~~~~Chapter 46
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Kathy went to her place in the pit at the front of the stage. She took the offered headset and adjusted the attached mic in front of her mouth. Fatima was lining the men up on stage, instructing them on their movements. "Okay, nothing fancy fellas, just walk around each other so we can tell if this will work." "What if Nick is too close to the edge of the stage?" Brian worried. "Do we grab him or what?" "Only if it looks like he isn't responding to Kathy's request, got it? We have to let him try and get around on his own." The group nodded and took their assigned places. "Go!" Nick took a few hesitant steps and then gained confidence in his movements as he listened to Kathy's voice through his earpiece. He moved to the right, sidestepped AJ smoothly and then turned to the left. Turning again, he moved to the front of the stage, stopping just before he reached the edge. Smiling broadly, he faced the audience of two people before him. "How did I do?" Kathy jumped on the stage and grabbed him in a bear hug. "Nick, that was awesome! You were terrific!" Nick returned the hug and kissed her cheek. "Guess that means I have to keep these damn things in my ears now!" he grumbled, good naturedly. Everyone in the small group laughed, knowing how much he hated wearing the earpieces that were designed to filter out crowd noise during a concert. "Can we try it again with some music?" Fatima pushed a button on the CD player and turned it up loud. The men moved around the stage, sometimes in close quarters with Nick, but not doing anything to signal to him that they were there. Once more, Nick moved around the stage with ease, stopping again at the front of the stage. "Perfect!" Kathy cried out. "It'll work Nick! " "Yes." Fatima agreed. "And all I could think of was a small fence or rope barrier to stop him. Seems pretty lame now."
"Well Kathy, your plan seems to be a success. Now we just have to get our boy up and dancing!" Fatima hugged Nick around the shoulders. "Come sit down everybody and I'll run through some of the ideas for the choreography." Nick sat on the edge of the stage, dangling his legs over. "I'm going to miss seeing the fans faces." he whispered to Kathy, who had plopped down beside him. "But you'll be able to hear them Nick, and they will be so happy you are back and healthy. They'll be screaming so loud!" He nodded his head sadly and turned his attention to their choreographer. "We'll be keeping some of the old stuff, like "Everybody"." Nick grinned. "I can do that one in my sleep!" "And the rest will be a lot of free form, just do what you feel sort of thing." "No set choreography?" Kevin asked. "Well some." Fatima admitted. "But we can't have too much in unison stuff because there is no guarantee on the timing. But I have some things for the new songs." They spent the rest of the afternoon watching Fatima and beginning work on the dance steps. Nick threw himself right into it, listening to slim black woman's instructions and trying to move his body as she requested. "I'm trying to keep it simple for now Nick, how do you feel?" Nick groaned and flopped down on the stage. "Tired!" "You're getting it though, you look good." "Thanks hun!" Nick lifted his head and smiled, before dropping it down again. "Are we done now?" "You're sure about this?" Christina nodded eagerly. "I saw them last night and again this morning. Here's a tape." Jane took the offered tape and looked at the young girl. "Just what are you doing hanging around his house anyway?" Christina's smile faltered. "I still have feelings for him. I wanted to see him." Jane took a long sip from her drink and steadily gazed at the girl across from her. "To see what you say you saw, you had to have been looking in his bedroom window, very late at night." Christina squirmed in her seat, she wasn't sure how to reply. "Unless they weren't in the bedroom." Jane smiled coldly. "Get out of my sight, you perverted slut. I don't want to see you ever again!" She stood and pointed to the door. "But Jane, you were going to help me!" Christina protested. "You are not the type of girl for my son! Spying on him! Watching him have sex! Taping him in his home! Honestly!" She pushed Christina to the door. "But I thought you didn't like her!" "I don't." Jane opened the door and pushed the girl out. "Not any more than I like you at this moment." She slammed the door shut in Christina's stunned face. "All my muscles ache!" Nick complained on the drive home. "I would imagine so!" Kathy laughed. "How long as it been since you worked that hard?" Nick nodded his head in agreement. "A long time, a really long time. Hard to believe." "Maybe we can work on that muscle tension with a nice massage later." she teased. Nick moaned in anticipation. Kathy turned the corner to pull into the driveway. "We have visitors, looks like your mother's car." "Oh great!" Nick blew out a puff of air in exasperation. "Oh look on the bright side! Maybe she brought Aaron over." Nick's face lit up and he got out of the car smiling. "It's been so long since we've been together." They walked in the house together. "Mom?" Nick called out. "In the living room dear! I have something for you to see!" Kathy primly sat on a small chair across from the sofa. Nick tried to hide his disappoinment when he realized Aaron wasn't there. Jane popped a video into the machine and sat back beside Nick. "Miss Westerfield, perhaps you can provide my son with a play by play here." Kathy sat in shocked silence as the tape started. It was poorly shot, but it was very clearly a tape of her and Nick making love the night before. Nick's face turned red as he heard the sounds coming from the tape and realized what it was. "Who gave you this mother?" he asked, quietly. "That's none of your business!" Jane snapped and turned to face Kathy. "Is this what you do when you are instructed to not get personal with a client?" Kathy's mouth opened and shut silently. "How dare you seduce my son? You are fired! " Jane stood in front of her. "I know what your aims are! You are not getting one cent from my son. I will have you barred from the nursing profession!" she ranted. Kathy stood uncertainly. "Mrs. Carter..." "Get out of this house!" Jane screamed.
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