Friend-Zoned (11 page)

It’s Wednesday morning and
I’m feeling good.
All my paperwork is up to date. I’ve discussed with my two silent
partners (Max and Ghost) what the sponsorship money should be used
for and was surprised when they actually agreed with me. We’re
going to try to buy the building next door and extend The White
Rabbit. We’re all eager to put in a bid for the building. I can’t
believe we’ve arranged so much since the sponsorship was only made
official on Monday.
You wouldn’t even
have the NT3 if not for Tina.
I
wasn’t lying to Tina when I told her NT3 we’re going to turn me
down. I didn’t even fit the criteria. Then hurricane Tina bursts
through the door, literally, and Vanessa was
smitten.
Just like I
am.
Only a
little.
Yeah,
sure.
They took a big chance on The
White Rabbit and I have to make sure they aren’t disappointed.
We’re making really good profit through the club nights alone, not
counting hiring out the first floor during the week. I’ll make
certain they don’t regret it.
I had Tina investigated. I knew when I got the file, I had to tell
her. She’s a nice girl and I want her to trust me. The only way I
can make sure she does that is by being one hundred percent honest
with her. Only after I got the information, I was ashamed of
myself. How could I think Tina was after me because of my
money?
She’s so giving and hasn’t one asked for a thing. I knew she’d have
a problem with taking the VIP passes I gave her, that’s why I gave
Max specific instructions to make her open it after he left. Then
at the club, the girls all tried to return them. The truth is those
passes were for only one night. But after spending time with them
and then how they stood up for me to Sissy, I made a snap decision
to make them permanent VIPs. When they screamed and hugged the life
out of me, I’ll admit it felt good.
Tina must be a fairy or some shit. I’ve never been affectionate. In
fact, the thought of being affectionate used to make me sneer. But
it’s different with her. Most women who hug or rub up against me in
public want to be seen with me or want something from me. Tina,
though, you can see it in her face when she hugs you, it’s genuine.
It’s
her
emotions
being put out there on display and she doesn’t care who
sees.
Stop smiling,
pinhead.
I can’t stop. I’ve tried.
She hugs me a lot and I
like
it. I want her hugs. Just for me.
I want to talk to her. I log onto the instant messenger.
Nik123: Hey T, what’s shaking?
TheTomicBomb: Not much Niki. How r u?
Nik123: Good. I’ll be even better if you have lunch with me…
TheTomicBomb: Well I want u 2 feel even better so I guess we’re
having lunch 2gether! But this 1s on me. I owe u 4 saving me &
Nat from starvation.
I don’t like this. When I invite someone out, I pay. Always. Not up
for negotiation. But I have a plan.
Nik123: Alright, you’re on.
TheTomicBomb: Great! Around 12:30?
Nik123: I’ll come to the store and get you.
TheTomicBomb: See you soon! X
TheTomicBomb has logged off.
I got a big kiss that time. Nice.
***

I can see Nik exit The
White Rabbit through the storefront window.
I run into the staff room, check myself in the mirror and grab my
purse.
Rawr
Raaawr
“Goddamn, that’s an ugly
sound,” I hear him say as I walk out of the staff room and look to
the counter.
Nik stands there looking
so
yummy.
He turns to face me and gives me a dimpled smile “Ready to go,
sweetheart?”
I stop a moment to take him in. Today he’s gone with a slightly
casual look that I’ve never seen him wear. Wearing a tan colored
skin-tight sweater that showcases his guns and broad chest, sleeves
pushed up to the elbows, black jeans that make his muscular legs
look amazing and white Adidas lace-ups. He pulls it off
so
well. Then again I
nicknamed him Mr. Beautiful for a reason. He could wear a potato
sack and still look great.
I walk right up to him, put an arm around his waist and look up,
“Yep! Let’s do it.”
He says goodbye to Nat and Mimi, puts an arm around my shoulder and
walks me out of the door.
We walk three blocks wrapped up in each other sharing a comfortable
silence.
I spot the place I want to go for lunch, look up at him and ask,
“You feel a steak?”
He rolls his eyes at me and smiles, “Who doesn’t like a good
steak?” He squeezes my shoulder and we walk over to the
restaurant.
The restaurant isn’t full but they are still pretty busy for lunch
service. We make it to the host station and the lady there smiles
when she sees us. I’m sure she thinks we’re a couple and I’m
shocked at myself when I don’t care what she thinks.
Nik speaks, “Table for two, please.”
The host immediately replies, “Of course. Follow me.”
Still with our arms around each other, she shows us to a table just
inside an open doorway that leads to the patio seating. I feel a
slight breeze come through the doorway and I think she just gave us
the best seats in the house.
Just as we’re about to sit, I hear multiple gasps and look over two
tables to see three pretty women sitting and staring at us open
mouthed. Nik stiffens and I’m confused.
What’s going on?
All the women
look past us to the restaurants entrance. I feel my eyes follow
theirs and when I see what they see, I stiffen as much as Nik
has.
At the host table stands She-Devil Sissy. Her face flashes pain but
she covers it quickly with a superior look.
She walks over to where her friends are sitting and as she passes
us she acknowledges us, “Nik, and Friend of Nik’s.”
Nik sounds bored when he replies, “Sissy. Enjoy your lunch.”
As Sissy sits with her friends I hear them bombard her with
questions and statements. “Oh my
gawd
Sis, isn’t that your
boyfriend?” “I thought you guys were gettin’ married?” “Forget his
cheating ass, honey.”
Nik takes out a chair for me and I sit, then he seats himself and
shoots me an easy smile, “Just ignore them.”
I feel my neck get hot and itchy and I’m sure it’s bright red. I do
my best to plaster on a fake smile, “Yeah, sure.”
Nik sees my obvious discomfort and reaches over to put his hand
over mine. He whispers, “We can leave.”
I’m just about to answer when the waitress comes over to our table.
Rather than answer Nik, I place my order. He smiles and shakes his
head at me then places his order.
As we’re waiting for our meals, we chat.
I point out, “So, this is kind of awkward, having your
ex-girlfriend watch us eat. Now she definitely thinks you’re
shtupping me.”
Nik laughs at my silliness and says, “She was never my girlfriend,
babe. Never even been to my house. We always met at the club or I
would go to hers. Don’t listen to her friends. She knew what our
relationship was. I never played games with her, I was always
forthright. If I’m completely honest with you, it was just
sex.”
I blush at his bluntness and squeak, “Oh, okay.”
He narrows his eyes, places his joined hands under his chin and
says, “But I’m curious about you, little T. How does a woman who
owns her own business, bakes like you do, and is as pretty as you
are not have a boyfriend?”
He thinks
I’m pretty?
I return with, “Uh, I
guess I could ask you the same thing. You must know how handsome
you are. And you own a hugely popular nightclub. How do you not
have a girlfriend?”
He smirks, “Ahh, the old answer a question with a question sham.
I’ll answer yours but you’ll answer mine too, okay?” I smile and
nod. He says ,“Good. Okay. Well, I don’t have a tragic story to
tell about lost love. I had a girlfriend in high school and she was
great. I thought I’d end up with her.” A look of pain crosses his
face. “My dad died when my sister Isabel was just born. I was
sixteen. Max was fifteen. I was the oldest boy in the family which
meant most of the responsibilities fell to me because my Mom was
raising five children on her own. After dad’s funeral, my auntie
and Trick came to live with us for a few months to help out. They
fell in love with New York and never left. Trick helped me out a
lot back then because his dad died the year before and he knew what
I was going through. To cut a long story short, I didn’t have the
time to date like other teenagers did. I was always fixin’
something around the house or watching the kids or working to make
some extra money for Mom. When I was twenty four I took some night
courses in Business and got a degree. A few years after that I
decided I needed to look into a business which could be open at
night so I could still help Mom during the days. I got together
with two other people and opened The White Rabbit. There was no
time in between for anything else. Now the club takes up most of my
time and I don’t think that’d be fair to a girlfriend, ya know?
There will come a time when I want to settle down. It’s just not
now.”
My face dropped halfway into his talk.
He lost his father at sixteen. His sister was just born when he
died, she probably doesn’t even remember him. I think back and now
realize the family photograph in his office must have been taken
just months before his father died because his mother was so
heavily pregnant.
He took on the role of father figure at sixteen and did what he had
to do to make sure his family was ok, missing out on most of his
childhood and teenage years. While most teenagers we’re going out,
being stupid and fooling around, Nik was watching his brother and
sisters.
Who was there for
him?
My throat tightens with emotion
and my eyes mist. I reach over and put my hand over his, I whisper,
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
With a soft face, he lifts my hand and kisses the top of it, “Your
turn.”
I clear my throat and steady my voice. “I’ve dated guys. When those
guys kissed me,” I shrug, “nothing happened. There was no spark. My
heart didn’t skip a beat; there were no butterflies in my belly. It
was just nice.”
He states, “They weren’t good enough for you.”
I feel a swell of panic. I don’t want Nik to think I think I’m
pompous.
I immediately sputter, “What? No! It’s not like that!”
He chuckles, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you’re
picky or some shit. What I meant was you seem like the type of
person who knows when she’s got somethin’ good. So, if any of those
guys were good enough for you, you’d be with one of
them.”
Wow, that’s
nice.
I lower my eyes, pick invisible
lint off the table cloth and tell him, “I had something good once.
I was young and thought he was the one. I loved him. Like,
really,
loved him. And
he left. So, I guess you could say that I don’t trust my instincts
much anymore.”
Nik sounds mildly annoyed, “That’s too bad. What kind of asshole
would leave all of this?” He waves his hand up and down at me. “He
must’ve been blind, babe. You’re better off without him.”
I lift my head and smile at him.
The waitress brings our food and we push both plates into the
middle of the table. Nik puts the tomatoes from his salad on my
plate and I put most of my French fries onto his.
We pull our plates back and smile at each other.
You’re doomed.
Yep,
I’m pretty sure I am.
***

“
That’s not fair, Nik. I
said I would get it this time.” Tina actually looks pissed.
When I saw her come out of the Safira staff room, I was blinded.
She looks like an angel today. Wearing a long white gypsy skirt,
white blouse with short puffy sleeves and white sandals, she
actually looks angelic. Her dark hair is down, falling in soft
waves down her back, the front of her hair pinned up in a little
poof. She wears little make up and only glosses her lips. That
really turns me on. She has natural beauty. None of it comes from a
tub of goop.
I can’t help but grin at her. She’s so damn cute. She actually
thought she was buying lunch today.
Ahh, little Tina. You’ll get used to
it.
While she was in the bathroom I
waltzed up to the register and paid for lunch.
We’ve spent most of lunch chatting. And very surprisingly haven’t
let Sissy two tables over distract us. She walked passed us a few
times trying to get our attention but we ignored her. I know Sissy,
and she does
not
like to be ignored.
I state, “Tina, I invited you. It was the polite thing to do.” When
she still looks pissed, I decide to fight dirty. “Have I mentioned
I’m seven hundred thousand dollars richer because of you?”
That works. She tilts her head, lifts a brow and says, “This is
true.” I chuckle at her.
The girl wears her heart on her sleeve. You can tell whatever she’s
thinking through her facial expressions.
I want to leave so I can hold her while we walk. It’s relaxing. And
she’s so small it makes me feel like a giant. I’m her personal
teddy bear.
I like that.
I want to do a good job and make sure she’s hugged out so she
doesn’t need to get ‘em from anyone else. I want to be the only one
who gets her affection.
God, I’m
turning into a pussy.
I stand up and
help her out of her chair. As soon as she’s up I have my arm
wrapped around her shoulders. Like it comes so naturally, she puts
an arm around my waist.
As we turn to leave, I happen to glance at Sissy. She’s watching us
with unconcealed pain on her face. Her brow has crumpled and her
lips are quivering. I feel sorry for her but not enough to
apologize.
I’ve never treated Sissy the way I treat Tina. Sissy never earned
my respect. I’m not sure how I’m meant to respect a woman who,
without even knowing my name, gave me a blowjob under a table at
the club one night. After that one time, she found out who I was
and she was proving difficult to get rid of. It took so much effort
that I gave up. Sissy can blow like a machine. That’s why I kept
her around. Now four months later, cutting her loose of hooking up
once a week, I don’t even miss her. In fact, I only have one star
in my fantasies recently. And we just had lunch together.
I turn away from Sissy and lead Tina out of the restaurant. As
we’re walking in comfortable silence, Tina reaches up with her free
hand and plays with the collar of my
sweater.
This is the kind of thing I
want when I meet the one.
Everything
comes so easy with her. Nothing feels fake or for show.
Before I know it we’re back in front of Safira. Still with an arm
around my waist, she turns to face me, places the other arm around
my waist and squeezes me tight.
“I had the best time.” She whispers, “It was awesome. Thank
you.”
I look down into her sweet face and smile, “You’re welcome,
sweetheart. I had a good time, too. We’ll do it again soon.”
She sighs and puts her head on my chest. “I love your hugs. You’re
so warm and you’re arms are
huge
.”
I chuckle, “You’re welcome to them anytime you want, teeny
Tina.”
Her laughter is hot on my chest as she says “Thanks, Nik the
Dick.”
I’m going to kill
Max.
I utter, “Well, I think I better
go. We’re blocking the doorway.”
She releases me with a pout and I feel it in my cock. I want to
kiss that pout away and suck on her bottom
lip.
Great, now you’re hard. Move
away. Quickly.
I tuck a stray hair
behind her ear and say, “Talk to you soon.” And then I make my way
back to The White Rabbit.
Once I’m settled back in my office I get a really stupid
idea.
I open up the instant messenger and type out a quick message.
***