Publicity: We Both Win

Chapter 8: Unavoidable

* Nique P.O.V. *

"My name is Sara, but I would prefer if you called me Danny or Danielle. I will be serving you guys tonight.", a perky girl, about our age, or maybe a bit younger, said cheerfully as she reached our table.

"Hi, Danny.", Jacob said, flashing her a smile. She smiled back, but her attention quickly sprung to Ray when he raised his hand a bit to wave.

"Hello, Danielle.", Ray's honey voice said smoothly.

"Heyyyyyyyy, Sara.", Chred said, nasally imitating a child's voice. My stomach started to bubble with the laughter I was holding back, but when I finally failed and let out a giggle, Jacob, Chres, and Ray all started cracking up. Danielle started laughing along with us, most likely grateful that she got the "fun" table tonight.

After our little laughing fit, we finally calmed down and I said, "Hi, Danielle.". Ray, sitting diagonally from me in the booth, shot me a questioning look. I looked away, oddly embarassed.

Of course he was thinking I called her Danielle only because he called her Danielle. Come on. I like the name Danielle, and I used to have a guy friend named Danny, so I felt odd calling her Danny. She also looked more like a Danielle. Very pretty name, and she's very pretty too.

"What would you like tonight?", Danielle finally spoke up, directing all of our attentions towards her.

"Sprite.", Ray said quickly, being the first to answer.

"Coke.", Chres and Jacob said in unison, causing another laugh.

"Umm, I'll just have a lemonade.", I replied with giving Danielle a friendly smile.

Strangely, Danielle didn't give even a hint of a smile back. She just stared at me, as if deep in thought. As if shaken from whatever she was thinking about, she said, "Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks.", before turning around on her heel and walking away.

"You guys are so weird.", I said while looking down and shaking my head. Since Jacob was sitting right next to me, leaving Chres to be right in front of me, Jacob placed his hand on my thigh, I smiled alittle.

"Oh, you love us, Nique.", Jacob said playfully. I gently removed his hand off, and looked at up at him with a smile. A smirk was planted on his face, causing me to roll my eyes at him.

"Here's your drinks.", Danielle suddenly said, making us all jump since none of us saw her there. When I looked up at her, her eyes were wide, and she looked a bit pale and shaky as she slid the tall glasses onto the table.

The contents in the glasses shook back and forth, causing some of the soda and lemonade to spill slightly, somehow reminding me of the night at the club with Lucas. Which is strange since I hardly remember anything. Lucas....Ray.....Lucas...Ray. Gosh.

As I glanced back up at Danielle, she was fumbling to grab her rag to wipe off the spilt liquid off of the table.

"It's okay. I got it.", I said before grabbing a few white napkins out of the napkin dispenser and wiping off the table.

"Thanks.", she said, finally smiling again. Her eyes darted from Ray, to Jacob, to Chres, and back to me again. She sounded nervous, and started stuttering as she said, "Umm...uhhh....a-a-re you Rayan Lopez, Zonnique Pullins, Chres, and Jacob?".

A smile crept up on our faces as realization hit us all. Of course, Ray was the least fazed by this. I shrugged it off. I need to get back in the studio soon. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ray calmly nod his head at her, and flash her his signature smile. She was on the verge of freaking out, but tried her hardest to stay calm.