Epilogue

Ally sat beside Jamie fidgeting in her chair. She glanced at her watch as she released a long, drawn out breath.

“Chill, Ally,” Jamie said as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

“They’re ready and warmed up but Rob Black is nowhere to be found. What if he changed his mind?”

“He didn’t. Something probably came up and he’s trying to take care of it quickly,” Jamie said but he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

Ally stood up and peeked her head out of the open door. “Where are the parents, anyway?”

“Talking to Sidney,” Jamie said. “I guess she probably knows where Rob is.”

“She is his wife,” Ally muttered as she strolled back to her chair and plopped down.

The room was small and one wall was made of glass that allowed occupants to view the occupants in the room next door. In that other room Cole, RJ, Ryan and Parker were toying with their instruments, waiting nervously to play for Rob Black.

The ink had barely dried on RJ’s and Cole’s diploma and they were packing their bags and their instruments to head to L.A. Nick, Ronnie, and Parker’s father, naturally, planned to accompany them and Ally was slightly surprised when her dad announced that he and Matt were going along, too.

Ally still had two weeks until she had to report to training camp for the State Team and while she was excited, she was glad that Cole’s meeting with Rob Black occurred before she had to leave. She wanted to be there for him no matter what.

Ally groaned and tossed her head back, annoyed and nervous. “I wish they’d play already. I know they’ll knock Rob’s socks off and I can hardly stand the waiting.”

“I have to say, cuz, that patience is not one of your strongest attributes,” Jamie teased.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her leg, wiggling her foot while she watched Cole talk quietly to the others. She smiled as she replayed the past couple of months in her head. Things had been going well with them – not perfect but well. They’d taken things at a slower pace – going out on dates and spending plenty of time talking. It was working for them and she was satisfied with the pace. She’d stopped worrying about them taking things too far, knowing they had plenty of time for that and when the moment was right, it would happen and they’d be able to deal with it. Cole had confided in her that he’d been worried about that, too, but had decided that it was best if they held off on the physical side of their relationship until she was out of high school.

“Hey, princess,” Jake greeted as he breezed into the room with Nick, Ronnie and Matt. Rob Black trailed behind them, huge grin on his face.

“Hi, Ally,” he said as he gave her a quick hug before turning to shake Jamie’s hand. Ally’s cheeks heated a bit as she remembered the painful crush she’d had on Rob years and years ago. It had faded, of course, but she still thought he was quite handsome with his dark brown hair that curled at the ends and the sexy hoops he wore in each ear. He wasn’t as tall as her father but he had an athletic build that he’d maintained even though he was well into his forties. Ally always blushed like an idiot when he talked to her.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Rob said, rubbing his hands together and approaching the intercom. He pushed a button and asked the guys to go ahead whenever they were ready.

Ally shivered in anticipation and glanced at Nick. She blinked several times in surprise at how stiff he was – his face pale. She got out of her chair to stand beside him and wrap an arm around his waist.

“Are you nervous, Nick?” she asked.

He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. He winked at her, a grin curling the corners of his mouth. “Maybe a little. I remember what it’s like to be on the other side of the glass and I guess I’m a little nervous for them.”

“They’re awesome. Rob is going to love them,” she said.

Nick squeezed her shoulders again and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I know.”

As soon as RJ struck a chord and the others jumped in, Ally watched Rob carefully. Unfortunately, he had a wonderful poker face and his expression didn’t reveal a single thing. She frowned, wishing she could read his mind to see what he was thinking.

They finished their first song and Rob bobbed his head, a small smile cracking his lips. He bent over the intercom and spoke to the guys again.

“That was outstanding, fellas. Let’s hear a couple more, okay?”

RJ nodded, a grin toying with his mouth. They started on another song and Ally began to relax. The guys were having fun, doing what they did best and playing one of their more popular songs at school. Ally shared a grin with Jamie and they both knew that their friends had sealed their fate.

When they finished, Rob turned to the adults and beamed. “Ronnie, Nick – you two did an excellent job. I’m sure the rest of you had a hand in it, too.”

“Thanks,” Ronnie said, a little green.

“I want them,” Rob said, a huge grin bursting out on his face. “I want to sign them now before someone else snaps them up. Now, I know Ryan’s still in school and we can work something out about that.”

Jamie swept Ally in his arms and swung her around the room as Ronnie and Nick stepped forward to shake Rob’s hand. They moved into the other room to let the guys know but Jamie and Ally remained behind to watch through the glass – they’d have a chance to celebrate with their friends soon enough.

As Ally watched them all talk excitedly, her heart twinged a bit. Sure, she was worried that maybe this new development would put more stress on their still fragile relationship but when Cole turned to the window and graced her with a huge smile and a wink, she knew that somehow, some way; it would all work out in the end.

“Come on, cuz,” Jamie said, taking her hand. “Let’s go congratulate them.”

She followed him into the chaotic other room and allowed the excitement to blow through her as she hugged and kissed her friends. When Cole held her against his chest, pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek and whispered in her ear that he loved her, her feelings of a few minutes ago were reinforced.

When RJ and Jamie joined them and all four of them had their arms wrapped around each other, Ally was overwhelmed in love. She knew then that no matter what happened, she’d always have her friends. Always.

A/N: Was a little stuck on 'Tease' and was actually thinking about doing a one-shot and this is what I came up with. The rewrite of this story is on Lulu now.

Thanks a bunch and tell me what you think of this epilogue.