Chapter 15
It had been three months since Celine was born. Amanda was now juggling the baby and running her nightclub, the Blue Banana. She loved the nightclub and had owned it for a few years. The place was one of the most popular clubs in Miami. Amanda knew it was because of Nick. He brought in a lot of business the nights he performed there. It was amazing how Nick's career had taken off. She remembered the day she found out he could sing and he eventually had gotten a record deal. He could perform anywhere he wanted, but he always came to her club. She was fine with that, she could see him every night. Amanda and Lance were getting along great, he was so happy to be a father and had taken to the role almost immediately. He was very attentive to the baby and helped out whenever he could.
"Amanda, are you ever going to tell him?" Brian asked one day as he finished babysitting for her. Amanda rolled her eyes at him. Brian didn't agree with how they were keeping the results of the paternity test from Lance. He had tried a few times to tell him, and Amanda warned him to back off.
"Enough. We are done discussing that. Lance is better off not knowing." she reasoned.
"Nick is making a mistake, you both are." Brian said again, his eyes watchful.
"Please don't tell him. No need to make my life anymore complicated than it is." Amanda replied, taking the baby from him. Brian was an excellant babysitter and Celine took to him almost at once, she was well behaved and didn't cry too much, which Brian liked.
"Don't worry, I won't." Brian promised. As the days went by, Amanda was happy that she didn't have to deal with Katie too much. She often saw her on the tabloids in the supermarket, along with Nick on the cover. Katie loved the attention she got from dating him and enjoyed every minute of it. AJ had told her that she had moved into the house.
"Is he crazy?" Amanda asked when she found out the news.
"She already started taking over. This morning she took away his video games." AJ commented with a chuckle.
"I bet he isn't too happy about that."
"Nope, he is furious. She said he is too old for them and it is juvenile for games to be laying around his bedroom,"
"What a bitch." Amanda said. She could hear yelling in the background.
"Something going on over there?"
"Dear God, she is trying to kick out Joey." AJ responded after a moment. They heard Joey begging to stay and Katie telling him to get out. Nick came in and said it was all right and to go back to his room.
"What happened?"
"Its all right now, Nick just told her off,"
"Katie has issues.....I don't know how Nick puts up with her." Amanda said. AJ told her that the two were fighting more that Katie had moved in and taken over the house. The next day, Nick came to rehearsals looking stressed again.
"Nick, you all right?" Amanda asked, as he sat down on the stage and sighed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Yeah, I'm fine.....just got a lot on my mind." he replied. Amanda sat next to him and offered him a drink.
"Katie giving you a hard time, is she?"
"Things aren't working out like I want them to, ya know? She is a completely different person than when I first met her," he said in frustration.
"Sorry to hear that,"
"Its not your fault. I've been dumb....maybe I should just give up on finding love. I'm not meant to be happy."
"Of course you are, Nick. There is someone for you....it just takes a while to find them." Amanda told him. She wanted to tell him she loved him right then but it wouldn't change anything. She was married and Nick was in a relationship, it wouldn't work out.
"I'm sorry, I just wish things would work with Katie. I like her, its just she doesn't act like she likes me. Katie only wants me for my money." Nick replied thoughtfully.
"Things always have a way of working themselves out. Now let's start this rehearsal so Brian doesn't kill me for being late picking up Celine." Amanda said, getting up and waving Nick to the stage. He did amazing as usual, but there was something different, like a spark in Nick was missing.
"Nick, don't forget we are closed on Thanksgiving, you don't have a gig that night." Amanda reminded him after practice.
"That's good. I have to cook anyway. Looks like it will just be me, Katie and AJ. Joey is visiting his parents." Nick said.
"Sounds like a quiet night for you."
"Its about time. I could use a stress free night for once." Nick laughed. As he drove home, he couldn't help but think this holiday wasn't going to be peaceful at all.
Author's Chapter Notes:
This will be one of two updates this week. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!
