Nick groaned from each kneed Kristina placed in his back. After a delicious dinner, Kristina offered to give him a backrub after being told of some recent lower back pain. Working all the kinks and tenseness out, two feminine hands danced along his back reliving him of all the pain and stress that once resided there.
"Tell me about your family" she asked moving further down his spine.
"My mom's a crackpot, my dad still thinks he's a surfer, and I have a bunch of rug rat sisters and one brother."
"Wow your family sounds like the dream."
"I'm just kidding about my siblings, I love 'em even if they annoy me sometimes."
"Oldest?"
"I have an older sister, Virginia but between my mom and dad I am."
"Ah."
"What about you?"
"I have an older sister and a younger brother from my father's side but I don't know him, so I like to consider myself the youngest."
"Must be hell."
"Not really, I mean when I was younger it was because everyone was much more stricter with me, complete opposite right? But once I got out on my own, the claim of being the youngest was cool."
"Ever fight with your sister?"
"Over dumb thing but we're pretty close now, you?"
"All the time but it's the same. We argue over petty things then we're best friends the next minute."
"Gotcha." Kristina continued to rub giving a minute in between before asking him another question. "So what happened between you and Paris?" Nick wasn't expecting that question but expected it eventually.
"She cheated on me."
"Hmm…"
"With Nicole." Whoa, now that was something new. Cheated on him….with a chick? Talk about a bruise to your male ego huh? "I mean I really really cared for her you know? Everyone kept saying 'don't do it Carter, she's nothing but trouble', or 'she'll never treat you right' and me like an idiot didn't listen to one word they said just fell for her. And she stomped all over my heart with her Manolo's."
"I'm sorry to hear that Nick."
"You knew that night, you knew that she still had a hold on me didn't you?"
"Yup."
"How?"
"Because that same look in your eyes was the same look I had 3 years ago. Before I came out here I was in love with this guy, Jay. He was the air I breathed. Without him I was just nothing, nothing at all. Like you everyone said not to fall in love with him because he was a man-ho. But did I listen…"
"No."
"Nope and I had to find out the hard way. Walked in on him and my best friend."
"I walked in on Nicole and Paris too."
"I know, I could tell."
"So what did you do?"
"I left, my other friend Shene convinced me to come out here open a restaurant with her. I didn't want to be cause I just knew Jay was going to come back, beg for my forgiveness. It would've been hard at the time but I would've forgiven him. But it wasn't meant to happen. He had already moved on a few days after we broke up. So at the risk of falling in debt, being the furthest away from home that I ever been and surrounded by strangers I got out of there and came here. And I've never been happier."
"I'm glad to hear that, I can understand that too. I couldn't be any happier at the moment than what I am right now."
"Good" she smiled, kissing him on his bare shoulder.
~*~
"You didn't tell me that you skate boarded."
"You didn't tell me you baked" she corrected.
"Tell anyone and it'll be the death of you."
"After eating this cheesecake I won't care" she smiled. Together they sat on a more secluded park on the beach enjoying a self packed picnic by Nick Carter.
"I'm glad you enjoy."
"That I do, now who do I thank?"
"My Aunt Sophie."
"Remind me to send a thank you note." Nick took the now empty plate from her and placed it in the wooden picnic basket. They looked both very much like Roxy Quicksilver models. Nick in a tight muscle shirt with Che Guvara on the front and khaki trunks. Kristina in a blue and yellow Hawaiian print swimsuit top and loose yellow capris. Quickly Nick jumped up in between her legs causing a roar of laughter to come from her. "Whoa there big boy."
"What else do you want to do?"
"I'm not much for swimming, skating? Maybe."
"Come on then." Jennif, Sam and Kristina laughed over the US Weekly pictures. There before the world was Kristina and Nick in between her legs on the sunny beach. BACKSTREET BABE was the headline above what they thought was a private moment. But how private could it be? Someone of such stature wouldn't be able to hide something out in the open as their relationship. Or what people thought was a relationship. They actually didn't have a label, just enjoyed each other's company and bodies.
"What exactly was going on there?" Sam asked.
"You figure it out." Both looked at each other in wide eyed shock.
"You didn't!!!" Jennif screeched.
"In public?!!" Sam followed.
"Like I said you figure it out. You weren't there and you're just looking at pictures so you're gonna come up with what you want."
"Just tell us, we'll believe you."
"Fine, we didn't do anything. He just jumped right there, then we got up and went skateboarding."
"Right….." Same scoffed.
"Ok didn't you both just say that you'd believe anything I said?"
"That we did."
"Then do it."
"Fine…, Kristina and blondie sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes loves, then comes marriage--"
"Whoa, whoa marriage?"
~*~
Marriage? Big word huh? More bigger than marriage? Try forever. Eternity. Ok now back to marriage. Because that was the underlining words of marriage. Till death do us part…, bond together for all eternity…more sayings playing along her cerebrum as the thought of marriage came into play. Marriage nah, they had only been "together" for 3 months. That wasn't possibly enough time to want to marry someone, on her part and on his. A small laugh came from within. Marriage, yeah right. They were just simply enjoying each others company. Enjoying the jokes, the laughter, the hugs, the caresses, the touches ugh! Too much for her taste. Was she giving Nick the wrong idea? They just supposed to be having fun. Well they were but was it going too far? Question after question plagued her to the point that she was on her way to meet him to ask him that very same thing.
"About time" he said sardonically looking at his watch.
"Sorry, traffic was a bitch as always." Kristina placed two kisses on his face before accepting the seat he pulled out for her.
"I know why you're here."
"Is that so?"
"I should've known this was going to happen, actually I knew that it was. I'm just surprised it happened now."
"Underestimate me?"
"A bit."
"What am I going to do?"
"You tell me, not my life" he shrugged.
"You're such a help."
"Aren't I? Look I have no one to blame but myself. I knew what I was doing and I knew where this was going to lead. But to tell you what to do, that I can't because honestly what you want to do I think you should do the opposite."
"And what exactly is that Alexander.?"
"Stay with him. I see that smile he puts on your face as well as the one that you put on his."
"That very same smile I once put on your face?" she smiled caressing the left side of his face, letting her finger carefully graze the side of his newly formed beard, giving his once overly colored hair a rest with now making a change with facial hair instead. As if her hand was fire, A.J. ripped it away and placed it on the table.
"Stop fucking playing around Kristina."
"Fine."
"I love him."
"Well if you loved him, why'd you introduce him to me?"
"Because I love him."
"Funny."
"Don't do this to him."
"The further he is away from me the better he'll be in the long run."
"What about yourself? Can you deal with being without him?"
"I've been without a lot of things, things more vital than Nickolas Gene Carter."
"Even more vital than love."
"Alexander those love songs Max writes for you are starting to seep into your inner being. I'm almost frightened."
"He makes you happy, you make him happy. Why can't you just see this through? Give it a chance?"
"Because its not meant to be given one. Granted I do care for the blond baby boy of the band but I once told him not to let a girl get close enough to ruining him. I am treading that thin line for sure Alexander."
"Bullshit" he scoffed.
"Where's my Alexander who only cared about partying hardy, orgasms and cigarettes?"
"Those first two still exist, cigarettes I gave up along with the booze and the drugs."
"Sin sticks be damned."
"Quit with this little game of yours Kristina. You know you care about him and trying to change the subject isn't helping the least bit. Yes I believe in a little thing called love. I once had it, twice to be exact."
"You didn't love me Alexander?"
"We're oil and water, love only goes so far with you."
"Ha! Touché" she laughed.
"Nick can't stop talking about you and we can't stop hearing enough about you. He was the same way with Paris only we hated her. Stuck up bitch, but you, you're different. Don't do this to him." Maybe A.J. was right, maybe feelings that Nick had were much more deeper than she imagined but she just couldn't do this to him. "Tell me what's the first song that comes to mind."
"What?"
"Tell me a song that's on your mind right now."
"Um…Love hater."
"On the Outkast cd?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting…." A.J. pondered over the lyrics and began to laugh. "And everybody need somebody to love, before its too late. Too late…."
"Whatever Alexander, I'll see you later" in a huff she jumped up from the table and stomped toward the door all the while A.J. continued on singing not caring that the entire café looked at him as if he had 3 purple heads and an ass on his face. She was going to do it, she was going to break things off or if that's what she was to do. Jumping into her black mini cooper she prepared herself for going over to Nick's to delivery the news only to be stopped by her cell phone. Nick. "Hello?" she answered.
"Hey."
"Hello Nickolas, how are you?"
"Fine and you….um, is there anyway you can come over?"
"Yeah sure" why not kill two birds with one stone? "I'll be over soon." In less than 15 minutes Kristina made it over to Nick's.
"Its open just come in." The soft sounds of a piano filled the entire home as she walked in. Not disrupting his playing, she made her way over to bench in which he sat. Sitting sideways, she sat there staring at him instead of the keys he so diligently played.

When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

What do you think you'll do then
I bet that'll shoot down your plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again

Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground

Listening in on the old Elton John lyrics, listening to him play from his soul not his heart made her feel guilty about what was to transpire. Secretly somewhere deep inside her, perhaps in her gut she knew this was a bad idea. No not a bad idea being with him, more like a bad idea ever meeting him because she knew the moment she laid her eyes on his baby face she'd be completely smitten. Now she was in a pickle, go on and wait to hurt him later? Or now where he'd have to time get over it? By now he was much more stronger to deal with a break up. Maybe afterwards he'd bed a few women, sow his wild oats if you will and get back into the game. Maybe.
"I never knew you played."
"Kevin taught me."
"Ah."
"I need to ask you a favor" he said facing her for the first time since she came in.
"Ok."
"Brian is having a big charity get together for his organization on Friday."
"Oh--um how much do you need donated?"
"No, I wasn't asking for one. But anything would help, actually I was asking if you'd be my date. This by no means is any way to get back at her but--"
"Paris is going to be there" she answered.
"She was invited ahead of time."
"I see."
"I promise I won't showboat you around her, in fact if we see her I'll turn right in the other direction. I won't even look at her."
"Nickolas I'm definitely not scared of her. Haven't you noticed one of my thighs are bigger than her all together?" she laughed.
"Nuh-uh, not trapping me in that one. See if I agree you'll say I said you think you're fat which is beyond what you are so I'm not saying anything."
"I would've never thought that Nickolas Gene."
"So many derivatives of my name."
"That it is."
"So are you going to be my date?"
"What's the attire and how much should I donate?"
"Ballroom and however much you want."
"Fine ballroom is it however much I want. Sounds like a date." It was a date alright, a last date.

Chapter 10