Rose looked hot.

Yep, that was the right word.  Brian spent the first few minutes after he saw her searching through his vocabulary for a word that fit.  He discared nice, pretty, beautiful, amazing.  Some how, none of them were right.  But hot fit.  She looked hot.

"You look hot."  He told her.

Rose's face colored.  "Brian."  She protested, shaking her head.

"No really.  You do."  Mandy was standing off to the side, nodding her head and smiling.  "Nice job."  He muttered to her.  As much as he wasn't fond of Nick's girlfriend, he really did have to admit that she did a good job.  Not that Rose needed it.  But it looked good.

"You look good, too."  Rose said shyly.  Brian looked down at the casual suit and blue shirt he was wearing.

"Thanks.  So, are you ready?"   The clock on the wall said that it was 8:56.  Considering that the dance started at 9, and it took a hlaf hour to get there, they were definatly going to be fashionably late.  "I've got a surprise."  He said, extending his arm.

Rose's face broke into a grin.  She'd always wanted to be escoted like this, where the guy holds out his arm, and the girl rests her fingers over his elbow.  There wasn't a lot to do in the hospital, and the long hours she'd spent wathcing old black and white movies had only made this seem more romantic.  She rested her small hand on his arm, and concentrated on the swoosh of her dress as they walked out of the room.

"Have fun tonight, you two!"  Mandy called after them.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Rok!"  Nick or Nate, who'd accompanied Brian to Rose's room, called.

"Remember, safe sex!"  Mandy added.

The group of nurses standing in the hall gasped.  Rose bit the insides of her cheeks to stifle a laugh, but Brian's face hardened.  "That girl is such a bitch."  He muttered under his breath.  Rose couldn't help it, she giggled.  Brian looked down at her in surprise, but then smiled.  "Sorry."  He said sheepishly.

Rose shrugged.  "Oh, don't worry about it."  They walked towards the parking lot.

"Okay, ready for your surprise?"  Brian asked, once they'd reached the doors leading outside.  Rose nodded, eagerly.  "Alright, then."  He opened the outside dooes, and led her into the parking lot.

The first thing Rose noticed was a long, black limo parked by the curb.  "Oh, God, Brian."  She whispered.  Her carefully, lady-like grip on his arm tightened.  He could feel her fingernails digging into his arm.  "Is that. . .  I mean. . . Is it. . .?"

Brian nodded.  "I hope you like it."

"Oh!"  Was all Rose could say.  "Oh."

"I'll take that as a 'yes, Brian, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen'."  Brian said, smiling at her.

Rose finally seemed to recover her train of thought.  "Brian, how much did this cost?"

Brian's face regestured shock for a minute before he burst into laughter.  "Rose!  You're supposed to be falling into my arms and telling me that this is the best thing anyone has ever done for you!  You're not supposed to be asking me how much it costs.  And besides-" he beckoned her closer to him, "I'm a Backstreet Boy, remember?  I
do have a little bit of money."

Rose's face reddened.  "I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know you didn't!"  Brian wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  "Come on, let's go."  He led her into the limo.

"Aren't we supposed be going on a bus or something?"  Rose asked nervously, once they were seated.  But she didn't really seem to care about the answer, she was too busy examining all the little gadgets that furnished the inside.  "Is this a fridge?"  She asked, opening the door, and looking inside.  "Are we allowed to drink these?"  She looked away from the cans of soda, and up at Brian.

He smiled, and nodded.  "There's a TV here, too.  And a VCR.  And a phone."

Rose closed her eyes, and leaned back in her seat.  "This is amazing, Brian."  She said softly.

Brian smiled at her, and reached out one of his hands, laying it on top of hers  "You're amazing, Rose."  He said back, just as softly.

Her eyes popped open, and she looked up at him in surprise, blushing, yet again.  She opened her mouth and closed it again.  "Thanks."  She said finally, as the limo driver started the car.  "Thanks a lot."

Brian smiled at her.  He hadn't been that forward with her since they met.  But there was something about the way she looked tonight, something magical, that made him feel like this might be the night that everything finally changed.