Love Aint Always Pretty novel Chapter 81

Pursuit

- the act of pursuing

Origin: Middle English

81

While I was busy grabbing all of my stuff to get myself some lunch, there was a sudden knock on my door.

"Hi." Nick greeted as he opens it wide.

I froze for about five seconds when our eyes met and then I recovered. I gaze at my watch and it was twelve five noon. I'm starving for some steak and he's making me starve if he stays longer inside my office. He walks inside while every employee behind him was looking right at us. He slowly closes the door behind him but I could still see heads peeping out.

"Hi." I cleared my throat.

He glanced at his gold wristwatch, "It's lunchtime. Wanna go grab something to eat together?" He asked.

I bite my lower lip. Together.

"Nick, your employees think something is going on between the two of us after what you did for me. It's better if we avoid each other." I say.

"Grab a pad and a pen, we'll make them think we're going for a lunch meeting."

I sigh. "Nick. Why are you doing this?"

I pulled up my hand to show him my wedding ring to show him that I'm married. "I'm married."

"You're married." I added.

He sighs.

"We can't be seen together and if your employees will tell your wife that they saw you entering my office and we went out for lunch together, I'll be fired." I continued.

"Did Dakota taunt you to stay away from me?" He asked.

Yes.

"She didn't. I just wanna make it clear to you that we can't do things that we used to do. For god's sake Nick, we're both married people." I answered.

I grabbed my purse.

"You're heading somewhere?" He asked.

"Lunch." I say firmly.

"Can't two good ol' friends have a peaceful lunch together?" He asked.

Jesus Christ Nick. Why are you making me lose my mind?!

"I'll meet you at Travioli. We can't be seen leaving together." I say.

He nods and smiles at me while he walks out of my office. I waited for a few minutes before I could leave and when I finally did stepped out of the building, I hailed a cab and went to Travioli. Damon didn't want me to drive my car because he doesn't want me to get into a car accident.

When I arrived at Travioli, I marched my way towards where Nick was sitting down. I sat right across him and noticed that he already ordered meals for us. Goodness, the steak looked delicious as hell. I don't know how he knows what I'm craving for today but at least he knows my favorite meals. It's been a very long time since we went out together like his, just the two of us.

"Eat up." He says.

I smiled.

We ate silently and the dishes he ordered were insanely good. The gravy was salivating on my tongue and the vegetable salad was to die for. I've noticed something about Nick, and he still doesn't talk or make eye contact when he eats. He's still the same old Nick I knew back in the day.

"You still don't talk." I blurted.

He slowly pulled his head up to me and wiped his cheek win the table napkin. "What does that mean?" He asked.

"You don't talk or make eye contact when you eat. I've noticed that since before." I say.

I glanced at him, "You still do it now."

He smiles. "You know me too well."

I smiled ruefully.

He continued eating while I just watch him and whatever he was doing was adorable to me. I know this was the right time to tell him that he's probably the father to this child inside of me but something holds me back now that I've started a life with Damon. I bent my head down right away when he pulled his head up to me. All of sudden, Nick holds my hand. I looked back at him.

"It's really too late to chase you now, huh?" He asked.

He grips my hand briefly but then he didn't release me when I attempted to pull back my hand.

"Our lives have changed Nick." I say. "I mean look at you, you look different yourself."

"I do look different now, physically but you're still the one who owns me."

Before, I would cry at night cos of the pain when I think about Catherine owning his heart and his love. But now that he loves me and that I hold a huge piece of his heart, it's already too late for the both of us to start something beautiful.

"You're married. You're about to become a father to Dakota's baby. Stop saying things like this." I tell him.

You're the father to my baby too.

He sighs. "The wedding is all for show. You know that."

"You need to accept the baby Nick even when it's not yours."

"I know. Sometimes Dakota is too much and she's choking me."

I sigh heavily.

"Savannah?" Someone with a familiar voice called out my name.

I froze when I saw Damon walking towards our table. My heart beats faster than a nanosecond when I saw my husband's reaction when he caught me having lunch and holding hands with some other man. Damon stares at Nick and I remember at the wedding, they never personally met since Nick didn't go to the wedding reception cos he left after the ceremony.

I quickly pulled my hand away from Nick when Damon stared at our hands entwined. Damon eyes me and his brows creasing. "What's going on here?" He asked.

"Damon." I stand and moved closer to my husband. "This is Mr. Nick Wilde. My boss."

There was an awkward silence between the three of us and I hope it's not doom's day today.

Nick stands, "It's nice to finally meet you." He says while extending a hand.

Damon accepts it. "Pleasure's mine. I'm Damon Patricks. Savannah's husband."

"Yeah. Heard a lot of stuff about you Mr. Patricks." Nick says.

"What were you doing here hon?" I asked Damon.

He moved his head to me, "Dropped by your office and I heard you went out for lunch. I knew I'd find you here." He smiles.

I smiled back. "Wanna join us for lunch honey? We were having some meeting for... The convention...in a week." I say.

"That would be good." Damon says while the three of us sat down.

Damon didn't bother about what he saw anymore. He didn't asked about it and definitely didn't make a scene. I don't know if he's only hiding the fact that he's sensing something between me and Nick the second he saw our hands entwined.

We talked about work related stuff and Nick asked Damon about how his company runs and they were both planning on becoming business partners together. Think about it, my husband and the man that I still love will have merging of business. Damon was cool. He's always the laid back type of person. He's just chill. I don't know what runs on his head sometimes but he's just so laid back about everything.

•••••

Three months passed, and my tummy was already getting bigger. I always love staring myself in front of the mirror every morning and before I sleep, and seeing some of my body parts changing, from my flabby arms, my belly growing, my thighs expanding bigger as I sit down, my calves are getting big too and my face is getting rounder along with my cheeks.

Every morning I would sing to my baby every time I bathe myself, mostly it's some old classical songs and I listen to some Beethoven classical songs or some piano pieces on my way to work. I have been wearing flowy and silky tops and dresses as well to hide my stomach growing.

It's been a month since the last time I saw Nick at work. A month since we had lunch together. I heard he's at France at the moment for some work related activities. I'm proud of Nick and how far he has come with his work. He achieved a lot of things and he did so many things. Even though it was an easy money since he married Mrs. Devaloines' one and only daughter, but he still makes me proud for expanding such huge company.