CHAPTER FOUR

NICKS POV

Nick waited for the sounds of Jess' light footsteps to pass down the hallway before emerging from his room the next day. Waking early was not something Nick did but he had barley slept a wink after the events the previous night.

"You can't avoid her forever" He mumbled to himself as he left his room and went to go get himself some toast. Only he and Winston were left in the loft now, the other two had normal jobs unlike Nick who was a bar tender, and Winston who was virtually unemployed.

"Hey Nick." Winston greeted him as he took a place next to him on their 'L' shaped sofa.

"Did Jess seem, I don't know, angry to you this morning?" Nick frowned.

"Jess? Come on Nick, when is Jess ever angry?" He chuckled to himself. Nick had already told himself this thousands of times during his sleepless night. "This morning nobody really saw her much, she stayed in her room longer than usual and then left pretty much straight away." Winston mused. "I wonder if she remembered to replace the batteries in her alarm clock?" This time he was saying it to himself.

"Hmm." There was no way around it, Nick had to ask for a bystanders opinion. He took a bite out of his toast and slouched down on the couch. Stupid Nick, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He hadn't meant to listen into Jess' conversation, in fact he hadn't even realised she was in the shower. Maybe she was talking about a different Nick Miller? He had only gone in to brush his teeth, when he realised Jess was in there he couldn't leave, it was like he had been glued to the spot. If it wasn't for all of Schmidt's beauty products he wouldn't have been caught out. You haven't been caught out yet, dummy. She doesn't know it was you, you left before she could see.

"Winston can I urm, ask you something?" He would try to be as discrete and causal as possible.

"Yeah?" This was it, play it cool.

"Say you had this.. Friend. Any you heard this friend talking about.. About.." Nick wracked his brain for the right words to say. Don't give it away. "About how much she liked.. Gnomes-"

"Gnomes?"

"-and you yourself was a plastic gnome."

"Nick what are you talking about?" Winston was already confused but Nick continued to babble on.

"The thing is, you weren't supposed to hear what this.. Friend.. Was saying about gnomes, but you accidentally knocked over all of Schm-"Quickly he realised what he was about to say. "-anters fancy bottles of soap. So she, I mean the friend, knows that someone was listening but doesn't know who. What would you do?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Is this about a girl?" Had he given it away? "Are you telling me you heard someone taking about how much they like you by accident?"

"Well." Nick didn't know how to respond.

"And you like her too?-"

"Hold on a sec!" Nick cut in. "I never said anything about liking jess! I mean, not Jess, definitely not Jess. Pfft, shut up Winston you joker" He laughed nervously.

"Right." Winston paused. "So who is this girl then?"

"It's urm, it Yolanda.. Yolanda Winston." Nick really couldn't lie, but Winston would believe anything.

"Then you have to tell her Nick! Don't let her slip through your fingers. I mean look at you, when are you going to find another girl that likes you?"

"Hey!" But Winston was right, he had to tell Jess. He'd do it when she got back from work. "Thanks Winston, you're a great pal. Now let's go get you a new bedside lamp."

"I am not afraid of the dark!-"

"I didn't say you were you dummy." And with that they were up getting ready for today's adventure.