CHAPTER TWELVE
 

I was lifting weights trying to forget the pleading look that Michelle had in her eyes as I walked away. I couldn’t determine what was worse the look she gave me when she begged me to listen or the feeling of her eyes on my back as I walked into the elevator. I decided on the way down here that I wasn’t going to talk to her the rest of the tour. AJ can have her and that’s final.

“NICKOLAS GENE CARTER!”

I looked up from the bench to see Liz walking over to me. Her stride towards me told me all I needed to know, she was pissed. I sat up when she got to me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Lifting weights. What does it look like Liz?”

“That is not what I’m talking about!” she said placing her hands on her hips. “How dare you! How could you do that to her after all she’s done to you?!”

I just looked at her my anger rising.

“Do what? She did it to herself.”

The next thing I knew I was laying on the floor with Liz hovering over me, “She didn’t do ANYTHING!”

I sat up and glared at Liz, “Then why was she leaving AJ’s room this morning?”

Liz threw her hands up and looked at me, “You don’t have a clue to what happened last night do you.”

I looked at her and shook my head, “All I knew was that she came back with AJ because she had a headache. You know AJ could have told me about them…”

Liz kneeled down next to me, “Oh my, you have no idea,” she shook her head then looked at me, “Nick, AJ brought her back last night because she was drunk off her ass and Kevin didn’t want her to be alone. AJ got her out of her clothes and into some of his so he could get her to bed because that is what she needed. When she laid down she was out, so I decided we’d just leave her in AJ’s room. He slept on the couch. Nothing happened between the two of them.”

I looked at her skeptically, “Then why didn’t AJ just tell me that last night?”

Liz sighed, “Because you would have freaked out because she got drunk after you two danced. I don’t know what was going through her head so I can’t tell you what she was thinking, but I do know that your friendship means a lot to her and you broke her heart back there by not letting her explain.”

I rubbed my head which was beginning to hurt from where I hit the floor, “Damn, I screwed up.”

Liz nodded, “You have no idea. Don’t expect to be talking to her for a while. Michelle doesn’t get over being hurt easily.”

“What can I do Liz? I don’t want to lose her friendship.”

“Just show her you’re sorry, start by apologizing, and just show her you’re not going anywhere. That’s all I can tell you to do. Oh and if I were you I’d stay away from AJ. You’re not on his good side right now,” she said standing then walking away.

I stood and sat back on the bench watching her walk away wondering how I could make this right.

 * * * *

I woke up to pounding on the door. I groaned and looked at the clock which now read 12. I sighed and got up going to the door and opening it. I groaned when I saw that Mike was standing there with Kevin.

“Morning sunshine,” Mike’s cheery voice said.

I rolled my eyes and walked back into my room knowing that both would follow me into the room. I felt Kevin’s eyes on me the whole time as I climbed back into my bed and threw the covers over my head hoping they would get the point that I didn’t really want to be bothered right now. I felt someone sit on the bed and groaned as I felt a hand reach up and pull the blanket down.

“Michelle what’s wrong?”

I rolled over and looked at Kevin who was the one who sat on my bed.

“Everything. I just want to go home and die. Does that answer you’re question?”

He just looked at me and shook his head at me, “You’re not going anywhere. We found that statue so looks like you’re joining us on the rest of our tour,” he said smiling at me.

I sighed, if it had been yesterday I would have jumped at the chance to join them but now that Nick was mad at me I didn’t find the idea to appealing.

“Michelle we have to have a meeting in a few hours. We have to address your dancers, your backup singers, and there is an upcoming event that your presence is requested at that we need to discuss.”

I looked at Mike and nodded, “Fine, I’ll be in the hotel conference room in an hour. Is that ok?”

Mike nodded and stood, “Sounds fine to me. I’ll see you then. I’m going to go tell everyone else,” he said heading out of my room.

I rolled onto my back and groaned, wondering how everything could move so fast.

“Michelle what exactly happened? I know that something happened this morning because you’re not your normal cheery self.”

I looked at Kevin, “I haven’t been my normal self in years. Why do you think my career is so good right now? I spend all my time focusing on it and not on me.”

Kevin just looked at me trying to figure out what happened.

“Let’s just say I had a nice run in with Nick this morning and he thinks I slept with AJ, which we both know is not true.”

Kevin looked at me in shock not knowing what to say.

“Don’t worry about it Kev, I’ll survive, I always do.”

“I can’t believe he didn’t even let you explain. I’m sorry Michelle,” he said pulling me into a hug.

I hugged him back feeling the tears sting the back of my eyes. “Don’t worry about it Kevy, it’s his lost.”

Kev rubbed his hand up and down my back and I knew he was thinking there was something more which there was but I wasn’t ready to let them know about my past, at least not yet.

~One Hour Later~

I sat in the conference room of the hotel waiting for Mike to finish rounding up my crew. A few minutes after Kevin left I took a shower and got dressed, put on a little make-up and headed down here.

“I think we’re all ready,” I heard Mike say as he walked into the room with the rest of my crew following him.

“Michelle what is going on?!”

I looked at Jessie who didn’t seem to happy.

“I guess I’ll start,” I said standing and looking at everyone that was either standing or sitting in the room, “We are joining the BSB for the rest of their tour. They were really impressed by my performance and asked if I’d join. I said yes.”

“WHAT! This is OUR VACATION!” Jessie said anger apparent in her voice.

“Jessie this is why we’re having this meeting, if any of you don’t want to do the tour I need to know now.”

“Well I sure don’t want to.” Jessie said crossing her arms over her chest.

“Fine, you’re free to go,” I looked at Mike, “Go find Liz,” I returned my attention to every one else, “Anyone else?”

Everybody else shook their heads no.

“You’re just going to replace me? Just like that?”

I looked at Jessie, “I don’t have a choice, you’re off the tour and I now have to find someone else. I’m sorry to lose you but you made it clear you don’t want to do it and the way I see it is this is my career, you guys help me, I call the shots and ok them with you. You guys have a choice to be here, you made it clear you don’t want to be. Therefore, I’ll call you later on if I have room for you again. You’re free to go, and I’m sorry it came to this.”

She just looked at everyone who was nodding supporting me. She groaned, got up and walked out of the room. I sat back down and put my head in my hands.

“Michelle you did the right thing. This is your career; we’re all just here for the ride.”

I looked at Johnny who was my drummer and smiled, “Thanks Johnny.”

I looked at everyone else who was nodding in agreement with him.

“Well on the 20^th we’ve been asked to perform in New York City for a benefit concert. I said we’d do that too. It’s for a really good cause.”

Everyone nodded agreeing with what all I had to tell them. Mike finally walked in with Liz. I briefed her on what was going on and she jumped at the idea of singing backup for me. Everything was now complete. Mike finished the meeting and I left knowing that he was just going to summarize up what I said and then would come to me with it all. I walked back to my room and got dressed deciding that I wanted a little work out before we got on the buses for our next stop. Liz joined me so we could talk about what she was going to have to do on tour.