The two of us - Nichorello

19. Cigarette

<Nicky's POV> 

"Why are you crying?" Logan asked worried, reaching out for my hand. 

"Wow, big guy, we're not there yet," I joked around, trying to hide my sadness. 

"So, it's your big day. What do you wanna do first?" 

"Let's get some coffee. Real coffee and not the brown mixture served in prison." 

-------------------

Surprisingly, Logan brought me straight to Caleb's and his flat, which was going to be my home for the next few weeks. It was a four room apartment, with one kitchen, a bath, one study room and the living room. Caleb and Logan both were sleeping on the couch, which left me with the option of sleeping on a matress on the floor. In comparison to prison bunks it would still feel like a vacation on Barbados. 

"Why didn't you guys make a bedroom out of the office?" I asked, while sipping on my excellent coffee with cookies that actually crunched when chewing them. Weirdly, my teeth felt weakend by the mushy prison food. 

"I sometimes take photos for the model agencies there and we thought it was better if we both concentrated on our work and not on our sleep. To get out of this drug business lifestyle is quite a challenge, but we both managed. What about you?" 

Caleb was on a diet for his next photoshoot so he was jealously glancing at my cookies while chewing on a plaine piece of lettuce. 

"I'm gonna call Monica, my assitant right away. See if she can come here for a few weeks and do some projects in the New York area. I mean, there should be thousands of drug addicts in NYC right?" 

Both of the guys laughed, glad that we were finally reunited again. 

"I know this is a stupid question since both you guys are sleeping on a couch together, but are you seeing anyone?" 

"Why honey? Interested in what you see?" Caleb winked at me whilst sitting on my lap seductively. 

"I think you spent too much time with Logan." I scoffed whilst pushing him off of me. Both of them laughed the typical guy laugh and high-fived. 

"I see, this is going to be fun," I said. We all nodded in agreement.

-------------------

"Monica, this is Nicky." 

"Ms.Nichols," she responded enthusiastically. I could imagine how her face lit up as she heard my voice again. It was obvious, she was in love with me. To be honest, I wasn't repulsed by that idea. 

"Did you get released?" She asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. 

"No, I'm hiding in the closet right now, I stole the phone from a guard whom I just killed earlier."

"Oh, really?" She giggled shortly, "Then I feel honored. You went through so much trouble for me." 

I scoffed, "Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about: how things have been going." I had called Monica a few times from prison, but taking care of a company from behind bars turned out to be harder than expected. 

"Well, I had to blow off all projects for the last two years, but I managed to keep the press off of our backs." 

"That's great. Actually, I was thinking that we could do some projects in New York City, this place is filled with degenerates." 

"Sure. Do you want me to stay in the office?" 

"No, you can come here. For a few weeks, of course, you can either stay with my friends and me or we can go to a hotel. But the important thing is that we organize some projects. I really need to start working again, I think I completely forgot how things work on the outside."

"I'll take the next flight."

I ended the call and headed back into the living room. 

"Et voilá!" Caleb said, pointing to the mattress on the floor. "Doesn't this look like heaven?" Logan asked me. I let myself fall on the mattress, surprised by the unfamiliar soft bedsheets surrounding me. 

"This feels so weird," I encountered rolling around in the blanket like an infant.

"Pillow fight!" Caleb yelled, slamming a pillow in my face. I rolled onto the carpet floor, turning around to pull Caleb's feet from under him. He fell to the ground next to me, simultaneously, pulling Logan down with him. The pillow fight continued for a few minutes on the ground until we were all out of breath. 

"Our endurance is wack," I mumbled.

"Well, chain smokers and drug addicts don't have the best stamina, huh?" 

<flashback> 

"No, put that away," she came towards me, trying to take the cigarette from me. Luckily, I was much taller, holding the cigarette towards the ceiling so she couldn't reach it. Although she knew she couldn't reach it, she would persistently try every time. 

"Nicky, give it!" She pouted. I chuckled at the sight of her, of how cute she was. In reality, I think I didn't need to smoke that much, it was her reaction which made me do it. How she suddenly gifted me with her full attention, trying to stop me from smoking. 

She looked at me grumpily. I stepped away and took a drag, provoking her. "Don't you dare," she encountered in a threatening manner. I exhaled the smoke slowly, knowing how mad she got. It wasn't the kind of rage when you have a fight, but the kind mixed with love and affection. 

"I know you're just doing it to tease me," she said, whilst turning around and attempting to walk away. 

"And it's working," I responded, knowing that she would stop and stay. As expected, she came to a halt and turned around, facing me again. 

"Ok. I'm done. This is a peace offer, here." I held my cigarette towards her, so she could take it. Hesitating, she took the cigarette from between my fingers. As our skin met, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards me. Our faces were almost touching. I could sense how she held her breath instinctively. I looked down at the cigarette between her fingers, and whispered into her ear: "Smoking is dangerous."  

I grinned at her. She grinned back at me, suddenly pressing herself against me. Our lips met and soon we were tangled in the bedsheets, the cigarette dangerously glowing next to us on the night stand.