Brianna:

I hadn't seen Nick since I fell asleep on him two nights ago. With our busy schedules, all we've done was text back and forth and talked on the phone once. And since tonight is my work convention, I felt a bit bummed I still wouldn't see Nick.

Tessa made it quite clear to us; she wasn't paying for our significant other plates and was very adamant about not letting anyone accompany anyone one of us. Because of this ridiculous demand of hers, I never said anything to Nick.

Tessa is the biggest bitch; it's no wonder her husband is cheating on her.

That is, if he even is...

My heart was feeling super heavy, so I picked up my phone, sent Nick a text, and hoped to hear from him before leaving.

Brianna: I'm missing you so much right now. I wish my boss weren't such a bitch; I'd have you accompany me to the event tonight. I feel like it's been forever since we last saw each other. I typed, ending it with a sad emoji.

I threw my phone on the bed, grabbed my dress, and laid it nicely on the bed, then grabbed my gold-colored pumps and placed them next to the bed.

Seeing I had plenty of time until I needed to be at the hotel, I went over my notes for tonight's presentation. The longer I rehearsed, the more nervous I became, and I felt a long hot bath would be the ticket to get me to feel relaxed. As I soaked in the tub, I did what I didn't want to do. Thinking about everything I wanted to say and figuring out the right words to influence everyone on handling stress management without taking any antidepressants.

I was just closing my eyes and lowering my head further into the water when I heard a knock at the door. Are you kidding me? I groaned, lifting my head out of the water and reaching over the tub for a towel.

I heard another knock as I was wrapping the towel around me and yelled, "Hold on, please!" Just then, I got quite a scare when my bathroom door opened, and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Woah. Woah. Woah... it's me, Hun," Nick declared, holding the palms of his hands up towards me. "I didn't mean to scare you," he assured as I went to him and wrapped my arms around him.

"You scared the shit out of me. I didn't expect to see you at all today."

"I know you weren't, but I was in the area when I received your message and decided to surprise you."

"You surprised me, all right," I giggled.

He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tighter. "Now, I get the surprise by seeing you half-naked."

I tilted my head back to get a better look at him and smiled. "Kiss me."

Nick listened and lowered his mouth, lovingly kissing me. Without thinking, I let go of my towel and raised my arms around his shoulders, letting the towel fall. He parted from my lips, smiled while caressing my bottom lip with his thumb, and looked me in the eye. "I needed that, too." His eyes lowered and a giant smile formed on his beautiful face. "Looks like someone would like something else."

"I don't have time for that," I giggled.

"We can make time," he replied, lifting and setting me on the sink. "I'm a little hungry and could use a little snack to get through until I see you next," he said, lowering to his knees, spreading my legs wide, and lowering his mouth to my warm poontang pie.

"Oh fuck, Nick!" I squealed when his tongue slid between the curtains, exciting my sexual organs to the max. My head tilted back, wanting to enjoy the pleasure of his tongue exciting me, and when his tongue slipped inside me, my head flung forward, I grabbed hold of his head and moaned profusely.

I was just about to explode when his tongue stopped exercising, and he stood. "Nick, what are you doing? I was about to orgasm."

He smiled, unzipped his pants, and let them fall as he pulled me to the edge of the sink. "I know. I wanted to feel your warm liquids over my cock," he groaned, covering my mouth with his and sinking his hardened cock inside me. Taking me to another level of ecstasy as he rocked my insides, with us both releasing together.

"I wish we had more time. I'm not one for quickies," Nick admitted with a smirk, all while pulling out of me.

"Me either. But I'll admit, I feel much more relaxed, and now I'm feeling more confident with going through with my speech tonight."

After cleaning up again, I headed for my room, got changed, and walked into the living room to show Nick the dress. I know Alex was the one who picked out the dress and loved it on me, but now I want to hear and see Nick's reaction. With a smile, I stepped in front of him and excitedly asked, "What do you think? Do you think this is enough to catch their attention?"

I got the reaction I was hoping to see, and it had me smiling wider. Nick's mouth dropped, with the look in his eyes immediately changing to lust-filled eyes. He stood and walked over to me, resting his hands on either side of my hips. "Fuck, Bri. You look smoking hot. It has me feeling jealous that I cannot show you off that you're mine," he said, lowering his mouth to my neck and grazing his lips up to my ear, whispering, "Are you sure you can't wear something else?"

"No," I giggled.

His head tilted back, and gave me a look of worry. "Damn. I do not like this one bit. Are you sure I can't be your date tonight? I don't think I'll be able to handle knowing you're there without me. Especially with your breasts showing like they are. I don't need another man placing their hands on you, trying to steal you away from me."

I smiled, giggled, and playfully smacked his arm. "Knock it off. This is for work, anyway. Nothing like that will ever happen. I know where my heart is, and that's with you. Nobody else," I assured.

He groaned, "I guess I'll have to take you out somewhere fancy where you can wear that for me. Then, I can proudly show you off as mine," he said, forcing a smile. He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "I better let you get back to getting ready. I'm afraid if I stay, I won't get what I need to get done, and you won't be going anywhere tonight."

"Why is that?" I smiled.

"Because. I would end up locking the two of us up in this little apartment and will end up making love to you all night."

I smiled and hummed, "I like your idea better. But if that were to happen, she would fire me tomorrow."

He pulled me in for a kiss, at first; it was passionate that had my toes curling, then the kiss turned heated, where it felt like my panties were starting to dampen. "Good luck tonight," he smiled as he parted.

After Nick left, I changed my moistened panties, cleaned myself up once again, then dried my hair and pulled it back, leaving strands of hair hanging down either side of my face, accenting my facial structure. Next, I gave my eyes a smokey look, added mascara, then lined my lips with peach-colored lip gloss.

******

As I walked into the Carlton hotel, my mouth dropped. I had never seen a hotel, quite like this in my life. Even though it was fancy, beautiful, and extremely rich looking, it was a little too much for my taste. "You must be here for the convention," a hotel clerk said as he approached me.

"I am."

"Follow me," he said.

The hotel clerk guided me to the banquet hall, and as I walked in, I noticed Tessa on the other end of the hall, setting things up, and walked towards her. "Oh, good. You're here."

"Where would you like these?" I asked, holding up the poster boards.

She turned and pointed. "Right over there," she said, then informed me on how the night was going to go, socialize first, then presentations, socialize again, then dinner and awards to follow. Then she added I'll be the first one speaking, which had my stomach turning in knots. I wasn't feeling the greatest to start with, which added more fuel to my queasy stomach.

While I was talking with a doctor, Tessa got on the microphone, trying to get everyone's attention, then she called me up to the podium.

I was nervous, yes, but the longer I spoke, and after seeing, I had the full attention of all the doctors' in the room as I explained my reasoning on what these harmful medications are doing to patients. My nerves calmed down. The doctors' seemed quite curious and interested in what I presented and how using the other options I've explained would be more beneficial to their patients than with antidepressants.

Of course, there were plenty of questions, and after taking them all, I headed back over to my table and sat next to Tessa. "You did good," she happily said, which surprised me. "I thought you sold it well. You did much better than what I ever could have done and said."

"Thank you," I exhaled in relief.

While the other speakers were talking, I noticed Tessa looking at her phone and her watch. I didn't say anything, but then I heard her groaning. "Damn him..."

"Damn, who?" I asked quietly.

"My fucking husband," she said angrily, "He was supposed to be here by now."

"Oh," I said, twisting my lips, feeling it's okay for her to bring someone, but we can't?

Whatever.

Once all the speakers were done with their presentations, I walked around, answering more questions the doctors had for me. Of course, they were skeptical about my ideas, with some of them still believing their patients needed the antidepressants they have been prescribing them to get them through the day. While explaining to a doctor why I felt my options were better, I noticed a taller guy standing next to Tessa, with her hand resting on his lower back. I was curious to see what kind of man could deal with her every day and started walking over to them until another doctor stopped me.

As I answered the doctor's questions, the person in charge of the convention got on the speaker, announced that dinner was about to be served, and asked that we take our seats. "Thanks for your time," the doctor smiled. I nodded, then headed over to my table and sat next to Shyla.

"Congratulations on your speech tonight. You did very well, and I was impressed with what you had to say. You sold me on it," Shyla smiled.

"Thank you," I said, just when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, with Tessa asking me to turn around, that she had someone she wanted me to meet.

I turned around, saw a man standing next to Tessa with him facing the other way. She tapped his shoulder and leaned closer to him. "Turn around. I'd like you to meet my best employee." Just as he turned around, and I saw who it was, my mouth dropped, my eyes widened, and my heart and stomach dropped.

I think I'm about to throw up.

As numb and weak as I felt, I still raised my hand, shaking his. "It's nice to meet you," I quietly stuttered, feeling as if I was about to faint any second. I quickly removed my hand from his and turned around. I felt my eyes getting ready to tear up, my body was shaking, and my stomach was turning. I didn't know what to do. Then the look on his face flashed before my eyes. He, too, was in shock, and it had me wondering what Tessa thought when she saw both of our faces as she introduced us.

I'm fucked.

I started fighting the tears that wanted to escape my eyes when he sat next to me, then felt angered to think he had the nerve even to sit next to me. While sitting there, waiting for our food, I could feel his eyes were on me.

I couldn't even look at him.

If I were to look at him now, my fist would be greeting his face, and then I would be escorted out.

Hmm... Maybe I should deck him in front of everyone.

I can't do it. I can't let Tessa know I know him. Not tonight.

After the waiter placed my plate in front of me, I stared at the food. Seeing and smelling the food had me feeling more sick, and when I felt Nick's hand rest on my leg, I felt the bile roaming up my esophagus, quickly shoving his hand off my leg, and quietly groaned, "Don't fucking touch me."

The bile was quickly roaming to my mouth, the faster my heart pumped, and I hurriedly stood. "Excuse me, I'm about to be sick," I said, looking at Shyla. I sprinted across the room, bumping into everyone who was in my way, and as I entered the restroom, I rushed to a stall, slamming and locking the door before kneeling over the toilet and letting everything inside me explode out.

While my head hung over the porcelain god, tears flooded my eyes as the term 'roommate' Nick always claimed to me he had entered my mind. Roommate, now I know the meaning. It's his fucking wife...

I have to leave.

I cannot be here any longer. If I stay here any longer, I'll cause a scene.

After pulling myself together, I left the restroom, only to run into Nick on my way out. He grabbed hold of my arm, pulled me to him, and held me firmly.

"Let me go, Nick," I hissed.

"Let me explain," he begged.

"You're married! You're fucking married!" I screamed. "You're married to Tessa. Of all, people!"

"Bri. Please. Don't go back out there until you let me explain everything."

I stepped in front of him, looked him in the eyes, and said what I never thought I could ever say to him. "I fucking hate you. Now, let me go before I scream."

"Please..." he quietly begged.

"One... two..." Before I got to three, his grip on my arm loosened.

I hurried back to the table, grabbed my stuff, and looked at Tessa. "I'm sorry I have to leave. I'm not feeling too well."

"You can't leave yet, you haven't eaten, and the awards are about to be handed out."

"I'm so sorry. Really, I am. But everything I had earlier, all just came out, and I'm about to do it again," I admitted after the scent of Nick's cologne hit my senses.

I turned around, bumped into Nick, then pushed my way past him, leaving the banquet hall in a hurry. I walked away from the hotel, made a phone call, then stood waiting for my ride to show. While standing and watching the cars drive by, I got a whiff of Nick's scent and groaned, "Go back to your wife."

"We need to talk."

"No. We don't. Now leave me alone. Please... Tessa already suspects you're cheating on her. The not so funny thing is, it's me she's been talking about," I hissed, turning to look at him. "Go," I ordered.

"Please, talk to me."

"No. Now go back to Tessa before she figures out that I'm the one you keep leaving to talk to."

"Damn it, Bri. I don't love her. I never have. It's you that I love."

I heard a car pull up beside me, turned to see if it was my ride, and huffed as I opened the back door. "Save it, Nick. You couldn't even say you loved me the other day when I admitted how I felt about you. Now that I see how much of a liar you are, you say you love me? Give me a fucking break," I snapped, sliding in the back seat and slamming the door.

"Where am I taking you?" The driver asked.

"Please, just start driving. I'll pay whatever it takes for you to drive me as far away from here as you can," I begged.

He looked in the rearview mirror and said, "I have nowhere to be tonight, so wherever it is you would like to go, just tell me the way."

I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, especially where Nick couldn't find me, and as I wiped the tears away from my eyes, it hit me where he would least expect to find me. His parents' cabin. I looked at the driver and asked, "You wouldn't mind taking me a couple of hours away from here, would you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I'll bring you anywhere you want to go if you tell me why."

"Deal," I said quietly, gave him directions from what I remembered, then unloaded everything onto the man I didn't know. I don't know why, but it was much easier talking to him about everything that happened than I felt it would be telling my friends what happened.

A sigh of relief roamed through me when the driver pulled into the driveway. I wasn't sure if I'd ever find the place with me, only having been here once. I opened my wallet and started pulling out cash. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing. This is on me. You just take care of yourself and figure things out before you decide on what to do going forward."

"I have to pay you for gas, at least."

"Have a good night. Here's my card. Suppose you need a ride back home. Call me. Okay?"

"Thank you," I smiled, leaving money for him, anyway. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you driving me up here."

I have no idea why I even chose his place to hide from the world. With me being here, all it will do is remind me of him, and with nothing to change into, I forced myself to wear what Nick had left behind, his sweats and t-shirt, only reminding me more of him.

I climbed into bed and did what I do best. I cried myself to sleep.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!