I Choose You (2 page)

             
“Let me take that,” Kent said to his sister, easily lifting the box from her hands and taking it to the room that Nicole indicated was Roni’s.

             
“Hi, Roomie,” Roni squealed, jumping and doing a little spin around the room.

             
Nicole couldn’t help but smile at her excitement, then watched, confused, when Roni’s demeanor changed at the voice in the hall.

             
“Hello… I’m looking for the apartment housing the hottest ladies in town,” Rich yelled out as his face came into view.

             
Roni rolled her eyes and turned to walk into her room.

             
Nicole barely had a moment to register Roni’s behavior, before she was enveloped by Rich’s strong arms.

             
“Hey, Baby Doll,” Rich said with a smile. “Kent told me his sister was moving in today, so I thought you guys might need some help from a big, strong, sexy, man.”

             
Nicole giggled at his words and the wink that accompanied them.

             
“Thanks, I didn’t realize you were coming by, I would have stocked the fridge.” Nicole responded.

             
“I’ve got it covered,” Rich said, pulling a six pack from behind his back.

             
Nicole smiled and took it from him. She went to put it in the fridge and said, “Leave it to you to think of everything,”

             
Kent came back out and walked up to Rich, his arm extended to shake his hand.

             
Nicole caught herself watching his movement across the room, and quickly averted her eyes before anyone else noticed.

             
“Hey, Man,” Kent said in greeting, “Thanks for coming out to help.”

             
“No prob,” Rich responded, his eyes following Roni as she came out of her room. “I don’t have much going on since Colin and Bree left, at least not until school starts back up next week.”

             
“Oh, does that mean you’ll be leaving town soon?” Roni asked a little too eagerly.

             
Rich just smiled at her.

             
“Yeah, Sugar, I’ll be leavin’,” he drawled with a wink. “But don’t you worry; I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me.”

             
Roni rolled her eyes again and snorted.

             
“No danger of that happening.”

             
“Hey,” Kent said with authority. “You - turn off the charm,” he said pointing at Rich. Then turned his finger on his sister, “And I know you have better manners than that. Use ‘em.”

             
Rich just laughed and asked Kent what he needed help with, then the guys headed downstairs to unload.

             
“What was that about?” Nicole asked Roni quietly, once they were alone.

             
“What,” Roni asked.

             
“That thing between you and Rich?”

             
Roni snorted again, “I know a million guys like him and believe me, there is no
thing
between me and Rich. I just don’t buy his: aw shucks, southern stud act.”

             
Nicole chuckled good-naturedly and slung an arm around Roni as they headed out to help the guys.

             
“Oh, it’s no act… Rich is a true southern stud.”

             
They laughed together as they descended the stairs to help the guys.

Chapter Two

             
For their first night as roommates, Nicole picked up some wine and brownie mix. Once they guys left, Nicole got the brownies ready and put them in the oven, then went to help Roni unpack.

             
Nicole paused at the doorway of Roni’s room, struck by how beautiful the other girl was.

             
“You know, if I didn’t know you, I’d probably hate you,” Nicole said, startling Roni, who had her head in a box.

             
Roni straightened and looked at Nicole with a confused expression.

             
“Why’s that?”

             
“You’re gorgeous,” Nicole replied. “And not just, Wow, look at that pretty face. The whole package. Perfect face, perfect body, perfect hair, shoot, even the perfect feet.”

             
Roni looked down at her perfectly polished bare feet.

             
“Perfect feet?” She asked.

             
Nicole shook her head in mock disgust.

             
“Yeah, I mean, look at my ginormous feet compared to yours.” She walked up and put her foot up against Roni’s. “See, yours are positively dainty.”

             
“If you say so,” Roni answered with a laugh. “I’m just a girl you know. And you’re one to talk; you aren’t exactly hard to look at yourself. You want to talk about body… I’d kill for yours.”

             
“Okay, now that we have complimented each other to death,” Nicole said, picking up the box of linens and walking over to the bed. “What do you say we get your stuff put away, then get to know each other over some wine and brownies?”

             
“Sounds like a plan,” Roni replied, and started unpacking boxes while Nicole made the bed.

             
Since they’d already decorated most of the common areas, it didn’t take long to get Roni’s room set up the way she wanted.

             
They were sitting on the couch with a brownie in one hand and a glass of red in the other in no time at all.

             
“So,” Roni asked, “What made you move here from Dallas?”

             
“Well, long story short, I was engaged to my high school sweetheart, with whom I was supposed to start a congregation, and grow old with in Dallas. Unfortunately, that was my parents dream, not mine.” Nicole put her glass down and looked at Roni with a sad expression. “I realized that I wasn’t in love with Jake, and that I really wanted to be a writer, not a Youth Minister.”

             
“That must have been tough,” Roni encouraged her to go on.

             
“It was,” Nicole admitted. “Jake is a great guy, and I hated hurting him, but I knew we wouldn’t be happy in the long run. My parents were livid when I told them, and they said that they weren’t going to support me or my decision… so I left. I just picked a random spot on the map, and here I’m.”

             
“Wow,” Roni said her grey eyes wide. “So, you haven’t spoken to your parents or Jake since?”

             
“No,” Nicole admitted. “It’s been two years. I haven’t heard from anyone since I left. ”

             
“Well, I’m sorry about your parents, but, Wow. Good for you.” Roni exclaimed.

             
Nicole picked her wine glass back up and took a drink before asking, “What about you? What brought you here?”

             
“I married my high school sweetheart right after graduation, but he ended up not being the man I thought he was, so I left him.” Roni looked down at the amber liquid in her glass as she spoke.

             
“I had no idea you’d been married,” Nicole said softly. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out. So, rather than staying with your parents, you decided to come here?”

             
“My parents are going through a rough time, and stuff with my ex got too intense, so I asked Kent if I could stay with him for a while.” Roni smiled absently. “I can always count on Kent. Anyway, once I got here, I realized have nothing to go back home for, so I decided to get a job and move in with you.”

             
It was obvious to Nicole that there was more to the story, but that Roni wasn’t ready to open up about everything, so she refilled their glasses and changed the subject.

             
“Are you really not attracted to Rich?” Nicole asked Roni with a big grin on her face.

             
Roni rolled her eyes.

             
“Like I said, I’ve met tons of guys like Rich. Smooth, sexy, flirts that go through girls like they’re disposable… My ex is the same type of guy. “Roni admitted. “I’m not blind, of course I see that Rich is a very good-looking guy, but I’m not falling for that act again.”

             
“Well, I haven’t known him long, but I think there’s more to Rich than that,” Nicole said in his defense. “Sure he’s a flirt, and he enjoys women, but from what I’ve seen, they enjoy him back. I wouldn’t say he uses them.”

             
“Well, until I see different, we will just have to agree to disagree where Rich is concerned.” Roni replied. “I’m not in the mood for guys right now.”

             
Nicole laughed at that, the wine started to make her feel relaxed and happy.

             
“I haven’t talked to anyone since Jake,” Nicole admitted. “Well, Jake’s the only guy I’ve ever dated. That’s horrible, right?”

             
“Really, you’ve only ever been with one guy?” Roni asked incredulously, grabbing the wine bottle and turning it upside down. “Looks like we need another bottle.”

             
Nicole jumped up, and chose another bottle out of her little wine rack on the counter.

             
“No fear,” She giggled. “We have more.”

             
She uncorked the wine and refilled their glasses before settling back in on the couch.

             
Roni nudged Nicole’s knee with her toe to prompt her to keep talking. She put her feet up and stretched out to get more comfortable.

             
“So… you were saying, just Jake.” She prompted.

             
Nicole looked at Roni, trying to figure out how honest she wanted to be. She had a feeling that she and Roni were going to be friends for a long time. She trusted her enough to tell her the truth.

             
“Yeah, I was saying Jake’s the only guy I ever dated, and was engaged to, but I’ve never
been
with any guy.” Nicole waited for Roni’s reaction.

             
She didn’t have to wait long.

             
Roni sat up quickly, causing the wine in her glass to slosh around. She looked at Nicole in disbelief.

             
“You’re a
virgin
?”

             
“Yes,” Nicole admitted. “My family is very religious and I was raised to believe that sex is something that takes place between a woman and her husband.”

             
“Whoa… I can’t believe it,” Roni said shaking her head and chuckling slightly. “You have a body that guys drool over, and you’ve never used it… Wow. I mean, I think it’s totally cool that you made that decision and stuck to it… I just can’t believe it.”

             
Nicole laughed at Roni’s candor.

             
“It’s never been a problem, or a hard decision,” Nicole explained. “Jake had the same values, so we always planned to wait. The whole time I was in college, I was engaged and since I’ve been here there hasn’t been anyone that I’ve been interested in.”

             
“Do you still plan to stick to it?” Roni asked, curious. “I mean, if you did meet someone, or decided to date casually, do you still plan to wait until you are married?”

             
“Yes.” Nicole said.

             
“Wow,” Roni said again. “I don’t know if I could marry someone without knowing whether or not the sex was good.”

             
That made Nicole laugh, and Roni joined in.

             
“Wait… I’m not a slut or anything,” Roni clarified. Then she looked back at Nicole and said, “Well, shoot, I guess compared to you, I am.”

             
Nicole shook her head fervently, feeling the room spin slightly as she did.

             
“No way. Don’t talk like that. You don’t have to compare yourself to me or worry that I’ll judge you. This is a decision I made for myself. Besides, “Nicole said with a wicked grin. “Just because I haven’t had sex, doesn’t mean I haven’t done other stuff.”