July 4, 1998
Maitland, Florida
“You’re pounding that dough awfully hard. Has to be guy troubles.”
I look up from a large hunk of pie crust. As usual, Kal is dressed like a Kennedy. Her big floppy straw hat dips, creating a shadow across her eyes. She looks like she’s just stepped off a yacht, which, in reality, probably did just happen. She whips off the hat and smiles.
“You could say that,” I admit.
“Which one?”
“Which one?”
“I know there’s two just by our conversation the other day. You want to squish them together to make the perfect guy.”
I laugh. “Kinda. Sorta. I don’t know. Life would be so much simpler if…”
“I’m pretty sure simple is boring. I think in a past life I must have led a really droll life because now I avoid it like the plague.” She walks over and presses her elbows into the counter, leaning back on the toes of her heels. “Spill.”
“There’s tons of stuff going on today. You don’t need to hear my problems.”
“It’s a lot more interesting than cleaning blueberry pie off of Leo,” she grins. “That’s Steven’s current task because I had some ‘pressing’ matters to attend to.”
We both laugh. I admit the dough is kneaded within an inch of its life and transfer some to my first pan.
“I had another doctor’s appointment yesterday. The babies dad invited me to stay at his place while he’s gone and that way I’ll already be settled by the time they’re born. He wants to live with me and he said something about whether I’d give him a chance. His girlfriend dumped him after she found out.”
“So obviously he’s not a hideous ogre since you’ve already slept with him.”
I laugh. It’s cathartic to make cohesive thumb presses all along the edge of the pie pan. “Let’s just say that I have never had a crush on anyone more. He’s cute, he fully relies on God, he comes from this normal, close-knit family, and admittedly,” I glance up. “The sex was good. I mean, my choice should be easy. I’m carrying his children, he’s single, I’m single. I should be moving today to see about making this work. But...”
“But?”
I sigh. Maybe it's the fact that it's a holiday, but my mind can’t get off…
“But then there’s Nick.”
“Nick.”
I smile. “Yeah, Nick. He’s not my type physically, or wasn’t...isn’t...I’m not making sense.”
“That’s okay, I like hearing you ramble. Go on. Tell me all about this Nick who I think I may or may not know of.”
I give her a look. She obviously knows. How couldn’t she? Anyone who watches MTV knows that the story of two Backstreet Boys getting arrested at an OB/GYN is the best joke ever. “He’s goofy, occasionally irrational, his hygiene is sometimes questionable, his wardrobe is huge but what he wears is limited, and….and he loves me unconditionally. He also happens to come from a family that rivals my own in disfunction and he’s overprotective and did I mention occasionally irrational?”
“Hmm...I think you did.”
“He’s this tall, scrawny, floppy-haired blonde guy who’s younger than me that thinks that we’re going to get married and live happily ever after.”
“And you won’t?”
“I don’t know. I think…”
I trail off. I don’t exactly know what I think. Or maybe I do.
“I think I miss him. It’s only been a week and I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s like a puppy dog.”
“Puppy dogs can turn into great studs,” Kal winks at me. “I know from experience.”
I laugh. She has no idea how true her statement is.
I already know Nick Carter turns into a stud.
The flowers show up before Nick does. Three dozen roses, one red, one white, and one blue. The kitchen immediately fills with the sweet silky scent that makes me want to never leave the room.
Nick shows up a half hour later. I watch him get out of the car dragging these two ridiculous teddy bear wearing Uncle Sam hats and a bottle of what looks like champagne. He’s wearing a gray tank top and bright blue basketball shorts with gigantic red Air Jordans.
I reluctantly leave the kitchen and meet him at the porch. The moment he sees me, he gives me a smile that could melt ice.
“Hey."
I can't help but smile back. "Hey."
"Did you like the flowers?"
"I love them."
"I brought these for Ben and Winnie."
"Winnie?"
"Yeah, I mean I gotta call her something. Fetus sounds like an alien. Baby Girl doesn't sound right. So I picked Winifred."
"Winifred Littrell?"
He grins. "I might be holding a little grudge still."
"Well, her name isn't Winnie."
"You have a name?"
"Maybe."
"Is it boring? It's not Jackie is it? Please don't score any more brownie points."
I just grin. "I'm not telling."
"'I brought sparkling grape juice."
"That earns you a piece of pie."
"Have I ever told you I love pie?"
My face hurts from smiling.
"They you're going to love mine."
"Brian gave me a key to his apartment. It's closer to the new OB I'm seeing."
"He did?"
"He said it was his place."
"Are you going to take him up on that offer?"
"Not now. I want to wait. I need to stay busy."
"You could go on tour with us."
"I think that would be a bad idea. I've been able to escape here. I don't want to parade around the fans."
Nick stretches out on the porch swing. Across the lake, I can see a boat prepping the fireworks display.
"Don't be mad at me for missing you."
I snuggle up to him. It's the perfect night, little humidity, and damn if I haven't missed him. I feel better confessing about the key burning a hole in my purse. I am not feeling brave enough to tell him what Brian basked me about giving him a chance.
"I've missed you too."
"I am a bossy jerk."
"You both kinda are."
"Yeah, but I'm cuter doing it."
I laugh. "He kicked your ass. Your eye's still a little bruised."
I feel Nick's lips press into my hair. "I'd rather forget that my ass was handed to me by a guy fresh out of open heart surgery. I need to start pumping iron. If I start now I think I'll start ripping my clothes on accident even earlier. It's the buff effect."
"Or the fact you want to show off your junk."
He laughs. "Maybe. I like to hear the crowd go nuts. It doesn't take much. But I only have one girl I need to impress."
I look up at him. My tongue can still taste the sparkling grape juice. He leans down, ever so slowly and our lips meet.
This is right. This is good. I close my eyes and let my mind jump forward. This is the guy who I wanted to pounce on in the car in the middle of the desert....
My eyes fly open. Nick senses the change and pulls away. "What?"
"Why were we in the middle of the desert?"
"When?"
"Before...before we came back here."
A light clicks on behind his eyes. "I totally wanted to just rip your clothes off with my teeth. We were in the middle of nowhere....and..." He squinches his face. "We went to find a building."
My heart starts beating faster. We almost have it...
Then the fireworks start. I jump and he holds me to keep me from falling. As the colors light the night sky, I lose it.
"I can't remember," Nick admits. "Aren't they beautiful?"
"Breathtaking."
"Just like you."
I look at him and I feel like at that moment those women in the Harlequin books might not have been so crazy when talking about their well hung hunk. I might as well be the only other person on Earth in his eyes.
"I missed you," I whisper a split second before I kiss him.
In self-defense, my hormones are screwed up. I’m not totally in control of my senses.
Besides, he brought me giant stuffed teddy bears.
And non-alcoholic fizzys.
And roses.
I can’t forget the roses.
He’s a great kisser. I love kissing Nick Carter. I don’t even care if he forgot to brush his teeth or gargle or anything. You forget all that stuff with your lips on his.
You forget all the crazy stuff, even if only for a little while.
