Nick smiled in quiet relief, even if he didn’t completely understand what all these papers were about. “You’re gonna have to explain this one. This says it’s a petition to determine paternity…you already know he’s the dad.”

“Right. We have to get that legal so we can limit when he sees her. No more of this popping in whenever he feels like it.”

Nick started leafing through the documents not even sure what he was looking for. Maybe a special statement that said, ‘Neron has Florida’s permission to fall into the gulf never to be found again.’ “Where’s the meat of this? I’m lost.”

“All the specifics are on the last few pages there.”

He skimmed as he ate, all the words blurring until he saw just one. ‘Custody’. “Wait, you want shared custody???”

“So I could define supervised visitation. He can’t be alone with either of us.”

He let that last part go, still chewing, still leafing, still a bit confused. “Will Ro have to get blood tests done?”

“She did this week. We just have to wait for Neron to reply.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“He has three choices. He can ignore me and we’ll file a default motion. There’ll be a hearing and he’ll have no voice…will probably lose all rights to ever see Rosalie again.”

“That’s what I’m voting for.”

“Don’t count on it. Then, he can reply by totally agreeing to what I have spelled out here, or he can contest it.”

“He wouldn’t…”

“He would. I asked for a sick amount of child support.”

Nick found the page on child support and choked on his food. “Why so much? You don’t need the money.”

“Nope…and that’s why he’ll freak over it and fight, hopefully. If I cave on that, then he might not fight the other things so much. It was my attorney’s suggestion.”

“Makes sense. So you’re willing to counter back and forth?”

“Yeah. And then, we’ll agree and it will go to a hearing. If we can’t agree, it will go to a trial. Either way, a judge has the final say.”

“Okay, so then what? When will Rosalie get some peace back in her life?”

“We’ll all get peace back once the courts have made the final decision and we live with it. Just because Neron and I agree to what’s outlined, doesn’t mean a judge will. I mean, I’m risking a judge being ‘family happy’ and making it very difficult for me to continue my life on my own.”

“Jesus…”

“I didn’t see any other alternative, Nick. You were right. She needs stability. This is the only way I know to provide that for her. For us.”

At her final words, Nick stopped digging through the documents to look into Lani’s eyes. The legal mumbo jumbo they’d been discussing filtered down to two words. ‘For us.’ He tossed the papers aside along with his bowl and slid in closer to her. “So, cut to the chase here. What exactly does this mean…for us?”

She kissed the tip of his nose and brushed his mussed morning hair out of his face. “It means he can’t come and go as he pleases. It means he can’t control this situation any more. Or me. Or Ro. It means…” She sighed and looked down into her cereal bowl, relieved for one last berry. “…it means that minus the occasional scheduled visit, Neron won’t be hanging around. It’ll go back to just being us.”

Their eyes settled in one another’s as she chewed and slight smiles spread across their faces. “I like the sound of that.”

“Yeah…I thought you might.”

With another blink, he’d grabbed the documents again and started filtering through them, looking for a missed point, a glitch, something that could screw up what sounded like a perfect solution. “So, what changed your mind?”

“Not changed…cleared.” More berries. She wanted more berries. Sweet tartness…like this conversation.

As his eyes settled on the custody requests, his heart stopped, realizing why she’d asked for supervised visits. “Did he hurt you? Ro?”

“No.” She got up from the table and took the extra bowl of berries to the couch, curling up and hiding in the darkened corner of the room.

“What happened?”

“Nick, we’re okay.”

“I know. I see that, but something must have happened for you to go off, get an attorney…all of it.”

“Honestly, it’s mostly Ben’s fault.” She lured him over to her with a strawberry, but he missed the message.

“Ben? What?”

“We, uh…we kind of unexpectedly met up at your house one night.”

His eyes questioned. His heart ached for home as she continued.

“I needed you. And…it was the best I could do. He was there finishing up some yard work.”

Seeing the berry seductively disappear between her full lips, Nick got up and joined her on the couch. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“It’s okay – I knew this going in. Ben was and that’s what I needed that night.”

“He took care of my girl. I’ll have to thank him for that.”

“He’s a good boy, Nick. He listened. He showed me what I was stupidly missing.” Lani curled up into him, circling her fingers around his chest where his tattoos hid beneath his shirt. “I’m so sorry, Nick.”

“You’re sorry? For what? What happened, Lani??”

She sighed and sat back, feeding Nick one of the juiciest of the fruits. “Well, about a week ago, he came over for a visit…”

“Buck assed naked??? You pushed him out there buck. Assed. Nekkid??” Nick had been through a roller coaster of emotion as she told the story – trying to patiently wait until the end. Hearing about him coming onto her, kissing her, all of it, just about did him in, but somehow he knew she could handle the pecker. Now he was in fits of hysterical laughter. “Holy shit, I’d have paid big bucks to have seen that one.”

“Remember Sra. Jiminez next door? About 85 and smart as a whip?”

“Oh no…”

“Oh yeah. I got a visit from her the next day. She got the show for free. She was not happy.”

“Christ.” Nick laughed again, imagining Neron standing in Lani’s front yard, all of his goods hanging out for the world to see, flipping her off, yelling something obnoxious in Spanish. It was definite. The next recording session was going to be closer to home. He wasn’t going to miss the fireworks that might happen because of this petition.

“So…while that’s funny now…and it is…that night, I was a bit freaked out.”

“Well, yeah. The fuck…I can’t believe…” Nick stopped and sighed, realizing that this is exactly what he feared was going to happen. Neron was never there for Rosalie. It was all about getting Lani back. “…he’s slime.”

“Yes, he is. I brushed my teeth about 10 times before I went to bed.”

“Well, that’s not quite what I meant…just that he’d use Ro to get to you.”

“And to you.”

“To me? How?”

“He wants you gone.”

“Whatthefuck’d I ever do to him?”

“You love me. You take care of me. You’re a better man than he’ll ever dream of being.”

“Oh. Well. If he wants his way, he’s going to have to do more than hit on my woman, now isn’t he?” Nick leaned forward and slowly ran his tongue along Lani’s bottom lip, tasting the small bit of berry juice that remained. She was still sweeter. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

“I can’t either. I just didn’t want to tell you over the phone.” She buried her face in his neck, sucking gently on the sensitive skin and pushing him back on the couch. “…besides, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was horny.”

“I see that.” Nick chuckled as Lani settled on his thighs again, lifting her t-shirt over her head and letting her full breasts bounce as they freed from the cotton. “You’re insatiable.”

She fell forward, lifting his shirt, letting her nipples brush against the newly bared flesh of his stomach. “I don’t hear you complaining.” Her weight settled onto his and her lips warmed his skin, kissing and licking and sucking all over his chest as he brought the shirt up over his head.

All she heard was a moan escape from his lips and the shirt hitting the floor. His hands tangled in her hair and the thigh she was straddling lifted to press into her as she slowly slid her way down, bathing him with her kisses.

His hands left her hair and she felt him fumbling around near his hips, trying to slip out of his boxers. Grabbing his hands, she lifted them back up to his chest and held onto them tightly. “Leave ‘em on…”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to chew through them.”

“My clock says 7-0-0! Time to get up!” Rosalie bounced onto Nick and Lani’s bed and crawled in between them, settling down in the pile of linens and the warmth of their bodies.

Unison moans crept from the depths of the bed, Nick’s groggy blue eyes the first to open. “Are you sure it’s 7, Ro?”

“Yup! 7-0-0 just like you said. We go to the studio today, right?”

“Not for a few hours, yeah…” Nick lifted up and bonked Solana on the head, knowing full well she’d not be able to sleep through her daughter’s arrival. “Get up, woman. 7-0-0 was your idea.”

Rosalie rolled over and snuggled against her mother’s back. “Mamí. You’re naked!”

“Shi- uh, yeah. I, uh…got hot last night.”

“It’s cuz you have all these blankets. Too many.” Rosalie sat up and tossed everything back exposing her mother’s full nakedness. Nick thanked the stars that a bit of insomnia had woken him and he’d pulled on boxers to step out onto the balcony for a bit. “No panties either!?”

Before Lani had to make up more excuses, Nick scooped Ro up and took her into the living room of the suite. “Let’s pick out some breakfast so Mamí can get dressed, huh?”

“What’s Brian’s favorite cereal? I want that.”

Fortunately, Rosalie got so distracted at the idea of meeting the other Backstreet Boys that she forgot about the nude morning and never asked anymore questions. Before her little brain exploded from excitement, they were pulling into the studio’s parking lot.

“Is that him? Is that Brian?”

“Breathe, Ro…it’s not Brian. That’s one of the producers.” Nick held the door open for Rosalie as she slid out of her seat. “He’s here already, though. I see his car.”

“Oh, good. I don’t want him to miss me.”

She skipped toward the door and stopped in mid-air. “Is this the Rosalie I’ve heard so much about?” Brian opened the door for everyone, laughing as Nick had to pick Rosalie up to carry her in because her feet had suddenly forgotten how to move. “Hey guys. Thought I’d meet you out here. AJ’s in doin’ a track now, so we have some time.”

Rosalie’s mouth also seemed to have forgotten how to move. For the first time since her 7-0-0 entrance that morning, she was completely silent. “Rosalie, aren’t you going to say ‘hi’?”

“Hi.”

The three adults shared a silent glance and breathed a sigh of relief when Howie came in. “Ah, Solana. Buenos días, mi dama bonita.”

“Su dama. Pft.” Nick gave a thumbs up and walked away as Howie gave Lani a kiss on the cheek. Their meeting the day before had been one long whirlwind of Spanish and laughter. Nick felt like an outsider, but was thrilled she’d hit if off with the boys so well. It would make life that much easier.

“Whatsa matter, Nicky? Are you actually jealous??? I’ve never seen that in you before.”

“Of you? Get over yourself, D. And get offa my lady.” He winked at Rosalie who hadn’t taken her eyes off of Howie since he’d walked in.

“Hola, Howie. Soy Rosalie.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You’ll talk to him, but not to me? I’m hurt!”

“That’s cuz he’s just Howie, you’re,” Solana sighed heavily in mock teenaged lust, “Brian.”

“Mamí!”

Before Rosalie could fully scold her mother for embarrassing her, Lani’s phone rang. Howie took Rosalie’s hand and disappeared down the hall with her, Brian following closely behind. “We have a lot to see here today. Mamí can meet up with us later, huh?”

Lani finally dug her phone out of her purse and looked at the number, growing pale as it registered.

“Who is it, baby?”

“My attorney.”