Chapter 20: CheckMate
I beat on the door repeatedly. I heard the
woman's voice again when she came closer to the door. It sounded
almost familiar.
"I'll get it," she replied.
The door opened slowly as I saw her standing there. I froze where
I was standing and I couldn't move. I studied her body closely as
if I didn't understand what was happening.
"What's going on?" Nick asked. He walked up behind her
in a robe and looked at me.
"I - I..." tears came to my eyes and for the first time
in my life I couldn't defend myself. I couldn't speak.
"What's the matter Kate? Cat got your tongue?" she
snickered.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Brian we need to go down there before she does something
dumb or he does," Felicia pleaded from inside their hotel
room.
"Felicia, it's their business, stay out," Brian
insisted.
"No, we're going, come on," she yelled as she grabbed
his arm and dragged him down the hall. She saw Kate standing
outside Nick's room.
Felicia walked up to the door as Brian tagged along behind.
"Oh my God," Felicia replied, her face pale as a ghost.
I looked over at Felicia.
"You stupid bitch, you have the nerve, don't you?"
Felicia yelled at the woman in the doorway.
"Kaylee? What the hell are you doing here?" Brian asked
as he approached the door.
"Well, Amanda sent me out here last night from New York. MTV
is out here to see them film their new video, it's hot stuff. And
well, Nick and I happened to run into one another," she
replied with a laugh. Her face glowing with defeat.
"Why did she send you out here? That's my job, not
yours," I yelled at her.
"Haaa," she shrieked. "Not anymore," she
replied.
"Nick how could you do this!?" I pushed past her and
approached him.
Before he could speak she grabbed my arm and spun me around.
Our eyes narrowed in on one another.
"Don't make me call security," she spit. Her hand was
still digging into my arm.
"Get the hell off me you heathen," I mumbled as I
pushed her arm off.
I turned around and walked out of the room.
Felicia stood there staring at Kaylee up and down.
"What the hell do you want?" Kaylee annoyingly asked.
"You have no spine, and you," she yelled looking at
Nick. "I don't know what has gotten into you lately, but I
know you better have a good reason for this beast being in your
room," Felicia yelled before she pushed passed Brian and
walked back to their room.
Brian shrugged as he followed behind Felicia.
I stormed back to my room. I tore my suitcase out of the
makeshift closet and threw it harshly onto the bed. Tears
streamed down my face. How could this happen? So what if she was
sent out here, but why in hell was she in Nick's room? Why was he
in a bathrobe? He hated her for the things she said to me in the
past and the scenes she caused the previous week, why was he
giving her the time of day now? I thought as I tossed my clothes
into my suitcase.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Kaylee why the hell are you in my room?" Nick yelled
as he walked over to the nightstand to grab the phone and call
security.
"Oh umm that, hmm, well the door was open and no one was in
here. Well I thought, but you were really in the shower. The
phone rang and so I answered it and when I heard it was Kate I
masked my voice a bit and hoped she would come down here. Wasn't
it a divine plan Nickay?" She chuckled, her smirk growing
into an evil grin.
"No, it wasn't Kaylee. You've hurt us all enough," Nick
mumbled as she swooped the phone from his hand and slammed it
down on the receiver.
"Listen to me Carter. Your little ex-bitch wants you back
and without me she's going to keep following you around. With me
here she'll leave. So I think you can use me."
But Nick didn't want Kate to leave. Despite how angry he was with
her his heart grew to believe more and more each day that she
didn't say those things. God she was going to probably leave now
that she saw Kaylee.
"Get out of my room," he firmly replied as he rushed to
his closet for clothes.
"Why?" she teased, pulling at the tie on his robe.
He grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to the door and nudged her
out.
"That's rude! I never get thrown out of -"
*SLAM*
The door slammed in her face.
"ARGH!" she sighed as she stomped down to her own room
and slammed the door.
Nick quickly got dressed and ran out into the hall.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
Everything was packed and I'd already phoned the airport and
purchased a flight to New York that night from Los Angeles.
I grabbed my belongings and stepped out into the hall.
I looked up to see Nick walking down the hall quickly. Dammit.
"Kate!" he yelled as I turned to walk back towards
Brian's room.
"Kate!" he yelled as he approached me and turned me
around to face him.
My sunglasses hid my swollen tear-beaten eyes. No one could know
I was crying and I was determined to go all the way back to New
York A.J. McLean style.
"What Nick, I have a flight to catch," I asked
bitterly.
"Kate we have a lot to talk about."
"NOW you realize that? I came all the way to California and
you wouldn't even speak to me until I caught that beast in your
room," I mumbled, looking away from his eyes. If he saw my
eyes he would know what I truly wanted to say. I wanted to throw
my arms around him and never let go and tell him how much I loved
him. But instead I just stood there.
"Kaylee wasn't in my room, well she was, but it's not what
you think," he pleaded.
"Forget it Nick, it's best that I leave. I have a job to
save when I get back. Thank you for the best few weeks of my life
and I'm sorry that it had to work out like this," I coldly
replied. I sounded robotic. Those weren't the words I wanted to
say. But instead I sucked up the courage and I turned around and
walked down the hall. I slid a note under Brian's door for
Felicia and him and then went down the elevator. Nick stood there
watching until he couldn't see me anymore.
~ONE WEEK LATER~
I stood up from my desk and went to the coffee machine.
Kaylee had just returned the night before from Los Angeles and
was raving to everyone about the video shoot.
"Better not leave your desk too long, remember you're on
probation until Amanda gets back this afternoon," she
teased. I gave her the dirtiest look I could think of, snatched
my coffee from the table and walked back to my desk. I looked up
at the review from the first Backstreet Boys concert I did and
stared at Nick's picture. I hung it in my cubicle like a prize
I'd won. I wondered where he was and if he was okay.
"McBride, my office NOW," Amanda yelled as she rushed
by my desk.
"Shit," I muttered to myself as I took a deep breath
and walked down the corridor. Kaylee smirked at me as I passed
her newly painted office.
My black skirt hung right above my knee as my heels clicked back
and forth on the hard floor. I felt like I was going to court to
get my jail sentence.
"Sit," she commanded as I walked into her office.
"I've been gone for several days and I didn't hear of your
return until this morning. Kaylee however did inform me of the
events that took place last week in Orlando. First of all, here
at the Times we do not enforce getting involved with clients and
second we don't encourage sexual activity to enhance our status
within this office or for any other reasons regarding this
company. It is to my knowledge that you were involved with Mr.
Carter and were able to get close to him and receive exclusive
interviews with him and his band. This matter is serious and if
anyone at anytime wanted to file a lawsuit this company would
lose millions. It is beyond terminal that the info you got was
because of your closeness with Mr. Carter. If he or any member of
his management or record company decides to file a lawsuit
against the Times it is all because of you Kate. I'm above
disappointed in you for I thought your standards were higher and
your professionalism was taken seriously. I don't know what to do
right now, there has been no word from our lawyers if they are
taking action, but until further notice and until this company is
out of the clear you are suspended. Now pack your things and go
home." She sighed and sat back in her chair. I stared at
her, it was unbelievable what I'd just heard.
"Amanda, do I get to say anything?" I replied,
searching her eyes closely.
"You should save it just in case we go to court," she
replied as she picked up the phone and dialed someone. She began
talking with them like I wasn't in the room.
I sighed. This was not happening. She'd won. Checkmate. Score.
Goal. Home run. Whatever, she'd gotten it. And I was on my way
home with my job on the line and no one to hear me out.
I walked back to my desk and packed everything up.
"Awww, where's Katie-watie going?" Kaylee smartly
replied with a pouty lip.
I ignored her as I packed my things quickly and grabbed my keys.
"Aww, I'm goin' to miss you," she replied before
following an evil laugh.
~THAT NIGHT~
I stood in my kitchen stirring the pasta noodles over and over
and staring off into space. I had to figure out what I was going
to do now. I'd lost Nick and now I was about to lose my job.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
Felicia stared at the note Kate had left her and Brian back in
Los Angeles. She'd been unpacking from the trip when she found it
in her suitcase.
Brian & Felicia -
I'm sorry things turned out this way. Thank you for all your help
and love and support, but I guess this is the way things are
meant to be. Feel free to call me whenever you are in New York,
I'd love to see you again. Take care and please watch over Nick
for me.
Love, Kate
"Brian, where's Nick?" Felicia asked as she walked into
the family room. Brian was playing Dreamcast.
"I don't know I haven't seen him since we left L.A.,
why?" He asked.
"Never mind," she replied as she walked off.
~AT THE SAME TIME~
"Dammit!" I yelled as the boiling water splashed up and
bit my hand.
*RING*
The doorbell rang.
"Hold on!" I yelled as I set down the pot.
"Ow, ow," I replied staring at my wound.
I wiped my hands off with the towel as I walked to the door. I
opened it slowly.
"Hi Kate."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, the shock taking
the irritation away from my burn.