Less than a week after she had first sat down to dinner with the Martin family, Mikayla was one floor below them relaxing in her very own suite. While her new place was not overly luxurious, she was happy to have it. She was also happy at the frequent visits she received from her new friends. She enjoyed their company.

Currently, she was enjoying the company of the Martin twins.

"You're lucky," Zack said to Mikayla as he flopped down on the sofa. "I know this place is just the same as our suite, but you have it all to yourself."

"Be glad you don't have to share your bathroom with two other people," Cody added.

"Oh, I am," she replied. "That does not sound like fun."

"Speaking of fun," Zack said with a grin. "What are we going to do to celebrate Mikayla's moving in? I suggest pizza and ice cream."

"You've made that suggestion a few times already," the singer noted. "Is food all you think about?"

"No way," he answered. "There are lots of other things I think about." He flashed her a sly smile. "I'll tell you all about them...when we have some privacy."

"Heel Zack," Cody said, as if speaking to a dog.

Mikayla laughed. She found both brothers quite amusing...and quite appealing. The twins were equally handsome, and while their personalities were quite different, both were very likable.

"I have an idea," Cody announced. "Mikayla, do you want to go catch Mom's show tonight? It would give you a chance to see what the lounge is like."

"That would be great," she answered. "I've been looking forward to hearing your Mom sing. So, are all three of us going?"

"Sure," Zack said as he looked at his watch. "We've got an hour until her show starts."

"Only an hour?" Mikayla asked. "I need to figure out what to wear."

Cody and Zack shared a look. Like most males, neither brother understood why women put so much time into deciding what to wear. They left Mikayla's suite to let her pick out an outfit, promising to be back in time to escort her to the lounge.

"I think I'll ask London to join us," Cody told his brother as they headed toward the elevator. "She always gets the best table in the house."

"Good thinking," Zack agreed. "And when we get to the table, do me a favor...sit with London so I can sit with Mikayla."

Cody frowned. "Actually, I want you to do me a favor. Stop hitting on Mikayla."

"Whoa." Zack stopped Cody in the hall before they got into the elevator. "Why should I do that? Because you want her?"

"I didn't say I wanted her. But you should stop hitting on her."

Zack felt his patience wearing thin. "I repeat...why?"

"Mikayla is going through a lot right now," Cody explained. "It's obviously been hard on her."

"You think I don't know that? I've been doing my part to help her out. Or hadn't you noticed?"

Cody sighed. "You are helping her. But I don't think you've considered how vulnerable she could be right now. It's not a good time for her to be getting involved with anyone. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of her."

"That's what you think I'm doing?" The anger in Zack's tone was clear.

"Calm down," Cody said. "I don't think you'd take advantage of her on purpose. But I'm saying that you could do that without meaning to. Either one of us could."

Zack raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it," Cody went on. You and I are both helping her at a time when she's really in need. She's likely to be vulnerable, but she's also probably grateful to both of us. That's not a good combination. Would you want Mikayla to go out with you just because she feels she owes you?"

Zack's anger faded. "I get what you're saying. And no, I wouldn't want that."

"Good," Cody answered. "So...just cool it with Mikayla until her life starts to calm down."

The twins got into the elevator. As the doors closed, Zack turned to his brother. "When things do calm down for her, am I going to be the only one asking her out?"

Cody let out a short, quick laugh. "She's a beautiful girl. I'm sure lots of guys will be asking her out."

"Yeah, but how many of those guys are currently in this elevator?"

Cody broke eye contact with his twin and looked straight ahead at the elevator doors.

"I can't predict the future, Zack."

Forty minutes after the twins had left her suite, Mikayla heard a knock at her door. When she answered it, she found not only Zack and Cody waiting outside her doorway, but London as well.

"Hey BFF," the heiress said as she gave the singer a hug.

Mikayla was glad that London was joining them to watch Carey's show. The singer appreciated the rich girl's cheerful attitude, since cheerfulness had been sorely lacking from Mikayla's life for some time. The two girls chatted during the elevator ride down to the lobby, in contrast to the Martin twins who were quiet for the most part. The quartet were led to the best table in the lounge (thanks to London, naturally), and they sat back and waited for the show to begin.

"She is awesome," Mikayla said breathlessly.

Carey Martin's show was running long, due to the audience applause taking quite a while to die down after each song.

"Depending on how many encores she does, we're going to be here all night," Zack joked. But despite his humor, he was as impressed as everyone else in the lounge. He'd seen his mother perform plenty of times in the past, but he'd never seen her hold an audience in the palm of her hand like this.

Cody was just as amazed as his brother. He wondered what was responsible for the improvement of the act. Mr. Moseby said this all started while we were away on the ship, he thought. But does that mean Zack and I were holding Mom back in the past? That idea worried Cody. He hated to think that he was such a burden to his mother that she could only be at her best when he wasn't around.

On stage, Carey raised a hand to flip back an errant lock of her long auburn hair and then launched into her next song, an old romantic standard. Her stage presence was uncanny. Every move she made seemed to form an intimate connection between herself and the audience.

Mikayla had performed in front of far larger crowds and had heard thousands of fans scream and cheer for her...but she felt those experiences paled next to what she was seeing now.

The people here aren't reacting to Carey because she has a hit song or a video on MTV, Mikayla thought. They don't clap for her because she's famous or because there's been some big publicity campaign behind her. The crowd loves her because...she's making them love her. She's using nothing but her voice and her talent...and she's seducing everyone in this room.

Mikayla got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she made these observations.

How am I going to be able to work here? she worried. I can't do what she's does.

To be continued...

author's note: Please review.