by G. K. DeRosa
“Sure!” they answered in unison.
As soon as Brian walked away, Natalie hurried Celeste over to the cramped kitchen. She pointed at the back corner of the apartment where a tall dark-haired boy was talking to a group of giggling girls.
“Look, is that your mystery man?” asked Natalie.
“I’m not sure.” She stood on her tiptoes to get a look over the crowd. “He has his back to us so I can’t see his face.”
“Get over there, Celeste. It looks like you’re going to have to get in line to talk to him. Look at all of those girls all over him!”
Celeste’s heart was pounding as she stared at the dark-haired stranger from across the room. “I don’t know about this, Nat. What am I supposed to say? ‘Uh, hi, I’m the girl who bumped into you in the library, nice to meet you’?”
“Who cares? Just get over there! Come on, I’ll go with you.” Natalie pulled Celeste by the arm.
The girls made their way over to the other side of the apartment, weaving through the dense crowd of college students and stopped a few feet away from their target.
“I can’t do this.” Butterflies fluttered in Celeste’s stomach, making her queasy.
“There’s no backing out now.” Natalie squirmed through the crowd with Celeste in tow and tapped Nico on the shoulder. He turned around with a stunning smile, and Celeste found herself face to face with him.
“Hello ladies, how can I help you?” he asked, warmth exuding from his voice.
Both girls were silent for a moment as they stared in appreciation of the gorgeous and impeccably dressed young man. His aqua button-down shirt was meticulously ironed, and his midnight blue designer jeans seemed custom made. He was tall, his short black hair neatly gelled back, with matching dark eyes and a teasing grin that would melt any girl’s heart.
“That’s not him!” whispered Celeste under her breath.
“Oh, hi,” said Natalie, words finally coming back to her, “we just wanted to introduce ourselves. My name is Natalie Meadows and this is Celeste Wilder.”
Celeste nervously twirled a golden curl around her finger. Nico regarded both girls, his dark eyes sparkling.
“We’re Dani Lynn’s friends and she asked us to check up on you since you’re new in town.” Natalie threw him a flirty grin. “She’s been too busy running around trying to make sure she’s the perfect hostess.”
“Well, that is very kind of you, ladies. I’m Nico Constantin. It’s a pleasure to meet you Natalie, and you Celeste.” He took Celeste’s hand, and his brows furrowed as his gaze ran over her.
Celeste’s skin tingled at his touch.
Brian appeared out of nowhere as Natalie and Celeste stood mesmerized and too thunderstruck to say a word.
“Hi, Nico, right? I’m Brian,” he interjected.
“Hello Brian, nice to meet you.” Nico extended his hand.
“That’s quite a grip you got there.” Brian grimaced slightly but didn’t let go.
“You do as well, my friend. Let me guess – you’re a wrestler?” asked Nico.
“Yeah, actually I am. How’d you know?”
“I used to wrestle in high school myself. We should have a go one day.”
Brian eyed him cautiously. “Yeah, sure.”
“You know, I must say that everyone in Oak Bluffs is so friendly and welcoming. I think that I’m really going to like it here.”
Natalie finally found her tongue. “So why are you here in Oak Bluffs?”
“My brother and I lived in New York City the past couple years, and he just graduated from college. We wanted a change of pace after the hustle and bustle of the city. We had an uncle that lived here many years ago, and we visited him once when we were young. It seemed like a quaint and quiet town so we came on a whim. I’m not much for academics, but my brother insisted I get my degree, so I enrolled at the community college and here we are.”
“Your brother?” asked Celeste trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. Natalie threw her a conspiratorial glance.
“Yes, my brother, Roman. It’s just the two of us here. We got an apartment on the other side of campus.”
That must have been who I met! There was a definite resemblance between the two brothers. Nico was a bit shorter and leaner than the brother she met at the library. But they both had the jet-black hair, olive skin, and incredible looks.
“So where’s your brother tonight, Nico?” asked Natalie.
“He’s not one for these kinds of affairs. I’d have to drag him out of the house kicking and screaming.”
“Oh, too bad.” She shot Celeste a devious glance.
“So Celeste, you said your last name is Wilder? I’ve met a couple of Wilders in my day, mostly in Germany.” Nico leaned toward her and her heartbeat accelerated.
“Yeah, that’s actually where my family is from originally, but I don’t know any of my relatives over there.”
“Well, who knows, maybe I’ve met some of your distant relatives,” Nico said with a half smile. He paused, his eyes glossing over for a second before he recovered. “Germany really is a beautiful country. I’d love to show you pictures from my travels there someday.”
“Oh sure, sounds fun.” There was something about his warm smile that drew her in.
Natalie grabbed Brian by the arm. “Let’s get refills on these drinks.” She turned back and winked at Celeste as she walked away.
Celeste suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her friend’s overly obvious gesture. Turning back to Nico, she suddenly realized she was alone with the attractive stranger. “So, you said you’ve been to Germany?”
He nodded. “I spent four years there at a boarding school in Berlin while my brother was in London attending university the first time around.”
Celeste was soon captivated by all of Nico’s stories of Oktoberfest in Munich, wild nights in Ibiza, strolling the Champs Elysees in Paris, gondola rides in Venice, and so much more. It seemed like Nico had already lived an entire lifetime of adventures, a seemingly impossible feat for someone only a few years older than her.
“I’ve always dreamed of traveling around the world. I wanted to backpack across Europe the summer of my senior year, which is in a couple of weeks now. I’m pretty sure that that won’t be happening.”
“Why not? You never know what may happen or how your life can change in the blink of an eye.”
Celeste knew how true that was. Her life had completely changed when her father had died. Nico’s warm hand around her fingers drew her from her gloomy thoughts. With a cute grin, he led her out to the balcony. The party had started to die down, and they were finally able to get a seat outside.
“It’s such a beautiful night out, don’t you think?” He gazed up at the moonlit sky.
She grinned. “Oh yes, it is. I love a full moon, there’s something magical about it.” Celeste found herself completely swept up in the conversation with Nico. It was odd how at ease she felt with him.
He glanced at her, the moonlight reflecting in his dark irises. “Tell me a little more about you. I’ve been going on and on about myself, and I haven’t let you get a word in.”
“Trust me, your life is way more exciting than mine is.”
“Maybe for now.” His brows furrowed.
There was something about Nico that sparked completely new and startling feelings inside her. She couldn’t quite figure it out, but there was something about this boy.
“I really missed seeing all of these stars when I lived in the city,” he continued as he stared skyward.
“I’m going to miss that about Oak Bluffs. I’m actually moving to New York City in the fall to go to NYU.” She wrapped her fingers around the railing to steady herself. The reality of it still made her nervous.
“That certainly sounds exciting. You must be a smart one then, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know about all that, but going to NYU is something that I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.”
“I don’
t know if I like this—I just moved here and now you’re leaving?” He frowned, revealing a cute dimple.
Celeste smiled shyly as Nico watched her intently – almost too intently. She was actually relieved when Brian and Natalie approached the balcony to join them.
“I think I’m ready to head home, Cel. You ready?” asked Brian.
“Yeah, sure.” Though she said the words, a small part of her regretted having to leave so soon.
Nico took her hand and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Celeste Wilder, and I hope to see you again very soon.”
Chapter 4
When Celeste awoke the next morning, she was filled with a sense of hopefulness, an emotion she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She glanced at her favorite family picture nearby on the nightstand; it was from her fifth birthday party, and everyone looked so blissfully happy. Celeste wore her favorite pink party dress, her dad was wiping icing off of her cheek, and her mom looked so young and beautiful.
“This is going to be a good day, Dad,” she said out loud.
She got out of bed and hummed as she made her way downstairs. Since her mom was still sleeping she decided to surprise her with breakfast in bed, and quickly got to work making some crispy bacon and eggs. As she hustled around the kitchen, she thought of the party (and Nico, of course) and a little smile crossed her face. She could totally do this—she could go out and have fun and meet interesting boys like a normal teenager. She resolved that this summer would be different: no more moping around the house and feeling sorry for herself. She was graduating soon and everything was about to change. She snuck into her mom’s room and left the tray with the delicious breakfast on her nightstand as well as a note saying she’d gone to meet Natalie.
A little while later, she met up with Natalie outside The Party Store. As head of the prom committee, Natalie had been running around all morning searching for decorations to turn the school’s stark gym into an authentic roaring twenties-themed casino. Celeste couldn’t believe that prom was only a week away. She hadn’t even planned on going really.
“Of course you’re going!” exclaimed Natalie. “You have to, it’s our senior prom!” The girls walked side-by-side basking in the pleasant morning sunshine.
After a few lame excuses, Celeste finally gave in to Natalie’s theory that if Celeste didn’t go to prom she would be missing out on one of the most important nights of her life.
“And you should totally take Nico,” continued Natalie with a wink. “You two seemed pretty friendly last night.”
Celeste laughed. “He is really friendly and seems super cool. He’s been to all of these amazing places. And the way he talks, it reminds me of someone so much older. But I kind of like it, he’s such a gentleman.”
“Of course you would love that. He seems like he popped right out of one of your romance novels.”
As Celeste was about to tell her that she doubted she would ever see him again, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, so she picked it up with a tentative, “Hello?”
“Why hello, Celeste. It’s Nico, the charming young man you had the pleasure of meeting last night. Please tell me you haven’t forgotten about me already?”
Celeste responded with a nervous little chuckle. “Of course not. Hi, Nico - how are you?”
Natalie’s eyes perked up at the name and she inched closer to her friend.
Nico explained that he had gotten her number from Dani Lynn (who had gotten it from Natalie – so sneaky!). “I hope I’m not being too forward, but I would really enjoy seeing you again today.”
“Oh…”
“I would love to show you those pictures of Germany that we were talking about last night. Why don’t you come by my apartment this afternoon?”
Celeste found herself searching for words. Should I go to this total stranger’s apartment after just meeting him? But he’s not really a stranger, after all Dani Lynn knows him…
She resolved her inner struggle with an impulsive, “Sure!”
Natalie’s face lit up into a huge smile.
When Celeste hung up the phone she was grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe I just said yes.”
“Me either! It’s about time you started acting like a normal teenage girl, and on that note, you’re coming to help me do some more shopping. This is going to be the best prom ever!” Natalie hung onto Celeste’s arm and dragged her into another store.
Celeste’s heart raced as she turned into Nico’s apartment complex. What was she doing? This was so unlike her! She tried to steady her nerves as she examined herself in the mirror, applying a little cotton candy lip-gloss and tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She forced herself out of the car and then knocked hesitantly on the door.
Within seconds, it swung open. To her surprise, the handsome stranger from the library stood in front of her. He wore a tight-fitting black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans that hung flawlessly from his hips. His bright blue eyes twinkled as a shade of a smile crossed his perfectly sculpted jaw. A five o’clock shadow completed his roguish look. Celeste stared speechlessly until she finally gathered the nerve to murmur a hello.
“You must be Celeste. I’m Roman, Nico’s brother. He told me he was expecting you, please come in.” Roman inhaled deeply as she walked in, his nostrils flaring.
As Celeste squeezed through the door that Roman held open, her arm brushed against his. Thousands of tiny electric shocks raced through her. She tried to suppress a slight moan as she walked by him. The intense attraction that bubbled up inside of her was ten times more powerful than what she’d felt toward Nico. There was no doubt that Roman was incredibly gorgeous, but Celeste had met cute boys before and never felt anything like this.
Nico came barreling down the stairs and gave Celeste a quick kiss on both cheeks – very European, she thought. At that, Roman retreated to what must have been his bedroom. Celeste thought she caught a glimpse of disapproval as Roman stalked out of the room, but it could have been her imagination. As she walked through the huge and immaculately decorated apartment, she noted it was not at all what she had expected from two twenty-something year old guys. It was a mix of new world and old, classic with large stately pieces of furniture and yet still boasting a modern black and white vibe.
Nico led Celeste into the expansive living room. Floor to ceiling glass windows overlooked a peaceful lake and lush green grass.
“Wow, what a beautiful view!” she said, walking toward the wall of windows.
“My brother and I enjoy the tranquility of calm scenery and quiet towns like Oak Bluffs. When you’ve traveled as much as we have, this is the perfect respite.”
He stopped in front of the massive black leather couch where he politely offered her something to drink and pulled out his shiny silver laptop. “I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure if you would.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure I would either.” Celeste took a sip from her drink, her knee bouncing up and down.
“Well, then I guess I lucked out. Where should we start? Berlin? Rome? London? We have the whole world in front of us, Celeste.” He opened the laptop, his dark eyes alive with enthusiasm.
“I’ve always wanted to go to all of those cities. They seem so beautiful and mysterious.”
“Well, maybe one day you will.”
She shot him an appreciative smile as he flipped through the photos. “When was this picture taken of you in London? Natalie was just there last summer.” Celeste noticed that none of the pictures had date or time stamps on them.
“Hmm, I think that was about two years ago – before we moved to New York,” Nico confirmed.
“You look exactly the same.”
“Why mess with perfection?” Nico grinned, then quickly moved on to other pictures.
Celeste furtively studied Nico as he clicked through the photos. She couldn’t help but compare the two striking brothers. Nico had a kinder smile with a cute snub nose and softer featu
res, while Roman’s expression was a bit stern, with a straight-edged nose and his thick eyebrows seemed furrowed more often than not. Celeste stopped staring when she noticed Nico’s inquisitive eyes turn to her. She glued her gaze back on the computer screen as they looked through countless photos of historic sites and beautiful landscapes, intermingled with the occasional goofy selfie of Nico.
Roman was in quite a few as well which prompted Celeste to ask a bit more about him. “Tell me about your brother.”
“Roman and I are very close; we’ve spent a lot of time together. Our parents wanted us to explore the world so we did just that—a semester here, a summer there. We’re a couple of world-class travelers, my brother and I.”
“That’s so great. Do your parents still live abroad?”
Nico paused, glancing out the window. “No, actually, our parents passed away awhile back. It’s just Roman and me now.”
“I’m sorry Nico.” Celeste couldn’t imagine what it must be like losing both parents. She squeezed his hand. “My dad died when I was young too, so I know how hard it is. He was killed in a car accident when I was ten.” She pressed her lips together to fight back the tears. Celeste rarely spoke about her father to others. She was surprised as the words easily tumbled from her mouth.
Nico quickly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wiped the single tear from Celeste’s cheek.
“Enough of that,” said Nico. “Come on, let’s get out of here and grab some lunch. I’ve been home all morning, and I need to get out.” He took hold of her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Before they left, Celeste made a quick stop at the bathroom to make sure her mascara hadn’t smudged. Turning back as she shut the door of the bathroom, she bumped into a hard body coming around the corner.
She froze as strong arms steadied her.
“We have to stop meeting this way.”
He had remembered her from the library, Celeste thought giddily. She had wondered if the intense connection had been only one sided. Encouraged by this new development she steeled her nerves. “Nico and I are going out to lunch. Why don’t you come with us?”