Dahven walked along the beach, she was getting too stress out again. But knew she had to keep things going still. If she braked now Randy would have to as well. And she wasn't willing for that to happen.
Breaking her train of thoughts, she noticed someone coming down the hill towards her. At first she thought that it might've been Randy. Then quickly she dismissed that thought, because she had just left with Taylor.
Then she started hoping that it was Isaac. But she didn't think that it was him. He had met another girl the other day. So more than likely he was going to go out with her somewhere.
Finally deciding that they weren't someone looking for her she turned her back and started staring back at the vast ocean. Like she had been doing a lot lately.
"Charm?"
Dahven jumped slightly, startled. She turned to face who ever it was that interrupted her and her reverie.
What she saw took her by surprise. He, yes he, was definitely taller than she was and way well built. He had dark golden eyes that were sure to be black in the right light, and Dahven couldn't help but stare.
He smiled, flashing straight bright white teeth. "I'm Kenny." He said holding his hand out to her. "Kenny Stevens. Rick's son." He said giving her the information that she'd been guessing at mentally.
Dahven snapped out of her shock and shook his hand quickly. "Rick told me you weren't coming for a few more days." She said a bit confused. "Something about your school tests."
Kenny nodded. "Yeah. I had some tests to do, but I blew them off." He said shrugging. "I'm not really into school."
"Yeah?" Dahven questioned as she started walking again, kind of excited that Kenny walked with her. "I like school. I'm not a nerd or anything. But I like it." She said shrugging.
"Oh? I've never known anyone who really liked school." Kenny said smiling. "Weird."
Dahven looked up at him. "Well, I've known a ton of people who hates school." She replied smiling. "So that makes you average."
He grinned and nodded.
Up in the hotel room Taylor leaned back against the couch and turned the TV on low. "So how are things going in the studio?" He asked smiling. At first they had thought that they'd go out and all, but decided to stay in for a while, and go out a little later.
Randy smiled back. "Hmm. It's going great! I love it. I love this whole experience!" She said laughing.
Taylor laughed at her enjoyment. "I'm glad that you're doing it then." He said placing his hand on top of hers.
"Thanks." Randy said warmly. "It means a lot to me that you just said that."
"I meant it." He said before he gave her a quick kiss.
Randy smiled with content. "I owe this all to Charm though. She got me here."
Taylor shook his head in denial. "Your voice and talent got you here. Eventually you would have made it. Charm just made it happen faster." He pointed out.
"I know." She started slowly, "but still. She didn't have to. She's not getting anything out of this. I'm not even paying her or anything." Randy said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
He stroked the back of her head gently. "She is. You just don't know it yet."
Looking up at him, she licked her dry lips and he smiled when he noticed her staring at his lips. Quickly he laid them on hers and kissed her.
Randy was beaming when they pulled apart. "I'm never going to get used to you kissing me." She said quietly.
Taylor smiled and wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head down on his chest. "Well, we have lots of time to practice." He whispered softly in her ear.
Snuggling up against him, Randy smiled a small smile of delight. She liked how her life was turning out so far. "We need to get ready for tonight." She murmured reluctantly.
He nodded and tightened his hold, "I know."
"We should start soon…" she continued.
"Uh huh."
Randy grinned. "Goodbye, Tay." She murmured as she sat up.
Sighing, "so cruel. Standing, he pecked her lips quickly. "See ya in a few."
Stretching, Randy moaned, "I'll need about an hour."
Thirty minutes later he was standing outside her door. “Almost ready?” He called out as he tapped lightly on the door.
He was early on picking her up. A little too early.
Randy walked out sporting an elegant black silken dress.
Spinning around, letting him get a good look at her, Randy turned and faced him smiling brightly. “Like it?” She asked hoping that he did. But she already knew he did. The look on his face gave away his approval.
“You look great.” He said hugging her gently and giving her a brief soft kiss. That only lead to a longer one.
Randy smiled when she pulled back. “You look great too.” She confessed looking over his black suede coat over a dark blue dress shirt that had a white shirt underneath and some baggy white jeans.
Taylor smiled at her approval, then he offered his arm to her. “Come milady. We have time before the meal.” He said imitating an English gentleman.
Giggling, she took his arm and hugged him close to her. Then she sighed when she thought of the evening that lay before them.
Picking up on her apprehensive, Taylor quickly asked, “Something wrong?”
“No.” She murmured, shaking her head. Her act paper-thin.
“Tell me.” He urged gently as he pushed the button for the elevator. He made her face him as he held tightly onto her hands. The way she was acting nervous was making him nervous.
Smiling faintly, Randy replied, “It’s nothing really.” She said shrugging.
Sighing, Taylor pulled her close so he could watch her eyes for something. Anything. “Tell me.” Her way of going around the question was making him even more nervous.
Randy shrugged and they stepped onto the elevator. She waited until the doors were safely shut. Then she turned to him. “I don’t like Kenny. He makes me feel nervous.”
Taylor relaxed visibly in relief. “Randy, you had me scared half to death, girl. I thought you were upset about something that I had done.”
Wrapping her arm around his Randy laughed lightly and leaned into him. “I’m doubting that I could be upset with you about anything right now.” She whispered against his ear.
Taylor grinned and dropped feather light kisses upon her face. The elevator was slowing to a stop and they slowly broke away from each other. Each smiling happily.
Back upstairs, Dahven walked listlessly around her room. She was straightening a few things, and was getting tired.of Kenny taking her out. Even though this time they were supposed to be with Taylor and Randy. Even Isaac and his new girlfriend Jeanie.
“A night of fun.” She mimicked Kenny’s words as sarcastically as she could. She wasn’t very fond of him, but he was someone to hang with when she was working too hard and for too long.
“Life sucks and I can’t wait to get this damn night over.” She sang to herself, walking over to the mirror she started to thread her earrings into her ears and was straightening her white dress shirt and dark blue loose fitting jeans when she heard a tapping at her door. “Someone gently rapping.” She said smiling a bit on edge.
No one was supposed to come up and get her. They were all supposed to meet in the lobby of the hotel.
Opening the door slowly Dahven was face to face with… “Kenny.” She said in slight shock. “You were supposed to wait in the lobby.” She said getting angry at every passing nanosecond.
He smiled that smooth smile that said ‘Yeah, I know I’m cool.’ “I came up anyway. I couldn’t wait to see you.” He explained with his charm and finesse.
Dahven forced back her queasiness. He had been fine the first time she met him on the beach. But since then he gradually had become arrogant and had problems with leaving her alone.
She had gone out with him twice for dessert or just a drive. And he seemed to think that they were a couple. Even telling Isaac one day that he and she were too busy to talk to him.
Isaac had been furious and Dahven had exploded. But then Kenny put on a story about how he wanted to get some work done on a project that was going to get Randy on a talk show shortly after her single was released. Plus dates were already being made.
Randy’s album was actually pushed ahead to get it out early because word got leaked out and she was already doing interviews on radio stations.
Giving him a good long and hard stare, Dahven grabbed her wallet and pushed him out the door. They walked silently to the elevator and he was smart enough to stay quiet the whole trip to the lobby where everyone was already waiting for them.
Dahven was still boiling over at the situation that she made no attempt to talk to anyone yet. Kenny only shrugged his shoulders when Isaac looked at him. Then when Isaac looked at Dahven, she just stared right back at him. Steely grey eyes met dark brown caring ones.
Randy and Taylor noticed Dahven’s silence, Kenny’s lack of notice, Isaac’s anger, and Jeanie's uneasiness.
“This should be fun.” Taylor mumbled softly as he leaned towards Randy.
She watched the two other so-called couples. “Oh yeah.” She whispered. “A blast.”
Isaac watched Dahven and Kenny more than his own date, and Dahven was getting extremely tired of dodging Kenny’s knee from hers and his roaming hands. At one point she even stabbed him with her fork under the table. But he didn’t seem to take any hints about leaving her alone.
Sighing softly Dahven went through the meal without making a scene and without killing Kenny. She was so completely wrapped up in avoiding Kenny that she didn’t get to follow the conversations at the table. Or who looked at her.
Taylor watched with interest at how Isaac was unaware that he was ignoring his date to watch out for Dahven. Jeanie looked miserable while Isaac stared at his friend. I wonder if she knows about Ike and Charm. Taylor asked himself silently as he draped his arm over the back of Randy’s chair.
When she smiled up at him, he momentarily forgot about everyone else in the room. Kenny and Jeanie and Isaac and Dahven. Then his head snapped up quickly. He broke the eye contact with Randy and smiled brightly to himself.
Randy slightly taken back by his sudden rejection to their eye contact that she started to fidget slightly in her chair. “Tay, what is it?” She asked tentatively. Not sure if she really wanted to know.
Turning to her, he smiled brightly then he leaned towards her and whispered his idea to her. Randy was beaming at the idea but was reluctant that it would actually work. Still they had to try.
