by J. Nichole
“Beautiful mind, damn I missed you,” he said when I looked up from the sink. He was leaning on the door jamb. I dried my hands and walked to him, reaching up to grab his face between my hands. I kissed his lips and hugged his torso.
“I missed you too.”
Chapter 16
I laid on my side and watched Nick sleep. I was afraid if I fell asleep I’d wake up from a dream, one where this was all happening, and be back in a reality where we were still at odds with each other.
It’d be weeks before I was back on the grind, studying and working, and balancing him, but until then I wanted to live in the serendipity of having him whenever I wanted him. Getting to know more about who he was and what he wanted out of his life. I wanted to see if we could have what my girlfriends found, if we could become each other’s forever.
My stare probably woke him, because his eyes opened and he asked, “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Our countertop bliss was just the beginning, we cuddled on the couch watching a movie before the heat rose again. And he took me to my peak as I rode him. Then for the last time, when we crawled in the bed. That time we didn’t rush; he made love to me, slowly. Dragging out his strokes and caressing my body till we were both drained. He dozed off and I laid awake.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I whispered. He adjusted his body so I could lay on his chest. “Tell me about your new schedule,” I said, remembering he didn’t have to work on a Friday night.
He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he said, “I switched to the day shift so I could work closer with the owner to learn the business side.”
“Have you found a location yet?” I asked.
“We did,” he said with low energy and I rubbed his chest. “Let’s go back to sleep and talk about it later,” he said before yawning. With that, I let myself drift off to sleep.
I didn’t sleep long, I was up in the kitchen pulling together a breakfast before Nick stepped out of bed. I laughed thinking about the guy from DateNight who wanted his woman in the kitchen. Then I remembered I owed Jennifer more details about the night. I dug for my phone and called her, talking low so Nick wouldn’t wake.
“What are you doing up so early?” Jennifer asked. “Isn’t it like six on the west coast?” she asked.
“Making breakfast,” I said.
“And why are you whispering?” she said in her own whisper.
I laughed and said, “’Cause I don’t want to wake Nick.”
“Back up. Start from scratch ‘cause last night was DateNight and I know you were there.”
“I was, and I had my three dates. Decent dudes, well two of them.” I scrambled the eggs on the stove. “But I saw Nick there.”
She gasped. “Y’all were both at DateNight and you hadn’t seen his profile?” I confirmed and she asked, “Wait, so did you match with anyone?”
“Jennifer,” I said a little louder than the whisper I was trying to maintain. “No, I told you I saw Nick.”
“Oh so to hell with the other guys then?” I thought that would have been obvious. “And now y’all are back together.” She paused. “Well, either way you have a date to the wedding that isn’t a Clark brother so I’m good,” she said merrily.
“Not so fast. I haven’t asked him about the wedding yet.”
“You should get to that. You don’t have long.” She was right, I had already purchased my ticket and the flights weren’t cheap. Plus, he had all the things going on with his bar, so he may not be able to fly across country with me. “Oh, Monica, did he send the bottle of wine?”
“I almost forgot about that bottle of wine.” I heard Nick stir in the bedroom. “I’m going to get some answers, I’ll call you later, okay?” We hung up and I fixed two plates of breakfast.
I walked to the bedroom and saw Nick laying with his eyes open. “Good morning, I made breakfast.”
He turned to me and said, “I was hoping to have breakfast in bed.” He winked. “You been up for a while?” I nodded my head and he responded, “I’m coming.”
I sat in front of my plate, eating a piece of pineapple. “I hear pineapple does amazing things for women.” My lips spread into a wide smile. “Tell me what’s going on.” His smile slipped away as he sat beside me.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just happy we saw each other last night.” What if he matched with one of the ladies and they hit it off? “I mean before either of us matched with someone else.”
He took a bite of his food and chewed slowly. “The crazy thing about love is it always finds a way.” I stared at him. When we were together we hadn’t made it to the ‘I love yous.’ After we broke up, I missed him immensely but never considered the fact that it was because I loved him. Definitely didn’t consider he could have loved me too.
“Are you saying,” I couldn’t even finish the statement because I was afraid he would back away from what he said.
He grabbed my hand and said, “I do. I love you, Monica.” I blinked back the tears of joy that were pricking my eyes. “And I don’t want petty shit to get in the way of us being together.” He rubbed a circle into my palm.
“Wow, Nick. I don’t know what to say.” The words I should have said were ‘I love you too’ but I didn’t want it to be just because he said it. I wanted to tell him on my own.
“Tell me we will work through our challenges and make this work.”
“I promise I’ll try.” I stood from my chair and nudged his knee so I could stand between his legs. “Will that work for you?”
“For now,” he said, kissing my lips.
“Hey, did you send a bottle of Violetta to me in Vegas?” I asked, pulling away from our kiss.
“Bottle of wine?” he asked. Then I thought maybe it wasn’t him and it was a coincidence. “Did you enjoy it?” I nodded my head. “Would have been better if we could have drank it together.”
“You’re right. See how pettiness is ruining the world,” I joked. “One more question before our food gets cold.” He wrapped his arm around me and stabbed a piece of pineapple onto the fork and fed me. “Would you like to come with me to Nicole’s wedding in a few weeks?” I watched his face for a reaction. “It’s in Georgia.”
“First, answer this.” He placed his fork down. “Will I be there as a date or your boyfriend?”
“My boyfriend,” I offered. I cocked my head to the side and asked, “Would you not go otherwise?”
He laughed and directed me to my seat. “Our food is getting cold.” He took a bite of his toast. “But I would have gone either way. Just wanted to sneak that in there.” We talked about his ticket and the details of the wedding. I was excited about having him with me. More excited about upgrading my relationship status back to girlfriend.
After we finished, Nick got his wish, breakfast in bed with me as the entree. “Yes, those pineapples,” he said with a grin. Then he reminded me, “I have to get going.” I pouted my lips and he said, “I’m off around five though.” So we made plans to meet up for a bike ride, and dinner.
Chapter 17
I watched Nick as Bryan recited his vows to Nicole. My eyes became teary as he said, “I thank God for the opportunity to spend forever with you. From this day forward I vow to cherish you, to protect you, to be your partner in whatever adventures our lives lead us on. I’ll always love you, especially when times are tough, but I pray our good days outweigh our bad days and serve as a reminder of what we have together.”
I took a breath as the officiant announced them husband and wife. Maybe it was the setting but I was feeling super emotional and in love with Nick. Although David escorted me from the church, I waited for Nick to exit. When he did I made my way to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Wasn’t that beautiful?” I asked him.
He wagged his head and said, “Weddings always are, but you, Beautiful Mind, are the only thing I could focus on in there.” I felt my cheeks become warm.
“I’ll see you at the reception,” I said before kissing him on the lips. I could
have let the kiss linger but I wouldn’t have time to fix my lipstick before pictures. “Oh, and don’t let one of Nicole’s little cousins get too close,” I warned before finding the wedding party back in the church.
We posed around Nicole, who was flawless in her Bryan designed gown. The fascinator that she paired with it took it over-the-top. “Alright, ladies, say L.U.” We smiled wide as the photographer, fellow L.U. alum, snapped our pictures.
When it was time for Bryan and Nicole’s pictures we sat in the front pew and admired them. Bryan was dapper in his fitted Tom Ford tuxedo, actually, all the guys looked sexy as hell. Something like a boy band during a night at the Grammy’s.
“I think I like him,” Jennifer whispered as we watched Nicole and Bryan walk down the aisle for more photos.
“You should,” I said. “He is like a brother-in-law now,” I added referencing Bryan.
Jennifer rolled her eyes when I turned to look at her. “Obviously, I like Bryan. He’s great for Nicole. Who would have ever thought she would find her match? Someone who was so much like her but so very different at the same time.” She smirked. “But I was talking about Nick. I like him.” She chuckled.
“Yeah?” I asked. Nick had the chance to meet the group at the rehearsal the night before. He and Aiden hit it off the most, but everyone welcomed him in with open arms. “I just hope I don’t fuck it up when my residency starts.”
“Listen,” Jennifer said with her hand softly on my knee. “Just don’t give up so easy. When shit gets tough, talk to him about what’s not working.” The last couple of weeks had been easy. I had been able to do my research while he’d been at work, and at night we could be with each other without any restrictions.
“I just know how I am. I get overwhelmed so easily. And when my residency starts.” I sighed. “Things will be hectic again, and I have a hard time balancing.”
Jennifer shrugged. “I’m sure he knows that by now.” She laughed. “Adjust where you can, and accept what you can’t change.” Jennifer was right. I had to stop worrying about what hadn’t even happened yet.
Our last pictures were all together, and I was happy when we were finished. I was ready to dance the night away with my man. The reception hall was gorgeous. The floral centerpieces were like we were walking into a botanical garden. My mouth dropped when I saw the five-tiered wedding cake beside the dance floor, and the desserts surrounding it. But when I finally made eye contact with Nick across the room, saving a seat for me, my heart started to race.
Before I could claim my seat, the wedding party had to be introduced. “I Gotta Feeling” began to play and the DJ announced each of us as we surrounded the dance floor. Then the audience stood when the music switched beats and “For You” began to play. As Nicole and Bryan started swaying we separated and all eyes were on the two of them, except mine, mine were searching for Nick again.
I joined him at the table with my back to him, and we swayed to the song. “I love you,” he whispered into my ear and my heartbeat finally slowed. We joined Nicole and Bryan on the dance floor when the DJ switched it up again. Nick and I had never been out dancing, but we flowed across the dance floor like we had been partners for life.
Throughout the night we kept up with the DJ, switching from sweet melodies, to twerk music when the older folks started clearing out. We only took a break when the food was served and when it was time for just the ladies to show out.
During that time, Nick would sit at the table with the other guys, but I’d turn to see him staring at me. I walked back to the table when my feet began to hurt and saw one of Nicole’s little cousins occupying my seat. I stood behind Nick and listened as the little girl told Nick about her favorite dessert, “The one with the cream in the middle.” He nodded his head and smiled. “I tried all of them,” she said confidently.
“I liked the one with the bananas,” he told her. The ease of his conversation with her was endearing. The little girl finally looked up to me and waved. Nick turned to me and pulled me into his lap. “And this, Allison, is my favorite person at the wedding.” He looked at me and asked, “Have you met Nicole’s cousin, Allison?” I shook my head and smiled at the little girl before she waved to the two of us and ran off.
“My feet have called it a night,” I said to Nick as I rested my head on his shoulder. He reached down and removed my shoes, massaging circles into the soles of my feet. I moaned as the pressure hit my sore spots.
“Moan like that you may not be able to see the newlyweds off.” He laughed.
But we did, we saw Nicole and Bryan off, as they rode away from the reception hall in a drop-top Mercedes. Then we made our way to our suite, where Nick not only rubbed my feet, but my back and shoulders too. I nearly fell straight to sleep, until he turned me around and spread my thighs, burrowing his head in the nook between them.
“Nick,” I moaned as my head found a comfortable place on my pillow. My eyes were closed and my body relaxed as his tongue worked me over. His hands cupped my ass and brought me closer to him, and it didn’t take long before my body was quivering.
I was expecting more, I wanted more, mentally. Physically, I was drained, and Nick must have known it because he laid behind me and cuddled me close to his body. “Get some rest,” he whispered.
“Monica,” I heard Nick shuffling around the room, but my body wouldn’t move. I peeked from under the covers and looked at him. “We have to get moving or we won’t have time to make it there.” I tossed a foot from under the cover and rose from the bed.
Nick grew up an hour outside of Atlanta, and of course we couldn’t fly all the way to Georgia without him showing me his hometown. “I may have to nap in the car,” I mumbled.
“Sure,” he said as he gathered his clothes into his suitcase. I didn’t know if he was as nervous as I was to meet his mom, but the way he was moving made me wonder.
With our suitcases in the trunk, we drove up the highway, the city behind us, to Macon.
“Macon, Georgia,” Nick said with a tap to my knee. “We’re here.” I gazed out of the window and quickly recognized the change in scenery. Instead of the city blocks and skyscrapers, we passed a downtown with a classic movie theater in the middle.
“Is this a guided tour, or we just going to sail on by old town USA?” I asked as we continued through the town.
“Right,” he started to tell me about the buildings we passed and places he frequented when he lived there. His enthusiasm dwindled as we drove through a residential neighborhood. “And this is where I lived before moving out west.” He parked on the curb of a colonial style home.
“Let’s do his,” I said as I grabbed his hand. I followed him to the front door, where he awkwardly knocked. “Wait, your folks took your key?”
He shook his head and said, “No, I just forgot to bring it.”
The door opened with a loud creak, and there in the doorway was an older woman, fair skinned, with green eyes that matched Nick’s, and a long, floral dress. “Nick, finally,” she said as she hugged her arms around his neck. “Come on in.”
She shut the door behind us and reached her hand out to me. “Since my son seems to be a little slow today, I’m Mrs. Collins, nice to meet you.” We shook hands and Nick looked between his mother and me before she said, “Let’s go in here so you can meet his daddy.” She guided us through the house, and I grabbed Nick’s hand.
“You okay?” I asked. He didn’t look at me but he nodded his head in response. In a reclining chair near the television was Mr. Collins. Nick finally spoke up and introduced me to his dad. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. Collins,” I said as I shook his hand.
He looked from the tv briefly and said, “You too.” Mrs. Collins pulled us away from him and directed us to the kitchen. I smelled biscuits, and my stomach rejoiced. Since I decided to nap in the car we didn’t stop for breakfast.
“Are those biscuits I smell?” I asked as I sat at the kitchen table.
“My mom bakes the best homemade biscuits ever,�
�� Nick proclaimed. “And she makes her own preserves.” His smile was wide and he seemed more relaxed.
“They’ll be ready in a few minutes and we can have them hot from the oven.” She was standing over the stove cracking eggs into the skillet. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Monica.” She looked over her shoulder. “I’m glad the two of you worked it out.” I looked from her to Nick whose fair skin showed him blushing.
“Yeah,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You had my baby all messed up.” It was my turn to blush, but my deep brown skin wouldn’t expose me. She drilled me with questions about medical school and offered sound advice, just like my parents would. “I was a financial analyst, before retirement, and I know how hard it is to balance a career and family life.”
She looked at Nick shifting in his seat. “It wasn’t always easy, actually most of the time it was the hardest thing I had to do. Come home from work after a long day and tend to the kids, then once they were in the bed tend to my husband.” I knew where she was going and I understood. If I wanted a family I would have to start balancing my life.
“I’m hoping once my residency is over, I’ll have more of a balance.” I looked at Nick hoping he would understand.
“I know it’s Sunday, and I don’t want to preach.” She chuckled. “So how about we break bread instead and Nick can tell you all about his childhood here in Macon.” She plated the biscuits, eggs, and sausage in serving plates, and set out the peach preserves.
“Wow,” I said after chewing a mouthful of the biscuit and peach preserve. “These biscuits are really good, and the peach preserve, I don’t think I would have ever thought of peach preserves.” Nick sat across from me, and I knew the feeling he was experiencing. Nostalgia, having your mama’s home cooking brings back memories.
When we finished our food, Mrs. Collins rebuffed our offer to help clean. Instead she offered us lemonade and her porch. “Go on out there and enjoy the sunshine before y’all have to get on that stuffy plane.”
