Fighting and Loving Ch. 04

It's a new year and I guess I should have put this out a while ago. No excuses, I'm just a really good at procrastination. But, Nic and Des have been begging me to finish their story, so I guess I'll have to get my ass in gear!! Hope you continue reading. ~J

*

"Nic, can you update us on the modifications to the TCR-3130 boards and where we stand on estimated test dates? ...Nic? ...Ms. Desmond?!"

"Yes! I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked Nic, snapping back to attention as Mr. Waters, her boss's boss in the marketing department, called out her name.

"The new boards, where do we stand on their development?"

"Uh, yes," said Nic, shuffling through some papers in front of her. "The engineers have returned the modified specs on the board and sent them to the design team. It looks as though they will match up to what the manufacturers expected. We should have a test version out in as little as three months. We'll need to start finding respondents in our target market to run this initial version and discover any bugs that we haven't caught by next month. And as far as my records and the accounting department go, we are right on budget with everything progressing more or less on schedule."

"Thank you Nic. And, in future, if you could pay a little more attention during these meetings. I know I'm boring, but something important might come up," remarked Mr. Waters, smiling slightly to soften the brunt of his words. The other managers at the conference table chuckled lightly as Nic ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Yes sir, sorry." Nic doubled her efforts to pay attention and not let her mind wander during the remainder of the meeting. It was a difficult task, but somehow she managed to stay focused and not inspire any further lectures. As Mr. Waters brought the meeting to a close, Nic quickly gathered her papers and practically ran back to her office, hoping for a moment without interruption.

It had been a long, sleepless night, and the day wasn't getting any better. As soon as she had stepped foot into work, she had been bombarded with problems she had to fix and questions she had to answer. This was not so unusual for her job, but Nic's mind was definitely not on office matters. Her first date with Des was all Nic could think about. A million questions ran through her brain, as well as numerous scenes detailing how the night could play out. It was driving her past distraction and into insanity, a fact that was hard to hide from the other people in her office.

Just as Nic had laid her head down on her desk, reveling in a peaceful minute alone, her door burst open. Without raising her head, Nic knew who had walked in by the enticing smell of CK One cologne. She waited for him to make some kind of smart-ass comment about what had occurred in the conference room. Long moments passed before Nic could no longer take the anticipation and leaned back to glare at the man lounging in the chair across from her desk.

Eric Tennyson was, hands down, one of the most handsome men Nic had ever met or seen. His longish blond hair ranged from the color of wheat to a light russet, and never seemed to be un-styled, even when it wasn't meticulously combed from his high forehead. His cerulean eyes reminded Nic of the waters in the Caribbean, bold and boundless as they surveyed his surroundings. With chiseled features that managed to be masculine without giving way to severity, many would imagine he was the direct offspring of an angel. To top all of this, his lean form, encased in only the finest of suits, was casually muscular and carried a perpetual tan which made Nic wonder if the sun followed him around like a love-sick puppy.

As Nic's eyes met those of the man across her desk, a smile began to appear across his well-formed features. His full lips pulled back to reveal straight, incredibly white, teeth and a dimple in his right cheek. Nic leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, waiting for what she knew was sure to come next.

Without fail, a slight tremor began in Eric's body as one hand came up to cover his mouth. While this was an effective barrier to his smile, it did nothing to hold back the rising sound of mirth which was quickly filling the office. Nic rolled her eyes as Eric stopped trying to control his laughter and let the deep, rumbling sound pour from him unrestrained. He relaxed into the chair and laughed until tears began to spill over and his hands clutched at his stomach, while Nic fumed and shook her head.

"Shut up, Eric." Nic's voice could barely be heard over Eric's continued guffaws. His amusement was so loud people passing by Nic's office peered into her windows with unreserved curiosity.

"I'm serious Eric, if you don't shut up, I will take out all of my frustrations from the past few days on your narrow, overly-coiffed, stuck up ass." Although Nic said this with a smile, there was no mistaking the dangerous tone to her voice. Hearing this Eric quickly tried to sober up, looking almost remorseful at his outburst. However, the lull in his enjoyment was short-lived as he gathered breath to utter a single sentence.

"I wish my boyfriend was dominating enough to say that," Eric gasped before breaking into laughter again; this time almost falling out of his chair in his glee.

"That's it!" Nic scanned her desk and picked up the seven-pound paper weight from its surface, reasoning that no one could possibly blame her for assaulting Eric when he was being so damned annoying.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Eric pleaded, holding up his hands in surrender. He fought to regain his composure as he straightened up in his seat and pulled himself together. Nic reluctantly replaced the paperweight before letting her head fall once more to the cool surface of her desk.

"I've known you for about one year now," mused Eric, as he regarded the amusing picture Nic made. "In all of that time, I have never seen you frustrated, bewildered, or completely distracted by anything. The only time you ever gave a hint of being overly-stressed was during the Bione chip manufacturing disaster back in February. We stood to lose about $15 million on that deal and you didn't even break a sweat. But today, when old man Waters tried to get your attention...and the look on your face. It was classic. I wish I'd had a camera to capture that once in a lifetime moment of complete surprise. Anyway, your conduct today leads me to one conclusion, and I have a question to ask... What's his name?"

Nic mumbled unintelligibly into her desk, refusing to raise her head from its surface. When Eric repeated the question, leaning forward to catch her answer, Nic gave up the pretense of shutting him out and prepared to once again lay the drama of her life on the table. If it had been anyone else in the office she could have lied and steered the conversation to work or some other distraction. But, Eric knew her too well.

Nic had met Eric on her very first day. He was basically her counterpoint in the sales department, meaning that they worked closely nearly every minute of every day. When Nic had been promoted to her current management position, she knew it would be essential to get along with the sales department division manager if they were to be successful. She couldn't have possibly predicted how well they would get along in the ensuing months from their first meeting.

Upon first being introduced, Nic had been struck by Eric's looks, like every other female. But, instead of fawning over him like a blithering idiot, something nearly every woman who met him couldn't seem to resist doing; she shook his hand candidly and hoped he had brains to match his handsome appearance. Taken aback by Nic's obvious disinterest in trying to work her way into his bed, even before he had told her that he was gay and in a very happy, long-term relationship, Eric had liked her direct and honest attitude, as well as her complete ignorance of what a good person she was. He had become completely enamored of the way see humorously put herself down while still having great self-confidence, stood up for what she believed in, and cared unreservedly for her friends.

Nic had garnered the enmity of most of the female staff, and a few of the males, in her building for their incredibly tight relations, but had gained a true, if not sometimes annoying, friend in Eric Tennyson. Few understood how the friendship worked, seeing that they were like night and day, unlike Lila and Nic who seemed to be long lost twin sisters. Where Nic was usually serious, nearly morose, in her outlook, Eric was constantly upbeat. Getting a smile from Nic was like pulling teeth, but speaking more than two words to Eric would likely result in the glaring brightness that was Eric's customary grin. And yet, in spite of their differing attitudes, they managed to remain close with little effort and almost no disagreements. This was the only reason Nic felt at all comfortable in revealing the cause behind her lack of attention today.

Trying not to go into too much detail, Nic explained the basic situation to Eric who, to her surprise, listened without comment or emotional outburst. After she had finished bringing him up to speed on the date tonight, Eric simply nodded his head in understanding and sat in quiet contemplation. Nic cocked an eyebrow in confusion and tried her damnedest to stem the growing tide of apprehension she felt building at Eric's continued silence.

"So," said Eric, finally coming out of his reverie. "...what you're telling me is that there is a good possibility that you could get laid."

Nic stared at Eric in shock before slowly shaking her head and covering her face in her hands. How is it possible that this is all my friends can think about? Isn't it supposed to be a good thing to not sleep around and instead concentrate on building a nice life? Nic exhaled wearily as her mind tried to make sense of everything.

"Have you not heard what I just said over the last five minutes?" asked Nic as she pushed away from her desk and began pacing in the space between the chair and the window that was the back wall of her office. Her muscular legs ate up the small space in five steps, the black patent leather pumps she wore making muted thumping noises in the carpet.

"I have a date in less than six hours with a man that I have no idea how to deal with. And did I forget to mention that he is also the most irritating, frustrating, and annoyingly arrogant man that I have ever met. I don't think it's ever occurred to him that he may be anything other than correct, every minute, of every day. And yet, with all of these things going against him, he still has the completely illogical ability to make me feel like I'm the ninth grade reject getting attention from the all-star, senior quarterback!"

As Nic continued in her tirade, her anxiousness steadily increased, pushing her to walk and talk faster. She was building up to what looked to be an incredibly deadly explosion, and Eric began to wonder if he should take cover. He had never seen Nic so out of it before and while half of him was ecstatic that she was finally showing some form of human weakness, the other half wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. But, knowing Nic, well-meant compassion would hardly help matters. What she would want would be sensible opinions, that could aid in the formation of a plan of attack. So, Eric settled back and tried to think of what to say when she finally ran out of steam.

"This whole situation makes absolutely no sense. There is no good reason for Des to feel such a strong attraction to me... Unless he's just one of those men 'experimenting' outside of his race. That's probably what it is, he's probably just curious. And once he's slept with me, he'll toss me aside and move on to something more his speed. Maybe I should just call the whole thing off. I could just tell him I've changed my mind and decided that...that I...that he..." Nic groaned loudly in frustration, unable to make her brain manufacture a reasonable excuse. Yet another sign of the toll Des was taking on her life.

Ceasing her frantic back-and-forth pace, Nic stood in the middle of her office and inhaled deeply, trying to come down from yet another intense outburst. How many can I possibly have in one week? She had never been one to give over to hysterics, and she'd be damned if she'd start now. She had complete control over her life, if not her emotions, and just needed to find the handle to this situation in order to manipulate a positive outcome.

Unfortunately, Nic had no idea what she wanted from Des. Half of her was screaming to just let go and give in to what was definitely feeling like an exciting roller coaster ride. It was the first time she had ever gone at such a frightening speed, in directions that she couldn't predict; and the pure excitement that rose in Nic, when just thinking about Des, was a heady and captivating sensation that was hard to resist. Still, there was that logical half of her, which insisted Nic examine the realities of what was happening. Her common sense would formulate questions that led to more questions, a never-ending flow of "why" which begged her to get off of this crazy ride before she was hurt.

Opening her eyes, Nic gazed at Eric with a look of barely concealed desperation. "I don't know what to do," she whispered. Eric knew the look on her face well. Whenever Nic couldn't find a way out of a bad situation, she was prone to drop the problem and walk away. It was what made her such a good manager; she had no qualms about getting out when the getting was good. This usually resulted in saving money on projects that could potentially end up as a disaster. But, when it came to her own life, her instincts were distinctly skewed. Nic only took risks when she felt good about the outcome. Which was fine as far as her career was concerned, but was hell on her personal life.

In other words, when the going got tough, Nic usually got going, right out of all three of her past relationships. She'd been unsure about her future with those men and unwilling to explore the possibilities of circumstances without seeing the benefit. What was the point of having a significant other if you couldn't guarantee that the companionship would last? It just didn't make sense. And now she was confronted with much the same dilemma.

Turning her back on her friend, Nic gazed out of her window, trying to find an answer in the searing blue sky and scorching white sun. When Eric came up behind her and wrapped her in an embrace, she did something completely out of character and allowed herself to lean on someone else. After several moments of silence, Nic had to admit it was rather nice being able to discuss her issues with another person; a luxury she rarely allowed herself.

Eric smiled to himself gently as he felt Nic's body relax into his arms. It was normal for her to never really allow anyone to touch her. No holding hands or a casual arm thrown about the shoulders. She hardly let anyone hug or kiss her unless they were particularly close family. No, a firm handshake was all you should expect from one Nicole Desmond. But, once in a while, she'd let her guard down and one of her friends would have the odd pleasure of being able to get close enough to feel the warmth she insisted was nonexistent. She made herself out to be an ice queen, but Lila and Eric knew better.

"You should go through with this," Eric spoke softly, his breath ruffling the hair on top of Nic's head. "You won't lose anything in going out with the guy once. And who knows, you might actually have a good time, which you need."

"Humph," Nic snorted softly, causing Eric to laugh at her lack of agreement with that last statement.

"Besides," Eric continued as he gave Nic a soft squeeze before turning her to face him. "You deserve this. You won't admit that something might be missing in your life, but I know you want to be more than just content. I know you want to be happy, and this could be your chance. Am I right?"

Eric placed his fingers under Nic's chin and forced her gaze upward. She refused to look into his eyes, instead shifting her line of sight to the side and pouting her lips, a sure sign that she was going to stubbornly resist admitting to something she knew was true. Eric smiled at her obstinacy, finding her ability to be both intelligent and completely immature yet another factor he couldn't help but love about her character.

"And, if he breaks your heart, Chris and I will send the gay mafia in to bust his kneecaps." Eric knew that would catch her attention. She glanced up into his face, smirking at his last comment.

"So the gay mafia really exists?" Nic questioned, a skeptical tone in her voice.

"Oh yeah, they're real alright. And they'll ruin your life. They'll make you sleep with the fishes in the worst polyester suit they can find; not only causing you great pain, but also eternal embarrassment." Eric and Nic looked at each other for exactly three seconds before they both burst into laughter.

"You're out of your mind!" Nic exclaimed as she tried to catch her breath. "But, you wouldn't be my friend if you were sane. And I have to say my life would be far less interesting without my 'fairy godfathers' in it... I'll think about what you said, but I'm not making any promises."

"No, you never do. Anyway I have to get back to the office. By now some kind of emergency must have popped up that I need to fix," Eric said, glancing at his watch. He ruffled Nic's hair quickly, well aware that she hated when he did so, and made his way to her door.

Opening the portal onto the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, he turned back to find Nic still standing in the middle of her office, looking less desperate but still unsure. He was almost certain that she would go through with the date, or at least he hoped she would.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Chris wanted me to remind you about dinner this Thursday. He's trying out a new recipe and needs another victim. You're still coming right?" Eric watched Nic smile and nod slightly to herself, the last of the confusion fading from her face as she returned to her executive chair and settled behind her desk.

"I'll be there," Nic replied as she brought her computer out of hibernation. "And don't think you're going to get any of the details of a possible date out of me. I don't kiss and tell."

"Yeah right," said Eric, smiling widely. He was now certain that she'd made the decision to go out with Des, or she wouldn't have even mentioned its possibility. "Like you could ever keep anything from me."

Nic opened her mouth to respond, but Eric quickly pulled her door closed, ensuring that he got the last word. She shook her head at his juvenile tactic, but felt better for having talked with him. Somehow, for all his joking ways, Eric always knew what she needed to hear.

Bringing her attention back to her work, Nic pushed the coming night to the back of her mind. She had made her decision and would stand by it, come hell or high water. She just hoped she wasn't doing something she would come to regret.

**********

At 7:55 that evening, Nic glanced at herself in the mirror for the final time. She ran a hand through her curls, giving them a bit of order and then shrugged her shoulders at the final picture she made. It's not going to get any better than this; she thought to herself as she turned away from her reflection and made her way to the first floor.

Des had not specified the dress code for this "date", whether casual or dressy, so Nic had opted for somewhere in between. A pair of black slacks encased her legs, just tight enough to give anyone who looked the exact contours of her ass when she moved. Peeking out from beneath the hem of the pants were the toes of the 3" heels she had, for several reasons, decided upon.