“Your photographer took this?” I demanded.
“That’s the thing, Vic, he didn’t take these. These were brought to me. The ones he’s taken of her have been just her doing everyday things.”
“Who brought these to you? What did they say?”
“You know I can’t give you my source. I’m showing these to you because you’re my friend and I’m not going to put them out there, but I can’t promise you that other blogs will extend the same courtesy.”
Fuck. I sighed and closed my eyes. We were just talking. Just talking, but I knew they could potentially turn it into something more.
“I have more coming in tomorrow morning. I’ll call you if I feel like it’s anything you need to see.”
“Call me if it’s anything with her at all.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, Q.”
“Of course.”
As we hung up, my parents’ gate opened. I watched Oliver’s black Cadillac pull up and Nicole’s white Prius follow behind him. I felt a pang in my heart at the sight of her. She was so beautiful. I thought about the images on my phone. I remembered the very moment they were taken. I remembered my desperation and how badly I’d wanted to kiss her, touch her, hold her, fuck her. Make her mine. I’d gotten just a taste that day. Just a hint of what her lips felt like against mine. Our fate was set that day. Maybe even before then. Maybe it’d been set the day she stepped into that goddamn conference room wearing that tight-fitting dress and looking at me with her fuck me eyes. Whatever the case was, I would take care of this. I wouldn’t tell her about the pictures. Not yet. Not until I had more information. The last thing I needed was a worried Nicole.
“Hey Chicken,” I said as my sister walked over to me. She rolled her eyes and gave me a hug.
“Hey Vic. I see you invited Nicole.”
“She can’t go out to breakfast without being hounded. It was the least I could do,” I said. Estelle shot me a look that said she didn’t buy my story. I shrugged.
“Who’s the girl?” Oliver asked as he greeted me.
“Nicole.”
“The one married to that guy?”
“The one who was married to that guy,” I said, at the same time as Nicole walked up and smiled at my words. She looked so fucking good in that long black dress she wore. I wanted to peel it off her and discover what she had underneath.
“Oliver,” he said, offering his hand for her to shake. I wanted to kick his ass when he smiled at her like he was trying to flirt with her. “I hear I owe you a thank you for helping my wife and brother-in-law install my TV.”
Nicole laughed. “Victor did most of the work. I just sat back and watched him mount it and drank the wine Estelle offered.”
My heart hopped when she looked over at me with that flirty gleam in her eyes as she said it. Fuck. This girl did things to me. She did things to me and I realized something.
The woman I would have to let go of if I wanted to keep my career was the same woman I didn’t want to live without.
How’s that for life issues? I was half tempted to write a letter to Jensen Talks and see what my friend had to say about this fucked-up situation in the newspaper column he wrote. Oliver went inside and Estelle followed after she exchanged a tight hug with Nicole.
“Where did you bring me?” she asked, looking at the house.
“My parents’ house.”
From the look of sheer panic that crossed her face, I thought for a second time that maybe bringing her here was a bad idea. It was a good idea before I’d gotten that call, but now I knew what was to happen, I felt every part of me breaking down slowly, like a car running out of gas. I hated that feeling, and when Nicole’s smile dropped and she frowned, I felt it punch me in the gut.
“You really need to come with a warning label,” she said as she stepped in front of me. “A serious warning label. Are you regretting your decision? I can still leave.” She brought her hand up to me face. She was so fucking sweet, thinking of my feelings before her own. Comforting me even though she had no clue what I was thinking. I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch; it was so soft, warm and inviting. I never wanted to leave. I never wanted to let go of this moment. I cleared my throat and straightened. What the fuck was going on with me?
“I’m fine,” I said with a smile. “Come meet the people responsible for making the hottest man you’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Nicole laughed beside me. “Oh my God.”
I shrugged. Before I could say anything else, my mother walked toward us with a huge smile on her face, light eyes trained on Nicole.
“Hi. I’m Hannah, Victor’s mom. It’s so nice to meet you, Nicole,” she said, walking up to her and giving her a hug. Nicole smiled, a little blush on her cheeks when she pulled back. She gave me an embarrassed glance that I’d never seen and wish I could record and watch forever.
“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for having me over,” she said.
“Of course. Make yourself at home. Thomas. We have a guest,” my mom shouted, taking Nicole by the hand and dragging her forward.