“Well, I’ll be damned! He came back!” Chris remarked to David, feigning little-old-Southern-lady type shock.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nick asked, pulling out a chair and dropping down into it.
“You disappear all the fucking time and don’t come back around until we go looking for you.” David said, pointedly, not bothering to disguise his annoyance with Nick’s recent behavior.
“What the hell?? You guys don’t even call me anymore.” Nick protested.
“We call all the damn time.” James said, actually getting involved for a change. “You’re just never home and you don’t answer your cell.”
“Always with that girl.” David muttered.
“Would you stop calling her “that girl”?!? Her name is India!” Nick snapped.
He knew they were right, though. Since that first night he’d stayed at India’s over a month ago- he’d been there a lot… nearly every night. Any time he’d leave- to go home or wherever- he’d immediately find himself wishing he were with her again. He hated the thought of sleeping without her- not being able to feel her, smell her, hear her breathing, and hold her. During one of their recent nights together, he’d realized just how quickly he’d fallen in love with her… and that he was falling deeper every day.
He was glad to have time with the guys this afternoon- he did miss them sometimes. Occasionally. A little bit. But he was looking forward to being able to be with India again later in the evening- he’d been thinking about her since he’d left her house earlier in the day.
“INDIA is taking up all your time, man.” David said, emphasizing his use of her name.
Chris nodded to David’s statement, “Bros before hos, dude. Remember that?”
Nick leaned back in his chair, sighing. He wasn’t going to apologize for the time he spent with her, but he did feel bad his friends were obviously feeling so neglected. “You got me for now, so stop bitching. What’s been going on?”
“Chris’ been tappin’ Monica!” David crowed, delighting in the scowl on James’ face.
“Your Monica?” Nick asked, seeing James’ reaction.
“His EX Monica.” Chris interjected. He turned to Nick, “Can you blame me, man? You remember the size of those tits?!? And they’re REAL!”
“He just likes that she’ll take it up the ass.” James muttered.
“She will??? You never told me that, dude!” David yelped, punching Chris on the shoulder.
“Fuck!” Chris swung at David, the punch hitting his chest. “Ain’t none of your business where I’m stickin’ my dick. ‘Sides, at least mine’s gettin’ in somewhere.”
“OOOOOhhh!” Nick howled. “Shut down!”
“”You gonna take that??” James asked David, egging him on.
David flipped Chris off, “Fuck you, man.”
“What have I missed here?” Nick asked, feeling left out of something that had happened.
“Our buddy David here, has been dissed REPEATEDLY by the FOTM… despite the fact she has him completely pussy-whipped.” Chris explained quickly.
“Can she really be a fuck-of-the-month if they’re not fucking?” James asked.
Nick nodded in agreement with James’ question and added, “And, uh, wouldn’t he have to be getting some pussy to be whipped?”
“True… he’s not getting any…” Chris pondered the statement for a moment, unaware of David’s glaring in his direction. “Dude! It’s like she’s your old lady already!” he announced, cracking himself up.
Nick glanced at David, noticing how uncharacteristically quiet he’d gotten. “What’s the story, man?”
“She says she wants to wait… but I don’t get it. She’s all over my dick like a fuckin’ sucker… she wants my face in her pussy every time we go out… but any time I make a move to get at her… she’s like, “No! I want to wait!” Whatever the hell that’s about.” David told him.
“Damn… what a tease!” Nick said. “But there’s nothing wrong with waiting…” He added, trying to sympathize with David and was suddenly very aware of the three sets of eyes turned on him. “What?”
“So how’s India?” Chris asked. “I mean, c’mon, she’s a teacher… that can’t be good.”
Nick shrugged, “I don’t know. We haven’t done anything yet.”
“Nothing anything? Or everything-but-fucking anything?” David asked.
“Nothing anything.”
“You stay over there all the fucking time for nothing?” Chris’ eyes were wide with disbelief.
“And get up at the ass crack of dawn?” James knew about India’s early morning routine, and couldn’t believe Nick, Mr. Get-as-much-sleep-as-possible, was cool with that.
“What is it with these chics?” David commented. “Always making you wait on them…”
“What’s wrong with that?” Nick asked. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to be there with her and want her so bad… but you wait… and that makes you want her even more and…” Nick stopped, a thought suddenly occurring to him. Was this feeling what India had been talking about? That night when she’d scolded him… telling him that she wanted to wait until she knew it was really her that he wanted…
“And what??” Chris asked again, waving his hand in front of Nick.
“And it’ll be that much better because you waited… and want it so bad… that when you finally get it… it can’t not be good…” he said, the words coming out slowly… as he processed each one… finally and totally understanding what India had meant. He realized that if she’d let him have her the first time he’d tried… he’d have never felt like he did now. He’d have never known what it was like to lay next to her at night, holding her, and being so tempted…. He’d have never known what it was like to know he was in love with her, and be sure that sex had nothing to do with the way he was feeling.
Chris and David immediately jumped all over Nick’s theory, loudly stating their opinions, then dragging James in on the conversation to see what he thought. Nick continued to ponder his revelation, proud of himself that he’d figured it all out…and even more impressed with India for bringing him to this place. He couldn’t wait to tell her his discovery when he saw her later, he knew she’d be pleased.
~~~
Several hours, and many, many beers later, Nick stopped laughing at the extremely un-funny joke James had just told, and wondered what time it was. He knew he was supposed to be over at India’s at five… when he’d last checked the clock it had only been shortly after two.. he’d probably have to get going soon. “Dude, what time is it?” he asked Chris after David had defeated him yet again at arm-wrestling.
Chris head his watch up to his face and tried to focus on the time. “Uh, Eight… twenty…. four and… thirteen seconds… fourteen… fifteen… sixteen… seventeen…”
“Eight?!?” Nick quickly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket… he’d turned it off when he’d gotten to the bar, not thinking anyone would call- he was with the guys and he was going to see India… he didn’t want to talk to anyone else. He saw that he had two voicemails and entered his password to check them. The first one was India, calling at 6:10 wondering where he was… and the second was India, calling at 7:45 worried that something had happened to him. “Shit…” He mumbled, trying to untangle himself from the chair he had his legs wound around. “I gotta go guys… I’m late…”
“For what?” Chris asked, leaning back in his chair and trying to balance his bottle of beer on his forehead.
“I was supposed to be at India’s three hours ago.” Nick replied, slapping money down on the table to cover the tab.
“Shoulda known.” Chris muttered as the bottle slipped at fell to the floor, shattering.
“Whatever… I’ll see you guys later.” Nick said, hurrying out the door and fumbling for his keys in his pocket.
He drove to India’s in record time, carefully keeping an eye out for cops- not wanting to be pulled over after drinking all afternoon. He jumped out of the Escalade and ran to the door, ringing the doorbell repeatedly until he saw the door opening.
India looked out the door, relieved to see Nick in one piece, and now very pissed because he was in one piece and hadn’t bothered to call her. “What’s going on? Where were you?”
“I was at the bar with the guys… I didn’t have a watch on so I had no idea what time it was… I’m sorry…” he explained, waiting for her to open the door more to let him inside.
“Okay… well, my sister came over since you ditched me, and we’re hanging out now… so you can go back to your boys. And if you happen to think about it… you can call me later… I might answer.” she said, then shut the door.
Nick was shocked when she shut the door and he heard it lock. That was it? She wasn’t even going to let him see her? He stood there for a few moments, hoping she’d reconsider, but after a while realized she was serious. He walked dejectedly back to the Escalade, wondering what the hell he was going to do with the rest of his evening… he’d just wanted to spend it with her.
He climbed back in the SUV, still a little surprised by the situation… it was a first for him… She really wasn’t going to take any shit.