“Sandy! Will you let me explain? I didn’t tell you because we barely started dating… of course I trust you! I just needed time to tell you.” Valerie sighed into her phone. “How did you find out?”
“Well I don’t know if you know this but AJ is a Backstreet boy… so he has paparazzi following him around right?” Sandy said with annoyance. “Raul knows…” She finally said the only reason why she had called her first off.
“Wha- what do you mean Raul knows.” Valerie said panic clear in her voice.
“Yeah he came around looking for you again and showed me the picture he received by email by someone back in South Carolina.” Sandy said all at once. “He told me he’s going to look for you Val.”
“He wouldn’t… I am prepared to fight him Sandy. He messed up big time for many years…” Val said gritting her teeth remembering her relationship with Raul.
“Just be careful sweetie, will you call me soon to tell me more about AJ and you?” Sandy asked her sister a little worried with her decision to fight Raul.
“Yeah I just need to clear my head first…thanks for warning me Sandy. Say hi to mom and pops ok? I have to go.” Valerie said shutting her cell phone shut once she had done it that she screamed. “He wouldn’t…” she repeated to herself.
********
It had been two weeks since Sandy’s call and Valerie was surprised to see that Raul had just been bluffing. She had clearly told him to not get near her again, now here she was rushing to get ready for work.
“I have to run I can’t believe we overslept,” Valerie said bending to kiss AJ. “Lock up when you leave. Later,” she yelled but giggled when she felt AJ’s hand pull her down to him again. “I really have to go, I can’t be late…”
“Ok…” AJ said letting go of her. He kissed her once more, “I have to go pick up my mother today so I will call you so we can make arrangements.”
“Oh…right your mom is arriving today. Has it been two weeks already?” she bit her lip nervously. “Just let me know when ok?” she told him kissing him one more time and finally ran out of her bedroom.
*******
“Morning…” Stacy said as she held the elevator for Valerie. “Running late today?”
“Yeah kind of, how are you this fine morning?” Valerie asked as she pushed the button to her destination.
“Good…. I have my coffee in hand so I’ll manage. How about you?” Stacy asked as she took a sip of her coffee.
“I probably will get something from the cafeteria didn’t get a chance to get breakfast today.” She blushed a little remembering the night before.
“I heard today was Betty’s last day. She is heading back to Africa with Doctors without Borders.”
“Great I just wish she would take her husband with her… I can’t stand him he is acting so nice with her here.” Valerie said right before the elevator came to a stop.
“Well see you at lunch time?”
“Yeah later, I have to talk you about something kind of important.” Stacy said winking at her before the elevator doors closed.
*********
“Wow you look handsome,” Denise said as she embraced her son in a warm hug. “You look good I assume you’ve been eating right.” She told him pinching his cheeks.
“Nice to see you too mom, please stop that I am not ten anymore.” AJ said as he helped his mother with her luggage. “Ready?”
“Yeah let’s go I can’t wait to see Howie’s baby.” Denise said with excitement as she followed her son to his car.
“It’s open,” AJ said as he put his mother’s luggage in the back. A few minutes later he was in the driver’s seat pulling out of the airport.
“How’s work? How’s everyone back home?”
“Good they send there hello’s” Denise said looking at her son suspiciously. “Something is different from the last time we spoke,” she finally said.
AJ laughed lightly, “Nothing is different mom I am still the same, well I did get this new tattoo.” He smiled and cleared his throat, “well there is someone new in my life… well I don’t know if you can say new but.”
“Do I know her?” she asked excitedly.
********
“What a day!” Stacy said sitting next to Valerie in the cafeteria. “I have been working nonstop…”
“Yeah me too and not only that I got the invitation for a little goodbye party they are throwing for Betty after work.” Valerie sighed as she took a sip of her water.
“Me too… Are you going?” Stacy asked as she took a bite of her burger.
“I don’t think so,” Valerie answered.
“Well if you change your mind let me know.” Stacy said as she stared at Valerie and her salad untouched at the moment. “So Josh called me the other night very curious about something he saw in this gossip website…” Stacy said trying to find the right way to ask her if she was dating the guy she had left with the night they had gone out.
“Ahh, so this was the question… I guess you can tell Josh that it’s true. Its still in the early stages but we both are trying.” Valerie said finally taking a fork full of her salad. She a least had to control what she said when not around AJ.
“So is that all I am going to get?” Stacy asked a crooked smile on her face.
“For now yes… maybe later we can talk. I have to go back to work….later!” Valerie said giving her a smirk. “Later I promise.”
*********
“Yeah? Ok so Saturday then… I am going to miss you till then.” Valerie told AJ as punched out for the day.
“Val it’s only for one day… Saturday I’ll find a way to go over for the night after we have dinner with mom. She is very excited to see you…”
“Ok well bye I’ll talk to you later tonight at least right?” Valerie asked with a smile on her face when she realized how close she suddenly had become with him.
“Yes I’ll call you… love you bye.”
“Me too,” she managed to say before she heard him click. He was still in the studio so he was in a hurry.
“Valerie wait!” Martha the other intern in that area yelled.
“Yes?” Valerie asked spinning around to face her.
“You got something it’s in the waiting area…” She told her with a big smile on her face.
“What did I get?” Valerie asked curiously.
“Oh you’ll see come on now,” Martha said pulling her toward the waiting.
Valerie walked quickly to keep up with Martha and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the big bouquet of her favorite flower. “My… wow.” She smiled and had to touch one of the cal lilies to make sure they were real.
********
She placed the flowers on the center table and just admired them. There had not been a note or nothing on them. AJ was really trying to get her at ease for Saturday. Howie must have told him which was her favorite flower. She was startled by her phone and smiled when she saw it was AJ. “Hello,” she said excitedly. “You’re calling early.”
“Yeah well I am driving home and I thought I could hear your lovely voice while I drive. How was work?” AJ asked Val.
“Good busy but I am loving every minute of it.” Valerie wanted to scream thank you but she was hoping AJ would bring the flowers up himself.
“That’s good babe I can’t wait for you to be my doctor…” he told her.
“I can’t be your doctor silly I am specializing in infants.” Valerie laughed lightly… “But I will gladly be your nurse anytime.” She couldn’t believe she had said that.
“Oh I like that idea…Hey babe call you later I just parked. Love you.”
“Wait I wanted to thank you for today…” Valerie couldn’t hold it anymore. “The flowers are beautiful…”
AJ was a little surprised at the mention of flowers, “What Flowers babe?”
Chapter End Notes:
ok three more chapters up... soon I will be only posting new material...soon.. hehe.. please review.
