First, I'm sorry for the long delay. My life has been pretty hectic over the past few weeks and writing has taken a back seat. I'll try to get the next installment out quicker this time. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who have e-mailed me about my story. You all make the work seem worthwhile. Special thanks go to luckylou; author of Boy meets BSB. It's a great story, be sure to check it out. It's going to be a long one (no pun intended) with many parts. The story will start slow, but it will be worth the wait. If you have any comments, questions, or ideas, feel free to e-mail me at trekker391@aol.com or bstreetboy4evr@hotmail.com. Unfortunately, the story is totally fiction. I'm not trying to make any implications as to the sexual orientations of any members of the Backstreet Boys, but if it were true, I wouldn't mind them giving me their numbers. Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the BSB-N'Sync Awards.
Now for the legal mumbo jumbo. This story is intended to be read by those of legal age. If you aren't, you shouldn't be here...not that that is gonna change anything. After all, your parents should have net nanny or what ever the hell it's called. So enjoy and as a final note, if Brian or Nick are reading, I'm available. Okay, on with the story.
Collision Course with the BSB #3
The guys got into their limo and sped away. They were all talking about how much fun they had. Nick just sat there wondering whether Rob could possibly feel the same way that he did. No, it wasn't possible. When he caught me looking at him, it looked like shock and confusion. Rob has to be straight. What am I doing? I should have learned my lesson with Mark. It could have ruined my career. Hell, it could have ruined all of our careers.
"Hello, earth to Nick...come in Nick!" Brian shouted as he slowly came around.
"Huh, wha, what do you want Bri?"
"Where have you been?"
"Bri, what are you talking about? I've been with you guys all afternoon."
"No Nick, you haven't!"
Kevin began worrying about Nick. "Yeah Nick, Brian's right. We don't know how to handle this. You've been a basket case since Mark and all...what's the deal? Remember that we're here for you. We don't like you keeping secrets!"
"Don't worry DAD, I'm fine. I'm just tired. But thanks for the concern." Nick batted his eyelashes and smiled sweetly at Kevin. "I didn't know you cared!"
"Wise ass! And if I didn't keep an eye on you, I'd end up having to bail you out of jail. Your practical jokes are going to get you thrown in jail or killed!"
"I don't know Kev," Howie added, "the last time he put brown dye in with that laundry detergent, I almost killed him. He ruined my best Tommy outfit."
"Oh, like you didn't get me back!" Nick just stared at Howie in mock annoyance. He remembered the shock he got when he walked out of the shower a few weeks ago and found that he had gone from blond to bright red. It was one of the only times that Nick's rule as prank master had been questioned. "I would never mess with your hair!"
Howie stared in disbelief at what Nick just said. "Oh...whoops," Nick remembered, "that time didn't count!" Nick was referring to when he put baby powder in Howie's hats. For about two weeks, he succeeded in convincing Howie that he had dandruff. Now that was funny.
"Nick, you can't fool me. You've been with us...but you haven't been with us. It started after we hit Rob and his sister. Ever since that you've been very distant. But whenever you've been around Rob you seem to perk up. I don't understand you..." Brian suddenly understood what was going on. He looked Nick in the eyes and saw the sorrow that Nick was feeling. Nick saw the understanding in Brian's eyes and looked down at the floor.
"I'm just tired Brian. I haven't gotten much sleep since Mark." Nick hoped that would shut Brian up. He didn't want Brian to talk about this in front of the guys. Nick mouthed the words later to Brian. He didn't want to bring up being attracted to someone else in front of Kevin. Otherwise Kevin would go into "parent" mode again.
Brian nodded gently to Nick. The ride back to the hotel was quiet. They were all disappointed that they weren't staying at their places, but because of their schedule, management felt it would be better if they stayed together in a hotel. The guys were convinced that it was just an excuse for management to keep them on a short leash.
The limo pulled into the underground parking garage and the guys got out. They piled into the elevator and Kevin put his key card into the panel on the wall to get up to the VIP floor. The elevator stopped on the eleventh floor and the guys all got out and headed to their rooms.
"Okay guys," Kevin once again took charge, "wake-up calls will be set for 8AM and breakfast is in my room at 8:30. We've got a lot to do, so be there on time. Night guys."
"NIGHT DAD!" Everyone said in unison. They laughed and went into their rooms. Nick shut the door and jumped on his bed. He was dead. He didn't know what to do or how to feel. All he could think of was the way Rob kept looking at him. Nick looked over at the nightstand and saw that the message light was blinking. He picked up the phone and called the front desk.
"Hi, is there a message for room 1104?"
"Yes Mr. Carter, you received a call from a Mr. Aaron Carter at 9:30PM. He wanted you to return his call." The women replied.
Mr. Aaron Carter? Nick could barely contain his laughter. Aaron...a Mr.? "Thank you!"
"You're welcome sir. Is there anything else I can help you with this evening?
"No thank you. Goodnight"
"Goodnight sir."
<<Knock, Knock, Knock>>
Nick walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. He opened the door and let Brian in. "Hey Brian."
Brian walked in and sat down on Nick's bed. He patted the place next to where he sat. "Don't `hey Brian' me...what's the scoop? What's up with you and Rob? I hope you aren't falling for him. You know what they say about people who are on the rebound."
"Gee Brian, thanks for the understanding." Nick now felt depressed. He remembered how much fun he used to have with Mark. "I don't know Brian. I feel weird around him. I get that feeling in my stomach...you know what I mean?"
"Yeah...well...I don't want to get your hopes up. God, what am I doing? I mean, I shouldn't even be telling you this." Brian looked around the room for something, anything to keep from looking at Nick.
"WHAT? What shouldn't you be telling me?" Nick looked at Brian. He still refused to look at Nick. Nick got up and walked infront of Brian. He got down on his knees and stared straight into Brian's deep blue eyes. Nick felt a shudder pass through his body. He had never really looked into Brian's eyes before. They were unbelievably blue. He felt as if they were drilling straight through to his soul. He gently shook his head to clear his thoughts. What was he doing? He couldn't think of Brian in this way. Brian was like an older brother to Nick. "Come on Brian, I know you know something. Spill it!"
"Well, maybe if you didn't spend most of the night staring down at the floor, you would have noticed how Rob couldn't keep his eyes off of you. I mean, he tried to hide it...but it was sooo obvious." Brian laughed when he remembered how Rob tried to hide his interest. "He was practically undressing you at the table. Then again, you weren't playing coy either. It was obvious that you were attracted to him too."
"Ha...I knew I caught him staring at me on the limo trip. I thought I was imagining it." Nick thought to himself, could Rob really be gay? Could he really feel the same way about me as I do about him? "Brian, I really like Rob. What do you think I should do?"
"Nothing!" Brian practically jumped. "Don't do a thing! If Kevin sees you trying anything with Rob, he WILL KILL YOU! Especially with what happened between you and Mark."
"Come on Brian...Mark was a mistake. I thought he liked me for who I was but he only liked me for what I do. Besides, nothing happened with Mark. Luckily, I got out of that one before it got out of control."
"What do you mean `before it got out of control'? He threatened to blow your cover! That would have destroyed the entire group. If Kevin didn't get you out of that, it would have gotten really ugly."
Nick sighed, he knew Brian was right but he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Brian...I'm miserable. I need someone to be with. I need someone who I can talk to. Besides, with what happened today, Rob and Jes could have spoken to the press but they didn't."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. The press would have had a field day with that one." Brian scratched his chin deep in thought. "Alright, I'll see what I can do to help you out...but don't do anything stupid. I know how you tend to jump in with both feet before you even check to see if there's a bottom."
"Thanks Bri, you're the greatest. I don't know what I would do with out you." Nick jumped and gave Brian a deep brotherly hug. Once again, Nick felt himself want to hold on to the hug for as long as he could. He could never tell Brian, but he had had a crush on Brian from the moment they had both met.
Brian broke the hug and grinned at Nick. "Is that a microphone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
"You perv...why is your mind always in the gutter." Nick couldn't help but laugh at Brian. He always knew exactly how to break the tension in a room. "Besides Brian, I didn't think you were interested in my microphone?"
"Okay...you win. Too much information!" Brian pretended to bow to Nick. "I'm not worthy. You are a sicker man than I!"
"Well, as long as you know when you are out matched." Nick laughed and smiled at Brian. "Thanks for the help bro, I don't know what I'd do with out you."
"No prob Frack, you know I'd do anything for you! I'll see what I can do to get you and Rob alone for a while. But remember, If your mission is compromised, I will disavow any knowledge of your identification. Even though Kev and I are cousins, don't think for one minute that he wouldn't kill me. If he knew what we were planning, he'd make our lives hell."
"Okay Bri, I know you're trying your best. I really do appreciate it. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Nick, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." Brian opened the door and walked out into the hallway of the hotel. Nick's door closed, and he heard the door to Brian's room opening and closing.
Nick couldn't help but laugh. Brian had always loved saying that to him. Once Nick had said that to Aaron when he was younger, but Aaron's reaction was totally different. He couldn't sleep for a week! He went screaming to his mother. He was so upset, she actually called an exterminator to ease his mind.
Nick's mind was swimming again as he thought about everything that had happened that day. He slowly replayed the events of diner in his head. He couldn't get Rob's face from his mind. He slowly drifted off into one of the deepest sleeps that he has ever known. For the time being, he was truly at peace.
Meanwhile, back in my room, I was talking with Jes reliving the events of the day. "So Jes, what do you think of A.J.?"
"He's amazing! I've never met anyone like him. He is so sweet and polite. He really knows how to treat a woman right. And God, is he romantic. I really am starting to fall for him."
"That sounds great Jes." I was staring at Jes, she truly seemed like she had fallen in love. "I'm so happy for you."
"Well, what about you and the handsome Mr. Carter?" She looked at me with a sly grin on her face.
"What are you talking about?" I was shocked.
"Oh come on. Drop the act. It was so obvious that you both liked each other. It was actually rather cute..."
"Whoa...Back the truck up! What are you talking about `that we both like each other'?" I seemed totally stunned. "You mean...you think that he liked me too?"
"Ha...I knew it. You do like him!" She just laughed at me as I cringed. She got me. I knew she was tricky, but not that devious. "Of course he liked you. Did you see the way he acted around you? He would try and glance at you every once and a while when he thought no one was looking. Sort of the way you tried to do the same thing. You guys were trying to be so careful not to get caught that you were actually incredibly obvious."
I couldn't believe it. I was on cloud nine. What did that mean. What should I do. "Jes, what do you think I should do? I really like him. Hell, he is the most perfect guy I've ever met!"
"I don't know Rob. But be careful. You don't know if the other guys know about him. You don't want to cause any problems." Jes grinned at me and said, "You might have finally met the guy you've been looking for. Hell, we've both finally met the guys we've been looking for. I don't know about you, but I'm getting up tomorrow and going straight to the closest mall. I want to look my best for the A.J."
"That sounds like a great idea. Jes...I don't know what I would have done without you. Now I don't know about you, but I'm running on empty. I've got to get some sleep. Besides...we've got to be up early to get out to the mall."
"Did I say you can come with? Nope...I don't think so. I just said I was going." Again she grinned at me. "Now, I could be bribed into letting my little brother accompany me to the mall. All I'm asking is for one small fav..."
"YES JES, you can drive the Benz!!" I knew that was what she was after. She gave me the biggest grin that I can ever remember seeing and jumped on me.
"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!! I can't wait, I love that car!" She was still jumping up and down. "You do realize that if you didn't let me drive it, I was going to have to kill you!"
"Thanks Jes...I can see how much family really means to you!"
"Nothing personal bro...but it's a Benz convertible!" She still seemed so happy. "Well, I'm heading to bed." She walked over to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Rob, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"
"Goodnight sis, just do me a favor...lay off the bed bugs thing. It gives me bad memories!" I cringed as I thought about when I was 7 and my father had told me about the bed bugs. I laughed at him and said that there was no such thing. Well, apparently, she heard this and vowed to make me believe in bed bugs. One night before I went to bed, she had put ants under my covers. It scared me so much that I couldn't sleep in my room for over a month!
"You still haven't forgotten about that stupid bed bug prank?" She laughed at me and rubbed my head. "Poor baby..0.I'm sorry. You know it was just a friendly brother-sister prank, right? Well, I won't mention it any more. Just go to bed and get some sleep. We've got a lot of money to spend and a lot of things to buy." She had that glint in her eye. I knew it well. She was a woman on a mission. "That mall doesn't stand a chance."
"Oh boy, you've got that crazed look in your eye. Maybe this isn't such a good Idea after all. Just remember, If we're taking the Benz, we can't buy that much. It doesn't have that big of a trunk."
"I hadn't thought of that one. Whoops...well, we'll see tomorrow. Goodnight Rob."
"Goodnight Jes."
She walked out of the room and closed the door. I got undressed and ready for bed. I turned on the TV to see if there was anything good on before going to bed. I was just about to jump into bed when I remembered that bed bug prank again. I quickly pulled back the covers just to make sure. I got into bed and slowly thought about what had happened that day. I couldn't stop thinking about Nick, not that I wanted to. The world around me slowly went black and I drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.
<<Ring, Ring, Ring>>
Nick tried to grab for the phone but he only succeeded in knocking it of the night table. He picked up the phone and slowly put it against his ear. "Hello."
"Good morning Mr. Carter, the time is now 8AM and this is your wake up call."
"Thank you"
"You're welcome sir."
Nick slowly got himself up and out of bed. He hopped in the shower and got ready to face the day. He couldn't wait until he saw Rob later before the show. He got dressed and decided to head down to Kevin's room for breakfast. He knocked on Kevin's door and Kevin opened it a few seconds later. Kevin just stared at him in disbelief and looked at his watch. Kevin closed the door on Nick and opened it a few seconds later. Kevin was holding a butter knife like it was a weapon. "Who are you and what have you done with our Nick?" Kevin laughed and looked at his watch again. "Nick, you know it only 8:25. What's the matter, not feeling well or something. You're never early."
"Come on Kevin, give a guy a break already. I've had a lot on my mind recently."
"Yeah, we've all noticed that." Howie shouted from inside Kevin's room. "What's up with that Nick?"
Kevin opened the door and Nick saw all of the other guys sitting around the coffee table. "Morning guys, what's up?"
"Morning Nick, but you didn't answer my question. We've been talking about this for the past 10 minutes. What's up with you?" Howie wasn't about to let this go.
"Come on D, just leave me alone until I've had my first coffee. I can't deal with this right now."
"Alright, we'll give you a few minutes, but WE ARE going to talk about this." Kevin frowned at Nick and said, "You know how we feel about keeping secrets from each other."
Nick walked over to the room service cart set up in the corner and poured himself a cup of coffee. He grabbed a plate of fruit and some eggs. He sat down on the couch next to Brian. He took a long sip of coffee to try and clear his head. Before he knew it, his first coffee was already finished. He got up and got himself another cup. He thought to himself, `God...this is going to be a long day!'
"Okay Nick," Kevin rubbed his hands together, "what's up? You've been acting strange the last few days. What's bothering you?"
"Well, this is difficult for me to talk about. I know we've all been through a lot, but it's still tough. How can I say this..."
"You like Rob, don't you?" Leave it to Howie to be the diplomatic one. "Don't worry Nick, we all could tell. We know you've been upset after the whole Mark incident. Rob seems really nice and he also seemed interested in you. Just be careful."
He looked around the room at the guys in absolute shock. "How did you guys know?"
"It was so obvious. You guys were jumping whenever either of you spoke. Whenever you thought the other wasn't looking, you were staring at each other. I thought your eyes were going to fall out of the sockets." A.J. was laughing as he tried to imitate the way Nick looked while staring at Rob.
"Yeah, you guys were sooo cute." Howie was making kissing faces. "Isn't young love great!"
"Funny D, really funny. You guys are all just so funny today. Maybe you should forget about singing and go into comedy." Nick was getting annoyed. He was worried about how they would react and now they were making fun of him.
"Calm down Frack, they're all just kidding with you. We just want to make sure that you don't get hurt like you did with Mark." Brian rubbed Nick's shoulder. "Don't worry, were just trying to look out for our little bro."
"I know Brian, I'm just worried about how I should handle this whole thing with Rob. I would like to get to know him better, but what if he's not like me? What if he's just a fan."
"Don't worry Nick, I'm getting really close with Jessica. If you want, I'll try to drop a few hints here in there." A.J. smiled and looked around the room at the other guys. He sensed that they were all becoming just a little worried. "Don't worry guys, I'll be subtle."
"Yeah sure A.J.," Kevin wasn't convinced, "I don't think you know the meaning of the word."
"A.J., what would you say to her? I don't want you to scare Rob off. I just want to get to know him a little better." Nick looked hopefully at A.J. "I'd appreciate it if you could break the ice a little. I want to talk to him, but I'm so nervous when I'm around him. I feel like I'm back in school again and getting ready to ask someone out"
"Okay, now that we've got that question answered, what's on todays agenda?" Howie glanced over at Kevin for the answer.
"Well, first we've got to go to the mall to do an autograph thing at the music store. We're supposed to be there by 10AM. Then we are free until 2PM. We've got an interview with Billboard magazine planned. It's for that new book they're working on. We're meeting Rob and Jessica for diner at 4PM then we've got the sound checks and the concert." Kevin looked around the room to see if there were any questions. "Maybe we can all head out after the show if we're not too tired."
"After the autograph thing, do you think we could get in a little bit of shopping?" Nick looked at Kevin hopefully.
"Sure, I don't see why not. We have a little bit of free time after the signing. Looking to buy something for someone in particular?" Kevin laughed at Nick again. "Just be careful. There are going to be a lot of fans out for blood."
"Don't worry Kev, I can take care of myself. Besides, the fans in Orlando are usually good about letting us have at least a little bit of privacy."
"Okay, now that we have that settled, lets get ready to go. Lets meet at the elevator in ten minutes." Kevin got up and pushed the room service cart out into the hallway.
They all got up and went to their rooms to get ready. Ten minutes later, Nick was the first one waiting by the elevator. Kevin walked over and again was totally floored by the fact that Nick was on time. "Nick? Is that really you?"
"Come on Kev, it was funny the first time." Nick laughed at Kevin.
"Alright Nick, it is just so strange to see you ready early." Kevin was about to start laughing again when he saw Howie's door open. Howie walked over to Kevin and gave him and Nick a nudge on the shoulder.
"Hey guys, what's shaking?" Howie looked at Kevin who seemed thoroughly confused. "What's the matter Kev, you look sick or something?"
"I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone or something. First Nick is ready early and then you're ready too. Both of you are usually the last ones to be ready. This is turning into a really strange week. I don't know how many more surprises I can handle."
The rest of the guys slowly met up by the elevator. They made their way down to the parking garage and they got into the waiting limo. They sped off towards the mall.
Meanwhile, back at my hotel room, Jessica and I had just finished eating breakfast and we were getting ready to leave to begin our morning of shopping. We wanted to get some new clothing for tonight and I also wanted to pick up a small present for Nick. We walked out of the room and I reluctantly handed the valet claim check for the Benz to Jes. We walked out of the hotel and she handed the paper to the valet guy. He ran off with the key and drove up a minute later. Jes tipped the guy five bucks and jumped behind the wheel. She turned the music up loud, dropped the top, and slammed on the accelerator. We were off on our way to the mall. I have to say that the ride to the mall was probably scarier than any ride in Disney. Thank God for side airbags.
We arrived at the mall and found our way to the valet parking stand. We pulled up and loved all of the attention that our rental car got. The parking attendant walked over to the car and opened Jes's door. He muttered `YES' under his breath and got into the car. It was obvious that we had made his day. Jes took the claim ticket and we walked into the mall. We were just walking around trying to find a cool clothing store. As we walked, we saw people moving very quickly in the direction that we were walking.
"Sis, what do you think is going on. Everybody seems like they are in a hurry."
"I don't know. Whatever it is, maybe it'll be fun. Lets go check it out." With that, we ran off in the direction of all the commotion. It seemed to be coming from a rather large music store. We pushed our way inside and saw what was causing all of the excitement. Sitting around a large table were none other than Kevin, A.J., Howie, Brian, and Nick. I immediately got a huge grin on my face. I could do nothing but smile stupidly and stare at Nick. All of a sudden, Nick looked up and spotted Jes and myself. He also got a huge smile on his face. He waved at us, and tapped Brian on the shoulder. They spoke for a second and Brian waved over one of the security guards. Brian spoke to him for a second then the guard started to walk over to us.
"Hi guys, the Backstreet Boys would like me to escort you up to their table. If you would please follow me."
Jes and I looked back and forth at each other and started to get really excited. We followed the security guard and slowly made our way through the throng of people. We were getting glares of envy and hatred from all the people who were patiently waiting for their autograph. When we finally made our way to the guys, Jes hugged A.J. and I shook all of their hands. I must have been imagining it, but I thought I felt something more when I shook Nick's hand.
"Hey guys, we just keep meeting like this. What brings you two to the mall?" Kevin seemed happy to get a break from the screaming fans.
"Not much, we just wanted to buy a new outfit for the show tonight. This is your home turf, can you recommend a good store?"
"Rob...you want to know if we can recommend a good store?" A.J. laughed and got a crazed look in his eyes. "My good man, you certainly came to the right person."
"Why don't you guys wait around for another half an hour or so." Nick looked around at the guys and then he stared at me for a second. "We should be done soon, then we wanted to go out and hit the mall too."
"Sure...that would be great!" Okay, I'd better calm down here. I was getting too excited. "That is if you guys don't mind."
"Oh really...what if I mind? Sure, who am I? I'm just your flesh and blood. Don't worry about what I want to do." Jes was able to play the guilt thing up very well. Unfortunately, she wasn't half as good as mom was.
"Thanks Jes," A.J. muttered out while looking questioningly at Jes, "I thought you might want to spend some time with me."
"Don't worry about it A.J.," I joked, "Jes is just trying to perfect her guilt trip on me. She thinks she's good at it but she is no where near as good as our mom is."
"So, is that a yes?" Nick seemed to get excited. I got excited just seeing him get excited.
"Yes Nick...we'd love to join you guys shopping after your finished here." I tried maintain my cool while I talked to him, but I was rapidly loosing it.
"Alright guys, you can take a seat up here with us but if we don't get back to signing autographs soon, we're gonna have a full scale mob on our hands." We both looked at each other again and realized that Kevin wasn't kidding so we got out of their way as quickly as we could. We were each given a chair next to where the guys were sitting. As they kept signing autographs, I kept catching Nick looking at me. Then again, I almost never looked away from him.
The manager of the music store walked to the front of the crowd and tried to get everyone to be quiet. "We'd love to have the guys from the Backstreet Boys here all day, but they've got to get ready for tonights show. We'd like to thank them for coming here today and taking the time from their busy schedules to sign autographs for everyone."
Kevin and the rest of the guys all stood up. "Thanks guys!" Kevin said, "Without the fans our work wouldn't mean much."
Then Nick waved at everyone. "We love all of you!" While he said that he gave a few glances in my direction.
Brian waved at everyone and said in a strong southern drawl, "God bless, y'all!"
Howie and A.J. screamed out at the group of fans, "PEACE!"
We were all ushered out of the store as the fans screamed out around us. We were lead to one of the malls back security entrances where we were allowed to relax while we waited for the crowd to calm down. Kevin called the limo driver and instructed him to drive around the front of the mall and then leave the parking lot. He was hoping that he might be able to fool the fans into thinking that the guys had left the mall.
Kevin passed out bags to everyone. They started taking out hats and sunglasses. Nick pushed his hair back and put the black Tommy hat on backwards. He then put on a pair of black Oakley sunglasses. Nick was wearing a pair of blue jeans and an olive green v-neck shirt. He looked so hot!
We decided that we should all split up. We figured if we walked around in a large group, we would attract a lot more attention. We also figured that it would be easier to escape if we were in smaller groups. Immediately, A.J. and Jes paired off. Kevin and Howie wanted to go and check out a few things on their own so that left Brian, Nick, and myself. We agreed to meet back at 1:30 at the service entrance so that gave us an hour and a half to search around.
We decided to hit a few clothing shops first. I tried on a few different things until I found something that Nick seemed to like on me. Then Nick started trying different things on. Personally, I thought he looked amazing in anything he tried on, but what the hell. I enjoyed watching him try on clothing. Brian didn't seem to like much in that store so he just watched us. We both ended up buying three outfits. I paid for mine first. My damages came to $840. Then Nick paid for his. His total came to $910. He pulled out his credit card and handed it to the woman who was handling the sale. She looked at the card and then looked up at Nick. She dropped the card and looked like she was about to faint. Nick saw the way she was acting and he began to get nervous. "Please don't scream. If you're quiet my friend and I will give you our autographs." She just nodded her head and Nick and Brian gave her a few autographs. We ran out of that store as quickly as we could.
"If you guys don't mind, I want to stop into Foot Locker quick." Brian asked as Nick got a dreamy look in his face. "Oh no, Nick is going into sneaker mode. Everyone take cover."
"Shut up Brian." Nick blushed, "I'm not that bad, I just want to pick up one or two pairs of sneakers."
I looked at Nick and Brian with my confusion clearly showing. "Inside joke?"
Brian looked at me and laughed. "Yeah, something like that. Nick has a slight impulse control problem when it comes to sneakers. He buys almost any pair that he sees."
"Brian...I do not!" Nick looked a little embarrassed.
"Nick, how many pairs of sneakers do you have?" Brian knew he had Nick where he wanted him.
Nick looked embarrassed as he slowly tried to give Brian an answer. "Uh, about 30, I guess. Well, maybe 35."
Now was my turn to act surprised. "YOU OWN 30 PAIRS OF SNEAKERS! HOW MANY CAN YOU WEAR AT A TIME!"
"Well, actually, my last count was somewhere around 50 pairs." Brian was REALLY enjoying this.
Nick just threw his hands up in desperation. "30 pairs...50 pairs...whatever! I know what I like! And I need sneakers...give me sneakers!" It looked like he was a `49er who was just struck by gold rush fever.
"All right Nick, just remember what your shrink told you about what buying sneakers really meant." God he was good. He knew exactly how to push Nick's buttons. They really were the best of friends.
We all laughed at that one, even Nick. It was a blast going around with these guys. I hadn't known them for long, but they tried to include me in everything. Even Nick was getting more comfortable being himself around me. We were becoming friends. We made our way to the Foot Locker and went in. Nick looked like the proverbial kid in a candy store. Within 5 minutes, he already had 5 pairs that he had to buy.
Brian grabbed Nick and led him toward the cashier. "Come on Nick, don't do anything stupid." Brian laughed, "You don't want to make a fool out of yourself in front of Rob!" Nick seemed really disturbed by Brian's comment. He glared at Brian and Brian actually looked sorry.
That caught my attention. I decided to push my luck a little. I wanted to see if Jes had been imagining things or whether Nick really was interested in more than just being friends. Okay her goes. "Don't worry Nick, I'll still love you!" I tried to put on the goofiest grin that I could manage. If Nick didn't respond the way I had hoped I could try to play it off as a joke.
Nick froze in his tracks. He glanced at me and I could see something in his eyes, but I wasn't sure what. Nick started to look uncomfortable and I think Brian noticed this because he started to crack up when he saw the grin that I had plastered on my face.
"Isn't that sweet," Brian laughed, "young love in bloom!" This time it was my time to be caught of guard. That was the last thing that I expected Brian to say. I wasn't sure how I should've reacted. I looked at Nick and I saw him flash that look of pure rage at Brian. This kept getting more interesting.
"So Nick, are you going to buy those sneakers or just stand around holding them." A.J. startled all of us. Brian, Nick, and I all spun around to look at A.J. Unfortunately, Nick wasn't as graceful as we were. He turned around a little quicker than he should have and dropped the boxes he was holding. The tops all went flying and the sneakers feel all over the floor.
"Butterfingers!" A.J. couldn't help himself. We all cracked up as Nick was getting angrier by the second. Nick bent down to pick up the sneakers and put them back in the boxes. I bent down to try and give him a hand. He looked me in the eyes and told me thank you.
A.J. made his way next to Brian and quietly said, "Brian, I gotta have a word with you."
Brian and A.J. walked over to a quiet corner of the store so they could talk in private. "Guess what?" A.J. asked.
"What, I don't know. You wanted to talk to me, remember?"
"Well, guess who has certain feelings for an annoying blond that we all know and love?"
"No way A.J.," Brian couldn't believe it, "you've gotta be kidding me. What did Jes say? No, on second thought, what did you say to her?"
"Well, it's a long story. All I know is that I really like Jes. She is all I've ever wanted. She told me a lot about Rob, and I think Nick and him would work. We've got to get both of them together alone."
"A.J., I can actually see the hamster going around on that wheel thing in your head. You've already got a plan, don't you?"
"Well, sort of. I just want to get them alone together for a while so that they can talk."
"Come on, spill it. What are you going to do?"
"Well, I invited Jes to come with us for the interview. Because we have the small limo, Jes is riding with us and I'm gonna shove Nick in the Benz with Rob. That'll get things moving in the right direction."
"You clear this with Kevin?" Brian seemed worried. A.J.'s plan had promise, but there was one problem. Kevin hated surprises.
"Yeah, don't hassle it. Kevin agreed after we explained it to him."
"Okay, let's put this plan into action." Brian hoped it would work. He hated seeing Nick unhappy. "We better get back before they get suspicious."
Jes was looking at Nick's selection. He seemed to appreciate her sense of fashion. She convinced him to put one of the boxes back, and then she told him to buy two others. "Gee Jes, you're really helping us with Nick's addiction to sneakers!"
"Yeah, well A.J., just mind your own business." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm just giving him the benefit of a woman's opinion."
A.J. couldn't help himself. When he saw Jes stick out her tongue, he practically jumped her. They were joined at the lips for almost a full minute. When they finally broke apart, we were all staring at them. Jes and A.J. turned three shades of red.
"Well aren't we getting awfully friendly?" I couldn't resist. "Jessica and A.J. sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes A.J..."
"SHUT-UP!" Both of them shouted out at the same time. Nick and Brian cracked up and were almost on the ground laughing.
"Well, we better start back. We've got to meet Kevin and Howie in ten minutes." Brian finally spoke up. "Nick, pay for the sneaks then we are gonna get out of here."
Nick paid for his purchase quickly. The guy behind the counter didn't even recognize Nick. We left the store and we headed back toward the service entrance. Kevin and Howie were already there waiting. Behind them, we could see their limo and our Benz. "How did our car get over here?" I was a little surprised.
"Oh, Jes gave us the keys so we could have it brought around." Kevin explained, "We don't want anybody to give you guys any trouble walking to your car."
"Why would anybody bother me and Jes? Nobody knows us."
"It's not you and Jes that I'm worried about, it's you and Nick."
"What are you talking about Kevin?" I didn't know what was going on but I wanted to find out.
"Well, the limo can only fit six. Jes wants to ride with A.J. so Nick is riding with you in the Benz. Is that all right with you?"
I was speechless...and it showed. I looked around at everyone, except Nick. I was shocked. "Uh...sure. I don't see why not." I wanted to shout out `YES...OF COURSE I WANT HIM TO RIDE WITH ME!' but I thought that might be going a little overboard. "That is if Nick doesn't mind riding with me."
Nick looked at me for a second then he looked at Brian. Brian just nodded. "Sure, no prob. Lets go."
We loaded all the bags into the limo and I walked around to the driver's door. Just as I opened the door, I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder. I turned around to see Jes grinning at me. "Now's your chance."
She had me totally confused. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I talked with A.J." Jes looked towards Nick. He was talking with A.J. She leaned in close and whispered into my ear "He likes you."
To Be Continued...
Sorry, sorry, and sorry. How many times can I say it. I'll try to get the next installment finished quickly. But...on a positive note, Rob and Nick will be getting a lot closer real soon. How close you ask? Well...I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. I don't have a problem with that, but I guess it's bad business to kill all of my readers. Remember, I REALLY LIKE GETTING E-MAIL! SO START TYPING. The more e-mail I get, the more encouragement I have to write quicker. I need you guys to remind me to write faster. Sorry for the lack of sex. It'll get better, I promise :-)