Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:56:20 -0500 From: Nate <jesseandnate@gmail.com> Subject: Jesse and Nate Chapter 2 This story is a work of fiction. I do not claim to know Jesse McCartney (although I wish I did ;-D), nor do I know about his sexual preference (ditto). This story will contain some sexual content, and is about a relationship between two men. If this offends you, then I suggest you use that handy close button on your window. If it's illegal for you to be reading this, well then you shouldn't be here either, but you probably already knew that :-P. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU JESSE MCCARTNEY? CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH? CAN I TAKE YOUR PICTURE? WILL YOU MARRY ME?!?!?" I was completely shocked. I had no idea that Jesse was actually Jesse McCartney! I felt so stupid, and now I thought that he's either gonna think that the only reason I talked to him was because he's a celebrity pop star, or that I'm really dumb for not recognizing him. After the girl finished with her screaming and was now looking like she was about to pass out, Jesse looked up to me for a second with an apologetic look on his face. He then glanced down to the girl and back to me, something I knew meant `Let me just deal with her, and then I'll explain.' I have no idea how, but I somehow managed to smile and nod back, and let him get on with it. "Yes, yeah, yup, and sorry, but I'm afraid no," Jesse told the girl while chuckling. "But I'll tell you what. Instead of getting married, how about I give you TWO hugs?" "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GODDD, I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled back with tears forming in her eyes. Now that the initial shock was over, I was beginning to find the whole situation pretty funny, and looking up at Michael and Katie I could tell they did too. They had their hands over their mouths, and it seemed like they were spending all their effort on trying to keep themselves from cracking up; it looked like just touching them would set them off. Now fumbling through her purse, the girl took out a digital camera and a pen, and then frantically searched more. "Oh no! I can't find any paper!" She looked up at Jesse with these puppy dog eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?" After digging into his pockets, he replied, "No, I'm really sorry," with a sad look on his face. The girl looked like she was about to start sobbing in the middle of the park, I actually was starting to feel bad for her. Just then I remembered that I still had a receipt in my pocket from going to Starbucks that morning (can't function without my coffee), so I dug it out and said, "Here, I have some." Jesse looked up at me with a surprised, grateful look on his face that practically made my legs turn to jelly, and the girl looked like she could've kissed me. "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD," (I was beginning to see that this was her favorite phrase) "THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!" the girl shrieked at me. "No problem" Then, looking me up and down, she said, a little more calmly, even a little flirtatiously, "Hey, you know, you're pretty hot yourself, can you be in a picture also?" I was a little flustered at this, and stammered out "Um, thanks, uh, ok, sure, I guess." "You're not Adam Brody are you?" she asked, a little bashfully. I've been told that I look a little like him before. "Hmm...let me check...." I took out my license and looked it over. "No, dammit, still not him!" Ok, a little corny, but I since was still recovering from my shock at the whole situation, I was lucky I was able to talk at all. Everyone laughed though, so that was good. Michael and Katie really cracked up, but that was probably cuz of what they thought about the whole situation. "So cutie, what's your name" Jesse asked the girl after taking the receipt from me and the pen from her. "Jenny!", she exclaimed, practically jumping up and down. Wow, it was pretty crazy how excited she was. I like celebrities as much as the next guy, but I always try and think of them as regular people. However, my mind right about then was still buzzing about the fact that I've actually been talking to Jesse McCartney for the past forty-five minutes or so, so I guess I shouldn't talk. "Here you go!" Jesse said, handing her the paper. I saw that it said `To Jenny, You're a really great girl. Always stay true to yourself! Love, Jesse McCartney.' I thought it was really sweet. "Ok, now let's take this pic!" Jenny was smiling so much she looked like she could have lit up a dark theater. She handed the camera to Michael, who first had to take like six pictures of Jesse and Jenny, then about four more with them two plus me, and then another three with just her and me. I was a little flustered by the end of this, but it was also pretty funny, and we kept on cracking jokes during it, so the entire situation was getting pretty relaxed. We both gave Jenny a hug, and then Jesse gave her the extra hug that he promised, making sure it was pretty long, and completed it with a kiss on the cheek. She looked like she was about to cry, faint, or both, but she managed to stay up and sort of keep her cool. Everyone said bye to her, and she ran back to her friends and shrieked so loudly I'd be surprised if people in the Bronx didn't hear her. After she left, Jesse looked at Michael and Katie and said, "Do you guys mind giving me and Nate a little time to talk?" "Sure, no prob. We'll go and get on the line to get into the rink," Michael said. After watching them walk away until they were out of earshot, Jesse looked at me with this really apologetic look on his face, which kinda surprised me. "Sorry I didn't tell you who I was from the beginning. I just..." I immediately interrupted him. "You've got no reason to be sorry, man! What were you supposed to say, `Hi, I'm Jesse McCartney, celebrity singer. Now do whatever I want.'? I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, I guess I just wasn't expecting to see someone like you, so I didn't really connect the dots." Jesse laughed and replied "Ok, I guess you got a point there. And believe me, it's much better when people don't recognize me. You just saw what happened when they do!" We both started cracking up, especially because the girls kept on glancing up at us and giggling from where they were sitting. "Jeez man, I don't get how you put up with it! Don't people realize that `celebrities' are just people? I mean, I sometimes like to watch those celebrity shows and stuff when I'm bored, but I don't really get what the whole obsession is." I said. "Dude, I totally know what your talking about. I'm surprised that we were able to get all the way here without anyone yelling my name or anything!" Chuckling, I said, "Well, I just want to make sure you know that I didn't talk to you just because you're famous or anything." "Nate, don't worry, I know. I can tell you're not the type to do that, anyways." I got this huge grin on my face when suddenly my phone rang. It was my friend, Kyle. "Hey, Kyle what's up?" I said after I apologized to Jesse and answered it. "Nate, where are you? Me and Kirsten have been waiting at the restaurant for like 15 minutes!" "Oh, man, I totally forgot we were gonna meet today!" We planned it two days before and it totally skipped my mind. "Listen, I'm in Central Park by the rink, so I could be there in about 15 minutes." "Jeez man, that's really not like you. I'd expect it out of Kirsten, and she was the one that was here EARLY!" Suddenly I heard Kirsten yelling "HEY" in the background, and Kyle yelled, "OW! She just punched me!" She said, "Well you deserved it!" "C'mon, you totally know it's true. OW! She did it again!" She yelled back "Well you deserved it again!" I was cracking up, and said "Ok guys, I'll see you soon. You two get back to your drama," and I hung up while they were still bickering. Laughing, I said to Jesse, "Sorry about that, I totally forgot I was supposed to meet my friends Kyle and Kirsten about 15 minutes ago!" "Ha, no prob man. You wanna go say bye to Michael and Katie before you go?" "Ok, sounds good!" We walked over to where they were waiting. Michael said "Jeez, why are there so many people going to ice skate, man? This line's taking forever!" "Maybe for the same reason we're here, cuz it's so nice out?" Jesse replied. "Ha, yeah, could be" I was just about to say bye when Michael continued, "Hey Nate, you seem like a cool guy, you wanna hang out and skate with us?" "Aw, man, I wish I could, but I actually have to go meet some friends now. Thanks, though!" "Aw, that sucks, we'll for sure have to do it some other time then," Katie replied. "Thanks, definitely!" I said. We all said bye, and Jesse turned and started walking with me. "Where do you think you're going?" I asked. "I'm walking you out of the park!" Jesse responded. "Aw, you don't gotta do that!" "I know, but I want to, and there's no arguing," he said with a little grin, and both of us chuckled. "Ok, I guess I know when to accept defeat," and we started walking, after Jesse told the other guys where he was going. "Wow, man, I'm sorry to be playing the part of, like, a crazed fan or something, but this is actually kinda nuts. I just thought you were a great guy, I didn't know you were this big celebrity!" I said. "Ha, well I didn't realize you were this nice fun guy, I thought you were some guy that looked like he might know his way around the park!" Laughing, I replied, "I'm not sure if you mean that I look like a bum or just a savvy New Yorker, but I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and take that as a compliment. Hey, I just realized; this is why you were so cryptic about going to LA to make it big. It was because of your singing, wasn't it? "Yup, I went to LA cuz my family, my agent, and I figured that it'd be easier to do all the music stuff from there, plus I had just got the part on my TV show, Summerland, which was based in California, so it was just easier to move." "Ah, and that's the burned part.sorry about the show getting cancelled," I said with a serious look on my face. "Eh, it's ok, I've gotten over it. It was fun and all, but now I get to focus on my music, and I'm looking at a bunch of new opportunities for acting. You know what they say, when one door closes, another one opens!" "That's a great attitude to have, man!" I said, admiring his spirit. We reached the edge of the park, so I said, "Well, I guess this is where we part ways." "Yup. Don't forget to be expecting that call tonight!" he said with a big smile on his face that made practically made my heart stop. "Don't worry, I'll definitely be looking forward to it. Now, you sure you could find your way back?" I teased. He rolled his eyes, laughed, and said, "Yeah, I think I got it." We gave each other another hug, which gave me another opportunity to rub his firm back again (and I noticed this time he actually did the same to me!), and he walked back to the park. `Seriously a nice ass!' I thought to myself, chuckling. I started walking to meet Kyle and Kirsten. Now, what you gotta realize about these guys is that we've all been best friends, like, literally forever. We all grew up within 3 blocks of each other, and have been together since we were about 3 years old. Ever since we met, we've always had each other's back, no matter what; when someone would start with one of us, they'd be starting with all of us. Fortunately, we've never really gotten on anyone's bad side and have been pretty popular with most kids in school, so we've barely ever really had to do any fighting or anything. We've always been able to tell each other everything; they were the first people I came out to, and the same was true when Kyle came out to us, and we've all been very supportive and accepting of each other. Kyle and Kirsten are even roommates at NYU now. They're like family, and at times closer than that, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I walked to one of the many local sushi/Japanese places that my friends and I love. Sushi is by far one of the best foods ever, you just have to get past the fact that you're eating raw fish. This particular one was called Tao. It's a bit expensive, but so worth it; everything there is really good and the d‚cor is awesome. It's got this really cool huge Buddha statue on one side, and the entire place is very nicely done, looking very Oriental with soft wood colors and wood lamps everywhere. At night it gets very busy, and you usually need a reservation anywhere from a week to a month in advance to get in, but for lunch it's typically okay. I entered the restaurant and immediately heard a girl's voice call "NAAATE!!!!" I looked over and saw Kirsten standing up and waving her arms like a madman (er.woman) and Kyle sitting, rolling his eyes. Kirsten always tries to do her best to embarrass me in public cuz she knows how easily I blush. Fortunately, after like 15 years of her doing stuff like that I've gotten used to it, so I just rolled my eyes, laughed and walked over to the table and gave them each a hug hello. As I was sitting down I said "Hey guys, I'm so sorry about that. I just totally forgot that I was even supposed to meet you. And then I met this guy..." Kirsten interrupted "A guy?!? Ok, spill. What's his name, what does he look like, what does he do?" "Jeez Kirs, give him a chance to sit down and settle himself a little!" Kyle scolded. "Man, if I didn't know Kyle was gay I would totally think you guys were hitched, you know that?" "Yeah yeah, tell us something we don't know, man." Kyle responded. I make fun of them all the time for how much they argue. "Haha, I'll stop making fun of you when you guys stop fighting!" "Well that's probably never gonna happen." Kirsten said. "Well then I guess it sucks to be you!" I teased. "But we already knew that. Sooooo, c'mon spill. Who's the guy?" Kirsten can be very persistent. "Fine, fine. But you guys really have to promise that you won't tell ANYONE until I give the ok. Deal?" Glancing at each other and giving me puzzled looks, they each said, "Ok, sure." Just then, the waitress came over to take our order, and Kirsten looked like she was gonna have an aneurysm. As soon as the waitress left with our orders, Kirsten said "Now spill!" So, after looking around to make sure no one was near enough to hear, I quietly told them the whole story of how Jesse and I met and how I found out who he is. By the end of it, I was starting to chuckle because of the looks that they had on their faces. Just then, our food came, so they had to keep their responses to themselves for another couple of minutes, and now both of them looked like they were gonna have aneurysms. "Wow, man. Jesse McCartney? You MET him? And he actually likes you? Man, he is so hot! And not only that, but he seems like such a cool guy! Dude, you always have the best luck!" Kyle stammered out when the waitress was done and left the table. "Haha, what do you mean ACTUALLY likes me? Am I that unlikable?" I teased. "Oh c'mon, you know what I mean. But, Jesse McCartney? That's nuts!" "Yeah, I'm still trying to process it. And he's so sweet too. You shoulda seen how he great he was with the little kid and the girl. He was totally cool with everything." "Aww, this is so sweet! It looks like our wittle Natey is falling for this guy!" Kirsten said in a sarcastic mothering voice. Laughing, I said "Shut up! Anyways, I barely even know him!" "That doesn't matter," Kyle said. "You know enough to have a sense of what kinda guy he is." "Yeah, I guess that's true. But I still gotta see if I like him for him or for his name, though." "Aw, c'mon, why do you always have to do the honorable thing? It'd be so cool to say that one of my best friends is going out with a celebrity!" Kirsten pouted. "Well first off, I doubt you'd wanna call me your best friend if I didn't try and do what's right." "Not true, I also call Kyle my best friend, don't I?" "Hey!" Kyle responded with an incredulous look on his face. "You know I'm kidding!" she said before looking at me and shaking her head no. Laughing, I continued, "And secondly, I also don't even know if he's into guys!" "C'mon, he's a pop star, of course he's into guys!" Kirsten exclaimed. "I think I'm gonna need a little more than that to go on," I said while chuckling. "Well you've also always had a pretty accurate gaydar." Kyle said with a sly smile on his face. It's true, I'm usually pretty good at picking out the gay guys. "Yeah, but I wasn't really able to tell with Jesse. Anyway, I'd want more to go on then that also." "Well I guess you're just gonna have wait and see if he plants a kiss with those juicy lips of his," Kyle said. "Great advice," I responded, chuckling. We all then started to eat our food. I got the Chef's Roll and Salmon Roll, both of which were really good. "So," I said after a few minutes of munching, "what's going on with you guys? Anything new or interesting happening? "Dude, this IS Kirsten you're talking to, of course nothing exciting's happening with her" Kyle said with a silly look on his face. "Oh, ha. ha. ha. Well at least I don't have enough time on my hands that I jack off two or three times a day. And don't bring up the fact that I don't got a dick, cuz even if I did I wouldn't be doing it that often!" Kirsten retorted. "See what I mean?" Kyle asked me, "I'm not the one with so much time that I listen for my roommate's moans!", to which Kirsten just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm beginning to see what you mean. But twice a day, man? We're not 14 anymore, you really gotta get yourself a guy!" "Hey, there's nothing wrong with having an active sex drive!" "But it's better if you have an active sex life to go along with it," I responded with a wink. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. When did this suddenly become bash Kyle day?" "When you decided to make it bash Kirsten day!" Kirsten responded. "Okay, okay, fine," Kyle said, "I'll be nice, I promise!" We were all laughing by now. We finished our food, and the waitress came over and, while taking our plates, asked if we wanted any dessert. Figuring that we could afford it (both in terms of calories and in terms of the wallet) since we barely ever do have any, we decided to get some. I decided to get the fruit and sorbet (hey, can't cheat too much), and they figured they'd split the giant fortune cookie, which is filled with white and dark chocolate mousse. They both came pretty fast, and were really good. We each tasted some from each other's plates, and continued talking while we were eating. "So, you guys still haven't answered my question. Anything new going on? Meet any new guys?" I asked. "Nope, we really do lead boring lives." Kyle responded. "It's true." Kirsten said. "C'mon, you're not boring. You're just, uh, really dedicated to your work, and, uh, um...ok, yeah, you're boring." "Oh, great. Thanks! Not everyone can be making `friends' with celebrities, you know. Some of us are actually taking some hard classes in school. Granted, you're FINALLY done with all your pre-med stuff and're entitled to an easy semester, but still..." Kyle said. "Thank you, `bout time someone acknowledges that I've earned a social life!" At that I remembered that Jesse was going to be calling, and my heart started racing. "Oh my God, Jesse's going to be calling tonight! What should I say? How should I act? What do I do?" "First dude, stop panicking." Kyle answered. "He obviously likes you, even if it's just as a friend, or else he wouldn't have asked for your phone number. Just be yourself, you'll be fine." "Definitely man. The worst thing you can do is try and be something you're not, or do what you think he wants you to do. Be yourself and he'll be in your bed in no time." Kirsten told me with a wink. "Oh, and also don't forget to breathe. It usually helps" I calmed down a little. "Thanks guys, I don't know what I'd do without you." "Oh, I think I know. And trust me, it wouldn't be pretty," Kyle said, smirking. "Well, unfortunately, Nate, we gotta go. We've got a study group in about a half hour for our psych test that's on Tuesday." "Ok, no problem, it'll give me time to relax a little for Jesse's call anyways," I said smiling. We called the waitress over for our check, paid, left a nice tip on the table and left the restaurant. After we all said bye and they wished me luck, I walked to sit and read in the lobby of one of the nice hotels near Central Park. They're really nice and relaxing to sit in, assuming they let you in - something not all of them do. I decided on the Ritz-Carlton, a VERY nice hotel. I went into the lobby, sat on one of the comfy couches, and started reading. I didn't get very far, because I started thinking about whether I wanted to be with Jesse for his celebrity status, or for him. I thought about how great he was before I knew he was famous. How cool he was with that kid Jared, how polite he was with everything he said to me, how much I liked him before the whole crazed-girl incident. I knew that even if he were just some guy, I'd still want to be with him. I smiled as I looked down at my book and read. About a half-hour later, I jumped as my cell phone rang. I looked at the screen and a huge grin came on my face when I saw Jesse's name come up. "Hey, Jesse!" I said as casually as I could. "Hey, man! How're you doing? How was lunch?" "Very good actually. Kyle, Kirsten, and I have all been pretty busy lately and hadn't really gotten together in a while, so it was fun to hang out and have all our usual banter and stuff, it was very funny." "That's cool." "Yup. How was ice skating?" "It was pretty fun, actually. I wasn't sure how good I'd be cuz I hadn't skated in a pretty long time, but once I got back into the hang of it again it was cool. You should've seen Katie though, she kept on falling, it was hilarious! Eventually she just would not leave the railing of the rink, she was just like all the little kids. It was just classic Katie." "Oh, man, that's really funny! I wish I coulda seen that." I said, laughing. "Well, maybe you will. After you left, she kept on saying that she thought you were cool and that we should all go skating together sometime. Of course, that was before we actually got on the ice. She mighta changed her mind about the exact setting of our hanging out by now." "Yeah, I'd think she would have. Unless she's just masochistic or something." Jesse really laughed at that. "Actually, now that you mention it...actually never mind, I can't even get that out!" and we both started cracking up. "Where are you by the way?" "In the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, reading" "No way! I'm actually down the block from there. If you don't mind, I can be there in like two minutes." "Really? Awesome! Of course I don't mind, I'll see you soon, then!" and we both hung up. I looked in the mirror that was on the wall behind me to make sure everything looked ok, put a hand through my loose black curls to smooth them out a bit, and took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. About a minute later I saw Jesse come in the front door, looking even better than he did before, if possible. I saw him look around for a few seconds before his eyes finally settled on me and a big smile came across his face, and I beamed right back. He walked up to where I was sitting, gave me another of his one armed hugs, and said, "Hey, man! How's it hanging?" as he sat down. I had to hold myself back from saying, `Why don't you come here and check?' so instead said "I'm good, how `bout you?" "Good, good." We started talking about nothing in particular, just how nice the weather was today and how great it is to be in the city and stuff like that. Eventually Jesse said, "So, you know what I do for a living. What about you?' "Well in terms of actual work, notta. I'm in my last semester in college, and am pre-med, so hopefully I'll be going to med school in two years." "That's very cool, I really admire people that have that amount of dedication to put in so much work and time. But, why two years, why don't you start next year?" "Thanks. Well, I just wanted to take a year off, maybe get a job and make some money, and just relax a little before I throw myself into years and years of sleepless nights and endless studying," I answered with a little grin. Chuckling, he said, "Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea. I mean, you are gonna be working for the rest of your life, so it can really only help to take a year for yourself." "Yup, that's exactly how I see it. I don't think I'm gonna look back on that year when I'm like 70 and regret it, you know?" "Yeah, for sure. So what college do you go to?" "NYU. It's awesome. I almost feel sad that I'm graduating!" "Haha, that's cool. So you live there, then?" "Well, I live near there. I live in an apartment off campus in the Village. I love it, you get all types of people there, and there're all these cool clubs and bars that're just awesome. It's just a great place to live." For those who don't know, East Village, or commonly known as the Village, is a part of Greenwich Village, a section of Manhattan. Greenwich Village is a pretty classy and historical area, but East Village is a big place for anyone from straight people to transsexuals. It's got all types of clubs; jazz, pool, blues, rock, Goth, gay, straight - everything. It's a lot of fun to hang out in, and NYU's right at the edge of it. "That is so cool! Actually, I wanted to visit there sometime, now I have a reason to," he said with a wink. I blushed a little, but said, "You know it! So, what about you, are you gonna be going to college?" "Well, right now I think I'm just going to focus on my music and acting, we'll see what happens in the future." "That's cool. Man, it's really taking some getting used to that you're this big music star. And you're really so down to earth, it's kinda weird." "It's actually taking some getting used to for me also, man. Sometimes I really can't believe it that I actually made it, you know?" "Yeah. From what I hear, which isn't that much actually," I said with a little grin, "it's really, like, hit or miss with these music and acting things." "Yeah, it really is. A lot of it is really just luck that you're in the right place at the right time with the right connections and right kind of talent. It's kinda crazy." "Yeah, I hear that," I replied. Just then, I looked up and saw of the concierge glance at us with a bit of an annoyed look on his face. Even though you're allowed to sit in the lobby, they usually don't like it if you do it for too long, especially if you don't actually have a room in the hotel. "Hey, you want to go for a walk? I don't think it's being too appreciated that we're gracing the lobby with our presence," I said with a slight nod toward the concierge's desk. Turning around and glancing at the desk, Jesse said, "Sure, I thought this place was a little stuffy anyway." We walked outside, where it was a little chilly, but in a nice, brisk kind of way. We headed up Fifth Avenue, towards the park. It was pretty quiet for only 7:30, there weren't too many people out, but there were still some walking around and cars driving by, so it was nice but not creepy or anything. I was pretty surprised that no one was recognizing Jesse, but then I realized he put this nice beanie on that covered up his hair and his forehead, so it made it a little difficult for him to stand out. "You wanna sit down here?" Jesse asked as he nodded to a bench. "Sure," I said, and we sat down. I noticed we were pretty close to each other, almost close enough for our legs to rub up against each other. I looked at his face and I noticed that he had these cute little freckles across his nose that you never really see in pictures, and just made him look even hotter. "So," Jesse said, bringing me back from my thoughts. "If you're pre-med, it must not leave a whole lot of time for dating." "Nope, not really actually. It kinda sucks. But, I'm basically done with all the tough sciences and stuff now, and, since I'm taking next year off, I should have more time. How about you? Traveling around the country, being a big musician, must not leave a lot of time for a big social life, either." "Well I was dating someone, another singer. But it wasn't really serious, it was practically set up by our agents. Anyway, we're not dating anymore." "Oh, I'm sorry." "It's ok, like I said, it wasn't very serious, even though we played it out like it was." "Oh. Well, what do you mean, it was set up by your agents? Why'd they do that? "I think it was because it'd help her if she was going out with someone more famous than her. They also probably thought it would help improve my image if I was constantly walking around with some gorgeous girl; it'd make the guys see me as a bit of a player and the girls just want me more. Something like making me even more hard to get, so it'd drive them crazier." "Based on what we saw today, I don't really think that's possible!" I said. We both laughed at my little joke, and we caught each other's eyes. I couldn't look away even if I tried, and he didn't seem to be able to either. Suddenly, almost as if it was happening automatically, I started to move my face closer to his, but never letting my eyes leave those deep pools of green. I kept on moving in, tilted my head a little, and, closing my eyes, gently touched his lips with mine. He pressed in a little, kissing back. I couldn't think at all, I was just feeling and letting my lips do the work. It was a very slow and gentle kiss, but it felt like enough electricity was passing through our lips that we could have lit up all of Manhattan for a year. I brought my hand up to his face, holding the side of his head as we kept on kissing. Finally, after what seemed like both an eternity and just a moment at the same time, Jesse pulled away. He looked at me with those beautiful eyes of his and, smiling, said one word. "Wow." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's the second installment, hope you enjoyed it! Please email me any comments, critiques, or suggestions you may have at JesseandNate@gmail.com, or IM me on AIM at JesseandNate, I'd love to hear from you about what you think. Thanks to everyone who emailed and IM'ed me, I really appreciate the great feedback I've been getting! Keep writing everyone! I'd also like to thank my friend Kyle for reading through this and critiquing it for me! And also, like I said before, since school started last week, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to get the installments out, but I'll try and keep doing it like every 1-3 weeks max, but I'm sorry, no guarantees.