“Kelsey?”

“Nick?”

“You’re not Leigh.” Nick said as he walked away from the corner and looked at her.

“Oh my god.” Kelsey said in shock as she looked at him, “My middle name is Leigh.”

“Oh holy fuck.” Nick said as he started laughing and Kelsey turned around, shutting the door behind her. She looked back over her shoulder at Nick and then turned back around.

“You’re Nicholas?”

“That would be me.” Nick said as he continued to laugh.

“Hold up! Why didn’t you call me?” Kelsey asked.

“I lost your number. Trust me, I wanted to, but damn I was in Rok’s suite that night and I lost the damn thing. I tuned the damn hotel upside down.” Nick said as he started laughing, “So can I have your number again?”

“I still don’t believe it.” Kelsey said laughing and Nick laughed.

“I can’t believe your Leigh. I’m so fucking stupid.” Nick said, “Here I am the past few days dwelling over if I wanted to meet you again and get your number again or just stick with Leigh and yo, you’re the same person.”

“This is just whack.” Kelsey said as she looked around, “Holy shit. I bet Rachel knew.”

“Dude she did!” Nick exclaimed as Kelsey looked at him, “Holy shit, I told her that I was talking to a girl named Leigh and everything that night I came over to the suite.”

“Huh? When?” Kelsey asked as Nick closed his eyes.

“Shit.”

“When did you do that?”

“Uh, Las Vegas.” Nick said as he started to laugh, “I think. I dunno, I came over twice and you were asleep both times.”

“Rachel knew. That’s why she was okay with me coming. That’s why David left me here alone.” Kelsey said as Nick looked around.

“That’s why Rok said that about life works in mysterious ways.” Nick said as he started to laugh again, rubbing the back of his neck, “Dude. So the whole time, I’ve been talking to you?”

“You said hi to me on the plane that day.” Kelsey said as she started to laugh, “You were the last person I expected it to be. I mean what the hell are you doing answering a personal ad?”

“Better question.” Nick said as he moved his hand from the back of his neck and pointed at her, “What the hell are you doing putting a personal ad in the paper?”

“I was lonely.” Kelsey said as Nick looked at her, “Like I told you.”

“Leigh told me.”

“Well still me.” Kelsey said, “After you said you were a fan of mine, I was scared to tell you Kelsey so I said Leigh.”

“And I didn’t want to say Nick or spell my name right because you were a fan so I spelt it wrong.” Nick said as he looked up at the ceiling, “This is so fucked up.”

“I thought maybe you guys had already left LA.” Kelsey said as Nick looked back at her.

“I didn’t think you were coming back because your video didn’t come on the other day.” Nick said as Kelsey started to laugh.

“My label trashed it. They wanted a new single and that’s what I’ve got to do out here too. That’s why I asked for the date to be tonight.” Kelsey said, “I’ve got to do a new video.”

“What song?”

“I’m Not Suppose To Love You Anymore, I picked it out of the three they gave me because you said that was your favorite on there.” Kelsey said as Nick smiled.

“Yeah it is.” Nick said as he sighed, “Well. I guess I don’t need to ask you out now.”

“I guess not.” Kelsey said laughing as she looked around, “Where’s your tie?”

“Damn thing made me feel like I was chocking.” Nick muttered as Kelsey started to laugh, “Nice dress though. Very nice. Really nice. Damn -”

“Okay.” Kelsey said as she started to feel uncomfortable, “Now I won’t take my jacket off.”

“Nah, you can take it off.” Nick said laughing, “Only if I can.”

“Yeah, sure.” Kelsey said as Nick took his jacket off and hung it over on the coat rack in the room. Kelsey untied the belt around her waist and slipped her jacket off, and walked over hanging it on the rack.

“You like nice too.” Kelsey said as Nick rolled his eyes, “Well you do.”

“Wanted me in a damn suit.”

“Not you, whoever Nicholas was.”

“Moi.”

“Yeah.” Kelsey said as she laughed and walked over to the table and started to sit down as Nick pulled her chair out so that she could sit down, “When did you get all gentlemen like?”

“Brian told me to do that.” Nick said as Kelsey started to laugh and Nick sat down across from her and looked at her, “Holy shit.”

“What?” Kelsey asked, looking up at him.

“Your mom has cancer.”

“Yeah, well you knew that.” Kelsey said.

“Yeah but I didn’t realize it was your mom though you know.” Nick said as he put his hand up on the table, “Damn.”

“Yeah.” Kelsey said, “When I leave LA, I’m going home for Christmas, but we don’t know if we’re going to leave until the 23rd now.”

“When we leave.” Nick said, “I’m heading somewhere up in the mountains. Fuck if I know where. There’s snow.” as Kelsey started to laugh.

“I was wondering why you never called me. Rachel and David joked that you got scared again.” Kelsey said as Nick looked at her, then looked back down shaking his head no.

“Nah, I lost it. Pissed me off too because I was going to call you that night too. I was just giving you time because I knew you went home to see your family and all -”

“That’s when my mom told me she had cancer.” Kelsey said as she looked down and back up at him, “Remember I told you that night online.”

“Yeah.” Nick said, “Damn. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. She’s gonna be okay.” Kelsey said as Nick looked up at her again.

“Yeah.” Nick said as he sat there looking at her until she looked back up at him, “Do you find it weird?”

“What?” Kelsey asked as Nick sat there tilting his head a little looking at her.

“That we were talking to each other the whole time and we were like next door to each other. Missing these chances in meeting and stuff. Then I lost your number and missed my chance in calling you.” Nick said as Kelsey nodded her head a little.

“Yeah I think so.” Kelsey said, “It is a little weird. It is.”

“I know.” Nick said as he smiled a little, “Whack.”

“Really whack. I’m hungry.”

“Blunt.”

“Well I didn’t eat anything before I came.” Kelsey said, “And I’m on Eastern time so I’m really hungry.”

“Well let’s order then.” Nick said laughing as Kelsey picked up the menu from the table and looked in it.

“Rachel, I’m back.” David said as he walked into the suite as Rachel ran out of her room.

“Well?” Rachel asked as David started laughing.

“I don’t know. I left her when she told the hostess who she was there for.” David said laughing, “I imagine that they’re having a nice time now. Damn facy ass place.”

“Really? Damn.” Rachel said, “I’m nervous.”

“Why?” David asked as he walked over, sitting down on the sofa and started flipping channels on the TV.

“I don’t know. But I am.” Rachel said when there was a knock at the door, “Damn I hope that ain’t Kelsey.” as she walked over and looked out the peep hole, “It’s Kevin and Brian.”

“Oh joy.” David said as Rachel opened the door for them.

“Well hey there.” Brian said, “So I see our people are gone out to dinner.”

“Oh yeah, come on in.” Rachel said as they walked in, “Have a seat.”

“So how do you think they took it?” Kevin asked as he sat down.

“No idea.” Rachel said laughing, “Hopefully well.”

“Nick was nervous as hell.” Brian said as Rachel nodded her head, agreeing with him.

“Kelsey was too. She left her number for him in Las Vegas but he never called her.” Rachel said as David laughed, “I figured he got scared again.”

“He lost it.” Brian said laughing as Kevin started to cough.

“No.” Kevin said as Brian, Rachel, and David looked at him, “Um, Nick dropped it, but I found it.”

“Kev!” Brian said laughing.

“I didn’t want them to talk again until the dinner. So they could be suprised.” Kevin said as he shrugged his shoulders, “Tell Carter that and your dead.”

“He’ll kill you. Cold blooded.” Brian said laughing.

“Yeah well, what works works.” Kevin said as Rachel laughed at them.

“So how’s your fries?” Nick asked as Kelsey took a bite of one and looked up at him.

“Not good.” Kelsey said as Nick cracked up laughing, “Rather have McDonald’s or Wendy’s or something.”

“Me too.” Nick said, “We can go by there when we leave here. You staying at the same hotel?”

“Same floor.”

“Shit.”

“What?”

“So are we. I got my same room back.” Nick said laughing as Kelsey shook her head, “What?”

“So do we.”

“Damn.”

“Yep. So I guess you can carry me um home.” Kelsey said as Nick laughed, “So we’ll go by Mickey D’s when we leave here?”

“Sure.” Nick whispered as he made a weird face, taking a sip of his wine, “Nothing like wine with a burger and fries.”

“I wouldn’t mind pizza right now.” Kelsey said as she laughed, “I don’t like all of that fancy food.”

“It depends.” Nick said as she smiled, “Ugh, I don’t like this food.”

“Me either.” Kelsey said, “Fries aren’t that bad, but the burger sucks.”

“For real.” Nick said laughing a little, “You want pizza?”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t we just go back to the hotel and chill and order a pizza. This place ain’t me.” Nick said looking at her.

“Fine by me.” Kelsey said as they both stood up and walked over getting their jackets and Nick helped her put hers on, “Well thank you. Brian taught you good.”

“I did that on my own thank you very much.” Nick said as Kelsey started to laugh as he opened the door and they walked out of the room.

“Dude, come on. Come to Mickey D’s with me man.” AJ said as he stood at Howie’s hotel room door beating on, “Yo D!”
What AJ?

“Come on, I don’t wanna go by myself. Come on man.”
Take someone from security with you.

“You suck dude.” AJ said as Howie opened the door, “I’d buy ya a number 2 with extra cheese yo.”

“Fine.” Howie said as he walked back into his room, getting his key and jacket and shut the door.

“Sweet.” AJ said as they started to walk down the hall when Nick and Kelsey walked out of the elevator laughing. AJ and Howie just paused in their tracks.

“Oh hey guys.” Nick said laughing.

“Hey Leigh.” AJ said as he started giggling and walked past them. Howie just stood there shaking his head.

“What the hell?” Nick asked, “Ya’ll knew?”

“Oh hell man. Everybody knew but you two.” AJ yelled out from the elevator, “Oh yo Howie. I guess we’re called it even on that bet.”

“Damn.” Howie said as he started to walk by them, “You two have a good time.”

“Thanks.” Kelsey said as she looked back at them and looked back at Nick, “How the hell did everybody know but us?”

“I guess because they’ve all met a few times and we met and talked that once.” Nick said as Kelsey rolled her eyes, “So who’s room we going in?”

“Well Rachel and David are probably in mine. They’re annoying.” Kelsey said as Nick nodded his head, agreeing with her.

“Alright, then, let’s go in mine.” Nick said as they walked down the hallway, and up to his room. He unlocked the door, walking in and turning on the light and Kelsey walked in behind him, “Well this is my room.”

“Messy.”

“Well thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Kelsey said as she laughed a little as she took her jacket back off and layed it over on a chair, “So where can I sit.”

“Where ever you want, I don’t care. What kind of pizza do you want?”

“Cheese.”

“Sweet.” Nick said as Kelsey walked over, sitting down on the little sofa in the room and looked over at Nick as he started dialing a number on the phone.

“So Kelsey’s mom has cancer?” Kevin asked, “Damn.”

“Yeah, they aren’t giving her long to live, but of course, Kelsey doesn’t know that.” Rachel said, “Her mom doesn’t want her to because it’ll distract her from doing what she’s wanted to do so long.”

“Yeah, well maybe now that her and Nick know who each other are, he can be a distraction to take her mind off of her mom.” Brian said, “In a good way.”

“That’s kind of what I was hoping.” Rachel said, “I just don’t want her to get bogged down in sorrow. She’s young and she’s got a great little career going and everything. I don’t want her to loose that. Neither does her mom.”

“So Kelsey’s not going to find out?” Kevin asked, “She should know her mom doesn’t have long to live.”

“She doesn’t want her to know Kevin. I’ve tried to tell her that she needs to know but she won’t listen. I can’t go against what she wants.” Rachel said as she looked over at David who was asleep.

“Yeah, well just be there for her. Hell I’ll be there for her. I like the girl.” Brian said as Kevin laughed.

“I think you just like her because she says your her favorite.” Kevin said laughing.

“Hey with all the Carter and McLean lovers out there, it’s good to have a Littrell fan once in a blue moon.” Brian said as Rachel and Kevin laughed.

“Well the pizza’s on it’s way.” Nick said as he sat down beside Kelsey who was looking at the TV.

“Sweet.” Kelsey said as she looked over at Nick and smiled who smiled back at her, “There’s nothing on the TV tonight.”

“Hell I could have told you that.” Nick said as Kelsey started to laugh, “So every damn body knew but us.”

“I could kick Rachel in the ass. Damn David too.” Kelsey said, “No wonder he left me there.”

“Damn asses. Even Brian knew. Kevin. Shit all of them.” Nick said, “Are we that blind though? I mean now that I think about it. Your name is Leigh. You work with your friend who is a manager -”

“Hold up, you’re a salesman?” Kelsey asked as Nick started to laugh.

“I told you I sell music.”

“You said your favorite music to sell was Backstreet Boys.”

“And I said I wanted them to make lots and lots of money.” Nick said laughing as Kelsey put her hands over her face.

“God I’m such a moron.” Kelsey said as she shook her head, “I can’t believe that. You said you were at the concert that night.”

“Well duh, I was. I didn’t tell ya my seat was on stage.” Nick said laughing as Kelsey laughed and looked over at him. They both sat there looking at each other for a minute until Kelsey finally turned her head a little, looking straight forward.

“Well.” Kelsey said as she looked back over at him, “So we know who each other be now.”

“That ghetto talk? Oh god I actually get to hear it now.” Nick said laughing as Kelsey rolled her eyes, “A white ghetto southern chick. I’ll be god damned.”

“Well.” Kelsey said as she rolled her eyes, “I can’t help I’m special.”

“Special indeed.” Nick said as Kelsey looked over at him again, “Oh what? You are.”

“Yeah, right.” Kelsey said laughing as Nick started to lean over a little bit, closer to her.

Knock Knock!

“Damn I know that pizza ain’t here that fast.” Nick muttered as Kelsey started laughing and he got up and walked over to the door. Kelsey sat there, putting her hands over her face, shaking it as Nick closed the door and walked back over with the pizza, “Well it was.”

“Well let’s eat.” Kelsey said as Nick made a weird face opening up the pizza box.