Chapter 5

I walked into the dressing room and leaned against the door frame, smiling at all the commotion going on.  I shook my head as both Leigh and Kristen turned to look at me, annoyance flashing in their eyes.

“I believe you’re in the wrong room, groupie.  Do I need to call…,” Leigh started but Kristen quickly cut her off.

“Wait up Leigh.  Resa?”  I smiled and both girls shrieked and ran to give me a hug.  “Oh my goodness, you look so different!” Kristen exclaimed.

“Good different, right Kristen?” Leigh asked.

“Yeah, Leigh, good different.”

“Yeah, shorter hair, dyed back to black, new clothes, and all thanks to LeighAnne.”  Both girls turned and gave LeighAnne a thumbs up.  “You two are way too much.  But, I had to come in and say hi before I go look around the arena.”

“Sweet, you’re working!” Leigh exclaimed.

“Well, with as much as you shop Leigh, someone has to protect you,” I rolled my eyes as I joked with her on that, letting her know I was joking.

“Can you please not remind me how much she spends!?” Howie called from the other side of the room, causing all of us to laugh. 

“Even with a son, he’s a tight ass!”  Leigh said which sent everyone laughing even harder.

“I work hard for that money, girl!”

“The last time I check, shaking your ass and making little girls scream was not hard work!” retorted Leigh, right back to her husband.  And that whole comment just made Howie shake his head.

“Hey, some of us do more than shake ass here!” AJ chimed in, defending his long time friend.

“Oh, yes, AJ, and let me add humping the floor in your case!” I threw out, earning a glare from AJ.

“Hey, what is going on?” Nick asked, passing me as he entered the room, Terri’s hand entangled with his.  I could feel it; the closeness that was there just seconds ago was shattered as soon as she showed up.  There was a friendship that was had by the Backstreet wives, I suppose you could say, and mistresses just didn’t fill the right spot.  And either she didn’t notice, or she didn’t care.

“Theresa says we don’t work hard.”  Nick glanced over at me, a smirk overtaking his lips, before he looked back at AJ and shrugged in response to his statement.

“That right there gets those poor, helpless females.  That’s what they pay to see!  And I don’t know why!”  I said, laughing all the more.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy.”  I straightened up as one twin ran to clutch onto my leg, quickly followed by the other.

“Okay, tag team partners, what’s up?”

“Big, mean…”  They trailed off as Nick’s bodyguard stepped up.

“Oh, Dave, yes, he’s scary indeed.  But,” I dropped down to their level, the skirt hiking up even more, “he’s a big teddy bear.”

“Hey guys, let’s go play.  Dave is fun to play with,” Baylee said, running up to the room.

“Hey, mini Bri, wait.”  LeighAnne quickly gave Bri a kiss and flew out of the room, following her son.  My kids glanced at me and I nodded, letting them fly after Baylee.

“Go ahead Dave, the guys will be fine and I’m about to take a tour around the arena.”  Dave smiled at me and waved to the guys, before walking after the all too rowdy bunch.

“Aight, you all behave.  Don’t make me take any of you out.”  I smiled as I walked out of the room.

“Hey, wait up for a sec.”  I turned and raised my eyebrow at Nick and at his request.

“Yes, Carter?”  He smiled and damn it, my heart pounded against my chest.

“I owe you a rather huge sorry.”

“Amongst other things,” I muttered.

“You never let anyone slide, huh?”  I chuckled at that.

“I have two five year olds, I can’t let anything slide.  Let’s chalk it up to nerves.  You’re not an asshole to them.”

“And you’re not a bitch, sometimes.”  I shook my head at him and glanced down at the floor.  “Is everything okay with your mom?  Usually she would take them.”

“There are just some problems going on that she has to take care of.  Nothing to worry about.”

“Theresa…”

“Really Nick.  I do gotta go make my rounds.”

“I thought I mentioned I didn’t want you working in that,” he said as he crossed his arms.

“In what?  A skirt?  Heels?”

“A skirt that short that makes your legs do that!”  I had to bite my lip.

“I like the outfit,” I told him.

“I do too.  So does AJ, and I think Howie, and Howie’s married.  But that means other men…”  He stopped his lecture and actually blushed.

“Nick, when you want to be, you’re rather cute.  But I gotta go, for real.”

“Theresa…”  I shrugged and turned to walk away, not letting him finish.  In no way, shape, or form, did that man run my life anymore.  If he didn’t like what I wore, well tough shit on him.  He had his woman, take care of her, that’s how I saw it.  But, damn, that was nice indeed.

~*~*~*

“They’re staying in the hotel for tonight, than heading on the busses tomorrow.  Want to watch a movie with Bri and me?”  I turned my attention from the screaming fans to glance at LeighAnne.

“And who else might be there?”

“AJ.  Possibly Nick.”

“Does that mean Terri?”  I asked LeighAnne, who only shrugged.  “You know that means Terri.”

“Yeah.  Ugh, I wish she wouldn’t come,” she said, letting out an annoyed noise.

“Give her a chance.”

“Why, by the time I do, you’ll be back in your rightful spot.”  I busted out laughing at her comment, causing Leigh and Terri to look in our direction. 

“Nick wants to marry her.”

“What?”

“He told me that,” I offered, along with a shrug.

“And you’ll let him?”

“Did you see what I bought?  No, I don’t plan it on it LeighAnne.  But, there’s a lot you all don’t know.  And as much as I love him, and want him, I’m not sure I can win him back.  I can only change so much.”

“He wanted you to change?”  I shook my head at her question, not wanting to go on when both Leigh and Terri were heading over.

“So, movie night in Bri’s room, right?”  I glanced over at Terri as she asked than at LeighAnne, wanting to laugh.

“Yup,” LeighAnne said with a quick nod.

“Sweet, and Resa, you’re my date right.”  I glanced behind me to see AJ stepping over to our group, having overheard that it was movie night.

“Wait, wait, who said I was going?”

“It’s a tradition and you damn well know it!” AJ said, giving me the side eye.

“Fine, I’ll be there. With my pains in the asses,” I mumbled, but couldn’t quite wipe the grin off my face.

“You can count on my too,” we all glanced at Kristen as she walked up.  “Hey, Mason loves playing with all his cousins.”

“Well, James is acting up, so I think D and I are gonna have to ditch tonight,” Leigh said, giving us all an apologetic look.

“Aww, Leigh, is there anything,” I paused and glanced around “anything we can do to help?”  She laughed, knowing that there was nothing but mothers in this group.

“No, but thank you.  I know where to turn to,” she tossed out over her shoulder as she walked back to her room. 

“Okay, so it’s PJ night.”  I was about to turn when LeighAnne grabbed my arm.  “I want you to wear THAT number,” she told me.

“LeighAnne!”

“He’ll die, please?”  I glanced at Nick who was talking to Terri and had the strongest urge, yet again, to be sexy.