Winter Wonderland (N.H)

6. Peter

It's very rare to meet someone for the first time and connect with them so well. Not one second did it feel awkward around him. Obviously, I was nervous, but who doesn't have nerves when they start to get to know someone? Especially when you find out that they own their own successful company.

Niall was able to keep the conversation going so smoothly. His laugh. Don't get me started on his laugh. It's one of those laughs that is so contagious. If someone were to say a joke that wasn't funny at all but Niall laughed at it, you would immediately start laughing because of him. 

I need to not get ahead of myself here. He really might only want to be friends and I respect that. My mind is always running a mile a minute.

Pulling up to my house my phone dings and I see that Angie has texted me. I swear Find My Friends is a blessing and a curse. She wasted no time in asking when she can come over. As long as she's bringing dinner and wine I can't complain.

Walking in and throwing my keys on my kitchen island I walk over to the couch and plop down. A few minutes of silence to enjoy before Angie interrogates me about Niall and everything else that happened today. 

Before I know it my doorbell is being rung continuously. I always know when Angie is here because she will ring my doorbell until I answer the door. I slept in ONE time we had to get breakfast and now this is all she does. 

"I'm coming," I yell in hopes she hears it and can stop ringing the doorbell.

Swinging open the door, there she stands holding our wings and the bottle of Yellowtail Pinot Grigio and a big smile across her face. She storms passed me and straight to the couch. 

"Okay bitch you need to spill everything. Right now!" 

"Angie can I at least get plates for the wings? I'm starving. You won't get a story if my stomach doesn't get food in it soon."

"Fine, just hurry up. I'm impatient."

As if I did not know that already. I open the cabinet and grab two paper plates and two wine glasses. Walking over to Angie I place the plates and glasses down and immediately open the wings. I'm starving. As much as I love my almond croissant but that only fills me up for so long. Those go down very quickly so it has been a while since I ate it.

"Okay where do I begin?" I ask taking a bite of my buffalo wing before continuing on with the story. 

"I obviously didn't have his number so I had no idea if he was there or not. I got there early so just decided to get a table before the post-work crowd came in. Eventually he walked in and his style is so good. Yes, I know he's got money but he wasn't rocking a suit and tie like most CEO's would. He also bought me an almond croissant. He even said it could be 'our thing'. Like what the fuck. Then we-" 

"HOLD ON? He said it would be YOUR thing?! As in the two of you? Like just you two?" 

Angie cuts me off. She puts her plate of wings down, crosses her arms, and has her mouth opened with a shocked face. 

He really said it would be our thing. I don't know why, but I didn't think much of that when he said it to me. Maybe because I was just so nervous I didn't process the fact he wanted something to be our thing. 

"Okay I guess I didn't think much of that when he said it to me. I was so nervous and so much was happening my mind just processed him saying that. But it probably doesn't mean anything too crazy right?"

"Girl, I don't know. Please continue though. What did you talk about?"

"He started the conversation off by asking what I do and I asked him what he did. I felt weird because I already knew, but I didn't want to let him know that obviously. He really is a down to earth guy. He really is about finding smaller clients to sign and that's his inspiration for coming here. He chose Evergreen because one of his college... sorry uni, friends lives a few towns over so he drove past here a few times and loved it." 

Angie breaks a smile and the uni part. I continue to fill her in on what we talked about. I told her how easy it was to talk to Niall. How it felt as if I was talking to someone I knew for a long time. I felt comfortable. That's the best way to describe it. Comfortable.

Angie and I continue to drink our wine. The two of us being wine tipsy is great. Angie always stays over on our girl nights. Even if we didn't drink, I would still have her stay because we always talk for so long that it is usually pretty late out. I wouldn't make her drive back home that late at night. Plus, I have a guest room so it isn't a hasssel. 

Our gossip session is interrupted when Angie's phone starts going off. The ringtone playing from the call tells me I know exactly who it is. 

"Peter!!" We both scream into the FaceTime call.

"Hi ladies! Having wine and gossip night I see!" Peter's smiley face appears on the screen. He's laying in bed with his glasses on. He always is one to go to bed early. Even if he doesn't sleep, he likes to be in his bed prepared to go to sleep by 10 pm. 

"You already know! I wish you were here!"

"I'll be there soon enough! It's almost my time to come back for the holidays!" 

"Peter you never will guess what today's topic was?" Angie moves the phone towards her.

"No Ange. No please." I barely make out a whisper. Angie shushes me. Peter is one of my best friends, but I don't know how many people I want to know about this. I just don't want this to be made into a big deal when it could really not be anything. I was eventually going to tell Peter, but I was just waiting for him to get here. I was hoping by then I'd know if Niall and I became better friends and just a better understanding of everything.

"Nikki met a guy! He's rich, sexy, and super sweet. Well at least that's what Nikki says about him."

"Woah, woah, woah! I only said he was nice and we know he's rich because he owns a company." I try defending myself.

"Oh hush Nikki. You know he's good looking." 

I mean I never said he wasn't. I just never said that he was sexy. There's a difference... well maybe. I don't know.

"Little Nikki finally found a man and I'm not there to give my approval? I'm offended." Peter fake gasps. I grab the phone from Angie's hand to face it towards me.

"I didn't find a man. I met a man, but not necessarily in that way. We are just friends. We bumped into each other at Tom's and he wanted to get to know me so I agreed. We got coffee once aka today. It's nothing serious. We are just friends."

There was silence on his end. He just looked at me. I don't know if he is shocked by my words and processing it or what.

"Nikki are you serious? This man just bumps into you at a coffee shop and without getting to know you wants to get coffee with you another day? What is this, a Hallmark movie?"

"He just wants to be friends. When we bumped into each other, I dropped my croissant so he offered to buy me a new one. After he walked me back to my car and asked to get coffee. He is new to the area and probably just wants friends. That's it."

"Yeah sure." Peter drags on. 

Angie forces me to spill everything about today. I swear Peter and Angie are like the same person. Peter is convinced Niall likes me. That's a thought I don't need others putting in my head. I already have it in the back of my own thoughts. It doesn't need to be fed into there more.

After catching up on other things, we hang up. Peter got tired and to be fair he does have to wake up earlier than we do for work. I do miss Peter. The holidays are always my favorite because he comes back home for a month. 

Angie and I parted our ways to our bedrooms. I slide in under my sheets and shut my eyes. Yet another night of sleep with one man on my mind. Niall Horan. 

HAPPY ONE YEAR TO HEARTBREAK WEATHER!! I can't believe it has been a year already! Niall blessed us with this album a year ago today! What is your favorite song off of Heartbreak Weather? 

Also, get ready for the next chapter. I got a surprise in store!