Breaking the uncomfortable silence, "Have you already eaten lunch?" Cari asked politely.
"Uh, yeah." Nick answered.
Silence.
Finally, "Listen Cari, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday, I really thought it was my cellphone, I'm sorry I pissed you out" Nick said rushing the words indicating he was nervous.
"Hey, no harm done, I also called you names. I wasn't in a very good mood yesterday." she said smiling, "so what's up?"
"I just came from your office to apologize and Geena, your secretary, said that you were here with my sister so I came here."
"What happend to your cellphone?" Cari said with a twinkle in her eye.
Nick turned red and Cari laughed, "I'm sorry, so what happened to it?"
"Remember Howie? He borrowed it without telling me, he owes me big time."
"Hey, your Milk Ad pictures are already developed, you guys can come over to choose what pictures you want to use."
"That was fast, we don't usually get our pictures after 3 days." Nick said, surprised.
"Uh, hey, I have to go, my lunch time's over," Cari said standing up.
"C'mon Carter, ask her out!" Nick standing up said, "Hey Cari, you want to, uh, tonight, uh, go out with me?" Nick asked nervously.
Cari smiled, "I'm sorry I can't tonight, I'm going to work late," Nick's face fell, "How about this Saturday?"
"I'll pick you up at eight, okay?"
As she and Nick went out of the restaurant, she said to Nick, "I think your forgetting something..."
"And what would that be?"
"My phone number and address." she answered.
Nick flashed her a smile, "I already got it yesterday from BJ."
"Whoa, what a smile," Cari thought. "Oh okay, nice meeting you again Nick, now in a better circumstance." Cari turned around walk to her car.
Nick looked at her retreating car with a goofy smile on his face. "Way to go Carter!"
BJ stood up smiling, stretching her back which was a bit stiff from crouching to hear what the two were talking about, and
went to go back to the agency.
"Hey Geena, what's up with Cari?" she asked as she passed by Geena's desk.
"Well, I personally think something's going on. She came in with a silly smile on her face and she didn't ask for her files
for her next meeting." Geena said worriedly. "Here, take this to her when you go inside. I hope she's taking care of herself."
"Yeah sure, Geena," "Ain't that weird..." she thought of her best friend's behavior. She pushed the glass door of Cari's
office. She saw Cari taking down some notes. Brooke smiled devilishly.
"Boo!"
Cari's head turned up suddenly with her hand on her chest. "Brooke!"
"It was too good of an opportunity to miss," she said shrugging, sitting down on one of Cari's plush leather swivel chairs.
"So what's this urgent thing you want to tell me?"
Cari fidgeted, "Well, I need you to fill up for me for a few hours this Saturday evening."
"Why?" Brooke asked curiously.
"I have a date,"
Brooke groaned, "With whom?"
"Nick, BJ's brother."
"Whhaaattt? Nick Carter? The blond pig? Oh phuleezzee Cari, that guy's a kid! If you play with him, he's gonna hate girls
for the rest of his living years!" Brooke said standing up, feeling a bit irritated at Cari's insensitivity to Nick's
feelings.
"I don't care, he's still a freakin' guy," Cari reasoned out. "So will you fill in for me? Just one meeting and it's only
for 2 hours."
Brooke sighed heavily, "Yeah sure, I guess. Oh and here are you files for your next meeting, you forgot to get them from
Geena. She told me you came in with a silly smile on your face. So what's up?" she asked handing Cari her files.
Cari flushed, "Nothing," she said.
"Then why the guilty look?"
"Your not going to let me off the hook are you?" Cari asked sarcastically.
"Nope."
"Oh alright! I went to lunch with BJ and Nick came over and we talked. Basically, that's it." Cari replied.
Brooke's beeper buzzed, "Oh jeez! I have to go, the models are feeling impatient, I left them there under the lights which
by now is ninety degrees hot," she stood up. "Geena's worried for you, take care okay?"
"Yeah, I will."
Brooke went out the office, feeling puzzled. "Cari never acted that way for a guy. And definitely not for a teeny bopper
popstar! Besides the guy's like only, what?, 5 months older than Cari. God, he's going to hate Cari like hell when she's
through playing with him. But that still doesn't explain the blush...could she be falling for him? Naahhh, not in a million
years," she thought. She knew Cari more than she knew herself. She knew her inside-out. "I hope he can handle what
Cari's going to do to him." she sighed, feeling tired.
Nick must have jumped 10 feet to the air. "BJ! You gonna get it! He said running after his sister. Finally, he tackled her on his
bed, tickling her.
"Nick stop it!" BJ said laughing uncontrollably.
"Nope, no can do!"
"MOOOMMMMM!!!! Nick stop it!"
"Apologize first."
"Fine, fine! I'm sorry." she said, gasping for air.
He finally let up his sister. "And what may I ask, brings you to my room?"
"Nothing, just to ask you about you date with Cari this Saturday night." BJ answered nonchalantly while studying her fingernails.
Nick turned his head, "You were evesdropping!"
"Yeah, so?"
Nick groaned, asking God why didn't make him an only child.
"You like her?"
"Duh! I wouldn't ask her if I didn't like her!," turning to BJ while holding a blue shirt and a grey shirt, "Which?"
"Depends on where you plan to take her, and don't embarrass me. Oh and by the way, she hates pizza, she told me that their
just a slice of bread with an assortment of overcooked meat over it. She also thinks McDonald's is okay, but I don't think
you would take her there, would you?"
"Oh don't tell me that I need to dress up!" Nick complained.
"'Fraid so big brother...If you need help, just yell, okay? Dinner's in 10 minutes." BJ said as she left.
"Hey BJ, do you know any restaurants Cari likes?" he asked uncomfortably.
"Uh-huh. I'll tell you later. Mom's gonna kill us if we're late for dinner, C'mon."
"I'll be right there."
BJ left the room. Nick groaned, feeling a bit nervous for Saturday night. "What if she thinks I'm a dork?" "She already
thinks that your a dork Carter," he said to himself. He stood up and went downstairs.
"At last he asked her out!" BJ said to herself. "Get ready Nick for extreme teasing when you come home
tonight!"
At Cari's office...
"This better be good." Brooke thought as she hopped into an elevator
to Cari's office. Cari had paged her and told her she had somthing important to tell her. Brooke was in the middle of a photo
shoot for Chanel when the message came.
Nick's room...
Nick was flipping through his closet already deciding what to wear on
Saturday when BJ leaned over on Nick's drawer stiffling a giggle. She yelled, "Niiiiiccckkkkk!!!!!"
