I Choose You Read online

  Colin poured them each a glass of beer before he sat, then settled in to enjoy a pint of his own.

  “So, how’s everything back home?” Colin asked.

  They filled him in on the same things they had already told Briana, but Nicole also mentioned Rich helping Roni move in and the fact that he was on track to graduate in December.

  “Yeah, he mentioned something about that last time we spoke, but it’s been a few weeks. I’ve been so busy at work that I haven’t had a lot of time to keep in contact with everyone.”

  “Kent also said that Rich is planning to come down for Halloween. I’m sure he doesn’t want to miss the Halloween bash at the bar,” Nicole added.

  “Oh, Babe, we should totally try to go home for that,” Briana said to Colin. “Halloween falls on a weekend this year, and it would give us a chance to see our folks. Plus, it’ll be great to see Rich again.”

  “Yeah,” Colin agreed. “We’ll see what we can do.”

  “Yay!” Bree exclaimed.

  They finished the pitcher and decided to head back to the loft to drink and talk in a quieter environment.

  When they got back, Colin excused himself and said he had to get up early and would give the girls a chance to catch up. He promised he would see them for dinner tomorrow and wished them a goodnight.

  “I’m gonna go tuck him in,” Bree said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “There are beers in the fridge. Help yourselves and I’ll be right back out.”

  Kara went into the kitchen to grab them each a beer, while Nicole went to the bathroom to change into her comfy clothes. When she was done, Kara went in to do the same, and Nicole sat down on the couch and took a sip of her beer.

  She looked around the loft and thought about how much she would love to be at the point in a relationship that Bree and Colin were in. They were so obviously in love, it made Nicole’s heart ache.

  Kara came out of the bathroom in her flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, with her hair piled on top of her head. She grabbed her beer and settled across from Nicole in a comfy looking oversized chair.

  They were sitting there talking about how much they loved the loft, when Bree came walking out in her pajamas. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and joined Nicole on the couch.

  “So, tell us everything,” Kara prompted.

  Briana smiled and filled them in on her classes in culinary school.

  “I am having so much fun and learning something new every day. Colin keeps joking about having to hit the gym twice a day, since I started trying my recipes out on him.” Briana looked so happy as she talked. “How’s everything at the bar?”

  “Oh, you know, same old thing.” Kara said as she snuggled further into the chair. “Pam hasn’t changed at all. Remember the time we stayed late after closing to wait for her, and then we realized that she wasn’t in the backroom?”

  Briana started laughing. “Yeah, she went home early and didn’t tell anyone. We would have sat there all night if Pete hadn’t gone back there to check on her.”

  “The day I came in for my interview, I thought Pam was a busser or something,” Nicole chimed in with a chuckle. “I talked to her for about ten minutes before I realized that she was the manager and my interview had already started.”

  Kara and Briana cracked up at that.

  “That is totally, Pam!” Kara chortled. When she calmed down enough to talk again, she looked at Nicole and admitted, “When I saw you, I thought you were going to be a Stone Cold Bitch.”

  “You did?” Nicole asked, surprised.

  “Yeah, but it didn’t take long after talking to you, to realize that you aren’t. You just looked so perfect and put together, I jumped to conclusions.” Kara said with a shrug. “I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Well when I first met Kara,” Briana cut in, trying to lighten the mood back up. “I knew Kara was a Bitch.”

  They all started laughing at that. Kara was laughing so hard that she almost fell off the chair.

  They stayed up until four in the morning reminiscing and talking about the upcoming Halloween party.

  When Nicole laid down to go to sleep, she realized that she finally had the kind of friends she’d always hoped for growing up. She’d never spent the night gossiping with girlfriends before. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

  Chapter Eleven

  They slept in the next morning, then decided to put on their bathing suits and lay out at the pool.

  Once the trio was settled into their lounge chairs Nicole decided to broach the subject that had been on her mind, but had been afraid to bring up.

  “Hey, guys, can I get your advice on something?” She asked quietly, happy for the sunglasses that concealed the nervousness in her eyes.

  “Sure, what about?” Bree asked.

  “Kent,” She stated simply.

  “Oh, yeah, you can definitely ask our advice if it’s about Kent,” Kara chimed in with a saucy grin. “Spill.”

  “Well, I mean, I know Bree knows a little bit about my past, so I should probably fill you in on that first, Kara.” Nicole started. “I was raised in a religious home, and was expected to go to college, then return home to marry my fiancé, Jake, and begin a congregation in Dallas. Once I got to college, I realized that those were my parents’ dreams, not mine, and I changed my major, broke it off with Jake, and moved out on my own. That’s the gist of it. Well, um, what I haven’t mentioned is that because I was raised in that way, I don’t believe in having sex before marriage.”

  Kara sat up, threw her legs over the side of her chair, and pushed her sunglasses up on her head. She looked into Nicole’s eyes, the shock apparent on her face.

  “Are you saying you’re a virgin, and you’ve never had sex with anybody? Not even once?”

  Nicole couldn’t help but giggle at Kara’s obvious disbelief. It helped ease her nerves, and she replied, “Not even once.”

  “Oh. My. God.” Kara closed her eyes and shook her head, causing Nicole to laugh again, and Bree to reach over and punch Kara lightly on the arm. “What? I can’t even imagine…”

  “Stop, Kara,” Briana chided.

  “It’s okay, Bree, I know it’s surprising to people. I was with Jake for so long, and he had the same views on premarital sex, so it was never an issue before.”

  “But it is now… with Kent,” Bree surmised.

  Kara started laughing at that. “Oh, I bet Kent shit a brick when you told him.”

  “Kara!”

  “No, Kara’s right. That’s pretty much the reaction I’d expected when I told Kent, but he really took it in stride. He didn’t freak out, and he said he still wanted to see me. I gave him an out, but he didn’t take it.”

  “But,” Briana prompted.

  “But, since then, he hasn’t touched me. I mean, not even a kiss.” Nicole played with the frayed edge of her towel as she spoke. “Before I told him, we kissed and made out a bit, and it was really hot, but ever since I told him, he has given me a kiss on the cheek, or the forehead, but has made no attempt to really kiss me. Do you think that means he’s not interested anymore?”

  “Nicole, Kent may be a great looking, single, man who has no problem getting women, but he isn’t a ladies man. I mean, he doesn’t lie, and he doesn’t treat girls like crap.” Briana said in his defense. “If he didn’t want to see you anymore, he would respect you enough to tell you, I swear.”

  “That’s true,” Kara put in. “Kent is always a straight shooter, he wouldn’t lead you on.”

  “Then what do you think it is?” Nicole asked, hopeful that they could help her figure it out. She really didn’t want him to pull away from her; she was beginning to care about him too much.

  “Maybe he just doesn’t know how to act.” Briana suggested. “He’s used to having sex with the girls he sees. Not to sound crass, but it’s true. Maybe he isn’t sure how to treat you, when he knows the end result will not include sex. I’m sure it’s new territory for
him.”

  “That’s true,” Kara added. “If I put myself in his shoes, I have to admit, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

  “Well, I’m not going to have sex with him. No matter what my feelings for him are, I won’t have sex with anyone who isn’t my husband.”

  “No, and no one expects you to, least of all Kent. He’s going to respect your beliefs.” Briana assured her.

  “I think you need to let him know that there are other things you can do besides have sex. Sexy things,” Kara said with a wink.

  “Yeah,” Briana added. “Maybe you need to take the lead and show him that you want to kiss him, that you want to make-out with him, and any other things you may want to do with him.”

  Nicole knew what they were saying was probably true; she just worried that he would reject her advances. She would be mortified if that happened. On the other hand, she missed kissing him. She wanted him to see that she was a passionate woman, and she wanted to deepen their relationship.

  “You guys are right,” Nicole said aloud. “When we get home, I’ll tell Kent how I feel, and let him know what I want.”

  “You go girl!” Kara said as she put her sunglasses back over her eyes and lay back on her lounge chair.

  “Don’t worry, Nicole,” Briana said while she patted her on the shoulder. “I know it’ll work out, and Kent will appreciate your honesty.”

  They all laid back and enjoyed the sun until it was time to go in and get ready for dinner.

  Colin came home while they were getting dressed. Nicole finished getting ready first, and went to sit with him at the table while they waited for Bree and Kara.

  “Would you like some wine while we wait?” Colin asked Nicole.

  “Sure, that sounds great,” She responded.

  Nicole couldn’t help but appreciate Colin’s effort. He looked so handsome as he poured her a glass of red, and she thought again how lucky Briana was to be living the life that she wanted with the man she loved. Nicole hoped she could find a love like theirs.

  She had loved Jake, but she’d never felt the passion for him that she felt for Kent. She’d never felt nervous around him, or excited just to hear the sound of his voice.

  When Colin placed the glass in front of her and sat down, she tried to clear her head and focus on what he was saying.

  “How’s everything going at work?” He asked her.

  “Pretty good,” Nicole responded. “It can get hectic some nights, but the money’s not bad, and I love everyone I work with. I know it’s not a long term job, but for now, it’s nice to go in and enjoy what I’m doing.”

  “Yeah, you can’t ask for much more than that.”

  “How about you, how’s the job here? Is it everything you hoped for?” Nicole asked, then took a sip of her wine.

  Colin got a wide grin on his face, causing the dimples in his cheeks to deepen, and his eyes to twinkle.

  “It really is. I love what I’m doing. I miss my folks and I feel bad that I can’t take over the store for my dad, but this is exactly where I want to be. I can’t believe how lucky I’m.” Colin looked up and his smile got even broader when Bree walked over to where he was sitting. “Not only do I have my dream job, but I have the love of my life by my side. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

  “Awww, Babe,” Briana cooed as she leaned down to kiss him. “Ditto.”

  Nicole couldn’t help but smile at the pair of them and their obvious happiness.

  “Ya’ll ready?” Kara said as she sauntered in from the bathroom. “This girl is starvin’.”

  They all got up and headed out to enjoy the girls’ last night in Austin.

  Chapter Twelve

  It wasn’t that Kent missed Nicole, she’d only been gone since yesterday, but as he got ready for the guys to come over for poker night, he couldn’t help but picture her pretty face and wish she was there.

  He poured some chips into a bowl and placed it on the granite counter top in his kitchen. He opened up the door to his walk in pantry, and found a container of salsa to put out with the chips.

  He liked homemade salsa better, but didn’t have any clue how to even begin to make it. He wondered if Nicole ever made fresh salsa.

  He shook his head, trying to clear away the thoughts of Nic. He needed to get his head ready for the game and stop moping around like a love-sick idiot.

  He looked around the kitchen to make sure everything was clean and straightened, the way he liked it.

  He took in the glass cabinets, which were streak free, and showcased his matching dishware. The countertops were clutter free and his stainless steel appliances sparkled, and everything was put in its place.

  The guys gave him a hard time about the fact that his house was always so clean and organized, and unlike most guys his age, he didn’t live off of ramen served in plastic ware.

  He could handle their ribbing. He liked the way he lived.

  He noticed that they had no problem allowing him to host poker night. They had gone to one of the regulars, Steve’s, house once. That was the first and last time that had happened.

  As he walked through the tidy living room, with the black leather sofas and matching accent pieces, he thought about how much he wanted to see Nicole in his house.

  He didn’t know why he hadn’t brought her here yet, but he realized that he could picture her here. He could see her helping him get ready for the poker night, or cooking in the kitchen, and was surprised by how much he liked the vision.

  Kent was saved from his uncharacteristic thoughts by the knock on his door.

  He opened it to a grinning Pete.

  “What’s up, Man?” Pete asked putting his hand out to grasp Kent’s in a handshake.

  “Not much,” Kent responded with a smile. “Come on in. How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good,” Pete said as he entered and headed towards the kitchen to put his beer in the fridge. “I miss Kara and all, but I have to admit, it’s been nice to hang around in my boxers all day and watch Sports Center!”

  “I hear that,” Kent responded, although he’d probably never sat around in his boxers before in his life. If he wasn’t dressed for the day, well, then he didn’t wear anything. That was another benefit of having your own place.

  Pete used the bottle opener to open a beer and offered it to Kent, before opening another one for himself.

  “Thanks,” Kent said, as he took a drink.

  Pete went to go grab his seat at the table as another knock sounded on the door.

  Steve and a couple of the other poker regulars came barreling in when Kent opened the door.

  A chorus of “What ups” went around as everyone put their beer in the fridge and joined Pete at the table.

  Kent joined the men and began dealing the cards as they all caught up on what had been happening in their lives since they’d last had a game.

  After a few hands and numerous beers, they guys became louder and the money began to flow a little faster.

  “So, Kent,” Steve asked as he folded. “What’s up with you and that smokin’ hot waitress from the bar?”

  Kent knew that this was normal conversation for their poker nights, but couldn’t stop his jaw from clenching as he answered.

  “Nic and I have been on a couple dates. Why?”

  “No reason,” Steve slurred slightly. “I’ve been asking her out for months, and she always turned me down. I thought she was frigid, but I guess not if she’s seeing you.”

  Kent stared over his cards at Steve, and noticed that the rest of the guys had stopped talking and were looking back and forth from Steve to Kent.

  “Be careful, Steve. I just told you I was dating her.”

  “Awww, chill out man, its cool. I just wanted to know if you’d hit that yet, and if those titties are as luscious as they look.”

  Kent was out of his seat in a flash and was pulling Steve out of his by the back of his shirt before he had a chance to register what was happening.

  It was a flu
rry of motion after that, as all of the guys jumped up from the table and tried to pull Kent off of Steve.

  “Dude, that’s just Steve,” Pete was saying to Kent, trying to get his attention, as the larger man glared at Steve. “You know he didn’t mean anything by it.”

  The red slowly began to clear and Kent’s vision returned to normal. He realized that he had two of his buddies holding his arms, Pete was standing in front of him trying to reason with him, and Steve was on the floor looking up at him with confusion.

  “I’m fine,” Kent said gruffly, as he shook the other men off of him. He walked over to Steve and crouched down so he could look him in the eyes.

  “Don’t talk about her like that again,” He said simply, then walked out his back porch and sat down on one of his deck chairs.

  He was fighting to calm his breathing, while his brain was scrambling.

  What the hell had come over him? He wondered. It was poker night. They always talked about women while they played. Sometimes the conversation got pretty graphic, much worse than what Steve had said tonight.

  Pete came out and grabbed the chair next to his.

  “You alright, Man?” Pete asked softly.

  “Yeah, Pete,” Kent exclaimed. “Shit, I don’t know what happened; I didn’t mean to go after Steve like that.”

  “It was crazy,” Pete said with a laugh. “But I get where you’re comin’ from. I wouldn’t like it if one of the guys was talking about Kara like that.”

  “Yeah, but Kara’s your girlfriend. I mean, shit, you guys live together. That’s different than Nic and I going on a few dates.” Kent didn’t know if he was trying to convince Pete, or himself.

  “Maybe you like her more than you thought,” Pete reasoned. “Hey, you chill here for a minute. I’ll see the guys out and grab you a beer.”

  “Naw, that’s alright, Pete.” Kent said as he got up out of the chair. “I’ll go fix this with Steve and see the guys out. Thanks though.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Pete replied as he slapped Kent on the back.

  Kent walked inside as the guys were cleaning up and grabbing their remaining beer from the fridge.