Chapter Four: Kismet
Marie awoke the following morning and looked around the room at her very different surroundings. She listened quietly, hearing a few cars go down the street below the condo. The sound was a stark but welcome difference to the very loud ruckus of New York, the city that really never slept. She looked over at the clock seeing it was only 2:30 in the morning and she sighed, normally back home she'd be up already (with the three hour time difference not withstanding) and in the bake shop listening to the radio, getting her day started. Rebecca would be running around setting up the display case, Rhianne would be opening the register and Anthony would be going over the daily, weekly and monthly numbers before making his way onto the floor to help the girls keep the front looking amazing while Rebecca would run back to help her work on her latest creation.
It would only be after the initial morning rush with the line of people out of the door and half way down the street that Marie would even show her face in the front of her little shop. She knew it was best that in the first few hours of operation that the less amount of people in the front of the store, actually made the flow that much easier on Rhianne, and Anthony.
As much as she loved being so far away on vacation without really a care in the world. She missed her friends a great deal. She contemplated calling them just to say good morning. She sighed resisting the urge as much as she wanted to she knew that calling them in the middle of the morning rush would only slow them down from any significant progress. She got up feeling completely awake despite the seemingly early hour. She stretched and decided to go down to the living room and see what was on television, maybe she could find something to watch even though it was probably all infomercials at this time of morning. She smiled as Jada and Romeo followed her to the sofa curling up next to her as she grabbed an afghan from the back of the sofa and began flicking through the channels hoping to find something to occupy her time.
---
Nick sighed as he read his book shocked that for the first time he was actually reading something that didn't have See Spot Run or Jo's personal favorite Goodnight Moon or even didn't have to make a regular visit to Who-ville. He looked around his office his feet comfortably propped up on his desk as he reclined back in his executive roller chair. The house was so completely quiet without his daughters. With them there it always seemed like the place was much more alive, louder, smelled better. As much as he loved sending them off to see their grandparents, to give them some much needed quality time he still didn't like feeling so alone in such a big empty house.
He looked to his desk seeing a picture of Jo just after she was born, being cradled in Anna's arms. In hindsight everything was simpler then but all the more frightening with becoming a father in the first place. The adjustment period of accepting his responsibilities and role of being a significant parental figure was one of the hardest things he'd ever done in his life. But it made the result all the more worth his initial struggles. Seeing his daughters grow and begin to shape their personalities and what they would eventually evolve to one day was definitely the most wonderful thing in his life.
Sometimes though, just knowing that he was spending these years alone made him wish that he could find someone that could appreciate his situation and maybe even work with him to improve the situation. He definitely did not want to end up finding someone who he thought was absolutely perfect, only to have her be the wicked step mother type to his own daughters. He knew now more than ever that the girl's approval of someone was going to be the ultimate deciding factor before he would ever become completely serious with someone.
But at the same time, he didn't want to make his home feel like a revolving door either. He wasn't sure that he was ready for all the complications that were sure to come with any romantic entanglements let alone trying to find someone to spend his life with. Just then, a shrill ring of his phone interrupted his thoughts. He answered it quickly seeing that it wasn't from his daughters but his brother. "Hey loser..." He said smirking.
"Asshole...how'd you know it was me and not one of my awesome nieces?" Aaron shot back.
Nick snickered and sighed, "Well you see there's this new fangled technology...where it tells you the name and number of the person whose calling you. I think they're going to call it like caller identification system you know? Something simple for people to remember." He retorted sarcastically.
He listened to Aaron's responsive laughter and figured that he must be in somewhat of a good mood. "Dude, are you really that bored over there all alone for a whole week with nothing to do but watch porn and jerk off?" He shot back.
Nick laughed and looked around the room shaking his head. "Dude only you would spend an entire week doing that. But anyways, why'd you call?"
"Can't a guy just call his brother for the sake of calling?" Aaron said delaying the inevitable.
Nick gave a petulant sigh and replied, "What do you want?"
"Angel asked me to go over and feed her dogs and walk ‘em and stuff but I have a meeting tonight with the label and I'm in the studio all day. Could you go over and uhhh take care of it. I know since I gave her Jada and all I promised I'd help while she's gone."
Nick took a long breath and shook his head. "Aaron what am I going to do with you?"
"Be extra nice and do this for me?" Aaron asked hopefully. "I mean come on it's just Romeo and Jada so it's not like you don't know what to feed them or anything."
"Fine..." Nick said knowing that if he didn't agree now that Aaron would just keep nagging him until he would buckle under extreme annoyance. "Seriously why do I put up with you?" He asked snickering under his breath.
"Because you love your baby brother that's why." Aaron stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"That and I have nothing better to do with my time than to go over and do what you were supposed to do in the first place." Nick quipped back making Aaron chuckle.
---
Marie laid on the couch setting down her copy of Cosmopolitan and sighed loudly. She'd never been this bored in her entire life. She'd figured she'd find something to do at least, but nothing at the moment appealed to her. She'd vegged in front of the television but grew tired of that. Getting up she grabbed the dogs' leads and hooked them up to them before taking them out, completely determined to do something with her day. She took them down to the beach playing with them. She laughed as Jada would run and splash into the surf and Romeo would run skittishly away from the crashing waves.
She looked around seeing various people taking in the slightly chilly sunny day. Some people jogging and a few couples holding hands as they walked in the tide. She sighed seeing one couple, presumably married, the man holding her hand firmly as her other hand graced her rounded belly, a small little girl running behind them. She sighed and wished somehow that she'd be so lucky to have that someday. Feeling slightly saddened by her singleness she got up calling the dogs to her and re-securing their leads before heading back to the condo. When she arrived she took a long luxurious bubble bath and decided to find something to do with her time. Maybe even go out to a club, the movies, something where it wouldn't matter that she was single at all.
As she dried off and put on her fluffy bathrobe she heard the dogs barking and the front door of the condo being opened. She peaked down the stairs not being able to see who it was. Getting nervous she slipped on a pair of sweats and a tee shirt bounding down the stairs with her pepper spray in hand. She stopped when she saw him...crouched down smiling at the dogs who were eagerly vying for his attention. "Umm who are you?" She asked making him look up suddenly seeing her standing there.
Nick felt his heart race for a moment, completely startled at the fact there was someone else in the apartment let alone a woman. "I'm Angel's brother...This is her apartment isn't it?" He thought aloud thinking he somehow gotten the wrong place. But then again his key wouldn't have worked would it?
"Yes, and Angel's brother, you look nothing like Aaron."
Nick chuckled at her, now that was certainly different he thought to himself, being mistaken for his little brother. "No I'm Nick, Angel's older brother."
"Oh...wow she uhh never mentioned you...I knew she had other siblings but we never really talked about family and stuff." She said setting the pepper spray down her cheeks flushing crimson. He smiled at her blush and she chuckled.
"So I guess she forgot to tell Aaron who didn't mention it to me that she had someone house sitting for her. He was supposed to come over and feed the dogs but I guess you have that covered..." He said smirking. It was so like his sister to pull something like this. One minute she's complaining how he never goes out, so he goes out and nothing works so she pulls her little strings and sets him up. "Do you mind if I call my sister, see why she conveniently forgot to tell him..."
Marie nodded as she watched him go into the living room and she went up the stairs to the bedroom to give him some privacy. She looked in the mirror across from the bed and saw her messy wet hair and the clothing she'd haphazardly put on and cringed. "Figures a hot guy happens to come over and I look like a complete scrub!" She changed her clothing, opting for a white tank top, completely with black cashmere shrug and a pair of comfy blue jeans. Quickly but deftly she pulled her hair up securing it in a messy bun trying to look as laid back as possible. She opted on wearing no makeup anyways since he'd already saw her sans foundation.
Meanwhile down stairs Nick sighed as he heard his sister answer her phone. "Hey Ang did you forget to mention to Aaron that you had someone watching the dogs?" He said when she had said Hello.
"Oh, shit totally forgot I'm sorry. I was so busy with the airport I forgot to call and tell Aaron that Marie was flying out to stay with them."
"Yeah I think you owe her an apology I think I scared the hell out of her. Had pepper spray and everything ready to pounce thinking I was some crazy intruder." He said remembering the encounter just a few minutes before. He had to admit it was rather amusing seeing her standing there, wet dark brown hair, matching brown eyes wide in surprise, in laid back sweats and shirt and the pepper spray in her hand did make him laugh a little at the over exaggeration to her action.
"Oh God...sorry...So is that why you called? To yell at me for being absentminded?" She asked wondering why he needed to call her just to tell her that he met her house guest.
Nick rolled his eyes. "I know what you're doing..."
Angel bit her lip and held back a snicker. "Doing what? I forgot to tell you both I told you I'm sorry."
"Uh huh...and trying to set me up with someone in the process I'm sure." He shot back trying to get her to trip up and admit that was what she was doing.
"Oh please, come on like I asked Marie to fly all the way out to LA from New York just to get you a date? Come on Nickolas...think here I asked Aaron to watch the dogs, not you. I love you but I don't love you that much. And exactly how did you come to that conclusion? See something you like bro?"
Nick rolled his eyes and groaned, "Fuck you..." He trailed off. He did have to admit Marie was rather easy on the eyes.
"Ha, so you do like what you see!" Angel replied triumphantly. "But honestly this was totally not a set up. I am sorry I didn't tell you but hey, now that you've met her, she's never been to LA. Maybe you should you know, show her around town...take her out maybe."
"Seriously I am not interested in your little intrigues. You're almost as bad as Mom with your little ideas." He retorted back at her.
"It's not an idea, just you know she's my friend and she's never been to LA before. And I trust you, my big wonderful awesome brother to show her a good time. I'm not asking for it to be a date or even trying to set you up. Just be nice and talk to her. She's a really good friend of mine and this is her first vacation in a long time so please just be nice." Angel pleaded making Nick's resolve breakdown he blamed his lack of will power on the mere fact that he was a father to two very adorable little girls who had turned him into a pile of mush with just a simple look.
"You owe me." He said gruffly before ringing off with her. He waited a few moments and saw Marie pad down the stairs significantly changed after his conversation. "Sorry about that, don't let my sister's hair color confuse you, she's more blonde than I am sometimes." He joked as he watched her stuff her hands nervously into her pockets and chuckle softly.
"It's okay she's young." She shot back with a smile that made Nick clear his throat and look away.
"So Marie right?" He asked taking a seat on the couch as she sat on the arm of the loveseat across from him.
"Yes, Marie De Luca."
"From New York...totally explains the accent." He replied making her raise her eye brows at him.
"Accent? I don't have an accent..." She defended, to her she never had an accent she just talked how she always had and no one ever had said that she had an accent before, even in her traveling during college she'd never been told she'd talked anything but like a normal American.
"Yeah you do...let me guess Brooklyn?" He asked hitting the nail squarely on the head.
"How did you know?" She asked back wondering how he had pegged her hometown so quickly and easily. She never really understood how someone could just look at another person and immediately know where that person was from. She looked at him thinking maybe he was a life long Californian but from the minimal knowledge she knew of Angel's childhood she knew that they had lived in Florida for quite some time.
He smiled and made her stomach flip as he chuckled in response to her question. "I told you...it's the accent, dead giveaway." He answered making her shrug. "So what brings you to LA? Angel said you're on vacation?"
"Yeah for the holidays, I needed to get away from my life and it's been a really long time since I've ever had the ability to do so. And then Angel suggested I come stay here and here I am." She said rambling a little. "So you're her older brother..."
"Yeah, she's my youngest sister. Three girls, two boys."
"Sounds like an interesting childhood." She answered knowing very little about their upbringing. Pretty much Angel didn't like to talk about her past too much. She did know that their parents went through a rather nasty divorce and were not on speaking terms for quite some
"It was...different. I'm surprised Angel never mentioned me. Her and I are pretty close." He stated thinking that maybe his sister had kept him somewhat of a secret choosing not to divulge the identity of her pop star brother. Even though Aaron was famous as well he was sure that Angel left out the part that he was also very involved in the industry as well. In a way it made him feel for his sister, having to leave out parts of her life to make sure no one was using her to get close to one of her famous siblings. Some days he really felt bad that he had followed his dream after all since it had made his sisters most of all targets of users and hangers-on even more so than him or his brother.
"Well we usually talked about work, and her love life so we rarely ever got into family talk. She did mention Aaron quite a bit and I've met him once. Sweet kid...definitely precocious." She replied. She had met Aaron once way back when she had made the birthday cake for Angel and his birthday that they were celebrating in NYC. He'd come with her to see the final product and was amazed with the 2 tier cake that had music notes complete with a staff and everything winding around the white cake.
"Well Marie from New York...do you want to see LA?" He asked fulfilling his sister's request. At the moment he didn't exactly have any other pressing engagement to attend to so maybe he just might actually have some form of fun with her. She seemed nice enough and didn't seem to be the crazy stalker type if his own baby sister had invited her to stay in her home for the few weeks that she would be in Spain.
Marie looked at him for a moment almost surprised that he'd asked her to see the sights. "I wouldn't want to impose..."
"Nah, come on it'll be fun. We can do all the tourist-y things if you'd like or I can show you my Los Angeles." He offered giving her a choice.
"I think I'd like to see your version of LA, the tourist things will always be there later." She quipped back going over and slipping on her shoes and grabbing her purse. She smiled to herself what tourist could get an insider's view of their home city? Coming from a big city herself she knew that there were always spots that the tourists rarely frequented or rarely ever traveled to, making them a local secret in the city, her bakery being one of them. He waited by the door as she walked over to him following him out of the condo ready to take on the city of Angels.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow, just wow I am so insanely pleased and thrilled with the fantastic response this story is getting! So much so I decided to update AGAIN! lol I hope you all enjoy and feedback = much happiness and cookies! Thanks so much!
Chapter End Notes:
thanks for reading! hope you all enjoy!
