Chapter Six - Practice Makes Perfect

“Practice?” Melinda said as Nick cracked up laughing, “You are so out of your mind.”, she said as she pulled into her drive way.

“Practice makes perfect.” Nick said as they both got out of her car and walked up to the front door as Maria opened it, “Maria!”

“Mr. Nickolas!” Maria squealed as they hugged and Melinda shook her head as she started to walk upstairs, “How did the meeting go?”

“Mindy and I start shooting the video tomorrow.” Nick said as he took his jacket off and Maria took it from him, “It’s going to be all romantic.”

“Oh you two would make such a cute couple if you actually got along.” Maria said as Nick started laughing at her, “I’m serious Mr. Nickolas. You know, your mother and I always said that you two would fall in love together. Your mother is a wise woman.”

“Okay Maria.” Nick said as he shook his head and walked into the living room and sat down, opening up his cell phone. He laughed a little and reached over, turning the TV on and began flipping channels.

“No way.” Bianca said laughing as Melinda layed on her bed, looking at her ceiling, “You seriously have to make a romantic video?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s hilarious.”

“Dude, it is not.” Melinda said as she shook her head, “God, the concept, says I’m lying in bed singing and like I’m all naked which you know, my father is going to FLIP OUT -”

“He’s going to have a small farm animal, yes.”

“And Nick’s driving home and it’s raining and then he comes in and like you know -”

“You get freaky?” Bianca asked as Melinda started to growl, “Kissing and touching?”

“Yes.”

“It’s hilarious.”

“But dude, he used to be my step brother. It’s not right.” Melinda said, “And -”

“First off, he was never your brother.” Bianca said as she looked up at what the hairstylist was doing to her hair at the salon, “Secondly, you have never gotten along, and thirdly, you aren’t blood related. It’s not gross and he’s not your brother.”

“God.” Melinda said, “Tomorrow is going to be hell.”

“Just close your eyes and pretend it’s Ben Affleck.” Bianca said, “Just ignore it’s Nick. Then leave and come home and take a 24 hour long bubble bath to get all the coodies off.”

“Stop making fun of me, this is a serious situation.” Melinda said as Bianca cracked up laughing at her.

“We have to make a sexy video. We have to make out in it.” Nick said a she heard Jane laugh on the other end of the line, “Mom, it’s not right. Like she’s my sister.”

“Now if I recall, you always said she was not your sister.” Jane said, “And she’s not. It won’t be that bad. Kiss her a few times and that’s it.”

“But mama, like yo, it’s MINDY. I don’t want to kiss her.”

Suck it up and be a man!

“Tell Aaron to shut up.” Nick said, “I swear to God I don’t know how I let you talk me into this.”

“Because it will be good for your career.” Jane said as Nick shook his head a few times, “It can’t be THAT bad.”

“You just don’t know.” Nick said as he started to growl.

Me.

Nick.

Making out.

In a video.

This is NOT going to work. I have to put my lips next to his and act as if we are about to you know, um, make love? Like we’re in love? I can’t stand to be in his presence much less making love to him. This is going to be the worst day of my life.

I can feel it.

I just have to think, after this, there’s no more Nick. I won’t have to even be close to him. Maybe I might have to go to the premiere of this movie. But then, Ben will be there. And granted he’s all up in J. Lo.’s ass, it will still make being in the same room as Nick not half bad.

Can Ben be there tomorrow?

I want to review my kisses

On every inch of your body

I want to reveal my secrets

That only you should know

I feel all this pain inside me

That only your lips can make better

I want to review my kisses

So you won’t forget that you are mine

Melinda layed there on her bed, looking at the ceiling while listening to the song and singing along to it. She kept hitting repeat on her part so that she could rehearse a little until she looked up to see Nick standing in her doorway.

“What?” Melinda asked as she looked at him, “I’m rehearsing.”

“Nothing. I’m bored. Maria went shopping for food. She’s going to make me that pasta that I like tonight and -” Nick started to say as he paused and Melinda looked away, “Nevermind.”

“With the little pieces of cheese on top?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, that’s good.”

“Yeah.” Nick said, “So like I think we should rehearse,” as he shut her door and walked further into her room, “and trust me I don’t want to, it’s just so you know, it doesn’t look all fake in the video.”

“Ugh.”

“I’m thinking about work here not, you. I’m pretending like it’s not you, trust me,” Nick said as he looked at the ground, “That’s why I’m not looking at you right now.”

“This so fucking sucks.” Melinda thought as she sat up on her bed, “I mean damn.”

“Yeah, I know.” Nick, “I fucking hate it. Worse experience of my life.”

“Okay, let’s just kiss and get it over with.” Melinda said as she sat up on her knees and put her hands over her face, shaking her head, “I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this.”

“The shit we do for our fucking careers.”

“My next album, I’m writing a song called “I Hate Nick Carter”.”

“I give you my permission.”

“And it’s going to be called “L.A. Reid can kiss my -” Melinda started to say as Nick leaned in, shutting her up, by kissing her lips slowly. Melinda started to kiss him back, deepening the kiss until Nick began to kiss her more intensely. Finally they both slowed down and began to back away, sucking on each other’s lips.

“Well -”

“Um -”

“I um - ” Nick started to say as he looked around, “Wow this room is PINK yo.”

“Uh yeah.”

“Okay so that’s enough practice, go back to being a bitch.”

“My pleasure.” Melinda said as she shook her head, “Hold on, I’m not a bitch!”

“Yes you are.”

“No fuck I’m not.”

“Yes you are!”

“Ugh, get out of my room.” Melinda said as she layed back in bed and Nick started to laugh as he stood up, “That’s enough practice. I need to go wash my mouth now. I don’t know where those lips have been.”

“Please.” Nick said sarcastically as he walked over, looking into the mirror, running his hands through his hair, “My lips are fine.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Yeah.”

“Seemed a little cold to me.”

“Cold?” Nick asked, turning around to look at her, “Cold?”

“Yes.” Melinda said as she got up and walked over to her closet and going in, “Cold.”

“Why cold?” Nick asked, walking over and looking into her closet, ‘Holy fuck, do you think you have enough clothes? You have enough fucking clothes that half of fucking China could wear.”

“Shut up and stop talking about my clothes.” Melinda said, looking through her skirts.

“I swear to god. You are never going to find a man who can put up with you.” Nick said, looking at her shoe rack, “I mean god damn -”

“Excuse me?” Melinda asked, putting her hand on her hip, “Go back and do whatever it is boy band members do.”

“Oh fuck you.” Nick said as he looked at her, “From what I hear you went out with Dan from O-Town the other night.”

“Yes.”

“Have fun?”

“Not really. I think he’s gay, but he’s damn fine.” Melinda said as Nick started to laugh, “What?”

“You have a thing for tall, dark handsome guys right? I mean Ben Affleck, Dan Miller, -” Nick started to say as Melinda interrupted him, by looking at the top of the closet.

“You know, I do. I never noticed that.” Melinda said, “They’re better than blondes.”

“Wouldn’t know.”

“I don’t wanna know.”

“Sure you don’t.” Nick said as he leaned against the doorframe, “Nervous about tomorrow?”

“Scared shitless.”

“Me too. I mean, just, you know -”

“Yeah.” Melinda said as they both stood there and they started to act really quiet, “The kissing stuff. It’s not us. We hate each other.”

“Yes we do.”

“But you know what I wonder sometimes?” Melinda asked, “Like well, not really wonder but think about it. The first time we met, we got in a fight.”

“We so did.” Nick said as he started to laugh, “It’s just us. We fight. We always did. You and BJ got along great, and me and you would fight all of the time.”

“I don’t know why like Jane and my dad and everybody acts as if they don’t understand. They’ve known about this for like what, over 10 years?” Melinda said, “It’s definitely not a secret.”

“Nope. I mean you’re a spoiled little rich girl who is trying to be a rock star.”

“I’m not TRYING to be one and I’m not fucking spoiled.”

“Yeah you are Mindy because -”

“Stop calling me Mindy NICKY!”

“Hey!” Nick yelled, “Don’t call me Nicky.”

“Alright then. It sucks being called that doesn’t it?” Melinda asked, “And I’m not TRYING to be a rock star. I’m being me and I may get what I want sometimes but not all of the time because if it was up to me, I would NOT be doing this video or song with you.”

“True.” Nick said, “But still. You’re spoiled.”

“I don’t care.” Melinda said as she cut her eyes over to him, “Think what you want. You’re just a player, who goes around, sleeping with whoever he wants because you’re Nick Carter, you’re a Backstreet Boy, and you can do whatever you want.”

“If that’s what you think.” Nick said as he crossed his arms.

“I do, I’ve done told you that. All guys are the same.”

“Apparently not Dan.”

“Yes, he is. He came onto me, and I didn’t want to sleep with him.” Melinda said, “I mean if he thinks I was going to sleep with him to further my career, he’s got another thing coming. I mean he’s in O-Town for God’s sake.”

“Timberlake’s available.”

“Fuck you.”

“Anytime.” Nick said smiling as he turned around and walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him. Melinda looked over into her mirror and then walked up to it, banging her head against it.