I Love My Chance (Nicole's Erotic Romance 3) (11 page)

She’s being her
normal funny self, but I’m not feeling it. It almost seems like she’s trying to
be funny, like she’s trying to pretend like everything is fine and I didn’t
just get run over by a cupid’s bulldozer on his way somewhere else. I remember
telling Mark he reminded me of her, when he was being silly like she’s being
now… and a shooting pain stabs my stomach. I shift in my seat, uncomfortable.

Jessica stares at
me, her voice very serious, suddenly. “When we get close to where we’re
supposed to be, we get itchy. Like we want to run. It’s human nature. Getting
that close to something this good? You’re aching to do something dangerous and
screw the whole thing up.”

Amber looks to me.

I shift my weight
again, looking toward the stripes on the walls. I shrug. “I’m not doing that.
I’m fine. The show will come and go and the world will continue to turn.” I’m
lying, of course. Jess knows this. Amber would, too, but she’s too busy
thinking about how this pertains to her.

Amber’s face
crimps up. “I never do that.”

My head whips to
her. “Seriously?”

Jess cocks her
head to the side. “No. You
never
sabotage good things. Ever.”

Amber looks back
and forth between Jess and I, stuck in the middle, literally and figuratively.
“I may do things sometimes that aren’t in my best interests… but I think they
are at the time I’m doing them.”

“Well, who
doesn’t?!” My head shakes off the confusion and I look back to Jess. “So you’re
saying
I’m on cloud nine. Everything is
fine
.
Don’t worry
.”

Jessica picks up
her vodka rocks and raises her eyebrows, “I’m saying,
be careful.
”

I’m dumbfounded.
“Of what? I’m not going to sabotage anything. I’m just…”

I smell him before
I see him, the delicious musk of his skin so familiar to me.

“Nicole.”

Amber and Jessica
look up, their mouths slightly open. I know exactly what has them so impressed.
I know because my hair has stood up on the back of my neck and the deep,
seductive Spanish accent has loosened the lock I have on my knees. I don’t have
to look up to know that Michael is behind me, afraid to come too close.

I slowly turn my
head, give his body an up and down rake. He looks gorgeous in his normal dark
jeans streaked with paint, his torn white shirt and black leather jacket. Sharp
glints of desire stare back at me when I land on his eyes.

“Michael.”

Amber shifts in
her seat next to me, dying to say something.

He nudges his chin
toward the bar. “I’m having a drink with a friend. And I saw you over here.” I
follow his gesture to a man with dreadlocks sitting on a barstool, looking
right at me. He’s obviously an artist of some kind, maybe music? Who cares.

I look back to
Michael. “So.”
 

His eyes flicker
at my icy tone. He struggles. “Can I talk to you… outside?” His eyes dart to my
girlfriends. “Hello.”

I move my hand,
not looking at them. “This is Jessica and Amber.”

They both wave,
uncomfortably.

He looks back to
me, waiting for an answer. The electricity between us could light up Chelsea.

I turn away from
him. It takes every ounce of strength I have. I lock eyes with Amber. She alone
knows what happened with Michael and me. Her eyes steel and I can feel the
support in them. I use her strength to hold me up. “I’m celebrating with my
girlfriends.”

Michael waits for
an uncomfortable beat for me to change my mind. Not getting what he wants, he
turns. Without another word, to any of us, he walks away.

I stare at Amber,
afraid to look elsewhere.

Jessica reaches
across the table and without thinking, without hesitation, I reach over and
lock hands with her. “He’s leaving. His friend just looked back, but he
didn’t.”

I nod and close my
eyes. Jess gives my hand a squeeze and I look at her. “So, that was Michael.”

Amber glances to
the front door, watching them leave through it. “Well, I can see what all the
fuss is about. Your chemistry is through the roof.”

Jessica nods.
“Yeah. Wow.”

I frown and blink
a couple times. On the table, my phone sits, silent. I let go of Jessica’s
hand. I feel what I always feel around Michael, empty. He’s a cup I want to
fill an empty void with, but he is the void. It’s a dangerous chemistry. They
don’t understand. I don’t know if they’ve ever had this kind of a toxic
connection with someone before.

I turn my body and
look back toward the door, my hand on the back of the booth. “Do you think
Michael is waiting out there?”

Amber reaches over
and rubs my arm. “He can wait.”

I nod, lost in my
own thoughts.

Jessica smiles and
lifts her glass. “To men who make your mind spin!”

Amber adds, “To
being strong enough to let them go!”

I stare at the
door, knowing my glass is empty. “To best girlfriends.”

Jessica puts her
drink down and announces quickly, “I got a raise!”

Amber and I both
react. I turn around. “You did?”

Amber knows Jess
is trying to change the subject, but the air is not lighter and the mood is not
gone. “Oh wow – that’s so great, Jess!”

Jess nods. “I did.
Chris is taking me out to celebrate tomorrow.”

The second she
says that, Amber looks at me. And Jess shuts her mouth, stops smiling. The
severity of their change makes me realize why they’re reacting.

They know I’m
alone. That I don’t have someone to celebrate with. I have them. I don’t need
anyone. This is what I tell myself. But I’m angry at their faces.

“Why are you both
looking at me like that? I’m not some pity case,” I spit out, sounding angrier
than I thought I would.

Jess stammers,
embarrassed. “No. We don’t think you are.”

Amber’s eyes are
filled with compassion. “We just know you’re hurting.” She goes silent, looking
behind me. Moving her lips as little as possible, she whispers, “He’s back.”

My stomach lurches
and turns over. Amber pastes a smile on her face and greets him. “Michael! Back
so soon?”

I don’t want to
look at him. I’m too susceptible. It’s like Jessica said.
Be careful
. I don’t even know what I’m worried about. He’s married.
There’s no chance I would ever do anything with him. I’m safe.

“Nicole.” His tone
is so surprising, so soft – that I look up. He kneels next to me, staring
into my eyes as though my friends aren’t here anymore.

I turn toward him.
“What is it?” His eyes are haunted, so filled with yearning.

 
“I left her,” he chokes. He reaches for
my face, his olive skin brightening in the lamplight. His fingers touch my
cheek like they did that night in the studio.

I bring my hand to
cover his, pressing it into my flesh. “You left her?”

He nods. My gaze
flows up and follows him as he pulls his hand away and stands up. “I wanted you
to know.” He turns and leaves. I shift in my seat, facing the front door again.
I watch him make his way through the crowd, and leave. I stare at the door as
it shuts behind him.

I turn around,
dazed. All three of us are speechless. We all have the same expression on our
faces. My eyes fall on Amber and her mouth opens.

But I don’t want
to know her opinion.

Jess says my name.
I shoot her a look. “Jess. Don’t.” Her eyes register so many things as I look
at her. We both know where I am. We both know she helped me get here. We both
know what it feels like to have your heart slashed into a zillion bloody
pieces.

I snatch up my
things, leap out of my seat and run for the door. “Michael!”

I don’t know what
will happen.

I don’t know if
he’s the one.

I don’t know if
he’ll break me.

I don’t know.

The End of Part 3

________________

By Sabrina Lacey

The “I Love My…” romance series has scenes and
stories

that intertwine in all the books.

JESSICA’s

I LOVE MY HEALED HEART

AMBER AND JOSH’s

I LOVE MY
SIDE OF THE STORY

NICOLE’s

I LOVE MY
SECRET
~ Part 1

I LOVE MY
HOPE
~
Part 2

I LOVE MY CHANCE
~ Part 3

I LOVE
MY MAN
~ Part 4 coming end of January!

_________________________

CAN’T
WAIT FOR SABRINA LACEY’S

 
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I
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sabrina's just like most
women in modern times - she's been a lot of things to a lot of people; married,
single, daughter, teacher, girlfriend, stand-up comedienne, wackadoo, friend,
nutcase, bartender, fashion photographer, lazy bones, bitch, sweetheart (though
less often than bitch), and always a little wild.

Happy to entertain you - and happy to
hear from you...always.

Cheers!