Psychedelic Hollow 2

itsmeoean@hotmail.com

"All right. All in." Frank, with a guitar slung over his back, slammed the lid of the car boot down and grinned at the two guys next to him- a skinny black-hair guy and a pretty studious looking blond. "Have to go now. Callie's waiting for me."

"Joining us for a drink?" The blond man asked with a raised brow.

"Nay, it's late. I have to send her home…" He twisted his lips and shrugged, "Hate her stupid rule about not meeting for a week prior to the wedding."

"It'll do the both of you good. Gets you all anxious. When you see her walking down the aisle, she'll be the loveliest sight to your eyes. Mary did that to me too and man, it works. Fireworks on our nuptial night, if you get what I mean." The black-haired guy clapped Frank's back, "Good night, buddy. Hope you have a grand time tonight with us."

"Yup, I did. Great to be playing again. Good night." Frank waved at them and just as he was about to turn around into Nancy's direction, she quickly spun on her heels, hoping that he couldn't see her, which was about the dumbest wish she could ever make. She was merely a few meters away from him and there was nothing in between them. It was no surprise when she heard him exclaiming with some shock.

Hmm, She thought as she kept her head low and tried to just casually walk away, Maybe my hair can hide my face.

"Drew! You're here!"

Turning around with as much decorum as she could, she mustered up a bright smile and shrugged, "Hey, Hardy…I'm so busted."

"Damn right you are…" Increasing his pace, it was a mere couple of seconds before he was just right in front of her and she was finding it hard to breathe as a lump of something regretful lodged in her throat. Pulling her into a friendly hug, she thought returning the gesture was right about the hardest thing she had ever done in the last few years. Stepping back, he held her at arms length by her shoulders and gave her a once over, arching an appreciative brow, "My… you've blossomed since college."

"And you look the same…" Nancy ruffled his hair, trying to be unaffected. "Still having your stupid hair falling all over your eyes."

"I have no time to cut it lately, with the wedding preparations and all…but I intend to treat myself to a hair spa two days before the wedding." Frank grinned. Suddenly, the mirth on his face dissolved into a look of sternness. "I thought you can't make it to my wedding, busy FBI agent… what give?"

"Hey… I'm here, aren't I?" Nancy explained anxiously, wondering why Frank, slow to anger, would suddenly fly into a cold temper. He glowered at her and she cringed, desperate for an apology when he broke into guffaws and punched her arm playfully, like a buddy would.

Yup, punch my arm. I'm just an old buddy. Old female buddy.

"I am kidding! Planning to surprise me? Man… it's good to have you here. Was very disappointed when you said you couldn't make it. Funny how we knew each other for so long but you have never met Callie before." Frank nodded towards the entrance to the hotel in the car park, "Come up to the lounge with me. Callie, Joe and two of my friends are waiting for me there. We can do some catching up…"

"It's very late, or should I say, early in the morning." She faked a yawn, not tired anymore now that her heart was pumping into overdrive. "I am actually on a case and have to be at the police station very early in the morning tomorrow."

"A case?" Frank knitted his brows, a little baffled, "Here? And I don't know about it?"

"You can't know everything, Genius. Besides, you must be busy with other stuff, like a marriage." Nancy reminded him and he smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. How his smile cut into her- she really want to run far away from him before the first teardrop fall.

"Oh, right. So you're staying here? We'll still be going the same way. Let me help you with that." Chivalrous as ever, Frank gestured for her overnight bag and she had no idea what possessed her then but she handed it to him and walked with him towards the hotel's entrance. There was no way to get out of the situation as she couldn't say something akin to 'parking in here but staying at another hotel' without sounding suspicious. Almost succeeding in dismissing the stirred up emotions in the pit of her stomach, her efforts were wasted as when they were alone in the elevator bringing them up to the hotel's lobby, the silence that hung between the both of them was suffocating. She sensed that he felt it too.

"Thank you… ah, for helping me with the bag."

"A little retarded in your response, right Drew?" Frank teased her and she blushed. How could she tell him that she was too pre-occupied with her emotions that common courtesy was simply erased from her brains? Her mind blanked again and the chime that accompanied the red light flashing on the button indicating that they had reached the lobby was a godsend. She stepped out and saw a slightly leaner Joe sprawled on a couch next to a perky, blonde girl who stood up immediately and raced towards them when she spotted Frank.

"Darling! What took you so long? Who's this?" She took Frank's hand and smiled at Nancy. Without waiting for Frank's introduction, she shook Nancy's hand excitedly and introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm Callie! Frank's fiancée. You're?"

"Nancy Drew." Nancy smiled at her as another blow hammered into her heart. Callie was a sunshine girl, bubbly and pretty. Oh, she wasn't too bad herself but Callie was the girl who managed to keep Frank's heart in the end. And Nancy, as any girl in her position would be, was not too happy that Callie was very attractive.

"Nancy!!" Callie shrieked and pumped her hand harder, before hugging her effusively. "I've been dying to see you!!! Frank told me so much about you! So, you finally made it after all! Good!!!"

"Great to see you too…" Nancy smiled, rather taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting. She disengaged herself as politely as she could.

"We have a week before the wedding. I'm so sorry I can't show you around… the wedding's a little hard to prepare for." Callie apologized as she walked Nancy to the front desk, holding Frank's hand the entire time. Nancy shook her head, the smile still plastered on her cheeks.

"It's okay. I'm actually on business here but I'll make it for the wedding."

"Great! So… what business are you on?"

"Ahm, I'm investigating something…" Nancy tried to evade the question- while her identity as a FBI agent wasn't exactly a secret, she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself either. And the case was hanging on a thin thread- any possibilities of a leak and it could end up in the files of unsolved mysteries. She cast a glance at Frank who merely shrugged helplessly. Callie was about to probe when someone tapped her on her shoulder. She spun around, grateful for the brother who came to her rescue from Callie's friendship.

"Hey, Drew!" Joe embraced her warmly. "It's been a long time!"

"And I see you have grown an earring or two." Nancy tugged at one of Joe's earring, not knowing where the sudden flux of flirtatious mood came from. Maybe she just wanted something to do and besides, if there was anything Joe didn't mind, it was attention from the female species. "And a tattoo."

"Yup." Joe lifted his right arm slightly so Nancy could get a better look at the name inked permanently into his skin, "My daughter's name."

"Hallie… I've heard stuff about her… Frank is full of praises for his niece." Out of habit, Nancy ran a hand over the name. Joe frowned, mildly offended.

"Hey, it's real! I braved the pain for it…"

"Hah. Just checking!" Nancy ribbed him. Frank cut in then and Nancy thought she heard some unhappiness in his tone- or maybe she had imagined it.

"Nancy, I think you better check in. The receptionist's looking at you for a very long time."

"Oops… right. Ahm…" Nancy looked over Joe's shoulder and spotted two guys seated on the couch next to the one Joe and Callie had occupied earlier on. Both of them had dozed off and one of them, a rounder, brown haired guy, was snoring softly.

"Those are my friends. Chet can't hold his alcohol and Biff drank too much. In any case, I have to send them home now." Joe bit his lips in annoyance, "Because I'm the only one who didn't drink."

"Who can't drink at all." Frank corrected his brother, probably hearing the sullen tone in Joe's voice. Joe stuck a tongue out at Frank before guiding Nancy towards the front desk by her shoulders.

"I'll catch up with you, tomorrow, Drew. Gotta be a chauffeur tonight. Anyway, this is a great hotel to stay in- shopping is extremely close and well, shopping is extremely close."

"Like I said, I'm here on business…and Frank's wedding, of course." Nancy repeated herself and arched her brows mysteriously in answer to Joe's questioning look.

"A case I don't know of around here? Man, I must really catch up with you."

"You and Frank really do think alike. He said the same thing too." She mused at the similarity between Joe's answer and his brother's. Frank leaned in over from the other side, across from Callie, slouching against the marble counter as Nancy handed a printed reservation form to the counter staff.

"Joe does nothing but copy me." He quipped, hugging Callie closer to him.

"Right! In your dreams! I'm not a nerd!" Joe jibed his brother good-naturedly.

"You're not a nerd. You're a dork." Frank shot back. Joe reached over Callie to take a playful swipe at his brother. Pulling himself away from his fiancé, Frank reciprocated his brother's harassment and soon, the two brothers soon engaged in a juvenile scuffle behind Nancy. Callie laughed, dragging Frank away from the mirth-filled brawl.

"Knock it off, both of you. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Okay, only because you say so."

Nancy threw a quick glance behind and saw Frank and Callie indulging in some nose rubbing and quickly turned away. He didn't seem like he was intentionally coddling Callie to make her jealous- nope. Frank wasn't that kind of person. Bristling a little from the scene, Nancy took the key from the staff and thanked her softly.

"You know something, Drew? You're like an open book right now." Joe warned her gently and softly, for her benefit. Like a heavy pendulum, her mood swung violently and she glared at him querulously.

"We haven't been in touch for long, Joe. I don't know what you're inferring from my expression, me, a friend you haven't seen for years." She hissed irritability and right after, some remorse crept in. Joe had always been a percipient being and his intuition could put most women's to shame. Besides, from his tone, she knew he was only trying to be helpful.

But he didn't take it to heart. Dismissing her harshness with a half-shrug, he gestured to her luggage, "Need help with that?"

"Yah, thanks. I'm kinda tired. Sorry…"

"It's okay, Nancy. Good to see you though." Joe patted her shoulder with unspoken understanding and picked up her bag from where Frank left it- unattended. The brown-haired young man broke away from his fiancée and a look of apology flashed across his face.

"I'm sorry… Nancy. Didn't mean to… I mean, I knew Joe would watch it…"

"No worries…" Nancy smiled at him- from this little oversight of his, she guessed her unanswered question was more or less, replied to. Yet, the softness in his eyes when he looked at her flung her in a quandary again. No! Nancy chided herself, He's going to get married already. It's over. Whatever boat you missed, you missed forever.

But when did I miss it? When did it passed me by?

Or did I just walked by it and not see?

"Bro, you bring Callie home. I'll take care of Nan here… and the two goons." Joe waved at his brother who smiled gratefully and waved back.

"All right. Take care, Nan. Be seeing you around."

"Bye, Nan!" Callie chimed and her slightly high-pitched voice was sounding a little shrill to Nancy's ears.

"Bye, guys." Nancy bade them farewell and left with Joe to her room, her heart much more unsettled than before. The bag of regrets she carried with her was bursting from the extra load stuffed into it with the mere run into Frank Hardy and if she didn't leave soon, everyone would know, besides Joe.

***

"Okay, it's three a.m. and I'm so tired. Time to call it a day…" Callie squirmed away from Frank's amorous affections and thumbed Frank's nose when he pouted miserably, reluctant to let her go. He had parked his car just outside her gates and for the last half-an hour; he had been demonstrating just how much he would miss her. Darn whatever William said- he was already all fired up each time he looked at her. They had been dating for so long and yet, each second with her was a fresh burst of life for him. At times, her love for him was so overwhelming that it brought tears to his eyes in the simplest things they did together- be it just a hug on the street or a stolen kiss as they strolled through the park. Marrying her was the best decision he could ever make for himself, no matter how selfish it sounded. He loved her and she loved him back- the world was full of couples and yet, he knew he was still privileged to have found someone who could truly give of herself to him and join with him in the sea of billions, detached souls.

In the soul of course. Heart, mind and soul. Soon, on their wedding night, it would be everything- it would be sacred, innocent, loving… everything good.

"No… I don't wanna you to go…" Frank mumbled and pulled her back into his embrace, nuzzling her neck. The faint scent of her sweet floral perfume, the lingering softness of her honey-blonde hair and tenderness of her silky skin- he wanted to memorize each and every aspect of her. He wouldn't be seeing her for slightly over a week- it would be pure torture.

Callie kissed his cheek and lightly pushed him away, "Darling…"

"Baby…" He drawled, placing a finger on her lips and leaned over, trying to get close to her again. "Shh…"

"Well…" She lifted his touch away, "The days will pass soon enough. Besides the last-minute checks, you have your old friend to show around town…"

Nancy…

He sat back and bit his lips and she took his unconscious expression of pricking guilt as a sign that he had completely forgotten about showing courtesy to a long-time buddy who was stranger to his hometown. Frowning, she deftly slapped his hand.

"Now, don't be rude. I bet Nancy will need help around town."

"Ah, Callie, Joe can take care of it. Besides, aren't you even worried? Nancy's a girl and all…"

A very pretty girl with too much common interests as mine. Didn't she say she wasn't coming to my wedding? Why would she suddenly just show up? Without warning… God…

Callie twisted her lips in annoyance, "If I remember correctly, Nancy seemed more of your friend than Joe's. Besides, if anything was to happen, if would have happened long ago when you and her work together on those dangerous cases all the time. Chemistry reactions would have gone haywire in those situations and the fact that you're still with me, means there's no chemistry between the both of you. And most importantly, I trust you and have oodles of confidence in myself. You're mine… don't you ever forget it!" She kissed the tip of his nose and he smiled, touched by her trust in him while his heart pounded nervously simultaneously. On impulse, he kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, not exactly able to disentangle those twisting, swirling thoughts in his mind.

"I love you, Cal. Don't' ever doubt me…" He whispered gently into her ears in between planting butterfly kisses in her hair. She nestled her head against the hollow between his neck and left shoulder.

"I love you too, Frank. Now, be a good boy and walk me to my door. When you see me again, you'll be making me your wife."

"Yes, Madam…" He kissed her one final time on the lips. After exiting from his car, he opened her door for her and she stepped up, taking his outstretched hand. Slowly, they ambled hand-in-hand to her front door, taking in breath of the fresh morning air mingled with the fragrance of leaves and grass after the rain. Tonight, he would greet his fiancé goodnight and soon, in slightly more than week's time, he would be greeting his wife good morning.

This time, there would be no more delays. His heart was decided. As he drove home alone, moving pictures from a none-too-distance past played before his mind's eye but he ignored them. Just a mere presence and she could still have that effect on him. She- Nancy Drew.

Amidst the guilty recollection, the detective in him threw up the usual questions- why was she here? What was her case about? Would they, by chance, be working again? Would she need his help?

And if they do cooperate, would the sparks that had since died with the cooled ambers, flare again?

But his heart was decided and he let out a short laugh- he was thinking too much. Letting his mind take a break as he waited for the last red light to his apartment to turn green, he thought of his approaching wedding and smiled. Thoughts of Callie filled his heart and mind with assurance

Nancy was here on a case and they were good friends. Good friends go for each other's wedding. The ring was on Callie's finger and rightfully so. Nancy Drew was but, a girl from his past. To her, there would be nothing but a heartfelt apology, one that he hadn't quite express.