"Pit stop: Savannah, Georgia! Don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out!" Brian joked, trying to mimic a train conductor. Kevin laughed at his cousin, as Laura stood up. "OK, let's go walk around a bit, I gotta stretch." Brian winked at Kevin as he escorted her off the bus. He just rolled his eyes as all 3 of them walked off the bus.
AJ and Howie were already outside, and Nick braved going into the gas station to get something to munch on. It was a good thing that it was late at night, because the store was dead, and the young lady working didn't recognize him, or any of the guys for that matter. Laura and Brian were talking as Kevin went into the store as well. "Well, what's the scoop?" he asked as soon as Kevin was out of earshot. "I don't know WHAT you mean!" she smiled sarcastically. "Oh I think you do," Brian joked back. "Seriously, Laura, if there's anything going on between you two, I'm ecstatic about it. Ever since Nicole, he's been too afraid to get close to someone again, but I can tell he wants to with you, because seven years is a long time to not have someone to love. Life's too short to--" Laura cut him off.
"Wait, who's Nicole? Is that the girl that he was seeing that couldn't deal with him being on the road?" That's gotta be who he's talking about, Laura thought.
"Hold up... you mean you don't know about Nicole?"
"Know what? Brian, tell me what you're talking about," Laura demanded.
Just then Brian noticed Kevin returning to where he and Laura were standing. "Ask him yourself, Laur... I don't think it's my place to tell you," Brian said, leaving Laura with a confused look on her face.
"Hello, beautiful. Miss me?" Kevin asked, but Laura just looked down at the ground. He sensed something was wrong. "Uh-oh, was Bri givin' you a hard time? I'll tell him wh--"
"No, no, nothing like that," she said quickly, "let's just get back on the bus, it's kinda cool out here tonight." Kevin nodded, still worried about her, as they got back on the bus. A few minutes later, everyone was back on the bus and they hit the open road once again.
Kevin and Laura fell asleep on a bunk on the bus. He awoke to her caressing his chest, as she lay in his arms with her head on his shoulder. "Sweets, why aren't you sleeping? We've got a big day tomorrow and you need your rest so--" Laura interrupted him.
"Can you tell me about Nicole?" She spoke so quietly he had to strain to hear her. "Nicole?" Kevin hesitated for a couple seconds. "How did you find--Brian told you didn't he? I wish he would have kept his mouth shut. I wanted to tell you at my own pace, when the time was right." His voice sounded irritated, but yet so gentle. "You may as well tell me now, Now's as good of time as any." Laura sighed as Kevin told her everything, from how they met, to how he planned on proposing to her, and to her untimely death. Kevin then sat up and began crying. Laura sat up with him, and she wrapped her arms around him as he cried on her shoulder. "Kevin, why didn't you tell me? Were you afraid of something?" Laura started to cry a bit herself, for she knew what it was to lose someone. Kevin sighed as he replied, "I guess I was afraid to share that with you, because I didn't want to be vulnerable to you, and put myself in a position to lose--" Kevin started crying again. He clung onto Laura tightly. "Shhhh, Kev, you don't have to worry about me ever leaving. I'm not going anywhere." Laura and Kevin sat like that for a while, just holding each other. She couldn't believe what he had gone through, how he loved Nicole so much, but she felt fortunate that he opened up to her and shared this. She wanted so bad to be close to him, to share that kind of intimacy where they could tell each other anything and everything. Laura then thought of her relationship with Mike, and figured as long as they were sharing, she should tell him about her loss as well. "Kevin?" she said as she prepared for her turn to be open with him. Kevin didn't respond. "Sweetie?" she said again, as she looked down at him. Kevin had fallen asleep in her embrace. Laura smiled at how beautiful he looked as he slept. She slowly leaned him back down on the bunk, laid back herself, and fell asleep.
The bus stopped a few more times, but everyone was so exhausted from being up late the past couple nights that everyone slept until almost noon. In about another hour or 2 they would be in New York. Howie was the first one up, shortly followed by Brian. As Howie walked by the bunk where Kevin and Laura were sleeping, he nudged Brian as he watched them. "Look at them," he said as Brian smiled at the sight. "Like two peas in a pod," he said back as he and Howie walked to the kitchenette that was on the bus. Nick and AJ soon followed, also looking at Laura and Kevin as they made their way to the kitchenette.
"They are dead to the world! Someone could hijack the bus and they'd not know it," AJ joked. He then winked and said, "Heh heh, must have been a long night." Nick and Howie laughed and Brian smiled. "Damn, Bone, you trying to make me choke on my juice?" Nick said with a laugh. "Ya know, I just wish they'd be open about things and tell us if there's something between them. Their being so elusive about it whenever we try to ask about it and then doing things like falling asleep together... hell, they should just admit it and save everyone the trouble," Brian mused. "I'm sure they just need to find out for themselves first if there's anything there to tell about," Howie said with a sudden sadness in his voice. Not only did he know about what happened to Nicole, but he also knew about Mike. During the week he hadn't heard from Laura, he thought it would be a good time to get some info on her--find out what other people thought of her. Leah, Heather, Janet, and Jennifer had all spoke about Mike, and what happened with him, and how devastated she was by it. He then understood what brought her to Florida. The other guys all sensed Howie knew something he wasn't sharing, so they asked him what was going on. He thought about it, and decided to just give a couple details about it, and let Laura tell the rest when she was ready, but just as he was about to, Laura and Kevin came into the room.
"Mornin'!" Laura said as she stretched and yawned. Kevin smiled as he walked past her to get some juice for himself and her. "Mornin'! Did you sleep well?" AJ asked, an amused look on his face. Even though he joked about it, he had to admit he thought it would be great if she and Kevin were to become a couple. They just seemed to fit together so perfectly.
"I slept very well," Kevin chimed in as he winked at Laura and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her. Everyone sensed that they were going to say something, and they waited almost impatiently for them to confess what everyone already knows--that Laura and Kevin were, indeed, becoming a couple.
"I just want to say--" Laura said. Kevin spoke at the same time. "We've got something to--" Everyone smiled at them. They now knew that they were about to hear what they wanted to hear. Everyone liked Laura, and were amazed in the difference she made in Kevin's life in just a couple of days. Kevin said, "Ladies first!" and winked at her. She smiled and nodded as she continued.
"As I was saying, I just want to say how wonderful y'all have been to me so far, and I'm really feeling pretty good about this whole situation. I don't know if Leah told you guys, but I really wasn't sure I should do this. It's just that my life has been such a shambles since--" Laura feared she was revealing too much, so she paused and re-worded what she was going to say. "What I mean is that coming to Florida, leaving the only home I'd ever known, and coming here and starting over again... I just didn't feel like dealing with the hardships of being on the road away from home so much. Not that I need to tell you that, I mean, you guys have been doing it for years." Laura looked to Kevin for approval, and he nodded and smiled at her to go on. "Well, it's been a long time since I've had someone special in my life, that I can share things with. I'm sure that I'm stating the obvious when I say that I've taken a 'liking' to Kevin." Just then AJ let out a small chuckle and winked at Kevin. Howie kicked him under the table as Kevin continued.
"I guess what this lovely lady is trying to say is that--" Kevin made a dramatic pause. He smiled as he continued. "Laura and I have decided to pursue a relationship." Everyone smiled and clapped after hearing this. "Well, Kev, it's about time you come right out and tell us. You guys so obviously have 'it' bad for each other," Brian said as he smiled at Kevin and Laura. "Yeah, Laura, I thought you didn't 'kiss and tell,'" AJ joked, with a smirk on his face. "I told you, I'd find out one way or another." Laura punched him in the stomach lightly. "Us telling you does not count, smart ass," she laughed. AJ winked and responded, "Well, a guy's gotta try, right?"
Everyone continued talking about the latest breaking news. Every so often Kevin would look at Laura and smile at her. I feel so happy, so blessed, to meet someone like her, he thought. I'm going to do my best to show her everyday what she means to me.
Just then the bus stopped. They had arrived in New York City. Once they got checked into their hotel rooms, everyone relaxed. Kevin had cancelled his room reservation and opted to stay with Laura in her room, for he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. There was still so much they needed to learn about each other, and he wanted to start learning now.
Once again, Laura contemplated telling Kevin about Mike. She was about to, too, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, there was a knock on their door.
"Come in!" Kevin said. Howie came in and smiled at them sitting together on a loveseat in the room. "I hate to interrupt this sweet scene, but they are expecting us for that photo shoot in about 2 hours." He then smiled at Laura and said, "You ready to make your magic happen?" She smiled back, "Ready as I'll ever be! I just want to call my place real quick 'cuz I promised Heather I'd check in with her when we arrived." Howie turned to leave. "OK, don't be long! Half hour!" he said as he closed the door behind him.
Kevin got up to wash up before heading downstairs as Laura blew him a kiss and dialed her home phone number. "Hey Laura! It's great to hear your voice! I miss you already," Heather said. "Yeah, I miss you too! Is my place still standing?" Laura joked. Heather caught on right away--she knew she was dying to tell her something. "Don't play that game with me, Laura," she said, "tell me what's got you so excited. 'Cuz I know it's more than your new job... ohhh, could it be a handsome gentleman named, ummmm, KEVIN?!" she joked. Laura giggled and proceeded to tell her about the haircut, and some of the events AFTER the haircut. She then told Heather about Nicole, and that she feels that's what brought them to want to try a relationship. "I mean, he's sharing my room with me and everything. I mean, it's happening kind of fast, but it just feels so right." Laura concluded. "Did you tell him about Mike yet?" "No, not yet," Laura answered, "because every time I tried he was either sleeping or someone walked into the room. I will soon though, because I really want him to know that even though I didn't lose someone to death, I still know what he went through and may still be going through." Just then Kevin came out of the bathroom. He changed clothes and splashed on some cologne. He looked just as gorgeous as ever. "Ohhh wow," Laura said, forgetting she was on the phone still with Heather. "What? What's going on?" she asked. "Oh, God, I'm sorry Heather, but I gotta go do some makeup for a photo shoot. Gotta make 'em pretty for the camera!" she joked. Kevin laughed and rolled his eyes. "OK, call me again soon... bye!" Heather said as she hung up the phone.
Laura then changed clothes and washed up a bit herself. When she came out of the bathroom, Kevin took her in his arms and told her how great she looked. "Well, Mr. Richardson, if you keep saying things like that, you'll never be rid of me," she joked. Kevin kissed her lips tenderly and thought, I hope I'm never rid of you... Just then Laura glanced at the clock. They headed downstairs to get ready for the photo shoot.
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