Monarchy of Roses

Chapter 19

Nika felt very relaxed and lay back in the bed with a smile on her face. She could feel the warmth of Josh's body in the bed next to her and this made her feel very safe and relaxed, compared to sleeping on the plane or her own room. "Good morning, Night Owl. We ought to get up before your Dad and uncles wake you up", he said.

Nika sat up in bed and a dull blush formed on her cheeks when she saw that Josh had gotten up and was still naked, a nervous giggle escaping her lips. "After last night, you're still shy? It's cute", he chuckled.

She took a deep breath and lifted the covers off of her body as she got out of bed. Josh looked at her hungrily and his brown eyes were almost golden with desire as a crooked grin formed on his face. "You're beautiful, Nika Lacroix", he murmured.

"I hope Dad doesn't kick your ass", she muttered.

Josh burst into laughter. "Me neither, but John is one of my best friends. Let's take a shower and get you back to your room", he said.'

Nika hummed to herself as she got dressed after taking a shower with Josh. Her dress was still in good shape but Josh had lent her a pair of his crotch pants and a Hendrix t-shirt which surprisingly fit pretty good as they were both slim and nearly the same height as Josh handed her a comb. "My hair is easy to comb, I suppose curly hair is harder to manage. And you look better in my clothes than I do", he teased.

"Ha, we're about the same height and we're both slim. It is, but both Dad and I have the same curly hair. It runs in the family", she laughed.

Josh sat on the bed and watched as Nika brushed her long curly dark h air. From this vantage point, he could see her slim figure enveloped in the baggy clothes. The sight of Nika wearing his own clothes was powerfully arousing and he was grateful to be wearing baggy sweatpants and an extra long t-shirt as he tried to think of stuff like baseball statistics and musical notation instead. The morning sun coming in through the window brought out the auburn highlights in her dark brown hair. "You have red highlights in your hair, I just noticed it", he said.

"So does Dad, apparently it runs in the Frusciante family. Grandpa had the same hair before he got gray and bald", she laughed.

"Hah, awesome. Everyone on both sides of my family have straight brown hair and brown eyes, which is boring", he said with a shrug.

"I have brown hair myself, and I like your brown eyes. They have gorgeous golden highlights", she said.

"Thanks, I never had girls compliment my eyes before", he chuckled.

"Have you have any girls compliment you?", she asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Josh laughed as he got up from the bed and put his arms around her waist, brushing her hair away so he could kiss her throat. "You have no reason to be jealous, Nika. Girls wouldn't go out with me in high school and women rarely come to Dot Hacker shows. I didn't start dating regularly until I was in my mid-20's, I lost my virginity when I was 22 and I was blind drunk. So believe me, I'm no Casanova, unlike your uncles", he teased.

"Hah, I know about Uncle Anthony's reputation, I read his book. But seriously, we have to meet the others", she said.

Nika finished brushing her hair and gathered up her dress and shoes from the night before. "I like your hair better in the French twist", he said with a grin.

"But not now", she reminded him.

Nika got her clutch purse and Josh took her hand as he led her out the door. John had just left his room when he saw them, his hazel eyes going to their intertwined hands and noticed she was wearing Josh's baggy clothes, her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes as understanding dawned on his face. "Good morning, Dad", she said.

"Good morning, Nika. I'll meet you guys downstairs", he said.

John was about to get in the elevator but didn't touch the button. "Nika, you ought to go downstairs. I need to talk with Josh", he said.

Nika had a sinking suspicion in the pit of her stomach as John led Josh towards the older man's room. She took a deep breath and pushed the button to go downstairs, hoping her father wasn't angry and no one got hurt.

Josh said nothing as John led him inside the room and handed a coffee. "Josh, tell me. How do you feel about my daughter?", he asked.

Josh sipped his coffee. "John, i like Nika very much. When I first met her years ago, she was a gawky little kid. But now she's blossomed into a beautiful woman, I noticed this on the session where she played the clarinet on our song. I like her, I like her a lot", he replied.

John sipped his coffee, a thoughtful look in his hazel eyes. "I know, you two slept tighter, but I just want to know where you two stand. Nika has never dated anyone before, and she's naïve about relationships. If this is just a fling, break it off right now or you'll break her heart", said John with a growl.

"John, I've never seen you angry like this before. But this is not a fling, Nika is a wonderful girl. Ever since I saw her at your studio and heard her play clarinet, I couldn't get her out of my mind. And being on tour with her made me realize that she is an awesome girl and I don't want to let her go. With your permission, John, I want Nika to be my girlfriend", said Josh.

John sighed, seeing the sincerity on the younger man's face. "Josh, I've known you for as long as I've known my daughter. You guys are among my favorite people in the world, and I would like very much if you were my daughter's boyfriend", he said, clapping him on the back.

Josh grinned from ear to ear and his cheeks flushed pink. "I'm glad to hear that, John. Now I ought to tell my girlfriend that her Dad isn't going to kick my ass", he joked.

John laughed as the two men finished their coffee and left the room. Nika was downstairs nursing a coffee as she looked worriedly at her father. "Nika, I was surprised that you guys slept together last night. But I can't judge since I partied a lot in my younger days and did a lot worse things. I just wanted to let you know that I've decided not to beat up your boyfriend", said John with a grin.

Nika burst into laughter as she hugged her father. "Thanks, Dad", she said.

"I want my daughter to be happy, and Josh is one of my best friends. I'm glad to know my daughter and my best friend are dating", he said.

Josh took her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. "Your Dad likes me, Night Owl. I can't wait to introduce my new girlfriend to your uncles", he laughed.

"Well, it's about time, you lovebirds. Looks like Daddy finally gave his permission", teased Anthony when he saw Josh and Nika holding her hands.

"We knew it was a matter of time, you guys make a sweet couple", added Flea.

"Congratulations on finding a very cool boyfriend", teased Clara, giving her a hug.

"Guys, let's leave the lovebirds alone and get breakfast. We got soundcheck later", said Chad.