AN: I tried to keep Natalie as in character as I could, but she still might be a bit OOC. I just wanted to let you know that I'm aware of that, and I hope you enjoy the story! :)

Chapter 6

Dan's POV

The first confirmation that Natalie was just as rich as ever was her huge hotel suite. The second confirmation was her five - yes, five - trunks of luggage standing in the corner of the room. I couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of it all as I looked around. I even managed to catch a glimpse of a gigantic bed in the other room, with like ten different outfits laid out on it.

Natalie looked at me coldly. "I prefer luxury when it is available," she said, walking past me and sitting down on an armchair. Taking off her baseball cap and throwing it on the ground, she looked at me critically. I felt like I was under some inspection, which I probably was.

"I-I-I-," Tammy stuttered. "My name is Tammy, and I'm your absolute biggest fan!"

Natalie smiled slightly. "You don't know the number of times I've heard that before," she said in an offhand voice. Something about the way she said it made me think she would never tire of hearing it.

"So, what are you doing here?" Natalie asked, looking directly at me. It was Tammy, however, who answered.

"I just really wanted to show you some designs of mine." Tammy paused, looking slightly apprehensive. "If - if you don't mind me asking, do - do you know Dan?"

Natalie stared at Tammy for a moment, while I wondered what she was going to say. When the silence stretched on, Tammy glanced at me and I started walking around the room to avoid looking at her. By the time Natalie answered, I had already gotten to the flat-screen TV, though I do admit I spent a bit more time looking at that one.

"We're, um, distantly related. We used to play together when we were little. After a while, our connection sort of…broke off."

I couldn't help snorting. Used to play together? More like used to try to kill each other. Natalie gave me a cold stare and I stopped laughing.

Now it was my turn to be interrogated. "You knew Natalie Kabra all this time and you didn't tell me?" Tammy said incredulously.

"I, uh - ." I couldn't really think of anything to say. Was I supposed to tell her that I just wasn't listening every time she went on about the fashion designer? That me and Natalie used to be worst enemies? Yeah, I wasn't about to open my mouth.

I'm surprised to say Natalie helped me out on this one. "You were saying you had some designs to show me?" she asked. Tammy quickly changed track.

"Yeah," she said. She pulled a folder out of her purse, and then handed it to Natalie. Natalie took it and flipped through the papers inside. A couple times she took one out and examined it more closely.

After a few minutes in which Tammy watched expectantly, Natalie handed her back the folder.

"I like them. They're very original and creative, and they could really have a future in the fashion industry. I - I'll try to do what I can," Natalie said warmly. She handed back the folder and then stood up.

"That's great!" Tammy said, and then pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket. "Here," she said. "It has my phone number and address."

Natalie took it and slipped it into a purse sitting on a table. She smiled kindly at Tammy. "You know, your hair - it would look better up. It would show off your face more."

Tammy nodded vigorously. "Th-thanks."

Natalie turned to me. "And Dan, it was wonderful meeting you. Perhaps our path will cross again."

"Sure," I said, though I highly doubted it.

Natalie held out her hand to me, and it took me a few minutes to realize she wanted me to shake it. I walked over to her and took it.

We shook hands for a few seconds before the thought occurred to me that we were sort of close. As in, slightly closer than we needed to be if we were only shaking hands. And I swear it was NOT me that got any closer.

I suddenly found myself locking eyes with her twinkling amber eyes, and there was something about them that made it impossible to look away. I'd thought she was pretty earlier, but now up close she seemed - not a word I'd usually use, but still - gorgeous. I saw a small smile forming on her face and found it interesting that she hadn't looked away yet.

I was aware of my hand still loosely grasping hers, and though she could've pulled away she didn't. Snap out of it, snap out of it, I kept telling myself. Snap -

" - out of it!" Tammy said. I abruptlypulled my hand out of Natalie's and stepped back a few paces.

"Well," Natalie said abruptly. "I hope it's alright if I don't see you to the lobby. I wish to have some rest."

The tone was clear. It was time for me and Tammy to go.

As Tammy and I walked to the elevator, Tammy cornered me.

"What happened back there?" she demanded.

I didn't say anything. I only shook my head. I didn't know myself.

The afternoon of the next day…

"What's for lunch?" I called to Nellie from the stairs.

"Come down and find out," she called back. I groaned. Just what I needed - a long trip downstairs. I started on my way down.

Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang. I heard Tammy running to open it, and I raced her to the door. I was nearer and a better runner, so I obviously won.

I swung open the door. Looking outside, I found the last person I would expect to see standing on my doorstep - Natalie Kabra.

Natalie's POV

The first confirmation that Dan was as immature as ever was his clothes - they were matted, ugly, and boring. The second confirmation was that he laughed - yes, laughed - when we walked into my hotel suite.

I gave him the coldest stare I possibly could. "I prefer luxury when it is available," I said. As if Dan even knew what the word "luxury" even meant.

I walked over to the armchair and sat down, taking off my hideous baseball cap and flinging it onto the ground. I gave Dan a once-over, cringing at his clothes. He was rather cute, though - I would give him that. I supposed he could charm plenty of girls. Just not me.

Then the girl started talking. "I-I-I- My name is Tammy and I'm your absolute biggest fan!"

I smiled. Only thirty minutes ago, girls had been shouting the same thing at me. "You don't know the number of times I've heard that before," I said, trying to sound casual. I saw a bemused look on Dan's face, and I decided to change the subject.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked, looking directly at Dan. It was Tammy who answered.

"I just really wanted to show you some designs of mine," she said, and then after a moment's thought, added, "If - if you don't mind me asking, do - do you know Dan?"

I stared back at her, trying to think of what to say. Obviously, she didn't know about the clue hunt. As my mind came to a blank, Tammy glanced at Dan, who immediately started wandering around the room. Coward!

"We're, um, distantly related," I started, choosing my words carefully. "We used to play together when we were little. After a while, our connection sort of…broke off." That was a bit of a stretch of the truth, even for me. I heard Dan start laughing and I glared at him. Did he want her to buy it or not?

Suddenly Tammy looked upset as she stared at Dan. "You knew Natalie Kabra all this time and you didn't tell me?"

Dan seemed at a loss for words. "I, uh -"

I decided to draw the attention back to myself. "You were saying you had some designs to show me?"

Tammy's reaction was instantaneous. "Yeah." She quickly pulled a folder out of her purse - she was obviously organized - and handed it to me. I opened the folder and flipped through the pages inside. Some designs that interested me I pulled out to look at more closely.

I felt Tammy's eyes watching me, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. The designs were good - they were unique, pretty, and, well, good, but I knew the truth of the matter. For any designs to get through, to get onto the runway, they needed an edge, and though these designs were good, they didn't have that. These designs were one set of the many I had already been shown by other hopefuls, and though Tammy's were one of the better ones, they just didn't have enough.

I looked up to tell this to Tammy, but as I saw her expectant eyes and small smile, something inside me told me I couldn't.

"I like them. They're very original and creative, and they could really have a future in the fashion industry. I - I'll try to do what I can."

I waited for her reaction. To myself I thought, Don't believe it, please just understand that there's nothing I can do for you, please don't believe the meaningless words I just said.

But my wishful thinking had no affect. Tammy looked as if she was about to burst from excitement. "That's great!" she exclaimed, and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket.

"Here," she said. "It has my phone number and address." I gingerly took it and put it in my purse standing on my table. Turning back around, I smiled at Tammy. She really was quite pretty.

"You know, your hair - it would look better up." I said. "It would show off your face more."

"Th-thanks," Tammy said.

I next turned to Dan. "And Dan, it was wonderful meeting you. Perhaps our path will cross again," I said, though I was practically positive they wouldn't.

Out of pure politeness, I offered my hand to him. He stared at it for a few seconds before coming over and taking it.

We shook hands for a few seconds before I realized that we were close. Closer than we needed to be. And I swear it was Dan that got closer.

I tried to think of something to say, but I couldn't think of anything that didn't sound stupid. Suddenly I found myself gazing into his jade green eyes, and I just couldn't look away. I felt a small smile forming on my lips as I stared at him. It was as if I now saw him in another light; he wasn't just cute - he was really good-looking. I vaguely wondered why he was staring at me, why he hadn't pulled his hand from mine. What's wrong with me? I thought. Something must be wrong if I'm having these thoughts!

"Snap out of it, Dan, snap out of it!" Tammy said. That seemed to do the trick for Dan. He jerked his hand out of mine and backed away from me, as if he was afraid. I suddenly felt irritated. I needed some time alone to think.

"Well," I said. "I hope it's alright if I don't see you to the lobby. I wish to have some rest." I tried to make it as clear as possible that I wanted them to leave right away.

They seemed to have gotten the message. As they left, I closed the door after them.

What happened back there? I asked myself. I shook my head. I just didn't know.

The afternoon of the next day…

I lay on the bed in my hotel room, eyes closed, listening to music on my iPod. The volume was up, and I didn't know Jason had even entered until he nudged me on my shoulder.

I propped myself up and turned the music off. "What?" I asked.

"We - we have rather a problem."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem?"

"We have a fan ambush. They're all in the lobby right now because we've managed to hold them back, but I don't know how long that will be, so we have to get you out through the fire escape."

Now that he had said that, I could hear faint yelling from downstairs. Hurriedly, I put away my iPod and started packing up quickly. Thankfully I had only unpacked one of my bags. In five minutes I was ready - I had developed a system for this sort of thing since this had already happened twice before.

Quickly I hurried down the fire escape with my luggage and Jason behind me, and as I exited I got into a car that was already waiting for me there.

"So, where am I staying for the next week in Boston?" I asked Jason as the chauffeur started the car.

"We, uh, we don't know quite yet -"

I groaned. "Fine. Just let me make a few calls." I reached for my purse, and as I was digging inside for my phone, I accidentally pulled out the paper Tammy had given me, with her address and phone number. As I stared at it, an idea formed in my head.

"Jason, I think I know where I can stay for a week."

In half an hour I was standing on the last place I thought I would be standing on - Dan Cahill's doorstep. I took a deep breath as I rang the doorbell and the door was opened by none other than Dan Cahill.