Chapter 21
“The minute I saw the fucking Lamborghini I knew it was you!”
“Nice to see you too, Chase,” Nicolas responded dryly but couldn’t hold back a smile when he was brought into a hug.
After giving him a pat on the back, he looked at his best friend, Chase Carvalho.
When Nicolas had touched down in New York after Emily met his family, he’d received a rather threatening message to meet at their old spot situated downtown in a high-end bar.
“You’ve gotten buffer.”
That proud smile of his appeared and Nicolas could’ve hit himself over the head for eliciting it.
“Chicks dig it.”
Guess some things never change.
“Jonas, you remember him?” Chase yelled over the music.
They were walking to their private area.
“The one with the model wife who can’t walk for shit?
Told him I was back so he had the employees prepare a treat for me.
The guy practically owns this place so I’m tempted to not pay a damn cent tonight. ”
“You’re the owner of one of the biggest luxury clothing lines in the world and you’re ripping off a mere investor?”
“Rich people are the stingiest. I thought you’d learned this over the years.” Chase laughed as he flung his arm over his shoulders.
“You say it as if you’re not the most generous rich person I know,” Nicolas muttered.
“I’ve missed that icy attitude of yours, you know that?”
The two found themselves in a secluded area, at the farthest corner, with remnants of confetti on the table and floor.
“As I was saying, the employees did a little event for me before you came. A welcome back celebration. I made sure to leave some of the cake for you,” Chase explained, noticing his friend’s expression. He uncovered a dish on the table which revealed a ridiculously tiny piece of cake.
“Gee thanks,” Nicolas sneered.
“Don’t be a hater. I know you’re selective about your sweets anyway. You only like the stuff from back home.”
“It’s the thought that counts. You leaving a fun-size cake for me surely shows where your heart is at.”
“I thought we were over this part of our relationship already,” he sighed. “Yes, Nick, you’ll always be in my heart. As a friend. I don’t play for the other team so unfortunately for you, that’s not enough to make my dick throb. So yeah, no whole cake for you.”
Nicolas shook his head as a server came up to them.
“Good evening. Are you gentlemen ready to place your orders?”
“Yes, I’ll have the Platinum Passion for now.” The server nodded, jotting down Chase’s order. “Make that the whole bottle.”
She looked to Nicolas. “And anything for you, sir?”
“Just a whiskey for me.”
She nodded, writing it down and leaving.
“Really, cara? That’s like the weakest thing here.”
He always called him that which was basically ‘dude’ in English. His Portuguese was reserved for nicknames and insults as far as Nicolas was concerned.
“Yes, that’s all I’ll be having. I kind of have responsibilities. You know, like running a media empire? Not all of us have an aunt to keep our business afloat while we go MIA.”
“Ouch.” Chase held a hand to his heart. “You still mad that I left two years ago? I needed to—”
“Find yourself. Yeah, I know.” Nicolas rolled his eyes. “I’m guessing you’ve succeeded in realizing how much of a lost cause you are and decided to return.”
“Always so hostile. Do you speak to your mother with that mouth?”
Nicolas shot him a murderous look.
Chase propped his hand on his jaw, leaning forward with his elbow resting on his knees. “I know you well enough to recognize this is just your roundabout way of saying you’ve missed me. So, just say it. I am a words of affirmation kind of guy, as much as you are.”
Nicolas stayed quiet, but his lips twitched.
“Ethan told me you two hardly go boxing anymore since I left,” Chase continued, eyeing him with a shit-eating grin.
“He should mention that he’s been holed up writing his next series, and that’s also a factor. Same reason why he’s not here tonight. But yes, I won’t deny it.”
“Now you’re really gonna make me cry,” Chase said, wiping at his eyes dramatically. “Seriously though, it’s good to be back. I’ve traveled to twenty-five countries—twice as many cities—in the past two years, but none of them really compare to New York.”
“You didn’t deserve the fresh air in Maldives for sure. Plenty of city congestion is better suited for someone like you.”
“Asshole,” Chase mumbled as he took his drink from the server who had returned.
“Only for you.” Nicolas smiled sarcastically, then it sobered into a genuine one. “But yeah, I did miss you.”
Chase pointed at him. “I knew it! I fucking knew it!”
As Nicolas brought the glass up to take a sip of his drink, someone almost knocked over the partition of their area with a stumble. She’d also managed to spill her drink on him.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for that to happen. God, I’m such a klutz. How about I buy you another one as an apology?” Her longest finger twirled a strand of hair.
Chase watched him take a napkin and wipe at his suit without so much as replying.
“What’s your name, babe?” he interjected. “My friend doesn’t really entertain women like you, but I’m not a picky eater.”
She watched him take a sip of the strong drink and run his tongue over his lips, belatedly aware she’d cataloged the movement.
The smirk on the his face was enough to have her eyes sparkling. It was understandable. Chase was what women considered sinfully attractive; 6’5”, strong jawline and striking hazel-green eyes hardly found on anyone else.
She opened her mouth, but Nicolas cut her off with a rather intolerant tone. “We’re trying to have a conversation here. And he’s asking your name only to forget it the moment you two are alone, so I’d suggest you find someone else.”
She became red, but not the Emily kind which made his heart race.
Finally getting the message, she stomped her heels before leaving them alone. Chase watched her, his gaze drawn to her ass. “You’re such a cockblock.”
“Mm-hmm,” Nicolas hummed noncommittally. “Tell me more about your two-year vacation.”
Chase scoffed at him before taking a huge gulp of his liquor. He shook his head with a “whoa!” before getting into the details of how therapeutic traveling the world had been.
Nicolas was happy for him. Truly. He deserved that much out of the shitty situation that led him to leave.
“Right.” Nicolas’s fingers curled around his glass. “So, you’re completely over Natasha?”
The light in Chase’s eyes died at the mention of his ex-fiancée.
“It’s been two years,” Nicolas reminded him like a professor would, stern and with intent.
“I never said I wasn’t,” he stated, avoiding eye contact.
It was a feeble attempt.
“Chase.”
“Huh?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“When Molly treated you like shit back in college, lying and messing around behind your back, did you forget about it in a year much less two years’ time? No, you were a pussy for almost three years until you finally decided to move on.”
“This isn’t about me. We’re talking about you right now. Don’t try to change the subject.”
“I wasn’t,” he said gruffly. “I’m only making a comparison.”
“Yeah, okay.” There was a pause. “Are you over Natasha?”
The two held each other’s eyes, the fire of stubbornness burning inside. That was something they both admired about each other.
However, Nicolas was growing annoyed. “Are you fucking deaf? I asked if you’re over her.”
“I am, okay?!” Chase finally blew up. “I am!”
A few people glanced over at his outburst.
Nicolas took a big gulp of his drink. He so fucking wasn’t.
“I swear I am. It’s just that—” Chase paused, eyebrows scrunching up as if he was in pain.
“I think of her from time to time, alright? I tell myself to hate her for what she’s done to me.
God knows I didn’t deserve that after how well I treated her.
You of all people know that. I would’ve bought the moon and given it to her if she told me she liked the way it shined.
“I struggled to open up to a woman all these years and then I finally find someone that’s so fucking likable and thought, Maybe marriage won’t absolutely suck if I spend the rest of my life with her.
Finally, when I’m at that point of not being an absolute fuckup, getting my life together, that happens… ”
“You deserve better,” Nicolas told him seriously. “It’s frustrating you can’t see that too.”
Not bothering to take up his half-empty glass, Chase grabbed the entire bottle of liquor before bringing it to his lips. During his chugging, Nicolas spotted a tear roll down the side of his face.
Looking away, he patted his friend’s back awkwardly.
Chase sniffed and cleared his throat. “Enough about me. What have you been up to these days, Mr. CEO? I saw that you got ‘Businessperson of the Year’ from TIME. Congrats, by the way. Is there a woman in your life we can talk about, or is it still the same routine? Work, work, work—”
“Who are you? Rihanna?”
“Impatient ass. I was gonna add ‘casual flings’ eventually.”
Nicolas made a face. “I can’t do that anymore.”
Chase narrowed his eyes. “Can’t is very different from don’t.
If you’d said the latter, I wouldn’t be nearly as curious as I am right now.
So tell me, do you actually have a woman?
One you like enough to keep around for more than a month?
Who is she? And when can I offer my condolences for tying your icy ass down? ”
“It’s not only that I can’t, but I don’t want to. I actually like being settled down.”
He gaped. “What the actual fuck? Now I know for sure this isn’t a regular relationship.”
Nicolas rolled his eyes, but there was a proud smile tugging at his mouth. “It’s called marriage, Chase.”
He choked. “I leave the country for five minutes and you get married? Cara, did you hit your head or lose a bet?”
“I—”
“No, wait. Is this a hostage situation? Should I call someone?”
He kept going, giving Nicolas no chance to refute. “And most importantly, why wasn’t I invited? I could’ve worn a tux. I clean up nice! You robbed the world of that, you know.”
“It was last minute for me too.” He shook his head at him. “The board came up with a new stipulation the moment I turned CEO that I needed to get married. Some acquisition play was also involved.”
“And you listened? What a good fucking boy.”
Nicolas blanched. “Fuck off.”
Chase guffawed.
“They released a statement yesterday, I thought you’d seen it so I wanted to explain about it in person.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t because what the fuck does that say about our friendship that I learn about it through the media?”
He winced. “When you put it like that, it does sound bad. Sorry, I thought because I’d be seeing you today it wouldn’t matter.”
The stern look Chase gave him, which reminded him of their three-year age gap, melted with a boyish grin. “Either way, congrats. Can’t wait to meet the new wifey.” Then he started climbing on top of the bar’s counter.
Nicolas held his head down. This piece of—
“Hey, all you wasted fuckers! Guess what? My best friend right here just got married! Something that me and many of you here probably won’t achieve so you know what, cheers to motherfucking that!”
Surprisingly, a group of people echoed him with loud “cheers!”
He tried to pull Chase down because honestly fuck him for bringing attention to them. As if being out drinking after a marriage announcement wasn’t enough of a risk for paparazzi to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Nicolas wasn’t scared of that obviously—he’d shown up—but he didn’t want to give his employees extra PR work again. Emily’s situation with Mallion almost made him burst a blood vessel.
Chase placed a hand on his chest, looking incredibly moved. “Just because of your heart-warming enthusiasm, drinks are on me tonight!”
Now the entire bar was in a frenzy. Even the group who’d been silently judging them earlier erupted with cheers, suddenly elated by the news that they wouldn’t be footing the bill at one of—if not the—most expensive bars in the city.
“Yeah, bitches! Congratulate his ass!”
Nicolas looked up seeing Chase’s fingers pointed right at him. The imbecile was swaying with the dumbest shit-eating grin.
He dragged the bastard down and escorted him out.
“Sir, wait! You haven’t covered the bill.” A server ran in front of them.
“I think you’re mistaken. We paid earlier.”
“I’m not talking about your bill, sir,” she clarified. “I’m referring to the one your friend here volunteered to cover for everyone. A few people already left.”
The asshole he held had the nerve to pass out right then and there. Great fucking timing.
Fishing out his black card, Nicolas gave it to the employee, remembering exactly why him and Chase had a love-hate relationship.
Maybe he needed another round of “finding himself.” Or maybe Nicolas could hire someone to lose him somewhere. His family owned a private island in the Bahamas. Sending him there would be a piece of cake.
Once the server returned his card, Nicolas left.
He threw Chase down against the leather seat in the back of his car. The inebriated fool curled up from the cold wind that blew in, and Nicolas faintly deciphered the words leaving his mouth.
Hearing them, Nicolas wished he never did.
“I’ve missed you, dickass Nick.”