| Chapter 4: Hot Dog "I think I'm in love with you, you know," Nick sighed as they walked down the hall to the elevator, then he looked at her with puppy dog eyes and smiled lovingly, letting out another huge sigh. "Nick, I'm happy you're comfortable enough around me to joke like that, but please, you're scaring me," Cordelia sped up the speed at which she was walking. "Hey, don't you like me?" Nick trotted after her as she reached the stair well, "aren't we going to go down in the elevator." "Nope, well you can, I feel safer in stair ways. People can't attack or observe you in stairways as easily as in elevators," she started down the stairs and he let out a loud laugh. "Paranoid much? It's not like the police or anyone are after you," he let out a final snort and she looked back at him with an eyebrow raised. "You never know now do you. I mean unless someone wanted you to know they were watching you, you'd probably have a hard time noticing," she stopped and waited for him to catch up. "You're insane," he rolled his eyes. "You're rude," she grumbled in reply. "So, what do you want to do now?" Nick asked three minutes later as they were exiting the building from the back entranceway, putting on a cap and sunglasses. "You know what, I'm kind of hungry, let's get food," Cordelia set off down the street with Nick at her heels, to find somewhere to get food, "what do you feel like eating right now?" "Anything, as long as I like it," he stated simply, smiling slightly as she gave him an annoyed look. "Hmmm, I kind of feel like a hot dog right about now," she rubbed her stomach as it grumbled, she shot him an evil look as he started to giggle, "not that way you pervert." "I didn't say anything," he put his hands up as if to ward her off, "not my fault you happen to want a wiener right now." After saying that he started to laugh hysterically. "You are so not funny, and stop that, you look like an idiot," she groaned quietly as the people walking by them gave Nick a funny look. "Hey, there's a stand right over there, come on, let's go before the light changes," Nick grabbed her hand and dashed across the street just as the light changed and cars came racing towards them. Ten minutes later they were sitting on a park bench, slowly eating their food. Nick had two hot dogs and a large soda, while Cordelia had one hot dog, a large order of fries, and a medium soda. "My word, it got really cold out here. I bet it's going to start snowing soon," Cordelia shivered, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, as a huge gust of wind blew past them. "You know what that means then," Nick popped the last of his food into his mouth and looked around as if searching for something, "that means that we are just going to have to go right over there." He pointed to a store that was down the block. "Then we are going to have to find two jackets and gloves and a hat for you, and we are going to have to wear them. So we don't look like morons walking around in jeans and t-shirts in 20 degree weather." "That'd be a good idea, but I really do have to get back to my hotel. I have some stuff to do and stuff. . ." she trailed off. Nick got a crest-fallen look on his face. After a couple of seconds his face seemed to light up. "I can come and help you with that stuff," he smiled a mega-watt smile at her, she sighed slightly and mumbled something under her breath. "Ok, ok, I'll stay with you and we can go get jackets," she stood up and he followed, "come on, let's get a move on it." Suddenly Cordelia got a shocked look on her face. Nick noticed that in an instant she seemed to go from healthy tan to paper white, and she got a look on her face like she was going to throw up. Her mouth moved soundlessly and her breath quickened. For a moment he though that she might be having an allergic reaction. "Hey, hey, Cordelia, are you ok?" Nick got a worried look on his face; he put a hand on her back, leaning down slightly to look at her. "Yeah," she seemed to snap out of her daze, "yeah, I'm fine. Just peachy. Look, let's get going, it's already starting to get dark out here. Time just flies." But she was still chalk white and her eyes darted around, like a caged animal's. She put on one of the most fake smiles Nick had ever seen and started to walk towards the store he had pointed to moments before. Nick looked to where she had been staring at, but saw nothing but empty, parked cars and people walking along the sidewalk, minding their own business. He wondered who, or what, she had seen that made her do that. She obviously had some major secrets. And he was willing to do whatever it takes to stay in her life and find them out. "Hey, are you coming or not," Cordelia looked over her shoulder at him with a questioning look. "Yeah, wouldn't miss it for the world," Nick smiled at her, trying not to reveal anything about what he was thinking. |