12 Chapter 12
"You want to take me out to dinner? Isn't that kind of like you asking me out on a date?" Roxie asked Nathan.
"Look; I know it might have sounded like I was asking you out on a date, but the truth is I haven't talked to you since the first day you stayed here at the house and I also want to get to know a little bit more about you. Besides; I think its about time that you returned my mom's old raincoat." Nathan said.
"Hey; I wasn't the thief who took it, remember? You let me borrow the raincoat because you were afraid that I was going to get sick after being in that rainstorm," Roxie admitted. "As for your invitation; I think it's very sweet of you that you want to treat me to dinner, but-." she started.
"I know; you want to keep the relationship between the two of us strictly professional." Nathan sighed.
"No; I was going to say that I will have dinner with you at your aunt and uncle's pub unless you invite Paul, Calvin and Landon." Roxie corrected him.
"Wait; what, how does-the plan was that I was only going to take you out to dinner, not you and my band mates." Nathan remarked.
"Yeah, well it looks like I changed your plans for tonight. Besides, that offer is the only one I'm going for so I suggest that you hurry back over to the living room and tell Paul, Calvin and Landon that they are coming with us to dinner." Roxie stated. Roxie then closed the bedroom door and turned away from Nathan. Nathan just shook his head and laughed all the way back to the kitchen.
"She is just driving me insane." Nathan said to himself.
"Who is driving you insane?" Landon asked him.
"Roxie; I asked her if she wanted to go have dinner with me at The Smouldering Hog, but she told me that she will have dinner with me unless I invite you three to come join us for dinner." Nathan replied.
"Roxie actually told you that right now? I'm totally stunned." Paul chuckled.
"Yeah, ok; don't get too excited ok? Now are you three going to join us or not?" Nathan remarked.
"Sure; that way the three of us along with your family can tell Roxie embarrassing stories about you." Calvin teased.
"Great; that's the one thing I was afraid that might happen at dinner." Nathan sighed. After a while had passed, the five of them went into the garage and piled into the sleek, black van that was on the far right of the garage.
"Wow; you boys have a lot of transportation in here." Roxie gasped.
"Yeah; the sad thing about it is that we rarely go out as a band so we hardly use any of the cars." Calvin stated.
"Alright; is everybody ready?" Paul asked once he got into the driver's seat. The others nodded their heads and the group was on their way to the pub. Once the group had gotten to The Smouldering Hog, there was hardly any parking in the parking lot.
"It looks like we're going to have to park in the back." Paul told Nathan.
"It's fine; I told my aunt we were going to enter through the back anyway." he replied. Paul then drove the van to the back parking lot that was only used for the pub's employees. Paul eventually found a parking spot and parked the car. The group then got out of the van and walked towards the back entrance of the pub. As the group walked through the busy, compact kitchen; Roxie was amazed of how all four members of Fifth Avenue Square greeted all of the cooks, servers and the other employees of the little pub and inn. It was like they all knew each member since they were little kids.
"Well look at this; here I thought we were expecting a couple and now it looks like I got a certain boy band." Auntie Lizzie said once she saw the boys.
"Hi Auntie Lizzie!" the boys said together. Each boy then hugged Nathan's aunt and stood on the right side of the kitchen entrance.
"Nathan; why didn't you call me and say that you were bringing the rest of your band? You know I don't like it when you try to pull these little pranks on me." Auntie Lizzie told him.
"I'm sorry Auntie Lizzie, but there was a slight change of plans all thanks to this lady right here. Auntie Lizzie, this is Roxie. She's going to be and the boys' new personal assistant." Nathan said.
"It's nice to meet you; Nathan and the boys have told me lots of good things about you and your family." Roxie smiled.
"The pleasure is all mine dear. Nathan, I'm surprised; you boys must be really desperate in this search for a new personal assistant," Auntie Lizzie mentioned. "Anyway, enough blabbering; your all probably starving. Annie; put out three more menus on the back booth where Nathan eats his supper, he's got a full table tonight." she shouted.
"Your aunt seems really nice." Roxie whispered to Nathan.
"Thanks; just wait until you meet my uncle and cousins. They're a total blast too." Nathan teased. Roxie just shook her head and laughed at Nathan's comment. All of a sudden; Annie was where the group was standing.
"Alright; your table's ready, come on; let's go we haven't got all night." Annie stated. The group then started to follow Annie towards the back of the pub to a small booth by a window that looked onto the road. As they were walking, Nathan and Roxie were holding each other's hand as if they were a romantic dinner. When the two of them saw what they were doing; they would instantly look into each other's eyes for about five seconds and let go of each other's hand. Whenever Roxie and Nathan let go of each other's hands, however; either a big outbreak at the bar or a loud noise would startle Roxie and she would go back to holding onto Nathan's hand for protection.
"It's ok; that stuff usually happens around here. There's nothing to be afraid of." Nathan reassured her. Roxie then nodded and the two of them kept walking towards the booth.
"Here we are; now what would everybody like to drink?" Annie asked them.
"Well, Nathan you planned out this whole thing. Why don't you pick out the beer we're going to have to drink for tonight?" Paul suggested.
"Actually, I was thinking of having Roxie choose the beer for tonight; since it is her first time eating dinner at The Smouldering Hog." Nathan told him once he and Roxie sat down in the booth.
"Um, need I remind you I actually have eaten here before." Roxie reminded him.
"Yeah; I know that, but you weren't able to see the pub like this with all these people. Oh; that reminds me, Annie after we're done eating, Roxie and I will give you back my mom's raincoat." Nathan told his cousin.
"So that was all the racket that was going on last week. I was wondering who was making all of that noise. Anyway; can you please order a drink? I'm pretty sure the other three boys are thirsty." Annie stated.
"Hmm; what do you usually drink when you come over here?" Roxie asked Nathan.
"It usually depends on the mood that I'm in, but if you want to go for a good tasting beer; I suggest that you go for that one right there." Nathan mentioned.
"Ok; I'll have one pitcher of that and five glasses of water please?" Roxie smiled.
"You got it; as for dinner, do you want me to put in the usual boys?" Annie asked.
"Yeah, that's fine unless you want to get something else off of the menu Roxie?" Calvin said.
"No; I'll get the same thing as you boys." Roxie said.
"Alright; now is there anything else you boys want me to put in right now before I leave to the kitchen?" Annie asked.
"Can you get us another week's supply of food for us?" Landon asked her.
"You know what; I'll make a suggestion to the cook that you boys get a good three to four weeks supply of food. That way the lot of you won't come over here for a few weeks." Annie suggested.
"Cool; we're ok with that idea." Roxie said.
"Wait; we are?" Paul asked.
"Boys, relax; I'm not only great at writing. I'm also good at cooking some meals too." Roxie admitted. Then all four boys sighed with relief and both Roxie and Annie laughed. Annie then walked to the kitchen to get the group's dinner order ready. As the night went on; the group got to know each other a bit more. They each told embarrassing stories, their favorite moments of their careers and most importantly their lifetime goals.
"Roxie; have you always wanted to be an author?" Landon asked her.
"At first, no; when I was little, I always told my parents that I wanted to do either this or that when I was grown up. I pretty much tried everything from a professional athlete to a professional singer and, by the looks of things; I'm so happy I am neither of those two career options," Roxie admitted. "It wasn't until I was in junior high that my writing career started to blossom. When I was in the 7th grade, I would write down the lyrics of some songs from one of my favorite singers at the time and all of a sudden a bunch of ideas started to pop in my head. It wasn't until my 8th grade year in junior high that I started to write my first copy of my first book, but as the years went on I made a few changes to the story and here I am now in possibly one of the most beautiful cities in the world staying with one of the biggest bands of this generation and I am so close to making all of my dreams come true." she added.
"It sounds like you have been waiting for this moment for most of your life." Calvin stated.
"You have no idea; I have been anxiously waiting for this trip since I was 10 years old. If I do get the job not only as your guys' new personal assistant and my career as an author, all the hopes and dreams that I have always wanted will finally come true and its all thanks to you boys." Roxie said.
"Now that I believe is something we could toast for." Paul said. The group then raised their glasses and continued talking throughout the rest of the evening.
