Chapter Four
Abby stood in Nick's kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil so she could make them both some tea, she had insisted he sit down and take it easy for a while and that she would stay for a little bit. She added the tea bags and added both cups onto a tray with a saucer of milk and sugar cubes, as she walked into the living room she saw Nick reading a book on holiday destinations, Abby smiled he did deserve a holiday. Nick heard her come in and noticed the tray and smiled gratefully and offered a sit to Abby as she placed the tray onto his coffee table in front of the television give a cup to Nick and adding sugar to her own.
"Planning on going on holiday Nick?" Abby asked striking up conversation with the man.
"I'm not sure, I wouldn't mind on but with our job I doubt ill get the time" Nick replied. Abby nodded understanding what he meant, anomalies were always appearing at the worst times possible. Abby decided to swing the conversation towards Nick and Claudia, she always though there was something between those two and since witnessing that kiss back in the forest of dean she instantly knew something was going on.
"So you and Claudia, is something going on there or is it just your kissing partners?" Abby asked looking over the rim of her coffee cup. Nick almost choked on his coffee placing it down rapidly causing Abby to grin in amusement at Nick's reaction to her question, Nick relaxed back into his sofa before looking back at Abby.
"I don't know, I need to talk with her about that as its not the first time" Nick replied equally amused by Abby's surprised reaction. Nick saved her asking for more information and told her about the other kisses he and Claudia had shared together. Abby sat listening intently she was certain the two would end up together by the sounds of things, then Jessica came into her mind. Abby had seen the way Jessica looked at Nick the first moment they met and the envy that clearly shone in her features when she saw Claudia place her hand over Nick's back at Wimbledon.
"What about Jessica, its obvious she likes you I mean she gave Claudia some serious evil looks when she touched your hand" Abby asked Nick yet another question hoping to learn more about this thoughts. Nick pondered what Abby had told him, he had noticed the tension between Jessica and Claudia back at Wimbledon just before he went out to hard the stegosaur, Claudia's face had been full of worry when he smirked and said he what he was going to do.
"What about her" Nick replied.
"Well what do you think about her?" Abby asked him noticing he was slightly avoiding on the question. Nick looked up at her, he thought Jessica was a interesting woman, pretty and smart she was his type but he and Claudia were somewhat dancing around each other relationship wise. Abby seemed to read his mind. "Well its clear you have strong feelings for Claudia, I mean its obvious you both share the same feelings towards one another" Abby said calmly placing his cup down and giving Nick time to respond. Abby noticed a vibration in her pocket, it was her phone. Nick looked up quickly and noticed Abby reading something from her phone.
"The Cutter's going to kill me I told Claudia about how he talks about her a lot and she's asking me all these questions" Abby read the text aloud and suddenly froze when she realised she had. The look on Nick's face made her roar with laughter, his expression was full of horror which only made Abby succeed in falling from her chair laughing until it hurt on the floor. Nick noticed Abby laughing before slowly letting a smile form on his face, he was really going to kill Connor for telling Claudia that.
"Oh I'm sorry Nick, just Connor really is awful at keeping his mouth shut" Abby said after regaining her breathing at a steady level, but when she looked at Nick again the fits of giggles returned and once again she was holding her sides as she laughed. Nick's heard his phone ring and stood up to answer it, Abby fell silent as he picked up the phone and started speaking.
"Hello Nick Cutter speaking" Nick said in formal voice.
"Hi Nick its Jessica, listen I was wondering if you wanted to go out for a drink or something tomorrow night" Jessica said sweetly from the other end of the phone. Abby pulled a face as if to ask "Who is it". Nick mouthed that it was Jessica and Abby giggled slightly at the other woman's attempts to woo Nick when she knew Claudia was practically seeing him.
"I think me and Claudia are doing something tomorrow night Jess, sorry" Nick replied. Abby watched on, she was proud that he was being honest she didn't know if she could be honest so easily with a man like that.
"Oh well never mind sorry to brother I thought id just ask" Jessica replied.
"No problem you weren't to know, right I've got Abby over right now so I'm afraid I've got to go I speak to you tomorrow, bye" Nick said before placing the phone down back on its stand. He kept his eyes on the phone for a moment before looking back at Abby and smiled.
"Did she take it well?" Abby asked.
"As well as she could considering I mentioned Claudia, her voice wasn't so sweet after that" Nick chuckled, he and Abby chatted about various things from work to embarrassing moments in there lives. After Abby said she had to go Nick walked her to the front door.
"Thanks Abby for the lift I mean and the company" Nick said smiling to his younger colleague.
"No trouble at all Nick remember to take it easy" Abby replied and embraced him lightly as to not cause any pain to his shoulder. After she pulled away she smiled and waved before driving away presumably heading home and hopefully to kill Connor, Nick smiled at the last thought.
After watching Abby drive out of sight he had a sudden idea, he grabbed his mobile phone and shut the door behind him before locking it. He set off for his local shopping centre with a plan in mind. The walk took me about half an hour but he felt good getting the exercise for once, as he came to the shopping centre it was five in the evening giving him plenty of time to browse the shops for anything he needed. He had planned to move into somewhere smaller his house was much to big for him living on his own, also with the pay he was getting from both the university and anomaly project he was able to buy up market as he enjoyed doing.
"Ok here goes" Nick said before he began to look around the shops for his little plan he had cooked up.
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Nick opened his front door and stepped through holding a few bags of shopping, after locking his front door he walked into his kitchen and placed his bags on the tiled surface of his table. He placed various foods into his fridge and cupboards, just as he placed his keys into the bowl on his coffee table his phone rang once more.
"Nick Cutter speaking" Nick said after he picked up. The voice on the other end made him jump and give him the butterfly stomach.
"Hi Nick its Claudia, you asked me to call you earlier today" came Claudia's reply, Nick was suddenly very nervous about what Connor had told her.
"Ah Claudia Brown what are you doing at this moment in time?" Nick asked after checking the time which read quarter-past-six.
"I'm currently watching The Bill right now why?" Claudia asked.
"Have you eaten yet Claudia? Nick's stomach felt like it was going to burst every miller second felt an hour.
"Are you asking me to come over for dinner Professor Nick Cutter?" Claudia replied spelling out the obvious.
"Yes Claudia Brown I am, would you like to try my cooking? Nick asked with a smile on his face at the conversation.
"Ill be over shortly" Claudia replied before Nick placed the phone down and walking back into the kitchen to see what to cook. He could not wait.
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I enjoyed writing this chapter so I would love it if you reviewed. We will learn what happened to Stephen and some Nick/Claudia on the way soon. I also wanted to introduce I bit of Nick/Abby friendship because there's really not enough of it.
Please review makes me writer better and quicker honest
