Sunshine, Danielle, and Josephine were at the condo getting ready for the Halloween Party at Kevin�s. The three girls sat in the kitchen while waiting for the final batch of brownies to get done. Sunshine was icing the last cake, while Danielle and Josephine did their makeup. Sunshine stopped what she was doing and started rubbing her shoulder, as her two friends looked at her. She had a nice black and blue mark on her shoulder from where she hit it the other night and it hurt worse than before.
�Are you ok, Sunnie Jo?� Danielle asked concerned.
�I�ll be fine,� Sunshine said.
�Where�d the shiner come from?�
�I fell off the couch the other night.�
�Her and Nick were probably messing around,� Josephine chuckled.
�No we weren�t. We were watching movies and fell asleep. I guess I went to roll over and fell off the couch; whacking my shoulder off the coffee table.� She wasn�t about to tell them that she pushed Nickolas off her while he still had a hold of her. That would just start shit she didn�t want and neither of them needed.
�Oh,� Danielle said.
�Right,� Josephine said.
�You don�t have to believe me if ya don�t want to,� Sunshine said. �I really don�t care.� The two girls looked at each other.
�So it�s a shame you still have to wear that sling,� Josephine said.
�I�ll just be a hurt Jasmine. It could be worse tough. I could be in a full body cast.�
�Or sitting in the hospital,� Danielle added.
�Don�t jinx me.�
�Are you going to keep the sling on all night?� Sunshine just shrugged. �I thought your shoulder was getting better.�
�It was. When I went to the doc yesterday, he did some x-rays and found it was a torn ligament instead of just pulled. Apparently I tore it the other day when I was getting a box on the top shelf in the closet. It felt like it got worse, but I didn�t think nothing of it.�
�Are they going to operate?� Josephine asked.
�The doc wants to see if it�ll heal on its own. He�s not one to operate right away. He likes saving people money.�
�Why didn�t you get someone to help you?� Danielle questioned. �Like Nick?�
�I was the only one home. Jo was working and Nick was with Aaron.�
�Aaron has the hugest crush on Sunn,� Josephine smirked. �Him and Nick were here yesterday and Aaron was flirting non-stop with her. Nick was getting really disgusted.�
�Did you flirt with Aaron?� Danielle questioned.
�I couldn�t flirt with my future brother-in-law in front of Nicky,� Sunshine said. �I�m not that mean. Aaron did make me promise that if it didn�t work out with Nick, I�d give him a chance.�
�I could just imagine what was going through Nick�s mind.�
�Nick only smiled,� Josephine said.
�He has nothing to worry about,� Sunshine stated.
�So you guys are back together then?� Danielle wanted to know.
�More or less I guess. He wants to forget the past two and a half months and concentrate on our future.�
�He said that?�
�Not in so many words, but I know what he meant. We have that connection.� She smiled, as the stove timer went off.� She got up as Josephine and Danielle went back to their makeup. No one said anything, as Sunshine got the brownies from the oven. Sunshine put the brownies on the counter then sat back down to finish the cake.
No one said anything for another five minutes until Josephine broke the silence, �Sunn, were you in your room at all since you got back?�
�No; I�ve been in here all afternoon,� Sunshine said. �Why?�
�I forgot about the surprise in your room.�
�What surprise?�
�Go look.�
Sunshine got up and left the kitchen with her friend�s right behind her. They walked to Sunshine�s room and she opened the door. She went to go inside, but just stopped and looked with the girls gawking behind her. They just stared for a moment then smiled simultaneously. Sunshine�s room was filled with red roses from wall to wall and from top to bottom. She didn�t know what to say as she stepped inside.
�Awe!� Danielle gushed and stepped up beside Sunshine. �How sweet. He even filled your bed with roses. Nick�s so romantic.�
�He brought them after you left this morning,� Josephine pointed out.
�And you just now tell me?� Sunshine said walking over to the bed.
�Well I didn�t see you until four. Today�s a very crazy day.� Sunshine didn�t say anything, as she picked up a rose and smelled it. She picked up the envelope on the bed with Josephine saying, �Nick�s so in love.�
Sunshine smiled, took the piece of paper from the envelope, and read a loud, �Sunnie, this is just a little something to show you how much I love you. Turn your stereo on, hit play and remember this is what I want to do to you. Nicky. P.S. I love you.�
�How sweet,� Danielle repeated, as Sunshine picked up the remote to her stereo and did as the letter said. The three girls just stood there and waited. A few seconds later they heard Nickolas� voice singing Bon Jovi�s hit �Bed Of Roses�. Sunshine smiled and got teary-eyed, as Danielle said, �Awe! May I have Nick for Brian?�
�Probably not,� Sunshine said. �Nick�s mine. Did he say if I was supposed to call him?�
�No,� Josephine said. �Only to make sure that you come in here.� They stood there and listened to the song.
�Nick�s so sweet,� Danielle said breaking the silence. �First he kisses you in the motel bathroom then he wants to start the New Year with you. He admits he loves you in front of everyone then he makes lover to ya under the moonlight on the beach. Then ya get together in the City of Love, Paris, and he proposes marriage. Now he fills your room with roses and he wants to lay you down in a bed of roses. I thought Howie was the sweet one. What happened, Jo? Howie slacking off?�
�I�m not Sunn,� Josephine said and Sunshine glared at her.
�Is there a ring?� Sunshine asked so not to get on the Howard subject with Josephine. They began looking in the roses and found nothing. �Damn it.�
�Give him time, Sunn,� Danielle said.
�Speaking of which; what time is it?�
�Ten minutes before six,� Josephine replied.
�I ain�t going to have that stuff to Kev�s by quarter of. I still need to get ready and finish that damn cake.� They left the bedroom and went back to the kitchen. �If I hurry, maybe I�ll make it.�
�Just don�t hurt yourself,� Danielle said. �I�ll go get dressed and then help ya out with your makeup.�
�I can do it myself.�
�No arguing, Sunn,� Josephine said. �Does your outfit need ironed?� Danielle left the kitchen.
�No; Jane ironed it for me last night.�
�Where was I?�
�At the movies with D.� Sunshine finished the cake and put the lid on the pan. �The whole Carter Clan was here for some reason; Nick, Aaron, Leslie, Jane, Bob, BJ, Angel, and Ginger.�
�Ginger? Who�s that?�
�Nick�s half-sister.� She cut up the brownies. �Go get dressed and I�ll let ya know when Howie gets here.�
�Ok.� Josephine left the kitchen.
Sunshine just shook her head while thinking about what Josephine said in the bedroom. She put the brownies in a container and walked from the kitchen. She started towards her room when there was a knock at the door. She quickly walked to the door and opened it to see Brian standing there smiling at her.
�Hey, Sunn,� Brian said. �May I come in?�
�Yeah,� Sunshine said. �Dani�s getting changed.�
�I can wait.� They walked to the parlor. �I�ll just sit here and sing �I Got You, Babe�.�
�You do that.� They laughed. �But excuse me.� Sunshine walked to her room and Brian sat on the sofa to wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About twenty minutes later, Sunshine and Danielle walked out to the parlor where Brian was waiting. They noticed he was joined by Howard and Aaron. The three guys stood up when they saw the girls. The two girls just smiled, as the guys whistled.
�You, ladies, look really hot,� Howard replied and the girls continued smiling.
�Sonny is one lucky man,� Brian said walking over to Danielle. �Cher is looking sexy.� He kissed her.
�Enough of that,� Josephine interrupted. They all looked to see her. She was wearing a yellow gown just like the one in the Disney movie. �What do you think?� She did a complete turn.
�You look gorgeous,� Sunshine said. �But I think it�s over the top for Halloween.� They all looked at her. �Then again that�s just me.�
�Gorgeous is not the word,� Howard said. �There is no word to describe how you look right now.� He walked over to Josephine and kissed her.
�You four can stand here and kiss and make goo-goo eyes,� Sunshine began, �but I have to get this stuff to Kev�s.� She walked to the kitchen with Aaron behind her.
�Hey, Sunn,� Aaron said, as Sunshine got the cakes and brownies.
�What are you doing here, Aaron?� Sunshine questioned.
�Nick wanted me to pick you up.�
�Thanks, but I can drive myself.�
�Nick doesn�t want you to.� She only looked at him. �Not with your bad shoulder.�
�I can drive perfectly fine. He doesn�t need to worry.�
�Just let me take you since I came all this way.�
�Where�s Nick?�
�He was going straight to Kevin�s. He wants to meet you there. He didn�t explain why.�
�Alright, since you came all this way.� She handed him the food. �You carry these.�
�Another thing, if Jasmine ever gets sick of Aladdin she can come find Casanova, because Casanova will stop being the world�s greatest lover just for her. Jasmine is looking very sexy.�
�Let�s just go, Casanova. Jasmine�s on a schedule.�
�Right behind ya, Babe.� Sunshine just shook her head, as they walked out of the kitchen.
Sunshine walked to the door saying, �See ya guys later. Lock the door and turn off all the lights.� Sunshine went out the door and Aaron followed her.
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