"So what are you going to say to him?" Darcy asked.

"I don't know," Kate admitted.

She had no idea what to say. She'd acted like a complete ass, made Nick do the same against his will, and now what? She expected him to forgive her? To give her another chance?

There were some who wouldn't think she had even a ghost of a chance of getting Nick to give her the time of day. Those doubters were probably right, rightfully so given her behavior.

She had to try, though.

Kate swore into the phone, wishing she could come up with a plan. She was obviously great at coming up with plans as evidenced by the fact she'd not only gotten her promotion but the chance to lead an account thanks to the show she and Nick had put on at dinner. When it actually mattered, though? A plan escaped her.

"Oh God," she murmured.

Why had she made him humiliate himself like that? Why couldn’t she just have let the fake relationship die down and end on its own without such a public display? Because she was a fool. She was lucky Mr. Davenport had asked her to head the account versus telling Mercer to throw her off the team entirely. It could have very easily gone that way now that she thought about how ridiculous she'd behaved that night.

"What are you doing, Kate?" Darcy asked.

"I'm trying to figure out what to bring."

"To bring?"

"Well, yeah, I have to bring something, assume I'm staying a night or two. What should I bring?"

"Kate."

"I'm not assuming he's going to be with me, Darcy, but I have to find him. If he doesn't talk to me at first I can't just turn around and come home. I have to try again. So, I need things."

Darcy laughed then; Kate drew the phone away and shook her head. "Laughing at me is not helping, Darc."

"I'm just laughing at the picture of you trying to figure out what to wear. Kate, you have impeccable taste and know how to turn heads. So, just stop, calm down, and think it through. What's he doing this weekend?"

"I don't know. Susan said she thought he had a couple of weddings. She wasn't sure and I told her not to ask Sajit."

"Weddings? You're going to crash a wedding?"

"I'm not going to crash anyone's wedding. I'm going to find him, if it happens to be at a church well so be it, and hope that he'll agree to meet with me after he's done working so we can talk."

"So, bring a couple of nice outfits. Conservative, though. You don't want to outshine the bride on her day."

"Conservative," she repeated, looking through her closet. There was not a large amount of conservative items in there, but there were a couple. "Got it. I can do conservative. Or at least tasteful."

"If he doesn't want to talk?"

"He has to want to, Darcy, he just does. I feel it," she said, glancing at the Cinderella watch on her nightstand that Nick had bought for her.

That's when she knew. She'd felt it before then, sure, when he talked to her mother on the phone and was so nice about doing it. At dinner when he'd told the Mercer's and Davenport's why he'd gotten into the videography business. She'd been so focused on Sam that she'd been unable to feel what her heart was telling her.

The watch, though?

It had to be the most selfless and thoughtful gift she'd ever received. He bought it because it meant something to her, her childhood. It wasn't the same watch as her father had given her, but that didn't matter when she'd opened the envelope and seen it in there. For a second, just a second or two, she was that little girl again, picking out the watch with her daddy. She'd acted like a callous, cold bitch and he'd been out hunting down a little girl's watch.

For her.

Because that was the type of guy Nick was.

Sam wouldn't have even thought to ask about her dad and she doubted very likely he would've remembered the comment about the watch at all. He certainly wouldn't have gone through the trouble of trying to find one for her.

"I hope he does, Kate, but you can't stay there indefinitely."

"I know. I'm not going to, but I have to try and I have to make him see that I really want to. I'm going to him that has to mean something." She sighed softly. "I just need him to hear me out. If he never wants to see me again I'll live with that, but I have to tell him how I feel. I'm not in love with him, it's too soon, but I think I could be, and I want to find out."

"You know that's probably the most adult thing I've heard you say."

"Thanks, I think."

"You're welcome. And when he does talk to you…"

"Yeah?"

"Tell him I can't wait to meet him for real this time."

Kate laughed lightly. "I will."

"So, should I pack presuming he listens and wants to see me?"

"Well, it can't hurt."

"I don't think he'd sleep with me, though," she said, looking through her underwear drawer.

"No?"

Kate frowned a little, thinking over the little of the real Nick she knew. "No, he's not the type."

"Well, then, I'd leave the lingerie at home."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I don't want him to think I planned on sleeping with him even if that happens."

"I want details when you get back."

"Darcy."

"Of the conversation! Though the rest probably wouldn't be half bad either."

Kate laughed.

"Oh, and Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry, Darc. What am I thanking you for?"

"Well, it was my lie that started all of this. Seems to me as mad as you were at the time I kind of did you a favor. And I'm not even talking about the promotion if this pans out with Nick."

"Yeah, I guess you did, you're right."

"Drive safe."

"Thanks. Call me if anything happens with the account."

"We can handle it; you take care of your stuff."

She hoped when she came back she'd at least have the beginnings of a relationship happening.

~The End~