The hall where the benefit was being held was huge and absolutely stunning. Alex had never been in a more beautiful place. Even though she felt incredibly awkward about being there and seeing Nick again, she felt like a princess with all the attention Kerstin had given her.
“I’m going to go get us some drinks, okay?” Kerstin smiled and disappeared before Alex could object over to the bar. Alex sighed and smoothed her dress out down the front. Granted, she felt beautiful. But the dress felt so wrong…she felt uneasy about the entire situation.
“Alex?” She heard from behind her. She turned around and quickly swallowed the nausea creeping up her throat. It was just Leighanne. “Hi!”
“Hi, Leighanne,” Alex smiled warmly. “I am so glad to see you. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable…” she confessed without really realizing it. She just felt very comfortable around the blonde Southern woman.
“Aw, please, come join my husband and I,” Leighanne felt bad that the woman was by herself.
“Oh, it’s okay!” Alex quickly interfered. Where Leighanne and her husband were was where she would most likely find Nick. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that moment. “My friend, Kerstin, is here. She just disappeared at the bar.” She shrugged.
“Okay…” Leighanne smiled and nodded. “Well, please come stop by and join us in a little bit. The boys are about to go on the stage to perform the concert portion of tonight’s benefit, and at that time I’ll be by myself and that’s never fun, so please come over and keep my company.” She said sweetly.
Alex nodded and promised she would find the table. As Leighanne disappeared into the crowd to socialize a bit more, Alex took the time to glance around the hall. She didn’t recognize a soul. Everyone looked so prestigious…so important. Alex knew she wasn’t like these other people. She would never be these people.
“Hey,” Kerstin sighed and handed Alex a drink. Alex eyed the drink cautiously and then looked back at her friend who couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “I swear it’s a harmless diet coke. Promise.”
“No alcohol?” Alex’s eyebrows raised at the question. Kerstin stuck out her pinky.
“No alcohol,” the girls did the childish “pinky promise” and smiled. Alex glanced around the room with a heavy sigh, her thoughts returning to her previous worries. “Listen, Allie,” Kerstin muttered, noticing her friend’s uneasiness. “You look absolutely beautiful. You deserve to be here. Don’t be so uptight all the time, okay?” Alex nodded, even though she wasn’t sure she necessarily agreed.
Kerstin wished her friend could realize how gorgeous she really was. The black dress really did hang in all the right places and emphasize all the perfect curves. Alex had finally allowed her to pull her hair back into a loose bun with many little strands outlining her round face. The make-up was classy and Kerstin made sure not to overdo it. She didn’t want Alex to feel ridiculous. Alex took a sip of her drink, half-hoping to taste a little alcohol. Maybe it would make her relax. “Leighanne came over to say hi.”
“Did she?” Kerstin smiled, completely hopeful that the night would play out.
“She asked me to go and sit with her at her table,” she sighed. “I said I’d be over after the boys went on stage.”
Kerstin frowned and refrained from slapping Alex. “What are you thinking? We’re here so you can get with Nick and make him realize how truly sexy you are so you can pull this novel out of your ass.” Kerstin muttered. “Where’d she go?” She tried standing on her tip toes to see over the heads of all the people and spot Leighanne’s bright blonde hair. As she noticed the table, she pulled Alex with her to go say hi.
“Kerstin,” Alex rolled her eyes. “Please, let me do this on my own time. I don’t want to be the little puppy dog you pull around. I’m a grown woman.”
“Then do something,” Kerstin muttered. “The bartender was pretty sexy…I’m going to go chat. You better be at that table when I get back.” Even though Alex really didn’t want Kerstin to leave, she knew she had to do this on her own. She took the final gulp of her soda and made her way to the round table full of four men and Leighanne.
“Alex! I’m glad you decided to come over,” Leighanne stood up to be polite and greet her new found friend. She reached her arms out and hugged her then turned back to her friends staring at her.
Alex swallowed the lump in her dry throat to try and entice words to come out of her mouth. “H-Hi. Thanks for inviting me,” she tried to be polite.
“Guys, this is Alex McIntosh. Alex, this is my husband, Brian. Next to him is Nick Carter, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough,” Leighanne introduced.
Alex tried to pull her eyes away from Nick’s but couldn’t bring herself to do so. “Hi, it’s nice to meet all of you.” She smiled sweetly. The boys reciprocated the greeting and fell back into their own conversations. All but Nick. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from that girl. Questions were running through her head. Why did that dress have to look so sexy? What the hell was she doing here, anyway? Was she stalking him? Was she invited? Coincidence, or no coincidence? He couldn’t answer all the questions.
“Thank you so much for coming tonight,” Brian smiled to be polite and fill his role as host of the evening. “Where are you from?”
“Syracuse,” Alex smiled and took a sip of the champagne a waiter offered her. She smiled politely, needing the alcohol to relax her nerves.
“Alex and I met this morning while shopping,” Leighanne smiled and entered conversation as she, too, sipped her champagne. “We were talking about how we feel comfortable at home and I was telling her about Georgia…” she elbowed Brian in the rib playfully.
“Which is exactly why we have a home in Georgia,” he laughed and rubbed his stomach where she had made contact. He kissed her cheek. “So my baby can feel comfortable.” Leighanne smiled.
“We’re never there enough,” Leighanne rolled her eyes and looked back to Alex. Alex smirked, a little curious as to why Leighanne was so comfortable with her to tell her these things. Leighanne saw the uncertainty in Alex’s eyes and gently placed her hand on top of her’s. “I’m so sorry,” she giggled. “It’s just, I’m surrounded by these goofs all day long and I don’t really have much female company…”
“It’s fine,” Alex smiled and placed her other hand on top of Leighanne’s. “It’s sad these days when we have to worry about trusting people that we just meet. I guess I was just taken back by your kindness.” She smiled. Leighanne was a sweetheart and she was glad she was there. Leighanne made her feel so much more comfortable.
“Y-You’re…” Nick stuttered a little, finally able to say something to the girl.
Alex blushed and tried to think of what she was supposed to say. “From the club…” she finished for him. “Again…I am so sorry about that whole…incident.” She bit her bottom lip, praying that he would believe it as just a “coincidence”.
He just nodded with a permanent frown planted on his face. He didn’t trust this girl, yet she was absolutely breathtaking. She seemed so sure of herself…something Nick hadn’t seen the night they went clubbing. The awkward nature had seemed to disappear. Maybe it was because she wasn’t drunk? Maybe he wasn’t seeing her clearly that night they had met?
“The club?” Leighanne frowned and looked at her.
“I didn’t realize he was a celebrity,” Alex laughed lightly and took another sip from the champagne. “My friend, Kerstin, and I had gone clubbing the other night and I ran into Nick…it’s actually a really embarrassing story…”
“Embarrassing stories are always fun,” Howie chimed in and smiled at the girl. He, too, found her quite beautiful.
“It’s not about me,” Nick rolled his eyes, then wondered if Alex really wanted him to tell the story. Instead, he took a long drink from his champagne and allowed her to tell the story if she really wanted.
“Well, I’m not a very heavy drinker…” Alex trailed on and traced an imaginary design on her tall glass. “But my friend had really encouraged me to go out and have a good time. Which, in her mind, that included alcohol.” She was embarrassed just to be telling this story. “Well, I got pretty drunk and found myself in the men’s bathroom…actually…Nick found me in the men’s bathroom.”
The table tried to hold in their laughter, but it really didn’t work well. “I’m sorry,” Howie laughed. “That really shouldn’t be funny…but it is.”
“No!” Alex smiled and laughed as well. “I know, it’s hilarious. Just somewhat embarrassing.” She shrugged and took another drink. God, she was definitely going to need another glass.
Nick couldn’t help but crack a smile. The way her eyes grew from laughing. “Hey Brian, you wanna come backstage for a second and check out the sound?” Nick asked. Brian knew the sound check had gone smoothly, but he also saw the hesitancy on Nick’s face.
“Yeah, sure thing,” Brian smiled and excused himself from the table. As they made their way backstage, he glanced at Nick. “What’s wrong, man?”
“Brian, you don’t think it’s weird that she ran into me at the club, then called my hotel room and left a message and then randomly shows up here tonight?” He frowned.
“Honestly? No,” Brian shrugged. “The club was pure accident. She was in the guy’s bathroom puking before you even got in there, right?” Nick nodded. “She even left. She didn’t hang around. You were the one that found her. Then, you were the one that gave her your number. She just called and left a message like any other normal person. She didn’t show up at your hotel room door or anything.” He shrugged. Nick let it all sit in and began to think. “Besides, she’s a friend of Leighanne’s. Leigh must have run into her shopping and invited her or something.” He shrugged. “You wanna know what I think?” Nick nodded. “I think it’s pure coincidence and possibly destiny knocking at your front door.” He patted his friend on the back.
Nick watched as he left to go back to the table. Alex looked beautiful. Her laugh was contagious. Her eyes pulled him in and held him there. He couldn’t turn away. Instead of fighting the urge, he decided to give in. He decided to get to know this girl better.
Author's Chapter Notes:
So, I decided to be nice and give ya'll 2 chapters in one day :]. This is the longest chapter I've ever written!! Reviews are lovely!
