“You’re so in love with him, Ray!” Savanna grinned, poking her best friend in the side, giggling.
“Yeah, I am; but I will never have him,” Rayvin replied, squirming away from Savanna. “Plus, I don‘t even know who he is, Sav. He comes in here really disguised up. What if he is a psycho killer dude or something?”
“Don’t say that,” Savanna replied, putting an arm around Rayvin. Rayvin looked at the ceiling and decided that she wasn’t going to argue with her friend, but that she would just remain quiet.

Rayvin was a 22 year old girl with long dark blonde hair that had blonde streaks in it, blue-gray eyes, small oval-rimmed glasses, a slim, petite body and a great personality. She was passionately in love with a guy she had seen who was a regular customer at the music store she worked at. He had blonde hair, and he was really tall compared to her and he looked like he was a bit chubby but in a cute way. He was in the music store regularly. He always came in with a beanie on his head, darkened sunglasses and clothes that disguised himself.

“Look! There he is!” Savanna smiled, gesturing in his direction. The mysterious crush of Rayvin’s looked over in her direction and smiled.
“Stop making it obvious,” Rayvin whispered.
Savanna pushed her best friend forward. “Go over and ask him if he needs help.”
Rayvin took a deep breath and left from behind the cash register and grabbed a clipboard. He was facing a CD rack and she stood beside him.
“Do you need help finding anything?” she asked.
He looked over at her and smiled. “I’m okay. Thanks.”
“Alright. If you need anything, my name is Rayvin,” she replied with a smile.
That wasn’t so hard, she thought to herself, turning on her heel and walking away. She had a smile on her face. She walked back to her register and sat on the stool and looked up to find that the guy was at her register.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hello,” she replied. He put the CD on the counter and began to take out his wallet. Rayvin rang up the CD.
“$19.50,” she said. He gave her a $20 and said to keep the change for it.
A whole fifty cents! Wow! Rayvin thought to herself with a smile. He smiled at her and walked out. Looking down at the counter, she noticed that there was a piece of folded paper there. Picking it up and opening it, it read: Call me - 498-0076
“What’s that?” Savanna asked.
“His number,” she smiled.
“You got his number?” Savanna asked, excitedly.
“He gave it to me randomly when he brought up that cd,” she smiled. Savanna smiled and gave her best friend a hug.
“That’s awesome! Are you going to call him?” Savanna asked.
“I guess. I have to get the balls up to do it first,” Rayvin smiled.
“Oh come on! He’s totally into you if he just gave you his number!” Savanna said.
“How do I know he’s not some kind of yuppie just trying to get ass?” Rayvin asked.
“I didn’t see him glance down at any part of your body, Ray. He stared you in the face,” Savanna asked.
“How do we know that? He had sunglasses on,” Rayvin said with a frown.
“Oh my god. You always have to get so negative, don’t you?” Savanna asked.
“Of course. Who would I be if I wasn’t negative?” Rayvin smiled.
“Shut up, Ray. Come on, let’s check out before we go get some lunch,” Savanna said with a laugh. Rayvin nodded in agreement and they punched out, leaving the CD store. They walked up the steps over to the food court. Deciding on something, they agreed to head over Subway. To their surprise, they saw the mystery guy that Rayvin was crushing on.

Chapter 2: The Phone Call

Rayvin froze on her spot as she locked her eyes on her crush. Savanna gently nudged her for her to walk forward so they could order food.

“Calm down, Rayvin! It’s not like you’re never going to see him again. He gave you his flippin number!” Savanna whispered as they got into line. Rayvin sighed as she watched him eat, then suddenly felt like a stalker and faced forward.

After they ordered their food, Rayvin turned around again and he was gone.

“He’s gone!” Rayvin cried out.

“Don’t worry about it. He probably had some things to do,” Savanna replied, walking towards a table for them to sit at. To their luck, they sat at the table he had sat at only to find writing on a napkin saying: Meet me at 7:00 tomorrow night by the phone booths by the movie theaters. I’ll be using the middle phone.

“I’m meeting him tomorrow,” Rayvin smiled, putting the napkin in her pocket.

“Sounds like a secret kind of way to ask you out. Cute!” Savanna cooed. “I wish I had a stalker-like secret man asking me out!” she mocked.

"Shut up and eat your meat-wedge thing,” Rayvin smiled, throwing a napkin at Savanna.

Finishing up their lunch break, they walked back to the music store and finished their day there. They had to stay a little longer because it was payday. Receiving their checks, they went and cashed them and then split ways and went home.

As Rayvin pulled up into her driveway, she rolled down her window and punched in her code and the gates to her house opened. Then she hit the garage opener button and the garage opened. She parked her car in the garage and got out. She hit the gate button and the gates closed and she went inside.

Throwing her keys on the counter in the kitchen, she checked her messages. No new ones.

Figures, she thought to herself, opening her refrigerator. She pulled out the carton of orange juice, grabbed a cup and poured some into it. Putting it back in her fridge, she pulled out her crush’s number and went over to her phone, taking it into the living room. Her hands slightly shook as she turned the phone on and stared at the number.

She stared at the number so long without doing anything that the dial tone disappeared and there was beeping. It startled her and she turned the phone off. Rayvin turned the TV on and flipped through the channels and when she realized nothing really good was on, she just left MTV on.

Call him Rayvin. Just frickin do it! She yelled at herself. She took a deep breath and turned the phone on, dialing his number. Putting it to her ear, it rang.

“Sup this is Nick. If you’re getting this, I either don’t have my phone around, it’s off, or I just don’t want to talk to you. Leave me a message and I’ll think about getting back to you,” his voicemail rang. His voice made Rayvin quiver.

God he sounds so sexy! She smiled. She hung up before the beep. She decided that she would call the next day to confirm the date.

The next morning, Rayvin woke up to the phone ringing. She reached over to the phone, picking it up.

“Hello?” She replied, still half asleep.

“Who is this?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Who is this?” Rayvin replied, waking up a bit more, sitting upright in bed.

“You called my phone,” the male replied.

Rayvin’s eyes widened. “I’m Rayvin.”

Dial tone.

Rayvin knew exactly who it was. She smiled and got up, putting the phone back in its cradle, walking to her bathroom, undressing and getting into the shower.

By noon, she was dressed and ready for the day. She called Savanna and they decided to meet up at the mall and do some shopping for her mystery date that night.

Rayvin was ready to go. She was wearing a black spaghetti-strap tank top with her black pants that curved to her body. She had platform sandals on and her hair hung around her shoulders. She sprayed herself with a little bit of her Sterling Silver perfume and she left the house, getting into her car and leaving.

Don’t be nervous! It is going to be fine, she repeated to herself.

She took a deep breath as she pulled into the parking lot of the movie theaters. Looking at the phone booths, she saw no one inside them. Sighing, she parked the car and got out, walking over to the phone booths and sitting on the bench that was across from them. She stared at the ground and then glanced at her watch. It was only 7:45pm.

Fifteen minutes left. Don’t worry Ray. He will show, she told herself reassuringly.

A little bit later, she looked at her watch and it read 8:05pm. She was ready to leave when someone came and walked into the middle phone booth. She stood up and walked over to the phone booths. The person inside turned around and was wearing sunglasses and a black beanie. He was about 5’9” and pretty thin, but he looked well built. He had a little goatee and tanned skin. He wore all black except for a white wife beater under his shirt.

“Are you Rayvin?” He asked her.

“Yes. Who are you?” She asked.

“Alex. I’m a friend of Nick’s. He told me to give you this,” he replied, handing her a folded up piece of paper and slipping past her to get back into his car.

“Wait!” she called out. “Why isn’t he here?”

“Read it,” Alex said, getting back into his car, starting it up and leaving. Curious, she sat back down on the bench and opened the piece of paper.

Ray, I’m really sorry I can’t be there. Something came up and it’s keeping me. I looked at my clock at 7:45 and I realized that I had to meet you but I couldn’t, so I got my friend to get to you so you didn’t think I was just ditching you. Please, see me at Studio 66 tonight at 10. I’ll be waiting, love. - Nick

“Wow, so I get to travel around some more. How nice!” She said out loud and standing back up to get into her car.

It can’t be that bad. I can get Savanna to come to the Studio with me tonight, Rayvin thought to herself as she drove back to her house. She wasn’t upset, she just wished she could have seen Nick right there in that phone booth.

“I’ll be there!” Savanna smiled into the phone. Rayvin had called her to ask her if she would go to the Studio with her. Obviously, she agreed. Rayvin said that she would pick her up. This gave Rayvin time to change. To go to a club, she dressed differently. She kept the same shirt on, but put a tight, black miniskirt on. She smiled at herself in the mirror and zipped up her knee-high boots then grabbed her purse and left the house to go to Savanna’s.

10:00pm came and they were in the club. Savanna looked stunning in a tight, short stormy blue dress with black platform sandals. The music was blaring and they were thrilled to be at a club again. It had been a while since they went to a club, so being there together was a thrill. Rayvin had no idea where she was supposed to meet Nick, so she and Savanna just decided to hit the dance floor until it was 10, and then she would go to the bar and wait there.

When “Toxic” by Britney Spears, a remix, came on over the speakers and Rayvin had a big smile on her face. It was one of her favorite songs, so she went all out in dancing. She and Savanna were facing each other as they were dancing. Savanna grinned as Rayvin felt someone come up behind her, grinding their hips against her. She knew it was a male because she could feel it. He had his hands on her waist and their lower body’s were pressed against each other. The breath on her neck gave her chills and she smiled, grinding her hips against him, hearing a soft rumble in her ear over the music. He took her hands in his and rested his hands on her thighs and she smiled, getting an idea in her head. She grabbed onto Savanna who had the same guy from earlier in the phone booth grinding with her and they lead them over to the wall. Still not seeing their faces, the girls pushed the boys up against the wall, grinding their asses against them.

The song ended, and the girls stopped dancing, stepping away from their dance partners and turning around. It was dark and they could not see their faces. They grabbed the boys’ hands and took them over to the phone booths that were in the club.

“Who are you guys?” Rayvin asked, as they stood in the light. Suddenly, when they saw who their dance partners were, their jaws dropped.

“What the-” Rayvin began. She was at a loss of words when she saw who was standing in front of her and her best friend.

“This can’t be true,” Savanna said, resting her hands on her hips.

“It is true,” the blonde replied. Rayvin had to lean against the wall for support. She couldn’t believe who was standing in front of her. Nick Carter and AJ McLean.

“Ray, come with me really quickly,” Savanna said, grabbing onto Rayvin’s arm and pulling her into the bathroom. “We’ll be back. Don’t leave.”

“Can you believe this?” Savanna asked, once they got into the bathroom.

“No! How often does it happen like this?” Rayvin smiled.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining!” Savanna laughed. The girls grinned at each other and took a breath before walking out to the boys. When they returned, they did not like what they saw. They saw two bimbos dancing on them.

“We can’t get mad,” Rayvin shouted, above the music. “They’re not our boys.” Savanna nodded her head in agreement and the two girls just walked over to the boys and stole them from the other girls.

“Thank you,” Nick whispered into Rayvin’s ear. She smiled as they walked over to the bar in another room and sat down, starting to talk. AJ and Savanna were off dancing up a storm on the dance floor.

“So, how old are you?” Nick asked.

“I’m 22,” she replied with a smile. The bartender handed her a glass of water and she sipped at it, looking at Nick.

“That’s cool. What brings you here tonight?” he asked.

“I should be asking you the same thing!” she replied with a laugh. He gave out a laugh. “Pretty much, I was supposed to meet this mystery guy who keeps coming into my job. He left me a note for me to meet him and he had to send his friend because he never showed up. My best friend who is over there with AJ and I decided that it was still early and we decided to come out. He is supposed to be here at 10, and it‘s 10:15pm right now. Funny because the guy you are with looks really familiar. He was at the phone booth.” That’s when it clicked. Nick had a smile on his face. She knew that she knew that smile.

“No way!” she gasped, almost dropping the cup she held in her hand.

“Yes way,” Nick replied with a smile. “I’m him.” Rayvin’s heart was in her throat when she found out. Nick Carter, crushing on her, asking her out through mysterious letters? It was like a dream to her.

Wow…Nick Carter?! she thought to herself in disbelief. All he could do is sit and grin at her, staring her in the eyes. Savanna and AJ came over to them.

“Savanna, we need to talk,” Rayvin said, grabbing Savanna’s hand. Savanna let go of her hand.

“No. I already know, Ray. AJ told me,” Savanna smiled.

“Of course, I am the last to find out everything!” Rayvin grunted.

“Surprise?” Nick said, holding back laughter. Everyone decided to leave the club because it wasn’t hopping like usual, so they went out to a Pizza place to get late night dinner.

“You guys go sit down. I’ll order the pizza,” Nick said.

“Oh no! I don’t trust you with pizza, Carter!” AJ protested. Rayvin and Savanna giggled as they took a seat. “You girls want anything to drink?”

“Get a pitcher of Pepsi,” Rayvin requested. Savanna nodded in agreement as the girls went to the back of the pizza place to sit in a booth. It was a rounded booth and the girls sat right in the middle next to each other. Within minutes, the boys came back and scooted next to the girls. Nick put his arm around Rayvin and AJ put his arm around Savanna.

“So how come you came into the store everyday, Nick? And why didn’t you bring AJ?” Savanna asked. Rayvin’s eyes grew wide and she pinched Savanna’s thigh. “Ow!”

“I came in everyday because I wanted to see Rayvin. I just wonder why she never talked to me until the other day. I never brought AJ because he was always gone busying himself with sunglasses or clothes or something like that,” Nick replied.

“Stalker,” Rayvin mumbled.

“Hey! I heard that!” Nick protested, poking her in the side. She jumped and started to laugh.

About 20 minutes later, their food came. It was a large pizza, half cheese and half pepperoni. Rayvin slid a piece of pepperoni pizza onto her plate as everyone else served themselves. They sat and ate, talked and laughed too.

I really like him… Rayvin thought to herself. She had only really just met him, but yet she knew there was a spark there. The feeling was mutual.

The night ended and the group of four decided to call it a night. They exchanged phone numbers and Nick walked Rayvin to the car as well as AJ with Savanna.

“I promise to call you,” Nick smiled, taking Rayvin’s hands in his own.

“Okay, but if you call before noon, I can’t promise that what happens won’t be painful,” she replied with a grin. She glanced over at Savanna and AJ, and they were lip locking. Nick glanced as well, and Rayvin noticed that his cheeks grew a shade of pink.

“Calm down there, Sav! We need to get going,” Rayvin said, interrupting the two. They pulled apart, smiling wildly. Rayvin laughed and Savanna kissed AJ once more before opening the door and getting into the car. Nick leaned down and gently pop kissed Rayvin on the lips, and lightly squeezing her hand. Rayvin smiled and got into the car, starting the engine and driving off, seeing AJ and Nick watching them from her rearview mirror.

“What a night!” Savanna sighed happily.

“You can say that again! We’re basically dating two Backstreet Boys!” Rayvin grinned.

“We’re not dating them yet,” Savanna said.

“yet,” Rayvin pointed out. The girls laughed and put on the radio, bobbing their heads to the music. Rayvin ended up just driving home with Savanna in the passenger seat, suggesting that she just spend the night. Savanna agreed and the two went home and watched a romance movie until they fell deep asleep.