They were standing at the window looking out at the lights, Stacy teetering around in Niki’s arms. The tequila shots had well and truly taken effect, and Niki had practically carried her in from the car. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, her head against his chest. “If I’d known you were coming, I wouldn’t have gotten so tipsy,” she said. “I hope I don’t throw up.”
Niki laughed out loud. “Tipsy? Well hell, I’d love to see shit-faced.”
“Are you laughing at me?” Stacy slurred.
“Uh huh,” he said, with a huge smile on his face. “It’s really good to see you, Stacy.” He tilted her chin up and looked in her eyes, and his stomach flipped. He swept her up in his arms. “Where’s your bedroom?”
Stacy pointed towards the hall, then flopped her head back, making herself dead weight in his arms. She giggled upside-down as Niki carried her to her room. And as much as he would have liked to have ravaged her on the spot, he couldn’t do it. He needed her in full control of her faculties to decide where she wanted to go with their relationship, if it could even be called that. So he set her down and helped her out of her clothes, and tucked her in bed.
She took his hand and pulled him onto the bed beside her. “You’re the best surprise I’ve ever had,” she said. Stacy closed her eyes and Niki brushed her hair back and kissed her cheek. “Good night, Stacy.”
“Good night?” Stacy asked, popping her eyes back open. “Don’t you wanna have sex?” she slurred.
“Fuck yeah, I want to have sex . . . but not tonight.”
“You’re not leaving are you?”
Niki shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Stacy nestled in against his chest and she fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her and with a smile on her face. Niki lay awake, not wanting to let go of the moment. He wasn’t sure that a sober Stacy would feel the same way, and he needed to milk the time for all it was worth. When he finally dozed off, it was with his heart beating underneath hers in perfect rhythm and harmony.
It was past 11:00 when Stacy finally woke up and her bed was empty. She was beginning to wonder if she had dreamed the whole thing when she smelled freshly brewed coffee coming from the kitchen. She got up and brushed her teeth and found Niki in the kitchen.
“Hi,” Stacy said smiling. She went over to Niki and put her arms around his neck and climbed up him, wrapping her legs around his waist. “I thought I might have dreamed you,” she said, kissing him on the lips. “Sorry I was so trashed.”
Niki laughed, thinking about it. “That’s okay, but it took everything I had not to molest you. How do you feel?”
“Really hung over.”
Niki set her down on the countertop and put his arms around her waist. “I had one like that a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “Worst hangover I’d had in years.”
“What’d you do for it” she asked.
“I killed the guy that took you.”
Stacy was shocked. “You killed Corazon?”
“I wasn’t going to have him coming back to finish the job,” Niki said.
Stacy rested her head on Niki’s shoulder. “Sometimes that seems like so long ago.”
“I saw the motel room,” Niki said, running his hand through her hair. “Do you have nightmares?”
“Sometimes. Once when I was wide awake,” she said. It reminded her of Alex and Dennis. “Niki, the FBI has had agents on me ever since I’ve been back in case my dad tries something. He’s disappeared. I didn’t say anything about you guys in my statement. I told the FBI that I had been in Colombia the whole time.”
“I knew the FBI had you under surveillance. I picked two of them out at your fundraiser.”
“You were there?” Stacy said.
“For part of it,” he said.
“You little sneak,” she said, and then it hit her. “Oh my gosh! You’re the anonymous donor.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Niki said.
She leaned back so she could look him in the eye. “You are,” she said, then she pulled him close and hugged him around the neck. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Speaking of anonymous, I don’t even know your name.”
“You’ll be Stacy Lautrec,” he said, with a great big smile. “It sounds good.”
Stacy laughed. “Your last name is Lautrec, as in Toulouse-Lautrec? Nikolas Lautrec,” she said, testing it out. “That’s an awesome name! I bet people call you by your last name all the time.”
Niki laughed. “They do,” he said. “Will you go out on a date with me tonight?”
“A date?” Stacy repeated.
“Yeah, like a regular date. I pick you up, we go out to dinner. A date,” Niki said.
Stacy looked him up and down and smiled. You are just the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. “I would love to go out on a date with you, Nikolas Lautrec,” Stacy said. She jumped down from the counter and poured herself a mug of coffee and her stomach growled. “How about a breakfast date?”
“It’s not the same,” he said, pulling Stacy up next to him. He leaned down and kissed her. “It has to be a dinner date.”
“Okay, but I’m hungry now. Let’s get some breakfast.”
“Breakfast? It’s lunch time.”
“Okay, then let’s get lunch,” Stacy said. “Wait till you see my Batmobile. I’ll let you drive it.”
Stacy changed into some sweats and a T-shirt and put her hair in a pony tail and they left her condo and went to her car.
“You bought a Viper?” Niki exclaimed. He opened Stacy’s door and let her in, then he got behind the wheel and looked over at her smiling. “I’ll buy it off you.”
“No way. Get your own.”
Stacy and Niki shared a pizza and slice of Italian cream cake at Cerroni’s Purple Garlic, then he took her back to her condo. It was 2:00 when they got back and Niki walked her to her door.
“What do you mean you’re not coming in?” Stacy asked. “Where are you going?”
“We have a date tonight. If I stay here the whole time, then it’s not a date. It’s just a continuation of me being here since last night,” Niki told her. He kissed her and turned around and got back in the elevator. “I’ll pick you up at 7:00.”
Niki drove back to his hotel and sat on the Riverwalk and read the paper. He felt relaxed for the first time since Corazon had taken Stacy. He flipped to the Metro section and read about Stacy’s fundraiser. There was a picture of Stacy at the podium making her welcome speech and Niki felt a stirring inside. He read the article, then folded the paper and sat back. Just thinking of Stacy put a smile on his face. He wished more than anything that their relationship had started out differently. There was no way he could undo what had been done, but he figured if he was ever going to get Stacy to agree to marry him, he was going to have to bring some normalcy into the relationship. That was exactly what he was attempting to do by asking her out on a date. He would court her relentlessly and sooner or later she would realize that they belonged together.
Chapter 37
When 7:00 rolled around, Stacy was nervous as a cat. She had changed several times before finally deciding on a short black dress, and she had worn her hair down. She was just about to pour herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves when he knocked. Stacy went to the door and rubbed her hands together before opening it.
“Hi,” Stacy said, smiling. He got more handsome every time she saw him and tonight it made her all the more nervous. He was wearing dark pants and a button down gray shirt and he exuded sex from head to toe.
Niki looked Stacy up and down. “Damn, you look hot,” he said, following her into the room.
“I was just pouring myself a glass of wine. Do you want one?” she asked, fidgeting with the cork.
Niki walked over beside her and he took her by the arm. “Come here for a second,” he told her. He took the bottle out of her hand and set it down, then he put his hand behind her head and kissed her on the lips. �
�I’ve been thinking about you ever since I left here,” Niki said, and he pulled her close and hugged her. He let go of her and picked up the bottle and poured two glasses, then he set the bottle down and handed her a glass, and lifted his glass to hers.
“Cheers,” they said at the same time, looking each other in the eye, and each took a sip of wine.
Niki looked at her and smiled. “Am I making you nervous?” he asked.
“Totally!” Stacy confessed.
“You’re kidding,” he laughed. “After everything we’ve been through, how can I make you nervous?”
“I don’t know,” Stacy said embarrassed. “It’s this whole date thing. Maybe because I’m not in control.”
“You’re not in control? Stacy, you hold all the cards,” Niki said. “Now cut that shit out and get over here.” He took her hand and led her to the couch and Stacy climbed onto his lap and kissed him. He leaned his head back against the couch and looked at her and he got that familiar feeling in his gut like he had on the island.
“I like you way too much,” Niki said.
Stacy smiled. “Too much for what?”
“Too much for my own good,” he said, running his hands up her back. “When Corazon took you, I just about lost my mind. I came here and talked to your father.”
“You saw my father?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I didn’t kill him,” Niki said. “But I should have.”
“I never thanked you for going over to Colombia to find me,” she said, fiddling with his hair.
“Don’t thank me. It was my fault you ended up there in the first place.”
“No it wasn’t. But I knew you’d come find me,” Stacy said. “Did you go by yourself?”
“We all went,” Niki said.
“All four of you?” she asked, surprised, and Niki nodded.
“You sort of made a lasting impression on all of us during your short but memorable stay. It’s not the same now without you there. The place seems so dead.”
Stacy smiled. “That’s funny,” she said, and she hugged him.
“I’m glad you think so,” Niki said sarcastically. He looked at his watch, “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good, let’s go eat.
They took Stacy’s car and Niki drove them to Frederick’s Bistro. They were led to a cozy booth, and Niki scooted in beside Stacy. There was a bottle of champagne already at their table and the waiter popped the cork and poured each of them a glass.
When the waiter had gone, Stacy asked, “So where are you from, Niki Lautrec?”
“New Orleans.”
Stacy’s eyes lit up. “I love New Orleans! You grew up there?”
“I did. My parents and my sister still live there. I was just there yesterday.”
“Really? Somehow I didn’t picture you as being close to your family. I mean other than with Eli,” Stacy said.
“I don’t see them as often as I should. I hadn’t been there in almost a year. But it’s always great when we get together. My sister, Charlotte, is getting married in two weeks.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s 25,” he said. “Will you go with me to the wedding?”
The question took her by surprise. “In New Orleans?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know,” Stacy said.
“What do you mean you don’t know? That’s not the right answer.”
Stacy laughed and thought about the offer. “I would love to go with you to your sister’s wedding,” she finally said, and she scooted over closer to him. Stacy finished her glass of champagne and the waiter refilled it.
“How’d you make a living before you started kidnapping people?” Stacy asked.
“You’re the only person I ever kidnapped. First and last,” he added. “I have an investigations service.”
“You did or you do?” Stacy asked.
“I do.”
A light went on in Stacy’s head. “You own Lautrec Investigation Services?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“Heard of it? I did your ad campaign. You’re based out of Dallas,” Stacy said.
“Small world,” Niki laughed. “I kidnapped my own advertising executive.”
“That’s a huge company. Why do you have to be a criminal if you have such a big company?”
Niki laughed at the question. “It’s more fun,” he said.
“That’s a terrible answer!” Stacy said, horrified, and he laughed again.
“I’ll give it up if you marry me,” Niki said, and he leaned over and kissed her.
“You are so bad,” Stacy said. “You’re exactly the type of guy my mother warned me about.”
The waiter was back with menus and they ordered appetizers of crab cakes with spicy remoulade, and oven roasted shrimp in tomato basil cream sauce with crostinis; and entrees of baked Norwegian salmon with basil pesto, roasted red peppers beurre blanc with garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled lamb chops dijonaise with potatoes au gratin. The waiter brought out fresh hot rolls, and Stacy buttered one and handed it to Niki then she buttered one for herself.
“Tell me about yourself,” Niki said. “What do you like to do?”
“Well,” Stacy said, thinking about the question, “I like to be outdoors. I like to go to the beach. I like swimming and hiking. I like scuba diving. I like to go to the movies. I like to lounge on the couch and read. I like to eat good food.”
“What’s your favorite time of year?” Niki asked.
“Summer is my favorite season, but Christmas has always been my favorite time of year.” Stacy made a face, “I guess it won’t be this year.”
“Yeah, it will be,” Niki said. “You’ll like my family.”
“Oh, I’m invited for Christmas too?” she asked.
“Hell yes.”
“Well maybe you better run that one past your mother first,” Stacy laughed.
The waiter set down their appetizers and refilled their glasses and disappeared again.
“She already knows,” Niki said, taking a bite of crab cake. “Taste this, it’s incredible,” he said, feeding Stacy a bite.
“Yum, that is to die for. What do you mean she already knows?”
“I told her about you,” Niki said.
“What’d you tell her?”
“I told her what a pain in the ass you were after I shot and kidnapped you,” he said, with a straight face.
“You did not!”
Niki laughed. “I told her that I was in love with you.”
Stacy looked at him but couldn’t figure out if he was telling the truth or not. “You’re such a liar,” she said. She offered Niki a bite of shrimp and took another bite of crab cake.
“No, I’m not,” Niki said.
“And what did you tell her about how we met?”
“I told her the truth; that we met in a bank. I’m not a liar,” he said, poking his fork at her. “The food here is great.”
They sopped up the tomato cream sauce with bread as the waiter arrived with the salads and more hot rolls. They ate their salads and ordered a bottle of red wine, then they shared the entrées, and after a leisurely-paced dinner, they ordered a Grand Marnier Soufflé, two cappuccinos and a Sambuca. By the time the meal was over, more than three hours had elapsed.
Stacy leaned her head against Niki’s shoulder. “I’ve had a great time tonight.”
“I have too,” Niki said. “You want to go somewhere else?”
Stacy smiled. “Yeah. I want to go to your hotel room.”
“On our first date? What a slut!”
Stacy laughed out loud and the people at the next table turned and looked at them. There was a look of recognition on the woman’s face and she turned to her husband and whispered something, then they both looked back over. The woman had taken her napkin out of her lap and was getting up.
“Excuse me,” the woman said, “but I just saw your picture in the paper this morning and I just wanted to tell you ho
w proud we are of what you did for that Children’s Shelter.”
Stacy smiled. “Well, thank you. You’re very sweet,” Stacy said. “There were a lot of people involved to make everything turn out right, and I’ll pass along your words of praise.”
The woman looked over at Niki. “You must be so proud of her!” she beamed. “Are you her husband?”
Niki put his arm around Stacy. “Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
The woman smiled. “I’ll let you get back to your evening.”
“Thank you again,” Stacy said. The woman walked back to her table and replaced her napkin then whispered something else to her husband and looked over again.
Niki looked at Stacy and smiled. “People just love you.”
“Oh brother.”
“It’s true,” he said. “Look at me. You were mean as hell to me and I still fell in love with you.”
“I was not mean as hell to you.”
“You were too. You punched me in the chest, you slapped me across the face, you called me every mean name you could think of. And that was just the first day. And look what happens. I fall in love with you.”
Stacy laughed out loud again. “I was sort of on the warpath,” she said, thinking back. “You should have seen the look on Eli’s face when I walked in there with Jason’s gun,” she said, and this time it was Niki’s turn to laugh out loud.
The waiter came over with the check and left it on the table.
“You want anything else?” Niki asked Stacy.
“No. I’m perfect.”
Niki looked over at her and smiled. “You are perfect.”
“Food wise,” Stacy clarified.
“I know what you meant,” he said, shoving her head to the side. “Let’s get out of here.” Niki left money on the table and they walked out of the restaurant holding hands. They drove down to the hotel and went up to the Presidential Suite on the top floor of the hotel.
“This is awesome, isn’t it?” Stacy said, looking around. “I’ve put clients up here before and they’re always impressed.”
“Yeah, it’s a great hotel. I can enjoy it now that my mind isn’t preoccupied,” Niki said. “Jason and I stayed here when I confronted your father, but I was a bit of a mess.”
Back on Solid Ground Page 26
