December 19, 2001 Tampa, Florida

The door from the garage to the kitchen swung open and Tina waited nervously as Nick made his way into the house. His usually spiky blonde hair was hanging into his eyes, no doubt flattened by dirty little fingers running through it. He didn’t notice the other people in the kitchen at first as his arms were full. In the crook of one elbow was the handle to the baby carrier, Zoey fast asleep inside and balanced against his opposite hip was Parker who was snoozing against his father’s shoulder.

From the look on his face Tina could tell he was frazzled and it quickly turned to shock as he saw both women sitting in the kitchen.

“Uh, hi,” Nick spoke quietly as to not wake the children, his eyes flittering between both females. At first his gaze was questioning but Tina saw a nearly immediate change, the corner of his mouth lifting into his signature half smile, that little twinkle in his eye and she could tell he was putting on his Backstreet mask for the sake of the guest.

“Do you need a hand?” Tina wondered, breaking the awkward silence.

Nick shook his head and started moving towards the kitchen door, “Nah, I’m fine, I’ll just put these guys down and I’ll be right back.”

Tina smiled at Max as Nick headed for the stairs, hoping the other woman didn't notice the tinge of nerves on her face, "That's Nick. The little one in the carrier is Zoey, she’s a little over five months. The boy is Parker. He’s three."

Max nodded, "They’re very cute. Though I have to admit, I thought he would be older. Nick, that is,” she explained. When she realized Tina had only been in her early twenties her mind had immediately gone to thinking that she was someone’s arm candy, a trophy wife. She was half expecting some fifty year old man to come waltzing in the door, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase. She hadn’t been prepared to see another young person, still essentially a child himself, stumbling in dressed in oversized jeans and a t-shirt carrying a baby in each arm. She had mentally done the math and with Parker being three they had definitely started procreating young. She was in her 30’s before she had her first child.  

"That seems to be the theme for today," Tina chuckled, "I know it must seem weird two people our age living in this... huge... house. Nick is an entertainer and he's done pretty well for himself since he was a kid."

"Child star?" the red head wondered and Tina agreed with a nod, "He's not familiar, where would I know him from? TV? Movies?"

"Music," she corrected, "He's in a boyband."

"It's a vocal harmony group," Nick interrupted, coming into the kitchen with the fake grin still plastered to his face, "You spreading rumours about me?" he teased, pinching Tina's chin with his fingers once he was close enough. She tried to shy away but he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers awkwardly.

Usually Nick was opposed to PDA so she hadn't seen the kiss coming. Normally someone unknown being in the kitchen would have made him clam up. Tina found his actions to be completely out of character, and borderline rude considering he’d yet to speak a word to the other person in the room. Raising both hands, she cupped his cheeks and pressed away, trying not to make her displeasure too obvious to Max.

"She only has good things to say," Max said without missing a beat as if the uncomfortable moment had never happened. Thrusting her hand in his direction she began her second introduction of the day, "I’m Max-"

"Max Bloom, I know," Nick said and Tina looked over at him in shock. She couldn't fathom how Nick would know who their neighbour was before she'd even introduced herself.

Max laughed and nodded, "Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I recognized you," Nick explained, "I read for you once."

"You did?" the other woman asked, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow in his direction, "When was that? I thought you were in a boyband?"

"I'm a singer," Nick stressed, "but when I was a kid I did some acting. You were working for Fox and I auditioned for a role in Edward Scissorhands. It was a speaking role. You gave me 'kid on slip 'n slide' instead."

Max’s smile was unwavering, "I certainly hope you don't hold a grudge. It sounds like you might."

"Why would I hold a grudge?" he questioned with a shrug, "I was 10."

Awkward silence fell over the room and Tina looked back and forth between Nick and Max, still confused by the fact that they knew each other in the past. Nick's hand fell onto her thigh, squeezing lightly and she took it as a hint that he wanted her to break the silence.

"So you work in movies?" Tina asked, feeling stupid as soon as the words left her mouth.

"And television," Max explained, "I'm a casting director so I just kind of go where I'm needed."

"I'm surprised you would live here and not in Los Angeles or New York or something."

"There's lots of television and lots of talent down here," Max explained then motioned to Nick, "Take your husband for example. Consider how many singers, dancers and actors make their way through Disney to move on to better things. I do a lot of work in Orlando and Miami looking for good talent when it's needed for specific projects."

"How do you know Tina?" Nick suddenly asked, ignoring everything Max had been saying about her business.

Max took a mental note of the now vice-like grip Nick had on Tina's thigh and put a smile on her face, "Through her mother," she lied, "We met briefly while I was house hunting and she told me to stop by once I'd found a place. I'm moving in just across the street so I came by but they're out shopping and Tina was nice enough to let me wait in here."

"Hmm," Nick nodded, "Well... welcome to the neighbourhood," he told her, letting go of Tina's leg, "If you'll excuse me I have presents in the car I need to take into the basement."

"Of course, it was nice meeting you," Max told him and the two women watched as he walked back out to the gargage.

Tina waited until she was sure Nick was out of earshot to speak, "Why did you lie?" she demanded of Max, having been so nervous that the other woman would say something that didn't pan out.

Max gave her a sympathetic smile, "He reminds me of my ex-husband...so protective, possessive even. I thought he would like that story better than the truth."

Tina couldn't tell her that she was wrong, quite the opposite in fact. Nick was more satisfied to know that it had been Tina's mother that made the initial connection. If Max had said that Tina didn't even know as much as her name before she let her in the house he would have flipped. She was somewhat grateful for the fib, "We’re not married by the way,” Tina felt compelled to clarify, knowing that Nick was probably annoyed by the assumption that they were, “He can be a little high-strung sometimes," she explained.

"There's a great way to break him of that you know, I have experience in these kinds of things," Max told her, leaning her chin on her hand and leaning in towards Tina.

"Do tell."