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Chapter Twenty-Three - March 18

The next morning, after breakfast, AJ pulled me aside. I'm pleased to announce that my plan had worked perfectly. I had banked on Ro's pregnancy hormones to kick in with that sappy 'forgive me' poem. I had been with Liv long enough that I could play to my advantage. I was a World Series of Hormones champ.

Needless to say, Nizzle and Jizzle were back on the right path. We even sat next to each other in the van to the arena and carried on a conversation. Kevin looked impressed. I felt triumphant; daddy Kevin hadn't been needed. Mature, logical Nick had fixed the problem. I almost felt like sticking my tongue out and going 'na, na, na, na, na, na.'

An hour later we were in full costume going through our dance steps. After performing last tour in the middle of summer outside in a hundred degree heat, I had pushed for our costumes to be a little lighter this time around. Last time we wore up to four layers of clothing, including that gray fleece hoodie. We might have looked cool, but you could have wrung all of our hoodies into a huge paint bucket and overfilled it every night. Backsteet sweat wasn't worth that much these days.

The hardest thing about starting a tour is getting back in the swing of things. This time around, it seemed even worse than before. Kevin hadn't been on stage with us in so long that I felt like I had a lot more bodies to dance around rather than just one extra.

Anya was standing off to the side watching us like hawks.

"Howie, you missed a step. Again."

"Did you forget to take your ginko balogna today?" I teased.

"It's ginko biloba," Howie called back. He wiped his sweaty face with the towel around his neck and gulped down a whole bottle of water.

We began again. Again Anya stopped us. This time is was Howie and me that forgot a step. Howie smirked my way.

"Hey, I have an excuse. I'm just some white dude from Florida. You're Latino. I thought Latino's were supposed to be natural dancers."

Howie gave me the finger. I was really getting under his skin.

"I'm half-Hispanic...so shove it."

We began again. I knew I was going to wake up the next morning with every muscle screaming. I noticed AJ wince a couple times. Kevin was sweating profusely but I knew he refused to complain. And of course Howie was still missing every fourth step. Only Brian was still bouncing around with any energy left. Speaking of Brian...

One of the songs on our new album is called Poison. It has this great rap by Lil' Wayne in the middle. It was probably my favorite song we had; however, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to make it through the concert without laughing. Brian goes all Christian-Eminem during the rap; he walks around like he should be hanging out on Eight Mile. I don't have the heart to tell him that he is the last person in the world that could pull off gangsta'. At one point, I even caught Leighanne hanging off to the left side of the stage. She was laughing so hard tears were running down her face.

"WORD!" Brian yelled at the end.

"To your brothah!" I said. I doubled over laughing.

"B to the izzle...S to the trizzle," AJ added. He cracked up.

"What?" Bri said.

"Dude you can't strut around stage thinking you're Jay-Z. You just need to keep doing your Michael W. Smith thing."

"Hey, I've got a bad side!"

Even Kevin looked at Brian like he was crazy. Bri shrugged.

"I was just trying to get in the flow, yo."

"Just don't flow so much," Kevin suggested.

"Or at all," I suggested.

Brian threw his sweat rag at me. I caught it and let it drip over the side of the stage.

"See, you don't even sweat like a gangsta," I teased.

Anya was pretty quiet during this whole conversaton. She finally ran up on stage and shook her head.

"It's a good thing the fans love you."

"And it's a good thing we can fake steps so well," AJ added.

"True. Hit the showers. We'll do the same thing before tomorrow's concert."

I groaned. Between today and tomorrow I was pretty sure I was going to need some alterations on my costumes. I was going to lose so much weight via sweating that I'd probably be able to find my six-pack again. Right now I was down to a three-pack.

"Want to hit the gym?" Kevin asked. I looked at him in surprise.

"What? When?"

"Now."

I shook my head. "No freakin' way."

Kev flexed. His bicep was the size of my head.

"You were doing well there for awhile," he said. "If you work out maybe you'll look as good as me when you're my age."

I snorted. "I look fine thank you."

Kevin just whistled and walked ahead of me. I bit my lip and ran a hand over my stomach. I was back to wearing my shirts out. I sighed.

"Kev, wait up!"

----------------------------------------

"I'm not doing this because you called me fat," I said. Kevin was spotting me on the weight machine. He smiled.

"I didn't call you fat."

My arms shook slightly. I forced myself to hold for a few seconds longer. Kev helped me ease the bar back into place and I sat up.

"You said I was doing well," I complained.

"Well having Pop-Tarts for breakfast doesn't help."

"I don't like raw eggs or custard with leaves floating in it," I explained.

"No, you like McDonald's and processed foods."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay then Mr. Perfect, why don't you mentor me."

Kev laughed. "We tried this before remember? I put you on a McDonald's ban and you ended up stuffing fries in your mouth like you had lived in a cave for a year. You only made it three days without fast food."

"I'm older. And wiser. I have more self-control now," I said. "I'll bet you that I can make it without fast food this entire month."

Kev's eyes lit up. "Bet? What kind of bet?"

"Whatever you want."

"If you can't do it then you have to burn your signed Bucs jersey and make a donation to the charity of my choice."

My eyes widened. The second part wasn't a problem...but burning my jersey was another story.

"And if I do it?"

"You tell me."

I smiled.

"If I can go the whole month, you have to make a video for the fanclub declaring that I am the best-looking, fittest member of the entire group and that you wish you could be me. Oh, and you have to grow out your hair and do your Snoop-Dogg look again."

Kev rolled his eyes. "That's stupid."

I folded my arms.

"That's what I want."

Kev thought a moment than held out his hand.

"Alright. Let's shake on it."

I shook his hand and grinned.

"This will be easy!"

-------------------------------------

Soundcheck was supposed to take place at five with the concert at eight. It was five thirty and we were running late. I will admit that we always run late, and usually not for a good reason. We are just a group of late people. Well, except Howie. And Kevin. But they don't really count. They were on stage a good ten minutes before Brian, AJ, and I got our act together. I was determined to finish a level in my latest DS game, Baylee was doing a magic trick for Leighanne and Bri, and I had no idea what AJ was doing.

Finally we all ended up on stage and took our seats. I clipped in my ear piece and stared at the VIP crowd. It was one of the biggest before-show crowds I had seen. Justin, our go-to VIP guru, had told us earlier in the day that they had actually sold out of VIP slots in two days.

Doing overseas VIPs is a little different than doing than back home. For one, we had an interpreter. That decreased the chance for little random moments because we often couldn't understand what everyone was shouting all at once.

We ran through a couple songs and then asked for a request. One girl way in the back wanted to hear Helpless When She Smiles. We had spent a good bit of time while recording our new album rearranging our last two albums to work Kevin back into vocals. Now was our first time doing it live.

Luckily, it worked. Howie kind of got the short end of the stick, but we sounded great. I realized I had missed hearing that extra voice.

After we were done, Justin announced that we would each take one question from the crowd and that it had to be an actual question, not a request for a hug, a kiss, or a baby. The interpreter translated and hands shot up in the air.

That was another cultural difference. In America and Canada (and sometimes England), fans just scream out and I usually pick the most interesting question. Japanese fans are much more polite.

The first question was for Brian. He had stopped sitting about twenty minutes ago and was bouncing around with his mic stand. I know everyone tells me I have ADHD, but he gave me a run for my money. The fan asked him what his favorite song was off the new album. Bri grinned, said something about every song being his favorite and they moved on.

My question was next. They chose a girl right in front. She stared at me and rambled off so fast that all I could do was smile and nod. She could have asked me if it was okay if she murdered me and I would just be sitting there and nodding.

"For Nick," the interpreter said. "How has marriage and fatherhood changed your life?"

Brian and Howie had been bombarded with this question for years. I guess it was only fitting that it was my turn to have to answer.

"Well," I said. I paused. I made a couple different faces. I was stalling. I couldn't help but think I was still pretty much the same old Nick, just with a wedding band and two more taxable deductions that I loved with all my heart. I finally decided to go with a 'cute' answer.

"I get my laundry done on a regular basis," I said with a grin. "And I have a good reason to watch cartoons now. Plus, I don't have to look too far to find someone to go out on dates with."

The interpreter translated and the audience laughed. I was out of the hot seat.

I don't remember what the fans asked Howie and AJ but I know Kevin was asked how it felt to be back with the group. I had a feeling that was going to be his signature question this tour. He answered in that gentle, thoughtful way that made all the girls go 'awww.' He was good...really good.

Once the Q&A was over, we did the standard photo-op. Brian gladly took the group on the backstage tour. I headed back to my dressing room. It was early in the morning back home, but I still gave Liv a call. She answered quickly.

"I was hoping to hear your voice," she said.

"I just got done with soundcheck," I explained. Liv sighed.

"It's killing me not being there. My fingers are itching for a camera."

"Well, Sam's doing a good job, but I've got to admit it was nice to look down and see you snapping away."

"I had great subjects to shoot."

I closed my eyes. I could almost picture here sitting in the kitchen getting Brooke's breakfast ready.

"How's the Brooke-ster?"

"She's convinced you're playing hide and seek and you're hiding really well. I've caught her under the couch three times going 'dada? dada?' She's also looked in the closet, under our bed and in the toilet. Right now she's pressed against the baby gate going downstairs to your studio doing the 'dada' chant."

Just imagining her doing that broke my heart.

"Can you put me on speaker?"

"Sure thing."

I heard a beep. There was some shuffling and then I heard Liv.

"Brooklyn daddy's on the phone. Say hi."

I heard the baby gate shake. I smiled.

"Hey Brookey."

"DADA? DADA?"

"Daddy misses you sweetie. I'll be home soon okay?"

I heard a sound like someone smacking the phone against the floor. There was a crackle and a pop and laughter.

"Now she thinks you're trapped in the phone," Liv explained. "Her eyes are as huge as saucers. She's trying to climb up me to grab the phone."

I laughed. "You have your hands full," I said guiltily.

"Oh, it's not that bad. Not like when you went on your solo tour. Noah is the quietest, sweetest little boy ever. Sometimes I wonder if he's really your son."

I laughed. "My hyperactivity went to our daughter. It's nice to know the next male Carter might actually be calm and sane."

"Something tells me he won't be sane. But I'll take the calm."

"DADA!"

I laughed. I heard Brooke start to fuss.

"I'm going to go distract her with food. Knock 'em dead at the concert."

I closed my eyes. "I'll be thinking of you during my solo."

My solo piece was an acoustic version of All My Heart. Just me, my voice, and my guitar.

I heard a soft little sigh.

"I love you Nick," Liv said gently.

"I love you too."

I hung up and tossed the phone between my hands.

It was a nice feeling knowing that I had something....er, three something wonderfuls waiting for me back home. This was the first tour where I could honestly say that.

Unfortunately, it also made me homesick for the first time in almost twenty years.

I sighed and stood up.

There was no time to dwell. We had a show to do.