I heard a little kid crying in the background. “Jovie?”

I heard desperation in his voice. “Zac?” I asked remembering he mentioned he would be babysitting tonight.

“Yeah, I need help. I’m babysitting and I wanna take Ezra for some pizza but I don’t think I can handle both of the kids alone.” I heard him cover his phone and explain to Ezra who was whining in the background “Uncle Zac is on the phone, hold on one minute, Ez”

“Geeze, Zac. I thought something was actually wrong,” I exhaled, relieved that everything was okay. “Yeah, I’d be happy to help. I’m down in the lobby right now, let me run up and get my purse and I’ll be right over.”

“Ah, you’re a life saver, Jovie.”

“No problem, I’ll see you in a little bit.”

I stood in the hallway and tapped the door to Natalie and Taylor’s room. Right away Zac swung the door open, causing me to jump a little. I was surprised to see him open the door so fast, but apparently he was waiting for me. He looked warn out, and was holding Ellie on his right hip with Ezra standing behind him holding onto his left leg. I smiled at the sight in front of me and extended my arms to Ellie who came right to me. With Ellie free from his arms he picked up Ezra and playfully tossed him into the air.

“I was thinking we could walk to Mama Sbbarros. Its just a few blocks away, by Times Square.”

“What about Ellie?” I asked as held onto her small hands. She was fascinated with my nose ring and I had learned from experience to keep her hands busy.

“She ate before they left. She usually goes to sleep pretty early so Natalie already fed her. If you don’t mind, you can just carry her so we don’t have to mess with the stroller, and I walk with Ezra.”

“Sounds good to me,” I replied.

Zac finished getting Ezra ready and then we left the hotel room. I was carrying the diaper bag and Ellie listening to Ezra babble on about pizza as Zac gave him a piggy-back ride. Once we got to the elevator Zac put Ezra down so he could press the button. As soon as the doors opened Ezra ran into the elevator and instantly started pushing buttons. Zac and I rushed on behind him to stop but it was too late, he already pushed every button he could reach.

I covered my mouth so that Ezra couldn’t see me smile as Zac tried to tell Ezra he couldn’t do push those buttons. “Ezra, that’s not very nice to push all of the buttons,” he started but couldn’t finish. “Awe what the heck.” Zac reached out and pushed the rest of buttons on top. Ezra shrieked and laughed.

Every few seconds the elevator doors would open, Ezra would laugh, then they would close again. When we finally reached the lobby a couple of business men were waiting to enter. Zac quickly scooped up Ezra and grabbed my hand. He started jogging and pulled me and Ellie with him. I turned around once we had reached the doors just in time to see the angry looks on the faces of the business men before the doors closed all the way.

Zac was cracking up along with Ezra. “Look what you’re teaching that boy, Zac. Natalie’s gunna be mad at you.”

“You know it’s funny, Jovie.” I smiled as we continued walking outside.

Once we arrived at Mama Sbarrors we got our Pizza and walked downstairs to the larger dining area. While we were eating I noticed a few pictures being taken.

“Wow, you’re not even that famous and we can’t go anywhere without you being recognized.”

“I’m not that famous? Thanks, Jovie.” he laughed.

“Shhh!” I exclaimed when he said my name out loud, “Call me Sadie in public.”

Zac raised his eyebrows at me and slowly asked, “Why..?”

“Just do it.” I said staring him in the eye hoping he could read my thoughts.

He nodded slowly, and helped Ezra take a sip of his pop, all the while staring at me like a mad woman.

“You’re giving him pop, are you crazy? Natalie’s gunna be mad,” I said.

“I’m crazy? I think you’re kind of crazy, Sadie,” Zac replied still smiling, then added, “I’m not giving him pop.”

“Yes you are. Natalie and Taylor are gunna kill you.”

“I’m not giving him pop, I’m giving him soda. And I don’t mind if he doesn’t go to bed tonight, I get to leave when Natalie and Taylor get back. They can deal with it.”

I laughed at his comment and watched him cut Ezra’s pizza into small pieces.

“You’re gunna make a good dad, minus the pop thing.” I commented.

“You mean minus the soda.”

I shook my head no and repeated myself. “pop.”

Zac smiled and shook his head back at me. “You northern girls.” We both laughed and continued eating our pizza. By the time Ezra, Zac and I were finished Ellie was sound asleep in my lap. We cleaned up our mess and decided to leave.

Once we were outside Ezra insisted on walking between us and holding both of our hands. He also refused to step on any crack so Zac and I had to lift him up over every crack. Of course it could send him into a fit of laughs every time.

Once we finally got back to Taylor and Natalie’s room I changed Penelope’s diaper and prayed she wouldn’t wake up. Luckily for me she isn’t a light sleeper and she stayed asleep the whole time. I suppose it would be hard to be a light sleeper when you’ve spent your whole life on a tour bus though. After she was changed I placed her in her crib and Zac helped Ezra change into his pajamas. After a little channel surfing he found cartoons and Ezra laid down on his stomach to watch them. A little while he was also sound asleep.

Zac was lying on his back with his hands tucked under his head looking at me. I was sitting Indian style next to him. “Now explain why I have to call you Sadie in public. That isn’t anything kinky or whatever, right?”

I laughed and explained, “I just don’t want your fans to know anything about me. It kind of freaks me out to know that girls have pictures of me and come up with these weird ideas. The less they know the better.”

Zac nodded and replied, “Alright. Sadie it is. Now tell me, Sadie-“ he started, then was cut off by me.

“Just in public, Zac,” I said wrinkling my nose.

“Sorry, Now tell me, Jovie, how did you and Lex meet?”

“Well, I was working at a thrift store at the time and he would always come in. Me and this other girl I worked with, Kinsley, would always check out the guys who would come in and Lex caught both of our eyes. For awhile we didn’t know his name so we would call him ‘Trophy’”

Zac raised his eyebrows and questioned, “To his face?”

“God, no Zac. We would call him that behind his back,” I said laughing, and then explained “We had the weirdest customers and we would make up names for them to keep track of them.”

“Like what other kind of names?” Zac asked apparently intrigued.

“Well, there was this one guy who would always come in and buy a new pair of shorts like three times a week, no matter what the weather was like, and would always talk about the weather in Chicago. Oh my goodness, he was so weird.” I thought back and pictured him in my mind which made me giggle a little. “Seriously he was weird. We would call him ‘Shortsie.’ He’s pretty much the only thing I miss about working there.”

I started thinking back to other customers I had come into contact with at my time in the store when I remembered boob man. “And this one guy. Oh. My. Goodness.” I covered my mouth to compose myself before I described him to Zac. “Okay, this guy had a gray wig that was cut into a perfect bull cut. He was tall and skinny and…well, he had boobs bigger than mine.”

Zac scrunched up his face and looked disturbed.

“Oh, you’re telling me! I had to ring him out. He would come in and buy women’s clothes and kitchen appliances and then exchange them later that day. He disappeared for awhile and we heard rumors he was arrested for prostitution. We called him boob man, or BM for short.”

“So, basically, you’re telling me that Lex was a creep who came in all the time and somehow earned the nickname Trophy, and then you fell in love with him?”

I nodded then explained, “Exactly. Anytime we would get a trophy in he would buy it. I always thought it was strange that people would donate trophies, but I thought it was weirder that he would actually buy them. One day he came through my line and I asked him what the deal was with them. Apparently he would buy them, and then change the award title to something obscene and give them as birthday presents to his friends.

Anyways, Annie and I were friends for a long time before that and one night Annie convinced me to see her boyfriend’s band play and when I got there Lex was there playing drums for Annie’s boyfriend’s band. So after that night we started talking more and its history from there.”

“So Annie and Topher have been dating long than you two?”

“Yeah, they’ve been dating for a long time, but as Annie says, she’s not a ‘marrying girl.’”

Zac looked confused, then asked “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well she’s not the kind of girl to make a big deal about getting married. Like, they will never get married, that they might just get married in Vegas one day without telling anymore, or that they’re secretly already married. Annie is kind of out there.” We both nodded, and then I asked, “Did Lex tell you she is a suicide girl?” I watched Zac’s expression to see if the words suicide girl meant anything to him. After a moment I asked, “You don’t know what that is, do you?”

He looked confused and shook his head no.

I explained, “She’s basically an alternative pin-up girl,” and started to laugh as Zac’s eyes grew wide.

“What do you mean pin-up girl?” He asked hesitantly.

“I mean she takes off her clothes and takes pictures,” I laughed.

“For money?” Zac looked shocked.

“For fun,” I stated in all seriousness, then I laughed at Zac as he stared up at the ceiling slowly shaking his head.

After a couple seconds it looked like a light bulb went off in his head, “You’re not one are you?”

“God, no.” I paused for a minute sneaking in a guilty smile. “I’m not cut out to be a suicide girl. I tried to take one set because I want to surprise Lex with them after our wedding but I couldn’t take it seriously and kept laughing. I was all ready to apply and everything. I even had my name picked out and everything. I was gunna be Lullabelle, but I couldn’t do it on a regular basis. My parents would die. That and I don’t want everyone to see me naked.”

Zac sat up in the bed and turned to look at me. His eyes were still huge, “You’re kidding me. Are they like on the internet or something?”

My mouth dropped open and I put my hand over my heart, “Zac! You pervert! You were gunna look at them weren’t you?”

Zac’s face grew to be bright red. He instantly started back-tracking, “No, I wasn’t! I was just curious… I mean, never mind.”

I started laughing at Zac who didn’t find it as funny as I did. “I know I’m irresistible…I’m kidding with you, Zac. But don’t tell Lex. Annie’s the only one who knows I did them and she’s holding onto them for me, since her and Topher have their own place. I’m gunna give them to Lex after the wedding as a little present.”

Zac shook his head and rolled his eyes. He put his hands back behind his head and leaned back again. After a minute he chuckled to himself. “Just for the record,” he started, “You’re a lot cooler than Lydia.”

“Thanks” Just then the door opened and Natalie and Taylor walked in the room.

When Taylor spotted me he questioned, “Did he con you into helping, Jovie?”

“I couldn’t help it. Your kids are too cute.” I said before climbing over Zac to stand up. After I was standing Zac stood up and started reaching into his pockets. After a minute he announced, “I don’t have my key. Shit.”

Since neither him or I had anything to do until Kate and Lex got home I suggested, “You wanna come back to my room until Kate gets back? We can watch TV or something.”

He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. He walked toward the door and stopped when he reached the handle. I followed behind him and turned around when I reached the door. I said goodnight to Natalie and Taylor and they thanked us again for watching the kids. With that Zac and I left the room and walked down the hall.