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Fan Fiction

Title: Love is paradise
(Love has dropped by)
Author: Trang Le Thu
Genre: Romance
Started: 21. December 2001

© Trang Le Thu 2001
Disclaimer: This story is a purely fiction. Nothing here is true!! All Hawaii descriptions come from the internet and guide books.

PART 3

Hey! It's the 3rd part for you to read. And remember to vote at the end. You have only one week to vote for each part!
The second question was: Shall Agnes dance with Paddy?
You decided that Agnes won't dance with Paddy (58%). I admit that I wasn't prepared to it, but it's you who have the last word here :) Please, vote and submit your comments.

Agnes turned on her heels, glared at him and then broke into a sadistic laugh.
"You are so pathetic." Then she stormed off and disappeared into the crowd.
"Why does she always have to get the last word in?" Paddy asked himself aloud in frustration.
Jimmy slapped him on the back, startling him.
"That time, I must admit she was right. You are pathetic." He tried to hide his smile as he imitated Paddy. "Maybe I can make it up to you in some other way"… Man! What were you thinking!?"
Paddy glowered at his brother.
"Mind your own business. Besides, that line has worked with every girl I've ever tried it on."
"Yeah, every girl 16 and under. You seem to forget that Agnes isn't like them. She's the anti-teenybopper, which means none of your cheesy pick-up lines will ever work. You're approaching this all wrong."
Paddy folded his arms across his chest and regarded Jimmy curiously. "You're saying I have to reinvent a whole new me just to impress Little Miss Stuck-Up?"
Jimmy shrugged.
"Well, you're certainly not impressing her the way you are now."
"So what do you think I should do?"
"Sorry buddy. Can't help you with that. Johnny and Maite would have my head. We shouldn't even be having this conversation right now." He flashed Paddy one last smirk and then turned to walk away.
"Jimmy! Wait!!" Paddy pleaded. "You don't have to tell me but can't you at least point me in the right direction?"
Jimmy paused in hesitation, feeling sorry for his clueless bro.
"Maturity, Pad. It's all about maturity." He pointed sternly at him. "But you didn't hear it from me."
Paddy started to protest, but Jimmy had quickly run off.
Maturity? How dare Jimmy accuse him of being immature? He was reliable, responsible… And 'cheesy' lines??? He wasn't cheesy! He was sly, suave, slick and debonair. He had the ability to turn every girl he met into putty in his hands… every girl except for Agnes, that is… What would it take to impress her, then?

The next morning, Agnes found herself back at the beach due to the lack of a better plan. Scott had said he might be able to get the next day off so she wanted to save the sightseeing until they could enjoy it together.
She didn't mind the time alone, though. Lounging in the sun with a good book, she was perfectly content. She even remembered to bring her portable radio and had it tuned in to one of the local popular stations. They were currently playing "I Do" by 98 Degrees-the song which Agnes decided would undoubtedly be her wedding song someday. Smiling to herself, she returned to her book, savoring the peaceful morning. The beach was not too crowded, being that it was still early.
The serenity didn't last long, however, as a shadow soon fell across Agnes where she sat. She squinted up and saw it was Paddy. She groaned inwardly. Not again.
He bowed politely and greeted her with a smile.
"Good morning, madam. We meet again."
"Hi" she muttered back and then proceeded to ignore him, hoping he'd get the hint and leave.
"You like 98 Degrees?" he asked, trying to start a civil conversation.
But of course he didn't know how to take a hint, Agnes thought bitterly. He was so dense and unbelievably annoying.
"Yes, I like 98 Degrees" she answered back sweetly. "They're not an immature group with cheesy lyrics."
Paddy seemed genuinely hurt by the insult.
"Ouch. I come here to apologize for last night."
"Forget about it. Last night was an accident."
"I know… but I did sort a gloat when I saw I had stained your dress."
Agnes's eyes narrowed.
"And you're admitting something like that?"
"Yep" he replied casually.
"You're twisted."
"I know." He smiled goofily and then pointed to her book. "Whatcha reading?"
"Uh… it's called a book" she told him condescendingly. "Intellectual stimulation for the brain. You should try it sometime."
"I'm interested in stimulating activities of another kind" he said, winking at her.
Shocked at his crude response, Agnes snorted in disgust.
"Relax. It was a joke."
"A tasteless one."
"Just trying to crack that stone cold face of yours into a smile."
Agnes glared at his insult, but was quick to retaliate with one of her own. "I only smile at those worthy of it."
"Hmmm… Now who's being arrogant?" He pulled off his shirt and sat down beside her, waiting for a response, but Agnes just ignored him, burying her head back into her book.
"So where's this mystery boyfriend of yours?" he asked after a moment. "He hasn't surfaced since you got here. I'm beginning to think he doesn't exist at all."
That sure caught Agnes's attention. She snapped her head up and let out a sinister laugh.
"Are you demented?"
Paddy shrugged casually. 
"Maite thinks I am, but nobody is truly as psycho as she is." He thought he saw a faint flicker of a smile appear at the corner of Agnes's mouth. "But seriously though, I'm just calling it like I see it. Since you like 98 Degrees so much, I guess you're dating the Invisible Man."
"Ha ha. Paddy Kelly is so witty" she said dramatically. "It's called a job" she shot back. "The rest of this world has to actually work for their hard-earned money."
"Oh, so you're saying what I do isn't real work?"
"Jumping around on stage and shaking your ass for teenage girls?? Hardly."
"For your information, we work just as hard-if not harder-than anyone else in this world. We deserve every last penny we make."
"And I can see you've been spending it wisely."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She pointed distastefully to the silver chain around his neck.
"Oh Paddy" she imitated in her mock teenybopper voice. "You look so sexy with that chain on your chest."
"You don't like my chain?"
"It's the gaudiest looking thing I've ever seen. You look like Mr. K. We're not in the 80's anymore kid. Time to get with the program."
Kid. There she went again, talking down to him like a child.
"It's my initials-M-P-K" he told her patiently.
"Really? I thought it stood for Mean, Pesky Kid. "
"It's a magic chain that protects myself from all those girls" he joked.
"Must suck to be you" she replied bitterly. "To be adored by so many people like that. Too bad you're such a phony" she added under her breath.
"Excuse me? A phony? You don't even know me!"
Agnes shrugged and responded with one of his previous lines.
"I'm just calling it like I see it. You have a huge ego and you think you think you're God's greatest gift to women."
"But I am" he said, outstretching his hands and feigning an arrogant pose.
Agnes had to laugh in disgust.
"Maybe to 10 year olds you are, but I don't see how that will do you any good. You'll get thrown in jail if you go anywhere near them. Wouldn't that be a sight? I can just see the headlines now…" She smiled devilishly at the thought.
Paddy scowled at her. He was through being Mr. Nice Guy. She was walking all over him and he was stupidly letting her.
"I don't see how you feel you have the right to pass judgment on my love life when yours is just as sad. How often have you seen your boyfriend since you've been here? How often has he taken you out? I'll bet he's one of those big shot corporate business men who have no time for a relationship. He probably just brought you along on this trip as his little plaything. He has his fun with you in the sack a few hours each night and then you become totally nonexistent the rest of the time. Am I right?"
Agnes was stunned by his accusation and fell silent as the severity of his words sunk in.
"How dare you?" she hissed infuriated, her blue eyes piercing his.
It wasn't his accusation that really bothered her, but instead the fact that the accusation was almost true. How could this arrogant, immature boy see right through her? Was she really that transparent? Were her relationship problems obvious to the whole world? She felt like vomiting.
Paddy could tell immediately he had hit a soft spot for he had never seen her so enraged before. Big deal. He wasn't going to feel guilty because he was just as angry. She had called him a phony and he had only retaliated in self-defense.
"How dare you, too" he said in disgust, grabbing his things and standing up. "Now we're even."
"This isn't a game!" she called after him, once she found her voice again.
He wheeled around, regarding her with distaste.
"You're right. It's not. The game is over. I quit."
Agnes sprang out of her chair and hurried to catch up with him.
"You can't just walk away after insulting me like that!"
"Why not? You insulted me, first! You had the nerve to call me a phony!"
"Well, you are!"
"And you're exactly what I said you were the first day we met-a spoiled, self-centered snotty little bitch! I've swallowed my pride and apologized not once but twice to you for my mistakes, but you're too high above me to apologize back! There's only so much abuse I can handle. I'm through trying to reach out to you and be your friend because you're the most insensitive cold-hearted girl I've ever met. Spend the week alone for all I care. I'm outta here."
"I never said I wanted or needed a friend in the first place! You just assumed I would fall at your feet and worship the ground you walk on! Well, you don't impress me. The sooner your bruised ego can learn to accept that, the better off you'll be!"
"Fine!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
"Fine!"

Paddy was certainly not going to let her have the last word this time.
"Now I think I understand why your boyfriend wants nothing to do with you, because if I were him, I'd feel the same way." He flashed her a malicious smile and then turned and hurried away up the beach.
Agnes stood there numbly, staring after him as angry tears of frustration burned in her eyes. She would never let a jerk like him make her cry, but he had broached a sensitive subject-one that she had been battling herself over for many weeks now-and she couldn't stop the cascade of tears once they started. Good thing her sunglasses hid her eyes, because she would rather die than give him the satisfaction of knowing she was crying while he was only a few kilometers away, hitting on a group of bimbos and totally invincible to the verbal war he had just previously engaged in.

The morning dragged on into the afternoon and Agnes remained alone, her book her only companion. Every now and then, she would sneak a few surreptitious glances, hidden behind the guise of her book, over to where Paddy had joined the group of girls.
She had watched in disgust as they eagerly handed Paddy their tanning oil and then lay down, each waiting impatiently to experience the Midas touch of his hands. He obligingly rubbed the oil across each one of their backs, leaning over and whispering in their ears, making them laugh. Their high pitched squeals carried across the beach, serenading Agnes with the reminder that Paddy had won the battle once again. Even though she, herself, despised his attitude and arrogance, she reluctantly admitted that she was in the minority of the rest of the world's female population.
After the sickening oil rub scene, they had pulled Paddy to his feet and pranced down to the water with him, where they engaged in an even more sickening game of chicken. That was when Agnes decided she had seen enough. She buried her face in her book and never looked up again-until she became aware of a small crowd which had gathered around her. Looking up, she saw that she was surrounded by the rest of Paddy's posse. She had been too engrossed in her own self-pity that she hadn't even been aware that Paddy had ventured out solo this morning.
Maite greeted her amiably.
"Hey Agnes. What's going on?"
"Not much. Just pretending to get a tan. How bout you guys?"
"We went parasailing this morning" Jimmy told her. "It was awesome. You should try it before you leave."
Agnes looked up at him and smiled warmly, trying to make amends for blowing him off yesterday.
"Thanks. Maybe I will."
Jimmy smiled back, surprised at her pleasant demeanor.
"Have you seen Paddy around?" Johnny asked her casually. "We've been looking all over for that kid."
Agnes frowned and pointed down the beach in disgust.
"Try the group of bimbos over there. You can't miss him."
"Why am I not surprised?" Joey cracked.
The rest of the guys chuckled, expressed their thanks to Agnes and headed on down the beach to find Paddy.
"Uh, Jimmy?" she called tentatively after him. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Jimmy turned in surprise and regarded her curiously.
"Sure. What's up?"
"Not much… I… just wanted to apologize for yesterday… You were nice enough to invite me to hang with you guys but I completely blew you off… I shouldn't have taken my frustrations with Paddy out on you. So… I'm sorry."
"Hey. Don't even mention it". He waved a hand dismissively and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "So Paddy really gets under your skin, huh?"
Agnes shrugged wearily.
"I don't know what's happened. We started off on the wrong foot and things have really snowballed since then. We just had another nasty argument earlier this morning." Her face darkened as she remembered the hateful words that had been exchanged between them.
"What happened?"
"I'd rather not go into it." Her face brightened as she smiled at him again. "So I'm sorry about yesterday. I just wanted to tell you that."
He held out his hand and she shook it amiably.
"Alright then. Apology accepted. I'm gonna go catch up with the guys. But listen-if you ever get sick of the solo thing, give us a call. There's plenty to do around here and it's definitely better if you have people to do it with, OK?"
Agnes nodded shyly, touched by his generous offer.
"Thanks Jimmy. I'll definitely keep it in mind."
"Great. See you later then." He returned her smile and waved before jogging down the beach to meet up with his brothers.
Agnes's conscience healed slightly after her amends with Jimmy, yet for some strange reason, she felt guilty about her harsh attitude towards Paddy. Maybe she had been a little too cold and maybe he was right in a way. He had apologized twice to her and even if Agnes had her doubts about the sincerity behind them, they were still apologies nonetheless. Maybe he deserved the same from her as well…

"Guys!!! You're back and you're just in time!!" Paddy greeted his brothers with a broad smile. "Sit down. Join us. This is Vicki, Michelle and Amanda." He pointed to each girl in succession who responded with seductive smiles.
"Well hello ladies" Joey said as he quickly took a seat beside them. "How you all doing today? Got any special plans for tonight?"
"You seem a little too cheerful" Jimmy said warily to Paddy, remembering what Agnes had just told him about their fight. He dragged him away out of earshot. "What's going on?"
Paddy stretched out his arms and sighed happily.
"I'm stress-free, worry-free and bet-free! And it feels gggrrrrrreat!!!"
"What do you mean 'bet-free'?" Maite asked suspiciously.
"I quit" he said simply.
"Huh?" Johnny looked at him blankly.
"I'll give you your money tonight, don't worry. Now, if you don't mind, my ladies are waiting." He winked at his brothers and started to walk off, but Johnny stopped him.
"You can't quit. You're two days into the bet. No backing out now."
Paddy laughed in disbelief.
"But I said I'll give you the money!"
"Was the fight really that bad?" Jimmy asked in awe.
"How do you know about that?"
"Agnes told me." He smiled secretly as Paddy's eyes narrowed jealously.
"I don't wanna talk about it" he muttered as he walked away.
"That's exactly what she said."
Paddy turned around angrily.
"You wanna know what happened? I'll tell you what happened! I've apologized numerous times to her for my temper, and my behavior, etc, but she's too damn proud and self-righteous to ever apologize back!"
"She apologized to me" Jimmy bragged in a sing-song voice.
"What for?"
"It's too complicated to get into."
"So you're finally admitting you're not good enough to win over this girl?" Maite interrupted.
"No!" Paddy cried defensively, still grasping tightly to his pride. "I just can't be bothered anymore."
Johnny clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"By quitting, you're proving us right, Pad. Sure you'll be able to live with that?"
"I'm not proving you right. I'm just not proving you wrong. There's a difference."
"Is there?" Maite and Johnny exchanged a skeptical look.
"But look what I have here" he bragged proudly. "Three girls for tonight. That should make up for it, no?"
"Nope" Maite said, enjoying getting the better of his brother. "None of these girls were part of the bet, nor will breaking any of your previous dating records impress us, either. Until you win over that beautiful but lonely girl up there on the beach, you ain't nothing special."
Paddy frowned as he looked past Maite to where Agnes was sitting, still lost in her book. Guilty reminders of their fight nagged at the back of his mind. He knew he had been a little too harsh, but once again, she had worn his patience thin and he had let his temper get the better of him.
"I think I dug myself in too deep a hole to ever get out this time" he admitted quietly.
The guys fell silent, shocked at his admittance.
"What did you do?" Johnny asked.
"She just got me so mad that I... exploded and said some pretty harsh things to her."
Jimmy covered his eyes, shaking his head in defeat.
"What did I warn you about that?" he groaned.
"I know… I know… and I'm sorry."
"Don't tell me. You have to tell her."
"I don't think I can… I'd rather just cut all ties with her because at the rate we're going, we'll kill each other before this week is over."
"No doubt" Maite cracked. "So is this it? Are you sure you're quitting? Cause once you do, there's no going back."
"You don't have to quit, Pad" Jimmy told him confidently. "She is reachable. She just proved that to me."
"You're not supposed to get involved, remember?" Johnny punched him in the shoulder.
"You just want your 500 bucks" Jimmy laughed, rubbing his bruised shoulder.
Paddy turned to Jimmy questioningly.
"Yesterday you said she was out of my league and that I didn't have a chance in hell. What made you change your mind?"
"I don't know… it just seems like there's more to her than she lets on… She may front this belligerent attitude only as a cover-up for something… deeper maybe."
"Like?"
"I don't know! Talk to her! Maybe she'll open up to you! Maybe you can even help her somehow!"
Paddy fell silent as he took a long look at Agnes, carefully weighing his options. Finally, he decided it was worth one last shot.
"Fine. I'll do it" he said reluctantly.
"You're a dead man, Jimmy" Maite threatened and then she and Johnny lunged at him, chasing him all the way down to the water.

When Agnes returned to the hotel from the beach, the clerk at the front desk passed along a message to her from Scott. He was detained at work and didn't expect to return until sometime later that night.
Agnes had a feeling last night's outing together had been a rare occurrence and even though she knew better than to get her hopes up, she was still disappointed when she received the message.
"Thank you sir" she mumbled to the clerk and then sluggishly made her way upstairs, wondering how she was going to spend the evening.
For a brief second, she considered taking Jimmy up on his offer and giving the guys a call, but then quickly reprimanded herself for her moment of weakness. She was not a charity case and certainly didn't want to be treated like one. She would have a quiet dinner in the dining room downstairs and then possibly take a walk around town, depending on her mood. Even a half-hearted plan was better than no plan at all.
After a short nap, she showered and dried her hair, half-expecting the phone to ring so Scott could tell her to wait for him because he'd be coming home early after all.
She stood in front of the closet for over a half hour, debating what to wear. Remembering the dining room had a strict dress code, she settled on her gray skirt and a black tank top.
She frowned at her reflection in the mirror. With her pale and totally un-tanned skin, she looked like walking death. She needed to add some color to this ghastly picture, so she ditched her black tank top for a light pink one instead. She added her diamond earrings. After fastening her sandals, she regarded her reflection once again, pleased with the improvement a little color had made.
"All dressed up and no place to go" she muttered to herself as she grabbed her bag and left the room.
The waiter had greeted her in the doorway of the dining room.
"Good evening Madame. How many?"
"One please" she responded confidently, trying to keep her head held high.
"Certainly." After a brief look of pity, he picked up a menu and motioned for her to follow him inside.
Agnes tried to remain dignified, but once she saw the inquisitive glances of the other diners, her self-esteem plummeted and she prayed he would seat her somewhere in the far corner of the room.

Meanwhile…
"And then he said he felt too pressured and couldn't handle such a commitment and that he wanted to see other girls. At first I was heartbroken because he was the love of my life, you know, but after a while I began to…"
Paddy didn't know how much more he could take. All through dinner, he had sat patiently, listening to Vicki babble on and on about her ex. He had tried to distract her with compliments and flattery, but she always returned back to her long tirade. He should have chosen Amanda for dinner and saved Vicki for the club later on where she probably wouldn't have been able to do much talking.
Vicki was still a cute girl, though, despite her badly highlighted hair and imperfect nose job, and she looked hot in a bikini, so she wasn't a bad choice for a date. However, based on his past success, he could have fared much better. Hopefully, he'd have better luck with Amanda and Michelle later on that night.
Paddy glanced at his watch. It was 7:30. He had a half hour to get rid of Vicki and meet Amanda at the club.
Across the crowded room, he spotted the waiter leading Agnes to a small table in the corner. He watched as he pulled out the chair for her and placed only one menu on the table. She appeared to be eating alone.
Once again, he was taunted by guilty reminders of how he had cruelly exploited her loneliness. Remembering Jimmy's advice, he reached over the table and patted Vicki's hand, interrupting her chatter.
"I'll be right back. There's something I have to take care of. Why don't you order dessert for us?"
Before she had the chance to protest, he sprang out of his chair and hurried across the room.

The question was: Will Paddy come to Agnes's table?
Answer: 90% for 'Yes' and 10% for 'No'

{ PART 4 }