She was pretty in an understated way. No make-up, no jewelry, not even a purse. She walked through the door with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans and looked around warily. It was like her best friend had run off with the last of her money…that look in her eyes stayed with him long after he should have dismissed her.
Later, after he had hired her to work the backline, he had teamed her up with Fred knowing that she had already surpassed most of the people that worked for him by not whining, stealing or trying to fuck him. He also wanted her working the backline so that he could monitor that look; identify if it would disappear, if there was another expression that didn’t contain so much pain. There was.
Her smile.
Her smile was few and far in between. But even fewer was her laughter. One day Fred had whispered something to her and she had smiled and bells suddenly seemed to fall from her lips and it sounded like angel’s were laughing. He was not prepared for the stab of jealousy when that laugh was directed at Fred.
Marty shook his head to clear his thoughts and he realized that he was just standing there staring at her. He clenched his teeth. He was simply too angry to witness the effects of the accident on her. He turned to leave, closing the door softly behind him.
~***~
Later, when Nicole awakened she had no idea where she was. It wasn’t the hospital because she was much too comfortable. She pushed a wonderful chenille blanket off of her and stood on shaky legs looking around her.
The room was fairly large; double bed, side tables, an armchair and a small antique dresser that had flowers and cards on it. Slowly she walked over to the dresser and sniffed the flowers. She picked up each card and read them smiling. They were from her coworkers wishing her a speedy recovery and addressed to Baby Girl.
She noticed two shopping bags on the floor and explored them curiously. They contained some of her clothes from home. When Marty had gone through her wallet he had also taken the key to her apartment. She shook her head in disbelief. Marty had gone to her apartment? It was thoughtful and disturbing all at the same time. Feeling somewhat violated, she slipped on her shoes. Where was he, anyway? Regardless of his good intentions, he was going to take her home now!
She went downstairs with a purpose but couldn’t help admiring his spacious home. He had a fireplace! This was nothing like her small little efficiency. Her face tightened. She wasn’t about creature comforts. She had a mission and that was to get educated and then paid. Once she fulfilled her vow to her daughter maybe then she could look at herself in a mirror again.
Briefly, Nicole closed her eyes. Alicia was a memory she did not allow herself to often enjoy.
Something smelled good and she felt her stomach grumble. She’d had slimy oatmeal at the crack of dawn and dried toast with a pat of congealed butter substitute on it. She went into the kitchen.
Wow! It was impressive! Marty was at the stove concentrating, much like he did when he was at work. He looked surprised when he saw her standing there. He moved a skillet from the burner and turned off the fire.
“How do you feel?”
“Better. My head stopped hurting…mostly.” She sighed.
“Sit down.” He said helping her to a barstool. “The headache must have been a trigger for the seizure.” She looked at him confused.
“What seizure?”
He stared at her with the same confused look absently fingering the small koko pelle that he always wore tied around his neck.
“Uhm…do you remember what we were talking about…before?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes were wide with the obviousness of that question. “About me going home.” Marty sat down on the barstool next to her.
“And?”
“She shrugged, “And what?”
“And how did you get from the living room to the bedroom?”
“I…” Nicole’s brow furrowed. How is it that she had never considered how she’d moved from talking to Marty in the living room to sleeping in the spare bedroom? As she tried to remember there was nothing there…just a blank spot in her memory. She looked at Marty, her chest moving up and down in confused panic.
“I was telling you-” He stopped short, not wanting to speak those hurtful words again. “You had a seizure and I took you upstairs.”
Nicole’s eyes were suddenly sharp and frantic. “I had a seizure?” She trembled. Seizure, seizure…that’s right! The head injuries caused blackouts. And maybe it wasn’t the fact that she had been reintroduced to drugs during her stay at the hospital? Did that mean she was brain damaged? What if she blacked out at school, riding her bike, walking up the stairs…She couldn’t remember doing it…what other things was she forgetting? What if she forgot to turn off the stove-?
Marty saw all of these thoughts cross her face. Nicole probably never realized that her thoughts played across her face like loud speakers and Marty always knew her mood; annoyed, tired, wishful…and very seldom happy. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she looked at him with frightened eyes. He swallowed back a desire to punch a wall.
“Nicole. You will be alright. Give yourself time to heal…and let somebody help take care of you, just for the time being. Baby, what if this had happened while you were alone?”
Her mind latched onto that word baby. It was different without the word Girl attached to it. He’d called her Baby…and it wasn’t the first time was it? Something about her head…and then the entire conversation flooded back.
Marty could see that she remembered as her body shuddered. Her caramel complexion suddenly colored red and tears appeared in her eyes. He pulled Nicole into his arms when those tears spilled down her cheeks. He couldn’t stop himself. He just couldn’t.
Marty found himself planting kisses on her head. “I’m here. Sssh. It’s going to be okay.” Then he rocked her gently in his arms. “I’m going to take care of you. I promise.”
She was so tired; physically and mentally. For once in a long time she held onto someone else as if they were a lifeline. It had been so long since someone had comforted her. Marty’s arms were so big and protective. As gruff as he sometimes sounded, Nicole was beginning to understand that he was equally as harmless. She hid her face against his chest, inhaling the clean smell of his shirt, knowing that her tears were soaking through to his body. His lips gently pressed down on her forehead as he gently brushed back her wild afro and murmured assurances. She gripped him, wanting some of his strength to transfer into her but felt him tremble instead.
That brief tremble ignited a portion of her that had been too long dormant. Nicole felt a slow awakening throughout her body. It had been years since she had felt the yearning. She had thought that part of her was dead, but here she stood with her nipples sensitive and engorged as she pressed against Marty’s chest.
Marty didn’t immediately realize how this had so suddenly turned. One moment he was trying to soothe her anguish. The next, all he could think of is the way her body felt in his arms as the sobs went through her. His hand stroked her back, recognizing her missing bra and once that happened he couldn’t help but feel her full breast as they pressed against his chest. Marty had always dealt with waif-like women whose body style was dictated by the media. He’d certainly thought they were beautiful even when he was alarmed that he could count their rib bones. But holding Nicole in his arms, with her full curves and toned athleticism caused him to become instantly aroused. He was ashamed that he wanted to move his hands under her shirt and to cup her breasts and cover her mouth with his…
Nicole buried her face into that space between Marty’s neck and shoulder loving the delicious feel of his tender skin against her cheeks. He continued to shower her face and head with kisses, even while his breath came out in harsh gusts.
She yearned for him to kiss her lips; to feel his tongue and teeth and taste his soul. Nicole lifted her wet face to him and he stroked her tears away with gentle fingers…but he did not kiss her. Slowly she opened her eyes and stared at him. Marty.
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Nicole jumped at what she was thinking, what she had just done. Quickly she slipped out of his arms, embarrassed at her actions. Why was she thinking like this? Before this week, she had never looked twice at the man. Now, it was all she could do to stop admiring his big tanned arms and his firm butt in his jeans. What was wrong with her?!
Marty moved to the stove. Quickly, while his back was turned, she reached for a paper napkin and swiped her face and discreetly blew her nose.
Without turning to look at her until his breathing returned to normal, he efficiently began gathering plates and silverware. “You have to be starving.” His voice was light and casual even if he didn’t completely feel that way. He picked up the skillet and with a spatula placed the delicious smelling concoction onto two plates.
Nicole felt the fire between her thighs begin to fizzle and die away to be replaced with confusion and anxiety. She tried to think of something light and flippant to say in response to his question, but her stomach betrayed her by grumbling loudly.
“I take that as a yes.” He brought the two plates back to the bar and Nicole noticed that he kept his eyes averted, two red spots on his cheek as the only indication of what had happened. Nicole looked down shyly, only to see a monstrous omelet.
“Wow…that looks delicious, Marty.”
Marty dropped toast and then ladled up two big mugs of soup. “I hope you like tomato bisque.” He placed one of the mugs in front of her.
“Yum.” She nodded while looking into the mug of creamy goodness. “Is this canned or did you make this yourself?”
Marty’s eyes finally met hers. “Canned soup?” The look of shock on his face was not manufactured. “In my home?” His voice was incredulous. “Never!” Then he smiled and any residual embarrassment between them melted away.
“Taste it,” he said. And she didn’t have to be asked twice.
“Mmmm. Delicious.” He put toast on her plate and poured her an icy glass of tea then he sat down beside her and began eating, too.
Nicole glanced at him feeling a strange connection. He’d better be careful. She blinked. No. It was she that better be careful…
Nicole finished every morsel on her plate. “Very good.” She said while leaning back in the chair.
“You were hungry.”
She realized that she probably looked like a glutton. Truthfully, she had come from a place where if you were lucky enough to get a good meal then you ate it and remembered the times when there was no food…“Yeah. I’m not a small woman. I’m not one of those salad eaters.” She stood and gathered their empty plates and bowls despite Marty’s objections. She stacked them neatly in the sink.
“You say that as if you’re a big woman, Nicole.” Hell, she was…perfect, actually. He thought; who would be dumb enough to call Marilyn Monroe fat? Nicole stood at least 5’10” and she had full, heavy breasts, and he’d sneaked enough peeks at her backside to know that her ass was big enough to bounce when she hurried around the kitchen. Marty’s felt his semi aroused dick jerk back to life. Shit. He did not want that to happen.
Nicole humphed to herself. She was big and knew it. She was tall and big boned, athletic not exactly overweight. But she was big. Big legs, big thighs and since having a child, big breasts.
Absently she set the skillet in the sink. She turned and looked at him, opened her mouth—and it was as if he knew she was going to ask him to take her home.
“Nicole…remember when you asked me why I’m doing this for you?” He took a deep breath and then walked into the living room. She followed curiously. He sat on the couch and she sat across from him in the armchair she had sat in earlier. He closed his eyes a moment and when he looked at her again it was in that detached way that she was most familiar with.
“Many years ago I was married, had a successful business and was living the American dream. One day my wife came to me and told me she was going to have a baby. I was so happy. Everything that I was working for was coming to fruition. Then she told me that it wasn’t my child, that it was my partner’s child. He also happened to be my best friend.”
Nicole bit her lips and tried to remain silent. Marty continued to tell the story as if he was reading from a menu.
“In one day I lost my wife, child, best friend and my business. I decided that I wasn’t going to let anything close to me again.”
She looked away briefly, a familiar pang in her chest.
“I bought the restaurant, immersed myself in it…and refused to be dependent on anyone or anything. Seeing you at the door that night…” Marty swallowed and blinked his eyes. She saw the compassion return to them. “This is the Marty I was before. I can’t turn my back now. Nicole, let me help you, just for the time being, just for a while.”
She didn’t believe that she had ever heard Marty talk so deeply about himself and his revelations brought back a lot of painful memories. Although the last thing that she wanted to do was to stay in her bosses house, she just could not see herself telling him no after all that he’d done for her and all that he’d gone through. Silently she nodded her head yes, hoping that she would not regret the decision.
Marty sat back and exhaled audibly but did not relax. “I…uh,” He cleared his throat. “don’t want you to think that my intentions are…” he searched for the correct words. “Other then what I say.” After all that he had revealed it surprised Nicole that he was turning red.
She felt her face turn warm again. No wonder Marty was so embarrassed. He was offering to help her despite the fact that she had just thrown herself at him. She was very ashamed. It was obvious that Marty’s motives were pure. Besides, why would he want someone that was as broken as she was…broken in more ways then he would ever know? Silently, Nicole vowed to never again confuse her loneliness with desire.
She swallowed past her shame. “Thank you for everything that you told me, Marty,” She sighed. “I’m not used to…relying on people or accepting help. It’s always been just me. I’ve never had anyone to lean on. But at the same time, I am afraid that I might have another…it might happen again and,” She nodded. “So I’m going to say yes. Thank you. Yes.”
Marty leaned towards her. “Consider my home your home. But, I am going to make one request.”
Nicole raised her brow. “Of course, anything.”
“This arrangement stays between us. I don’t want the people at work knowing I have a soft heart.”
She smiled. “No chance of that ever happening.”
His response was just a slow grin. Her heart ached.
Marty took her on a quick tour of the condo. He had a state of the art home theater system and she wondered when did he ever find the time to enjoy the thing? But it was his den that she was particularly interested in. He had a computer. She didn’t have one and going to the library to study and staying after class to research was a pain.
He had turned one of his spare bedrooms into a weight room and she understood now how he stayed so buff.
“There’s only one bathroom up stairs.” He apologized. “And I brought a few of your things. I swear I didn’t go looking through your drawers—I just grabbed a few things.”
Nicole shook her head. “That’s fine. I could use my school books, though. I know I’m behind on my school work.”
“I did pick up a backpack. It’s in the den-” Nicole squealed and jumped up and down happily and then regretted it when her boobs swung loosely in Marty’s oversized shirt. She pressed the sling against her chest and Marty pretended not to have noticed.
“Did you want to go back to the den and study?”
“No. I don’t think I’d be able to absorb anything.” They stood in the hallway silently. “Are you going to the restaurant?”
“No.” Marty must have noted the flash of concern across her face. “I talked to Fred while you were resting. No major problems. He’ll call me on my cell if anything comes up.”
“I feel like I’m keeping you from work-”
“Don’t be
silly,” he said dismissively. “Do you want to relax a bit, take a nap, watch a movie-?”
“Watch a movie!” She responded enthusiastically. Then she flushed, embarrassed. She didn’t have a television. Yeah, she could have picked up a cheap one from Wal-Mart but didn’t want to splurge on cable and really she didn’t have time for television. But who could turn down an opportunity to watch a good movie on plasma screen with all the bells and whistles. “You have a real nice home theater.”
Marty just smiled and gestured for her to follow him down the stairs. “Pick out a movie. I’m going to go pop us some popcorn.”
Nicole’s look of admiration was genuine. “Big screen, home theater AND popcorn? Man, I’ll never leave.” Marty’s smile grew even wider.