20. NICK
Istood there gazing at the beautiful woman in front of me, holding the cake in my hands. The rest of the world seemed to dissolve into the background.
”Happy birthday, Izzy,” I greeted, a genuine smile playing on my lips.
Her eyes lit up with surprise and delight, and I couldn’t help but revel in the joy I’d managed to bring to her on this special day.
“You mean you arranged all this?” she demanded to know, pretending to be annoyed but looking really moved.
“I hope you like it. I just thought you’d appreciate this…”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Nick. This is just too much.”
“Wish! Wish!” someone chanted.
Izzy looked around and smiled at everyone. “Thank you, you guys! What a surprise!”
As she closed her eyes to make a wish, I found myself captivated by her presence. The light of the candle flickered across her pretty face, throwing a warm and ethereal aura. The group erupted into applause as she blew out the candle, but my attention remained fixated on the birthday girl.
Soon, she was swept away by Tanya and then quickly surrounded by relatives and friends. I simply watched from the distance, happy to see her face lighting up with joy.
“Oh, boy! Oh, boy!” someone suddenly said from behind me. A hand clapped on my shoulder, and I instantly knew that it was my brother Dan.
“Hey, Dan. What’s up?”
“I should ask you that, bro,” he said in a teasing tone. “Do I smell love in the air? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in Izzy anymore. You can have her all to yourself.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but didn’t say anything.
“Come on, man. Don’t tell me you still haven’t figured it out?! Nicholas Hale has finally fallen in love, ladies and gentlemen!”
I was alarmed at what he was saying. It’s a good thing everyone was preoccupied, and nobody heard him.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Dan,” I warned. “That’s bullshit.”
“Really now…” He grinned widely and patted my shoulder. “Let me know when you’ve finally admitted it to yourself. You’re only human, Nick. Accept it and enjoy it. Besides, I think she feels the same way about you. So, don’t waste this opportunity.”
A server offered me a glass of wine, and I quickly downed everything. My insides were in chaos. I couldn’t figure out the strange emotions within me.
As Izzy basked in the warmth of her loved ones’ company, laughter and joy echoed through the air. I watched from a distance, a silent observer amid the lively celebration. People sat down, savoring the delectable gourmet food I had arranged from my favorite caterer.
“Wow, this food’s amazing,” I heard someone comment.
“Was it really Mr. Hale who arranged all this?” someone whispered. But the wind carried the voice toward my direction.
“Yes,” the friend replied. “Don’t they just look good together? I think they’d make a great couple…”
My heart went faster. I didn’t know what to make of that statement.
At one point, Izzy’s gaze wandered, scanning the crowd, perhaps in search of me. When her eyes met mine, a genuine smile illuminated her face, and she began to make her way toward me. However, before she could reach me, a couple of her friends intercepted her, diverting her attention.
I took a seat and pretended to eat. But from the corner of my eye, I managed to observe her patiently, content to see her surrounded with love and happiness.
As the festivities gradually wound down, I found contentment in the fact that Izzy had thoroughly enjoyed her special day.
I’m happy you’re happy, I told her in my mind before standing up and beginning to distance myself further from the crowd. The laughter and cheer lingered in the air, which made me smile.
I decided to make my way out of Fern Creek, navigating through the enchanting surroundings of Muir Woods. The lush greenery and towering redwoods gave me a sense of serenity. Mission accomplished for today.
The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of the creek accompanied my journey back to where my car was parked. Although I hadn’t spoken much with Izzy, there was a quiet satisfaction in knowing that I had contributed to creating a memorable birthday celebration for her.
I wasn’t in the mood to go home yet, so I decided to distract myself with something I was familiar and comfortable with—work.
Time went by quickly, and I eventually became engrossed with the figures I was computing. Pretty good numbers for this quarter, I thought with joy and pride.
The building soon got dark and empty as night fell. I was about to call it a day when I heard the soft creaking of my office door. I looked up and felt my heart jump when my eyes settled on the stunning features of Izzy.
“Hi, Nick,” Izzy greeted a little shyly. “Are you busy now?”
“Izzy!” I said in surprise. “No, I’m not busy. I was just about to head home. Please, come in.”
“Sorry to bother you, but you’d suddenly disappeared from the party and I didn’t get the chance to really thank you for the beautiful surprise…”
“Oh, yeah, sorry I couldn’t say ‘goodbye.’ You were busy with so many people, and I did not want to bother you. It was just an important meeting that I could not miss.”
“I understand,” she quickly replied. Moving forward, she slowly sat down on the chair across from me. “Thank you so much, Nick. I can’t believe you even got my mother to come!”
“Well, it was easy to convince her. She was already so eager to see you.”
“So, you’ve talked to her on the phone? How did you even find her?”
“It was fairly easy. And yes, we talked on the phone and at the venue. She’s a really sweet and caring mom, and you’re quite lucky to have her.”
“I am, yeah. Thanks for that gesture, for going out of your way to do this for me.” Then in a more joking tone, she asked, “Do you do this for all your business partners?”
“Of course,” I fibbed. It definitely wasn’t true.
“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise. But she looked a little disappointed, which made me laugh in my head.
Tell her you only did it for her, that pestering voice once again whispered in my mind. Tell her she’s special to you.
It was tempting, but I didn’t give in.
But when she went around and gave me an unexpected hug, all my inhibitions broke away. All my apprehensions seemed to fade into the background. All that mattered was being with her, feeling her embrace, enjoying her touch.
“Thank you, Nick,” she whispered in my ear.
My arms went around her waist, and I didn’t let go even when she’d straightened. I kept on hugging her tightly as I stood up and looked into her eyes.
I pulled her very close and pressed my lips against hers, relishing her sweet and gentle taste—loving the softness of her lips on mine. She kissed me back immediately, and it turned passionate at once.
I wanted her so badly. My hands caressed her breasts and began fumbling with the front buttons of her blouse. That’s when she put a hand against my chest, which seemed to tell me “No.” I stopped immediately and gave her a curious gaze. Her eyes were filled with confusion.
“Nick…” she murmured, looking uncertain. But then, suddenly, she threw her arms around my neck and tiptoed to kiss me hard on the lips. I responded with as much passion and energy. Our kiss deepened, and I could feel my sexual desires mounting to incredible heights.
We found ourselves moving across the room, nearing the floor-to-ceiling windows with the curtains pulled back a bit. I reached for the switch to turn off the lights as we continued to kiss and grope.
Darkness filled the entire room. But our eyes adjusted quickly.
Finally, her blouse had been unbuttoned completely. The fabric fell to the floor. I unclasped her bra from the back and her full breasts jumped out at me, igniting the carnal fire within. I smothered the exposed skin with hungry kisses that made her moan.
Soon, she turned around on her own, pressing her palms against the glass windows as we both saw the city lights below us. It was like being in the night sky, making out among the clouds and stars.
I took off her pants and underwear, kicking them out of the way. Her smooth, glowing skin greeted me. Shivers and electric jolts shot across my body.
I kissed her shoulders, her nape, her whole back. I massaged her breasts as I entered her from behind with tumultuous lust. She gasped in surprise as she felt me pushing inside and settling in there to expand and rub against her damp walls. If someone was to shine the light on the exact windows of my large corner office, they would catch us having wild, delicious sex.
I kept on pumping, making her moan and groan and loving the way the moon illuminated her sexy body.
“Fuck,” she whispered after I shoved myself into her harder and deeper. “Fuck me harder. Make me come.”
The dirty talk egged me on. “Yeah, you want this, Izzy? You like being fucked hard?”
“Oh, yes! Yes, yes!”
I kept on going. Faster. Harder. Deeper.
She gave out a little scream as she reached her peak. I was nearing mine too. I pushed some more as I kissed her ears and her neck and her shoulders. As I stroked her breasts and widened her legs.
“I’m coming,” I murmured. And as if on cue, a burst of immense pleasure wrapped around me and seemed to fill every nook and cranny of my being. It was an explosion of emotions and sensations that shook me and made us tremble together.
“That was amazing,” Izzy said when she finally faced me again and we fell into each other’s arms in a sweet embrace.
“You’re amazing,” I whispered against the silkiness of her hair just before kissing the top of her head.