Chapter Five
"You bring me to the heart of a golden man... you bring me to the natural truth...So take me to an altar of diamonds...Show me all your manly mystery and let me heal your beautiful pain... lead me to the holy water... Wherever you go you know I will follow... so take me there and I will come...You're toast and jam... You're cotton candy... You're double rainbows beside the setting sun... You must be the one..." ("Green Apples", Chantal Kreviazuk) Kerry sang as she walked into the house, continuing the song she'd been singing in car. She quieted down a little, not wanting to wake Haley and Miah. She went into the kitchen to make tea, and calm herself before trying to sleep. She was so wound up, that "first-date high" was showing no sign of letting her come down any time soon. She put the water on the stove and ran upstairs to grab her journal. She flipped the light on in her room, and was surprised to find Haley sprawled out across her bed.
When the light came on Haley immediately sat up, blinking. "Kerry?"
"No, it's the tooth faerie." Kerry giggled.
"What time is it?" Haley asked sleepily.
"A little after four," Kerry replied, reaching under her pillow for her pajamas to slip them on while she talked to Haley. "Was Miah good?"
"Four?!? Where have you been?" Haley eyed Kerry suspiciously.
"With Nick." Kerry replied.
"Doing what?"
"Having the best time..."
"Did you have sex with him?"
"EXCUSE ME??" Kerry yanked her pajama top over her head and stared wide-eyed at her sister. "Hi, I'm Kerry, remember me?"
"I was just asking."
"No, I absolutely did not. I like him, but god, I'm not going jump his bones that fast!"
"Did he kiss you?" Haley wanted to get an idea of just how much this guy thought he could get away with.
Kerry lay back on the bed, looking blissful, remembering very clearly the feeling of his lips touching hers. "Mmm hmmm."
"And?" Haley prodded.
Kerry turned to look at Haley. "It was... perfect. The kiss was perfect, the night was perfect, and ... and he was perfect."
Haley looked at her sister in disbelief. She could practically see the little hearts floating around Kerry's head. "What have you gotten yourself into??"
"I have no idea, but I like it so far." Kerry sighed.
"Will you do me a favor, please, Ker?" Haley asked, looking very serious.
"You know I will, if I can."
"Be careful, please? Don't get into anything too fast..."
Kerry wrapped her arms around her sister in a hug, "Sweets, I promise. I don't want to get hurt, in any way- physically or emotionally. I'm looking out for me this time."
Haley returned Kerry's embrace and said, "I'm glad you had a good time tonight."
"Thanks, sis. Now go back to sleep." Kerry got off the bed, and slipped her pajama pants on. "Oh, hey, don't you have a Backstreet Boys album?"
"Yeah, why?" Haley asked.
"I think I'm gonna listen to it."
"Okay... when did you suddenly become a BSB enthusiast?" Haley questioned.
"About four hours ago."
"Huh?" Haley was almost as confused as Kerry had been.
"Y'know... Nick the Backstreet Boy? Well, that would also be Nick my date tonight. " Kerry said.
Haley's mouth dropped open, "Are you serious??? Why didn't you tell me??"
"I didn't know! Just kind of random and bizarre. He's very... not.... I don't know what the word is.. he's doesn't think he's like, god, or anything. It's not a big deal." Kerry shrugged.
Haley continued to stare at Kerry as she turned off the light and headed back downstairs to tend to her tea.
*****
Kerry woke up later that morning to the sound of Looney Tunes blaring on the tv and Miah standing over her.
"Morning Momma!" Miah said, wide awake and very perky.
"Hey Sweetpea." Kerry mumbled, before rolling over on the couch in attempt to shield her eyes from the sunlight. She'd fallen asleep listening to the cd, stretched out on the couch, thinking over her night.
Miah jumped up on the couch and settled between Kerry and the back of the couch. "Didja have fun with Nick?"
Kerry realized she was not going to get anymore sleep while Miah wanted to talk. "Yeah, I did. I had alot of fun."
"Good."
"Would you want to go out with me and Nick sometime? Like to DisneyWorld maybe?" Kerry asked.
Miah's eyes got wide with excitement. "YEAH!!! When can we go?"
"How about next weekend?"
'YAY!!!" Miah jumped off the couch and ran upstairs squealing, "AUNT HAYHAY!!! I get to go to DithneyWorld!!"
Kerry laughed to herself and immediately fell back asleep.
******
"I'd love to, but I already have plans for Saturday. Sorry, man." Nick declined Brian's invite to an afternoon of basketball and Nintendo.
"It's cool. What do you have going on?" Brian asked.
"I have a date." Nick said, smiling as he untwisted the phone cord from the mess he'd made it into walking around the kitchen in circles while he spoke to Brian.
"A date? With who?" Brian was shocked, he had thought it was going to take Nick alot longer than this to get over this breakup.
"The most amazing girl. Her name's Kerry..." He hadn't gotten a chance to tell Brian about her yet, even though his first thought after that afternoon at the ice cream parlor had been "must tell Brian!"
"That's great, Frack. I hope you have a really good time." Brian said, thinking 'God knows he could use it.'
"I will." Nick's smile got broader. He'd have to call Kerry when he got off the phone with Brian. They'd already talked a few times this week and he enjoyed every conversation with her more than the last.
As soon as he hung up with Brian, he immediately dialed Kerry- who'd already made it onto his speed dial.
********
On Thursday, Kerry walked back into work after lunch wondering why all the girls were giggling as she walked past. When she got back to the employees breakroom to put her purse away, she discovered why. There was a beautiful bouquet of white gardenias with her name on them, filling the room with their sweet scent.
Kerry carefully approached the flowers, as if she were afraid they'd disappear if she got too close. She grabbed the card and read, "Hope you're having a great day. Can't wait for Saturday. See you soon, talk to you sooner, hopefully. Nick" Kerry looked from the card to the flowers and back again, grinning like crazy.
"So, who is he?" Sara asked.
Kerry spun around to see the other three girls that worked with her gathered in the doorway watching her.
"Awww, she's blushin'!" Meredith teased.
Kerry covered her face with her hands, "Hush you guys!!"
"Who is he??" Sara asked again.
"He's fuckin' gorgeous, that's for sure!" Deidre said, pretending to swoon.
"He was here?!?" Kerry asked, shocked.
"Yeah, he brought the flowers by." Deidre replied.
"And I missed him??" Kerry squeaked. "Well, shit."
"So did we." Meredith pouted. "We wanna see Mr. Hottie that sends flowers."
"WHO IS HE?!?" Sara asked for a third time.
"His name is Nick..." Kerry started, but was cut off by the bell signalling a customer had entered the store.
Sara and Meredith both went out to help whoever had just walked in, while Kerry kept staring at the note and the flowers.
Deidre, who'd known Kerry since the "Josh days", watched her smiling and remarked, 'It's about time you got yourself a good man."
Kerry looked at her and said, "Yeah, I guess it is, but now that I've got him... what do I do with him??"
"Keep him." Deidre said, and walked out of the room.
Later that afternoon, Kerry rushed home from work, anxious to show Haley just how adorable Nick was.
Miah came running out of the door as soon as Kerry had the car parked. "Momma! Momma! Guess what??"
"You got to fingerpaint today?" Kerry guessed, inspecting Miah, who looked way too clean to have done any painting. She opened the backdoor of the car and grabbed her flowers.
"Nope." Miah skipped alongside Kerry as she walked into the house.
"I don't know, babygirl. What?"
"I got flowers, too!!!" Miah exclaimed pointing towards the kitchen table.
Kerry glanced at where Miah was pointing at saw a vase tied with a white ribbon and four pink carnations in it. Kerry set her bouquet next to the vase and picked up the card in front of the vase. "Miah, Hope you're excited about Saturday, I know I am. You're going to ride all the rides with me, right? See you soon, Nick." Kerry was almost in tears, that was so sweet that he'd thought to give Miah flowers, too.
"So, you got some, too, I see?" Haley asked.
Kerry looked over at Haley, who was inspecting her gardenias. "Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess this one might not be too bad..." Haley was cut off by Kerry squishing her in a hug. "Can't.. breathe.."
"Whoops. Sorry." Kerry let go of her. "I'm so glad you said that." she said, and ran upstairs to call Nick and thank him.
"Your mom's crazy, Miah." Haley said to her neice.
Miah nodded and went back to gazing at her flowers.