Chapter 4 4

Nina's POV:

"So, you want to fuck the dude?"

I nearly lost my balance in my tree pose as Alice blurted out that nonsense. She, of course, held her position perfectly, not a wobble in sight. We were doing yoga together over video chat, something we did once in a while to stay flexible and, supposedly, to clear our minds. But Alice had a way of filling mine with complete chaos.

"That's what you got from my whole story?" I asked, my body trembling slightly as I tried to maintain my stance.

Alice moved into a chaturanga dandasana, and I groaned before following suit. "You did say you touched his South Dakota."

"South Dakota?" I muttered under my breath, struggling to hold the pose. Alice had a way of making up the most ridiculous terms. As I bent my elbows to a controlled 90-degree angle, feeling the burn in my arms, I huffed out, "That was an accident."

Alice wasn't even breaking a sweat. "How did he look again?"

"So fucking" I stopped myself short. "I have a boyfriend," I reminded myself out loud.

"We all know that. You're window shopping, Nina, not purchasing the item."

"How does Neilson feel about the way you think?" I countered. Neilson was Alice's long-term, older boyfriend.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him... or the guy I'm checking out." She flowed effortlessly into an upward-facing dog while I struggled to keep up. "Why is it that when guys check out girls, it's fine, but when we do it, we're suddenly immoral? It's not like we can control where our eyes wander."

I exhaled sharply, trying to focus on my breath as I stretched my muscles. "Still, it feels wrong. I shouldn't have talked to him that long."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Why is it wrong? You met someone you connect with, and that's fine. The only reason you feel guilty is because he has a dick. If he had a vagina, you wouldn't even be thinking twice. Why should gender change the situation?"

I blew out another breath. "If you were in my situation, would you still talk to him?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"What if it made Neilson uncomfortable?"

"Then he has to learn how to deal with the discomfort. If he trusts me, there's no problem. If he doesn't, that's his issue to work through, not mine."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're one tough nut, Alice Lee."

A familiar beam of light reflected on her screen, and her face lit up. "Hi, Muffin," she greeted before switching poses. "How was work?"

Neilson stepped into the frame, shrugging off his coat. "Same as always." His tone was brief, never one for chit-chat. "Hey, Nina."

I shifted positions along with Alice. "How's everything going?"

"Good." He disappeared down the hallway with his suitcase, probably getting comfortable.

Alice turned back to me, her smirk firmly in place. "I'm serious, though. If you want to talk to the dude, talk to him. You need more friends, Nina."

"You're my friend."

"One of your very few friends."

"Neilson is also my friend."

"Neilson is my boyfriend. He doesn't count."

I sighed. "Fine."

"Fine, what?"

"If you don't want to talk to Matt, then don't."

A weird feeling settled in my stomach, disappointment. "Then I won't."

"So, are you going to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Message him that you're not meeting him tomorrow."

"Does that make me flaky?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you making excuses?"

I exhaled, shifting into a camel pose. "I'm not making excuses. Earphones are expensive, and I don't want to spend more money on another pair."

Alice chuckled, mimicking my pose. "Then tell him in person that you don't want to meet him anymore."

"I will."

"What are you two talking about?" Neilson reappeared in the frame, now wearing a slightly damp blue t-shirt and sweatpants, a bottle of beer in hand. He dropped onto the couch, his gaze subtly shifting to Alice's backside. I knew why he always chose to sit there.

Alice didn't miss it either. She shot him a glare before continuing. "Nina is going to end her nonexistent relationship with a guy she may or may not feel a connection to."

Neilson took a sip of his beer. "Why?"

"Because Kevin wouldn't feel comfortable," I explained.

He nodded. "Understandable."

Alice scoffed, standing up straight. "So she should stop talking to someone just because her boyfriend is insecure?"

Neilson shrugged. "Yeah. If you talked to someone who made me uncomfortable, I'd want you to stop."

Alice placed her hands on her hips, tilting slightly. "Then why did you keep talking to that girl I told you to stop talking to?"

Neilson threw up his hands. "She's my secretary! I have to talk to her."

Alice scoffed again, flipping her hair. "Yeah, keep making excuses. 'I have to talk to her. She makes all my appointments.'" She deepened her voice mockingly before storming off. "She looks at you like a damn piece of meat! Does she not know you're my piece of meat?!"

"Angel! She does make all my work appointments! I have to ta-"

The door slammed, cutting him off. Neilson groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose before looking back at me. "See what I have to deal with?"

I smirked. "Good luck, Neilson." And with that, I ended the call, knowing a war was about to erupt.

After my shower, I tidied up the living room and started cooking dinner. The front door opened, and I smiled. "Hi, honey."

Kevin set down his work equipment and leaned in for a kiss. "Long day?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before wrapping his arms around me. "Super long. But I'm feeling better now."

I smiled, stirring the vegetables. "Go shower and rest. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

He nodded, dragging his feet up the stairs. The scent of fresh food filled the air as I moved mechanically, lost in thought-until my phone buzzed.

I answered without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Nina?" That voice.

I froze, my eyes locked on the steam rising from the pot. "Matt?"

"Are we still meeting tomorrow?"

Footsteps sounded behind me. Kevin walked toward the couch, flopping down and grabbing the remote. I placed a cold beer in front of him.

"Who are you talking to?" Kevin asked.

"Matt. A friend I met at the park."

"Who's that?" Matt questioned.

I glanced at Kevin, who tensed slightly, the bottle pausing at his lips. "My boyfriend."

A strange silence settled between the three of us.

"Yeah," I finally said. "We can meet..."