Kayla was reading in bed later that night at the hotel in an attempt to relax after the show when the phone rang. Putting her book down, she rolled over and picked it up. "Hello?" she said.

"Kayla, it's Rick," the manager's voice replied.

She smiled. "Oh, hi."

"Listen, I have great—oh, how did the show go?"

"It was incredible," she said honestly.

"That's wonderful! Well, this will just make your day then. I got a call from MTV studios today," Rick reported.

"Oh, really?"

"Really. And they want you to come co-host TRL next week! It would be a regular hour-long episode, and they'd have interviews, your favorite videos, something with fans...everything."

Kayla shut her eyes. "Oh my God..."

"Anyway, I already checked your schedule, and next Tuesday—that's a week from tomorrow—next Tuesday night, you don't have a show, so I figured you could fly into New York then and host on Wednes—"

"Yes!" Kayla cried. "Yes, yes, yes, I'll do it!"

Rick laughed. "Okay, babe, I'll call them back right now," he decided.

Kayla squealed. "This is so exciting! Thank you, Rick!"

"Anytime. I'll call you back tomorrow with the d's. You get some sleep now, okay? I think you need it."

"Okay, thank you, Ricky! I love you!"

He chuckled. "Love you too. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye-Bye."

Kayla hung up the phone and let out a happy sigh before putting her book away, turning the light off, and going to sleep.

Nick let out a groan as he collapsed onto his bed Tuesday night. The guys might be his best friends, but there were times when he could really kill them. Like right now, for instance. On a whim, they had all decided to go out clubbing. And since he was the only one under the age of twenty-one, he was the only one who therefore couldn't go along. On top of that, Kayla had been flirting constantly with Derek this whole week, and Nick hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her at all.

Well, he was going to change that right now. He had seen Kayla go into her hotel room a few minutes ago, just as the other guys had been leaving. Nick stood up and grabbed his key before heading on out of his room and down the hall to hers.

He knocked three times on the door, smiling when he heard the radio playing inside. A moment later, the door opened wide to reveal Kayla talking to someone on her new cell phone and holding a bottle of shampoo. As usual, she was trying to do three things at once. She smiled when she saw Nick and motioned for him to come inside. He did and closed the door behind him.

"No, Mom...3:30 on MTV...That's right...So start the tape at..." Kayla was saying as she went over to one of the beds in the room and put the bottle of shampoo into the open suitcase on top of it. "Look, can I just talk to Daddy?...Okay, I'm holding on." Rolling her eyes, she covered the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand and turned to Nick. "Hey!" she whispered. "What's up?"

He shrugged. "Not much, I'm just a little bo—"

"Hi, Dad," Kayla said into the phone. She mouthed a quick apology to Nick, who nodded acceptance. "That's right, 3:30...An hour...I know, I thought...No...Okay...Listen, Dad, I have company so I should...It's Nick...Okay, love you too...Okay, thanks...Bye." Kayla pressed a button on her phone and tossed it onto the bed. "My dad says hey," she told Nick.

"Cool, what's all this? Why are you packing?" Nick wondered. "And what's at 3:30 tomorrow?"

Kayla raised her eyebrows. "Did I not tell you?"

He shook his head.

"Oh! I'm co-hosting TRL tomorrow. My plane to New York leaves in..." She checked her watch. "Two and a half hours."

"Kayla! You're supposed to tell me these things!" Nick said with a grin, walking forward and giving her a hug. "That's great!"

"I know! I'm so excited!" she said. "'Scuse me, I have to get the rest of my stuff." She went into the bathroom and came out a moment later with her hands full of toiletries.

"I'll help," Nick offered after she dumped them out onto the bed.

Kayla smiled at him. "Okay." They both started stuffing things into the suitcase. "So do you have any helpful hints for me? I know you've done this before."

Nick shrugged. "Just be bubbly and fun. Well, you're like that anyway. So just be Kayla."

She smiled. "Okay. I'm really nervous..."

"Aw, you'll do great," Nick assured her.

"You think so?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course you will," he said.

Kayla looked down. "Thanks, Nicky," she said.

He smiled, not bothering to correct her calling him that for once. "You're welcome."

She looked into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head quickly and snapping out of the daze. "Well, I think I have everything," she said. "The limo's supposed to pick me up in just a few minutes."

"Want me to take you down there?" Nick offered.

"No, that's okay," she said. "Thanks for helping me pack."

"Any time," he replied. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks. Will you watch?"

"You bet."

"Okay." Kayla got her suitcase off of the bed and, with Nick following right behind her, went out the door. "Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow night before the show."

"Okay. Bye."

Kayla let go of the suitcase to give him a quick hug, which he willingly returned. "Bye," she replied. She gave him one last smile before she turned around and went off to get her bodyguard and then get going.


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