Once in the house everyone decided that swimming was the first thing to do. Nick took Melissa and Daniella upstairs to the spare room where the extra swimsuits were and where they could change in private before heading to his own room to change. Howie, Mike, and Earl went to change as well.

*IN THE SPARE BEDROOM*

“So?” Melissa was staring at her friend.

“So what?” Dani refused to look at Melissa and instead concentrated on finding a suit that fit.

“So, he’s cute.” Melissa noticed her friend’s obvious discomfort and smiled.

“Yeah, and?” I know she’s not going to drop this.

“And, I saw the way you two were looking at each other.” Missy was enjoying this.

“Missy, just let it go. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Can we just go downstairs now?

“I bet I know more than you think I do. You’re not the only one who is good at watching people and figuring out body language and stuff.”

“Whatever. Let’s just get downstairs now. Are you ready?” Dani was already heading to the door as she asked the question. She was happily rewarded when her friend let it drop and followed her downstairs.

Howie was already downstairs waiting. The girls didn’t notice Nick following them down. His voice from behind startled them. “Why don’t you girls go on out and Howie and I will bring out something to drink, sound good?” He was already walking, rather quickly, towards kitchen and didn’t hear their response.

“Yeah, you two go on out and we’ll get something to drink. Any requests?” Howie was perplexed by Nick’s actions. After deciding what to drink both Dani and Melissa went to get in the pool and wait for the guys.

Howie found Nick in the kitchen, arms forward leaning forward onto the counter. Nick’s back was to Howie. “Nick, what’s up? What was that about?”

Not turning around Nick stood up straight and ran his hand through his hair. “Howie, did you SEE her? I mean, I was having a, um, difficult enough time with her sitting on my lap in the car, how the hell am I supposed to go out there in the pool with her in THAT?”

Nick still refused to turn around and face Howie. “Nicky, you’re the one who invited them over, you have to go out. Yeah she’s hot, they both are. But I don’t understand what the problem is here.”

“The problem is, is that she is already out there and will be watching when I walk out there. And, well, I just CAN’T right now.” This is so embarrassing!

Finally Howie caught onto Nick’s ‘problem’ and started laughing.

“Dude! I don’t find this funny at all! What the hell am I supposed to do?”

Howie patted Nick on the shoulder, “Nick, go, um, do something.” He had to stop and get control of his laughter again before continuing. “Go, um, calm down.” Again, laughing, “I’ll take the drinks out. Tell them you had a phone call or something.” More laughing, “You join us when you’re ready, better, not so…so…so…worked up.” Then he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He hadn’t seen Nick this, well, uncontrolled since he was a teen.

Stomping off Nick grumbled, “Fine, Howie. Just don’t ever mention this. I can’t believe my own buddy laughing at my expense.” Even with his back to Howie, Howie could tell Nick was pouting and that only made him laugh harder.

Howie joined the girls in the pool and as he promised Nick told them that he had a phone call and would join them as soon as he could. The three talked about Tampa and Ybor City for a while since that was something they all had in common. Howie talked about his club Tabu and invited the girls to visit whenever they could. After about 20 minutes or so Nick finally made his way out to the pool. Before getting in he shot Howie a warning glances daring him to even so much as crack a smile.

Not knowing what the conversation consisted of during his absence Nick decided to start his own conversation. “Daniella, I wanted to ask, your accent, is that Spanish?”

“Mmm-hmm. My dad’s family is from Spain, actually.”

“Really? That’s cool. Do you speak Spanish?” Howie asked.

“Yeah. My grandmother insisted on teaching all of us. Personally, I am glad she did. She speaks perfect Castillian Spanish, so I had a great teacher.” Dani was very proud of her heritage, though the details of it, the Legacy, she didn’t really want to go into. She hoped Missy wouldn’t say anything.

“Castillian Spanish? What’s that?” Nick had never heard of it.

Howie explained that in Spain, historically in part of the Spanish Aristocracy was based in the province of Castille. Castillian Spanish was the language of the Aristocracy and not many people still spoke it. “It’s like speaking absolutely perfect, true English. That’s cool you’re grandmother taught you something like that. It’s definitely something worth passing down to your children some day.”

“Wow! Yeah. That is cool. So, do they still live in Spain? Did you go visit them there and learn it?” Nick was really interested.

“No, actually, both my dad’s parents grew up here in Florida. They both passed away a few years ago. They lived here in Tampa for years. My grandmother is the one who would take me to the cultural fairs in Ybor City.” Please, Missy, don’t say anything about the Legacy.

“I’m sorry to hear about their deaths. But, you’re lucky you got to spend so much time with them.” Howie stated. Then to change the subject, “I found out that Melissa is a teacher. What about you? Do you teach?”

Missy answered first, “Dani has a degree as a graphics designer. She’s done some free-lance photography, web design, computer graphics, and kind of a mix of a lot of stuff. I was the smart one, she was the creative one.” Missy laughed.

“Hey! I was the smart one too. Who calls me when she has computer problems? Huh?” Dani knew her friend was just teasing her, and she was just teasing in return.

“True. Dani was into theatre and art and all that stuff in school.”

“DAMN!” Dani exclaimed before Missy could go on.

“What?!” The other three questioned at the outburst.

“I totally forgot, Missy. Speaking of theatre reminded me.” When Missy just gave her a blank stare Dani continued, “The Medieval Faire. Remember I was going back to Gainesville tomorrow to go to the Faire? Ahh! I completely forgot.”

“Girl you can still go. It won’t be the first time you went without sleep and was still able to function. Besides, you’re staying tomorrow night IN Gainesville, right? It’s not like you have to drive back afterwards.”

Nick was confused. “What is a Medieval Faire?”

“You know a fair where people dress up like King Arthur, Maid Marion, Robin Hood, stuff like that. Um, Medieval times. They have skits, jousting, sword fights, fortune telling, and minstrels, wares booths for jewelry and swords and stuff like that.” Howie offered as an explanation.

“Oh, that sounds cool! I’d love to see something like that. Do they really do real jousting?”

Missy answered for Dani, “Yes, they do real jousting in real suits of armor. Hey, maybe you could go with Dani. Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?”

“Oh, Missy, I’m sure he does. I mean, Howie is here as a guest, and well, I’m sure he has stuff to do.” Dani was sputtering. I’m gonna strangle her!

“Actually, Howie was leaving in the morning and I don’t have anything to do,” Nick looked at Dani and smiled, “besides be alone.” Thank you Missy. All is forgiven for the little Backstreet Boy dissin’ you did earlier.

“Well, well, it would be a long day. And like Missy said, I wasn’t planning on coming back until Monday morning.”

“I don’t mind. I can just get a room at whatever hotel you’re staying at. Are you coming back to Tampa?” Nick asked hopefully.

“Actually, no. I am going to Disney. I actually have a room at the Key West Resort for the week.”

“That’s just Orlando. I can have Mike come get me or something. I mean, that is, if you don’t mind company? Or were you meeting other friends?” Nick really wanted to go. He wanted to spend more time with Dani and get to maybe know her, but he was also interested in this Faire thing.

“Not really meeting. I have friends from the theatre that will be acting there. That’s why I was going. If you don’t mind the long drive in my little car I don’t see any reason why you can’t go.” Okay, think of it this way, Dani, you can spend more time with him. He wouldn’t ask to go if he didn’t want to spend time with you. And he did say he would sleep in a different hotel room. That’s safe, right? “There is one problem, though. All my stuff is at Missy’s house in St. Pete. I’ll have to get directions to here from her house so I can be hear early before we head to Gainesville. I had planned on being at the Faire by 9a.m., when it opens, and it is a 2.5hour drive.”

Nick’s brain was spinning trying to figure out what to do. Howie saved him, “Instead of doing the extra driving from Missy’s in the morning why don’t you just stay here and leave from here?”

“Howie, that would be good, but, like I said, my stuff is at Missy’s so I have to go there to get it all. I’ve been drinking, it’s late, and I can’t drive back here tonight.”

“So, well, Earl and I can take Missy home, get your things, and bring them back here. That way you don’t have all that extra driving.”

Nick just smiled at his friend. Great thinking D!

“Howie, I can’t just STAY here, in Nick’s house.”

“Why not?” Nick, Howie, and Missy asked.

Dani looked at them unable to believe they didn’t see a problem with this. It was one thing to share a car and sleep in different hotel rooms, but sleep in the same house, out of the question. “It just wouldn’t be right. Besides, I can’t just invite myself over like that.”

“Why wouldn’t it be right?” Nick asked. “Besides, you’re not just inviting yourself, I invited you. It’s not like I don’t have enough bedrooms. Pick one.” Would that work?

“Nick’s right, Dani. I don’t see anything wrong with it. I don’t mind if Howie takes me home. You were gonna get up way earlier than me and leave anyway. So, we just say goodbye here instead.” Missy really liked this idea more and more. She wanted her friend to have a good time, and Nick seemed like just the person she could do that with, IF she would ever relax.

“Okay! Okay. Three against one is hardly fair you guys. Howie, you sure you don’t mind? That puts you up much later than you probably planned. And what about Earl? He is gonna do more driving tonight. Is he gonna mind?”

The four got out of the pool discussing the details of getting Missy home and Dani’s things back to Nick’s house. Dani and Missy wanted to shower and get the chlorine off before they changed and Nick gave Dani a Jersey to put on instead of her club clothes. He figured she might as well get comfortable. Neither realized the Jersey would hang below her knees. So, Dani and Missy disappeared into the guest room to shower and change. Nick did the same in his room. Getting out of the shower he could hear Dani and Missy talking in the guest bathroom which shared the connecting wall to his. Knowing it was wrong, he listened anyway.


<~~Chapter 2or Chapter 4~~>