I stood in the entraceway of the dimly lit hall where Avery's friend's pre wedding party was being held. I scanned the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of Avery but from my vantage point I could barely see my two hands in front of me, let alone someone deep inside the hall. I walked past the doormen who with one look at my Armani suit, AJ's idea, decided that I belonged there and let me enter the party. I saw Sabine and what appeared to be her fiancee, however she didn't see me so I continued to the bar where I ordered a southern comfort and 7 up. I leaned on the bar and watched the revelers dance, talk and eat the wonderfully expensive food that Sabine had ordered for her party.
"They are disgustingly happy aren't they?" Avery whispered to me, her delicious sandlewood and tubarose scent tickeling my nose. It turned to face her and smiled at how beautiful she looked. Her short hair was shiny, her bangs pinned over her eyebrow and behind her ear with an emerald clip, her long, fitted emerald and hunter green swirled dress was slit up one side and the strapless gown showed off her shoulders, one of my personal favourite parts of a woman's body.
"They look like the perfect commercial couple, you know the attractive couple that poses like the world's happiest couple all the while trying to sell coffee or Ovaltine" I teased "Avery you look beautiful" I reached for her hand and copying AJ's MO, I brought her hand to my lips and gently kissed it.
"Let me guess, Rico Suave the tattooed love machine you call Bone, taught you that right?" she teased. "There's a guy over there who has been hitting on me all night, how about we go over there and I can intoduce him to my hunky hulk of a date"
I blushed and took her outstretched hand.
~~**~~
"Avery you are going to kill me, god I am not a dancer" I protested as we sat down at the table.
"Come on, I have seen you swivel your hips and I have heard the little girls sqeaul when you thrust"
"You have done your homework I see, it's all for show really. I have never really been comfortable dancing or mingling. I am really more of a stay at home kind of guy"
"You and me both, my friends are constantly busting my balls about ditching them, but I am much happier spending time at the beach, shooting hoops or surfing the net. I like going to clubs but not every night"
"Busting your balls huh? Would you care to fill your date in on your secret" I grinned. I pouted as she hit me "You have one hell of a left hook Raging Bull, you should really ease up on the roids, they make your moods swing and they can put hair on your chest"
"Smart ass" Avery signalled to the waiter to bring over two more drinks "I don't know about you but I vote to ditch this party"
~~**~~
"You honestly are more attracted to brunettes? This is such a line" Avery and I were walking in dowtown Stokholm talking about whatever entered our minds. She had pointed out a bulletin board advertising Brittney's new cd and I had brought up the fact that I found brunette's to be more attractive.
"There is just something about them, truthfully I love women, blondes, redheads, brunettes, it's all good. Brunettes just catch my eye faster." We sat down on a bench in front of a fountain that decorated one of the main streets in the downtown core. "So now that you know what kind of underwear I wear, what I wear to bed and that I prefer brunettes how about you."
"Thongs or commando style, nothing and I love blondes"
I stared at Avery and a vision of her lying naked in bed entered my mind but I quickly dismissed it. "You are from Boston, in the winter don't you get chapped lips" I teased.
Avery answered me by scooping a handful of water and tossing it at me.
"Oh so the little miss cares to start a water fight" I scooped the water back at her and in less time then in takes Kevin to answer a simple yes or no question we were engaged in an all out water fight. Avery shocked me by scooping water into her dress and throwing it at me as she stood in the fountain. I retailiated by lunging at her and throwing her over my shoulders, carrying her towards the waterfall in the far end of the fountain.
"You wouldn't dare Carter" She screamed, as she beat me back with her fists.
"I love dares" I walked under the steady stream and laughed, trying to ignore the fact that I was freezing and concentrated on Avery's hysterical laughter.
~~**~~
"Well Nick I must admit this is the first time that my date has gotten me wet and I sent him home"
I stared at her, she had shocked me so much that evening, I had honestly expected her to be prim and buisiness like but in fact her mouth could give AJ's a run for his money, her wicked sense of humor fit mine perfectly and I had never had so much fun with a woman without kissing her. "You are filthy Avery"
"No, I think the shower you subjected me to in the fountain cleaned me and my mouth up nicely. Thanks for coming with me tonight Nick, it made the whole thing so much more bearable" Avery leaned in and hugged me tightly.
I concentrated on hugging her back, trying to get how good she felt against my chest out of my mind. "Meet me and the guys for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Is that a request or a command?" she teased.
"Request" I said shyly.
"Well when you say it that way how can I not? See you around 9" Avery took the written directions to my hotel and walked into her suite "Night Nick"
"Night Raging Bull"
Brian and I were deep in discussion about the Lakers/Bulls game when the hostess announced to our table that a young woman in the lobby was insisting that she was supposed to be meeting us for breakfast.
"I know security is tight and I wanted to make sure that in fact you were expecting her" she explained as I stood up.
"No worries" I walked to the front of the resteraunt and saw Avery standing, not looking pleased, as she waited for the woman to return. "Morning Raging Bull" I teased as I hugged her. "I should have told the hostess I was expecting someone, forgive me?" I batted my eyelashes and made a pouty face.
"Don’t let it happen again or I will make you pay" Avery teased, hitting my shoulder. I led her into the private dining room where all of my friends were immersed in their breakfast and various papers and topics of discussion. They looked up as we entered the room. I made the introductions and pulled out the chair that I had insisted Brian not sit on and then gently pushed Avery close to the table.
"So Avery Nick tells us that you are going to be redecorating his house when you return to Orlando."
Avery smiled at Brian "I am going to be working on Nick's house while he is here recording. Tell me something though, has he always been this trusting? He is giving me free reign on his house, for all he knows I could paint it black and rent it out as a mosoleum."
"That's because anything will be better then the damn pepto bismol pink that Mandy painted it" I said "Besides Raging Bull and I have an understanding, if she makes it prissy and pretty back to the fountain she goes"
"Raging Bull? Fountain?" Kevin asked confused, with a hint of an amused expression on his face.
Avery and I looked at each other and winked "It's a long story"
~~**~~
"I think you were a hit" I said to Avery as I walked her out to catch a cab.
"Judging from the two thumbs up that Howie threw you across the table I would think I passed" Avery teased me. "Nick I know you are really busy and have a lot of recording time but I was wondering if maybe you would like to come with me to Sabine's wedding. I was going to go stag but that is an open invitation for the best man to hit on me, he looks like a monkey and I am not partial to primates. Besides it will be more bearable if you are there making faces at me as they say their vows, I hate lovey dovey stuff" Avery grinned.
"It's Saturday right?" I asked.
"Yes, and it is black tie."
"Count me in, but I warn you, that means I have to endure yet another round of let's watch AJ terrorize the mall as he looks for the perfect tuxedo for Nick, you owe me big." I grinned as the cab pulled up in front of us and I held open the door for her "Thanks for coming this morning"
"Thank you for inviting me, give me a call if you want after they turn you loose from the studio" Avery handed me a card from the hotel she was staying at. "Talk to you soon Nick"
"Later Raging Bull, I mean bye Avery" I tapped the cab's roof and it drove off, leaving me smiling as Avery disappeared from my sight. I turned to walk back into the hotel. I knew my friends would be waiting to give me the Nicky Met a Woman inquest and the sooner it was over the better. "Time to face the firing squad" I mumbled but smiling the entire time. Being around Avery made me smile and feel good about myself, something I hadn't felt for a while. I opened the door and smirked when I heard "Did you see the chest on her, Nick will have built in pillows to sleep on" They were my friends and I had to love them. Today's recording session should be interesting.
Avery and I spent the better part of the 3 days before the wedding totally together. The guys teased me non stop about ditching them for Avery but I didn't care. I felt alive for the first time since our Millennium Tour ended. You see for the longest time there was only two places I felt totally free and alive, when I was on my boat, sailing deep into the ocean and when I was in stage, with 20,000 plus fans screaming for me and my friends, their screams were like a drug for me, they picked me up when I was done and projected me into a state of bliss that I longed for.
Avery was like no other woman I had ever met. She laughed from her belly, her eyes squinted up and her mouth fell open, she was always touching me, whether it was smacking my arm in protest or hugging me just for the hell of it. She made me feel good about myself and she could kick my ass at NBA 2000, a constant source of her teasing of me. Yet there was nothing sexual in our relationship. We enjoyed each other's company and we were satisfied with that.
Today she was coming to the studio with me to see us lay down a track and then she was ditching me for an afternoon at the spa with Sabine, who was getting married tomorrow. I had been hesitant to let her see us recording, we could be brutal to each other and lose our tempers quickly and I wasn't sure I wanted her to see that. She had made the argument that she wanted to see me in my element and since we were not touring this was the closest thing. She had me wrapped around her little finger and we weren't even dating. Scary huh?
~~**~~
"You are sure you don't mind me watching you?" Avery asked as we drove to the Cheiron studios.
"Like you would give me a choice either way" I teased and ducked as she slapped my arm. "So are you nervous about the wedding tomorrow?"
"I am just enviosioning myself tripping down the aisle or my dress ripping."
"Well rest easy, I will be there to pick you up if you fall and if your dress rips I will gladly catch anything that falls out" I grinned and braced for the smack I knew was coming.
~~**~~
I stared out at Avery who was in an animated conversation with Kristian and Max. She put everyone at ease and she got along with everyone.
"Earth to Nicky, remove your eyes from the woman and step back from the glass" AJ teased "Buddy you have got it bad, admit it"
"Nah, I am just constantly amazed by her that's all. Look at her, you would think she had known the guys forever the way she is acting with them."
"I am amazed that she hasn't knocked someone out with her chest. Nick she would suffocate you, after all more then a mouthful is a waste"
We broke into laughter and started to sing.
~~**~~
Avery signalled that she was leaving and I waved goodbye to her. For the past hour she had been in a trance watching us record. Her head bobbed softly to the music and her fingers drummed the beat on her thighs. She seemed to be drawn into the song we were singing. It was a new one called What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful, truth be told it was my personal favourite on the new cd and I was anxiously waiting to hear what the fans would think of it when it was released. I watched her leave and concentrated on my next verse.
"Avery come on, we have to get to the hairstylist in 20 minutes" Sabine pounded on the bathroom door fantically. Her wedding was in less then 3 hours and she was a nervous wreck.
"Sabie calm down" Avery poured a glass of champage and handed it to her friend "Sip on this, I will go get the door" Avery jumped over the discarded boxes, scattered shoes and luggage and opened the door. "ooh sabie I think your hubby to be sent you flowers" Avery signed for them and walked back into the living room. "What the..." Avery opened the long black box and smiled when she saw a dozen white roses and attached to the stems was a gold chain with a boxing glove charm.
"Knock em dead Raging Bull and remember I will catch you if you trip down the aisle
Nick
Avery smiled and brought the roses to her nose. She had spent the early morning talking to Nick on the phone about how nervous she was having to walk down the aisle and make a speech in front of hundreds of people at the wedding. Because Sabine was Sweden's star of the moment her guest list was huge and the media that would be in attendance was mind numbing. Nick had reassured her that everything would be fine and that all she had to do was look out into the crowd and he would make her laugh.
"How sweet, now we have to go" Sabine grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her out of the hotel room.
~~**~~
"So did you send her the gift?" AJ and Brian asked me as they stretched out on the living room furniture in my suite. They had come over after the studio session to help me get ready and to hang out.
"I sent them to her, I am surprised she hasn't called yet, though I am sure Sabine is keeping her busy with makeup and hair appointments. You don't think that was too sappy or too expensive of a gift to give her do you?"
"No, Nick I think it was great gift, she needed something to calm her down and I am sure she got a laugh out of it. You have really gotten close to her huh?" Brian asked.
"It's really strange, Avery and I have only known each other 6 days but in those 6 days she has made me open myself up to her. She makes me laugh, she makes me believe that there are decent people who want to know me for me, and not because of my back account or who I am in the media. She is incredible."
"So you two are going to hook up then?"
"No, it is a friendship. We are good for one another. I know that when she leaves to go back to Orlando tomorrow that we will leave as friends and that we will always be there for each other. It is that strong of a bond that we share. She is like noone I have ever had in my life" I looked at my friend's faces and saw their confused and slightly amused stares and I knew they couldn't comprehend that Avery and I would only be friends.
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