“Is that your dinner?” Billy asked with fatherly concern as he opened the refrigerator door. There was nothing in there but an expired carton of milk and two cases of Mountain Dew.
“I ate a late lunch. I’ll grab something on my way home.” Nick said after letting out a huge belch.
“You couldn’t eat if you wanted to.” Billy shook his head. “There’s no food in this refrigerator. You need to hire a cook. If you won’t eat the food, I will.”
“Do you think it’s too early for me to go?” Nick looked nervously at his watch and tapped his fingers on the table.
“No, it’s not too early, but I still think I should come with you, just to be on the safe side. You know how the fans can get out of control. Autographs turn into hugs. Hugs turn into sloppy kisses. Kisses turn into hair pulling and ripped clothing. I’ll keep my distance, I promise.”
Nick chuckled and shook his head. He didn’t see his fans’ affection the same way Billy did. Billy found them threatening. Nick thought they were just being friendly, well most of the time he thought they were. Sometimes he just wanted to be left alone. That was when he really appreciated Billy the most.
“You make my fans sound crazy, Billy. They just want to say hi to me. I know they tend to get a little excited, but it’s just because they care so much.”
“If that’s how people show they care, I don’t want anything to do with it.”
“I’m used to it, Billy.” Nick said as he stuffed his art supplies into his backpack. He wasn’t going to let Billy irritate him. “Now, once and for all, I don’t need your protection tonight.”
Billy followed Nick through the hallway and into the garage, watching over his shoulder to make sure he set the alarm properly. Nick unlocked his Durango, hopped in and rolled down the window to face his bodyguard.
“Why don’t you go find yourself a woman or something? You’re too damn tense.”
“What are you saying, Nick?”
“I’m saying that you need to get laid, Billy.” Nick laughed. “It’s a sure way to improve your uptight mood.”
“You would know, Nick.” Nick was teasing him, but he could see Billy was genuinely concerned, so he decided to try to soothe his ruffled feathers.
“Listen, we’ve been over and over this. I got stuck in this night class. No one is going to see me on campus anyway. I’ll slip into my classroom, take respectable notes and be home by ten.” Billy pressed his fingers against the headache that was starting in his eyes.
“I haven’t seen you treated like a regular guy since you were thirteen.” The kid was so damn naïve.
“Wish me luck?” Nick’s eyes pleaded for acceptance.
“I wish you a lot of luck, Nick. Watch your back, okay?
“Yes, Dad.”
Nick buckled his seatbelt and popped in his System Of A Down CD. Kevin wasn’t there to turn it off, so he may as well enjoy it.
“Very funny!” Billy hollered above the music. “If you’re injured, I’m out of work. I don’t want that to happen.”
“Billy, that’s wonderful, really touching. Such concern for my welfare.” Nick pulled out of the driveway with a quick wave and Billy said a silent prayer. He had seen things get out of control and he couldn’t help but worry. Should he follow him? That was the question rolling around in his mind.
Nick was nervous when he pulled into the parking lot a half hour later. He hadn’t stepped foot in a classroom in almost ten years. He parked in the lot and decided against the hat. He was going to have to trust that the people in his night class would treat him as a regular classmate instead of Nick Backstreet. His heart was thumping and he could feel perspiration dampening his upper lip as he walked through the parking lot. Relax Nick. This is supposed to be fun.
The scent of paint and turpentine wafted through the long hallway of the Arts Building. Nick peeked into his assigned classroom and could see an even distribution of men and women, although most looked older than him. Surprisingly, they all looked nervous, so that was sort of comforting. He was trying to gather up the courage to enter the room, but his feet didn’t want to take the first step. The doubts that Billy had planted in his mind for weeks were popping to the surface and now he wasn’t sure what he should do. Maybe Billy was right. He felt safe in his little cocoon called the Backstreet Boys. He nervously chewed on his lower lip. He felt as though he just might panic. What am I going to do? Where am I going to run?
“Are you coming inside, darlin?”
The soft, sultry voice that wafted over his left shoulder should have given him some indication of how beautiful the woman was it belonged to. Nick never could have imagined such a lovely creature. He turned around and was literally speechless. His heart began pounding out of his chest as he took a long slow inventory up and down her body. She had a warm, friendly smile that lit up her whole face and she was maybe 5’6” in heels. She had shoulder length brown hair that looked like smooth milk chocolate and it curled slightly at the ends.
Mesmerized and without so much as a forethought, he reached his hand up and twirled a silky strand around his finger. The soft gasp that escaped her lips warmed his heart, but he didn’t pull away. His eyes rested briefly on her full, pouty lips. He imagined how sweet they must taste. How warm and moist they would be as he devoured them slowly and deliberately, hovering until she begged for mercy. He would take her lips. Oh yes, he definitely would. Then he looked into the most incredible sea green eyes he had ever seen. He was in love.
Nick released her hair abruptly, as he came to his senses, and took two awkward steps backward. I’ve just made an ass of myself.
“Umm…Yeah. I guess so. I mean, I don’t know. I’m not sure.” He began. “The truth is, I’m signed up for this class.” She looked at him questioningly.
“See, I haven’t been to school in so long. I’ve been kind of busy for the last nine years.” She listened patiently.
“Can you tell I’m kind of nervous?” He laughed self-consciously. “I almost talked myself into going home.”
“You don’t want to go home now, do you?” She asked softly.
“No.” He smiled. “I definitely don’t want to do that.” He was glad he had stopped rambling. It made him look like he was no expert when it came to conversing with beautiful females. Well, he wasn’t, but there was no point in advertising it.
She shifted her weight to try and shake off the weakness she felt in her knees. He was simply the sexiest man she had ever seen. And when he touched her? Lord, that was a feeling she wanted to recapture. Pictures didn’t do him justice. His tousled blond hair, piercing blue eyes and boyish features masked the real man beneath the celebrity. He had a real body, not too heavy and not too thin. His smile could melt the iciest glacier. His voice was that of an angel. She already knew that very well because she had listened to his CDs for hours.
“Tell me,” he gestured towards the door, “Are you taking Art Appreciation too?”
She tilted her head to one side, enjoying their easy banter as her eyes appreciated the shape of his delicately curved lips. She was going to taste them in time. There was no doubt in her mind about that and it would be sooner than later.
“No, Handsome, I’m not taking the class, but I am going to be your first homework assignment.” He slowly grinned his approval as she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, her breath breezing along his neck and making him shudder.
“I already appreciate the looks of you, so lets go work on the Art, okay?” She stepped aside to let him pass. He was sure he felt her hand slide across his rear.
“After you, Nick.” He walked past her into the classroom and the eyes of every student were on him. Nick heard a few whispers, but it wasn’t until he took an empty seat in the back of the room that it dawned on him. She knows who I am.
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