Chapter 6
Calvin
“You’re awfully quiet today,” Mario remarks, leaning back as he drapes his arm over the back of Nikita’s vacant chair.
“Just enjoying being an observer,” I say, sipping on my drink. We had taken an Uber here since Jay insisted we all have drinks together. Usually, I’m insistent on being the designated driver. However, today I’m in the mood to drink, and this bourbon is exactly what I needed.
I glance down at my watch. “And since it’s been over twenty-four hours since we last saw each other,” I point to Mario, “I thought you would have found a solution to my no-date dilemma.”
Mario counters. “I’m working on it as we speak, fratello.”
“Really? Because to me, it looks like you’re just trying to get into Nikita’s pants,” I mutter dryly.
“Which is never going to happen,” Jay jumps in, “My sister is off-limits.”
“So you’ve said,” Mario dismisses Jay’s warning and turns to me. “Let’s go do a scan of the area and see what we’re working with here.” He proceeds to look around the pub.
“You expect me to pick someone up here?” I tsk, shaking my head.
Jay reaches for his beer, bringing it up to his lips, “Mario can be your wingman.”
“I’d be the worst wingman,” Mario chirps. “They’d be less interested in Mr. Pretentious over here if I was around.”
“I will not have Narcissus as my wingman. I’d rather go to this wedding alone.”
I down my drink, signaling to the waiter for another one. I can’t get my foot to stop tapping against the floor - my nervous twitch isn’t something I have much control over. “I don’t understand. I thought you had a plethora of lovely ladies you could call.”
“I do,” Mario says, lifting his glass to his lips. “But for me, not for you.”
I roll my eyes in response. “Now you decide to gate-keep.”
“You might want to think about hiring someone, Cal,” Jay says. “You’re running out of options.”
“The only thing I am thinking about is that I shouldn’t have asked the two of you for help with this.”
Mario chuckles, his blasé attitude making me want to punch him. “This shouldn’t be that difficult, Calvin. All you have to do is offer someone a free holiday for a week. I promise you’ll get a date like this.” He proceeds to click his fingers for emphasis.
“Hell, I’d like a free holiday.” Jay glances at me. “You sure you don’t want to take me?”
“I don’t think Violet will buy that you and I are together,” I respond dryly.
“Jay looks good in a suit,” says Mario, his glass still in his hand as he points to Jay, “He cleans up nicely.”
“Thanks, man,” Jay says in response.
“You’re welcome, my brother.”
“How sweet.” Sarcasm drips from my words. It is then that our waiter brings my drink and Mario proceeds to order snacks for the table, including Nikita’s request for chicken wings. I take one sip and for the first time, I wish it was something stronger.
“You need a female version of Jay,” Mario states, pausing as his eyes lit up with an idea. I had seen that look many times before and given what Mario just said, I know exactly where his mind went.
“No,” I say before he can open his mouth, “absolutely not.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to suggest.”
“Oh, but I do.” I shake my head. “Bad idea.”
“What idea?” Jay asks, glancing between the two of us.
Mario pauses, eyeing me as he waits to see if I would say anything. I stay silent so Mario takes his opportunity to voice his ‘brilliant’ plan. “Nikita,” Mario responds, earning an eye roll and head shake from me. I knew that’s who he was going to suggest. Mario was terrible with suggestions in general, but this had to be his worst one yet.
“My sister, Nikita?” Jay repeats before laughing, resting his hand on Mario’s shoulder. “Have you ever seen those two have a conversation where they weren’t bickering like children the whole time?” He shakes his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “And now you want them to date?”
“Pretend to date.” Mario corrects, shrugging as he continues. “I don’t see you coming up with a better idea.”
Jay shakes his head, amusement all over his face. “Kita will never go for it.”
“Nikita isn’t an option,” I reiterate, but the two of them ignore me. Nikita as my date? That’s a disaster waiting to happen.
“He needs a date.” Mario gestures towards me. “She’s available. It makes sense.”
“What makes sense?” Nikita asks, giving us all a jump scare at her sudden reappearance.
“Nothing,” I answer for us, wanting to get ahead of the conversation to avoid dragging Nikita into what we were just talking about, “Just Mario talking shit as usual.”
“Now Calvin, let’s not tell lies,” Mario stirs with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Why don’t you share with Nikita over here what your dilemma is?”
“I’d rather not.”
Nikita slips back onto her chair, leaning her elbows on the table as she clasps her hands together, glancing in my direction. “Why not?”
I pause with my glass in my hand, halfway to meet my lips, and gesture between Nikita and Mario. “Why don’t the two of you just go back to discussing your date? I’m dying to see how long it will take for that vein on Jay’s forehead to burst.”
Jay’s fingers go to his forehead. “I don’t have a vein there.”
Mario turns to Nikita, leaning closer to her, trying to keep his voice down but he was Italian to his very core, and whispering was one of the many things he was incapable of doing. Listening seems to be another one. “How would you like a free holiday for a week?”
I reach to kick Mario under the table, but it’s Jay who reacts. “Ow!”
I lift my hand in apology. “Sorry, that was meant for him,” I gesture towards Mario.
“A free holiday?” Nikita asks, her eyes lighting up as she glances around the table. “To where?”
“To nowhere,” I interrupt, sending daggers Mario’s way. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Mario ignores me. Turning his body to cut me off from the conversation, he leans closer to Nikita, “Algarve.”
Nikita’s eyes lit up. “One of my favorite holiday spots ever.” She glances in my direction then shifts her eyes between me and her brother. “What’s the catch?”
Jay laughs. “The catch, my lovely sister, is that you’d have to be someone’s date.”
Her eyes narrow on her brother. “Why the hell are you all speaking in riddles? Just tell me what’s going on!”
“Nothing is going on.” I place my glass on the table. “Definitely nothing that concerns you.”
Nikita scowls. “Oh, really?”
“Yes. End of discussion.”
“This was hardly a discussion,” she argues, before turning to Mario. I watch as she lowers her chin and bats her eyelashes at him, “Mario, will you tell me what’s going on?”
I have seen that look before - it’s Nikita’s way of getting what she wants and right now she wants answers. Mario - whose brain was completely run by the one in his pants - caves under her gaze. “Calvin needs a date to his friend’s wedding because his ex is going to be there, and we don’t trust him to go alone.”
“Fucking hell, Mario,” I mumble, shaking my head. “I am more than capable of going alone.”
Nikita turns towards me, amusement in her big eyes that peer at me. “You need a date?”
“No.” I can feel the frustration brewing inside of me. “These two idiots over here think I need one.” I did need one, but I’d much rather go alone than allow this conversation to go any further.
“He does,” Jay jumps in, earning a glare from me as he continues, “Otherwise before we know it, he’ll be dating Violet again.”
“Violet?” Nikita asks, confused.
“His ex,” Mario says. “She’s a real bi-.”
“Mario…” My voice is full of warning as I glare at him. For once, he finally gets the hint and stops talking.
“Was this the same girlfriend we met at your birthday a couple of years ago?” Nikita questions, looking at her brother.
“Yep. That was also the last time we saw Calvin before his resurrection a couple weeks ago.”
“Let me get this straight,” Nikita jumps in, glancing between the three of us. “Calvin needs a date to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.”
“I don’t need to make her jealous.”
Jay turns to his sister. “Calvin lost himself in his relationship with Violet and we, being the good friends that we are, are worried that he’ll run back to her again. Otherwise, he may never get his balls back.” Even though Jay was trying to be polite about it, he still has me rolling my eyes. Where was all this honesty when I was in the actual relationship?
“How can he run back to someone who dumped him?” Nikita asks. Salt - meet wound.
“Good question,” I mutter.
“You need to show her that she’s missing out on one of the good ones,” Mario says, placing his hand on my shoulder.
I shrug it off. “Kiss ass.”
“I didn’t think thee Calvin Rhodes would have trouble securing a date.” Nikita’s voice is full of amusement, clearly enjoying this opportunity to take digs at me. It is our thing. Not that we have a thing. Still, it’s what we do and it’s frustrating being on the receiving end.
“I’m perfectly capable of securing a date, Nikita.” I take another sip of my drink, allowing the bitter taste to soak my tongue before swallowing.
“He’s not,” Both Mario and Jay agree in unison.
“I don’t know why everyone says it’s good to have friends,” I mutter, “I’m failing to see the perks right now.”
Nikita’s eyebrows raise slightly and her mouth parts as if to say something, but our waiter arrives with the food. Thank fuck! At least we can all turn our attention to that, or any other conversati-
“I can be your date,” Nikita pipes up as she reaches for one of the side plates.
Jay’s laughter booms throughout the pub, causing a few heads to turn in our direction as Mario joins in with his own obnoxious laugh. The two of them seem to be enjoying this far too much while I am physically in pain from having to sit through this conversation.
“No.”
“Why not?” She takes a sip of her drink through her straw, the slurping sound following reminding her that she has nothing but ice left.
My jaw tightens. “That sound is one reason.”
She rolls her eyes and places a couple of chicken wings on her plate, bringing her fingers up to her lips, sucking whatever sauce remains. “It could be a good thing for you to date someone like me.”
“Pretend date,” I interject.
“Potato, potatoe.” She shrugs and continues, “It might teach you a thing or two.”
“Oh, pray tell, what lessons could you possibly teach me?” I ask, dumbfounded. She truly is an egotistical little thing.
“How to chill the fuck out for one,” Mario interjects, reaching for one of Nikita’s chicken wings, only to be met with her hand slapping his away. “You can be a little… uptight.”
“Is this a personality review?” I ask, dryly. “The original task at hand was to find a date, but after all this, I say we forget about it.”
“I just offered you a solution to your problem,” Nikita tsks, biting into one of her chicken wings.
I narrowed my eyes on her, suspicious of her motives. “Why would you help me?”
“Good question,” Jay agrees. “I’d also like to know.”
“Oh, I have no interest in helping you.” She takes another bite, making us wait while she chews. “But a free holiday to one of my favorite places in the world? Now that I can do.”
Mario chuckles and claps his hands together. “Would you look at that? Crisis averted.”
I disagree. “No. Crisis very much not averted.”
The waiter returns with the rest of the snacks we ordered including fries, meatballs, ribs, and something else I can’t quite make out, but looks a lot like chicken livers if I had to take a guess.
Nikita eyes me, those hazel-brown eyes of hers flashing with curiosity. They are a nice combination of green meets brown. Not the kind of color one would see very often. She has nice eyes - how did I not notice that before?
“What’s the matter, Cal? You don’t think I could pretend to be your girlfriend?” She shifts her chair closer to mine, leaning her elbow on the table as she glances up at me from under those long eyelashes. “Calvin…” Her voice is low and taunting as she invades my personal space leaning closer, “What’s the problem?” In a fleeting moment, Nikita had gone from a woman I can’t get away from quickly enough to one that I can’t pull my eyes from.
This is Jay’s sister.
And as quickly as that thought enters my mind, I am doused in metaphorical cold water, snapping me from that moment. “Nothing,” I mutter, leaning back in an effort to secure my personal space again. I turn to Jay. “You were just about to throw a punch at Mario for attempting to get a date with your sister, but now you’re okay with this?”
Jay dives into one of the rib pieces, chewing it up as he laughs, “Because Mario and my sister could happen. You and Nikita?” He looks between the two of us before laughing again. “That would never happen, so I’m not concerned about letting her go with you.”
Nikita scoffs. “Like you could stop me.” She points her chicken wing in her brother’s direction. “You don’t ‘let me’ do anything. I decide what I will and won’t do.”
He lifts his arms in surrender. “Okay, Miss Independent.”
She just rolls her eyes, nudging her brother before turning her attention back to me. “Look Rhodes, you need a date to make your ex jealous or whatever, and I need a break. An all-expenses-paid trip is-” She pauses and looks at Mario. “It is all-expenses-paid, right?”
“Right.” He answers.
She returns her attention to me, “See! That’s exactly what I need right now. We can help each other here.”
She speaks with an unusually level-headed tone. Normally, everything that came out of her mouth has the same effect as hearing nails on a chalkboard, but right now she was offering me a solution. And at least I know her - she isn’t a stranger that I would have to get to know. I am already well aware of her many annoying habits, so I could easily work around them.
I eye her suspiciously, still not quite convinced that this would be something that she’d really be open to. What agenda does she have here?
“My fuck, you’re stubborn!” Mario exclaims, a laugh of disbelief following. “An answer to your problem is presenting itself on a silver platter and you’re still taking your sweet time.”
I ignore him and turn to Nikita, “You’d have to pretend to like me for a week.”
“I did drama in college, I’m perfectly capable of giving a convincing performance.” She gives me a fake smile.
This is a bad idea. Something inside is warning me against moving forward with this. Although the warnings that I had about seeing Violet again were much stronger than these. So, I give in. Taking a big sip of my drink, I place my glass back on the table. “Fine, but we’re doing it my way.”
She laughs, placing her hand on my arm, and squeezing it. “Okay, babe.”