I dreaded going home because I knew we’d have a big fight. I couldn’t keep my opinions to myself and Nick was just so intense this had to become one of the biggest fights ever. Miles dropped me off and the other two guys hovering close by.
As I entered the apartment I was greeted with a soft light emitting from the living room. I approached the room slowly as if I’d find a ticking time bomb in there. Maybe I would…
Nick was seated on the couch in front of the TV, a tumbler in hand which had amber liquid swirling around. He was drinking and paid me no attention as I approached him.
“Nick…”
He looked up, but he didn’t look as angry as I expected him to be. He looked kind of calm which took me off guard. Did Evan already have a talk with him? If he did I’d be totally shocked that Nick actually listened to Evan.
“What?”
“Stalking me is not okay. Stalking me and then barging in at a crowded restaurant while yelling at me and YOUR friend is not okay. You get that right?”
He looked at me, his face staying in that impassive mask as he slowly tilted his head back and emptied the last remains of his bitter looking liquid. Nick sure looked like a ticking time bomb and it looked like I cut the wrong wire.
“I did not stalk you.” He said curtly, “Miles called me about dropping you off at the restaurant. It pissed me off that you asked Evan out on a lunch date right after Anna left me a cryptic message about him.”
“Wait for what?” I was probably not hearing this right, because Nick talking to Anna even if it was by text seemed really wrong to me, “You stayed in touch with Anna? The woman who wants you, and practically called me a slut at the club the other night?”
“She can want me all she wants, but she is not going to have me.” He stood up and headed for the bar, pouring himself yet another drink, “Because I’m in a relationship with you. I don’t stray, Em. All I can think about is you, I thought I made that perfectly clear already.”
Somehow he managed to make me feel guilty. Make me want to apologize for my behavior when I clearly was not the one at fault here. How the hell did he manage to do that? I needed to learn how to be that charming and manipulative.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re talking to the woman I really don’t like!” I closed the distance between us and grabbed onto the lapels of his jacket, “And it’s still very wrong what you did, even if she suggested something insane. What did she tell you about Evan anyway?”
He looked down at me as he sipped his drink, “I’m not talking to her, she texted me and I read it. I shouldn’t have read the damn text because she made me doubt my best friend.” He took another huge gulp before I grabbed the glass from him and stole the last remains of his very strong scotch, “Thankfully Evan gets me.”
I nodded, “Yes he gets you.” I firmly repeated, “Don’t screw that up, because you need people like Evan around you when people like Anna and Giselle are trying to rip your world apart.”
Nick made sure the tumbler was safely back on the bar before he grabbed me by my waist and pressed me up against his body. He held me so tightly to him I could barely breathe, but I knew he needed to feel me. Evan told me that this thing was completely new to Nick. He had never felt this way for a woman before, he had no idea how to handle his new feelings.
“I’ll try and control my emotions better next time.” He promised me quietly.
I knew he’d try. He might fail again, but we’d get there eventually.
“That’s all I needed to hear.” I looked up, meeting his eyes, “No more stalking. Just give me a call next time.”
A humorless chuckle left his lips, “I told you, it was not stalking. Miles knew where you were and he informed me about it. I didn’t trace your phone or tracked a car. The man who dropped you off simply informed his employer about his agenda.”
“You misused that information to vent your anger.” I reminded him.
He leaned down pressing a harsh kiss to my temple, “Fine, next time I’ll call first.”
Smiling I stood on my toes and cupped his face in my hands. Before he could do or say anything I pressed my lips firmly against his and kissed him with all I got. He reacted immediately and lifted me up, keeping me in place while he headed for the bedroom.
After that day Nick and I had two weeks of pure happiness. Our relationship had its up and downs and I was pretty sure that was normal. When we had a fight it was so intense, but when we made up our relationship only became so much stronger.
Brandon was slowly being prepped as manager and I had a feeling that he liked his new job more than he led on. I asked Nick for a transfer to the new club because let’s face it, I only had so much fun at the other club because of Brandon’s presence.
“I need to head to Tokyo for a week,” Nick announced when he entered Brandon’s office without even bothering to knock. I guess when you owned the place you didn’t bother with formalities like that.
“Okay?” I looked up from my textbook, kind of surprised he actually had to leave for a week, “When are you leaving?”
“When are we leaving you mean.” Nick dropped his jacket on the empty seat beside me and grabbed the file Brandon offered him.
I frowned, “I never agreed on going with you, so no, that’s not what I meant.”
He was completely focused on the contract Brandon had given him, but somehow he still heard me. He didn’t look up nor did he have any kind of emotion on his face. Yet I knew exactly how irritated he was with me and Brandon could feel it as well.
“I’ll be gone for a week, Em.”
“Yes, I know.” I closed my textbook, my eyes glued to his face, “And I’ll miss you… But I have classes and a job here. I can’t just drop everything and run off to Tokyo with you.”
“We’re not running off.” He signed his name in that elegant handwriting of his and handed the contract back to Brandon, “We’re going there for business. You don’t actually have to be present for your classes, and I’m pretty sure the owner can give you a week off.”
Of course, the owner would allow it, he was my fucking boyfriend. That was not the point I was trying to make though. I had a life, yet Nick assumed I could drop everything to accompany him while he did business.
“Nick…”
He walked around the desk and stood in front of me, his hands shoved in his pockets as he watched me carefully with those blue sparkling eyes.
“You can finish your report at the hotel, you have to upload a digital copy after all. It doesn’t matter if you do it here or in Tokyo.” He narrowed his eyes at me, “I need you with me, Em.”
We hadn’t been apart since we started dating, so I knew this was hard on him. It was also hard for me. I grew accustomed to waking up with Nick by my side and falling asleep with him. It would be hard on the both of us, but we’d survive.
“We can do this, Nick. We’ll be seven days apart, we should be able to handle that.”
He didn’t seem convinced though.
“It’ll be like a little holiday. I was looking forward to a little sunshine while I’d be in Tokyo. Someone familiar and so very precious to me to come home to.”
From the corner of my eyes, I could see Brandon retreat. This was getting too much for him, we were being overly dramatic as he called it and he never wanted to witness it. I, however, was sold on this thing. Nick always knew what to say to make me see it his way. I was probably a lovesick girl who only cared about her boyfriend. That’s why the little voice in my head screamed we needed some time apart.
“I’ll think about it,” I whispered. I got to my feet, “I’m not agreeing to this yet, so get that through your thick skull.”
The side of his lip curled up into a sexy half smirk, “You considering it as all I needed to hear.” He leaned in to kiss me.
After our little make-out session in the office, we headed back downstairs. Brandon was on the phone and only nodded at us when we said goodbye. He was very busy lately, but the club was doing pretty good these days. I knew his hard work was very much appreciated by Nick. My boyfriend no longer hated Brandon as much as he did in the beginning. I think Brandon slowly started to grow on him. I was glad they were finally getting along because both men were very important to me.
I grabbed Nick’s hand, “You and Brandon are getting along very well these days.”
He tightened his grip on me when I mentioned Brandon, “We have to.” He glanced at me, “I never expected him to be very good at his job, but he surprised me. That doesn’t happen that very often.”
So Nick respected him. I could hear it in his voice. It made me proud of my friend. Brandon had the respect of a very successful businessman. It only meant that he was doing a pretty good job and Nick would definitely keep him.
“Brandon just needed the right motivation.” Nick held the car door open for me and slipped in after me, telling Miles to drive us to the apartment, “He loves the club you know.”
“I know.” Nick reassured me, “So that’s why I’m not worried about going to Tokyo next week.”