Nick would be there. Okay, so maybe Katelyn was right; she was getting a bit of a crush on Nick, but nothing all that big. She finished putting on her sparkly lip gloss and blotted, then stepped out of the bathroom to find Nick, Brian, and Katelyn waiting.
Nick’s jaw hit the floor when he saw Christine. “You look great!” he exclaimed breathlessly, trying to hold in the drool.
“Thanks,” Christine replied. She blushed and grabbed her purse. “Where are we going?”
“We’re starting at East Point, then we’ll go wherever we end up. Probably some pretty exclusive clubs,” Brian answered. East Point was one of the most chic clubs in Tampa.
“Yeah, we got it,” Katelyn replied. She slipped on her tall, black oxfords and grabbed Brian’s arm. “You’re escorting me tonight, Littrell.”
Brian’s face lit up, yet again, and he nodded. “I guess I can handle that.” All four left the room, and Nick and Christine fell behind.
“Is it just me, or are they totally all over each other?” Christine whispered. “They may not be an official couple, but they could have fooled me!”
“It’s not just you. They’ve both fallen pretty hard, I think,” Nick said softly. “Maybe we should take my car, and they can take Brian’s. Then they have some ‘alone time.’”
“That’s not a bad idea. Kate!” Christine called.
Katelyn turned around. “What’s up?”
Nick answered for her. “Christine and I are going to take my car. Meet us at East Point! There, now they can have some time to officially get together.”
Twenty minutes later, Nick and Christine arrived at the club. Brian and Katelyn hadn’t gotten there yet, so they grabbed Brian’s favorite table, one that overlooked the ocean. After about ten minutes, Brian and Katelyn showed up, holding hands.
“Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom. Teeny, come with me!” Katelyn said. She grabbed her friend’s arm and dragged her to the bathroom. “Oh, my God!”
“What?” Christine said. She knew what Katelyn was going to tell her.
“Me and Brian are, like, an item now!” Katelyn exclaimed.
Christine smiled. “Of course. Do you think I couldn’t tell by the expression on your face when you came in? Who asked?”
“He did. He admitted he liked me,” Katelyn replied. “What happened with you and Nick on the way over here?”
“Nothing. I guess you’re right. I like him,” Christine sighed. “But not as much as you seem to think. It’s just a little crush because, mainly, I have no options. There are no other guys that I’m close to, besides Brian and them, and Nick just seems the most appealing. But he doesn’t feel the same way.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” Katelyn cried. “Of course he feels the same way. It’s written all over his face. Can’t you see? Just talk to him and see what happens.”
“Okay, we’ll see,” Christine said. “Now let’s go back to the table. The guys probably want to dance.”
“I asked her out, formally. We are now a real couple,” Brian said as soon as the girls had left. His face was glowing.
“You did? That’s awesome! I’m happy for you!” Nick exclaimed.
“What about Christine?”
“Nothing is happening there. I don’t know if anything is going to happen, either.”
“Nick, you have to tell her how you feel. There’s no choice. If you don’t, then you’ll regret it.”
“I know, Brian, I know, but it’s just so hard. We have a fragile friendship because of everything that happened before, and I don’t want to shatter it. I think I need to give it some time.”
“Yeah, I guess. You’ll figure it out,” Brian assured him. Just then, the girls came back and sat down. Brian stood up and held out his hand as a slow song began to play. “Care to dance?”
Katelyn giggled. “Sure! Let’s go!”
Nick looked awkwardly at Christine, and then his eyes went back down to the table. “Do you want a drink or something?”
“Yeah, sure! Wine cooler?” Christine suggested.
“Sure, I’ll be right back!” Nick said. He looked relieved and stood up, leaving Christine wondering what that was all about. A few minutes later, he came back with a wine cooler and a beer.
Two hours later, after Katelyn and Brian had left and gone somewhere else, Christine was getting pretty drunk as “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” began to play. Christine laughed. “Nicky, we have to dance (hiccup) to this. This is (hiccup) you!” she slurred.
“Okay, I’ll dance with you, but promise me you’ll slow down on the alcohol! You’ve finished off four wine coolers, babe!” he exclaimed. He was slightly tipsy, but not quite drunk.
“Okay, I can do that,” Christine replied.
She stood up and stumbled a little bit, but made it to the dance floor with Nick’s help. Nick cautiously placed his hands on her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He inhaled the scent of her perfume and closed his eyes. She was so close, yet so far away. There was no way he could ever have her. He shivered slightly as she leaned in closer to him, and sang softly into her ear. “I’ll never break your heart. I’ll never make you cry. I’d rather die than live without you. I’ll give you all of me, honey, that’s no lie.” That was exactly how he felt.
Christine giggled and looked up at him. Their noses were only an inch apart, and she was so tempted to lean in and kiss him, but he couldn’t feel the same way. She couldn’t bear to look into his deep, ocean blue eyes any longer, so she rested her head on his shoulder again. If only he could see… She lost her train of thought as the alcohol took over again, and she continued to giggle.
Nick pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. It hurt so much not to be with her. Why couldn’t she understand? She looked into his eyes once again, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He pressed his lips to hers, and everything in the room seemed to freeze until she pulled away breathlessly.
“Nick, I-” she started, but she stopped, not sure of what to say. Instead, she kissed him again, this time more passionately. She began to feel dizzy again, but not from the alcohol this time. “Let’s get out of here.”
They drove back to the hotel, and thousands of thoughts were racing through Nick’s head. She’s illegal. I’m in love with her. She’s a seventeen-year-old drunken girl, Carter, and you’re taking advantage of her. She has no idea what she’s doing. It’s not like I’m using her, though. I have to be with her. This is wrong. No, it’s not. Do you know how much trouble you could get into? That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Finally, they pulled up to the back entrance, and Nick helped her inside and led her up to his room. He stopped when he saw the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, obviously from Brian and Katelyn.
“We can go to my room,” Christine suggested.
When they arrived, Christine immediately slammed the door and kissed Nick forcefully. They kissed for a few minutes, and Nick gently pushed her onto the bed, not once stopping the kiss. Carefully, Nick slid the dress over her head and began to kiss her neck as she reached for the hem of his shirt. The rest of the night was history…