Lucky

Chapter Fourteen
By: Lara
© 2000

The first month seemed like an eternity for both Lisa and Lara. Lisa went through the motions of being Lucky, going to charity events, posing for cameras, and hosting the new television show that was now number one in the country. It was doing so well that they extended the taping to nine weeks, and she'd be done with it right before Kevin returned from Europe. True to his word, Kevin called every day from whatever city they were currently in, and emailed every night before he went to bed. Lisa couldn't help but miss him, though. She hadn't realized what a big part of her life he had become. Stories about them still ran rampant in the magazines, and tabloids kept coming up with girls that he was running around with in Sweden, in Austria, in Iceland, but she knew the truth and was able to laugh at the rumors. Lara, on the other hand, was not dealing with the situation very well. She was lucky if she heard from Nick once a week, though when he DID call it was for hours at a time. She worked hard during the day, keeping Lucky's schedule and getting her where she needed to go. Lara found that the harder she worked, the easier it was to forget about Nick for five minutes. And every time she convinced herself that she was just a fling for him, that he had totally dumped her, he would send her a special present or flowers. She didn't know WHAT to think. So she worked hard during the day and then sat by the phone at night.

"I cannot believe that Kevin will be home tomorrow!" Lisa gushed for the tenth time on the way back from the television studio after the last taping. "I've missed him so much!"

"Really," Lara said sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

"No need to be a bitch about it," Lisa replied, only half joking.

"I'm sorry, Lisa. I'm just not feeling well. I haven't been feeling all that good for the past week or so," Lara confided.

"I'll call my doctor tomorrow," Lisa promised.

"No...it's okay. If it keeps up I'll call my own doctor. Thanks anyway though."

Lisa practically ran out of the limo, eager to start getting the house ready for Kevin. They had already agreed that he would stay with her immediately after his return. Lara sat alone in the backseat, wondering what would happen when she saw Nick...if she saw him.

"Oh, baby, you look good enough to eat!" Kevin was barely inside Lisa's house before he had her in his arms.

"Oh...Kev..." Lisa tried to say something, but all she could do was cry. She had missed him so much. It had felt like an eternity instead of two months. "I...damn, I missed you," she sobbed.

"I missed you, too, babydoll." Kevin rocked her in his arms. He finally pulled back and led her into the living room. He sat her down on the sofa.

"Okay...before I take you upstairs and ravage your body, I have something I need to ask you."

"Um...okay," Lisa said. Move in...he wants us to move in together, Lisa thought excitedly.

"You know how much I love you. It's been kinda crazy, with us hardly knowing each other and then me having to go away, but the time away made me realize how much I do love you...and how much I hate to be away from you for even one moment." Kevin's green eyes watched her carefully. "I never want to be away from you like that again if we can help it. I know our careers will pull us apart a lot, but I think we can work through all that."

"I think so, too," Lisa said quietly.

Kevin pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. "Lisa, will you marry me?"

Lara sat on her sofa hugging a pillow and crying. Leonardo DiCaprio had just drunk the vial of poison, and Claire Danes was waking up and realizing her true love had killed himself. The cry that escaped from her lips and echoed through the church was a copy of the cry that was screaming out of Lara's heart. She was grateful for the movie; she could tell herself that the tears streaming down her cheeks were because of the sad story and not because of the sad life she was living. Someone knocked at her door, and she considered not answering. Pulling herself to her feet, she plodded over to the door. She gasped when she looked through the peephole. "Nick?"

"Juliet, your Romeo has arrived." Nick burst through the door and picked her up, whirling her around in circles. Lara could only stare at him.

"Were you crying? Baby, what's wrong?" His blue eyes were concerned.

"I was...uh...just watching a video," she said, still shocked.

"Miss me?" He smiled his lazy smile and she shivered.

"More than life itself," she told him. He smiled bigger.

"Good. Then you wouldn't mind if I just threw you over my shoulder and carried you off to the bedroom?" Lara barely had time to shake her head no before he did just that.

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