By this time, I was flat out pissed off, unable to reconcile why he would be so rude to me. Infuriated, I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down like a pesky child, burning a hole into the side of his face, just daring him to continue ignoring me.
NICO: Wow, I felt her aggravation like the heat from one of these ticket-chewing slot machines. Maybe my plan was working a little better than I’d expected. She looked like she was gonna light me up. I came that close to giving in—lucky my pager went off. Meeting in 5 mins...
Nico excused himself without even a glance in my direction, leaving me astonished. The machines pinged and clattered around us, playing their electronic tunes, luring the punters into their snare.
Stacie watched her boss walk away in long strides and sighed aloud, “What a babe!”
I snorted. “Yeah, a real Romeo, that one is.” The sarcasm dripped heavily from my tone as I retreated up the cat walk.
One of the blackjack dealers asked if I would be his date to the Associate of the Year banquet. Only employees that had been nominated over the past year were invited and they were encouraged to bring a date.
I knew him very well, just as I knew his boyfriend who had to work that night which was why Evan invited me to the function with him. I thought that it would be fun to attend the event, especially since Evan’s preference for men would mean that I wouldn’t have to refuse his advances. The fact that he was hilarious was a huge benefit and I knew we would have a great time.
Evan was dressed in a simple gray suit with a pink tie. I chose to wear a tailored pin-striped suit that hugged my curves.
As I entered the banquet hall on Evan’s arm, I immediately spotted Nico standing just off the dance floor with one of the girls that worked in the lounge on the opposite end of the casino.
He was wearing a black suit that enhanced his dark features and looked devastatingly handsome with his arm slung casually around the tall brunette’s shoulders. I quickly sized up the pair, comparing my own short stature and plain looks to the leggy bombshell that was draped over him.
“So that’s his type, huh?” I murmured quietly. “Figures. Can’t compete with that.” Then I reminded myself that I wasn’t competing with anyone, especially not for that jerk’s attention.
I averted my eyes when he glanced my way. Even from that distance I could see the way his eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite identify.
NICO: I’ve ignored her long enough. Tonight I switch into ‘phase two.’
She’s here with Evan, and given Evan’s lifestyle, I’m sure he won’t mind me moving in on his date. When she heads to the bar I’ll intercept her.
I grew apprehensive when I realized that he was one step ahead of me and just barely beat me to the bar. I thought about turning around to avoid him but it went against my nature so I pushed on, determined to keep my cool. I took in his casual demeanor, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels and with a friendly grin he offered to buy me a drink.
I was stunned. He was actually speaking to me like a civilized human being. But I didn’t feel inclined to return the civility and declined his offer. “No thanks.”
He shrugged, ordered a beer, and stepped aside while I ordered a glass of white wine.
Glass in hand, I turned and tried to slink past him without further incident. Nico did a little sidestep to block my path. Man, what is up with this guy, I wondered. “So, you’re here with Evan, huh?” he asked.
I tensed in response. There were so many backwoods jerks who had plenty of opinions regarding Evan’s choice in partners, and I was the type to give those jerks, opinions of my own. However, Nico was management and I felt that it probably wasn’t a good idea to give him a tongue lashing, especially at a work related function. I simply replied, “Yep”
“That’s cool. I like Evan. He’s a funny guy.”
I relaxed a bit, relenting that at least he wasn’t too big of a jerk. “Yeah, he’s hilarious. What about your date?” I asked. “She’s probably wondering what’s taking you so long. You better run along,” I prodded in a mocking tone.
Nico smiled. “My date? Oh yeah, Marguerite. She won’t mind. We’re just friends. I didn’t have a date and you had already arranged to go with Evan by the time I started looking for one, so I just asked Marguerite.”
I nearly choked on my wine. “Me? I mean, how did you know that I was going with Evan?” I stammered. And why did he look like he was enjoying himself so much?
“I was gonna ask you, so I started asking the girls you work with if you were seeing anyone and they told me that you were single but going to the banquet with Evan,” he stated offhandedly as if it were no big deal.
The wine was warming up my system, causing me to forget whom I was speaking to. “You are a piece of work, you know that. You have been flat out ignoring me the entire time that I have been in the department. You haven’t even bothered trying to be polite and have gone out of your way to avoid me as if I were a leper or something.
“Now you’re telling me you wanted to ask me on a date. Wow, you really are full of yourself!” I stood there staring him down and waited to see if he would get angry with my little outburst.
Nico calmly sipped his beer, raised one eyebrow, and replied, “Feel better now?”
Ugh! He was so aggravating. I rolled my eyes and stepped around him, stomping off to find which table Evan had picked.
When I plopped down in the seat next to him, I finished my wine in one emphatic swallow. He smirked, noticing the murderous look in my eye.
“Dang, girl! Who pissed in your Wheaties?” he said. “You look like you could scratch someone’s eyes out.” He pursed his lips with a hand in the air as if he had claws.
I mumbled under my breath, unfolding and refolding my napkin in frustration.
“Come on sweetie, tell me, and I’ll go bitch slap ’em,” he offered, twisting around in his chair trying to eye the culprit of my nasty mood.
“Good god, Evan, you have such a way with words,” I quipped sarcastically.
Evan pursed his lips, “Never mind that, I think I like you better mad. You look hot! Makes me want to spank you and send you to my room.”
I howled with laughter and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye with my mangled napkin. I could always count on Evan for comic relief. Something about the way he spoke without hindrance reminded me of Sabrina and caused a brief wave of nostalgia. I sure did miss that girl.
The rest of the evening went well. Evan kept me giggling mercilessly. I would pause for only a moment, when I thought about my earlier conversation with Nico, and wondered if he had been serious when he said that he had planned on asking me out.
I didn’t speak to him again while at the banquet, but occasionally I caught him looking at me from across the room and would immediately shift my gaze.
Evan and I were dancing to a Matchbox Twenty song when he said, “A bunch of people are meeting down at the pub after this. I was thinking of joining them. Do you want to go?”
I thought about it for only a second before realizing that I was actually enjoying myself and wasn’t ready for the night to end yet, so I agreed to go.
Once we arrived, I noticed Nico shooting pool with a couple of the guys toward the back and thought about leaving. While I was debating what to do, one of the gals that worked in the back offices ran up and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Oh, my God, thank goodness you’re here,” she said.
I was shocked and wondered for a minute if I should be scared of this lady and run for my life? She was one of the Native American employees that worked in the administrative offices and I hoped that maybe she had confused me with someone else.
“I’m Sharon. I’m a friend of Nico’s. We work together. He has been asking everyone in the office about you, driving all of us crazy.” Her voice was friendly and enthusiastic. I relaxed. This woman wasn’t going to assault me after all.
When my mind caught up with her and I started to process what Sharon had
just said, I was perplexed. Nico had been asking about me? What was this guy’s deal? “Are you sure he was asking about me?” I wondered aloud, confused.
“Oh, yeah, it was you! None of us really knew anything about you, so we couldn’t tell him much. But then one night at Laura’s house, we all got him soused up real good and I brought it up. We were all curious about why he was so interested in you and wanted to know more about it.
“Anyway, I think he must have drunk way too much because he told us that he was ignoring you to get your attention. We all told him that he was going about it all wrong, but he was determined that it was working.”
The light bulb went on as I listened to Sharon. “Well, well, well. Isn’t that interesting?” I said with a smug little smile. It all made sense. Nico had been executing a devious little plan. He must really have thought that I was a snotty brat if he thought I would be shallow enough to respond to such psychological warfare. Never mind the fact that it had been driving me crazy. I pushed that thought aside to examine later, and continued to visit Sharon. I had my own investigating to do.
Later, sitting next to Evan at a large table filled with our co-workers, sipping a Captain and Coke, I couldn’t stop thinking about the intriguing new development.
Initially, I was furious to think that I had been a pawn in Nico’s head game, but after a while my irritation waned. I had to give him credit for taking a whole new approach. In a round-about, socially awkward kind of way, it was a bit flattering. But I honestly didn’t understand what made him think that being a jerk would be a sure-fire path to securing a date with me. Sure it got my attention, but it wasn’t exactly my idea of being wooed.
It crossed my mind to put him in his place while there was a crowd, give him a run for his money. But that wasn’t my style at all. I decided to use this new knowledge to my benefit and keep an open mind to see how things would progress. I still wasn’t looking for a relationship, but was intrigued enough with Nico to admit that I wouldn’t mind a casual flirtation.
Nico finished his pool game and tossed his cue stick to his friend. He snatched his beer and swaggered in my direction. Pulling out the chair right next to mine, he spun it around and straddled it, propping his forearms on the back as if he owned the joint.
I turned my body so that we were face to face.
“Glad to see that you joined the rest of us,” Nico drawled. His voice was deep, musical.
I ran my finger along the lip of my empty beer bottle. “Yeah, I’ve been turning down invitations to things like this for a while so it’s nice to get out again.”
An easy conversation developed. It was the first time we had talked outside of work and without the odd tension fizzling between us. We discussed how long we had been living in the area and where we had grown up. It was nice to see that he wasn’t always putting on a front and I found that he was intriguing to talk to. His vocabulary was intelligent and his insight on politics and matters of the world were keen, unconventional and not unlike my own.
Lost in conversation, I had been holding back the urge to pee, but finally excused myself when I started to feel like I was going to burst and float out of the bar.
The rest-rooms were by the exit, and when I came out, Nico was leaning up against the wall, waiting.
He straightened with a grin. “It’s been nice talking with you tonight, Roshell.”
“Are you leaving?” I was disappointed, but knew it was getting pretty late.
Nico peered down at me, brows furrowed as if trying to read my thoughts, “Yeah, I gotta work in the morning and I still have about a half hour drive, so I should head out.” He reached out and grabbed my elbow, “Walk me out to my car.” It was a statement not a question.
I already had my coat on as the bar had been on the cool side, so I zipped it up and braced for the cold wind as we stepped outside.
He kept a light grasp on my elbow and led me toward a black Ford Ranger pickup. The temperature was frigid and the wind had a bite. He opened the passenger door. “Hop in.” I stared at him. “Come on, just for a minute. It’s warmer in there.”
I grabbed the handle on the inside roof and hefted myself into the truck. Nico slammed it shut behind me and rounded the hood to climb into the driver’s side.
He started the truck and turned the heater to full blast.
I started to question my sanity, suddenly feeling awkward with the situation. I wondered why I was sitting out in a bar parking lot with some guy that I hardly knew. I rubbed my hands together trying to incite some sort of heat, thinking of ways to extricate myself from the scenario that was enfolding.
Without a word, Nico took me by surprise when he turned in his seat and simply leaned forward.
I was lost in thought and saw the kiss coming at the last second, before I could prepare or decline. When our lips first met, there was an infinitesimal moment where I hesitated, shocked, scared, I’m not sure, but I didn’t respond. Then his warm, relaxed invitation beckoned me in and without thinking, I melted into it.
Nico took the kiss slowly at first but as I gradually leaned into it and joined him, something inside of me caught fire. He wrapped his fist in my hair and dared to take the kiss deeper.
I gave a sigh. My body was responding with an intensity that I hadn’t experienced in over a year.
We drew back at the same time, each a little astonished at the heat that had flared so quickly between us.
“Huh, who knew?” I quipped in an attempt to show that I was unaffected, unruffled by the kiss. But I was actually quite shaken by my response and wasn’t sure if I liked it or was terrified of it. “And to think the whole time you were ignoring me just to create this exact scenario,” I said. It was time to let him know that I knew his game.
Nico’s expression was passive, unreadable. “Worked didn’t it?”
I gave a casual smile and shrugged. “Guess so. Well I’d better be going now. I have to get home to my daughter.” I threw the comment out as I slid across the seat and toward the door.
“How old is your daughter?” he asked.
I paused, my hand on the door handle. “She’s two years old. Her name is Marissa.” My gaze was direct as I monitored his reaction.
NICO: I hadn’t heard that she had a child. One of my staunch rules is to stay away from single mothers. I’m ignoring that rule, for now. I can find out more about her child and her past later.
Nico bypassed my shock and awe comment. “Hey, do you want to go out sometime? We could do dinner and get to know each other a little.”
I had figured that he would have high-tailed it out of there once he found out I was a mom. When he asked me out on a date instead, I just shrugged and went with it. “Sure, that sounds good… I’ll give you my number later this week,” and with that I hopped out of the truck and ran across the parking lot and into the bar.
Chapter 27
It took me by surprise when Nico stopped by my point of sale the very next day. He waited until customers had filed away and slipped me a folded post-it note with his phone number scrawled across it.
“Give me a call later this week, we’ll get together,” he said with an easy smile then turned to finish his daily rounds.
“Yeah, I heard that Nico had been looking in that direction,” Becca sneered, then stomped off to wipe down machines.
I gawked at Becca’s retreating back. Stacie piped in, “Don’t worry about her. She’s got her panties all in a wad, because she’s had her eye on Nico for some time. She can be catty, but she’ll get over it.”
I chuckled. “I just think that it’s hilarious. There really isn’t anything going on between us. Besides he’s kind of intense and bossy. He’s not really my type,” I said, assuring myself as much as to assure Stacie. “Plus, I found out last night that he’s like eight years older than me. That’s too close to my age cut-off.
“Oh, and to soothe everyone’s curiosity- he’s half Native American. I asked him.”
Stacie paused with a dumbfounde
d look, “Huh, I guess we were all wrong.”
*
Two weeks passed. I didn’t call Nico and didn’t see him around much. Then late one evening, while working overtime for the second time in three days, a machine trilled out loudly, announcing that someone had won a jackpot. I hustled down to the far end, hoping that it was the little old couple that had been playing for hours and had been so adorably sweet all night.
Rounding the long row of machines, I immediately saw that it was them and my heart did a little dance. They were one of my favorite customers and I loved to cater to their quirky requests. As I approached, the elderly gentleman stood up, moving as if he were still a spry fifty, and pulled me to him in a big hug. I could smell the scent of his sweet cherry cigars as I looked over his shoulder at his round-faced, wrinkled wife and gave her a wave.
I congratulated the couple and helped them retrieve their ticket so that they could cash it out at the main cashier cage.
One of the security officers offered to escort them. I smiled and said goodnight before they shuffled their way down the paisley carpet, eager to reap their reward.
I turned and ran smack into Nico. He reached out and grabbed my shoulders to prevent me from toppling over. “Whoa, are you okay?”
I blushed, a little embarrassed that I had spun into him so hard. “Yeah, I didn’t know that you were right behind me. Sorry.”
Nico was grinning from ear to ear. “I was just watching you with that cute elderly couple. I didn’t expect you to turn around so suddenly, it’s really my fault,” he admitted. He let go of my shoulders and stepped back. He leaned against the point of sale counter. “You haven’t called.”
I reached into my money belt and began to fidget with the loose coins. “Yeah, well… I’m not really the type to call a guy.” I bit my lip nervously.