Nikolas paced back and forth in his room, his gaze drifted to the the scattered clothes lying all over his room floor. Frustrated, he ran a through his hair before grabbing his phone and dialing Ricky's number. It rang three times before his friend finally picked up.
"Where the hell are you, man?" Nikolas hissed sharply, his voice laced with impatience.
"Whoa,slow down,Nick",Ricky's voice boomed through the phone speaker. "You know,it's not easy shopping for someone else, you know. And besides,you could have just come down here yourself.It'd be way easier than making me shop for you like you're a helpless kid." His tone now laced with annoyance.
Nikolas drew in a deep breath. "No, no. What if I run into her?"he said anxiously.
A heavy sigh came from the other end. "Really, Nick? It's a men's store. I don't think she's going to waltz in here looking for a suit. Honestly, i can't believe you're going crazy over a girl," Ricky said, amusement clear in his voice.
Nikolas tightened his jaw,he really wasn't in the mood to be teased. "You're my friend. Just do this for me, man," he pleaded,desperation now evident in his voice.
"Ugh… fine. Just give me thirty more minutes. You and your weird taste are making this way harder than it needs to be." Ricky hung up before Nikolas could argue.
Letting out a deep breath, Nikolas tossed his phone on the bed. He knew asking Ricky to shop for him wasn't the best idea, but lately, he hadn't been himself.
Ever since he had impulsively asked Selene to be his plus-one,under the guise of it being a business gathering, he had not been able to think straight. The days that followed after lunch,had been a whirlwind of emotions: anxiety, anticipation, and… way too much sweating. Since when did he sweat over a woman? What the hell is wrong with him?
Nikolas knew fully well that he has had his own fair share of beautiful women. In fact, before his father died he had been with women far more stunning than Selene,before finally deciding to take life more seriously. So what was it about her that made him behave and feel like some dumb high school kid with a crush?What is it about her that made him want to lose his self control every-time he saw her?
And now he had even resorted to avoiding her, always checking the hallways before stepping out of his office,just to make sure she wasn't there.like she was some kind of trap he was desperately trying to avoid.The other day he could have sworn he smelled the scent of her floral perfume,in his house!a place she had never been to before.
How had he suddenly gone from wanting to see her to now being terrified of what he might do if he actually did?
And now, with tomorrow being the night of the event, his brain had been working on full autopilot. He had left work early, barely minutes after receiving an email from Selene asking for permission to leave early as well, stating that she wanted to shop for an appropriate outfit and get some rest before the event.
The moment he confirmed with Helen that Selene had already left, he bolted from the office, eager to sort out his own suit for the night. Only to get home and,surprise!surprise! find nothing in his closet that seemed worthy. He had considered going to the store himself but quickly remembered that Selene was also out shopping.
Sure, the chances of them running into each other were slim. But Nikolas wasn't about to take that risk. So he had called Ricky,his best-friend. Who had just flown back into the country yesterday, to help him out.
And now here he was. Pacing his bedroom like a madman.
What the hell was it about Selene that made him act like a lunatic? Other than that nagging sense of familiarity that pulled at him every time he saw her.
He had way too much fun at lunch with her on Monday. Even now, the memory kept replaying in his head,her sitting across from him, her bright blue eyes lighting up whenever she talked about something she loved,the way her smile seemed to warm up his chest,he loved seeing her bright smile. The small sounds of satisfaction she made when she enjoyed her food.
Nikolas swallowed hard as his chest tightened.
Was he… falling for her?
"Nikolas! We're here to the rescue!"
The sound of his sister's loud, dramatic voice yanked him out of his thoughts.
Nikolas turned, eyes widening as he spotted Calista waltzing into his room through the door,both arms loaded with at least a dozen suits, with Ricky trailing behind her.
Finally able to formed the words"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Ricky, eyeing him. If looks could kill he would have been long dead.
"Hey, don't look at me," Ricky said, raising both hands up in defense. "She saw me at the store and practically drilled the information out of me. I honestly tried to stop her from coming, but, she wouldn't listen….you know how she is." He flopped sinking into the bed letting out an exhausted sigh.
Using his hands to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried controlling his the anger that had just erupted inside him. "What do you want, Calista?"Nikolas asked
His sister giggled as she dropped the suits onto the bed. "What? I came to help my big brother look good for his crush."
Nikolas stiffened,his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I do not have a crush on anyone."
Calista ignored him, her eyes scanning over his disaster of a room before smirking. "Man!You must really desperately want to impress her, judging from how you trashed your room looking for an outfit."
Ricky burst out laughing. "She's got a point, man."
"Shut up."
"Come on, Nick, it's okay to admit it." Ricky grinned. His eyes twinkling with amusement "Selene's hot. Like crazy hot .Honestly,i don't blame you. i would also have a crush on her is i were you". He said laying out on the bed,a wide grind plastered on his face. Looking way too relaxed for Nikolas' liking.
Nikolas scowled. "Watch it."
"Wait, wait, Selene? The new manager?" Calista asked. Her eyes bulged in shock.
Nikolas swallowed past the lump that had just formed on his throat. He knew telling Ricky was a bad idea.
"If you want to stay, you would have to keep your sassy mouth shut," he warned, his jaw tightened, shooting a dagger glare at his sister.
Calista pouted. "Come on… I just want to know about my brother's woman."
"Shut up!Selene is not my woman. She's my manager"
His sister just giggled and bolted behind Ricky as Nikolas grabbed a handful of clothes and threw them at her.
"Dude, let her be," Ricky laughed, shielding himself as another shoe came flying his way. "She's not wrong, though."
"I swear to God—"
"My woman, my manager… same thing," Calista said laughing, as she dashed out of the room before Nikolas could lunge at her.
"You better not come back here!" Nikolas yelled after her. As he heard the sound of front door swing open. Someone really need to put a lock on that girl's mouth.
He turned back his gaze landing on Ricky's face, swollen as though he was going to burst out laughing any moment from now.
"You better not even think about laughing," Nikolas warned.his face tightening "Or you're following her out."
But his warning fell on deaf ears, as Ricky lasted for just three seconds before bursting into laughter.
Nikolas groaned,his face reddened from embarrassment, he ignored him as he started browsing through the suits.
"So, you like the girl. Big deal," Ricky finally said once his laughter died down. "Give yourself a break, man. You haven't been with anyone since you broke up with Cassandra. It's normal to feel this way."
At the mention of Cassandra, Nikolas stiffened. His jaw clenched, shaking his head he bit back the retort that threatened to escape his lips as he said nothing. He wasn't going to let her ruin his mood today.
Today was about one thing: finding something that would make him look damn good.
Nikolas knew he was physically attractive,coupled with being a billionaire. He was every woman's dream,but he didn't care about other women.
He only wanted to be one woman's dream man: selene. And he was prepared to look that way for her as he held up a deep blue suit against his frame, checking himself out in the mirror.
"And speaking of Cassandra… I hear she and your cousin Austin will be at the event," Ricky said casually.
Nikolas abandoned the suit, eyes narrowing. "What? Where did you hear that?"
"My sources." Ricky shrugged. "Oh, and speaking of Austin, he has been seen with that Sterling Holdings guy. The one you told me to look into—"
"Frank Sterling," Nikolas muttered. He had asked Ricky to look into Sterling holdings deals,few minutes after Frank left his office.
Only for Ricky to inform him,about Sterling holdings being mixed up with several illegal dealings. Which immediately prompted Nikolas to send an email to Frank, stating clearly him that he would not be investing in his company.
So that was why Frank looked so smug and unbothered.
"Eh,i don't think it's anything to be worried about," Ricky said. "That Frank guy is just desperate. Probably using Austin to get more cash. Besides i heard he just got engaged so he definitely needs money."
Nikolas scoffed. "Worried? Please. The last person I'd be worried about is the CEO of a sinking ship." Turning his attention back to the mirror with another suit in hand.
But there was something about Austin being at the summit that bothered him.
Nikolas exhaled.
One thing was clear. If Austin was really going to play this game, he needed to be ready.
And the one thing holding him back now… was a wife.