Oreos for Breakfast: Chapter 38

Oreos For Breakfast: Chapter 38
By the Paperbag Princess and Pumpkin Coach

The band started the encore, and the noise startled me out of my thoughts.

What had… Did I…

Yeah.

I smiled, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. Had I really told Nick I loved him in a backstage bathroom? That was fucking romantic.

Maybe it was. It was the perfect setting for a couple of rock stars.

But I could make it better back at the hotel. I at least had candles and things back there. I didn’t have any lingerie, though. I had not been expecting this.

Had I shaved my legs today?

I was really unprepared. But my body sang at the thought of touching him again, and I figured he’d live with the stubble. He’d looked pretty dazzled when I pushed him out the door a minute ago. He might not notice.

It was probably okay that I didn’t have any lingerie. I didn’t feel like I’d be keeping it on for long if I did.

I slipped out of the bathroom, looking around the empty dressing room. Should I wait here for him? The nice lady from the venue had gotten me a cab. Or was supposed to. Where was she?

She suddenly appeared with Howie. “Oh, Ms. Connor, I’m sorry. Is your car not here? Let me check on that.”

“Thought you were leaving,” Howie teased, coming over to me as the woman said something into her walkie talkie.

“I… needed a ride.”

Howie considered me for a second, and then smiled. “Nick not driving you back?”

“I… don’t know,” I admitted, and he laughed at my confused tone.

“Really? Because you were fine ten minutes ago and now you look lovestruck.”

“Oh, I was lovestruck ten minutes ago. I just had to hide it then.”

Howie grinned, pulling me into a hug. “Glad to have you back in the family.”

I hugged him hard. I liked being part of the Backstreet family. I was going to have to tell my band. Jeremy was going to tease me for the rest of my life.

Katie and Colleen were going to be over the moon, though.

“Ms. Connor, your car is right outside.”

Howie let me go, and we exchanged a look, a quick conversation. “Yeah,” I said. “Give me one more minute.”

“No problem. They’re happy to wait.”

“I need to go,” I told Howie, and he nodded.

“Probably best. There are about to be a million fans back here.”

“Are you staying? Because he’s going-“

“To freak out when you’re gone,” he finished for me, and we both laughed.

“Tell him to call me. My cell’s the same. And I’m staying at the Bonaventure, he can just… does he need to go to Vegas tonight?”

“I think he’d rather be with you. Anna and I will figure it out. Get out of here before the world sees you.”

“You’re going to tell everyone, aren’t you?” I asked, heading for the door.

“Of course,” he said, and I noticed his phone in his hand already. “Brian and I were just talking about you two this afternoon.”

Howie could tell AJ. That was easier.

Usually I was really into the encore, and didn’t want to leave the stage. Tonight I couldn’t wait to leave. I kept glancing towards the wings, looking for Rachel, but she wasn’t there. Probably waiting for me backstage. That was okay. I’d spend ten minutes talking to the fans and then we’d…

Go somewhere. Did she say she was staying at the Bonaventure? Whatever. The band could go on to Vegas without me. Or Rachel could come with… no. I needed to be alone with her. Maybe in eight or ten or twelve hours I’d be able to deal with the rest of my life. Right now all I could see was her.

Anna kept laughing at me, turning away from the audience. She knew why I was so happy.

Finally, it was over and I nearly ran off stage, just like I had a few minutes ago, but everything was different now. I was the first one to the dressing room, but I only saw some of our crew and Howie. Was she still in the bathroom? Had our kiss been so good that she couldn’t move?

I’d still be in the bathroom with her if I could. I headed over there, but Howie cut me off. “Great show,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, but I wasn’t looking at him.

“If you’re looking for Rachel, she just left.”

She left? She ran away already? But… she started it!

Howie laughed at me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “She said you should call her. She’s staying at the Bonaventure. It’s okay, Nick. She just didn’t want all the fans to see her.”

I wanted everyone to see. I wanted to tell the world that Rachel still loved me.

But… yeah. I didn’t want to tell the world yet. It was bad enough that it happened in the middle of a show. Tonight, we’d talk, we’d figure things out.

But I needed to be with her.

“Thanks. Where’s my phone?” I called out. Someone always held it for me during the show.

“You have an adoring public to greet, superstar,” Anna said, standing next to me.

“Not tonight.”

She gave me a level look. “Rachel has waited six months. She can wait another few minutes. Where is she?”

Howie told her, as I looked around for someone to get me my phone. But everyone seemed to be ignoring me.

“Greet your fans, Nick,” Anna told me. “And take a shower. You smell.”

I started to say something, and then stopped myself. I probably should shower.

Anna snickered at me. “I’ll figure out when we need to be in Vegas tomorrow. Because I somehow think that Rachel’s not coming on the bus tonight.”

“No,” I said. “We need… privacy.”

She patted my cheek. “I’ll pack you a bag. Now, be nice to the fans. They love you too.”

We were halfway to the hotel before I remembered my phone. I’d told Nick to call, hadn’t I? Was he done now? Was he on the way to me? Should I have stayed?

No. If fans saw us together, we’d be all over the internet, and I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t sure how to explain this to myself yet, let alone the entire internet community of Backstreet fans. And Sudden Silence fans.

I definitely wasn’t ready to tell James about it, but I had three voicemails from him. He was such a worrywort.

“I’m fine,” I texted him. Texting was better. He’d keep me on the phone until I confessed all if I called him.

“Really?” he texted right back, like he was carrying his phone around, waiting for me to call. JC was probably thrilled by that.

“Yes. Really. See you Saturday at the airport.”

I had all of tomorrow with Nick before we had to leave for Japan. Maybe by then I’d be ready to explain things to James.

“Have lunch with us tomorrow.”

Damnit.

“Can’t.”

Yeah, that would work. I knew the answer before James hit ‘send’.

“Why not?”

“Will be in Vegas.”

I was sure of that. I was going to Vegas with Nick tomorrow. I’d figure out how to get back to LAX later.

How long did it take to get to Vegas from LA? Was it better to drive or fly? I should figure that out before Nick got back.

It took a minute for James to respond. Still, when my phone rang, it startled me.

Damnit. I should have known that texting wouldn’t work.

“Why are you going to Vegas? If you get married without me there- without your mom there? She’ll kill you!”

I laughed. “We’re not getting married, you dork. It’s been like three minutes since we got back together.”

“Then tomorrow will be like twenty-four hours. Weirder things have happened, Rachel.”

True. An hour ago, I hadn’t dreamed I’d be telling Nick that I loved him all over again. Who knew what might happen tomorrow?

“Nick has a show, James. It’s okay. I’m just going to Vegas because that’s where he needs to be.”

“What happened? I need to know everything.”

“I don’t know. Honestly. I went to his show and-“

“You’re a sucker for rock stars.”

“I really should have avoided the show,” I sighed, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window, not seeing the city as it whizzed by me.

“No,” James said, softly. “This is what was supposed to happen.”

I smiled at the phone. “Remind me of that in a few weeks or months when he’s driving me crazy again.”

“I will. So what happened?”

“I… I love him, James. And he loves me and it was all very… I wanted to leave before the fans descended backstage. So I’m on my way back to the hotel and waiting for him to call.”

“But-“

“James, how long did you have with JC this last time before you had to explain it? I’m not lying when I said it was just a few minutes ago. I need to talk with Nick and figure things out, and then we can analyze it to death on the flight to Japan, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, his tone amused. “You didn’t have to call me back.”

“Please, and have you show up at the hotel in an hour and interrupt the hot monkey sex?”

He laughed. “Tell him yet that you’ve been abstaining since New Year’s?”

“It did not come up in conversation over cocktails, no.”

That fact might make Nick a little crazy. It was certainly distracting me right now.

“Enjoy the hot monkey sex and Vegas. Want me to tell Lola so that she can get you back here to get to Japan?”

“No. If I need help with travel arrangements, I’ll call. Bye, James.”

“Bye, Rachel. Have a nice night!”

“Nick!” Anna yelled, and I turned back to the bus. I just wanted to get the hell outa here. Rachel had been gone for over an hour, and I thought I’d never be done signing autographs.

The fans got lots of good pictures tonight. I still couldn’t stop smiling.

But Anna had packed my bag, and printed out directions from Rachel’s hotel to the venue in Vegas. It was about four hours, and I didn’t need to be there until eight tomorrow. That was almost twenty-four hours before I had to think about work again. Maybe Rachel would come with me. I wasn’t sure when she had to leave for Japan.

Already, I was missing her. Maybe when my tour was over in a couple of days, I could fly out to Japan and be with her. We’d talk about that tonight.

After we had sex. Sex was definitely first on the agenda.

“You’ll need this,” Anna said, handing me the notebook that I used for all my Rachel letters.

Anna knew all my secrets.

“Maybe not right away… but you’ll want it.”

I dropped my bag, grabbing Anna and leaning her back before giving her a kiss. A real kiss. I didn’t care who saw it.

“This is probably my last chance to do that,” I said, smiling as she blinked up at me.

“Now the fans will blog about us tonight,” she said, as I swung her up to standing.

“That’s not why I did it.”

“I know,” she said, kissing me again.

“You’re not second best, Anna,” I whispered. “That would never be it.”

“I’m just not her.”

I just looked at her for a moment. No one else was Rachel. No one else ever would be. If Rachel didn’t exist, Anna and I would probably be really happy together.

But Rachel existed, and she wasn’t far away, and…

“Go,” Anna said, pressing the notebook into my hands.

“I love you,” I said, taking it.

“I know. And I’m planning on sending you all my therapy bills.”

I laughed, picking up my bag. “Did you pack all of my ugly clothes?”

“You say that like you have something other than fugly clothes.”

I snickered, starting towards my car, Anna following. “Hey, I dated Paris Hilton. She bought me lots of good stuff.”

“All of which I believe you threw away, remember?”

“Right.” I’d gotten tired of Paris dressing me up all the time. Nothing I ever did was right with her.

Rachel loved me in fugly clothes. She didn’t care what I wore.

I threw my bag in the car, and Anna took the notebook from me, unzipping my bag and slipping the notebook inside. “Otherwise tomorrow you won’t be able to find it.”

I shrugged. Anna knew me too well. I kissed her one more time for that, and she stepped away with a smile.

“Go. See you in Vegas tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there.”

“You’d better be. You gotta earn my paycheck.”

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