Chapter 14: Interupted Night

Nick and I met the others at the lounge of the local hotel Kaylee and Phil were staying at. When I walked in Kaylee was already swooning over Kevin.
"Good evening gentlemen," I said as I strutted in wearing a short business skirt and matching jacket. Kaylee looked at me angrily.
"Kaylee," I said dryly.
"Kaitlyn," she answered back, her nose in the air.
The group sat down on the array of couches and chairs as I took my own seat in a big fluffy red 18th century styled chair.
"Okay, this won't take too long, but I just want to ask you some questions as a group. Does anyone mind if I record you?" I asked, studying their faces. Everyone shook their heads. Kaylee came over and sat on the arm of my chair. I felt uneasy with her sitting right next to me.
"Need some help, - Kate?" She said coldly.
I glared back at her.
"No, do you mind?" I asked, looking at her.
"Actually I don't," she smirked. I muttered to myself as I pressed record on the machine.
"Can you state your names clearly for me and if you have a difficult last name, please spell that out," I made it sound professional in front of Phil and Kaylee even though for years I've known the spelling of their names correctly.
"Nick Carter, C-a-r-t-e-r."
"Howie Dorough, D-o-r-o-u-g-h."
"A.J. McLean, M-lowercase c- capital L-e-a-n."
"Kevin Richardson."
"Brian Littrell, Brian with an "I" and L-I-t-t-r-e-l-l."
I wrote their names on my sheet as: Nick, D, A.J., B-Rok, and Kev. Kaylee peered over at my paper and looked at it oddly. I just smiled to myself.
"What haven't you accomplished as a group that you would like to accomplish in years to come?"
They all looked at each other. It still amazed me after years of seeing them on TV and now doing a second interview in person how they could be so in tune with one another. They could all look at each other and then one person will speak what everyone else is thinking.
"We probably would like to accomplish a better title," Brian began. "We still aren't taken as seriously as we'd like. We're performers, not a boyband. We want to entertain people and yes that may include dancing, or tons of younger girls, but we are vocalists who want to be recognized as that and not scrutinized." He finished. They all nodded in agreement.
"Wow you guys are gonna make it easy for me, aren't you?" I teased. I glanced over at Nick who looked at me sweetly and gently.
"Okay, I know this is an often asked question, but it often changes and I can't go back to New York without asking," I started. They all smiled and prepared for the question they'd been asked many times.
"Which one of you have girlfriends?" I asked just as Jane and Bob walked into the lounge. They were accompanied by all the Carter children, and now Leslie too. Jane and Bob smiled at Nick.
The band all looked at each other.
"I'll start," Brian offered. "Yes, I do."
Kevin followed: "I'm dating."
Howie smirked and looked around before answering: "single."
A.J. laughed to himself as he answered "dating."
All eyes went to Nick. I began to feel paralyzed, I had just put him in a bad situation. Not only was he the heartthrob of the boys, but the one that was always less likely to have a girlfriend. And it wasn't just that, it was the fact that the girl he had was one of their arch enemies at times: the media.
Nick made eye contact with me, he was looking for an okay. Everyone stared at us in silence. My eyes searched his until he read what I was feeling. No matter what we were going to make this work and it had to start somewhere.
"Yes, I do have a girlfriend. This lovely lady sitting right before us," he said shyly as he stood up and came up to me. He leaned down and placed his lips on mine gently. The whole room lit up, some applauding from his 'brothers' and his parents looked on and smiled at me when Nick and I parted.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Kaylee looked on in disgust. This was out of boundaries, she was mixing business was pleasure and she would make sure she put an end to it - and soon.

~AT THE SAME TIME~

Nick placed his arm on the back of my chair and looked at everyone. The band, the New York Times press, Nick's parents and siblings, along with Brian's girlfriend and a few other of their friends all focused their attention on Nick.
"For those of you who haven't met her, this is Kate," he started, then looked down at me as our eyes connected to one another. "And we want to try to make this work, your support is much needed. And I just want everyone here to know - mostly because you're the people I love the most - and because I just want the world to know that I love her and I hope she loves me too," my mouth gaped. We'd only said it once and I thought it had been exchanged out of an emotional moment. I had meant it, but I'd learned all too quick in my past that saying the words "I love you" meant nothing when it came to certain guys.
I couldn't speak. Tears began burning at my eyelids. Where did he find the courage to stand up in front of all these people and say this? But then it came to me. He was proving to me that he wanted to make this work, no matter what we had to do. His parents looked on, at first a skeptical look in their eyes, but their faces grew warm, for they were proud of their son.
"I love you too," I whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. Nick's bandmates smiled brightly.

~ONE HOUR LATER~

I had finished the interview successfully. Phil was taking shots of the guys as I stood off to the side and put my notes in order. I was going to have a great piece in next weeks paper, I couldn't wait to write it.
"Kate?" I heard a voice say from behind me.
I turned around, it was Jane.
I didn't say anything at first.
"Thank you," she said, embracing me. I was taken aback a bit.
"For what Jane?" I asked, standing back to look at her.
"For making my son happy," she said, patting my hand and then walking away. I looked up at Nick and the others under the lights Phil had set up so he could run the photo shoot successfully. Nick looked up at me from the shoot for a second. His eyes went soft as he smiled at me. I waved slightly and smiled back as he immediately wiped away the soft look and his eyes looked right into the camera - playing with the soon to be viewers of those shots. His head was tilted downward and his smile non-existent. I knew why those girls went crazy over him.

~ONE HOUR LATER~

We all sat around a large dinner table at one of Orlando's most elegant restaurants. We'd only ordered appetizers and Kaylee had already had four glasses of wine and a shot of tequila at the bar. I sat next to Nick studying my menu, but watching her intently. She glared at me like a schoolgirl.
"Will you excuse me, I need to use the bathroom?" I asked, getting up from my chair. All of the guys stood up from their seats.
"Me too," Kaylee said, a bit tipsy, barely unable to get up from her chair.
She followed me into the bathroom, but luckily I was quick enough to get out of there before she could corner me. I sat down in my seat and Nick pushed my chair in. She came out of the bathroom, moving side to side in her tall heals. She came over to my side of the table and put her mouth to my ear.
"Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn," she muttered behind me.
"Yes?" I said sharply, but still quietly so no one would turn their attention towards us. They all looked at their menus and discussed amongst themselves what they were ordering.
"Do you think Amanda will want to hear that you're sleeping your way into the Backstreet Boys?" she said, a little too confident.
"Excuse me?" Now I said it a bit louder. Nick looked up at me.
"You heard me," she said, now getting Nick's full attention "Getting some inside info to boost your job by jumping in the sack with Nick Carter, huh?"
"You're fuckin' crazy," I whispered back to her, almost pushing her away so she would go back to her seat. She stuttered a bit on her words.
"So, you also doin' Brian and what's the tattooed one's name? Oh A.J. too? Bettcha it's a great five some -" she said, A.J. and Brian now looking up. The rest of the table looked up at Kaylee. She didn't even bother to whisper anymore. She just stood next to me.
"Kaylee, just shut up and go sit down. You're disgusting and you're drunk," I said firmly. Our bickering now had everyone's attention, not to mention other tables as well. She stood tall and glared down at me before yelling:
"Did you tell Mommy and Daddy that you're fucking their son!? And it's all to get the inside scoop! Ha, I bet he's great in bed! He looks like he'd be a good fuck! Does he tell you all of the Backstreet secrets while he's fucking you? You're such a little bitch Kate! Does he tell you that, cause I don't see what he or any of these other idiots see in you!" Kaylee yelled, hissing at me like a cat. Nick's face turned red next to me as he stood up, followed by Kevin and Brian.
"Kaylee, you're way out of line, I think you should leave," Brian calmly said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Get the fuck off me!" She yelled. Tears came to my eyes. This was horrible. Nick's younger siblings looked at me and then back at him with questioning eyes.
"Phil, would you call her a cab?" Kevin asked, both he and Brian holding her by her arms. She began to try and swing at me. I ducked as Nick grabbed hold of her tighter.
"Kaylee, you need to calm down," Nick said, right in her face. She looked at him and smiled.
"You're so hot, I'd see why she'd wanna get a piece of you, ha ha ha," she wickedly laughed as she burped. Phil grabbed her by the arm as Brian and Nick let go. He took her outside and they disappeared.
"Excuse me," I said as I bolted from the table back to the ladies' room. I couldn't breathe.
Nick was outside the door calling my name.
"Kaitlyn, please come talk to me," he pleaded. I wiped the tears away from my face and stepped outside. He put his hands on my face and wiped the remaining tears away.
"Nick I didn't -" I said, trying to remain calm.
"I know you didn't tell her we made love. She's just drunk and she's a bitch anyway. No one out there believes those things, just come back and sit down, please. Let's eat and then we'll go home and spend some time together. That's what we really need, okay?" He asked, his puppy dog look melting my frown away. I smiled and let out a slight laugh. I wiped off my face and quickly checked my makeup in the bathroom mirror and Nick and I returned to our seats.
I sat down quietly. All eyes were on me.
"Everyone, I'm really sorry. Kaylee and I have...we've had some hard feelings between us for years. We're not friends, we just unfortunately have to work together. She drank a little too much and I'm sorry for the things she said. They're embarrassing to the band, to the Carters' and to myself. None of what she said was true, I -"
"Kate," A.J. started. "It's okay, we know it's not true. You've been nothing but kind to us and your questions and your writing prove you're a great journalist. Kaylee seems to be a bit jealous of that it seems," A.J. said sweetly, his dark eyes focusing on mine. Jane and Bob looked on. Gosh, what was I to say to them? But before I could Bob spoke:
"It's okay Kate, I'm sorry she had to put you AND Nick through that," he smiled kindly as everyone put their menus up and began reading them again.

~TWO HOURS LATER~

We returned home before Jane, Bob and the kids. Bob decided to take them out for ice cream so Nick and I could have some time to talk.
Nick and I walked into his room. He shut the door behind us. I set down my purse and my bag with my work stuff in it. I took off my jacket as he took his wallet and keys out of his pocket and tossed them on his desk. We didn't say much to one another on the way home.
I stood in the middle of the room and looked at him. He wore his thin rimmed glasses that he sometimes did for show. His hair was short and styled every which way. I couldn't help but stare at him. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the chair. His white wife beater was against his chest as he looked up and noticed me.
He walked over to me and embraced me tightly.
"I'm so sorry Nick, I'm so sorry," I said quietly holding onto him tightly.
"It's not your fault baby," he whispered in my ear.
"I just need you, need every part of you..." I pleaded, pulling at his wife beater. He pulled it over his head as I backed my way towards the bathroom.
"Would you like to join me for a shower?" I asked, unbuttoning my blouse.
"I thought you'd never ask," he smiled as he tossed his glasses onto the desk and my blouse on the floor as we went into the bathroom.

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