�Are ya sure?� Nickolas asked.
�Yeah,� Dakota said. �It�s late and I�m sure you�re tired.�
�We got everything under control,� MyKenna said.
�Alright,� Aaron said. �We�ll see ya guys later then.�
�Yeah,� MyKenna said giving him a kiss.
�See ya, DJ,� Aaron said.
�See ya,� Dakota said.
�I�ll see ya sometime,� Nickolas said and Dakota nodded. �See ya, MyKenna.� He kissed Dakota.
�See ya, Nick,� MyKenna said.
�Bye,� Dakota said and the two guys walked away. Dakota and MyKenna watched them drive off then went into the hotel.
�What�s wrong with, Nick?� MyKenna asked.
�He�s just upset, because we kept getting interrupted,� Dakota replied. �He wasn�t too happy about it.�
�Oh.�
�First it was BJ then it was you and Aaron. Then Leslie came in and then it was Angel. Then when we went out on the boat his parents kept interrupting.�
�They were checking up.� MyKenna laughed.
�Yeah.�
�Making sure you weren�t doing anything you weren�t supposed to be doing.�
�So what if we did. We�re of age.�
�Did you?�
�No.� She smiled. �But one day we will.� She continued smiling as they got off the elevator and walked to their room.
�I�m sure you will.� MyKenna unlocked the door and they went in. �Dakota turned on the lights and they stopped in their tracks. �What the hell?� They looked around the rose filled room. A rainbow of roses from one corner to the next. From top to bottom and from wall to wall. The phone rang and they looked at each other.
�Go ahead.� MyKenna walked over to the phone and picked it up, as Dakota walked over to the beds.
�Hello?�
�Hey, Kenna,� came Nickolas� voice.
�Hey, Nick,� MyKenna said looking at Dakota and she looked. �What�s up?�
She waited a moment then heard Aaron ask, �So what do you think?�
�About what?� MyKenna asked smiling and Dakota walked over. They both listened and waited.
�Your surprise,� Aaron replied.
�What surprise?� Dakota questioned.
�In your room,� Nickolas answered.
�Um�� MyKenna and Dakota said playing dumb.
�Dude, Nick,� Aaron said. �I think they got the rooms messed up.�
�Did you tell them 1515?� Nickolas asked.
�Yeah,� Aaron said.
�Fucking flower shops never get anything right,� Nickolas complained. �Son of a bitch.�
�What do you mean �flower shop�?� Dakota asked.
�Well we ordered roses for you and wanted them delivered today,� Aaron said.
�That was sweet of you,� MyKenna said.
�I can�t believe they fucking messed up,� Nickolas continued complaining.
�What are we going to do with them when we leave?� Dakota asked.
�Damn stupid fucking flower shops,� Nickolas went on complaining and the girls tried not to laugh.
�There�s just so many of them,� MyKenna added.
�We can try it again,� Aaron said and Dakota and MyKenna looked at each other.
�Idiots,� MyKenna said and they laughed.
�This is the last time I�m dealing with flower shops,� Nickolas rebutted. �I don�t care if I have to plant roses in my back yard; I�m not dealing with flower shops again. At least you�ll get them. This really pisses me the fuck off. I can�t believe how this day turned out.�
�Nicky,� Dakota said.
�What?� Nickolas asked.
�I have a question.� MyKenna shook her head.
�Go on.�
�Um�what are we going to do with all these roses?�
�Anyway,� MyKenna said. �We leave Sunday.�
�I don�t know,� Nickolas said.
�What was that again?� Aaron asked.
�What was what?� Dakota asked.
�What did you just ask us?� Aaron asked,
�What are we going to do with all these roses?� MyKenna repeated the question. �We leave Sunday.�
�What do you mean roses?� Nickolas questioned.
�The ones in our room,� Dakota answered. �The ones covering every square inch.�
�You did get them,� Aaron said.
�Yeah,� the girls said laughing.
�Why the hell did you make us think you didn�t?� Nickolas asked.
�We didn�t make you think that,� Dakota said. �You assumed right away.�
�Yeah whatever,� Aaron said.
�You�ll get whatever when I kick your ass,� Dakota stated.
�We got another surprise for ya,� Nickolas said.
There was silence about a minute then they heard Aaron start to sing, �Sitting here wasting the mood/with this old piano/trying hard to capture the moment/this morning I don�t know/cause a bottle of vodka still lies in my hand/some blond gave me nightmares/to think that she�s still in my bed/as I dream about movies they won�t make of me when I�m dead��
Nickolas started singing, �...with a yawn and a stretch/I wake up/French kiss the morning/while marching bands keep this song beat in my head/my way of talking/about all of the things that I long to believe/about love the truth and what you mean to me/and the truth is/Baby, you�re all that I need��
Aaron joined in the chorus, ��I wanna lay you down in a bead of roses/for tonight I�ll sleep on a bed of nails/oh, I wanna be/just as close as/your Holy Ghost is/lay you down/on a bed of roses�� Aaron continued singing, as Nickolas stopped. ��well I�m so far away/the steps that I take on my way home/kings ransom and dimes/gives each night to see through this bad form/still I run out of time/or it�s hard to get through to the bird on the wire/get me back to you/I�ll just close my eyes and listen/ Baby, our love is true��
Nickolas joined him again. ��I wanna lay you down on a bed of roses/for tonight I�ll sleep on a bed of nails/oh, I wanna be/just as close as/your Holy Ghost is/and lay you down/on a bed of roses�� Aaron stopped singing and Nickolas continued. ��well this hotel�s bar hangover/whiskeys gone dry/the barkeeps wigs crooked and she�s giving me the eye/I might�ve said �yeah�/but I laughed so hard I think I died/ooh, yeah�� The girls sighed and Nickolas continued. ��now as you close your eyes/know that I�ll be thinking about you/while my mistress she calls me/to stand in her spotlight again/tonight I won�t be alone/to know that it don�t mean I�m not to be lonely/I�ve got nothing to prove towards you/that I�d die to give back��
Aaron joined again, ��I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses/for tonight I�ll sleep on a bed of nails/ohh, I wanna be/just as close as/your Holy Ghost is/lay you down/I wanna lay you down on a bed of roses/for tonight I�ll sleep on a bed of nails/I wanna be/just as close as/your Holy Ghost is/lay you down/on a bed of roses.� The girls sighed and sniffled and looked at each other.
�So what did ya think?� Nickolas asked.
�Wow!� the girls said in unison.
�I take it they like it,� Aaron said.
�Yeah,� MyKenna said.
�I love that song,� Dakota stated.
�Now she really loves it,� Nickolas said.
�Now he�s going to be all for himself,� MyKenna said and Dakota laughed.
�No I won�t,� Nickolas said.
�Whatever,� Dakota, MyKenna, and Aaron said.
�You�ll get �whatever�,� Nickolas said.
�How did you have time to get it that good?� Dakota asked.
�All those times we weren�t with you guys,� Aaron replied.
�We see,� MyKenna said.
�That was great,� Dakota stated.
�Thanks,� the two guys said and Aaron asked, �Did you get your surprise off the bed?�
�No,� MyKenna said. �Hold on.�
�I got it,� Dakota said walking over to the bed and picking up too envelopes. She walked back over to MyKenna and handed her one of the envelopes.
�What is it?� MyKenna asked.
�Just open it,� Nickolas said.
�Alright,� Dakota said, as they opened the envelopes. They each took out a CD and a little note. �What is this?�
�Just a little something for when you leave,� Aaron said.
�Like what?� MyKenna asked.
�You�ll find out when you get back home,� Nickolas said.
�What do you mean?� MyKenna asked.
�You can�t listen to what�s on those CD�s until you get back home,� Nickolas stated.
�Why not?� Dakota asked. �I want to know now.�
�When you get home,� Nickolas and Aaron said.
�You guys suck,� MyKenna said. �I don�t think I can wait that long.�
�Well you�re going to have to,� Aaron said.
�So ya know, Kota,� Nickolas began, �I never did anything like this for a girl before.�
�Never?� Dakota asked.
�No, never.�
�I feel special.� She gushed.
�That�s how I want you to feel.�
�I think my brother�s in love,� Aaron commented.
�Shut up,� Nickolas said and the girls laughed.
�I already know, Aaron,� Dakota said.
�Yeah what she said,� Nickolas said.
�What about you?� MyKenna asked. �Do you know?�
�Yes I do,� Nickolas said.
�That�s so sweet,� MyKenna said.
�Yeah, but shut up,� Dakota said.
�Are you embarrassed?� MyKenna wanted to know.
�No,� Dakota rebutted. �But I�ll embarrass you.�
�You wouldn�t dare,� MyKenna said.
�Sure she will,� Aaron said. �Please share.�
�I can�t,� Dakota said.
�Good,� MyKenna said.
�Why not?� Aaron asked.
�Because Nicky�s listening,� Dakota said.
�Well that makes me more interested,� Nickolas stated.
�I can�t say though,� Dakota said. �Plus I did promise Ken I wouldn�t.�
�When did that happen?� MyKenna asked.
�The other week when we were talking on the phone,� Dakota lied then mouthed, �Play along.�
�Oh that�s right,� MyKenna lied playing along. �I forgot.�
�So she can share then,� Aaron said.
�No I can�t,� Dakota said. �A promise is a promise no matter what.�
�Whatever,� Nickolas said.
�So where are you guys at?� MyKenna asked.
�Somewhere,� Aaron said.
�You�re funny ya geek,� Dakota said.
�Be careful, Aaron,� Nickolas said. �Or she�ll start using the �meanie head� on ya.�
�The whatta whatta?� Aaron asked.
�The �meanie head�,� Nickolas repeated. �She used it on me earlier.�
�Of course she did,� MyKenna said, as there was a knock on their door.
�I got it,� Dakota said walking away.
�What does she got?� Nickolas asked.
�She�s answering the door,� MyKenna replied.
�Oh,� Nickolas said and MyKenna looked, as Dakota opened the door.
�Nick!� Dakota yelled throwing her arms around him and kissing him. Aaron shook his head and walked inside, as MyKenna hung up the phone.
�What are you doing here?� MyKenna questioned. �We told you to go home.� She smiled.
�Making sure you don�t open those CD�s,� Aaron said giving her a kiss. They looked at Dakota and Nickolas still kissing. �You�d think they spent five months apart.� MyKenna shrugged. �Dakota, Nickolas?� They looked. �Why don�t you come inside?� They smiled and walked inside and Dakota closed the door. �He was only gone, like, 15 minutes.�
�Long enough for me to miss him,� Dakota stated.
�Right,� MyKenna said rolling her eyes.
�When you feel about someone the way we feel about each other,� Nickolas began, �then you�ll understand. �MyKenna and Aaron nodded.
�It was Nick�s idea to come back,� Aaron pointed out.
�Why?� Dakota asked looking at Nickolas.
�Because he was missing you after you got out of the truck,� Aaron answered.
�Awe, how sweet,� Dakota said. �I was missing you too.� They kissed.� They�re going to end up getting married,� Dakota said. �When we least expect it.�
�Yeah,� Aaron agreed. �We got to the red light and he decided to make a U-turn.� MyKenna shook her head. �It was worth it though.� MyKenna smiled and kissed him.
�What are we going to do with all these roses?�
�I�m not sure. You could always give them to charities, hospitals or whatever.�
�True. That could work.�
�Yes it could.�
�Aaron, we should go,� Nickolas said. �Let these girls get their beauty sleep.�
�Right,� Aaron said. �I�ll see ya.�
�I�ll see ya,� MyKenna said giving him a kiss. �See ya, Nick.�
�See ya, MyKenna,� Nickolas said. �And I�ll see you also.�
�You bet your ass you will,� Dakota said giving him a kiss.
�See ya, DJ,� Aaron said.
�See ya, AC,� Dakota said and the two guys walked out.
�What are you going to do when you�re back home?� MyKenna asked Dakota and she looked at her.
�I don�t know,� Dakota said. �What are you going to do?�
�I don�t know, but I ain�t the one completely, truly, madly, deeply, passionately, with a doubt in love with Nickolas Gene Carter.� Dakota just looked at her and sighed.
CHAPTER 25