by Dawn Doyle
Paranoid!
He probably wasn’t looking at her, she decided, he just wanted some air in the office. Yeah, that was it. Some air instead of the delicious smell that made her mouth water every time it hit her nostrils.
Fuck you for turning me on!
Emily had to do something. Something that would keep them busy and away from each other. Not that they were together a great deal, but just him being there was playing havoc with her lady parts. Causing her to have lustful thoughts of Nick in various states of undress.
Oh who was she kidding. She was visualising him taking his jacket off, undoing his tie and then slowly undoing his shirt buttons to reveal hot, sexy, ripped muscles beneath. She’d even thought back to the night at the club where she was pulled on stage, and she’d imagined it was Nick who was dancing and gyrating for her.
Emily squeezed her knees together as her thoughts made her hot all over.
Glancing to Nick, he was looking at her and smiling, like he knew what she was thinking. Did he know?
No, he couldn’t possibly. Oh God I hope I didn’t say anything out loud!
She would have to curl up and hide if she had.
Holly and Alex were due to call in before they go to Ryan and Riss’ housewarming. Emily wasn’t looking forward to knowing when Nick was right next door. Luckily he couldn’t just walk in so she was safe.
“How did you feel getting up this morning fully moved in?” Holly asked as she and Alex arrived.
“It was great, actually. I thought it’d feel strange but it didn’t.”
“I guess that means you’re meant to be here then.” Holly beamed.
“Maybe.”
“So how’s work going?” Alex asked.
Emily knew he wasn’t referring to the recent falling out and it was just an innocent question. That kid didn’t have a bad bone in his body.
“It’s good. I get to do a lot of things my degree was based on and I’ve made some new friends too.”
Emily told them more about Diane, Julie, Lois and Kendra. She really liked them and they seemed to like her just as much.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come next door? Even for just a little bit?” asked Holly with a pleading tone in her voice.
“I’m sure. I’m going to have a shower and then relax.”
“You can relax on the weekend. Come on, Em. We’ll make sure Nick behaves himself.”
It’s not Nick’s behaviour I’m worried about!
“No, I see him enough at work. I need a break.”
After saying their goodbyes, Holly and Alex left for the party next door.
Emily went into her room to get undressed for her shower and glanced at the stuffed cat sitting on her bed. Smiling to herself she stroked across its head.
Opening her dresser she pulled out the T-shirt Nick had bought for her from Vegas. ‘Kitty Needs A Spanking’ it said on the front. A reminder of the joke that started on Riss’ pathway.
Piling her wet hair on top of her head, Emily dressed in her T-shirt and pink and baby blue plaid Pj pants.
Slouching down on her new, comfy sofa she picked up her book ‘The Opposite Of Wild’ by Kylie Gilmore and picked up where she’d left off.
She could hear the music from next door but it wasn’t too loud, which was thoughtful of them.
Getting engrossed in the book, Emily thought about Nick mowing a lawn shirtless, just like the character in the book. She licked her lips imagining him peeling his shirt off and getting dirty in the garden.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Holly and Alex.
They were knocking to try and persuade her to go next door. It wasn’t happening.
Emily opened the door and gasped.
Nick!
“Hey there, Emmy. I’m here to take you next door.” He said casually, with a smile that screamed ‘I’m a naughty boy’.
Dressed in faded blue jeans and a while T-shirt, he looked so sexy leaning against the doorframe. One hand in his pocket, Emily could see the bottom of a tattoo peaking out from under the sleeve of his T-Shirt.
“You’re wearing your shirt.” He said with a low rumble to his voice as his eyes roamed over her.
“What? Oh!” Emily tried crossing an arm to hide herself. “I’m not going next door, Nick.”
His eyes moved to the bowl that sat on a narrow shelf next to the door. He reached for it and grabbed her keys.
“Yes, you are.”
“Nick!” She squealed in disbelief.
“Come on…” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her apartment, her door closing automatically because her tight grip caused her to pull it closed.
“I’m in my Pj’s for God’s sake!” She pulled her hand but he held her tight.
“You look cute. Come on.” He chuckled.
Cute?! I’ll give you cute, cock ‘ed!
“Look who I found!” He said happily as he dragged her into the party; dropping her keys onto the kitchen counter as he passed.
“Emily!” They chorused, and Emily wanted the ground to swallow her up.
She was standing there in her Pj’s, a T-shirt that said ‘spanking’ on the front and the whole group were there.
Holly and Alex, Ryan and Riss, Dev and Ben, Kyle and Kayla. Not forgetting the person who had brought her into the room of humiliation.
“Cool shirt!” Said Kayla, and Emily saw that she was genuine. “Kyle got me a similar one with a cat on it saying ‘Sin City’ when we went to Vegas last month.”
“Told you.” Nick said next to her ear causing goosebumps to break out all over her body and she crossed her arms over herself just in time for her nipples to pebble. That would’ve been the worst.
“Now the party can begin!” Said Ryan raising his fist.
“Behave Ryan.” Riss chastised him. “I’m glad you changed your mind, Em. I was really hoping you’d come.”
“I didn’t” Emily said, glaring at Nick before moving away from him to take a seat by Holly.
Nick just grinned at her and then winked. The room was suddenly too hot and she was sure everyone could feel the heat radiating from her face. It was a good job the lights were low because they wouldn’t have missed the redness.
Emily struck up a conversation with Holly and Alex about college. They were going to the same college and both studying the same subjects.
What a shocker! Not.
Emily’s ears pricked up at the mention of Louise’s name. Ryan was talking about her and Nick didn’t look happy about it.
“Ryan, enough.” He said with a snap.
“I’m just saying, bro. If she wanted to ask you out, why were you giving her the brush off? I thought you’d be up for a little fun?”
“Ryan!” Riss yelled and slapped his arm.
“I told you, I don’t like her. She’s an idiot.”
“Is that it? Or is there another reason you blew her off?” Ryan said with a knowing smile.
“I want to know who told you.” Nick said, glancing to Emily.
“Just somebody I know who works in that building. It wasn’t a secret. A lot of people saw what happened in the lobby. That girl was practically rubbing up against you.”
Why is Ryan trying to piss him off?
Emily was getting annoyed with Ryan and if he didn’t shut his gob, she would put her fist in it. Even if he was Nick’s brother.
“I’m just fucking with you Nick. Relax. The whole gang’s here now, so let’s have some fun!”
Ryan made eye contact with Emily and he smiled. He’d done that on purpose to cause friction between them, but Emily didn’t understand why he thought that it would. She hadn’t told anybody how she felt so it wasn’t as if he was making fun of her.
The conversations started up again and Emily heard Holly and Alex quietly speaking Spanish to each other. It was amazing how much she’d learned the language. Well, maybe not because she did have Alex teaching her after all. Probably giving her sexy rewards the mor
e she learned.
“Hey, just because I don’t understand you, doesn’t mean I can’t tell what you’re talking about.” She said with a chuckle.
“Él es tan sexy. No puedo evitarlo.” Holly said and Alex whispered something into her ear as she bit her lip.
Dev giggled next to them, obviously understanding every word.
Emily shook her head and rolled her eyes. Even in somebody else’s home they couldn’t contain themselves.
Emily felt a shiver down her spine as she felt Nick’s eyes on her again. Before she could stop herself, she turned to look, and she was right. He was watching her as the rest of him was turned to Riss as she was happily chatting away, not realising his attention was on Emily instead. She also noticed that his right hand was rubbing up and down his upper left arm, right where his tattoo would be under the fabric of his shirt, the bottom of it resembling half ovals.
Possibly swirls or the thinner lines of a tribal pattern?
She didn’t know, but thinking about it made her stomach flip.
Emily turned her attention back to the conversation between Holly and Dev. The best friends could chat away like nobody’s business and it made Emily miss having somebody to do that with. She did have, until she’d betrayed her too. It hurt too much to think about it so she swallowed it down.
“So Emily, Nick tells us that you’ve helped a lot in the office.” Ryan said with a smirk. Oh yes, he wanted to start things up again. She wasn’t going to let him.
“I do my job. If that’s a help, then great.” She said, returning the smirk but with a hint of malice.
“Hey, did you know Nick’s got a tattoo? He won’t show us though. He’s very secretive about it.”
“Ryan.” Nick growled.
Even though it was supposed to sound threatening to Ryan, Emily felt it hit her centre with force. She crossed her legs in attempt to stop the fire spreading there.
“Well, you have. Why won’t you show us? It’s not like it’s on your ass!”
“It hasn’t completely healed and besides, it’s for me, not for everybody else.” Nick frowned.
“Dude! The whole point of getting a tattoo is to show it. Wanna see mine?”
Ryan didn’t give anybody a chance to answer before he lifted his shirt and showed a badly written piece of writing on his bicep.
“What the fuck is that? Did you do that with a sharpee?” Asked Kyle.
“Yes. Yes I did.” He said proudly. “Care to read it out Riss?”
Riss turned to read the green ink.
“Will you marry me?” She read out and then her eyes widened, her eyes snapping to Ryan.
“Yes I will.” Ryan said with a boyish grin and pulled a small black box out from behind the cushion he had leant against.
The whole room was silent.
“Riss, I love you. So much that my stomach feels like it’s trying to eat itself…” Riss held her hand over her mouth as he continued. “I love you so much that my heart does a happy dance just because you exist. I love you so much that I’m nothing without you and I love you so much…” He leant in to whisper in her ear, making Riss gasp and blush.
“Riss, will you marry me?”
All eyes turned to Riss as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Yes! I love you so much too.” She blubbed as he slipped the ring on her finger.
The room burst with cheers of congratulations and clapping.
“My Dad is gonna freak out!”
“Well, I asked him earlier when you went to the bathroom. He’s cool.”
Emily’s heart melted at the, somewhat strange, but romantic thing Ryan had done for Riss. Getting their parents together to ask permission and then asking her in front of their friends in his own way, that Riss loved about him.
“Let’s get some tunes going!” squealed Kayla in excitement. Her tear stained cheeks and happy grin showing her happiness for her cousin.
Nick got up and changed the music.
Emily’s heart stopped for a moment when she heard the song’s intro. ‘The Fire Down Below’ by Slaves. The same song that played on the radio in Nick’s car the day he kissed her hand after punching him.
He remembered she liked the song.
“Hey, this is the band you like isn’t it Em?” Holly asked quietly beside her.
Emily nodded and risked a glance at Nick. He smiled when they made eye contact.
He rose out of his seat and Emily held her breath wondering what he was doing when he turned to go in the direction of the bathroom.
Seeing her opportunity, she got up, grabbed her keys from the counter and left.
Emily remembered to check the viewer before she answered the knock on her door. It was Holly and Alex.
She let them in and then plopped herself down on her sofa.
“What’s going on, Em? Why did you get off?”
“I need to spend time away from Nick. I can’t handle being around him so much.”
Emily felt the sting in the bridge of her nose and she willed the tears away. She didn’t want Holly to know that she was upset, again.
“Em. This has gone on too long now. We’re worried about you. Talk to me!”
“I can’t!” Emily said, raising her voice then lowering it incase the others, next door, could hear.
“Why? You’re so distant Em, and in there you avoided Nick like the plague! Just like you did at little Cora’s party.”
Emily looked to Alex, then back to Holly. She didn’t want to talk whilst he was there but she knew he wasn’t leaving Holly’s side anytime soon and it was beginning to irritate her.
“Don’t you two ever separate?”
Emily regretted the words instantly when Holly’s face fell and Alex’s turned angry.
“Not since that night.” Holly whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Hol.” Emily said quickly, a sick feeling in her stomach from hurting her sister. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean that. It’s just… I miss you. I miss talking to you about stuff, private stuff, and I can’t. I can’t talk to anyone and I feel lonely.” Emily’s voice hitched as the tears came.
“You can still talk to me, Em. I’m always here for you, you know that.”
“This is different.” The tears began to flow freely down Emily’s cheeks
“Emily. Calm down.” Holly said gently, pulling Emily to her in a hug. “Just tell me. Alex won’t say anything at all.”
“I won’t Em. I promise.” Alex added.
“Listen, cheekbones, you better not repeat any of this, understand?”
“It’s not my place to say anything Em. You know I wouldn’t.”
“If he does, withhold sex from him, Hol.”
Holly’s face made Emily snort a laugh. It was as if Holly had been told to punish herself.
“You cannot ask me to do that Em. That would only hurt me too.”
“Well, it’s a good job he won’t say anything then.” Emily sniffled.
“So what’s bothering you, hun?”
“It’s Nick.” Holly and Alex exchanged a look. “I can handle seeing him at work because I don’t actually see him that often, but out of work is too much. He makes me feel nervous and confused.”
“How so?” Holly asked, concerned.
“He’s nice to me.”
“How is that a problem?” Holly obviously didn’t understand the turmoil Nick’s niceness had inflicted on her.
“Because I don’t want him to be nice to me. I don’t want him to be sweet and do things for me or buy me presents.”
“Hold on, he bought you presents? Plural?”
“Yeah. He got me this T-shirt from Vegas.” She said pointing to her top. “It was for a joke but he still bought it. Today, he walked in with a build-a bear cat. Holly, it was wearing a fairy costume.”
“Oh my God! That’s so nice!”
“Do you see my problem?!”
“No. I don’t.”
“I don’t get presents. No guy has ever bought me random presents and now
Nick gets me two.”
Emily got up and retrieved the cat from her bed, showing it to Holly.
“Aww that’s cute!” She laughed.
“I know.” She said, exhausted as she sank back onto her sofa.
“Em, you like Nick, don’t you?”
Emily looked back and forth between Holly and Alex.
“That’s why you took off on us isn’t it? You have feelings for him and you felt like you couldn’t talk to anybody incase it got back to him.”
Ding Ding Ding!
“I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t talk to me Em. No matter what, you can tell me, us, anything.” She gestured between herself and Alex.
“Yeah I do. But I don’t want him to know.” She admitted.
“Wow, that sounds like Déja vu.” Joked Alex and Holly nodded.
“If he knew then things would be different.” Said Holly.
“Yeah, he’d take the piss and I’d get arrested for throwing him out the window.”
Holly stared at Emily in silence with a ‘what?’ expression.
“Wow.” She finally said.
Now it was Emily’s turn to have that expression.
“You don’t see it do you?”
“Diane asked me that question too. What is it that I’m supposed to see?”
‘Nick likes you’ Diane’s voice sounded in her head.
“Nick likes you.” Holly repeated the same thing.
Emily was about to shake her head. She didn’t believe that he did because if that was the case, she would know… Yes she would… Wouldn’t she?
“You know what he did when he showed up next door? He looked around, said ‘I just need to grab something’ and went out, returning with you. If you don’t believe me, watch how he looks at other people then see how he looks at you.”
“He’s always looked at me like that.” She said, shaking her head.
”Exactly! And the whole time in Riss’ he kept staring at you. Just you.” Holly added. “I’m telling you, Em. He likes you a lot.”
