“Uh um well you don’t seem like the type that would answer a personal ad.” Rachel said as Nick nodded his head, agreeing with her, “I mean does she even know who you are?”

“No. She don’t have a clue yo. I told her my name was Nicholas. I mean, my full name is -”

“Spelled with a ‘k’.”

“Yeah.” Nick said, “I spelled it with a ‘h’ instead. But yeah I’m not the type. I mean yeah I got these girls throwing themselves at me, but I don’t want them. I just wanna meet someone nice and sweet and normal.”

“Normal?” David asked as Rachel elbowed him.

“Yeah and this Leigh chick seems this way. I mean Kelsey does too even though I’ve never met her. But I can tell it from what the other guys have told me and what I’ve read about her and seen about her on TV.” Nick said, “I wanna meet Kelsey but I don’t wanna feel guilty about Leigh because we’re going to meet and go out to dinner.”

“Well don’t feel guilty about it.” Rachel said as she looked over at David, “I mean you’ve never met Kelsey and Leigh, you’ve never met her and you don’t have a commitment.”

“Yeah you’re right.” Nick said as he smiled a little, “I’ve just gone completely whack. And here a few weeks ago I could give a crap less about any girls.”

“Why not?” Rachel asked.

“My girlfriend. I caught her with someone else.” Nick said, “That was like six months ago, so I broke up with her. I was pretty hurt.”

“Now you’ve got a woman.” David said as he laughed.

“Hell basically two.” Nick said laughing as he looked over at Kelsey’s bedroom door, “Think she’s asleep?”

“Wanna go see?” Rachel asked, “Although if she sees you peeking at her while she’s in bed, I won’t hold any guarantee that she won’t scream.”

“Hell why not.” Nick said as they both stood up and Rachel walked over to the door and opened it up to see Kelsey laying in bed asleep.

“She’s asleep.” Rachel whispered as she walked into the door and Nick peeked in to see her, “She’s been rehearsing so much for tomorow night, she’s afraid that things are going to go wrong.”

“Nah, it’ll be okay.” Nick whispered as Kelsey started to move a little and he moved out of the room. Rachel walked out of the room slowly and shut the door back lightly.

“Well.” Rachel said, “I’m sure you two will meet tomorrow night. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Sweet.” Nick said, “I better go. I’m sure Brian’s looking for me.”

“Yeah, see ya tomorrow night?” Rachel asked as Nick nodded his head.

“You bet. Tell her I said good luck tomorrow night.” Nick said as Rachel smiled as Nick walked out of the suite, shutting the door.

“Now that is very interesting.” David said as Rachel started laughing hysterically, falling down on the floor. David looked over the sofa at her and just laughed.

“Kelsey’s Nicholas is really Nick Carter. Oh now this is good.” Rachel said laughing, “Oh my god, she’s gonna die.”

“You gonna tell her?” David asked.

“Are you out of your mind? Of course I’m not.” Rachel said laughing as she got up and walked back over to the sofa and sat down, “Oh this is too good.”

“What’s the chances of that man?” David said laughing, “Oh Miss Kelsey’s in for a shock.”

“To say the least.” Rachel said, “And Nick’s answering personal ads? Damn. I should tell Kelsey to say hi to Nicholas tomorrow night.”

“Nah don’t.” David said, “This will all be interesting in the end. And to think, I get to go to actual date. Oh what great fun.”

“You suck.”

“Not for you I don’t.” David said as he sat there smiling while Rachel rolled her eyes.

“You mean that Nick’s girl on the internet Leigh is really Kelsey Baker, country singer who is in her suite across the hall that Nick has been lusting after?” Brian asked as Kevin nodded his head yes while laughing, “Well oh my god.”

“That’s so weird.” Kristin said as she laughed, “And Nick has no idea?”

“None what so ever.” Kevin said.

“He’s going to meet Leigh the 16th. He’s going out to dinner with her.” Brian said as Kevin looked over at him and laughed.

“Oh man what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when that happends.” Kevin said as he crossed his arms laughing.

“You aren’t the only one.” Brian said as Kristin started to laugh.

“You two can’t tell him. Do not tell him.” Kevin said as they agreed and then all busted out laughing

“Well damn.” Nick thought as he walked into his suite and shut the door. He walked over to the sofa, turning the TV on. He sat there flipping channels on the TV, acting nervous until he finally stopped on The Weather Channel and layed down on the sofa, looking at the cieling.

“Life sucks.”

“Kelsey get up!” Rachel said the next morning as she walked into her room, looking down at her.

“Uhhh life sucks.” Kelsey moaned as she put her hands over her face.

“Kelsey, get up.” Rachel said, “It’s already 10:30 and we’ve got to go over and rehearse again.”

“God, I’ve got a headache.” Kelsey said as Rachel walked around the room, humming along to Shape Of My Heart, “What are you singing?”

“Shape Of My Heart” Rachel said, “Now get up.”

“I am.” Kelsey said as she sat up in bed and looked around, “God today’s gonna be a long dreaded day.”

“Well just think you get to meet Nick tonight!” Rachel said as she smiled, sitting down on the bed, “So get up so you can rehearse, then get ready and go to the awards.”

“God.” Kelsey said as she put her face down in her hands, “This is going to be the longest day of my life.”

“Nah.” Rachel said, “Now get up.” as she got up walking out of the room.

“Uh..” Kelsey said as she crawled out of bed to go into the bathroom.

“Brian..”

“Yes Nick?”

“Do you think it’s stupid if I skip the after party thing tonight?”

“Yes I do.”

“Why?” Nick asked as he looked over at him while they were eating breakfast in Nick’s room that morning.

“Because I think you’re just running away from Kelsey.” Brian said as Nick made a weird face at him, “Hell never know. This Leigh chick could be there. I mean damn she’s in Las Vegas and I guess our hotel.”

“True, but I wouldn’t know her if I saw her.” Nick said, “It sucks.”

“Truly.”

“I’m gonna go.”

“To the after party?”

“Sure why not.”

“Meet Kelsey.” Brian said as he smiled at him.

“Ugh, damn you Rok.”

Anytime.”

Kelsey got ready that morning and headed over to where the awards were going to be held where she had to wait for JaRule and Jennifer Lopez to rehearse. They kept rehearsing and then kept reheasring. She didn’t get to do her own soundcheck until 1.

You know what that means?

Yep, she missed her chat with Nick. She sat there the entire time bitching about how JaRule and JLO needed to get their shit together. Rachel sat there laughing because she knew she loved Jennifer Lopez but she just wanted to get back to that computer to talk to her Nicholas. Or well Nick, but Kelsey didn’t know that.

After they did soundcheck twice, it was already 2 and they needed to start getting ready for the awards. They went back to their suite and everybody was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Kelsey couldn’t get a minute alone between Rachel, Joey, Samantha, the seamstress, the make-up artist, the hairstylist, and some photographer that was there and kept snapping pictures.

Kelsey was about ready to bitchslap that photographer’s ass.

Finally, everything was set. Her hair was done. Her clothes were on. Her nails were done. Her make up was done.

It was time to go and Kelsey was pissed.

Nick on the other hand had a pretty busy start of the day himself. He got up, ready to do nothing in particular but get online and talk to Leigh, well Kelsey, around lunch until Kevin pulled him out of his room so they could go try on outfits for the awards. That lasted well over 2 hours. Howie could decide whether to go with the satin purple shirt or the cottom/polyester purple shirt.

Damn boy really needed to realize that he was gay.

Nick couldn’t leave until they all did and by the time it was over, it was already 12:30. When he tried to leave to go back to his room and get online, they were told they needed to go to the auditorium so they could go over their presentation once before tonight. Nick bitched the whole time while they were on their way there - until he realized he got to stand over towards the side and watch Kelsey perform.

The others laughed at him when he finally shut up and stood there watching her, while he was hiding the whole time.

The guys had to wait until Kelsey and her crew were off the stage until they were able to go up and go over presenting the Best Country Male Performer awards. By the time they finished, Kelsey had already gone back to her suite to get ready.

And Nick went to bitching again.

The bitching lasted until they got back to their rooms where they had to start getting ready for the awards. He tried to sneak off with his laptop one time but that damn gay ass stylist caught him and brought him back to do his hair. What the fuck did it matter if his hair was sticking the wrong way? He knew people liked it looking like he had just woken up. Damn stylist was gay as Howie, but he already knew it.

Finally it was time to go to the awards and Nick didn’t get a chance to get online. What was the final result as they were getting ready to go down the red carpet? He was pissed.

“I feel like crap.” Kelsey said as she walked down the isle with Rachel and David beside her. She looked down at what she was wearing which was a light blue tank top that had a few sequins on it to make it sparkle and showed her tummy a little with a long puffy looking matching skirt made of tulle (like the bottom of a ballerina’s suit) that had a few sequins on it while her hair was straight and parted in the middle.

“Oh you do not, shut up.” Rachel said wearing black leather pants, black boots, and a tight-fitting long sleeved dark green shirt with little sparkles on it and her hair in baby doll curls.

“Talk about feeling stupid.” David said as he straightened his tie and looked around, “I’m the only guy in a suit.”

“No you’re not.” Rachel said as she started to laugh, “Kevin’s over there in a suit.”

“Huh?” Kelsey asked as they turned down the isle where they were supposed to sit to see Kevin standing there talking Gwen Stefani, “Shit.”

“Oh he’s looking nice.” Rachel said as she looked over at Kelsey as David sat down , pulling at his tie.

“Dude, stand up.” Kelsey said as she tugged at David’s arm, “Protect me man.”

“Protect you from what?” David asked as he looked up at her.

“Nick.” Rachel said as he started to laugh.

“Fine.” David said as Kelsey crossed her arms, sitting down in the chair when she looked over to see Nick and Brian walk over.

“Shit.” Kelsey said as she turned around in the seat with her back to them.

“What are you shitting about?” Rachel asked as she looked over to see Nick and Brian walk by, “Oh.”

“Tell me they aren’t sitting near us.” Kelsey said as Rachel started laughing. Kelsey turned her head, peeking over her shoulder, “Shit right across from us.”

“Isn’t that lucky and you have to sit on the outside too.” Rachel said as she laughed.

“I’m not sitting on the outside.” Nick said as AJ pushed him over to the seat on the outside of the isle and Nick tried to push him back.

“Come on boy stay there.” AJ said laughing as Nick cut his eyes over at him.

“Let Rok sit beside me.” Nick growled as AJ smiled and got up, “Rok sit.”

“Yes ma’am.” Brian said as he sat down and looked over to notice Kelsey sitting there, “Oh, there’s Kelsey. She’s looking mighty pretty tonight.”

“Huh?” Nick asked as he turned his head and looked over to see Kelsey sitting there talking to Rachel who was standing up, “Oh damn.”

“Aren’t you going to say hi?” Brian said as Nick cut his eyes over at him.

“I feel bad.”

“Why?” Brian asked.

“Because, I missed the chat with Leigh today. We promised we’d be on there at lunch time and I couldn’t be on and just I feel bad and damn. I’m fucked up.” Nick said as he looked back over at Kelsey, “Damn she is looking kinda pretty tonight.”

“Kinda?”

“Okay damn she’s looking damn good, happy?” Nick asked as he looked over at Brian.

“Good, then go over and say hi. The awards don’t start for another 10 minutes. You can say hi and then talk again afterwards or something.” Brian said as Nick looked over at him, sighing.

“Fine, okay.” Nick said he started to get up, “But-”

“But what?” Brian asked as Nick paused watching who was walking infront of him. Brian looked from Nick up to where he was looking, “Oh shit.”