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» CHAPTER TWENTY: MY FIRST NIGHT WITH YOU«

When I woke up the morning after our first date, I felt completely different. Sure, I had fallen asleep in Nick’s arms countless times before, but this time it was special, because we were finally together without anything standing in our way.

A small snore came from Nick’s lips near my ear. I wiggled around to look at him, unable to stop the silly grin forming on my face. He looked so calm and peaceful. Absent from the house were the morning noises that always happened in my house on Saturday mornings. My parents had gone on a weekend trip to visit some friends in the Keys, leaving me the house all to myself.

I leaned back on Nick’s shoulder and snuggled in, staring at the rainbow lights from the sun dancing across the ceiling. The clock on the night table read only 8am, far too early to be getting up. I knew Nick wouldn’t wake up for at least another hour or two. I closed my eyes, but I was too wired from the adrenaline rush of last night. I could practically picture in my head yesterday evening, every word said…

Yesterday was not just another day

Not like before

Yesterday I saw your smiling face

Love walked through my door

I stretched out on the couch, resting my head against the armrest and wiggling down into the cushions to get comfortable. The book I was planning on reading was lying on my stomach, a glass of soda and the phone lying on the floor beside me. I was ready for a night of relaxation. My parent’s were gone for the weekend, and unfortunately, Nick was busy at work, so I had the night free.

I opened to my marked page and began reading. I was an hour into it when I began to doze off, then I was jolted back to reality when the phone rang. I reached for it and answered.

"What are you doing?"

I smiled, recognizing Nick’s voice. "Hey, Nicky. I’m just reading. How’s work going?"

He sounded disgusted. "It isn’t." he said flatly. "Howie never showed, and he just called Kevin a few minutes ago canceling because he has a ‘major hot date’ as he put it, but we told the studio he’s sick. You free tonight?"

"Free as a bird. You have something planned?" I began to grin.

"Not really. There’s got to be something for us to do though. I’m almost at your house, so be ready soon. Love ya, babe."

"Almost here—" I trailed off when I realized he had hung up. I jumped up and examined myself in the mirror. I was wearing a comfy pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt and a Nirvana tour t-shirt that Nick had gotten me at his first Nirvana concert. I thought about changing but decided against it.

"If Nick comes looking dressy, I can always change." I reasoned. I pulled on a pair of sneakers and brushed my hair, and before I knew it his car was pulling up outside the house. I opened the door before he had a chance to knock and sighed inwardly with relief. He was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

He walked in, a tender smile on his face that made my insides heat up. He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him, then trailed his hand along my arm, up my neck, and cupped my cheek. I stood on my tip-toes and put my arms around his neck to balance myself as our lips met. The kiss was warm and inviting.

"I don’t think I could ever get tired of this." I thought blissfully to myself.

Nick ran his tongue along my lower lip, then pulled back to look into my eyes. "We could just stay here." His voice was husky and as he kissed my earlobe I felt a shiver go through my spine.

I sighed slightly. "Nick…"

He reluctantly pulled his lips away from my collarbone and looked back at me. "Or we could go out and have a different kind of fun." he added.

I could tell he was a bit disappointed, but wasn’t going to push the subject, and I was grateful. As much as I loved him, I wasn’t ready for that.

One precious moment

Changed my life

One tender kiss

Made everything right

"So," I said, getting the house keys and sticking them in my purse. "where do you want to go?"

"We could see a movie, or go to the mall." mused Nick. "There’s a carnival out by the beach. Granted, it’s a little far, but it would be worth it."

"A carnival sounds like fun." I said enthusiastically. "I haven’t been to one in years."

"Then we’ll go to that." Nick slung his arm around my shoulders as we walked to his car. "Maybe I’ll even win you one of those huge, stuffed pink elephants or purple pandas."

We drove an hour to reach the coast. At first we talked, then Nick turned on the radio and we sang along, laughing as we tried to imitate the singer’s style. I could smell the salty popcorn and stale beer, and hear the happy shouts and garish music before I could see the brightly colored lights whirling and twirling. The small beach town was over-flowing with cars.

"Good grief," Nick muttered, searching in vain for a parking spot. "We’re gonna be walking for awhile."

"Doesn’t matter." I replied as we passed another street. A few minutes later we found a nearly empty street many blocks from the carnival and got out. It was cooler by the ocean than it was in Orlando, but it felt refreshing.

Nick took my arm and looped it through his, made sure his hat was firmly on his head, and guided me to our destination. We passed many couples pressed close together, not even paying attention to their surroundings, and I could feel Nick begin to relax beside me, realizing he wouldn’t be in danger of a mass mob.

We reached the front gates—a huge clown face with it’s mouth wide open to allow admission into the carnival—and the ticket booth, the clown’s white gloved hand. We waited on a short line, Nick paid for the tickets, and soon we were strolling past the clown’s molars, into the blinking lights and merriment.

"So…where should we start first?" Nick asked.

I began to point down the midway, but then he caught sight of the roller coaster, The Cobra, and nearly jerked me off my feet as he pulled me with him to stand in line. "Get a seat near the front," I told him, "It’s more exciting that way." We waited another four turns until we finally climbed into the brown and gold painted snake and lowered the bar.

Nick gave me a childish grin as the coaster lurched into motion and began its climb up the rickety incline. We reached the top and paused, hovering on the edge just enough that the people in the front car began to scream with anticipation and faux fear. Nick reached up and pulled off his baseball hat, throwing it in the seat between us so it wouldn’t fly off as we dropped. "Put your arms up!" he shouted at me as we tipped forward.

My arms shot up and I let out a whoop as I was thrown forward against the bar, speeding towards the bottom of the track before zooming up again. It was over all too quickly, so we rode twice more before trying our luck on the Sleigh Ride, a ride that goes backwards and forwards as you go ‘round in sleigh-like machines. After we exited that ride, I saw the Swings.

"Oh, Nick, we have to go on those!" I begged him. He grabbed my hand and raced me to the line, even though it was basically a tie since I was clinging to him to steady my off-set balance. I found a seat on the outside of the ride—you always fly higher—and Nick sat in front of me.

He twisted around and gave me a pouty look. "I lost my hat on the Cobra—I think I left it on my seat!" he called to me.

I gave him a sympathetic face, then stuck my tongue out at him. My feet were lifted off the ground as the ride began, and I laughed in glee.

Nick tried to touch me with his sneaker, but he was jerked forward and up as we span around in a circle. When we got off, he looped his arms around me and kissed me.

"What was that for?" I murmured against his lips.

"Just for the sake of kissing you." he answered, a little breathless. "Have I ever told you how much I love doing that?"

I smiled slightly. "If you have, you could always tell me again."

I felt the sun

Shine so bright on me

Chased the rain from my heart

Through the storm

Through the darkest night

I found my brightest star

He gave me one more kiss, then we started down the midway. Nick stopped at a stall where if you make three baskets in a row, you win a prize. He handed the carnie a dollar, winked at me, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and cracked his knuckles. "Pick out what you like best," he told me. "Cause I am going to win this cakewalk."

I laughed at him, then eyed a stuffed figure of Pooh Bear. His first basket made it into the hoop with a quiet swish. His second quickly followed his first. His third, however, hit the rim and fell to the dirt.

Nick frowned as he opened his wallet once more. "This time I’m going to get it." he assured me.

"Ok, sweetie." I tried to look encouraging while I surpressed my mirth.

Fifteen dollars later, Nick was in a sour mood, and I thought he might pop one of the basketballs any second. People were now standing around, watching eagerly for him to finally make all three baskets.

The carnie was looking amused. "I’m sure this time you’ll get it, sonny. Keep trying your luck."

Nick shelled over another dollar, and I tugged his arm. "Come on, Nick, you could buy three stuffed animals for this price. Let’s just go to a different booth."

Nick shook my hand away, his eyes focused determinedly on the hoop. "I’m going to get it this time, Jenn." he insisted. "After that we can leave." He tossed the ball roughly and it jolted the hoop as it passed through. His second was a little slower, with more precision. The crowd, as well as myself and the carnie, was holding their collective breath, hoping he would sink it. He did. Nick let out a cheer and spun me around once. "Finally!" he cried in glee.

The carnie laughed. "Good job. Pick what you’d like, little lady."

I chose the largest, most horrid looking pink dinosaur at Nick’s belief that I should get the biggest thing they had for that much money. I tried the dart throwing game and won a poster of ‘N Sync, which made Nick a little petulant, Nick tried to win a goldfish (and thankfully didn’t), and we both tried the dunking booth and guess-your-weight.

Then we bought tickets to the haunted house, where Nick pretended to be scared and clutched my arm and practically tried to climb on my back when a particularly evil looking witch jumped out at us ("Reminds me of Chanel, don’t you think?" I muttered acidly.) and screamed bloody murder. We spent a lot of time in the fun house, comparing reflections on who looked the fattest, skinniest, and the strangest in each mirror. We took a break from the fun when we bought cotton candy, two hot dogs, and double-decker ice-cream cones.

"Ugh, Nick, you’re gonna make me fat." I joked as I pulled a piece of cotton candy off the stick. I stuck it on my tongue and let it dissolve into a sugary paste.

"Then I guess it would be up to me to get you a gym membership, wouldn’t it?" he sneered.

I didn’t even glance over at him as I slapped him upside the head. "Why don’t we go on the Ferris Wheel next?" I suggested, getting in line. "Maybe we’ll be able to see the entire town from up there."

We were next in line when Nick leaned over the railing and casually handed the bald, black carnie a five dollar bill. "Could you make our turn extra long, please?"

The carnie winked and threw me a big smile. "Sure can, bud." he replied in a deep voice. "Step right into car number five, and make sure you don’t stick you hands out the sides or rock the car."

Nick helped me into the seat and made sure the bar was fastened tightly, then we were gently lifted into the air. "Where should I put this?" I asked him, referring to my stuffed prize.

Nick made a face. "Put it next to you." I squeezed over to make some room for my dino and poster, which only made me closer to Nick. He took the opportunity to put his arm over my shoulders and kiss my temple. "Guess our third wheel is making itself useful, after all." he whispered in a low, euphonious voice.

There was a slight breeze as we reached the top and paused there, and I was grateful for Nick’s warmth. The lights of the carnival and the town burned with more phosphorescence than ever. With the breeze came the piquant smell of brine and sand; the sound of waves crashing upon the earth and the melodious Carousel music.

"Who ever thought I would be sitting here with you at this very moment?" I wondered aloud.

"Certainly not me." answered Nick, not unkindly. "I would have still thought I’d be with Chanel right now." A long, low sigh that started from his diaphragm blew into my ear, and I knew he was thinking bitterly back on the last month.

I squeezed him more tightly and stared into the darkness, awed by all the stars.

"Let’s go down there when this is over." Nick said, pointing towards a deserted stretch of beach beyond the carnival.

"All right." I said agreeably. Our ride ended almost ten minutes later. Nick and I left the carnival and walked around a few buildings before encountering the sea-shore. There we ambled far enough away that the noises of the park were a distant memory.

Nick dropped to his bottom and pulled off his shoes and socks, then helped me with mine as I insisted he didn’t need to. I left my dinosaur lying helplessly in the sand as Nick pulled me to my feet. "You don’t mind if I have this dance, do you?" he asked it and, without waiting for a reply, spun me out and back into his arms in a practiced and professional air.

I rested my arms on his shoulders, giving him a smile. "We don’t have any music though."

"You don’t have a singer boyfriend for nothing." he rebuked mildly. "Ah, where’s the trust?"

I chortled as he danced me over to the wave-line, keeping us just far enough that the water lapped at our ankles as the tide moved back and forth. Nick rested his cheek against mine, and began to hum softly. I could feel the vibrations on my jaw-line, his singing penetrating to my very soul.

One magic moment

Made one magic night

I fell in love

With one look in your eyes, baby

I opened my lazy eyes and saw our footprints in the wet sand, slowly being eroded by the waves. Nick held me tighter so that our bodies were touching everywhere. My heart palpitated so badly I thought I was going to faint from all the amatory waves crashing through my body. I sang the next lines with Nick as we swayed.

I never knew I could feel so loved

Darling, in your arms I could feel forever

I rested my forehead against Nick’s. "I don’t know about you," I started, "but I think our first date has been amazing so far. I think it’s safe to say it has been a success."

Nick smiled fondly. "The party isn’t over yet, sweetheart. This is only the beginning." Then he frowned slightly. "Well, the middle, anyhow."

I let out a quiet snicker. Another look in his eyes banished the banter between us, and my lips searched eagerly for his. Our mouths connected once again, and I relinquished any self-restraint and allowed myself to be carried away on a ocean of ecstasy. When he finally let me go, I buried my flushed face in his cool neck and murmured, "Sing to me again."

He started up the song, still moving me across the sandy floor.

Cried my first tears of joy last night

Heaven shined a light

All my dreams came true

My first night with you

We danced long after he stopped singing, moving to the beat of the waves. It began getting cooler, and when I started shivering Nick gathered up our shoes and prizes and we began walking along the beach to the car. We paused at the rocks and pulled on our shoes, then continued through the town.

Nick was teasing me about what to name my stuffed dinosaur, swinging our hands between us like a child. "You should call it Barney." he suggested.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Puh-lease. I will not name it Barney. How about something like Cotton Candy? Someone could have thrown up cotton candy all over it, which is why it’s this ugly pink."

"That is gay." shot back Nick.

"Then you think of something better." I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him. Before I could, however, I bumped into someone who was walking in the opposite direction. "Oh, excuse me," I began, but my voice quickly trailed away.

"Chanel." Nick said in a surprised tone, stopping dead beside me.

And it was Chanel. Her arm was looped through a tall, lean looking young man’s who had dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. He looked a bit confused as Chanel stared at us, shock pouring off her in waves. "Nick." she almost whispered.

I took advantage of the silence between us to examine Chanel’s appearance. She looked a lot better than when I had last seen her. The mascara smudges were gone, her hair was clean and done up, and she was wearing a long, casual dress that looked pretty expensive. In fact, she looked almost exactly the same as she did when I first saw her in England. The only thing missing was the smug, superior look in her large brown eyes. Instead she looked spark-less and cowed.

"Who are these people?" the man asked Chanel curiously.

"Just some old acquaintances." she muttered, dismissing it.

The man smiled again, and I noticed he was very good-looking. "Hello, my name is J—"

"Let’s go, Jordan." Chanel interrupted, giving us one last glance before dragging her date away.

Nick watched her leave, an unreadable expression on his face. "She looks…" He paused so long I didn’t think he was going to say anything else.

"Okay?" I interjected. I slipped my arm through his and tilted my face to look up at him, giving him a understanding smile.

His gaze drifted towards mine and he smiled back. From then on I somehow knew Chanel was never going to be a bother in our lives again. "Yeah. Okay. You ready to go?"

I nodded. "Ready and willing."

It was almost two when we reached my house. Nick took off his sneakers in the hall while I listened to the messages on the answering machine. The first was for Mom and Dad, but the second was from Alex and the girls in England. "Hey, Jennie, it’s your doting sister. I’m sorry I missed you when you called last week, and I’m even sorrier I missed you again. Call me as soon as you get this. Oh—everyone wants to say hi." There was a quick pause, and then a duo of "Hello, we miss you" reached our ears.

Nick and I grinned.

Alex’s voice came back. "So just call and tell us when you’re coming back. I love you, bye." The message ended and a electronic voice informed me that was the end of the messages, so I shut it off.

"Are you gonna call her back?" Nick asked.

"Nah. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Let her wait a while longer." I took Nick’s hand and entwined our fingers, then we walked into the living room. "What should we do?"

Nick shrugged. "Let’s watch a movie?" I nodded, then sat down and let him pick. He selected one, turned it on, and curled up next to me, resting his head in my lap. We watched almost half of the movie before I shut it off and looked down at him. His eyes were blinking shut slowly, resting for a few seconds, and opening again. Each time the movement was slower and slower.

I tugged on a strand of dark blonde hair and pushed him to a sitting position, then led him to my parents room, which had a larger bed than my own. "I’m not falling asleep on the couch again." I told him.

He crawled in sleepily and pulled me to him, cuddling me like a teddy bear. "G’night, Jennie." he mumbled, kissing my cheek.

That simple gesture was so warm and so moving I felt the prick of tears in my eyes. My hands curled around his lying across my chest and squeezed them. "Good night, Nick. I love you."

Cried my first tears of joy last night

Heaven shined a light

All my dreams came true

My first night…with you

to be contiuned...
REMEMBER to send feedback to the author, Stephanie