Annalise opened her eyes, blinking rapidly, trying to figure out where she was. Oh right...in some hotel room in Orlando. Glancing at the bright red numbers on the alarm clock on the bedside table, she realized that she had officially been in Florida for three hours. She had been sleeping for two of those hours. She sat up in bed and reached over the side, feeling for where she had dropped her purse on the floor. After locating it, she dug around until she found a cigarette. The flight from Texas had been horrendous. Never one for flying, Annalise had sat, clutching the arm rest, trying desperately not to throw up. Her efforts were in vain...five minutes before landing, she lost the battle with her queasy stomach..much to her dismay, emptying it into the little airsick bag stored in the seat compartment in front of her.
Normally air sickness wasn't too much of a problem for her, but this time, combined with her suspicions and nerves...it was inevitable. She knew something was up. Jade had seemed entirely too pleased about taking the trip, and Annalise suspected an ulterior motive. Though she wasn't quite clear as to what that motive could possibly be. Once her feet were firmly planted on the ground again, Annalise was perfectly fine, but still skeptical. She and Jade had made their way through the crowded airport, easily finding their ride...a long, black limousine and it's overly pleasant driver. Annalise barely noticed the rich surroundings of the hotel once they arrived. All she wanted to do was get to their room and sleep off the fuzzy affects of the trip. She muttered her excuses to Jade and promptly fell asleep.
The sound of muffled voices brought her out of her recollection of the horrid trip. She crept quietly to the door, cracking it open a tiny bit to listen.
"Please Kevin? Just this once?," Jade was pleading, "It's not like we're asking you to commit a felony. You just have to pretend that your birthday is tomorrow."
"I get that part," another voice said, Annalise assumed it belonged to Kevin, "what I don't get is why."
Jade avoided the last part, instead saying, "It would be a favor to me...I'd owe you big tme. Please?"
"Why should I do you a favor? I don't even know you."
"Because she's one of my oldest, dearest friends," Howie interjected, "so it would kinda be a favor to me too."
Kevin sighed, "Okay...look, I'll do it, but only if I get a decent explanation first."
Annalise was frowning behind the door. Jade wasn't one of Howie's oldest, dearest friends...they had just met the week before...hadn't they? She kept listening. "AJ wanted an excuse to see my friend Annalise again," Jade was saying, "but Annalise wouldn't just come to Florida without a valid reason. So Howie called me, and one thing led to another and now we're here."
"I should've known that this little scheme had something to do with AJ," Kevin said, laughter in his tone.
"I'd like to go on record right now and say that I had nothing to do with the party thing...that was entirely Jade's idea," Howie stated.
"Hey!," she exclaimed, "The party was my idea, but you two genuises told Anna that it was for Kevin's birthday!"
"I didn't do that! AJ did!," Howie protested.
"Okay...both of you shut up," Kavin interrupted, "I feel sorry for this poor girl already, with the three of you conspiring against her."
"But you'll go along with it right?," Jade asked hopefully, "AJ already talked to Brian and Nick and they said that they will...so that just leaves you."
"And all the people invited to the party," Kevin reminded her.
"Annalise rarely ever talks to anyone if she's working...if she does it's usually to the person hosting the party...that's why we need your cooperation."
"Fine," Kevin said, "I'll do it. But you owe me."
Annalise could hear the satisfaction in Jade's voice when she said, "No problem...you're a life saver Kev."
Annalise backed away from the door momentarily. What the hell was going on here? She didn't know why AJ, Jade, and Howie had gone to such lengths to get her to Orlando, but she intended to find out before she left. She resumed listening as Kevin left, leaving Howie and Jade alone in the room.
"Shit!," Jade suddenly exclaimed.
"What?"
"I forgot to ask him not to metion how long I've really known you to Annalise."
"I can't believe you've never told her."
"It just never came up...I mean why would it? Like she was really going to ask me if I knew a Backstreet Boy. And the other night when she asked about you...I don't know, I just didn't tell her. She could've figured everything out if I had. She'd kill me if she knew."
"AJ would kill me if he knew. But they're both clueless, so don't worry about it."
"It's funny...when you first started telling me about AJ, I knew he'd be perfect for Annalise. I never guessed that all we'd have to do was stick them in a room together and they'd find each other."
"It doesn't matter," Howie replied, "we didn't have to introduce them, but we still have to work at setting them up."
"You don't know Annalise. It's going to be hell to get her to agree to go out with him. She hasn't been on a date in years."
"We'll figure something out Jay, don't worry about it."
Annalise was smiling as she quitely walked back to the bed. She wondered how long Howie and Jade had been
plotting to set her and AJ up. It didn't matter...Jade obviously had her secrets, but Annalise had a bigger one. No one
knew about her one night with AJ, or the arrangement they had made. It would be fun to watch Howie and Jade run
around in circles, trying to get her and AJ together. It was completely impossible and utterly pointless, but Annalise
would silently laugh at watching them try.
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