Chapter 2

NICOLE

I felt a rush of relief flood through me as I heard the man's words. As I looked up, I saw him for the first time, and I couldn't help but feel stunned by his good looks. He was tall, with chiseled features, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight through me.

Carmen didn't seem to like being called out on her behavior, and she glared at him. "What do you mean to leave her alone Marcus? She ruined my dress!" she protested.

Marcus just shrugged nonchalantly. "Accidents happen, Carmen. And it's not like she did it on purpose. You should be more careful with your expensive clothes if you don't want them to get stained."

I watched in awe as he handled the situation with ease, diffusing the tension in the air.

“Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, glaring at Marcus. "Are you really taking her side now?"

Marcus shook his head. "I'm not taking sides. I believe in justice. Besides, I'm just here to eat. I don't want to be involved in any kind of power struggle between women."

"But I'm your girlfriend, Marcus," she protested. "You should be on my side, not on the side of some cheap-looking waitress."

Marcus shrugged. "She looks better than you," he replied casually.

The diner erupted in gasps and whispers, and I stared at Marcus in disbelief. How could he say something like that in front of his girlfriend?

"Excuse me?" she repeated, her eyes widening in shock.

“I stand by what I said, Carmen. Let me make something clear - you are not my girlfriend. Your father requested that I treat you kindly, and that's all I'm doing. You need to stop pretending to be my partner”.

“Just so you know, your father will not be pleased when he sees the video of you attacking someone. I am leaving now”, he added.

“Talk about having dinner in peace” he muttered to himself and walked out of the diner

“Marcus. Marcus, wait up.” Carmen called out to him as she followed him.

Wow. Dramatic much. My night could not get any better.

Or worse.

As I made my way home, the words "You're fired" echoed in my mind, like a never-ending nightmare. It wasn't the first time I had heard those words, but they always caught me off guard and left me feeling disoriented.

The idea that a simple mistake or act of clumsiness could result in losing one's job didn't seem right to me.

Maybe my mindset was different from that of my employer, but I couldn't imagine firing someone for something like that. Unfortunately, not everyone saw things the same way.

As I pondered these thoughts, my phone suddenly rang out, interrupting my reverie. I fished it out of my bag and answered the call.

"Hi Ninny," I greeted as I answered the phone.

Immediately, Nicole noticed my somber tone. "Nicole, how can you tell?" I asked, surprised.

"Because I've known you forever, and I can always sense when you're feeling down. What's going on?" Nicole inquired.

I let out a sigh and replied, "I'll be heading to the studio soon, and I may even sleep there tonight."

"Okay, no problem. I'll have some chicken and pizza delivered," Nicole offered before ending the call.

I savored the heavenly taste of the chicken as I let out a contented sigh. Before me lay my three favorite indulgences: pizza, beer, and chicken. But my enjoyment was short-lived as Nina's concern interrupted my blissful moment.

"What's on your mind? You can't expect me to share good news without first hearing the bad," she prodded, snatching a piece of a chicken nugget.

"Good news? What good news?" I questioned, popping another piece of chicken into my mouth.

"Spill it out first. What's been bothering you?" she persisted.

With a heavy sigh, I reclined back in her chair and admitted, "I got fired from my job."

"What?!" she exclaimed, the can of beer tumbling from her grip.

I tried to shrug it off, pretending it was no big deal. "What's the big deal? It's not like it's surprising news or anything."

“It's your longest-held job, and what were the reasons for your dismissal this time?" Nina asked, tossing a nugget into her mouth.

I let out a sigh and proceeded to tell her what had occurred.

"Who is that woman anyway? If I ever get a hold of her, I'll make sure to snap her neck," Nina growled, clenching her fists.

I reached over and loosened her grip. "You can't hurt her. She's the daughter of a business tycoon. We can't do anything to her, or we might lose our lives," I explained, taking a sip of my beer.

"Still, you apologized several times. She had no right to try and hit you. Rich girls and their unnecessary behavior. If I become wealthy, I would never treat anyone like that," Nina said.

"Now, tell me the good news. I'm dying to hear it," I said, grabbing the last piece of chicken from the first package.

"We got invited to an art exhibit," Nina said, and I looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Nina, we go to art exhibits all the time. What's so special about this one?" I asked.

"This one's different," Nina said, a glint in her eye.

"How so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They've commissioned two of your artworks for the exhibit," she revealed, and I dropped my beer can in shock.

"Are you messing with me, Nina?" I asked, wiping my greasy hands on a napkin.

"I'm not messing with you, girl. I got a call after you left for work this morning. Do you remember the artwork you did last week?" Nina asked, and I nodded.

"Well," she continued, "he called me today and told me he spoke to a friend who's hosting a mini art exhibition in three days. He asked that you prepare two art pieces for exhibition in three days." She beamed at me, waiting for my reaction.

Tears were streaming down my face, and I couldn't help but cry with joy. "Oh, Nina," I said, wiping my tears away.

"Nikki, are you okay?" she asked, sitting down beside me and gently wiping my tears.

"I'm just so happy," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "I never expected this kind of opportunity to come my way."

Nina wrapped her arms around me, and we sat there in silence, taking in the moment.

****

MARCUS

Carmen's hands slid down my pants, and I felt a wave of irritation wash over me. I pushed her arms away and glared at her.

"Marcus, I'm sorry," she said slowly, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I just couldn't let her get away with ruining my dress."

I let out a sigh and turned away from her. "I've told you before, Carmen, I don't like getting involved in scandals. Please leave. I don't want to see you again."

"I'll make her pay for this," Carmen spat angrily as she stormed out of the booth, slamming the door behind her.

"Looks like Playboy Marcus strikes again," Nick teased as he and two other friends, Michael and Mitchell, entered the booth.

"You really think you'll ever settle down and get married?" Michael asked, swigging the last of the alcohol in my cup.

"I could marry anyone I want, whenever I want," I replied with a smirk.

Mitchell chuckled. "I'll bet you $9000 you'll never get married."

I grinned at the challenge. "We'll just have to wait and see."