"Hey to you, too, Gina. You okay?" he asked, concern on his face. She smiled, happy that someone here cared for her.
"I don't know, actually. Bringing up the subject of my mother today, and seeing the movie of her life tonight brought back a lot of memories."
"Do ya wanna tell me?" he asked, pulling her into a hug.
"I might as well, as honesty is the best policy," she said meaningfully.
"That it is." Nick replied, enchanted by this Spanish beauty with her tumultuous past.
"She never knew I was her daughter. I was the result of a teen rape she had been through in 1983. She was told that I had been a stillborn, and they sent me to live on the tour bus with them. I was supposedly a baby they had adopted because my grandfather had wanted another little girl. I grew up with my mother in the picture, and I knew who she was, and that she was my mother. Those years were wonderful, I sang with her on stage and was a flower girl at her wedding."
"Sounds like a good enough beginning." Nick noted, still holding her.
"But as I grew up, the rest of the family didn't know, only my grandpa and grandma knew. And then my mother died. I had been in the hotel room as it happened. That woman was crazed. My mother was frightened and turned her back to run. Yolanda shot her in the back on purpose. I know that she claims that the gun backfired, and she didn't know it would do that. She did know what she was doing, and pointed that gun."
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." Nick soothed, rocking her lightly in his arms, trying to take away her hurt.
"It's all one giant nightmare." Gina said softly, burying her head in his shoulder.
"But it's over and done with now. Can I ask you something?" he asked. She looked up at him, and saw that his eyes were troubled.
"What?" she asked softly.
"I find that I like you a lot. You're mysterious, sweet, pretty, you have an amazing personality and sense of humor, and you have real talent. I mean I like you for all these things, but there's something...I dunno like special here, and I don't wanna let it go-"
"Neither do I." Gina replied, looking him steadily in the eyes. He turned his head sharply and searched her gaze with his own. He only saw sincerity in their depths.
"Then you'll go out with me?" Nick asked, hoping beyond hope she'd say yes.
"Of course I will. I decided I wanna do that duet with you, and I know just the song for it."
Nick looked happily at her, then took her in his arms and spun her around. "And what song is that, girlfriend?" he asked her, looking up into her deep brown eyes.
"I was kidding. I have to pick one first from the ones that the executive gives me. I also wanna try a cover of ‘Where You Are’ and see how it goes. A new version of ‘Dreaming Of You’ will also be on the album. That was the last song my mother ever sang. I'll also write some new songs. This will be an awesome record, something to make my mother proud." Gina's eyes shone with a happiness she rarely exhibited, but all the wonderful things that had happened tonight prompted her to show her happiness.
"Sounds cool. You wanna do the duet on the tour?" he asked her.
"Yah! I think your fans might get a might err...."
"Jealous?" he laughed. "Yeah, I think so, too. Well, I'll walk ya back to your hotel room and I'll see ya tomorrow." he said, stroking her dark hair.
"Sure thing." she replied, eyes shining. He walked her back to her hotel room, and after kissing her on one of her smooth cheeks, walked backed to the room he shared with Brian and went in.
"Someone's late." Brian noted as he saw his friend come in.
"Well, Bri so what? For once I'm the one who's late and not the third wheel with you and Leighanne." Nick retorted, flopping onto his bed and turning around.
"Ooh, touchy touchy! Out with a girl, I see. Tell me, who was it?" Brian asked, blue eyes dancing.
"Put a sock in it, Bri." Nick said, pulling a pillow over his ears.
"Come on, buddy. You know I won't tell the other guys! Who were ya out with?" Brian had no sparkles of amusement in his eyes as he said this, in a serious tone.
"You swear?" Nick asked cautiously.
"I swear." Brian replied.
"Alright. I was out with Gina. Well not technically out, since I ran into her at the beach, but we're going out now, though." Nick said, happiness shining in his eyes.
"Gina? Wow. Well, Nick, you have yourself a girlfriend who'll stay with you if she's anything like her mother."
"What do ya mean?" Nick asked curiously.
"Her mother, Selena loved the lead guitarist of her band. Her father didn't approve of the relationship, and even forbade her from seeing him. But she snuck out to see him, and even married him behind her father's back. I'm telling ya Nick, if this girl develops more serious feelings for you and an obstacle is thrown in between you two, she'll do anything to be with you, no matter what." Brian explained, looking happily at his friend.
"I never knew that. I hope she stays with me. So when do we all record this magnificent duet?" Nick asked, eyes still dancing.
"Tomorrow, and she'll record her entire album this week. It'll be very hard for her, but she'll make it. We leave on tour next week, and we hit Washington state first, then we go to Canada for like seven dates, then we do all the northern states, then we do all the southern states, hitting Orlando or Tampa last."
"Awesome. I'm worried about when we hit Texas, though." Nick said, a worried look on his face.
"Why?" Brian asked.
"Gina's family lives there. I may be meeting the family and if they don't like me-" Brian cut him off.
"She'll do whatever it takes to stay by your side. She's THE one, Nick. You won't ever get tired of her."
"I don't think so either." Nick replied.
They turned out the light and went to bed. Nick fell asleep quite easily, which was rare for him. Later in the night, however, he heard screaming coming from a room down the hall. His head shot up. This is all one giant nightmare. He remembered how Gina had said that. She was having nightmares. he got up, ran out the door in his boxers and T-shirt, and came to stand in front of Gina's door. It was unlocked, he opened it and stepped in.
"NO! Mama, don't leave me! Not when I've just found you! Please, wake up!" Gina screamed, tossing and turning in her bed, the sheets were thrown all over the floor. Nick ran to her, taking the frightened girl in his arms, talking to her softly.
"Come on Gina, wake up. It's a bad dream, come on." Nick crooned, tears coming to his eyes as he watched his frightened girlfriend call out to a mother who had never known who she was.
"Mama! Wake up! Don't leave me now! Please!" Gina yelled, tears streaming down her face.
"What's going on?" the guys asked as they walked into the room. When they saw what was happening, tears came to their eyes also. They saw Gina, frightened and thrashing about in Nick's arms, calling to her mother, having a nightmare and Nick, holding her, trying to soothe her and wake her up.
Nick finally shook Gina, and her eyes flew open. "Mama?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
"No, Ginny. It's me, Nick. You were having a bad dream, and I was trying to wake you up." Nick said, stroking her sweat soaked forehead.
Tears came to Gina's eyes again. "Yolanda...the gun. I couldn't...couldn't wake her up. She did for a minute, and she heard me call her mama. She just smiled and told me that I was her angel and that she'd be with me forever, no matter what, and that she was proud to have me as a daughter and then she closed her eyes. I was so scared!" Gina sobbed, burying her head in Nick's shoulder.
The guys, who had been standing in behind Nick all this time, left. They knew that she'd only tell Nick what was wrong, and that she'd tell them herself if and when she was ready.
"Shhh, Honey. It's okay. I can't imagine how scared you must have been, but it's all over now, and no one will hurt you. I'm here with you now, and I won't leave. Not ever." Nick said, rocking her softly.