Love Aint Always Pretty

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.

at him, "You still

"You know me

I smiled ruefully.

this child inside of me but something holds me back now that I've started a life with Damon. I bent

chase

didn't release me

say. "I mean look at you, you look different

different now, physically but

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

father to Dakota's baby. Stop

father to

sighs. "The wedding is all

accept the baby Nick

is too

I sigh heavily.

familiar

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

at our hands entwined. Damon eyes me and his brows creasing. "What's going on here?" He

I stand and moved closer to my husband. "This

was an awkward silence between the three of us

stands, "It's nice to finally meet you." He says while

it. "Pleasure's mine.

stuff about you

were you doing here hon?"

and I heard you went out for lunch. I

lunch honey? We were having some meeting for... The

would be good." Damon says while the three

I don't know if he's only hiding the fact that he's sensing something between me and Nick the second he

I still love will have merging of business. Damon was cool. He's

•••••

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

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

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

tops. Sometimes I wonder if I still cross his mind. Sometimes I wonder if he misses me when he doesn't see me. Sometimes

I asked in

his fork and wipes his cheek with

can't do that."

"Yes you

"I can't."

you do that for

and you know that. I can't just resign because you tell me so. I

it. Just quit your

It's not that I don't want to quit my job because I don't want to be away from Nick, but because of the great salary, Im also learning a lot of things that I need

I sigh. "I don't want to

letter, we're moving to England. You don't need to work anymore, I have

I don't want to be

expanding there and I'm going to manage it. I

I don't wanna leave this place.

more time. I'll think about

with Damon, I stuck myself inside my office with a coffee on my hand. I haven't slept well last night because I was chasing for the deadline. I read a lot of articles that's needed to be edited and as I do it, I can't help but think about Damon's offer. Us moving to England. I really don't wanna go. I don't wanna quit my job. I don't wanna be stuck inside the Josie for the res of my life and wait

about to end. I kept rereading it over and over again to look for some mistakes, in case I missed a few. When I was done, I quickly stood up and grabbed my bag and my resignation letter. Damon has been forcing me to go with him and he said he already bought a mansion there for us to

felt my eyesight getting blurry. I felt my world spinning slow

too

junky to find Nick standing by the doorway with a red paper bag on his hand and a box colored white and blue. He walks inside my office causally and I just

say

still able to catch you around

Thought you

I can." He starts walking to me and handed

hands the red paper bag to

is this?" I

a boutique at France and I thought