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Chapter Eleven


That night I sat on the couch and started pulling together resources to make Nick's party vision come true, armed with a shiny blue Chase platinum card which had a limit so sky high he said he dared me to max it out. I was cross legged, my lap top perched on a pillow beside me, my stereo playing the first Cora album, Google-searching balloon vendors searching for one that offered pearly white balloon arches. I'd found metallic silver, plain white, egg white, off white, cream, and beige, but none that offered pearly white.

"They're probably only sold by one fucking vendor in the country and he probably forgotto tell me which one," I wailed in frustration, throwing myself backwards onto the couch cushions and pulling on my own hair. "Oh my God," I groaned. I felt like I'd been looking at party balloon vendors for all of my life.

My phone vibed on the coffee table. I looked over, half expecting it to be him asking why the party wasn't set up already. It was Addison. I reached for the phone. "Hey," I said.

"Hey!" she cried. "You sound tired?"

"Exhausted."

"Long first day with the god-man?"

"You wouldn't believe it," I muttered, barely able to believe it myself that the damn bagel hunt of 2013 was less than twelve hours ago. I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead, "He's got me planning a party."

"Planning a party?"

"Yeah... well, actually more fulfilling a party. He had a vision for how it would be and then he gave me a bottomless credit card to throw all the debt it racks up into..."

"I'm pretty sure the party requires you and I to go shopping," she said with a devilsh smirk to her voice.

I shook my head, "No-uh. With my luck, he'd spot that and deduct it out of my fifty-K," I said, shaking my head, "The card gets used strictly for party business only."

Addison's voice was disappointed, "I so did not raise you right," she said.

"Ughhhh," I groaned, "I have to find pearl white balloon arches and outdoor stereo equipment and chinese lantern lights and a bridge stage for the pool and a dancer and --"

"Hold up girl!" she shouted, "A dancer? Did you just say you need to find a dancer?"

"Yeah," I said.

Addison cleared her throat.

"I don't think he meant your kind of dancer."

"What the fuck other kind of dancer gets hired to do rich mens' parties?" Addison asked, "Besides, I do dancing that doesn't include taking my clothes off too, you know." She paused. "Tell Nick his lap dances are on the house."

"You are kidding me right now, aren't you?" I asked.

Addison's voice was serious. "Hell no I'm not! Me and my girls, we'd be perfect. We could rock the Carter Casa! We do it all, you know, we're a full package. Sing, dance, strip."

"Addie, I don't know..." I said, "The whole point of him throwing this party is to get Cora to --"

"-- to break up with Hugh Walters, right? What better way to break them up like shrapnel than have her catch him cheating on her with a slutty dancer at Nick's party?" Addison's voice was excited.

"And are you gonna be the slutty dancer that gets him to cheat?" I asked pointedly.

"Oh hell no," Addison responded, "Of course not. That's a special priviledge we save for the girl o the bottom of the shit stack," she laughed. "Like sending an intern to get coffee."

"Or a fake personal assistant you hired as a private investigator," I muttered.

"'Scusa?"

"He asked me to pick up coffee this morning. And multigrain bagels. And guitar strings."

Addison was quiet a moment. "Okay so Sam, I'm gonna need an answer before I can pretend to give a shit about anything else you say. And it's okay if you say no, but I gotta admit, I'm gnona pretty much hate you until the day we die if you say no."

"Addie, I don't know if it's a good idea," I said.

"How could it not be a good idea?" she asked, voice pitching, "How many girls can say that they've gotten naked in front of Nick Carter?"

"Probaby a lot," I answered.

"And got paid to do so," she added.

"Still a lot," I answered dryly.

Addison laughed, "Stop raining on my parade! Please hire me to dance at the party? Pleasepleasepleaseplease --"

As she continued begging, my phone vibed, indicating a second call coming in. "Hang on a second," I interrupted Addison. It was Nick on the other line. "Hey," I said when I'd put Addie on hold and switched over, "Quick question."

"I -- uh.. Yeah?"

"When you said dancers earlier, when we were talking about the party entertainment, did you mean strippers?"

"What else would I mean?"

"Just wanted to make sure. Hold on a second."

"Uhhh ---"

I switched back to Addison. "You still here?"

"Yeah?"

"Nick's on the other line. You gotta job, and I gotta go."

Addison's squeal echoed through the phone, "OH MY GOD, I'm SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW!"

"I gotta go," I said. "He's on the other line."

"Okay! Tell him he won't regret this decision!"

"I just hope I don't regret it," I came back at her. "I gotta go. I'll call you later."

"Bye!!!"

I switched back to Nick. "I just booked our entertainment."

"Sweet." His voice sounded funny. "Hey, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I need a ride."

"A ride?"

"Yeah..." Nick laughed, "I'm drunk."