New Years Disaster of 2012…

Hello Out There. Please read and review.

a/n: This is set New Years Eve. If you've read the first chapter, you'll get the drift

Disclaimer: The Characters are not mine, or I'd treat them better.

Chapter Four

The Grand Ballroom was decorated and roaring with music and laughter. Krystal sat at the bar sipping her wine, and perusing the crowd. It seems that she was one of the first people to arrive, but people were quickly filling the space.

Her eyes were on the partygoers, but her mind was on the conversation she had the day before…

"Listen mountain man, if you think you can tell me what to do because you're my man now, you are sorely mistaken." Krystal teased as she stroked Caleb's chest through his shirt. She was sitting on Caleb's lap on his living room couch. "I set the rules in this relationship, buster."

"Hmm… so you're saying that as long as you're my girlfriend, you call all the shots, is that right?" Caleb was kissing Krystal's neck softly.

"Yes indeedy." Krystal kissed his lips before standing to go refresh their drinks.

"What if you were my wife?" Caleb said as Krystal's back was turned.

"Ha! If I were your wife, you'd have less a say in what I do and don't do. So thank your lucky stars for that." Krystal had filled their glasses and turned back toward the couch. Sitting on the coffee table was a small opened ring box, with a diamond shining brightly at her.

"What if that was completely ok with me? What if I told you that I have never met another woman that bossed me around like you do, and made me live for it? Not even she-who-must-not-be-named-in-your-presence." Caleb rose from the couch a short distance to kneel before Krystal. He took the drinks from her hands and placed them on the coffee table, and turned back with the ring box in hand. "Krystal, I have met and loved many powerful women in my life. None of them understood me like you do. None of them take care of me like you do. And I see no other reason not to want that for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

"Krystal?" Krystal snapped out of her memory by someone calling her name. "Krystal? Hey. You ok there? You look miles away." Jack took the stool next to her.

"Hey, Jack. I'm here. At least I am physically. Mentally, I am as lost as this wine will take me." Krystal downed the rest of the wine at the bottom of her glass.

"Starting early drinking on your own? I thought you were coming with Bianca and Marissa?"

"Nah, I booked a suite here last night, and got ready here." Krystal took a sip from her drink.

"Well, you are looking beautiful. But why are you staying here? Where's your beau? Where's Caleb?"

"My Beau is… meeting me here…eventually… I hope." Krystal released a heavy sigh.

"That sounds like there's a possibility he may not be?" Jack motioned to the bartender to refresh their drinks.

"That would be correct. There's a possibility I've messed things up big time for Caleb and me." Krystal took her new drink. "Thanks."

"Well I know what a bullhead Caleb has, but I'm sure it's not that bad. What'd he do?"

"He proposed." Krystal said bluntly as Jack spat out his drink.

"He proposed?" Jack coughed. "And you said…?"

"And I said I had to think about it. And he wasn't to thrilled about that." Krystal sipped her wine.

"Well, I can see that being a shot to his pride, but not enough to shut you out." Jack wiped the little bit of his cognac that he spilled on his tie.

"He's not shutting me out. I asked him to give me until tonight to think it over." Krystal said.

"Why would that make him upset? A lot of women need time to think a proposal over."

"Well it's not that exactly. Caleb seems to think it's someone, not something, holding me back from saying yes." Krystal turned her body toward the bar and away from Jack. "He thinks I'm in love with you."

Jack spat out his drink again. "What?!"

"Yup. It looks like Erica's been bending his ear about her own insecurities about you and me. When I didn't say yes right away, he assumed it was because of you." Krystal handed Jack another napkin.

"But that's insane. You and I have never…"

"I know. But that hasn't exactly stopped Erica from believing we have, now has it?" Krystal motioned for another round for Jack. "I just didn't want to jump into another marriage, you know?"

The look Krystal saw on Jack's face made them both break into laughter. They were laughing so hard that they had braced themselves on each other. "Of course you know! Look who I'm talking to!"

Jack was tearing up from laughing, "Hey, at least I got the ring on her finger. It's dragging her rear to the alter that has been the problem."

"This time." Krystal added. Jack began coughing on his drink again, and Krystal patted his back as they continued to laugh.

"Please do let me in on this joke that has you two laughing… together." Jack and Krystal turned at the voice of an irate Erica.

Krystal rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, relax. We were just having a friendly conversation. You know, between friends. Platonic, no interest in each other, good friends." Krystal placed her unfinished wine on the bar and grabbed her purse to leave.

"Well, I'll thank you to not have that 'good friend' be my fiancé." Erica said curtly.

"Erica…" Jack attempted to pull Erica away, but she would have none of it.

"No, Jack, darling. You know that I trust you with my life. But trust is not anywhere in Krystal's vocabulary. Neither are words like 'loyalty', 'truth', and 'honor'."

"Now see here Erica. I don't expect you and I to be besties anytime soon. But don't you dare start questioning my character unless you want yours called out as well. You may be all sophistication and glamour to your admirers, but to me you're nothing but a puffed-up diva that thinks she's above everyone else."

The huff that escaped Erica's lips, stopped Krystal from walking away.

She turned back and entered Erica's personal space. "As for my friendship with Jackson. You have nothing to worry about. Unlike the rest of the world, this doesn't revolve around you. So I'm asking you once again, if not for my sake, than for our girls that are about to get married- Back. Off." She grabbed her glass of wine and began to walk away one more.

Erica huffed once more, and in a low voice said, "Low Class."

Krystal turned as red as the wine in her hand, and before another word was spoken, the wine was all over Erica's dress. The last straw had been drawn.

"How's that for low class you hoity-toity glamour hog!" Krystal yelled…