I haven't written anything in a long time, so be nice. Read and review ifyou please, but be aware that this first chapter is very short and does not give very much information about where the story is going. Know that there will be several twists before the end. Obviously, I don't own any of these characters or anything. Hope you enjoy!

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to decieve."
- Sir Walter Scott

Chapter 1
Set Up

Nick Stokes was having a bad night. This girl—Kristi—was worse than most of the ones his father set him up with. His parents were still trying to rope him back into their way of life, hoping that he'd fall for one of their friends' daughters, move back to Texas, and be a 'real Stokes' again. Nick generally indulged their whims; when one of these blind dates was in town, he took the girl out for a nice dinner, and then took her back to his place—always her idea. Tonight, though, he wasn't in the mood.

Kristi was prancing around his place, but Nick's thoughts were elsewhere. He found himself thinking of…Sara. Why, he did not know. But the fact remained, Nick would rather be sitting on his couch with Sara than watching Kristi be "sexy". The phone rang.

"Hi!" Kristi answered it in her typically bubbly way.

"Um…I was looking for Nick Stokes," Sara Sidle said. She quickly realized what that bubbly voice on Nick's phone meant—he was otherwise engaged this evening. "I must have the wrong number," she said quickly. "I'm sorry." She hung up, dejected. It had taken her so long to work up the courage to make that call! Soon, though, her sadness gave way to anger. Nick was having fun with some bimbo, and she was sitting all alone—again.

"Who was that?" Nick asked as Kristi hung up the phone.

"I don't know!" Kristi said, giggling again. "Some boring lady."

Nick sighed. "You know, Kristi, I'm really not feeling well. I think I'm going to go to bed," he said. "You can stay if you want; I have a spare bedroom."

"Aww, poor Nicky!" Kristi gushed. "Can't I make you feel better?"

"That's really alright," Nick said.

Kristi stuck out her bottom lip, pouting. "Fine…I'm going back to my hotel."

"I'm sorry," Nick said, walking her out. He knew that there would be an angry phone call from his father—Kristi's father was a member of his parents' country club—but at that moment, he didn't care. He wanted some peace and quiet; he wanted to gather his thoughts.

To be continued (soon).