"You like?" he asked, smoothing the lapel of his suit jacket.

"I've never seen you in a suit, you look like a different person!" She had him turn around, admiring the view from all sides. "I like!" she pronounced, nodding her head.

Nick adjusted his glasses and wiggled his eyebrows at her over the top rims. "You are looking mighty fine too, Miss Martin, I think we shall put everyone in the restaurant to shame!"

Elisha giggled and resumed putting her makeup on.

"You know, I think your dad likes me, but I'm not so sure about your mom." she said seriously.

Nick pinched her cheek and she swatted his hand away.

"How could she not like someone as sweet as you? She'll come around. As long as I'm happy, she'll be fine."

"She thinks I'm a gold-digger like Miss Temper."

"Well, I know that you're not and that's all that's important to me." He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzled her neck. She let her head fall back on his chest. "I love you, and I don't care what anybody else thinks." He gave her a kiss and slapped her behind. "Let's go! Everyone is waiting for us, I bet. We're running on Backstreet Time!"

Elisha threw a pillow off the sofa at him and looked at him quizzically. "Backstreet Time?"

"Always running late!" he translated.

Elisha took a final check in the mirror and pushed him towards the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mandy ducked down in her car as the couple came out of the house. She could hear Elisha laughing at something Nick said and she pounded the seat in frustration.

"Damn her! Blinding Nick to the one he really loves. I'll show her!"

She waited a few minutes after Nick's car pulled out of the driveway and then she slowly followed them down the road.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was almost over. Elisha couldn't stop laughing at Aaron's antics. At the moment he was impersonating all the Backstreet Boys and had them down cold. Even Nick, who was hiding his face from it all.

"Oh my God, he's so cute, he's gonna be a heartbreaker just like you pretty soon!" Elisha grinned as Nick lifted his head up.

"Are you done entertaining for a minute, little bro? I have something I want to ask and I need everyone to hear it."

Elisha looked at him wondering, he hadn't mentioned anything in the car. When he bent down on one knee in front of her, she started to cry.

"Elisha, I know we haven't known each other that long, but we both know that we belong together." Nick pulled a small box out of his pocket. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Her hands were shaking so badly that Nick had to hold her left hand with both of his and manouver the ring on at the same time.

"Oh Nick!" She hugged him tightly. "Oh my God, Nick. This is so sudden!"

"I know baby, but I wanted to ask you with all my family here. Think about it okay? You don't need to answer right now, I know what a big step it is."

"I.....oh Nick!" she sobbed. "I love you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you like the ring?" Nick asked after they had said goodbye to everyone and were getting in the car.

"To be honest, I never even looked at it, I was in shock!" She held her hand up to the window. The large heart shaped diamong glittered in the lamplight. "Oh, Nick!" she breathed. "It's absolutely gorgeous! It's too much!"

"Not for you!" he said proudly, starting the engine.

"Are you sure you don't want my answer tonight?"

"Nope." Nick turned to look at her. "I want you to be certain, whatever your answer is. I want you to really think about it and I want you to be honest."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mandy followed them slowly.

"It's about time!" she thought. "I didn't think you were ever going to leave the restaurant!"

She had seen the light shining off the rock he had given Elisha and she was furious. Mandy saw her chance when Nick's car signaled to turn right. There were no cars between her and him. She placed her foot heavily on the gas and aimed the car straight ahead. Mandy steeled herself for the impact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elisha smiled at Nick, she already knew her answer, but she would humour him and wait until tomorrow. Nick lifted her hand to his lips. Just as her hand touched his mouth the impact of a car striking them slammed her over to his side. She cried out in pain and reached for him. Nick struggled to retain control of the car and to keep from getting hit again. The other car continued to plow them diagonally across the street and finally into a lamp post on the adjacent corner. Nick heard, more than felt, his head slam into the window beside him and bounce off again. Elisha was screaming and Nick threw his arms around her as best he could, shielding her from the glass popping out of the windows. Nick couldn't keep his eyes open and sounds were fading. He thought he could hear people yelling and screeching tires. "Asshole's leaving the scene." popped into his train of thought, but he wasn't sure why. He laid his head on Elisha's chest and waited for the welcome sounds of sirens bringing help.