Chapter 14

Nick sat on the cold table, his hands fidgeting in his lap as his foot nervously tapped the drawer beneath. The room was small. Nearly too small for his likings. It seemed as though the walls could begin suffocating him at any moment. The only thing that kept him calm was the small window in the center of one of the walls. It offered him reassurance of the outside world that he could return to soon. The door opened, sending in a chilly breeze followed by the doctor.

“Good morning, Nick. How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“Fine as in you really feel okay or fine as in you’re lying to get out of here faster.”

“Fine as in I feel good.” He said, laughing nervously. Oh how he hated doctors.

“How’s your stomach? Any pain at all?”

“Not recently. It’s sometimes a bit sore if I move a certain way or if I walk around too long, but it feels really good.”

”Great. Well, your blood count from last week looks really good. Your CD4 cells are staying high and so are your white blood cells. You’re really doing better than I expected. Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Did Dawn draw your blood already?”

“Yeah,” Nick replied, holding his arm out to show off the cotton ball that had been taped over the crook of his inner elbow.

“Okay. Then I’ll see you again next Wednesday.”

“Yeah.”

Dr. Getz left the room as Nick stepped off the table, relieved to be going back outside. There was just something about doctor’s offices that he hated.

He dug his keys from his pocket as he walked out the front door. The humid air seemed comforting after being inside the stuffy, cold office. His car was parked a short distance away, looking sleek beneath the afternoon sun. It was his first attempt at driving a car since the accident and it had gone well so far. He unlocked the driver’s door before getting in. Starting the engine, he backed out of the space and put the car into drive before leaving the lot. As he pulled back onto the road, he rolled the windows down and let the warm ocean air fill the car. Though October, it was unusually warm, but he definitely wasn’t complaining, as he wasn’t one for cold weather.

The ride back home was uneventfully short. As turned down his street, an elderly neighbor waved cheerfully to him. He laughed, waving back to her as he pulled into the driveway. He drove it into the garage and closed the door before getting out. As he stepped into the house, he noticed the extreme silence. He hadn’t gotten used to it yet. Tossing his keys onto the counter, he saw the light blinking on his answering machine. He pressed the play button before opening the refrigerator.

“Hey guys…” The voice started. Nick closed the door and stared at the machine. “I’m sorry I haven’t been real good on keeping in touch. I was just calling to check up on you two and to make sure you hadn’t injured each other yet. Give me a call back whenever… oh, and AJ, thanks for the card and pictures. Bye.”

Card and pictures? He looked over his shoulder at the calendar on the wall and saw Saturday circled on the calendar. He cursed himself. How could he forget her birthday? Especially since he had been thinking about her so often.

An idea suddenly sparked in his head. What if he went to see her? Not only could he give her a present in person, but also he could try to explain everything and apologize in a much calmer state. But what would he get her for a present? And how was he going to sneak out of the country without being yelled at by one of the guys?

~~

By three am Florida time Saturday morning, Nick was seated rather uncomfortably on a flight to Paris. The flight seemed endless, but thankfully, it was almost over. The credits of a movie played on the screen a few seats in front of him, but no one seemed to be watching it. Most everyone had slept throughout the flight, and was just now waking up. He shifted in his seat, hoping the next half hour would go by very fast. His stomach ached from sitting for such a long time and his legs were becoming cramped from the tight seating accommodations.

Rather than tell the guys he was going out of town, he called his brother. The last thing he needed was Kevin calling him every five seconds to make sure he was okay, or even worse, calling Riley and telling her he was coming. With only Aaron knowing, he knew he was safe for at least a day or so.

He hoped she would be okay with seeing him. He didn’t want to show up and have her still mad and not want to see him. If that was the case, he’d be finding himself back on a plane this evening.

The flight attendant suddenly appeared in the middle of the aisle and announced in French, then English that they would be landing within the next the few minutes.

Nick made sure his seatbelt was tight against his abdomen before closing his eyes and sinking back into the seat. The plane jolted a bit as the wheels came out. Before long, it bounced off the runway before settling gently onto the pavement. Only then did Nick reopen his eyes. Butterflies had risen into his stomach. Why was he nervous? Its just Riley.

As the plane slowed to a stop, everyone began to unbuckle their seatbelts and gather their belongings. Nick slid his backpack over his shoulders before following the woman beside him into the aisle.

Once inside the airport, he followed the mass of passengers to the baggage claim. Rather than join into to the rush, he stepped back and waited for the crowd to thin out. As it did, he found his duffel bag on its second time around. Looking around, he followed the English signs that said ‘exit’. As he stepped outside, a cold wind blew past, causing him to shiver. Thank God for the Weather Channel, as he had made sure to pack warm clothes for the trip. He stepped off the curb and hailed a cab. A white cab pulled up and stopped. Opening the door, he climbed in and tossed his bag beside him.

“rue d Buci, please.” Nick said, naming the market near Riley’s office building. He hoped he had pronounced it right and wouldn’t end up lost in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, within about ten minutes, the cab pulled to a stop at the market. He handed the driver a few bills before stepping out of the cab. “Thank you.”

He closed the door and looked around. A fine mist fell from the sky, dampening his skin as he took in the view. A large, white building sat on the corner; the top two stories nearly all windows. A huge sign was lit up in the windows of the second floor with the name “Vergara” in pink lights surrounded by sparkling white lights. He crossed the street and entered the building. A large desk took up most of the area on the first floor. A woman sat behind it, answering the phone and directing calls. Elegant chairs lined the walls along with coffee tables, complete with a coffee maker in the corner.

“Can I help you, sir?” The woman behind the desk asked, a thick French accent in her voice.

“I’m looking for Riley Vergara.”

“She’s in a meeting right now. Can I have you take a seat and I’ll tell her you’re here when she is finished?”

“Actually… could you just tell me where her office is? I’m a friend of hers and I want to surprise her.”

“Sir, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can allow you to do that.”

Nick decided to use his celebrity status, in hopes she would allow him in.

“Ma’am, I’m in a band called the Backstreet Boys. I’m so busy with my band that I never have time to see Ms. Vergara. Today is her birthday and I haven’t seen her in nearly five years, and I would owe you my life if you just let me wait for her in her office.”

The woman’s eyes widened.

“Well, I guess you can go in, then. Take the elevator up to the third floor and her office is the first one on the right.”

“Thank you so much.”

He smiled to himself as he walked to the elevator. Well, most of it was true. He followed the woman’s directions to the third floor. As he stepped off, he went directly to the right where a pink door stood slightly ajar. He pushed it open slowly, thankful to find it empty. Going in, he set his bags in the corner as he looked around her office.  Floor to ceiling windows covered an entire wall, while the remaining three walls were painted white. A bright orange couch set against one wall with a coffee table in front of it. Near the windows, a large desk set. A computer sat atop it, along with stacks of folders, papers, and scraps of material. She had several framed pictures on her desk. One was of her brother and herself. The other was the two of them. Nick remembered when it had been taken. Denise, AJ’s Mom, had taken it of them while they were on tour during Christmas. They were both wearing Santa hats with huge, goofy grins. They looked as if they hadn’t a care in the world. But then again, they didn’t back then.

A huge pictures of the Boys was on the wall from the 1999 Grammy’s. She had designed each of their outfits, so in return, they gave her the poster-sized picture for her future office or house. They had each autographed it across the bottom and then had it framed. A few more pictures lined the walls, mostly of models or celebrities she had designed clothes for.

He walked around the desk and sat down in her chair. He swiveled around in it and looked out the window. It was an amazing view. In the distance, you could see the river. Buildings old and new lined the streets, which were full of people and cars. The markets were all busy, but it seemed as though no one was in a hurry as they meandered down the street.

“Excuse me? Can I help you?” A voice came from behind him. He turned around in the chair to see Riley standing in the doorway, her arms full of swatches of fabric and notebooks. Her eyes widened as she saw who was sitting behind her desk.

“I just wanted to apologize again..” He started, afraid she was angry. Instead, she dropped her belongings on the couch and ran towards him. As he stood, she nearly tackled him with a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Nick. I can’t believe I was just a selfish asshole just to leave like that.”

“Hey now. You’re not supposed to be the one apologizing. I am.”

”Well, yeah, but I’m really sorry too.” She offered a smile as she pulled away. “I felt so terrible after I got home. I wanted to call you so bad, but I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me much. I talked to AJ sometimes, and that just made me feel worse.”

“Don’t feel bad. You had every right to leave. I probably would left if I were you, too.”

“Don’t ever let me be selfish like that again, okay?”

“As long as you don’t let me ever be dishonest like that again.”

“Deal. So you came all the way over here to see little ol’ me?” She asked, picking up her things off the couch and adding them to the mess on her desk.

“No, I came for the food. Why else would I come, Rye?” He laughed.

“Shut up.” She glared teasingly as she went to the other side of her desk. “So how long are you here for?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“How long you can deal with me.”

“Better get comfy.”

He went to the corner where his bags were and dug into the side pocket of his backpack.

“I was going to save this until later, but I want you to have it now.” He handed her a small box. “Happy birthday.”

“Oh my gosh. I forgot it was my birthday. I’ve been so busy here, I totally forgot.”

She picked up the box and slid the ribbon off the top of it. A confused look was on her face as she lifted the lid to it.

“A key?”

“Yep.”

“To what?”

“To your new office building.”

“Excuse me?”

“You now own a brand new state-of-the-art office building in Marathon. Now you can expand your business to the US without complaining about no where to start.”

Nick wasn’t sure what she thought as her eyes began to water. Did she hate it that much?

“Thank you so much, Nick.” She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“I even talked to a few of our fashion people. When you’re ready to open up, give them a call and they’ll hook you up with a few experienced people to work for you.”

“Are you serious? Jeez, Nick, this is too much.” She sat down in her chair, unsure of whether she was dreaming or not.

“So… you like it?”

“Like it? Nick, I love it!”

“I figured this way, it’d be easier to talk you into moving back to the States.”

“Well, now I definitely can. I might have to fly back to Paris occasionally, but if I can expand my company there, it’d be awesome. And now, I can be closer to you and my family and the guys.”

“You’ve got a good head start in the States. You’ve done designs for celebrities. Especially five very important ones that are willing to be guinea pigs if need be. Well… four maybe.”

“He’ll come around eventually. Anyways, I’m done here for the day. Let’s get out of here.”

She grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair as she stood up. She linked arms with his and led him from the room.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good. A little sore from the plane ride, but then again, after that, who isn’t?”

After a short ride in the elevator, they came to the bottom floor. She led him from the elevator to the receptionist desk.

“I’m leaving early today. Would you call Karenina and ask her to give me a call when she has a chance?”

“Yes ma’am. Have a nice day.”

She slipped her jacket on before they went outside.

“Just so you know… I told your receptionist that I hadn’t seen you in five years.” He snickered. “It’s the only way she would let me go to your office.”

“You used your celebrity status, didn’t you?”

“I had to!”

“Uh-huh.” She laughed at him as they walked through the market. “Let’s go to my apartment. We can at least drop off your stuff. Have you eaten lunch?”

“Nope.”

“Good, because I’m starving.”

Arm-in-arm, she led him through the crowded market before coming to a stop in front of an old brick building. She used a key to open the front door and then made sure to lock it when they were both safely inside.

“What? No elevator?” Nick teased as they began climbing a stairwell.

“It’s only a three-story building. I think we can manage.” They climbed all the way to the third floor and went down a short corridor. At a white door, they stopped and she unlocked it with a different key. It clicked and she pushed it open and ushered him inside.

“Nice.” He said, setting down his bags as they walked in. It was quite small, but perfect for a single person. She had decorated it with bright colors, all accented with white furniture.

“You can put your stuff in this closet.” She opened a closet door, showing that it was fairly empty inside. “My room is right through there and the bathroom is right beside it.”

A bar separated the kitchen from the living room. Across the room were large windows and a balcony.

“It’s not much but it’s been home for almost two years. Then again, I’m hardly here so it doesn’t really matter.”

“Gee, and to think you’re going to have to leave it all behind for boring old house in the Florida Keys.”

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt too much.” She said. “I’m going to change real quick so I don’t freeze my bum off.”

She disappeared into room and closed the door, leaving Nick alone in the living room. He peered out the window, the view amazing from only three stories up.

She emerged only a few minutes later in jeans rather than the skirt she had worn earlier. She also wore a form-fitting black shirt with a knitted green poncho atop it.

“Okay, I’m ready. Did you want to change or anything?”

“No, I think I’m okay.” He said, looking down at his jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt. “It’s not going to get much colder out right now is it?”

“Nah, not until the sun goes down.”

“Then I’m fine.”

“Alright.” Digging through her purse, she slipped her cell phone into her back pocket, and then some cash and change into her front pocket. Flipping off the foyer light, she led him back into the hallway before closing and locking the door.

“So where shall we go?” She asked once they were outside.

“I don’t know… you’re the one that lives here. Somewhere with food, perhaps?”

“There’s a great little deli down on the pier.”

“Okay,”

They walked together, chatting occasionally, but keeping it quite friendly and light. They needed to talk, obviously, but neither wanted to ruin the moment. Or the day.

“So does anyone know you’re here?” Riley asked once they had gotten their food and sat down at a table overlooking the water.

“Aaron.” Nick smiled sheepishly as he sipped his soda. “If I would’ve told anyone else, they wouldn’t have let me go.”

“True. How are you doing anyways?”

“Good.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. My blood count is good and my stomach is doing great.”

“Good. I just didn’t want to have to lug you to the hospital or anything.” She teased as she bit into her sandwich.

“I don’t plan on ever going back to one.” He said sincerely. “I don’t care if my leg is hanging on by a single tendon. I’ll stitch it back on myself.”

“That’s really gross.” Riley made a face. “Please, if your leg ever is hanging off like that, make sure I’m not eating.”

“Yeah, I’ll just wait until your done eating before I go and hurt myself.”

“Thanks.”

They finished lunch and then walked around the city, going in and out of boutiques and through the open-air markets. Finally, as the sun began to set, they returned to Riley’s apartment, their arms tired from carrying their shopping bags around. They went upstairs and nearly dropped their purchases onto the floor. Riley had managed to talk Nick into buying several shirts for himself while he had made her try on a dress, and then bought it for her, even against her protests. On the way en route to the apartment, they stopped at the market and bought a few groceries to make dinner and last through the next day.

As Riley put away the groceries, Nick sat at the bar and watched. From beside him on the counter, the phone rang shrilly, startling him.

“Hello?” Riley asked, placing the receiver to her ear. She snickered, looking at Nick before putting some fresh vegetables into the refrigerator. “Thanks, Kev. I nearly forgot it was my birthday except a friend mentioned it.”

Nick watched her as she spoke to Kevin. He loved the way she was so animated when she was happy.

“He’s not home?” She looked at Nick again, barely able to contain her laughter. “You know what? I’m not going to lie. He’s sitting right across me. Yes, I’m serious. I know. It amazed me that he flew by himself, but he did. He’s fine. Do you want to talk to him?”

Riley pulled the phone away from her ear and handed it to Nick.

“Thanks, babe, get me in trouble now, why don’t you?”

“Look at it this way. You’re in Paris. He’s in Kentucky. He can’t physically cause harm to you right now.” She ducked beneath the height of the cabinet before he could say anymore.

“Hello?”

“Hey. Nice of you to tell us you went somewhere.” Kevin said.

“Kev, I’m a big boy. I didn’t know I had to have permission to leave my house.”

“I know, but you could’ve just called one of us to tell us you were leaving so we didn’t have to worry.”

“I didn’t want to get yelled at for going.”

“Why would you get yelled at?”

“Be careful. You’re not ready to travel yet.” Nick said, attempting to mock Kevin’s voice. He could almost see Kevin rolling his eyes on the other end of the line.

“Whatever. When are you coming back?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I know.”

“Okay. Just be careful.” Nick snickered at the comment. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Bye Kev.”

He hung up the phone, replacing it onto the cradle.

“Sometimes, I feel like I have too many parents.” Nick said.

“They just care about you.” Riley replied, placing two strips of salmon into a pan.

“I know.” He leaned forward onto the bar, resting his head on his arms. “How long until dinner?”

“At least a half hour.”

“Mind if I take a quick shower?”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks.”

Riley watched as he left her sight. It’s Nick. Just Nick. Your best friend, Nick. She sighed, shaking her head at her self. Why couldn’t it just be easier?

***

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