I Choose You (4 page)

             
She worked up the courage to turn in Kent’s direction, and was immediately caught in his direct gaze.

             
His lips turned up slightly as he looked her up and down.

             
“You look lovely this evening, Nic.” His grey eyes twinkled and she began to feel light-headed.

             
“Thanks, so do you.” She blushed slightly once the words were out of her mouth. She cleared her throat before turning back to Rich, who made her feel much more comfortable.

             
“I’d like a draft to start,” Rich said with a wink. She smiled back at him before turning once more to Kent.

             
“Make that two,” Kent added.

             
Nicole turned to go, but was stopped by Kent’s hand on her arm.

             
“What time are you off?” He asked, making her stomach flutter wildly.

             
“Um, eleven,” She replied breathlessly.

             
He just smiled and released her arm.

             
Nicole walked off towards the bar, wondering why he’d asked.

             
The night went by very quickly. Even after the dinner crowd thinned out, the number of people eager to hang out and have drinks and appetizers never seemed to die down.

             
Nicole counted down her drawer and went in the back to clean up and get her stuff, when Roni walked into the back room.

             
“Oh, my poor feet.” Roni said dramatically.

             
“Busy night, huh.” Nicole replied, realizing how badly her feet throbbed. “What do you say we have a drink before we go home?”

             
“God, Yes. That sounds great.” Roni picked up her purse, then linked her arm through Nicole’s and they walked out into the bar.

             
They were about to grab a stool when Kent called out Roni’s name. He and Rich had moved up to one of the tables by the bar after they’d finished dinner, and had been hanging out watching a game and talking.

             
Roni looked at Nicole when Kent waved them over, Nicole shrugged.

             
She wanted to go and hang out with them, but she didn’t want to be obvious about it.

             
Nicole walked behind Roni until they got to the table, and was about to sit next to Rich when Kent said, “Nic, why don’t you sit over here by me?”

             
She looked over at Roni, who seemed a little surprised at his request, then rolled her eyes when Rich chimed in, “I’ve got a spot for you right here, Roni.”

             
Nicole couldn’t help but chuckle at the interaction between the two of them. She felt her palms begin to sweat when she sat down next to Kent, her arm brushing his as she settled in.

             
He lifted his arm and laid it across the bench behind her head, then leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Thanks. I’ve been waiting all night for the chance to talk to you.”

             
“You have?” Nicole asked disbelief apparent in her voice.

             
He leaned back and asked, “Why is that so hard to believe?”

             
Nicole blushed again, cursing herself for her lack of finesse when it came to talking to guys.

             
“Because you could talk to any girl in here,” she replied honestly.

             
Kent laughed, delighted at her candor.

             
“You’re the only one who’s been on my mind lately, and that’s a fact.”

             
Nicole couldn’t hide the delighted smile that spread across her face. She was still smiling when Kara came up to get their order.

             
“Well, well, Ladies. You’ve got yourself some fine company this evenin’. What can I get you to drink?” Kara leaned against the edge of the booth, as if her legs were struggling to keep her upright.

             
“Can I get a Gin and Tonic,” Nicole asked.

             
“I’ll have a draft and four shots of Jack,” Roni added.

             
“Oh, no shot for me, please,” Nicole said to Roni.

             
“C’mon,” Roni cajoled. “One won’t hurt.”

             
“I’ll make sure you’re okay,” Kent promised, rubbing a hand over her shoulder to reassure her.

             
Nicole shivered at his touch and gave Kara a nod and a smile.

             
“So, Rich,” Roni asked dryly, “when are you leaving again?”

             
Rich just chuckled and settled back in his seat. “I leave day after tomorrow.”

             
“Hmmm, that’s too bad,” Roni said sarcastically.

             
Rich took a sip of his beer, then looked at Roni seriously. “Did I do something?”

             
“What do you mean?” Roni asked defensively.

             
“Well, is it guys in general that you dislike, or just me?”

             
Roni was saved from answering when Kara came back by the table with the drinks. She put a shot out in front of each of them, and said to holler if they needed anything else.

             
They each picked up their shot glass and lifted it.

             
“To friends and family,” Roni offered, then they brought their glasses together in “cheers” and downed their respective shot.

             
Nicole felt the burn of the liquid as it splashed through her mouth and down her throat. It hit her belly and she had to concentrate to keep it there.

             
Yuck. She hated shots, and she really hated whiskey.

             
Everyone else seemed to have no problem with their drinks and quickly slammed their glasses back down on the table.

             
Nicole shifted slightly, and when her leg brushed up against Kent’s, she moved quickly away as if she’d been burned.

             
She felt Kent’s chuckle at the side of her face, and turned, only to realize that their faces were merely inches away from each other.

             
She sucked a breath in sharply, and felt the warmth spread through her body, as his eyes focused on her lips and dilated slowly.

             
She couldn’t stop her tongue from darting out to moisten her lips, and grew heady as Kent groaned softly.

             
“You wanna get out of here?” Kent asked quietly, leaning closer to her, never lifting his gaze from her lips.

             
Nicole’s head cleared at that, and she backed slightly away from him. Yes, she was totally attracted to Kent and knew that he was probably used to girls jumping at the chance to go home with him, but as much as she wanted the chance to get to spend more time with him, she knew they had different ideas on how that time would be spent.

             
“Oh, ahhh, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

             
Kent blinked, trying to hide his surprise.

             
“No problem.” He pulled his arm back from behind her and straightened in his seat. He picked up his beer and turned to say something to Rich.

             
Nicole felt her stomach drop with disappointment. If Kent was so turned off by her not wanting to go home with him tonight, what would he think about her not wanting to have sex before marriage? She knew the answer; he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. He was a sexy, single guy, who literally could have sex with any woman that he wanted. Why would he waste his time dating someone like her?

             
She took a swift drink of her Gin and Tonic, then excused herself to go to the restroom, before she embarrassed herself further.

             
When Nicole left the table, Roni reached over and punched her brother in the arm.

             
“Hey,” Kent exclaimed, “What’d you do that for?”

             
“What’d you say to her, you jerk?” Roni asked angrily.

             
“Nothin’. Shit, Roni.”

             
“It wasn’t nothin’. She looked upset.”

             
“God, Roni, this is the last thing I want to discuss with my sister. She’s not into me, alright.  All I did was ask if she wanted to get out of here.” Kent managed to look indignant and slightly embarrassed.

             
“Jeez, Kent. She’s not some floozy who you can just pick up for a one night stand.” Roni said accusingly.

             
“I didn’t mean it to come out like that, okay. I like her; I just wanted to get some time alone with her.” Kent explained. “If she’s not into it, whatever, I’ll find someone who is.”

             
“Don’t be such a tool,” Roni chastised her brother as she stood up. “Like I said, Nicole’s not like these other girls. If you want to “hang out” with her, why don’t you act like a grown-up and ask her out on a date? You guys are so immature.”

             
She picked up her purse and Nicole’s, then walked away without a further word for either of them.

             
“Hey,” Rich piped in. “What did I do?”

             
“Don’t worry about it, Man, my sister gets a little nuts sometimes. What do you say we pick up some beer and hang out at my house? I bet some of the guys would be game to come over for a poker game after closing.”

             
“Sounds good to me,” Rich responded.

             
They left some money on the table for Kara, then went to ask Pete if he wanted in on a game of poker.

Chapter Five

             
Kent woke to the sound of his
phone buzzing. He whipped an arm out from under the strewn sheet and searched in vain for the annoying device.

             
Just when he started to drift off, the incessant buzzing started again.

             
He sat up angrily, his hand coming up to cradle his pounding head.

             
“Shit.”

             
He may have played a little too much poker, and drank a few too many black and tans, the night before.

             
When his feet hit the floor, he swore under his breath when his heel made contact with his phone. When he felt the vibration under his foot, he grimaced and reached down to pick it up.

             
He gingerly opened one eye and flinched at the pain that seemed to radiate from his head.

             
How many shots had they done?

             
He was finally able to focus enough to look at his phone so he could see who the ass-pain that had been texting him all morning was…

             
He should have known, Roni.

             
Looked like she had been nagging him via text since early that morning.

             
“Nic is upset at your behavior last night… You’d better MAN UP...”

             
She had sent the same text twenty times in the last three hours.

             
Psycho.

             
He threw his phone down on the bed, then went to get some aspirin and a little “hair of the dog.”

             
Two hours later Kent was standing in front of Roni and Nicole’s apartment, headache free, holding a bunch of flowers and wondering if he really wanted to get this invested in a girl right now.

             
His six foot frame had him taking up most of the space in the narrow hallway. He paused before knocking, debating internally with himself.

             
He felt bad about offending her, and he really did want to get to know her better, but was he sending the wrong message by showing up on her doorstep, with daisies, to ask her on a date? Was he really interested in dating right now?

             
An image of Nicole flashed in his mind.

             
Yes, she was blonde, beautiful, and had a killer body, but she also had a wonderful innocence about her. A sweetness… And when she smiled, his heart seemed to shift in his chest.