but he couldn't help but wonder how much of those moves could she bring with her into bed. His eyes roamed all over her body and he was getting the biggest hard on of his life just thinking about her. Her body moved like a palm tree gracefully flowing in the wind. She never missed a beat and Howie never took his gaze away from her. He moved closer and draped his arm around her waist. He grinded his hips against her; his crotch bumping against hers. He thought he had scored until he moved closer to her lips. Rachel moved her head back and stepped away from him.

"What?" he asked.

"I think we should go sit down," she said as she walked back to the table. "Actually, why don't we go inside. AJ and Erin probably need help getting everyone out of here. It's almost time for the party to end," she said as she went inside.

Howie couldn't believe he was just rejected. Had she really not fallen for his flirtation? Nah, he thought. She's playing hard to get.

When the party ended, Howie stayed to help AJ and Erin pick up the house. He and AJ were in the kitchen while Rachel and Erin were in the living room. He purposely kept walking into the living room, but Rachel would move away from him before he could say anything. Finally, he gave up and went back into the kitchen.

"So, how'd you and Rachel get along?" AJ asked.

"You know, next time you're gonna set me up with a girl. Don't make her be like Rachel," he said sorely.

AJ chuckled. "She didn't fall for it, did she?"

"Fall for what?"

"Your B.S. ways of picking up women. I told you she was smarter than that. But did you listen to me? Nope!"

"Shut up, Bone. It's not that she didn't fall for it. She's just playing hard to get. I know girls like her. She thinks she's being cute, but it's not working for me. I'll get her, you watch."

"Yeah, right. I dare you to go in there and kiss her and see what happens."

"Fine, I will," Howie said as he walked out of the kitchen. He walked up to Rachel and took the plastic trash bag from her hand. "Need help?" he asked.

Rachel took the bag from him. "No, thanks. I've got it," she said as she tied the bag up. "I probably should get going, Erin," she said.

"Okay, Rach. I'll see you later," she said as she gave Rachel a hug.

"Bye," Rachel said as she walked toward the door.

"Wait up," said Howie. "I'll walk you to your car," he said as he followed her.

He walked with Rachel to her car and blocked her from opening the car door by putting his hand on it. "Can I have your number?"

"What for?"

"I wanna call you sometime. We could go do something."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said as she moved his hand away from the door.

"Why not?"

"It just isn't."

"Okay, well, I'll see you around," Howie said softly.

Their eyes met for a brief second and Howie moved closer to her. Their lips almost touched before Rachel shoved him away.

"Nice try," she said then got into her car.

She left Howie on the driveway, feeling sheepish. Rejected again! He was beginning to think he was losing his touch. Howie walked back into the house where AJ was waiting for him.

"I told you so," AJ bragged.

"Shut the fuck up," said Howie. "I'm going home now. This is ridiculous. I'll see you later, man," he said then left the house.

He sat in his car for a moment before starting it. Howie checked the mirrors and then smiled to himself. "I'll get her," he said out loud. "She won't be able to resist me for too long," he said then left for home.

Chapter 3:

Rachel got in her car and drove over to Erin and AJ's house. She got out of the car and went to their door. Rachel knocked and waited for someone to answer.

"Hey," AJ said when he opened the door. "What's up?"

"Not much," she said as she stepped in. "Is Erin home?"

"Yes, she's upstairs. Go on up." AJ said as he shut the door.

"Thanks," Rachel said then made her way upstairs. She walked up to the bedroom door and didn't see Erin around. "Erin?"

"I'm in here, Rach," Erin said from the bathroom. "Come on in."

Rachel walked in and laughed when she saw Erin sitting on the bathroom counter staring into the mirror. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to pluck my eyebrows. I couldn't find my magnifying mirror, so I gotta settle for this," she said as she put the tweezers down. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just came over to say hi."

"Hi," Erin joked.

Rachel laughed. "Hey, can I talk to you about something she asked.

"Sure" Erin said as she got off the counter. "What's up?"

"Yesterday at the party, Howie and I talked and stuff and I think he really likes me, but there's one problem."

"What's that?"

"He tried to kiss me."

Erin laughed and shook her head. "You pulled away didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Howie told me. He said you shot him down."

"I didn't mean to," Rachel said softly.

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't want to get hurt. You know how I am about guys. I've been hurt so many times before."

"But, Howie isn't like that," Erin assured. "He is really nice and sweet. He wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Rachel snickered. "He certainly didn't seem that way when he was hitting on me. He's a little too forward."

"That's just how he is. Howie's a little bit of a flirt, but he's really cool."

"So what should I do?" Rachel asked.

"Do whatever your heart tells you. That's the only advice I can tell you," Erin said as she walked into the bedroom.

"Well, what would you do if you were me?"

"I'd call him. Talk to him, and maybe go on a date. That's what I did with AJ, and look where we are now."

Rachel sighed and sat on the bed. "I dunno."

"Do what you want, but I'm telling you, you're missing out on a great guy."

"Can I have his number then?" Rachel asked.

Erin smiled and nodded. "Yea" Erin says writing it down on paper for her. "You better call him. Don't make me waste my time."

"I'll think about it," Rachel said. "Well, I'm going to go. I'll talk to you later," she said as she walked toward the door.

"Okay, call me later if you have time."

"Okay," she said. "Hey, Erin?" she continued before leaving the room.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks" Rachel said with a smile.

"You're welcome," she said. "I'll walk you out."

Erin walked her downstairs and to the door. "Bye, and let me know what happens."

"I will, bye," Rachel said then left.

Erin walked into the living room where AJ was sitting on the couch watching TV. She smiled and sat next to him.

"Hey, baby" said AJ.

"Hey," Erin said with a grin.

"Did Rach say anything about Howie?" he asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't want to date him because she thinks he will hurt her." Erin said with a sigh.

"But, he wont."

"I know, I told her that" Erin said. "I guess she'll have to figure that out on her own."

"Yeah," AJ said then kissed her. "Are you hungry?"

"Kinda, why?"

"Lets go to McDonald's."

Erin laughed and stood up. "All right, you Mickey D's freak."

"That's me," he said then followed her to the car.

Chapter 4

The night was quiet and Erin was ready for a romantic night with AJ. She had been planning this night ever since he left to go on tour, and she hoped that everything would go as smoothly as planned. Erin was in the kitchen making dinner for her and AJ, spaghetti and meatballs, his favorite. She was adding in the spices to the sauce when she heard AJ walk downstairs and walk through the living room. When she heard the front door open, she left the kitchen to see what he was doing.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Out," AJ said as he walked out the door.

"I thought we were having dinner together tonight?" Erin said as she followed him to his car.
"Plans have changed," he said as he opened the car door.

"You have only been back not even two days and you're not spending time here with me? That's fucked up, Alex!" Erin said angrily.

"Erin, why do you gotta give me hassle about this?"

"Because you knew I'd been planning this night for us and you go and make other plans. That's really inconsiderate of you to do."

"Baby, Ben is in town and he wants to hang out. I don't get to see him very often."

"You're going out with Ben?"

"Yes."

"Your drinking buddy," she said flatly.

AJ rolled his eyes. "Erin, don't be like this."

"AJ, you promised me you wouldn't drink anymore."

"Baby, I'm not gonna drink. We're not even going to a bar. It's just dinner with an old friend. You believe me, don't you?" he said as he put his arms around her.

"I guess so. I'm sorry, I'm just upset that we're not having dinner tonight."

"Tomorrow night, I promise," he said the kissed her. "Okay?"

"Okay," Erin said as she let go of him.

"Well, I'm going" AJ said as he got in his car then drove off.

Erin walked into the house and started to cry. She was so afraid that he'd start drinking again. Erin hated it when he drank. He wasn't the AJ she knew when he was like that. He would get mean and nasty. Erin hoped that those days were over, but she knew if he went out with Ben, he's start drinking again. Ben was the one who got him started on it in the first place. She let out a loud sigh and went back to cooking. There was no point in wasting food, so she placed it in a container and stored it in the refrigerator.

After cleaning the kitchen, she put in a movie and tried to get her mind off of AJ. Erin fixed herself a plate of food and ate as she watched the video. She laid down on the couch and eventually fell asleep. A few hours later, AJ came home. Erin woke up by the sound of him stumbling through the living room.

"AJ?" Erin said as she sat up.

"What?" he said as he bumped into the coffee table. "Ow!" he exclaimed as he caught his balance. "Damn, turn on the lights. It's too dark in here," he said, his words slurring together
Erin turned on the lamp and walked up to AJ. "You're drunk," she said with disgust.

"I'm not drunk," AJ said as he pushed past Erin. "I'm just tired."

"You're fucking drunk!" Erin yelled. "I can't fucking believe you!" she said as she went back to the couch. " I'm going to sleep down here tonight," Erin said as she turned the light back off. "You can find your own way upstairs."

"Fine, whatever" AJ muttered as he stumbled his way upstairs.

Erin ignored him and went back to sleep. She knew that in the morning, she was going to have some choices to make. AJ wasn't going to like what she had to say.
Chapter 5

Rachel sat on her bed, staring blankly at the phone. Her eyes shifted to the paper which had Howie's phone number written on it. She couldn't decide if she should call him or leave him alone. Something was eating her inside to call him. Just do it, she thought to herself. What do you have to lose? You can do it! Just pick up the phone and call him. Rachel picked up the receiver and dialed his number. His phone rang several times and Rachel was sure that he wasn't going to pick up.

She was about to hang up when she heard the phone pick up.

"Hello?" Howie said.

Rachel froze for a moment then finally spoke. "Howie...hi this is Rachel," she said quickly.

"Hey! How are you?" he asked sweetly.

"All right, I guess."

"So, what's up?"

"Well...I was sort of wondering if maybe...well if you're not busy..."

Howie laughed softly. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied while blushing.

"Wow, there's a new thing. I'm usually asking girls out. I don't know what to say."

"Will you or will you not?" Rachel said with tension in her voice.

"Damn!" he said then laughed. "Calm down."

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"Why's that?"

"Because I've never done anything like this before."

"Understandable, but yeah I'll go out with you tonight."

Rachel smiled widely. "Great."

"So, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe you would have some ideas. I've been out of the dating scene for a while."

"Well, you said you like to dance. Why don't we go to my club? We can dance and grab something to eat before we go. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good to me. Wanna meet up at Outback at say...seven?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll see you there. Oh, and dress sexy."

"What?" Rachel said, offended.

Howie laughed. "I was kidding. Lighten up. Dress however you want, really."

Rachel relaxed and smiled. "Okay, I'll see you there."

"Okay, see you later, babe," Howie said then hung up.

Rachel sighed of relief as she hung up the phone. "Time to get ready," she said out loud and hurried into the bathroom.

Chapter 6

Erin woke up the next morning to the sound of AJ singing. She rolled her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Erin was about to relax under the blankets when she realized that she no longer on the couch. She was in the bedroom. Confused on how she got there, she looked up when she heard AJ coming out of the bathroom. He was dressed in only a towel. It was hard for her to resist him...he looked so sexy in that towel. His bulge was considerably noticeable. She tried to ignore him and looked away. AJ smiled and crawled onto the bed and planted kissed on her face. Erin scrunched up her face and moved away from AJ.

"Still mad at me, huh?" he said softly.

Erin turned her head and glared at him. "What do you think?"

"Aw, come on, Er Bear! I didn't mean to do it. It just sort of happened. I promise I won't let it happen again," he said as he began kissing her neck.

Erin breathed in deeply as she felt him move his hand down to her ass and squeeze it. He was making it very difficult for her to stay mad at him. He nuzzled his nose on her neck and licked the outline of her jaw line.

"You know you want me," he whispered.

Erin closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as AJ removed his towel and enveloped his arms around her. AJ kissed Erin's bare shoulders that were exposed from her tank top and slowly climbed on top of her. Erin was close to giving, but the image of AJ coming home drunk came back to her mind. She pushed him off her and got out of bed.

"AJ, you can't just fuck me and expect everything to be okay again. That's not how it works!"

AJ sighed and looked at her. "I just don't see why you're so upset about this. I mean, okay I got drunk big deal."

"Big deal? AJ you have a drinking problem and you know it! I don't understand how you cannot see that."

"I do not have a problem, Erin!" he said as he stood up and grabbed a pair of boxers from out of the dresser. "I wish you would get off my back about it."

"You may think you don't have a problem, but in all actuality, you do! AJ alcoholism is a serious condition. It's not something you play with lightly."

AJ rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know, I've only been home for a few days and already you're getting on my nerves! Why is it that every time we see each other we keep having this same conversation over and over again? Why can't we just be normal?"

"We will be normal if you'd go and get some help!"

"I don't need any fucking help! Lay off of me!"

Erin stared at him in silence. She wished she could find a way to show him that he had a problem. "Fine," she said softly. "If you don't think you have a problem, then you don't. But let me tell you something, AJ...I refuse to stand here and watch you destroy yourself. So, either you give up the alcohol...or you give up me. Which one will it be?" AJ didn't say a word. He slowly looked down at the floor and shook his head. "Fine, I see where your priorities are, Alex," she said angrily. "I'm leaving today. Don't try to stop me because I don't even wanna speak to you right now," she said with a quivering voice and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Erin knew that there was no way to help him. There was nothing that she could do. He was going to remain an alcoholic until he sees it for himself. She knew she wasn't strong enough to handle it any longer. The alcoholism had left her no choice...she was leaving...and not coming back.

Chapter 7

Rachel pulled up into the parking of Outback and checked herself in the mirror. She brushed a stray hair away from her cheek and drew in a deep breath. She was nervous about going on this date with Howie, but she had a feeling that she was going to have a good time. Timidly Rachel grabbed her purse and got out of her black Honda Civic. She walked up to the door and Howie was already there waiting for her. A grin spread across his face when he saw her.

"Hey, there!" he said with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Rachel replied shyly. "How about you?"

"Not too bad. Are you hungry?"

"Starved."

"Great, let's eat," Howie said as he opened the door for her.

The two of them sat at a table and checked out the menu. When they ordered their food, Howie took a sip of his water and looked at Rachel. "So, tell me about yourself,"

"Well, I am into theater, music, and art. I lived in California all my life, and I moved to Tampa for a change and go to college," Rachel said with a shy smile.

"That's cool," Howie replied

"What about you?" Rachel asked.

"Well, I like music, hanging with friends; that kind of stuff. There's not much to me. I'm just a simple guy."

Their food arrived and they ate while carrying on a conversation. When they had finished, they went back into the parking lot and stood by their cards.

"What shall we do now?" Howie asked.

Rachel stared at him in shock. "You mean, you still want to do something with me?"

"Yeah, why not? I mean, I hardly call dinner a date. We need to do something else. You pick something."

Rachel thought a moment then smiled. "How about goofy golfing?" she said.

Howie laughed. "Goofy golfing? That's what you wanna do?"

"Yes, do you?"

"Yeah, that would be fun," Howie said as he opened his car door. "I'll meet you there."

They get to the goofy golfing place and Howie helps Rachel with her hitting the ball. He laughed at much trouble she was having with it.

"Rach, you're not keeping your eye on the ball. You gotta do it like this," he said as he stood behind her and placed her hands on top of hers. "Put your head down and watch the ball. Now slowly swing back," he said as he guided her swing. "Now release."

Rachel released her swing forward and hit the ball. "Oh my gosh! I hit it!" she said as she watched the ball go into the hole. "Hole in one! Yeah, baby!"

Howie laughed and took her club from her. "Yeah, but the game is now over and I still beat you."
"Well, I don't care. I still hit the ball."

"Yeah, after fifteen holes!" he joked as he walked up to the counter to return the clubs and balls.

Howie walked with Rachel to her car. She stared at him nervously as he brushed a stray hair from her face.

"I had a really good time tonight," he said softly.

"Me too."

"I would like to see you again," he said as he grabbed her hand. "You're really nice."

Rachel laughed softly and looked down at the ground. Howie lifted her head with his hand on her chin and stared into her eyes. She couldn't read his thoughts through his brown eyes. Howie moved closer and slowly planted his lips on top of hers. It was a short, sweet kiss. He pulled away and smiled.

"Good night," he said then got in his car.

Rachel drew out a breath and watched him drive away. "Good night," she whispered.

Chapter 8

Erin sat in the driveway of Nick's house and cried. She couldn't think of anywhere else to go. All she knew was that she had to get out of the house and away from AJ. She grabbed a tissue from out of her purse and wiped the tears from off her face and got out of the car. Erin rang the doorbell and prayed that he would be home. She heard Mikey barking loudly and soon the sound of Nick's heavy footsteps. He opened the door and looked at her in surprise.

"Erin, hey! What's up?"

"Um...Nick do you think I can crash her for a little while?"

"Why, what's going on?"

"It's a long story," she said with a sigh.

Nick looked at her in concern and let her in. "He's drinking again isn't he?" he said in a low tone.
Erin sadly nodded. "I don't know what to do."

They both sat on the couch and Nick hugged her. "I'm sure he will realize that he has to give up drinking, or you wont be coming back," Nick said as he stroked her hair.

"I hope so. I took everything that was mine out of his house. I left a few things behind like pictures and stuff that he has given me. I can't deal with this anymore. I really thought he wouldn't go back to drinking," Erin said with a sob. "I just wish he would realize how he acts when he's drunk."

"All of us thought he wouldn't want to go back to drinking. I know it's painful, but he really needs you right now."

"Nick, I can't do this! I'm too tired of all this. I have done everything that I can. I just need to get away from him for a while. I need time to think."

Nick hugged her closer. "Okay, calm down. I understand, you can stay here as long as you want," Nick said gently.

"Thanks," Erin said as she wiped the tears off her face.

"Is your stuff in your car?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll help you bring everything in," Nick said then walked outside.

Erin followed him, she stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Nick?"

"Yeah?" he said as he turned around.

Erin hugged Nick. "Thanks."

Nick smiled and hugged her back. "Anything for a friend."
Chapter 9

Rachel was sitting in her living room reading a magazine when she heard the doorbell ring. Puzzled of who it could be, she answered it. A smile spread across her face when she saw that it was Howie.

"Hey!" she said as she let him in. "How did you know where I lived?"

"Erin told me," he said with a smile. "So, how are you?"

"I'm doing all right. Kinda bored actually."

"Well, then. I came at the right time," he said then kissed her on the cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"A little bit, why?"

"Well, I had a surprise for you. It involves food," he said with a chuckle.

Rachel laughed and rested her hand on his chest. "Okay, let me find my shoes," she said as she went into her room. She came back and walked over to the front door. "Okay, let's go," she said as she followed Howie outside.

Howie drove Rachel to a quiet park that wasn't very far away from her house. "Okay, we're here," he said as he got out of the car.

"What's the surprise?" she asked.

Howie smiled and walked over to the back of the car and took a bag out of his trunk. "You'll see," he said as he took her hand. "Come on."

The two of them walked over to a fairly private spot in the park next to the pond. Howie pulled out a blanket and a picnic basket from the bag he was holding. Rachel smiled as she watched him set everything up.

"A picnic in the park?" she said with a grin.

"Yup," he said as he took her hand. "Sit."

Rachel sat down next to him and nosed through the picnic basket. To her surprise, he had a lot of her favorite lunch foods. There were red grapes, deli ham sandwiches with Swiss cheese, flavored water, and chocolate chip cookies. She looked up at Howie and raised her right eyebrow at him.

"What?" he said with a grin.

"How did you know that these were my favorite foods?"

"Lucky guess."

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Liar."

Howie smirked and kissed her. "Like I said before..Erin told me."

"Well, it's very nice," she said softly.

"Good," Howie said as he handed her a plate of food. "Eat up. There's plenty to eat."

The two of them ate and enjoyed the fresh air outside. Howie was very sweet to Rachel. She wasn't sure how to react to him. It had been a long time since someone of the opposite sex did anything nice for her...way too long.

"Howie?" Rachel said as she lay next to him on the blanket.

"Yes?" he said, not taking his eyes off the clouds above him.

"Why are you so nice to me? I mean, you've gone out of your way to do all of this. Why?"

"Well, from what I can see, you are a really sweet person, and that's what I've been looking for. When I first saw you, I knew I had to get to know you. But when you shot me down, I realized that I needed a different approach, so I called Erin for help. She filled me in on a lot of things and I've used them to my advantage." Howie looked over at Rachel, boosting himself up by his elbow. "I like you Rachel...there's nothing more I can say about that."

Rachel blushed and looked away from him. "Wow," she said softly.

Howie shifted her glance back at him. "Why do you always look away from me when I'm saying things like that to you?"

"Because...well...I'm not used to it, I guess."

Howie smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Well, get used to it because I have a lot more coming for you."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

Rachel smiled and looked into his eyes. Howie leaned over and kissed her again. No words were spoken...just the sound of the wind whispering in their ears. Howie laid back down on the blanket and Rachel laid her head on his chest. They continued to look up at the clouds with their hearts floating away.

END PART 9