''Honey are you in there?''
Heather crawled off the bed and staggered to the door..opened it
''Hi sleepy head...can I come in?''
''uhm sure.....Where's Nick?''
Brian wandered into the room and closed the door. ''He got collared in the foyer by fans..so he's busy meetin' and greetin''
''In his element then......'scuse me a moment Brian'' Heather dissappeared into the bathroom.
Brian amused himself taking pretend photos with her camera.
After a few seconds she emerged drying her face with a towel.
''That's better..nothing like really cold water to sharpen your wits''
Brian put the camera down.
''Are you okay.....I mean we missed you this afternoon, you went so quickly''
''I called after you both, but you only had one thing on your minds''
''Oh''
''Food!''
Brian laughed ''Oh yeah!.....
''cos if there's anything you ever want to talk about you can talk to me...I mean if you can't talk to Nick...not that I'm suggesting....''
Brian sighed and looked at the floor.
''I'm not very good at this am I?''
''Depends what you mean''
''I heard you on the phone a couple of days ago checking your reservation for a flight on saturday''
''Oh''
''Nicks' never mentioned anything and I'm sure he would have, so I"m guessing you haven't told him.''
Heather looked him in the eyes...Brian wasn't sure for a moment if she was gonna be mad at him.
She wasn't.... in truth she was kinda relieved.
''I have a pre-planned assignment in Ecuador...something I've always wanted to do and the chance came up....I took the interview and they hired me.... then I got this job.''
''I see and you still plan to go''.
''I'm torn in half Brian....I want to stay with Nick so badly... but this is my job and I love it,
I'll be coming back ......if he doesn't hate me when I tell him''
''Which brings me round to just when exactly were you planning to tell him?''
''I haven't deliberately set out to keep him in the dark ..honestly there was never a good time ....everything happened so fast and then there was Danny"
''It's okay I understand... I think....but you will tell him?''
''I'd planned to wait until after the last show but before the party so that way he isn't distracted from his workbut if he dumps me then he still has time to find another date for the party!''
Brian laughed...''Nick won't dump you ..never in a million years''
''You sure about that?''
''Totally....he's crazy about you...trust me...but a word of warning he may well feel hurt....
he told me you two have no secrets from each otherto him that's what makes it extra special...
I'd class this as a secret!''
''You see I've ruined it....he'll never feel the same about me.''
''When he realises why you waited he'll love you even more''
''I hope you're right....I need him.....I try not to but I do.''
Brian sat on the edge of her bed with her.
''We've had this conversation before you and I... just tell him.. okay?''
Brian sroked Heathers' hair from her forehead and cuddled her.
There was another knock at the door
Brian called out ''Come in Nick!''
Nick opened the door
''Hey how d'you know it's me and what are you doing with my girlfriend''
''She's not feeling too well''
Heather realised Brian was leaving it entirely to her to give Nick the news.
Brian stood up and smiled down at her.
''I'll leave you in his capable hands''
Heather grinned
The door closed and Nick joined her on the bed.
''Are you okay?... you should have called me I'd have come straight back''
''I wouldn't dream of dragging you away from your work''
''But if you're ever really ill or in labour....then I'll need to know''
''Nick what are you talking about''
Nick just grinned and changed the subject''Are we going to the arena together tonight or do you need to be there early?''
''No I'll go with you if that's okay?''
''Fine with me''
''You know it'll be the first time I've filmed you in concert since we got together!''
''Yeah... I relised that this afternoon, I kinda like the idea of having you up there with me''
''Good job no one knows about us''
''Well if we arrive together they will won't they?''
''I never thought about that......maybe we'd better go separately''
''Oh no you're not getting away with that....I don't want to hide this.......us...I am allowed to have a girlfriend you know''
''Yes but...''
''No buts....we go together if people see us..... they see us''
''I don't want your fans to hate you.......or me really''
''When they see how happy you make me they'll love you too''
Heather wasn't at all convinced but she agreed to go with him.
''What about the party tomorrow night?''
''You're definitley going with me!''
''No you fool.... I thought I might wear this''
She took a very short burgundy velvet strappy dress from the closet..it was designed to be very figure hugging...she held it against her....
''Is it too much?''
She looked up at Nick whose eyes were nearly popping out of his head ''There isn't enough of it... to be too much''
''Oh you don't like it ......well I could.....''
''Wait ,wait ,wait.... I didn't say I didn't like it.....I love it... I'm just not sure how I'll keep my hands off you if you wear it!!''
''I've got something else''
''No.... wear that one please..... pretty please.!....it looks so good held against you ......on you it gonna blow my mind''
She put the dress back in the closet
Nick grabbed her and pulled her back onto the bed ''I need a cuddle now''
''Aren't you supposed to conserve your strength?''
''That's sportmen before a big game''
''Doesn't a concert count then''
''Nope... come here!''
Heather squealed as Nick rolled over her and began to tickle her.
They filled the few hours until showtime with a private show of their own!
As they strode up to the backstage door Nick had tight hold of Heathers' hand
around them fans screamed...it was quite scary but Nick and the guys took it all in their stride ..waving and smiling.
Heather caught one or two what she thought were hate stares, after all she had just made love with the guy these girls were now crying for........but she dismissed the notion.... why would they look at her when there were the five gorgeous guys they'd come to see
right in front of them.
At the door Nick slid his hand around her back guiding her through the opened door.
Once inside a member of the crew delivered all her equipment and asked her where she would like it to be put.
Heather wasn't used to this.
Nick smiled ''Get used to it babe, just tell Jack where you need your gear I'll see you in the dressing room ''
She watched him dissappear before she turned to Jack. It's okay Jack I can manage really ''
''Honey... I have orders from Nicky and if he finds out I let you carry all this stuff he'll whup my ass... so if it's all the same to you'' Jack laughed
''Don't look so worried... he's kidding I've known Nicky since he was fourteen... It's a pleasure for me to help such a pretty lady''
Heather relaxed and Jack took her equipment backstage.
She changed into her working gear.
For the purposes of the show she was wearing a rather close fitting dark blue boilersuit affair... which was suprisingly cool considering the heat up on stage.
Half an hour later she checked up on Nick he was with the other guys and the band plus the numerous techies.
They waved her into the room as usual and teased her and Nick mercilessly until it was time to go on.
The ritual chant done
Nick kissed her briefly and she crept into her position at the side of the stage.
The show was electric, she enjoyed the first half especially as she crept around taking her footage.
Nick was very playful even telling the guys that he thought he'd sing to the camera girl,
which just made the audience scream even more ... they knew he was supposed to pick one of them!
he contented himself with ''Nah I'll do it later''
and picked out a pretty blonde girl from the second row and sang to her instead.
Heather watched him through her lens and fell even more in love.
She fully understood why the poor girl was crying...Nicks' voice was so lovely.
They had made an announcement at the begining of the show about Nicks voice..... but actually he was doing fine.
Her work done Heather sat at the side of the stage and really enjoyed the second half.
Occassionally Nick would make eye contact with her checking to see if she was okay,
but mainly he was caught up in the energy of the show.
Three encores later and they ran off stage.
Heather had already gone back to Nicks' dressing room and was waiting when the door crashed open.
There he was.... sweat drenched and breathing heavily He threw his towel to one side and grabbed her hard pushing her backwards into the bathroom and up against the wall
his lips pressed firmly to hers.
He was so wired!
''I've wanted you all through the show baby, creepin' round me gettin' me all hot''
His lips sucked on her neck. ''You were so close and I couldn't touch you, you made me crazy.... I need you Heather..now!''
''Not here Nick?''
His eyes burned into hers ''Yes here.......now!''