**Kayci**
Nick and I went back in and sat down. I was definitely significantly happier. I looked over at him and smiled.
“At the risk of being old fashioned, possibly annoying,” Brian said, “I think that I would like to propose a toast.”
Everyone lifted their wine glasses and looked at Brian.
“To us, the best of friends and of course we cant forget to say good luck to Kayci and Nick. At least you arent fighting for the moment.”
“Thanks, Brian,” I said. Everyone laughed and touched glasses. I sipped my Merlot slowly but as I watched Nick, he gulped his down in a matter of seconds. I just looked at him for a few seconds but then shrugged it off.
We all talked and ate for a couple of hours. It was a very nice change…you know, to just kick back and laugh for once in a very long time. We all got up to leave. I waited for Nick to walk around the table. The whole time our eyes never left each others. I smiled up at him and asked, “Can we just go up to your room now?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
We all regrouped out in the lobby of the hotel. I just knew that everyone else was not ready to go up to bed yet. I looked down at my gold watch. It was eleven oclock but I was so tired, not only physically but emotionally as well.
“I am about ready to jump into the pool!” A.J. spoke up most enthusiastically. “And seeing my woman in a bathing suit.”
Jess laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm. “Oh you…”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Kevin agreed.
“What?” A.J. asked. “Jumping in the pool or seeing my woman in a bathing suit?”
“Guys,” I interrupted them, tightening my arm around Nick, “do you mind if we just go up to bed?”
“Oh no, Cutie,” A.J. said. “Not at all. You guys look like hell anyway. Sleep will do you good.”
I smiled at him, looked up at Nick and we headed upstairs. The whole elevator ride and the walk to his room were in silence. We walked in his room and he collapsed on the bed. “Oh shoot!” I said out loud.
Nick looked up. “What, Honey?”
“Jess has my room key and I cant get anything to change into and I dont feel like going all the way downstairs-“
“Honey!”
I stopped. “What?”
He sat up and started laughing. “You can wear something of mine.”
“But-”
“Dont worry about it.” He continued to laugh. He stood up, took his jacket off, threw it on the bed and went over to one of his drawers. “Here,” he said and handed me a pair of red shorts and a white Nike t-shirt.
“Thanks.” I walked into the bathroom and stared at myself for a second. I turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on my face. I slipped off my shoes, carefully took off my nylons, slipped my dress over my head and put on Nick's shorts and shirt.
“Honey!” I heard him yell.
“Yeah?” I yelled back.
“You want something to drink?”
“Um…sure!”
“Okay!”
I just kinda stood there in a trance looking at myself in Nick's clothes. They were so big! I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of the clothes. They were…him. I suddenly tore myself away, grabbed my dress, nylons and shoes in a wad and walked out of the bathroom. Nick was already changed into a white t-shirt and blue boxers. He looked so cute.
“Here,” Nick said and handed me a glass of water. “I'll hang this up for you.” He took my dress from me and headed towards the closet.
“Thanks.” I took the glass and took a large sip from it but it wasnt what I thought it was. I practically gagged and spit it out. God it burned as it went down my throat! “Nick! What the fuck?”
**Nick**
“What?” I hurried back to her to find her choking on the bed. “Kayci, whats wrong?”
“God, Nick! Do you really hate me that much? Are you trying to fucking poison me?”
“Kayci, what are you talking about?” I sat down next to her and patted her back. I took the glass. “See?” I gulped it down. Sure it burned a little but it felt good. “It's Vodka.”
“God! Son of a bitch, Nick! Jeez-”
“Are you okay?”
She coughed a couple more times. “I was just not expecting that!”
I laughed at her exasperated face. “I'm sorry!”
Once she stopped coughing she looked up at me. “Nick, aren't you a little young to be drinking something like that? Actually, arent you a little young to be drinking at all?”
“It was the only thing that looked interesting in the bar.”
“What are the other guys gonna say?”
“Well…they dont care. They let me drink anyway. Its not a big deal.”
“I know its not. It just burns.”
I stood up. “Ill go get you a real drink then. Like a soda.” I stopped. Shit! I would get mauled if I went out into the hallway. If any of the fans saw me… “Ill give you some money but youll have to go. It's too scary out there. If any of the fans saw me-”
“I got it. Its okay.” She smiled at me.
I went over to the nightstand and dug out some money from my wallet. I turned back to her and just looked at her in my clothes. I touched her hair and then handed her the money. “Here.”
“Thanks, Honey.”
I watched her walk out of the room and waited until the door slammed. I sat down on the bed, grabbed the tiny bottle on the nightstand, poured the remaining contents of Vodka into the glass and drank it in two gulps.
**Brian**
“Cannon ball!” A.J. screamed.
I sat on one of the pool side chairs and laughed hysterically. It wasn't the fact that A.J. was doing a cannon ball; it was the fact that he had Jess in his arms. Nice, dry Jess. When they surfaced, Jess looked pissed. Oh, A.J. was gonna get it later! I started to chew on my nails as I watched Howie, Kevin, Jess and A.J. in the pool. I really wished that Kayci had come down to swim instead of going upstairs to bed with Nick. I wouldn't have minded seeing her in a bathing suit. Oh, Brian! God, what is wrong with you? Why can't you just accept the fact that she is with Nick? She will always be with Nick! Accept it! “I can't!” I accidentally yelled out loud.
“Cant what?” Jess asked sitting down next to me.
“Um…well I…”
“Brian, talk to me. What cant you do? It must be important. You said it awfully loud.”
I sighed, sat up and leaned close to her so that no one else could hear. “I can't stop thinking about Kayci.”
Now it was Jess's turn to sigh. “Brian, you seriously need to get over this whole thing.”
“I know! I know! I don't know how!”
“Brian, she is with Nick. She is in love with Nick. Why cant you see that?”
“I dont know Jess. Im just so in love with her. I cant help it.”
“Youre going to have to. The way that Nick is right now if he ever found out that you were still in love with her, hed hit the roof.”
“What do you mean the way he is now?”
“He is just really on edge right now. Both Kayci and Nick are really on edge and this would not help. Do not let this get out of hand Brian. Do you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear ya.”
“Now I will help you the best that I can but you have to keep this under control.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Brian, Im serious. This is the last thing that they need. Okay?”
I nodded and she quickly went and snuck up behind A.J. and pushed him in the pool. Yeah, okay great. Yeah things were hard on Nick and Kayci but what about me? This was extremely hard on me, too! Ever since she joined us on this tour she's all that I've thought about. If there was just some way that I could get her away from Nick…
**Kayci**
I finished washing my face, turned off the faucet, toweled off my face and walked out of the bathroom, turning the light off as I left. I leaned against the wall and watched Nick for a moment. He just lay there on top of the bed with his hands behind his head watching television.
Suddenly, he looked up at me and smiled. He patted the bed next to him. “Coming to bed anytime soon, Honey?”
I just smiled and walked over to the bed. He stood up and we both climbed underneath the covers. I laid down on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. “Honey?”
“Yeah?”
“When are we gonna get married?”
“Well…” He paused.
“What?”
“I have everything planned.”
I sat up quickly and looked at him. “You do?”
He smiled broadly. “Yes I do!”
“Oh my God!” I jumped and hugged him. “For when?”
“Next week.”
I pulled back and gave him a look. No, not next week.
**Nick**
Now what was wrong? “Kayci?”
“Nick, we can't get married next week!”
“Why not?”
“Well, I don't want to get married in Europe!”
I started laughing. “Oh is that all?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Kayci were not getting married in Europe!”
“What? Then when are we getting married?”
“In New Mexico like you wanted to originally!” I loved the look on her face. It was just priceless.
“But-”
I held my fingers up to her lips. “Don't even try to understand. Let's just say that I pulled some strings and we have four days off next week. One day to fly back home, two days to get everything to New Mexico and to get married.” I put my arm around her and leaned my face close to hers. “And another day and a half for the newlywed couple and to get back here. It is going to be completely private and absolutely no fans will know.”
“Nick, are you serious?”
“Completely.”
She paused and then wrapped both of her arms around me. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “Thank you so much!”
I pulled back and looked at her. “Don't thank me. It's both of our wedding.” Without warning she pressed her lips to mine and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around her and deepened the kiss. I can't believe that I am going to be marrying this woman next week! Wow…next week. Jeez…next week Ill be a married man. Next week…
**Brian**
“Oh good! You guys are still here!” I heard Kayci's voice echo through the pool area. I heard her heels click fast on the pool surface. I took a sip of my soda and just stayed cool on my chair.
“What's up, Cutie?” A.J. said surfacing from underneath the water.
“Guys, I'm getting married next week!” she squealed.
I spit out my soda and almost choked on it.
“Brian, you okay?” Kevin said.
“Yeah,” I said coughing. “Im great.”
“Kayci!” Jess said and hugged Kayci. “When?”
“Were all flying back next week for like four days!”
“Where?”
“New Mexico!”
“Ah!” Both of the girls squealed uncontrollably.
A.J. jumped out of the pool and hugged Kayci, soaking her. “Yay!”
“A.J. get off of me!” Kayci yelled, half laughing.
I thought that I was going to die. I mean, I knew that they were gonna get married and all but this soon? God! This was soon!
“Ha! Our little Nicky's getting married!” A.J. yelled and ran up to Nick. “Let's see the cute couple together now!”
Kayci and Nick huddled up close to each other. “Now let's see a nice, long kiss from the happy couple!”
Kayci and Nick laughed and pressed their lips to each other. You could just feel the passion surging from both of them. The kiss got deeper and deeper and I wished more and more that it was me and not Nick. As they kissed, A.J. and Kevin snuck up behind them and suddenly, pushed them both in the pool. Everyone burst out laughing and it was a good thing that we were the only group in the pool area. All of a sudden, Jess started laughing harder. She pointed in the pool at a pair of shorts that had floated to the surface. Well, they were either Nick's or…Kayci's.
“Oh shit you guys!” Kayci yelled. “My shorts fell off!”
“Yeah, we see that!” A.J. laughed.
Kayci huddled herself together but Nick snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Don't worry you guys,” Nick said with a very broad smirk. “I got this one.”
“Ooh!” everyone cheered.
Ick. Nick and Kayci jumped out of the pool.
“Whoa, whoa!” Nick said and jumped in front of Kayci. “Hey now! No one can see her in her underwear…except me!”
“Why? She's kinda cute!” Kevin said.
Everyone laughed and A.J. jumped in the pool to fish out Nick's shorts. He went over to the edge of the pool and handed them to her. She slipped the shorts on and then wrung them out.
“We cant go upstairs soaking wet!” Kayci said. “Someone will kill us!”
“You can take my towel,” I said standing up. I walked over to them and handed it to them.
“Thanks,” she said and smiled at me. God that wet, white t-shirt did wonders for her. She was definitely not wearing anything underneath-
“Guys, please stay!” Jess begged.
“No! Im freezing now!” Kayci said glaring at A.J.
“Come on!” A.J. said from inside the pool. “Its funny!”
Nick wrapped the towel around him and Kayci and pulled her close to him. “Well take a rain check. How about tomorrow after the concert well all come for a swim again? Okay?”
“Oh, all right,” A.J. said pouting.
“Good night guys!” Kayci and Nick said and ran laughing out of the pool area.
**Kayci**
Nick and I ran all the way down the hallway laughing. We ran into his room and collapsed on the soft, tan bed. “Nick, we should change. Neither of us can get sick before next week!”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said standing up.
I stood up, too, and went over to his drawers to fish for another shirt. Nick came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “What?”
“And who said that you could ruin another one of my shirts?”
“I do.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
I nodded. “Yup. I do.”
“I don't think so.”
He turned me around, grabbed my wrists and dragged me over to the bed. I sat down with him and peeled his wet shirt from his body and threw it on the floor. I kissed him hard and pushed him over onto the bed. He was so gorgeous and oh my God, I was going to be marrying him next week. With that thought in mind, I kissed him even harder. I kissed him harder by the second until my tongue started to cramp. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I know,” he said and grinned. He quickly flipped me over on the bed and kissed me again. I laughed, reached up and clicked the light off.