Chapter Two - That Girl

[ Caraline Narrating ]

Life is really weird, in a lot of ways. When you’re little, you have all of these dreams and as you get older, you think that they probably will never come true, but when they do, you’re complete. That’s sort of how I feel right now, almost. I have a really wonderful life. I graduated college, I have the best job in the world, and I get to travel and see the world. You couldn’t really ask for anything more, except for one thing.

Love.

I had this conversation once with my sister and her best friend, whom I work for, about love. They both said they never really experienced love or knew what it was until they met their husbands. I think it’s true because I remember them before they met them, and I see them together now, with their husbands and they are completely happy. They are both perfect couples and they absolutely love one another.

I want that.

I travel all over the world with my job and I see couples. They may be sitting in a small café in Paris or sitting on a park bench in Central Park, but they are so in love that they can’t take their eyes or lips off of one another. The Paris couples are the ones that tug at your heart, because a lot of people go there on their honeymoons. You can always tell which ones they are. They are always the ones that are sitting with their chairs side by side, holding hands, and kissing one another and not even drinking the coffee that they had ordered. Instead the coffee is getting cold while they, personally, are heating things up.

People say that passion is over-rated. That it dies after a while and then it’s gone, but I don’t believe that. I don’t understand how someone can say that passion is overrated, unless they have never actually experienced it. I, personally, have never experienced this kind of passion. Not the kind of passion that sweeps you off of your felt and melts your inner soul so made that you’re melting into the other person’s soul.

I just don’t think that will ever happen. I’m never in one place long enough to actually get to know someone with my job, and I’m not giving up my job. Passion will just have to wait.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nick walked out of the elevator, looking over at a clock on the wall of the hotel lobby. It was 11:15 and he had a meeting at 12:30. Granted he was in New York City, he thought he had enough time to chill and get a drink before he had to leave. He didn’t want to be rushed because he had just came back from a small vacation and didn’t want to get back into the whole ‘rush’ and ‘go’ of the business just yet.

“Damn,” Nick muttered as he walked over, looking at the sign on the restaurant door saying that they would be opened at five that afternoon. He shook his head for a minute and walked over to a chair, sitting down in the lobby and watched a old couple walk by. He didn’t want to go outside yet because it was full of fans, and he wasn’t ready for that just yet. His ride wasn’t here yet and he would wait until it was until he went out. That way he could tell everybody he was in a hurry. He smiled, knowing he was slick with his moves. Sometimes, he was too damn good.

“Oh my,” a girl said as she walked through the hotel lobby, “Oh my god! Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are coming in!” she said as she sat down in a chair across the way from Nick who just looked over at her as she put her face in her hands and started crying. He laughed at himself, putting his left foot over his right knee, crossing it slightly and leaned back in the chair, holding his hands together on his stomach.

Nick looked over at the door as a bellboy strolled a buggy in with luggage on it, and then looked back to see Tim McGraw walking in with a baseball cap on, holding a little blonde girl, probably one of his daughters. Tim waved at Nick, telling him hello and Nick said hi back to him. He liked Tim. He had met him at a few awards show and thought he was a pretty cool guy. He looked back to see his wife, Faith Hill walk in, holding a toddler who had a little hat on and walked past him, not noticing him sitting over to the side. She walked up to Tim as he talked to the bell boy.

“Come on Gracie,” a voice said as Nick’s head turned quickly, looking up to see her standing there, “We have to go to our rooms,”

“Coming, sorry. My shoe came undone,” Gracie, Tim and Faith’s oldest daughter said as she ran up to Caraline as they started walking back into the lobby. Nick just stared at her, watching her tuck her hair behind her ears again until she cut her eyes over to him.

“Nick, hey,” Caraline said as she smiled, waving at him, “What are you doing here?”

“Here working on my album. I’m waiting for my ride,” Nick said as he stood up, looking at her and then over at Tim and Faith, “What are you doing here?”

“I work for Faith,” Caraline said as she smiled, “I’m one of her stylist. She’s a old family friend. It’s a long story.” Nick smiled at her, putting his hands in his pockets and Caraline smiled back until Gracie tapped Caraline on the arm, “Yeah Gracie?”

“Isn’t that a Backstreet Boy?” Gracie asked as both Nick and Caraline started to laugh when Tim walked over to them, “Daddy, look, it’s a Backstreet Boy!”

“I see that,” Tim said as he looked at Caraline and then back at Nick, “Nick, how are you man?” he asked as they shook hands, “Long time no see,”

“I’m cool man. I had no idea that Caraline knew you guys,” Nick said as he looked at Caraline and then back at Tim.

“Well we had no idea that Caraline knew you,” Tim said as he looked at Caraline questionably and started to smile. Caraline took a deep breath and looked away, rolling her eyes, “Of course she never tells us anything about her love life,”

“Tim!” Caraline said as Tim laughed, picking Gracie up and walked away from them, “Lord, he does these things to embarrass me. He’s worse than my brother,” she said as she laughed, “Yeah, I work for Faith. Her and my oldest sister grew up together and are best friends, and she was nice enough to give me a job,”

“I had no idea,” Nick said as he laughed a little, crossing his arms across his chest, “So how long are you here?”

“Until late tomorrow afternoon. Then we fly to… Toronto I think, but Tim’s staying here, and then Faith and I come back the next day and we stay for two more days,” Caraline said as she sighed, “I can’t remember exactly. They both are doing promotion for their albums. It’s hectic.” She smiled and Nick smiled back, looking down for a minute.

“So,” Nick said, looking back up at her, “Got any plans for tonight?”

“Yes,”

“Oh,”

“I’m joking,” Caraline said as Nick looked at her blankly, “I have no plans that I know of.” She smiled a little, crossing her arms and looked back over at Tim and Faith who were still checking into the hotel.

“Well do you wanna grab a bite to eat or something?” Nick asked as Caraline looked in shock, “Damn don’t look that way. I mean, you know just grab a bite to eat down here if you want to -” he said as she interrupted him, laughing, “Damn,”

“No, I’m not laughing at you, but sure. That would be nice,” Caraline said as she smiled and was about to say something else when she heard Faith call her name.

“Caraline..” Faith said as she waved over at Nick, “We need to go to our rooms,”

“Coming,” Caraline said as she looked over at Faith, smiling and looked back at Nick, “I’m sure I’ll see you later. I can always ask the front desk what room you’re in and all,”

“Yeah do that. Maybe we can meet down here about 7:30?” Nick asked as Caraline nodded her head, telling him yes, “Sweet. I’ll see you then,”

“Okay, bye,” Caraline said as she smiled at Nick, walking over to the elevator where Tim, Faith, and their daughters and security guards were waiting, “Well,” she said as she looked at Tim and then at Faith.

“Caraline, Daddy says you have a new boyfriend,” Maggie said as Caraline looked at Tim who cracked up laughing, “Is that you’re new boyfriend?” she asked as Tim leaned down, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“That’s my girl,” Tim said as he continued to laugh, “I’m joking Cara, but come on, what’s up with Nick?”

“I never knew you two knew each other,” Faith said as she looked at Caraline, “All those girl talks we have, and you don’t tell me this,” she said as Caraline nodded her head no.

“I don’t know him. We’ve ran into each other twice in Los Angeles and had small talk, that’s all,” she said as she crossed her arms, as the elevator door opened and they all walked in, turning around, facing the door, “But I have a dinner date tonight at 7:30,” she said as they all turned and looked at her as the elevator door closed.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nick Carter.

I know he’s a Backstreet Boy and he’s the youngest member. I know he’s doing a solo project now and he’s working on another album. Obviously he’s acted in a movie too since I saw him at the production company. He’s Aaron Carter’s older brother. He dated that slut that sings “I Wanna Be Bad” for a while and he was arrested before.

That’s all that I know about him.

I admit that I’m a Backstreet Boys fan, of their music that is. I’ve never followed their personal lives that much. I try not to get into that whole ‘fandom’ like that about anybody because I know sometimes it can lead to unhealthy fascinations. I like their music and I have the CD’s. I believe I have his solo album, but I can’t remember because I have so many CD’s.

I can’t believe he asked me out. Nobody ever asks me out. Do you know when the last time I had a date was? The week before I graduated college which was in 2000. Yeah, it’s 2003 now and it’s been a while. I travel so much that it doesn’t really bother me though because of all the other things that I experience, but I do miss that sort of thing. I guess it goes back to that whole ‘love’ thing I was talking about earlier. Not that I could ever ‘love’ Nick Carter. I’m sure he’s just trying to get me into bed. That’s how most guys like him are.

But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go out with him would it?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Caraline stood there in her hotel room, taking out a skirt form her luggage and hanging it up on a hanger so that it wouldn’t be so wrinkled when she wore it that night for dinner. She looked it again, wondering if it was too slutty or if she should wear pants. She didn’t know what to wear, and to be honest, she didn’t care what she wore. It was the hotel restaurant, it couldn’t be too fancy. She reached down for a top, putting it on a hanger and hanging it in the closet. She couldn’t stand for her clothes to be too wrinkled because she thought that it made her look sloppy and her mother had taught her that a woman is never supposed to wear wrinkled clothes because a man would think that they wouldn’t make a good wife.

Then she laughed at herself, thinking that getting married was the last thing she wanted right now. Of course she wanted love, but she didn’t have to have marriage. She was only twenty-three and she still had a little life to live first.

“Caraline,” Faith said as she knocked on Caraline’s door, “Can I come in?” she asked. Caraline smiled, walking over to the door and opened it up, as Faith walked into the room, looking at her, “So, what’s the story?”

“What story?” Caraline asked as she laughed a little, shutting the door back and went back to her suitcase, “You mean about Nick?”. Faith nodded her head and smiled, crossing her arms across her chest. “There’s nothing to tell. I met him when Maggie and I went with you to your production company about the movie once and then at the hotel one morning a few months later,”

“And now you’re going out on a date?” Faith asked as Caraline smiled, rolling her eyes, “Come on, admit it, he’s hot,” she said as Caraline started to laugh, “See, you know it. He’s your type. He’s a musician, and you love musicians -”

“He’s in a boy band,”

“A very successful vocal group,”

“Boy band,”

“One of the most successful vocal groups in pop music history,” Faith said, correcting Caraline as she rolled her eyes at her, “He’s blonde and you love blondes. He’s sort of athletic looking, and that’s your taste. I’ve met him several times before and he’s always really nice and he seems to come from a good background -,”

“Of groupies!” Caraline said as Faith shook her head at her, “I’m going out to dinner with him. That’s it. He seems nice and I have to eat and I need to get out a little, you know?” she asked as Faith nodded her head, agreeing with her. “That’s all there is and there’s going to be,”

“Okay,” Faith said as she smiled, wanting to laugh, “If that’s what you say, then that’s all that there is going to be and come from it,” she said as she walked over to her, putting her hands on the side of her face. Caraline just rolled her eyes at her. “Now don’t make me call your sister and tell her you’re seeing a Backstreet Boy. You have no idea how tempted I am to gossip,”

“Go ahead,” Caraline said as she laughed and Faith moved her hands, laughing at her, “It’s nothing but dinner,” she said as she picked another shirt up out of her suitcase, and began hanging it up on a hanger.

“Uh huh,” Faith said as she smiled, walking over to the door, and opened it up, looking back at Caraline. Caraline looked back at her, shaking her head at the smile on Faith’s face, “Little Caraline is growing up going on dates with boys!” she said as she started to laugh.

“It’s dinner. I’m not marrying him,” Caraline said as smiled, turning around to finish unpacking.

“That’s what I said too,” Faith said as Caraline looking over her shoulder as Faith walked out, shutting the door softly behind her. She sighed, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ears. She had never really went out with a guy while working with Faith so they were going to make a big deal out of it. She just knew it.