“Ah, that’s right. My secret…I’m in a band.”
She shot him a confused glance. “You’re in a band? That’s not really a big deal. I mean, it’s really cool, but I can’t see why you wouldn’t tell me that before.”
“Well…you know the song, ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart?’” he asked.
“Yeah, I love that song. Don’t tell me that’s you,” she said, a grin spreading across her face.
“That’s me.”
“You’re a Backstreet Boy?”
“Yes, I’m a Backstreet Boy. And so is Brian, the guy you met at the park the other day. In fact, the plans I had with friends today…we had a bunch of boring meetings with management all day about what’s going on for us in the next few months.”
She laughed slightly. “Wow! You’re a Backstreet Boy. Holy crap! You’ve got to be kidding me! I so have to go out and buy your CD now! I was going to do it the other day, but I had no idea where I could find a damned music store in this town.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t because I’ll give you an autographed one for free.”
“Ooh, cool!” she exclaimed. “So what does this mean for us? Are you gonna be touring or anything?”
“I go on tour in Europe in August.”
“Europe?”
“Yes, Europe. I’m sorry. I know I should have told you that earlier, but I didn’t want to just be like, ‘Yeah, I’m a Backstreet Boy.’ I wanted to save that for when I got to know you better. So that’s how I want to help the world; I want to touch people’s lives with my music.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. I didn’t know guys had hearts at all.”
“After what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you, but I can’t imagine hurting a girl on purpose, especially like that. I never would be able to do it.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
She looked down at her hands. “You must think I’m a slut now.”
“No way! Absolutely not!” he exclaimed, lifting her face to see her eyes. “I could never see you as a slut, and I don’t ever want you to think I do. I think you’re an incredibly strong person. I also think you’re a very wise person. With your dad, you told me it brought you closer to your mom. With your guy experiences, you told me it taught you not to spread rumors or date lots of guys and to be careful who you trust. You always find the silver lining of every cloud, and that’s an amazing quality, a quality I wish I had. You’re the definition of an optimist.”
She was blushing. “Wow. You really are different, Nick Carter.”