Underneath Her Clothes

Chapter 1: Photograph

I sighed with disgust. Valentine’s Day sucked fat ass. Now, I had Kevin calling me to invite me to a couple’s retreat. A couple’s retreat? I didn’t even have a girlfriend at the time, of course, they didn’t know that. I was too busy having fun touring and dropping panties on the way. We were on a break from doing Backstreet stuff and I was doing my own thing, which was proving to be successful. 
“Come on, Carter.” Tom, my bodyguard called into my trailer.
 
I looked up and gave him a nod. “I’ll be right there.” I hollered back.
 
My mind was working over time trying to figure out who I could ask to take a three-day vacation to a resort with me. It had to be someone who could handle all the questions and jokes of the guys. I was the last one standing without a wife. Not that I was jealous or wished to be married. It just made me feel left out not having anyone.
 
Days like this made me miss Lauren; she had been good to me regardless of what the press and fans ever said. Yes, she was getting a bit superficial, but it was all those bad comments she’d received in the past that made her insecure. Now she was touring the world as a model and even though it had been hard to let each other go, we’d ended it peacefully.
 
I stared at the little black book that sat on my bed. It held the numbers, addresses and names of almost all the girls I had hooked-up with at some point. AJ had gotten me into writing all that shit down to keep record when we were younger. Now, I just did it in case I was in town and they wanted to give it a whirl. Don’t judge me. I’m a single attractive man with a very active sex life.
 
Tom peaked into the trailer again and groaned. “Man…don’t make me go in there and get you. These girls are driving me nuts.”
 
I laughed at Tom, he’s three hundred pounds of muscle and belly and he seems to really despise my fans. It’s probably because they try to hit on him or ask him some of the dumbest questions in the book; like what color of boxers I wear. Although, he should admit he likes all the goodies they bring him.
 
“All right…all right…I’m coming.” Cracking my neck I stood up and took a deep breath to go out and meet up with my fans in Chicago, Illinois. I wondered who would catch my eye tonight and get lucky to spend it with me. Maybe I could take her on the stupid retreat.
 
 
                                                      ~~~~Samantha~~~~
 
I wasn’t a big Nick Carter fan. However, my younger sister and best friend had convinced me to come along. They’d left out the part where they had also purchased VIP passes. I was in no way or form ready to face Nick Carter, again.
 
Yes, I said again. I remember it like it happened yesterday. It was June, 6th 2010 in my hometown Highland Park, Illinois. He was on the ‘This Is Us’ tour and I was ecstatic to be hanging out with him in the same club after the concert.
 
“So what’s your name?” He looked at me with those seductive blue eyes. I couldn’t help but smile at him. I mean, out of all the tables in the club, he’d chosen mine and he was now sitting right next to me so close I could feel the heat of his body against mine.

“Samantha…my friends call me Sam.” I smiled. 

I could tell he was a bit tipsy just by the way he slurred. He looked around the club like he was lost and for a moment I thought he hadn’t really sat down next to me because I caught his eye, but, because it was the first empty seat he could find.

This was all just too surreal for me and I had no one to share it with. My two friends had gone off on the dance floor to get their groove on. I had opted to stay in my little corner where no one could see me. Apparently, I wasn’t as invisible as I was hoping.

“Sam...” He nodded and looked around. “I wanna show you something...” Without another word he slipped his hand into mine and pulled me out of the booth. We were pushing past people, mostly girls. We went up a flight of stairs that were killing my calves and he pushed through a door. It wasn’t till I felt the cool air that I knew we’d come to a stop.

I was hyperventilating and I knew it wasn’t sexy. Automatically it made me very self-conscious all over again. I knew any other sober day I wouldn’t be someone he would find attractive, but right now his beer goggles were making me look like a Victoria’s Secret model and quite frankly, I didn’t give a shit. Nick Carter was digging me tonight and I just might be a really lucky fan.
 
“Earth to Sam!” My sister Ellie waved a hand in my face and I snapped out of it. “Where they hell did you go?”
 
I huffed. “I was just thinking about how much you guys suck. You could have done this without me.” I cringed when I saw the line getting smaller. Nick was posing with an older woman for a picture.
 
He smiled.
 
My stomach flipped.
 
I rummaged into my purse taking out my lip gloss and dabbed a little on my lips. I might have not liked the idea of taking a picture with Nick Carter, I wasn’t about to come out looking hideous. I ran my fingers through my long blonde hair and adjusted whatever was out of place. Yes, that includes the twins.
 
Before I knew it someone was pushing me towards Nick. He was different from the last time I had seen him. He was much thinner and his hair was long and parted in the middle. He was wearing a black shirt and some dark blue jeans with black chucks. He was gorgeous. The woman was telling me something, but I didn’t know what. I turned back to see Melanie and Lorrie all smiles and waving at me.
 
I was panicking.
 
“Hi.” Nick looked at me with his dreamy blue eyes. “How’s it going?”
 
“Fine, thanks. How are you?” I was too nervous to come up with a better question.
 
He narrowed his eyes at me, as if recognition set in. “Do I know you?”
 
I faked a laugh. When he just stared at me like I was crazy, I cleared my throat and nodded. “I don’t think so.” I lied. I really wished he’d remember who the hell I was. Maybe, just maybe, he’d feel a bit ashamed at the way he treated me. But he didn’t say anything he signed the poster in my hand (which wasn't mine) and pulled me close to him. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and he asked me to smile.
 
“Crap!” I heard him say as we tried to stand perfectly still. “I slept with you didn’t I? The coyote girl?”
 
My mouth fell open as I turned to look up at him in shock. There was a flash just as I lunged at him and my reencounter with Nick Carter was forever frozen in time.