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Chapter 10
"What's this surprise all about Nicky?" asked Tania. She clung to her bag suede handbag protectively as Nicky drove quickly but expertly through the busy Auckland traffic.
"Now babe if I told you the surprise it wouldn't be a surprise any longer now would it?" he grinned.
"No I suppose not. But I haven't told Tyron where I'll be and he won't be pleased especially if he knows I'm with you." She said. Nicky sighed outwardly Tania saw his annoyed look.
"I'm sorry honey, I know you hate it when I mention him but…" she really didn't want to do that whole saga again. Apologizing for their sorrid past and for the decisions they'd both made and dually regret.
"Let's just forget about it Tanny. Life goes on; and I know you're happy with him and for your sakes I wouldn't want to interfere with that. But just for once, just at least for this weekend can we not discuss Tyron at all? If he asks just tell him you're away with the family or something. He doesn't need to know all the details of what you do when you aren't with him." Nix said.
"You know what? You're absolutely right." Tania opened her purse and fetched her mobile out; pressing a few buttons she then brought it to her ear.
"What are you doing?" He looked bemused.
"Sshh." Tania placed a finger to her lips.
"Hey honey it's me. No, no I'm fine just out with friends. No haven't seen him in a while. Listen babe I'm going to take the weekend off from you; it's nothing bad I just want a little time to myself. Of course I will thank you honey. Ok, ok bye." Tania put her mobile down and grinned triumphantly.
"All done." She said proudly.
"What's done?" Nicky pretended he hadn't heard a word even though deep down he's smiling like a clown.
"I told Troy I won't see him this weekend because I want some time alone and he's bought it. Actually; when I think about it it's rather strange because he usually doesn't let me go anywhere without him," Tania said thoughtfully. Nicky almost let slip a nasty retort about Troy but managed to hold his tongue.
"Well, that's a positive this time around." He remarked smiling at her.
"Indeed, so now will you tell me where we're going?"
"Nope. It's top secret," He smirked as he turned the corner into the street of where Kian's house is. Directly in front of the house's driveway a big black van had been parked and there beside it Kian stood as he loaded a couple of bags in and standing along with him is Jess.
"Hmm. I didn't know Jess would be coming." Nix mused as he parked his car behind the van.
"Who is she?" asked Tania.
"Some girl Kian fancies," Nix said as he switched the engine off and unbuckled his seatbelt. He and Tania stepped out of the car; Jess and Kian turned to look they both smiled.
"Nix glad to see you've come to join the party." Ki remarked.
"Yeah, well who wouldn't want to have that fun? Oh Ki mate you remember Tania." Nicky replied.
"Yes of course. Lovely to see you again Tanny it's been quite a while." Ki grinned stepping forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Yes same here Kian." She nodded.
"Oh right and this is Jess." He motioned for Jess to come forwards.
"Hi." Jessica answered.
"Hello Jess." Tania answered holding out her hand which Jess accepted they shock hands, a moment of awkwardness passed between them. Before Nix could break the deadly silence a car horn blared out. Shane's familiar car pulled up right behind Nicky's and Shane jumped out.
"So you've finally arrived then Filan." Kian laughed jokingly.
"Yes and I ain't alone too." Shane grinned back, from the front passenger's side of his car the door opened and Nicole stepped out. Jessica' jaw hit the floor.
"Nic?" Nicole smiled and waved at her friend.
"Hey Jess." She remarked. Jessica quickly went over to her friend, Tania looked at the two of them a tad perplexed then she turned to look at the guys each of them shrugged their shoulders.
"Tanny they are nice trust me." Nix answered.
"Wait you mean to tell me you're going too?" Jess hissed to Nicole.
"Well yeah of course. No way in the world I would pass this up now would I? Besides I have some big plans for Filan," Nicole said smirking Jess had to laugh at this.
"Just so typical of you Nic." She said.
"Oh but of course," Nicole gave her friend a wink then out the corner of her eye she saw Tania looking a bit lost especially with the three guys conversing with one another.
"So who's that girl?" she asked.
"Tania, the girl Nicky's with I gather." Jess shrugged her shoulders.
"Ok. Hi Tania; why don't you come and join us? The boys seem too busy to pay us any attention anyway." Nicole answered motioning for her to join. Tania smiled appreciatively as she walked over.
"Thanks. So you are?"
"Oh how rude of me my name's Nicole." Nicole said.
"Pleasure to meet you," Tania answered.
"Same here." Just then another car horn broke through the quiet day and they all looked to see who this is. Shane, Kian and Nicky grinned at one another as soon as they recognized the car. It parked just in front of the van the three guys went around; the girls were a little curious and went over.
"Vic?" Jessica and Nicole exclaimed in unison. Vickie glanced up and the look on her face mirrored that of her friends.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.
"We can ask you the same thing." Nicole said, suddenly an idea flashed through her mind she glanced at Shane.
"Is this you're doing?" she asked.
"What me? I did nothing of the sort," he said.
"Then perhaps you guys can explain how it is that I, Jess and Vic are all here too." She added arching her brows.
"No, and we wouldn't know where you've conjured up that idea. But honest we planned nothing," answered Kian holding his hands up doing the scouts' honour sign. Shane, Mark and Nicky burst out laughing at him.
"Man Egan you know you look like quite the idiot right now," Nicky remarked Kian just stuck his tongue out at his friend.
"Thanks for your back up," he snorted.
"Alright guys come on we don't need to just stand around chit chatting all day. We've got a weekend of relaxation to get to," Shane clapped his hands together; instantly they all rushed around loading up the last few bags into the van before at last Kian closed the boot, while Nicole, Jess, Vickie and Tania climbed in the boys went to park their cars along Kian's driveway.
"You sure the neighbours won't mind?" Mark asked; Kian just waved the question away with a flick of his wrist.
"They'll be fine trust me." He replied. Everyone else climbed into the van and Kian hoped into the driver's seat; Jess had already made herself comfortable in the front passenger's seat he smiled sweetly at her as he started the engine.
"Everyone get your seatbelts on." He looked back at the others to check.
"Alright then here we go." Putting the van into reverse he backed out slowly and then went into drive and away they went.
"Woo hoo!" Nicky, Mark and Shane cheered. Vickie, Nicole and Tania swapped glances each of them shaking their heads.
"Boys are always going to be boys." Tania replied.
"Oh you can bet on that for sure," Nicole agreed.
"Still don't trust me do you?" Shane asked arching his eyebrows and giving her his infamous cheeky grin she just smiled sweetly back at him.
"There's still so much more for you to learn." She teased him. Shane sat there in his seat staring at Nicole and he just about looked speechless.
"Aah for once Filan has no words." Nix smirked.
"Oh be quiet you," Shane scolded. He leaned over his own seat to give Nicky a glare only for Nicole to pull him back into his seat.
"Can't live without me eh?" he replied she just shakes her head at him.
"Like I said before there's still a lot for you to learn. Perhaps if you behave I might let you in on a few secrets." She said; Shane's eyes immediately opened widen with burning curiosity she patted his cheek. Kian had seen this through the rear view mirror and could barely keep the smile smeared all over his face.
"Hey lads you think we should put Filan in on the act too?"
"For sure!" Nicky answered and Mark nodded in agreement.
"I thought so," Ki remarked nodding his head.
"What are you guys on about?" Jess asked.
"Nothing for you to worry about babe." Kian assured her.
For the next half hour of the trip they all just sang along to songs on the radio or the lads played stupid games lie yelling out the window at other passing cars.
"You been on any of these trips with this lot?" Nicole asked Tania.
"Not for a long time but when Nicky and I were still together we all went on trips fairly similar to this and I can tell you from those experiences it had always made for great viewing," Tania said.
"Oh I can just imagine." Vickie answered as they looked at Mark, Shane and Nicky now occupying themselves playing cards. Up at the front of the van Jessica and Kian had a good conversation flowing between them. They chatted about their own lives and the ambitions they looked forward to achieving in the years to come.
"Gee don't they look to be getting on rather well." Nicole observed.
"Yeah you're telling me." Vic agreed.
"Well Kian does have quite the flair in winning a girl's heart," Tania remarked.
"So do the rest of us." Shane piped up.
"Yeah…right whatever!" Both Nicky and Mark laughed. There's still a fair way to travel for the group but by this stage they'd already got off the motor way and were travelling at a good clip along a two way road. Passing lots and lots of farmland, and rolling green pastures with nothing but clear open spaces. No time to stop as they had only a short space of time to enjoy this little getaway.
At last Kian turned off the main road onto the one way street and 100 meters down the track the big familiar sign saying:
'Welcome to Waiwera Hot Springs'
"All right! We made it!" Nix said.
"Yeah and rather surprisingly we made it in one piece too." Shane grinned.
"Oi! I heard that!" Kian exclaimed shooting his friend a menacing look. Nicole opened the side door and they all piled out but they moved just a tad too fast and all at once bodies, legs and arms became a tangled mess and they ended up in the dirt. Kian and Jessica, the only two to escape unscathed from that stood off to the side after climbing out of the van stood and burst out laughing.
"A little help here please!" Nix grunted as he rather unsuccessfully tried to get Shane's left out of his face. Kian and Jess stepped up to give their friends a helping hand, soon the others were back onto their feet dusting their clothes and sorting themselves out a bit better.
"You boys won't mind getting the bags right?" asked Nicole ever so sweetly.
"Of course not." Shane answered immediately; he motioned to his mates to help out which they obliged to while the girls walked towards the entrance gate, there's also a front desk located at the gate and visitors are able to organize their rooms for accommodations.
"Yes can I help you ladies?" said the young man at the front desk. He's got short blonde hair, green eyes and wearing one of those nerdy geek glasses.
"Yes we'd like…" Nicole paused to think.
"Four double rooms!" Kian shouted; the girls glanced over their shoulders to see him and the guys now coming over dragging the bags along.
"Jut four?" Jessica and Vickie looked a little worried.
"Yes four." Shane reiterated now giving his attention to the young man behind the desk.
"Very well. Just give me a few minutes." The man looked at his computer screen and typed quickly. Tania looked at the guys again.
"Just four rooms? How's that supposed to work?" she asked. The boys exchanged knowing glances; and Vickie seeing this knew something had to be up.
"The way we figured is that each 'couple' needs their own space." Kian replied using his fingers to make quote marks.
"Here are your room keys." The young man announced.
"Thank you." Shane had stepped forward to collect the four sets of keys; the young man had interrupted the conversation right on time as Jessica had been ready to ask what Kian had meant. Shane turned around to the others and there is clearly an evident grin on his lips and a slight twinkle in the eye.
"Ok then gang lets get to our rooms." He replied. The rest of the guys grabbed the bags and with Shane leading the way they all trooped through the large steel iron gate which had automatically opened up as they neared.
"Enjoy your stay!" shouted the young man behind the reception desk. They all walked through the large gate and each of them stood rooted to the spot. It's absolutely beautiful inside, a set up fairly similar to a five star hotel's back gardens with a large outdoor swimming pool; a large spa and sauna, barbeque and picnic grassland with benches. There's even a bar there too. All around the grounds though there's palm trees and short shrubs.
"Wow." Nicole, Jess, Vickie and Tania said.
"They've really changed since my last visit." Kian replied.
"Yeah and changed for the better it seems," Nicky said cheekily, the others looked at him with questioning looks on their faces.
"There." He pointed towards the far end, directly opposite from where they stood. There's another gate and a sign which reads: For private use only.
"You good man Byrne." Kian clapped his mate on the back.