Chapter 70

Kevin woke up the next morning in a miserable mood.  He didn’t sleep well.  All he kept thinking about was Bron.  He had the how down, now he needed to figure out the when.  The when had to be soon too.  I know she’ll challenge me every step of the way because they’re here.  I can’t handle this the way I normally would.  The little witch has the advantage he thought as he dragged himself to the shower.

Once dressed he went to the kitchen and made the coffee.  He watched his brothers get ready for the day and then his mother.  “Morning Kevin,” his mom reached over and kissed his cheek.  “Morning,” he mumbled.

“Kevin you look like you didn’t sleep well,” she told him as she poured her coffee.

“I didn’t,” as he stared at his watch and then the door.

“Well maybe after you have some breakfast you’ll feel better,” she told him.

His brothers watched Kevin sulk and stare at the door.  Occasionally he would glance at his watch and then stare at the door again.  Kevin sat there for a half hour waiting for her to come and make his breakfast.  Jerald snickered to himself; oh, she plays hardball with you little brother.  It doesn’t look like your girl is going to be feeding you this morning.

Carlos knocked on the door and strolled into the suite, “Morning.”

“Where’s Bronwyn?”  Kevin barked at him.  His family looked at him surprised at the tone he used.

Carlos wasn’t shocked he had expected it after last night.  Somebody had a rough night he grinned, “She went out.”

“She can’t do that!”  Kevin shook his head furiously at him.

“Well you know, things change.  Maybe before she couldn’t but she did today,” Carlos chuckled.  “She went shopping with her family.”  Carlos added with amusement.

“Dammit!”  Kevin yelled as he slammed his cup down.  “I knew this would happen.  I’m losing control,” as he glared at Carlos.

“Kevin watch your mouth,” Tim warned him from the other side of the room.  Jerald just sat back and took it all in, yep you sure are little brother.

Anne stood there looking at Kevin, who was very angry right now.  That boy really has his daddy’s temper, but he doesn’t control it as well as his dad did.  I wonder what he is losing control over.  Whatever it is Carlos thinks it’s funny and Kevin doesn’t.  “Kevin what happened between you and Bronwyn last night?” she asked him gently.

“Nothing we had a disagreement that’s all,” Kevin frowned at Carlos.

“Honey this sound like much more than just a disagreement,” as she reached around and to pat his back.

Kevin thought oh you don’t know the half of it ma and I hope you never do.  “It looks like I’m not getting breakfast.  Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat.”

Kevin got up and walked out the door.  Carlos shook his head at him and followed him.  Jerald and Tim exchanged smirks while their mother just watched him walk out the door.

They gathered their things and went downstairs.  They caught up with Kevin in the restaurant.  He had already ordered otherwise he would be late.  Kevin’s food was set in front of him and they placed their order.  “Kevin you really need to talk to Bron.  Maybe you’ll feel better,” Tim told him, as Kevin tasted the food on the plate.

Kevin dropped his fork to the plate, “This food is terrible.”  Carlos laughed aloud and Kevin sent him a warning glare.  Somebody is having trouble dealing with his loss of control, Carlos grinned at him.

“Kevin there is nothing wrong with that food.  It’s a five star restaurant.”  Jerald reminded him.

Kevin grumbled, “There is too, the eggs are runny, the toast is dry, and the bacon is overcooked.”

Carlos and Jerald were quietly snickering to themselves.  What a spoiled man you have become, it’s not the food you’re missing, it’s the cook, Jerald snickered to himself.

Kevin stood up and reached in his pocket for his wallet.  “I forgot my wallet.  I’ll be right back.”  Carlos got up and Kevin turned to him, “You don’t have to hold my hand while I get my wallet.”

Carlos sat down, unaffected by the gruffness that Kevin had used.  Actually, he thought it was pretty funny.  “Okay Carlos, what’s going on?”  Anne asked him point-blank.

Carlos looked at her, “Not much, he didn’t care for breakfast.  He’s used to his own cook.”  Carlos chuckled.

“And that would be Bronwyn,” Jerald added for his mothers and Tim’s benefit.

Carlos just looked at him not sure what he should do.  “Carlos we’re not stupid.  Kevin knows we don’t approve but we’re not blind either.  They have been playing house for a while now.”  Jerald continued.

“More like king of the castle.  Yeah he’s used to Bron cooking for him,” Carlos chuckled.

Anne smiled confirmation at last, “I see, so he’s gotten spoiled the last few weeks,” his mother laughed and she was joined by the other three.

Tim shook his head, “I hope they patch things up soon because he is one ornery human being right now,” Tim said to Jerald. 

“Well that’s up to Kevin,” Carlos answered as Kevin walked back through the dining room.

“Mom I want to have a family dinner before the show.  Just us, no one else.  Can you make the arrangements for me?”  Kevin asked.

Anne looked at him and his sudden mood change, “That’s fine Kevin.  What time and how many?” she asked him.

“We have to leave for venue at six-thirty so forty-thirty should work.  I want us four, Bron, Bounce, Stevie, Jake and Carlos.”  Kevin answered her questions.

“Hey wait a minute,” Carlos interjected.

“Don’t argue you’re going.  How come you didn’t order breakfast?”  Kevin spoke to Carlos as he watched him stand up.

“My roommate made me breakfast before she left,” he said with a glint in his eye.

Kevin threw the money on the table.  As he walked away he turned back to Carlos to make sure he was following him, “Figures, that is just the thing that little witch would do.” 

Carlos took two steps away from the table and turned back to Kevin’s family, “Back to normal.”

Tim and Jerald exchanged smiles both thinking the same thing, he’s going to pop the question tonight. 

“Well boys you’re brother is miserable but we don’t have to be.  What do you want to do today?” she asked them.

“Sight seeing sounds good,” Jerald grinned.

Kevin climbed into the van with Carlos behind him.  Kevin asked A.J. where Mary was and he was told she was shopping with Bron.  Kevin leaned his head back on the seat, folded his arms across his chest, and didn’t utter another word to any of them.  They all knew that the two of them had gotten into a fight about Bron telling Anne that she was going home soon.

They arrived at the station and did the interviews.  Kevin grunted his answers and offered nothing more.  From the station they went to the venue.  A lunch had been set up but he didn’t eat or speak to anyone.  At rehearsal, he was unbearable.  He barked orders and yelled at people.  After he brought a dancer to tears, he stormed away. 

Fatima went to A.J. and tried to see what the problem was, but didn’t get much information and left.  A.J. looked at Brian and Nick, “Thank you so much.”

They both dropped their heads out of guilt.  They weren’t responsible for the fight, but if Kevin’s family wasn’t here Bron and Kevin never would have been put in that position in the first place.  Howie was on the other side of the stage, “We need to fix this.”

“No I will fix this, these two have done enough damage,” he spoke as he jumped off the stage.  A.J. fished his cell phone out of his coat and called Mary.  When he was done he jumped up back on the stage.  “Carlos called Jake,   Kevin has a family dinner planned.  It looks like he’s taking care of it himself.  I suggest we stay out of it and out of his way.”  Everyone nodded in agreement, as Kevin came back down the aisle.

“What voting me out?”  Kevin said sarcastically, “Or are you planning your next prank on Bron?”  He waited and no one answered him.  He threw his hands up in the air, “I’m outta here.  I’ll see you when it’s time to come back.”

They watched as Kevin grabbed his stuff and walked out.  Howie looked at Nick and Brian, “No more shit from either of you.  Leave them alone.”

Kevin got a cab; both he and Carlos got in to head back to the hotel.  Neither of them spoke until they got into the elevator at the hotel.  “I’ll call you when I know the arrangements for dinner,” Kevin said as he walked out of the elevator. 

Kevin walked up the hall and paused by Carlos’s door long enough to hear Bron yelling at Jake.  Kevin laughed and continued on his way.

Carlos walked into his suite to a shrieking Bron with a note in her hand and a laughing Jake.  “Be ready or I’ll get you ready!  Who the hell does he think he is!!”  Kevin had definitely hit Bron’s bitch switch with that note and it was going to be stuck there for awhile.

“Bron calm down,” Jake said trying hard not to laugh.  Kevin knew how to get to her.  Issue her a command or an order, and then just stand back to watch the fireworks.

“Oh I’ll be ready.  I’ll be so freakin’ ready he will be out of his mind by tonight,” she shouted at Jake and stormed to the bathroom, which was followed by the bathroom door being slammed yet again.

Carlos laughed at Jake, “Back to normal I see.” 

Jake wiped the tears from his eyes.  “Man he has a talent for just setting her off but getting what he wants.” 

Carlos giggled, “This should be fun.”

Bron came back out of the bathroom, “Call down there and find out where we are going and what time.”  Bron stood there fuming as Jake walked to the phone.  Just as he reached it, it rang.  Jake picked it up and grinned but just listened and then hung the phone back up.

“Who was that?”  Bron asked still full of fire.

Jake tried hard not to smile, “It was Kevin.  He said we are eating downstairs everything was booked up.  He said you had an hour.  He was hoping you wouldn’t be ready.”

“Asshole!  He can just kiss my ass,” Bron yelled as she went back in the bathroom. 

Jake and Carlos disappeared to find a shower they could use to clean up.  Bron had commandeered theirs and they knew that she wasn’t going to give it up.  They reappeared forty-five minutes later.

“Bron are you almost ready?”  Jake called to her.

“Yep, almost,” She giggled.  Jake shook his head.  “Yep it’s battle time,” he grinned at Carlos.

Bron sauntered out of the bathroom and Jake smiled knowing what she was up just by the way she was dressed.  Carlos let out a wolf whistle, and Bron grinned.

Jake crooked his head sideways, “Are those the pants that A.J. had you buy?”

“Yes they are,” Bron smiled with satisfaction.

“New sweater?”  Carlos asked.

“Yep, got it today.  Do you like it?” she chuckled.

“Well, what there is of it, is nice,” Carlos laughed.

“When he comes, I’m not ready,” Bron snorted.

Jake didn’t know what to say, the outfit was borderline, being not ready would push him over the edge.  “Not good Bron, not good,” Jake warned her.

Bron snickered, “I just want to go downstairs by myself.”

Carlos shook his head, “I wonder why, afraid he might make you change.  This is family.”

There was a knock at the door and Bron whipped into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Bron let’s go,” Kevin yelled as he threw the door open.

“I’m not ready yet,” she answered him, trying to suppress the giggles.

Kevin glanced at Carlos and Jake.  The glance turned into an incredible glare.  I told her to be ready; she’s doing this on purpose.  I made myself very clear.  His thoughts were interrupted as Bron spoke to him from the bathroom.  “I’ll be right there, I promise.”  Bron yelled.

Kevin relaxed she really wasn’t ready.  She wasn’t challenging him either.  Kevin shook his head, “All right, Jake will wait for you.”

“Okay,” she called back as she leaned on the bathroom door.  Bron waited a few minutes after she heard the door close.  “Come on Bron, they’re gone,” she heard Jake.

Bron walked out full of confidence.  Jake recognized the look.  Kevin Richardson was going to be brought down a peg or two.  “Are you sure about this?”  Jake asked her.

Bron smiled, “Very.”

“You’re teasing him on top of it with that fuzzy tight sweater and those pants,” Jake remarked.

“I know and he hates that.  Let’s go sir,” as she snaked her arm around him and headed for the door.

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