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It was nearly three months later that their paths crossed again. Literally. The Boys had been in rehearsals and doing promotion for their CD. She'd been doing more promo than rehearsing. Her show wasn't heavy on the choreography but there was some and her first time on stage was a complete disaster. David broke up with her via text message. What a coward! He knew it too. He wanted her to fail her first time out. Well he succeeded from the moment she stepped foot on stage to the very last note when she came off. She was really gonna have to learn to bottle up those emotions until after her performances if she was going to have any success at all. After thanking the audience, she headed offstage and smack into Nick who'd been watching from the sidelines apparently.
"We're really gonna have to stop meeting like this,"He teased but she didn't respond the way he hoped.
"I'm really sorry."
"It's okay."
She stepped around him and headed for the dressing room. He started following her. "Shel?"
She turned back to him."What?" Her voice strangled.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Give em time Shel. They'll love you. Even we have a bad night now and again."
"It's not that. I know I can come back there."
"Then what is it?" He took her hand.
Genuine concern. That was nice. She hadn't felt that in quite some time either. She barely knew him but she didn't have many choices of where she could pour her heart out. The rest of them were nice enough but he was about the only one available to share with."It's nothing really."
Something still wasn't right. He might have not been the brightest crayon in the box but he knew when somebody was hurting. "I have to go on in a few Shel but if you need a shoulder later, I've got a nice big one here." Patting his shoulder and smiling.
"I'll think about it. Thank you."



After she showered and freshened up from the batch of tears that she'd cried while she was in there, she found a nice, comfy spot on the side of the stage and watched them. They made it look so easy. And it was so funny to hear the crowd decibal level rise when Nick stripped the top layer off to reveal the wifebeater and that fine assed physique of his.
She'd practically forgotten the fact that her boyfriend had just broke up with her when she saw it. She's a woman, not dead. The show had managed to temporarily distract her from those matters of the heart but it was almost over now and they were doing the encore.
Being as he was the last off the stage, Nick immediately stopped when he saw her there.
"That offer still open?" Biting her lip nervously.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Oh, I just thought you might have plans after the show."
"Never the first night."
"So...uhhh
"Why don't I call you when I get to the hotel and we'll go from there?"
"I think I can handle that."
"I'll talk to you then." He headed off in the opposite direction and was met by AJ."What was that all about?"
"She had a bad night. Needs someone to talk to."
He raised his brows curiously.
"Come on AJ. I like her but I don't like her like you think I do."
"I think you do. Not that there's anything wrong with it, just remember she has a boyfriend."
"And I thought you were gonna say something about our age difference."
"Now why would I do that? It's only numbers. Just watch yourself Nick."


"So can I get ya anything?" He said as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"No thanks."
"Okay." He grabbed a can of soda and sat down on the bed next to her. "So what's going on?"
"Other than my first time on stage being a total disaster, nothing really."
"You're sure about that?"
"No."
"Well something had you shook up earlier. Did something happen with your boyfriend?"
She nodded her head.
"So you wanna talk about it?"
"Asshole didn't even have the guts to face me. He broke up with me fifteen minutes before stage via a text message," She blurted out. "Said HE couldn't handle the pressure."
"Wow. I think that's the most gutless move I've ever heard of."
"I've had my heart broke before but that just cut in the worst way."
"I wish there was something I could do Shelly."
"You're doing everything you can. You really don't even need to be doing this for me."
"I'm the one that offered the shoulder remember?"
"I know. It's just feels weird pouring my heart out to someone I barely know."
"And younger?"
She was embarrassed to admit to it but that was part of the reason she did feel weird." Um.....yeah."
"Would you feel weird if I was a girl and younger?"
"No because I have a friend that's younger than you."
"We're not talking about age now are we?"
"Guys have always been kinda foriegn to me Nick. Before David, most of my relationships lasted 3 months. If that."
"So he was the biggest bruiser of them all then."
"I feel like I should be crying my eyes out but I've done so much of it already tonight that I don't think I have any left in me."
"Everybody deals different Shel. I shoot hoops."He grinned.
It felt good to be opening up to somebody. It'd be another month before they'd hit her hometown and she would definitely be needing girl time by then." You know, I might take you up on a soda now."
"You got it." Most women her age had been through hell and back in relationships so he knew he had to heed AJ's advice where she was concerned. Not that he was considering a relationship but he needed to be careful where she was concerned. He could see it was the first time her heart had really been broke. She didn't need advice, she just needed somebody to listen.
He was a nice kid. People really didn't give him enough credit. He could be out hooking up with some sweet little thing but he was here listening to her spill her guts. He tossed her the can and said,"So anything you don't like to watch on TV?"
"Sports and The Office. I just don't get that one."
Grabbing the remote from the bedside table, he flipped and settled on some law show. She had her favorites but she'd never seen this one.
"Good?"
"Works for me."
"Kick your shoes off and get comfortable,"he said as he leaned against a stack of pillows piled up against the headboard.
Setting her drink on the opposite table, she slid her shoes off and adjusted her stack of pillows. If you'd have told her she'd be sharing her love life(much less anything else) with Nick Carter, she'd have laughed it off like it was just another fantasy in her long list of them. He was a baby and despite being drop dead gorgeous, she was going to deny the very chemistry she felt the first time she met him.
No denying she was every young man's fantasy but he couldn't see this going any further than what it was. He was trying to believe it would go no further than friendship but he knew himself too well. He would at least try. The age thing was just numbers as AJ put it but for a change, he was looking for something more than just the physical(which was very much alive between them).
She blearily opened her eyes the next morning to find herself curled up on one very long, lean torso. She also felt the arms around her. Oh shit! Looking at her state of dress, she breathed a sigh of relief to find herself fully clothed.
"Nothing happened."
Embarrassment flushed her face as she looked up to him.
"It's really cute how you do that."
"Why?" She leaned up so she was looking him in the eye. God! he had really beautiful eyes.
"Because it really makes me want to do something like this." His lips approaching hers.
She could feel his breath there. No way was this happening. Couldn't be. Shouldn't be.