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Chapter 24.

Over the next two months Natalie and Avery were so busy. They gave notice at work that very same day they decided to move and immediately began searching for an apartment in Orlando. A month later they found themselves unpacking. They found jobs soon after. They hadn’t seen the guys since New York since they were still traveling on their promotional tour. Laura and George were on the road with the guys but Natalie and Avery didn’t get too lonely in Orlando because they still had Steve, and James to keep them company. Steve kept them quite busy helping him with his documentary and of coarse they always had wedding plans to make if they ever got bored. Natalie and Brian had decided to have the wedding after the Black and Blue concert tour ended. With the promotional tour coming to an end, the world tour was scheduled to kick off in Orlando in just 3 weeks, giving the guys 2 weeks to rest.

Natalie and Avery were so excited to have their boyfriends home for a whole 2 weeks. It was going to be the first time that they were home since the girls had moved to Florida. Steve had finally finished his documentary and wanted to show it to everyone so the girls decided to throw a small party at their new place when the guys returned home. When they called to invite James he suggested having the party at his house. He had a huge place with a home theater room to screen the movie in. The girls accepted the offer. They were so excited they could hardly stand it.

That night Natalie was talking on the phone to Brian and she was telling him about the party. All of the sudden he got quiet. “Brian?” Natalie asked. “You still there?”

“Sorry.” He said sounding distracted. “I just got the craziest idea.”

“Oh yeah? What?” Natalie asked intrigued.

“No, nothing. It’s crazy.”

“Come on tell me. What were you thinking?”

“Well I have been thinking a lot lately about having to go on a world tour for the next four months and I don’t want to be away from you that long.”

“I really don’t either but maybe it will go by fast. These last couple of months did.”

“Not for me they didn’t. Night after night in a lonely hotel room?”

“Brian.”

“Anyway, I was just thinking, about this party…”

“Yeah?”

“What if it turned out to be a wedding instead of a party? We could fly your friends and family out and have a surprise wedding. Then you could come on the tour with me and we wouldn’t have to spend the next 5 months apart.”

Brian listened to silence on the other end of the line. “I told you it’s completely crazy. We don’t have to do it.”

“No!” Natalie said, “I love it! I was just wondering if we could really pull it off. How fun would it be to surprise everyone like that? I think we should do it!”

“Really?”

“Let’s get married!” Natalie said excitedly. “But I have to tell Avery.”

“Deal,” Brian said, “If I can tell Nick.”

Natalie hung up with Brian and ran through the apartment and pounded on Avery’s bedroom door. She was on the phone with Nick. “Hang up. I have to tell you something!” she said.

Avery hung up the phone wand waited anxiously for the news. Natalie told her all about the wedding plans at the big party this week. Avery was really excited too. Neither of them thought about the fact that if Natalie got married in a week, Avery would no longer have a roommate. Instead they got busy planning a last minute wedding.

The week flew by and before they knew it, Natalie and Avery were pacing their apartment waiting for Nick and Brian to arrive. They jumped up and down with excitement as a town car pulled up in front of their building. They ran out the door and into Nick and Brian’s arms while a driver waited with the car running. Brian hopped in the front seat of the car while Avery and Natalie crammed into the back seat with Nick. They went to Nick’s house and Brian jumped in the back seat with Natalie while the driver pulled Nick’s luggage from the trunk. Natalie and Brian waved to Nick and Avery as they dragged Nick’s suitcases into the house. Natalie and Brian drove off to Brian’s place. The town car pulled up in front of Brian’s building. The driver pulled the luggage from the trunk. Natalie and Brian picked up the suitcases and headed up the steps. “Welcome back Brian!”

Natalie smiled as Manny opened the door for them. “Can I get someone to take those for you?” he asked pointing at the bags.

“I think we can handle it.” Brian said.

Manny looked at Natalie and smiled. “Miss Natalie! Welcome back!”

Natalie was surprised that he had remembered her name. “I hear congratulations are in order.” Many said cheerfully.

“Thank you.” Natalie replied.

Once upstairs Natalie and Brian plopped the luggage on the floor by the door and kissed each other. After a few minutes Brian sat down on the couch. “Can I ask you a question?” he said.

“Sure.” Natalie said snuggling up on the couch next to him.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her forgetting about everything else. He just wanted to hold her. “What did you want to ask me?” Natalie finally said.

Brian snapped out of his daze. “Oh, well I was talking to Nick about the wedding and he got this idea. I told him I’d run it by you.”

“What is it?”

“How would you feel if tomorrow nights party was a double wedding?”

“A what?” Natalie asked excitedly.

“A double wedding. As in more than one.”

“What are you saying?”

“Nick wants to ask Avery to marry him as well. He’s already got a ring and everything. On the off chance she’s up for it, how would you like it if they got married tomorrow as well?”

Natalie jumped up with excitement. “Oh my gosh I can’t believe it!” she said.
“So it’s ok then?” Brian asked.

“Of coarse! Oh my gosh Avery’s gonna flip! She has no idea he’s been thinking about marriage.”

“Good.” Brian said picking up his phone. “I’ll let him know it’s safe to ask her. He wanted to make sure you didn’t mind first.” Brian picked up his phone and called Nick.

Across town Nick and Avery were making out in Nick’s room. “So what do you want to do tonight?” Avery asked.

Nick looked at her. He seemed nervous about something. “I don’t care as long as we do it together.” He replied.

“That sounds good to me.” Avery said kissing him again.

Nick kissed her back but was startled by his phone ringing. He saw Brian’s number on the caller ID. “Hello?” he said into the phone.

“Hey she said yes.” Brian said.

“Sorry man. You’ve got the wrong number.” Nick said and hung up the phone. He smiled at Avery. “Why don’t we have a picnic on the beach tonight?” he said.

Avery smiled.

Nick’s house backed up to the ocean. He had his own little private beach in his backyard. At one end there was a dock where he kept his boat. At night his yard lit up with all sorts of lights. He and Avery sat on a big blanket that they had spread out on the sand. Nick flipped open the pizza box revealing a large plain cheese pizza. Avery smiled. “Never had a pizza for a picnic before,” she said.

“It reminds me of that first night we spent together. Best date I’ve ever had.”

“Did that count as a date?” Avery asked.

“Does it matter?” Nick replied.

“I guess not.” Avery said.

Nick and Avery sat on the beach and had a nice dinner of pizza and mountain dew, with gummy bears for dessert. After they were finished eating they laid down on the blanket looking at the stars with the sound of crashing waves behind them. Everything was so romantic. “Florida is so nice.” Avery said. “Sometimes I still can’t believe I live here.”

Nick rolled over on his side propping his head up on his elbow and looked at Avery. “Do you think Natalie and Brian are crazy?” he asked her.

Avery rolled over on her side facing him. “Getting married so fast?” he added.

Avery laughed, “I think they’re completely nuts!” she said.

Nick got nervous. Maybe asking her to marry him wasn’t such a good idea. Then Avery sighed, “But,” she said, “It really is romantic. I mean it may be crazy but if 2 people really love each other and they know they want to spend the rest of their lives together, why wait? They’re brave. If you ask me, sometimes people wait too long and eventually it only hurts the relationship.”

“So you think they’re doing the right thing?”

Avery sat up and looked at the ocean. “Yeah. I think they’re doing the right thing.” She said.

It was not or never. Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. He was so nervous. He sat up next to her and put his arm around her. “I’m glad you feel that way.” He said and held the ring up in his fingers. “Because I think we should be crazy and get married tomorrow too.”

Avery was floored. She had not seen that coming at all! Her mouth dropped and she tried to speak but she couldn’t catch her breath. “Avery Ann Donaldson will you marry me?” Nick said and then let out a huge breath as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.

Avery looked at Nick wild with excitement. Her smile gave Nick the answer he was looking for. He slipped the ring on Avery’s finger and then they kissed. They fell backward onto the blanket, Avery on top of Nick. She kissed him again. Nick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. All of the sudden Avery stopped kissing him and sat up confused. “Did you say tomorrow?” she asked.

Nick sat up. “Why not? Everyone’s going to be here. There’s already going to be one surprise wedding. Why not make it two. Think about it. We’ll have just enough time to go on a honeymoon before we go on tour.”

Avery drifted off into a daydream at the mention of a honeymoon. It took a few minutes for her brain to register the rest of Nick’s sentence. “Your tour.” She said, “I don’t want to get married and then have you leave me for 5 months.”

Nick laughed. “You wouldn’t have to. You can just come with me.”

“Come with you?” Avery said as if the thought had never occurred to her before.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Nick said. “It will be perfect. Natalie’s coming. You guys can keep each other company while we work and then we can all see the world together.”

“Natalie’s going on tour with you guys?”

“Of coarse. What did you think she was going to do?”

“I guess I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“You can come on tour with us whether we get married or not. So if you want to wait and plan your perfect dream wedding we can do that too. I just thought it might be fun to surprise everyone. And, to tell you the truth, I can’t wait to be your husband.”

Avery took a deep breath. “Husband!” she thought. She looked at Nick. “Let’s do it!” she said.

“Serious?”

“I’ve been calling myself Avery Carter for years. I’m ready to make it official!”

Nick laughed and then grabbed Avery and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss.