Chapter 9
Staring Problem
::Two Weeks Later::
“So I’m about to board the plane.”
“Ok.”
“I’ll call you when it lands, in LA ok?”
“Ok Nick.”
“Bye Madison.”
“Bye.” Madison replied as she hung up her phone. She looked around her hotel room as butterflies began to grow in her stomach just thinking about Nick coming to see her. Needless to say she was nervous.
“What about this one?” Tony asked picking up a purple dress.
“I hate purple, I want a dark color.”
Tony nodded as he walked off in search of the perfect dress for Madison to wear on her date with Nick that next night.
Madison continued to look at the dresses when she saw a girl walk out of the dressing room in a bright red dress. She was tall and very slender the dress just clung to her every curve. She looked amazing in that dress, Madison couldn’t help but stare at the girl and secretly wish that was her. The girl looked at Madison oddly; Madison smiled and continued to look at the dresses but she couldn’t help her eyes from wandering back to the girl as she twirled around in front of the mirror.
“That dress would look dynamite on you.” Tony said as he walked up behind Madison.
“Doubt it.” Madison replied as she began to look at the dresses again, stealing glances at the girl still.
“Why do you say that?” Tony asked as he put his hands on his hips.
Madison just shrugged as she continued to look through the dresses.
Tony looked at Madison and watched her steal another few glances at the girl until she walked back into the dressing room. He shook his head and proceeded to look at the dresses.
“Oh my god girl I found the perfect dress.” He said as he pulled the charcoal colored dress off the rack and held it up for Madison to see.
Madison looked at the dress and shrugged.
“Go try it on.” Tony said as he pushed her towards the dressing room.
“I don’t have any shoes.”
“Hold on give me a second.” Tony said as he handed her the dress and then ran off to the shoes. She shook her head laughing as she looked at the silk dress.
“Ok, here are some shoes.” Tony said out of breath.
“I hate stilettos they hurt my feet.” Madison said as she looked at the shoes.
“Take them, it hurts to be beautiful.” He replied pushing her in the room with the dress and shoes.
Madison walked into the dressing room still staring at the dress in awe, it was gorgeous. She quickly changed out of her clothes and put the dress on. She sat down and put the shoes on and then stood up and turned around to look at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t help but stare and admit that she looked good. The asymmetrical dress was long with a long slit up to her thigh and had ruffles on the straps and at the bottom. It was low cut in the front, just enough to still look classy versus slutty and it also showed off a lot of her back.
“Madison come on.” Tony whined from outside the dressing room.
Madison rolled her eyes as she looked at herself one more time and then walked out of the dressing room.
Tony stood there with his mouth hanging open slightly and his eyes wide. “Oh… my… god.”
“What?” Madison asked, feeling like she looked bad all of a sudden, as she looked down.
“I swear to god if I didn’t like boys I’d want you so bad right now.”
Madison looked at him like he was crazy. “How can you say that? I’m always confused when you say I’m hot and shit because you like boys.”
“I may like boys but I can still tell if you look good or not, duh.”
Madison started to laugh as she walked over to the big mirror and just stared at herself smiling. She looked up and saw two guys walk by her staring intently at her until she was out of view.
“I don’t think I can take this off.” Madison said as she turned around to look at Tony.
“Why is that?”
“Because I look good, this is the first time in a long time when I’ve looked into the mirror and not been totally appalled by my appearance.” She said as she twirled around a little laughing.
“I’m glad to see you like this.”
“Yeah, but as soon as I see Nick it’ll all be gone. I’m going be nervous and uncomfortable.”
Tony shook his head and pointed at her.
“Yeah yeah.” Madison replied waving her hand at Tony before she walked back into the dressing room.
Madison sat in her hotel room the next night fidgeting uncontrollably while she waited for Nick. She smoothed the bottom of her dress for the tenth time in twenty minutes; she wanted to look perfect for him.
She was headed back into the bathroom to make sure her make up and hair looked ok when Nick knocked on the door. She stopped dead in her tracks and just stood there for a minute. After taking a few deep breaths she slowly made her way to the door.
One more deep breath and she opened the door to see Nick leaning against the door frame. He stood up straight when he saw her immediately smiling as he looked her up and down. Madison was doing the same to him; he was wearing black dress pants and semi tight shirt with his hair spiked.
Their eyes met and Nick smiled his Carter smile at her and she could feel her knees growing weak.
“You look amazing.” He said a little above a whisper.
She just smiled and nodded, not quite trusting her voice at this point.
“Shall we?” Nick asked as he stuck his arm out for her. She linked hers in his and closed the door as they started to walk down the hall.
The whole ride to the restaurant Madison couldn’t help but stare at Nick. She hadn’t grasped the fact that she was on a date with him, he wanted to be with her. She still didn’t understand it. The only time Madison looked away from Nick was when he looked at her; she would turn away embarrass for staring at him Nick would just laugh lightly and turn the other way as well.
“We’re here.” Nick said as the car stopped and then he got out. He ran to the other side of the car and helped Madison out; she smiled at him as they walked into the restaurant.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to this nice of a restaurant before.” Madison said as they took their seats.
“Really?”
Madison nodded as the waitress came up to the table. Nick grinned at her and she grinned back. Madison instantly became jealous and she gave the waitress a dirty look when she looked at her. They ordered their drinks and then Madison watched the waitress walk off wishing she was as small as her. She continued to stare at her until she was out of view; the waitress had looked back one time and then quickly turned back around. Madison laughed to herself she figured she scared her or something.
“Madison?”
Snapping back to reality Madison looked back at Nick. “Oh, yeah what?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Uh… no.”
“I asked if you knew what you wanted.”
“Uh… this is in French. I don’t know French.”
Nick laughed and said, “What do you like?”
“Anything.” Madison said shrugging.
“Ok I’ll just order for you alright?”
Madison shrugged and said, “Sure why not.”
Nick smiled at her and said, “Ok then.”
“Ok, well I’m going to go to the restroom.” Madison said as she stood up and walked off. She felt Nick watching so she had to be more careful and pay more attention to walking.
When Madison got back to the table the waitress was giggling at something Nick had said more than likely and Nick continued to give her that mesmerizing Carter smile. Madison sucked in her stomach some more as she sat down making sure she sat up straight. Nick finished ordering and watched the waitress walk off as well as Madison. She couldn’t help the sick feeling that was in her stomach, she was jealous of that girl. Yet, she was the one on a date with Nick.
Nick looked back at Madison smiling and Madison felt the butterflies get even bigger. “So?”
Madison looked around and then back at him. “So.” She replied laughing a little.
“I’m not sure if I told you or not but your concert the other was off the hook, you are awesome up there.”
Madison smiled and said, “Thanks, the stage is the only place I feel comfortable.” She silently cursed at herself for saying that after she saw Nick’s reaction.
“What do you mean?” He asked puzzled.
Madison looked around and then back at him. “Nothing.” She said as she saw the waitress coming with their food.
Nick brushed it off as they started to eat.
“Oh my god I’m so full.” Nick said as he leaned back in his chair.
Madison nodded as she took a drink of her water.
They sat there a little longer talking every once and a while. Madison was starting to feel even more nervous now that the night was almost over. It scared her to think about what could and might happen.
They got up and headed outside to wait for the car to come around when a few fans spotted Nick and ran over to him asking for an autograph. He obliged and let go of Madison’s hand to sign a few until their car got there.
A couple of the fans eyed Madison suspiciously but didn’t say anything, but their looks were enough to make Madison sick to her stomach. She crossed one of her arms over her stomach as she sucked it in some more. As a few more fans started to look at her she began to look around for the car, silently praying it was going to pull up any minute.
Finally their car was there, Nick told the fans he had to go and then grabbed Madison’s hand again but she pulled back from him because the fans were still watching. Nick looked at her oddly and then opened the door for her to get in and then he walked over to the other side of the car and got in and they drove off.
The rest of the ride was in silence.
“Nick you didn’t have to walk me up to my hotel room.” Madison said as they reached her room.
“Well what kind of date would I be if I just dropped you off?” Nick asked grinning at her.
She looked down blushing again and shrugged. Nick grinned wider; he loved the affect he had on her.
“I had a really nice time Madison; hopefully we’ll be able to go out again.”
“Maybe.” She replied shrugging.
Nick laughed. “Ok then.” He replied and then he looked at her with a more serious face.
Madison saw his face soften and she knew what was going to happen next and that made her even more nervous than she had been all night long. She took a deep breath as he smiled his little half smile at her and put his hand on the wall behind her and began to lean closer into her.
As much as she wanted to run away at that point she was also excited, she had only kissed two guys in her whole life, and those were just pecks. It was all in slow motion to her; his face was inches from hers and then she closed her eyes and started to move in to meet his lips.
Nick moved his hands to her face as he deepened the kiss slightly; at first Madison wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do but after a minute she just started mimicking what Nick was doing with his lips and it seemed to be working for her. Nick pulled away from her and looked at her as she stood there with her eyes closed still smiling. She sighed and opened her eyes and looked at him.
“I have to go, I’ll call you.” Nick said gave her another quick kiss and walked off leaving her standing there smiling still.