Chapter One: Cupid’s Arrow

Nick sighed again as he looked at his watch, “Alyssa come on we’re going to be late!”

Alyssa rolled her eyes and finally settled on a form fitting navy blue silk and lace cocktail dress. She slipped on her heels and her strand of pearls before walking down the stairs, “You rang your highness?” She asked sarcastically.

He shot her a look before looking her up and down grinning at her selection. “Highness? I’d rather you call me lover, baby, master…”

She stopped for a second arching her eyebrow at his last word. “Master eh?”

He chuckled and smirked, “I was joking but now that you mention it…does sound kinda sexy.” He said slipping his arm around her waist.

She laughed and rolled her eyes as they walked out the door, “None of that, I’m hanging out with your friends and you tonight so no talk of us screwing around to rile me up when I can’t even have you.”

He grinned and opened the door, “Yeah I apologize that Bean is going to be there. He found out and pretty much invited himself.”

“Yeah oh well, I’ll have to get used to him being around occasionally.” She said as they got into his black BMW. “Nick it’s not going to be a problem seriously, I’ll just act like my usual classy self and if he makes an ass out of himself then that’s his problem.”

He sighed as he drove them out to Mr. Chow. When they got there the paparazzi was in full swing flash bulbs going off in record time. Nick threw the keys to the valet and took Alyssa’s hand lifting it up to lace their fingers subtlely flashing the engagement ring to the paparazzi. Alyssa giggled and they walked inside.

Chris looked up and smiled, “Hey man!” He shouted giving Nick a hug.

Alyssa gave Chris a hug and greeted everyone else, which included, Tony, Vince, James, David, Brent, and Bean. “Hey guys, how’s everyone been?”

“Great…”Chris replied.

She brushed a few stray strands out of her face unconsciously flashing her ring to the entire table making all of the guys look at Nick. “What?” Alyssa asked.

Nick looked over at her, “They saw the ring.”

“Oh…” Alyssa replied laughing a little with a bright smile.

“Are you two?” Brent asked with a grin.

“Yeah I figured it’d be a good idea to break the news to you guys. It’s bad enough that I had to do a major conference call with the fellas just to tell them.”

Bean rolled his eyes a little at the whole idea and Nick gave him a stern look. “Well just means more ass for us. So maybe it’s a good thing.”

Alyssa chuckled a little bit, it was such a Rob thing to say. He always made everything either about sex, partying or a combination of both. “It better mean more ass for you guys.”

Nick laughed at Alyssa’s reply, “Have I ever…”

“Not on me thank God.”

Brent laughed at banter they had going, “You already sound like an old married couple. Soon you’re going to stop screwing.”

David snickered and added, “Like every other married couple out there, then the fighting starts.”

Alyssa grinned a little, and smacked Brent’s arm. “Hey now be nice.”

Chris took a sip of his wine and observed everyone, “So when’s the wedding?”

Nick and Alyssa both exchanged glances with each other and shrugged, “We have no idea. We haven’t even started discussing wedding plans yet.”

Later on that week…

Alyssa closed her eyes slowly and opened them again considering the ceiling for a moment as she kicked her leg out from under sheets. She turned her head slightly seeing Nick laying there as well just staring at the ceiling thinking. “How was the conference call with the boys?”

He sighed for a moment, “Alex thought it was great, Brian was pissed I hadn’t told him first, and Howie was ecstatic.”

“And Kevin?” Alyssa asked knowing that they both valued his opinion most.

He thought a moment and looked over at her, “He said congratulations, and to make sure I’m taking good care of you. Then we made small talk about what’s been going on. With his acting and trying to get Kristin pregnant.”

“How’s that going?”

“They’re trying, it’s hard for them with being apart so much and not to mention they’ve had fertility issues for as long as I can remember. They’ve been trying off and on since the end of Black and Blue.”

Alyssa rolled to her side and snuggled up to him laying her head on his chest. “I hope we never have to go through that, it was bad enough with a miscarriage, I don’t know if I can survive another.”

“Me either, but no matter what we’ll make it through.” He replied holding her close running his fingertips across her bare arm making her shudder.

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Alyssa Narrating:

*sigh* The past few weeks have been just…whoa. Seriously, between him asking me to marry him. And just accepting that we’re officially engaged has all been a bit heady you know?

Honestly if you would have asked me the day off, hell even 30 seconds before he asked me, I would have laughed and said “nah he’ll never ask me”. I guess I was wrong. Sometimes I really enjoy it when he proves me wrong like that. Normally I hate being proved wrong but that was such a pleasant surprise. And now I can’t describe the way I feel without getting all over exaggerated and clichéd on everyone. We’re just so, in tune with each other right now. I hope this is a good sign of where things are headed because if so, then married life is going to be a piece of friggin Key Lime Pie from Britt’s.

If you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, Britt’s is a place in Tampa that has the BEST key lime pie. Everytime we’re in Tampa we go there, along with going to Crabby Bill's and the Green Iguana.

I know sounds weird but they’re really good, of course Nick got me to like them. After going out to Florida a couple of times (three in total) before becoming his personal assistant, we always got food from there. And I swear I want some of the Key Lime sauce from Britt’s just to lick off of him.

Yeah, being engaged, has pretty much put a whole new level to our sex life. It’s been really, explosive I think is the appropriate term. Maybe it’s because we can fully relax now, we know we’re going to spend forever together now and we can just let everything go no holds barred sort of thing you know?

He’s definitely been more aggressive lately and quite frankly I love it. Usually he waits for me to make a move, to show that I want it, but it’s been the opposite now. For his birthday, we all are going out to Lucky Strike in LA to just hang out and celebrate that he will be now 27-years-old. Weird I know, it will be funny to see all the fan sites light up with well wishes for his birthday. It was even funnier to see all the comments about our engagement. They ranged from “aww that’s so awesome congratulations” to “she trapped him, she’s pregnant and is going to pull a k-fed on him”. The last one made me crack up because, number one I’m not pregnant, number two, I don’t want his money, hell it’s a battle to let him pay for something for me. I hate making him pay for something I know I can pay for myself. Anyways I’m getting distracted from my point.

Everything has been really good lately, even with the fans for the most part which is astonishing to say the least but eh I’m good with it either way.

End Narration.

***************************************

Alyssa giggled as she scrolled through the internet. “What?” Nick asked looking over at her amused expression.

“I officially have a hate site!” She remarked giggling.

“You’re kidding?” Nick asked getting up. He moved across the room and sat down next to her looking at the page she had up. “Oh god, here we go again.”

“Yeah at least this time the girl you’re with doesn’t care.”

“You don’t?”

“They don’t even know me baby, and if they’re going to judge me based solely off the fact that we’re together, they’re not worth my time and thoughts.”

He grinned and kissed her softly loving how at ease she was with herself and their lifestyle.

She broke the kiss and turned to the laptop pulling up another site, “Besides this one is a fan site, dedicated to us as a couple. So apparently the hate sites are in the minority which is good.”

“And you’re concerned with what they say?”

“Nope, that’s why I let you convince me to get a myspace account. I was a little worried with having one it would cause controversy but I don’t care anymore, it’s an easy way to get in touch with you or your siblings when we’re not in the same city.”

“Yeah and the massive amounts of emails you get not only from that, and you’re school account don’t bother you?”

Alyssa smiled at him, “I really don’t care, I read some of them sometimes, reply to the nice ones with a thank you and delete the mean ones. After awhile you can tell which ones are going to be mean and which ones are nice just by the address and subject line. I choose to either ignore or laugh at the negative crap, it’s not worth it otherwise.”

“I’m so glad I’m marrying you.”

Alyssa moved back a little cocking her head to the side, “And why would you say something that random?”

“Because you’re the only girlfriend I’ve ever had that doesn’t care what the fans think. Fuck even Paris got all in a tizzy when my fans hated her.”

“They were right to hate her.”

He chuckled a bit, “I know I was just illustrating that even the most cold hearted ones I’ve dated feared the fans. And look at you, cool as a cucumber.”

“And your point? Nick come on I’ve lived through every other girlfriend. Hell I even knew about Debbie thanks to your sister. I’m secure enough in myself as a person that I know for a fact I’m in this relationship because…” She said stopping momentarily.

“Because?”

“Because you’re the only person whose ever made me feel alive like I don’t have to hide the real me like I do at work, or be classy when we go out in public, when we’re here at home….I can just be Alyssa Monroe, normal girl. Not the youngest literary professor at UCLA or girlfriend of Nick Carter the Backstreet Boy, or even the funny witty girl everyone goes to for advice. I can just chill and be me around you.”

He smiled and replied, “I feel the same thing about you. Ever since the group blew up I haven’t been able to find someone besides the guys that I can just be myself around. Until you. I knew it as soon as I met you back then that you’d be a great friend to me.”

“So I’m guessing we’re good for each other?”

“I’m guessing we are.” He shot back pulling her to him as they relaxed on the couch.