Loving her, over and over again.
He’d taken the photo while she was asleep in his bed a couple of weeks prior, after an evening of non-stop fucking. Playing with the tinting, he opted for black and white. The result looked classy and sophisticated, just like her. He stared at his sleeping beauty and his emotions took him under.
Look at this woman… my woman… she’s fucking gorgeous, inside and out. What a beautiful soul. We have amazing times together. The conversations are great. The sex incredible. She makes me laugh. She’s just a joy to be around. She still talks too much, asks too many questions, but that’s all right. It’s part of what makes her who she is and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I never thought I could feel this way about someone. It didn’t seem that it was meant for me. I had accepted that; in fact, I figured I was lucky I had no real drive to be committed, but I was just fooling myself. I DID want it. I just didn’t know how to get it, and I was afraid of losing myself in the process. I took a chance. So glad I trusted my instincts and pursued her. I knew when I met her, she was different. I knew she’d be a good fit for me. I could feel it. It is the reason I could never get her out of my mind from the first time we laid eyes on one another. I should give her a call, see if she needs anything.
His thoughts were interrupted by a text coming through, a message from the airline app. Dad’s plane just landed. Good. The firm’s driver had gone to the airport to pick up his father, although the old man had wanted to get a cab. Dad wasn’t too keen on using services like Uber and the like, though. He was far too old school for that. Nixon would’ve picked him up himself, but he had no idea when he’d be out of court that day. He’d made the dinner reservation a couple of weeks in advance but had set it for 7:00 PM just in case he’d need to run errands or his father’s flight was delayed. Yeah, having Dad picked up and dropped off at the hotel is the best course of action.
He sat up and dialed his mother. After a few rings, she answered.
“Hello, Nix!” she said in her typical sing-song voice. He smiled and fidgeted with a small golden paperweight he had on his desk.
“Hey, Ma. Just wanted to let you know Dad is in town.”
“Oh, wow! I had no idea the circus came this time of year!”
“Ma…”
“Tell the head of clowns, your father, I said hello.”
He laughed. “You know why I’m callin’ ya. I was hoping you could tell him hello yourself.”
The lingering pause was cause for concern.
“No. I don’t speak Jerk-a-nese.”
“Ma, come on! Please? It makes things go so much easier when you’re around.”
“Nix, you just want a buffer. I know that you and your father are sometimes like oil and water, but I’m certain you can handle some time alone with him.”
“I want you to reach deep in your heart and think about all the people you’ll be helping.”
“It’s above me now.” He burst out laughing again and shook his head. “You both are so difficult. Stubborn. Trying to get either of you to do something you don’t want to do is like trying to move a damn mountain.”
“You’re one to talk!” She snorted.
“I got in honest.”
“That’s definitely true, but I can’t help you. He drives me absolutely bananas. I can’t stand five minutes with him, let alone an entire dinner.”
“Gonna be great food…”
“Let me guess? Italian food. Big portions, lots of wine, bread all spread out along a huge table all to yourselves in a corner with candlelight. You spoil him, ya know?”
“I know, I know.” He shrugged. “I feel a little guilty sometimes for ignoring his calls. He’s been complaining a lot more lately, and it drains me. We’re having it at La Scarola. Anyway, he still thinks you two are friends. Can you humor him?”
“Jesus and Judas were friends at one point, too.”
“You said you did great in drama class. Can’t you pull off an Academy-Award-worthy performance for your firstborn son who happens to pay your cell phone bill religiously, bought you a brand new Aston Martin last year, and then paid off that speeding ticket the first week ya had the car,