Fact: Now, I’m a stay-at-home mother.

This morning I called Diana to tell her what happened in New York. To say the least, she was shocked. When I made the comment about still having my small, part-time job at the paper, she spoke up. Apparently, I don’t have it anymore. It’s not that I’m fired; they just don’t need the extra help right now. I know it’s not Diana’s doing, but still – it hurts.

I called a few people that I knew in Atlanta, and nobody knew of any jobs for me. Nothing. After that, I spent the day eating a carton of strawberry ice cream and watching The Young And The Restless on television. Austin called a few times to check on me. He told me that he was going to come over tonight as soon as he got off work, but for some reason, I don’t think he is. He said he had to work late.

Nick called not long ago and asked me if I wanted to go out to eat with him, Nichole, his friend Brian, his wife, and son. I told him no, but he said he would drag me out of this apartment because he knew that I was just sitting around, being depressed. The sad thing is – he’s right. That’s exactly what I’m doing.

That leads me to where I am now, having dinner with Nick, Nichole, the Littrell’s: Brian, his wife Leighanne, and their son Bailey. They seem pretty nice. Brian is the friend of Sandra’s that set me and Nick up on the date together. His wife is from Marietta, where they currently live. That’s why Nick and the guys are recording here in Atlanta.

They seem like a normal couple. If you were to see them in a grocery store, you wouldn’t think anything of it. Well, you would see that there is a handsome man, a beautiful woman and a gorgeous little boy. I guess it isn’t so typical. These celebrities are all beautiful. Hell, even I admit that Nick is rather handsome, in his own way. Then again, I look at him right now, seeing him wipe his nose with his hand and then pick up a breadstick. Brian whispered to me earlier that deep down, Nick is still a five-year old so that’s why him and Nichole get along so well.

Sadly I think that’s true.

“Nichole, do you like your little pizza?” Leighanne asked, looking at Nichole. Nichole smiled, nodding her head and then looked at her and Brian.

“Uncle Brian and Aunt Leighanne, did you know that my Mommy has a boyfriend named Austin?” Nichole asked as I stared at her.

“No I didn’t,” Brian said, looking at Nichole.

“Oh you know,” Nick said, nudging at Brian, “That doctor guy I told you about,”

I stared at Nick in shock. He’s off telling his friends about my love life. I rolled my eyes, looking at Leighanne who shook her head at Nick. Obviously she saw some of the same things in him that I did. “Thanks for telling everybody about my love life,” I replied, taking a sip of my wine. “It’s nothing that serious, but we’ve been going out for a few weeks.”

“He spent the night the other night,” Nichole said as Nick almost spit out his salad that he was chewing on. I started to blush, looking down at my plate. “I don’t like him as much as I like my Daddy Nick.”

“Okay Nicky, you can stop now. Your Mom’s getting’ mad over there, yo.”

“Nicky?” I asked, staring at Nick. “Why are you calling her Nicky?”

“I told him to call me Nicky Mommy.” Nichole said, picking up her cup of juice with both hands.

“But I thought you hated to be called Nicky,” I replied, seeing Brian and Leighanne laugh out of the corner of my eye. “I used to call you that and –“

“You can call me Nicky now Mommy. Uncle AJ and Uncle Kevin did when you and Austin was on your trip,” she said, looking at Brian. “Uncle Brian you can call me Nicky too. That way I can be like my Daddy.”

“Sweetie, you sure you wanna be like him?” Leighanne asked as Nick laughed, rolling his eyes.

“I do,” Nichole said, almost sounding as if she was demanding it. “I want to be a singer like my Daddy when I’m older.”

“Oh I don’t know about that,” Nick said, taking a sip of his soda. “You need to go to school and be smart like your Mom,”

“I’m already smart like her Daddy,”

“Yeah, that you are,”

“I need to go change Baylee,” Leighanne said as I watched her take Bailey out of his highchair and walk towards the bathrooms. I leaned back in my chair, listening to Brian and Nichole talk about Bailey. I stared back at Nick who was looking between the two, watching his eyes light up as Nichole began talking about their band mate Howie.

“Daddy, I need to go to the bathroom,” Nichole said, looking at Nick.

“Come on, I’ll take you,” I said, standing up from my chair. I looked at her as she stood up, putting her hands on her hips and shook her head. “What?”

“I want my Daddy to take me,” Nichole said, grabbing Nick’s hand, practically pulling him out of his chair. Brian laughed at them as I took another sip of my drink, realizing that she wanted “her Daddy” to do everything now. I was starting to wonder what my purpose was anymore.

“Nick’s crazy about her,” Brian said as I looked at him, smiling lightly. “You know, it was really a great thing you did, in letting him become a part of her life. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t want to risk him suing me to get custody of her,”

“He wouldn’t have done that, but you’re a strong woman for doing that.”

“I wish I could think so,” I replied, looking down at my plate. “I just feel sort of left out. I was so consumed with work the past week or so that everything has been Daddy this and Daddy that, and now that I don’t have a job anymore, I feel like a outsider because she wants him to do everything and not me.”

“She’s just getting used to having a father, that’s all. When I’m away from Baylee for a few days and I come home – he’s the same way. He wants me to do everything.” Brian said as I laughed lightly, seeing Leighanne and Baylee come back to the table.

“Nick is the cutest thing with her,” Leighanne said, sitting back down at the table. I laughed lightly again and looked up to see Nick and Nichole walking back.

“Savannah, I need to talk to you,” Nick whispered in my ear, “Now.”

“What is it Nick?”

“Come over here, I need to talk to you, now.” he said. I sighed, telling Nichole to sit there with Brian and Leighanne. I had no idea what he was going to say. Maybe he was going to tell me how traumatized he was by going into the ladies room. “Come here, I need to talk to you,” he said, pulling me into a corner.

“What the hell Nick? What’s this about?”

“Austin’s working tonight?”

“Yes he is, making up time from our trip.” I replied, seeing him stare me in the eyes, “Why?”

“He’s not working.” He said, licking his lips.

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“He’s over there, around the corner, on the other side of the restaurant. I know it’s him. He looked dead at me.”

“So, maybe he had to have a business dinner,”

“At a fancy restaurant?” Nick asked, staring at me. “He’s over there, dressed up, with a woman. She’s blonde, thin, and well she doesn’t look like his mother.”

“Nick, you’re crazy,” I replied as I started to walk back to our table. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back only to stare in my eyes. “What the hell is your problem?”

“Savannah, I’m serious. He’s right over there with another girl. Go look,” he whispered. “I’m not gonna lie about it. Nichole almost saw him but I practically grabbed her and brought her back over here.”

“Fine,” I replied, leaving the corner to walk towards the other end of the restaurant. I turned the corner, to see him sitting in the corner, smiling at exactly what Nick said: a short, petiete blonde woman.

“See,” Nick said as I looked back at him. I started walking through the tables, and up to where Austin and the woman was sitting when he looked up at me, in shock. “Hey there Austin,” Nick said, staring at him.

“Hey Austin, I thought you had to work tonight,” I replied, looking at the woman. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” I said, sticking my hand out to shake hers, “I’m Savannah, the girl he went to New York with and stole her virginity.”

“Savannah –“ Austin said as I looked at him.

“Oh, well,” the lady said, staring back at me. “I’m Austin’s little sister Bethany. He’s been talking about you all during dinner –“ I paused, holding my mouth open in shock.

“They let me out of the hospital early and Bethany called to say that she was in town and I tried to call you but you were gone, so we came here to eat,” Austin said, staring at Nick. “I’m glad to see that you two are having a nice dinner tonight.”

“It was nice meeting you, maybe I’ll see you again,” I said to Bethany as I turned around, seeing Nick in way. “Get out of my way Nick.” He moved, and I walked back through the restaurant, grabbing the bottle of wine off of the table. “Nichole, sit here with Brian and Leighanne okay” I said as I walked through the restaurant with my purse in one hand, and the bottle of wine in the other.

I took a big swallow of it, trying to drink away the embarrassment that I had just went through. I had never seen any pictures of his family and never even thought about him being at dinner with a sister of his. I can’t believe I believed Nick over him. Then again, Nick didn’t know either. He was looking out for me, but it’s not his place to look out for me.

“Savannah,” Nick said, walking up behind me. “I’m sorry about what happened back there.”

“Listen,” I said, pointing my finger at him, “You might be my daughter’s biological father, but stay out of my love life, okay? I can take care of myself.”

“Yo, Savannah, I didn’t know!” Nick exclaimed, looking at the bottle of wine. “Don’t start drinking, God knows I don’t wanna see you drunk –“

“I can do whatever the hell I want,” I replied, taking another big sip of the wine. “I just made a fucking idiot out of myself in there Nick. Did you hear me? Did you hear what I said? I just basically told the whole restaurant that this fat bitch just lost her virginity to a guy that loves me and I accused of cheating on me until I find out that it’s his sister!”

“Listen, I see him with a pretty girl when you said he was supposed to be at work and –“

“Oh what, think he’s cheating on me with a pretty girl because I’m such a ugly, fat loser? Gee, thanks for the ego boost but I guess that’s not a surprise coming from you!”

“Savannah,” Austin said, walking out of the restaurant, “Nick, leave us alone.”

“No, I’m not leaving her alone.”

“Both of you just leave me the hell alone.”

“Come on, I’ll take you home,” Austin said as he walked up to me, putting his arms around my waist. “I can’t believe you thought I would cheat on you.”

“I didn’t…” I replied, looking over his shoulder at Nick.

“I’ll bring Nichole back home as soon as she’s done with her dinner,” Nick said, turning around to go back in the restaurant. I rested my head on Austin’s shoulder, feeling his arms around me even tighter.

“Don’t listen to Nick when it comes to me,” Austin said as I moved my head off of his shoulder, staring into his eyes. They were so pretty and I know that’s not a very manly thing to say but they were. “Maybe he’s just jealous because he doesn’t have a shot.”

“He was just lookin’ out for me –“ I replied, realizing that I was defending him.

“You don’t need to defend him Savannah,” Austin replied, kissing me lightly on the lips. “He’s scum. He dances for little girls as a job.”

“Just take me home,” I replied, moving away from him. I followed him to his car, taking another sip from my wine bottle. I can’t believe a nice evening was ruined like this. I can’t believe that I said the things that I said. I can’t believe that after I just cussed Nick out, that I took up for him.

Then again, stranger things have happened.