"What's up, buddy?" he said as he grabbed the ball from me and made a clean jump shot.
"Show off," I grumbled while I drank from my water bottle.
He laughed, "Why? Feeling blue?" he asked.
I sighed, I might as well tell him, "Everybody seems to be conspiring against me, they're all ignoring me, man!"
"What do you mean?" he said puzzled.
"My parents, Leslie, and Angel are all out, they out went somewhere. They didn't even wake me up. Aaron's still touring, BJ's
always at LIMPA with her photo shoots and last but not the least, Cari hasn't called me since the other day. She has been so
busy lately in LIMPA, with meetings and stuff. BJ even told me that she has photo shoots every other hour! " I groaned.
"When was the last time Cari called you?" Brian said urgently. "Has she been ignoring you lately? Has she made any attempt
to excuse herself from any dates?"
"Hey, slow down, Rok. The last time she called me was about two days ago, No she has not been ignoring me and she has not
broken any dates. Why?"
"Nothin'. I told you, she's not an ordinary girl, she's different. Maybe you should go there and spend some time with her."
Brian suggested.
"I guess so, see ya later. Thanks Bri." I stood up and went inside the backdoor.
"Oh and Kevin said don't forget the engagement party next Saturday, bring Cari." he yelled.
"Okay!" I hollered back.
Brian stood up, "Is this the start? I don't want him to get hurt...maybe I should have told him what Cari does...Nah,
he won't believe me. I better ask Brooke." he turned around and went inside his BMW.
"Guess who?"
"Hhmmm, could it be my lover from Paris or boyfriend in LA?" she teased Nick.
"Maybe this could help," he kissed her soundly on the lips. "So?"
"Definitely my lover in Paris!"
"Hahaha,"
"Hello Nick," she said the the hands that were covering her eyes disappeared. "What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to surprise my girl after I visited my other girl in Orlando." he grinned. "I brought you some food, and here,"
he handed her the roses.
"Ooohhh, roses! Thank you Nicky."
"I'd rather be thanked with a kiss," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Cari frenched him which left him breathless, "Satisfactory?"
"Very. Anyway, I got you your favorite sandwich, roast beef on rye, hold the mayo." he handed her the sandwich.
"What time is it anyway?" she said looking at the antique clock on he desk, "My, my, a late lunch." The clock read, two-thirty.
The two of them ate while talking about Kevin and Kristen's engagement. "There's an engagement party this Saturday," Nick said.
"Yeah, Kristen called and told me that and I was going to be one of her bridesmaids." then she sighed dismally.
"Why?" Nick said noticing her heavy sigh.
"I don't think I can go to the party. I have two meeting and a negotiation scheduled this Saturday night. It's really important."
"Can't you just send a representative or something?"
"I have to be there, it's a multi-million dollar deal. I can't let someone represent me just like that." she looked at him
with an expression that said "Are you daft or something?"
Nick put down his sandwich, "This is Kevin and Kristen we're talking about. Our friends, almost like family, you have to go."
"I want to go but I can't. If this wasn't such an important deal, I would go, but the thing is, it is!" Cari said already
getting annoyed.
Nick, already getting agitated said, "You're telling me that your work is more important than spending some time with me and
the others, which by the way, if I may remind you, are neglecting recently."
"Well I'm sorry but this is my company, and I work here. Seven hundred fifty people are counting on me to make this deal."
she said coolly.
"Can't you just for one fuckin' night make an excuse? I mean it's not like it's the end of the world! I'm sure some executive
of yours can handle this deal! For the love of God Cari, this is an engagement party of Kevin and Kristen, our friends." he
shouted, frustrated at how Cari was acting.
"Haven't you been listening to what I have been telling you? This deal is for me to handle. I happen to love what I am doing,
just as you love your job. I keep up with your constant touring, recordings, and stuff, I endure it! The fans that keep
hogging your time which is supposed to be my time! Think about what I feel when for a month I don't see you! I just can't be
at you beck and call twenty-four hours a day! So don't you freakin' tell me that you feel neglected!" yelling her
frustrations out.
He was taken aback, "Well, I also love my job, and the touring, recording and fans come with me. It's a package! You can't
blame me!" he defended.
Fuming at Nick's arrogance, "Get out!" she hissed.
"Fine! Go to your multi-million dollar deal. Forget about us, forget about Kevin and Kristen being engaged!" he stormed
out of Cari's office, slamming the door.
Cari watched him leave, tears brimming her eyes but quickly blinked them away. "No I will not cry, this is just another
guy, a fucking asshole." She said this over and over again. "I over-estimated him, he isn't what I thought he would be.
He should have understood, I wanted to come but this is not just another deal! Why haven't I had the dream yet? Mama, help me.
I need you." she gritted her teeth, still seething with anger. She stood up and picked her purse and went out of her
office.
"Geena, I'm going home, I don't feel so good."
Geena looked surprised, "But you still have three meetings! What will I tell them?"
"Reschedule them, I really need to go," she said and walked in the elevator.
"Hey Geena!," she greeted, Geena signaled her to wait. She shrugged.
"Yes, yes, the meetings rescheduled....No! She went home, she's not feeling well........uh-huh.....just relay the information
to the others, remember three o'clock tomorrow, okay? Bye!" Geena placed down the receiver. "Hey Brooke,"
"Where's Cari?"
"She went home, she's not feeling well. It's not like her to reschedule three meetings, one, yes, but three? Definitely not.
She didn't look pale or sick. But she was quite upset when she left. I wonder what's wrong,"
"Did she talk to anyone before she went home?" Brooke asked.
"Now that you mentioned it, yes, I think it was Ms. BJ Carter's brother. I heard them yelling at each other, them Mr. Cater
stalked out of the room looking angry."
Brooke paled, "Oh no!" turning to Geena, "She's going home right?"
Geeena nodded her head. "Thanks Geena, see ya tomorrow, good luck!" Brooke dashed into the elevator and went to the studio.
She cancelled all the shoots, the important ones will be handled by Pierre. She told them that is was an emergency. Then she
drove to Cari's house. "Oh my God, please no! She always called me when she's gonna dump them!"
She dialed Brian's number on her car phone. The phone rang four times before a female voice picked up, "Hello?"
"Leighanne! It's Brooke, is Brian there?" she said with an urgent note on her voice.
"Is there something wrong? Where are you?" Leighanne asked worriedly.
"Very wrong, it's Nick and Cari. I'm at heading to Cari's house. I'm using the car phone. I need to talk to Brian about
Nick" Brooke heard Leighanne holler Brian's name.
After a few seconds, Brian was on the phone, Leighanne was on the extension. "What's up Brooke?"
"Trouble in paradise. I think something very bad happened with Nick and Cari this afternoon," she pushed the gas pedal making
her BMW go faster. Thank God she was in the freeway. "Apparently Nick visited Cari at the office. Geena, Cari's secretary
told me that they were yelling inside then after a few minutes, Nick stalked out of Cari's office, fuming. Has Nick told you
any of this?" she overtook the slow Pontiac that was in front of her.
"Nick hasn't called me yet. Do you think this is it?" Brian asked.
"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know for sure. But I hoping against hope that it wouldn't be."
"What do you mean maybe not?" Leighanne asked.
"She usually calls me to help her out, for moral support, she says. But she didn't call me. And she doesn't yell at them, she's
really calm when she drops the guys. But I dunno, Nick isn't just any guy!" Brooke said.
"Okay, I'll ask Nick about it. Good Luck with Cari."
"Thanks Bri, I hope this is not the end." Brooke sighed. "Bye Leigh, Bri. I'll call you to as soon as I get the story from
Cari. Ciao." Brooke placed the receiver back to it's cradle, sighing. "Please, not again!" Then She turned right to her
exit.
"Brooke?" Cari opened the door to her massive bedroom. "Hi," she said as cheerfully as possible thought the happiness did not
quite reach her eyes. Brooke hugged her.
"What happened?" she demanded.
"Huh?"
"Why aren't you at the agency? Geena told me you cancelled three meetings."
"Oh that...nothing, I just didn't feel well." she said as she sat at the edge of her bed.
Brooke joined her, grabbing a throw pillow. "I hardly consider Nick, nothing. So spill,"
Cari sighed, "He was just being an asshole," she told Brooke what happened that afternoon.
Brooke let out a sigh of relief. "God! I though you did your I-don't-know-you-routine already!"
"Couldn't, you weren't there." she smiled impishly, then the smile disappeared.
"C'mere," she hugged her best friend.
"He couldn't understand that I also have a job! It has always got to be me who has to give in! I'm always there at his
conferences, recordings and stuff but he couldn't understand that 750 people are counting on me to sign that deal. It's so
unfair!" she said angrily. She stood up. "If he can't handle the fact that I'm not like the other girls that he dates, fine
by me! I'll drop this relationship!"
"I know you don't mean that. Your starting to love him already." Brooke pointed out quietly.
"I don't believe in the word love, how many times do I have to tell you that? It's such a...a...fake word!"
"Maybe Nick was way off the line this time, but you can have Eric or Jonathan handle the deal, they know how to anyway. Besides,
this is Kevin and Kristen, our friends. And if your not going, I'm definitely not going." Brooke said.
"It's just that it's one of the most important deals of the company! I can't let them handle it." Cari said frustrated.
"Yes, they can handle it! You have to let them. At least have fun on Saturday, you never go out anyway except with Nick.
Besides I wanna go, please? If you don't want to do it for Kevin or Kristen, do it for me, please?" Brooke started to make
puppy dog eyes.
Cari laughed, "Okay, okay, I'll go but I'm not going with Nick."
Brooke sighed, "Fine, I guess that's valid. I'll see ya tomorrow okay?" she stood up and hugged Cari.
"Coming! Hold your horses!" Brian said. He just got off the phone with Brooke. He was expecting Nick to come here, he usually
does when he has a problem. He opened the door and Nick just went through Brian then plopped on the couch.
"Hello to you too," Brian said as he also sat on the couch. Leighanne went into the room, "Hey Nick,"
Nick just scowled. "What's the problem Kaos?" Brian asked.
"Cari's attitude bugged me, she's, uhhggghh! She's so unpredictable!" Nick said angrily.
Brian and Leighanne looked at each other with worried looks on their faces.
"What happened?" Leighanne asked.
"She's rather go to that stupid meeting she has this Saturday than to go to Kevin and Kristen's party! She accused me of trying
to manipulate her time!" Nick said as he told the whole story to Brian and Leighanne. After that Brian slapped Nick on the
head. "Oww! What was that for?"
"As much as it would break Kristen's heart, she has a very important meeting scheduled. She told you that if she didn't have
that meeting she would love to go but she has one scheduled on that day! Besides, she hasn't been neglecting you one bit!"
Brian said.
"She's always there at you conference meetings, recordings and almost all of your concerts! It's just that this one is very
important, you have to understand that!" Leighanne explained.
"I guess so...man, I messed up big time, didn't I?"
Brian nodded. "I gotta go, I need to talk to her. Thanks Bri," Nick said as he stood up to leave.
"Whew! I thought it was something else!" Brian said as Nick left the room.
"Me too, thank God! I hope Cari forgives him." Leighanne said as she leaned her head on Brian's shoulder, he kissed her
forehead.
The following week...
Whirlwind of activities surrounded the main office of LIMPA, a dozen photo shoots were being handled
in one day. Every top executive in the building had meetings and powerlunches scheduled. Negotiations were being done with
other modeling companies and fashion houses. No one was available, everybody was so busy that when somebody asks someone,
most of the time would they would answer, "Whhaat?", or "Who?, but the most frequent answer by the executives was, "Damnit,
get the fuckin' hell away from me, let my secretary handle it!" Cari was surrounded by it 24/7 and she enjoyed it, the
constant activities, being in pressure and yelling at everybody. She was on top of the business world, Fortune magazine just
named her 9th richest woman in the US. But in the midst of it all, she was forgetting something, or someone.....Nick.
At Nick's (His Point of View)...
The ball rebounded and fell from the ring, "Damnit!", getting the ball, I heard clapping, I turned around,
"Hey Frack, I hope your here to spend some time with a neglected guy," I sat down on the bench.
At LIMPA, Cari's office...
Nick went inside Cari's office without being noticed. Cari was taking down notes on her planner while
talking to someone. He decided to surprise her, he brought some lunch and peach roses, her favorite. After Cari placed down
the receiver, her eyesight darkened.
Brooke went out of the elevator and saw Geena on the phone talking to somebody. Her face was red. She approached her.
"Cari? Hunny?" Brooke yelled as she went up the stairs.
At Brian's...
"Brian! Open up!" Nick yelled, as he pounded the door.
