by Iverson, Ivy
“It might not,” Scarlett replied. She sat down in a chair on the other side of Nik's desk. “Look, I know you’ve been burned in the past, but believe me, Courtney's not like that. She's not going to hurt you. Plus, you too are cute together.”
“I thought the same thing about Samantha, remember?” Nikolay asked. “And then she wrote a hit piece on me.”
That was through complete stupidity on his part; ranting to someone he had just met about his troubles. He had had a bad day and Samantha had been kind enough to listen. Or at least he had thought she was kind. He had no idea she was blogger trying to make it big. When she reported on him online, it quickly went viral and his life was ruined. He swore to himself that he would never make the same mistake again. With smart phones and eager people seeking an easy means to fame and fortune, anything he shared could easily end up online, again.
“Believe me, if Courtney was a reporter, she wouldn't be here. I haven't seen anyone with more integrity than she has, with the exception of you. You can trust her if you trust me.”
“Of course I trust you,” he replied. “But how can I trust her when all I can think about is fucking her and opening myself to her in a way that I’ve never done?” Shaking his head, “How do I balance my intense desire to protect her with this raging erection I get every time I think about her?”
“Well, first, that might have been TMI,” Scarlett replied as she chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this wound up about someone before. Maybe that's a sign that you can trust her,” she added.
“Maybe. All I know is that I can't stop thinking about her,” he whispered.
“Believe me, I know,” Scarlett said dryly. “You can hide it from most people, but you can't hide from me: you're a wreck.”
Nik nodded. “That I am.” He sighed, “I don't know what to do, Scarlett.”
“Well, to start off, you can stop trying to protect yourself from her because that ship has sailed. You can also talk about it with me, and you can try to feel out the situation. See if she likes you back. If she does, then you should ask her out. If she doesn't, then cut your losses and move on.”
“Why can't I cut my losses now?” Nik asked.
“Because if you do and you don't at least try, then you'll always be wondering, what if.”
Nikolay hated to admit that she was right, but he had to. “I can't stop thinking about her,” he repeated.
“I know. You're getting less and less work done each day. I should enforce a timer system: thirty minutes working, five minutes to daydream about Courtney.”
He smiled. He would need more time to daydream about Courtney that was for sure. He wanted all the time in the world but of course, he couldn't have that. “I'll get back to work, I promise.”
“Don't promise me. Promise yourself. Those are the only promises you ever really keep,” she said, standing up. “And remember that I will know if you don't.” She was about to walk out the door but she stopped herself. “For the record, I think you and Courtney would be great together, and I see the way the two of you look at each other when you think the other isn’t looking. I think that what you guys feel is a lot stronger than you think.” And with that, she was gone.
Nikolay leaned back in his chair. Stronger than what he thought? He doubted it. Because he was beginning to think that he was in love with her.
Chapter Fourteen
When Courtney got home, she found Janet waiting for her outside her apartment. She grinned ecstatically when she saw her. “Okay,” she said. “I'm going to want all the dirty details on why you're doing the walk of shame right now, but first I have some really exciting news.”
“NOT the walk of shame and spill it,” Courtney grinned at her friend as she opened her front door. “Just wait until we're inside so we don't wake up the building.”
As soon as the door was closed, Janet squealed and jumped up and down. “Okay, so a friend of mine who works in the advertising department told me that the Maine Clinic is having a deal on tattoo removal where the cost is going to be cut down to half!”
“You're kidding! That's insane.”
“It looks like you'll be able to save yourself four hundred dollars in textbooks,” Janet said, grinning. “How's that for awesome. But you need to get it done in the next two weeks or you'll miss the deal.”
Courtney shook her head. “There's no way I'll be able to save up that much,” she said. “Not with rent, bills, food, and my current student loans.”
“I'll give you my savings,” Janet said. “All fifty dollars of it and I'll help you with the buying and selling of your textbooks, and I'm sure you can get extra shifts at the club. I'd suggest a yard sale as well, but...” she looked around at the sparse apartment. “You've already cut down to the necessities. How much money do you have saved up right now?”
“Only about one fifty after my expenses are taken out,” Courtney said. “There's no way I'll be able to make it.”
“You will. We'll find a way. And if you get it removed soon, you'll be able to make the MDA scholarship deadline.”
Courtney’s eyes grew wide. Yes! The MDA, or Maine Doctor's Association, gave out one scholarship every year for a full ride for the first year of medical school. If she could get that, then a load of worry would be gone and Courtney would be on the expedited path to her dream job. But it was a big if. “I can't do it,” she said. “Thank you for telling me, but there's no way I'll be able to get the tattoo removed before then.”
“Apply for the scholarship anyway,” Janet said. “You never know, and it couldn't hurt.”
“I know. I will,” Courtney replied. “But I need to get this tattoo removed first… I can’t possibly move on until it’s gone. It’ll be a completely fresh start, you know?”
“Believe me, I know,” Janet said, pulling Courtney in for a hug. “Or, at least as much as I possibly could know. Now,” she let her friend go and sat cross-legged on Courtney's sleeping bag. “Tell me about last night. Is he as good as he looks?”
“I wouldn't know,” Courtney replied, sitting across from her friend. “But he's definitely nicer than he lets on.” She told Janet about saving Cindy last night and their long talk that ended up with Courtney falling asleep in the chair. Janet's eyes widened.
“You've never told anyone about your past,” she said. “At least, anyone after...”
“Gary,” Courtney finished. “I know. It was so weird! He was actually interested in it and he had opened up to me a little, the least I could do was open up to him.”
“But you still didn't tell him about that night, did you?”
“Of course not,” she said. “And I never will. There's a reason why you're the only one who knows.”
“That's because I'm the one who found you,” she said quietly. “Otherwise not even I would know.”
“Exactly.” Courtney shivered at the thought of that night. It was the worst night of her life and the reason why she had that stupid tattoo on her hand. “Anyway, he was incredibly nice and gentlemanly. He even lent me a shirt so I wouldn't be in underwear for the entire night.”
“How have you not slept with him yet?” Janet asked. “He sounds like he would be good in bed.”
Courtney giggled and blushed at the thought of being in bed with Nikolay. She hadn't even seen him shirtless, but she already knew he would be gorgeous in a brown sack or el flagrante. She shook her head to clear the alluring images out of her head. “We're not in college, Jan.” We can't just sleep with every guy we meet.”
“You never slept with every guy you met,” Janet replied. “Just two guys, right? As for me, I will sleep with whomever I damn well want, even if we've known each other for seconds. As long as he’s hot.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned. The two of them ended up talking and laughing well into the day and Courtney felt her spirits continue to lift. She tried not to look at the paper stuck to her wall.
$800.
The figure seemed to appear larger with each pas
sing day.
Chapter Fifteen
Courtney came into Nik's office just before her shift started. He smiled at her, struggling to keep his eyes on her face and not on her tantalizing body. Her face is tantalizing enough. “What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I was wondering if I could drop my fifteen minutes break,” Courtney said. “Now that I'm staying hydrated and rested, there's no chance of me fainting again.”
“Out of the question. The only reason why you are staying rested and hydrated is because of that break. You are exhausted enough as it is.”
“Then is there any chance I can pick up more shifts during the week?” Courtney asked.
Nikolay frowned and for a second, all thoughts of lust vanished. “Courtney, is everything all right? Do you need money?”
She flushed. “No,” she said quickly. “I just thought I'd ask, you know? I can get bored sometimes, and work is something to do.”
Nikolay frowned. He knew she was lying. He didn't know how, but he just knew it, and he hated it. “I'm afraid all of the shifts are completely filled,” he said. “But maybe next week we can work something out.”
Courtney nodded. “Thank you,” she said and turned to leave.
“Courtney?” he said.
She turned back, “Yes?”
“Please don't lie to me again.”
She swallowed and nodded. “I'm sorry,” she said, and then left.
Well, it was worth a try. She had started to give up hope at medical school, but with the prospect of half off, maybe she could get enough money for the tattoo removal deal. She went out and grabbed a drink tray to collect the empty glasses at abandoned tables. She still had time. If she could sell some more books to raise the money, as well as searched the web for other quick moneymaking schemes, maybe she could make it happen.
At Janet’s urging, she had applied for the scholarship and to medical school. Janet had friends in the admissions department and she was able to pull a few favors to get her application expedited with the fee waived. If everything went to plan, she would be attending her first year of medical school in the fall but first she needed to get her stupid tattoo removed and fast. Admittedly, it wasn’t a requirement for admissions but it was a prestigious institution and it had kept her from moving forward for so long that she simply had to remove it in order to put her past behind her.
Her shift seemed to go by in a blur. She flirted extra hard and flashed her breasts more than usual. She even allowed some of the guys to tuck money in her bra and underwear. It made her skin crawl every time, but they were more likely to give tips to those they could touch. She waited until there was a lag in customers before taking her fifteen-minute break, which she took counting her tips and making a game plan to get her four hundred dollars.
Most of the online jobs she had found involved writing of some sort, and she wasn't that good of a writer but she could do the paid surveys and the data entry jobs. They would be even more boring than buying and selling textbooks, but it would be money.
After her shift was up, Nikolay called her into his office. She collapsed into a chair and indulged herself in a long look at the only man in the building worth looking at. He was wearing a white dress shirt and black jeans that hugged his hips well and gave her a peek at an even better part of his anatomy. His dark, curly hair was waxed into a nice tousled look, and his eyes still looked dangerous, even though she could see compassion in them now. And concern. For her.
Damn. He could be a stripper himself if he wanted to be.
Nikolay closed the door to his office and sat down across the desk from her, his brow still furrowed in concern. “Courtney,” he said. “First of all, you know you can tell me anything, right? I don't want you ever thinking that your job is at stake because of problems at home, or that you can't talk to me.”
“I know,” Courtney replied looking down at her lap, feeling like a child in the principal's office. “But there are some things that I'd rather not talk about.”
“I understand. There aren't any shifts left for this week, but here,” he pulled out a roll of bills and handed it to her. “This was the ten percent of your tips that you turned in,” he said. “It's yours.”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “Nik, I really appreciate it, but you need the money for this place. I couldn't ever take that from you.”
“I think we can get by without your ten percent,” he said. “It's the least I can do after you helped me last night and I kept you from work.”
Courtney looked at the money. Every little bit helps. She took it hesitantly. “Thank you,” she said.
“You should know by now how seriously I take the well-being of my employees. So please, tell me what's wrong. Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No,” Courtney replied. “It's nothing like that. It's just...” she looked down at her gloved hand. “I've been looking into tattoo removal surgery and the Maine Laser Clinic is having a deal where I can get it half off if I sign up in the next two weeks, so I'm hoping to earn enough to get it removed.”
“I see. How much is it?”
Courtney clenched her jaw. “If you are thinking about a loan, Mr. Tonov, then I must decline. I'm in enough debt as it is.”
“Sorry,” he said quickly, his posture stiffening. “I won't insult you again by offering you money, even on a loan. But please, let's be past these formalities.”
She nodded stiffly. “Sorry, Nik,” she muttered. “I'm just a little stressed and tired. Was this everything?'
“Yes,” he said. “This was everything. But please remember that you can always ask me for help if you need it.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Thank you,” she said. “You have already been so nice to me.” She stood up to leave as Nikolay hurried to get the door for her.
“Nice work tonight, by the way,” he said. “I hope you sleep well.”
Courtney smiled. “I hope you do too.”
As she left, she wondered which one of them was acting odd that night. She couldn't be sure, but she knew one thing: everything between them had changed.
Chapter Sixteen
Courtney finished her last package of noodles on Wednesday and decided not to go to the grocery store until she had enough money for the tattoo removal surgery. She still had her old haunts for free food and there were protein bars at work. She could get by until the two weeks were up.
She spent her days looking through eBay and other online marketplaces for textbooks that she could sell to make an easy buck. When she wasn't doing that, she was wading her way through paid surveys that were long and boring, and only gave her a few cents each, but every little bit helped as long as she made the minimum cash out amount.
Courtney was sick and tired of all of it and the only thing that kept her going was the thought of nothing more than a faint scar on her left hand, one that was barely visible.
Janet came to visit her on Wednesday. “Courtney?” she asked, coming in, “You haven't been answering my calls on Skype. Is everything okay?”
Courtney looked up at Janet, her vision swimming slightly from looking at her computer screen so long. “Yeah,” she said. “Everything's fine. I'm just busy, you know?”
Janet sat next to her on the sleeping bag. “You look like shit. Have you been sleeping?”
“Sometimes,” Courtney mumbled. She was sure she dozed for a few minutes earlier that day. That counted as sleeping, right?
Janet sighed. “How much money are you up to?” she asked.
“If I cut enough corners and work hard enough, I'll have another one fifty by the end of this week,” she muttered. “It looks like I'll have to take you up on your offer of money after all. Maybe my landlord will let me give her only half the rent next week and collateral for the rest.”
“Maybe,” Janet replied. She crossed her legs and pulled out her cell phone. “Okay,” she said. “I'll help you.”
“Huh?” Courtney asked. Her brain felt foggy. Only about half of wha
t Janet said was actually registering.
“I'm going to help you get that money one way or another,” Janet said. “Even if I have to do these boring surveys with you.”
“No, I can't ask you to do that,” Courtney said. “You have so many better things to do.”
“Well, seeing how my friend is busy working for my crazy idea, I really don't,” Janet replied dryly. “Give me your account password to the survey site and go work on something else. The company will help it go by faster and make the income stream a little faster. Oh, and turn up the tunes.”
Courtney grinned and did as she was told. “You are the best friend ever,” she said.
“I try,” Janet replied grinning, “I try.”
*****
That night, during her fifteen-minute break, Courtney opened up her laptop and did some more data entry work while drinking a cup of tea.
Scarlett came in, tilting her head to the side as she examined Courtney. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You've been working awfully hard lately and you're looking more haggard than usual.”
“Oh, I'm fine. I need a little extra money right now. No big deal.”
“Nik is worried about you,” Scarlett said. “He's been watching you all night.”
Courtney blushed and tried to stamp out the thrill that ran through her at the thought of him watching her. “I'm sure he hasn't been watching me all night,” she said. “And he knows I'm not in any real trouble.”
“He might know that, but he still doesn't like seeing you work yourself to death. Nor does he like seeing the men touching you. I was sure he was about to kick some ass when one of them copped a feel when putting money in your bra.”
Courtney grimaced at the memory. “It sounds like you've been watching me too,” she said.
“Well, he's not the only one worried about you,” Scarlett replied. “You know that.”
“I know, but there really isn't anything to worry about.” She finished the rest of her tea and shut her laptop. “With any luck, everything will be all right by the end of two weeks.”