Text 'Yes' if You Love Me
Page 14
“Well, I don’t. I had it all planned out. You get Jabari, and life would be good.”
“The insane plan blew up in your face. If you keep playing with fire, you won’t have Jabari anymore.”
Gayle shoved her arms together and rolled her head. “If that means never laying eyes on that cunt again, then so be it. He doesn’t know if that baby is even his. He is so damn stupid.”
Her arched brows snapped together, and she thinned her lips. “Yet, you are the one in my office acting a damn fool. You are blaming Jabari and me for an asinine idea of yours. Did you bother to ask him how he felt about Petra? If you had, he would have told you he’s still in love with her. On our dates, they were texting back and forth.”
“If you had kept him occupied like you did that food slinger maybe that would not have happened.”
“Leave Logan out of it, Gayle. We need to leave this whole conversation alone before it gets any nastier.”
“It’s already there. You are so worried about acting like Judith. Newsflash, Nikki; having fun doesn’t mean you have to be a whore. Your mom slept around, but at least she knew how to enjoy life,” she spat. “No wonder Logan ran. You were probably as boring in bed as you are in person.”
Nikki’s feet were itching to launch forward. She actually pictured her hands around Gayle’s long neck. With her hands placed firmly on the edge of the desk, she gave Gayle a warning. “We are friends, but you are about to make me beat your ass. Keep trying me,” she seethed.
Gayle must have taken the threat seriously. Without speaking another word, she stormed out of her office. It took Nikki a minute to regain control and settle down. The tears fell down her cheeks. The only friend she had was gone. What was becoming of her life?
Sitting down, she picked up the phone to call her father, and it immediately went to voicemail. Nikki hung up, not leaving a message. What was the point? He had no advice for her. He didn’t know anything about Gayle.
*****
Nikki couldn’t bring herself to get out of the car. She sat in the parking lot resting her head against the headrest. Pity was the only friend she had left. Sure, she would make a new friend. Whoever that new friend was would not know a damn thing about her personal life. An online friend would be perfect for that anonymity. She could be whoever she wanted and the person on the other end could not judge her.
A soft rap on the window turned her head to see Mrs. Miller. She was motioning for her to roll the window down. “Are you okay, Nikki?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t realize she was crying until she tasted the salt from the tears.
“I think you could use a cup of tea. Get out the car; I’ll wait.”
She nodded. Gathering her purse and briefcase, she got out of the car and followed Mrs. Miller to the apartment building knowing a cup of tea would not fix her problems.
Chapter Eighteen
“Piece of crap computer! Damn it!” Logan banged on the keyboard, trying to unfreeze the program. He didn’t have time to waste in the office fighting with a temperamental computer. The health and city inspectors were due, and there was still a ton of work to be done in the kitchen. He wasn’t worried about passing the inspection—that was a given. He wanted to make sure there was nothing to give them doubt a problem could arise in the near future.
Since returning from Pittsburgh, he’d been tense and snapping at people for no reason. Ron went off on him, reminding him that he was part owner of Neeò and not an employee. If Logan didn’t stop abusing the staff, Ron would implement the clause in the agreement to declare him hostile and set him out of the restaurant until he got it together. He'd needed that jar from Ron to wake him up.
Logan needed Neeò. When Axl finally arrived, they had a chance to talk about the family restaurant. Axl made some good and not-so-good points. The thought of spending months away from Neeò didn’t seem bad at first. Ron was more than capable of running it on his own.
However, Nikki had given him new hope for the future. If he could stay the course, there was a good chance he could have it all. He thought of Nikki every second of the day. Elizabeth tried but couldn’t sway him to call on Elaine during his visit. He wasn’t prepared to be phony with her. If Elaine was fragile from her divorce, he could not deal with that and her kid too.
The few weeks Logan was gone, he worked hard to fight the feelings he had for Nikki. He was grateful that Ron had offered to hold down the fort if he decided to extend his stay in Pittsburgh. Logan had every notion of doing that until he decided to drive home one weekend to check on his house.
He was walking to his car and saw Nikki with another man walking down the street. They were talking and laughing but not in a romantic kind of way. He wasn’t holding her hand or leaning into her when he talked. Although it was creepy, he followed them. It had to be a lunch date as he walked her to an office building a few short blocks from the restaurant.
Logan spied on them, ready to duck behind whatever structures were handily available, though they never looked back to catch him. Logan thought it was strange that the guy left her at the revolving doors of the office building. Nikki gave him a hug, but not a kiss, before she disappeared inside the building. What he witnessed made him jealous but also smile.
“Logan, is the computer up yet? We’re drowning again in the kitchen with back orders,” Ron said, exasperated.
“I’m working on it.”
“Man, call Nikki. She can have the system up and running before the dinner rush.”
He chuckled. “Have confidence. I can fix it, Ron. She taught me what to do.”
“Did she teach you to bang on the keyboard? I don’t think you’re supposed to do that.”
Logan twisted his lip. “She sort of discouraged that option. I’ll reboot the system; that should fix it.”
Ron stuck out his hand wiggling his fingers. “Give me her number; I’ll text her. Whatever you two got going on or not going on is starting to get childish. My kids don’t act like this.”
“She doesn’t want to see me, and I’m not going to force her.”
“We are running a business, Logan; it has nothing to do with you. Call her or I will,” Ron demanded.
Logan pulled the rubber band holding his hair letting the ponytail fall free. The pressure eased the headache throbbing at his temples. “Can we not argue, please?”
“Cool, I don’t want to fight either, but we need the computer to run the business.”
“You win; I’ll send her a text. But if she doesn’t respond, I’m done. Agreed?” Logan stuck out his hand waiting for Ron to shake it.
Ron shook his hand. “Agreed. Now I have to get back to the kitchen. Logan, get her here ASAP. Kiss her ass if you have to.”
Inhaling a deep breath, he removed his cell phone and started to type a message to Nikki. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but not by using characters on the phone but in person. He wanted her to see how sincere his words were and not use emojis to relay his feelings. He had to let her know it was not his intention to never see her again. Instead of typing anything close to that, he only typed “hello” just to see if she would respond.
Logan turned the phone face down on the desk to keep from checking for a response. Memories of the last time he had made love to Nikki filled his head as he longed to be in bed next to her instead of parked in front of a broken computer praying she’d answer a stupid text.
It had been weeks since they had sex, and when he concentrated, it was as if it was yesterday. The smell of her perfume, the softness of her skin, the light moans she released came to his senses clear as day.
Unfortunately, his dreamy mood was shattered by the insistent tone of his text message alert. He turned over the phone and hit the button to display the text message. As he looked at it, his shoulders went back, and he relaxed in the chair. She had replied “hi” with a smiley face next to it.
Since he had broken the ice, he typed: How are you doing?
NGraham: Okay. How are you?
330222
5577: Miserable. I miss you.
NGraham: Sorry to hear that.
3302225577: Sorry I’m miserable or that I miss you?
NGraham: Logan, don’t go there. You made a choice, stick with it.
3302225577: You made the decision. I have abided by your wishes.
NGraham: I have no clue what you’re talking about.
3302225577: Your friend told me what you said.
NGraham: Gayle? I never asked her to talk to you.
Angry now, he was done with texting. He needed to talk to Nikki in person. His thumbs typed out a quick message:
3302225577: On my way over, be there in fifteen minutes.
Logan stood up from the desk, forgetting about the broken computer and that the restaurant was still open and packed. He was also filthy and didn’t have time to take a shower. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Dirty or not, he had to go. He didn’t care about anything but getting to her.
It hurt she thought he felt nothing and that what they’d experienced together meant nothing to him. What they’d shared had meant everything to him. It was becoming clear to him that, with Nikki by his side, all was right with the world. Without her, nothing was right. He would never be the same. He felt his chest get tight when he thought about her letting him go.
However, the friend’s argument was convincing, and if stepping away from Nikki was in her best interest, he’d do it. All his life he’d bent over to please his family, friends, and customers, making sure everyone was satisfied in whatever capacity, yet he couldn’t deny the hold this woman had on him or the way she made him feel just by looking at him.
Logan laid on the buzzer, waiting for Nikki to let him upstairs. He’d have to force his features to show nothing when she opened the door. So many emotions were running through him, but the most dangerous one was wanting to strangle that woman for lying.
What did she have to gain by lying? Did she do it so Nikki would date other men or just the man he’d seen her with that day? He was going to get to the bottom of it today. Valuable weeks had been lost with Nikki. She must hate him, thinking he’d slept with her and then tossed her aside like an old pair of shoes.
Logan hated himself for not listening to Ron. He should have called Nikki and not listened to Gayle. He believes that is her name. She was talking so fast it was hard to understand what she was saying, but he heard her clearly when she said Nikki wanted to cut ties with him. She couldn’t deal with a relationship with the emotional baggage she carried.
That should’ve been a clue. They had not discussed any relationship. He wanted to take her on a weekend getaway, not run off and get married. He was livid at Nikki because she didn’t deliver the news herself. He wondered why she would use a stooge to do her dirty work. And because of the fabrication, he almost moved back to Pittsburgh.
The buzzer rang as an older woman exited the building with a little dog on a leash. She gave him a once over and smiled. “I haven’t seen you around in a long time.”
Logan shrugged his shoulders. “Do I know you, ma’am?”
“Oh no. I’m Mrs. Miller. I live next door to Nikki. She’s such a lovely girl but so lonely. I was so happy to see she had found a young man to keep her company. But then you were gone.”
It was true. Elderly women couldn’t see well enough to drive a car but had 20/20 vision when it came to spying on the neighbors. “Work has kept me busy. Here, let me get the door for you,” he said opening the heavy security door so she and the dog could exit.
He took the stairs two at a time to reach her floor. Nikki was standing at the door waiting for him. Logan swallowed when he saw her wearing his dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow, revealing her smooth legs and bare feet. He assumed she had on shorts underneath the shirt. She had her hair tied in a loose ponytail, and soft curls hung around her face that was free of makeup. She was one of few women he knew who didn’t overpaint.
He fought to keep from taking her in his arms. Though she was trying to play it cool, he could see the nerves jumping beneath her skin. Yep—he was affecting her as much as she was affecting him. His desire was by no means one-sided. And, though she might not admit it, she was glad to see him.
After sharing a few moments of silent glances, she led him into the apartment. Her light scent drifted over to him, and he could feel his pulse start to race and his lower anatomy wake up. He’d have to refrain from sex tonight. He was not here for that but to get them back on track if possible.
She closed the door and leaned against it. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she said, “I had a horrible fight on the phone with Gayle. She admitted it. I’m so sorry, Logan. I had no idea she would resort to such evil.”
He shook his head. “Don’t apologize to me. I was the fool that listened to her. Nikki, I’m a sucker when it comes to love and fall hard. This time I ran at the first sign of trouble. I don’t want to run anymore.”
She played with the hem of the shirt, revealing the denim shorts beneath it. “Is it too soon to say I missed you?”
He shook his head. “It’s never too late to say anything to me, Nikki. Had I done the adult thing and called you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Nikki walked over to the couch and flopped down cradling a pillow to her chest. “Gayle is my family, Logan. If something happened to her or a member of her family, I’d be devastated. She hurt me.”
Logan joined her on the couch and sat closer than was needed or appropriate. Their shoulders brushed together as he leaned in and took her hand. Her flesh was warm and soft. Her delicate hand fit perfectly in his. “Maybe her intention was not to hurt you, Nikki.”
When she crinkled her nose, he found it cute. “What else could it be? She knew I liked you. She deliberately went out of her way to ruin my friendship with you.”
He smiled internally. She liked him. That changed the game. “Is she the jealous type?’
“She’s never been jealous of me before; if anything, she pities me. Anyhow, Mike has been her partner for as long as I’ve known her.”
“Then it’s because she has a friend she wanted for her cousin. What she saw between us was not serious,” he said, as he brushed a curl away from her ear.
She played with the fringe on the pillow. “Right. What exactly are we, Logan?”
As the two of them contemplated her question, he lifted her chin with a fingertip, not exactly knowing what he was going to say next. The mystery of their relationship appealed to him, but he was ready to stop playing games and move forward.
“If you are serious, Nikki, I’d like to move us to the next level,” he told her.
Nikki looked at him incredulously for a moment before she unlocked her clenched jaw. She turned her lips up in a smile. “That could be detrimental to your health. Love is something I have never experienced before with a man and as an adult. My high school crush hardly compares to that.”
“Now is a chance for you to feel the experiences of love, baby” he stated. “I want to make your heart flutter and have you go to bed with a smile on your face.”
“Um, you’ve done that already, remember?”
“Having those feelings when we make love is different from what I want you to feel outside the bedroom.”
“Oh, there is a difference between the two?” she asked raising a brow.
“Very much a difference. I need you to understand that I won’t have much free time to play Romeo as I’d like. But be sure I will not neglect you. When we are together, it will be magical.”
She tucked her feet up under her on the couch and laughed. “Wow, you are super busy, and I’m an introvert; this is going to be interesting.”
Logan ran his hands down her arm. “We’ll be fine. I promise you won’t regret or doubt me.”
She turned to face him, and she just looked at him. Her hands came up to his hair and pulled him down close to her. He could feel her fingers flex and relax in his hair. “What if you decide I’m not your type again?”
To his delight, she rolled her head back, exposing her sexy neck. He never thought a neck could be sexy until now.
He felt her breathing as his fingers lightly played over her ribs, upward, until finally, he cupped her breast and moaned at the sheer pleasure he found. Toying with the tight bud, he circled it slowly until she moaned in return. Taking his time, he slowly reached over and did the same to her other nipple. Then he bent his head and lifted her shirt as he ran his tongue slowly over her, following the same pattern. She leaned farther back on the couch. Logan pressed into her without removing his mouth from her nipple.
Her fingers roamed his face, caressing, outlining, touching it all over. Her finger caught the loop of his earring as she traced his ear. When she moved her finger along his lips, he sucked it into his mouth. Logan wanted to devour every part of her, limb by limb.
He unbuttoned the shirt. Since it was his shirt, there wasn’t a struggle with the buttons. Nikki sprawled out for his pleasure. He quickly removed the shirt and tossed it on the floor. Looking down at her, he watched as her eyes fluttered open.
“Logan?”
“Baby, you’re so beautiful to me.” He dipped his head and licked his way around her soft skin. Her hands went back to his hair, holding him to her as she moaned in pleasure. She was very vocal, and he was enjoying hearing the sexy little sounds emanating from her. Running his hands slowly up and down her soft legs, he pushed them open a little wider as his fingers brushed over the tender spot just below her denim shorts. He expected her to stop him. It had been weeks since they’d been together. Instead, her body relaxed, welcoming his touch. He was certain that Nikki had not had sex with the mystery man. If she had, her body wouldn’t be hungry for his.
He ran his fingers up her shorts, unsnapping the snap, followed by the zipper; he pulled them down as he kissed her exposed skin. Looking up to gauge her reaction, he saw her eyes watching him. Her smile flashed, and he saw her dark eyes close slowly on a moan. Taking the hint, he pulled her shorts down slowly. “Beautiful.”