Today was just one plain old horrific day. This morning it rained like cats, dogs, cows and ducks, the noon shift one of her co-workers couldn�t make it leaving her, Adonna and Helena to foot a rush of people they didn�t expect to have.
Apparently there was a smokers� convention in the hotel not far away, presenting a correlation that she never knew. Most smokers also drank coffee. So with the mixture of still being somewhat wet from earlier, smelling like cigarette smoke and French vanilla cappuccinos (some fantastic jittery smoker who hadn�t had a cigarette in 5 seconds lost all control of his hands, I�ll let you take it from there) Tina was beaten and exhausted. The thought of her previous encounter with the superstar was long forgotten, at least in her world it was.
�I can�t believe you turned down Nick fucking Carter!� Helena screeched.
�I know, I mean are you out of your fucking mind?!� Adonna and Helena continuously berated her decision not to give into the star. What was the big deal? No one said anything when she observably flirted with Justin Timberlake the one time he stopped by a few weeks ago. So what if he was a jerk, boy was richer than most people her age and cute--a winning formula. But because she didn�t return Nick�s smiles made it a crime? Big whoop.
�Ok so I didn�t basically throw Nick on the floor and screw him before all of you, lock me away and throw away the key.�
�That can be arranged� Helena scowled. Jeez they were making such a big deal out of this.
�If you wanted him so bad why didn�t you talk to him instead? You look like you�re his cup of tea.� And rightly so they probably were. Hanging around Helena and Adonna could make Tyra Banks insecure. Helena could easily pass for Adriana Lima except with some meat on her bones. She had the height, those crystal eyes that looked as if they could hypnotize you with a single glance. Black hair so black it looked as if it had a hint of purple and killer curves. Adonna on the other hand was harder to describe. Thanks to her many different roots of Irish, African and Japanese she was just the most exotic woman Tina�s eyes had ever came across. Girl had soft toffee skin that all races envied, long thick dirty blond hair, bright green eyes thanks to her father that were slanted inherited by her mother�s half Japanese heritage. Of course like Helena she was a stick and tall as ever. Tina couldn�t compete with that. Not that she was competing with two people she considered her closest friends but when you�re surrounded by beauty like that, you couldn�t help but feel a little off course. Long icy winter made her skin pale, paler than what it normally was thanks to her grandmother who�s genes kicked in double time completely overriding her parents caramel complexions to this day she was jealous of. Freckles that dotted her face made her feel awkward, red/brown hair did the same and as far as her short stature went, all around Tina just felt weird. Never would she deny that she wasn�t pretty. She had enough self esteem to know that she wasn�t anyone�s pooch but not high enough to even compare herself to the likes of Adonna and Helena. That in turn made her even more confused about Mr. Carter�s approach. He was there long before she was. Hadn�t he seen the two beauties that were already there? Or was he blind? Whatever the case maybe she was sure by now she was a forgotten memory. By now he had found some idiot that was more than willing to lift her skirt up past her ass and give him the goods.
�Whatever Tina, he didn�t say shit to us. He said something to you though. You should�ve ran with it.�
�Shoulda, coulda, woulda, neva, k?� Tina slid her tan coat back on and got her umbrella ready for the cascading rain that still at the moment was falling harder than it should�ve. �I�ll see ya�ll tomorrow right?�
�Right.�
�Later T.� As soon as one foot stepped out of the door the rain hit her umbrella like a jackhammer. That little shitty umbrella she had felt like it was gonna collapse above her. Alone she walked down the darkened street as the rain poured making it hard to see anything before her.
Basically she was blind walking through the thick rain until her body collided into something hard. Squinting to see just what laid before her, her eyes came across a silver car. Slowly its tinted windows lowered revealing exactly who was inside.
�Need a ride?�
�I don�t think so--my mother always taught me never to talk to strangers, let alone take a ride from them.� Exactly why was Tina fighting this? Nick got out of practice just in time to come and pick her up after noting the time of the caf� closing. Plus he noticed that she had walked into work so he knew she�d do the same that night. No one could say Mr. Carter wasn�t observant.
�But I�m not strange, you know me.�
�No I know of you, there�s a difference.�
�Look its raining like pure hell out here. That umbrella doesn�t look like it could protect a mouse, let alone a full bodied woman. So why don�t you just get in so you don�t have to continue being soaked.� Tina stood for a minute contemplating on whether or not she wanted to get into the car with Nick. He could see the decision making playing in her mind as she stood at the door of his car. �Its warm�and I�m playing some pretty good music.� It wasn�t like she lived a mile away or anything. It was just a ride home, not back home in Detroit so she wouldn�t have to endure his presence long.
�Yeah fine.� Nick opened the locks to the door so she could get in. At least he was telling the truth about the inside. It was indeed warm and from what she could tell he was listening to Far From Grace by Doves so it was good music as well. �Thanks.�
�No problem, which way?�
�Straight ahead, I�ll tell you when to turn.�
�Alright.� Silent the two remained as the music played within the car.
Boy she couldn�t wait to get home and out of those pants. Nick was thinking the same thing just in another pretense. Tina was very much a beautiful woman. He just couldn�t figure out exactly why someone so stunning wouldn�t want to be with someone equally as stunning. Nick had no problems in admitting that he had good looks, in fact he praised himself on it.
�Um, make a right up here.� Following her directions, Nick made a right turn. Though the walk wasn�t long, surely it had to be lengthy in this weather.
�You know you don�t have to be so quiet. I don�t bite�.unless you want me to� he laughed. Shouldn�t have said that one. The look he got from Tina made that laughter cease in nanoseconds. �So ahem, tell me about yourself.�
�What is there to know?�
�Well anything about you--how old are you?�
�20.�
�Ok�ok�.sign?�
�Capricorn.�
�Aquarius, January?�
�18th, you?�
�28th, see there we have something in common.�
�Yeah�well there�s my place up there.� Tina pointed out the brick style apartment complex in which she resided. The rain still hadn�t let up, so she grabbed her tiny umbrella.
�Why do you have that anyways?�
�Have what?�
�That umbrella, kind of small don�t you think?�
�I got it back home at CVS. I like little cartoon stuff and thought it was cute, not factoring in that cute doesn�t protect you from rain but oh well.�
�Here look, take mine.� Nick reached in the back of his car and pulled out his own black umbrella.
�Nah I�m cool.�
�Just take it, someone will meet me at the door with one so I don�t need it.� Pressing it further into her lap Tina had no choice but to take the evidently expensive umbrella. Jeez really how much did he pay for that thing? It looked like it oozed money and it was just a damn umbrella!
�Um, thanks. Thanks for the ride and the umbrella. If you come by the shop tomorrow I�ll give it back to you.�
�That won�t be necessary.�
�Nick--�
�Bup, bup, bup, not necessary.� Seeing as though he wasn�t going to take no for an answer, she accepted it, grabbed her things and hightailed it out of his luxury vehicle with his luxury umbrella. Nick sat back watching the young woman make it to her place and securely inside before heading off. Poor girl hadn�t a clue what was going to happen to herself--or them for that matter. But Nick knew. The thought alone made him smile all the way back to the Sheraton.
^*^
�Where in the fuck is Nick?� A.J. groaned. Boy was getting on his nerves now on a regular basis. Nick was never like this, never. Not until he went solo and got a big head. Now he felt compelled to leave when he wanted without word and somehow managed to cop an attitude whenever someone questioned him. There was really no one to blame but the label. Well the label and his own personal manager who fed into his bigheadedness.
If Nick said jump, his manager, Johnny and a few execs would ask how high. Nick was making the company mucho grande bucks so anything he wanted he got. Including free reign on doing whatever he wanted when he wanted. Like right now. Nick�s mysterious disappearance halted another of their dancing sessions before hitting the road.
�Who knows, probably back down at the coffee shop� Howie grumbled. A.J. and Brian looked over at Howie with suspicion. The coffee shop? Why would Nick sneak off to a coffee shop? Caffeine wasn�t that big of a must right?
�Why is he at the coffee shop Howie?� Brian asked. Kevin and Howie looked at each other like a dear in headlights. Neither had told the other two members about Nick�s revelation. Neither really thought they�d believe it. With current behavior they didn�t believe it themselves.
�Uh because he had a hankering for some white mocha fraps?�
�EEHT, Wrong answer Dorough.�
�Fine, he�s there to see a girl.�
�Typical� A.J sighed.
�But get this, she doesn�t want him.� Hearing that perked up Brian and A.J.�s ears. A girl that didn�t want Nick was one in a million. They had to be wrong, real wrong on that one.
�Come again?�
�He tried to spit some game and she left him high and dry, which is actually a good thing because you know how Nick is.� Didn�t they all? If anything it was good that she turned her back on him, it was all the best. �But get this, ol� boy says that this is the girl he�s gonna get married to.� Kevin and Howie laughed at the thought, A.J. and Brian did not. Marry? That didn�t sound too good, in fact it sounded bad because if Nick was that serious he wasn�t going to stop at anything.
�You have a visitor� Adonna smiled over to Tina who was taking her lunch break. That could only mean one person. Getting up from the table she grabbed his umbrella that she carried along and brought it out into the main room where just like she imagined Nick was waiting.
�Back for the umbrella?� she asked approaching him.
�No, back for something else, something better.�
�Well sorry to tell ya but we only sale raspberry ice tea on the weekends.�
�Ha ha funny.�
�Here�s your umbrella.�
�I said I don�t need it plus that�s not why I�m here.�
�Then why are you here besides umbrellas and drinks?�
�You.� Tina simply rolled her eyes at the mention. Last night he was Nick Carter but a different Nick Carter. Today he was Backstreet Carter, lead singer, dancer, solo star putting on thick.
�Is that so?�
�Very much so, let me ask you something.�
�Shoot.�
�Why are you here in Florida?�
�Why am I here in Florida? Uh Partial scholarship to Lethum college.�
�So if I�m correct you work here to help with school right?� Once again iterating that he was very observant.
�Yeah�.why?�
�Well I was just wondering, are you taking any classes this summer?�
�Why, gonna tutor me?� she laughed.
�We leave out tomorrow to go on tour in Phoenix.�
�And this pertains to me how?�
�Well I could use an assistant, the salary for four months is probably more than what you make here in a year. You wouldn�t have to do much, just help me out.� Oh like it was that simple. Just help out? Please, helping out was probably about as simple as licking your elbow. Why was he doing this for her? Offering her a job? They just met yesterday for pete�s sake! You don�t just offer someone a job of that caliber without knowing someone.
�Give me a break Nick! You don�t even know me and I don�t even know you!�
�We can get to know each other while we�re on the road.�
�Yeah cuz that�s a great idea� she sardonically added.
�Well I kind of figured that it was.�
�Look we just met yesterday. How do you know I�m not some rabid fan, waiting and willing to rape you into next Sunday?�
�One I know you�re not a rabid fan, I just know. And two as for raping me, honey you can do anything you want to me� he smiled. Ugh that smile was dangerous.
�Anyways�you�re right I�m not a rabid fan. Black and Blue stunk.� Ouch talk about a blow to his ego yet he didn�t let it show. He knew she only said that to get a rise out of him. At least that part was true.
She did actually like Black and Blue but he�d never know.
�Tell me what you really think.�
�Are you sure you want me to do that?� she laughed.
�No, well tell me this much, are you going to take the job or not?�
�Nick think about this. Besides not even knowing each other, I have a life here and a job.�
�A job that pays what?�
�Nunya.�
�Exactly, look we leave out tomorrow at 9 in the morning. I�ll get you a ticket to come with. If you want to come we�ll be at the airport at 7:30 ok?�
�Yeah ok.� Tina watched Nick leave out of the coffee shop with a million and one things floating in her mind. Leave or stay? More money than she made in a year? A year?! For just four months? Any fool would take that job, but at what cost. Being hounded by Nick or being able to afford to go to school without loans? What was a girl to do?
