Chronicles of Operation Fangirl

Chapter 40: Operation Manipulation

They were out of ear shot from anyone and Nicole knew it was now or never.  With the witty speech she had created and memorized for this moment on the tip of her tongue, she opened her mouth.

Ashton, however, beat her to speaking, saying the last words Nicole ever expected from anyone.

“Impressive what you did back there.”

Nicole stopped walking and starred at his amused look.  “What?”

“Talking them into letting you go off with me.    They usually are much stricter on these sort of things.  I’ve never seen someone win them over at all, let alone so quickly.”

So Ashton was catching on: he knew (to some extent) she could manipulate them.  This wasn’t good.  He wasn’t supposed to be able to read her like a book.  No one was.  If she wanted this Operation to work, she had to be in control and make others see things as she wanted.  Time to be more careful...

“Really?”    That was a safe answer.

“Yeah.  Now come on,” Ashton said, grabbing her arm.   At the butterflies that surged through her, Nicole forgot all thoughts of being more careful.  “I promised you a tour.”

Ashton pulled Nicole down the hall after him.  He kept his grip on her arm longer than he needed to, Nicole thought.   Or was she just imagining things now?  She couldn’t be sure.  It was funny how she went from calm and collected and in control around the crew but infront of Ashton all that went out the window.

While she should have been calm and even coy, trying to seduce Ashton, Nicole found herself giggling at the boy.   How couldn’t she?  The drummer was doing his best to try and impersonate a tour guide.  It was hilarious.  

Who knew looking at the blank doors they passed and only being told what was behind them could be so much fun?

“And here’s the dressing room,” Ashton said. 

Instantly, Nicole stopped laughing.  She was almost sure that was where the other boys were at.  Even if they weren’t her target, she was still very eager to see them.  Maybe even get some insight on Michael for Trang, whose Operation was going to be later in the year.

“Cool,” Nicole tried to play off her sudden seriousness.  She needed to own this thing again.  She needed to be in control for this to work.  She couldn’t just rely on fate.  “Finally, something interesting,” Nicole teased, bumping Ashton’s arm playfully.

He took the bait.  “Hey!” he whined, rubbing the spot where she hit.   “That hurt.”  And then he smiled at Nicole.

She had had a witty response, she really did.  But, with Ashton looking at her like that, her mind went blank and every clever response she could ever think of was gone in an instant. 

How was Nicole going to keep up with manipulating game if she couldn’t even keep her mind into it?

“Hey, there you are Ashton-” suddenly, the door to the dressing room opened.   And there stood Calum with an amused look on his face.  “Who’s this?”