Chapter 11

Nik checks himself out in the mirror one final time before leaving the marble tile room. Jane is sitting in the living room scrolling through her smartphone, probably looking for a place to eat. She is wearing a short-sleeved black dress that falls just above the knee. It has two layers; the first layer is a see-through black lace mesh fabric in an A-line style. The second layer is a black, opaque, satin fabric that forms to every one of her curves perfectly. The juxtaposition of the two fabrics is stunning. The mesh makes her look sexy, but the satin adds that air of classiness back to the dress.

"What? Is there something on me?" Jane stands, quickly patting at the mesh fabric of the dress, trying to dust off any unwanted particles or whatever could be causing Nik to stare at her so intently.

"No no. You just look amazing." Nik saunters over towards her. Nik wears a simple black button-down shirt with gray dress pants and black dress shoes. His sleeves are rolled up, exposing his tan and powerful arms. His dress pants are perfectly tailored to his athletic lower half. Jane turns away to prevent herself from looking like a total creep in front of her new lover. "So where are we going for dinner?"

"I have been looking at places in the area. The place I initially wanted to take you to is closed and unfortunately, most of the other restaurants nearby have long wait times. I do have one idea, if you'll indulge me."

"Shoot."

"Well, I have lived here for a while and so I know a lot of the local spots really well. There is a park near here that hosts a bunch of food trucks. I'm really in the mood for tacos right now and my favorite taco truck is always there around this time. J would never miss out on an opportunity to earn money and grow his business. Would you be interested in trying a place like that? I know it's not a restaurant like I promised, but it's good food. I swear."

"Hmm. If you say so," Nik rubs his chin and gazes at the ceiling, feigning indecisiveness.

"If you don't want to we ca-" Nik quickly cuts her off.

"Jane, chillax. I'm kidding. That sounds perfect. I would love to try some tacos. Let's go." Nik takes Jane's hand, dragging her out into the hallway. He swiftly locks his door and shoves his keys into his pocket, further cementing them into this taco truck dinner date destiny. Jane is surprised by Nik's visible enthusiasm but is pleased, nonetheless.

As soon as they are in the backseat of a cab together, Jane pulls out her smartphone and shares the destination with their driver. The driver types it into his GPS and they are off. Jane sinks into the cracked tan leather seats. She looks out the window, watching as the mesmerizing city lights whiz by. This is her first real 'second date' with a man. Typically, she only has 'one and done' late-night affairs but it's refreshing to actually spend time getting to know someone. She beams, not realizing that Nik has been watching her this entire time.

Nik watches Jane's expressions change while she is deep in her own world. It feels like she has completely forgotten the fact that there are other people in the car, but Nik doesn't mind so much. He enjoys just watching her take pleasure in the date that she planned. Tacos. Nik doesn't usually eat Mexican food. He typically settles for Italian, either take-out or his own home-cooked creations.

Cooking isn't necessarily one of Nik's passions. It's more of a hobby, something he uses to destress and decompress after a long day of sitting through meetings and talking with stakeholders. The world of pharmaceuticals is strict, rule-bound, and mundane, the antithesis of cooking. That's probably why Nik enjoys it so much. It's also something he used to do with his parents when he was young.

Nik was born to two Mediterranean lovers, one Greek, and the other Italian. His mom was a Greek supermodel. Before Nik was born, she walked runways in New York during fashion week and posed for popular magazines. She was the kind of woman that pre-teen girls would hang posters of up in their room. She was tall and slender. Her hair was jet black, and her eyes were chocolate brown. Her lips were plump and a lovely shade of rose that complemented her olive skin well. Her kindness mirrored her looks.

She had a heart of gold. Nik's mother spent many years teaching her son about the importance of giving back to the community, providing for those who might not have enough, and treating all human lives as the precious gems she believed they were. She believed that every human had a kind soul, even if they weren't outwardly sharing it. She took her son with her to every charity event, every volunteering opportunity, and signed Nik up for a volunteering student organization when he was in seventh grade.

At the time, Nik was annoyed with how hands-on his mother was. He felt like he couldn't do what he wanted or have his own life. All the hard work she did to ensure that he had a good life and grew up with a conscience and even a sliver of the heart she had, went underappreciated until she wasn't there to share her values anymore. She was an angel of a woman who somehow fell into the trap of his devil-like father.

Nik's father is a cold man. He is business savvy and knows how to manipulate everyone around him into following his ideas, no matter how farfetched they seem. His constant dedication to his craft was something that Nik's mother admired, and she fell in love with him because of it. That isn't to say that his dad was only liked for his swift personality, he is attractive as well. He towers above most, not only financially, but height-wise as well. He has a pearly white smile and dimples to match, softening his rougher features. He has a jawline, bushy brows, ice-blue eyes, followed by every other rough body part, lips, hands, rugged messy hair, etc.

His father was born in Italy, but his family emigrated when he was an infant. They came to America to find work during one of Italy's many economic crises. Nik's grandparents were not so lucky. Work was difficult to find, discrimination against immigrants was high, and that forced his family into some tough neighborhoods. Nik's father Angelo somehow managed to take his looks and his wits and use them to rise above the financial and social ruin that his parents faced.

You would think that with his fortune, some of it would be funneled to the rest of the family, but that wasn't the case. As soon as his father's status was at a high enough level, he cut the rest of his family off. He is a greedy man. Nik hadn't even realized he had grandparents and never was able to develop a relationship with them because of his father's actions. It wasn't until the passing of his mother that he was finally able to meet them.

His grandparents knew and respected Nik's mother's work and kindness. They were proud to have a grandson who would be able to pass on her virtues and extend the bloodline as opposed to just ending it with them. Unfortunately for them, Nik is already in his 30s and is not in a serious relationship. By the time he finally finds one, he may not be young enough to have children. This realization is one he faces and struggles with regularly.

"Nik are you almost ready? We are nearly there." Jane's voice slices through Nik's uncomfortable thoughts before they can sour his mood. Every time he thinks about his family it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He resents his father for the way he threw out his own flesh and blood for fame and fortune.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm ready. I'm starving." Jane is the one dragging Nik along this time. She pays the taxi fare and pulls him in the direction of the sidewalk. They follow the path illuminated by the lanky iron structures. It gets dark earlier and earlier these days. Jane shivers a bit. She initially dressed for eating dinner inside of a nice restaurant, not a late-night park date. The fall air nips at her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She cuddles into Nik to escape the cold. He wraps his arm around her, sharing his warmth.

They walk a few feet further before stopping in the center of a circle of food trucks. Jane scans the area trying to find her favorite one. She spots it and pulls Nik along. "This is it," she says with childish whimsy as if she were a kid in a candy store. Nik just chuckles at the silly woman and looks up at the menu, trying to decide what item sparks his interest.