Chapter 16 - The rooftop bar.

"Nicholas! Nicholas! Hey!"

Jean shouted as she ran after him at his apartment lobby.

Nicholas turned slowly, a frown forming on his face. He just had a long hard day at work and frankly he wasn't looking for any conversation. He just wanted to take a long nap but seeing Jean he knew that wasn't going to be possible.

"Hey Jean. What's up?"

He asked as she pulled him into an impromptu hug.

"You! I haven't heard from you since that day."

"The day we had dinner with Cara and your brother Alex."

"Sure. How could I forget."

Jean had gotten drunk later after the dinner and tried to convince Nicholas to sleep with her but he had refused. he didn't want to get into anymore issues with her.

He didn't like Jean that way and he was tired of her getting the wrong impression.

"I came to see you."

She said and Nicholas shrugged.

"I've had a long day, frankly all that I want to do is just turn in. I don't think I'm available to talk."

"Come on Nick! After ignoring me for so long it's the least that you can do. Besides I have something really important to talk to you about."

Nicholas caved in, just to get her off his back. Togeher they walked to his apartment and Jean chatted on and on about her day while Nicholas wondered what the hell he had gotten himself into with her.

"Want anything to drink?"

He asked as he walked to his fridge and Jean nodded.

"Do you have a can of diet coke?"

"I'm not sure it's diet coke."

Nicholas answered as he looked into his fridge and brought out a can of coke.

"Will this do?"

He asked and she nodded.

"Yes. I'll manage."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No! I'm good."

"For now."

She added as Nicholas loosened his tie while he settled in the sofa next to Jean who was looking at him.

she was wearing a lavender coloured figure hugging dress that was so short that her legs were on display. Nicholas tried his best not to look at them as he focused on her face. Jean wasn't too bad looking, in fact she was a pretty girl. Nicholas just didn't like her that way.

She had a way of taking charge and initiating thngs and if he had liked her, it would have been okay but he didn't like her. That was the only problem he had.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Nicholas asked and Jean cleared her throat. She was a bit nervous.

"I feel like we started off really great. and then now you don't want to talk to me anymore. I don't understand?"

"What happened? We were doing so well and all of a sudden you just stopped and it makes me feel like I've done something wrong."

"Did I do something wrong?"

Jean asked truthfully and Nicholas felt guity for not just telling her straight up that he just didn't like her that way.

"Jean listen, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I admit, I didn't handle things well."

"I should have approached you. And no, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then what's the problem?"

Jean asked as she shrugged.

"We hit it off on a great start. I think we're really good together."

Nicholas shook his head. No, they weren't good together.

"I'm not really looking for anything serious right now Jean. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

Jean asked. The smile on her face slowly fell off as she watched Nicholas avoid her gaze.

"That's just how it is. I don't want a relationship. At least not now."

"Is there someone else?"

She asked and Nicholas's mind went to Cara.

He smiled quickly as he hesitated.

"No, there's no one else."

Jean had noticed his hesitation to answer the question.

"Oh! So there is someone else?"

"Interesting."

"There's no one else Jean. Is that so hard to believe?"

Jean nodded.

"Yea. Yea it is. You weren't like this when I met you a few months ago in fact you were very eager to get me in your bed!"

"And now all of a sudden you don't even want to see me."

"Did it occur to you that I probably just moved on and lost interest?"

He asked as he walked towards the kitchen to get himself a drink.

"Well I didn't expect it to be that fast. when you invited me to dinner with Cara and Alex I had hope again, I thought that maybe it meant you really liked me and wanted us together."

Nicholas rolled his eyes.

He had tried to let Jean down as gently as possible but she just kept on insisting.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. Things don't always go as planned."

He got himself a beer and was about to remove the cap when his phone beeped. He hastily received it, hoping it was something that would be able to distract him and get Jean out of his apartment as fast as he could.

It was a text.

From Cara.

'Fancy a drink? I'm at your friend's rooftop bar.'

That was it. The distraction he needed.

His heart was beating fast as he turned to Jean who was staring at him.

"You have to leave... I have a work thing and I'll be leaving the apartment soon."

He said and Jean looked downcast.


"I'm sorry it didnt work out between us like you wanted it to."

Nicholas led her out eagerly, ready to rush and meet Cara at the bar. He could have easily said no or denied to go for obvious logical reasons, but he wanted to go. He wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him.

He couldn't deny that he missed her company and he would very much love to see her again.

The minute Jean was gone he went to change his clothes and put on fresh cologne. He considered quickly jumping in the shower but knowing how Cara was, she might decide to leave if she didn't see him quickly.



Few minutes later Nicholas was at the rooftop bar, he had probably arrived too early and was now sitting at the far end corner of the bar waiting for her.

After a short while she appeared.

As if he could sense his presence, he slowly looked up and smiled at her wearily.

"I hoped you changed your mind."

Shs said slowly as she slipped in the seat next to him.

"You offered me a drink. Did you think I was going to pass that up?"

"Fair enough."

Cara said as she signalled one of the waiters.

Nicholas looked at her again, he could tell something was troubling her. With the way she was dressed, how she was seated and the expression on her face.

Cara caught him looking at her and scoffed.

"I know. I know. I look terrible."

"That's not really the word I was going for. "

"More like troubled."

Nicholas demonstrated as he moved closer to her.

Whatever it is that upset her had to do with his brother, he could tell by her swollen eyes that she had been crying.

"Well... What can I say? Your brother gave me quite the surprise today."

"What did he do?"

The waiter interrupted them and Cara ordered for another round of drinks.

She didn't have that much to drink yet, she wanted to see Nicholas sober. She didn't want ri do things that she wasn't supposed to do.

"Well, he conspired with your Father, and mine shockingly to take the one thing that I really gave a fuck about."

"The company."

She added after a long pause and Nicholas signed.

Of course, he had seen it coming ever since that dinner and his brother was boasting about them buying the company from Cara's parents.

From the little he understood, it was supposed to be more of a partnership, where Cara was supposed to head her father's company.

His father must have found a way to get the upper hand. Not that he didn't have it before when Cara's father entered such a risky deal with his family, but he used it.

"I'm very sorry about that."

Cara nodded

"I guess I kind of saw it coming. The way my Dad waa getting angsty about the whole stuff."

"I didn't pay attention. I was too fixated on the fact that I was marrying Alex and now not only does your family have full control of my father's company, they don't even trust me well enough to be the CEO."

"Wait, who's the CEO?"

Nicholas asked and Cara gave him a knowing look.

"Alex?"

He asked as he scoffed.

Of course it was his brother, he was already gloating about owning Cara's company even before it got to his grasp.

"I'm sorry. Why didn't Alex tell you something like this would happen?"

"Because he's a selfish bastard who only cares about himself."

"And I'm about to marry that selfish bastard."

She sighed.

"Cheers!"

She said as she clinked her glass with his right after the waiter brought their order.

"I know you're feeling down. But I promise you this isn't the end. There should be something you can do."

"Do you really have to go though with the wedding?"

Nicholas asked and Cara nodded.

"Yes. I have no other choice."

"As much as I don't like some decisions your father and your brother have made as regards to our company, they still helped a great deal in raising my parents out of debt."

"And we literally have no way to repay them."

True.

That bit was true.

"So what do you want to do now? After what Alex did I imagine you must only feel much more terrible about marrying him."

Cara nodded.

"I have no other choice Nicholas."

Nicholas shook his head.

"There's always a choice Cara. You know it."

Cara chuckled.

"It's not that easy Nick. This is my family we're talking about. I can't just get up and leave. I'm not like you."

"Who said anything about me?"

He asked surprised and Cara raised her eyebrow.

"You walked away from everything. Started a new life, a new career and company and sure it worked out really great for you! And they even accepted you with open arms when you came back."

"But if I leave, I'm not only going to be disgracing my family, I'm going to be destroying them. Who knows what will happen to them after I'm gone?"

"So you're sacrificing your happiness?"

Cara shrugged.

"In the grand scheme of things... That's not really something I have to bother with right now."

She looked at the time.

It was late. Very late.

Alex must be looking for her, trying to apologise after everything.

"I have to go. It's late."

"I don't know why I keep coming to see you but I assure you this is the last time."

Nicholas smirked as he watched her hurrying to arrange the contents of her purse and leave.

"No, this isn't the last time. You enjoy my company, I enjoy your company, we're going to be seeing each other a lot more often Cara."

Cara paused, her heart beating fast.

He was right, but she wouldn't let him know that

"No. Don't bother getting your hopes up."

With that, she leaves.