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"A strong relationship requires choosing to love each other, even in those moments when you struggle to like each other."

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*A few hours earlier*

Guilt.

Guilt was the feeling that consumed Sharleen entirely after she came back from the washroom.

How could she stoop so low?

She had seen many handsome men since childhood. What did this man have that the others didn't have? Why did her body react that way?

She tried thinking of possible reasons for her reaction. Did he charm her? That's why she was attracted to him?

Or maybe it was because she was still a virgin? That she had never had sex that's why her body was reacting shamelessly to a stranger.

She could not find a valid answer and she doubted if she ever will.

Thinking about the man alone made her blush, something that has never happened when she was with Kevin. Never.

With Kevin things were always simple, normal and comfortable. He made her smile, sometimes laugh and she liked it. But this man, Devlin, made her heart race and her mind full of sinful thoughts that she could not admit loud.

She realized that this man had more power over her than she could imagine. If his voice alone made her wet her panties, what would happen if he kisses her? Form a man made river down there?

What? No! I can't think of him kissing me. That's wrong. I have a fiancee waiting for me! She scolded herself guiltily.

She had a wedding in a week's time and here she was fantasising about some stranger she has met only once.

But why did it feel so... right? Why did thinking of him feel so normal? Why did she feel like she would do anything to see him again, talk to him and know more about him?

Was she falling in love? Was this what her mother meant when she told her she will know when she is in love? Was this how it felt when you love someone?

Million of unanswered questions floated her mind. She neither knew the answers to those questions nor did she know where to move on from there.

If this was love then it came too late. Sharleen shrugged.

She could not cancel the wedding for her own selfish reasons. That could be too harsh and she could hurt not only Kevin but everyone around her. She couldn't do that to them when maybe even this was just a crush. Something that vanishes with time.

She may have just crushed on him because he was handsome and she was a lady with hormones. It made sense right?

Maybe he even does not feel the same way or was not affected at all by their encounter. Or maybe he is a player and changes girls as regularly as he changes his clothes.

After all he is a handsome man with a body that can make any lady drop her pants... I am not the only one who has seen that.

She decided that it would be healthy for her to forget Devlin. He would bring nothing but complications in her earlier normal life.

She decided she would focus on her job and her upcoming marriage to Kevin.

She was someone's fiancee and she needed to act like one.

"Where is the handsome customer that was here some minutes ago?" Nicole stomped in the front where her best friend was.

"What are you talking about? What handsome stranger?" Sharleen replied playing dumb.

"Don't give me that young lady, i saw the handsome stranger when i was in the backyard and you were talking to him." Nicole inquired more, not giving up.

"If you are talking about the stranger who was here some minutes ago then you are a little bit too late. He has already left." Sharleen told her friend quickly wanting to close the topic and talk about other things.

"Damn it! That man is damn hot and i would so do him anytime anywhere. Did you at least get his number?" Nicole asked clearly interested in the man.

That's Nicole for you. Sharleen thought.

After getting her heart broken at eighteen, Nicole who is now twenty two, same age with her friend, preferred a no strings attached relationship. As long as she is interested in you, you won't know it till you have fallen in her seduction.

"Why would i get his number? Is it part of the customer service?" Sharleen asked rhetorically.

"You would get the number for me you smartass, since you are now off the dating table and are getting married." Nicole told her friend.

Sharleen could not understand the feeling of jealous and protectiveness that was slowly growing in her.

Why was Nicole so interested in Devlin? Why couldn't she stop asking about him? Did she just want to just get in his pants and later throw him away like trash?

No! She could not accept that even one bit. No one could hurt my Devlin when I am around.

Wait... MY Devlin? Really?  Urghhh!!

"He has a girlfriend" Sharleen found herself telling her friend. She knew she was lying but, well, she only wanted Nicole to loose interest in Devlin.

"How do you know? Did he tell you?" Nicole continued questioning her friend clearly interested in the man.

He didn't tell me. Am just making you loose interest in him damwit! "Well.... Uhh... You said yourself that he was hot. Do you think you are the only lady who has seen his hotness?" She tried fumbling for explanations to convince her friend.

"Yeah, you are right" Nicole agreed with her friend. "but i would not mind having him for one night to see if he is hot in the sheets too." she continued dreamingly.

What the actual fuck!

Sharleen did not realise she had clenched her fists until the pen that was on her right hand started to crack due to the force.

"Nicole i think going after someone's man is just not right. If he has a girlfriend then you should respect that." Sharleen said to her friend, trying to make her face as serious as it could get.

"Fine. When i will see him again i will ask him nicely if he has a girlfriend." Nicole said wiggling her eyebrows.

Sharleen realised she could not change her friend's mind and if she continued disagreeing with her then Nicole would be suspicious. She kept quiet and went on with updating the records book of their shop.

The day quickly came to an end and as the two friends agreed earlier, they went to Nicole's house for their girls night which included pizza and their favourite series, If Loving You is Wrong.

When they reached the house, Sharleen quickly went for a shower while Nicole ordered pizza for them.

Sharleen did not how much exhausted she was until the warm water touched her naked skin. The day had been so eventful that she felt like she had lost some weight due to too much thinking alone. She quickly bathed and joined her friend after putting on some fresh and comfortable clothes.

They chatted for a while in the living room waiting for the pizza to be delivered. Nicole made her laugh with her crazy sexcapades with different men.

"There was this one time I met this cute dude in a club at night and thought what the heck am taking this fine man home with me." Nicole narrated.

"Then what happened?" Sharleen asked surprisingly interested.

"The sex was not that bad, but what freaked me out was what happened after the sex." Nicole paused a little letting her friend become anxious at the suspense.

"Two hours later after the sex some noise in the sitting room woke me up from my sleep. My first thought was that the man i brought home was probably a thief so i quickly grabbed the first thing that i could get my hand on when i passed through the kitchen- a cooking stick.

When i reached where he was i found him walking aimlessly facing the other side away from me. I didn't think twice and hit the back of his head with as much force as i could use." Nicole continued explaining trying hard to contain her laughter.

"What! Nicole, did you murder a man in your house?" Sharleen asked worried.

"No, he's fine, or maybe not that fine, but he will live." Nicole answered laughing now.

"So what happened later?" Sharleen asked wanting to know how it ended.

"Well, he fell down and i thought i had killed him. I was ready to take my phone and call the police when i heard him SNORING. That's when i realised that the man had been sleep walking. Never had i been worried like that day." Nicole finished and laughed making her friend smile.

"So did you leave the poor man lying on the floor?" Sharleen continued asking her friend.

"I dragged his heavy ass to the couch and left him sleeping there the whole night. In the morning he asked me why his head was pounding and i informed him we had rough sex since i liked it that way. He didn't seem to buy it but never questioned me further. Since that day whenever he sees me he literary runs the other direction like am the fucking Ebola." She finished narrating while laughing and her friend joining her too.

"You are crazy" Sharleen commented after wiping her tears from the laughing.

"I know i am, and you love me that way." Nicole replied hugging her friend.

The door bell rang informing them that their pizza had arrived. Nicole went and paid for it while Sharleen prepared the drinks and without wasting any time they sat at the sofa enjoying their meal while watching their show.

They were ate, laughed and commented here and there about the show and for once in her life Sharleen felt at peace  and happy. Nicole was indeed her best friend.

Some six episodes later they were both asleep on the couch, hugging each other. The only source of light in the room was the flat screen TV. Slices of pizza and cups half empty with drinks  were at the table in front of them.

Sharleen's phone vibrated in her pocket jolting her awake. She looked at her friend who was sleeping and slowly untangled herself from her friend's embrace so as not to wake her and went to the kitchen to receive the call.

She took out her phone, looked at the caller ID and smiled. "Hey handsome" she greeted the caller after receiving the call.

"Hello to you too my wife to be. How's your day been?" Kevin's happy voice beamed through the speaker.

"It's been hectic, but am feeling better now, Nicole has been a good friend." Sharleen answered truthfully.

"Am sorry am not there with you right now. I know we agreed to stay away from each other till the wedding day but i will be there in a heartbeat if you need me." Kevin assured her.

"I know you would come when i call you. You are so sweet." Sharleen teased, giggling.

"Am not sweet! Am a man. You could use words like awesome, incredible or even hot!" He exclaimed teasing back.

Sharleen laughed at his jokes and replied back, "Well thank you for your thoughtfulness, you are awesome."

"You are welcomed and am here for you." Kevin replied. "How's the wedding planning going?" He asked after a short pause.

"Its going fine. We are going with the planner to pick my wedding dress the day after tomorrow since it will be a Saturday." She replied. "How about you?"

"Well my best man just arrived today and i am just from meeting him so everything is fine." He informed her. "You'll meet him soon, he is a nice man."

"I know he must be. Is that the reason why you are in a happy mood today?" Sharleen asked.

"Can't a man be happy without a reason?" He laughed

"No, usually you would be grumpy after a long day at work." She replied him smiling

"Okay, you know me well, am happy that my friend is back and am happy that am talking to my fiancee." He answered her question.

"Am happy too." Sharleen confirmed. "It's getting late and tomorrow is a weekday, we better get some sleep." She told him after a small pause.

"Okay, and please thank Nicole for me, for being with you when i was not around." He said yawning.

"I'll do that. Get some sleep. Goodnight." She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Goodnight too beautiful." He answered before disconnecting the call.

Sharleen went back to the couch and dragged her sleeping friend, who was mumbling things she could not understand, to bed and then she went to the guest bedroom and waited for sleep to take her to dream land.

With a friend like Nicole and a sweet husband like Kevin, she could not wish for anything more,  she thought.

Not even LOVE.

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