*Kelly*
Everyone had basically had enough of the Bahamas, so we all took the next flight back home to Florida.
AJ drove me to my house so that I could unpack and rest.
“Need any help?” he offered as I folded my clothes and put them into the drawers.
“Nah…that’s ok. You don’t know where anything goes anyhow! Thanks, though,” I smiled, lookin up from my suitcase at him. AJ was stretched across my bed in Tommy jeans, a t-shirt, and a yellow and blue checkered Tommy shirt over it. He just looked so adorable!
“Oh here! Don’t forget these…” I reminded him, removing his sunglasses from the top of my head.
“Oh! I forgot about those. Why don’t you just keep them? I have like 200 pairs already!” he laughed. I thanked him and set them down on my dresser. I continued to unpack while AJ picked up my romance novel that I had been reading.
“They passionately kissed as he whisked her away, away from her thoughts…” he read aloud dramatically, clutching his hand to his heart. I laughed at his attempt to be passionate.
The phone rang so I picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Then he thrust…” AJ continued loudly.
“AJ, be quiet! I’m on the phone!” I told him, pressing my finger against his lips. I could feel his goatee gently scratch my hand. AJ frowned and then settled back down onto my bed.
“I’m sorry…it was AJ!” I explained into the phone.
“No need to explain then!” Theresa laughed on the other end of the phone.
“Oh hey girl! Didn’t recognize your voice!” I exclaimed, sitting on the edge of my bed with my back to AJ.
“Well, listen, since Howie and I are engaged again, we’ve decided to have the wedding this Saturday. So, we’ve got from today until Friday to plan!” she exclaimed.
“Saturday?! Wow! Well, I can’t wait! Ya know…we’re gonna have to throw ya a bachelorette party!” I giggled.
“Yeah! Well, listen Howie and I want all of you guys in the wedding, so we’ve got rehearsal tomorrow night at 6:00, okay?” she informed me.
AJ had climbed up behind me and was running his fingers carefully up my back and across my shoulders.
“Baby, stop!” I giggled, grabbing his hand.
“Uh…hello?” Theresa said impatiently.
“I’m sorry. It’s just-“ I started giggling again as AJ ran his fingers up my bar arm.
“Kelly, I’m gonna hang up!” Theresa threatened.
“Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll tell AJ and we’ll see ya at 6:00. Congrats!” I told her.
“Thanks! See ya tomorrow!” she said, hanging up the phone.
“Finally…you’re off the phone!” AJ said, pulling me down onto the bed beside him.
“Yeah, Howie and Gail are gonna get married on Saturday and we’re going to be in the wedding. So, rehearsal is tomorrow at 6:00,” I told AJ, laying my head on his chest, allowing him to run his fingers through my blonde hair.
“Okay, sounds fine,” he said, twisting a strand of my hair around his finger. I yawned and closed my eyes listening to AJ’s heartbeat while drifting off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Gail*
“Yo Nickay! Ya ready to go?” I yelled, bounding down the stairs from my bedroom.
“Yeah, come on,” he said, taking my hand as I grabbed my keys off of the kitchen table. We climbed into my small red Miata and sped down the road to his house.
Nick walked in, with me behind him, to find nobody in the house.
“Hello??” he called sitting his bags down on the floor.
“Maybe they’re outside,” I suggested.
“Yeah, maybe. Let’s go see,” he said, taking my hand into his and sliding open the door.
“Aaaah…cannonball!!!” we heard Aaron scream as we saw him splash into the pool.
“So, that’s where they are,” Nick said aloud more to himself than to me.
“Nick!!!” Aaron yelled, upon spotting us walk outside. He climbed out of the pool and ran and jumped into Nick’s arms soaking wet!
“Hey hey little man!” Nick yelled, equally glad to see his little brother.
“Hi Gail!” Aaron smiled, looking over Nick’s shoulder.
“Hey AC! How’s it goin’?” I asked him.
“Pretty good, but Mom, Dad, Leslie, and Angel went shopping so they’re not here,” he told us as Nick sat him down.
“Where’s BJ?” Nick asked concerned.
“Over there…” he pointed to her and a tall guy with dark hair lying on the hammock side by side.
“Who’s that?!” Nick asked a bit annoyed not taking his eyes off of the guy who was now kissing his sister.
“That’s Jared. He’s been hanging around some,” Aaron explained.
“Jared??” I questioned in disbelief, not moving.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Nick turned to me.
“Is that Jared Blake?” I asked Aaron.
“Yeah, yeah that’s it. Do you know him or something?” he asked me.
“Uh…no, nope! How would I know him??” I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously and biting my lip.
“For some odd reason I don’t believe you,” Nick said, staring at me.
I just glanced at him and then back over at BJ and Jared who were now happily laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Claudi*
“B, how long are you staying here?” I asked Brian, getting us each a Coke out of the refrigerator.
“Well, I guess I’ll go back to Nick’s house in a bit, why?” he asked, watching me pour our drinks into a glass.
“No, no, I meant, how long are you going to stay around Orlando?” I asked taking a seat beside him.
“I guess for well, I dunnno. At least until Howie and Theresa get married. Then, I’d sorta like to go spend some time with my family back in Kentucky,” he said, looking a bit depressed.
“Yeah, you should go see them…” I trailed off, starting intently at my drink, to hide my emotions from him.
Brian took his hand and lifted up my chin until my bluish-green eyes met his own crystal blue ones.
“Claudi, I want you to come with me,” he said, searching my face for an answer.
“Bri, I dunno,” I said taking his hands into mine. “Of course I’d love to, but…”
“But what Claud? Just say yes please. I want my family to see how wonderful you really are,” he pleaded.
I looked at him for a bit and finally agreed.
“Thank you so much!” he said, kissing me sweetly on the cheek.
“So, we’re going to leave Sunday after the wedding then?” I asked, taking a sip of my drink.
“Yep! I’m so glad you agreed to come!” he said seriously.
“Me too! But, for now, you’re staying with Nick right?” I asked him.
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, if you’re coming to see me everyday and having to drive to Orlando for wedding rehearsals each day, you should just stay with me,” I proposed.
“You wouldn’t mind?” he questioned.
“No, of course not! Besides, it gets sorta lonely here sometimes. I don’t think Nick will miss ya too much, either!” I joked.
“Well, I’m not sure. He’s pretty used to me staying with him. You know how attached and emotional he is!” he kidded.
“Yeah, uh-huh,” I rolled my eyes. “So you’re gonna stay with me?”
“Yeah, but I should call Nick to let him know what’s up,” he said getting up from the table to use the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Vic*
Kevin and I decided to go out to eat when we got home, so it was late when we got back to my house.
“I’m so tired,” he sighed plopping down onto my couch. “I don’t even feel like driving home,” Kevin yawned.
“Well don’t then. I’ll fix up the spare bedroom and you can just stay the night, alright?” I offered.
“No, I don’t want to inconvenience you,” he said, staring at me with his glowing green eyes.
“Kevin, you’re not an inconvenience. Come on, I’ll get your bed ready for ya!” I said, walking down the hall. I looked into the closet to get some blankets and pillows for him, but I couldn’t reach them.
“Here let me…” he offered. He reached up and just as he was handing them to me, my kitty ran by and he fell onto me!
“Are you alright?!” he exclaimed, getting off of me and reaching out his hand to help me up.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I laughed, smiling at him.
We walked into the spare bedroom and I made his bed and fluffed his pillows for him.
“Thanks. You really don’t have to do all this, ya know?” he said, taking my hands into his much larger ones.
“Yeah, I know, but I want to,” I smiled, reaching up giving him a peck on the cheek.
He smiled and threw himself onto the bed.
“I’m so tired!” I yawned. “I’m gonna go put on my pyjamas and then I’ll come tuck ya in!” I teased.
I left the room to do just what I said I would and when I returned to the room, I heard Kevin softly snoring. I laughed to myself quietly as I looked down at my snoozing boyfriend. I pulled the covers over him as he mumbled something. I ran my fingers through his dark, silky hair and kissed him goodnight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Theresa*
Howie and I had spent the previous day with his family planning the wedding. The color scheme, dresses, cake, invitations, etc. Today we were having our first dress rehearsal and I was filled with anticipation, excitement, and nervousness. Common emotions for a bride-to-be, I suppose. I was at my house decided what to wear. I picked out a pair of GAP blue jeans and a sleeveless orange top that really showed off the tan I had gotten from the Bahama sun. Howie was supposed to come pick me up to carry us to the church for rehearsals, so I decided to flip through a magazine while I was waiting. I saw Howie’s car pull up in my driveway, so I grabbed my purse and ran outside to meet him.
“Hey sweetie!” I gave him a kiss on the cheek as I slipped into the passenger seat, beside him.
“Are you ready?” he asking, taking a deep breath.
“Yeah, relax honey. It’s only rehearsal,” I smiled as we drove to the church.
