"Relax!  Perfection takes a long time!"  she yelled from the other side of the door.

 

"She better be worth the wait."  Andy muttered to himself.

 

"Do I look worth the wait to you?"  she asked him, finally emerging from the bathroom, wearing a short little black dress with and unbelievably low, plunging neckline.

 

"I think it's illegal to dress like that in 37 states."  Andy laughed.

 

"Is that Roddick for 'You look really hot tonight Jessica'?"

 

"Haha, yes, that is Roddick for you look amazingly sexy tonight.  Sorry that you've gotta be on the arm of a shlup like me."

 

"Yeah, well, you know..."

 

"Hey now...you be nice."

 

"Sorry.  Sometimes I just can't help myself."

 

"You're not gonna be the only one who can't help themselves when tonight's over."

 

"Oh, you behave now."

 

"What are you gonna do if I don't?"

 

"I might just have to smack you around a little bit."  she teased.

 

"Oh really?"  Andy asked, playfully raising his eyebrows.

 

"And NOT in a way that you would enjoy."

 

"Babe, you could spoon feed me baby food, and as long as you were wearing that dress, it would turn me on."

 

"Easy tiger."  she said as Andy growled in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.  "I think we should get going." she said as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

 

"Oh you're no fun."  Andy pouted.

 

"Just wait till you get a few drinks in me."

 

"Well why didn't you say before that all I needed to do was get you good and drunk?  We've got a whole mini bar overflowing with liquor back in the hotel room."  he stated as they got into a cab.

 

"Where are we going?"  Jessica asked.

 

"Bungalow 8." he told her.

 

35 minutes later the pair was at the bar of the exclusive club.

 

"What can I get for you?" the bartender asked.

 

"I'll have a vodka gimmlet and she'll have a?"  he questioned her.

 

"Shot of tequila."  she responded as he looked at her shocked.  "What?"  she asked innocently.

 

"You play hard don't you?"

 

"Trust me, you have no idea."

 

"Make that two shots of tequila." he told the bartender, not breaking his eye contact with her.

 

"Ahh...now who plays hard?"

 

"Well, I can't let a girl out-drink me now can I?"

 

"I suppose not." she responded as the bartender arrived with their shots.  "To our new apartment." she said.

 

"To that dress!"  Andy countered as they clinked glasses and threw the shots back.

 

"Another please."  Jessica requested as she raised her glass to the bartender.

 

"Are you sure you're ready for another already?"  Andy asked.

 

"Oh yes.  I fully intend on getting completely pissed tonight.  I also intend on getting further pissed tomorrow morning to prepare myself for when Mandy calls."

 

"You're expecting a call from her?"  he asked as she gave him the 'You are the stupidest man alive' look.  "Oh right...because of the tabloids." he corrected himself.  "Do you wanna dance?" he asked her as she swallowed her second shot.

 

"Absolutely."  she said as they walked on to the dance floor just as a salsa song came on.

 

"I can't do this..."  Andy said shyly as he started to back away from her.

 

"You can't dance salsa?"  Jessica asked.

 

"Nope."

 

"Come on.  I'll show you.  It's fun."  she said as she threw her long blonde hair behind her shoulders.  "We're gonna have to be a lot closer.  No, still closer.  Ok, pretend I'm Anna Kournikova."  she laughed as Andy got noticeably closer.

 

"I think you're trying to come on to me Vanderbilt."

 

"Of course I am."  she said as she placed one of his hands on her lower waist.  "Good.  Now take my other hand.  Now just follow my steps."  she instructed as they began rhythmically moving to the music.  "See, you're not so bad at this.  Just put a little bit more hip into it and you've got it.  Perfect."  she smiled, revealing her perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth.

 

"Still perfect if I do this?" he said as he twirled her around.

 

"Even better."  she said seductively as a slower song came on.

 

"How is it that you're not married already?"

 

"What?!"  she laughed out.  "Where did that come from?"

 

"You just seem so amazing, how can you have not found yourself a guy to marry already?"

 

"Well, first off, I'm only 21.  And I really don't think that marriage is for me.  I'm terrified of commitment."

 

"Ahh...afraid to commit."

 

"Not afraid.  Terrified.  I don't ever want to get married."

 

"Something tells me you'll end up changing your mind about that."

 

"Maybe when I'm old and like in my thirties.  But for now I just want to have a good time."

 

"Same here.  Another drink?"  he offered her.

 

"Sure."  she said as he lead her off the dance floor.  "What will it be this time?"

 

"Hmm...how about a margarita?"  she asked.

 

"Sounds good."  I'll have a beer and the lady will have a margarita."  he told the bartender.

 

"So...do you wanna go furniture shopping with me tomorrow?"  she asked as she sipped on her deliciously blended drink.

 

"For what?"  Andy asked as he took a drink from his beer.

 

"For the apartment you retard.  Do I need to cut you off or something?"

 

"No.  I'm good.  Just pick out whatever you want and send me half the bill."

 

"You sure?"

 

"Positive.  Furniture shopping is NOT my thing.  Go nuts, have fun with it.  I know women live for shit like this.  Just as long as I don't have to live in a little girly, strawberry shortcake apartment I don't care."

 

"This is going to be so much fun!"  Jessica said as she clapped her hands together.

 

"Whatever you say."  Andy said as the bartender approached them.  "Can I help you with something?"  Andy asked politely.

 

"I just thought that the two of you might like to know that there are paparazzi up on the balcony taking pictures of you and Miss Vanderbilt."

 

"Shit!"  Andy exclaimed as he slowly turned around.  Indeed, there were two photographers, snapping away.  "Thanks man.  How much do we owe for the drinks?"

 

"They're on the house tonight Mr. Roddick.  It's a dirty rotten shame when a guy can't take his girl out for a few drinks without being photographed every step of the way.  There's a back exit.  We can have a security guard escort you out if you like."

 

"That would be great.  Just give me a second to collect her."  Andy said.  Jessica, in the meantime was busy signing autographs for several club goers, completely oblivious to what was going on up in the balcony.  Not wanting to cause a scene for the photographers, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the corner of her eye before whispering in her ear.  "Don't turn around and look right now, but there are two photographers taking pictures upstairs.  The bartender has got a security guard ready to escort us out through the back of the club so that we can sneak out without being followed.  He's already brought your purse.  Now just pretend like we're going back out onto the dance floor.  Understand?"

 

"Yep."  Jessica whispered back as she kissed his cheek and took his hand.  They quickly made their way through the heavy crowd to the back dor where a large security guard was already waiting for them.

 

"Here's your purse ma'am."  the guard said.  "Would you like me to get a cab for you?"

 

"That would be great."  Andy answered.  A few minutes later, the two were in the back seat of a yellow taxi, headed for their hotel.  A few blocks before they reached their destination, Jessica started to cry.  "Hey honey, what's wrong?"  Andy asked comfortingly.

 

"This is all just so frustrating!"  she yelled out as she kicked the back of the seat in front of her with her high heel.  "Everywhere we've gone today we've been followed.  It's ridiculous.  I just feel so bad.  I didn't mean to drag you into all of this nonsense."  she sobbed.

 

"Hey, It's Ok."  he said soothingly as he wiped away the few tears that were on falling down her cheeks.  "I didn't have to share my hotel room with you.  I didn't have to go out for coffee with you this morning.  I didn't have to invite you out to a club tonight.  I didn't have to do anything.  I did it because I wanted to.  Whatever happened as a result of thatis no more your fault than it is mine."

 

"I'm sorry.  I'm just so sick of this circus.  I can't even go and get a cup of coffee in the morning without being photographed.  Now that we're living together, its gonna be the same way for you.  There's gonna be rumors...pictures..."

 

"You think I didn't realzie that when I signed on the dotted line?  I don't care about any of that."

 

"You will care..."  Jessica laughed out.

 

"Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes."  Andy said as he helped her out of the cab, as she was a bit wobbly on her high heels.  "Whoa there.  Take it easy."  he said as he caught her on the arm before she fell down.  "Someone has had a bit too much to drink."

 

"Someone has indeed."

 

"Alright, up we go."  he said as he picked her up.

 

"What are you doing?"  she asked.

 

"I'm carrying you you moron.  What did you think I was doing?"

 

"Whatever...lets just hurry up and get upstairs."

 

"Hey...let's take things slow now..."  Andy teased.

 

"I meant before more paparazzi showed up you hound."  she said as she smacked him upside the head.

 

"Alright...I'm going.  No need to get all abusive on me."  he said as he ran with her towards the elevator.  Seconds later they were standing at the door to their room.  "You know, I had a really great time tonight."  Andy smiled.

 

"Are you serious?  You enjoyed yourself?  You enjoyed that circus?"  she laughed.

 

"Well...maybe the not having to be ushered out of the club under cover of darkness...but the dancing was fun..."

 

"Yes.  It was."  she said as she kissed his cheek.  "Now can we please go inside?  I really have to pee."

 

"Well why didn't you say so before?"  he laughed as he unlocked the door for her and she quickly ran inside.  She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing a pink pair of sweat pants and a white tank top.

 

"Wear did the dress go?!"  Andy cried out.

 

"Back on its hanger where it belongs."  she said.  "Why do you ask?"

 

"No reason...I just liked the dress."

 

"You're terrible!"  she said as she threw a pillow at him.

 

"Well...what do you expect me to think when you wear a dress like that?"

 

"What were you thinking when I was wearing a dress like that?"  she asked as he inched closer to her.

 

"I was thinking that I could have it on the floor in about three seconds."  he said, now pinning her up against the wall.

 

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who had too much to drink tonight."  she laughed as he moved his face to within inches of hers.  "Andy come on...we can't be doing this."

 

"Sure we can."  he said as he kissed her forcefully.

 

"No!  We CAN'T!"  she said as she pushed him backwards.

 

"I know you want to do this too!"

 

"What I WANT to do and what I DO are two different things.  If I went around doing what I wanted, there would be chaos."

 

"So what's stopping you?"

 

"Andy, Mandy has been my BEST friend for five years.  No matter what attraction I feel towards you, nothing will EVER happen.  I promise you that I will NEVER EVER act upon it.  No matter what.  She means way too much to me, and I'm sure in the past  24 hours I've hurt her in ways that can't be described.  And that kills me.  So from here on out...we are friends...and NOTHING more."

 

"If that's how its gonna have to be..."

 

"That is how it will be."  Jessica finished for him.  "Now I think it's best that we both go to bed."  she said as she turned off the lights.