Kaci and A.J. go down to Nick’s hotel room so that Kaci and Nick can go see her father.
“You ready?” Kaci asks Nick.
“I guess I will have to be.”
Kaci, Nick and Kaley leave to go to her house while A.J. stays at the hotel to get ready to go to Orlando before heading to California.
“Do you really think your dad is going to question me about you going to L.A.?”
“I know he will! He is going to want to know if I am going to be seeing Alex, and you have to tell him no, that when you’re at the studio I will be at your house with Kaley, which is why she had to come.”
“Is your dad like this with your brother as well?” Kaley asks Kaci.
“When Justin first got into the business, yeah he was like this too. I think he’s more concerned about me seeing Alex though, to be honest with you!”
“Why, what does he have against Alex?”
“The whole dating while in Europe thing and he still thinks Alex broke up with me, but he didn’t.”
Before Kaci could explain any more about her dad, her cell phone rings.
“Alex, you can’t be calling me, what if I had been with my dad?”
“Then you wouldn’t have answered your phone.”
“It’s bad enough that I have to lie to him and bring Nick and Kaley into this!”
“Oh quit worrying Jess! Your dad won’t find out unless Nick screws up!”
“Alright fine, we gotta go though because we’re almost to the house.”
“Okay, call me when you leave.”
Kaci and A.J. hang up with each other.
“So what did lover boy want?”
“Shut up Nick and concentrate on pulling this off with my dad!”
“Have you even told Jose what’s going on?”
“No, but I will.”
“When? While you’re in L.A. with Aje?”
“No. He will find out that I have to go to L.A. before I leave. I’m going to L.A. for business, despite what you may think Nickolas.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’re going to Dancing With The Stars…”
“What?!”
“Oops!” Nick says realizing he shouldn’t have said anything.
Kaci, Nick and Kaley arrive at Kaci’s house.
“Why did you say I was going to Dancing With The Stars?”
“Just forget I said anything, okay?”
“Why, was it some sort of surprise or something?”
“I said just forget I said anything!” Nick says walking into Kaci’s house.
Kaci goes upstairs to her room and finds a note for her from Jose.
Hey baby! I’m with Tyler; we’re looking at new places for us. Call me when you get this. Te Quiero Mucho Mí Amor, Jose.
Kaci calls Jose after reading the note.
“I thought you were never going to call!” Jose says answering his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Tyler is moving, so we’re looking for new places for him to live, didn’t you get my note?”
“Yeah, but you made it sound like you and Tyler were looking for places for me and you!”
“Oh,” Jose says laughing. “Well, if you want…”
“No, that’s okay. Actually, I need to tell you something.”
“What? You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”
“No! Why would you think that?”
“Because I know you weren’t with Nick yesterday.”
“Yes I was! Who told you I wasn’t?”
“Tyler found a picture of you with some guy at a hotel here in West Palm Beach.”
“Well, Tyler needs his eyes checked because I was in Miami until just now!”
“Fine, but I sent you the picture and where he found it, check your email.”
“I will, but I need to tell you something, seriously.”
“What do you need to tell me?”
“I am leaving for L.A. tonight for business and will not be back until May 4th.”
“That’s awesome! Take pictures and tell me how it goes! I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks for being so understanding! I have to go though because my dad is going to be back from Orlando soon and he wants to talk to me before I have to leave for L.A.”
“Okay. I’m going to be staying at Tyler’s house while you’re gone. But let me know you got to L.A. okay, alright babe?”
“Yeah, definitely. I’ll talk to you later. Tell Tyler I said hi and quit believing everything he sees and reads on the Internet!”
“Alright,” Jose says laughing. “Te quiero mucho.”
“Te quiero mucho.”
Kaci and Jose hang up with each other and Kaci texts A.J.
To: ALEX
From: Kaci
We have a big problem!
1:06pm 4/27/03
*****
To: JESS
From: Alex McLean
What? Is it your dad
1:07pm 4/27/03
*****
To: ALEX
From: Kaci
No, not yet anyways. We were photographed last night by the pool. Jose sent me the pictures – they’re on TMZ.com!
1:10pm 4/27/03
*****
To: JESS
From: Alex McLean
Well, what do you want me to do about it? What can I do about it? Nothing! Did they get our faces?
1:12pm 4/27/03
*****
To: ALEX
From: Kaci
My dad Alex, my dad! They got my face but not yours.
1:13pm 4/27/03
*****
To: JESS
From: Alex McLean
Then don’t worry about it! Where’s your dad?
1:14pm 4/27/03
*****
To: ALEX
From: Kaci
That’s a good question!
1:14pm 4/27/03
*****
To: JESS
From: Alex McLean
Let me know how it goes. I’m gonna finish packing. 143-2229
1:15pm 4/27/03
Just as Kaci and A.J. finish their conversation, Kaci’s dad arrives home and goes upstairs to his daughter’s room.
“Hey Jess,” Robert says walking into Kaci’s room.
“Hi Daddy,” Kaci says looking at her phone.
“Put the phone down and come give me a hug.”
Kaci gets up, phone still in hand, to give her dad a hug.
“So is it okay for us to leave now?”
“Well, I haven’t talked to Nick yet…”
“But daddy, you’ve known Nick for how long and I can’t go to L.A. with him? Why?”
“It’s not Nick, it’s his friend A.J. I’m worried about. I don’t like how he treated my little girl.”
“Daddy, for the hundredth time, I broke up with him!”
“So you say.”
“So I know! If you want to hate an ex-boyfriend of mine, then by all means hate Michael! Didn’t mom tell you what happened?”
“Yes, your mother told me and we are going to press charges against him.”
“Good. Now can I leave?”
“What’s your rush?”
“Nick got a call saying the plane was leaving tonight. We kinda have to get to Orlando.”
“Alright fine. I can trust you that you will behave yourself?”
“Yes daddy, you can trust me.”
“Well, let me know how everything goes. Call me when you get to Orlando and when you get to L.A.”
“Yes daddy,” Kaci says giving her dad a hug.
“Be careful.”
Kaci leaves, taking Hayley with her, and goes downstairs to leave with Nick.
“How’d it go?” Kaley asks.
“He said we could go, so let’s go.”
Kaci, Nick and Kaley leave and go back to the hotel.
“Let’s go!” Kaci says when she gets back up to the hotel room.
“What did your dad say?” A.J. asks after welcoming Kaci back with a passionate kiss.
“That he doesn’t like you because, and I quote, he ‘didn’t like the way he treated my little girl’.”
“I meant about L.A.”
“Oh,” Kaci says laughing. “He said I could go with Nick. He didn’t even talk to Nick or Kaley.”
“So are you ready to leave?”
“I guess so. I didn’t bring any clothes from home though! Mind if we go shopping in L.A.?”
“Not at all. Whatever your little heart desires it shall get.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely baby.”
A.J. and Kaci leave for Orlando after checking out of the hotel.
“The plane should be ready by the time we get there. And you get to see my mom too since I have to leave the car there.”
“Car? Who’s car?”
“Yours! Don’t you remember?”
“Oh yeah!” Kaci says laughing but still confused. “So we’re taking my car to Orlando and leaving it at your mom’s house?”
“Exactly. And she’s taking us to the airport in her car.”
“Oh okay, I get it now! Did you set up this little L.A. thing or is this for real?”
“I had nothing to do with L.A.!”
“If you say so.”
Kaci gets in her car, reluctantly letting A.J. drive it.
“We’re leaving for L.A. as soon as we get there, right?”
“Yes. Then once we get to L.A., my friend Maks is going to pick us up.”
“Maks? Who’s Maks? You never had a friend named Maks for as long as I’ve known you!”
“Don’t worry, he’s cool. He’s originally from Russia but lives in Jersey. But he’s out in L.A. for a while for work.”
“What does he do?”
“You’ll see.”
“That’s not fair Alex!”
“Trust me, you will find out!”
“Fine.”
“What you’re not gonna talk to me now because I won’t tell you about Maks?”
“No. I just hate when you do that shit!”
“You know you love me.”
“Yeah and unfortunately you know it too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
“C’mon Jess baby, don’t get mad at me because I love you!”
“Whatever,” Kaci says turning the radio up hoping Miami’s radio signal can reach at least West Palm Beach so that she doesn’t think about hurting A.J. since he is being a pain in the butt.
Chapter 40/Story Index/Chapter 42/E-mail Brittany