“Yo, Carter…great show!”

    I turned to find Al walking towards me, a huge grin on his face. Behind him, a string of three rather hot girls followed. One of them was the bombshell that had asked Brandon…Brandy…whatever, Bair…the question about the sex reassignment surgery. I smirked to myself, giving her a wink. To be honest, I’d put her to the back of my mind. Now that she was close though, I was determined to use my charm to win her over…

    Holding up a hand, I high-fived Al, “Thanks…the transsexual shows are always the most entertaining!”

    I was still on a high from the fights that had broken out. No matter how exciting the shows were though, I always looked forward to what happened afterwards the most. Al never let me down, bringing backstage with him a few pieces of eye candy from the audience, meaning another fun night and another one night stand, no strings attached.

    “I brought you a little something…” Al informed me as if reading my mind.

    “I can see that,” I licked my lips discretely, my eyes glued to the leggy, blonde hair, green eyed beauty with curves in all the right spots and breasts the size of melons, “What’s your name, doll?” I pulled her into me, snaking my arm flirtatiously around her waist. The scent of her perfume was driving me nuts.

    “Ariana.” She breathed out, giving me a seductive smile.

    “I’m Nick…” I introduced, although she already knew that. However, the introduction always gave things a more personal touch. I gave a smile meant just for her before turning to the other two, “And you are?”

    “Alicia.” The brunette sighed, bored, as she examined her nails. She didn’t even look up, realizing that I was not interested in her.

    “Lindsay,” the other, a strawberry blonde replied, freckles dotting her nose delicately. I’ve never had much of a thing for red-heads, but this one was quite sexy.

    “Nice to meet you,” I gave them that famous grin of mine, charming them by giving them each a kiss on the hand, all the while, claiming my territory with Ariana by keeping my arm firmly around her tiny waist.

    I gave Al a secret nod, his cue to hurry things up with the two whom I wouldn’t be taking with me that night. I posed for a few photos with them, and signed their t-shirts across their breasts before having Al escort them back to where he’d picked them up from. Knowing him, he would be exchanging a few numbers of his own for later on. Unlike myself, Al liked to keep a few girls strung along at a time for a couple of weeks until he either got bored with them or a new set fell into his lap, literally. I preferred to keep it simple with having one female around for one night, then sending her on her way. Some would call me shady, but hey…I am Nick Carter.

    “So, Ariana,” I began, knowing chicks locked it when I used their name, “What do you do?”

    “I’m a student and a dancer.” She informed me with confidence, and somehow, this…career choice…suited her.

    “Nice,” dirty thoughts ran through my mind like wildfire. Chances were, with her job, she wouldn’t be looking for anything emotionally involved either. I noticed Al walking back towards us, this time alone.

    “God damn, Carter…” he shook his head, “How could you choose…” he asked as if Ariana wasn’t still there. Al wasn’t exactly known for being…how should I put it…sensitive? “I picked up both of their numbers. Could be fun, if you know what I mean.”

    I smiled at him. I did, indeed. Although, I think deep down Al wants to find somebody to settle down with.  He’s just too afraid of commitment. Remember what I told you earlier though…he’s like a big, squishy teddy bear deep down.

     “What’s on the agenda for tonight?”

    The backstage was beginning to clear out. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before we were asked to leave too, so that the building could be locked up for the night and the crew could do whatever it was they did to prepare for the next day. I could already tell you that there would be some blood on the stage that would have to be scrubbed down. I laughed on the inside. It would suck to be whoever had that job. I could only hope that they wore rubber gloves…

…”Nick?”

    I looked up wit ha blank expression on my face, knowing I’d spaced out again, “Huh?”

    Al smirked, “I said that Bri, Howard and Kev were all meeting up at Bar Louis for happy hour drinks and apps. Wanna swing by and meet up with them for a bit?”

    I gave him a nod before turning to my date for the night, “What do you think? Up for a night out?”

    “What do you think?”

    Ohh…I loved with they did that. When they answered a question with a question. It was so damned hot. Most women eagerly agreed. Once in awhile though, one would take me by surprise and make me guess. A challenge was always more fun.

    “Count us in then.” I told Al, “We’ll meet you there in say, an hour?”

    “Works for me,” Al shook his head and laughed, knowing what would be holding me up for that hour, “Don’t forget the condom!”

    I blushed slightly. Not much, but enough.  What did I say? Al was so not smooth. And I knew he did it on purpose too. Ariana didn’t seem to mind though, for if it were possible, I could swear she came in closer to my side. At least she wasn’t uptight. I get those on occasion. They completely ruin any plans that I had in store for…us.

    So I had one hour to take care of…um….business, as I like to call it, and then take Ariana out for a night with the rest of us. I would then give her a little parting gift in the shape of an O…then we would separate. I know I’ve said this before, but I want to make this clear. Nick Carter does not settle down. Never.

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    The second I saw Kevin from across the bar, I choked back a laugh. The attempt was failed though, because a cackle escaped my throat as I approached the table.

    “Damn, Richardson…that SHIT sure did clobber the fuck out of you.” I grinned, nodding towards the black eye that continued to swell and darken by the minute, “Good thing you are the producer and are behind the scenes.”

    “Yeah, yeah,” Kevin muttered, “Better watch it or else your pretty little face will be looking just like this on camera.”

    I rolled my eyes at his threat, knowing he wouldn’t touch me. Let me explain for a moment though when I mentioned the SHIT. It is a code that we’ve come up with for the transsexuals or the gender confused. It is a combination of She, He, IT. Get it?  SHIT!

    “Right, Richardson…keep on telling yourself that.” I smirked, pulling a bar stool out for Ariana to hop up upon. I took the only empty seat left at the table next to her, “Erika…nick to see you again. Congrats on the engagement guys. I assume it is official now?”

    “You assume right.” Kevin answered. I then noticed the ring on Erika’s finger. A 1-karat diamond that glittered under the bar lights. How romantic. I sneered, “We’ve got the relationship, the kids…now just need the marriage.”

    “A little backwards, don’t you think?” I asked.

    “At least I have a real relationship.”

    Howard interrupted us before we could get into it. I wouldn’t say it was a sore spot for me, but I didn’t like being called out on the fact that I’d never had anything that lasted for longer than a week. It was my choice. What was it to them anyways?

    “Who’s your friend?”

    “Ariana,” I informed the group, “Ariana, you’ve already been lucky enough to meet Al…the old man next to you is Kevin, and Erika is the chick. That is his fiancé,” I put emphasis on the word, “Curly over there is Howard and then the blue eyed man with the cooked smile is Bri.”

    “Thanks so much for the thoughtful introductions,” Kevin quipped, but he was smiling.

    A bartender came up to our round high-top, taking our orders. We got a basket of one-hundred hot wings and a round of Heineken. While she went to fetch our stuff, Kevin began to speak again. Imagine that…Kevin speaking. He always feels the need to get his two cents in though, and since he was here, this would likely turn into a business outing.

    “I was thinking about new ideas for the show…”

    See, I told you so!

    “New ideas?” Howard’s eyes held interest, “How so?”

    ‘Well, we have enough ideas to get us through half the season, but we need something fresh. We are in season eight already. I don’t want the show to dry up because we keep reusing the same ideas over and over again.”

    The show dry up? Please. Not with this face!  

    “I’m listening.” Howard nodded intently.

    “Do any of you have any ideas?” Kevin rolled his eyes, “I’m not going to come up with all of this on my own you know.”

    All of us sat there for a few moments in silence. I could tell that Ariana was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Usually I save the fun for later, but it was more convenient this way. The studio, and her car, were only a block and a half away. I could always make her walk back…

    “How about ‘My ten year old is pregnant’?” Brian suggested, breaking my train of thought.

    “Done it.” The whites of Kevin’s eyes became visible for a moment as he rolled them.

    “Ah…” Brian held up a finger, “But not with her eighteen year old first cousin’s child.”

    Kevin looked thoughtful before jotting the idea down on a napkin with a thin point sharpie. I know, so professional, right, “Anyone else?”

    “My momma’s dating my man?”

    “Done it…but we can always do a different spin on it.”

    “Mommy meets the boyfriend at school for a little lunchtime romp in the library.” Al grinned wickedly.

    “Or other public places…like under the bleachers…” Howard laughed.

    Kevin rapidly jotted down the notes as our round of beer was dropped off at the table along with a humongous basket of wings, plopped right in the center. This could get messy.

    “How about “I accidentally shot Grandma in the back yard, mistaking her for an animal.”

    There were a few laughs, and Kevin continued to write. He must have been desperate for ideas. It could be interesting though. The more I thought about it, the more fun that one could be though. We continued to talk as we ate and drank, the ideas just getting more an more bizarre the more buzzed we became. Kevin didn’t write down all ideas, but most of them ended up on his little napkin at some point. Before I knew it, it was near time to pack up and leave. Time had gone fast, and now I would have to figure out how to discard of Ariana without her becoming clingly.

    As everybody got up and said their goodbyes, I decided now was as good of time as any to ask what had been on my mind for the entire night. Maybe that was part of why I hadn’t contributed much to the ideas?

    So…” I laughed nervously, ‘Can I ask you a question?” when I got several pairs of eyes looking at me, I continued, “What’s tomorrows show again”

    Everyone groaned, and I was left ignored.