Nick felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket and reached for it haphazardly while he clutched his microphone in the other hand. When he saw the contact name on the screen, his eyes widened in surprise. “Take ten, guys!” he quickly announced to his band as he jogged off the makeshift stage. “Annie?”

He sounded out of breath. “Hey,” she said hesitantly. “Is-is it a bad time?”

“No!” he said a little too loudly and eagerly. “No,” he repeated himself, this time much quieter. “It’s a great time. How are you?”

“I’m,” she paused and looked back at Brian, who was being nosy and peeking his head around the corner from the hallway. “Good. Still unpacking boxes.” She retreated out the back door onto the deck and shivered in the cold January air. “Thanks again for letting us stay here. It’s so much better for Drew than the little apartments I was looking at in the city.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad someone’s using it. I haven’t been there in a while.”

“Oh really?” Annie was trying not to smile, but she couldn’t help being a little sarcastic with that question.

Nick’s heart started to pound in his chest and he held his phone between his ear and shoulder while he subconsciously wiped his sweaty palms on the legs of his jeans. Had she found his letter? Did she like it? Hate it? He’d been waiting for her to call him for over a month. Maybe this was the moment of truth. Maybe he wasn’t going to like the truth. “Have I been caught?” he asked guiltily. He stopped pacing and sat in a little metal folding chair several yards away from where the band was mingling, but his right knee still bounced up and down rapidly in time with his nervous heart.

Annie let out a little giggle and Nick felt warmth flood his entire body. “Well, now that I think about it, it was a little odd that the room I ended up putting Drew’s stuff in still had dents in the carpet from where you moved the weight bench to the bedroom at the end of the hall.”

“Well, I knew you wouldn’t take the master suite, and I didn’t figure you wouldn’t want him to be that far away from you,” Nick told her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, Annie.”

“Are you still planning to come to Nashville for a few days before your tour starts?”

Nick gulped and wet his suddenly dry lips. “Well, that depends...”

“On what?”

“On you.” He took in a deep breath and braced himself for her response.

“Where are you planning on staying?”

“I, uh... I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well, it is your house....”

Nick’s face broke into a huge smile. “Is that an invitation?”

Annie stifled a laugh. Brian had his nose pressed up against the sliding glass door, leaving a huge foggy spot on the glass. “Well, no one’s using your room, so....”

“Annie?”

“Yes, Nick?”

“Did you just say Nick?” Brian’s muffled voice asked through the glass. She waved him away and turned her back to him.

“What does this mean, exactly?” Nick asked quietly.

“I--” Her breath hitched in her throat. “I’m scared, but--” She kicked at the powdery snow coating the deck with her Ugg boots. “I think I’m ready to give it a try.”

Nick shot up to his feet excitedly. “Really?” Every head in the room turned towards him and grinned sheepishly. “Sorry....um...really?” he whispered.

“I don’t make any promises,” she admitted quietly.

“We can take it slow this time, okay?”

“Sounds good.” She smiled genuinely. “I need to go. It’s getting dark and Drew’s still at the babysitter’s. Plus, I’m outside trying to keep Brian away and I’m freezing.”

“You should know I told Brian not to say anything to you,” he told her earnestly. “But you should also know that I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t listen.”

Annie laughed. “Well, for the record, I’m glad he talked to me.” She turned and gave Brian a little finger wave, and he smiled.

“Me too, Annie. Me too.” Annie could practically hear his huge smile in his voice.

“You know what else I’m glad about?”

“What’s that?”

“I’m really glad the half-full glass of water you left on your nightstand isn’t months old and moldy.”
_______________________________________________________________________

Annie hummed the new song she’d recorded in the studio that morning as she examined her reflection in the mirror and smoothed an imaginary wrinkle out of her sweater. Nick had called when his flight landed in Nashville about an hour ago and she was trying to calm the bundle of nerves that had settled in the pit of her stomach while she made sure every hair was in place and every swipe of makeup looked perfect--but not like she was trying too hard, of course. Nick, with her permission, had resumed calling her almost every night, and for the past two weeks, they’d gotten reacquainted by talking about work (now that they had that in common), Drew, their likes and dislikes-- the type of stuff any other newly-dating couple would talk about. They’d been slowly building up anticipation for their reunion over the past two weeks, and now that it was almost here, Annie felt both ecstatic and terrified at the same time.

Outside on the front porch, Nick stood with his fist poised over the brass door knocker, wondering whether he should knock or just let himself in. It was his house, after all, and he did have a key. But, now it was Annie’s house, too, and the thought of just walking in her seemed a little awkward. What if she was naked in there? Not that he didn’t welcome the thought, but they’d agreed that they were taking it slow this time, and barging in on his potentially naked (dare he say it?) girlfriend would not be “taking it slow.” Therefore, he knocked. The door seemed to fly open before he’d even brought his hand back down to his side, and his knees nearly buckled at the sight of her. She wasn’t naked, but it’s not like he was actually expecting that anyway, and that fact didn’t make her any less desirable at the moment. Her hair was neatly curled and tucked behind one ear and she wore a baby blue sweater that fell off one shoulder and revealed the strap of a lacy white tank top underneath. Dark-washed skinny jeans hugged her curves in all the right places and disappeared beneath tall, brown leather boots. She literally took his breath away.

Annie bit her bottom lip nervously, licking off the cherry-flavored lip gloss she’d applied so carefully just minutes before. Leave it to Nick Carter to look amazing after a five-hour flight. His golden blonde hair had grown out another inch or so since the cruise and was no longer in the awkward in-between stage, but instead tucked neatly behind his ears and grazing his neck, his bangs perfectly coiffed. She’d never really been attracted to men with long hair, but she suddenly had the urge to run her fingers through Nick’s. She leaned into the door and let out a breathy “Hey.”

His smile started at the corners of his bright blue eyes and flitted across his California sun-kissed cheeks until he was giving her a huge toothy grin. “Hey.” A pregnant pause hung in the crisp late-January air around them for several moments before she motioned for him to come in. He shifted the bag on his shoulder and rolled his suitcase over the threshold, then bent down to kiss her cheek ever-so gently as he crossed through the doorway. He blindly situated his suitcase against the wall in the foyer and closed the door behind him. Then, he couldn’t help himself. He threw his shoulder bag onto the hardwood floor and wrapped his arms around her waist in a fierce hug. “I’ve missed you,” he breathed, just before capturing her lips in a long, and long-awaited, kiss.