The next day Nina found herself downstairs in the bar with Gabriella cleaning the place up a bit.
It was usually a job for both she and the morning staff to do this; cleaning, restocking the bar and the back room. But with most of Estrella's Tavern's employees taking off for the summer that job was left to Nina and her aunt.
Nina looked at Sophie as she carried a box of peanuts into the back storage room and into the pantry relieved to see that the little girl was still sat at a table entertaining herself with a My Little Mermaid coloring book.
Nina knew that she needed to find the little girl a decent babysitter soon. Sophie obviously couldn't tag along with her to work during open hours at the bar.
Nina just prayed that she could find someone to work the hours she needed for the pay she could afford. She couldn't afford much given her finances.
Nina let out a huff her arms aching and burning as she placed the huge cardboard box down on top of another box.
They always tried to keep a wide variety of snacks to serve at the bar, but Nina wasn't sure how much longer they could afford to keep the place stocked with pretzels, peanuts, and chips. The tortilla chips and salsa might be homemade but they still had to buy ingredients and other food options.
It seemed that with each week they spent more than they made. If it kept up Nina was sure that Estrella's would find itself closing their doors forever.
She felt herself tense up as Gabriella walked up behind her her tongue making that obnoxious clicking sound Nina hated as she spoke. "You have a date tonight?"
"Yes I do." Nina replied keeping her statement short. To be honest she was still a little miffed with her aunt for going behind her back to talk to Chibs.
Yes it had all worked out in the end, but Nina was still irritated that Gabriella hadn't come to her first and at least given her the option of going to Chibs herself to tell him about Sophie.
She knew that Gabriella had only been trying to help, but it wasn't her place to tell Chibs the truth about Sophie.
Gabriella made that clicking noise once again as she spoke. "Do you have a babysitter for the florecita?"
"Filip is going to watch her. It'll give them a chance to spend some time together" Nina explained as she pretended to brush some nonexistent dust off a box of crunchy pretzels.
"Are you sure that's a good idea baby?" Gabriella asked a frown appearing on her face as she thought of this date of her niece's.
Nina turned to face her aunt her arms crossing over her chest as she spoke. "Of course it is. Sophie will be fine...She adores Filip. He's amazing with her...he's perfect actaully. Real sweet with her you know? He wants to build her a birdhouse. That way she can sort of have a pet bird without actually having a pet."
Gabriella shook her head spotting the look in her niece's eyes when she spoke of Chibs. The girl had it bad for the man and she was too damn hardheaded and insecure to tell him how she felt.
Gabriella tilted her head to the side clicking her tongue for the third time. "I don't mean him babysitting. I mean this date. Are you sure it's a good idea? Especially with Filip right there."
"It's fine tia. This Greg guy is nice...it's about time I started dating again. I mean it's been over a year since I've had a boyfriend. My last relationship was shit...I mean Sophie never took to the guy and he wasn't the dad type. It's time for me to find someone." Nina remarked her stomach rolling at the thought of this date.
Yes Greg Murrier was a seemingly nice man. He was certainly handsome; well educated, well dressed, an artist who was apparently successful.
Nina knew that she should be leaping with joy right now; going out on a date with such a good catch. She should be thrilled about going to this art show; being exposed to all the culture and elegance she'd dreamed of when she was young.
She just couldn't force herself to be excited about this though. As handsome, sweet, talented, and sophisticated as Greg Murrier was, he just didn't do it for Nina.
Nina knew who really did it for her; Chibs Telford.
No Chibs wasn't the refined suave artist that Greg seemed to be, but Chibs was still something quite special.
Chibs was Sophie's father. He was sweet and funny and quite charming in his own rugged way.
Though his past and his ties to SAMCRO worried Nina she couldn't find it in her to fear him.
He had a good heart. There was no denying this.
She could remember those words she'd overheard him saying to the night before last. They were sweet loving words. They were the words of a man with a heart of gold.
In a way Chibs was like a rough uncut gem. He was jagged and a little scratched but he was still stunning.
Greg was the shining polished diamond; gorgeous but not as remarkable as the abrasive gem that Chibs was.
Nina had never been this torn about a man before.
Her brain told her that she should pursue this relationship with Greg Murrier after all he was right for her on paper. But her heart told her that she should say screw what seemed right and go with Chibs.
Her brain of course was quick to remind her heart though that she wasn't even sure if Chibs saw her that way. Had he ever seen her as anything more than some conquest; a young pretty one night stand who'd been so willing to throw herself right at him.
Her mind made her heart too afraid to act on its own.
Her heart told her that this was all so simple; that she could just leave Sophie here with her aunt and drive herself over to TM Auto, that she could tell Chibs exactly how she felt and that he would feel the same. They could ride off into the sunset with Sophie by their side.
Her brain told her that this was impossible; that he would reject her and with his rejection would come pain and with that pain would come complications to their situation.
And Nina didn't think her heart could take that rejection. She knew for a fact that Sophie's heart couldn't take her mother being heartbroken by the very man she adored.
She hadn't been lying to Gabriella; Sophie did adore Chibs.
Sophie didn't fear the intimidating Son the way most children probably did. Sophie looked right past Chibs scars and the kutte on his back and looked right into his heart.
And Nina had found herself doing the same.
Nina knew that she was helpless in this entire situation. She was damned if she didn't and she was possibly damned if she did.
Gabriella let out a sigh spotting all the different emotions flashing behind her niece's eyes.
She moved forward placing a gentle hand on Nina's shoulder. "Why are you doing this to yourself baby? This isn't what you want."
"I don't know...I don't know what I want. I don't think I've known what I've wanted in a very long time." Nina admitted her guard dropping for a moment.
Gabriella gave Nina a sad soft smile as she spoke. "You know you have a choice don't you? You don't have to go out on this date if you don't want to...you could go to Filip and..."
Nina pulled away interrupting her aunt as she spoke. "I'm not going to chase after someone who doesn't even want me...someone who never wanted me to begin with. I can't be that kind of girl Tia. What kinda message would that send to Sophie?
Gabriella raised an eyebrow shaking her head as she responded. "And what kinda message are you sending her going out with a man you don't even like?"
Gabriella paused for a moment letting out a huff as she spoke again. "You're telling that little niña that it's okay to settle Nina. You're showing her that her momma is too afraid to go after what she wants."
Nina narrowed her eyes her temper flaring up as she realized that her tia was right. She spoke up not wanting to focus on this truth. "I'm not afraid...I just know what's best for my daughter. And what's best for her is me not throwing myself at Filip like some idiot. What's best is me making sure that this entire situation stays as simple as possible."
"Nothing worth having in life is ever simple baby." Gabriella replied her heart aching knowing that Nina was depriving herself of this chance of happiness; a chance of love.
Nina ran her hands through her hair letting out a shaky sigh as she struggled not to give into the sudden need to cry. "I know tia...I can't have this though...I just can't."
Gabriella reached out spotting the tears brewing behind her niece's eyes. Nina pulled away from her aunt's embrace her guard going right back up the walls refusing to allow anyone through. "I have to go...I promised Soph we'd go out to lunch together...just me and her."
Gabriella let out a soft defeated sigh as her niece tore out of the backroom running far away from the truth.
She shook her head disappointed that Nina was shoving what she so badly needed away. Gabriella knew that sooner or later Nina would have to deal with the truth.
She just wanted her niece to find some happiness. Gabriella just wanted to make sure that both her neices were where they belonged before she left this life.
It was the only way she felt that she could leave this world; knowing that Nina and Sophie were with the a man who adored them.
Gabriella hadn't told her niece the truth about her health just yet. She didn't think Nina could handle it right now; when the woman was all alone with no one to lean on, no one to hold her hand and help her through her grief.
Gabriella believed that Chibs was the one her niece needed to lean on when the time came for the horrible truth to be revealed.
She knew that Nina would need someone strong someone who could take care of her and Sophie.
No Chibs Telford wasn't what Gabriella had ever pictured as a good match for her niece.
After all he was an outlaw there was no way of avoiding that truth. He had a messy past or at least that was what Gabriella guessed by the sight of those scars on his cheeks. He more than likely had a criminal record and that club of his was a menace in more ways than one.
She knew he was the right one though; he was half responsible for Sophie after all. He was good to the little girl and Gabriella could see that look of total adoration that swirled around behind his eyes at the sight of Nina.
Gabriella had seen him at the bar yesterday evening. She had seen the way he looked at Nina and Sophie like they were the most precious things in the universe to him; like they were the only things he could see.
Chibs cared about Nina more than the woman even realized. That made him good enough in Gabriella's eyes.
She shook her head knowing that she had to tell Nina about the Leukemia soon; she couldn't hide this horrible crushing disease from Nina forever.
Gabriella would be starting up chemo within a few weeks and she knew that once that began everyone would realize just what was wrong with her.
Gabriella spoke up her voice soft. "Oh my sweet stubborn niña. When will you stop pushing what's best for you away. When will you stop being so afraid?"
Chibs sat on Nina's couch beside Sophie his heart twisting and aching. He tried to keep his eyes focused on the coloring book Sophie was meticulously filling in with crayolas, and far off what was happening in Nina's bedroom.
This was the moment Chibs had been dreading since yesterday afternoon; sitting here waiting for the woman he was falling for to leave for a date with another man.
Chibs wanted to stop this; he needed to stop this. He had no idea how to even begin to do that though.
It wasn't as though he could just march straight into Nina's room and order her not to go out on this date with Greg Murrier.
That kind of behavior would more than likely earn him a hard slap on the face and a string of colorful expletives.
He knew that Nina wasn't the kind of woman who let anyone tell her what she could and couldn't do.
Yes there was always the option of him telling Nina just what he was feeling for her, Chibs knew this.
He knew however that this option held a huge risk of backfiring on him and creating a monster of a mess for everyone involved.
What would he do if he went to Nina and poured his heart out to her only to have her reject him.
What kind of night would that make for either of them; him heartbroken because she rebuffed his advances and her just plain weirded out by his decelerations of devotion.
Chibs knew that any disturbances between Nina and his relationship would blow back on Sophie. And he refused to allow the child to suffer because things were awkward between her parents.
So that left Chibs with no choice but to sit here with a broken heart and a cloud of jealousy hanging over him.
That would be bad enough if he didn't have to hide this jealousy and sorrow from Sophie. Because of Sophie Chibs had to glue a smile on his face and pretend that his heart wasn't cracking and disintegrating.
He took a deep breath telling himself that this entire date of Nina's was for the best.
Greg Murrier seemed like a decent guy. Greg was worldly and well dressed. He was an artist like Nina. He could connect with her creatively in ways that Chibs couldn't. After all Chibs couldn't even draw a straight line if he had a ruler. Not to mention Greg was conventional and safe.
Greg Murrier was the kind of man Sophie should be looking up to. He was a normal guy; a normal guy that could give Nina and Sophie the kind of life they deserved.
Chibs grimaced at this thought. No Chibs wasn't going to tell himself that Greg was better for his family than him.
Nina and Sophie were his and though Chibs knew that he wasn't the most moral traditional man on the planet, he still knew that he was better for his girls than any other man on this earth.
He wasn't going let some high class bastard come on in and take his girls.
Another crack ran through his heart as Nina finally left her bedroom walking out into the living room. Chibs swallowed the lump in the back of his throat realizing that Nina looked mouthwatering.
She was wearing a curve hugging red cocktail dress. It was made of a thick lacy material and had short capped sleeves. It showed both her full cleavage and her shapely legs off. She'd worn a pair of strappy matching red Mary-Jane pumps that stuck out against her black stockings.
Her hair was pulled up into a high twisted bun and she'd worn her makeup a bit darker wearing red lipstick and cat-eye eyeliner.
She'd topped the look off with a simple charm style necklace; a silver chain with matching little stars hanging from it.
Chibs felt those cracks in his heart spread as Sophie spoke up completely oblivious of any awkward tension between her mother and their friend Filip. "Momma you look pretty, like a princess. Doesn't she look like a princess Filip?"
Chibs felt his throat tighten up as he stared from Sophie to Nina. "Aye she does...she looks like better than a princess...she looks like a queen."
Nina felt her cheeks flush at this statement. She felt her blush grow even redder at the way Chibs' eyes scanned her body. It was obvious that he was undressing her with his eyes; imagining the smooth skin that lie below that dress of hers.
She shook the lust in his eyes off telling herself that it meant nothing. He was just a man and he was reacting the way a man reacted at the sight of an attractive woman in a dress.
Nina felt more than a little nervous about tonight. She was conflicted about this entire date.
On one hand she knew it was time for her to get back into the dating hand, Not to mention she was delighted by the idea of going to an actual art show in a gallery.
On the other hand she just wasn't attracted to Greg Murrier. She didn't get butterflies in her stomach at the thought of him. She didn't imagine how good his lips would feel against her skin. Greg didn't make her heart dance the way Chibs did.
Chibs felt his heart begin to crumble at the sight of Nina standing there like this; looking so gorgeous. He couldn't let her go out, he couldn't allow that Greg prick to see Nina looking this sexy.
He had to put a stop to this.
Chibs stood up from the sofa making his way over to Nina. He stood in front of her it taking everything within him to resist just kissing her as he spoke up. "I have ta talk to ya."
Nina frowned up at him her heart beating a mile a second. Was he doing what she hoped he was doing?
He paused his cracked heart slamming in his chest as struggled to gather his thoughts all together. "The thing is I-I...Well tha thing is I don't want...I have ta ask ya somethin..."
He was interrupted by the sound of the door bell ringing. Both Chibs and Nina turned to face the door Chibs' heart sinking and Nina's twisting in disappointment.
"What were you going to ask?" Nina blurted out praying that he would just spit whatever it was out.
She toyed with the closure to the silver and gold evening bag she was holding praying to anyone up there listening that Chibs was going to just blurt out everything her heart had been screaming at her for days now.
Chibs let out a shaky sigh his eyes staring at the door knowing just who was on the other side of it. He glanced back at Sophie who was staring at a commercial for some kids looming kit on the television.
This wasn't the time to do this; Chibs told himself.
He couldn't just tell a woman that he was crazy about her with her date waiting on the other side of the door and their daughter sitting right on the sofa to hear this conversation.
Chibs pushed back all the words he wanted to say to Nina back down inside of him as he spoke lying. "I was jus goin to ask ya when the wee love's bedtime was again...eight thirty righ?"
Nina tried not to allow herself to visibly deflate at his words. She pasted a tight smile on her face as she spoke. "Yeah eight thirty right on the dot. She already had her bath this afternoon so there's no need to bother with that...What are you two going to do tonight?"
"Probably order a pizza...maybe play a board game." Chibs explained hand hand reaching up to rub his neck as he felt a headache sneaking up his neck to his head.
Nina nodded her head her heat plummeting more as the doorbell rang. "That sounds fun."
She bit the inside of her cheek resisting the urge to open her front door and announce to Greg Murrier that she didn't' want to go anywhere with him; that she wanted to stay here with her daughter and Chibs; that she would rather eat pizza and play board games than go to some snooty art show.
She shoved away this desire as she walked away from Chibs choosing to answer the door.
Chibs clinched his fists at the sight of Greg Murrier dressed up in a dark pair of slacks, a spotless black dress shirt and those stupid leather loafers.
Chibs knew he looked like a mess compared to Greg. He'd worn a pair of jeans that still held an oil stain from work on the knee, a dark blue hoodie over a black shirt, his boots, and his kutte of course.
Chibs clinched his jaw as Greg spotted him and allowed his eyes to scan him so clearly judging the dirty biker babysitter.
He resisted the urge to punch Greg right in the face and break those stupid designer glasses of his as the man turned his eyes to Nina obviously admiring her form. "You look amazing."
"Thank you." Nina replied resisting the urge to show how underwhelmed she truly felt about this entire date.
She couldn't help but to want to scream as loud as she possibly could. She wanted to screech and let every single frustration she felt about this entire situation out.
Had Chibs been ready to stop her from going out with Greg before the doorbell had rang? Did he want her? If he wanted her why didn't he just grow a pair and say something?
Then again why couldn't she just grow a pair herself and say something?
Oh yeah because she was a coward, Nina realized.
She was a stupid insecure coward and now she was going out with a man who she felt nothing for and leaving a man who she felt everything for behind with their daughter.
She did her best to ignore her disappointments and frustrations as Sophie made her way over to her her little arms wrapping around her mother. "I love you momma."
Nina ran her hand through Sophie's dark curls as she spoke up trying hard to hide how she felt at the moment from the girl. "I love you too Soph. Be good for Filip."
"She'll be great lass...we'll be great. Have fun." Chibs blurted out wanting nothing more than to drop down to his knees and beg her not to go anywhere with Greg.
For Christs sake the prick couldn't even come inside and introduce himself to his date's daughter, Chibs thought to himself.
Then again he had a feeling if Greg came inside and even so much as put a fingertip on Sophie Chibs knew he'd not be able to stop himself from punching the man.
Sophie was his, not Greg's. Chibs knew that this thought was immature, but he was already having to share Nina with the man, he wasn't sharing his little girl.
Chibs felt his heart crumble to pieces as Nina walked out the door her arm linking with Greg's.
There she went, he realized. And there went his chance to make her his.
Greg Murrier didn't speak until they had pulled far away from Nina's apartment above Estrella's Tavern. "Strange babysitter you've picked."
Nina bit the inside of her cheek hard telling herself not to take offense to this comment. Greg didn't know the truth about Chibs.
She cringed though at this little comment. She knew what Greg was thinking; that she'd left her daughter with some scary looking greasy biker.
She adjusted the seat-belt as she spoke. "He's Sophie's...my daughter's father."
"Really? You don't seem the type." Greg blurted out raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at Nina.
She bit down on her cheek again mentally pouring water over her blazing temper. "Meaning?"
He cleared his throat realizing that he'd offended her. "I mean you don't seem like the type of girl who's into a guy like that. I mean most of the girls around Charming that gravitate towards those biker types are...well their a little trashy."
Nina took a deep breath telling herself that he wasn't calling her trash. No need to pull the claws out she told herself. "It's a long story...a long complicated story."
Greg raised an eyebrow realizing that this conversation was over.
He cleared his throat again thankfully changing the subject. "So you said you went to school for art?"
"Yeah. I went to school out in Stockton. I was an art major. I had to quit though. Sophie came along and I needed to put my focus on her. I tried going back to school when I lived in Miami but I just couldn't get back into it." Nina explained not helping but to feel as though Greg was judging every word that left her mouth.
What did he think of her, she wondered; a trashy wannabe artist with a biker baby-daddy.
"So you own the bar?" Greg asked thankfully not spitting out some subtly judgmental comment.
Nina nodded her head her stomach rolling and churning. This date so sucked so far. "Yeah...well my tia runs the bar. I came back to Charming to help her out with it. I haven't been back in town for long. It's different from Miami."
"I can imagine. Miami sounds gorgeous. Not much of an art scene though." Greg replied his eyes on the road.
Nina twisted her lips tempted to tell Greg that yes there was an art scene in Miami. She had been to a gallery in Miami had she'd seen it all herself. Not to mention there was a huge folk art scene right out on the streets. You just had to know where you were looking.
Saying that there wasn't an art scene there was a misinformed ridiculous statement.
She held this comment in though knowing that it was rude.
She changed the subject not wanting to feed into her temper or her irritations. "So this is your friend's art show?"
Greg nodded his head his voice holding a somewhat pompous tone to it. "Yes her name is Dasha...well actually it's Stephanie Lawson, but she's taken the stage name Dasha. She paints huge surrealist pieces. She's a gift to the art scene around here. I'm hoping I can get her into my gallery as soon as we open."
"When is your gallery opening? I used to take Sophie to the gallery in Miami. She really loved it." Nina asked trying to hold in a comment on how arrogant this Dasha woman sounded to her.
"Within a few months. It's so hard to find good contractors. The last crew I hired to renovate the place turned out to be incompetent. I don't know that children have a place in that type of environment. You know how destructive kids can be...I mean they have no impulse control. I'm always afraid that someone is going to bring their kid near one of my pieces and they'll destroy it...I'm quite the collector. I just bought a rare Faberge egg. It's glorious. I should show it to you sometime." Greg remarked completely unaware at the way Nina's eyes had darkened at the kid statement.
Nina took a deep breath finding it harder and harder to keep a lid on her irriation. She felt the thoughts rolling through her head great Greg was a snob and intolerant towards kids?
Could this get any worse?
Nina clinched her jaw trying not to show her revolt as Greg wrapped an arm around her leading her through the gallery like she was arm candy.
She was seriously regretting ever answering her front door right about now.
Greg led her over to a group of well dressed people. Nina automatically felt like her clearance cocktail mini dress was a garbage bag around these people.
Greg spoke giving a thin elegant looking blonde woman in a tight black dress a kiss on the cheek as he spoke. "Nina this is Dasha. Dasha this is my date Nina."
Dasha let her eyes scan over Nina a look of smug evaluation on her face.
Nina quickly found herself feeling like a plain jane in front of Dasha. The woman was tall and so perfect. She looked like she should be walking a runway somewhere in Paris and not standing here in some gallery.
Dasha was wearing an expensive looking pearl and ruby necklace around her swan-like neck and wearing an equally expensive perfume and silky dress.
Dasha spoke her French accent so fake sounding. "Enchante."
Nina raised an eyebrow as Dasha pulled Greg away from her her thin arm linking with his as she spoke to him. "You have to see this sculpture. It's marvelous."
Nina couldn't help but to feel mildly relieved as Greg was lead away from her by the somewhat bitchy woman.
Nina wasn't too relieved to be left with Dasha's friends though. A plump man with purple spiked hair spoke to her over his glass of champagne. "So are you an artist Dina?"
"It's Nina...and yes I am." Nina replied keeping her distaste for these people to herself.
Her tia had raised her to be polite and she wasn't going to be a disappointment.
"Oh have you been featured anywhere? I attend all these shows. Maybe I've seen your work" The purple haired man spoke.
Nina felt guilty as she realized that with his purple hair and plum suit the man looked like a giant grape. She couldn't help but to make the comparison no matter how childish it felt.
She shook her head feeling incompetent in front of him no matter how silly he looked. "No. I haven't done anything in a while. I'm focusing on my bar right now...I guess I've lost my muse."
"How unfortunate." The woman standing beside him remarked adding into the conversation.
Nina resisted the desire to punch the snooty woman in the face until her nose bled to match the red jumpsuit she was wearing.
"Well we all have to have day jobs I suppose." The grape-like man remarked a smirk on his face as he took a sip from his champagne glass.
Nina clinched her fist taking a deep breath as she spoke. "I'm going to the ladies room."
She was more than happy to pull away from the presumptuous group.
They reminded Nina of the wealthier kids she'd taken her art classes with in college; rich, arrogant kids who thought that they were the next Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso.
Those types of people made Nina so angry. They were the types who intimated less skilled artists and made them feel like utter shit. They were the types who made her want to scream.
Nina had no use for arrogant people. She preferred to keep snobs far out of her life.
She walked around the large gallery her eyes taking in the different pieces. The solace actually being the first relaxing moment she'd had all night long.
Nina almost wished that Chibs was here with her right now. She could imagine him walking beside her his hand in hers as he tolerated her gawking at the artwork. She imagined that he'd put up with her getting all geeky about the painting and sculptures and at least pretending to be as interested as her.
She imagined that Chibs would have never tolerated anyone speaking to her the way Dasha and her friends had.
She let out a sigh wishing now more than ever that she'd stayed at home with him. She would have loved to get out of this dress and into some yoga pants and a tank top. She would have loved to be dining on pizza and soda right now instead of champagne and complex little appetizers.
This entire date had been one gigantic mistake.
She aimlessly roamed the gallery her mind focusing on this fact.
Nina finally reached an empty closed off part of the gallery. She was sure that she wasn't supposed to be back here, after all she'd had to go through closed doors to reach this area.
She stared up at a large painting of a colorful voluptuous nude woman surrounded by flowers. She had to be entranced by the detail in the painting. She loved high detail works and she absolutely loved when a painting had thick texture to it.
She knew it was strange but she'd always found textured paintings somewhat satisfying; the thick paint. She always had the overwhelming desire to run her hands along these paintings; taking in the rise and falls of the paint, the feel of it all.
She almost jumped out of skin as a voice spoke up behind her. "There you are."
Nina turned her stomach rolling as she spotted Greg holding two flutes of champagne. She had been enjoying being alone.
He handed her a drink as he spoke a flirty tone to his voice. "We aren't supposed to be back here. It's okay though. No one will be the wiser."
Nina nodded her head giving him a tight smile as she took a sip of her champagne. She turned back to look at the art hoping that she could regain that entranced feeling she'd been locked in before Greg had shown up.
She tensed as Greg stood behind her one of his hands reaching down to caress her side. He ran his hand along her curves caressing her as he spoke. "Isn't this painting divine? It's so sensual; a woman surrounded by roses trying to entice you with her body?"
Nina frowned not seeing the painting as being sexy at all. "I kind of thought it was more about her womanhood...I mean the roses you know? They maybe represent her womanhood. It's about her being comfortable with her body...even though it's not thin or really societies idea of beauty. She's sort of just showing who she is. That she's not ashamed."
"I didn't take you for one of those feminist types." he responded his voice still holding that smug little tone to it.
Nina shrugged her shoulders her jaw clinching even tighter. "What if I was? I don't think there's anything wrong with a woman expressing herself."
"Of course not. I like a vocal woman." Greg replied his hand running along her hip.
Nina felt her defenses go on high alert as Greg brushed his lips along her exposed back. He ran his hand long the zipper to her dress toying with it as he spoke. "I would love to paint you. A body like yours should be immortalized in one of my works."
She yanked away from him turning to face him as she spoke. "I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. In fact I don't think I'm comfortable with anything that's happened tonight."
He gave her a smirk as he spoke. "I didn't think you were a prude. I mean look at your daughter's dad?"
Nina glared at him her grip on her champagne flute tightening. "And what does that mean?"
"Don't act so modest. I mean you obviously don't have high standards to have fucked a freakshow like biker boy. I mean what is it? Do you have some bad boy thing, or maybe it's a scar fetish?" He remarked his words thick and cruel as he reached up running his fingertips along his cheek right where Chibs' scars lie.
And with that Nina threw her champagne in Greg's face her beverage soaking him. She spoke as he let out a surprised grunt. "Fuck you asshole. Filip is far more attractive than you could ever be...both inside and out."
She began to walk away speaking to Greg once again as he took of his glasses and began to wipe them clean with his shirt. "Oh and by the way your friends are huge jerks...like the biggest douches on the planet. And Miami has an incredible art world. The only reason you aren't there is because you're an untalented hack and you couldn't make it anywhere where you'd be surrounded by real artists. You couldn't compete. You're a big pathetic fish in a little pond"
Nina resisted the urge to flip him off knowing that it would be pushing her little speech into being immature.
She was grateful that she hadn't worn a coat since it gave her the ability to leave the gallery without stopping to retrieve anything.
Nina walked for a long while holding her purse tight against her body as she realized that it probably wasn't very bright to be walking along dressed in a mini dress out in the dark. Not to mention this neighborhood didn't look all that safe to her.
She also realized that her eyes had begun to water. She felt stupid for the tears.
It was just that this entire night had been one gigantic letdown after another. Greg and his idiot snotty friends had made Nina feel dumb.
They'd seen her as nothing more than some trashy bartender. And Greg had seen her as an easy lay.
She ran to the safety of a phone booth closing herself in as she began to fumble through her purse for her cell phone.
She let out a sigh as she finally located it. She knew that she couldn't call her tia. What would she say to the woman after she'd run away from her this afternoon?
Nina knew that she hadn't made any friends here in Charming. She had been letting the walls she had inside of her push everyone but Sophie far away.
Nina knew that this left only one man. She found his number in her contacts it not taking long for him to pick up. Nina spoke her voice revealing just how disappointed and sad she felt. "Filip. I need you please."
Chibs' night had been stressful for him. He had thankfully done well hiding this tension from Sophie.
Despite his calm demeanor all he could think about was Nina and what she was possibly doing on her date. Was Greg Murrier kissing her? Was she kissing him? Were his hands tracing her soft skin? Was she arching against him soft sighs escaping her lips as he ran his lips along her body?
The thought made Chibs want to puke.
He had pushed away these thoughts putting all his focus on Sophie. He knew if he let himself get too caught up in these thoughts he would go crazy with jealousy and regret.
Chibs had focused on spending time with his little girl allowing everything else to take a backseat.
He had ordered a big pepperoni pizza for the Sophie and he. They'd eaten in front of the tv watching cartoons and he'd put the leftover pizza slices in Nina's fridge. After they'd eaten he had played a kid friendly board game with Sophie; something called Candyland.
The board game was unfamiliar to Chibs and it was quite girly. He was pretty sure the only way he'd ever play the girly board game again was with Sophie.
He had just managed to get Sophie to bed after reading Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham to her, when his cell phone had began to ring. His heart descended as Nina's voice appeared on the other end of the phone. "I need you please."
"What's wrong lass?" Chibs blurted out hating the defeat in her voice.
Something horrible had happened. He cursed himself for not stopping her from going on that damn date when he'd had the opportunity.
Nina let out a shaky sigh her tears becoming more apparent. "I...he made me feel so stupid. He just thought I was some easy lay. He's an asshole. I left the gallery and now I don't have a way to get home. I have no one else I can call. Can you please just take Sophie to my tia's house and pick me up...I don't want Sophie to see me and have questions. I think I'm in a bad part of town...all I can see is a gas station and some liquor store...Lukie's Liquor. I'm in a phone booth right now."
Chibs felt himself becoming livid at the thought of Greg Murrier treating Nina so badly. He pushed back his anger as he spoke. "Aye I know where that is. I'll be there before ya know it. Jus stay in the phone booth. What's yer aunt's address?"
He scribbled down the address she rattled off to him reluctantly hanging up the phone.
Chibs made his way to Sophie's room ready to retrieve the sleeping girl and take her to her aunt's house before he went to Nina.
Chibs took a deep breath feeling the rage swirling around within him. He knew that the second he saw Greg Murrier he'd give the man that punch he'd been holding in all night.
Nina let out a shaky relieved gasp as her Ford Focus pulled up. She'd almost feared that Chibs would chose to take his motorcycle, though she knew the idea wasn't plausible considering he'd had to take Sophie by Gabriella's before he came to her rescue.
Nina didn't exit the phone booth until Chibs had approached her. She pushed all defenses off of her as she fell against his arms her body shaking with both anger and sorrow.
She spoke up as Chibs wrapped his arms around her holding her close. "I'm such an idiot."
"No yer not lass. Yer not an idiot." Chibs stated unable to stop himself from pressing a kiss to the top of her head her elegant updo had come undone and it was a giant mess at the moment.
"They made me feel like garbage." She blurted out her face twisting into a sneer as she thought of Dasha and her friends.
She spoke again the sneer intensifying. "Greg acted like I'm some sort of whore...Like I was just going to sleep with him when he asked. He was so cruel."
Chibs pulled away from her his eyes darkening a dangerous tone appearing in his voice. "Where is tha prick?"
Nina shook her head taking his hand in hers and pulling her back towards her. "Don't...okay please...He isn't worth any of it."
Chibs let out a heavy huff his eyes still darkened even as he turned to look back at her. "He treated ya like trash. He deserves a black eye love."
She gave him a tight smile not helping but to agree with him. "Just save it for another day...I was stupid to think he'd ever want something more from me."
Chibs felt his heart sink once again for the millionth time tonight, at those words. "Why'd ya say somethin like that Nina?"
Nina shook her head her voice so bitter. "Look at me Filip...I mean christ I'm nothing. I'm a failed artist who hasn't had a boyfriend in almost over a year now. I dropped out of school...my last job was cleaning rich people's houses."
"That doesn't make ya nothin Nina. Yer amazin. Yer sweet, gorgeous, kind, yer an amazin ma." Chibs blurted out his heart twisting at the way she talked about herself.
How could she ever believe that she was nothing?
Nina let out a huff her voice still bitter as she spoke. "If I'm so damn amazing why doesn't anyone want me?...I mean you're saying all these things about me, praising me and you didn't even want me."
Chibs let out a breath he hadn't realized he was even holding in. He pulled her against him his arms wrapping around her as he spoke. "I never said I didn't want ya."
"You left though...You left without saying a word. And then you moved on just like that...I saw the blonde woman all over you that day." Nina remarked her eyes still watering.
What did he mean that he never said he didn't want her? He hadn't had to say it, he'd shown her that he didn't want her by leaving.
Chibs sighed knowing that it was time to be blunt with her. The truth will set you free right? "I left because I'm a fuckin idiot...I looked at ya and I saw how amazin ya are...how talented and stunning and I knew that I wasn't good nough fer ya. I knew I'd jus ruin yer life so I left. As fer the blonde ya saw me with...well I'm an idiot fer that too...I thought I could jus move on from ya, but ya latched on to me lass."
He paused his throat growing tight as he spoke again pouring his heart out to her completely and fully. "Ya had such a hold on me Nina...No one had that kinda effect on me in so long...I was terrified...ya had a hold on me that quick, what was it goin to be like in a few months? In a year? I was scared and I ran...I didn't think about how me runnin away like a fool would effect ya."
Nina let out a soft sigh his words hitting her hard. He thought he wasn't good enough for her? He had run because he was afraid? "You could have let me be the one to decide rather you were good enough for me or not."
He shook his head speaking again. "Aye I know. I've been kickin myself ever since that day...I coulda had the world with ya and Sophie and I ruined it, jus like I ruin everythin good in me life. And now it's too damn late to fix it."
"You didn't ruin it...Maybe it isn't too late." Nina replied her eyes staring into his.
Chibs let out a sigh shocked at what she was saying. She wanted him?
He leaned in whispering in her ear the phrase he'd been practicing for days now. The phrase he'd looked up online just for her. "Eres hermosa. Te adoro."
Nina let out a soft gasp at his words. She stared up at him lost as to what she could say to that; it was so sweet, so perfect.
He coughed fearing that her silence meant the worse. Maybe he's screwed up his translations. After all he didn't speak Spanish. "I didn't say somethin nasty bout yer grandma righ?"
Nina let out a laugh shaking her head. She spoke up smiling at him. "Eres perfecto querido."
Chibs raised an eyebrow not understanding her statement. He'd only looked up that those two phrases on google.
Nina let out another laugh. "I'm taking it you used Google to figure out those firs statements."
"Aye." Chibs replied returning her laughter.
As their laughs died down he found himself staring back down at her so lost in her eyes.
He decided to take a leap of faith knowing that he couldn't hold this back any longer as he leaned down his lips brushing against hers experimentally.
Nina let out a gasp at the feel of his lips against hers. It was as though there was a spark between them. She guessed this was those fireworks people were always talking about when it came to kissing.
She deepened the kiss her hand reaching up to rest upon his cheek tracing the one of the scars Greg had so carelessly made fun of.
They finally pulled apart as it began to sprinkle a storm rolling in.
"You want me?" Nina asked though she already knew the answer.
Chibs smiled down at her not caring if the sprinkles had turned into a steady rain. "Aye I do. If ya'll have me."
Nina answered him by pressing her lips back to his.
And for the second time in Chibs' life he found a reason to love the rain.
Reviews? Constructive Criticism?
Florecita = (Spanish) Little Flower
Corazon= (Spanish) Darling; usually used for a child.
Eres Hermosa= (Spanish) You are beautiful
Te Adoro = (Spanish) I adore you
Eres Perfecto (Spanish) You're perfect.
Querido= (Spanish) Darling, Beloved.