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Derek nodded a smile at the waiter who was nervously showing him a bottle of champagne. “That will be fine.”

“Yes, Mr. Darling.” the waiter quickly went to work on removing the cork and pouring the rock star and his famous girlfriend each a glass of bubbly.

“Excuse me, Mr. Darling.” the manager looked embarrassed.

“Yes?” Derek asked putting the glass of champagne back on the table.

“I'm sorry to disturb your meal, Sir, but the Mayor and his family are dining across the room and his daughter is a huge fan and was would like to get an autograph.”

Derek looked to the table that the man was referring and spied the Mayor and his pre-pubescent teen-age daughter grinning a mouth full of braces at him as she pushed her thick glasses back up in place on her nose.

“Do you mind?” Derek asked his girlfriend Stashia without removing his gaze from across the room.

“Get it over with.” Stashia rolled her eyes.

“It'll be your turn soon enough.” he stated. He looked at the nervous manager and smiled. “Go ahead and send her over.”

“Thank you, Mr. Darling.” the manager sighed with relief.

“I have to win Nationals before anyone will even recognize me.” Stashia complained.

“You have it in the bag, Honey.” Derek reassured her. “I saw you skate yesterday. You were incredible.”

“Thanks, but I'm going to need more than a special song from you to win this competition.” Stashia sipped her champagne. “Sean and I need to be able to land our side by side jump and figure out how to hold that lift.”

“You've got two weeks before Nationals.” Derek reminded her. “You've got plenty of time to iron out the kinks.”

Stashia rolled her eyes. She dipped a piece of bread into a small dish of pesto and munched on it as the Mayor and his daughter approached.

“Sorry to bother you while you're eating,” The Mayor smiled down at Derek. “My daughter Kaylee is a huge fan of yours and was wondering if she could get a picture and an autograph?”

“Come on over here, Kaylee.” Derek invited. The shy and anxious girl giggled to herself as she stood by the rock singer.

“I have all of your songs on my I-pod.” She stammered. She held a piece of paper and a pen out to Derek.

“Do you have your I-pod with you?” he asked.

Kaylee nodded.

“May I see it?”

Kaylee looked to her dad who nodded.

“My mom has it, I'll be right back.” She practically sprinted across the restaurant.

“This means a whole lot to her.” The Mayor smiled.

“I remember being her age and seeing a rock singer as well.” Derek grinned.

“Here, Derek.” Kaylee thrust the pink I-pod at him.

Derek pulled out a special pen from the breast pocket of his leather jacket. “Do you mind?” he looked to the excited girl.

Kaylee shook her head, “No.” She giggled.

Derek turned the I-pod over and wrote on it. “Let that dry a bit before tucking it away.” he advised.

Kaylee looked at the I-pod and squealed. “Oh my God! Thank you, Derek!”

The Mayor using his phone took a picture of his little girl with her new friend.

“Do you know who this is?” Derek asked nodding to his girlfriend.

Kaylee shook her head.

“That is Stashia. She is going to win the gold medal in figure skating at the Olympics.”

Kaylee's eyes got really big as she looked from her idol to the beautiful blonde sitting across from him.

“Pleased to meet you, Kaylee.” Stashia smiled.

“You are so much prettier in person.” Kaylee blurted out.

“Why thank you, Kaylee.” Stashia smiled. “You are very pretty too.”

“Could I get your autograph too, Stashia?” Kaylee asked.

Stashia was caught off guard. “Why sure.” She smiled, “I'd be delighted to.”

Kaylee handed her the paper and pen that she had brought with her and Stashia signed it.

“Thank you, both of you.” the Mayor nodded steering his daughter away from Derek. “Hope to see you at the polls.”

Derek grinned a big smile. “To vote you out of office.” he said between clenched teeth only loud enough for Stashia to hear.

“Derek.” Stashia admonished.

“The guy is a moron.” Derek replied.

“Why did you sign her stuff if you don't like him?”

“Sales, Stashia. It's Kaylee and her friends who buy my songs.”

The waiter brought two plates out and set them in front of the couple as the warm sun began to set over the water.

“So,” Stashia posed as she poked at her sea-food Caesar salad, “Will Jake be waiting for us at home?”

Derek shook his head. “No. I told him that we were to have a night alone. No interruptions. . . . except from Mayor's daughters.”

“What are we going to do?” Stashia asked.

“I figured we could polish off another bottle or two of bubbly while we sit in some bubbly.” Derek winked at his girlfriend.

“I can't stay up too late.” Stashia told him. “I've got to be at the gym by seven tomorrow.”

“Can't you give Sean the day off?” He loved that way that the warm sun made her long blonde hair glow.

Stashia shook her head. “It's amp up time. I've got to be in the gym or on the ice every day before Nationals.”

Derek sighed heavily. “I guess I could spend some more time in the studio then.”

“As soon as Nationals is over, I'll have a couple of days off.” Stashia promised. “We could go to Maui or something.”

“Ooooh, I haven't been surfing in a long time.” Derek sounded interested.

“You can go anytime you want, right here.” Stashia pointed out the window at the white foamy surf.

“Its not the same.” Derek tucked into his dinner.

==P==

“I'm waiting.” Derek called from the hot tub. He had a two glasses of champagne poured and waiting as he slipped into the bubbling steaming water.

The wet surfaces shimmered and twinkled from the overhead white Christmas lights that he kept up year round to add mood to the hot tub area.

“I need to put up my hair.” Stashia explained. “The chlorine will ruin it.” She finished winding her blonde tresses on top of her head and fastened it with two elastics.

Derek watched as the fit, muscular figure emerged from the bedroom wearing a two piece bikini. He was glad that the bubbles in the hot tub were able to mask his excitement as she slowly slipped down into the water next to him.

Derek settled back into the water as Stashia stepped closer. She placed a hand on either side of his head and smiled down at him. Derek placed a hand on her hips and pulled her closer. His lips parted as her soft pink lips lightly caressed his. Stashia straddled him and leaned into him, pressing her breasts against his upper chest.

Derek was startled when he heard a loud pop, but the taste of Stashia was too tantalizing. His tongue explored her mouth as her fingers grabbed at his dark curly hair.

Two more pops sounded then very muscle in his body suddenly locked up as an electric current coursed through his body. For a split second his mind whirled at what was happening. Stashia's fingers were clamped to his head her teeth bit down on his tongue as she too was locked rigid. Then everything went black as his mind shut down to protect itself.

==S==

Derek's entire body hurt. Not only did it hurt, but it felt strange. The morning light from the window wasn't helping much either. The last thing he remembered was hearing the sound of electricity popping and then being electrocuted.

He rolled over in bed and moaned. Was it a nightmare? Surely no one could have survived an accident such as that. He flopped his hand around searching for Stashia. She should have left for the gym already, but he always felt around for her anyway. A moan sounded next to him. He might get the morning with her after all, if she didn't make it to the gym.

Derek didn't remember the bed being this wide. Usually if he felt around for Stashia, she was easily with in reach, even if she was on the edge of the bed. His hand felt warm skin, and his mind began to feel at ease. He stroked the bare bit of skin. Something didn't feel right. His hand felt a bit more. Was she sleeping upside down in bed? Her arms weren't that muscular. The only part of her that was that muscular was her thighs. Derek felt around a bit more and felt hairs on the muscular part of his girlfriend. He didn't remember seeing or feeling hair on her last night in her two piece. He would have definitely remembered that.

As painful as they felt, Derek opened his eyes and looked across the bed at the mounded pile of blankets. A patch of thick dark curly hair showed in an opening.

“What the fuck!” Derek yelled and bolted up.

Derek only caught a glimpse of figure in bed as it jerked and fell off the bed before a curtain of long blonde hair fell across his eyes blocking everything from view.

“What the fuck!” he cursed again as he swiped at the hair to get it away from his face.

“Oh my God! What the fuck is happening!” a deep voice boomed.