| Chapter 52 "Oh God no," Diane laughed, "That is hideous!" B.J. laughed, "I dunno, it would look good on someone. Who I dunno though." Diane went about looking through the dresses again. This was the fourth bridal shop they had been in today, and she still couldn't find the right dress. "Di, why don't we just call a designer, have them make you something?" Jane suggested. "No, there's not enough time, and I don't want to spend that kind of money," she said. "You aren't spending the money, we are," Jane said. "Nope, I'm buying my own stuff," Diane insisted, "You've done way to much already." Leighanne laughed, "I remember telling Jackie that very same thing." "Did it work?" Diane asked. "Nope, but I do remember saying it," she answered. Diane laughed and went back to looking. "Oh Di, this would look great on you," Leighanne said, holding up a dress. Diane looked at it, "Uh I dunno." "Try it on, it can't hurt," Leighanne said, handing the garment to her. "And this one too honey," Jane said, handing her another. "B.J. you got one to?" Diane asked. "Yeah, here," she said, handing it to her. "OK, and ... let's see, I'll pick this one," she said, pulling one off the rack. She headed back to the dressing rooms. "Twenty bucks she doesn't like any of them," Leighanne said. Jane and B.J. laughed. "I'm sure she'll find one soon," Jane said. "God I hope so," B.J. laughed, "We've only been looking for weeks." "She wants it to be perfect," Leighanne said, "I remember wanting the same thing." "Was yours?" Jane asked. Leighanne smiled, "In my mind, yes. I felt like a princess." "I don't think I could be this picky," B.J. said. "Well, we'll see when we're shopping for yours," Jane said. "Speaking of, how are you and Carter getting along?" Leighanne asked, grinning. B.J. blushed, "Fine." "What is he like six years older?" she asked. "Four, and what does age matter? You're how much older than Brian?" B.J. said. "We won't talk about that," Leighanne laughed, "I'm just curious, that's all. You two look pretty cosey together." B.J. fidgeted in front of the mirror. This would be a totally different conversation if Jane wasn't in the room. "We are just friends," she said. Leighanne stifled a laugh and walked over to her, whispering in her ear, "Yeah, friends with benefits." "Leigh!!! God, shut up!!" B.J. said, hitting her on the arm and turning red. Jane laughed at the two, "Girls, I was your age once. I remember what �just friends' meant." B.J. looked at her mom, "Please, no stories about you and dad. I don't think I could take it." Jane laughed, shaking her head. "Oh my!" Leighanne said, getting their attention. "What do you think?" Diane asked. All three were stunned speechless. Diane looked almost angelic. It was the dress Diane had picked out. It was off white, shimmering with intricate beadwork on the train and waist. It was sleeveless, and backless, the front coming up to clasp around her neck. The side had a slit in it that almost ran the length of her leg, and the detachable train was outta this world. It spread out perfectly behind her, shimmering from the bead work and satin. Diane looked at them nervously, "I think this is the one." "It's absolutely beautiful," Jane said. "Nick's gonna love this," Leighanne said. "You know, if you wore your hair up, it would even look better," B.J. said, walking over and gathering Diane's hair and twisting it up. "We gotta find a veil to match this," Jane said. Diane stared at herself in the mirror as the girls and the attendants went off to find the perfect veil to complete the dress. This is it, she told herself, It's perfect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Fuck! I s-suck!" Nick yelled, throwing the sheet music across the room. "Nick, you don't suck," Brian said. Nick glared at him, "I suck Brian. I'm never gonna get this before the wedding." "Yes you will," Carter said. Nick sighed, walking over and picking up the music. "Maybe we should do an easier song," Brian suggested. Nick shook his head, "No it has to be this one." "Why?" Carter asked. "Cause it means .... something to us. She loves this song, and it describes our situation perfectly. It has to be this one," Nick explained. Carter and Brian looked at each other, at a loss as to what to do to make it better. Nick sat down on the couch, running his hand through his hair. He stopped, staring at the scar on his wrist for a moment before looking up, "I can't do this." "OK, number one rule," Carter said, "You can't say can't anymore." Nick sighed, completely frustrated. "Number two," Brian added, "You're gonna work on this and you will get it." "How Bri?" Nick asked, "We've been working for weeks and I'm not getting any better." "I think your focus is wrong," he said. Carter and Nick looked at him. "How so?" Brian smiled, "All this time you've been concentrating on the words, the music ... and not on what you really need to." Both men looked completely lost. "Diane," Brian said, "Your focus should be on her, not the words. If you focus on her, the words should come on their own." "Brian, that's all good in theory, but I don't think it'll work," Carter said. "We won't know until we try," Brian said, walking over to the shelf of photos and picking one up. "Here," he said, handing it to Nick, "Look at this when you sing. And when you do, think about what she means to you, how much you love her, and what you've been through." Nick looked at Brian for a moment, then down to the photo. It was of him and Diane on the boat at sunset. It was his favorite picture of the two of them. Diane looked so happy in it, and so beautiful. He traced her face with his thumb, then stood up and cleared his throat. Brian started the music, glancing at Carter, mentally crossing his fingers. If this didn't work, he didn't know what would. Nick came in perfectly and sang the entire first verse without a mistake. It was almost as if he was in a dream world. He could hear himself singing, but wasn't conscious of it. All he saw was Diane staring back at him with that look in her eyes he loved so much. The look that said, �I'm complete with you'. Carter and Brian looked at each other in shock, mouths hanging open, eyes wide. Nick was still singing and they were afraid to move, afraid it would break the spell somehow. The song ended and Nick looked over at them, a smile so big on his face it had to hurt. "Thank you," he said. Brian smiled back at him, "I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. That was the only thing that got me through the song I sang for Leigh. I just had to stand there and focus on her. In that moment she was the only person in the room, and the only one that mattered." Nick took a deep breath and looked back at the photo for a moment, before replacing it. "But what if I get nervous?" he asked, "I can't even talk when I'm nervous." "Don't worry. All you have to do is look at that gorgeous brunette, and all your fears will fly out the window," Carter said. Nick smiled, "I still wanna practice, everyday." "No problem," Brian said. "Don't you think Di is suspicious?" Carter asked, "I mean we've picked you up almost everyday for three weeks now." "I don't think so," Nick said, "At least I hope not." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I think Nick is up to something," Diane said, taking a drink of her Dr. Pepper. "What makes you say that?" Jane asked. "Brian and Carter are coming and getting him a lot, or coming over to stay with him while we're out. I just have this feeling that they're scheming," she said. Leighanne laughed, "Well I think you liked the last thing they schemed on." "I did, but something tells me this is big," she said, "Bri or Carter hasn't said anything to you?" Leighanne and B.J. glanced at each other, then shook their heads. Diane popped a french fri in her mouth and sighed, "Man, I didn't know I was so hungry." "Well a day of shopping is good for the appetite," Jane noted. "I see that," Diane said, "I can't be doing much of this or I won't fit into my dress." They all laughed. "Uh oh, fan alert," Leighanne said, seeing two girls eyeing them. Jane looked up, "Yup, here they come." The two girls approached the table, "Excuse us, but are you Diane Houge?" Diane looked up, "Yes, what can I do for you?" "Nothing, we just wanted to say thank you," the shorter girl said. "Thank you? For what?" she asked. "For helping Nick and the other guys," one said. "And making him happy," said the other. Diane smiled at them, "He makes me happy too." The girls smiled at her, then turned and left. "That was odd," Diane said. "How so, they have a point," B.J. said. "I guess I expected something different. Yelling, name calling ... that I was prepared for, but thank you's?" she said. Leighanne laughed, "Savor it. The yelling and name calling with come soon enough." "Yeah I suppose so," Diane said, "We ready to go look at flowers now?" "Lead the way," Leighanne said, as they got up and left the restaurant. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Man my feet hurt," Diane said, walking over and sitting on the couch next to Nick. He patted his lap and she turned and laid her feet across it. Nick took one foot and gently massaged it, "You find everything you went after?" "Almost," she said, "Another trip or two and we'll be set." Nick switched feet, "Mom's not taking over is she?" Diane laughed, "No, she has her opinion, but my say is final. It's funny, she reminds me a lot of my mom. And the stuff she likes would be exactly what mom would've picked out. Scarey huh?" Nick nodded, setting her foot back down on his lap and staring at her, "I wish I could've met your parents. They sound like awesome people." "They were," she said, looking as if a memory was playing in her mind. Nick took her hand, "What is it?" She smiled at him, "Nothing." "Tell me," Nick pleaded. "I just always had this dream of dad walking me down the isle. It's silly I know, but I was looking forward to that, ya know?" she said. "Aww baby," Nick said, reaching out and taking her in his arms, "I don't want you to be sad." Diane smiled up at him, "I'm not sad, I just .... I don't know. I mean who's gonna walk me down the isle if not him?" "We could walk down together," Nick suggested. She laughed, "No, then everyone would miss the look on your face when you see my dress." His eyebrows went up, "That good huh?" She nodded, "It's perfect." He cupped her cheek, "We'll figure something out, don't worry." "OK, I'll try not to," she said. "Good," Nick said, leaning down and softly kissing her. "So what did you do all day?" she asked. "Nothing," he replied. "You were here all day with Brian and Carter and you did nothing?" she asked suspiciously. He shrugged, "Played video games, ate, watched a movie, hung out .... see nothing." "OK, what are you hiding?" she asked. He looked at her innocently, "I don't know what y-your talking a-about." "Yes you do," she laughed, "You're stuttering, something's up, what is it?" "I'm stuttering because I'm tired," he said. Diane shook her head, "No, you're stuttering because you're nervous. You can't lie to me Nick. You give yourself away every time." "How?" he asked. "You get this stupid grin on your face, and your eyes have this mischievous spark in them. Just like they do now," she laughed. "Do not," he protested, getting up and walking over to the mirror. Damn, I do have a stupid grin, he thought. "See, you can't fool me," she said. He laughed, turning back around, "Alright, I can't fool you." "So what is it?" she asked, looking like a child waiting for her Christmas presents to be handed to her. Nick laughed, "It's a surprise." "When do I get it?" she asked. "Not until the wedding," he announced, coming back over to the couch and sitting down. "Aww, that's still a few weeks away," she whined. "Think of it as an exercise in patience," he offered. She laughed, "Nick, you know I'm not a patient person." He grinned, "I know, but you're just gonna have to wait." She pouted at him and he laughed. "That only works when I do it," he said. Diane rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever Carter." He smiled at her, pulling her to him and planting small, light kisses on her face and neck. "Nickolas, that tickles!" she squealed. He grinned up at her, "I know." "Oh that's it," she said, trying her best to reach his ticklish spot. "No! Don't!" he laughed, squirming away from her. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it," she warned, coming at him. Nick jumped off the couch and laughed as Diane chased him around the living room. Misha watched them from her bed in the corner. She cocked her head to the side, considering them for a moment, then lay her head back down. Somehow Nick had turned the tables and was now chasing Diane around the room. She headed up the stairs, and he caught her halfway up. They were both giggling beyond control, gasping for air. Diane sat down facing him, still laughing as Nick crawled up her body and hovered over her. He wasn't laughing anymore. He was staring at her with an animalistic glare, full of love and lust. He slowly leaned down and took her lips with his in a searing kiss, leaving her breathless. Diane slid her hands up his body and into his hair, "Nick," she breathed. He pulled back just enough to look at her, "I have a new fantasy." Diane stared at him. "Right here, right now," he whispered. "On the stairs?" she asked. He nodded, "On the stairs." Chapter 53 |