Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Nikolas
After some deliberation and nonstop conversations with Defne and Mike, I decided to make the first move and confirm a date with Leyla. Just thinking about it had my palms sweating again.
Pretend date. Pretend date.
Somehow, my nervous system couldn’t distinguish between the two. Nearly a week after game night, I decided to take my shot. We were awaiting confirmation from an outside source on the sunscreen project, so I had an unusual hour free.
I had made several passes outside Leyla’s office in the last hour, spying through the glass for a chance to catch her off the phone. Nodding to a few people nearby, luckily busy at their computers, I was impressed with my stealthiness.
On another walk-by, I saw that she was still on the phone, her face stern as she spoke. After making sure Jaz was nowhere around, I let myself have a moment to just watch Leyla. She was so brilliant at her job, always commanding the room when she stepped in, yet understanding and kind when needed.
My head tilted, and I smiled as she rubbed her temples, making me wonder whether she needed more of the tea I’d brought her.
“See something you like?”
Jaz’s voice behind me caused me to drop the folder of papers I’d brought as a prop, my body jolting forward. I may have yelped like a little girl.
“Where did you come from?” I hissed, stooping to pick up the mess I’d made. The woman was barely five feet tall and wore heels that added another six inches, yet she apparently had cat-like abilities.
My heart was still in my throat when I stood to my full height, turned, and looked at her.
“Don’t answer my question with a question, science boy. Why are you creeping around my boss’s office?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
“I was waiting to see if she was available. I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d check.”
“Ehhhh,” she said loudly, her voice imitating a buzzer. “Try again. That’s the fifth time you’ve “happened” to pass by. Why don’t you email her and get on her schedule like everyone else?”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. She was so intimidating that I had been rendered speechless.
“Niko? Did you need something?” I swung around when I heard Leyla speak from her now-open office door.
Looking between the two women, I took a deep breath and said, “Yes, yes. I was wondering if you had a minute.”
Leyla looked at Jaz, who was chuckling as she sat at her desk, then back at me. “Okay, I’ve got about ten minutes. Come in.”
I followed her in, and when I shut the glass door, Jaz pointed two fingers at me, then back at her eyes, making me shudder. That woman was scary.
“Take a seat and tell me what’s on your mind,” she said, rolling down her silky sleeves and buttoning them around her wrists.
“Oh, well, nothing pressing,” I said, sitting down in the chair opposite her, nervously holding the folder in front of me like a shield.
“Something in there you wanted to show me?”
“This? No, no. I wanted to say thank you again for having me over the other night. I like your friends.”
She rolled her eyes but laughed. “It’s one of those ‘can’t live with them, can’t live without them’ deals. Sorry they got too nosy. I was worried they’d put you off with their antics.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No. I was a little nervous, but I enjoyed being there with all of you. Strangely, I didn’t really need my prepared topics. That doesn’t happen often when I meet new people.”
“That makes me so happy to hear. They really are the best people. They love wholly, without condition, and will do anything for me, including embarrassing me,” she said with a smile. “Mike looked like he had a good time, too.”
My smile diminished, but I hoped it wasn’t obvious. “Mike can have a good time with a light pole,” I said jovially, pushing down my unease with her mention of my best friend. The one who made her and all her friends laugh repeatedly. “He enjoyed meeting all of you.”
“Is he seeing anyone?”
My attempt to cover up my dismay at her question must not have been successful because she quickly added, “I only asked because the girls teased you about being able to bring someone to game night next time, but they hadn’t asked him.”
“Mike dates casually, but he hasn’t had a serious relationship in quite a while.” I watched for her reaction, but her face remained neutral.
She looked down and picked at her nail. “And you? Mike said you were interested in someone.”
“About that.”
Leyla looked up and waved her hand. “No, it’s okay. I’m not upset that you didn’t mention it to me when I offered to help you.” She cleared her throat and scratched her neck. I wondered if she was coming down with something.
“I, I, um, it was a little embarrassing, I guess,” I answered, trying to choose my words carefully.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed around me, Niko. I want to help. I was the one who offered, remember?”
“Yes,” I said, sighing. How could I forget? “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping we could make a plan for our first…”
“Pretend date?”
“Yes. That.”
Her voice rose in tone happily. “Of course, you’ll want to get started soon. Can’t make her wait and all that. Let me check something.”
While she picked up her phone, frowning and scrolling through what I was sure was a packed social life, I slipped my phone from my suit pants. Pretending to do the same, I waited.
“Are you free Saturday afternoon? We could go to lunch and get a plan in place.” She looked at me expectantly, her eyebrows raised.
I didn’t have to look. I knew there was nothing much on my schedule for weeks. “Works for me, but I had an idea. What about meeting at the beach before lunch?”
The idea had come to me quickly, and I hoped it was a stroke of genius. Something told me she hadn’t been surfing in a long time.
She set her phone down but fiddled with it as she spoke. “What did you have in mind?”
Reaching for strength deep within me, I asked her the question I had been wanting to ask for years.
“Leyla, would you like to go surfing with me?” I held my breath and waited.
Her beautiful emerald eyes widened, and she looked like she might be surprised. She took a quick breath in. Praying I hadn’t done the wrong thing, I waited.
“I think I’d like that.”
My breath came out in a rush, and I smiled, my heart nearly coming out of my chest when Jaz knocked and walked in. “Sorry to interrupt, but your two o’clock is here.” Leyla nodded and looked back at me.
Jumping up, I said, “I’ll get out of your way now. I can text you to confirm a time. I’m free whenever.”
“Thanks, Niko. I look forward to it.”
I walked backward toward the door and nearly bumped into Jaz, who muttered, “Smooth, Slick Nick, smooth.” My eyes widened in horror, and I practically ran all the way back to my office.
Friday night, Mike agreed to come over after work and help me prepare for the next day with Leyla. He said he had a sure-fire plan. It was always a toss-up when it came to Mike’s advice, but I had no one else I trusted as much as him.
I had just slid the pizzas onto the kitchen counter when he knocked.
“Hey. Thanks again for doing this,” I said when I let him in.
He waved and moved into the kitchen. “I’m invested now. Did you remember the pineapple?” he asked, grabbing two plates and a drink from the refrigerator.
“Yes, I did, and as usual, I’ll keep my commentary to myself.”
“Please do. Grab your boring pizza and meet me in the living room.” Since he’d been over to my house about a thousand times, his demand didn’t even surprise me. Half the time, it felt like he lived here.
“Why? Aren’t we going to practice?” I asked, wondering what he had in mind.
He froze at the counter and turned to me. “You mean like Hitch?”
My brows furrowed. “Who’s Hitch, and what do they have to do with Leyla and me?”
Nodding as if he’d just made a decision, he said, “Glad you asked. We’ll watch that after the first one I had in mind.”
“I really don’t understand what language you’re speaking right now. You’re making me anxious.”
“Trust me. We’re going to watch some movies while we eat.” He grabbed three slices, balancing them on his plate as they spilled over the side, threatening to make a mess.
“You’re driving me nuts. Our date is tomorrow, Mike. There’s no time to watch movies,” I said, confused.
“Grab your pizza and come on,” he repeated. I fought the urge to make him eat in the kitchen because I hated a mess, but with Mike, refusing him was futile.
“Fine,” I grumbled, sliding two slices of vegetable pizza onto my plate.
I set it on the coffee table, watching him grab the remote and start flicking through Netflix.
I went back for our drinks before sitting next to him on my plush sofa.
I was a minimalist when it came to décor, but I loved my house.
Cool gray walls, modern furnishings, and just a few pieces of art made me feel calm when I was home.
Clutter made me anxious, so this suited me fine.
“Are you going to explain?”
“Yes, my impatient scientist. Tonight, we’re going to dive into the mind of a woman,” he said, in an announcer’s voice at the beginning of a documentary. He winked and took a huge bite of pizza.
“Please tell me what you’re talking about. I swear, you’re slowly killing me.”
“Behold, my friend. The world of the romcom.” His arms were wide in front of him, pointing toward my TV as he scrolled, apparently looking for something in particular. “Every girl loves them, swoons over them, and repeats the lines like they’re the most brilliant prose in the world.”
Turning to face him, I said, “That makes no sense. I have no idea what kind of movies Leyla likes other than The Princess Bride.”
His eyes sparking with excitement, he put the remote down and answered, “See what I mean? You made me watch that movie twice in college because she mentioned it being her favorite. I tell you, man. I know exactly what kind of movie she likes just from that.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I guess so.”