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Jeff couldn’t believe his ears.  It was the first time Nick had ever asked for a workout.  He usually had to be bullied into it, and then he groused and complained through the whole ordeal.  This time he pushed himself to the limit, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall, never wavering.  Jeff was afraid he might hurt himself. 

“Take it easy, Nick,” he cautioned, “You’ve got a show tonight.”

“I’m okay,” said Nick, through clenched teeth.

Nick was pissed.  He was beyond pissed.  And he didn’t even know who he was angry at, but he figured Jason Simons would make an okay target right now.

Nick left the room after Jason’s flamboyant entrance, but he went back after a minute or two.  He didn’t know what kind of greeting Jason and Mel had exchanged, and he didn’t want to.  He was sick of this roller coaster ride his emotions were taking him on.  He was tired, and his nerves were getting closer and closer to the surface.  He needed a break.

Christmas was coming, and the tour would be on hiatus for three weeks.  Nick intended to go to Florida and bask on the beach.  If it was too cold to do that, he’d go out on the boat.  He didn’t care how cold it was there. 

He hoped Christmas would be okay, and that he wouldn’t spend the whole time refereeing disagreements between his parents.  He tried not to take sides, although he felt closer to this dad than to his mother.  His main concern was for the kids left at home.  He was safely out of it and Aaron could bail whenever he wanted, but the others had to stay there…front row seats for every scene of the melodrama, Disintegration of a Marriage.

Nick sighed.  He had finally had an in-depth conversation with Mel.  About music, of course.  What else would it be?  This morning, she’d handed him her electric guitar while they were setting everything up.  He played and she coached, showing him small differences in technique between the electric and the acoustic.  She even touched him, placing her small hands over his, moving his fingers slightly.  It was all perfectly friendly, and it made him want her even more.

Then Toby and Gus came back, and the spell was broken.  Nick kept the guitar in front of him until he was sure he wouldn’t embarrass himself, and then he drifted around the room, talking to people and watching her out of the corner of his eye. 

He couldn’t find one person besides Toby who thought she was with Rafe.  The others scoffed at the idea.  Nick decided he was going to flat out ask her.  Even if she said she wasn’t with Rafe, it didn’t necessarily mean she’d be with Nick.  She had said that the episode in Ottawa was a one-time thing and maybe she meant it, but Nick wanted to take a shot, at least.

Then Tofu and Gus did their little trick with the word game.  It was a total set-up, Nick realized.  And it was a good one.  Mel would kill them both if she ever realized what they’d done.  But she hadn’t even seemed aware of the ‘Nick or Rafe?’ question when it was slipped in.  Nick wasn’t aware of anything that was said after her response.  His heart was trying to pound its way out of his chest, and his skin tingled.

Then Jason Simons burst in with his stupid flowers and his stupid dog.  And Mel recognized the dog…and the dog recognized her.  Shit!  Shit!  Shit!  Because even if Mel had been having thoughts about being with Nick, a perfect opportunity to “get him out of her system” had just presented itself.

And Jason Simons made it very clear that he was interested in Mel.  He stood with his arm draped over her shoulder.  And she didn’t seem to mind!  She put her arm around his waist as she brought him over to meet Nick…again.  And she had the stupid flowers in her arm.  Daisies!!

“You remember Jase…Jason…Jason Simons?” said Mel.

The two men shook hands.  Yeah, hello.  Nice to see you again.  How’s it goin’?

It was going pretty good, actually, they agreed.  They were very polite.  Jason said nice things about the tour…he’d heard it was wonderful…he was glad he could see it…any chance of a free ticket, ha! ha!

Yuk! Yuk!  Yeah, we’ll see what we can arrange…what brings you to Seattle? 

My cousin’s getting married tomorrow.   Hey, Mel, can you come to the wedding?  You’ll know lots of people…pleeeeeeeease…you know how I hate these family things…

Mel was completely out of her element.  What the hell was going on?  She had been in a trance, answering Gus’ questions…she couldn’t even tell you what he asked…and then, a big commotion and there was…Grover?  What the hell was Grover doing here?   And then seeing Jase.  What the hell was Jase doing here?  And then flowers…being thrust at her…’Here ya go, Babe! I know you love them.”

And then Nick. 

Nick was not happy about this, Mel could see that.  She didn’t really understand why.  Oh, he was pleasant enough with Jase, but something was bothering him.  She didn’t get much chance to think about it, because Jase had fast-talked his way into seeing the concert, getting her to go to a family wedding and inviting them all to join him at a club tonight after the concert, before Melody could even draw breath.  And then he was gone! 

And so was Nick.  He had grabbed Jeff’s arm and dragged him out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mel still hadn’t figured it out hours later.  She sat in the club between the two men.  Nick didn’t say much, and Jase didn’t shut up.  Mel had her face turned to him most of the time listening to him.  But all she could feel was Nick’s presence, and she had to concentrate on keeping her hands tightly clenched in front of her.  Her right hand kept trying to steal its way over to touch Nick.

Gawd, thought Nick, Mel’s so mesmerized by what he’s saying she can’t even keep track.  She must have said, ‘sorry, what did you say?’ twenty times.  Screw this, he thought, I’m going to ask her to dance.

“Let’s dance.”  Jason stood up and held his hand out to Mel.  Tofu scanned the table to make sure there was no cutlery within Nick’s reach.

Jason and Mel moved well together.  It was a fast dance, and they had some good moves.  Practiced moves.  They had obviously danced together before.

“Why did they break up?”  The question was out of Nick’s mouth before he realized it.

“I dunno…but, um…Nick…she was the one who ended it.  I do know that.”  Tofu thought that he was going to have to slap some sense into Nick Carter one of these days.  “And Nick…?”

“Yeah?”

“If you don’t ask her to dance, you’re an idiot.” 

With that, Tofu got up and went in search of his nightcap.  He had been eying several of them for awhile and thought he had picked out the one he wanted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick tried three times to ask Mel to dance.  The first time he got out “M…” before she stood up from the table and went to the washroom. 

The second time, he was interrupted by the waiter asking them if they wanted anything.  Nick wanted to yell at him, yes, I want this woman! 

The third time, Jason beat him to it again.  This time it was a slow dance, but by the time they made their way out to the floor, it was almost over.  They stayed for a fast dance. 

Nick seethed through the entire thing.  He hated seeing her in the other man’s arms, even for a short time.  Well, Nick promised himself, if she’s going to be in his arms, she is going to be in mine.  Let her remember what that feels like.

When they returned to the table, Nick waited for Jason to take a breath.  Man, the guy talked a lot.  When he finally paused, Nick reached for Mel’s hand under the table.  She turned to him.  “Dance with me,” he said in a voice that was half commanding, half pleading.

Mel smiled and stood up.  This time it worked the other way around.  It was a fast dance when they got out there, but that ended and was replaced by a slow one.  Nick had her in his arms before she had a chance to suggest leaving.  He held her lightly at first, careful not to press his body against her.  She seemed stiff.  But as the music moved through them, they relaxed.  Melody laid her head on his chest and twined the fingers of one hand through his.  Nick pressed on the small of her back with his large hand and pulled her gently against him.  Outwardly, they were a couple dancing.  Inwardly, they were two people on the verge of an explosion.

The song ended, and they moved back to the table.  Melody’s knees were shaking so badly, she was afraid she’d stumble.  She excused herself to the ladies room, and on the way back asked the waiter to call her a cab. 

She waited until the men ordered another round of drinks, and then she said, “No thanks, I’m going to go.”  Both Nick and Jason rose halfway out of their seat to accompany her.  “No, no, it’s okay,” she insisted.  “Stay.  Enjoy yourselves.  You’ve just ordered a drink.  I’ve already called a cab.”

The two men wanted to argue, but Mel was up and out before they really got a chance to.  They watched her walking away through the club.  Then they looked at each other.

“Shit!” declared Jason, punching his fist into his palm. 

Nick smiled at him weakly. 

“Oh, well,” continued the head Satan’s Offspring, “there’s always tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” inquired Nick.

“Yeah, Mel’s going with me to that wedding.  Don’t worry.  I’ll have her at the bus by the time it leaves.  It’s a good thing you’ve got that launch party tomorrow night, it gives me extra time with her.”

“I thought you’d be going to the party.”  It was a record launch for a local Seattle group that was reportedly pretty good.  Nick had heard some of their stuff and liked it.  He had been going to ask Mel to go to the party with him.  It made sense…it was about music…

“I’d rather be with Mel,” said Jason.

“Mmhhm…” muttered Nick.  “I hope you get fed.  You know those weddings, they can sometimes get drawn out with speeches and all…and the bus…”

“Oh, there’s no problem with that.”  Jason waved his hand in the air.  “It’s a morning wedding.  11:00.  Then there’s a breakfast.  It’s really a lunch, but they call it a ‘wedding breakfast’ for some reason.  We’ll be out of there by three, four o’clock at the latest.”

Nick declined to ask Jason what his plans would be for the rest of the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rafe took notes as his insider reported in.  He listened to a bunch of shit that he already knew, but he was patient.  He had sensed a growing reluctance on the part of his spy to impart personal information about the troupe.  In the beginning, it had all been righteous.  Rafe asked for details that were legitimate, that he could ask any of them and no one would take offence.  Then he would slip in a personal question here and there.  Rafe was very skilled at it, and he knew that the other man had no idea what Rafe was really after.  The information he sought was buried in a host of inconsequential items.

“So…Tofu still racking up the broads?”

“Oh yeah…a different one every night.  Kinda sad, actually…”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Rafe, “but you know, young guy on tour…”

“I guess so.”

“What about the others?  Blaine remaining faithful to the fiancée?”

“Sure, yeah, of course.  And Rashad…”

Both men laughed.  Didn’t even have to ask about Rashad.

“Of course, it’s none of our business, really…” the insider ventured.

“No, of course not…unless it gets in the way of the tour.”  Rafe gave a hearty laugh.  “If Tofu starts doing it on the stage or something like that.  Ha! Ha!”  Rafe baited the hook.

“Right…”

“As long as it’s private, who cares?  It’s not like it’s Nick or anything…he’s right out there in the public eye…”  Rafe dangled the line in the water.

“Right…”

Rafe reeled him in.  “And he’s cool.  Right?  He’s got his head together.”

“Yeah, I guess.  He’s got this weird idea about Mel, though.  He seems to think that she’s with you.”

“Oh, really,” said Rafe.  “I wonder where he got that idea.”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, best not to talk to him about it,” chuckled Rafe heartily.  “You know he doesn’t like to talk about me.  Ha! Ha!”

“Yeah, I know.  I wasn’t going to say anything to him.”

“Okay, well…that’s great then.  Thanks for the report.  I’m glad things are running so smoothly.  Thanks for all your extra effort.  Talk to you later, Jeff.”