Nick was already around the corner when he realized that Alex wasn’t behind him. He went back and looked for her, but didn’t see her. He looked around, but still didn’t find her. “Great, I’ve lost my car and my girl. Could things get any better?” He continued to look for both for the next 20 minutes wandering around the huge parking garage.. He finally turned a corner and saw Alex sitting on top of the Suburban. He walked up, “What are you doing? Get off before they get back.”
“Who?” Alex asked
“The owners maybe.”
“The owners of that other black Suburban left a few minutes after you ran off.”
“What?”
“The car I am sitting on now is the yours.”
“No way.”
“Yes way, look in the back.”
Nick did as she said and then looked at her, “How did you….? Why didn’t I see it?”
“Because you were to busy running the other way like a psycho lunatic.”
“Would you like help down?”
“Not like I need it or anything, but okay.”
Nick helped her down and then unlocked the car. He put her bags in the back and then they headed to the hotel.
Alex laughed at Nick the whole way back. “That was so funny, you should have seen the look on your face and then you just started running.” She had to stop because she was laughing so hard
“Okay, okay. I just didn’t want the owners coming back and trying to get us arrested for car theft. We don’t have to mention this to the guys either.”
Alex sniffed, “Do I smell blackmail?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
“Oh great.” Nick moaned
**
Nick dropped Alex’s bags as he unlocked the door, “Alex, I didn’t tell you, but the hotel was booked up. So, you can just stay with me.”
Alex looked at Nick for a minute. They had never really talked about this to any extent. They had never had the opportunity and Alex had had a bad encounter in the past and Nick knew that. She didn’t care if he was Nick Carter or John Doe she wasn’t going to go into this now. Nick must have sensed her discomfort because he leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t worry, you will have a bed all to yourself.”
Alex gave him a half smile and followed him into the room. It was a pit, “What have you been doing in here?” Alex asked looking around.
“Um, living I guess.”
“Well, you are going to have to change your living habits because I will not have my house looking like this.”
Nick grinned at her, “I will try my hardest. You hungry?”
Alex smiled, “Born hungry, stay hungry, die hungry.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. There’s a McDonalds down the street.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want you to go all out or anything.” Alex said rolling her eyes
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Alex slugged him into the arm and Nick yelped
**
They walked into MickeyD’s to find the guys standing in front of the counter, and Howie was walking around with the video camera. The guys all said hi to Alex and asked why they were so late. Nick and Alex only looked at each other, but didn’t say anything. They ordered while Howie ‘interviewed’ them. He asked each of them stupid questions and everybody said something or another
Then Howie came to Nick, “What are you guys doing?”
“We’re picking our noses, what does it look like we’re doing?”
A.J. answered, “By golly, we’re still waiting on our food.”
Nick looked at Alex and she glared at him, “Be nice.”
He rolled his eyes, “this week is going to be interesting.”
**
Alex found out when they were eating that Brian and Kevin’s girlfriends were coming as well. She didn’t know how she felt about that. She honestly didn’t feel like she lived up to them. She wasn’t the actress/model type like they were, just the pitcher type. She always felt inferior to them. She was trying her best to hide her discomfort and thought she was doing fine when Nick said something about it on their way back to the hotel. “I think Leighanne and Kristen are going shopping tomorrow, why don’t you go with them?”
Alex didn’t say anything, “Nick I…”
“Go, have a fun time. We’ll be in rehearsal all day anyway.”
Alex just nodded, “Okay.” She figured she would be miserable and would rather stay at the hotel, but Leighanne and Kristen were nice. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.
“You want to watch a movie or something?” Nick asked on entering their room.
“Okay, I guess.”
Nick flipped on the TV, “The Fifth Element is on HBO or we can order something.”
“Have you seen The Fifth Element?” Alex asked coming out of the bathroom
“No, is it any good?”
“Yeah.”
“You want to watch it?”
“Sure.” Alex answered falling down on the bed.
Nick flipped the TV to HBO and grabbed the ice bucket, “I’m gonna go get some ice, be right back.”
“Okay.” Alex decided that while Nick was gone she would go ahead and change. She quickly changed into her Pajama pants and T-shirt and planted herself in the middle of Nick’s bed.
**
On the way back to his room Nick ran into Brian, “Hey Brian, would it be alright with Leighanne if Alex went with her and Kristen tomorrow?”
Brian thought for a minute, “I’ll ask her and call ya, but I don’t think she would have a problem with it.”
“Okay, thanks man.”
Nick walked back into the room and found Alex sitting on his bed, he grinned and sat the ice down. She saw his smile, “Now, don’t go getting any ideas Nickolas!”
“I won’t.”
“Nick, you are a red blooded American guy staying in a hotel room with your girlfriend and you are playing it cool. That has to be hard.”
“You have no idea, but it’s not like we’re not going to be together for like the rest of lives.”
“Ahh…How sweet, but thank you for understanding.”
“ No problem.” He went over to the big cabinet and got a bottle of coke out of it, “You want some?”
“Yeah, sure. The movie’s about to start and you can’t miss the beginning.”
“Okay, here ya go.” He said handing her a class and sitting down on the bed behind her. She leaned against him and got comfortable. He grinned down at her and then tried to pay attention to the movie
