Bracing my hands on the edge of the table I stood up quickly sending my chair toppling to the ground.
“Move.” I commanded as Sammy tugged her chair in so that I could walk around her.
“Nick?” Kevin stared at me with a strange look on his face as Brian and A.J. jumped out of my way before I could knock them down.
“Geez he seems kind of upset. We better go and check on him?” Brian drawled as I moved away from the table, winding my way through the restaurant my hand absently rubbing the stitches on the back of my head.
It was happening again.
Once out of the restaurant I made my way quickly through the hotel lobby, overflowing with people in town for the Outdoor Retailers Convention.
Attempting to get lost in the crowd I headed for the courtyard, glancing nervously over my shoulder as I swung the door open knocking a girl to he ground, her canvas knapsack breaking open its’ contents scattering all around her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I semi shouted. “But technically you should really watch where you’re going.” Dropping to my knees beside her I began to gather up her things.
“Oh yeah, like you’re so coordinated Dirk.” The girl replied sarcastically.
Stopping I made eye contact with the girl for the first time since knocking her to he ground. Eva.
“Is this some kind of dream?” Reaching out I pinched her cheek, wondering if she would disappear.
“Only if you dream about those two dorks.” She replied slapping my hand away with a grin as she pointed over my shoulder.
Snapping back to reality I turned around just in time to see A.J. and Brian pushing their way through the rowdy conventioneers.
It was happening again.
“Get up.” I snapped.
“What?”
“Get up, get up. We have to get out of here.”
Grabbing up her lipgloss, a pack of gum, two empty CD cases and keyring that must have had twenty keys in different shapes and sizes on it I signaled for her to hand me the bag.
“Give me the keys.” Reaching out she snatched them out of my hand.
“What the hell does a girl need so many keys for anyway.” I barked my heart racing as Brian and A.J. moved quickly through the lobby in our direction.
“What the hell difference does it make to you?” She replied sarcastically as I grabbed the bag slinging it over my shoulder before tugging her to her feet.
“C’mon follow me.”
Racing across the courtyard I held tightly to her hand, her knapsack bouncing off of my back as I scanned for the nearest exit.
A group of kids tossed a football back and forth beaning me in the head as we passed.
“Sorry Mister.” One of them giggled as I scooped the ball up on the fly underhanding it to a kid in a yellow t-shirt.
“Hey.” Turning around I tugged Eva with me as I caught the kid’s attention. “If you guys can keep those two guys coming through the door over there busy I’ll give you each fifty bucks.”
“Yeah right, how do we know you’ll really pay up?”
“I’m in room #672. Tell the guy at the door that you’re doing business with me he’ll let you in.” Turning again I spun Eva around like a game of crack the whip.
“Slow down.” She hissed as I spotted the big red Exit sign in the corner.
“Do we have a deal?” I motioned to the kid in the yellow t-shirt.
“Yeah we got a deal.” He answered as he motioned his little friends over for a huddle just as Brian and A.J. appeared.
Ducking out the exit I pushed the door closed behind me and crouched down with Eva following my lead.
From the darkened hallway we watched the group of kids surround a baffled A.J. and Brian, tossing the ball back and forth across the circle skimming A.J.’s head.
“Move it you little snots.” Waving his arms around A.J. attempted to deflect the ball wincing as it flipped off his fingertips smacking Brian in the nose.
“Shit.” Brian grabbed for his nose as the kids burst out into fits of giggles, blood oozing between Brian’s fingers.
“Perfect.” Staying low I continued holding tight to Eva’s hand, amazed that I had found her again and determined that this time I wasn’t going to let her go.
I could hardly believe it was happening again.
* * *
Once out on the street we continued running, plowing unseen passed fans gathered outside hoping for a glimpse of the famous Backstreet Boys.
“Backstreet Boys suck.” I coughed into my hand behind the back of a girl with two long blonde braids.
Burying my face in Eva’s shoulder to keep from laughing the girl shot her a nasty look.
“You suck.” The girl said to her in a sour voice turning back around.
“Nick Carter sucks.” I countered back again dropping my head to Eva’s shoulder.
“Shut up.” Eva laughed slugging me in the gut as we continued through the crowd.
“Hey if you’re not a fan you shouldn’t be standing out here.” Another girl replied in a snotty voice as we walked by.
Looking up through my bangs I groaned.
Claudia, the fan from hell.
She turned back around as we passed. Dropping Eva’s knapsack straps into my hand I swung the bag around smacking Claudia in the back of the head.
“Ouch!” She shrieked turning around.
“You suck.” I said with a big smile.
“Oh my God it’s Nick Carter!” Came a squeal from somewhere in the middle of the crowd.
Eva looked at me with wide blue eyes.
“Oops.” I shrugged as the girls surged forward and I was engulfed in a sea of adoration.
* * *
“Hey that was a pretty good idea telling them I was a lookalike.” Sitting across from each other in a corner booth of a delicatessen Eva dunked her napkin in a glass of ice water before applying it to the more swollen parts of my face.
“None of those girls have seen you up really close anyway so I figured they would fall for it.”
“Did you really mean it when you told them that the real Nick Carter was way better looking in person then I was?” Flashing me a half smile she turned her attention to the sandwich board behind me.
“So what are you hungry for?”
“We haven’t seen each other in three years and all you can say is ‘what are you hungry for’?” Mildly irritated with her attitude I slouched down in my seat.
“Oh quit pouting.” Tossing the wet napkin at me she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m going to have a roast beef on rye.”
“Did you miss me Eva?” I asked looking up at her through my bangs, avoiding eye contact with her for fear she might laugh or roll her eyes or say no that she did not miss me one bit.
“Maybe I’ll get a pickle too.” She continued. Smiling at a woman loading her baby into a multicolored stroller.
“Because I missed you.” My voice was barely above a whisper as I traced random patterns on the tabletop with my finger. “I thought about you so much over the years sometimes I wondered if you were a dream.”
I waited for her to tell me that she was also going to get some chips and maybe a large Coke but there was nothing.
Finally after a moment of long awkward silence I looked up to find Eva was staring at me. Despite the urge to look away I kept my eyes locked on hers.
A smile spread slowly across her face as her bright blue eyes misted over.
“I’m not a dream Nick I’m real, and I missed you too.”