Chapter 16
"I'm not gonna caress it!" Nick stated firmly.
"Come on man, you need the practice!"
"That's just disgusting!"
"You're never gonna become good at it if you don't try and learn how to caress the proper way." AJ reasoned.
"Do I have to do this?" He whined.
"Yes! Now do it, just run your hand over it. Not so harsh Nick, damn man, you don't wanna make it tip over."
"I'm not doing it that hard!"
"Any harder, and it'd be torn! Now slow down and do it gently."
Nick rolled his eyes. "This is stupid man!"
"You wanted my help right? Then do as I say."
Sighing heavily, Nick went back to caressing it.
"Just imagine that it's her and not this teddy bear. That it's her face you're caressing, you wouldn't do that rough would you?"
Nick shook his head and ran his hands over the soft fur of the stuffed animal, closing his eyes he could see her face. Maybe if he just pretended it was her like AJ said, it wouldn't be so bad. He brought his other hand up and cupped the animals face. He could see her smiling, her eyes closed nuzzling her face in his hands.
"Nick..."
Her lips moved gently over the palm of his hand, gentle small kisses.
"Nick..."
Slowly her eyes drifted open and she stared at him. With reckless abandon he lowered his lips to hers...
"NICK!"
His eyes flew open to find the stuffed animal still captured within his hands, his face inches away from it.
"Damn man!" AJ grinned.
Nick tossed the stuffed animal down on the couch, his face turning beet red.
"Ya know, I really hated breaking that up. Aww hell, I wish I had a camera. Wait! Let me go get it and I want you to do that again so I can take a picture!" AJ exclaimed, his face lighting up as he turned and headed up the stairs.
"NO! I'm leaving! Besides I have to meet Keyana to go shopping."
"Shopping! Where?!" AJ called from somewhere upstairs.
"For accessories for the house, this is not clothes shopping. Although I'd love to see her in NO clothes!" Nick smirked, making his way towards the door.
"Damnit, I can't find it! Hold up man!" AJ called from his room.
"Bye AJ." Nick called walking out the door.
"No!" AJ yelled, just as he came bounding down the stairs, camera in hand. "Shit!" He exclaimed sadly. *********************************************************************
Quickly she slid out of her car before Nick could come around and open the door for her. She hadn't seen him since Friday, since that dance. Part of her was almost afraid to. She walked briskly around her car and met up with him.
"Hello Nick. No bodyguard?"
"Hi Keyana. Nah, I try not to too much, draws too much attention." He smiled.
"So where are we anyway?"
They walked into the store, grabbing a basket. "This is one of the retailers my company works through. Only business affiliate's and their clients are allowed in." Showing her badge to the man at the door. "Ok, what first?" She asked, whipping her notepad out.
"Umm, how bout towels and bath stuff."
"Alright."
They found the bathroom supplies and started down the aisle. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Not really. I guess I'll know it when I see it."
"Sounds good. How bout this? It would fit nicely with the blue accents of the walls." She asked, picking up a soap holder.
"That's nice...how bout this?" He picked up a cream colored dish.
She stared blankly at him.
"What?"
Rubbing at her temples she walked over and took the dish out of his hand, then grabbed the color sample from out of her purse and held the dish up next to it. "This is your wall color that you picked out, and the dish. Now tell me what you think."
"Yuck!"
"Exactly. Maybe you should hold on to this and compare colors next time you see something you like." Keyana laughed, putting the dish down and handing him the strip.
Nick grinned stupidly, taking the strip from her. "Yeah, that may be a good thing."
"Guys, they're so clueless."
"Hey!"
Keyana chuckled as they walked down to the towels. " Oh yeah, later I need to have you look over how you want to do your walls, like wall paper, paint and so on. See anything you like? Choose carefully please."
Nick smirked and looked over the wide display of different towels in various colors and textures. There was a soft gasp and Nick and Keyana looked up to see three girls staring at them wide-eyed. It appeared the girls were there with their parents and their decorator.
Keyana watched the interaction with amusement as Nick walked up to the girls and started talking to them, he had this charisma about him. She chuckled as he leaned in to sign on one of the girls t-shirt, trying to write with the Bic pen she had. Keyana reached into her briefcase and pulled out her permanent black marker and walked over and handed it to Nick.
"I think this will work easier." She smiled.
"Thanks." He grinned.
The girls looked over at her suspiciously. "Who are you?" One of them asked.
"I'm Mr. Carter's interior designer."
"Mr. Carter?" The other girl replied, her eyes widening.
"You're not his girlfriend?"
Keyana chuckled. "Nope, he's all yours ladies."
She watched as the girls turned beet red and giggled nervously.
Smiling she made her way back over to the towels and started looking through them. A few seconds later Nick joined her.
"I think they still think you're my girlfriend." He grinned.
Keyana shook her head. "Oh well. Didn't think they'd actually believe me." She shrugged.
They looked over the towels, Keyana noting all possibilities. Nick was getting better at color coordination. They walked down another aisle, when she heard Nick mutter a soft curse.
"Shit."
She looked up. "What's wrong?"
He pointed down the aisle to a young woman who was looking at some shower curtains. "That's Elizabeth Huntington, my ex-girlfriend."
Keyana looked down the aisle at the woman. Long blonde hair and small petite frame, every guy's fantasy. "I take it you two didn't part on the best of terms."
"No not really. I broke up with her, she has a tendency to smother. It was too much so I ended it. She's been trying ever since to get back together. I don't feel like putting up with her." He groaned, remembering the countless arguments they'd had before they'd broken up.
"Well let's leave quickly before she sees you. We can come back later to look at the shower curtains." They turned to leave, but it was too late.
"NICK?!"
They heard a voice call out.
"Fuck!" Nick whispered. "Look Keyana, you've got to help me."
"How?"
"Be my girlfriend."
"Excuse me!?"
"Just pretend. Please, it's the only way she'll leave me alone!"
"Nick, I'm not the kind of person you'd..."
"Please Keyana, help me." He moaned, turning just as Elizabeth made her way over.
"Nick! I was right, it is you!" She squealed, flinging herself at him.
"Hi Elizabeth." Nick sighed, hugging her hesitantly.
"It's so good to see you! How are you?" She asked.
"I'm alright, how are you?"
"I'm ok. Just lonely ya know."
Keyana rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing here? I'm here with my decorator, thinking of redoing my apartment." Elizabeth asked.
"Just looking for some things for my house." Nick replied, shifting uncomfortably.
"Oh would you like some help? You know I've always had a knack for things like this." She smiled seductively at him.
Keyana watched as Nick rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"Uhh, I don't think that'd be such a good..."
"How about this?" Elizabeth cut him off. "It'll look perfect with your walls." She announced happily, cutting him off, holding up a package of shower curtains.
"I'm redecorating my house Elizabeth, so I don't think that'd work any more."
Poor Nick was floundering, now she understood what he meant when he said she was smothering. Enough was enough, and before Keyana could think about what she was gonna do, she picked up a package of shower curtains and headed over to Nick.
"Oh well maybe I can stop by sometime and see..."
"Nick, what do you think of these?" She cut in, holding the package in front of Nick.
Nick looked over and smiled gratefully at her. "Very nice."
"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked coldly, looking over at Keyana.
"Oh, I'm Keyana, Keyana Johnson." She replied holding out her hand.
"Uh-huh, and you are?" Elizabeth asked again, ignoring her hand.
"Nick's girlfriend." She was surprised at how easy the words flowed. She slid her arm around his waist and barely contained a small gasp as Nick pulled her close to his body.
"Girlfriend?" She looked questioningly over at Nick who in turn grinned.
"That's right. I've been dating Keyana for a few months now. We're here with our decorator looking for stuff for our home." He announced, looking down at Keyana adoringly.
He did that look well, a little too well for her. Keyana felt her mouth go dry as Nick placed a gentle kiss on her temple. She felt the room start spinning, that kiss was effecting her too much.
"Really." Elizabeth responded coldly.
"Yeah." Nick smiled.
"How'd you two meet?" I
"I met Nick at a press conference. I'm a reporter you see, and I asked him a quetion and we shared a look and I knew then that he was the one for me." Keyana smiled looking up at Nick. "He makes me so happy." She whispered and reached up and kissed his cheek for effect.
"And she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Nick murmured, looking into her eyes intensely. He ran his hand gently over her cheek and then brought his other hand up and cupped her face.
Keyana felt her breath catch, her body starting to tremble.
Elizabeth was steaming. "Oh that's so sweet. If you'll excuse me." With that she whirled around and took off down the aisle.
Keyana blinked . "S-she's gone Nick."
"Yeah." He slowly slid his hands from her face, and took a step back,
Keyana cleared her throat.
"Thanks for helping me like that. I think it worked." He announced, looking down at the now empty aisle.
"Y-yeah." She hated the fact that he seemed to have regained composure as if nothing had happened, and here she was trying to calm her breathing.
"She looked pretty pissed though." Nick grinned.
Keyana laughed. "She did didn't she!"
Nick nodded.
"Well I think we have everything. So once again I'll just put this through with my boss and get back to you on it alright."
Nick smiled. "Sure."
"Well I'm gonna head out. I'll be in touch."
Nick's smile faded as he took her hand in his again, once again bringing it up to his lips and kissing it gently. "Thank you Keyana." He murmured, before leaning in to kiss her cheek. Smiling again he turned and walked away.
Keyana watched him walk off, her heart pounding and her mind racing. She turned and walked out the store.
