II: A Day Dream

Derek watched as Kayleigh walked into the room, telling those gathered to stop applauding; telling them that what she had just done wasn't even all that great. She was crazy if she thought what she had just recorded wasn't jaw dropping. The voice of an angel and the body of a... Derek's train of thought paused, as the blonde next to him called to the brunette bringing her over towards them just so they could meet.

"Kay, you'll never guess who you're-"

"Derek Hough," he interrupted holding his hand out for the singer, before the blonde could continue. Derek watched as Kayleigh looked up at him with her deep brown eyes. Derek also could have sworn that a light blush had spread across her pale cheeks, but he was probably blushing just as much as she was.

"Kayleigh Ryan," she answered, taking the hand that was being offered to her, "And boy, am I glad that you're my professional partner. I've been a fan of yours since you danced with Jennie Garth." If he wasn't blushing before, Derek was definitely blushing now. The two of them continued to shake hands and look at one another until her greasy manager came towards them holding a stack of papers.

"Kay, baby, that was amazing," he wheezed, "Or should I say ah-kay-zing?"

"Please don't," Kayleigh winced, "You know I really hate when you say that." Allan ignored her though, and just continued talking about the interviews and appearances that he had lined up for her in the coming weeks. He told her about how they had to advertise her upcoming album and tour and how she had to put on a brave face out in a public now that her divorce was making headlines.

"Now Bryan and Tyler have agreed to do the Morning-"

"What," Kayleigh said, snapping her head up to look Allan in the eye, "What did you just say about Bri and T-Hubb?"

"They're going to join you for your appearance on the Morning Show later this week," Allan explained, placing his hand on her shoulder in what Kayleigh was sure to be a comforting gesture. Instead it just made her want to get away from him.

"We need to reinstate for the fans that your divorce is completely mutual since the two of decided to actually go through it," Allan continued, "The three of you going onto the Morning Show to perform the songs This Is How We Roll and Just A Fool, will do just that. Understand?" Kayleigh looked up at Allan and nodded, but in reality all she wanted to do is get out there.

"Um, I got to go, Derek Hough from the show is here and I-I just want to get started," Kayleigh lied. Allan didn't need to know that she was planning to show Derek her favourite parts of the city. He would just advise her against it, thinking that he was protecting her from what the malicious headlines would say. In reality, he was making her feel like a caged animal at the zoo.

"Okay, go, go," he said, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek, but Kayleigh ducked out of the way, grabbing her purse and jacket in the process. She needed to get out of there and as quickly as possible. Walking over to where Jenn and Alexandra were standing with Derek, a smile crept onto her face.

"Hey," she greeted once more, "Sorry about that. He just wanted to let me know about the Morning Show appearance."

"Is everything-" Alexandra started, but Kayleigh quickly cut her off.

"You ready Derek," Kayleigh asked, "The city of Toronto usually waits for no one." The three girls chuckled, causing Derek to look at the three of them in amusement. They looked so at ease with one another. That kind of companionship came from years of friendship.

"Uh yeah, do you want to go and find, uh-"

"Matthias," Kayleigh supplied, a smile sweeping across her face again, "No, we don't need him to drive us. I drove myself in this morning. Let's just say that I, uh, needed the time to think." Derek nodded, but he was sure that it wasn't just that she needed the time to think. If Mark's gossip had been spot on this morning, she needed the time to just be alone and not think about anything at all.

"So, I guess we're good to go then," Derek said, scratching the back if his head.

"Okay," Kayleigh smiled, "I'll call you ladies later. Stay out of trouble."

"Do something we wouldn't do," Jenn joked, causing Kayleigh to stop mid-step to smack her friend on the arm.

"Oh, why don't you just go find JJ," Kayleigh joked, "I'm sure that he'll scratch whatever itch you have." Derek watched as Jenn's face turned bright red, just as he and Kayleigh walked out of the studio and back into the winding hallways. Sliding on her jacket as she walked, Kayleigh couldn't help, but think about the blonde dancer walking behind her.

"Are you hungry," Kayleigh asked, as they came to an external door, "I know this great place that serves a great lunch and has amazing service."

"I don't have any Canadian money on me," Derek answered, looking at the singer sheepishly. Kayleigh chuckled and nodded.

"It's okay," she told him, "It'll be my treat."

"You don't have to do that," Derek assured her, as led him towards the only classic car in the entire parking, "I mean you're already letting me stay in your condo, the least I can do is pay for lunch."

"Derek," Kayleigh started, "It's fine, don't worry about it." She quickly pulled out her keys and unlocked the doors to her car, causing Derek to pause and look at it in appreciation. Letting out a low whistle, Derek ran his hand through his hair.

"You have a beautiful car," Derek complimented.

"Thanks," Kayleigh said, smiling as she ran her gloved hand over the roof of the car, "1967 Chevrolet Impala, the first thing I ever bought when the money started coming in." Derek nodded before getting into the car. She was definitely more interesting than he had ever imagined her to be.

Derek let Kayleigh lead him down the street away from the car park where she had parked her classic car without any fear if it being stolen or broken into. Derek had no idea where she was taking him, but he could tell that the brunette was familiar with the destination. It looked like they were in an older part of the city that looked to be in the midst of an update when winter had hit the Canadian city.

"Where are we going," Derek asked, as the singer continued to lead him down the street past several Greek themed stores and restaurants. Kayleigh turned to look at him, her brown hair wiping around in the cold air.

"Sorry, forgot you aren't from around here," she apologized, her red cheeks glowing even more, "We're heading to one of my favourite places to eat on the Danforth." Derek nodded, smiling at the familiar smile that spread across her face. The brunette lead the dancer past a couple of more store windows, before she turned towards a door, holding it open for him. As soon as Derek walked through the door, his nose was filled with the smell of coffee and pastries.

"Hi Kayleigh," greeted a young boy that stood behind the counter in a black apron, "Do you want the usual?"

"Yeah, Nate, that'll be good," Kayleigh answered, offering the young boy a sincere smile, "And give my friend here the same."

"You got it," Nate chuckled, clapping his hands together as he got to work pulling a knife from the block on the opposite counter before walking over to the counter that held some of the most delicious pastries that Derek had ever seen.

"How's your mother doing? Is she getting any better," Derek heard Kayleigh asked. He could hear genuine concern for the unknown woman in the question. He watched as the young boy shook his head in response, grabbing a couple of plates for the pastries he was cutting.

"She's still sick," Nate explained, "But, she sends her love. I think she's still holding out for the day you'll come back to work for her."

"Why would I do thing like that," Kayleigh joked, as she took the plates that were being offered to her, "You're doing a great job all on your own. And Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep the change, buy yourself that computer you need for school," she said, handing the young boy enough money to cover the food and drinks and then some. Derek grabbed a quiet table in the corner of the café, while Kayleigh hugged the young boy. There had been stories of her charitable heart, about how she tried to help those in her hometown.

"Kayleigh, I-I can't," Nate told her trying to hand the singer back her change, but Kayleigh stepped farther away from him.

"No, Nate just keep it," she told him, taking his face in one of her hands, "Just remember to thank me when you win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature." They both chuckled as she joined Derek at the table.

"That was quite nice of you," Derek commented, as he took the coffee that she was handing to him.

"That was nothing," she answered, as she cut some of the cheesy Greek pastry with her fork, "I've known that kid since he first started drawing. It's the least I could do since I handed the kid his first heartbreak." Derek choked on his coffee, before looking up at Kayleigh with wide eyes.

"His first heartbreak," Derek repeated, after he finished coughing, "That sounds like an interesting story."

"It's not that interesting," Kayleigh said with a shrug of her shoulders. Derek looked at her skeptically, causing Kayleigh to try and avoid making eye contact with Derek. It was when he finally made caught her eye that she succumbed to telling him the story that he wanted to know.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you," Kayleigh sighed, "I was working for his mom after school and on the weekends before my music career really took off, and while I worked Nate would do his homework, I would help him with what I could when it wasn't busy. Anyways, Valentine's Day my senior year, I didn't have a date, so I volunteered to work the evening shift. I think Nate was about twelve at the time."

"So, he was just on the cusp of discovering girls," Derek commented, as he cut another piece of his pastry. Kayleigh nodded as she sipped her coffee.

"Yeah, well, I was getting ready to close up and call my dad to come and get me, when this twelve year old kid comes down in his plaid pyjamas and hands me a beautiful red rose," Kayleigh recalled, "He hands it to me and tells me that only the most beautiful women deserve beautiful flowers. I was shocked."

"I bet."

"I told him that I couldn't accept it, that I didn't deserve it," Kayleigh continued, a hint of sadness in her voice, "He disagreed, but I persisted. I told him that he would find a girl much more deserving of that rose in a few more years."

"Did he find one," Derek asked, looking over to the boy that was now cleaning the counters. Kayleigh shrugged.

"Maybe," Kayleigh answered, a hint of a smile on her face, "I think he gave the rose to his mom though, he was a real mama's boy back then."

Kayleigh and Derek stumbled into her condo a few hours later. After finishing up at the small café, Kayleigh had taken Derek around to her favourite parts of the city she grew up in. They had just started walking through a park she had ridden bikes with her brother when they were younger when snow had started to fall, turning their walk into a very slow stroll.

They had spent the entire day exchanging stories about their lives and quite frankly, Kayleigh had never felt this close to a complete stranger only a few hours after meeting them. Derek watched as Kayleigh slid of her leather jacket and draped it on the back of an arm chair that sat in her beautifully decorated living room.

The both of them were slipping off their shoes when Kayleigh lost her balance. She tried reaching for the wall, but grabbed onto Derek's shoulder instead sending them both to the ground with him on top of her. And it was then that the perspective shifted. Kayleigh looked up at him, both of them slightly breathless. Derek was smirking with mischief, while his short blonde hair was falling over his forehead. He saw Kayleigh's brown eyes widen, her pupils darken and then she leaned up and kissed him. Less than a second later, he kissed back. The two continued to kiss until Kayleigh pulled away.

"Derek," she said, looking up at him with bruised lips, "Derek, Derek, oh my god are you okay?" It was then that Derek shook his head and looked down at the singer underneath him and noticed that her lips weren't swollen and realised that the kiss had just been a daydream.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured her, "You okay?"

"Umm yeah," Kayleigh said, as he helped her to her feet once more. As soon as they were both on their feet, Kayleigh scratched the back of her neck and looked around the room, as if she trying to avoid looking at the man that was standing in front of her.

"So, uh," Derek started, looking at little bit out of his element.

"Right," Kayleigh said, turning back to look at him, "You're welcome to anything that may be in the kitchen. I haven't had the chance to go grocery shopping yet, so there might not be a lot in there. I guess, I'll have either Alex or Jenn do some of the shopping while we're, uh, practicing." Derek nodded and followed her as she made her way down a hallway that was lined with golden records and a few novelty items that he was sure also belonged to her ex-husband.

"The dance studio is down that set of stairs," Kayleigh pointed, "It's got pretty much everything we need, uh, bathrooms are there and there, but the guest room also has an en-suite." Kayleigh pointed at different doors, causing Derek to nod. He was sure that he would get used to the condo in a couple of days.

"I think that's pretty much it," Kayleigh sighed, scratching the back of her head trying to figure out if there was anything that she may have forgotten to tell her guest. It was then that a small black and white cat began to wind itself in between her legs. Kayleigh forgot about what she was doing and leaned down to scratch the small cat's head.

"This is Salem," she said, looking up at Derek, "He's not allowed out of the apartment, so you just have to remember to shut the front door and the patio door, but the patio door is pretty much not a worry since it's like below zero right now." Derek nodded, as the cat walked up at him looking at the dancer curiously. Before Kayleigh or Derek could even say anything, Salem began winding himself around Derek's legs, causing Kayleigh to smile.

"He doesn't usually like people," Kayleigh explained, as Derek leaned down to scratch Salem's head, "He usually just runs and hides in my room. It took him weeks before he warmed up to-" Derek looked up as Kayleigh cut herself off with a shake of the head. He was sure that she was going to mention her ex-husband and how long it had taken for her beloved pet to warm up to him in comparison to Derek, but she stopped herself before she could even say it.

"Well, I'm sure you're probably exhausted from your flight and me showing you around the city," Kayleigh said, as soon as Salem felt that he had received enough attention, "I'll show you, your room and we can get started on our first dance tomorrow."

"Yeah, that would be great," Derek said, getting to his feet once more, "Do you know if anyone brought my bags?"

"Matthias or Jenn probably dropped them off," Kayleigh said, "I didn't see them up front, so they probably already put them in he– and they're not here." Derek looked past Kayleigh into the guest room that she just opened to see that his bags were nowhere to be seen. Kayleigh scratched her head, looking slightly confused.

"Well, I guess, I'll just, uh," Derek stuttered, trying to figure out something to say. The situation was already too awkward already. He had literally just day dreamed about kissing this woman and now he had come to find out that his suitcases hadn't been delivered to her condo. Kayleigh shook her head and just chuckled.

"Derek, it's fine," Kayleigh assured him, "I probably have some of my brother's clothing here somewhere, let me just get it from, oh Lord love a duck I'm going to kill her." Derek's brow furrowed as Kayleigh switched on her bedroom light to find his suitcases sitting on her bed.

"I take this is your friend's doing then," Derek said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Yeah," Kayleigh answered, "She thinks she's being funny, but in reality she just makes things a little-"

"Awkward," Derek offered, causing Kayleigh to nod.

"Yeah," she agreed, "Well, I guess I won't have to go looking for some of those clothes for you after all. I'm really sorry about Jenn, she, she, she…she's my best friend and I have to keep her around. She knows all of my secrets." The pair chuckled as Derek lifted his suitcases off of Kayleigh's bed and moved across the hall.

"Goodnight."