Chapter Nine

“Okay, spill,” Myra said.

“Spill what?”

“You know, you and Kevin.”

Megan looked around to make sure he wasn’t nearby. He’d left for the hospital cafeteria to get them something to drink and Myra wasn’t wasting the moment.

“There is no Kevin and me,” she said firmly. “He’s dating my friend and I’m dating his. We just started acting civil towards each other today.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been doing our best to piss each other off. He came over today to find out why and ended up tagging along with me and Casey.”

Myra shrugged. “There’s something between you two. It’s so real, I can almost touch it.”

Megan bit her lower lip and sat quietly.

Kevin returned a little while later with three sodas. “I don’t trust hospital coffee,” he said, passing them out. Then he dropped into the seat next to Megan, who started to fidget.

“So, tell me more about this job,” Myra said.

While she and Kevin discussed her new job, Megan’s mind wandered. Her opinion of Kevin had drastically changed. Instead of the arrogant pop star she’d thought he was, he turned out to be a big ole softie. Okay, so they were friends now.

So why did she suddenly want to move as far away from his as she could?

When the doctor cam back to see them, she was the first one on her feet.

“Are you Casey’s mother?” he asked Myra.

“Yes, how is she?”

“The surgery went without a hitch. Right now she’s in the process of being moved to a private room. You can see her soon.”

“Which room number is it?” Kevin asked.

“Four-fifteen.”

“Thanks. Uh, I’m going down to the gift shop, but I’ll be back,” he said.

“Wait, I’ll go with you. I want to get Casey something,” Megan said.

They left Myra talking with the doctor and together they rode the elevator down to the gift shop. They entered the shop in silence and split up. Megan went straight for the teddy bears while Kevin examined the flowers in the front display window. The saleswoman sauntered over.

“Can I help you with...anything?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

He didn’t even notice. Instead, he leaned in towards a large bouquet of roses and inhaled deeply.

“Yes, I’d like these,” he said.

“The roses?”

“The roses and all of these.” He motioned to all the flowers in the window.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I’d like this entire window sent up to room four-fifteen as soon as possible please.”

The woman’s face took on a surprised look. “Of course, sir.” Then she hurried for the counter to ring up the sale.

Megan came up behind him, hugging two bears. “You’re buying all of these?”

“Sure, why not?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I can’t decide. Which of these do you like better?”

Kevin pursed his lips and studied the teddy bears. “I like ‘em both. How about you buy one, I buy one?”

“Otay.”

They walked to the counter and paid for the bears and the flowers.

“I’ll take one vase up to the room myself, the rest can be delivered,” Kevin said, handing over a gold card.

“Must be nice,” Megan said.

“What?”

“To have money.”

“Only if it helps people feel better.”

Megan straightened the bow on one of the bears. “You’re...not what I thought you were.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yeah.”

The saleswoman was watching them curiously while she waited for Kevin’s credit card to be approved.

“AJ tells me you work with animals,” he said, trying to make small talk.

“That’s right. What did you do before...this?”

“Aladdin,” the saleswoman said softly, and then ducked her head.

Kevin chuckled. “She’s right.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was Aladdin at Disney World,” he explained.

“Are you serious? I can’t picture you as a cartoon character.”

“Believe it. I had the poofy pants, the vest, even the little hat. Kids loved me.”

“I bet.”

Kevin signed the credit card receipt and they left the gift shop, each carrying a teddy bear. Kevin also held a vase of flowers so Megan pushed the button for the elevator.

“I still can’t believe you bought all those flowers,” she said, shaking her head.

“Casey’s a good kid, she deserves them.”

The elevator arrived and they walked inside. Megan tried to control her racing thoughts. She wished he wasn’t being so generous and nice. It had been so much easier to dislike him.

Kevin carefully set the vase on the floor and held the teddy bear in front of his face. Then he waved one of the furry arms at Megan.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he said.

She did her best not to giggle, but failed. Damn! she thought. Now he’s being cute too!

“Just thinking about how wrong I was.”

Kevin lowered the bear and grinned. “I’m not such a hardass after all, huh?”

Megan pushed the image of his “hard ass” out of her mind. The elevator stopped and they headed for Casey’s room.

Myra was sitting beside her and looked up when they came inside.

“Hi, Megan! Hi, Kevin!” Casey said cheerfully. “Mom told me what you’ve done, thank you so much.”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Kevin said. He set the flowers down on the bedside table and kissed her forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Groggy. But otherwise pretty otay. I must look like crap though, and in front of my favorite Backstreet Boy too!”

Everyone laughed.

“Well, I think you’re beautiful,” Kevin told her. “Here, this is for you.”

She took the teddy bear he gave her and hugged it.

“This one too,” Megan said, passing her the other one.

“Thanks you guys!”

A knock came at the door and a teenaged girl in a candy striper’s uniform peeked inside. She had not been thrilled when she found out she had to deliver a whole freaking cartload of flowers to one room. But all disgruntled thoughts flew from her mind when she saw Kevin.

“Oh...my...God,” she gasped.

“Can we help you?” Megan asked.

The girl blinked. “Oh, yeah. I have a cart full of flowers for this room.”

“A cart?” Casey squealed, looking instantly at Kevin. “You?”

“Guilty as charged.” He motioned for the girl to come inside. “Thanks for bringing them up,” he said.

“Uh huh,” she breathed. “Um, do you want me to put these around the room for you?”

“That would be great.”

She giggled nervously and began unloading the flowers. Megan noticed she was taking her time doing it.

“You know what I hate most about this whole thing?” Casey asked.

“What’s that?” Megan wondered.

“I’m gonna have one ugly scar.”

Kevin scoffed. “You should see Brian’s scar. Now that is one ugly scar.”

“What happened to Brian?” Megan asked, alarmed.

“He had major heart surgery a couple years ago,” Casey began.

“To fix a hole in his heart he’s had since childhood,” Myra continued.

“He missed a bunch of shows because of it,” the candy striper finished.

“Oh.” Megan felt sorely uneducated in the world of Backstreet.

Kevin just shook his head, amazed that people could recite this stuff so easily. “Anyway, Casey, we match.”

“Huh? Oh yeah! You had your appendix out too! Can I see your scar?”

“Sure.”

All eyes focused on Kevin as he pulled up his shirt and tugged the waistband of his jeans down to reveal not only a scar, but a solidly muscled abdomen.

“Wow,” all four females breathed.

Kevin wasn’t sure exactly what they were admiring more.

The girl finally finished with the flowers but seemed reluctant to leave. She kept giving Megan dirty glances.

“Thanks very much,” Kevin said politely.

“Uh huh. Um, do you think I could get an autograph please?”

“Just give me something to sign.”

“Here, use this,” Casey said, picking up a napkin and a pen from the bedside table.

Kevin scrawled his name and then asked for hers.

“Stephanie,” she answered.

“Here ya go, Stephanie.”

“Thanks!” she cried, grabbing the napkin and running from the room.

“Did you see the looks she was giving me?” Megan asked a minute later.

“She probably thought you were Kevin’s girlfriend,” Myra said, wiggling her eyebrows.

“I’m not!”

Kevin said nothing and Megan nervously checked her watch.

“Whoa, I really need to get going. I’ve got a lot to do before tonight. I’m going out with AJ.”

“You are?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

Megan hugged Casey and Myra, and Kevin did the same.

“You’re leaving too?” Casey asked.

“Yeah. My car’s at her place.”

“Ooooh.” Casey grinned.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Otay.”

Kevin and Megan left.

“There’s something there,” Casey said, once they were gone.

Her mother nodded. “I agree with you.”

“Think they know it yet?”

“Oh yeah.”

“So what’s with you and this ‘otay’ business?” Kevin asked as they exited the hospital.

“What do you mean?”

“You say ‘otay’ instead of ‘okay’. Why?”

“Have you ever seen The Little Rascals?” She got a blank look. “Well, there’s this little boy who always says ‘otay.’ I picked it up from him, and Casey’s been around me enough to start saying it too. It’s kind of my line, I guess.”

“Otay,” Kevin said, smiling at her.

“You think you’re funny.”

“I know I am.”

She drove back to her house and parked in the driveway.

“Well, it’s been a blast,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Sure has.”

“So we’re friends now, right? You can’t back out of it now, I’m holding you to it.”

“We’re friends,” she assured him. “Now get the hell out of my car.”

He half smiled at her. “Have fun with AJ tonight.”

“I will. If you talk to Dana, tell her I said hi.”

“Will do.”