Chapter One - Opportunity Of A Lifetime

Melinda sat there in the office of one of her producers, Mark, waiting for him to come in and go over some things he wanted to talk to her about. She looked through magazines, twirling her long brown hair with heavy blonde highlights around her finger. She flipped a page in the magazine to see a article about Nick and rolled her eyes. They still made him sound all sweet and innocent and she knew he was neither.

She threw the magazine over on the coffee table where she had gotten it from and looked over at the wall, seeing triple platinum album plaques from everybody from Pink to Motley Crue. She sat there wondering if she was ever going to have one of those one day, and hang them in her own home. That is when she finally moved out of her father’s house but then again, she didn’t plan on being home that long.

“Melinda.” Mark said as he walked into the room, “What’s up?”, he asked as he walked over to his desk and sat down behind it.

“Well you said I needed to come in today so I figured we were going over some business stuff right?” Melinda asked as she uncrossed her legs and looked at him.

“Well yeah we are.” Mark said, “First we need to go over some details with your next single.”

“Okay.” Melinda said as she sat there, anxious to get to work on it, so that her single could come out.

Nick and Aaron sat there on the sofa in their parents living room, watching some movie with on satellite and eating junk food. It was one of the first times in a long time that they both had been at home, having time off in a long time and they were spending some quality time together. Well not really quality time, every time Aaron started talking about girls with Nick, Nick would get freaked out and change the subject on him. He couldn’t stand that his little brother was starting to grow up.

“Aaron.” Jane said as she walked into the livin room with a paper in her hand, “I just got this fax -”

“About what?” Aaron asked, not even looking at her and keeping his eyes on the television.

“They need someone to sing the main song from Jennifer Lopez’s new movie with Ben Affleck.” Jane said, “They asked did you want to do it.”

“What the hell?” Nick asked, looking over at her, “Is it a little kiddy movie?”

“Shut up.” Aaron said, punching him in the arm, “What’s the name of the song?”

“‘Review My Kisses’ and I told them that I thought it was too mature for you.” Jane said, “I don’t really understand why they wanted you to do it in the first place.”

“I hate J.Lo. man. I don’t want to do that. Let Nick.” Aaron said as Nick looked over at his brother and then back at Jane.

“That’s what I told them. I asked could Nick do it.” Jane said as Nick gave her a ‘what the fuck’ look, “No, don’t give me that look. Listen, your album didn’t do as good as we thought -”

“I know.” Nick said, in a mean voice as he scooted down in the sofa.

“And this could give you some exposure until the group starts back work on the next album.” Jane said as Nick looked over at Aaron and back at her, “Plus they said that they didn’t think the movie would be a big hit. It would just keep you in the spotlight a little until the group gets back to work and -”

“Sure. I’ll do it.” Nick said as he coughed and looked back at the TV, “Just call my management and tell them.”

“I already did.”

“Thanks for consulting me.”

“You’re welcome.” Jane said as she laughed a little, “But there’s something else you should know.”

“What?” Nick said, looking back at her.

“It’s a duet with a female artist. ”

“Please don’t tell me Britney. I’ll murder someone.” Nick said, “Please.”

“They asked for my opinion on who.” Jane said as she walked over to the TV and turning it off, looking back at Nick and Aaron, “And I told them someone.”

“Don’t say Jennifer Lopez either. God nobody could be worse then her.” Nick said as he looked down, shaking his head.

“I told them Mindy since she’s doing pretty good for herself.”

“DO WHAT?!?” Nick screamed as Aaron cracked up laughing at him.

” Why won’t you release my third single?” Melinda asked, looking at Mark, “What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing is wrong.” Mark said, “Mr. Reid called me this morning offering you something.”

“What?”

“A song for a movie, performing it with a male performer. It’s a duet for the new Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck movie.” Mark said, looking a piece of paper as he laughed.

“Are you serious? Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck? Oh man, hell yes.” Melinda said as she sat up in the chair, showing interest, “Yeah, hell put the third single off some, I’ll do this.”

“And it would give your album a lot more exposure with a duet from a big movie like this.”

“Cool, I’ll do it.” Melinda said smiling, “Who am I recording with?”

“Nick Carter.”

“Nick Carter, okay.” Melinda said as she paused and then looked around, “Hold up, NICK CARTER?!?”

“No way, I’m not recording some love song with her!” Nick yelled as he stood up, “Are you out of your mind?!?”

“Nick just calm down -” Jane tried to say as Aaron cracked up laughing.

“No, I’m not recording a duet with her.”

“Your management wants you to.”

“They can blow it out of their ass. I’m not recording shit with her mom, damn. I can’t stand her.” Nick said, “We don’t get along and it’ll ruin my career.”

“I think her album did better than yours.” Aaron said as Nick gave him a evil look, “Yeah I know, shut up Aaron.”

“It won’t ruin your career. It will give you more exposure as a solo artist.” Jane said, “You won’t see each other except for recording the song Nick. That’s all. You’ll see her for Easter anyway if you’re home, so why not see her one extra time?”

“I see her enough as it is. We almost got in a fight at the Billboard Awards. Man, Puffy had to come break our ass up.” Nick said as he crossed his arms, “It’ll never work out.”

“Yes it will.” Jane said as she patted him on his cheek, “It’ll be great.”

“It’s nasty. This is like a love song and singing it with your sister.” Aaron said as he started to laugh even more.

“She is not my damn sister. Never was and never will be.” Nick said as he looked back at Jane, “I don’t wanna do this now.”

“You should, everybody thinks so.”

“Fuck me.” Nick said as he fell back down on the sofa, putting his hands over his face, mumbling to himself.

“I can’t sing a romantic song with Nick!” Melinda yelled as Mark looked her, “He was my brother, well stepbrother. Dude, I can’t do that.”

“He’s not your brother. Why not? Your voices would sound excellent together. He’s already agreed to do it.” Mark said, looking at some papers.

“I bet you a million dollars he didn’t know I was singing it with him.” Melinda said as she shook her head, “God I wanna throw up thinking about singing a romantic song with him. Can’t we sing something a little bit more rock heavy or wait - how about not singing together at all?”

“L.A. Reid wants you to do it. You’re gonna do it.” Mark said as Melinda leaned back in her chair, leaning her head back to look at the ceiling, “He’s flying out here in two days to record.”

“God. Great.” Melinda said as she shook her head.

“You both will be getting one song each for the soundtrack. They want to put ‘Damn’ on there of your songs, and ‘Blow Your Mind’ out of his songs.” Mark said, “So you do get that atleast.”

“Yeah.” Melinda said as she sighed, “Is that all for today?”

“That’s all.” Mark said as Melinda rolled her eyes, “Now don’t you have some TV appearance to do now?”

“Yeah.” Melinda said as she stood up, “I guess I’d better go. I’ll see you tomorrow when I come in for that remix.”

“Bye.” Mark said as Melinda walked out of his office and opened up her cell phone, dialing a number. She was going to take care of this.

“I don’t want to do this duet with Mindy man. I swear I don’t. She’s a airhead. She’d dumb and -” Nick started to say as Aaron interrupted him.

“You’re not too bright yourself.”

“Shut up.”

“I don’t know why you two don’t get along. I think she’s cool. I like her. Her CD is good.” Aaron said smiling, “Plus she’s hot.”

“You just have a crush on her.”

“I always did, that’s nothing new.” Aaron said, “You probably do too.”

“Oh god, gag me. Dude, stab me with a fork. I hate her.” Nick said, “She’s this snobby little rich girl who wants to be a rock star. That’s all she is.”

“She’s not snobby.” Aaron said, “You have issues with her. I think you like her.”

“I do fucking not.” Nick said as he shook his head, “She’s ugly.”

“She’s not ugly.” Aaron said, “Look at her.”, as he stood up, walking over to get a picture of her and brought it back to Nick, “Look.”

“I see a bitch.”

“She’s not a bitch.”

“Yes she is.” Nick said, handing the picture back to Aaron, “And how I’m going to sing a love song with her is beyond me.”

“Just close your mind and ignore who you’re singing with.” Aaron said as Nick began to growl.

“Bianca, I don’t know if I can do this.” Melinda said, talking to her best friend Bianca on her cell phone, as she walked up the stairs of her father’s huge home, making her way to her bedroom, that night after filming her segment of ‘The Tonight Show’ and doing a interview, “I can’t sing this song with Nick. I hate him.”

“You know,” Bianca said, laying on her stomach getting a massage while talking on her cell phone, “I always thought he was cute.”

“He’s horrible.” Melinda said as she walked into the double doors of her bedroom and tossing her bag down on a chair in her room, “I can’t get along with him and I have to do this and I can’t wish that it was a flop, I want it to be big, but not with him on it.”

“Well when you think about it, this is opportunity of a lifetime Mindy, even if it is with Nick, just get past that part.” Bianca said, “Besides, this is Ben Affleck we’re talking about. My dream guy. It will be like totally awesome if you did that. And besides, this is Ben and Jennifer we’re talking about. It’s everybody’s main huge Hollywood couple. Goodbye Brad and Jennifer Aniston, because now it’s Ben and J.Lo. It’ll make your career bigger, so what if the guy you have to sing with is cute, and sexy and -”

“Totally annoying, big mouthed, smart ass, mother fu-”

“And really talented.”

“Whatever.” Melinda said as she walked over to her closet, pressing the button for the shelves to go around so she could pick something to wear tomorrow, “I hate him.”

“I hate her.” Nick said as he sat there talking to himself while sitting in the living room of his own house that night, “I should call her and bitch at her, that is if I had her number.”

He flipped the stations on the TV, looking through the channels only to stop on VH1 and see Melinda’s “Stronger” video.

I can’t believe you’re really gone now
But I know it’s for the best
And I know that we weren’t right
But I still reach for you each night
And man that hurts like hell

“Hot my ass.” Nick said, sitting there looking at Melinda singing in the rain during the video, “Aaron must be blind.” Finally the video went off and Nick sat there looking at Pink’s video that came on next.

He sat there wondering who in the hell really wanted them to sing together? Who thought it would be a good idea? Who agreed to it in the first place?

Then he looked around.

“Do we have to make a fucking video and be romantic?!?” Nick screamed as he reached over, picking up his phone.