Mistletoe Mishaps; Secret Of The Tinsle

[orlyscaligrl]

Chapter 1

Jessica Simpson, Claire Richards, and Sarah Gomez were part of a multi-platinum pop girl group, Hearts of Harmony. Their 1st album, Deeper Meaning went double platinum in two months and debut at number one on the Billboard Charts. Their single, "Like a Rose" stayed at number one for five weeks. Their other two singles, "Borrowed Heaven" and "Love Is Beautiful" stayed permanently at the top 10. They were managed by Claire's husband, Mark and their stylist was Jessica's mom, Tina.



The girls tend to serve as role models for their fans unlike their fellow pop. Also, unlike their fellow pop stars, they were not dance-orientated. They did not even have back-up dancers. They were more of the type of singers that sat down by the piano or guitar and belt out their vocal cords either instrumentally or on acappala. The girls just released their Christmas album, A Harmonious Christmas and were going on a Christmas tour. Fortunately, their tour ended a few days before Christmas, so that they could spend the holidays with their families.



They were all lounging at Claire and Mark's house in LA just a week before the tour.



"I'm really glad that the tour would be over by Christmas," Sarah said.



"Yeah me too," Jessica agreed. "Then I can go back to Texas and spend time with my family."



"There's nothing like spending Christmas with your family," Claire agreed. Then Mark walked in from his office.



"Hey girls," Mark greeted.



"Hey honey, what's up?" Claire asked. Mark sat down next to Claire on the love seat.



"Well, I want to talk to you girls about the tour," Mark said.



"Will it go over Christmas?" Sarah asked alarmed.



"No, no, I wanted to tell you that I found you an opening act for the tour.” Mark announced.



“It's a new artist I'm managing. His name is Nick Lachey. He is an upcoming male artist and has released his 1st single, "Shut Up." It's slowly being picked up by radio stations, so I thought he should go on tour with you guys. That way, he'll get more publicity," Mark explained. "His album is due in January of next year."



"Hmm, sounds great," Claire said.



"Here's his music video so you girls can get an insight on him," Mark said, while turning on the TV and VCR and placing the video in it.



The movie showed an incredibly sexy man with a great build and tasteful tattoos on his body. He was being pranced around by four or five girls dressed in barley there outfits, while his lips moved to the best singing his song "Shut Up.” He had the most beautiful blue eyes and the most seductive smile and obvious charm. Both Sarah and Claire were putty on the floor, staring in amazement by his hot body. Jessica, on the other hand, was not impressed.



Sarah crawled over to the TV and was the first to speak, “Isn't he dreamy?”



Jessica scoffed and picked up her near by pillow and tossed it at the ditz in the group's head. “Stop tonguing the TV, don’t you have a boyfriend?” She teased.



Sarah pouted, “Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't have eyes. I know a hottie when I see one, and this one tops the cake. What, don't you think he's Cute?”



Jessica took a minute to stare at the handsome performer before her. Sure he was cute and a good singer, but she new his type. They were all the same. “I don't like him, he's too [friend]y, and look at those tattoos, he'll give us a bad rep.”



Claire rolled her eyes, “You are insufferable.”



Sarah continued to watch the music video.



Mark noted the tension in the room between Jessica and the TV and thought it was the best time to inform them about his plans, “I've set up a meeting with him for this Friday at the Olive Garden. Then on Saturday, you girls are to go to the studio, get some practice in before you leave on Monday, and maybe listen to a few of his songs. Take some time to get to know him Jess, before you judge him, you may even grow to like him.”



Claire cut in, “Jessica, he's a real great singer, listen at how he hits the high and low notes; this is the missing link that we need to make our tour the best.



Sarah joined in the argument, “…and aren't you the one in the group known for being so understanding and nonjudgmental? Don't let all those girls out there that look up to down… They don't call us Hearts of Harmony for nothing you know.”



This was the breaking in the ice, all three blondes were on the floor laughing, and the feud was forgotten.

[LovingAngels07]

hey all LovingAngles07 here... I'd like to point out that this fic will be co-written between me (Ashley) and Iyleen, I hope you enjoy it and We both wish you a Merry post-Xmas...lol

expect the next chapter up soon after turkey day...

[orlyscaligrl]

Here's chapter 2. please review!
Chapter 2
Friday had come quickly, a little too soon, if you asked Jessica. Sarah and Claire were on their way to her apartment to pick her up and take her to meet their new addition to the tour at the Olive Garden. Mark went ahead after work to make sure things were running smoothly.



Jessica was sifting through her closet, looking for the perfect dress, when she heard a light knock at the door. Thinking it was Claire and Sarah, Jessica sighed in relief, they’d pick her out something fabulous to wear, not that she was trying to impress anybody.



Opening the door without a care in the world, except what she would be wearing that night, Jessica was certainly surprised to find a tall, dark, and handsome Nick Lachey standing on her door step.



Jess slammed the door shut, and leaned against it, her heat beating widely in her chest. What was he doing here? She groaned inwardly. Running a hand threw her wet tangles; she opened the door once more.



Nick on the other side, was shocked. Mark had called him earlier that day and asked if her could pick up Jessica, he had told him that she wasn’t warming up to the idea of him and thought that it would be a great opportunity to sit alone and get to know each other without distractions. Sure… no distraction, except the fact that he saw the famous and virtuous singer nearly naked. Willing his mind to get the image out of his head, Nick closed his eyes. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, no far from it, but he didn’t think it would help to get on her good side if he was thinking about what was under that small towel.



A harsh winter wind blew past Nick, bringing him back to reality. He pulled his black coat closer to his rock chiseled body. He was dressed in a simple but elegant white dress shirt with black slacks and a matching ebony coat. His hair had his signature spikes and his eyes were as clear and beautiful as ever. He looked delectable, good enough to eat.



Looking up at the creaking sound a door opening, he saw the tiny blonde creature poking her head out.



She looked slightly embarr[arse]ed, but held her head high as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “I wasn’t expecting you; I thought you were Sarah and Claire.”



Nick hoped he hadn’t blown his chances of getting on her good side; he didn’t want tension during the tour. “I am sorry, but Mark asked me to come pick you up. I hope that isn’t a problem.”



Opening the door wider to allow him in, she answered, “Sure, no problem,” she sighed. She didn’t want to be alone with him, but thoughts of the conversation between her and her friends earlier that week floated to her head, “Please come in, I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”



Nick wiped his shoes on the welcome mat, and welcomed the warmth the apartment had to offer. He gave her, her privacy by glancing in another direction as she walked swiftly to her room and shut the door.



Jessica pulled out outfit by outfit, throwing each and every one on to the floor in m[arse]ive heaps. Four piles of clothing later, she found a suitable red [friend]tail dress with a beautiful sash tied in a nice bow at the small of her back. Jess blew dried her hair and tied a miniature sized bow in to it, and applied little makeup. Grabbing her purity ring off the bedside table, and putting on some silver hoops, throwing a few necessities into her black beaded clutch, Jess came out hopping on one foot, putting her two inch heels on. She hobbled into the living room to find Nick running his fingers over her CD collection. Quickly placing her other heel on, she walked over to him.



Nick was startled at the sound of Jess clearing her throat, and turned around sheepishly. He was thrown back at the sight before him.



Shaking the feeling off, he stuck out his hand, “We weren’t properly introduced, my name is Nick Lachey, I’m the new opening act for your Christmas tour.”



Jessica stared at his had for a second and saw that there was no wedding ring, ‘but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a girlfriend,’ a tiny voice going off in her head snickered.



“Jessica Simpson, one third of Hearts of Harmony,” she replied as she gave him her hand. A jolt of electricity flew through their touched hands, causing Jess to shiver from the contact. She wondered if her felt that. Indeed he did, but neither said anything.



A moment of awkward silence loomed over them, until Nick coughed, “Are you ready to go? Mark and the others should be waiting for us.”



“Yes, just let me grab my shawl,” Backing up towards the closet, with the tingling sensation still numbing her hand, Jess went to her hall closet and pulled out a one-of-a-kind midnight black silk shawl. She had gotten this shawl on a photo shoot in London. The photographer fell in love with the charming three, especially Jessica. They were shooting for the London magazine equal of US Weekly, Erou Zine, when he noted how much the shortest one, Jessica, enjoyed the shawl, and allowed her to take it home in exchange for an autograph for his granddaughter.



Placing the silky substance around he shoulders, she walked over to the door, “Lead the way.”



Leading her to his forest green BMW, Nick opened her side of the car door, and waited till she was safely tucked away inside before closing it. Jogging to his side, he buckled up and started the engine. When it roared to life, Nicholas pulled out of the apartment complex and got on to the freeway.



The Olive Garden was a good 30 minute drive away, so Nick tried to strike up a conversation with the obviously not interested woman at his side, “I hear that two of your songs stayed on the charts for a while now, I haven’t actually heard them yet, but they must be great."



Still looking out the window, watching the buildings zoom p[arse], Jessica answered him, “Yes, the girls and I are very excited about it. We were really surprised to say the least. We didn’t expect the kind of response to our songs as we got,” Jessica turned to face him, and continued, she was actually getting into the conversation. “Hearts of Harmony is a girl group based on our singing and not our looks; we didn’t want to have a Britney Spears take on it. Sexing it up was defiantly not on the menu, so finding a wardrobe personal was very difficult, that’s when we called in my mother, she has great taste, and she knew how to dress us up without showing to much. We wanted to be role models for everyone who was looking for a hero in their life. We want people to actually listen to our music and not be distracted by flesh or dirty dancing, so we decided to sing along with pianos and guitars and nix dancing all together. The critics say that sex sells, and maybe it does, but so do morals, and that works for us.” Taking a second to catch her breath, Jessica looked of to Nick and blushed; she was talking way to much “I am really excited about this tour.”



Nicholas looked over to her and caught her eyes, he glanced at her a few times during her heated speech, and he could feel how strongly she felt. She was such an amazing person. “Me too, I really hope that this tour will give me the lift that I need to make it on my own. This actually gives unexpecting people the chance to hear me out, it’s great publicity.”



Jessica was outraged, he was using them to get famous, sure Mark had told her this on Monday, but it never registered until now. “Yeah, tons of publicity,” raising her voice, she went on, “you going off and singing songs like “Shut Up” is going to ruin what Hearts of Harmony took so long to build…”



Jessica was cut off in the middle of her rant by the sound of hissing tires.



Nick silently cursed and quickly pulled over to the side of the road. Dust flew everywhere.



“Great!” Jessica crossed her arms and sat back. They had gotten off on a deserted road about five miles back, and they were still 15 miles away from the restaurant.



Nick threw back his head in frustration. Things were going great until he had opened his mouth and said that the tour would bring him some fame. But what was to be expected? Why was she taking that simple known fact badly?



Slamming his hands on the stirring wheel, Nick got out of the car and checked the tire. Not only was it a flat tire, but it was two flat tires. Both were riding the rims. He had only one spare. Rolling up his sleeves, he walked back to his side of the care and popped open the trunk. His spare was no where to be seen. That’s when he remembered he used it about five months back. Closing the trunk, Nick went back to sit with Jessica. Pulling his door shut, he blasted the heat. It was freezing out there. Blowing into his hands, he snatched his cell phone from his coat pocket, and dialed the operator.



“Just my luck, no signal,” Nick sighed and shut his phone.



Jessica looked out the window, and saw shadows dancing on the road, she laughed at the irony of the situation, “Any suggestion as what to do Mr. Publicity boy?” Sarcasm was dripping from her sugar coated voice.



Getting frustrated at her, Nick yelled, “What’s with you? First I am told by Mark that you don’t like me, and now you’re getting all prissy about me saying that this tour holds great opportunities?” Calming down a bit, he lowered his voice, “I may sing “Shut Up,” but that doesn’t mean that I am going to ruin you by being there, I have morals too. I am sorry that we may not see eye to eye.”



Ten minutes p[arse]ed, before either one spoke again.



Nick gazed down at his Rolex, they were fifteen minutes late. “I am going to walk up the street and see if there is a pay phone near by. Do you want to come? You never know what might be out this late.”



Jessica was about to protest, when she saw the flickering light of the lamp post go out. “Umm yeah.”



The hike was a long and dark one. Every second made Jess jump in fear, it was quite cute actually. Nick wanted to get her mind off the current situation. “Look, I am sorry if I offended you, can we start over?”



Rubbing her arms, trying to fend off the chills the wind sent her way, Jessica nodded, “Alright.” Stopping, she stuck out her hand, “Hi my name is Jessica.”



Nick smiled and shook it, again feeling the slight jolt of electricity race past, “I’m Nick.”



They fell into a comfortable conversation, with both avoiding sensitive subjects, neither wanting to upset the other. Though Nicholas didn’t understand why she disliked him so much.



“Look,” Jessica said excitedly, “there’s a diner up ahead.” Her sweet sing-song voice pulled him out of his revere. “Want to grab a bite to eat?”



“Sure.”



Nick held the door open and followed by closely after noting the burlesque bikers that occupied the run down diner. Going up to the counter, Nick asked if there was a phone he could use to call a cab. The waitress pointed over to the corner. Making his way, zigzagging through the tables, he dug out change for the phone.



Jessica stayed at the counter and waited till he was finished. Looking over the menu, she felt a cold hand brush across her arm. Swirling around, she came in contact with one of the meanest looking bikers there.



“Hey there pretty lady, wanna ditch this place and have some real fun?” The biker wiggled his eyes brows at her suggestively.



Smiling at the man, with a hint of fear behind her eyes, she gentle said no.



“Aww come on hun…”



Nick hung up the phone and saw that Jess was being perused by the ugliest man he’s ever seen. He strode over to her and wrapped his muscular arms around, “Hey babe, the tow trucks on their way, ready to leave?”



Jessica smiled up at Nick, her eyes saying a silent thank you, “Yea.”



Nick took her hand in his, and the static rose up again.



Arriving at the green BMW, Nick saw that Jessica was turning blue; he shoved off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.





Hugging the jacket closely, sniffing the cologne that attacked her nostrils, she sighed in contentment. “I wanna thank you for back there.”



Nicholas smiled at her softly; she came up to maybe an inch above his shoulders, “No problem.” Getting back into the car, the turned on the radio, and waited for the tow truck. The tow truck soon arrived and managed to drive both Nick and Jessica to the Olive Garden. After arriving at the restaurant, the mechanic told Nick to pick up the car later on that night and gave him, his address to the shop. They walked into the restaurant and spotted Mark and the girls.



"Sorry we're late, we had car problems," Nick apologized.



"That's ok. We just ordered our drinks," Mark said with smile. "Nick this is my wife, Claire and this is Sarah Gomez." Both Claire and Sarah shook his hands warningly and gave him a bright smile. Nick found them friendlier than their counter part Jess.



"It's nice to meet you Nick," Claire said.



"Nice to meet you too."



Jessica sat down next to Sarah, while Nick sat down next to Mark.



Mark signaled the waiter over and they both ordered their drinks. Later they all ordered their meals.



"So Nick, tell us a little about you," Sarah asked.



"Um, well I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. I went to the Cincinnati School of Performing Arts. They didn’t have a sports department, so I was never offered the chance to play, though I was very interested in them. So I was in the choir and did a lot of musical shows. I also played the saxophone," Nick explained.



"Oh, can you still play?" Claire said excitedly.



"Not really," Nick said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "After graduation, I was thinking about a music career so I sent some demo tapes out to record labels. In the meantime, I went to Miami University majoring in sports medicine. A few months later, I got a call from Universal Records and they said they were interested in signing me on to their label. So I dropped out of college and well, here I am."



“Sounds interesting, you excited about going on tour with us?" Sarah asked.



"Yes, very. Hopefully people will pick up my music," Nick said.



"I'm sure they will," Mark said.



Their food arrived shortly after the Q&A and they moved on to more serious talk. Jessica wasn’t interested in anything he had to say, and kept herself busy by playing with her food. Claire and Sarah wondered why. Later the girls excused themselves from the table and headed to the bathroom.



"So what do you think of Nick?" Sarah asked as they reapplied their make-up.



"I think he's a pretty nice guy," Claire responded. "What do you think Jessica?"



“He's ok," Jessica replied in a boring tone.



"Just ok?" Claire questioned.



"Well I personally think he's using our tour for publicity," Jessica said as she slapped her hands down onto the counter.



"Um, duh Jess. That's why Mark asked him to be join us," Claire said.



"I know, but I feel that he'll ruin it. I also think that he wants to be in this business because of girls and money. Pretty soon all the girls will lose sight of the music and flock to him just like all the other artists. We were different," Jessica said briskly.



Claire and Sarah looked at each other weirdly.



"Did something happen on the drive here?" Sarah asked.



"Well, I heard a knock on the door, and I thought it was you guys, so I opened the door in my," Jessica said.



"We’re sorry we didn’t show up Jess, but Mark thought it would be better if you had more time to know him. We were going to call you, but you already left," Claire interrupted.



“Let her finish her story, go on Jess,” Sarah saw potential in these two, and wanted to find out more.



"Then I explained about our group. He said he was excited about opening up for us saying it will give him a lot of publicity and I kind of overreacted and ranted on him. Then we ended up with two popped tires. He had no service with his cell phone. I was already in a bad mood so I went off on him again and I guess he got fed up and yelled back. we apologized and said sorry..." Jessica finished.



Claire and Sarah did not interrupt this time but were not surprised.



"Well it looks to me you need to get to know him better Jessica and you kind of lost your temper," Sarah said. "It was not really his fault." Jessica sighed.



"Yeah I guess you are right," she agreed.



"Maybe he only has one song like 'Shut Up'. Maybe we should watch him rehearse tomorrow and listen hear him out like Mark suggested," Claire asked.



"Yeah," Sarah agreed.



Jessica sighed; they finished with their makeup and walked back to the men awaiting them.



"This time, be more conversational," Sarah told Jessica. Jessica just nodded. They went back to the table and continued on talking with Mark and Nick. Jessica shared a few choice words here and there, and they at the end other their dinner, Mark and Claire gave Nick a ride to Mike’s Auto parts while Sarah took Jessica home.

[babyblue30]

Awesome update! I hope more is comming soon.

[orlyscaligrl]

AN: Sorry it's been awhile. But here's chapter 3. Read and enjoy. Please Review!

Chapter 3







It was Saturday, just two more days till the girls and Nick headed off to their first stop, New York City, New York, for their first ever Christmas tour. Mark had asked the girls earlier in the week to watch Nick rehearse for it, and both Claire and Sarah gladly obliged. Jessica on the other hand, needed some convincing. In the end, Sarah got fed up with her stubborn attitude that she as sure she inherited from her mother, and yanked Jessica off of the couch dragging her to Claire’s car.







When Clair pulled up to the parking lot, Mark had greeted his wife with a tender kiss to the cheek and a warm welcome to the other blond beauties. Taking Claire’s hand, he guided Hearts of Harmony into a rehearsal room at Centerstaging Studios where Nick was singing into the mic in the back room. He immediately spotted them and pulled off his headphones and waved them into the soundproof booth.







"Hey I'm glad you can make it," Nick said as he shook his manager’s hand and the rest of the entourage.







"Well, we're happy to be here,” she quickly shot Jess a sharp glance telling her to keep her mouth shut, “I’m excited to hear what you have planned on singing." Claire responded smiling.







"So what songs exactly are singing on our tour?" Sarah questioned as the girls moved over to the darken area and sat down on the bar stools pushed up against the gl[arse] windows that were facing the small setup in the middle that were facing the stage.







Nick’s eyes twinkled as her told them to just sit back and relax and he’ll sing them what he was planning on using to please the crowd.







Cueing Mark, “Shut Up,” one of his most known up-beat song came over the sound system. Sarah felt an invisible force draw her eyes to travel up and down his body, While Claire politely sat and enjoyed. Jessica surprisingly, was silently mouthing the words to herself. She stared at Nick as his eyes closed as he moved his arms to the beat of the music. A round of applauding sounded the room, as he seductively spoke the last remaining two words of the song, “Shut Up”







Nicholas then began to sing a much slower song, this time, a ballad called "I do (Cherish you)." It got the girls a bit emotional, because it was such a beautiful song with a great commitment and a lovely melody. It made Sarah and Jessica long for the type of relationship Claire and Mark had, when they caught their friend, smile lightly to her husband.







His next few songs he graced his tour mates with were, "The Way You Want Me To" which was another up-tempo song. Then Nick belted another ballad called "The Hardest Thing.” It was another emotional song about being heartbroken after a difficult break-up. The girls were yet again in tears, especially Jessica, thinking back seven months ago, when her long-term relationship with Caleb Delaho. He broke her heart. He was the type who spouted sonnets to swoon ya, hook you in with his charm then throw you out like the next days trash when you refuse to give him something. It was a month before their one year anniversary when she walked into his shared apartment with is brother, and saw him in the shower with another girl. After she refused to have sex with him before marriage, he went out and got what he wanted from another. All men were the same. Shaking the thoughts of heartbreak out of her head, the last song he was going to sing, began, "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)". It was another up-tempo song with a Spanish flavor. After Nick finished, he whipped his brow from the sweat that gathered from sitting in the hot lights. All three blonds got up from their seats and Mark came from the sound room and applauded.







"Well done, Nick," Mark said joyfully.







"You were amazing," Sarah complimented.







"That was a fantastic performance that is sure to excite the audience," Claire added. She nudged Jessica who would not say anything.







"Ouch!" Jessica said annoyed at Claire. Claire gave her a look as if saying 'give him some credit'. Jessica sighed.







"You have a great voice," she said simply but it was the truth.







"Thank you," Nick said gratefully. Then Nick and Mark and the girls went to lunch at a nearby restaurant.







"So Nick, did you write any of the songs on your album?" Sarah asked.







"I actually wrote three-fourths of the songs on my album. Most of the songs I wrote were ballads," Nick explained. Jessica looked a bit surprised when he said that.







‘A man with a heart? Yeah right,’ she snided to herself.







"Oh. Did you have any inspirations for your songs?" Claire asked.







"Actually, I got the inspiration for 'The Hardest Thing' by my ex-girlfriend. She broke-up with me because I wanted to pursue my music career. She told me it was either her or my career."







"Awe that's too bad," Jessica said sympathetically Both Sarah and Claire were happy. Nick was too, maybe there was still hope yet to be her friend. He was worried that last night’s escaped with the flat tires had ruined his chances. Though he wasn’t sure why he wanted to be Miss Priss’s friend. An awkward silence loomed over the table.







Nick coughed trying to release some tension, “well, I knew I deserved better and moved on. There’s a whole sea of fish out there and once I get my album out, I’ll be jumping back in." Nick said beaming at her. Jessica apparently was not impressed by the last comment. Nick slummed down in his chair; he might as well shove his whole foot in his mouth and be done with it. Why wasn’t he able to say anything right when around her?







After lunch, they went back to the studio and the girls practiced singing their songs. They sang all 3 singles from their album and some other ones just as great. Then they sang songs on their Christmas album.







Nick took the girls placed on the stools, as two more chairs were brought out for them to sit. They ran through Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, each having a chance to shine with their vocal talents, a fun tune that they knew the kids would like, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Nick’s favorite Christmas song, The Christmas Song, and then it was Jessica’s turn to sing her solo, Joy to the world. Many times during it, she and Nick locked eyes. Jessica tried her best to avoid Nick's eyes and concentrated on perfecting Joy to the World but his eyes were so captivating and dreamy. Nick thought she had a beautiful angelic high-pitched voice. He realized all the successs Hearts of Harmony was getting was because of their voices. He was also amazed by Jessica's natural beauty. Though he could not figure out why he was getting so drawn by this girl who had been down right mean to him. Sarah noticed this fatal attraction and got an idea. After Jessica finished, she sang her solo, Let it Snow. Then Claire sang her solo, Winter Wonderland. The girls ended their rehearsal with We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Both Nick and Mark clapped happily.



"Well done ladies, that was a spectacular performance," Mark said hugging his wife.



"You guys sounded awesome," Nick said praising them.



"Thank you," the girls said in unison smiling. Nick and Jessica couldn't seem to get their eyes off each other. Sarah, Mark, and Claire could not help but notice. Later they headed off to their seperate tour buses. Jessica went to call her sister, Ashlee. This gave Sarah a chance to tell Claire, her plan. Mark had gone to talk to Nick in his tour bus.



"So what's up Sarah?" Claire said as they sat oin the lounge section of their bus.



" I think I have found the perfect match for our Jessica," Sarah said excitedly.



"Oh who?" Claire asked eagerly.



"Nick," Sarah answered feeling proud of herself. Then Claire burst out laughing.



"Claire!"



"Sarah, are you serious?" Claire asked who kept on laughing.



"Yes I am!' Sarah said trying her best to stop Claire from laughing. Claire finally calmed herself down.

"Sarah, if you haven't noticed already, Jessica and Nick are like night and day. They hate each other. Don't you remember yesterday?" Claire pointed out.



"I know. But didn't you notice how they couldn't keep their eyes off each other earlier?" Sarah asked. Claire thought for a moment and remembered Nick smiling while Jessica was performing her solo.



"Yeah I guess you're right," Claire said. "She does talk about him a lot too. So what is your plan miss matchmaker?"

[JeSsNnIcK1026]

i like :)

[orlyscaligrl]

Here is Chapter 4. Sorry it took so long

Chapter 4

The weeks flew by fast for Hearts of Harmony and their tag along, the new
uprising solo singer, Nick Lachey. Jessica, unbeknownst to herself, was
falling for the charming Cincinnati boy. Not only her, but the whole entire female
population. Girls swooned at his feet. Some going as far as sneaking past
security and offering him money to go up to their hotel room. Being the
gentleman that he was, he polity declined.

Sarah and Claire were enjoying the show of their best friend squirming under
their accusations. They sometimes caught her sneaking a peek at him while
performing and when confronted, she tried playing it off as, "I was checking out
the crowed...NOT that thing." They pestered her for hours chiming in harmony
together, "You want to kiss him. You want to hold him. You want to marry
him." They knew that quoting her favorite romance comedy would get to her, and
it did. Their words stuck. They were etched in to her head, and she found
herself quietly humming to the tune of it. She didn't want to fall for him. She
couldn't trust him.

To Sarah's annoyance and Claire's fascination, Jessica steered clear of
Nick. Everything about him, annoyed her to know end. He was so [friend]y and
egotistical. He was rude and had NO sense of taste. Some of the women he had taken to
their many pre-concert parties were outrageously [nice person]ty. Claire pointed out
to her that the women he brought we just as respectfully dressed as they all
were and that what she may be feeling is Jealousy. Claire had a way of making
you examine things whether you wanted to or not.

"Claire, I am NOT jealous. How could I be jealous when I don't even like the
guy?"

"Why is it exactly that you don't like him?" Claire inquired.

Sitting at the dressing room vanity getting her makeup applied Jess scoffed.
"He thinks he's perfect. Doesn't make you angry to think that he's using us
for publicity?"

Sarah, sitting quietly reading her seventeen magazine trying to keep in her
giggles, couldn't hold them in any longer. "Oh Jessie, get off your high
horse. What do you think we did to Destiny’s Child? We were their opening act to get
noticed. It's part of the job description."

"That was different...Oh you two are impossible. How could you possible like
this guy? You know I am sure he set the flat tire incident weeks ago up. I
mean think about it. Who would give up a chance to play hero for some extra
points in case the press were lurking close by."


Sarah gave Claire a knowing glance and went back to warming up for the last
concert of the tour. It was December 23, and they would be done just in time
for Christmas. That's all that was keeping Jessica from going insane.

At first, the famous plan Matchmaker Sarah had come up with, was to pretend
to be interested in Nick to get Jessica jealous. Then after the announcement
Mark, which Jessica was not present to, made about not being able to go home
for Christmas, due to some scheduling issues, the wheels once again started
rolling. Apparently Mark had signed a binding contract stating that the
Hearts of Harmony girls and Nick Lachey were to perform at the Christmas tree
lighting ceremony on Christmas Eve.

Sarah had Claire swear not to tell Jessica about the change in plans. Not
knowing what to do, Claire just nodded.

"Sar, what's going on in that head of yours?"

A devious smile graced Miss Gomez's face, "You can't tell Jessica, but I
have the ultimate plan to get those two doughy eyed love birds to see just how
much two months can change. They'll be thanking us after the wedding..."

"Ok, enough gloating, now on with the plan." Claire barked. Lately she's
been a little moody and emotional.

"Gesh, excuse me for wallowing in my brilliance, anyway..." Sarah confided
in her level headed best friend what her master plan was, and the materials
needed to make such a grand task happen. They were going to have to pull in some
reinforcements, and Claire new just the ticket to get her husband to agree.

~*~*~*~*~

"Yeah Mom, I'll be on a plane tomorrow afternoon...I miss you too...love
you, bye." Jessica was in the latest hotel lobby. After hanging up with her
mother, she bent over to retrieve her purse, pet Louie, only to come up and crash
into a rock hard chest. "Ow my nose."

Nick felt a push against and saw the object of his fantasies holding her
nose with a painful expression. "Oh crap Jessica, are you ok."

Tears sprung to her eyes, she couldn't breath, and she felt the swelling. "I
think it's broken." Blood began to trickle out of her nostrils.

Pulling out his Beagles handkerchief, he gently pated at the blood stains on
her shirt. Giving him a death glare that would scare off Frankenstein
himself, she pushed his hands away. "I don't need your help."

Nick Felt bad, "I'm really sorry. Please let me help you."

Taking a look into his eyes, she instantly regretted it. Once you look, you
can never go back. She saw the sincerity of his words in his deep oceans
pools.

Nicholas took her silence as a submission, and led her to one of the lobby
couches. He asked a nearby bell boy if he could please fetch a bag of ice, and
slipped him a five dollar bill. Taking a closer look at the position of the
bone, he realized that it was broken. "Hate to break it to you, but its
broken..."

"Oh my whiskers, Jessica, what happened?"

"I broke it on this big lugs chest."

Sarah threw Nick a surprising look. 'Guess the rumors were true, this man is
really made of steel.' She thought to herself.
Worry began to fill her features. "Do you think you can still sing tonight
Jessie?"

Not realizing the full intent of the situation. The tears she was holding
back broke loose. She wouldn't be able to sing because of the swelling.

“Well maybe with a bandage, it’ll be fine. I can still sing. My voice has not been damaged,” Jessica said.

“Here,” Sarah said handing Jessica a tissue to stop the bleeding. Just then, Claire and Mark walked in. They immediately noticed Jessica’s nose.

“Jessica, what happened to your nose?” Claire asked walking towards her friend.

“I bumped into Nick’s chest,” Jessica explained. Both Claire and Mark were shocked.

“Wow. Nick, you must really have a hard body like all those girls admire and gossip about you in those magazines,” Mark said, his eyes twinkling. “You should tell me your secrets on working out.” He put an arm around his client’s chest.

“Mark!” Claire said disappointedly. “Can’t you see Jessica’s injured?”

“Oh um right!” Mark said walking over to Jessica. “That looks really bad. Can you still sing?” He observed her nose.

“I think so. I mean I didn’t hurt my vocal cords, “ Jessica responded.

“Well lets see about that,” Mark said. “Why not you sing a tune right now?”

“Ok.” Then Jessica sang the first verse to “Joy To The World”. By the way she sounded, she was certainly not going to sing.

“Jessica, I’m afraid you can’t sing,” Sarah said sadly.

“But this is our last show. I can’t disappoint the fans!” Jessica protested.

“You’ll sound bad,” Sarah pointed out.

“Well you can always lip-synch,” Nick suggested. Jessica glared at him.

“That is certainly out of the question!” she said angrily towards him.

“I’m afraid we do not have a choice, Jessica.If you want to perform in front of the audience, you’ll have to sing a back-up track,” Mark said agreeing with Nick. Jessica sighed.



“We can explain to the audience that you broke your nose,” Claire added. Jessica sighed and thought for a moment. “The fans will understand.”



“Alright.”



“Good. Then it’s settled.” Then Claire, Mark and Sarah left the room leaving Nick and Jessica alone.



“Look Jessica, I’m really sorry about your nose and the fact that you can’t sing tonight,” Nick apologized hoping she would forgive him. Jessica stared at him for a moment. She did realize that it really wasn’t his fault.



“It’s ok. It’s not your fault. It was just an accident,” Jessica said. “Let just make sure it will not happen again.” Nick nodded.



“Why not we hug just to clarify that it was nobody’s fault,” Nick asked nervously. He does not really know why he asked that. Jessica that. Jessica looked at him weirdly for a moment. She though for a while and thought what the heck.



“Ok.” They hugged and Jessica smelt Nick’s cologne and seem to melt right into it.

[JeSsNnIcK1026]

more :)

[orlyscaligrl]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/inthisskin_1026/other%20blends/image4.jpg

This is the banner for the story made by brittany (inthisskin1026)

[Biondo Sorto]

I think this story is cute...can't wait for more :P

[katelyn11c]

this is really good

[LovingAngels07]

hey everyone I am really sorry for the delay, but I lost my microsoft word and can't replace it until I get the funds, however that should be soon. I am glad you are all enjoying it even though X-mas is way past over...lol

[orlyscaligrl]

Hey everyone. Sorry for the day of chapter 5. Hope you enjoy it and please review!

Chapter 5





The day of the concert rolled around quickly, and as planned, Jessica lip-synced to the back tracks of their songs. Fortunately, there were no technical difficulties and no obvious evidence to her fake singing.



However, Jessica did come clean at the end and explained to the fans that she had faked her way through and the reason behind it was because earlier that day, she had ran straight into the new hunky Nick Lachey’s hard rock chest and broke her nose. They all laughed and were very sympathetic.



Overall, the last show of the Heart’s of Harmony Christmas concert went without a hitch. It was a big success and brought in loads of money, half of which they were graciously donating to orphans across their hometown state.



~*~*~*~



Later that night, after the Champaign was brought out, Mark decided to make his announcement that was surly going to bring down the holiday spirits. Both Sarah and Claire played dumb and pretended to not know what was going on.



“Girls, I hate to destroy such a wonderful evening of much deserved celebration,” Mark hesitated, “would you like the good news or bad news first?”



“The good news please,” Jessica sang song.



Mark nodded and stuffed his sweaty hands in his slack pockets. “I received a call yesterday afternoon from the producer at Columbia Records. It seems that Heart’s of Harmony has been nominated for not one,” his voice crescendo, “but five Grammy’s!”



Claire, Jessica, and Sarah stood frozen solid. Mouth’s hanging wide open, Sarah squeaked first. “EEEKK! Are you serious?”



With one shake of his head, all three girls began to pounce around the room and excitement. Mark’s eyes twinkled with delight as his wife and her amigos celebrated their achievements.



Jessica being the shortest in the group has to bounce twice as high to keep up with the other two sophisticated, tall women.



“We’re going to win a Grammy. We’re going to win a Grammy.” They all chanted



“I know this is defiantly a fabulous Christmas gift.” Sarah cheered



Jessica unceremoniously dropped their sweaty hands and whipped them on her guess jeans and ran up to her manager and embraced him in a grisly bear hug. Claire and Sarah followed close behind.



“You’re the best manager ever, without you Mark, we wouldn’t be here,” Jessica mooned.



Mark felt an unsettling guilt form at the pit of his stomach.



“Which categories are we up for sweetie?” questioned Claire.



“First, there’s the Best New Artist, the Best Pop Album for Deeper Meaning. Coming in third, there is Best Pop Performance by a duo or group for your song “Like a Rose” as well as the two prestigious awards that everyone in their right minds is after: Album of the Year and record of the Year.” Mark finished up proudly.



“Oh my goodness, can you believe it?” Sarah sighed as she plopped down on to the couch adjacent to the bus wall.



“It’s a miracle. I mean, come on, we’re a new group ad already so many people love us.” Claire commended.



Jessica paced the floor, her head still spinning from the shock, to antsy to sit. “You know, the reason people love us so much, is because we aren’t like other groups or artists. We set our own course,” Jessica encouraged, “Our out look on life really set us apart from the rest. The fans like us for us, not our bodies or the latest scoops growing off from the grape vine being printed in every magazine. No, they love us because of our voices. That’s something to be proud of. I sure am! We deserve this.” Jessica joked at the end of her inspirational speech.



Seeing the girls in a good mood, Mark decided to put the plan into action. He just prayed to God that this little stunt they were about to pull didn’t ruin the image Jessica had just painted to reminded them.



“The bad news is girls that you all have to perform on Christmas Eve.” Mark said nervously.



“WHAT?” They all scream in unison, their voices echoing in the hallow bus.



Mark waved his arms in the air trying to calm the hysterical Jess and two fairly good actors. “I am sorry. I had forgotten that I scheduled you girls and Nick to perform during the New York’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the 24th. I broke the news to Nick earlier this evening.”



Jessica was outraged by the sudden change in plans. “Mark, you know how much family means to me. How could you be so careless as to line us up for a show? Just after we finished a month long tour, you’ve hit an all time low.” She was furious.



Mark gave a sideways glance to his bride and to the blond beauty, Sarah; to see that there were crossing their fingers. “Jessica, all I can say is that I am deeply sorry and hope you can forgive me.”



Not liking where the fight was headed, Sarah intervened. “Jessica, I know you’re upset, but it’s only Christmas Eve. I bet you can catch a flight out of here after the performance.”



Jessica shot a hopeful glance at Mark. With a curt nod of her head, Jessica excused herself and grabbed her cell phone. Walking off the bus, Jess sat on a near by lamp post and dialed her parents home. She waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone. After ten rings, she gave up and sighed. Standing up to stretch her legs and go back in, she changed her mind and headed over to the park adjacent to the concert hall parking lot.



The gentle hum of the bus could be heard in the distance as Jessica hopped over a shrub. Rubbing her hands up and down on her goose bump covered arms, shivering; Jessica wished she had grabbed her jacket in her fit of furry. But not wanting to go back, she kept on walking, toughening out the cold.



Spotting a bench on the other side of the yellow, chipped jungle gym, Jess sat down and stared up at the stars. Thoughts of the past weeks fluttered around her head. She smiled when the memory of the flat tire incident pooped up. In fact, despite her frustration on have to perform on Christmas Eve, her thoughts were centered around one, devastatingly, gorgeous man; Nick Lachey.



She hated to admit it, but she as beginning to wonder about her sanity. How could she actually think that she may have feelings for the charming, quick witted, handsome, rogue? How could she wish she could throw all caution to the wind and indulge in her tightly locked up feelings? But sadly, she knew that men like Nicholas Scott Lachey would ruin what she had strived for her whole life. Heart’s of Harmony was her dream. Yes, men like Nick would only bring Heart’s of Harmony disgrace.



Jessica’s thoughts were interrupted by the snapping sound of breaking twigs. She jumped at the intrusion and turned her head over her shoulder to see the object of her unwanted desires walk up.



“What are you doing here?”



Nick tossed her one of his gorgeous lop sided grim. “I was on my way back from calling my family to tell them to watch me on Christmas Eve on ABC performing live. Talked to Mark, he told me how you reacted to the news and said you’ve been gone for a while. I told him I’d come and check on you. The girls are worried.”




Nick now stood in front of her, his hands in his leather duster’s pockets. He wore a thick red sweater that clung to his muscled body underneath and a pair of nice blue jeans that molded to his form. His hair was tousled sexily, and a six o’clock shadow graced his profound chin. He looked sinfully scrumptious.



Angered by her scooping him out, Jessica crossed her arms. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”



“I’m not here to watch after you. Would you believe me id I told you I was here worried how you took the news?”



“No.” she stated simply.



“Well, I was.”



Nick saw her fingers rub against her arm, trying to warm up. He peeled off his jacket and handed it to her. Jessica took it, too cold to argue, and sniffed it.



“We’ve been thrown together, stuffed in the same bus fro a month now, and I like to think that, in that time, I’ve come to get a better understanding of you.”



He waited for her to deny his accusations, but she just nodded, He studied her for a moment. Something he has done throughout the entire trip. Everyday, her personality and beauty amazed him. A small chuckle erupted from his throat at the sight of her drowning in his coat.



Taking a seat next to her, he propped his left foot on his right knee, his hands resting in his lap. The wind picked up slightly and their hair began to dance about their faces.



“I know that family is everything to you Jessica. What Mark did was inexcusable.” Nick turned to face her and covered one of her hand with his. “But think of how many families you will be bringing together; how many people’s holiday’s you’ll brighten with just your voice. Thousands of people will either be tuning in or driving out with their loved ones to celebrate Christmas by watching the traditional, famed New York tree Lighting. Think of how much you’ll be giving. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”





Jessica stared at him for a moment. Her breath was taken away by his handsome features. His blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She immediately snapped herself out of it. She thought for a moment of what he said. She realized he was right. She sighed.



“Yeah I guess you are right. I do love making people happy and seeing children with glowing smiles. Christmas is about giving and making others happy. I guess this concert won’t be so bad. I can either catch a flight the same night or early Christmas morning,” Jessica said.



“There. That’s the spirit,” Nick said smiling at her and giving her a pat on the shoulder. Jessica’s heart skipped a beat when she felt his touch on her shoulder. Something about his touch was electrifying. “Do you want to go back to the bus now?”



“Yeah, I’m freezing,” she said.



They got up and walked back towards the bus.



~*~*~*~



Sarah and Claire were peaking through the windows as Nick and Jessica were heading back.



“Don’t you think they make a beautiful couple?” Sarah asked Claire with a sigh. They noticed Jessica’s face was gleaming.



“Yeah, they do. I hope your plan works,” Claire said longingly.



“Believe me Claire, it will. By then, they’ll be all over each other and before you know it, they’ll be the hottest couple in Hollywood,” Sarah said with pride. Claire just shook her head smiling at her band mate. They both immediately turned around once Jessica walked onto the bus.



“Welcome back, feeling better?” Sarah asked.



“Yeah,” Jessica sighed dreamingly as she plopped down on the couch next to her two friends.



“Did you manage to contact your family?” Claire asked.



“No. They didn’t answer the phone.”



Claire and Sarah both still saw the glow in Jessica’s eyes. Sarah then decided to get the scoop on her band mate and the hunky Nick Lachey.



“So… did anything happen between you and Nick?” Sarah exclaimed eagerly.



Jessica sat up realizing she was leading her friends on.



“No. Nothing happened at all,” she denied instantly.



“Then why are you still wearing his jacket?” Sarah inquired, pointing at the tasteful black knee length duster.



“Oh,” Jessica noticed turning red. She shrugged it off and placed it over the couch back. “It was cold and he lent me his jacket to wear.”



“Awe,” Claire and Sarah said in unison looking at each other knowingly.



“But nothing happened!” Jessica repeated.



“We just talked, that’s all.” She stressed. “He just made me realize that this performance brings families together on Christmas Eve. Making them happy is what makes me happy. Giving is what Christmas is truly about and that was it.”



Not leaving any room for them to comment Jessica leaped up from the couch. “Now, I’m going to bed. Good night.” She then made her way to her bunk and fell asleep with a smile playing across her lips.



Making sure their friend was asleep, the girls started talking.



“You know, Jessica is very bad at denying things.” Sarah observed.



“Yes she is.” Claire agreed.



“Why can’t she just admit that she likes him?” Sarah wondered.



“Maybe there’s a reason,” Claire suggested, “we just have to find out.”



“Yeah. You’re right. You know…you and me make a pretty good team.”



~*~*~*~



Soon, Hearts of Harmony, Nick Lachey, and their manager Mark Webb, flew out to New York City to attend the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center. Though still upset about not going to Texas for Christmas, Jessica was excited about performing in front of the New York City crowd.



Meanwhile, Sarah’s plan was immediately put into action. She had bought a piece of mistletoe from a nearby shop. It was the main ingredient to her plan. Now, all she had to do was think of the right moment.



Claire had suggested putting the mistletoe above the concession table where both of them would get a drink and Sarah was right on it.



~*~*~*~



Once Nick was onstage, Sarah had one of the crew members put up the tinsel above the concession stand. Jessica had been suspicious of Sarah’s plans and wondered what her sneaky friend was up to. When she confronted Sarah, Sarah just smiled and said nothing was up; she was just getting into the Christmas spirit.



Nick came off the stage after performing “This I Swear”, which would be his next single. Just like they had guessed, he went to the concession stand for a drink.



“Jessica, can you get a gl[arse] of water for me please?” Sarah asked.



“Can’t you get it yourself?” Jessica questioned.



“Well,” searching for an excuse, “you’re closer,” Sarah pointed out making sure Nick was still there.



“Alright, I know you’re up to something and it’s only a matter of timing before I find out,” Jessica warned, walking over to where Nick was.



“Hi,” Nick greeted.



“Hey.” She ordered a gl[arse] of water for Sarah from the bartender and leaned on the bar.



She looked tempting in her red velvet, thigh length dress. Her legs were encased in foxy black boots that cut off at mid-thigh, just below the flirty fringe of the dress. Her outfit was completed with a forest green cloak. Her hair was arranged with diamond pins scattered around blonde ringlets. Nick felt the longing sensation that always came when she was around once more.



“You girls were fantastic performing “Winter Wonderland.”



“Thanks. Your performance was great too.”



“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Nick, then, realized the two of them were standing under the mistletoe. “Um… Jessica?”



“Yeah?”



“Look up.”



Jessica looked up and was shocked to find the mistletoe right above them. She then turned to Sarah, Claire and Mark, and realized Sarah’s mischievous plan. It was all a set-up. Claire and Sarah and Mark just grinned.



“So, you going to kiss me?” Nick asked with a twinkle in his eye.



“What? No, why would I?” Jessica said feeling shy.



“Jess, you do know it’s a Christmas law you’re breaking if you don’t,” Nick pointed out with a smile. She sighed and decided against better judgment, one kiss wouldn’t hurt.



“Just this once.” She warned



Nick leaned in and planted his lips on hers. He kissed her softly, but p[arse]ionately, melting her heart away.