The pizza in her stomach suddenly felt as if it might make an unscheduled appearance. She tossed her napkin on her plate. "Are you done here?"
Nick made no response.
"Okay, fine." She got up and collected the pizza box and plates, and put everything away in the kitchen. He didn't seem to notice.
"I'm going to take Dave out." Rosalie threw her coat over her shoulders, grabbed Dave's leash, and stepped into her shoes, not stopping to put Dave's leash on until they were outside. She took a deep breath and then another, trying to calm her racing pulse. She'd had it. Nothing she'd done reached Nick-hell, one time, she'd even sat on him, and all he'd done was hold her and stare off into space. He didn't laugh anymore. He didn't play. It was as if he'd had a personality transplant. He still held her at night, and they still made love, but that was different, too. It was serious, sad.
Rosalie took Dave for a long walk. She walked until Dave tugged her back in the direction of home. He was done, and unless she wanted to carry him, she was, too.
When they returned home, she tossed her coat on the couch. Nick watched her. He didn't get up and hang her coat, and he didn't tease her. He just watched. She cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot under his scrutiny. "I've got a long day tomorrow. I'm going to bed."
"I'll turn in, too," he said and rose from the couch.
Nick followed her into the bedroom. She undressed while he brushed his teeth, and he was in bed by the time she was done in the bathroom. Rosalie climbed into bed and fought the urge to cuddle up to him, fought the urge to smack him, fought the urge to cry.
Nick was miserable, and worse yet, he knew he was making Rosalie miserable. At dinner, he'd been unable to eat, trying to decide what to do. He wasn't ready to leave. She was lying beside him in bed, and for the first time since they'd been together, she wasn't on top of him. He missed the way her hair caught in his five o'clock shadow. He missed the way she felt against him. Hell, he even missed that little noise she made when he moved and jostled her.
It seemed to take hours, but she'd finally fallen asleep. He heard it in her steady breathing. She rolled on top of him, and he was able to relax for the first time all day.
When he'd met Rosalie, his relationship with her brother was an inconvenience. Not telling her about it was simpler than digging up the whole mess. Nick was almost sure she wouldn't hear about the hints he'd dropped about Premier Motors. There was nothing in writing. So, okay, he felt guilty about it, why, he wasn't sure. It wasn't as if he knew Rosalie was the rumored interim CFO. But, his luck being what it was, he'd be better off confessing all right now, before Rich came home. For reasons Nick didn't want to examine too closely, he wasn't ready to cut Rosalie loose. So, he'd take his chances and tell her everything. Even if she tossed his ass out, it would be better than this incessant waiting.
Nick just wasn't sure how to go about telling her. He'd never seen the point in explaining his actions to a woman before. It had always been easier to leave. Vinny had been married to Mona since Nick was a kid. Knowing Vinny, he'd become such an expert at doing the explanation mambo, he could be an instructor on Dancing with the Stars. Dancing with the Stars. It was going to be as embarrassing as hell, but Nick would have to ask for advice. He hoped Vin didn't make the experience too humiliating. It was going to be as embarrassing as hell, but Nick would have to ask for advice. He hoped Vin didn't make the experience too humiliating.
At least now he had a plan. He'd come home tomorrow and begin the weekend doing the ol' explanation mambo, which would lead to Rosalie getting fighting mad, him apologizing, and if he were lucky, the two of them having make-up sex. If he wasn't, at least he'd put an end to this torment.
Nick ran his hand over Rosalie's hair and let the ends curl around his fingers while his other hand skimmed over the thigh she'd thrown over his and headed for her ass. He fell asleep in that position-with one hand in her hair, the other on her ass, and a smile on his face.
Nick got up early and stopped at Vinny's on the way to work. He parked down the street and walked Dave a few houses up the road. Before they made it to the top of Vinny's stoop, Nick saw the error of his ways. This was not a good time. Every light in the house was on, and Mona was already yelling at the kids. Nick turned around and would have made a clean escape, if Dave hadn't lifted his leg on the fire hydrant in front of the house. Before he could pull Dave away, Vinny stepped onto the porch to pick up the morning paper and gave Nick the once-over. "Who died?"
Nick opened his mouth and closed it. He shook his head and turned to walk away. A big beefy hand reached out and grabbed his collar.
"Oh, no, not so fast. You don't show up on my doorstep at six a.m. and walk away without a word. I smell woman trouble. Come on, let's go to the restaurant."
Nick sat at the bar with one hand wrapped around a coffee cup and the other holding up his head while Dave lay behind the bar and snored.
"You're an idiot." Vinny stood behind the bar, leaning on the counter, took a sip of coffee, and topped off Nick's with a shot of Jack Daniels. "Let's recap. This whole thing began when you picked up Rosalie in the wrecker on your way home. The next day you brought her here. Am I right?"
Nick nodded and took a swig of his spiked coffee.
"So that kiss I walked in on-you know, the one so hot I could have brought in a brass band and neither of you would have noticed-that was your first kiss?"
Nick nodded.
"Is she always that hot?"
Nick shot Vinny a warning look, and then, disgusted with himself, he nodded.
Vinny added a shot of Jack to his own coffee, drank it, and sat down. "Damn, if that was your first kiss... You say you took her home and never really left. It's been what, three months?"
Nick nodded again.
"So you dropped the bombs to the lenders about Premier before you were practically living with Lee-and way before you found out she took over the joint."
"Yeah."
"And you say she still doesn't know who you are. She still thinks you're a mechanic."
Nick didn't bother nodding this time. He was starting to feel like a freaking bobblehead doll.
"Nick, I never thought I'd say this, but you don't know jack about women." Vinny held up his hands in surrender. "I know, I know, you've been with half the female population of Manhattan, but I've been married to Mona for eighteen years. Let me tell you, there's not a man alive who can keep his identity a secret from the woman he's sleeping with-not a smart, Italian woman, anyway. Rosalie knew who you were within forty-eight hours of your first date. No nice Italian girl sleeps with a guy unless she knows his first, middle, and last names-at least, not more than once."
Nick had to admit, Vin had a point. Rosalie had never asked his full name. He'd thought she was too embarrassed. What was she supposed to do? Roll over and say, "The sex was great, and by the way, what was your name again?" He'd never questioned it because, well, he was a guy, and it served his purpose.
"If she's known all along, why didn't she say something? Why wasn't she mad? Why'd she make me lie to her?"
Vinny poured another shot into both their coffees and shook his head. "Women."
"Christ, I'm a fucking idiot. Here I thought I was pulling the wool over her eyes, and all the while, she was the one keeping me me in the dark." Nick stared into his cup. "I've only driven the Viper once since I've met her. I've been running around, changing clothes everywhere I go, so she won't see me in a fuckin' suit. I never introduced her to my mother, Nana, or the rest of the family. Shit. If she knew, then how come she never asked for anything? She gets pissed if I pay for pizza twice in a row." in the dark." Nick stared into his cup. "I've only driven the Viper once since I've met her. I've been running around, changing clothes everywhere I go, so she won't see me in a fuckin' suit. I never introduced her to my mother, Nana, or the rest of the family. Shit. If she knew, then how come she never asked for anything? She gets pissed if I pay for pizza twice in a row."
"Don't ask me to figure out women. You can ask Mona if you want. But if you tell her I knew anything about this stunt you pulled, I'll have to kill you."
"Hey, I'll admit I'm stupid, but even I'm not that dumb. Besides, you'd never get the chance to kill me. She'd do it first."
Vinny sat back with a shit-eating grin on his face. "So, you're in love with Lee?"
Nick looked up and shook his head no.
"You like her?"
Nick liked Rosalie a lot. He nodded.
"Okay, so you like her. She's a hot piece of ass."
Nick was on Vinny so fast, he made his own head spin. He reached across the bar, grabbed his cousin by the shirt, and lifted him off his feet. Dave woke up and started barking. Vinny only smiled and patted Nick on the shoulder.
"Yup, you love her. No guy moves as fast as you did to protect the honor of a girl he's not in love with. Now, put me down, and I'll tell you what you have to do.
Nick put Vinny down and gave him his best scowl.
Damn. Nick should have known Vin would be anything but helpful.
"Okay, first thing you need to do is spill your guts. Just remember, never, ever, say anything about the fact that she was the reason you did wrong. You've got to suck it up and say the dreaded words. You might want to write these down and practice in front of a mirror." Vinny handed Nick a bar napkin and a pen.
"It's all my fault. I was stupid, and I wasn't thinking. You're absolutely right. I don't want to lose you, and I'll do anything if you'll give me another chance."
Nick stopped writing; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Why are you looking at me as if I grew another head?"
"You actually say shit like this?"
"Nick, you'll learn that it's a lot less painful to just get it over with quickly. In her eyes, you're always wrong. Until you grovel, life as you know it will never be the same. There will be no sex, no peace, and if she's like Mona, no sleep until you crawl on your belly like the snake that you are-that, my friend, is a direct quote.
"The absolute worst thing you can do is tell her that if it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have been forced to lie this whole time. You need to tell her exactly what she wants to hear.
"It's not going to be pretty; expect yelling, tears. You may even have to duck if she loses it and throws something at you. You've got your work cut out for you, so you better get your ass in gear."
Vin took a bar rag and started polishing the bottles. "After you grovel, you're going to need to buy out a flower shop. Call Carmine's, have him make you up a nice expensive bouquet and keep them coming. Hit the chocolate place on Avenue M. They sell Godiva. Buy twice as much as you think one person can eat in a year. Women have bitchfests when their men do something stupid. They get together to discuss us, compare notes, and sympathize. She has to have enough chocolate to share."
Nick didn't grovel. He didn't bother telling Vinny that, because obviously, Vin had enough experience groveling to teach a class in that, too. Nick knew what Vinny didn't-once you grovel, they know they've got you hooked. Vinny was a perfect example. Mona'd had Vinny by the shorthairs for years.
"Why should I grovel? I didn't do anything wrong- except for not telling Lee who I was in the beginning. But if you're right, she's known all along."
"You're telling me that you're not gonna take the hit? What are you, nuts? You finally find the right girl, and you're gonna let this blow up in your face? You're gonna lose her."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nick, you've been putting pressure on Premier since the day you were canned because of that no-good Jack Lassiter, Jr. Have you done anything since you found out about Lee's involvement?"
"No." Nick fanned the napkins he'd been writing on and sat up straighter. "But that doesn't have anything to do with her."
"Sure." Vinny took another sip of his drink and sat back looking smug. "You go right ahead and keep telling yourself that. But if you're stupid enough to believe it, you're more of a putz than I thought you were."
Nick finished his Jack and coffee, stood, and whistled for Dave. He'd been calling himself enough names lately; he didn't need Vinny's help.
"Look, Nick. Think about what I said. If you're not ready to cut her loose, then don't. Try confessing your sins. Pretend you're talking to Father Francis. Who knows, maybe she's nothing like Mona, maybe she'll go easy on you."
Who knew that this would be so complicated or would smack so much of commitment? All this talk about love was enough to make him rethink the whole thing. But damn, the thought of the alternative was worse. Shit.
Rosalie's intercom beeped and pulled her out of the quagmire that was her relationship with Nick. She'd spent the last week wondering what was wrong with him, and she'd made the decision to find out what it was, even if she had to break every rule in the book to do it. Gina's voice filled her temporary office.
"Rosalie, there's a strange man on line one. He says his name is Leisure, and you'll know what it's regarding. He's even more cryptic than Nick, just Nick. Is he as good-looking?"
A smile crossed Rosalie's face. Is Leisure good-looking? She pictured her friend in her mind. Hmm. "Yeah, I guess he is, but I never thought of him like that."
"What? Is he your cousin or a priest or something?"
"No, just a good friend. I'll take the call. Thanks, Gina."
"I live to serve."
With the smile still on her face, Rosalie punched the flashing button on her desk phone, slipped her pumps off, leaned back in her chair, and settled in for a good chat. "Leisure. Hi. How's it going?"
"Are you alone, Rosalie?"
Rosalie dropped her feet to the floor and back into her shoes. Sitting forward, she grabbed her pen and pulled out a fresh yellow pad. "Yeah. Why? What's wrong?"
"You remember that issue you asked me to look into?"
'The rumors about Premier Motors?"
"That's the one. Well, it took some doing, but I got my hands on their file. It looks as if your suspicions were correct. There are notes about a telephone conversation regarding Lassiter, Premier, and their fiscal position. Are you still seeing Dominick Romeo?"
"Yeah." Rosalie cringed, dreading the answer but asking anyway. "What does Nick have to do with this?" She heard the blood rushing though her ears, and her face and hands got clammy. She waited for the answer for what seemed like an hour. "Leisure, you're scaring me. Tell me what you've found, and stop being so damned cloak-and-dagger about this."
"It's him, Rosalie. Dominick Romeo is sabotaging Premier Motorcars. He gave a laundry list of reasons we should no longer extend credit to Premier, Lassiter, and any customers he might have.
"Honey, if word gets out that you're associated with him, you can kiss your job-hell, your career- good-bye."
"I can't believe it's Nick. I mean, the thought occurred to me... but-"
"I don't know what to tell you, Rosalie, other than I've got notes in front of me regarding a conversation between Dominick Romeo and the senior VP of finance, as well as the fallout of said conversation. Your boyfriend implied that if we continued to handle Premier, we would lose his business. I don't need to tell you that Dominick Romeo's chain of dealerships means more to us than one dealership, even one as large as Lassiter's. And, if what Romeo said was accurate- and by virtue of your presence at Premier Motors, all evidence points to its validity-Premier is on precarious financial footing. Now just remember. You didn't hear any of this from me."
Rosalie's mind was spinning as she thanked Leisure and hung up the phone. She tried to rub the tension out of her neck, but the effort wasn't helping. Neither was Nick's name written in three-inch block letters on the yellow pad in front of her. Rosalie calmly took a red Sharpie out of her top desk drawer, pulled the cap off the marker and drew a thick "X" through the name. Then she picked up the phone and made a call. "Yes, this is Rosalie Ronaldi. I need to speak with Mr. Las-siter. It's urgent."
Nick sat at his desk twirling a pen between his fingers, back and forth, back and forth.
Rosalie would be home in a couple of hours. After checking the clock for the hundredth time that day, Nick paced his office, trying to come up with the right words to tell her the truth. He stuck his head out the door. "Lois, is Ty back with Dave yet?"
"No, they're at the body shop. Do you want me to call for them?"
"No, that's okay. I'll wait."
"Nick? I don't mean to pry-"
"Sure you do." He leaned against the doorjamb. "What is it, Lois?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing. What's wrong?" She held up a stack of letters he'd gone over earlier. "You were supposed to sign these. What did you do? Take them out of your in-box and stick them in your out-box?"
"I don't know. I thought I had signed them. Here, I'll take care of them now." He moved toward her desk. She dropped the letters, rolled her chair back, and stood.
"Nick, I don't care about the damn letters, but if there's something wrong..." She came around the desk toward him, giving him the concerned-mother routine.
"Nothing I can't handle."
She nodded, picked up the letters she'd dropped, handed them to him, and looked doubtful. "Maybe you should take Dave and Lee to your house in the Hamptons for a week. You haven't taken any time off in ages, except when Lee was sick, and that was no vacation. The beach in winter is so relaxing."
"I don't think so, Lois."
"Ty and I can take Dave, if that's a problem."
"No, Dave's not the problem, but thanks for the offer. I wasn't thinking when I started bringing Dave to the office. He's not going to be with us much longer. I know Ty loves him. I'm sorry."
"Something's wrong with Dave? Oh, God." She stepped back and covered her mouth with her hand.
"No." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Dave's fine. It's Lee. Things aren't going well."
"They aren't?" She covered his hand with hers. "Oh, Nick. Are you sure you can't work things out? I thought everything was different with Lee-better."