Second Chances (Ricky + Nini)

chapter 30 - always dreamed it's you and me until the end

Winter in New York city was brutal. The days were often gloomy, and the wind sent chills down Nini's spine. Some days, she found it hard to get up because she didn't want to leave the warmth of her comforter. Bob would sometimes snuggle in with her under the blanket to protect himself from the cold weather, and Nini thought it was the most adorable thing. Today was different though, they were nearing the end of February, and the weather seemed to be looking up. It was going to be a great day.

It was also Nini's birthday. Ricky had promised that he would visit her, and he would be arriving very soon to spend the day with her. Well, the evening, since Nini still had work. She smiled when he texted that he'd landed, evidently his arrival was what made her so excited in the morning.

She arrived at work with a pump in her steps, and entered her office to find that her friends were already there, ready with cake and party hats to wish her a happy birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Neens!!" EJ and Gina said in unison.

Nini engulfed them both in a hug and thanked  tbem. She frowned, however, when she noticed Kourtney was missing.

"Thank you so much, you two. Where's Kourt ?"

"Oh. Um.. she said she was sick." EJ said scratching his neck uncomfortably. Something was up, because Kourtney rarely gets sick, and EJ was looking nervous.

"Oh no. What's wrong?" Nini asked.

"She just had a fever..." Gina answered.

"Poor thing." Nini said. "I'll give her a call later. I hope she's okay."
_______

"It's just a cold, Neens. Don't worry about it." Kourtney said dismissively. "No! Don't come here. I'm fine, I promise. You should be enjoying your birthday! Go out for lunch. Have some cake... make sure EJ and Gina treat you well... Yes. I'll drink plenty of water. I promise. Happy Birthday!"

Ricky looked at Kourtney anxiously. "She knows doesn't she?"

"She definitely didn't believe I was sick." Kourtney said. "Your girl's too smart for her own good."

"Oh man. She's gonna find out. I'm screwed." Ricky nervously ran his hands through his curls. "Everything's falling apart."

"Okay... drama queen. First of all, she doesn't know I'm with you. Second of all, you need to chill everything's gonna be fine. You know she's gonna say yes."

"Oh my gosh. I hadn't even thought about that. What if she says no?!" Kourtney placed a hand on his back to soothe him, but immediately removed it.

"Aww. Richard, you're really nervous aren't you. You're sweating through your shirt in this New York winter. You're crazy." Kourtney said. "She's going to say 'Yes' Ricky. That's all that matters in the end right? Even if everything falls apart, you'll have her."

"You don't know for sure she'll say yes." Ricky said. "She's totally out of my league, you know."

"Look, lover boy. She loves you. I don't know for sure, but I know 99% she wants the same thing. She's crazy about you." Kourtney said, trying to calm him down. "Now let's not think about that yet and rerun the logistics again."

"Okay. Let's do that." Ricky opened up his iPad. "So, I pick her up from work at 5. Gina and EJ will make sure she gets out on time. We take a stroll to Central Park, where Ethan will be waiting with Bob. You're gonna use my keys, and take Bob to Ethan's at 4."