Zac spent the entire day in the studio. It was the first time since before Ginger moved in that he actually worked on Eric's album with the rest of the producers. He needed to get away from home for a while and this was the perfect escape. He stayed there after everyone else left and as the sun was setting outside, he decided to call it a day.
On his way out, Peter stopped him. "Hey Zac," Peter said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just working on Eric's album," Zac said. "I needed to get away from home for a while."
"All right," Peter said. "You want to go out to dinner? Me and a few of the execs are going down to Kahunaville. I have a few things to discuss with you." Zac nodded. He got in the car and followed Peter down the road to Kahunaville. After settling at the table in the private room with Peter and some of the people Zac recognized from last Christmas's meeting when he was offered the record deal.
"I hope you boys don't mind, I brought a friend along," Peter said, gesturing to Zac.
"Not at all," one of the other men said. "Actually, this saves us an extra trip. Zac, we were planning on speaking with you anyway about your upcoming promotional tour. First, allow me to introduce everybody. I'm Greg, this is Ryan, Brian, and Chris. I'm a representative from the promotional department."
"Nice to meet you all," Zac said.
"I have to tell you, Peter," Greg said. "It was nearly impossible to get this room today. They've closed half the restaurant because they're shooting a movie here." Zac paused.
"�What movie?" he asked.
"I think it's the new Ginger Stevens movie," Greg said. Zac sat back, sighing. "You know what I heard? I heard she had a baby."
"What?" Zac asked. "What? Where did you hear that?"
"If she did just have a baby, she looks damn good," Ryan said.
"Where did you hear that?!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Zac," Greg said. "It's not true, at least no one's asked her about it. I heard it from a friend of mine who's working on the movie. Wait a minute, you used to go out with her, didn't you?"
"Yeah�"
"Is it true?" Zac looked around the table and all of them were looking at him.
"I�uh�I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while," Zac said. "I'll be right back." He got up and left before any of them could say anything else. There were few other people in the restaurant because it had been closed. Moving along the side of the wall, he stood a few feet behind shooting, watching a prettied-up Ginger serving a couple in a Kahunaville waitress uniform. The director called cut and Ginger relaxed, slumping her shoulders a bit. She brushed her hair to the side and saw Zac leaning against a wall. She called for five minutes and walked over to him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm having dinner with a few other execs in the private room back there," Zac said, gesturing behind them. "Listen, I have to talk to you."
"I don't exactly have the time right now, Zac," she said. "Can't this wait until I get home?"
"No, this won't take long. I'm in there talking to these guys and apparently all of them heard a rumor that you were pregnant." Her eyes grew.
"How?"
"I don't know! The guy said he heard it from someone who was working with you! What am I supposed to say?"
"I don't know, Zac!"
"Well if I mention I've seen you, I would know if you had a baby or not. Have I not seen you? Do you not have a baby? What am I supposed to say?"
"Just lie, Zac!" Ginger said. "For right now, just lie. We can fix it later and when we get home, we'll talk about it more, all right? So, as far as they know, you haven't seen me and I haven't had a baby. All right?"
"All right," Zac said. "I'll lie."
"Good."
"I'm not very good at lying, you know."
"Ugh, Zac, just go away. I have to finish this." Zac rolled his eyes and turned around. "Zac?" He looked back at her. She looked like she needed to say something, but she didn't. "Nevermind. Have a good dinner." She turned around and walked back to her set. He returned to the private room, where he sat down again and picked up the menu.
"So, Zac," Greg said. "About your promotional tour�"
"Yes?" Zac asked, looking up.
"We were wondering if you could start earlier."
"Earlier?" Zac asked. "How much earlier?"
"Like the end of next week." Zac shook his head immediately.
"No," Zac said. "No way."
"It would really help the single if you did a few shows to promote it. It was number one last week and it'll be number one again this week, but who knows about the next? If you don't get out and promote it�"
"You don't seem to understand," Zac said. "I'm not doing this album to have a number one single. I'm happy it went to number one, yes, but I did not do this to sell records. You're lucky I'm even going on a promotional tour at all. I am not starting early." Zac looked over the menu. He had no idea what he wanted.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Will you be willing to extend the tour?" Greg asked.
"No!" Zac said. "Listen, I have other things to do with my life than to just promote this album. It's going to be successful. We can already see that. I'm doing promotions, I'll be doing a tour, what more do you want? Where's the waiter?"
It wasn't long before Zac ordered and while they were waiting for their food, shooting stopped. When the waitress returned with the plates of food, she leaned in to Zac while putting his plate in front of him. "Ginger is asking for you," she whispered. Zac nodded. She left and Zac stood.
"I'm being summoned," he said. "I'll be back." He walked out of the room and followed the waitress to another room. Since shooting was over, the restaurant was opened again and people were beginning to return. Ginger was sitting down with a salad with Kris.
"Hey girls," Zac said. "What's up?"
"We were just wondering why you were here," Ginger said. "Sit down." Zac did.
"I was just in a meeting," Zac said. "In which I still am, so make this quick." Ginger glanced at Kris.
"What about?"
"They want me to extend my promotions," Zac said. "I don't want to, but since the single is doing so well and the album is coming out soon, you have to promote or like a hex it's not going to do well."
"Well, come on Zac, it's a number one single, of course they're going to want you to promote it," Ginger said. Zac stole her fork and took a bite of her salad. "Hey!"
"What? You took me away from my dinner!" Ginger looked at Kris again who got up and walked out of the room. "What?"
"When I found out you were here I sent Kris home to check up on Taylor and Jenny," Ginger said, taking back her fork. "They're just fine and all but she came back with something." She put the small box with the engagement ring Zac bought on the table. "What the hell is that?"
"It looks like a little box to me."
"You know what it is," Ginger said. "Why do you have it?"
"What makes you think it was intended for you anyway?" She gave him a look.
"Who was it intended for, then? Gwen? The girl you didn't want to get married to?" she asked. "Why would you do something like that, Zac? I told you that you and I couldn't happen."
"Why was Kris going through my personal shit to begin with? I know where I put that and it isn't in a place Kris would normally go."
"Answer my question, Zac."
"I got that before our little tryst, all right?" Zac said. "I wasn't expecting to give it to you now or anytime soon and I wasn't expecting you to find out about it. It was just something that went through my mind and I got it. I'll return it if it makes you so uneasy." She sighed and opened the box.
"I don't know what I want anymore, Zac," she said, looking up at him. "This morning I was so afraid that if you and I got back together we might end up broken up again, but this�this says you're not going anywhere."
"No," he said. "No, I'm not." She closed the box. "Come on, I'll take you home." He stood up.
"What about your meeting?"
"I have nothing else to say to them," Zac said. "I'll call Peter on the way there." She sighed and stood up. She handed him the box and he put it in his pocket. They left together. Kris took Ginger's car back and on the way, Zac called up Peter. Ginger had taken the ring from him and was admiring it some more. He was still confused at what exactly this meant, but calling his boss while driving was stressful enough, so he decided not to think about.
"Peter Denepir."
"Peter, hey it's Zac."
"Zac? Where the hell did you go?"
"I'm on my way home," Zac said, looking at Ginger. She nodded. "With Ginger. We have some things to talk over. Tell the guys I'm sorry but I had to go."
"What about dinner?"
"I don't know," Zac said. "Take it out of my paycheck or something. I don't care. This is more important." Zac hung up the phone.
"Zac?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to marry me?" she asked. He looked over at her. "I mean, do you seriously want to marry me? You're not doing this just because Jenny needs a family, or because you want to be around her. Do you want to marry me for me?"
"Ging�" Zac said, sighing. "I've wanted to marry you since the first time I met you. It's no different now." She nodded and took the ring out of the box.
"All right," she said. "Then I'll marry you."
"Seriously?" he asked. "You know, it's kind of hard to tell what with me driving and not being able to look at you and all."
"I seriously will marry you." Zac pulled over to the side of the road. "Seriously."
"Ginger�" he said. "Are you sure?" She nodded, a smile spreading over her face. He smiled.
"I love you," she said. "We should get married." He kissed her. "Kris and Taylor are going to be so mad that we're stealing their thunder."
"We'll just have to wait to tell them then."
"Or not."
"Or not."
Zac and Ginger walked into the apartment holding hands. As soon as the door closed behind them, Ginger dropped Zac's hand. "Where's my baby?" she asked, running down the hall to the living room. Kris was already there and was sitting with Taylor in the living room. Ginger ran over to Taylor and took Jenny from her. "Oh, honey I missed you so much today!"
"I think she was waiting for you to come home," Taylor said. "She's exhausted."
"I know, you should be asleep, beautiful!" Ginger said. Ginger gave her daughter a kiss. "Oh, I love you so much! You're all skuzzy too. Did Uncle Taylor give you a bath like I asked? No? That's what I thought! We're going to give you a bath then it's right to bed with you, sweetie." Zac watched, leaning against the wall, a smile on his face. Ginger was wearing his ring and so far nobody noticed. Ginger walked with Jenny over to the kitchen. "I hope the kitchen sink is clean so I can give her a bath in it."
"You're going to wash the baby in the kitchen sink?" Taylor asked.
"Why not?" she said, turning around. "I do it all the time. My mom did it, why shouldn't I?" Taylor shrugged.
"It's just the kitchen sink is where you clean dishes, not children."
"Whatever, Taylor. Obviously you know nothing about children. Why am I leaving Jenny here with you all day if you don't even know that?" Ginger shook her head and walked into the kitchen, pausing to kiss Zac on the way there. Zac couldn't help but smile from it until Kris opened her mouth.
"What the hell?" she asked. "The last time I saw you two, she was yelling at you."
"That was the last time you saw us," Zac said.
"You guys didn't fuck in the car, did you?" Kris asked. Zac laughed.
"No, no we didn't."
"Then what did you do?" she asked. Zac smiled and walked into the kitchen. Ginger was filling the sink with water. She looked back and smiled at him.
"Hey honey."
"Does this seem a little rushed to you?" Zac asked, sitting down at the counter. She nodded.
"Yes, it does."
"Do you want to wait?" She paused to think about it, but then shook her head.
"No. Do you?" He shook his head.
"No."
"Of course we won't be able to do anything for a while," Ginger said. "I have to finish the movie, then you have to go on promotions, and after that the movie's going to be released and all that�"
"Maybe that's a good thing," Zac said. "Considering we didn't even officially get back together before we got engaged, maybe a long engagement will give us time to think." She nodded.
"And then Taylor and Kris can get married first, because I'm sure they won't like us swooping from underneath and doing it first." Zac smiled. "Did you tell them?" He shook his head no. "Good. I have a question."
"Shoot."
"When you go on promotions, are you going to say anything about us?" she asked. She turned off the water.
"Not if you don't want me to," Zac said. "I honestly don't know if I want to say anything. I don't want Jenny to be out in the public and everything. Obviously sooner or later I'm going to have to say something about you, because your crew saw us together at Kahunaville, and that's just going to start a big rumor that we're back together."
"I know I don't want Jenny to be hounded like we can be sometimes," Ginger said. "I don't want her to get hurt."
"If she's with one of us, I don't think that'll happen, Ginger." Ginger sighed and put Jenny in the water. Zac walked over and put his arms around Ginger's waist. "It'll just be easier if we say it and we say it the right way."
"You're right," she said. "You have been doing this longer than I have."
"Okay, what's going on here?" Taylor asked from the doorway. Zac turned around. Taylor and Kris were standing on the opposite side of the kitchen, awaiting an explanation. Ginger turned around briefly to look at them. Jenny took the opportunity to splash around in the water and got the front of Ginger's shirt completely wet.
"Ugh, dammit Jenny," Ginger said. "Guys, can we talk about this when I'm done here?"
"No," Taylor said. Zac turned around and leaned against the counter next to Ginger.
"Want me to?" he asked. Ginger nodded. "Ginger and I have decided to get married."
"Oh my God!" Kris said. She ran over. "Oh my God this is so great!" She threw her arms around Zac, since Ginger was still soaking wet from Jenny's playful splashing. "You're totally stealing my thunder but I don't care!"
"Oh, Kris, we didn't mean to steal anybody's thunder," Ginger said. She finished bathing Jenny and took her out of the sink, wrapping her up in a towel. "We're not going to have the wedding until way after yours."
"I know, I know," Kris said. "But I'm so excited. It's about damn time!" Ginger looked up at Zac and smiled.
"Well," Ginger said. "I'm going to put Jenny down." Ginger walked off to the bedroom.
"And I'm going to talk to Ginger away from the two of you," Zac said, giving Taylor and Kris a thumbs-up. Kris walked back over to Taylor and put her arms around him, smiling as Zac went into the bedroom. Ginger was putting a fresh diaper on Jenny before she put her in her nightclothes and put her down in her crib. "So, she's finally got a family, huh?" Ginger looked over and she almost started to cry.
"Yeah," Ginger said. "Yeah, she does."