Chapter Ten: Flashbulb Glare
Nick glanced over at her and smiled as he drove to one of his favorite restaurants. Pulling on the street he cursed under his breath making Marie look at him. He didn't want this...not tonight. He thought going to one of the few places the paparazzi rarely ever frequented would allow him to slip in unnoticed. Since his wife died the paparazzi were always on him, wondering when and if he was going to get back out on the scene. Once he did they all made it seem like it was too soon that he was dishonoring his wife's memory. No matter what he ever did it never pleased anyone enough. He learned that he had to do things for himself how he wanted and the paparazzi be damned. However, he didn't want to subject Marie to something like this. He felt and overwhelming desire to protect her from the life he led in the public eye. She was a normal person, with a normal heart and he didn't want to force her to face such scrutiny, especially so early on. He parked a little way down the street and turned to her.
"See those guys over there?" He said making her look to where he was pointing. "Those would happen to be paparazzi. And I don't want you to have to deal with that okay?" He said trying to explain his motives for what he was about to do. It was the best idea he could come up with really, anything else probably involved them either going someplace else, or going around the back way and entering in through the kitchen. None of which seemed like any good to him at all, thus this was his best option.
She looked at the small amount of men and sighed she knew this was going to happen eventually, she didn't want this to occur but she knew at the same time that Nick would have to deal with this with her eventually. "Okay so what do we do?" She asked wondering what his plan of action was going to be. She'd seen the way the paparazzi had acted before, a swarm of locusts descending upon someone. She knew that it was really inevitable that she'd have to face something like this with him because as much as he did act like a normal person he was in fact a celebrity.
"I'm going to have you go in first, then I'll meet with you inside...it'll throw them off if we go in separately." He suggested making her silently nod her head. He felt terrible for suggesting it but he didn't want to subject her to that kind of scrutiny just yet and the longer he could protect her from it, the better off they would be. "It's not that I don't want to be seen with you, because really, honestly that's not the issue at all."
"I get it, you don't want me, normal girl to have to deal with it. I understand that. So I'm going in first, you wait five minutes then join me. I'll be at the bar." She said flatly. She got out of the car and walked down the street to the cross walk and Nick sighed watching her cursing at himself. Maybe she could be okay to handle it. He didn't know for certain but he smiled as she brushed past the men with cameras without batting an eye lash.
However, as much as she gave the outward notion that she didn't give one care to the paparazzi standing there she was nervous as all she could be. What if they saw her get out of Nick's car? What if they're still there when they leave? She moved inside the restaurant brushing past them unnoticed. Thankfully she was just a nobody, a normal face in the city of anything but. She made her way to the Maitre d'hotel stand. "Carter...party of two." She said softly figuring he'd put it under his name after all he'd made the reservation himself. Then again celebrities often used code names to delay suspicion as to where they were going for the evening to throw off the throng that eagerly awaited the feeding frenzy to begin. Like sharks in the ocean they could always smell fresh blood in the water.
"Would you like to wait for the rest of your party?" She asked making Marie smile curtly and nod pointing to the bar. She walked over taking off her jacket and sitting very lady like at the bar ordering herself a whiskey sour. She definitely needed it at this point, the nerves from her almost paparazzi encounter had certainly done a number on her, more than she really wanted to admit.
Meanwhile outside Nick cut the engine to his car and got out cutting across the street that wasn't really that busy at all. The photographers saw this coming and descended on him. "Nick how are you?" One asked.
"What are you doing here? Are you on a date?" Another asked. Man, were they ever going to get off his back about his love life? It's not like it mattered anymore, he'd been married and lost his love big deal to him but he didn't think it should really be of any consequence to the tabloids. But then again it would make for a juicy story, Nick Carter, moved on from being widowed and out on the prowl. Yeah because that would sell so many papers... he thought to himself grumbling slightly.
"I'm just here to have dinner guys nothing more..." He replied fudging the truth. Sure he was there to eat dinner, why else would he be at a restaurant? But at the same time, he didn't want to let them know that he was in fact on a date, that would have defeated the entire purpose to him having them enter the building separately now wouldn't it? He brushed past them going into the restaurant looking over to the bar and let the hostess know that the rest of his reservation was there. He spotted her easily taking in the small tantalizing amount of skin showing on her back. He walked over to her and let the backs of his fingers brush along the exposed skin making her jump slightly as he appeared at her side. "You ready to go sit at a table?" He asked noticing the small snifter that was almost empty in front of her. He sighed knowing that she was probably upset with him for his almost cold suggestion of entering separately but he also knew it was for the best and that with time she'd see that too.
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Marie laughed hard as he finished his story. "Wow they actually did that? God...sounds like they picked on you a lot growing up huh?" She asked referring to the various times that the other guys had retaliated against his antics. Their earlier slight tiff forgotten they both had settled into a warm conversation about embarrassing moments and times with friends and family.
"Well I wasn't exactly an angel. Much of what they did was retaliation for the shit I would pull on them, I was really into pranks and pulling shit on them all the time and they all would gang up to get me back so really I think I deserved the few times that I drove them so far to make them react like that." He admitted, he was glad that they were able to find a way to move past the events of earlier in the night. He'd felt terrible for having to do it but really what choice did he have? Expose her to the paparazzi and have them hounding his every move from here on out no matter where they went? Or keep what was brewing between them a well-kept secret until he was sure enough that they were strong enough to handle the intense scrutiny that was sure to come.
"I'm sure karma will come back to get you one day. My mother always said she hopes I have kids who are just like me one day. It's the curse I swear. Although I was a pretty good kid, just was a smart ass for 90% of my childhood." She replied making him smile at her. If that was true he was certainly in for it with Jo and Livie. Livie was so much like him, the same goofy playfulness and massively fast temper. He knew she was going to be the troublemaker out of the two and since she was only three he knew he had time to prepare himself for it when it would happen.
He figured now was going to be the best time to tell her, to explain his entire situation to her. But where to start? How would he begin to tell her that karma was already biting him in the ass being the former player he was in his heyday and now was wrapped around two small female fingers belonging to his beloved daughters. "Speaking of kids...You told me a couple of days ago you do a lot of charity work with kids back home...Do you like kids?" He asked.
She cocked her head to the side not sure where this was coming from. "Yeah I love kids actually, I volunteer a lot just because really it's something to do aside from work. I have a class once a month at the shop where I teach kids how to decorate cakes and how to bake. It's great and it makes me feel good to interact with kids of all ages. Why do you ask?" The question intrigued her. She'd never really ever been asked what she thought of children before. Of course she'd never really been out with someone like Nick before. She was curious to hear his answer and really anything else he might have to say on the subject.
"Curious really...I guess as you get older you think about family more and more. I was just kind of wondering what your take on that was...." He said trying to skirt around the subject. He realized before he dropped the bombshell on her he wanted, no needed to know what she thought of the idea of kids. He needed to know that she wanted kids, liked being around them only then could he make sure that she would be at least partly comfortable with the idea of his own fatherhood.
"So you're trying to find someone to settle down with and have kids with am I right?" She asked hoping to deduce his cryptic reply correctly. The once light funny conversation suddenly went to a very serious place and she wasn't sure what to think or really expect from him.
"Eventually yeah...I mean it's important don't you think? To find the right person who shares the same values right? And you didn't answer my question...what's your take on having kids." He asked again wondering, hoping that she'd give a good answer. It was scary to him, how much potential he saw brewing between them. She was exactly the type of girl he could see himself with and the only thing that could completely make or break any possibility of something more serious would be her reaction to his situation.
She smiled and nodded, "I want them, definitely. I always thought if I didn't get married or have any biological children that I'd adopt." She explained making his eyes light up a little bit. That right there gave him hope that she was definitely going to be okay with what he had to tell her. Just as he was about to ask her about what she thought on the subject of blended families she interrupted him. "Do you wanna get out of here?" She asked smiling at him. They'd long since finished their dinner, and had dessert.
He took a breath and smiled at her. Maybe telling her at the condo, a comfortable private place where the chance of making a public spectacle of herself wouldn't be cause for concern. He knew this was going to be big news and something that was certainly going to shock her to the core but he didn't feel right about telling her in a public place, where she'd either disregard that fact or be forced into submission of her own classiness to bottle up her shock and release it on him later. He called for the check smiling as she reached for her purse but waved her off. "I appreciate the reach but I've got this." He said making her smirk and stand up taking her coat and walking with him as they went to the door. He stopped a little bit before looking out the large windows and the revolving door to the hotel where the restaurant was located. He saw the street and sidewalk were practically empty, with no photographers in sight and sighed in relief. "Think you can handle walking with me to the car. I think they left..." He said with an impish grin.
She smiled and nodded lacing their fingers as they walked out of the hotel. Not but a few moments as they hit the street the photographers that were off out of eye view on the corner approached them snapping photos and asking question upon question about Nick and this girl he was with. "Nick who's the girl? Is she your girlfriend?" The sudden attack startled her, her heart beating out of her chest, this was exactly what he was afraid of happening and it happened anyways despite his earlier prevention.
Marie held her head straight, avoiding their stares and flashbulbs as Nick ignored their questions and picked up his pace dragging her behind him cutting across the street to his car. He opened the door for her letting her get inside as she kept herself as calm as she possibly could. Her heart was still pounding and their questions were ringing out of her ears, her eyes burned from the flashbulbs going off against the car. She watched as Nick made his way around to the other side of the car politely asking them to move so he could pull out.
When they didn't he raised his voice, but still kept it eerily calm. "Come on guys get out of the way I don't want to run anyone over." He semi-threatened through gritted teeth. He'd been through this before with Anna, with all of his previous romances and he hated every second of it. If it were his choice he'd have a moratorium on tabloid photographers. He got in the car as they moved out of the way. He cranked the engine and pulled out despite the intensity of the flash on both of their faces. Once he was down the street he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry..." He said softly driving her back to the condo. "You see why I didn't want to subject you to that? Vultures...fucking vultures I swear..." He muttered still frustrated and angry not only at the paparazzi but at himself for letting his guard down for even a moment thinking that they were in the clear.
The entire ride back to the condo Marie was silently staring out the window watching the street pass her as he drove at near breakneck speed back to his sister's place. He parked and got out going over to her, his mind in complete overdrive. He wanted to tell her, now more than ever. All he had to do was get her inside and he'd lay everything out on the line for her, apologize for not saying something sooner and then go away for a while, let her mind process everything. Yeah, that was his plan...he knew that if he didn't that it would just make the situation worse in the long run. Her silence, though scared him. He knew she was internally rattled from what happened with the photographers, this being her first real encounter with them It hurt him that she hadn't said anything but he knew that she probably was trying to spare him her shock and fear at what happened.
He helped her out of the car and walked her into the building noticing that her arms were folded under her chest. He knew something was up and he wanted to get her to talk to him. He stopped her by the door of the apartment pressing her body up against it kissing her softly. "Sorry. Really." He said his eyes full of apologetic sadness.
She sighed and nodded. "It's okay... I think I'm just going to go to bed though...I had fun tonight for the most part..." She said her mind not really being able to process the experience she just went through.
"Are you sure? I mean there's so much I need to talk to you about...not just the paps...But there's a lot of other things that are really important..." He said trying his best to cut to the chase. He needed to tell her and if he could just get inside the apartment he could lay it all out on the line for her, let her mind process it and understand why the paparazzi were so bloodthirsty for a new romance for him.
She shook her head and he sighed disappointedly. "I don't think I can handle talking right now...Seriously I just want to go to bed...I'll call you though...Okay?" She replied making him sigh again only this time in abject defeat. She leaned forward and kissed him gently and he closed his eyes for the brief moment the kiss occurred almost scared that this was going to be the last time he got to do that. She broke the kiss and opened her door going inside and gave him a weak half grin. "Night..." She said before closing the door. He closed his eyes grimacing at the fact that the paparazzi probably just ruined everything for him.
He walked down the hall cursing himself for not getting it all out at the restaurant. It had been his only chance really to tell her...and he blew it utterly and completely. Some days he really hated the life he led and tonight was definitely no exception to that rule.
Back inside the apartment Marie felt the tears sting her eyes as she took off her coat hanging it up. She looked over at Jada and Romeo and sighed. "Oh stop looking at me like that. You have no idea what just happened..." She said feeling horrible for shutting him out. She didn't want to, in fact she wanted him to crawl into bed next to her and hold her more than anything. She sighed and walked up the stairs taking off her makeup and getting ready for bed...alone once again.
Author's Chapter Notes:
so i think i'm really on a roll here. lol I popped in my UnBreakable cd and just jammed this chapter out within a couple of hours. I hope you all enjoy! Thanks so so much for all the reviews! It's getting complicated in here!
Chapter End Notes:
thanks so much! reviews = love hugs and cookies!lol thanks again!
