Oreos
for Breakfast: Chapter Two
By The Paperbag Princess and The
Pumpkin Coach
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5
"Rache, we are not going to be able to get near him."
"Oh, James, chill out. I have his cell number, and someday he'll check the messages. And Bayley is on the case!" I grinned back at her, and she gave me a thumbs up, still on her phone, calling in favors at the hotel. "And, hell, if we can't get him, we'll go out to Doobie's and get trashed anyway, so it's not a wasted trip."
I wanted to see him, damnit. I'd just seen him a few hours ago, and I wanted to see his face when I thanked him for what he'd done for my band. Too many drinks and James and I had a bet that he wouldn't kiss Nick the next time we saw him, and somehow we were in the car on the way to Philadelphia.
He's a little boy with a crush, Rachel. Don't get sucked into this. He only likes you because you're not interested, it's all going to end in tears.
We pulled up to the hotel to a flurry of flashbulbs. I pounded the steering wheel. "Fuck!" We had to have just missed him. Or one of them, at least.
"Hand your keys to the nice man, Rachel." I looked back at Bayley, but handed the valet my keys. "Trust me."
We all piled out of the car and Bayley looked over at the gaggle of fans, who were buzzing with excitement. She caught the eye of one of them. "Nick?" The girl nodded, her eyes wide, and Bay took off, James and I following in her wake. She led us behind the hotel, and motioned across the street with a flourish. "Viola! Tour bus! Do you know which one is his?"
I did, especially as Frank came off of it, opening the luggage compartment next to the door. I grinned at Bayley and skipped across the street. "Hey, Frank."
He turned his head slowly, obviously expecting a fan, but his face softened when he saw me. "What are you doing here?"
"He's not answering his phone!"
He shook his head, grabbing the bag he was after and slamming the luggage compartment shut. He glanced around the street for stray fans, noticing Bayley and James and looking back at me. "Yours?"
"Mine. They're safe."
He nodded and knocked on the bus door. "He'll be out in a minute." He disappeared onto the bus and I looked over at Bayley and James.
"Is my hair a wreck?"
James laughed. "You are so crushed out, Rache."
"I am not!" I protested.
"You're safe, little man," Frank told me, and I nodded at him, gathering up the CDs I'd wanted. All I had in my room was the girl groups Rachel had made me buy, and I couldn't listen to them any longer. Every song made me wonder why she liked it, and when she first heard it, I needed something that would stop me from obsessing over the pretty girl who didn't want me.
Friends is good, friends is nice. We'd had a fun day together. I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, stepping off the bus.
There was a squeal as the door opened, and I sighed to myself. Frank was falling down on the job. A girl threw her arms around me and I couldn't believe it. What the hell…
Rachel? She was grinning up at me, as happy as I'd ever seen her or heard her or dreamed of her being. "What are you doing here?"
For a brief moment I thought she'd say she was taking me up on my offer to spend our night off together. But she was talking a mile a minute and I held out a hand to stop her. "Breathe, baby. Why are you here?"
"Because you saved my band! You didn't tell me you'd mentioned us at the L.A. press conference!"
What? When? Oh, right.
"We're getting play in L.A., and a bunch of the other major markets. We get a headlining tour and a video and a tour bus! And its because you made one little comment!"
She kissed me.
OK, it was a little kiss. I had to restrain myself from catching her back. She stepped away from me and took a deep breath, still glowing with excitement. "You weren't answering your phone, so James and I road tripped down to see you. Bayley helped us find your bus." She motioned across the street.
James is the tall blond she's always standing next to in the pictures and shares her hotel rooms. Bayley's the Philadelphia boyfriend. The boyfriends knew each other? I looked across the street and saw the blond I was expecting and an adorable woman with purple hair. She held out her hand to me. "I'm Bayley, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."
I shook her hand, looking back at Rachel. "Have you?" The Philadelphia friend is a girl!
"Yes, Rachel was…"
"Shut up, Bay," Rachel muttered, not looking at me. Is that a blush?
She could have left a message on my cell. She could have written me an email. Hell, she could have sent flowers. But here she was, tracking me down on the street in Philadelphia.
She likes me!
"Excuse me, Mr. Carter, but if I don't do this, I lose a bet." I looked up at James and he took my face in his hands, kissing me.
Now, why didn't Rachel kiss me like that?
He's not Rachel's boyfriend. He's gay.
Everyone around us was in hysterics as he finally let me go. I wiped off my mouth and looked at him. "That better have been a good bet."
"Why are the cute ones never my type?" He wailed to Rachel, and she shook her head, still giggling.
"Oh, for a picture of that."
"I could do it again," he offered, stepping towards me, and I backed away.
"Uh, no. What was the bet?" I asked her.
"Come get a cheesesteak with us and I'll tell you," she smiled at me, and I glanced back at Frank. "I'll buy Frank a cheesesteak, too, for letting me surprise you."
He shrugged. "They haven't all figured out that we're here yet. I think we're safe."
"Cool!" Man, I had to keep Rachel around. Frank always said yes to her.
Rachel looked over at Bayley. "Where are we going, Bay?"
Bayley looked at her like she was insane. "Pat's. Where else? Get the car."
"We won't all fit in the car," James interjected.
Frank stepped in. "Give me the address, we'll take a cab and meet you there. Better to split up anyway."
I looked over at Rachel and she had the same pout on her face that I must have had on mine.
She likes me!
Everyone else was making plans and I couldn't stop looking at her. She was fucking gorgeous, in a black sweater and jeans, her hair everywhere.
And she likes me!
Maybe it was only because I'd saved her band, but I didn't care. I'd take it.
Plans were made, and Frank was leading me back to the hotel. "Nick!" I looked over at my shoulder at her.
"What?"
"Don't change your clothes."
I stopped walking, turning around to see her. "Why?"
"Because you look great."
I thought I looked like hell, but whatever. Frank dragged me away as she started giggling again.
She likes me!
"Did you see his ass in those pants?" I giggled to Bayley, and she nodded at me.
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
"He's a great kisser," James offered.
I half screamed, leaning against the bus and covering my face with my hands. "I'm so crushed out."
James put his arm around me, kissing the side of my head. "He's crushed out right back, don't worry."
Taking a deep breath, I stood up straight. "Yes, and he's going to lose interest the second he gets me. Flirting is good."
James smiled at me. "But that ass!"
"Hey! You might have kissed him, but I saw him first!" We bickered as we walked back to get the car. Happily, it was still in front of the hotel. All the girls outside were just shaking with excitement, talking about how nice Nick had been.
Yeah, and I'm taking him out for a cheesesteak. King Boy Toy is mine for the evening. Backstreet blared out as I put the key in the ignition, and I turned it up, navigating my way through the city streets with Bayley calling directions in between singing along.
Top down, good tunes, a gorgeous night, on my way to meet up with the cutest of all the cute boys in my life. I didn't even need good news about my band to make this a nearly perfect evening.
We even found a parking spot near the cheesesteak place, and I looked around for a lost pop star and a bodyguard. Actually, Frank would blend with this crowd, rowdy locals willing to stand in line for a steak sandwich. It was open air, and I didn't see any free tables, even at 9 on a Monday night. "OK, we can eat in the car, but only if we are very very careful."
Bayley and James both rolled their eyes at me. "Whatever, Rache," James said, climbing out. "How many do you think my boyfriend will eat?"
"He's my boyfriend," I pouted.
"I meant the bodyguard. Definitely my type."
"Oh, was my gaydar correct?" I giggled, getting out of the car, as Bayley followed.
"What, you questioned it?" She asked. "Definitely!" We discussed Frank's sexuality in line, while I kept looking around for a cab. OK, we'd left before them. And I probably drove faster than most.
I let Bayley order for us. There was some secret language of cheesesteaks down here in South Philly, and I never understood it. We went back to the car with a bag of steaks and drinks and still no lost pop stars. "Do you think he ditched me?" I worried.
"He calls you every day, Rache. He's not gonna ditch you." James said dryly.
"Every day?" Bayley asked through a mouthful of cheesesteak. "Do tell."
"Not every day," I protested. "Maybe every other… Cab!"
I was way too happy to see it. I must get control of myself. But Nick got out, looking around for me, and I could just melt. He looked so good in that white sweater and baggy khaki pants. He smiled when he saw us, and headed towards the car, Frank following along behind, looking around.
Nothing. This was not a Backstreet crowd. He was attracting more attention for being with a bodyguard than he would if he'd just walked up to me.
"Where the hell are we?" He asked as he got close.
"You are in South Philly, pop star," Bayley answered, handing him a foil wrapped sandwich. "Now partake in the best junk food we have to offer."
He leaned on the car next to me, considering my sandwich. "You have been very bad for my diet today."
"Yeah, and I'm gonna get you drunk next. So have some grease to prepare yourself." Drunk Nick Carter. Oh, yeah. This was gonna be a good night.
He grinned at me, taking a bite of his sandwich and rolling his eyes in amazement. "This is fantastic."
I looked over at Frank, who'd already finished a sandwich, much to James and Bay's amusement. "Frank likes me because I feed him well."
"Frank likes you for many reasons, Rache."
She just smiled at me and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't even begin to tell her all the reasons I was crazy about her. "So, tell me what happened with EMI today. Tell me how I saved your band from destruction."
She rolled her eyes, but launched into the story. "You looked good in that Lakers jersey. I like spiky hair, you should do that more often. But you looked better telling the fucking world that we rock." She told me all about the meeting in between bites of her sandwich, constantly interrupted by James, who'd been there, and Bayley, who'd obviously heard this before.
I loved watching her with her friends. They made each other laugh, and she and James could just raise an eyebrow at one another and know what the other was talking about. Bayley was funny, she even made Frank laugh.
I never got to do stuff like this on the road. Hotel room, tour bus, venue. Sometimes a club with a groupie. But even when we did do stuff, it was organized, with the whole crew. I never got to see regular people, doing regular things.
There was a little girl, about nine, staring at me. Frank was listening to something Bayley was saying, and I gathered up my trash, throwing it away and going over to the little girl. "Hello."
She nodded up at me.
"What's your name?"
"Zoë."
"Hello, Zoë. I'm Nick."
She squealed and backed into her mother, who blinked at me. "She said you looked like Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys."
"That's because I am Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys."
"Shit!" Frank exclaimed, moving away from the car. "Drop my guard for one second, and look what happens."
I looked around, seeing Nick talking to a little girl. He was kneeling to be at her level, smiling at her as she stared up at him like he was a god.
He was a god. He was gorgeous, and young, and talented, and just fucking amazing.
Man, I am so crushed out. I want to hang his poster on my wall and kiss it every night before I fall asleep.
Bayley caught Frank before he could interrupt them. "Dude! She's like, nine. I think he'll be OK."
Nick pointed back at us, smiling at me, and we all waved at them.
Five years wasn't such a big deal. Damon was five years older than me, and I never considered it.
He signed an autograph for her and came back over to the car, laughing at Frank. "Look, Frank, I just talked to a fan. And I survived! She didn't try to kill me."
Frank glared at him. "This time."
Nick rolled his eyes, leaning on the car next to me again. "My new girlfriend Zoë says that I should see the Liberty Bell and walk through the heart at the Franklin Institute. Can we do that?"
Bayley giggled. "I can take you on the guided tour, sure. I'm afraid the Institute is closed, however."
"What is that?" He asked her.
"Science museum. It's got this heart that you can walk through. My nieces think it's the coolest thing ever. None of us will fit in it. However, we can go and ogle the Liberty Bell."
"There was supposed to be drinking!" James protested. "Rachel owes me a shot."
Nick looked at me. "A shot? I had to kiss a boy for a measly shot?"
I giggled at him. "For that visual, I'll buy him shots for life. I'll buy you shots, too, sweetie."
"You'd better!" Nick whined.
"James, it's only ten. There is much time for drinking, don't worry," Bayley started to tease him and Nick leaned closer to me, whispering.
"Why wasn't the bet for you to kiss me?"
I tried not to, looking into his bright blue eyes. "Because that's not a challenge."
"Dare ya."
She would have, but James distracted her. "Give me your keys."
She jumped, moving away from me. Damnit. "No!"
"I have to drive or we won't all fit. Three tall boys, two small girls. Girls have to be in the back."
She sighed. "I hate being little."
"Would you rather have the sea grass king here driving your precious car?"
I could feel myself blush as they all laughed at me. One fucking accident, I'd never live it down. "Does the whole world know about that?"
Bayley nodded at me. "Yes, dear. They do." She jumped into the car. "I call not in the middle!"
"Me too!" Rachel joined her, sitting behind James in the driver's seat.
I looked at them, then at Frank. "Don't even think it." He shrugged and got in the front seat. I could handle driving around the city with a cute girl on each side of me. I looked at Rachel. "How do I get in?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's a convertible, honey. Climb in."
I stepped up on the trunk, and dropped in between her and Bayley. Bay looked up at me, stunned. "Oh, baby, this is true love. Rachel is very protective of her car." It was a very cute car, a silver VW convertable. If I had to pick a car for Rachel, this is what I'd choose.
I smiled over at Rachel as James started the engine. "Yeah?"
She patted my knee. "Don't get any ideas. I'm not letting you drive her."
"Where are we going, Bay?" James asked from the front.
"Um… left. This, boys, is the Italian Market, the heart of South Philly." She started in, telling us the history of the city, and I half-listened. She was a good tour guide, it wasn't Bayley's fault. But I had my arms stretched out along the back of the seat, and Rachel was right next to me, and all I could think of was her. It was gorgeous night, and I was in a convertible with a pretty girl, and good music on the stereo. It didn't get better than this.
Alright, convertible, deserted street, Rachel's legs wrapped around my waist as we tried not to fall off the seat. That might be better.
Trying not to embarrass myself with my growing erection, I listened to the music. "You do not strike me as the Eminen type, Rache."
She groaned. "It's not! It's Dido, he sampled her. The only interesting thing that man has ever done is give her a career. James, start this track again, the pop star needs to broaden his musical horizons."
I laughed at her little rant. I did know this song, and the singer was cute. Bayley pointed out something else before Rachel could go on again about the evils of Eminen. She was singing along quietly, and I loved her voice in my ear like that. Headphones didn't quite match up. I turned to look at her and she was smiling at me.
and then you call me and it's not so bad
it's not so bad and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
She was singing. At me.
I suddenly understood why the fans screamed when I sang a line at them.
This was a great day. Just being with her, it was a great day. "Nick?" She asked.
I just nodded at her. Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, I begged, silently.
"EMI told us this afternoon that Jive agreed to have you, or maybe the band, do some promo stuff with us. Did they?"
I considered for about ten seconds. I would have remembered that. "Not that I know."
"Good. Please don't do it. Please."
She doesn't want me to do promo for them? Did I hear that right? "Why?"
"Because I don't want this to happen just because a Backstreet Boy likes us. I want this to happen because we're good." She stopped, putting her hand on my knee in earnest. "I can't thank you enough for what you've already done. It's great, it's amazing, I owe you big. But I don't want to wonder if it's you or us that's making this happen. If it happens."
"It'll happen." It had to. They were fucking amazing, and she was gorgeous. They could take over the world. They had everything they needed. "Promise. No promo."
She grinned. "Thank you."
That was the most bizarre promise of my life. I was used to everyone asking me to do something for them, and Rachel was asking me to say nothing.
"You know we're being followed," Frank said, and Rachel and Bayley both turned to look. I didn't care.
"Where?" Bayley asked.
"Two cars back, silver VW Golf. And its not like we're going somewhere common, is it? We're zig-zag-ing around the city."
I sighed. "Do we care? Is this important?"
I can't kiss Rachel, that's important. If I kiss her, and the fans see, it'll be all over the internet within hours.
"I'm just saying…" Frank started, and James laughed.
"Can I pull a Bond and try to outrun them?"
"Not in my car!" Rachel protested. "Frank, we'll live, won't we? Let the fans look. You're here, if they try anything weird, he's OK."
He turned around to look at me and I gave him my best pleading look. "Don't make me go to bed yet, Dad."
The others laughed, and Frank had to give in. Ha! We drove around, seeing the sights, getting out of the car a couple times to go into buildings or so Bayley could show us interesting bits of architecture or murals. It was the coolest city tour I'd ever had, and not just because Rachel was right next to me.
Finally, to James' great delight, we ended up at a bar. A dive bar where normal people drink. I'd been in clubs and swank hotel bars, but never a bar like this. Bayley walked in like she owned the place, calling hello to the bartender and taking a seat at the bar. Frank took a seat against the wall where he could see everything and made me sit next to him. Rachel stood next to me, glaring at James when he tried to claim that stool. He laughed at her and moved over next to Bayley.
Rachel took my hand, dragging me across the room. "They have a great fucking jukebox, help me pick. James, get us shots."
"Babe, you owe me!"
"Next round!"
I grinned at her. "If you kiss me now, will he have to buy you shots?"
She shook her head, smiling. "I told you already, that is no challenge." She reached into her pocket for money and I beat her to it, slamming a five into the machine.
"Go."
She punched some numbers in, still smiling up at me.
"You've been here before."
A song started and she swayed to the beat. "Last week, actually. We closed the place down after our show. Bayley lives three blocks over."
"She acts like she owns the place."
"Bayley rocks."
I smiled at her as she looked down at the song list. "She does rock. I'm hanging out with rockin' babes tonight."
She giggled, punching in another song. "I'll tell James you said so."
I laughed, looking over her shoulder. "What crap are you playing here?" The track currently playing was quiet and slow, not really bar material. I liked the way it made her move, though, she obviously knew the song, singing along softly and dancing slightly.
She looked up at me. "This is what happens when pop groups grow up. This is Duran Duran."
"It is not!" I protested. Duran Duran made cheesy pop songs in the 80s, not this dark mellow shit currently playing.
"It is!" she argued back. "It's off Big Thing, the best album you've never heard of. Here, I'll play the single, too."
We argued which songs to play, slapping one another's hands away, rejoining the others after much discussion. We didn't even sit to slam our shots, and I swayed slightly as it hit me. I sat down and Frank looked at me, glancing over to a table of girls in the corner. I shrugged at him. "So?"
"They're legal. And the older they get, the more likely they are to spread rumors. If you want the entire world to know about Rachel tomorrow, keep it up."
I took a drink of my beer, considering him, then looking over at Rachel, laughing with Bayley and James. I didn't care if the entire world knew I was with Rachel. But maybe she did. She already asked me not to do promo for them. A Backstreet Boy would ruin any artistic credibility they had, after all.
I sighed, finishing my beer. Should I stop drinking, the better to control myself around her?
Nah.
I leaned over to her. "What was that song that you just played?"
She smiled at me over her beer. "Palomino, by Duran Duran. This is by them, too, same album." She looked over at Bayley, singing loudly. "I don't want your love…"
Hey! Rachel and James and Bayley all started singing along and I wasn't sure if I felt just left out or annoyed that she was grinning at me that she didn't want my love. But they were too funny, and I had to laugh. "Do you all like Duran Duran?"
They exchanged a look, and Bayley answered first, looking at Rachel. "He's too young to understand the power of Duran. You have to ditch him."
Rachel put a protective arm around me. "No! He was good about chick rock this morning, I can instruct him in the ways of Duran. He's a willing pupil."
More homework? I tried not to whine.
"What, you never told him where that band name came from?" James asked, but I answered.
"I know that, it's from that song you do." I sang the line. "In a world full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence…" It was on the bootleg of their Pittsburgh show, that was the only reason I had figured out the lyrics. They did it too fast, I'd listened to it probably 50 times before I noticed the line.
They laughed at me and Rachel shook her head. "Lesson number one, then. That's a cover."
A cover? It sounded like one of their thrashing punk tunes. "Really?"
James and Rachel smiled at one another and she answered. "It's a Duran b-side."
"We kicked it up a few notches," James added. "The original is um… atmospheric." He said the last word in a slow British accent, which cracked Bayley up.
"Show him the tattoo, James," Rachel ordered, and James rolled up his sleeve, getting up to show me and Frank the tattoo on his right shoulder. It was a spiral, "In a world full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence…"
"We each have one," Rachel informed me as James sat back down.
"Where's yours?" I asked, wanting to see it. Was that the one on her stomach, the one around her bellybutton? Please let it be that one. I'd caught a few glimpses of it when she was performing. God it was sexy.
She flashed me a slow, sexy smile. "Maybe someday you'll get lucky and I'll show it to you."
Now I really wanted to see it. It must not be on her stomach. She'd have showed me that.
She winked at me and leaned across the bar to say something to Bayley. I just watched her for a moment, then caught James looking at me. Leaning back, I mouthed to him "Where's hers?" He glanced at her to make sure she wasn't paying attention, then, making his thumb and index finger into a circle, he held them right above the small of her back.
Damn. Could she get sexier? My mind raced, thinking about how it must look. So what was the one around her bellybutton?
James smirked at me and rejoined the girls' conversation. Shaking my hopeless thoughts of sex with Rachel out of my head, I tried to pay attention, too. We drank and talked about nothing for hours, finally closing down the bar. As we left, even Frank was walking a bit funny, but he was sober enough to shoo the fans away. "We're walking. You've had all night, go now."
"Dude, they didn't even get an autograph. Chill."
They smiled at me and I held out my hand for a pen, signing whatever they held in front of me. One of them glanced up at me. "Is that Rachel and James from Sudden Silence?"
Rachel beamed. "Why yes."
The fan smiled at her. "Can I get an autograph? I really like your CD."
Rachel skipped over to her, looking like a kid at Christmas. "Did you just buy it because Nick said it was good?"
"Well…" she started, and James laughed.
"Rache, like we can argue one unit? I'll take my 20 cents, thanks."
Rachel took the pen out of my hand and signed something for the girls, then Frank dragged us away. She and James danced on ahead, gleefully talking about random fans, and I started to turn down the street.
"Where are you going, pop star?" Bayley asked. She kept calling me that.
"Isn't the car down there?" Why did I think I knew that? I had no idea where I was.
"It is. But we're walking," she informed me.
"We can walk?" We never walked.
"One foot in front of the other, little man," Frank commanded, pushing me ahead. "Get some fresh air."
"Does fresh air count at 2 in the morning?" I wondered, and Frank shook his head.
"We're not in the goddamned hotel. Enjoy it."
I walked faster, to leave Frank and Bayley behind. I think he liked her. Frank needed a girlfriend to distract him from my life.
Rachel and James were talking excitedly about signing autographs and fans and what their tour bus would look like.
I half wanted to tell them that fans got boring, and tour buses could seem awfully small. But they were too happy.
Weird, I felt like the jaded old guy who had things to pass on to impressionable youth.
"Even so, we all have to share a bus. Not like the pop star here who has one all to himself." She bumped her hip into mine, making me stumble. I caught myself by draping an arm over her shoulders.
"It's not that exciting, Rache. Really. If I knew where the hell we were, I'd let you see it."
She smiled up at me. "It's about three blocks away. Right, Bayley?"
She stopped walking, letting Bayley and Frank catch up with us. "What's three blocks away?" Bayley asked her.
"His tour bus."
"More like 5. But we're taking the long way, through the park, Frank wants to see where the fans are."
"Can we walk through the park at night?" Rachel asked.
"Screw 'em if we can't. It's a nice night, do any of us have anywhere to be tomorrow?"
Rachel and James looked at one another and laughed. "Besides a 10 am meeting in New York, no," James offered.
"Fuck it, we're rock stars now, they expect us to be hung over," Rachel laughed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want this night to end. We started walking again, Bayley leading, and Rachel didn't move away from my side, letting me keep an arm around her. We all talked loudly about nothing, surely waking up all the neighbors, but who cared?
The park was shadowy and quiet, and I could just see our hotel across the street through the trees. How could I get Rachel in there with me? Is the hotel bar still open, can I invite them in for drinks and then get her alone and take her up to my room and ravish her?
She and Bayley and James were walking ahead of me, jumping on and off benches and talking about movies. "Did you see Moulin Rouge?" Bayley asked her, and Rachel squealed.
"Was Ewan MacGregor the cutest thing ever? I loved when he sang 'Your Song,' it just made me scream to hear him belt that out."
I could sing. If there was one thing I could do, it was sing. 'Your Song,' I knew that, Elton John, right? I stopped on top of a bench, trying to summon the song. 'And you can tell everybody...' Yeah, that was it. I hummed it to myself, remembering the tune in double time. 'It's a little bit funny this feeling inside/I'm not one of those who can easily hide' Now they were talking about 'Sound of Music,' should I try that? No, stick to the subject, Carter. 'I don't have much money but boy if I did/I'd buy a big house where we both could live/If I was a sculptor, but then again, no/Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show/I know it's not much but it's the best I can do', oh good words next, I took a deep breath and belted it out. Perhaps louder than I intended.
My gift is my song and
this one's for you
The world stopped.
It was like a scene of out of a movie, moonlight and trees and a gorgeous man singing to me.
His voice was crystal clear, hitting every note perfectly, and it carried across the park. God, he could sing. He was standing on the bench next to mine, grinning at me as he sang.
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
Bayley squealed as he jumped off the bench, heading straight towards me. I couldn't look at her; I couldn't look at anything but him. I loved the way he looked at me, his eyes sparkling as his lips spread into a cocky grin. Yeah, he knew he had me now.
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
He was standing next to me, gazing up at me as he sang, and I put my hands on his shoulders, stopping him. "That is the most ridiculously romantic thing I have ever seen."
And I kissed him. I was powerless to resist the sparkle in his eyes. He pulled me off the bench and into his arms and I melted into him. I didn't even realize that anyone else was near us. Jesus, he could kiss, taking my breath away as his tongue touched mine. I moved away to breathe, and finished the song for him, "Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen…"
God, they were. He looked so happy, like I'd just given him the best present ever. I started to kiss him again and Frank coughed loudly. "You might want to take this inside," he said, motioning over as I could see two figures moving towards our little group. Nick's singing must have summoned them.
I couldn't do this. What was I thinking? I couldn't get involved with another pop star, I had a bad record with pop stars. And this one. God, this one came with fans and bodyguards and international press.
"Let's go inside, then," Nick said softly, his mouth practically touching my ear, as he tried to lead me to the hotel. He saw the look in my eyes and his face fell.
It's over. Damnit, its over.
She sat down on the bench, still holding my hand. "Nick," Frank said, insistently.
"Damnit, Frank, can I have three minutes? Can't you handle them?" Do normal people get private lives? Does my fucking bodyguard have to stand here and watch me get rejected?
He considered me for a moment and then looked over at Rachel, who was staring away from us. But still holding my hand.
"Three minutes." He left us alone, heading for the figures moving towards us.
"Rachel?" James called from the darkness. "Should we go?"
"No," she answered, pulling me down on the bench next to her. "Give me a minute."
I could hear Frank talking to the fans in the distance, but other than that, silence. I couldn't say anything. I just wanted to scream 'why?' She'd kissed me, why did she stop, why did she look so upset now?
"Nick…" she started, turning to look at me. "I'm sorry. This is such a bad idea."
"Why?" I hoped that didn't sound as whiney as I thought it did.
"Because we could go into that hotel and have sex, and that might be fun…" her voice trailed off, and she pushed the hair out of my eyes. "You are so cute. Damn."
I held my breath. Maybe she'd change her mind.
She looked away from me, sighing. "Yeah, that might be fun. But we're friends, aren't we? Isn't that good?"
"I hear it's good to be friends first. Makes the rest of it more interesting."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Nick, I have a bad record with boys in bands. As tempting as you may be, I can't do this. It's too… it's too complicated. Two bands, two tours, too much publicity."
I could hear AJ in my head, "Women with lives of their own are strictly off limits."
"How about cheap meaningless sex?"
Laughing, she looked back at me. "Honey, after a night with me, there is no going back. Why do you think I leave a trail of broken hearts wherever I go?"
He laughed, that chuckle I liked so much, and I smiled at him. I hated that hurt look on his face. I laced my fingers through his, looking up at him again. "Besides, I like you too much for cheap meaningless sex. I have groupies for that."
Without warning, he kissed me again, and I was useless to resist as his tongue parted my lips and touched mine. I felt my heart stop, "I've never been a groupie before," he whispered, moving away from me.
I giggled at him. "And you're not starting with me. Besides, don't you already have a girlfriend?"
He looked guilty, and I laughed at him. "You're a lousy boyfriend."
"I…" he started, and I cut him off.
"No. We've both got people waiting for us, let's not discuss this into the ground, OK? My answer is thanks, but no."
He considered me for a moment. "I'm gonna change your mind."
"Is that a bet, little man?"
"If I win, you have to sleep with me," he grinned.
"What do I win? What are the terms of this bet? How long do I have to hold out?"
He mused. "End of the summer. If you have not slept with me by the end of the summer, you get… "
"I get your tour bus after your tour ends."
"Nick!" Frank yelled, and Nick rolled his eyes at me.
"Do normal people have private lives?"
Laughing, I stood up. "No. You have Frank, and I have James and Bayley. I bet anything Frank will not be asking you the questions they will ask me."
"Good point."
He stood up, looking down at me for a moment.
Why was I saying no to him again? Jesus, he was beautiful.
"Do we have a bet, Mr. Carter?"
He shrugged, flashing me that cocky grin. "Whatever. I am so gonna win."
"Yeah, you just keep thinking that."
"Nick, we need to go in," Frank said sternly, appearing behind us.
"What, are we being followed by two 16 year old girls? Oooh, scary!" Nick tossed back.
"I can't secure every angle of this park," Frank answered wearily, and Nick sighed.
"Boy in the bubble," I teased him.
He smiled down at me and my knees melted. "It's a really nice bubble sometimes."
I hugged him, leaning my head against his chest and breathing him in for a minute. I was doing the right thing, I didn't want to fuck up our friendship. But, damn, why was he so cute?
After a moment, I sighed, stepping away from him. Frank looked at me. "Are you coming in with us?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm going to go and be interrogated by my friends. Take him away."
"Let me say good-bye," Nick insisted, and we went over to find Bayley and James, who were sitting together on a bench, surely discussing my love life. He was sweet as hell to them, thanking Bayley about 40 times for the tour she'd given us of the city.
I was a sucker for polite boys. Finally Frank dragged him away, and he smiled back at me about 10 times before they were out of sight. I collapsed on the bench in between James and Bayley, and they both squealed at me.
"What the hell happened?"
"We're friends. Sex is a bad idea."
I thought James was going to laugh himself sick, and Bayley wasn't much better. I pouted at them until they got themselves under control.
"That is the first time I've ever heard you use that line, Rachel!" James finally managed to tell me.
"Well, it's true." And if I kept telling myself that, I might even believe it one day.
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