So this is the first fanfiction I've written in over 10 years. Be gentle with me, I'm rather rusty. There is more to come, but this is just a starter.
It was dark outside when Nikki finally arrived home. Home, not a place she spent much time in, especially lately, but right now exactly the place she wanted to be. Bath, glass of wine and bed. That was the mantra she'd been repeating to herself to get her through the day.
Locking the door behind her and kicking off her shoes, her focussed work-mode brain began to lose out to the unbidden thoughts she'd spent the latter part of the afternoon trying to avoid. Today had been difficult in more ways than one. Rubbing her tired eyes, she made her way into the kitchen to pour herself her first glass of wine of the night.
It was only when she sunk into the soothing hot water, and her senses filled with the scent of lavender and sweet jasmine from her favourite bath oils, that she finally allowed her thoughts to roam free. It was like removing a blockage from a damn. She'd held it together so well all afternoon, but now it needed to be addressed.
Her thoughts floated back to this afternoons events, the actions of Jack Hodgson that were causing her brain to ache with confusion right now."Why?" was the main question that echoed round her head, as she sunk deeper into the water, willing it to soothe her tense muscles. "Why do that?" "Why now?. She tries to ignore the other voice that keeps emerging too, one which she tries in vain to push away "You liked the way it felt".
Her racing thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a ringing coming from her dressing gown pocket, hung on the door. Frustrated at being interrupted she quickly rises from the water, reaching across to fumble for her phone. Matt the name reads. Shit thinks Nikki. Their weekend. He'll be flying over to London tomorrow. She feels guilty that he has barely entered into her thoughts all day. Quickly wiping her hands on the towel on the side, she answers the call. She hits the speakerphone button, leaves her phone on the side and slides back down into the welcoming hot water.
"Hey you" Matt's voice filled the room.
"Hey yourself" Nikki replied perhaps a little over enthusiastically.
"Everything ok with you? I texted you a few times this afternoon, but I didn't hear back. Busy day I'm guessing" said Matt, sounding good humoured but a little concerned.
He was right, thought Nikki. it hadn't exactly been intentional. Usually she replied as soon as she could. They both had busy schedules, but that didn't normally stop the flow of conversation between them. Today however he'd been the last thing or rather person on her mind. "Sorry, just a stressful day with a difficult case, just taking a bath to unwind." Nikki replied. "Looking forwards to our weekend together though" she said as brightly as possible. Then sliding further down into the bubbles, she reaches across for the large glass of wine that sits on the side of the bath and takes a large sip.
The phone call from Matt has done nothing to ease her mind. If anything she feels worse. The guilt makes her stomach tighten. She tried her upmost to hide her emotions and to remain present in the conversation, but now on reflection she wonders if he sensed something was awry. He was excitedly trying to plan with her all the things they were going to do together. He's mainly here as he has a conference on Monday, and then he flies back that evening, so she knows that their time together is short. Less than 24 hours ago she was feeling excited about it all, making plans in her head. Now though she'd far rather spend the weekend alone, time to process todays events, to get her head straight.
Sitting on her bed, pyjamas on, Nikki runs a comb through her wet blonde hair. Looking at herself in the mirror she admonishes herself loudly "Get a grip Nikki Alexander, don't throw away one of the best thing that's happened to you". Putting her comb down on her dressing table she exchanges it for her glass of wine. Newly refilled after her bath, she sips it, pausing to savour the crisp taste. Just as she's about to raise the glass for a second sip her phone rings again. Hesitantly she moves across to her bed where it lies ringing on her white bed spread, and picks it up with her free hand. Instinctually she knows before she even reads the name who the caller is. It's him. It's Jack.
No she thinks to herself, no not now. Go away. Sitting down on the edge of the bed she turns her phone screen side down on her bed cover. The ringing ceases. Silence returns. It's deafening almost. All she can hear is the sound of her heart beating had in her chest. Suddenly there is a second buzz from her phone. Nikki doesn't need to turn her phone back over to know what the notification was. A voicemail.
This fills her with both fear and intrigue. What will he say? Apologise? Explain his actions? Her hands move to involuntarily touch her lips in response. They tingle as she remembers those actions very well. No she thinks, shaking her head. No, leave it Nikki. Standing up from her bed and picking up her wine, she pads across the room to the doorway. Taking one last look at her phone lying on the bed, she turns out the light.