Double Dating

Chapter Fifteen

"Were you going to?" This was the third time Nico had to ask, and I kept telling him the same thing.

"No. I wouldn't. I couldn't. Not without you."

He nodded his head like every other time I said this but I knew he would be checking again in a few minutes. Even Cole told his brother that he never would've gone that far. It was the heat of the moment that conceived those words and we all knew that such was possible.

For example: Me! Just this morning.

"Well then," Nico rubbed his hands together and then opened the door wide for me to exit my apartment. "Let's get this show on the road. Wouldn't want to keep the office waiting."

I slipped past him out the door and the next second after, I heard the unmistakable sound of unyielding fist meeting fragile cheekbone.

"Fuck!" Cole shouted and I turned to see him cupping his cheek whilst Nico casually shook his sore hand. There were no longer ice packs in my freezer so there wasn't much I could do.

Nico walked out the door, pushing past me and mumbling that he'd be waiting in the car. My head whipped between the two, wondering who I should cater to first; Cole's bruised cheek or Nico's bruised ego.

"Haven't you two shared women before?" I questioned in exasperation.

Cole was still rubbing his cheek and flexing his jaw to see if anything was broken, "Yeah. But none of them were you."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"None of them were you." He repeated again. "None of them... Were special or meant something. He doesn't want me to fuck this up."

Incredulously, I raised my hands and followed the gesture with the question, "Fuck it up?"

"Don't ask me. His mind runs wild with ideas and by now I've just accepted that he makes the decisions and I follow. Especially when it comes to you." He stated it so matter of factly, just accepting that he didn't have much say in things when it came to our three-way relationship that felt more like a business contract that I forgot to read the fine lines of. 

Nico must be in the car thinking we were continuing our earlier session...

"Let's get to the car. Everything's done here." Even as I confirmed this, I did so with my eyes by giving the place a look over as I said my goodbyes. 

The look we got when we strolled out to the car made me feel ashamed. 

"Took you two long enough." Nico mumbled the moment I opened the front passenger-side door. Cole took the back, still nursing his cheek. 

I ignored the comment. For the rest of the trip downtown, I ignored anything either of them said. It appeared to do the trick because Nico went back to being the gentleman he typically is. He opened the door for me when we arrived, let me go into the elevator first, and even held my hand when we walked through the office.

Perhaps all he needed was a moment to take a breather.

Mr. Yoon awaited us in a narrow, oval-shaped conference room that contained a table the same shape of the room, just smaller, and some chairs that had a few inhabitants. They were all fresh faces and many of them seemed like respectful people. Time will tell.

"Hello!" He gleamed at us as we entered. "Come in, come in. Sit. Sit. We were just discussing the new business plan and some had comments on it. Want some coffee? Tea?"

"Water." I smiled at him and took the empty seat that the boys left for me nestled right between them.

He pressed a button on some device and a glass of water appeared in front of me as if magic. Except the hand that placed it there gave the trick away. That was fast. I made a mental note to get myself one of those clicky-device things that Mr. Yoon held and carry it with me at all times. The buttons would break from overuse.