Later that week I sat in the TV room watching a soap opera. I yawned with boredom. I wanted to go out, but I had to stay glued to the phone in case I got The Call. Daisy was working so I was in alone.

The show ended so I turned to MTV. I Want It That Way was playing with made me smile. I just about melted when Nick came on the screen. I loved the guy!

The phone rang and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned down the volume and picked it up with trembling hands. "Hello?".

"How does a full set of windows for just a thousand dollars sound to you? Because with Tampa's finest, Willow Window's...".

"Sorry, I don't own this house," I sighed, cutting him off. "I'm staying with a friend. And her windows are just fine as they are,".

"OK, sorry for troubling you,".

I put the phone down in disappointment. I wanted it to be Nick!

Soon the phone rang again, but it was Daisy. "If you're bored, come to town and we'll go shopping during my lunch hour," she said kindly.

"OK," I agreed. "I doubt Nick will call today, and if he did you've got the answer phone,".

We hung up and I went upstairs to get ready. I threw on some dark indigo jeans, and seeing the bright Florida sunshine outside decided to wear a white and silver tank top to stay cool in the heat. I put on some make up and brushed my hair. From downstairs I could faintly hear the phone ringing.

I grabbed a pair of sandals to wear and rushed downstairs. I picked the phone up. "Hello?".

"Melody?".

My heart started thumping. It was Nick! I'd recognise his voice anywhere. "Hello Nick!".

"Hi. Now I've talked with my staff who are helping me run the label and...".

"Did they like me?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "They think you've got talent. They want to meet you and see how well you can sing live, talk to you... can you come over?".

"Yes!" I cried happily. "Whenever, just tell me a day and time,".

"Tomorrow lunchtime?" he suggested.

"OK, I'll be there," I told him. "What shall I bring? What shall I wear?".

"You don't need anything, I've got your album... well actually you could bring a couple more copies. Wear something like you had on when you came over, they said that is a good look,".

"OK," I agreed. "Thank you so much!".

After getting off the phone I started dancing around the room. This was fantastic news! After composing myself, I calmed myself down and called the salon where Daisy worked.

"Nick wants me to go over tomorrow to meet his staff!" I exclaimed.

"That's so cool!" Daisy cried down the phone.

I told her I'd meet her soon but I'd be a little later because the call had delayed me.

"We'll buy you a special outfit for tomorrow," she said.

"Good idea,".

I hung up and turned off the TV as I put on my sandals. I was off on a mission- to buy something to wear to impress Nick!

I had never been so nervous in my life. I sat in Nick's living room awkwardly waiting for him to come in. His horrible housekeeper, Mrs Ford, had let me in and was vacuuming in the hallway.

I sipped at my glass of Coke and looked out of the window at Nick's magnificent backyard. His home must have cost him millions! I'd never been in such a nice house. Well, come to think of it, his house was extravagant, yet there was a strange coldness to it that made me feel uneasy. Daisy had mentioned that the house had given her bad vibes when we'd been there before and I was starting to agree with her...

My thoughts were interuppted by footsteps coming loudly down the marble staircase. I looked over and saw him. Nick.

"Sorry I took so long," he said with an apologetic smile, shaking my hand.

"That's OK," I said. I took in his wonderful appearance. He seemed a little more happier than last time and not so messy. He was wearing nice jeans and a button-up shirt. He must have had make up on to cover his dark circles, and his hair was all slicked back. I guessed he was growing it out, which annoyed me as I'd liked it spiky. Still, he looked gorgeous!

"My staff will be here any moment," he informed me. He sat on the couch next to me, making me shiver at the closeness. "You see, I don't know much about record companies and how they work. So basically I have people that do all the business side for me. But I'm in charge, if you know what I mean,".

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

I sat fiddling with my hair, which Daisy had curled for me, she'd also dyed my roots again for me. I hoped my clothes were OK; I was wearing what was almost my 'uniform'- a tank top and tight pants. Daisy had tried to get me to wear a skirt or dress but I refused. I hated my legs!

I heard the front door slam and footsteps into the room. Into the room came Jade, dressed in a designer dress and to die for Italian sandals. She had a bored look on her beautiful face. She dropped her armful of shopping bags on the floor and opened her mouth to say something but then spotted me.

"Hi Jade, this is Melody, remember me telling you about her?" Nick said.

She nodded. "Hi Melody," she said, turning to leave the room.

"She's my girlfriend," Nick said with a strange tone to his voice.

"I know," I told him.

"Oh,".

Something in Nick's eyes wasn't quite right. He looked like he was in another world and looked kinda jumpy. "Is everything OK?" I asked.

He nodded quickly. "Yeah," he said but I didn't believe him.

Soon a couple of middle-aged men came in and sat down. I handed them more copies of my CD and they asked me lots of questions. Nick sat quietly not saying much.

"Can you sing for us?" one of them asked.

I gulped. "Um..." I would be nervous singing in front of Nick! "I guess..." I said, looking down at the carpet.

"Nick, put on some music for her to sing and dance to," one of the guys said.

He went over to the stereo. "What can you sing?" he asked me.

"Put Millennium on and I'll sing your solo," I said. That was my favorite song!

Nick followed my instruction and put it on. I stood in the middle of the room and sang. Afterwards I stood nervously waiting for a response.

"That was excellent, now you need to sing something faster and dance too," one of the guys said.

I agreed and Nick put on Larger Than Life. I sang and tried to do the dance that the guys had down at the VMAs last year.

"Can you sing a cappella?" one of the men asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I'll do Blue-Eyed Angel from my album," I told them.

After singing some of the song with no backing, Nick started to clap. "That was great,".

I blushed and sat down.

"Well you've proved your talent," one of the guys said. "We'd like to take you on, for a trial,".

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Well..." he said. "...We'll do more recording, get your album done professionally with proper producers. We'll fix you up with an agent, they'll get you some work. It'll likely to be supporting a group or artist on tour, opening events, that kind of thing. If you're a success, then we'll fix you a proper contract,".

"Gosh that sounds fantastic," I said excitedly.

We discuss details then they left. I was alone in the room with Nick. "You'll do great," he assured me. "But don't expect it all to happy quickly. These things take time,".

"I know... so how many artists do you have signed so far?".

"You're my third signing," he told me. "My first was Jade, then I signed my friend Brent's band. And now you. After we've sorted through all the tapes I've been sent there will be more,".

"What made you start up the record label?" I asked out of curiosity.

He looked down and frowned. "Um...".

"...He wanted to try something on the business side of music," said Jade, sauntering into the room finishing Nick's sentence. She sat herself elegantly on the window seat, clutching a Persian cat that cuddled up on her lap.

"Oh," I said.

"I need some more money," she said to Nick, tossing a golden curl over her shoulder. "I ran out while shopping today,".

Nick stood up and got his wallet out. "Here," he said, going over and handing it to his girlfriend.

I sat and watched in wonder. How could she just ask for money and he gives it to her just like that? Did he owe her money or something?

She took it from him without a word of thanks. Daisy was right, there was something not quite right about her.

"I'm going out with my girls soon," Jade told Nick. "I'm meeting them in an hour so I'm leaving soon. I'll be back late,".

"OK," Nick said with no emotion in his voice.

Jade left the room and went in the kitchen. "I'll go in a moment," I told Nick. "But can I use your bathroom first please?".

"Sure," he told me. "Use the one upstairs,".

I went up the marble staircase and searched for the bathroom. His house was huge! And everything about it was expensive. I'd remembered seeing pictures of Nick's old house from last year in magazines and it had been nice but not overly extravagant like this. I wondered why his tastes had changed...

I passed an open door and took a peek. It was the main bedroom... but why were there two single beds, separated by a wall? Didn't they sleep in the same bed? That was odd...

Everything about Nick and Jade's relationship seemed odd. They didn't show each other affections, I had noticed. Most couples in love would kiss and cuddle, call each other cute names, communicate more. Nick and Jade didn't seem to. Why was that? Maybe they were shy about it... or maybe not.

After returning from the bathroom, I saw Nick sitting alone in the living room staring into space. Jade was in the kitchen silently fixing a drink. The atmosphere was so cold yet it was a hot summers day. Was it always like that? Maybe they'd had a row and weren't speaking. That would explain the behaviour. Yet they weren't yelling at each other. Hmmm...

I stepped in the living room and said I was going.

"I'll see you soon," he told me. "When we fix you with an agent, they'll most likely meet you here, so I'll see you then,".

I was happy about that arrangement, I would see Nick again! "OK, I'll see you soon,".

I walked to the main door, Nick following. "Bye Jade," I said to her politely.

She put on a smile which somehow looked put-on. "Bye hun,".

"Bye,".

I got into my car and drove back to Daisy's, singing happily to the radio for the whole ride.

I was in a great mood, knowing I'd been taken on. My dreams were coming true! The only thing stopping me being 100% happy was the mystery of Nick and Jade. I wasn't just their behaviour. It was them being together that puzzled me the most.

Being a fan for over three years, I knew quite a lot about Nick, and now I'd met him twice, I knew even more. He was the quiet, shy type that liked to stay in and have a quiet life. So why was he with the elegant, expensive, sociable Jade? They seem so opposite to each other, I couldn't see what they had in common. I knew the old saying went 'opposites attract' but it didn't seem true for Nick and Jade. I wondered why they had paired up. It seemed to me like Jade was out having fun with her friends, spending a lot of Nick's money and starting her singing career while Nick stayed in looking sad. Were they really in love?

I shook my head. That was a stupid question. They wouldn't be living together if they weren't in love... would they? And Nick had quoted in interviews about how he loved Jade and wanted her singing career to do well. Why would he say that if he didn't love her?

As I turned a corner on to Daisy's street, I pondered the bedroom issue. I didn't agree with couples sleeping together before marriage, for me I would wait until my wedding night. But I knew that nowadays almost all couples wouldn't wait until marriage. Jade definitely didn't sem the type of girl to wait. Yet why did they have separate beds? Their relationship didn't seem to be based on affections at all... what was it based on? It certainly wasn't sex. I was completely puzzled.

When I got back to Daisy's house I sat out in the backyard with a soda. It was lovely and hot so I decided to work on my tan. I rubbed some sunscreen into my skin and lay on the lawn dreaming away. My singing career was no longer a dream. It was reality.

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