Los Angeles, California
Randy was backstage in his locker room reading over the script when Nikki came into the room. Once he eyed her, he stood up. "Hi Nikki."
Nikki stopped walking. "I'm no royal, you don't need to stand up every time I come around." She sat down on the bench.
"You okay?" Randy asked and sat down next to her.
"Yeah." Nikki sounded unsure. "Well… not really. I still don't get why I had to officially begin on the busiest week of the year."
"You can do it. I know you can." Randy assured her. "And will you get rid of the executive clothes once in a while? It's been a freakin' long time since I've actually seen you wear jeans."
Nikki frowned. "So what? I'll dress the way I want to."
Randy smiled. "I love that attitude of yours."
Nikki leaned back on the bench. She didn't realize there was a gap between the bench and the wall, so she ended up falling flat on her butt.
"Oh my god Nikki, are you ok?" Randy leaned over to help her up, meeting her eyes with his.
Nikki stared right back up at him. She saw something in his eyes she had never seen before. Therefore, she smiled. Randy wanted to kiss her, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. She's not like that. Instead, Randy began laughing.
Nikki punched him in the arm, but couldn't help but laughing either. "Shut up, I have my moments."
Randy helped her up. "Yeah… you and John."
Nikki straightened out her blazer. She cleared her throat. "It's better to have funny and slash or ditzy moments that to have moments that SOMEONE could barely speak."
Randy knew what she was talking about. She was talking about him. So she wants someone who can play along with her… be stupid with her. Hmm… maybe that's why she's not attracted to me.
"Hey you two." Trish walked in. She gave Randy a look. All Randy could do was give back a cheesy smile. Trish placed her palm in front of his face.
"So… how's work treating you? Everything you've always wanted?" Trish asked.
Nikki nodded. "Yes. Although it's a lot harder than what I thought it would be."
"You finally decided your wedding date Trish?" Randy asked.
Trish nodded. "Yes. June 4th."
"I'll make sure we all have that day off. I need a list of the people from the company you are inviting, so I can arrange a day off for them. But you can only invite up to 10 people from the company, company policies you see." Nikki assured.
Trish nodded. "You two okay?"
Neither of them answered. Instead Nikki pulled Randy and Trish together, with her in the middle, posing for a picture.
Trish was surprised. "What the fuh…"
"Oh. I hired a photographer to take pictures of people backstage, as long as they have the door open." Nikki answered.
Randy smiled. "Why?"
"Nothing, just gonna have all those photos stored as memories." Nikki laughed. "I'm gonna need a copy of that, you should see the look on your faces."
"Hey Nikki," Trish pushed Randy over saying, "OK, my turn to talk to her." And began talking. "Have you talked to John lately?"
Nikki shook her head. "No, I've been calling his cell, but he's not answering. Why, what's wrong?"
"I don't know, I mean, I started calling him too, visited his apartment, but no one's answering." Trish said.
Randy raised his hand. "I talked to him this morning."
Nikki punched him in the arm, and Trish smacked him in the head.
"What the fuck?" Randy exclaimed.
"Your mom." Trish answered. "No… how the hell could you have talked to him, and not us?"
Randy rubbed the back of his forehead. "Ow… that was painful…"
"Focus!" Trish was ready to smack him again, but Randy gave in.
"His cell is broken, he apologizes to Nikki for not being able to answer, and he's not talking to you for the meantime." Randy blurted out.
"Me?" Nikki asked. "Why?"
Randy shook his head. "Not you, why would anyone not talk to you?" Randy stared at her.
Trish smacked him again. "Me?"
Randy nodded. "He wouldn't tell me why."
"I know why." Nikki thought for a moment. "He thinks he's left hanging because of your engagement."
Randy became confused. "What? Why?"
"It's a long story." Nikki answered.
Trish left the room, pretending not to cry.
"I have the time, please explain." Randy pleaded.
Nikki shook her head. "No you don't you go on next, and I want you to do what you're suppose to do, without thinking about any of this, OK?"
Randy nodded, and then suddenly remembered what he was going to do out in the ring. Nikki pushed Randy all the way to the backstage entrance to the ring.
"Do I have to do what I'm suppose to do?" Randy asked.
"I don't know what you're suppose to do." Nikki answered as she straightened out his collar.
Randy was shocked. "Aren't you suppose to know what I'm gonna do?"
"No, only Stephanie and you know that." Nikki straightened out his cuffs.
"What about Stacy? Does she know?" Randy asked.
"No, I already told you." Nikki assured him. She held his forearms tight and looked straight into his eyes. "Knock her dead." She winked.
Randy smiled. "Kiss me, please?"
Nikki frowned. As Randy's entrance song came on, she pushed him out to the stage.
Randy turned around. "You know!" Randy walked down the ramp, looking at Stacy, who was beside him, and became frantic.
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Nikki walked into Randy's locker room, to find Randy weeping. She sat down next to him, and put her arm around his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Randy looked up. "I'm sorry."
Nikki smiled. "About that?" Nikki lifted Randy's chin up. "I had no clue about that, but I'm actually glad it happened. Remind me to thank Stephanie."
Randy shook his head. "You're not angry I RKO'd your sister?"
Nikki laughed and shook her head. "No, why would I be? She deserved it."
Randy stopped crying. He wiped his eyes. "Look at me, crying, that's not what a man's suppose to do."
"True, but it's what a man HAS to do." Nikki said.
Randy hugged Nikki, trying to resist his temptation in kissing her. "I love you Nikki."
Nikki was shocked. She didn't complain, instead she locked her arms around him. She smiled. "I love you too… Buddy." She patted him on the back and got up.
Randy smiled, and then frowned. Great… She loves me, as a buddy.
"I need another hat. I'm gonna go to the store." Nikki turned to leave.
"But why? No stores are open this late." Randy said.
"Yes there is… Wal-Mart." Nikki answered.
"But it's so… cheap." Randy said.
"Oh, so just because you're rich, doesn't mean you don't shop at stores like that? Please, as long as they're reliable, I'm good." Nikki walked out the room. "Later."
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Malibu, California
Nikki walked through her parents' Malibu estate, with her knew hat on her head, and preceded to the kitchen. To her surprise, she found Ryan, Jeanine and Randy pigging out on Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
"Hey sis." Ryan said.
"Hey Nikki!" Jeanine exclaimed.
"Sshh!" Randy shushed them.
Nikki laughed and sat on the counter. "No worries, they can't hear us down here in the kitchen.
"Oh. Sorry Jeanine." Randy apologized.
Jeanine stuck her tongue out. "Told you."
"Wow… how long have you 3 been here downstairs?" Nikki asked them as she grabbed a quart of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie in the ice cream freezer below the counter.
"I dunno. Like 3 hours maybe?" Ryan answered.
"And you were eating ice cream the whole time?" Nikki asked.
They all nodded. "So, you two are living together now?" Jeanine asked.
Randy nodded, but Nikki shook her head.
"I believe Randy." Ryan suddenly took sides.
Nikki sighed. "Yes, we live together, but we're not dating. Sucks for you Ryan."
"Damn. I already stated him as my official brother-in-law." Ryan snapped his fingers.
"We're not engaged." Nikki said. She shot Randy a look.
Jeanine stabbed her spoon into her ice cream. "Come on Nikki, just forget that guy you went out with years ago, He's not Randy, I can tell Randy's different."
Ryan nodded. "The fam-bam knows all."
"Please Nikki, give him a chance." Jeanine begged.
"Besides, you two look so cute together." Ryan complimented.
Nikki stared at Ryan, dropped jaw. "Since when do you say "so cute"?"
"It's a new catch phrase at school." Ryan defended.
Jeanine laughed at him. "Who's gonna believe that?"
Nikki smiled. "You're not."
Ryan was unsure. He shook his head, smiling as well.
"Yes you are, you should have seen what he was doing at Starbucks this morning." Jeanine copied Ryan, opened her mouth, and started moving her tongue back and forth around her mouth.
Ryan slapped her. "I'm not sure."
"What?" Randy exclaimed.
"Well finally you caught on." Jeanine said.
"Ryan's gay!" Nikki and Randy exclaimed. They got down from the counter and pranced around chanting it over and over.
Jeanine laughed. "See? You're not that hard to figure out."
Ryan crossed his arms. "I am not."
Nikki stopped dancing. "Look little bro, it's OK. Just as long as dear old father doesn't find out."
"And what if he does?" Randy asked.
"Then he's dead." Jeanine answered.
"No, we're all dead. He's gonna suspect we all knew. Even you Randy." Ryan corrected.
Nikki got up on the counter again. "No worries, I got your backs." She turned to Randy. "Except you, you're on your own."
Jeanine and Ryan smacked Nikki on the head.
"Why do you all smack each other on the head?" Randy asked.
"Because that's how we roll." Jeanine answered.
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March 31st
Randy went into Nikki's room and sat down in her beanie chair. Nikki came around the corner from the bathroom.
"Good gosh!" Nikki jumped when she saw Randy. "Will you knock next time?"
"You wouldn't be able to hear it." Randy said.
"Yes I would." Nikki sat down on the other beanie chair.
Randy wiggled to make himself more comfortable. "I have the time, please tell me what happened between Trish and John. I deserve to know."
Nikki grabbed a pillow and hugged it. "You don't deserve to know, you have the right to know. You're family after all."
Randy smiled. "Thanks. OK, begin please."
Nikki began telling the story. "It wasn't long ago, John paid a visit here in Malibu. Let's see, I believe he was 21, Trish was 23, and I was 18. Yes, hard to believe we were all best friends with such a huge age gap."
Randy laughed. "Yes,the age that kiddos befriendother kiddos is about1 or 2 years apart from them."
Nikki smiled. "Anyway, so he was in town. So he stayed over at Trish's pad, the next estate down from here, for like a month. I don't know what happened in that house, but something went down. So as usual, my mother holds this summer kickoff party, and a bunch of celebs come over to the house, and I invited John and Trish. So they came over." Nikki paused to breathe. "We all hung out over by the beach, right? Then I see these two cuddling, giggling, and other things I would've never imagined these two would do."
"Wait, so you mean, those two were actually going out?" Randy asked.
Nikki nodded. "That's not even half the story. We were roasting marshmallows and I john and Trish were talking. They were like, if by our mid 30s, both of us aren't married yet, we'll promise to marry each other. They swore it. They made me even write a contract to make sure their words are never left unsaid."
"You still have the contract?" Randy asked.
"How do you know I have the contract?" Nikki asked.
"I didn't, you told me." Randy smiled suavely.
Nikki smiled and nodded, then shook her head. "I sort of do, but don't. That contract is lost somewhere under the sand on the beach. The beach down the hill. But anyway, John came over to my house about 3 days after the party. He told me, I don't quote, and he told me that he's never fallen head over heels in love with someone before. I joked around and told him he'd never fallen in love before. And he was all like, I'm talking about Trish. He was in love with her, and he even did something with her he fully described to me, but I just don't wanna talk about it."
"Gross. They had sex?" Randy asked.
"Didcha have to say it?" Nikki exclaimed. "Anyway, he stayed over at our house that day, and Trish said she had to go to a family reunion in Washington State for a week, so John ended up staying here. Well, evidently, during his stay here, Stacy was trying to get a modeling contract."
"What the fuck? That girl is practically in the middle of everything juicy that happens here. That girl is nothing but trouble." Randy interrupted.
"You done?" Nikki asked. "So, she was trying to get her modeling contract. She was doing a photo shoot down by the beach and John and I were lounging around by the pool with Ryan. Trust me, even Ryan knows this story. So, John couldn't help but staring at her. Ryan and I noticed, and I was like, are you ok? He nodded and Ryan and I were like, whatever, he's fine. Then, later that week, John just disappears from the house. He's never there during the day, and I don't see him at night. And ironically, Stacy was in Hollywood, doing more photo shoots there."
"Ah. So John was stalking her." Randy figured.
"I'm not sure whether he was stalking her, but they both weren't home. Then, Trish finally comes back from Washington State and drops by the house to pick up her, get this, "boyfriend". She called him her boyfriend. Well, I didn't want to tell her he wasn't home, so I just led her upstairs anyway. Then, she has this look on her face I had never seen before. A look of like confusion, anger, sadness at the same time. I heard these voices coming from this room, and Trish was walking right up there. She walks up to the room where John was staying, and seriously, she didn't know what room he was staying at." Nikki paused to breathe, to anticipate the next part of the story for Randy.
"I do not like where this is going…" Randy said, he had a feeling of what was coming next.
"She doesn't knock on his door, she barges in, to find…" Nikki closed her eyes. "John and Stacy in bed at the same time."
Randy was speechless. "I can't believe John, but that WHORE!" He exclaimed.
"Ssh!" Nikki said. "Trish doesn't say a word, she runs out the room, crying. Then John gets out of bed, running after Trish. And trust me, I saw more of John than I never ever wanted to see in my life. What I hated most was that my sister just smiled about the whole thing. I yelled at my sister there, and Ryan came around the corner, telling me he told me so."
"There were signs, but you ignored them." Randy observed.
Nikki nodded. "Then later I find them outside, sitting on the steps of the front door, and finally John was wearing something, and they actually made up. But I knew the made up part wasn't about them two being together anymore. They made up being friends, but didn't make up as a couple."
"Damn." Randy stated.
Nikki nodded. "I was mad at him, but I couldn't stay mad at him for long because he's my best friend, but he told me, no matter what, he'll always love Trish. And he said he's going to make it up to her. And he wanted to wait for the right moment when he's going to make a move on her again. Trish doesn't know that. Trish didn't say anything, but the way she plays around with him, it's flirting, and I know from that look in her eyes that she still loves him. And from that moment on, Trish officially became part of the "I Hate Stacy" club."
Randy wasn't surprised. "I'd like to join that club."
"Go ahead, no membership required. Just declare it and you're in." Nikki leaned back on the chair. "That's it. That's the story I saw and heard. But the only ones that can tell you the whole story are John and Trish. Stacy has nothing to do with it. Besides the fact she did the dirty deed with him."
"Wow." Randy said.
"You know, some part inside of me says part of this is my fault. The signs were right in front of me, I guess I was ignoring them." Nikki said.
"It's OK, shit happens. Mostly to me don't worry." Randy explained.
"Then the next day, In don't know how word got out, but it was front page of the Malibu Scoop. Stacy is known as the slut, whore of the town, and she made front page. There was a photo of John out in Hollywood, he and Stacy entering a restaurant together. Everything! Then the pictures, oh my gosh, it was a mess." Nikki told.
"God." Randy said. "So he was two timing."
Nikki nodded. "I guess so. Dad never found out, we never tell him about this kinds of things. Or else, he'll kill us."
"So your mom knows?" Randy asked.
Nikki nodded again. "Mom's tight. She'll handle everything. Well, almost everything."
"So there were more mishaps that happened here?" Randy asked, suspiciously.
Nikki didn't answer.
"Including the one about you and that guy you dated?" Randy asked.
Nikki didn't answer.
"So there is a story behind that one too." Randy stated. He eyed Nikki with a suspicious look on his face.
Nikki didn't answer.
"I'm gonna find out about that. I wanna know what happened." Randy declared.
Nikki shook her head. "That you will never find out about." Nikki sighed. "At least, not now."
"Whatever. You can't hide it forever." Randy got up.
"Where you going?" Nikki asked.
"I'm going to the park." Randy said. "You can come with me if you want."
Nikki shook her head. "No thanks, I'll stay here. Take the limo, go wherever you want with it. Have fun."
Randy thanked her a turned to leave. I have a feeling there's more to the Trish and John story. And what's the deal with that guy and Nikki?