Just One Kiss

Chapter 18

Nico looked at himself over and over in the mirror, making sure that nothing was out of place. China was coming to his Monte Carlo apartment to meet him as they headed over to the race together.

He paced around the grey apartment, looking at himself every time he passed the glass. When he did, he checked to make sure his blue shirt, which had his regular look of the first buttons down, showing off a gold chain and a small glimpse of the tattoo on his shoulder. He made sure his white trousers were well pressed and his white shoes were laced and secured. His hair was slicked back, his beard cut to frame his jawline.

Nicolas took a breath thinking about all that he had been through in the last two days. In that time, as Nico packed his bags to head to Monaco, him and Maya screamed and argued at each other as they walked around his room in circles, putting every every single thing that he could into his bag for the trip.

"I can't keep doing this anymore" Maya said exasperated " your father wants you to marry me. I want you to marry me. Why won't you marry me? Instead you go out and hook up with the first girl you see as soon as I'm away."

"You know that's not true", Nico defended as he continued to pace around the room, " I've never done anything like this before ."

"But you still did it", Maya screamed. " Why would you do it if I'm the woman you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life. How can I trust you with this kind of behavior?"

"I'm just not ready yet" Nico kept saying as she continue to yell at him, more out of frustration than out of anger.

"I don't even care that you cheated. I just hate that you've wasted my time these last two years. You have to make a choice Nico, I'm not getting any younger."

"I'm just not ready yet Maya, I don't know how many times I have to keep saying it" he said, putting his fist on top his suitcase. The room was silence as Maya sat down, watching the man that she thought she loved changing into a person she realized she never knew.

"Cut the shit Nico" she said, tears in her eyes. " I made a mistake of thinking I could change you, to make you a family man, to make you quit these stupid adventures you keep trying to chase."

"If you were dating me to change me, then you never loved me at all" Nico said, his mind now set. "You know how much sports means to me, you know how much he meant to me and how much I wanted to carry his legacy."

Nico hated talking about Richard; he had opened him to the life of motorsport, but it would be the same thing to to cut his short. That's what made him sign the deal with JE, not for the money, but for the legacy and the love of the sport. Talking about it with China on their first dinner brought back those memories, but he kept them in, not willing to let his emotions get in the way of her dreams.

Maya knew she had taken it a step too far. She closed her mouth, silencing whatever response she had. As Nicolas looked between the two of them, whatever it was he thought he had with Maya was clearly just a facade for both of them.

"I realize now that the only reason we were with each other in the first place was to keep each other company when we were in the city. When you're away or whenever I'm away, we never talk. We never sit and think about our future, we never build."

"And you're right" he continued." You're not getting any younger and neither am I, and neither is my father. He said he wants me to be married, to be happy, and most of all, to experience true love. Can you honestly say that's what this is?" he asked looking at her, but she turned away.

"There's no reason to try and put effort into a relationship that if we're being honest, neither of us want. Or is this what you want the rest of your life to be ?"

"No", she said, her tears dropping to the floor. " We can't keep doing this to each other."

Realizing that the break up was complete, Nico walked across the room and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead. She wrapped him back tightly, knowing that it would be the last time.

Now in Monaco, Nico's heart continued to race as he waited for the true love of his life. He tried to calm himself down, but to no avail, giving up and reaching for the black box in his pocket.

" What am I doing" He asked himself as he opened the box to reveal the shiny diamonds and gems staring up at him. Putting the box on the table, he grabbed his phone and dialed his father's number.

"Everything alright son" the father answered the phone.

" I need your help" he said still looking at the ring.

"What do you need?"

"How did you know you loved mamá" he asked.

Guzmán laughed on the other line, almost as if he wasn't unlocking a memory that was deep in the back of his mind.

"I knew I loved her the moment I heard her voice" Nicolas listen silently as his father continued.

" I met your mother forty years ago now, back when I was still in college. On a random night out with my boys, just heading for a drink to take away the stresses of the exams, I heard the most angelic voice coming from the stage of the bar that we were sitting at. Your mother sang the most heavenly and beautiful tune I ever heard. If you ask me what song she was singing I can't tell you" he laughed to himself, making Nico laugh as well.

"Regardless of whatever she was singing, from that very moment, the first note, I knew that she was the woman that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Little did I know that it would end up being the rest of hers" he said silently to himself.

"You have no idea how much you helped me out" Nico said as his father finished.

"I'm glad I could" Nico ended the call, telling his father he loved him just as the doorbell rang.