Chapter Twelve - Leaving A Mark

I’m really ashamed of myself. I don’t think I’ve ever been more ashamed of myself in my entire life. Yes, I’ve been having sex with Nick, several times in the past few days. Watch, I know one day it’s all going to blow up soon and then it’s going to put a stop to us doing promotion for this and ruin our careers. I know it is. I can feel it.

But it’s kinda nice. Why I say this? I have no idea but it is. It’s kinda nice to have someone to take all of your frustration and sexual feelings out on, even though I’m not really attracted to him at all.

And how fucking DARE Nick bring up Christmas of 1996. I know, I know. You’re probably wondering what the hell that was about, right? Well, I guess I’ll tell you. Okay so Christmas of 1996, I went to spend Christmas with Jane, Bob, and the kids in Florida. Nick had been busy over in Europe and in Canada and my father was off on ‘business’, so Jane invited me over to spend Christmas. I had barely seen any of them the whole year and I missed hanging out with BJ and Leslie, so I went.

Well time Nick and I saw each other, we were basically screaming at each other and fighting the whole time. That Christmas Eve, the rest of the family had went to some church services and I stayed at their house since I’m not really big on religion and I was waiting for my father to call and talk to me. Nick came home early from the services because, like me, he’s not really religious either. We got in a fight and somehow, both lost our virginity in the midst of it?

Okay so you can’t just somehow lose your virginity. It kind of just happened, like that night a few weeks ago after the video shoot. We started bitching at each other and it happened in his bedroom. It’s really messed up with you think about it, like really. We talked about it afterwards and neither of us knows how it happened because he says he’s not attracted to me. I’m not attracted to him. So yeah, we lost our virginity together.

But after that we agreed it would never happen again - until a few weeks ago, but we didn’t plan that. But now it’s happening, hm, almost once a day now? This is so going to get me in trouble. I can sense it.

“Nick, you’re getting on my nerves and we’re on a plane with other people. Shut up.” Melinda said as Nick turned around in his seat looking at her, “And we have atleast 3 more hours until we land in Los Angeles.”

“Maria!” Nick said as he clapped his hands really fast, imitating her while turning back around in his seat, “God how I love that woman. If she wasn’t so old, I’d marry her.”

“Just because of her cooking.”

“Damn skippy.”

“I can’t believe you mentioned about Christmas of ‘96 last night.” Melinda said as Nick turned back around, looking at her again.

“Why?”

“Just because -”

“I’ve been thinking about, since you know, with what’s going on.” Nick said, “Like the same thing happened then.”

“Scared us shitless.”

“Seriously.”

“That was a fucked up night.” Melinda said as she looked down at her hand and back up at him, “You regret it?”

“You want me to be honest?”

“Yes.”

“No, I don’t regret it.” Nick said as Melinda looked at him strangely, “For several reasons. First, I lost it to someone I knew and would probably never be out of my life unfortunately. Secondly, it wasn’t some stranger that was only a one-night stand. Thirdly, I wasn’t nervous because I didn’t really realize it was happening because it just felt like the thing to do. And lastly, I was at home, in my own bed and not some strange hotel room. I think those are good enough excuses.”

“Yeah I guess they are.” Melinda said as she looked out the window and started to smile a little, “Funny thing about that is like a month later, my father accused me of having sex and took me to see a gynecologist.”

“Are you shitting me?” Nick asked as he started to laugh, “What did you do?”

“I paid the doctor to tell him no.” Melinda said as Nick cracked up laughing and everybody looked at him, “Shut up.”

“Ed’s way too over protective of you. He asked me a few weeks back to watch after you when we did this promotion. I guess I’m watching after you good enough.” Nick said as Melinda shook her head at him and he turned around in his seat.

“Our band looks pretty…..” Nick said as he tilted his head, looking at the band full of guys, “Gay.”, he said early that evening as they stood there in a rehearsal hall, somewhere in Los Angeles, “Yeah, gay.”

“They don’t look that gay.” Melinda said as she looked over at Nick and one of the guys, started walking over to them, with the guitar strap across his chest and the guitar in the back of him. He was around 5′10 with black hair and sideburns, “Oh god, one is coming over.”

“He’s kind of cute.” Nick said as Melinda elbowed him while the guy stopped as he walked up to them, “Hey there, what’s up?”, he asked as he stuck out his hand to shake his.

“Bonjour, I am Michel Tremblay and I am your electric guitar joueur.” Michel said in a French accent when a ‘what the fuck’ look came over Nick’s face?

“Do what?” Nick asked as Melinda elbowed him again.

“He’s our electric guitar player.” Melinda said as she shook Michel’s hand and he leaned over, kissing the top of it.

“Merveilleux to finally meet you.” Michel said as Nick looked at him up and down and Melinda started to giggle.

“Man what are you speaking?” Nick asked as Melinda elbowed him, yet again, “Alright woman, don’t make me take this in another room.”

“I’m French, I come from France.” Michel said, “Your uh, label engage into your band. I’m very happy to be here.”

“Yeaaah, I bet. You got a green card?” Nick asked as Melinda elbowed him again, “God dammit Mindy.”

“No, no I have no green card.” Michel said, “But I’m legal.”

“Don’t pay any attention to him.” Melinda said as she smiled at Michel, “Are the other guys from France too?”

“Uh no no, they are all Americans.” Michel said as he kissed the top of Melinda’s hand again, “Au revoir.”, he said as he turned around and started to walk back over to the band.

“Okay I don’t know a damn thing that guy was saying.” Nick said as he pointed at him and started to rub the back of his neck, “And woman stop with that damn elbowing me or you’ll have to pay for that later.”

“Oh really?” Melinda asked as she gave Nick a weird look and started to walk over to where Michel and the rest of the band was. Nick watched her as she walked away and his eyes began to move down her body when his cell hone rung. He jumped, taking it out of his pocket to answer it.

“Yeah?” Nick asked, answering his phone, watching Melinda and the band.

“Hey sweetheart, how’s everything going?” Jane asked as Nick rolled his eyes and turned around, with his back facing the others, “How’s Melinda?”

“Oh she’s fine. Bitchy, but you know how it is. Everything’s cool. We’re in LA right now and we’re meeting the band for the first time.” Nick said, “Why do you ask?”

“Well Aaron talked to AJ and AJ told him you two looked weird on TRL the other day. That your faces were all flushed and -” Jane started to say as Nick began to stutter a little.

“Uh, well, um, we just got in a fight backstage, you know how we are -”

“Nick, you better not be fighting with her. Do you understand me?” Jane asked as Nick smirked a little.

“Yes mom, I understand.”

“Okay good. Call me later.”

“I will.” Nick said as he told her goodbye. He closed his phone and turned back around, looking over at Melinda who was talking to Michel still. He put the top of his phone under his chin, schwinching his eyes lightly, watching them.

“God.” Melinda muttered as they walked into her house late that night, carrying their bags and they both dropped them down on the floor, “It’s so late.”

“I didn’t think they’d ever let us out of there.” Nick said as he hung his jacket up on the coat rack as Melinda set the alarm back, “Maria’s gone isn’t she?”

“She’ll be here first thing in the morning.” Melinda said, “She leaves every night at eight o’clock.”

“Damn.” Nick muttered as he walked into the kitchen to see a note on the table, “Oh she left a note.”

“What’s it say?” Melinda asked as she yawned, looking up on the message board.

“Miss Melinda and Mr. Nickolas, I left dinner on the dining table for you and it should be fine. I will see you two in the morning. Mr. Edward is gone for the night. Love you lots, Maria” Nick said as he sat the paper back down on the table, “Well Ed’s not here.”

“Off with that slut.” Melinda whispered as she threw all of the messages in the trashcan, “Well fuck this. Let’s have a god damn party.” She said as she walked into the dining room to see the food on the table and smiled. She walked over, opening up the cabinet in turning the stereo system on wide open, blaring Bon Jovi through the whole house.

“What the hell?” Nick asked as he walked into the dining room holding two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, “Think Ed would mind?”

“Fuck him.” Melinda said as she took the wine bottle out of Nick’s hands and popped the top off, “Let’s have a drink.”

“Fine with me.” Nick said as he smiled and she poured some red wine in both of the glasses. She sat the bottle down on the table and they both picked up a glass, “What are we toasting to?”

“To the start of a fucked up business relationship?” Melinda asked as Nick nodded his head and they clicked their glasses, and then took a sip of the wine.

Shot through the heart and you’re to blame…

Darlin’ you give love a bad name…

Melinda stood there, dancing around the living room, holding the third bottle of wine that they had been through, taking big sips of it, and dancing to Bon Jovi. Nick was sitting in the dining room, listening to her singing and giggling in the other room and kept shaking his head, drinking from his wine bottle. Finally, after taking the final sip, he stood up and walked out of the dining room, looking into the living room to see Melinda standing there in her short jean skirt and little peasant top that came down low on her shoulders, dancing around to the music.

“Nick!” Melinda yelled as she turned around and saw him standing there. Then she lost her balance and fell on the ground, “Ouch, fuck.”

“You are drunk.” Nick said as he cracked up laughing and Melinda stood back up, walking over to her, turning her bottle of wine upside down, “You drunk all of that?”

“Yes I did, it’s all gone.” Melinda said as she smiled at him and “Bed Of Roses” came over the speakers, “Come on and let’s dance.”

“Uh, I dunno.” Nick said as Melinda grabbed his hand, pulling him into the dining room, “Well I guess I have no choice.”

“No you don’t.” Melinda said, “We’re getting along. Let’s make the most out of it. No use in letting the sex this morning go to waste huh?”

“Guess not.” Nick said as he wrapped his arms around Melinda’s waist and looked around as she began to sing along to the song lightly.

“I have a question.” Melinda said as she moved her hands from his shoulders and wrapped them around his neck, “You ever been in love?”

“Hmm,” Nick thought as she looked around the living room, taking a deep breath, “Nope, I haven’t.”

“You know what I believe?”

“What?”

“That you can tell when a man loves a woman.” Melinda said as Nick looked over at her, watching her as she talked, “There’s like a certain way that a man looks at the woman he loves. He looks at her like a little boy looks at a big huge Christmas present on Christmas morning with his eyes all wide open, thinking it’s the best thing in the world. And he unwraps it delicately, one little ribbon at a time, so carefully as if she was going to break. That’s what I believe.”

“Whoa, that’s deep.” Nick whispered as Melinda looked over at him and started to laugh, “You ever seen anybody look at you like that?”

“Never.” Melinda said, “And I probably won’t and I’m fine with that. Men are the scum of the earth.”

“Thanks.” Nick said dryly as he looked away and Melinda started to laugh, “Don’t think I’ve ever looked at anybody like that.”

“Well if you’ve never been in love then you haven’t.” Melinda said as he twirled her around and brought her back up to him.

“There’s my answer then isn’t it?” Nick asked, looking at her as she nodded her head yes and then leaned into kiss him slowly on the lips. They continued to kiss each other until she backed away from his lips, and then backed away from him, walking back towards the dining room, “Where you going?”

“I need more wine.” Melinda said as Nick ran after her, grabbing her arm and turned around, “Stop I want more wine.”

“It’s 2:30 in the morning, you don’t need anymore wine. We have to be up at 8.” Nick said as he leaned over to kiss her and mumbled against her lips, “You know,” then he kissed her again, “For that photo shoot.”

“Uh don’t remind me.” Melinda said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and Nick lifted her, placing her up on the dining table. They both moved their arms over, knocking everything off of the table as Melinda started to pull her skirt and panties down, finally kicking them off, hitting Nick in the head with them, “We’re so going to hell.”

“Atleast we’ll go satisfied.” Nick said as he kicked his jeans off, and tossed his t-shirt over his head and over on the floor, climbing up on the dining table on top of her. He reached down, yanking her shirt off of her, and then unfastened her bra that fastened in the front. He leaned down to kiss her deeply until she pushed him over, almost causing them to fall off of the table, “Damn.”

“Uh sorry.” Melinda said as she straddled him and then looked around, “My father’s dining table that he’s had dinners with Bruce Willis and Demi More…”

“John Travolta..”

“Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston..”

“Really?” Nick asked as Melinda nodded her head, smiling as she moved over him and leaned down to whisper against his lips, “Now we’re leaving our mark.”

“Oh I like our mark much better.” Nick whispered as she leaned down to kiss him deeply.

That morning around six, Maria walked into the Manning home and headed to the kitchen to get ready for breakfast, knowing that Nick would want some of those waffles and syrup that she always made for him. She looked at the messages, noticing that Melinda had already thrown hers in the garbage and then walked into the dining room.

There, the whole dining table was cleaned completely off but dishes, pans and glasses were all over the floor with food scattered about. She just nodded her head in response, cussing in Spanish that they had probably gotten in a fight. Little did she know that they were upstairs, in Melinda’s bed asleep.