34 Minutes Ch. 06

"Courtney... say something."

Nicole had been waiting for her friend to react to her news for almost five minutes now. She had been in desperate need of a Girl's Night after dealing with all of the Tony/Justin drama. She picked up a few bottles of Cav Sav and pizza, turned on Lifetime and called her best friend Courtney over.

But around the fourth glass of wine, Courtney had asked if Nicole about their last conversation. "What even happened with the Justin thing? I hope you took my advice."

Nicole sighed. She really didn't want to remember that whole situation, much less talk about it. But who else could she talk about it with, if not her best friend? She broke it down in detail for Courtney... how amazing it had been, how perfect Justin had been, how much she wanted to do it again... and then she told her about everything that happened afterward.

Including the fact that she had ultimately decided to get back with Tony.

She watched Courtney take a long sip from her glass then set it down. "Nicole, you don't want me to say anything. Because it's not going to be nice."

"I know that. And I don't expect it to be. I just wanna hear an opinion from someone other than myself or Justin."

Courtney laughed. "Honestly, Nicole... you're being weak as fuck right now." She reached over and poured herself more wine. "I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't tell you that you're an idiot."

Nicole sighed and sat back. "Thanks... but I already feel that way. Am I so wrong for thinking I should give Tony as last chance before kicking him to the curb?"

"Yes, you actually are. And I know that cos I'm the bitch who has to sit there and listen to you whine and cry every time Tony kicks your ass to the curb for another chick. I just don't understand when you're going to realize he— "

"Is a piece of shit? I know."

"No, Nicole..." Courtney shook her head. "...that he doesn't love you."

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Courtney's words had been on her mind the rest of the night.

For the first time in a really long time, Tony actually came over without Nicole asking him to. He even brought dinner. And even brought a movie.

But as he stood in the kitchen preparing the food he had made, Nicole couldn't help but eye him suspiciously. Thanks to Courtney and Justin, Nicole no longer felt the way she had when she initially decided to stick it out with Tony.

That day she had reservations, but she made the decision to stick with him, so mentally, she had decided to put their past behind them, and approach the "New Tony" with a new outlook.

But as she watched him attempt to cater to her, all she could think about was the past. Every time he would touch his phone, she wondered who he was texting or what plans he was making for when she wasn't around.

"Do you have any plans this weekend, baby?"

The question caught her off guard. "No, nothing planned. Why?"

"Well, I forgot to tell you that I have to go out of town on business tomorrow." He kept his eyes down, on his phone, as he spoke to her.

Nicole sat up on the bar stool in front of him. "On what business Tony? You're a personal trainer... not a businessman." She wasn't hiding her skepticism well.

Tony looked up and made a face. "You know that I'm trying to be a team trainer... I going to meet with a contact in Miami... he works with the Dolphins? Like the NFL? team" He rolled his eyes and went back to preparing dinner.

"Okay, well when are you coming back?" She was almost falling over trying to see what he was doing, again, on his phone. When he looked up suddenly, she almost fell out of her chair trying to regain her composure.

This insecurity thing wasn't going to work.

"I'll be back before Monday..." He grinned widely. "... you remember what Monday is right?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Of course, old man. The second most important day of the year. I have reservations for everyone at Ocean Prime at 9, so make sure you're done with all of your 'business' before then." He rolled his eyes at her air quotes.

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Justin had spent the last couple of days avoiding Tony. Before this whole issue came about, he didn't really ever spend any time with Nicole, so avoiding her was no issue.

A part of him had been really disappointed when Nicole decided to stick it out with Tony. But the more reasonable part of him said "Good riddance."

He was a decent guy, and happily single. And the fact that someone... anyone was even trying to remotely imply that Tony McBride was a preferable choice over him was just fucking disrespectful.

And getting over Nicole's disrespectful ass was easier than he had anticipated. Thankfully, it had only been sex. He didn't have to worry about being reminded about her, or missing things about her. Besides her sex, Justin didn't miss a thing.

And sex was easily replaceable, right?

"You don't talk much do you?"

Justin smiled across the table at her replacement.

Kendall lived across the hall from him. She had been obviously and desperately trying to get Justin to pay attention to her since he moved his first box into his condo. She was coffee colored, with a gorgeous face, and light brown slanted eyes ... and had a perfectly shaped fake ass.

He was fairly sure she was a dancer. And fairly sure he didn't care. He had bumped into her checking his mail this morning, and impulsively invited her to join him for hookah at Divan, a Persian restaurant near his place.

"I talk." He took a puff of the mint flavored tobacco and grinned. "Are you the type to kiss on the first date?

She giggled and moved closer to him. "Maybe." Justin offered her the pipe and watched her take a long drag from it, then smiled at him. "It depends... what do you typically do on the first date?"

Justin sat back against the pillows behind him. "Depends." He smiled. "Have you ever done a shotgun on a first date?"

Kendall stopped puffing and looked over at him grinning. "That would be a first." She put the pipe to her lips and inhaled slowly. Justin stayed reclined on the sofa and beckoned her towards him. She came willingly and slowly brought her lips to meet his. They kissed for a brief moment before she parted her lips and slowly filled Justin's mouth with smoke. Before she pulled away, Justin grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her back in, sucking at her bottom lip and biting it before letting her go.

He sat back again and blew transfer smoke out of his mouth.

Nicole, who?

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Nicole was trying really hard to enjoy being in bed with Tony, again. It was the first time that they had been together since she had come back from the Dominican Republic.

He was doing all the same things as before. He was on top of her, kissing down her body. She watched his strong muscular frame make its way down to her thighs. He kissed them softly and gently eased them apart. But when he started to slide her panties over her hip, she grabbed her hand and stopped him.

"Tony, I can't."

He sat up. "Why?"

Nicole sat up on her elbows. "I just forgave you... I don't even know where you've been or who you've been with..."

"I told you that. I wrapped up with those hoes. What's the fucking issue?"

Nicole was still looking up at him trying to figure out how to answer. What was the fucking issue? She slowly backed away from him and got out of bed. She retreated into the bathroom, leaving him alone, still sitting up in bed. "Tony, I just feel like we need to go slow." She spoke the words out loud, staring at her reflection.

"Are you fucking with someone else?"

Nicole turned around quickly, caught off guard by the spot-on accuracy of his question. She kept her voice even and calm, as to not give away the stress she felt. "Why would you even ask me that?"

He was sitting on the edge of the bed now, watching her. "Because any other time, hate me or not, you know I can fuck you right... you've never been on this shit before. You always open right up for me."

Nicole rolled her eyes and turned back around, again meeting her reflection in the mirror. She had intentionally bought this delicate magenta Natori lingerie set and curled her hair because she knew tonight they would be together. The makeup she had done was even still perfect.

She was really afraid to admit to herself that the reason she couldn't be with Tony is that it didn't feel like—

"Answer my fucking question, Nicole."

She blinked slowly thinking about all of the emotions that were running through her mind. And the reasons and rationalizing that she had done earlier today with Courtney and Justin. This was what she wanted, right? The New Tony deserved effort from a New Nicole, right?

She took a deep breath and finally turned to face him. Nicole forced a playful smile across her lips. She walked slowly and deliberately towards Tony, switching her hips a little bit more than she normally would. Playing a part... hoping to convince him. And herself.

She moved his legs so that she stood between them and pushed him back down onto the bed. She crawled on top of him letting her hair sweep across his body. Nicole straddled him and arched her back, prompting him to run his hands up and down her sides. She bent down and kissed his neck. "Maybe I'm just not ready for you to run things."

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Justin had really wanted to fuck tonight.

He had so much aggression to get out. So much tension. And mostly, had a lot of Nicole to get out of his system, and he really thought he had found someone to get it out on.

A sexy someone, too. They had been making out all through dinner and Justin was more convinced that he was going to enjoy the hell out of getting over his disappointment.

But fast forward an hour later, and here he was, driving down Peachtree with a sloppy drunk stripper in his car. Loudly proclaiming everything she wanted to do to him when they got home.

And unfortunately, since Justin had morals and respect, he didn't fuck drunk girls. Especially not when he was significantly more sober. He looked over at Kendall who was smiling hard and bopping her head to the song on the radio. She caught him glancing over at her.

"Baby, I bet you can't wait until we get back to my place." She stretched herself across the center console and kissed his jaw. "We don't have to wait if you don't want..." Justin kept his eyes forward but felt her fingers maneuver at the zipper of his jeans.

He almost didn't want to stop her. But she was having more than a little bit of difficulty getting his pants open. He placed his hand over hers and slowly pushed it off of him, and urged her back into his seat. "That's okay, pretty. You can just save all that for the house."

She shrugged and went back to singing along to the song. He took a mental note not to ever agree to let his date order three double shots of Patron before the appetizer ever again.

He pulled into the parking deck and parked, then helped Kendall all the way up to her apartment. Justin was hoping she would find herself sobering up a little, but no. In her drunkenness, Justin had been offered and a received a "sneak peek" of her tramp stamp in the elevator. He was more than thankful when they got to her door.

"I think I'm probably going to call it a night—"

"Nice try, Justin." Before he even had a chance to fight it, Kendall pulled him into her condo. The lights we still off, but she didn't miss a step. She pinned him against the wall and immediately thrust her tongue into his mouth. He tried to fight it, but she was a damn good kisser, drunk or not. Justin kissed her back deeply, slipping his hands underneath her dress and grabbing her ass roughly.

He pressed his hands against her skin, pulling her dress up around her waist.

"No." She stopped his hands.

Justin was confused. "What?"

She giggled and slowly dropped to her knees in front of him. "Let me finish what I started in the car."

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"Babe, I'm going to miss you so much." Tony bent down and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Nicole smiled softly and tried to ignore the irony. They were standing in almost the same exact spot where Justin had picked her up a few weeks ago. She hugged him back, despite her irritation. "I hope you have a productive trip."

Tony smiled big. "I hope so too. And I cannot wait to get back." He bent down and kissed her cheek. "Maybe I can have another night like last night for my birthday?"

Nicole winced. "Yeah, sure babe." Despite her more than eager efforts last night, Tony had barely lasted through the foreplay. If he wanted another five-minute session for his birthday, that was on him. "If that's what you want."

He winked at her and kissed her quickly one more time before waving and heading into the airport. Nicole stood and watched him walk away until she couldn't see him anymore. She breathed a mini sigh of relief. Working on her relationship was tiring, and she was happy to have a break.

Before she even got back into her car, her phone was ringing. She checked the caller ID and saw it was her best friend. "Hey, Courtney."

"Is that idiot gone?'

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Be nice." Courtney didn't spend a second pretending that she liked her best friend's boyfriend. Or that she supported their reunion. "What's up?"

"Let's go out tonight. Your warden is gone, so we can actually go out and have some fun... let's go get drunk and maybe find a boy who is actually worthy of you."

She chose to ignore the dig. "I don't know. I haven't been out in forever."

"Exactly. Even more reason to go. I'm not even giving you an option. I'll be at your house by 9 for the pregame. Byyyeeee."

Nicole smiled as the call disconnected. She probably did need some time to relax and stop thinking about... who she didn't want to be thinking about.

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"So... can I see you again?"

Justin smiled down at Kendall. He stood in her doorway still. They had been saying goodbye for the last few minutes.

In the daylight, without the fake lashes and heavy eye makeup, Justin actually had to appreciate the fact that she was a pretty girl. Last night had been... ok. He stuck to his word and didn't fuck her. But he did let her dome him up. Which he felt guilty for, but she insisted. They had spent the rest of the night sleeping off their alcohol.

And Justin assumed that was probably why he was getting the look from her he was getting now. She was looking up at him with a sweet smile and pleading eyes. She probably wasn't the type of girl who guys normally took a pass on fucking.

"How about tonight?"

She smiled harder than she probably meant to. "When?"

"Just come knock on my door around 1 or 2—"

"Seriously?" She frowned. "That's booty call hours."

Justin grinned and leaned down and took her face in his hands kissing her softly. "I know." He smiled. "I owe you."