“I owe you.” I said, focusing my attention back to Nikki.
She smiled at me. “Don’t worry I’ll start thinking of ways you can repay me.” She clapped her hands together and looked at the old man. “Let’s get started!”
The next hour was a blur to me, Nikki must’ve sent me in and out of the dressing room a dozen or so times to try on different cuts of suits. Once she had decided on a style she claimed, “showed all the assets” off we were all set. I was Nikki’s muse letting her throw whatever the hell she wanted at me to try on. I almost knocked the old man on the floor when it was time for him to measure my inseam. Nikki found this particular part amusing, even offered to help but as uncomfortable as it was for me to have a little old man all up in my crotch having Nikki do the job would’ve caused a whole different level of embarrassment. I wasn’t sure I could contain myself once she put her hands on me.
We left the shop with two shopping bags full of shirts and ties my suits would be ready with the alterations by the end of the week so I’d have to come back to pick them up. The both of us were starving by the time we were done so we picked up a pie at L&B Spumoni Gardens and took it back to Anthony’s. I didn’t know whether I was happy that he wasn’t home or pissed because I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to sit alone in this house with Nikki and not make a move. My self-control was teetering and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to get it back. The worse part was that even if there was I wouldn’t try. I wanted to lose control. My body yearned for me to grab onto her and not let go.
She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her as she bit into a slice of pizza. It was so cliché but I hoped the sauce would trickle down her mouth, giving me an excuse to touch her.
“I thought you were starving.” She said with her mouthful. I smiled, loving that she was herself around me. There wasn’t any of that false pretense bullshit between us. She licked her lips, savoring the flavor of the sauce and a throaty noise escaped my lips.
I shook my head, hoping to pull myself together. “I ate two slices.”
She placed the slice of pizza she was working onto the paper plate that sat on her lap, leaning forward to put the plate on the table. She wiped her hands on a napkin.
“Rico can devour a pie by himself.” She said absent-mindedly flinching once the words escaped her mouth. “Sorry.”
“What’re you sorry about?” I asked, leaning back against the cushions of the couch.
She blew out a breath and stood up quickly. I looked up at her watching as she paced back and forth in front of the couch before turning around and meeting my gaze.
“We’re friends, right? Friends are straight up with one another.” She paused, looking at me expectantly.
“Are you asking me or are you telling me?” I asked, clearly confused as to where this was going. She rolled her eyes. I laughed at her agitation. “Alright, alright yes, we’re friends.”
“Have you ever been friends with a woman before?” She asked, crossing her arms under her breasts. I was torn between which of her assets were my favorite. She had an incredible ass, but her rack was pretty fantastic too. “Hello!?” She waved her hand in my face.
“What was the question again?” I asked, scratching the top of my head, trying my hardest to remember what the hell we were talking about.
“See! That right there! That’s the problem between us.” She said pointing towards me.
“I wasn’t aware that there was a problem between us.” What the fuck did I do now? I sat up straight, whatever it was I would fix it. I wanted Nikki in my life anyway I could have her and if friendship was all I was entitled to I wasn’t about to fuck that up.
“What were you thinking about? Be honest because I’m pretty sure I saw your thoughts flash in your eyes.”
“I was…” I started only to be interrupted by her.
“You want me.” She blew out a breath. “And that’s not a good thing because when you look at me like that Mikey, you make me want you too.” She stomped her foot and clenched her fists at her sides. “Who am I kidding? We’re being honest right? Even when you don’t look at me like that I want you.” She was back to pacing back and forth. I was trying to wrap my head around her confession, but watching her sashay her hips as she moved back and forth was making me dizzy. “Friends shouldn’t want to rip one another’s clothes off. I love hanging out with you. It’s becoming my favorite thing to do even more than shopping which is surprising because you can be a dick sometimes even when you’re trying your hardest not to. You have my head spinning and my body well my body is all fucked up since you walked back into my life. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s me and the fact that I haven’t had sex since you’ve been back…”