Chapter
9
Angela arrived a few minutes before one thirty. Nick met her at the door and let her in.
“Sorry I’m a little early,” Angela apologized. “I left early in case I couldn’t find the
place. But I found it fine.”
“That’s okay,” Nick said.
“How are you?”
“Great,” Angela said.
Suddenly, Jane appeared in the foyer. “Well, hello there. You must be Angela,” she said.
Angela nodded and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter,” she said, extending her hand politely.
Jane shook Angela’s hand, but she didn’t seem exactly
gracious. “So, Angela, where did you
and Nick meet?” she asked.
Nick sighed to himself. He
didn’t want to hear his mother giving Angela the third degree. She had done this kind of thing to every
girl he had brought around, and Angela was no exception.
“Actually, we met in New York in October, when Nick was on TRL,”
Angela said.
“Oh really? What were you
doing in New York? Do you live there or
something?” Jane asked.
“No, I live in South Carolina, actually. But I was in New York because…” Angela glanced at Nick, who slightly shook
his head, his eyes boring meaningfully into her. She caught the hint and continued, “because I
got tickets to be in the TRL studio audience.”
“Oh. Sounds fun,” Jane
commented. “So, you’re a Backstreet Boys
fan?”
“Yup,” Angela said, nodding and glancing yet again at Nick.
“And you live in South Carolina?
What are you doing here in Florida then?
Are you on vacation?” Jane pressed.
Nick rolled his eyes, but Angela answered, “Well, yeah,
sorta. I’m visiting my father and
stepmother. They live here in Orlando.”
“Oh, I see,” Jane said.
“Well, mom, Ang and I have to be going now, or we’ll be late for
the movie. See ya,” Nick said quickly,
grabbing Angela by the arm and practically dragging her out the door.
***
Once in the safety of his car, Nick flopped back against the
driver’s seat and sighed exasperatedly.
“Sorry about that,” he said, glancing at Angela, who sat next to
him in the passenger’s seat.
“About what?” she asked.
“My mother.”
“Oh. That,” Angela said,
with a short laugh. “It’s okay. Is she like that all the time?”
“Yeah,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “Pretty much every time I bring a girl
around, she has to give her the third degree.
I have no clue why. It’s just
something she does.”
Angela shrugged. “That’s
okay,” she said. “I can deal with
it. So, are you planning on telling her
the whole truth about the connection between us?”
Nick shrugged. “I dunno,”
he said. “I guess I should tell her
sometime, but I didn’t want to tell her right then.”
Angela nodded. “I
understand,” she said. Then she
chuckled. “I didn’t even mention you to
my dad or Lynn. I just said I was going
to see a movie.”
Nick said nothing, just started the car and pulled out of the
driveway, heading towards the movie theater.
***
