Lucky

Chapter Thirteen
By: Lara
© 2000

Just as Lara had predicted, the media went crazy. They loved the show, loved Lucky, and loved the way she and Kevin had interacted. Some people were even suggesting a Lucky and Kevin show. "So, can I be your cohost?" Kevin asked as they snuggled in Lisa's bed the next morning watching Regis and Kathie Lee discuss the night before.

"No way. This show is ALLL about me," Lisa said, grinning at him. "Go promote your album."

"Selfish bitch," Kevin said, poking her.

"Excuse me? Selfish? Who's the one that sleeps sprawled all over the bed so that I fall off every half hour?" Lisa asked.

"Do I really do that?" Kevin asked, horrified.

"Well, maybe I don't exactly fall off...but I get pretty damn close."

"I'm sorry, baby." He kissed her passionately. "Stay in my arms next time, and maybe that won't happen."

"No place I'd rather be," she told him, snuggling closer.

"No...Bri...don't tell me that," Kevin moaned from his seat at Lisa's kitchen counter. She was puttering around putting sandwiches together for lunch. "But I don't...can't you...do you really need me?" He sighed deeply.

"All of us. They need all of us. Whatever. I'll be there." He hit 'end' on his cellphone and slammed it down on the table. "Fuck."

"Kevin Scott Richardson...language!" Lisa admonished with a teasing smile.

"You're one to talk, potty mouth," Kevin retorted. "I seem to remember all kinds of swear words coming out of your mouth last night when I was..."

"Okay, point taken," Lisa interrupted quickly, making Kevin laugh.

"Seriously...what's going on?"

"Oh, since the show was such a great success, we have to do some kind of big meeting with management before we leave tomorrow...namely...tonight."

"What?" Lisa gasped, dropping the bread. "Like when?"

"Like tonight around eight," he said softly. "I'm sorry, babe, our night is gonna be way cut short."

"No," she moaned, tears filling her eyes. It just wasn't fair.

"Lees, don't, please. Don't cry." Kevin walked over and took her in his arms. "I hate it, too."

"I finally find someone, and I'm gonna lose them."

"For two months!" Kevin told her. "It's not like it's forever."

"It will feel like it," Lisa whined, sniffling in a very unladylike way. He tilted her head up to look at him.

"Lisa, I love you. I will not forget you in two months. You'll be sick of me, I'll be calling and emailing so much. You'll be busy with the show and you'll hardly notice I'm gone. But do NOT forget I love you, and I'll be counting the days until I'm back here with you."

"So, Jules, what do you want me to bring you from Europe?" Nick asked Lara as they lounged in her bed eating poptarts.

"Prince William," she said immediately, and Nick poked her.

"Fat chance, baby. He wouldn't give you the time of day."

"And why not?" Lara said, slightly hurt. Nick saw it in her eyes. "Because, fair angel, I will be filling his ears with gossip about how awful you are, so he will not be interested and I will have you all to myself." Lara rolled her eyes and poked him back. "Seriously...anything you'd like?"

"I dunno...you choose," she told him. "You know, Nick, I could get some time off and come over to visit you in Europe," she said cautiously. This was an idea that had been running through her head ever since he had told her about the press tour. "Maybe for four or five days."

"Not a good idea, Jules," Nick said quickly. "We'll be bouncing from city to city like crazy, hardly getting unpacked before we need to hit the road again. Tour life is not something you'd enjoy."

"I just...I just thought, you know, that we could be together and everything. I'm really gonna miss you, Nick," she said softly, fighting back tears.

"I'm gonna miss you, too, my Juliet." Nick kissed her cheeks. "No crying, okay? That's an order."

"Yeah, who are you to order me around?" Lara asked, but she wiped away her tears.

"I'm the one who knows just how to drive you crazy!" Nick said, tossing the poptarts to the floor and beginning to tickle her.

"It's not that I can't live without you, it's just that I don't even want to try...every night I dream about you...ever since the day we said goodbye..." Kevin sang softly to Lisa as they stood at her door.

"I love you so much, Kev." Lisa put his arms around him and squeezed hard.

"I love you, too, Lisa." He kissed her deeply and passionately. "I'll call the minute we are in the hotel in London, okay?"

"Please...I don't care what time it is here. I will have my cellphone on if I'm not here. I wanna know you're okay," Lisa told him. Kevin leaned his forehead against hers.

"Love you." He quickly went out the door before she could get any more upset.

"What? Howie? Wait...I'm losing you, man." Kevin swore as he darted through traffic on the highway and finally pulled over to the side of the road. "I know I'm late...I apologize...and...what? What about Nick?"

Kevin swore again. "They never got a hold of him? No one knows where he is? His cell...oh...not turned on...pager? No reply?" Kevin swore a stream of profanities. "What a fucking child," he grumbled. "No, Howie, don't call the police or anything. I think I can find him. Gimme a half an hour." Kevin hit end, then dialed another number.

"Hello?" Lara answered breathlessly.

"Get rid of them," Nick said quietly, letting his hands race across her body. She tried not to moan into the phone.

"Lara? This is Kevin. Is Nick there?"

"Nick?" Lara sat up quickly, shoving Nick's hands from her stomach. "Why would Nick be here?"

"Look, Lara, I know he's been seeing someone in secret and I just guessed that it might be you. This is really important. We have a really big meeting with management in about ten minutes, and if his ass isn't here he will be in deep shit."

Lara handed Nick the phone without another word. "It's Kevin."

"Kevin? Why did you tell..." Nick began angrily.

"I didn't fucking tell anyone. He guessed," Lara snapped, getting up and throwing on a robe.

"What, Kev?" Nick growled into the phone.

Twenty minutes later, Nick and Lara were standing by the front door waiting for Kevin to pick Nick up. "I'll have someone come over and pick up the car," he told her. She nodded.

"Fine."

"Look, Lara, I'm sorry I snapped upstairs. I was just really surprised, that's all." Nick cupped her face in his hands. "Don't be mad."

"Why are you so ashamed of us?" Lara finally asked the question that had been hounding her.

"I'm not ashamed!" Nick protested. "You've seen how everyone hounds the Amandas, and even Lucky catches some shit because of Kevin. I don't want you to have to deal with that."

"I'm gonna miss you, Nick," Lara said, turning her face up for a kiss. He complied, giving her slow, tantalizing kisses.

"Miss you, too, baby," he told her, hugging her close. They heard a knock at the door and he quickly pulled away. "Hey...sorry to interrupt your last night together. I know what it's like," Kevin said grimly when Lara opened the door.

"It's okay," Nick said quickly. He kissed Lara's cheek. "I'll call you."

He trotted out to the car, leaving Lara standing open-mouthed by the door. Kevin took pity on her.

"I think he's pissed at me," he said with a smile. He gave Lara a hug and hurried out to the car.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't say anything about this to the guys, or anyone else, for that matter," Nick said as soon as Kevin had his seatbelt on.

"Mind if I ask why?"

Nick shrugged. "No one's business."

"Hello?" Lisa said with a sigh when her phone rang an hour after Kevin left.

"Lucky? It's Brian."

"Hey, cuz," Lisa said, sighing again.

"Hey, can you tell Kevin to shake a leg? He's late."

"He left here an hour ago, Brian," Lisa said worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing!" Brian said cheerfully, not wanting to bring up Nick and his eternal tardiness. "I'm sure he stopped for gas or something. I'll make sure he calls you once he gets here, so you know everything's okay. Talk to you later!"

"Have a save trip," Lisa said, her mind whirling with confusion as she hung up.

"I don't believe this!" Kevin growled at the traffic snaking along ahead of them. "Why don't these damn tourists learn how to drive...then they wouldn't get in accidents on MY highway?"

"Chill out, Kev." Nick said, laying back against the seat with his eyes closed.

"Shut up, Nick. This is all your fault, anyway," Kevin griped.

Kevin's cellphone rang and Nick answered it. "Yo."

"Nick? Thank God! Where the hell have you been, Frack?" Brian asked.

"Are you with Kevin?"

"Yeah, we're on our way over there now," Nick replied, ignoring the question of where he had been. "There's an accident on the highway and we're going at a snail's pace."

"Gimme Kev," Brian said. Nick handed Kevin the phone.

"What?"

"You'd better call Lisa, Kev. She was kinda worried when I called looking for you."

"You called looking for me? Brian, didn't you talk to Howie? Howie knew how to reach me," Kevin said angrily.

"No, I didn't talk to Howie. He and AJ ran to McDonald's for some food. I'm sorry, Kev."

"It's okay. I'll give her a call once we're out of this mess. Later." Kevin hung up.

"Hello!" Lisa pounced on the phone thirty minutes later.

"Hi, baby," Kevin said.

"Oh, thank God." Lisa weakly sat down. "I've been worried sick."

"You do know that you're not going to know my whereabouts every second of every day," Kevin gently reminded her. "I'm fine, Lees."

"Well, when Brian didn't even know where you were, I got worried."

"I know. There was a horrible accident on the highway and traffic was backed up FOREVER. I'm fine and I love you, okay? I gotta get into this meeting. We're already way late. I'll call you from London."

"I love you, too, Kevin." Lisa hung up and laid back on her pillows, failing at her attempts to keep from crying.

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