Chapter Five

 

Natalie thought she had seen him. So when she stepped out of the store and her suspicions were confirmed she hadn’t been that surprised.

She didn’t run. Quite the opposite in fact, she took long and determined strides toward Nikko’s car, not taking her eyes off of him for a second. The night he’d offered his helping hand and a quarter in her time of need, she was certain would be the last she’d see of him. Her rudeness had almost certainly guaranteed that. Or so she thought.

Later that same night she’d gotten the feeling that she was being watched. Call it a sixth sense or a woman’s intuition. Whatever it was, it had prompted her to turned off her lights to grab a peek. Looking out into the darkness she saw nothing though and eventually wrote it off to her overactive imagination.

Then yesterday she was sure she’d seen him when she’d gone to the bank, and then again later when she took her dry cleaning in.

Seeing him there in the parking lot of the supermarket no longer seemed like a coincidence.

She’d never been one to be too egocentric, but even she had to acknowledge the probability that these instances were anything but chance.

Knocking on his window she waited for him to roll it down. He looked surprised, and oddly uncomfortable compared to the helpful demeanor he’d displayed two nights earlier.

“Hi.”

“Hi, Nikko right?”

“Yes. You’re the woman from the gas station.”

She didn’t answer right away, her eyes had betrayed her and snuck a peek at those jeans she’d admired from a distance before, offering her a surprising peek into what was hidden beneath the zipper.

“Huh?” she stumbled for a moment, trying to ignore her body’s reaction. “Oh yeah. I’m Natalie. Natalie Renquist.”

“Well,” he held his hand out the window. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie.”

“Thanks, you too. It’s Nikko, right?”

“Yeah. Nikko Farkas”

They both looked at one another. An awkward silence looming over them while she stood outside her car, trying to remember what it was she’d planned on saying to him before she’d seen the outline of his cock pressing against his jeans.

Say something, Natalie.

The sounds of passersby and the occasional horn in the distance was all that could be heard.

Seriously, Natalie, say something. Say anything.

Nikko drummed his fingers along the steering wheel while they both continued with their standoff in silence.

Oh for fucks sake, Natalie! Nothing you say could be worse than this awkward ass silence. You literally crossed a parking lot to talk to this guy. So what if the site of his dick poking through his jeans made you wet. So what if you haven’t had sex in over a year. Get your shit together already. You look like a God damned idiot standing here.

“Rocky Road?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“The ice cream in your bag. Is it Rocky Road?”

“I like nuts.”

I like nuts? What the ever loving fuck was that?

He grinned. “Well, I like the marshmallows.”

She smiled, thankful for him not laughing at her and driving away. “I guess a single lady coming home with cat food and a tub of ice cream kind of takes the cliché to new levels.”

“Actually, I didn’t see the cat food.”

Well of course he didn’t, Natalie. But, you being the dumbass that you are you just had to point it out. Maybe next you could tell him how you spent last weekend binge watching movies on The Romance Channel while you curled up with your cat and a package of triple chocolate chip cookies.

“Oh. Well, I have a cat.”

Awesome! Great response, Natalie. You don’t sound like a lunatic at all. It’s no small wonder you’re still single.

“Nice.”

More. Awkard. Silence.

“Any chance you have an extra spoon?”

“Umm… I don’t know. I mean, I have a lot of spoons. Why do you…” she stopped herself from sounding even stupider than she probably already did, “oh, you mean to share?”

He shrugged. “I do like marshmallows.”

Don’t say you like nuts!

“I know I shouldn’t ask, I know you don’t know me. Maybe I should apologize for being so direct.” He said.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I’ve seen you the past couple of days. A lot.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know. Creepy. I’m sorry.”

“So, it’s not a coincidence?”

Shaking his head, he replied. “I wish I could say it was.”

“I own a gun, you know?”

He let out a chuckle and held up his hands. “Okay. I surrender.”

“Not yet you haven’t.” She spun around and began walking to her car.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” She turned back toward him.

“You’re just going to walk away? Just like that?”

“Pfft. Let’s not pretend like you’re not going to follow me home anyway.”