~~~~~~~~~~» A Week Later, February 13^th, Back In Florida «~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~» Kevin «~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you want to do today hun?"

Arti walked into the kitchen from the other room and took a seat next to me at the kitchen table.

"I don’t know. Whatever you want to do is fine," she replied.

"How ‘bout we go shopping then? Maybe a mall even..."

She looked up at me with a wondering smile.

"Are you feeling ok?"

I nodded.

"Ok...what have you done with my Kevin Scott Richardson? The one that’s from Kentucky...whose favorite color is blue...green eyes...just taller than 6 foot...black hair...the one who despises shopping in public places?" she asked in mock wonder. "I demand you bring him back to me this instant."

"Haha...not funny Arti Visana...the one from England...who speaks with a cute english accent that I absolutely love...long brown hair...the most gorgeous smile ever...the one whom I met through a mutual friend. The same Arti Visana who holds my heart in her very hands."

She smiled.

"The very same one that’s sitting here with me."

She laughed a little.

"So...how ‘bout that mall? You coming with me? Or am I going to have to go shopping alone?" I asked.

"Sure. I’m coming with you," she replied and then stood up from the table. "Just let me go freshen up a little bit first."

"You’re beautiful just the way you are!"

"You’re sweet Kev...you really are, but I don’t think I want to show up at a public place like this and scare half the population!"

With that, she walked out of the room and up the stairs towards the nearest bathroom. I jumped at the chance to make a quick phone call.

"Talk to me."

"Hey Els...I can’t talk for long. Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure thing Kev."

"See...I’m going to surprise Arti tomorrow...I need your help. Can you help me?"

"I think so. Explain away."

~~~~~~~~~~» Later That Day «~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~» Brian «~~~~~~~~~~

"One...you’re like a dream come true..." I sang along with the radio as I drove down the road towards the Vet’s office for Tyke’s annual check-up appointment.

I glanced over at the passenger seat next to me where my little Chihuahua puppy was cuddled up and enjoying the warmth of the sun as it shone down on him through the window. I smiled at how cute he looked, basking in the warmth of the inside of my car on this unusually chilly day. Once I was parked in the parking lot of the small veterinarian’s office, I gently picked Tyke up and carried him inside. After I let the secretary know that I was there, I went and sat down in one of the chairs in the small waiting room area. I sat in one of the chairs in the far corner. I couldn’t see the desk from where I was, but I didn’t mind. When the bell above the door rang a few minutes later, I looked up and noticed a pretty girl walking in carrying a small black and white terrier pup. The girl had copper colored hair that was just barely longer than her shoulders with a smile that instantly caught my eye. She rushed over to the counter while gently holding her dog close to her body.

"I’m Chrystal. I have an appointment for 3:15."

I could barely hear what she said. I leaned a little closer towards the direction of the desk to hear if she said anything else.

"Yes...the doctor will be with you momentarily," the secretary replied.

She had the appointment before me, but probably with the other doctor. I made it habit of coming to the vet early, just because. No real reason...it was just a nice time to be alone with my puppy. When I heard footsteps coming near where I was, I quickly sat back up, picked up a magazine, and acted interested in it, turning its pages every few seconds. She sat down in one of the chairs opposite from where I was sitting. I had set Tyke on the chair next to me, where he curled up and waited, just like he had done in the car. Once Tyke noticed that there was another dog in the room, he perked up and jumped off the chair. The other dog must have done the same, because when I looked up from the magazine that was in my hands, I saw the two dogs in the middle of the floor playing and gnawing at each other as if they were old friends. I immediately jumped from the chair to pick Tyke up off the ground.

"I’m so sorry," I said while I reached out for Tyke.

"No...it’s ok," the girl replied. "They’re just having fun."

"I know. I just..."

I kneeled down next to the two dogs and watched them play.

"I’m Chrystal," the girl said as she extended her hand.

"I’m Brian."

I shook her hand.

"And this here is ‘Lil Tyke."

"Nice to meet you ‘Lil Tyke," she said in a cute voice as she leaned down to his level.

He strolled over to her and licked her face a little. She giggled at how cute he was.

"This is Dolly," she said, referring to her Terrier pup.

Tyke walked over to Dolly and they started playing again. I leaned down to pick up Tyke. Chrystal did the same with her pup. When I looked up, I noticed that our faces were only inches apart. She was such a beautiful girl. And she seemed more down to earth than all my other girlfriends did. Wait? Why am I comparing her to my other girlfriends? I leaned a little closer to her.

"Would you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

"I would love to...but I can’t," she replied, almost as disappointed as I was. "I’ve already got plans."

I leaned a little closer still. Our faces were only about two inches apart. I had plans too, but I was actually hoping to bring a date. Liz was having a gathering of some sort tomorrow...she’d said something of wanting us to meet her new singers and dancers. Just when I got up the courage to lean forward and kiss her, the door to the back offices opened.

"Chrystal? Sorry for the wait. The doctor is ready to see you now."

She instantly pulled back, stood up after she took Dolly in her arms, and gave me a cute little smile.

"Maybe some other time Brian," she said as she walked away.

I was mentally smacking myself for not getting her phone number. ‘How is there going to be a next time if I don’t know your full name or phone number?’ I asked myself. I sat there thinking of the girl I’d just met and lost at the same time.

"Brian...your doctor is ready to see you now."

By the time Tyke was done with his check-up, Chrystal was gone. I’d hoped I’d catch her before she left, but there was no such luck. My heart fell at the thought of never seeing her again.

~~~~~~~~~~» AJ «~~~~~~~~~~

"I need you to come with me! That’s why you’re coming," Liz said as she drove the both of us to the nearest mall.

She took a quick glance at my face.

"Will you please stop pouting? It’s driving me nuts!" she said in a pleading voice.

"I’m not pouting."

"Yes you are!"

"It’s just...I wanted it to just be you and me today...that’s all."

"Come on! You know that if it was one of the guys that asked you to help them, you’d have done it without thinking, let alone asking me, so suck it up," Liz said with out sympathy. "I thought you loved shopping...how come you like it the other 364 ¼ days of the year, but not this one?"

I laughed at how precise she was.

"364 and ¼? What’s the ¼ for?"

She laughed.

"There’s 365.25 days a year. Didn’t you know that?"

"No."

"Well now ya do. That’s why there’s a leap year every 4^th year. Because every fourth year, there’s an extra day..."

I’d never really thought of it like that, but I knew she was right.

"Have you ever taken an IQ test?"

She looked at me for a second before looking back at the road.

"Yes."

"What was your score?"

We pulled into a parking lot and found a space near the building, which was very lucky on our part. I watched her as she reached to the seat behind me and handed me a black knitted sweater and a black wool beanie to put on. She got out without answering my question. I put the sweater and hat on before I got out and came around to her side of the car. I guess she thought that covering my tattoos and hair would make me less of a fan magnet.

"No getting the fans attention ok?"

"Fine fine...but you never answered my question," I replied.

"Well, I can’t tell you what I got. It’s highly classified FBI information," she said.

"It is?" I asked in wonder.

She smiled.

"Did I ever tell you that they took the word gullible out of the dictionary?"

"They did?"

This time she laughed. She laughed and laughed and continued laughing as we walked in the doors of the mall.

"What’s so funny?"

"You, silly!"

She wrapped her arm around my back at my waist and walked with me towards a rather interesting looking shop.

"No way...we’re not going in there..."

"Yes we are."

I took hold of her hand and pulled her along with me as she tried to get away.

"You made me come with you, so you have to at least come into some shops with me."

"Fine...but you can’t make me buy any weird stuff. And you can’t be mad at me when I laugh at what you buy," she replied with an innocent smile.

"You wouldn’t laugh at me."

She smirked. "Wanna bet?!"

I pulled her closer to me so that she was at my side before I reached out with my other hand and tickled her side. She burst out in laughter as we walked into the shop. The sales person at the counter looked at us like we were freaks, but we didn’t care.

"AJ stop!" she begged after a few seconds.

"Take it back."

"No!"

I tickled her some more.

"Fine! I take it back!"

"No...you have to say it."

"I won’t laugh at what you buy," she said out of breath.

"Good."

I led her towards the back of the store to where the grunge leather stuff was. She went over to where the women’s stuff was while I looked at the men’s. I found a few things that I liked, including a purple leather cowboy hat before I walked over to where she was looking through a couple of racks.

"How ‘bout these?"

She looked up at the black leather pants that I was holding in my hands. I turned them to show her the sides. There wasn’t a side seam...they were only pieces of leather held together with a crisscross tie that ran all the way up the outside of the leg on each side. When worn, the entire side of the leg would be exposed...definitely not her style.

"I don’t think so...I’m not that kind of girl," she replied. "I rather prefer wearing more classy leather clothes thanks."

I put the pants back on the rack with a smile. I knew she wouldn’t like ‘em, but I had to ask anyway, just to see her reaction.

"What about this?" she asked as she pulled something off the rack.

It was a dark purple in color. Once she held it up to her, I saw that it was a long fitted dress...she’d definitely look good in it. It was sleeveless, again not her style, but if she was interested in it, so was I. There were two slits on each side of the skirt in the front along the leg that went a little past her knees. I loved it...she’d look really good in it.

"I like it," I said, trying not to be overly enthusiastic.

"Good...hold it for me while I go look for some shoes," she said as she handed me the dress.

Instead of following her over to the shoes, I went up to the counter and paid for my things and her dress. Once they were all wrapped up properly and put into bags, I got my card back and went over to where she was sitting in a chair, waiting to be helped.

"What did you do with it?" she asked when she noticed that I wasn’t holding her dress anymore.

"It’s taken care of."

She looked at me a second as if she wanted to ask a question, but didn’t know what to ask.

"I...what..."

"Can’t tell you," I said, cutting her off. "It’s highly classified."

She stared at me for a few seconds before a smile crept up on her face.

"Whatever you say Skunk."

I moved a few feet closer to her.

"What did you just call me?!"

"Skunk..." she said as more of a question than a statement.

Again, I moved a little closer.

"What? Say it again."

She looked at me timidly before she said anything.

"Skunk?"

I closed the gap that was between us and sat down on her lap.

"How did you know about that name?" I whispered as I looked into her eyes.

She put her hands behind my neck and pulled my head closer.

"I’m a fan remember?" she whispered in my ear in a voice that was barely audible. "Fans know those types of things."

Her warm breath in my ear tickled and gave me chills.

"Ahh...but you’re a personal fan...that’s the difference," I replied in the same whispered voice.

She giggled.

"That’s right. I’m luckier than the average fan."

"And I’m luckier than the average pop star," I replied with a smile.

She gave me a hug and then let me get up and move into the chair that was next to hers. I held her hand while a salesperson helped her find what she wanted. By the time we left that store, I was carrying two bags full of clothes, and she was carrying the bag with her shoes in it. The next stop on our shopping escapade was an accessories store. She looked through the jewelry while I looked at various rings and earrings. I didn’t find anything that I liked a whole lot, so I joined her and gave her suggestions on what I thought would look good on her. She picked up earrings, mostly hoops and small stud-type ones, along with some hair stuff.

"What’re you getting those for?" I asked her when she picked out a few headbands.

I’d never seen her wear any before...not that I’d care, but I was just wondering.

"I’m getting them because I can."

She turned and walked to a different part of the store. I turned my head a little and watched her walk away. She was heading over to the make-up and nail polish. I followed her.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you," I said as she looked at the different colors of polish.

She picked one up and looked at the bottom of the bottle to see how much it cost. It was a silver color with glitter in it. Not once did she look up at me.

"I’m not upset."

She held the polish in her hand along with the other things that she wanted to get. She went over to the register.

"Can you tell me how much it is to get a piercing done?" she asked the teenage girl at the register.

"It’s...uh...free with the purchase of the...uh...studs," the girl replied, sort of in shock.

"K. Thanks...Cami," Liz said, reading the girl’s nametag.

"You’re...you’re welcome."

After Liz put her things on the counter, the girl rang them up. Once Liz was done paying, I nonchalantly followed her out, hoping that the girl at the register didn’t recognize me.

"Way to go Sherlock...’don’t get the fans attention’," I said when I finally caught up with Liz in the hallway.

"Not like they care about me anyway...they only pretend like they do because they figure they can get close to you and the other guys," she said before she continued walking.

"That’s not true."

She stopped.

"It’s not? Oh...so all those girls that ask me if I can get them your autograph are just a figment of my imagination?"

"No...it’s just..."

"Just what?" she asked as she started walking again.

"I can’t talk to you when you keep walking away...why do you do that?"

"Because I feel like it...and in the middle of a shopping mall is not exactly the type of place where’d I’d like to have that kind of discussion with you."

She kept getting further and further away. I started walking in the direction that she was going. By the time I saw where she was, she was standing and talking to two other people. I had to look twice before I realized who it was.

"Where’s Bone at?" Kev asked.

"I’m right here," I said as I walked up to the three of them.

"I was just going to steal Arti away and have a little girl time ALONE for a little while," Liz said with a smile that I knew wasn’t how she was really feeling. "We’ll see you guys in a little while."

Before I could get a word in the conversation, both of the girls were gone.

"I thought you hated shopping..." I said.

"And I thought you loved shopping..." Kev said in return as we started to walk down the hall.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Valentine’s shopping...I asked Liz to help me out...I’m guessing that’s why you’re here," he replied. "Let me guess. She dragged you along with her?"

I nodded.

"I guess I owe you then," he added.

"No...no, you don’t," I replied. "So...where’re we headed anyway?"

"Right here," he said as he pointed over his shoulder to a jewelry store.

"Oh," I replied as if I knew all about his plan, but in reality, I knew nothing of it.

"What’re you doing for Liz for Love day?"

I shrugged. "I don’t know. Haven’t put much thought into it yet."

"What? That’s not like the McLean that I know."

"Well what should I get her? I was going to have a nice romantic picnic down on the beach, just the two of us tomorrow, but she went ahead and planned that stupid party or get-together or whatever in the heck it is."

He turned and looked at me in confusion. "Ya know...maybe you two need a little time away from each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I’m not saying that you should break-up or anything...just take a small time-out for a few days."

"I can’t do that."

"Look dude...you can do anything you want. She might be your girlfriend, but you’re still your own man. She doesn’t own you. And you don’t own her. Simple as that."

"What if I wished it was more? I want her to always be there for me...so why is it so hard sometimes?"

"Love and relationships are all about making them work," he replied. "If you love each other, which I KNOW you do, you’ll make it work."

"Why does it seem so easy for everyone else then? How come you and Arti have it all good?"

He laughed a little.

"You can’t judge your relationship by someone else’s. I mean, I can’t like read Liz’s mind or anything, but I’m sure she just wants you to show her that you love her. That’s what all girls want, in one way or another."

We didn’t even notice that there was a salesperson standing on the other side of the counter ready to help us until he spoke. He was an older man that looked old enough to be my grandpa.

"Love isn’t an easy thing to understand, but if you stick with it, and wait out the storms, you’ll be happier than ever," he said with a smile.

Kev and I both looked at each other and then at the older man.

"I’ve been with my wife for 50 years. Trust me...if you put your whole heart into it, it’ll all work out in the end," he added. He paused for a few seconds. "So...what can I help you boys with?"

"Well, I was actually looking for something in particular," Kev replied with a smile before he explained his whole plan and what it was that he wanted.

"I think I’ve got just the thing," the old man said with a smile in return. "And what about you?" he asked, talking to me.

"Oh...no...I didn’t come in here to buy anything. I came here with him," I said, pointing to Kev.

The man nodded once, as if he understood. He was silent for a few seconds.

"Wait...maybe I will get something. Let me look around for a few minutes while you help him," I replied, once again pointing to Kev before I started to look through the glass counter at all the jewelry in the cases below.

"Let me know if you find anything you’d like to look at," the man said.

"Ok. Thanks."

© Liz Holder 2000