AJ and Nick got back to the bus and joined Brian, Howie, and Kevin with the kids. Kevin looked up. "Hello you two. Have a nice time?"

They nodded. 

 
"Good. So how about you two stay kinda quiet. We need to get the kids calmed down and ready for bed. It's going to be hard enough without their mothers to tuck them in.," Kevin said. 

 
Nick looked at Kevin. "They're not back yet? But it's after 11." 

 
Brian nodded. "We know. The kids are only up because we thought they'd be back by now. But we just got a call from the ladies. They said good night to the kids and told us they'd be back eventually. But they were enjoying their girl time." 

 
AJ laughed. "I'll bet. They don't get a whole lot of downtime for themselves. I'm glad they're enjoying themselves." 

 
Nick nodded. "Ok. Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight everyone." 

 
They all yelled goodnight as Nick walked to his room. "She's still out," he said to himself. Nick laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. 

 
Nick woke up to giggling. He looked at the clock. "3 a.m.? They're just getting in?" 

 
He got up and went to where he'd last seen the guys. "No one's here? Then what was I hearing?" 

 
He heard the giggling again. He followed the sound to CJ's room. "They must be talking for awhile longer before they go to sleep. I should say goodnight to them." 

 
He knocked and opened the door. "Goodnight lad...ies." 

 
He looked and saw CJ with another man. She was smiling and laughing. She looked up, saw Nick, and stopped. 

 
"Oh, hey Nick," she said. 

 
"Oi! I'm no lady," the man said with a thick British accent. 

 
Nick stared at the scene before him. "Uh, sorry man. I heard CJ giggling and thought the girls were still in here with her.." 

 
CJ shook her head, stood up, and walked over to Nick. "Nah, they've been in bed for a couple of hours. Oh, where are my manners? I'm so sorry. Nick, this is Joeleo. Joeleo this is Nick Carter, the Backstreet Boys you had yet to meet. 

 
Joeleo nodded at Nick. "'Ello. Nice to meet you." 

 
Nick stared between CJ and Joeleo. "Yea. You too. Hey, I'm gonna go back to bed. Night CJ, Joeleo." 

 
Nick gave CJ a quick hug then turned and walked out the door. Nick walked back to his room muttering, "She's with another man." 

 
CJ watched Nick walk away before closing the door and turning back to Joeleo. He was such a gorgeous man. He had sharp features. He had sapphire blue eye and a full head of chocolate brown hair. He reminded her of James Marsden in the late 90's. He looked a bit like Al too. She smiled at him. He was easy to watch. Then you add in the accent... CJ had always had a weakness for British accents. 

 
"So what shall we do for a couple of hours? We're going to be leaving here by 8 am, and I need to at least LOOK like I slept," CJ said, walking back over to the bed. 

 
Joeleo laughed. "I can think of a couple things."  

 
He leaned up and kissed her. She let out a soft moan. She put her hand on his cheek and pulled him in closer. He pulled her back onto the bed, kissing her deeper, moving his hand down her thigh. 

 
'Do I let him do this? Someone give me a sign,' CJ thought to herself. 'I'll probably never see him again. So unless I hear something, I'm going to let him.' 

 
Joeleo pulled her skirt up and slid his hand further up. He pulled her on top of him with the other arm. 

 
She started kissing his cheeks, his ears, his chin. Quick little pecks all over his face. 

 
Joeleo's hand was now touching CJ's core. She moaned in pleasure. He started teasing her, moving his fingers in and out, rubbing the outside, then back in. CJ pushed her hand between them and unbuttoned his jeans. She put her hand down his pants and grabbed at the bulge. Joeleo thrust up, freeing his member from the confines of his pants. CJ rubbed herself on him. He bucked up, causing her legs to straddle him. 

 
*'For Your Entertainment' plays* 

 
CJ jumped. "Oh shit, it's Al!" She got up off Joeleo and grabbed her phone.
'There's my sign, as usual,' she thought before answering her phone. 

 
"Hey Al. No, everything is fine. Why?" She looked at the clock. It was 4:30. 
"I'm sorry sweetie. I've been out with the sisters-in-law all night." She gave Joeleo an apologetic look. 

 
"Al, I'm fine. I know I said I'd call but I've been busy. I'll call you very soon. Ok Sweetie. Love you too. Bye." 

 
CJ hung up the phone and smiled. She grabbed a pen from the desk and wrote her number on Joeleo's hand, with one digit wrong. "I'm so sorry. I need to get some sleep. Call me, ok?" 

 
Joeleo grunted and rolled his eyes. "Yea. Whatevs. Let me guess, Al's the boyfriend. Right? You're meeting him in the next city or something?" 

 
CJ giggled. 

 
"Well, I'm just guessing from the 'love you'... And the ringtone." 

 
CJ nodded. "I love Al very much. I miss him. I'm so lonely without him. I'm not used to not being around him." 

 
Joeleo grunted again. "I guess I have to respect that, don't I?" He rubbed his hands together, then showed them to CJ. The number had disappeared.
"If we ever run into each other again, and we're both free, how about we give it another go?" Joeleo asked. 

 
CJ nodded. "You're  very sweet. Thank you." 

 
Joeleo nodded, fixed his pants and stood up. CJ walked him to the bus door.
"It truly was a pleasure Miss Carter. You have to be the most gorgeous girl I've ever met. He's a lucky man, I hope he knows that." 

 
CJ blushed. "Thank you Joeleo. I really hope we meet again sometime."
Nick watched CJ and Joeleo through a small opening in his bedroom door. He watched them kiss goodbye, then went back into his room and laid down. 

 "She slept with him. I can't believe it. I've lost her." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I can;t believe I've lost her again. And it's all my fault this time." 

CJ stopped at Nick's door and knocked. "Hey you. I came in to say goodnight." 

 
Nick nodded at her. "Yea. Night." 

 
CJ walked in and sat down next to Nick on the bed. "What's wrong? Talk to me, Nick." 

 
Nick grunted and rolled over, his back to her. "Joeleo seems nice." 

 
"He is. Too bad I have to leave him here," she said. 

 
Nick turned his head toward her. "What? Why?" 

 
CJ giggled. "Oh, because I told him I missed my boyfriend." 

 
Nick frowned. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend." 

 
CJ smirked. "I don't. He assumed Al was my boyfriend. He was so sweet about the whole thing, I didn't have the heart to tell him Al was gay. But I did tell him the truth; that I love Al very much, and I'm feeling very lonely without him. When I told him that he got up and left, and not all upset either. He just said he hoped we met again someday, when we were both unattached." 

 
Nick turned his whole body towards her. "Stopped? You mean you two didn't...." 

 
CJ shook her head. "Nah, I asked for a sign to tell me whether I should or shouldn't. Al called. I took that as my sign. That happens a lot actually." 

 
Nick looked at her, confused. "Adam stops you from having sex? But wait, you said you didn't sleep with people you've just met. You said it 'wasn't you'." 

 
"Exactly. Every time I've ever met someone I thought I might bend the rules for, I ask for a sign telling me not to." 

 
Nick just stared at her. "And?" 

 
"And usually Al texts me or calls me. He really is a walking sex radar. But it let's me know I shouldn't go through with it. Once when I was asking for a sign, he actually showed up at my house when my phone wasn't working." CJ smiled at the memories. "It's kinda funny actually. Though, most of the guys aren't as civil about it as Joeleo. But Al usually just plays the part of my jealous boyfriend, but that won't work now...You know, now that I think about it, you're the first person I've never gotten a sign about." 

 
"So basically you're saying you didn't do it, right?" Nick asked hopefully. 

CJ laughed. "No Nick. I didn't sleep with Joeleo." 

 
Nick sat up. "I'm glad." 

 
Nick watched her, his eyes showing the hunger he still had for her. He wanted all of her: mind, body, and soul. He knew that now. 

 
Nick noticed CJ staring at him. "What? Do I have something on my face? Is there something in between my teeth?" 

 
CJ shook her head. "I just don't get you, that's all. You get jealous of Joeleo, and the thought of me having a boyfriend. Yet when we started to get close, you ran off and slept with... Stacy? Was that her name?" 

 
Nick sighed. "Yea, Stacy. You scared the shit outta me." 

 
CJ stared at Nick. "A commitment-phobe. I guess it's a good thing I found you in bed with Stacy. 'Cause if I had told you... If I had said what I wanted to tell you... At least we can be friends this way. I want to stay friends, Nick. I can't imagine my life now without being able to pick on you." She laughed. 

 
"CJ, what were you going to tell me? Please, I need to know," Nick said, looking right into her eyes. She felt, in that moment, that Nick could see her deepest, darkest secrets. 

 
'I can't tell him,' she thought. 'He'll run away again. I'll ruin what we have.' That's what her brain told her. But she just couldn't keep her secret. 

 
"I was coming to tell you that I love you. That I wanted to..." 

 
Nick leaned in and kissed her. CJ melted into him.  

 
'STOP IT,' her brain screamed until she broke the kiss.

"Sorry Nick. I can't do it, not after what happened. Let's... Let's just be friends. That's all I can handle right now." 

 
"But CJ..." 

 
CJ shook her head as she stood up. "No Nick. For the sanity of everyone on this bus, let's just be friends." 

 
Nick sighed. "Ok CJ. If that's what it takes to keep you in my life," he said reluctantly. 

 
He stood up and hugged her. "Good night CJ. Get some sleep." 

 
CJ wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and kissed his cheek. "Good night," she whispered as she pulled away. It was so hard not to give into him. Especially when all she wanted to do was push him down on the bed, kiss him stupid, and then fall asleep beside him. But she wasn't going to put herself in the position to get hurt again. She waved at him and walked back to her room. 

 
She plopped down on he bed and took a few deep breaths. "I should probably call Al, at least text him." 

 
She grabbed her phone and took a few more deep breaths before dialing his number. "He is NOT going to be happy with Nick."