What's a Girl to Do? (Season 3)

Chapter Three: Certifiable

"Do you think this is something that someone can just get better at?"

I smirked at the notion behind it, zipping up the back of my latest knee-length black skirt with a flourish. "Hmmm?" I asked, moving my hair to one side so as Nicholas could do the single button of my blouse. "Sex, you mean?" I say quietly, ignoring the sensation that streamed across my skin as Nicholas gently brushed it whilst doing up the button.

"Yeah, sex," Nicholas replied. "I mean, I'm only the third guy you've been with, and the only person you've been with more than once."

I shrugged, hopping off the side of his desk and stepping back into my heels, knowing that I'd stayed too long in his office, as it was nearing lunchtime, and it was at the middle of our third week behaving this way. "While that is all true," I allowed, making a grab for my sweater, which had been discarded quickly when Nicholas had roughly taken it off me, "you know as well as I do that it can't last."

Nicholas nodded stiffly then, and I peered over my shoulder at him to be sure that he wasn't upset by this fact. "No, I know," he replied. "But, I've got to admit, these last three weeks have been fucking amazing, Murph..."

I scoffed then, buttoning my sweater, needing another barrier between us. "Yeah, they've been amazing, Nicholas—I know that, and you know that. But, the fact remains that we've all got lives to consider. We've got the firm to worry about, and our own parts to do. Plus I've got Iana and you've got Charlotte to help take care of..."

"And Josh?" Nicholas asks.

I sighed. "Nothing's been decided yet..."

"You spend at least two days a week having lunch with him, and then you call or text him pretty much every day..."

I rolled my eyes, becoming sick of the constant argument Nicholas and I continued to have with one another—no matter how good the sex was, Josh would inevitably be brought up, and everything would go to shit. "Look," I said, crossing my arms, "you're constant bringing him up doesn't help things, Nicholas."

"Doesn't help you, you mean."

"Stop it," I said, throwing up my hands. "You're acting like such a little kid! This jealousy has to stop, Nicholas, really..."

"Jealous?" he asked, scoffing as he got to his feet. "You think I'm jealous?"

"Well, you sure as shit act like you are," I replied, staying rooted to my spot as he continued stepping forward. "What am I supposed to think whenever you act so fucking threatened whenever you or I bring up Josh?"

Nicholas hesitated for a moment—the inner battle had begun, and it was almost as if he was emotionally fighting with himself to speak in such a way, to present his vulnerability to me. "I don't want him fucking near you, Murph," he said thickly. "I've said as much before, and I'll say it again. He's not good for you—for you, or for Iana..."

"Since when do you give a shit about my daughter?" I demanded then, my voice quiet. "I know you seem to like her, but liking someone and actually caring about their well-being are two totally different things. Besides, you hate kids..."

"Look, normally I do, okay? But Iana's different. She's your kid, Murph."

"So?!" I demanded, throwing up my hands again. "What difference does it make if she's my kid or someone else's kid?"

"You're a good person, Murphy," Nicholas said, continuing to come closer to me. "I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you, or to Iana, or to anyone you care about..."

"Why?" I asked him, staring up at him, hating myself for allowing my voice to shake. "Why should any of this matter? We're not a couple, Nicholas—we're barely friends. We just fuck whenever it's convenient to us. You said as much to me in June—I don't mean a thing to you, and I'm all right with that."