Burning Up
“Joe, you can’t just walk out like that! I needed to talk to you!”
“I have an interview! You can wait!”
“Yeah, I always have to wait, huh? Is that how it is?”
Nick and Kenna looked at each other and rolled their eyes slightly. Joe and Niki were at it again. The younger Jonas was sitting with his girlfriend in the family room of the house, listening to Joe and his girlfriend of almost four years yell at each other.
“Niki, I don’t have time for this!”
“Yeah, well, neither do I! Forget it!”
The couple sitting on the couch glimpsed through the family room doorway as Niki started towards the door, her face stony. Then, in their full view, Joe grabbed her around the waist from behind and kissed her neck. “Don’t go, darling.”
She crossed her arms huffily. “Why shouldn’t I?”
He rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed the sensitive skin just below her ear. “Because I love you.”
She turned and breathed, “I love you, too,” before kissing him passionately.
He responded in kind, and Nick and Kenna yelled simultaneously, “Get a room!”
“Or at least go around the corner,” Nick amended.
Niki winked at him, her mouth still sealed on Joe’s, and pulled him around the corner.
Nick and Kenna rolled their eyes again, but Nick pulled her into a fond kiss. “Aren’t you glad we’re not like that?” he whispered against her lips.
She laughed and shrugged. “They’re hardly ever really mad at each other. They just fight to make up.”
He chuckled and pulled her mouth to his again. “Yeah. The two of them love and fight with equal passion. Never met two people more perfect for each other. Except us.”
She giggled as he kissed across her face. “Yeah. That’s a given.”
Nick pulled away from Kenna and called, “Interview, Joe! You’re late!”
“Oh, dang!” Joe burst from around the corner, face flushed and lips swollen. “Love you, sweetheart!” He grabbed his coat from the rack and sprinted out the door.
“Love you, too, babe,” she called after him, coming into the family room, glowing. “And yes,” she commented to Nick and Kenna, “he rocks.”
They laughed at Niki, then Nick said to Kenna, “Okay, love, I have to go to the radio station, then I have lunch with the studio execs and some other important people, I guess. I won’t be home until… probably eight.”
She pouted, then smiled. “I can handle it. I’ll be here.”
“Where else do you have to go? Your house is only three thousand miles away…”
“True.” They kissed quickly, then he headed out. As soon as the door shut, Kenna said, “Hey Niki, come here.” Niki plopped down on the couch. “So, Kevin’s twenty-third birthday is tomorrow…”
“Of course. He won’t shut up about it.”
“Right. So he doesn’t know that Tina’s coming.”
Niki’s eyes widened. “She is?”
“Yeah. She got off from the clinic for a couple days. She’s flying in tonight. So here’s the thing.” She said conspiratorially, “Nick doesn’t know either. So we have to figure out how to get to the airport at ten tonight without them knowing where we’re going. I’m thinking a girls’ night, you and me, and then we run out to go shopping and get some slumber party goodies… except we’re actually getting Tina, not goodies.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
Kevin got home at six thirty, whipped up some spaghetti for dinner, and called Tina. Kenna and Niki laughed when he said, “I miss you so much, honey. I hate that you’re so far away.” He had no idea she was almost halfway to him even as they talked.
Joe bounded back into the house at just past seven thirty, tired but still full of energy. He scarfed down dinner and dragged Niki away from Kenna to spend some quality time in the kitchen, which from what Kenna could tell, entailed telling her stupid stories--all of which made her laugh--and stealing kisses when she would let him.
Nick got home later than he had said, around eight thirty, looking exhausted. Kenna got dinner for him and then made him lay down on the couch, where he crashed with his head in her lap and fell asleep, gripping her hand. Kenna watched him while he slept, twirling his soft curls around her fingers.
He was so strong, she thought, but so vulnerable when he slept like this. He was eighteen years old, in love with his life, his career, and with her. Yet he was so busy. She was scared for him sometimes. Even today, he had run himself into the ground, and this was a slow day, not even a day on tour. The last tour had ended just a week before. Kenna was savoring the time she had to spend with him during the break, but knew that in just a short time--maybe as little as a week--she would have to watch him leave again. Once the tour started, he would never stop moving, and she was worried about him.
At just after nine, she carefully got up, slipping a pillow under Nick’s head. He missed her warmth despite her efforts and stirred, looking up at her groggily. “Sleep, baby,” she murmured. “I’ll be back in a couple hours.”
“Where you going?” Nick mumbled, taking her hand.
“Niki and I are going to pick up a few things. Go back to sleep.”
He nodded, his eyelids drifting close, long lashes fanning over his high cheekbones. She kissed him softly and he sighed as he slipped back into sleep. Smiling, Kenna went to get Niki, who was now cuddled in Joe’s arms on his bed, watching a movie. “Hey, Niki, that girls night thing, still happening, right?”
Niki leapt off the bed, making Joe snatch at her in protest. “Right! Of course! Come on, let’s go.” She looked at Joe. “Hey, Kenna and I are having a girls’ night tonight. We’re going out to get some stuff for it.”
He put on a fake pout and whined, “But I wanna cuddle!”
Niki rolled her eyes. “You’re twenty one. Weren’t you supposed to grow out of that a decade and a half ago?” Then she winked at him, and he grinned back. “See you later, babe.” She linked arms with Kenna and hurried down the stairs, both of them grabbing their purses as they went.
The drive to the airport was almost giddy, but they became hyper as they saw Tina come out of the boarding gate, looking around. “Tina!” they yelled. “Tina!”
She saw them and squealed, dashing towards them with her suitcase swinging from her hand. “Kenna! Niki!” She slammed into them and they both hugged her back. She laughed, “I got off the phone with Kevin an hour ago. He has no idea I’m coming. He kept going on and on about how much he missed me and wished I was there.”
They laughed and went out to the car, heading back to the Jonas’ house. All of them were excited, Niki and Kenna because they had managed to keep Tina’s visit a surprise, and Tina because it had been months since she had last seen her guitar playing boyfriend.
