"What was that whole scene today?" Kevin asked Ali as she sat down.
"My friends are after Nick and I'm involved because they've helped me out with something else so I kinda owe it to them," she replied.
"What did you do?" Brian asked curiously.
"That's not important, what is important is that you guys help him escape whenever his penny beeps," she stared at her water. She felt a foot graze across her ankle. Without even looking, she knew it was Nick, "Nick, may I warn you that I do have a loaded gun in my purse and if you remove your foot now there will be no need to take it out," she smiled slightly at him. The guys all laughed a little, but Nick coughed and brought his foot back to his area.
"Is there a way we can keep in contact with you?" Howie asked.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot," she pulled out 5 watches that looked like hers, "My boss said that I could give these to you guys. Yours are the old model that nobody uses anymore. Push the talk button and wait for a beep, then your connected with my cell phone. I programmed then to do that," she gave one to each guy.
"Awesome," AJ said looking it over.
"Now, I have to keep my phone on vibrate and I am highly ticklish so don't use these just to torture me," she said sternly. She suddenly jumped up.
"Sorry, just testing it," Nick laughed.
"Just incase you do torture me," she stared at Nick, "My cell does tell me who's doing it."
"Nevermind then," Nick put the watch down out of his reach to call her.
"Would it be safer if you escorted me to my room?" Nick asked as he and Ali got in range of his hotel. The guys had gone clubbing. Ali looked at him suspiciously.
"I guess," she smiled.
"Al, I've been wondering, why don't you just report your friends and this whole thing could be over with," he suggested opening the door for her.
"I don't want them to get in trouble. Like I've been saying, they helped me," she replied as they waited in for the elevator. They finally reached Nick's room.
"What did you do?" he asked swiping his card through the key hole.
"I've gotta go..."
"C'mon in for a minute, it looks like a storm out there and I can't have my secret agent dead," he insisted.
"Okay," He took her jacket for her and hung it up in the closet.
"So, are you going to tell me or do I have to pry it out of you," he asked flipping on the TV.
"You don't need to know," she said seriously.
"Okay....I'm going to order room service, you want some?"
"We just ate," she disagreed.
"Not dessert," he replied innocently and looking through the menu.
"Oh, well, no thanks."
"You don't have to play 'I'm scared to look like a pig in front of people girl' for me. Dessert is an American tradition, now what do you want?" he asked still looking through the menu.
"Nothing."
"You seem like a strawberry girl, so strawberry shortcake okay?" he asked picking up the phone.
"I don't want anything," she said clearly and pulling out a notepad from her purse.
"Strawberry Shortcake it is," he decided.
"Men," she grunted. He ordered and sat down by her on the bed.
"Whatcha writing?"
"Poetry."
"What kind?"
"The kind with words."
"Can I read some?"
"Don't you have like a video game to play or anything?"
"No, it got stolen by your buddies."
"Fanmail?"
"No."
"Fine," she sighed and handed him the notepad.
"What you did to me, I'll never forget.
But what I did to you I'll always regret.
I hope you're in heaven up above
with all the people you care for and love.
The guilt, sadness, and non-innocence you gave me
with your wretched face shining with glee
All those nights you took capture of my room
I was thinking about your tomb," he read aloud, "Who are you talking about?"
"My uncle."
"What happened to him?"
"He died."
"May I ask how?"
"Murdered in his sleep."
"Well, I bet our food is here," Nick said not understanding the poem and trying not to talk about that anymore. There was a knock on the door, "Boy, did I call that?" he laughed.
Nick ran over to the door and set the food on the table. He had ordered a piece of chocolate cake for himself.
"Al, come eat this," he called.
"You ordered it, you eat it."
"Come on," he got some strawberry shortcake on a fork, "Please?" he shoved it by her mouth.
"N.." he put it in quickly when she opened her mouth, "Okay, that's it, you're getting it now," she got up and grabbed a piece of his cake in her hand, "Open up," he willingly opened his mouth. She then smeared the cake all over his face.
"HEY!" he took the whole shortcake in his hands.
"Nick...don't!" she squealed running away. He cased her around a little until he cornered her, "Nick, please?" he threw it and it landed all over her, "NOT FUNNY!" she jumped on him making sure to get all the cake on him too.
"Great, my armani clothes!" he pulled away from her.
"Don't worry, strawberry comes out."
"It does?"
'Yeah," she secretly grabbed the chocolate cake, "But chocolate doesn't!" she threw it at him.
"That was so not cool," he laughed, "But at least I got you to have some fun."
"What do you mean?"
"You seem like you don't have much fun with life," he said simply.
"I don't have time for fun," she shrugged, "Would it be okay if I took a shower?"
"Yeah, go ahead." She went in and took a long hot shower. She put on a hotel robe, picked up her clothes and headed out.