"Style and Grace." She mentally crossed her fingers. Let it please be Nick.
"A Backstreet Boy, Grace? A fucking Backstreet Boy?"
Matt had finally placed the face. The receptionist at his firm was a fan of the group and kept a small, framed picture of them on her desk like they were her family. Matt had seen it every day for over a year, but hadn't really looked at it. When he arrived at the office the previous morning, he nodded hello to Carol. She had the picture in her hands, was about to replace the photo with a more recent one. The picture caught his eye. That was the guy!
"Who are they?" he asked.
Carol rolled her eyes. She was sick of explaining. "They're a musical group - the Backstreet Boys."
Matt nodded. He'd heard of them, sure, even knew some of their music. "Who's he?" pointing at the tall blond in the middle.
"That's Nick...Nick Carter," she added. She smiled shyly. "He's my favorite."
"Why?" asked Matt. "Is he the lead singer?"
"No, well...one of them, sort of...it's hard to explain how they do a song..."
Matt cut her off. "So then why is he your favorite?"
Carol was over forty and felt foolish explaining the feeling she got when she saw pictures of Nick or heard him sing or when he pointed at her from a video. "He's just...sweet," she finished lamely. That didn't begin to describe it, but it was enough for Matt. He nodded and continued up the hall to his office.
"Good morning, Matt," said Janice hopefully.
"Morning," he replied, picking up his messages. He moved past her to his office. Janice sighed. When Matt told her that Grace had broken off the engagement, she had been outwardly sympathetic and inwardly thrilled. She had been sleeping with him for nearly three months and she wanted it to become legitimate - actual dating...going out to dinner, dancing - not just waiting around to get laid because Grace had a headache or whatever. He hadn't come near her since it happened, but Janice was patient. She figured she had the home court advantage, seeing Matt in the office every day.
He stopped at his door and turned back. "Janice," he said. "Will you do a little research for me? Nick Carter."
"Backstreet Boys Nick Carter?" asked Janice.
Matt nodded. For God's sakes, did everyone know these guys? "Yeah, find out everything you can for me."
"Is he going to be a client?" asked Janice.
"I may have some business with him, yes," muttered Matt, disappearing into his office. First rule of warfare, he thought to himself. Know your enemy.
Janice came in an hour later with a report - a recent photo, biographical details, financial worth, likes and dislikes, scandals and girlfriends - and a list of websites where Matt could look further. He wouldn't, of course. He hated the Internet. The more Grace got into it, the more he backed away. It was the 'other man' in Grace's life. He picked up the photo of Nick. Until now.
Matt sifted through the information Janice had given him. He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together behind his head. From all he could see, Nick was just a dumb kid with a good voice and a bad reputation. He seemed to have an affinity for doing and saying stupid things. Yet he was Carol's favorite...and he had certainly seemed like a take-charge kind of guy the night Matt saw him at Grace's.
Matt thought about it all day and by the end had decided. He wouldn't call Grace tonight. She said she wanted space. He would give it to her. Let her spend a lonely Friday night, or better yet, let her spend it hobbling through crowds after the stupid, blond guy. He didn't have to worry about them having sex. There was Grace's broken leg and then there was...well, there was Grace.
He invited Janice out for dinner. She was ecstatic at the thought and exchanged her Friday panties for a pair of crotchless ones in the ladies room before they left the office. They went to an Italian restaurant near where she lived. It wasn't as good as Antonio's, Matt thought.
Janice sat beside him in the booth and used the long tablecloth as a shield for her hand movements. She ran her fingernails up his inseam and massaged his groin. Matt looked at her in surprise and then smiled. This was going to be fun. Grace would never do anything this brazen in public.
Matt enjoyed Janice's ministrations through the appetizer. While waiting for the salad, she took his hand and ran it up under her skirt. His eyes widened at what he found, but he left his hand there, rubbing her. As the waiter approached with the salad, Matt slid his middle finger into her. She squirmed in her seat and squeezed her walls around it.
The waiter went back to the kitchen. "Now, he's finger-fucking her," he said to the sous-chef. My God! Why didn't they get a room? They saw it all the time in the restaurant - couples going at it under the tablecloth. And each thinking they had invented something new.
Matt and Janice finished dinner and declined dessert. They rearranged their clothes - by the end of the meal, Matt's zipper was down and his penis was in her hand. They went back to her apartment and didn't even make it to the bedroom. He leaned her against the kitchen table and dropped his pants. He entered her roughly and finished quickly. A very satisfying experience for him; somewhat less so for her.
He disappeared into the bathroom. She grabbed a handful of tissues and cleaned herself up. She was determined to get more than this from him. She wanted him to stay all night. She loved morning sex and figured if she could keep him here, she could make him forget Grace once and for all. Matt had let it slip once that Grace "wasn't all that good in the sex department". Janice knew that it was one of her very best departments and she was going to use it to her advantage. She would do anything to keep his mind off Grace.
"So why did you want to know about Nick Carter?" she asked, after they had settled on the sofa with drinks. She was totally unaware that she had just scuttled her own fleet.
"He's got lots of money and he needs financial advice." Matt shrugged. "I might have a contact."
Janice nodded and began talking about the group. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Matt could get all five of them as clients? What a PR boost that would be for the firm! She liked Nick, she said, but AJ was her favorite.
What the fuck was this? Matt asked himself. He didn't have a clue about AJ, but he wondered, did everyone have a favorite?
They chatted for a few more minutes and then Janice moved over and knelt between his knees. "Are you going to stay over?" she asked. The challenge was evident. If Matt wanted more, he was going to have to pay for it by his presence the next morning.
He grinned at her and thrust his hips forward. "Will I get bagels and scrambled eggs?" he asked.
"Eventually," she leered, reaching for his belt buckle.
******************************Matt didn't get away from Janice's until after ten the next morning. She had really given it her all the night before and he felt compelled to stay for breakfast. He had to work with her, after all.
He knew it wouldn't last. He and Grace would get back together eventually. He hoped it wouldn't be too awkward with Janice. Oh well, if it did, he could just have her transferred to another department. Give her a raise too.
He drove over to Grace's place and parked on the street in front of her building. He walked down a side street to a bakery, from which he could see Grace's apartment. From this angle, he could see if she was sitting at her computer. She was. He took out his cell phone.
******************************"...a fucking Backstreet Boy?"
"What do you want, Matt?" Grace's shoulders slumped. She wasn't into this right now.
"What are you doing with this guy? He's just a kid, for God's sake!"
"Matt, I am not 'with this guy'. And his age is none of your damned business. Nothing about me is your business anymore. I..." Grace's voice was drowned out by the siren of an ambulance speeding down the street. She could hear the siren through the phone as well. She swiveled around and looked out the window. She saw Matt leaning on the post outside the bakery, watching the ambulance go by.
Grace pushed the chair quickly away from the window. Her heart was pounding. What was he doing there? Checking up on her, obviously. She wondered why she was so unnerved...almost frightened.
"Grace, are you there?" Matt could no longer see her in the window.
"No, Matt. Not for you. Stay out of my life." Grace disconnected. She was tempted to look out the window to see if he was still there, but she was afraid he might see her. She thought about phoning the security desk to warn them not to let him in, but it was a new guy on the morning shift and it would be hard to explain without sounding hysterical. Gary would have understood, she knew, but he wasn't on until later.
******************************Nick was on his way to the marina. He had invited Kevin and Kristin, and of course, Theresa, out for a cruise. Brian and Leighanne were joining them too. Howie was busy and you couldn't get AJ on a boat for anything. He meandered his way through the streets and he realized he was getting closer and closer to Grace's place. He didn't know what to do. Should he invite her along? Kevin would freak, but maybe he'd get to know her faster. Would it be fair to Theresa - making her the extra person - he knew she didn't like that. His decision was made for him by the man getting into the black sports car outside Grace's place. It was Matt.
