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Chapter eight

The diner Miguel had chosen was perfect. Located in a peaceful part of town meaning there weren't any unnecessary noises.

Of course Miguel's first choice had been Dahlias restaurant but Nick had sworn he wouldn't show up. Matt had learnt of what was going on and he hadn't been able to resist tagging along.

The three of them sat in a booth at the end of the room. Miguel had already called the girl and she said she was on her way.

Crystal.

That was a rather interesting name.

"Oh and Nick... Try not to look intimidating. You might scare her, " Miguel stated and Nick turned to him.

"Define intimidating, " he asked and Miguel shrugged.

"I mean don't look like you're planning to pounce on her any minute, " cane the response .

Nick decided to let it be. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if he actually managed to scare her off. Meant he wouldn't have to sit there and act as if he was actually interested.

Matt leaned back on the seat and placed his feet on the table. Crossing them at the ankles.

"What's taking her so long? I had to call in sick just to be able to come here. " He then said .

"On her way. Now put your feet down! " Miguel instructed and when Matt hesitated, he shoved his feet aside.

A waitress then appeared to take their order. She was tall, curvy and took her time looking from one of them to the next. The top three buttons of her waitress outfit had been opened up, probably recently.

"So what will you be having today? " She asked, making her voice sound extremely erotic.

"Depends, sweetheart. Are you on the menu? " Matt asked and the girl smiled. Miguel let out a breath and shook his head.

"I'll have a glass of Spritzy ginger lemonade, " He then said before taking out his phone to escape the girls stares.

Matt scoffed, " Would it kill you to order tea or coffee like a normal person? " he asked before turning back to the girl.

"Do you even have that here? " she nodded , smile still intact. Then she turned to Nick and raised her brows inquisitively.

"Coffee. Black, no sugar, " was all he said before continuing to look out the window.

"What about you? " The girl asked Matt.

He raised his hands and locked his fingers together behind his head, then he pretended to be thinking.

"You know, that dress looks really good on you, " he finally said and the girl looked down at herself and thanked him. That flirtatious smile still in place.

"But I bet it would look better on my bedroom floor, " Matt finished off with no hint of playing around.

Across from him, Miguel shook his head before saying something like 'For the love of God ' .Nick on the other hand just listened. He'd known Matt long enough to be used to him. And although he never showed it, he was always amused by everything the guy did.

"Has that line really ever worked? " the girl asked and Matt gave a simple shrug.

"Wouldn't know. I've never used it before. "

A pause.

"So tell me sweetheart, do you have a name or can I call you mine? "

'Wow' Miguel mouthed.

"Casey, "the girl said.

"And you are? "

Matt smiled, visibly checking her out.

"Your next boyfriend."

Miguel put his phone down and turned to them.

"If you two are done, I'd really like my drink now, " he said and the girl was about to leave when Matt held her hand.

"Don't listen to him. So where were we? "

"Actually I have to get back to work, but if you give me a tip later I might call you..... sometime, "

Matts smile grew impossibly bigger.

"Baby, I'm not just gonna give you a tip, I'll give you the whole damn thing! "

The girl actually laughed before walking away.

"You might just be the worst person I've ever met, " Miguel stated afterwards. Looking a little horrified. Matt just laughed, trailing after the girl until she disappeared into the kitchen.

"If this girl won't show up in the next five minutes, I'm leaving, " Nick said. He was usually a patient person. His Job required him to be. But there was no way he was sitting there, wasting his time waiting for someone he didn't even know .

"I'll give her a call. Maybe she got lost." Miguel said and was about to retrieve his phone from his suit jacket when the door opened.

"Oh there she is, " he said as he stood so that the girl could spot him.

Matt turned and whistled but Nick preferred to wait till she got to where they were.

And when she did, he didn't look up.

Because he knew.

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

Nick could smell her, feel her. Just like the last time they met.

"Guys, this is Crystal. Crystal meet Matt and Nick. "Miguel introduced.

On the mention of his name, Nick looked up and Crystals eyes widened. In that moment, Nick realised two things. The first was that she somehow appeared more beautiful than he recalled.

And the second one was that he was doomed.

"It's you, " she said and the others turned to Nick.

"You two know each other? " Miguel asked and Crystal was about to answer when Nick did.

"We met at Dahlias restaurant. "

"Um.... yeah, I bumped into him, " she added before sitting next to Miguel.

Nick watched her.

Intensely taking in everything she did.

Her hair was down. Good. Just how he preferred it. Something in him wanted to reach out and touch her.

He could feel himself slowly losing control and he had to fist his hands to try and maintain it. He had thought be was over this little obsession but he had never been more wrong.

His heart was racing and he could feel his blood warming up in his veins.

She was currently talking, saying something about London but he was too busy tracing the curve of her exposed neck to pay close attention.

"What happened to Casey? " Matt asked the new waiter. A middle aged lady who did not seem to like her job.

"She had other tables to tend to, " she said with a a bored expression and after placing the drinks on the table she asked if there was anything else they wanted.

"May I please have a glass of water? it's really hot outside. " Crystal said and the waitress left immediately after. She didn't seem spoilt , Nick thought.

"So Crystal, how long have you known 'Mr. I have manners and I know it ' over here?" Matt asked and Miguel scowled at him. Crystal laughed and if Nick had been obsessed before, then he was completely lost now.

The sound vibrated into his very cells.

"Since we were four. "

"Wow, that long? " She nodded and went on to explain how they had started being friends.

"And you both decided to be lawyers? "

Nick was sure he saw her smile drop for a second then it came back.

"No. He had always wanted to be a lawyer but I was more into something else, "

Matt looked completely taken by her.

"What? "

"Art. But I changed my mind soon after. " she answered before turning to Nick.

He stilled.

"You're awfully quiet. "she said, leaning in towards the table. Nick tried not to look at how tempting her pink full lips were.

"Is that a problem? " he hoped he didn't sound as unsettled as he felt.

"No actually I like quiet people.... I find them very interesting. "

"Well I've never been called interesting before. "

She smiled.

She did that a lot, he realised. And the simple action filled his head with all sorts of images. All of which included her.

"So what do you guys do cause I'm pretty sure neither of you are lawyers. "

She was asking both of them but Nick couldn't help but feel as if she was referring to him.

"I work as a programmer in a technology company. " Matt said.Of course that was just his day job. They didn't need to know what he did after reading Brianna her bedtime story and tucking her into bed .

"Wow. Seriously? That sounds so awesome. You must be like some computer genius huh? " Matt tried to shrug it off as if it wasn't that big a deal, probably to make himself sound cooler. And it worked seeing that all of Crystals attention shifted to him.

"I was actually among the people who made the game 'Candy crush' " he lied and Miguel frowned though he didn't say anything.

Nick watched as Crystals fascination grew. He watched as her focus completely shifted and an urge rose in him.

It wasn't one he could explain or understand.

All he knew was that he was seconds away from punching Matt or maybe stabbing him in the neck with his pocket knife.

Why though he had no idea.

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