Closer to Love 💚

Chapter 8

Francesca is jolted awake to a long noise. She sits up, looking around to see she is in a bed alone. She vaguely remembered falling asleep on Richard's couch as she came out of his room to find him in the kitchen, fully dressed. "I fell asleep?"

He nodded, "sorry for waking you up. I dropped a mug. And yes, you fell asleep on the couch."

"So you took me to your room? Richard, I . . "

He sighed, "calm down. I carried you to the bed and I slept on the couch. I didn't want to wake you up."

Francesca nodded as Richard handed her a cup of coffee, "okay. Sorry, disorienting waking up somewhere unknown."

He chuckled, "I know. I thought you'd be mad if I slept with you, so I slept on the couch."

"It's fine. I appreciate it. I'm sorry I fell asleep. Not sure I've slept that good in a while." She heard him chuckle again as she checked her phone. "Fuck I have to go home and shower and change." She took a gulp of her coffee before setting it on the counter next to him. She turned to leave before turning back to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug, "thanks for last night. I'll see you on set, don't be late." She kissed him on the cheek as she heard him laugh before leaving him standing alone in his kitchen.

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Richard arrived on set seeing Francesca on the phone, talking to someone, blushing. He knew she was talking to Nick. He sighed as he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach he knew to be jealousy. He plastered on a smile as he watched her hang up, looking up and smiling at him. He handed her a coffee, "since you didn't get to finish yours this morning."

Francesca smiled, "ugh thank you. I really appreciate it Richard."

He smiled, "friends, right?"

She nodded, "yeah." She watched him start to walk away but grabbed his hand, making him stop to turn back to her. She dropped his hand, "in honor of us being friends, you should know that I'm having dinner at Nick's place tonight."

Richard nodded, "that's great. I'm glad it's going well. You like him?"

She nodded, "I do." She saw him smile and nod before walking away, knowing he was upset, but hiding it. She sighed as she followed him.

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Francesca looked down at her light blue dress, wondering if it was too much as she knocked on Nick's door. She saw him smile as he opened the door, wearing jeans and a green polo. "Hi."

Nick smiled, "you look beautiful Francesca. I'm happy you're here."

She nodded, "thank you. I never say no to someone offering to make me dinner." She heard him chuckle as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"And wine?" He held up a bottle of wine towards her.

She laughed, nodding, "and wine." She sat where he already had food waiting for them, accepting a glass of wine. "Thank you Nick. Really."

He nodded, "well, we've sort of done things backwards; sleeping together and then dating."

"Right. I don't mind doing things out of order." She smirked at him, "in fact, it was kinda fun."

He nodded, "only kinda?"

She giggled, "more than kinda Nick."

"Sooo. Are you seeing anyone else besides me?"

She shook her head, "you're actually the first guy I've dated since I moved here a few months ago."

"I'm surprised no one else has asked you out yet."

She laughed, "I didn't say I haven't had offers. I said I haven't dated anyone else."

He nodded as he laughed, "I see. Well I feel special."

"This your not so sly way of asking if I'm sleeping with any other men?" She smiled as she watched him shrug and blush, "well I'm not. Are you?"

"Of course not. I don't sleep with men Francesca."

She laughed as she saw him smirk.

"I'm kidding of course. I told you, I like you Francesca. No, I'm not sleeping with anyone else."

She nodded, "you can call me Fran."

After they ate, she followed him to the couch as he put on a movie, "I like you too Nick." She heard him chuckle as she cuddled to him on the couch, "I'm going to sleep over."

He laughed, "that a statement or a question?"

She looked up at him, "statement. Is that okay?"

He nodded, "very. I like you assertive."

She shrugged, "I know what I want." She heard him moan as she pulled him to her and he pinned her under him on the couch, running his hand up her thigh under her dress.

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Francesca laid in Nick's bed while he was in the bathroom when she heard her phone going off next to her. She picked it up to see messages from Richard.

Richard
Hey. What are you going tomorrow?
Day off. Want to go hiking with me?
And lunch

Francesca
Sure!
Love to
Let me know when and where

Richard
Great :)
Can't wait

"Who is that?"

Francesca looks up at Nick as she sets the phone back on the nightstand. "A friend asked if I wanted to go hiking tomorrow."

Nick nodded, laying in the bed next to her.

She hesitated, "I want to be honest with you. It's a guy friend. Is that okay?"

"Is he gay?"

Francesca laughed, "no. We've slept together once, months ago. But now we are just friends."

He laughed, "I was kidding about the gay thing. If you say nothing is going on, then I believe you Fran. I trust you."

She nodded, laying on his chest, "okay. Thank you Nick."

"Of course." He rolled to face her, wrapping his arms around her. "Sleep."