Hi everyone and thanks for all the great reviews! This chapter is a bit of a filler and I thought I should have a go at writing Schmidt and Winston. Hope you like it!
As Nick walked home that night, all he could think about was Jess. If he believed in the ridiculous idea of soul mates, she would be his. Every bit of her was stunning from her beautiful blue eyes, which were mesmerising to her radiant, flawless ivory skin.
She is like a modern day Snow White, Nick thought before realising that was the second time he had thought of her as a disney princess which made him laugh. Even if he never saw her again he knew he would remember her for the rest of his life. It wasn't just her looks though, she was the happiest person he had ever met as well. If he was in her position he would either be in the hospital with alcohol poisoning or sitting in his room with a permanent turtle face shouting at his desk cause it was getting on his nerves. Yet she smiled so much despite her problems, and just from spending a night with her in the bar she had lifted him partially out of the abyss that he had been stuck in after Caroline broke his heart. If he saw her all the time he would be a totally different Nick, well maybe not totally different but he wouldn't be as angry all the time. As he walked into the apartment his deep thought was cut off by an argument between Schmidt and Winston.
"You knew that was the rule when you signed the roommate contract!" Schmidt yelled.
"Hey guys what's going on? Why are you still up?" Nick asked.
"Well Nicholas, Winston here just asked if he could bring some vermin into our apartment to excrete everywhere, eat all our food and scratch my 500 dollar wallpaper," Schmidt announced sarcastically, practically frothing at the mouth. Nick winced and wiped away some spit that had landed on his face while Schmidt was talking.
"First of all say it don't spray it," Nick informed him wiping away more spit from his cheek. "Secondly you have 500 dollar wallpaper? All the furniture in my room doesn't add up to that much, let alone the wallpaper."
"Didn't you listen to anything I said other then the cost of my wallpaper?" Schmidt shrieked, however this time being more careful not to spray Nick with saliva.
"Listen Nick he's taken it way out of proportion, all I asked for was if I could get one hamster or chinchilla or something to keep as a pet." Winston said. "Not having a girlfriend, I get lonely sometimes," he admitted.
"The list of faults in that plan of yours to acquire a vermin as a pet is endless." Schmidt shouted at Winston.
"Ok if you wanna talk about who's wrong a hamster is a rodent not vermin, they are kept in a cage and so would go nowhere near your ridiculously expensive wallpaper or "excrete" everywhere and finally they have special food so they even wouldn't eat any of our food!" Winston yelled back. Nick rolled his eyes and headed towards his room to go to bed, knowing they wouldn't even realise he was gone.
"Also lets say it did eat our food, it's like the size of my fist it wouldn't be able to eat that much!" He heard Winston shout as he slammed the door of his room. However the door did little to shut out the sound of them screaming at each other.
It's gonna be a long night, Nick thought.
When Nick woke up the next morning the shouting had stopped, glancing at his clock he saw that it was 11. Schmidt would have left for work so he decided it was safe to go out into the living room again. Walking out he saw Winston sitting on the couch watching football and decided to join him after making himself some frosties for breakfast.
"Seriously dude, kids cereal? Your thirty not thirteen," Winston said while raising his eyebrows as Nick sat down next to him.
"Coming from a man who wants to keep a hamster because he's lonely," Nick fired back, not taking his eyes of the screen.
"Touché," Winston replied with a grin.
As Nick watched the game he found his mind drifting back to Jess, he wondered if she had a crush on him too.
Of course she doesn't you dumbass she's got a boyfriend, he thought. You have no chance, she is way out of your league. But still a part of him hoped he was wrong and as he walked to work that night, he hoped that she would show up again even if it was with her boyfriend. At least if that happened he could see what he was up against and how much of a jerk this guy was. He just wanted to see her again and maybe if she had split from her boyfriend he could try and ask her out.
She didn't come that night, or the night after, or the night after. To be honest, although he hoped she would come each night and was disappointed when she didn't come. It wasn't like he was gonna cry, he met her once for God's sake but he must have seemed a little down as Winston and Schmidt had come to the bar that night to take his mind off whatever it was that was bothering him. However their attempts if anything made it worse as they were arguing all evening just like they had done over the past couple of days.
"Ok what if I compromise and get a fish," Winston reasoned.
"You would never clean out its tank and I cannot be in the same apartment as something with grime," Schmidt snapped.
"It would be in my room, you wouldn't even see it," Winston exclaimed.
"I would still know it was there though," hissed Schmidt. "Just thinking of the bacteria makes me shudder."
"Ok guys, what do you want?" Asked Nick, trying to break up their argument before they started threatening to fight each other.
"Beer," they both said at the same time with the same grunt accompanying it.
"Really Schmidt no fancy ass wine this time?" Winston taunted.
"There's nothing wrong with drinking quality beverages," Schmidt replied defensively. "And by the way it's only Shiraz, that's the fanciest this bar can get, it's not like I'm ordering Cabernet Sauvignon." Schmidt lectured, emphasising the names of both the wines in a completely unsubtle way. By this time Nick had come back with the two beers and was not pleased to find them arguing again, yet they continued, completely oblivious to his reappearance.
"Wow like I'm supposed to be impressed by you knowing the names of two types of wine," Winston retorted.
"I'd be surprised if you could name any at all, you seem like a man who would think Carlsberg is a too fancy beer," Schmidt spat.
"Ok guys enough!" Nick yelled slamming the beers on the counter. "I have had to put up with you two shouting at each other for the past couple of days and I am sick and tired of it. So you either shut up and drink your beer or I'll throw you out myself!"
"Fine," they both muttered all wide eyed and startled by Nick yelling. They were used to him shouting and always being angry, but this time they both sensed that there was another reason fuelling his latest outburst.
After a couple of hours he saw Winston perk up at the sight of a girl who had just walked in,
"Now that is a girl I would like to take home," Winston commented. The bar was quite full so Nick had to crane his neck to see who Winston was talking about. Looking in the direction where Winston in his drunken haze was unsubtly pointing he saw a flash of chocolate coloured curls. No it couldn't be.. Nick thought. However a standing on his tiptoes confirmed the sight he had seen. It was Jess, he couldn't believe it, however after the initial surprise he realised that it was her Winston was talking about. However he decided to double check just in case before the situation got too complicated.
"Do you mean the dark haired one with bangs?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, she is hot," Winston grinned and Nick's heart sank.
"I think I'll go over to her in a second and see if she wants to get Schmidtified," Schmidt added. Wait Schmidt likes her too, brilliant, Nick thought sarcastically. Now with the added competition of Schmidt he tried to think of a way in which he could persuade them to go for someone else. He also made a mental note to ask Schmidt later what the hell Schmidtified meant.
"Wait I saw her first," Winston pointed out, annoyed.
"Yeah but who's she gonna choose a drunken layabout guy when they could have a high earning guy with fabulous hair," Schmidt replied smugly while smoothing his hair with his hands.
"Hey we're both black, that's gotta count for something," Winston assumed.
Wait did he say black? Nick thought, coming out of his transient state of thinking how to divert them.
"Puh lease Winston, she's more like caramel than coffee," Schmidt stated competitively. It was then that Nick saw that Jess was sitting with a friend who was the one Winston and Schmidt were both referring too. Her friend happened to have dark hair and bangs too which is why he thought they were both talking about Jess. Damn coincidences he thought. As he thought this he witnessed Schmidt practically running off his stool and making bee line for Jess' friend, with Winston close behind. It was then that Jess looked over and made eye contact with Nick, as their eyes locked she gave him a friendly smile and a small wave before excusing herself from the table and making her way up to the bar. Today she was more dressed for going out and was wearing a light blue clingy dress that brought out the colour of her eyes, which had blue eyeshadow on the lids to match the dress. Her lips were kept natural with just a hint of shine and her cheeks were lightly blushed. Lastly her hair was pinned to one side so her brown curls neatly fell over one shoulder. She looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.
"Hey Nick," she smiled.
"Hey," he replied nervously. "What brings you here?"
"My friend and I thought we'd have a girls night and this seemed like a nice place to come, nice atmosphere, nice people," she explained. Nice people, does that mean me? Nick wondered. "I thought I'd get the drinks in as my friend is currently being ambushed by two guys."
"Yeah sorry they're my roommates and are in a competitive mood and therefore asses," Nick commented as they both saw Winston try and kick Schmidt hard under the table but kick Jess' friend by accident. "Ouch," Nick winced as Jess' friend cried out in pain.
"She's a model so she's used to guys hitting on her, but never like this," Jess laughed.
"Anyway, so what would you and your friend like?" Nick asked, changing the subject.
"I think I'll have a pink wine and she'll have something with tequila, as she's gonna need it," Jess grinned.
"Coming right up," Nick promised. As he came back he decided to ask the question that he had been wondering over the past couple of days. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did things work out with you and your boyfriend?"
"Oh, we talked things over and I think we're back on track," she revealed, reluctant to go into more detail unlike the previous night.
"Great, I'm happy for you," Nick lied, forcing a smile.
"Thanks," she replied with a smile before going back to where Schmidt was trying to put an arm around Jess' friend without much luck. After her back was turned his smile dropped and he tried to distract himself by wiping up some glasses.
At least I still have my dignity, he thought looking over at Schmidt and Winston as he cleared up.
Thanks for reading and please review!
