On Saturday
morning Dawn and D were in the kitchen fixing breakfast.
"Are you coming to this thing with me today?" Dawn asked D as she poured pancake
batter into the skillet.
"I don’t know. Do you want me to?"
"Someone has to be there to calm Alex down. You know how he’s going to be."
"The same way he’s been the last couple of days. You’d think you were going
into battle or something,"she rolled her eyes.
"I might just be going into battle. You forget that Noah is going to be there
too."
D looked at her and cringed.
"That’s not going to be pretty. I suppose I should run interference," she
laughed as she set the table.
AJ came into the kitchen carrying Arianna. He got her situated in the highchair and poured
a cup of coffee.
"That smells wonderful baby," he told Dawn, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you. It’s almost ready," she smiled.
He fixed Arianna some cereal and juice and sat down at the table. Dawn served them their
pancakes.
"So where’s Nick today, D?" AJ questioned, taking a bite.
"I’m not sure. He said he had errands to run. He said he’d see me later
tonight. I wonder if he’s cheating on me?"
Dawn and AJ looked at each other and smiled. They both knew he was planning something for
their anniversary but vowed to keep quiet.
"That’s a little extreme. He’s not cheating on you D," Dawn assured
her.
D looked at her sadly and back down at her plate. She sighed and rose from the table.
"I’m not that
hungry. I’m gonna go get ready for the signing."
She left the room and AJ slammed his fork down making both Arianna and Dawn jump.
"What’s wrong
honey?"
"I still don’t want you going to this thing," he told her angrily.
"Alex, I told you I have to go. Everything’s going to be fine," she assured
him, getting up and putting her plate in the sink.
"Everyone thought you were going to be fine last time and looked what happened. You
could have been seriously hurt. Your pregnant now and you’re not supposed to be doing
anything strenuous. It’s bad enough you went shopping this week," he lectured.
Dawn rolled her eyes and cleared away the rest of the dishes.
"I don’t want anything happening to you or our baby. I don’t like this
whole thing one bit," he stressed, taking Arianna out of the highchair.
He took her to her room to get her dressed and ready to go to Denise’s.
After the dishes were finished Dawn went to her room to get ready. She searched her closet for something to wear. She didn’t want to look too casual or too dressy, but she didn’t have much of a selection. Her old clothes weren’t fitting the way they used to, for obvious reasons.
She decided on a pair of black jeans and a thin sweater. She was fixing her hair when AJ came into the bedroom. He was still bitching and moaning about going to the signing and Dawn did her best to calm him down. She was nervous and he wasn’t helping any.
Steve arrived right before they were ready to leave to accompany them. Dawn didn’t think it was necessary but wasn’t going to argue with AJ.
On the way to the signing they dropped off Arianna at Denise’s. They arrived at Universal and there was a cart there to take them through Citywalk. AJ was pleased that she didn’t have to walk the distance…the less time she spent on her feet the better.
The signing was in the middle of Citywalk and set up as a stage with a table in the middle. Steps were in the front for the fans to come up and talk to her and get an autograph. There were lots more people, there than she thought there would be and it made Dawn a little nervous.
"Look at all these
people," Dawn said, peeking out from behind the stage.
"They better behave themselves," AJ warned, crossing his arms and peeking out at
them.
"I don’t think
any of them are going to pull a gun J," D laughed.
AJ’s eyes widened at the thought.
"You don’t think…"
"NO! Baby, relax!" Dawn commanded as she shot D a dirty look for even making
such a comment. She didn’t want AJ freaking out on her.
"Baby, look at me," she told him, trying to get his attention away from the
crowd.
He was looking out the curtain at everyone like he was a secret service agent. Dawn put
her hand on his arm and tried to get him to look at her. He turned his attention to her,
although she could tell that he didn’t want to, his mind was set on one thing and one
thing only, that was making sure this whole thing went smoothly. He was bound and
determined to be a one-man SWAT team. She cupped his face in her hands.
"You’ve got to calm down, you’re making everyone crazy, me included.
Everything is going to be fine. Did you see all the security around here? Nothing is going
to happen. Please, relax….for me."
He sighed then pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
"I’m sorry, I just worry about you, Angel. I don’t want anything to happen
to you. I don’t know what I would do, I’ve almost lost you so many times
already…"
"And I’m still here. Nothing’s going to happen to me," she kissed him
lightly then he calmed down a bit.
She could still feel how tense his body was, though and saw his eyes glaze over with anger
when he saw Noah approach them.
"Hey. I’m glad you made it," he greeted, kissing Dawn on the cheek.
She pulled away quickly and looked at AJ, then at the ground. She hadn’t seen Noah
since that night he came to D’s and she was slightly uncomfortable. He was acting
like nothing happened and it bothered her.
"Are we ready to get started? You’ve got a lot of anxious fans out there."
"They better not be too anxious Noah," AJ warned, stepping closer to him.
"Don’t worry McLean. I’ve taken care of things. She’s not going to be
going through the crowd again. She’s going onstage from the side so no one can grab
at her. Everyone is coming up on stage from the front one at a time. There is security
lined up all over the place. This is very organized so it won’t be a disaster like
the last time. She’s not going to get hurt."
"She better not or there’s going to be hell to pay,"AJ snarled.
D stepped in between them, not wanting them to start fighting. She didn’t want there
to be a scene.
"Calm down you guys. Let’s get Dawn out on the stage so we can keep the fans
happy so they don’t get impatient."
"I agree. Let’s get started."
Noah took Dawn’s arm and led
her to the steps on the side of the stage.
It took everything AJ had not to run after them and rip Noah’s arms right out of his
sockets, but he tried to remain calm, at least for Dawn’s sake. He sent Steve with
them so he could be right there in case something happened.
AJ watched quietly from behind the
curtains. The crowd cheered for Dawn when she walked out on the stage, she smiled and
waved back at them. Putting everything else aside, AJ was very proud of her. She had
overcome a lot to get where she was today, and she deserved all the success in the world.
As much as he loved being the center of attention, he had no problem being in the
background when it came to Dawn’s career. He wanted to support her in every way
possible, but it was so hard when Noah was involved.
The signing went very smoothly and lasted for about two hours. Dawn fielded a lot of
questions about her and AJ. She answered the best she could without giving away too much.
They were all very nice and seemed really happy to meet her.
D kept an eye on AJ and Noah, who were throwing daggers at each other all day. AJ wanted to strangle him for being near Dawn and Noah wanted to kill AJ for the exact same reason.
After the signing was over they were invited to Hard Rock for lunch. AJ was less than thrilled when Noah decided to join them. Dawn was talking to him as if nothing ever happened and it was driving him crazy. He didn’t like her talking to him at all.
D could see how upset AJ
was about Noah, but there was nothing she could do. The way Dawn acted toward Noah
bothered her too. She wanted her as far away from Noah as AJ did.
AJ didn’t speak a word to Dawn the whole way to Denise’s. They dropped D off at
her house so they could visit with his mother and Arianna. Dawn glanced at him every once
in a while as he drove. She didn’t know what had made him so upset. The signing was a
huge success without any mishaps.
"What’s wrong, baby?"
"Nothing," he snapped.
Dawn just looked at him as they pulled in Denise’s driveway. He got out without a
word to her and slammed the door. Dawn looked after him, shaking her head as she got out
of the car.
D opened the door to her house and was disappointed when she found it empty. She was
hoping that Nick would have been waiting for her. She was upset that he hadn’t
remembered their anniversary. It was only six months but it was the longest relationship
she’d ever been in. It was also the most important to her.
She had finally found someone that
she could trust and confide in. She had never felt this way about anyone before. He meant
the world to her and she thought he felt the same way. Maybe he wasn’t as serious
about her as she was about him. He told her countless times that he loved her. Did he mean
it? She had thought that he did but maybe she was wrong.
She checked the answering machine but there were no messages. He hadn’t even called
to check in which wasn’t like him at all.
‘Maybe he is cheating on me’ she thought sadly.
She didn’t want to think the worst but she couldn’t help it. She needed a
shower. That would make her feel better.
She went into her bedroom. She
flipped on the light and something caught her eye on the bed. On it lay a dark green
sleeveless dress with a card and a peach rose lying on top. She picked up the rose and
held it to her nose. It smelled divine. She opened up the card and read it.
‘Hey beautiful……put this on and be outside at 8 o’clock.’
"He remembered," she whispered, smiling.
She held up the dress and admired it. It was absolutely gorgeous. The color was
Nick’s favorite and had silver sparkles all over it. The spaghetti straps were
covered in rhinestones. She couldn’t wait to put it on.
She looked over at the clock. She had forty five minutes to get ready. She got a shower and fixed her hair and makeup. She put on a new bra, panties and matching garter that she had bought on her shopping trip with Dawn. She knew Nick would love it.
She put on the dress and admired
herself in the mirror. She was impressed that he got the size right…it fit perfectly.
The dress was shorter than she would have liked, showing off her long legs. Nick always
told her how much he loved her legs and wasn’t surprised that he picked out something
that would show them off. She slipped on a pair of black heals to complete the outfit. She
put Nick’s gift into her purse and headed out the door.
There was a black limousine waiting for her when she got outside. The driver bowed and
smiled while opening the door for her. She smiled back and climbed inside. There was
another peach rose lying on her seat. She sat back and held the rose to her.
This was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. She had thought he had forgotten but he hadn’t. She felt like she was going to cry.
She sat up and looked out the
window, wondering where they were going. It was dark already dark so she couldn’t see
a thing. she didn’t have a clue where he was taking her. The limo finally stopped and
D waited for the driver to open her door. When he did she stepped out and looked around.
They were parked in front of a long dock.
"This way," the driver said, walking onto the deck.
D followed him curiously. He led her to a boat that was parked at the end of the dock. He
helped her on board, nodded and left. She watched him go wondering what she was supposed
to do now.
She looked around searching for a clue when she heard music coming from the cabin below.
She went downstairs and gasped at the sight before her. There were candles everywhere
casting a romantic glow around the room. There was a bottle of champagne and two glasses
sitting on the table next to the couch. A bowl of strawberries sat next to the champagne
that looked absolutely delicious.
Just as she went to reach for one the bedroom door opened and Nick appeared. She froze at
the site of him in his black Armani suit that fit him like a glove. He wore no tie and had
the top buttons undone. He looked incredibly sexy. Her eyes met his and he gave her a half
smile that made her insides melt. He walked closer to her, looking her up and down with
total desire evident in his eyes. He took her hand in his, bringing it slowly to his lips
and kissing it.
"You look amazing," he whispered.
She tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat.
"So do you."
"Are you surprised?"
"Yes! I didn’t think you remembered," she admitted guiltily.
"How could I forget the most important day of my life. I met the girl of my dreams
six months ago today."
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
"Want some champagne?"
"Yes, please."
She looked around the cabin, taking in everything around her.
"You rented this just for tonight?"
"No," he chuckled, pouring the champagne into the glasses. "I own it."
D looked at him shocked.
"You own this??"
"That’s right," he smiled, handing her a glass. "I had planned on
renting it for the night but when I was getting everything ready I realized how much I
loved it so I decided to buy it."
"Wow. I can see why you would. She’s beautiful."
"Yeah," he sighed, looking around. "I want to name her after you."
"Really?"
He nodded.
"What would you like to call her?"
"Hmmm…" she thought for a minute. "How about D’s Dream because
that’s exactly what this feels like."
"I like it," he smiled.
He lifted his glass and she did the same.
"A toast," he began. "To D’s Dream and another six months and beyond
of unbelievable happiness."
They clinked their glasses and took a long sip, looking into each other’s eyes.
"Damn, baby. I knew you would look good in this dress but not this good," he
said, looking her up and down again.
She looked down at herself and nodded.
"It’s a little short but…"
"It’s not too short…there’s no such thing," he laughed, setting
down his glass.
"You know how much I love your legs."
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
"And your ass," he added sensually, smoothing his hands over her rear as he
kissed her bare shoulder.
She shivered at his touch and buried her face in his neck. He smelled incredible. She
wanted him so badly at that moment she didn’t think she would be able to stand it.
"I have something for you," he whispered in her ear.
He guided her to the couch and pulled her down to sit next to him. He reached in his
pocket and pulled out a long velvet box. His eyes sparkled as he opened up the box. Inside
was a beautiful necklace with a heart shaped diamond pendent. It was the most exquisite
necklace she had ever seen.
"Do you like it?"
"Omigod, yes! I love it! It’s so…wow…I don’t know what to
say…it’s so beautiful. Thank you so much, baby," she gushed.
Nick smiled and took the necklace out of the box and hooked it around her neck. She leaned
in and kissed him softly.
"I have something for you too," she whispered.
She reached into her purse, pulled out a small wrapped box and handed it to him. He
unwrapped it and looked into her eyes as he opened it. He looked down and smiled.
"Baby, I love it," he
told her, taking it out of the box.
It was a silver ID bracelet.
"It’s engraved."
He flipped it over.
"All of my love forever and always…Dahn"
He looked at her with tears in his eyes. She smiled at him and took the bracelet from him.
She fastened it around his wrist and kissed it and then his lips softly.
"I have something else for you," she said with a seductive smile.
"You didn’t have to get…"
"Shhhh," she put her fingertips over his lips to silence him.
She got up and stood in front of him. She looked him in the eyes as she unzipped her dress
slowly. She slipped the straps off of her shoulders and let it pool at her feet. His eyes
followed the dress as it fell and slowly moved them back up her body.
"You like?" she asked,
running her hands over her stomach.
"Oh I like. Did you buy that just for me?" He asked, licking his lips.
She nodded slowly and plucked a strawberry from the bowl. Nick’s eyes filled with
lust as she put it to her lips and seductively swirled her tongue around it. She bit into
it, savoring the sweet taste.
Nick held out his hand, directing her to come to him. She walked over to him and took his hand. He looked up at her lustfully. She put the rest of the strawberry to his lips and he bit into it, finishing it off.
He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. He leaned in and circled her bellybutton with his tongue. D closed her eyes and sighed, running her hands through his hair. He dipped his tongue into her bellybutton as she moaned. He suddenly pulled away and stood up.
He reached down and picked up the bowl. He handed it to D with an evil smile before gathering her into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom.