The OTHER Nick. The one from the bus tapped her on the shoulder from behind, " Um, Melissa right?"
Mel blushed, " Yes. Listen, I'm really sorry about all this. I didn't know."
" Hey, don't worry about it. Although, you may be getting a nasty letter in the mail from my mom about my butt."
He rubbed his butt playfully and Mel turned away blushing.
" God Mel, what'd you do to the poor guy."
Mel laughed and swung around to hit him.
" OOOO, a love hit."
" Nick, shut up!" Mel whined, " I apologized now lets go. I need sleep."
" Yes, your highness!!" Nick reached over to shake Nick's hand, " Nice to meet you, sorry about Mel. Bad temper." Nick glanced behind him to find Mel glaring at him over the rim of her sunglasses, " I think that's my cue, later."
Nick nodded his head and turned to walk away.
" Nick? Can you grab that bag?"
" Sure, Mel." Nick smiled sweetly at her.
He reached down to grab the bag and ran to catch up with her, " This weekend is going to be the best weekend of your life Mel."
She blushed and looked up at him, " And how is that Mr. Carter?"
" You'll see." Nick stopped at a limo and opened the door for Mel.
She smiled as the driver took her bags, and jumped into the limo admiring the red velvet seats and crystal champagne glasses in the cup holders.
" It's even got a TV," Nick sat close next to her and hit a button on the remote making the TV flicker on.
" Wow, you rented this thing for me?" Mel blushed knowing that what she just said was going to embarass the both of them.
" Actually. Yeah I did."
Mel looked up at him. As she smiled she turned her gaze back down at her feet blushing.
Nick smiled and simply lifted her chin with his finger. He smiled at her then jumped up opening the sun roof sticking his body out.
Mel bit her bottom lip and mumbled, " I can't believe this is happening"
" Did you say something?" Nick asked.
Mel shook her head.
" Come on up. It's cool." He reached out his hand and grabbed hers pulling her off the comfortable velvet seats up into the cool morning air.
Mel looked around. She could see screaming fans running after the limo.
She smiled as Nick saw what she was looking at. He waved to the crowd of girls then winced as they stopped dead still in the road and a car almost hit them.
" Quite the popular man today, aren't we?"
Nick grabbed her hand and smiled, " Only for you."
" Nick, I don't care where we eat, I'm starving. You try riding a bus for almost 18 hours without any food!!"
" Alright alright. How bout, pizza?"
" Mmmmmmmmm, sounds great."
" Okay, let's go."
Nick began to run pulling Mel behind him by the hand.
" Nick, slow down!"
" Oh, but why? I thought you were hungry?"
Mel saw a bench and ran to sit down, " Must you always do everything so quickly?" " If I don't I get mobbed."
Mel snickered and plopped down on the bench.
Nick sat down next to her.
There was silence for a few minutes. An awkward silence. As though one of them wanted to tell the other something, but they both knew it wasn't the time, nor the place.
" So um, what exactly did you have planned for me?"
Nick looked at her, with a look that was as if he was scolding her, " You mean us."
" Well, yeah. Of course."
" We are however, doing these things together."
" Yeah, I know that."
" Come on, we're going to eat."
Mel moaned as Nick grabbed her hand and they were off again.
Mel and Nick sat at the table eating pizza and sipping soda.
" So, can I ask you a question?"
Nick smiled, " You just did."
Mel blushed and glared at him, " Seriously."
" I guess so."
The smile faded from Mel's face and she stopped drinking her soda. She looked Nick in the eye, " Why did you ask me to come here?"
Nick stopped eating his pizza. It was like Mel had hit a button, and he was about to explode into a fountain of tears.
He quickly wiped his mouth with his napkin and got up from the table.
Mel sat dumbfounded at the table. Alone. Wondering what she had done this time.
After a few minutes Nick came back to the table. He hesitated as he sat down.
Mel stared at him, " Alright, I guess I owe an explanation for that. I can't tell you the reason, Mel."
Mel turned away. She didn't want to look in his eyes.
" I'm sorry, Mel, " Nick wadded up his napkin and set it down on the table. He pushed back his chair and stood up, " I just don't think you'd understand," he turned towards the door and walked out.
Mel threw her napkin on the table and decided it would be best if she just went to her hotel room. She walked outside and found the limo. The driver quickly opened the door. She refused.
" He said to leave it for you."
" I think I'm going to walk. Just take my bags to the hotel where I am staying please? Have them put them in my room. I'll be there in a few hours."
" Of course ma'am."
" Um, which way did he go?"
The driver pointed to the right. Mel turned to the left and started walking.
" What the heck have I done?" Nick said outloud to himself.
" You look like you could use some company."
Nick turned to find one of his fans, lending a shoulder.
" You don't mind walking with a super star who breaks girls hearts?"
" Well, yeah, I guess I do have a problem with that. I don't think I can handle the super star part. But I've dealt with heart breakers before." The girl smiled.
" Well, I guess some company, since my other probably hates me, wouldn't do any harm." Nick smiled and the girls face lit up.
" I wonder what I said. It seems like I'm always the one to screw things up between us. I hate this. Maybe I'll just go buy my bus ticket home and leave tonight. I could leave, and he'd come searching. He'd call and I'd refuse. Just like in the movies. He thinks just cause he's a super star he can reject anyone who comes along and they'll just take him back as if he were never gone. Listen to me, it's not like we're together. That's the way I'm talking."
Mel threw her hands into the air, " I'm talking to myself." she laughed and looked around to make sure no one was listening.
" Fancy meeting you here."
Mel faced forward and saw Nick from the bus, the one she had totally embarrassed herself in front of, sitting on a bench.
" Should I stand up? I don't want you to kick me off. And you know, this one might actually hurt a little more."
Mel walked over to the bench and sat down. She hardly smiled at his comment.
" Uh oh, that's not a good look. That's a heart broken look."
She couldn't take it. She brought her hands up to her face and began to cry.
" Hey hey, why'd you have to do that. I can't stand to see girls cry. What's wrong?"
" We were in a resturaunt, and I asked him why he just invited me here....it was just out of the blew. And he ran out of the room crying and when he came back he said he couldn't tell me cause I wouldn't understand."
" That was a little muffled from your face being in your hands, but I think I got it all clear enough."
Mel lifted her face and wiped tears from her cheeks.
" Well, so what are you doing here?"
" You mean, why am I not running after him? Begging to have him back?"
" Well, I guess that's what I'd like to know, as well as Mr. Carter here." Nick reached over behind Mel and patted Nick on the back.
Mel whirled around and stood up from the bench.
" Mel, you gotta let me explain," Mel turned away as if to say she didn't want to hear anymore.
" Why should I listen to you? I wouldn't understand remember?"
" Mel, I'm sorry."
" No, you're not sorry. You're afraid. Afaid of whatever it is you're trying to tell me. Whatever it is that made you get up from that table crying! Whatever it was that made you leave me....ALONE....in that restaurant. I want to know, Nick. I will understand."
" You wanna know what I'm so afraid to tell you, Mel? Do you?" Nick yelled and people on the sidewalks turned and stared.
Mel's voice was calmer, tears on both sides of her cheeks, looking down at her feet, to afraid to look him in the eye, " yes, Nick. I do."
" I'm afraid of being in love with you, Mel. I'm afraid of telling you because I'm afraid you don't feel the same. I'm afraid that some day you'll walk out of my life, forever. I'm afraid of everything, Mel."
Mel was in tears.
Nick threw his hands in the air and looked up at the sky, then back down at Mel who was now on her knees crying, " Mel, I love you. Is that too much of a reason to bring you down here? Cause if it is, I'll walk away now, and you'll never have to see me again."
Nick waited. After a few minutes of pure silence, from watchers in the park, and silence from Mel he turned, with tears falling from his eyes, and started down the sidewalk.
What are you doing Mel? she asked herself. He's about to walk out of your life forever and you're letting him get away. Go after him. Go.
Without even thinking she shot up on her feet and began to run, " Nick, Nick wait. Please."
Nick heard her and turned around slowly. Seeing the smile on her face he spread out his arms and threw them around her as she jumped into them. It was like a perfect fit.
"I love you too, Nick."