One Month Later....
As Destiny stepped out of the shower, she heard her phone ringing. She quickly wrapped a towel around her still wet body and went to answer it. That had better not be Mr. Carter cancelling on me, she thought. They had made plans to meet for lunch, but lately he'd had to break more than just a couple of dates due to his hectic schedule. Though she did understand he was busy with his career, it was sometimes frustrating.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Hey girl. Whatcha doing?" Faith asked cheerfully, as always.
"Just getting out of the shower. Now I've just got to decide what to wear."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm meeting Nick for lunch. I was afraid you might be him calling to cancel again. I know he's busy, but we hardly have any time together. How do you do it? How do you handle Howie's schedule and yet keep the relationship between you two as strong as it is?" she asked. She and Faith had become really close friends since they met. She was always there for Destiny, offering advice, encouragement and an open ear any time she needed it. Destiny had come to admire her greatly and treasure the friendship they shared.
"It's hard sometimes," she kinda laughed. "I just try my best to make the time we DO get to spend together make up for the time we have to spend apart. And, honestly, I've found that the saying is true. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder."
"Yeah. I guess it does. And I'm sure I will get used to it. It's just so frustrating, though. Especially since we haven't .... well, you know."
"Consummated the relationship?" Faith finished the sentence for her, trying to put it nicely.
"Yeah. That's a good way to put it."
"Well, I, for one, think it's sweet. It's refreshing to know that some people still wait until they really know each other. It means more then."
"I know it does, or at least it will. I really want it to be special when it finally does happen. So, I guess I'm content to wait right now."
"Speaking of waiting, I'd better let you go get ready so you don't keep 'cutie' waiting," Faith laughed.
"Yeah. I guess I do need to get going. What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" Destiny asked.
"Let's see.... laundry, windows, floors.... and the list goes on and on."
"BORING!" she laughed. "How about I rescue you from the domestic doldrums and we do some shopping?"
"That would be wonderful."
"Great! I'll pick you up around 1:00."
"Cool! See you then. Have fun with Nick," Faith answered before hanging up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting at the table in the restaurant alone, Destiny checked her watch, again, and realized that Nick was 45 minutes late. She dug through her still cluttered purse, pulled out her new cell phone, and dialed his number. She had never really wanted a cell phone, but he had insisted she get one so that he could reach her anywhere.
"Come on, Nick," she said after four rings. "Answer the damn phone!"
"Yeah," he finally answered.
"I was wondering if you had gotten lost," she said, waiting to hear his explanation.
"I'm SO sorry, sweetie," he started, speaking very softly. "But, I swear, it's not my fault this time. I'm STILL in this meeting, and judging by the rate these guys are working at, it may be a while still. I'm sorry, baby. I really am. But, I've got to finish going through these demos. I promise I will make it up to you, if it's the last thing I do."
"Ok," she said, her voice clearly revealing her disappointment. "I understand. But, I'm gonna hold you to that promise."
"Ooh, baby," he joked. "You can hold me any way you want to."
She could almost 'hear' the smile on his face at that statement.
"Go back to work," she directed, with a smile of her own. "We will talk more about THAT later."
After putting her phone back in her purse, Destiny was preparing to leave when she heard a familiar voice.
"Well, hello there," he said. "You here alone?"
She looked up to find AJ's big brown eyes smiling down at her.
"Actually, I am," she smiled. "I was supposed to have a date, but he bailed on me, yet again."
"Bailed on you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it's his loss."
"Thank you. That's what I think, too," she joked.
"I was just gonna come in and grab something to go, but I could probably be persuaded to 'eat-in' ..... I mean, if you'd accept a replacement for your date," he smiled.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'd like that. But, what will Serena think?"
"Serena who?" he laughed, as the waiter came up to their table.
While waiting for their food, the conversation between Destiny and AJ flowed just as freely and easily as it had the night of his engagment party.
"So," he said, crunching ice from his glass of tea. "How are things with Nick?"
"All in all things are good," she answered. "We get along great, and we have a wonderful time together."
"But.....?" he asked, feeling their was more to her answer.
"BUT," she started. "they would probably be a lot better if we had more time together."
"Ahhh, I see," AJ smiled. "The schedule does take some getting used to. That's why none of us have had many long term relationships. It takes a special kind of woman to be able to deal with it. And, even then, if you're not totally committed to making the relationship work, it will just fall apart."
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience."
"More than I care to remember," he stated.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Hey, it's not your fault. Don't apologize," he said.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.
"Sure," he smiled. Just then, his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his pocket, he said, "Hold that thought."
Destiny sat there listening. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but he was right there. She couldn't help but hear.
"Hello?" he answered.
"I'm down here getting some lunch. I left you a note," he said, intently listening to the person on the other end.
"No. I decided to eat here instead," he said, rolling his eyes.
After another minute or so of listening, he said, "I'm alone. Who do you think I'd be here with?"
He must've noticed the look on Destiny's face, because he winked at her and held a finger up to his lips as if to say 'shhh'. She wondered what the big deal was, why he had to lie.
After several more minutes of listening, he said, "Ok. If I decide to go anywhere else, I will call you. Love you, too." And with that, he hung up the phone, shaking his head.
"Sorry," he said. "Go ahead with what you were saying. You wanted to ask me a question?"
"Yeah. Um, well, I don't know exactly how to ask this. If I'm out of line with this, please tell me."
"Ok," he said, wondering what it was she was about to ask.
"You said it takes a special kind of woman to deal with the schedule you guys have, right?"
"Right," he agreed.
"And that's the reason you've not had many long term relationships?"
"Right again."
"Is that the reason you allow Serena to treat you the way she does? Are you afraid you couldn't find someone else to put up with it?"
He sat silent for a moment. She felt sure she had offended him by asking that question. After a few awkward moments, he spoke.
"I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. I'm with Serena because I love her, if that's your question. What do you mean why do I allow her to treat me the way she does?"
"This is really none of my business," she said. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"No. It's ok. Tell me what you think," he urged.
"Well, for instance, the day I saw you two in the mall. She appeared to only be interested in what she was getting, instead of the meaning behind it. She pitched a bitch until she got the biggest one."
"True," he said. "So she likes the big one. Is that a crime?"
"No. I'm just pointing out things I've noticed," she said. "Then, the night of your engagement party, she treated you more like a servant than a fiancee. It was almost as if the party were for HER, and not both of you."
"I agree that she can sometimes be bossy," he said. "That's just the way she is. Anything else?"
"I'm sure that was her on the phone a few minutes ago," she started.
"Yeah. So?"
"So she was trying to control you again."
"No she wasn't trying to control me," he argued.
"Why did you have to lie to her then? Why couldn't you tell her you were here with me?"
"Why should I? I lied to her to avoid an argument."
"So she's not only bossy and controlling. She's also jealous," she said, half asking.
"To a certain point, I guess. But, aren't we all?" he asked.
"Not to the point of being controlling."
"Look, I appreciate your concern. And I'm not in the least offended. You can always talk to me about anything. I know that Serena has her faults, but she is basically a good person. She has stood by me through times when no one else would. If she didn't love me, she could've easily left. And I love her. Isn't that what's important anyway?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said. "Sometimes love just isn't enough."
"Well, Miss Optimism, sometimes it IS enough," he smiled.
"Ok. I'll drop it," she said, holding her hands up. "I just had to voice my opinion."
"So, you never told me anything much about you and Nick. You aren't trying to avoid the subject are you? Could there be trouble in paradise?"
"Now who is optimistic?" she laughed. "Of course there isn't trouble. But, there isn't exactly paradise yet either."
"Really?" he asked, acting surprised. As he lifted his drink to his mouth, he said, "How's the sex?"
Destiny, too, was taking a sip of her drink. She almost spit it all over him when he asked that.
"I'm sorry," he said, with a smile. "Did I step out of line? I didn't think you'd mind since we're being open with each other."
"Uh, no, I uh, I don't mind," she stammered.
"So?" he asked, eyebrow raised once again.
"So what?" she asked.
"Oh, don't try to pull that innocent crap on me," he smirked. "I can see right through you. I know deep down in there is a wild woman."
"Maybe not as wild as you think," she stated. "There hasn't been any sex yet."
This time it was AJ who almost spit drink everywhere. "What???" he exclaimed.
"No," she smiled. "We haven't."
"You're shitting me?!"
"Of course I'm not," she laughed.
"Seriously? You and Nick haven't fell into the groove yet?"
"No."
"And this is the same Nick Carter? The same one I know?" he asked in astonishment.
"The one and only," she smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She stood behind a tree, on the sidewalk, outside the window looking in. Her eyes scanned over each table until she found the one she was looking for. There he was. She watched as he ate his food, totally engrossed in conversation with the pretty red head sitting across from him. They were both laughing and talking, having the time of their lives. She could feel her blood begin to boil as she continued to watch them from out of sight, like a stalker. Neither of them seemed to have a care in the world. For now, anyway, she thought with an evil smile.