Chapter 6
Nikki
“You have ten point three seconds to tell me what in the hell is going on.” Alice dropped the bags onto the counter and stared me down.
“Nothing is going on.” I grabbed a case of beer and twisted around to open the fridge.
“Oh yeah, nothing is going on. Everyone has a motorcycle club tracking them down. Totally normal,” she scoffed.
“The club wasn’t looking for me, Karmen was. Nickel is her ol’ man.” I set the beer on the bottom shelf and reached for the other case.
“You know the words ol’ man just came out of your mouth, right? No one around here talks like that, Nikki. This is like a whole new side of you.”
I shook my head, grabbed the other case of beer, set it down, and slammed the fridge shut. “I don’t really think you know me that well, Alice. I’ve only been here one month.”
Her face fell, and she fidgeted with the handle of one of the plastic bags.
Shit. I didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh. “I mean, you know me, Alice, it’s just there are somethings I haven’t told you.”
She rolled her eyes and started pulling food out of the bags. “That much is obvious.”
I leaned against the counter and lowered my voice. “I honestly don’t know what is going on. Well, I get why Karmen and Nickel are here. I just don’t know why Pipe came with them.”
Alice ripped open a bag of red licorice and held it out to me. “I knew there was something going on with you two. No way a man stares at a woman the way he did you without something more between them.”
I grabbed a piece of licorice and glanced at the open door behind us. I fully expected Pipe to walk through it at any moment acting like things weren’t beyond weird between us. “He wasn’t staring at me.”
“Of course you would think that. You didn’t actually look at the man until we were outside. He couldn’t take his eyes off you when he walked in the bar.”
I wagged my piece of licorice at her and shook my head. “No, I don’t accept that.”
“What don’t you accept?” Karmen asked. She had the last case of beer in her hand and kicked the front door shut behind her. “Pipe was smoking. Nickel said he’ll hang out there until he’s done.” She dropped the beer on the counter in front of me and leaned against it. “That should give me enough time to ask you what the hell is going on between you and Pipe.”
“She doesn’t know either? I thought she was your best friend,” Alice squawked.
“Nikki has kept her lips zipped about Pipe since whatever it was that happened, happened.” Karmen crossed her arms over her chest. “You have two minutes to give us the condensed version.”
Karmen and Alice stared me down, and I had nowhere to run. Pipe was outside, and that was the last place I wanted to be. I sighed and slid the case of beer toward me. “It was nothing. Well, at least to Pipe it was nothing.”
“Did he say that?” Alice asked.
“No, but I know that’s how he feels.”
Karmen grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Nikki, you haven’t seen him the past month. He hasn’t been the same.”
I shook her off and grabbed the case of beer. “Well, you may say that, but you didn’t see what I did. I know Pipe is not interested in me for more than what he already got.”
“Did you see him at the club with a girl? They hang around the common room like flies. I’m sure what you saw was nothing more than them trying to move up from a hang around to something more.” Karmen had been around the club for a while now and knew more of the going ons than I did, but I know what I saw.
“It wasn’t in the common room.” I opened the fridge and managed to squeeze in the third case of beer. Alice wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t know what kind of beer to get.
“So where was it?”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” I mumbled into the open fridge. I relived that shitty night enough on my own. I didn’t need Karmen and Alice’s commentary on it.
“That’s fine. I’ll just go ask Pipe.”
Alice gasped, and I spun around. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Karmen shrugged and pulled a piece of licorice from the bag. “Try me.”
I tossed my hands up in the air. “Fine. We had sex. Great sex. The best I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Now we’re talking.” Alice pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and plopped down. “How did you go from the best sex of your life to he wants nothing to do with you?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Because it must have been only good for me because I went to his door a couple of weeks later and he was with another chick.” Jesus. Those words hurt coming out.
“Shut up. You’re kidding me. Why the hell wouldn’t he want you again?”
I laughed and dropped my arm to my side. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alice.”
“That can’t be right, Nikki.”
“I’m pretty sure she would know the difference between Pipe being with a chick or not.” Thank goodness for Alice. I didn’t want to tell Karmen about Pipe because she was dating his best friend and she might side with Pipe. Which is exactly what she was doing.
“I’m pretty sure she called him sugar plum, Karmen. So yeah, he was with another chick.”
She shook her head and waved her hand at me. “That’s not what I mean. I believe he was with another chick. He’s a dick.” Alice cackled, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank God you are back on Nikki’s side. I thought you had defaulted to the dick’s side.”
“He’s a dick, but I know h—”
“Baby girl,” Nickel called from the doorway.
Karmen and Alice had been so into finding out what had happened between Pipe and me, I had completely forgotten to keep watch for the guys coming back in.
Karmen spun around and crossed her arms over her chest. “Sup, dude?”
Jesus. Karmen was so great at acting casual.
“Dude?” Nickel laughed.
Alice snorted and clapped her hand over her mouth. “Ignore that,” she mumbled.
I shook my head. “That shit is not ignorable.”
“You guys done talking about Pipe, or should we stay outside longer?”
My face heated, and I knew my cheeks were bright red. How the hell did he know we were talking about Pipe? “We were just talking about which movie to watch,” I blurted.
Nickel gave me a knowing smile. “Sure.”
Son of a damn monkey's uncle.
“How did you know we were talking about Pipe?” Alice asked.
Karmen kicked the leg of Alice’s chair and shook her head. “Admit nothing,” she said through clenched teeth.
Nickel hitched his thumb toward the window. “It’s open, doll.”
Ugh. I had opened it before Alice had picked me up because it was supposed to be a cooler night and I was looking forward to sleeping without having the A/C blowing on me.
“How much did you guys hear?” Karmen asked.
“Enough to know Pipe is a fucking idiot.”
Hmm, well, it was nice to know Nickel thought what Pipe had done was dickish.
Karmen plastered a smile on her face and trotted over to Nickel. “You may enter, although I’m not sure Pipe is allowed to come in.”
Nickel wrapped his arms around Karmen’s waist and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Easy, tiger. It’s not any of our business.”
Karmen growled.
“It’s in the past, guys. Don’t make a big deal about it, okay?” It was bad enough everyone knew I was dumb enough to sleep with Pipe, I didn’t need to have Pipe know it still bothered me. I saw movement behind Nickel and knew Pipe was coming.
Nickel’s eyes connected with mine. “I don’t think he heard.”
Well, that was a bit of relief.
Alice jumped up from her chair and started ripping everything out of the bags.
Nickel moved to the side with Karmen in his arms, and Pipe walked into my duplex.
My duplex I thought was rather spacious, and one of the nicer places I had lived. That is, until Pipe stepped through the doorway and it felt like the room was closing in on me, and all of my things I had bought seemed dingy and shitty.
Hell, this man messed with my head.
“I’ll get the snacks ready if you want to get the movie going.” Alice threw me a look that screamed get it together. I must have looked like some pathetic puppy whose bone had gotten taken away.
“Uh, I’ll, well…” What the hell was going on? I was having a brain meltdown in the middle of my kitchen.
How did I get here?
Karmen wrapped up in Nickel’s arms, Pipe standing next to my couch from the local thrift shop, and Alice in a cow print onesie pulling every snack imaginable out of plastic bags.
“Nikki, movie, now,” Karmen prompted me.
My eyes darted to her, and I slightly shook my head.
I was lame with a capital L because I couldn’t remember where the movies were. Hell, I couldn’t remember my own name at the moment.
“I know, I’ll get the snacks, Karmen can get the movie from on top of the TV that I rented, and Nikki can run to the bathroom to freshen up.” Alice stood in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders. “I’ll help her to the bathroom.” She pushed me to the side, and I stumbled down the short hallway that lead to the bathroom and two bedrooms.
She reached around me, pushed open the bathroom, and pushed me in. “Get it together, woman. You have five minutes to walk out of this bathroom and act like that hunk of a gorgeous man has no effect on you.” She flipped on the light, stepped back, and slammed the door shut. “Get it together, Nikki,” she called.
I face-planted against the door and closed my eyes. That was way easier said than done.
How do you act like your world wasn’t changed after one kiss?
How do you ignore your feelings?
How do you ignore Pipe Marks?
I had all the questions, but none of the answers.
I was so screwed.
*
Pipe
“You sure you shouldn’t maybe go check on her?”
Karmen looked over her shoulder down the hallway. “I’m sure she’ll be out any minute. Just watch the movie,” she tsked at Nickel.
I kicked back in the recliner and took a sip of my beer. Alice had marched Nikki into the bathroom over ten minutes ago, and she had yet to surface.
“Maybe she decided to put her pajamas on. Lord knows I’m comfy as hell. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t wear their pajamas all of the time.” Alice was laid out on the floor with three pillows behind her back, and I couldn’t help but think she looked like roadkill on the floor. I had to wonder how many cows had given their lives in the name of her pajamas. Alice shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth and looked up at me. “Or, she’s waiting for you to leave.”
This was also a new development.
Alice hated me and had no qualms about not hiding it.
“But you invited us over to watch a movie, Alice. I don’t think it would be nice of me to leave.” And to think I had initially liked Alice.
“I’m sure Nikki will understand you having to leave. I’m sure you have something better you could be doing right now.” She snickered under her breath and shoved more popcorn into her mouth.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be right now,” I mumbled. Except I wouldn’t mind being in the bathroom with Nikki at this moment. Once I talked her into getting over whatever the hell was bugging her, I’d like to act out the fantasy I had with her in the shower.
“You wanna grab me another beer?” Nickel asked.
“Make Pipe get it,” Karmen muttered. Her eyes were trained on the TV, and she was eating licorice like it was going out of style. She was sprawled out on Nickel’s lap, and he was slowly rubbing her belly.
“I got it.” I kicked down the footrest on the recliner and strolled into the kitchen.
Nikki’s fridge was filled with every junk food imaginable, and the bottom was filled with beer. It was a bachelor’s dream.
“Looking for something?”
I froze mid-reach and looked over my shoulder.
Nikki was standing behind me, clothes changed, and her hair flowing down her shoulders.
She was fucking gorgeous.
“Uh, I was just getting a beer.”
She nodded and tugged on the hem of her shirt. “Okay.”
We both stood there, staring at each other, speechless.
“Beer,” Nickel called.
Nikki jumped and nodded at me. “I’ll just, uh, go.” She spun around, bumping into the table, and plopped into the chair I had been sitting in.
I grabbed two beers, popped the top on them, and handed one to Nickel.
“Thanks, brother.”
I sat down in the small space left on the couch next to Karmen and Nickel and felt like a fat man trying to sit in a crib. “You think you two could share the fucking couch?” I bitched.
Karmen scooted closer to Nickel giving me about three more inches. “Better?”
Not really, but I wasn’t about to get into it with a pregnant chick. “It’ll do, doll.” I could have laid on the floor by Alice, but I liked the fact I could watch Nikki without her knowing I was looking at her.
She had her legs tucked under her, and her eyes were trained on the TV. Her back was ramrod straight, and she looked tense as hell.
She never was like this with me before. All the times we had hung out before, she was carefree, saying and doing whatever she wanted. Don’t even get me started on the night I had finally fallen into bed with her. I’m pretty sure Nickel wouldn’t appreciate me sporting wood next to his woman.
My beer dangled from my fingertips, and while everyone else watched the movie, I was watching Nikki slowly relax into the chair. She leaned her head back, and a small smile played on her lips.
Alice had a running commentary about what was happening on the screen, and Nickel would tell her to put a sock in it every five minutes or so.
By the time the credits rolled, Karmen was fast asleep, my butt was numb, and I watched Nikki more than I did the movie.
“Should we watch another one?” Alice asked from the floor.
Nickel shook his head and slowly rolled Karmen off his arm. “I think I’m going to get sleeping beauty back to the hotel. First, I need to get feeling back to my arm though.” He raised his arm over his head and shook his hand.
Karmen grunted and curled into Nickel. “I’m not moving. You go back to the hotel.”
Nickel chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. “I think you’ll be more comfortable in bed, baby girl.”
“I’m not moving.”
“You said that already,” Alice laughed.
“We have a hotel room, Karmen,” Nickel insisted.
“Then go use it,” she mumbled. “Give me a blanket, and my pregnant ass isn’t moving until morning.”
Nickel looked at me for help, but I didn’t have a clue what to tell him. Could you really make a pregnant chick do anything she didn’t want to? “Carry her?” Chicks dug being carried, didn’t they?
“If you even try to move me from this couch, I’m naming our baby Beaufort and moving in with Nikki.” Karmen opened one eye and looked over at me. “Try it, ass.”
I held up my hands and shook my head. “I have no plans of touching you, darlin’. I’m more than okay with going back to the hotel by myself.”
“I’m sure you are,” she scowled. “No skanks in my bed, Pipe.”
What the hell was she talking about? I couldn’t remember the last time I had been with a chick. The only stranger who I had been within the past month was my left hand. Jacking off with your hand that wasn’t dominate mimicked the feel of someone else jerking you off. The things you learn on the ol’ interwebs. Plus, free porn. “How is it your bed if you ain’t sleeping in it?”
She closed her eye and smiled. “Because Nickel paid for that room, so both of those beds are mine as far as I’m concerned.”
“Then get your ass up and go lay in both of your beds.” Damn sassy tonight.
“No, you can have the bed. I’m staying here.”
I looked up at Nickel. “Your woman is damn looney, brother.”
“She’s Karmen.”
Karmen raised her head and leveled her gaze on Nickel. “I’m not sure what you mean by that answer. I’m torn between being offended and kissing you.”
“Kiss me and don’t think about it.”
“No, I think I’m going with offended.” She laid her head back down and pointed at the door. “You and Pipe can be bed buddies. I’m staying here with Nikki and Alice. We’re gonna have a slumber party and talk about boys.”
“Hell yes,” Alice shouted as she shot up from the floor. “Once these two leave, we can make a blanket cave on the couch, bring out more snacks, and watch more Vin.”
Karmen moved her hand to point at Alice. “What she said. Although, we’re also going to talk about your somewhat unhealthy obsession with Vin. You do know he’s real, but not real, right?”
Alice tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think I like the way you are talking right now. Next, you are going to tell me book boyfriends aren’t real. And if that’s the truth, I don’t think I want to live in that world.”
Nickel scooted away from Karmen and moved to the door. “I don’t know what the hell is going on right now. I’m going to the hotel. You coming with me or not, woman?”
“No. Take Pipe. You two can snuggle. Come back over in the morning for breakfast. Actually, make it brunch. I need my sleep.”
“Don’t you think maybe you should run this impromptu sleepover by Nikki before you plan it?”
“She can stay,” Nikki piped up. “I really don’t mind.”
Nickel growled but knew he was outnumbered and there was no way he was going to be able to talk Karmen into going back to the hotel with him. It was three against one, and I had no plans on joining Nickel’s side because I didn’t want these three against me.
“I’m not leaving you with the car.”
Karmen laughed and sat up.
I stood up and grabbed my empty can from the side table.
“I just pictured you on the back of Pipe’s bike.” Karmen cackled and howled, hitting the couch.
Nickel tossed his arms up in the air. “I’m done with you tonight,” he growled. “I love you, baby girl, but I think Pipe might be right about you being a little looney.”
Karmen tossed one of the throw pillows at Nickel’s retreating back before he ducked out the front door.
“I love you too, ass,” she called.
“I know you love my ass, baby girl.” The door slammed shut behind him, and Karmen turned her glare on me.
“Behave.”
Whatever the hell that meant. What did she think Nickel and I were going to do? The only plan I had was to grab one of the cases of beer from the fridge, toss it in Nickel’s car before he left, then drink back at the hotel. “That’s all I do, darlin’.”
Karmen rolled her eyes and tossed the other throw pillow at me. “You don’t even know the definition of behaving.”
“Pfft, now that’s the truth,” Nikki mumbled.
She had barely said a word during the movie, and now the first thing she says is she agrees I don’t know how to behave.
I grabbed a case of beer from the fridge, gave a two-finger salute to the ladies, and made my way out the door. No matter what I tried to do tonight, I knew it wasn’t going to be enough.
“Make sure you lock the door,” Nickel called before I slammed it shut.
I handed him the beer and pulled a cigarette from my pocket. “I’m not sure what the hell that was, but I know me leaving was the best decision.”
Nickel tossed the beer on the passenger seat and slipped into the driver’s seat. “Damn woman. It’s a good thing I love her sass and she’s carrying my kid.”
“Pretty sure you love everything about her, brother. Otherwise you wouldn’t put up with any of that shit.”
“Now that’s the truth,” Nickel mumbled. “I’m gonna head to the hotel. You coming back right away?”
I lit the end of my cigarette and inhaled deeply. “I’ll be right behind you,” I exhaled.
Nickel cranked up the car, backed out of the driveway, and headed down the road.
I leaned against my bike, looking up at Nikki’s duplex.
It was pretty nice.
Nicer than any place I had lived before.
Hell, more than half of my life I had lived in one of the rooms at the club.
I spotted a “for rent” sign on the other half of the duplex, and an idea formed in my head faster than I could finish my cigarette.
I still had no idea what the hell was going on with Nikki and me, but I was damn determined to figure it out.
Tomorrow was going to be the first day of my harebrained scheme and it was hopefully going to settle whatever the hell was going on with us.
At least, that was what I hoped was going to happen.
*