She saw a man open his bookstore, while a lady behind him was trying to call a cab. She picked at the edge of her bagel and watched a little dog walk down the street and then find a tree that took his interest.
Her thoughts were then scattered by a voice, "May I join you?"
She turned to find A.J. looking down at her. She smiled, "sure, go ahead."
He sat down and looked at her for a minute before picking up the paper, "May I?"
"Go ahead, I'm thru with it."
"Um, A.J.?"
"Hmm?" was all the response she got from behind the paper.
"Don't say anything to Nick about our...arrangement..okay?"
"You mean the fact that we have a lunch date?", at this the paper was put down.
"Yeah, I don't know how he's gonna take it, so would you just keep it quiet till I can tell him?"
A.J. looked at her for a minute, "Sure thing."
They sat a couple of minutes having a mild conversation. Then Brian walked thru the door, he went and got something to eat and then scanned the room. When he saw Stephanie and A.J. he made his way over to the table,
"May I join you?"
Stephanie smiled, "Good morning, go ahead." Brian sat and asked for the sport's section.
"So, where did you want to go for lunch?" A.J. asked.
Stephanie shrugged, "I dunno, wherever you want to go."
Brian looked up, but didn't say anything. By that time Howie had joined them, the paper was being split into more sections.
Nick came in not long after Howie did and pulled a chair up to join them.
"Morning." Stephanie said with a smile
"Hey, so what do you guys wanna do today?" Nick asked
Everyone looked at him "Nick, we just got up, why don't you just get some breakfast and we'll discuss it later." Brian said still looking at the sports section.
Nick just scowled in his direction and started to get up.
"Where did you say you and Stephanie were going for lunch?" Howie asked. A.J. looked up at Stephanie who was looking back at him.
On hearing this nick turned around, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!" without waiting for an answer he blew up at Stephanie, "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!?" He stopped then, almost like he couldn't say anything else and turned around to leave. He ran into Megan and Kevin at the door
"Hey Nick..." was all Megan could say as he walked past her without acknowledging her at all.
At the table Howie looked at A.J. and then at Stephanie, "I'm sorry, I thought he knew."
Nothing was said in response. Brian got up to go after him but Stephanie stopped him, "Let me." with that she got up to go find Nick.
She looked around the lobby, checked in the lounge and then found him waiting on an elevator.
"Nick, what's wrong?" she asked walking up beside him. He didn't look at her or answer, "Nick?"
Finally he turned and looked at her for a minute before saying, " A.J. isn't the kind of guy you would take home to mom. He's been around Miss, and I just don't want you getting mixed up in all that. You're basically like my sister, I love you just like B.J. or Leslie and I don't want to see you getting hurt."
Stephanie looked at him for a minute in mer shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had no idea what to saw, but then realized she didn't have to say anything at all. She smiled, and he knew exactly what she meant. he was like the brother she never had, because they could just about read each other’s minds, without saying a word.
They rejoined the others, and decided that they would just shop for the day. They all went back to their rooms grabbed a few things and then they were off.
They shopped for several hours before A.J. asked Stephanie if she would like to stop for lunch at the cafe on the end of the block. She agreed and they excused themselves from the guys. They walked down the street to the cafe and were seated by a huge window that overlooked the street. They looked at the menu before ordering and then started a conversation about nothing really at all.
Meanwhile on the other side of the little restaurant the hostess was seating 5 other people, which just happen to be Megan, Kevin, Howie, Brian and Nick.
A.J. and Stephanie did not notice their friends but Nick spotted them right away. "What do they think they are doing?!?", He whispered harshly.
Kevin looked over where Nick was and saw the object of his concentration. "Nick, leave them alone."
Nick just looked at Kevin and the with a huff turned around.
They ordered, and while they waited for their food Nick's eyes hardly left A.J. and Stephanie. "What did he saw that was so funny? Why is she laughing? What are they talking about? What's happening?" was basically all Nick said the whole time.
Their food finally arrived and still Nick did not take his eyes from across the restaurant.
"Nick.." "Nick.." "Nick..your..the ketchup.." "NICK!!" they final yelling of his name got his attention. He turned to find his plate a small lake of ketchup. ]
"These things never work until you don't need them to!!"
Just then the blond waitress appeared out of nowhere and took Nick's plate with the promise to be right back with another. Nick tapped his foot and then looked back to find A.J. and Stephanie's table empty.
He about came out of his seat until Brian stopped him, "Just let them be Nick."
With that Nick sat down irritated and finished his lunch, but as soon as everyone was down he was the first out the door. Howie said he had seen them going into the bookstore across the street, and that's where he was headed with ever intention of finding out every detail about what happened.......
