Nick Carter was happy that tonight was the last show of the tour. He was ready to get home and put everything behind him. He loved his bandmates. They were true brothers to him, but the past couple months had been hell.
First, he’d had a cold that had turned into wicked brochitis.
Then the really bad shit happened.
Maureen had decided she wasn't ready to get married. They had stayed up on the phone for hours, him begging her to tell him what happened, her assuring him it wasn't him. She expressed the wish to be friends, which, while Nick said he'd consider it, made him want to get sick.
He wanted a drink. He wanted one so badly. But he didn’t, because he owed himself and those around him more than that. But every night, he smelled the beer and wine that the fans had in the audience and it was so tempting.
So, yeah, he was glad he'd have a few months to rest before it was off to Japan.
Brian knocked at the door.
"Hey man, we gotta get to the pavilion. Sound check party and meet and greet."
"Yeah, Frick, I'll be there."
Brian looked sympathetic.
"No alcohol, right?"
Nick smiled at him sadly.
"Nah, man, I can handle this. I didn't come this far to be knocked on my ass by this stupid shit."
Brian laughed.
"That's the spirit."
Nick picked up his bag and followed his best friend to the car.
Meanwhile, Elisa Montgomery was dancing in line while her sister, Rochelle, was unknowingly recording it on her cell phone.
"It's known that I'm a liar, often they're blacker than white..." Elisa was singing, smiling as she danced to "Bigger", which was playing out of her phone.
The fans were clapping and singing along, and didn't notice a golf cart riding past them, with Brian Litrell and Nick Carter in it.
“It’s too hot to be April,” Brian said, wiping his forehead as they rode past.
“Yeah, it is,” Nick said, looking at the crowd of fans in a circle. “Wonder what’s going on there.”
“Fight?” Brian asked, concerned.
“Only one way to find out,” Nick said.
"Hey, stop," Brian said to the caddy. He stood on the backseat so he could see over the girls.
Nick rolled his eyes and just stood on his tip toes.
What he saw made him freeze.
A woman was dancing and singing to a song from their last album. To say she was good would be an understatement. She was fantastic. She had a beautiful voice and her moves were on point.
Nick felt something warm in his heart as he watched her and he smiled. She sang every note correctly. She was oblivious to those around her, as she belted out the notes to “Bigger.”
"She's good," he said to Brian, who nodded.
A girl in the back saw them, and Nick placed his finger to his lips and asked her to move aside with his hand.
She did, and quietly, him and Brian made their way into the crowd to the front of the circle where they could get a full view. They bobbed their heads to the music as the song reached its bridge.
"I'll make them up to you..." Elisa was singing.
"Oh yeaaah," Brian surprisingly joined in, to the shock of the girls.
"But you don't care, you keep sticking around," Nick chimed in, taking Elisa's hand and dancing with her, to the squeals of the fans. Her eyes widened as she danced with him, fighting back tears the entire time.
The three of them finished out the song together, and Nick and Brian applauded Elisa as it ended.
"Oh my god, I totally ruined your song, guys," Elisa was saying, horrified.
"No no no, you were great. It was awesome. You have some pipes, girl," Brian said, hugging her.
Nick smiled at her.
"He's right, you did a great job."
Elisa blushed as they made eye contact for the first time.
Nick noticed this girl had the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen. Her eyes were golden brown, and big and bright. He went to say something else, but Brian's phone rang.
"Shit, it's Kevin. C'mon Frack. Ladies, we'll see you in there," Brian said, mock bowing to the fans, who laughed.
Nick got in the cart, but not without another glance toward the girl who had, for the first time in weeks, made him forget about Maureen, if only for a few minutes.
…
Rochelle was speechless. Elisa was speechless.
All Elisa could do was replay the moment Nick Carter...Nick fucking fine as hell Carter, took HER hand and danced with her. She kept feeling his hands on hers, and seeing his smile and his eyes, all for her. Her. A twenty seven year old girl whose looks were cute at best, forgettable at worst.
Rochelle finally found her voice.
"If I didn't have it on tape, I'd swear it was all a dream," she said.
"Yeah," Elisa said, her eyes closed.
"You're on cloud nine, aren't you?"
"Yep."
"You want me to shut up?"
"Please."
Giggling, Rochelle said nothing more.
Elisa opened her eyes, and grinned. This memory would definitely be one she would never forget.
"Nah man, this girl was gooooood. Even Nicky boy here had his first real smile in weeks," Brian was saying to an irritated Kevin Richardson.
Kevin smiled a little, happy to know it was a fan and not something else that made them late. And he was happy to see Nick was sticking to his sobreity. He was honestly worried this crap with Maureen would shatter all of that to hell.
"Well, when we're on stage for the sound check, point her out to me. I'd like to know exactly who made ya'll so late," he said in his Kentucky drawl. “Let’s get to work, fellas.”
A few minutes later, they were walking on stage. About fifty fans were there for the sound check.
Nick saw the girl right away. She was in the second row in the far left section. She caught his eye, blushed, and looked away. Nick looked at Kevin and nodded toward her. Kevin looked and raised his eyebrow. Looking back at Nick, he nodded his approval.
"Welcome everyone! Is it alright if we sing to you today?" AJ asked, and the party was underway.
…
Nick sat on his stool next to Brian as Kevin talked about the story behind "Back to your Heart." How he and Kristin had broken up and he wrote it for her, and now they were happily married. Brian turned his mic off and fake snored, making Nick snicker.
“Quit, you’re going to get our asses kicked,” he said to Brian.
“Nah, hey, look. Singing girl is staring at you.”
Nick glanced over to her and winked. She blushed and looked away, which made Brian laugh.
“Quit scaring her, dude!”
“Shut up!”
They both turned their mikes back on as AJ started with his verse. Nick started his, and he looked right at the girl, who did not try to look away this time.
"If I wasn't such a fool, right now I'd be holding you. There's nothing that I wouldn't do, baby if I only knew...the words to say..." he sang, grinning at her.
The song was soon done, and he sent the girl another wink. She smiled uncertainly back, then turned to the girl next to her, who was on the phone. Nick turned his attention to the rest of the fans, and began another song.
***
“SHIT, FINE MOM!” Rochelle was shouting in the phone. Hanging up, she shot Elisa an apologetic glance.
“I have to go get Leah, Mom says she’s sick. I just think Mom wants Der- someone to come over.”
Elisa sighed and handed her keys to her little sister.
“You don’t want to deal with Mom’s crap. I’ll just get a cab home.”
“Thanks sis. Here, take my pass. I was supposed to sit on stage for a while with the guys during the show. Just thank me later.”
“Ha ha, funny. Go get Leah, give her a kiss for me.”
“Will do.”
Elisa watched her sister leave, and, sighing, turned her attention back to the sound check. However, her mood was considerably dampened at the almost mention of one of the most vile men she’d ever met.
Nick caught her eye as he was singing “Madeleine”. She listened to the lyrics, which talked about a girl rising up above tough times, and she grinned. It was definitely what she needed to hear.
After a few more songs, the guys all excused themselves, with promises to see the fans tonight.
Once backstage, Kevin punched Nick in the arm.
"What the hell are you doing? You don't do fans, man!"
"I'm not going to do her, man! I was just making her day better. She looked upset.”
"We don't want her getting the wrong idea," Howie said.
Nick rolled his eyes.
"Come on, we've had obsessive fans before, she's not the type."
Brian came to his defense.
"Yeah, she's just a normal fan, I don't think she's the obsessing type."
AJ laughed.
"Lighten up, Train and D. This is the brightest I've seen Nick since Amazon dumped him, cut him some slack."
Nick aimed a punch at AJ, who dodged it.
"Okay, fine. But don't lead her on, man. Let's go talk to these fans who will be sitting onstage with us tonight," Kevin relented.
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry if this takes longer than normal, I didn't do this in a chapter format like i was supposed to. Also Maureen is actually based off of Lauren. I love Lauren to death, don't get me wrong. But when I get in the writing mode, I have no clue what I'm writing until I read over it later, it's like someone has taken control of my brain.
