Part 560
After loading bag after bag of their purchases into the back of the car, they finally began the short trip back to the hotel. Billy was ensconced up front behind the privacy partition, so it was time to get down to some serious girl talk.
"So," Sarah began with a twinkle in her eye, "How long has it been since you saw Kevin?"
"You know damn well how long it’s been," Lynne chuckled. "Too damn long."
"So how have you managed to not climb the walls without him for this long?" Sarah laughed.
Without batting an eye, Lynne retorted, "Phone sex."
Sarah choked and Becca just laughed and laughed.
Lynne didn’t crack a smile. "Well, it’s true. It’s amazing what you can accomplish long distance," she said with a sigh.
"Amen to that," Becca answered with her own sigh.
"Bec?" Sarah asked with a grin. "Something you’d like to share with the class?"
Becca blushed, remembering back to the night before she’d left Nick. He’d called her from his hotel room in Atlanta and it had been quite an experience. "Umm, no, not really," she giggled.
Lynne was laughing loudly at the expression on Becca’s face. "Well I’ll be damned," she said. "You just never know, do you Sarah? It’s always the quiet ones."
The hired car pulled up to the side entrance of the hotel, and security surrounded the girls, getting them past the fans with hardly any effort at all. All three of them piled into one elevator, laden down with packages and giggling with excitement.
"Billy, I have an idea," Sarah said.
Billy shot her a glance and snorted, hoping to ignore her.
"Seriously, I just need you to keep the hall clear for a minute while we drop our packages off in my room."
"That’s all?" he asked warily.
"Yep, promise," she said. "Bec, dig out your cell phone. I need you to call Nick."
"Oh yes," Becca laughed. "I’m right there with you."
As promised, Billy kept lookout in the hall while the girls dumped their purchases all over Sarah and Howie’s bed. At the sign from Sarah, Becca dialed Nick’s cell phone, a big smile on her face.
"Nick?"
"Bec? Where are you?" Nick cut a glance at Kevin, hoping like hell he wouldn’t slip up and ruin it all.
"Don’t say anything, Nick. We’re in Sarah’s room, but we wanted to make sure you were still all in Kevin’s room."
"Why?"
"Nick!" Becca yelled in exasperation.
"Okay, okay!" he laughed, earning a curious look from Kevin. Playing along with Becca, he kept the conversation going. "So, you guys almost finished? I miss you." He sighed loudly into the phone, biting back a laugh when Becca moaned.
"You’re dead, Carter. Just keep talking to me, and watch Kevin." As she said this, Lynne pulled out her own cell phone and dialed Kevin’s number. She knew that his caller ID would show her number in Toronto, and that was all part of the plan. "Kevin’s phone should be ringing right about-" In the background, she heard the faint ring of another phone and Nick chuckled.
"Bingo," he whispered. "What are you planning?"
"Oh nothing much, just keep watching." As they made small talk, Sarah ushered Lynne out the door just as Kevin answered.
"Hey baby, you all finished?" he asked.
Lynne grinned. "Bought everything there was to buy, so I had to give up and come home. What are you doing?"
"Besides missing you? Dammit Lynne, I wish you could be here. It’s the final show of the tour and … well, hell. I just miss you."
"I miss you too, Kevin. But I’ll be seeing you soon, I promise."
"You don’t know how much I wish that was true, baby." There was a knock on the door, but suddenly neither Howie or Nick seemed to be there to answer it. He tried to ignore it, but whoever it was, was certainly persistent. "Dammit," he mumbled.
"Kev? What’s wrong?" Lynne asked, her hand poised to knock again.
"Someone’s at the door, but now Howie and Nick have disappeared."
"Kevin, I can wait. Just answer the door."
"No, whoever it was can come back later. I don’t get to talk to you enough as it is." He settled back down into a corner of the sofa, ready to have a nice long heart to heart, and the knocking began again. Much louder. "Damn it!" He exploded, and even the women out in the hall could hear him.
"Kevin?" Lynne asked, backing away from the door just a bit.
"I’ll get rid of whoever it is, and then after that I’m firing my goddamned security since they can’t seem to keep these idiots away from-" He flung open the door, fully prepared to rip up the moron on the other side. Except for the fact that the moron was- "Lynne?"
"Hi Kevin," she laughed, shutting off her cell phone.
Kevin was speechless. For once in his life, he couldn’t seem to utter one single, solitary sound.
Lynne shifted from foot to foot, almost nervously. Her mouth suddenly dry, she licked her lips and whispered, "Surprise!"
Somehow in the midst of all of this Kevin became aware of the gallery of spectators. Sarah, Becca and Billy in the hallway, grinning from ear to ear, and Nick and Howie in the room behind him, also chortling with glee. Two long strides took him face to face and breath to breath with his one true desire, and he wrapped her in his arms, lifting her off the floor and raining kisses over her face. Without a word to anyone, he turned back into his room, pushing past Nick, Garrett and Howie, still cradling Lynne to his chest. Sparing them all a glance he had the grace to smile and say thank you before throwing them all out and locking the door.