Well, here's the next chapter. Whatever I've changed from the past (like Lo
never having been to PC) should be explained somewhere in the story. If it
gets confusing later on, sorry, but I think I'll have it taken care of.
BTW, I have about 6 chapters written that I just need to type up when I
can, so new chapters should be coming regularly. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy
and I'm happy to say I know exactly where this story is going now, and it
should be interesting. Of course, I don't own the GH characters or
places/etc. from the show and I make no money off of this.
********** When Lorenzo woke up, the same emptiness and meaninglessness that was his day hit him, just like usual. Mornings were always hard because the weight of what was now his life came crashing into his mind, killing whatever blissful thoughts were still left from his dreams. The same old crap. Again his goal for the day was to do whatever it took to get his mind to shut up, if only for a moment.
Then he remembered, today was no usual day, because last night was no usual night. He began to recover images from the night before. He remembered the amazing woman he met at that most unlikely of places. Events and conversation were a little fuzzy, but he knew enough to remember how the night had ended. Lorenzo was actually shocked remembering his stab at principle. Had he really said no? So he still had it in him to surprise himself. Still, he had no clue what to say to her today. "Oh hey, remember me? Sorry I kissed and ran, but you were coming on to me in your drunken state, so I decided to reject you and come today to make sure I reminded you in person." Lorenzo was sure she'd either be angry at him, or ashamed of what happened. He'd seen it before. Lorenzo wasn't much of a one-night stand person, but Luis had been in that kind of situation a lot. Luis told him the women he met were the kind who got really attached really quickly, or the kind who were immediately disgusted with themselves.
Lorenzo didn't know which would be worse. Did he prefer her to hate him, refusing to speak to him again, or to be so embarrassed that she was afraid to talk to him again? Either way, Lorenzo lost. He really did want to keep in contact with her. For the first time in ages he had something to look forward to. Something pleasant. In one night she had somehow changed his frame of mind, if just a little. Never had he gone to a bar and woken up reflecting on it the next morning. He knew he had to see her, even if he didn't have to get his car, which he did. The car was merely a convenient excuse. Lorenzo knew he wouldn't be able to leave without talking to her, even if she slapped him or shut the door in his face. Deciding to rely on instinct, he would just let his words come out as they may, refusing to think too much about it.
Lorenzo got up and walked into his spacious bathroom. Once upright, he felt a massive headache coming on. Reaching into his mirror cabinet, he pulled some extra strength painkillers and popped a few into his mouth. It would be a while, but he'd manage. Looking in the mirror he saw a rough, groggy, worn looking man, but otherwise unharmed. No cuts or bruises, blood or swollen anything. His jaw was a little sore, but there was nothing physically to indicate it, though he couldn't see everything with his unmanaged beard. With the wild, uncut hair he looked a bit more like a bum than he would have liked.
Getting undressed he stepped into his shower, letting the streaming water clean away real and imagined dirt and grime. Even if his face was undamaged, scars and bruises still marked his tan skin. He frowned, for the first time seeing them as a sign of weakness and contempt rather than medals and atonement. All this used to be beneath him.
Getting out, he picked out a nice dark gray suit. It was almost a dressy casual, and very comfortable. It was one of his favorites back when things like that had mattered to him. He smiled, feeling good having just that little feeling from his past back. What the hell did that woman do to him? After making himself as presentable as he was going to, he poured a glass of pure orange juice, instead of his usual Screwdriver. Once finished with that, he called for a cab, knowing he couldn't very well take one of his cars, obviously. If only he hadn't fired his driver.
The cab arrived, and about 45 minutes later he was in front of Niki's house again, only now it was daylight and his mind was clear enough to take in what it really looked like. It was a faint green two-story with a well-kept yard in a neighborhood full of similar ones. The houses were far apart, and big, leafy trees kept them in shade. To Lorenzo the neighborhood seemed a little desolate and abandoned, even if it was meticulously cared for. It reminded him of an episode of the Twilight Zone.
After paying the cab driver, he gathered his nerve and walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. There was no answer, so he knocked in case the bell wasn't working. Soon he thought she was either gone or avoiding him, and was about to leave, but finally he heard the door unlock. Slowly, Niki opened it and peered out cautiously.
"Good morning." He said cheerfully.
She half-smiled at him and opened the door all the way. She was wearing a long-sleeve, black velvet top along with loose leather-like pants. Her boots and jewelry were the same, only now she had on a silver necklace with a sparkling sapphire teardrop. Her make-up was classy like before, and her hair was down. He could now see that it was a couple inches below her shoulders and feathered.
"Good morning. I suppose you're here for the car."
"Yes, for the most part."
"Here, come in."
Stepping aside she let him in and gestured for him to sit down on her smaller sofa. She sat across from him and offered some coffee. For a moment neither of them spoke, unsure of how to begin the conversation. Finally Niki just sucked it up and began.
"Look, I just want to apologize for last night. My behavior was, unladylike to say the least. I usually don't have that much to drink, or someone coming home with me, for that matter. I acted like a hormone driven teenager, and I'm sorry for putting you in that situation." She got it out. The hard part was over.
"It's ok, I understand. Alcohol doesn't bring out the best in people. It wasn't a flaw in your judgment or character, so you don't have to apologize. Hell, I'm the one who kept you at the bar until we were swimming in booze."
"Nevertheless, I hate making a fool of myself or losing any kind of control. I guess a bar isn't really the place to be then huh?"
He chuckled as both felt some of the tension leaving the conversation.
"I did feel I had to apologize for my behavior, but that's not the only reason I asked you in."
Lorenzo's brows pushed together a little in confusion. What else would she need to tell him?
"Last night, even though I was willing and arguing for it, you still backed off. We were both drunk, but you somehow managed to keep me from making a slut of myself. Not everyone could of or would have done that. I don't know how to thank you."
The blush returned to her face and she looked down to the floor.
"Gee, you weren't that grateful the first time I tried to help." He joked.
She let out a little chuckle and turned to him.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that."
Smiling again, he continued warmly. "But seriously, there was no way I could have violated you like that, even if I knew I could have gotten away with it. I can't explain it, but I actually cared how you would feel the next morning, which is a strange thing for me to do. I don't know."
Lorenzo shook his head, unable to quite understand himself why he did what he did. He smiled softly as he looked into her less flustered eyes. They were silent for a moment, acknowledging what the other had said.
"I guess you'll want to be off now. I don't want to keep you from your day."
"My day's not all that important, but there are some things I have to take care of, and I'm sure you do too."
She nodded. "Yeah, there are a couple things on my list today. I wouldn't want to forget to mop or something."
They got up and she walked him to the door.
"Lorenzo, thank you again. For everything. It really means a lot to me, and if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."
"I'll keep that in mind, but don't worry about some kind of debt. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Cheesy huh?"
They laughed and he started walking back to his car.
"Niki?"
"Yes?"
"This may seem odd, and I'll understand if you decline, but I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to dinner this evening. I don't get much company and I discovered I rather enjoyed yours."
"Hmmm. Why not? That sounds like a good idea. I do have to eat eventually, and it would be nice to have some company."
"All right then. Around 7 maybe?"
"That'll work."
"Ok. I'll see you at 7."
With a smile he got into his car and left for home, wondering exactly what got into him. When was the last time he asked a woman out? Niki went back inside and dropped onto the couch. 'How odd', she thought. 'I haven't had anything to look forward to in a while. What is this man doing to me?' A grin played on her lips as she started planning the evening ahead in her mind.
********** When Lorenzo woke up, the same emptiness and meaninglessness that was his day hit him, just like usual. Mornings were always hard because the weight of what was now his life came crashing into his mind, killing whatever blissful thoughts were still left from his dreams. The same old crap. Again his goal for the day was to do whatever it took to get his mind to shut up, if only for a moment.
Then he remembered, today was no usual day, because last night was no usual night. He began to recover images from the night before. He remembered the amazing woman he met at that most unlikely of places. Events and conversation were a little fuzzy, but he knew enough to remember how the night had ended. Lorenzo was actually shocked remembering his stab at principle. Had he really said no? So he still had it in him to surprise himself. Still, he had no clue what to say to her today. "Oh hey, remember me? Sorry I kissed and ran, but you were coming on to me in your drunken state, so I decided to reject you and come today to make sure I reminded you in person." Lorenzo was sure she'd either be angry at him, or ashamed of what happened. He'd seen it before. Lorenzo wasn't much of a one-night stand person, but Luis had been in that kind of situation a lot. Luis told him the women he met were the kind who got really attached really quickly, or the kind who were immediately disgusted with themselves.
Lorenzo didn't know which would be worse. Did he prefer her to hate him, refusing to speak to him again, or to be so embarrassed that she was afraid to talk to him again? Either way, Lorenzo lost. He really did want to keep in contact with her. For the first time in ages he had something to look forward to. Something pleasant. In one night she had somehow changed his frame of mind, if just a little. Never had he gone to a bar and woken up reflecting on it the next morning. He knew he had to see her, even if he didn't have to get his car, which he did. The car was merely a convenient excuse. Lorenzo knew he wouldn't be able to leave without talking to her, even if she slapped him or shut the door in his face. Deciding to rely on instinct, he would just let his words come out as they may, refusing to think too much about it.
Lorenzo got up and walked into his spacious bathroom. Once upright, he felt a massive headache coming on. Reaching into his mirror cabinet, he pulled some extra strength painkillers and popped a few into his mouth. It would be a while, but he'd manage. Looking in the mirror he saw a rough, groggy, worn looking man, but otherwise unharmed. No cuts or bruises, blood or swollen anything. His jaw was a little sore, but there was nothing physically to indicate it, though he couldn't see everything with his unmanaged beard. With the wild, uncut hair he looked a bit more like a bum than he would have liked.
Getting undressed he stepped into his shower, letting the streaming water clean away real and imagined dirt and grime. Even if his face was undamaged, scars and bruises still marked his tan skin. He frowned, for the first time seeing them as a sign of weakness and contempt rather than medals and atonement. All this used to be beneath him.
Getting out, he picked out a nice dark gray suit. It was almost a dressy casual, and very comfortable. It was one of his favorites back when things like that had mattered to him. He smiled, feeling good having just that little feeling from his past back. What the hell did that woman do to him? After making himself as presentable as he was going to, he poured a glass of pure orange juice, instead of his usual Screwdriver. Once finished with that, he called for a cab, knowing he couldn't very well take one of his cars, obviously. If only he hadn't fired his driver.
The cab arrived, and about 45 minutes later he was in front of Niki's house again, only now it was daylight and his mind was clear enough to take in what it really looked like. It was a faint green two-story with a well-kept yard in a neighborhood full of similar ones. The houses were far apart, and big, leafy trees kept them in shade. To Lorenzo the neighborhood seemed a little desolate and abandoned, even if it was meticulously cared for. It reminded him of an episode of the Twilight Zone.
After paying the cab driver, he gathered his nerve and walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. There was no answer, so he knocked in case the bell wasn't working. Soon he thought she was either gone or avoiding him, and was about to leave, but finally he heard the door unlock. Slowly, Niki opened it and peered out cautiously.
"Good morning." He said cheerfully.
She half-smiled at him and opened the door all the way. She was wearing a long-sleeve, black velvet top along with loose leather-like pants. Her boots and jewelry were the same, only now she had on a silver necklace with a sparkling sapphire teardrop. Her make-up was classy like before, and her hair was down. He could now see that it was a couple inches below her shoulders and feathered.
"Good morning. I suppose you're here for the car."
"Yes, for the most part."
"Here, come in."
Stepping aside she let him in and gestured for him to sit down on her smaller sofa. She sat across from him and offered some coffee. For a moment neither of them spoke, unsure of how to begin the conversation. Finally Niki just sucked it up and began.
"Look, I just want to apologize for last night. My behavior was, unladylike to say the least. I usually don't have that much to drink, or someone coming home with me, for that matter. I acted like a hormone driven teenager, and I'm sorry for putting you in that situation." She got it out. The hard part was over.
"It's ok, I understand. Alcohol doesn't bring out the best in people. It wasn't a flaw in your judgment or character, so you don't have to apologize. Hell, I'm the one who kept you at the bar until we were swimming in booze."
"Nevertheless, I hate making a fool of myself or losing any kind of control. I guess a bar isn't really the place to be then huh?"
He chuckled as both felt some of the tension leaving the conversation.
"I did feel I had to apologize for my behavior, but that's not the only reason I asked you in."
Lorenzo's brows pushed together a little in confusion. What else would she need to tell him?
"Last night, even though I was willing and arguing for it, you still backed off. We were both drunk, but you somehow managed to keep me from making a slut of myself. Not everyone could of or would have done that. I don't know how to thank you."
The blush returned to her face and she looked down to the floor.
"Gee, you weren't that grateful the first time I tried to help." He joked.
She let out a little chuckle and turned to him.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that."
Smiling again, he continued warmly. "But seriously, there was no way I could have violated you like that, even if I knew I could have gotten away with it. I can't explain it, but I actually cared how you would feel the next morning, which is a strange thing for me to do. I don't know."
Lorenzo shook his head, unable to quite understand himself why he did what he did. He smiled softly as he looked into her less flustered eyes. They were silent for a moment, acknowledging what the other had said.
"I guess you'll want to be off now. I don't want to keep you from your day."
"My day's not all that important, but there are some things I have to take care of, and I'm sure you do too."
She nodded. "Yeah, there are a couple things on my list today. I wouldn't want to forget to mop or something."
They got up and she walked him to the door.
"Lorenzo, thank you again. For everything. It really means a lot to me, and if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."
"I'll keep that in mind, but don't worry about some kind of debt. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Cheesy huh?"
They laughed and he started walking back to his car.
"Niki?"
"Yes?"
"This may seem odd, and I'll understand if you decline, but I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to dinner this evening. I don't get much company and I discovered I rather enjoyed yours."
"Hmmm. Why not? That sounds like a good idea. I do have to eat eventually, and it would be nice to have some company."
"All right then. Around 7 maybe?"
"That'll work."
"Ok. I'll see you at 7."
With a smile he got into his car and left for home, wondering exactly what got into him. When was the last time he asked a woman out? Niki went back inside and dropped onto the couch. 'How odd', she thought. 'I haven't had anything to look forward to in a while. What is this man doing to me?' A grin played on her lips as she started planning the evening ahead in her mind.