“Why the fuck am I doin’ this?” I mutter through clenched teeth as Nick puts his key in the door in front of us. We’re standing outside Chez Carter and I am finding it incredibly hard to stop myself from running like the wind in the opposite direction. Especially after hearing AJ’s horror stories about Jane Carter.
“Relax,” Nick says as he pushes me ahead of him inside the house. The door shuts behind us and to me it sounds like a cell door. “Hey mom!” Nick yells out.
“Nick? You here?” is the answering cry. Nick grins and guides me towards a room which turns out to be the kitchen. His mom is stood wiping her hands on a cloth. “At last Nickolas!” she says before giving him a hug. “I was about to send Bob out to find ya.”
“Sorry, we ran late at the studio.”
“And you must be Alicia,” she turns to study me and I swallow nervously.
“Yes, that’s me. Hi Mrs Carter.”
“Call me Jane please. My mother-in-law is Mrs Carter,” she chuckles. She looks nothing like the fire-breathing dragon AJ had got me prepared for. I make a mental note to shoot AJ next time I see him and smile at her. “Bob will be in soon. I realised we had no milk so I sent him to the store with Angel. Have you met Angel?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Oh, she’s been lookin’ forward to seeing you Alicia. Aaron and Les are in Florida right now, and BJ is modelling in New York. But you’ll meet them all soon I guess.”
“I hope so,” I smile.
“Well, go sit down Ali. I’ll bring some drinks in. What would you like?”
I would like a vodka but I find myself asking for orange juice as Nick shows me through into the lounge. We sit on the couch and I look around the room at all the family photos, sniggering when I see one of Nick looking about nine.
“Cute,” I tell him gesturing to the picture. He follows my gaze and blushes.
“Shut up. I’d like to see how YOU looked at that age.”
“It’s not pretty,” I giggle.
The front door opens and shuts and we hear voices coming towards the lounge. A few seconds later Jane appears carrying a tray of drinks, followed by a tall dark-haired man and a young blonde girl. Nick stands up to hug his dad and then sweeps up his sister in a big hug.
“Hey Angel baby!” he says as he puts her down and she grins at him.
“Hey Nicky!” she replies before looking at me. “You must be Ali.”
“Yeah, hi Angel,” I stand up awkwardly and Nick’s dad reaches out to shake my hand.
“Good to meet you Ali. I’m Bob.”
“Hi Bob,” I smile and we all sit down.
Jane hands us all our drinks and sits opposite me and Nick. “Well, it is good to meet you at last Ali. We’ve been hearing about you for almost two years now. On and off,” she adds and I flinch slightly.
“How did you meet Nick?” asks Bob kindly. “I’m sure he’s told me but I’ve forgotten.”
“AJ is my cousin and he invited Nick over one night to watch a video with me and my room mate.”
“Ah, AJ’s your cousin?” asks Jane. “How are you related?”
“His mom and my mom are sisters.”
“And have you always been close?”
“Not really. I lived in New York until I was eighteen, and then I lived in Georgia. I only got back in touch with AJ a couple of years back when I moved to Tampa with Jade.”
“Jade?” asks Bob.
“My room mate,” I explain with a smile.
“She’s the one I told you about mom,” Nick says and Jane nods.
“Oh yeah, Brian’s girlfriend. I remember.” Jane smiles at me. “How are you finding bein’ on tour?”
“Tiring,” I laugh and start telling her about my job on tour.
“Thank you for visiting us,” Jane says as she gives Ali a quick hug goodbye. “Come back soon and meet the rest of the family.”
“I would like that,” Ali smiles as Nick gives his parents and sister a hug.
“Bye mom, dad, Angel,” he says. “I’ll call y’all tomorrow after the show.”
“You make sure you do!” says Bob with a grin as the young couple walk off to a waiting taxi.
“What’d you think?” Jane asks her husband as they walk back inside their house.
“I liked her a lot,” he says.
“Me too. I didn’t want to.”
“Why?”
“Well…” she shrugs. “I just remember how heartbroken Nick was when they split up. But she really seems to love him.”
“Yeah, I think she does.”
“I just hope she loves him as much as he loves her,” Jane says. “And that she was more…stable.”
“Stable?!” Bob splutters. “You make the poor girl sound like a psycho!”
“Oh I didn’t mean it THAT way!” she exclaims hitting him gently. “You know I didn’t. I meant that she seems pretty wild… Like THAT girl was.”
“She’s nothing like Mandah,” states Bob.
“I know.” Jane clears away the empty glasses in silence for a few minutes and Bob joins her in the kitchen a few minutes later. “No, I like her. I think she’s a keeper.”
“Well?” Jade says as she joins me at a table in the hotel restaurant.
“Well what?” I say finishing my toast.
“You know!” she says exasperatedly. “Meeting Nick’s parents – how was it?”
“Oh that,” I say casually and she rolls her eyes. “It went real well actually. I was so nervous at first and his mom was a little cold at first… But his dad and sister were great right from the start and Jane got better. It was cool. I’m so glad it’s over though.”
“I know the feeling,” Jade laughs. “It’s the first meetings that are the worst. When is Nick goin’ to meet your family?”
“Uh, like never?”
“Ali!” she says. “Your parents are the sweetest.”
“Yeah, to you. They think you’re such a great girl and isn’t it a shame I never turned out like you,” I mimic my mother’s voice and Jade laughs.
“Aw, you know what moms are like. Mine thinks you are just adorable.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” I say. “Could we just swop moms?”
“Uh, no!” she laughs. “But seriously they should meet Nick.”
“Oh and when did your parents meet Brian?” I ask. “Cos I musta forgotten that.”
“That’s different,” she blushes slightly. “He’s met Jay.”
“Big deal. When’s he gonna meet the parents?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well until he does, get off my back about Nick meeting mine.”
“Ok, ok,” she holds her hands up in surrender just as Brian walks into the restaurant. He looks around and grins as he sees Jade and me. He walks over.
“Hey you two, whatcha doin’?”
“Eating Brian,” I say sarcastically.
“Okies,” he grins widely at me before leaning down to whisper in Jade’s ear.
“Anybody tell you it’s rude to whisper?” I say as Jade stands up.
“Yup, all the time,” says Brian.
“Sorry Ali, I have to go,” Jade says. “See you later.”
“Sure.” I watch them walk away, Brian’s arms around Jade. I really want to know what they are up to.