Chapter Nine: Falling, Falling Fast
Back in the hustle and bustle of New York, Becca steadied her arm, fully equipped with piping bag in her hand. She carefully twisted her wrist creating the design she desired on the cake in front of her. She was excited that Marie had really trusted her enough to take on a larger role within the bakery. She knew that being hired on as Marie's sous chef and essentially her right hand would mean that Marie was essentially her boss. But she rarely ever invoked her right as her boss, treating her much more like a colleague than a subordinate. At the same time she wanted to prove herself, to show Marie that she could take the reigns of Marie's pet project and keep it just as successful as Marie could. And now that she had her chance she was definitely thrilled to do this to show her that she could be able to take time away from her business yet come back to it just as she left it. What's more was that now that Becca could handle being in a managerial position as well that meant they could also increase their clientele and make the bakery even more profitable than before. All in all she knew it was a win-win situation for them.
Just then the phone next to her rang and she jumped slightly, thanking God that she didn't mess up the cake in front of her. "Hearth and Home Bakery this is Becca speaking." She rattled off cradling the phone between her head and shoulder. She had always loved the title of the shop, it was quaint and different than most of the kitschy catchy business names out there. The name itself was beginning to garner attention around New York, it was a nice thing to be apart of not just a growing business but a thriving one at that.
"Hey...how's my shop holding up?" Marie said into the phone making them both smile into the phone. She was more than happy to call her best friend. She missed the shop as well, being so far away from the day to day practices and the sights, sounds and smells of her beloved city. She did have to admit that LA was growing on her. In more ways than one.
"You sound awfully chipper..." She replied making Marie chuckle as she looked around the apartment. She was in an very good mood. She'd spent the day relaxing so far, taking the dogs on a walk, reading a few chapters in her book. Now she was sitting on the bed, painting her toenails.
"I am I guess, it's been a very eye opening couple of days." She said trying her best to be cryptic. She knew that she was probably going to tell Becca all about what happened but at the same time she wanted to make her work for the information a little bit. Of course she knew she wasn't going to completely give full disclosure but the main events most certainly would be enough in this situation.
"Eye opening...did you and Nick...?" Becca asked hoping sincerely for her friend that she'd just decided to take the leap and go forward with a possible romantic affair. She knew that it was something that Marie not only needed in her life, but also secretly longed for. She remembered back to when her husband and her were dating in high school, the rush of emotions, the newness of it all and then when they'd finally consummated their relationship it had made them both realize they only had eyes for each other. She knew that was a rarity to marry your high school sweetheart and make the relationship last beyond college, beyond everything and even contemplate starting a family. But then again she knew everything happened for a reason as well and hoped that this turn of events for Marie was happening for a very similar reason.
"Did we what?" Marie said smirking trying to get her best friend to say it. Marie thought it was funny really, to have such a giddy feeling of butterflies floating around her stomach again about someone. Come to think of it, even when she'd been engaged before she never really ever felt this feeling of nervous excitement before. The feelings that she felt bubbling inside of her were something strikingly new and different yet familiar because of the newness to the situation she was in. She didn't want to really qualify it as a relationship yet since it was so early on in the game, even though they'd had sex twice and spent almost every day together.
Becca gasped making Marie snicker, "Oh my God you did...Finally you take my advice and get laid...dear I am very proud of you!" She exclaimed almost shocked at the mere thought that finally Marie had taken her advice, to take a chance and do something that was truly selfish for once and just enjoy the ride, so to speak.
"Now who said anything about getting laid?" Marie quipped back. She definitely didn't regret what had transpired between them, not in the least. But in the corner of her mind it made her just a little apprehensive as to how comfortable she was becoming with the idea of him being around her...in her life. She knew this couldn't last forever, they lived two completely different lives on opposite coasts and even still she wasn't even sure if she was his only one at the moment. She wanted more than anything to give him the benefit of the doubt but at the same time her defense mechanism to protect her heart was struggling to put up the walls around her heart like a moat protecting the castle where her heart was locked away in the highest tower.
"You didn't have to it is written all over your voice sweets." Becca replied. It was certainly a conversation she was happy to have with Marie. As of late she'd almost gotten tired of talking to her about her life, then seeing the look of longing all over Marie's face. Her best friend deserved the same kind of happiness that she'd found didn't she?
Marie sighed and glanced at the bed the memory of the night before still extremely fresh in her mind. Every sound, and every sensation was all there in her head, on permanent repeat. "Okay, okay he's just...fantastic. Like even out of the bedroom, which we only did that last night. I feel like I'm suddenly obsessed it's all I can think about. He's all I can think about..." She marveled at herself. In all of her life she had never gotten so hooked so quickly on someone. Maybe it was the chemistry between them playing tricks with her head, or the fact that he was so generous with her, definitely something she wasn't used to. It made a knot form in her stomach at the thought that she could very well be having more feelings for this guy than she planned on. She didn't want to fall for someone then only have to leave a few weeks later.
"You're falling for him aren't you?" Becca asked knowing that the conversation was heading in that direction. She had to admit she was rather thrilled at this turn of events. Definitely hadn't expected it but at the same time she knew this exactly what Marie needed in her life. She needed something to be excited about, something other than work or work related to capture her attention, to hold it and make her feel excitement, and joy.
"I think I am...and it's scaring me..." Marie replied feeling the knot twist just a little bit more at her admission. She didn't want to fall in love on vacation, especially with someone that she really didn't know as well as she thought she was beginning to. Normal apprehension maybe, but at the same time her heart and head were pulling her in two directions and she didn't know when she'd finally rip in two.
---
Nick hummed to himself as he stretched and relaxed against the mirrored wall behind him a grin on his face as he leaned his head back against the wall. The other three looked at him giving him odd glances. He thought to the night before. This entire thing was completely crazy to him, he couldn't get her out of his head and really he almost didn't want to. He looked to the guys seeing the exchanged glances and rolled his eyes. "Just ask already..." It annoyed him that they saw through him so easily. He was happy, genuinely for the first time in a long time and it made him nervous, a nervous excitement almost to see what would be coming his way with this possible romance. The amount of potential he saw in this situation scared him quite a bit but like a junkie he couldn't stay away, he needed it like drug almost every smile...every kiss another much needed and welcome hit and all he wanted was more.
Brian smiled at him. "You seem happy...something we haven't seen for a long time...Does this have to do with..." He trailed off all of them figuring very quickly that Marie was becoming a big influence over his happiness. It made them all smile that he was finding some measure of happiness again and maybe even just maybe that it might be permanent. Each of them knew though that it all hung up in the air, not even sure where it would lead him especially since he was a father.
"Marie?" Nick asked with a grin, he spoke her voice softly, almost in a content whisper like it was something to be cherished, adored and not just put out for everyone to see. "Yeah...but I'm not talking about it...I don't want to jinx it." He replied. It was almost like an unspoken thing for him. If he talked about it he felt like it would all come crashing down around him.
It was endearing really, that he didn't want to end up ruining anything between them by saying too much too soon. He'd never really acted this way before. Not even back when he was first dating Anna. Back then he was such a different person, a player and Anna was just another notch on his bedpost to them at least. But slowly, over the weeks and months she grew on him slowly wrapping him around her finger until she became pregnant by accident. Each of them had had their doubts about her, hoping sincerely that she wasn't just after his money or anything, and after a while she proved herself to each and every one of them that she cared for him, loved him and wanted more than anything to spend her life with him. And as time progressed, he evolved into the man he needed to be for not only Anna but for Jo and eventually Livie.
The longer he kept things to himself he felt the longer he could feel like this. There were so many things to complicate the situation he was in. He knew he was falling, felt it throughout his entire being. And that right there is what made him keep quiet about all of it. There were so many things he still needed to tell her...should have told her before they were ever as intimate as they were the night before. The girls being the most obvious things he needed to disclose but how did he do that? How could he tell her that he was a father...a widower at that. That he'd been in love and lost it not by his own stupidity but by fate.
"Are you afraid of what the girls will think? Or what she'll think of them?" Howie asked. He liked Marie, from the few hours they'd spent in her presence he'd already began to like her and noticed the chemistry building between them But he also knew that she was only 25 years old, and lived 3,000 miles away. How would she react to the fact that he was a father? He hoped that she would be okay with it just to spare Nick's heart anymore pain. They all noticed it, he was falling in love with her if he wasn't already there. They wanted nothing more than to see him happy and settled again. But at the same time each one of them knew they had to be realistic too. What if she couldn't handle it? It was a big deal after all, Nick was a package deal. You couldn't love one without loving all three.
"I am...I mean I haven't even told her yet and I know I should...it's some pretty huge information and I should have disclosed it before we...never mind." He didn't want to get into specifics of what happened the night before. It had been so completely perfect to him that he didn't want to cheapen it by being that guy. The guy who he used to be. The one who disclosed all the dirty details of a sexual encounter with no feeling of remorse or consequence of feeling so open with such an intimate affair.
"You slept with her?" AJ asked grinning widely. "Finally ladies and gentlemen Nick Carter is back in the saddle!" He exclaimed making Nick roll his eyes. The three of them laughed heartily at Nick's reaction. It was nice to be able to rib on him for his sex life once more.
"Fuck all of you...seriously I think I've just made things more complicated between us. I need to tell her...but I don't know how..." He realized now that going for his inner desires was probably not the most responsible thing he could have done. At the same time, as much as it was borderline irresponsible he couldn't help but feel happy about it. It completely complicated things and would eventually make it that much tougher to tell her about his daughters but at the time, the heat between them made it feel like it was the only right thing to do. But he also knew that sometimes to act on want, could be wrong and make things harder later on.
"You're seeing her tonight right?" Howie reminded. "Why not just let her know..." He was really stating the obvious. The existence of Jo and Livie was really the most important thing he needed to disclose and they all knew that it need to happen soon.
Nick sighed and nodded. "You know you just might be right...break it to her easily that would be the best thing I could do right?" He said completely unsure of himself. He longed to tell her, needed to even but he just didn't know how. He just hoped that her reaction would be less than what his mind was currently coming up with.
---
Marie grinned at her reflection she turned looking at her silhouette. She loved the dress she'd bought for this occasion. It was a simple dark blue long sleeve dress with the only skin showing aside from her legs being that it opened in the back in a v-shape that ended in the middle of her shoulder blades. She pulled on her thin heeled knee-high boots and glanced again at her reflection. She definitely felt sexy that was for sure. She secured her long silver strand dangle earrings into place and looked at her makeup, it was light yet enough to know that she'd tried to look good for him and her hair was curled and pulled into a ponytail her bangs and shorter face framing strands curled around her features gently.
She heard him knock at the door smiling at how he was trying to be a gentleman. He had a key after all so it wasn't that he couldn't just walk in whenever he wanted to. She liked that about him though. That he treated her with such respect and dignity. At the same time it made her all the more attractive. She smiled to herself as she went to the door opening it and leaning on it as he took her in swallowing hard and his eyebrows shooting up his forehead in pleasant surprise. "Hey..." She greeted her voice soft, gentle almost in a whisper. She looked him over seeing the deep grey sweater beneath the black blazer that matched his dress pants. She smiled and turned for a moment grabbing her jacket and clutch.
"You ready to go?" He asked with a slight crack to his voice that he tried to unsuccessfully mask with clearing his throat. She smirked and took the arm he offered her as she closed the door locking it back. He smelled her perfume closing his eyes partly as he took in the soft subtle scent and resisted the urge to press her against the wall and kiss her at that moment. For a moment he doubted his ability to drive them safely to the restaurant he planned on taking her to, one of his favorite lower key night spots in town.
"Yeah, so where are we going?" She asked giving him a sly grin. In all actuality she didn't really care where they were going. She wanted to be with him wherever he wanted and now that they were in the same room together all of her earlier obsessing about him seemed to just completely melt away. It was the same for him, all of his concerns, all his worries drifted far away from his mind the minute he laid his eyes on her. And really all he wanted was to just enjoy her company and spend time with her as much as he could while he still could before he would have to drop the bomb on her.
"What good is a surprise if I tell you?" He smiled at her as they made their way out to his car, holding the door open for her making her grin at him as she sat inside. He went around to the other side and turned on the engine putting it in reverse pulling out of his parking spot then putting it back into drive. Then leaned his hand over to hers taking it in his hand as he pulled out of the parking lot and pulled out onto the street ready to take her out for a night on the town.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yay i am so glad you all like the story so far! it's about to get deliciously complicated as Darby so rightly put it! I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
Enjoy! lemme know what you thought!
