Pretty Fly for a White Guy: The Complete Series Collection (31 page)

#Epilogue

Holding Nicole against my body was a wonderful and surreal experience. I’d missed her more than words could ever express. Her breathing had finally evened out, and I knew that she was fast asleep. Sleep wasn’t going to come to me so easily because I couldn’t help but mull everything that had just occurred over in my mind.

I did my best to hide it in humor, but I really did want to punch Desmond in his face. I wouldn’t resort to violence, but he would know exactly how I felt about him the next time I saw him. I would make it my business to ensure that it would be within the next couple of days.

How dare he treat Nikki so badly, she’s an amazing woman. Granted she can over-think most situations and read into every little detail but that’s a part her charm. She’s sweet, compassionate, stubborn, and driven. However, I was happy that he didn’t sleep with her. He didn’t deserve to know what it was like. He was a fucking weasel just like I thought.

She was a fighter and although she felt everything deeply, she never let it keep her down. She was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. Very few women could have endured watching her ex parade around town with his new fiancé. Yet she did it with style and grace. Amanda couldn’t say enough nice things about her when she returned from dinner with her. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out because things could have gone either way. But Nikki didn’t let me down and she remained classy in spite of the awkward circumstances.

My lips still tingled from the kiss that we shared. I was pretty sure that she only did it due to her grief, and her being drunk but I enjoyed it. I also realized that I was the only person that was technically doing something wrong. But damn it felt good. All of my feelings that I bottled up on my plane ride to New York came bursting forth. When I got on the plane to get away from all of the theatrics that had become my life, I put those feelings in a box and vowed to never open it again. I was lying to myself if I thought that I would ever be able to keep my feelings for her bottled up.

The only reason that I put a tight lid on them was because I was absolutely sure that she’d cheated on me with Desmond the night of the summer ball. When she told me that she didn’t once I returned it was too late to go back because I’d already made a life altering decision that I was rather happy with. Amanda had made me happy again and I wasn't going to let her down.

Nicole was the reason that my best friend and I were at odds. I wasn’t even sure if I had it in me to forgive him for what he did. He didn’t understand why I was still so upset with him, since I was engaged to Amanda. But it was the fact that he’d been so damned devious about how he got her out of my life. I couldn’t completely blame him for what happened between me and Nikki, but he was the catalyst. Me and Nikki’s lack of clear communication was what caused us to break up and I see that now. He saw that weakness, and he preyed on it. That’s why I’ve made it clear to him that he isn’t to speak to my fiancé. He wasn’t going to
 wreak anymore havoc in my life. He’d done more than enough damage.

 Nicole and I have so much history and most of it was good. We’d had our fair share of horrible times, but she was the woman that I originally wanted to marry. But now I was with someone else and we were in a good place. I loved Amanda, but I still had love for Nicole, especially due to our history.

Amanda was everything that I wanted in a woman. Well she was everything that I’ve said that I wanted in a woman. She had her quirks just like everyone else but sometimes she reminded me of a down to earth Stepford wife. I know that I’m a fool for complaining about something so great but it’s sometimes annoying to be with someone that exudes perfection. But I simply accepted that as one of her few flaws. Ironic huh?

I had to breathe evenly and not focus on Nikki’s ass pressing against me. That was another thing that I missed tremendously. Her body was so thick, firm, and supple. She had a body made for touching. My hand slowly traveled down her thigh and I quickly returned it to its’ original position. I wasn’t sure if she would appreciate being felt up in her sleep.

As my eyelids got heavy I thought about my upcoming marriage to Amanda, and I wondered if I was making a horrible mistake. Amanda was a sure thing for me and I knew that we could make a marriage work. I was tired of chasing an idealized version of love and trying to make a relationship work with Nicole when it just didn’t seem to be in the cards for us. Every time we got together something horrible happened. At some point you just have to throw your hands up and move on with your life. Amanda has been a great thing for me, yet I do wonder why I constantly think about Nicole.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and it was Amanda. I knew that I had to take it even though

I didn’t want to. I carefully rose from the bed and stepped out into the hallway.

“Hello?”

“Hey Honey, where are you?” She asked sweetly.

“I’m at the office babe, I have a lot to get done,” I said in a low voice.

“Oh, so you’ll be staying there over night?” She asked.

“Yeah, it’s looking that way.”

“Okay, just make sure you catch a few hours on your couch. You still have a lot to get done in the morning, and you need to be operating at 100%.”

“I’ll make sure that I get some rest,” I mumbled.

“I miss you but I understand that this is a busy time. I’ll stop by in the morning with breakfast.”

“Looking forward to it sweet stuff,” I said.

She giggled, “I’m going to bed. Good night.”

“Good night doll,” I said before I hung up.

Guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders as I stood in the hallway. I knew that I should have put my shoes on, got in my car, and headed home. But I couldn’t do it, not when Nicole was in this sort of situation. I knew that I was going to have to come up with a more permanent solution.

I realized that I was in love with two women and I was going to have to make a decision which would hurt one of them. Should I follow my head and stay with Amanda or follow my heart and get back with Nicole? If I stay with Amanda I could have that perfect “drama free” marriage that we all crave, while I know if I get back with Nicole it will only be a matter of time before something crazy comes along to break us up again.

On paper it is an easy decision, I should stay with Amanda. Yet, why did I feel that is not the right answer for me?

I pushed all of the thoughts from my mind and resolved to enjoy the night that I was having with Nicole. I crawled back in bed with her, and looked at the ceiling. She searched for me in her sleep and sprawled her body across mine and rested her head on my shoulder.

In that moment I made up my mind about what I was going to do. I had made my decision and someone I cared deeply about was not going to like it. However, it was the right thing to do, I knew that for sure.

There was definitely more trouble ahead...

#Book4

PRETTY FLY FOR

A WHITE GUY

Episode 4 – The
Finale

#Prologue

New York, 6 Months Earlier....

“
Sharks attack when they smell blood, and I was far from being bait.”

Kenneth

Being in New York was exactly what the doctor ordered for me. I was away from the stress of my failed relationship with Nicole, I was able to enjoy my brother’s company, I was on the verge of an amazing deal and I had a cute new girlfriend. Life couldn’t get much better if I’d planned it myself. It wasn’t my ideal situation because I would have rather have been at home but as my mom would say, “Que sera, sera.”

“
It’s been great spending time with you. It’s been lonely in New York,” my brother Michael smirked

“You haven’t missed me,” I responded before I took a long sip of my Rum and Coke. “You have been doing just fine without me.”

“True, but it’s nice to have you here little bro,” he responded.

“It’s good to be here. This break has been what I needed, and the great thing is that I can travel and still do what I love.”

“I know, we all aren’t so lucky. Some of us are tethered to our city,” he laughed.

I shook my head because he could move anywhere he wanted as well. He’s a business consultant but the people in New York pay him the most, and he loves it in Manhattan. I couldn’t blame him for not giving up his version of paradise.

“Whatever,” I shrugged.

He chuckled lightly because he knew that I wasn’t going to argue with him. He and I had a pretty good relationship, and that’s because we relate really well to each other. We’re sharks in business, but we handle each other with care. I can thank my parents for that.

My phone rang as Michael called the waitress over to refill our drinks. It was my girlfriend Amanda’s father, and he rarely called me outside of business hours.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Kenneth, it's Todd, how are you this evening?”

“I’m doing alright, out with my brother. What can I do for you?”

“I would like for you to come by my office in the morning for a talk.”

“A talk? Um, Okay, I’ll see you there bright and early. Is 8 okay?”

“That’s perfect,” he said.

“See you then,” I responded before I hung up.

Amanda’s dad wasn’t one for small talk. When the conversation was over, he was finished. I learned to adopt that style when dealing with him.

“Who was that?” Michael asked.

“It was Todd,” I responded before I grabbed my new glass of alcohol.

“Amanda’s dad? What do you have to see him in the morning for?”

“I’m not really sure but I get the feeling that he doesn’t like me dating Amanda,” I shrugged.

“Uh oh, does this mean trouble for you?”

“Possibly, I’m a bit worried that dating her may make me lose the deal that I’m on the brink of signing.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.  He could want something completely different and so I’m not going to over think it. It’s useless to worry about right now.”

“You have a point. Let’s finish these drinks and head over to the pool hall for one game before we call it a night,” he suggested.

“I don’t know how well you’re going to sleep after being annihilated,” I said.

“We’ll just see about that. You learned everything you know from me, and I didn’t teach you everything I know.”

“You just may be surprised.”

*

I was at Todd’s office bright and early as we agreed upon. I was slightly nervous, but I made sure that I didn’t show it in my body language. Sharks attack when they smell blood, and I was far from being bait. I sat down at the small chair in front of his desk, and I felt small. The chair was specifically designed to make a person feel that way. It’s hard not to feel insignificant when your chair is so low to the floor.

“
So I’m going to cut straight to the chase,” Todd said seriously.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I responded.

“I’m really impressed with your accounting skills, and I know that you’re the man that I’m looking for but your interest in my daughter worries me. You have the ‘lady’s man’ vibe, and I don’t want my daughter hurt.”

“Sir-“

“So what I need to know,” he continued as if I wasn’t about to say anything, “Is if you’re serious about my daughter. If you aren’t serious about her then we could all part company right now.”

My stomach dropped because this was a little similar to my worst case scenario. He hadn’t axed me out of the deal, but he was more than prepared to.

“I can assure you that I love your daughter and that I’m very serious about her,” I said with certainty.

He looked at me in silence for a few moments before he spoke. I made sure to not move or break eye contact. His lips pursed, “How can I be 100% sure?”

My brain was going a mile a minute because this was it. This was going to be the deciding factor of what happened to a huge contract. It was taking me too long to respond, and so I said the first thing that came to my mind. “I’m so serious about her that I’ve actually been planning to propose to her. I was going to wait until I purchased the ring before I asked for your blessing. I wanted you to see that I was serious.”

I waited to see his reaction.

He stared at me for what felt like an age. I was not sure how he was going to respond then a huge grin spread across his face. He quickly stood to his feet and walked from behind his desk, I stood to meet him. He threw his arms around my body and gave me a huge squeeze before he let go and shook my hand hard and fast.

“I’m so delighted to hear that, I feared that I would never see her get married especially after I got diagnosed with cancer last year but that is gone now. You absolutely have my blessing! Let’s celebrate Kenneth.”

I gave a huge sigh of relief as he walked to his table and poured us scotch from his cistern.

“
Thank you for your blessing sir,” I said in as humble of a voice that I could muster.

“I’m just happy that Amanda has finally met a genuine guy.”

He handed me my glass, and we both toasted to my wedding. I drank it all in a few gulps, and I didn’t care that it was before 9 in the morning. I was trying to digest what I had just gotten myself into.