Chapter Twenty: Freudian Slips
Completely exhausted from the morning rush, Becca walked back into Marie's office and plopped unceremoniously into the large leather chair. The popularity of the bakery was definitely growing. With the online business starting to bloom, the winter rush, the weddings, birthdays, and New Years parties to make cakes and goodies for, she was shocked how Marie handled this every year.
Marie was smart to have taken the vacation now, while they were at their busiest. The stress of it all probably would have driven her insane. However, Becca mused to herself, Marie always did thrive under pressure. After all she probably lived for this kind of thing. She missed her best friend. It had been just a little over two weeks since she left and Becca missed her terribly to the point of growing irritable. Even her husband who adored her dearly had noticed that she wasn't the same without her friend.
Getting an idea she flipped open her cell phone and called Marie. She hadn't spoken to her in a couple of days so maybe letting her know her little shop was thriving would make it seem more like she was here. Which is why, when the phone was answered with a different voice, a distinctly male voice that Becca was taken off guard. "Um who the fuck is this?" She shot brazenly into the receiver.
Meanwhile on the other end of the phone, and the country Nick stood stunned at the unfamiliar female voice. "Uh who is this? How do you have my number? It didn't get leaked on myspace again did it?"
At that moment it completely clicked in Becca's head. In hoping to reach Marie she'd accidentally reached Nick instead. "Oh I'm sorry. I'm Becca, I work with Marie, this is her number right? Nine-one-seven-,"
Nick interrupted, "Oh shit. We must have switched by accident. We have similar phones." He replied showing that it also clicked for him as well that a switch occurred. He sat for a moment and then grinned. This had given him the perfect opportunity to find out what he could do for Marie, a simple affectionate gesture, bringing New York to LA. "You're Marie's best friend right?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Now Becca was completely intrigued.
Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I want to do something for Marie. I know she misses New York a bit, and I kind of want to bring some of New York out here for her while she's here you know?"
Becca grinned ever so widely at the idea. It was sweet, in a very conventional and romantic kind of way. "What did you have in mind? I'm sure you can get pretty much anything in LA that you can here with the exception of some food."
"Uh well, what's her favorite food from the city then? Something that you can only get in New York?"
"Gray's Papaya."
"Gray what?"
"Gray's Papaya is well are hot dog restaurants, there's four here in the city. Best hotdogs in town. And the fruit drinks are fabulous. We usually get lunch there about once or twice a week. She always gets a special two hot dogs and a large drink."
"Um can you get that for her and ship it to LA like priority overnight. I'll pay for everything. I just want to do something a little less traditional than flowers or something stupid." He'd been contemplating this ever since Marie had gone home the night before. He wanted to do something to show his affection and knowledge of her. However he'd quickly realized that he only knew small pieces of her. Her personality and quirks he knew. But as far as her past, her life in New York, all of that was a complete and utter mystery to him.
Becca grinned into the phone. She didn't care if he was only doing this to try to win her over as Marie's friend, it was working tenfold. Her notions of him being a possible player or that Marie was getting in too deep too quickly were fast melting away. He was considerate, for the most part well spoken, and he obviously cared a great deal about Marie to even have the desire to do something so thoughtful for her. "Let me see what I can do. When do you want it by?"
"Well she's going to Vegas with me for New Years, and we get back New Years night. So the second maybe?"
"Perfect. This is a great idea I have to admit. She'll love it." Becca replied with a wide grin. Oh yeah, he's definitely a keeper. She thought to herself, fully intending on letting Marie know at least marginally what had transpired today, of course leaving out the details of his surprise.
---
Marie shook her head at herself as she made her way into the rehearsal studio. She couldn't believe she'd switched phones with Nick. It was so unlike her to do something like that. However since the first time they met she had picked up his phone quite a few times. She laughed to herself thinking how stupid she was for thinking that he was getting calls from strange women.
In hindsight it was clear as day that the tone of his voice from the calls he'd received were that of a parent and not a lover. His voice had been smooth, loving, indulgent and fiercely protective. Qualities she found that she absolutely loved about him. He was a fantastic parent, and an even better person. She marveled over how so quickly she'd clicked with him, his lifestyle (although something very different than anything she ever experienced before).
However, the fact that he'd admitted he was already in love with her, frightened her just a bit. Not that it wasn't a wonderful kind of fear, but that it scared her because she was beginning to feel the same way. She knew all along that she's been falling for him. And although it sometimes felt like it was a slow warming process, it was that same sweeping feeling of an all encompassing fall. She'd experienced that type of courtship once before, but never had the partner in question ever uttered a single ‘I love you' aside from a few pre-orgasmic cries of devotion to certain body parts or how she moved them.
Thus to hear it, in Nick's own elaboration, from his mouth first was something that shocked her to her core. She wasn't used to being pursued, loved and adored by a man. She wasn't even sure if her fiancée had ever really loved her in the romantic sense. They had loved each other yes, but it was out of familiarity and comfort of knowing each other for so many years before making the leap to lovers.
She shook her head at herself. She couldn't compare her past relationships to what was occurring with Nick. There were no similarities. She was drawn to him like nothing she ever felt before. Through all three of her relationships in the past she'd never felt this strong of chemistry, of personality, of sexual intensity, or anything really. Not Jared, Derek or Thomas had ever made her feel like this.
She chuckled at the thought of Jared, her high school sweetheart. They'd gone out for two solid years doing all the clichéd things that teenagers in love do. They were each other's firsts, the quintessential first love. It made her shudder to think of how young and immature she was back then. They'd had an overly dramatic breakup only to make amends at graduation, never to see each other again as they both went off in two stark directions: her off to culinary school and him off to California on a baseball scholarship.
She didn't date much until business school, doing more fun hooking up in clubs and being young and carefree until she reached the age where it wasn't fun anymore. It was then in business school that she'd met Derek, an acquaintance of Anthony's. She didn't heed Anthony's warnings about Derek, a hot shot young resident at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. She fell head long into a casual affair. Well casual on his side of things that is. She'd fallen for him, gotten her heartbroken in the process but had also learned a great deal about the person she is.
It was in the midst of picking up the pieces from Derek that she'd reconnected with Thomas, her childhood friend. He still lived in Brooklyn not far from her parents home and was desperately trying to move into the city. His job as a teacher was based near the Battery and he longed to be able to move closer so he didn't have to be a part of the bridge and tunnel crowd any longer. They'd hung out and soon the friendship turned into more and a year later they were engaged. Six months after that the romance had all but fizzled and they mutually, maturely called things off.
All of this, in all of her past experiences there wasn't one certain thing she could compare. Maybe because Nick was completely unlike anyone she'd ever met. He had that crazy artistic temperament that she had but their moods seemed to match up rather well, except for the rare case it did not. He was also responsible, a trait she didn't see at all until she watched him with his daughters. His responsibility was evident in how he handled becoming a father at the age of 22. He had done the only responsible yet old-fashioned thing. He'd married Anna because they'd started a family even only accidentally.
And then he could be the biggest kid she'd ever seen. His goofy playful side came out when he was happy, usually with his daughters or just happy to be in her presence. Another quality she deemed wonderful on her ever growing list. She grinned as she pulled into the parking lot of the building he'd asked her to meet him at.
It was brown brick, nondescript with few signs. She wondered for a moment if she'd gotten the right place but then she noticed his Range Rover and grinned. She went inside seeing that the place was actually a dance studio. She watched for a moment as Nick lay on the hardwood floor, stretching out his legs as he laughed and talked animatedly with the others. Not wanting to intrude or eavesdrop she knocked rather loudly on the door frame and all eyes shot up to her. She blushed as Nick got up quickly and came over handing her the blackberry from his pocket as she handed him his. "I should get a different color shouldn't I?"
He chuckled, "Nah just put a big ole sticker that says ‘Marie's Phone' and we'll call it square." He joked back.
She laughed with him and smiled saying hello to the others as they watched them interact with a bit more scrutiny than at the barbecue. Could it be that he had told them of his feelings for her? Were they looking for the same clues in her body language to confirm a reciprocation of those feelings? She smiled as Nick walked her out to the car and held the door for her. "Thanks again. I feel like some Freudian experiment or something."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, he believed there were no coincidences or mistakes that your subconscious directs your actions to lead you down a certain path."
"Hmm, so that would mean that you meant to switch our phones, so I would have a nice conversation with Becca and you'd get to see me again."
"Something like that." She replied with a grin then realized he'd mentioned Becca in the last sentence. "Wait what? You talked to Bec?"
"Yeah she called, had some colorful words to start with. She's cool though. Definitely a good choice for a best friend. She's really no bullshit I like it."
"Yeah she doesn't sugarcoat it. She keeps me grounded when my head gets too big that I might float away."
He grinned and leaned in then pressing a kiss to her lips. And just like that the physical spark between them that happened everytime they touched reignited. The kiss grew deeper, and more urgent as the moments wore on. Until finally, a very reluctant Marie broke it. "I should get back to work." He said sighing as he looked down at her.
She nodded and gave him one more quick kiss and got into the car. She sighed as she drove back to the condo. This was definitely different than anything she'd ever experienced before.
---
Back at the studio Nick had walked back into the studio rubbing the back of his neck reveling in the memory of her lips on his. He couldn't believe the warmth that radiated throughout his body just thinking about kissing her again. He was in deep, and he couldn't care less. The others noted his faraway expression and grinned to each other.
"She's really something." Howie remarked trying to provoke a response from their happily catatonic friend.
Nick looked over at them and nodded simply. They were all a little stunned at how easily Marie swayed his emotions. He was antsy all morning expecting her arrival. And then suddenly he relaxes when she's near, and then subdued into an almost comatose silence as she leaves. None of them had ever witnessed this before with him, although each of them had experienced this type of a reaction themselves. It was love, that was plain to see. Nick didn't have to inform them of his emotions for them to completely understand. His body language spoke thousands more volumes than his words ever could.
"So, are you excited that she's coming to Las Vegas with us? Leigh was telling me that she's never been." Brian asked wondering how to get Nick talking.
"Yeah I am. I'm also a little miffed at your wife for pulling that stunt. Kind of painted Marie into a corner where she had to agree. Not exactly the way I would have wanted to ask her."
"Oh well what's done is done. Just be happy that she's coming with us. She'll get to see you on stage, and hang out with Jo and Livie and of course our women. She'll really be able to see if she likes your crazy lifestyle."
Nick sighed, "I'm kind of afraid of her reaction actually. I almost don't want to know."
"Why?" AJ asked completely perplexed.
"What if she can't handle it? I don't know what I'll do if I lose her, I just found her and I'm not willing to give her up just yet." He explained trying to minimize the fact that he was indeed in love with her. Each of the guys exchanged a glance and grinned. Their suspicions had been confirmed, the fact he was afraid to lose her was a clear indication of his growing love for her. Add to it the fact he wanted her to not only accept his life, but be able to handle being a part of it spoke loud and clear to all of them.
---
Marie sighed as she made her way back into the apartment. She sighed and dialed Becca's cell knowing that since she'd called earlier that Becca would be chomping at the bit until she spoke to Marie directly. She grinned widely hearing Becca pick up after the first ring. "So I hear you had quite the nice little conversation with Nick this morning." Marie mused grinning from ear to ear.
Becca chuckled, "Oh yeah, he's a nice guy. And boy is he into you. I could tell from just listening to how he spoke of you that he is head over heels."
Marie sighed, "Yeah I know, I wanted to talk to you about that. He uh kind of told me that he's in love with me." She rolled her eyes hearing the gasp on the other end of the phone. This was going to be one long conversation indeed.
"Really? I mean I got the general idea from just talking to him but he actually said it?"
"Yeah, without any provocation either. We had just had sex and were laying in bed talking and he's like ‘I think I've fallen in love with you. Actually I think I'm already there'. I mean it's wonderful and shocking and totally unexpected I've never had a guy tell me he loves me first, ever."
"So you're freaking out?"
"A little, and now I'm going to Vegas with him and his band and his daughters. I mean isn't it a little too soon to do this? I don't want it to not work out and then the girls get caught in the middle and they end up hurt."
"I don't think it's too soon at all. He's obviously crazy about you."
"But Becca, I'm leaving in less than three weeks! Where does that put us?"
"I don't know sweetie you're just going to have to cross that bridge when you get to it." She explained and Marie rolled her eyes.
"I really hate that expression, it's just another term for avoiding the issue."
"Well maybe avoiding the issue for the time being is a good idea. Obviously you're in way deeper than you think. You already are considering his daughters' well being over a relationship with him. That's pretty substantial."
"I guess, but I just don't know what to do."
"Just follow your heart, don't listen to your head, that always gets you in trouble." She mused and Marie sighed trying to process everything in her head. She did want to follow her heart more than anything she wanted to follow this to it's conclusion. But she didn't know if laying her heart out like that would just end in yet another failed relationship only this time with two little casualties that she couldn't harm for the life of her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
So I busted this chapter out today after the hellish weekend I just spent at work. Thankfully I have wednesday and thursday off. and to top it off i get paid today woo! Okay here is chapter 20! A big thanks to Darby for helping me sort out this chapter. Next chapter we head to LAS VEGAS BABY! All right enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
thanks as always and keep those reviews comin!
