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Chapter Fifteen


"He was drunk and in your house, on your couch, shirtless and you didn't take advantage of him?!?" Addison's voice hit a register I think only dogs and parakeets could hear. "For crying outloud. I'm getting you tested. That's it."

I took a long sip of the smoothie that I was drinking and tried to keep a low profile as people around us were glancing over disapprovingly. It was the ice cream shop all over again. Except this time I'd foot the bill for our treats instead of her. But I have to admit that as crazy as the notion sounded (and as much as it offended the people around us), Addison's question did have me kind of wondering what was wrong with me. Her shock was sort of valid. I mean, it'd been a perfect opportunity, and I did kind of want to... I mean, Nick's abs were rock solid and his chest has these perfectly sculpted outlines like the bare chest of a Ken doll. Only, you know, not plastic or stoodgey like a Ken doll is.

"Maybe there's nothing wrong with me," I said, "Maybe I just respect him too much to take advantage of him," I said. "Besides... he's a good guy, Addie. I think he gets taken advantage of enough without me doing it too." I looked down at my smoothie, "The way he said that people take advantage of him... I mean, I think he was trying to pass it off as funny, but it wasn't funny. Not to him. He meant it... Nick deserves better." I looked up. "I kinda felt bad for him."

Addison was grinning.

"What?"

Her grin deepened to a smirk.

"What?" I asked again.

"Nick Carter is a man whore," Addison said carefully, "Everyone in LA knows that."

"Maybe he's not as man whorish as everyone thinks," I argued.

Addie's eyes were glistening with the smirk playing on her lips. "The guy dated Paris Hilton," she said, "Man whore."

"But he's changed since then, that was a long time ago," I said. "There's a lot more to him than that."

Addison raised an eyebrow.

"There is," I said. "He can be really sweet. And gentle. And I mean sure, he's kind of self-centered and a little bit of a tool, but I don't think he means to be, not honestly, he's just the product of being a child star. He's deeper than that."

"You're falling for him," Addison said.

"What?" I guffawed so harshly into my straw that the smoothie bubbled. "Oh my God, what are you, insane? I'm not falling for him --"

Addison was practically glowing, "Yes you are," she said.

"No I'm not!" I cried, "And even if I was, he's in love with Cora -- he'd never go for me. So this is all of a moot point."

Addison shook her head, "It's not a moot point," she said, "It's a very, very valid point. You're insanely jealous of Cora, aren't you?"

"I am not!" I cried.

"Awful defensive," she said, and sucked her smoothie straw with a look of triumph on her face.

"I've been busting my ass working for the last two days on a party for him so he can impress her, why would I do that if I didn't want him to impress her? If I didn't want them to end up together?" I demanded.

"So when it falls apart you can say you tried everything to help them work so you don't feel like you stole her man when you get him," Addison said.

"That's insane! Nick Carter would never go for someone like me."

Addison grinned. "Do you hear how you're saying his name? You say it like one of those swooning chicks that faun over Gaston in Beauty in the Beast."

"Do not!"

She laughed, "Deny it all you want, sweetie, but I know you better than that."

I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. I wasn't falling for Nick Carter..... was I? My eyebrows stitched together in concern as I started thinking about it. I felt a flush starting to rise up in my neck. Addie laughed, "Sam, it's okay, you know."

"No it's not," I said, "He's Nick Carter." That time I heard it, the ring of fauning in my voice like those swooning girls. "Oh God," I muttered, and I dropped my forehead to my arm, staring down at the table.

"Yeah," Addison said, "But... he's Nick Carter."



-----



That night, I couldn't help but worry that every time I said his name that the person on the other end of the phone line could hear the swooning girl in my voice.

And I said his name quite a few times that evening as I called various vendors trying to get his party vision completed. It turned out that his name was magic - like a secret password that I'd discovered to unlock doors. For example, when a caterer had said they were booked straight through the next few weeks, I simply pointed out that it was a party that Nick Carter was throwing and the next thing I knew she had a clear schedule of availability... and I'd found a party supply store that sold the exact color balloons Nick wanted and they were willing to sell me the balloons for another vendor to create a balloon arch with...

Seriously, magic.

So there I was come ten-thirty, feet up, bluetooth headset in my ear, munching on a bag of Bugles, scribbling notes onto a notepad, looking up various party elements on the Internet and making a list of vendors to call the next day with my new-found magic word, when my phone rang and it was Nick.

"Hey," he said, his voice hushed. "How's your back?"

I had about four pillows smooshed up behind it to keep me comfortable and I was about three Advil deep trying to numb the pain. "It's better than it was, but I'm still really sore," I said.

"Good, I'm glad you're doing a lil better. It's gonna be real sore tomorrow," he commented. He paused. "Did you change out the bandage?"

I smiled. I couldn't believe he'd thought to ask me this. "Yeah," I said, "I did actually. Thank you for reminding me, though."

"Yeah no problem. Cuts like that just get real nasty if you leave'em...you know."

"Yeah," I said.

There was a long pause. Finally, he said, "Look, I um... I know you're sore but is there any chance you could do me a huge favor?"

"Sure," I said. I thought about Addison and her accusing me of falling for him and my heart skipped a beat as I realized that she was probably right. I felt like I would've said yes to anything he asked of me right about then. "What can I do for you?" I asked, my mouth going dry.

"Could you pick something up for me and come by my place?" he asked.

"Sure. What'cha need?"

There was a long pause.

"Condoms."

I dropped the phone.



-----



My hands were shaking as I walked through Walgreens, my cellphone to my ear. "I've never bought... condoms... before," I hissed.

"It's okay. Be cool." Addison's voice was smooth.

"I don't even know like what to get. Do condoms come in sizes? What size do I get him? Oh Jesus. I'm sweating. I literally have sweat all over my body."

"Don't sweat too much, you'll wreck the lingerie you just put on."

"Oh God." I looked down, painfully aware of the curves that my best lingerie created on my body. Thanks to Addison and her squeaks of delight when I called her to tell her about Nick requesting condoms, I'd felt the need to replace my granny panties and stretchy athletic bra with the silky lacy variety that hid in the depths of my underwear drawer.

"Does he have a large forefinger?" Addison asked.

"What?"

"If he stretched out his thumb and forefinger, how long would it be?"

"I don't know!"

"Does he have long fingers?"

"I guess so! Why?"

"Get large," she said. "And get the ribbed ones! Oh my God, get the glow in the dark ones, they're so fun... This one time, I had the glow in the dark ones at work in the VIP room and ---"

"I don't wanna hear this," I said. I stepped into the aisle with the condoms, started to hover, then chickened out and promptly turned and started looking at a large display of Vagisil. Because somehow that was less embarassing feeling than condoms. "Oh God, I can't do this."

"You can do this," Addison coached me.

"I'm staring at vaginal soap, Addie," I muttered, "I can't turn around to grab the damn condoms. My hands are shaking. I can't breathe. Oh God, I'm going to die in the feminine hygeine and birth control section of a Walgreens." I fanned myself.

"Samantha Roades, listen to me. Do you want to sleep with this man, yes or no?"

"Yes," I squeaked.

"Then unless you plan on being his baby momma you're gonna need to turn around and get condoms."

I sucked in my breath.

"Do it."

"I --"

"DO IT NOW!" Addison shouted at me.

I turned around, snatched the first box labeled Large that I saw and made a beeline for the registers at the front of the store. "Oh God, oh God, oh God," I squealed as I moved through the store.

"Save that for when you get to Carter's place," Addison commented dryly.

"Oh God, oh God..." I made it to the register and of course it was a guy at the lane and I put my purchase, plus two magazines, a pack of gum, and a mini eyeglasses repair kit onto the counter. I couldn't make eye contact with him as he rung each of the items. It might've been my imagination, but he seemed to linger on the condoms before putting them in the bag. I felt my cheeks heat up.

After I'd paid, I carried my bag of shame to the car.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Addison asked.

"Yes it was," I said. "He's probably in there right now telling the other workers how I'm gonna shag someone tonight."

"Unless he was british, he's not saying shag dear," Addison said, "And trust me if he's talking about you shagging it's with a tone of jealousy that it's not his weiner getting bagged, okay? So relax."

"You're terrible," I said.

"Well it's true," Addison replied.

"Oh God," I leaned back in the car seat and closed my eyes.

Addison laughed.

"What?" I asked, "What could possibly be funny right now?"

"Just that I told you this was going to happen."

"Did not."

"Did too! Remember?" Addison said frantically, "And when he ravishes you on the hood of his car... I want every last dirty detail."