5. Nicholas
Nicholas
After leaving the WFTS-TV studio, Nicholas headed back to his hotel for dinner with Virginia and two other senior members of the sales and marketing team.
The restaurant was elegant, with soft lighting and crisp white tablecloths.
The quiet clink of silverware blended with the low hum of conversation.
Their table buzzed with the energy of a good day.
They talked about branding strategies and media placements with the ease of a team that knew they were winning.
Virginia glanced at her phone, her eyebrows rising as she read a new message.
“Listen to this,” she said, her voice full of excitement.
“The early feedback from the station just came in. The interview did really well—the ratings for that segment were much higher than the usual afternoon numbers.” She looked at Nicholas, her eyes shining with pride.
“It was either your face, Nicholas, or the pull of the Stratus Tampa project. Let’s be honest, Olivia Daniels is still a total unknown here. ”
Joseph, the youngest and most eager on the team, laughed and leaned back in his chair with a grin.
“Unknown or not, she definitely caught my eye. The camera loved her.” The table broke into laughter, but Joseph quickly quieted when Nicholas fixed him with a sharp look.
Nicholas let the silence hang for a moment, then gave a slow, knowing smile.
“That’s fair, Joseph,” he said in his deep voice.
“Maybe it was her long, wavy, dirty-blonde hair. Or those striking blue eyes.”
Laughter filled the table again, and the tension faded into friendly banter, though Nicholas kept his real thoughts hidden.
Olivia had been more than just a fill-in anchor; she was compelling, confident, and much smarter than he expected, but her beauty and sensuality really captured him, more than he was willing to admit.
When dinner ended, and everyone said their goodbyes, Nicholas mentioned he’d be heading back to Miami in the morning.
They parted in the hotel lobby, but as Nicholas watched them leave, he felt a restless energy.
The idea of a quiet room didn’t appeal to him, so he decided to get a nightcap to wind down.
Sitting at the mahogany bar with a single malt scotch neat, Nicholas took a slow, savoring sip, letting the peat-smoke burn settle in his chest as he scanned the room.
That was when he noticed her. She was perched at the far corner of the bar, legs crossed with feline grace, nursing a martini as her eyes met his with a calm, unmistakable interest.
She was impeccably dressed—a crisp white skirt that hugged the curve of her hips perfectly, paired with a silky black blouse that skimmed her athletic figure with effortless sophistication.
Her heels showcased long, toned legs, and everything about her posture spoke of a woman who knew exactly who she was and what she wanted.
They exchanged smiles across the dim bar before saying a word. Nicholas stood and walked over, noticing the graceful tilt of her head and the confident smile on her face.
“Would you like to join me for another drink?” he asked quietly. She smiled, lifting her glass slightly. “I just started this one,” she said, “but I’d enjoy the conversation.”
He took the seat beside her as the bartender mirrored his movement with a fresh drink.
“Nicholas,” he said. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Valentina,” she replied, her voice smooth. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
She told him she was from West Palm Beach and in town for business. Nicholas relaxed as they talked about travel, architecture, and favorite spots in different cities.
The mood grew warmer, with shared laughter and meaningful glances. Nicholas glanced at her left hand. “I noticed the ring,” he said casually. “Do you usually travel alone?”
“I do,” she said without a hint of hesitation. “The ring is very real. But I live single when it suits me. My husband and I have a very clear understanding of how the world works.”
Nicholas’s smile deepened, a flicker of genuine intrigue sparking behind his eyes. This was his language—the language of the uncomplicated. “That’s a very modern arrangement,” he said. “Probably why I’ve stayed single myself. Cages have never really suited me.”
The mood between them turned playful and bold. When Nicholas suggested getting a snack, Valentina smiled mischievously. “Yes,” she said softly, looking at his mouth. “You.” He laughed, feeling his heart race. “Then maybe we should continue this upstairs.”
“I was wondering if you’d ever ask,” she replied.
They finished their drinks and walked toward the elevators, the tension between them a physical weight. As the doors slid shut, Nicholas took her hand, their fingers interlacing with an ease that felt like destiny for the night.
In his suite, he tossed his jacket aside and queued a low, ambient playlist that filled the room through the integrated sound system. Valentina drifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the sprawling grid of Tampa’s lights far below.
She smiled and said, “I’m glad we are here rather than in my room, as this is much more spacious and glamorous.” Nicholas joined her, sliding his arms around her waist from behind and breathing in the scent of her—something sharp and floral.
She sighed, leaning back against his chest before turning to face him.
“When I travel, this suite makes me feel more at home,” he replied. Their first kiss was slow and searching, but soon turned hungry. Valentina’s hands moved quickly to his shirt, unbuttoning it with steady focus, her eyes never leaving his.
He led her to the bedroom, where the king-size bed waited under cool, white sheets. Shoes and silk clothes were left behind. Their movements were slow but full of intent. The world outside faded as they came together, the night becoming a blur of heat, touch, and shared desire.
Hours later, in the quiet hush of the late evening, Valentina stirred. She dressed with the same effortless elegance she had arrived with, pausing to look at her reflection in the mirror.
“I really enjoyed tonight, Nicholas. I haven’t been made to feel like that in a very long time,” she said, her voice soft with satisfaction. “I hope our paths cross again.”
Nicholas took her number and mentioned that he would be returning to Tampa in a few weeks. She smiled, and with that, the door clicked shut, and she vanished into the hallway. Nicholas lay back against the pillows, the memory of her presence already beginning to settle into the gallery of his mind.
Nights like these were the foundation of Nicholas’s life, or at least the one he had carefully built. Wherever he went, he drew attention, and desire was always close by. Beautiful women seemed drawn to him, and he enjoyed every moment of the chase.
The excitement of new connections and intimacy without expectations gave him energy and confidence for his work.
He kept things simple on purpose, avoiding anything that asked for more than the present.
Long-term relationships took emotional effort he didn’t want to give; to him, they were just a distraction.
Nicholas had been in two steady relationships during college, one as a sophomore and another in his final year.
His mother, Beverly, thought the second girlfriend was a "keeper," someone who could settle his restless energy and give him a home.
But Nicholas was too much like his uncle Michael.
He lived by a strict rule: the business came first, and pleasure was always second.
By the time he finished graduate school, he realized the relationship was holding him back. He tried to explain why it couldn’t work, but she didn’t understand and tried hard to keep him.
In the end, he ended things with the same cold efficiency he used for a failing project. He knew it was the only way. Even though she was heartbroken, Nicholas didn’t waver. He couldn’t commit to someone when he was already committed to his ambition.
Nicholas aimed for a level of success most people only dream about. His uncle Michael was always his role model and a quiet obsession. Michael had built his success from nothing, earned respect, and lived on his own terms for years.
Even though Michael eventually settled down with Verónica, Nicholas preferred to remember the earlier years—the freedom, the excess, and the drive that matched his own.
In many ways, Nicholas felt he was following the same path, just earlier in the journey.
Commitment could wait, if it ever came. For now, this life fit him perfectly.
It was focused, exciting, and completely his own.
Until it stopped helping him climb the Stratus hierarchy, he had no plans to change anything.