The tour ended with a bang in Los Angeles. The Boys performed their hardest for that show and it showed. After the show I along with Cookie, Zeke and much of the rest of the crew were invited to come along for the European leg of the tour. I agreed as did Cookie and Zeke.
Since we had three months off before getting ready for the next leg, I decided to stay in LA for a while. Nick thought that was a great idea. Our relationship had just started and the last thing it needed was a moment of distance. We were getting to know each other and getting closer. Everything was moving in the right direction. I was happy that we could still be ourselves around each other even though we were transitioning from friendship to relationship. I was still trying to protect the friendship we shared. If something went wrong between us I would still have liked to remain friends with Nick.
Joshua wished I�d come home so we could �dish in person�. What he really meant was, �I miss you. I want to see you.� He was happy for Nick and I but he missed me. Even though he would never admit it, I could tell.
�So when are you coming home? Are you coming home before you take off for Europe?�
�Right now, I really don�t know. I�m just kind of seeing what happens on this coast. I have two more jobs lined up while I�m here. We�ll see what happens. I will come home before the tour starts to get some more clothes.�
�Oh how nice. You�re not shacking up with the Boy yet, are you?�
�No, I�m in a hotel although, I probably could move in with him and he�d never know it. His place is huge and he has a guest house. That�s right, house not room� a guest house. Can you believe that? I do visit him often, though.�
�I heard that.�
�Heard what?�
�That starry-eyed tone of voice. You totally �lurve� him.�
�It�s a little too soon to be using the �L� word. Don�t you think?�
�No it�s not, because I didn�t use that �L� word. I said you �lurve� him. You�re in that new relationship dream-state.�
�I just love when you make up new words.�
�Don�t change the subject. You two are probably disgustingly cute right, now. All love-y and adorable. I am so glad I�m not their to witness it.�
�I won�t lie, we have been told to get a room a few times.�
�Oooohhh. . . so have you banged that Backstreet Boys� blonde brains out, yet?�
�Joshua, do you have to be so crude?�
�Ok I�m sorry. Have you and Nickolas made passionate love, yet?�
�Not that its any of your business but, no we have not.�
�Oh is that so?�
�Don�t read too much into it we just haven�t� done it, yet. Ok?�
�Did I say anything?�
�No, but I know that tone. That tone says it all.�
�I won�t say a word. . . other than you practically lived with him on tour, now you�ve all but moved to La La Land to be near him and you two haven�t done the deed, yet? Aaaww is someone ready for a semi-serious or dare I say it. . . a serious relationship?�
�I thought I told you not to read too much into it. Nick and I started out as friends and we want to protect that friendship. Sex could complicate things.�
�Have you said any of this to him?�
�No.�
�So, in other words, you want to protect that friendship. Sex could complicate things for you.�
�Take it however you want.�
�Ok, I will. So when are you going to hit that.�
�When am I going to hit that? I don�t know! I�m going to beat you up next time I see you, Joshua! You get on my last nerve! I swear!�
�Oh please, you know you adore me.�
�Whatever if anything I-,� I started when I heard the other line ring. �Hold on someone�s on the other line.
�Holding,� Joshua said. I clicked over.
�Hello?�
�Hey beautiful,� said the voice from the other end. I smiled.
�Nick?�
�Yeah, who else would be calling you beautiful?�
�Oh, I don�t know. I have a lot of admirers.�
�Yeah ok. So whatcha doin�?�
�Talking to Joshua, he�s on the other line.�
�Oh ok. How�s he doing? He still mad that I stole you away from him?�
�Yes, he wants me to come back home. He misses me. We�re like brother and sister. I don�t think we�ve been away from each other this long in awhile.�
�Maybe you should invite him to come out here.�
�I don�t know maybe. He�ll probably just say something like, �No you need to bring your ass home.� What are you up to?�
�Well I was actually wondering what you were doing later tonight.�
�I�m wrapping a video shoot tonight.�
�Oh�. well what about Friday night?�
�Nothing as far as I know.�
�Good keep it that way.�
�Why? You got something planned�
�Yeah, I was thinking about going out tonight but since you�re busy it can wait till Friday.�
�Ok that sounds like fun. Where would we be going?�
�Dinner first then out to a couple of clubs.�
�Cool, I�ll make sure I�m free on Friday.�
�Ok. Well I�ll let you get back to talking to Joshua. I�ll talk to you later.�
�I�ll probably call you from the set if I get bored.�
�Alright, bye Lexie�
�Bye sweetie,� I said then clicked back over. �I�m baaacck.�
�That was the Boy wasn�t it?�
�Yes, that was Nick. We�re going out on Friday.�
�Oooh where to?�
�Dinner and some clubs was all he said.�
�Hollywood clubbin�. Do you know what you�re going to wear?�
�It�s not till Friday but I think I have an idea,� I replied.
�Well forget it. This is what you should do, blow dry your hair straight and then curl the ends. Wear that red dress, the one with the spaghetti straps and the extra cleavage.�
�Wow, really trying to get me laid, huh?�
�No, I don�t know what you�re talking about. I was thinking because you know how good you look in red.�
�Uh huh, sure.�
�Anyway, I want you to wear all white accessories. Wear those white shoes you have with the studded cuffs, your white bangles and carry your white clutch bag,� he said practically all in one breath.
�Don�t I get any say in this?� I asked.
�You can wear either your silver earrings or the white ones that match your bangles but that�s your decision. I suggest the white ones, though,� he said.
�Well thanks. I should go. I have to get ready to go to the set.�
�Alright hon, don�t work too hard.�
�I won�t,� I said.
�Talk to ya later.�
�Bye Joshua.� We hung up and I started packing up my makeup gear and getting ready to go to the set. I can�t wait for Friday, I thought. Famous last words because it seemed like Friday would never come. My jobs seemed to last longer. I barely talked to Nick because he was always busy with Backstreet Boys business.
When Friday finally arrived I was extra excited. I was really excited because I was going out with Nick that night. We had been places but they were mostly during the day and they were few and far between as we were both busy. I had managed to work on a music video shoot, a TV commercial and a photo shoot. Nick was doing album/tour press.
Tonight though we are going to have fun, I thought as I pulled out the outfit Joshua instructed me to wear. I would never tell him that I was thinking along the same lines as him for my outfit.
I went into the bathroom to start getting ready. I started by taking a shower, washing my hair and then I tackled the task of blow drying it straight. I ended up having to use my flat iron to get it extra straight. Curling the ends wasn�t exactly necessary as they tend to curl up on their own. I just had to touch them up. This all took about two hours.
Next I got dressed. I like to dress before I put my makeup on. It�s easier to find the shades that compliment my outfit and I don�t get makeup on my clothes from pulling them over my head. I was applying lip gloss when my cell phone rang. The caller ID showed me that it was Nick.
�Hello?� I said. �You rang?�
�I�m downstairs, are you ready, yet?�
�Almost, I�m barefoot. Hold on let me get some shoes on, maybe a little jewelry and I�ll be good to go.�
�Ok. I�m in the white Escalade parked across the street.�
�Ok, give me a minute and I�ll be right down.�
�Ok, hurry up.�
�Don�t rush me, beauty takes time.�
�Then you should have met me down here or got down here before I did,� he said. I smiled and said,
�That�s very sweet of you. I�ll be down soon.�
�Alright, I�ll be waiting.�
We hung up. I slipped into my shoes and fastened them, put my earrings on and slipped my bracelets on before taking a final look at myself in the mirror. I was pleased. I looked good there was no way anyone could doubt that.
I knew that the nightlife in LA was usually a favorite haunt for the paparazzi. A golden opportunity to catch celebrities drunk and possibly behaving badly. This would be my coming out night, so to speak. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.
I saw the white Escalade parked across the street as soon as I stepped out of the hotel. I also saw the tall blonde leaning against the hood chewing on his thumbnail. I couldn�t keep the broad smile that spread across my face. I wanted to run across the street to him but didn�t think it was too wise in my heels.
Nick looked up just as I stepped into the street. I could feel his smile as he watched me walk to him. I got within arms reach of him when he pulled me into his arms, hugged and kissed me.
�You look amazing,� he whispered into my ear.
�Well thank you. You don�t look so bad yourself,� I replied. Nick was dressed in a light grey jacket and pants suit, a white button-down shirt, with the top two buttons opened, and white sneakers. I think they were Air Force Ones. He looks so hot, was the first thought to came to mind.
�Thanks. Come on let me help you inside,� he said taking my hand. He opened the door and helped me inside.
First we went to Mr. Chow, which was fabulous. I didn�t think I would like sushi but it was pretty good. I tried not to get whiplash every time a star walked in.
�I can not believe I am sitting two tables away from Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bundchen. They are both gorgeous. I would love to get my hands on them.�
�I thought you were Ms. Stylist-to-the-Stars,� he said.
�Well not all of them. At the moment, I�m just Ms. Stylist-to-the-Backstreet Boys.�
Our next destination was XES and then Ivar. XES proved to be quite an experience. I couldn�t figure out if it was a nightclub or a strip joint. There were half naked girls dancing around poles on a stage and they weren�t club-goers, they worked there. Then there was a bar and a huge dance floor as well as a lounge area. It proved to be a happy combination of the both, if that�s even possible. Nick and I bypassed all that and hit the dance floor. Even though I had to show him a few moves we still had a good time. No one really bothered us so I was able to relax. It wasn�t until we went to Ivar that we met some problems.
