Clark shook his head as he looked at Nick’s ice cream combo: cookies and cream, mango, cheese, strawberry, chocolate, coffee and vanilla flavors altogether in one huge ice cream bowl. And Nick never forgets the waffles and pretzels stuck on it. Clark cringed as he watched his best friend feasted on it.
“You know, Nick, I just located the men’s room at the left wing of the mall just in case you’ll need to find it,” he told him. Marc and Lauren, Nick’s bodyguards, chuckled. They just went at a nearby convention center to check on some car exhibit by Ford. Nick just grinned and continued with his ice cream. “You’re the most stubborn lactose intolerant I’ve ever seen.” Nick only stuck out his tongue to his friend and continued with his ice cream.
“Hey, long time, no see,” someone said, looking directly to Nick. The men turned and saw a pretty brunette. Nick was delighted to see an old friend and former school batch-mate, Erienne Philips.
“Erienne!” Nick immediately wiped his mouth, stood up and hugged her. But Clark was surprised and just looked at her. “Clark’s here.” When Erienne heard it, she looked surprised and looked at him. Her eyes only saw Nick and failed to see that he’s with her ex-boyfriend.
“Hi.”
Clark stood up and casually shook hands with her. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, like almost ten years.” Erienne added, biting her lower lip. Nick watched, as the two never let go of their hands. “How are you?” She casually asked.
Clark cleared his throat. “Doing fine. And you? How’s the world?” He asked. Erienne is an international flight attendant. Right before they graduated form high school, Erienne immediately accepted the offer from her uncle who works for a major airline. Instead of marching on the graduation ceremonies, she’s walking her way down the airplane’s aisle for her first-time job. She left Florida, and Clark, without clearly telling him about her sudden plans. Her abrupt leave angered and hurt Clark. Nick was already a Backstreet Boy that time but he knew what happened to his longtime best friend and his ex-girlfriend.
“Still round,” Erienne joked. Clark laughed sarcastically. The moment suddenly turns awkward. Nick cleared his throat and the two turned to him. He’s looking at their hands and the two immediately pulled apart. “Please join us,” Nick invited her.
“Oh, no. I can’t. I have an errand to do. I just dropped by to say hi when I saw you,” Erienne said. Clark returned to his seat.
“Do you have a place to stay where we can drop sometime?” Nick asked her again.
“Here in LA? No. I work for Northwest and my main base now is in Minneapolis.” She glanced at Clark. “The plane made a domestic stopover here and I decided to do some sightseeing. It’s been a long time and I missed the weather like this in Florida, too.”
“Yes, it is.” It was Clark.
“I have to go,” Erienne said, looking at her watch. “Bye.” She waved at Marc and Lauren then left. The men watched the woman walk off. She’s a real head turner and every man she passes by will, no doubt, look back to savor the beauty that has just passed by.
“There goes your first love,” Clark muttered in frustration as he watched Erienne go.
~~~
Victoria stared at Clark for quite sometime after they kissed. Something’s bothering him. “Clark…”
Clark looked at her. He smiled then leaned down to kiss her once again. Victoria loved his kisses. He never failed to show her how much he cares for her, how much he passionately tastes her lips and locked it on his own. She’s trying to forget what happened between her and Nick. It’s only a one-time thing and will never happen again. Clark doesn’t have to know that. Now, something’s different from Clark. Slowly, she ended the kiss and cupped Clark’s face.
“Alright, I’m not dumb and I could tell that something’s bothering you,” Victoria told her boyfriend.
Clark frowned. “What are you talking about, Victoria?”
“You kissed differently tonight.”
Clark slightly grinned. “What’s different?” he asked then. “Or are you trying to compare me to Nick? Did he kiss better than I do? Did you screw it up with him while I’m gone in Spain, huh?”
Victoria blushed but she wouldn’t dare comparing the two men and which is better. She slapped him on the face. “No, Clark. We didn’t do anything, you’re just too paranoid.” She watched as Clark turned away. She sighed. She stood up. “You knew how much I liked your kisses and how I really missed them. But this time, there’s something bothering you. I could feel you tremble, maybe your apprehension over something? I’m being honest with you, Clark.”
Clark drew a deep breath then turned back to her. He pulled her into an embrace but Victoria stepped away from him. “I’m sorry, Vicky. I’ve been unfair.”
Victoria bit her lower lip. “Clark…”
“I just felt guilty and I know that I can’t do this to you,” Clark continued. Victoria felt mistiness in her eyes as she slowly unravels what Clark is trying to tell her any moment from now. “I should have never said that when I feel that I’m the one cheating, not you.” He met her look and they stared at each other for a while. “I met my first love once again.”
Victoria tried not to blink back the tears but it fell anyway.
Clark helplessly looked at her and sighed. His hands went to his head as he slowly sits down on a chair. “I’m truly sorry, Vicky. But I guess, one just can’t teach the heart to forget that one who first made your heart beat.” He said. He looked apologetically at Victoria.
Victoria shook her head and sighed heavily. “We must be the oddest couple on earth, Clark. As much as it hurts for me to hear it from you, I’m guilty of something, too.” There has been a long silence between them.
“It’s Nick, isn’t it?” Victoria didn’t reply. Clark knew the affirmation in Victoria’s silence. He just couldn’t explain to himself why he couldn’t be mad at her or to his best friend. After all, Nick knew Victoria first before him. “He’s another lucky guy, Vicky. Nick is a nice man.”
Victoria didn’t say anything more. It wasn’t just about Nick. She just couldn’t tell Clark the truth about her person, that thing in which Nick already knew. She just couldn’t tell anyone that she’s supposed to be a princess in an old kingdom called Great Britain but unfortunately was exiled by her very own father in favor of her twin brother, William. So, although part of her also admits that she likes Nick too, she will just let Clark believe that Nick is her only reason to feel guilty of. She really felt bad about lying but she doesn’t have any choice. With Nick knowing her secret is danger enough, she doesn’t want to endanger Clark’s life too. And she doesn’t have to tell him what happened between her and Nick. There’s no way she’s going to ruin their friendship because of her. She groaned. She must have inherited the royal family’s infamous trait of infidelity.
“By the way, you didn’t tell me when we went to London the last time that we were going to Prince William’s wedding. How did you get an invitation from the royalty?” Clark suddenly asked.
Victoria looked at him. “Uh, I was acquainted with the prince when I spent months of vacation there last year. His former classmate in St. Andrews was my former classmate in junior high here.” She replied. “I’m sorry if I surprised you there.”
Clark shook his head. “No problem, Victoria. I was a little nervous at that time because I’ve never been around anyone so royal and wealthy.” He smiled at her. Another awkward silence until he continued. “Nick’s been a very good friend, Victoria. If you get the chance to be together, tell me. And I’ll see to it that he’ll never hurt you like I did.”
“Yes, it hurts me to hear you admit of your true love with another woman but I guess, we can still be friends. It may seem weird but yeah, uh, how about it?” Victoria bit her lower lip. Oh my, Clark is a nice man. She felt so guilty for keeping something from him after he admitted about finding his true love back. She’s not going to heaven on this one, she guiltily thought. “But with Nick, I think there’s no hope of having him back. So,” Clark looked at her. “Who’s your first love?” Victoria asked instead to divert the topic from her. She couldn’t lie anymore.
“Erienne is the woman who got away before.”
Victoria felt the tears trailed down her cheeks. Clark went to hug her. This time, she didn’t push him away. “Oh, this is really odd, Clark. We should be shouting against each other, angry that you love a woman more than me but I don’t know…I couldn’t be angry.” She hugged him back.
“Maybe because we found ourselves free, Vicky.”
Victoria closed her eyes. Is she really free?
