“You ladies look wonderful tonight. I’m the luckiest man in this restaurant,” Austin said smiling. The girls laughed. Kelly was in a strapless black cocktail dress, and Madison wore a silver one. The three were talking over dinner. “Thank you Austin. I’m glad that we finally got together.” Austin answered, “Me too. It’s been a year since I’ve seen you. Wow, a year since we’ve all three been together.” Kelly was quiet and allowed her two other friends to catch up. Austin seemed to be trying very hard to make Kelly and Madison happy tonight and it confused her. She mentioned things throughout the night, but she was thinking more than paying attention. She wished that it was her and Kevin at the little romantic restaurant, not Austin and Madison. She was enjoying herself though. She liked getting out now. It wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be. “Kelly? Hello?” Austin said. “Oh, what. I’m sorry.” Madison spoke up annoyed, “He asked if we wanted to go to the movies. Do you?” “No, not really. Why don’t you two go and drop me off at home. I’m kind of tired.” Madison gave Kelly a look that made Kelly laugh. “Don’t worry Madison!! I’m having fun, I’m just tired.” Austin paid for the bill and helped the girls with their coats. “Okay then, we’ll take you home.”
“Bye guys. Have fun. Please be careful. The roads are bad. See you at work on Monday Austin.” Kelly waved and walked up the stairs and unlocked her door. Riley greeted her at the door. “Hi honey. Come on. You haven’t gone out all day.” She clicked on his leash and let him down the stairs. He did his business and he and Kelly walked back up. They shook off the snow and made their way into Kelly’s bedroom. She picked up her cordless and took it with her into her bathroom. She turned on the jacuzzi and added sea breeze smelling bubble bath to it. While it filled up she took off her dress and hung it up in the closet. She brought the phone in the bathroom in case Madison tried to call. Riley followed her in. Kelly closed the door of the steamy room. She turned on the radio and turned the water off and started the jets. Kelly carefully stepped in the tub and eased her body into it. She couldn’t believe how good it felt to just sit there, in the tub of swirling bubbles, with her dog and music. “I should do this more often for myself.” She sank her whole body leaving just her head out of the water. She let the jets massage her tired body. Kelly thought about dinner with Austin. “I shouldn’t have let Madison go with Austin. His apology was so planned and fake yesterday. All of tonight he’s been acting way too different. There is something definitely going on with him.”
Same night, BSB hotel…
“I can’t believe that we saw the girls today at the mall. Of all the malls in New York, we go to the same one. Fate certainly has something for me in store,” Kevin said to Brian. Brian and Kevin were in Brian’s room hanging out after their day of sight seeing and touring. All the other guys were down at the pool again. “I know what you mean. What a coincidence. Kevin, I never told you about my date with her.” Kevin perked up from his bed and asked, “Did she keep her promise of a romantic night?” Brian smiled as he remembered the date. “Yeah, we went to the AllStar Café. It was so cool and then we went on a carriage ride. And then at the door she kissed me, not a skimpy kiss, but a real good one. I haven’t had one of those since Leighanne.” Kevin looked sternly at his cousin. “Bri, we said no more talk about Leighanne. You know that.” “I know, I know. I really do like Madison though. Hey, enough talk. I’ve got to head to bed. We’ve got that radio thing tomorrow.” “All right. Good night. I think that I’ll call my mom and then head off to bed too.”
Brian left the room. Kevin sat at the dinner area in his room and thought about what he was going to do. He knew he shouldn’t call Madison and Kelly, but he had to hear Kelly’s voice again. “I’ll just call and ask for John or someone and see if Kelly answers.” Kevin picked up the phone. He pulled out the number out of his wallet that Madison had written down for him. Kevin dialed the number and waited in anticipation to see if Kelly would answer.
Same night, Kelly’s apartment…
“Hello?” Kelly asked. She was still in the Jacuzzi enjoying herself. No one answered. The person hung up. “Weird,” Kelly thought. She set the phone back down and closed her eyes. Just then the phone rang again. Kelly picked it up again and answered. “Hello?” Kelly listened. A deep voice answered. “Oh, hi. I’m sorry for hanging up a couple of seconds ago. Oh, is this Madison?” Kelly thought the voice was familiar, but couldn’t place when she recognized it.
On the other hand Kevin recognized Kelly’s voice. He didn’t know what to say so he just asked for Madison. “Um, no. Madison is out right now. Can I take a message for her?” “Uh, yeah. That’d be great. Tell her that Bobby called just to check in. Thanks, bye.” Kevin hung up. Kelly was thinking about how weird this Bobby guy was. He hung up very fast, but Kelly figured it was just a model or someone. “I recognized that voice, I just don’t know where from. Oh well.” Kelly turned the Jacuzzi off and stepped out of the tub. Her tan skin was wrinkly. She dried off and put her pajamas on. She walked out to the living room and left the message for Madison on the front table so she could call them back. She turned down her bed and got in. “Riley, come here boy. Time for bed.” Riley leaped up on the bed. “Good boy.” The two curled up with each other and fell asleep.
Madison came home an hour later. She walked past towards the kitchen and the note caught her eye. “Madi, call Bobby or somebody. He called tonight while you were gone. Love, Ri.” Madison thought to herself for a second. “Bobbi? Who’s Bobbi? She rolled up the note and threw it in the garbage can. She walked in towards the bedrooms and saw that a light was still on. She opened the bedroom door. “Ri, you up still?” Madison made her way through the room. She saw her friend was sound asleep with her dog. Madison pulled the covers up farther on Kelly and turned out the light. She walked silently past Kelly’s bed and up the spiral staircase into her room. She carefully closed the trap door when she jumped up through the hole and went into her dark room. She clicked on a light and changed her clothes. She got into bed and turned the light out. She put her hands behind her head and thought about her night. It had been fun to see Austin again, but Madison felt a little weird around him. Just the way he acted and looked at her. Her thoughts soon drifted from Austin to Brian. With him in mind she fell asleep.
Back at the BSB Hotel, in Kevin’s room…
It had been a half an hour since Kevin had spoken with Kelly and he was still embarrassed. “I can’t believe how dumb I sounded. She must think that I’m a dumbass! Where did I get the name Bobby from? Good lord.” Kevin was lying in his bed thinking to himself. He couldn’t believe that he had actually gotten to hear Kelly’s voice again. It was so beautiful, but sad sounding. He had heard a machine in the background. It sounded like a jacuzzi. “What I wouldn’t do to see her in that Jacuzzi.” He fell asleep with Kelly on his mind.