"Hello?" JC asked, picking up Justin's cell phone.
"JC?" Danielle asked. "Did I call the right number?"
"Yeah. Justin is recording something, so, I'm answering his phone for him."
"Oh. Good, I wanted to talk to you anyways."
"What about?"
"Well, Justin and I are going out tonight, and Katie offered to take care of Noah, but, I'm not sure it's a good idea for her to be home alone. Would you mind coming over and helping her out?"
"I don't know, Danielle, Katie and I aren't exactly on good terms right now."
"Plllleeeeeeaaaaaassssseeee? Justin and I haven't been on a date in over a year. Pretty pretty please?"
JC sighed. "All right. but only because Justin's been cranky for a year without you, and seriously needs to get laid."
"He's NOT gonna get laid." Danielle said, wryly.
"Well, in that case-"
"No! You can't get out of it now, your stuck."
"Oh, oh. I'll have Justy give me a right over tonight."
"K, bye!"
"Bye."
Brittny stepped out of the shower that night, and wrapped a towel around her body, just as the phone rang.
"Britt!" Katie called. "Phone!"
Brittny sighed, pulled her robe on, wrapped the towel around her hair, and walked out of the bathroom into the kitchen where Katie was sitting on a bar stool, holding Noah. She was dressed in baggy black sweat pants, an oversized black shirt, and a scowl to match.
"A little depressed?" Brittny asked, examining Katie's outfit.
"I think I obtain the right to be depressed, don't you?" Katie asked, dryly.
Brittny nodded. "Your right." she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Is this Brittny?" a deep, unfamiliar voice asked.
"Yes, who am I speaking to?"
"That's not important. What's important is I have a message for you from Lance."
"O-kay. What is it?"
"He said to dress in something nice, then ask Danielle for your first clue."
"My first clue? WHAT?"
"I can say no more. Good-bye."
"But-?"
The person on the other line hung up, and Brittny heard only dial tone.
She hung up the phone and stalked down the hall. "Danielle! Where are you?!"
"My room!" Danielle called back.
She threw the door open.
Danielle was standing in front of her mirror holding a shirt in each hand.
"What is my first clue?" Brittny asked.
"Clue?" Danielle asked, her voice rising, and a smile playing on her lips. "What are you talking about?"
"I just got a phone call and somebody said to dress in something nice and ask you for my first clue." she replied.
Danielle looked Brittny over. "As soon as you get out of that bathrobe and put on something nice, I'll talk to you about clues."
Brittny rolled her eyes. "Thanks for nothing."
"Your very welcome!"
She left Danielle's room, and went into her own. After studying her closet for several minutes she chose an ankle length spaghetti strapped royal blue dress with a black rose printed in velvet at the hip, and a slit up one side.
She quickly did her hair and makeup, then went back into Danielle's room, where Danielle was now wearing a short grey skirt, and a purple shirt with silver flowers down the side, and putting on make-up.
"Ok, now what's my clue?" she demanded.
Danielle handed Brittny a red rose, with a post it note stuck to the stem.
"What's Lance's favorite food?" she read the note allowed. "Masked potatoes. What does that have to do with anything?"
Danielle starred at Brittny as if she were hinting at something. "Maybe if you go in the kitchen and maybe looked at some potatoes you might understand what the note is talking about."
Brittny looked at her oddly. "O-kay."
She whirled around and walked out the door.
"Have fun!" Danielle called after her.
"I'm sure I will!" she called back sarcastically.
Brittny hurried into the kitchen, pulled open the pantry door, and knelt down to where the potatoes were. There lay another rose and another post it note.
She pulled it off. "To make your outfit complete, look in your jewelry box for a sparkling treat."
Holding tightly to the note in one hand and both roses in the other, Brittny ran into her room, and pulled open the lid.
A long box lay in it, with another rose on top, and yet another post it note.
She pulled the box out, and opened it.
A diamond necklace lay in the box.
After starring at it in amazement for an eternity, Brittny put it on, and read the next clue.
"Here's another short lived clue, the man of the house has a clue for you."
Brittny starred at the clue. *Man of the house? What the heck? No guys live-*NOAH!
She threw the clue down and ran into the kitchen, holding her three roses.
"Katie!" she cried. "Where's Noah!"
Katie looked up, seemingly uninterested. "In his play pen."
Brittny ran into the nursery, to find Noah in his play pen, playing with the thornless rose.
She reached into the pen and gently took it from him, and read the note.
"This place really won't get you fit, go to the place where you sit."
Brittny laughed at the corny rhyme, the hurried into the living room, where she instantly spotted the rose on the couch.
She picked it up, and glanced at the note. "That necklace must have left you wanting more, open your jewelry box to the second drawer.
This time, a matching bracelet and a rose lay in the box, and smiling brightly, she put it on.
"Your sweet lips I always miss, go to the place where we first kissed."
Brittny's thoughts bounced back to the day in the kitchen, then she ran back out there.
Katie was sitting on the stool Lance had been sitting on when they kissed.
"MOVE!" Brittny cried.
"What?" Katie asked.
"Get up!"
Glaring at her, Katie stood up.
A post it note was stick to the chair.
"Where's my flower?" Brittny pouted.
"Oh, you mean this?" Katie handed her the rose, and smiling, Brittny pulled the note from the chair.
"There's a gift hidden for you, Brittny, when you find something that looks like a tree."
Brittny's brow wrinkled. "What the hell? A tree?"
"Houseplant." Katie couched, and spoke at the same time, hoping Brittny would get the hint.
Brittny laughed. "Thanks."
She gathered her six roses in one arm, and walked back into the living room where there was a plant in one corner. She spotted the contrasting rose in the green leafiness, and picked it out.
Along with the rose and the next clue was a blank CD.
Confused, she opened the clue.
"To hear the next message I have for you, find somewhere to play a tune."
She walked over to the CD player where the was a rose lying on top.
Picking it up, she slid the CD inside the player and pressed play.
Brittny immediately recognized the song as "God Must Have Spent A. Little More Time On You", and nearly broke down in tears at how sweet Lance was to give her this song.
As it ended, Lance's voice came into play.
"Hey, Brittny! Are you liking your little scavenger hunt so far?"
Brittny nodded to the stereo system, a huge smile on her face.
"Well, it's not over yet. There are three more roses out there for you, and one last gift. There are also three people in the house. I think your smart enough to figure out where the roses are. So, happy hunting. I love you."
"I love you, too!"
After saying that, she laughed at the fact that no one was there, then ran back to Danielle's room, and burst through the door.
"Does anyone know how to KNOCK?" Danielle asked exasperated.
"No. DO you have one of the roses?"
Danielle smiled. "Sure so." she picked it up off the bed, and handed it to her. "Have fun tonight."
"Thanks. I will."
With that, she bolted into the nursery, where both Noah and Katie were each holding a rose.
'Here ya go." Katie said, giving her the roses.
Brittny examined the eleven roses in her arms. "There's no other clue? What do I do now?"
"Well," Katie said. "It's a nice clear night out. I suggest you step outside and take a look around."
Brittny nodded, a look of realization on her face. "You know, I think I just might do that."
She left the room, ran her fingers through her hair, and stepped outside.
A huge grin spread across her face.
"Hey there, beautiful." Lance's deep voice spoke as he moved towards her.
He was wearing a three piece suit, and holding a single rose.
"I love you!" Brittny said, taking a step closer to him, and resting a hand on his chest. "You are so amazingly sweet."
Lance smiled. "I love you, too. More then anything."
He handed her the twelfth rose, and in response, she reached up and let her lips fall perfectly into place with his.
"This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." she whispered.
"And I'm not even done yet." Lance said.
"Your not?" asked Brittny, seriously.
"Nope." Lance took Brittny's free hand, and led her to his car.
"Where are we going?"
Lance smiled mischievously. "You'll just have to wait and see, now won't you?"
Part Thirty Eight
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