Oreos for Breakfast: Nick BSB Fiction

Oreos for Breakfast - Chapter 21

By
The Paperbag Princess & The Pumpkin Coach

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The bell boy let me into my room. "Where would you like your bag, sir?"

Bag? Oh… my backpack. I pointed at the bed as I fished for a few bucks in my wallet. "There's good."

He smiled at me as he took my money and then left. Suddenly I was alone. Ever since I'd left the hotel in Vancouver, I'd been surrounded by people, but now everything was eerily quiet. What the hell was I doing here? Was I just going to sit here and hope I could barge my way into her room to talk to her when she got back? Like James or any of the other guys would let that happen!

Even though the woman at the front desk wouldn't tell me what room she was in, she had said that the seventh floor had a nice view - especially from the corner suite. Of course, that room was occupied at the moment.

It had taken me a moment to process what she was telling me. So Rachel or one of the band must be in the corner suite. That'd make sense. The band wouldn't be demanding the penthouse or anything, but they'd be comped a nice suite since they were here all weekend. I'd seen dishes out in the hallway earlier; maybe I could figure out which room was hers…

Okay, I was freaking myself out now. Next I'd be planning a trip to the Point to go through her garbage! She had to talk to me before this got any worse!

But if they were in suites, I bet she and James were sharing. Unless she had someone with her…

No. I had to stay positive. Rachel wouldn't have hooked up with someone that quickly, would she? If she did, the fans hadn't figured it out yet. They were all convinced that she was sleeping with JC. Now, that was funny. It took all my willpower not to assume a fake ID on her message board and post that JC and James were together.

But I couldn't do that to James. Even if he was being an asshole and keeping me from Rachel. Hell, part of me couldn't really blame him. If the shoe was on the other foot, and he'd hurt her, I'd want to protect her, too.

What was it about this woman that inspired such blind devotion? Me, James, her family, the fans… hell, even reviewers couldn't bring themselves to diss her!

I called Anna again, and she answered immediately, like she was waiting for my call. That made me smile. Someone in my life wanted to talk to me.

"Superstar!"

I smiled at her cheery voice, "Oh, stop… did you complete your mission?"

"Should we talk in code?"

"You could, but I wouldn't be smart enough to figure it out, I'm sure. English is fine. Doubt they're bugging my phone. I restrained myself from going through the used room service platters outside her door."

"Gross, Nick! So, you're at the hotel?"

"Yep. They have the corner suite on the seventh floor according to the very helpful lady at the front desk."

"They told you? Wow."

"Well, not in so many words… but yeah. I think that's where they are. So…"

She took a deep breath, I think just to make me wait. Anna was like that. "I have to go on record to remind you that stalking is a crime, Nick."

"Tell that to the girls that buzz my house in the Keys, okay?"

She laughed, "Okay. Okay. But just… don't do anything stupid, Nick."

"Like what, babe? Fly to LA on a whim without telling anyone, thereby nullifying just about every contract and professional obligation I have?"

"Well… if you put it that way…"

We both laughed, and soon I had the location of Sudden Silence's video shoot, along with more information than I really needed to know. Matthew Rolston was directing, though; that was good. He'd done "Shape of My Heart," right? He was cool. He'd laughed at Brian and I when we got silly as filming went on until something like 2am. Back when Brian was fun and we were all excited about the new album. Shit, a lot had happened in our lives in a year.

Worst comes to worst, I could call Matt and get in that way, right?

I dumped everything out of my bag and onto the bed. Man, I was bad at packing. I didn't even have a toothbrush in here, did I? At least I'd remembered clean underwear and socks. That's usually the stuff I forgot when I was packing. I might need a toothbrush, huh?

"Front desk, how can I help you?"

They were so damned polite here. I was shocked they didn't greet me by name. "Umm… yeah, I'm in room 708 and just found out I forgot a toothbrush, can you send one up?"

"Certainly Mr. Carter, sir." Damn, they did know my name. That was sort of freaky. Did they always do that? Usually when I forgot something, I just told Frank or Marty and then it magically appeared in my room. "Anything else we can assist you with this afternoon? Is the room to your liking?"

Except for the fact that Rachel wasn't in it? I looked around. It was a room. Too much brown, as Rachel would say. "Yeah. Fine. Oh! I need to go out and meet a friend across town." At least I think it was… where the hell was Las Palmas Avenue? Had we ever filmed at video there? Hollywood Center Studios… didn't sound familiar, but what did I know? I just showed up places and tried to do what everyone told me. Maybe I should work on having more having more to do with running my own life, huh? "Can I get a car downstairs?" I asked quickly.

"Of course. Will you need a driver or can we assist you with maps?"

"A driver? That'd be cool." Yeah, I didn't trust myself to navigate in any city outside Tampa or Marathon. And Marathon was easy - there was only one road. Oh, and Rachel's town: turn, right out of her driveway and then left onto the access road, then another left onto the main road and the vineyard was down that street on the left. Would I get to go there again? "Can I get one for the day, maybe?"

"Whatever you require, Mr. Carter. I will have one standing by. When will you need to go out?"

"What? Oh… in a bit. Not sure." I might need to drink part of the mini-bar before I had the courage to face her. No, I needed to do this sober. If she yelled at me - which I knew she would - I had to be a man and face it. That'd be what Pops would be telling me, right?

Pops. I hadn't talked to my family this week. Well, Aaron the other day, but we didn't talk about Rachel. He didn't ask, and I didn't tell. It was better that way. I didn't plan on being broken up with her forever; best not to bring my family into it.

But my dad might have some helpful hints. After all, he'd managed to stay with Mom for all these years. Sometimes I thought that was a major feat! My mom was just a little driven and pretty demanding. I smiled as I remembered hearing her yelling at me on 9/11. And Dad had lived with that for 20-some years? Dude.

"We will have the car on standby, sir. Just stop by the concierge desk on your way out."

"Great. Umm… thanks!"

I fell back on the bed and took a deep breath. I could do this. I'd get in the car and the driver would take me to Rachel and… then what?

I was still thinking that twenty minutes later as I stared at the studio gate, biting my fingernail and avoiding the driver, who looked back at me about every thirty seconds. He was a young guy. A little older than me, probably. Shaggy blond hair… kinda looked like a surfer, but he'd cleaned up well. He was wearing a suit and tie, but he looked like the kind of guy that had tattoos underneath his starched white shirt.

"Mr. Carter, sir…"

"Nick. Call me Nick. Do you surf?"

"Nick," He smiled at me through the rearview mirror, and I leaned forward. I didn't like not being able to really see his face. "A little, yeah," he continued. I grew up here, it's required by law or something. So… are we going onto the lot? Do you have the stage number?"

"Ummm… yeah." I didn't know that. Anna had just told me the studio name. Open call for Sudden Silence fans. You had to call a special number and sign up. They took the first 100 fans or something. Of course, the number didn't work today, Anna had told me. But she'd gone online and found out the address of the studio. I didn't think they'd actually have security. When we'd filed the first video with Em, it was just running around and posing for the camera really. Now they had security and trailers and shit. Sudden Silence had hit the big time.

And I was missing it. Was Rachel in there somewhere, freaking out because they kept making her change? Was this a clothes fuck day? Or was she playing around with the boys, not caring what was going on around her? I could just see her pretty smile and hear her laugh. It made my heart beat a little faster.

I looked back to the gates and saw some girls talking the to the guard. One of them had what looked like a "wanton sex goddess" shirt on. They had to be going to the shoot, right? They flashed him a piece of paper and he let them in with a smile.

"Hey, can you go up and ask the guy at the gate where the video is being filmed today?"

The cab driver guy turned to me, "Mr. Car… Nick, can't you just call her? Your girlfriend is in the band, right? My girlfriend is dragging me to see them tomorrow. I've seen you in the magazines. Cute couple."

He was a fan? Great. "The magazines don't know we broke up yet." I sighed, resting my head on the back of the front seat. "And you should go. They're amazing live."

"Oh. Sorry, sir."

"Yeah, well… she won't talk to me, so I thought if I came down here she'd sort of have to. She won't return my calls and I call her like a million times a day. I was a real jerk and I know that…"

Why was I playing true confessions with the driver guy? What was his name anyway?

"I'm Sean," he said, as if reading my mind, and then held out his hand. I took it. He had a firm handshake, and he smiled when I squeezed his hand back. He was an okay guy. Just a normal guy with a normal girlfriend… I'd never be like him. Not in a million years. Rachel had been my shot at being a normal guy, and I'd fucked that up big time. "Girl troubles suck, no matter who you are or how famous you are. Believe me. Let me guess, this isn't something where if you go up with flowers and say you're sorry, she's gonna forgive you?"

I raised an eyebrow, and he laughed.

"Hardly. I was a jerk. Just one of the creeps like every other guy she's dated. We were supposed to see each other - we don't see a lot of each other because I'm touring and she's touring - and she couldn't come see me, and I got drunk and there was a girl…"

He held up his hand. "Say no more, man. I gotcha. More than flowers, then."

I smiled at him. Yeah. I needed something. I couldn't show up there empty handed, could I? I had birthday presents for her, but they were back on my bus in Canada. With Mandy, jewelry always worked, but Rachel wasn't a jewelry kind of girl. No… but then again, she'd really liked the earrings and necklace I'd given her when they'd topped TRL.

"Rodeo Drive?"

Sean smiled at me and started the car, "Say no more. Next stop… presents!"

I sat back in the seat as we drove off and then pulled my phone out of my pocket. Who would get me into where Rachel was filming? I could try to just walk up and say I was her boyfriend, but somehow I doubted that was going to work. A few months ago, maybe… but not now, not with The Firm in charge of things.

I couldn't call James; he'd already told me to fuck off. I wasn't getting any help from him. Maybe Saffron. Would she do that? Probably not. Sudden Silence was her first big account, and she probably wouldn't jeopardize that to help me out, even if we were one of The Firm's biggest clients. Connie? She was on our side. What the hell… was this a war now? Fuck. I was losing my grip on reality…

Did I even have Connie's number? I pulled out my schedule and flipped to the "important numbers" in the back. Nope. But I did have The Firm's LA number. I could call, and someone would get me Connie. Right. That wasn't smart. Then they'd ask who this was and either not believe me or call the fellas right away and say I'd left Canada without telling them.

I sighed and stared out the window again.

"Whatcha doing back there, Nick?"

"Trying to figure out how to get to her. I doubt I'm just driving through that gate, you know."

"Her manager?"

I shook my head, "Not gonna work. We have the same firm and… that's sticky. I'm supposed to be on tour."

"You're AWOL? Am I harboring a fugitive?"

I laughed at his mock-horrified expression, and he smiled back at me. "Something like that. You cool with that, dude?"

"Do I get to have an elaborate car chase later?"

"Doubtful."

"Damn!"

I giggled, staring at The Firm's number again. Wait… there was an intern there that really liked us, wasn't there? Yeah, she'd been on our account for a few weeks, and then something happened and she was pulled. Maybe she liked us too much. Maybe she'd tell me? What was her name again? Fuck, I was lousy with names.

"Hey, Shane!"

"It's Sean, dude…"

"Oh, sorry… Sean. Sean the cab driver guy!"

"It's not a cab, man."

"Yeah, whatever. Think if I just asked the security guy, he'd let us through?"

He shrugged, "Could try it. You're famous, right?"

Marginally. No one had recognized me yet - in the airport, at the hotel. Maybe Rachel was right and I did attract more attention with Frank walking by me. Hell, it was all I had. I'd go up to the guy at the gate and tell him that I was Nick Carter and my girlfriend was filming the video. Worth a shot.

We pulled up to Tiffany's, and Sean turned back to me, "I'll be here. That one there is really nice. At least that's what my girlfriend always tells me. I think she's got every piece of jewelry in the window memorized."

"Cool. I'll be quick."

"Your dime, Nick. Your dime."

Yep. And I'd need about a million of them to get her back. I felt my back pocket for my wallet. AmEx platinum, here we go!

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