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Chapter Twenty

A week and a half later, making it a March fourteenth, Nick had arrived back in Tampa. Frank had come back with him from Los Angeles. Their plane had landed at Tampa International Airport at 6:30 that morning. He had wanted to take an early flight so he could get away from all the chaos.

He wanted to come home. He didn't want to stay in L.A. He did what Alana had asked him and tried to get his shit together. It was least he could do, for everything that she had done for him recently. But he knew he had a lot more to make up for.

Nick had gotten together with the rest of the guys a week before and told them all what had happened. From there, it got out to the press and the Backstreet Boys had to hold a least four different press conferences. He was sick of the media. They all decided to take a break from recording the new album for about two weeks, then they would all meet down in Orlando to finish it up.

Nick got into the front seat of Frank's black jeep.

"Where to boss?" Frank asked as they pulled out onto the freeway.

"Tampa Walmart," he answered as he light a cigarette.

Frank gave him a look.

"Does she know you're back?" Frank asked.

"Nope," he said, flicking the ashes from his cigarette out the opened window. What was she going to say?
~**********~

It was around 7:00 a.m. Alana had gotten to work an hour before. Being head CSM was an exhausting job. She had to be careful so that she didn't end up in the hosptial again. She had five registers open. Looking at the notebook on the podium, she sighed. She didn't have enough cashiers to last the entire day. That meant calling up the salesfloor associates because most of them were register trained.

Forty-five minutes later, Frank parked his black jeep in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. There weren't many cars because it was really early. So the chances of Nick being mobbed were small. Nick was wearing worn faded blue jeans, a green fitted t-shirt and a white hat. Frank walked in with him. He looked around the store. It was really quiet. He saw a few associates in blue. Nick was not one to go to Wal-Mart, especially where Alana worked. Hell, he had never been to this Wal-Mart. He pulled his hat down and Frank walked a distance away from him, keeping his eyes opened. A male associate was putting out soda onto a display in action alley .

"Can you tell me where I can find Alana Patterson?" Nick asked.

The guy looked up. He was dressed in jeans, an orange shirt, and blue Wal-Mart vest.

"You mean CSM Alana?" the guy asked.

"Yah," he answered, feeling kind of funny.

"She's over by the podium near the front registers, wearing a red vest, you can't miss her," the associate said.

"Thanks," Nick said, walking away.

He walked through the menswear section and touched the clothes. He looked around to take in the atmostsphere. Frank was not far behind him, he was casually browsing through a clothing rack.

As Nick spotted her from afar he just couldn't keep his eyes of her. Her long hair was pulled back with a clip, revealing her neck. The tan capris were tightly hugging her hips, showing off her curves...the hem of a pink top was showing under the red employee vest, and this vest was really destroying her breathtaking outfit in his opinion

He looked behind him and saw Frank about fifteen feet away from him, enough just to give him some space. Nick approached the podium slowly. Alana was counting money and writing down numbers onto a clipboard. She looked so engrossed in what she was doing she didn't notice him standing infront of the podium.

Alana closed the top drawer and locked it with her key. She then looked up to check to see if any register lights were flashing, but a familiar face was in her way.

"OMIGOD!" she cried, jumping almost a mile "What the hell are you doing here?"

Nick laughed and grinned.

"I came to talk to you," he answered.

He gave her such a heart-melting smile that she was glad to see him. They should issue a licence for being so cute.
She looked around to see if anyone was looking. Thank goodness there weren't many customers or associates around.

"You're supposed to be in L.A.," Alana said quietly. "Why are you here? You wouldn't be caught dead this store."

But still he came. Did he really understand what I meant?

"I need to talk to you," Nick repeated, his voice was quiet, yet filled with so much hope and that unique sound had conquered her

"Nick, I'm working, this isn't the time, nor the place," she answered.

She saw a light flashing on register 16 and started to walk toward it. He started to follow her. Alana put her key into the keylock on the keyboard and punched her numbers in to give the cashier an override.

"I just want to talk Lana," he said, trying to stay calm.

She gave him an angry look. She didn't want to deal with this right now.

"I don't want to talk to you right now. Can't you see I'm working?" she hissed back.

"Alana," he growled.

"Don't you 'Alana' me Nickolas," she said. "I told you, I am working. I will talk to you later."

She started walking towards the Serivce Desk, but Nick grabbed her wrist. She glared at him with an agitated stare. She shook his grip off.

"Fine, but not here," she said.

He followed her behind the the Service Desk into a small office. Alana shut the door.

"Now tell me what's so important that couldn't wait until I got out of work," she said glaring at him with her hands on her hips. "And you're supposed to be in L.A. with the other guys recording your new album, right?"

Nick towered over at standing over six feet compared to her five foot, five inch frame.

"We're on a break right now," he replied.

"You came all the way from L.A. to tell me you're on break?!?" She cried. "I told you that I didn't want you home until you got your shit together!"

He sighed. It was no use getting to her. She was stubborn, but that's what he loved about her. She had a spunky personality and she didn't like it when people pushed her buttons.

"Forget I came here," he said with just as much anger and started to open the door.

Alana squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. He wasn't supposed to just leave.

"Nick wait," she said, her voice calming down.

He turned around and raised his eyebrows.

"Go home and get some sleep, we'll talk when I get home," she said.

He gave her a half smile and left. She llowed me to go home. That's so good. Maybe it means she could forgive me for all the shit I've done?

Alana sank into the chair by the desk and took a deep breath. What am I getting myself into? she asked herself.
~**********~