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Chapter Twenty-One


We were in the car maybe a nano second, Nick in the driver seat, me in the passanger, and Addison leaning between the two from the back, and she kept giving me questioning glances. I knew what she wanted, but I couldn't say anything with Nick right there. I could tell Addison could feel the tension between Nick and I. Or maybe the tension I had toward Nick. I have no idea if he could feel it, too. For all I know, the almost kiss has been completely in my head...

The way Nick drove, we got to the dance studio in like fifteen minutes from the club where Addison worked. It looked like a giant warehouse, other than the wild assortment of wanna-be singers gathered with their guitars and crazy props under the dim orange glow of the parking lot lights.

Nick parked and we got out of the Escalade. Some people looked up and started talking amongst themselves as they spotted Nick. Fingers were pointed. Nick ignored them - or maybe he didn't even see them at all - and he led Addison and I across the lot and up to the bouncer that stood at the door. He nodded Nick, Addie and I through. By this point, Addison was literally shaking, clutching my hands with hers, her eyes teary. "Oh God," she was whispering, "Oh sweet Jesus, oh God. I'm gonna pass out. If I don't pass out it'll be some kind of miracle."

"You're gonna be okay, this is no different than any other performance," I said gently. "In fact, it'll be easier. You'll have clothes on." I smirked.

Addison shook her head, "It's harder with clothes on. They don't look at your face if your boobs are exposed."

Nick glanced back over his shoulder at this conversation and smirked. We'd arrived to a little waiting area and there was a huge picture glass window looking into the dance studio. Inside, I could see someone auditioning in front of a table where Cora, Hugh Walters, and, of all people, Justin "Z" Platt were sitting. Cora was laying languidly in her chair, her feet up and a pair of thick black sunglasses covering her eyes, her hair tucked into a carfully wound scarf. She seemed asleep and for all anyone could tell behind the dark lenses she could be.

As Nick pushed open the door and walked into the studio, Cora lowered her glasses and sat up, her eyes fixed on Nick's face. Her bright red lips parted, "Nick Carter," she said in a thick, half dreamy sort of voice, interrupting the poor girl still mid-audition. The girl stopped singing and stood there helplessly in the center of the room.

I wondered if it was awkward for Cora, being in one room with her husband and both of her secret lovers.

Hugh Walters stood up and for the first time I was able to fully appreciate the size of him. I mean he looks big in pictures, but they just don't do justice for just how big he really is. The guy towered over Nick like a skyscraper of mass proportions. You could fit three or four of Nick in him side by side for width, too. He was like a bear. He extended a balled fist to Nick and for one fleeting moment of irrationality, I thought he was gonna punch him. But then Nick balled his fist back and the two of them awkwardly bumped. You could feel the tension between them, and I wondered if Hugh suspected Nick and Cora, or if they just didn't get along so well completely aside from the affair.

"Hey," Nick said. "So you can stop auditions now... I got your girl right here." He waved a hand at Addison, "Meet the lovely, talent Miss. Addison."

I pushed Addie forward and she stumbled in her iridescent heels for just one step, then took a deep breath, and I literally watched her move into performance mode. She walked up to the table with an air of liquid confidence, struck out her hand, and announced, "Addison Mueller, but most people just call me Addie." She took Hugh Walters' hand and shook it firmly, then turned to Z and did the same. When she turned to Cora, she said, "You... are an inspiration."

Cora smiled, her red lips curling into a heart shape. "Why thank you," she said fluidly. She looked Addison over head to toe. "Who's your stylist?"

"I don't have one," Addison said, a bit of a confused tone to her voice.

Cora looked surprised, "Really?"

"I dress myself," Addison replied.

Cora looked at Hugh, "She's got great style," she said. And I wondered for a moment what it must be like to be so fucking famous that you don't even remember how to dress yourself in the morning.

"But can she sing?" Z asked.

"Oh she can sing," I replied.

Z looked at me and recognition lit up his face, "Pissed off, fiesty bagel girl," he said, pointing.

"Samantha," Nick corrected quickly.

I saw Cora's eyes flash between the two of them and then back at me. She clearly didn't like either one of them recognizing me in anyway. She glowered like a dark cloud, and put her sunglasses back on.

"Well let's see what you got then, Miss. Addie," Hugh said, waving away the poor girl who'd been mid-audition, "You're dismissed," he said to her. And she walked out, looking a bit deflated. "Go on then," Hugh said to Addison.

Addie looked at me and shoved her purse into my hands. "We didn't pick a song," she hissed under her breath as she did. "What do I do?"

"The classic, obviously," I answered, smiling.

Addison nodded. "Okay." She turned and scampered to the center of the room and I fell back.

"What's the classic?" Nick whispered.

"You'll see," I answered as Nick and I stepped to the side to get out of Cora, Hugh, and Z's line of sight.

Addison stood in the center of the room, took a deep breath, and announced, "I'm going to do this song by biggest idol... the queen of pop... This is my favorite song, and I feel like it really describes me," she grinned, and closed her eyes for a moment... washing her mental pallette. I'd seen her do this a thousand times.

She'd always introduced it the same way. Even when we were five years old and doing "rock concerts" from the picnic table benches in her backyard.

Cora sat forward and removed her sunglasses again. She looked intrigued. She probably thought that Addison was about to belt out one of her songs or something.

Addison filled her lungs and began:

"Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me -- I think they're ohhh-kaayy-aayy
If they don't give me propert credit, I'll just walk awayyy-ayyy"

And just like that, Addison snapped into true performance mode, and started dancing - moves that we'd made up forever ago that she still used in her shows at the club now and then. I felt tears spring to my eyes because once when we were twelve Addison had said to me that she'd be famous for singing this song one day, just like Madonna.

And she was so gonna be right.

"They can beg and they can plead, but they can't see the liii-iight..."

She slid her hand suggestively down the center of her torso as she sang,

"That's right."

She winked, then started walking toward the table, catlike, her eyes focused solely on Hugh...

"Cos the boy with cold hard cash is always Mr. Riii-iiight."

She flipped his tie with the tip of her hand as she cooed the words, then turned suddenly on her heels and made her way back to the center of the room where she pop locked and rolled out the chorus,

"Cos we are liiiiving in a material world and IIIIIIII am a material girl, you know that we are liiiiving in a material world and I am a material -- ooohhh material-al -- I am a material girl!"

She tossed her head back so that her sheet of long hair hung behind her like a curtain and threw out her arms, pushing her breasts forward. She looked like a human firework. Addison held the position as Hugh and Z both started clapping enthusiastically. Cora was smiling quietly at the end of the table.

I looked up at Nick, teary eyed. He smiled back at me. "You look so proud," he commented.

"I am," I choked, wiping my eyes.

Before anything was even said I knew all of Addison's dreams had just started coming true.

If only I'd known the ramifications of the moment, I might not've been so happy about it.