CHAPTER THREE: Worries

"You know, Chris, I'm worried about John," Stephanie said thoughtfully. She was sitting in Chris's locker room on the couch, watching him get ready for the Highlight Reel. She just couldn't stop thinking about what John had said earlier about how he didn't want to lose her, and that had been at lunch over five hours ago.

"He has been looking a little down lately," Chris said absently as he checked over his reflection in the mirror. "What's wrong with him, and how do I look?"

"He worries that you and I are rushing into marriage. He thinks that once you and I are married, he's going to lose me as a best friend," she answered. She stood up and walked over to where he was standing by the mirror. Wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, she leaned against his back and sighed contentedly. "And to answer your last question, you look sexy."

"How sexy?" he asked, turning around and putting his arms around her.

"A tad bit too sexy to be doing the Highlight Reel," she replied with a smile. "Too sexy for me to let you out of this room, even."

"Oh, is that so?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "It's so."

"And how do you plan on keeping me in here?" he wanted to know.

"Oh, I have my ways," she said. "But if you really want to know, it would go a little something like this..." She kissed him slowly, enjoying the response she got out of him. Oh, and his lips were so nice and soft...

He pulled back and glanced at the clock on the wall. "The Highlight Reel starts in roughly thirty five minutes..." He looked back at her with an impish grin on his face. "How much do you think we can get accomplished in thirty five minutes?"

"As much as you want to," she said, grinning at him.

"I love the way you think," he said.

"And I love you," she replied, pulling him over to the couch.

"Oh yeah, and that, too," he teased.

"I am so offended by that," she said, pretending to be upset.

"You know I love you, sweetheart," he said seriously as he hovered over her on the couch. "I love you more than I've ever loved anything before in my life."

"I know you do," she whispered back. She smiled. "But for now, just shut up and kiss me..."

"As you wish, Princess..."

He leaned down and kissed her, and the worries about John flew out of her mind as quickly as they had flown in...