Crashed

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Being back in California didn’t suit Chris. It made him feel as if he was immobile and not doing anything. He wanted to be back on his tour bus, finishing up the tour; but he’d been invited to attend the Teen Choice Awards and didn’t want to turn down the offer just in case he won the award he was nominated for. So, he stood in Josh’s shower, letting the hot water run down over the “Daughtry” tattoo across his shoulder blades and down his back. He heard the doorbell ring through Josh’s apartment and assumed that meant that Azalee had arrived. His heart started to hammer. He told himself that he just needed to act normal. He needed to act as if he’d felt nothing. It would be easier that way.

Azalee smiled at Josh as he let her into his apartment. She was dressed in a plum colored gown made by Donna Karan that opened at the skirt with a slit that trained all the way to the floor. Josh grinned at her.

“You look great,” he told her. She laughed.

“Such a tone of surprise,” she told him, “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She ran a hand over the jacket of his grey, three-piece suit. She had to admire his nerve at wearing black converse sneakers with such a fancy ensemble. She wondered how Chris would be dressed.

“Have a seat,” Josh offered, pointing to the couch, “You want anything to drink?” She shrugged.

“Sure, just bring me anything you have,” she said. He laughed.

“Normally, I would say that’s not a good thing to demand of me, but I’ll be nice tonight,” he told her. She chuckled and shook her head, sitting down gently on the black sectional sofa. Josh spent a few minutes in the kitchen and then brought her back a Jack Daniels and coke mixed together. She thanked him and sipped on the drink.

“I always find that it’s not cool to go to these award things all uptight and serious,” he told her, taking a swig of his own drink. She swallowed.

“Yeah, but you don’t want to get up on stage and be completely schnockered if you win,” she laughed. He snorted into his drink.

“Well, Az, I think we could count on you for that one,” he said. She pulled a confused face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. He looked at her.

“Well, we all saw what happened to you at that club in Florida after a few drinks,” he told her, “You’d be the life of the party at any awards show if you were drunk.” She laughed and hid her reddening face for a moment. He laughed and took another sip of his drink.

“But luckily, that many drinks lowers your inhibitions as well, otherwise Chris would have never gotten off that kiss, right?” he laughed. She choked on her drink suddenly.

“Excuse me? What kiss?” she coughed. Josh looked at her seriously, lowering his drink from his mouth.

“Oh shit,” he murmured, “Oh shit, he didn’t tell you.” She stared at him.

“God, I’m an idiot,” he burst and then stood up to walk into the kitchen. She set her drink on the coffee table and stood up suddenly to follow him.

“What kiss, Josh?” she said loudly. He stopped, putting his hands on the counter in front of him.

“It’s not my place to talk about it, Az,” he told her, “I thought Chris would have done that already.” She crossed her arms over her chest.  He squeezed his eyes shut and then groaned.

“He came back into our room that night after he’d taken you back to your room freaking out because he’d forced a kiss on you while you were drunk,” he told her. Her eyes widened.