The Hollywood Arts gang had built the sets and were finishing up painting them when the iCarlies bombarded them in the theatre . Jade was finishing up painting the barn backdrop while Beck took the paintbrush away from her , Andre and Tori were cleaning up the painting supplies while Cat and Robbie were working on the sound board together .
" Wow , this theatre is massive ! That is a cool barn….I didn't know you had farmers in your play, Jade " commented Gibby, plopping down in one of the seats .
Beck took the paintbrush from his girlfriend in case she decided to throw it at their new friend . He didn't want to take the chance with her .
" More like it's a secret meeting place for Tori and Andre 's characters "
" We got the whole forbidden love story going in Jade's play ,dude "
" Are you guys about ready to call it a day ? " inquired Freddie ," we were about ready to head back home and get cleaned up, thought you guys might like to get some dinner and do something for fun "
" We still have a lot of work to do here " informed a determined Jade, stepping back to survey her work ," we haven't even checked out the lighting yet "
" I can do that tomorrow , Jade " volunteered Robbie ," I don't think it will take that long "
" The set needs to dry, Babe " Beck kissed her brow and steered her away from the stage before she went back into crazy ,nervous director mode again .
" Fine " Jade agreed , reluctantly ," so, you guys have anyplace fun around here ? "
" Oh karaoke could be fun ," interjected Cat , excitedly ," we like to go to Nozu on Karaoke night or karaoke Dokee but I imagine you don't have them around here "
" You guys want to go .sing for fun ?" asked Sam, making a face .
" Sure do ," chimed in Tori ," unless you have other fun things planned for us or if you don't want to go with us , we can hang out together by ourselves "
" I do know of one place that has karaoke " suggested Carly , flashing a mega watt flirty smile towards Robbie who was apparently whispering sweet nothings in Cat's ear ," I think it sounds like a lot of fun. We don't karaoke enough these days and I do like to sing "
Sam sent her best friend a look as if to say' what the chizz ?' but kept quiet .
" You want to take them to Luke's club ," interjected Sam," don't know what you guys are into but they have a stage .Not to mention pretty tasty chicken wings "
" Buffalo nuggets ?" asked Beck, curiously . He was a big fan of them and regardless of the fact that they should be trying new foods , he was famished and chicken sounded good .
" Burger would be good too " Andre brushed some paint off of Tori's cheek ," how did you get paint on your face ? We were painting the same strip of barn , Tor "
Tori couldn't help but laugh at herself ." Must have brushed up against it "
" Good look for you " He couldn't resist teasing her and grinned when she joined in .
Things really did feel right with them again and he wasn't going to question them or give her any reason to second guess why that was and go back to freaking out .
Tonight he was going to approach things as if he was taking her out on a date and maybe not tell her that and see how things played out between them instead .
Be easier to back off later , if he needed too .
" So can we get supper at this place , you guys ?"
" The foods good " explained Freddie , sliding a arm around his girlfriends waist ," unless you guys wanted to try something else . I'm not a big fan of sushi or anything but there are some sushi places in town ….."
" NO " chorused Beck, Robbie, and Andre in one voice and much to the girls dismay .
Cat sighed ," We like sushi "
" You girls picked the karaoke ," Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat ," we get to pick supper tonight . I think that is only fair "
" I suppose that makes sense " sighed Cat , smiling up sweetly at him .
" Alright now that that is settled why don't we go home and get ready ," Carly made herself known ," I need to check in with Spencer anyway about tonight "
She made a face ," not that I need my brothers permission to do anything but he thinks Luke's is a dive "
" I bet he'll be too busy mooning over Trina to care one way or the other "
" Gibby, that is gross ! Spencer isn't moony over Trina ! "
" I don't see why its gross, Carly ," replied a baffled Gibby ," Trina is hot and there was some like massive sparks flying between them the other night and all they were doing were eating spaghetti tacos "
" I wouldn't think anything of it ," dismissed Tori , climbing down the stage to rejoin everyone ," Trina flirts with anything in jeans . My sister isn't serious about any one guy "
" This is true ," volunteered Robbie ," Trina used to flirt with me to get me to do things for her all the time . She hates me too "
" I never liked that Trina used you either " says Cat, under her breath .
" Well, my brother gets involved really fast and that would be crazy " stated Carly ," so why don't we all go get cleaned up and meet back at my place around eight ?"
" Let's do it " voiced Andre ,for the rest of his friends ," tonight is on "
" So, let me get this straight ," Trina crossed her legs together on the stool, tossing her dark hair provocatively off of her shoulders as she took in what he had been telling her about his life ," your Dad doesn't want to turn your sister or you into Army brats so he leaves you in charge to raise your teenage sister all by yourself "
Spencer paused his painting to gaze thoughtfully at her and loved how much energy she exuded . They had been talking for hours now as he painted her and it amazed him at how fascinating Trina really was and he wanted to know more about her .
" I don't know if I would say that about it ," He considered , carefully then conceded ," I do have legal guardianship to Carly in case anything would happen to Dad but okay I guess that is pretty accurate "
" Wow ," Trina was impressed and she didn't impress easily or at all ," so you basically gave up having any social life to be a parent to Carly . Spencer , that is so incredible ! How many guys can or would do that kind of thing ? "
He shrugged but a wide smile tugged at the corners of his mouth." I wanted to do it Trina . I mean it isn't that much of a big deal and Carly is a good kid "
" Yes it's a big deal ! I don't do compliments , Spencer , so you should just thank me "
Spencer sat the brush down and marveled at how flawless Trina was or how much she inspired him.
" Thanks " Spencer walked over to her , adjusting her stool, and the sultry scent of her perfume hitting him in the solar plexus as he was suddenly more aware of how close they were ," but what about you ? How come no boyfriends back in Hollywood ? You're beautiful and funny and confident, I just don't get it "
Trina found herself coloring at his compliment and their eyes met and held.
" Never met the right guy in California , I suppose ,Spencer "
He gulped and touched a soft strand of hair laying against her shoulder , awareness and heat pulsating between them as if the kiss this morning was both playing heavily on their minds .
" We..we shouldn't be doing this , Trina "
Her smile was slow and seductive ." Doing what, Spencer ?"
Spencer ignored the warnings in his head and touched her cheek and marveled how soft her skin was ." You really gave me a concussion , Trina , because I cant stop thinking about you ! "
Trina stood up and her expression was soft and tentative ." I don't want you to stop, Spencer ! I don't see why we should stop it at all…not when we both feel it "
" you are dangerous , Trina Vega "
Just as he was about to kiss her, the door burst open bringing in Carly, Tori, and Cat chatting animatedly about boys and other girly things and ruining the moment before it could even happen .
He stepped back as if they had dowsed him with cold water ." Hey there girls "
Trina shot her sister and Cat a death glare worthy of Jade West ." Crap "
Spencer backed away from Trina and began cleaning off his paintbrushes to occupy himself and forced casualness back into his tone .
" How did the set up go, kiddo ? You guys get your backdrop all ready for the festival or do you want me to come down tomorrow and give you a hand ?"
" No, we got it ," Carly answered ," how's the painting coming along ? "
She couldn't help but note how nervous her older brother seemed or the weird vibe she was getting off of Trina and thought of Gibby's earlier comment which was nuts .
" Wow, Spencer , this is really good ! "
" Trina is an inspiration ," admitted a sincere Spencer ," its easy to paint her , Carly "
" That really does look like my sister " marveled an impressed Tori, checking it out as well as Trina motioned for her to join her in the corner ," you do know Trina is going to want you to make her a copy of this for her room "
" Shut up, Tori, and come here " hissed Trina , jerking her head again .
" What do you want ?" asked Tori , curiously ," I need to start getting ready for tonight "
" I don't care what you need ," declared Trina , urgently ," um, Cat, come here too. "
" Kay kay " Cat joined the girls near the huge window overlooking the loft ," what is it ? Is it a secret ? I love secrets …"
" Cat and Tori are going to help me fix my make up " Trina shoved both of them inside the bathroom around the corner while Carly and Spencer were talking .
" You've never let me touch your make up "
" I can totally redo your make up for you ! I just need to get my make up bag upstairs "
" This isn't about my make up, you idiots ," Trina worried her lower lip," your timing sucks ! Why couldn't you find somewhere else to be so that I can be alone with Spencer "
" Trin, are you crushing on your boss ? That isn't cool plus its kind of gross . "
" This isn't a stupid crush, Tori ," Trina was worked up in a frenzy ," and Spencer isn't gross . Gross is Robbie "
Cat put her hands on her hips ." Robbie isn't gross ! We've talked about this already ! "
" Fine, right, I'm sorry , Cat , but the thing is that I really , really have strong feelings for Spencer and I need for you to keep his sister occupied so he and I can see what is going on between us "
Cat's expression softened into a smile ." You really like him "
" I really do " admitted Trina , lightly ," and he thinks im pretty and funny . Can you keep Carly from interrupting us so I can make him see that he wants me "
Tori couldn't believe what she was hearing and had to be the practical one in this .
She hated to throw cold water on her sisters idea of romance but this was crazy even for Trina and as usual her big sister just wasn't thinking things through .
" Trina , you cant be serious ," stated Tori, matter of fact ,' Spencer is old ..like a lot older than you. Like Sikowitz old and you know that is gross so don't even deny it and you shouldn't be wanting to date him in the first place ..he's your boss "
" He can fire me and we can date , Tori "
" I give up ! You're nuts ! I'm going to go now and get ready for tonight "
Tori shook her head at her sister and left the bathroom passing Spencer and Carly who were having a disagreement .
" Luke's is a dive ," argued Spencer ," I don't care if Sam knows the owner because her Mom dated the dude or that he's modeled the club after a blues club off a soap opera, I really don't like the idea of you guys hanging out there "
" Our guests want to karaoke and Luke's has the coolest atmosphere for fun, Spencer "
" Fine but I'm going along with you guys " declared Spencer ," I'll hang back at a separate table so your new Hollywood friends don't think I'm the dork who is spoiling your fun and their fun but I will be there "
" Sam can take care of any problems that might come up..not that I'm expecting any. Not to mention that girl Jade is scary…I really think we're going to be safe "
" Your still not going to change my mind "
" Change your mind about what ?" asked Trina as she and Cat rejoined them in the living room .
" Carly and the guys are taking your sister and everyone to a club tonight ," explained Spencer ," I'm going along to chaperone "
" Chaperone ? Oh, well, that couldn't be more perfect because I am their chaperone too , Spencer ! Isn't that great ! We can chaperone together tonight "
He swallowed the lump lodged in his throat and nodded ." Perfect "
" Well, I'm going to get changed ," announced Cat ," I think I'm in the mood for a dress tonight and pink. Robbie loves me in pink "
Carly watched as the redhead went upstairs and considered this new piece of information.
"Pink eh," murmured the pretty brunette , under her breath," I love pink "
Robbie Shapiro wouldn't know what hit him when she went into flirty Carly mode and she was playing with the intent of winning her a brand new boyfriend .
This afternoon only confirmed what she already felt in her heart and that was that it must have been fate that had brought Robbie to Seattle and into her life .
Carly always believed in fate and true love and here it was for her .
Though it was a known fact that it could take as long as two hours for Carly to get prettied up, she made record time painting her nails, fixing her hair , and finding the perfect dress while Cat and Tori were still upstairs getting ready to go out .
If there was one thing she had learned from her best friend it was that getting the upper hand was important and Carly knew she could apply it to a rather complicated romantic situation .
She didn't expect the complications to last that long after all and there were very few boys that were immune to her flirtations and charms .
The doorbell buzzed and Carly yelled ," Come in "
Robbie stepped in, closing the door behind him, and looked around for his girlfriend.
" Hi Carly ," Robbie rocked back on his heels ," I don't suppose Cat is ready yet ?"
" Nope ," Carly smoothed the skirt of her pink dress ," last time I was upstairs she and Tori were debating over heels or flats to wear. " She let out a laugh ," Silly thing to be debating over and I wore the flats but not to worry , Robbie . I'm not planning on climbing any ladders tonight …"
" Oh, sometimes Cat thinks she's too short " replied Robbie , knowingly ," must be one of those nights. You look very nice, Carly "
Carly beamed and twirled in her dress - a sleek pale pink strapless number that hit just above her knees , and felt lovely .
" I'm happy that you like it , Robbie ," Carly advanced closer to him, touching his arm," I was hoping you would dance with me tonight . Do you dance ?"
Robbie gulped nervously and took a step back from her ." I'm Cat's fella . She's my girl and I am her fella, Carly "
" I don't think she would mind if you danced one little dance with me, Robbie "
Robbie wasn't sure what exactly was going on here and Andre or beck weren't around but he was almost positive that Carly was coming onto him.
" You don't know my girlfriend ," stated Robbie , beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable as the brunette inched closer to him ," Cat gets really jealous ! "
" That would be silly ," Carly straighten his collar on his blue shirt ," we are friends. Aren't we, Robbie ? It's perfectly acceptable for two friends to share a dance "
" I suppose so ….." Robbie tried to ignore the softness of her perfume and darted around the couch, wishing his girlfriend or even Tori would hurry up and get their tushes downstairs .
Where the heck were they ?
" Carly is Robbie here .." Cat came downstairs ," I thought I heard his voice " Her brown eyes sparkled at the sight of her boyfriend and in a flash , she was in his arms ," Robbie ! Sorry I took so long ….oh , you look so handsome tonight "
He bent to kiss her, tenderly ." No problem, no worries , Carly and I were just talking . That's all ..talking and you look beautiful, sweetie . I love that dress on you "
Cat wore a short cotton candy pink dress with thin spaghetti straps, a pink lace bustier and a flirty, ruffled skirt and gold shiny flats . Her red hair loose off her shoulders and the sides tucked behind her ears with little hair clips .
" I was feeling some pink and look so was Carly ," Cat hugged Robbie's side and sent her new friend a warm smile ," I don't think Jade is going to sing with us tonight but Tori and I have a new song "
" I'm a girly girl , Cat . I like my skirts and dresses too "
Cat was picking up on a weird vibe from the girl and she was looking at Robbie in a curious manner which struck her as odd . Jade's earlier words about Carly being into Robbie flitted through her mind but she dismissed it …Carly seemed so super nice .
Nice girls didn't go after other girls boyfriends .
You fell in love with Robbie while he was still dating the gank .
Cat ignored her insecurity and held tight to her boyfriend convinced she was overreacting and being silly . Not every girl was after Robbie .
" I'll leave the pink to you two ," announced Tori, joining them ," Carly, you going to sing with me and Cat ? Jade changed her mind and we can make the song for three…or four ….Sam can even sing with us too "
" Thanks, Tori, but I think I'd enjoy watching you guys sing but I don't know about Sam. You'd have to ask her yourself .."
The elevator opened and Gibby stepped out appraising all three girls with male appreciation . His gaze lingering on Carly longer than the other girls and slid into an easy smile .
" You ladies look lovely " Gibby turned his attention to Carly ," you look really pretty, Carly . New dress ? I don't recognize this one …."
" Thanks, Gibby " answered Cat , breezily .
" Yes, its new " said an annoyed Carly ," it was on sale when I went skirt shopping last week . "
Gibby stiffened at her tone and sent her a questioning look. " That was a compliment, Carly , not an insult . I think you look really pretty tonight ..I'm going to go find Spencer "
Feeling a sting of rejection, Gibby headed to Spencer 's room for some dude talk .
" Whoa , I think Gibby has a little crush on you, Carly " Tori couldn't resist teasing her new friend ," that is sweet , kind of "
" Gibby has been in dating limbo since he and Tasha broke up," dismissed Carly, nonchalantly ," he's a good friend but nothing more , Tori "
" You never know ," Tori nudged her ," Cat used to say that all of the time about Robbie until they fell in love and well, Andre and I..well, we …I shouldn't try matchmaking "
" You really shouldn't , Tori " voiced Andre as he and Freddie joined the group to hang out .
His eyes swept over Tori and he was pretty sure she knocked him breathless , she was so beautiful and sexy. Her long legs were wrapped tight in skintight bright blue shiny pants that might have been leather , a funky top with black lips all over it , and her dark hair fell in soft waves across her shoulders .
The girl was sexy and hot !
" I know but I can't help it, Andre ! I want to see my friends happy "
" She means well, Carly, but don't let her try to be nosey and fix you up "
" Oh, not a problem at all , Andre " reassured Carly , sitting down on the stool and rethinking her next course of action and hoped Tori kept her nose out of things .
Tori felt Andre's heated gaze on her and lowered her lashes ." You look ..good , Andre "
His grin was slow and stirred something within her ." You look hot , Tori "
" Thanks " She couldn't seem to find her voice and her reaction to him was getting harder to control. She didn't know if she wanted to control her impulses any longer around him either," we're going to have so much fun tonight "
" Where's Sam ? " asked Carly , eager to be away momentarily from her guests to reevaluate her thoughts ," I know it doesn't take her almost 2 hours to get ready unless I help her and I've been stuck here with Cat and Tori "
" She's on her way ," explained Freddie ," she got into it with her Mom "
Carly nodded in understanding then let out a sigh." Freddie , could you go talk to Gibby for me ? I think I might have wounded his ego a little bit earlier and he's been in talking with Spencer for like 15 minutes now "
" You could be a little nicer when you reject him, Carly " reminded Freddie , knowingly ," I'll go talk to him "
He didn't wait for her to answer but made his way around the corner to Spencer's room.
Freddie found Gibby standing , hands tucked in his pockets of his khaki pants , and listening as Spencer rambled on like the mad man that he was .
" I should meet her at the hotel and pick her up ," debated Spencer, pulling out a suit and tossing it on the bed ," no sense in Trina having to take a taxi when I can pick her up . After all, we are chaperoning this shindig together so it makes sense "
" Are you dating Trina now, Spencer ? "
" I don't know if dating is the right word ..I think Trina is the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life is all , Freddie "
Freddie and Gibby shared a look of amusement ." Hey, she's like what the same age as Tori and Carly ? Isn't she ? So if you end up dating her , Spencer, it would almost be like you were dating your sister "
" Dude ! I had a cousin who did that once and it wasn't Roxanne the demon spawns daughter either ! "
The guys chuckled among themselves as Spencer sank down to sit on his bed , confused and torn and feeling as if he was back to square one again .
" Trina is older than the girls ," he insisted though more to himself than his friends ," she'll be 19 soon. That isn't so young and we …. We have a lot of things in common"
" She set things on fire too ?"
Spencer ignored him." Trina is ambitious and confident and she knows what she wants "
" That's not you, Spence ," Gibby put a hand on his shoulder ," you should just give the thing up before it even gets started with Trina Vega "
Spencer sighed , heart heavy, and knew there was some truth in his friends words but his head and heart had been waging a war since he met Trina .
" Your right, Gib," Spencer sent a quick text to her ," it'll never work between me and her in the first place "
Before Freddie could smooth things over with Gibby for Carly, he heard the sound of the front door and Sam as they rejoined everyone in the living room.
" Yo Freddo, where are you," Sam Puckett burst onto the scene ," Pam held me up but I'm here now and mama wants her nerd "
" Sam " Freddie leaned in to kiss her deeply and slid a possessive hand around her waist ," you look beautiful, princess . "
" Save the sap for when we ditch these losers and are alone " muttered Sam, quietly .
They moved into the room and joined the others ." Where is West and her Pretty Boy ?"
Cat held up her pear phone ." Waiting for us downstairs "
" Then lets get this show on the road , people ! There are chicken wings with my name on it and this girl is starving "
Luke's Club wasn't quite the dive the Hollywood gang had expected and it just bordered onto the not quite seedy neighborhood but the old renovated riverboat had ambiance and looked and sounded inviting if the music coming from inside was any indication
.
This place screamed fun.
The inside was all new fixtures , a gleaming brass and oak bar , led the way to the floor where cozy tables and chairs were arranged and a dance floor and stage gleamed amidst the lights.
" Whoaaa daddy , this is neat ! " exclaimed Cat as Robbie led them to a table .
" Luke is a wazbag mostly but his place is still the chizz ," replied Sam, helping the other pull some tables close together ," the dude pretends to be Luke Spencer in another life or something but a full menu , a rocking chef named Bo, and the karaoke makes it cool "
" No fake Ids tonight , Sam " reprimanded Carly, raising a questioning brow at her .
" Geesh, Carls, chill, " Sam relaxed in Freddie's arm and contemplated the menu ," its not like we're going to drink anyway . You guys drink ?"
Beck lifted a hand ." We do not "
" I might be tempted but I wont " this came from Jade who slid into a seat beside Beck.
Spencer looked at Trina as if expecting her to say something to the younger Goth girl.
" She wouldn't try to drink tonight ," he inquired," would she ?"
" I don't know and I don't actually care ," explained Trina as he pulled out a chair for her at a small table tucked in the corner ," I don't think even Jade would risk it . I'm not worried though..Jade can take care of herself "
" Do you drink , Trina ?"
She shrugged and perused a menu." I do like champagne but my Dad is a cop . A detective actually and if he ever found out I'd been drinking , I would be dead for life so no, I don't actually drink. Though I did have this hot skunk bag of a NorthRidge boyfriend at one time and he had the best fancy French champagne I have ever drank in my life …"
Spencer couldn't help but to be entranced by her ." What happened to him ?"
" I dumped his sorry North Ridge ass "
He laughed and glanced over at the table where the teenagers were laughing and placing their orders . It didn't look like they were going to party hard at this point in the night and despite everything his brain was rationalizing , he turned his attention back to the young woman by his side .
" Carly would hate my guts for life if I embarrassed her "
" Tori would just have to get over it ," dismissed Trina ," besides it looks like Andre's giving my sister some of his extra attention tonight . Thank God ! "
She placed her hand across his and sent him a mega watt smile that he felt through his bones .
" Are we going to order or talk more about our boring sisters first ? I'm really hungry "
He should have been insulted on Carly's behalf but he knew Trina wasn't being mean.
" I think we should order us some supper , Trina "
Jade leaned against Beck and scribbled notes idly on her napkin about the play , distracted .
There would be over 50 plays and mini skits at the festival and she was determined that Loves Lament would stand out and be the best .
" Babe " Beck's hand closed over hers ," we're supposed to be having fun. Not working or writing , please "
She dropped the pen and leaned back for a kiss ." I was just taking some notes for Tori about Ana while it was on my mind . She can use all the help she can get with her acting and I don't need her ruining my play "
" Tori wont ruin your play " assured Beck, kissing her temple ," come on, Jade , loosen up and have some fun tonight . No play talk tonight , leave that for the morning "
" Fine and I'm hungry ," admitted Jade ," did you order the fried veggies with the chicken wings ?"
" I know what you like "
" I know " Jade allowed the tension to slip from her shoulders and relaxed against him, comfortably .
" This is cool ," brought up Gibby," we don't come here often enough . I'm kind of glad you guys wanted to karaoke tonight …..we usually just hang at the Groovy Smoothie "
" Do you sing, man ?" inquired a polite Beck.
" I do," said an enthusiastic Gibby ," I like a lot of classics though "
" GIBBY "
" Don't encourage him , Beck ," contributed Freddie ," no one here wants to hear Gibby sing the song from the Love Boat "
" Oooh I love that song ," interjected an excited Cat ," I used to watch that show all of the time when I was little and they played reruns of it when Steven was at the special hospital. Not the one he's at now cause he's older but …..it was always funny and romantic . The Love Boat, not my brother "
Robbie entwined their fingers and searched her face for signs of anxiety but found none .
" Cat ?"
She leaned her shoulder into him and whispered ," I am fine, Robbie "
" Good ," Robbie kissed her forehead ," I was just checking "
Carly watched them , a grimace trying to find its way across her face but she managed a somewhat polite smile in its place and addressed the couple .
" So, you two are pretty serious ?"
The couple shared a loving look causing the rest of their friends to groan mockingly .
" We are ," declared Robbie , surely ," Cat and I are very serious indeed "
" True love ," Cat beamed at Robbie with love shining bright in her gentle brown eyes ," Robbie is my true love and I'm his . Isn't that right, Robbie ?"
" It sure is "
" Sweet " sighed Carly and figured another approach might be necessary here if she had any hopes of winning over Robbie from the ditzy redhead and she did ," I mean, you guys are just so sweet together " .
Tori tugged on Andre's arm , her own eyes pleading with him." You gonna sing us a song tonight ,Dre ? I was thinking we could maybe do some Countdown and shake this place up or I bet Carly and everyone would love to hear 365 Days …"
Her touch was setting his skin on fire but he didn't mind one bit ." Maybe later , Tori, but I'm kinda curious about this song you girls have been working on "
" It's just a little something us girls came up with one night when you boys were hanging out together doing whatever it is you do "
" Cat and Vega came up with it ," added Jade , briskly ," it isn't bad but I don't want to sing it with them tonight "
" Why not ?"
" I'm not in the mood " Jade shot Andre a dark look and he retreated from the question .
Jade was in a mood .
Got it loud and clear .
" Sam," asked Cat , mustering a cheerful smile and trying to be friendly for her boyfriends sake ," Freddie and Carly says that you sing . Would you like to sing with me and Tori ? The song is a lot of fun …"
Sam looked up from her chicken wings and tossed the bone on the plate .
" Not really feeling it, Red, but let's hear this sappy crappy song "
" It isn't sappy or crappy " interjected Tori, trying to keep the peace ," it is a cool song , if I do say so myself and I do. Come on, Cat "
" Yay "
Robbie , Andre , Beck, and even Jade clapped as their friends took the stage and after giving the MC their music , the girls started dancing and strutting their stuff .
Tori rolled her shoulders , shot Andre a devilishly hot grin, and started the new song , feeling it with every fiber in her because it was for their boys in the audience .
Drivin down Sunset on a Saturday night
It's getting kinda crazy under the lights
But we don't care we're passing our time
Watching those L.A. Boyz roll by
Cat danced around her friend , spotted her boyfriend in the audience , and focused on singing to Robbie with all of her heart .
In the drop tops, Harleys , Escalades too
A hundred different flavors to vary your view
There's one for me , and there's one for you
Watching those L. roll through
In the audience , their friends were clapping , enjoying the show and rocking out as well. While Robbie studied Cat, Carly took the chance to study the curly haired nerd and wondered what his weakness was that didn't have to do with the redhead .
He seemed awfully old fashioned which was cute and might be the key she needed to make him see the connection between them .
She felt the connection vividly so why didn't he or maybe he didn't want to admit he felt anything for her ?
That had to be it .
Looking so hot down in Hollywood
You know they got, got the goods
So ,lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz
Ridin the waves up in Malibu
You know they really get , get to you
So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz
Tori and Cat jumped off the stage , dancing and singing towards the table , as the brunette wove around Beck and jade to sing to Andre , who couldn't take his eyes off of her and reached for her hand . Tori never pulled away as she belted out the bridge .
Give it up, give it up
You don't have no choice
Give it up, give it up
For the L.A. Boyz
Cat smiled teasingly and sat down on Robbie's lap, turning her eyes and the song to him as he slid an arm around her waist to keep her there .
West side , east side , everywhere between
Rock stars jam on the promenade for free
Flippin their skateboards on the Venice beach
L.A. Boyz come play with me
Turn it up
Turn it up
And come play with me
Cat jumped from his lap as Tori broke from Andre and they plopped down on the stage , enjoying the song and having fun , singing together as always .
Lookin so hot down in Hollywood
You know they got, got the goods
So lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz
Ridin the waves up in Malibu
You know they really get, get to you
So lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz
Freddie bounced in his seat, enjoying the girls song , as Sam rolled her eyes at him, and continued eating the platter of wings and potato skins he had bought her as she eyed the French fries that Andre wasn't eating .
Put your number in my phone , oh, maybe I'll call you , maybe not
What you doin all alone ?
Come show me what you got , boy
Show me what you got, boy
What you got boy, show me what you …GOT!
Gibby tried to catch Carly's eye to show her that he was over his annoyance at her but she seemed to be watching Robbie , which was sort of strange .
She had flirty face too which gave him pause and worry …Carly was a nice girl who didn't use her flirty stuff on dudes who were taken but he recognized her flirt .
Carly had never used it with him ( which sucked ) but he could spot it a mile away .
Gibby glanced at Freddie wanting to ask him about it but his friend had managed to pull Sam away from her eating and into a pretty hot kiss considering they were in public so hewasnt going to be any help at the moment .
Lookin so hot down in Hollywood
You know they got, got the goods
So, lets give it up for those L.A .Boyz
Ridin the waves up in Malibu
You know they really get,get to you
So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz
Give it up for those L.A. Boyz ! LA BOYZ! LA BOYZ! LA BOYZ!
So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz !
Applause filled the riverboat as Tori and Cat bowed then hugged each other , breaking loose to rejoin their friends as a man in his mid thirties took the stage to sing some classic 80's ballads .
" That was awesome, girls ! "
Tori slid next to Andre, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck, letting out a breath as he pushed a glass of soda her way .
" That was for our L.A. Boyz at this very table "
Andre held her gaze and brushed a strand of dark hair off her face." That was very hot "
The attraction pulsated between them , both aware of each other , and the sizzle and the pull between them felt stronger now . This was still real and it wasn't going to go away .
She dunked her face into his shoulder , sighing as a smile lifted ." You get it ..right, Andre ?"
His smile was lazy ." If your talking about what I think you're talking about then yeah, Tori, I get it "
She took a sip of the drink and allowed herself to move closer to him .
No more over thinking for Tori Vega , nope , she was done with that .
Jade glanced at them , pleased and bored at the same time ." Get a room "
" Shut up , Jade " remarked Tori, stealing a French fry and not looking at her friend
" Eat your fries, Tor, before they get cold " urged Andre, placing his hand around her waist as she dug into the food ," I got cha the mannoyanaise too "
" Thanks , Andre " Tori pressed a kiss to his cheek and decided to just see what happened tonight between her and him and take if from there ," you know me so well "
Across the room, the man singing a halfway decent version of " Waiting for a girl like you " had inspired a lot of the couples to move to the dance floor , and Trina had waited long enough. If Spencer wasn't going to ask her then she sure as hell would ask him .
" How about a dance, Spencer ?"
He stared at her, mouth gaping open as his head screamed this was a bad, bad idea.
" Uh, I ..not really a dancer , Trina "
" It's slow and you couldn't possibly mess up dancing to a slow ballad " Trina didn't take no for an answer but took his hand and led him to the dance floor ," see, not so hard "
She rested her head against his shoulder as they moved to the music and felt his heart beating against her ear.
" Now isn't this much better than us watching a bunch of teenagers "
" Yeah ," It felt as if he was tongue tied but he placed his hand on the small of her back," this isn't wise , Trina . I cant remember at the moment right now why that is …but we shouldn't be thinking about what your and I'm not thinking ..I mean, we shouldn't even being …this isn't a date "
" You really know how to flatter a girl, Spencer " Her sarcasm hid the hurt and as she was getting ready to counter with her own facts , she noticed that Andre had pulled her sister into his arms for the slow dance ,' Yes ! About freaking time Andre got down to putting the moves back on Tori ! "
Spencer blinked back the hearts in his eyes and stared at her gorgeous face in confusion .
" What …you lost me , Trina , I thought we were talking about ..us not being an us or a date "
God, he even knew what she was talking about !
Spencer was the perfect man for her and she would make him see it !
" We were but look at them ," Trina let out a happy sigh," Andre has been in love with my sister probably since day one . Its been a rough couple of months for Tori and well, me, but it ..our parents are having problems in their marriage and its been ugly "
" I'm sorry about that, Trina "
" Thanks but I can handle it ," went on Trina on a roll," our Moms turned into this gank and it hurt Dad really bad . Tori took it worse then there was this whole screwy thing before Beck and jade got back together ..Tori kissed Beck and Andre saw and broke up with her . It was bad chizz for awhile there and my baby sister has been losing her mind but I just knew she and Andre were still hung up and in love with each other . That boy better win her back over this time or I will kill him "
" That is insane "
Trina smiled ," That's my sister and her crazy friends for you "
Spencer felt his heart swell against his chest and he ran a hand through her hair .
" You love your sister "
Trina stared at him incredulously ." Well, yeah, Tori is my baby sister , you know "
" Carly is my baby sister too " Spencer covered her mouth with his , taking them under in a kiss that seemed to be endless and filled with emotions he didn't want to acknowledge just yet but that she recognized all at once .
_ .
Cat sat on her boyfriends lap and noticed he had ordered a sampler platter for them to share as she took a drink of her water.
" That was very sweet " Robbie smiled warmly at her ," you girls wrote it together ?"
" We did that night we were hanging out at Nozu and you guys didn't want to eat sushi with us "
" Sometimes we just need some meat "
" Meat and fat and grease " contributed Andre as Tori jabbed him in the middle ,playfully ," glad to see this place has some hamburgers on the menu "
" I love meat " said Sam on a sigh ," ham, ribs, burgers, all kinds of meats really . Raw fish is for the …birds "
Cat giggled ," Birds "
" Yeah, they came up with the song after Cat kept being hit on by some pretty hot guys " informed Jade , leaning in to join the conversation and watching Robbie flinch at this information ," she turned them down, you dork "
Robbie nodded ," I did not say anything, Jade "
" It was kind of all over your face, Rob " offered Beck, helping himself to a veggie .
Cat pressed her lips to Robbie's in a sweet kiss ." You're my L.A . Boy "
" Sure am "
Carly contemplated puking in her cream soda but that was just too gross so she changed tactics .
" So, Robbie , your girlfriend was telling me earlier about your blog on the Slap ," Carly turned to face him, studying him intently ," and I went back and read some of them. You are a very good writer and funny too. I loved your piece on the appeal of Sikowitz's class ….I was impressed "
" Robbie is so smart ," gushed Cat, proudly ," he's the smartest guy at Hollywood Arts even though he would never admit that he is , Carly "
" I'm hardly the smartest , sweetie " Robbie loved her praise but colored in embarrassment then continued his talk with Carly ," there was a lot of early issues with it when I first started writing it our sophomore year , Carly, but last year I found that I have a knack for the serious laced with witty comments "
" He thinks he's being witty "
" Rob's wit has improved over the years, Jade "
Carly ignored the couples remarks ." You know ,Sam does all the comedy for iCarly but I do the bulk of the writing . I just imagine you have a lot of awesome ideas about new skits that we could do, Robbie "
He blinked twice behind his glasses and wasn't sure what to say." I don't really write skits or anything , Carly, but I would love to hear the process behind iCarly besides the technical side that Freddie told me about "
The 80's ballad dude had switched to some old school Journey and a wistful expression crossed her face .
" Oh, I love this song ," sighed the brunette, a sad tone in her voice ," Cat, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed Robbie for a dance . Would you ? You remember how it felt to be single and they start playing the songs you love ….."
Sam's head shot up from across the table and she fixed her best friend with a look that demanded 'what the chizz are you doing ?" but Carly ignored her .
Cat bit the inside of her lip and glanced down at her and Robbie's intertwined fingers as a gnawing begin to grow inside of her and she knew it was the beginning of some jealousy .
She really didn't like other girls dancing with her Robbie .
" Well, …I don't know , Carly ….I mean, Robbie is my boyfriend "
Carly sent her a saccharine smile ." You are such a sweetheart, Cat ! One dance and I swear, you can have your boyfriend back "
She didn't give the redhead a chance to respond before she was yanking Robbie from his chair and leading him to the dance floor and slid her arms to encircle his neck .
Robbie felt hot under the collar and let out a breath." I'm not that great of a dancer "
" I think you are , Robbie ," Carly held tighter to him," isn't this awfully cozy "
" Maybe we should have waited for a faster song, Carly " swallowed Robbie , feeling Cat's eye on him from the table and not liking the way Carly kept moving closer to him ," um, you're a little close here . Room would be good ….you know , my girlfriend is watching us and this might look …wrong "
Carly lifted an elegant brow. " We're just dancing , Robbie "
He gulped ," I bet it might seem silly to you but you know, Cat and I always make a point to just dance the slow , romantic ones together . Just me and her …..think this is the first time I've even danced a softie with another girl "
" You're right , Robbie . That is silly "
He looked across the room and prayed that one of the guys would rescue him before Cat decided to come and kill him .
" I would have danced with Carly if she wanted to dance .." grumbled Gibby, under his breath , watching with rapt attention as the girl of his dreams kept moving closer to Robbie ," I didn't even know she was into Journey ! "
Cat was watching them dance as she shredded the pile of napkins , angrily .
" Why is she getting closer to my boyfriend ? That's a little too close to be friendly dancing ….that's not dancing with a friend "
" Carls a friendly girl, Red ," spoke up Sam in her defense ," don't get your panties in a bunch. She's probably just pmsing and Puppet Boy was being all nice to her …..I wouldn't worry too much about it "
Freddie met her gaze ." Pmsing, Sam? Seriously …." His voice was low so that the others couldn't hear them," that's even lame for you. Carly has her flirt on with my friend …while his girlfriend is at the table ..which isn't the Carly we both know "
" I know ," Sam was serious ," I'll get down to the bottom of this chizz later "
Jade leaned over and nodded to Sam, a protective look on her face ." I don't know what kind of stupid , girly games little Miss Sunshine is playing with Robbie ," hissed Jade , threatening her ," but if she screws with Cat's relationship with the nerd, I will use my brand new scissors and cut the perky right out of her "
" Keep your scissors away from my best friend, West , or I'll show you what I can do with my new butter sock " warned Sam, who wasn't phased by the Goth girls toughness ," I don't know what is going on with her but trust me , she doesn't screw with dudes who have girlfriends "
" That's not what it look like from here "
" I'll talk to her later " stated Sam, ending the discussion just as the song ended and Robbie all but ran back to the table before Carly caught up to him .
Oblivious to this new drama unfolding around them, Andre and Tori had decided to take a stroll along the docked riverboat and outside the night air had a warm breeze wafting around them , the moon hung low and bright in the sky, as Tori held onto his arm .
" Nice night out "
" Romantic even .." Tori muttered , softly ," we should probably text Cat and Robbie about it ….those two like cheesy, romantic moments like these "
" Or we could enjoy the moment by ourselves , Tori " Andre stopped walking and caught her hand into his own ," are you good with us having a moment ?"
One part of her was terrified of messing things up again but oh God, how she missed being like this with Andre !
" Yes " her voice was barely a whisper ," Dre, I …I don't want to hurt you ever again "
" You won't , baby, " reassured Andre , his voice husky with desire and his own love for her ," we're done and past all that bad chizz so let's start over again . Do you want to maybe try that ?"
" Yes , Andre , yes ! But ..I thought you wouldn't want to! " admitted Tori , taking a step forward and finding herself in his arms , clutching at the folds of his shirt ," I wont even hug Beck if you don't want me to! "
He chuckled and shook his head at her ." I trust you and Beck "
Tori's eyes widened and hope and longing pooled in them ." You do ? "
Andre nodded and decided action was better here before the girl got derailed again and the moment was lost between them for good .
" Tor, be quiet now " Andre pulled her body close to his and then his lips were drinking from hers as if he was dying from thirst and she was the ocean . It had been entirely too long since they had last kissed , last touched , and a slow burning fire igniting between them as the kiss spun them round and round , smoldering , achingly deep kisses until finally it was Tori who found the strength to back away from him.
" I've missed you soo much, Dre " Tori caught her breath and fought the desire to jump him herself this time ," and I ..I really , really want to be with you "
His grin was undeniably male as Andre gathered her into his arms, gently .
" No pressure , Tori ," Andre kissed her cheek ," you know , I want you but I also love you. That never changed , didn't go away when we weren't dating and it's not going to but I know you're still bugging so I'm cool with us taking baby steps "
" I'm not Cat , Andre ," reminded Tori, a twinkle dancing in her eyes ," I don't think baby steps , maybe somewhere in the middle , just to be safe , is good with me "
" As long as your sure , Tor "
Tori wrapped her arms around his neck and bent to kiss him." I love you too "
He wrapped his arms around her and they listened to the sounds of music and laughter coming from inside the club and Tori clutched his arm.
" Andre , I meant what I said ," There was hesitation in her tone ," I do love you and I really do want us to be together again but …see "
" You want us to keep the us working on getting back together on the down low "
One part of him had known all along that she was still skittish but the kiss and her admitting that she still loved him was all that he could see while one part of him needed a really freezing cold shower to shake off his want for her .
Still he understood how skittish and afraid she still was and this was a huge step for them so Andre knew he would accept it for what it was and then when it was all right , he and Tori would be back together .
This was massive progress . He just couldn't forget that it was .
" I'm not trying to be difficult or act like Jade or anything ," insisted Tori, trying to make him understand how she felt ," and I would never lie about loving you but I just need for the both of us to be sure this time "
" How about we look at tonight as a date ? The first of many, many dates while we're on vacation and until you're ready to go in and tell our friends we're together again "
Her eyes brightened at the idea ." We never really did the whole dating thing the first time, Andre ! I love that ! "
" I kinda figured you might ," Andre smoothed her hair ," so you want to hang out here and make out some more or go back in and sing a duet ?"
" Making out is tempting , Andre, but could we sing together ?"
Inwardly, Andre groaned but gave in to her as he always did because he would do anything for her .
" Countdown ?"
" I was thinking more to Here's to Us " Andre kissed her quickly, picked up her hand and led her back inside to rejoin the party and their friends .
" Well, I think I stepped on all of Carly's toes ," laughed Robbie , nervously as he pulled Cat closer to him ," tried to tell her I wasn't the smoothest dancer in here "
" Robbie exaggerates ," Carly slid into her seat, smiling widely at him," Thank you so much for loaning me your honey, Cat "
Cat met her gaze, levelly ." Robbie was just being nice dancing with you , Carly ," informed Cat, her tone sharp," My boyfriend is always nice "
Robbie took Cat's hands into his own ." Did you want to dance , cutie ?"
" No " Cat relaxed against his chest and tried to calm her jittery and angry nerves that were fighting within her but she didn't want to cause a fight with Robbie ," I'm good ."
Robbie didn't push her ." So, Freddie , I have been wanting to show my girl the sights around here . Thought maybe you could recommend an internary for us "
Sam made a face." Iternary ? Now I want to hit him too…he speaks nerd too "
" Sam " said Freddie , affection and love in his voice ," don't " He squeezed her hand and then continued his conversation with his friend ," Actually I thought after you guys were done helping Jade at the theatre tomorrow night , you and Cat could go out with me and Sam"
" Like a double date . I like it and we can take in the sights ?"
" I was thinking you guys would enjoy downtown," continued Freddie ," and we could have some supper together . There are some great restaurants ….."
" You'd better feed me if we're going out again with them, Freddorkly "
" Do you have baby golf ? Robbie and I like to play baby golf , Freddie "
" Holy chizz , shoot me now ! I do not want to play stupid mini golf , Freddie "
Freddie looked at her , his expression firm and loving ." Cut me some slack, baby, you know I've been looking forward to us going out together since they got here . We don't play mini golf so who knows it might be fun and they have a snack bar there "
Sam crossed her arms ." Fine but I'm picking where we eat at "
He leaned in to kiss her lips ," You got it "
Cat rested her head against Robbie's shoulders and addressed Freddie ." We don't have to play baby golf if you and Sam don't want to, I just thought it might be fun "
" No, I actually know of a place near the arcade , Cat ," replied Freddie with a warm smile ," Sam and I will plan a really cool double date for the four of us "
" That sounds rad cool "
Beck groaned ," Rob, stop saying that "
" Right , not cool " said a sheepish Robbie ," oh , look there's Andre and Tori and they look awfully ..close "
All eyes turned towards them out of curiosity .
" Tori looks happy " observed Beck, hoping this was a good indication she was getting back to her old , normal Tori self .
" They look like they've been making out to me ' added Gibby , loudly .
" We can only hope " spoke up Jade ," this dance those two morons are doing is old "
While the rest of the table was debating on the status of Andre and Tori's relationship, Sam followed carly into the bathroom, eager to find out what was going on.
" Are you going to eat all night , Sam? You haven't even danced with Freddie "
" I'll dance with Freddie later ," Sam plopped down on the fancy bench ," what's going on with you, Carls ?"
Carly ran a brush through her hair and pulled out her new lip gloss .
" Nothing is with me , Sam ," insisted Carly with a laugh," I'm having fun with our new friends . Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing ?"
" Sure but your hitting on Robbie like he's the last ham sandwich in Seattle "
" Robbie's a cutie and he's very sweet ," stated Carly , matter of fact," believe it or not, Sam, there is an attraction between us . "
" The dude has a steady girlfriend , Carly "
" I don't know if steady is a word I would use to describe Cat ," continued Carly , having giving it a lot of thought ," besides I know that Robbie feels something for me , Sam! I felt it when he held me in his arms and I know what I felt ! "
" You don't make moves on dudes who have girlfriends already . This isn't you ! "
" Maybe but you know what, Sam, maybe I'm tired of being the good girl all of the time ! Maybe I'm tired of being alone , maybe I want to experience real love and excitement for once in my life and if I have to come between Robbie and Cat to find that then …then, well, then , that is what I'm going to do ! "
" I get that, Carls, I do but Robbie isn't even into you " Her tone was softer than usual.
" You don't see what I do, Sam, but you will, " declared a determined Carly ," and so will Robbie . I want that boy and for once , I am going to get what I want "
Before Sam could respond to that, Carly stomped out of the restroom, the door slamming loudly behind her as she let out a serious sigh.
She wasn't sure what had gotten into her best friend all of the sudden but she knew this had disaster written all over it and damned if she was going to let Carly cause a huge freaking mess then self destruct .
" Chizz just got really bad and real "