Tensions were high the next morning as the group met in the high school auditorium to rehearse the spot that was to appear on The Ed Sullivan show the next evening. In attendance were Tim and Ziva—the latter not speaking to the former—with Tim's mother in tow, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Mayor Vance, Abby, and Jimmy, who, despite his comments the previous night, was still uneasy about his girlfriend being kissed by a rock star on national television. Tony, of course, was there as well, having traded in his gold jumpsuit for a pair of jeans and a button-up white shirt which he wore with the top three buttons undone, revealing his well-sculpted chest.

"So we'll begin with Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs," Tim said, beckoning them forward. "You two can comment about how proud you are that your daughter was chosen to give Tony this send-off. Then introduce Mayor Vance who will mention how honored he is to have Tony in Sweet Apple and will then present Tony and Abby." The two stepped forward. Abby wrung her hands nervously; Tony noticed her bashfulness and shot her a wink. Jimmy silently fumed. "The song will begin right away, so be ready. Tony will sing and Abby will stand by. At the end of the song, she'll kiss him and that'll be the end. Everyone got that?"

"Yes," the group chorused.

"Good," Tim said with a sigh. "Can we go through it?"

The cast for the three minute spot went through the given blocking, a task that seemed to take them far beyond their three minute limit. By the time the song started up they were one minute over time. Tim grimaced but said nothing; he could address the problem when they went through it again. "Okay, here's the song."

The song was complete and, truth be told, was one of Tim's better works. It was a generic love song, but it did the job and Tony sold it with every ounce of energy he possessed. Though he had been pegged as relying on his good looks, charm, and hypnotic hips, Tony did have talent, and this song show cased it well. Abby stood beside him, mesmerized by it all: the song, the voice, the hips…

"That was great, Tony!" Tim proclaimed. "And this is where you'll give our young fan a kiss. Now can we go through it again?"

"Again?" Tony asked. "That was perfect!"

"It was three minutes over our time limit. Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs and Mayor Vance, we'll need you to be quicker. Try and keep what you say to the bare minimum."

Jenny pouted. "Well, I need to mention the Women's Lib movement! I think it's very relevant to the current times."

"And what good is it for me to be on the show without mentioning the upcoming mayoral race?" asked Mayor Vance. "I need the voters to know that I intend to bring great things to Sweet Apple, such as the presence of a great rock star like Tony DiNozzo."

"Actually, Leon," Jenny said in a phony sweet tone, "we brought Tony here. He wouldn't have come if Abby hadn't been chosen to be kissed."

"Yes, but I approved his coming here."

"After we gave you a place on the show!"

Tim stepped between the two. "Hey! Can we please focus here? Now let's take it from the top."

"Come on, McGee!" Tony groaned. "It's three minutes and it's simple! I sing the song, then I grab the girl," he explained, grabbing Abby around the waist and dipping her back, "and kiss her." He ended the remark by planting a kiss on Abby's waiting lips. It lasted all of five seconds, but when it ended, Abby stared up at him with twinkling eyes.

Jimmy could stay silent no longer. "That's my girl you're kissing!" he cried.

"Yeah?" Tony sneered with amusement. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll knock your lights out is what I'll do!"

"Jimmy!" Abby admonished. "I thought we discussed this!"

"No! No, I won't sit by and watch you get kissed by some other guy! It's not fair! Now you need to choose, Abby! Either you're with me or you're not!"

She stepped toward him with a frown. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because when I asked you to be my girl I meant to be my girl, not…not Tony DiNozzo's girl. You can't wear a guy's pin while kissing another guy."

"Oh yeah?" she retorted angrily. "Well that's just fine! I won't wear your pin!" She ripped the piece of jewelry from her dress and threw it to the ground. "You can have it, Jimmy Palmer!"

Tony, who had watched the entire ordeal with increasing amusement, laughed. "Yeah, well I think we're done here. I've got to rest up for tonight, so I'll be heading out now." He gave Tim a pat on the shoulder, calling out, "Great rehearsal everyone!"

"I think I'll go too," Abby announced as walked in the same direction that Tony had. "I want to be rested up for this evening. The girls and I are going out to celebrate."

"B-but wait!" Tim called in vain. "We still need to work on this! It's not ready for tomorrow!" It was too late for his protests, though. Mrs. Gibbs and Mayor Vance were heatedly discussing who should cut their speech to make time, his two stars of the show had just left, and he was standing in the middle of it falling apart. He ran to his support.

"Ziva!" he said. "Ziva, what am I going to do?"

The woman regarded him coolly. "Were you speaking to me? Because I haven't an idea."

"This is no time to joke, Ziva."

"Who is joking, Timothy? I am through fixing your messes. Perhaps your Mama can make it all better though," she cooed condescendingly. "Now if you will excuse me, I have plans of my own tonight."

"Plans?" he echoed. "What sort of plans?"

"Private plans," she said with a wink. "There are quite a few attractive men around these parts, no?"

His cheeks blazed. "Ziva! Don't I mean anything to you?"

She wasn't listening as she walked away, swaying her hips in that tantalizing fashion that always made Tim drool. Tim…she shouldn't even be thinking about him. He only held her back. Why, with her looks and her brains, she could do anything! And tonight…tonight she would do it.

A smile spread over her face as she thought about the things she was going to do.

Maude's was a place on the outskirts of town that had food, music, and drinks. It was usually reserved for college students, but a few courageous high school students would usually patronize it each weekend as well. The establishment had a strict ID policy for purchasing alcoholic drinks, but sometimes the bartender would allow himself to bought out by a sweet smile from an underage drinker.

Abby had spent the day preparing for her night out on the town; her night as a free woman. She'd washed, dried, and teased her hair into a hip 'do, the kind that most of the Hollywood stars were wearing at the moment. She'd traded in her traditional modest dress for an outfit that was a bit more jaw-dropping. The top was a black midriff with red ruffles. She wore it with a pair of tight, black pedal pushers and red flats. When she walked by, more than a few men turned their heads.

She entered Maude's with her girlfriends in tow. "Let's grab a table," she said while simultaneously searching for Tony. Michelle had been eavesdropping on him after the rehearsal and heard him mention that he'd be dropping in at Maude's for a good time.

"Are you sure you heard right, Michelle?" asked Nikki, one of their friends. "I don't see him here."

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Haven't you ever heard of being fashionably late? Tony is nothing if not fashionable."

While Tony may not have been anywhere in sight, there was a gaggle of other boys hanging out there. But they weren't just any boys; they were college boys. College meant experience and nothing was as attractive to a young, naïve girl as a boy who knew what he was doing.

"Boys right behind us," Cynthia whispered to them. The girls stealthily—at least, stealthily in their minds—turned to glance at the table of boys sitting behind them. They each had a bottle of beer in their hands and each wore a sweater or jacket proclaiming the name of the local college.

"Oh, they're cute!" Nikki said with a giggle.

Their staring session was interrupted by the raspy voice of their waitress. "What can I get for you girls?"

Abby, whose mind was secretly still on Jimmy, looked up in surprise at the elderly woman who stood before them. "Oh, um, I'll have a Coke."

"Me too," said Cynthia.

"And me," chorused Nikki.

Michelle sat back loftily in her seat. "What sort of champagne do you have?"

The other girls kicked her under the table. The last thing they needed was to get in trouble; their parents didn't even know they were here. She glared back at them, but resignedly said, "Never mind; I'll have a Coke too."

"Should we go talk to them?" Cynthia asked, cocking her head to where the group of boys sat.

"And miss when Tony comes in?" Michelle asked incredulously. "You can settle for the fraternity boys; I'm waiting for our man DiNozzo."

Nikki stuck out her tongue. "You can wait all you want, Michelle, but Tony isn't going to notice you. He doesn't even know your name."

If looks could kills, Michelle's eyes would have shot Nikki dead right there. "He does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Girls!" Abby broke in. "Stop acting like such children! No man will want you if you act like that." She sat up straighter in her seat, turning her nose up just a bit. "Men want mature women; worldly women."

"Since when are you such an expert on it?" asked Cynthia. "You only turned sixteen three months ago."

"Yes, but unlike you, I've been kissed by a man…and older man…"

Her friends exchanged looks. They couldn't argue with her there. So far, Abby was the most experience among them.

Abby's smile of triumph morphed into a wide-eyed gasp. "Oh my goodness!"

"What?" Michelle asked as she swirled around. "Is Tony here?"

"No," Abby groaned as she slumped down in her seat, "it's Jimmy."

Sure enough, the gawky young boy had just entered the building alone, dressed in the same jeans and button-up that he'd been wearing at the rehearsal. With his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved in his pockets it was obvious that he was aware how out-of-place he was.

"What is he doing here?" Nikki asked.

Cynthia shrugged. "Probably the same thing we are."

"He's here to see Tony?"

"No, dum-dum! He's here to hang out."

Abby wasn't listening as she tried to avoid the gaze of her former boyfriend. She nervously looked up…and found that his brown eyes had caught her green ones. He looked at her with so much longing…and she felt her heart pounding so rapidly…so she did the only sensible thing. She jumped up and ran to the table of college boys, plopping down in one of the empty seats and forcing herself to laugh as though one of them had just said something funny. None of them seemed to mind the appearance of a new person at the table.

Jimmy felt his face grow red as he saw his girl—ex-girl, he reminded himself glumly—cavorting with a group of boys she didn't even know. Anyone could see that she was only doing it to make him jealous. Well, two could play at that!

A group of older girls were seated at the bar, sipping daintily at their drinks. Jimmy took a seat on an empty stool that was located beside an attractive blonde. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"You sure can, cutie," the girl said as she finished off the drink she already had. "I'll have a Mai Tai."

As he pulled out his money he realized something. "Um, can you order it and I'll give you the money? I forgot my ID…"

"What does he think he's doing?" Abby asked Cynthia, who, along with Nikki, had joined her at the college boys' table. "He can't talk to her!"

"Why not? You're talking to other guys."

Abby frowned. "Yeah…but that's different!"

"I think someone's a bit jealous," Cynthia whispered to Nikki with a giggle.

Their friend paid them no mind. Instead, she grabbed the hand of the boy closest to her and pulled him out to the dance floor. "Let's dance." It wasn't a request on her part and the boy didn't protest. The two took to the floor like a fish takes to water.

From his spot at the bar Jimmy saw Abby and her dance partner. Not one to be out done, he took the hand of his new friend and led her to the floor. Despite his geeky demeanor, Jimmy could hold his own on the dance floor, much to the delight of his energetic dance partner.

It was like a fight to the death, only with dancing as their weapon instead of fists or knives. Jimmy and Abby kept one eye on their respective dance partners and one eye on each other. Both hoped that the other would crack first and proffer an apology, but neither did. Instead, they channeled their anger and frustrations into the dance, a dance far wilder than the kind they did at the high school socials. This one was untamed and almost savage, like a forbidden dance. Just imagine if their parents could see them!

It was mere minutes after the unspoken dance off began that the man of the night finally entered Maude's. Tony was dressed in black leather pants that were scandalously tight, a red shirt that he wore open to reveal a white T-shirt beneath it, and a leather jacket that matched his pants. His hair was perfectly coiffed, as though he'd spent hours in front of the mirror lovingly sculpting it. He would never admit it to anyone, but that was exactly what he did.

His entrance was met with much excitement on the part of the girls present. Even the older "mature" girls tittered enthusiastically when they saw him, whispering amongst themselves about who he would grace with his presence.

When Abby saw him, a smile broke over her face. If this wouldn't make Jimmy jealous beyond belief, nothing would. "Tony!" she shouted as she ran toward him. "Wow! I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Tony raised an eyebrow as he looked the teenage girl up and down. He chucked her gently beneath the chin. "Hey, kid! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just hanging out. You know, the usual."

"Aren't you a bit young to be hanging out in a place like this? You're still in high school, right?"

That wasn't the greeting Abby had been expecting. She pouted with disappointment. "Well…yes…but I'm sixteen! I'm practically a woman! And…and you're going to kiss me tomorrow…"

"Yeah, for The Ed Sullivan show. It's a publicity stunt to sell records and ensure that I still have a career when I come back."

Her black lashes fluttered as she looked down at her shoes in embarrassment. "Oh…"

"Hey, kid, it's nothing personal! I mean, you're a cute chick and all, but you're still…well…still a kid!"

Tears sprung into her eyes, stinging them. He thought she was still a kid? She would never live down the humiliation.

Tony felt for the girl. She couldn't help being attracted to him and she was too young to realize that what she felt wasn't love, but a simple crush. He crooked a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head so that she looked him in the eyes. "Look, I'm sure one day you'll make some guy very happy and the two of you will live out whatever fairy tale ending you've got planned. I can tell you, though, that I'm not that guy."

"B…but I'm almost eighteen."

"It's not about age; I just wouldn't be good for you. You want to settle down with some family man and I can't be tamed for that. I've got too much living to do to settle down right now. Get it?"

"Yes," she whispered with a quivering voice.

"Good. Now get out of here before you get into trouble. Go home and get some sleep. You want to look your best tomorrow, right?"

She didn't reply. Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking off to survey the array of appropriate women who were waiting for him. Abby saw him pull a woman at least ten years her senior into his arms. The woman had peroxide blonde hair, a tight top that showed off her generous bust, and impeccably manicured nails with French tips. She looked perfect in Tony's arms, as though she was meant to be there. She probably was. But Abby wasn't.

A hand fell on her shoulder. "Abby? Are you okay?"

Quickly, she wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. She couldn't let Jimmy see her cry. "I'm fine," she said curtly as she pulled away from his touch. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mr. Palmer, I intend to have a good time tonight and I'm afraid I can't do that with you here!"

"Abbs…" She didn't stop at his call. She ran out the door, past Tony's motorcycle parked ostensibly on the front porch of the bar, and out to the sidewalk.

In less than twenty-four hours she'd had the best day and worst night of her life.