Wildflower (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

 

It had been exactly a week since Nicolas had met Wildflower; he found it amusing in a way. He never really went out to clubs or bars, but that night he had to meet someone there and shortly after he met his perfect girl. Sure her house was a dump and her family was a little crazy, but she was perfect for him. Ever since the weekend he had regular calls and emails from his nieces, they were determined. But little did they know that their encouragement was hardly needed, though it helped that they loved Wildflower so much. All week he’d been doing things to show her that he really did want her.

Monday was lunch with her friends and dinner with her family. Tuesday he took her out to dinner and Wednesday he sent her and her mother, sisters and aunts flowers. Which as expected they all loved as he knew they would. It was easy to win over all the important women in her life, but her brothers were another subject. They were his task today, and then tomorrow he was having the whole family over for dinner. After he planned to have Wildflower spend the night and take her away for the weekend. He was pretty sure that she wasn’t use to such a fast paced jet set life, but she’d get use to it. But if he wanted this to work out the way he planned he had to keep up the pace. Taking her away would have been a problem, but he already discussed it with her mother. Which would have been risky, but her mother was so easy to win over.

The bothers he still had to figure out, the younger ones weren’t as bad. But her twin and the older ones were a little more complex. So he figured he’d take a gamble and do something a little crazy. His secretary called around for him and made arrangements for them to go to the shooting range and he arranged transportation for them and everything. His nephew Jordan, who happened to be Sammie’s twin brother came along too. Just as he figured all 9 brothers came and they all thought it was crazy that he’d take them shooting. Because they could use that against him, which is what he anticipated.

And since there were less people in the Laiez house, he had to make sure all the women were still taken care of. So that Marguerite could get a break from cooking, he sent them all out to dinner. After shooting he took the guys out as well, and he was pretty sure he had them at least halfway. He accompanied them back to their house just to say goodnight to their unsuspecting sister. After taking Jordan home he went back to his hotel room, where he found his oldest sister waiting for him.

“Katrina, I’m surprised,” he said when he saw her sitting in the living room.

“It took awhile to get this information from Sugar, but you’re dating someone?” She asked getting straight to the point, he almost laughed. His perfect princess sister sat there looking like such a socialite. She liked trying to hook him up with her friends, but they were too boring.

“If that’s what you want to call it, then yes I am,” he replied flopping down on the couch next to her.

“Sugar and Sammie were talking about you and Sammie’s god mother the other day and I called Tammy up and the hotel. Really Nicolas I should know about these things, though I guess you knew I wouldn’t approve. Not that your judgment in women is all that bad, but she’s probably using you for the money,” she told him.

“Oh dear sister, always looking out for my best interest,” he said and she made a face. “She hasn’t asked for a thing, money is not the point, she didn’t even realize who I was until Sammie showed up at the house. You’ve met her I take it?”

“Of course, Sugar is in love with her. I mean I’m not saying she’s a bad person, but really Nicolas, the girls are sure that you’re in love with her,” she searched his eyes for a clue. And her eyes widen when she got one. “You just met her a week ago and just because she lets you shower her with affections and visits to her family in that dump of a house, doesn’t mean you love her!” Katrina was in shock, but she didn’t know why, her brothers were insane. “Go ahead and turn into Delanoz, our international lover of a bother,” she said annoyed.

“I want one women, I’m not out having kids with 20 different ones. Worry about him, I have everything under control. Love is a very strong word, I like Wildflower, and I see potential in her. Maybe I am in love with her or I’m falling in love with her, but I don’t love her yet,” he told her as if it were nothing at all.

“Tammy said you’re having her whole family over for dinner, am I invited? I’d love to be there,” she said, he wasn’t surprised. He was the last available member of their family and he held the deed to the house and he was the future of their father’s company, of course his love life was her business too.

“Feel free to come, your daughter already planned to,” he said matter of factly.

“I don’t get you Nicolas, you refuse to take any relationship too serious and now you’re bringing her family to the house? You don’t even stay in our family’s house, yet you suddenly wanna play host?”

Katrina could see that Nicolas was playing some sort of game, but she also knew he would be the one to just go ahead and marry this girl. Nicolas for all his good qualities was stubborn and knew too well what he wanted. It wasn’t that big of a surprised he was working this girl so hard; he was most likely grooming her to be his wife. And she wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Wildflower was young and came from a whole different world. It wasn’t even that she was poor; it was the way she lived.

“You know me Katrina, I love to be different,” he said with a smile on his face.

There was so much to do; it was a good thing work was slow this week. His sister’s visit made him realize how limited his time was. Once his mother found out about this she’d be on the family jet and on her way there instantly. There was so much he wanted to do before then, because then she’d have Carmen come over and they would try to decide his fate. Which just wouldn’t work for him, he liked his freedom and he liked to choose his own destiny.

 

 

It had been almost 3 months and she was beginning to have doubts and it wasn’t that anything had happened. But there was something and she hated to think that this dream wasn’t real. Brooke, Cody and Christina all had an opinion on the situation and they all pretty much agreed that she was over reacting a little. In the past any type of relationship she had with guys was mostly sexual, but with Nicolas it was something else. It was very intense, but they never actually had sex. She wasn’t sure if it was really bothering her or if it was something else. This whole thing was moving too fast, Paris for the weekend, regular family dinners and a million other things. Nicolas had charmed her whole family and that was amazing.

That night however he’d cancelled on her for the first time since they’d been together. She laid awake staring at the ceiling and listening to Jenny and Laura snore. They were her cousin Sarah’s daughters, the 3 of them and her sons Terry and John had moved in the day before. Sarah was working late, so Wildflower actually got her own bed, she had to share with Sarah while the girls shared a bed. It had only been this bad when they lived in an apartment with only 3 bedrooms. That was when she wished she’d die, back then they just all slept on the floor. The sad thing was it hadn’t been that long ago. It has all of her siblings plus her Aunt Maria and her kids. Her mother had been working and saving to try to get a house, which by some miracle they got, but it still wasn’t enough. Nothing was ever enough and tonight she couldn’t sleep. It was late and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to get to sleep or to get up for work. Then her phone started to ring and she hurried up to get it before it woke the girls.

“Don’t say a word,” came Nicolas’ voice. “I know you must be pissed at me for canceling, but I’m calling to make it up to you.” It seemed like he was always there to rescue her lately or whenever she was feeling particularly low. Her birthday she had wanted to drink away the sorrow of another pathetic year of living, but before she could get too drunk she met him and here she was now.

“And how do you think you’ll be making it up to me?” She asked in a whisper, a smile spread across her face.

“Look out your window,” he told her and she got up quickly from her bed. There he stood in front of her house gesturing for her to come out. “I figured in the age of cell phones I would spare you the typical rock throwing. So will you come out with me?” There wasn’t much of a decision to make, she was already grabbing her work clothes and scribbling on a piece of paper before she answered him.

“I’m on my way down,” she told him then hung up her phone and threw it in her bag with her clothes. She grabbed her shoes from off the floor and slipped out her room, then taped her note to the door. After that she quietly slipped through the house and out the door and into Nicolas’ waiting arms.

“So you’re not mad?” He asked while holding her tightly in his arms and kissing her forehead.

“How could I be mad at my prince charming?” She asked kissing him, being exhausted at work would be worth it if she could spend the night with him. They got in his car and drove away from her house and she was so happy. As expected he took her back to the hotel, it was the best place in the world to her at that moment.

“You can’t expect me to keep spending the night alone do you?” He asked her, almost immediately she curled up in his bed. The question wasn’t what she expected and she really didn’t know how to answer. Especially since he sounded so serious, the way he looked straight into her eyes was unnerving. Almost like he was trying to see into her soul. “I know you have to set examples and all, but you could stay some of the time,” he went on. “I don’t know I guess I’m being selfish, but I’m falling in love with you,” he said and all time seemed to have come to a screeching halt. She sat up staring at him, her mouth slightly hanging open. “What? You must have known, children aren’t always wrong,” he told her. Before she could fully process this or think of a way to respond he pulled her across the bed and kissed her.

 

The morning came on too quickly and as Wildflower stood in the shower trying to wake up, she couldn’t stop thinking of what Nicolas had said. Before she got a chance to say anything he had to take a phone call and by the time he’d finished she was asleep. When she woke up he was gone, she wasn’t sure where he went and was too tired to care much. She hoped that he had maybe arranged someway for her to get to work, otherwise she wasn’t sure she’d make it. For a few seconds she dozed off a little and when she came to, Nicolas was slipping in the shower with her.

“Baby, I’m so sorry about last night,” he said pulling her close against his body. “I wanted to make everything better, but I made it worse,” he went on.

She looked up into his sweet eyes and wanted to melt, he was just too much of a charmer for his own good. Because of that she knew she could never stay mad at him, not that she really had been mad. Confused a little, but not angry he had after all rescued her.

“A night away from home was just what I needed,” she said dismissively and he kissed her. Work and her exhaustion and everything else suddenly slipped away and seemed so much less important.

“Baby, I can’t wait any longer,” he purred in her ear.

“Why have we been waiting?” She asked watching him.

“I wanted you to know I’m committed to you and not because of sex,” he said. He started nibbling on her neck and she knew what was going to happen.

“Nick,” she purred. “I so don’t need foreplay, just take me.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said. He lifted her up and had her against the wall as he drove himself into her body. She was definitely in heaven now.

 

“You had sex with him didn’t you?” Brooke said accusingly when Nicolas dropped Wildflower off at the diner where she had breakfast with her friends every morning. Both Christina and Cody were there and they looked from the stunned Wildflower to Brooke and back again. “Its sooo obvious,” she went on and Wildflower smiled and sat down.

“I think I’m in love,” she said simply and they all stared at her. “Last night he told ‘me he that he’s in love with me,” she told them with that same smile on her face.

“Love or lust?” Cody asked in her Cody-like suspicious of everybody type of a way. Brooke seemed to be about to explode, of course she had an opinion.

“How can it be lust if they just had sex?” Christina asked and Cody made a face.

“Exactly,” Brooke said, “So give us details, how was it?” Wildflower could feel her face growing warm at the thought of it. Many times they all talked about sex, but this time it seemed so different.

“It’s obvious it must have been like the best sex of her life, just look at her,” Christina said. They were all looking at her so expectantly and she just smiled.

“We’re going to be late,” she said avoiding looking at them.

“Ok even I’m curious,” Cody said finally giving up her hardcore critical stance.

“He is amazing,” she said in a whisper, “I was in the shower and he got in with me,” she went on.

It wasn’t like it had been the first time that he got in the shower with her or the first time she’d seen him naked, but this time something had actually happened. When they were in the shower and he was holding her, she could feel him getting a little excited. Then he was inside her and it was amazing. After the shower they did it again in the bed, still dripping wet from the shower. Eventually she realized she had to get ready for work, even though he tried so hard to convince her not to go. In the end she attempted to quickly blow dry her hair and try to look presentable for work. Now here she sat with her friends, her hair still a little damp and curly in some places and puffy in others. Nicolas had been a total sweetheart and ironed her clothes for her; she had on a simple pink button up shirt with black pants.

 

 

I can’t stop thinking about you. She smiled when the message popped up on her computer but she was on the phone translating something so she couldn’t reply yet. I want to see you again…NOW. The next message said, and for a second she almost lost her concentration. Another one came up saying: You know I’m going away…you should come with me. Nicolas was very persistent and he was also leaving for a week on business. Which she hated because she would have no escape from her family and she hadn’t spent much time apart from him. But she knew it would happen again, he was after all a business man.

daisyLove3: Some people are working you know.

NickCapriani: I am working… I’m trying to get you on that plane with me.

daisyLove3: You know I can’t.

NickCapriani: Work?

daisyLove3: That among other things…

NickCapriani: I can get you a new job.

daisyLove3: Doing what?

NickCapriani: You can work in my office.

daisyLove3:  Uh huh and what would I be doing?

NickCapriani: Me?

daisyLove3:  Lol… and what would the pay be like?

NickCapriani: I’ll buy you a plane

daisyLove3:  You are crazy.

NickCapriani: Crazy about you… why don’t you come visit me?

daisyLove3:  I’m working.

NickCapriani: So? Take a break…

daisyLove3:  I can’t.

NickCapriani: :-(

daisyLove3:  You are so needy.

NickCapriani: Yes, I know… so come over here.

daisyLove3:  No.

NickCapriani: Lunch?

daisyLove3:  Just the two of us?

NickCapriani: Yeah.

daisyLove3:  Fine.

NickCapriani: Good. Brooke wasn’t sure you’d agree.

daisyLove3:  You’re talking to Brooke?

NickCapriani: Oh…um…maybe.

daisyLove3:  I’m not surprised.

NickCapriani: She thinks you should move in with me.

daisyLove3:  She thinks she should move in with you too.

NickCapriani: I don’t think your brother would like that.

daisyLove3:  Nope.

NickCapriani: You could stay in my hotel room while I’m gone.

daisyLove3:  It would be weird without you.

NickCapriani: Take Brooke, Christina and Cody.

daisyLove3:  Maybe.

NickCapriani: Sammie promised me that she’ll take care of you.

daisyLove3:  You’re leaving a child to care for me?

NickCapriani: I have to make sure you’re taken care of.

daisyLove3: You’ll only be gone for a week.

NickCapriani: Yeah… but to me it will seem like a lifetime.

daisyLove3:  Why is that?

NickCapriani: I’ll be surrounded by men…my father and brothers

daisyLove3:  Aww my poor baby.

NickCapriani: Will you be at my room when I get back?

daisyLove3:  I guess I could do that.

NickCapriani: Good…at least I have something to look forward to.

daisyLove3:  Oh hold on… the phone.

NickCapriani: Ok

daisyLove3:  Spanish time. I can’t talk anymore.

NickCapriani: Fine…I’m sending a car for you.

 

“This is your office?” She asked though she didn’t know why she was so surprised. His office was amazing there was a big screen TV and plush couches and huge picture windows. Everything in his life was so beautiful and luxurious; it further made her hate her life and dread going home.

“It’s not much,” he said dismissively as he got up from his desk and crossed the room to join her. Immediately he pulled her into a kiss and all she could think of was what had happened between them that morning. “I think you’ll make a delicious lunch,” he said nipping at her neck and she smiled. He led her over to one of the couches and they sat down. “I did order food, it’s on its way up,” he explained.

“You spoil me so much,” she said kissing him.

Making out was definitely leading somewhere And he locked his office door so they could have privacy. It wasn’t very hard for him to coax her into letting him pull off her pants or unbutton her shirt. It was a good thing her lunch break was an hour since they had sex. After Nicolas whined that he never did anything like this and really wanted to with her. Saying no to him was almost impossible.

“I have to get back to work,” she told him and he pouted at her while she got dressed. 

“Get Brooke to cover for you,” he said pulling her back to him.

“Brooke doesn’t speak 3 different languages,” she said and he just kept pouting.

“But I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said, “Please stay.” She really wanted to, but she really did need to get back to work. Slowly he got dressed.

“I’ll come see you before you go,” she told him and he just nodded.

“The car is probably all ready to take you back,” he told her.

“Thank you,” she told him and kissed him. “Lunch was great,” she went on as she got up. “But not as great as dinner will be,” she said and that got his attention.

“You are such a tease,” he said getting up and taking her hand. He led her back out and down to where the car was waiting to take her back. “You owe me,” he whispered in her ear before kissing her goodbye.

“Go do some work,” she told him as she slipped in the backseat of the car. He stood there on the curb watching the car disappear down the street.

 

“You had a girl in here?” Delanoz asked when he came charging into Nicolas’ office some time after Wildflower left. “I heard she’s hot,” he went on as he took a seat in a chair across from Nicolas. “Heard she was pretty young too,” he waited for his little brother to respond.

“She’s 21, not that young,” he said finally taking his eyes away from the computer. That morning he’d decided that he’d be purchasing some real estate soon and so now he was working on finding something.

“So she’s the one that Kat is all concerned about?” Delanoz asked, he’d met with their sister the day before and she gave him an earful about Nicky’s little girlfriend.

“Katrina needs to mind her own business and pay more attention to her children,” he replied turning his attention back to the computer.

“True, the way Kat described your girl I was almost worried she was Sonya and Marli’s age,” he said watching his brother. It was unlike Nicolas to keep his girls a secret, but as he heard Nick wasn’t acting like himself these days. “So when do I get to meet her?” At that Nicolas looked back up from his computer again and wore a bemused expression.

“I don’t want her anywhere near you,” he replied. “Katrina only knows her because of Sammie,” he went back to what he was doing on the computer.

“So then it’s true? Kat thinks you want to marry this girl and its obvious you want to if you’re hiding her from everybody,” he was surprised. It was something he would do and had done many times, but not his little brother. Nicolas wasn’t really the type to parade around whoever his lover was like their brother Jose, but he wasn’t usually so secretive.

“What I’m doing with her is my business,” he said in a tone that suggested that it was true. “Why do you even care?”

“Little brother you know I care about you and your once non-existent love life. Nicky, at least tell me her name,” he urged and with a heavy sigh Nicolas looked up.

“Her name is Wildflower; she works as a tri-lingual caller/ translator at this one company. She’s one of 12 kids in her family and she’s a triplet, but her sister Daisy died a few years ago. Uh she lives in a crappy house with like 17 other people and values her family above all else. And she’s your daughter’s god mother,” Nicolas said and Delanoz stared at him. “Yeah uh Sammie thinks of her as her mother,” he went on.

“Oh, I think I’ve seen her,” Delanoz said trying to think back. Sammie was always talking about somebody, but he never paid it much attention. He figured any friend of Sammie’s mother was crazy, just like her.

“Here I’ll help you out,” Nicolas said turning around one of the framed photos on his desk. It was from the weekend they spent with Sammie and Sugar and was of Wildflower with the girls by the pool.

“She does look good,” Delanoz said setting the picture back down. “Good job Nicky,” he went on as Nicolas glared at him. “So you think she’s right for this family?”

“She’s so much better then this family,” Nicolas told him. “From the moment I first saw her I knew that she was perfect, but she doesn’t know I want her on a permanent level. I thought it would be challenge, with her 9 brothers but they’re easy. Her whole family loves me, even her 1 year old niece. I don’t know if it’s the money they like or what, but they welcomed me right in. She’s not in it for the money though, she’s a good girl,” he told his brother. “And if I play my cards right she’ll be all mine soon enough,” he said with a smile on his face. Delanoz was proud of his little brother; some people underestimated Nicolas because he was the young one and the sweet one.

“Well watch out for mother, I’m sure she’d love to interfere,” he warned. It amused him to see his little brother in love and that being so; he had to encourage it as much as he could. Nicolas was the good boy who did whatever he was supposed to with minimal arguments or objections. So maybe that was the reason his operating outside the usual channels to find his bride was such a big thing. It was amusing to see Nicky be a bad boy for once.

“It’ll be too late by the time she gets here,” Nicolas replied and Delanoz was wondering what his brother was up to.

Yes Nick was the genius of the family and he did get what he wanted more then 100% of the time. But his strategies and the way he did things was a big mystery to everybody else. The only thing wrong with perfect little Nicky was that he was the youngest. But everybody was sure that that would never stop him, he was after all the hardest working person in their whole family. Delanoz envied his little brother; he would really get everything that he wanted because he actually knew what it was that he wanted.

In Delanoz’s case he felt like maybe he was searching for something, what he didn’t know but he doubted it was love or anything like that. He’d gone through enough women to realize that he just wasn’t the commitment type. Eleven children all with different mothers and he was never really around for any of them. Yes he knew he was wrong but maybe they were better off without him. The one thing he knew for sure was that his curiosity about his brother’s secret girlfriend had only grown since he heard all of what Nicolas told him.

 

Reviews

[Katie]

Great! It just keeps getting better!!!

[Maram157]

I really like it. It would be soooo coool to actually be in that book. It'd be the perfect dream/life.
(sigh)

[MarkGMelvin]

Nice very detailed even the phone text,shweet,great character development

[deeps]

Very awesome chapter,
I can tell you put alot of time into this.
I love your characters they are very realistic.
You have wonderful detail in this as well.
Very well written.