Nick of course looked perfect.  He was every inch the teenage pin-up the press had pegged him out to be at the very beginning.  Each piece of hair was perfectly in place. His clothes, as usual were impeccable.  And of course he still had the same expression on his face from their last encounter.  He was smiling.  His eyes were twinkling.  Aliesa blinked and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. 

What deceit!  Everyone in the room probably thought that glow he had was because he was happy to see her.  Aliesa knew the truth.  He wasn’t.  He just liked to see her squirm under pressure. 

Just PERFECT.  He had to come in now.  With the press in the room!

“Nick!” Aliesa cried out happily, her acting skills in full swing as she jumped up from her place on the sofa and ran across the room towards him.  She quickly was enveloped in his embrace.  His arms tightened around her waist as her own wrapped around his neck.

“Bastard,” she whispered in his ear as she leaned in towards him, pressing her face against his shoulder. 

“Shrew,” he retorted as he hugged her closer to him.

“Don’t even think about using tongue,” she hissed threw clenched teethed, as she smiled adoringly at him, pulling away slightly, pressing her hands against his chest.

“I’d rather eat dirt,” he murmured back gazing down at her, before leaning in and brushing his lips against hers.

     To everyone else it appeared to be a happy reunion between the pair.  But in fact, it was the complete opposite.  Since that horrible morning in Las Vegas the two couldn’t stand the sight of each other.  In the end, it probably had more to do with the fact that they had no control over the situation and the other was a constant reminder of it.  But mostly their despise for one another went deeper than that.  It all had to do with their own emotional reasons, ones that neither had voiced to each other nor outloud.
     Aliesa was the first to pull away.  She eyed him with contempt as he smiled back down at her with distaste, their bodies still pressed close together.  She wanted to wipe the smug look off his face.  She wanted to take her hand and wipe any trace of him off her lips.  But instead knowing what she had to do, she just removed herself from his arms, intertwined her hands through his, and led him to the other people in the room.

“Remember to not be a jerk,” she mumbled as they made their way towards the sofa.

“Remember to not be a witch,” he whispered into her ear, before gracing her cheek with a kiss as they sat down. 

“Sorry Jeanne!  I knew you told me to wait in the other room,” Nick said apologetically at the beaming older woman standing in front of the pair.

“No need for apologizes!” Jeanne gushed. 

     Aliesa fought the urge to not roll her eyes.  Jeanne loved Nick, this Aliesa knew with no doubt.  Jeanne thought the man in her own words was “the sweetest thing ever”.  What a gentleman!  What a great catch!  He was so talented!  He was so handsome!  And best of all, he made Aliesa forget about Christian!  No more moping in heartbreak!  In Jeanne’s book this was the part that mattered.  Because of the love emanating from this human being, Aliesa the singer was back and functioning.  Jeanne adored Nick for it.  Aliesa could only imagine that if she could Jeanne would have given her first born child to Nick based on that fact alone. 
     Aliesa looked on as Nick gave Jeanne his 1000 watt smile.  Classic.  Aliesa wanted to gag.  She forgoed that reaction and instead she moved herself closer to him.   She felt him tense up a little bit at her sudden need to be next to him.  Their eyes met.  Understanding passed quickly between the two, and attention was turned towards the reason why the charade was going on in the first place: the press.

“Josephine, I’m sure you already know Nick,” Aliesa said warmly, turning towards the reporter, her free hand pressing against Nick’s shoulder.  Nick’s own arm was draped across her legs.

“Of course!  Glad to see you again,” Josephine smiled.

“I hope you don’t mind me intruding on the interview.  But I just couldn’t wait another minute to see Ali,” Nick said as his thumb grazed the top of Aliesa’s hand, rubbing back and forth in a loving gesture.

Aliesa cringed a bit at the use of the nickname.  She hated that he called her Ali.  It made their relationship seem more intimate than it actually was.  She squeezed their intertwined hands hard making her displeasure known.  When he turned and looked at her after, gritting his teeth at the small pain through his fixed smile, she let out her first genuine grin of the day.

“No, not at all.  I can understand.  You are newlyweds!  Actually, I’m basically finished here.  I’ll leave you two alone to catch up.  Thanks so much for your time Aliesa.  It was good to see you Nick.  I’ll see you both at the press conference this afternoon,” Josephine remarked as she gathered her things and shook their hands.  Aliesa and Nick looked on as Jeanne quickly came up by Josephine’s side and showed her out of the room.  As soon as the door closed the two broke apart and pushed themselves to opposite ends of the sofa.

“You’re early,” Aliesa spat out.

“Unfortunately,” Nick replied bitterly rubbing his fingers against his temple.

Aliesa let out a repressed sigh.  “Do you have to call me Ali in front of people?”

“Do you have to drag me around like I’m a puppy?”

“I was only playing the part of the happy wife!”

“Well I was the adoring husband!”

“How long are you going to be here?”

“A week.”

“A WEEK!”

“Don’t think I’m happy about it either!  This is the first time off I’ve had in a year and this is the last place I want to be right now.  I’d be home in Florida if I had my way, but unfortunately Shannon pointed out that it wouldn’t look particularly good with my new wife on the other side of the country,” Nick proclaimed running his hand through his hair. 

“God!” Aliesa cried out exasperatedly.  “How can I take a week with you!  I can’t even be in the same vicinity without wanting to slap you, let alone occupy the same room for more than twenty-four hours!”

“Makes you wonder how we lasted in that hotel room in Las Vegas doesn’t it?”

“We were drunk and YOU took advantage of me!”

“I don’t think you needed that much convincing!”

“Well you know what?  You mustn’t have been very good because I don’t remember a damn thing.”

“Well I must have been good enough ALI because you married me didn’t you?” Nick said calmly, his eyes narrowing at her.

“ME!  Not the other way around!  You married ME!” Aliesa countered.  “And don’t call me ALI!”

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it at the sudden sound of the door being opened.  The two quickly eyed each other in a panic and then the sofa.  It took less than a second for Nick to grab Aliesa as they fell back against it.

“Don’t think I enjoy this AT ALL!” she mumbled against his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck as his body laid on top of hers.

“As if I am!” he whispered as he buried his head against her neck.

“Sorry to bother you two love birds…” a voice called out.

Nick and Aliesa both instantly relaxed.  It had been close.

“Shannon!  Thank goodness it’s you!” Aliesa cried as she pushed Nick off her. 

“I hate to cut this heartfelt reunion short,” Shannon began dryly looking over the two people in front of her.  “But we’ve got to make the press conference in an hour and a half and I have stuff to go over with the both of you,” she continued ignoring the disapproving glances eminating from the pair as she whipped out a set of papers and placed them on the coffee table.  “Welcome to the wonderful world of popstar marital bliss!”

Chapter 4
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