Drinking wine and thinking bliss is on the other side of this
I just need a compass and a willing accomplice
All my doubts that fill my head are skidding up and down again
Up and down and 'round again, down and up and 'round again

Nicole smiled at her cousin as she took the seat next to her on the patio at her Grandparent's house in Georgia early Monday afternoon.  Instantly she blew out a breath and rubbed her cheek.  "If someone pinches my cheeks one more time I think my skin is going to fall off or I will scream.  One or the other."

Her cousin, Sasha, laughed seated in the seat beside her.  "Got attacked by Grams and Aunt Mary?"

Nicole nodded her head and watched the younger children run around in the backyard in front of her.  She slid down in her seat slightly and crossed her legs as she relaxed.  The next five days she will be in Georgia visiting family for Thanksgiving.  It was a trip that her and her father made every year around Thanksgiving since everyone lived back in Georgia beside them and her other cousin, Katie and her husband.

"Where is Katie?"  Nicole asked about Sasha's sister.

"Grams asked if she could run to the store for her to get something."  Sasha replied.  Both of them jerked their heads back to the backyard when they heard Sasha's daughter, Annie, squealed Nicole's name.  Nicole smiled and uncrossed her legs, outstretching her arms as she watched the little girl run towards her.

"Hey munchkin."  Nicole greeted the small brown hair girl, hugging her tightly to her body.  "Look at you!"  Nicole exclaimed as she held back the child and looked at her.  "You have grown up so much since I saw you last year, oh my!"

"I'm a big girl."  The five year old told her with a nod.  "You look the same to me, Auntie."

Nicole chuckled and pulled Annie into another hug.  Nicole grew up without any siblings but since the age of five Nicole and her cousins, Sasha and Katie, had a bond like no other.  Sure they got along with their other cousins but it was nothing compare to what they had.  Nicole looked to them as sisters that she never had, besides Kara, while Sasha and Katie thought of the same.  Both Katie and Sasha were married; each had their own daughters who would call Nicole as their Aunt.

"Really?"  Nicole asked with shock.  "No winkles?  No gray hairs?  I look the same?"

"No!"  The little girl giggled.  "You're not old like Granny!"

"Annie!"  Sasha cried out in shock.

Nicole tried to hold back the laughter that wanted to come out while she covered Annie's mouth with her hand. "Sh, don't say that out loud.  Don't let Granny hear you say that, it's not nice."

"Me sorry."  Annie apologized with a pout.  The little girl looked down at her swinging feet before looking back up at Nicole with her big blue eyes.  Nicole smirked at the pout the girl was giving her.  She knew that pout way to well; the same one she use to do when she was younger to steer out of trouble and get whatever she wanted.  It always worked and now she was a victim of the famous pout.

"Its okay sweetie, just don't say it again."  Nicole kissed Annie's forehead and looked back at the young girl sitting on her lap.  "Your Mommy told me you've been doing well in school and that you like your teacher."

Nicole sat back in her seat while she listened to Annie talk her about her teacher and new friends.  She smiled while running her hand through the young girls' hair nodding her head once in a while she listened to the many stories she was being told.

"I think David likes you."  Nicole said after listening to the story Annie told her about what David would do to her.  "That's how boys act when they are younger when they like someone."

"Eww!"  Annie face twisted to a look of disgust.  "Boys are icky!"

"Your Daddy is a boy."  Nicole pointed out as she tried not to laugh at the little girls' reaction.

"Daddy is not a boy."  Annie looked at Nicole as if she was crazy.  "Daddy is a Daddy, not a boy."

"Sorry."  Nicole held her one hand up in surrender.  "My bad."  She carefully placed Annie on her feet.  "Go run around and play, knucklehead."

"She is still chatty-kathy."  Nicole commented once the little girl was out of ear shot.

"Tell me about it."  Sasha mumbled under her breath as she watched her daughter run around in the yard in front of them with the other family members.  "I've punish Scott by leaving those two in the room alone."

Nicole covered her mouth with her hand and tried to hold back the laughter.  "You're horrible."

Sasha shrugged her shoulders all along smiling.  "I know but speaking of horrible," Sasha started to say as she changed the topic, "My dear ol' sister informed me or a situation that someone forgotten to tell me about."

Nicole lifted her legs and pressed her heels against the edge of her chair as she wrapped her arms around her knees that were now pressed against her chest.  "Hm?"

"About a certain boy?"  Nicole turned her head to look at her cousin when she heard the mischievous tone in Sasha's voice.  "A famous boy to be exact.  A popstar?"

"What about it?"  Nicole responded as it if was nothing.  She bit on her inner check when she saw the slight frustrated look on her cousin's face.

"Is there a reason you didn't tell your favorite cousin about this?"

Nicole let out a laugh and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.  "Favorite cousin?  Very interesting choice of words you picked there."

Sasha waved her off with her hand and leaned closer toward her.  "Don't beat around the bush.  Speak."

Nicole shrugged her shoulders as she rested her chin on the top of her knee.  "It's nothing right now."

"Is that what he said after shoving his tongue down your throat?"

Nicole's neck snapped in a quick movement, her jaw slightly gaped open.  "He didn't shove his tongue down my throat!"  Nicole hissed softly, looking around them hastily to make sure no one was by to hear their conversation.

Sasha sat back in her chair, a brow raised with her arms crossed over chest.  "But there was tongue."

Nicole continued to hold Sasha's gaze before looking back at the yard in front of her.  "You make it sound like we were ravishing each other in front of my door."

"Okay sorry."  Sasha words dripped with sarcasm.  After moving her chair closer to Nicole's, she positioned her elbow on the table and held her chin in her hand.  "So," Sasha nudged her shoulder against Nicole's, "How was it?"

"You are twenty nine years old and you are giggling like a teenage in high school over a kiss?"  Nicole mocked.

"I only get to kiss one guy for the rest of my life."  Sasha shrugged her shoulders, smirking the whole time.  "Scott is a great kisser but you get to kiss how many guys you want and whoever you want.   I need to gush with someone over these things.  My daughter is too young."

Nicole buried her face into her arms as she let the laughter take over her body.  "Does Scott know about this?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him.  Now, come on, give your cousin some scoop.  How is he?"

"He's...."  Nicole positioned her chin back on her knees, her eyes looking down at the grass that started inches away from the patio she was on.  "Good."  Nicole admitted seconds later with a dreamy sigh.  "Damn good."

"Oh really now?"

Nicole nodded her head.  "He has these full, soft lips."  Nicole pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as the memories of the kiss flooded her head; feeling his lips against hers.  "I've kissed a lot of guys and...Oh!"  Nicole paused with a laugh.  "That just came out wrong and made me sound like a whore."  Nicole and Sasha laughed.  "But none have been like this."  Nicole continued, a smile taking over her face.  "It was like...you know how in movies everything just seemed to stop?  Everything around you is a blur?  That whole...amazing feeling."

Sasha nodded her head, glancing in the direction of her daughter before looking back at Nicole.  "Toe curling, your blood instantly becomes warm yet still shivers run all the way through your body causing your brain to turn to mush and leaves you speechless; that feeling?"

Nicole sighed softly with a smile among her face.  "You hit it right on the nose."

"Oh boy."  Was Sasha's response.  Inquiry from her cousin's response, Nicole turned her head and looked dead on at Sasha.  "Nothing."  Sasha waved her off.  "Go on."

"No, what was the whole ‘oh boy' about?"

"Just dreaming."  Sasha half lied and sat back in her seat.  "So my cousin went on a date and kissed a famous popstar.  I guess I should get their CD's and start to educate myself so I know who you are dealing with."

"Oh dear god."  Nicole groaned and rubbed her face with her hands.  "Don't start being like Kara."

Sasha laughed at the mention of Nicole's best friend who she had met many times.  Everyone in the family knew Kara.  She had become "part of the family" and came to many family events in the past.  Kara introduced them as "her other family" to Taylor when she brought him with her one year.  "How is she these days?  Picked a date for the wedding yet?"

"Still crazy ass Kara."  Nicole chuckled.  "She hasn't changed since you saw her last year and no they haven't.  They are hoping to pick the date this week after talking to the family."

"Mmm."  Sasha hummed with a nod of her head.  "Have you and Chris talked since the date?"

Nicole nodded her head.  "After he dropped me off, he texted me saying he had a great time and can't wait to do it again as well as reminding me to call him after I landed in Georgia."

"And did you?"

"Did I want?"  Nicole questioned with a brow raised.

"Call him after you land."  Sasha rolled her eyes.  "God, sometimes I think you should have been born with blonde hair."

Nicole let out a small snort over her cousin's jab.  "Yeah I did.  I said I would...what?"  She asked when she saw the look on her cousin's face.  "What the hell is going on in that head of yours?"

"You don't want to know."  Sasha's husband, Tom, remarked when he walked pasted them.  Nicole chuckled while Sasha scoffed at her husband and shoved him away.

"I'm selling him."  Sasha told her while she watched him walk away laughing.  "Cheap price since you're family.  Would you like to purchase him?"

"He doesn't have any tattoos.  It wouldn't work."  Nicole joked.

"You and your tattoos."  Sasha shook her head.  "Does Chris have tattoos?"

Nicole sighed dreamily, sitting back in her seat and started to fan herself with her hand.  "Oh boy yes he does.  You should see him in red or black; especially in sleeveless tops.  Whew."

"Do you need to excuse yourself to the bathroom for a bit?"  Sasha teased over Nicole's actions.  "I'll tell everyone you were getting all...hot and not feeling good when they are wondering where you have been for a while."

Nicole laughed, smacking her cousin's arm in the process.  "Shut it."

They both sat in complete silence once their laughter concluded, minus the laughter and yells from the young children running around in front of them.  Sasha leaned back slightly, her eyes carefully studying her cousin.  Nicole had come a long way from everything that happened in the past couple years.  Sasha couldn't help but notice the certain kind of smile that appeared on her cousin's face when they talked about Chris.  Sasha knew that smile; the same one that would appear on her face when she would talk about her husband.

Even though Nicole made it sound like it was nothing between the two; she knew her cousin better than that.  With her flirtatious personality and charm mix with her crazy side was a dangerous mix, but she didn't mess around when it came to relationships.  Her cousin was finally letting down her walls that she built up years ago and Sasha couldn't control the happiness that filled inside of her.  Finally.

~*~*~*~

Nicole pulled her cell out of her sweatshirt pocket when she felt it vibrate against her as she sat on the couch with some of her family member on Thursday night watching TV.  She leaned back against the couch flipping her cell open; a small smile came on her face when she saw who it was from.

I know it's late, don't sue me!  But Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope you had a great day.

Her smile never left her lips as she typed a response back.

Better late than never...I guess I won't sue you, this time.  I had a good day, just ate like a cow...Cross that out, I ate like a turkey!

Nicole giggled softly over her own joke before stuffing her cell back into her sweatshirt pocket.  Seconds later she felt her phone vibrating again yet longer than before.  Taking note that it was a call, she pulled it out and bit on her bottom lip when she saw his name flashing over her screen.  After motioning to her cousin she was going out back to take the call, she slipped on her shoes and took a step onto the pouch, letting the cool air hit her as she pressed her cell against her ear.

"Hey."

"Ate like a turkey?!"  Chris laughter rang though her ears and she couldn't help the shiver than ran down her spine.  "That was a good one, I'll admit.  Never thought of that to say on Thanksgiving."

"Thank you."  Nicole chuckled along with him before taking a seat on the tire swing her grandparent's had in their backyard.  "I'm quite proud of myself on that one also."

"And you say I have an ego problem?  Girlllll."  He drawled out.

"You do."  Nicole pointed out with a laugh.  "Not as bad as Justin's."

"That is," Chris started than paused.  Nicole raised a brow, the toe of her gym shoe digging into the soft dirt underneath her stopped abruptly when she heard him sniff over the line, his voice filled with emotion as he continued, "The sweetest thing anyone as ever said to me."

"Oh brother." Nicole muttered with an eye roll over his dramatics.  "Save it."

~~~

"I'll remember that next time you need something" Chris teased, gripping his phone to his ear.  His head dropped back; hitting the pillow on his bed.  "Are you having a good trip?"

"Yeah.  It's good to see the family again, but I can't wait to go home.  If I have to get my cheeks pinched one more time..."

Chris laughed.  "I'm glad no one in my family does that."

"Lucky bastard."  She mumbled.

"I know."  He said matter-factly.  A smirk appeared on his face as he could picture her rolling her eyes on the other side of the phone when he heard her mumble something incoherently under her breath.  "What was that my dear?  I couldn't understand a word you said."

"Oh nothing, my dear."  She said in an innocent and mocking tone.  "How has your week been with your family?"

"Fun.  My sisters and I stayed up all last night eating junk and watching movies."  He scratched his ear before tucking his free arm behind his head and crossed his ankles.  He looked down at his toes.  "And they painted my toe nails."

***

"Can we paint your toes, Chrissy?"

Chris choked on the green M&M he put in his mouth moments ago and jerked his head to look at his sister.  "What?"

"Can we paint your toes nails?"  His sister Taylor repeated, pulling herself up on her knees and looking at her brother.

"I don't think you should eat any more candy."  Chris responded as he pulled the bowl of M&M's away from his sister.  "It's making you think of crazy ideas in that little head of yours."

"Please Chris."  His other sister, Molly, whined, soon joined in by his other sisters Kate and Emily.  Quickly Chris covered his ears with his hands to try and block out his sister's whines.

"Please Chrissy."  Emily begged as she crawled onto her brothers' lap.  Chris opened his eyes and narrowed his eyes at her when he saw the pouty look on her face.  Soon the rest of her sister's heads appeared in his view, all with pouty looks on their faces also.  Seconds later he moved his hands away from his ears and let out a deep sigh.

"Fine."

Chris rolled his eyes, biting on his bottom lip to hide the smile that fought to appear on his face when he heard the collection of cheers, his face being attacked by their sloppy kisses.  "Just no bright colors!"

***

Chris lifted his foot in the air and wiggled his toes, admiring the now pink nail polish that was on his toenails while Nicole laughed over the line.  He loved his sisters to death and he would do whatever he could to make them happy, even if it was to cross over the muscular line.  The smile on their faces once he caved in was worth it.

"What color?"  Nicole asked after taking a deep breath.

"Pink."

"Mmm."  Nicole hummed.  "Very manly."

"I know."  Chris smirked and placed his foot back down on the bed.  "You're jealous, I know."

Nicole laughed.  "Why would I be jealous when we both have pink painted toes?"

Chris smiled and slid his arm back under his head.  "Mine are prettier."

"Oh we will see when I get back.  Bring it on."

"Oh it's on.  It's on like King Kong."  Chris fought back with a smile.  "You will be back Saturday afternoon, correct?"

"Mhm.  Around three I should land and Kara is picking my dad and I up."

"Okay."  Chris looked down at his shirt and started to pick at it with his fingers.  "Want to do something Sunday?"

"Afternoon or night?"  Nicole asked.

Chris stopped his movements of picking at his shirt.  "Whenever is best for you.  I'm not doing anything that day."

"Anytime is fine.  All I had planned was being a lazy bum that day."  She responded.

Chris dropped his hand on his stomach and closed his eyes.  "We can just bum around, eat and watch movies.  I have no problem doing that."

"Ah, sounds like an ideal date to me!  I'm in!"

Chris smiled and slid his arm back under his head.  "Then it's set.  Pick you up around four?"

"Sounds perfect to me.  Any snacks or movies to bring?"

"Don't worry about that.  Just bring your fine self and that's it."  He covered his mouth to prevent a yawn and looked over at the clock.  "It's late; I should let you go to bed.  I got a date with my sisters with the pool tomorrow."

"You're going to need all the energy you can get, old man."  Nicole teased.
"Watch it!"  Chris warned with a grin.  "I'll try and trick you into eating BBQ flavor chips on Sunday."

"Okay!  Okay!"  Nicole exclaimed with a laugh.  "I'm sorry.  Please, not the disgusting chips!  Anything but those!  I'm sorry!"

"I'll forgive you this time, missy.  I'll see you Sunday.  Have a good trip.  Text me when you land so I know you got here safely."

"I will.  Have fun with your family.  Goodnight, Chris."

"Goodnight Nicole."

Shutting his cell, he placed it on his nightstand beside his bed and shut off the lamp.  Rolling onto his side, he pumped his fist in the air slightly and pulled the blankets up to his neck.  "Situated date number two.  I'm not called Lucky for nothing."

And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest