Nick Carter sighed and looked around at what was supposed to be his living room. The mess was getting out of control and he never had the intuition to actually clean it. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and tried to think of the last time he had actually decided to pick up, unfortunately it was impossible to even remember.

He never had time to do that type of thing. In fact the flowers that his sisters had planted where dying and he knew that if they ever decided to pay him a visit he was in deep trouble, mainly because he wasn’t taking care of anything.

So there was only one thing left to do, according to him. Hire a housekeeper. It didn’t matter how old they were, well they had to be at least eighteen, but after that he didn’t care. Just as long as they knew what the hell they were doing. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long to hire one, but then again he was slightly afraid of putting an ad in the paper about it. No one knew what kind of sick fans would show up, just for a chance to meet him.

An idea popped into his head, his sisters would know how to go about getting a housekeeper. He’d give them a call and see what they had to say about it. He could get the housekeeper to live in and then he wouldn’t have to worry about anything while he was out on tour or had to go to an awards ceremony.

He picked up his phone and dialed the number that was so familiar.

************************************************************************************************************************
Jane Carter hung up the phone after hearing the very disturbing news about her friends’ deaths. She had known them when they had lived in Jamestown. In fact she had remained in contact long after their move to Maine and after her own family moved to Florida.

The most disturbing news however, came from their daughter. She was alone now and as she was married needed to know how to go about contacting her husband.

She collapsed in a living room chair and couldn’t help but remember the shy little girl that had visited so many times until she was seven. Always following Aaron and Angel around, in fact they probably never remembered anything about her, except her smile. Aaron often mentioned that to her.

She decided to let the phone continuing ringing when it started up again, but when the answering machine picked up and Nick’s voice came over it begging for her help in finding a live in housekeeper, without letting the public actually know about it.

The idea came to her so suddenly. She’d advertise for a housekeeper for herself and then hand her over to Nick. The solution was simple and easy. There was nothing wrong with the plan, right?
************************************************************************************************************************

Three Days Later

The young girl wandered around the house. The flowers were in dire need of watering. It was obvious to her that this guy had no time on his hands or he wasn’t the outdoorsy type.

Her dark chestnut hair clung to her neck, soaked with sweat in clumps. The heat was really getting to her but there wasn’t much she could do about it. So used to the Michigan weather where one minute it was sunny and warm and in the next chilly and rainy.

She smiled when she saw the hose and rushed to it. She felt so bad for the flowers; you’d think that a guy that could afford this house could afford a gardener. Quickly she unwound the hose and turned the water on full blast. She laid the hose in one section of the flowers and took a quick look at her watch. Fifteen minutes there and then she’d move it.

She turned her attention to deadheading the flowers. They were all gorgeous and the color scheme that was there was put there by a female as she had never seen a male that could color code by size and color.

She liked the look of the small, house with the pool and pool house in the backyard. The only thing that honestly needed to be changed was that there needed to be a tree on one end of the pool. Of course it wasn’t up to her. All she was there for was a job interview; it would help out greatly what with her starting college that fall.

She would of jumped out of her skin when a hand enclosed around her upper arm, if she hadn’t of caught the hint of cologne before it happened. Calmly she turned around and smiled. She studied him intently. He was extremely tall compared to her, his blonde hair fell haphazardly over his forehead and already she loved the color of his eyes; a sapphire blue. She even appreciated the shark tattoo on his upper arm.

“Hello. Are you Nick Carter?” She asked swatting at a piece of hair that fell from behind her ear.

“Yes. Who are you?” Nick asked cautiously. She couldn’t be an overzealous fan; none of his fans had ever tried to water his plants before. They only stole them.

“My name is Kaetlyn Giambelli. Your mother sent me over to meet you and to see if I met your specifications. I passed her interview but she wanted me to pass yours as well.”

Nick looked at her. She was cute, her hair fell a little past her shoulders; her eyes were wide and heavily lashed; her nose was small and straight; her mouth full and like a rosebud; her cheekbones high and a crossed them and her nose was a wild sprinkling of freckles. She was short and had an hourglass figure. The red tank top she was wearing had a scooped neck but wasn’t dangerously scooped and the jean shorts showed off long legs considering how short she was.

Her lips thinned as she patiently waited for him to finish her inspection of her. There was nothing she hated more than a womanizing man, her father was the same way, but since she needed the job then it was obvious that she would have to put up with it, “Are you done with the inspection?”

Nick grinned. The girl had spunk, “I’m not what you think I am. Can you cook?”

“Yes I can cook. My mother made me learn when I was young. I didn’t really like it and now it is one of my passions. Any other questions?”

“Who else’s house did you clean?”

“My parents were sick for five years. I had to keep them cleaned up and also keep the house picked up for when relatives came over.”

“How old are you?”

She hesitated. “Twenty-one, as of July 26th.”

She was lying and Nick knew it but didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it. Instead he held out his hand. “Welcome. I have an extra room inside the house or if you’d rather the pool house is like a guest house. You can have that.”

“I’ll sleep in the pool house. Thank you for this opportunity.”

For some reason Nick desperately wanted her to smile at him again. She hadn’t even been here for half an hour and she was affecting him. God, he thought, dragging his hand over his face, I need to get out. Maybe I will tonight.

Kaetlyn turned her attention back to the wilting flowers. They were a disgrace; the weeds were beginning to over run them. The calla lilies would have been gorgeous even in this heat if they had properly taken care of. “Tell me do you take care of your own garden or do you hire a gardener? If you have a gardener I’d fire him in heartbeat.”

“No. My little sisters planted them. As it is I’m on the road a lot and yeah. Listen would you like to take a tour of the house?”

“Yeah that would be great. I just have to be back out here in fifteen minutes to move the hose.”

Over the next few weeks the two of them fell into a routine. She’d be up to wake him up for his appointments and rehearsals with the guys and to make him breakfast. She started at first just making him breakfast but then it stretched to where she’d sit down and eat with him. Eventually he started waking up on his own and that kind of worried him, he’d never been known as a morning person but he was becoming one.

Kaetlyn stood in her bathroom brushing her teeth, wondering what to do. It was her scheduled day off and she had already spent a few of them learning the layout of Orlando. She honestly couldn’t just wait to curl up with a good book and listen to the latest country song on the radio. She had been there long enough that she could find her way to the nearest bookstore or even content herself with one of the many books in her car.

She was rinsing her mouth out when she remembered that Nick had a meeting today and she found it rather odd that he wasn’t up yet. Carefully she replaced the toothbrush and left the pool house pulling her hair back in a ponytail.

Something was wrong, she could tell that the minute she set foot in his house. The dishes were there but then again that was her job. The table was exactly as she had left it the night before, right down to the place setting she had set for Nick’s dinner.

Then she heard it. The terrible sound that had plagued her for most of her childhood, she quickened her pace until she was nearly running. She skidded to a stop in front of the bathroom door and threw it open. Sighing, the sight in front of her confirmed her suspicions.

Efficiently she retrieved a washcloth and wetted it. Silently waiting knowing that he wouldn’t be going to his meeting or whatever it was he had to do. “Do a little too much partying last night?”

Nick groaned and laid his head on the cool toilet seat. He wasn’t up to any inquisitions since he felt like he would be catching on fire anytime soon. He felt a trickle of sweat slide down his back and the feeling of it gave him the chills.

Kaetlyn watched closely and moved to wipe his mouth off. When her hand touched his forehead, she jerked it back. Dear lord, he was burning up with fever. “Do you have to throw up again?”

Nick tried standing up but fell down and answered her question by throwing up all over her outfit. “I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. Come on let’s get you in bed.” She slipped an arm around his waist while he rested one of his a crossed her shoulders. Together they got him standing up, she staggered a little bit under his weight but soon gained her balance.

As she was laying him on his bed she told him, “We have to bring your fever down. I’m going to get some cool cloths. I need you to take your shirt off can you do that while I get the cloths or do you need help?”

“I can do it. What is wrong with me?”

Kaetlyn smiled soothingly, “It’s just the flu. What meeting do you have this morning? I’ll go and take notes after I get you settled.”

“No I need to go. This is about the tour and they’ll need my opinion. My throat hurts, I ache. I hate meetings.”

“That’s exactly why you need to stay here. What time does the meeting start?” She asked laying a cool rag on his forehead.

“Ten. When did you become such a mother hen?” He closed his eyes and listened to her mutter under her breath about what she should take. In fact to him she had the most soothing voice he’d ever heard, then again that could have been the fever talking.

“Nick your shirt ok?” She said leaving the room hurriedly.

He sat up and struggled to take it off, and finally he did as she was coming back in the room. All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and go to sleep, why did she keep prodding at him? His muscles tightened when the cool rag touched his skin. “Go away. Don’t touch me.”

“Quit being a baby. This’ll help. Oh by the way. Next week I’m taking two days off. There all done. I’ll go get you a bucket and some crackers.”

As soon as she left his eyes drifted shut and he slept.

************************************************************
Where was he? Kevin asked himself, Nick was always late but an hour late? That was just ridiculous. He was going to kill him, Johnny was ready to help. So when the door opened everyone looked up poised and ready to start yelling.

Needless to say they were all shocked at the sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor. A woman appeared a dark red tote bag thrown over her shoulder, garnet studded earrings in and wearing a faded to light red, almost pink, sundress. The shoes were short heels in red.

“May we help you?” Johnny asked as she walked forward pulling a notebook, pen and a tape recorder out of the tote.

She smiled. “I’m here in Nick’s place for the meeting.”

Everyone in the room groaned, “Where is he?”

“At home sleeping, I’m afraid he has the flu. I was told the meeting started at ten and it is now quarter past eleven. May we begin gentlemen?” She sat down and crossed her legs, her foot tapping impatiently.

“Miss… Are you covering for him?”

“My name is Kaetlyn Giambelli and I know for a fact that Nick has the flu. He was burning up with fever. Now unless you would like to relocate this meeting into his bedroom and risk all of you catching what he has I would suggest we start.” Her voice never rose, but stayed cool and crisp.


“Johnny,” Howie said peacefully, “We might as well start. So Nick couldn’t make it at least he sent someone to take notes. That’s a start.”

Everyone nodded and looked at Johnny as he started to explain. Kaetlyn rapidly wrote everything they said in shorthand, she even added suggestions every now and then.

There was a knock on the door in the middle of the meeting and had Johnny saying, “Come in.”

In walked the head of translators, “Mr. Wright we have a problem someone from Japan just called and there is a problem with the venue that you booked. Apparently it’s booked the same day for someone else; also the translators are unavailable to travel with you.”

Johnny sighed and rubbed his temples. Things were not going right and it was driving him insane. Now what were they going to do? They needed a translator. He watched Kaetlyn raise a hand, “Yes Miss Giambelli?”

“Do you know the name of the person that called?” She asked timidly.

“A Mrs. Zhang.”

She nodded. “May I speak with her? I believe my father had some doings with her before.”

“You speak Japanese?” Aj asked impressed. Maybe the girl had some brains after all.

“Yes, I also know French, German, Danish, Spanish, and Russian.” She said standing up to follow the guy out the door. “I can learn any language in an hour or less, as long as I had a list of words that needed to be translated.”

The group watched her go, leaving the tape recorder whirring. Kevin was the first to speak, “Can we hire her? Do you think she’s telling the truth about Nick?”

Brian nodded. “She was. Nick wasn’t looking real great yesterday and I agree with you can we hire her? I mean Nick has been on-time lately and it’s because of her.”

“We could try but I’m not making any promises when it comes to that. She would be good to have a long. Hand me her notes,” Johnny said suddenly.

Howie was the one sitting closest to her slid the notebook acrossed the table to him. Johnny picked it up and instantly assumed that God had sent them an angel. “This is written in shorthand. I can‘t believe it. There aren’t many people that can do that anymore.”

Aj took the notes out of Johnny’s hands. “It’s like she’s some sort of secretary machine. Wonder what she did before coming here.”