Nick was finishing up getting ready for the awards banquet. He still hadn't fully told Natalie how he felt and he could feel her slipping further and further away. It was for that reason he'd resolved to finally tell Natalie that night. No matter how much it actually scraed him to think of making such a big confession, he knew it had to be done.
Nick finished buttoning up his shirt and went to go and find the jacket to his suit. He slicked back his hair and grabbed the glasses which he only basically pulled out for special occasions. All in all he finished up getting ready in under half an hour and he was itching to see Natalie who had been holed up in her room for two hours already.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, the front door beckoned at him. He opened it to find AJ in one of his usually outrageous outifts and momentarily he felt envious that he was going to be taking Natalie as his partner and not him.
"Hey Bone" Nick grinned.
"Hi Nick, is she ready?"
"Nope, haven't seen her for two hours" Nick answered with a laugh.
"The results should be spectacular" AJ grinned slyly.
"Uh Bone" Nick started. "Are you sure you don't want to let me take Nat instead. You can take Sarah."
"We're not dealing with objects here Nick. I don't think they'd take kindly to being traded and swapped" AJ remarked.
"Have you been reading Men are from Mars Women are from Venus again?" Nick teased.
"Nope, I just know how totally pissed you are at yourself that you didn't ask Nat first" AJ said jokingly. "And since you're the stupid one who didn't realise your feelings earlier, now you have to suffer."
"I'm sure Sarah would love to hear you say that" Nick laughed. "She is my date for tonight."
"There you go, you got your own date so quit trying to steal mine before we even walk out the door" AJ smiled.
**************
AJ looked at his watch impatiently. He was sitting on the couch next to Sarah and Nick. Sarah was playing with the ringlets surrounding her face, while Nick flipped impatiently through a magazine he'd found.
"Did she die in there or something?" AJ commented witheringly. "She's been in there forever."
"She's getting ready" Sarah pointed out. "Leave her alone."
"You're on time" AJ countered.
"Yeah but I had the stylists fix me up after my shoot, Nat's working from her own devices" Sarah shrugged. "She'll be out soon."
"Hey Ser" Nick said, nudging Sarah. "Is this you with some guy all over you?"
Sarah looked over at the picture Nick was pointing at. "Uh-huh, that's yours truly."
"Who's the guy?" Nick asked accusingly.
"Do you want another black eye? I can get Nat out here to belt you another one" Sarah said.
"That's quite alright, not to worry. My face just cleared up a few days ago" Nick said quickly.
"That's alright then" Sarah grinned.
"If she's not coming out I'm gonna yank her out of there" AJ declared, already getting up.
"Sit, if anybody's gonna yank anybody it will definitely not be you" Sarah responded, pulling AJ by his sleeves.
"I'll do it" Nick volunteered gleefully.
"Oh God definitely not you" Sarah remarked, looking over at her excited friend. "Sit boys, I'll go and check up on her."
"Check up on who?" A voice interrupted.
All three turned around to find Natalie smiling down at them. AJ tipped his sunglasses, letting his eyes linger over Natalie, while Nick literally gawked at her with his mouth hanging open. Sarah darted her eyes between the two and grinned. "Why Nat I think you've left them speechless."
***************
"Whoa" Nick and AJ both muttered to themselves.
Natalie looked at the two boys quizzically. She had on a white spaghetti strapped dress which fell down to her ankles. It had a white chiffon layer over it with small lilac flowers embroidered over the bodice. Natalie had pulled her hair up high on her head with several intricate little twists and curls. Nick thought she looked absolutely beautiful.
"You look absolutely delectable" AJ grinned as he planted a kiss on Natalie's cheek.
"Yeah Nat..you look really pretty" Nick smiled.
"Thanks guys" Natalie laughed. "I'll just grab my bag and we can go."
"Do you need help?" AJ asked eagerly.
"Uh no, I think I can manage" Natalie called over her shoulder.
"AJ" Nick tried to warn subtly.
"Keep your pants on, I'm gonna be on my best behaviour" AJ conceded, bringing both hands up in defeat.
"Actually Bone, if anybody needs to keep their pants on, it's you" Nick remarked with a smirk, but deep down he knew he meant every word.
**************
The photographers and cameras were already in full swing by the time the limo pulled up to the hotel where the banquet was being held. Natalie looked out her window nervously, with AJ squeezing her hand for comfort. She could've been mistaken but she could've sworn that she saw Nick give AJ a warning look.
"It looks crazy out there" Sarah commented as she waited for her door to be opened.
"Okay party people" AJ grinned. "Let's show them how it's done."
***************
Natalie as being dragged up the red carpet with several stops to talk to the journalists who had come partly just to talk to the guys. The event was pretty much just the local industry but there were still some fairly recognisable faces.
Natalie hung back with Sarah and chatted to her while AJ and Nick answered questions in front of her. Kevin, Brian and Howie had gone on ahead with their partners and were talking with one of the local radio stations.
"So guys who are the lovely ladies with you tonight? Girlfriends?"
AJ and Nick laughed, while Sarah pulled faces behind Nick's back. "Uh no, we're all just friends. It's all very innocent. Honest" AJ answered.
"Yeah we're all still pretty single, travelling and stuff keeps us pretty busy" Nick added with a smile, which Natalie thought would probably be causing hysteria amongst the fans that very minute.
"Gross, that means they thought I was his girlfriend" Sarah whispered, jerking her thumb towards Nick.
"I'm with AJ, what does that make me? The fling of the minute" Natalie said softly with a laugh.
Just as they were about ready to enter the hotel, a bunch of screaming fans desperately called out to Nick and AJ who stopped and chatted with them for awhile. Natalie smiled at them all, she knew she probably would've been doing the same thing if she was in their position. Nick was signing autographs quickly and passing them onto AJ, while Natalie noticed she and Sarah were being given some hostile looks.
"Sarah do you get the feeling they don't like us?" Natalie whispered into Sarah's ear.
"Yeah I'm gonna get double the death threats as well just cause I'm with Mr Favourite" Sarah remarked with a roll of her eyes.
"Lucky you" Natalie grinned.
"Hey are you their girlfriends?" One fan screamed loudly.
Nick and AJ looked at them, but were too busy posing for pictures and scrawling their names on calendars and CDs that Natalie knew either she or Sarah would have to answer.
"Ser?" Natalie said, hoping she'd know what to do.
"We're friends" Sarah yelled back. "Believe what they say, they're all very single still."
Natalie felt stupid just nodding her head and smiling but she still felt awestruck at the attention they were all getting. She stood back and watched Nick goofing around with the girls who probably felt like all their Christmases had come at once with how close they were to him. Natalie smiled and wondered to herself what it would've been like to answer the fan's question with a yes. Her imagination ran with it until she came crashing back down to earth. She knew all they would ever be was just friends.
Chapter Twenty Six
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