PART 13
(Nicole's POV)
The two of us were sitting in the back of the car when I couldn't quite take the awkward silence anymore. "So, how is Mokuba doing?"
"He's alright. Why do you ask?" Kaiba replied looking over at me skeptically.
"No reason sir. I was just curious." I clarified looking down.
"I see." He whispered looking out the window on his side.
My attempt to make conversation seemed to crash and burn before my eyes. I was, once again, sitting right next to my boss with nothing to say. To lessen my suffering, I sat back, folded my hands together, set them in my lap, and stared out the window next to me.
"Nicole?" The sound of my first name startled me out of my la la land. How long has it been? If he hadn't been staring right at me when I looked back, I would have thought it was all in my imagination.
"Sir?" I was surprised that he used my first name. Wasn't it Japanese custom to call someone by their surname?
He just looked at me for several tense moments before shaking his head with a "Never mind."
Never mind?! Never?! Mind?! As if I needed another reason for my anxiety to spike through the darn roof.
"I-Is there something wrong?" I couldn't help but ask.
The question got him to turn his head quickly in my direction, "No. Nothing's wrong. I..." He paused to compose himself for a moment, "I... I was just wanting to tell you that I got the reports and results from the work you did last week. The fixes and tweaks you suggested was more than satisfactory."
"Oh?" I wasn't quite sure how to take the comment. He's giving you a compliment! You better friggin take it woman! "Thank you. It was a real challenge."
"It was," He nodded, "It's why I gave it to you. "
"Made 100% possible thanks to endless caffeine, a heavy dose of Panic!, and a pinch of FOB." I tried my best to joke, but the look I got in response told me it did not translate properly. Kaiba was stuck between a look of shock and sheer confusion. I bit my lip out of embarrassment and tried to think of the best way to just hide in the sand. Would I survive if I just rolled out of the car right now?
"I..." He seemed to clear his throat, "I don't think I heard that right? Did I? You said the job I gave you was helped by heavy emotional distress and shipping terms?"
Hearing his translation out loud only made the matters worse. I couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter. The laugh wasn't small either. It was one of the kinds of laughter where I was trying to catch my breath and I knew my ribs would be sore later. Kaiba's expression went through multiple phases. At first, he was confused. That morphed into a highly peeved look as if he were offended. Said look only made me laugh harder for some reason. To my embarrassment, a small snort escaped in the midst of the laughing fit. After a couple moments, Kaiba's stern stare faltered and I saw something I never thought I'd see, a grin. Next thing I knew, Kaiba was lightly laughing. He brought a hand up to his face as if in attempts to hide the expression, but I could see it in his eyes. He was laughing.
"I'm sorry! I'm soooooo sorry" I managed to get out in between laughing fits. "That was my fault! Um... Let me rephrase that."
Kaiba stayed silent as he seemed to pull himself together, but that glint of amusement was clear in his eyes.
"Not like, I'm losing my mind panic. I meant Panic, as in the band... The American band Panic! At the Disco. And FOB as in the American band Fall Out Boy. Not freight on board shipping terms! I meant music and how listening to music helped me work." I got a sudden surge of cringe that I could only cover my face with my right hand in attempts to hide the embarrassment and mutter to myself, "Oh gods. This is horrible. He thinks I'm insane."
It was to my surprise when I felt my hand being lightly pulled away. Kaiba made it a point to never interact in physical contact, but here he was taking hold of my hand. "It's funny that you assume I ever thought you were sane to begin with." He joked with a slight grin.
I shifted so my body was in his direction and leaned forward on my left arm "Look at who thinks he has the jokes now."
What I didn't expect was the car to make a turn right as I leaned over causing me to slip forward. I managed to reach out with my right hand and catch myself on the door right past Kaiba's shoulder which stopped me from falling right on top of him. What it didn't stop was my face landing right in front of his own. There was a surprised look in his eye as he too realized we were nose to nose. How was I going to get out of this? Here I was in the back of a car with my face only centimeters from my boss. Weren't there rules against things like this? Wasn't doing things with your employer greatly discouraged?
What are you going to do?! How are you going to play this off? Great! We can kiss our job goodbye! Phrasing! Damnit!
"Miss, we're here." I heard the driver announce. We had stopped?! This was my chance!
"Excuse me. I have to go." I whispered quickly pushing myself back and fleeing out of the vehicle like a bat out of hell.
I didn't even look back to watch the car pull away as I made my way to the soccer fields. What the hell just happened in that car? Did I just get that close to my boss? Kaiba would never consider that option, so why even fantasize? As far as I was concerned, Seto Kaiba still hated my guts, but he was acting more civilized due to my working for him. Focusing my thoughts, I regained my composure knowing I had a date up ahead.
"Hea doll, I was starting to wonder how long you would keep me waiting." Riley spoke up as I came into view.
"Sorry," I sighed, "Work was hectic."
"Understandable. You work for that slave driver Kaiba from what I hear. That much is to be expected." Riley joked wrapping his arm around my waist. It had been so long since I was with someone like this that I couldn't help but go red in the face. "You know," Riley whispered, "You look really cute when you blush like that." He lightly stroked the side of my face with his fingertips.
"R-really?" I stammered confused.
"Yeah, actually," he leaned in right up to me, "Now that I think about it, I'd say it's really sexy too." With that, he gave me another kiss. This one was very similar to the one in the hallway, but this time I had a chance to react and kiss him back. His lips were so warm I almost didn't want to part, but we had to. As if he heard my thoughts, he went right back to where he was, but this time I could feel his tongue grazing my lips. This made me somewhat uncomfortable. Sam was never this forward after we were together for a couple months, and here Riley was doing it right off the bat. Riley seemed to register my confusion, and backed off silently.
What in the word did I just get myself into?
"So, what do you want to do first?" Riley asked stepping away from me awkwardly.
I was somewhat lost. "Huh?"
"What should we do first," he laughed softly, "dinner or the tour?"
"Oh," I murmured, "I-I don't know. I guess dinner first. What did you have in mind?"
"Well, what are your likes? There's just about any type of food in Domino." Riley explained taking my hand and pulling me toward the parking lot.
"I do like Italian food, and it's been a while since I've had any." I thought out loud following him to what I assumed would be his car.
"Italian it is then!" He smiled at me. "Just your luck, doll, I know just the place."
"Really?" I asked as the two of us stopped next to a dark Mustang, but it was too dark to make out the year.
"I do," he smirked unlocking the driver's door, "get in."
I complied to the blonde's orders and climbed into the passenger's seat getting myself settled just before he threw the beast in gear and zoomed off into the city.
"Do you like rock?" he asked as one of his hands flipped threw a set of CDs in the arm rest next to him.
"Yeah.." I replied looking over at him.
"I figured as much." He smirked looking at me briefly before looking down at the stack of CDs.
"Hea! Watch the road!" I ordered.
"Aw don't worry doll! I'm just fine." He smiled pulling out a CD and tossing it into the CD player. "Cold?" He asked looking over at me as he fiddled with a couple buttons on the radio.
"No, I feel just fine." I replied looking forward.
"No," he laughed looking back at the road, "The band. Do you like Cold?"
The question shocked me a little until I recognized the electric & bass guitar rift. "With my Mind? How the hell did you get that?" You asked.
"I played Psi Ops back in the day." He smirked.
"Well, I guess that makes sense." I muttered.
"Did you play as well?" He asked.
"No, but some friends of mine did." I replied mentally humming the vocals.
The two of us fell into silence just letting the music keep our attention. The music consumed my thoughts as I remembered back home with Mac & Sam. How were they? What were they up to? It had been eighteen months since I last saw them, so I wondered how the two may have changed. Thinking about them focused my thoughts onto the two girls that were in the same group. Had Sam and Alex finally gotten over their self-denial and gotten together? What had become of Mac and Taylor? Those were my friends. They were my family, and I was forced to leave them.
"Doll? Hea doll?" Riley spoke up shaking my shoulder.
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." I apologized sensing that the car had stopped.
"Yeah, we're here." He smirked getting out of the Mustang and running to my side to help me out.
"Where are we?" I asked stepping out of the car to find myself not in an area of the city I recognized.
"We're downtown. There's this little hole in the wall kind of place. Genuine Italian food. You've never had better." Riley boasted.
His claim made me give an internal scoff. Don't make a comment about being Italian. Don't make a comment about being Italian. The guy probably doesn't know better! I mentally scolded myself. I continued to make the mental note to hold all judgement until I actually tried said food.
The place was small and cute. There weren't many people around, so we were seated right away. Riley made sure that we got menus in English so it made the experience a little easier. To my surprise, the menu was better than I would have first guessed. This place had their menu in the normal multi-course layout seen in Italy. I was debating on if I should do an antipasti or a secondi with one of the primi options when Riley spoke up.
"So, I'm sure this thing looks a little 'weird'." He set his menu on the table in front of me, "But real Italian food is usually served with like five courses, but don't worry the portions are tiny. I can probably order for you if you don't know what to choose. I know some of the things on the menu might not make sense."
I tried my best not to laugh. "Don't worry, I think I can manage." I shrugged looking through the list.
"Buona Serata" The server announced as he approached the table.
He was foreign, like Riley and myself. It was hard to see in the dim lighting, but he seemed to be slightly darker than me with dark hair. It was hard to tell with just the greeting, but he might have had an accent.
"Buona Serata," Riley nodded, "Un momento por favor?"
I raised an eyebrow at the exchange. Is he trying to look impressive by imitating Italian? It was true the phrase was close, but I could spot that he was using Spanish instead of actual Italian. It was a common mistake made by multilingual people, especially those with Spanish backgrounds. I side-eyed the waiter who also looked at Riley with a raised brow.
"Si signore..."
"Gracias!" Riley nodded.
The waiter was about to turn in leave when I stepped in.
"Mi scusi signore!"
The waiter looked at me a little wide-eyed, "Si signora?"
"Acqua, per favore?"
The waiter paused for a moment and then smiled. "Si signora! Parla Italiano?"
"Si." I nodded.
"Un momento." he bowed to take his leave.
"Grazie."
With that I went back to debating my dinner choice.
Riley was quick to chime in with a. "What was that?"
"What was what?" I shrugged glancing up at him from the menu.
"You and the waiter." He pressed. I could hear a bit of an edge in his voice.
"I asked the waiter for some water. I'm parched."
"Are you telling me you speak Italian?!" He balked.
I looked at him with a serious glance, "Let's say I have family in Italy that I have visited on occasion and leave it at that?"
His mood suddenly changed and he grinned a half-smile "And when I thought you couldn't get more attractive."
"Well, it's nice you think so high of me already." I laughed lightly.
"What do you think about me then?" He questioned.
"I don't know. You did some research on me it seems, but I don't know a thing about you. Care to share?"
The waiter came back with my water and took Riley's drink as well as our dinner orders. Once he left, Riley went back to our conversation.
"So, I was born in Los Angeles, but I moved out here with my dad about five years ago when he launched his satellite office in the area."
"Satellite office?" I inquired.
"Yeah. Our family runs a semi-large publishing firm. Books, newspapers, and stuff like that. We took over as the main investors of a couple of the local papers through this region. My dad went back to LA about a year ago. I asked to stay here since I like it here and started sports and stuff."
"What about your mom?" I asked.
Now it was his turn to give me a serious glance, "Let's say she hasn't been around in a while and leave it at that?"
"I get it." I muttered looking down at my hands, "My parents separated eighteen months ago. The end is nigh for their marriage I feel."
"Who do you live with?" He questioned.
"I live with my mom. She worked a lot before she and dad split, but she's kicked it into overdrive the past year."
"My dad did the same. It's another reason I didn't mind staying back here. Sure, he misses all my matches and shit, but it's not like he was going to attend them anyway you know?"
I nodded in agreement. "So, soccer hm?"
That question got Riley started on a whole excited rant about Soccer as a game and a career for him. I just sat there and listened to every word letting him share everything he wanted from his early days of playing in kindergarten to his favorite pro players across the globe. He was finally out of soccer talk when we wrapped up the meal.
"I just realized that I have totally monopolized this dinner" Riley admitted as he pulled some cash out of his wallet and leaving it on the table.
Seeing him do this made me reach for my bag when I realized it wasn't there, "Well shit!" I muttered as I realized something important. I left my bags in Kaiba's car!
"What is it?" Riley asked pausing for a moment.
"My purse! I must have left it at work." I sighed. "I can't pay-"
"Last I checked," Riley interrupted taking hold of my hand and pulling me to my feet, "This is a date. Date means I pay for dinner Doll."
"You sure?" I asked.
"I'm sure! Besides, you let me drone on about my favorite sport for thirty minutes like a champ."
That made me laugh as we walked back to his car.
"Dinner is done, so how about I take you on a bit of a tour?"
"That would be great!" I smiled.
Riley drove around a good bit of the city pointing out some of the big things and giving what detail he could. After about 45 minutes, he pulled up to a large wooded space.
"What's this?"
"Domino Park. Think of Central Park in New York. It's a nice place with plenty to see, but we have to actually walk a little for it." He introduced as he got out of the car and came around helping me out as well. I took his hand and let him lead me around the park for a while. He had us stop in a little dark spot near a small shallow duck pond. At first there was nothing odd, but it was when he went to sit in the grass and pulled me down with him that I started to feel a little out of place.
"This is a nice quiet little spot don't you think?" There was something in his tone that implicated more than what I would think at first glance.
"Y-yeah. It's nice out here." I nodded as I felt my face burn up a little with nerves.
"You know, you are very irresistible when you blush like that." Riley pointed out slipping an arm around my waist pulling me right next to him.
What the hell! What is he doing?! I thought to yourself confused. I was about to speak up, but he quickly kissed me catching me off guard. I stiffened for a second before relaxing some. It had been so long since I had someone like this, so I just needed to get used to it again. When he silently asked for the kiss to progress to the next level, I allowed it without much resistance. He was so warm and soft against me. His hand softly made its way behind me running up to my back and to my waist again.
"You're so perfect." He whispered pulling away slightly.
Once again, I didn't have time to speak up before he began kissing me again. I were so caught up in it all, I didn't notice him move until I felt the grass tickling my neck where he had shifted me back. I went into a small panic once I noticed, and Riley must have noticed.
"Don't worry doll. We're taking it real slow. It's just more comfortable being here." He soothed.
I stayed there confused. I really wasn't sure what was happening or if I wanted it to happen. Riley was kissing me again like before, but this time his hands seemed to wander. It was innocent at first, but soon enough I felt one of his hands begin to make their way up the bottom of my skirt. That was my stopping point.
"No!" I scolded pushing him off of me.
"What? I wasn't doing anything wrong!" Riley retorted softly trying to get on top of me again.
"Hell yes you were! You don't go trying to get your hand up my skirt without my permission." I snapped.
"Oh, come on! What's so bad about it? Everybody does it. I'm surprised you haven't had your turn." Riley tried to persuade me.
"That's disgusting! I don't give a damn if everybody does it. I don't." I snapped getting up off the ground.
"Aww come on doll! I didn't mean it that way. I just thought you and I had something going that's all." Riley tried to apologize as he stood up with me.
"Really? And that has what to deal with the fact of you trying to get in my pants?" I scolded.
"Well, a little. I just feel you and I are on some special level. We both know haw the other feels on certain subjects like living here, our parents, and other things like that. I just thought the best was to express that feeling was to let you experience that with me." He tried to explain,
"No! Sex is not the way to do that you idiot! I wasn't born yesterday. I know the bullshit guys use to get a girl, and I'm surprised I didn't notice it before. Don't lie to me saying you care about me. I just met you! That's another reason this isn't happening. I don't know about your morals, but I don't sleep with someone I just met. Hell! I never slept with my boyfriend back home who I dated for several months! Now tell me, what makes you think you can get into my pants so easily?"
"You're a virgin?" Riley asked shocked.
"What's so shocking about that?! I claim the V-card! Unlike you, I practiced restraint when it came to physical desire." I snapped.
"Well, it's just I thought someone like you would have plenty of opportunities." Riley admitted.
"Is that all you think about? Sex?" I sighed rolling my eyes. It figured. The one guy I attracted had screwing me on the brain.
"You say it like it's a bad thing. Every guy thinks about sex doll." Riley pointed out setting his hands on my waist.
"Don't touch me!" I scolded hitting his hands away, "I think this date is over."
"Who said you could leave?" Riley snapped as his own anger began to show.
"I did! I wish to leave, so I'll leave if I please!" I countered turning to leave the area.
"Oh no you don't!" Riley countered as I felt him grasp my wrist yanking me back just hard enough to knock me off balance where I fell back on the grass.
"The fuck is wrong with you?!" I demanded going to get back up to my feet.
"No! Not until we talk this through!" Riley argued pushing me back down then getting on top of me again, but this time he grabbed my wrists to prevent me from pushing him.
"Get off me!" I demanded as I wiggled to get my waist free.
"Stop struggling! You're only making this harder for yourself!" Riley snapped forcing me on my back.
"Get the hell off me!" I growled as I stopped squirming hoping to assess any weakness in the blonde on top of me.
"I will. In due time doll. We just need to talk." Riley explained calming his own voice.
I could only glare at the guy who was on top of me. He had both of my wrists pinned, but I saw the loop hole.
"What is there to talk about asshole?" I asked planning the details of my escape.
"Well how about our current predicament. You don't want to leave just yet. We just got started in here. I told someone I'd take you all the way, and I plan on doing that." He explained leaning down so his face was right over my own. This was my chance.
"How about no!" I snapped thrusting my head forward head-butting him. This distracted his hands letting my own go free. I took this chance and pushed him as hard as I could off of me sending him rolling into the small duck pond. Without even assessing his state, I ran in any direction away from this place. I just had to get far away and maybe catch a bus or something. How? All of our money and our phone is in our purse! Which is in Kaiba's car! Can't catch a ride or call anyone!
"Get back here!" I heard Riley yell from right behind me.
"Just leave me the hell alone Jackson, and I won't press charges!" I snapped without looking back. Down side to being off path in a park, I was in my work heels! Heels and uneven ground do not mix! I lost my balance and nearly fell on my face but I caught myself before face planting into the ground. Downside, it gave Jackson time to catch up.
"Where do you think you're going Doll?" Jackson snapped gripping the collar of my shirt pulling me back. Next thing I knew, he had a wet hand around my neck pinning me against the tree behind me.
I quickly assessed my situation and let my self-defenses kick in. "Anywhere but here damnit!" Just like I was taught, I swung my arm down hard on the inside of his elbow which was weak enough to give in and release the grip around my neck. I quickly followed it up with a palm thrust to his jaw snapping his head up and knocking him off center. He reached for my shirt in a panic and got a good grip on my sleeve as he fell back. I managed to stay on my feet, but I felt the shoulder seam of my shirt give way and the top couple buttons at my chest popped off from the strain as I yanked my arm free.
With Riley down and stunned, I booked it for the nearby concrete path. I could pick up major traction and speed on even ground. Once I was on the concrete, I picked up as much speed as I could and put as much distance between Riley and myself. I made it to a little space where there were several pavilions and playground equipment. I checked my immediate surroundings and didn't see Riley anywhere. Not taking any chances, I quickly climbed up into the play set and found a hiding spot. If I could stay here and make 100% sure he didn't follow, I would figure out what to do next.
How the hell did this go so wrong so fast?! What am I going to do?!