*~The Dream Of A Lifetime~*

"Did you tell your friend you’ll be gone a few days?” Alexander asked, as he and Charisma sat on the plane to Puerto Rico. Charisma looked at Alexander and tried to think of something to say.

“AJ McLean,” a young Puerto Rican girl interrupted. “May I have your autograph?”

“Sure thing, Sweetie,” Alexander said taking the girl’s pen and paper. “What’s you’re name?”

“Carmen.”

“That’s a beautiful name, Carmen.” He signed the paper and handed it to her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you.” He gave her a hug and she walked away.

“Cute girl,” Charisma said.

“Not as cute as you,” Alexander replied kissing her.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. McLean,” a young woman apologized.

“Please call me AJ,” Alexander said. “And that’s alright. What can I do for you?”

“I’m Rosie, Carmen’s mother. She wants to get a picture with you to show all her friends.”

“Sure thing. Come here, Carmen.” Carmen walked over to Alexander and he set her on his lap. Rosie took the picture and the four of them talked for a few minutes.

Carmen and Rosie left and Charisma said, “I love watching you make young girls like Carmen happy. It puts a smile on my face.”

“I’m glad,” Alexander said.

“To answer your question, I did tell my friend and we arranged to get together when I got back.”

“I’d like to meet her if that’s alright?”

“Um…Trixie really ain’t a people person. She kept to herself in school, but she’s trying to get over that. I’ll talk to her about meeting you though.”

“Alright, but this week is going to be about you and me."

“I could live with that.” She kissed him.

Brian and Rachel sat outside the house that Rachel shared with the girls. They sat there in each others arms and talked about their wedding, that would be in a little less than a month,

“In one month I’ll be Mrs. Brian Littrell,” Rachel said. “I can’t wait. I’m so excited.”

“So am I,” Brian said kissing her. “You’ll move out of this place and move in with me.”

“And we’ll be so happy. Happier than we are now.”

“I’m hoping. You make me really happy, Rach.”

“You make me really happy too, Brian. I love you.”

“I love you.” They kissed.

“I hate all men,” Valondra yelled through tears and walking up on the porch. “I definitely hate men named Nickolas Gene Carter.”

“Loni, what’s wrong?” Brian asked.

“If Nick calls, comes, or whatever,” Valondra began still crying, “tell him I’m not here.” She opened the door. “On second thought, tell him I ran my car into a tree and died. I never want to see his lying, disgusting, cheating, ugly face again. And you can tell him that too.” She went into the house still crying, as Rachel and Brian just wondered. “Whatever that was all about,” Rachel said. “I’ll go talk to her.”

“I’ll come with so I can find out what my best friend did this time,” Brian said, as they stood up and a truck pulled in.

They watched, as Nickolas walked up to the porch and asked, “Is Loni here?”

“She ran her car into a tree and died,” Rachel replied.

“That’s not even funny,” Nickolas said.

“She told us to tell you that,” Brian stated.

“She also said to tell you that she ‘never wants to see your lying, disgusting, cheating, ugly face again’,” Rachel added.

“What’d you do to her?” Brian questioned.

“I didn’t do anything,” Nickolas answered. “But she thinks I did.”

“I’m not understanding,” Brian said, as Rachel went inside.

“I’ll give ya three guesses, but I’m sure you’ll only need one.”

“Bridgett?” Nickolas nodded. “What happened?”

“She showed up before Loni, kissed me, Lon walked in, and to make it even worse I was only in a towel and Bridgett was just in her underwear.”

“Come again.”

“I had just gotten out of the shower when Bridgett showed up and she got this crazy idea in her head that we were going to sleep together, which did not happen.”

“Then Loni showed up?”

“Yeah; and that’s when Bridgett kissed me, one second before Loni walked in. Of course she took it the wrong way.”

“Did you explain it to her?”

“She wouldn’t leave me. She said she didn’t want to see me, hated me, and left. Bridgett said she actually did me a favor. The girl is psychotic, Brian. I’m in love with Valondra, she’s my life.”

“I know, Nick. I also know you would never do anything to hurt Lon, but you must understand that she found her fiancé in a rather compromising position with an ex-girlfriend. She feels you don’t love her anymore or that you never did.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Make it up to her.”

“How do I do that? She won’t even talk to me.”

“It’s not what you say, Nick, it’s what you do.” Nickolas just looked at him. “If you love Loni you’ll think of something and I’ll talk to her and try to get her to understand.”

“Thanks, Brian. You’re always there for me.”

“What are friends for?” Brian smirked and Nickolas just looked at him. “I want you happy and it seems that Loni makes you happy.”

“She makes me very happy. I don’t want to lose her.”

“You’re not going to. You have to do all you can to make her realize that Bridgett is the only one to blame. I’ve known you for a very long time, Nick, and I know for a fact that you would never do something to deliberately hurt someone you love. You would never hurt Valondra this way.”

“No I wouldn’t. He sighed and sat on the bench.

“What?”

“Fox.”

“What about him?”

“If someone doesn’t talk to him before Loni does, he’s going to kick my ass.”

“Do you really think he would?”

“Yeah; you see the way he is with her.” Brian grinned. “It’s not funny.”

“Rachel and I can go down to Clearwater and talk to him before he gets back if it makes you feel any better.” Nickolas stood up. “What?”

“It’s too late for that. He’s back.” Brian looked and saw Fox, as he walked from his car.

“So talk to him.” Brian went inside, as Fox walked up to the porch.

“Fox.”

“Nick.”

“Do you have a minute? I need to talk to ya.”

“Can ya give me, like, 10 minutes?”

“Um…yeah.” Please God don’t let him run into Loni D, Nickolas thought. I’ll be eternally grateful. “Ten.” Fox nodded and he went inside. Nickolas stood there a moment then went inside.