I Love My Man (Nicole's Erotic Romance) (8 page)

Snatching up a clutch bag and my long coat,
I lock up and walk quickly to the elevator, shoving my keys in my bag as I
press the button. Alone now, my heart has begun to race. My first show; a ton
of people will be judging my paintings. They’ll be whispering like I’ve whispered
when I’ve gone to other people’s receptions. I remember when Michael and I were
at that sculptor’s reception – the night we met. Michael tore that guy to
shreds. That’s what I’m up against tonight. Butterflies bat their wings on my
insides as I feel true terror build.

I don’t have to go. Do I have to be there?

The door opens on the elevator and I pick up
my dress and run outside, yelling, “Mark, I don’t want to go! Let’s go get
dinner instead!” But I see Mark standing by a waiting cab, smiling, looking so
handsome in his coat and suit, the door held open for me. I look to see the
driver standing outside his door, and there is my friendly cabbie!

As I step toward them, I whisper, “There’s
no way.”
 

“This nice man says he’s been here before
– says he knows you.”

“Hello again!” my cabbie friend calls out,
waving wide.

I touch Mark’s arm, say, “He does. He knows
me,” then walk around the car and take my cabbie’s hands. “What is your name?”

He smiles, tooth still missing. “Randy.”

I give him a warm hug. “I’m Nicole.”
Turning, I say, “And this is Mark.”

“Her boyfriend,” Mark proudly announces.

“My boyfriend,” I repeat, looking at him
with a warm feeling taking over my heart, my fear forgotten. My momma
is
watching over me. I know it now.
Walking back around to where Mark holds the door open, I climb in as Randy says
over the hood, “Nice meeting you, Mr. Mark.”

As soon as we start moving, Randy asks where
we’re going. Mark puts his arm around my shoulders and I adjust my dress and
snuggle into his chest. “We’re going to JF Gallery in Greenwich. Know it?”

Randy nods and smiles through the rearview.
“Yes! Is there a party?”

I sit upright, fast. “Oh my God! Randy! You
have to come. It’s not just a party – it’s my first showing in an actual
gallery. Remember all the art supplies you helped me carry up?”

Randy grins like a proud papa. “You did it.”

I laugh and snuggle back into Mark. “I did!
I did it.” Mark kisses the top of my head. “Randy was here in the beginning. A
lot has changed in a very short period of time.”

“Nice to have a witness.” Mark says, lightly
caressing my shoulder with his thumb. I look up at him and nod. He kisses the
tip of my nose.

I hope I’m not dreaming.

Eleven Minutes Later

Holding out his hand like a gentleman, Mark
helps me out of the cab. “Thank you, handsome,” I smile, rising up to stand
beside him on the sidewalk. I can’t take my eyes off the gallery. It’s lit up,
and it’s amazing.

Randy’s standing by his door, hands on the
hood. “Look at that!” he says with awe.

“You sure you can’t come in?”

He shrugs, smiling. “Have to work. But I’m
proud of you.” The way he’s smiling of me makes me warm inside. My own father
didn’t even respond to my invitation for tonight. Having Randy here, looking at
me like a proud papa – it will have to do. He waves at Mark. “And nice
meeting you, Mr. Mark.”

Mark waves. “It’s really nice to meet you,
too, Randy. Thanks for looking out for my girl.” I give him a light smack on
the chest and he laughs.

“You’re really enjoying calling me that.”

“You bet your sweet ass I am.”

I laugh and tap the top of the cab as Randy
dips back inside, humming. “Bye Randy!” He honks the horn. As he drives off, we
walk into the doors like a chapter is beginning. Jack strides over like he owns
the place. ;) I introduce the two men and they shake hands and talk about San
Francisco for a minute or two.

“You look lovely,” Jack says. “Ready to take
a look at what you’ve done?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I sigh. Mark stays
behind as we walk around, giving us space to talk business. He stops to stare
at each painting and looks perfectly at ease in the space.

Jack had asked me to come early to make sure
I was happy with everything before the people arrived. As if I could be
unhappy! “They look so great, Jack. There’s a lot more than I remember,” I
stand back to see the layout better. He has the paintings staggered with some
on top of each other, three high on the two largest walls, and others showcased
by themselves. It’s not overly controlled or conservative, which is perfect. The
first piece I did after the breakthrough, sits on a wall of its own, on a
partition constructed in the center of the room. I throw a knowing look to Mark
who catches what I’m thinking, and winks back at me.

Jacks attitude tonight is gentle. “What do
you think?”

I throw up an eyebrow. “What’s with the
softer side of Jack?”

He looks surprised but recovers quickly. “I
was being nice because I thought you’d be nervous.”

“Well, quit it. You’re creeping me out.”

He lets out a hearty laugh. “I couldn’t have
kept it up for long anyway.”

“We’re going to go get a drink until people
arrive. Want to join us?”

He narrows his eyes and motions to the bar
that’s set up by the back partition wall, the one that blocks the alley
entrance. “Something wrong with our sponsor?” A handsome bartender waits
patiently, looking at me. On the table behind him are bottles of Chopin Vodka
next to white and red wine bottles bearing labels too far away to read.

I sneak a peek to Mark who’s staring at a
painting near the door. “Sorry, but I want whiskey.”

“Go go go. Be a fashionably late cliché
– see if I care. I’ll stay here and play host.” He rolls his eyes,
pretending to be very put out.

“Poor Jack. Poor, poor Jack.” I call to
Mark, “Mark! Let’s get drunk!”

Mark grins and goes to open the front door.
“Want to call your friends?”

“I love that idea!” to Jack I call back,
“See you in a bit, you big baby.”

Jack calls out, dryly, “I love you, too, Ms.
Henry. Now go. I don’t want to look at your smug face anymore.”

I pause, halfway out the door. “Jack, have
you been looking at a mirror again?”

He holds up a fist and fake-growls at me,
turning on his heel to say to the bartender in a loud voice, “What are you
waiting for? Pour me a drink!”

At The Dove
Parlour Lounge

 
I
wave at Jessica and Chris as they walk in. Mark and I each have a glass of
whiskey in front of us, only mine is empty already.

Jessica exclaims as she strolls up, “I love
this place! Why have I never been here?” waving one of her hands around the
room, her other hand held by Chris. They’re both dressed to the nines as well,
and her heels click-click-click on the dark hardwood floor. The walls she’s
motioning to are covered in a deep red wallpaper, patterned and almost fabric.
The wall sconces throw a golden glow on the sleek leather loveseats and chairs.
Mark stands and shakes Chris’s hand, the air between them so much lighter this
time. Jess sits across from me as Chris asks what we all want to drink.

I look at Mark, batting my eyelashes. “Can I
have another Jameson now?”

Jessica’s jaw drops. “You’re drinking
Jameson?”

“I’m nervous.”

“And you’re asking for permission.”

I grin, roll my eyes... “Well, Mark’s made a
very good point.”

Mark leans forward and says
conspiratorially, “She’s pretending she’s not nervous. If I let her, she’d
drink the whole bottle.”

Jess laughs, leaning back in her chair and
looking up at her boyfriend. “Vodka, rocks, please, baby.”

“Two limes,” he adds knowingly, bending to
kiss her lips.

She smiles into the kiss and I look to Mark
to see if seeing this bothers him. From the look on his face, he couldn’t give
two shits. Relief spreads through my blood, cooling it. This is still a little
weird for me. I’m glad they’re cool with it, but up until last night, I thought
I was going to lose one or both of them. Not easy for me to bounce back from
things like that.

Chris looks at us. “How about it?”

A text comes in from Amber saying they’re
pulling up in about two minutes. I read it as Mark leans back in his chair, his
arm around my waist. “Two Jamesons. Thanks, Chris.”

“Two ice cubes each,” I add, holding up two
fingers like a peace sign. Which is kind of appropriate.

He walks off with an easy-going stride,
checking his phone as people so often do. Jessica watches him and turns around.
Her face says exactly what she’s thinking and it is naughty. I snicker and she
says, innocently, “What?”

My eyes go wide, remembering I haven’t
talked to Amber about what’s happened. “Does Amber know you called Mark?”

Jessica crosses her legs and shrugs. “No,
but she’s about to find out. She hasn’t returned my calls. I’m a little pissed
at her. Don’t look at me like that! She’s being very unforgiving.”

“I’ve got an idea,” I say, looking from Mark
to Jessica with a wicked grin.

AMBER

Driving Up to The Dove Parlour

“We could circle the block a few times,”
Josh whispers in my ear, his hand up the hem of my dress. His fingers travel up
my thigh toward my lacey panties.

Wishing we could postpone this night, I lean
into his kisses. I don’t even care about the cab driver looking at us. A
disappointed moan falls from my parted lips. “That feels so good. But Nicole
needs me. She hasn’t talked to Jess…”

He groans against my skin. “Come on. What if
I sucked on your earlobe? Would that change your mind?” He knows it would. I
can never say no when my earlobes are licked, bitten, or sucked on. It’s my
Kryptonite. I couldn’t be held accountable for my actions if he did that.

Reluctantly – oh so reluctantly
– I push him off me. “I wish we could.” Pushing my dress down, he leans
back, adjusting the bulge in his pants as we stop in front of the bar. I lock
eyes with our taxi driver in his rearview mirror and say loudly. “Sorry to
disappoint you, but we’re not going to fuck.”

“Amber!” Josh laughs. “God, you surprise me
all the time now.”

I throw him a smile. “I’m loosening up. What
can I say?”

“I like it. Hold on.”

He pays the driver and jumps out of his side
of the car to run over and open my door. He hasn’t always done that. We’ve come
a long way since I stopped playing the man and the mom, in this relationship.
Josh’s mouth twists into a sexy smirk as he holds out his hand, his dark brown
hair falling over his forehead. I slide my hand onto his and glide up out of
the car. He shuts the door with an artistic flourish. “Such a performer,” I smile.

“You know it,” he says with a grin, bending
his arm at the elbow. I rest my hand there and we head down the stairs. “This
place looks cool.” He looks at me and frowns. “What’s with the long face,
gorgeous?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight.
Mark’s coming.”

“I know. You’ve told me a thousand times.”

I sigh. “Yeah, but you know why.”

“Because you
hate
not being in control?”

I shoot him a playful warning look as we
walk inside. He smiles, but behind his eyes is the concern we’re both feeling.
He’s like a brother to my girlfriends now. What if Jessica and Nicole don’t
work things out? Plus, Jess and I had the biggest fight we’ve ever had. An
uneasiness tingles in my chest as we search the room, scanning the crowd.

I gasp. My hand tightens on Josh’s arm.

Josh looks at me, worried. “What?” Stunned,
I jerk my chin in the direction of the couch in the corner of the dark room.
Josh follows my horrified stare and gasps, too. Nicole and Jessica sit on
either side of Mark, both leaning into him as lovers, with Nicole nibbling on
his ear and his arms around them both. Jess reaches up and touches his chest as
she whispers into his ear! Mark is smiling like the evil kid who stole
everybody’s cake. Three drinks are on the table, not four.

“Whoa,” Josh whispers before he remembers to
paste a polite smile on his face.

“Where’s Chris? What the hell is this? This
is the solution they came up with?”

“I don’t know. I already looked. He isn’t
here.”

“Oh my God. What are we walking into?”

“Smile, Amber.”

“I can’t.”

Mark sees us and lifts one hand in a casual
wave. Jess turns her head, her hand fluttering to Mark’s chin. Her eyebrows go
up. “Oh! Hi Amber.”

“Hey.”

“You were right. I was being silly.”

Nicole slowly unlatches her teeth from
Mark’s earlobe. She smiles like a cat covered in milk. “Isn’t this great? We
worked everything out.” My stomach lurches. I want to vomit. Josh’s eyebrows
get lodged on the planet Jupiter. He’s nodding like he doesn’t know what else
to do.

The three lovebirds are staring at me and I
can’t take it. “Please tell me you’re fucking with me right now.”

They all look hurt. “No.” “Why?” “What’s
wrong with this?”

I stamp one foot on the floor and yelp, “No!
No! No!”

Jess and Nico blow up in laughter, and Mark
grins, his shoulders shaking as he lets go of Jess. She stands up and points at
me. “You should see your face!!” I look to my right to see Chris walking out
from a curtain, chuckling and looking from me to Josh with an apologetic smile.

My heart is pounding. “I hate you all.”

Jess’s hand flies out to me and I grab it.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been an asshole.”

The shock must be doing something with my
emotions because I start to cry. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you what
to do.”