Chapter 5: A Much Needed Drink

Tatum's POV

The drive to Mario's from campus is longer than usual since the afternoon LA traffic is crazy, but I finally make it to the bar around 5 p.m., ready for a drink. Sometimes I'll unload all my problems to Al because he's such a good listener and has loads of wisdom to throw my way. I need to get what happened with Jaiden off my chest before I explode.

Al's eyes widen when he sees me walk through the front door. "Tate? What are you doing here at this time of the day?"

The bar is quiet for now with only a few regulars sitting at their usual table watching whatever is on the big screen. Soon, this place will be crawling with people since it's a Friday night, so I need to make sure I only have one drink and head home. Hopefully, my dad will be home from work sooner than planned. The thought of being alone right now is too much to handle.

I sit down on my usual stool, watching as Al pours me a whiskey and coke, my go-to when I'm feeling down. "Al, it's been another sh*t day."

"Oh, sugar, what's going on?" Al asks as he slides the glass across the bar. "Tell me what has you feeling so down."

And so I do. I told him what happened with Jaiden and how he tried to forcibly grab me until I called out for help and the group of girls came to my rescue. Al nods and listens tentatively as I speak. It feels so nice to get this off my chest after sitting in the car for almost an hour, stewing in my thoughts and feelings, almost to the point where I thought I was going to explode in the middle of the road.

"He's a f*cking psycho," I murmur as I stop speaking to take a sip of my drink, enjoying the feel of the cold liquor sliding down my throat. "He doesn't know how to take no for an answer, and I'm worried he's going to hurt me."

"Are you afraid of him?" Al asks, polishing another glass and shooting me a concerned look.

"I–" I pause, contemplating his answer. "I think so? I don't know. He never hurt me during our relationship, but he has a bad temper that I never wanted to be on the wrong side of."

"I think what happened today is an indication that he's capable of hurting you if given the chance because he's desperate and will stop at nothing to get you back, even if that means using force."

Al's words send a cold shiver rushing down my spine and I swallow hard. Would Jaiden take this so far as to hurt me? The thought never crossed my mind until now and it has my hands clenching nervously on my thighs.

"But don't worry, darling. If you're ever in trouble, you know where to find me and I'll gladly sort this young man out for you," Al says with a pointed look, and I smile at his kindness.

"Thank you, Al. I appreciate that."

I sit in silence and drink my whiskey and coke as I let my mind go blank, trying not to think about Jaiden and his psychotic behavior. I can't tell my dad about what happened because he liked Jaiden when we were together. Dad has always thought that I gravitated to 'bad boys', so I don't want to prove him right with Jaiden being a massive a*shole. It would only fuel his protectiveness, knowing that he's stalking me.

That logic would make zero sense to most people, but for me, it's just how my brain works.

"Well, if it isn't my ex-night buddy."

My eyes widen at the sound of that divine voice that has been whispering to me most nights for the past couple of weeks. My eyes lock with the ocean as my head snaps up to see Nico walking toward me.

What the hell is he doing here?

My heart races in my chest as he sits beside me, his arm brushing dangerously against mine. His cologne, which I can now smell as sandalwood mixed with lavender, invades my nostrils and I swallow back the desire rushing up my throat.

He's dressed as nicely as he was the first night I met him, wearing a gray button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and midnight-blue chinos. Now that I know what he does in his spare time besides baseball, he likely just came from the office.

"What are you doing here?" I ask dumbly, unable to take my eyes off his sharp jawline, tracing the stubble littering his tanned skin.

Nico nods to the half-drunk drink sitting in front of me as Al hands him a glass. "The same reason as you, I'm sure." He takes a long sip before turning to me with a smile. "We have to stop meeting like this."

Trying to recover from the shock of seeing him again, I turn to look at my drink, watching the almost melted ice cube glide across the dark liquid. "Yeah, you're right. You're not going to try and bed me again, are you?"

Nico laughs a beautiful sound, before nudging me with his shoulder, forcing me to look at him. "Only if you ask," he says with a wink. "Besides, you were the one who dragged me into the bathroom."

I blush at the memory and turn away from him, not wanting Nico to see the effect his words have on me. "Yeah, well…"

"It's okay, I didn't mind it one bit."

Again, my ears burn at his flirtatious words. I clear my throat and try to change the subject. "Long day at work, Phoenix?"

Nico laughs at the little jab I threw in about his name and takes a sip of his drink. "Very long. And you?"

"Let's just say accounting lectures aren't the best way I'd like to spend my Friday afternoons."

"Your dad did mention your degree the other week. You don't like it?"

I shrug and stare down at my drink, the ice cube now melted. "I don't like it, no. I want to do something more… creative with my time instead of crunching numbers."

Nico turns in his seat slightly to face me, his elbow resting on the wooden bar top. "What creative thing do you want to do?"

I chew on my bottom lip and shift in my seat to face him. There is something about the kindness in his eyes and the way his body language screams gentle and inviting that makes me want to open myself to this man and not just because I think he's insanely attractive.

"Well, I like to… write. Fiction, specifically. But my dad doesn't think it's worth my time since being a writer doesn't bring in a steady income for a long time, and that's even if I were to write a book that performed well. That's why he decided for me to go into accounting."

Nico stares at me thoughtfully, nodding slightly as if he's letting my words settle over him. I feel nervous in his presence because he's a very successful athlete and CEO who is doing many amazing things in his life. And here I sit as a university student who can't see more than a week into my future because I'm so f*cking lost and don't know what I'm doing with myself. I must look pathetic to him. A silly schoolgirl.

"I think you should pursue your writing," he finally says after a moment of silence. "Although I have been playing baseball my entire life, I had always dreamed about starting a successful business and didn't want to make that leap for fear of failure. Baseball was always going to be there for me, but I didn't want to fail a start-up business before it could take off."

"But your energy drink business is successful though, right?" I ask, genuinely curious to know more about Nico and his life because he's beyond fascinating. How he has time to be an athlete and a CEO is a mystery.

Nico nods. "I do, and that's because I took that leap and pursued what I wanted to. You're never going to be able to take that leap as a writer if you're stuck learning something that doesn't bring you joy."

I nod slowly, taking in his words. I'll admit, he does make a great point. "It's nice to know you're not just a pretty face but have brains too."

Nico bursts out laughing, shaking his head slightly. "And you have a sassy mouth that does something other than wrap nicely around my–"

"Woah! Enough of that," I squeal, slapping a hand over Nico's mouth to stop that last word from slipping out. "Please, no more references to our night together."

"Why?" He quirks an eyebrow. "I had a rather good time. I was disappointed when I woke up and you were gone."

My heart stutters at his words, but I shake it off quickly. "Well, you know my dad. I needed to get home so he didn't have a heart attack."

"I understand." Nico smiles. "He can be… a lot sometimes."

I chuckle. "You don't even know half of it."

Nico and I spend the next hour or so chatting about random things. I ask him about his energy drink, Fruit Venom, and how he came up with it. He explained that it was something he thought of when drunk with some college friends and decided it would be the first thing he created with ReidCo.

I can't help but be mesmerized by Nico whenever he speaks because his voice is so captivating and he's a very intelligent man. Just from speaking with him, I can tell he's a little reserved when it comes to revealing more intimate details about himself. I tried to ask him about his family, but I could see the walls shutting behind his eyes, so I quickly changed the topic to avoid him shutting himself off completely.

When a rush of people pile through the door of Mario's and crowd around the bar, I take that as my cue to leave. I finish the last of my water and stand from the stool, Nico's eyes following me.

"I should probably head home," I say, and Nico stands to his full height, towering over me.

"Let me walk you to your car," he offers, not waiting for me to accept before he walks past me to the front door, maneuvering through the throng of people walking in.

I rush after him, stepping out into the chilly evening air. I wrap my arms around my waist and stand beside Nico as he scans the parking lot.

"Which car is yours?"

I point to my yellow car. "That one."

Nico scrunches his nose and turns to me. "You drive that? Tate, it's so beaten up I'm surprised you haven't died driving it yet."

I snort and roll my eyes. "My car is fine, thank you. Anyway, I need to get going. I'm sure my dad will be home by now. Thanks for keeping me company."

My foot takes one step in the direction of my car, but I'm quickly stopped by Nico wrapping his slender fingers around my wrist. My heart jumps in my throat and an electric current courses through my veins at the feel of his skin against mine.

This feels nothing like the way it felt when Jaiden grabbed me the same way earlier today. No. This is a good kind of feeling.

"Wait," Nico says, his eyes boring into mine. I melt slightly under his intense gaze, holding my breath as I wait for him to continue. His messy hair is styled away from his face today, but the curls are starting to break free from the product keeping them at bay. "Let me give you my phone number."

"Why?" I quiz. Why would Phoenix Reid want to give me his phone number? If it's a means of communication for another night of pleasure with him, I would be an idiot to refuse. But there is something in his eyes that I can't quite put my finger on that hints it's for another reason.

Nico hesitates, his eyes searching my face before he swallows and releases his grip. I almost whine at how empty I feel without his touch but manage to hold it back.

"Just… in case you ever need anything."

I nod. "I'll let you put it in my phone if you can answer one question."

He raises a brow. "What is it?"

"Why did you tell me your name was Nico the first night we met?"

A sweet smile tugs at the corner of Nico's lips and he looks away from me, running his tongue over his top teeth before holding my gaze one more. "Because it's my nickname."

I fold my arms over my chest. "Do you give all your f*ck buddies your nickname instead of your real name?"

Nico smiles as he holds out his hand, gesturing for my phone. "No, just you. Now, give me your phone, Tate."