Chapter Twenty - Two

“No,” Andrew said as he shook his head, disagreeing with her, “The majority of the CMT fans know nothing about you and him. I’ve had people do reports and not many people know that you two know each other and only a few know that you were in his video.” Well that was a relief, “The reason people are wanting to know more about you is because of who you are. You are a great host and VJ. That’s why people care and want to know.”

“Okay, well, tell them I’ll do interviews,” Elisabeth said as she laughed, looking down at the paper in her lap, “I’m not used to having interviews done to me,”

“Get used to it,” Andrew said as he started to laugh and pointed at her, “You’re a star.”

A star? Whoa.

I’m a star. Little ole Elisabeth Paige Geller from Roswell, Georgia is a star. That’s so weird to say. I can’t believe that I have a lot fans and magazines want to do interviews about me. I mean, Rolling Stone! I grew up reading that magazine and now they want me to be in it?

It’s surreal.

When I decided I want to be in the television business and a host video shows, and things like that, I never expected to become a ‘celebrity’ in my own right. I just love music, especially country music, and I wanted to do this. I never planned on doing photo shoots or interviews. It’s just too weird.

I just hope it has nothing to do with Nick, you know? I mean Andrew said that nobody knew that I knew him or that I was even in his video, but still, sometimes you can’t help to wonder? Because I’m getting all of this attention because of him, then I don’t want it. I guess I’ll find out when I do the interviews and if they ask anything about him, but I don’t want it just because I know him or I’m dating him or he made me have a orgasm last night.

Okay, the last part shouldn’t be in there!

Elisabeth walked down the hallway after leaving Andrew’s office a short while later, looking to see Nick sitting there watching a Jessica Andrews’ video on CMT. He sat there making weird faces at the TV until he looked up to see Elisabeth standing there.

“Hey, how long you been back?” Nick asked as he stood up, putting his jacket back on and looked at her, “What’s wrong?” Elisabeth just looked blankly around the room and back at him not saying anything, “Oh shit, are you in trouble because of me or something?”

“No, I’m not in trouble,” Elisabeth said as she handed him the paper with the Tim McGraw numbers. Nick looked at her, and then back down at the paper, reading it. Elisabeth watched him, waiting for his response as he took a sip of his coffee that he had gotten out of a machine and his eyes widened.

“Holy shit, are you for real?” Nick asked as he looked at her, “That many people? That many people watched the show the other night? Holy shit,”

“Yes, and Andrew wants to know if you want to present with me on the awards this week because someone cancelled and they are switching around the presenters,”

“Sure,” Nick said as he handed the paper back, taking another sip of coffee, “Man, that’s so awesome,” he said as he reached over, wrapping his arm around her and hugged her, trying not to get any coffee on her, “I’m proud of you,”

“And, he said people are starting to talk to me and wanting interviews and Rolling Stone is doing some special about people from music video channels and they want me to represent CMT,” Elisabeth said as they stopped hugging and Nick looked at her, “So like, yeah, that’s weird.”

“That’s not weird. I mean you know Carson, he’s always in magazines and stuff,” Nick said as he looked at her, “You kick ass babe,” he said as Elisabeth put her hands over her face, hiding from him, “Don’t hide and get bashful now. You’re the bomb man.”

“Okay,” Elisabeth said as she moved her hands, looking him in the eyes. She sighed and then smiled and Nick smiled back, “I don’t wanna be famous.”

“Please,” Nick said as he wrapped his arm around her neck and they turned around, walking down the hallway at CMT, “You already are. You’re my little superstar,” he said as Elisabeth cut her eyes over at him, and started to laugh, “What? I’m serious.”

“I know you are,” Elisabeth said as she snatched the piece of paper out of his hand, and folded it up, sticking it down in her messenger bag. Nick started talking about something as they made their way out of the CMT building, but Elisabeth really wasn’t listening. She was too busy worrying and thinking that people were only wanting to know about her because they had found out she knows Nick.

Maybe him going to the Flameworthy Awards wasn’t a good idea.

Elisabeth was quiet most of the way home. She just kept thinking about the things that Andrew told her in his office. She was popular when she interned at MTV and ever since she came to CMT, but she couldn’t help to wonder if there was a real reason why she was so popular. Maybe Andrew was wanting to play the whole ‘Elisabeth is seeing Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys and he’s her best friend’ card. Maybe they had already leaked it out to people, and that’s why they wanted to know about her too much.

If there was one thing she always fought for ever since she had known Nick, was to not let his celebrity interfere with hers. She didn’t want to be known as his girlfriend or his ex-girlfriend or his best friend. Not that it was a bad thing, but she wanted to reach success by being herself and not because of him. So far things had worked pretty much in her favor and she didn’t want it to change now.

That’s another reason she didn’t want to be in his “I Got You” video.

Besides the fact she would be half-naked in it, she didn’t want anybody to recognize her and start rumors. It’s not that she’s ashamed of Nick or wants to hide it, it’s just that she wanted to do things on her own. She wanted to gain opportunities on her own and not just the fact that ‘Oh she may be seeing Nick Carter, let’s get a interview with her’.

Or maybe she could just be paranoid as hell.

“Elisabeth?” Nick asked as Elisabeth sat there in her chair, in the living room of her apartment, biting down on her fingernails, looking at the TV. She was so deep into thoughts that she didn’t even notice him calling her name, “Beth!”

“Huh?” Elisabeth asked, as she looked over at him, coming out of her thoughts, “What?”

“You’ve been weird ever since we got back from your office,” Nick said as he leaned over on the back of the sofa, holding his hands together and looked at her, “Something I should know about?” Elisabeth just stared back at him blankly, “Well?”

“No,” Elisabeth said as she nodded her head, and looked back at the TV. She looked at the weatherman, showing the radar and how it was going to be raining for the rest of the night. Great. Now when she thinks of a rainy night, she’ll think of last night. Not that it was a bad thing. She smiled, thinking about that until Nick walked in front of her and kneeled down.

“What’s wrong?” Nick whispered as Elisabeth stared at him, “You’ve been weird ever since we came back from the office and you’re quiet.” Elisabeth still didn’t say anything. She just looked down at her watch instead, “Is it because you’re nervous about those interviews? Or is it me presenting the award with you? Or is it that the Tim McGraw special went over so good? What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” Elisabeth whispered as she cut her eyes back up, looking at him.

“You’re lying. You don’t lie very often and you’re a really bad liar,” Nick said as Elisabeth smirked at him as she looked back down, “It’s about how you’re becoming somewhat of a ‘celebrity’ right? And those interviews?”

“Sort of, yeah,” Elisabeth said as she looked back up at him, “It’s just, not me. I didn’t plan on being all of that you know? I just want to report the music news and interview the celebrities, not be one and to be interviewed. That’s not my thing and I don’t like it.” Nick just laughed in response of that.

“Well you’re on TV, you gotta get used to it. Look, you’re beautiful and you’ve got a great personality and everybody loves you. At least you’re not becoming a celebrity by being a fake singer with fake boobs and a fake voice -”

“Why do you have to diss Britney like that?” Elisabeth asked as Nick cracked up laughing at her, “It’s just, you know I’m shy and bashful when it comes to me, but I’m not when it comes to other people.”

“Well just think, it’s not on TV, and it’s just for magazines. You smile and take a picture and that’s that,” Nick said as he smiled, “Just go in there and be yourself. That’s what everybody loves. It’s what I love,”

“You’re too sweet,” Elisabeth said as Nick smiled, leaning up to kiss her lightly on the lips. She scooted over in the chair and Nick stood up, climbing into the chair with her, kissing her slowly on the lips, “I didn’t think two people could fit into this chair,”

“I guess so,” Nick said as he laughed, laying his head on the side of it, “So how close are you getting to deciding?”

“Deciding what?”

“About the whole ‘one’ thing and marrying me?”

“Getting testy huh?”

“Just wondering,”

“Close,” Elisabeth whispered as Nick smiled at her. Elisabeth smiled back, taking a deep breath and then looked back over at the television. Nick sighed, shaking his head lightly and looked over at the television and back at Elisabeth, “Do you think my parents will get back together since my mom is knocked up now?”

“I doubt it,” Nick said as he laughed, “I mean they hate each other, but then again, they don’t hate each other enough not to have sex with one another.”

“Yeah,” Elisabeth said as she looked back at him, sighing, “Did you tell your parents that you’re wanting to get back with me?” Nick laughed in response to that and she looked at him strangely, “What?”

“My mom helped me pick out the ring,” Nick whispered as Elisabeth titled her head, looking in shock, “I told her about a month ago, before I ever broke up with Samantha officially and while we were both in New York, we went shopping,”

“Okay, wow,” Elisabeth said as she leaned her head back, smiling at him, “You’re not lying to me are you?”

“Of course,” Nick said as Elisabeth cracked up laughing at him, “Do you really think I’m going to go up to her while I’m still dating someone else and go ‘Hey, mom, help me pick out a engagement ring.’ Yeah right.” Elisabeth shook her head in return, looking back at the television, smiling, “No but for real, she knows. I think everybody knew but you.”

“Everybody?”

“I kinda called your dad.”

“Are kidding again right?” Elisabeth asked, sitting up a little and looking at him in shock, “You called my father?”

“Yeah,” Nick said as he shrugged his shoulders a little, “Damn sure wasn’t going to call your mom, but I called your dad and asked him did I have his permission and stuff. I mean he likes me and your mom hates me. I figured it would just piss your mother off even more.”

“It would,” Elisabeth said as she laughed, leaning closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “But I don’t care if it pisses her off,” she whispered as she leaned in to kiss Nick slowly. Nick moved over her a little, putting his left knee on Elisabeth’s other side, straddling her in the chair as he kissed her back tenderly.

Elisabeth smiled against his lips as they stopped kissing, and began stuck on his lips lightly until Nick took her mouth into his. She moved her hands up, placing them on his hips when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

“Shhh, maybe they’ll go away,” Nick whispered against her lips as Elisabeth moved her hand back, slapping him on his ass lightly, “Oh whip me,”

“Nick,” Elisabeth muttered as she laughed and tried to get him to stop kissing her, “I need to go see who it is,” Nick sighed, giving her one last kiss, moving off of the chair as Elisabeth stood up, wiping around her lips with her smeared lip gloss. She looked back at Nick as he sat down in the chair and looked out the peephole, grunting.

“Who is it?” Nick asked as Elisabeth looked back at them when there was another knock.

“My sister,” Elisabeth whispered as Nick sunk down in the sofa, putting his hands over his face.