~*~*Chapter 7*~*~
'Beep! Beep!' went the sound of Riana's alarm clock. She reached over sleepily and pressed the snooze button and fell back onto her pillow, dozing peacefully asleep.
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Brian turned off the faucet to the shower and stepped out into the cool air of his bathroom. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked into his bedroom, only to find Nick sprawled across his bed.
"Nick, how did you get here?" Brian asked, shoving Nick so that he would wake up. Nick slowly picked his head up from Brian's pillow.
"Brian, what are you doing in my room?" Nick asked, rubbing his eyes. Brian laughed.
"Nick, this is my room. What the hell are you doing in my room?" Brian still laughed at Nick. Nick shook his head.
"Sorry, man. I must have been sleeping," Nick yawned and got up with a stretch.
"It's ok. So, Nick...Tell me what is going on between you and Riana!" Brian teased, nudging his best friend's arm. Nick blushed.
"I don't know. Truthfully, I don't know." Nick sighed.
"What? You don't like her?" Brian asked skeptically.
"Yeah, of course I do. She attractive," Nick argued his ego.
"Nick, that is the biggest understatement that I have ever heard in my 24 years. She's gorgeous!" Brian said. Nick nodded.
"OK, OK. She's gorgeous. She's beautiful! But...." Nick trailed off and fell backwards onto the bed.
"But what, Nick? What's the problem?" Brian asked, trying to understand him. Nick sighed.
"She's perfect. Too perfect." Nick said.
"Ohh, I see. So, you say it's too good to be true?" Brian asked.
"Yeah."
"Nick, you don't make any sense!" Brian cried, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"What?" Nick asked. Now he was confused.
"Riana is a once in a lifetime girl. A girl that is beautiful, funny, and not at all stuck up like models tend to be!" Brian argued. He continued. "Nick, what you don't understand is that you have the perfect girl right in front of your face, and you aren't doing one thing about it. I know for a fact that any guy would kill to be in your shoes." Brian finished. Nick just stood there gaping at his best friend. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why did Brian have to be right all the time? Nick tried so hard to overcome his fear of women last night at dinner, but all he could think about was........
' Nothing!' Nick told his inner self. He stood up and stormed back into his room, more determined then ever to stand tall and rebel against his fear. Women. ______________________________
"Where is he? He should have been here by now!" Riana cried. Leah just watched her pace back and forth in their room. Leah laughed, she was highly amused by this.
"Ree, calm down! He'll be here, don't worry! You know guys, they probably had to "get ready" for the date," Leah snickered.
"First of all, it's not a date, and second of all, what Nick does in his spare time is none of my business!" declared Riana.
"If it's not a date then why, may I ask, are you wearing your most expensive perfume?" Leah asked when they heard a knock on the door. Riana sat there, staring at it.
"Ree? Ok, this is when you answer the door," Leah joked. Riana nodded and walked over to the door and opened it.
"N..Nick, hi!" Riana stuttered. Nick looked absolutely amazing. She could smell the distinct smell of Gravity as soon as she opened the door.
"Hi Riana," he said, gazing at her beautiful face. Nick broke the stare. "You ready to go?" he asked.
"Yep. Later, Leah!" Riana called and shut the door.
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"Nick, did you pick up a brochure on our way here?" Riana asked. Nick walked up to her.
"Yeah, it's right here.....Well, it was right here!" Nick said. He continued to search his pockets. Riana shook her head and laughed. So far, Nick had been making her laugh all day. The thing that surprised Riana the most was that Nick was opening up towards her. He no longer had that distant look in his eyes anymore, what she saw was friendship. Maybe something more.
"Well, I'm pretty sure we can ask someone where to find them," Riana suggested.
"OK, wait right here. I'll be right back," Nick said, and went off to find some directions. Riana watched Nick from afar, feeling extremely special that she was here, in Australia, with such a special guy. There was something about him that Riana wanted to know more about, something that Nick was hiding under those baby blues of his. Something that Riana was determined to find out.
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"He is sooo cute!" Riana exclaimed, pointing at the tiny Koala Bear that hung upside down on the tree.
"Why, thank you!" Nick said modestly. Riana hit him playfully in the arm.
"I want to pick him up. Can we??" Riana asked. Nick shrugged.
"I don't know. Come on, we'll ask." He said. He stuck out his hand. Riana hesitated before smiling up at him, and placing her small hand into his. Riana almost jumped back from the softness of his grasp on her. He smiled at her reaction and walked them over towards one of the employees.
"Hi, um, we were wondering. Are we allowed to pick up one of the animals?" Nick asked.
"Well, sir. These animals were brought from their own natural habitat. They are wildlife creatures and some of them are not very well tamed, but I'll see what I can do. Which one would you like?" the woman asked, her thick Australian accent making it hard for Nick to understand her.
"Can I have that one over there? The koala, please." Riana said excitedly. Nick squeezed her hand.
"Ohh, Cocoa. He's a nice Koala. A very nice creature, I may add. Hold on. I'll be right back," she said. Riana sighed happily as she watched the employee pull Cocoa off the tree, with Nick still holdng her hand so tightly, but yet soft enough to melt her heart. She loved the feeling she was feeling. She looked down at their joined hands, which fit together like a puzzle. A puzzle still filled with missing pieces. Pieces that Riana would soon put together.
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"So let me get this straight. You are a liscened scuba diver, but yet you have the biggest fear of sharks," Riana repeated as she and Nick sat down at Baskin Robbin's for some ice cream.
"THE biggest fear of all fears," Nick said. He licked another taste of his chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkled cone.
"That doesn't make sense. What's the point of loving the ocean and waterlife and crap, knowing that your biggest fear could be anywhere near you in the water?" Riana challenged.
"Damn! Why did you tell me that? I am never going in the water now! But that water does look tempting...."Nick trailed off. Riana looked over at the huge body of water that lay before them as they sat on the outdoor deck of Baskin Robbins.
"Nick, Australia is known for their Great Whites. How dense are you?" she joked. Nick playfully stuck his tongue out at her. He watched her as she dipped a spoon into her Hot Fudge Sundae. She slowly brought it up to her lips while Nick just watched at her beauty with amazement. How much he felt like the luckiest man alive. Was it luck that brought them together? Or was it love?
"Hey! Look over there!" Riana called to Nick, waking him from his daydream on her face.
"What?" Nick asked. He looked to where she was pointing. He saw a gazebo filled with people of all ages, dancing away.
"C'mon!" Riana cried, practically pulling Nick out of his seat.
"Aww, Riana! Do we have to dance?" Nick pleaded.
"Yeah! A perfect ending to a perfect day," she murmured. "And besides, we danced the other night and I liked what I saw," she said, remembering every little detail of that night.
"Well, if you put it that way," Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around her small tiny waist. Riana sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in the scent of his cologne that took control over her body. How safe and loved she felt in his arms, a feeling she hadn't felt in a while.
'Remind me to thank Leah for talking me into coming on this cruise for the summer,' she thought to herself and laughed.
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"I had a really fun time today," Riana said as they stopped in front of her door. She was so nervous that she could hear her heart beating against her rib cage.
"Yeah, me too." Nick said. He smiled and Riana looked down at her sandaled feet, a blush consuming her face.
"Are you blushing?" Nick asked, tilting up her chin so he could get lost in the deep blue pools of her eyes. Nick's face turned serious, and Riana closed her eyes just in time before Nick's lips landed on her own. A sweet kiss. Nick's eyes fluttered open slowly as Riana smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Nick." She said, and slowly opened her door and locked it behind her.
Nick walked back to his room with a smile plastered on his face. Today was the best day of his life.
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