Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

With a look of disgust, she starts the meeting, and I follow her lead. We talk about our schedules for the week, an upcoming workshop Eric and Emma, Nikki’s assistant, will be attending tomorrow, and lastly, my long-awaited trip to Hawaii for my cousin’s wedding.

When the meeting finishes, I find myself alone with Nikki, giving us a few minutes to catch up before we’re inundated with work for the rest of the day.

“So, I’m guessing your anniversary didn’t have a happy ending?”

“Honestly, Charlie, you know I love Roc

ky, but there’s seriously nothing more unattractive than seeing your husband covered in vomit, bent over the toilet bowl crying while calling his mom and asking her to come over.”

“He called his mom?” I question, trying to hold back my laughter.

“Yes, and she arrived exactly an hour later with what could only be described as the entire drugstore.”

I’m not surprised. Rocky is such a momma’s boy. Poor Nikki, she doesn’t exactly dislike his mom but hates being the second person he asks for in a crisis.

“Enough bitching about my sookie-la-la-momma’s-boy husband and back to work.”

“You sure you don’t want to go home and rest for the day?”

“Charlie, you’ve known me what, eight years? Since when do I ever go home sick?”

“True. We’ll catch up later,” I say as I walk out of the room and head toward my office.

I sit at my desk and start thinking about what Nikki said. Eight years seems like a lifetime. I do a mental calculation of the years in my head. I can’t believe how long it has been since we first met in college.

Nikki and I were designated roommates. Both of us were studying law, which was why they dumped us together. The only problem was that Nikki was a bitch, the mean-girl type, the type who made your life a living hell. She thought she ruled the world, gave no one the time of day except for her college boyfriend, Rockford Romano.

Rocky was a burly Italian guy, huge muscles, and he was the quarterback on the college football team. Women threw themselves at him, men wanted to be him, but students were generally scared of his tough ego. There were rumors that his family was part of the Mafia, but in truth, he was nothing but a pussycat. The kindest, sweetest guy you could ever meet who worshiped the ground Nikki walked on.

They began dating, would break up every week only to get back together again.

I mean, Nikki has always been beautiful. She puts Victoria’s Secret models to shame. Her long, lean legs made her supermodel tall, and her body’s toned as a result of the Pilates she did every day in our dorm room.

Despite her being a total glamour-puss, she still remained the campus bitch. If you had a pair of tits and a vagina, she watched you like a hawk around her man.

One night during the end of our first year, I found her lying on the bathroom floor, sobbing, surrounded by pregnancy tests. She needed a friend, so I was there to console her, but that night we became more like sisters than friends. I did everything I could at the time to support Rocky and Nikki during the pregnancy, mainly covering her shifts at the local pizza joint when she was too tired to work.

And seven months later, they welcomed William Nicholas Romano into the world at exactly 11:34 p.m. I watched him being placed on his mother’s chest, not a dry eye in the room. I still remember the moment Rocky handed him to me, and I held my godson for the first time. Leaning down, I placed a soft kiss on his wrinkly forehead and inhaled his baby scent. I fell in love with the boy the moment I laid eyes on him, but holding him, that broke me, in a good way. There was this unconditional love for him I couldn’t explain, and it has only grown since.

“Okay, settle a bet. Who wears it better? Jennifer Aniston or J Lo?”

Eric is waiting impatiently, tapping his foot as I analyze the image in front of me, breaking me away from my past reflection.

“J Lo. Now seriously, don’t you have anything better to do like making sure everything’s wrapped up before I go to Hawaii?”

“I’m in denial about you going because I’m a jealous best friend who still doesn’t understand why you’re not taking me,” Eric asserts with an envious stare.

“I’m not going to justify my need for a holiday since I’ve worked for two years straight with no break. Now, get back to work and make sure you order me the salmon rolls.”

Eric leaves my office and closes the door behind him. Sitting in my plush chair, I take a moment to refocus. I have a lot to do and will need to haul some serious ass before next Friday.

There’s no time for being lazy or unorganized. Focus, regroup, and get your shit together, Charlie.

My cell beeps loudly, breaking my zen. It’s a text from Julian.

Julian: I’m glad you finally texted me. I wasn’t sure how long a gorgeous woman like yourself would leave me hanging. I’m free today at two if you are? I promise to behave if you want me to.

The text follows with the address of a café. I’m unable to hide the smile which so easily graces my face from his cute text. Even through a message, he still has this charm about him. My fingers type back quickly, letting him know I’m free and how much I love the café he suggests because of the peanut shop next to it, accidentally hitting send and realizing that peanuts autocorrected to penis.