Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Getting Situated
“This is brilliant Kaitlyn!” Amanda screeched as I entered her office.
She was the big shot of the Times and about the only person with authority over Kaylee in my department. Her tightly curled red spirals hung down around her face as her green eyes widened and her smile curved.
“I just love this piece!” She complimented as I sat down.
“Thank you Amanda,” I shyly said.
“I also read your review in the paper on Saturday morning and I’ve decided to offer you something,” she said with a more serious tone. She shut the door and sat down at her desk. She pulled a ton of papers out and looked over them.
“You’ve done an awesome job here in New York, and we want to keep you here, don’t get me wrong, but we need a traveling reporter for our entertainment section. It would bring more people to our papers. Getting them off the ole AP wire isn’t what the readers want. Well anyway, I want to send you out on a couple of assignments a month to major things going on in the entertainment business. Some big concerts, awards shows, filming of movies, just everything. The board approved of it last week and they wanted to send Kaylee Smyth out on the job, but she’s better as chief editor. We think you’d do a great job out there. We also had a higher number of paper sales over this past weekend due to your reporting on the Backstreet Boys and your reviews on the music scene they seem to posses. Robert said you have some inside scoops on the boys and Phil said they were quite comfortable with you during your interview with them last Friday. This is great Kaitlyn! That’s why I’m sending you on your first mission this coming weekend if you’ll accept it,” Amanda finished, her eyes filled with hopefulness.
It was an amazing offer, a break I’d been waiting for all of my life.
“Where will it be?” I asked, trying to contain my excitement.
“I want you to go to the last Backstreet Boys concert in Florida this weekend. It’s their homecoming and the fans here in New York want to be there, but most of them can’t. So we’re sending you instead to get the full scoop. We’re gonna put out a special magazine issue inside the paper next week filled with photos and an exclusive interview with the Backstreet Boys. All by you, Kaitlyn, if you’ll accept it,” she pleaded again. Her tone was filled with thrill as she pictured the numbers of next weeks sales skyrocketing.
“Yes, of course, I’ll go and I will accept the job,” I smiled brightly at her.
She jumped out of her desk and threw her arms around me.
“Okay, here’s the paperwork. Look over it tonight and tomorrow I’ll have the press passes, materials, and your airline ticket ready for you,” she replied, handing me the stack of paperwork.
She shook my hand and I was rushed out of her office so she could meet with her one o’clock appointment.
I stood at my cubicle staring down at the paperwork. It was my dream to cover not only New York’s beat, but all over the world.
“Don’t look too happy,” Kaylee spat out as she approached my cubicle.
God, doesn’t she ever go away? She was like a puppy dog. No, no, not an innocent puppy dog, she was like a vicious rottweiler following me everywhere.
“And why is that?” I asked, playing along with her game.
“Cause I’m going to have a close eye on you,” she warned.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m going to Orlando too Kate, so don’t think this is going to be some fun getaway for you and lover boy,” she hissed. Her smirk ran ear to ear as she felt accomplishment come over her for ruining my excitement.
“Why are you going?” I angrily replied.
“Well, cause Amanda wants it to be a project. Your the reporter, I’m the editor, so we work together. Oh and Phil, he’s the photographer,” she sarcastically spit in my face.
“Fine, whatever,” I said, before waving my hand in her face and walking out.
“Where are going?” Kaylee said, shocked that I wasn’t up for her cat fight.
“I’m meeting Nick for lunch, ‘ta, ta’,” I said in her valley-girlish tone. I smiled to myself as I made my way to the elevator.
~TWENTY MINUTES LATER~
“That’s so great!” Nick exclaimed as I explained to him about what had happened.
“Well, it just sucks that I have to have Kaylee looking over my shoulder, but I guess I can deal with it,” I quietly said and looked down.
“It’s gonna be okay, I promise,” He lovingly reassured me as he placed his hand on mine.
He was right.
~THURSDAY NIGHT~
Things had been hectic. Nick and I would catch up with each other during the nights, but during the days I was working hard to get things prepared for my trip. I had a list of questions in my writer’s pad that had scratches and lines all throughout the pages. I had done all the background research I needed and had everything ready to go for Friday’s flight into Orlando. The concert wasn’t until Sunday night, but Amanda allowed me a day on Saturday to spend as much time with the group as I could to report on how they act as individuals and when they’re together. Also what they loved and hated and what they did in their free time. Amanda set up my flight so I could leave with Nick while Phil was to come down a few hours after me and Kaylee not until Saturday night. I already informed Amanda that I had some ‘friends’ to stay with, that I didn’t need a hotel room.
“How did you pack so quickly?” I annoyingly asked Nick as he watched the sports channel intently. I passed back and forth by him with a ton of clothes in my hands before proceeding to throw them into my suitcase. On my forth trip past him to the dresser he grabbed my arm and pulled me on his lap.
“Now why don’t you tell me why you’re so nervous,” he asked, his blue eyes looking at me inquisitively.
“I dunno. I guess I...”
“What Kate?” He pushed.
“I’ve been waiting for something like this all of my life and I guess I’m just afraid that Kaylee’s going to try and screw things up for me,” I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. He rubbed my back.
“Don’t worry, you’re an amazing writer. Besides, the boys are already familiar with you, so it’s going to be a comfortable atmosphere. Just have fun, will you?” He pleaded, pushing out his lower lip to give me a puppy-dog look.
“You’re so cute Carter,” I squeaked, pinching his cheeks.
He stuck his tongue out at me as he pushed me by my butt towards the bed and ordered me to finish packing.
~THE NEXT NIGHT - ON THE PLANE~
“I’ve been so busy worrying about work, God, I didn’t even realize I’m meeting your parents tonight,” I nervously said, while fidgeting with the rings on my fingers.
“Hey, don’t worry, they’re gonna love you,” Nick reassuringly replied.
“So they live here or they’re just visiting?” I asked, shifting in my seat.
“They live in Los Angeles, but have a house out here. They’re coming to the last concert and staying for a week out here in Florida. My brother and sisters are on winter vacation right now, so they may stay longer,” he replied, sifting through the magazine that he held in his hands.
“Leslie is in college and the twins are almost done with high school, right?”
“Yes, and B.J. is a work-a-holic, like her big bro,” he proudly stated with a smile.
“FLIGHT 3128 WILL BE LANDING IN ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. I WILL BE TURNING ON THE SEATBELT SIGN AS WE DESCEND INTO THE TERMINAL. THE WEATHER IN ORLANDO IS SEVENTY DEGREES WITH HIGH CLOUDS AND WINDS OF FIVE MILES PER HOUR COMING FROM THE EAST. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR FLYING WITH US AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON,” the captain said over the intercom.
The butterflies in my stomach were getting worse. I took a few deep breaths. Nick placed his magazine back in the holder in front of him and looked over at me.
“Hey Kate, it’s okay,” he reassured me once again, this time kissing my nose.
I smiled at him.
~FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER~
We strutted down the long hallway that ran from the plane to the inside of the airport. I carried my briefcase in one hand and my jacket in the other. My purse dangled from my right shoulder. Nick’s backpack was strapped over his shoulders. He carried the heavy bag like it was nothing. He also carried a large dark green duffle bag in his left hand. His white and baby blue North Carolina hat was backwards on his head as his vinyl Nike pants made a loud ‘swoosh’ with every step he took.
He winked at me as we approached a small group of people.
“Hey Mom, Dad,” Nick said, hugging his mother tightly. She was about a head shorter than him with dark black hair. She wore a white suit and white heels. Nick patted his father on the back as they hugged tightly. His father was about his height, it was hard to tell from the angle. He was slimmer than Nick with light brown-grayish hair. A tall blonde boy approached Nick as they embraced tightly. This time longer than either of his parents.
“A, you grow bigger every time I see you! Stop it!” Nick teased his younger brother.
He hugged two other girls tightly and then turned back at me.
“Where’s Leslie?” Nick asked.
“She had a few more finals to tend to, she’s meeting us here tomorrow night,” the dark haired mother replied.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Kate. She’s a reporter for the New York Times,” Nick proudly stated.
“Kate, this is my mom Jane, my father Bob, my little bro Aaron, and my two sisters Angel and B.J.,” he pointed them all out. Angel’s hair was fair like her father’s, and she was much shorter than her twin brother, but had the same adorable face. B.J. though had the same blonde hair as both her brothers. Her facial structure was more similar to Nick’s than Angel’s was. She was about my height and close to my age.
“It’s nice to meet you!” B.J. exclaimed, winking at Nick.
“Yes, Nick’s told us a lot about you,” Jane replied, as I shook her hand.
They all smiled at me. It was completely overwhelming.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay with you,” is the only thing I could get out.
“Oh no! It’s not a problem at all. Any friend of Nick’s is more than welcome,” Bob smiled at me as he spoke. Both his parents had welcoming smiles and it was very reassuring for me.
We stood impatiently waiting for our luggage as B.J. asked me question after question about my job. She was a sweet girl and very beautiful.
“You doin’ okay?” Nick asked, putting his arm around my shoulder and standing next to me. Jane and Bob looked up and watched us intently.
“Nick, do they know...?” I questioned.
“Yeah, I think they kinda get it,” he said, smiling down at me.
Soon after we gathered up our luggage and headed back to the Carter mansion.
“So when do I get to see your place?” I asked, unpacking some of my clothes and hanging them up on hangers.
“Don’t get too comfortable, I want you to stay in my room with me,” Nick informed me. “Oh and I’ll take you there this weekend, I want you to meet my dogs,” he added.
“What do you mean stay with you? Your parents, what about your parents?” I reminded him.
“I’m twenty-five years old Kate, what are they going to do?” He reassured me.
“Now come on, let’s hang this in my room,” he snatched up my things and walked out of the room.
The house was amazingly large. It had a large winding staircase that you saw right when you entered the house. Most of it was white, so it projected better and looked larger. Nick’s room was nearly the size of my apartment. He had a king sized bed and his bathtub was so large it looked like it could fit all the Backstreet Boys in it at once. Hmmm, what a thought...
His shower was separated from the bathtub and surrounded in glass and marble.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, walking out of the room as I heard him thump down the stairs. I continued to look around the room ad unpack my things.
~DOWNSTAIRS~
“Mom, dad,” Nick started.
“Oh hey, Nick, we thought we’d go out to dinner. What sounds good? What does Kate like?” Bob asked, putting one arm around his son.
B.J. sat at the kitchen table chatting with Aaron and Angel.
“I need to talk to you guys real quick,” Nick said, pulling them aside.
“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Jane asked with a concerned look.
“Kate’s going to stay in my room,” he spit it out quickly.
“Why honey? We’ve got plenty of -” Jane started, then Aaron cut in.
“Alright Nick!” Aaron screeched, putting out his hand to give his brother a high-five. “Nick’s gettin’ some!” Aaron continued. Nick blushed slightly as Angel and B.J. turned their attention to the group.
“Aaron honey, please go in the other room, this conversation is between us and your brother,” Jane replied, starting to get angry at Aaron’s outburst.
Aaron pat his brother on the back one last time as he walked away.
Jane cleared her throat.
“If that’s what you want honey,” she said quietly. Her son had never been that serious about a girl before, so she was a bit speechless.
“Just tell me you’re being responsible,” Jane pleaded.
“Mother, we’re not having this conversation,” Nick annoyingly replied.
“It’s okay son, she can stay in your room,” Bob insisted as he put one arm around Nick.
“Okay then, I’ll go get her and we can go to dinner,” Nick said, shifting a worried look at Jane.
As Nick started to walk away Aaron came running in.
“So is she good?” Aaron questioned his brother.
“AARON!” Jane, Bob, and Nick all said together.
“Sorry!! Geeez!” Aaron replied and walked away sulking.
“Hey, pssst. A?” Nick whispered when he was halfway up the staircase. Aaron looked up at him with big eyes.
“Hell yeah!” He replied, then took off up the stairs.
Satisfied, Aaron walked away smiling.
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