Becoming First Lead

xix - faux couple

●NIKKI POV●

So we decided on lunch . I needed a whole day to compose myself and get everything I needed situated . I spoke to Alex to let him know that we're going to do lunch.  He didn't sound too stressed or worried so that put me at ease.

I don't know what I was expecting yesterday. For Rick to magically show up and we get this done over with ? He probably expected to wait it out for a period of time to "catch me off guard" before he started making demands.

Demands. That was literally our whole life as a couple .

《FLASHBACK》

"Nicole, if you really are serious about us and our future you'd really stop hanging out with those girls . They're a bad influence on you," Rick says trying to convince me.

"Aria and Sonja are my best friends, they've never steered me in the wrong direction. Why are you all of a sudden against them?" Perplexed, considering that he never complained until now.

He looks at me with those Puppy dog eyes and I falter. He knows I cave whenever he does this and I'm stupid to fall for it everytime . I can't resist him but this is a very sore point . I mean, he's asking me to get rid of my two bestfriends .

"Baby," he pouts and grabs my hands , "don't you want our marriage to last? We can't have people holding us back."

I really don't understand why he's asking this but I really do love him . I think. And he's right , he's my future and we chose to build that together .

"Besides, you still have Shirley. She's been the only real friend to the both of us," he says as if he's throwing me a bone.

"I don't know," I try to argue back. He's asking me to cut off my support system.

"Aren't I enough?" As if he could read my mind he asks.

"Of course you are," I hesitate a little.

"Then it's settled. I can tell them that you're too busy or that it's better off to walk away from this friendship," he says to me.

I should have known, the flags were waving right before my eyes . But my love blinders were on and if I'm being honest he scared me.

•PRESENT•

So as noon approaches I look at myself one more time before leaving my apartment to meet with Austin. I don't look out of sorts as I smooth down my hair . Something about our first outing makes me nervous but I don't pay too much attention to it. After all this is just to play it up . 

As I approach the littler diner I see Austin immediately. He stands out like a sore thumb but I think anyone that's in a suit would stand out. We wave at each other as he holds the door open waiting for me to get in. We give each other a hug and then get seated.