“Are ya ready, hon? We’re going to miss our reservation!” AJ called to Kelly as he waited by the door and checked his watch for the tenth time in the past 20 seconds.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Kelly stepped out of the room and made her way carefully to AJ.
AJ couldn’t take his eyes off of her…she was absolutely stunning! Her blonde hair was swept up into a messy bun with sparkling clips supporting it, but a few short strands were left framing her face. Her evening gown was very appealing and elegant. It was a shade of deep blue velvet that was v-neck front and back and was held up with diamond spaghetti straps. Kelly wrapped a sheer blue shawl over her bare shoulders, and made her way out of the room.
“You look amazing,” AJ said staring wide-eyed at her.
“Thank you!” Kelly replied beaming, her eyes sparkling making them match the color of her dress.
“You’re most welcome! I bet if Nick saw you right now, he’d get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness!” AJ laughed, putting his arm around Kelly’s waist, guiding her to their limo.
“I just wish he would say, ‘I’m sorry’ or just hold me in his arms like he used to. I really miss him…” Kelly trailed off, as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Kel. Everything will be fine, I promise,” AJ took her petite figure into his strong arms and rubbed his hand across her warm back for comfort.
Nick sighed as the phone continued to ring, but still no answer. Finally, the answering machine picked up.
“This is AJ. I’m not here right now, so leave a message. C-ya!” Beep!
“Kel, this is Nick. I’m so worried about you. Why did you leave? Please call me. We really need to talk and I miss you,” Nick hung up the phone frustrated. He had expected Kelly to be there, sulking, not out on the town with AJ.
He picked up the phone to call Lis and see if she knew where they might have gone.
“He’s what?!” Lis yelled on the other end of the phone.
“Oh…so you didn’t know?” Nick asked, suddenly feeling guilty that he had told something he shouldn’t have.
“No, do you honestly think I would’ve let AJ fly to New York with your wife, without me??” Lis retorted, rather upset because Nick didn’t sound more upset.
“Well, I’m upset too…I mean, this isn’t like Kelly at all to just leave…and walk away from things,” Nick stated, playing through his mind all the times he probably pushed his wife further away.
“Yeah…I mean, I don’t know Kelly all that well and personally, I don’t like the idea of any female other than myself staying with AJ!” Lis raised her voice, as she layed across her bed.
“Lis, don’t worry…they’re just friends. Believe me…Kel’s not like that. I trust her with all my heart and I know you trust AJ. I’m gonna go so that I can try calling again. Bye!” Nick hung up the phone.
“Bye…” Lis said more to herself than to Nick. She tossed the cordless phone across the bed and picked up a framed picture of her and AJ together. It was a picture taken when the couple was in Italy, for one of the Backstreet Boys concerts several years ago. Lis remembered that night so vividly, as if it were the previous night.
AJ had taken Lis out to a very elegant restaurant and then they went to the Trevi Fountain. The couple tossed pennies into the fountain and they both made wishes. AJ’s voiced boomed inside Lis’ head as if he were asking the question to her at that very moment.
“What did you wish for?” he grinned slyly at her, slipping her much larger hand into her small, soft one.
“Can’t tell ya!” she raised her eyebrow and smiled back at him.
Then, he pulled a promise ring out of his pocket and promised to Lis that one day, eventually, the two of them would get married. It was exactly what she had wished for!
Lis closed her eyes, wishing that AJ would just call her. She wanted to get married sooner rather than later, but she was willing to wait forever for him…if only he knew that…
“I’m so tired. I’ve never danced so much in my life, I don’t think!” Kelly exclaimed, on their way back to AJ’s lavish penthouse.
The two of them had spent the night eating at the restaurant and dancing on the ballroom floor to help get their minds off of their problems back in Florida.
“Really? No? I’m surprised! Well, not really…Nick’s not much of a dancer, is he?” AJ grinned slyly.
“He can be, if he wants to. I wouldn’t care, though, just as long as I was with him…” Kelly looked out of the limo window, to keep the tears from coming. She had become very emotional lately…either because of Nick or the pregnancy…or a combination of both.
“Don’t worry, Kel. I bet Nick even called while we were gone and right now he’s at home upset because he figured you would be home sulking!” AJ attempted to comfort Kelly, not knowing how right he was, as they made their way to their room.
“I doubt it…” Kelly trailed off, feeling upset and wishing more than ever that Nick was there to hold her and comfort her.
The two walked into the room and AJ spotted the red blinking light on his answering machine. Kelly walked lifelessly to her room and plopped down on the couch. AJ pressed the play button and turned up the volume so that Kelly could hear her husband’s pleading voice. Kelly layed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, twisting her wedding band around her finger.
“Why don’t you call him?” AJ asked, standing in the doorway, looking at her slim figure lying on the bed.
“You really think I should?” Kelly asked wrinkling her brow.
“Yeah, I do. Look at you…you’re miserable without him! He sounded pretty upset that you weren’t there, too. Besides, I would’ve given anything if that had been Lis calling me,” AJ looked down at the floor, as a flood of lonliness and emptiness filled him.
“She’ll call AJ. She’s a woman…a woman that’s in love. Don’t worry,” Kelly placed her hand on his shoulder and swept past him to call Nick.
Kelly turned a lamp on, and curled up in a corner of the plush couch with the cordless telephone.
“Hello?” Nick’s ordinarily perky voice was saddened.
“Hey,” Kelly began, not sure of how he would react.
“Kelly? Sweetheart, is it really you?!” Nick immediately burst into a bubble of happiness.
Kelly giggled and replied, “Yeah, of course it’s me! Who else would be calling you at midnight??”
“I’m so glad that you called! When are you coming home? I miss you,” Nick said, his voice sending chills through Kelly’s body.
“I miss you, too, but Nick I honestly can’t deal with you not talking to me. You’ve got to be okay with this whole pregnancy thing. Are you?” Kelly asked seriously.
“I’m fine with it. I’m really sorry that I acted the way I did and treated you like that. I shouldn’t have done that! If being pregnant makes you happy, then I’m happy. I love you and I want you to have my children. I’m really ready to raise a family with you…my wife…now,” Nick apologized, thinking Kelly would be happy now.
“But are you truly happy about having a baby?” Kelly asked, biting her lower lip in frustration.
Nick answered without hesitation, “Yeah, in fact, I have a surprise for you. Brian and I spent all day working on it, and I want you to come home. Please?”
“I will. I miss you and I love you,” Kelly said, on the verge of tears, from her relief and happiness.
“Me too. See you tomorrow?” Nick asked.
“Yeah, goodnight!” Kelly said happily, clicking the phone off.
“So I guess you and Nick got everything worked out?” AJ assumed, walking into the room and sitting down in the chair across from Kelly.
“Yeah, we did,” Kelly said smiling. “I don’t know why he couldn’t have just apologized sooner. Everything would’ve been a lot less complicated.”
AJ sat there for a moment, pondering the concept that had just left Kelly’s mouth.
“You really think so?” AJ broke the silence.
“What?” Kelly asked, confused.
“You really think that if Nick had just apologized sooner everything would’ve been okay?” AJ asked, getting an idea.
“Absolutely. Well, I’m going to go to bed so I can take an early flight home tomorrow. Thanks for letting me stay and for taking me out tonight. I really had a nice time! Goodnight!” Kelly leaned over to give AJ a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“You’re welcome. Goodnight,” he called after her. As soon as her heard her close the door, he picked up the telephone and dialed in his phone number so that he could surrender his heart to Lisa and hear her sweet voice again.
