"Oh my God Jess I don't want to be that guy with you!" Nick's face was scrunched up in anger and pain. He had to turn away from Jess for a moment because he couldn't see straight.

Jess was slightly hyperventilating as she stood there staring at Nick's heaving back. She opened her mouth to say something but only a squeak came out. Her throat was dry and she was on the verge of crying.

"Jess you have to say something to me. You have to speak to me. Why are you quiet now?" Nick asked, his voice low but quivering.

"Nick – I…" Jess started to say. She stopped because she burst into tears. Through her tears she said, "Nick I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you. What you saw wasn't anything. We were just talking."

Nick turned around and took in his crying and shaking girlfriend in front of him. "Talking? You were on his lap."

Jess shook her head and took a step towards Nick. Nick did not move and he didn't reach out to her. Jess took a deep breath. "I slipped if you can believe that. You can believe that because I'm a clumsy dumb girl Nicholas. I'm so clumsy." She tried to smile but did not succeed.

"Who was he?" Nick asked.

"He was just some guy in the club who was chatting me and Cece up. It was harmless Nick. Please."

Nick took a deep breath and reached out to gently take Jess's arm. She held onto his hand. Jess lifted her face to Nick's face. He took her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips. "We're not done talking about this yet Jess. I'll see you later." Nick released her and walked out of her bedroom.

Jess looked after Nick and waited to hear the front door slam. It did.

Jess sat on her bed and allowed herself to cry. She hated seeing Nick so angry especially when she was at fault. Well, it wasn't her fault really. She really did trip and land in Eric's lap. Jess wasn't exactly sure what to do. In the past she ran after Nick when she needed to say sorry and get him to calm down. But that was before they were a couple. It was different now because of their intimacy and how much more she knew about Nick. She knew he needed to be alone and even though it went against everything in her body she would leave him alone. Jess got up and shut her door, turned and laid down on her bed in a fetal position. Having Nick mad at her made her feel so alone.

Nick went to his bar. Big Bob saw the look on Nick's face and said nothing. Instead Big Bob fixed Nick a beer and a shot of top-shelf whiskey. Nick nodded his head in appreciation and grabbed the beer ignoring the whiskey for the moment. The bar was not especially crowded at 2:00pm on a Saturday so Nick had the luxury of just sitting there to nurse his beer in almost silence. Nick did not see Coach until he felt his big hands on his shoulders.

"Hey Nick!" Coach almost yelled into Nick's ear. Nick jumped from the shock and swirled around with his fists raised.

Coach's eyes got big and he backed off holding his hands up. "Hey buddy! Drop those hands!"

Nick composed himself and slumped back down over the bar. "You scared me man." Nick said.

Coach took a seat next to Nick and leaned in towards him. "Why so jumpy white boy?" Coach said almost jeering at him.

Nick rolled his eyes. Coach can be a dick sometimes. "Not jumpy. You just don't do that to man and his beer."

Coach scoffed. "Whatever." Coach signaled to Big Bob and called out his drink order. "Say, how is that sexy little girlfriend of yours? I swear. It took you three years to tap that? I would have done that in one month."

Nick took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke. "Please don't talk about Jess that way."

Coach paused. "Hey, sorry man. That's right Nick. You're a gentleman. Sorry."

Nick nodded.

"But is she ok? I mean you guys looked like you were both pretty upset last night." Coach let out a laugh. "Man that was funny! Jess is cute but she's kind of a klutz." Coach grabbed the beer Big Bob set in front of him and took a swig.

Nick glanced over at Coach. "What do you mean? You were there at the club?"

Coach laughed and slammed down his beer. Big Bob shot over a disapproving look at Coach. "Was I there? That was my friend! The one Jess fell on? That was Eric. Man, take Eric to a club if you want the hotties to literally drop in your lap. Man I was hoping that Cece was just as clumsy." Coach laughed again.

Nick processed the information. "So, what I saw was Jess falling on Eric?"

"Yeah man. What timing right? I mean the second you see your girlfriend she drops into a guy's lap." Coach brought his beer to his lips and stopped. "Hey. She did tell you it was an accident right?"

"Yeah she did." Nick said.

"Hey ok. Nick you don't look so good man."

"I gotta go Coach." Nick nodded at Big Bob and placed a $10 on the bar and left.

Coach shrugged and reached over and grabbed Nick's still full shot glass and downed the whiskey.

Nick couldn't get back to the loft fast enough. When he saw Jess's door closed he stopped for a moment. It was only polite to knock even though they never did anymore.

Nick knocked softly and called out Jess' name as he opened the door. The room was warm from the afternoon sun. He saw Jess's figure on the bed with her back to the door. She was curled up on her side. He heard her sniffle.

"Hey Jess." Nick said softly. He approached the bed and sat on the edge. She did not move towards him. "Hey." Nick said and reached out and touched her back. It was warm through her housecoat. "Babe?" Nick said softly. They recently started to call each other "babe" or "honey."

"I ran into Coach at the bar." Nick started to say.

"And you believed him but not me." Jess responded interrupting him.

Nick took a deep breath. Ever since he and Jess had become serious, Nick had gotten into the habit of taking a deep breath before he spoke. It was the best meditation practice he could have ever started at this late stage in his life.

"I didn't say I didn't believe you Jess. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing."

Jess sighed and said nothing.

"Forgive me ok? I saw my beautiful girlfriend in the arms of a gorgeous man and I didn't like it." Nick said with what he hoped was levity in his voice.

Jess laughed a little. Nick's heart got lighter. Jess rolled over and faced him. Nick looked down at her tear stained puffy face and he half smiled at her. He reached out and cupped her cheek. Jess then sprung from her laying position and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck. Nick grabbed her in a bear hug.

"I'm sorry you were so upset. I tried to tell you about it because it was so funny but you were so mad at me." Jess said all this into his shoulder.

"I'm an idiot Jess. I'm an idiot." Nick said and hugged her closer.

"You are not an idiot. You are the man I love." Jess said and broke out of his embrace to look at Nick's face.

He smiled at her. "You still love me even though I am an idiot?"

"Okay, I do love you because you are my idiot."

"And I love you because you are my girl."

Jess broke out in a huge smile. She cocked her head to one side and leaned in and kissed the tip of Nick's crooked nose. "You said you loved me Miller."

"I do love you Jessica." Nick said very seriously. He bent in and kissed her deeply. Jess returned the kiss immediately.

After they came up for air, Jess said, "hey Nick. Maybe I will show you my club moves."

Nick laughed and held her close. "Yes, I would like that. And only for me from now on deal?"

Jess laughed, "deal." She said happily.

End