Pretty Fly for a White Guy: The Complete Series Collection (43 page)

My car was parked outside and I was grateful that I didn’t get a ticket. I slid into my car, buckled my seat belt, and drove away. It was a rough drive, my tears kept clouding my vision and eventually I just had to pull over and let it out. I felt like I made a horrible mistake by letting her leave but the deed had been done. We were going to have to live through the consequences of our decisions, and once again it was one that tore us apart.

When would we ever learn?

#Chapter14

“Anyone would miss a tasty dish like Kenneth”

Reuben

The flight was long, I couldn’t imagine having to take that flight in coach.

I felt stiff and exhausted even though I had the best accommodations that they had to offer. I got off of the plane and I was grateful that I didn’t have any baggage to claim, that definitely felt different. I was able to walk out and find my driver. I searched through the crowd of people that were holding up names and I saw my name with a huge heart next to it. Reuben was there holding the sign with a huge grin on his face.

“Welcome home!” He said excitedly.

I was grateful to see a familiar face, “Hey! You said that I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”

“I lied, I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said before he gave me a huge hug.

“How was your flight?” He asked.

“That bad boy was long as hell, I’m happy to finally be here.”

“Let’s get you to your new apartment, dinner will be there waiting as well. First class plane food is alright, but this will be even better.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for food from here yet,” I said honestly.

He laughed, “Don’t worry it's pasta and it’s going to taste delicious. I’ve had your assistant compile a list of “safe” restaurants to go to also.”

“You’re a doll,” I said as he grabbed my bag and we headed out of the airport.

“True.”

Reuben was in fact a diva and he didn’t drive at all. There was a limo outside waiting for us, “Oh you thought that I drove? Oh no honey, I don’t do that here and neither will you. Driving is a thing of the past for us now baby-doll!”

I laughed as we got into the, car and I felt better about my day already. I am still surprised I did not realize he was gay. We arrived at my new condo and it looked better than it did in the photos.

My breath was taken away by the rich décor. I’d outdone myself with my furniture choices, the truth was that I chose the furniture that I always wanted but couldn’t quite afford. It didn’t disappoint. All of the things that I’d sent were out and in their place. I went to the closet and the dressers and my clothes were there. I smiled because my life had just upgraded. I would live a life where people would do these things for me.

“You have taste,” Reuben said in admiration, “I’m going to add interior decorator to your resume because you will be coming furniture shopping with me.”

“I would love to,” I said excitedly as I quickly ran from one room to the next. My condo was larger than the one that I had in Atlanta and that was really saying something because I had a big place, and I heard that places in Paris were pretty small.

“This is really big,” I said.

“Yeah, we’re some of the lucky few. But we can afford it and so it’s ours,” he said. “I live in the place directly below yours.”

“You’re just full of surprises, you didn’t tell me that either.”

“I just moved last week. I saw that you were moving here and I was jealous, and so I figured that I would just get one of my own. No need to be jealous over something that easily fixable, and I wanted to be closer to you. You might need some looking after.”

“You’re so damned sweet. Now can we eat because my stomach is about to get ignorant.”

“Sure, I’m hungry too.”

We sat at my new table and dug in. He briefed me on what to expect in the next few days and my stomach did somersaults the entire time that he spoke. I wasn’t able to eat nearly as much as I thought that I was, although the food was really good. After we ate, he left to handle some business. I called everyone to tell them that I made it safely and I passed out on my brand new king size bed.

The next morning, we shared a limo and went over to the office. It was just as gorgeous as I thought it would be. It looked luxurious and it was larger than I thought as well. I was surprised that most of the staff spoke English fluently and that there were other Americans there too. I shouldn’t have been too shocked considering that Reuben and I worked there, but hey I thought we were special. It really helped to put my mind at ease; I could make it my home.

*

Settling into my new job was pretty easy over the next few days. The expectations were extremely clear, I didn’t have to worry about staying within a budget, and I had a team of magicians working beneath me. The hardest part was realizing that I didn’t have to do everything myself. In that space I wasn’t an entrepreneur and so I had other people and departments at my disposal. At first that scared me, because I’m used to being able to know what’s going on in every aspect of the business. However, it wasn’t my company, and so all I had to do was play my part.

I’d called and checked in on my business, and everyone was doing pretty good so far. Things were going well, even though I was missing Ken like crazy. He was only able to send me a few ‘Whatsapp’ messages as since our time zones completely clashed, I wasn’t able to speak to him as much as I liked. It scared me that our relationship was potentially falling apart, but I chose to focus on what I could control. I wasn’t going to let my sadness get in the way of my new position.

Reuben had quickly become a staple in my life, and I was grateful for him. We’d both settled into the friendship that we’d created in high school. It felt as if we hadn’t been apart for over 10 years. That’s what friendship is all about in my opinion. When you can pick up where you left off with someone as if you haven’t missed a beat, they’re your friend. I hoped that I could repay him for the huge opportunity that he gave to me.

It became routine for Reuben and I to have lunch or dinner together everyday, and I knew that he was only doing it because I didn’t have anyone. I made a mental note to meet more people so that he didn’t feel obligated to entertain me every day. He was my friend, not my babysitter, and he needed to have a life.

Ruben and I sat inside of a great restaurant that was so small and cute. That’s how I described most of the restaurants in my area.

“
So what do you think of things here so far?” Reuben asked.

“I absolutely love it,” I responded in as chipper of a voice as I could.

He looked at me as if he didn’t believe me, “Tell the truth, I know the move can’t be easy for you.”

I didn’t want to complain to him, because I didn’t want to come across as being ungrateful. He’d gone out of his way to recruit me, and it seemed really rude to complain about my experiences.

“
No really,” I responded.

“Stop being so damned politically correct, and tell me how you really feel. I was extremely homesick when I first got here. Sometimes I still go through times where I want to go home, and I’ve been here for a long time. If you weren’t homesick, I would think that you didn’t have a heart.”

I sighed, “I’m homesick, but I’ll get over it.” At least I hoped that I would get over it.

“I can see that you’re really missing your boo. Anyone would miss a tasty dish like Kenneth” he joked.

“I miss him a lot, and I hate that I haven’t gotten the chance to speak to him as much as I thought that I would. But he’s busy, and I’m busy. When you throw in our time difference, we just don’t have many opportunities to talk. I don’t know how long we’re going to make it like this.”

“Don’t think about it too much because you’ll just drive yourself insane. It’s only been a few days so you all haven’t had the chance to work the kinks out of this arrangement. Focus on work, and when you get the chance to talk to him, express your concerns. He seems like the kind of man that will listen.”

“You’re right, he does his best to accommodate the request that I make, even when I’m trippin’.

“See. Now you just let me know if you need anything. I’ll do my best to make your transition here easier. I would show you where all of the fine straight men are, but you have one already.”

I laughed, “Thank you, you’re doing a wonderful job already.”

#Chapter15

“
Okay what the hell is going on?”

Nicole

A few days later I was starting to really get into the zone.

I knew my team a lot better, I was traveling all over Paris and meeting different designers. I was able to literally get my hands on pieces that I previously only dreamt about. My dream had arrived, and I had to pinch myself every morning when I woke up in my condo. I was probably spoiled for home because I didn’t have to drive anywhere. My company car was sitting in the same spot where it had been since I’d received it. My driver took me anywhere I wanted to go and at any time. I didn’t bother him in the evening though.

On this particular morning I felt amazing, and the sun wasn’t even shining. That’s the biggest thing that I missed from home. It always seemed to be so dark in Paris to me; it was a good thing that I didn’t have to care about a tan, because it wasn’t going to happen. I still wore shades because it made me feel bad ass as I stepped out in my custom designed dress, and 5 inch Giuseppe Zanotti heels.

My car was sitting outside, but my driver didn’t open the door. I knew that it was mine because of the license plates. I was a little annoyed because he ruined my exit from the building. I had it played out perfectly in my head. I would sashay out to the expensive car with blacked out windows. He would be standing there with his white gloves, and perfectly tailored black suit (he doesn’t even wear white gloves), and he would hold the door open for me. He would greet me in French like he does every morning, close the door behind me, and we would set off to work. I loved that image because it kind of made me feel like Miranda
 Preistly from The Devil Wears Prada.

But today I guess a bug had crawled up my drivers butt, and he wasn’t in the mood to open my door for me. Now if I was Miranda Preistly I would have checked his ass but I kept quiet and stewed in silence as we headed to our destination. He began driving, but we weren’t going our usual route. I’d come to recognize the scenery that we passed every day, and this definitely wasn’t the same way.

“Excuse me, where are we going?” I asked.

The driver remained silent, and I figured that was probably because he couldn’t understand a word that I was saying. He spoke French and not much English. He always opted for silence when he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. I was trying to learn French, but it wasn’t clicking the way that I wanted to, so I didn’t know how to speak to him. We drove for a little while longer, and nothing looked familiar at all. That’s when the panic set in.

I began to wonder if I was being kidnapped. I didn’t want to end up on an oxygen or lifetime show because I was being stupid. I had missed a huge sign. He usually got out of the car and on this day he hadn’t. Was it even him driving the damned car? I couldn’t see his face because his hat was too low. However, I noticed the salt and pepper grey hair at his temples that bore a striking resemblance to someone I knew.

Before I could say anything, he pulled over, and stopped the car.

He took his hat off, turned around with a huge grin spread across his face. With a horrible French accent he said, “Are you ready for your happy ending madame?”

I was stunned as I saw Michael sitting in the front of the car, and I was rendered speechless. He turned back around without waiting for a response and took off again.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in surprise.

“I’m driving you around silly,” he said with amusement in his voice.

“I know that,” I said, “I mean what are you doing?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

 Within moments we arrived outside of the Eiffel Tower. He pulled up and I got out of the car. I was amazed to see Patrice, Jasmine, Cedric and Reuben standing and waiting for me.

I was excited and confused at the same time; I wondered what was going on.

Reuben had a huge smile on his face. “Well hon, work is canceled for the day because you have more important matters to take care of.”

I went over to both of my friends and gave them a huge hug. I was taken aback because no one was really speaking, they were only grinning like idiots.

“Okay what the hell is going on? Why is everyone here but Kenneth?

Patrice gave me a knowing wink, “I have a feeling that he will be showing up very soon.” She then looked to our right and pointed, “I think that might be him.”

I looked over and saw Kenneth arriving in a horse and carriage. He was sitting in the back in a brand new suit holding a rose. He was accompanied by a violinist playing romantic music. My heart swelled with joy, and I wasn’t sure if any of what was happening was real. I was sure that I was going to wake up at any moment and find out that it was a cruel dream. That had happened to me a few times before.

Kenneth stepped out of the cart and gave me a huge hug before he handed me the rose.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he said.

“Oh my god, I’ve missed you too,” I said as I trembled.

As I took the rose he then got down on one knee. I was sure that my eyes were about to bulge out of my head. I looked around, and there was a small crowd forming around us, and they were pulling out their camera phones. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me and finally in a good way.

“Nikki, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve believed in me even when I gave you reasons to lose hope. I’ve come to realize that my life doesn’t make sense without you in it. You are my other half. You are my soul mate. Would you do me the pleasure of being my wife?” He asked as he took out a beautiful and huge round cut ring with a double halo around it.

I shook my head as I tried to fight back tears. I never envisioned this for myself, it was all too perfect. It was greater than I felt that I deserved. I squeezed my eyes closed.

“
Nicole?” He asked.

“Oh, yes!” I exclaimed.

Everyone cheered as Kenneth began to slide the ring on my finger, stood to his feet, and we kissed. The violinist began again, and it was all delightfully cheesy. I couldn’t stop crying tears of sheer joy. I’d spent so much time being sad, and he was preparing to come see me. He took my hand and led me into the carriage. We waved to the people that we loved and to the small crowd of tourists that had formed then Kenneth directed the horse down the street. He kissed me, and the crowd began to cheer. I felt like royalty in that moment.

We went on a tour of the city. Reuben had taken me on a tour a few days prior so I was able to point out some things and sound a little knowledgeable but it was beautiful nonetheless. The sun had come out as well, and I thought that was pretty ironic. Kenneth had champagne aboard, and we sipped as we enjoyed the warm day and talked. I didn’t want to rain on my own parade, but I had to deal with what was bothering me.

“
This has all been so amazing, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re going back to Atlanta and that we live 1000s of miles apart. Being without you for so long has been killing me,” I said.

He gave me a smug look, “Who said that I’m going back to Atlanta?”

“What about your clients? Michael? Your business?”

“Shhhh,” he responded as he put a finger to my mouth. He leaned in and whispered into my ear,

“As long as I’m with you, nothing else matters.”

I leaned back and gave him another peck on the lips. He’d just made me the happiest woman in Paris.

He continued, “The times of my life that I’ve been apart from you have been the worst times. Even when you were gone for a day, I found it hard to function. Some people are just made for each other no matter what happens, and that’s us. As far as I’m concerned, nothing else matters in life as long as we’re together. I’m here to stay, and I’m never leaving this time no matter what comes our way.” 

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear that,” I said, “I was so worried, and I wondered if I made a huge mistake by moving here.”

“You didn’t make a mistake, you followed your dream. I want you to have the life that you deserve and this job is wonderful. There’s no way that I couldn’t have allowed you to take it.”

“You’re right, it has been amazing. It’s so far beyond what I imagined.”

“Also, I don’t want to let the Amanda incident ruin what we have together or put me off of marriage. So just to prove how serious I am, I’ve already set the date.”

“Yeah? When?” I asked excitedly.

*

Six weeks later, I was a bundle of anxious nerves.

It was the morning of my wedding and everyone that I wanted to be there had been flown in. My dream come true was happening, and I had several moments where I would jump up and down and squeal. Luckily the two people that I loved understood where I was coming from.

“
Girl if you don’t stop squealing, you’re going to give me a headache,” Patrice said.

“Sorry I just have so much nervous energy, I have to get it out,” I laughed.

“Here drink up, it helped me a lot when I got married,” Jasmine said as she handed me a mimosa.

“But don’t drink it too fast, drunk brides are not cute and you don’t want to mess up your pictures.”

I took slow sips of my mimosa as we sat in the bridal suite at the mansion that we were getting married in. “I can’t believe that I’m about to get married.”

“Believe it, it’s happening and it’s long overdue,” Jasmine said, “You and Kenneth have been beating around the bush long enough.”

“That’s the truth,” Patrice chimed in.

“Oh shut up, everyone knows that me and Kenneth are on our own time. We don’t do things by the book. We like to go in circles before we get to our destination,” I laughed.

“Small circles,” Patrice said.

“Redundant circles,” Jasmine said quickly.

“Oooh you all play too much, now help me get into my dress so that I can marry my man.”

Before I knew it I was at the altar with Kenneth. I was the one marrying him and no one was going to stop us. I didn’t have anything to hide, and I wasn’t trying to trick him. He was mine, and I was his. Behind him stood Michael and he was smiling brightly. I then noticed that he wasn’t really staring at us, he was staring behind me. The only two people behind me were Jasmine and Patrice. I made a mental note to be nosey about that later.

I then refocused on the man that was standing before me. It was difficult to stare directly at him without tears forming. The love that I had in my eyes was reflected in his. He and I had finally reached the finish line, and we didn’t allow any adversity to stop us. We won!