Survivor
Chapter 19
"Oh... my... god..." Leslie gasped, her eyes wide. "I can't believe you are actually Nick Carter's girlfriend. This is just too cool!"
"Leslie, don't tell anybody, ok?" Bailey pleaded. She began unpacking her clothes and throwing them into the hamper.
"Don't tell anybody? You've got to be kidding me. Bailey, this is just the coolest thing ever. You can't hide it! If it were me, I'd be screaming it from the rooftops, woman!"
"I just don't want it to get out. I don't want people looking at me funny and acting weird around me," Bailey sighed.
"Honey, you took him to a party. You spent two nights with him... alone... in a romantic cabin. You think people aren't going to be acting weird around you anyway? Come on. You've GOT to let me tell somebody about this. Hey, did you guys hook up or what? I forgot to ask you earlier," Leslie said, flopping down on Bailey's bed. Bailey blushed, and didn't say anything.
"Oh shit..." Leslie muttered. "You did it, didn't you?"
Bailey still didn't say anything, but she was having a hard time keeping her smile at bay.
"Oh my god!" Leslie squealed. "You did it with him! I'm so proud of you!" She jumped up off the bed and hugged Bailey. "Was it good?"
"Leslie! I don't want to have this conversation with you," Bailey laughed.
"Ok, if you won't let me tell anybody you're dating him, you at least have to tell me if he's any good in bed," Leslie said, raising an eyebrow.
Bailey sat down and closed her eyes. A smile spread across her face and she took a deep breath.
"I'm in love with him," Bailey sighed, falling back on her pillow. "That's what matters."
"Oh Bailey! Is he a minute man?" Leslie said sympathetically.
"NO!" Bailey exclaimed. "Hardly! He's amazing. He's so romantic, and he's just... perfect."
"Tell the truth," Leslie said, crossing her arms, "is it true what they say about him? Is he hung like a horse?"
Bailey burst out laughing and covered her face with her hands.
"Oh shit! It's true, isn't it?" Leslie exclaimed. "You are so lucky," she added, shaking her head. "Brett's not very big."
"Too much information," Bailey said, covering her ears. "LALALALA I'm not listening."
"Oh come on," Leslie laughed.
"He's coming home with me for Christmas," Bailey said quietly giggling.
"Oh wow," Leslie said in amazement. "What's Bob gonna say?"
"I can handle daddy," Bailey said, but inside, she wasn't so sure. But there was no way she was going home to face daddy and Pammy alone. She needed Nick with her for support.
"What are you getting him for Christmas?" Leslie said, lying down beside Bailey on the bed. As they stared up at the ceiling, Bailey cringed.
"I have no idea. What do you get for a guy who has all the money in the world?" she sighed.
"Not a clue," Leslie replied. "You could always go with the standard... clothes."
"No. It has to be something special," Bailey said, shaking her head.
"Well, let me know when you figure it out. Listen, babe, I've got to run. Brett is taking me to that new club tonight on Tillman Street. You know? The one where the waitresses dance on the bar?"
"Oh Leslie, no," Bailey said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, I know. Cheesy and grotesque. But he really wants to go. So I guess I should get ready," Leslie sighed.
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow."
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"Kev, what am I gonna do, man?" Nick whined, as they walked into what felt like the four hundredth store of the day. "None of this stuff is right for her."
"We'll find it," Kevin said calmly. Since their ordeal, Kevin had grown more patient with Nick, and he had learned to appreciate him so much more.
"But I'm leaving tomorrow. I've got to find it today," Nick complained.
"We'll find it," Kevin repeated, punching Nick gently on the shoulder. "But right now, we've got to sit down for a few minutes."
"What's wrong, dawg?" Nick asked.
"Just a little winded. That's all," Kevin said, smiling. They sat down in the food court and watched the Christmas shoppers. It was amazing that not too many people recognized them. Nick could blend in sometimes, but Kevin, with his long, dark hair, and his chiseled jaw, stuck out in every crowd.
After resting for a few minutes, they resumed their search for the perfect gift for Bailey. Kevin steered Nick into The Nature Company, and as soon as Nick saw the stuffed mountain lion, he ran to it.
"Oh man! Look at this!" Nick exclaimed.
"Cute," Kevin chuckled. "Really cute."
"I've got to get this," Nick said, taking it to the register. He paid, and they walked out of the store.
"Well, there one present down," Nick sighed.
"And I think I've found the big present," Kevin said, a slow smile creeping across his face.
**************************************
Bailey sat outside the sorority house on the front porch, waiting for Nick. Yes, she looked awfully eager, but it had been 8 days since she had seen him, and she missed him so much. As soon as she saw the Jaguar driving down the street, she jumped up and ran out to meet him in the driveway.
"Nick!" she squealed, as he stepped out of the car. She hugged his neck
and planted a big kiss on him before he could even stand up straight.
"Well hello to you too," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist. He frowned a little. "Have you lost weight?"
"A little," she said, smiling.
"Why? I like you with a little meat on your bones," he said, running his hands up and down her sides.
"Nick," Bailey said, rolling her eyes, "I lost 5lbs. It's not like I'm wasting away or anything. It's just been pretty stressful with exams and everything. And then trying to figure out what to get you for Christmas... ugh! That was stressful, too. And thinking about having to face daddy and the twit. I just haven't been able to think about food without getting sick to my stomach."
"Calm down," Nick said, smiling down at her. Damn, she's hyper today, he thought.
"I'm sorry. I'm just excited to see you," she said, jumping up and down a little.
Nick laughed. "Well, let's get your stuff and get going." He walked up to the porch and grabbed her suitcases, then loaded them into the car with his own.
Bailey was already sitting in the passenger seat, thumbing through his cd's when he got in.
"Nick, tell me something," she said quietly.
"What is it, baby?"
"Does anybody know about... us?" she asked, looking at him with those big blue eyes.
"About what? That we're together? Yeah, sure they do. Kevin and Brian helped me pick out your Christmas presents."
"I mean... other people. Like the public," Bailey said, looking back down.
"Probably not," Nick said, smiling. "And believe me, you'll like it better that way. Those girls can be vicious."
"You don't think I can handle viciousness?" Bailey asked. "You have to remember, I'm in a sorority, Nick. I deal with viciousness every day."
"I know you do, baby," Nick said, soothing her. "But some of them are really bad. I mean, we're talking websites dedicated to hating you, that kind of thing."
"I see what you mean," Bailey said, sounding a little sad.
"What's wrong, baby?" Nick asked, placing his hand on her thigh.
"I just hate feeling like I can't tell anybody about my boyfriend," she sighed. "It's ok for me to call you my boyfriend, right?"
"Bailey," Nick said, laughing as he shook his head slightly, "you can call me anything you want. I love you. You can tell people if you want to. I was just trying to protect you."
"Thank you. And I love you, too," she said, smiling. She entwined her hand with his and looked out the window. "Do you think it'll snow?"
"I don't know. I hope not," Nick chuckled.
********************************
"Well, Nick," Bob Townsend said politely, "this is a surprise."
"Oh, well, I thought Bailey would have mentioned that I was coming home with her," Nick said, shaking Bob's hand.
"No. She didn't. But that's alright. Consuela will show you to the guest room," Bob replied warmly. He liked Nick. Nick had saved his baby girl's life, and he would be eternally grateful for that.
"Hi Daddy," Bailey said, hugging her father's neck.
"Hello, baby," Bob said. "How were your exams?"
"Fine. I think I did pretty well," she said, smiling.
"Good, good. Well, Pam's anxious to see you. She was sorry she didn't get to see you before you went back to school. She was so worried about you."
"Sure she was," Bailey muttered. "Listen daddy, I'm tired, and I'm sure Nick is too. He drove all the way from Atlanta today. So if it's all the same to you, I think I'll go lie down for awhile."
"Ok, honey. I've got a meeting this evening, so it'll just be you two and Pam. I'll see you later tonight."
"Ok daddy. I love you," she said, hugging him again.
"I love you too."
Bailey went up to the guest room, where Nick was settling in.
"This is a nice place," Nick said, flopping down on the bed. Bailey laid down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks. I'm sleepy," she said, yawning. "Do you mind if I take a nap?"
"Nope," Nick said, wrapping her in his strong, warm arms. Within a few minutes, Bailey was asleep. Nick kissed her forehead and brushed a few whisps of blonde hair out of her face. He smiled as he got up and went back downstairs. He was dying of thirst. He wandered around until he found the kitchen. When he entered, he saw a tall, gorgeous redhead standing in front of the open refrigerator wearing a bikini. It could only be called a bikini in the loosest sense of the word, because it was really just a few bits of very sheer fabric held together by fishing wire. The woman turned around when she heard him enter, and Nick found himself staring into the most gorgeous green eyes he had ever seen. The woman smiled as she looked him up and down.
"Hi," she said, her voice low and seductive, "I'm Pam."
"Hi," Nick managed. "I'm Nick."
"I know," she said, grabbing a cold drink from the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Yes, please," Nick said, trying to keep his eyes on her face and off of her dark pink nipples, which were in plain view due to the sheer fabric of her top.
Pam took out another drink and handed it to him. He followed her out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs. Nick sat across from her in a large, overstuffed chair.
"So you're Bailey's new boyfriend," Pam chuckled quietly.
"Um... yeah," Nick said, looking down.
Pam nodded. "Good. That means I'll be seeing a lot of you, I suppose?"
"Uh... I guess so," Nick said, glancing around the room.
"That's good," Pam said, uncrossing, then re-crossing her legs. "I can't wait to see a lot more of you."
"Excuse me?" Nick questioned, not sure if he was reading her right.
Pam smiled again and walked over to him. She stood inches from his body, her crotch right in his face. He couldn't help but notice that she was completely shaved. Again... that damned sheer fabric. He felt a stirring in his groin. Pam lifted Nick's chin with her finger and smiled.
"You heard me," she said quietly. "I can't wait to see a lot... MORE... of you."
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