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Part III Chapter 57

When they arrived at the house, Win went inside and up to their room immediately and waited for AJ. He came up quickly and closed the door behind him. He went to her, trying to give her a hug but she stepped away.
“Sit down, we need to talk first.” She said very business like. He sat on the bed and she pulled a chair in front of him and sat.
“There are going to be some rules. First off, you now have a daughter that you have to take care of. And her mother happens to be the woman you also kissed, while you were supposed to be involved with me. Because of Latecia, I agree that the best thing for her is to live here with her father, not that it’s in my capacity to make that decision, it is just my opinion, I would not ask you to choose between me and your daughter. However, I will ask you to choose between me and Edith. Either you can be close with her, or me. You want me, you have to start telling me about your life.” AJ nodded in agreement.
“Second rule. We will go back to dating. I will not be living here so I expect you to be the doting boyfriend. You will ask me out, you will make phone calls, you will pick me up, take me out, and drop me back off home. I will stay with Howie and Nick.” AJ nodded again.
“Third, there will be no touching, no kissing, no sex, period until I feel I can trust you, which may be a long time away.” Again AJ nodded.
“And fourth, we can see other people.” Win said, but this time AJ didn’t nod.
“What, you want to go out with other guys?” he asked abashed.
“AJ, I want to see what else is out there. I think it’s a reasonable request. This way you can decide if you want to be with me or Edith, and you can have time to do it.”
“And you can decide whether or not you want to be with me! Win, this is a no brainer, I want to be with you!”
“You do not want to be with me otherwise you wouldn’t have feelings for Edith, which is evident since you kissed her. AJ, if this doesn’t work out, I want options. I think we rushed into this way too fast. This way it can be casual.”
“No way Win, absolutely not. I will not agree with you going out with other guys.” AJ said standing up.
“That’s too bad, because you don’t have a choice. I’m going to get the rest of my things, then I’m going to ask Nick if he’ll come pick me up.” Win said standing up and going to the closet.
“Win, I don’t want to do this. Why can’t we just try this again. I know I screwed up.” AJ said coming over to the closet.
“AJ, you can’t trust me, I cannot trust you. What kind of relationship do you think that is?”
“One that needs us to be together to figure it out! Win, please don’t go!”
“I will not change my mind. If you don’t mind I’d like to pack my things alone.” Win replied with a resolute face. AJ stood there defeated.
“Okay, fine, I’ll leave you alone.” He left the room and slammed the door behind him.

After Win packed her things she called Nick and he agreed to pick her up. Twenty minutes later he had pulled up in the driveway and knocked on the door. Edith let him in and he ignored her on his way to see Win.
“Hey, there you are, can you help me with this bag?” Win asked when she saw Nick.
“So you’re really going through with it?” Nick asked picking up the bag she indicated.
“Yeah, I am. I told him he needs to be the perfect boyfriend before I think about coming back here. And we agreed to see other people. Actually, I said we were going to see other people and he didn’t like it.” Win replied.
“You’re really gonna let him see other people?” Nick asked as they walked down the stairs.
“Yeah, I am. That way he can figure out what he wants, and I can figure out what I want.” Win replied opening the front door. AJ emerged out of the kitchen and watched her.
“Win, I’m begging you, please don’t go!” he asked in a pleading tone.
“AJ, you’re just going to have to come to terms with what you’ve done. You’ve no one to blame but yourself. I was not the one who kissed someone else. Good bye, call me if you want to, but there is no pressure to.” Win strode out the door to Nick’s car and disappeared from sight. Nick stood in the door watching AJ.
“You lay one finger on her, and I’ll kill you.” AJ said focusing his steely gaze on Nick.
“It’s not me you have to worry about. Temptation’s kind of hard to resist when it lives in the backyard, isn’t it?” Nick asked.
“Just because she says we can see other people, doesn’t mean I’m okay with it. So you stay away from her.” AJ replied, clenching his bruised fist.
“AJ, I am warning you, you hurt that girl one more time, and I will personally see to it that you never do it again.” Nick said with narrowed eyes.
“You’re threatening me?”
“You sure as hell believe it. I stood by and watched you ruin Catherine’s life, cause one she was an awful person and two, I didn’t think I could stand up to you. But this time I’ve had enough, and Win does not deserve to be treated this way. So you just keep massaging your knuckles, cause if you want to come after me, I won’t back down this time.” Nick walked out slamming the door behind him.
Win was waiting in the passenger seat when Nick returned to his car and put her bag in the back seat. He got in, started the car and pulled out, AJ in the window watching them all the while.
“So what do you have planned for tonight? It seems like you and Howie live the swinging singles lifestyle.” Win asked with a laugh.
“Oh, last night,” Nick chuckled, “Yeah once in a while we invite our friends from around here and have a little party.”
“Too bad you had to clear it out for me.” Win said.
“Don’t worry about it, you were a worthy cause to break up a party.” Nick smiled.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“So is Howie’s girlfriend coming to stay with him?”
“Oh, Rene, from Reno, ha ha, yes, she is coming for a week and a half I believe, on next Wednesday. She’s an okay person, a little whiny though, Howie tends to go for that type of girl.”
“I didn’t think they were his type.”
“Neither did I.” Nick replied laughing.
“So what about you, any girlfriend I should be aware of?” Win asked.
“Me? Oh, no. I haven’t had a date, in a long time. Too busy.” Nick replied hastily.
“Please. How can you not have time? That um, what’s her name, Ally, the new stage woman, she likes you, and I know you like her.” Win replied.
“She’s not my type.” Nick replied.
“What do you mean she’s not your type? She’s tall, blond, and has big boobs, I thought that was every guy’s type.” Nick burst out laughing.
“That’s definitely not my type.” Nick replied.
“What about that girl a while back, that hotel heiress, what the hell is her name?” Win asked trying to remember her name.
“Paris Hilton. Yeah, that’s a trip I wouldn’t want to take again, you want to talk about whiny.” Win laughed.
“So what is your type then?”
“Um, she has to be some one who can hold her own, independent like, but willing to take help when she needs it. She has to have a sense of humor, be outdoorsy, and wants to have fun.” Nick said uneasily.
“That’s it? She doesn’t have to be a certain height, hair color or anything?” Win asked laughing.
“No, we’re long past that phase. I just want someone who will care about me, just for me, not the money. A person I can take home to my family and know she’ll be happy to go.”
“So in other words you want a normal person?” Win asked.
“I guess you could say that.”
“So that’s really your type? Hum, I’m sure Ally would fit in there somewhere,” Win replied thoughtfully.
“Honestly? I’m looking for a girl, like you.” Nick said nervously.
“Like me? Really?” Win asked surprised.
“I’m gonna be honest, I’ve always regretted not asking you out before AJ did. It goes to show, the forward one gets the girl.” Nick said sheepishly.
“Well, he doesn’t have me now, and I can see other people,” Win said looking at him.
“Yeah but,” Nick started.
“What? Nick, if you want to ask me out, do it now, otherwise, knowing you, the little bit that I do, you won’t get your nerve again.” AJ’s warning echoed in his head. But he liked Win, and she was offering him a chance to get to know her better.
He reasoned with himself. Either he could turn down this opportunity with a girl he really liked, always liked since he met her, and had stolen right out from under his nose because he hadn’t acted first.
Then again this was his friend’s girlfriend and he had told him specifically no to make a move on her. But Nick wasn’t the one who hurt her.
“Nick, hello, are you awake?” Win asked.
“Huh, oh, I was just thinking is all.”
“You looked a little dazed and confused.”
“Yeah, well, I made a decision.”
“As to what?” Win asked, not really sure what he was talking about.
“Well, I was just kind of wondering, maybe you’d like to have lunch with me on Friday? I mean if you’re not busy or anything.” Nick said rubbing the back of his neck.
“What? Oh, sure, of course.” Win said smiling.
“Cool.” Nick said blushing. He was unable to keep a large smile from spreading across his face.