“I can’t believe he wants to work with me,” Nick was still in disbelief over what his manager had just told him.  One of the biggest producers in the music industry had actually reached out to him with an idea for a song. 

“This could make you explode in the music industry.”  His manager was just as excited as Nick about the prospect.    “Your solo career could really take off.”

The two were too excited to actually focus on any work so after about two hours of attempting to work they decided to call it a day with the intent of picking up where they left off tomorrow.  The day after that Nick would be meeting with the man who could change everything for him.

Nick sat in his car with his phone in his hand. He wanted to tell someone, anyone his news.  The problem he was facing was he didn’t want to tell any of his brothers from The Backstreet Boys since they might not take the news as well.  If he skyrockets as a solo artist, where would that leave them as a group?   His fingers kept making the motion to call Lindsey, he knew that she would support him and be happy for him.

He sighed when he remembered the last time he was with Lindsey.  The sound of sobs from behind the door unhinged him. Why had she been crying, was the thought of him having feelings for her that unappealing to her?

He could call Veronica, she would be happy for him but even though he had agreed to meet her that night and talk things through, he did not really want to get back together with her.  It was like a switch went off in his head, when he realized his feelings for Lindsey he knew he wouldn’t be able to pretend with Veronica.  Still it wouldn’t hurt to have dinner with her and to talk about what was going on with him.

Nick turned his car on and started to drive.  He needed to clear his head and figure things out.  He wanted to know from Lindsey what the tears were all about.  With his mind elsewhere, he drove on automatic and found himself outside the fairgrounds.   He snorted but parked his car and walked to the ticket booth.    He paid for his admission and started to walk around; ignoring the happy couples holding hands he made his way to the Ferris wheel

“Nick Carter,” a voice seemed to call to him.  He looked around trying to figure out which person recognized him and how many autographs and pictures he would have to stand through.  He scrunched his nose in confusion as he saw nobody around him so he resumed walking to the Ferris wheel.

“Nick Carter,” the voice came again and his head whipped around.  That’s when he noticed the rows of tents and the woman standing outside one that had a picture of a crystal ball.   The red-headed woman smiled and motioned him to come towards her.

“This can’t be happening,” He muttered to himself as he started to approach the tent.  The fortune teller beckoning him was the same one that haunted his dreams, the one who told him he could not have fame and love.

He pushed aside the curtain and walked into the room.  Memories from when he was eleven came flooding back as his eyes fell on the woman sitting at the table in front of him, a deck of cards waiting on the table.   The woman looked almost exactly the same as that day nineteen years ago, though when he sat and looked closer he could see wrinkles around her eyes, her face looked older.

The woman chuckled slightly breaking Nick out of his trance.  “You still are unsure?” She asked him.

“You remember me?” He asked her shocked that someone who probably saw hundreds of peoples a day could remember him from several years.

“As you remember me.” She smiled.  “I have been watching you since that day you visited me so long ago.” 

“I chose my path,” he muttered averting his eyes from the woman. 

“You are still on one path, but paths often have forks.” Her eyes twinkled as he snapped his head back to look at her.  

“How did you…” He started to ask her but she simply tapped her head and then the cards.   

Nick pulled out some money and threw it on the table, he didn’t notice how much he gave her, he just needed to know the answers to the questions in his head. 

The woman started to shuffle the deck after using one hand to swipe the money and place it in the satchel at her belt.   Nick watched her shuffle, mesmerized by the movements her hands were making.

“Clear your mind and think of the one question you want the answer to the most.” She said placing the deck in front of him.  “Cut the deck.” She instructed. 

Nick thought of what he wanted to know and cut the deck.  The woman grabbed the cards and started to deal on the table, making clucking noises when she saw certain cards surface.  

“Again, you cannot clear you mind to only think of one question.” She commented when she finished dealing the cards.

Nick shrugged and held his hands out apologetically, she waved her hand in dismissal of this gesture.

“You have achieved much but you have not achieved all you want.” She started speaking as she touched the cards laid out on the table.  “I still see the same.  The fork is in front of you now.”  She looked up at him and held his gaze. “There is something else on your mind.  The fork in the road is clear but who one of the forks leads to is still misty.”

Nick sighed.  He had tried to clear his mind but he knew his recent news mixed with thoughts of Lindsey and Veronica swelled in his head while she dealt the cards.

“There are two women,” He started.  The older lady nodded and waited for him to continue.  “One of them I confessed how I felt and she cried.  The other, I just have a feeling she’s hiding something from me.”

“But if you choose the other fork you will not have to worry about either.” The woman smiled and winked.   “But you aren’t sure about that path either.”

“It’s complicated; if I choose it then I could alienate others who care about me.”  Nick admitted.  The woman was easy to talk to, not the scary demon of his nightmares.  She didn’t seem like she wanted to keep him from the path of his choosing, she seemed that she wanted to help him choose the right one.

“I cannot make the choice for you,” She started.

“I know,” he interrupted.

“I can tell you that no matter which fork you choose, you will lose all chance to go down any of the others so you must weigh all your choices and choose what you feel.”   She finished crossing her arms across her chest.

“If I choose love, how do I know which of those forks?” He asked her not really thinking that she would be able to answer.  She didn’t know the women involved.

“You must find the reason for the tears, and the reason you feel deceived.” She stated simply, it was so simple of an answer that Nick could have slapped his head then and there.  Talk to the girls, find out the answers. Nick stood and started to walk out of the tent.

“Follow the money,” Her voice said from behind.  Nick turned around to ask her what she meant but she was no longer sitting at the table.  He thought she vanished until he noticed a curtain towards the back swaying slightly.   

“What does that mean? Follow the path that leads to money?” He wondered out loud.  She had never told him what path to choose before and her sudden statement stating which to choose threw him off guard.  He took out his phone and looked at the time.  He was only running a little behind if he still wanted to meet up with Veronica.    Nick sighed and decided it would be best to meet with her and talk, maybe the kiss with Lindsey meant nothing after all.  He couldn’t deny the connection he had with Veronica, maybe it could work with her after all?  

There was only one way to find out.  Nick got in his car and headed in the direction of the restaurant where he and Veronica had their first date.