Operation Nick-conciliation COMPLETE

Like we um, “mentioned” yesterday, Emily and I headed down to Cincinnati to Paul Brown stadium, home of the Bengals to meet one Nicholas Scott Lachey, entertainer extraordinaire. Nick is working with one of our favorite brands EVER, Tide, on their “Show Us Your Colors” campaign with the NFL. Since Nick is a HUGE Cincy sports fan, it’s a great campaign for him. If you go to Tide’s FB page (linked above) and click on the Show Us Your Colors tab, you can upload a pic of yourself in your favorite NFL team’s colors and be entered to win a trip to Super Bowl XLVII. So go do that! AFTER you read the rest of this facscinating post, of coouuurse.

What we really wanted from Nick was not to embarass him with inappropriate questions, but rather to use our sparkling personalities and feminine wiles to make him love us and THEN confront him about why he STOOD EMILY UP for lunch two years ago. In our minds, he’d end up on his knees begging Emily for forgiveness. Possibly, he’d produce a bouquet of flowers out of nowhere for Emily. Maybe even declare his undying devotion.  Something like that!

So, what actually happened is that Emily and I got to sit down with Nick, just the three of us, in a really, casual, relaxed environment – and we had a nice little chat. Nick totally acted like just a regular guy, and not a “celebrity”. We really felt like we were just talking to someone we’d met out and about!  (Though we don’t normally meet hot guys  and strike up convos with them when we’re out and about – FYI.) We talked about his new baby boy Camden and his roots in Cincinnati and we even found out that Nick’s dad is from the Dayton area and that Nick spent time here as a kid! And then after he divulged that little factoid, Emily was all…

“Speaking of Dayton…I was supposed to have lunch with you in Dayton two years ago and it never happened.”

I gotta tell you guys, I was rather proud of Em in that moment. I wasn’t sure she’d have the cajones to bring it up!

She then went on to let Nick know that she’s a true stalker and that she entered that contest to have lunch with him every darn day!  (I think at this point, Nick began inching backward a little bit…)

Believe it or not, Nick was really gracious even though Emily was like a rabid woman scorned and began shooting red stalker death rays out of her eye. (Just kidding, she was, to my disappointment, the model of decorum.) He totally knew and remembered what she was talking about. He confirmed what the radio station had told Emily, that the ultimate cancellation of the event was due to his parting ways with his record label. And he was rather sorry that the record folks led Emily on for ten months! He was all, “Let’s go get a croissant and break some bread together so I can make it up to you!” (Wait, Em? Was he asking you out??)

So after THAT awkwardness, we chatted a few more minutes about the work he’s done with Cincinnati Children’s hospital, his new lullaby CD he’s recording for his son, and the fact that he and his wife Vanessa plan to move back to the good old Cincy area and raise their kids here by the time they’re in school.  Oh, and we also talked about this guy:

Because every Cincinnatian-Daytonian who returns home after a period of time away needs to know the status of Big Butter/Touchdown/How Big is This Fish JEEBUS. It’s common ground, people!

Before we left, Nick gave us picture of himself and his baby boy Camden wearing their Bengals team colors and he signed mine “To Jenny: now that I’ve met you I don’t know how I’m going to go back to my real life. Your wit and charm far outshadow that of your stalker cousin’s, but it’s nice of you to let her hang out with you. Also, you’re totally hot. Stay classy. Love, Nick. P.S. Isn’t my baby cute?”

It’s kind of hard to read his writing but I’m pretty sure that’s what it says.

All in all, Nick was pretty awesome. I think Emily’s really sorry for being so mean to him two years ago after he left her at the lunch counter. And you know what else? I have a feeling, just a feeling, that Nick and the Supercousins have not seen the last of each other!