"So what do you think?" she asked, twirling around.

"You weren't kidding, you do fancy up very nicely!" Nick gathered her up in a huge hug. "I wish I didn't have a concert tonight." he said softly.

"Feeling like getting up to something, Mr. Carter?" she asked, eyeing him saucily.

"You always know what I'm thinking, don't you!" He looked at the clock radio and sighed. "I gotta get ready though."

Nick gathered the things he needed to take to the arena and escorted Elisha down to the lobby. The crowd that had gathered screeched when Nick stepped out of the elevator.

"Wonder who's causing the commotion?" Elisha made a show of looking around for some big celebrity.

"Very funny!" Nick waded into the group of girls and posed for photographs, signed pictures and hugged as many people as he could. Elisha stood off to the side and smiled as Nick embraced a small girl. Her mother stepped over to Elisha.

"This will absolutely make her day, Nick is her favourite! Please thank him for us!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backstage at the concert, waiting for Nick to change, she could hear his ex-girlfriend up on stage. Some of the crowd was politely applauding, but there were many boos and chants for her to get off the stage.

"She's not too well loved, is she?" she asked the man next to her.

AJ turned to the unfamilar voice. "No, but when you're not very good..." his voice trailed off, and then he smiled. "Hi, I'm AJ and I don't think I know you?"

Elisha grinned and shook his hand. "I'm Elisha, I'm with Nick."

AJ nodded. "You must be the older woman, I mean, new girlfriend, I mean Nick's friend, I mean..." AJ ducked his head and blushed beet red.

Elisha giggled. "I must be the hot topic of conversation! It's okay, I am older!"

AJ surveyed her up and down. "Well, Nick was right, you sure as hell don't look 33!"

At that moment Nick came up with Howie, Kevin and Brian in tow. "Hey, Mclean, eyes off my woman!" He playfully punched AJ in the arm and grabbed Elisha around the waist. "This is Elisha, guys. Elisha, this is Howie, Kevin and, you remember Brian?"

She shook their hands in turn and told them how much she was looking forward to the concert.

Nick turned to discuss something with Brian and Kevin crooked his finger at her.

"What's up?" Elisha asked.

"I just wanted to thank you. It's only been a day or two, but I haven't seen Nick this happy in quite a long time."

Elisha blushed.

"Seriously!" Kevin continued. "If you had anything at all to do with him breaking it off with Mandy, we should all be kissing your feet right now!"

Elisha laughed. "Well, I don't know how much I had to do with it, but I'm pretty pleased about it too. Just for his sake."

Kevin gave her a small hug. "Just be good to him, okay? That's all I ask. We try not to let him know it, but, we're pretty fond of him!"

Elisha returned the hug. "I'm pretty fond of him too, Kevin."